"Why would you have an enemy weapon here, geezer?"
"Because I was born there"
They met eye to eye with the old man.
"What? Do you want to kill me?"
The old man looks at Claude's hand gripping the hilt of the sword tightly.
"If I could, I'd do it in an instant but..." he lowers the sword "...it's the least of my worries now"
The old man smiled at him.
"Hmmm, you know, I've watched you rule this Kingdom for years, you're great no question about it but at the same time, you're not"
"Are you trying to piss me off, old man? You know I got a sword on my hand right?"
"Don't you dare do that while I'm here pretty boy" Gus warned him
"Hahahaha, This isn't the right time to be arguing right now guys" Tayne pulls Gus's arm who was about to move towards their direction.
The old man laughs and walks back to the counter.
"If you don't plan on killing me today...then let me go back to that sword, why did you pick it? I had purposely hidden that on top of dozens of good ones"
Claude doesn't know how to answer him. Will he tell him a voice inside his head told him? Everyone would think he's gone insane over what happened.
"I don't exactly know why, maybe the sword choose me?" he answered, he said it as a joke but the old man seems to buy it.
"Really? That's a second"
"Second?"
"You are not the first one to give me that kind of answer"
"Riigghhht"
The old man waves his hand to Claude signaling him to come over.
"Here, replace that gauntlet of yours with this one" he pulls out another gauntlet that looks so much like gloves it was black, the fingers were also covered in steel "...and this bracer as well, you're right-handed correct? Equip this on your right hand only when you use that sword" he pulls out another armor, this time it was a beautiful plain silver colored bracer. Both the bracer and the gauntlet were totally opposite in color but they looked good together.
"You will buy that sword right?" The old man asks
Claude loves the new gauntlets and the bracer but he doubted the sword a bit, it doesn't look strong and looks like it will break anytime soon. But the old man gave him these options in thought he'll buy the sword, maybe it has some kind of magic?
He laughs at the thought of it. (That's impossible, he just showed it so that I won't feel bad buying this piece of crap) he thought
"Okay, old man, I'll buy everything, how much mills will these cost?"
The old man just gave him a laugh.
"Hahahahaha! You really want to buy my sword!? I can't believe this! This makes me very happy, young man, and for that, I won't charge yah a cent for those items"
Claude was dumbfounded "A-are you sure? You might get bankrupt"
"Did you even try to look at this town? Hahahaha, don't worry, don't worry, I'll still get by as long as you promise me one thing though"
"What?"
"That sword you got there is made of rare metal that only exist in the Kingdom of Rosei. It's the only one of its kind and it has a very unique power I tell you"
"Unique Power?"
The old man nods, "Yes, yes...you'll know what I mean once you start wielding it, you just have to believe, trust me on this"
"Oookaay?"
"Well then! You guys head along now, have a safe journey ahead!"
"Goodbye mister! Thanks for the freebies!!" shouted Tayne as all of them goes for the exit. Once the old man was left alone, he can't stop smiling, he watches the sword section finally missing one piece.
"Ah, I would love to see it again, those bright colored steels --- both of them"
----
The last item they bought was a huge bag for Tayne's sword and they went back to Gus's area where Beck meets them, he was in a rush.
"Hey! You guys! Change of plans! We move right now!"
"Eh?" What do you mean?"
Gus suddenly grips his gun "They're here"
"Who?"
"The Royal Secret Service"
Claude looks forward and sees a group of guards coming their way. Tayne grabs his hand and they hide at the back of an old building with Beck.
"Let Gus handle this"
As soon as the Guards were face to face with Gus, a representative from the guards came out, wearing the palace's uniform with his black mohawk styled hair and a lot of piercings on both of his ears, he stood in front of the big guy. Claude doesn't recognize him but it was clear all of them were new recruits.
"What does the Royal Secret Service - a group of elite guards want from a rundown town like ours?" Gus welcomes them
"Did a blonde dude with blue eyes together with two bodyguards came here?" he asks
"Blonde? Do you mean that Rogue King? Why would that pampered King be in the slums?" Gus confidently answered
The guard strokes his chin "Hmmm, you're right, are you sure you're not hiding something from me big guy?"
