Chapter 1: Staying Behind

Chapter 1:
Staying Behind

 

DURING OUR SUMMER VACATION, my friends and I visited the town of Honest in the neighboring kingdom of Rosette. We were there to visit my older brother, but Honest was no ordinary town. In fact, it had been cursed by Gaien, its former hero—who had installed a stone in the center of town to attract monsters. Fortunately, we were able to destroy the stone and save the town from the latest attack. Because of that, we were invited to Rosette’s capital to be recognized by the king himself for our efforts.

Unfortunately, summer vacation was already over and we knew with absolute certainty that Ms. Elena, our homeroom teacher, would be very upset if we were late getting back. But it wasn’t like we could turn down a king. So, with that hanging over our heads, we took a carriage to the capital. At least there was never a dull moment, as Emma, Luna, Leila, and Lola were with me.

“Mr. Stardia, we have arrived at the capital,” the coachman called back to us.

We climbed out of the carriage and looked around at the city.

“Wow,” I said. “It’s huge!”

“I know, right?” said Emma. “I feel kinda nervous.”

“Really?” I asked. “You don’t normally get nervous, Emma.”

“Of course I do!” she protested. “I always get nervous. I’m as delicate as a flower!”

I was pretty sure she was playing a little fast and loose with the truth, but I didn’t argue back. Instead, we walked through the city gates and were swallowed by the crowd.

“This place is really bustling,” Lola said.

“Indeed,” Luna agreed. “But then, it is the capital.”

They seemed excited as we headed into the city, peering into shop windows. There were a lot of clothing stores here, and they weren’t all armor shops either. Many sold fashionable women’s styles.

“Noir, would you like to come pick out clothes for me?” Lola said, grabbing my arm.

It really was more of a statement of intent than a question. She dragged me toward a shop, but Emma seized my other arm.

“Hey! I want Noir to pick out my clothes too!”

“Is there even anything you can wear here?” Lola asked. “Won’t that chest of yours just burst out of everything?”

“Rude! As if you’re one to talk. Your outfit doesn’t even have a back. It’s perverted!”

“It’s not perverted,” Lola protested. “It’s sexy!”

The two of them got into fights like this all the time, but this one seemed more like they were just blowing off steam. They even looked strangely relieved when they finished bickering. That said, I didn’t want to cause a scene in the middle of town, so we all headed toward the shop together. However, before we could reach it, Luna called out behind us.

“Watch out! You’re going to run into—”

“Huh?”

Lola bumped into an older woman who was walking behind us. I quickly pulled Lola away to avoid a total disaster, and we both bowed our heads in apology. That sort of thing was probably unavoidable when the city was so crowded.

“Guys,” Leila said, grimacing, “I’m going after her.”

Leila? But before I could ask her what was happening, both she and the older woman took off running. I had no choice but to go after them.

Leila was the most physically fit of all of us, so there was no way a mere housewife could outrun her—or at least, there shouldn’t have been a way! But this woman was shockingly fast.

Just not fast enough to evade Leila’s grasp.

“You stole her wallet, didn’t you?” Leila demanded. “Hand it over.”

“Excuse me?!” the woman protested. “I’ve done no such thing!”

“Don’t play dumb. I saw you take it!” Leila shoved her hand into the woman’s purse. When she took it back out again, she held Lola’s wallet.

“I think that belongs to me!” Lola took it from Leila’s hand.

“She snatched it when you ‘ran into’ her,” Leila explained.

The thief couldn’t say a thing. The evidence was indisputable. Instead, the woman pulled a pair of daggers from her skirts, twirling them around her fingers. Leila took a step back, pulling Luna and Lola out of the way.

“I think that’s my cue!” Emma jumped into the fray. After all, she knew a thing or two about daggers herself.

As she and the woman exchanged blows, I cleared the area of bystanders to make sure no one got hurt. I thought it wouldn’t take Emma long to deal with this thief, but after a few moments, it became clear that I was way wrong. This woman was going toe-to-toe with her! Emma still had the upper hand, but there was definitely something different about this woman. I used my Discerning Eye on her.

 

Name: Lanessa Caccaro

Age: 44

Species: Human

Level: 48

Occupation: Unemployed

Skills: Dual Wielding Daggers (Grade C); Stone Bullet

 

She might have been unemployed, but she was actually pretty strong! I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn she was an adventurer or something.

