With the threat of demon incursion looming right ahead, when Haru was summoned by one of the Captains, he assumed there was some new information regarding the attack, and he was going to be sent on a mission to either prevent the incursion or at least reduce the potential damage it was going to cause. However, Captain Roland gave him the file on a fugitive who was on the run from Minstrel. Of course, if there was a dangerous criminal loose in town, it was imperative that the Knights did something about this. But the timing was ridiculous. There was no way one young girl could cause as much devastation as the demons could when they come through that supposed rift.

“But Captain, with all due respect, can this not wait? Aren’t we supposed to be preparing for the demons?” he asked. The days when he didn’t ask any questions and simply followed orders were long gone. Zade had taught him it was fine to question your superior’s commands if their commands sounded stupid to you—this one satisfied the condition.

“Do what you are told, Lieutenant,” Captain Roland responded, with a condescending smile. Of course! What else did he expect? Without uttering a word, Haru simply saluted the Captain and left his office. The moment he was out through the door, his face contorted into a frown. He came to Orchidia to save the town from demons; not for this. Nevertheless, he didn’t have much of a choice. So, as he walked down the corridor, he opened the folder with a sigh. The first thing that caught his eye was the picture attached, of course. It was a twenty-three-year old, beautiful, dark-haired girl. Average height. Healthy weight. Honestly, she didn’t give him the ‘murderous bitch’ vibe that the personality description in the file painted her to be. However, Haru wasn’t going to trust the first impression he got from looking at the picture, but approach the case with the details given in the file.

“Estelle Dubois,” he muttered to himself as he closed the file and exited the building. It was going to be hard to mistake someone else for this foreign beauty. But in any case, there was one definitive thing mentioned in the file that would confirm it truly is Estelle. The Dubois family emblem tattooed in her back.

As Haru turned into the main streets, he transformed into his raven form and flew up into the sky. He wanted to catch this girl as soon as possible and get back to preparing for the demon incursion. So, this was most efficient way to find people in the crowded streets of Orchidia. The commoners still weren’t warned about the incoming attack; so, they went about their daily business without a clue. Haru flew above them, his black raven eyes darting from one female figure to another, hoping to find Estelle.

Spell(s) Used:

Estelle only recently came to Orchidia. She heard through the grapevine that there was lots of work available there, which meant that she, as a mercenary, had business there as well. Although she moved to Fiore only mere months ago, she found herself adapting relatively quickly. The Fiorian language didn't pose as large of a barrier as she thought it would. Although Estelle spoke with an accent, people were always able to understand her, and she them. One thing that seemed off though was the fact that she had yet to hear from her family. They were all shocked by her act of betrayal, but likely knew she fled to Fiore. It had always been her dream to go there. With all their connections in Minstrel, someone was bound to have seen her leaving.

She thought her family members cared for one another. The emblem seared into the backs of all the Dubois was supposed a physical testament of that. There were very few people who willingly parted from the family, Estelle being one of them. Those who did often met a disastrous fate. Since nothing had happened since she left Minstrel, the lightning mage was a little on edge. At the moment, she was just walking along Orchidia's streets. Nothing looked suspicious at the moment, but knowing the Dubois family, that could prove to be otherwise very quickly.

With the bird’s eye view—literally—Haru could easily scan the long market street for dark-haired young girls in their early twenties. There were too many who fit that description and Haru had to fly low up and down the streets several times to narrow his search. Telling if a girl was Fiorian or Minstreli was harder than he imagined it to be. So, he stopped trying to make that guess and simply looked at the girls’ faces to see if they looked similar to the one in the picture.

Being a raven helped a great deal. Barely anyone noticed his presence, and even those who did, didn’t suspect anything. It was just another silly crow flying about looking to scavenge food. The bird form made his reconnaissance and search a lot easier. He felt a chill run down his avian spine as he imagined the weird stares and presumptuous looks he would get if he walked down the lane, keenly looking at every young girl’s face he crossed.

It had already been almost an hour of searching. Haru was about to give up and move on to the other parts of the town. Just then, he spotted his target. She looked exactly like the one in the picture and all the first-glance details checked out. Jet black hair, brown eyes, pale skin… everything that was written in the file. However, there was one thing that he couldn’t confirm right away. The tattoo in her back. But Haru didn’t need to see the emblem to ensure she was the one. There was a more direct way.

Haru quickly flew into a smaller deserted alley and transformed back into his human form. He walked out into the main alley, waited until Estelle was not in the middle of a huge crowd—so that it was easier for him to pin her down if she decided to bolt—and then called out to her casually. “Miss Dubois?!” he exclaimed, waving at her with a smile, as though he was meeting an old friend after a long while. If she reacted in any way and didn’t look confused, that would be enough for him to know he was after the right person.

