Chapter 25: Reforged Blade
The retired swordsman looked at the giant before him with nothing but contempt. It was his fault this happened. He had no wish of being recognized and have all those eyes on him. He just wanted to grant his first and last student a final wish before he retired forever to become an anonymous wood carver. But everything had to go to shit! This damn demi-human had to stand in his way and blow away his cover. The cover he had to ask for from that monstrous magic caster.
At the thought of that man, Brain's hand instinctively went for the blade by his side that was still hidden by his cloak. He still managed to stop himself before grasping the hilt though. 'No, I will not fall to temptation again. My days as a swordman are done… I should just… retire… damn it! Damn this beast for forcing my hand and that caster for giving me this cursed blade!' he thought furious with both entities. He remembered how he had to accept the blade otherwise the bloody caster would not give him the magic cloak either. According to that man, the cloak would enhance his speed and stamina while the blade was given to him due to the curiosity of the caster who wanted to see how well Brain could use it, even after the blue haired man told him he would not use it.
While he was pondering what to do next, the War Troll used that time to recover from his previous blow and jump out of the crater he just created.
"SO YOU HAVE FACE! AH! NEXT TIME I TAKE YOUR HEAD!"
Roared the still enraged demi-human before charging Brain once more.
Not wanting to give in to the troll's provocations, Brain limited himself to staring him down blankly until he was forced to dodge another swing of his club. Brain felt kind of disappointed by now. The technique behind the strikes was laughable, just average in his eyes. The only reason that troll reached this point of the tournament was only due to his natural gifts. 'proving once again how humanity is doomed to be inferior to other life forms more gifted in the natural department' he added in his head as he crouched to again avoid a wild swing from the enraged troll.
"RAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGG!"
Loosing all kinds of control, the demi-human swung a fist at him, taking the human by surprise and forcing him to jump back instead of dodging as usual. Disregarding any personal defenses, the troll pressed his attack continuing to use his weapon alongside his fists and legs to pressure Brain into making a mistake. This would normally leave him defenseless against any retaliation from his opponent, but the troll was aware that the blue haired swordsman would not strike him.
As the troll was consumed by his bloodlust and rage brought on by Brain's humiliating behavior, the swordsman himself felt some tiredness catching up to him after a whole day of battle. The cloak could only do just so much for his depleting stamina.
It was just a matter of time before he was going to get hit or the troll completely depleted himself of energy. The former seemed more likely as the foot of the troll slammed into Brain's side, sending him flying meters away until one of the arena borders stopped him.
He could hear the booing of the crowd, no doubt caused by his poor performance and his unwillingness to fight. 'Utter fools… all of them… they feel safe on their precious stands, as if a possible death battle was a spectacle to behold… they have no idea of what truly means to feel death close up on you…' he thought as the troll closed the distance between them, slow but powerful feet marking the sandy ground. But between the cries of the crowd and the heavy thumps of the demi-human, another sound made its way to Brain's ears.
Words, words spoken by a voice he knew and grew up to like over the time.
"MASTER BRAIN! DON'T GIVE UP! YOU MUST GO ON! PLEASE UNSHEATE YOUR BLADE!"
The voice of the young blonde Re-Estize noble known as Lakyus echoed into his concussed mind. He apparently was thrown just next to the entrance of the waiting area, where a teary Lakyus was standing as she shouted not even a meter away from him.
'Shut your trap, will you?' rhetorically asked the blue haired swordsman. By now the war troll towered over him and with one of his large hands he pulled the downed Brain up, his mace held in his other free hand, ready to end him.
"YOU MUST FIGHT OR YOU WILL DIE!"
The brat still shouted at him as if such a thing still mattered to him. 'Who cares… maybe in death I will find some peace at least' as his final thoughts went through his head his eyes wandered until they locked with a pair of sapphire gems engraved in a black mask.
"Even in death you persist on haunting me… damn magic caster…"
He whispered and against all odds those words reached the troll and made him pause for a moment and then he began to laugh lightly, something the blue haired didn't consider possible due to his opponent size and demeanor.
"So, you felt as well? The stench of death! Is it not magnificent? When I felt it, I could not stand, my skin start crawling, my instinct tell to run! That stench brings out my will to live!"
The demi-human said far more calmly. Brain could now feel the hand restraining him trembling. He said nothing and instead limited himself to taking away is eyes from the magic caster and instead fixing the giant before him. A moment of silence passed between the two as even the cheering of the crowds and Lakyus' yelling faded into the back of his mind.
"I see, the stench takes you away… your fighting spirit, gone… I thought you better… I thought you strong… but you weak… no worthy of a warrior death."
The troll said in what seemed to be disappointment as he dropped the motionless ex-swordsman. The demi-human rose his armored foot, ready to crush Brain's head.
"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
He could still hear Lakyus' desperate screams for him to react.
"DON'T BE A COWARD!"
In her desperation the girl yelled her last resort 'really? Trying to rile me up with insults? How desperate are you?' but despite thinking those words, something changed a lump created in his stomach, and he could not for the life of him understand why. His hand twitched as if his body was trying to take control and save him anyway despite his wishes. And as the foot began to descend, he recognized the familiar feeling for what it was, regret.
In a swift movement he slightly rolled to the side, just enough for the foot to impact the sandy ground instead of his head. Without even knowing why, he rose on his feet once again. He just felt like there was still something he needed to do. Someone he had a last lesson for.
"So, you have dignity to ask for a warrior's death?"
The troll grunted as he took a stance, preparing to unleash all his power once more, and this time there would be no range to dodge. Brain's brown eyes locked with Lakyus' emerald ones. There was no need for words to convey what her whole body was screaming at him.
Fight!
'I really hate you brat… you are ignorant, even obnoxious sometimes… you dream of impossible goals… you grasp things others took years to master… you are infuriatingly stubborn… annoyingly single minded… and yet, yet you are also inspiring, you cannot seem to be ignored by the ones around you, and you always manage to get your way… and in the end, even I…' as his internal monologue went on, his right hand slowly grasped the hilt of his new blade. 'I have nothing less to lose. My will, my pride, my honor. All gone… and it is for that reason, that I will fight, without holding anything back!' the metallic mace descended upon him.
"[STRONG STRIKE]!"
The demi-human roared but this time his blow didn't reach the ground as a flash of darkness dashed before him. The two pieces of metal that were previously forming a mace fell limply on the ground as the troll looked in confusion at his hand which was almost fully split in two, red blood flowing out like a river. Even Brain himself was stunned by the blades power. He just meant to deflect the blow, countering with his own [Vertical Strike]. Instead, he not only cut the weapon in half, but he also split part of the troll's hand, armor and bone, as well.
With a roar, the demi-human sent a sloppy punch with his good hand at a surprised Brain who was sent flying back into the wall while his opponent jumped back to create distance between the two of them.
The punch, being not as powerful as the previous ones, didn't break any bones fortunately for Brain, even if he felt his ribcage ache. He looked down at the blade he now held in his hand, free of its sheath. The blade itself was as black as midnight, with dark purple ripples growing all over it like veins in an arm.
"Why?... why not heal?"
He heard the demi-human mutter in what seemed to be shocked and surprise. Brain wasn't sure how to exactly react. He has seen troll's regeneration before but this was clearly not the case, and, judging by his opponent's reaction, this wasn't supposed to happen.
He looked down at the dark blade, and by squinting his eyes he could see a small drop of dark essence emanating from it. 'You are really terrifying… magic caster…' he thought as he glanced up toward the VIP box.
