The Time Keeper

Chapter 49 - Advancement

The morning sun painted my room with a gentle glow, seeping through the curtains. I could feel the soreness in my muscles as I stirred from a night's rest. The day was upon me, and I had work to do.

Time passed by quickly as I spent the day at the Den, deep in its world of research. Within the archives, I delved into the logs and records, seeking knowledge of rituals and various past missions that previous Huntsmen have been on. Many of the books spoke of certain practices and forgotten incantations, as well as numerous boring bounty missions which I ended up skipping most of.

Minutes turned into hours as I pored over past documentation. The Den's archives were a treasure trove of wisdom, and I was determined to glean every bit of insight they held.

By late afternoon, my eyes were weary from glazing over books all morning and I needed to shake out the cobwebs in my joints.

I decided to head to the shooting range. An hour or so of honing my shooting skills would do me good. As I entered the range, the familiar scent of gunpowder filled my senses and the gun's metal, cool in my hands.

But amidst the rhythmic crack of gunfire, my thoughts wandered. Images of yesterday's events flashed before me. Fritz's face, his taunts, the tension of the standoff—all vivid in my mind.

I couldn't help but envision myself holding my gun up again, aimed towards Fritz, the moment poised to define everything. But I forced the thoughts aside and continued shooting. I couldn't be distracted any longer

As the sun was high, casting long shadows in the range, I decided to call it for the day. My muscles felt more limber, my mind sharper.

Exiting the range, I was met by Jean, a fellow Huntsman. One of the more tolerable ones. He gave me a nod of acknowledgment, his expression as upbeat as ever.

"Elias, you seem focused today," Jean remarked, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

I ran a hand through my dishevelled auburn hair, the strands slightly damp with sweat. "Just trying to stay sharp," I replied.

Jean took a glance over his shoulder and looked towards the centre of town. "Boss asked me to go scouting for a while around town, he wants you to join me. Not preoccupied are you?"

"No no, I'll come."

I pulled out my pocket watch and flipped it open. Almost one in the afternoon. "I don't suppose we can grab something to eat while working?"

With that both Jean and I took ourselves around Leode, keeping an eye out as was our job.

Finally, as the clock's hands inched towards evening, we both headed back to the Den. Our patrol had yielded no significant leads or events, and it was time to return and then head home for the night.

...

The following morning, I headed to the Den earlier than usual. To my surprise, the usually bustling headquarters was deserted, save for Darius, who was busy going through some paperwork. As expected of Darius, he kept himself busy no matter the time.

As I entered, Darius didn't even lift his gaze from the documents spread before him. His voice, calm and collected, broke the silence. "Elias, you're here early."

It always amazed me how Darius seemed to possess an uncanny sense of awareness as if he had mastered the language of footsteps, able to identify anyone's presence without so much as a glance.

I approached his desk, clearing my throat. "Darius, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Go on, Elias. What's on your mind?"