Chapter 3: With the Lord of the Flies
Chapter 3:
With the Lord of the Flies
I APPROACHED THE OUTER WALLS of the capital, freedom waiting on the other side, and made my way to a sewer entrance. I carefully removed the steel bar covering, then carefully replaced it behind me before starting down the tunnel. With both Eve and the girl with us, the main priority was staying out of sight, and the sewers were definitely that.
“Master?”
Seras’s voice echoed from up ahead. I removed my mask as I walked, turning down an offshoot of the main tunnel to find Seras, Eve, and the girl waiting for me. I picked up the backpack I’d stashed in the sewers on our way to the tavern.
“Sorry I took so long.”
“Not at all,” replied Seras.
“Hati.”
It was Eve. I held up a hand to silence her.
“We can talk when we’re a little further from the entrance.”
We set off through the sewers single file, with me at the front and Seras bringing up the rear. After trudging along for several minutes in silence, Eve seemed unable to contain herself any longer.
“Sorry for earlier,” she said. “In my anger, I forgot myself, and…” She trailed off.
“I know, I was there. You have a shorter temper than I expected,” I replied.
“I’m ashamed of my actions.” She hesitated before continuing. “What happened to her?”
“I did what had to be done.”
“…I see.” Eve seemed to catch my drift. “Perhaps I was naïve to believe her.”
“Perhaps, yeah.”
“…”
“Anyway, how’s the girl?”
Eve affectionately patted the girl walking beside her on the head. “Lis, introduce yourself.”
“O-okay.” We slowed down, and the girl looked up at me timidly. “M-my name is Lisbeth… Please call me Lis.”
“I’m Too-ka.”
Lis looked confused to have a name offered in return—Eve had the same reaction, for different reasons.
“Hati was a pseudonym,” I explained. “My real name’s Too-ka Mimori.”
“I see. Quite careful, aren’t you?”
“Guess so.” I turned back to Lis. “And this is Seras Ashrain. She’s disguising herself right now with the power of the spirits,” I said as Seras caught up with us.
“It’s very nice to meet you both,” said Lisbeth, bowing.
Seras bowed back at her and reintroduced herself. There was no sign that Lis recognized Seras’s name. We picked up speed again, falling back into line. Eventually Lis ran a few steps forward so she could walk beside me, hanging her head as we rounded another corner.
“Mr. Too-ka…” she said without looking up, “I-I’ll do anything…please can I come with you and big sister? P-please…”
“The place we’re headed…it’s going to be rough. Your life will be in danger. But if you’re okay with that, you can come along.”
“It’s okay. I don’t care how dangerous it is as long as I’m with big sister…”
“All right, then.”
Lis sniffed. “Thank you so much!”
I was planning on bringing her along from the beginning…hmm? Why does she keep looking at me?
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Ah, ehm… It’s just that y-your voice seems different now than it did when you were the fly man…”
“Yeah, there’s a trick to the costume. That’s probably what made my voice sound weird to you.”
I’d gotten lucky and found some uncommon materials in Monroy, and managed to make another item from Forbidden Arts: The Complete Works while Seras was asleep. It was a magic stone that could alter a person’s voice—the book had called it a voice-change crystal—which I stuck to the inside of my fly mask. Pour 100 MP into it, and the crystal’s effect would last for around a day. At first I’d wanted to use it to change Seras’s voice, but it seemed just as useful for disguising myself. And if I ever found better ingredients, I could improve it even more.
Eve closed the distance between us as we continued down the long tunnel.
“I have a question too.”
“Go ahead.”
“I hear a strange noise coming from you. It might just be the water beneath us, but…”
“Oh right, the other member of our party.”
“A friend?”
“Let me tell you before I show you—this little guy’s not dangerous. So don’t attack him, okay?” I stopped. “Seras, go on ahead and check the exit, will you? I’ll introduce these two to Piggymaru.”
“Understood.” Seras scooted past us, and I turned to face Eve and Lis.
“Come out, Piggymaru.”
“Squee.”
Piggymaru plopped out of my robes and onto the ground, making Lis gasp.
“Hm…? A slime?” said Eve.
Piggymaru looked up at me questioningly.
“These are our new traveling companions, Eve and Lisbeth,” I said.
Eve crouched down. “My name is Eve Speed. It’s nice to meet you, Piggymaru.”
The little slime extended a tentacle, which Eve stroked gently with her hand.
“Squee! ♪♫♩”
“Hmph… Looks quite fond of you,” Eve said.
“Piggmaru’s my partner—I need this little guy.”
“Squee~! ♪♫♩”
“Ah, e-excuse me…”
Lis got down on her knees and bowed deep, clearly nervous.
“I’m Lisbeth. Nice to m-meet you…M-Mr. Piggymaru?”
“Sque!”
Lis flinched, her whole body going stiff.
“He says you’re being too formal,” I said, laughing a little.
“Um…just Piggymaru…?”