{Satoru's P.O.V.}
'Umu, it seems like it works just fine even in the hands of a weak wielder' the undead known as Satoru thought in amusement at the scene going on underneath him. At first, he was quite annoyed at Brain's refusal to use his friend's blade, but the wait was certainly worth the result.
'Takemi wanted to throw it away after the shitty devs changed how regen worked… to think a failed, half-baked experiment could do such a thing with the aid of Martial Arts… this is truly intriguing' he thought in contemplation as the battle below seemed to come to a stalemate.
"I-Is that another champion of yours, S-sir Satoru."
Asked the voice of Osk who sat next to him, breaking the silence which descended upon the VIP box since Brain's reveal.
"Ah… I guess you could say so, but not really… he is a very strange fellow. I simply limited myself to providing him with the right tools. I had no idea of what he wanted to do with them."
Satoru spoke, as if giving away magic items to people was the most normal thing in the world, but even in the absurdity of the situation Osk could not help to be worried for what was transpiring down in the arena.
"Why is Go Gin not healing as usual? His regeneration should have already begun to close the wound."
He softly said to no one in particular.
"The blade is filled with negative energy, the very opposite force of life. It is only natural for it to stop any kind of regeneration."
The magic caster explained to a dumbfounded merchant who didn't seem to have heard anything like this in his whole life. 'Or at least that was the case before the devs updated the game after numerous complains. Nowadays negative energy can only block basic regeneration skills… it's truly a shame… Takemi put a lot of effort in it, trying to use it to counter Touch-Me's insectoid regeneration…' Satoru reminisced in his mind.
"D-Did you plan in advance for this?"
Asked a very displeased Osk/ Satoru just shrugged his shoulders.
"It was purely coincidental. I do not posses the skills to use a katana, so, in my curiosity, I left the blade in hands which could make the best out of it."
His explanation wasn't really anything. He may as well say that he didn't want to tell Osk, but quite strangely the merchant seemed to accept his answer.
'Now then, show me what that blade can do'.
{Go Gin's P.O.V.}
The injured troll was still looking at his hand in bafflement when the crowd started urging them to continue, but they did not understand, they did not understand at all, this battle was likely already over.
Go Gin was a war troll and, while aware that his kind wasn't known for their intelligence, he was no fool. He knew exactly what this last clash meant for him.
He fought his whole life by exploiting his natural gifts; his body helped him in overpowering his opponents and his regeneration helped him to outlast both their pain endurance and stamina capacity. These were his two pillars; he was skilled and diligent in his training as well but that was nothing above the norm in his eyes.
He created his fighting style around what he took as assured his whole life. He charged with minimal care for his defenses, and who would blame him? He could just regenerate if his opponent did manage to hurt him at all after he overpowered them with his superior strength. But this time, this time, he could not do so.
For every hit received by that sword he would start bleeding out without the possibility of the healing he took for granted until then. His huge body and superior strength meant nothing if he couldn't hit his target at all and could even be a handicap as he was only a larger target for his opponent to hit.
He was forced into a metaphorical corner, and he could only adapt or die. But even if he tried changing his fighting style completely, what would change? He was fighting a skilled opponent with as much experience as him. The difference was that his opponent actually had to adapt to overcome his weaknesses, while Go Gin only limited himself to make the best of what he already had from birth. 'I am no different from my kin… I am truly a fool… father, I finally understand' in that moment his father's words came back to him. He mocked Go Gin for his desire to go and fight humans, calling him a fool if he thought that the humans could be fought the same way he fought his own kin. The young war troll dismissed his father's words and proved him wrong on many occasions, but now, now that he was in front of a true human warrior, he could not help but call himself a fool too.
His best option would be to try and maintain his distance, to avoid having more unhealable wounds inflicted on him, but that option went out of the window once his weapon was rendered nothing more than a disfigured piece of metal on the ground.
He gulped as a guttural, primordial and horrid feeling crawled out of his stomach enveloping him; in that moment he truly felt like a cornered rat looking up at a towering lion. 'Is this fear? The fear of death?' For all of his bravado, Go Gin didn't actually want to die but at the same time he could not just forfeit. That would make him a coward. That would be the death of his pride. There was truly just one last option for him. Fight to the bitter end!
"RAAAAAAAAUAUUUUAUUUAUUGGGGGGGHHHH"
With his most ear-piercing roar he charged his opponent.
"[FLOW ACCELERATION] [STRONG STRIKE]"
He activated both his best Martial Arts at the same time, mixed together with his natural bloodlust, enhancing his body to its limits.
"[Ability Boost] [Capacity Building] [Cutting Edge]"
He heard his opponent doing the same thing as he did, and that brought happiness to him even in the face of possible death. Finally, finally he was being treated seriously. He could die proudly.
The blue haired human assumed a stance he didn't recognize. His almighty fist flew toward the blue cloaked man, but he simply crouched, making the killing blow pass just centimeters from his head.
"[Severing Blade]"
Those were the last words he heard before falling. His body impacted the ground as a boulder would. He immediately tried to stand to get away but when he tried to point his feet, he could not feel anything. Using his only healthy remaining arm, he tried to rise just enough to look at the damage he received. He gasped as he saw both of his legs lack everything beneath his knees. The severed parts of him lied just a few meters away behind him. With no possibility to heal and the mental fatigue of using all those Martial Arts, his arm gave away, making him fall flat on the ground once again, and from there he knew no more.
{Lakyus' P.O.V.}
She could do nothing but look in awe at how her teacher took down the seemingly unstoppable demi-human. '2 slashes, that's all it took to take him down' she was of course aware of the fact that the blade he used was probably a legendary item to say the least, but still, the bare skill and mental power to use those Martial Arts to such a degree was baffling to the young lady.
The body of the troll was immediately brought away. She wasn't even sure if he was alive after losing so much blood. Her teacher stood there, looking into the void for few seconds before sheathing his blade and marching away, careless of the crowd acclaiming him, the same crowd that booed him a few minutes before.
She wanted to speak to him. She wanted to know why he was here, why he changed his mind, and why he refused to meet her eyes.
But, alas, there was no time for them to even meet as she was escorted alongside her opponent into the arena.
The filthy young woman glanced at her with a blank gaze, her only visible grass green eye peered into her soul intensely. Lakyus gulped nervously as her grip around the hilt of her sword tightened, the golden ribbon gently caressing her sweating hand 'Renner, protect me' she gave a silent prayer to her mistress. Her opponent seemed to do the same with her spear. 'She will charge. I will need to counter that, take her by surprise and get a nice hit. I have no idea what else she has up her sleeve' her lack of information due to her opponent's short matches was a huge handicap right now. 'Information is power' those were the words she heard Satoru say once, when he told her and Renner one of his tales.
"BEGIN!"
The referee announced. The young woman stood there for only a moment before using her speed to charge. Lakyus immediately prepared to roll left to avoid her plunge. Too bad the blond woman known as Leinas did not plunge at all, instead her blade went for a side slash which nearly costed Lakyus her head if it wasn't for her short stature. The woman grimaced before jumping back.
'Did she miss on purpose?' Lakyus wondered, not understanding how the skilled woman could miscalculate such an easy strike. She nonetheless was grateful to still have her head attached to her body.
