As the attendant returned and handed Cephi and I the crimson-coloured tags; the contractors around the sparring area immediately began to protest.
"Hey, why does the shorty get an to pass without doing a test like the rest of us, I can't even sense any mana from them, he's not even a contractor!" one especially loud contractor said.
"Who're you callin' shortie you fuckin' goat?"
Whoops, accidentally said that out loud.
The contractor, who whore a plain steel breastplate over their leather tunic and had a face even a mother wouldn't love turned and glared at me.
Of course, I was being a bit harsh on his appearance, but he wasn't exactly a handsome fellow.
"What'd you just say you fucking halfling?"
I just turned my head and ignored him. I mean shouldn't that guy be put off by Cephi in the first place?
I don't know maybe he was just an idiot.
I was about to turn around and walk away, that was until of course that leather chair of a man muttered something under his breath.
"Stupid fucking kid, why don't you go home and suck on your mum's tits."
I stopped walking and stood there for a second.
Sighing I turned around and glared at him.
I mean in the first place, If he knew exactly who my mother was he'd probably be kissing my feet begging to apologise.
Even then Elric might have just beheaded him, if Audrey hadn't done it herself by then of course.
I understood that he was just saying any old nonsense to provoke me, but honestly, I couldn't stand any slander towards Audrey.
She was my mother of course, and while it felt a little awkward at first, I've come to care about her as such.
Especially after learning all that she's been through.
"Say those words again, I dare you," I said while looking directly into his eyes.
He seemed a bit disturbed by my gaze, probably because of the mask, but he still seemed intent on repeating those words.
"Why don't you go su--"
That was all he could manage to say before I crossed the distance separating us in an instant and allowed my to fist firmly connect with his stomach.
He immediately keeled over and threw up; I just watched him silently for a second.
The contractors seemed surprised by my sudden actions, especially my speed, even the fellow who I assumed was some sort of instructor whistled in surprise.
To be clear the reason for my ridiculous speed was not magic, I still wasn't old enough to be able to learn it yet.
I was simply strong enough to exert enough force when I move to go that fast.
Unrealistic sure, but keep in mind that I've been reincarnated into a world filled with magic, demi-humans, and all sorts of other 'unrealistic' things.
Anyway, satisfied with the results, I simply turned and left, Cephi following behind me.
"You held back too much," I could hear my 'lovely companion' say behind me.
"It's not like I wanted to kill him, besides I'm supposed to stay low-key, remember? Killing someone in front of a bunch of other people isn't exactly keeping in line with that sentiment."
"You know that's not what I meant," they respond.
"What are you even on about..."
Seeing that Cephi didn't respond, I simply continue my way downstairs.
----------
"Are you absolutely certain?" Audrey, who was standing and gazing beyond the horizon of the enchanting city asked coldly; the temperature of the surrounding air had already risen by several degrees.
Silvia, keeping her head bowed, responded quickly.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Our informant has already revealed the information to their superiors, we expect them to observe at first before deciding to act; once they do we'll be able to catch them off guard."
Not bothering to turn around, Audrey continued staring out towards the horizon.
"The Imperial Guard's garrison should already be ready to mobilize, we will move immediately after confirmation."
"We..Your Majesty?" Silvia asked in confusion.
A short laugh escaped Audrey's mouth and a cold smile crept up on her face.
"Obviously I will be going there personally to ensure the complete eradication of those fools."
Silvia was quiet for a moment. She thought that the Empress moving herself was an impulsive and dangerous idea, but she kept her concerns to herself.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
With that, Silvia bowed and left.
Turning around sharply, Audrey quickly left the terrace upon which she stood, making her way to the lower levels of the palace.
Stopping suddenly in a dimly lit hallway that seemed the stretch on for hundreds of metres, Audrey began speaking to the air.
"Are you all ready?"
In an instant, several figures appeared behind the Empress, forming two straight columns.
The 60+ figures, clad entirely in crimson armour that gleamed with the faint light, were all kneeling, their hands on their chests, and their heads lowered.
"Always, Your Majesty!" they all responded in unison, their voices booming in the hallway, exuding overflowing determination and only a tinge of madness, as would be expected of the empire's best killers.
----------
Sitting in the main hall of the Schuster Trading Company's capital branch, I was currently going through several documents.
They were escort missions that would take me either partially or the entire way to the Eastern Territory.
As a Verim-ranked contractor, I had the authority to choose my own missions instead of being assigned one.
Looking through the documents, one caught my eye.
A wealthy family was returning to the East after coming to the capital for business.
They were going all the way to Kristi, but that wasn't what caught my attention.
What caught my attention was the requirements for escorting them.
Most missions going to the East were those escorting large trading caravans, and so I'd be surrounded by a bunch of unfamiliar people.
Honestly, I wasn't too keen on being looked down upon by a bunch of muscle-headed idiots, so seeing that this mission simply required two contractors of Uvorn rank or above, I was more inclined on choosing that one.
Showing the document to Cephi, I asked what they thought, to which they responded with a simple shrug.
Going to the counter and finding the attendant I was familiar with, I told them that I'd accept this mission.