“Dammit! Why are you so strong, you big-boobed bimbo?!”

“Who are you calling a bimbo?!”

Emma put all her weight into her next blow, knocking one of the woman’s daggers from her hand. After that, the woman didn’t stand a chance. At least, not in a fair fight. She must have realized this, because she pointed her remaining dagger at me. I thought perhaps she was looking for a way out, but the second she extended her arm, I knew what was coming. Sure enough, a moment later she fired off a Stone Bullet. I countered it with one of my own, and of course, mine was several times larger. Once again, the thief found herself outclassed.

“That doesn’t look like a normal Stone Bullet!” she protested.

“Apologies for interrupting your moment of shock.”

I kicked the remaining dagger out of her hand, then grabbed her arm and threw her over my shoulder. She screamed, but I didn’t let that distract me. Once she was on the ground, I restrained her with one of the joint locks Leila had taught me. The woman struggled at first, but before long, she accepted her loss.

“You’re strong, kid!” she said.

“That was so cool!” someone shouted.

A crowd had started to gather around us.

“The guards will be here soon, so it won’t be much longer.”

One of the other passersby broke into spontaneous applause. It was all a little embarrassing. In any case, with Lola’s wallet back where it belonged, all that was left was to find out what this woman had thought she was doing. After all, she was hardly pickpocketing for the cash. Her clothes and her weapons were too well made for that.

“I…just need money,” she said.

“Why don’t you just sell those daggers then?” I asked her.

“If I did that, Master Iesu would…”

But the moment that name crossed her lips, her whole demeanor changed somehow. Her mouth opened wide and she started panting, like she was in pain. I was worried I was holding her too tightly, so I loosened my grip, careful of the fact she could be acting. But almost immediately, her face turned purple and she started to foam at the mouth.

“Noir, get away from her!” Emma shouted.

I jumped back, and it was just as well I did—an ominous purple liquid pooled under her body. Was it some kind of magic? It looked like some kind of poison spell.

Luna rushed to try to help, but it was too late. The light went out of the woman’s eyes and her heart stopped beating. I scanned the area and soon spotted a masked figure standing on a rooftop.

“Up there!” I shouted. “He must be the one responsible!”

But as soon as I’d spoken, the man jumped onto another roof and took off running.

We were still standing there stunned when the guards finally showed up. At least the bystanders were kind enough to explain what had happened, and that we weren’t responsible for the woman’s death.

“The masked man I saw used some kind of magic to kill her,” I said. “He might have even been someone she knew.”

I was mumbling, but the guard heard me. His face turned grim at my words, and slowly, he filled me in on what was happening in Rosette.

 

***

 

“He’s the leader of a vile insurgent group trying to usurp the throne,” the guard explained as we stood over the thief’s body. “The Fangs of Wrath. Their leader is called Iesu, and some of the group’s members are fanatics.”

So this woman was a member of the Fangs of Wrath and had been killed for failing to complete her job. Apparently, the group’s “fundraising” activities included everything from pickpocketing to robbery and muggings. Nothing was off the table. The more they disturbed the peace, the better.

“Why are they trying to overthrow the government?” I asked.

“Iesu probably can’t stand the fact that he isn’t king himself,” said the guard. “They’ve been getting more aggressive lately too. We’re having trouble keeping them in check.”

Emma leaned over to mutter in my ear. “We really can’t catch a break, can we?”

I had to agree—trouble seemed to follow us wherever we went.

“Maybe I’m cursed or something…” Luna said, echoing my own thoughts.

For now, we let the guard deal with the woman’s body and headed to the castle. All the same, I had a bad feeling about what would happen next, and my bad feelings tended to be right.

We made our way toward the castle, and when we gave our names to the guards at the gate, they let us in politely.

“Hey, how much do you think this carpet costs?”

“Gotta be something crazy expensive. Like, way out of my price range. I bet Emma’s family could afford it, though.”

“Oh, don’t be silly!”

I smiled at their banter as we climbed the stairs to the third floor, where the throne room was located. The moment we reached the top of the stairs, a row of soldiers parted to let us through. I was startled for a moment. Back home, my family were little better than commoners. I wasn’t used to respectful treatment.

