《The King is Back》 Chapter 1 - A Lonely Life The rustling of wind is heard throughout the forest. In an open field, a boy is fighting an invisible opponent while dripping sweat from his body. He looks vaguely like a teenager of 16 years of age. His pitch black wavy hair shakes with each punch he pulled. His face cannot be categorized as handsome in the traditional sense, but his sharp look draws a mysteriously attractive air around him.His brown bronze skin shines brilliantly out in the sun. ¡°Hyaah!¡± The boy screamed as he maneuvers his fists into empty air while occasionally kicking with deadly forces. Each punch or kick he pulls generate a small sonic boom which causes the grass around him to shake. The boy''s skill is amazing. He seems to already be an expert in fighting and would win in any fight. After two more hours of training and countless droplets of sweat later, he starts to walk back into the forest and exiting the open field. ¡°Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t seem to replicate father¡¯s movements but every day I notice slight improvements in my techniques. If only father was here I would have mastered this years ago.¡± The boy muttered. The trees seem to stretch into the sky and covering many of the sunlight, leaving the forest¡¯s floor relatively dark. One would imagine that with this dreary aura surrounding the forest, there would be unknown dangers lurking in every corner but all that can be heard is silence with the occasional chirping of harmless birds. Throughout his walk through the forest, he keeps talking to himself. Perhaps his loneliness from the isolation in the forest drove him to come up with a mechanism to combat those feelings, which is engaging in monologues with himself. After walking for quite some time, the boy arrives in a river. ¡°I have arrived in the river, I wonder how many fish I caught today.¡± The boy said in anticipation. The boy starts to collect fish from the traps he set up previously. The fish are big, measuring at least 1 meter each. ¡°Five! This will last me a couple of days! Time to head back.¡± The boy said excitedly. After jumping around in joy, he walks again into the forest until he founds a huge boulder resting against a small hill. ¡°Frasta Buka."The boy started to chant in an unknown language and the previously normal-looking boulder opens up in a dramatic fashion. The boy starts to enter his ¡°house¡±. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Aah man I''m beat... well time to start cooking and have dinner.¡± This was the boy¡¯s daily routine in the forest. Training, collecting the fishes he caught, go home and repeat. The forest does not allow the boy to do anything else. There is no prey to hunt nor are there any dangerous predators. The boy was always curious why the forest is like that but he is also happy that he does not have to fight anything deadly. The house seems a bit bigger than what you would expect from the outside. It consists of three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a library, a living room, and a basement. What¡¯s more, the pieces of furniture have an intricate design which looks a bit minimalist that looks more comfortable yet not as luxurious as the one you would find in noble¡¯s houses. Furthermore, unknown technologies were littered throughout the house. The kitchen the boy used has the ability to light up without any external power and automatic ceiling fans can be seen rotating in the ceiling. The insides of the house are supposed to be dark but light bulbs can also be seen. The boy has always been curious about the sources of these devices around his house. For as long as he can remember, his parents have used these technological items. But when the boy starts to read books about the knowledge of the world, he found no clue that this world''s civilization is advanced enough to possess the technology he has in his house. After finishing his meal and shower, the boy went to the library where he sits and opens a book. ¡°Time to study again... Father always taught me that knowledge is power so I never missed a day of studying. What¡¯s for today again?...ah it¡¯s Economics and History.¡± The boy muttered. Living in isolation inside a forest does not mean the boy is ignorant. On the contrary, ever since childhood, his parents taught him knowledge of the world, science, and other subjects. They always emphasized how important it is to learn but they also taught him to train his bodies with the martial art they left him. After finishing everything, the boy went to his room and lay down in the spacious bed. ¡°...How long has it been since father and mother left already? Six years?... Do they even have names? I only knew them as ¡°father and mother¡±. Do I...have a name? I don¡¯t even have anything to refer to myself by. Well, I guess what use is a name when I don¡¯t have anyone to talk to.¡± Said the boy in a sad tone. On a cold winter six years ago, his parents suddenly disappeared. At first, the boy thought something happened to them but after seeing a letter tucked under his pillow, he was told the reason for their disappearance. ¡°An errand in the city...really? For six years? For fuck¡¯s sake I can¡¯t really leave this place if you guys don¡¯t come back... *sigh*...No use complaining I guess...at least that¡¯s what you taught me, mother...to never complain about your situation and wallow in self-pity.¡± After a long monologue before bedtime, the boy starts to fell asleep. This is the lonely life that he has lead in this forest for all his life. If nothing out of the ordinary happens, It¡¯s going to be normal routine again tomorrow. But little do the boy knows, tomorrow is going to be a day that changes not only his life but the whole world forever. Chapter 2 - A New Adventure The boy starts his morning routine by brushing his teeth, having fish for breakfast again, and prepare his bag for the journey to the usual open field. He starts to walk outside into the dark forest which is even harder to navigate today due to the dense fog. ¡°What... never have I seen a fog this thick throughout my life. Something is wrong¡­¡± The boy muttered. Right as he says that, an earthquake strikes the ground around him. ¡°What!?¡± Suddenly, the skyscraper trees above him start to break one by one, exposing the forest¡¯s floor to the full embrace of sunlight for the first time in thousands of years. In the sky, a metallic humanoid beast descended to the ground in front of the boy. ¡°A...mech?¡±The boy muttered in disbelief. This term was not something he learned in his books, it was from a story told by his father of legendary tall metallic beasts controlled by humans which can decimate every threat in front of it. The boy thought this story to be a simple fairytale, a story one would tell before bedtime to their children. And yet, there it is in front of him. The mech emits blue steam from its nostril. A nostril would be a correct way to describe it because the whole face of the giant resembles a beast known as a Lycan which he learned in his books. The body of the mech is grey in color and one of his hands is holding a gigantic sword while the other a shield. Without warning, the mech starts to swing the sword into the direction of the boy. ¡°Oh shit!¡± The boy said in an urgent tone. The boy managed to dodge by a hair¡¯s breadth and rolled into the ground. The mech wasn¡¯t finished. Its eyes immediately start shining a deep blue light as if charging an unknown force which suddenly emits a thick blue line into the ground near the boy. The ground that was hit by the line of light starts to burn and it is heading nearer and nearer towards the boy. ¡°Motherfuc..¡± The boy starts running to evade the blue line. His martial art training was not for nothing as his speed can already be considered inhuman. But suddenly, the trees in front of him broke as well, revealing a second mech with identical features to the one before. The mech then started to swing its sword towards the boy. Trapped between the line of blue light and the sword, the boy is out of options. ¡®Is this really how I die? I haven¡¯t even traveled the world yet! Why are they after me? I¡¯m an unnamed person in the middle of nowhere!¡¯The boy screamed inside his head as the sword and light starts to close in on him. (BANG! BANG! SWOOSH!) Loud sounds can suddenly be heard by the boy. The boy sees that the mech that was swinging the sword stopped moving and its head seems to be filled with holes. When the boy turns back into the direction of the mech that was shooting the blue line, its head is missing and the mech starts to fall to the ground. ¡°Are you okay your majesty!?¡± Said an unknown voice of a girl. A third mech appeared from the direction of the mech that had its head cut off. This mech seems a bit more unique as it is gold in color while its face resembles a Faunur Lion, a great beast with sharp fangs and the ability to control the earth from the southwestern part of the continent. Although this particular Faunur Lion form seems to be of the female variety with the missing mane the males usually have. The mech started screaming in worry towards the boy. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you mean by ¡®your majesty¡¯ but no I¡¯m not okay. I mean I was just an inch away from death!...*sigh* Forget about what I just said... thank you for saving me...you are¡­?¡± The boy asked the mech. The Faunur Lion mech opens its mouth and a girl jumped down in front of the boy. ¡°Wow, a girl¡­first time I¡¯ve seen one out in the wild, except for my mother of course. Long and lush red hair, a toned body and quite attractive features... whoops did I say that out loud? I¡¯m terribly sorry I¡¯ve been in this forest alone for so long that I usually just say every thought in my mind.¡± The boy muttered spontaneously. The boy starts to apologize while bowing his head. The girl raised one eyebrow but starts to smile. ¡°I don¡¯t mind your majesty. It is truly fortunate that you are safe. I am Sergeant Rosil Kaseli of the 909th regiment of your royal army, at your service!¡± Rosil replied with a respectful tone.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Rosil starts to drop to one knee while putting her right hand on her chest and bowing her head. ¡°Wow settle down Rosil we¡¯ve just met and you already started speaking nonsense about royalty and army. May I know why you saved me, who were those people and why did you refer to me as ¡®your majesty?¡¯ " The boy asked Rosil. ¡°At once your majesty! You are 9th prince Braum Gundala of the eternal kingdom of Yakana. You are the last and only heir to the throne of the kingdom. As for those people that were after you, it is not in my jurisdiction to tell you. Your majesty must immediately follow your humble personage back to the kingdom for there is an unforeseen incident.¡± Rosil answered Braum in a straightforward manner. As a response, the boy raised one of his eyebrows but no trace of surprise was seen in his face. ¡°I think the most surprising thing you just said was that I had a name. You really think I¡¯m just going to believe the words of a stranger? Don¡¯t mistake me¡­ I am eternally grateful for you saving my life but I won¡¯t just follow someone I just met without getting to know them better.¡± Said Braum with a straight face. Despite his cold tone, the boy is trying hard to hide his smile. This is the first time he met someone other than his parents. Although he doesn¡¯t believe in a single word coming out of the girl¡¯s mouth, she might be his saving grace so that he can get out of this forest. But first, he wonders if Rosil knows what happened to his parents. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll believe you for now...I just want to ask one thing: do you know what happened to my parents? They left the forest 6 years ago. Come to think of it, in your story, I am a prince, does that mean my parents were the king and queen? I don¡¯t get it.¡± Braum asked Rosil. The girl seems to have a noticeable shock from hearing his words, then replaced with a tinge of sadness in her eyes. ¡°Your parents¡­ I¡¯m sorry your majesty but it is out of my jurisdiction to tell you that information. Your humble personage wishes you to follow her towards the kingdom so that your question can be answered and help us in this time of peril.¡± Rosil answered Braum. ¡°Time of...peril? Forget it, okay, I¡¯ll just follow you to this kingdom of yours. I have been living in this forest all my life. Every day I see the same sights, do the same routine, one would go mad from such isolation but thankfully my personality seems to save me from this hahaha... my father would always tell me I am one of the most cheerful person he ever met despite growing up with no friends¡­¡± Said Braum in an increasingly distant tone. After telling long stories about his parents he stopped with tears on the edge of his eyes. He was excited to tell someone else his story but began to remember and miss his parents instead. Rosil stood, still in one knee, in silence, to give him time to let out his feelings. ¡°...Ah...tears...sorry...right, where was I? Lead me to your kingdom then Rosil! And I guess you can call me Braum as well if I can believe your story¡± Braum returned to his normal self and muttered towards Rosil. In truth, he still didn¡¯t fully believe her story but he wanted to make friends with her. ¡°This humble personage cannot do that, your majesty! You are the heir to the throne and such holds the highest position in the kingdom. This lowly soldier cannot refer to your majesty without a title¡± Rosil muttered in an urgent but respectful tone. ¡°Well I guess we can work that out as we go, can you just let me pack up my belongings? My house is near.¡± Asked Braum. Braum wanted her to call him by his name but know that they must leave soon so he left the matter for another time. But the house that he has lived on for so long holds an enormous amount of sentimental value for him so he wants to pack up everything he needs for the journey as he doesn¡¯t know when he will be back. ¡°Your majesty does not have to worry about that. Another squad of soldiers will soon arrive here after we leave to clean up this mess and bring everything from inside your house to the kingdom. Your majesty just needs to climb inside your humble personage Faunur mech so we can arrive at Yakana at the fastest possible time.¡± Rosil muttered in a confident tone. ¡°*Sigh* okay then...Well if you¡¯re lying I don¡¯t really have anything to lose I guess. Let¡¯s go shall we.¡± Braum said. Rosil starts to jump high into the air and into the mouth of the mech. This feat was not something a normal human is capable of...but Braum is no ordinary boy either, he proceeds to jump in the same manner onto the inside of the mouth. ¡°This humble personage sees that your majesty has been training well. Let us go towards Yakana.¡± Muttered Rosil. The inside of the mouth looks nothing like Braum has ever seen. Rosil is seating on a chair made of soft leather with a device wrapping around her head. She is leaning back and her hands are holding two joysticks located on the sides of the chair. Braum is forced to stand as there is no other chair. ¡°Forgive me for this your majesty but you must hold on until we arrive in Yakana.¡± Rosilsaid. Rosil frowned and looks apologetic but Braum is still smiling from the new sights. ¡°Aah, that¡¯s fine just do your thing and get us there.¡± Braum replied. ¡°Of course your majesty. I will now do a deep dive and drive this mech.¡± Rosil replied back. After saying that, she closed her eyes and the mech starts to shake. ¡°IDENTITY CONFIRMED: Sergeant Rosil Kaseli from the 909th regiment of Yakana¡¯s royal forces. Launching.¡± An unknown voice of a lady said. ¡°Who is that talking!?¡± Braum asked in a surprised tone. Braum was surprised by the sudden appearance of a woman¡¯s voice. Rosil answered but her voice seems to be coming from inside the mouth of the mech, not her own. ¡°That is just the system, your majesty. Please hold on until we get there.¡± Rosil answered. The mech then started to walk forward and after a certain distance stopped. Suddenly, a force pushed the mech off the ground until it reached a great height. It then starts to fly in a particular direction. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned¡­¡± Braum muttered in a low voice. Braum was surprised. This day just keeps getting better and better he thought. Seeing the forest he was forced to stay in for all his life below, he starts to think of the adventure ahead, of the new sights he is about to see. While adventure is on the menu, Braum will need to deal with much, much more. Chapter 3 - Arrival The mech was flying through the sky faster than the speed of sound. In the process, Braum saw everything from mountain ranges to deserts until they finally reach the ocean. ¡°Wait why are we leaving the mainland? Where is this kingdom anyway?¡± Braum asked. Braum was confused as he thought Yakana would be inside the continent. ¡°Do not worry your majesty. Yakana is an island hundreds of miles off the coast of the eastern part of the continent in a region known by sailors as the ¡®Death Circle¡¯ for any ship that tries to enter the enormous circle of the storm will never go back out again. Of course, that storm is a defense mechanism created by our ancestors to prevent anyone from the outside world entering our land.¡± Rosil answered with confidence. ¡°Right...I was wondering about that. I have studied almost every book that my father left me. I studied Geography and know every known kingdom on the continent and I¡¯m pretty sure Yakana is not one of them. In fact, I have never heard of Yakana during my wider studies that¡¯s why I was having a hard time believing your words.¡± Braum replied with a visible confusion on his face. ¡°There is a reason why no other countries know of our eternal kingdom your majesty. Your humble personage will answer your question briefly, it is because the technologies we possess are centuries ahead of what this world¡¯s civilizations have. We must do everything to protect it from other nations to prevent a catastrophic world war. As for the full reason, your majesty will need to wait for us to arrive in Yakana.¡± Rosil answered. ¡°Okay, so if Yakana is a secret, then why are we bringing our mechs out in the open like this? Heck, I even saw some ships below us that must be owned by another nation. Won¡¯t they see us?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Your humble personage will answer your question, It is because our mechs are fitted with top of the line camouflage technology that blends the color of our mechs to the surroundings. However, we can only use this tech outside battles, that is why you can see our mechs when your humble personage saved you before.¡± Rosil answered in a respectful and somewhat prideful tone. Braum was surprised. He had learned almost everything his father left him and thought he had a clear grasp of the world¡¯s knowledge. It turns out, what he has learned outside of sciences was probably just the common knowledge of the continent¡¯s inhabitants. But Braum wondered why did they hide the existence of Yakana if he was the prince? ¡®I think these important questions are best left to whoever in charge of this later¡¯ Braum thought Rosil cannot answer every question he throws at her. ¡®Outside of my jurisdiction¡¯ she says. Braum will have to wait for his arrival in the kingdom and then he will throw countless questions at whoever was behind this. After a short period of time, a raging circle of a storm that stretches for what seems to be an unlimited distance can be seen. This storm is unique in that the color of the lightning that is visible is red. This color brought a deadly premonition and many inhabitants of the continents thought this place to be the home of the demons. Thunderous roars are heard every few seconds and occasionally you will see brave, or stupid, depending on how you look at it, explorers trying to enter the storm to discover new lands filled with treasures. ¡°So how are we supposed to enter this storm again?¡± Braum asked confused. The ability of Yakana to create an artificial storm is impressive enough but Braum cannot begin to imagine how one enters the storm. ¡°Do not fret your majesty, this storm recognizes every Yakanan that is trying to enter the kingdom so it will open a small path for us¡±. Rosil answered.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Just as Rosil answered Braum¡¯s question, the storm truly starts to open a small hole, enough to fit the mech. What¡¯s inside is a calm ocean...and that¡¯s it. ¡°I was led to believe I¡¯m going to see an island but it¡¯s just ocean again.¡± Braum replied with a half smile in his face. ¡°Your majesty, this is the second layer of protection in case of anyone managing to enter the storm. The island is protected by a barrier that uses the same camouflage technology as our mechs and it will reveal itself after confirming our identities.¡± Rosil replied back. After flying for a while, two mechs can be seen flying towards them. The mechs are silver in color and have the heads of a dog, ¡°Halt! State your mission outside Yakana!¡± One of the mechs asked. ¡°I am sergeant Rosil Kaseli of the 909th regiment of the royal forces. I am bringing the VIP. ¡° Rosil answered. After Rosil answered those guards, their mechs starts to do a salute by bringing their right hand towards their chest. ¡°Your majesty! Welcome to Yakana!¡± Both mechs said at the same time. Their voices hold a deep respect towards Braum, which was weird since he doesn¡¯t know anything about them. ¡°Stand down soldiers. I must quickly bring his majesty to the castle. Please let us in.¡± Rosil replied. Rosil¡¯s voice seemed as if she was in a hurry and she does not want to waste further formalities. ¡°At once, We, the guard dogs of Yakana welcomes the Crown Prince Braum Gundala! Please enter your eternal kingdom!¡± Both mechs replied back with a respectful tone. Both of the mechs said that at the same time. They then start to make way for Rosil to enter the barrier. After entering the barrier, the island can be seen. Braum has never seen anything like this. Tall skyscrapers made of metal that stretches until the heavens above. A port near the ocean having ships that do not require any sails to move. Fast moving vehicles that hover above the ground can be seen zooming around the city roads. In the middle of the city, a castle can be seen. This castle is unique in that it still has a traditional design in its architecture. The whole castle is golden in color and is a striking contrast to the rest of the city. ¡°Holy mother of god¡­¡± Braum muttered. Braum has seen paintings of kingdoms within the continent. What Yakana has seems to be something from the far off future. The mech then starts to descend and lands into the castle¡¯s front courtyard. ¡°Your majesty, please exit the mech.¡± Rosil said to Braum. The mechs start to open its mouth and Braum immediately jumps down. What greeted him was hundreds of soldiers on one knee with a great general in front also saluting. This general looks to be in his late 40s and carries a magnificent red beard that matches his hair color. His build is out of this world with muscles bulging out of his military clothing. His face has a scar that does down from the top of his right eye to his chin. ¡°Wow¡­ A very macho looking man. Quite tall too, I wish I¡¯m going to be as tall as him one day. Those muscles! I¡¯ll need to work even harder to match him¡­¡± Braum muttered. Out of bad habit, Braum starts to voice out his inner thoughts. ¡° *Cough* Cough* Your Majesty, My name is Kraus Kaseli, the current fifth great general of Yakana¡¯s royal forces. Welcome to Yakana''s capital city Rolanta!" Kraus replied. Kraus interrupted Braum as he seems to be going on and on. Braum starts to look embarrassed while scratching his head. ¡°Aah...I¡¯m terribly sorry I¡¯m used to being alone all the time. ¡° Braum said while scratching the back of his head. ¡°You do not need to apologize Your Majesty!¡± Kraus replied urgently. Kraus was looking frantic to stop his future king apologizing towards him. ¡°No, I do. I¡¯m sorry. But let¡¯s move on to more important things. For what reason was I summoned here and why was I told I am going to be the next in line to the throne when I am the 9th prince? What happened to the current ruler and my brothers and sisters?¡± Braum asked. Braum answered in a dignified tone and serious face, his joking manner disappeared. ¡°That...Come inside the castle Your Majesty, we will explain everything for you.¡± Kraus answered with a grim tone. Kraus¡¯s face turned grim. It seems there were some urgent reasons why an abandoned 9th prince is going to be the next king. Chapter 4 - The Truth Kraus and some of his subordinates brought Braum to a room within the castle where a long table resides in the middle and sets of chairs can be seen on the sides. Inside the room, as if waiting for him, are people that seem important sitting on each chair. Braum was seated in one of the ends of the table and Kraus starts sitting next to him. ¡°Now would you tell me? Almost every question I had today seems to not be answered yet.¡± Braum asked in an inpatient tone. Braum was putting up a tough front out of nervousness. At first, he didn¡¯t believe that he was the would-be king of a secret nation but after coming here, everything is confirmed. Now, he must deal with the harsh reality that his situation is going to be tricky and might hinder his plans to see the world. What¡¯s more, he is now the center of attention for these important-looking people. ¡°At once your majesty, For why you were summoned here and the whereabouts of your relatives...I must first tell you of the tragedy that happened 3 days ago.¡± Kraus replied. Everyone¡¯s faces start to be contaminated with sadness. ¡°The ruling Queen and your biological mother, Queen Lazuli Gundala, and all eight of your brothers and sisters were killed in the annual Royalty parade around the capital city-¡± Kraus continued. ¡°What!!! My mother!??¡± Braum replied. Braum stood up in shock, interrupting Kraus¡¯s story. He couldn¡¯t believe that the mother he loved so much was now gone. ¡°Your Majesty! This humble personage is sorry for being direct but the Queen is not the mother you know all of your life!¡± Kraus answered. ¡°What¡­¡± Braum replied confused. Hearing Kraus¡¯s words, Braum still remained standing in shock. ¡°The father and mother you know are¡­*cough* excuse me, I must first tell you why you were abandoned in that forest-¡± Kraus replied. When Kraus was about to tell the story, someone entered the room. ¡°Let me explain that for him.¡± A woman''s voice said. ¡°Mother!¡± Braum said towards the source of the voice. That person is none other than the mother that Braum knew all his life. The woman looks to be in her 50s but still emits a youthful energy around her. Her face is sharp and her hair color is black with tinges of white visible. Braum ran to her and hugs her. ¡°Mother, where have you been these past few years? Where¡¯s father?¡± Braum asked the woman. ¡°Calm down my boy...come, sit down in your chair.¡± The woman replied. Braum sits again on his chair but a mix of confusion and happiness can be seen on his face. His ¡°mother¡± starts to tell the story. ¡°My name is Matria Uno, the former first great general of Yakana¡¯s royal forces. I and your late father was your assigned guardian.¡± Matria answered. ¡°Father!? What happened to father?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Boy! I taught you not to interrupt when people are talking!¡± Matria said while rising her voice. Matria yelled at Braum but no one seems to be reprimanding her although this was usually a treasonous act in front of a royalty. Braum shuts his mouth in shock and Matria continues talking. ¡°I¡¯ll get to that...where was I... right, I and your father was your assigned guardian. You see, unlike any other nations, the first born child was not the heir to the throne. The one that is a combination of the most talented in fighting, piloting, politics, and leadership is the one chosen to be the ruler. Previously, your late brother Prince Horus was the one most suitable to be on the throne. Usually, infightings may occur between different factions that want a particular candidate to be the ruler. In case of a catastrophic event where every candidate is killed, the royal family has a contingency plan. And that contingency plan is to have the last born child exiled to an unknown location so there would be no one going after him or her. In the event of there being no other successors, this child will be summoned into the capital and be the heir to the throne. I and your father left you in that forest because one, I and your father was summoned by the queen to serve her and two, we had gotten rid of any major threats in that forest so we thought it would be safe enough to leave you there. ¡± Matria replied.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. What Matria just said shocks Braum to his core, but he must have his questions answered so he tries to remain calm. ¡°But then why was I attacked in the forest? I thought my location would be confidential?¡± Braum asked Matria. ¡°...That is related to the incident 3 days ago. Our country is now in the middle of a bloody civil war. On one side is the royal faction, who wants to maintain the balance of our eternal kingdom, continue our innovations in technology, and have no contact with the outside world. The other faction is the Militarist, a powerful group of military force that is not directly governed by the royalties. What they want is the invasion of the continent by Yakana and world domination. They want complete rule with Yakana at the very top. And what¡¯s more...they want the abolition of the monarchy and have their leader, Gornstein, be the dictator. Even with this, they usually just stay in their territories on the far eastern part of our kingdom and not attack. But suddenly, 3 days ago in the annual royal parade where the royalties would celebrate the founding of our nation in the streets, they attacked¡­ Even with the powerful security we have, they have infiltrated our group and planted spies. They attacked the parade with bombs and hundreds of mechs. Your stepfather...Ahad Uno, my husband...was killed protecting the queen. As a result, not only did the queen died, every princes and princess were also killed in the attack. This is, without a doubt, one of the worst tragedies this nation has ever seen. The militarists have retreated back into their territories but it is only a matter of time before they try to take over the government in this absence of power...We have no other choice but to have you as our next king. Some of the Militarist members have probably found out about your location so that was why they attacked you but they only know that you are an important asset to Yakana. They do not yet know that you are the 9th Prince. ¡± Matria said. Matria told the long story of the attack with great pain in her face. Braum sits there speechless. After 10 seconds of silence, Braum starts to speak. ¡°You people abandoned me in the forest for all my life and now you expect me to rule over your country and fight for your cause!?...*breaths in and out* Sorry...I still don¡¯t get why would you need a monarchy anyway. With your technologies, couldn¡¯t one of the great generals or anyone qualified be the ruler?¡± Braum replied and asked. Braum raised his voice in anger before calming himself down and asked another question. But the one who answers is Kraus instead. ¡°Your majesty, let this humble personage answers your question. It¡¯s because of your blood.¡± Kraus answered. ¡°My...blood?¡± Braum replied confused. ¡°Yes. Our mechs¡¯ strengths are based on the mana we carry in our blood. The royalties posses blood that would allow them to pilot the most powerful mechs known as the Rajas.¡± Kraus answered again. Braum was left wondering again. Braum asks another question. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do you one better: WHY do you need mechs again? I really don¡¯t see the need to possess such powerful machines if you people won¡¯t interact with the outside world anyway, Who are you fighting within the borders of our nation?¡± Braum asked again. Unconsciously, Braum already referred to Yakana as his country of origin. ¡°To answer that question Your Majesty...would need me to tell you the whole history of Yakana. For our time constraints, I will give you a short version: There exists a rift between worlds in the oceans. From that rift, gigantic monsters known as the Kaijus enter our world and wreaks havoc. We cannot predict when it will strike again, the last attack was over 10 years ago but that one was relatively small scale and we managed to deal with it without any other nations noticing. Now, we have reasons to believe the next one could bring catastrophic destructions for the people inside the continent! We need the mechs to match the powers of the Kaijus because human strengths, even with the aid of magic, is not enough to deal with them.¡± Kraus explained. Kraus¡¯s explanations give him even more headache. First a civil war now news of giant monsters that enters through rifts between worlds. And Kraus, a boy from a forest is supposed to rule these people? ¡°You want me to be a king but I was not taught any knowledge of leadership, only other subjects. I was also not told of the existence of Yakana and the inner workings of it. How am I supposed to rule this way?¡± Braum asked while frowning. ¡°All of us apologize Your Majesty but we couldn¡¯t tell you anything to not risk you leaving the forest and telling the existence of our nation to the inhabitants of the continent. Your Majesty, what we need now is hope. The Militarists¡¯ might are stronger than us. Their expertise in mech combats is superior to us. Our citizens are losing hope day by day after the news of the deaths of the entire royal family. We need you to be our King that will end the civil war and leads us in the fight against the Kaiju in the future!¡± Kraus answered. Kraus¡¯s answer told him more than Braum needs to know. These people are out of options. They could either surrender and let the Militarists rule the country, or fight a losing battle, either one is the one they¡¯ll lose. But Braum is not going to just follow everything that they want him to do. If Braum is going to be a king, then he is going to do it his way. ¡°I have almost a full grasp of the current situation. And I am willing to be the king-¡± Braum said in confidence. ¡°-Your majesty!¡±Kraus interrupted him out of surprise. ¡°BUT! If I were to be the king then you must make sure that you follow my orders. For one, while I don¡¯t agree with the Militarist¡¯s hard on for war and world domination, I also don¡¯t agree with your faction¡¯s stance of closing the nation¡¯s off from the rest of the world. After I end the civil war, I want to create good relations with people of the continent and have them cooperate in our fight against the Kaiju. Do you still wish to make me your king despite all of these?¡± Braum asked everyone in the room. For the first time in his life, Braum spoke with confidence and dignity one would find in a king. He is nervous inside yes, but he knows that he is the last hope for Yakana. Everyone at the table starts to get off the chair and put their right hands on their chests. ""¡°WE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE NEW KING BRAUM GUNDALA. WE WILL FOLLOW HIM THROUGH THE DARKEST TIMES AND WE WILL SUPPORT HIM FOR OUR ETERNAL KINGDOM OF YAKANA¡±""Everyone said at the same time. The pledge of allegiance was loud and everyone¡¯s faces seem determined. Braum smiled. It is now his time. Chapter 5 - The Exiled General After the meeting, Braum requested to be allowed to rest in his room. Although they insisted that they should have a celebratory dinner, Braum had enough dealing with people today. He had been alone for a long time and the first day that he actually meets people is the one where it is too much for him to handle. His room is fit for a king. An extremely large bed with the soft fur of a mysterious animal sits inside the room. Private bathroom with a bath so large one would think it is a public bath. Another door leading towards a private library where Braum can study and write. And finally, a strange rectangle-shaped black mirror in front of his bed. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Braum asked no one in particular. He has no idea what this is and why it was there. Suddenly, a military officer enters the room. ¡°Excuse your humble personage, Your Majesty, I bring dinner and refreshments.¡± The officer said. ¡°Aah, Yeah thank you, man. You have any idea what this mirror is?¡± Braum asked. The officer looks in horror. Braum is confused why that would be his reaction. ¡°Your Majesty! I am but a lowly officer you should not refer to my by ¡®man¡¯.¡± The officer replied urgently. ¡°Huh...Look, if I¡¯m going to be a king then everyone is going to do things my way. And one of those ways is that I can talk to people the way I like, formalities or not, got it?¡± Braum replied. ¡°This humble personage understands and will comply!¡± The officer replied back. The officer goes down in one knee and puts his right hand on his chest, the usual salute. Braum sees that the officer has a name tag on his chest so he knows his name. ¡°Cut with the ¡®humble personage¡¯ bullcrap...Brok. *sigh* just please tell me what use is this mirror thing?¡± Braum asked again. ¡°At once Your Majesty! That is a Picture Box, a device that can transmit moving pictures from anywhere within Yakana. It contains programs from news to entertainment like dramas.¡± Officer Brok answered. ¡°...That¡¯s amazing. Truly a technological marvel. I wondered who invented this thing?¡± Braum asked himself. ¡°That would be the first king Your Majesty!¡± Officer Brok answered. Braum looks confused. A king made this? ¡°The first king?... Actually, hold your answer, how do you activate this device?¡± Braum asked. ¡°You can do it by clapping twice your majesty. You can turn it off by clapping once. You can also change channels by saying up and down.¡± Officer Brok replied. Braum is surprised that this device is voice controlled. How advanced is this country¡¯s technology? ¡°Thank you very much, Brok. You can leave now, I wish to rest.¡± Braum replied. ¡°Have a good rest Your Majesty!¡± Officer Brok said. With that, Brok left the room. Braum is now alone in the room and is curious about the device. (CLAP CLAP) The device starts shining a bright white light then moving pictures of a person enters Braum¡¯s vision. ¡°-Yakana is still mourning the loss of the entire royal family. The funeral held yesterday was one of the most watched events in Yakana¡¯s history. The Militarist is claiming responsibilities and they have just seized control in the following cities: Gura, Yamatra, Larneo, Ugantan. If you are in these cities, we wish you safety and may the royal family brings us the light of hope once more!¡± The caster said. The news is filled with grim news of the passings of the royal family and the militarist faction taking over cities. Deciding it was enough for now, Braum turns off the picture box. He starts eating the delicious meal of grilled meat and cake for dessert. After his dinner, Looking to not be as ignorant as he was today, he decides to learn of Yakana in the private library. He sits and opens books about its geography, history, and politics. ¡°So I¡¯m in Kurala, the Capital which resides in the western part of Yakana. The militarist has taken over Gura, Yamatra, Larneo, and Ugantan in the east. That¡¯s almost half of Yakana¡¯s territories! This is really above what I can handle. Map of Yakana:https://imgur.com/a/rJHJ1h6 From the books I¡¯ve read, Yakana has a population of 20 million inhabitants and over 7 million of those are in the hands of the militarist. The militarist started over 50 years ago when Yakana suffered great damages from a Grade 8 Kaiju attack...grades? Well anyway, the loss of lives that day led to Larnstein Yakubi, the second general of the royal forces, to create a faction that aims to invade other countries in order to gain more resources to fight the Kaijus. Man, I do agree that if the whole world is in this together, then we have a better chance against them. But world domination? What¡¯s going to be the difference between us and the Kaiju if we are going to commit genocide upon whole populations?¡± Braum said to himself. Braum is thoroughly disagreeing with their values. He now feels that they are truly a danger to not only Yakana, but the whole world. Braum also learns of the history of Yakana. ¡°Yakana started only 500 years ago? It seems that before, Yakana was just an undeveloped island with different tribal societies existing side by side. Conflicts between the tribes were common. That is, until the first arrival of Kaiju, which almost drove the people of Yakana to extinction. One day, a man claiming to be from another world visits one of the tribes. He brings the knowledge of the far future that brought forth rapid developments in Yakana and unites the tribes. He was the first ruler, King Gundala. His knowledge brought inventions in technology, medicine, infrastructure, government, and the military. The humans now stood a chance against the Kaiju after 50 years. Before the death of the first king, he wishes Yakana to not reveal themselves to the outside world, for he knows what human greed and thirst for power can do. *sigh* I agree on the human nature part but shutting yourself from the world will only lessen our chance of victory against the bigger threat. An interesting fact is that it was also the first king who named those monsters Kaiju.¡± Braum muttered. Humans triumphs over any other species due to their ability to cooperate with one another Braum thinks. He believes a sustainable union between countries will be the saving grace of this world. Braum feels that he has studied enough for tonight. He then jumps to his bed and experiences the most comfortable sleep in his entire life. The next morning, Braum wakes up as early as his usual routine in the forest and went out of his room to look for some sort of training room. After an hour of getting lost in the enormous castle, he found one on the huge back garden and field of the castle. The training field is filled with training dummies made of some sort of smooth black material with only one person using it. That person is none other than Rosil, who he left behind yesterday to go to the meeting. She is currently pulling some impressive martial art routine into one of the dummies. Each hit produces enough force to generate a small sonic boom. After a while, she notices Braum staring at her. ¡°Your Majesty! What are you doing here?¡± Rosil asked. ¡°Aah don¡¯t mind me I¡¯m just going to train like what you are doing right now. Those are quite good moves you have there. Mind sparring with me? I haven''t sparred with anyone for 6 years after father left.¡± Braum answered. ¡°Your Majesty! Forgive me for being direct but it would be this humble soldier¡¯s honor to spar with the future king!¡± Rosil replied with visible joy on her face. ¡°Then let¡¯s start right now. And please, I want to be your friend, Rosil, you saved me after all, can we refer to ourselves normally? Pretty please?¡± Braum asked. Braum has a pleading look on his face which looks almost like a puppy trying to earn sympathy. ¡°...As you wish...Your-¡± Rosil said. ¡°Ah ah ah!¡± Braum interjected. ¡°-As you wish Prince Braum.¡± Rosil said again. ¡°*sigh* well good enough for now. Let¡¯s get ready to rumble!¡± Braum said. Immediately after saying that, Braum starts to charge with an inhuman speed towards Rosil. Noticing this, Rosil took a stance with her right hand in front of her body and her left hand near her chest. ¡°Hyah!¡± Braum shouted.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. While running, Braum sweeps his right leg at an unimaginable speed towards the unprotected left side of Rosil, creating a medium size sonic boom. With quick reflexes, she steps to the side, grabs the leg, then throws Braum into the ground. After being thrown, Braum does not fall but instead pulls a spinning maneuver which propels him to stand again. ¡°Not bad...not bad at all. They teach you really good here in the capital huh¡± Braum said. Braum is smiling for being able to spar with someone for the first time in a while. ¡°This is the level of fighting skills required to be a soldier Prince Braum.¡± Rosil replied. Rosil also smiles back, she noticed that he was holding back in his kick yet she was almost caught off guard with the sheer speed of his legs. ¡°Although, I wish that Prince Braum would not hold back, even though the Prince is only fighting a lowly soldier such as myself.¡± Rosil said. ¡°You put yourself in such a low position Rosil. You truly have the potential to be something great. But unfortunately, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m holding back just to test the waters. Well if you want to see me fighting seriously then you would have to put me in a deadly situation, which I don¡¯t think you can do yet. Instead, I¡¯ll show you the differences in our powers.¡± Braum said. Braum¡¯s words might seem arrogant but he means well. He wishes her to grow with him and achieve her full potential so he will show her something that she should strive for. ¡°Forgive me for being rude Your Majesty, but I haven¡¯t shown you my powers as well. Let me show you what a mech pilot can do.¡± Rosil replied. After saying that, Rosil¡¯s body emits a burst of red aura which covers her entire self. ¡°Oooh! Two can play that game!¡± Braum muttered. Braum also did the same thing as her except the aura he has on right now is gold in color. ¡°The royal battle force!¡± Rosil muttered in surprise. Rosil seems to be surprised of Braum¡¯s aura but her face shows excitement for the battle. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll be the one to strike Prince!¡± Rosil said excitedly. Immediately after saying that, Rosil disappears from her original position and appears in front of Braum. But Braum is always ready, Rosil strikes first with Braum parrying every move. ¡°Not bad Rosil, not bad!¡± Braum said. Braum starts to smile while still parrying Rosil¡¯s punches which produce sonic booms that shake the grass around the training ground. ¡°Prince Braum you say that too much!¡± Rosil replied. Feeling a bit inpatient, Rosil starts to increase her battle force, which ups the intensity of her aura. ¡°More power does not mean you have a better chance of winning Rosil. Let me show you.¡± Braum said confidently. Braum then starts his counterattack. He starts to disappear after every punch, appearing in front, behind, and on the sides of Rosil in the matter of milliseconds. ¡°Ugh! This power!¡± Rosil said in a surprised tone. Rosil starts to become overwhelmed not by the sheer strength of Braum, but by his precise control of the force and unimaginable speed. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± Braum said. As Braum says that, he pulls a kick which looks like the attack of an emperor shrimp, a legendary sea creature that can kill their prey with one punch that holds immense speed. The kick produces a visible circle of sonic boom and throws Rosil into a tree outside of the training ground. ¡°Ugh...I concede defeat Prince Braum.¡± Rosil said. ¡°Sorry, Rosil! That was fun though.¡± Braum replied. ¡°It¡¯s okay Prince Braum. I now have a greater goal than my pursuit of power.¡± Rosil said in a mysterious tone. Rosil starts to shine a bright smile, one that looks the sincerest since Braum meets her. ¡°And that is?¡± Braum asked confused. Braum looks confused and is wondering what that goal is. ¡°A secret Prince Braum. Let¡¯s have breakfast shall we?¡± Rosil replied. ¡°Ah yeah. Let¡¯s.¡± Braum said. The two then goes to the dining hall after they had clean themselves. Braum was surprised by the bathroom which can produce water from something that looks like a metal tentacle. He later learns that the people here called it a ¡®shower¡¯. Braum and Rosil are now sitting next to each other while eating their food. ¡°Say, I never tasted anything like this, what is this?¡± Brauma asked. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s called fried rice Prince Braum.¡± Rosil answered. Braum is fascinated by this ¡®rice¡¯ which holds a unique texture and fills him up very quickly. ¡°Everything here really surprises me. I mean, I thought my father and mother were the only people in this world that look like me after seeing paintings in books!¡± Braum said excitedly. Braum is talking about skin color. The people of Yakana has a brownish bronze skin while the rest of the continent usually has people having a white skin color. He thought he was unique after never seeing books depicting people having brown skin. ¡°The people of this island evolved to have brown skin in order to be able to stay in this heat Prince Braum. After all, this is a tropical island while the rest of the continent has a colder climate and have multiple seasons.¡± Rosil answered. Rosil¡¯s answer satisfies Braum¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Kraus is your father right? I noticed from the family name and all.¡± Braum asked. ¡°Yes, he is my father... I¡¯m not too close with him since he¡¯s always so busy but I have a deep respect for him as a general.¡± Rosil replied with a sad face. Rosil¡¯s face looks a bit lonely but she looks as if she¡¯s trying not to show it. ¡°Ah right...well I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll be in his position one day Rosil.¡± Braum replied. Braum¡¯s words cheered up Rosil and they continue their breakfast in silence. After breakfast, Braum was called by Kraus to yesterday¡¯s meeting room in order to discuss what¡¯s next. Surprisingly, the room was half empty. Braum thought they must now be busy with war preparations and such. ¡°Your Majesty, welcome. We will now start the meeting right away with the minister of defense''s briefing of the current situation.¡± Kraus said. After Kraus said that, a young man in his 20s stands up, his face is very attractive with glasses and a purple hair ponytail. ¡°Your Majesty. My name is Kiyu Nazuma, the minister of defense of Yakana. I will now give you a briefing on the current situation: Our intel suggests that Gornstein and the militarist group is currently residing in Larneo in the east to create a new government there. However, their military power is more spread out in Yamatra, Ugantan, and Gura. We also found that they are currently in the process of producing mechs and forcing nobles to be pilots for them-¡± Kiyu outlined the situation. Braum cuts off Kiyu¡¯s words due to sheer curiosity. ¡°Wait, nobles? Why would they recruit nobles and not the common people?¡± Braum asked. ¡°That...it¡¯s because only nobles can pilot mechs.¡± Kiyu replied hesitating. Kiyu does not seem pleased to have Braum interrupt him but answered him anyway. ¡°Why nobles? Can¡¯t common people pilot mechs as well?¡± Braum asked again. The one who answers is Kraus instead. ¡°Your Majesty, Let me explain that; it is because the people who get battle force training are only the nobles so the one who can pilot mechs are only nobles. The common people can only be ground soldiers.¡± Kraus answered. Braum looks even more confused. ¡°Are you implying that common people CAN pilot mechs but are not trained to do so?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Well¡­.yes.¡± Kraus answered. ¡°Well, there¡¯s your problem then! You people are too arrogant to train the common people? Talents exist everywhere! Not only in nobles! Everyone can become something great if given an equal opportunity! And here I thought your kind was supposed to be so enlightened, so much better than the people of the continent! I thought with the advanced civilizations Yakana has, something like discrimination would already disappear but I guess I underestimated human¡¯s greed and thirst for power.¡± Braum said in an angry tone. Everyone falls silent after Braum¡¯s shocking words. They are surprised that this new would-be king is already this ferocious. ¡°We will do a full change on this! I want the common people to be pilots and increase our military strength!¡± Braum said still angry. Braum is quite angry. What he hates the most is the discrimination of people. But the one who speaks next is Kiyu again. ¡°Your Majesty, even with the recruitment of the common people, it is not enough to deal with the Militarist power! They currently have pilots with skills that are out of current army''s capabilities to handle." Kiyu said. ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡± Braum asked. Braum calms down a bit after hearing Kiyu¡¯s words and is curious about the solution. But instead, everyone falls silent, they don¡¯t seem to have any solution. ¡°....There is former second general Toziro¡­¡± Someone muttered quietly. The whole room erupts in a flurry of rebuttals. ¡°We can¡¯t have him here anymore!¡± ¡°Why would we call him here again?¡± ¡°That bastard should just stay there!¡± ¡°SILENCE!¡± Braum shouted. Braum screams angrily once more. These people are really too much for him to handle. ¡°Who is that? How can he help us?¡± Braum asked. The one who answers is Kraus again. ¡°He was¡­.he had the same idea as you, Your Majesty, he was the second great general Toziro Migune. He thought that recruiting the common people would increase our chances of winning against the Kaiju and he disobeyed direct orders from the late Queen to explicitly not do that by training some common people to be pilots. After being summoned by the Queen to punish him for his disobeying of her order, he spits in the queen¡¯s face. Usually, that would warrant an execution¡­ But he was special...his elite squad, the Yojimbo, which consists of 10 highly-skilled pilots excluding him, manages to defeat a record number of 7 high-grade Kaiju during the last invasion 10 years ago. His squad was truly the best of the best. The queen was angry, yes, but she also thought his contribution has saved millions of lives as well. She decided to exile Toziro and his squad somewhere in the continent. In order for them to not reveal the existence of Yakana, she also implanted a chip in their brain which explodes when it detects them trying to reveal our existence.¡± Kraus answered. ¡°You people really don¡¯t care about talents that much¡­*sigh* he must be truly pissed after our treatments of them...Alright, I will personally go there and convince him to go back!¡± Braum said confidently. Braum is determined to meet this Toziro and bring his squad back to Yakana. He also thought he would be the perfect guy to train the common people to be pilots after this. ¡°But Your Majesty you can¡¯t just leave! The Militarist forces can attack soon!¡± Kraus replied urgently. Kraus stands up in shock of Braum¡¯s plan and intends to stop him. But then Kiyu interferes. ¡°Well, actually...our new Intel also suggests that the Militarist don¡¯t plan to attack for another year¡± Kiyu muttered. ¡°And why is that? Isn¡¯t that too long with our current weak situation?¡± Braum asked. Braum is confused. One year is a long time. Can¡¯t they attack now? ¡°We are not exactly defenseless Your Majesty, our best pilots are currently on high alert defending the cities that are not controlled by the Militarist, including the capital city. Their successful attack against the royal family was an exception due to them having people from the inside. We have executed those people and done a thorough check on our current people and found no other traces of spies. Now, they are only focusing on two things. One, the expansion of their military which can take a while since the majority of mech factories are still in our territory. They will need to build a new factory and secure the resources. Two, we also have intel that they are currently trying to invade another country on the continent which would further divide their resources and prolong their preparation to attack us.¡± Kiyu answered. Kiyu¡¯s answer surprised not only Braum but everyone in the room since this is new information as well for them. ¡°Then it is settled, I will go fetch Toziro back to our kingdom. Where is he?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Your Majesty, we do not have a precise location but we do know that he and his squad is residing in the capital city of the kingdom of Estalia. If Your Majesty will go there, then we will provide the best security for your journey. The militarist also has no knowledge of your existence, Your Majesty, since you have not been crowned yet so this might be our chance!¡± Kraus replied excitedly. Kraus is also convinced that this is the best solution right now. Some doubts can be seen in the faces of the people in the room but they are out of options so they reluctantly agreed. Braum has his mouth wide open in a smile. He truly wants to help Yakana but most of all, he finally gets the chance to explore the continent and its cities, his excitement is sky high right now. Chapter 6 - Before The Journey The journey is set for 2 days from now. They are currently preparing the logistics and manpower needed and tomorrow Braum will be fully briefed and prepared for the trip. For the rest of today, Braum requested a city tour of Kurala, the capital city in which he is in right now. Rosil was chosen to be his tour guide and a group of secret service members will follow them secretly. Braum and Rosil had to wear a disguise of a hat and a sunglasses to stay anonymous. ¡°So what¡¯s first, Rosil?¡± Braum asked. They are currently riding the metal, hovering vehicle that Braum saw from the air when he first arrived in the city. ¡°First is the National Museum, Prince Braum. I think you¡¯d enjoy a tour through our country¡¯s history in science and other things.¡± Rosil answered. ¡°Sure!¡± Braum replied. In truth, Braum is quite excited. This is the first time he¡¯s ever out in the city and it¡¯s a futuristic city at that! Braum also learns that the vehicle is called a car and it can move up to 300 KM/H. The vehicle still needs a driver although Rosil told Braum that some scientists are currently developing a driverless car. After a few minutes, they arrived in the museum. The building is huge stretching for a few kilometers and it¡¯s shaped like a fallen gigantic beast which has 3 horns on its head and looks vaguely humanoid. ¡°This building was actually made from the skeleton of a Grade 9 Kaiju, the only one of its kind who was defeated by Queen Sumira 350 years ago. The body was too big to be moved elsewhere so she decided to create a museum out of its body. She was one of the strongest individuals in Yakana¡¯s history and this museum is dedicated to her." Rosil explained. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Braum muttered. It truly is impressive Braum thinks. To be able to create a building out of a skeleton, this kingdom never ceases to amaze him. Inside, Braum saw all kinds of different things from skeletons of prehistoric animals, statues of historical figures, and even art pieces. Braum is thinking that this is one of the best days of his life. After a few hours, it is finally time to move on. ¡°What¡¯s next what¡¯s next?¡± Braum said repeatedly. Braum is still a bit excited. After all, he spent his whole life in a forest so every sight is new for him. Even more, Braum is still a teenager so his childish curiosity still exists. ¡°Next is the movie theater and mall-¡± Rosil answered. For the rest of the day, Braum and Rosil went to all different places. Braum managed to watch the first movie in his life about the story of the first king, which has very realistic effects. They then went shopping for all kinds of things and also ate a variety of different cuisines. At night, Braum saw bright lights coming from the buildings. Rosil told him that those are what¡¯s called ¡°neon lights¡±. Braum saw all kinds of pretty colors from red, green, yellow, you name it. The lights are showing moving pictures of advertisements for products and sometimes they show the news broadcast as well. The night view of Kurala is one of the most beautiful sights that Braum has ever seen. But what¡¯s more important is that Braum saw how the people of Yakana live their lives. After reading a lot of books depicting death and misery to be common in the streets, Braum truly believes this society to be more advanced than them. The people of Yakana are happy and live their lives to the fullest. But quite a lot of them looks a bit sad and gloomy as well today due to the recent passings of the royal family and the Militarist uprising. Braum finally looked determined to end his people¡¯s suffering and restore the peace. The next day, Braum is summoned first thing in the morning to be briefed for his journey. But this time he was not called to the usual meeting room, but instead what looks to be a war room which has a picture box display on the table that shows different things like the map of the continent or the military situation elsewhere. The room is only filled with military personnel that Braum hasn¡¯t met yet. ¡°Your Majesty, welcome, my name is Lieutenant Kelvin Djarot of the kingdom¡¯s special forces and I will be accompanying you on this journey.¡± Kelvin introduced himself. The one who greeted Braum first is a man with black curly hair and a goatee in his chin. He looks to be in his late 20s and is very tall. His face is round and average but his overall aura will turn some heads in the street. ¡°Aah yes hello Kelvin. Who are the others?¡± Braum replied. ¡°We have two other people, STAND UP!¡± Kelvin barked orders. As soon as he says that, two other people stood up. The one on the left is a girl that seems to be in her late teens and has black hair which goes to her shoulder. Her face looks innocent and does not seem to belong to a soldier at all. She is currently doing the usual kingdom salute of placing her right hand on the chest.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Your Majesty, my name is Sergeant Urada Hidaru of the kingdom¡¯s special forces at your service.¡± Urada introduced himself. The one on the right is another man in his early 20s who has fiery red straight hair that is fashioned in an undercut on its sides. His face looks very sharp and he seems to not want to be here. He follows Urada with the salute. ¡°My name is Corporal Niko Kaseli of the kingdom¡¯s royal forces.¡± Niko introduced himself in a tired tone. ¡°CORPORAL! Show some respect for the future king!¡± Kelvin shouted. Kelvin snaps at Niko for his disrespectful introduction. ¡°Yeah yeah, Your Majesty, I am at your service. ¡° Niko replied still sounding tired. Kelvin¡¯s face does not show any guilt and instead looks a bit tired. ¡°This humble personage apologizes for his behavior Your Majesty, I assure you his combat skills are better than his attitude.¡± Kelvin apologized. Kelvin starts to bow to Braum, asking for forgiveness for Niko¡¯s rude behavior. ¡°Another Kaseli? Heh. No worries. Actually, I much prefer his attitude that does not care for people¡¯s status and only care for their duty. Nice to meet you all.¡± Braum muttered. Instead of being offended, Braum starts to smile. Niko¡¯s raised his eyes after hearing Braum¡¯s words. This might be an interesting client Niko thought. ¡°So what¡¯s our plan to bring back General Toziro?" Braum asked. Braum¡¯s face turns serious again. This is a very important journey he is going to take. ¡°Your Majesty, if you would bring your gaze to the screen on the table.¡± Kelvin said. The screen shows a map of the continent with Yakana far off the eastern coast of the continent. ¡°The tracking device on the chip we had 10 years ago was a bit outdated Your Majesty. It only shows the location of the person within a 50 kilometers radius. We know from that fact that Toziro and his squad always move in a group which suggests that they may work as some sort of mercenary with their skill sets. They are currently located in the capital of the Kingdom of Estalia, the city of Neversummer. Estalia is located in the very northwestern part of the continent. Estalia is a monarchy and currently has a king as its ruler. Their technology and infrastructure are still very crude as they are too over-reliant on magic. If we see their movements for the last 3 months-¡± Kelvin explained. The screen then changes into the map of Estalia and shows lines that represent their movements. ¡°- They occasionally move between different cities but for this month, they have only been staying in the capital. Knowing their skills, we will probably need to gather intel on famous mercenary groups once we get there. In addition, if we get in a 50 meters radius, then we can directly pinpoint their exact location.¡± Braum nods his head at the explanation. His face is fully immersed with the information, in contrast with his usual quirky attitude. ¡°What about the logistics? How are we going to get there and what equipments can we bring? Let me just say this first: I don¡¯t care if we use some of our technologies in the outside world. I won¡¯t reveal them the existence of Yakana just yet, but I don¡¯t want your stupid politics to hinder our plans to save our nation.¡± Braum asked and replied. Braum¡¯s voice turns sharp and menacing. Kelvin then starts to explain. ¡°General Kraus thought you would say that Prince Braum. Yes, we are prepared to use some, but not all, of our equipment. For starters, we won¡¯t be bringing our mechs there. Instead, for protection, we are going to use the newest exoskeleton that is integrated with our clothing to boost our strength and defense. As for how we will get there, one of our stealth airplanes will take us to the eastern border of Estalia. We would have to walk or find a ride to the capital, which is around 452 kilometers from the border. After convincing them to go back, we would have to return to the border where we will use our communication device to contact home base to pick us up. For our equipment, we are going to bring a vibrosword, which is a vibrating sword that can cut through anything, and a standard issue magic handgun powered by our mana-¡± Kelvin explained. Braum interrupts Kelvin due to his curiosity again. ¡°-Speaking of Mana, don¡¯t you guys use magic around here? Actually, my father taught me some magic incantations when I was in the forest like one for opening my boulder house.¡± Braum asked. ¡°Your Majesty, let me explain-¡± Urada answered. The one who answers is Urada instead. ¡°We don¡¯t technically use magic. Instead, we use mana to power our mechs and weaponry. The people of the continent use old magic that uses incantations to produce a variety of different effects. The magic that your father taught you were one of them.¡± Urada explained. ¡°I see. Thank you Urada.¡± Braum said. Still curious, Braum asks another question. ¡°Wait, why do we have to walk again? Can¡¯t we just use a vehicle?¡± Braum asked. ¡°I apologize Your Majesty, but General Kraus already had a hard time getting approval for the inclusion of some technologies in our equipment but he couldn¡¯t get the approval for vehicle use in fear of it being stolen or lost.¡± Kelvin answered. ¡°Am I really the king here? Does my voice matter at all? *sigh* alright I¡¯ll deal with that after I return. Once I¡¯ll get Toziro back, I¡¯ll do a full reformation of the current system.¡± Braum said dejectedly. Braum¡¯s words surprised everyone in the room, especially Niko, whose face seems to lights up at his words. ¡°Right. What¡¯s next?¡± Braum prompted Kelvin to carry on. Kelvin continues his explanation. ¡°Where was I? Right. We would bring our vibrosword and magic handguns for our weapons. We will also bring a variety of equipment inside our bags. In case of an emergency, we also have a panic button on our communication device which would send in a mech right away.¡± Kelvin continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just press the button right away as soon as we arrive in the capital?¡± Braum said jokingly. ¡°I would prefer you not doing that Your Majesty!¡± Kelvin replied with an urgent tone. Kelvin¡¯s face starts to become a bit flustered but Braum starts laughing instead. ¡°Hahahaha I¡¯m just joking Kelvin I¡¯m not that stupid. Is that it?¡± Braum asked. ¡°That is correct Your Majesty. We will see you in the palace¡¯s courtyard tomorrow morning." Kelvin answered. ¡°Then see ya!¡± Braum said. Braum exited the room and heads to his room. For the rest of the day, he spent his time surfing the channels of the picture box where he watched different shows and the news. He was too lazy to study today so he went straight to bed after dinner. Tomorrow is an important day. Chapter 7 - Onward To Estalia The next morning, a butler knocked on Braum¡¯s room to wake him up. This was not the time when Braum usually wakes up. In fact, he saw that it was still dark outside of his room. With a heavy body, Braum forced himself to wake up and get ready. After a shower and getting dressed, Braum went to the castle¡¯s courtyard where yesterday they said they would meet. Currently, in the castle¡¯s courtyard, hundreds of military and government personnel can be seen. Some of them are familiar faces like Kraus, Rosil, and Kiyu. The special forces squad that will be accompanying Braum in this journey is also there. The one who speaks first is Kraus. ¡°Your Majesty, we are here to see you off. May you be successful in your journey and bring glory to Yakana once more!¡± Kraus said to Braum. After Kraus said that, everyone goes to one knee and put their right hands on their chests, except Niko who was a bit late. """ETERNAL BE YAKANA!!!""" Everyone shouted. Everyone screamed those words at a volume so loud Braum felt his body shakes. Their voice was infused with their mana so its power was not something you can laugh about. Braum then starts his speech. ¡°Thank you everyone...I¡¯m not good at giving speeches but..-¡± Braum said. Braum does not really know what to say. This is the first time he has given a speech in his life. ¡°For the last few days, I have seen how the people of Yakana live and what they stand for. We stand for the betterment of Yakana and survival against the Kaiju. The Militarists are too short-sighted to see that what they stand for will bring suffering for people in the long-run. However, after my coronation, I will also be changing how things work around here. For starters, I will allow the common people to be pilots and open relations with other nations. What I want is the betterment of not only Yakana but the whole world. And finally, what I want to achieve is not our survival against the Kaiju, but their complete defeat. In the future, I want to find the source of these monsters and obliterate them! Now my question to you people: ARE YOU WITH ME?¡± Braum asked. """YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!""" Everyone starts to scream out of excitement. They are starting to believe that this new king will bring real changes to Yakana for the better. ¡°Right...so where¡¯s our ride?¡± Braum asked. Braum is confused as he can¡¯t see anything that will bring him to Estalia. The one who answers is Kraus. ¡°It¡¯s already here Your Majesty.¡± Suddenly, the camouflage of the plane starts to disappear. The airplane is shaped like a perfect triangle and has a sleek design into it. The surface of the airplane is fitted with nanotech that will blend the airplane to the surroundings. ¡°Wow! Alright, let¡¯s go right now then!¡± Braum said. But before he can go, a hand pulled on his sleeve. It was Rosil. ¡°Prince Braum, please be safe and return.¡± Rosil said to Braum. Rosil is shining a sincere bright smile which made Braum a bit ticklish. After all, Braum is still a teenager, a tender age where one might fall in love. ¡°...uhh... Yeah, I will Rosil. Thank you. I will be off now.¡± Braum answered Rosil while scratching his head. He was too embarrassed to answer any further so he starts to embark the airplane with the rest of his special forces. ¡°See you again everyone! I will for sure bring General Toziro back!¡± Braum shouted. The plane starts to rev up its engine. Before the door closes, Kraus screams at Braum. ¡°Your Majesty! I almost forgot to tell you! Toziro is a bit of a wild dog and lacks respect for authorities! He will definitely not agree right away so you should find a way to convince him!" Kraus shouted. ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about that! Those kinds of people are my favorite!¡± Braum shouted back. After the cockpit closes and the plane leaves, Kraus still has a worried look on his face. The airplane¡¯s inside is quite spacious, fitted with some rooms, a living/planning room, and the cockpit. There are picture boxes showing different kinds of things from the plane¡¯s altitude to where the airplane is right now. ¡°Your Majesty, please wear this. This is the standard uniform for our special forces. The newest exoskeleton armor, the Bridges Mark VI. It is fitted with technologies that will boost our strength and defense.¡± The one who said that was Urada. She seemed to be very passionate about military tech when she said that. The armor looks like a mix of an exoskeleton with clothing and a hood to cover the head. Armor: https://imgur.com/a/2Lfvuo0 ¡°Uh..how do you wear this?¡± Braum asked. Braum is confused as the outfit looks like it couldn¡¯t be opened. ¡°Just stand behind it Your Majesty, it will recognize you.¡± Kelvin answered. Braum then do as she says and stands behind the armor. The armor then starts to open up its behind and Braum walks forward to enter the suit of armor. The armor then closes again. ¡°Holy shit this is lighter than it looks. I already feel stronger!¡± Braum said excitedly. Braum is amazed at the suit¡¯s technology. What¡¯s more important to Braum is that the armor looks awesome and he feels like a badass wearing it. ¡°So when will we arrive?¡± Braum asked. Braum¡¯s smile disappeared and he starts to become serious again. ¡°We will arrive in approximately one hour, Your Majesty. Please look at this map to see our drop point.¡±Kelvin answered Braum and shows him a map in the table¡¯s picture box. Estalia''s Map: https://imgur.com/a/pqAJlHG ¡°We will drop at the southeastern border of Estalia. From there, we will have to find information and rides from the nearest town or villages. It is currently winter in Estalia so there is a reduction in human activity as well. Our armor will protect us from the cold. Also, Your Majesty, please wear this in your ear.¡± Kelvin continued. Kelvin then hands Braum a device that looks like a small earpiece. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Braum asked. ¡°That¡¯s our long-distance communication device. We can keep contact with one another from far away and also contact home base as they are also monitoring our movements. What¡¯s more, since the people of Estalia speaks a different language than us, this device will also allow us to communicate with them.¡± Kelvin answered. ¡®I see, this is both a translator and a communication device¡¯ Braum seems to not be surprised anymore by the level of technology this nation has. Kelvin starts to give him his other equipment. ¡°This is the vibrosword, if you channel in your mana it will vibrate at a high speed and emits your mana aura, like this.¡± Kelvin said. Kelvin starts to channel mana into the vibrosword and the sword starts to emit a small pitch sound and the back edges of the sword starts to glow in a yellow light. Vibrosword: https://imgur.com/a/RU1itvu ¡°The color of the aura will depend on the person''s mana. Yours will probably be gold Your Majesty due to your royal bloodline. Now this is the mana handgun, the VAUX 919¡± Kelvin continued. Mana Handgun: https://imgur.com/a/1Nf1q3WStolen story; please report. "The amount of bullets that will be created depends on the amount of mana you put into the gun. One last thing Your Majesty, we are going to need a codename to refer to ourselves by to protect our identity. We will disguise ourselves as a band of mercenaries from a faraway land since our skin color is not common here. I will be Rob, Urada will be Stef, and Niko will be Kaz. What will your codename be Your Majesty?¡± Kelvin asked Braum. Braum starts to think. ¡°Hmm since your codenames are easy to remember, then call me Markalobazta Juinamike¡± Braum answered jokingly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Your Majesty?¡± Kelvin asked. Kelvin looks at his future king confused. ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Call me Zed.¡± Braum answered. Kelvin then finished his explanation and everyone starts to gear up. So far, the one who has always been silent is Niko so Braum calls out to him. ¡°Hey, Niko buddy, you okay man?¡± Braum asked Niko. Niko frowned hearing Braum¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just let me do my duty and you will return safely.¡± Niko said in a disrespectful tone. ¡°CORPORAL NIKO!¡± Kelvin shouted. Kelvin snaps at Niko for his disrespectful tone again but Braum raised his right hand to stop Kelvin. ¡°It¡¯s fine. As I said, I much prefer his type. Hey Niko, I¡¯ll slowly break your shell and earn your respect alright?¡± Braum stated. ¡°Hmph.¡± Niko snickered at Braum¡¯s words and found him to be interesting. After an hour, the stealth airplane arrived in the border of Estalia, but it did not start to descent. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s jump.¡± The one who spoke was Niko. This is the first time he speaks out of his own volition. "Wait, jump? How come I wasn¡¯t briefed on this?¡± Braum asked. Braum starts to become a bit flustered. He is not scared of height but he is scared of dying. ¡°Do not fret Your Majesty, our armor is strong enough to withstand the fall. We will not be harmed.¡± Kelvin assured Braum. ¡°But WHY do we need to jump when this is a stealth airplane?¡± Braum asked again. ¡°While this is a stealth airplane, it is still an airplane Your Majesty. The grass and trees will move too much due to the plane¡¯s engine and attract unwanted visitors when we land. We will jump and land in a forest which is near a small village. We will find information there for our journey there." Kelvin answered again. Kelvin assures Braum that it is safe to jump. ¡°*sigh* alright let¡¯s jump.¡± Braum said. Braum has a defeated look on his face since he is forced to jump. The back of the airplane starts to open up and a burst of cold wind enters the cabin. The hoods and the small part of clothing in their armors start to flap with the wind. The one who jumps first is Niko, followed by Urada and then Kelvin. Braum is still inside the airplane hesitating whether to jump or not. ¡°What the fuck did I get myself into¡­*breaths in and out* Alright...FUCK IT!¡± Braum shouted. Braum starts to jump following the others as well. They are currently falling at a very fast speed towards the forest. Kelvin¡¯s voice can be heard in Braum¡¯s earpiece. ¡°Your Majesty, we will land in that open field in the middle of the forest. Follow me.¡± Kelvin said. The first to land is Kelvin, followed by Urada, Niko, and finally Braum. The force created by their landing caused the ground to crack. Kelvin then starts to brief them again. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here. From now on, we will refer to ourselves by our codenames. I¡¯m sorry if we will disrespect you by not stating your title Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Again...I much prefer that. Alright, Rob. What now?¡± Braum asked Kelvin with his codename. They are currently in a small opening in the middle of a forest. It is currently winter and the raining snow is falling on their hoods. Everything is also covered by the white snow and the trees have lost their leaves. Due to the sheer speed of the airplane, it is still early in the morning by the time they arrived here. The sun is going to rise soon. Urada opens her device which shows a map of the surroundings. ¡°It seems that the nearest village is 2 kilometers away from here. I suggest we go there.¡± Urada answered. ¡°Good suggestion Stef. Yeah, let¡¯s go there.¡± Braum replied. Braum agreed with going to the village. He¡¯s quite excited to see how the people of the continent live their lives. This is akin to the first contact between different species. Hooded individuals can be seen walking through the forest. Their steps are quite silent despite their heavy-looking armors. This is Braum¡¯s group trying to head to the village. Suddenly, a growling noise can be heard in the vicinity. ¡°Everyone stop. There¡¯s something near us.¡± Kelvin suddenly said. The forest is eerily silent and that growling noise woke up the group¡¯s awareness. The growling voice is then followed by sounds of heavy footsteps. ¡°Kaz. Find the unknown entity.¡± Kelvin ordered Niko. Niko then opens up his device to see the map of the surrounding area. The map shows a red dot on the east of their location. Niko then told the rest of the group. ¡°It¡¯s on our right. Battle position.¡± Niko said. After saying that, everyone except for Urada pulls out their vibrosword and activates it. Kelvin¡¯s sword glows a yellow light, Niko¡¯s sword is red, and Braum¡¯s sword is golden. ¡°From my knowledge of this region, I reckon that¡¯s a Serpental Bear.¡± Braum muttered. Braum remembers his time studying different kinds of animals within different regions. The serpental bear is a large mammalian beast which has a tail shaped like a serpent. The serpent part of the body is not actually alive as the whole animal is the bear itself. The serpent has no eyes, only a mouth that acts as an extension of the body to inject venom to its prey. After some time, the beast revealed itself. Braum¡¯s guess was correct, it¡¯s a serpental bear. ¡°You are very knowledgeable Zed.¡± It was Urada that complimented Braum. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on the attack guys.¡± Braum replied. Braum can¡¯t lose his focus. This is the first time he is going to fight a life and death battle with another living thing (ROAAAAAAAAAAR) The serpental bear roared. Suddenly, three more serpental bears come into view. They are hunting in a pack. ¡°Four beasts for four people. Perfect. Let¡¯s each defeat one.¡± Niko said. Niko¡¯s eyes start to shine a dangerous light and his mouth forms a smile. It seems as if he has been thirsty for battle. The four serpental bear then starts to charge at each member of the group. It looks like they want to fight a one on one battle as well to compete with one another. Braum¡¯s eyes starts to be serious. He then begin to release his golden mana aura while holding his vibrosword with both hands. (SWOOSH) With one slash, the serpent tail of the bear charging at Braum was cut off. ¡®Holy...this sword is unbelievable.¡¯ Braum is amazed at the sharpness of the sword. But cutting of the tail caused a green liquid to burst out of the wound and come into contact with Braum¡¯s armor. A blue barrier then starts to activate and protect Braum''s armor. ¡®Ah, this must be the defense mechanism of the armor.¡¯ Braum readies his sword again and charge at the serpental bear. Meanwhile, Kelvin is fighting the serpental bear with amazing skills. He does not seem to want to deal a deadly blow to the bear but instead, with inhuman speed, starts to slowly cut different parts of the serpental bear to torture it. (ROOAAAR) ¡®Tch.¡¯ The bear roared in pain. Kelvin does not want it to attract any other beasts in the vicinity so he charges the bear to deal a deadly blow. He then jumps into the air and while spinning his body, decapitates the bear. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for being so loud, beast.¡± Kelvin said to the dead beast. Kelvin has finished his battle. Niko is also seen fighting the bear but with a different fighting style than the others. He is seen to be holding the mana handgun in his right hand and the sword in his left hand. This is usually seen as being a waste of mana as using two of them at the same time requires the person to channel mana into those two weapons but Niko does not seem to have a problem with it. (BANG! BANG! SWOOSH) Niko shoots the different parts of the bear while occasionally slashing his vibrosword. For the final move, Niko then runs towards the bear, shoot its head, then stabs the sword into the heart of the serpental bear. (ROAAR¡­.) The bear gave a weak roar before dying. ¡®I¡¯m finished. What about the royal brat?¡¯ As Niko thought of that, he turns to see Braum¡¯s battle but found that he has already finished. Braum is currently sitting on top of the beast¡¯s body with his sword still inside the head of the serpental bear. ¡®Heh. Not bad. What about Urada?¡¯ Urada is seen not using her sword at all. Instead, she shoots at the serpental bear at very precise spots with her mana handgun. (BANG BANG BANG) Urada shot the bear precisely in the serpent tail, the heart, and the beast¡¯s brain. The serpental bear then died without making any sound at all. ¡®As expected. She was the best shot in the entire academy.¡¯ As Niko thought of that, Braum calls out to them. ¡°Are you guys finished? That was easier than I thought. This armor and sword is amazing! And You Stef! Your accuracy with the handgun is amazing.¡± Braum said. ¡°Thank you, Zed.¡± Urada replied. Urada smiled, enjoying the prince¡¯s compliment. Kelvin then says his order. ¡°I think we should continue our journey towards the village.¡± Kelvin said. But Braum had a different idea. ¡°According to the books I¡¯ve read, the serpental bears are a danger to the village population and fetch quite a good price. I suggest we bring these bears back to the village. That way, they will be grateful towards us and give us money for our journey.¡± Braum replied. Kelvin seems to agree with Braum''s words. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea Zed. Alright, we will do just that. Let¡¯s each carry one bear towards the village.¡± Kelvin said. They then start to carry the bears in their shoulders. The combination of the suit¡¯s prowess and their own strength made it easy to carry these heavy beasts. The group starts to make their way to the village again. After around 30 minutes of walking, they arrived at the village gate. The gate is seen to be guarded by two guards wearing leather armors and carrying spears who became shocked at the appearance of armored, hooded figures who are carrying dangerous beasts in their backs. ¡°H-h-halt! State your business!¡±One of the guards said that while being nervous at the group¡¯s menacing appearance. The one who replies is Braum. ¡°My name is Zed. I am the leader of my group of mercenaries. We come from a faraway land. We have defeated four serpental bears and we are looking to sell the parts.¡± The two guards looks at each other and nods. ¡°Alright! For the amazing deed of defeating the beasts that are a danger to us, we will bring you to the village chief!¡± One of the guards replied. Braum¡¯s group then enters the village. The village is quite shabby with houses made out of wood and haystacks as the roof. Not many people are outside, probably due to it being winter so there are no crops and their livestock is probably hibernating. The people that are outside seem to look gloomy and sad but when they see the appearance of Braum¡¯s group carrying the beasts, their face starts to light up. ¡°Someone has defeated the serpental bears!"One of the villagers screamed and people start to exit their houses. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± ¡°The gods have saved us! They must be angles!¡± ¡°My livestocks and children are safe!¡± Everyone starts to scream in joy. The serpental bears must have been a real threat Braum thought. The crowd then starts to make way for an elderly gentleman that looks to be in his 70s and a hunched back. ¡°Welcome to the village of Lebourne, heroes! My name is David and I am the village chief. Please, come inside my house over there so we can discuss.¡± The village chief said. The village chief also seems to be happy for the defeat of the serpental bears. He points at one of the houses in the middle of the village. Braum¡¯s group then enters the house. Chapter 8 - Pesky Bandits The village of Lebourne: https://imgur.com/a/Gf5Dpnw (With more snow) Braum and his group are currently inside the living room of the village chief¡¯s house. In comparison to the rest of the village, this house is a bit bigger with proper furnitures as well. A fireplace can be seen in the wall with sounds of flame crackling. Furs of animals are used to pad the seats. The whole atmosphere can be described as cozy. The wife of the chief then started to serve the group some drinks and David, the village chief, starts to speak. ¡°As the village chief of Lebourne, I would like to express my utmost gratitude for defeating not one, but FOUR of those Serpental Bears! They haft¡¯ been a real danger to our community with them killing our livestock and all that. We have no clue why this winter those beasts come out. They usually just hibernate in their nests by this time.¡± The village chief said to the group. The group looks at each other and Braum takes the lead. ¡°So them being out in the winter is not normal? I see I¡¯m glad we took care of them.¡± Braum asked the chief. The village chief smiles wide hearing Braum¡¯s reply and speaks again. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re really indebted to you people this time. I must say, those armors are not like anything we have ever seen before, who are you people? And forgive me for being rude, but I haven¡¯t seen your skin color in this region either.¡± The village chief asked the group. ¡°We are a group of mercenaries from a faraway land. We have been traveling for quite some time and we have learned the language of these lands. We would like to thank you for your hospitality in welcoming us but for now, we just like to trade the Serpental Bear¡¯s parts that we have slaughtered.¡± Braum answered. The village chief¡¯s smile disappeared. His face became the same shade of gloom that the rest of the villagers had before they saw Braum¡¯s group. ¡°That...won¡¯t be possible.¡± The village chief said with a depressed look on his face. Braum and his group¡¯s faces start to look confused. ¡°Why? Is there any problem with the bodies?¡± Kelvin asked. ¡°Not that...we don¡¯t have any money to spare¡­¡± The village chief answered. After saying that, an awkward silent starts to engulf the whole room. Kelvin then starts to lean in and whispers at a low voice at Braum. ¡°Zed, the village seems to be having problems. We must not waste time. Let¡¯s head to another village or town to trade the serpental bears.¡± Kelvin whispered to Braum. Braum, pretending not to hear Kelvin¡¯s whispers, starts to speak towards the chief again. ¡°Is the village having problems? How can we help?¡± Braum asked the village chief. The chief¡¯s face lights up again. He has been wishing for salvation this whole winter. ¡°Are you people willing to help??¡± The village chief asked back. ¡°We have time to spare, sure. I have also noticed that the guards at the gate is wearing cheap leather armor. They are probably just normal villagers, is that right? That¡¯s quite unusual as usually, there would be soldiers from the kingdom that are stationed in even the most remote villages.¡± Braum said in a confident manner. Braum¡¯s deduction was spot on. Everyone starts to become surprised, especially the chief. ¡®This person is really observant.¡¯ The village chief thought. ¡°Th-that¡¯s right...Mr. Zed?¡± The village chief asked, unsure. ¡°It¡¯s Zed¡± Braum answered. ¡°That¡¯s right Mr. Zed. Truthfully, due to the harsh winter that we have been dealing with, there must be a shortage of soldiers that can be sent to such a remote village like us. Because of that¡­.¡± The chief¡¯s face starts to cramp up and he almost looked angry. ¡°Bandits.¡± Braum muttered. Braum has guessed where things are going with the absence of the protection of the kingdom. ¡°THOSE BANDITS! They asked us for money every week this winter! With the absence of trading between villages and towns this winter, we are running out of money! And they have also threatened us that if we can¡¯t pay our fees, then they will start to take our women and children! They¡¯re going to be sold as slaves! Or worst!!!¡± The village chief said, raising his voice.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The chief snapped hearing about the bandits. One could not imagine such an angry loud voice can be heard from such an old person. Braum and his group were also surprised to hear the existence of slaves. Of course, they know they exist in this lower civilization but hearing the word itself disgusts them as the concept of slavery is so utterly barbaric and ancient to them. With a tinge of anger in his voice, Braum replies back to the chief. ¡°I see. When is the next collection?¡± Kelvin then begins to whisper at Braum¡¯s ear again. ¡°Zed. Are you sure about this? We are interfering with other people¡¯s issues.¡± This time, Braum replies to Kelvin. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to help them. You people have been sitting at that high horse for so long that you forget to look down and see other people¡¯s suffering. I am not someone who will help just about anyone but whenever we can reach our hands, we will help those people in need.¡± Braum said angrily. Kelvin, Niko, and Urada are stunned hearing Braum¡¯s words. They are also quite fascinated that this Prince has already the qualities of a noble king but Kelvin still has a doubtful look hanging on his face. Braum repeats his words at the chief. ¡°When is the next collection?¡± ¡°R-r-right! They will come again tomorrow afternoon!¡± The village chief answered. Braum starts to stand up and the rest of the group follows. ¡°Great. Just prepare us a place to stay the night and we will deal with them tomorrow.¡± Braum replied. ¡°You can stay at this house! We will prepare rooms!¡± The village chief barked at them. Before the chief hears any reply, Braum¡¯s group already left. ¡°Angels...they must be angels¡­¡± The village chief muttered silently. Outside of the house, Braum starts to talk about their plans. ¡°I want us to split up today and find information. I will talk to the villagers while some of you guys either ask around the village or go outside the village to find clues.¡± Braum said to the group. ¡°Forgive me Zed, but I still think that this is a waste of time. I will find some information on Toziro¡¯s squad ¡­...but I will also try to see if they know anything about the bandit.¡± Kelvin replied. ¡°*sigh* that¡¯s fine Rob. In due time I want the people of Yakana like you to understand that we must also help the people of the continent. And don¡¯t get me wrong, not all of them. The ones who are either a hinder to our plans or someone I judge to be deserving will die as well like the bandits tomorrow. Alright, Kaz, I want you to search outside the village for clues-¡± Braum replied back and said to Kaz. ¡°Hmph.¡± Niko just snorted as a reply. ¡°-And Urada, I want you to stay with me to find information inside the village. Everyone understand?¡± Braum said to the group again. """Roger.""" Everyone replied. Putting aside their personal feelings for the job, everyone knows their duty and that is to follow the orders of Braum. Later that day, Braum and Urada are seen to be talking to the inhabitants of Lebourne. Urada is currently talking to the women of the village while Braum is playing with the children. ¡°Wow Mister! Your outfit and armor look sooo cooooool!!!¡± One of the children said to Braum. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s even cooler than those legendary mercenaries that came to this village 3 years ago!!!¡± A boy echoed the fascination to Braum¡¯s armor. ¡°Hmm? Can you tell me more about those mercenaries boy?¡± Braum asked the boy. ¡°They¡¯re legendary! They¡¯re famous for refusing the requests of the nobles and instead, hears the requests of us common people! That¡¯s why we call them The Bodyguards! They protect us, little people!¡± The boy answered. ¡®This is probably Toziro¡¯s group judging by their modus operandi.¡¯ Braum thought in his head. ¡°Can you tell me more about them?¡± Braum asked the boy again. ¡°I don¡¯t really remember much... I was still little when they came to this village. But my favorite member is definitely Ace! His archery skill is out of this world! Some say he can even hit a goblin¡¯s belly button with his eyes closed!¡± The boy answered again. ¡®Kelvin have probably found more information later. I should just focus on the bandits¡¯ Braum thought. ¡°Hey, guys can you tell me about the bandits?¡± The children who have been smiling and playing with joy stopped. Their happiness sucked out. ¡°The bandits...killed my father!¡± One girl said while on the verge of tears. ¡°My family can¡¯t feed the livestock anymore because we¡¯re out of money! The bandits!!¡± Another boy muttered angrily. Braum understands their anger. He decides to be frank with them. ¡°Listen guys, I¡¯m going to defeat these bandits. They won¡¯t come here anymore...So I need you guys to tell me everything you know about the bandits.¡± The children stopped crying and their faces started to light up. Hope finally arrived for them. Later that night, the group is back at the village chief¡¯s house. They are sitting at the same living room as before but Braum asked David, the village chief, to leave them alone for awhile. ¡°What have you guys found? Let¡¯s start with information from outside the village, Kaz?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Hmph. The snow has covered a lot of their tracks but I found some traces of a camp around 1 kilometer north of the village. It¡¯s hard to tell where their base is but I would wager the direction of their base is in the north. Around the village, I also found one more Serpental Bear, which I killed.¡± Niko reported his findings. ¡°I see, good job Kaz. Now we know the direction where the bandits came from. Stef?¡± ¡°I talked to some women of the village. They said the bandits usually number around 30 people. One of them remembered that they have warriors, archers, and just one mage. However¡­ I believe that there are probably more hiding outside the village when they collect the money.¡± Urada reported her findings. ¡°Good job Stef. Rob?¡± Braum asked Kelvin. ¡°I have found some information about Toziro¡¯s group-¡± Kelvin answered. ¡°What a coincidence. Me too. Now let¡¯s save that information for after we kill the bandits, shall we? What did you find?¡± Braum replied in a sharp voice. ¡° Yes, You- *cough* Yes zed. The bandits do not seem to have a leader. They move in a group. Their real leader or mastermind must be in their base. I have also found that the bandits each carry a bounty on their head. I suggest cutting of their ears to get money rewards in the town after we killed them. ...Zed, what is your plan for this?¡± Kelvin asked Braum. Braum just smiled. The bandits won¡¯t know what will hit them. Chapter 9 - Big Trouble In Little Lebourne It is a calm winter morning in the remote village of Lebourne, located in the outskirts of the kingdom of Estalia. The heavy snows covering the roads are being scooped up by the citizens as they start the day. This winter has hindered many of the villagers in doing their normal activities such as farming. The heavier than usual winter fall also means that the usual kingdom¡¯s soldiers and traveling merchants that visit these lands are nowhere to be seen. The faces of the villagers carry a shade of gloom that seems to predict their looming doom. The following afternoon, a group of 30 people can be seen in the village gate. These are what people would call all sorts of different names: thugs, criminals, bandits. These bands of misfits all carry dirty, rugged looks in their faces. Their uniforms, or lack thereof, are mismatched with one another. Some can be seen wearing good quality metal armors while some are only wearing cheap leather armors. Some carry swords while some others carry bows or a wooden staff. ¡°THE VILLAGE OF LEBOURNE!-¡± One of the bandits in the front of the group shouted. ¡°Rejoice! Your saviors have come!¡± """HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA""" The bandits laughed at their representative¡¯s joke. The dirty face of the bandit who spoke started to create an even more disgusting looking smile. ¡°Enough jokes. We are here for this week¡¯s protection fee! Bring me the chief!¡± The bandit shouted to the whole village. That¡¯s what they called their extortion, protection fee. To the bandits, not being killed or kidnapped to be sold as slaves by them is protection. The villagers are forming a crowd in the middle of the village¡¯s road. It is as they say: there is safety in numbers. The villagers feel safer when they are in close proximity with one another. The crowd then starts to make way for David, the village chief, to step forward. ¡°G-g-gentlemen! Let¡¯s settle this peacefully! We can make a deal¡± The village chief said to the bandits. ¡°Huhh? Peacefully? Do you want peace? Then pay up!¡± The bandit¡¯s representative replied. After the representative said that, all the bandits start to draw their weapons. The villagers can be seen panicking. ¡°W-we don¡¯t have money! Our money has run out! There are no travelling merchants that come here and we lost contacts with other villages!¡± One of the villagers, not the chief, said. ¡°Eeeeeeeh? Have you people forgot what we told you we would do if you can¡¯t pay up?¡± The bandit representative replied. ¡°P-please! Let¡¯s settle this some other way!¡± The village chief begged. ¡°Hell nah. If y¡¯all can¡¯t pay up then we¡¯ll be taking your strong men, plump women, and juicy children then! BOYS! GET THEM!¡± The bandit¡¯s representative barked orders. The villagers can be seen panicking and tries to run away but the heavy snow slowed them down. The bandits¡¯ stronger physiques allow them to catch up with the villagers. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± ¡°Let me goo!¡± ¡°Let my wife go!!!¡± One by one they are taken by the bandits. Not just the men, but the women and children too. The bandit¡¯s representative and his lackeys then spotted something in the middle of the panicking crowd. ¡°Hmmm? Now where do y¡¯all backwater village like this found this bronze-skinned sexy bitch?¡± The representative said. The one he described was a girl in her late teens with attractive features and a shoulder-length hair. Her exotic beauty is very rarely if at all, seen in this part of the continent. ¡°Please! Not her! She¡¯s just a guest!¡± The village chief begged the bandits to not take the girl. ¡°Now why would we care about that? Hmmm¡­ she¡¯ll fetch a pretty price for the nobles.¡± The bandit representative said. The bandit¡¯s representative and his 5 lackeys start to approach the girl. ¡°Please! I-I¡¯m just a small girl!¡± The girl begged the bandits. ¡°That¡¯s right...you¡¯re a small girl...hehehehehehe¡± One of the lackeys said. ¡°I guess we can get a little taste before selling her¡­¡± The bandit representative replied as they approach the girl. Finally, the girl is within arm''s reach of the bandits. ¡°Noo!¡± The girl screamed. (BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG) Six booming sounds can suddenly be heard rapidly and the bandit¡¯s representative and his lackeys suddenly fell to the ground. An abundance of the color red starts to contaminate the white of the snow. ¡°W-w-what?¡± One of the bandits who was near them said. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not such a small girl huh?¡± The girl said. The girl was of course Urada. She has been disguising herself as a defenseless girl and hid in the crowd. She is currently not wearing her armor and is only wearing a simple villager¡¯s garb. She waited for the bandits to get close to her and quickdraws the mana gun hidden in her back to shoot the six bandits at once.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°24 to go.¡± Urada muttered. ¡°T-t-that bitch! BOYS! GET HER!¡± The bandit¡¯s warriors that carry swords start to charge at Urada. For each of their attacks, Urada only barely dodged and then shot their vital points. (BANG BANG) Urada¡¯s movement with her gun is like an angel of death that can take your life within a manner of seconds. Each bandit that approached her found themselves dead before they can put a scratch on her. ¡°YOU!¡± One of the bandits charged again at Urada. The bandit stabs the sword towards Urada. (BANG) But a string of pain can suddenly be felt in the hands of the bandit holding the sword. ¡°Aaah!¡± The sword fell. Urada then runs up to the bandit, aimed her gun at the head and shot in point blank. (BANG) A huge hole can be seen in the head of the bandit. The warrior bandits are now all defeated. Near the village gate, the archers, and one mage bandit can be seen with faces of shock after seeing what just happened. This one girl defeated their entire warrior bandits...all of that just happened in under 30 seconds. ¡°BOYS! Aim your arrows at her! Steve! Use your magic!¡± The remaining 9 bandits archers and one mage then start to aim their arrows and magic at the girl. ¡°Not so fast.¡± A voice can suddenly be heard behind them. Suddenly, one of the archers is split in half by a golden glowing sword. ¡°AAAAH!