It was kind of endearing how the villagers of Carne seemed reluctant to let him go on his journey, as if each and every one of them wanted him to just settle down and spread his roots. And it was really was quite tempting, to become the sort of every-man in the village, doing honest, blood-free work and being justly rewarded for his efforts. To maybe start a family, and leave a concrete legacy that Tatsumi had "lived" in this world.
But reality was not so easy to forget. And while his journey home back towards his comrades seemed a long and impossible thing, Tatsumi was nevertheless determined to keep on trying regardless. The reminder that this world was a lot more pleasant than his own home did not make him want to just lay down his arms to pursue the easier path—on the contrary, he was shown how good people's lives could become when corruption and sin were not considered the norm, but instead as the aberrations that must be slain quickly.
So he owed it to his friends, and his comrades to return. And if he were fortunate still to recall all that he had experienced here, he would be able to bring back these memories of hope—that their struggle would never be in vain. To let them hear about the optimistic smiles of a people unburdened by fear and oppression, which was infinitely better than the alternative. To remind them that it was the duty of people gifted with power, like their group, to make this wondrous path a reality.
Nfrea had also expressed his desire to retain Tatsumi's services, over and above his Quest from the Guild. However, Nfrea had made it plain he would be spending another week or so here in the Village, for there were apparently some things he needed to do other than ask for the hand of his now-fiancee, Enri. Unfortunately, much as he worried for the man, and was apprehensive at the prospect of his returning to E-Rantel alone, he had his own path to tread. And so, after leaving plenty of advice for the man on his solitary journey (on the mule he had hired, he congratulated himself on the foresight), Tatsumi reluctantly bid goodbye to his client, and the villagers. His second farewell was especially bittersweet, he found.
He dearly wished, that whatever evil was out there in the lands that he did not know, would not turn its gaze upon this innocent place.
Embarking on his trusty steed, Tatsumi now rode on his lonesome over the dusty road, traveling through familiar lands back to a place he had already been to: the Capital City. Fortunately, he had already recalled the way without needing to consult his map. His memory from when Gazef had taken him there, as well as his own journey to E-Rantel afterwards, gave him the easy path to his destination in his mind's eye. It would be a swift trip, for as long as his mare allowed it.
He would not allow himself to be distracted by anything, unless it was someone in distress that was directly in his path. Much as he would have liked to travel the world and perhaps right the many wrongs out there that he could not see, he had a goal in mind; and therefore he would continue towards that first of all above everything else.
After a few days on the hard road, encountering no higher excitement than merchant caravans and bands of soldiers passing him by with assorted reactions, Tatsumi fell into a routine of meditation and self-reflection to help sustain his nerves. And if he was willing to admit it: he didn't want to feel the crushing weight of loneliness.
No mark against his horse, of course; but it was never easy to be traveling alone in silence, wrapped in his own thoughts, while seeing no prospect of home. Give him a citadel, an army before him, and his blood would burn, his mind fired up with the urge to overcome all. Climbing endless hills of uncertainty, and viewing plains that were empty and silent, if beautiful; only kept giving him waves of melancholy.
On the times he needed to stop to camp, with Incursio encasing him, Tatsumi always made sure to dive back into his memories through a meditative trance. He reflected on his journey thus far, on the peaceful times, the hard times, and the violent times.
He was warmed by his recollections of friendship, of camaraderie, of care, of witnessing love blooming from afar. The smiles of a people at peace, living their lives, whether it be a tiny village on the edge of a forest, or a bustling city, filled with people; of a valiant soul ready to sacrifice their own lives for a worthy cause, of people who sold their skills, yet still for causes most virtuous, of kings and elders only trying to do their best for their people, all without needing to indulge their selfish wants through base, unrepentant evil.
He was reminded of his hard times, when he needed to scrape for food, when he had to endure much privations just to survive. Even receiving the king's gold had not placated his constant needs, yet in doing his work he was able to come to the conclusion that there were many more who were suffering more than him. His little struggles, especially with this horse he was riding, seemed small and petty and selfish, compared to what certain people had endured. And so, bearing pride for himself and his abilities, he was able to easily let go of the gold; knowing that he at least could endure much more tribulations because of the mere fact that he can.
Then his mind sought out the memories of his fiercest battles. From the simple way he had slaughtered all those goblins, on both times, to the hardest fight he had endured yet in this world, featuring monsters wearing the skins of people who would have fit the mold of an Imperial minion with gold stars.
From all of it, he was able to draw an easy conclusion, something that didn't need big smarts to reach: that when using Incursio, his overall strength in these lands was above many.
The level to which he measured himself was Gazef and that Clementine. Though he hadn't formally duelled Gazef, he was pretty sure the man would put up a good fight, even against Incursio. While he couldn't be sure if the man had anything that could pierce Incursio, without the armor Tatsumi could tell that his swordfighting skill was outmatched.
It was the same consideration with Clementine, who possessed lightning quick attacks which Tatsumi was barely able to match. Without Incursio, he would have been bleeding from a thousand holes on his body. The teigu was able to nullify the woman's potential threat, turning a deadly encounter into a war of attrition. And while he wouldn't count on seeing and fighting that bitch anytime soon, he was pretty sure a future one-on-one, with their parameters equal, would still result in his favor. The problem was, Clementine seemed like a crafty one, which meant that if their paths were gonna cross one day, she would be bringing another undead dragon—or maybe something even worse.