Without waiting to be attacked again the young noble retaliated in kind with a pair of swings of her own which were deflected by her opponent's spear. Unfortunately for the woman, her spear could not stand when compared to the power of Lakyus' enchanted sword and just after that exchange the steel was beginning to crack.
"Damn rubbish."
Leinas muttered as she used a ponderous kick to send her opponent back.
"[Sanctify]"
The tall woman muttered as the point of her spear began to shine in divine light. Lakyus didn't panic though. She knew that such a spell would not harm her since she was no undead or demon. 'She probably used it to strengthen her weapon's endurance… blessed steel is said to be almost indestructible… we will see…' The Re-Estize noble analyzed as she began to circle around her opponent, hoping for an opening. Her opponent began to do the same. They studied each other like two animals ready to strike at the first sight of weakness.
In a shining flash, Leinas was on her. She moved with clear experience. It was like fighting Gazef or Brain but without them holding back… ok, maybe not that bad but still, she was by far the strongest opponent Lakyus ever faced before. This was a warrior. A warrior that already shed much blood ever before entering the arena.
Lakyus' armor was made of good materials but not enchanted. The lance didn't manage to completely pierce but there was no way it could endure much more.
With a wild swing, Lakyus forced Leinas to back away. Her armor was in no way able to sustain a single strike from Lakyus' sword, and she was aware of it.
"[Flow Acceleration]"
As a way to keep up with her opponent speed, Lakyus was forced to once more rely on her only mastered Martial Art. But this only served to get even on one field. She still remained inferior in both skill and brute strength.
Their exchange continued with Lakyus being able to keep up but sooner or later her Martial Art would take its toil on her mind. It didn't help that her opponent was a master of deception, often faking an opening on her left so she would try to plunge and instead get outmaneuvered. That is how she received a particularly devious punch on her temple which made her spin as the world spun around alongside her. She found herself on all four trying to roll away from her opponent.
As she regained her balance, she found herself face to face with her teacher. Without knowing it, she rolled all the way to the entrance of the waiting area. His brown eyes pierced her with his hard gaze.
"Give up."
That was the only thing he said to her, which, in a way, hurt far more than the actual punch she just received. But something was different. His tone was far colder and not at all like the tone he used when ordering her around during training. Furthermore, he was lightly scratching his right cheek in a seemingly unnatural way. Lakyus' emerald eyes widened at what her teacher was trying to convey.
As if possessed, she spurred around just fast enough to block the spear directed at her back with the blunt side of her sword. She used this lock to direct a kick to her opponent's right knee, who strangely, didn't seem to realize it until it was too late.
As the stalemate was broken in her favor, she continued to press her attack, focusing largely on her opponent right side, it was like fighting a completely different person. Her parries and blocks were clumsy at best and her previously shown precision was nowhere to be seen. But still, Lakyus' was well aware that her time was up and once she lost her speed it would be all over, left side or right side.
With a faint attack, she aimed at her right upper arm just to shift the trajectory and instead cut in half the lance Leinas rose to defend herself. But this didn't seem to be enough as the woman simply discarded the useless half and continued to fight with what could only be referred to as a weird dagger by now.
In a last effort to win, as her time was running out, Lakyus let her opponent plunge her blade in her left shoulder while she used her momentum to strike directly at her face. If Leinas reflects weren't as good as they were, she would have half of her head missing by now. Instead, the only thing that was lost were the bangs of blond hair covering her face's right side, which fell on the ground, leaving her visage fully exposed.
Lakyus felt like gagging at the sight of her marred side. Pus was flowing through what seemed to be rotting flesh that was somehow still attached to a living being. Her eye was no better, swollen and seemingly blind as the white had vanished, replaced by yellow.
The crowd that was cheering till that point silenced before people began to gag in disgust, crying out in indignation and even shouting horrible insults at the poor woman down below. And before Lakyus knew anything else, Leinas was already running away, desperately trying to cover her mangled side with both her hands.
The young noble stood there, unmoving, with her opponent's blade still half stuck in her left shoulder. As she came out of her daze, she immediately removed the blade from her shoulder, uncaring if it still was bleeding and, without even waiting for the announcement of her victory due to her opponent running out of the arena, went after Leinas.
It didn't take much to find the older woman. She was near the washing basins, scrubbing furiously at her face with a towel which was already filling with disgusting yellowish puss. Lakyus could swear that, between the sound of splashing water and vigorous scrubbing, she heard a sob. To say she felt horrible would be an understatement. She not only exploited the weakness brought by that illness during the whole match, even if unknowingly, but she also exposed said illness to the whole arena to see.
"Excuse me."
She tried to begin in a shy tone which was far too soft compared to her usual bold behavior. Leinas froze where she stood. She slowly turned with the towel still covering most of her face, so to hide the disgusting sight beneath. When green met green, the woman's gaze hardened and Lakyus could almost see the hatred emanating from her.
"I wanted to apologize. It wasn't my intention to bring such shame to you, or exploit your illness to defeat you… I am certain I would have lost if it wasn't for it. You are a very skilled warrior… if there is anything I can do for you, please tell me."
She blurted out all that came to her mind in order to apologize and the woman's gaze seemed to lose some of her hostility, replacing it with resignation.
"There is nothing you can do."
She whispered harshly.
"Wait! I am sure that I could use my name to try and have a priest take a look at that!"
Those words were apparently the wrong thing to say as the woman clenched her teeth and slammed a fist on the water basin, shattering it.
"The temple! They even refused to examine me since I could not afford it once my family disowned me due to my disfiguration! My fiancée took my funds as reparation for having to break up the engagement to such an ugly woman! And no one else dared to employ or even come near me in fear of contracting my curse! And you! You think you can just come here and solve everything?! You naïve child who didn't even shed her blood yet! Do you fancy yourself a miracle worker?! Or maybe a saint?!"
The harsh words full of anger butchered Lakyus' spirit like a sharp knife would her skin. She only recently began to understand what a horrible place the world really was. Discrimination, famine, suffering and senseless torture. She had been shielded and hidden from the truth all her life, and when the illusion fell, when the world confronted her, she had no words but empty promises for it. 'how foolish'.
"You are right… I cannot help you. I cannot give you back what you lost, but I know someone that could at least be able to take away that burden you carry."
She said, her tone as serious and solemn as it could be. In a last attempt of defiance, the woman removed her towel, exposing once again her horrid visage, but this time the young noble didn't flinch or avert her gaze. She focused her emerald, green eyes on the rotting flesh, and the various disgusting fluids running down her chin.
"Meet me here and then we will see what we can do about that."
Lakyus said while passing Leinas the address of the inn she and her group were staying at, before leaving the disowned noble alone with her thoughts.
{Renner's P.O.V.}
"Oh my, it seems like the only remaining participants are from the Re-Estize Kingdom, who would have guessed?"
She innocently said to the irritation of most of the nobles and ministers present in the VIP box. No one dared to challenge her unspoken claim though. The emperor simply offered a nod, still refusing to meet her eyes.
"An unforeseen development I must admit, but with such an experienced swordsman and young raw talent, I can't say I am too surprised."
He offered in his usual cordial tone which was not matched by the empty look in his eyes. Satoru remained silent even if most in the room knew that he was the major reason for that outcome in the first place. There was no denying that his equipment played a primary role in the previous matches.
The magic caster had been silent ever since the merchant he brought back with him left to tend to his protégé after exchanging a few words with Satoru.
"Sir Gazef, do you think Lakyus has the slightest of chances?"
