By the time Kyran arrived at the Mercenary Hall''s premises, he saw Nn waiting right outside the building.


    As soon as Nn saw him, he took out an orb under his cloak and threw it at him.


    "A present from the second mistress," he said with a slightly teasing voice.


    Kyran ignored his ''second mistress''ment and caught the orb. Using his magic sense, he immediately saw through Ste''s message inside. To be precise, the message was from Ste and Lumi.


    Apparently, Lumi had been staying with Ste after the former had wage a ''little war'' with Ss. The message contained detailed information about Gray''s matter. It seemed, Ste was aware of Nn''s identity as Gray and that he mentioned admitting it to Kyran. Though most of the information Ste shared was the same as the one Gage gave Nn, there was additional information she included which was the list of people that made up the Elite Force the Royal Family established with the other two major factions in the empire, Temr Code and Aureole. Ste also sent a list of items the Elite Force had specifically requested from the cksmith Order and Alchemist Association. There was also a copy of Nn''s bounty poster. It appeared the Royal Family nned to go all out in making sure Nn a.k.a. Gray was captured this time around.


    Still...


    Kyran nced at the carefree Nn in front of him.


    Upon seeing Kyran''s look, Nn raised his brows in question, "What?"


    "Nothing," Kyran replied with a slight shake of his head.


    The people from the parliament were probably losing sleep just toe up with a strategy to capture Nn and yet the person in question was not feeling any pressure at all.


    Kyran had to admit that Nn''s carefree attitude was admirable. If it were him, he would probably overthink and end up making wrong decisions. Thinking about his own bounty situation, they were actually not that far off. The only difference was there were more people that openlye after Nn, while in Kyran''s case, because of theck of information and the Conve''s maniption from the back.


    "Let''s go, we don''t want to bete for our ride," Nn said and started walking toward the east gates of Starhorn.


    "We can just use your scroll," Kyran said following Nn from behind.


    "Hell, no. Did you know how much I''ve paid for just to get these scrolls?" Nn scowled.


    "Technically, those scrolls are no longer the ones you bought," Kyran replied with a deadpan voice.


    "Don''t get sassy with me," Nn retorted and nced his way. "Do you think I didn''t notice how you end up looking like a living dead after making these scrolls? It doesn''t matter whether you say it or not, or if you can''t tell the reason because it''s a Regis family secret or something. But I don''t want Cade to bite my head off if he found out I''ve taken advantage of his son."


    An idea suddenly crossed Kyran''s mind as he replied, "Father won''t do that. At most, he''ll just give you the deathly stare. Mother would, though. You know, bite your head off."


    "I said don''t get sassy with me."


    "I''m just telling the truth."


    "Shut up."


    "Why are you always evasive when ites to my mother?"


    "I''m not, and we''re not having this conversation."


    "But she''s your sister."


    "Doesn''t matter—."


    Nn stopped in his tracks.


    Kyran also stopped with an indifferent expression while staring at Nn''s back.


    Nn slowly turned and red fiercely at him.


    A small smile tugged at the corners of Kyran''s lips as he continued walking while ignoring his re.


    He said, "Let''s go or we''ll miss our ride," as he walked past him.


    "Why you little..." Nn growled under his breath but followed him nheless.


    Kyran''s expression remained unreadable as they approached the east gates. He was not really surprised by Nn''s answer.


    To be honest, what he did just now was a spur-of-the-moment thing. The idea came to him after seeing Nn''s bounty poster. And since Kyran was presented with the opportunity to confirm some of his suspicions regarding Nn''s real rtionship with his parents, he just spouted things at a whim.


    Kyran''s suspicion first sprang when te told him that although Nn was not his godfather, he was still closely rted to him.


    After thinking about it for a while and recalling how Nn had physical simrities with his predecessor, such as the color of his hair and the shape of his eyes. Kyran guessed that Nn was an Ada, the descendant family of the Ashtons which his predecessor was part of.


