Chapter Eighteen

Eden awakens again in a hospital bed; he has sustained minimal damage from his fall and is now being healed of bruises. The mage that's healing seems to scowl at him and avoids making any eye contact. Since he's been here, he hasn't said a single word to Eden. Purple bruises shrink and disappear from the warmth of the mage's powers. Even though this is his second time seeing the green light vaporize his wounds, Eden is still amazed at how it takes away the pain, unlike bandages and ointments.

"Done," says the mage. He leaves the room right before Eden is about to thank him.

As the door closes with a click, it swings back open. Eleanor stomps in with her face steaming red.

"Eden, what were you thinking?" her hands clutch onto Eden's shoulders and shake him. "Why did you have to end up in the infirmary again? We were just in there a couple of days ago! Now you had to fall off a building! After some thief?" Eleanor's words blare into his ear, ringing it after her spout.

Just as Eden is about to argue, Eleanor furrows her eyebrows, softening her angry expression. So he holds his tongue and listens. 

"I was worried, you know. Suddenly jumping off a bridge and not saying anything to me. And when I found you, you were on the ground unconscious." Eleanor's hands unlatch from Eden's shoulders then she sighs heavily.

Eden hangs his head with his heart weighing heavy. He just wants to be known as a hero, a One Star who single-handedly caught a legion thief but has no intentions of making his friend worry about him like this. "Sorry..." It's the only word he can say to her.

"Next time, please win your fights, okay?"

"I will." Eden nods.

The door slams open, and a knight in silver armor bursts in. The man glares into the room as if he heard violence, searching for signs of struggle before finally landing his intense gaze on Eden.

Eden swallows down a lump in his neck, anticipating another scolding. Instead, the knight salutes but towards Eleanor.

"We thank you for sending your servant out to catch the lowly thief, Miss Five Star," says the knight.

Eden tilts his head and turns to Eleanor who's also looking confused at the knight's gratitude.

"Sorry, but he's no-"

"The duke has issued a quest for you and would like to invite you and your servant to his manor."

A quest! The word rings of adventure and action inside of Eden's head, forming images of what could be battles against thieves or Menaces in this quest from the Duke of Antallasso himself. Finally, a way to be recognized as a Legion. The thoughts clutter in his brain that he's forgotten of being called Eleanor's servant.

"Right now?" asks Eleanor.

"Yes, Miss Legion. With haste. I will await for you outside of the infirmary." The knight salutes Eleanor once more and leaves without giving Eden a single glance.

Regardless of not being acknowledged, Eden immediately hops out of bed, full of energy. "A quest, Eleanor! Our adventure truly begins here!"

"Eden, need I remind you that we're here to gather supplies, not to get ourselves back into the infirmary for a third time?"

"Oh c'mon Eleanor, this is a part of being a Legion. We help those that are in need."

"And you promised to help me find my parents in this town."

"I know, and helping the duke could expand our search on that. He is sure to have connections."

Eleanor sighs. "Fine, let's go."

"Yes!" Eden pumps his fist.

* * *

The duke's manor stands as tall as a fort, surrounded by spike fences. Guards in armor watch and patrol everywhere, but the front door looks like it was blown off. Debris lay all over the lawn, and the windows on the upper levels were shattered. A group of construction workers move about with hammers and wooden supplies, slowly repairing the damages.

"What happened here," asks Eden.

"Two thieves had broken in just before dawn; they were the ones that caused this damage and had stolen a relic from his grace. One which had been captured thanks to Miss Legion's use of her servant."

A nerve twitches as Eden gets called a servant again. Does everyone hate one stars that much? He can't even get credit for his own work. After completing this quest, they'll have to acknowledge him as a Legion, right?

Eden thinks back, the thief he had chased could make his body intangible. But the front doors of the manor are completely blown away. If the thief can go through walls, he wouldn't need to blow up the doors. The second thief is probably a Legion too, with a powerful Armament and is able to get away from the knights.

