Chapter 192: Six-Fifty
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
On an empty street at dawn, Thales raced down an alley, panting. He then came out to a wider roadway.
’Aida...’
Aida... should be fine. Despite how unreliable she seemed, she had taken down a supreme ss Blood nsman in the birch tree forest on her own.
’I can’t be distracted. There’s no use in thinking too much about it. It won’t help...’ Thales tried desperately to shrug off his worry.
He felt thirsty all of a sudden.
Thales scooped up a handful of snow out of habit; something he adopted as a child beggar during the winter. He then rubbed the ball of snow and stuffed it into his mouth.
Then the prince, whose jaw chattered in agony due to the snow, looked up at Little Rascal and asked, "Is this ce West-Express Avenue?"
However, thetter remained speechless. Her head was lowered.
Thales melted the snow in his mouth and swallowed the water.
He stared at the dazed Little Rascal, feeling concerned.
The tragedy they witnessed in the pce, the havoc caused by the cmities, the assassination of the king and the blood spilled—this horrid day had terrified the poor child.
Everything that happened was too much for her...
Even he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
’How did all of this start?
’The moment Lampard sent his soldiers to escort me to Dragon Clouds City, he had nned all of this? His aim was to assassinate the king, and start a coup?
’How did he do it?
’If a legion of two thousand men were ignored because they came with him under the name of escorting him... then, when he brought the army into the city, did the vassals, nobles, citizens, soldiers, and officials not notice them?
’King Nuven appeared to be a brilliant king. The creepy olddy Calshan seemed far from harmless. How could the two of them allow such a w in the capital city’s security?
’Unless...’
A horrifying answer arose.
’No way.’
He swallowed slowly and walked on, holding Little Rascal by the hand. He decided to think from a different perspective.
’I drew in the Mystics, didn’t I?’
The fight between Giza and Asda wreaked havoc on Shield District. It demolished the entire area, and affected a significant portion of the armed forces in Dragon Clouds City.
That was why King Nuven left Heroic Spirit Pce and came to Shield District. ’So, the one who will take the me for the king’s assassination will be me?’
Thales was rmed by his thought.
’If this was truly caused by the Mystics and me—how incredibly lucky Lampard was!’
Thales rubbed his forehead vigorously. His ’highly efficient brain’, which had helped him greatly in the past was in distress.
He sighed, putting these concerns aside. He forced himself to stay focus despite the extreme fatigue and continued his journey.
This had to be West-Express Avenue. If he was not mistaken, this winding, empty street was Armor District.
Aida had mentioned that the blockade set up for the cmitiesy beyond this path. He would run into people from the capital there.
Thinking of this, Thales hesitated.
She also told him that the patrol teams, or people who were dressed in patrol uniforms were suspicious. She was not certain how many of them worked for Lampard.
It was best not to trust them.
Even the ones who were loyal to Walton could easily divulge his information to Lampard.
The once-magnificent King Nuven could no longer protect them.
’Haih.’
How ironic. He was with the granddaughter of Eckstedt’s king, but they ended up running for their lives in Nortnd’s capital. They could not even find a person they could trust.
In such a critical time, it was best to seek help from a dependable individual, head back to Heroic Spirit Pce, back to Putray, and inform Walton’s loyalists.
Thales stopped in his tracks.
He peered at a shop sign at the corner of the street, which was a few steps ahead. His expression changed as though something crossed his mind.
’When King Nuven can no longer protect us...’
There was a tiny, ck dagger was printed on a shop sign before him, and below it was a tightly-shut, giant wooden window with a narrow door next to it.
Thales narrowed his eyes. He recalled a conversation he had in the past.
’"If you run into a dangerous situation that you cannot resolve no matter what in Eckstedt... a problem so great that even King Nuven cannot save you from..."’
Thales’ eyes beamed.
That was it.
At the next second, he headed towards the shop’s sign, dragging Little Rascal along.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Thales knocked on the wooden window under the sign with the dagger.
They might be under curfew and all the residents there had been evacuated, but if the shop owner was indeed just like he had heard and was often up to some shady business...
There was no response.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Thales knocked thrice again.
Still, no one answered the door.
The prince frowned, reaching his fist out once again.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Amid the increasingly loud knocking, Little Rascal recovered from her state of shock, and asked in a perplexing manner, "Uh... where are we?"