"Are you certain sir? This level is far below your rank so the commission that you'll receive will be less than usual."
"That's fine," I say with a shrug.
I mean do you have any idea how rich the Imperial Family was?
Me neither, but it was more than rich enough to not be affected by the lessening of a commission.
The attendant nodded before stamping the document with a seal and handing it back to me.
"Good luck on your first mission, may Enoch bless you."
Been there, done that.
Smirking, I utter a word of thanks and then leave, once again following Cephi as I had no idea where anything was in this city.
After wandering around for a while, we made our way to the eastern gate of the city.
Well, the term "gate" may be a bit misleading, as the capital was not encircled by a wall, and as such there was no gate.
There were, however, many checkpoints on the main roads out of and into the city, the biggest of which were referred to as gates.
Anyways, according to the contract, we were supposed to meet the family here, as they were staying at a nearby inn.
Taking out the contract, I looked for the name of the inn where we were supposed to meet at.
Fonghzhou Inn? Exotic name.
Does it make sense for an Eastern-sounding name to be present in what is essentially a Western high fantasy world?
Probably, I mean there's magic and shit, who's to say what should make sense?
Cephi seemed to know every joint in this city, so I simply told him the name of the Inn and had him lead us there.
"An unusual name for an Inn in the Capital," I heard them mutter.
Ah, so it was indeed an exotic name.
"Why is that?" I ask as I'd become curious.
"Names such as Fongzhou, Xi Liang, Huanghzan, etc. are all names originating from the Eastern Continent," they respond.
Hearing Cephi's words, I nearly trip.
"There's an Eastern Continent?" I ask, suppressing my voice. "Why wasn't I told about it?" I continue.
All the maps I'd ever been shown, while surprisingly accurate (I assume), have always shown a single continent.
How was I, the *sole* heir and crown prince of an Empire not told about this.
I wasn't being arrogant either, while my knowledge about these things mostly stems from novels and anime, wasn't it standard to tell the crown prince of your nation about things like that, considering they'd be the future ruler of the nation?
"You forget your body's age," Cephi says, almost sounding exasperated.
Right. I forgot.
I'm not even ten years old yet.
Whoops.
Scratching my cheek, or at least the part of the mask that covers it, I notice that we've come to a stop.
Looking at the building that we were in front of, I quickly scanned the exterior.
Honestly, it just looked like a generic fantasy inn. Maybe it was a bit taller?
The building seemed to be largely built of stone and was about seven stories high.
Through the large and ornate bay window, glimpses of the bustling inn could be seen, with guests and staff alike going along with their day.
Entering the inn, a strange, sweet scent wafted into my nose, reminding me of those bottles of vanilla extract that I was dared to drink once.
[A/N: DO NOT DRINK VANILLA EXTRACT!]
Walking forward to the front desk, I gazed at the many paintings that adorned the walls.
They weren't the portrait or landscape paintings that I was used to seeing in the palace, each of them having that distinct 'Eastern style' that was present in paintings like 'Travelers Among Mountains and Streams, Northern Song Dynasty' or 'Five Oxen' from my past life.
Reaching the desk, I inquired to the staff about the family that we were supposed to meet.
Soon after, A well-built middle-aged man, accompanied by who I assume was his wife and child, appeared from beyond the door separating the reception area from the rooms.
The man was wearing a simple white shirt with a pair of black trousers.
His short blonde hair coupled with his stubble of a beard gave him a rugged appearance but did not make him look unsophisticated by any means.
There wasn't anything eye-catching about his appearance beyond his well-toned muscles that were barely contained by his shirt.
His wife was dressed in a traditional Qipao, a form-fitting dress that hugged her slender figure. Her features were delicate and refined, reflecting her Asian heritage.
The vibrant colours of the Qipao, adorned with intricate patterns and embroidery, accentuated her feminine curves and added a sense of sophistication.
Cascading down her back, her jet-black hair flowed like a silken waterfall, reaching alluringly below her waist. It shimmered in the light, adding an extra touch of allure to her appearance.
The child seemed about to be about 5 or 6 and had her mother's features, but her father's blonde hair.
They were covered almost entirely by a grey coat that seemed two sizes two big and wore a tiny red hat on their head.
"Are you the adventurers?" the lady asked first.
Nodding, I glanced at Cephi.
He was going to take the lead in speaking with the family, as explaining my height and voice despite my rank would be annoying.
"We are indeed, I am Cephire, that is my companion, Chris, are you the Dwayne family?" Cephi asks, their voice no longer sounding like the strange amalgamation of voices it usually does, but like a female in her 30s.
The lady nodded and reached to shake Cephi...re's hand, to which they obliged.
"I am Daiyu, that is my husband Simon, and my daughter Jiayi, thank you for accepting our request..." The lady spoke, then pointing towards our tags, she continued, "...even though it is not a commission that contractors of your rank usually take."
Simply nodding, Cephi motioned towards the door and asked.
"Are you ready to leave now? Do you have any additional baggage?"
Shaking her head, Daiyu responded.
"No, we do not. We have already hired a carriage for transport, and all our baggage is already with it, we can leave immediately."