Chapter 12: The One-Horned Beast

Chapter 12:
The One-Horned Beast

 

THE ATMOSPHERE in the stands had taken a turn, and the crowd was fully committed. Surprised at the shift, Noelle watched Leon whale on Pierre. Spectators returned as they realized it was safe, inching closer to get a glimpse of Leon’s performance. Soon, Noelle was surrounded by onlookers.

I can’t believe no one has tried to stop this.

It made sense, given everything Pierre had done. But it was more than that.

He’s channeling all the resentment people feel toward the Six Great Houses.

Leon was a lightning rod for revolt against the ruling class. He lacked the Sacred Tree’s divine protection, but he was still making short work of Pierre. That was why the crowd was so abnormally invested. Leon had broken through the insurmountable wall between the republic’s haves and have-nots.

While Noelle was busy watching, someone grabbed her by the arm.

“Lelia?” Noelle gasped as she whipped around to face her sister. Lelia’s hair was a disheveled mess, not least because she’d had to push her way through the crowd.

“Come with me for a sec!” said Lelia.

“But the match isn’t over.”

“We have bigger problems!” Panic-stricken, Lelia tugged at her sister until Noelle left her seat. “There’s a war raging outside!”

Wait, hadn’t Clement said something about that? Noelle turned her gaze to Narcisse. He was discussing something with a small group of people. They glanced down into the arena, looking confused.

Lelia was more flustered than Noelle had ever seen her. “Those morons have made a complete mess out of everything. If I don’t do something soon…”

Noelle shook herself free. Lelia stared at her in confusion. “Sis?”

Noelle turned on her heel and headed back to her seat. “I’m going to watch the rest of Leon’s duel.”

“Sis!” Lelia called after her. “Don’t get too close to those guys! They’re…!”

 

***

 

“Whew, I’m exhausted.” I stepped away from Pierre, finally tired from all the punching. “I’m amazed you don’t wear yourself out doing this. Do you get that much energy from bullying?”

Pierre was lying at my feet, so I gave his head a swift kick. He mumbled something under his breath.

“What are you muttering about?” I cackled. “Guess it doesn’t matter.”

“I declare Leon Fou Bartfort the victor!” Narcisse’s voice boomed across the arena. “Someone, send for medical help!”

A nurse and a doctor in a white coat rushed to Pierre’s side and began checking him over.

“These are some hideous wounds.”

“We should be quick.”

They applied healing magic and set about administering emergency first aid while Pierre grimaced in agony. The doctor was good; Pierre’s face already looked nearly normal. An armed group flooded in to surround him. Pierre apparently thought they were allies, because he immediately resumed his haughty attitude.

You’re as transparent as glass.

Professor Narcisse and Miss Louise raced down from the stands and approached, just in time to hear Pierre’s protests.

“Narcisse! It was him! He’s a cheating bastard! He led me into a trap!”

But Narcisse dismissed his claims. “Enough. You shame yourself, Pierre. Furthermore, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

It was finally time for all of Pierre’s posturing to come back and bite him square in the ass.

Narcisse’s nostrils flared. “Why are you attacking your own family? The combined fleet of the republic had to intervene.”

“What…?” Pierre stared at Narcisse like a deer in headlights.

“Your impropriety during the duel was bad enough,” Miss Louise added angrily. “But this is irredeemable. As much as we would like to send you in for an immediate interrogation, you need to stop your ship first—or rather, the ship you stole from Leon.”

Pierre gaped at her, as though he didn’t understand a word she was saying. “N-no! I don’t know anything about this. I’m innocent! It was him! He trapped me. He did it!”

Pierre stabbed his finger toward me.

I grinned at him. “Seriously? Aren’t you the owner of that ship? Speaking of which, I think it’s time for you to fulfill your promise.”

Professor Narcisse frowned. “Leon, this isn’t the time. Pierre’s subordinates have commandeered your ship. Enough damage has been done. Please, tell us what you know of its weaknesses.”

My smile faded. Some of those around me shifted, sensing the change in my demeanor.