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Each step Estelle took through Orchidia was rigid. She was tense; there were just so many people around. The mage was highly distrusting of those around her. Eventually, she broke free from the crowded streets and was able to seek refuge in an area with less clamor. She took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Her muscles relaxed and Estelle was able to relax a bit. Her mind cleared and she reasoned that it was highly unlikely anyone in Orchidia would be out for her. After all, what were the chances of someone finding her? They had all of Fiore to search, and it wasn't like she had expressed her interest for this town in particular.

Perhaps she had spoken a bit too soon. She heard someone call her 'Miss Dubois.' Estelle flinched at the sound of that name and turned around to see a man with orange hair and violet eyes. He was waving to her, as if he knew her, but she failed to recognize him. "I don't go by that name anymore," she said with an icy tone in her voice. This man did not look like he was of Dubois blood. If he was, surely he would have attacked her by now, but that was the only reason she could think of for him knowing her name. That is, unless her family had connections in Fiore as well. "Who are you?"

The Knight watched his target keenly after he called out to her. She did react. Well, he got better than just a reaction. The young lady said she didn’t go by that name anymore. Haru’s excited grin faded into a gentle smile as he walked towards her casually. He didn’t want to put her on edge by making any sudden movements. That would only prompt her to run away and he didn’t have the time to chase her all over the town.

“Come on! Did you seriously think changing the name and running to a different country was going to absolve you of your crimes?” he asked, still smiling. He stopped a few feet away from her before answering her question. “I’m a Rune Knight,” he said. He stared right at her and didn’t dare look away even for a second while he fished out his Rune Knight pendant from his cloak pocket. Haru held it up in front of him to show it to Estelle and prove his authority.

Haru wasn’t sure if the girl was aware of the policing forces within Fiore or even understood the legitimacy that the pendant brought to his claim. She was new to the country, after all. “A cop,” he added, to clarify.

The file had given clear instructions. To not harm the girl in any manner, but to only apprehend her and deport her back to Minstrel. So, he hoped things didn’t get ugly between them. “We would just like to ask you a few questions. Do you mind coming with me to the station?” he asked. It was a rhetorical question, however. His tone clearly conveyed that she didn’t have a choice in the matter.

When Estelle corrected the orange-haired man for calling her 'Miss Dubois,' he seemed to think that changing her name was a cover. When he mentioned that she supposedly committed crimes, she simply folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. He could interpret this as feigning ignorance, but it was true. The lightning mage had never been directly associated with any of the Dubois family's crimes. It was not her fault she was born into that forsaken clan, and yet she was being confronted by someone who she now knew to be a Rune Knight. When she came into Fiore, she knew that they were a police organization of sorts, though she still did not quite know how they were organized. To clarify though, the man in front of her said that he was a cop. She took a sharp breath in and held it as he said that all he needed to do was ask her a few questions at the station. She hadn't been in Fiore all too long and she was already getting in trouble by the authorities. Fantastic. The best thing she could do in this situation was comply.

Estelle let out an sigh and replied, "Fine, though I'd like to know what I'm being accused of." Being a mercenary, she could have been theoretically hired to do anything, but she had not yet done any illegal tasks. Whatever the Rune Knight thought she did wrong, she could only imagine that it was related to her family, though she did not know why it would concern Fiore.

For all the crimes the file said she had committed, Haru expected some serious resistance from her. Not that he was complaining, but he thought the moment he said he was a cop, she would make a run for it or try to fight him. However, instead, she just stood there with her hands folded across her chest. He figured the woman either had an extremely wonky morale compass that made her think whatever she did wasn’t wrong, or she had no clue what she was being accused of. Soon enough, she confirmed that it was the latter.

Haru was glad she agreed to come with him. Now, he just needed to hand her in at the Captain’s office and he would take care of her. If they were to follow the protocol, it was a simple deportation procedure. She didn’t need to answer for her crimes committed at Minstrel in Fiore. The Minstrel judicial system would take care of that. The Lieutenant pointed towards the station and waited for her to begin walking in the direction. “Since you complied to come with me willingly, I’d rather not cuff you,” he said. That statement was as much an appreciation of her cooperation as it was a polite warning as to what he would do if she forced his hand.

When she asked what she was accused of, Haru began to list the few things that he remembered from reading her file. “Illicit trading, high-profile heists, and murder of business competitors are a few among many. Your family is most devastated that you ruined their esteemed reputation,” he said, as he guided her towards the Rune Knight station. He kept close to her and was on high alert, in case she tried to pull one on him.

