"Brain-san! Wake up!" A scrawny man with little class yelped, sporting a head of chocolate wavy brown hair parted either way. He wore this stupid look and his clothes made him look like a village scarecrow. A laughing stock, his name was Zach.
"Not now…"
"There's a guy standing in front of the cave calling you out–we can't get close to him."
"Eh!?" Suddenly interested, a wild beast of a man shot up into an upright position. "...What's he look like!?" He reached over with his lean muscular right arm and grasped the other male by the collar. There was a tad bit of hope in his eyes for it to be a certain someone–the King's sword–named Gazef Stronoff.
"He has black hair and black eyes! He's a foreigner with a sword just like yours!"
Brain's lips parted as he heard these words and they replayed several times in his head. A foreigner with a katana? Black hair, black eyes? His brown eyes rested on the male for a few moments before shoving him away and into the nearby crate.
With a loud thud, Zach crashed to the ground with a handful of other items landing on top of him. He made a low groan, mostly unscathed from the fall.
"Did he give a name?"
"H-he's an Adventurer! Copperplate! I–I didn't get to see his name…"
Brain nodded to the small information that he was blessed with. Knowing the time, he could only assume there had been a request made to attack the group. Or at least to scout out the numbers within their base. Though the fact that the individual knew he was here could only be taken as offsetting. Considering they were calling him out in particular.
"You said, copper?"
"Y-yes…" Zach groaned as he tried to get to his feet.
"Anyone else with this adventurer?" Before he could get an answer from the deprived male on the floor, he felt the ground shake under his feet. The source came from the direction of his secret escape hatch hidden behind a bunch of crates. Brain Unglaus flinched seeing as he was boxed in with only one way out–the challenger.
"N-no!"
"Bold… He knows how to plan an attack and to force their enemy out into the open. Where are the others?" Brain turned to look to Zach who was standing up and fixing his jabot. He had this ridiculous bright red nose, it looked like the man was sick too, considering his skin tone. He really didn't belong amongst the mercenaries here.
"Most of them are outside or guarding the tunnels. A handful are watching the loot." Zach licked his lips at his own mention of loot. Not too far down from Brain's room, one could hear the whimpering of women followed by the faintest sound of abuse.
Out of all the men he didn't have any woman of his own. He never touched the women that they held either. In a way he found himself to be an honorable man, but at the same time, he was filthy. He leads a band of monstrous human beings who wouldn't hesitate to kill their own mothers for profit.
"Hmph, of course they are…" A grin rested on Brain's lips as he made his way out of the room, pushing the cloth flap out of the way. Quite frankly he was confident in his own abilities, and he wanted to try out a new technique he had been working on and perfecting.
"Whoever this guy is, I'll be sure to know if this will work on Gazef if he is any good."
Resting a hand on the hilt of his Katana, Brain kept his eyes forward. Thinking of the various ways this could go down and if he could run away. He doubted this was some sort of monster, but they knew a few things not even the men did.
Like the escape tunnel. Someone who was perfectly capable of being unseen, move behind their fortified position, and block it off. Even Gazef and his men weren't ones to go searching for the escape route.
The more he thought about it, the more interesting the challenger seemed to be.
"Stay where you are!" One of the ranking members of the brigade shouted at the top of his lungs, loud enough for Brain to hear.
In an act of annoyance, Brain put a pinky in his ear as the voice echoed down the mouth of the cave. "So loud…" He uttered as he walked past numerous members of the Death Spreading Brigade. "Can't a guy get some rest...? Cheh, I suppose not."
Passing the area where the women were being held, he watched a number of them keeping their eyes set on him. They had suddenly gone quiet at his abrupt appearance.
"I said don't move!"
Hearing the shout again, Brain sighed.
"Seriously why don't they just…" He paused at the scent of blood–someone was definitely dead outside. And it had to have been more than just one person.
His feet quickened. If he came out at the right moment, he could have the right amount of time to escape or fight. There were only two options waiting for him that he knew of. Nothing else could possibly come to mind. Though he was curious, dreadfully curious of who this man was.
Just then Brain found himself slowing down, gradually taking each step as he got closer to the turn leading out to the clearing. Coming to a stop, he peered around the corner. The sunlight was glaring in, blocking his immediate sight.
Yet as he let his gaze adjust, he could see three dead at the feet of a silhouette. Short hair, the average height of at least five foot seven inches. There wasn't much he could tell other than the fact that he wore some sort of unidentifiable uniform.
Slane Theocracy? No. It wasn't as showy. Brain squinted his eyes, wanting to get a better look before he decided to step out. That was at least until he heard the person shout his name.
"Brain Unglaus-san! I have news of Gazef Stronoff!"
Almost on instinct, he felt his heart lurch. There was something very wrong. The voice was friendly but he did not recognize it one bit. No one he knew could keep that kind of tone after straight-up cutting down three men. Though at the same time, there was the news he was boasting of. He inched forward, but he didn't move into view as he started to curl his fingers around the hilt of his Katana.
"The Slane Theocracy used the Nobles of this Country to strip him of his gear, so they could execute an assassination operation by luring him out to the frontier undermanned."
Brain's heart sank–his mind immediately jumping to the conclusion that he had fallen. The man he wanted to surpass, to defeat once more in a tournament and be the stronger man. Just the idea of not being able to prove himself against a man like Gazef, the corner of his lip twitched in dissatisfaction.
"Name yourself!"
There was a short pause.
"Satoru Suzuki, Hero of Carne Village, a friend of Gazef Stronoff!"
Lowering his head as he heard this, his lips widened into a smile that was almost pathetic. Had his rival actually survived then? Was he not assassinated? Or was he… was he implying that he saved the Warrior Captain? Did this mean this man surpassed him before he could even have a rematch?
'This guy has no idea who he is messing with! He's pulling my leg!'
Brain stepped out into the light and marched into the clearing. Blocking the sun with his free hand, he let his brown eyes rest on the young man before him.
In Satoru's hand was a black katana of a strange intricate design. The hilt though was notably elven in design, but the blade itself matched his. It was a katana through and through.
"Where is Gazef Stronoff?"
"He should be heading back to Re-Estize by now–he left at the break of dawn."
"And how do you know him?"
