System's POV
chapter-163

Four days after Thirteen arrived in the Sumatran Kingdom…

"What?! Zion has been captured?" Rianna's face turned pale after hearing Cristopher's report.

She was waiting patiently for Thirteen because she believed that her Hunting Party was now ready to collaborate with him to challenge the monsters in the Warsor Plains.

But after hearing the chubby boy's story, she felt that it was too soon for her Hunting Party to set forth in that direction.

"Yes, the Young Master has been captured," Cristopher replied helplessly. "But I believe that he will be fine. Vassago had sent me a message from him, and he said that he would return as soon as he could."

"Then what do we do now?" Rianna asked.

It was only after learning that the seven-year-old boy was gone did Rianna suddenly realized how much she had relied on Zion.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that someone younger than her had held her hand and pulled her up, guiding her to stand on her own.

Thanks to Zion's help, she managed to buy the slaves in the Slave Market, allowing her to form her own Hunting Party, who could now support themselves through the selling of Monster Parts from their expeditions.

Even so, Rianna had already considered Thirteen as the leader of their group, so his absence made her feel at a loss for what to do.

Seeing her reaction, Cristopher suddenly remembered something that Vassago had said before he left.

"The Young Master also left a message for you," Cristopher stated. "He said that you should just focus on hunting in the Houdini Desert for now because the Warsor Plains is teeming up with strife.

"Also, he asked you to tell Harry that he is currently doing an undercover mission in the Sumatran Kingdom to better understand the situation about the war."

"Anything else?" Rianna asked, hoping that there was more.

"Well, that's all Vassago told me a few days ago," Cristopher sighed. "But the Pocopoco told me that he would go find Thirteen and ensure that he is safe first. After that, he would find a way to pass messages between us and him."

The two were currently talking inside Thirteen's room, where they always go to whenever they talk about important things.

This was the command room of their operations, and no one was allowed to go near it, with the exception of Giga Chad, who had treated Thirteen's room as his own.

No one really wanted to defy the Chad Skunk. If he got angry, the aggressor would regret it for days on end.

While the two teenagers were thinking of what to do next, something entered through the window and landed on the table.

Cristopher almost jumped up in joy after seeing the familiar dumb-looking bird had arrived as he promised.

"Vassago!" Cristopher hurriedly went to the table to talk to the Pocopoco. "Did you find the Young Master? Is he safe?!"

The Pocopoco glanced at the chubby boy and the young lady, whom his Master had said to be his subordinate.

However, Thirteen cautioned Vassago to not reveal his intelligence to Rianna. Although they were close, and the boy trusted her to a certain extent, he still didn't fully trust her yet.

She wasn't like Cristopher who had sworn loyalty to him, so some of his secrets had to remain a secret to her.

"Water!" Vassago shouted at the chubby boy. "And nuts!"

"Y-Yes! Right away, Sir!" Cristopher hurriedly took two bowls and filled one of them with water.

He then went to the jar filled with nuts, which Thirteen had kept to feed the Pocopoco.

Vassago ate and drank his fill first. His journey back from the Sumatran Kingdom hadn't been easy.

Although he could have returned to Gronar City in a day of travel, Thirteen had asked him to check a few places to confirm his suspicions.

The seven-year-old had asked Vassago to look for the location of the Purple-Furred Honey Badger, as well as the current situation of the Diabolical Hyena.

These two Rank 6 Overlords were the two powerhouses of the Warsor Plains, and knowing their current conditions was very important for the sake of his Hunting Group.

The younger boy decided that Cristopher couldn't remain idle and must do his best to become stronger, as well as train the slaves at the same time.

Because of this, Thirteen needed them to continue hunting.

But this time, they would only hunt near the territory of Gronar City so that they wouldn't clash with the two Overlords, who were still recovering from their recent battle.

After eating and drinking, Vassago glanced at the two teenagers before passing Thirteen's message to them.

"I am safe and sound," Thirteen said. "I am currently in a city called Karabor City in the Sumatran Kingdom. Although I was captured, I didn't lose my freedom, and I am eating better than all of you back in the warehouse.

"I even get to eat steak here, and I have to admit that it tasted better than what I had back home. So, do not feel anxious or fear for my safety for I am in good health."

After hearing Vassago's report, Cristopher and Rianna both sighed in relief because some of their worries had disappeared.

"Now, let's go to other topics," Vassago continued his report, still using Thirteen's voice in order to make the two teenagers feel as if the seven-year-old was the one talking in front of them. "Cristopher, like I said before, you will become the temporary leader of the Hunting Party while I am away.

"Your mission is to hunt as many monsters as possible to accumulate resources for our team. Also, make sure that Taiga and his party will always be fighting on the frontlines. They are free to do whatever they want, but they have to always be together when they are fighting.

"Whenever you return from your hunt, continue to make arrows and spears. Our supplies of paralyzing arrows are now gone, so you should either capture a Beast that produces a similar venom or buy one from the Slave Market.

"I left half of my money in a small pouch under my bed, so use those funds if necessary. But, remember, spend it wisely. You are still not like Rianna, who has now become self-sufficient."

A faint smile appeared on Rianna's lips after hearing the seven-

year-old's praise.

She still didn't understand why she felt so happy being complimented by the boy who was at least six years younger than her.

"I know that you are not the leader type, Cristopher, and I apologize for forcing you into this role," Vassago said softly, imitating the softness in Thirteen's voice when he said this part of his message. "But from the day you have sworn loyalty to me, I have already considered you as my right-hand man.

"Even if I were to gain more followers, and subordinates in the future, you will still be my right-hand man, so I need you to be strong even when I am not by your side. You may not be smart or strong, but you have something that others don't, and that is… perseverance.

"So, Cristopher, what I want you to do is persevere. There will be times when the two of us will not always be together, and I can't always be there for you when you need me the most.

"But you are my right-hand man, and that means that you have to become strong—strong enough to stand on your own, so once we meet each other again, you will have become a brand new and better you.

"You don't have to act like me, Cristopher. Just be yourself. But if the slaves don't listen to you, tell them this, 'I shall return, and when I do, those who didn't follow your orders will regret it till their last breath'. So, don't be afraid to order them around. Even if the world becomes your enemy, I will remain by your side. So, show them what you got!"

Cristopher couldn't help but cover his eyes with his hand as tears fell down his face. He tried so hard to hold it back, but in the end, the dam broke and his tears fell like rain.

Rianna, who saw him crying, rubbed his back to make him feel a little better.

She was moved and even felt a little envious of Cristopher because she could tell that Thirteen really thought of him as someone important, which was very different from how the seven-year-old treated her.

The young lady wished that Zion would rely on her more as well.

This made her more determined to work harder as the Leader of her Hunting Party, proving to the younger boy that she could also become his strength, and not drag him down in the battles ahead.

(A/N: Check the Author's Notes to know the mission for this week's !)