Since the deal with the Commissioner had been finalized the day before, Drew had become even busier than ever. With all the variability in his schedule, the Avian decided that he needed some things to remain constant. Gerald had emphasized this point to him on a multitude of occasions.

It was the first day the deal was in effect.

Drew had begun making it a routine to head to Wyn Dojo and work out. Since Academy facilities were closed to First Year Students during the breaks, Drew needed another place to train. The Wyn Dojo couldn’t be any better. On top of that, he got perks for being friends with Brix.

The Avian opened a tab on the holograph projected by his wristband. On it, his social media profile with hardly any posts on it. He hadn’t been active on it until the last half a year. On his profile, one post from the week before caught his attention.

With a gentle tap, the Nightengale expanded it. In the post was an image of himself in front of the Wyn Dojo’s welcome sign with a thumbs up. Underneath the image was a caption: “Can’t be missing leg day even on vacation! Hitting up Wyn Dojo every morning starting June 14th! If you see me there, let’s workout together!”

This was the post-Drew sent out in hopes of luring the Obtainer out. Judging from the Obtainer’s file, it was evident that he would want to get to the Phantom Rifle as quickly and discretely as possible. To do so, naturally, the Obtainer would think of approaching Drew first. Since Drew was “Snow’s Assistant,” it was clear that the Obtainer would try to get any information out of him in hopes of finding a way to get closer to Snow. Aware of this, Drew had intentionally made this post hoping to lure the Obtainer out. Knowing how desperate he looked to obtain the rifle, Drew was sure he would make his appearance today. He needed to delay the Obtainer for as long as possible or to the point where he sees the Avian as a dead end.

He scanned his surroundings as he took his first steps into the Dojo. Over in one corner of the main workout area, Drew spotted Brix sitting on one of the benches, watching Rider doing push-ups. The Unicron’s face turned a shade redder with everyone he did.

Geez. Drew watched Rider struggle while Brix shouted the number of completed push-ups he had done in a drill sergeant tone. His arms wobbled as he did so. Rider did tell us he was pretty pathetic, but I didn’t think it was this bad. No wonder he desperately wanted to get in shape.

“Come on, Rider! Do you want to remain a wimpy-ass Medic forever?! Even the weakest ones can do a ten-minute finger stand with ease!”

“No, ma’am!” Rider forced a strained reply.

“Then what in the Mother of Kraus are you doing!” Brix continued to shout at the Unicron. “Put some elbow grease in those push-ups!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Don’t call me ma’am! It’s Instructor!”

Good grief! The Nightengale exclaimed to himself. What’s up with all the girls in our group?

Then, amid Rider’s suffering, Brix smiled and waved at Drew. However, instead of reciprocating her greeting with a wave of his own, Drew clasped his hands together and bowed, praying for the end of Rider’s suffering. In response, Brix had a flabbergasted expression and pointed her hands at Rider, who was using every last bit of his meager arm strength to do another push-up.

Seeing her react like that, Drew laughed and went his own way.

Today’s training menu assigned by Gerald was simple and about as unorthodox as he was. Aside from stretching and using the rowing machine for a half hour, he wanted Drew to take figure skating lessons.

It initially boggled Drew why Gerald would request him to learn figure skating. To address his confusion, the Butler told him it would help him increase his flexibility and enhance his perception and movements at higher speeds. Right now, Drew’s body and mind weren’t in sync. There were moments when he sparred with Elias where he could take advantage of some of his weak spots, but there would be a disconnect between when he would notice them and act upon them. In short, a lag time where he could’ve easily penetrated parts of Elias’s defenses.

This flaw of Drew’s made him realize how impressive Sylvia was. Even when Elias was on guard, she could quickly assess his openings and deliver a swift and decisive strike with no weapons nor indicator of where she would aim. Moreover, she didn’t even use any Otrio while doing so, making this feat all the more impressive.

Princesses are just built differently. Drew laughed in his heart as he shoved his belongings into a locker and made his way over to an unoccupied rowing machine.

From there, he proceeded to stretch. Nothing happened for the first ten minutes. No one disturbed him or anything, just letting him mind his business. Once he finished that, the Avian hopped on the rowing machine, activating a holographic screen with a menu displaying prerecorded lessons from instructors at Wyn Dojo.

