Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.
Chapter 11: Countdown
Elt was nervous, how could he not be. He was entrusted to basically try and convince the most infamous Inquisitor in Lescatie to hand him the reins over his own operation. He wiped the sweat from his brow, fixed his clothes, and muttered his rehearsed lines over and over.
As Akito stated, Albain was a bit of a perfectionist and so would judge a person based on how they dressed, spoke, social status, and looked. In this case, he supposed that it was good that he had just recently bathed and was given a set of professional clothing. Though his common blood might ruin things for him, he just hoped that it doesn't get brought up.
He took a deep breath, calming himself as he waited for this Albain person to arrive. He stood by the entrance of Fortress Maxim, sitting on one of the benches that lined the halls, boots on marble flooring as he looked up at the fine architecture of the ceiling. It caused his eyes to narrow somewhat, despite its somewhat mundane exterior, Fortress Maxim's Interior had no expenses spared in its design.
Chiseled walls, painted ceilings, marble floorings, and chandeliers line the tops of the rooms.
He wondered about the necessity of such designs but supposed that they had to at least show some form of 'dignity'. In any case, looking here gave him plenty of bitter memories he had long thought he forgot.
Inquisitors moved to and from the halls, each busy with their own work. He had never met Albain personally, never even saw him actually, but from what Akito stated: the man had blonde hair, green eyes, and a dignified look. Well… Elt used the word dignified, Akito preferred to call it a stick up his ass.
And so he waited, looking on at the various Inquisitors as they passed through the halls but seeing no one who fit the description.
"-Lord Albain, if you would… Can I talk to you about the coming raid?"
"Did father not teach you patience? I'm somewhat busy at the moment, Inquisitor."
"It's just a simple question, Albain… please."
Elt's eyes widened at the exchange, getting up he moved through the halls until he found the source of the voices. Two Inquisitors were walking through the halls, both had blonde hair and green eyes, both were wearing the same uniform, and both looked somewhat dignified with a clear distinction between them. The male of the two walked with confidence and pride, his form straight and without yield. His face was neutral to an almost unnatural extent, with no sign of emotion on his face other than the occasional sigh or look of disgust and disappointment.
'That must be Albain… then who is…' Elt thought before he turned to the next person. She was the younger of the two, around his age if not a little younger. Her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail with bangs covering her forehead. She too walked somewhat dignifiedly but Elt could tell that it was marred by a bit of anxiety.
As soon as Albain heard how he was referred to he quickly spun around and glared at his own sister who somewhat buckled under the gaze.
"Have you lost any sense of professionalism, Inquisitor? You have no right to call me as simply Albain here… where is your respect? Is this how the sole daughter of the Rejulia family is expected to act?" Albain stated in a harsh tone, with not a single sense of warmth in his tone. This caused a few passersby Inquisitors and Staff to stop and stare.
"I-... Forgive me, Lord Inquisitor Albain." Aria started with a bow, clenching her fists as she tried to stop a tear from falling. They were siblings, and yet here she was being treated as some kind of nuisance.
"Do not shame me, Inquisitor. Learn your station here in this place. Now leave my sight, I don't want any more distractions today." Albain noted before he turned and left.
As Albain moved did his form pass by Elt. he placed his hands behind his back, fist-clenching as he moved. Elt couldn't help but stare, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Albain's retreating form. He turned to the other Inquisitors and Staff, most of whom remained silent but those who dared speak did nothing to ease the shame Aria must've felt.
"That's the Rejulia daughter?"
"Why is she even here? She'd only get in the way of Lord Albain's work."
"Absurd, who does she think she is?"
Aria let out a deep breath that she was holding as she watched Albain leave. Those comments, despite their hushed nature, had certainly reached her ears. Soon she gritted her teeth before turning and walking off in the other direction.
Elt's brow furrowed at the sight, just one interaction and he already had a bad impression of the man. From what he could tell, they were siblings, family, and yet here he was treating his own flesh and blood like dirt. He pondered his options, going after Albain now would be a bad idea. With him in a bad mood then there's a chance that he'd simply get turned away or worse if he tried anything.
In that case…
Elt took a deep breath as he went after Aria. Partially to get her help in convincing Albain to give him his mission, but mostly because he felt sorry for the girl.
…
Aria Rejulia wanted to cry, scream, and just lash out at the world. She had been a fool, in order to escape the birdcage of the nobility she had entered the mousetrap of the Inquisition.
Her peers don't respect her, her own brother sees her as nothing more than trash, and worst of all she has no one to really turn to.
And so here she was, venting out her frustrations in the training yard. Stabbing dummy after dummy with her rapier until she felt slightly better. She skillfully moved through the yard, her blade piercing the straw dummies as she reflected on all her frustrations.
'Keep you back straight, Aria! Do not show any sign of weakness!'
'You, an Inquisitor? Have you perhaps gone mad, woman? Learn your place as our sole daughter.'
'Don't get in my way, Sister. I will not have you sullying what I've carefully built.'
'That's Albain's sister, isn't it? What's a pretty face doing here?'
'Knowing Albain, he needs to find a way to relieve stress I suppose… haha.'
She shook her head, her brows furrowing as her head wrinkled in anger. She stabbed dummy after dummy, letting out her frustrations before she swung her blade at the last one, only to find that what she was swinging at wasn't a dummy at all.
"Woah... Uh... hey?" A voice cried out, her blade stopping mere inches away from the man's neck.
Her eyes slightly widened, and her blade sat just a few inches away from the young man's neck. His blue eyes looked slightly shocked, and his mouth formed a small wry smile.
Narrowing her eyes, she decided to speak up.
"Who are you and what do you want from me?" Aria demanded, she came here to hide the tears and frustrations in her eyes.
"Listen… I saw that you were… uh… talking to Lord Albain, so I…" He trailed off causing Aria's eyes to furrow. Another Inquisitor coming to laugh at her failures, then. That was it, she has had enough of these types. She was the sole daughter of House Rejulia, and she will not allow herself to be ridiculed any longer.
"So you've come here to mock me, then? To laugh, to call me nothing more than Al-... Lord Albain's spare!?" She yelled out, her frustrations being laid bare as Elt struggled to figure out what to say.
"Well I have had enough of your type, I will not be insulted by some… Junior Inquisitor!" She yelled out once more as she pointed her blade at him.
"Wait, Wait, Wait! I didn't come here to insult you or anything like that, I promise!" Elt yelled out, raising his hands up.
That caused Aria's brow to raise, that… that was new, come to think of it, has she ever seen him before? She was relatively new to the Inquisition so she was still unfamiliar with some of her peers, but as far as she knew she had never seen anyone in Fortress Maxim with red hair.
"Why are you here, then? And Identify yourself, I've never seen you here before." She demanded, her voice emulating Albain's albeit her's was nicer and less cold.
