Dyal

It made sense for the First Prince to be here, though what surprised Sterix the most was the fact that of all the bait units out there, he ended up in the one with Altheriam Dyal Orvenarius, the prince who sentenced a thousand people to their deaths in a single day because he felt like testing his power over the kingdom, but then was captured by Sterix's team and later sentenced himself.

Not to death, but to work as a disposable.

After a short moment Dyal peeked over Sterix's shoulder, checking if Tetaramas was still bound to the chain.

Tetaramas smiled back at him the same way he did at Sterix a while ago.

Dyal then let out a sigh, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, I guess more paperwork then."

For someone who tried to appear depressed, he almost sounded happier than he let it show on his face.

At the moment Sterix couldn't find the words to give to this former prince.

After all, he took part in capturing him even though it was Lree, Drizzle, Flora who did most of the work. He and Elinous on the other hand, just cornered the poor man, giving him no escape routes.

Dyal pressed a hand on Sterix's shoulder before moving past his flank and heading to set Tetaramas free.

"Come on, don't act surprised, you have a mission to take part in."

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Tetaramas chimed in.

"I won't be joining in on the fun. You know, I need to sign some paper work on our hero here… Besides, you know I'll just get in the way."

"But—"

"Just hush your tongue and do what I'm telling you."

…

Sterix watched the two with a puzzled face.

Some minutes past, Sterix was now walking with Dyal near the capital walls. There were fewer people around—mostly knights in training uniforms, who looked at the two with hateful glares before turning away.

"I only now realized that we're outside Biua." Sterix said after deeply observing his surroundings and the studying some knights still in armor.

"Yes," Dyal replied flatly. "It's because Baits aren't allowed inside the capital unless we're ordered to. That's why we use that old storage building as our base." He added.

"Storage unit?" Sterix muttered. "And where's that?"

Dyal let out a chuckle before continuing. "The place we're coming from… but we don't actually use it. I mean, it's mostly Tetaramas, Neo, and Feticia who like using it as a break room… though, it's more like lazying around room."

“Oh.” Sterix became silent for a moment, doing some calculations in his mind.

In a disposable unit, there were supposed to be ten people, each group composed of criminals who performed the same type of crime against the kingdom. But oddly enough, the current group was made up of people with different criminal backgrounds.

For instance, Tetaramas was a thief who went beyond that line and actually kidnapped one of the priestesses of the Goddess of Selection's church. His reasoning behind it before he got sentenced was that he thought the girl was in danger and needed help, and she had even asked him to save her… Though, when the priestess in question was asked, it was found out that she was actually blind and had a hearing problem.

Neo was caught collaborating with demons, thinking that maybe they could come to an understanding with each other. But when he was found out, he was sent to the front lines to witness for himself what demons could do—not as a knight, because he wasn't one to begin with, but as a civilian. At the moment he was sent there, he was used as bait with knights backing him up so he wouldn't die too quickly.

And then there was Feticia, Sterix's childhood friend, or as he saw her—a sister. They grew up in the same orphanage and had a lot of things in common, though she was a loose cannon, and her short temper only added fuel to the blaze.

Her crime was simple, yet complicated.

During the hero selection ceremony when all the selected heroes were chosen, the Goddess descended to grant these champions her blessings. But since Feticia had been waiting her whole life to be selected only to not be chosen, she got furious, approached the Goddess, and pulled her hair, dragging her down to her level to explain why she didn't choose her.

When the Goddess didn't answer at first, Feticia almost tore her apart. Knights went to save the Goddess, but some of them ended up getting hurt in the process. Finally, when the Goddess was free, she only replied that Feticia wasn't normal, and that's why she didn't choose her.

A day after the ceremony was over, Feticia confronted the king for answers the Goddess didn't provide. The king didn't pay her any attention until Feticia approached him, punching him hard three times before he fainted.

Later, to prevent a mad woman from destroying lives, they lied to her and told her she was a heroine—not in the official heroes' party, but one the kingdom established just for her: the second hero party. Though in truth, they were just sending her to be bait.

As for Sterix himself, he still didn't know how he had gotten himself into this mess. Counting the names available, it meant this group currently had five members. Subtracting himself from the equation, it meant there were only four members present.

“So there's only four of you? I thought these types of units were supposed to have more people?”

“No, there's nine of us, including you,” Dyal said. “But we're still a person short to make a full unit. Luckily for us, we're kind of average compared to other units… and our commander… she's a pushover… But then again, I think you two will actually get along. Considering the fact that she's your girlfriend and all.”

“Did you say girlfriend?” Sterix asked, a bewildered expression showing on his face.

“Yeah. She's been yapping about you non-stop. I even asked her out a couple of times, but every time she rejected me, saying she already has a boyfriend… Feticia can be kind of over the top when it comes to talking about you.”

“Oh,” Sterix uttered, the bewilderment on his face disappearing before he added, “Actually, Feticia's not my girlfriend. We aren't in any kind of relationship. She's more like a little sister.”

Dyal became silent as if thinking of something deep. Ahead of them were structures still being constructed, though there weren't any builders around. They were probably on break, or just on temporary leave, visiting the capital.

For the time being, some knights had turned one of the almost completed structures into a base, even if only a handful of knights were stationed near it.

“Aren't you three years apart?” Dyal finally spoke. “And it's not like you're related by blood?”

“Exactly,” Sterix replied.

By now Sterix figured; for Dyal to actually know his age and background, Dyal had to have had information on him. But knowing Feticia, she was probably the one who told him everything.

“You two!” A broad-shouldered knight in his training uniform stepped in front of Sterix and Dyal, making them halt and turning their attention to him.

“Where do you think you're going?” The man added.

“Is he your friend?” Sterix asked Dyal blankly.

“...No. But he looks scary.”

“Didn't you hear my question?” The man pushed for answers.

“...We'd like to talk to Commander Luferin… The commander in charge of the 804 bait unit,” Dyal awkwardly stated.

“Why do you want to talk to her?”

“That's actually none of your business… I'm not in a position to tell you anything—unless they're ordered, of course,” Dyal continued, a mischievous smile on his face.

“What's going on there?!” Luferin's voice echoed from a distance. She stood by the entrance of the incomplete structure.

Her voice made the broad-shouldered man sharply turn his head towards her. Dyal followed, his mischievous grin turning into an awkward one as he greeted the commander.

Luferin seemed disappointed for a moment, almost regretting interfering with the broad-shouldered knight's questioning of the man before him. Though that changed after she caught a glimpse of Sterix, a confused expression on his face.