125. Another Warning (I)

Zachary opened the envelope quickly, almost in a rush. A mixture of emotions surged up and down, making his heart jump painfully inside his chest. He missed them, of course, even if he didn’t think of them as often as he should have.

His mother’s familiar handwriting appeared in a short letter. He read everything in a single glance. It left him speechless and full of questions.

“Son, it wasn’t your fault. Some powerful and connected people wanted you to disappear. You should know who they are.”

“Even so, don’t give up. I hired an agent from the Order of Saint Gertrude to safeguard your life. They should be the one to deliver this letter to you. Don't lose hope, believe in yourself. Brave the New World and become a great summoner in the future.”

“Love, Mom.”

Tears welled in his eyes. His mother’s face appeared faintly in his mind. It had been a long time since the last time he saw her. He left home for university life in the city of New Calum one year and seven months ago. That was almost two whole years.

He blinked and forced the tears away. He focused on her words, in particular, on the Order of Saint Gertrude. It was a secret order created by the saint rank summoner known as Gertrude the Just. The order was devoted to exterminating evil and upholding justice across the Old World and the New. At least, that was what the public believed.

He remembered what his mother had told him in the past. She used to be a low-ranking member of the Order of Saint Gertrude but retired to get married. She had shown him a special tattoo that all order members had which would prove their identity.

“Jean-Pierre, show me your tattoo,” Zachary said.

Jean-Pierre nodded and raised his short sleeve over his right shoulder. There was a tattoo of a simple sword, made with black ink. But a moment later, the tattoo pulsed with Eternum as it glowed white. At the same time, a white ring bearing intricate vine and leaf patterns appeared and encircled the sword. This was indeed the mark of the Order of Saint Gertrude.

Zachary let out a long sigh, “So… you were hired to protect me?”

“Yes.” Jean-Pierre replied, “The Order knew that you would be among the death-row inmates sent to the New World. We arranged it so I would be among them.”

“You’re not actually a serial killer, are you?”

Jean-Pierre grinned, “No. Well… I don’t kill for fun. I only kill people that deserve it.”

Zachary rolled his eyes. Things were starting to make sense. He wondered why Jean-Pierre was so friendly at the beginning and why he stuck with their small group. This also explained why he chose to fight the Blood Church members alone.

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“How did you...”

“How did I survive? Easy, you remember Cirril…” Jean-Pierre gestured above him and a large shadow flashed from a nearby tree to another, “Prisoners had no belongings and we couldn’t bring soul summons. However, I raised Cirril from an egg. Cirril was my pet long before he was my summon. He simply stayed by my side, hiding in my shadow.”

Zachary frowned, “You had an adept rank summon all that time? Dealing with those Blood Church members should have been as easy as slaughtering chickens. Why didn’t you come to find me afterward? Weren’t you supposed to protect me?”

“That…” Jean-Pierre looked embarrassed, “Another mission took priority. After I took care of the Blood Church people, I discovered that they weren’t here by chance. Just like me, they were here with a purpose. As you know, the biggest enemy of the order is the Blood Church, we're supposed to uphold justice and whatever. So, I was bound by oath to investigate the matter.”

“And this matter… was it the scorpion dragon?”

“Right.” Jean-Pierre leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper, “The Blood Church had explored this area long before the republic. One of the church elders placed their pet scorpion dragon inside the earth quintessence spring to cultivate. Those church members were sent over to keep an eye on things. They didn’t know exactly where the scorpion dragon was or even that it was a scorpion dragon. Their task was simply to kill as many of the prisoners as they could so that they could take control of this jungle.”

Jean-Pierre leaned back and smiled, “Too bad, I took care of most of them before they could gain too much strength. I doubt any of them are still alive.”

Zachary scoffed, “Well… it looks like your missions all went well. I’m still alive and the scorpion dragon was chased away.”

Jean-Pierre laughed and patted Zachary’s shoulder, “That’s why I said you are my good brother. And I mean it this time. You are my good brother and my friend. On the off chance you can’t get a ticket home, I have another way for you to leave this place.”

“Oh? Another way?” Zachary asked.

He was interested, how could he not be? Counting the people he had seen today, there were almost a hundred survivors. Although it was a lot better than the two thousand or so at the beginning of the year, he still didn’t like the odds.

“Yeah, it’s quite simple actually,” Jean-Pierre said, “Join the Order of Saint Gertrude. Your mother used to be a member. I can also provide you with a recommendation letter. I’m sure they will accept you.”

“Wow… so simple,” Zachary replied sarcastically.

He had gotten his hopes up for nothing. The only other thing his mother had told him about the Order was that he shouldn’t join it unless he had no other choice. It was a tough life that she had gladly left behind.

“And how many years would I have to serve the Order?” He asked.

“Not too long, the standard service commitment is twelve years.”

Zachary almost laughed. Twelve years was an eternity. That would mean selling out the prime of his life to be under the control of others, be sent out for risky missions that had nothing to do with him. No way, he had so many other things he wanted to do.

“No way.”

“No way.”

Zachary and Wander answered at the same time. The turtle shouted within his soul while Zachary rejected Jean-Pierre flat out.

Jean-Pierre shrugged, “It’s just a backup plan. We’ll still be friends regardless if you join or not. Come on, let’s go back. Your gang is probably starting to wonder why we’re taking so long.”

“They’re not my gang,” Zachary retorted.

“Fine, fine. Who’s that new gal? The brunette?”

“Nellie Docherty.”

“She’s cute, does she have a boyfriend?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Zachary paused and remembered something, “But… you might have a better chance with Shuhua.”

Jean-Pierre laughed, “Excellent! Double the trouble!”