Upon selecting a lesson, Drew sat on the seat, rowing away per the instructions the facilitator announced. Suddenly, Drew felt a presence behind him. He didn’t turn around and pretended to be engrossed in his workout. Well, it wasn’t even necessary for him to look behind him. He already knew who it was.

“Is this machine taken?” A familiar Earthiam accent chimed in Drew’s ears.

Drew briefly turned his body, still rowing away, to catch a glimpse of the person who caught his attention. Now that he was out in broad daylight, Drew could finally get a better look at his features.

Copper brown hair, golden eyes with large black pupils, light bisque skin with possibly a hint of beige, sharp facial features coupled with a 185 centimeters well-built physique that made him almost as good looking as Elias, and a familiar silver bracelet with an amethyst-colored gem in the center. Drew was positive this very person before him was the infamous Obtainer. While he did anticipate his appearance, seeing him up close was utterly different. Not only did he appear to be around the same age as Drew, but there wasn’t even a hint of that sinister aura he sensed back in the Auction House, and if he didn’t know better, Drew would’ve just assumed he was a regular guy.

In an oblivious fashion, Drew smiled at the Obtainer and replied, “Nope. It’s all yours.”

“Ah!” The Obtainer grinned and sat down at the rowing machine. “Then don’t mind if I do!”

Wow! What a good actor… Drew scoffed internally.

“Any instructors you recommend?” The Obtainer continued speaking with his unique Earth twang. “I’m new here, and a friend recommended this Dojo to me.”

Drew continued to row away and replied, “Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell you that either. I just got a membership here last week.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll pick a random one! Hey, wait a sec-“

The Nightengale mentally prepared himself. Here it comes.

“We look about the same age. Are you, by any chance, a student at Star Military Academy?”

“Yeah, I am,” Drew replied truthfully. “You?”

“Same here! I’m transferring here from the Earth campus for a semester.”

“But why Kraus?”

“It’s an up-and-coming planet and one of the few left in the Cerber System with a monarchy. It’s also home to those two big-shot Alchemists too! Heartman and Snow, if I’m getting things correctly!”

The Obtainer’s eyes sparkled with joy, conversing with Drew about his fascination regarding Kraus. He was probably acting friendly and open to making Drew drop his guard.

“Seems like you’re interested in learning more about Kraus.”

“Of course! This planet has so much potential; I might meet a future celebrity. Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself. My name’s Kian Reed, first-year Winter Semester student! Low-Class A Room 598!“

Kian Reed? Drew’s eyebrows rose as the Obtainer introduced himself. Probably just a pseudonym. Did he fake his records to get into Star, or is he truly a student? Whatever, I’ll play along with him.

“You’re in the same class as me,” Drew exclaimed, expecting The Obtainer to do it. “Drew Li, also a first-year Winter Semester student!”

“No way!” The Obtainer gasped, “Hey, aren’t you that guy who's supposedly Snow’s Assistant? The Nightengale, right?”

“Yup.”

“Holy smokes, I’d never thought I’d meet someone who has a relationship with a big wig!”

“Never thought I’d meet someone outside of Kraus who knows me. No one pays attention to what happens on this small planet. Besides, I’m just the errand boy compared to the Snow.”

“Still, working with a celebrity seems pretty cool.”

“Trust me, it isn’t all glamorous as you think it is.”

“What’s he like?”

“Exactly as you see him in the media. Cold, pragmatic, elegant, a mad genius.”

“I’ve heard rumors that he’s actually very nice and treats his workers well.”

Drew laughed. He didn’t think he would hear the word nice being used to describe Snow. It was hilarious that he was hearing it from someone else.

“Cold on the outside, warm on the inside!”

“You agree?”

“To an extent. Trust me, no one understands that guy. Not even I do! He tells us employees essentially nothing about himself! I don’t even know if his name is his real one.”

“Is that so?” The Obtainer laughed, rowing away.

This bird seems like he doesn’t know too much. Sadly, he’s my only lead to getting to Snow. Though, I feel he knows much more than he’s letting off. He’s not a complete birdbrain, and even in this casual conversation, he’s only revealing information available to the public. It’s going to take some time before I can earn his trust.

