Read Centris :: Chapter 83: Always Crashing in the Same Car

Furiously, frantic footsteps found their way to the City Guard Barracks for the second time in a single day.

-I said I was sorry, I tried telling you, but you didn't listen,- Saxum spoke apologetically, struggling to keep up with Flos' furious pace. Even with legs as long as his, it proved a perplexing pursuit.

-Shut up! I can't believe I need to tread these filthy, vermin-filled streets again and visit that disgusting, cave-like building once more today.- Flos was exceedingly angry, her face contorted into a hideous mask of revulsion.

-Patience, Flos, we will return to the castle soon enough,- Dratus tried to calm her, his words whispered in contrast to her open disgust for the city and its inhabitants.

-Do not speak of patience to me, Dratus. I cannot withstand the stench of this revolting city, full of lowborn rats, much less deal with an abomination like Callis Nomene or an uppity vermin like that disgusting fake Arcanist.- She was offended by Callis and Novus for different reasons.

-Much less that gigantic monster given the Captainship of the guard. She needs to be taught proper etiquette and manners to converse with such distinguished individuals as myself.- Flos had had enough of Alexa with a single interaction; she was disgusted at herself for feeling even a twinge of pain when she first met her.

-But, Flos, we can't just go around insulting everyone we meet; it makes our work quite harder,- Dratus, older and a bit wiser, yet lower in ranking, pleaded for a modicum of common sense.

-You ask me to consider the feelings of insects? Insects who, instead of happily working for their masters, complain, moan, and scream about their rights and their lives?- Flos snapped back.

She sneered with disgust in her eyes.

-I'm the heiress to one of the most influential families in this Kingdom, and I'm reduced to doing this menial work. We should've called a dozen Ensis and torched the whole barracks. Not that the City Guard actually does something to keep the vermin off the streets, because they're vermin themselves.- She continued talking without compunction, and only the dread that her crimson mantle evoked prevented people from objecting to being called vermin.

People around them looked away, fearful of being noticed by the inquisitors, followed by the massive Royal Ensis Saxum, dressed in golden and white armor, carrying a blade so massive it wouldn't be wielded by three regular men.

Thanks to Flos' frantic pace, they reached the City Guard Barracks swiftly, her expression radiating anger to such a degree that nobody dared approach her.

No member of the guards dared to intercept her; only a couple of the cleverest ones hurried towards the staircase leading to the top floor in search of Alexa.

Flos pressed forward toward the dungeons, her entire body language foretelling doom for anyone who dared to impede her progress. Her leather boots stomped across the wooden beams that formed parts of the route towards the staircase.

Upon reaching the first underground level, which served as storage, Alexa was informed of Flos's sudden arrival and began descending.

-Flos, we might want to wait for the Captain of the Guard. As much influence and power as we have, there are steps we need to take before venturing into the Barracks' dungeon,- Dratus attempted to reason with his superior. She, however, shook his hand off her shoulder and continued her resolute march downstairs.

-Excuse me, miss, you can't go down there without supervision...- One of the guard cadets working in the storage attempted to stop Flos, unaware of her rank or her current state of mind. In response, he received a kick to the chest, sending him tumbling down the stairwell to the level below. Fortunately, he landed in several bags of coarse Quinnum flour that somewhat cushioned his fall.

His scream echoed across the barracks, with many guards on the base level peering down the stairwell to check on him, still too intimidated to confront Flos.

The Highborn Inquisitor finally reached the last floor just as Alexa was crossing the lobby of the Barracks, attempting to reach the staircase. Unlike the rest of the guards, she didn't seem to be intimidated by the Inquisitors, carrying her massive halberd ready for action.

-Spread out and search for the criminal—black hair, female, around 20 years old, with a bandaged right arm,- Flos instructed Saxum and Dratus as she began walking around the dark cells, checking for any signs she was looking for.

Saxum walked heavily through the narrow hallways between the bars of the cells, inspecting the prisoners but finding nothing of note.

Dratus, instead of mindlessly wandering, began drawing Vis inside him as he pulled a large iron chain with a huge Cibus Crystal, a common magical tool chosen by the inquisitors.

The Bald Inquisitor began chanting as Vis slowly gathered inside his arcane focus, moving through his body and granting him a faint luminescent aura. He was too focused to hear the armored boots descending the staircase

Pure Vis delicately materialized in front of Dratus, forming small spheres resembling translucent eyes that shimmered with a captivating pink light.

Visanima represented an exceedingly challenging branch of the Arcane sciences, enabling the extension of bodily functions through the manipulation of Vis.

While many Ensis were proficient in the most rudimentary forms of Visanima—often mandatory for them to know basic body enhancement formulas—few could delve into the more esoteric and intricate Spell Formulas associated with the school, as Dratus had chosen to do.

His selection of a spell showcased his wisdom, a testament to years spent as both an Inquisitor and Arcanist. Dratus utilized Vis to craft simulacra of his own eyes, connecting them wirelessly to his natural vision, allowing him to multiply his sight. While not an ideal spell for dynamic engagement, it proved perfect for surveillance and hunting.

Unfortunately for him, the sensory overload caused him to overly focus on his augmented sight, rendering him oblivious to Alexa looming behind him, poised to strike with the hammer side of her halberd.

-NOBODY GETS TO DO WHAT THEY WANT UNDER MY ROOF WITHOUT ASKING ME!- Alexa's shout thundered so loudly that Dratus's concentration shattered. He managed to regain his wits only to witness the colossal polearm of the Captain of the Guard hurtling toward him, whistling through the air.

-AUTHOR'S NOTE-

Hi everybody, Kuma here. It has been almost three years since I began this journey of self-publication, impulsed by my partner who told me "You should post your novel weekly or you won't do it at all." and she was right.

Yet at this juncture in time I think I should guide myself through the rules of start-ups set up by South Park. I did the start-up and now is the time to cash-in. I could go into a speech about how much your support matters to me (Which it does) and how I want to keep writing but real life is putting obstacles in my life so I need to cash-in.

I'm not going to do that, because that would be lying (Except for the support part, I'm giddy each time I see a comment, I like comments more than likes or subs.) What I mean is that I'm making this change I'm about to explain just to have some money on the side for emergencies, there is no actual emergency or urgent need of it. (Ask me again in 6 months considering how the economy in my country is going though.)

I'm going to start publishing here once every 15 days, but I'll keep a weekly schedule on Ko-Fi, the catch? A small monthly subscription that will mostly go to more Centris content like art and stuff. You will not just have access to weekly chapters but also early chapters, a more direct line with me, and in the future even a Discord if enough people join.

You can still read Centris free on Tapas, but it's going to be slightly slower, that's all. Thank you all for your support and expect a popularity survey of the characters shortly to celebrate the third anniversary and hopefully a new cover.

Love, Kuma.

https://ko-fi.com/kumacentris