This was going to be a problem.
"I must ask again, are you responsible for the production of these… tanks?" An elderly voice commanded from the altar.
Renner and I were both kneeling before the Pontifex Maximus. A man who commanded the whole of the Slane Theocracy. Arguably, the human who held the most authority on the continent.
My eyes met Renner's as we let his question hang in the air. A silent conversation was had. No words had passed between us, but the meaning was conveyed.
Alright.
"I wasn't involved in the creation of the tank slightest, your holiness," I lied.
Renner immediately followed up.
"Dwarves visited us."
Huh?
"Dwarves, you say?"
"Yes, your holiness. The dwarves from the Dwarf Kingdom residing in the Azerlisia Mountains came to us with a proposal."
Why was she leaking such information to the Slane Theocracy!? I told her that in confidence!
"They were the ones who provided the instructions and knowledge for how to construct the tank. Father accepted their offer."
"Hm… And what did they want in return for such technology…?"
Renner lowed her head.
"This one apologises, your holiness. This one is a mere figurehead for the production of the machines. We had hoped it'd raise our notability, nothing more. I do not know any of the details father had discussed with the dwarves."
The pontifex then turned to look at me.
"Climb, can you attest?"
So, this was the game that Renner was playing. It would be a disservice to her acting skills to not play along. Although, I am still annoyed that she revealed the dwarves' location so readily. She better have something in mind.
"I am loathed to admit, but every word of what my Lady has spoken true. Our greed had blinded us, and we had accepted our roles as mere puppets for those behind the scenes. As the appointed creators of the 'tank', I believed that my Lady's legitimacy would have been raised."
…
"…I see."
Hell yes. He bought it.
I hid the smile that threatened to break out on my face. The pontifex stroked his long, grey beard as he pondered upon our story. He sighed in disappointment.
"I respect your honesty; admitting such a thing must not be easy. Be that as it may, we cannot send you back to Re-Estize. This would all quickly become an enormous political scandal."
Eh?
"We cannot let you live in seclusion for the rest of your lives – it would be too dangerous – therefore…" He let the thought hang in the air.
Wait, wait, wait.
I subtly glanced at Renner once again. Was this an intimidation attempt at trying to get us to confess? Or was he being serious? As before, a flurry of meaning was sent between us, coordinated solely through our eyes.
Shit.
Same conclusion, huh?
Execution.
…
"Your holiness, if I may…?" The man nodded. "I am confident in my physical abilities. Assuredly, I can be of service to the Slane Theocracy and aid its goal of advancing humanity."
My words reached the senile man. His brow furrowed.
"If I- If I dedicated myself wholly to humanity and the Six Great Gods, in service of the Slane Theocracy, could I seek clemency for my Lady?"
…
He was considering my words carefully. I looked back at Renner, who bore an unreadable expression. Approval? Disapproval?
"Very well. I've been informed that you possess impressive physical prowess for your age. We will monitor your performance. As of this moment, Climb and Renner, your lives are bound together. Should one step out of line, the other's life is forfeit. However, there is no issue should the both of you behave nicely. I look forward to reading reports of you on the field, Climb."
I grimaced.
This was going to be one hell of an escape.
Two Years Later
It was night. However, there were no stars to illuminate the ground I stood on. No matter how hard I looked, all I could make out was a dark smear draped over the sky. The barest hint of a crescent moon peeked through the clouds.
…
No, they weren't clouds.
They were too thick and too nebulous to be called that. They were dark, and moved quickly, rolling in erratic patterns, only discernible by the orange flickering cast from beneath.
It was a sight I'd grown used to.
Smoke filled the heavens. And here I sat, watching hell unfold yet again.
Toxic, burning smoke seared the lungs and clotted the sky, choking my vision. Flames and fire roaring and swirling in all directions.
Screams.
Cries.
All manner of desperate screaming made its way to my ears.
The demihumans were dying again.
I watched from the hilltop.