This led him to another observation, that the people of this land had been able to achieve such wondrous, superhuman feats all without using a teigu. And while such skill was not unusual for Tatsumi when he considered his experiences in his own land, their sheer ubiquity—as shown clearly by the Adventurer's Guild—meant that in some ways the people of this land were actually stronger on average. If they were forced to apply themselves further than what they normally were, they could even come to match teigu-users.
On the other hand, nothing in this world so far had made him hurt. Exhausted, maybe, especially at the graveyard, but nothing had actually hit, even with Incursio, that made his body feel like it had actually hurt. He recalled that soldier Wave, whose own attacks had hurt like a bitch, leaving a literal bruise on his body and a lingering memory that never failed to make him wince whenever he recalled it. Especially now, when he was meditating.
For the moment, therefore, Tatsumi felt that with the teigu he was more prepared to meet most challenges in this world. As he was reminded when he delved into his first major battle against the Slaine Theocracy, even their so-called magics had also been unable to affect Incursio directly. He was of course unsure how strong those magic spells had actually been. Mindful of Gazef's words, and his own conversations working as an adventurer, he knew there were many more spells out there. It was, again, fortunate that he had Incursio on hand, which seemed to be able to handle those magic things for him.
Perhaps, in a way, he could become an existence equal to Esdeth here? It was a humorous thought to entertain: that he could actually be the current strongest person in these lands. Were he a lot less unscrupulous—and perhaps just a tiny bit more cunning and ambitious—he could leverage his strength as a means to get what he wanted.
Even as he thought that, he could feel himself shudder. There was a deep-seated revulsion within him at the thought of using his power to keep other people down, even if it was for a good cause. Even if it would make things a whole lot easier for him, he knew he could not be that sort of careless, irresponsible bastard. He was the only remaining member of Night Raid, and by all that was good he was going to stick to their ideals!
That did give him a sad—and perhaps despair-filled—thought. If there were really no other paths available to him to return, perhaps he might found a secret group here in these lands, who would do exactly as his old group would have done. They would find and kill evil, wherever it grew. And they would call themselves "Night Raid". With these many talented people available, he thought he'd have little trouble finding those with the proper mindset and motivations.
Ah, but he was definitely getting ahead of himself in his thoughts. He blinked, opening his eyes, and saw that he was currently seated at his secluded camping spot. He was cloaked completely in darkness, as the fires of his small bonfire had faded to wistful embers. Close by he could see the large, looming shape of his faithful horse, her features indistinguishable in the dark. Above, there was no moon to illuminate, but Tatsumi felt no fear. Darkness was his ally, as an assassin.
Putting aside the title of "strongest", or of allowing others to inherit the spirit of Night Raid, he was currently here, living, and on the way to seeking his goals.
"One step at a time," he muttered aloud to himself, before closing his eyes to sleep once more.
During mornings on the road he usually began his day with some exercises. Luckily, out here in the uninhabited places in between towns and villages, no one really seemed to care if he punched holes in a few rocks, or if a series of trees mysteriously lost some of their branches. Then he wound down by taking off Incursio and practicing his sword arts, polishing both sword and body for the day when he needed to fight without the armor. Such a situation was very bad for him, as someone like Clementine would have killed him several times over without protection. But he owed it to himself and his comrades that a Tatsumi without his teigu was still a dangerous man.
Naturally he got to recalling how he would be able to learn from Gazef, which was the only reason why he was pulling up his base of operations from E-Rantel back to the Capital City. Tatsumi had heard Gazef's explanations as to how his skills had been developed to such a degree without the use of a teigu, nor less magic, yet that still left him unsure if such methods would apply to himself.
He understood that mastery took some time to accomplish, but Gazef had asserted that he had begun training his sword-arm when he was already fully grown. So naturally Tatsumi had pointed out that Gazef was surely talented to be able to do so at such an age. But then Gazef had replied, telling him that talent was only one part of it—that if one really put in the hard work, such "Skills" became as natural to the body as one's arm.
Tatsumi had extreme doubts about that assertion. He would be seeing it for himself, though; and if such miraculous learning worked, he would see to leveraging as much of it for himself as possible.
After all, even here he just could not be an Esdeth. But when he returned home, perhaps he could have picked up enough good tricks by then that he could maybe beat her.
He chuckled nervously to himself at the thought, before he looked around fearfully. He had an irrational superstition that merely thinking about that dreadful woman would summon him inexplicably near him. He half-expected to hear her voice whenever his thoughts inadvertently wandered to include her.
With an admonishment for himself to not be distracted, Tatsumi slapped his cheeks and continued on his sword exercises.
After his exercises, and a cooldown period of meditation, the sun was usually casting bright glows over the land. Tatsumi would eat breakfast around this time. His provisions had been restocked in Carne Village, with the villagers gladly giving him some salted meat and oats for his horse to carry with him. He still had some left over from when he'd left E-Rantel with Nfrea, along with the jar of sweet honey that the young man had given him before he'd left. The sweet, sticky substance was good for dipping his hard bread, but could be eaten by itself. It was a luxury he had much to thank Nfrea for, as the liquid was surprisingly filling when he needed to find that ideal spot for a camp and his stomach was already grumbling.
Still he imagined that it, along with much of his provisions, would not last the whole way to the Capital City, by his reckoning. He would have to stop by some villages, or a town, along the way to get his stocks up. Luckily, he had already plotted his path beforehand, tracing it over the map in his head. He had bypassed E-Rantel completely (and by this point it was already many miles behind him) in exchange for having to stop by another big city on his way to his destination.