"My name is Elt, and I'm a Junior Inquisitor that was recently put into service. My handler is Akito Shion and I'm just here to talk to you." He answered, giving a small awkward smile on his face as he scratched his neck nervously. The blade was still pointed at his neck, and so he was still a little on edge.
Hearing this, Aria's eyes narrowed as she placed her blade back in her sheath. She crossed her arms as she inspected the man.
'No surname, a commoner then. Akito Shion, isn't that the Inquisitor my brother despises? Perhaps a spy then, to find a way to undermine my brother's operations.' She thought as she tilted her head.
'No, the information's insufficient for a proper assessment… I need to learn more in order to form a proper conclusion, as such… yes, I shall speak with him cordially like a friend, that way I can lower his guard and get him to talk.' Aria thought with a clever smirk before she spoke up.
"Very Well, Elt. I shall allow you to speak with me cordially. Be grateful, a commoner like you would never get the chance to speak to a maiden of noble blood like myself. I shall grace you with the sole Rejulia Family's daughter's presence." She stated with a prideful look on her face. Which just caused Elt to somewhat look on in confusion at the strange display.
'Is… is that how nobles usually act when speaking? That's… well…' Elt thought with a twitch of his eye before he shook it. Best not to mention the fact that he also knew 6 different people of influence here, one of which being a literal princess and another being Wilmarina Noscrim herself.
Elt remembered what Akito said, that Albain was somewhat in love with the sound of his own voice and that the best way to convince him was through stroking his ego. He wondered if the same applied to his sister? He had come here to try and help her out, but he also still needed to get Albain to give him the reins to that mission.
His sister could help him in this matter, after all, even with his treatment of her own blood she was still an Inquisitor that he had to know the opinion of.
In that case…
Elt then bowed slightly, in both respect and to not hurt her already wounded pride which just caused Aria's eyes to widen slightly. "W-What are you doing?" She asked, a stutter in her voice before he spoke up again.
"Bowing, my Lady… you are correct, As a man of common blood, I am unworthy to even be in your presence. As such, I am lucky that I am even within the same vicinity as you." He muttered, hiding the slight cringe in his spine at his admittedly cheesy dialogue.
'What the fuck was that? What the hell am I saying!?' He thought to himself. He felt kind of bad, he was basically manipulating her into doing what he wants. But… as much as he wanted to help her, he had his own problems to deal with. He just hoped that she'd understand at the end of the day, and as unlikely as it was, their relationship would still be cordial by the end of all of this.
"Ah…" Aria muttered, unable to think of what to say. Her pride swelled slightly, and she felt a little better. 'Finally, someone in this place actually respects me. Hah, take that Albain, I am respectable!' She thought with a small triumphant smile before she turned to Elt.
"You may stand, Commoner Elt. While I am pleased that someone has finally recognized my worth as a noble, here in this place we are both Inquisitors and so we shall treat each other as equals." She stated with a satisfied smile, placing both hands on her hips as she looked on at Elt.
In the distance, three different individuals were currently watching from a distance atop the rooftops of Fortress Maxim. They used telescopes in order to spy on the two, using a special magic item in order to eavesdrop on what they were saying.
"What is he doing?" Akito asked, his brow raising as he watched the exchange.
The plan here was simple: have Elt go to Albain and then have him stroke his ego to the point where he gives the mission up. Granted, such a plan would've probably failed but when it came to Albain, Akito didn't really know how else to convince him.
Lucas then took the telescope from Akito before he peered into it. Looking on at Elt, he widened his eyes as he realized what was going on.
"Ah, I see… How clever. To use the tactics of political intrigue and courting in order to further our goals." Lucas commented.
Courtship was one of the most common ways of gaining influence and power within society. Whether it be here in Lescatie, the Demon Realms, or the Lands Between, courting someone of a high rank is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to gain power. Still, from the looks of things, this girl was horribly naive and too deprived of any respect to know when someone was trying to manipulate them.
As such, it made her an incredibly easy target.
"Ah… Courting… I see…" Primera muttered with a blank tone as she drew her bow back.
"What are you doing?" Akito asked, his eyes slightly widening at the sight of Primera pulling her bow back.
"Taking out the trash." She muttered blankly before Lucas suddenly pulled her bow down before anything happened. Primera grumbled a bit, shaking her head. She focused on the mission ahead and told herself that he was only doing this for the mission.
"You're doing it wrong, you gotta wait until both siblings are present to maximize the efficiency." Akito replied.
Lucas just sighed at their antics. Why was it up to him to act like an adult in this situation? Granted, he was probably the most mentally mature in his mind at least...
That was kind of sad in Lucas' opinion.
Back with Elt and Aria.
"In any case, you said you wished to speak with me. What is it that you need, Inquisitor Elt." She spoke up, her head turning to Elt who just looked on at her with a small smile before he spoke.
"Well… first thing then. I just wanted to know if you're okay." Elt muttered, which caused Aria's eyes to widen before they turned to the ground.
"...I'm… I'm alright, it would take more than a little verbal lashing to bring down the sole daughter of House Rejulia, haha…" She muttered, her eyes narrowing as she tried to hide the pain in her voice to little avail.
Elt looked on at her before his features softened. He couldn't help but feel that her situation was somewhat familiar to him, a memory from the lands he's beginning to recall.
"I always resented these hands. Their pale complexion, a far cry from any warrior's. The Shame of House Hoslow."
Elt's eyes looked downcast at that memory. His memories remain sealed, but he knew that this tale was a tragic one.
"Does… does everyone treat you like that?" Elt asked, his brow raised as he looked on at Aria. Hearing this, she gave out a small sigh before she spoke up. Her tone hushed and her voice somewhat exhausted.
"It's only really Lord Albain… the rest just stay in their little corners and gossip behind my back. I thought this organization was supposed to be professional… I haven't even been here for a month, and yet I'm already being treated like dirt." She huffed out.
"It's annoying, frustrating even… I don't want to be associated with him at all. Especially after…" She trailed off, remembering the events back in the village with narrowed eyes.
The way he conducted it chilled her to her core. There was no fanatical cry, no bravado in the way he did it. He had simply ordered their deaths in a manner similar to how a noble child would ask their servants to take out the trash. He didn't view their lives with much worth, as far as Albain was concerned, he was just taking out the trash.
There was a certain coldness to it too, one born of hatred and a desire to lash out. Aria didn't know what happened to her brother to turn him into that monster, but the one she knew before had all but died in her eyes.
The screams and moans of agony would haunt her for the rest of her days.
"Maybe… Maybe joining this place wasn't such a good idea…" She muttered. She had done so in order to get away from her life back in their house. To escape her responsibilities and help the nation in some way.