"A butcher’s shop in West-Express Avenue," Thales answered briefly. "Anyone in there? We need help!"
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
He knocked a few more times.
Still, there was no response.
Thales felt the hope in his heart slowly sink.
’Haih.’
He stared at the shop sign and heaved a sigh.
The guy in there had most likely evacuated as well.
As Little Rascal eyed him weirdly, a disappointed Thales turned away from the butcher’s shop, pulling her along.
After he took the first step however, he jolted and stopped walking.
"What’s going on?" Little Rascal asked nkly.
Thales whipped around, and shouted at the shop sign.
"Six-fifty!"
There was no response.
Thales clenched his teeth, and shouted again.
"Hey, six-fifty! Six-fifty!"
Perhaps, he was yelling a little too loud. Thales began to pant, patting himself on the chest.
There was still no response.
The two of them were the only people on the empty street.
Thales lowered his head dejectedly.
’Forget it.
’Perhaps he...’
Suddenly, the sound of friction between wooden nks rang, followed by the sound of the door utching.
*Pluck.*
Little Rascal hid behind Thales out of instinct, whereas he looked up in surprise.
The wooden window was opened.
’Some...
’Someone’s inside?’
In the window, a man with ck hair and eyes, as well as t, rounded facial features was ring at them.
It made Thales feel his skin crawl.
’Wait a minute.
’He’s a...
’Far Easterner?’
"Who are you people?
"How do you know about this?"
The Far Easterner clearly had a Nortnd ent. He sounded rather impatient, as though he was dealing with big trouble. "Six-fifty?"
Thales was startled.
’There’s someone here...
’There’s someone here!’
He gawked at the man until thetter attempted to close the window. Thales then recovered from his shock and excitedly said, "Wait... Umm... We are-We are Kan’s friends!
"This code was given to us by Kan! He said that when we needed help, we just had toe here and say this code..."
The Far Easterner narrowed his already small eyes, appearing to be inspecting them closely.
"You-You are..." Thales scratched his head, trying to recall his meeting with Kan in Hero Tavern. A few secondster, he managed to wring the words out of his brain. "It’s Mister Gu, isn’t it?
"We need help!"
The Far Easterner—Gu—remained silent. He stayed idly in the shadows behind the window frame, watching them.
"Please!" Thales was panicking slightly.
A momentter, Gu opened his mouth.
"Kan’s friends, are you?" The Far Eastern man gave a light hum and slowly said, "Come in."
.....
At the intersection point of Armor District and Shield District, a duel between the supreme ss fighters had begun.
*Whoosh*
A de was swung with a swooshing sound.
Aida hopped into the air, charging at Kan.
Her machete drew an arc in the air, fleeting past the tip of his nose.
The former Commander of the White de Guards wore an emotionless expression, and leaned back calmly as he ducked the blow, which was aimed at his head.
The de was merely an inch away from his nose.
"Getting your feet off the ground in a fight is suicide," Kan said tly. He wielded the two-meter-long Soul yer Pike. His movements seemed effortless and swift.
The spear then began to curve as he swung it!
As though it hade alive, the spearhead shed at the elf with a sharp swoosh.
Like many duels between supreme ss warriors, the defense and offense positions switched within seconds.
"Your rule only applies to humans," Aida said with disdain in the air.
At the next second, she nimbly grasped the top section of the Soul yer Pike in one hand and applied some slight pressure.
The ck pikehead of the Soul yer Pike swung past her ear.
Aida hung from the spear like a fluttering cloth, following Kan’s movements as she danced in the wind.
A great force surged within Kan’s arms, and the spear trembled!
Aida was shaken off the spear as if she had received a violent a blow.
Kan’s spear did not slow down or hesitate. Like a viper that sprung up to strike, it shot through the air, targeting Aida’s waist!
Nevertheless, Aida exhibited the agility of a bat once again. She leaned here torso backwards in the air. With her legs stretched to her back, her body curved into a ’C’ shape.
*Poof!*
The spearhead pierced the air, emitting a booming sound.
However, Kan’s deadly spear arrowed through the hollow space created by Aida’s posture, fleeting past her back.
It was a close miss.
Kan frowned and the spear advanced again!
Aida pulled her left hand back, grabbing the handle of the Soul yer Pike and following the direction of Kan’s attack. Her flexible torso sprung like a spring!