There he stood, several paces away from the man who challenged him. He was too far away from the cave to run back for cover. So, there were few choices left and yet very little to nothing happened as he stood a small distance from Satoru.
"I eliminated his would-be assassins during the ambush."
Brain began to bend his knees, preparing to use his God Flash, Field, and Fourfold Slash of Light martial arts skills. A circle surrounded him and he lowered his head. As a warrior, he took pride in being able to sense three meters in all directions using the field skill.
Peering up towards Satoru through his messy blue hair. Dissatisfaction was no longer on his face, but a blank expression. Each answer to the questions he had asked was nothing more than the direct truth. Nothing was a lie.
Thud.
His brows tensed as he heard the sound over and over again. Gradually letting up as he identified it for the tenth time, Brain turned his gaze from the challenger.
His jaw loosened and his head felt light. With parting lips, his brown eyes traced over the slumped over figures that once surrounded the entrance. It wasn't just ten people, it was everyone who was outside. A prickling sensation ran up his spine as he looked to the entrance of their headquarters from the corner of his eye.
A sense of powerlessness suddenly came over him for he was surrounded by death.
Two people were walking inside. One of them was unarmed and dressed in what appeared to be a monk's garb. The other a woman with similar features as the challenger, except with longer hair that was tied into a ponytail. She was wielding magic, lightning.
Turning his gaze back towards Satoru, he blinked–he was wearing a skeletal mask now. Those blaring red eyes of the mask made chills run down his spine.
"Brain Unglaus, the Death Spreading Brigade ends here, but you don't have to."
"Satoru-san, was it?" Brain drew his sword and held it in a two-handed stance. The blade pointed straight up to the sky as he stiffened his shoulders.
'I'm in half a mind to charge him–another to just run away…'
His eyes flickered to the side, seeing a clear escape path if needed. Taking in a deep breath he returned to his previous pose. Preparing the skill once more. The light of the sun seemed to dim and the circle appeared around him once more. Despite fearing a rear attack, he had to focus on the front.
Satoru was approaching.
"Take a step closer, I dare you!"
"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have to get within three meters of you."
That's when he released his attack. With a fierce swipe of his katana, he let his weapon take flight as his hands tightened around the hilt. There was no way someone other than Gazef could defeat him.
Clang.
Reverberations traveled through his hands as they shook from the impact. His eyes traveled up the blade of his weapon that was now locked with Satoru's elven-themed katana.
'Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!'
All sorts of alarms were going off in the back of his head, his brown eyes locking with those red hues that flickered like flames. It was as if he was looking at his true face for a moment. Though as he thought about it, that didn't make sense. This feeling was strange. It was as if he was staring at death right in the face and it was smiling right back at him.
"There are seventy people inside that cave! There is no way just two of them can take them all out!" Brain scoffed in distress, trying to push himself to fight. His weapon though could only grind against the flawless edge of the elven katana.
"Uh-huh… The unit that was sent to kill Gazef was more than a hundred knights and mages. All of which were equal to the third tier, if I remember correctly…"
He nearly choked on his own breath hearing the claim that Satoru made. Though at the same time for the Slane Theocracy, that made sense. Based on the three nations in the area, the Slane Theocracy had the manpower to pull together an elite unit like that. Especially one simply for the purpose of taking out a single powerful hero, Gazef Stronoff.
Breaking the lock, he skillfully maneuvered his weapon. Yet no matter how fast he moved, his weapon made contact with Satoru's. Though the first thing he noticed was that, he wasn't using Martial Arts.
There were only two possible reasons for that–either he knew martial arts or he didn't. If he did know them, he was holding back. That was an insult. If he didn't know martial arts, then his agility was just something on the next level!
This katana wasn't ordinary. As his weapon matched with it easily, he could see his durability was going down while the other wasn't changing. No, that wasn't all. With a closer inspection, this man was just moving the katana into place to block. There was no skill, no proficiency in the weapon. Even when he missed the mark and slashed him, there was no visible damage to the man's torso or arms.
Worry began to shock his system, this man wasn't a swordsman.
'Is this guy even human!? Th-this is impossible! He has to be some sort of monster!'
Squinting his gaze into focus, he quickly shifted his foot and with a flick of his wrist, he disarmed Satoru. The katana became airborne, but before it could hit the ground it vanished into light reminiscent of blue flames. All he could do was look on in shock as his blade rested against Satoru's neck, pressing into the side of his hood. No matter how enchanted his weapon was for cutting its targets, he didn't even see a single loose thread.
Brain couldn't cut this man's hood let alone whatever material his uniform was!
"M-monster! Th-the hell are you…?"
Satoru grasped at the man's blade before he could pull away and held it still with ease.
"Gazef-dono has hit his limit, Brain-san."
"What are you!?" He ignored the utterings of the stranger and continued to yank and pull at the hilt of his weapon wildly. Yet like the blade of Excalibur, his katana did not budge.
Panic was overtaking him faster than he could think and process everything that was going on. The fact his sword skills did nothing was clouding his mind. His confidence was destroyed by a man he couldn't even reach! And here Gazef had been his goal?!
"If you do not stand beside him, both of you will fall."
"Don't ignore me!"
He attempted to kick him, but it was like kicking a brick wall reinforced with steel.
"Do you want to die here, Brain Unglaus?"
Brain took a few steps back, letting go of the katana he had bought from a faraway city to the south. His spirit felt as if it was going to break, shatter into a million pieces. He could feel the thumping of his heart as his eyes reverberated. Satoru spoke so callously, it snapped him out of it. That was when his gaze shifted in the direction of the highway, then back towards the man who had come here.
"W-why are you here?"
'If I can distract him for a moment… Just a moment…'
"Panasolei-dono made a personal request to exterminate the bandits–though he never gave your name–which is good… So you can either stay here with me or run. I'll let you decide."
Brain squinted his eyes at the stranger. He couldn't quite figure out what he wanted, other than for him to live in some capacity. If he were to run, what then? He was a failure of a swordsman, incapable of fighting something as monstrous as whatever Satoru was.
Swallowing hard, he chose to run. Digging one foot into the ground, he pushed off.
Nonchalantly, Satoru examined the blade resting in his hand. It was useless to him. A small chuckle escaped his lips though. Seeing how much fun Shalltear had forgotten she had. It was like being battered with a stick, but nothing came of it. Shaking his head though, those beaming red hues rested on the mouth of the cave.
