Chapter 80: Journey to the Weeping Unknown
"Just give us the mission already."
Shade sighed, his arms crossed, his eyes rolling dramatically. "I don’t want to listen to your banter."
Mr. Blade stared, his mouth falling open. He pointed a trembling finger at Shade. "You... you should stop absorbing everything your mentor taught you. You’re turning into her—" Smack! Scarlett Jenkins’s hand collided with the back of Mr. Blade’s head, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Queen Regina, clearly at her limit, rubbed her temples again. With a weary sigh, she permitted the mission, despite its unreasonable and cruel nature. It was settled: Eirin and Shade were to be forced into cooperation.
"All you have to do is bring me a weeping bindweed from the Slumbering Slopes. It’s a rare flower which only blooms on the 14th to 16th of August, once every hundred years."
Eirin bit her lower lip as they stepped out of the Director’s office. All the mission details still being written up on paper, set to be sent to them later that day.
"Eirin," Pierre called, stepping out from where he’d been waiting. He caught her arm, pulling her close to a whisper, "Why are you risking your life for someone else?" Eirin felt Shade’s eyes, like daggers, on Pierre’s hand. Gently, she pulled her arm free, putting a little distance between herself and Pierre.
As Shade walked away, Eirin quickly explained that it wouldn’t be fair for him to be the only one punished, not when they had both nearly killed each other.
"Hurry it up," Shade said over his shoulder, already walking away. Eirin waved goodbye to Pierre. The young man, in turn, let his fingers lightly brush her arm as he murmured, "Be careful out there."
A faint smile touched Eirin’s lips as she hurried back to the dorms. Every moment counted now. They had to depart immediately, before the precious weeping bindweed withered away. As soon as she entered the room, she rushed to the cabinet and pulled out her backpack. She didn’t even know what to put, so she just put everything she thought she will need.
"Ei, you’re back."