Chapter Three: Protecting the Emperor
Then the day arrived. Sitri, in oddly fine spirits, handed me my traveling gear. With the controller in one hand, Sir Killigan Version Alpha and the Carpet followed me as I dragged myself out the door of the clan house.
We headed towards the Explorers’ Association, where we would meet up with the other hunters. The sun was just rising over the horizon and the imperial capital was still chilly. Walking through those streets, I felt like I was headed down a staircase to hell.
The first face I saw at the Association was Kechachakka Munk. He was a small man and seemed to have a hunched back. Every part of him but his face was obscured by a black robe. At his side was what I guessed to be his weapon: a staff with a skull at the end of it.
I stopped dead in my tracks, unable to process what I was seeing. Hunters were an individualistic lot, but this man was definitely suspicious.
“Hee hee hee hee, is that you, Thousand Tricks?” he said when he saw me. “I don’t know where you learned about me, but...hee hee hee.”
His laugh unsettled me.
No no no. This won’t work. We’re protecting the emperor. Does this guy even realize that?
They told me I could pick who I wanted, but this was really pushing it. How could I explain this? Why was this guy on that list Kaina had given me?
I pointed to this weapon. “Where’d you buy that staff?” I asked, for lack of any better ideas.
“Hee hee hee.”
“Nice outfit. Perfect for an escort mission.”
“Hee hee hee. Hee hee. Hee hee.”
Much to my terror, my attempts at communication had failed. I couldn’t at all see myself becoming friends with this guy. And what a bold outfit to wear to an escort mission. I regretted not meeting this guy beforehand. This guy was no doubt the bitter black pepper of our wall spaghetti. Maybe he was so suspicious that nobody would actually find him suspicious at all?
Whatever the case, I had no choice but to lay in the bed I had made for myself. Just as I heaved a sigh, the door of the Association building burst open.
“The nerve of you to pick me for this job and then make me come all this way! Sir! If you’re going to ask a favor of me, at least pick me up...”
I was grateful for the crystal clear voice that shattered the awkward tension. Kris was a Magus, like Kechachakka, but her outfit couldn’t have been more different than his. The appearances of Noble Spirits differed greatly from those of humans. Her staff was made from twisted wood, her shorts were made for life in the forest, and she had eye-catching silver hair that almost reached the floor.
Not paying any mind to Kechachakka, Kris looked at me and her cheek began to twitch. “What’s the meaning behind that getup?! Sir! This is a serious job, it’s no place for a patterned shirt! If you’re dragging me along, you should at least dress the part. By association, you’re making me look bad. It’s humiliating!”
“Huh? No, you see, this is a powerful Relic...”
Kris groaned with embarrassment. I looked down at my shirt-type Relic with its gaudy pattern and compared it to Kechachakka. Maybe I looked even more out of place than he did? But it wasn’t like there was a dress code or anything. It would be fine.
I took my teammates to the arranged meeting spot. Waiting near the gates of the imperial capital was a large carriage bearing the seal of the empire. It didn’t seem like the emperor had arrived yet.
“It’s built with mithril and adamantium. No sword, firearm, or spell will work on it,” Franz informed me in a stern voice. It seemed he would be in charge of ensuring the emperor’s safety.
Both materials he had mentioned were used in weapons and armor. Mithril was effective against magic and adamantium was impervious to all physical attacks. The trade-off for adamantium’s strength was its extreme weight. Only melee classes could make good use of it, and I certainly never expected someone to use it in a carriage.
A carriage like that wasn’t something normal horses could pull, and when I checked up front I saw four platinum mustangs, just like the ones Eva had tried to send me off with on my vacation. If the carriage was being pulled by these violent, stalwart beasts then no monster was likely to approach us. It was exactly the sort of unbreakable defenses needed to keep the emperor safe.
“But, y’know, we’ll die if a volcano erupts directly beneath us,” I pointed out.
I got no response.
“We’ll also die if we get struck by lightning,” I continued.
