Chapter 66: Alex and Marwa!

Chapter 66: Alex and Marwa! Ken arrived at the doctor’s house, putting Ralf right next to the previous day’s victim, and his eyes didn’t fail to notice the absence of the oldest victim, whose skin was already pitch red the previous day. Ken watched as the doctor helped Ralf up and made him drink water, which he made to be some antidote. Then he left the place, an oath in his mind to make sure today’s victim would be the last to die. Darek looked at Ken’s moving figure and couldn’t help but think that Ken seemed as if he was holding a big boulder above his head. ’Surprisingly, the man turned out to be righteous.’ This thought passed the young man’s mind, and he couldn’t help but smile. ’No matter. If there’s anyone who can take care of this mission in the most efficient way, it would be him.’ He thought as he shifted his attention to the doctor. The man seemed diligent enough, and no one would be suspicious of him, but Ken did, and he was beyond sure of his assumption. Darek had been with him for a day now, and if he didn’t trust Ken as the leader of this mission, he feared he wouldn’t notice anything. Even worse, had Ken not been with them for this mission, the countless requirements to make sure you subjugate the devil right would make your soul sweat. ’Not like anyone other than him would dare take a mission like this when we’ve barely been sect disciples for a few months.’ This was the truth, and he had seen how people evaded participating whenever he invited them. Sure, it was that enigma, Ken, who took it, but they couldn’t risk their lives. They’ve seen many haughty people live to regret taking missions a hundred times easier than this one; some didn’t even make it back. They were at the very start of their journey; they couldn’t risk it all for some rewards or to get acquainted with Ken. Many such opportunities would show themselves even outside the mission. ’It wasn’t worth it.’ Darek thought. ’The same way other missions weren’t worth the trouble for me. If I want to progress faster and have a chance at the secret realm, any regular mission won’t do...’ Darek thought back to the reason he had accepted teaming up with Ken. People thought they had a high chance of going and a higher chance of coming back. Little did they know, if they thought this mission was dangerous, then they might as well stay away from the secret realm. But that’s assuming they are able to qualify for it. ’And here I was wanting nothing to do with him... priorities force people’s hands.’ ----------- Most people didn’t know who it was that was affected by the ’plague’ today, but once they started asking questions and came to know that it’s Ralf, most couldn’t handle the shock. For them, Ralf was the equivalent of a brother... some would rather be the victim than for him to be one, and Ken could understand that. He could even see it. When he took his job this day to deliver food and water to the children, not a single one of them failed to ask questions. "Where is big brother Ralf? He promised to tell me the story about the big wolf hunters!" A question was posed for Ken, and with a smile radiating with warmness, he patted the orphan’s head. "Big brother Ralf went to hunt wolves himself; he will be here tomorrow." He replied as he observed the little black-haired child smile and giggle happily from the small pat. He couldn’t help but notice how children would easily become happy... yet some people forget to be grateful; they trade others’ happiness for their own. The day went by, and somewhere around the afternoon, Ken thought that it was time to check up on Alex and Marwa. Their mission was the easiest of all, and it was made so for them to form a relaxing atmosphere and get used to each other. By having them stay together for an extended period of time, things would start getting heated up, whether they liked it or not. That’s what Ken was aiming for. At least for the mission, they had to get very close to each other. Passing by the well, the center of the village, Ken managed to catch the duo surrounded by a bunch of couples, especially married ladies that Marwa was able to befriend easily. The two still thought that the contractor was yet to be found and believed this mission to take more than a week; that is why they took it especially easy. When Ken instructed them, he had this intention. In a way, it was made for them to not get in the way of the mission, but He also planned on using Alex’s forte, his looks, against the devil. Now that it was smitten by him, all that was left was for it to see them together once that happened. The game would start. "Oh my, you two are like a match made in heaven. Little Marwa, you should make your stance clear, especially since you’re traveling with three young men when you’re such a beauty, and men like Alex get easily snatched." A young lady holding a basket sat to the right of Marwa as she spoke. Alex, who thought himself familiar with ladies, was almost choked to death these two days by their bluntness. The second they got familiar with them, they hit on him, made remarks about them, and even went as far as ’accidentally’ pushing them together. "I’d be honest with you, Marwa, I’m jealous of you two; if I wasn’t married, I’d find myself right up his window." And there was this group. The lady had a scarf over her brow hair and was wearing a red short over her white dress. She sat next to the young man and looked at him with eyes that made his skin tingle. "Hey now, Ama, you shouldn’t look at a man like that." Marwa, seeing the married lady giving Alex those eyes, found herself getting defensive. And once the ladies heard these words, they didn’t let her hear the end of it. Ken then continued on his way, his destination... the doctor. The second phase was going quite seamlessly. ------End------