    The only reason why Kyran did not think Nn was rted to the Adas before was his eye color was different, unlike Kyran''s mother who had the same shade of hair and eye color as his predecessor. But then, something seemed off with Kyran. It was the fact that Nn was not his godfather even when he was his father''s sworn brother. At first, he thought, maybe they did not bother with it since they were already rted in a way. But Kyran suddenly recalled how Nn mostly talked about his father and rarely his mother as if he was avoiding anything about her. That got Kyran thinking. Then a few days ago, when Nn admitted he was Gray, and then Kyran saw his bounty poster from Ste''s message.


    In the poster, Nn looked younger and his hair longer. And though it was ck and white, Kyran realized how much Nn and his mother''s appearance had simrities. It made Kyran think whether Nn''s eye color was even real. Maybe, just like how he changed Nar''s eye color, Nn could do too. If that was the case, then Nn not being his godfather was more possible.


    Nn was already ''closely rted to him,'' there was no need to be his godfather as well.


    "You don''t look that surprised," Nn suddenly spoke beside him. "Did te tell you?"


    "No," Kyran replied.


    "You''re not asking questions."


    "I don''t have to. You''ll tell me if you really want to. If not, there''s nothing I can do about it."


    Nn snorted in reply.


    Their walk going to the east gates was done in silence.


    Kyran was unsure if what he did was right, now that it came to this. He was not used to Nn''s silence. But if he pretended not to know anything, it would only keep on nagging at his conscience.


    After almost half an hour, the two arrived at a store with a caravan in front.


    A burly middle-aged man, with curly gray hair and a simrly gray beard wearing an all ck overalls was busy loading some heavy-looking craters at the back.


    "Gustaff!" Nn called as he approached the man.


    ? The man, named Gustaff stopped what he was doing as he turned and look at Nn. His dark eyes lit up as his face broke into a grin.


    "Oi, Nol, here you are! Carmen said you''reing but its already getting dark," Gustaff said as he walked over to Nn and the two bumped fist in greeting. "I thought maybe Carmen heard wrong and that you''re dropping by tomorrow instead."


    "Nah," Nn replied as he looked at the rest of the craters in front of the store that had not been loaded into the caravan yet. "I just had to drop by somewhere beforeing here. It''s not like I''mte anyway."


    He looked at Gustaff and said with a meaningful look, "You''ll be heading there, right?"


    Gustaff''s eyes constricted only for a second, before heughed heartily and said, "Why? Are you nning to bully people again?"


    Nn gave him an incredulous look and said, "Do I look that bored to you?"


    Gustaff bellowed inughter.


    Kyran who heard their exchange from behind had been observing Gustaff right from the start. The words the two had exchanged were nothing special, but what Gustaff said about Nn nning to bully people ''again,'' piqued Kyran''s interest.


    The ''ce'' Nn said Kyran would be training was still aplete mystery to him. All he knew was his parents, with Nn and te, including the ''fifth'' person who possessed the same jade rings, went to that ''ce'' in their youth for training. Apparently, it was their master, whom Nn called the old geezer who made them go to that ''ce'' to train.


    Kyran remembered te saying that the jade rings they had represented that they had conquered that ''ce.''


    ''Just what is that ce?'' He wondered.


    "Anyway, I''m not the one going in," Nn said before pointing his thumb at his back toward Kyran. "He is."


    Gustaff followed where Nn was pointing. It was only then that he realized Kyran standing there.


    "Whoa, I did not notice you there kid."


    Kyran replied with a nod. At first, Gustaff appeared a little intimidating with his burly body. But the more Kyran looked at Gustaff, the more he realized how much he reminded him of his uncle Jared.


    Turning his attention back at Nn, Gustaff asked, "Is he yours?"


    Nn and Kyran''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    "F*ck, no!"


    Yep. Gustaff really sounded like Kyran''s uncle Jared.


    Gustaff bellowed inughter after seeing Nn''s expression.


    "That''s too bad then, if Carmen is here, she''d nag you about it."


    "F*ck, can we stop now, and just go?" Nn scowled.