Everyone in there, aside from the women and his companions, was dead.
That was when a portal opened behind him, a massive swirling vortex of magic energy.
Seconds later about five Elder Liches came hovering out of the portal. It had been a [Gate] spell from Nazarick. Something he had requested ahead of time. "Ah, welcome to the Warrior's Den… Unit Phi. You may begin setting up in the very back room, out of sight."
His gaze rested on the scrying tool in the undead's hand. A mirror of Remote Viewing.
"Of course, Supreme One. All will be done as you have instructed. [Invisibility]."
Satoru removed his mask as he watched as the undead beings shifted past him. The five undead were quick, flying down the halls at high speeds. Like a dog, no one could really outrun them if they gave chase. At least unless they were below the level of thirty. And although they had all used the invisibility spell to remain unseen, he could still see them with his arcane sight.
'Sigh. This didn't exactly go the way I expected. Eh…'
Shortly after his undead entered the cave, Nabe and Sebastian emerged.
Walking behind them almost like zombies were women. Some of them were bloodied up, while others appeared untouched. All the same though, their clothes and bodies were in bad condition. Wrapped in blankets, they kept their gazes to the ground. Only when they hit the light of the sun did they glance up in his direction.
Dehydrated, the most they could do was open their mouths. Not that there was anything important for them to say. It was time to do what he had done before–alter their minds. In a way, he was able to spare them because of this last time. Though now, there was only one thing he had to remove from their minds… that was the name and image of Brain Unglaus.
As he stepped forward, a couple of the women froze or stepped back in fear.
Was it because he was a man? A small compassionate smile formed over his lips. His hands out in front of him, his fingers open and kept in a soft demeanor, he showed he meant no harm. It was over as their dignity wasn't being threatened anymore.
"It's alright…" These words slipped from his lips calmly with a silver tongue.
While some of them tried to shrink behind Nabe, or even Sebastian, none of them tried to run. They were surrounded by death. If he were them, the idea of running had been thrown out the window a long time ago. In their minds, they were sure running from this guy was signing a death wish. He could see the notion ringing in their eyes alone.
One after another, he used Control Amnesia. Although he was using magic on them and the women fainted shortly thereafter, there was no visible harm. Letting them rest on the dirt as he finished, he peered towards the corpses.
"Nabe, Sebastian. Gather all the corpses and pile them up by the large boulder over there… Make sure there are at least sixty nine of them and collect their items."
"Yes, Satoru-saaa-aan." Nabe bowed her head and immediately moved to secure the weapons and other pieces of equipment off of the bodies.
Sebastian on the other hand walked over to Satoru, folding his hands in front of himself subserviently. "Satoru. What are you planning on doing with the women…? They are kidnap victims from the city and nearby villages that they raided. Some of them may not have a place or people to go back to."
"They will be given a choice Sebastian. Return home, or live in the new Nazarick City."
Blinking at the words that his supreme leader had given him, the Dragonoid had no choice but to nod. It was a wise decision, and Satoru had to agree with the agreeable silence.
"As to be expected of my Master…" Sebastian peered down to the slumbering women. "May I have permission to use healing potions on them? Some of them have serious physical internal injuries and may be festering with diseases."
Nodding his head, Satoru drew two types of potions out of his item box. A green one which was a Minor Potion of Cure, and the other which was a Minor Potion of Healing. There were plenty of them in his inventory as well as the treasury, though he himself didn't need them. His denizens were all amongst the living, at least most of them. While it wasn't useful for Yuri Alpha, such potions could be used for beings like Entoma or even Shizu.
One by one, Satoru witnessed Sebastian's compassion for the humans laying before him. He was reminded quickly of the one woman he had nursed back to health. Tuareninya Veyron, the older sister of the one known as Ninya otherwise named Celicia Veyron.
A sigh escaped his lips.
"My lord?" Sebastian almost immediately stood straight up hearing the sound. His eyes were checking for distress in Satoru who had just noticed what he was called.
"Nothing… I was just reminded of someone for a moment. Remember your current role, Sebastian. Right now I am your friend and colleague, not your master."
Sebastian tensed as he just realized his mistake. "Of course."
"Help Nabe with her task," Satoru nodded his head and eyed the head butler of the Great Tomb to get to work. Careful not to emulate another sigh, his indifferent gaze shifted over towards the unconscious women once more. Their faces had become cleaner, any swelling they had on them had gone down. They were in good health, so all they needed was a bath.
Before an hour had gone by, seventy bodies were piled on top of one another. It was like looking at a small makeshift wall of corpses. Some of them didn't even have any sign of struggle, just intense fear. That was when he could tell a large number of them had been killed by Sebastian as he used his killing intent earlier.
A chuckle escaped his lips, taking a gander over his underlings work.
On the opposite side of the cave's mouth was the gear that Nabe had gathered. Swords, crossbows. The items weren't bad, but their quality wasn't top notch. For bandits they were quite well-armed compared to most criminal gangs of the sort.
Taking an infinity backpack out of his item box, he handed it to Nabe. "You can put all the items into this. We'll sell the items later in E-Rantel… Once the women wake up, we'll head back."
Nabe nodded before her eyes flickered over to the unconscious and helpless with eyes that saw them as nothing more than needless insects.
"What is the point of saving lesser life forms that cannot even fend for themselves?"
Satoru simply gave her a blank stare before shaking his head. Even with Sebastian around, she seemed to be completely ignoring etiquette.
"I should probably assign someone to protect Carne Village…"
Though he thought of sending Nabe as punishment, it didn't feel like a good idea. The last thing he needed was for them to be insulted by being called something from Nabe's hat of names. Based on his previous experience though, Lupusregina still came to mind. Rather than sending a message though, he wanted to do this in person.
There had to be no misunderstanding between him and his people.
"Everything is done," Nabe announced walking back over to him with a bag in her hand.
"Understood." Satoru affirmed her words as he placed the bag into his item box.
Taking a knee, he reached over and checked the pulse of one of the women. It was slow and steady. She was still alive but sleeping. He peered over the others and determined the same for them as well. A sigh escaped half way out of his lips before he froze, his gaze shifting to Sebastian.
Ever so attentive, the head butler was staring at him expectantly.