Asked a hopeful Arche, a strange girl in Renner's mind. She didn't seem all that interested at first, but the princess could not help but notice how the young caster's eyes always wandered toward Lakyus every time she fought. 'Lakyus is mine anyway' the third princess dismissed any kind of worry from her mind.
"No."
To her surprise the answer came simultaneously from Gazef and Satoru.
"She is tired, and it is still a miracle she can stand with all the strain her young body went through today. Brain is a skilled warrior and didn't use as much of his energy as Lakyus did. He also has an incomparable amount of experience in battling."
The Warrior Captain stated in complete seriousness, leaving no opening for arguments. 'Surely Satoru is responsible for Lakyus power boost, but everything has limits I guess' the princess thought in a little bit of resignation. She would truly have liked it if Lakyus could win this tournament in her name.
"The quality of their blades is also a big factor in this, and, while Lakyus' was enchanted by me, it is by far not one of my greatest works, while Brain's katana was forged by one of my dearest friends with the ultimate goal of being a bane for all living things."
Satoru confirmed Gazef's statement by adding his own opinion. 'This was certainly fine advertisement for you, my Satoru. I would not be surprised if people came from the empire to the kingdom only to buy your magic items' In her mind, she thought that showing his better quality was the only thing Satoru could do at this point. After all, to start a business in the empire would be like going against the emperor's authority. The cons would by far outmatch the pros.
Arche's head sank at the two men's explanations. It seems like she really liked Lakyus for some reason. Satoru didn't waste time and, being the gentle soul she knew, petted the blond caster on the head a few times, eliciting a slight jealousy from the princess.
"Do not worry, she has already done far more than anyone could have expected from her. She will lose to one of the strongest swordsmen of the kingdom. There is no shame in that. As long as she learns something useful, she will always grow stronger."
Satoru said with certainty in his reassuring voice. The young caster rose her gaze once more to look directly at him.
"L-Lord Satoru, I-I was really moved by your s-speech at the Academy. I-I have a request! C-Could you take me in as an apprentice?! I k-know you have had n-none yet! B-But I would be honored to learn from someone l-like you!"
Arche requested to the surprise of many who knew already of her position among Fluder's students. To think she would walk away from that life was unthinkable for many. Renner, of course, was already prepared for such an event and didn't even shift her expression a little. 'Jircniv would have never accepted defeat so easily… oh well, let him play all the games he wants, after all… Satoru is already mine and no one else will have him' her heart pounded loudly against her small ribcage at that thought. She slightly flushed red for a moment before calming down.
"Ah, young Arche, that was… an unexpected request, aren't you part of Sir Fluder's elite students already?"
The masked magic caster seemed taken aback by the request, his acting skill as good as always in Renner's view.
"Y-Yes! I already spoke with L-Lord Fluder about this, and he agrees with me… he has far too m-many duties to give the appropriate time m-my Talent would require to me… t-these were his own w-words, he a-advised me to find a t-teacher with less students a-and you are surely a b-brilliant caster, if not on the same level as L-Lord Fluder himself!"
She said with a nervous tone. Satoru brought his right hand to his mask as if in deep concentration.
"I… I will think about it… I will let you know tomorrow."
He finally said, making Arche's eyes shine in hope. But the moment was ended when the final match was announced.
{Lakyus' P.O.V.}
'So, this is it… going in the finals with a pierced shoulder and a sore body… augh…' she lamented inside. She had just enough time to stop the bleeding and bandage up her injured shoulder before a staff member of the arena came to collect her. Both her and Brain were given different rooms so as to avoid any possible altercations before the match, not like such a thing would happen, but still she was annoyed at the forced separation. She really wanted to speak with her teacher.
As they were escorted through the corridor leading to the arena, her teacher didn't even glance at her, refusing to meet her eyes. They entered the battle area as they did many times before, even if now it was bathed in the dwelling light of the sunset. The crowd was shouting their names again and again with equal vigor.
They took their positions without uttering a word to each other, and soon after the referee announced the beginning of the final match.
Lakyus gripped her sword's hilt with her good arm, the golden ribbon shining in the dwelling light. Her teacher instead made no move to even reach for his blade. He just stood there, defenseless. 'I-is he looking down on me?' she thought, more depressed than angered at the thought.
"Come now child, strike me down, end this farce."
The quiet words barely reached her as her eyes widened.
"Wha-"
She almost shouted, confused by such an absurd request.
"I even broke my vow to renounce fighting for this… if there is anyone who should end me, that is you… use what I taught you to deliver me a good final rest."
He continued, while fury built up in Lakyus' heart. 'Was this your goal… all this time?' she slowly paced toward him.
And as soon as she was in front of him, she swung her hand and slapped him as hard as she could. Due to her height she could barely hit his chin but that was enough for her.
"DON'T MESS WITH ME! WERE YOU PREPARING YOUR EXECUTONER ALL ALONG?! WAS EVERYTHING A LIE?! WELL THEN! YOU ARE RIGHT! YOU ARE WORTHLESS AND DESPICABLE! BUT THAT ISN'T BECAUSE YOU LOST TO SATORU! THAT IS BECAUSE YOU GAVE UP ON EVERYTHING!"
She shouted at him in absolute rage, his wide brown eyes met hers for the first time in the whole day.
"DID YOU FEEL DESTROYED WHEN YOU LOST?! HOW DO YOU THINK I FELT EVERYTIME YOU MANAGED TO DEFEAT ME WITH A SINGLE HIT! EVEN IF I WAS ARMED AND YOU WERE NOT!"
She continued blurting out all her frustration.
"That's different-"
The blue haired man tried to defend his point but Lakyus didn't want to hear anything else from him.
"LIKE HELL IT IS! YOU BASTARD MADE ME FEEL WORTHLESS NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRAINED AND PRACTICED! I SPENT DAYS FROM DAWN TO DUSK TO BETTER MYSELF AND YET IT ALL SEEMED USELESS EVERY TIME I FACED YOU!"
She continued to rant as she struck him with her small fists everywhere she could reach.
"YOU ARE NO TEACHER OF MINE! AND I AM NO PUPPET TO BE MANOUVERED! NOW TAKE UP THAT FUCKING BLADE AND STRIKE ME DOWN IF YOU CAN!"
With those words Lakyus took a few steps back, not enough to get out of range and took a stance, a stance her teacher knew well. She perfectly pointed her feet one behind the other as she crouched.
"You…"
He muttered in surprise and anger.
"That stance… is completely wrong, a mockery of what it should be."
He grinded his teeth as his hand twitched in annoyance.
"Then show me how it's done, if you can do any better."
She challenged back further aggravating the man's ego 'after all it is a stance of his own creation' she regretted having to go so low as to mock him to his face, but she wanted him to react.
And maybe her plan had gone too well since the swordman took her own stance, albeit with some slight corrections to his posture. 'Here goes nothing!' she thought as she tried to use the Martial Art she previously practiced in secret after looking at it multiple times.
"[Instantaneous Flash]"
She cried out as her, admittedly, sloppy version of the true Martial Art was unleashed, followed by the same shout from Brain who unleashed a far more perfect execution of the technique.
The two enchanted blades clashed unleashing a mixture of electric sparks and dark drop of miasma. The power behind her teacher's blade was unreal she felt like her arm was being teared apart and she had no option but loosen her grip. Her blue blade instantly flew away from her grasp as she fell on her back, the mental strain finally hitting her with all its might and the last thing she saw was the orange sky looking back at her and then nothing more.
