Contractor: The Legendary Contract of Vento

by Sai Prapanch A

  “Surprised?” Steve asked with a grin.

  “Very,” Sora replied.

  “I gave them a call soon after the fight was over. We need to celebrate your victory along with our guild’s amazing performance this year.”

  Emily and Julie were there as well. Emily nudged Julie, who seemed quite flustered, towards Sora, who said, “So you guys came as well? What did you think about the fight?”

  Julie went a little pink, but managed to say, “Oh, it was a good fight and all. I was very impressed–”

  She was cut off when Sara approached Sora and gave him a tight hug, much to Kai’s annoyance.

  Sora said, “Sara– what– come on! This is embarrassing!”

  Sara smiled and said, “I can congratulate you for your fight can’t I? Good job, Sora! You made us all proud. Now where is Jake?”

  Sara strolled off into the crowd. Sora shook his head and turned to Julie and said, “Sorry about that. What were you saying again?”

  But Julie said, “Nothing,” and walked away. Sora stared at her and asked Emily, “What was that all about?” Emily just sighed and said, “Nothing,” and walked away as well.

  Sora enjoyed the party thoroughly in the party hall inside the hotel. The food was delicious and everybody was in a merry mood the whole time. It was a while before Sora realized somebody was missing.

  He turned to Kaine Mart, the elderly B rank contractor, and asked, “Hey Kaine, did you see Conner anywhere?”

  Kaine said, “You mean that sandy haired, skinny little guy always running around with a computer? I saw him this morning. He seemed to be in some kind of a hurry. I didn’t get a chance to see where he went.”

  Sora was intrigued. He wondered if it had anything to do with the encrypted file Conner had discovered two days ago on New Year’s Eve. Sam came over to congratulate Sora. He said, “You’re turning into a fine contractor, Sora. It won’t take you long to become an S rank.”

  Sora grinned. “Thanks, Sam. But I’m still nowhere close to Kai or you. When I was training with him a couple of years ago, he could block my blade with one finger.”

  “I’d like to see him do that against you now. And by the way, all the participants will be invited to a dinner party organized in the royal palace. It’s a formal event, so I suggest you wear something… you know… formal.”

  Sora gaped. “You mean… something like a… tuxedo?”

  “Something like that, yes.”

  “But I don’t have anything like that! And anyway, I’m far more comfortable wearing my weighed clothing.”

  Sora was taken aback as Sam gave him a stern look.

  “Sora, you are the champion of the Holy Dragon tournament. That means you’ll have the honour of meeting the princess personally. It will be disgraceful if you can’t even wear proper attire for the event.”

  “Okay,” Sora said uncertainly. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Sora wanted to take a walk around the city for one last time. He would be leaving for Gildartz City the first thing tomorrow. He witnessed all the great monuments in the city. The most notable one among them was the golden statue of the ten present paladins. The paladins were considered the strongest contractors in the world and their decisions and opinions had a great impact on the actions taken by the Royal government.

  There were quite a few attractions in Aboyr, but Sora had never really found time to go through all of them. He had usually spent all his free time in the market place with Rose.

  Rose...

  Sora realized that this might be the last time he’d ever see her. He had not spoken to her since the day before the semifinals. Suddenly, he wanted to see her at all costs.

  Sora was now a well-known face in the market place. Not only because he was a champion now, but also because of his fight with those gangsters there.

  But no matter where he went, he could not find Rose anywhere. He didn’t have a clue as to where she lived either. Dejected, he sat in his usual spot in the cafe and ordered his favourite chocolate milkshake.

  The cafe owner recognized Sora immediately as he had also been a regular customer there. She brought his order along and with a note on the tray.

  Sora looked at her questioningly. She just winked and said, “It’s from that pretty friend of yours. She wanted me to give it to you if you drop by.”