“Squee~! ♪♫♩”
“I think he likes that.” Piggymaru turned light pink and stretched out a tentacle in Lis’s direction. “I guess he wants a handshake from you too.”
She hesitantly stroked the tentacle and quickly pulled back, looking a little uncomfortable, but smiling.
“Nice to meet you, P-P-Piggymaru.”
“Squee! ♪♫♩”
Lis giggled and smiled a little awkwardly.
After the introductions, we left the sewer tunnels and caught up with Seras in the forest.
“I don’t sense anyone nearby,” she said. “I believe we can remain concealed if we make our way through the forest.”
“Do you think the horses are safe?”
“I think so, yes.”
We’d thought about getting a carriage for our escape, but knowing we’d have to abandon it before we entered the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters, it seemed like a bad investment. Instead, we’d prepared two horses ahead of time—we could easily stay out of sight on them and take detours if necessary. The downside was that we’d been forced to leave them waiting in the forest with nobody to watch over them.
Guess there’s nothing we can do now if someone decided to steal them.
I turned to look back at everyone. “Did you fill them in on everything?” I asked Seras.
“I briefed them outside of the tavern while we were waiting for you,” she replied, but went over everything quickly once more, careful not to reveal too much.
She’s good at this.
“We’ve got two horses waiting in the forest—one for Seras and I, and one for you two,” I explained to Eve and Lis. I’d prepared one of the horses specifically for Eve, expecting that she’d join us.
“Understood. I’m sorry…you must’ve meant to ride separately.”
“Nope. I don’t have any horseback-riding experience, so Seras and I always planned to ride together.”
It’d make us a little slower, but that couldn’t be helped. At least it’d be better than walking.
We made our way through the forest outside the grand city walls of Monroy, trying to make as little noise as possible. Eve wore the hooded cape I’d bought her to conceal her features. Apparently leopardmen were a rare species, and we didn’t want her to stand out. She’d have to wear that thing at least until we made it to the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters.
Too bad Seras’s powers only work on herself…
“Hey, do you have a minute?”
It was Eve. Seras and Lis were chattering happily behind us.
“Got a million questions?”
“Hmph.”
“I’m just joking. Go ahead.”
“I intend to lead you to the Forbidden Witch, but…I have something to ask you first. Why do you want to find her?” she asked.
“I have some ancient scrolls that I don’t know how to read. I’m searching for someone who can help me decipher them, and I think your witch might be the only person for the job.”
I don’t want to go into too much detail and let too much of what I know slip. The forbidden magic contained within these scrolls…with that knowledge, I could be a real danger to that foul Goddess. The Forbidden Witch is hiding in the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters to escape the Goddess’s clutches, so there’s a good chance she’ll be willing to help.
“You don’t want to catch her, do you? Or cause her harm?”
“No. Not unless she attacks me first.”
There was no light in the dark forest, but Eve never hesitated, striding forward at a steady pace as we talked. I was used the darkness too, but it was as if Eve could see through the blackness.
“Can you see in the dark?” I asked.
“More or less.”
Those ears, plus her night vision…they might be useful later.
“You don’t hesitate, either. Most humans fear the dark.”
“I’ve been through a lot—gotten used to it.”
“What about Seras Ashrain?”
“She has her own light sources.” Not that we could use them now. There was a good chance the watchers on the walls would see a light at this distance, and that was the last thing we wanted. There was no telling when the baron would figure out Eve had left the capital, but he’d probably send out hunters as soon as he did. No point in making their search easy.
“I’m a simple woman,” said Eve, staring intently out into the forest, “and I can’t think ahead like you do. Sometimes I make unwise decisions because I can’t see the full picture. I think that’s why Baron Zuan was able to use me for so long. I didn’t see that tavern owner’s true nature, either.”
“It’s not like I can see through everyone and everything, you know. You seem to have a much better grip on yourself than I do, anyway.”
Eve hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“I want to offer myself into your service.”
“What?”
“I want you to command me, tell me what to do next. I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”
“You really trust me that much?”
“I’ve seen the way you and Ashrain talk. I think it’ll be better for me to just follow your orders. To be honest, I don’t know how much I should trust anyone right now, but…” Her gaze turned to Lis. “But I feel like I can trust you.”
“I appreciate it, but…why?”
“You could’ve gotten information about the witch from me in much more underhanded ways. Could’ve abducted me while I was paralyzed and tortured me. Could’ve used Lis to blackmail me into giving you what you wanted—and it would have worked. You did none of those things.”
Not like I didn’t consider them. You aren’t as dull as you think you are.
“Lis is going to get in our way,” said Eve.
“…”
Eve was right. Lis couldn’t fight, and she was young. It would be tough battling through monsters and protecting her—somebody was always going to have to watch her.
“You know that as well as I do, considering where we’re going. But even knowing that, you still agreed to let her come with us. You understood how she felt and what she needed. That’s another reason I feel I can trust you.”