He also had to account for needing to take it slow on his journey. When he had been going with Gazef and his men, they must surely had been equipped with the hardiest and most loyal horses that money could provide. His horse, on the other hand, had her little quirks, even though he already treated her as an honorary member of Night Raid. He just couldn't maintain a breakneck pace on the roads, no matter how much he'd have liked to. Not without enduring another fallout with his mount, which would probably piss off all the stablemasters in this entire Kingdom.
And so, it took roughly the same amount of days for him to arrive back at the Capital as when he'd first left it weeks ago for E-Rantel. A reasonably long period of time, all alone on the road, under the heat, the cold; and with only his horse, his thoughts, and his burning drive to return as company.
When he was able to spy the familiar shape of the great city and its walls in the far distance, he leaned down and patted his horse's tough neck.
"We're here again, girl," he murmured. "Back to where we first me. Almost feels nostalgic huh? Even though it's really only been a few weeks or so." And to be fair, those were very exciting weeks, filled with action and danger.
She snorted in reply, as if to say that such sentiments didn't really matter to her. He smiled. She was a pragmatic sort of horse, almost reminding him of Akame.
"A good place for you to finally get some good enough rest. At least, as long as Gazef keeps to his word."
Tatsumi had arrived at the city gates at the middle of the day, the exact worst time to appear if one intended on getting inside the city on time. The long line that was issuing forth from the gates was testament to that bit of wisdom he had picked up from his days at E-Rantel. And apparently what was true in E-Rantel was also true here in the very capital of the Kingdom.
A long series of merchants, adventurers, and other types of assorted travelers preceded him into the city, and the queue moved at a slow, deliberate pace. He had to keep on patting his dear horse, assuring her that she would be able to get under shade and rest soon enough, once all this bureaucratic stuff was done and over.
"In the meantime, here, chew on some oats," Tatsumi said. He grumbled good-naturedly, about the fact that his horse was in a way able to eat a lot more times than its master. His horse appeared to give him a dry side-eye in reply.
Upon finally reaching the gatehouse, he was accosted by a familiar-looking guard, who did a double-take upon seeing him.
"Ah, Tatsumi! You've finally returned! It's been a while!" the man greeted.
Tatsumi cocked his head for a moment, before smiling. He recalled a laughing face illuminated by the campfire, who joined in the singing when there came a toast to fallen comrades. "Millard! Nice to meet you again. You been well?" He held out a hand to shake the other man's, and the two exchanged firm grips.
"All good! Another day I still live is a day to enjoy!" The man guffawed. He couldn't recall the man being this boisterous when they had been riding together, but that was understandable.
For Tatsumi, it wasn't surprising for Millard to be here, knowing what he knew. Gazef's men were probably part of the men-at-arms responsible for this city. They were definitely going to have many duties related to defending it, or keeping the peace within it. Gazef had explained that in a way, they were supposed to be the King's personal troops, but thanks to some rigmarole concerning "rules and laws and objections", they were suborned to the city itself as a fighting force.
"I thought you'd gone off to be an adventurer somewhere out there!" Millard presently said. "What brought you back?"
"As it happens, I'm here to see sir Gazef again," Tatsumi explained. Millard firmly ushered him past his fellow guards, nodding to them as a signal that Tatsumi didn't need to be examined and interrogated before he could enter. Not that his entrance would have been long if Millard hadn't been here: he was an "orichalcum" rank Adventurer now, which was supposed to mean something for the people of this land. Brita had described it as "opening a few more doors that were previously closed" or something.
"Gazef? Hmmm…" Millard scratched his bearded chin, his expression suddenly confused, like he had forgotten something. Then he exclaimed, "Right! Right!", while slamming his fist on an open palm. "I done clean forgot."
"Forgot?" Tatsumi repeated.
Millard cleared his throat and laughed. "Well as it happens, sir Gazef told all of us something in case we ever saw you back here in the city and whatnot."
"Oh?"
"Give me a mo', got to let the memory return to me," Millard said, frowning, as if he needed to strain his mind a little more to recall certain details. They had come to one of the rooms at the guard-house, where Millard pointed him to a seat. The man poured him a cup of water which he accepted gratefully, all while Tatsumi patiently waited for him to continue.
"Oh, right! The boss man said, that if you ever got to visiting, to tell you to head straight away to the Merchant's District. Once there, ask around for Laufen's place, the locals there will prob'ly know it instant-like. But, in case you need directions…" The man looked around, patting himself as if he had looking for something to use to write.
"That's fine, I'll just ask around," Tatsumi said hastily. "'Laufen'', was it?" He figured he could always ask around, if he had a name.
"Yeah! Ol' Laufen," the man said, once more frowning. "Dunno why Gazef would wanna meet you there. Not that it's part of my business, mind you. I'm just glad I was able to pass the message along."
"I appreciate it," Tatsumi said politely. He wondered if Gazef had really given that sort of blanket command to his people, when he didn't even know the exact time when Tatsumi could return. Tatsumi had made no promises, after all, except to say that he would return to claim the favor he'd earned from him. But he could've been gone longer than a year, if circumstances had been different. "Where is Gazef right now though? Do you know?"
"I dunno myself, only see him now and then during morning exercises up at th' barracks," Millard made a gesture with his thumb in the direction of the Palace. "He comes and goes a lot, and it's been known that he's always runnin' around on the King's orders on official—and unofficial—business. It's only when he needs some backup that I get to meet him all formal-like." The man nodded at him. "And the very last time was when we was meeting you, Tatsumi."