The throne stood on the far side of the room, decorated with gold and copious details. The man sitting in it had a profoundly impressive physique—I’m not sure I’d ever seen a quadruple chin before. He must have been around forty years old, while the queen sitting beside him was a beautiful blonde woman who didn’t look much older than us. That was some age gap there!

We came up to the throne and knelt before the king, as was proper.

“We are called Gyro,” he said. “Tales of your great deeds in Honest have reached our ears. We commend you.”

“You are far too generous, Your Majesty,” I replied.

“Noir Stardia, we presume? We have heard of your skill and the competence of your companions. Thus, we must solicit your assistance.”

I knew it! My sixth sense was always right about these things. Whatever he was about to ask, I was sure it would have something to do with the Fangs of Wrath. It didn’t take long before I was proven right. As we listened, the king asked us to deal with the Fangs—and to take out Iesu if we could. It sounded like a lot of hassle. All I really wanted to do was go home.

And it wasn’t even just that I wanted to. I had to go home. I had schoolwork to do, and Lola and Luna both had work-work. It wasn’t like we could just hang around here as long as we wanted.

“I apologize, Your Majesty,” I said. “But we really need to head back.”

But the king wasn’t done yet. “We shall grant you titles if you kill Iesu!”

“That’s nice, but—”

“Very well then, Stardia,” he said. “We shall ask for your assistance and yours alone. And we shall not suffer ‘no’ as an answer.”

He signaled to the burly soldiers near the stairs, and they moved to block off our escape. What exactly was Gyro’s plan here? I couldn’t imagine he was going to execute us if we refused. Then again, judging from what we’d seen of him so far, he didn’t seem like a particularly wise ruler.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll stay behind by myself.”

Emma looked dismayed. “Noir?!”

She was worried about me, but I reassured her that I’d be fine. Although, to be honest, nothing about this was fine. I still had to say something to make her and the others feel better.

“Yes,” said Gyro. “We are most pleased that you’ve chosen to take the mutually beneficial route. You are wiser than your years, Stardia. But before you leave, we wish for the blonde one to stay—she has piqued our interest.”

Why did he want to see Emma alone? I asked, but Gyro insisted that he’d only speak to her directly. I didn’t trust him, but it wasn’t like we had much choice. We headed downstairs to the entrance and waited for Emma.

“Why do you think he wanted to talk to her alone?” Lola asked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t think Emma’s family has anything to do with this kingdom, but maybe it could be diplomatic?”

Leila frowned. “I’ll ask around.”

She spent the next few minutes talking to several of the maids who were cleaning the palace’s elaborate furnishings. When she came back, she looked concerned.

“They said that this King Gyro guy is a sucker for curvy blonde women,” she said. “Apparently, he has eight mistresses, and they’re all blonde.”

“I’ll be right back!” I shouted.

Almost before the words were out of my mouth, I was racing back up those stairs. I knew that bastard was going to try to coerce Emma into becoming mistress number nine.

This time, when I reached the line of soldiers on the third floor, they stood firm, blocking my way. Behind the door, I could hear the king shouting angrily in the throne room.

“You dare make a mockery of us?! However friendly you may be with Stardia, we shall not suffer such mistreatment!”

Was he actually trying to threaten her?

“Get out of the way, please,” I told the soldiers.

But they just shook their heads.

“We’ve been ordered not to allow anyone inside. Even with everything you have done, Mr. Stardia, you must wait here. If you attempt to force your way through, we shall have no choice but to take serious action.”

They meant it too. They even drew their swords. I’d wanted to resolve this without causing any more trouble, but by now I was pissed.

I fired a foot-wide Stone Bullet at their feet, knocking a number of them over and clearing a path to the door.

“Ow!”

“Ouch!”

“Ugh.”

“What?!”

While the soldiers clutched at their injured feet, I leaped over them—the sound of their shouts echoing behind me as I burst into the throne room and raced to Emma’s side.

“Noir?!” she said. “What are you doing here?!”

“He’s trying to convince you to become another one of his mistresses, isn’t he?” I said. “And he was yelling at you because you said no, right?”

Emma blinked at me. “Right! That’s exactly what happened!”

I smirked, but now wasn’t really the time to be smug. If nothing else, we were surrounded by irate soldiers. This was going to get messy.

