CHAPTER 62: AN OFFER YOU CAN’T REJECT

In the guildmaster’s room, Luke and the others were sitting on the long sofa adjacent to the single one where guildmaster Aldos was seated.

Luke had a rotten expression on his face. Ruby and Shane were nonchalant, while Noah’s mood had reversed completely. He was all smile and excited, with shining eyes he was gazing at the woman sitting on the opposite sofa.

The woman was Luke’s elder sister Layla, and beside her was Anna, sitting comfortably with her legs crossed and behind them were Bren and Fred standing with a stoic face.

"I’m sorry to disappoint you guildmaster, but we won’t be taking this mission!" Luke said.

Ruby and Shane were confused, why would he reject a mission with such great rewards. Noah looked at Luke hatefully, his anger rising again.

"May I ask why? This is just a simple investigation mission and the rewards are plenty!" Aldos was surprised too. He though Luke would take the mission with a smiling face, as the employer had asked for them specifically and was paying ten thousand gold coins.

"It’s because...it’s just that..."

"Because he doesn’t want to come with us! He thinks I’m forcefully taking him back using the mission as an excuse!" Anna said.

"You two know each other lady Anna?" Aldos asked, surprised.

"He’s my baby brother! Luke Ranatosh!"

Except Noah, the guildmaster, Ruby and Shane were shocked, this was news for them, the one that they never expected.

"I have no ties with the Ranatosh dukedom! I’m a useless and banished son of the duke! I’m no Ranatosh, I’m Luke Blackstone!"

"Changing your family name will not cut the blood ties you have. You were and always will be a Ranatosh!"

"We’ve had this discussion thousands of times elder sister! I’ll define what I am! Not my blood!"

"Why are you acting so adamantly! I know it’s your rebellious phase, but what’s wrong in coming with me on a mission, I’m your sister, or have you also discarded us along with the name!"

"That’s not it! It’s because you’re cheating elder sister! Involving others in our personal matters is not right! It’s not me but you who’s being adamant." Luke looked right into her eyes as he said the words out.

Anna was shocked seeing such firm and unwavering eyes of Luke. He had never acted such cold with her. She felt the more he stayed here, the more he’d drift away from her. No matter how, but she was now hell bent on taking him away.

"I apologize for wasting your time guildmaster! But we’ll refuse this mission!" Luke was about to get up and leave when Anna spoke again.

"I’m increasing the reward to twenty thousand gold coins!"

Shane and Ruby opened their eyes wide. They were now fully tempted.

"I’ll still reject!"

"Aren’t you acting selfish here? Letting personal feelings determine your decision! Have you once asked whether your teammates want to take the mission or not?" Anna charged Luke.

Just then Luke realized that his sister was not wrong, he really acted selfish here, the reward she was offering was same as the count mission, that too with less workload.

It was him who was running away from his sister, not the others, for them it was a great opportunity to earn coins.

Luke shook his head as he laughed at himself, he then turned towards Ruby and Shane.

"I’m sorry! I disrespected you two! What do you say? Do you want to take the mission?"

"Well...the reward is quite huge, so it’s not that we don’t want to, but we don’t want to make you uncomfortable! So..." Shane spoke hesitatingly.

"We leave the decision to you!" Ruby completed Shane’s sentence.

Luke nodded his head and went into thought.

"Won’t you take my opinion?" Noah asked.

"I already know! There’s no use asking you!" Luke replied.

He finally made his decision and lifted his head up as he looked at Anna.

"Alright! We’ll take the mission! But you can’t add any conditions later! We’ll investigate only inside Frostbane, and not anywhere else! You can’t deny from paying us if we don’t go somewhere else other than the city!"

"Alright! No worries there! But if I do ask you to move somewhere else, I’ll add more to the reward!"

"That’s not..."

"Deal! Don’t stretch it any further! You’re damn frustrating Luke, you know that!? Just accept and get it over with!" Noah yelled at Luke, irritated.

"Now you talk to me huh!"

"So does this mean you’ll take the mission?" Aldos asked.

"Yes guildmaster! Heaven Benders will accept their first official mission!" Luke said with a smile.

"You’ll never know when you’ve reached the dukedom from Frostbane baby brother!"

a wide grin spread on Anna’s lips.

Seeing her, Layla shook her head in helplessness. She knew a clash was bound to happen between her elder sister and her brother.

******

In the meeting room of the institute, Blaze, Angus and Acheron were sitting around an oval table. Standing beside Blaze was elder Davina.

She had placed a round disc fitted with a blue mana stone, on the table between the three of them. A blue round screen was projected above the disc from the mana stone, where a scene was being played.

Blaze was watching with black lines on his forehead, Angus and Acheron also had a grave expression on their faces.

On the screen was playing the bloodbath, Ames and Shatun had caused a day earlier. The last hope Blaze had, that Ames was innocent and was being framed, now shattered. There was no doubt now, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t deny what his eyes were witnessing.

"We were able to recover only two bodies; their identification is still in process as...their heads were being bit off and...h-heart dug out! This recording tool was recovered from one of the bodies." Davina said, the pain and sadness visible in her voice.

"That giant man...he seems a bit familiar!" Acheron said, his eyebrows twitched as he strained his mind to remember.

"He seems like the necro barbarians from the legends!" Angus said.

"You mean...that inhuman race! But weren’t they all banished to the Samahan deserts by the second emperor, elder Angus?" Davina asked, shocked at Angus’s words.

"They were banished indeed! The barbarity and bloodlust of his reminded me of them! But this man seems like a mixed blood!"

Another wave of shock passed through them, the mixed bloods were far more dangerous. They were powerhouses capable of destroying kingdoms single handedly in their prime. If Angus’s words were true, the others knew the consequences of that man being alive in the future.

"So he really has gone to the dark side!" Blaze said in a helpless tone.

No one said anything, they knew how much pain Blaze was in right now. Ames was his most cherished disciple. Losing him was like losing his own son.

"You have to take the tough call now Blaze! If spared now, they will become a calamity in the future. all of humanity would have to pay the price for our weakness then!" Angus reminded Blaze that he couldn’t be weak now, and spare Ames, blinded by his love for his disciple.

Blaze nodded. He released a deep sigh and steeling his mind he gave out his decision.

"Ames and his partner are to be listed in the dark criminal record. Put out a bounty of fifty thousand gold coins on each of their heads with the wizard towers seal."

"Master?" Blaze looked towards Angus for approval, as Angus nodded without hesitation.

"The criminal deletion mission will be handled by the red corps!" the red corps were under the direct supervision of Angus being the head elder, so even Blaze had to take his approval before involving them.

"Pass this order to all, no subjugation allowed, they are to be killed on sight!"