Realizing what she said, she turned to Elt with wide eyes before she quickly muttered.
"D-Don't tell anyone about what I just said! Especially not Al- Lord Albain…" She sputtered out, fear in her eyes as she did.
Seeing this, Elt's eyes hardened. That was not how someone should feel about their siblings. He's never really had one himself, but looking on with fear and begging him not to tell Albain with such terror in her eyes showed him that their relationship was not a healthy one.
She was even struggling to call him by his name, what kind of monster would do that to their own siblings?
"Don't worry, I won't tell him." Elt stated with his signature reassuring smile, which seemed to do the trick as Aria calmed down and she took a deep breath.
"M-my apologies. That was unsightly of me to do… if there's anything I can do in order to make it up to you, please tell me." She started with a shamed sigh.
"No, no… like I said, I don't really mind." Elt started with a small reassuring smile.
"Ah, for an Inquisitor. Your humility is certainly one to praise, I wish you luck in your endeavors and would love to see you as a proper Inquisitor in the future." She started with her signature proud look.
"Ha… well, to be honest I'm not really sure if I'd be here in the future. This Inquisitor thing doesn't really feel like it fits me." Elt stated as he scratched the back of his head.
"Understandable, the life of an Inquisitor is not exactly for everyone after all…" 'Including me, apparently…' she thought to herself before she shook her head.
"Yeah, I hope you'll find what you want in this job." He stated.
"Yes, well… to be honest, all I really want from people right now is a little respect. Everyone seems to look at me as if I'm nothing but dead weight." Aria stated.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better. I respect you." Elt muttered with a small smile which caused Aria to huff.
"Of course you do, it's only natural for a commoner to respect the nobility… but… thank you." Aria replied with her own smile.
"Though, as I recall I have yet to make up for my unsightly appearance earlier. As such, I insist that you ask of me anything you may desire." Aria stated, turning to Elt as she did.
Elt was about to shoot her down once more before he paused... wait... he could use this.
Taking a deep breath, Elt spoke once more.
"...Well… there is one." Elt trailed off, causing Aria to look on at him cautiously.
Elt told her his request.
She cursed her Noble pride for not allowing her to back out.
"Am I to assume that this would be my new assignment?" Albain asked, turning to the files that rested upon the table. His form standing across from a desk, hands trailing the files as his eyes narrowed on its contents.
"Indeed, this one would be up your avenue. A raid on a Noble House, suspected of harboring a witch within their ranks. You will be given the authority to do as you pleased with the convicted." The man across the table spoke, it belonged to an elderly and portly figure.
Albain's eyes narrowed as he read the files. On the surface, it would appear as though this operation would be a simple raid on a family harboring a witch within their ranks. But Albain knew the real reason as to why this was filed, the Noble House they were told to dispatch of was one of House Rejulia's rivals and an affiliate of the Noscrim Faction.
He frowned at that, his family used his reputation to forge close ties with the Inquisition. A pity, he didn't exactly wish to participate in what he believed were petty squabbles.
It was simply another example of the long and sometimes brutal power struggle in Lescatie. When the cardinal told him that he was to do as he pleased, what he really meant was that he was to take them out permanently in the way he often does.
Usually, when offered missions that were obviously ploys used by the nobility in order to further their goals, he would refuse. He had little time to participate in the power struggle when Lescatie was under the threat of monsters.
But this was different, for the noble household that he was tasked with dealing with had most likely harbored this witch within their house. He had evidence to support this, primarily the so-called girl in the window: a sort of urban legend created by a few passerby walkers who saw a young girl within the windows before she vanished.
This girl was said to have appeared throughout different time periods spanning years, but due to the power and influence of the Noble House, her very existence was most likely covered up. Well it didn't matter anymore, regardless of their power and influence, they were all marked for death.
He didn't enjoy participating in these little squabbles, but if it was for the good of Lescatie then so be it. Still, as he read the name of the house he was set to purge his eyes somewhat narrowed.
In any case, he would do what he usually did. Complete his task with the utmost brutality and efficiency, such that none would ever dare to try this again.
"And what of the Noscrim Faction, they will not take kindly to their assets being confiscated," Albain stated.
They would surely face some form of retaliation, at best they could expect a smear campaign and at worst they'd send the Order of the Ice-Flower against them. Although, the latter was unlikely considering that it could cause a civil war within the capital.
"Let us in the Inquisition handle the fallout, all you would have to do is what you've already been doing for us. The Noscrim faction does not have full control of Lescatie yet, and the Inquisition shall not allow them to infringe on what rightfully belongs to the Chief God." The cardinal muttered, his eyes narrowed and his tone filled with disgust.
"I thought I was supposed to handle a Sabbath?" Albain asked.
"A little misdirection, to keep our enemies ignorant. Make sure to keep it that way, Albain. The element of surprise is one that we will make grand use of." The Cardinal responded.
The Inquisition often used these 'Missions' to further their goals. Whether it be the blockade of vital resources to a rival party, the arrest of a single man who had crossed them, or in this case: the extinction of an entire noble family.
"Very well, though… I would like to point out that the extinction of a noble household will create waves within the already tense political situation here in Lescatie." Albain continued, prodding the man for answers before he spoke up.
"And it will be the Noscrim Faction who would feel it the most. As I said, you need not worry about the after-effects. Leave that to us, all you need to do is to carry out your orders. All the information you need would be in these files, if nothing else… then you are dismissed." The cardinal stated, waving his hands dismissively as Albain took the files.
Taking one last look at the cardinal with a neutral expression, he left in order to prepare for the coming raid. 'Pitiful Old Man, how long are you going to continue to squander your position with such petty rivalries.' He thought in disgust before he opened the door and left the room.
Turning the corner, he saw his sister waiting for him. She sat on one of the benches, hands firmly on her lap and her form sitting up straight. Her eyes looked nervous… well… more nervous than usual, and she was currently clenching her fists slightly.
Walking towards her, he spoke up.
"Have some dignity, Inquisitor. You look like you're constipated with how you're sitting." He started in a dry tone. To most, it would seem like Albain was just joking but to all who knew him, he was being quite serious.
"Ah… For-Forgive me, Bro- Lord Albain…" She trailed off, causing Albain to shake his head in disappointment before he looked at her with a slight glare.
"Did I not tell you that I did not want any more distractions today?" He spoke in a harsh tone, causing Aria to bury herself deeper in her seat. Taking a deep breath, she looked on at Albain before she spoke up.
"I am aware, Lord Albain. But someone wants to talk to you, it's important... or so he says." Aria stated, turning to Albain who raised his brow and looked at her with narrowed eyes.
What could this be, then? He needed to prepare his forces for the raid, he had little time to deal with anything else.
