Hm...well, this is awkward.
It was now around 7 AM, and we had just left the border of Septen, the main part of the journey to Centralis had just begun. The escort team consisted of twenty-five people in total, twenty Knights and five Adventurers.
Fifteen of the Knights had formed a perimeter around the carriages, they were riding Unicorns and keeping an eye out for any attackers. There were three carriages, each being driven by a Knight, with the one in the middle being the one that Septen's representative was in along with the five Adventurers, which of course, includes me.
The other two carriages were on either side of this one, serving as both walls and decoys to trick any potential assailants into targeting the wrong carriage, with two Knights in each of the decoy carriages, one driving and one inside.
The Knights are serving as the first line of defense in the event that we're attacked, their task if that happens is to fend off the attackers. Meanwhile, the Adventurers will focus on defense, protecting the representative. In other words, we'll only need to fight if all or most of the Knights are taken down.
The five Adventurers consisted of two B-Ranks, which were myself and Aura, two experienced A-Ranks, and one S-Rank, the asshole who'd deliberately bumped into me before we left.
And it's super tense and awkward in here...the carriage was pretty large and spacious, it was like a small room, there was more than enough space for six people to sit quite comfortably.
I think the positioning of the seats in the interior have been custom designed...there was one seat in the very middle of the space, with five more seats circling around the middle seat. The representative was in the middle seat, while each of us Adventurers were seated around the rep.
The seats could rotate like computer chairs, and had armrests and thick cushioning, so they were pretty comfortable, except for the back of the seats that were a bit too upright, meaning we can't lean back or recline in these seats. But I'm not complaining too much about that, I was expecting a lot worse.
As for why it's so awkward in here, well...the other Adventurers, except for Aura, keep giving me dirty looks at every opportunity. Which is far from surprising, but it's still pretty annoying.
I want to kill them, I want to take out a gun and put bullets between each of their eyes...but now that the sleepiness from waking up so early is wearing off, I'm a bit calmer and able to think more rationally.
The tension in the carriage is palpable though, it's been dead silent in here the whole time. The Councilor lady looked a bit uncomfortable at first, but she's looking pretty unbothered by it now, probably having gotten used to it, or maybe she's just pretending to not notice it or ignoring it.
She looks like she's about in her early or mid thirties, she had long, straight black hair tied in a low ponytail with the length falling over her right shoulder, piercing, sharp dark blue eyes, she was tall and slender with a fair complexion, with a kinda stern look on her face...but that could just be due to the awkward tension or because she's feeling nervous, or maybe even that she just has an unintentionally and naturally harsh looking default expression. In other words, resting bitch face.
She also had a wooden prosthetic from her knee onwards on her left leg, wearing a dark blue shirt with a black bowtie around the collar and knee length black skirt over light grey tights, with a walking cane resting across her lap.
Man, I kinda wish I could could swap places with that cane...
"Ahem...letting this tense silence persist for the entire journey sounds exhausting, so let me ask all of you a question," She suddenly spoke up, breaking the awkward silence as she added, "Tell me, if you took on a Quest to eliminate a dangerous criminal, how would you go about doing so?"
Huh? That's kinda random and came out of nowhere. Good on her for breaking the tension though, that couldn't have been easy.
"Uh...," Responded one of the A-Ranked Adventurers uncertainly, the rest looking a bit bemused too.
"Ah, my apologies, let me ask you one by one...would you mind going first, young lady?" She prompted Aura with a smile.
"Huh? Um, sure, I guess I don't mind...let's see, I'd probably blast them with my lightning to weaken them and then tear then apart with my metal claws, I guess?" She responded uncertainly, as a couple of emerald black sparks crackles around her index finger.
"Hm, I see. And what about you?" She inquired as she turned to one of the A-Ranks.
"Er, let me think...I guess I'd find and confront the target, attempt to corner and then kill them?" He replied, before the woman turned to the other A-Rank with a prompting expression.
"Uh, what he said, I'd probably do it the same way."
"And you?" She asked the S-Rank.