King Gyro was beetroot-red with rage. I wondered if name-dropping Duke Schoen and General Stey might help, but I soon dismissed the idea. After all, Gyro was a king. He outranked both of our allies.

“Even if we both end up wanted criminals and on the lam,” Emma said, “I won’t mind at all as long as I’m with you, Noir.”

“Wanted criminals within hours of reaching the capital, huh?” I said. “That sounds like fun.”

“Fun?! I thought you would say the opposite.”

“Exactly!” I shouted, almost in tears.

The king’s shouting grew louder and louder as he struggled with his meager vocabulary to find new ways to insult us.

We put our lives on the line to save Honest and this is the treatment we get?

“King Gyro,” I said. “You can say what you will, but know that I possess abilities that will allow me to strike you ill without so much as lifting a finger.”

“S-surely you jest?!” Gyro spluttered. “We will not be deceived!”

“Your funeral, buddy.”

I was within range and I had plenty of LP, so I could Bestow a skill on him if I needed to. Maybe Feeble would work? No, it needed to be something obvious. Emma stepped in front of me, gripping her daggers. The king realized we were serious, because his tone immediately became more pleading.

“Wait! Let us be civil!”

“We’ll think about it,” I said. “If you accept Emma’s decision and forgive us for our actions in this incident.”

“Well,” said Gyro. “Forgiving all of your impertinence may not be possible…”

“We are from a neighboring kingdom, and you are not our king. You have tried to take Emma against her will,” I said, drawing my sword with a flourish. “We are simply defending ourselves.”

I was getting desperate, but I would fight if I had to.

According to my Discerning Eye, the soldiers around us varied quite a lot in strength and ability. Still, if I targeted their weak spots, I was confident that Emma could get away, at least.

“Noir!” Emma cried. “Are you really going to use that sword? It makes people sick with a single touch!”

It took me a moment to see her angle, but when I did, I played right along.

“What choice do I have?” I said. “You know my plague sword is so effective. Ah ha ha ha ha ha!”

I brandished the sword and cackled for good measure. Glancing over my shoulder, the soldiers were backing away. I could hardly blame them. I mean, who wanted to end up on the end of a plague sword?

The king realized he was losing his men and, at length, swallowed his pride. “Very well,” he said. “We shall…overlook all of your many offenses. Sheathe your blade, sir.”

He signaled the soldiers to back off, and I obliged by putting my sword away. I kept my hand on the hilt just in case.

But the problem was solved for now, right?

 

***

 

Maybe not. The atmosphere in the throne room remained tense. I really didn’t want to be there. For one, I didn’t want to put Emma and the others at risk, but I was also sick of being such a bottom-rung aristocrat and having to grovel to everyone all the time. Thanks a ton, Dad!

At least what Gyro wanted was simple: Justice brought to the Fangs of Wrath, to repay them for all the troubles they’d caused the town and their attempts to seize the castle. Of course, this included their leader, Iesu. King Gyro had no qualms about flat-out asking me to assassinate the guy. It seemed Iesu was resourceful and charismatic enough to be a real threat.

“Those cretins have been using assassins not even ten years of age,” said the king. “We must destroy them by any means necessary !”

Wow, this guy really did not have a filter. I was glad he wasn’t my king.

“That’s easier said than done,” I replied. “This is a big risk for me. I mean, you guys haven’t been able to deal with the Fangs yourselves, so what do you expect an outsider like me to do?”

“Hrmph…”

Gyro had pissed me off, so I had to get that jab in. Then again, he was a king, so it was best to leave it at that.

Regardless, there was no way I was going to assassinate someone just on Gyro’s say-so. Instead, we settled for me assisting in his capture. Once we’d been briefed about the Fangs of Wrath, we headed out of the castle to join the others.

Emma clung to my arm the whole way. Seemed she was pleased that I’d stepped in to defend her honor. Also, having her body pressed against mine earned me some LP on the way down the stairs, so I couldn’t complain.

We headed straight to the town gates so I could say goodbye to the others. Of course, they all wanted to stay and help, but I wouldn’t allow it. They all really needed to get home.

“Promise me you’ll run away if things get too dangerous?” Emma said, almost tearful. “I swear, if you don’t come back, I’ll punch you so hard, you’ll never forget it!”

