Soldier of Time

V: The Vanguard and the Visionary (2)

“Sabrina!” Slevin replied with a smile before he bowed his head as if he was doing a mock salute towards the girl.

Sabrina laughed when she saw this, but she just shook her head and gestured for them to come in.

Simon smiled, and she opened the door for the three of them to enter.

When Jonah entered, he looked at her with a raised brow before he asked, “Won’t you greet me?”

He spoke in a way where his breath would reaching and spread over Sabrina’s face. There was no need for her to answer, as the same door that was closed shut on his face was the best response.

Jonah chuckled before he shook his head and went inside without being ushered in.

Inside the room…

“Boss!” Simon greeted brightly and loudly towards the man behind the desk.

The Boss that Simon was referring to was a Visionary and currently concentrated on reading a book while he was comfortable in his chair. He didn’t seem to want to be interrupted.  

They remained silent until The Visionary raised his head and looked at them seriously before he said, “I hope this is going against what Hanibal is not making, just done in a whim or will it turn into your habit, Deer.”

The powerful voice of the Visionary flooded the entire room, drawing the attention of the three men who entered.

As he spoke, he gave the impression of knowing everything there was to know about life, and at mentioning that name, the Deer smiled,

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Jonah repeatedly said with exasperation. The alcohol in his blood seemed to give way to reason when he heard the name Hanibal as he was hallucinating.

“Does that person you mention, has the last name, King?” Jonah asked but looked like he dreaded the answer.

“That’s how it is!” Slevin responded before looking at him in question, “Didn’t you see that in the memory?”

Jonah quickly concluded that he didn’t need the job and said, “You know, guys, I don’t want to impose myself. It would be too much of me. You are good people, but I think I will pass...”

And with those words, he began to back up until he left the room. A mercenary was running away, with his tailed tucked between his legs without even trying.

Nasuma noticeably darkened when he saw that. He stood up, and his expression was still unhappy. He walked around his desk and faced the young adepts of his.

“How I hate that, Jonah. I don’t know how he is part of my group. If it weren’t for his ability, I would have kicked him out myself a long time ago,” Nasuma commented bluntly.

“I understand, boss. Reading memories is a useful skill,” Simon said with a wry smile. He was sure that if Jonah was in the room, he might get a beating from Nasuma.

“Sometimes, I think it’s not worth it. Anyway, this job you are involved in is not easy at all, guys. It is already the fourth time that you. Young man,” he said while looking at Slevin, “you are getting into business with King.”

Slevin gave a forceful smile, “It’s not like I’m looking for that, boss.”

Nasuma snorted, “Tsk. Maybe not, but you keep finding them, and Augusto may find that threatening. Although more than that pompous old man, I worry that your luck against Hanibal will run out.”

“I know, boss,” Slevin nodded in agreement. He then explained further, “I didn’t want to get involved with him anymore, but this is important.”

“I know,” Nasuma answered, “It’s something delicate. That psychopath does not understand what can happen.”

“Maybe he does understand...” Slevin muttered as he looked away uncomfortably.

“Boss. Couldn’t you talk to the Claw and convince him to make his man stand down?” Simon intervened by asking.

The Visionary looked at his mercenary but shook his head and said, “Even though Augusto listened to me, and that will not be the case. There is no chance that he will withdraw Hanibal. He wants to believe that he controls him, but that is not true. Hanibal shows him some respect, but he will do what he wants at the end of the day.”

They all nodded.

Nasuma continued speaking, “I understand that you are worried, but you are already in this predicament. I honestly think the best that could happen is that in this job, you kill King. If he were to carry out his threat, this country could have many problems.”

“Boss, there is a possibility that we will fail,” Simon commented weakly. He did not want to admit it, but that’s highly possible.  

“Do not say that! And why does the government house not use the Royal guards for this job?”

Both young men looked at each other, understanding that they had not asked that either.

“You are really being careless. You don’t look like yourself, Slevin,” the Visionary, he said further.