Apparently, this asshole is considered the strongest member of the Astaroth Guild, he's the most experienced S-Rank in the Guild by a fair distance.
Guess he let that reputation get to his head and became the arrogant prick that he is, he apparently isn't very subtle about looking down on those ranked below him, according to what I've heard about him from Aura. I think she said his name is Hye Estran or something like that.
He's a Cervidoid, the Animoid race with deer-like features. He looked like he was about thirty or so, with long, hair that was combed back which was light brown across the sides and a darker shade of brown down in the middle, bright yellow eyes, with a light brown complexion. He was pretty tall and strongly built, with antelope-like horns on his head and a short, fluffy tail with brown and white fur.
"Hmph, that's easy, I would simply crush any enemies I come across with my Magic. There aren't many people who are more powerful than I am, after all, and I certainly wouldn't lose to someone who relies on nothing but cheap tricks," He scoffed, giving me a narrowed side glance.
Was it really necessary to add that last part? If he's still alive after this Quest is over, I'm so gonna kill him...
"And that just leaves you," Remarked the woman, turning her attention to me.
"Hm...sorry, but the question's way too vague, lady," I replied with a shrug.
"Oh, sorry, I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Consillia Entatif. I used to be a Knight before I lost my leg, and I'm now an adviser to the Royal family, specifically the Head of the Royal Council of Advisers. Back to the matter at hand, what's so vague about my question?" She asked me curiously.
"I'm Jaedfern Meraled, B-Ranked Adventurer. And to answer your question about the question you've posed, simply saying a 'dangerous criminal' is far too vague. How powerful are they? What kind of crimes have they committed? Are they someone with real combat experience? Are their crimes public knowledge, and follow up, what's their social standing? Not to mention other factors like age, gender and-..."
"I'm sorry, but is all that really relevant?" She interrupted in bemusement.
"Yes, very much so, at least to me...the more information I have, the more of a, well, informed decision I can make. If I'm lacking in information about a potential target, I probably wouldn't accept such a Quest, or at least delay it until I do gather more information," I stated objectively.
"Hah, what a fucking coward," Scoffed Hye, the asshole S-Rank.
"Pretty sure I could kill you in an instant if I felt like it, so what does that make you, shithead?" I shot back venomously.
"Heh," Chuckled Aura in amusement.
"What was that, you little-...!?"
"Please, calm down. A grown man shouldn't be so easily provoked by someone who's half his age, it's rather pitiful," Interjected Consillia with a frown.
Thank you!
I've been thinking the same thing this whole time, all these grown-ass adults so hung up over a random teenager, it's downright pathetic.
"Tch...," He clicked his tongue as he stood down and averted his gaze.
"Let's get back on track...okay, I'll humor you and paint a more detailed scenario. Your target is a criminal whose crimes aren't publicly known, a man who's well-respected by the general public, perhaps a high ranking Knight or Adventurer, meaning he's also quite powerful and capable in combat. What would be your go-to option for killing someone like that?" Consillia asked me, a gleam of intrigue in her eyes.
I don't really see the point to this, but I suppose it's as good a way as any to pass the time. Let me think...
"Hm...if that's the case, then I'd find out where he lives and attack him at night, when his guard is down, probably snipe him from a distance. No, wait...if his crimes are unknown to the public and he's a well-known and respected figure, then I wouldn't want his murder being traced back to me. So, I'd probably use poison, and maybe burn down his house along with his corpse, for good measure. Yeah, I'd make it look like an unfortunate accident instead of a murder, the perfect assassination," I surmised as I visualized the hypothetical scenario play out.
"Hah, it's just like I said, you're a fucking coward!" Sneered Hye condescendingly.
"A sneak attack from a distance and the use of something like poison, what, are you too scared to get close and fight properly?" Scoffed one of the A-Ranks.
"Yeah, just how afraid of dying are you? What kind of Adventurer isn't brave enough to face any opponent in a fair fight?" Added the other A-Rank with a disdainful look on his face.
Are they retarded or something?