  The note read:

  Dear Sora,

  I’m sorry I couldn’t speak to you for the last few days. There were a few things I had to do at home. But I didn’t miss any of your fights. You were unbelievable. I knew you were strong, but those battles were something else! You deserve to be the champion.

  I was very happy to see you win. And though our time together as friends was short, I enjoyed it thoroughly. You were the best kind of friend I could hope for.

  But sadly, I think this would be the last time you’d hear from me, Rose. I can’t tell you why.

  I’m sorry. But I’m sure you’ll understand why very soon.

  But please, never forget me. I surely never will forget you.

  Thank you for everything,

  Rose

  Sora re-read the letter countless times. He couldn’t understand why he would never meet Rose again. But he knew there was nothing he could do other than hope that they meet sometime in the future. He pocketed the letter and finished his milkshake.

  As the sun began to set, Sora returned to the hotel. He had found nothing he would like to wear for formal occasions. Sam was not pleased, but suddenly, Zack came forward and said that he had a spare suit that Sora could borrow.

  Sora took a shower and came out to see that Zack’s spare suit was laid out on his bed. Sean was already ready and was waiting for him. Sora knew nothing about formal clothing and just wore it, not knowing whether it looked good on him or not.

  Jake was wearing his best suit and sitting on a couch in the lobby as he asked, “How long can someone take to wear a dress?”

  Katie and Zack looked completely stunning. Zack was ever so handsome and Katie beside him was wearing a gorgeous blue dress. Zack couldn’t take his eyes off her. They looked like the perfect couple.

  Sean called up Sora in his G watch and asked him to hurry. Jake asked him, “What did he say?”

  “He’s wondering whether he’s wearing his suit the right way. I told him it didn’t matter and asked him to come down. He’s on his way right now. Ah, there he is... What the...”

  Sean stood and gaped. Jake turned and his jaw dropped. Zack and Katie’s reactions were pretty much the same.

  Sora walked down the stairs of the hotel gracefully. His hair was combed for the first time in a long while. Many young women present there turned their gaze towards him. His suit made him look older than he actually was and the only word to describe him as he stood in front of them with his hand in his pockets was cool.

  “Well?” he asked. “How terrible is it?”

  Sora obviously had not seen himself in the mirror properly. His dark complexion with his black suit was an almost perfect match. He had a fit body shape as well and his tamed hair was an immediate plus point to his looks.

  “Dude, you look great!” Sean said.

  “I never realized you’d be such a lady killer, Sora,” Jake said.

  Katie sighed and said, “I never thought you’d look so good, Sora.”

  Zack stared at Katie and then said, “You’re okay, I guess.”

  Sora grinned and said, “That’s why Zack is a true friend. He’s always honest with me.”

  A fancy car was parked outside the hotel, waiting to pick them up. It drove them to the palace and they were passing through the great walls for the first time.

  Everybody, including Zack, gasped. The palace was unlike anything they had seen before. Sora had imagined brick walls and towers, but in truth, it was a modern architectural wonder.

  There were a large number of buildings there with beautiful gardens and sculptures between them. The road their car was hovering over was floating on water
as well. Sora could even see fishes swimming in the water.

  The flower gardens were simply beautiful as every petal had a deeper shade of color than normal plants. And the fountains were completely mesmerizing as well.

  The palace buildings were the epitome of the combination of modern and medieval architecture. The glass walls merged perfectly with the marble ceilings and domes of the building. They had never seen such a beautiful place before.

  The car hovered and stopped in front of a long building, where the party was to take place.

  All the participants were arriving slowly. Sora spotted Kenny Malcolm, who marched off in the opposite direction when Sora waved at him. Sora shrugged and followed Jake into the huge hall in front of them.

  Lights kept floating around near the ceiling of the vast hall. There was an orchestra playing mild music and there were hundreds of chairs and tables placed in the room. Sora’s nose guided him straight to the food displayed at the side.

  “Sora, congratulations on your remarkable victory.”

