Chapter 1336 (1/2)

Commissioner Arrietti woke up with a wide smile on his face after a dreamless sleep. Sunlight filtered through the window in thick, golden rays that bounced off the floor and filled his room with warmth. It was probably almost 10 A.M. at this point, but sleeping in was perfectly acceptable for Elmer today; he had earned a day off as a reward for his hard work in preparing for Randidly Ghosthound’s birthday.

Today was entirely his. Kharon itself seemed to unfold before his mind like a blooming flower. And Elmer Arrietti intended to stop and smell the roses.

“Hum hum… I suppose I should treat myself to one of those fancy scones from the place around the corner…? They should have had enough time to get up after the Eidolon Crucible and bake them by now…” Elmer stretched leisurely and then swung his legs off of the bed. After slipping his feet into an extremely comfortable pair of wolf-fur slippers, Elmer shuffled to the window and threw open the curtains obscuring this beautiful world.

For a few seconds, Elmer seemed to exist in a solid beam of golden light. It warmed his skin and curled his face into an even larger smile. His view from his fifth floor, which was the highest floor in his apartment building, flat allowed him to calmly examine the surroundings. People scurried below, beginning to head to work with platforms releasing emerald energy floating behind them. Kharon was alive and well; likely those scones were ready for him. Truly, the only source of happiness in the world was vacation-

Elmer paused as his gaze was drawn, unbidden, across the street to the opposite building’s roof. The figure of a woman was standing on the roof opposite his building. Her one arm was covered in crackling lightning, the other in almost completely transparent ice. Her gaze was extremely intense as she looked toward the direction of Town Hall. Her image was so powerful that it completely chilled Elmer to the bone just to look at her.

Closing the curtains for no particular reason, Elmer turned away with a smile plastered on to his face. “Truly, vacation is the panacea of all woes… and nothing says vacation like a scone…”

His vaguely optimistic muttering continued as he put on his coat, grabbed a hat, and walked down the stairs and onto the street below. The sun peeked between the nearby buildings and illuminated the happily productive street. The chill that had gripped his body finally began to fade. Unable to resist the impulse, Elmer glanced upward and was relieved to see that the mysterious woman who had been standing on the roof was gone.

Likely for a relaxing stroll, Elmer comforted himself. All appreciated the joys of vacation.

Elmer sailed on that good mood for quite some time, allowing him to go to his favorite bakery, obtain a cranberry and pecan scone, and sit at a stucco table in the sun while reading a newspaper. Most of the news included was scintillating rumors about the party, which Elmer ignored, but he did have an enjoyable twenty minutes working on a crossword puzzle before giving up.

“Heh, truly, the wonders of free time never cease…” Elmer said to himself as he stood and tucked the newspaper under his arm. Then a blur of emerald light came whizzing past him on high speeds along the street. Commissioner Arrietti’s traitorous body, honed by training with the Order Ducis, brought his head whipping around and sized up the disturbance.

It was the form of a familiar child riding quickly on a small flying platform made of wood. That child was leading a group of four children, and when they reached the intersection, each split off in his or her own direction in a burst of emerald light. Several other people in the surrounding area also twisted around to glance at the disturbance, but everyone shrugged and went back to what they were doing once it had shot past.

Elmer nodded in a kindly manner to an acquaintance at a nearby table and began walking away. Yes, today is my day off. No need to-

“Commissioner Arrietti.”

Elmer’s expression froze as he spun on his heel to face the speaker: Annie, the White Hunter. She favored him with an indulgent smile and put a lazy hand on her hip. “Have you seen my daughter? She definitely passed this way, but I can’t tell which direction she took. Did you happen to see?”

Her expression made it clear she knew he knew the answer to her question.

Elmer’s first instinct was to open his mouth and say that he was currently off duty, but then he took a second look at Annie’s smile and strangled that impulse. Instead, he coughed lightly and then pointed in the direction that the leading child had fled. And just like that, Annie seemed to dematerialize in front of him.

Releasing a breath, Elmer took a quick glance around, confirmed that there were no other important individuals around, and began walking briskly forward. Beyond scones and sunlight, superfluous shopping is also within the purview of a relaxing vacation. Yes, perhaps some scented candles… and in the evening I will take a grand bath…

With newfound confidence that his day would definitely be relaxing, Elmer wandered across Kharon toward the commercial district. In this instance, he planned on heading to the newly opened indoor shopping complex. Although he had a scone for a light breakfast, it was getting late enough that lunch in the food court wouldn’t be remiss.

Elmer reached down and squeezed his belly with a pained expression. Overeating was also necessary for one to fully enjoy a vacation...

But as he neared the entrance, Elmer noticed quite a few people milling about the area with stiff spines and lowered necks that indicated nervousness. Instantly, Elmer couldn’t help his gaze sharpen. Was there an incident happening at the indoor shopping complex…?

Elmer promptly spun on his heel, daydreaming about a relaxing half-hour in one of the executive bath rooms available to him. But as he turned around, he found himself face to face with two young women dressed up in the uniform of Kharon’s police force. Both seemed like they were on the verge of tears.

“Commissioner Arrietti! I’m so glad you are here!” The younger one, Elise, seemed to be trembling. “We… we didn’t know what to do… but they… the… The Nemesai are inside the store.”

Again, Elmer wanted to just say that this was his day off, but Elise seemed so young, despite the ah-, tailored fit of her police uniform…