¡± One of the bandits screamed out of shock at what he had just seen. The glowing golden sword belonged to none other than Braum. Before they can react, Braum starts to move at an inhuman speed, disappearing and appearing at different spots and attacking the bandits. ¡°Aaah! My hands!! Ughh¡± One of the bandits screamed before he died. The remaining bandits'' number starts to go down one by one until it is just 4 of them left. ¡°Call the backup!!!¡± One of the bandits barked at his friend. (SHOOOOOOO) That bandit then starts to blow a whistle. But after a few seconds, no help came. ¡°What are they doing??? Why aren¡¯t they coming?? Forget it! Kill this man!¡± One of the bandits barked orders. The bandits start to shoot their arrows at Braum. All of the arrows just bounce off Braum¡¯s armor. ¡°What kind of armor is that??¡± One of the bandits screamed out of confusion. (SLASH SLASH SLASH) Braum killed the remaining archers by dismemberment as his sword is just a tad bit too sharp. ¡°Ughhh! Esvalicus Gastana!¡± The final bandit mage invokes a chant and then five fireballs can be seen hovering around him. ¡°Fira!¡± The bandit mage screamed and the fireballs start to move at high speed towards Braum. Braum then starts to slash his sword at the incoming fireballs. He hit four of them and they disappeared. But the final fireball hit his armor and the armor¡¯s blue barrier activated. ¡°What! That armor can deflect magic!¡± The bandit mage was surprised. Before he can say anything else, Braum has already arrived in front of him. ¡°Aaagh!¡± The bandit mage gave a scream before dying. Braum stabbed his chest. ¡°Tch. I missed one of those fires...I need more training.¡± Braum said. He realized that if he was not wearing his armor, he would have been quite wounded from the fireball. ¡°Urada!!! Let¡¯s check up on the others!¡± Braum shouted at Urada who was further inside the village. ¡°Alright, Zed!¡± Urada replied. Deep inside the forest, two hooded individuals with strange-looking armors can be seen. Below them are three men on their knees that have their hands behind their backs. The two men were, of course, Kelvin and Niko. ¡°Resistance is futile. Those handcuffs are made from carbon fiber and further enhanced by magic.¡± Kelvin said to the prisoners. Suddenly, two other hooded individuals can be seen approaching them. ¡°Rob, Kaz, how are things holding up here?¡± Braum said to the two. Kelvin and Niko have dealt with the reinforcements that are outside the village. Their numbers totaled to 20 other bandits. Following Braum¡¯s orders, they have captured some prisoners. ¡°Zed. As you can see, we have kept some alive so we can find their base of operation.¡± Kelvin replied to Braum. ¡°We¡¯ll fucking tell you nothing! Go suck your momma¡¯s titties you brown-skinned motherfuckers!¡± One of the bandits shouted at them. ¡°Heh.¡± Niko snorted at the bandit¡¯s low-level insult. ¡°They all play tough...in the beginning...we¡¯ll open your mouths.¡± Kelvin said to the prisoners. A dangerous smile can be seen in Kelvin¡¯s face. This is his specialty in the special forces. He was an expert in torture and the handlings of prisoners to extort information out of them. ¡°Zed, Kaz, Stef. If you would just sit back and relax, I¡¯m going to handle this alone.¡± Kelvin said to the group while smiling. ¡®This guy...is dangerous¡¯ Braum thought inside his head. Braum, Urada, and Niko then each found a tree and leaned their backs on them to enjoy the show. ¡°Now¡­.where is the location of your nest?¡± Kelvin said while pulling a small knife from inside his pockets. He said that to the bandit that is the most right. ¡°We fucking told you fucking brownies! We ain¡¯t going to tell you shit!¡± The bandit in the middle shouted. Suddenly, the knife is stabbed at the middle bandit¡¯s throat. ¡° *Gurgle*¡± The bandit tried to speak but the knife was inside his throat. He then fell down and died due to the blood loss. ¡°I didn¡¯t fucking ask you. You...where is the location of your base? I¡¯ll cut one limb off your friend here every time you either lie or opt to not tell me¡­¡± Kelvin said to the left bandit. ¡°I-I-I ain¡¯t going to tell you shit!¡± Kelvin then cuts the right bandit¡¯s left hand with his small knife which might seem impossible but he did it anyway. ¡°AAAAAAAAAHHH! PLEASEEE!¡± The right bandit screamed. ¡°Once more, where is the location of your base?¡± Kelvin asked again. ¡°I-I-I¡­¡­.¡± The bandit hesitated. Kelvin then cuts the right bandit¡¯s other hand. ¡°AAAAAAAAH!!!!¡± The right bandit screamed louder. ¡°W-Why did you do that???¡± The left bandit asked. ¡°You took to long to answer...Now¡­.hey you...what will you choose¡­.I cut off more of your limbs or you tell me the location of the base?¡± This time, Kelvin asked the right bandit. ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you!!!! The base is located 7 kilometers north of here!!!! Near the r-r-river! The cave is located inside a cave near the river!!¡± The right bandit told Kelvin while in agony. ¡°I guess I won¡¯t need you anymore will I?¡± Kelvin said to the left bandit. ¡°P-please!¡± The left bandit begged. ¡°Too late. More like I won¡¯t need the two of you anymore.¡± Kelvin pulled his gun and shot them. (BANG BANG) The two bandits fell down, dead. ¡°We have found their location, Zed. Shall we go there right now?¡± Kelvin turned around and asked Braum smiling while spots of blood can be seen on his face. ¡°R-r-right. Not yet. We will bring these bodies back to the village first then we will go.¡± Braum answered back. Braum was scared shitless. He was still a teenager and this was the first time he ever saw something as graphic and disturbing as that, despite having killed the bandits before. But Braum knows that he must not show weakness as a king. After all, as scary as Kelvin is, he is still his underling. ¡° *breaths in and out* Let¡¯s bring these bodies back¡± Braum said calmly. Back in the village, the villagers were still quite shocked by what just happened. Their savior did as they promised and killed the bandits! Suddenly, Braum and his group returned to the village carrying the bodies. ¡°OUR SAVIORS!¡± ¡°THEY¡¯RE THE ENVOY OF THE GODS! ENVOY OF GODS I TELL YOU!¡± The villagers cheered to their survival and praised Braum¡¯s group. ¡°Where is the village chief?¡± Braum asked the villagers. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± The village chief arrived in front of them. ¡°Please keep these bodies and cut off their ears. We will be back soon.¡± Braum replied. And then Braum¡¯s group left faster than they arrived. The villagers were still cheering. The village chief was dumbfounded. ¡°Who are these people¡­" Chapter 10 - The Raid Braum¡¯s group is currently in the forest on their way towards the bandit¡¯s nest. Previously, Urada retrieved the armor she hid to disguise herself as a villager before so she is now in her usual appearance of wearing the Bridges Mark VI, the standard Yakana¡¯s special forces armor. ¡°How much further is the nest?¡± Braum asked the group. Urada opens a map in her tablet device that shows the approximate location of the bandit¡¯s nest. ¡°Around¡­..1 kilometer ahead¡± Urada replied to Braum. The breaths coming out of their mouth can be seen due to the cold temperature. The trees in the forest are not covered by leaves but instead snowflakes. Most of the animals or insects that are usually visible seem to be hibernating although this winter is unusual as some predators such as the Serpental Bears did not go to hibernate. ¡°You know, since I lived in the continent, the cold of the winter is a normal thing for me by now. What about you guys? Since you lived in a tropical country like Yakana where there were no snow.¡± Braum asked curiously. ¡°Of course, the people of Yakana would usually be quite sensitive to the cold since they have never experienced it. But for us special forces, we were trained to fight in any terrain, weather, and climate so we can stand this. Although I must say, the temperature control in this armor does help tremendously. ¡± Kelvin answered Braum¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Oooh...I see... ¡° Braum muttered. The group continues to make small talks for a bit until they finally have a visible view of the bandit¡¯s encampment. The bandit¡¯s camp is accurate to the prisoner¡¯s descriptions, a testament of Kelvin¡¯s abilities. But it seems as if the now dead prisoner did not manage to tell them one thing: The cave was just one part of the camp. Outside of the cave, there were wooden walls and tents. ¡°We have visuals¡­¡± Kelvin muttered. ¡°Hey... I forgot one thing. Can¡¯t we be seen like this? Our uniform is black in color, which stands out in this snow.¡± Braum asked. ¡°I guess this is the perfect moment. Zed, push the small triangular button in your left gauntlet.¡± Kelvin told Braum. Braum did as Kelvin instructed him to do and pushed the button. Suddenly, All parts of the armor, including the hood, has turned white, matching the colors of the snow perfectly. ¡°Perfect...can this imitate everything?¡± Braum asked again. ¡°Not everything. Our camouflage technology still needs a bit of work. The camo technology in this Bridges Mark VI can only imitate basic colors and can¡¯t replicate complex patterns.¡± Urada, the team¡¯s expert in military gear answered. ¡°Alright...how should we go about doing this" Braum asked. In truth, he had planned everything in the bandit¡¯s attack on the village from before until here. But he has not yet come up with a solid plan on how to attack the bandit¡¯s camp. From what he can see, the number of guards here is way more than before and they could not use their previous methods. ¡°Alright, Zed...my turn now." Niko said smiling. Niko then pulls out a small bug-like device from his bag and a tablet. He then throws the bug into the air and turns on his tablet device. The tablet shows a live footage of what the bug is currently seeing as it is flying. "Kaz is the best in our special forces in terms of tactical espionage. He was especially an important part of our last operation of finding out the Militarists plans. He¡¯s probably the reason why we¡¯re here right now.¡± Kelvin explained. Braum is astonished. Everyone in this group is the best of the best in their field. He had wondered why he was only going on this trip with 3 other people but this truly explains it. No one else was needed. Niko just stayed silent while being focused on the live feed of the bug. He is currently studying the bandit¡¯s camp layout. The live feed does not just show what a normal person would see but shows the temperature of the people in the camp and allows the ability to see through walls. ¡°Approximately 120 people. 30 people seem to be actively guarding the entire camp. 40 other people are doing different things from just sleeping to having a feast. The cave is probably where the higher-ups are, 30 people are deeper inside the cave. And¡­.¡± Niko trailed off. ¡°And?¡± Braum asked. ¡°The remaining 20 people seem to be prisoners...probably people from other villages that have been captured by them. Mostly women and children, they are probably going to be sold as slaves. ¡° Niko answered. ¡°Tch. Prisoners. This is going to be harder than we thought¡± Kelvin muttered. ¡°I see what you mean. If they notice our presence and hold the prisoners as hostages, it would be harder to kill them.¡± Braum echoed Kelvin¡¯s dissatisfaction. ¡°Do you have a plan, Kaz?¡± Urada asked. Niko smiled. His current look is a far cry from his usual bored and uninterested look. His face is full of life and seems excited to finally show what he can do best. ¡°I have already made one. Here¡¯s my plan.¡± Niko said and presented a map showing the plan in his tablet. Niko¡¯s Plan: https://imgur.com/a/LKqt7pf ¡°Kaz and Stef, you guys will be the one to charge inside the cave and find the higher ups. In the meantime, I will be the one attacking the main¡¯s bandit camp. Rob, I will need you to stay here and help me by being my spotter for the enemies.¡± Niko said confidently. ¡°I think this is a good plan, except, it sucks. How the hell are you going to sneak into a camp of 70 bandits inside? I acknowledge your skills but that¡¯s just ridiculous¡­¡± Braum said in a skeptical tone towards Niko. ¡°I dislike your underestimation of me...normally with full gear, I would be able to do this as easy as taking candy from a baby. But with the limited equipment I have right now, I¡¯ll have to rely on the blizzard.¡± Niko replied. ¡°The blizzard?¡± Urada asked confused. ¡°That¡¯s right, my tablet¡¯s weather forecasting feature is detecting that there is quite a strong snow blizzard coming in under 3 hours. The bandits would not only have very limited visibility and awareness, the number of active guards they have will probably decrease. This way, I¡¯m able to kill all of them.¡± Niko replied. ¡®Amazing...to be able to take into account the weather and use it to this advantage. Niko Kaseli, you are something special¡¯ Braum thought in his head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m convinced. We¡¯ll do as you say and wait for the blizzard to come. Everyone agrees?¡± Braum asked the group. ¡°¡±¡±Roger¡±¡±¡± The three of them replied. 3 hours later, a heavy snow blizzard starts to occur. The visibility is greatly reduced and the temperature is getting even colder. The bandits who were patrolling starts to notice the arrival of the snow storm. ¡°Fucking shit ay it¡¯s a bloody blizzard.¡± A bandit muttered. ¡°Imma fucking go inside the tents. No one would be stupid enough to attack now.¡± Another bandit said. Just outside the camp, there is a hooded figure that can barely be seen due to the matching colors between the armors and the environment. This is Niko who is approaching the camp. ¡°Alright, Rob. How many are outside now?¡± Niko asked over the voice comm. ¡°Only 30 left are outside. The other 40 seems to be inside their tents.¡± Kelvin answered. He is currently laying down while holding a tablet across the river, the location of where the group planned the attack.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®I¡¯ll need to find a way to draw out the people inside the tents after I killed the ones outside.¡¯ Niko thought. Niko then started to approach the wall. 2 bandits can be seen guarding the upper wall of the front gate. The blizzard is still raging on so their visibility is greatly reduced. Niko starts to draw his gun and he flips a switch located on the side of the gun. (POP!) Niko shot one of the guards. This time, the gunshot almost didn¡¯t make any sound, only a silent ¡®pop¡¯. Coupled with the loud sounds of the blizzard, the other guard didn¡¯t notice a thing. Niko starts to climb the wall and grabs the dead body and throws it to the ground below him. He then waits on the ledge. The other guard noticed the disappearance of his fellow guard. ¡°Bran!!! Where¡¯ta fuck are ya?¡± The bandit shouted. The bandit guard then starts to approach the location of where the missing guard should be. Suddenly, a hand grabs his feet and throws him to the ground below. ¡°Ugh!¡± (POP) Niko shot the guard who fell below him while still hanging on the ledge. He then climbs the wall above. ¡®Let¡¯s see the situation¡¯. Niko pulls out a thermal scope and surveyed the surrounding. After having a full grasp of their locations, he jumps down inside the bandit camp and prone. ¡°Rob. Keep me updated on their movements.¡± Niko whispered over the voice comm. ¡°Copy that.¡± Kelvin replied. Niko currently has his mana handgun on his right hand while his left hand is holding a knife backward. He is crouch walking slowly to avoid detection. His footsteps do not make any noise as if his shoes are specially designed to be sound absorbent. (STAB) Niko stabbed a bandit before he can react. (POP) Niko then shot a bandit further away. This goes on until the 30 people that are outside are all silently killed by Niko. He employed a variety of creative ways to kill them all. None of them managed to even make a sound before being killed by an unknown force. The blizzard is still going on so the other bandits do not feel anything out of the ordinary. ¡°Alright here¡¯s the tricky part. Rob, what are they currently doing inside the closed tent?¡± Niko whispered over the voice comm. ¡°20 people seem to be sleeping in two tents so you¡¯re lucky there. The remaining two tents have people awake. One tent has 14 people that seem to be playing some sort of game, probably gambling, in the middle of the tent. The one other tent has 16 people doing different things around the inside of the tent.¡± Kelvin answered. ¡°Copy that.¡± Niko replied. ¡®I can kill people in their sleep easily. The one tent where they seemed to be gambling I can attack them at once before they react but the other tent is going to be quite tricky¡­.¡¯ Niko thought coming up with a plan in his head. Niko then proceeds to go inside the two tents where people are sleeping and kill them in their sleep. This can already be considered mercy as they did not feel a thing before dying. Niko then prepares to enter the tent that has people gambling in the middle of the tent. ¡®Well, hope this works.¡¯ Niko pulls out his vibrosword that glows a red light under his mana aura. He also starts to use his battle force and a visible aura of red starts to cover his body. Niko enters the tent at an extremely high speed. ¡°HEY! That¡¯s..¡± (SLAAAAAASSH) Blood spattered everywhere around the tent. The heads of everyone in the room were decapitated by Niko in one swoop. One bandit that had a view of the entrance managed to barely warn the others but he was just too slow. ¡®Well that was quite easy since they were huddled up together¡¯ Niko thought. Niko then exits the tent and heads to the final tent with 16 people that are not huddled up together like before but instead are more spread out around the inside of the tent. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to take a risk and attack them directly. Braum and Urada are probably already on their way inside the cave already so it¡¯s safe to make a little noise. The blizzard is still going on anyway.¡¯ Niko came up with the plan. Niko then enters the tent at high speed and chaos ensues. (POP POP SLASH SLASH POP) ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Aaaaaah¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡° *gurgle* ¡° Sounds of dying and agony can be heard inside the tent for a few dozen seconds before everything goes to silence again. A bloodied figure can be seen exiting the tent, it was Niko. But those were not his own blood. ¡®*sigh* that was tiring¡¯ Niko thought. ¡°All team, the bandit camp is clear. I repeat the bandit camp is clear. I will now take measures to free the prisoners. ¡± Niko said over the voice comm. ¡°Roger. We are inside the cave.¡± Braum answered. Braum and Urada are currently making their way inside the labyrinth-like corridors of the cave. They have changed their armors to be vantablack to blend them with the darkness of the cave. Occasionally, they would meet bandits who were easily killed by either Urada¡¯s marksmanship or Braum¡¯s sword. After a while, they discovered a big door that has engravings in it. ¡°This must be where the higher-ups are¡± Urada muttered. ¡°Check the insides.¡± Braum ordered Urada. Urada pulled out her thermal scope and surveyed the inside of the room. ¡°Quite a spacious room. 20 people. 8 are sitting at a long table while the other 12 seems to be guarding them.¡± Urada replied. ¡°Let¡¯s charge in and kill the guards first.¡± Braum said. ¡°Roger.¡± Urada complied with the simple plan. (BANG) Braum kicked open the door and they entered. Everyone in the room seemed surprised, especially the person at the far end of the long table who seems to be the leader. ¡°WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?¡± The bandit leader barked. Braum and Urada stayed silent and starts to attack the guards. (BANG BANG SLASH BANG SLASH) Their movements are inhuman and fast and every time the bandits managed to hit them, their swords just bounce off the armors that Braum and Urada are wearing. ¡°What the heck??¡± One bandit muttered. ¡°Augh!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Only a short period of time has gone by and the guards are all killed. The only people remaining are the 8 people sitting at the long table. ¡°SHIT! Lieutenants! Attack them!¡± The bandit leader barked orders. 6 people got up from their seats. They seem to be stronger than the usual guards. Only 2 people stayed behind: the bandit leader and another mysterious masked figure. 3 of the bandit lieutenants seemed to be able to use magic and started to chant while the other 3 carries swords and charge at Braum and Urada. (SHIIIINNGGG VZZZZT) Sounds of swords clashing can be heard. The bandit lieutenants are more skilled than the usual guards and can wield the sword at an expert level. Unfortunately for them, they are only carrying normal metal swords. ¡°What??¡± One of the bandit lieutenants shouted. His sword was cut in two after heavily hitting Braum¡¯s sword. (SLASH) ¡°UUGH!¡± A bandit lieutenant did a dying scream. While they are harder to kill, these bandits have highly inferior equipment than what Braum has, which are cutting edge Yakana technology. Braum managed to defeat the 3 bandit lieutenants carrying swords. Meanwhile, the 3 bandit mages have finished their chants. Soon, fireballs, earth boulders, and a small wind tornado can be seen moving towards Braum and Urada. Urada then starts to charge while expertly dodging the magic projectiles. After travelling a certain distance, Urada quickdraws her gun and shoot the 3 bandit mages at once. (BANG BANG BANG) The 3 bandit mages fell to the ground dead and their spells died with them. There are now only 4 people left in this room. Braum, Urada, the Bandit leader, and a masked individual. ¡°Disappointing. I thought you of all people Groll, would be able to protect his own camp.¡± The masked figure spoke. The voice was those belonging to a man. The individual is wearing a full black uniform and a white mask that looks like a person constantly smiling. His presence is eerie, almost not belonging to a human. ¡°Wait!!! I don¡¯t know who these people are!!! Please give me another chance!!!¡± Groll, the bandit leader, tried to appeal for forgiveness. ¡°Too late. You¡¯re finished. I am more interested in these two individuals...or rather four individuals if you count the one outside?¡± The masked man muttered. ¡®What? Did we know we were coming?¡¯ Braum thought in his head. The masked figure continues ¡°You people seem to be highly strong individuals¡­.our organization would love to have you working with us. Of course, we would compensate your with tremendous wealth or anything you desire.¡± The masked figure asked Braum. ¡°Who are you?¡± Braum asked back. ¡°Now now, if you join us then we¡¯ll tell you...how about it?¡± The masked figure replied. ¡°Not interested. If you¡¯re working with the bandits anyway then I would not want to work with you.¡± Braum said. ¡°Ashamed. You will come to regret that decision.¡± After saying that, the masked figure suddenly starts to disappear into a flurry of fluttering black feathers. There were no traces of his presence in the room again. It¡¯s as if he was never here in the first place. ¡°You. Who was that? And why were you kidnapping the villagers?¡± Braum asked Groll. ¡°I-I-I can¡¯t tell you! They¡¯ll kill me!¡± Groll replied in fright. ¡°I assure you we will kill you as well in much, much frightening ways if you don¡¯t tell us.¡± Urada said. After some hesitation, the bandit leader conceded. ¡°O-okay. I-I¡¯ll tell you. We were told by those people...to kidnap the villagers...This winter was the perfect time they said with the absence of the kingdom¡¯s soldiers in this remote areas. We would extort villages of their money slowly until they can¡¯t pay any more and then kidnap their people. But we didn¡¯t sell them as slaves! We were just told to take them to a particular location and leave them there! I swear!¡± Groll revealed their reasons. ¡°And where is that location?¡± Braum asked. ¡°It¡¯s around 5 kilometers to the east! In the middle of a forest, there is a magic circle in which we were told to leave the villagers tied up. We left after every delivery and did not see anything else!¡± Groll replied. ¡°These people...who were they?¡± Braum asked again. ¡°T-t-they¡¯re called the order of-¡± Before finishing his sentence, foams appear in Groll¡¯s mouth. He starts to have a seizure for 10 seconds before he stopped moving. ¡°Check his vitals.¡± Braum ordered Urada. ¡°He¡¯s dead. No signs of poisoning. Odd¡­¡± Urada replied after closely observing the dead body of the bandit leader. ¡®Tch. there¡¯s a greater conspiracy at play here.¡¯ Braum thought. He initially thought he would just find Toziro and his squad and return to Yakana, but little did he know there is something interesting happening throughout the kingdom of Estalia. Chapter 11 - A New Legend After cutting off the ears of the bandit¡¯s higher-ups to serve as evidence for a reward and looting some of their treasures, Braum went to the cages where the kidnapped villagers were located in order to free them of their shackles and set them free. The snow blizzard has also ended. ¡°Oh by the will of the gods! We have been saved!¡± A woman villager shouted after seeing Braum¡¯s group freeing them. They were huddled up together from the cold and were asleep when Braum¡¯s group raided the entire bandit¡¯s camp. The villagers were predominantly female and children but some male adults can also be seen. ¡°Oh, valiant heroes! What are your names so we can spread your deeds!¡± A villager asked Braum. ¡°Uh...¡± Braum hesitated. ¡®Perhaps spreading our fame will have some uses¡¯ Braum thought. If he spreads their name, there is a greater chance of meeting Toziro¡¯s group. But Braum is having a hard time deciding what their group name should be. He is quite horrible at coming up with names. ¡°Uh...call us...The Black Hoods.¡± Braum answered. ¡®Oh, shit that was a crappy name wasn¡¯t it.¡¯ Braum thought. ¡®Yea that¡¯s a pretty tacky name, Prince Braum.¡¯ Urada also thought. ¡®I guess we¡¯re stuck with that shitty name for the rest of the journey¡­¡¯ Niko echoed what they were feeling. ¡°The Black Hoods! Our heroes!!! We will tell your tales to our children and grandchildren!¡± another villager shouted. ¡°*cough* where are your village located?¡± Braum asked them, trying to stop their praises. ¡°Our village is not far from here! We will go there ourselves! We don¡¯t want to trouble our heroes anymore! But you can visit us anytime! It¡¯s located in-¡± The villager answered. ¡°-That won¡¯t be happening anytime soon. Right, Zed? Shall we move on?¡± Kelvin cuts off the villager. ¡°Right...I hope you villagers arrive safely. We will be off now.¡± Braum replied. ¡°Take care heroes!¡± A villager shouted. After some time, Braum¡¯s group arrived on the magic circle described by the bandit leader before he died. The huge magic circle can be seen in an open field in the middle of the forest. The magic circle has exotic runes and is colored red. What¡¯s even weirder is that the circle has no traces of snow in it despite the blizzard happening just an hour ago. An ominous feeling oozes out of the presence of the circle. ¡°What does this do?¡± Braum asked the group. ¡°We...don¡¯t know Zed. We''re not really equipped to deal with this. I suggest taking a photograph of the circle then sending them to a researcher specialized in Old Magic back in Yakana.¡± Kelvin answered. ¡°Then do just that. How long does it take to get the result?¡± Braum asked again. ¡°Probably for a few hours¡­¡± Kelvin replied. ¡®Why did the masked man told the bandits to bring the villagers here? What were they trying to achieve?¡¯ Braum thought in his head, trying to find why all of this was happening. ¡°Then do just that. But we won¡¯t be staying here. Let¡¯s head back to Lebourne for now.¡± Braum ordered after thinking. Niko then pulls out the bug from before to take an aerial shot of the circle. After doing that, Braum¡¯s group returns to the village of Lebourne. ¡°The heroes are back!¡± A Lebourne villager shouted. Braum¡¯s group arrived safely back in the village and it is almost sunset. After noticing the group¡¯s arrival, the villagers can be seen flocking towards their direction as their arrival basically says that the bandits have been eradicated. ¡°Did you guys defeat the evil bandits??¡± A village children asked them. ¡°Right right! I¡¯m sure they go woooosh and bang bang to the evil bandits!!¡± Another child continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry villagers, we have defeated the bandits!!!¡± Braum declared. ¡°¡±¡±YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!¡±¡±¡± Every villages shouted in happiness. In the crowd, the village chief comes out to greet them. ¡°We, the people of Lebourne, are eternally grateful for your endless deeds heroes!¡± The village chief said to the group. ¡°Right right no problem! What¡¯s been new since we left?¡± Braum asked. ¡°We have cut off the ears of the bandits like you asked us to do and burn their bodies! Also, by your continued miracles, traveling merchants have also arrived in the village!¡± The village chief replied. ¡°Merchants? Where are they headed to next?¡± Braum asked, looking for an opportunity to join them. ¡°I believe they¡¯re going straight back to the trade city of Lancester in the west next!¡± The village chief answered. Estalia Map: https://imgur.com/a/pqAJlHG ¡°Can we meet these merchants?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Of course! Right this way!¡± The village chief happily leads them to the merchants.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Suddenly, Kelvin taps on Braum¡¯s shoulder to prompt him to turn around. ¡°What is it?¡± Braum asked in a low voice. ¡°I and Kaz will wait for the news of the magic circle. You and Stef go ahead first.¡± Kelvin replied. ¡°Okay got it. Let me know later¡± Braum said. The village chief leads them to the south gate of the village, where wagons and a group of merchants can be seen. A bearded man in his middle age who seems to be the leader of the caravan starts to approach the village chief. ¡°David! Are these people the heroes you talked about?¡± The merchant said to the village chief in a friendly tone. ¡°That¡¯s right Craig! There are two more people but these people saved us! They are asking if they can join you on the trip back to Lancester.¡± The village chief replied. ¡°Hahaha of course! After all, you people saved the village where I grew up in! But in return, can we depend on you guys for security?¡± The merchant leader asked. ¡°You can count on us. When are we leaving?¡± Braum asked back. ¡°Hoho... We will leave at the earliest break of dawn tomorrow. Just be there on time and you can join us.¡± The merchant leader replied. ¡°We¡¯ll be there.¡± Braum said. Without wasting any more small talks, Braum and Urada head back to the village. ¡°Those are quite serious people huh. And I see some brown skin hidden underneath those hoods, who are those people David? You sure you can trust them?¡± The merchant leader asked. ¡°I have no idea Craig...as far as I know, they are the people from the realms of gods who have come to visit us, mortals¡­How they fight, how they speak, everything about them screams unusual.¡± The village chief replied. Meanwhile, deep in the forest. Kelvin and Niko are looking at a tablet device that is showing a moving picture of a person. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s a transportation circle, Professor Trom? What does that entail exactly?¡± Kelvin asked the balded elderly figure shown on the tablet. ¡°That¡¯s exactly right. It means that whoever or whatever steps into the circle can be transported somewhere else as long as there is someone that has the key to activate it.¡± Professor Trom replied. ¡°And what is that key?¡± This time, Niko asked the Professor. ¡°Call me by my title young lad...that key is the magic signature or chant of the original maker of that transportation circle. However, there were some weird runes that I have never seen before...I¡¯ll need a sample of the circle sent to me so I can decipher its meanings and the origins. Also, how come I see 5 people in the photo if there are only 4 of you in the mission?¡± Professor Trom said. ¡°What? Five people? Professor, we¡¯ll call you back!¡± Kelvin hurriedly replied. The moving picture of the professor disappears and Kelvin switches back to the original picture of the magic circle. ¡°Where is it?¡± Niko asked. ¡°....There, behind the tree.¡± The picture shows a murky hidden black figure hiding behind a tree watching Braum¡¯s group. The figure has no distinguishing features, just a humanoid lump of blackness. Kelvin and Niko start to get chills on their backs. ¡°I didn¡¯t detect any presence...my device also didn''t pick up anything.¡± Niko muttered. ¡°We must go back to the circle! Now!¡± Kelvin replied in a rush. After some time, they arrived back to where the magic circle was located. Traces of the transportation circle are gone and what¡¯s even weirder, the original open field is replaced by dead trees, a normal view of the forest in the winter. ¡°What!!!?? Check if we¡¯re on the right location!¡± Kelvin shouted. ¡°We¡¯re here! Down to the exact coordinates! Shit! They got us!!!!¡± Niko also shouted. Something is definitely wrong. Yakana¡¯s detection ability is unparalleled. The special forces are trained to detect the presence of any living things around them and with the help of Yakana¡¯s technology, detecting a nearby living thing is easy. This...creature managed to bypassed their detection. "Fuck. What or who are dealing with here?" Kelvin muttered. That night in the village, Braum¡¯s group is having a meeting again in the living room of the village chief¡¯s house. The owner of the house is currently out, hanging with the merchants. ¡°...I see. This order of...something...They are kidnapping villagers and transporting them to another location to do something with them and someone got rid of the magic circle.¡± Braum muttered. Kelvin told Braum what just happened a few hours back from the call with the Professor to the magic circle disappearing. ¡°That¡¯s right. But Zed, this conspiracy is out of our control and we currently don¡¯t have enough manpower and equipment to deal with it. We should focus back on finding Toziro¡¯s group. They¡¯re still in the capital. Remember...the future of Yakana depends on this¡± Kelvin replied. ¡°I know that and I will always try to prioritize Yakana and I will convince Toziro and his group to come back. But...I don¡¯t know why, call it the intuition of someone who read too many stories, this mysterious group is up to something big. And I mean something big that can affect the whole continent.¡± Braum replied. ¡°Toziro is our priority.¡± Niko muttered codly. ¡°I know I know!. Sheesh, Kaz! lighten up a little every once in a while...¡± Braum replied. ¡°-So, what have we learned from Toziro¡¯s group so far anyway?¡± Braum asked again. ¡°From my conversation with the villagers here, it seems Toziro¡¯s group, or at least people with matching descriptions, came here to help them with the Serpental Bear attacks on a summer 3 years ago. I only managed to identify two members: Mad Dog, a middle-aged bearded man with a hair styled in a bun and a peerless swordsmanship ability and Ace, an archer that has incredible accuracy and the ability to shoot multiple arrows at once.¡± Kelvin said. ¡°And from your analysis, who might those two be?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Heh. Mad Dog is probably Toziro himself since his hair was also like that back in the military and his swordsmanship is the best in the entire royal forces. As for ace¡­¡± Niko muttered. ¡°That¡¯s probably Putra Rabulin! My idol! He was the best shooter in the entire military as well 10 years ago. He played an important part in defeating the Kaiju since, with his mech, he shot the weaknesses of the Kaiju so the rest of the members can easily defeat them!¡± Urada said excitedly. ¡°I see¡­ any news on what they¡¯re called and what they might be doing now?¡± Braum asked again. ¡° I think we briefed you of this before, Zed. They¡¯re passionately called The Bodyguards by the common people for their prioritizing of the needs of the commoners. As for what they are doing now, the villagers do not know since this is quite a remote area and information technology has barely been developed yet.¡± Kelvin replied. ¡°*sigh* sorry, I¡¯m only human so I forget things alright! We¡¯ll put that aside, for now, let¡¯s gather more supplies and information in Lancester, we are heading there with the merchants tomorrow morning. Everyone understands?¡± Braum ordered. ¡®I¡¯m going to show you people that helping people of the continent will actually help us in the long-term.¡¯ Braum thought. """Roger.""" Everyone replied. It is another calm winter morning for Lebourne. The villagers can be seen gathering around the gate of the village to say goodbye to the merchants and The Black Hoods. Previously, Braum has told them their group¡¯s name in an effort to increase their fame as a mercenary group. ¡°The village of Lebourne. We would like to thank your hospitality for these past few days! We are off to Lancester and we hope this village will stay safe!¡± Braum said in a loud voice. ¡°We will!¡± ¡°You¡¯re our heroes!¡± "We¡¯ll spread your stories!¡± The villagers said their goodbye. Some are even seen crying, especially the children. Braum and his group have been a great help for the village and their impacts will be felt not only in this village but the entire Kingdom of Estalia. And so the merchants and Braum¡¯s group set off in their caravan, moving onward to the trade city of Lancester to continue their journey. """LONG LIVE THE BLACK HOODS!!!""" The villagers shouted until the caravan disappeared on the horizon. A new legend is born. Chapter 12 - Familys Pride The road is filled with snow which hinders the wheels of the merchant¡¯s wagons to move forward at a fast speed. The sights of the forest that Braum¡¯s group have been familiar with since they arrived in Estalia are now gone, replaced by vast open fields with the occasional small patches of trees here and there. Braum¡¯s group is riding one of the wagons of the merchants'' convoy. ¡°Hey Craig, can I call you that?...what are these animals called?¡± Kelvin asked the merchant leader that allowed them to join the caravan. ¡°You can just call me Craig yes. Those are what you would call an Ogrun. Tough beasts they are. They can withstand long-distance travel and any weather but their shits sure smell like my grandmama¡¯s ass! Hahahahahaha¡± Craig replied. The Ogruns are the animals that are currently pulling the wagons. They¡¯re quite big, measuring around twice the height of the adult male. An Ogrun has thick furs, a long snout for its mouths, four strong legs, and tree branches-like horns on their heads. The road to Lancester so far has been uneventful with the caravan just slowly making their way to the trade city. Even Kelvin, who does not usually like to interact with the locals start to have small talks with Craig. Braum is still sleeping, Urada is doing maintenance on her gun, and Niko is just blankly staring at the road. ¡°Craig, have you heard of The Bodyguards, the famous mercenary group?¡± Kelvin asked. ¡°Ah yes that group is quite famous. I¡¯m just a simple merchant based in Lancester so I don¡¯t really have much knowledge of them Neversummer mercenaries but they do occasionally come here. Other than that...I don¡¯t know much about them, only that the nobles do not like them that much since they always reject any requests coming from nobles.¡± Craig answered while stroking his beard. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good enough Craig. What do you know about Lancester? Where should we go there if we want to find more information about them?¡± Kelvin asked again. ¡°Hmmm¡­.probably the mercenary guild? They will surely have ways to contact them. Ain¡¯t you people mercenaries anyway? Ah, I forgot you people are from a faraway land. Then I guess you can sign up to be an official group in Lancester and maybe you¡¯ll find more information there.¡± Craig answered. ¡°Thank you again, Craig. By the way, when are we arriving in Lancester?¡± Kelvin replied and asked another question. ¡°Ah...with the precious cargo we are carrying we can¡¯t be too fast. The snow is hindering our movements as well. In other times we would arrive this evening but I reckon we¡¯ll arrive tomorrow morning since we¡¯ll probably need to camp.¡± Craig answered. Suddenly, without any noise, a large group of beasts start to block the path of the caravan. ¡°Wolves!¡± Craig shouted. ¡°Stef, Kaz! Wake up Braum. We have companies.¡± Kelvin ordered. After a while, The Black Hoods are facing off against the wolves. ¡°Awoooooooo¡± One of the wolves howled and the entire pack started their attack. (BANG BANG SWOOSH) Multiple sounds of gunfire and the vibrosword slashing can be heard. Braum¡¯s group is having an easy time fighting the wolves. The vibroswords cut through the wolves¡¯ flesh like butter and the mana handguns pierced through their skin and hit their vital organs. In the end, simple wolves are just no match for the Yakanan. ¡°Well that was easy.¡± Braum said. ¡°We still must not let our guard down.¡± Kelvin replied. ¡°Hahahaha I knew it was the right decision to take you people, the heroes of Lebourne, with us! I¡¯ll treat you guys to a meal once we arrive at Lancester!¡± Craig said in joy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s the least we can do for joining the caravan.¡± Braum replied. The rest of the journey saw no other disturbances like the wolves. Braum fell asleep again and the rest of the group continued what they were doing before. Finally, nightfall came and the caravan stopped on the side of the road and set up camp in an open field. ¡°Set up the tents and build the fire boys! Cook some food as well!¡± Craig ordered his subordinates. The camp is soon lively with people going back and forth to set up the camp, cutting off woods for the campfire, and setting up the ingredients for the cooking. After a while, the camp is ready and the food is served near the campfire. The food is quite simple with just bread, dried beef jerky and some sort of alcoholic drink. Everyone can be seen in the middle of the campfire with the exception of Niko, who seemingly went somewhere else. ¡°Say, where you guys from? I¡¯ve never seen those armors and such weapons. Estalia would¡¯ve won the previous war if we had those! Hahaha¡± Craig asked the group. ¡°Let¡¯s just say we¡¯re from a land far in the east.¡± Kelvin answered. ¡°What¡¯s it called? Aaah forget it I value your privacy anyway. Let¡¯s just enjoy this meal!¡± Craig replied. The campfire meal went on and everyone had a good time. Some of the merchants even became a bit too drunk from drinking too much alcohol and a variety of hilarity ensues. The sight of people gathering around the campfire in the middle of winter while telling all sorts of stories cast a rather cozy picturesque sight. ¡°Hey, have you guys heard about the dragons?¡± A merchant asked everyone. ¡°The dragons?¡± Kelvin said confused. ¡°Dragon. A gargantuan reptilian beast with wings, long necks, and the ability to breath fire.¡± Braum replied since he has knowledge of the continent. ¡°Ah yes! I¡¯ve heard that there is an increase in their activities lately!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the reason why some predators did not hibernate was because of the dragons!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a load of bollocks. We know that the dragons like to stay in their nests and very rarely come out. Don¡¯t believe every rumor you hear lads.¡± Craig said with a skeptical tone. And so stories, rumors, and even gossips about who the next royal princess is going to marry are told in the campfire. With the absence of entertainment in these kinds of trip, telling stories are their only saving grace to stay entertained. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Ah, I have to do my business. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Braum said. ¡°Ay lad. There¡¯s a river near here. You can let out your shit there.¡± Craig replied before Braum leaves. ¡° *cough* right. See ya.¡± Braum said before leaving towards the small patch of a forest near the river. Braum arrives in the river, where he sees a large boulder with a person sitting on top of it. That person is of course the missing Niko, who is busy looking at his tablet screen and watching some sort of moving pictures. Braum then climbs up the boulder and sits next to Niko. ¡°Hey, man aren¡¯t you hungry? The dinner is still being served.¡± Braum muttered to Niko. ¡°Meh. I¡¯ll eat a bit later.¡± Niko coldly replied. ¡°Hey, what are you watching? Can I see?¡± Braum asked. ¡° No." Niko replied. "Aww man pretty pleaseee??" Braum begged. " *sigh* Fine. You''re really a handful. Here." Niko shows what he was watching so intently. The tablet screen shows a battle occurring between mechs. It shows an urban battle within a city where the main character of the video is hiding behind a building alone and the enemy consists of more than 10 other mechs that are approaching him. The lone mech has an insignia carved on its shoulder which is Yakana''s flag that has a golden star in the middle and a white background. The mech has a sleek humanoid design and is colored a striking white. This mech can be seen carrying a large sword in its right hand and a rifle in its left hand. On the contrary, the enemies are all colored black, have a heavier industrial look and carries the insignia of the Militarist, the same star of the Yakana flag but with a black background. ¡°Surrender now and we will treat you as a prisoner according to the law. Any attempt to resist will result in your immediate execution. We outnumber you so resistance is futile.¡± One of the Militarist mech shouted over the microphone. Without replying back, the lone mech climbs up the tall building he was hiding behind and jumps into the air. The enemies noticed this and start shooting at him, but not before the lone mech also starts shooting while still up in the air with such incredible accuracy that 4 of the enemy mechs have been destroyed. (BOOM CRASH) Sounds of the destruction of the Militarists mechs can be heard. ¡°FUCK! Don¡¯t waste time to negotiate anymore! Kill that bitch!¡± The militarist mech who spoke before ordered his men. The lone mech then arrives on the ground. When he lands, he dodges a sword coming right at him before countering the enemy and killing him by stabbing the pilot¡¯s cockpit. Afterward, the lone mech starts to carry the dead Militarist mech in front of the body of his own mech to serve as a body shield while firing towards the enemy. Two other enemies died this time. ¡°SHIT! Use the railgun!¡± The militarist squad leader ordered. After his order, a mech can be seen drawing a very long, heavy looking rod from his back. This is the rail gun. He then goes down on one knee and locks the railgun target on the lone mech. The railgun starts to charge up and sparks of red lightning can be seen. (ZOOOOOOOOOOOM) The railgun fire had an alien-sounding noise and went to the direction of the lone mech. The lone mech then activated his force shield but you can tell that it won¡¯t last him that long. A voice can be heard over the radio of the lone mech. ¡°Petriks! You won¡¯t hold on much longer!¡± A voice warned the lone mech. ¡°I¡¯ll use the charge break. Heh. You¡¯ll have to build me a new mech after this.¡± A youthful but deep voice can be heard from inside the lone mech. The lone mech then starts to shine in a bright red aura. The mech then releases its shield and go against the pure power of the railgun directly. ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s a Nova! Fall back!¡± The militarist squad leader ordered. The firing of the railgun stopped and the militarists start to run away. But the lone mech won¡¯t just stand there. At an incredible speed and still shining the bright red aura, the lone mech gives chase before catching them and killing the rest of the Militarists with his swords. ¡°Aaauugh!!! Glory to Militarist!!!!!!¡± The militarist squad leader shouted before dying. The video cuts off. Or rather, Niko was the one who stopped it. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Niko said. ¡°Who...was that? Holy shit that mech was invincible!¡± Braum muttered in an excited voice. ¡°My brother, Petriks Kaseli.¡± Niko said with a shade of gloom in his face. ¡°Your brother?¡± Braum asked. Braum noticed that Niko¡¯s mood seems to not be that good and watching the video did nothing but worsen his mood. Braum starts to become a bit worried. ¡°Hey you can talk to me about it. What¡¯s your relationship with him?¡± Braum asked sincerely. ¡° *sigh* He¡¯s my older brother by 3 years. He¡¯s the pride of my father, Kraus Kaseli. He¡¯s always been the best in not only military strategies and ground combat but mech combat as well. I...have lived in his shadow ever since I was a child. Heh. That was why I joined the secretive special forces anyway, to get away from him.¡± Niko muttered while looking up towards the huge moon above their heads. ¡°I see...Well, I think you¡¯re pretty great as well. I see a lot of talents in you. Your brother might fight better than you but could he defeat his enemies without them even noticing?¡± Braum replied. ¡°Hahahaha *sigh* I wish it was that simple. But thanks. I¡¯ll head back to camp now. You go on with your business.¡± Niko said. ¡®Holy shit he actually laughed!¡¯ Braum thought in his head. Braum is utterly baffled looking at Niko. That was the first time he ever sees Niko smiling a sincere smile, not the creepy smile he always does. Without wasting another word, Niko already left towards the camp. ¡°That guy is really interesting...Oh right I came here to shit¡± Braum remembered why he came here to the river and proceed to do his business. The next morning, the caravan can be seen traveling again. This time, the merchant¡¯s convoy can be seen approaching a large city that is visible just a distance away. This city has huge walls and some houses outside of the wall as well. The snowy view combined with the sunrise overlooking the city gives it a painting-like sight. Not as many people are going in and out of the city as other seasons but there is a substantial amount of not only people from Estalia, but foreigners trying to enter the gate as well. This is the trade city of Lancester. After queueing a while, the turn of the merchant¡¯s caravan to enter the city finally came. In the gate, knights with intricate metal armors can be seen guarding the wall. ¡°Halt! Give us your identifications and open up your wagons for an inspection.¡± A knight said to the caravan. ¡°Of course, here you go. But we have some foreigners here who have not obtained identifications or permits yet. ¡° Craig replied. ¡°We have defeated the bandits plaguing the remote villages of your kingdom and killed some serpental bears as well. We seek compensation by the mercenary guild and sign up to be their members.¡± Braum said to the guards. ¡°Oh? May I see evidence?¡± A knight asked Braum. Braum opens up his bag and let out some serpental bears¡¯ parts and some bandits¡¯ ears as well. The knight then brings forth some sort of crystal ball to examine the things Braum brought out of his bag. ¡°Hooo...these are genuine Serpental Bear parts alright. These ears do belong to bandits with bounties as well-¡± The knight said. ¡°Then may we enter the city?¡± Braum asked. ¡°-Hehehe. We¡¯ll take these Serpental Bears parts as payment for letting you enter the city. You may enter now.¡± The knight replied while putting a fox-like smile on his face. ¡°What! You-¡± Braum hurriedly said in anger. Niko¡¯s hand grabs the shoulder of Braum to calm him down. Niko then whispers in his ears. ¡°We must not make a ruckus. Let¡¯s just let this one go and focus on the journey. We still have other things to sell.¡± Niko whispered. Braum was surprised since Niko seems to a be a bit more friendlier and open than before, evident with him preventing Braum to get into trouble. ¡° *sigh* fine. I just wanna ask where is the mercenary guild located?¡± Braum asked the guard again. ¡°Hehe, thanks for your business. The mercenary guild can be found in the middle of the city. It¡¯s the huge building with a sign showing a sword, a shield, a bow, and a mage¡¯s staff in front of it.