{The next day}
{Satoru's P.O.V.}
"Is the young miss recovering well?"
Asked Osk the merchant as he sat in his study on the opposite side of the arcane magic caster Satoru. The masked man limited himself to nod.
"Indeed, she is just sore and exhausted. Nothing too extreme."
He said in a calm but hard tone.
"I believed that would be the case. Those potions of yours seem more like miracle workers than anything the temple ever came up with."
The man sighed.
"Go Gin is recovering just fine as well. He is glad that his natural regeneration returned as usual. That potion really saved him from bleeding out to his death. For that I am in your debt."
The merchant continued with a deep bow aimed at Satoru who just shrugged in uneasiness at the amount of respect shown.
"Do not thank me. I felt partially responsible for giving out the blade that caused him so much pain in the first place."
He said trying to shift the matter to a more even field.
"It is only natural for a patron to equip their champion with the best gear they have available, and speaking of which, Go Gin already requested me for some of your magic items to use in the future… it seems like our partnership will be further extended."
Osk rebutted to Satoru's interest 'being an official sponsor of one of the future famous fighters in the arena may just be worth the travel to the empire I guess' he thought in satisfaction.
"I hope our partnership will be lucrative and pleasant in the future."
The magic caster finally said, offering a gloved hand to the shorter man who grasped it and shook it eagerly with a big predatory smile.
"I hope so as well. Speaking of other matters, I have the coins from your credit toward the arena right here."
The human produced a coin purse filled to the brim in gold and platinum coins from his desk. But the caster's attention already diverted toward the walls of the merchant's office. They were filled with what seemed to be enchanted items or rare weapons, one in particular grabbing his attention. An axe with what seemed to be three glowing symbols on the blade, or at least that would be what an untrained eye would see. What Satoru saw was a weapon with runes on it, runes he only thought belonged to Yggdrasil.
"Ah, did my little collection grasp your attention?"
The merchant asked after following the caster's gaze.
"Indeed. May I inquire the origin of that runic weapon?"
The undead asked. Osk shrugged.
"That is one of my best pieces, a masterpiece of Rune craftsmanship from the Dwarven Kingdom."
That managed to pique Satoru's interest.
"Oh, Dwarven Kingdom? I never heard of it."
The magic caster tried to get all he could squeeze from him.
"Oh, I don't really know all that much, just details."
The merchant said with a glint in his eyes and a clear innuendo in his voice. 'Merchants will be merchants I guess, and trading in information is a sign of great expertise in the field' Satoru admitted as he himself was one of those people.
"I may be willing to lift transportation costs for future items in exchange for useful information."
He conceded to the merchant who now sported a cat like grin on his face.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you Sir Satoru."
{Hours later}
The arcane caster just returned to the inn when Brain came up to him and told him Lakyus wanted to see him. 'It seems like those two have reconciled with each other' Without anything urgent to do, he decided to see what the recovering girl wanted.
Once he entered Lakyus and Renner's room, he immediately noticed two people inside. One was, of course, the recovering Lakyus, still in her bed, but the other wasn't Renner. She apparently was called for a meeting with the emperor. No, the other woman had blond hair and a poorly made mask covering her face.
"Ah Satoru! Welcome back! I must ask you for a favor!"
The young noble greeted him with her usual smile which slowly disappeared from her face as she continued.
"Could you see if you can do anything about Lady Leinas'… problem?"
She asked unsure of what to say. He immediately recalled that name. It was hard to forget a skilled warrior but even more a person with half of their face rotting away and still alive was hard to miss.
As if catching his thoughts, the blond woman slowly took off her mask, revealing the disgusting spectacle behind it. He once again had to thank his undead body which made gagging impossible and his Emotional Suppression for preventing him from flinching at the sight. Instead, he took a chair, silently reinforcing it with a spell, and sat in front of the disfigured woman.
"How did you exactly end up like this?"
He asked as he faked examining her face's ruined half.
"I killed a monster, and I was cursed for it."
She said coldly. 'A curse, eh? I have some good ones up my sleeve myself. They are mostly for roleplay though. After all, they all got nerfed over the years' Satoru pondered as he thought for a solution. Curse builds were totally broken in the early years of Yggdrasil. They could easily be spammed and stacked, miserably crippling even level 100 players. After a ton of complaining, they were officially nerfed, and most were unable to stack nowadays.
Satoru used one of his fingers to poke her rotting cheek. Leinas immediately flinched.
"Does it hurt if I touch it?"
He asked curiously.
"N-no, but no one ever touched me there since…"
She didn't have to finish her sentence for Satoru to understand.
"I see. I would like to try something and see how this curse reacts, just to assess how powerful it actually is."
He explained. There should be no reaction to an appraisal spell though. In Yggdrasil, killing certain enemies could curse certain races, but the worst curses were all given by high level monsters if not Raid Bosses. This curse shouldn't have been anything special.
He proceeded to cast a [Status Analysis], a high tier appraisal spell which could only be countered by at least a 5th tier anti-information spell or an item with the same effect. 'Uhm, she even got a level in Cursed Knight. It must be a rare class. It would be a shame to risk it being removed, but still…' the hopeful light in Lakyus' eyes went against his more pragmatic on collector instincts. He sighed inside his own mind. 'Oh well. No point in forcing someone into a path they don't want to follow. Such a shame…' he finally resigned himself.
"I may be able to lift that curse, but you may suffer from a loss of strength. For how strange it may seem to you, curses do not only take from your body, but they give as well. Part of your strength is linked to that curse. Are you ready to severe that bond?"
He asked the surprised knightess.
"Yes, I will do anything to get rid of it. I do not even care for the cost. I will be your servant if you need me to be… just, please… remove it."
She begged, desperation now prevalent in her tone. 'If I wasn't an undead, I would definitely feel bad for her' Satoru mused to himself before raising his hand. [Break Curse] was a 7th tier spell and, while the name might misinform, it wasn't a spell restricted to divine magic casters. Instead, many who specialized into the curse classes, or had some good ones at least, could learn it.
As he cast the spell, the puss and rotting flesh began to melt away until it splattered on the ground with a disgusting sound. He immediately used a silent [Clean] to remove the disgusting mess. In place of it all now was a rosy type of flesh that reminded Satoru of the one on newborns. Leinas' right eye was still closed as she gasped for air. The removal of the curse seemed to have its effects on her, or maybe it was just the loss of a class? Satoru would have really liked to experiment on that.
Almost a minute passed before Leinas moved both her hands up to her face and touched her, now free, flesh. Then as slowly as it was possible, her right eye began to open, revealing a perfect eye identical to her left one. She slowly stood up and stumblingly approached the mirror in the room to look at her reflection.
The undead took advantage of this and cast again his spell.
(Status Analysis)
'A shame, the class seems to be gone… oh well…' Disappointed, he approached the blond knight intent on examining her reflection in all its details.
"I am sorry for the flesh; I am sure it will come back to a more normal color soon."
That was all he managed to say before the knightess fell on her knees grasping tightly his black gown. Copious amounts of tears were running down her cheeks.
"T-thank y-you… T-thank y-you…"
She continued to whisper her thanks to him while her whole body was shaken by a violent fit of sobbing. Feeling quite embarrassed and wanting to shift the troublesome situation on someone else, his gaze fell on the only other occupant of the room.
"Do not thank me. Thank Lakyus instead. The only reason I did this is because I held this young lady in high regard."
