Raid: The Blacksmith-Chapter 51: Acquainted: Part Three

"Uncle Chadwick." I respond.

"Sir." Melissa follows.

"I went through quite the trouble to find you three. Part of me did however briefly expect you two to take Raid to see Sakura since she only just came back recently from her mission. And of course, where else would she be if not her favorite Training Room?" He says as he approaches us.

"Goodness. Am I really that predictable?" Says Sakura.

"More than you know." Chadwick answers.

"Hey-"

"Now then, Raid. Catch." He throws a small object at me.

I catch it and look at it, the three ladies peeping from behind me.

"A card." I say.

"You’re looking at your new Warrior ID. Behind it is an official permission statement with my signature on the bottom."

It looks a lot like my previous Warrior ID, only a lot fancier and with additional info. The first being the statement ’Permitted to explore all Dungeons up to S-Rank’ with what I assume is Chadwick’s signature on the bottom in the back of the card, the second being my ’Affiliation’ in the front which read ’None’ before and the third being my ’Position’ coming under ’Affiliation’, which wasn’t even present before but now is and reads ’Solo Correctional Officer’.

"Correctional Officer?" I ask.

"Yeah, it’s more of an alias really, a mask for your actual position. The true name of your position is Solo Disciplinary Officer..." Chadwick answers. "Much like Sakura here, you’re a member of the Disciplinary Committee now."

"What!?" All the girls and I say in unison.

The Disciplinary Committee.

"So it is real."

Ten years after the Warriors Association was established, which was five years after the start of the Great Age of Warriors, an anonymous rumor leaked on the internet. It was about a task force, an elite team of highly skilled Warriors that work directly and solely under the Managers of the Warriors Association. It said that each Branch of the Association across the entire world had a special secret team comprised of only S-Rank Warriors and that there were a hundred of them in each team, not to mention the fact that they only took orders from their Manager, meaning that even though all Association Managers are of the same rank, members of a Disciplinary Committee of a certain Branch have the right and privilege to disobey any orders not given to them by their direct Manager.

"The Disciplinary Committee deals with the roughest and toughest of missions where all else fails. Discounting the Eighteen Generals and Six Emperors of course. When a considerable number of Warriors have died in a particular Dungeon, they’re the first to deal with it. However, their true purpose, as the name entails, is to discipline Warriors when it calls for it. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call them the spear of the Warriors Association. With that in mind, their main enemies, are Dark Warriors. Warriors that fight and kill other Warriors just to get stronger."

At least, that’s the idea the rumor from many years ago gave us. Of course, the Warriors Association denied this rumor, calling it simple click-bait, but a lot of people weren’t so easily convinced. Among other things, a large number of Dungeons being cleared around the world without anyone knowing who did it acted as a crutch to people’s skepticism for the many years that followed. Overtime however, that stopped. Every time a Dungeon got cleared, people knew who it was, the only thing that was left worth noting was the fact that some of the Warriors wore masks, but people easily dismissed it as just some Warriors being mysterious and not wanting to show people their faces.

"Though, it was probably them. Most, if not all those ’mysterious’ masked Warriors were probably members of the Disciplinary Committee. Only a select few people around the whole world are sure of their existence it seems. And this old man now wants me to be a part of them? As a solo act at that?"

"Is that even possible?" I ask. "A Solo Officer of the Disciplinary Committee?"

"Oh yeah. With a Manager’s authority, just about anything is." Chadwick answers with a sinister looking smile on his face.

"Seriously. This old man." I can’t help but chuckle internally.

"Heh." And externally as well. "Alright, then I won’t complain...but uh...what do I do with my old ID now that I have this new one?"

"Toss it." He says.

"Why?" I ask.

"It’s about to self-destruct."

"What! O-oh my god." I panic as I take my old ID out and throw it away.

"Hahahahahah!" Chadwick laughs. "Hahah-hah! Y-you should’ve seen your stupid face, heheheheheh."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." He says as he continues laughing.

"Well, he’s officially a part of the fam now." Says Peyton.

"I’m guessing he’s done this to you guys too?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Melissa answers me.

"What a mean old man."

Safe to say, the card has not exploded. That is until Chadwick conjures out a small ball of fire the size of a button and launches it at the card as it immediately turns to ashes.

"... It’s nothing like my Ifrit Skill. His control is second to none. The purity in the Mana around it alone is mind boggling... Incredible. Even from such a small act, it’s clear who the stronger S-Rank is between him and Sakura."

I can’t even begin to figure out what his Class is.

"Now then, lemme explain your position in detail. Because your overall power is still around only that of an A-Rank, we won’t be sending you out on any of the same missions as the other members of this Branch’s Disciplinary Committee. Don’t worry though. That doesn’t mean you’re below them. I, Melissa and ’certain someone’ are still the only ones who’ll be giving you your orders."

"Would you please stop calling me that!?" ’Certain someone’ yells.

