Eleven weeks had passed since Celinee had been living with Mariel in the hidden cave. Their daily routine consisted of nothing but training. Every morning until nearly noon, they sparred—just as the ninja desired. After that, they trained individually.
And now, the time had come for them to leave the cave for a long time—perhaps months, or even years.
Mariel had trained enough; so had Celinee. The time had come for them to begin searching for Merlin. While searching for her, they also had other objectives. Celinee wanted to eliminate every follower of Doctor Lergen she encountered, while Mariel sought to obtain the twelve sacred weapons.
So far, Mariel only knew the locations of six of them; the other six remained unknown.
Excalibur and Caliburn were in Pendragon, Great Kingdom of Camelot. The wielders of both swords were also known.
Caliburn would be easy for him to take. Excalibur, however, would require extra effort if Arthur IV was not alone. Still, Mariel decided to postpone retrieving both swords. He had now become a fugitive of the kingdom—for that reason, he and Celinee left wearing plain white masks that covered the upper half of their faces.
Zesteria, a sacred weapon in the form of a silver-handled scythe with three blades, was in Neiracia Empire.
Ishtar Gate remained in Great Kingdom of Babylon, in the Southern Continent.
Noroakami, a mirror shield capable of reflecting any attack, was in Chikutsuki Empire, in the Eastern Continent.
And lastly, Karnashura, the Sun Spear, was stored in the treasury of Asshuria Empire, also in the Eastern Continent.
Thus, Mariel's first target among the twelve sacred weapons was Zesteria.
For that purpose, he and Celinee would leave Camelot and head to Neiracia—the land where Mariel had been born. He might return to Camelot once he felt capable of dealing with Arthur IV and Athrecia Le Fay without overexerting himself as he had before. Arthur was not too dangerous without Excalibur, but Athrecia was different—Mariel would die if he let his guard down even slightly.
"Is it really okay to leave this cave just like that?" Celinee asked after Mariel sealed the entrance. "What if someone finds this place and enters?"
"Did you leave anything valuable inside?" Mariel asked in return.
"No."
"If that's the case, then there's nothing to worry about. Besides, from the beginning, my master and I never intended to stay here permanently. This cave just happened to be the first place he found when looking for a place to spend the night."
More than that, with his spirit abilities, Mariel could always return to this place whenever he wanted. Celinee seemed to realize that as well, which was why he simply nodded and didn't argue further.
"I think this should be enough," Mariel muttered after arranging the foliage to make it look as if there was nothing behind the large rock covering the cave entrance.
"Yeah, it's enough. Simple, but natural."
Mariel nodded slightly, turned around, and started walking away. "Let's go," he said softly. "We'll begin our careers as mercenaries in the empire."
Celinee quickly followed after the young man. "We still haven't agreed on a name," she said as they walked side by side. "There's no point in wearing masks if we're going to use our real names."
"Eh, that actually makes it better. Since we're wearing masks, people will assume our names are fake."
Celinee opened her mouth to argue but then closed it again.
The half-demon beside Mariel wasn't stupid, so she obviously knew he wasn't wrong. That was why she stayed quiet, though it was clear from her expression that she wasn't happy about it.
"To be fair, let's just use the first letters of our names," Mariel suggested. "From today onward, I'll call you 'C', and you'll call me 'M'. Sounds cool, right?"
"…That's not bad."
"Heh, you just don't want to admit that my idea is cool, C. Oh, has anyone ever told you that you're too stiff?"
Mariel didn't wait for a response. "You should learn to be more expressive," he continued. "You won't be a good mother if you're too stiff."
"Hmph. I'm too young to be a mother. I don't even have a lover. Even if I did, I don't know if I could even get pregnant. I'm half-demon, and demons can't conceive."
Mariel's lips curled into a sly smirk. "Wanna try—!"
Mariel instinctively ducked, narrowly avoiding the kunai Celinee had swung at him.
"Hey, I could've died! Do you really want me dead that badly?"
"Stop leading the conversation in that direction! I won't fall for your poisonous words!" Celinee huffed angrily as she put her kunai away. "You're still too young! Get those disgusting thoughts out of your head before you grow into a disgusting adult man."
"Eh, but I caught you peeking at me three times in the river?"
"I-I wasn't peeking at you! That was just a coincidence!"
"Heh... You say it was a coincidence, but you got caught three times, and now your cheeks are blushing. What's going on in your head, C? Are you trying to relive those memories? Should I start being careful around a predator like—"
Mariel swiftly leaped away from Celinee, narrowly dodging a wave of water that sliced through trees with astonishing precision. And it wasn't just one wave—dozens of razor-thin water blades filled the air. It was Celinee's newest technique, Multiple Razor Waves, each wave sharp enough to cut through steel effortlessly.
Forced to defend himself, Mariel unleashed a burst of wind to create an opening to escape. The water waves easily sliced through his wind attack, but by then, he had already propelled himself into the air. If he had been even a moment late in launching himself upward, he might have ended up in pieces.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Mariel asked as he landed, swapping places with a severed tree trunk near Celinee. "I could have died if you kept being that ruthless."
"And you will die if you keep teasing me like that," Celinee snapped sharply. "Let me make this clear one more time. That incident was an accident. An accident. Besides, you saw mine too. That makes us even."