She’s right, but there are plenty of underhanded reasons I could have agreed to bring Lis. I could be assuming she wouldn’t survive anyhow, that she’d be killed by monsters. I could be planning to get the information from Eve early on and then ditch Lis…or I could be planning to threaten her to convince Eve to play along. But is she even capable of imagining someone thinking like that?
I intended to protect Lis with everything I had, though. No matter what, I would make sure she survived.
“You’re a good person,” said Eve. “Trust isn’t measured in days and hours. That’s something meeting you has taught me.” Suddenly she looked uneasy. “A-am I changing my mind too easily?”
“You did say I wasn’t a bad sort, didn’t you?” I said with a soft laugh. “You’re a much better person than I am.”
When we got back to the horses, we were relieved to find them still safe, placidly waiting for us. We quickly packed our luggage into their packs. Eve mounted her horse first, then stretched a hand down to Lis, settling the girl in front of her.
“Here, take my hand,” said Seras.
I took her hand in mine as she reached down. Her grip was surprisingly firm, and with less effort than I’d expected, I found myself seated behind her on the horse.
I’d told Eve the truth earlier—I’d never been on a horse before.
“Hold on to me firmly from behind so you don’t fall off,” Seras said, looking over her shoulder at me.
“You don’t mind?”
“It needs to be done, and…if it’s you, I don’t mind,” she replied.
I wrapped my arms around her thin waist, clasped my hands together in front of her stomach, and squeezed her gently. Seras flinched a little.
“Too much?”
She didn’t reply.
“Seras?”
“It’s fine.”
“…Are you okay?” I could feel Seras’s body getting hotter.
Without answering my question, Seras easily guided the horse in a circle around the small clearing. She appeared used to handling the animal, so her discomfort probably wasn’t about that. But it was probably awkward for her to have a member of the opposite sex clinging to her. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do anything about that if I wanted to stay in the saddle.
“I don’t exactly know what you’re so nervous about, but try to bear it, okay?”
“U-understood.”
She slapped both her cheeks once, trying to get ahold of herself, and turned towards Eve and Lis.
“Let’s go.”
There was no sign of anyone as we swept through the forest.
“Sir Too-ka.”
“Yeah, looks like we’re in good shape.”
We followed the roads through the forest and moved at a moderate pace. The sound of hooves thudded dully as we rode along, following Eve and Lis a short distance ahead of us. On occasion they would turn back to check on us, but otherwise were absorbed in each other. I leaned forward and put my mouth close to Seras’s ear to talk with her.
“How far from here to the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters?”
“At this speed, we should arrive in about two days, even going the long way.”
“The long way” was a less direct route, but there were many castles and fortresses on the border of the Land of the Golden-eye Monsters. Their main purpose was to keep the monsters from escaping, but we still needed to avoid them.
“Is there anything else we should be worried about?” Seras had already given me the basic details on our trip to Monroy.
“The intel isn’t certain, but…there is one thing that worries me,” said Seras.
“What’s that?”
“There’s a variety of humanoid monster…ones with human faces. The reports of sightings are few and far between, though, and the details are vague.”
“…”
Seras’s words sent me right back to the Ruins of Disposal, and to the strongest monster I’d met down there—the Soul Eater.
The Soul Eater felt different from other monsters. It was also the only one I saw that had a human face. So that’s what it was—a humanoid monster. If the creatures lurking in the Land of the Golden-Eyed monsters were as strong as that thing was, I could understand why it was such a dangerous place.
“It’s said that there are many of them living in the place we’re going,” said Seras.
“There aren’t many reports of sightings, but people are still sure they’re in there?”
“Well, there is a theory as to why there are so few sightings.” Seras sounded even more serious than usual. “It’s believed that the witnesses tend to…”
“Die, right?” I interrupted. “Killed by the monsters?”
“Yes. At least that’s the theory.”
Dead men tell no tales.
“There are few known details, but they’re fearsome foes. Powerful as they are, however, they aren’t easily found—they don’t just walk around the forest, I mean.”
They’re careful—or maybe they just avoid people. Or is there another reason? All I can do now is speculate…no point in overthinking it.
“Seems like there’s almost no information about this place to begin with,” I said.
“That’s accurate. It’s rare that anyone survives straying into the outskirts, let alone the deeper parts…” Seras hesitated. “Though didn’t Eve say she’d been there before?”
“That’s right.”
Sounds like she went to the more dangerous areas too.
“Is that one of the reasons you decided to bring her along with us?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“What about Lis? Do you think she’s going to be all right?”
“Yeah. She’s a good kid.”
I had assumed, for some reason, that a high elf and a dark elf would be at each other’s throats, but I was relieved to find that Seras and Lis got along.
“But do we really intend to—” started Seras.
“We’re taking her with us,” I said firmly. “Eve has already agreed to it, and Lis doesn’t seem to want to leave her side anyway. Unless one of them objects, I think we should keep going.”
“Are they going to be okay?”
“We’ll make it, one way or the other. No matter what, we’re taking them safely to the Forbidden Witch.”
Seras smiled.
“You really are kind.”