“What do you think his background is?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Drew rolled his eyes. “Some rich young master born with a golden spoon. He’s got the class for it and the servants.”

“Then why would he hire you?”

“Prolly 'cause I got beef with the Dutchfangs. Hate their spoiled brat of a Princess. Also, it’s not bad for me to earn extra cash to pay off student loans.”

“Education is expensive.”

Drew groaned.

“Tell me about it!”

“Then why are you spending your money at the most lucrative Dojo on the planet?”

“I could ask the same.”

“Got me there. You plan on frequenting here?”

“Of course. Gotta take advantage of the facilities while I have membership.”

The Obtainer grinned, glancing over at Drew. “Seems like we’ll see each other a lot before the semester begins.”

“Hopefully so.” The Avian responded, finishing his session and throwing a towel over his shoulder. “I’m in a hurry, but it was nice talking with you!”

The Obtainer nodded, waving to Drew as he got ready to leave.

“Likewise.”

Quickly, Drew made his way out of the Obtainer’s line of sight. As soon as he turned the corner, the cheerful expression on his face darkened. He had gotten some valuable information from the Obtainer today and vice versa.

Once again, this was going to be a long one.

>>>

Meanwhile, at one of the Hunter’s bases, The Commissioner had another headache.

Now that he had time to think, the meeting with Neilson yesterday went too smoothly.

Way too smooth.

He and the old cat were going at it with the negotiations, with neither side planning to back down. However, when the purple-eyed Dealer stepped in, the transaction was settled. Whatever the Dealer whispered to Neilson to make him settle with a deal that favored the Hunters means that someone was pulling the strings from above. Furthermore, considering how quickly they responded implies that they must’ve been watching the entire time.

“I don’t think the Dealer is in control, though.” The Commissioner muttered under his breath. “It seems too improbable for him to be the one giving orders to someone like Neilson. Chances are the Dealer is the liaison for the higher power. If that’s the case, whoever could make someone with Neilson’s authority move without a second thought would not be some small-time figure. We might be dancing to their tune…”

Just thinking about it made chills run down the Commissioner’s spine. Who could be so powerful to make the prideful Neilson bend his back when not even politicians from first-rate planets could? What would that person have to gain from favoring the Hunters? Why would they play puppet master from the shadows? As much as this hurt his brain, worrying about this matter wasn’t the top priority.

For now, the goal was to help Elias and perhaps, if it goes well, increase the Hunter’s favorability with that Dealer.

>>>

In another part of Ozwarth, Uenkram sat at one of Yerburn’s many bars—a glass of whiskey on the rocks swirling in his hands. The translucent cubes hit the sides of the cup, imitating the sound of chimes swaying in the breeze.

A bitter smile formed on his face as he raised the glass to his mouth and chugged the cold drink down.

A lonely toast once again this year.

“White Russian.” A buttery female voice pricked Uenkram’s ears.

The drug lord glanced up at the woman who had ordered.

Long dark blue hair fashioned into a high pigtail. Citrine-colored eyes that could make one lose their focus. Hazel skin devoid of any imperfections and complimented her simple outfit, emphasizing her long elegant figure consisting of a ruffled navy blue blouse, black ankle-length wide-legged pants, and white leather loafers. She was a familiar face.

“It’s been a while, Ling.” She greeted, gliding her hand across the bar countertop.

Uenkram chuckled, “A pleasant surprise, Jacqueline. How have you been?”

“The usual.” She replies as the bartender passes her drink. “I see you still come here every year.”

Uenkram frowned as she finished her reply.

“A tribute to the White Rabbit.”

“She must’ve loved this place.”

“So she claims. And her legacy has been passed on to me.”

Jacqueline took a sip of the creamy layer of her White Russian—foamy and sweet with a hint of coffee.

“However, you don’t seem so hollow anymore. Did something happen that I wasn’t aware of?”

“Much did, Jackie,” Uenkram smirked. “Care to listen?”

A smile curled on Jacqueline’s stern face. She was genuinely happy for him. It was slow, but she could see he was moving on.

Whoever you are, I thank you.

With that, she touched her glass against Uenkram’s.

Their drinks swirling in their respective glasses. 

“I’m always here to lend you an ear.”