"There is nothing wrong, Sebastian."
"Of course, Satoru, it is as you say."
Clenching his jaw, Satoru eyed the man in return before he turned away.
A little over two hours had gone by since the operation had begun. The women were awake, sitting around in a small circle in the dirt. "So… Which ones of you have people and places you want to go back to?"
Two of them raised their hands.
"How many of you want to return to E-Rantel?"
Four of them raised their hands, including the two who had raised their hands before.
This left two more that hadn't raised their hands at all. Then again, these two didn't make a single sound either. Satoru scrutinized their inability to make eye contact. "I'm Satoru Suzuki from the Adventurer Guild. I can escort you back to the City. Those that do not have anywhere to go, I can take you to a new settlement on the frontier."
The two of them finally looked at him, letting him smile at least subtly as it caught their attention. It seemed until now they were all ignorant of who they were as all of them were trying to get glimpses of Nabe and Sebastian's tags.
"I'm going to ask all of you to stand up and form a circle."
Satoru watched as they looked at him strangely. "Just do it, you'll understand soon enough… Nabe and Sebastian will join the circle as well."
Seeing immediate nods, he watched as the group formed into a circle of nine people. Reaching out with a steady hand, he placed a hand on Nabe's shoulder.
"[Teleportation]." He recited the spell aloud much to the surprise of those gathered. In the blink of an eye they all appeared directly in front of Adventurer's Guild in the common district.
"Woah!" Squealed a handful of Adventurer parties who were about to enter the building.
"One of them just cast fifth-tier magic!" Shouted one of the golden ranked adventurers.
"You can't be serious! A copper plate?! Is that the one everyone's talking about!?"
Satoru just stood there with an empty expression as people began crowding. That was until his gaze fixated to a group of silver ranked adventurers. At least one in particular anyway.
"Hey there, you come here oft––" Lukrut the ranger of the Swords of Darkness was cut off as a hand pushed into his face. Causing him to stumble back, intimidated the ranger looked up to the older gentleman who was in his way.
Muffled chuckles escaped his friends before Sebastian spoke up. "Please refrain from crowding or staring. These women are victims of banditry and have been held hostage for some time. We're escorting them into the Guild to get their accounts on what occurred."
"We are sorry for our friend's rudeness," Peter elbowed his friend in the back of the head, before wrapping an arm around him. "He gets a little uncontrollable around women." He shared a charismatic smile and a good mannered tone.
Sebastian pitched his head slightly to them, before escorting the women inside with Nabe. Though Satoru on the other hand remained standing there, looking at them with a very subtle smile on his lips hidden by his high baggy collar.
"Swords of Darkness, right? Peters, Ninya the spellcaster, Lukrut and Dyne, no?"
"Y-yes. You know about us?" Peter chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"P-please don't give me embarrassing nicknames…" Ninya smiled nervously, seeing that her fame as a talent holder had caught up with her.
"Of course…" Satoru's gaze shifted towards the blades that rested at three of the men's hips. Then back up towards their faces. It had been two years since he had seen them alive…
Although they had only met briefly for about three to four days, it was as if it was yesterday. He remembered, recalled, each one of the pages to Celicia's diary. Particularly the one entry about being able to go off with new comrades.
"You must be truly strong like the Guild recepist said," Dyne smiled as he spoke. "Not many adventurers get a personal request on their first day… Let alone one like yours."
"A-are you the spell caster of your group?" Celicia eyed his hands, looking for some form of staff where there wasn't one. Though there was this curious glint her eyes when it came to the rings that occupied each digit.
"Yes. Similar to you I have an Aptitude towards Magic… I can cast up to sixth-tier."
"It seems we keep being reminded… There will always be people stronger than us," Peter exclaimed with an envious chuckle as he released Lukrut who was now rubbing the back of his neck.
"As my seniors in the Guild, I hope we can learn from one another and grow stronger together." Satoru proposed before clasping his hands together, "Perhaps tomorrow we can do a quest with our two parties."
Celicia, Dyne, Lukrut and Peter all looked to one another before returning his gaze. All they could do was nod their heads, appreciating the offer and accepting it without a second thought. He was the hero who saved the Warrior Captain of the Kingdom after all. A hero saving a hero wasn't all that common here, and Satoru wanted to capitalize on that as he knew he could.
A chuckle escaped Satoru. "Of course, I have to leave you now… I'll talk to you four later." He raised a hand and gave a light wave, but as he went to turn away he heard Celicia.
"Wai-Wait!"
"Hm?"
"Didn't I see you yesterday with a bird on your shoulder?"
Satoru paused for a moment before nodding. "It's a Kiwi… It's name is also Kiwi. It's a long lost friend's pet I've been taking care of. Now, I must be going." Just as before, he could see the saddened look on Celicia's face as she recognized his loss similar to her own.
As he stepped into the guild, the incessant chatter that filled the main room became an eerie stillness–silent. Satoru peered each way. People were staring at him. By now he was sure his reputation had spread throughout the Adventurers who have visited since the day before. This made his kill count over a hundred and seventy people.
He began to wonder, how much of a monster did they see him as?
Peering over his shoulder, he watched as the Swords of Darkness came in with smiles on their faces. They gave him a light wave, before he turned away with a nod. Peering over towards the steps leading to the second floor, his gaze was locked on the Guild Master.
He was waiting for him as Sebastian and Nabe waited behind him.
"Satoru-dono, it is good to see you." Pluton welcomed Satoru at the top of the steps as he made his way up. Nodding his head in return, Satoru gave a weak smile now as if he had just murdered a bunch of people and it was still on his conscience.
Though in truth, it wasn't. Even though he had a small spark of humanity inside him, his undead skills kept him from going too far into it. Their deaths weren't important. He didn't know them. The bandits served their purpose and Brain is off to join Gazef, probably.
Looking back on how the First Battle of Carne went, he had no idea what was to become of the second greatest Swordsman of the Country.
Soon he found himself seated in a room, with Nabe and Sebastian seated at either side of himself. A table filled with windows and little decoration. From what he could see, it was the same room he and the Swords of Darkness once occupied. A little down the way, and he was sure the room he had the meeting with about Shalltear was where the women were being questioned.
Pluton didn't keep him waiting.