"He must be a very busy man," he remarked. Though that really was kind of evident with the way he had been talking to the King like he was a close confidant. The King laid claim to all the land between here and E-Rantel. That spoke to his power, give or take a couple of miles of actual reality. And Gazef, being the so-called "Warrior-Captain" who was commanded directly by this King, would always need to be busy. Tatsumi was just glad it was all to the good, and not that Gazef was not the sort of right hand that Esdeth was.
"Well, so are we, in our own ways," Millard said with a chuckle that Tatsumi eventually joined. "And speaking to that, I need to return to me duties. I guess you might be heading over soon to where Gazef is now?"
"Probably after making a couple stops," Tatsumi said. "Need to rest myself. And my horse."
"Ah, right, right. Plenty of inns and taverns here where you can dust off. And maybe get some actual food. Sorry I can't offer you anything at the moment. I mean… we already had lunch and all…"
"Oh that's fine. I'm fine with just the water, for now."
"If you have time, swing by the Gabbing Goose, that's where me and some of the other boys dip our beaks in when we swing off duty. Usually around when the sun comes down."
"The Gabbing Goose, huh? I'll try and be there."
"Nice!" Millard clapped his shoulder. "'Fore I go, I got to ask you something real quick."
He blinked. "Okay…"
Millard took one furtive look around, before he leaned in and whispered. "Any chance, were you anywhere near E-Rantel? When all the bad business with it went down and all? We only heard there was a whole bunch of unpleasantness there. It's got us in the guards—well, the whole city even—all jumpy and looking over our shoulders."
Tatsumi hesitated, unsure of how he should answer. Were anyone from E-Rantel be asked, they would definitely point at him immediately as the one who was most involved in the matter. But he wasn't really ready for answering that question right now.
Millard was looking at him expectantly. Just as he was about to answer truthfully, someone called out from outside the room.
"Calling all guards! We've got a spillage out here! Get outta here and help! And someone fetch a damned caster before this all ignites and blows us all up!" Millard stiffened, then quickly ran to the door. He stopped, and turned around to nod at Tatsumi.
"You go on ahead with your business, and we'll talk later when we can, my friend," he said. "Oh, and welcome back to the King's own Capital!"
Tatsumi glanced at the situation outside, and saw there were a bunch of guards clustered around a wagon, just within the gate. There were loud shouts and curses emanating from that location. Tatsumi blinked at that, and shrugged. He couldn't really involve himself here, or he'd be called a busybody. The guards seemed to have it in hand, and might be insulted that an outsider was inserting himself in their work.
"Gabbing Goose…" he muttered to himself, as he went to collect his horse. Maybe he would visit the inn and have a talk with Millard and the others.
He had given much of his gold reward from the King to Carne Village, leaving only a few in a smaller bag for himself. He could no longer quite afford to splurge on the higher class establishments to establish as his base and sleeping accommodations. But he was still able to afford something that was not quite rundown and moth-eaten: a "hotel" near the center of the city that had featured premiere discounts for those of the Adventurer's Guild.
He had overheard several of his fellow adventurers talking about it, and of the very generous discount one could acquire if he went there to rest his head for a spell. It sounded too good to be true, but when he saw how clean and well-built the building itself looked, as well as how well-groomed and professional its staff were acting, he was convinced. It reminded him of his old establishment from E-Rantel, especially the overly- conscientious concierge. (He recalled that man bidding goodbye with an expression almost approaching wistfulness, though the memory was rather tainted by the man's somewhat callous opinion of the Zuranon incident)
It turned out the establishment had been founded by a merchant who had a history with the Guild. Having been saved along with his family several times by adventurers who were only incidentally in the same area, he had then made some sort of vow or promise that he would do right by the Guild in his own way. And that way, apparently, was to create a business that would give favorable rates to adventurers.
All this Tatsumi had learned from a brochure given to him by the concierge when he had inquired inside the building. He had wanted to take measure of this merchant with the generous heart, but he was away attending to "business".
After exchanging a few words with a couple of adventurers who just happened to be leaving at the same time, Tatsumi was convinced to house himself and his horse here.
"And what, sir, would your rank be?" asked the perfunctory concierge.
"Oh. Um… Orichalcum," he replied.
The man's eyes widened. "Orichalcum?" he repeated, as if he couldn't quite believe the proclamation. "Would… it be possible to see your plate?" The concierge cleared his throat. "For… security reasons, you must understand. There are many charlatans with the sole aim of eking out even one less coin spent on lodging… by pretending to be what they are not."
"Sure. Here you go." He flashed his plate, which he had attached beneath his coat.
The man stared at it for a while, as if he was utterly shocked. Then he muttered, "Well… That is… certainly orichalcum… Yes…" He dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief. "Please forgive me, sir, for my impudence. Now then, since you have proved you are truly a well-deserving adventurer, allow me to present your options…"
It turned out that his new rank really was able to open new doors for him, as Brita had claimed. He didn't know if the concierge was genuine with his profuse enthusiasm, or if it was an act to ensure that he paid his gold here, yet Tatsumi was nonetheless made to feel that his accomplishments were valued greatly by the hotel. The discount was very generous, almost allowing him to live here for close to a month with what few gold he had left.
The man was also quick to point out various benefits that came with giving this hotel his patronage, such as gaining the services of a high-ranking Chef for the most exquisite meals, exclusive discounts on similarly skilled blacksmiths, jewelers, apothecaries among other professionals an adventurer might need. Perhaps the kicker for Tatsumi, which made him cough up his coins after minutes of thinking—was the guaranteed free horse care by a professional horse minder for the duration of his stay.