Sensing another battle against an evil Legion creates a surge of adrenaline that rushes through Eden, making him tremble with excitement. Already he's picturing out the ultimate fight with this other thief. Will he be more agile than Russell, the bandit he had faced back in Greenbourge? Maybe the thief would be more cunning and not fight fair? All types of scenarios flip through his mind, coming up with solutions and strategies for his upcoming encounter with the thief. He can't help but smile at the thoughts.

Upon entering the mansion, the red rugs are stained with footprints and splatters of blood; pieces of colorful vases and glass from display cases are spread across the floor as they crunch beneath Eden's shoes, following the knights up the stairs to the duke's office. Inside, the duke sits at his desk with plates of food and dirty silverware lying across the table; rows of carts with more food in metal cloches or opened are still awaiting to be devoured.

The duke himself is stuffing his face with pork chops, pears, roasted duck, and peaches like it's his first time eating in his life. The napkin that's tucked around his neck is soaked in grease, and his face is smeared with sauce. He flits around the food, picking one thing from each plate in front of him, and his red suit is disheveled with his belly nearly popping out. He 

"Sire, I have brought the Five Star and the One Star who captured the thief."

The duke stops chowing down, his eyes darting from Eden to Eleanor. With a loud gulp, he drops the silverware with a clang and rushes toward the two. "Oh, thank the goddess! You don't know how happy I am to see both of you!" He extends his sticky hands toward Eleanor for a handshake.

Eleanor sounds like she forces out a chuckle and refuses to shake the duke's hand. "Oh, there's no need for formalities, and I wasn't the one who caught the thief. Eden did."

Eden glances over to Eleanor and smiles at her comment.

"Ah, but of course, your servant was the one. I still must show my gratitude to a Five Star such as yourself, young lady."

Now Eden switches his expression and gazes toward the duke, who's also not meeting his eyes.

"No, my friend really di-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt Miss Five Star, but time is money. I need to brief you on the current situation that we're in."

One Stars are trash! Travis's old words come echoing back to him; of course, the duke would only acknowledge Eleanor as she's a Five Star Legion. Eden slightly hangs his head and clenches his right fist, feeling his chest tightening for his effort to be written off like that. He's going to show them. Show them that a One Star will be the one to defeat the evil thief.

The duke wipes his sticky fingers on his greasy napkin and tosses it to floor. "Let us begin." He claps his hands twice and a handful of suited butlers come rushing in and collect all of the food and plates out of the room almost immediately. "There have been recent sightings of numerous thieves lurking around Antallasso Port. We suspect that there has been a development of a thieves guild here."

A thieves guild! First fighting bandits, then a monstrous Menace, and now Eden gets the opportunity to go up against a guild entire of thieves! This adventure is getting more exciting by the day.

"Now, before dawn this morning, two thieves had broken into my manor and had stolen a treasure of mine." The duke pulls out a book and turns to a page with an illustration of a sphere with what looks like an ember burning inside of it. "This is the Whale Stone."

The Whale Stone? The picture reminds Eden of the sacred stones that are used to summon his Armament but more whole.

"This relic has the power to guarantee anyone a Five Star Armament."

"Woah…" Eden gawks at the sphere like he's in a trance. A guaranteed Five Star? His intrigue with the stone quickly fades to dread. If the thieves' guild has this stone…

"If the thieves guild has the stone, they would be able to grant every crook a Five Star Armament."

"That doesn't sound good," says Eleanor.

"Yes, Miss Five Star, with that amount of power, they could pillage Antallasso and any other cities or even kingdoms."

"Then we have to stop them," says Eden. He gives Eleanor an unwavering look. "If we don't, the people of Antallasso could end up…" The words trail off; the guilt of Greenbourge leaves Eden clenching his fist, feeling his nails dig into his palm. He won't make the same mistake again. "We have to do this."

Eleanor nods in agreement. "Let's do this, Eden."

"Mr. Duke, how do we stop them!"