Knock. Knock.
"May I come in?"
After just a few minutes of waiting, Nicole knocked on my door.
I sighed. It was time for me to break the news to her.
You know, come to think of it, this is the first time I've ever invited a girl into my room. Now I can't help but feel nervous a little.
"Come in!" I replied, waiting for her as I sat on my bed. Only now I was self-conscious enough to realize that my feet weren't really touching the ground properly as I did. Well, I should have a growth spurt soon, knowing I'm going into puberty right now.
Once Nicole entered, I welcomed her to sit on the same chair Fiora sat on. She then looked at me with a neutral expression, waiting for me to begin.
"You see, it's about Fiora." I sighed. "We had a chat this morning and she told me about her family."
"She did?" Her expression turned into surprise, before transforming into a pleasant smile. "That's good news! That means she is beginning to trust you more, Hugo."
"That might be true, but she told me something she said she hadn't even told you yet—something you might not like. And I think I should tell you."
Her eyebrows perked up in curiosity. But then it went down again as she stopped her own excitement, saying, "You know, it's not nice to tell other people's secrets like this. If she doesn't want me to know, then I won't peer into it."
Oh Nicole. You're such a nice girl, you know that? Too nice perhaps. Fiora could certainly learn some things from you.
"I think this is something you really should hear, Nicole." I continued to pressure her with a determined look. "Because it's something you might not approve."
I then told her everything, about how Fiora despised her siblings and father enough that she wouldn't care if she had to slaughter them all on her way to the throne. That also included anyone else who stood against her, like the high-ranking nobles who supported her siblings over her. It would be a purge of anyone who dared to oppose her. I also told her that she offered me a position by her side once the time came for her to enact her plan a few years down the road.
When I finished, Nicole's smile had disappeared, replaced by a melancholic look as she stared at a distance.
"I suspected as much. That girl… I sense a lot of anger inside her." She turned her head towards me, now smiling bitterly. "She asked me the same thing, you know—to be her permanent retainer. But I refused, saying I would like to devote myself in the path of priesthood as an aide to Lady Miriam. That is the future the Heavenly Dragon has chosen for me."
"Chosen?" I asked, unsure of the meaning of her words.
"It is my calling. It is not my fate to be close to an empress. I only wish to help the people—to guide them towards the light. I wouldn't wish for power, the thing she wished for."
"But then, why are you with her?!"
"Because I wish to prevent her from going down the wrong path," she continued, now with a brighter smile. "She is a good person. And I believe she can be a just and honest ruler in the future. However, she still needs to learn of kindness and mercy, and I hope, by the end of our journey together, I would be able to teach her that—that it's alright to be weak. We mortals are all weak in the eyes of Heaven. Our fates are ultimately not for us to decide. Like the Great Saint Milicis once said, "Struggle and Heaven may decide to alter Fate to your favor."
The room became silent for a while before I resumed our talk. "So, when the time comes, where she would make her move to take the throne, would you be there by her side?"
Nicole looked away once more, pausing for a good amount of time before she answered.
"I believe I would. I wouldn't abandon a friend."
...Welp. That's just as I feared.
I sighed, before standing up from the bed, walking up to her. "I guess there's no changing your mind, huh?" I gave a wry smile.
"Wouldn't you put your trust in her as well?" she replied with a small smile.
"It's not for me—that kind of life. I just want to make a happy family with Sherry. That's all. Glory and fame might be nice, I admit, but if I have to drag her into danger in the process, I think I'll sit it out." I smiled back.
"Then, how about if the reason is to do good?"
"Hmm?" I raised my eyebrows. "So you believe that helping Fiora to ascend the throne is to do good?"
She looked down at her interlocked fingers.
"I believe she is the only person who is willing to transform this country, no, this whole continent, into a better place. Even if it would lead to instability and chaos in the short term."
Well, that's a surprise. I didn't expect those words to come out from her mouth. That's almost like a speech of a well-intentioned extremist.
"She hates poverty and slavery. And I share that sentiment. But many believe that it is simply the nature of the world, for some men and women to be bound in chains or starve to death. They believe that it is their fate, as decreed by the Heavenly Dragon." She then gave a thin smile at me. "Do you think I should subscribe to that belief as well?"
I didn't answer. I don't know how to answer. In fact, I took a few steps backwards as she suddenly stood up.
"When you have nobles gorging themselves in feasts and parties while their citizens go hungry, do you believe it to be justice? Do you believe the Great Saint would approve of such a fact?" She continued, a subtly angry look on her face that honestly terrified me a little, as this was the very first time she went this much out-of-character.
"I might not look like it, but I am willing to smite those that pervert the justice of Milicis."
I see it now. I have underestimated her. She's not just the typical nice female cleric. She's also a crusader, willing to fight for what she believes is right.
I like it. I respect that attitude. Though I just hope she doesn't turn into a zealot somewhere down the line.
"Is that why you healed and gave money to those poor folks when we first met?"
"Yes," she replied, sitting back down. "I can't just ignore them if I could help them, can I?" She smiled.