"Sorry, but I really don't get what's so brave about risking your life unnecessarily, and of course I'm afraid of dying. Anyone who says they aren't afraid of death is full of shit, either that or delusional. And even if you idiots are actually right, I'd much rather be a coward and live instead of being your definition of brave and end up throwing my life away.
If you're so eager to die, go jump headfirst off a cliff or something, I'll even celebrate in your honor if I do," I laughed tauntingly, getting ready to take out a gun if any of them fell for the provocation, before noticing Consillia watching me with a gleam in her eyes.
Hm? What's that about?
"Alright, that's it, I refuse to just sit here and listen to this sh-...," Growled Hye, starting to stand up threatening before overbalancing with a startled yelp as the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
"What's going on?" Inquired Consillia with a wary frown, as a panel on the front wall of the carriage slid open and the Knight driving the carriage poked his head in.
"We've been surrounded by a pack of Monsters, it shouldn't be anything to be too concerned about. We should be able to deal with this shortly and then carry on," He informed us, before shutting the panel, as muffles noises began ringing out from outside.
I can hear Spell chants and crashes, sounds like the Knights are attacking the Monsters.
"Uh, should we just be sitting here?" Spoke up Aura with a gleam in her eyes, looking eager to join the fray.
"Our job is to protect Councilor Entatif here, we're the last line of defense in case the Knights fall. So, yes, for now, we don't need to do anything but sit here," Responded Hye, slumping in his seat a bit as he continued to glare at me.
Normally, I'd be fine with this, but I could use the opportunity to let off some steam right now. Oh, well, this is a job I'm being paid for, so I'll play the role that's required of me.
I'm not hearing any cries of alarm or pain from the Knights, so there likely aren't any particularly powerful Monsters out there. Might as well conserve my energy if the Knights are capable of handling this.
A couple of minutes then passed, then five minutes, then ten, but there was still no sign of this battle coming to a close, the noises echoing out from outside the carriage hardly dropping in volume.
There's a trapdoor on the ceiling of the carriage, imma take a peek real quick.
I stood up and unlatched the door, pushing it open and pulling myself up, cautiously poking my head out through the opening to get a look at the situation.
"Tch, get back down, you'll put the carriage at risk of being breached by a Monster if the damned creatures notice you," Frowned Hye apprehensively.
"Don't tell me what to do, dipshit. Woah, that's a lot of Monsters...hm, and they're all different species. They've surrounded the Knights, and the way they're attacking seems unnaturally organized for Monsters, some of them are hanging back and watching while others attack the Knights," I observed warily, before going back into the carriage and shutting the top.
"That's certainly not normal...Monsters of different species will rarely ever work together, let alone in such an organized manner," Responded Consillia with a grimace.
"Hm, in which case, it's probably a Tamer or Summoner at work, which means this is a deliberate attack," Realized one of the A-Ranks.
"If it's a Summoner, this'll take a while. So long as they have Mana to spare, they can keep replenishing the number of Monsters attacking us, provided they've formed enough Summoning Contracts to do so, of course," Added Hye grimly, before adding with a shake of his head, "But ultimately, it's just a battle of attrition. The Knights are quite likely to be able to handle this without a problem, so we should continue to stay put for now."
Yeah, no, I strongly disagree with that notion, I'd prefer to deal with this more proactively. I then opened my Item Box and took out a map of Acheron Island that I'd bought yesterday, spreading it out and scanning it carefully.
"What do you think you're doing?" Scoffed one of the A-Ranks.
"Putting myself in the mindset of whoever's perpetrating this attack. If this is the work of a Summoner or Tamer, they would need to be somewhere close by, right, in order to observe and command their Monsters effectively? If I can narrow down where they're hiding, we can bring an end to this," I surmised, as I zeroed in on the spot in the map where we were currently at.
I was pleasantly surprised to find such a detailed map, and it was pretty cheap too, quite the valuable purchase.
"Hah, look at you, trying to sound cool. It's pathetic, just stop," Laughed one of the A-Ranks condescendingly, as Aura walked over and peered over my shoulder curiously.