“You and Eve both overestimate that part of me. There are practical reasons for everything I’ve done.” I shifted in my seat a little and adjusted my arms around Seras. “I have a bunch of reasons for taking Eve with us. First, she’s a talented warrior. Second, as you said, she’s been to the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters before. Last, well…if we want to get the information we need from the witch, I figured it’d be best to have her with us.”
“So what you’re saying is…?”
The Forbidden Witch was living in hiding, all but impossible to find, yet…
“Eve owes the witch a favor, right?”
“Ah, I see,” said Seras, seeming to understand.
“Yeah. It’s going to be easier to make contact if we bring someone along who knows the witch, instead of just showing up out of the blue.”
It made sense that we’d need an in with the witch—a referral from another acquaintance. But from the way Eve talked about it, I didn’t even know if they’d actually met. There was a distance to the way she spoke—they weren’t friends, I was fairly sure. I really needed to find out more about their relationship, not to mention this favor Eve owed her.
“And hey, about Lis…”
Seras nodded. I thought back to our first day in Monroy and the conversation we’d overheard in the tavern.
“This witch is a dark elf, yeah?”
Seras glanced toward the other horse. “Lis is a dark elf too…” she said.
“Yeah. We rescued one of her kind from a really bad place. If Lis and Eve vouch for us, the witch is more likely to trust us. Maybe even be more inclined to help us, if we’re lucky.”
That’s why I have to make sure Lis survives and bring her to the witch.
“So you were looking that far ahead… I should’ve expected as much from you, Sir Too-ka.”
“Best to have as many advantages as we can get. I was just being calculating.”
Ahead of us, Lis was still talking happily with Eve.
“Well, also, there’s…”
“…”
The abuse from my birth parents, and the way that tavern owner was abusing Lis…they just kinda collided. I can’t save my past self, but maybe I can save Lis. Like I said before, she’s a good kid.
“She seems a lot happier,” I said, finally. “Better that she’s happier.”
“Yes…I think so too.”
Eve was the first to react, her ears pricking up, then Piggymaru.
“What was that sound?”
I turned to see lights flickering in the forest behind us. Seras turned back to look at me, her face grave.
“Sir Too-ka.”
“I know. They’re on our tail.” I was surprised they’d found us so fast.
We pushed the horses faster, and Seras urged ours forward to bring us level with Eve and Lis. They both looked shaken.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I would often walk the capital alone at night. They shouldn’t be so surprised not to find me in my room,” said Eve.
The tavern had been closing when we left too. The tavern owner was the only one there, and I’d put out the lights. I didn’t think they’d find the corpse until morning at the earliest.
“Did you tell anyone of your plans to escape? A friend from the colosseum, maybe—”
“No,” Eve said, cutting me off. “I didn’t tell a soul. I was trying as hard as I could to avoid detection by the baron and his personal guard. But…” Eve groaned miserably. “As I was leaving the colosseum, I ran into someone. Perhaps he noticed something strange about me.”
“Do you know who it was?”
“A man named Muaji. I was careful to avoid people, but…embarrassing as it is to admit, I didn’t notice his presence until it was too late to ignore him.”
I glanced back at the lights racing through the trees.
Eve’s guess is probably right—Muaji must’ve realized there was something off about her.
“He’s the head of Ashint. He must’ve reported to the baron that something seemed off, and maybe had him check your room and the tavern just to make sure.”
The pursuit had been organized so fast because of how quickly they’d been able to put the pieces together, all thanks to Muaji. The leader of Ashint must’ve have quite the powers of observation. He realized almost immediately that something was off with Eve, and it must not have taken him long to figure out what happened at the tavern, either. He was good at reading people too—an invaluable skill for a con man.
“Muaji’s probably using this to prove himself to the baron—a good chance for a show of power, maybe.”
There would have to be Ashint members mixed in with the search party. They were coming to kill or capture Eve, and either way they’d be demonstrating their strength. They’d become the group that took down the strongest bloodsport gladiator with their curses, which would add weight to their lie about killing the Elite Five too.
“I’m sorry…I’ve exposed you all to danger by coming with you.” Eve slowed her mount, and Lis looked up at her uneasily.
“B-big sister?”
“Too-ka, take Lis—”
“And what?” I interrupted, “You’re going to stay and hold them off?”
“No, big sister, you can’t…” said Lis, tears in her eyes.
“Let me take responsibility for this. I can at least make sure that you and the child escape!”
“Strongest bloodsport gladiator or not, you can’t defeat that many people at once,” I said. “And what are we supposed to do without you to guide us to the witch?”
“They’re gaining on us. We don’t have long,” said Eve.
The lights behind us were closer, but also appeared to be decreasing in number. Some split off from the main group to search the forest in different directions.
There are still too many of them, though…
We continued up a slight incline, and I looked back again from the slightly higher vantage point to get a better view of the group following us. I could see lights dancing in the darkness a distance behind the main group.
“There’s a second group behind this first one. Looks like a lot of them too.”
We’re in trouble.