“Stop the forewarning!” Franz yelled. “Should the worst happen, His Imperial Majesty is equipped with Safety Rings!”
Just what you’d expect from the ruler of a major empire, perfect defenses.
I nodded, then spoke in a hard-boiled voice. “That’s good to know. Might I ask how many Safety Rings?”
No response.
“But, y’know, he could die if he runs out of oxygen.”
I heard a slight seething sound.
“He could also die if he drowns.”
“Quiet. This isn’t one of your treasure vaults! We’ve already ensured the safety of the path ahead of us. We’ve even thinned out the bandits!”
I didn’t actually go to those sorts of treasure vaults, but anything was possible considering what we were dealing with. I had escaped that phantom’s clutches once before, but I didn’t think I’d get lucky twice in a row.
The Carpet bumped against me. I turned his way and saw him making a shrugging motion. It seemed he shared my exasperation.
Hey, don’t make so many exaggerated movements. You’ll burn through your charge.
“And would you explain that garb to me?!” Franz pointed at me, red in the face. “This isn’t a leisure trip!”
“This is part of my fighting style—”
“You expect me to believe that?! What sort of fighting style could that be?!”
The Relic I had on was Perfect Vacation. As its name suggested, it made any vacation perfect. There were plenty of defensive Relics, but I had never seen one as useful as this incredibly adaptable shirt. It offered virtually no protection, but its wearer could be perfectly comfortable even if they were in the sky, on the ocean, on a mountain, or on the ocean floor.
Besides its flashy colors and the fact that you couldn’t wear anything over it, it was perfectly comfortable. With this and enough Safety Rings, I was just fine. I wondered what sort of harsh era must have spawned an item like this. According to rumors, it was part of a series that also included sandals and sunglasses, but I, unfortunately, didn’t have those. I had wanted to take this Relic with me on my vacation, but at the time it had been drained of its mana.
“Fine,” Franz said begrudgingly. “It’s not like decorum is expected from hunters. You’re simply insurance against a worst-case scenario. I don’t need to remind you that if something happens to His Imperial Majesty, the effects will be felt far beyond even the borders of Zebrudia.”
“Of course I understand,” I told him. “But if I were the emperor, I wouldn’t have picked someone with as many enemies as Krai Andrey to be my escort.”
I had atrocious luck and was the leader of a party that struck fear into plenty of criminal organizations—it was very possible I had more enemies than the emperor himself. And I wasn’t surrounded by guards, so I was a much easier target. However, this job wasn’t all bad. I had the Flying Carpet which I couldn’t wait to play around with some more.
When I thought about it the other way around, I realized that attacking me during this job was equivalent to treason against the empire. This might not mean much to phantoms, but it was enough to deter criminal organizations. Even if they tried, I had the empire’s finest knights and the number two of Hidden Curse at my side.
Taking the knight’s esteemed reputation into account, I crafted a high-level excuse. “Let me just say, I have complete faith in you and your knights,” I said to Franz. “If we tried to help fight, we would just hold you guys back. I don’t plan on getting involved any more than necessary.”
Franz scowled. “Very well,” he said in an arrogant voice. “We’ll keep close to His Imperial Majesty. As well as knights, we have Magi and Clerics among our ranks. You can all stay out of His Imperial Majesty’s sight, and be sure to tell that to your weird comrades.”
That sure was a rude way to put it, but what could I say? There was clearly something up with Kechachakka.
“Okay, leaving it up to you.”
“We’ve prepared horses,” Franz said and pointed towards five tough and wild black horses. “Your group can fan out and protect our outer perimeter. And remember, I told you to stay out of our sight, but that doesn’t mean you can shirk your duties. I take no joy in saying it, but His Imperial Majesty expects a lot from you all.”
The mounts were iron mustangs, an excellent choice for warhorses. No expense was being spared if even the escorting hunters were being given such high-grade steeds. It’s just that they weren’t something that could be ridden without practice and they had a bad habit of not letting weaklings ride them. And I didn’t know how to ride a horse.