"Climb, not going to join? Usually, you'd jump right in on some fun like this."
I looked to my right.
An older boy with medium brown hair and green eyes stared at me inquisitively. Time Turbulence, 2nd seat of the Black Scripture.
He was carefully polishing his spiral-styled rapier, thick red blood staining the cloth he used. I had gotten to know him quite well over the last two years. He was an outspoken member of the scripture, never one to shy away from speaking his mind.
I didn't particularly mind him.
He was rather pretentious at times, though.
"Not really feeling it today, Tub. We're almost back on home soil anyway; it's been a long excursion. I'm saving my energy for the last leg back," I lean back onto the dry grass with a groan, lazily folding both legs. I'd had enough to watch.
"Heeeeh…? You're joking. I've known you for a while, and I know for a fact that a simple day-long hike isn't going to put a dent in your stamina."
My lips drew into a thin line as he called me out.
"Look, I've just got a bit on my mind right now. You can go down to that village and kill all the demis you want in my stead."
The boy frowned and scratched his head.
"Fine, fine. If you don't want to tell me then I won't ask…" A sly grin formed on his face. "But by any chance… are you thinking about your girlfriend~?"
A pathetic attempt at teasing me.
"Really? How many times do I need to clarify that we aren't like that? Sure, we're close, and I'm looking forward to getting back, but she's still the princess of Re-Estize. Unfortunately–"
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it a thousand times before: ~She's a noble, and I'm a commoner~She has a reputation and duties to uphold~ Give it a break, man. She's basically a prisoner. She isn't going back to being a princess any time soon. And anyway, everybody can see that you're practically wedded in all but name," he mocked in a contemptuous tone.
My right eye twitched.
This fucker?
"You're asking for it, bastard."
"A duel? Man, there are civilians around. What about collateral damage?" He whinged.
"You mean the demis that the rest of the team are busily slaughtering as we speak?" I pointed with my thumb to the blazing village just down the hill.
"Oops."
How does this guy manage to get under my nerves every single time? A superiority complex, an irritating voice, and a broken power to boot.
Honestly, if I could devour the abilities of defeated opponents my life would be made so much easier. Alas, there was no such shortcut in this world.
As far as I could tell, at least.
Perhaps there was a world item, but that was stretching it.
I unsheathed Kilineiram from its shroud, brandishing it confidently before my opponent.
"Before we begin, rules, rules! No fatal hits and a winner is decided when the other surrenders."
"Sounds simple enough."
The cheerful boy who managed to goad me into a fight instantly disappeared from my peripheral vision. Not unsurprising; it was a very effective trick, knowing his abilities.
[Ability Boost]
[Mental Enhancement]
Activating four martial arts was a current limit for me. I didn't want to reach the cap too quickly and run out of steam mid-fight.
With my senses heightened, I tuned my hearing toward the sound of breathing. The tell-tale sign of life; I would be alerted to its location immediately.
Left.
I swung Kilineiram in a sweeping sideways arc. It hit nothing.
A sharp pressure bloomed on my ribcage, forcing me to retreat a few paces. Although the quality of my armour prevented me from turning into a kebab, it didn't negate the damage produced from the blunt force. There'll be a bruise there come tomorrow.
"Ha! Thought I'd get ya' with that one. Come on, you should know a lance outranges your weapon."
I exhaled deeply through gritted teeth. Even if I wanted to reply, all that'd leave my mouth would be profanities. When combined with the relevant skills, Turbulence's agility was no joke, not to mention the synergy with the rapier he so proudly flaunted. He was a formidable opponent.
However, he was careless. He had stopped in place, and that was more than enough for me to begin my counterattack.
If he had spent a little more time focusing on the battle instead of trying to feed his ego, he would've realised his error. Fortunately for me, he was a prideful guy.
[Wave Function Collapse]
Again, a familiar tugging sensation became known to me. Combined with the effects of my martial arts, I had honed and refined this skill until it became second nature. [Ability Boost] multiplied the number of futures I could see by several magnitudes, and [Mental Enhancement] increased the speed by which I could process them.
