Leviathan Hunter

--Shortly after I had spoken with the 'Kritanta' family I returned to my original mission, to retrieve my jade dagger.

Thinking about it closer I had remembered that 'Meina' The mother had told me about Samira's little sister. She was apparently the same age as me and they thought I'd be a good fit for her but I didn't listen closely, everything just went into the ear and throughout the other one.

***

[Third day of the festival]

Solan was patrolling the streets alongside Fehler.

"...Hey Solan, you think you'd be able to win a prize?"

Fehler stood there, wearing the formal attire of the soldat, with the medal displaying his rank of a commander.

Pointing towards one of the vendors standing across the street.

It was a stand with a shady looking man, holding speeches for his shooting game.

About four targets in white and red serving as entertainment for the passers.

"Come try my game! If you hit the Centre you can take any equipment for your liking!"

The shady man shouted out showing off his sword filled barrel beside him. If you'd ask me that would seem like an expensive prize, giving off swords, daggers and hammers to the winner. 

If children were too be interested what could they possible do with the prizes.

Solan approached Fehler side, watching how another couple of people tried themselves in the game. Holding a wooden flintlock of some kind which seemed to be a more safer variant than the original one who shot metal pellets.

-Boom!- 

Firing the wooden gun they didn't hit anything, only a visible smoke coming out from the barrel of the long ranged weapon.

Solan stared surprised and suspiciously. 

"Ah, I'm sorry sir but you didn't hit any targets.. So no prices for you!"

The man who had tried seemed defeated and payed up with 5 silver dols, money worth enough for at least a dinner.

After the couple had walked off to continue their journey Solan and Fehler approached the vendor responsible for the games.

"Solan, win a prize and I'll let you off with an hour break for today what do you say?"

Judging by how Fehler was phrasing it he seemed to know how the game worked.

At first sight, Solan had already realized how it went. When the previous couple had tried firing with the wooden flintlock there were no bullets at all. Just smoke to trick the participants to think a bullet was actually was shot. 

The Vendor took notice of them, recognizing their formal attire he bowed slightly down.

"...I salute the grandmaster of Soldat" 

Fehler only smirked before telling the shady man.

"Raise your head, your greeting is accepted".

The man lifted his head, a sly smile forming in the corners of his lip.

"Would you gentlemen's try a game of 'fire at the target?'

Solan didn't give a single fuck about the man nor his introduction. This game of entertainment was a pure scam and a joke. There were no chance of hitting the targets if there were no bullets served.

"Yes...".

Solan threw 5 Silver dols onto the wooden desk, the man taking them immediatly.

"Alright, Just take the flintlock-".

Before he could finish his sentence Solan pulled up a pair of flintlocks which he had hidden beneath his attire. 

"H-Hey Solan!?" Fehler shouted surprised by the move.

"...I have no time for this joke" 

Solan pulled the trigger on his dual guns.

-Boom! Boom!-

This time a louder noise echoed through the streets, a few pass-byers looking to see what the commotion was about. 

The man looked stunned, turning to see 2 of the targets entirely destroyed by the participant. 

"Scamming a member of the marine is a crime. Using my own pair should be applicable".

The Shady man was sweating a pool, still stunned by the real weapon that had almost hit him. 

"I-I Yes sir, I apologize... P-Please pick your reward".

Fehler looked disappointed yet impressed at Solan. 

'This kid sure loves being direct'

Approaching the barrel of weapons I got a better look. Picking up one of the swords the edge seemed jagged, the metal was rather cheap as a slight sooth covered its blade every now and then. These were no expensive weapons but something that a blacksmith had made in one go and thrown away. 

"...These weapons are useless...".

The shady man looked at Solan, His expression turning even more sweatier then before.

"W-Well, this is just a game of fun... and I paid quite the hefty price for each of them".

"Well they look cheap...".

The man went silent, not sure what to say as he was afraid of the punishment he would have to faze. It was a known fact the marines had grown more corrupt recently, it was never sure what they would do if they didn't like how they were being treated.