"Tell them that I can talk to them later, I have a mission to accomplish and so I will be busy." Albain stated before he began to walk off before Aria suddenly spoke again.
"But that's the thing, it's about the mission…" She muttered, causing Albain to stop and turn towards her. His curiosity piqued, he looked on at her with a raised brow before he gestured for her to go on.
"Just… follow me, I'll take you to him… please…" She stated, bowing for good measure as Albain looked on at her form with an incredulous look on his face. He pondered his options before he spoke up again.
"Very well, but make it quick." Albain stated, causing Aria to let out a sigh of relief before she nodded at him. With that, she led Albain to the meeting place.
…
Elt was currently trying his best to look as presentable as possible. His blue eyes looked on sternly, as he waited for Albain to come. His hair was neatly combed, clothes fixed, and firmly straightened. He supposed that he looked professional enough, he wasn't really all that familiar with proper clothing etiquette so he just did his best to look good.
He looked up to the corner, up at the roof of Fortress Maxim where Primera, Akito, and Lucas were all currently observing, watching his every move. Honestly, that just made him more nervous than it actually helped but what could he do. Looking up, Akito gave him a small thumbs up with his usual shit-eating grin that was somehow visible from where they stood.
Lucas then suddenly covered Akito's face, and if he were anywhere near them he would've heard him say something along the lines of 'Cease that, your teeth could act as a beacon for the enemy to see'.
He took a deep breath, rehearsing his lines before he waited for Albain to arrive. And not a moment too soon, the man had arrived.
Much like before, he walked like a dignified noble. Not an ounce of hesitation in his steps, deliberate and calculated much like how he pursues his missions. His eyes were scanning his surroundings, ensuring that no trap was laid here for him. After all, he had many enemies being one of the most infamous of the Inquisitors.
Once he confirmed that no such thing was set up for him, he turned his attention on the boy. Immediately, his eyes were trained on his modified crucifix, an indication of his status as a mere Junior Inquisitor.
Quickly, his eyes narrowed before he turned to Aria.
"You brought me here in order to speak with a mere Junior Inquisitor?" He stated, his tone was harsh and cold. Without any sense of warmth and without any sense of love within it.
"Forgive me, Lord Albain… but… I had a deal with him; and as the daughter of a noble, I was obligated to fulfill it." She quickly sputtered out, causing Albain to frown before he turned to Elt. Quickly, he inspected his other features. Clothes, face, hair color, everything there was about him.
"Your name, boy." He demanded, his eyes narrowing as Elt stifled a nervous look.
"Elt, Lord Inquisitor." He answered, trying his best not to buckle under the intense pressure that Albain was placing upon him.
"Elt, just… Elt? No surname?" He asked rhetorically. A commoner, she brought him all the way here to speak with a commoner. Not only that but she had somehow been tricked into brokering a deal with him.
"Yes Sir, no surname," Elt answered, flexing his hands a bit as he placed them behind his back in order to relieve some of the stress he felt.
"A commoner then," He muttered, cupping his chin as he looked on at his form. Elt tried his best to read the man before him but to no avail, it was like he was staring at a stone statue, there was just nothing to indicate what the man was feeling.
The man then stared at his eyes, causing Elt to sweat somewhat as Albain stared straight into them.
"...Your eyes are blue..." He muttered.
"Uhm... yes, sir?" Elt muttered confusingly. That was an odd comment, he knew a couple of people with blue eyes. It wasn't really that uncommon here in Lescatie.
"Strange... truly strange..." He muttered before he shook his head.
"Who is your handler, Elt?" Albain asked.
Elt gulped a bit, taking a deep breath before he spoke up. "Akito Shion, Lord Inquisitor." He stated.
Ah, well… that was all he needed to hear.
"Is that so, alright… this conversation is over, you've wasted enough of my time," Albain noted with a scowl before he turned to leave.
The moment Akito's name came out of his mouth was the moment he knew that this spelled nothing but trouble. Out of all the Inquisitors, Akito Shion was the one he despised the most. Mostly due to his nonchalant approach and lack of taking anything seriously. As he turned and took a step forward however did Elt speak once more?
"Wait, Please… Lord Inquisitor… this is really important." Elt stated, causing the Inquisitor to turn his head, eyes narrowing before he spoke up.
"Wasting my time is a punishable offense, boy. Even a common rat like you should understand that." Albain stated with a scowl.
"Please... this is really important, I swear on it." Elt stated, causing Albain's eyes to perk before he turned to the Junior Inquisitor.
"Make it quick then. I'm sure that even a commoner like you must know that I am a very busy man." He muttered sternly as he waited for Elt to answer.
Elt paused for a bit, contemplating if this was the proper approach. Taking a deep breath, he decided to just be direct about it. Akito said that Albain disliked it when people beat around the bush, so he'd just tell him straight-up.
"Alright… then please… allow me to take over the mission that was just handed to you," Elt stated, causing both Albain and Aria's eyes to widen at the brazen proposal.
"...Have you perhaps lost your mind, boy? You want to take my mission from me?" Albain asked, his tone incredulous as he walked towards Elt.
"Why would I give such an important mission like this to a mere common-born like yourself? One who is being handled by another common-born monkey from the east." Albain muttered, his tone getting colder as Elt suppressed the anger building up in him. His words had cut deep, he was no different than most of the other nobles who sat on their high horses. The only thing he found different from him and those types was that he was far more honest with how he felt.
Primera seemed to agree, as she was currently figuring out the best way to emasculate this noble asshole after hearing him insult Elt like that.
That being said, Albain did have a point. He was harsh in his tone, but Elt gave him no reason to trust him. He had just brazenly asked Albain to take over the mission assigned to him, without him even knowing who he was beforehand.
Then… Elt had an idea.
"Because I am tired of being handled by him, Lord Inquisitor," Elt muttered, using his built-up anger and masking it as frustration towards his handler's general demeanor.
That caused Albain's brow to raise, quickly he looked on and listened as the boy spoke.
'Remember, Albain loves the sound of his own voice. Stroke his ego enough, and he'll eventually concede.' Akito's words rang in his head, taking a deep breath he began to speak once more.
"The way he does things is just… so unprofessional. All he does all day is sit there and let others such as myself do the work, he's a loud mouth as well and horribly uncouth for the Inquisition," He continued.
Akito, who was spying on them with a magic telescope, flipped him the bird as he spoke.
Elt just rolled his eyes at the sight, also using this as a way to further convince Albain.
"*Sigh* He is just… insufferable, but then... I heard about you from our peers. Earnestly doing your job as a proper Inquisitor, a true image of what an Inquisitor should be." He continued, staring straight at Albain.
Albain's eyes narrowed, and for a while, he looked somewhat unconvinced.