Just as I was wondering what to do, the Carpet walked up to me, as though telling me to leave it all to him. What a dependable fellow.
“I don’t need a horse, I have my Carpet,” I told Franz.
“Do as you see fit, just don’t get in our way.” He shrugged and ended the conversation there.
The moment I returned to my group, I became terribly worried over what lay ahead of us.
“Hee hee hee. Hee hee hee...”
“Human weakling! Don’t leave me alone among this lot! Sir!”
“Kill, kill.”
The one proper-looking member of the group smiled and his shoulders shook with mirth. “Hmm. This eclectic selection suggests your moniker isn’t just for show. I’m glad I’ve got the chance to witness the work of the youngest Level 8.”
He was tall, with gray hair slicked back. He had a mellow bearing, but a glint still shone in his eyes. He didn’t carry a staff, but on both wrists, he wore bracelets affixed with deep blue gemstones.
Unlike bodies, mana didn’t deteriorate with time, so Magi tended to only get stronger as their age increased. Even at his age, Telm Apoclys, the Counter Cascade, lived up to his rank as a Level 7. The most famous member of the storied Magi clan Hidden Curse was none other than the Abyssal Inferno, but Telm was still known for his status as the second-in-command.
According to rumors, he had once been a rival to the Abyssal Inferno, and they had fought over the position of clan master. But the man before me looked far too placid for that. If the choice had been mine, I would’ve picked Telm over the old lady. But I guess I would’ve picked the old lady if I was going off to war.
“I’m sorry for calling you on such short notice, but I needed your aid...” I said in an attempt to butter him up.
Telm simply held up a hand. “I don’t mind it all. I’m here per Rose’s orders. No need to offer me your apologies when you’re the leader here.”
“Hee hee hee.”
“Kill? Ki-ll? KILL?”
I didn’t think it mattered who was in charge; this group was like something thrown together to test anyone crazy enough to try.
“Stand up straight! Sir!” Kris yelled. “You’re making a fool of me, your subordinate. Should I take over for you?!”
“You would do that for me?”
Red in the face, Kris began to shout something at me, but I paid her no mind and began telling everyone about the job at hand. Even when I mentioned the iron mustangs, nobody batted an eye. It seemed I was the only one lacking confidence in horsemanship. But that was fine, I had something much better. The Carpet was a wild fellow, but good at heart.
More people had gathered in the vicinity. I had been told we would be going with the bare minimum of personnel, but moving the emperor required more than a carriage or two. Our caravan even included the people in charge of the emperor’s appearance and the nobles accompanying him at the conference.
Eventually, the emperor himself appeared, surrounded by guards. He briefly glanced my way, then silently climbed into the impregnable carriage. His personal guard alone consisted of twelve knights. Not that they would do him any good if there was a volcanic eruption.
Unperturbed by the scary visage of the iron mustang, Kris stroked its neck and easily slid atop its back. “Not a bad steed, for something used by humans,” she said, somewhat cheerfully. “This could compete with our horses back home! Sir!”
“So you can ride a horse?”
“Do you think I’m stupid?! Sir! There’s not a Noble Spirit who can’t. Back home, I would ride about on a beautiful unicorn...”
With a creepy laugh, Kechachakka got atop a horse. Without me needing to use the remote control, Sir Killigan also mounted a horse with ease. The iron mustang didn’t flinch even when a large, armored man (probably) got atop its back. Telm was a Level 7, so any concern from someone like me would’ve just been an insult.
The carriages began to roll out. I took a deep breath and said to the Carpet, “Looks like it’s time for us to get moving.”
The Carpet lay against the ground and I eagerly got on. He blasted off. The sense of weightlessness was incredible. Just like when using Night Hiker, the passing scenery became a blur. If not for Perfect Vacation, I would’ve found it hard to breathe.
