Chapter 42: An Invitation from Colonel

  Before he knew it, days had flown by. Today marked one month since Nitaan moved to the capital.

  Nitaan and Kiita were getting used to their new way of life and work. As for comprehending his word, he hadn't gotten any result. After Leader Mei's further explanation, he felt a spark but couldn't build upon it.

  Throughout this month, Nitaan had diligently performed his duties as Core officer of the City Guard unit in the mornings and meditated to comprehend his words at night.

  Suppressing thugs, preventing crime in the city, protecting caravans and convoys, and even safeguarding important individuals were duties he rotated daily.

  Nitaan wondered why the scope of work for the City Guard unit was so broad, considering there were fewer than 100 Core officers compared to a population in the millions.

  Part of the credit must go to the army, which made it possible for the City Guard unit to perform its duties smoothly.

  Within the army, there is a section that is dedicated to maintaining peace and order in Ratana City. The security guards at the city gates and walls were all military personnel. By placing numerous guards stationed at various locations, they become an additional layer of security.

  This section was primarily composed of Newborn, focusing on miscellaneous tasks that didn't require expertise. Since the requirement isn’t harsh like joining City Guard unit, this section numbers in the tens of thousands and is able to cover the vast area of Ratana City.

  It could be said that many crimes had already been filtered out. When higher-level crimedoers managed to slip through, it became the responsibility of City Guard.

  For the past month, they hadn't found any further traces of the Kodchasan Family. Other noble families also remained silent. The chaotic city becomes so calm that it worries Nitaan.

  For Nitaan, it feels more like the calm before the storm.

  Their two pieces of evidence were all just speculation. Whether it was the luxury pen at the crime scene or the thug group possessing an Engraved artifacts with words similar to those of the Kodchasan Family's ‘Muscle Strength’.

  If it ultimately turned out to be just coincidences or a facade, Nitaan wouldn't be surprised. His instincts simply told him to be cautious.

  Nitaan walked across the training ground in front of the building, greeting the officers busily working on paperwork on the first floor. He opened the door to the Unit 3 office as usual. The office was still the same as always. The only addition from the first day was a large floor bed that Colonel Lalanta had painstakingly brought in. The bed was filled with dog toys, including a shelf overflowing with dog treats, piled high with snacks.

  Her reasoning for bringing all this in was

  ‘There's so much paperwork. Kiita'd die of boredom waiting for you!’

  No one seemed to mind, even to the point of being used to it. At one corner of the room is a big birdcage and a bunch of bird toys. It’s clear that something like this has happened before.

  Inside the room, Leader Mei was still reading documents at her desk. Sensing Nitaan's presence, she looked up. Before Nitaan could greet her, Leader Mei interrupted:

  "Nitaan, Colonel want to talk with you," Leader Mei said.

  "Again?" Nitaan sighed.

  "Kiita, let's go to her office," Nitaan said to a dog beside him.

  Kiita made a face but couldn't refuse, reluctantly following Nitaan. Over the past month, Colonel Lalanta had called him in many times, citing reasons like checking on work performance or evaluating the quality of new recruits. But in reality, it was just another excuse to ‘Refill’.

  After walking through numerous rooms and being greeted warmly by Field unit officers, Nitaan arrived at Colonel Lalanta's office.

  Knock, knock.

  "Come in," Colonel's voice boomed through the door.

  When Nitaan opened the door, he sensed an awkward atmosphere. Part of it might be because Colonel didn't immediately come to play with Kiita when he opened the door.

  Colonel Lalanta sat at her desk working on paperwork. Her face was expressionless, but Nitaan sensed a certain emotion.

  Angry? Stress? No, more like Frustration. Nitaan guessed roughly.

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  "Nitaan, three days from now, keep yourself free at night." Colonel said, looking up before getting up from her desk to gently stroke Kiita's head.

  Kiita raised an eyebrow in surprise. Normally, Colonel would immediately pick him up the moment she saw him.

  Sensing Colonel's tiredness, Kiita walks in and starts snuggling with Colonel by his own volition.

  "Is there something wrong, Colonel?" Nitaan asked.

  "About that Family," Colonel Lalanta said.

  Nitaan frowned slightly.

  "Don't make such a scary face. I'm going to tell you that you don't need to do anything more. Just let me handle this," Colonel Lalanta said.

  "I don't have to do anything?" Nitaan raised an eyebrow.

  "You don't know what they can do," Colonel Lalanta replied.

  "Kodchasan Family is one of the Four Great Families. Their ancestors were among those who collaborated with the queen in her ascension to the throne."

  "They are the vanguard of warfare. Most of their direct descendants discovered Words of Power related to strength or muscles. They are incredibly strong in hand-to-hand combat. Moreover, every direct descendant is well trained in their family's unique martial art, known as the 'Mae Mai'."

  "It's a hand-to-hand combat art specifically designed for killing. In wars, they charge in with muscles as strong as steel, fists and elbows striking to take lives,” Colonel Lalanta said. She had direct experiences fighting alongside them.

  “If we are talking about close combat, they are number one. Even if we compare all the Great Families in the Grand Continent, they are still one of the top."

  "And then there's the family head, ‘Nine Fist Elephant King’. With just a flick of his finger, neither you nor I will have a tomorrow." Colonel Lalanta’s body shook. She still remembers seeing Nine Fist Elephant King slaughtering the Firegan kingdom’s enemies.

  "And that doesn't even include their various treasures, high-level Engraved artifacts, armies, and countless other things."