"Solan~" 

The voices in his head started tingling again, it wasn't a headache but more like it was trying to say him something.

Solan looked through the weapons, hinting that something was hiding within the barrel. There was a blade standing out then the others. A blade with no handle nor guard, just a pure metal blade.

"...T-This is!" 

"D-do you like it sir?" The shady man spoke, trying to fight off his fear.

 "...Where did you get this blade?" 

This blade, wasn't ordinary... It radiated a similar aura like Solan's ability himself. 

'I've seen it in my memories, this blade was made by one of the previous curse-bearers. But how the hell did it end up in the hand of a mere merchant. The blacksmith's village was supposed to be destroyed, all of his work gone.... Or... Stolen?'

"Ah, It was a gift from one of the blacksmith I picked my weapons from... Its just something they had hanging around".

"They found hanging around? So their the weapons really are cheap after all?"

"W-Well I didn't mean it like that sir!"

"Forget about it. I'll take this blade with me...".

"W-Well thank you for the participating in the game".

Turning their backs to him Fehler and Solan walked off. Fehler looked at the blade before asking in curiosity

"...Your no fun, that man was shaking his boots, try talk more kinder...".

Solan didn't take note, Fehler was just trying to say something to make himself feel part of a non- existent conversation. 

"I can speak kindly, But I have no toleration for anyone who tries scamming with cheap prizes".

Solan looked at the metal blade before thinking to himself. 

"I'll have Trevon check this thing out, He could try melt it and make something better out of it. Right now its in no state in use, its metal is rusty, its edge jagged. This could almost be used as a training weapon, the same thing you use a wooden sword for'

***

After a long day, the sunset showing the incoming evening. The Orange color present in the sky made the view hundred times more beautiful then the usual. 

The visitors across Soldat were settling back to their ship they had arrived with or went to the local inn across the city that had rooms with good enough bedding. But despite night soon making its appearance there was one thing left.

Nightlife.

"Hey! Hand me another ale!"

"Hey! That guy just groped me!"

"Give him more alcohol!"

The nightlife of Soldat was usually calm with locals not going out to drink so often.

But with the many visitors now the nightlife was even more crazy with those from big drinking cultures making sure that everyone they met got real taste of alcohol.

People were either completely wasted, throwing up in the corner street, fighting or courting each other. One thing was sure, that the nightlife was lively.

But somewhere more distant from the loud crowds and chaos erupting within the city Solan himself sat on a lone boulder in the middle of a high hill. To his left was the visible city, the streets luminating through the dark, the modest screams of alcoholics still visible despite the distance. 

On Solan's right and front was the open sea, the calm waves crashing with the shore creating the soothing sound he always appreciated.

"...This should look just right...".

Solan held a leather journal in hand, drawing the high moon Infront of him and the sea beneath. 

'I have never drawn in my life, this was a skill that came out of nowhere'

There were several reasons behind it and Solan knew the theory. It had to do with the past curse bearers, whenever a memory appears in his head, that very moment would feel like it had happened. 

Skills and talents Solan never had would just be apart of him after watching a memory. It was also one of the sole reasons Solan knew his blood was able to be used as a Leviathan slayer, because he had seen it in the past of Galva the blacksmith. 

"...My vessel is incredibly unique, the ability to learn from memories has helped me get where I am now, I was never smart... But receiving the intellect of Wade's I've gotten more confident, it must be because he was once a captain of an anax fleet...".

Solan stared into the sky, closing his book after getting the finishing touch on the drawing.

-Gaze-

The stars sure stood out, despite the dark night looming over Soldat the stars shined brightly. Among them there was a blue lone star, surrounding it was nothing but pitch black. 'The sapphire star, the one that will guide the Anax back home'

'There's a theory that I've made regarding my vessel. If I keep continuing making the past memories mine, I wonder just how it will affect me in the future. Those bastards went through nothing but tragedies and death... If I watch the last 3 remaining curse bearers, what will become of my humanity'

Solan kept staring into the sky before sighing to himself. 

"...Being smart sure has its cons, I'm overthinking it too much...".