"I just… I wanted to be like you, I suppose. And so I wanted to get your mission in order to prove myself…" Elt finalized, using a sigh in order to feign exhaustion.
Albain just stood there, processing what he had said before his eyes widened slightly and he spoke up.
"I… can understand your frustrations… however, this mission is of great importance to me. As such, I would be unable to give you the reins." Albain stated, his head turning to Elt whose own eyes narrowed.
'Shit… did we fail?' He thought before he heard Albain continue.
"However, I am gathering my forces in order to conduct the raid. As such, here is my counter-proposal. For but a day, I will act as your Handler and you would be able to participate in the coming raid." Albain noted, his expression unreadable as he stared straight at Elt.
"But know this, Junior Inquisitor... the path you chose as a career is one marred with blood, and from the look of your eyes all I see is weakness... kindness, concepts that weaken the human psyche. In this raid, I will teach you what it truly means to become an Inquisitor. If you get in the way of it in any way shape or form... then you would know my wrath, understood?" Albain added, his eyes staring straight at Elt's own.
Elt nodded before Albain continued.
"These eyes of yours... they are hardened by hardship, but they have not been exposed to the darkness that we often deal with. Tomorrow... I will change that..." He declared, causing Elt to raise a brow before Albain's eyes snapped back towards him.
"I have yet to get your answer, boy, what is it?" Albain asked, tone as sharp as knives.
Quickly Elt tried to think. He wasn't being given the reins, but in this way, he would be allowed to participate. That should be enough, right? After all, a Sabbath was said to contain multiple witches and all they needed was one. He took a deep breath before he bowed towards Albain. Still, as he stared straight into Albain's eyes he couldn't help but feel like a cub being watched over by a lion. It was intimidating, that was for sure. No wonder Aria feared this man, he doubted that anyone wouldn't after meeting him face-to-face.
It made him almost want to reject the offer, but he reminded himself of what was at stake. His future here in this country was uncertain, but buckling now would put him and those he loved at risk. If it meant serving this monster for just one day then so be it, after all, how much can he really do with just one day?
"Thank you, Lord Inquisitor. I graciously accept this proposal." Elt stated.
"Good, in that case… go, I have a few matters here to deal with. This goes for you too, sister." Albain noted. At that, the two nodded before they left.
With nothing else to observe, Primera, Lucas, and Akito all breathed a huge sigh of relief. That wasn't the original plan but they'll take it. With that, they too took their leave.
Back on the ground, Albain's eyes scanned the area before his eyes turned to where the three were situated. His eyes narrowed somewhat, he whispered something inaudible as he then turned to the city of Lescatie. Taking a few steps, he looked over the yard and into the city proper. From the slums that surrounded the outskirts to the stone houses of the middle sections. Turning around, he then faced the castle that towered above anything in the city.
"Those eyes... how I hate those eyes..." He muttered to himself as his green eyes narrowed.
"Well, that went better than I thought," Akito stated as he looked on at Elt who just gave a big sigh. That was probably one of the most stressful things he's ever done, and probably the angriest he's been in a long time.
"Is he always like that? I thought nobles at least tried to hide their contempt." Elt muttered as he looked out the window. His eyes somewhat widened at the sight, with them being near the center and being high up in elevation he had a clear view of the capital.
"Unfortunately, yep. I honestly have no idea what his problem is. Most nobles would at least try to hide how much of an ass they are, mostly for political reasons. But him… Nah, he doesn't hide how much of a piece of shit he is." Akito stated with his own sigh as he grabbed an apple from a basket.
"Regardless, we have what we need. Elt would participate in the raid, all he needs to do now is to grab a single witch and deliver her to a rendezvous point." Lucas stated, looking on at the various pieces of literature scattered on a shelf within the room.
"Do we even know if the raid's actually on a Sabbath? For all, we know these rumors are nothing but a farce." Primera asked with a brow raised to which Akito shrugged off.
"It was stated in a board that Albain was gonna be dealing with a Sabbath," Akito replied as he took a bite from his apple.
Lucas, hearing this, turned to Akito before he spoke up. His face was that of confusion, and his hand went over to his chin as he thought of what he just said.
"I'm not entirely sure how it is with your organization but isn't announcing a raid before it even occurs somewhat unprofessional?" Lucas asked.
That didn't really make sense to him. A Raid's effectiveness is based on a few factors, one of which being surprise. To announce a raid so brazenly on a board like that doesn't exactly seem very effective to him. And knowing the infamy of the Inquisition, wouldn't announcing that give time for their target to prepare?
Once he heard this, Akito seemed to stop there and think for a second. Lucas was absolutely correct, announcing a raid and who its target is before it even occurs isn't very effective.
"You're… right… shit…" Akito muttered, realizing the implications of what this could mean.
"So what you're telling me is that the raid that's supposed to happen tomorrow might not even be one on a Sabbath?" Primera asked, she was less than unamused at the prospect considering whose life it was being risked.
"No, despite everything the board always has to be at least technically truthful with its announcements. If it wasn't, then our rival factions would be swarming over us for fraudulent announcements." Akito muttered as he cupped his chin.
"So the raid has to be on a Sabbath, it's just the definition of Sabbath could be stretched for this one raid." Akito muttered.
"Still, I am not wasting a day in our one-week deadline thinking of hypotheticals. We need information on who it is we're raiding, lest we find ourselves faced with a completely unrelated matter entirely." Lucas muttered, cupping his own chin before he pulled out one of the books.
"So, what do you suggest we do?" Elt asked, his mind turning to the conversation.
"Gather information, we need to ensure that this raid of ours wouldn't be pointless," Lucas muttered, turning his head down as he looked on at the book he grabbed.
"In that case, I'll go snoop around here. See if I can find anything regarding Albain's raid." Akito added.
"I'll go check in with a friend of mine, then. She might know something of vital importance." Lucas noted. Mimil Milite should be well acquainted with Lescatie from what he knew, if there was anyone who would know anything, it was her.
"I'll go check on Sasha and see if she's alright," Primera stated. Unlike everyone else, she didn't really have any connection to fall upon. As such, she decided to go use this opportunity to check on how Sasha is doing and to inform her of what was up.
"Lady Mersé might know something, so I can ask her as well," Elt stated. He also had to explain to her the situation before she decides to act on her own. Which she'll probably do regardless, but at least give her a heads up,
"Then we have no time to waste, make sure to watch your backs just in case. It's daytime, so we should be relatively safe if we're in public. Even still, stay on guard." Lucas finalized, turning to the group who all nodded.
"Isn't that kind of embarrassing, the 12-year-old's the one telling us what to do." Akito joked with a shrug.
"If you would like to take up my position, then be my guest. That way you'd actually be useful to this investigation." Lucas retorted with a deadpan which caused Akito to frown.