“You want me to cooperate? One of your people stole my ship, did unspeakable things to me and my countrymen, and you want me to cooperate? Let’s cut the bullshit, shall we? I won the duel. And Pierre? That means you will bring me the Einhorn. Immediately.”

A vein popped on Pierre’s forehead. “I already told you,” he snarled. “I don’t know anything—”

He stalled, turning pale as he finally realized his situation.

“What?” I asked. “You can’t bring it here? Did you forget your oath?”

Pierre trembled. “I-I swear I’ll bring it back. R-really! Just wait a little while! I promise you. I’ll do anything you want! Anything! Just give me some time!”

Realization dawned on Miss Louise’s face. She glanced over at me. “Don’t tell me…”

Sadly, it was already too late.

“Gonna beg for mercy, huh? And how did you generally respond to people who begged you? Not that it matters. You’ve pissed off the Sacred Tree now!”

Pierre had broken the terms of his oath. If he lost, he was supposed to return what he’d taken—immediately. The Sacred Tree wasn’t about to let this indiscretion go unpunished. A glowing red circle appeared beneath him, and the other Alzerians pulled away. Even Louise and Narcisse retreated. Only I remained, staring down into the circle.

“So, this is what happens when you anger the Sacred Tree,” I mused.

Marie had mentioned as much in the notes she’d written for me. As for what would happen next…

“No! Please noooo!”

Pierre wailed and scrambled away. He was trying to escape, but ivy shot out of the ground and wrapped around his ankles, dragging him back in. Pierre clawed at the dirt, trying to find purchase.

“Please!” he sobbed. “Please have mercy! I’ll never do it again! I won’t ever disappoint you, I swear! Just don’t take it from me! I don’t want to live without your blessing!”

Miss Louise closed her eyes and turned away, while Narcisse stared at Pierre with horrified curiosity. Meanwhile, I was grinning like a fool.

“Give it up, Pierre. You’ve lost.”

Ivy crawled up his body, twisting around his right hand. Snot and tears poured down Pierre’s face, but he could only watch. “Somebody save me! Anybody!”

He was terrified of the red circle. It was a symbol of fear for anyone who carried a crest on their hand. After all, this circle robbed them of their divine blessing.

Once it was over, the ivy wilted, and the circle disappeared. Pierre lay there in a heap, weeping.

I stepped closer and peered down at his right hand. The crest was gone. I put a hand on his shoulder and kneeled down to whisper in his ear. “Do you realize why this happened?” I asked.

He didn’t answer.

“It’s because you picked a fight with me.”

Pierre peered up at me.

“I would never have gone this far if you had just let us go about our lives,” I said. “I did this because you started it, although I’m sure I’ll find a way to put this experience to good use. Oh, I almost forgot. One more thing: You played the part of village idiot well. I know I was entertained.”

I grinned, and Pierre’s expression contorted with grief and tears.

Miss Louise ventured over. “Leon, you’re even more rotten than I thought you were.” Despite her tone, it didn’t sound like she blamed me for any of this. “Well, what now? Can you stop your ship from wreaking havoc? If you can’t, we’ll have no choice but to destroy it.”

Yeah, good luck with that. Luxion would gleefully dispatch every last one of your ships that tried anything.

I glanced at Arroganz, still covered with Pierre’s hideous decor. “Well, guess I’ll give it a shot.”

If I didn’t intervene soon, Luxion would get carried away. And that could only spell more trouble.

 

***

 

As the Einhorn cruised over Feivel territory, several airships blocked its path. They turned sideways, training their cannons on the rogue vessel, but the Einhorn sank them all long before it entered their range. An enormous castle loomed behind the republic’s fleet—the stronghold of House Feivel. The Alzerian ships were desperate to protect it.

Luxion floated on the Einhorn’s bridge, using gaps in the enemy’s formation to hurl fire at the castle.

“Only targeting areas with no biosignals is exhausting,” he complained.

The castle had deployed its own forces, which joined the republic’s fleet to take the Einhorn down. Luxion intercepted their transmissions.