That seemed to work as Leinas went to an embarrassed and blushing Lakyus, allowing him to flee the scene.
{Emperor's private study}
{Jircniv's P.O.V.}
He was once again alone with the Devil herself, as a partner in crime with her this time. 'Subordinate would be more accurate' he thought bitterly even as he couldn't deny the future benefits her plan will bring to him and the empire as a whole. 'Consolidating my power and getting rid of those nobles in one swoop' he told himself as even he could not deny the devilish genius behind the plan.
The box full of documents was shut close in front of him as Renner applied a lock to it. She glanced at him forcing the emperor to avert his gaze.
"I hope you are satisfied."
He said in his business-like tone, irritation bubbling behind it.
"Oh, don't be a crybaby Jir, you will profit just as much as me from this, if not more, and you know it well."
He bit his tongue to avoid giving her a snarky remark that would have done nothing more than concede his defeat.
"I just have one question… why spare that one? He surely is a dangerous liability to simply be left around."
He asked, this time curious to know the devil princess' reasoning.
"Ah, your majesty, you should know it by now. A country cannot be led by one person alone. We all need competent subordinates to carry out our tasks... and, we could say, he will receive a slap on the wrist for the troubles he caused."
For some reason that didn't sound assuring at all for the emperor.
"We will be in touch, right Jir? We are such good friends after all…"
She said in a slightly louder worried tone so that the guards outside could hear her. 'What an actor, as expected from a devil' Jircniv limited himself to mental insults for lack of a better way to convey his displeasure.
"O-Of course Renner, I feel like I found a friend in you!"
He continued the farce as they agreed before 'thank the Gods, I will not see her again anytime soon…' he mentally added as a mere consolation.
"Yes, let's be friends forever!"
She gave him one of her fake smiles while saying those words cheerfully. 'The scariest thing is that she might fool almost everyone with that acting… she really seems another person…' he felt the need to facepalm but refrained due to his etiquette. But even the most set-in stone manner went out of the window when she got in his face, those horrible, lifeless, all-devouring, blue pools fixed on his eyes.
"And remember, don't mess with Satoru."
She whispered in his ears, a symphony of death that would have made lesser men wet themselves.
"Gazef!"
She called and immediately the Warrior Captain, without any weapon, of course, entered the room followed by his imperial guard just in case.
"Take the box and guard it no matter what until you can give it to Satoru for safekeeping… it is a matter of kingdom-level importance."
Many would have laughed at the 8, almost 9 years old princess saying something so grim and serious, but apparently Gazef Stronoff wasn't among them as he proceeded to do as instructed with the upmost diligence. 'A real waste, having such a man working for such a worthless country' the emperor lamented once more the loss of such a man.
It was only an hour later, when they were far gone that he allowed himself to relax and call for one of his favorite maids 'Roxy will cheer me up for sure… I need to sleep…' he sighed again.
{Few days later}
{Satoru's P.O.V.}
"So, what will you do now?"
The blond noble asked her ex-teacher.
"No idea. Explore here and there, see the world, fight something or someone along the way."
Answered the blue haired man.
"I am glad you are recovering just fine."
Interjected Gazef who just received a scowl from his rival.
"Don't push it Stronoff. I just had to unsheathe my blade again because this damn brat is so fucking stubbornly relentless!"
Brain mocked even if the affection could be heard behind the harsh words.
"By the way magic caster, are you sure it is fine for me to keep that blade? You aren't going to hunt me down for it later, are you?"
He asked Satoru half joking and half serious.
"My name is Satoru, and no, I will not hunt you down for it later… unless you lose it… in that case your life is forfeit."
He answered in what he thought to be a joking tone, but all his companions seemed to take his words very seriously. 'Uhm, I think this is the right thing. Takemi would have much more liked for his experiment to have a cool story around it instead of rusting in my inventory… I just hope this doesn't backfire somehow' the undead mused, his paranoia kicking in.
"My Lady, I will reach you as soon as my business is done here."
Those words were spoken by the ex-cursed knight Leinas as she gave a bow to Lakyus who blushed intensely.
"D-D-Don't call me t-that! J-just call me Lakyus a-already! And you don't have any obligation towards me, just do as you want!"
The Re-Estize noble protested but the empire's knight seemed to ignore her comment.
"I just need to crush some cockroaches and teach a lesson to some people… then I will come to you to repay my debt."
She elaborated. 'Ah! I am just glad I avoided all this crap! Sorry Lakyus, but you must take responsibility for your actions' the undead magic caster justified as he got on his cart which was far less full than when he arrived.
After the arena spectacles, the whole city went crazy for his magic items and many workers or arena fighters came to him for them. He almost sold everything in just a few days. 'And to think this should have been my vacation after a year of hard work in this new world' he sighed again.
"S-sorry for the w-wait!"
The blond Empire's noble named Arche just arrived with her chest, full of personal items probably. She immediately used a spell to make it float and set in the cart. The additional weight should be no problem for the horse golem.
"T-thank you again for accepting me a-as your student Master! I promise I will do my best!"
She proclaimed while giving him a deep bow before getting on the cart herself. 'Ugh, what did I get myself into? I know I should have refused… but the occasion of observing how a magic caster advanced through their studies in this world… it was really too much to pass on' he reasoned with himself, trying to make sense of his previous choice.
In that moment, he felt someone jump on his lap, and who would it be if not the affection starved princess? He calmly began to pet her head as she flashed him one of her smiles, her affection clear all over her face, like during their alone time among the stars. 'Well… I guess this was still fun…' the undead finally conceded before giving the mental order to the horse golem to move once all were in position.
And so ended his adventure to the empire. The time to return was upon them all, and it seemed like destiny had already planned far ahead for all there is to come next.
Overlord: The Witch and the Sorcerer intermission 2
This was supposed to be after chapter 25 but i somehow skipped it by accident so i'm just going to put it here.
Intermission II: Fiends and Maidens
Celicia Veyron considered herself a lucky girl. For the early years of her life, she had known nothing more than misery, even if she didn't know it at the time. What made her realize that was her coming to the nearest city, E-Patel, a trading city on the west of the Re-Estize Kingdom. For most of her life she considered having food on her table everyday as a blessing. Nowadays, she could see how true blessed people lived. Food and clothes were freely given to her alongside a rigorous education, all so she could achieve something later in life utilizing her blessing in this life, her Talent.
It was thanks to this that she caught the eyes of the underground organization known as Seven Hands, an illegal group that managed the darkest side of the Kingdom, even if Celicia didn't consider Seven Hands to be as nefarious as it sounded on paper. On the contrary, she saw mostly normal people working under it. Fathers with families transporting goods, mothers working in the organization's many canteens and inns only usable by members of the organization and even children her age running around and cleaning or doing normal errands. All of them getting paid a fair wage for their work.
It was really strange to see so many normal people working alongside smugglers, assassins and other kinds of people that would be considered lowlives. But, if there was something she understood, that thing was that, at the end of the day, they were just people. People with different skills and ambitions but people nonetheless. No monsters, or at least none she had met. No monsters like the one who came to take her beloved sister away. On that occasion she was saved by her Talent that caused Seven Hands to intervene. Otherwise, she had no idea of what would have happened. That was the day she learned that weakness was a sin, for only the strong were allowed to do what they wanted in this world. Seven Hands showed her the truth that day. With just a few words they sent the monster running away, and that was because they were feared as a ruthless organization. And yet, they did not lose themselves to their own reputation as she was shown by the treatment she received alongside many others.