"Yeah, Yeah… anyways, let's go." Akito finalized. And with that, the group headed out.
Isaac walked through the road once more, his eyes turning to his newest traveling companion who was currently hanging on his back and fast asleep.
He sighed a bit, he sometimes wondered if he should've just left her to fend for herself back in that village considering that he barely had enough money to spare, and most of the quests in the villages he moved through gave him little so most of it was usually spent on feeding Charlotte. That and they wouldn't really accept her, no matter how many times he tried to beg and plead.
Understandable, considering the circumstances. Accepting her was seen as a bad omen by the locals, but it didn't make him any less angry.
So here he was, traveling to the capital with a malnourished girl on his back. Maybe this was the best choice they had, after all, he felt that leaving this girl in that village to rot was just cruel and would make him no better than the Inquisitor who did this. Speaking of, once he finds out who did this he'd be ripping them a new asshole.
He sighed a bit, they had little left to eat and they had no money left to buy food. He could always hunt, but that would also mean leaving Charlotte somewhere in order for him to hunt which just wasn't something he was comfortable with doing.
They needed a solution, and fast lest the two of them starve. Luckily, their salvation would come in just a few paces.
"A town nice…" He noted with a small tired smile.
Looking on at its architecture, he could tell that it was far bigger than any of the villages before. Where once there were wooden fences, now stood stone walls that were around a meter and a half in length. Armed guards patrolled the gates, the buildings had better foundations and some even used stone, and there were even horses found near the gate where once they were a rarity.
Actually, there were a lot of horses and even a few wagons. A caravan? No, from the looks of it there was a mercenary group that was probably resupplying in this town. Isaac just shook his head at that fact, maybe they've got food to spare.
It was a clear sign that he was getting closer to the capital, the closer he got the wealthier the town so he should expect this much. Looking on at Charlotte, he gave a small frown as he realized that he had nothing to feed the child with.
"Let's just hope they'd take pity on some beggar…" He muttered with a wry look on his face before he entered the town. Already he was getting a few stares, not surprising considering his wolf-like eyes and the child hanging on his back.
He just sighed at that as he moved. He was already used to this much, at least they weren't throwing tomatoes at him like the last village.
"...Food… Food… Food…" He kept muttering before he found a tavern.
Looking on at Charlotte, he moved towards the tavern. Sitting himself in front of the bar with Charlotte sitting next to him, he reached into his pockets to see if he had any coins left. Pulling out all that was left, he pursed his lips at the amount.
'A few silver coins… is this even enough for some bread?' He thought to himself.
The barkeep who was wiping the counter then turned to him, looking on at his coins, Isaac sighed before he offered it to the barkeep who just looked at it with a raised brow.
"What can I get with this?" He asked.
"...I'd say you're better of rummaging through the trash." The barkeep muttered which caused Isaac to give an exasperated look.
"Come on man, look… even if it's just for the kid?" He asked, turning to Charlotte. Looking on at the child, he gave a small sigh before he shook his head.
"I'm sorry kid, I'm running a tavern here not a charity. Look, why don't you try the local church, they should have some spare bread there for you." the barkeep muttered which just caused Isaac to huff and clench his fist before he placed the money back in his pockets.
"Let's go, Charlotte. Food here probably tastes like shit, anyways." He muttered angrily as he 'accidentally' tipped over a bottle of alcohol from the counter which just caused the barkeep's eyes to twitch.
"Whoops... my bad..." Isaac stated dryly as he ran off out the door.
Charlotte looked on at the barkeep before turning to where Isaac left. Getting off her seat, she moved to follow Isaac before she turned to the barkeep again. "...Meanie…" She spoke up before she went off to find her guardian.
Off to the side, a man looked on as he watched the boy and a little girl walk out of the tavern. Looking on at his companion who was sitting there, eating something she had ordered from the tavern.
"I'm gonna go see what's up with that kid, wanna come with?" He asked, which just elicited a confused look from his companion before she nodded.
…
Isaac continued on his walk, his eyes scanning the area trying to find the church. As he walked, he couldn't help but take in the sights with slight awe. Being a country bumpkin, he's never really been to any of the big cities like this. As such, seeing it was kind of a shock to him.
There were more people in the streets just walking around and minding their own business. Shops lined the streets, each selling a variety of items which would've been a commodity back in the outskirts, and street vendors sold food at prices that were just shy out of Isaac's current savings.
However, it wasn't perfect. For every shop he encountered, he saw an alleyway filled with beggars. For every man who simply minded their own business, criminals stole without care.
Isaac supposed that it was lucky that he only had an ample amount on him. So he thought that his leftover money would keep him safe from any thief.
As he was about to find out, he was being a fool if he believed that.
As he went on and looked for the church, a couple of kids bumped into him. "Hey, Watch It!" The kid yelled out before running off.
Isaac just huffed at that before he continued to walk only to stop when Charlotte tugged at his tattered cloak.
"Why, what is it?" He asked, as he turned to Charlotte.
"M-Money…" She stated.
"Money?... Wait…" Isaac muttered confusingly before his eyes widened. Reaching into his pockets, he found that the few bits of silver coin he had left had been stolen. To most, that amount of money was trivial but to Isaac, it was the last bit of money he had left to use. In other words, right now it was the most valuable thing in the world.
Without it, Charlotte and he would starve.
'Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit.'
"Charlotte, stay here for a while!" He stated before he sprinted after the kids, leaving Charlotte where she was before she tilted her head.
"That damned idiot, leaving a kid here like that…" A voice called out, turning her head up, Charlotte was met with the sight of a tall bulky man in armor and a smaller female in strange clothing. The two walked towards her, looking around before turning their attention back to the kid.
Kneeling down to her level, the man looked on at her before he spoke up.
"Hey, are you alright?" He asked with a kindly and somewhat fatherly smile, in which Charlotte responded with a small nod.
"Good, good… alright then. Koyoi, make sure that kid doesn't get himself into any more trouble. I'll stay here and watch over the kid" The man muttered as he turned to his black-haired companion. Nodding, Koyoi then jumped atop one of the buildings before he followed Isaac's trail.
"Woah… she jumps good…" Charlotte muttered.
"That she does, so… who's your little wolf?"
…
Isaac continued on his pursuit, passing by a few startled citizens as he went. He looked on as he tried to find their trail, opting to get on top of the rooftops to have a better view. Eventually, he spotted the kid who walked straight into an alleyway.
Without even thinking, Isaac pursued and dropped into the alleyway with his hands at the ready. Looking around, he couldn't find the kid anywhere. Confused, he stepped a few paces forward before a wooden club made its way to his face.
Thinking quickly, he brought his hands up to absorb most of the blow as he felt the hard wood place pressure on his bones. He skidded across the floor, clenching his fists as he gritted his teeth. Looking on at his arms, he can see bits of blood there.