I sat back down, smiling as well. "You really are amazing, Nicole. When I first saw those people, I didn't think on helping them in the slightest. I was just wary of them, and even a little scared."
She shook her head with a little blush. "I'm simply doing what I have to do as a priestess of Milicis. Providing for the weak and hungry is a virtue most beloved by her."
Another curtain of silence fell under us, until she deigned to continue speaking.
"Hugo, would you not be willing to use your strength for the good of the people?" She clasped her hands together near her chest.
I sighed. It's only a matter of time until she asked me something like this, I suppose.
"I dunno. I'm only good at killing stuff. I'm not a healer like you. And giving alms like that isn't my style. I do have a dream of having a lavish lifestyle, you know, unlike you who seem to be content with giving almost every coin that you got to the poor and living a humble life."
"I am fine with that." She smiled in return. "You need to make Sherry happy after all. That girl has suffered so much and I only wish happiness in her life in the future."
"Then, what are you talking about? Wait, don't tell me that you want me to support Fiora as well? Do you really trust her that much? You heard what the High Priestess said about her. I have to agree with her. Those flaws wouldn't make her be a good ruler." I folded my hands.
She avoided my eyes. "Perhaps she wouldn't be the perfect and ideal leader." Only to return back to look at me unflinchingly. "However, I still believe she would keep her promise, of creating a Holy Empire, no, the whole Holy Continent, free of poverty and slavery. She would reduce the corrupt lavishness of the nobles and redistribute those taxes into the welfare of the people. She would also forbid the practice of slavery altogether, and hunt down anyone who still insists on continuing in the act."
"And that means she would make enemies out of so many powerful people," I replied with a grim look. "But hey," I gave a grim grin. "Fiora doesn't care, does she? She'll be willing to cut down all those people. How about you, Nicole? Do you agree with her methods?"
She paused. I could sense that she was unsure on how to reply to my challenge.
"...I do. Like I said, I would be willing to bring divine justice to all the wrong doers of this world, no matter who they are."
At that moment, the determined look on her face told me everything I knew about her resolve.
I chuckled to myself. This girl… is just as stubborn as Fiora.
-------------------
We ended our little chat soon after, with me realizing that there really was no winning over Nicole to my side. She had decided on her resolve, and so had Fiora.
Me? The only resolve I had was to make Sherry happy. That, and one day returning to Marina and Erika, asking for their forgiveness for running away, once I was ready to do so. I would also improve myself in strength, both physically and mentally. No longer I would be a crybaby, like Fiora said. I would be a real man that I could be proud of.
It truly was a selfish resolve, now that I think about it. I don't care the slightest about my surroundings, unlike Fiora and Nicole.
Well, I'm just a nobody. I'm not a prince, and I'm not a priest sworn to do good by a religion. So I can get away with it.
Haah, you certainly have one troublesome friend, Sherry.
I rested on the bed with my hands behind my head. It was still a little bit more until the bath was ready, so I could still relax like this for a good—
KLANG KLANG KLANG
Hmm? That noise… that sounds like—
KLANG KLANG KLANG KLANG
Bells! They're ringing the bells! Why are they—
A chill suddenly crept into my spine as I remembered what the high priestess said when we first arrived.
"Oh, and if you hear the sound of the bells, that means there's an intruder in the temple grounds. We have a life detector magic set up in the perimeter, so we can sense people coming in from somewhere else other than the main gate."
Shit, we're under—
CRASH
A loud noise filled my ears as I coughed, closing my eyes at the dust that suddenly filled my sight.
"Come out, Great Fairy!" I yelled.
She manifested just in time to block the swing of two scimitars aiming right towards my neck.
Not with her sword, but with her body, as she was nowhere near fast enough to react with her own sword.
"Kyaaah! Master!" She yelled in pain before dispersing into a burst of water, as the two scimitar switched into a slashing motion and cut her in two.
Dammit! I'm sorry! I apologized to her in my head for a split second before returning my focus back to my assaulters. That yell certainly sounded painful. Once again, I used my summon as a meatbag to absorb a blow from the enemy. This is exactly why I'm training my swordsmanship!
The two swords retreated to the dust cloud, but I know very well that the attack wasn't over. If I hadn't stored my wand in my pocket and retaliated by firing a Boom Cannon as fast as I could to the ceiling (for they had broken through it), I would've been dead meat. It gave me time to grab the sword I placed beside my bed and ran as fast as I could towards the door using my Wind Step.
Or I would, if a hole hadn't appeared behind me, courtesy of Fiora, who had slashed the wall into pieces using her sword. In a split second, I sense one arm dragging me behind. Judging by the two mounds of softness pressing into my back, I could tell that it was Helen. Just in time for me to enter the safety of Nicole's barrier, who blocked a fist heading straight towards me.
Yep, it was one of the monks from before. So that means there should be—
CRASH
The barrier! It shattered!
The second monk had launched his own fist, aiming right at the same spot where his brother landed his. The combined pressure was too much and Nicole's Barrier was overwhelmed. I heard a yelp from her as she no doubt suffered from the backlash.
