The Black Swan

Chapter 20: Purpose and Fulfilment

Throwing on her extra layer of clothing, Yoonie exited her lodging at the Queen's Shield. Most of the members in the Queen's Shield had settled for living in the building of the Headquarters itself - often too worked to the bone to decide returning to their homes. But for Yoonie, she had little choice - for this was her home now; the faction. Her faction mates were her friends, and her social circle now resided primarily in the Capital. Growing nostalgic, her mind wandered off to thinking how the girls are doing - it had been several months since she last saw Karina, Winter, Ningning and Giselle with Sister Jihyo at the graduation ceremony. She sighs finally, hoping for a day where they would be able to share the wealth and privilege she enjoyed. 

Sometimes I wonder if I really deserve this. Especially after all I've done. Yoonie pursed her lips as she made her way to the faction. Then again, it takes hard work and strong will to get to this stage.

With thoughts occupying her head, she soon realises that she had arrived at the front door of the leader's office. She knocked, then enters to greet the leader.

"Ah, there you are," Her leader remarked, already regarding two other faction members right at the other end of her table. They were two guys with ebony black and dove grey heads of blooming hair - swaying to one side as Yoonie entered with a gust of wind in her step. "Hope you've had a good rest, Yoonie."

"Yes I have - thank you High Lady." Yoonie flushed at the leader's concern, though it could have been just a passing comment of little meaning. She takes her place beside the two other members - Jaeyu and Jongho. From the material blades they carried at their side, she knew that they were non-magic users like Eunbi, focusing primarily on using their physical might and strength.

"Right, let's get down to business." Eunbi stretched her hands over her head, cracking her fingers. "This is a request from the Noble Servant," she began by explaining. "There's been suspicious activity reported at The Central Hospital. Much of the hospital's stores of Atilium has been going missing for reasons unknown. They're suspecting that someone is hoarding the medicinal drug and selling it illegally as a recreational drug - y'know, the kind that young delinquents would get addicted to."

"So I am assigning the three of you to this case with a representative of the Noble Servant, <Flare> Lee Gahyeon. She will be playing the role of a sick friend of yours whom you will all be visiting. Make sure to take shifts and note anything suspicious - then sniff the rat out for them." Eunbi laid out the rough details of the plan, making the trio understand the new task undertaken.

"High Lady - don't mind me asking, but - why the three of us? Why Jaeyu and myself with a magic user like Yoonie?" Jongho inquired with a tinge of doubt, his eyebrows furrowing to show how he did not approve of the arrangement. Indirectly, he was also pointing towards why she had chosen the magician, who had recently undergone Imperium Genesis, to help them on the mission.

"Because you're the only three low-profiled members still available for a new job. And the last thing this task requires is drawing too much attention to yourselves." Eunbi glanced up from her papers. She didn't seem offended at the way Jongho posed his crude question, but there was a hint of annoyance in her rolling eyes.

"I believe I didn't need to answer that question, Jongho."

"-Right, my apologies, High Lady." He bowed apologetically to the leader, then stole a glance at the corner of his eye towards Yoonie - the girl could imagine him snorting quietly. She gulps.

I have a bad feeling about this...

———

"That settles the schedules," Gahyeon ended off as they had agreed on the shifts: Jaeyu would take dusk to dawn, Jongho would take dawn to early evening, while Yoonie would standby until the wee hours of the morning. She was still recuperating from a bone realignment surgery, but out of harm's way. The Noble Servant had decided to make use of her stay in the hospital as an excuse for the trio to visit her - potentially serving as an undercover team to weed out the drug smugglers. "Yoonie and Jongho, you two can head off for now - go get some rest or do whatever you wish," Gahyeon pressured them to leave, not hoping to tire them out unnecessarily. Despite her seniority, she was much more accommodating and thoughtful compared to some of the other superiors Yoonie had met from the other factions. Perhaps it's just the way different factions work... The culture must be so different across factions.