Using her left hand as a center point, she took a full circr swing on the Soul yer Pike, and with the help of the momentum, she bounced backwards.
If Thales had been present, he would have probably gaped and shouted, "You know how to swing on the high bar!"
The elf performed an acrobatic flip in the air, andnded steadily on her feet.
*Clunk!*
In the meantime, the spearhead alsonded, jabbing into the stone tile.
The treacherous match ended right then.
Carrying her machete, Aida stood up. Her hood had flopped down to the back of her neck due to her drastic movements, revealing her silky, braided white hair.
Kan on the other hand, was twirling his spear. His calm expression unchanged.
"I have fought enemies from White Mountain, and met the envoys from Late Dusk Kingdom," the old tavern owner said slowly. "But the color of your skin... is neither of the White Elves or Demon Elves."
Aida lifted her chin, revealing her exquisite, girlish face and a pair of sharp, perfectly-curved ears.
"You’re a Sacred Elf, aren’t you?" Kan exhaled softly, adjusting his spear-wielding posture. "Of course, I’ve never met High Elves and Grey Elves from the East Penins, but I guess you’re most likely from Sacred Tree Kingdom; that’s why you’re in the Prince of Constetion’s entourage."
"Good guess." Aida snorted, eyeing the Soul yer Pike vigntly. "Little Nortnd brat."
Kan nodded and smiled.
"I know that Sacred Tree Kingdom is a longtime ally, and royal inw of Constetion." The old man sighed and said, "But I didn’t expect that the kingdom would even go as far as to assign a supreme ss bodyguard to Constetion."
Aida’s expression changed.
"Bah!" The elf waved her machete in frustration. "What bodyguard? I am a supreme ss elite warrior. Their grandfather, grandmother, father, mother begged me repeatedly and hired me with the promise of high pay!"
There was a slight jerk in Kan’s eyebrow.
"I am a tenured honorary instructor of Constetion’s Royal Guards!" The elf pointed at herself with the machete, and announced proudly, "Aida Laura Carter Gisele Durielos..."
Then, as though her words were stuck in her throat, she stopped abruptly.
She rolled her silver eyes, and looked down in frustration.
"Haih, I cannot remember whates after... call me however you like."
In the meantime, Kan’s expression turned grim.
"I see. The instructor of the Royal Guards." The spearhead in the old man’s hand was raised. The way he looked at Aida changed. "We White de Guards often say that, other than the cial Sentries, if there’s another armed force that can rival the elite troops of the White de Guards, the Dragon’s Imperial Guards...
"It would be you, what we call the ’Emperor’s Praetorian Guards—the Royal Guards of Constetion.’"
Kan heaved a sigh. His eyes were brimming with nostalgia.
"Whoa." Aida swung her arm with contempt. "So, you do remember that you’re a member of the White de Guards... When your people were taken down, one by one, were you there to witness it?"
Hearing that, a painful look appeared on Kan’s face. His eyebrows wrinkled into a knot.
"They were a group of good warriors, good kids," the old man said sadly. "They just happened to meet their worst fate at the worst time."
Aida gave a cold huff. "Look who’s talking—the legendary ’Ground-Shaker’, as it appears, is only a traitor."
Kan squeezed his eyes shut.
"Let’s get this over with... If we continue to stall for time, our men will arrive. We won’t have the chance for a fair duel." His voice sounded incredibly weary.
Aida remained quiet, staring at him coldly.
"Throughout history, fights between the Dragon’s Imperial Guards and the Royal Guards have been rare—I sparred with Zakriel once when I was young. It was an honor," Kan said, opening his eyes. His white hair glimmered under the frail dawn light. "Instructor Aida..."
"Zakriel?" Aida’s expression changed. She looked as though she was reminiscing. "Was he that snot-dripping, donkey-faced brat who cked around on the training field every day... I often punished him..."
"He is the notable ’Knight of Judgement’ in Constetion." Kan smiled in nostalgia. "I haven’t heard of him for twelve years."
Aida’s expression darkened.
"That fellow is in the Prison of Bones in the Western Desert," the elf said, sighing. "He will most likely be in there for the rest of his life... That silly kid..."
Kan was slightly startled.
"Really..." the old man mumbled.
"What a shame." Kan shut his eyes regretfully. "He was a good opponent."
The next moment, the fight resumed.
Kan’s spear sprung up without warning, stabbing at her three consecutive time!