Fiora swung forward at a speed that surpassed my eyes. And it clearly also surpassed what the brothers could react to, as she managed to cut off one of their arms before they could retreat. If I had to guess, they had no time to redirect their aura from offense to defense since they had just attacked.
Only for her to immediately be pressed into the defensive, as the scimitar user moved forward, aiming right at her head with lightning speed. If not for her impressive reflexes that allowed her to block the twin sword, her head would've been separated from her torso for sure.
"Hee, not bad, little princess…" He grinned.
And now, we got a good look at who our attackers were. Now there were three of them, with the scimitar wielder being the new addition to their new group. The two were a pair of dark-skinned bald twins, at least forty in age. Their robes were identically brown, to the point that the only distinguishing feature they had was one of the brothers having a scar across his face. Well, that, and the arm that Fiora had cut off.
That's a… cat man?
His ears and his tail told it all. I had no time to look at him more carefully however, as the monks were still not out of commission yet.
"Boom Cannon!"
I fired off another one of my spells towards the healthy one. And just like before, he immediately responded by covering his head with his arms, no doubt putting his aura there to lessen the blow. To my surprise however, the other monk, the one with the bleeding stump of an arm, instead of being immobilized by the pain, he supported his brother by standing right in front of him and putting the same pose as he did.
The spell hit dead on, and even through their combined efforts, they were still sent flying away, creating a hole on the wall behind them on their way out of the room.
Good! This means the knights outside would be able to take them on! Now we just have to deal with catguy here!
Helen was the first one to move against him, leaping forward with her dual daggers drawn. She recognized that her mistress was in danger and wasted no time protecting her. Recognizing that he was outnumbered, the assassin kicked his bare feet to the ground and dashed away, climbing up the rubble and into the ceiling hole that he or the monks had produced. He didn't turn his back however, preventing Fiora from attempting a slash from behind. Looking at her panicked expression, I knew that she was surprised he could keep up with her speed.
Shit, I mustn't let him go!
I decided to chase him, knowing that if we let him go now, he would surely strike again in the future. And knowing just how close he nearly got to lop my head off…
Brr, he's a dangerous opponent! And I had enough of assassins hounding us like this!
Using my Wind Step, I flew upwards, following him through the hole.
Or I almost did, if I hadn't stopped myself. That's exactly what he wants. He'll ambush me the moment I come out from that hole.
And so I decided to do something else.
"Earthen Break!"
The ceiling of the room was made out of stone, so I could cast this spell that made it explode into pieces. The room was pretty much destroyed anyways, so who cares if I do a bit more property damage?
The entire ceiling now collapsed, shattering into multiple pieces of sharp stones flowing upwards towards where the assassin should be. With a little modification, you could manipulate the direction where the rocks exploded towards.
There he is!
I saw a glimpse of him amongst the flying rocks. To my amazement, he managed to deflect every single one of the rocks flying towards him using his two scimitars. He really is at Fiora's caliber.
I promptly started my Boom Cannon and fired it while he was still in mid-air. However, as my wand was pointed towards him, he realized what I was doing. He already saw the spell in action after all.
Ha, you can't escape! You're in mid-air! You can only defend!
Or so I thought, before he did something I thought to be impossible. Without actually touching anything, his legs kicked off air itself, allowing him to just barely dodge my spell in time.
What the hell was that? Was that Geppo?
"Air Sunder!"
Using the wind spell, I blew away all the rubble dust that blocked my view. But it was too late. When the view cleared, the assassin was no longer there.
Damn it! I'm too slow!
"Guwaahhhh!"
A scream came from a different direction. It was the two monks. They were still battling the knights as they too attempted to escape. Hilariously enough, it seemed they had become unwilling decoys to the other guy. I doubt this was part of their plan.
There were now even more wounded than before, with large red gashes and torn robes giving proof that the knights were too much for them. Perhaps not individually, but they were powerful enough to overwhelm them through numbers. Although this led to quite a number of them laying down on the dirt unmoving.
And of course, the high priestess being there didn't help matters either, as she was firing off what could only be described as golden chains in an attempt to bind and immobilize them. One of them raised their legs high upwards before stomped it down, sending an energy projection of a giant foot bearing down towards the high priestess. She, however, managed to block it with her barrier, though not without a clear exertion on her part. And it gave an opening to one of the remaining temple knights to perform a slicing motion that hit him right on the side, creating a large open wound on the side of his stomach. It slowed him enough for another knight to land a Holy Bolt on his left leg, blowing it up completely while heavily injuring the other.
"Graahhh!"
The other brother, the one with the dismembered arm from Fiora's attack, tried to drag him along. But it only slowed him down even more, allowing the high priestess to finally land her chain spell.
"Surrender! And I won't have to send you to the afterlife!" The high priestess shouted as the brothers tried to yank the chains off them.
And then, something I didn't see coming occurred. The two monks, knowing that they no longer had any chance for escaping, decapitated themselves using a chopping motion into their necks.
Of course! Professional assasins would rather commit suicide than to betray their client's identity! That's a common trope in the books I've read!
The two bodies fell to the ground with a thump, and with it, the attack was over.