¡± The knight answered. With that, Braum¡¯s group takes their first steps into the city of Lancester. This is going to be their first real experience entering a real city outside of Yakana. Chapter 13 - The Mercenary Guild Lancester is filled with all manners of people going about their daily lives. Although as it is winter so it is not as crowded as usual, the title of a ¡®trade city¡¯ was not for show. What¡¯s more, even the common people here in the city wear better clothing than what Braum has seen in Lebourne. Here, they wear finely crafted leather clothing that is further insulated with animal fur on their scarf or jackets. Even people with armors like the knights are wearing some extra clothing to stay warm. Because of this, Braum¡¯s group stands out quite a bit as they are able to stay warm despite only wearing their armors. On their way to the city square where the mercenary group is located, the streets are still quite full of shopping vendors and the sights of a living economy can be felt. Occasionally, Braum would also see foreigners wearing exotic clothing or even other races, namely the elves and the dwarven people. Sounds of chatters and people haggling their way to get a cheap price are common. When they arrive in the city square, the sights are even more crowded as this can be considered the central business district where shops and various guilds like the mercenary guild, searcher guild, and the discoverer guild are located. Craig explained that while the mercenary guild focuses on fighting, the searcher guild focuses on finding unsolved mysteries or items and the discoverer guild consists of explorers that are hired to accompany researchers to go to uncharted lands or ancient tombs. Usually, cooperations between these guilds happen when for example the searchers need the protection of the mercenaries to solve cases. ¡°Well, here we are, the mercenary guild¡± Craig muttered. The mercenary guild is a huge three-story building made of what seems to be bricks. This is quite a new sight as Braum''s group is used to seeing stone buildings in the villages. On the front of the building, there lies a sign that has a drawing of a sword, bow and arrow, and a mage¡¯s staff, signifying the mercenary¡¯s insignia. ¡°I¡¯ll have to unpack my items in my shop. If you want a place to stay, go to a place called Sun & Moon Inn. That place is located near here and it¡¯s owned by a dear friend of mine so just mention my name and you¡¯ll get a discount. I¡¯ll also treat you to a meal later as I promised of course hahaha. Sounds good?¡± Craig asked. ¡°I think we¡¯re fine now Craig. Thank you very much for your help. We¡¯re looking forward to meeting you again later¡± Braum smiled and sincerely thanked Craig. Craig, his subordinates, and the wagons carrying his goods left the guild''s premises. Now it is time for The Black Hoods first step into the mercenary guild. Entering the building, it was not what Braum and his group expected. They expected a bunch of rugged-looking men as mercenaries but instead found that most of these mercenaries look quite clean and neat. The people that seem to be more experienced are wearing more intricate designed armors while the lower-ranked mercenaries seem to be wearing some sort of uniform which is a normal-looking, but not shabby, metal armors. In the middle of the guild hall is a restaurant where mercenaries can order food and drinks to discuss things with their members. There are also wooden boards that show job requests. Braum and his group attracted quite a few gazes on their way with the arrival of hooded individuals with exotic looking armors but they seem to maintain their professionalism and just silently stare at Braum''s group instead of starting to approach them. Braum and his group finally find their way to the receptionist desk. ¡°Hello. Welcome to the Lancester¡¯s branch of the mercenary guild. Are you here to set up a request or perhaps register as mercenaries?¡± A young attractive lady with short blonde hair greeted them. In truth, the mercenary guild¡¯s receptionists are professionals so they remember each of their guild¡¯s member. They know that Braum and his people are not one of their own so there could only be two reasons why they are here: to set up a job or to register. ¡°Actually. We¡¯re here for two reasons. The first is to sell these.¡± Braum said that while opening up his bag and letting out the bandit¡¯s ears and serpental bears¡¯ parts in the receptionist¡¯s desk. ¡®That¡¯s not very polite Prince Braum¡­¡¯ Kelvin thought in his head. ¡°Of course. We will first determine its worth.¡± The receptionist said while still maintaining her professional smile, not perturbed by Braum¡¯s rudeness. ¡°Please wait here while our staff is calculating.¡± The receptionist lady said while a fellow receptionist brings forth the same crystal ball-like device the knights in the walls used to examine the goods. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡± Braum asked the receptionist with a smile. ¡°My name is Lily dear customer.¡± The receptionist answered. ¡°I..see..¡± Braum answered while flashing an awkward smile. In truth, his teenage hormone took over for a second there as he found the receptionist lady quite attractive. But his lack of experience is ultimately his downfall as he couldn¡¯t find a way to continue the conversation. ¡°I have finished calculating the worth. The serpental bears parts are real and they usually need a Grade C group of level 5 mercenaries to kill them. These bandits ears...they belong to the famous Snake Skin bandits as well and they have bounties on them¡­..all in all these are worth 250.000 Gath.¡± The receptionist who calculated the goods¡¯ worth said. ¡°That¡¯s great but we¡¯re not exactly from here so how much is that worth?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear customer. We would not give you an unfair price in the mercenary guild. This much money can buy you a small mansion and sustain your living cost for quite some time.¡± Lily, the receptionist, answered with quite a surprised face since these strangers randomly came into the building and brought these expensive goods. ¡®These people are not normal.¡¯ The receptionist thought. ¡°Hmmm...alright we¡¯ll let you deal with the payment...The second reason we came here was to register as a mercenary group.¡± ¡°Of course. First, please fill out this form.¡± Lily said and gave Braum¡¯s group a paper. The form is filled with basic information such as name and abilities. Braum couldn¡¯t really put ¡®sharpshooter¡¯ for Urada so he just filled in ¡®Long-Distance Combat Expert¡¯ in Urada¡¯s section. He also put The Black Hoods as the name of their group. ¡°Here you go.¡± Braum handed the form back to the receptionist. ¡°Thank you. I would like to explain to you that the guild badges we will give you after the registration is complete will also serve as identification so you can use these to enter cities. Now, let me also explain the rank system. There are two kinds of ranks in the mercenary guild, the first is a grading system. Grades are used to measure a group¡¯s success rate and achievements. The grade goes from the lowest of F to the highest of S. A group can increase their grade by finishing difficult missions as a group and gaining the commendations of witnesses. The second rank system is the level. The level goes from 1 to 10 and measures individual strengths of each member and for some people that like to do their job solo. This can also be increased by finishing missions and undergoing leveling test in the guild in a manner of duels.¡± Lily explained. ¡°Right. So I¡¯m guessing a high-level individual might not determine the grade of the group? Since the grades are determined by the success rate or achievements and not the strengths? How can we determine our individual levels then?¡± Braum asked. ¡°That is correct. We will now determine your levels by a duel with a standard C Rank group of an overall level 5 members. Fortunately, we happen to have one group on standby right now in the training ground. If you can follow me so we can begin.¡± Lily said to the group and starts walking to lead them to another location. Lily led them upstairs, where quite a big indoor training ground can be seen. On the sides, there are seats that can be used to watch matches. In the middle of the training ground, a group of 5 young men can be seen training. ¡°Andrew, prepare your group. We have rookies that need the benchmark test.¡± Lily said in quite a cold tone towards the group of men. "Awww c¡¯mon Lily don¡¯t be that cold with me hehe you know how much I fancy you. Sure we¡¯ll teach these newbies what it really takes to be a mercenary...but you¡¯ll have to promise a night with me afterward though hehehehe.¡± Andrew, the leader of the mercenary group said in a mocking voice.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡®It seems that even if they look clean, what¡¯s inside of them are even dirtier than the street hooligans¡¯ Braum thought. ¡°Leave her out of this.¡± Braum said in a stern voice. ¡°What¡¯s that? Was that this rookie talking? WHO the fuck do you think you are eh? Marching inside the mercenary guild thinking you¡¯re some hot shit. Well we¡¯re the Lion Fang! We have climbed our way to a C grade in only a year ever since our registration! We¡¯re a rising star! And we¡¯ll use you as well as a stepping stone to show these people here how incredible we are as well!¡± Andrew arrogantly stated. ¡°Hahahaha you got that right leader. Say, that rookie group has a girl as well. Even with the hood on, I can tell she has some juicy body for sure. Why don¡¯t you join our group instead eh? We¡¯ll take care of you real nice and you¡¯ll be the top of the mercenaries rank in no time...in exchange for servicing our nightly needs that is¡­¡± Another mercenary said in a perverted voice. ¡°Fuck off scum.¡± Urada coldly said. Her usual cheerful attitude disappeared. ¡°Hooo she¡¯s got some fire in her that¡¯s good I like that!¡± Andrew said while licking his lips. ¡°Enough Andrew. Are you going to do the benchmark test to them or not?¡± Lily sternly asked. ¡°Hehehe sure sure we got time to spare anyway. Let¡¯s go right now.¡± Andrew answered. Braum¡¯s group is quite pissed. They did not really care about their disgusting behavior as they knew these continent-dwellers lack basic education they usually receive in Yakana. But when they actively provoked one of their own, namely Urada, they are now determined to beat them senseless. ¡°Lily¡± Braum called out in a low voice. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can we please borrow your guild''s standard armors, swords, and a bow and arrow?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Of course. I will bring them to you.¡± Lily answered and left to find an armor. Kelvin then grabs Braum¡¯s shoulder and brings his face to Braum¡¯s ear. ¡°What are you doing? Why are we taking off our equipment?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want the advantage.¡± Braum simply answered in a monotone voice. His face is cold. The training ground is quite full of people that want to watch the match. News broke downstairs that a benchmark test for rookies will commence. Even more, it¡¯s with the infamous Lion Fang group that Andrew belonged in, who are famous for being lecherous but at the same time, they are quite recognized as talented mercenaries. In the middle of the arena, two groups of people can be seen standing on the opposite of one another at a distance that is approximately 20 meters. The Lion Fangs can be seen wearing expensive armors with flashy colors and swords. Braum¡¯s group is now wearing a standard metal armor that the mercenary guild gives to rookies. However, they are still wearing their usual hoods, this is possible because the hood of the Bridges Mark VI can be removed and attached at will. Lily the receptionist can also be seen overseeing the duel. ¡°I am Lily as the witness of the mercenary guild for the benchmark test of the new group named The Black Hoods. We will now determine the individual levels of The Black Hoods by a duel with a C-Rank group of level 5 members, The Lion Fang. Here are the rules; No lethal blows, no dismemberment, and no permanent injuries. The battle can now¡­.BEGIN!¡± Lily yelled and the battle has now begun. ¡°BOYS! Let¡¯s quickly defeat these rookies and impress some more bitches! GO!¡± Andrew shouted and the Lion Fang charges. Braum¡¯s group can be seen not moving at all. Quite uniquely, Braum and Urada have no weapons on them while Kelvin and Niko are wielding swords. Braum had said before that he wanted to beat the ever living crap of the Lion Fangs while Urada¡¯s excuse was that she is not used to using bows and arrows but she still got special forces martial art training so she should be able to take care of herself. ¡°Hyaaah¡± A Lion Fang member slashes his sword in the direction of Braum¡¯s shoulder. Braum¡¯s figure then suddenly disappears when the sword comes into contact and reappears on the right side of the mercenary. ¡°What?¡± Before he can react, Braum brings his fist on the mercenary¡¯s hand that is holding the sword and punches it so hard that his hand broke. (CRACK) ¡°AAAAAAH¡± The mercenary screamed at the sight of his hand turning in a direction that is not normal. Braum then pulls a spinning kick with traces of golden aura in his feet. The kick hits the mercenary¡¯s head violently and brings him flying to the audience¡¯s seat outside the training ground. Braum then disappears and reappears on the audience seat where the mercenary has landed and proceeds to repeatedly punch the head of the mercenary. (POW POW POW) Braum punched the head of the mercenary until it is quite bloody. "I...I...I give up!!!!!!" The mercenary quietly screamed. ¡°One down.¡± Braum muttered. Meanwhile, Kelvin and Niko are clashing swords with Andrew and another mercenary. They seemed equal until you see closely that Kelvin and Niko haven¡¯t even dropped a single sweat while the two enemies have visible signs of tiredness on their faces. ¡°Haaah. Haaah. Why are these rookies able to handle our swords?¡± Andrew muttered while breathing air out of tiredness. ¡°Is that it?¡± Kelvin asked. ¡°Not yet! Lestovalus Brando!¡± Andrew screamed and blue lights start to cover his entire body. ¡°Lestovalus Brando!¡± The mercenary next to him also followed. Some audience members start murmuring. ¡°There it is! The mid-rank body strengthening magic that made the Lion Fangs a rising star in the mercenary world. I must say the rookies have put on a good show as they even managed to defeat one Lion Fangs members but I guess that¡¯s it for them.¡± An audience member said. ¡°I gotta agree they won¡¯t stand a chance against Lion Fangs¡¯ magic from what I¡¯ve seen. This has been entertaining though." Another audience member echoed his sentiment. Andrew and his friend start to move at an incredible speed and slash their swords with inhuman prowess. Kelvin and Niko appear to be slowly overwhelmed. ¡° *sigh* This much? Alright, that''s enough we¡¯ll show you why your old magic doesn¡¯t stand a chance against us¡± Niko arrogantly said. ¡°What did you say!??¡± Andrew became angry as the rookies can still keep their arrogant behavior after he has used his trump card. Without any incantations, Kelvin starts to become engulfed in a yellow aura while Niko¡¯s aura is colored red. ¡°What?? No chants? And what magic are those? I''ve never seen and felt such terrifying mana burst. ¡± An audience member said perplexed. Kelvin and Niko, for the first time ever since the start of the battle, start their counterattack. Kelvin¡¯s style of swordsmanship involves him playing around with his opponent by slowly wounding the opponent, torturing the opponent in the process, and using a variety of psychological tricks. ¡°You know, my grandmother fought harder than you.¡± Kelvin mocked Andrew. ¡°Ughhh. YOU!!!¡± Andrew angrily shouted. He continues his attack even while being slowly injured by Kelvin. As for Niko, his speed becomes extremely fast, even faster than Braum¡¯s maximum speed with his battle force. His serious fighting style involves attacking the opponent¡¯s behinds. Usually, in normal circumstances, Niko would have already killed this opponent but the non-lethal rule made him want to at least heavily injure the opponent. ¡°Ugh!! Why you! Fight me like a man from the front!¡± The mercenary angrily shouted. ¡°No honor in real combat.¡± Niko simply said. After a while, Niko¡¯s opponent couldn¡¯t take it anymore and falls to the ground unceremoniously in defeat. Meanwhile, Andrew can be seen full of injuries and can barely stand after being slowly tortured by Kelvin. ¡°Haah...Haaahh...you bastard¡­..*drops*¡± Andrew said in agony before he finally could not endure anymore and fell. ¡°I guess you guys are done, quite late though,¡± Braum while walking said to Kelvin and Niko. ¡°That¡¯s because we waited for them to show their abilities to measure how a grade C group would fight..unlike you who just want victory. ¡° Niko coldly muttered. ¡° *sigh* and here I thought you finally warmed up to me. Let¡¯s see how Urada¡¯s doing¡± Braum replied. Suddenly, a loud disturbing noise that sounds like cracked eggs can be heard. (CRACK) ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH¡± A scream that sounds like a dying cat can be heard. Urada is currently just standing motionless while her opponent can be seen rolling on the ground in agony with his hands grabbing his crotch. ¡°W-what the fuck did you do Stef?¡± Braum asked with a scared voice. ¡°I crushed his balls.¡± Urada coldly replied. ¡°R-right...Lily said no permanent injuries¡­¡± Braum replied. ¡®By permanent, I meant his reproduction capabilities are gone now...¡¯ Braum said in his mind. Urada just shrugged and made her way out of the training ground. Braum, his male friends, and even the audience members all take note inside their hearts to not make her angry in the future. ¡°T-The winner is The Black Hoods! I-I will now announce the result. All the members of The Black Hoods are granted a level of 6 since you have defeated a party of level 5s. We, the Lancester branch of the Estalia Kingdom¡¯s Mercenary Guild hereby welcome the arrival of a new group, The Black Hoods!¡± Lily said in an excited voice because she did not think they would win and she also hated the Lion Fangs so she''s happy of their victory. The audience members are also quite surprised with the victory of these rookies. They could already tell that these rookies will shake up the mercenary world. Braum¡¯s group is back on the first floor wearing their usual equipment and Lily hands them their badges. The badges are made out of gold and have magical engravings on it. ¡°You can see that the badges contain your levels and group¡¯s grade. It will change according to your achievements.¡± Lily explained. ¡°Thank you, Lily. Can I ask a question? Do you know of the mercenary group The Bodyguards?¡± Braum asked. ¡°Currently, you guys do not have the authorization to know their personal information. However, I can tell you that they are a legendary Grade A group filled with members of level 8 to 10. If I recall correctly, the only reason they are still stuck in Grade A is that they do not want to take requests from the nobles and the royalties, since that is one of the requirements of Grade S.¡± Lily answered. ¡°Say...how can we contact them? Or even have access to their personal information?¡± This time, Kelvin asked the question. ¡°Your current grade does not have authorization...however if you managed to get to at least Grade B, you would have the authorization to be able to issue a call for them here with our devices. This rule exists to prevent lower ranked groups to simply contact these high-ranked groups since they are quite busy as well. We can also reveal to you their information by then.¡± Lily answered again. ¡®I see. we''ll have to take difficult requests after this so we can quickly jump to B-Rank.¡¯ Braum thought. ¡°Alright, Lily. Thank you for your help! We¡¯ll see you soon.¡± With that, the newly established mercenary group, The Black Hoods, exited the guild¡¯s building to go to the inn that Craig recommended. After settling in, they¡¯ll finally be ready to take on their first request. But this first request might be more familiar to them than they might realize. Chapter 14 - A Looming Mystery Braum and his group made their way to the inn that was recommended by Craig. The inn was relatively big with a sign showing a cute caricature of a sun and moon which matched its name. There also seems to be a reason why most of the signs in front of buildings in this city are in the form of drawings, that is because many of the population are still illiterate. Even in guilds, they value group members that can read and write so they can take requests that match their current needs. Previously, Lily, the guild receptionist was silently surprised that Braum could write on the registration form as he was presumably a foreigner. It seems that years of isolation and studying the continent''s knowledge was not for naught. This has been proven several times in his journey. "Hey, it''s you guys! Danny, this is the people who escorted me here from my hometown." Craig noticed the group''s arrival and called out to them. "Hoooo these people look like serious business. No wonder you praised them so much. You people are lucky you know Craig you know? I''ll give you a big discount on the fees of staying here!" Danny, the innkeeper said. Danny the Innkeeper is a typical looking white-haired middle-aged person with a chubby face and a fat body. His mustache seems to curl around his mouth which makes it look like a caterpillar is walking around his upper lips. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. We are actually quite hungry so I''m wondering if you''re gonna uphold on that promise you made, Craig?" Braum asked without showing much courtesy, probably due to his ignorance of manners. "Hahahaha of course, of course, don''t worry about it. I''ll treat you to the finest local Lancester food around! Danny''s wife can cook some delicious shit." Craig wasn''t perturbed by Braum''s direct manner of demanding him to uphold his promise and instead went along with it. The group sits down in a table. The first floor of the inn consists of the dining hall and bar where guests can enjoy their meal. Then the food starts rolling in and the food here in the city already seems multiple times more appetizing than what they had in the little village of Lebourne. From the grilled steak of the finest ogrun meat to the inn''s specialty of tomato sauced noodles, the food did not lose out in taste in comparison to what they would have in Yakana. In fact, in some ways, the food here tastes better than the common food of Yakana since they usually heavily process their food which causes the ingredients to lose a lot of its natural flavor. Yakana''s chefs are still trying to figure out how they could achieve this level of organic taste again while still having the ingredients be mass produced. "That was the most delicious thing I''ve had in awhile." Even Kelvin got in on the hype surrounding the food and complimented it. "It truly was. I''m quite full..." Urada echoed Kelvin''s sentiment. "Thank you very much for the treat, Craig. And my compliment to the chef, Danny''s wonderful wife in the kitchen" Braum said with a satisfied face that can usually be seen in people with a full stomach. "Hahahahaha she''ll be definitely happy to hear that! Let us know if you want to order more food" Danny replied with a happy face as well. The group was quite full from eating. These people are special forces but all the training in the world would not let you miss out on delicious food. The group seems to be satisfied and they do not look like they are in the mood to do any more activities for today. "Right. Rob, Stef, Kaz, you guys rest up for a bit in your rooms. I''ll go to the mercenary guild to get our first request. I''ll see you here again later." Braum noticed that they seemed quite tired and wants to give his group a little break. After all, they have been babysitting him this whole journey so he feels that they deserve some rest alone. And even the toughest soldiers will need a break sometimes. "Are you sure you''ll be fine alone, Zed?" Kelvin asked with a worried expression. ''But this might be a good opportunity to train some independence on the future king. It''s not like I''m going to lose track of him. I still have a tracker on him that monitors his condition.'' Kelvin thought in his head. "I''ll be fine. I can take care of myself and I want to be the one to choose the request we take." Braum replied. "Then take this in case you need it" Kelvin said and gives Braum a small circular device that glows a blue light. "What''s this?" Braum said confused on what this device is. "That''s an Augmented Reality Investigative Machine or the ARIM, powered by your magical energy. It''s a device which can help you find information that is hidden from the naked eye. You can activate it by putting it near your ear and pushing the button. I think you''ll need that if you''re going alone. But do remember to contact us if anything happens though alright? And be sure to be back here by the end of the day." Kelvin explained. "I will I will you are starting to sound like my mother Matria. I can finally go out to the city alone! I thought you guys wouldn''t approve of this but thanks!" Braum said. "I don''t really care what happens to you anyway." Niko said in a low voice. "Hey, I can hear that!" Braum made his way out of the inn and back to the mercenary guild alone. There seem to be fewer people in the streets, probably because the peak business hours have ended and the city is nearing sunset. Braum finally found himself back to the city square and into the mercenary guild once more. This time, instead of the front receptionist desk, he goes straight to the request board. There, he sees a variety of different kinds of job requests.
-Merchant Escort to Vanderfort -Goblin Extermination In the Bastille Forest -Tomb Raiding Escort With Discoverer Guild -.....
After looking through the board, he found one request paper which is located near the bottom of the board that catches his eye.
Request: Multiple Reports of Missing Individuals
Job Detail: A joint investigation with the Searcher Guild and The Lancester Knights Current People Involved: 1. Grant Holmes, Grade B Searcher 2. Rudy Hastelfield, Knight''s Captain and his squad Job description: Multiple cases of disappearances have been reported involving orphanage children, children from the city''s slums, and some cases of lost children from common families. The protection of the mercenaries is required as it is suspected that this is a serial kidnapping perpetrated by a criminal syndicate. Job Requirement: No Grade Requirement. Minimum Level of 5 mercenaries. Reward: 1000 Gath If Interested: Meet Searcher Grant in the searcher guild.
''Missing individuals...mostly children. Why is this request hidden near the bottom? And what''s more important, this case seems to be connected to the larger puzzle I''ve been trying to figure out. Could they be related to the order that employed the bandits?'' Braum thought. He was trying to figure out the connection of this case with the previous incidents he encountered. It could just be two entirely isolated incidents but his instincts tell him there is more to this. For now, he will meet with Grant from the searcher guild to find out more. Braum rips the paper from the board and brings it to the receptionist, where Lily is currently still on her shift. "Mercenary Zed. Welcome. How may I help you today?" Lily politely asked. "I''m here to take this request." Braum brought the paper to Lily. "T-this..." Lily''s face starts to crunch up into visible agony and tears seems to be forming in her eyes. "What''s wrong!? Are you okay, Lily?" Braum asked worrying. Lily adjusted her face into her normal professional form again in just a second. Her previous breakdown almost seemed like it never happened. "It''s fine. I apologize for my non-professional behavior. This request has been sitting on the request board for a while. It is quite unpopular with the mercenaries since it only involves common and poor children and a relatively low reward so many think it is a waste of time. I hereby legalize you and your group''s involvement in this case. Thank you." "Right...I''ll sees you again later Lily. Thanks." Braum replied with a confused face but he didn''t want to bring it up if it was personal for now. Braum left the mercenary guild and is heading towards the searcher guild, which is located directly across the street from the mercenary guild since this city square is the gathering of all the major guilds. The searcher guild building looks to be more luxurious than the mercenary guild with intricate architecture and two white pillars outside of its entrance. The entrance is also seen guarded by knights, a striking contrast to the mercenary guild. But then again, why would the mercenary guild need guards anyway? Braum takes his first step inside the searcher guild. The interior design seems to take an example from luxurious hotel lobbies with carpets and sleek designs. ''I wonder why the searcher guild seems to be better off than the mercenary guild. Do they make more money?'' Braum thought.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Instead of people in metal armors like the mercenary guild, the searchers seem to prefer wearing suits and coats. Seeing Braum, a mercenary, came into the building, many of the searchers cast dirty glances as if looking at an inferior species. ''Damn is it because the searcher job puts more emphasis on intellect rather than strength? This place is full of snobs'' Braum wondered in his mind. Braum finds his way to the receptionist desk to ask for information on his job. "Can I help you?" A young male receptionist asked with a professional attitude. "Right. May I know where Grade B searcher Grant Holmes is located? I need to meet him to start my job." Braum replied. "Oh him? *sigh* someone actually wants to work with him?... He''s over there in the bar. The one who''s passed out drunk." The receptionist pointed at the bar restaurant part of the guild hall. In the place that the receptionist pointed at, a figure can be seen sleeping on the bar desk with a half-empty glass of some alcoholic drink in his hand. "That guy is the Grade B searcher?..." Braum muttered. "*sigh* I wish you good luck mercenary. He is quite infamous for being hard to work with. He''s lazy, rude, and just overall an unpleasant individual which made him not a part of any searcher group. But even I will admit that he is a talented searcher...if he takes his job more seriously that is." The receptionist sighed and explained. "Right. Thanks, man I''ll go meet him." Braum starts to approach the passed out individual and nudges his shoulder to wake him up. "Hey. Hey. Wake up." Braum tried to wake Grant up. " *groan* " Grant was still not waking up. "Hey. Wake up!" "No use man. You gotta do it by force if you wanna wake up this guy." The bartender smiled and told Braum what to do. Braum has no other choice. He kicks the bar stool where the Grant was sitting, which brings him falling down to the cold ceramic floor. The sounds of the stool and his body falling can be heard loudly. (BAM) "Huh?? Huh??? Where am I??" Grant who was still half-asleep muttered. Grant Holmes is a man who looks to be in his early 30s with an unshaved beard, unkempt blonde hair, and black eye bags that made him look like a ghost. His posture is slightly hunched up which makes him shorter than he actually is. One can notice traces of potential attractiveness from his face but his overall laziness and lack of hygiene steered any potential lover away. He is currently wearing a thick trench coat which seems to be made of both leather and fur. "Are you Grant Holmes who is in charge of the missing children case? I am Braum, a mercenary who is here to assist you." Braum said in a matter of factly manner. "Huh? Someone actually responded? *sigh* and here I thought I would be left in peace in solving this case. Are you sure you want to join me, man? the pay is quite low and it''ll give you no reputation." Grant said in an annoyed voice. "Yes, I''m sure. My instincts tell me this case is more than meets the eye. What do you have so far?" Braum replied. "Cut the crap...*sigh* I''m still quite sleepy. I''ll sleep a bit more. You try to find that Rudy bastard in the knight station and go to the most recent crime scene. I''ll meet you there. *YAWN* *SNORES*" Grant said and continued his sleep. ''What the fuck this dude went back to sleep?'' Braum thought that this Grant guy is probably THE most eccentric individual he has met so far. ''Oh well. I''ll just go to...Rudy Hastelfield, the knight captain.'' Braum thought that it''s better to just go straight to the more reliable source. "Welcome! So you have accepted the request?" A friendly knight captain asked Braum. "Indeed I have. My name is Zed. Are you captain Rudy Hastelfield? Can you tell me about the details so far?" Braum replied. "Oh, no need to rush like that! I care for this case deeply but you must be tired coming all the way here since this place is on the other side of town from the mercenary guild. Come, sit. I''ll have my subordinates make you some tea." Rudy motioned Braum to sit in a very polite manner. Rudy Hastelfield has an appearance that would turn ladies'' heads on the streets. He seems to be in his mid-20s, single, handsome, tall and has a friendly personality as well. What''s more, he is the son of a noble and at his young age already a knight captain. One could imagine how many girls are lining up to get his attention. Rudy is wearing an intricate piece of black metal armor which seems to be the standard armor of knight captains. Braum and Rudy are now sitting on the opposite of one another in Rudy''s office while drinking tea. "Where was I? the details. This case actually started around a month ago with cases of people, mainly children, disappearing from the slums. Unfortunately, people from higher societies do not actually care about what happens in the slum so no one actually investigated it. But recently, cases of children missing from places like the orphanage, or some even from common families have occurred which led to an official investigation. I was the only knight captain willing to investigate it and while he is quite uncooperative, Grant has been the only person from the searcher guild as well who''s willing to investigate this case. We heavily suspect that a criminal organization or human traffickers are behind this. I have my squad of knights but we will need the help of the mercenaries as well. How many people have you got Zed?" Rudy explained. "I have, including me, four highly capable individuals, you won''t have to worry. When was the most recent case? I think it would be wise to start from there first." Braum replied after thinking. "That would be yesterday in the Church of Regal orphanage in the western part of the city. Do you want me to take you there?" Rudy asked. "That would be good" Braum replied. "Then let''s go right now." Braum, Rudy, and his squad of knights arrived in the orphanage. The orphanage is a part of the church. The church building is quite big and looks ancient with gothic designs of magical runes everywhere. But quite surprisingly, someone else was already there. "I thought you people won''t show up at all. *sigh" Grant muttered. "Grant? Since when did you arrive?" Rudy asked with an annoyed voice. "Probably 30 minutes ago. I have interviewed key witnesses like the remaining children and the priests." Grant replied. "What did you find?" Braum put on a serious face and asked. "*sigh* I''m always too tired to repeat information to other people but alright. From my questionings, the incident happened last night when everyone in the orphanage was asleep. 10 children in total disappeared. They only found out about it in the following morning. That''s it really...oh wait there is one thing but I''m not sure it''s credible." Grant explained. "What is it?" Braum asked again. "One boy claimed that he was awake through the whole thing and peaked under his blankets. He saw dark human-like figures taking the children one by one. There were no footsteps and no noise. What''s even weirder, there was also no signs of a break-in on the windows or any of the doors. I think we''re dealing with something more than just the usual criminal mob." Grant further explained while putting a more serious face than his usual tired self. "Wow, you did a pretty good job. I had low expectations on you, Grant." Braum stated in a straightforward manner. "Am I supposed to thank you for that? *sigh* let''s just get inside and start investigating" Grant looks tired again and suggested that they go inside. "Knights. Stay outside and guard the surrounding area." Rudy ordered his men and entered the building. Braum and the investigation team arrived in the orphan''s bedroom where the event supposedly occurred. The room was quite spacious with dozens of beds. "So this is the place, Priest?" Rudy asked the priest. "Y-yes honorable knight! We have several bedrooms for children and this room houses 15 children of which 10 disappeared." "Then you may leave now. We need to conduct the investigation. Thank you for your hospitality" Rudy flashed a gentle smile and asked the priest to leave the room. "At once! Please help us find the children." The priest said and closed the door. "Right. I think we should each spread out in this room and find evidence." Rudy suggested and everyone starts to split up throughout the room to find clues. ''Oh right the Augmented Reality Investigative Machine (ARIM) that Kelvin gave me, I could use that.'' Braum thought. Braum brings out the small circular disk and places it above his right ear. He then presses the button and something weird starts to happen. ''W-what?'' The whole room starts to turn blue with grid lines surrounding the entire room. What''s more, he can now see things invisible to the naked eye, such as small hairs or fingerprints, which are highlighted as the color yellow by the device. ''This device is pretty useful. I should start searching for clues'' Braum thought. Braum starts to see things from footprints of the children to even traces of bodily fluids like saliva and urine. But what he has seen so far are all coming from the children and no traces of the kidnappers can be found. ''What am I missing here...?'' Braum starts to think. Braum knows that this must have something to do with the mysterious order who kidnapped the villagers. This must also have something to do with the masked man he saw with the bandit leader and the humanoid black figure who spied on them when they went to see the transportation circle. He has not found the correlation between the two yet but their targets seem to match. ''Even Kelvin and the other couldn''t detect their presence when they spied on us. How can I find the clue here...'' Braum was thinking hard. Suddenly, Braum thought of something. ''Wait. This ARIM device. It can see things that are invisible to the naked eye and is powered by magic at the same time. If I change the setting then it should be able to see the invisible mana signature as well'' Braum turns on his long-distance communication device in his ear and calls Kelvin. "Yes, Zed? Is something wrong?" Kelvin asked with a worried voice since he thought it was an emergency. "I need to know if this ARIM device can detect invisible mana signature. How can I change the setting to make it so?" Braum said whispering in a low voice in order to not be heard by Grant and Rudy. "Changing the setting....it should be possible to detect that yes. Ah, I remember now. Try to channel not your normal mana, but your battle force into the device. Afterward, the device will have a prompt that asks for your permission to use that battle force. Remember though Zed, using it to detect mana signature drains your battle force slowly so don''t use it for too long." Kelvin explained. "Alright, thanks I''ll see you later." Braum stopped the call. Braum then does what Kelvin instructed and channel his golden battle force into the augmented reality device. All of a sudden, in mid-air, a prompt appears.
Battle Force Detected (Type: Royalty) Access to Mana Signature Unlocked Permission to use battle force? Yes/No
Braum picked "yes" and he can now see invisible mana signature in the air around him. It''s quite a mesmerizing sight. The normal blue mana looks like floating water which flutters gently in the air and creates a mysteriously beautiful view. But in the room, he also found a sinister dark cloud of mana. ''That''s it'' Braum said in his mind. The dark mana seems to form a trail. He followed the trail to a corner in the room but the end of the trail shows no signs of anything being there. ''Huh? odd. Something was here.'' Using the ARIM, Braum starts do a scan on the floor where the end of the dark mana trail was. What he found was an object outline of what seems to be a miniature statue.
Item Traces Located Material: Unknown Probability: Humanoid Shaped Statue Size: 8 cm Estimated time of item moved: 20-60 minutes ago
''Huh? we entered this room around 25 minutes ago. That means someone moved it in that timeframe. The priest? or one of the nuns? Either way, I''ll have to do a search on them later'' Braum analyzed in his mind. "I found something" The one who spoke was Grant. Braum and Rudy start to approach Grant. He is currently crouching near a bed. "Small strain of black cloth. I''ve seen the materials of the bed here and the clothing that the priests, nuns, and the children wore. None of them matched this strain of black cloth." Grant explained. "Wait, are you saying that you can find out what material something is made of only by seeing it?" Rudy asked with visible surprise shown in his face. "What? You think I got to Grade B searcher out of nothing? *sigh* I would''ve been an S rank by now if I weren''t so lazy" Grant replied. ''He managed to detect that without any help. This guy is something.'' Braum thought. He was also surprised by Grant''s detective ability. "What did you guys find?" Grant asked the investigation team. ''I can''t really tell him I can detect invisible mana signature. I''ll need to discuss my findings with the rest first'' Braum thought. "I didn''t really find anything. Maybe my teammates can help after I call them. But we''re just here to protect you guys first and foremost after all." Braum replied. "I also didn''t find anything. *sigh* I am only a knight captain so I''ll just help you in this investigation, searcher". " *sigh* I guess I''ll have to do everything myself again. Alright, the sky has gone dark. Let''s meet up here again tomorrow morning." Grant said. With that, the investigation team dispersed. Braum is on his way back to the inn to tell the others but something keeps bugging his mind, something he missed. Chapter 15 - Encounter With Darkness Braum returned to the Sun and Moon inn who was owned by a nice middle-aged man named Danny. Previously, on his journey back, the city started to be enveloped in a snowstorm. The sky has also started to go dark and in such medieval society where electricity hasn''t been invented yet, the city is completely pitched black and the only source of light is the occasional magical blue lights in the form of crystals which are only visible outside of wealthy people''s houses. The street can be seen completely empty but some poor, homeless people can be seen hugging their legs and trying to stay warm. But Braum didn''t see this sight because he was too focused on getting back home, he would''ve tried to help them if he saw those poor people. Luckily, the exo suit''s weather resistant feature coupled with the hood over his head helped to not feel any of the cold snow. "Phew, finally here "Braum said while opening the door of the inn. "Hmmm? Ah, you''ve return lad. Your friends are on the third floor and your room number is 15." Danny noticed Braum''s arrival while he''s sitting at the inn''s receptionist desk reading a book. "Thanks, Danny. Good Night" Braum said to Danny and went his way upstairs. (Knock Knock) Braum knocked on the door of his room, seeing that he doesn''t have any keys, that means someone is already inside. (Kreeek) The wooden door opens with a screech and Niko came to greet him. "It''s you." Niko simply said with a flat face. "Yes, it''s me your favorite person in the world. Call the others I''m going to explain things" Braum ordered Niko to call the others who were in the other rooms. "You sure this is related to the previous incidents?" Kelvin said with a skeptical tone after hearing Braum''s retelling of what happened today. "My senses are telling me that yes. The only other evidence is the small black cloth which is in the hands of Searcher Grant. Here''s what I found," Braum turned on his ARIM device and the others did the same with theirs. The device then shows a record of what it found before. "Unknown material. Not much to go about there. But the device was taken in 20-60 minutes before your time investigating the room...That should give us a good lead if the culprit was just there." Niko gave his analysis. "...I have a bad feeling about this. If this is the same mysterious order, don''t you guys remember when they managed to spy on us without being detected? What if they''re doing the same thing to us now?" Urada gave her opinion with a worried face. "But we didn''t wear our ARIM device at the time because we thought it wasn''t needed. Fuck. I should''ve been several steps ahead. If we wore the device back then and used the mana signature detection perhaps we could''ve detected the culprit who was watching us." Kelvin said with a regretful tone. Braum puts his hands together and brings it to the bridge between his nose. "That''s why from this point on, we will split up and do our own investigation" Braum muttered. "What? why?" Kelvin asked. "Because 1. We will be able to gain more evidence if we search the whole town and 2. The enemy will have a harder time trying to keep track of each and one of us if we split up. You and Niko should split up throughout the city. I''ll have to bring Urada because I promised to bring more manpower for Grant tomorrow. " Braum replied. "That''s a good point. Then let''s do that. But try to keep yourself safe alright Zed? Everyone agrees?" Kelvin asked the others. """Agreed.""" In a dark alley somewhere in Lancester. In the terrifying darkness which envelopes the entire area with feelings of danger always present, an individual is seen, or rather barely seen, resting his or her body on the alley''s gross wall while crossing his or her arms, as if waiting for something. After a while, another dark humanoid lump of darkness arrives without any sort of noise. This humanoid figure has no distinguishing figure other than the overall layout of its body. "Right on time. As usual," The individual said to the newly arrived thing. "Hahaha. I am known for my punctuality amongst our peers. The plan is going extremely well. We have gathered the necessary amount of tributes. With this, the day of N''yoleh will arrive sooner than we expected. " The humanoid thing replied. Its sinister, gender-ambiguous voice can put a chill on any adult that hears it. "But I''ve heard that you found a new disturbance?" The humanoid thing asked the individual. "Yes. A boy from the mercenary guild it seems. He wears strange armor and a hood over his head so I couldn''t get a close look on his face. I managed to retrieve the fallen doll before they noticed. " The individual replied. "Hmmm....his description matched the strange group of annoyance who raided one of our bandit''s base near the border. I had offered them a chance to join our cause but alas they unfortunately refused. Their ability was no joke...but as fragile as a human is, everyone has a weakness...I want you...to keep an eye on them and the investigation. Be wary not to be noticed by them. I have a feeling that they won''t make the same mistake as last time..." The humanoid thing said. "Don''t worry, they''re a small hindrance. Once we gathered enough, we''ll disappear before they even managed to catch our trails." The individual replied. "I see....may you receive the blessing of (unintelligible)." The humanoid thing said before disappearing in a flurry of black feathers, which then ceased to exist as well. The individual also entered deeper inside the dark alley, his or her figure then disappearing. Meanwhile, Grant has also arrived back in the Searcher guild. The place is almost empty as everyone has already gone home for the day. Grant then goes straight to the guild''s grand spiraling staircase to go to the third floor, where he then finds a particular room. (Knock Knock) "Lisa, you there?" Grant called out on whoever is inside the room. "Y-yes! Come in Grant!" A panicked voice belonging to a woman can be heard. (Kreeek) The door opens and a woman in her mid-20s with blonde curly hair, wears glasses, and blemishes visible on her skin peaks out of the door. "What do you need at this time, Grant?" Lisa asked with traces of red on her face.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "I need you to analyze this piece of evidence I just got," Grant replied and hands Lisa the black cloth from before. "What''s this?" "Just analyze it and tell me the results later," Grant replied. "A-ah! I see! I-I''ll get right to it! Please return tomorrow for the result!" Lisa said while panicking. (Bam!) Lisa closed the door in a rush. Lisa is one of the identification experts in the searcher''s guild. They are scientists hired by the searcher guild who can help identify pieces of evidence that searchers bring in. ''She''s an odd one. Why does she always react like that whenever I''m around? *sigh* '' Grant thought. Grant, as intelligent and a high-class detective as he is, is still truly dense when it comes to love. Grant then proceeds to return to the first floor and goes back to the bar where Braum previously found him sleeping in. He finds a seat right across the bartender, who was surprisingly still there. The bar though is empty tonight, probably due to the snowstorm outside. "Jeff. One Black Flower on the rocks." Grant told the bartender his order. "*sigh* you should really get sober Grant." The bartender replied with a worried face but brings out Grant''s order anyway. "Shut the fuck up Jeff and bring me my drink. I work better when I''m drunk" Grant barked. This is going to be another normal night for Grant. The next morning, Braum and Urada arrive in the orphanage. There, Rudy and his squad of knights have already arrived earlier. The city is currently filled with a mysterious white fog which limits visibility. "Good morning, Rudy. Where''s Grant?" Braum asked. " *sigh* he must have fallen asleep on the searcher guild''s bar again. I''ll get one of my men to call him" Rudy replied. "Hahaha, I see. That guy is a drunkard but I gotta say he does his job pretty well." Braum said while smiling. "I agree. Oh, who''s this young maiden next to you? My you look quite beautiful under that hood, " Rudy asked while flashing a charismatic smile. "My name is Stef. I am Zed''s teammate and will be helping with the case." Urada replied while also flashing a smile. She seems not perturbed by Rudy''s enchanting charisma. "Oh? Where''re the other two people in your group?" Rudy asked but loses a little of his smile. He probably thought he would also win the heart of Urada and is disappointed that she didn''t react much. "Actually, they are busy with another urgent request so we have decided to split our duties. I and Urada are the ones who are going to help with this case." Braum replied with an annoyed face. He didn''t like how Rudy is trying to flirt with Urada. "I-I see. Well, let''s just investigate the church first while we wait for Grant." Rudy said. "Let''s." Braum gave a short reply. Braum and Urada proceed to do a search on the entire church while wearing the ARIM device. After searching the children''s dorms, the church''s main hall, and other rooms, they did not find even one more evidence left behind. Whoever was behind these kidnappings are not amateurs. Incidentally, the children have currently been evacuated temporarily to another orphanage to stay there until the investigation is over. The ones who are still here are the priests and nuns. ''I think we were extremely lucky to find evidence before. Grant was even more skilled in finding that small black cloth'' Braum thought. "Zed. I think we should do a search on the priests." Urada whispered. "You''re right. Let''s call all of them to one room." Braum replied. Braum and Urada then proceed to call the priests and nuns to the church''s main hall. They are then told to line up in a horizontal straight line for a search. "W-why are we being searched?" A nun said. "We couldn''t possibly be the culprit!" A priest also said. "Relax. We are trying to prove that point as well. Just let us do a search now." Braum said to everyone. Braum and Urada then use their ARIM device to search everyone in the room for either traces of black mana or other suspicious items. ''Hmm? What''s this?''