Looking up, he watched as a few men with knives, clubs, and other weaponry moved out of the corner. Turning around, he saw a few more men walking into the alleyway with their own weapons.
Isaac pulled out the blade on his back before he got into a stance. One of the men walked a few paces forward, pointing his blade at Isaac before he spoke.
"Nothing personal here, kid. Just think of this as a lesson in how the city works." The man spoke up with a wry look on his face.
"Now, cough up everything and you won't get hurt." The man demanded, his eyes narrowing as his face turned stern.
Isaac grit his teeth. They singled him out, did he look like that much of a country bumpkin? In any case, he was somewhat screwed. While these men were nothing like the Amazons he was almost taken by in the village, he was also nothing like Elt at all. He could fight, but fighting this many men in a cramped alleyway with an oversized sword? Yeah, he wasn't walking out of this one Scott free.
"Look, I don't have anything else with me. You already took my money." Isaac started with a slight growl as he bared his fangs and showed off his yellow eyes.
"Damn, what's with that face of yours? Hey, are you a monster or something? If we get his head, ya think the order would pay us?" One of the thugs behind the leader asked, causing Isaac to furrow his face.
"I could say the same about you, ugly ass dickhead." Isaac retorted, causing the man's own face to narrow.
Waving his subordinate off, the leader looked on at Isaac as he observed the giant sword on his shoulder.
"What about that sword you got? It looks expensive, doesn't it?" The man asked, causing Isaac's eyes to widen as he looked on at the blade.
This was the last thing his brother left him. No way in hell was he going to just leave it to some bandits.
"Over my dead fucking body…" He snarled out, which just caused the other criminals to snort.
"Alright kid, if you say so." The lead criminal said before he charged causing Isaac to lift his oversized blade up in order to block a knife being thrust towards him. He then suddenly ducked as a club whooshed past his head.
As he crouched, he sweeped one of the criminals with his leg before he tackled another. As he did however, he was grabbed by one from behind that he failed to notice before he was struck by a wooden club on his face.
He spat out blood as he glared at the man in front of him. Headbutting the guy behind him, he swung his sword towards the man in front who was caught somewhat off-guard and had his arm cleaved off.
This caused the others to pause momentarily, which gave the Isaac the time he needed to lift his blade up for another strike. But before he could, another man came up from behind and grabbed the boy before he was pulled down.
With him on the ground, the rest of the thugs began to senselessly beat him. Isaac was kicked, punched, stepped on and even cut in a few places causing him to spit ou more blood.
Isaac gritted his teeth through the pain, his eyes darted all over to try and find a way out. 'Dammit! At this rate I'll-' he began before his train of thought stopped with a sudden arrival.
She had black hair and black eyes, she wore clothes that he was somewhat unfamiliar with. She stood up, staring at the thugs impassively before she spoke up. Her tone was slightly accented, yet regal and demanding.
"Leave, or else you'll force my hand." She threatened with a glare.
"Ooh, well… look who we have here." One of the men asked with a slight grin as he walked towards the girl. Leaning towards the wall, and getting somewhat too close for her liking he spoke up.
"Alright, lady… we'll leave him be, but in exchange how about you come and help us with a few problems of our own, if you know what I mean." He muttered with a lecherous grin.
In response, the girl's arm flew up and struck the man under his chin before she jumped up and kicked the man all the way out onto the streets causing the nearby pedestrians to stop and look. She said nothing else, instead getting into a stance that one would often see with a martial artist.
Seeing this, the rest charged forward, knives, clubs, and blades in hand.
Yet none of this seemed to change the outcome. With inhuman speed, the girl then kicked the floor and drop kicked the thug closest to her causing a loud cracking noise to be heard. After sliding through the ground, she then kicked off the wall before she roundhoused another thug into it. Using this momentum, she tripped two more thugs before she threw two talismans at two thugs.
The effect was instantaneous, causing the two men to stop as an invisible force force them down. She moved her back in order to avoid an oncoming club. She then grabbed said club and used it to pull herself back up, causing the man holding to fall over before she gave a swift strike to the back of his neck.
She continued on her onslaught, punching, kicking, and throwing the thugs around before there was but one left.
Seeing this, the last thug suddenly picked Isaac up and placed a knife over his neck. An act of desperation, most likely.
Isaac barely had time to react, his eyes widened the moment the thug's blade went to his neck. Turning to the thug, he gave a low growl as he desperately tried to think of a way out.
"S-Stay Back! Or he gets it!" He yelled out.
The girl looked unamused, turning to the thug she spoke up once more. "Leave him alone, or I will be forced to act." She spoke up.
"Act...? ACT!? I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY WITHOUT ME SLITTING HIS THROAT YOU FUCKING BITCH" He yelled out. Narrowing her eyes, she turned them to Isaac before she spoke up.
"Stay still." She muttered before she took one step forward and kicked herself up. This also caused a bit of dirt and stone to rise in the air which she then used to her advantage, a sizeable stone could be seen in the air, she spun around before she kicked the stone straight at the thug at such speeds that it left him unable to act.
Isaac was the same, closing his eyes he readied himself for what's to come. He opened his eyes suddenly when the pressure on his neck had vanished, turning, he saw the thug that tried to take him hostage had been struck with a stone from the looks of it.
When the dust settled, the girl and Isaac were the only ones standing with a few of the spectators from the town standing to watch over the commotion.
"...Uh…" Isaac trailed off, not really knowing what to say.
"...Thanks." He decided to state, taking a step forward before his body collapsed.
He furrowed his brow, his body took quite the beating earlier so it was understandable that he would be in a lot of pain. Once the adrenaline had run out, nothing stopped his mind from processing the bruises, cuts, and even a few broken bones in his body.
Seeing this, the girl walked over to him before she picked him up and placed him over her shoulder.
"Uh…" Isaac muttered before Koyoi had jumped up the rooftops and had begun to run across them. Passing through the buildings, she made her way back to where he had left Charlotte and had jumped off.
"W-Wait!" He yelled out before she had suddenly dropped in front of a large man in bulky armor. Besides him was Charlotte, earing what appeared to some of the street food found around them.
"Well, looks like my hunch was right." The man spoke up with an apologetic tone.
"Sorry about what happened, Kid, but I recognize a country bumpkin when I see one." He muttered.
That caused Isaac's eyes to furrow before he growled slightly, causing both the girl and the man to look on at him quizzically.
"I'm not a fucking country bumpkin… I've just… never been to the big towns before." He retorted which just caused the man to laugh slightly.
"That's what it means, kid. Relax, I was one too, you know?" He started with a fatherly smile which caused Isaac's eyes to widen somewhat.
"So, who are you two anyway?" Isaac asked with a raised brow.