“Stop the horses and dismount,” I ordered quickly. Seras slowed our horse; Eve appeared confused.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked.
“I’ve got an idea.”
We dismounted and sent our horses racing into the darkness ahead of us, glowing branches strapped to the saddles.
It was lucky that Eve and Seras were so good at handling the animals.
The horses sped off into the forest, lighter and faster now without their burdens. We’d made the branches glow using the power of Seras’s spirits, which could make an object light up for a short period of time. The price for doing so was tough on Seras, though.
“Sorry about that. I’ll help you sleep once we’re out of this mess,” I told her.
Seras smiled tiredly. “I’d appreciate that, Master.”
The sound of hooves was getting closer. We hid, crouching in the brush, and waited for them to pass.
“Vice-chief, over there!”
“Lights?! We’ve got them! Two torches in the forest! That’s the leopardman and her girl, no doubt about it.”
“Muaji was right after all. They headed north!”
“I’d expect nothing less from the Black Dragon Slayers!”
“Shame we sent the others off to search the rest of the forest.”
“Lucky for us we picked this way! Come on! We’ll be calling ourselves the Leopardslayers before this night is through! No Ashint or mercenary’s gonna steal our glory! Let’s go! Go!”
The group charged after the horses.
They look like the baron’s personal guard…talk like them too. It sounds like there are others searching the forest in different directions. Shutting that tavern owner up did some good, then—their forces are divided.
“It sounds like they’ve sent everyone out against us…” whispered Eve.
“The baron probably got the mercenaries on board with promises of coin. Ashint are out to prove themselves.”
It would take the first group a while to catch the horses—that bought us some time. Eve carefully turned to watch the second group rushing towards us.
“There were no Ashint members in the first wave. They might be coming next,” she said.
Muaji predicted that Eve would head north—there’s a good chance he’s coming this way.
“Eve, you can see in the dark…how’s your hearing?” I asked.
“Hmph, better than any human’s,” she replied.
“I’ve got a job for you. Once it’s done, I need you to go further into the forest to hide and protect Lis and our things. I’ll be staying here.”
“I’ll fight with you,” she said immediately.
“I need Seras with me for what I’m planning. Somebody needs to protect Lis—they’ll take her as a hostage if they find her. We can’t let that happen.”
Eve was disgruntled, but she backed down. I guess she really did intend to follow my orders, then.
I looked at the sky through the leaves above—there were thick clouds, the moon only occasionally peeking out at us.
Good. I can use the darkness.
“It’s quite likely that they don’t even know you and I are here, Sir Too-ka. They’re only after Eve and Lis—we might be able to catch them off guard,” said Seras.
“…I’m not so sure about that,” I replied.
Seras looked at me questioningly. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just a hunch, but I think Muaji has figured out that Eve has allies. This cursed magic they use, don’t you think there’s something fishy about it?”
“Well…yes, I’d have to agree. Unlike your skills or my spirit armor, there’s no proof that it exists.”
“And yet this Muaji guy has convinced so many of his followers that it does. Seems like he’s even worshipped by some of them…but I think he’s a liar. An evil guy running an evil scam.”
I have my suspicions what this cursed magic really is…
“What are you trying to say?” asked Eve.
“For better or worse, I think the guy’s smart.” I rubbed my temples. “Really smart.”
He’s cold reading us—predicting what we’re about to do next. He must be anticipating how we’ll react even now. The speed of his pursuit shows just how smart Muaji is. He knew Eve would flee north—he must’ve heard the same rumors that we did.
If Eve was going to take Lis and try to escape, Muaji knew that she’d take her chances in the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters.
He read her in an instant.
“Do you think you two can beat that many of them?” asked Eve, shouldering our luggage with ease.
“Depends on our approach. If we can’t take them head on, we’ll need to lure them somewhere the conditions are more favorable to us.”
Lis picked up the remaining bags. I stood up and looked towards the second group of torches bearing down on us.
“I never thought we’d have to fight Ashint here, in the forest…” I muttered.
“I’m sorry…” Eve said.
I’ve lost count of the times she’s apologized already.
I looked at Eve. “It’s probably true that this happened because of you.”
Lis quickly bowed her head, as if trying to take responsibility for Eve.
“E-everything Big sister did was for me… I’m the one at fault, s-so… Please…” Her small shoulders were trembling.
I worded that a bit harshly, didn’t I?
I sighed.
“But I’m not blaming either of you for what’s happening.” I took out my fly mask and smiled at them. “If everything goes to plan, this might work out well for us—could even be a stroke of luck.”
Eve and Lis looked taken aback, as if they could have never predicted that response.
I put on my fly mask.
“Well, let’s get started.”
SERAS ASHRAIN
THE MAN AT THE FRONT of the group stopped his horse and looked back.
“Lord Muaji, what should we do?”
The whole group was wearing purple robes decorated with magic circles—Ashint’s normal uniform. Muaji wore a similar robe, but his was obviously much higher quality.
“Extinguish the torches,” ordered Muaji.