"Now, why would I lie to you? You're above me"
"Hahahaha, you're good, you're good, if that rogue King isn't here, then for the second purpose why I'm here" the guard pause and immediately points a gun to Gus and all the guards behind him did the same
"I'm going to ask you nicely, by the looks of it, you seem to be responsible, can I ask if you please tell your people to leave this town by tomorrow?"
Gus no longer gave him a friendly expression "Now, Why would I want to do that?"
"This land here is the Royal family's property and as you can see our new 'King' has something planned for your little town"
"Then where will we live if you want us out?"
"Live?" the guard asked
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" his laugh was loud that the people around them start going out of their houses
"Live!? You must be joking! Listen, all of you! You are all lucky the King didn't order me to arrest all of you! All of you here are criminals! criminals! You don't belong to society!!!"
He face Gus again, he has a smaller built compared to the big guy "Now, don't make me say this again --- can I count on you?"
Gus looks at him in the eyes and back at the people around him, they were all frightened by the guards all armed with majestic weapons. he gritted his teeth when he looks at the man in front of him, taunting.
"Guuuus!" a child's voice shrieks
He looks behind the group and saw little Layla, one of the guards has her. Gus turned red as he saw his child being held roughly by the guard.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean? That girl was leading an army of kids throwing rocks at us and I got annoyed, what's the big deal?"
"She's my daughter."
The black-haired man was shocked "You serious? She's so cute and look at yourself!"
That was the last straw, Gus shoves him off, pulls out his gun, and starts shooting at them.
"Whoa, and here I thought you're on our side," the mohawk guy said
"Julius! What about the kid?" the guard who was holding Layla asks him
Julius looks at Gus who was still shooting at them smiled and said "Give her to me"
"We have to leave right now!" Beck tells them
"What about Gus?" Claude asks
"Don't worry, people in the slums are used to this kind of stuff, that big guy over there just gave us an opportunity, let's go, Deck is already waiting for us near the exit, he already has your sword Tayne"
"Master, let's go" Tseng pats Claude's back and they start moving away from the chaos
"Daddyyyy!" Layla finally called Gus, he was now being held by Julius forcefully
"Ouch! It hurts! Let me go!"
"What are you doing to her!?" Gus points the gun at him
"Well, you're not being cooperative, if taking this kid as hostage means you'll listen to me then we don't have a choice are we?"
Gus became quiet and Julius laughs at his face "This is pathetic! Totally pathetic! Now, where were we? Right, starting tomorrow, I expect all of you to leave this rundown town or else the King won't -----"
Bang!
A gun pass through Julius's head, it did not graze him but judging by how it was shot, it was really meant to hit him that way.
"Who dares to hit me!???" he yelled and everyone in town looks at the other side, it was Claude with red hair and eyes pointing a gun at the enemy.
"Leave these people alone," he threatened
"Who are you!??" Julius asks pulling out his gun as well throwing little Layla on the side
"Ouch!"
"Layla!"
"Dadddy!" The child hugs Gus immediately as soon as his father came running towards her.
"Tsk. Because of you, I let go of the hostage"
"Why would the King want this land?" Claude ask Julius
"That doesn't concern you, boys" Julius tilts his head and the guards rush to Claude
Tayne and Tseng were already prepared for battle when Beck stop them.
"Beck! What are you doing?"
"Let's just watch him"
"But"
"Do you want to see it too?"
"See what?"
"That arrogant King of yours protecting the people of the slums?"
The two guards look at each other, a bit confused.
"Well, it's fine if you guys don't understand, but please don't assist him, he was the one who goes to help them on his own"
---
All the guards behind Julius attack Claude; some were shooting bullets at him while some charge with electric batons on their hands.
Claude evades the bullets at the same time shoots back at them, he has a good aim for the shooters had trouble stopping him. Julius observes how he moves and he can't help but feel uneasy.
(Why do I feel uneasy around him?) He thought
It was just about time all of his guards were showing difficulty in stopping the enemy so he had no choice to finally step in.
"Sigh. Here I thought this will be easy but you're making this a bit troublesome pretty boy" he has a long weapon wrapped on his back and starts to unfold the bandages and showed everyone his huge lance. He pounds his weapon on the ground and attacks Claude forward, with no shield Claude just shoots him in the front and steps away but he was a bit slow compared to Julius, when the small guard sweep his lance through his head.
