14 Disappear (1/2)
In the teahouse, Charles and Raina were drinking the tea. 1 of the group had already returned.
”So those are all our information.” One of the subordinates reported.
”Good.” Charles answered. [This Roger isn't bad. He has a clean background. He is also diligent in training. His previous tests are good.] He had got some report about the 'real' Roger.
”Look, Father! Trevon returned.” Raina saw Trevon. He walked with a smug look on his face.
”I am back uncle. Hahaha.” Trevon smiled. ”You can ask me anything. I could even answer all his previous lovers.”
”What do you think, Hendrik?” Charles asked.
”Our investigation is no longer a secret, Elder. It was my mistake.” Hendrik answered. Trevon had acted too fast. He started the fight before Hendrik could interfere. He also directly asked the questions. How could Hendrik stop him?
”What happened?” Charles asked.
Hendrik whispered what happened.
”You!” Charles pointed his finger at Trevon. ”Good. Don't you know this was a secret investigation?”
”Why did you hit those kids?” Charles asked.
”Of course, it was to make them talk.” Trevon answered. ”I remembered uncle's lesson. Who had the bigger fist? I have a bigger fist than them, so they need to obey me. I got all the information that you want. Hahaha.” He felt so proud that he even got information faster than Hendrik.
”You!” Charles almost lost his temper. ”Do you know what the meaning of 'secret' is?” Charles asked.
”Even, when most people know that we would do a background check, you should not do it openly like that.” Charles taught his nephew. ”We are not a barbarian tribe, we are an educated family.” He continued.
”If I want that kind information, I only need to post a reward. We would get enough people from one end of Redwood to the other end of the city!” Charles screamed.
”We do it covertly to show how good our information gathering staffs. We also do it to prevent people to plant fake information beforehand. If our gathering was known, people might be prepared in the future.” He continued.
”Hendrik, quickly solve the problem!” He told Hendrik.
”Yes, Elder.” Hendrik answered. ”I have prepared a team in the cleanup process.” The cleanup was usually forcing those young men and their families to keep their mouth shut. That would be enough for a big family like McArthur.
”Elder... Elder...” A man suddenly came to the to the teahouse. ”An emergency message from the forest.” He sent a small paper to Charles.
Charles took the small paper and opened the seal. He had a surprise on his face.
”Let's go back to the pavilion!” He ordered.
”Hendrik, after the cleanup I might need you to do other tasks. In case of my absence, you continued the recruitment with Trevon.” Charles ordered.
”Yes, Elder.” He answered.
Their group separated into 2. One was returned to the pavilion and the other cleaned the mess behind.
This time, Charles allowed Trevon to enter the carriage. During the journey back, Charles was busy thinking. The message didn't tell a good news. The group on mining site got an accident on the meteorite site. Some miners were attacked by unknown demon beasts. His brother, Alvaro, went deeper into the forest to chase those demon beasts.
Alvaro requested more support from the family. He asked the mission to be increased from Rank B to Rank A. This rank showed how important a mission was. A Rank A mission needed the family to monitor them frequently.
Other than being a member of the recruitment department, Charles was the leading figure in the McArthur Redwood branch.
[I might need to send some Peak Rank 2 warriors or even a Rank 3 warrior to protect the mining site.] Charles thought. [Who could I send?]
Charles needed to ensure a good support for his brother. Alvaro was the pillar of the family. He is one of the family children. He also had seen Alvaro grew from a baby until he became an elder of the family. He had some extra feeling for his brother.
Nevertheless, this brother of him always loved to do dangerous missions. He even went to chase the beasts while the main duty was to protect the mining process. [Alvaro had always put family benefits first. Perhaps there was something special that made him chase the beasts.]
”Hey, what do you think about the message?” Raina whispered to Trevon.
”Nothing good perhaps.” Trevon easily answered. He had seen the serious face on his uncle.
”You. I am talking seriously. It might be about your father.” Raina turned angry.
”What happened?” Raina's angry tone awoke Charles from his deep thinking.
”Nothing Dad.” Raina didn't dare to disturb his father. She was still in the playing stage of her life.