"Make no mistake, sir, our people are going to pamper your horse. We'll treat them like the kings and queens of their own little horse-kingdom! In a way, maybe you'll even be jealous of them!" the man had exclaimed. Tatsumi thought that would certainly be true in this case.
He then performed the preliminary precautions of inspecting his room, and checking to see if there were any tricks embedded into it that he would need to watch. Unless it was something magical, he couldn't find anything that stood out, which gave half his mind some peace. The other half wanted to know at least the basics of magic, so he wouldn't be caught flat-footed.
There was an opulent room where he could refresh his body, which he used to wash off the dust and grime of the road. Just as in E-Rantel, it felt very extravagant, to the point that it almost darkened his mood. He should not be enjoying such luxuries when Night Raid had to settle for the deepest, darkest dens. He felt he didn't deserve to be cleansing himself so thoroughly that afterward he literally smelled like some fragrant flower that had just bloomed.
He shook his head, spraying drops of water from his moist hair. This was really pathetic, having to be hounded by his own frigging mind.
Knowing he couldn't bear to meditate if he stayed here alone, Tatsumi quickly left his room, reasoning that he could always get some proper rest later. He felt like heading outside, sinking into the noise and bustle of all the people of the city right outside the building.
First, he paid a visit to his old friend, who was in the hotel's personal stable downstairs. He was surprised to find that she was the only one who was there, as no other adventurers had come to leave their rides—or maybe they didn't have or need horses at all.
The stablemaster was a kinder soul then his nemesis from E-Rantel, a woman with short-cropped hair who gave him a short speech about the many things she would be doing for his horse, including a full round of hoof-trimming, mane-scrubbing and using magic to ensure she was healthy. The way she described the sort of high-quality food she would be giving his ride almost made him envious—and his stomach did grumble, having been just reminded that he hadn't had a proper meal served to him since Carne Village.
After expressing his thanks and bidding goodbye to his horse, Tatsumi left, heading back out towards the streets where he was instantly surrounded by a mass of people all going about their day.
He looked around, orienting himself as to his ultimate destination. The Merchant's district was some distance away, beyond a bunch of streets. But he didn't need to walk there directly just yet. He had the time and the desire to explore the city this time, when he hadn't been able to before.
After he'd received the gold from the King, Tatsumi had been quick to leave, having been spooked so much by Gazef's words that he didn't have the patience to take it slow. So after buying his horse, he had almost immediately hit the road, leaving the city relatively unexplored.
Now, some time later, Tatsumi had returned, and now he had the free time to do just that. He would take his time to scope out the whole place, as if he were working a job for Night Raid here, all while trying to find some good place to eat.
"The Gabbing Goose? Nah, too early…"
He'd walk around a bit more, before he settle on someplace to eat. In a city like E-Rantel, one was not able to walk down a street without encountering a place just like that. In here, a city six times as large, he couldn't walk three feet without finding something. There were big taverns, or small shops. There were peddlers walking around, carrying stacks of food to sell on their backs, or by a horse, or carried on a cart or a wagon; which were stored in bags or boxes or chests that were heated or cooled by magic, as the food required. It was rather fascinating for Tatsumi to see, as he walked silently through the crowd, just another face with somewhere to be.
As he continued to traverse the many streedts, going past countless buildings and interesting places, Tatsumi became slightly aware of something tugging at the corner of his mind. It was like the smell of manure or blood, poking at his awareness and making him realize that something foul was in the wind. It wasn't an actual smell per se, and as Tatsumi paused to focus on it, his mind was able to supply an answer for him.
This was the stench of corruption and decay. Of the evil that clung so easily to the bodies of people, tearing them down and turning them into the worst versions of themselves, until they became utterly incomprehensible—monsters in disguise.
This was not his first time smelling it in these new lands. Back in E-Rantel, he'd caught whiffs of it, and had been given a direct dose by the appearance of Clementine and those cultists. The graveyard was never a pleasant place to be in, but their presence had only made it seem fouler than usual. Here in the city, it seemed it was a bit more pronounced, more obvious, as if it was easier for evil to hide in plain sight.
If he told this to any of the people, they would call him crazy. Such things were not supposed to be smelled, nor less sensed at all. But for someone who had lived almost his whole life in the muck of the Empire, the return of the sensation to his consciousness was like traveling through a brilliant and colorful field of flowers, only to encounter a cluster of rotting plants, thriving despite all reason.
As a member of Night Raid, it was his duty to uproot such evils where they grew.
Right now, he couldn't really say where the source might be. It was faint, and always off in the distance no matter where or how far he walked.
He knew that if he really wanted to, he could trace these signs of evil to their source. But right now, he really couldn't afford to be side-tracked.
In any case, he kind of expected such realities to be the case. He was of the firm belief that no one place could be completely good. It was refreshing to be in a place that was not radiating such foul evil constantly, like in his Empire. But evil always found a place to grow. It was the duty of the good and the just to keep it at bay.
Feeling a little curious, Tatsumi deliberately stepped into streets that seemed seedier than its fellows. Here, his ingrained instincts told him of multiple instances of hostile intent coming at him from all sides, a sure sign that these places contained people who were less than agreeable to the rest of the city. Thankfully, the stares he was getting were brief, like gnats buzzing around his ear. They were probably just sizing him up, looking to see if he was somewhat of an easy target. Then they'd take a look at Incursio slung over his back, and would instantly lose interest. If Tatsumi was going to be underestimated, it would very likely be a gang or a group who would find courage in numbers.