She had no doubt that the only thing of worth they saw in her was her Talent but that was only fair. They clearly said they had no time for charity, and the lazy and worthless would be discarded. That was why she worked hard these past months. She will not be discarded, and she will not be weak anymore. For her family's future, she will do her best for them all.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a plate was loudly slammed in front of the seat opposite to her, making her almost jump in surprise as a boy, a pair of years older than her, sat in front of her, his ice-cold blue eyes piercing her as soon as she dared to meet them. So entranced she was by the boy that she almost didn't notice the silver haired and tan skinned beauty that sat next to him a few moments later.
"Now, now Climby boy, don't go around scaring little girls, will you?"
The older girl said as she wrapped her right arm around the boy eliciting a grunt from him.
"Sorry, sorry, your arm is still sensitive…"
The woman continued apologetically.
"Hey there, mind if we seat here? These were the only free seats."
The silver haired woman asked, directly speaking to Celicia this time.
"N-No problem."
She stuttered, intimidated by the boy's gaze, a gaze she recognized from when her teachers got pissed but far worst. 'Is this what a murderous gaze looks like?' she wondered in no small part guided by her fear.
"Oi! I told you to stop that!"
The girl said while slapping the back of the boy's head causing him to shift his gaze toward her.
"Sorry about him. He has been like this since 3 days ago. Name's Edstrom by the way, and this idiot here is Climb."
The girl said as she ruffled the boy's hair.
"Stop that!"
Finally, the boy spoke in a low but hard tone while pushing Edstrom's hand away with a blush on his face.
"Oh, you are still able to speak, that's a relief."
The woman mocked.
"Fuck you…"
Shot back the boy.
"Anytime you want, you just need to ask."
The silver haired beauty continued, causing the boy's blush to intensify and a new one to appear on Celicia's face. She was no innocent girl anymore. Constantly being around older men and women made it hard to not get the details of what truly happened between the sexes when they got intimate. And, while Celicia never did anything, she was pretty certain she had all the information needed to perform the act, and even some more extra details.
"Stop joking around. We are not here for stupid games. We have a mission!"
The boy almost cried out as the woman took on a serious expression herself.
"I know that."
She said in a deadly serious tone. It seemed like she was another person all of a sudden, her eyes sharpened and her jaw clenched.
"You are not the only one with a grudge boy."
Edstrom said with a dangerous tone.
"For Rina and Cris…"
The blond boy mumbled.
"Speaking of which I visited him before departing. He is still relegated to the recovering area. He still panics every time he is in a room with more than 5 people…"
Celicia began to feel like she was not supposed to be there and listen to this, but it wasn't like she could move or anything. Every other table was already full and she was starting to get curious about what the two in front of her were talking about. It was now clear these two were not from around here and they were sent for a specific reason.
"Is something important going on here?"
She asked, once more grabbing the attention of both boy and woman who just shared a glance.
"It would be better for you to not know anything about this."
The boy said giving her again that bone-chilling stare.
"You should be careful to not ask such open questions like that around here girly. Other people may have a bad reaction to your curiosity. Then again, we should be careful about what and where we talk about this stuff."
The woman said making Celicia realize she never introduced herself. She blushed in embarrassment.
"M-My name is Celicia Veyron!"
She stuttered out.
"Eh? A family name? You must be one of the lucky ones."
The woman said as if it was a normal conclusion to her introduction, confusing Celicia. Seeing her perplexed expression, the silver haired beauty elaborated.
"Most of the people working here are former street rats whose only goal in life was to find something to eat every day, and whose only future was to either be imprisoned or find a bitter end when they tried to rob the wrong person… you having a family name means you have grown in some kind of decent environment, probably having a house and a family at least."
Edstrom explained to a dumbfounded Celicia who never thought about such a thing before. Sure, many people just introduced themselves with their first name, but she never thought she would be considered a lucky one in that regard. Fate bestowing a Talent on her seemed much more of a blessing right now.
"Edstrom, it's time. We need to get ready."
Said the boy known as Climb while standing up, an empty plate in his hands.
"Yes, you are right. See you around Celi!"
The older woman saluted before downing her drink and joining the boy.
"I will kill them all."
Those mumbled words from the blond boy were the last thing she heard before they disappeared into the crowd, leaving Celicia alone again.
She was not sure she wanted to know what those two were up to anymore, but one thing was for sure. Those were not the normal people she usually saw working in this area. Something very big seemed to be up.
{Ro-Lente Castle}
{Alysanne's P.O.V.}
The second princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom laid on her bed. It has been almost a month since her father disclosed his intentions for her future, and while she may seem calmer, her heart still cried in agony, rage and despair at her father's betrayal. How could he not see what his actions would represent? It would be like spitting in the nobles' faces to marry her to a commoner, no matter how rich and influential. In the Re-Estize Kingdom, lineage was far more valuable than wealth or power. She always thought her future would be to marry someone like Lord Erik, heir to the noble Marquis Blumrush, one of the founding families of the kingdom, an all-time supporter of the Royal Faction. It would be only normal to marry such a man into the royal line, not counting how dashing and gallant the young knight was.
She sighed dreamily at the thought of that noble, strong knight marrying her and living happily ever after. But, apparently, such a thing was not to be. She would instead marry a fat magic caster who was said to never show his face, a commoner who came to the kingdom not even 2 years before. What could have possibly possessed her father in doing such a choice? She always considered herself as his favorite child, in no small part due to her resemblance to her mother, her father's beloved wife.
But, alas, such a thing was no longer important. She will do her duty, willingly or not. Such was her fate as a second princess who had no say in political matters and without any support due to her lack of a decent claim to the throne.
She looked down at her body. Her perfect body she always cherished for her future husband. It all seemed like wasted time now. All those ice cold baths to make sure her skin would remain as soft as possible, all the various imported products to make her hair silky and her face smooth without any imperfections.
She stood up and immediately her handmaidens began to change her clothes for her, a luxury she always took for granted, but something she would probably no longer have once she married. After all, she had made sure to research all she could on her husband.
He was a powerful magic caster, a man always wearing black robes and a black mask, many thought, to hide his ugliness. She certainly hoped that wasn't the case. He was basically the funder of all the magician guilds in the kingdom by now, and even the adventurer guilds bowed to him due to their huge reliance on him for any equipment. He was also one of the heads of the merchant guild, imposing himself as the regulator of all that was concerning the selling of magical items. All of this combined into a huge economical and even political leeway when it came to the kingdom economy. Even one of the most powerful nobles would be hard pressed in openly defying him. But that was all he had to his name, and the only reason her father was so concerned with acquiring his allegiance.
On the other side, he was but a commoner, inept in the matters of the court, unaware of good etiquette and lacking any lineage to speak of. By the gods, she didn't even manage to acquire his family name! A name she would bear in a few years!
She made sure to pass next to his shop the few times she went outside the castle. She had to admit it was a fine establishment, but he was mad if he thought she would be satisfied with living in such a place. No, she wanted a mansion, a mansion as big as those of the Great Six Nobles at the very least. On this she would not budge, after all he had the money for it. Unfortunately, due to his apparent visit to the Empire, of which she wasn't even aware of, she could not meet the man in person. And maybe that was for the best in hindsight. In the week after her father spoke to her she was in a constant rage and she may have said something she would have come to regret to the man.
