Chapter 116: Join Us, Medallion of a Crow Within the Sun
Chapter 116: Join Us, Medallion of a Crow Within the Sun
Calvin imagined a life full of adventure where he would fight against monsters and protect the common populace in secrecy. When he heard that Ron Samuel wanted him to join them, he thought that he'd become one of the Cavaliers.
He thought that he'd become like them who protected the world behind the scenes.
But contrary to his expectations, he actually became an employee of a Coffee Shop?
What?
Calvin didn't know what to say and was speechless.
"What's the lollygagging? You're free to go home now. Are you worried about thieves? Not even a rat can sneak into Hilton Borough, so you don't have to worry about criminals being in here. Unless you're talking about those greedy and unscrupulous nobles, then that's a different story...."
"Captain!" Ashlynn immediately cried out.
The Cavaliers directly served the Church of the Three Orthodox Gods, but they were established by the Kingdom of Joselian.
In other words, the nobles were people that they couldn't just easily offend.
Even though the Church had declared autonomy from the royal family and the Church was now operating in entirely different rules and protocols from the Kingdom.
They were still fundamentally connected.
Ron Samuel's words were akin to insult against the nobles that alone was punishable by death.
Calvin lifted a bitter smile and asked, "Can I go home now?"
Ron Samuel didn't look at him. In fact, he kept on talking with the other Cavaliers.
Does this silence mean approval?
He doubted, so he asked again, "Ummm, sir... Can I go home now?"
There was still no reaction whatsoever from Ron Samuel.
What?
Calvin was confused.
He scratched his cheek and asked once more, "Sir, am I good to go now?"
Ron Samuel still didn't reply.
The Wise One Vincent noticed Calvin's predicament and he couldn't help but laugh, "Ron's hard in the hearing. If you want him to hear what you are saying then you need to raise your voice."
Calvin nodded his head and smiled at Vincent in appreciation. Afterwards, he asked once again. But this time, his voice was a few notches louder than before. "Ummm, sir! Can I go home now?!"
The instant Calvin's voice rang out...
The Cavaliers froze.
Ron Samuel slowly turned around and asked with a death glare, "Why did you have to shout? Do you think I'm deaf?"
"Uh..." Calvin surreptitiously glanced at Vincent, but Vincent immediately turned his head away and started whistling.
Fuck you, you bastard!
A thousand mud horses galloped in Calvin's heart as he lifted a pained smile.
"Just as I said earlier, you can go home now. If you're ready to work for us, then you can go to the Center Borough, Captivating Fragrance Coffee Shop. Your salary will be five Joselian Pesos a day. Do you understand now?"
Calvin repeatedly nodded, "Can I really go home now, sir? How can I be sure that I will be free of trouble from now on?"
Ron Samuel's expression changed. He turned serious as he said, "Don't worry... Based on the statistics that we have in the past on incidents like these. More than half of the survivors don't experience any horrifying after-effects from the incident. But to be honest, I don't dare to trust it."
"More than half... Does that mean that I'm not completely safe?" Calvin asked, there was a trembling in his voice.
"Yes, that is why I said that you should join us and become one of our civilian staff. This way, if we noticed any symptoms we can act fast and deal with it before everything is too late."
Ron Samuel thought for a moment, "Or you can also become a Predator like us..."
"If you become one of us, then you'd be privy to information that you needed so you can help yourself in the case that the bastard from Red Cloud comes back to deal with you. I mean, we can't just keep an eye on you all the time, right?"
"Really? I can do that?" Calvin doubted the legitimacy of Ron Samuel's words.
He didn't think that it was that easy to become a Predator. There must be something in exchange. If Calvin wanted to become a Predator, then there must be something that he needed to give up so he could become one of them.
However, if he became a Predator then he would acquire supernatural powers!
Who didn't want to command wind and cloud with the flick of their wrist?
Who didn't want to level a mountain with a single snort?
Who didn't want to conquer the world under their crotch?
These were Calvin's delusions of grandeur.
But he believed that these delusions could come true if he became a Predator!
Ron Samuel let out a sigh.
He could obviously see the excitement within Calvin's eyes and he also saw through what he was thinking.
"It's not that you can't... It's just that it's too difficult to become one."
"What? What do I have to do to become one?" Calvin asked once more.
"You're asking the wrong questions. Don't you want to know what you need to give up to become one of us?"
Ron Samuel let out a bitter laugh.
"No Cavalier would ever die in their sleep."
"Huh?" Calvin was confused by Ron Samuel's cryptic words.
"Nevermind..." Complicated emotions flashed across Ron Samuel's face as he said, "Becoming a Cavalier meant losing your freedom. You might think that just because the Cavaliers protect the civilians from monsters and fiends in the dark that we'd be highly praised for our actions?"
"Nope... You're completely wrong. It's the opposite. The civilians are afraid of us. Just as how the police don't give them that sense of security that they are expecting from the people who are supposed to protect them..."
"We're basically similar to the police in their eyes, albeit not known enough for they also consider our existence as legends..."
"Then, how will they know that a Cavalier is a Cavalier?" Calvin asked in confusion. Being hated by the people meant that they were a target. But how could they become a target when they work in secrecy? If no one could see and notice them, then how could they be targeted?
"It's because of this..." Ron Samuel slowly took out a medallion from his pocket.
The humungous sun with eight rays of light depicted in the Medallion was already imposing enough, but when the crow holding a severed hand in its beak was added in front of the sun. The medallion became terrifying to look at. Calvin let out a gasp as his mind madly spun.
"That's..." Calvin felt as if his mind was being sucked into the medallion.
Ron Samuel hurriedly returned the medallion back to his left chest pocket and said, "When the sun sets in the battlefield, crows descend from the heavens and feed on the dead..."
"What you saw was the Medallion of a Crow Within the Sun."
"That was a Cavalier exclusive medallion. Only a Cavalier or a Cavalier's family member have the right to hold it. Once the Cavalier died, he or she can pass on that medallion to his family member or to other unrelated people..."
"With that medallion, the holder can immediately become one of the Cavaliers, or he could exchange the medallion for a large sum of money. After all, these medallions are rare and they are incredibly difficult to make." Ron Samuel let out a smile, "Does that answer your question."
"Y-Yes..." Calvin was still trembling. But contrary to his expectations, it wasn't because he was astonished by the imposing Medallion of a Crow Within the Sun. It was because he could feel something being unlocked from inside his mind.
He felt as if some missing memories were returning, and they would fully return once he got himself his own medallion!