He already decided not to linger too long in these places, unwilling to risk having to get his hands dirty finding off an ambush. His brief foray into those streets did show him a hidden side of the city that made it seem like an entirely different area from the rest. There were beggars lying down in heaps: eyes glass, heads downcast. Flies swarmed above their bodies, their forms so thin and emaciated that he thought they might have been corpses.
He caught a whiff of the stench of refuse and worse things drifting towards him in the air. Buildings looked more worn-down and dilapidated. Cracked walls, broken doors, empty windows. He could sense the gazes of many people hiding within their cloaks or peering over corners. He heard loud, harsh laughter, distant and echoing—not the joyous and exuberant noise of their kin just a few streets over.
Despite everything looking so dismal, Tatsumi could not find the source of the earlier feeling of corruption. He could feel in his bones that they were definitely coming from here, but he couldn't know exactly where. It reminded him of the entrance to the sewer back in E-Rantel: that these places were merely gateways to places that would have felt right at home back in the Empire he knew. A world underneath their feet: an underworld where evil is left to fester, whether through malice or expedience.
With a darker mood, Tatsumi frowned to himself as he turned his back on these places to return to the brighter parts of the city.
Before he knew it, he found his steps drawn towards the local Adventurer's Guild. The familiar building gave him a rush of nostalgia when he looked at it. After all, this was where his "work" had officially began.
He really had no business here, but curiosity drew him onward. Whether or not he'd take up any work posted here would depend on how his future meeting with Gazef went. After all, he did need to mind his finances a bit.
When he entered through the door, he was hit by a different kind of nostalgia. He had been so long on the road that it felt like ages since he had last entered the Guild back in E-Rantel. It was the sort of familiar image that stuck in his mind, for having to frequent it a lot to earn his keep while he lived in these lands.
The noisome bustle of adventurers filled his ear: of whispers becoming as loud as bees, of shouts that were lost in the din. He heard joyous laughter, serious discourse, the clink of armor, the pleasant twang of a blade, the jingling of coins in a bag, the rapid scribing of documents, the repetitive shifting of papers. There was the faint smell of blood and sweat, either theirs or some monster's, and of the oils used to invigorate steel; of the sharp scent of ink and dust gathered around old tomes, and then of various medicine and alchemical things which he had learned from Nfrea. He glimpsed men and women of various builds and heights, clad in all manner of garments suited to their work; saw the weapons strapped to bodies or left leaning on walls or stools, saw the brief wisps of magic of varying colors drifting like puffs of smoke in the air.
All this he took in for the brief second he lingered on the threshold. But as he scrutinized them, they also saw him in turn.
He braced when their attention turned towards him, the newcomer at the door. Eyes gazed out at him: hidden behind masks, from within helmets, or shrouded by hoods. In that moment, they too saw him, maybe judging him, dismissing him, or taking interest.
The feeling soon faded, as they saw nothing remarkable about him. From the way he looked, Tatsumi would obviously be another Adventurer. If there were any regulars here, they would wonder at this stranger to their branch, and what he might be doing here.
As he walked towards the Quest board with all the requests attached to its surface, Tatsumi caught bits and snippets of conversation around him as he slipped through the crowds. While most were going on about business which he would never know about, the rest of it was occupied with gossip about one topic in particular.
It seemed that news of the happenings at E-Rantel was still being discussed hotly. He was amused to hear furious speculation, or people lamenting that they had not been there to join in the fighting against Zuranon, or wondering what exactly the cult had been doing there. There were dark mutters about the sort of omens that this incident posed, while hopeful voices pushed back, pointing out that it had been the work of the Guild to quash these evils, and that they would continue to do so.
He made a show of examining the Quest board, rubbing his chin; though he genuinely was surprised at the sheer variety of jobs that were available. The fact that they were still up implied something about them: either these were too much a pain in the ass to do or the Capital had too few adventurers to handle such sheer volume.
"Excuse me."
He turned and saw a couple of adventurers looking at him with equal parts of wariness and curiosity. They were respectively a man wearing some long robes—probably a user of magic—and behind him a woman in a leather jerkin, a ponytail, and an eyepatch of sorts.
The man asked, "We couldn't help but notice: are you not an orichalcum ranker?"
Tatsumi's eyes widened. He quickly looked down, and saw the hint of his plate that could be seen peeking from under his jacket. He shifted, covering it up once more before he nodded. No point in hiding it now that the jig was up. "… Yeah. Is… it going to be a problem?"
The two looked at each other, grinning. "Oh, it was nothing. We just noticed your rank when you passed… You must be some sort of prodigy huh? I mean you look so…"
The woman now said, "What he means is he's an old fart, and you look so young. Meaning no offense of course, friend." Tatsumi took a glance and saw that they were of gold plates.
"Old fart?" the man cried. He rubbed his chin. "Look at this face! These are baby cheeks! I am young in heart, body and soul!" The man turned back. "May we shake your hand? It's not every day that we get to meet a rising star. Heck, we might even be able to see you rise to adamantite soon enough!"
"Hah, well it's alright," Tatsumi said. He accepted their handshakes.
"Come on down to the Gabbing Goose, we'll buy you a round," the woman said, after she shook his hand. "No pressure, though."
"See you around!" the man said cheerfully.
