Anas took his time soaking in all the information that was given to him, but his lack of surprise in the face of such a topic dawned on him for a moment there, making him realize a reality. He began to treat such topics as a norm, ultimately, getting used to things of that nature as though this is his life now. And while that had left a bitter taste on his mouth, it still eliminated some doubts about himself in the end, as though his self-worth took a step up finally in some direction even with eyes closed. At that thought, Anas seemed to be grateful, though he wasn't sure by any means where to direct that feeling. Just knowing it's there made him feel a little bit better.
Going back and over what Aurora had said, he began to think of some alternatives, "Is it possible then to get a random weapon?" to which Aurora simply shook her head, but when he didn't follow up with another question on the spot she moved to explain to him, "With a low success rate, any parts that are successfully crafted into weapons get a special treatment. From keeping them to emergencies only, needing permission to use them, detailing the cause for using them and who made that call, and on what basis did they conclude the need for it. Due to all of that and many other things, its use becomes extremely limited and conditional, and so it's inconvenient for everyday use, or, say, new members."
He stopped to think for a second and switch his approach, and at that moment, he seemed more calm and collected than ever, at least in Aurora eyes, which worried her and made her think of what he said about his friend, as she was wondering if he held that against her, and whether she could explain her decision to him or not was an entirely different matter, but Anas interrupted her thoughts as he moved back with a question, "I saw a knife with Maj, was that just a normal knife?" Aurora stopped to recollect her thoughts for a second and tried to remember if such a thing exists, "I'm not aware, but seeing that his ability is restricted to missions where his presence cannot be revealed, it's safe to assume, with a lack for an offensive ability, that it's a personal item he managed to secure by some different means to compensate."
Anas threw his back to the chair and relaxed his face. As his thoughts raced, he found in himself another question, "Why were you so determined to get a hold of the file? does the case hold a special meaning?" Aurora was caught off guard in the face of a question like that, as if it didn't seem to occur to her mind that such suspicion would arise from her actions, she shifted her position facing Anas with her body, "What is this? you seem calmer than usual. If I were to be honest, it's not necessarily a nobel act, but the fact that he's going around collecting people who has succumbed to the roots frustrated me, and so I got my feelings involved and in charge of my actions. It's less about doing what justice calls for, even less about doing what my job requires. It's simply a personal issue I have."
Anas sighed unintentionally from hearing that, because in his eyes if there was something to be admirable about this person, it would be her ability to rationalize her emotions to no end, therefore making the very core of her intentions and what follows almost irrefutable in the face of whatever world she's in, "I just realized recently how my actions affect others as well beyond my control. When I was first faced with the reality I am in, I tried to fall back on a false sense of safety that the job I had and my small room provided, and when I hit a dead end, I lashed out at everyone in denial of the whole thing just to run in circles while everything is telling me I'll pass out eventually. You were right, I'm too sensitive for my own good that a gust of wind might manage to cut me all over and shred me to pieces, too drunk in my own misery to look the other way. But no more, I stop here, I got to change, I want to change, so bare with me. I'm sorry for being so immature."
Aurora face switched from one expression to the next in a rapid succession, for a moment she thought that Maj's ability was transferred to her along with his deafness, but as that didn't happen, and could not happen any time soon, she shifted her position and turned her body away from Anas, "Serously, you might want to time your words better next time... I'm glad I was of help, but more importantly, change is all about "show, don't tell." If you want to change, don't craft some speech that romanticize the process of healing. Admit your mistake and move onward to prove otherwise of what you have shown so far. No matter how much you've grown, if you still have the face of a child, no one would have faith in your words."
Anas had an urge to blurt out, "Yeah, yeah..." or something of that sort in the face of her endless muse with old wisdom, but as he didn't want her to talk his ears off afterward, he decided not to say anything.
When Maj came over, he started melting down and hyperventilating over the news. Challenging Hans, an elder and the first to be adopted by the grandfather, was seen as a death wish amongst all the other children, let alone the grandchildren. While Maj crouched down in a corner and started writing his will, Aurora had began to suspect that Hans had an advantage of some sort, besides the sheer number of children in his team, but she couldn't help but wish to see it through to decipher his intent in offering Anas such a deal.
Over the next three weeks, Anas and Maj started following the trails of the jester over several districts, and while Anas started getting used to the nature of his body in some sense, it was still hard to maintain his head and keep it as clear as possible, and have the ability to react on the spot but not too soon that it becomes simply reckless, a balance regarding all things was made as a goal for his transformation.
According to the case file, the third district seemed like a middle point for passing between the fifth and seventh districts both for the jester and his troops, that is to say from the east to the west, while cases of people disappearing in the first and fourth district are lower in comparison both on the south and the north, and places near the border from the second and eighth districts had little under 5 cases of people disappearing, which made it unlikely to have any hope of a slip up by the troops, and since they only pass by those districts on rare occasions, it would suggest that they would almost always on guard.
Over and near the edge of the third district to the south, at a rental apartment on the first district, Maj started fidgeting and spinning his new knife while talking to himself, "Sighhh... when this is over, I'll make sure to marry a beautiful girl and maybe dig a tunnel and live underground. If it wasn't for this guy I would have been living my best life, sneaking around buildings and reporting stuff then calling it a day, that's it, that's all it takes to get paid. Risking my life for bets is not my thing..."