When the guildmaster came walking into the meeting room, he walked around to his chair across from them. Seconds later, two of the six women followed him in and sat at the table beside Sebastian. Just seeing their gazes on the Dragonoid monk, Satoru couldn't help but smirk at this.
"What you accomplished in two days, including today, is no small feat. Saving a village from destruction, rescueing the Warrior Captain from assassination... Satoru-dono, you just wiped out a bandit camp in under a day and saved their captives–proving your strength more than enough to advance to the next few stages." Pluton spoke in a serious and sincere tone, keeping his volume down so as to not bother the two guests.
"Uh, hm…" Satoru scratched his head. All he had done was follow Brita's original plan, to lure the bandits out and into one place. It worked and he wiped them out, all while coming close to capturing Brain.
"No need to be modest, Satoru-dono." Pluton clasped his hands together, knowing Satoru's worth simply from face value. He was invaluable to the Adventurer's Guild, to E-Rantel, and he knew it.
In thought, Satoru rolled his jaw at the man's words. He wanted a response to the praise, to the promise of being promoted. He didn't need to take a test. This made things a little easier. Letting out a heavy and slow exhale as if in defeat, he gave in but wasn't going to give an unconditional surrender. "Before you advance me in rank, for the time being… I don't want to be higher than Silver."
Pluton blinked. "You really are a modest one aren't you?"
"If I rise too quickly through the ranks, I do believe the higher ranked adventurers will grow to hate me for surpassing them." Satoru who was a loner in his previous life, or previous previous life he should say, knew what it was like to be hated. To have lost everything, everyone. Advancement in a corporate entity is life or death, or the means of keeping your job.
Getting someone else's promotion was often met with hostility, even as a salaryman.
"Your accomplishments were enough to warrant a Gold Rank, think of the better paying missions you could go on." Pluton offered, trying to elevate the man. Satoru shook his head at the notion. "Huh… Modest and stubborn. I'll do it. Silver rank it is. Your new tags should be ready by the end of the day."
"Thank you, Pluton-dono."
Satoru and company bowed their heads in unison, as a mutual form of respect. It was all part of being a salaryman in Japan. It was drilled into his head. Even the common person, a slave, he could pitch his head down in thanks to.
"I'll come back tonight to collect it…"
Pluton placed the reward money onto the table, a sizable pouch of coins.
Reaching over, Satoru placed the bag inside of the Infinity Backpack, which literally looked like he was putting a bag inside of a bag. He was now wondering how much of a reward he could get for killing a dragon, but he swiftly put that into the back of his mind. Killing one certainly had the chance to place him on the top of the Adventurer roster for sure.
He didn't want that just yet. If anything, a rank up could wait until he dealt with the Death Cult that was causing issues. A huge part of him felt that he let them get away too easily last time. Or more so, that he had forgotten entirely of their existence next to Lady Clementine's. Instead he had spent day after day completing quests instead of researching the cult.
He needed more information–and the sources current locations were unknown. The only thing he knew was that they were in the catacombs within a few days from now. If they weren't already.
"Satoru-dono?"
Pluton's voice took him out of his thoughts and his gaze snapped to the Guildmaster.
"Ah… Yes, Pluton-dono?"
"I just wanted to make sure you're alright… Taking lives can take a lot out of people."
Satoru nodded to Pluton and rose from the table, standing on two feet.
Soon Sebastian stood up as well, with Nabe beside him. "Pluton-dono. We thank you for recognizing our party leader's greatness in his time of emotional conflict. I will remember your nature well when next we meet."
Pluton smiled awkwardly as he joined them standing around the table. "Please, don't be so formal." His voice fluctuated as the formalities were making him nervous. "I might be the guildmaster of the Adventurer Guild in E-Rantel, but it is my duty to recognize the hard work and prowess of my colleagues. I was once an Adventurer myself, along with the Magician's guildmaster."
"Understood, Pluton-dono." Sebastian placed a hand on his master's shoulder.
As they made their way out of the room, the two women followed behind the party.
Once they were down the steps and on the floor again, Satoru was surprised to see the Swords of Darkness waiting by the job board. Though the moment his foot stepped down on the ground, they turned their heads to look over at him.
"Ah, Satoru-san!" Peter raised a hand in a wave.
"We were wondering what you'd like to do for a mission tomorrow."
Satoru glanced towards the board for a few seconds, without turning his head, before resting his eyes back on them. "Uh oh…" His eyes flickered to Celicia as she elbowed Peter in the side.
"You don't have to answer us right away," he raised his hands slightly in front of himself to emphasize his patience towards an answer. "But we were wondering if we could join you for a bit today?"
Sebastian stepped forward to answer the question, only for Satoru to block him with his hand. The man looked to his Master for a few seconds before nodding. "As you wish."
"We're currently escorting these two to a walled settlement that's being built several kilometers North of Carne Village through the Tob Forest… They wish to move there since their family was killed in a raid." Satoru explained with a faint smile still resting on his lips.
"A walled settlement?" Lukrut exclaimed in confusion.
"W-we never hear of a settlement being built up that far North of Carne." Celicia scratched the back of her head, keeping a smile across her face. Though her eyes were quite sad.
'Perhaps she is still thinking about earlier? Or maybe sympathizing with the girls?'
The thoughts cleared from his mind as it didn't necessarily matter in the long run. While these girls were going to be the first to join the City-State in the making. It wasn't part of the Empire nor the Kingdom. He was sure it was going to upset the balance as it did last time, he was sure of it.
"We would be interested in joining you on the journey, if you'd like." Peter offered, making it seem as if he was pushing for the experience. Not that it could hurt really.
'Hmph. It's likely he wants to keep his party around us to rise up and get stronger… No matter, that was the plan anyway. Perhaps if we do merge, I could keep Sebastian in reserve.'
Nonchalantly, Satoru pointed towards Lukrut, "his flirting habits will get him killed."
"Eh?" Lukrut put his hands up in immediate surrender as he was singled out.
Peter, Dyne and Celicia looked at their friend unsure before looking to Satoru for an explanation. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into. In a way, he thought it was hilarious but at the same time knew he had to be responsible with these guys.
"Most of the entities building the settlement have faced prejudice from humans," Satoru quietly let out a quick breath as he looked over the four of them. "So refrain from hitting on them if you can. Particularly, the one with horns."