"Right, Right, Introductions. I'm Doon and this is Koyoi." He stated, gesturing to the girl who was currently carrying him before the boy looked at them both.
"Ah… weird names," Isaac stated,
This caused Koyoi to deadpan before dropping him down onto the ground. He coughed a bit at the act, turning to Koyoi with a glare before he spoke up.
"The fuck was that for? That fucking hurt… God…" he sputtered out. Isaac didn't really mean anything wrong with his statement, he's just never heard of anyone with the name Doon or Koyoi before. In fact, he hasn't even really heard of Zipangu before so seeing Koyoi was probably the first time he's ever heard or seen it.
"Sorry about that, kid. Koyoi's kind of sensitive with her name, so try not to call it weird next time." Doon started with a good-natured tone.
"S-Sorry, I didn't really mean anything by it." He muttered, which just caused Koyoi to huff before she turned to Doon.
"What do we do with him, now?" She asked, her eyes turning to Doon before he cupped his chin. A thought then entered his mind before he turned to Isaac.
"Hey kid, you've got a sword, right? Can you fight?" Doon asked.
"...Kind of, I'm not exactly the best at it I'll admit." He muttered. His fight with the thugs was a testament to that, then again he was starving and fighting in a cramped space with a large sword.
"Then how about you join our mercenary company?" He asked, causing both Koyoi and Isaac to turn at him with wide eyes.
"Mr. Doon, I'm not entirely sure about that idea..." Koyoi muttered at which Doon just shook his head before he spoke up.
"Come on, it'll be fine. It would be just like when you joined, I'll teach him how to fight and in exchange he'll help us out." Doon reassured before he turned to Isaac.
"You'll get a weekly salary, food, and I'll even help you train that oversized sword of yours," Doon stated.
"...Do you just recruit anyone you find in the streets?" Isaac asked, eyes narrowing which just caused Doon to wave his hand a bit.
"Sometimes, yeah," Doon stated with a small grin which caused Isaac to deadpan.
"You don't really have to, by the way. Just an offer since it looked like you were running low on funds." Doon continued with a shrug. The choice would ultimately be up to Isaac, if he didn't choose to join then they'd just leave him with the local healer and be on their way.
At the mention of funds, Isaac's eyes widen slightly before he looked away to try and hide his interest.
"I'm not sure that joining your little group would fix that problem for me." Isaac huffed before his eyes slightly opened and he somewhat turned it to Doon with feigned disinterest. Something that both Koyoi and Doon caught on pretty quickly.
"B-But... just to be sure, how much are we talking about here?" Isaac muttered.
At that did Doon smile before he pulled out a bag of coins from his back. Opening it, he revealed some of its contents: a collection of gold and silver that was far more than anything Isaac had ever even seen.
"About this much, weekly," Doon muttered with a shrug.
'WEEKLY!' Isaac thought with wide eyes. That was... tempting, too tempting... there had to be a catch, there was no way this wasn't a scam.
"Wh-what's the catch?" Isaac asked.
"Well... my group's pretty renowned around these parts, so most of the jobs we're given aren't exactly the safest. The reason why we get so much money from it is that no one else would accept it." Doon explained. They weren't just given the money for no reason, most of the time they were hired in order to accomplish extremely dangerous tasks that no one else would want to take.
That being said, the money in on itself wasn't really a lot. Compared to the nobility and higher-class citizens of the nation it was basically nothing more than pocket money. And with the price ranges around the different areas, this much could either be too much or too little. Even still, it was still far more money than Isaac could even dream of, being the country bumpkin that he was, this much would be enough to entice him.
However, joining their group could also hamper his own goals of reaching Lescatie. While the monetary gain was tempting, it could just lengthen his journey even further.
After a minute of pondering, he spoke up.
"...I'm not really sure, I've got places to go too... I need to get to the capital and this could really slow me down." Isaac muttered.
At that did Doon sigh before he shook his head. "Alright kid, if that's how you feel... actually, how about I offer you something else then."
That caused Isaac to turn to Doon once more before he spoke up.
"We're actually on our way to Lescatie as well, how about you tag along and help us with a few missions here and there. In return, we'll give you a share of our earnings and give you a ride to the capital." Doon offered.
That one was far more tempting, and as Isaac pondered he didn't really see anything wrong with them. They probably had horses with them, and he probably wouldn't have to worry about getting hungry. He looked over at Charlotte who was just minding her own business, eating the street food that he presumed Doon bought for her. With a deep breath, he spoke up.
"...Alright, alright... I dunno what kind of maniac just recruits random guys they find injured on the streets, but I'm in." Isaac noted, which caused Doon to grin and Koyoi to give him a glance.
"Pleasure to have you on board then, kid. Right, we didn't really get your name, huh?" Doon muttered.
At that did Isaac turn to Doon and Koyoi before he spoke. "Isaac, and the girl over there's Charlotte... a pleasure... I guess." Isaac stated, he would've shrugged but as one would be able to tell he was still injured and on the ground. The strange state of affairs also caused a sizeable crowd to surround them.
"Alright then, in that case, Isaac. Let's get on out of here." Doon muttered, which just caused Isaac to blink before his face furrowed. "...Oh, right... hang on tight then, kid." He muttered, picking Isaac and his sword up before he placed them on the opposite sides of his shoulders.
"Chief God, this sword is heavy... how the hell do you carry this?" Doon asked, turning his head to Isaac who just shrugged. He honestly had no idea where he got the strength to carry such a thing. It was one of his odd traits, he was physically strong enough to carry something so heavy but still shy away from a monster's strength.
In any case, with that, the four set off to the capital.
Author's Notes:
Alright, I've actually got quite a bit to talk about in this chapter.
Firstly, Albain. God do I have plans for him, so much so actually. Out of all the characters here, he's probably the one I'm most excited to show. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll keep my mouth shut on him, but I will say that his story and relation to Elt is one I want to write. I will say though, writing this egotistical asshole speaking is one of my favorite things to write in this story.
Secondly, Koyoi finally makes an appearance and boy do I have plans. I will say this, Isaac's journey to the capital would take quite some time and so Koyoi and more specifically, Doon would play a vital role in his development. I have a few interactions planned, but Isaac's entire thing would be separate from what's going on with Elt. Furthermore, the whole thing with him might take a while since I'll be focusing on Elt's side for now.
Thirdly, Aria... saying this now, Aria isn't a love interest or anything of the sort for Elt at least. At best, I'd say that she'd be a good friend but with what I have planned, I doubt that this would remain the case. Again, no spoilers but I am excited to write it down.
In any case, that's all I could really say without spoiling anything. As always, leave your criticisms, reviews, complaints, comments, and more in the Review Section. My PMs are also open to if you want to use that instead.
Whamo out!