“Eh? Oh! Yes! Hey you, put that out!”
With the fires gone, the only light left was faint rays of moonlight shining dimly through the clouds.
“Did you notice that? Broken branches—someone must have panicked and fled in that direction,” said one of the men. “The runaways are still lurking somewhere nearby. The first group is chasing a decoy!”
“All right, you lot! Get into the forest and find that leopardman! The girl too!”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Muaji. “No doubt it’s a trap of some sort.”
“Wha—? A trap?!”
“Someone broke those branches on purpose. Hard to believe they’d be intelligent enough to divide our forces, yet foolish enough to leave obvious traces like those, wouldn’t you say?”
“I-I see.”
“Our enemy is smart. They must have known we wouldn’t miss the branches. But if we go rushing into the forest now we’ll be playing right into their hands—there is a trap awaiting us in the trees.”
“Amazing, Lord Muaji… I never would have thought the leopardman had such intelligence and strategy…”
“She isn’t the one responsible for this.”
“Eh?”
“From what I’ve observed of her, Eve Speed is not the type to use detailed or complex strategies. She has no history of this kind of deception.”
“You mean to say she has help?”
“Yes. Don’t assume we’re only facing the leopardman and the girl—there are others.”
“Tch, that was close! What would we do without you, Lord Muaji?”
Muaji ignored the compliment and raised his voice. “In any case, we’ve seen through your little ruse. Give yourself up and come talk to us.”
Muaji lifted his hand, and the Ashint members readied their bows.
“I know you’re hiding over there! We have more than just bows and arrows, you know. We can easily dispose of you at a distance or smoke you out—we have options. Hiding behind that tree won’t protect you for long.”
The moon emerged from between the clouds as Seras appeared from the forest, wearing her fly mask.
Muaji smiled.
“The Fly Swordsman, I see… Though the real Fly Swordsman wasn’t female, of course.”
Seras’s sword was already drawn.
She stayed silent as Muaji continued. “I don’t know who you are, but if you hand over the leopardman and the girl, I promise to spare your life.” He opened his arms wide. “Better still, I shall welcome you as a member of the order of Ashint! I know just by looking at you how skilled you are with that sword—I daresay you must be quite renowned.”
Seras gripped the hilt of her sword tighter.
“What if I refuse?” she said, finally.
“Then I will curse you and make you suffer. You’ll wish you’d never been born.”
“…”
“Our curses are without equal—not even the Elite Five could stand against them.”
“Did you truly kill the Elite Five?” asked Seras.
“Yes. The Strongest Man in the World was powerless before the might of my curses! Now, what shall it be? You can die a painful, meaningless death here or make the smart choice and join our cause.”
Seras dropped her guard, and she looked at Muaji skeptically for a few moments before speaking again.
“Understood.”
Muaji bent his thin frame forward towards her.
“A wise decision.”
“I don’t believe we could ever defeat you in such numbers,” Seras said. “It was always just a matter of time before we were caught.”
“And you’re smart enough to accept the reality of your situation without any pointless battles. What an impressive individual!”
“I have one condition. I want you to guarantee Eve and the girl’s safety.”
“We have considerable influence over the baron who is chasing your friends. Fear not, we will protect them from harm.”
“Very well. I’ll take you to them now.”
Seras turned towards the trees.
“All of you, please follow me.”
Seras walked back towards the forest and the Ashint members made to follow her. But Muaji held out an arm to stop his underlings from going any further.
“All of you, stop.”
“Lord Muaji…?”
Seras stopped too. “Is something wrong?”
“You have no intention of handing over the leopardman and the girl, do you?”
Seras didn’t answer, but turned back to face Muaji, sword in hand once more.
“How did you know?” she asked.
“Something about the way you spoke just now. You said ‘all of you,’ did you not? What reason could there be for our whole group to follow you? Surely just a few of us should be sufficient.” Seras didn’t say anything, but Muaji continued. “There is, in fact, no need for you to lead us anywhere. Perhaps it was all just a trick to lead us into range of something, perhaps?”
“Ghh!”
“If that’s correct, your trap can’t affect us if we don’t stumble into it. Get into fighting positions, all of you! Spread out!” Muaji raised his arms and started yelling orders. “Hold positions! Ready your bows!”
Seras now had arrows pointed at her from all directions.
“Aren’t you going to kill me with those curses you keep bragging about?” she said, trying to provoke him.
Muaji smiled condescendingly at her.
“The group I have brought with me today are my Cursed Warriors—something of a personal guard.”
“Cursed Warriors?”
“I’ll let you in on a secret—they’re the spiritual successors to the Assassins’ Guild.”
Seras knew that name. “But the guild itself is long gone. After all—”
“Yes, they were wiped out by those Heroes from Another World—or so it is said. After defeating the root of all evil, they turned their sights on the guild as the next ‘evil’ they could fight.”
Muaji kept talking, smiling all the while.
