Chapter 195
"Gege, to think His Majesty the Emperor personally issued a mission."
The giant man walking through the forest had a satisfied smile.
"My name, which is called the rising star of the empire, must have reached His Majesty's ears as well. I truly am amazing."
Asteon, a 7-star knight.
Following the guidance of a rat, he entered deep into the forest and surveyed his surroundings.
"Hmm, they're all familiar faces."
They were people he had encountered once or twice in passing. What was strange was that they were all huddled together in a corner. Like students obediently following their teacher's words.
"Hmph, what is this? No matter how suspicious the mission is... Are they that scared? Their flashy titles will cry."
In fact, the title 'rising star of the empire' didn't refer to just Asteon alone.
It was a title referring to the up-and-coming figures who reached the level of 6-stars or higher before the age of thirty and were currently raising their stock. And it referred to most people here as well.
"Oho, your confidence is good. Quite bold despite being late."
"Of course. I'm not the type to have so much free time. You should be grateful I even came. By the way, who are...?"
Asteon, who turned his head, couldn't help but stiffen. Caron, the empire's rat, was standing there.
"Kiel, what do we do? A star is going to fall today."
"Shut up and stay quiet. Unless you want to fall with it."
"Eek... Telling a friend to shut up. Kiel, you really are tough, huh?"
Veins bulged on Kiel's forehead. Normally, he would have punched Edwin or left his seat, but he didn't want to right now. Because he didn't want to draw the attention of that man, Caron.
'I heard he retired from active duty... Was that not true?'
If it were the usual Kiel, he would have proven his excellence through conversation, skills, and mannerly actions. He would have caught the commander's eye and confidently taken one of the team leader positions.
However.
'I hate that guy! He's scary!'
The nickname 'empire's rat' wasn't much different from saying 'master of assassination and torture'.
'He says it's for the empire, but... He's been doing that kind of work for decades? There's no way he's sane.'
The thoughts of the people currently here weren't much different from Kiel's. Because they knew very well that there was a limit to strong mental fortitude.
In other words, in their eyes, Caron was insanity itself. As they were trying their best not to stand out in Caron's sight, Asteon staggered over.
"You bastards... If there was such a monster, you should have told me!"
"It's your fault for being arrogant without knowing your place. And who told you to be late?"
"Eek! How horrible. A face I never want to see again!"
Asteon, rumored to not know fear as befitting the owner of a huge physique.
'To make even him tremble...'
Is Caron really insane after all? A few more people came after that, but the overall reaction was similar.
Surprised to see Caron, getting scolded, trying their best to get into the center of the group to avoid standing out.
As one or two started breathing laboriously due to the increasingly crowded space,
"Oh my, isn't that Lucia?"
A woman not only acted familiar with Lucia but even spoke casually to her. Naturally, everyone's attention was drawn to them.
"Oh my gosh...! Sylvia! Is it really you?"
"Of course it's me. Who else would it be?"
The two women hugged each other tightly and squealed.
"When was the last time? When you had your baby?"
"Hmm, then it would be 3 years ago. What have you been up to? You said you'd come visit."
"I was busy. Is the child growing up well?"
"Growing up too well, that's the problem. Come by next time. Bring some toys."
"Okay! I'll definitely go!"
Seeing that, Kiel tilted his head. He couldn't hear the conversation, but they seemed very close. However, it was information not in his 'Lucia data'.
At times like this, the best was a man with wide but shallow connections. Edwin, known as the 'salt man' in aristocratic party circles.
"Edwin, who is that person?"
"Let's see... Brown hair with a black ribbon on her sword, on very close terms with Lady Lucia. Seems to be Sylvia, the second daughter of the Trouver family?"
"Lady Sylvia? One of the war heroes?"
A comrade who went through the war together with Lucia, and an academy classmate. And.
'The ill-fated genius who suddenly announced her retirement.'
The exact reason wasn't known, but rumors spread that it was due to war-related trauma.
'She announced her retirement around age thirty... That means she suffered from trauma for at least 10 years. Is war that horrible?'
Kiel, who had never experienced war, couldn't empathize. He knew there was a limit to mental strength, but still, wasn't there more than 10 years of time? It was enough time to recover.
'Well, she must have had a weak heart.'
Anyway, seeing Sylvia made Kiel even more puzzled. No matter where he looked, this place was full of 6-star and 7-star knights.