I had to admit that she was kind of cute when she got like this.

I stood and watched their carriage pull away, then returned to town to gather information. What Gyro had told me wasn’t exactly useful. With so few leads to work with, it sounded like this Iesu was a slippery fellow. Even so, everyone in town had heard of him. With every story I heard, he sounded a little more terrifying. This guy had handed adventurers their own asses and fought elite soldiers who hadn’t been able to lay a finger on him.

Um, you folks realize I need to fight this guy, right? Couldn’t you give me a happier version of these stories?

Apparently, there were even a number of local factions that supported the Fangs. It didn’t take me long to find an old man who sympathized with them.

“I mean, sure,” he said, “the Fangs are pretty radical, but they want to kill the king and end the monarchy. As far as goals go, well…”

I got similar stories from a bunch of people. In private, it seemed a lot of folks would be pleased if Gyro was killed.

That made me kinda curious, so I started asking about why people had such bad feelings toward the monarchy. It didn’t take long before I started wishing that I hadn’t asked. Apparently, the nobility in this country often abused their powers. The worst of it was something called “Noble Fight Club” where poor commoners were used for sport. Of course, it was only a “game” to the nobles involved. Just the thought of it made me sick.

Maybe I’d be better off heading home. Almost as soon as that thought popped into my head, I found myself walking back toward the city gates.

“No!” I said for the benefit of the man who was following me, who I assumed was one of Gyro’s subordinates. “I have to keep trying! I’m gonna get this guy, no matter what it takes.”

Was that the right amount of enthusiasm? Who could tell?

Either way, I turned to the Great Sage for help: Is a man named Iesu, or someone operating under that name, to be found in this town?

<There is one approximately 256 yards south-southeast, and another approximately 439 yards north-northeast.>

I’d narrowed it down to two already? That was good going!

I followed up by asking the Great Sage for any particular physical characteristics for these two individuals. Apparently, they were both young men. One was slender with long brown hair and a prominent mole on the back of his neck. The other had short, ash-gray hair and a scar on his right elbow.

That was enough questions for now. I did have some immunity to the Great-Sage-induced headaches, thanks to my skill, but it wasn’t perfect, and Emma wasn’t here to kiss it better if I got reduced to tears by some massive migraine.

Instead, I started with the man who was closest, using my steps to measure the distance until I ended up in a park.

“A slender brown-haired man with a mole…” I mumbled to myself.

I glanced at everyone I passed, but they all looked normal. Completely normal, in fact. Then I noticed someone lying on a bench and smoking a cigar. I approached slowly, planning to use my Discerning Eye to determine his identity. It wouldn’t work if he had a Conceal skill, but it was worth a shot. But before I had a chance to activate the skill, the man locked eyes with me.

“Hey, kid.”

“Huh? Wh-who, me?”

He had a deep, commanding voice. It startled me.

“You ain’t from around here, are you, kid?” he asked.

“No, I’m not. I actually just got here. I’m sightseeing.”

“Now that’s hilarious,” he said, getting to his feet.

Before I could stop him, he reached out and covered my eyes with his hand. I panicked and reached for my sword. Had he seen through me already?

“Now, now,” said the man. “Don’t be hasty. I just wanna hear about this place you’re from.”

He drew his hand back and showed me the mosquito he’d caught between his fingers. He crushed it and smiled at me.

Oh, I see. Maybe he’s not a bad guy after all?

He did have a mole on his neck, so he had to be the guy I was looking for. I thanked him for saving me from the bug bite and quickly used Discerning Eye.

 

Name: Joss Trovia

Age: 24

Species: Human

Level: 69

Occupation: Explorer

Skills: Swordsmanship (Grade A); Stone Bullet; Improved Tackle

 

He was stronger than I’d expected. I was still much more skilled, but that A-Grade Swordsmanship skill was impressive. Since his only occupation was “explorer,” he probably wasn’t the Iesu I was looking for. Although would Iesu’s ambitions even show up in occupation field? Pseudonyms didn’t appear, after all.

“I was thinkin’ it was about time I get exploring again, so I wanna hear about where you’re from,” he said.

“I’d love to chat, but I’m a little busy right now.”