The only thing that irked her at the thought of her future husband going to the Empire, was his company. What the hell was he thinking in bringing along her younger sister? That arrogant girl who thought herself better than her elders just because she was just a little better at academic matters? Her father didn't seem to be concerned about it though, not that she could confirm it since she refused to speak to him since he told her of her future. The court, though, didn't concern themselves with hiding their scorn and jabs at her, some even going as far as to say that her husband fancied the company of children more than the company of a grown woman to her face.
She never felt more humiliated in her whole life, but she would never bow her head to those inferior worms, no matter how low she may fall, she will stand proud against all adversities! That was what she promised to herself. She will stand proud, as a princess of the kingdom.
Her husband may even be a brute without etiquette, but that didn't mean she could not change that, even if a little. May it be a willing change, or one imposed by deception. After all, as his wife, she would be the only woman he brought to his bed, she would make sure of it, and that position would give her all the leeway she needed to manipulate him if needed.
She decided to take a stroll through the gardens to clear her mind and get some fresh air. But apparently that was not meant to be as, halfway there, she came across her elder sister, Carine, first princess of Re-Estize, who didn't waste the occasion to sneer at her, in a far from lady-like manner, in Alysanne's opinion.
"I asked myself what happened to you in the last few weeks. I never saw you so down casted before, but now I understand. Father finally announced publicly your betrothal… ahahahah! You had no idea how much I had to refrain from laughing in that moment, but I guess that was just retribution waiting to come…"
Carine closed the distance between them before her smile dropped, leaving only a hard expression on her stone-cold face.
"Am I not right? Mother-killer."
She whispered in Alysanne's ear, making her shudder in no small amount of fear, not that it was the first time anyone called her that, but usually they only spoke such a name behind her back or when she could not hear them. No one was so brazen to call her such a thing to her face.
Barbro, Zanac, Carine and her were all children born from good queen Catherine, the only woman her father ever loved, or so the masses said. She died giving birth to Alysanne, and that was enough to gather most of the court's hate on her. After all, her mother was a talented politician who made sure to never allow the Noble Faction too much space to maneuver and always tried to shield her father from any harm. Even her father was said to have never been the same after her death. Before he was a man with a young passion burning inside him, a fierce warrior and protector of his country. After Catherine's death, he fell apart more and more, showing only barely contained disinterest in all royal matters.
To make matters worse, Alysanne wasn't even needed in the first place. The royal family already had a crown prince, a spare and a princess. There was no need for more to be born and yet, she was born, and her mother died for it. A cursed love child. That was all she was in everyone's eyes. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to see how the court regarded her betrothal as a kind of long-awaited retribution.
"I heard that barbaric foreigners like to chain their women to the wall of their basement and use them only to pop out heirs. I wonder if that barbaric magic caster is the same…"
Her older sister glanced at her with malice. Alysanne didn't dare to look up. It would be no good to give her sister reasons to torment her more, even less now that she was married to Marquis Pespea, one of the Six Great Nobles. As she expected, her unresponsiveness soon bored her sister who just decided to leave her alone and proceed toward wherever she was going before.
The tears started only once she could hear Carine's steps no more.
{The Sorcerer's Shop}
{Hilma's P.O.V.}
"Thank you miss. Your help was immeasurable when it came down to choosing the right equipment for a beginner like me."
Said the man in his thirties to a smiling Hilma. Nowadays, it wasn't strange to see people, young or old, try their luck as adventurers. After all, with the support of Satoru's shops, adventuring was not seen as a death sentence anymore. It, instead, inflamed the passionate youngsters or older men seeking an exciting life, or people who would not stand continuing their parents' lifestyle. This was the case for most of the new faces coming from the countryside where their best option in life was to become a farmer.
Hilma's attentive eye didn't miss the sneaky youngster who went up the stairs without anyone but her noticing. She inwardly sighed. This wasn't the first time such a thing happened.
'But still, he is just too resilient…'. The spy would end up like all the others. A blood stain on the floor she will need to have cleaned up by someone.
The mastermind was good. He used so many middlemen, it was practically impossible to track him down, even more when he had some of those middle men killed to cover up for him.
'It must take a tremendous amount of resources to continue this farce' she thought, but for every lead they followed nothing turned up, but this wasn't important. The fact that the mastermind was so well endowed with resources was just enough to cement his identity in their eyes, confirming once again one of the princess' theories.
'You are smart marquis, but apparently, not smart enough' she lazily gazed at the retreating group of adventurers leaving the shop.
"Rayne, would you be a dear and stay at the counter for a few minutes while I go take care of other things?"
She asked sweetly to the boy currently tidying up the shelves.
"Y-Yes!"
He eagerly answered with a small blush on his face. He started working here a few weeks prior to earn some money. He didn't want his father to have to pay for everything. Magic books didn't come cheap after all, and Satoru didn't seem to have anything against it when she asked him.
She went up the stairs making sure to avoid the blood pool on the top. 'I need to have it cleaned before it starts stinking' she put the thought to the back of her mind for now as she advanced toward her office. As she entered, she was surprised to see Mato standing there. She didn't expect him for another week at least.
"You are early."
She said as she moved for the desk.
"And your guards are as deadly as always."
He retorted, aware that the only reason why he wasn't a blood pool like the young man, was because Hilma instructed the undead not to harm him.
"This is what, the fifth?"
He asked amused.
"Seventh."
She corrected.
"That man does not understand when a lady says no to him."
She added, making the bigger man smirk.
"He doesn't get you like men with bigger bones."
He joked. Hilma didn't lose the hint and choice of words. 'To be so brazen, he must be in good spirits, but that is enough' she sobered her mind.
"Now, what are you here for?"
Seeing her returning to a more serious tone, Mato did the same.
"All the elite squads are in position. We await the order to strike."
He declared, receiving an appreciative hum from his superior.
"How efficient. Now we just need to wait the official order from Him and the assurances of no repercussions from Her."
She mumbled. 'There is no way I'm going to start this madness on my own volition… no matter what that Devil says… Satoru, I truly hope you aren't mistaken on this, or else…' the stress she felt since she received Renner's orders only intensified.
"Ma'am, are you sure that this is the right thing? We are not talking about a count or a priest here, this is-"
Mato stopped as soon as Hilma glanced at him with her hard stare.
"Do not speak those words, not even here. This must remain a secret until the very last moment. We can't risk even the slightest hint getting out or else it could all crumble to dust. We have ensured no repercussion will come down on us if we manage to get this done."
She tried to reassure her subordinate, but the truth was that even she was scared. 'This is the greatest operation Seven Hands, no, even Eight Fingers, ever organized… if we succeed, the entire kingdom's history will be forever altered, for the best or worst is yet to be seen… Satoru, I trust in you, please…' she offered a prayer to her savior and benefactor and his good will.
"If the others hear of this… there will possibly be a rebellion…"
At his words, the temperature in the room dropped. Hilma's eyes hardened and even Mato's stone face went rigid alongside his whole body, clear fear in his eyes, as if an invisible blade was resting on his throat.
"I don't need to remind you of what the cost of betrayal is, do I Mato?"
The blonde beauty said, her words like ice cold drops on his back.
"No, ma'am."
He managed to grunt out under the pressure that now filled the room.
"Well then, now get back to work."
He didn't waste time in trying to leave the room as soon as she dismissed him.
"And Mato."
She stopped him just before he could open the door.
"Send someone to clean up that mess outside."
She ordered, malcontent clear in her tone.
Mato could only nod in response.