[Seven-Minute Semblance] MASTERMINDSFORHIRE & RAGNAROK

Chapter 8 - I Don't Need a Role to be a Friend

Ruhmfried Siegrin.

20. May.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m.
372A High Street.

+44. Wonderland's security and defence were heightened. We still have no informants inside.

+39. High fuel prices affect residents helping migrants from West Africa.

+33. Bomb scare at an airport. Threat defused. Connections around the area are notified if a crime family was involved.

+63. STARS member called "Rigel" found loitering outside Coronado University. We have planted an insider in the members' workplace: "Capella", works in a bank, and Rebecca Tala, a private tutor.

I stopped chopping apples.

It was a week of either slow or no news days, and most of the ruckus I heard were from 372A High Street itself. I continued my research on STARS, but my researchers couldn't find anything. I started to grow worried.

Were they that good in evading us or were they so insignificant, there's absolutely nothing to research about them?

But why are they included in the Mad Hatter's Plan?

I continued chopping apples, hoping that the menial task of baking an apple pie for Niall would free up some thinking space in my head. Drae taught me how to bake when I was young and I dismissed it as unproductive. I didn't know how therapeutic it was.

+000. Did you refrigerate the dough?

I snapped out of my mindless chopping. "Ah, I forgot."

I picked up the bowl of dough covered with a soft cloth. Alas, when I turned around to face the fridge, I saw William sat at the kitchen island, his face pressed against the cold marble. He held his phone on one hand, a piece of paper on the other.

"No one wants to play with you, William?" I teased, opening the fridge.

"Edward and Nicholas are helping their stupid parents move stupid boxes to their new stupid home," he spluttered, like an angry child. "I asked Futhark if he'd come with me but stupid Futhark said he's helping the Germaines. Stupid Zweihänder has this stupid meeting. Casey has her own case to work on and she wouldn't even tell me the details. I even tried asking Macey to come with me but she said she won't babysit me without payment."

"Why don't you ask Niall?"

"Stupid Niall and his stupid ninja skills. I haven't seen him all morning."

I secured the bowl inside and closed the fridge. "He's busy with A—" I bit my tongue. I almost said Arthur's name. I needed to say another name that started with an A. "With..." I was not good at this. "With Asgard?"

+000. Nice save, Master Ruhmfried.

"Asgard?" William raised a beffudled eyebrow.