  It was Stella Blight. She looked very pretty in her expensive clothing. Sora swallowed the food and said, “I have to thank you for your information, Ms. Blight. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  She smiled and turned to Jake. “I must say, I had never lost a fight against anyone until I faced you. I was short sighted and my ego led to my loss.”

  Jake bowed and said, “You are a great contractor, Ms. Blight. I don’t think I would have won if you knew my techniques.”

  “Please call me Stella.”

  Jake stared for a moment, but then said, “You praise me more than necessary... Stella.”

  Stella seemed very pleased with herself as she walked away. Sora said, “I think you just got yourself a new admirer.” Jake smiled and said, “You’re one to talk.” Sora failed to notice that he was getting his share of stares from the female contractors.

  Many more contractors came forward to get a chance to meet the two finalists. Zack was commended for his performance as well.

  It was not long before Sora met Vikram. But Vikram acted far more civilized than Sora expected of him. That was what he thought till Vikram attempted to break Sora’s arm while shaking hands. Sora knew that they’d never see eye to eye.

  There was a dark shadow behind him. Sora turned to see Captain Wolfbern Heinz standing in front of him. Sora asked, “Captain Heinz, how can I help you?” Sora noticed Jake scowling.

  The burly captain said, “Mr. Sora, before I take you to meet the princess, there is one matter you should resolve.”

  “What matter?”

  “There is some boy outside the palace asking for you. He says it’s urgent… a matter of great importance.”

  “Did he give a name?”

  “He said his name was Conner.”

  Sora followed Heinz to the entrance. And it really was Conner, who was clutching his laptop while two guards held him tightly.

  “Conner, what’s the problem?”

  Conner struggled to get out of the guard’s grip. Heinz ordered the men to release him.

  Conner was breathing fast as he said, “Sora, you won’t believe this! Do you remember that encrypted file I discovered then? I managed to crack the code and opened it. And the contents were… you have to see this!”

  Sora glanced at the screen. His face went pale with every word he read:

  All troops alert,

  The next location has finally been confirmed. Squadron 13 is to head out to the given co-ordinates on January 2 and take action on January 3. Use discreet methods of transport and communication.

  The recovery packages include class A and B content.

  Remember, you are allowed to dispose off anyone who interferes. But recovery of the package is top priority.

  The Dark Alliance

  The words ‘Dark Alliance’ shook everybody there. Sora stared in revulsion, in disbelief and in anger. He breathed heavily and said, “Conner, can you assure me that this information is legit?”

  “I swear on my life, Sora. If this was a prank, the person who wrote this must have one messed up sense of humour. Also, this message was sent to multiple in-boxes and every one of their routes was scrambled. If someone took this much effort, it has to be the real thing.”

  Sora gritted his teeth. “Okay, I’ll inform Zack, Jake and the others. Captain Heinz, please alert the rest of the guards. We have to stop whatever they’re trying to do.”

  “And why should I?”

  Sora and Conner stared. Heinz didn’t seem troubled by the information he had heard now. Sora growled, “Captain, this is the Dark Alliance. Unless we move fast, hundreds of people will die.”

  But Heinz just shook his head in disgust and walked back towards the party hall, saying, “This is stupid.”

  Sora couldn’t believe his ears. He pulled Conner with him as he followed the captain, who entered the hall. Sora said, “How can you think this is stupid!”

  “Because, the very idea that classified information like this that the whole Royal Army’s cyber protection squad spends every day trying to find suddenly falls into the hand of some school boy is pure lunacy!” he shouted.

  Realizing that everybody was staring at them, the captain shook his head. Conner suddenly stepped in and said, “Let me talk to the head of the cyber protection then. You will believe us if he says this is genuine, right?”

  Heinz glared at him, but took out his radio and said, “Get me the head of the cyber protection squad and ask him to come to the grand hall.” He then walked away.

  Katie, Sean, Zack and Jake ran up to them. Sean asked, “What happened?”