As the two walked towards the Rune Knight base, he informed Estelle of the crimes she was accused of. She seemed a little tense for a moment, but then laughed, claiming that her family did everything that they had accused her of, and she had escaped to Fiore only to escape that life. Obviously, he couldn’t just take her word for it. If he let go of every single criminal who claimed to be innocent, he would have lost his job a long time ago. In case the young lady was truly innocent, she had to prove it. Not even in Fiore. But in Minstrel. So, he didn’t stop and ushered her towards the station. However, her claim did make him quite uncertain of his decision.

If she had somehow managed to escape that life of crime and wished to start anew here, sending her back would do no good. They can throw all kinds of bureaucratic crap at him; he had learnt to ignore those for the sake of justice. Out of fear that he might be doing the wrong thing, he decided to give Estelle a chance. “Just changing your name doesn’t prove you are innocent, Miss. If anything, it could be perceived as an alias to cover your crimes,” he said. “Do you have anything else to prove your innocence?” he asked. He tried his best to not let his emotions seep into his voice. However, if she was perceptible, she would notice that he was trying to do the right thing here and wasn’t just following orders.

Haru nodded slowly when Estelle mentioned a family in Minstrel who could prove that she was innocent. “Alright! I’ll arrange a correspondence with the Les Taillers. But until we get a confirmation, I’m afraid you’ll have to remain in custody,” he said. They turned a corner towards the Rune Knight base, and Haru had a strange feeling that they were being watched. He looked around casually and noticed that there was a hooded figure who had been blending with the crowd and following them. He felt he was being paranoid, but couldn’t shake the feeling that they were the targets of this stalker. He didn’t warn Estelle; for all he knew, the guy could be an accomplice of hers and they might be working together to plan an escape. But he remained on high alert as they walked.

He decided to take a detour from the main street and enter a narrow empty alley. “This way,” he said, as he ushered Estelle into the small road. The moment they entered the alley, their stalker took the opportunity to close the distance. Haru acted as though he didn’t notice the attacker. He wanted to know who his target was, and when he saw that the hooded figure attempted to attack Estelle, he swiftly turned on his heel. Pulling the young lady out of the way, Haru thrust both his hands toward the assassin, holding the offender’s armed hand with one and then pinning him against the wall with the other. Shocked, the assassin tried escaping, but Haru’s grip was strong enough to not let him slip. “Who sent you?” he asked. But the hooded man didn’t respond.

Haru lifted his leg and kneed the man’s groin, making him yelp. “Talk or I won’t be gentle next time,” he said. The assassin breathed hard and began to spill the beans. “Captain… Roland,” he stammered. This confused the Lieutenant. “You are telling me a Rune Knight Captain hired a low-life like you?” he asked, kneeing the man again. He groaned and began to beg. “Please. I’m telling the truth. Roland works for the Dubois,” he cried. Haru let go of the assassin and he fell to the ground.

The Lieutenant was torn. If the assassin was speaking the truth, then whatever Estelle had been saying so far must be true. And if her family had such influential ties within his faction, then she was much safer out in the crowd than at any Rune Knight base. He looked at her for a good ten seconds, his expressions changing rapidly in confusion. “You should… leave the town,” he finally said. “Go! And... Stay safe.” He may be making the wrong choice here; he was well aware of it. But in case she was innocent, he didn’t want to risk putting her in danger. And if she was not innocent, then he needed to convince himself of that first before he arrests her.

“I’ll just tell them I never found you and I’ll make sure this guy doesn’t talk,” he said, pointing at the unconscious assassin on the floor.

The girl looked as surprised as he was by the assassin’s attempt on her life. So, his initial suspicion that the two of them were working together to get her free didn’t seem likely. Besides, when he asked her to leave and said he would ‘take care’ of the man, she seemed relieved and didn’t show any hesitation, which he figured she wouldn’t if the assassin was her ally.

As Estelle fled, Haru could hear some shuffling behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know what was going on. Obviously, the assassin heard what he said and was attempting to flee as well. Haru was going to have none of it. This assassin was the only lead he had on the case. If what he said was true, they had a highly corrupt Captain. That also meant Haru couldn’t just take him to the Rune Knight base to hold him for questioning like the other criminals. If Roland caught wind of it, the guy would vanish like smoke.

The assassin was scrambling to his feet when Haru swiftly turned to pin him against the wall once again. “Where do you think you are going?” he muttered menacingly. “You can’t take me to the Knights. Roland will kill me before I utter anything on the record,” the assassin replied, and there seemed to be genuine fear in his voice. “And if you don’t tell me everything, I’ll kill you right now,” Haru threatened. Of course, he wasn’t going to. But he found threats to work, especially on the ones who were already afraid.

The scared assassin began to sweat profusely as he spoke in fragmented sentences, giving him a lot of nothing. Haru asked him to shut up and dragged him along. He had a place in mind—that is not the Rune Knight base—where he could hold the guy for the time being.