Both arts were necessary; one could not exist without the other.
Tens of thousands of branching possibilities spread out before me. Paths that led me to an undesirable future quickly faded into obscurity. More favourable outcomes glowed almost blindingly in my mind.
I could see it.
My win.
I grasped onto it, accepting it as my future, simultaneously sealing his. The surroundings returned, and so did my opponent's focus. He wasn't a scripture member for no reason, he could sense the tide of battle had changed somehow.
"Sorry about this, Turb."
He raised his rapier in response and disappeared once again. However, the future I saw remained unchanged. No matter what time trickery he pulled with his skills, the outcome was certain.
He couldn't use his skill without delay. His temporary exhaustion acted as a cooldown timer, in essence. What I didn't know was the exact timeframe I was working with.
Which was why I let my ability do the thinking for me.
[Dark Energy Release IV]
Bending to my will, Kilineiram generated a sphere of engulfing darkness around the battlefield. A party trick in the face of someone this high levelled, but it gave me an edge.
The occupied zone had the ability to leave my opponents in a daze. More precisely, it was a cruel effect in which they lost all five senses while in the dome. People I've used this against before were left in a sorry sight.
Due to Turbulence's high level, his resistances would kick in quickly. However, it was a moment I could exploit, nonetheless.
I strolled leisurely to the location where he'd reappear and waited.
…
…
…
Oh.
And so, he did.
Instantly, the dark energy seeped into his system, both blinding and deafening him in unison. I smirked as an eclectic three-course meal of confidence, surprise, and dread crossed his face in rapid succession.
He waved his weapon in the air wildly in hopes that he'd land a hit. I narrowly ducked beneath a swing and plucked it from his hands. He had no sense of touch; he didn't know whether he was holding it or not. I tossed his prized rapier aside.
I took his neck into an arm lock and pulled him down.
Considering he had no sense of balance due to the debuff, he fell backwards with little resistance, his arm still flailing as if he was still attempting to attack. Holding him firmly, I made doubly sure to shove his face into the ground.
"Waah-!"
Coming to his senses, the boy jolted. Wiggling around trying to free himself, I didn't let go.
"You should know by now, Turb, that things always seem to conveniently work out for me. Insulting my relationship with Renner was not a smart thing to do."
He desperately spat the collected soil from his mouth.
"That's… That's dirty… Climb."
"What, my fighting style, or the mud you swallowed?"
Character Sheet: Climb
Race: Human
Job: Black Scripture, Temporary Seat
Residence: Slane Theocracy, Government-Owned Safehouse
Alignment: Neutral
Karma: -30
Job Classes:
[Prophet (Genius)] (lv. 7)
[Rogue] (lv. 5)
[Bane of Insects] (lv. 8)
[Executioner] (lv. 10)
[Actor] (lv. 3)
Total: lv. 33 (+5)
Miscellaneous:
Birthday: Unknown
Hobby: Seeing Renner.
Equipment:
- Kilineiram, aka. Sword of Darkness
Effects: Dark Attribute Affinity, Passive Strength Enhancement
- Silver Ring, aka. Wild Magic Ring
Effects: lv. +5
- Surshana's Carapace, aka. 'Godly Equipment'
Type: Armour
Effects: Magic Deflection
AN: There wasn't much information on Time Turbulence in the books, so this is just my interpretation of the character. He looks quite young from his LN illustration, so here I'm assuming that he's slightly older Climb. Gave him a bit of a playful, yet arrogant personality. Hopefully, it's alright. A lot of under-utilised characters in Overlord.
Just a small aside, but Maruyama's New World could make for a complete story in itself; no Nazarick needed. Though, that begs the question, who would be the main character in such an AU? I'd put my money on Evileye/Keno, but coming in close second place I could see Arche from Foresight taking stage. Well, one can dream.
A small time skip. We're getting closer to canon with each chapter.