"Fine." Says Chadwick in response. "Anyway...last but certainly not least. When you’re not on a mission, you’re free to explore any Dungeon of your choosing. And I mean ’any’. Like all other high ranking employees here, you’ve got clearance to go to any other Branch using the big teleportation device found on the 20th Floor. Every time you visit other Branches, you’ll be supplied with all that you need as long as you show them your ID."

"Okay, got it."

This is me on the outside.

"Holy fuck! This is freaking awesome! This is by far the best thing that’s ever happened to me as a Warrior!"

And this is me on the inside.

But they don’t need to know that.

"Great." Says Peyton. "Now that that’s done. Sir, could you please explain it to Raid why we can’t let him leave?"

"You wanna leave?" Chadwick asks me.

"Well I can’t exactly live here forever."

"True. But we also can’t let you go out there alone. Even Peyton would have a hard time if say nine of the strongest Twelve Guardian Shadows ganged up on her. Any more than that could be overkill." He says.

"Exactly! That is quite literally what I told him." Says Peyton

"Yeah it’s weird, even the number they estimated is the same."

"At least, if you have to leave. Then we might be a little more relaxed if Peyton were to join you."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Peyton, I, Melissa and Sakura, in that exact order, can only respond as such to Chadwick’s statement.

"Follow me everywhere? Guard me twenty-four seven!? You can’t be serious." I say in disagreement.

"C’mon. What’s wrong with that?"

"Forget the fact that you’re even genuinely asking me that question. I mean, for starters I-eh-?..." I’m stopped mid-speech by an old man’s hand placed in front of my face. His other hand is on the back of his ear.

"Hm... Looks like an urgent message. Hold on...this might be the window I’ve been waiting for!"

"Yeah?" Chadwick utters. Not towards us, but towards whoever’s on the other end of the call through the communication device on his ear. "Right now? .......all of them? Urgh, a Manager’s work is never done, I see....... No I mean just me dumbass, you don’t do nearly half the work that I do.... Whatever jerk, we’ll be there in ten. Later kiddo." He says as he removes his hand from his ear.

"Haah." He sighs. "Change of plans. Girls, we need to leave. Austin and the others are done going through the report Sakura gave me on Project X. A meeting’s been called. Melly, I’m gonna need you to contact Gura for me and Raid..." He looks at me, a tad exhausted. "I guess you’re free to go."

"Aw man. And here I thought I’d get to stay just a little bit longer, but hey, what are you gonna do? Duty calls-"

"Yeah quit the bullshit act kid, I see right through you." He says.

"Heheh. Of course you do."

"Here." He throws me something.

"Again?" I catch it. "What is this?" I ask.

It looks like a simple black rubber band.

"Put it on your wrist." He says. "It’s a very special high tech watch. It’s got a user’s manual and everything, just tap it once after putting it on." He adds as he leaves and all the girls follow. "It’ll allow you to call us if anything happens, and you’re in deep-shit. Which I’m willing to bet you will be. Later kid."

"Cool." I reply as I put it on.

"I’ll check it out later on."

"Uhm Melly?"

"Hm? What is it Cherry?"

"I’ll be straight with you. I’ve actually been lost for a while now. At least tell me I’m not the only one please?"

"Right now? Yeah, sorry but...you are in fact the only one. Don’t worry though, I’ll fill you in later."

"Thank you."

"Hm? What are those two going on about?" I wonder as I watch them take off.

"Whatever. All that matters is..."

"I’m finally free!" I shout in excitement after noticing that I’m the only one left in the room.

...

"Hold on..."

"I’m the only one left in the room! How the hell am I supposed leave without those guys opening the doors for me!?"

I run towards the doors and continually bang on them.

"Anyone out there! Hello!!"

I then look to the side of the doors. "Wait a minute...what’s this? A card scanner." There’s a card scanner a small distance below the retinal scanner.

"So retinal scanning isn’t the only way to open doors around here. Seems Uncle Chadwick and the others are just too lazy to take out their cards all the time. Aren’t high level Warriors supposed to be the ones with the highest amount of energy? Seriously."

I place my ID on the card scanner and the doors open as I remove my card out and step out. I take the main elevator back to the first floor and walk through the central corridor then passed the reception hall. I’m met with Hazel once again.

"Mr. Raid. You’re back." She says.

"Yeah. So apparently I work here now."

"What!-"

"Anyway bye!" I say as I leave.

"W-wait b-but hold on! You can’t just say something like that and then up and leave! Can’t you tell me more!?"

"Nope. Later."

"Meanie!" She yells.

"Heh."

I exit the building and enter my car.

I immediately drive off afterwards and head back to the hotel. Upon arrival, I park my car accordingly then head straight to my room. I enter and lock the door behind me.

A deep and long sigh follows afterwards.

~Sigh~

"Haaaahh. Finally, some privacy."