DNA Traces Located Small traces of sperm and saliva Analysing... Sperm detected to be from an adult male (40-60 years old) Saliva detected to be from a child (10-15 years old)
''What the actual fuck did I just see'' Braum thought. The ARIM detected those things on the lower body part of a middle-aged priest. "You! Come with me!" Braum barked. "W-what did I do? I didn''t do anything wrong!" The priest said. "You are under arrest. Not for the kidnapping of the kids, but for the molestation of a minor." Braum replied with a very, very furious face. "W-what! You have no jurisdiction to arrest me! Wait until the pope hears about this mercenary''s treatment on a priest!" The priest replied. "Shut the fuck up scum. Come with me" Braum said and then restrained the movements of the priest. "Can I crush his balls now?" Urada whispered to Braum. "You know...I would actually like that to happen but we should get him arrested first." Braum replied with an angry face. Braum and Urada then bring out the priest to the front of the church, where Rudy and his squad of knights are also searching the area for evidence. "Zed? Is that priest the culprit?" Rudy asked. "Not exactly...we found him doing another crime. He sexually molested an orphan. One of your men should bring him to jail." Braum replied. "T-that''s... I''m sorry Braum but we don''t have jurisdiction to do that." Rudy replied back with a sad face. "WHAT! Rudy I''ll fucking kick your ass if you don''t arrest this man." Braum snapped and shouted. "I-I''m sorry! The church is too powerful for us to mess with! Please release this man right now or I''ll have to use force!" Rudy replied with a panicked face. "...I''m disappointed in you, Rudy. Fine." Braum said and released the priest. "Ugh! I''ll report this to the pope! Wait till he hears about this!" The priest said and went back inside the church. "Zed. Are you going to let him go like that?" Urada whispered. Her voice has traces of anger in it. "These lands are more barbaric than I thought...We''ll get him next time. Out of the eyes of the authorities." Braum replied. While saying that, Braum has not turned off his ARIM device yet. On the opposite end of the street, in a foggy alleyway, traces of dark mana can be seen belonging to a black figure who is peeking from a corner of a wall to spy on the investigation team. "HEY! That''s!" Braum shouted and starts to dash towards the dark figure. "Zed! What''s wrong?" Urada shouted behind Braum as he is running. "Stay there and keep an eye out! I''ll return later!" Braum shouted back and proceeded to give chase again. The dark figure noticed Braum is making his way towards him and also starts to run. "You fucker! Get back here!" Braum barked. The foggy and narrow alleyway is not the ideal place for a chase at all. The street is still quite slippery from the snow and visibility is reduced greatly. Braum gives chase until he corners the figure on a dead end. "I fucking got you now!" Braum shouted and activated his vibrosword. (Bzzzzzz) Golden light can be seen from the vibrosword and Braum starts to charge. Braum doesn''t seem to be holding back at all like usual. Currently, he is fully focused on taking down this mysterious figure. After moving a certain distance closer, the figure''s appearance comes into view. The figure is wearing a mysterious black uniform and a mask that looks like a person constantly frowning. (SLASH) Braum slashed towards the man but finds that the vibrosword goes straight through the figure''s body without hurting it. "What?" The masked figure then starts to charge up dark mana in his hands and forms it into a black sword. The black sword is basically just black mana shaped into a sword with black fog surrounding it. The masked figure starts to do a motion with his hand that says ''come here'' to Braum. "Motherfucker." Braum charged again, this time using his battle force. Braum can be seen disappearing and reappearingand clashed swords with the masked figure at an incredible speed. (CLASH CLASH CLASH CLASH CLASH) Countless clashes between their swords happened. ''His sword is not breaking from the vibrosword''s strength...'' Braum thought. "You! Who are you? Why are you kidnapping the children?" Braum asked the figure while in the middle of a battle. The masked figure didn''t reply and continue his attack. Braum and the masked figure seems to be evenly matched with no sides looking to be on the winning side. Finally, after a while, the dark figure retreated back to the dead end''s wall. "You''re strong. But this is enough" For the first time, the dark figure spoke in an androgynous voice. After saying that, the figure starts to disappear in a flurry of black feathers. "Wait! Come back here you fucking-" Braum shouted seeing the figure disappears. But it was too late. The masked figure disappeared. However, he left something on the ground where he disappeared. ''The small statue...It matches the traces in the church'' Braum though and puts the small statue inside his pocket. ''I must go back and report this to everyone.'' Braum returns to the church and finds that everyone was waiting for him, including Grant. "Grant? You''re here." Braum greeted. "Zed! Where did you run off to? Did you find something?" Rudy asked with a worried face. "I''ll explain later. Why does everyone seem off?" Braum replied. Everyone looks to be ready to go somewhere else. Even Grant, who is usually snooping around the crime scene, can be found just standing there. "We were waiting for you to come back. There has been another incident..."Grant replied with a gloomy face. Chapter 16 - A New Incident Grant brought the group to the new crime scene. This time, the kidnapping happened in the city slum, the poorest area of Lancester. From the first step inside the slum, the putrid smell attacked the group''s senses. Piles of human excrements and urine were mixed with the road, becoming one with the actual road itself. The absence of insects like flies in the winter that would usually eat these filths made the smell even more unbearable. The houses are made out of flimsily put-together pieces of wooden boards and metal parts and appeared to have had many repairs due to the destruction from harsh weathers. The group is currently in the street where the kidnappings occurred. "Yuck. The Slums. I''m not paid enough for this..." A knight complained. "Right. Who cares about the slums anyway? People here disappear all the time." Another knight chimed in. Rudy went up to those two knights and smacked their head. (SMACK) "Shut it! Remember that knights are in the service of the people, no matter what social class they belong in. That includes the people of the slums. Besides, these disappearances matched the modus operandi of the previous incidents so we must be dealing with the same kidnappers." Rudy barked at his men. "Nicely put Captain. At least you''re better than just some womanizer..." Braum said in a low voice. "-Huh? What did you just say?" Rudy looked confused for a second. "Nothing. Right. What are we dealing with here this time?" Braum asked. Grant''s hand went to his overcoat''s pockets and pulled out a small notebook. "11 children missing...All of them are orphans. There are no families here in the slums... The poor areas will still have families but the slums are worst than that. Parents here will abandon their children the second they become a burden to their own livelihood. The children here are mostly abandoned...This is just one of the crime scenes where a child supposedly disappeared." Grant said while looking at his notes. "What makes this different than the usual cases of human traffickers and slavers taking these unwanted children?" Rudy asked. ''Slavers...'' Braum thought, disgusted again. "Those criminals won''t risk taking these many children at once like this. For protection, the children will usually join local rat gangs that guarantee their safety to some extent by having these children become thieves and gang members. The slavers usually only take children that were sold to them by the gangs when they are not useful OR when the children are not part of a gang yet." Grant answered. "And what makes us so sure if these children are in a gang or not? And what if the slavers are taking chances this time by kidnapping more children than usual. " Braum also asked a question since he is quite ignorantabout these matters. "That''s simple. The slavers actually have good relations with the local gangs and won''t want to anger them. And as for how I know some of the children kidnapped were in a gang? Well... ask that guy behind us." Grant said. After hearing Grant''s words, everyone turned around to see who''s behind them. They saw a young thug peeking at them behind one of the shabby houses. After noticing that his cover has been blown, the young thug fled. "Hey! Stop right there! Knights! Chase after him!" Rudy ordered his men in a hurry. Some of Rudy''s men then started to chase after the thug. "H-how did you see that thug behind us?" Rudy asked dumbfounded. "I smelled him," Grant answered. "H-h-how? This whole slum smells like shit! How could you make out his smell?" Rudy asked again. "Well one, we live in a world with this thing called magic so I used some and two, he smelled of Black Flower, my favorite alcoholic drink. I would recognize that smell from miles away. And no slum people would afford that drink anyway, his gang probably stole it. *YAWN* " Grant answered while seeming even more tired. "*sigh* even when you found something it''s related to your alcoholism" Rudy replied. ''I did notice the thug''s presence but I did not think he was a threat so I did not say anything. To even notice his presence like that...Grant impresses me once more. His intelligence almost seems uncanny in this medieval society. He would make a great scientist in Yakana.'' Braum thought. "Back on topic guys. When did the kidnapping supposedly occurred?" This time, Urada snapped the group out of their daze. "*cough* right. It happened last night during the snowstorm. That''s all we know so far." Rudy answered. "Well, let''s search the area shall we?" Urada said while smiling and the group started their investigation. The group split up and combed the area. But the filth of the slum made it even harder to find evidence since every known form of small human parts and fluids are mixed with the road. ''Shit. The ARIM is detecting everything. By everything I mean everything. Urine, sperm, poo, belonging to the people of the slum. It''s hard to tell which one is evidence. I also turned on the function to detect mana signature but came up with nothing.'' Braum thought. "Hey, Stef, did you find anything?" Braum asked. "I''m sorry Zed. Investigations are not my specialty... I''m just acting as your bodyguard here." Urada answered. "Right...that''s fine *sigh*" ''I need help'' Braum thought in his head. ''What if...Grant? can I trust him? he seems like a good guy...albeit a bit eccentric...Alright, I''ll trust him. If he tries anything...we''ll erase him." Braum came up with a solution. Braum approached Grant who is squatting down and looking closely at the road. "*pokes* Hey, Grant," Braum said. "WHAT! *sigh* you surprised me, motherfucker. What''s up kid?" Grant replied. "Don''t call me kid." "Well you fucking look like one, no matter how strong you are. What do you want? I''m busy investigating here." Grant asked Braum with a frown. "Come with me to that alley over there. I found something." Braum said and motioned Grant to follow him. "What? *sigh* Alright. Show me what you found." Grant followed Braum to an alley behind one of the houses. "What is it?" Grant asked with an impatient tone. Braum''s hand went into his bag and pulled out another ARIM device. He handed it to Grant. "Here." "What''s this?... It''s made out of some sort of metal...perfectly smooth...and this blue light? What is this?" Grant looked into the small circular ARIM device carefully.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Wear it above your ear," Braum told Grant. "What?" Grant dumbfounded. "Wear it. Trust me." "*sigh* you''re wasting my time. Alright." Grant replied and put the ARIM device up to his ear. The ARIM device on Grant''s ear started to blink a yellow light before turning to its normal blue color again. "W-what? What is this blue square in front of me!? What language is this!?" Grant shouted in surprise.
ESTALIAN LANGUAGE DETECTED CALIBRATING USER INTERFACE... ESTALIAN INSTALLED. PAIRING WITH DEVICE: BRAUM GUNDALA
"Oh! I can read it now! Who is this B..r..aum?" Grant was having difficulties pronouncing the name shown. ''Oh shit!'' Braum said in his head. "Ssssshhh! I''ll explain everything to you later! Just listen to me first!" Braum barked. "Y-yes?" Grant was taken aback by Braum''s higher tone of voice. "This device allows you to see things that are invisible to the naked eye and show you their information and descriptions. Look at this rock," Braum picked up a rock below him and showed it to Grant. "W-what?" Grant was still confused but started to look at the rock in front of him.
ITEM DETECTED: SMALL ROCK CONTENTS: 88% Limestone 5% Human''s Feces 5% Human''s Urine 2% Other Contents (SHOW)
"W-wow! It''s showing what''s in the rock!? This is amazing!!! How does it do this??? My job would''ve been way easier if I had this!... Who are you, Zed?" Grant was excited about the device but at the same time, very suspicious of Braum''s real identity for giving him such technological marvel. "*sigh* Again, I''ll explain after everything is done. Can you use this to investigate now?" Braum asked. "...Alright, I''ll leave it at that for now but remember that I want to know where you actually come from after this... Wait, why didn''t you also give this device to Rudy?" Grant asked back. "Heh...I don''t really like him that much so I don''t want to give this to him but you''re my type of people. The troublesome kind." Braum replied while smiling. "Fuck you too...But heh. I''m also not fond of Rudy''s character. There''s just something about him that struck me as off. Call it a searcher''s intuition but he''s probably hiding something. I suspect it''s related to his Hastelfield family." Grant scratched the stubbles in his face. "Hmm...Well, we can think about him next time. Let''s just go back to the crime scene for now." Braum replied. Braum and Grant walked back to the crime scene, where they saw that everyone was still busy combing through the crime scene. They were too busy to pay attention to the two of them. "Alright, what have you found previously, Zed?" Grant asked. "Nothing. The device detected everything. Every little thing. I couldn''t make out which one is the evidence." Braum threw his hands on the air and said. "By everything you mean things like human fluids and DNA?" Grant asked. "Wait, DNA? How do you know about that? The continent does not have knowledge of the microscopic world!" Braum asked in surprise. "The continent? Heh, you''re revealing too much you know. But we''ll talk about it next time. About the DNA stuff...I learned it from an old friend of mine. A mercenary." Grant replied. "Mercenary? That''s probably related to...Wait, nevermind about that. Let''s focus on the case first. How do you think we should go about this?" Braum asked. Grant started to scratch his facial hair and think of a solution. "Hmmm...Can this device filter things? Say...items and materials from a particular timeframe." Grant asked. "OH FUCK! There is that option! Let me try. ARIM. Detect evidence only from last night, around 12 hours ago." Braum said.
FILTER CONFIRMED DETECTING...
Grant also saw the same interface that the ARIM is showing to Braum since their devices are currently paired. "Alright, let''s search again," Braum said and both of them started to began their investigation. After a while, Grant found something. "Hey! Here!" Grant said to Braum. "What is it?" "Skidmarks of a body..." Grant said and started to follow the trail. "Here. A piece of wood from this house fell to the ground." "And here, fresh blood belonging to a child...Ah! Another piece of the mysterious black cloth-" Grant kept finding more and more pieces of evidence with the device. ''How the hell...he''s a natural'' Braum noted Grant''s ability in his head.
SUFFICIENT TRAILS OF EVIDENCE DETECTED RECONSTRUCTING... RECONSTRUCTION COMPLETE. WATCH RECONSTRUCTION? YES/NO
''What...'' Braum was surprised on the new feature of the ARIM. "Hey, what''s this? Should I press ''yes''? " Grant asked. "Uh...sure." Braum was not too knowledgeable about this device and just simply replied. Grant pressed ''yes'' and then artificial figures of two individuals started to be constructed in front of them. "Holy shit! This device is going to show us what happened! This is...amazing!" Grant was uncharacteristically cheerful because of this new technology he was wearing. The reconstruction showed a child figure hugging his or her legs while sitting down in the alley. He or she seemed to be trying to stay warm in the snowstorm. Suddenly, another figure, this time of an adult, slowly approached the child, grabbed the child, and puts his or her hands to the child''s mouth to prevent the child from shouting for help. However, this child was actually quite strong for his or her age and started to struggle in the hands of the kidnapper. The child then bit the hands of the kidnapper, which caused a piece of the black cloth to fall. Afterward, they stumbled around struggling until they hit the house and caused some parts of the wooden parts of the house to break. "Ah! So this is what happened!" Grant said. Both the kidnapper and the child continued struggling until they arrived in the middle of the street. The kidnapper seemed to have enough. The kidnapper released the child and punched the child''s stomach hard after the child turned around. The punch was so hard it caused the child to spit out blood.
FRESH BLOOD AGE: 13 HOURS BLOOD BELONGS TO A CHILD (12-15 YEARS OLD)
"The kidnapper knocked the child''s out cold. This particular kidnapper seemed a bit more amateurish than usual, leaving a lot of evidence. That''s odd." Braum said. "You''re right. The previous crime scene left very few evidence. But the same black cloth confirmed that they belong in the same criminal organization. I think this is just a case of an inexperienced member of the organization taking the job" Grant chimed in. The reconstruction continued and after knocking out the child, the kidnapper carried the child in his or her''s shoulder. The kidnapper then started to run up the walls of a three-story building. "To the roof? The ARIM seems to have detected that due to the marks on the walls. It''s fortunate that we''re dealing with a clumsy kidnapper and the building seems to be made from weak materials." Braum said. "It''s odd seeing such a tall building in a slum. This seems to be a brothel. Right...How are we going to get to the roof?" Grant asked. Braum then suddenly swooped Grant off his feet and into a princess carry. "Hold on tight." Braum smiled and said. "What the actual fuck? Put me down!" Grant complained. Braum then puts some battle force into his feet and jumped high into the roof of the building. "Wow! We made it!" Grant said and Braum put him down. Below, Rudy and the others noticed Braum''s jump into the roof. "Hey! What are you doing! Get down! You are not authorized to search that building or the roofs!" Rudy shouted. "We found something! Let us investigate!" Grant shouted back. "Really!? Tch. Fine! Just don''t stay there too long!" Rudy barked. Urada also noticed that Braum and Grant were on the roof of the building and jumped there as well. "What have you found? Wait....that device! Zed! What are you thinking? Why are you giving it to him!?" Urada noticed that Grant was wearing an ARIM. "Ssshhh! You''re too loud! It''s fine, I trust him." Braum replied. "We can''t trust anyone in the continent! What if he steals it and reveals it to the kingdom?" Urada was looking worried. "We''ll deal with it when that happens. I truly trust him. He''s the type of person that wouldn''t do that." Braum answered. "Ugh...Fine. But I''ll have a very close eye on him." Urada replied frowning. Grant was in the middle of his investigation and was squatting down. "It seems that the kidnapper went north. He jumped to that other building over there." Grant pointed at another relatively tall building ahead. ''Hmmm...let me try again.'' Braum turned on the mana signature detection feature of the ARIM. ''Aha!'' Braum found small traces of the dark mana. The kidnapper seemed to have used the mana to jumped such a long distance. "W-what are those dark things in the air? They''re fascinating!" Grant was surprised by the appearance of the dark mana in his vision. ''It seems that he can also see it because he is paired with my device.'' Braum concluded in his mind. "You guys wait here. I''ll follow the trail" Braum said and took off jumping to the other building and following the trail. "Zed! *sigh* I''ll guard the asset!" Urada shouted at Braum''s back. "Are you talking about me? Am I the asset?" Grant asked bewildered. "Shut up. I don''t trust you with that device. If you try anything I''ll crush your balls." Urada said menacingly. "*sigh* alright little lady calm down now I won''t do anything. I''m actually just pretty curious about you and Zed''s identities." Grant replied while putting his hands on the air. "Don''t call me little lady! And don''t even think about investigating us. Now just shut up and let''s wait for Zed." Urada replied coldly. "...Fine." Grant replied. Braum followed the trail continuously from roof to roof until he found a gloomy public cemetery. There, he found two unexpected figures. "Kaz? Rob? What are you guys doing here?" Braum asked confused. Kelvin and Niko were there. Chapter 17 - The Call of Nyoleh "Kaz? Rob? What are you guys doing here?" Braum asked as he found that Kelvin and Niko were already there in the cemetery. They are currently just standing side by side in silence as if thinking about something. "Zed? What are YOU doing here? aren''t you supposed to be investigating with the others?" Niko reflected back the same question. "I was tracking a trail of dark mana from a new crime scene, which led me to this cemetery. What about you guys?" Braum answered. "We were investigating earlier crime scenes where the kidnapping incidents happened separately. We also found the same trail as you did and found ourselves together like this. We''ve been here for only 5 minutes." Kelvin replied. "That''s odd. Could this be a trap? it''s too weird of a coincidence that we are here together like this." Braum said with uncertainty. "I doubt that. I think we just got lucky that the unskilled members of the perpetrators left enough evidence for us to follow. Besides, this evidence itself is impossible to follow without our ARIM device so I don''t think they expected us to find this location." Niko stated his opinion on the matter. "Well, should we just follow the trail again then? this might be a big lead." Braum said. The group then decided to enter the cemetery. This cemetery was located in the outskirt of Lancester and not a lot of people live here. It''s definitely one of the shadier parts of the town. The winter snow covered the cemetery and the gravestones seem unattended with vines covering most of the gravestones. Some of the graves show signs of someone digging it up recently, probably grave robbers. Although invisible, the spirits of the dead bring a sense of dread to the living. Being buried in such an unholy site was a sign of an unfulfilled life full of regret and mistakes. The trio followed the overlapping trails to a particular large gravestone, larger than this cemetery''s average. "The trail seems to end here. Hmm...Let me turn on the ARIM''s translation function so we can read the gravestone." Kelvin said and pressed the ARIM in his ear.
TRANSLATING... Here Lies Abel Ethelyn Nero 1534-1600 The founder of the Nero family. A loving father, a wise ruler. May he rest in peace.
"1600...that''s over 400 years ago. Abel Ethelyn Nero... who''s this? Why does the trail end here?" Braum said confused. "Let me check the ARIM for anything unusual...There. Each of the letters of the person''s name is a button that can be pressed. I think it''s some sort of passcode." Kelvin replied. "Then how do we know what''s the code? Anyone got a lead?" Braum asked. "Hmm...I think the ARIM can analyze the correct code by using its algorithm...Let me see." Niko came up with something.
Analysing "Abel Ethelyn Nero" ... Analysing Contents... Analysing Anagram Algorithm... Finished Passcode: E T E R N A L B E N Y O L E H Structuring Into a Sentence... Eternal Be N''yoleh
"What? ''Eternal Be''? That sounds like our nation''s common chant. Could the Militarist be behind this!?" Niko shouted in surprise. "No. It''s not them. The militarist hasn''t even existed yet 400 years ago. Those were still the times of the first king. And besides, it''s not like we were the only one to create such a phrase. This could be just a coincidence." Kelvin analyzed. "Well let''s not rule anything out yet. I''m more curious about this N''yoleh...could it be their leader or something?" Braum replied. "Whatever it is I think we should enter the code first," Kelvin muttered. The group then entered the code by pressing the letters of the dead person''s name on the gravestone. (RUMBLE) "W-what? step back!" Braum shouted. A small rumbling sound can be heard and the ground where the gravestone was located can be seen opening up and forming a stone stairway heading towards the darkness below. "It''s a...staircase? I think this might be their base of operation." Braum muttered. "We have already caused a scene. They probably know we''re here. Let''s gear up before we enter." Kelvin said. The group then activated their vibrosword and pulled the safety off the mana handgun. They are on full alert. The group started going down the staircase. The ARIM device highlighted what''s in front of them at all times so they can still see in the dark. The darkness below revealed a dungeon-like labyrinth with intertwining paths. The interior of the labyrinth was formed out of natural rocky materials, forming a cave-like structure. Some hibernating insects hiding from the cold outside can be heard incessantly but even the "calming" sounds of those insects could not get rid the repulsive atmosphere of the dungeon. The group kept walking hoping to find something. "Man this labyrinth keeps going on and on. I think we''re already outside the city." Braum said. "That''s true. Let''s just keep going and see what we can find." Kelvin replied.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. (Waaaaaaah) The crying sounds of a child can suddenly be heard. "That''s a child! It could be one of the kidnapped children! The ARIM is detecting it coming from that way!" Braum said in a hurry. Braum followed one of the paths with the group in search of the child until they meet a dead end. They come across a wooden door standing against their path in the hallway. "A door? Could this be it?" Braum said. (Creeeek) Braum opened the door and took a step inside. (BANG) The door suddenly closed shut. Kelvin and Niko were still outside the room, leaving Braum stuck inside. (BAM BAM BAM) "Hey!!! Open up!" Braum shouted while banging his hands on the door but there were no answers from the other side. "Shit. ARIM, detect lifeform." Braum said to his device.
SCANNING... NO LIFEFORM DETECTED
"What? But this room was the source of the children''s sound." Braum kept walking inside this room. What''s odd was that this room just keeps going on and on. It''s not even a narrow hallway anymore, it''s a space. After looking a while, Braum turned around but found that the door where he originally came from was gone. "What? Where''s the door!?" Braum started panicking. This situation is just too odd for him to handle. "HEY! Come out you fucking bastard! I know you''re messing with me!" Braum shouted to the empty dark space, hoping that his enemy would come out. "You.....called?" An enigmatic voice can suddenly be heard from behind Braum. "What!?" Braum shouted in surprise and turned around. Braum saw the same masked figure of a smiling face that he saw back in the bandit camp. Its eerie tall figure still gave Braum the creeps. "You! You''re behind this! Where did you take the kidnapped people? What are you going to do with them?" Braum barked. "Oho...Hehe. Well first off, let me congratulate you on finding this location. We predicted that you would have found this site sooner or later but this was sooner than we expected...We had to use our low-ranking members to plant evidence deliberately but it seemed they gave out TOO many evidence...I''ll have to educate them later. " The masked figure replied. "Who are you, people! Who''s "we"?" Braum shouted to ask. "Now...hehe you don''t expect me to go on a monologue that reveals crucial information like some sort of cheap novel, would you? I''m just going to give you a warning...we want to be in good terms with you since you are quite powerful so we don''t want to kill you right away. That would be a waste wouldn''t it?" The masked figure said. ''They''re serious. I still have to find a way to dig out information'' Braum thought. "Now why would we be in good terms with someone we don''t even know their identity? Tell me who you people are and your reason for kidnapping the children and maybe we would consider joining the cause." Braum said trying to convince the masked man. "Hehe, I see what you''re trying to do...Oh well, it''d be too boring if there are no obstacles anyway. My name is Vastel. I belong in an...order that wants to bring forth...salvation for humanity. We are taking these people as...let''s just say tributes." Vastel said. "Heh. that''s pretty vague. What do you mean by salvation? Why are you taking these people!?" Braum asked again. "That''s enough information now...you''ll have to figure out everything later yourself...I''m just giving you a warning not to be an obstacle to us if you don''t want to face dire consequences. Let me show you something so you''ll understand...heh maybe not understand but you''ll feel something alright.. ha...ha...ha" Vastel said and waved his hand. "What are you doing!?" Braum was surprised on Vastel''s sudden action. The floor below Braum started disappearing and he fell into the abyss below. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Braum fell for what seems to be an eternity before stopping. Braum was now floating. A human figure appeared in front of him. "Dad...?" Braum recognized that figure to be his stepfather, Ahad Uno. "Boy...." "Dad! you''re alive!?" "Boy..." Ahad Uno''s figure started melting. Braum was now falling again. "AAAAAAAH" He kept falling until he suddenly...stopped. He was back in Yakana, in the middle of a crowded street. "Huh? Was everything a dream?" Braum said confused. He kept walking on the sidewalk with no direction, just walking. He saw people going about their daily lives and flying vehicles zooming around the street. Suddenly, an earthquake can be felt. "AAAAAAAHHHH! a Kaiju!" A person shouted. A humongous kaiju appeared. Its size towered over the tall skyscrapers of the city. The Kaiju had four arms, a disgusting blob face and tentacles coming out of its chest. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" The Kaiju started to destroy everything in sight. There was no sign of help coming. No military. No mechs. Nothing. Just endless destruction. ''Shit! I have to get out of here!'' Braum thought and started running. Braum was running with the crowd of people looking for somewhere safe. Suddenly, a group of masked individuals with black uniforms start to hinder their path. "What? it''s them!" Braum said out loud. "AAAAAAHHH! Not me please!!!" A person shouted. The masked figure started to slaughter the people in the crowd indiscriminately. Their hands are replaced by long tentacles that constrict, strangle, and throw people around until their death. ''Shit!'' Braum said in his mind and started running in the opposite direction. Suddenly, a tentacle from one of the masked figure grabbed him and threw him out into the sky above. "What??" Braum was flying into the air, heading towards the mouth of the Kaiju. ''Oh fuck, I''m going to be eaten!'' Braum entered the mouth of the beast and was eaten. There was silence. Braum was currently floating in the same space as before. He was half awake from the shock. Suddenly, a gargantuan eye appeared in front of him. "What the fuck! It''s an eye!" The eye had a red pupil and the rest of its features resemble a human''s eye albeit very, very big. Braum''s size was like a small insect in front of it. "(UNINTELLIGIBLE)" The eye in front of him started to speak in a broken, hideous voice in an unknown language that Braum can''t make out. "W-what?" Braum said in confusion. "N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH" The creature started to repeatedly say that same word over and over again. But the volume was so loud that Braum had to cover his ears. "Make it stop! STOP! STOP!!" Braum shouted. "N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH N''YOLEH" "AAAAAAAHHH!!!!" Braum''s mind was slipping. Everything he just saw and heard eroded his mind. Without warning, a force pulled Braum away from the creature. ''Don''t worry. You''re safe'' A soothing, beautiful female voice can be heard by Braum. ''Who!?'' Braum said in his mind. ''You''re safe.'' The female voice said again. As Braum was being pulled, he saw a shadow of the creature. The eye of the creature was just a small part. The full figure of the creature was so grotesque, Braum couldn''t quite begin to even describe what the creature looked like. And even after being pulled far away, Braum haven''t seen the entire figure of the creature, showing how truly cosmically huge it is. Braum was pulled towards a door of light. He entered the light and found himself in the stairway where he first entered. "W-w-what? Am I back? The entrance is closed..." Braum said. The entrance was truly closed. Braum started to rub the entrance and the entrance suddenly started to open up. "It''s opening!" Braum muttered. "Prince Braum!!!! You''re safe!" A female voice can be heard. The female figure ran up to Braum and hugged him. It was Urada. Her face was full of worry. With her, Grant, Kelvin, Niko, and Rudy were there with a face of worry as well. "Stef! Don''t say his name!" Kelvin reprimanded Urada. "I''m sorry! I was so worried!" Urada apologized. "W-what happened? Why is everyone here?" Braum asked with a face of confusion. "Zed...when you entered the staircase...the entrance suddenly closed. We couldn''t enter. You were there alone for 6 hours! What happened!?" Kelvin said in worry. "I...was alone...? But you and Niko were there...huh...." Braum said and then collapsed. "Prince Braum!!!" Urada shouted and said Braum''s real name accidentally again. Chapter 18 - I Am Braum The sights I have seen so far have been hazy at best. I realized that I have probably lost my consciousness after I exited the dungeon. The things I saw there nearly broke my feeble brain but the long dream I am currently experiencing soothe my very essence and made me almost forget the madness I just witnessed. I am drifting through memories of my past. The past in which I found was a lie fabricated by a larger force. The earliest memory I experienced was the time of my childhood. But I realized that I couldn''t exactly classify it as a ''childhood''. Childhood implies times of innocence and ignorance, where adult responsibilities are but a faraway thing and the days are spent playing without a care in the world. But if I define childhood as such, then my childhood only ended recently when I arrived at Yakana and uncovered my true nature. I spent my childhood mostly alone. Father only trained me in the morning and left for somewhere else during the rest of the day and Mother only taught me subjects during the evening and she also usually went somewhere during the day. Studying about the world and studying sciences are fascinating and gave me real insights but my most favorite thing was to read stories and legends about the various kings, queens, heroes and their epic adventures. There was just something about those stories that transported me to what''s happening in the story vividly. Such child-like behavior stuck with me until now. I hoped to experience that feeling of adventure one day but that dream recently came true when I have the opportunity to finally travel through Lancester with Kelvin, Urada, and Niko to find the legendary Toziro. We could have probably just went straight towards the capital but I kept finding more and more excuses to prolong our journey and experience even more adventure. Now I understand that it was a mistake. I should have just finished our job directly and went back to Yakana. I have gotten myself into something outside of my capabilities. The order...that...creature...nevermind myself, I am not sure if even Yakana, as advanced as it is, would be able to defeat such force. And that''s also counting that we have a more immediate threat of the militarist rebellion. The future is looking bleak and I can''t seem to find any solution even after racking my brains. "Fuck." I muttered out loud. I went down to one knee and just stared towards the ground. My child self and my late father are in front of me training in martial arts. I seem to be around 7 years old wearing training garments. My father was a tall handsome man with brown skin, white hair, and a magnificent beard. The muscles in his bodies show immense strength. They were in the middle of a spar when my younger self suddenly starts to speak. "Papa, can I be as strong as you one day?" Asked my younger self. "Hmm? Tell me, why do you want to be strong, son? For what reason do you need to increase your strength if you have our protection?" Father replied in a deep voice. "But...I want to be strong! Like the heroes in the stories I read. They travel the continent and slay different monsters! They gain glory and wealth as well on top of that!" My younger self replied back with an excited tone while jumping up and down. "...I am afraid you wouldn''t be able to do those things." Father replied while frowning with regret. "But why!? I just want to do those things can''t you let me dream?" My young self asked with an angry voice. "Br- *Cough*. Son. You are so much greater than those heroes you read in your story. I...I can''t tell you why exactly right now but your future responsibility...is heavy. Let me tell you that you WILL surpass me one day and become even stronger. But I want you to find that very reason why you want to be stronger. And remember-" Father goes down to one knee to match the height of my young self. "You can become stronger here." Father points towards my younger self''s bicep. "You must also become stronger here." Father points his finger at my younger self''s head. "But what''s more important is that you should become the strongest...here." Father puts his whole hand on my younger self''s chest. "My chest? you''re saying I should gain some muscle here?" My younger self asked. "Hahahahahahahaha. In a way...yes. You will understand one day." Father smiled and replied. There was a short silence after father''s words. After a while, my younger self opens his mouth.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "...Father, will you stay by my side forever?" "Yes. Even with all those things. I and your mother will stay by your side." Father smile was so bright that the morning sun seems to be overshadowed by his magnificence. ''Father...I missed you. I hope you rest in peace...'' I recalled my father''s death protecting the queen and her family. In truth, I am still quite angry about that. My father died protecting the people who exiled me. I do not have any attachments towards the royal family. If not for my mother''s encouragement and the legacy left behind by my father...I wouldn''t accept the offer to become a king. The sights of the forest suddenly disappeared and I was left in an empty white space. "I can''t do this. I''m not qualified to be a king. I''m not qualified to protect the continent. I can''t...the order...they''re too strong..." For the first time in years, I cried. The realization that I was to rule a country and the imminent threats that I must deal with overwhelmed my mind. "The Kaiju...they''ll destroy us... I...I can''t..." I have lost all hope. "Don''t cry" I hear a soothing voice of a woman behind me. "Who is it!?" I yelled and turned around. I was greeted with the sight of a woman I have never seen before. She''s tall, my height at least. Blond silky hair going down towards her knees, the smoothest white skin I have ever seen, and a face that can only be matched by the legend of the goddesses. But what struck me the most was her long pointy ears. "That voice...you were the one who pulled me out of the illusion!" I realized that she has the same voice as the one who rescued me from the madness I witnessed in the dungeon. "Yes...it was me who rescued you." Her voice tickled my ear with care. I can become addicted to her voice alone. But her astonishing figure amazed me even more. "W-who are you? Why did you rescue me?... Ah, I''m sorry for being rude. I, Braum Gundala, express my deepest eternal gratitude towards you for saving me." I approached her, took her hand, and kissed it. ''Is this dream-like state making me even bolder than usual?'' I thought. She smiled gently before continuing. "Oh. You''re such a gentleman... My name is Elmyra and I''m an Elven oracle." "You''re an elf? That explains the long ears...How did you enter my dream? Where are you?" I asked since I''m still confused about the situation. "As I explained, I''m an oracle. I have visions of the future and powers to communicate with people over long distances. Where I am...I can''t tell you right now. But what I can tell you is that you are more important than you think...I know where you came from and I know your part in the upcoming war." Elmyra explained. "My part? The upcoming war? Does this have anything to do with that mysterious order!? I...I can''t fight them! You wouldn''t believe the things I saw in those visions! They...they are worshipping an unfathomable, evil creature! A God! Humans can''t possibly interfere with such cosmic beings!" I shouted. "Calm down" She approached me and hugged me. "I''m here. I saw what you witnessed. Truth be told, I''m scared as well. But you...you are the key to defeating them. I will help you, understand?" Her voice became even softer as she comforts me. I calmed down a bit and asked her a question again. "...Ok. Can...can you tell me who they are?" "They are called the Order of Apocalypse...it''s true what you said about them worshipping a higher being. Right now...if I want the prophecy to come true...I can''t tell you anything else." She replied. "But why!? I need to know in order to find a way to defeat them!" I barked. "Listen...they are a threat...and you will encounter them again very soon from now. But you...you have other problems you need to take care of before then. Isn''t that right, King Braum of Yakana?" She said. "I..see...of course, you already knew my identity like you said before...what sorts of problems do I need to take care of before you tell me any further?" I asked. "Well...for starters, you should bring back your exiled general right? And after that, you need to defeat the rebels in your country." "And after that?" "After that, a brief invasion of the creatures your people call Kaiju will come. But that is if you survived the civil war in the first place." She explained. "I...I see. Even if it''s a prophecy, nothing is set in stone and I can still lose. Is that right?" I asked again. "That''s correct. You need to finish everything first so you can focus on your objectives before I tell you anything further." Elmyra replied. "Then...can you tell me what to do right now? I...I''m a bit lost." I asked once more. "You need to rescue those children first. Many of them are...already lost. But you still have the opportunity to save some of them. After that...I want you to take those children to your country, the ones who don''t have any families left here. They will become important figures in the future." Elmyra explained again. "I...see. I''ll do that. Can you...give me a hint on where to find the children?" "Well...your team are currently searching for the location and are waiting for you to wake up...But I''ll tell you right now. The location is...*whispers*" She whispered softly in my ear. "WHAT!? It''s over there!? Fuck! I need to wake up right now!" I shouted. Elmyra motions her hand and a door made out of light starts to form in front of me. "Enter that door and you will wake up. Hurry. The children are in danger." She told me. Before I entered the door, I approached Elmyra. "W-Will I see you again?" I asked her as my face become as red as a tomato. "Haha...There''s one more part of the prophecy concerning you and me." She smiled devilishly. "What is it!?" I was curious so I barked. "I''ll tell you again when we meet in person...When you have finished everything I told you before...I will enter your dream once more and tell you my location." Elmyra replied. "I...I see. I look forward to that day...Goodbye Elmyra." I was about to walk towards the light when Elmyra pulled my body towards her and gave me a small kiss on my cheek. "I''ll see you again, King Braum." She pushed me towards the door of light as my face blushed like no tomorrow. Chapter 19 - Awakening "It''s been over 6 days, when is he going to wake up?" A gruff sound escaped the mouth of an equally gruff man. It was the infamous grade B searcher Grant Holmes. He was inside a room accompanied by two other people. The three of them were standing in a circle surrounding a bed with a young teenager peacefully sleeping with steady breaths. The soft voice of a woman soon replied. "Well, his condition is stable and there have been no signs of any external or internal illness...It''s really quite odd why he hasn''t woken up yet." Lisa Redflower, she''s the searcher guild''s identification expert who can also apparently detect any ailments in a human body. She was the woman who Grant asked to identify the source of the black cloth he found in the orphanage. "I don''t like this. Our team needs him. We won''t be moving on with the investigation without him" A sharp voice also chimed in, belonging to a tall man with a cold aura. It was Kelvin. "You say that but two of your teammates have been missing for the last few days... I assume they are continuing their investigation. Heh. Well, I have been doing some work myself." Grant said with a tinge of mockery. "Tch. That''s none of your business." Kelvin said with contempt. "Wow there...settle down. I know you are in a state of unrest with your leader bedridden like this. But it would be better if we catch the culprits so we can bring them to justice. I''m sure that''s what he would have wanted." Grant replied. "You speak as if he is not going to ever wake up again. Watch your tone." Kelvin still hasn''t calmed down after Grant''s attempt to comfort him. "*sigh* If you don''t like hearing it from me, then Lisa, explain what you have found," Grant called out to Lisa who was still examining the body of Braum. " *cough* what?...ah, yes... the black cloth you gave me. I identified it. But I only found out the origin of the cloth itself. Someone has erased the owner''s signature." Lisa timidly explained. She then continued. "The black cloth itself was made out of a unique material called Razi threads. The threads were made out of a plant called Razi, a plant discovered around 400 years ago. It''s quite famous for its durability to withstand even swords. But in recent years it hasn''t been used much because of its unique nature of not being able to change colors even when using dyes-" "Move on with it. I don''t want its whole history. Just tell me what you found." Kevins said with impatience. "Y-yes! Long story short, the lack of demand means that there are only three known plantations in the entire kingdom, one of which is located just outside of Lancester. But even if they have low demands for consumer goods, they are quite sought out by nobles from all over the country to be used as protective layers for their luxury goods. I must say...this material is quite durable so it''s quite odd seeing this particular piece torn like this." Lisa finished explaining.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Is it a trap, then? What if they are trying to lead us to the wrong suspects?" Kelvin said. Hearing Kelvin''s concern, Grant chimed in. "I doubt it. They would have left more obvious evidence if so. And the only other evidence is the statue in Zed''s pocket, which Lisa wasn''t able to find any origin at all, just its material of normal wood. Even its magical trace is missing now. I think...one of the kids who was kidnapped in the orphanage must have been gifted magically. That kid must have been awake for a few seconds when the kidnappers got him or her and he or she managed to cut off a small piece of the kidnapper''s clothing, small enough for the kidnapper to not notice so that us, the investigators, can gather the evidence. But there was one more odd thing I noticed when I was investigating the orphanage. Zed''s device must not have detected it but I did. I thought it was just a coincidence and it was nothing...but..." Grant trailed off. "What is it? What did you find?" Kelvin asked with interest. Suddenly, Lisa, who continued with her examination of Braum, shouted. "He''s waking up! Quick, get some water! and food!" Back in the mysterious graveyard, at the large gravestone which Braum entered, Niko and Urada were busily sweeping through the entire area for evidence. "Nothing. It wouldn''t even open anymore after we enter the codes. When I use the ARIM, it doesn''t even detect any hidden chambers underneath the ground. It''s as if it just...disappeared." Niko said with frustration. "That''s impossible. An entire underground network of tunnels wouldn''t just disappear like that." Urada replied. "But that''s what''s happening here! It disappeared! with no trace! Even our technology hasn''t perfected teleportation yet. Our scientists have only done so with small objects. What magic would they have used to move an entire labyrinth?" Niko barked. His usual calmness has disappeared. A rare sight. "Heh. You look more worked up than usual. Are you really that worried about him? I thought you dislike the royalty." Urada teased. "It''s not that! It''s just...we''re wasting time with this investigation when we should be looking for Toziro''s group..." Niko replied. "Your mouth and face are not saying the same thing. You have come to like him a bit haven''t you? Wow. the cold troublemaker of the special forces liking someone." Urada teased Niko again. "Shut up! *sigh* let''s get back to work" Niko said and continued his sweep.
*BEEP* Incoming Call: Lieutenant Kelvin Djarot of the Special Forces
Suddenly, both of them were presented with the same incoming call from their superior, Kelvin. Both of them pressed the button to answer. A floating face of the Lieutenant showed up in front of them. "What''s wrong?" Urada asked. "You two must come back here quick! He has woken up!" An excited voice of Kelvin ringed through both of their ears. After a while, Urada and Niko arrived back at the inn where Braum, Kelvin, Grant, and Lisa were in. They went inside the room and saw Braum in the middle of wearing the exoskeleton and gears. "Why is he standing up already!? He should get some rest." Urada said with worry. "Calm down! This is his request." Kelvin said. "What do you mean by that? Hey, what are you up to?" Niko directed the question to Braum, who was gearing up with a lively, sharp face. Any trace of the short coma couldn''t be found. It seemed as if he never went unconscious in the first place. Braum then gazed to the two new arrivals and spoke. "All of you, we must hurry. The children are in danger." A resolute voice of a young man echoed through the room. Chapter 20 - An Unwanted Revelation "Wait, shouldn''t we call Rudy and his knights first? They are also a part of this investigation and may be of some help fighting the kidnappers. Well... If not, then I think we can handle them anyway. We''ll follow your every order, Zed." Kelvin said directly to Braum. The group was still inside the inn preparing to leave. "Every order? Damn, Y''all have some freaky relationships with Zed. But I agree with Zed about going straight to the kidnappers. I figure Zed has arrived at the same conclusion as I did..." Grant chimed in. "The same conclusion?" This time, Lisa was too curious to stay quiet and asked the question. "I see. You are more capable than I thought, searcher Grant. That''s correct. The reason why we aren''t going to Rudy first is..." Braum started explaining his reasoning and plans to rescue the remaining children. The murky shadows of the night soon arrived. The entire mercenary group named The Black Hoods were there in addition of two members of the searcher guild: Grade B searcher Grant Holmes and the searcher guild''s identification expert Lisa Redflower. The location itself was outside the city of Lancester¡ªa bleak courtyard of great length facing an equally gothic mansion surrounded by the snowy forest. The group of six was hiding behind a particularly large tree stump that was tall enough to hide their entire figures. "Hmm...I never knew there was such a mansion outside of the city. I don''t think any noble lives here so I''m wondering why such a huge building hasn''t been noticed sooner." Grant said quietly. "That''s because it was surrounded by the dark magic of the order of the Apocalypse. I have learned how to dispel it." Braum replied. "The order of the apocalypse? dark magic? Do those things really exist?" Lisa said with curiosity. "Yes. I have learned of their existence when I was inside the dungeon. I will explain everything in due time. Let us quickly enter the mansion to rescue the children. I sense a few of their members inside. I don''t think they notice us yet." Braum said with confidence. ''The prince has changed somehow...he seemed more...mature'' Kelvin thought. ''Something must have happened when he was asleep'' Grant also thought in his head. Both Grant and Lisa were then granted hooded capes that could cover their entire body by Kelvin. The capes seemed to be using the same technology as the exo suits¡ªallowing the wearer to change the color of the fabric and blend in. "This cape is incredible! What magic does it use? I can''t seem to detect anything. " Lisa muttered excitedly. "No time. Let us move." Braum replied with a stern voice. The group slowly walked towards the castle while blending in with the environment using Yakana''s technology. They have also learned how to block the dark magic so that it would not affect them in any way. ''It isn''t perfect yet...but I can now easily dispel the dark magic of the order''s cannon fodders and small fries but high-ranking members like Vastel, the masked man I met in the labyrinth, are too strong for my current abilities'' Braum pondered in his mind. After a while, they arrived outside the mansion. "Kaz. Detect the children''s whereabouts" Braum ordered.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "R-right." Niko seemed to be taken aback by Braum''s more serious demeanor. He then quickly turned on his ARIM.