"Yeah…" They walked away, talking excitedly among themselves. "The Gabbing Goose…" Tatsumi muttered to himself. Was it some sort of coincidence? Or was that place just so famous that two people from entirely different backgrounds would be recommending it as a watering hole? He scratched his head, puzzled by the mystery but unable to offer any sort of answer for himself.
Now deciding that staying here any longer was ill-advised, or he'd probably pile up obligation after obligation to join people for drinks, Tatsumi started to turn back towards the entrance, to make his quick escape.
He was instantly stopped when his gaze met another pair of intense eyes, piercing into him like a hawk. A second later, he was able to identify the features of the man who was presently staring at him.
It was Ainzach, the leader of this branch who had interviewed him during his entry into the Guild.
"… Tatsumi, was it not?" the man said, his voice a rumble, much as he remembered.
"Ah, yes. Sir. Yes." Despite himself, Tatsumi's spine stiffened, like he was talking to Najenda.
The man continued to stare at him intensely, while making the silence linger. Then he gestured towards the back of the room, where there were several doors. "Would you mind if we talk in private?"
"No sir," he said nervously. "Please, go ahead."
The man rumbled in his throat as he turned around to lead Tatsumi. As he followed after, Tatsumi was momentarily surprised to sense that even with his back turned, the man only had one opening. Perhaps it was because he wasn't in Incursio, and that he wasn't in a state of heightened adrenaline. It was still kind of unnerving for Tatsumi to meet what was probably the third person who might be a tough fight in these lands. How had he not noticed it before? Had he only been distracted earlier?
"Here we are." They entered an empty room, where there were several chairs just sitting in a disorganized fashion. "Have a seat wherever."
"Alright."
They had another staring match for a few more seconds before Ainzach sighed. "I had heard the news about your involvement in the events over at E-Rantel. Word travels fast, believe me. All well and good, especially when I recognized the name of the person who was said to have been 'most instrumental' in solving that particular matter. You could well imagine my surprise. As well as my relief when it was made clear to me that Gazef's judgment wasn't wrong after all."
The man paused. "Congratulations, Tatsumi. It is not for me to make judgements of another branch's authority. But I will not object very much to your promotion to orichalcum. It is clear that you have earned it on your own merits, on your own skills as an adventurer. Whatever doubts I may have had are gone now. You have earned your new plate, and as far as I'm concerned, Gazef did a good thing."
"… Thank you sir." Was there really anything else he could say? He relaxed slightly, now assured that the man was just congratulating him.
But then came the follow-up. "However."
Tatsumi swallowed, his back straightening again as he shifted in his seat.
"I have heard a disturbing rumor that you have been gallivanting all by your lonesome. Accepting and completing quests as just yourself, as Tatsumi, instead of forming a group with at least one other person. We have the records. You registered for a quest, and submitted it for completion as a lone person, without naming one other." Ainzach's eyes hardened into a glare. "And that even during the operation of this impromptu quest to defeat Zuranon, you chose to confront the source of this unrest all by yourself. All without backup."
"Is that…" Tatsumi frowned. "Is that wrong somehow?"
"It is very discouraged. Not only is it irresponsible of you, it is very reckless. Though the Guild has a heroic core, it was not to be headed by heroes, nor do we expect our people to be. You all work together, your skills pooling together to accomplish greater things than what you would be capable only by yourself." He crossed his arms. "By the gods, what made you think it was perfectly adequate to be operating on your own? No matter how confident you might be of your own prowess in battle, the Guild does not condone lone mavericks. At the very least, hire some servants to give off the appearance of cooperation."
"Well… You know what, honestly?" Tatsumi shrugged. "I never really thought about it. I was doing perfectly fine earning by myself. But you got to believe me that if I'd known it was a hard requirement, I would've found some group."
Ainzach sighed. "If… you're having difficulty finding someone who can match your prodigious skill—which is well-earned, I shan't deny that of you—the Guild does exist to allow you the means to meet people of your level of skill. Merely put in a request to the Guild, and we would have a list all ready for you to pick and choose."
Tatsumi exhaled. "Look, sir. I appreciate the offer, but if there aren't any strict rules against it, then I'm gonna have to decline. I'll be all fine on my own. And you don't need to worry about me: I'm not going to head off on dangerous quests all by myself. My sense of self-preservation wouldn't have allowed me to, anyway."
Ainzach grumbled. "Like when you went off to face Zuranon all on your own? That was all well within your skill level was it?"
"I… That was an extraordinary situation. I didn't have the time to hesitate." And he'd even helped end the incident!
"It is always better to have a team to cover for you. To help you up, at least, when you're feeling tired. They don't even need to fight beside you, or for you."
Tatsumi shook his head. "Sir, with all due respect, I really do not have an interest in joining another team!" He paused, his mind realizing what he'd just said. "I mean… any team."
Ainzach rubbed his chin. "Did you… Or are you currently part of a team? Are you having some conflict there?"
"...No."
"Then… have you lost your previous team? Is that why you're so reluctant?"
In a way, he had lost them. But he knew, certain in his bones, that Night Raid was still alive. "No. I mean…" He rubbed his forehead. "I must repeat, sir, that I accept and understand your advice. But, with all due respect, I must refuse."
Ainzach huffed. The intensity of his eyes faded, as if he had given up on trying to convince him. "It was a miracle that you ended up reaching orichalcum on your own. You mark my words, the very best of the best rise up to adamantite as a team. No one in the history of this Kingdom has ever done so without. Think on that, especially if you intend on rising far in the Guild."
"I'll take that advice to heart." Only this one, at least.