Just ignore them, you can kill them after this job is complete...
"Figure anything out?" Aura asked me.
"Yeah, I think I just might have. If I were this Tamer or Summoner, I'd want a good vantage point while also staying clear of whoever I'm attacking. There's only one spot that works within that criteria...this cliff over here, a few dozen meters to the left of where we are. Well, either that or underground, but I'm willing to bet it's the former," I surmised confidently.
"Huh...you know, that actually sounds like it could be right on the money. Summoners and Tamers usually fight in back up roles, it's rare for one to be too significantly skilled in close range combat," Replied Aura with a thoughtful nod.
"Hmph, I suppose it does make sense, you could be right about this," Admitted Hye grudgingly, after glancing at the map.
Huh, that's a surprise.
"They'll be focused on controlling their Monsters and wearing down the Knights, I'm confident that I can sneak around the battlefield and scale across the cliff unnoticed, the Knights will serve as a good distraction. If I find and take out the person controlling the army of Monsters, I can bring this to an end," I remarked, as I rolled the map up and put it away.
"Huh? How foolish, you'll just get yourself killed, you're nothing but a weakling," Sneered one of the A-Ranks, as I took out a pair of binoculars and opened the hatch at the top of the carriage again, peering in the direction of the cliff through the binoculars.
Let's see here...
"Good riddance, I say, so let him do what he wants," Chimed in the other A-Rank.
"Our job is to stay put, so get back in the carriage," Added Hye, right as I spotted some movement behind a jutted out rock along the top of the cliff.
Got you.
"I'm pretty sure I know where the person controlling the Monsters is hiding, I noticed a bit of movement at the top of the cliff," I remarked, getting back inside the carriage and taking out a brown camo jacket and trousers.
Bought these in my old world when I first became a merc, but never actually wore it on a mission since wearing black clothes was more effective. But this area's full of rocks and dirt, with very little greenery, so this'll help me avoid being spotted.
"What is that?" Consillia inquired curiously, staring at my binoculars as I began to put it away.
"Hm, it's easier to show than explain. Put the narrower ends over your eyes," I replied, handing it to her.
"Oh, my...everything looks a lot bigger-...no, closer? What a useful item," She remarked in fascination.
"Anyway, since you're technically the client for this job, I guess I should ask permission...let me go out there and kill the Summoner or Tamer or whatever's behind this attack, that should ensure that we get back on track as soon as possible," I requested, putting on the camo jacket as I took off my hoodie and tossed it into my Item Box.
"Looks like you've already decided to go," She replied wryly, as she handed back the binoculars.
"Hey, I wanna see that too, may I?" Asked Aura, staring at the binoculars.
"Well? What do you say?" I prompted Consillia, as I tossed the binoculars towards Aura, who put it up to her eyes in fascination.
"Are you really confident that you can pull this off?"
"Yeah, I am."
In the event that I fail to sneak up to the top of the cliff, I'll just blast the spot where I noticed movement with my bazooka. I only have a few rockets left though, so I'd prefer not to opt for that if possible. So I'll try things the hard way to begin with, and save the literal big gun as a last resort if all else fails.
"Woah, everything's super small when you look through the wider ends! You're so tiny," Remarked Aura, looking at me through the binoculars with a grin, before turning the lenses towards my crotch with an amused chuckle.
"Okay, then...you can act as you please," Stated Consillia with a nod, after taking a moment to mull it over.
"Great. This shouldn't take too long. Now, then...," I trailed off as I took the binoculars back from Aura and finished buttoning up my camo jacket, adding, "If you ladies wouldn't mind looking away for a moment, I'd like to change my trousers real quick..."
"Yes, of course," Replied Consillia, rotating her seat around.
"Sweet, a free strip show! Wooo, take it off!" Grinned Aura jokingly, before turning a bit red and rotating her seat as I met her gaze unflinchingly and unbuckled my belt while maintaining eye contact.
Heh, thought so, she's all talk when it comes to dirty stuff. I'll keep that in mind, should make for a fun way to mess with her later on...
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