”She wants to know the letter.” Trevon just openly sold his elder cousin. ”Even if it is about my father, nothing would happen to him. It is not like he could die easily.” His father had managed to survive many dangerous missions.
”That is not the way to talk about your father.” Charles turned a bit angry. There was a huge problem, and this kid didn't care. [Wait, Alvaro was almost a Rank 3 warrior. He would be able to ensure his own safety. We must be prepared for the unknown demon beast. Alvaro went with Cyde. Cyde was an alchemist, he knew lots demon beasts. This unknown must be a new type of demon beast.] Charles was smart. He had years of experience leading a family branch.
”Marco!” Charles called one of his subordinates from inside the carriage.
A person came close to the carriage and answered. ”Yes Elder.”
”Tell the beast taming division to prepare! I want to make the second team.” Charles ordered. ”Gather the other elder! We will have an assembly!”
”Yes, Elder.” The man using his movement technique disappeared.
”What happened, Father?” Raina asked. She was confused by her father's actions.
”It's only some little problems happened in the jungle. Nothing serious.” Charles didn't want to add more problem to the young kids. [Raina is still a kid at heart anyway. She should focus on cultivation for now.]
”From tomorrow, you should focus on cultivation again.” Charles ordered his daughter. ”Father might need to go to elder assembly.”
Elder assembly was an important decision maker in the family. When a Rank A mission was issued, all elders in the city who wasn't in deep cultivation were to be present. This mission was either a big danger or a good opportunity for the family.
Trevon didn't like to hear that 2 words. He had a nightmare with Elder Assembly. It was even worse than Raina.
They soon arrived at the family pavilion. Darvis was waiting in the front of the pavilion.
”Did Alvaro send any new message?” Charles asked.
”Yes. This is the message.” Darvis gave a small letter to Charles.
Charles read the letter. ”Good. This is good news. Time was the most important. Darvis, you gather the second team! I had told Marco to gather some beast tamers. I will ask the family to send more guardian elders.”
Hearing this, those tense people, including Raina were happy. They all know when Charles said that time was important, they needed to do things quickly. It was all for the family. If the family became stronger, their employees would be stronger too. McArthur family had always provided enough for their employees.
The second message was better. Alvaro managed to capture one of the unknown beasts. It was a mutation of Iron Horned Rhinoceros. It was a new species. The mutation was even better, its horn was gold. This was a possibility to grow gold, but of course, more testing had to be done. If the family managed to monopolize the species, the benefit would be endless.
McArthur family had several mutation demon beasts that they managed to monopolize. For example, Fire Alogo was one of them. It was one of the family special demon beasts that came from their ancestor. The species came from their family origin land. Whenever McArthur family sold one, the creature had already been neutered.
Because of this possibility, Alvaro requested the permission to go deeper. This meant he would be allowed to abandon his current mission. For this kind of decision, Charles needed other elders. On one side was an important demon beast species, but the other side was the mining operation. It was already a Rank B mission.
Charles quickly entered the command room, he had to make some preparation. The other elders would come soon. The command room was the most important meeting hall in the pavilion. There would be endless discussions and planning from that room. His subordinates were busy preparing the meeting room. Charles knew the first thing he had to do was requesting a Rank 3 elder from the family.
This sudden meeting allowed Raina and Trevon some free time today. No. A more correct term would be Raina would be free to order Trevon around again.
”You! Follow me!” Raina ordered Trevon.
[Aih! Not again.] Trevon complained.
”I want to buy something.” Raina smiled.
”Please don't, Elder Sister!” Trevon begged. He only had some small money in his wallet.
”Who is that cruel?” Raina complained. She took one spirit stones and gave it to Trevon. ”Trade it into gold coins! We are doing some shopping today.” She knew this younger cousin of her was poor. ”I will wait for you in the tea house next door.” Next to McArthur pavilion was one of the top tea house in Redwood. It was owned by McArthur family, this was because Charles loved tea so much.
”Thank you, Elder Sister.” Trevon smiled. For him, each spirit stone was important. It would be fine if the things were paid by Raina.