  City Guard unit is no doubt a big faction in the Firegan Kingdom, yet it still fell short compared to the Four Great Families.

  Hearing all this, Nitaan recalled the origins of the Fire Kingdom. Kodchasan Family, led by Queen Gomain, bravely clashed with the Sovereign's royal family.

  Especially the mighty Nine Fist Elephant King, who wiped out many of the Sovereign’s generals.

  "Their power and their backgrounds are beyond your comprehension. So just let me handle it," Colonel Lalanta sighed with a hoarse voice.

  "Besides, you're just a Learner. What can you possibly do? Even I feel this is beyond my capabilities," Colonel Lalanta sighed.

  Nitaan replied with a nod. Unless it had a significant impact on him, he had no intention of getting involved. As Colonel said, he is just a weak Learner.

  He didn’t want to be involved in that mess in the first place. He already had his plate full with the upcoming Tournament. He is only interested in it since it is part of his work.

  "So…." The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Colonel Lalanta, who stares directly at him all this time, averts her eyes.

  Colonel Lalanta hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

  "Do you like banquets?"

  Nitaan felt the room fall silent for a moment. He was taken aback by such an out-of-the-blue question.

  "No," Nitaan replied, raising an eyebrow. He disliked crowds, so banquets or parties were out of the question.

  "Sorry, but no no. I'm dragging you to this banquet," Colonel Lalanta said with a wry expression.

  "What kind of banquet?" Nitaan frowned. Although he'd known Colonel for a while, they didn’t have a chance to talk much, so he didn't dare say he knew her that well. But being suddenly dragged to a party like this was really unusual.

  He knew Colonel Lalanta wasn't unreasonable. If she is suddenly dragging him to a party like this, there must be a reason behind it.

  "It's a celebration banquet to celebrate the second prince reaching Enlightened," Colonel Lalanta explained.

  "It's not really a formal or grand ceremony, but the second prince is one of the potential heirs to the throne, so many factions tend to try to please him. Whenever he accomplishes something, they throw a banquet and invite tons of big people.”

  "Huh? Why would you drag me to an event like that?" Nitaan's face contorted in disgust.

  He disliked crowded places and dealing with large numbers of people. And this banquet was the center of all that. Just imagine acting all proper and stiff when talking with those big people makes Nitaan uncomfortable.

  "To get to know those big shots and build connections. I'll introduce you as an expert in the unit. Since you barely know anyone, this is a great opportunity," Colonel Lalanta replied with a sincere expression.

  Nitaan suddenly felt the strange atmosphere around the Colonel disappear, returning to her usual cheerful demeanor.

  "Isn't that a bit of an overstep?!" Nitaan protested.

  "Besides, what expert? There are plenty of other unit leaders!"

  "Well… high-ranking individuals from the Qianbao and Itsuka Trading Groups are coming. Oh, and the young lady from that Fang Trading Group too," Colonel Lalanta laughed at Nitaan's outburst.

  "No way! You can bring whoever you want! Why me?!" Nitaan continued to protest.

  Nitaan secretly observed Colonel Lalanta's expression and then realized something. He didn't believe Colonel would suddenly drag him to such a big event without a reason.

  "Ahh, I just remembered I have a dinner date with the flower shop owner's daughter that day." Nitaan shook his head and sighed sincerely.

  "Don't lie! There's no way you get to know any woman! Besides, I've already invited a lot of wealthy young ladies from noble families to the banquet!" Colonel Lalanta retorted, but realizing she'd been tricked, she quickly turned away, avoiding eye contact.

  "There! I knew it! You try to play matchmaker again!" Nitaan suddenly caught on, pointing and shouting.

  “I won't fall for it twice!" Nitaan recalled the incident when Colonel Lalanta came to see him in Silalai town when he graduated, claiming she wanted to congratulate him on being selected for the Tinder Unit.

  And it turned out she brought a whole bunch of ladies!

  Colonel Lalanta, caught red-handed, flinched before waving her hands dismissively.

  "No! I'm just taking you to meet people! I told you it's about building connections! Besides, I'm like half-guardian to you. What's so strange about taking you to meet important people?" Colonel Lalanta retorted.

  "I'm not going! Absolutely not!"

  "One month's bonus!"

  "I'm not going!"

  "Two months!"

  "..." Nitaan fell silent, his face showing hesitation.

  "Alright, two months plus a week of vacation. You have to go. This is an order!" Colonel Lalanta declared.

  Nitaan sighed but inwardly clenched his fists in triumph.

  A whole week off! Nitaan was overjoyed.

  "Now I'm going to have to pay for this out of my own pocket." Colonel Lalanta sighed.

  “What a pain in the ass… Those rich girls are all beautiful and wealthy! If you don't like them, just stop talking to them after the banquet. " Colonel Lalanta grumbled.

  "Yes, sir. If it's an order, I guess I can't refuse." Nitaan smiled slightly.

  "Go find some decent clothes to wear. Don't embarrass me at this event. Oh, and Kiita is coming too." Colonel Lalanta turned and patted Kiita's head.

  "Woof!"

  Party! Party!

  "You can bring the receipts for your clothes to me for reimbursement. BUY A DECENT ONE! " Colonel Lalanta flicks Nitaan’s forehead.

  "No your favorite hoodie or cloak, no handbag, and no hiking boots," Colonel scrutinized Nitaan from head to toe. Right now he’s put on his cloak over his City Guard uniform.

  "Yes, ma'am," Nitaan sighed.

  "In three days, after work, go home and change your clothes, then come back and meet me in front of this building."

  Nitaan could only nod wearily.