SCANNING LIFEFORM... BATTLE FORCE ACTIVATED... FIVE (5) INDIVIDUALS WITH DARK MAGIC SIGNATURE DETECTED-LOCATION IRREGULAR FIFTEEN (15) HUMAN CHILDREN DETECTED-LOCATION TOP FLOOR EASTERN
"There. On the top floor on the eastern side." Niko said. "Holy shit...So this device could also do that." Grant said. He was still wearing the device. "What? Can you also see what they are seeing, Grant? Give me! Give me!" Lisa begged with a squeaky voice. "Ssshhh. We don''t have time for that now. I''ll let you borrow it after this." Grant replied. "You talk as if I''m still going to let you use that device after this is done..." Kelvin said with contempt. He seemed to always take a dislike to Grant, for whatever reason. The stern voice of Braum then interjected. "Enough. Let us rescue the children first. The device and I can detect the five individuals with dark magic inside but I can''t pinpoint their exact location. Stay on your guard." The group was making their way inside the mansion. They entered through the top floor window of the western side to be safe. " *sniff* The smell of blood. And not just any blood¡ªyoung blood." Grant muttered. "Are you a fucking vampire? How the hell would you know about that?" Niko asked with confusion. "He''s good at what he does, Kaz. He''s right. Some of the children didn''t make it..." Braum said with a face full of sorrow. The entire interior of the mansion was even bleaker than the exterior. The gothic sense of the architect can be felt vividly as each ornament and furniture seemed to be specially designed to strike fear on the hearts of its viewers. The moonlight entering the blood-tinted windows of the mansion also gave the interior the appearance of a nightmare. Along the way, the group opened some of the rooms they encountered but found mostly nothing. They would either see a normal bedroom or an empty library. All of the contents seemed to have been moved somewhere else. It''s clear that this mansion was used not as a base for the kidnappers, but as a storage facility to keep the kidnapped children. While they were inspecting room after room, they finally found an important piece of information. An emblem insignia on the wall of one of the bedrooms. "That emblem...it seems you two were correct. " Kelvin said with awe. "I can''t believe it...how could they..."Lisa closed her mouth with her hand in shock. "Tch. Elmyra was right. Let''s rescue the children." Braum said and the group kept moving. After a long trek through the large mansion, they finally arrived on the eastern side. The door leading to the room where the children were supposedly in was in front of them. The crying sounds of the children can be heard coming from inside the room. "This is it. Ready your weapons. Lisa and Grant, stay behind us." Braum ordered quietly. The group pulled out each of their weapons and went into their combat stances. "Breach," Braum said. (SLASH SLASH) Kelvin made two slashes with the vibrosword to completely break the door open. What they saw inside was a scene from a horror story. " *gulp*" Grant swallowed his saliva. "KYAAAAAA" Lisa couldn''t hold it in and started screaming. "These fuckers..." Braum muttered. A masked man with a dark uniform was standing facing their opposite directions in front of a table. In the table, dozens of children''s body parts are in the process of butchering. Hands, legs, heads, the large body parts were cut up in equal measures while some other parts like the brain, eyes, and genitals were kept inside clear jars. The masked man noticed their arrival and turned around. The mask he was wearing was unique to what Braum has seen so far. The mask was just a blank canvas of white with no distinguishing facial features and no holes to see out from. The masked man started speaking. "Ah...so you have found us. Good job for not letting us detect you. That''s very impressive." The masked man didn''t seem to panic after being caught in the act. "That voice...I see. It''s you." Braum muttered. "I was right. I thought what you were doing back in the orphanage was nothing strange but I was wrong. That was the biggest mistake of my life, thinking you were innocent." Grant also said with a regretful voice. The masked man started to bow in an elegant manner after hearing them. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my workshop. And congratulations on finding the mystery." The masked man said with a grandiose voice. He then started to open his mask. The handsome face of a young man with blond hair and blue eyes greeted them. "Rudy Hastelfield...You will pay for this!!!" Braum shouted with earth-shattering anger. Chapter 21 - The Rescue "Calm down now. You don''t want to scare these children, right?" Rudy said with mockery while pointing at a direction to his right. At the direction Rudy was pointing at, a large cage filled with children came into view for the whole group. The previous number of fifteen children was already reduced to ten. "Rudy!!!...why are you doing this?" Braum shouted in anger at first but calmed down. He knew that pointlessly getting angry will only serve him a disadvantage in their exchange. "That is not your concern." Rudy answered coldly. "The emblem we found in one of the rooms...that was the Hastelfield family emblem wasn''t it?" Grant chimed in and asked Rudy. "That''s correct. But they''re not involved with this. This is just an old property of my family which I borrowed. " Rudy answered again, seemingly not caring if this information leaks. "...The missing small statue in the orphanage, were you the one who took it?" Braum asked. "He was probably the one who took it as I told you before. I saw him from the corner of my eyes making extremely quick movements to pick up something off the ground in the orphanage...I thought it was nothing out of the ordinary." Grant interjected. "Hahahahahahaha" A sinister laugh escaped the mouth of Rudy. "Of course that was me. I didn''t think you would notice though, searcher Grant. You are truly talented. I had to take that particular statue because it was still filled with our mana and would have given out too many information. But it was so obvious from the start. Why would a knight captain be assigned for this case? The children who went missing are nobodies, they''re either orphans or the bastard child of the peasants. Do you think I did it out of kindness? You are truly naive." Rudy continued. "I had to control the flow of information within this case. I had to make sure everything went smoothly. Do not be mistaken, everything you have discovered so far is information that we carefully selected to be safe enough to leak. But it is still impressive that you did solve our little puzzle..." Rudy finished explaining. A short silence ensued after Rudy''s explanation. Braum was the first one to speak. "...I have one more question before I kill you...why are you with the order? Who are they? What are you doing to the children? And...why are you revealing your identity like this?" Braum asked. "It''s quite obvious that I''m not going to reveal any of that information...but I''ll tell you why I''m revealing myself, my time to be a permanent member has arrived so I am ready to abandon my former life as a knight or as the son of the Hastelfield family. This is the last time you are going to see me...but for another reason...you people are going to die here." Rudy said and snapped his fingers. 4 columns of darkness appeared in front of Rudy. From those columns, four figures wearing dark uniforms and hoods walked out. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you but the next phase will soon start. Goodbye!" Rudy smiled, gave an elegant bow, then disappeared with a black smoke that suddenly appeared behind him.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "WAIT! Stay here you fucking-" Braum shouted in anger but Rudy and the black smoke already disappeared. In the process of the black smoke''s disappearance, the children''s body parts in the table were also sucked up into the void. "He''s gone..." Urada said in a low voice. "I think we have a more imminent threat we need to worry about," Kelvin muttered. That''s right. The four dark figures in front of them were entering their combat stances. It seemed the four of them were the close range type as each of them started to form swords from their dark mana. "Alright, finally some action-" Niko said. "Stand down everyone. " Braum ordered. "What?" Kelvin asked confused. "I will fight the four of them. Alone." Braum said with a tinge of seethed rage in his voice. "But that would be too dangerous!" Urada said worryingly. "No buts. I''m not in the mood for arguments. I will go now." Braum said and launched himself towards the four individuals. In the middle of his charge, Braum already drew his vibrosword out and supplied it with his golden royal battle force. The control of his force seemed to have already improved. ''Elmyra did something to my body...my mind feels a lot clearer and my body feels lighter'' Braum thought. And those improvements can already be visibly seen. The four dark figures who wasted no time taking turns to attack Braum and outnumbered him were playing an in an equal field with Braum. (CLASH CLASH CLASH) Braum''s swordsmanship allowed him to parry any attack of the four individuals. (STABS) After seeing an opening, Braum managed to kill one of them. "UGH!" The dying member of the order shouted. ''It seems that they are still human in the inside'' Braum thought. Braum continued his barrage until there is only one enemy left. Seeing that he was both overwhelmed and outnumbered, the last enemy started to lift his dark mana sword and stabbed it into his own stomach. "Wait!" Braum shouted. The last remaining member of the order killed himself. "Heh. He must have killed himself so we don''t interrogate him. What a loyal bunch." Grant muttered from behind. "Kaz, Stef, gather the bodies and any evidence," Kelvin ordered Niko and Urada and both of them went to work. Braum walked up to the cage where the remaining children were kept and crouched down to see their faces. "I have come to rescue you...don''t be scared," Braum said softly. The children''s eyes were still scared. They saw what Braum could do to his enemies. But one by one, they started to stand up when they realized that they are finally going to have their freedom. In the dark of the night. In a forest outside of Lancester, the figure of a young handsome man was sitting on a large boulder. "What a beautiful night..." The young man was in the middle of admiring the large moon and the countless stars above him. "The cosmos...Oh, how I want to be closer to you..." The young man muttered with a sense of nostalgia. Suddenly, a figure wearing a mask with a smiling face appeared also sitting beside the young man. "Rudy...You''ve done a good job with the children." The masked figure said. "Thank you, Vastel. Are the preparations for the next phase ready? Am I finally going to be an official member of the council, now?" Rudy asked while still looking up to the sky above, not sparing Vastel even a glance. "Now now...You are still new. There is still a long way to go until you have the right to be in the council...And you DID make a lot of mistake with giving out too many evidence in this case..." Vastel answered. "...I apologize. I underestimated them. And with the four of my underlings'' presence gone from my link, it seems they are still alive as well. " Rudy said in a regretful tone. "That doesn''t matter now. As long as you don''t make any further mistake. You are a talented young man, Rudy. The council needs you. You are now a permanent member of the order. Here is your new mask." Vastel said and gave Rudy a white mask shaped like a fox''s head. While still looking up to the sky above, Rudy took the mask and brought it above him. "A fox?" Rudy asked bewildered. "Ha...ha...ha...after all, you are good at pretending and deceit" Vastel replied with a sinister laugh. "Heh. When is the next meeting?" Finally, Rudy turned around to see Vastel but found that he was already gone. "Tch. Oh well. Time for my next job" Rudy stood up smiling and puts his new mask on. Chapter 22 - The Orphans Braum found the ten remaining children in the cage. Unfortunately, during their process of getting here, the five other children (out of the previous fifteen) were already killed. "Damn!" Braum punched the cage, scaring the children inside. "if only I was quicker in getting here..." Braum muttered while looking at the ground. "Hey. You''re scaring the children." Grant said to Braum. Urada went up to Braum to console him. "It''s okay...it''s not your fault." Kelvin also approached the cage and lifted up a small device from his pocket. "Kids. I want you all to look at me." Kelvin said to the children. All of them were curious about his new appearance and started to do what he asked. (FLASH) A bright flash entered the cage and the retinas of the children, which caused them to fall asleep peacefully. "What the..." Grant said surprised. "Wow!" Lisa''s eyes were shining as she became amazed by the new device. "...Alright. Do a full sweep and let''s get the children out of here." Braum said with a shade of gloom. if this was the normal Braum, he would have said some sort of joke to Kelvin about the new device. Everyone started working right away. They needed several back-and-forth trips between the mansion and the city to bring all the children, the bodies of the four men, and some other evidence. Braum couldn''t trust the knights of the city anymore so he did not call them. The sun was rising up into the horizon and the cold city became alive with people starting their morning routine. Inside the building of the searcher guild, a young teenager, or perhaps it''s better suited to call him a young man, is sitting at the table of the restaurant drinking tea with a gloomy face. "..." Braum stayed in silence. He was still thinking about the children. Suddenly, another individual sat right in front of him. It was Grant, the searcher he was investigating the case with. "Good morning." Grant greeted. "..." Braum didn''t reply. "Helloooo. World to Zed. I''m here!" Grant started baiting Braum for a response. "What is it? I want to be left alone." Braum replied with an annoyed voice. "Hey...don''t be mad...we finished the case. That''s something to celebrate about." Grant said smiling. "...And we let the kidnappers got away as well. What''s your point?" Braum replied while frowning. "*sigh*...ever since the searcher guild notified the orphanage and families, they were all happy to see the case solved...but mortified when they didn''t find their children in the survivor list. Out of the ten children...six of them have been returned to families..." Grant trailed off in the end. "Hey, Waiter! Get me some hot drink. Anything." Grant shouted at the waiter. "Coming right up!" The waiter replied. Grant got his drink and both he and Braum started to sip at their drinks in silence. "... forty-two." Braum muttered. "What?" Grant replied with a confused face. "That''s the number of missing children reported. Who knows how many more were kidnapped out of the public and official''s eyes." Braum said. "...But we rescued them." Grant also said. "TEN! We rescued ten of them! Who''s side really won here?! We failed to bring the kidnappers to justice and lost dozens of children in the process.....aren''t you feeling guilty about this at all? Do you just care about finishing the case!?" Braum shouted in anger. The whole entire restaurant started to become quiet. There weren''t that many people here in the morning anyway. Searchers usually get their breakfast outside of the guild''s building. "I...I''ll go see how the remaining four children are doing." Grant did not know how to reply and left. " *sigh*..." Braum slumped back into his chair. ''I told the Urada, Niko, and Kelvin to look for the fastest methods to get to Neversummer, the capital of Estalia. I don''t want to stay in this wretched, barbaric kingdom anymore.'' Braum said in his mind. He was already preparing to leave Lancester. He did not even want to take any more mercenary jobs here anymore. He was planning to go straight to the capital to finish his mission of finding Toziro''s group. Braum was just sitting and pondering things quietly when another individual sat in front of him. Surprisingly, it was Lisa Redflower, the identification expert who was with Grant. Braum didn''t even get the chance to formally introduce himself to Lisa. "...What do you want?" Braum asked. "I...heard your conversation with Grant," Lisa muttered softly. "And?" Braum asked looking annoyed.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "I..I want you to know that Grant is also suffering right now...He doesn''t just care about finishing this case. He...he joined this case because of an incident years ago." Lisa replied. "An incident?" Braum asked. "Y-yes...He used to have a partner in the searcher guild. They were known as the dynamic duo for their compatible cooperation in solving cases. But one day...his partner just...disappeared into thin air. Grant was frantic. He started to look everywhere but couldn''t find any evidence...that was 10 years ago. Ever since then, he regularly takes any cases with kidnapping and disappearances to find traces of his partner, hoping that there would be some links. He...also felt guilty when he couldn''t find the missing people. They reminded him of his partner. This time...they were children." Lisa explained in an anguished voice. "I...I''m sorry," Braum said. "Don''t say that to me. I...I think you should ask him for the full story someday. I...I want him to be happy. I have known him and his partner ever since they joined the searcher guild...I no longer want to see him like this." Lisa muttered. "I will...but I don''t think I''ll be staying in this city for much longer" Braum replied. "I know...Grant explained that to me as well...he hasn''t told you this but he plans to travel with you to the capital." Lisa also replied. "What?" Braum was surprised hearing that. "Yes...I think you should ask him about it later...I have to go now" Lisa left the table, leaving Braum alone. After a while, Braum''s drink has gotten cold. He stood up from his table and was headed for the exit. Suddenly, a familiar face entered the building, it was Lily, the mercenary guild''s receptionist. "Lily? What are you doing here?" Braum asked. Lily noticed him. Her face was wet with tears. She ran up to Braum and hugged him. "W-what?" Braum was surprised "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you" Lily repeated those words over and over again while still hugging Braum. "Hey...what''s wrong?" Braum stroke her back in order to calm her down. Lisa stopped hugging Braum and looked directly into his eyes. "You rescued my little brother. He was one of the children who was kidnapped." Lisa said. "Huh? Really?" Braum asked. "Yes! I...I can''t thank you enough...my little Joseph...we''re alone without any parents taking care of us...he''s the only one I got." Lisa answered and hugged him again. "Wow there!" Braum said. Lisa stopped hugging him again and gave him several documents and a money pouch. "What is this?" Braum asked seeing the documents and the pouch. "The documents contain your proof of completion for this case and the pouch contains the reward money...there''s also something else." Lisa opened one of the documents. "This is a complete copy of the data pertaining the mercenary group The Bodyguards. I know you were looking for them." Lisa said. "What? I thought you said we would have to get to Grade B before we can get any more information? Lisa...I hope you''re not doing anything illegal...you''ll get in trouble." Braum replied worryingly. "This...this is nothing compared to what you have done to me and my brother. I have made sure I wasn''t caught so you shouldn''t worry. Thank you. You don''t have to come to the mercenary guild again to collect any more documents after this. I must go now" Lisa hugged Braum and left the building. Later that afternoon, the whole group with Grant and Lisa was back in the searcher guild. They were in one of the rooms housing the remaining four children who haven''t been picked up yet. The children were sitting at a desk and eating peacefully. "Do they still have families?" Kelvin asked. "No...these are the only children who don''t have any more families. three of them are from the orphanage and one of them is from the slums." Grant replied. Braum crouched down to talk to them. He first talked to two children who were holding each other''s hands. "Let''s get to know them a bit shall we?" Braum said and continued. "Hey, what''s your...and your sister''s names? You two seem to be related." In fact, it was more than being related. The two children seemed to be twins. A boy and a girl with very similar looking faces filled with freckles. Both of their hairs were blond although the girl had a shoulder-length hair and the boy had a short hair with bangs. "I...I''m Mary" The girl first spoke with a timid voice. "And I''m Larry! Thank you for rescuing us, Mister!" The boy spoke with excitement. "I see..you guys are really twins...Were you from the orphanage?" Braum asked. "Yes! We were from the same orphanage as that girl!" The boy pointed to another girl sitting at the desk. Braum turned his attention to the other girl. "Hey, what''s your name?" Braum asked. This girl had a long ashen hair hiding her face. She seemed even timider than Mary. "..." The girl seemed to look pale. She seemed to be traumatized. "This girl isn''t mentally well...Hey, Larry. What''s her name?" Braum asked Larry instead for her identity. "Her name is Rachael! She''s a smart girl in our orphanage...but she was always bullied by the priest..." Larry said and trailed off in the end. """....""" The whole group was stunned. Their minds came to the worst conclusion possible when they heard of the priest. "I...I see..." Braum replied. He did not know what to do in situations like this. He turned his attention to the final child instead. "Hey, boy...what''s your name?" Braum asked the final child, a boy with a short brown hair, a tough-looking face, and a larger-than-usual figure for his age. "...Deckard." The boy did not even spare Braum a glance. "This boy doesn''t know manners..." Kelvin muttered. "Well...he was from the slums...in fact, from his testimony, he was the kid who had a little fight with one of the kidnappers...the one we traced with the device...remember that, Zed?" Grant interjected. "Ah...he''s the one who we have to thank on finding that gravestone...Thank you boy...you did a good job." Braum said sincerely. "I don''t care..." Deckard replied. "Tch. This child needs to be taught manners..." Kelvin did not like this boy. "Rob...Let the child off the hook. He''s been through a lot." Braum said and stood up. "What are we supposed to do with these children now? Take them back to the orphanage?" This time, Niko also joined the conversation. ''I want you to take those children to your country, the ones who don''t have any families left here. They will become important figures in the future'' The words of Elmyra rang in Braum''s mind. "We''re taking them with us," Braum said. "What!?" Kelvin shouted in surprise. "Hmm...." Grant stroke his unkempt beard. "To the capital? They would be a burden!" Kelvin said. "No. Back to our lands." Braum replied. "What!!? They''re foreigners! They shouldn''t come to our lands!" Kelvin said and raised his voice. "LIEUTENANT" Braum also raised his voice. "I...am your new future king....YOU...DO...NOT...GET...TO QUESTION...MY DECISION....Let alone raise your voice at me." Braum stressed every syllable. Kelvin got down to one knee immediately after hearing his king. "My apologies, my king! This lowly Lieutenant will accept any punishment!" Kelvin said loudly. "King?" Grant noticed one word in particular. "Zed! There are unauthorized individuals here!" Niko also joined in. "Shut it...effective immediately, Grant...Lisa...and the children here...they are now authorized to learn the existence of our kingdom and our identities." Braum said. "But that would be-" Kelvin tried to say something but was cut off. "What did I tell you about questioning my decision?" Braum said. Kelvin got back in one knee again but this time, Urada and even Niko joined. """We will do as you say, Your Majesty.""" The three of them said at the same time. "Wooowww...Mister...so you''re like a king or something?" Larry ran up to Braum. His short height made him raised his head to look at Braum''s face. Braum stroke the hair of the boy. "Yes boy...you will learn everything in due time," Braum said. "You''re...a king?" Grant asked. "I will explain everything later, Grant, Lisa... I heard you wanted to join me in my journey to the capital, why?" Braum deflected the question and asked back. "Actually...I...I have probably figured out your identity..." Grant said. "What?" Braum muttered in bewilderment. "The one you''re looking for....Toziro...I knew him personally." Grant said a shocking statement. Chapter 23 - Neversummer-bound "What? You know Toziro? Wait how did you know we''re looking for him?" Braum asked bewildered. "...I''m a searcher...a good one at that. I got my own sources so don''t worry about that. Well, I could only guess that you''re someone from the same country as Toziro." Grant shrugged and answered. "Hmmm...the chip we implanted in Toziro''s brain doesn''t allow him to reveal the existence of Yakana." Kelvin chimed in. "So the name of the country is Yakana is it?...well you''re correct that Toziro didn''t reveal everything to me. In fact, he told stories about his past with very vague expressions and retellings." Grant replied. "I guess he must have discovered that as long as he doesn''t mention Yakana itself, then the chip wouldn''t detect it," Niko muttered. After thinking for a while, Braum asked Grant again. "...How did you meet Toziro?" "He...he helped me with a case a few years ago. He also taught me a lot of new knowledge like DNA to help my investigating skills. I have seen the technology you people use and linked it to the stories that Toziro told of his country...I owe him a lot and would like to meet him again so I want to come with you guys to Neversummer." Grant answered while looking a bit nostalgic. "Well...I think you would be useful in helping us find him if you knew him personally. Although I expect to hear the full story on how you met him someday" Braum replied. "Great. I''ll go pack up my stuff" Grant said and left the room. But suddenly, the quiet Lisa also said something after Grant had left. "Umm.....I''m also coming with you guys" "What?" Braum muttered in surprise. "I...I need to take care of Grant! He hasn''t left the city in a while!" Lisa replied with a face as red as a tomato. Kelvin approached Braum and whispered to him. "Prince, I think it would be a burden to add another member to our team" Kelvin has learned not to voice out his opinion too harshly since Braum was not fond of that. "You can come, sure. I think she''ll be useful for something...there are certain things that only her magic could detect" Braum said, referring to her identification magic. "T-thank you...uh...King?" Lisa said and bowed down. She has learned earlier of Braum''s identity.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "You are not a citizen of my country so you have no need to bow like that...Just go and pack up your stuff" Braum said. "Uhh..yes!" Lisa left the room in a hurry. "Stef, go to the market with the children and buy them some clothes for the journey" Braum ordered. "As you wish" Urada complied and took the children out of the room. There were only three people left inside the room; Braum, Niko, and Kelvin. "Uhh...what do you want me to do?" Niko asked. "Right. I asked you guys earlier to find the quickest methods to get to Neversummer. How was it?" Braum said. "Of course," Kelvin said and opened the map of Estalia with the ARIM device. Estalia''s Map: https://imgur.com/a/pqAJlHG "The quickest method is, of course, going straight from Lancester to Neversummer and not take pitstops in cities like Drogfort or Vanderfort, but that does have some risks" Kelvin explained. "And what are those risks?" Braum asked. "Mostly since the ARIM has detected that temperature will drop even lower soon so there are some risks of traveling such long distances. We would have to get to Neversummer as fast as possible to eliminate those risks" Kelvin answered. "And how can we do that? Get on with it" Braum said with impatience. "You remember the Ogruns?" Niko asked. "Those large animals with snouts on their mouths? The ones who carried our caravan from Lebourne to Lancester? They can travel long distances sure but they''re too slow." Braum recalled the Ogruns. "Well, we found out that they have a subspecies cousin who is both smaller and faster¡ªthey are specially used for fast travel. They''re called the Vaux Ogruns. ''Vaux'' being the local word for small. " Niko explained. "That''s great. How can we get them?" Braum asked again. "Well...we already bought them. We have quite a decent amount of money from selling the Serpental Bears'' parts and the bounties from the bandits we defeated. I think we should leave today instead of waiting for tomorrow. We should go before the temperature drops any further." Kelvin replied. " *sigh* you could''ve just told me from the start if we already have them then. Alright, call the others after they have finished their preparations and let''s meet up at the northern gate of the city. " Braum ordered. Later that day, just before the sunset, the whole group gathered in the northern gate of the city. There were only five Vaux Ogruns available, so they had to share the ride with one more person per Vaux Ogrun. The arrangements were as such: Braum and Rachael, Niko and Urada, Kelvin and Deckard, Grant and Larry, Lisa and Mary. "Why do I have to share the entire journey with you? You could just... walk or something" Urada complained. "Shut the fuck up. You think I signed up for this?" Niko answered. "You two, don''t complain. We must get going right away" Braum reprimanded. Braum then noticed the disappointed look on Lisa''s face as she was riding her Vaux Orgun. "Hey, Lisa, what''s wrong?" Braum asked in worry. "Ah...it''s nothing," Lisa said while glancing at Grant. "What are you looking at me for? You want me to babysit you again? It''s bad enough you chose to come with us in this journey" Grant said while frowning. "N-no! I can ride this myself! A-and it was my own choice to come with you guys." Lisa said with a red face and turned away in the opposite direction. ''Grant, you sure are dense with love matters considering your intelligence'' Braum thought. "Alright, I think we should go right now," Braum said and the whole group started their journey to Neversummer. Little did they know, this trip was not going to be as simple as retrieving former general Toziro and his group. Chaos was brewing quietly in the background. Chapter 24 - The Bodyguards The city of Neversummer, Capital of the Kingdom of Estalia, 1800 hours In an area where only the most affluent of nobles live, a particular large mansion the size of a small castle stand tall towards the twilight sky above. The sunset was directly behind the castle, giving it a mesmerizing purple glow. But there was something currently happening in the mansion. Thousands of distinguished guests were currently going inside the mansion on a red carpet¡ªdisembarking their various fancy carriages pulled by the highest breeds of Ogruns. They seem to be exclusively Estalian nobles although there seem to also be foreign nobles in the mix. In order to ensure the safety of the guests, the owner of the large mansion has increased the security surrounding the perimeter. In addition, many of the incoming nobles were also bringing in their best knights with them. Behind the huge mansion, there was a small forest owned by the nobles living inside that mansion. The forest seems to be used for morning walks or hunting¡ªas there exist some harmless herbivore creatures here. The night seems to draw a lot of wind around this area as the leaves move back and forth in unison with one another. In one of the trees, a group of four individuals was standing as if waiting for something. "Hey, Chandra, how are we looking?" A gruff voice belonging to a bearded man in his 50s with his hair tied up in a bun said to no one in particular. "Leader Toziro, all is clear, the location of the kidnapped girls are still in the basement of the mansion. But...because of the event, they have added several layers of securities...why are we doing this in the middle of the national celebration day again? All the nobles from Estalia are in this city for these two weeks...seem like we''re creating extra challenges for ourselves" A heavy voice can be heard from the earpiece that Toziro is wearing. "Hahaha well that''s exactly what we''re doing...but not really. Troy already told us about this. Right, Troy?" Toziro asked over the voice communication again. "Yes...I told you guys...THREE times...the national celebration day will bring extra securities sure, but with all of the guests here, they will be too preoccupied with guarding the distinguished guests instead of guarding the basement. I am certain that those extra securities near the basement consist of the weaker knights that were told by the Duke to not let any guests wander into the basement...they are not expecting people like us. Leader...I think you should just brief them one more time." Troy answered over their voice comm. sounding annoyed. "Well I''m too lazy to do that as well...okay, just the short version then. Duke Erlington...someone I already didn''t like, has been reported by the citizens to have kidnapped some city girls he found attractive to be his private sex toys in his dungeon. But these were just rumors and the Duke have silenced some people who spoke out, including some of the girls'' family members. Although these kinds of...atrocious acts are already very in character for a noble to do, Duke Erlington doesn''t want people to know the truth because he''s also trying to get his son, William Erlington, to be a marriage candidate of the crown princess...and you all know the current crown princess will refuse the marriage if she gets wind of this. So...since we''re in the business of embarrassing nobles anyway, let''s rescue those girls and reveal the Duke''s wrongdoings. But we definitely won''t be able to reveal our identities as mercenaries this time. We''re acting outside the law here so we have to wear these...tacky masks." Toziro briefed the mission. "Hey! I made those masks!" A woman''s voice in the voice comm. complained. "I have to agree with Leader, Qey, these masks you made could have been a bit more...dark." A male voice beside Toziro spoke. "That''s just you and your edgy taste, Bima! Your fucking nickname is Reaper. You can''t seem to get out of your teenage edgy phase!" Qey rebutted over the voice comm. " *whispers* why are you people squabbling with one another? Are you guys in position?" A deep voice of a man can be heard over the voice comm. "Haha...sorry Tobias. Have you gotten rid of the sentries on the roof? Putra would have been able to shoot them normally but the wind tonight is too strong" Toziro looked over his shoulder to see Putra, also known as Ace, looking very focused. "I''m working on it. You guys sit tight. I and Qey are inside the mansion." Tobias answered. "Alright. This is Toziro, Kamila, Bima, and Putra standing by for infiltration outside of the mansion. Please report once you''re done. Over and out." Toziro said over the voice comm. and turned it off for now.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. An awkward silence ensued. ''Great...I''m stuck with these fools. Kamila never talks, Putra is just too focused on the mission, and Bima...well he''s always a bit too eccentric...I guess I only have him.'' Toziro thought. "Hey, Bima, want to play cards while we wait?" Toziro asked. "Hehehe.....I''ll beat you this time, dear leader..." Bima replied with a very creepy voice. ''Great...'' Toziro said in his mind. Inside the mansion, the party was underway. The guests were so many that they had to use several ballrooms to accommodate everyone. The party was very fancy with accompanying music from renowned musicians and food from the finest chefs in the city. A lot of alcoholic drinks were served this evening and the nobles were already getting tipsy. Tobias and Qey have disguised themselves as nobles. They are playing as Viscount Rory and his wife, Angelica, nobles from a remote region. Their real faces were known throughout the city as famous mercenaries, but Qey had used her make up skills to turned the two of them unrecognizable, transforming them into another person. These two were drawing a lot of attention within the crowd. Qey''s voluptuous body made the wives of the nobles jealous and their husbands aroused¡ªto their wives displeasure. And Tobias, despite being in his late 40s, looks like a man in his 30s with charming looks and a muscular tall body. Their usual brownish skin was already turned white due to Qey''s make up skills. "Miss Angelica, may I inquire where you live?" A noble asked. "Miss Angelica! I''ll leave my wife for you, what do you say?" Another noble asked. "Hohoho...that sounds great and all but I already have my husband here." Qey grabbed Tobias''s shoulder and puts it in between her breasts, which caused a lot of jealousy from the male nobles. Tobias''s situation was no different. Many female nobles were also hitting him up. "Viscount Rory...are you still accepting concubines?" A female noble asked. "No! I''ll be his concubine!" Another female noble complained. "Now now, settle down ladies...I have to be somewhere else now..." Tobias smiled charmingly and started to whisper to Qey. "Alright. You go inquire information from the Duke and his son while I remove the sentries above." "Ok, darling" Qey kissed Tobias on the mouth and pushed him away. "Fuck!" A noble male barked. Tobias left the ballroom to find the stairs. He found two knights guarding the stairway. "I''m sorry dear guest but this area is off limits." A knight said. "The Duke is still upstairs, right? He''s expecting me." Tobias said with a hasty tone. "May I inquire your name, Sir? I''ll ask the Duke first." The knight asked. "Is this the treatment of the Duke''s knights? Refusing me!? Duke Marriot of Vanderholm Kingdom? I''ll have you reported when I meet him" Tobias changed his voice into an entitled noble. "I-I-Please no, Sir! We''ll take you to him!" The knight was scared of the intimidation used by a foreign kingdom''s duke. He was also scared because Duke Erlington was known for his treatment of his guests. If something were to ruin that reputation like right now, that person who did it would have done something worse to them than just a simple murder. "No need. I just need one of you to lead me the way." Tobias answered. "Then I''ll do it!" One of the knights volunteered to bring him upstairs. The mansion consisted of five floors in total. The Duke''s room was on the fourth floor but Tobias needed to get to the fifth floor to get to the roof. They were walking on the third floor, about to go upstairs, when Tobias suddenly asked the knight. "I think I need to use the toilet first. Lead me there first." Tobias ordered. "O-of course honored Duke!" The knight complied. There were a lot of knights guarding each floor. Tobias had to find an opportunity like this. The knight led him to a bathroom. "It''s here, Duke. Please enter" The knight opened the door. Tobias entered the bathroom. After a while, Tobias called out to the knight from inside the toilet. "Knight! Enter right away! There''s something here!" Tobias called out with an urgent tone. The knight took the bait and entered the toilet. "What is it!?....*falls unconscious*" The knight can barely react before Tobias puts his hand on the head of the knight. With his unique battle force, he could bring people to sleep for a long time and do other things as well. "I''ll be borrowing your armor," Tobias said. He started to wear the equipment of the knight. The armor hid the face of the person inside. Tobias left the toilet and found another knight nearby who saw the previous knight coming in. "What was wrong with him?" The knight asked. "*sigh* He saw a rat and got scared. I took care of it. He said he needs more time inside so he told me I could go back to my station." Tobias answered. "He''s scared of rats? What a coward. Alright, you should go back to your station." The knight said. Tobias went on his way towards the fifth floor and on to the roof of the building. When he arrived, he saw around 10 knights guarding the roof. "Who are you? what station do you belong in? Why are you here?" A knight who seemed to be the squad leader asked Tobias. "I have news from the Duke, everyone please gather here so I can announce the news," Tobias said with a loud voice. All ten knights started to gather near Tobias to hear the news. "What is it? Spit it out we can''t leave our guarding posts for too long" A knight said with a hurried tone. "The news is that....you guys will now fall asleep," Tobias said and waved his hand. "What!?....*falls unconscious*" A knight muttered before falling asleep. The rest of the knights were asleep as well. "Heh." Tobias snickered. Tobias went to the edge of the roof and looked towards the direction where Toziro, Kamila, Bima, and Putra were waiting in. "This is Tobias, codename Hitman. The roof is clear. You may approach the mansion and handle the guards below." Tobias said over the voice comm. "Finally!" A loud voice of Toziro can be heard from Tobias''s ear. Chapter 25 - Strike Team Toziro, Putra, Bima, and Kamila got to work. Putra, also known as Ace, was a famous archer in Estalia and a former sniper in the Yakanan royal forces. He was well-known for possessing an eagle eye that allowed him to see his arrow''s trajectory in order to shoot very, very accurately. Rendy, also known as the Nerd, was the technological technician of the squad. He used to be the one that monitor the squad''s mechs'' conditions and make adjustments. He was also the one to recreate some ofYakana''s technology from scratch such as the voice communication earpiece that they were wearing. But it took him years in order to recreate these technologies and as for weapons, he only managed to recreate some basic firearms that were outdated in comparison to what Yakana had. To compensate for the absence of sniper rifles for Putra, Rendy created different types of arrows that produce different effects for Rendy to shoot. "Alright Putra, I need you to use the sleeper arrows on those five knights that are the farthest from us, near the entrance of the mansion....uh make that six, a noble just came out of the mansion. The rest of us will take care of the knights in the courtyard. Let''s go Bima, Kamila...and let''s put on our masks" Toziro ordered Putra and took off with the others. Putra just nodded as a reply. He was a man of few words just like Kamila. Although Kamila was even more extreme as she hasn''t spoken a word for years now. Putra pulled out six arrows from the quiver in his back. The arrows had a blue gel layered on the tip of it, a poison that would bring the enemies to sleep. His bow had an intricate, somewhat futuristic design that was vastly different than the usual medieval bow. His bow was also shining a blue light as soon as he laid his hands on them due to the infusion of his battle force with the bow. Putra/Ace''s Bow:https://imgur.com/a/lHnglDP Putra calculated that the strong wind from before has subsided but there was still some wind left going towards the east¡ªthe mansion was in the north and he was in the south. Putra put all six arrows in the bow and aimed slightly towards the west and not any of the targets. Putra steadied his breathing and shot the arrows. (ZOOOOM) A small sonic boom was created due to the force produced by the arrows leaving the bow¡ªit was that strong. The arrows were traveling at an incredibly fast speed and were moving towards the eastern direction instead due to the influence of the wind. If one were to draw the lines of the arrows'' trajectory, then you would see that it formed a sideways arc. "I''m sorry honorable noble, but what are you doing here in the back of the mansion?" A knight asked the noble that came out of the mansion. " *sigh* The party is boring. I came all the way here from Amstergardto win over any potential marriage candidate but none of them are interested in me" The noble said dejectedly. "Well...sir...I actually know an item that is currently very popular with Neversummer''s noblewomen..." Another knight chimed in. "What is it!? I''ll pay you!" The noble was excited after hearing that. "Yes...I''ve heard that the nobles that brought this item to the noblewomen all had their love accepted" The knight continued. "Spit it out! I want to know!" The noble got even more pumped up. "Ah...it''s called the...huh? an arrow?" The knight noticed that the small hole between his helmet and his armor has been pierced by an arrow but it did not hurt at all. "What is this....*falls unconscious*" The knight fell. "Why are you asleep! Tell me that item!....*falls unconscious*" The noble also collapsed. In a matter of seconds, all six individuals near the mansion''s entrance fell asleep. Toziro noticed this from afar. "Heh...they don''t call him Ace for nothing. Alright, Kamila, Bima, let''s defeat the other knights in the courtyard. But remember not to kill any of them...especially you Bima" Toziro said to the strike team. "But why...? I haven''t killed someone in a while and my blades are frankly very thirsty now" Bima motioned his two daggers in his arms. The black daggers do seem as if it has killed a lot of people in its life. "No...these knights still have their own families to take care of. Although working with the Duke is already a sin in itself, they were not the ones to kidnap them so we''ll forgive them...for now" Toziro replied. "Tch. Alright, I''ll try to hold back. I won''t guarantee that they won''t get some of their bones broken, though" Bima said and smiled. "Well, in that case, I wouldn''t guarantee something like that as well for myself hahaha...Kamila, I want you to take on the western side and you Bima the eastern" Toziro ordered. Kamila and Bima nodded. "Alright. I see around 30 knights or so. Let''s put them to sleep before they notice the collapsed knights near the entrance. Let''s go." Toziro disappeared from his position right as he said that but so did the others. "Man...I know security is important and all but 99% of the time that we are told to guard the perimeter like this, nothing happens. This is the residence of Duke Erlington, someone that not even criminal organizations want to mess with." A knight complained to his friends. They were in a group of five currently guarding the eastern side of the back of the mansion. "Hey. Don''t complain. We are trained knights of the royal academy." Their leader scolded. "I know I know, sorry Captain. It''s just...I don''t know...maybe I should find another job...my wife has been complaining nonstop for a while" The knight continued. "I know what you mean...have you heard of the rumors? I can''t believe the Duke would kidnap our city girls like that...if his son truly managed to become the new crown prince by marrying the princess..." Another knight chimed in and trailed off at the end of his sentence. "Hey! I''ll have you executed if you insult the Duke one more time! Focus on your work right this instance!" The leader shouted. ""Y-yes Captain!"" The two knights apologized and continued their guarding duty.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "A..A....AAAAH What is this!?" A knight suddenly screamed. Everyone turned around to see the screaming knight. Horror clouded their face. They saw a hand going through the chest of the screaming knight. But the knight seemed to not feel any pain, just fear. "W-what is that!" A knight who saw the hand going through the chest said. Suddenly, a masked head peeked from behind the screaming knight. "Peek-a-boo!" Bima, also known as The Reaper, said in a funny voice. "Aaaahh!" A knight shouted in surprise. "I-Intruder! Apprehend him!" The leader said. Bima pulled out his hand from the screaming knight''s chest and punched the back of his neck, knocking him out cold. "You guys are quite lucky I can''t use my daggers...Come...fight." Bima said in a mocking voice. The battle started. The knights all came at him at once. But there was something strange. Their swords just go straight into the enemy''s body without hurting him. It seemed as if they didn''t even hit anything. "What! I-it''s a ghost! We can''t hit him!" A knight shouted. "C-continue to attack him!" The leader said. They did continue their attack but none of the attacks hurt the enemy. " *yawn* okay that''s enough," Bima muttered. Bima then went into his offensive mode. He used his unique ability to phase through objects like a ghost to attack the knights. When a sword hits him, it just phased right through his body. Even without his daggers, Bima still had a high proficiency in close quarter combat. Finally, he defeated the five of them. "That was quite boring. Man...I miss fighting werewolves...Now those bunch of madmen was strong as fuck." Bima muttered. "Hey! Who are you!" Another group of five knights shouted from nearby. "Heh...Alright, one more time." Bima smiled. Meanwhile, at the western side of the back of the mansion, Kamila was also fighting ten knights at the same time. But she didn''t even think of using any stealth as that was not her specialty. "S-shit! What magic is she using!" A knight shouted. "I-I-it''s a monster!" Another knight screamed. (Hissss) A giant white serpent hissed towards the knights. "Aaaaaah!!!!" A knight screamed as he was mauled down by a huge white dire wolf. Kamila approached the white wolf and started stroking its soft fur as if to calm it down so that it doesn''t kill the man. The wolf whimpered and hold back on hurting the knight any further. "R-r-run! We''re no match for those creatures! Get reinforcements!" A knight ordered. Three knights have already gone down but the other seven knights started running for their lives. Kamila pointed her index finger towards the fleeing knights and both of her creatures started to give chase. "Aaaah!!! Don''t!!!" A knight screamed as he was caught by the white wolf. "I-I-I can''t breathe!" Another knight was constricted by the coiling giant snake around his body and he went unconscious in a matter of seconds. After a while, all of the knights were defeated. They were just no match for these majestic white creatures. Kamila approached the two creatures and stroke them gently. Suddenly, the white wolf and the white snake started to disappear into a white aura and returned towards the body of Kamila. Her job was done. This was her ability to summon animals with her battle force which created her nickname of White Witch. Unlike normal summoners which are limited to the creatures they have tamed, Kamila could summon any animals she wanted, provided she has enough battle force to do so. Unlike Kamila and Bima, Toziro went straight through the middle of the courtyard, which had the strongest line of defense. That was because these ten knights in front of Toziro were not ordinary knights, but knights with magic powers and higher ranks. "Ooooh...will you look at that...I thought tonight was just going to be another boring guarding job but boys, we have ourselves a company" A mage knight said with mockery. "Hahaha...little thief thinks he could take all of us. Don''t he know who we are? The proud mage knights of the Erlington family" Another mage knight also muttered. "Hahahaha....that''s the point yes I''m going to defeat all of you at once. Now, I don''t have a lot of time so please all of you come at me" Toziro said with arrogance and motioned his hand to attack. "This little! Boys! Fucking kill him! Mutilate every part of his body!" A mage knight ordered. He pulled out his sword, chanted, and enveloped it with fire. The rest of the knights also did the same as they chanted spells to envelop their swords with different elements such as fire, water, ice, and wind. Toziro also puts his right hand onto the grip of his long sword that was resting on the sheath on his left hip. "Hahahaha! What kind of thin ass sword is that? We would break that sword in one attack!" A mage knight laughed as he saw the sword that Toziro was about to pull out. Toziro stayed silent as he was waiting for them to attack. "Tch. I''ll go first!" A mage knight with a flaming sword slashed towards Toziro. Right as the knight attacked, Toziro pulled out his sword with lightning fast speed and cuts off the hand of the knight that was holding the sword. Toziro''s First Attack:https://imgur.com/TioCP7M "Aaaaah! My hand!!!" The mage knight went into shock after seeing his hand cut off and fall unconscious. "You fucker! Get him!" Another mage knight shouted and they all come at him. What came next was just something out of a fairytale. A display of swordsmanship so fantastic that it could only belong to the sword god himself. (Slash slash slash slash slash) Toziro cut off each hand of the enemies that were holding their swords and then promptly knocking them unconscious. None of the attacks were lethal but they would need the city''s top healers in order to heal those wounds. The speed of Toziro''s attacks was just ridiculous. (Slash) "Aaaahh!!" Another knight screamed as he saw his hand cut off. "Go back to your mommy boys...I think you all won''t be working as knights anymore anyway...This is all the mercy I could muster for working for someone as atrocious as Duke Erlington." Toziro sheathed his sword and continued walking towards the entrance of the mansion. Toziro''s Walk:https://i.gifer.com/9yrh.gif "You people took too long," Toziro said. "Sorry, Leader" Bima apologized. All of the previous events actually occurred concurrently and Toziro was the first one to finish by a long margin. All three of them were currently in the entrance of the mansion. "Alright...Now we just need Qey to get the keys to the basement. Chandra has said that the basement was enveloped by a strange magic and that only the keys would open it. Bima...I need you to infiltrate the basement first with your ability and ensure the safety of the girls inside the basement. We still need the keys to get them out so we''ll wait for the news from Qey" Toziro ordered. "Roger." Bima complied and started to phase into the walls of the mansion, heading towards the basement below. "Qey...how are you holding up with the keys?" Toziro asked over the voice comm. "Don''t worry...I''m approaching the Duke now to....seduce him...tee-hee" Qey answered. "That fucking pervert" Bima muttered. "*sigh* Well, we''ll wait again for now," Toziro said and sat down on the ground. Character Illustrations Part 1 This is an updated version running in the game Black Desert Online (the previous game was Monster Hunter World). You can find more designs in Part 2 The Black Hoods: 1. Braum (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/v4uDlZM 2. Urada (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/6D7z7FY 3. Niko (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/PqJU208The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. 