“The heroes and their descendants traveled the continent, crushing Assassins’ Guild branches and imprisoning or killing their members. Eventually the guild was lost to history, no more than a rumor.”
Seras knew the history of the Assassins’ Guild already—it seemed it was less lost than Muaji thought.
“You… Are you planning to resurrect the guild?”
“No, no. We’ve simply laid claim to their unfinished work. As users of cursed magic, you see—”
“You use the same techniques they did,” Seras said. She remembered the man Ashint had fought with in the tavern—his mouth foaming with blood as he lost consciousness.
“That is correct.”
That was no curse.
“Poison.”
“It is as you say.”
The Assassins’ Guild was well known for using poison.
“Our blends are undetectable by normal means. And, well, we have so many varieties. We can make you go helplessly limp or kill you instantly. The brewing techniques have been passed down in secret through the generations, and only the living descendants of the guild are capable of making our poisons.”
Muaji scratched his chin idly.
“And, well…the Assassins’ Guild was ever so talented at killing without leaving a trace.”
“You’ve been assassinating your targets with poison, then publicly calling it cursed magic.”
Many countries forbade poisons and considered them contraband. Yonato and Alion were particularly strict about it, classifying all poisons as illegal substances and strictly punishing any use or possession of them.
Ashint used a specially made poison that was difficult to detect, and they were always careful to ensure their marks didn’t even know they had been poisoned. As assassins, they then removed any trace they’d ever been there.
That’s all Ashint’s curses were—not magic at all. Poisons were forbidden in many countries, but curses… The existence of a curse in the first place was vague and undefined. No one could prove a curse had been put on somebody—but nobody could prove it hadn’t, either.
“Then what should land in our lap but the fall of the Black Dragon Knights? The sudden death of the Elite Five, who always baselessly claimed the title of the strongest warriors on the continent—”
“Only an inhuman curse could explain their deaths,” Seras cut in, finishing his sentence.
“Exactly. What powers of deduction! Yes, that is why we took the title Black Dragon Slayers for our own. To convince others of the strength of our curses. It was the perfect opportunity.”
He’s right—there was too much left unexplained about the fall of the Elite Five. There was no obvious culprit. Only the ones who were there that day know the truth. Why not blame curses, then? The inexplicable magic of a curse was a convenient way to explain what happened.
“What will you do if the the real killers learn of your lie and expose the truth?” asked Seras.
“Heh heh, maybe your reasoning is worse than I thought. Whoever did the deed was only capable of doing so because we cursed their opponents.”
Arguing with them is pointless. They’ll keep insisting their curses defeated the Elite Five, yet there’s no way of telling if those curses even exist. Not even the true killers can disprove it. In some ways, their argument is unassailable.
“Nobody can prove our curses don’t exist. They might have caused their deaths. That uncertainty is all we need to guarantee our victory. Without solid proof to the contrary, the truth is whatever we say it is.”
“What if the real Black Dragon Slayers come for you?”
“Heh. Even if they did exist, we would wait for our chance to strike and assassinate them. In truth, I believe we could have defeated the Elite Five anyway. Perhaps Civit Gartland was the strongest warrior in combat, but assassins have true strength. Why should anybody fight fair? Real strength lies with those who use poison, strategy, and wit to defeat their foes.”
“…What do you want?”
“Assassination work pays well. There’s always someone who wants someone else out of the picture. We’re going to use Baron Zuan to gain a foothold and work our way slowly into the very heart of this world.”
“Assassinating anyone who gets in your way, I presume?”
“Yes. Eventually, we’ll take a country for ourselves.”
“You plan on controlling Ulza from the shadows?”
“We do.”
That’s why they’re trying to win points with the baron by capturing Eve… Too-ka was right about everything.
“Where are the others?” asked Muaji
“Aside from Eve and the girl, I’m working alone,” replied Seras.
“Hard to imagine you’d attempt to face us single-handedly.”
Seras hesitated, then brought her hand up to her mask. For a moment, the group of Ashint members looked ready to shoot her, but Muaji gestured for them to hold their fire.
“Allow me to show you why I believe I’d be more than a match for you.”
She took off her mask and dispelled her disguise.
“I survived my battle with the Elite Five, after all.”
Muaji’s underlings began to murmur amongst themselves—the wanted posters of Seras had been circulated far and wide, and apparently many of Muaji’s people had seen it.
“Hmm, you’ve even surprised me. The fly swordsman turns out to be Seras Ashrain in disguise…” Muaji looked satisfied. “But now this all makes sense. You’re having the leopardman guide you to the Forbidden Witch in exchange for aiding in her escape. Two wanted runaways taking their chances on the road. Not to mention—”
Muaji scrutinized her closely. “Are you the one who killed the Elite Five?”
“What if I am?”
“No…it wasn’t you. It was someone else.”
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s simple. You’re weak. You couldn’t have possibly overcome the Strongest Man in the World. I believe you’re even weaker than some of my men here.”
Muaji snapped his fingers and a man stepped forward, removing his hood as he did so. His bald head was covered in tattoos, and he had hollow, sunken eyes.