Getting ahead of himself, the Carpet did a loop, and, strangely enough, I didn’t fall off. It seemed the Carpet was made to prevent the rider from falling off in most circumstances. I just wished it had more safety features. Was there some rule that aviatorial Relics had to be a threat to their user’s life?
“Ah, human weak—”
In the blink of an eye, I overtook my group, and then the carriages, leaving a trail of shouts and screams in my wake. The sensation of speed was the greatest thing in the world. I’m sure it would’ve been even better if I could control it.
Then, as I hurled along, I hit the gates of the imperial capital, head first. Before our journey had even begun, I had already died once.
“You must be kidding me! Sir!” Kris yelled. “Why do you have to ride on my horse? You brought this on yourself!”
My flyboy stunt had earned me a lot of ire. I suppose that was only natural; the knights had to confirm that I was all right, which delayed us by two hours. Honestly, it was a miracle it didn’t take longer than that. It seemed the emperor was really determined to keep me as part of his entourage.
“Don’t grab me there! Don’t step on my hair! Show some respect. No human should be permitted to touch a Noble Spirit! Keep as much distance as you can!”
After that, I was banned from riding on my Flying Carpet. What a shame. I was so excited to soar through the sky. Darn that troublemaking Carpet.
“D-Don’t fall off! What Level 8 falls off a horse?! What do you even have legs for? Unbelievable. Could you be doing this on purpose? We can’t afford to delay anymore. Here, you have permission to touch me just this once. Hold on tight! Aah!”
After falling off the horse twice, I had expended two more Safety Rings. Still, I continued to ride with Kris. I had already caused enough chaos in our ranks, so I didn’t want to mess things up even more.
An iron mustang could easily carry two slender people like us. I felt pathetic having a girl in command of the steed, but I wasn’t brave enough to ride with a stranger like Telm or Kechachakka. Riding with Autonomous Action Mode Sir Killigan was out of the question. Not far behind, the Flying Carpet cheerfully floated along.
As far as I knew, just about all Noble Spirits had long hair so they could use it as a mana catalyst. Kris’s hair was well-cared for and was cold to the touch. Noble Spirits maintained a lower body temperature than humans did and, even through her robe, I could feel the chill radiating from her. But with the power of Perfect Vacation, I was perfectly comfortable. I was even growing sleepy.
“Once this is over, you better tell Lucia how useful I was! How kind I was! A normal Noble Spirit would’ve killed you by now!”
“I know. You’re a huge help. Far better than the Carpet.”
“You continue to treat me like an idiot!”
I was praising you. Also, I hope you can charge my Safety Rings later.
I held on tight and yawned, which just made her angrier.
***
Upward of one hundred men were gathered near a freeway that cut through the grassy plains west of the imperial capital. They concealed themselves in the shadows of tall trees and their equipment bore camouflage patterns. Anyone casually glancing their way would have no idea there were so many men hidden among the flora.
They were a mercenary company and an infamous one at that. They were willing to do dirty work for the criminal underworld and not much distinguished them from simple bandits. This job was no exception to their norm; there was nothing proper about assaulting carriages bearing the seal of the Zerbrudian Empire.
It was a big job. They didn’t know who was paying them, but whoever it was had been willing to offer a generous sum upfront. It was also a simple job. The targets’ route and timing had already been pieced together; all they had to do was carry out the attack.
Whoever they were attacking were all apparently rather important and would be surrounded by guards, but that was no problem for the mercenaries. They were well-informed and well-prepared. And on this wide-open plain, there would be nowhere for the target to run.
And yet, the leader of the company didn’t look happy. A scowl formed on a face smeared with scent-masking herbs.
“The designated time has already passed,” he said to the man next to him. “Something might’ve happened.”
These men were veterans of their trade. Even under the hot sun, they could wait hours hidden in the foliage, but staying focused wasn’t as easy. Just as concerning, their scout hadn’t yet returned.
They had already been paid for this job. If there had been a change in plans, there was supposed to be a signal. But nobody had seen anything of the sort.