4. Kelvin (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/MQ5pSQN Searcher Guild: 1. Grant Holmes (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/gZf92oW 2. Lisa Redflower (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/J62qnDD The Order: 1. Rudy Hastelfield (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/YHhvlSJ The Bodyguards: 1. Toziro (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/01lodNz Chapter 26 - Art of Seduction The event at my mansion seems to be going extremely well. Guests from all over the country and even foreign nobles have come. With this, the reputation of my house will increase even further. I had hoped that the crown princess would have accepted the invitation to come here and meet my son William. But I know that the princess does not particularly like my son very much. Well, that''s a non-issue for now. I have been an extremely important asset for King Leo so far in my career. I am sure that he will give my son a chance to be the crown princess''s fiancee. After that happens, even if she complains, she won''t be able to do anything but accept her fate. "Duke Erlington. A guest from Amstergardwishes to meet you" I hear a voice calling out to me from behind as I sip this exquisite wine I received from a foreign noble. I turn around to see what the fuss was about. It was my butler calling out to me. "Who is it? Everyone is here to meet me tonight" I muttered in annoyance. What makes this person so special that he can request a sudden audience with me like that? My butler leans in towards me and starts to whisper. "D-Duke Erlington. You don''t understand. It''s a noblewoman. And she''s YOUR type" After hearing his words, I see the person standing behind him waiting. Oh, Goddess Regal... What I see is the most beautiful creature I have ever laid my eyes on. Compared to this angel, all of my wives and concubines are akin to dirts on a road, a speck of nothingness in the view of everything standing in front of me. Her sweet smile that could melt Mithril give rise towards the dragon sleeping inside my undergarment. The silky brown hair of caramel color seems as smooth as a baby''s bottom. That voluptuous, hourglass body and the twin mountains with a deep valley in between....sweet Regal...I must have her....TONIGHT. I get down on one knee, take her hand, and kiss it gently. "It seems my dragon has finally found a beautiful cave to rest in. May I ask your name, my fair maiden?" I said with my utmost charismatic voice which is very reminiscent of my golden years. "Hohoho...you''re quite naughty and straight to the point, Duke Erlington. This maiden''s fair name is Angelica. I hail from the land down under, Amstergard" Her voice is like the enchantingsound of the sirens in the sea, trying to lure sailors towards their death. Must I also be entrapped by her spider net? Yes, I am willing to even die if I can get a taste of her once.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Angelica...such a fitting name. Why did you want to meet me?" I asked as I remember that she was the one who set out on meeting me. "I want to talk with you...privately...preferably in your room" As she said that, her hand grabbed my groins and stroke it gently. I gulped. It seems that I will be getting some action with the most beautiful woman tonight. "O-o-of course. Come with me" I muttered excitedly. I motioned her to follow me upstairs towards the fourth floor, where my room is. After walking a short while, I and Angelica arrived in my room. "Knights. Guard the outside of my room. DO NOT let anyone bother us" I ordered. "As you wish, Duke Erlington" The knights replied in unison while smiling. They knew what was about to happen. I start to open my room and walk inside. Surprisingly, Angelica was the one to close the door behind us. It seems that her intention is clear. I hurriedly start to unbutton my fancy suit. "Let''s go big boy" She said in a seducing voice. I gulped again. She approach me and kiss me on the lips with such fire that the white substance within my dragon below have already been released prematurely. But then I start to feel strange. "W-what is this?" I suddenly feel very dizzy. The world around me was spinning. The last thing I remember was her bewitching smile. "Tee-hee. I did it." Qey said excitedly. Duke Erlington was still standing right in front of her with a blank look on his face. Her hypnosis battle force worked. Her power would only work if the person is in a highly suggestible state. In this case, she utilized his lust, her main trick in manipulating men. "You. Tell me where the keys to the basement where you kept the girls is" Qey lost her seducing tone and changed it into a commanding one. The Duke then walked towards his bed, looked under it, and pulled out a wooden box. He opened it and hand Qey the key. "Hehe....great. Now, this is very important so listen carefully. I want you to go downstairs, gather ALL of your guests, and confess your crimes of kidnapping the girls to everyone. I want you to include every little details. And oh, perhaps you should also reveal every dirty secrets you have as well. Understand?" The Duke nodded. "Good. Now go. Tell the knights on every floor to also go gather in the ballroom." Qey ordered and the hypnotized Duke got to work. Coincidentally, or perhaps it was already planned, the window of the Duke''s room was right above where Toziro and the strike team was waiting in. Qey jumped from the fourth floor towards the ground below. She landed gracefully and did not receive any injuries. "Ah, the fucking Black Cat" Bima muttered after noticing her arrival. "Don''t call me that! I don''t like that nickname people gave me!" Qey complained. "Heh." Bima snickered as a reply. "We don''t have much time. Do you have the keys, Qey?" Toziro asked. Qey pulled out the keys from her cleavage. "Here it is~," Qey said in a cheery voice. "Great. Let''s rescue the girls" Toziro ordered and everyone got ready to enter the mansion. Chapter 27 - Approaching Enemies The strike team, now joined by Qey, entered the mansion. The entire back side of the mansion was now deserted as its location is quite far from the ballrooms that the party is currently taking place in. "The guards...where are they?" Toziro asked. "I told Duke Erlington to gather his guards in the main ballroom!" Qey answered while patting her own chest as if feeling proud. "That was not part of the plan but good job for that improvisation" Toziro praised and nodded. "Well...actually that was also Troy''s plan but he only told me before I met the Duke..." Qey replied. "I see...a mastermind he truly is...but still, good job, Qey" Toziro said. Toziro and the group then walked a short distance towards a living room with desks for guests and a bookshelf in one of the walls. "It''s here. Qey, bring the keys." Toziro called out to Qey who was still carrying the keys. "Coming!" Qey pulled out the keys from her cleavage again and handed it over to Toziro. After receiving the keys, Toziro promptly wiped it clean with a cloth. ''Who knows what kind of germs were there in those valleys'' Toziro thought. Toziro gazed upon the keys. Two of them. It seemed that there were two keyholes that they need to enter the keys in. "Hmmm..." Toziro started searching for where to put the keys in. "Kamila...uh...use one of your force animals to find the keyholes...this would''ve been faster if we had the ARIM..." Toziro muttered. Kamila stayed silent but complied. She closed her eyes and concentrated. After a while, her battle force formed the dire wolf that she used to fight before. She handed the keys to the wolf for it to sniff and the creature started searching for the locations. After one minute, the wolf found the two keyholes. "The keyholes are in two statues...one in front of the bookshelf and one near the door. Alright, Qey, take one key here and let''s turn the keys at the same time" Toziro called out to Qey to start opening the secret basement. Both of them got into position. Toziro entered the key to the statue near the bookshelf while Qey was in front of the statue near the door. They turned the key at the same time. (RUMBLE) A small rumbling noise can be heard and the bookshelf started to move sideways, revealing a staircase into the basement. When the pathway was revealed, a smiling bald man with a tattoed face was waiting for them. "Hey it''s the leader, the mute, and the dumb bitch again," Bima muttered. "Hey, fuck you!" Qey got angry after hearing Bima''s insult and they started arguing again. Ignoring the two of them, Toziro started to walk below where he found the main chambers of the basement full of naked women. The smell was unbearable. A mix of excrements, urine, and bodily fluids permeated into the air. The sights were shocking but it was not the first time Toziro saw something like this, unfortunately. "Girls, are you okay?" Toziro asked with a gentle voice. "W-w-we are! Thank you for saving us!" One of the girls who seemed to have been soiled by Duke Erlington the least answered. Not everyone was as responsive as her. Many of the girls were traumatized and probably suffering from post-traumatic stress so they wouldn''t respond to anything Toziro asked of them. "Alright, let''s get the girls out of here. Qey, did you do what I asked you to?" Toziro asked. "Yes...although Troy disagreed with it, I ended up telling the Duke to reveal his crimes to all of his guests! Now the news will spread to all the lands! Hohohoho" Qey answered and gave an ''evil'' laugh.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Right...We can''t really kill him nor have him arrested. But this is the least we can do...Let''s not waste any more time. In order to not attract suspicion, I want you to go back to the party with Tobias and go back home yourselves, understand?" Toziro ordered Qey. "Got it!" Qey complied. In the dark of the night, Toziro, Kamila, Bima, Putra, Qey, and the kidnapped girls all left the city of Neversummer towards a secluded cottage in the middle of the forest. "This is our safe house. You''ll be safe here for a while. We can only return you guys after things calmed down..."Toziro said to the girls. "T-that''s alright. We are already grateful we could get out of that misery" One of the girls answered with a solemn face. Qey was feeling sorry for the girls and chimed in. "You will be receiving food, shelter, and also psychological assistance here. Don''t worry, we will get you guys back on your feet!" Qey said with a cheery voice. The total numbers of girls that were rescued were thirty. The Duke kidnapped them for their beauty but he didn''t violate them himself¡ªhis men and even his son joined in very often. The girls would need a lot of time to recover. Everyone entered the cottage but found that the cottage''s insides were simply too small to fit all of them. "This..." One of the girls muttered but did not want to voice out her complaints. "Haha...don''t worry. Watch this." Bima said and then started to release his battle force into the air. (RUMBLE) "Kyaaa!" One of the girls were surprised that the ground below them was suddenly moving. The entire room turned into an elevator heading underground. The elevator was slow moving and took one minute to get to their destination. When they arrived, the girls saw a marvelous sight. "Wow..." One of the girls muttered. The underground space was huge with multiple hallways and rooms. The elevator was located near the living room where bookshelves, desks, and seats were there. Toziro then told Qey to escort the girls to their designated rooms. Suddenly, a huge woman walked up to Toziro. She was very muscular and was carrying an equally big buster sword on her back. "Boss! You''re back!" The muscular woman called out. "Moka. How has it been? Anything new?" Toziro smiled after seeing her and asked. Moka, also known as The Wall, was the tank of the group. She specialized in a defensive offense where she takes the majority of the incoming damages and attracts the enemies'' attention to her in the event of a battle. Her strength was simply impressive but her overly large figure made her very slow, thus not suitable for the previous mission to rescue the girls. "Oh yeah there is something new alright...Chandra just fucking ate all of our food supply! That bloody pig!" Moka complained. From one of the hallways, an obese person with a smiling face walked out. It was Chandra, also known as The Eye. His ability allowed him to form an artificial eye created by his battle force everywhere he wanted. He specialized in reconnaissance and plays a very important part of any mission. People would think that his ability would cause some worries on the girl population here, but he was surprisingly not interested in the body of a female. "Sorry, Leader! You know how it is with my ability...the more I use it the more hungry I get..." Chandra said with an apologetic face. " *sigh*....Alright, but you have to walk to town yourselves to get the new food supply, got it?" Toziro scolded. "Aww, leader can''t it be another punishment? Anything but walking to town! That''s like 20 kilometers away!" Chandra complained. "Or would you rather I cut down on your ration for the rest of the year?" Toziro replied. "No! No! Okay, I''ll walk to town! See you!" Chandra was surprisingly fast as he ran towards the elevator to buy the food supply. "Hahahahaha...that bloody pig deserved it," Moka said as she laughed. Moka then noticed something wrong. Someone was missing. "Hmmm...where''s Tobias? Didn''t he come back with you guys? Qey is here" Moka asked. "He has another mission in town. Where''s Troy?" Toziro asked for the whereabouts of Troy, also known as The Mastermind, the lead strategist of the squad. Troy was missing both his right eye and right hand and he was wearing prosthetics. "I''m here" A voice called out from behind Toziro. "Wow! Holy shit I couldn''t detect you again. You''ve really gotten better huh." Toziro said while raising his voice in surprise. "Yes. Rendy wants to talk to you. It''s something very, very important" Troy said and he walked towards the hallway without saying anything else. "Huh." Toziro was confused but he followed Troy. They arrived in a room...or it''s more accurate to call it a laboratorium. Various trinkets and technological items were here from firearms to what seemed to be an outdated version of an exoskeleton. In front of a radar-like device, a man with disheveled hair and glasses was standing looking very focused. That person was Rendy, also known as The Nerd, the lead technician and the expert in all things technology. "Why did you call me, Rendy? it''s quite rare that you want to see me. Did you finish that device that would turn off the chips in our brains?" Toziro asked. "Almost. There''s something far more important than that." Rendy did not turn around to answer but instead was still focused on the radar interface in front of him. Toziro approached Rendy and his radar and started to analyze the data. "Hmm....four targets approaching Neversummer. Who are these people?" Toziro asked. "I...designed this radar to detect any Yakanan technology approaching our location. Those people....are Yakanans" Rendy answered with a nervous face. "WHAT!? After 10 years they decided to eliminate us huh... Rendy, finish that device. And Troy, come up with a plan" Toziro ordered. Rendy and Troy nodded and got to work. "Those fucking bastards..." Toziro muttered in silence. Character Illustrations Part 2 Alright, here''s a new batch of illustrations and updated illustrations from the previous part. I created these characters in an MMO calledBlack Desert Online as it got a very good character creation tool (I literally just bought it for the character creator). Ignore the armors and equipment they are wearing and just focus on the face as the equipment was from the game. Also, ALL of the previous illustrations have been changed so pleaselook at them again for the new versions (Braum and the group). I''m no artist but I did the best I could with the character creation tool. Here you go. The Black Hoods: 1. Braum (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/v4uDlZM 2. Urada (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/6D7z7FY 3. Niko (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/PqJU208 4. Kelvin (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/MQ5pSQN Searcher Guild: 1. Grant Holmes (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/gZf92oWYou might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. 2. Lisa Redflower (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/J62qnDD The Order: 1. Rudy Hastelfield (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/YHhvlSJ The Bodyguards: 1. Toziro (NEW VERSION):https://imgur.com/a/01lodNz 2. Qey/Black Cat:https://imgur.com/a/YsI9CCg 3. Bima/Reaper:https://imgur.com/a/VAh8QsB 4. Kamila/White Witch:https://imgur.com/a/YmRdZaF 5. Putra/Ace:https://imgur.com/a/T8Aysbe 6. Tobias/Hitman:https://imgur.com/a/EMZkhMf 7. Sumi/Angel:https://imgur.com/a/lNDfyQr 8. Troy/Mastermind:https://imgur.com/a/noMaeIU 9. Rendy/Nerd:https://imgur.com/a/21MH95U 10. Moka/The Wall: Unfinished 11. Chandra/The Eye: Unfinished Moka and Chandra are unfinished as I can''t really create an obese character like Chandra and a muscular woman like Moka in the game Chapter 28 - Campfire Somewhere outside Neversummer "We''ll arrive at high noon tomorrow...the sky is getting dark and all manners of beasts will probably come out¡ªespecially with the abnormal behavior of predators not hibernating this winter" Grant muttered in a voice loud enough to be heard by the entire convoy. "The children are getting tired as well. Alright. Let''s just set up camp for tonight."Braum ordered. It had been two days since the group departed Lancester. The journey had been quite uneventful with the exception of some occasional wild beasts or bandits stupid enough to attack them. The group has trekked through a considerable amount of distance with only six more hours of riding the Vaux Ogruns left until they arrive in Neversummer. But the darkening skies brought a sense of danger if they kept on moving. Perhaps if the four Yakanan were just by themselves they would not think of stopping to rest like this. But the presence of children and two untrained civilians with them meant that they needed to take extra care in protecting them. This was evidently also the reason why Kelvin was not fond of the idea of taking these people with them. The mood in the campfire was quite cheerful with the addition of the orphans. These children just escaped the depths of hell and they were extremely lucky if one saw the fates of some of their other friends. As usual, Niko disappeared from the campfire and Kelvin minded his own business. Surprisingly, Urada was quite good with the children and she kept them entertained by telling them stories of Yakana. This was further encouraged by Braum as he thought that letting them know what Yakana was like might help them better adapt to the new environments later when they arrive. "No way! The world is...round?" Larry, one of the twins spoke with excitement. Urada just told the kids basic scientific knowledge of Yakana. "It''s more accurate to call it a spheroid...but you guys will learn about it more in Yakana, alright?" Urada said with a smile more beautiful than usual. It seemed that will all the agonies and atrocities that they have witnessed throughout the journey, the innocence of children will calm even the most hardened veterans. "That is so cool! I want to be one of those mech pilots you talked about as well! Controlling a gigantic metal beast...That''s awesome!" Even Deckard, the tall boy who Kevin dubbed ''doesn''t know manners'' was excited in hearing all the unbelievable details of Yakana. "Me too! Can you tell us more?" Mary, the other half of the twins muttered. Urada continued her story. But the last of the orphans, Rachael, stayed quiet listening. The trauma she received may have been more severe than what was initially thought. But children being as immature as they are¡ªthey are quite insensitive to this fact. "Hey, are you mute? Sister Urada here is telling us stories of a secret kingdom! Aren''t you interested in this at all?" Deckard was quite annoyed that Rachael was unresponsive throughout the whole ordeal. A figure then approached their location, it was Braum. "Now now, give Rachael some space. I think she''ll open up to us when she''s ready" Braum spoke with a tinge of wisdom and dignity in his voice. He was used to be the youngest of the bunch. But with the presence of the children, he felt that this was also his time to show his more mature and protective side. "Urada, continue your story" Braum said. Urada nodded and proceeded to tell even more stories about Yakana. But the children weren''t the only one immersed in that new knowledge. Grant and Lisa were also nearby secretly listening in their conversation. Throughout the various stories, their faces exuded an interval of shock and surprise as the things that Urada was telling them about this secret kingdom would have stirred the entire world if anyone found out. Earlier in the journey, the ARIM device that was in the hands of Grant was taken away by Kelvin after Kelvin had another argument with Braum about letting Grant keep such an important device. After quite a long argument, they agreed on a compromise that Grant would only be allowed to wield the device if they needed his detective ability and skill. Grant quite missed the feeling of having the ARIM. Different than normal people, Grant used the ARIM almost continuously as he looked at every detail of the environment to see their hidden properties. He wasenthralled by how such a technological marvel the ARIM was. After hearing Urada''s story, he was even tempted to come with Braum to Yakana to see such utopia himself. But the utopia he was picturing was destroyed when he leaned of the upcoming civil war.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "So even you guys are at war right now? I thought you guys were leagues ahead of any other nation!" Deckard said with surprise. Urada just told them of the impending civil war. Something that the children should know even if it would worry them. Urada stayed silent, she did not know how to answer. "We are still humans no matter how advance we are. Unlike the elves who are content with their current conservative lifestyle or the dwarves who maintained their peace as long as they have access to the things they want¡ªhumans are greedy and despicable creatures that will find any reason to wage wars and conflicts. Whether it be the color your skin, the god that you believe in, or in this case, a difference in ideology. The militarists want the same thing as us¡ªthe eradication of the Kaiju and the survival of Yakana. But they also want a dictatorship and the invasion of other kingdoms...we can''t let them win" Braum answered. His face frowned as he pondered the meaning of this war. He knew that this war was just a hindrance standing in his ways. Blocking him from the more global threat¡ªthe evil god he saw in those visions. The children were struck speechless. They were still too immature to understand everything that Braum just said. Even Urada and the two Estalian who were listening in could not find any words to reply back to Braum. ''I said too much'' Braum thought. His entire mindset has changed after he saw those visions. If before he was just a blank slate of a prince who abruptly agreed to take on the responsibility to be the new king because he was bored of his life in the forest, now he is a king burdened by his mountainous responsibility to protect his citizens and in longer terms¡ªprotect the entire world. Braum did not know what else to say in the cricket silence. He left the children and the others there to find another member of his group to talk to. Near the camp, he saw Kelvin opening his tablet device looking at something. "Kelvin, what are you doing here? Where''s Niko?" Braum asked. He couldn''t find Niko anywhere after he searched. "Niko is scouting the area to make sure that the event of someone spying on us like before NEVER happens again. That was a grave mistake we made. We are the proud Yakanan special forces. The Ghosts of Yakana people call us. Something like that was an amateur mistake. Especially in this backwater region. As for what I''m doing...I''m reporting to my superior." Kelvin replied. "Reporting?" Braum asked again. "Yes. Throughout the journey, I have been in contact with my commander of the special forces and also the fifth general of the Royal Forces¡ªGeneral Kraus Kaseli...Niko''s father." Kelvin replied. "His father...Niko told me he didn''t have a good relationship with the general due to his brother, Petriks, is that true?" Braum remembered the time when Niko told him of his past of why he joined the special forces. "Yes. His older brother, Petriks, is an ace pilot in the royal forces. He''s a Nova, someone who unlocked the potential of the Battle Force to step into the next stage." Kelvin replied. "The next stage? so using the battle force aura isn''t the end of it?" Braum asked. "No. People who became Nova will possess highly unique abilities. For example, your late brother, Prince Horus, was able to wield blue flames so hot that he was able to melt metals instantly. And Toziro''s ability was even more impressive than that. But a Nova is becoming rare these days. Even I haven''t unlocked it yet. That''s why we need Toziro and his group back to Yakana...all of them are Nova...they should be able to train other people to become Nova as well. We are having a severe shortage of Nova whereas the Militarists have quite a few of them" Kelvin explained. "I see...and what is the current state of Yakana? Did your superior tell you?" Braum asked yet another question. "I''m sorry, even if you are the crown prince I am not authorized to tell you the details. But I can say that Yakana is still recovering after the deaths of the royal family. Many citizens are left in the dark and are very worried about the future since there hasn''t been any announcement regarding the successor of the throne. But General Kraus is acting as a temporary leader of our kingdom and he is calming down the masses. As for the militarist...there has not been any confrontation for a while. They seemed to be busy developing their mech factories for now. This should buy us some time to train the citizens after we retrieved Toziro and his squad" Kelvin explained again. "Tch. Alright. Let me know if you hear anything else. I''ll be sure to change those ''authorizations'' after I become the king" Braum left towards the campfire again. "General, were you listening?" Kelvin said to his tablet. A pop-up screen showing a shadowy figure showed up. "Yes...you were right. His mannerisms have changed. I think he''ll be ready for the throne soon. And Lieutenant...remember the remote I gave you before the mission. If Toziro and his squad don''t comply with our request of coming back to Yakanaor if they hurt our crown prince....detonate the chips in their heads." The shadowy figure in the tablet ordered Kelvin. "Affirmative." Kelvin nodded. Chapter 29 - Seaside Beauty The dawn of the new light passed and the convoy trekked through the snowy forests and on to the open fields of dead grasses. At the time of high noon, the group was finally greeted with the sight of the capital city from afar. Neversummer was unlike any city they have seen so far in Estalia. One of the key difference was the fact that Neversummer is a seaside city. Grant told them that a lot of the commerce conducted in the city had something to do with the sea¡ªfishing, selling salt, and most importantly tourism. This region was especially beautiful with tourists coming from neighbor kingdoms or domestically. And being a country with an ocean territory, Neversummer''s naval force was alsostationed here. City of Neversummer:https://imgur.com/a/VvBgTG0 "I must say...Yakana is way more advanced but there is just something mesmerizing in seeing a city like this" Braum muttered. "I agree...it''s also my first time seeing something like this" Urada also echoed Braum''s amazement. "Don''t get distracted. This is not a vacation. Remember that we should go back to using our codenames from here. Did you guys remember the briefing from before?" Kelvin asked the group. Earlier, Kelvin had briefed the entire group of the details about The Bodyguards¡ªToziro and his squad of ten. He went into details about each of their names and known abilities. He also told them of their appearance¡ªalbeit from ten years ago. Kelvin especially warned them that their appearance might have had a drastic change so they must keep their guard up. But something truly did help them; the secret documents that Lily, the receptionist of the mercenary guild in Lancester, gave to Braum led them to know of their nicknames and profile. "Rob, what of their current location?" Braum asked Kelvin. The latter rummaged through his bag to look for his tablet device. "Previously they were all inside the city. Let me see.....huh?" Kelvin trailed off as his eyes went as wide as a drug addict. "What''s wrong?" Niko asked. "T-their location...I can''t see it anymore" Kelvin muttered with shock. "What!? Do they know we''re coming?" Niko said again with surprise visible in his face. ''Should I? This is getting dangerous'' Kelvin thought. His right hand was inside his pocket and his thumb was sitting above the remote button that would detonate the chips inside the heads of The Bodyguards. But Braum''s words cut off his thoughts. "Perhaps...Don''t forget we''re dealing with elites here. Do you remember Rendy from the briefing? the tech genius? It''s not out of the question that he must have something to do with this...let''s enter the city first and find their whereabouts. They are still famous mercenaries so someone must know them." Braum said calmly. "Your Majesty...if this gets dangerous..." Kelvin was worried. Braum was his top priority, not those exiled soldiers. "Then we''ll fall back. Relax, I know my significance in the upcoming war. But I will also risk some things in order to bring them back." Braum answered. The line to enter the city was even longer than Lancester. The group had to wait two hours until it was their turn. But the reception of the guards also surprised them. Although unlike last time, they have credentials with their mercenary guild card, the guards showed a high level of professionalism and politeness missing from those knights back in Lancester. The group went through the security check without any problems. "Yeah...that''s an issue. A decentralized government like this means that there are inequalities in different things across different regions depending on who the ruler is...let''s just say I''m not particularly fond of the current Duke of Lancester as well" Grant said after seeing the group''s surprise. "So the ruler of Neversummer...the King is a good ruler?" Braum asked. "You can say that...He''s a wise king sure but he was also born in a peaceful time so he''s lucky. The previous king was more of a warmonger but that was decades ago." Grant answered. "So why don''t you live here? It seems like this region is more prosperous" Braum was curious why Grant stayed in a backwater region like Lancester. "Sure it''s prosperous...but the people here are also more arrogant and too complacent. Because they live better lives, they make fun of people from other regions like me...calling me country bumpkins and shit. Fuck them. I rather stay somewhere I feel I belong in. " Grant replied. And it was true that Neversummer was more prosperous and rich. From the moment they entered the city, they saw that the citizens were all wearing finely-crafted tunics and softer furs to keep them warm. Everyone''s faces seemed to be happy and there were no beggars or poor people in sight. The streets also seemed more organized with the absence of trash or human filth filling the sidewalks or random hawkers trying to sell them goods of shady origins. ''The government here must be doing a good job from my first impression'' Braum thought. From nearby in one of the street stalls, he overheard a conversation between a lady with the seller. "Did you hear the news ma''am? the rumors were confirmed! Duke Erlingtontruly kidnapped those missing girls" The street seller said.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "I did! It''s no surprise really, Duke Erlington is a known womanizer but kidnapping the citizens was truly too much even for him...It''s even weirder that he announced it himself at his grand party! The Duke must have felt guilty" The Lady replied. "It''s truly odd what happened but it''s great that the girls are back with their families now. King Leo was also kind enough to give them personal guards to protect them for a while until things die down! I say his coronation was the best thing to happen to Neversummer. But even the King has a hard time punishing nobles...the most he can do was temporarily removing Duke Erlington from the government" The seller said back. ''So the current King is also beloved by the people...interesting. But the nobles are still a problem huh...typical'' Braum thought. He started to approach those two having the conversation. "Excuse me, we''re foreigners, do you know where the mercenary guild is?...and an inn as well." Braum asked the the seller and the lady. "Of course! An inn I recommend for tourists is the one near the port called ''Lady Sea''. You''ll get a beautiful view of the sea and there are also discounts for mercenaries and tourists! As for the mercenary guild, you go straight from here for around five hundred meters and turn right, it''s the one near the fountain." the seller replied. "Thank you. We must get going now" Braum said and left right away with the group to head for the inn first. "Say...those people had brown skins...are they from the same place as The Bodyguards? What a noble group they are... nobler than actual nobles definitely..." The Lady said to the seller. "Who knows...I''m just happy for any tourists that come here since they are the backbone of Neversummer''s economy so I was happy for their presence" The seller gave a big smile. The group arrived at the inn that was recommended by the seller of the street stall from before. Except, it was more accurate to call it a resort since they got their own little house to stay in, with a breathtaking view of the ocean and the busy port. Even with the discounts, the fees were expensive but they had the money and more importantly, no one in their right minds would refuse the opportunity to stay in such a beautiful resort. The resort also had a special barn to keep any animals that the guests brought. The group left their Vaux Ogruns there. "Wow!!!! It''s a luxury resort! Thank you, Prince!" Larry, one of the twins spoke with excitement after he entered the house. "It''s so that you kids can stay here comfortably while we work. But Larry, don''t call me Prince here alright? Just call me Zed. This goes to the rest of you as well, got it?" Braum said. "Got it!" The children spoke at the same time. Except for Rachael, who was quiet and had a deadpan expression until now. "Okay, so here are the rules...you kids can play around this house and the resort but you must NOT go outside to the city, got it? We won''t play with you guys for a while since we have to work" Braum said with a serious face. "Okay!!!" The children complied. Grant and the others then gathered outside of the resort, near the street, to plan what to do next. "It''s a bit of a shame that we came here in winter...it''s still beautiful but if you came here during summer time...you wouldn''t want to leave," Lisa said. "We didn''t come here for a vacation you imbecile" Grant hit Lisa''s head with force. "Ow! I''m sorry! I just remembered the last time I came here it was so beautiful and the temperature was just so right. There''s a beach near the city that was just extremely beautiful..." Lisa noticed Grant''s angry face as she was speaking, "Okay okay I won''t speak again" Lisa puffed up in anger and turned the other way. "What are you going to do, Grant?" Braum asked. "Right. I think I''ll check up with Neversummer''s branch of the searcher''s guild to find more information¡ªboth about The Bodyguards and also about the current state of the city. That should help us have a smooth investigation. I think you guys should go to the mercenary guild to find further information about them as well" Grant spoke. "Alright. We''ll do that. Be safe you two" Braum said goodbye to Grant and Lisa as they left towards the searcher guild. "It''s too bad that we can''t just detect them anymore. Let''s go towards the mercenary guild..." a sudden scream interrupted Braum. "Kyaaaa! That man stole my medicine! Please! My parents need them!" The voice of a beautiful Estalian girl with blonde hair entered the ears of the group. They saw her pointing towards a hooded man running away. "Niko! Give chase!" Braum ordered. Niko nodded and went after the thief. Braum and the group approached the girl. Braum''s breath was taken away. This girl was extremely attractive with an innocent, angel-like face. There was something about her looks that made people want to protect her. "Are you okay?" Braum asked the girl. "Please help my parents! They need medical attention right now!" The girl screamed. "Don''t worry... I sent one of my men after the thief" Braum said. "We don''t have time! They''re on their last breaths! Please!" The girl pleaded. She then grabbed Braum''s leg. "...Kaz should be able to find us later. Urada, do we have medicine?" Braum asked. "Of course. I''ll have to see the parents to see what to treat them with though" Urada replied. She was also acting as the medic in the group. Although so far, there hasn''t been any moments where the group had any injuries. "I guess it would be better than the medicine of this undeveloped lands...Girl, show us the way to your house" Braum said. "Thank you! Thank you! Please come with me!" The girl thanked them and ran as fast she could. She seemed truly frightened for the safety of her parents. She ran surprisingly fast but Braum and the group managed to follow her. "Something seems fishy..."Kelvin muttered while running. "Cut off your perpetual skepticism with everything, Rob. Someone''s life is in danger here." Braum also replied with annoyance. After running for around five minutes and through narrow alleyways, they arrived in the girl''s house. It was a shabby wooden house inside the alleyway in one of the rare areas where poor people live in Neversummer. "They''re inside! Hurry!" The girl opened the door and the group entered. But what they saw surprised them. What they saw was...nothing. There were no beds and no one inside the house. The door behind them closed. "Alert! Draw your wea-....*falls unconscious*" Kelvin screamed before falling down. (Whoosh) Before a second even passed, Urada was also brought unconscious. Braum saw the bodies of his squad, it was arrows that struck them. He finally saw a brown-skinned male figure with a short height wielding an arrow with blue lights surrounding the bow. "You! What did you do to my friends!" Braum said in anger. Suddenly, he saw a hand going through his chest. "What the fuck is this!" Braum panicked. The sight of a human hand going through your chest was truly frightening. The hand raised up towards Braum''s neck and started to strangle him. "Ugh..ugh...ugh...."Braum was having a hard time breathing with the hand in his neck. He started to go unconscious. His final sight was of the girl from before. She removed her previous blonde hair, revealing a violet-black one underneath. She then smiled like an angel. Chapter 30 - Torture After what seemed to be only a few seconds, Braum''s consciousness started to turn on again. His mind was still very hazy and his vision blurred. With his heavy eyes, he looked down to see his legs tied to a chair and his hands also tied together behind him. It took another minute for his eyes to finally adjust to the surroundings. He noticed that he was in his dark uniform underneath his usual hooded exoskeleton armor. What greeted him was a dark, cold, and damp room with only one light source¡ªa lightbulb. ''a lightbulb?'' Braum said in his mind. He realized that it was odd to see something like a lightbulb that exhibits no magical power in this lands. This implied that the source of power must be from something like electricity which simply hasn''t been invented yet in this kingdom. Suddenly, the hand he saw going through his chest before he went unconscious was there again in the same spot as before. Braum started to scream in fright. He did not know the source of the hand. The hand then pulled out of his chest and the tattoed face of a man appeared in front of him. "Surprise motherfucker," The man said with a humorous face. Braum''s heart jumped in surprise. "Calm down now, Yakanan dog. We know who you people are. We just want to know information regarding your superior...why did they send you here?" The man said. Braum was speechless. He was still in a state of mental shock so he couldn''t answer. "Are the black ops really this weak these days? Damn how the quality of soldiers has fallen. Alright, little baby, I''ll introduce myself, okay, My name is Bima...what''s yours?" Bima, the Reaper of The Bodyguards asked. "Braum..." "What rank are you? Why did they send you here?" Bima asked. "Before that...where are the rest of my friends?" Braum asked back. He was worried for the safety of his squadmates who have accompanied him in this journey. "They''re fine...don''t worry. Focus on me. Who sent you here? Was it that bitch Queen Lazuli?" Bima asked. "I''m...the Queen is dead," Braum muttered. "What?" Bima was surprised to hear that. "She''s dead, and so are the rest of the royal family" Braum answered. "Hahahahahaa those fools are finally dead? Serves them right. Did the Kaiju finally get to them? What grade was it?" Bima was not perturbed at all hearing the news. "It wasn''t the Kaiju...it was the Militarist faction. Listen, I am your crown prince Braum Gundala, the 9th prince of Yakana. I am formally inviting you and your team to come back to help us with the upcoming civil war" Braum said with confidence. Bima stayed silence with an expressionless face. But his eyes seemed to say he was also deeply pondering about it as well. Suddenly, Bima pushed the chair that was holding Braum downward until Braum was laying down with his legs in the air. At a quick pace, Bima put a cloth on top of Braum''s face and started to pour water on Braum''s face. " *gurgle* gurgle*" Braum felt like he was drowning. The water in his face felt endless and he was losing his breath. "You see, back in my days, this technique was called waterboarding. This technique was developed by the first king himself to torture his enemies. But with a peaceful era that we experienced, this technique started to be banned for torture used by the military for its unnecessary cruelty. Are you feeling it? the feeling of drowning?" Bima asked with a mocking voice. Braum couldn''t answer or even hear half of the words that Bima was speaking. Braum''s mind started to be clouded in anger. Anger for being too weak to protect himself and his friends right now. And anger for this cruel man that used inhumane methods to torture him. ''This motherfucker...I''ll kill him'' Braum thought.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Stop lying. A prince? That lie about the royal family dying was bad enough. The royal family consists of the queen and her eight children you fucking idiot. They didn''t brief you on that? I have seen all of them myself as well. Now, spill the truth!" Bima pulled the chair upward into its normal sitting position. "Hey, start talking!" Bima noticed Braum''s face. It was terrifying even for him. Braum''s face was just pure, unadulterated rage. He looked like he could kill a small baby just to appease his anger. "W-why the fuck are you making that face?" Bima was starting to get nervous. It was odd. He was in control. This weak man was tied up in a chair but he was feeling frightened. Suddenly, a golden aura leaked from Braum''s body and his rope started to get undone. Braum stood up. "T-the royal battle force? Shit!" Bima pulled out his two daggers from his back. Braum was unarmed and without his armors. But it was no problem for him. Braum started to form a golden sword of light in his right hand. Its shape was rough and uneven but exuded incredible power. Braum slashed the sword towards Bima. "Heh! No use!" Bima thought that because of his phasing ability, the sword would just go straight into him without physically harming him. Bima did not intend to dodge as to show Braum that it was no use attacking him and that it was better to just give up. Braum''s swing was clumsy due to his tired state and the sword seemed heavy in his grasp. Finally, the sword made its way towards the right arm of Bima¡ªmissing any vital parts of the body. And the sword of light did go straight through Bima like he predicted himself. But there was something wrong. "It''s my turn" Bima tried to raise his two daggers to attack. An emphasis on ''tried'' because his right arm didn''t move. "What!?" Bima couldn''t feel his right hand. He saw that his right arm was perfectly fine with no injuries or cuts. He just couldn''t move them when he tried. "What the fuck did you do!?" Bima held his right arm in an attempt to move it but it just limped down towards the floor. He could not move and feel his right hand. (BANG) The door of the damp room opened. It was Toziro and a few others behind him. "What happened? I heard you scream-" Toziro said in an alert tone. He finally saw Braum with his golden aura and sword of light and Bima holding his right hand. "H-he made me lose function of my right arm! I can''t move my right hand! Help! Bring Sumi!" In fact, Sumi was also behind Toziro and she ran to Bima to heal him. Sumi, also known as Angel, had the ability of healing as her Nova and she could heal literally everything in an instance with the exception of reviving the dead¡ªprovided that she has enough Batle Force. "I-it''s healing but very slowly! It''ll take a long while before he recovers!" Sumi said while clutching Bima''s hand. Bima slumped down to the floor. "That aura...you''re a royalty. Stop this. Let''s talk it out. I''m sorry for my subordinate''s behavior. He''s not exactly he most stable member of the group" Toziro muttered seriously towards Braum. But Braum''s eyes were still full of rage and he didn''t answer. "He''s not listening. I''ll have to take him down. Sumi, Bring Bima out of here and the rest of you¡ªsecure the rest of the Yakanans" Toziro ordered and everyone left the room. Now, it was just Braum and Toziro face-to-face. "So you''re the highly classified ninth prince. I didn''t expect it was you. My mistake. I know about you...as a General, I was briefed on this several times but we didn''t think there would ever be a time where we would have to call you to Yakana. Judging by your presence here, something must have happened back in Yakana. I am willing to listen. This is a final warning if you don''t want to receive the greatest headache of your life. Surrender peacefully." Toziro''s stance was still relaxed and he didn''t even grab the sword in his sheath. Braum didn''t listen again. He ran towards Toziro in an incredibly fast speed with the intention of slashing his golden sword of light towards Toziro. "You are at least ten years too early to be thinking of taking me on, kiddo" Toziro activated his Battle Force. It was dark blue in color. At an ever faster speed than the blink of an eye, Toziro suddenly appeared in front of Braum and touched his shoulder. After doing that, Toziro blinked back towards his previous position. Braum didn''t even have time to react at all. "What did you do?" Braum stopped on his tracks and muttered. "So you CAN speak after all. Too late. Prepare to puke for at least a day after this." Toziro waved his hand to the side and Braum fell towards the wall. "W-what!?" Braum''s sense of direction shifted. Now, the wall was his downward direction. His body slammed towards the wall but after standing up he realized that he was basically standing on the wall. The previous floor was now his wall. "Interesting isn''t it? My Nova allows me to change the direction of gravity for any objects. Remember how I said you should prepare for a headache? This is why" Toziro then waved his hand in a circular motion. Braum was suddenly falling in different directions. He fell towards the wall, to the floor again, to the ceiling, back to the floor, to the ceiling, to the wall, this continuously repeated. "I''ll let you stay like this for....let''s say three hours while I talk to the rest of your friends. Enjoy the ride hahahahaha." Tozirolaughed and left the room. Braum was now stuck in a perpetual falling down in different directions. Chapter 31 - Doubts and Conviction Toziro walked towards the separate rooms holding Braum''s squadmates and told his own squad to gather them all in one room. Now, Kelvin, Urada, and Niko were all located in the same room¡ªstill tied up. Toziro entered the room with Troy, Moka, Putra, and Qey. Sumi was now treating Bima''s paralyzed right arm in another room. Kelvin, Urada, and Niko had woke up earlier and were staring daggers at The Bodyguards. "Relax...I know who you people are. I have met your last member and figured out his identity." Toziro said. "Where is he? We''re not going to talk" Kelvin replied. "Has it been three hours yet?" Toziro checked his watch. "Okay, Qey, pick him up and bring him here" Qey left the room and after a while, carried Braum in her shoulder to the new room. Braum was looking very sick and looked as if he could throw up any second. "Boss...did you let him went on the carnival ride?" Moka, also known as The Wall, a tall muscular woman, said with a frown. "I remembered that punishment back in the training days..." Troy, the one-eyed, one-handed man also echoed Moka''s fright. "Hahaha. I''ll temporarily remove the effects so we can speak. But he''s going to experience the full force after this" Tozio touched Braum''s shoulder and the latter''s face started to clear up. "YOU!" Braum stood up and released his golden battle force. "Stop. We want to talk. SIT down." Toziro pointed at a chair. Braum hesitated but he realized he was not a match for any of these people for now so he complied and sat down. "Golden..." Qey muttered. "That''s right. This here is the ninth prince of Yakana" Toziro said to the surprise of everyone in the room. "What!?" Troy said in surprise. "But there were only eight? If a new prince were to be born after we left he would still only be a kid" Moka muttered. "Your Majesty, are you okay?" Kelvin said while still tied up. "I''m fine. Release my friends as well then I will talk" Braum demanded. "Fine. Release their restrictions but keep an eye out for them." Toziro ordered and the ropes were undone. Suddenly, Kelvin went to his pockets and raised a remote. "Nobody move! Or I''ll detonate the chips in your brains! Your Majesty!" Kelvin screamed a threat to everyone. "W-what!?" Qey muttered in surprise. "Filthy Yakanan dogs..." Moka also said. "Lieutenant! Stand down! We''re here to bring them back! You are embarrassing me as a king! and why do you have that device!?" Braum ordered with an angry face. There were a lot of things pissing him off today. ''King?'' Toziro caught a word that interested him. "B-but Prince..." Kelvin''s fingers were still on the button. "Give it here. Throw it!" Braum barked. Kelvin finally complied and threw it at Braum''s direction. Braum caught it and what he did was shocking to everyone in the room; he destroyed the remote. "There. It''s destroyed. I hope you can listen to us now. I apologize on behalf of myself and my subordinate''s behavior" Braum bowed. "Hooo...interesting. You seem to have grown. I saw you as a baby before they brought you into the forest you know" Toziro said. "What? You know who I am?" Braum asked. "He''s the real ninth prince?" Qey muttered. "That he is. It''s a highly classified contingency plan to have the last child exiled to ensure the survival of Yakanan royalty in the event of a total disaster. The number of people who knew this back then can be counted by my hands. Frankly, I was disgusted at the prospect of exiling a kid to the middle of nowhere like that just so that they can use the kid as a pawn later. So I''m asking you...What was your name?" Toziro asked. "Braum" "Braum. Why are you here? Why did you accept their request? Did they brainwash you? Did they show you things so that you were led to believe Yakana is a peaceful utopia with citizens you want to protect? Do you know how corrupt it is?" Toziro said.