'Overall, they're young. And only those called geniuses have been gathered.'
A force that could easily conquer a castle or two. But not only were rats called here, even retired people were gathered?
"Kiel."
"I know even if you don't call me. Something's not right."
"Huh? What? What?"
Asteon and Kiel pushed Edwin's face away. Because they knew well that including him in the conversation wouldn't be helpful.
"One thing is certain for now. It's urgent."
"Yeah, to the point of calling even retired people. I expected it from the moment I saw His Majesty's seal, but... It won't be easy, will it?"
"Kiel, you're unusually talkative. Are you scared?"
"No way. I don't know what it's about, but it's impossible to surprise me? I graduated from that several years ago."
"Gege, same goes for me."
Geniuses who reached the level of 7-stars before even turning thirty. Who could possibly scare them?
"Gather."
Caron's infinitely low voice. But strangely, it was clearly heard in everyone's ears.
Thump thump thump-!
The people who were densely packed, doing their best, ran in front of Caron faster than anyone and lined up. Yes, fear and dread are different.
Everyone waited for Caron's words with tension.
"I am Caron, appointed as the commander of this subjugation force."
A few groaned. Is that Caron saying he's the commander of this mission?
'It would have been good for both of us if he was just passing by!'
Such an absurd coincidence couldn't possibly happen, but they wanted to rely on even that.
"You must be curious about many things. I will provide simple information."
Caron's short briefing began. Kalos, moving skeletons, the fact that they could run fast. It was a shocking story, but everyone listened to Caron's words without a word.
Although they made a bit of a fuss because of Caron, there were no novices here. They were all veterans who were big shots.
"This is all the known information. Our mission is as follows. Investigate the strange phenomenon, confirm the existence of a black mage, and..."
Caron's eyes shone as he continued.
"Annihilate all the black mages there."
It was a chilling statement, but no one objected. Because expelling black mages, that was the peace of the continent.
"I will take questions all at once tomorrow. For now, moving is important, so we will depart immediately. Gather at the west side of the village in 2 hours."
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone left the forest. Only Lucia and Caron remained.
"What about Lord Elester?"
"He is near Kalos. He said he would scout ahead to see if there are any traps."
"Hmm~ Really? Rather than that, I think it might be a strong will for exploration."
"...It's probably both. He's not the type to risk other people's lives for the sake of exploration."
"That's true. But is this the end?"
"No, one more person will join us midway. They were a bit late due to personal reasons."
"Hmm~ Whoever it is, how arrogant. I'll have to educate them a bit."
"...Do as you wish."
Caron turned around and smiled slightly. Educate, huh. Yes, they will do it. 'He' will, to Lucia.
*
Wyverns, horses, rafts. In two days, they traversed the sky, land, and even rivers. A forced march moving twenty hours a day. But no one complained.
Because they realized time was crucial.
'Raising the bones of the dead... The longer time passes, the more the enemy's troops will increase.'
'Kalos is a place where hundreds of thousands have been buried.'
'Damn it! It would be fortunate if it was a few months ago, but... If they have been gathering troops there for several years? No, if they started gathering troops right after the war ended?'
Winning with this number of people was absolutely impossible. Still, they moved silently.
It was a mission directly received from the emperor, but Elester was said to be near the destination.
'Caron, Lucia, and now even Lord Elester?'
Victory may be impossible, but retreat is 100% possible. The day after revealing the mission, Caron said,
'The mission may end with the scouting team rather than annihilating the black mages.'
It was no different from saying if the enemy's troops are beyond expectation, extract as much information as possible and retreat, then inform the continent and request reinforcements.
'He's much more reasonable than I thought.'
Of course, Caron being scary was still the same. Should I say he went from a scary person to a reasonable scary person?
At a riverside where they settled for a break while traveling, someone greeted Kiel as he was drinking water.
"Um... so... hello?"
Small stature, golden hair, and a long spear on his back that didn't fit his physique. A boy with a youthful appearance that seemed like he could be twelve rather than fifteen.
"Huh? Who are you...?"
At that moment, Kiel realized something was strange. This place was a foreign country, and a remote area among remote areas where not even a person's shadow could be seen.
Moreover.
'We should be under the protection of the rats...!'
The fact that he passed through where the rats were. Then it was one of two things. Either he showed his identification tag and proved he was an ally, or...