“Then promise me you’ll tell me about it next time we meet, kid.”

I nodded and made a swift retreat, heading toward the other potential Iesu. It was just gut instinct, but I was fairly certain the man in the park wasn’t the one I was looking for. He didn’t seem particularly on guard…just like he wanted to talk. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but it was time to find the second man.

I backtracked to where I’d begun, then headed north-northeast until I found myself in a city square. The place was full of street performers using their skills and sleight of hand to entertain their audience. There was a big stone stairway nearby where people from all walks of life sat to watch. The square brimmed with a comfortable, laid-back atmosphere. It was a shame that Emma and the others couldn’t stay to see it.

Bringing myself back to the task at hand, I searched for the ashen-haired man until one of the performers—a man with a face painted white and a bright red nose—beckoned me over. He handed a bunch of beanbags to me.

“Uh-hoo!” he cried in a strange voice. “Why don’cha give those a throw, buddy boy?”

“I’m not your buddy, and I’m definitely not a little boy—I’m sixteen!”

“All the same,” said the man. “I’m sure we can surprise even someone as self-assured as you!”

No way in hell am I gonna be surprised, I thought as I tossed the beanbags like he’d asked.

The performer caught them one after another, then held his hands up for everyone to see. The beanbags had vanished. The crowd was delighted.

I squinted at where the bags had been and used Discerning Eye. Just as I suspected, he had C-Grade Pocket Dimension. He must have been making a pocket just in front of his hand and stowing them away before anyone could notice. It was impressive, but more than anything, I wanted to wipe the smug look off his face. He held up his hands again and the beanbags had returned. The audience was amazed.

“I can do that too,” I said. “Throw them at me.”

“Hm? It’s not easy.”

“Trust me.”

He looked dubious—then he threw them at me all at once.

Hey! I meant one at a time!

I somehow managed to get them all stowed away, although I was pretty sure the audience saw exactly how I did it. For his part, the white-faced man looked confused.

“That’s a rare skill,” I told him. “I’d never considered using it like that. Thanks for the inspiration!”

However talented someone was with their skill, it was the user that made a skill worth it. A brilliant, creative person could use any skill to turn the tables in their favor, but the opposite was also true. An average person would only ever get average results. That’s why it was important to remain focused and not get too big-headed—wait, I didn’t have time for this philosophizing! I had something important to do!

I went back to looking for the ashen-haired man. He had to be around here somewhere, but before I could find him, my attention was drawn by a fight on the other side of the square. One of the other performers was arguing with a gray-haired man. Could he be the one I was looking for?

As I hurried over, I listened to what they were saying. From what I could gather, the portly performer had misjudged his fire-breathing act and sprayed fire all over the other man’s clothes. Even though it had been put out right away, the gray-haired man was furious, and now the performer was getting mad too.

I was firmly on the spectator’s side, though—the performer had made a mistake and just needed to apologize. Surely it wasn’t that hard! I don’t know, maybe it was more difficult for adults. They had too much pride in the way. I hoped I didn’t end up like that when I grew up. As I mulled over that, the fight developed into a real brawl.

“Eeek!”

The gray-haired man drew a sword, and the crowd scattered as the two of them faced off. The performer made the first move. He took a swig of alcohol and blew a plume of fire, large enough to engulf a whole person. Wasn’t that a bit much? Even if his opponent was armed, it seemed like overkill. Yet when the flames dissipated, no one stood where they had been. What was happening?

“Huh?”

The performer was just as confused as I was, but a moment later, his face went white as a sheet. The point of a sword pressed firmly against his back. When had the gray-haired man gotten behind him?

“You’ve got two choices: You either die, or I beat the hell out of you. Choose.”

“What if I say neither?” the performer asked.

“Then I wish you the best of luck in the afterlife.”

“Stop! You can punch me once, okay?! Just don’t kill me, please!”

After that, the performer was beaten to a pulp. Despite the fire-breather’s pleas, the gray-haired man didn’t stop after one hit. I counted twelve before I had to close my eyes, shutting out the sight of the performer’s swollen face.

When the swordsman was finally satisfied, he turned to leave. I was just about to follow him when something stopped me dead in my tracks. Another person emerged from the crowd to quietly follow the swordsman. His hair was gray as ash as well.

How many of these guys could there be?!