A sudden breeze rustled the grass.
“We’ll wait an hour, no longer. If they don’t show, we’ll pack up and get out.”
Tired of waiting, a nearby mercenary let out a yawn. This sort of foolishness should never happen during a job.
The man noticed he had been seen. “Sorry, boss. I was getting sleepy,” he said awkwardly.
“One more hour. Hold tight.”
“Yessir.”
In the merc boss’s experience, if the target didn’t show up after this much of a delay, they rarely showed up at all. Their employer had seemed like a sharp one, but it was always possible something unanticipated had happened. Maybe the target had had a change of heart. The mercenaries had received word of their route only a few hours prior, but there were any number of reasons why someone’s plans might change.
Then he noticed a distant shadow heading their way. It wasn’t the target, but neither was it their scout. The mercenaries’ hiding spot was just off the highway, so if someone was headed straight for them, it was possibly a messenger sent by their client.
The figure appeared to be a woman. She had suntanned skin and sharp boots. Her light outfit suggested she was a Thief. With a raise of his hand, the merc boss signaled for his men to stand by, while he drew his weapon and stood up.
The woman came to a stop a bit more than ten meters away from them. With wide eyes, she stared at the man.
“Are you a messenger? Show me the sign,” the merc boss demanded.
There were just over a hundred mercenaries hidden in the foliage. If someone had come to attack them, it was hard to think they would send only one person.
However, the woman with the pink hair and eyes simply turned around and shouted, “Siddy! Your sleeping potion wasn’t enough! Did you try to cut costs or something? You were the one telling me to be quick! We gotta hurry, Krai Baby and his bunch will get here soon!”
“Hm?! Hey!”
At the boss’s signal, everyone stood up. It was like a grove of trees had suddenly popped up on the flat plains. Yet the mysterious woman wasn’t affected in the slightest. She gingerly pulled out a mask and placed it on her face. The merc boss took a step back. He knew that the smiling skull mask symbolized a fearsome party of hunters.
For a time, they had antagonized any criminal organizations they could. They were a party of lunatics. Just six of them had taken on dozens of organizations. They could be sure this woman before them was genuine, for nobody was willing to impersonate a party so notorious.
“Grieving Souls?! You can’t be serious. I thought they were laying low,” the merc boss said in a trembling voice.
“Sorry, but I’m doing a time trial,” the woman said casually. “I’m not interested in your names and I don’t know how many other assholes like you I still have to clean up.”
There was a sudden roaring noise behind the mercenaries. Screams erupted from the usually dauntless company. Standing there was a towering knight clad head-to-toe in gray armor. He was several times larger than even the bulky merc boss. Another pink-haired woman poked her head over his right shoulder.
“Lizzy!” she shouted. “We don’t have time to deal with disposing of corpses, so no killing! We need to leave no trace!”
This was madness. The mercenaries were being treated like fools. If the rumors were worth anything, then Grieving Souls had just added a new member, for a grand total of seven. Attacking a mercenary brigade with just seven people was absurd. And yet the merc boss was deeply afraid. These hunters showed no trepidations in the slightest.
A red-haired man climbed up on the knight’s left shoulder. “Liz! The strongest one’s mine, so you can have everyone else!” he shouted.
The woman called Liz ignored him and yelled instead at the other pink-haired individual. “None of these bastards are sleeping! You said you used a sleeping potion, didn’t you?! So what the hell happened?! We don’t have all day! Lucy, frogs!”
They weren’t even acting like they were about to do battle.
“Lucy, frogs, if you would!” said the one on the right shoulder. “I’ll capture them all and raise them free range in a labyrinth!”
“Uhh, Lucia, frogs!” said the one on the left shoulder.
The knight grunted.
None of them sounded remotely nervous.
“Don’t default to frogs!” said a loud voice from above. “I keep telling you, that leaves me exhausted!”
The mercenaries looked up. There, almost like some sort of prank, they saw a kite.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login