Celicia's eyes fluttered in a barrage of blinks, "Uh-uh… H-horns?"
Satoru nodded as if it was something completely and utterly normal. "Shall we get going? We'll only be there for a few hours." He gestured towards the exit with a casual look on his face.
"Satoru-san," Dyne stroked his beard out of curiosity. With his size and shape, despite his young age, he looked like a sagely fellow. "Are we going to teleport there?"
"Yes."
"I never teleported before," Celicia shifted forward excitedly towards Satoru. Almost perfectly her worries of what the inhabitants were was gone, covered up by happy thoughts.
"Hm…" Satoru eyed her for a moment, "Since we will be working together, you could study under me if you'd like. I'm sure Kiwi would enjoy the company."
'Ah… I have no idea about the fundamentals other than the nodding fests I had with Paradyne… Oi. Do I have to deal with that old man again? Ugh, Why am I doing this again?'
While her eyes were filled with stars, Lukrut was curious and Peter was worried. In the end, it was Dyne who seemed to be the most concerned, though supportive at the same time. Without a single sliver of hesitation, he spoke in a calm tone with an intelligent demeanor.
"Huh. Recent news from the capital is that a group of Adamantite Adventurers defended a Demihuman Village against the Slane Theocracy and its special extermination unit. Visiting a village with similar beings wouldn't be any different."
'Though these are Heteromorphs… Not that it matters. Theocracy will treat them the same as any demihuman threat they come across.'
"Everyone takes their first steps," Peter grinned and put an excited fist to the air.
"Haha! I hope there's beauties there~!" Lukrut grinned as he hooked an arm across Peter's shoulders, his eyes resting on Nabe who gave her lethal sights in return.
"Sebastian?"
Humored by the young Lukrut's spirit, he turned to Satoru. "Ah yes, anything you need Satoru before we head to the settlement?"
"Make sure he doesn't get himself killed by any of the current denizens… or eaten."
Lukrut kept an awkward smile across his face as his lips parted in bewilderment, "Eh?"
"Again, I'm sorry for my friend." Peter rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger.
"Quite fine. Now, this way." Satoru led them outside and into a clear space on the side of the nearby alleyway. The plaza was plenty busy as it were due to the closeness to the mid-day meal. Even in this world there were stalls that sold meat and meals serviced for Lunch, particularly towards those who didn't eat at a tavern or inn.
"So why are we going into an alleyway?" Lukrut looked up at the towering buildings they were moving between, before resting his gaze on the back of Satoru's head.
Letting out a sigh, he stopped and turned around. "Do you really want to cause a ruckus by disappearing in the middle of a crowd or accidentally taking someone with us?"
That was when the Ranger processed the tone that was used and his hair stood on end. "Uwaaaah~ No, that would probably be bad for all of us. Considering the fees for disturbing the peace, which is even more damning for an adventurer party like ours."
"Potions are pretty expensive…" Celicia murmured trying to keep humble.
"This is probably a good idea," Peter acknowledged willfully as he looked around.
"Alright, form a circle." Satoru ordered as he held out his hands from his sides.
Celicia went to grasp his open right hand, only for Nabe to grab hold. Sebastian grabbed the left one before she could even switch targets, all while Satoru watched. Though hesitant, shetook hold of Sebastian's hand which was rough and calloused.
Satoru imagined once more the words that Lady Clementine had shared. How Celicia had been screaming the name "Momon" in hopes of being saved. She died screaming his name, calling for help that never came in time. Just thinking about it made him want to boil over until the emotional suppression system took hold, causing the memory to cease replaying.
He wasn't angry at Lady Clementine–no–not anymore. It was because he let one stepping stone allow another possible gain to vanish into thin air. If he had stayed with the group, he could've made his party look a bit more ordinary and gain new friends–as he now learned Ulbert wanted him to do.
'Forbidden territory… Huh.'
Once everyone had gathered hand in hand, Satoru cast a single spell; "[Teleportation]."
Gravel under foot, Satoru found himself standing on a high standing plateau built entirely of stone bricks and layered with gravel. He was standing on top of the elevated area that the castle buildings were being built upon.
"Uwaaaah~! This is amazing!" Lukrut was the first to call out, "Nabe-san! You have to show me around, please!?" He had completely dismissed the fact that Satoru had warned him.
"Talk to me when you know your place," Nabe coldly rebuffed him with unfeeling eyes.
"Ah… Saw that coming," Satoru scoffed as he slowly released the hands of his colleagues. His gaze shifted towards Celicia who was looking over herself, checking her staff and belongings. He cocked his head watching her as she seemed flabbergasted by her first time being teleported somewhere.
"Ninya, look at this!" Peter called, Dyne already standing beside him. They were standing by the outer half-wall of the castle-to-be. "There is so much being built here!"
Satoru folded his hands behind his back as he followed the group over. His gaze settled on the various houses being built. Everything was being put together at the same time. Demiurge's planning seemed to be reasonably effective. Bringing a hand up to his chin, he began to think about the possibilities of other things he could have the strategist do.
"Satoru-saaa-aan, I must take my leave. If I am needed, please call me without hesitation." Hearing Nabe's words, Satoru couldn't help but nod knowing how she felt.
"...Oh-uh, Of course. Do as you will." From the corner of his eye he watched as the Battle Maid vanished down a nearby entrance to the lower areas beneath the platform. Considering Nazarick was directly beneath their feet, he was sure that was where she was heading.
"Aw…" Lukrut was in complete dismay as he watched Nabe leave. Though just as quickly, he caught something in the corner of his eye. "Oh~! There are elves here too!"
Satoru turned his attention to Lukrut who was pointing towards Aura and Mare.
"Ah. Subarashii Satoru-sama~! To think you would have brought your friends to the great city so soon! As expected of you, to show your greatness." With his arms out from his sides, Demiurge made his appearance descending upon the flat surface. His tail shifting side to side.
"Of course, Demiurge. Of course…" Satoru flashed a stressed smile as his fingers gradually tensed and untensed. He wasn't the first one he wanted the Swords of Darkness to meet, but he couldn't really change that.
Peter, Lukrut, Dyne and Celicia all turned on their heels at the sound of a new voice. Almost immediately their faces appeared disgruntled at the appearance of the Arch-Devil.