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "I-I...." Braum didn''t know how to answer. Toziro was right. Yakana essentially used him as an asset. A plan. A pawn to be used only in this situation. "You agree right? If the royal family were still alive, did you think they would treat you this way? No. They would let you age and die alone in the middle of nowhere." Toziro said with a frown. Braum stayed silent while looking at the floor. "Prince! Don''t listen to him! He''s speaking nonsense! I don''t know what the rest of my stupid superiors did. But we do care about you! After we went on this journey...we all care about you!" Niko said a shocking statement for Braum. But Toziro continued. "Of course, the little guys like your squadmates wouldn''t understand. I''m talking specifically about the people in charge. They don''t care about you, Braum. It''s not too late. We''ll take you in. We have a big house here and we can support the citizens here as well. After all, we''re called The Bodyguards¡ªprotector of the peasants. Together, we will make the lives of everyone better" Toziro said with conviction. Braum was thinking at a rapid pace in his head. He agreed with Toziro. In the end, he was currently being used as a pawn. Maybe he should just leave it behind for an adventurous life here in the continent. He was too naive. He accepted the offer to be the new king without thinking about it thoroughly. He just wanted something new¡ªan exciting new prospects in his life. But was it worth it in the end if he were just a puppet king? Suddenly, the gentle voice of a woman was heard inside Braum''s head. "Remember...." ''Elmyra?'' He recognized that voice to be the elf he met in his dreams. Elmyra. He started to remember the visions and prophecy he saw. The looming danger that would destroy everything that he had ever known. His mind started to become resolved. "I-I can''t" Braum muttered. "What?" Toziro said in surprise. "I can''t! This isn''t about me! This is greater than me! There''s a looming danger ahead that would threaten not only Yakana, but the entire continent as well. Your lives here would be destroyed as well in the process! I must be a King! I must bring us to victory! Any obstacle in my way I''ll crush" Braum said with resolve. "A...threat? What is it, boy?" Toziro asked. The rest of The Bodyguards were also listening in looking intrigued. "There''s an evil entity....no, it''s not evil....there''s an all-powerful entity set to destroy our lands. I believe that the numerous Kaiju that have arrived in our history were part of its army. T-there''s a group of human worshippers of that entity here in the continent that is set to help bring the entity into our world...they''re called The Order of Apocalypse" Braum explained. "The order? We know about them!" Putra, for the first time spoke. "You know about them?" Kelvin asked. "Yes...we stayed here for 10 years so we have discovered a lot of secrets. I know that they are a cult that usually kidnaps people for...something. We don''t know what they worship. We have had multiple run-ins with them over the course of these 10 years. But every time we almost caught them...they just disappeared without a trace" Putra explained. "You said they worship an evil entity, what is it?" Toziro asked looking at Braum. "I don''t know...I have seen it myself in my vision. It''s huge. It''s terrifying. I can''t really describe it. But I know it will destroy us if it comes. That''s why I need to be the King...I''m different from the old royal family. I agree with you people that we should not discriminate against our citizen and let them train to be mech pilots as well. And I disagree with the current regime that closes off our country out of contact with the outside world. I think we should share our knowledge and help people on the continent so they will also be able to fight together with us when doomsday arrives." Braum then went to one knee and bowed. "I, King Braum Gundala of Yakana is formally inviting The Bodyguards to Yakana again to fight with us, train with us, and stand with us once more." The Bodyguards stayed in silence. They were deeply thinking about it but there were a lot of doubts in their mind. "Boss...they still put these chips on our heads and exiled us for ten years," Moka said. The rest of the members were expressing distrust as well. Torizo stroke his beard to think. "Hmm...Alright" Toziro muttered. "Really!?" Braum perked up. "But I have a test for you. To see that if you are truly different than the old royal family." Toziro said. "What is it!?" Braum approached Toziro, as if to hear his request better. "Have you seen the city? Noticed anything?" Toziro asked. "I have...it''s beautiful. I didn''t notice anything" Braum answered. Toziro continued. "Then you must not have been in the city for long. Well, we did kidnap you guys hahaha...The city is celebrating the National Celebration Days of Estalia¡ªthe founding of the nation. Many nobles from other regions and also foreign nobles and royalties are all coming to this city to celebrate in the name of friendship. I want YOU...to reveal yourself as the King of Yakana and establish a friendship with Estalia" Toziro''s test shocked everyone. "Your Majesty! That is not a good idea" Kelvin said with a ghastly face. "I don''t like this..." Niko muttered. "Me too..." Urada echoed. Braum started to think for a while before coming up with another question. "I will also reveal ourselves later but we have to deal with the upcoming civil war with the Militarist faction. If they win, they''ll invade the continent. Why do you want me to do it now?" "Heh. Of course, we know about the civil war. I heard about it from Bima. There''s another reason...there''s a plot to kill the current crown princess and King Leo. We are currently investigating it but it''s practically impossible to disguise ourselves as a high noble that can closely monitor the royalties. We don''t know the methods or when will they do it. What we know is the first son and the younger brother to the crown princess, Prince Vanir, we are suspecting him to be the one who is planning the assassination. I want you to investigate closely as a Yakanan royalty so we can put a stop to the assassination. You see, we are quite fond of the current regime and we don''t want the idiotic Prince Vanir to be the new king. Of course, this also implies that you would also have to call more backups and more resources from Yakana so that they will believe that you are a king. And oh, of course I want these chips in our heads removed as well. What do you say? If you proof that you can do this then we can believe that you are a worthy leader we can follow" Toziro smiled. Braum didn''t think for long. If there were no previous restrictions and he had known about the plot to assassinate the Estalian royalty, he would have planned something similar. "I accept," Braum said with conviction. Chapter 32 - Secret Mission of Royal Proportions "You...accept?" Toziro was bewildered. He didn''t think that Braum would accept. If this was any other royalties or the people from the Yakanan government that he had met a long time ago, they wouldn''t just reject the request, they would scoff and laugh. "Yes. I accept. I''ll bring reinforcements from Yakana right away. You say the Estalian King and crown princess are in danger, yes? Then it is also my duty as a future king of Yakanato assist a potential ally." Braum answered with conviction. Toziro and his team went silent. They really didn''t think Braum would accept such bold requests. Not only would Braum need to reveal the existence of Yakana, he would also reveal his status as a royalty and the technological prowess that Yakana posses to the outside world. This was an entirely radical concept for Yakana''s culture and history. If this would truly happen, it would be an extraordinary event for the history book. "And the part about removing the chips in our heads?" Toziro asked again. "We''ll do that as well after we get an expert team here. I''ll call them here right away. You and your team should find us a spot that we could build a temporary headquarter and also come up with a plan on how to introduce ourselves to the Estalian people. Can you do that?" Braum''s tone was full of dignity and pride. He was slowly taking the mantle of a wise king. "O-of course. Our strategy expert Troy will get right on that. In the meantime, you should go to Sumi for treatment. I just temporarily removed the effects of my gravity-directional nova from you so you''ll feel the effects again pretty soon." Toziro checked his watch. "It should end right about...3...2...1..." "Bleeeerrrghhhh" Braum fell down and started to puke. He was feeling the full force of Toziro''scarnival ride again. His head was spinning and he had no sense of direction. "Qey...escort our little King here and his friends to their rooms. Troy, come up with the plan" Toziro ordered. Qeytook Kelvin, Urada, Niko, and Braum out of the interrogation room. Troy also left the room. Now, there were only Toziro, Putra, and Moka left inside. "I don''t like this one bit. Leader, are we supposed to forgive them for the things they did to us ten years ago? After we practically saved the country? I still fucking hate them." Putra scoffed. "I don''t trust them either but if Boss thinks it''s alright then it''s alright" Moka shrugged. "He''s still a naive kid...but his words...conviction...demeanor...all of them are telling me to follow him. To serve him. To fight for him. Only time will tell if he would live up to those expectations but I would like to see it. He''s not like the others. He''s the same as us¡ªexiled to the middle of nowhere, a victim of Yakana. Except, he was probably lonelier than us. I think if we guide him and train him he would be the leader that we would want to serve. So let''s give him a chance. It''s not professional for a soldier to hold a long grudge. Let it go." Tozirosmiled and left the room. "Moka, are you going to just blindly trust the brat as well?" Putra asked with a frown. "Didn''t you listen to what Boss said? After these ten years, we are still his loyal supporters. We followed him to be exiled and we should follow his decision to follow this new king as well. Don''t cause any trouble, Putra." it was Moka''s turn to leave the room. Putra sat down in one of the chairs. He started to ponder if this was the right decision. In one of the rooms at The Bodyguards'' secret underground base Braum, Niko, Urada, and Kelvin were sitting in a circle in the middle of the room. The room had a bed and a desk but they were all sitting in a circle on the floor below. "Have you gone mad!? We can''t just call reinforcements! The higher-ups wouldn''t accept those terms!" Kelvin shouted. "I have to agree with the Lieutenant here. I don''t like those bastards but they have full authority on this" Niko chimed in. Urada stood up in anger. "With all due respect Lieutenant Kelvin and Corporal Niko, you are still talking to a Yakanan royalty. Please show some respect."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "He''s not even the King yet!" Kelvin barked. Braum snapped. He stood up and grabbed Kelvin''s neck to pin him up on the wall. "How many times have I told you to show me some respect? You are very professional and objective-oriented Lieutenant but at the end of the day, it is I that will be the one to decide the outcome, got it? And I WILL be the King of Yakana soon and I WILL fix people like you" Braum threw Kelvin to the floor with a strong force. "I-I''m sorry. I was too emotional. I just don''t think they''ll approve of this...especially the Commander of the Special Forces, General Utu" Kelvin said with an apologetic face. "Who''s that? Your direct superior is not General Kraus?" Braum asked. "No...General Kraus is the fifth General of the Royal Forces...the army so to speak. General Utu controls the special forces, the intelligence and elite operatives that work behind the shadows like us. He''s quite known to be hard to handle. Actually...he was also the one to give me the remote to detonate the chips inside The Bodyguards'' heads in case things go wrong" Kelvin explained. "I see...he''s the type to do things the dirty way if it gets him what he wants. Well...I do need a guy like that as well for the betterment of the country but I still don''t like those types of people personally. So you think he won''t send in reinforcements even if I was the one asking?" Braum asked. "No...he''s one of the hardliners that support Yakana as a sovereign nation cut off from the outside world. He does not want our existence revealed at all so he''ll try anything to stop our plans if he hears it" Kelvin answered. Braum stroke his chin to think. "What about General Kraus then? Should we tell him?" Urada interjected. "You shouldn''t! This operation is closely monitored by both General Kraus and General Utu so if the former hear it...he''ll tell General Utu as well" "I think it''d be better if we keep this classified. It''s going to be extremely challenging to get reinforcements and supplies while still keeping the whole thing a secret...we''ll need someone we can trust and someone who supports Yakana to open up to the outside world" Niko also chimed in. Braum started to think again. "Well? Is there anyone like that? Someone we can tell this plan and would accept the request to send in reinforcements while keeping it a secret? Honestly, it''s ridiculous that a royalty like me is having a hard time getting what I want" Braum said while frowning. "Unfortunately, Your Majesty, many of the militaries still think you are a naive little boy even if you are next in line. And with all of the royal family gone...the power of the royalties are at the weakest point in history. To tell you the truth, what former General Toziro said was correct; they only want you to be a puppet king just so they have the rally of the population behind them. They didn''t intend to give you much power at all" Kelvin explained an unsettling truth. "Before this trip...I declared I was going to be a king and that I would finally open up Yakana to the outside world. They all seemed eager and agreed to it right away. I truly felt like a king back then...how foolish I was. It seems I''ll have another agenda for bringing back Toziro and his group. I need people who will stand with me against those Yakanan bastards" Braum clenched his fists together. He was now truly set on reforming the country while winning the civil war in the process. "Back to the problem at hand, who should we call?" Braum asked the group and received silence in return. They were all thinking of someone that they could trust. "How about the Navy? I think the First Commander of the Royal Navy, Admiral Marlina would accept! She''s known to be an advocate for opening up Yakana to the outside world. She''s quite famous in the media for her stance and for her looks as well!" Urada''s eyes were glistering as she said that. "We have a Navy?" Braum was surprised to hear that Yakana has a Naval force. "Yes!" Urada answered with a cheerful tone. "So...they''re going to come here by ships? Well...Neversummer is a coastal city so it''s possible but they''ll have to circle the entire continent. Won''t that take a long time?" Braum was curious to hear how the Navy would travel from Yakana, which is located in the far east to Estalia, located in the most northwestern part of the continent. "Actually...our ships are so advanced that it''d probably only take a day to travel from Yakana to here," Niko answered. "I see....why do we have a Naval force again?" Braum was also curious about why Yakana would have a naval force. He thought Yakana would have no enemies in the water since there were no ships from the continent that would be able to enter Yakana with its circle of red storm surrounding the entire island. Kelvin was the one to answer this time. "There have been numerous cases of sea-based Kaiju appearing near Yakana in the past. While most of the Kaiju come from the ocean, they all walk on land when they arrive on an island. The royal navy of Yakana was established to both prevent the Kaiju to arrive in land and also fight off some special Kaiju that are biologically exclusive to the ocean. But General Marlina..." Kelvin trailed off in his explanation as he mentioned the name of the General. "What''s wrong with her?" Braum asked. "She''s a bit...idealistic and....eccentric...if you can call it that. You have to prepare to deal with her if you want to request her assistance." Kelvin warned. "Did you think that would stop me? That settles it. We''ll ask her for help. Call her up right now. We need to move fast" Braum said. "Are you sure about this?" Kelvin asked again. "Yes! C''mon!" Braum answered with confidence. Kelvin rummaged through his bag to find his tablet device. He opened it up and typed in some words before giving it to Braum. "Here you go...it should connect soon." After a few beeps, the deep voice of a woman can be heard from the tablet. "Comrade Kelvin of the Special Forces! How may I be of service? I thought you are currently in the classified mission with the brat prince?" Chapter 33 - a Day to Remember Braum frowned. Quite literally everyone he met so far in this journey of his thought of him as a little kid. Braum admitted that he was probably a naive brat at the beginning of the journey, but he did not want to stand for any further disrespects. "I am PRINCE Braum Gundala, is this Admiral Marlina?" Braum replied over the video call. The person on the other side of the call was an incredibly attractive woman with ocean hair. She was surprised to see who was on the video call. "Future Supreme Leader Prince Braum! You are correct! This is me, Comrade Marlina, At your service!" After saying that, she pulled a highly exaggerated version of Yakana''s ''right hand on the heart'' salute. She did not seem to be perturbed that she was calling Braum a ''brat prince'' before. ''She''s eccentric alright...'' Braum thought. "What can this loyal comrade do for Supreme Leader? Isn''t dear leader currently in the mission to retrieve former general Toziro? I would also like to meet him! I was only a wee little Private in the Navy when he was around. He was truly something else! A genuine comrade! Ashamed that they exiled him and his ten elites..." Marlina continued with an excited voice. "*sigh* Lieutenant, explain everything." Braum motioned Kelvin to come in front of the tablet. Kelvin explained everything that they planned about before with the team to the Admiral. Afterward, Marlina was deep in thought. She was considering whether to take the offer. "So you want me to go over there and reveal ourselves to the Kingdom of Estalia...and basically the world? And you want me to keep it a secret with the rest of my comrades?" Marlina frowned deeply. She seemed as if she was not agreeing with the idea at all. Braum noticed Marlina''sdiscomfort with the idea. "Y-yes...I thought you were an advocate for revealing Yakana to the world and spoke about it extensively with the media? isn''t that right, Lieutenant?" Braum asked Kelvin. "That''s correct. The Admiral is a bit of a controversial figure in the military because of this. Many of the public seems to be in her support, though." Kelvin replied. Marlina stayed silent deep in thoughts. Braum continued. "Then...are you going to accept?...we''ll think of someone else if you don''t¡ª" Marlina cut off Braum in the middle of his sentence. "Completely agreed! Do you know how long have I waited for an opportunity like this!? I''ll send in my whole fleet! And don''t worry, it''ll stay classified! I''ll get right on it right now, Goodbye Supreme Leader!" Marlina said those words in rapid succession; as if she was high on caffeine. She turned off the video call right away. "What...." Braum was speechless. She didn''t even let him finish and say his final words. "We did tell you she''s going to be eccentric..." Niko said. "But she''s fantastic! And so beautiful! I can''t wait to meet her!" Urada also while being excited. "*sigh* Alright. Lieutenant Kelvin, I want you to keep in contact with the Admiral and let me know of any progress. You two, I want you to go back to the inn and make sure the kids are okay...and let Grant and Lisa know of our presence here. I''m going to talk to Toziro. " Braum ordered the rest of his squadmates to work on achieving the plan. Braum left the room to find Toziro. He just realized that he was not in a normal building¡ªhe''s underground. There were no windows and the interior design resembled those of Yakana''s unique and futuristic architecture, although the materials themselves were made out of cheaper and readily available material in such medieval and undeveloped society. Braum found his way towards the living room down the corridor where the elevator towards the surface level was located. He saw a girl with white hair sitting down while stroking the fur of a huge white wolf. He approached the girl to ask where Toziro was. "Hi, I don''t believe we''ve had the pleasure of meeting each other. My name is Braum, what''s yours?" Braum greeted the girl. The white-haired girl stayed silent. She did not even turn to look at Braum. After an awkward silence, Braum greeted her again to no avail. "Uh...do you know here Toziro is? I need to talk to him" Braum asked. The girl still kept her silence but she suddenly motioned her left hand forward produced a white aura of battle force on her left hand. The white aura then came into the form of a small white cat. "Meow" The white cat purred. Braum was surprised to see the sudden appearance of the creature. ''That must be her nova...'' Braum thought. The white cat then approached Braum and bit his legs gently. The cat started to walk towards the elevator and motioned Braum to follow suit. Braum complied and went inside the elevator. The cat jumped into the air to press the button that would drive the elevator upstairs. Braum arrived upstairs and the white cat walked outside the cottage into the forest. Braum followed the white cat for a while until he stumbled upon a river with a pouring waterfall. There, he saw Toziro, topless, in a huge boulder in the middle of the river, practicing with his sword. (Whoooshh) A slash of Toziro''s sword created a ravine in the middle of the river and splitting the body of water into two. (Slasshh) Another slash upwards created a sonic boom. Toziro then turned around into the direction of the waterfall. (Vroommm) A slash embued with Toziro''s blue battle force and Nova hit the waterfall. The waterfall switched its direction. The body of water was now falling upwards into the sky. ''The waterfall....'' Braum was shocked to see this level of power. After a while, the waterfall started going down again and Toziro sheathed his sword. He had already noticed the arrival of Braum before and approached him. "What is it, boy? Did you get the approval to send in your troops here?" Toziro asked. "I-I did. But it''s the Navy instead under the command of Admiral Marlina. We''ll need to plan our arrival from the port of Neversummer instead." Braum answered. He had not recovered from seeing the sights of Toziro''s power.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Toziro grabbed a towel on the bank of the river to dry himself. His toned muscular body was bulging. "I see. I''ll let Troy know of that information right away. Let''s go back to the base." Toziro said and the two walked back. After the two of them returned and entered a room in the base that was specifically designed to hold meetings with a large long table in the middle of the room, there were two new arrivals¡ªGrant and Lisa were there. All members of The Bodyguards and also Braum''s team, The Black Hoods, were also present. Toziro approached Grant after seeing him. "...Grant? is that you?" Toziro asked. "Yup! How have you been holding up?" Grant went to Toziro and hugged him. "Holy shit I didn''t think I would ever see you again. This guy helped me a lot on an old case a few years ago...how long ago was it?" Toziro asked. "5 years I think. So this is your people huh. I was quite surprised when I realized that you and Braum were from the same country. I had wondered where you got your knowledge of sciences that I didn''t know about." Grant replied. "Hahaha. You guys, this is one of the most intelligent person I''ve ever met, meet Grant Holmes. Please treat him well. And who is this right beside you? Did you finally get a wife?" Toziro noticed the presence of Lisa sitting next to Grant. "As if! This dense potato wouldn''t even have the courage to propose to a girl!" Lisa puffed up in anger. "You little!...*sigh* this is a researcher from the Lancester Searcher Guild, Lisa Redflower. She insisted on coming with me here and I don''t even know why" Grant introduced Lisa. "I came here to keep you safe dummy..." Lisa said in a low voice. "What''s that?" Grant didn''t quite catch what Lisa said. "Nothing! Let''s just start with the meeting!" Lisa said with a flustered face. Everyone sat down in their respective chairs with Braum sitting on one of the far ends of the table and Toziro sitting on the other far end. Kelvin pulled out his tablet and a globe-like device out of his bag and turned it on. A hologram of the map of the continent showing the location of Yakana at the far east and Estalia at the most northwestern part of the continent was shown. Multiple red dots were also shown moving at the southern sea in the map. "The red storm... so that''s where your country is located," Grant muttered. "As you can see, the fleet of battleships with Admiral Marlina are currently on the move, heading towards Neversummer. To be honest I don''t even know how she managed to leave Yakana undetected with a whole fleet..." Kelvin explained. "ETA?" Troy, the one-eyed man who is the strategist of the group asked. "They''ll stop around 50 kilometers from the shore of Neversummer and send in an extraction team for us so that we can board the ship. Afterward, we''ll have another meeting there to plan our grand arrival into Neversummer." Kelvin answered. "Let''s get that out of the way first since we''ll have to wait for the fleet to arrive to plan any further. General Toziro, I want to know the planned assassination of the king and the crown princess, how did you know that the prince is planning it exactly?" Braum asked. "We found out from one of our operatives, I''ll get Tobias, our lead tactical espionage expert to explain" Toziro motioned Tobias, a handsome man with sleek red hair to speak. "Has any of you heard of the Duke Erlington scandal?" Tobias asked. "Me. I heard about it when I was gathering information from the city. It''s something about the Duke suddenly confessing his crimes of kidnapping peasant girls to use as his sex slaves in the middle of his own house party?...were you guys involved with the incident?" Grant asked. "That''s correct. We got the Duke to confess and released the girls. When we first arrived here...we discovered early on that while the current king is beloved by the people...some of the nobles were not so popular" Tobias explained. "Yeah. It turns out...from our investigation...there''s a secret network of corrupt nobles that will cover each other''s crimes and remove them from any guilt. And currently, on the top of the hierarchy of that secret network...is Prince Vanir, who is planning the assassination of the king and crown princess." Toziro also explained. "I see...but what''s the motive? Is it because he just wants to be the next king? Wouldn''t he just kill the crown princess then?" Braum asked. "That would be true but the crown princess is the current king''s favorite child...and the king knows of Prince Vanir distaste of her. If Prince Vanir just killed her, the king would connect the dots right away. But if he also killed the king...then he''ll have an easier time controlling the royal court to believing that he''s innocent" Tobias continued. "And there''s someone behind the Prince as well...we don''t know who that is yet but that person is a key part in this assassination and the person is probably the one planning everything as well" Toziro chimed in again. "Right...so what do you want me to do once I arrive as a Yakanan king?" Braum asked. Troy, the one-eyed strategist was the one who answered. "We want you to gain the trust of the King and the crown princess. Afterward, we want you to investigate the exact HOW and WHEN they''re going to plan the assassination. We believe that they''re going to do it in the middle of the city parade where the king and royalties will descend into the streets and greet the citizens...but the security will be quite tight so we don''t know how they''re going to do it" "Parade..." Braum remembered that the Yakanan royal family similarly died in a city parade as well. Braum did not have any feelings for the royal family but he did remember his step-father who died to protect them. "Security is irrelevant if they''re planning something big. I think if the Prince wants to control the population after their deaths...he would want to make it look like an accident or something so big that they would rule it off as a tragedy" Grant analyzed. "Yeah that''s the gist of it...we just want you to investigate from the inside. We''ll also do our own investigation on the side" Toziro added. Kelvin was deep in thoughts as the meeting was going on. After a while, he voiced out his opinion. "Is it really necessary to reveal Yakana to the world just to stop this assassination? Isn''t there a better plan?" Braum was the one who replied. "Perhaps...but that''s not the point. It''s not always about having a better plan. Under my rule, Yakana will be revealed to the world sooner or later anyway. We want to make the lives of people in the continent as prosperous as Yakana as well. Estalia will be the first country we''ll establish a relationship with but it won''t be the last. Let us create a better future together" Braum stood up and did a Yakanan salute with his right hand on his heart. Toziro did the same thing as Braum and stood up as well. "Well said, boy. We''ll see if you are a worthy king for us to follow" He smiled as he said that. The next day at noon, Neversummer''s port. The citizens of Neversummer were living their daily lives. The port was full of trading ships coming from other regions and even other kingdoms delivering goods. Some fishing boats can be seen capturing seafood for people''s consumption. The beaches were relatively empty as it was still winter and no one wanted to swim in the cold water. But off towards the distant ocean, there was a mystery brewing and people were starting to take notice. "Hey! What are those things!?" A citizen said while pointing at the ocean. "Those looks like....ships! Giant ships....with no sails! Oh, my goddess Regalia are those the demons!?" Another citizen spoke. The fleet of those mysterious giant ships with no sails to propel it forward consisted of five ships. They were moving to Neversummer at an extremely fast speed. In the city port, the Estalian naval force also took notice of the arrival of those mysterious ships. "Ca-captain! What should we do!?" an Estalian navy spoke in fear. "Ready the fleet! Arm the cannons! Get to work, soldiers!" The captain ordered. The Estalian naval forces who were protecting the city from invasions moved into the sea. Their battleships were lining up in a single row while aiming their cannons in the direction of the mysterious giant ships. Their own battleships were like ants if you compare it to the size of the gigantic mysterious ships. "On my mark!" The captain raised his sword, ready to command his fleet to fire. Suddenly, the navy saw that there was something that started to fly from the enemy battleships. "Is that..." A navy muttered. "Giants! Those are giants!" Another navy screamed. What they saw were giant humanoid metallic beasts, around five of them, who were flying near the city of Neversummer. The citizens who saw this sights were in awe. They had never seen something like this, not even in the legends. "It''s the gods! The gods have arrived! Bow down!" A citizen spoke in the port. He bowed down deeply on the floor. Some citizens also followed suit. The five giants then went into a halt in the middle of the air above the Neversummer port and pulled out a circular metallic ball. The five balls together started to display an image which reads, in Estalian: "WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF YAKANA. WE COME IN PEACE. PLEASE TAKE US TO YOUR LEADER" That day will be remembered throughout history as not only the most important day of the entire world but possibly the turning point of humanity and other races in the continent. Historians will be obsessed by the entire logistics of the operation and parents will tell their children bedtime stories about the entire story. Yakanan nationalists will also deem this day to be controversial as it went entirely against their beliefs and tradition. It''s the day Yakana revealed itself to the world. Chapter 34 - First Contact A few hours before the arrival of Yakana''s fleet of battleships to Neversummer''s Port. Braum''s group, Toziro''s entire squad, Grant and Lisa, and finally the four children were waiting outside of the remote forest cottage where The Bodyguards'' hidden base was located. Earlier, they had sent the beacon indicating their location to Admiral Marlina. Soon, she will send an extraction team to their location and get them inside her battleship. "This is taking a while," Grant muttered. They had been waiting close to three hours now. Even the children were starting to become impatient. Braum had to get Urada to use her high affinity with children to keep them occupied by telling them stories and playing mini-games with them. "So there are other living beings out there outside of this planet?" Deckard, the tough little boy asked. "I don''t know...that''s a little hard to believe even for us" Mary, one of the twins also chimed in. Urada smiled and answered the question. "Well...our space station has discovered some bacteria, which are very small living beings that you can''t see with the naked eye, on other planets near us. And this universe is amazingly vast...who knows what intelligent society is out there. In fact, our first king¡ª" Urada''s explanation was cut off by the sounds of a jet engine above their location. It was the extraction team sent by Marlina. "They''re finally here..." Toziro muttered. This was the first time he saw true Yakana''s technology in a while. "Boss...you''re still sure about this?" Troy whispered on Toziro''s ear. "Yes. We''ll see where this new king takes us first" Toziroanswered back. The stealth jet lowered down to the ground and landed smoothly. Its size was quite big, approximately 20 meters in length. Its black metallic color reflected the sunlight. From its side, a hatch opened up and a staircase revealed itself. A man with glasses and black hair with a navy uniform and hat walked towards the group''s direction while escorted by other soldiers. The man with the glasses then pulled a Yakanan salute and greeted the group. "I am First Class Officer Lou of Admiral Marlina''s fleet. This humble personage will escort the crown prince and his group towards the vessel." He said. "The Admiral didn''t bother to show herself in front of the crown prince to welcome him?" Kelvin said. He was displeased that Marlina sent an underling to get them. "O-of course it''s not like that. She was preparing everything so that the plan goes smoothly. She surely wants the crown prince to receive the best treatment so she stayed behind" Officer Lou said with a nervous face. "Enough. It''s fine I don''t care. Let''s not waste any more time. We have waited long enough." Braum stayed emotionless and walked towards the staircase leading to the interior of the jet. "This way, Prince Braum. My apologies we took so long" Officer Lou followed behind Braum. The rest of the group on the ground then started to board the plane as well. "Woooooooww...it''s a huge metal beast that could fly!!!" Larry, one of the twins shouted. "Even I''m shocked to see this, kid...the level of engineering and knowledge that went to building such technological marvel..." Grant muttered. ** S.S Aquaria, Admiral Marlina''s Captain Quarters. The group that was brought to the ship was gathering in a meeting room prepared by the admiral. Of course, with the exception of the children as they have been taken to another room in the meantime. The group was seated in a huge roundtable that could fit the entire Toziro''s squad, Braum''s group, and Marlina''s subordinates. "Hmm....isn''t this a bit too much?" Braum muttered. He just listened to the plan of how they would reveal themselves to Estalia in Neversummer''s port. "Of course not, comrade! If you want Yakana to be noticed by the world, then you must start with a big bang!" Marlina stood up as he said that. Her eyes were shining.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Toziro was also frowning. He finally said something after stroking his beard a few times. "You do know Neversummer''s port is the main headquarter of Neversummer''s Navy, right? I know they''re not our match but we wouldn''t want to kill the soldiers of our to be allies, would we?" "Then we just don''t have to attack them! Easy! We can stand their attacks anyway. We''ll send in the five mechs right away to broadcast the hologram over the city! Trust me, I''ve done my research for this plan!" Marlina replied. Officer Lou coughed. "You mean I, First Officer Lou, has done the research. Right, Admiral?" "Ssshhh. Not now." Marlina shooed him off. " *cough* As I was saying, we have planned everything right to our arrival to the mainland of Estalia. What we haven''t planned for, of course, is what you as a King should do next" Marlina said. "That''s fine. I just want to ask whether you have some sort of royal outfit or something I can wear?" Braum replied with another question. The one who replied was Officer Lou. "Umm....royal outfit is quite an old tradition. The late royalties usually just wear more modern outfits like dresses and suits. But we do have some more traditional outfit we would wear on celebrations...we''ll fit you into one, Prince Braum. Right this way." Braum followed Officer Lou to another room to fit into his new suit. "Admiral, how did you managed to leave Yakana undetected?" Kelvin asked. "We didn''t. I told the border guards that we were investigating a strange fluctuation in the rim that we thought were signs of Kaiju. The Yakanan border is impossible to leave undetected. The security is airtight." Marlina replied with a tired face. "Then what about when they notice that you turned off your beacon and your fleet have been gone too long?" It was Toziro who asked this question. "That''s something we have to deal with later. I just didn''t want to disappoint the new King so I came as fast as I could" Marlina answered. The meeting room went silent. They were all thinking individually what to do next. Although they were here on the behalf of Yakana, they were thoroughly cut off from the actual nation itself. ** Back to the time of the arrival, Neversummer''s Port The entire port was in turmoil. What they thought were the gods themselves have descended. Some of them finally noticed the holographic display that the flying humanoid giants were carrying. "WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF YAKANA. WE COME IN PEACE. PLEASE TAKE US TO YOUR LEADER" "L-look at the signs!" One person shouted. "Yakana? Is that what the heaven is called?" Another person chimed in. The Estalian Navy was more composed than the citizen. After careful consideration, they were going to meet with the gods. "We wouldn''t even be able to attack them anyway...." The captain muttered. "Captain, what should we do about the citizen?" an officer asked. "Clear all of the citizens residing in the large dock. Inform the castle of their arrival. And also clear all the streets leading to the castle from here." The captain ordered. The five humanoid giants have already returned to the impossibly large metallic ships. After a while, what seemed to be giant flying metallic birds with wings were heading to the dock. The shipping dock was quite large¡ªenough for the flying bird to land. (ZOOOOOM) The ship finally landed. The captain of the Navy stationed here was already waiting in the dock. "Why do the Admiral have to attend parties at this time...." The Captain muttered. He was not supposed to be the representative here. The metallic bird opened itself and revealed a staircase. Multiple people disembarked the flying bird. The Captain eyed the most important-looking person at the front of everyone else. It was a young man of brown skin and wavy hair wearing an exquisite suit of black and gold. Braum''s Suit:https://imgur.com/a/308CJEN The Captain gulped down his saliva. He wondered how the admiral would react when he found out that he''s not the one to be recorded down in history as the first person to talk to the gods. The Captain stretched out his hand for a handshake. "I-I am Captain Samuel Braxton of Estalia''s Royal Navy." Braum looked at the hand and took the handshake. "My name is King Braum Gundala of the Eternal Kingdom of Yakana. Please bring me to your King so I can discuss further matters." ''He''s speaking our language?" Captain Samuel thought. He had already found it weird how the display from before was in Estalian but he''s even more surprised to find out that they are speaking in Estalian as well. "O-of course. Please. We have already prepared a wagon for you." Captain Samuel pointed at a noble wagon with two Ogruns pulling it. "Ah. We won''t be needing that, thank you. Just escort us to the castle" Braum replied and waved his hand. From the jet behind him, a hovering car of sleek white design moved forward¡ªmultiple of them. Yakanan Hover Car:https://imgur.com/a/MqLKc2K "W-what..." Captain Samuel didn''t know whether he should still be surprised after seeing everything from before. Braum got in the car with Admiral Marlina. The people who followed him were as follows: Kelvin, Urada, Toziro, and Qey. The rest was the Navy that would serve as their guards. ** Neversummer''s Royal Palace. Afternoon. The Yakanan convoy arrived at the place where they would be meeting the Estalian nobles. To Braum''s surprise, King Leo was already at the palace courtyard waiting for their arrival. Braum and the others got off the hover car and walked towards the place where the king was. The king was accompanied by his children, most notably the crown princess and the prince who planned the assassination. This time, it was Braum who first stretched out his hand. "I am King Braum Gundala of the eternal kingdom of Yakana. It is my honor to be here in Estalia. I hope we can discuss further matters regarding building a good relationship between our two nations." Braum flashed a gentle smile while saying that. The King of Estalia took his handshake. "Oh ho...you''re quite young for a King. *cough* excuse my rudeness. I am King Leo Estalianus. Please, come inside so we can discuss" The Estalian royalties went inside the palace with the Yakanan people. It was a historic first meeting. Chapter 35 - The King of Estalia King Leo Estalianus XVII of the Kingdom of Estalia. My reign of power has been peaceful, uneventful, and I must say quite dull. The people love me enough that there are no problems in term of rebellions or public outrage, but I''m not as benevolent as they think I am. In fact, I was quite spoiled as a child. My parents were loving and I was raised in isolation inside a luxurious palace. I never went to war or had any experience commanding any army. But my father, King Leo XVI, was a warmonger. The previous era was full of turmoil and conflicts with neighboring kingdoms¡ªsome people even called it a world war. But the idea of the name itself was ridiculous. A world war implied a war occurring worldwide, but this was just a small corner of the continent. My father regretted his past atrocities by the time he was an old man, right as he was having me as a child. Perhaps time does dull a man''s previous sharpness. Since he had me, he always thought me to rule in peace and to be a wise and benevolent king. Of course, I still thought the responsibility was far too great for me to handle so I have just been doing my best job keeping the status quo while also maintaining the public''s happiness. In due time, I got married and had several children. The most notable of all of them is the current crown princess, my daughter, RosaliaEstalianus, and my first son, Prince Vanir Estalianus. Vanir is a talented young man. He''s intelligent and likes to scheme a lot, but he was not suitable to be a king. He was more suitable to be a minister or perhaps the army''s general with his sharp wits and cold behavior. My daughter, Rose, was the noblest person I''ve ever met. The tradition of Estalia dictates that the King should always be a male but after a hard fight with the ministers, I''ve convinced everyone to let her be the next king of Estalia. But when there are periods of booms, like the one my kingdom is currently in, there are also periods of slumps and war. The Boros Empire of the far east has been invading its neighboring kingdoms with an iron fist. The Boros Empire is the largest country in this continent in terms of land mass and population so it''s no question that it has quite a strong military as well. They are slowly approaching the west, towards where Estalia is. I''m currently having second thoughts about letting my daughter rule a kingdom in a time when we may be invaded by a powerful empire. Perhaps the strategic yet arrogant mind of Vanir would be the right choice, but it was too late. I have convinced everyone and the public has already accepted her as the next king. With our current military, I''m not sure we''re able to withstand the attacks of Boros. That''s why in this year''s celebration week, the nobility and I have personally invited multiple foreign nobles and royalties to come here and establish a friendly relationship with us in the hopes of gaining an ally in the upcoming war. But even with their help, the casualties will be catastrophic. That is, until, the arrival of the gods sitting right across me. They have the appearance of our species, humans, but yet they wield such contraptions and miracles that even the craziest stage writers in Neversummer wouldn''t have thought of. Where did they come from? Are they from outside the continent? The continent has been thoroughly explored by every kingdom so there should not be a hidden kingdom that we haven''t heard of before. I first heard of the report in the morning by a navy that came running to the palace with an Ogrun. He told me of the arrival of the gods and described to me in detail what he just witnessed. Mega-ships with no sails, humanoid giants flying through the skies. I first thought this was just a random drunk navy that told us a lot of bollocks. My son Vanir even tried to execute him after hearing such rubbish. But then I heard that their leader has landed on our docks and asked to meet with me. After getting confirmation from even the Navy''s Captain, I had no choice but to believe that it was all true. ''Such fine suit...I feel like a peasant if I compare my outfit'' I said in my head. I saw the beautiful outfit of black and gold worn by the King of the mysterious kingdom. He was also too young to be a king ¡ª as young as my last child. "So...King Braum of...Yakana. What do you want to discuss with our nation? I humbly apologize but this King has never heard of such kingdom as Yakana" I said to the king. In fact, I was quite nervous. If they were here demanding our resources, we would have no choice but to comply. If we are judging their powers by some of the things we have witnessed, then they would have no issue invading our nation. If they are our enemies, they are a bigger threat than the Boros Empire. However, if they are friendly, then this is our chance to gain a powerful ally against the Boros Empire. This may be our only chance of establishing such a relationship. If we mess up, they may even turn to the Boros Empire instead and attack us. The young king thought for a moment and replied. "Yakana is a kingdom not in this continent. It is in the far east off the coast of the continent. Do you know the Death Circle of red storm? Our nation is inside of that raging storm. Of course, I cannot disclose how we are able to hide like that but that''s where we are from. This is our first time revealing ourselves to the world and after careful consideration, we have chosen your kingdom, Estalia, as the first kingdom we will contact."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. I gulped my saliva. The death circle is notorious by sailors all over the continent to be somewhere that if you go there, you will never return. To possess the power of controlling such a storm...they can already be called gods. The young king maintained a gentle smile throughout his speech. I was quite impressed. This young king exudes nobility and power at such a young age. I wished my son was a bit more like that. I replied right away. "Then do you wish to establish a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship with our nation? I am certainly open to that" The young king flashed a gentle smile again before saying something. "Of course. Your kingdom is so beautiful. I was already mesmerized by the sights I have seen in this capital city. And from what we have seen, your people are quite happy living their daily lives. We thought Estalia would be the perfect nation to be our first contact." ''YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS!!!!'' I was jumping up and down inside my mind. Of course, I maintained an exterior gentle smile, almost a poker face. This could be our chance against the Boros Empire. And who knows, this might be our chance of improving our kingdom as well. If they share some of their technologies and knowledge with us...we could be even more prosperous. At this time, my son, Vanir, who was seated next to me, was starting to get agitated. His platinum blonde hair and cold handsome face flashed a deep frown. "How do we know that you people are not spies from the Boros Empire?" My son said. ''Bloody fuck...'' I muttered inside my mind. There couldn''t be a worse time for his antics than now. "The Boros Empire?...ah...that kingdom in the far east? No. Certainly not. We are not affiliated with them in any sort of way at all I can assure you." The young king replied again. "Then how come your skins are...brown? There are tribes of barbarians living in the borders of the Boros Empire that have brown skins. Perhaps you were hired by the Empire to spy on us, huh? I must say, the empire is quite stupid for thinking that we would believe that some brown-skinned barbars will have such an advanced kingdom. What magic did you guys use for the illusion we saw on the port, huh!?" My son said in a condescending tone. Without leaving me any time to react, my son shouted out orders for the surrounding guards. "Knights! Arrest these Boros spies!" The knights were too quick to react. It''s almost as if they were prepared for this...They drew their swords and surrounded the party of the young king. What my son said had some logical merits to it. They could have used some illusion magic to play a trick on us. But this is NOT the way to confront them if they were truly spies. "Ready your arms! Fire at will at the guards!" I saw a man with wavy hair standing next to where the young king was sitting shouted those orders. Some of the soldiers with plain uniform behind the young kind raised some sort of black metallic device. (BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG) Flashes of blue lights left the barrels of the black device that the soldiers were carrying. Afterward, I look around towards my surrounding and found all my knights to be dead on the ground with blood on their heads. "What..." I muttered silently. I didn''t even see them attacking and my knights were already dead. These were elite knights chosen to guard the palace. They weren''t just some normal soldiers you can find anywhere. "Is this the treatment of your people towards a visitor, King Leo?" The young king said with a gentle voice while frowning. "O-o-of course not!" I panicked. I failed as a king if I let the future allies of my kingdom to receive such treatments. Then I noticed that my daughter, Princess Rosalia, who was also sitting on my other side, stood up from her seat. She walked towards where Prince Vanir was and punched him. Her long red hair brushed my face as she walked. (SMACK) The chair where my son was seated at was immediately destroyed by the force of the punch. My son was laying on the ground in pain. "Y-you!" My son shouted. He looked to be in shock. He didn''t think his own sister would punch him like that. "Silence! Not another word from your foul mouth, brother! You have utterly disgraced the royal family of Estalia by treating our guests like this. Accusing them to be spies? Having our guards raised their swords at them? Look at what you''ve done! These knights had families! Now they''re dead for your stupidity." After saying that, my daughter turned to me. "Father. I want all of the Knights'' families here to be compensated with gold to last them a lifetime and a plot of land outside the city. And please punish my brother for pulling such a stupid act" She said to me. I was surprised by her tenacity. This is why I think she''s the most suitable person for the throne. "It shall be done. GUARDS!" I called the guards outside the room. " Escort Prince Vanir to his room. Let him have house arrest for at least 3 days. I will decide his punishment later. And give these knights some proper burial later. I will contact their families directly." The guards did as I told them to do and forcefully carried my son out of the room. He was still in shock. I start to stand up from my seat and bowed down. "I humbly give my biggest apology for such an act by my own flesh and blood. I will give you proper compensation for your stay here. Please, stay in this palace and we will give you the best treatment. I am sure you have been tired from your long journey from the far end of the continent. We will discuss further after you have rested, King Braum." I addressed him with his name directly to give an extra sense of respect. He then called one of his subordinates and whispered some words. The subordinate also replied with a whisper towards the young king''s ear. After a while, he starts to give his reply. "We thank you for your hospitality and we accept your humble apology. However, we will be staying in our ship instead for the rest of the day. We will come here to the palace again tomorrow for further discussions. In the meantime, I wish you a nice day, King Leo." Without giving me any time to reply, the young king stood up and left the room with the rest of his entourage. I just stayed standing dumbfounded after all that''s happened. Did we mess up our first meeting? "*sigh* Men...." My daughter muttered before leaving the room as well. I sat down again in my seat with sweat running down my face. I MUST find some ways to win them over after our bad treatment of them. Hiatus and Second Project Hey guys. So this is quite a bad news I guess. I started writing The King is Back out of some random idea I had in my head that I put into writing almost immediately. I didn''t prepare well enough because I was just so excited about writing my first ever fiction. I was too passionate about writing my story that I may have ignored some of the mistakes I''ve made. I''ve received some humbling constructive criticisms but some hurtful ones as well. Most of the criticisms stemmed from the inconsistencies in the logic in my world or perhaps the lack of style in my writing. Over time, I did improve my writing but that feeling of inadequacy was still on the back of my mind. I think you may have figured out already that I am not a native English speaker as well so complaints about my grammar were also prevalent. I have been very happy in writing The King is Back. I wrote some neat characters, created a whole world, and I even gave you some illustrations on what those characters look like. I even went the extra mile by creating maps, showing reference pictures, etcetera. But I think perhaps I was too ambitious. But again, that feeling of inadequacy and the underwhelming reception this fiction has received always bugged me and obstructed my creative flow. Of course, I have the future storylines mapped out inside my head but if I continue writing like this, the quality may drop even further and that''s not what I want. That''s why I''ll be taking a hiatus in writing this fiction. Whether I''ll rewrite the previous/earlier chapters or even reboot the story, I don''t know yet. This hiatus is not due to busyness or real life issues (although I''m going to be quite busy with college soon), but it''s due to my unsatisfaction with the story. I may even just continue the story right away if I''m in the mood. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I don''t know how long this hiatus will last. Maybe it''ll be a few weeks or more I don''t know yet. I am now in the middle of writing second project/webnovel. This novel is quite special to me since it has a direct relation to my hobby and passion. This story will be a bit more grounded so I hope it''ll also improve my writing skill. The Otherworldly Filmmaker https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/19844/the-otherworldly-filmmaker Synopsis: An aspiring indie filmmaker was suddenly transported to a fantasy world while shooting a scene in a remote tropical jungle. Having no fighting experience or any other experience, he was only left with his film-directing skills and the shooting equipment that was also transported along with him. He finally decided to be the first film director of this strange new world. He will introduce the craft of filmmaking to that world and move the hearts of its inhabitants with his films. This story will have a deeper world-building/lore You can find more information about the world of the novel including maps, characters, here: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/grandea-continent-thesilentone I will update that site regularly to reveal more information. I''m taking the criticisms I have received to heart. I will continue to improve my writing enough to be able to do The King is Back justice. See you again; whether it be on the second fiction, or the next chapter of The King is Back. You can also give me suggestions on what would improve the story down below in the comments. I hope you continue supporting me as an author.