“He was to be one of the leopardman’s opponents in the colosseum. His name is Belgar. And there’s another—”
Muaji pointed toward the forest behind her. Seras squinted into the darkness and could just make out a man on one knee holding a crossbow. The thick bolt glinted dully in the torch light—it was pointed straight at her.
“Belgar’s brother, Varagan. They’re the strongest warriors Ashint has at its disposal.”
Seras could immediately tell that they were a serious threat. She also had a strange sense that she had seen them somewhere before.
“Not to mention—and isn’t this serendipitous! They had a younger brother,” continued Muaji. “Zarash Finebird.”
Seras gasped.
Zarash Finebird…
He was a member of the White Walkers, the deadly band of mercenaries that had pursued Seras before Too-ka killed them all.
“Ringing any bells? That’s right. The one who chased you for so long…these are his older brothers.”
“Zarash was an incompetent kid,” said Belgar, his voice emotionless, “but I can’t believe he was killed by the likes of you. Seras Ashrain doesn’t live up to the rumors. We’re stronger than that failure Zarash was, you can be sure of it.”
“…”
Even with her spirit armor, her battles against the White Walkers had been difficult—and Zarash was the strongest of them.
If these two really are even stronger than he was…
Muaji grinned at her.
“Do you understand now? Ashint isn’t simply a group of assassins and poisoners. We’re more than capable of fighting when we have to.”
The two brothers watched Seras closely, ready to strike as soon as she moved. The moon slipped behind the clouds, and the forest darkened further.
“We have the skills of the Assassins’ Guild, the combat strength of a military power, and, of course, my intellect and insight! A leopardman’s brute strength is no threat to us. Even if the ones who truly defeated the Elite Five came to challenge us, I am confident that we could best them.”
Belgar licked his lips—the others were staring at her too, despite the darkness obscuring the lines of her body.
“What will it be, Seras Ashrain? Any signs of resistance and Varagan’s arrow will pierce you fast and true. If that leopardman comes pouncing out of the shadows, Belgar will crush her in an instant.”
Seras took a step backwards.
“Oh, and I don’t recommend fleeing into the forest. My underlings already have you surrounded.”
“Incredible, Lord Muaji! The girl is ours, completely caught in your trap!” one of his supporters cried.
“You aren’t the only one using a decoy, Seras Ashrain. Shocking, isn’t it?” He spread his arms wide as if divulging his master plan. “We are the decoy!”
He had split his forces in two, one holding torches and one stealthily moving through the darkness. Everything they said to Seras had been a distraction to keep attention off the second group, and now she was surrounded.
“I’ve only been speaking to you to buy some time. My underlings have now completely sealed off your escape,” said Muaji, smiling broadly as he stepped towards her. “You couldn’t help but listen to me tell you all my plans, could you? Oh, I know. People do so love to hear the solutions to mysteries. And I am truly a master of the art of conversation.”
Seras looked over her shoulder for a moment. If there was a trap waiting for them in the forest, the group he sent out in the darkness would’ve been the first victims of it.
They’re just disposable pawns to him.
“Perhaps my underlings have already caught the leopardman and the girl. They are experienced warriors, and impressively quiet, wouldn’t you say? They conceal themselves and sneak up on their targets from behind, for that is the way of the assassin.”
The fickle moon appeared from behind the clouds once more, bathing Seras in its white light. Muaji’s eyes softened.
“Well now, what beauty…”
Those watching Seras couldn’t conceal their excitement. She saw the gleam in their eyes and knew exactly what they were thinking. The two brothers stared, and even calm, composed Muaji couldn’t disguise his interest.
“I will give the blessing to you personally and take you in as a true disciple of the Cursed God. We’ll need to shed your skin first. If you truly know anything about who defeated the Elite Five, my blessing will make you want to divulge every last secret. All those who receive it become bound to obey my every word.”
Blessing? A mind-control drug, perhaps?
The Ashint figures around Seras were closing in now, cutting off her escape.
“The arrows we have trained on you are tipped with poison. One scratch and you’ll freeze up completely. Even if you escape the arrows, I doubt you’ll get away from the brothers. No matter how strong you are, all are powerless against our cursed magic status effects!”
Muaji took another step forward and laughed.
“Checkmate, Seras Ashrain.”
“Ngh…” Seras took a careful step backwards.
“I predicted this outcome from the very beginning—it’s the only reason I’ve told you so much. You were so spellbound by my conversation, by my skills and my truth, that you never even realized I was cutting off your escape. All that’s left is to return that leopardman and the girl to the baron. Down on your knees for me. Let’s hear you beg for forgiveness, shall we?”
Muaji’s eyes gleamed.
“Seras Ashrain, I will grant you the honor of bearing my children. Be grateful…”
The moon disappeared again, a last ray of hope vanishing and leaving Seras in the darkness below.
Sir Too-ka…
Her neck was covered with cold sweat.
Now…
The Lord’s signal came shooting out of the darkness.