“Our cannon fire isn’t reaching the enemy ship!”

“It’s hard to believe the kingdom is so powerful! Do they have Precious Orbs on board?”

“Can’t believe Feivel’s own second son would do something so foolish!”

Their conversation confirmed that they regarded the Einhorn as Pierre’s property. Perfect.

Through an outside camera, Luxion had a good view of the castle. The lord of the house was fleeing like a coward. Luxion fired a cannon near his location, just to intimidate him, but the man used his crest to block it.

“The Sacred Tree’s seal can do that too, hm? How intriguing. And what’s this?”

The fleet was moving as well, making way for an enormous vessel that surged toward the Einhorn.

“Their flagship is moving in? Well, it’s not the most efficient use of their resources, but they must feel it’s the only way to take the Einhorn down. Not that I mind what they throw at me.”

The republic flagship was a behemoth, at least a thousand meters long.

“I don’t care how you do it,” barked its commander. “Sink that thing! We can’t let a single ship take down the entire fleet!”

Ah, yes, they’re all so convinced that they’re impervious to invasion, Luxion recalled. He had conducted an in-depth investigation into the matter.

“All of their ships are equipped with a component the kingdom lacks,” he said. “I assume it allows them to harness energy from the Sacred Tree. Yes, that adds up. Their ships have an abundance of power.”

Ships in this world relied on Suspension Stones to power their engines. The republic’s ships had no such stones, however, and instead opted for a far more powerful source of fuel. This increased their capacity for weapons and ammunition and could also be utilized to create a defensive shield.

So long as Alzerian ships were fighting inside their own borders, they were strong. However, when they invaded other nations, their ships were too far out of range to receive the Sacred Tree’s energy and thus lost that valuable advantage.

Their Armors likely worked the same way. The suits that they deployed against Luxion were more impressive than the ones in the kingdom, but his drones still took them down with ease.

“This is all you have?” Luxion lost interest, and he guided the Einhorn to face down the enemy’s flagship. “Hmph, let’s charge.”

They drew closer, and the flagship launched a number of small lifeboats as its crew fled for safety. The horn protruding from the Einhorn’s bow was designed to look like a unicorn’s, but it wasn’t just for decoration. It stabbed into the enemy ship, slicing it open.

“The Einhorn is no mere ship. Your forces cannot compare.”

The republic had earned Luxion’s resentment from the first inspection it forced upon the Einhorn when he and his master first arrived. Now, he redirected all that anger back at them. The flagship was five times larger than the Einhorn, but the Einhorn pierced through it. The Einhorn swayed back and forth, sawing the other vessel in half horizontally. Even after the flagship was sunk, the rampage didn’t end. Luxion turned on the lifeboats.

Then an explosion lit up the sky, but the Einhorn slipped out from the flames without a scratch. People screamed in horror.

“That didn’t damage it at all!”

“Quick! Deploy more ships!”

“We have to stop it! It’s only one ship!”

While the republic fleet continued their onslaught, Luxion’s attention was drawn elsewhere. His drones had retrieved a faintly green Precious Orb from the flagship.

“Ah yes,” said Luxion. “This will make a fine souvenir for Master.”

 

***

 

From the safety of a lifeboat, the commander of the republic’s fleet watched his flagship go down in flames. His face contorted in despair as he stared wide-eyed at the Einhorn.

“What is that ship? Some kind of monster?”

He was consumed with grief. Who could have thought he’d be in charge of the fleet on the day their winning streak ended? It would have been one thing if they’d lost to a ship of the republic, but this monstrosity had been built in Holfort.

“Now there’s nothing that can stop it…” he mumbled.

With their flagship gone, they had no defenses left and no way to put an end to this menace.

Just as he gave up hope, a small ship sailed onto the battlefield.

“What’s that?”

“Commander,” a subordinate with a communicator reported. “It’s Lady Louise of House Rault. She says they will put a stop to the enemy vessel!”