"Demiurge-san is definitely not… an elf…" Lukrut was nearly frozen in place. Though he had never actually come in contact with any demons before, Satoru could sense his anxieties.
"That's r-rude," Celicia nervously turned to Lukrut, a bead of sweat forming on her temple as she turned to him. Though quickly enough she locked eyes with Satoru, as if silently pleading for an escape from the situation.
"I'm here to show my colleagues around," Satoru read the message loud and clear with a snicker nearly escaping his lips.
Meanwhile, from the corner of his eye he could see Peter was looking over the Devil's tail, then up to his face. He must've noticed immediately that Demiurge's eyes consisted of colored jewels. "I've never seen quite a being like you before… Demiurge-san."
"Oh?" Demiurge pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose, looking over Peter. Only to return his attention to his true one and only master before bowing with a full on dramatic pose. "Is there anything I can do to be of assistance, Satoru-sama?"
"Is the item I requested earlier this week finished?"
The Arch-Devil froze for a split moment before standing up straight. "Yes, it has been completed on time. I left it for you in your personal chambers… Would you like me to fetch it?"
"No. That is all. I'll gather it later on… Let the others know my friends are here, so their presence doesn't startle them. We don't want a misunderstanding. And while you're at it, send up the twins."
"As you command," Demiurge was swift to draw his wings and launch off into the air.
Once he was gone, the Swords of Darkness near-immediately moved closer to Satoru.
"To think you were that strong to be admired by such a being!" Peter had his hands on his hips and a smile on his face. "Why do I have this strange feeling that you're even stronger than Fluder Paradyne of the Baharuth Empire?"
"Oh~ you know him?" Satoru spoke almost teasingly.
"N-no. I just heard he can use sixth-tier magic just like you've shown you can." Peter laughed, showing how nervous he was though he tried hard to hide it.
Dyne kept a smile on his face and said very little, mostly nothing actually. Perhaps he could sense that Demiurge was indeed a demon? Druids were divine casters after all and physically powerful individuals similar to that of clerics.
"Saaaaaaatorruuuu-saaaamaaaa~!" Aura came somersaulting through the air before crashing down directly between Satoru and the Swords of Darkness. "Save!" She landed in a stereotypical hero's stance from the comic books and movies with one hand on the ground.
"Hey Aura," Satoru planted a hand on the top of the elf's head and ruffled her head.
Aura giggled wildly at the feeling of his hands going through her hair. "Welcome home!"
"S-sis...!" Mare's presence was announced as he levitated down from above.
"Woah! He can fly!" Celicia cheerfully pointed out.
"He?" Dyne and Peter both looked at one another before eyeying Mare as he landed.
Lukrut walked towards the Supreme Being and Aura, "Aura-san. My name is Lukrut. It is a pleasure to meet you." His gaze was taking in the bow on her back, he had recognized her as a ranger no doubt.
Aura creased a brow as she peered up to Lukrut for a few seconds, as he had spoken to her. It was as if she didn't know what to say in return at first. She looked to Satoru then towards Lukrut again. Her right ear rested against her shoulder as she cocked her head to the side.
"Nice to meet you too?"
Lukrut went to crouch down to her level when Satoru put a hand under his arm. "What's up Satoru-san?" He blinked at him curiously, not understanding until he spoke.
"Don't."
"Yeah~ Getting in people's faces is rude. Don't look down on me, okay?" Aura blew a raspberry as she shoved her hands into her pockets, pretending to be punkish as she did so. That was until she glanced over towards Mare who was talking with Peter and Dyne.
"Um… It seems the boys seem to be hitting it off rather well…" Celicia rubbed her shoulder as she stood beside Satoru. It was vaguely apparent she was keeping her staff in hand, not that he could blame her. This was unknown territory after all.
Satoru nodded his head at her words, his gaze on the two women he had brought here.
They were over by the half-wall remaining still as can be. Like a pair of tourists these would-be-residents leaned on the stone construct. From what he could see they didn't have much to talk about. Was it because they had been held captive? He had no idea how long they were being held, or how they were abused. Satoru could only assume the worst.
No thoughts came to mind before his gaze flickered back towards Celicia who was within arms reach. A light frown crossed his lips as he was tempted to reveal all that he knew about her. Specifically that he knew she was a girl, but that could come off as blackmail. If he ever wanted a favor, it was going to come off as extortion. On top of that giving her a gift right off the bat this soon in the game, was going to come off weird. Considering he had it made specifically for her before ever actually meeting her in person this time around.
'I am going to have to wait a few days before giving her that gift, huh…? No matter.'
"So the uh… The wall looks like it's almost done." Celicia leaned on her staff a bit.
"Ah… Yes, it is actually."
'They have been building it for five days now… Give or take. In about a week or a few from now it will be completely operational.'
"So… Why'd you become an adventurer?" He knew her story, but he wanted to hear it again. If he were to suddenly know about her sister–she could get suspicious.
"Eh?" A surprised expression shot across her face before she lowered head a bit. Surely there were some bad memories coming to mind when he asked that question. "Hehe… I wasn't expecting you to ask that question." She rubbed the back of her head, combing her fingers through her messy short hair.
"Tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine." Satoru followed up by subconsciously winking.
"Ah… It's a long story..."
"Hrm… We have the time."
Celicia closed her eyes for a few seconds before bobbing her head in defeat. "Alright… I became an adventurer to get my sister back. She was taken by a noble sometime ago… I hate nobles, though I know some of them are honorable…"
"I assume nobles kidnapping young women is a normal occurrence?" The question was rhetorical. So, she was quick to pick up on that as she hardly gave an answer for it other than a sideways glance.
"Y-yeah it can be…"
"Explains things…"
The girl in disguise nearly shuttered hearing that line that left him, she stopped herself from moving away from him in haste. "Uh...um… Excuse me?" She audibly gulped, albeit quietly, as her voice shook. Unable to help it, she stared at him with her big blue eyes.
"Follow me a moment…" Resting a hand on her back, Satoru smiled at her internal panic. Softly turning her away from everyone else, he went to walk her towards the large flight of steps to the grounds below.
"Huh, where are you two going?" Lukrut was the first to notice, considering he was a ranger and fully alert.