"Mister! Watch out!" Layla screams
Claude barely evades it, he wasn't use to fighting in close combat.
"I thought so. Hahahaha. That rotten King spoiled this country so much, he should be teaching his men weapons like these, they are way better than guns" Julius comment, he was looking at Claude kneeling on the ground
"You should not have interrupted me a while back, you must be regretting it now"
Claude grits his teeth "Why would I?" he stands up
"I can't leave my people like this when you plan to take their home! The previous King did not even care about this place"
"Oh, so you care? Hahaha, I really don't know why I'm just following orders you see and your people? These people?" he points to Gus and everybody
"They are all criminals, if I were King I should have executed them for treason"
"Aaaaaahrgh!" Claude fires more bullets at Julius but it was the same scenario, Julius easily uses his lance as a shield and marches forward towards him and swing it upfront. The more Claude tries to evade his attacks the slower he becomes.
"So, you're acting like a hero then? So lame, you can't even get a graze on me and look at you! You're already starting to wear out, enough of this and just let me do my job, I promise Rell I'll do good in my first job today as his head guard"
Claude's eyes began to lit with rage when he heard Rell's name and flashes of what happened to his family start to play in his head.
"What do you know about this people?" he asks
Gus knew something was off so he already told Layla to slowly evacuate the people out of town, he was looking at Claude who doesn't feel to be alright.
"You're right, they are all criminals and they don't trust its previous King, but -" Claude cracks
"But?"
"They were the only one who showed me kindness after what happened despite me turning my back on them, I was wrong -- I shouldn't have done that, I should have done more for them, I should have never given up and now...it's too late"
Julius took the chance to attack him while he was still talking and thrust his lance above Claude's head.
"Claude!" Tayne rushes forward to save him but Gus was ahead of her. He blocks Julius's attack with his huge bolter gun which he used on Claude when they fought last time.
"Ha! I don't know about you yapping about guns are weak and etc but this is our town and we will all fight to save it!"
A group of men coming from the market came to aide them, they were all armed as well. Altogether they attack Julius and his men with a series of gunshots and explosives just to scare them away.
"Tsk. You bastards!" Julius yells as he ordered his men for a shootout with the other party.
Gus pulled Claude up "Pretty boy, you should go now while they're busy fighting us"
"But! I can't leave you guys here! They might take away this town, where will you live!? How about the kids and the old man!?"
Gus gave him a smile "Don't yah worry! Were used to this kind of thing so we'll find a way! Now go!" he pushed him aside and Tayne caught him.
"Claude, let's go, an airship will travel out of Saveria soon, we have to make it or else everything they did will be for naught!"
"But!"
"Just come back!" Gus told Claude
"Just promise us you'll get stronger and kick this foreign punks' arses!"
He stares into Claude's eyes "It's not yet too late, Claude, and thank you..."
"For what are you thanking me for pig guy?"
"Hahahahaha! That doesn't matter for now! Now Go!"
Tayne forcefully grabs Claude this time, considering how tall he was compared to her but she manages to get him out of the chaos. Once they reconciled with Tseng and Beck they run towards the station where Deck was waiting for them.
"Hurry! Hurry!" he yells when he saw his brother
It was a good thing Claude was already disguising in holo, no one cared about them when they got inside the ship.
"Saved!" Beck said in relief
The three were panting heavily from all the running they did. Claude stood up and looks outside the airship's window, he can still see explosions from downtown and the people on board with them were talking about it.
*Isn't that the slums?*
*Do you think the rogue king was there?*
*Well, bless me, they finally got to remove that scrawny town, it is full of criminals there*
Claude could not believe it was just yesterday that his parents got killed and this Kingdom got a new King and they were talking as if nothing happened at all.
He clenched his fist tight when Tseng approached him.
"Master..."
"I know, I won't react"
Tseng pats his shoulder "We must come back, Master"
"Yeah...we will, I promise"
The Airship took off into the night sky carrying a few hundreds of passengers including them. As Claude looks outside, the Kingdom of Saveria starts to fade away and he can't help feeling a bit of separation anxiety for a moment as he bids farewell to the life he was used to and looking forward to an adventure he is so desperate to accomplish in hopes to come back stronger.
---- End Of The Chapter.