A black Armor lifted off from the deck of the small ship and soared through the sky, heading straight for the Einhorn. Several drones crowded around it, but the Armor kicked them away and landed safely. A boy leaped out onto the Einhorn’s deck. How had me managed to board the enemy vessel so easily? The republic’s forces hadn’t even been able to get close!

The commander sighed and pulled his hat down over his face. “It’s too late now. We’re already defeated.”

One only needed to glance down at the sea of flaming wreckage below to see how many of their ships had been sunk.

“O Sacred Tree, bring your divine justice down upon that monster.”

 

***

 

As I stepped onto the Einhorn’s deck, Luxion was waiting for me. A number of drones were lined up on either side of him, and his red eye fixed on me.

“If you had only given me five more minutes, I could have destroyed House Feivel’s stronghold in its entirety.”

I chuckled. “You haven’t changed at all. Anyway, now that you’ve served Pierre, do you finally appreciate me? You really are lucky to have such an amazing master, you know.”

“I will admit Pierre was terrible. To borrow a human term, you might say that he disgusted me so much that I wanted to gag. Although I would like to remind you that all of this was your fault.”

“You’re the one who decided to side with him,” I said. “It had nothing to do with me.”

I set off walking, and Luxion took up his usual place over my shoulder.

“It was the most effective solution,” he said. “Not that I expect you to understand. However, thanks to my reconnaissance, I managed to get quite a bit of information out of Pierre.”

The Einhorn’s corridors were far messier than when I’d left. Luxion had kept up with the cleaning, but many of the decorations and fittings were suspiciously missing.

“It looks like a bunch of pirates came through here,” I said.

“Well, more than half of them were air pirates, so you’re not entirely wrong.”

“I don’t even know how to respond to that.”

As surprising as it was to learn what kind of people Pierre considered friends, I had to turn my attention to other matters. I accepted the shotgun the drones had loaded for me, filled with nonlethal bullets.

“So, did you learn anything interesting?” I asked.

“Yes. I was able to get a good look at the republic’s internal affairs.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“What are your plans now?” Luxion asked.

Beating Pierre bloody had been merely a sideshow. The republic itself was the main attraction.

“I’m going to teach Alzer a little lesson about how vast the world really is,” I said. “Although of course they’ll have to pay me for my time and attention.”

“To clarify,” said Luxion, “you mean to use vastly superior technology—in other words, me—to ‘teach’ the Alzer Republic a lesson, yes? I fail to see how this makes you any different from them.”

“I’m just taking them down a peg. Once they realize they’re not top dog, maybe they’ll start behaving better.”

“You truly enjoy lording my power over these people, don’t you?”

“Sure do. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Finally, we arrived in the storage hangar, where Pierre’s subordinates were all tied up and waiting. They really had made a mess of the place.

“Filthy rats, turning my ship into a garbage dump. We’ll have to charge them extra for this.”

The majority of them shrank away as I walked in, but a few glared at me.

“Oh? Looking for a fight, huh?”

One of them leaped to his feet. Even with his arms still bound, he tried to threaten me. “You bastard, how dare you—”

I had heard enough of this kind of nonsense. I fired my shotgun, and he collapsed to the floor, cringing in pain.

“Shut up,” I said. “And be glad! I’ve beaten your boss, Pierre. He cried like a little weenie, and he no longer has the protection of the Sacred Tree. Congratulations! He can’t protect you anymore.”

The group exchanged looks and muttered to each other.

“This is why I was against this whole thing from the start.”

“I don’t remember you complaining before!”

“W-well, what do we do now?”

I fired another shot into the air to shut them all up.

“Um, e-excuse me?” one of them said. He was wearing an academy uniform and had the sniveling face of someone who was used to sucking up to others. “I don’t have anything to do with these other guys. Could you help me out? If you do, I swear I’ll make it worth your while.”

I glanced at Luxion for confirmation.

“He’s lying. He was the first one to jump in to hurt Jean and Brad.”

The boy’s face contorted with rage. “You stupid familiar!”

I fired my shotgun at him. Everyone else fell silent.

“You can make your excuses to the republic bigwigs,” I spat.