Slevin thought for a second why he hadn’t asked something so crucial, and then he said, “It is the same, we are already in this problem, and there is a possibility that we will fail, boss.”

            “You’ve stopped him before. Just do it again,” Nasuma responded seriously.

Slevin looked at the window in front of him, the air and the stars were pleasant, but the idea that everyone thought that stopping Hanibal was a simple matter always made him heartbroken.

“I’ll try….”

Both young men were silent, and Simon headed for the door. Slevin stood in front of Nasuma.

Simon stopped at the door but understood that there was something else Slevin had to talk about and that he was not included. That way, he got out of the office, leaving the two men alone.

“Are you ready to work?” Nasuma asked as he looked at Slevin intently.

Slevin cleared his throat before responding, “No. But I don’t have many options.”

“You can refuse, you know.”

“If I refuse now, I may have to fight even more things in the future. Boss, I don’t want a war,” Slevin said before realizing a heavy sigh. No one wanted war. So someone needed to step up and do something about it.

When he said those words, he sat in one of the chairs in front of Nasuma’s desk.

“Five years, isn’t it? That would be more than enough for anyone.”

“They are to me...” Slevin knew his capabilities. Any length of time could be an advantage for him. It won’t be easy, but it was doable.

“Why do you keep doing this, Deer?” Nasuma asked with brows furrowed deeply.

“I do not know what else to do.”

“Don’t give me that. You know that they call me Visionary. I can see what you’re hiding,” Nasuma said while looking at Slevin with narrowed eyes.

Slevin wryly smiled before he responded, “I know. The truth is that there is something in me that drives me to continue with this. It is a desire for action that I really cannot understand.”

“Anyone would believe that a child soldier would have already seen all the action anyone could wish for.”

Slevin leaned over his hands, and as he looked at the floor, he said, “I’ll need help these two weeks.”

“I will not send anyone else to confront Hanibal Deer. I’m sorry, Simon will go because guilt leads him to do everything you say...”

“I know. I don’t want to send anyone else. In fact, if I could, I would make Simon stay, but that’s not possible. He won’t listen to me, not on that. No boss, I need something else. Every morning I take some supplies to the abandoned Cartun building near the exit to the old road.”

“Yes, I understand. You need someone to take some things from your girl, right?” Nasuma asked.

“That’s how it is. But only up to the guardhouse. They can’t get an inch closer,” Slevin said seriously.

Nasuma smirked when he saw how the young man seemed to be acting territorial, “Wow! How severe.”

“It’s for their sake, boss. Whoever you designate to go must respect that rule,” Slevin insisted.

Nasuma nodded. “Don’t worry, and I’ll tell someone to take care of it.”

“The provisions will be ready in the bakery and delicatessen, and they just have to go and ask for the Deer,” The young man said as he got up and walked towards the door.

“Don’t worry, and nobody will touch your girl,” Nasuma assured.

“That does not worry me, and it worries me more than the one you sent returns alive.”

With a smile, he walked towards the entrance, and just before arriving, and the Visionary asked, “Slevin... have you already discovered how his power works?”

Slevin turned his face from him, smiled without replying, and then, taking the doorknob, he left the room.

Simon was waiting for him outside, when he saw him, he said, “Well, you were right. He knew.”

“He’s the Visionary. He sees everything.”

“I hope not everything...”  He said, pointing at the Slevin with his index finger and imitating the firing of a pistol.

Slevin walked to the stairs, and there he looked down. His friends were still there. Many dangerous and friendly people who lived in that place, all in danger because a lunatic wanted to pull the trigger.

Simon took his friend by the shoulder and said, “Everything will be fine….”

“You know you don’t have to do this, right Simon?” Slevin asked thoughtfully.

“Yes, I have to do it, pal.”

Slevin shook his head, “No, Simon. You don’t owe me, anything brother. The past is the past.”

“Certainly. Let me deal with my past however I want, fine?”

He said but squeezing his friend’s shoulder and then looking at the living room of the house, and he said, “Let’s try to get out of this alive.”

That was what his friend often said before going on missions. But he had never said it against Hanibal King.