At that moment, in a place not too far away, Gazef Stronoff marched into the deepest parts of the Royal Palace. He passed through many corridors reserved for those ruling in the highest places of power within the vast and venerable Re-Estize Kingdom, following a well-trod and memorized path towards his destination. In a way, it was almost like he was traveling through a forest on the way to a secret lair, navigating his way through treacherous, confusing undergrowth.
One of his friends had described it as a "metaphor" for him having to always wade through the constant morass of life at Court. It wasn't something he appreciated much, because he was always comparing his service to the King as a trial that he always needed to endure, just so he could repay his debt to the King. He'd call it like it is: the corridors of the Palace were confusing because they were long and they were many, with a lot of secret side-paths and passages because of the need for security—all so the King could have a measure of privacy from the sycophantic nobles who only existed to leech from royal prerogative.
Gazef really didn't mind. In a way, it ensured that his forthcoming conversation with the King would be entirely secret and confidential.
"Your Majesty."
"Ah, my faithful Gazef, welcome, welcome." The King put down the book he had been reading, and started to stretch. Gazef approached and bowed deeply, waiting for the ruler of Re-Estize to bid him rise and address him.
"We are most curious about your reasons for approaching thus. It has only been two hours since our last meeting. Has something happened?" The King asked, after gesturing for Gazef to relax.
"My men have just sent word from the gates. They've confirmed that Tatsumi has just arrived. He has been told of our meeting place. I'd venture a guess that I will be meeting him there today."
"What makes you think he'll be there? Did he say anything to your men?"
Gazef chuckled. "With how quickly he made time on his way here from E-Rantel, I know he's going to be very eager to meet with me. He arrived here in the morning. My men described him as looking fit, and not seeming to need rest. So it is very likely he will be there." He shrugged. "And if he doesn't show, then it's also fine. Give the lad a day or two to rest, if he needs."
The King hummed, stroking his venerable beard in thought. "We have read the reports from our vassal city, industrious E-Rantel. The reports hallowed by the Adventurer's Guild, which we are now only privileged to read for ourselves. This young man, whom you showed to me just a short time ago, is certainly a talented one. And this plan of yours, to endear him to yourself, is certainly an ambitious one. But tell me, dear friend, do you truly think you can succeed?"
"My lord?"
The King was now looking outside the window, down towards the city he ruled, even if only in name. Gazef's blood boiled to think of the respect that was supposed to be owed the King by his leal servants, only to be instead accorded mistrust, contempt, and blatant self-interest.
"Many more than you or I will have known about this young hero. And those many will have their own plans, for good or ill. We pray to the gods that it is our scheme that will succeed. That this Tatsumi will be the sort of comrade you have long sought." The King now turned, smiling at Gazef. "And for this, we give your blessing. We trust you, oh brave Warrior-Captain."
"My King, I shall do my best," Gazef said, with quavering voice and bowed head. "I won't let you down!"
Brain had smelled the woman was wrong even before the bandit's chief had taken her in. He could sense the men's moods, could read their intentions like a book as soon as they had started literally moving heaven and earth to accommodate the woman, to give her space to rest. They even used up their own supplies to help heal her many wounds.
Giving credit where it was due, the bandits he was working for knew she was no ordinary waif. Probably an adventurer who belonged to a group recently wiped out or something. Therefore, rather than surround her and gangbang her from the start, they were out for the subtle way of seduction. And if nothing else, they respected Brain enough that trying to fuck a woman who looked close to the threshold of death was one way for him to violate their contract, even if he was being well-paid for his services.
At first, he had thought that the sudden attack from adventurers was somehow her doing. A bit of a play to lure her comrades to where the bandits lurked, through some secret means like magic or other tricks. He kept his eye on the woman as they cleaned up the sudden invasion, slaughtering the adventurers to the last, all while receiving grievous casualties of their own.
When it looked like it wasn't a betrayal at all, he allowed himself to relax. Big fucking mistake.
The snake struck when they least expected it. It was kind of amusing, seeing the exultant bandits, who had just survived and massacred a group of adventurers, and were already crowing over the spoils, succumb to a massacre themselves.
Brain always hated being right.
"Is it only you left?" said the blonde chick, who waded fearlessly through a tide of gore and blood. She twirled a dagger on her finger, her eyes cold and menacing despite the clear set of bags beneath each. "Must mean you're some sort of tough guy, huh?"
"Not so… tough…" He could admit to himself that he had been surprised. But that was no excuse for being completely outmatched in terms of speed. It was only fortunate that the blonde had not been using her blade, and had instead kicked him to the curb with a pair of strong-ass feet.
He wanted to curse. He should have been way better than this.
"Don't look so down. Cheer up. I don't think I'll kill you. Not yet, anyway."
"Just do it," Brain Unglaus said. "I'm in no mood for any sadistic games. May as well just cut my throat and be done with it."
"Don't be so eager to die now, pal," the blonde said. "I didn't survive a Theocracy extraction party and several hunting groups just to get some smart lip from an amateur swordsman. I spared you for a reason, after seeing your stance. You were no match for me, but you could make for a decent assistant."
"Assistant…?"
The woman placed the tip of the blade under his chin and lifted his head to look at her. "Call it my little scheme of righteous vengeance. And you're going to help me, whether you like it or not."
Chapter commissioned by The Silver Dragon Emperor, thank you. A reminder that the story is commissioned.
If you'd like a story commissioned, feel free to contact me here, or on archiveofourown under "RHoldhous", or message me on discord under RHoldhous#6771 or jonholdhous under the new discord rules.
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