"Nowhere in particular… Just showing him a number of spells he might find useful." As he had no intentions of blowing her cover, he lied. He could feel her calming down almost immediately as her shoulders relaxed. "We'll be a distance away to spare the area."
With that, Satoru kept her close as he took several steps down. Once he figured they were out of sight though he used silent magic to teleport them both. As they reemerged over a kilometer away from the castle's foundation, he watched as she nearly stumbled over herself.
"Aaah...!" She caught herself against the nearly complete section of wall, pressing her petite hands and stave against it. "Ooof… Wha… I thought we were going down the steps."
"I don't know your friend's range of hearing," Satoru referred to Lukrut with a shrug.
"Uh oh, I see… So you..."
"I've known someone who was in a similar situation as yours… She took her brother's name, wore his clothes. Chopped her hair with a dull knife to split the ends, and bound her chest… Despite how hard she tried though the assassin that killed her family caught up to her anyways."
Though it was a fictional tale, he was sure she was going to buy it. He kept it simple after all, and didn't go into detail. At the same time it spoke very powerfully towards her position. She was a loose end and a girl. Danger still persists for her even If she survives Clementine, but only if he does nothing about it.
"So what you're saying is…"
"If they're looking for you, they'll find and identify you."
Celicia's lips parted as she registered the words he bestowed upon her as they sounded experienced. "H-how long have you known about me?"
"Since the first time I saw you at the Magician's Guild, though I have the feeling none of your friends know… Would be disappointed if they found out by other methods though..."
Averting her gaze, she looked over a nearby tree with a look of gloom on her face.
"I didn't take you out here just to tell you I knew. Or to share her story." Satoru crossed his arms in front of himself as she leaned against the wall and looked up to him.
"...T-then why?" She lightly bumped the back of her head against the wall, not enough to cause pain, but for a mild distraction.
"I said I was going to show you spells, didn't I? ...Want to find your sister?" Those words were flowing like honey, smooth and sticky to the touch. He knew exactly where Tuare might be, what was probably being done to her–but he couldn't claim to already know.
"I… I'm sure she is still being held by the noble that took her."
"Even when made illegal, slave trade will always persist where there is profit. So you don't know where she is… until you do." He knew how slave trade persisted even in Japan following its abolishment in the form of modern debt, and in its true form in the shadows.
"How are we going to find my older sister…?"
"What's her full name?"
Celicia lidded her eyes as she was asked the question, "Tuareninya Veyron."
Reaching into his inventory, he pulled a single mirror out of his item box in a careful and swift movement. "This is a Mirror of Remote Viewing. It can scry vast distances and work in tangent with other spells… But you need related spells to operate it."
"You're… not going to ask for my real name?"
"Unless you want to tell me."
Celicia shifted her immediate attention to the mirror and her reflection as he held it out in front of her. That was the answer to that. How long had it been since she had looked at her reflection? He watched as she painfully squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds before letting them open again with bettered vigor.
"Can you teach me how to use it?" Her gaze shifted to him.
Handing her the low leveled mirror, he took out a dozen or so scrolls that allowed the user to control the mirror. Though there were also scrolls for looking inside of buildings, adding sound, and even locating specific objects and people.
Reaching a hand out to the side, he used [Create Greater Item] to spawn a table and chair against the exterior wall. Celicia nearly jumped at the display of power, a fidgety smile etched itself across her lips. Without another word he put the scrolls onto the table and pulled the chair out for her.
"First, you will use the scrolls to see how the spell feels. Don't worry, I have plenty of them..." Satoru had used this to check the best times to go into the markets when he played YGGDRASIL. Especially if he wanted to avoid being attacked by humans or other player killer types if he was going alone.
Celicia sat there in the chair holding the mirror in her hands. It was a low-level magic item, so he wasn't bothered just giving it to her to use. Especially considering he knew the divination spell that worked several times better.
"If you succeed, I can put the same resources that were put into me, into you." Satoru placed a hand on top of her head, feeling her soft short brown hair as it tickled his palm.
"Th-thank you…" She lowered her head as she began getting to work studying the item. For the time being she only had a limited time here. Only a couple hours maybe.
"When we return to E-Rantel tonight, after revisiting the Guild. I'll show you a place you can study in your free time. You're welcome to bring the others anytime..."
Satoru knew she was trusting. She trusted people easily, a lot easier than the villagers of Carne after he saved their lives the first time. There were some things she just wasn't the type to submit to. One thing he did like though was how good natured and humble she was accompanied by her hatred and viciousness when nobles were subject.
'If I used Control Amnesia and placed doctored memories of the last timeline… No. That might cause problems. Either just a strange sense of Deja Vu or something worse than Roberdyck's vegetable…'
His fingers flexed around the top of her head, though she didn't seem to make much of a fuss of his touch. She just sat there staring at the scrolls and studying the markings. All the while she seemed to be doing something fundamentally different than him when it came to using magic. She was focusing on the mirror.
'Hmm… All I can make is assumptions when watching her… But since I established myself as a more powerful mage…'
Satoru's brow twitched as he found himself sitting in the same position as he did with Paradyne. All he could do was watch, asking questions could only weaken his appearance. Unless he came up with some idea…
His mind wandered back towards the Shooting Star ring. He had three of them this time around instead of the two. To his knowledge, he could use that to not only understand the fundamentals of New world magic, but perhaps gain more spells.
New World spells like Clean or Create Water…
Surmising that he could bypass many of the rules YGGDRASIL once had due to the lack of a system stopping him… He found himself smiling to himself as he peered over her shoulder.
"I am curious, Ninya, what kind of magic specialization do you want to focus on?"
Turning in the chair, she looked up to Satoru as she nudged his hand off her head. "Uh… I think the best choice... would be Arcane Magic, but this scrying magic… it's impressive..."
Satoru couldn't disagree with her praise or choices towards magic. As an Overlord he was naturally focused towards the Arcane. Well, other than the abilities related to his instant-death magic build, that is. "So, tell me. What is your study strategy for these items and their corresponding spells?"
"Ah…" Celicia smiled as she was asked this, clearly enjoying the subject more. In the blink of an eye she had turned back towards the desk. She had the scrolls all unraveled and laid out flat, held down by the blue healing potions and diary she had in her pouch. With her finger she traced the circle and began to explain...
...And she unknowingly began to teach him the fundamentals of new world tier magic.