Xers entered the room.
"Hohoo! What an honor to see you, Xers! What have you been up to these past three months?"
"It's an honor to see you as well, Commander. Over the last three months, we managed to reduce the crime rate in Ihri Village by 94%. Most of the criminals were remnants of the Ranshi clan."
"Those damned Ranshi dogs! Even after five years, we're still busy cleaning up their mess. Anyway, forget about them. How's Hanken doing?"
"Unfortunately, Hanken fell into a coma five days ago. I don't think we can bring him back. He already looked exhausted before that."
"Don't worry, Xers. As long as I'm the chief commander of Kurotsume, nothing bad will happen to Hanken."
"I'm truly grateful, Commander."
"Yes, yes. But let's get to the main issue."
"I'm listening carefully."
"Listen, Xers. Normally, I wouldn't send you on a mission like this, but this time… it's an assassination mission."
"W-What?! An assassination mission? I can't do something like that!"
"Calm down, Xers. You'll be doing it for a good cause."
"Why me, though? Don't we have other operatives for this kind of task?"
"Unfortunately, we lost four assassins we sent before you. We haven't received any solid information from most of them. The only thing we know is that this person's mask has something to do with colors."
"Colors? What do you mean by that?"
"We're not entirely sure. His sword releases different colors, and each color inflicts a different type of damage. We received that info about twenty minutes before we lost contact with our last assassin."
"But why do we want to kill him?"
"He attacked workers on our trade ships. Later, when we sent research teams to investigate, he killed them too."
"So where is this guy?"
"He lives in Nyxia. He's a young man, around twenty to twenty-five years old. We don't know his name, but we do know his physical features."
"What are they?"
"He's tall, has an athletic build, medium-length black hair, and blue eyes. He also wears glasses."
"Hmm... Where exactly in Nyxia?"
"He lives in the southwestern part, in a place called the Town of Ojdura. It's a very crowded city, so finding him might be difficult. But he's usually seen in the sword school — probably a student there. You could catch him on his way out or track him to his house. Be warned, though — his spiritual senses are extremely sharp. You'll need to suppress your Spiritual Pressure."
"I understand, Commander. If you truly need me, I'm ready to take on this mission."
"I knew you'd say that. But you must be very careful. I don't want to lose you too."
"Don't worry, Commander. Just take care of Hanken — that's all I ask."
"Don't worry, Hanken will be in good hands. I'll arrange a ship for you in two days. You'll arrive at Nyxia's mainland and then travel southwest on horseback. Bring your clothes and equipment — the clan will provide your food supplies."
"Yes, Commander! Have a good day."
"See you soon, Xers!"
Xers left the palace, glanced around for a few seconds, then jumped into a carriage heading back home.
"Wow... I never imagined I'd leave Shadowia's lands. At least I should train hard for these last two days. The person I'm facing must be strong — maybe even as strong as Sabre. I need to stay sharp."
Two days before the journey, Xers began his intense training. He was mastering new techniques with Gomerai and adapting to his G-Technic abilities.
"GQ #41!""GQ #45!!""GQ #24!!""GQ #65!!""Rise, Gomerai!""Dragon's Destruction!""Dragon's Claw!"
Xers spent the entire first day training. That night, he started packing his belongings.
"Hmm, how many outfits should I take? I've got three types of kimonos — I'll pack those. Maybe some snacks too. Yeah, that should do. I'm sure they'll handle the lodging arrangements."
On the last day, Xers said goodbye to his loved ones.
He first visited his mother.
"Mom, I'm going to Nyxia for a few weeks. Take care of yourself, okay? The clan will look after you."
"Goodbye, my son. I'll miss you so much."
"I'll miss you too, Mom. See you soon."
Next, he bid farewell to his battalion.
"Fellow sorcerers! I'm leaving for an extremely important mission. During my absence, you'll be under Aze Nystral's command. I'll be waiting for your good wishes. Farewell!"
Then, he went to see Hanken.
"How's Hanken, doctor? I'd like to say goodbye. Can I enter the room for a short while?"
"Yes, you may, but not for too long."
Xers entered the room.
"Hanken, my friend… maybe you can hear me from where you are. I've been called to a mission — I'll be gone for a while. Commander Ashri will look after you. Don't give up. We'll beat this illness together. Farewell."
After saying goodbye to everyone, Xers mounted his horse and rode toward the harbor.
When he arrived, Ashri was there to greet him.
"Welcome again, Xers!"
"Glad to see you, Commander."
"Your ship is ready, Xers. Captain Ura will take care of you. I just came to see you off. Take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Commander. Farewell."
Xers boarded the ship.
"Glad to have you aboard, Captain Xers! I'm Captain Ura. Let me show you around the ship."
"Sure."
"Our vessel is top-tier, sir. It runs on fire magic, which makes it ten times faster than regular wooden ships. We plan to reach Nyxia in three days. When you go upstairs, you'll find your personal cabin — with luxury amenities for a comfortable voyage. You must be tired, so go ahead and rest. I'll take the helm."
"Thank you, Ura. Good luck."
"Thanks, Xers."
About fifteen minutes later, the ship began to move — and Xers's sea journey had officially begun.