"Ah, so I—o-okay, okay! I'll stop!" Mariel quickly raised his hands in surrender as Celinee's kunai flashed toward him again. "But, Celinee, your anger isn't very convincing when your cheeks are so re—o-okay, seriously, I'll stop."
"Say it one more time, and I really will kill you."
Mariel sighed, deciding to finally end his antics.
He was serious when he said Celinee was too stiff, but perhaps he had pushed things too far. However, the woman who claimed to be twenty years old didn't seem entirely convincing either. It was hard to tell if she was truly mad when her expression looked more like she was holding back embarrassment. Only her threats and swift kunai swings gave weight to her words.
"...Do you really hate being teased like that?"
"Mariel."
"Okay, okay, let's just forget that deeply memorable incident. I know you still remember what you saw; I still remember what I saw too. And I have to admit, I like the view."
"Mariel!"
"Ha-ha-ha!" Mariel burst into laughter and immediately took off running, dodging another sharp kunai strike from Celinee. "Whoever reaches the top last has to pay for dinner later!" he shouted, launching himself into the air with wind-propelled burst from his hands and feet.
-----ooOoo-----
Neiracia Empire had a perfectly divided territory. It consisted of highlands, valleys, and lowlands. The highest lake in the world was also located in Neiracia, as was the lowest lake. The same applied to the world's lowest city. However, Neiracia did not hold the title for the highest city; that honor belonged to the Eastern Continent.
Neiracia Empire was roughly the same age as Great Kingdom of Camelot. Although the two nations had never been at war, they had also never established diplomatic relations. Since ancient times, their relationship had remained strictly neutral, even in times of crisis.
Neiracia was situated east of Camelot. The Kingdom of Mangolla lay to its northwest. The northern border of the empire was met by the vast ocean. To the northeast, stretching down to the southeast, stood the Kingdom of Perakhsa, an unstoppable force. Meanwhile, its long-standing nemesis, Kingdom of Urakhna, loomed defiantly to the south.
In total, nine major cities formed the Neiracia Empire. As with its higher number of large cities compared to Camelot, Neiracia also had a larger population and military force. The same applied to branches of Sterminatore—an elite organization. Though its headquarters were located in the Kingdom of Esparossa, its presence in Neiracia was significantly greater.
On paper, Neiracia Empire was superior to Great Kingdom of Camelot in politics and economics—and possibly even in military strength.
However, life in the empire was far harsher than in Camelot or any other nation on the Western Continent. Neiracia was one of two nations overrun by crime and illegal organizations. Here, laws could be bought. Strength, wealth, and power were the three fundamental forces that dictated who the law favored.
The Ultores Organization, which governed elite mercenaries willing to accept any job without exception, had numerous branches in the empire. Even One Eye—the world's most feared criminal organization—was rumored to have its headquarters in Neiracia.
Becoming wealthy in this land was easy. But becoming homeless was just as easy. This was a place where kindness was ignored. Good people never lasted long in Neiracia. If they did, sooner or later, they would be dragged into the empire's darkness.
And for those who remained steadfast in their pursuit of justice, their lives would never be peaceful. If they were strong, their weaker loved ones would be targeted. If they were rich, every effort would be made to strip them of their wealth. If they held power, that power would crumble faster than rain falling to the ground.
Neiracia Empire was both a paradise and a hell—depending on whose eyes you looked through.
-----ooOoo-----
It was late afternoon when Mariel and Celinee arrived in Marzaretha City—a city standing high in the empire's highlands, the highest city in all of the Western Continent.
For a city located in highlands, Marzaretha was more than just "large". As one of the nine major cities forming Neiracia, it was even larger than Londinia and Birmithan. And with no city walls restricting its expansion, Marzaretha had the potential to grow even bigger.
Mariel and Celinee entered the city without having to pay any fees or undergo inspections like those in Camelot's cities. Not a single soldier approached them for questioning. Perhaps, if there was a city where a spy could move freely, Marzaretha was the one. The title "City of Freedom" given to it was truly fitting.
Mariel also questioned whether Sterminatore agents in this city were actually doing their jobs. So far, Celinee had already sensed the presence of five high-level demons—and they hadn't even reached the city center yet! Imagine how many more she would detect once they finished exploring the city.
It was an excellent decision for Mariel not to join that organization.
Normally, an inn would be the first place to visit when arriving in a new city. However, that was not the case for Mariel and Celinee. Their first destination was a casino. Of course, they weren't there to gamble or visit the bar that never closed inside the building. Their actual destination was a café on the second floor, owned by an agent of Ultores Organization.
When someone wanted to hire the best and most reliable mercenaries, they would usually contact an Ultores agent. Likewise, when someone wanted to become a mercenary with a steady stream of high-profile clients, working with Ultores was the best option. That was why Mariel and Celinee stepped into the casino, which was already quite lively despite the sun still hanging in the sky.
No one paid special attention to them as they walked through the casino—the entire first floor was a gambling area. Some people glanced at them briefly, but only because they happened to be near the entrance. Most were too busy with their own activities to care about newcomers.
The three-story building also had a basement, something Mariel noticed as he was about to ascend the stairs to the second floor. However, with two guards stationed at either side of the hallway leading downward, access to it was clearly restricted. Mariel had no idea what was down there. But one thing was certain—it wasn't a bar. The bar—and the brothel—were on the third floor.
"Welcome to Café Ultores."
That was the greeting a female waitress gave them as Mariel and Celinee entered the café area.