Chapter 104 - 88: Do Something for Me
THUD! Little John was sent flying by a kick. After rolling several times on the ground, he immediately propped himself up with one hand and agilely got to his feet.
But a wooden staff was already sweeping toward his face, forcing him to raise his own to block. The force of the blow sent him staggering back several steps.
Next, Little John struggled to regain his balance, dodged a thrust from the staff, and slid to the side, swinging his own staff squarely against his opponent’s ankle.
Unfortunately, the blow only slowed his opponent for a moment. The figure spun around, and a fist came sweeping toward him.
SMACK! Little John was sent flying.
"Ugh, I’m done! I give up," he said, wincing and rubbing his arm as he walked up to his opponent. "Caocao, you’re too strong. I can’t beat you."
"Not playing anymore? Caocao likes playing like this," the three-meter-tall Giant said with a cheerful laugh.
"You did great just lasting that long," Shire said, clapping from his seat on a nearby tree stump.
"It wasn’t that long. To beat Caocao, I’ll have to learn more techniques," Little John said, walking to the side and looking up at the Giant. "Caocao, I brought you a big bag of little gingerbread cookies."
"Gingerbread is yummy, but it’s too small," Caocao said, waving his arms happily.
"Alright, let’s head back so Caocao can have his gingerbread cookies," Shire said with a smile, getting up and dusting off his pants.
The three of them walked toward the Fortress entrance, their figures from behind looking just like the bars of a cell phone signal.
A Fulu followed behind the three, its breath coming in little puffs.
"Boss, I heard the Storm Brotherhood has officially started its selection process," Little John said.
"Yes, it was in Mary’s intelligence report. Apparently, a lot of people have signed up," Shire said, looking up at the sky through the gaps in the leaves.
Caocao, who was walking ahead, glanced back at the two of them. He came over, lifted Shire onto his neck, and then hoisted Little John onto his shoulder.
At last, the trio’s pace was in sync.
"Speaking of which, I have something I need you to take care of. It’s going to take some time," Shire said. He held onto Caocao’s head as he looked down at Little John.
Slung over the Giant’s shoulder, Little John was bent at the waist. He struggled a few times to look up at Shire, but it was too much trouble. He gave up and simply stared at the ground. "Is it a difficult matter?" he asked.
"A little difficult, and it will be dangerous."
"No problem. What do you need me to do?"
"Let’s talk inside the Fortress. It’s too much to explain in a single sentence."
"Alright."
A short while later, Caocao was sitting on the floor, grabbing handfuls of gingerbread cookies from a bag and stuffing them into his mouth, chewing them with a loud CRUNCH, CRUNCH. Watching him, Shire was reminded of someone eating popcorn in a movie theater.
"Here, take this," Shire said, handing a silver pendant necklace to Little John.
Little John took the necklace and examined it closely. It was pure silver and finely crafted; one look was enough to tell it wasn’t cheap.
"It’s a token. Don’t lose it, no matter what. You need to set off tomorrow. Take a boat down the Darren River until you reach Torch City." After speaking, Shire took out a piece of paper. "On here are two addresses and two names. You need to find these two people."
Little John took the paper and read it by the blue fluorescent light. "Musa... Auberto?"
"That’s right. Musa is an elderly Islander, almost six feet tall, with brown hair and eyes. He has a scar, about half a finger long, on the corner of his left eyebrow." Shire glanced at the Giant in the corner, who was still munching on gingerbread cookies. "He might be hard to find; perhaps he’s in hiding. You can stay in Torch City for a few extra days. If you really can’t find him, then just let it go. But if you do meet him, show him this necklace, and then bring him to see me."
Little John nodded, then asked, "And this Auberto?"
"For him, you’ll need to stake out the area around this address. See if anyone else seems to be doing the same thing you are. If so, don’t act rashly and don’t approach the location. Once you’re sure it’s safe, find a way to tail him. Confirm his daily routine, and then just come back and report to me."
"I don’t need to bring him to see you, Boss?"
"No. This Auberto is about your age, maybe a little older, and his skills are better than yours. Do your best not to get into a conflict with him," Shire said seriously.
"Okay, I’ll remember that," Little John said with a nod, tucking the paper and necklace securely against his body.
"Get 20 Gold Coins directly from Mary for your travel expenses," Shire said, turning to look Little John straight in the eye. "And remember, don’t tell anyone you know me."
"Understood," Little John replied with a nod.
"Well then, that’s everything. Good luck, my friend," Shire said with a smile, extending his hand to Little John.
Little John was taken aback for a moment, then he solemnly extended his own hand and gripped Shire’s tightly. ’This mission must be incredibly important to him.’
After a moment, Shire watched Little John step into the Teleportation Gate and stand ready. He personally walked over and activated the controller, while simultaneously giving a command in his mind: ’Grant the Eye of Confusion to Little John Franklin.’
Then he called up Little John’s status panel.
[Name: Little John Franklin]
[Race: Human]
[Danger Level: 5, Moderately Strong]
[Personality: Cautious]
[Title: The Future Hero]
[Ability: Eye of Confusion (Unawakened)]
As Little John vanished into the Teleportation Gate, the panel faded away. Shire stared at the gate on the floor for a long time.
He knew that Little John was facing a difficult choice, so he had assigned him this mission to get him away from it all for a while.
"I won’t let my subordinates get caught in a dilemma," he said calmly.
Then, Shire smiled again, walked out of the Door Room, and went back to the stone room from before. "Caocao, are there any gingerbread cookies left?"