Chương 38: Passes

"That counts as passing, right?" Aren had withdrawn his pressure and looked like an ordinary young man again. The elders could not see him that way anymore. He was a monster wearing human skin. No human should have been able to carry that much malice.

"Y-yes," the Head Elder said.

"You pass." Aren walked to the table and held out one hand.

"Give them to me." The Head Elder blinked.

"What?" Aren rolled his eyes.

"The passes."

"Ah. Of course." The old man moved mechanically, pulling out eight prepared permits similar to identity cards and placing them in Aren's palm. Aren tossed the stack toward Chrollo.

"Captain, let's go." He opened the door and left without another word. Chrollo imitated Aren's usual shrug, then remained politely composed as he addressed the elders.

"Then we will take our leave. Thank you." Every elder wanted them gone. No one knew whether the demon wearing a young man's face might become irritated and kill them all.

"Yes. Travel safely." The elders sounded less like Meteor City's rulers and more like obedient children. Once Aren and Chrollo were truly gone, the Fourth Elder released a long breath. For a moment, he believed he would die.

"Who is that young man?" he asked.

"That malice... can it truly belong to a human?" If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"I don't know," the Sixth Elder said. Even his usual temper had disappeared.

"I have never heard of anyone like him in Meteor City." The Head Elder looked older than he had an hour earlier.

"We may have released a demon." Jack had been one of his better cards. Losing the guard hurt. The Second Elder looked at him with disdain.

"What else would you do? Do you think someone that strong needs our permission to leave?" Hatred filled his eyes.

"The stronger he is, the better. A demon? I hope he is a demon. Let the people outside learn what hell feels like." The Second Elder's son had died because one of the V5 countries dumped contaminated material without warning. His son was working in that area. He died without understanding why. Afterward, the country seized a resident who had slipped out of Meteor City and announced sanctions, claiming the man had caused severe losses. In reality, the fugitive had spent his time hiding in a remote forest.

He had done nothing. Against the V5, Meteor City had no voice. Might decided what counted as truth. The Second Elder had once been a moderate. His son's death changed him completely. Since then, he pushed relentlessly for Meteor City to transform. For years, no candidate appeared. Then Chrollo came. And now Aren. When Aren released his malice, the other elders felt only terror. The Second Elder felt terror too. But beneath it came joy. Chrollo represented possibility. Aren looked like hope made flesh.

Hope for revenge. The other elders knew the Second Elder's history and could not dismiss his words easily. His son died today. Any elder's child could die tomorrow. As long as Meteor City remained under the control of outside powers, none of them could guarantee safety. After Aren and Chrollo returned to the base, the four fighters training in the yard noticed them first.

"Captain! Deputy leader!" Uvogin shouted.

"Did you get the passes?" With his voice, everyone in the district could have learned they were home. Machi and Pakunoda stepped outside. Aren took one pass from Chrollo and flicked it toward Uvogin like a playing card.

"I went personally. Of course we got them." Uvogin caught the card and turned it over.

"This little thing? Doesn't look special. Wait. Does this mean we can leave?"

"Whenever we want," Chrollo said. Everyone's eyes brightened. The base was comfortable, but beyond its walls waited garbage. Without training, the group would have gone mad from boredom. Machi looked back at the house.

"What happens to this place?" It held nearly all her good memories. Aren understood. He rested a hand on her head and gently rubbed her hair.

"As long as we're together, we can create everything again. Did you forget my ability?" The meaning was not limited to walls and furniture. Good memories could also be created again. Machi understood. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she slapped his hand away.

"I know." Most of the Troupe would not notice the undercurrent. Pakunoda did. She was the only other girl in the group.

"The deputy leader is unexpectedly considerate with Machi," she teased. Aren had far more experience with teasing than she did.

"You're the same with the captain, Paku." Pakunoda's face turned red. She could not answer. Chrollo blinked innocently beside them, completely unaware of what anyone meant. Aren sighed inwardly.

'Hopeless. Another idiot.' Pain stabbed his waist. Aren looked toward Machi in shock.

'When did she learn to pinch like that?'

'Is this an inherited talent among girls?'