He killed the rats and entered.
'...Enemy!'
Kiel reflexively moved his hand. Certainly, Kiel's judgment wasn't bad. The problem was.
"..."
A spear was currently aimed at his neck.
'The spear that was on his back is suddenly...?'
Kiel couldn't help but be shocked. Because it meant before he could even put his hand on his sword, the other person drew his spear and aimed it at him.
"Seems like there was a misunderstanding. Who is the commander? If Caron... no, if Lieutenant General Caron is here, could you call him?"
"...Please wait a moment."
There was no need for Kiel to inform him. Because Caron came running from far away.
"Kiel, join the main force and take a rest."
"...Understood."
Kiel was dying to know who the boy was, but he chose to leave. He knew well it was an order to leave.
"Lord Douglas, it's been a while."
"Lieutenant General Caron, indeed it has. Seeing you like this, I couldn't be happier."
"...?"
Caron's strange expression. Only then did Douglas realize he had made a mistake.
"Sigh... I'm sorry. Living with children, my way of speaking has become like this."
"I understand. Depending on where one lives and how one is treated, humans are creatures that change."
That's right. The owner of the youthful appearance filled with a boyish air. His identity was none other than Douglas de Cassel, who was called the hero of the empire in the past.
"You haven't been able to break the curse?"
"That's right. I couldn't find even a small clue."
Currently, Douglas was under a demon's curse. A fierce battle with a 1st-grade demon 10 years ago. To save civilians, he had no choice but to accept the demon's curse.
The curse that made his appearance younger. Some might say it's good to look younger, but the reality was different.
'My insides are steadily rotting away.'
Unlike his appearance, his insides were that of an eighty-three-year-old man. He stayed in the Holy Kingdom to find a way to break the curse while carrying out the mission of protecting the princess, but the result was as one could see.
"Ugh! Why is that old man here!"
Lucia, who arrived late, grimaced. It was natural for Lucia to know Douglas's younger appearance. Because when he was cursed by the demon, Lucia was also there.
"Isn't it obvious? Security is life."
"Gah! That's not it! You did it to mess with me! Caron, you know very well that geezer annoys me!"
Lucia had trained under Douglas and was never able to win a single spar. Of course, since he didn't consider it a duel, Lucia's undefeated record remained unbroken.
"It's been a while. But from now on, call me 'Adonis'."
If it became known that Douglas was alive, if it became known that he was afflicted by a demon, the empire could fall into chaos. So Douglas accepted his fate and planned to operate under a new name for the rest of his life.
"Hmm~ Changed your name after becoming young again? I'm jealous. I want to be cursed too. Share some with me, old man."
"..."
Smack!
Caron hit Lucia on the head, and Lucia immediately protested.
"What! Why did you hit me!"
"I think it's stranger that you don't know the reason! Get lost! If you're bored, go play with your friend!"
"I was gonna go anyway! Have fun playing with the old man!"
"You really need a beating...!"
"Hmph! Bleh!"
Lucia's retreating figure as if running away. Seeing that, Adonis inwardly admired.
'60% well-refined mana, 40% mana still unrefined and wandering outside.'
With that level of refinement, she reached the level of 8-stars? Then if she manages to harness even that unruly energy...
"A monster."
"There's nothing scarier than a monster with no sense."
"Haha, so you acknowledge Lucia's power too?"
"She still has a long way to go. Far from enough."
Watching Caron grumble, Adonis became lost in thought.
'Is this how our era passes... It's both joyful and futile.'
Adonis could tell. That he would reach the end of his life soon.
'I have no complaints, having lived long enough. However...'
He was only worried about the empire's safety, His Majesty the Emperor, and the sickly princess. His last loyalty and service he could do for them.
"...Caron, I have a piece of information. I don't know about other information, but I think this needs to be reported first."
"Please speak."
Caron immediately prepared to write down Adonis's words.
"Isabella, that woman..."
Caron also knew well who Isabella was. No, it would be stranger not to know. Because she was the current saint of the Holy Kingdom and communicated with the goddess more than ever before.
'Did she deliver a prophecy to destroy the empire? Well, I wouldn't be surprised even if that were the case.'
But Caron couldn't help but be surprised at Adonis's next words.
"She's powerless, a fake."
--TL Notes--
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