“Master,” said Luxion. “A republic ship is approaching. They are demanding to board. What would you like to do?”

“Threaten to sink them if they try it.”

Pierre’s subordinates trembled.

“Now,” I said sweetly. “I’m not going to kill you, but I am going to hurt you. A lot. No complaints there, right? You’ve already screwed over plenty of people, so you must have known this was coming.”

I loaded up my shotgun and cocked it, turning the barrel toward them.

“You beat the crap out of Brad and poor Jean. It’s time to pay your debts.”

No matter how they screamed and wailed, I fired on them mercilessly.

 

***

 

The leaders of the Six Great Houses gathered for an emergency meeting at the temple to discuss the one-horned beast, the Einhorn.

“I cannot believe this.”

“You’re telling me our whole fleet lost to one kingdom ship?!”

“We need to examine this vessel immediately!”

It was hard to fathom how this one ship had managed to completely obliterate their defensive forces. The battle wasn’t over yet, but it was hardly exaggerating to call it a total loss.

Albergue, the acting chairman, wore a tense expression. “Lord Lambert, care to explain this?”

According to Lambert’s report, House Feivel had only recently claimed possession of the ship in question. No one had ever imagined it would pose this much of a threat. Lambert shook with rage, like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

“I’ll demand compensation from the kingdom! Do any of you realize how much damage my territory has sustained?! Not just my harbor—my ships, and even my military facilities have been destroyed! The republic should not stand for this!”

Fernand turned to Albergue. “This is getting us nowhere. How are negotiations going with the owner of the ship, Acting Chairman?”

And there was the rub.

“Not well.”

The Einhorn’s original (and now current) owner, Leon, had claimed that Pierre owned the ship at the time of the attack, so the damages it had caused had nothing to do with him. Furthermore, he claimed that he and the other exchange students were the real victims and that they expected compensation.

Albergue was having difficulty understanding why his daughter supported this man. Louise, what in the world is going through your head?

As the meeting continued, the five other leaders looked on in disgust as Lambert howled that none of this was his fault.

 

***

 

After the Einhorn stood down, I returned to Marie’s mansion to check on Elle, who was lying on her side in her bed.

“She’s not eating anymore, huh?”

Our biggest problem had been dealt with, but Elle was fast approaching the end of her life.

Luxion gazed down at her. “She’s lived longer than I anticipated. I’m surprised.”

Noelle slipped in beside me to check on the dog. “I wonder if Jean will make it in time.”

I’d sent Marie to the hospital to fetch him as soon as Elle stopped moving her legs.

“He’ll make it,” I said. “Marie might look useless, but she’s pretty good at healing magic.”

Although I’d already sent her to visit Jean several times, and he still hadn’t opened his eyes.

Suddenly, noise broke out behind us. The door flew open, and Jean raced in. He was still covered in bandages and wearing his hospital gown.

“Noelle!”

Noelle smiled and urged him over. “Jean, you made it! See, Elle, he came for you!”

Jean reached toward her, and Elle licked at his hand. He stroked her head, tears pouring from his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Noelle.”

“Odd that she seems to recognize him,” said Luxion. “Her eyes and nose have already shut down.”

“It’s love,” I said. “It makes my heart ache.” I should be happy that he made it, but part of me feels responsible for all this.

Jean’s face was a mess of tears, but Elle just lapped them away.

“Thank you, old girl, for everything.”

His words made my chest squeeze.

Luxion had allowed me to accomplish far more than I ever could on my own. As a result, I had more responsibilities than most.

It isn’t good to think like this. I was just an average guy. I couldn’t shoulder every problem in the world. It would have been arrogant to even try.

I slipped out of the room, and Luxion tagged along behind me. I was surprised he had that much tact. Noelle stood up to follow.

“Why don’t you stay with him?” I suggested.

“It’s fine. They need some time alone. It’s a family thing, after all.”

“Well, okay, I guess.”

I didn’t think it would be a problem if she stayed with Jean, but that wasn’t my decision. Noelle came with us as we left.