They were all aimed at Aida’s legs.
*Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!*
The spearhead zapped into the ground three times, stirring up countless gravel.
But as if she was performing a peculiar and graceful dance, Aida took six consecutive steps. Each time, shended just in time to avoid the attacks.
Amid the sttering gravel, Aida did not retreat. Instead, as she dodged the gravel, she came close to Kan!
Thus, the defense and offense positions switched once again.
*Swoosh!*
While Kan was not able to withdraw the spear, Aidaunched a surprise attack, swinging her machete at his head.
The legendary Commander of the White de Guards whipped around and dodged the attack.
His experienced eyes never left Aida’s shoulders.
Following Aida’s moves, the de was turned abruptly three times!
Each sh targeted the directions in which Kan intended to move towards.
Nevertheless, relying on his sharp eyes and intuition, Kan managed to dodge the three murderous shes.
The de shot past the old man’s face.
And it sliced off a lock of his white hair.
Kan finally withdrew his spear. The old man lifted both arms, and waved the spear, drawing arge circle around him!
*Ssssssss!* As the spearhead was dragged on the ground, the friction caused an ear-splitting sound.
Meanwhile, Aida had already performed two back flips in the air, far away from the Soul yer Pike’s range of attack.
The nerve-wrecking exchange came to an end. The two supreme ss warriors put the fight on hold once again.
"Excellent flexibility and agility," Kan said, sighing. "Goodbat instincts, sturdy shes, nimble footsteps.
"You have perfectly exhibited the dual advantages of being both an elf and a woman."
Aida chuckled, eyeing her opponent’s face closely.
"You will suffer if you underestimate a woman, you know."
Each of them stood on the opposite side of the street, staring at one another in silence. Both were highly vignt, and secretly calcting the other’s next move.
"I would never dare," Kan said with respect. "After all, I was a contemporary of the ’Heart of the Rain’.
"Nheless, these are all the natural advantages of an elf. There’s nothing surprising about them," the old man said tly.
Aida’s pupils contracted.
Kan stared at the surface of the ground, his gaze focused on the three stab holes. "What surprises me the most is... you’ve managed to provide a good countermeasure to every offensive and defensive move without dy. It’s nearly perfect."
"Ah." Aida shrugged. Her sharp ears wiggled. "I’m just really good."
"Haha, really?" Kan’s expression brightened. His face was beaming.
"I attacked your legs to restrain your movements.
"I sttered the gravel to counter your agility.
"Thest swing of the spear was to get you for good as you were closing in."
The old man nodded with admiration. "Yet you’ve managed to evade the stab aimed at your legs, and in turn came at me, dodging the sttering gravel, and countering. You even dodged my swing in the end."
Kan lifted his chin, peering at Aida.
"All three of my attacks, merged into abo, yet none of the attacks have seeded.
"This can’t be exined away with good reflexes or experience." He shook his head slowly.
"There’s only one possibility."
Aida’s expression remained unchanged. She tightened her grip on the machete in her hand.
’Thatbo earlier was spot on.
’But...’
Kan sighed. His utterance was intertwined with huffs and puffs of heavy breathing. "You knew what my next moves and tactics were, and responded with the perfect countermoves, isn’t that right?"
Aida’s expression changed.
’No way.
’This old fellow...
’How long has it been since we started fighting?’
Kan chuckled.
At that second, the legendary Ground-Shaker seemed to revert to his younger self.
"I’ve heard that the possibility of elves obtaining psionic abilities is far higher than that of humans—it’s an interesting phenomenon, isn’t it?" The old man swung the Soul yer Pike once again. The spirit of a warrior burned in his eyes. "There’s a wide variety of psionic abilities. Each is unique in its own way."
Asda’s expression darkened.
She paid the infamous Soul yer Pike all her attention just now, but now, as it appeared,pared to the Soul yer...
She had underestimated the Ground-Shaker.
Back then, all she had heard of him was that after he left the Tower of Eradication, he never lost a battle as the leader of the White de Guards.
’But...’
Kan’s eyes gleamed and he calmly said, "However, I didn’t expect to encounter such a unique psionic ability."
Aida sighed.
"Instructor Aida, you’re a Psionic—No, you’re of a supreme ss, so I have to call you a Psionic Warrior’." Kan stared into Aida’s silver eyes, and said in an unrelenting manner, "You can read minds."