  Conner and Sora brought them up to date. Zack was furious. “How can they just take a chance on this matter? This is unacceptable!”

  Katie asked, “What city do the coordinates point to, Conner?”

  Conner replied, “Salt Lake city.”

  Sora gasped. He turned to face Jake, who was getting whiter by the second. Sean seemed to have realized it as well.

  “We have to move fast. Even if the Royal Government does not believe us, we have to try to stop it on our own. Where are the S ranks?”

  Jake said with a quiver in his voice, “All of them left for some special jobs right before we left the hotel. I don’t think we can reach them now. S ranks will have to maintain radio silence during their missions.”

  Sora bit his lip. There was no way they could handle this alone. They needed backup.

  Just then, Heinz returned with a thin man in his mid-thirties. He had sandy hair and wore glasses as well. He glanced at the people in front of him and stopped in his tracks, saying, “What is the meaning of this?”

  Conner eyed the man as he explained to him how he had gotten hold of the information. The man heard the whole story and then shook his head, saying, “This is a very well thought out plan, kids. But you expect me to believe he is capable of such advanced hacking? Don’t mock us, please.”

  The man started to walk away. Sora was about to say something when Conner shouted, “FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, LISTEN TO ME, DAD!”

  Even Heinz stared this time. Sora spluttered, “Dad? Wait… no… seriously?”

  Mr. Wake looked back at Conner and said, “It’s been years since you’ve called me that. So now you’re finally trying to act like my son?”

  “No, I’m asking you to act like a real father and trust your son.”

  Mr. Wake didn’t reply. Conner went on, “If we don’t do something, people will die. Dad, you have to believe me.” But Heinz said, “Mr. Wake, your decision cannot be influenced by emotions. Now, is what this boy saying possible?”

  Mr. Wake paused for a minute and said, “Theoretically, the method he used is not impossible. The software he said he created has the capability to break down a heavy firewall. But if such a squadron had really been deployed, our satellites would’ve picked it up. I’m sorry, but personally, I don’t think this information is true. Might just be some skilled cracker, who purposely leaked
this system into your hands, Conner. Now, if you’d excuse me.”

  “YOU–” Conner actually charged at his father, but Sora held him back. Captain Heinz said, “You heard him. I can’t act on any information unless I have the backing of the cyber protection squad. Please don’t cause any bigger scene. And Mr. Sora, you’ll have to meet the princess soon. I suggest that you be ready.”

  As Heinz exited, Sora swore loudly. Conner was furious and Jake was shaking in his shoes.

  “What do we do?” Zack asked. Sean said, “By the looks of it, the attack on Salt Lake City will happen tomorrow. We might be able to contact some of the members of the guild and ask them for assistance. Salt Lake City is less than an hour’s flight from Gildartz City. But it’ll take nearly six hours for us, meaning early next morning. Those guys can’t do this alone. We need more firepower.”

  “I think you have enough firepower right here.”

  Sean stared. Vikram was standing behind him and smiling. Sean said, “You mean… the tournament participants?”

  Sora looked around. He realized that everything they had said from the beginning had been overheard. He had to take this chance.

  “Guys,” he shouted. “If you heard everything that was being said, then you’ll understand how important this is. There is no solid proof, but if we don’t do anything, a lot of people might die in Salt Lake City. We know, asking you to fight against the Dark Alliance might be too much. But please, we need your help.”

  “Why should we bother?” It was Kenny Malcolm. “We all heard what that cyber protection guy said. And you accepted it as well. You don’t have enough proof to support what you’re stating. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself by going all the way to some city in the south continent and find out nothing is wrong.”

  There were quite a few murmurs of agreement. Sora wanted to speak up when suddenly Jake said, “Look, you oversized pea brain. It might not matter to you, but that is my hometown! My mother, my childhood friends and memories, all of them exist in that city. And if you don’t want to help, I suggest you shut the hell up and hide under your bed covers!”