Vol 6 Chapter 2.3 (1/2)

Vol. 6 Chapter 2 Part 3

Meanwhile, apart from s.h.i.+n, Schnee and Lilis.h.i.+la

s.h.i.+baid and Tiera were touring the inside of Sigurd.

However, it wasnt as if they were simply walking about.

As expected, there are a few Chosen Ones stationed in the major spots of the city.

Is that so?

At first glance you might not spot them, but one or two of the guards on duty are clearly above average in terms of their movements. Look at the two coming in front of us. Can you see the guy on the right?

YesUm. Mitos Click. Level 201 you mean him?

Tiera checked over the guards as she was told.

She could only a.n.a.lyze as far as the guards name and level.

The fact that she couldnt see further than occupation was a clear sign that his status was superior. But it was hard for Tiera to tell if that was because of the difference in levels, or the fact that he was Chosen One.

what a surprise. You can actually see that?

Huh? Oh, yes. I wasnt able to see his occupation though. Was I wrong?

s.h.i.+baid could not hide his surprise at Tieras observations.

No. Youre not wrong. No offense, its not that I looked down on you but its a shocker that you, Tiera-dono, can tell a Chosen Ones strengths despite your level difference. Im sorry if I offended you at all.

Eh!? No, theres no need to. I am weak when you compare me to everyone surrounding me.

Tiera stopped s.h.i.+baid from apologizing.

Tiera was aware that she was less capable than others. From s.h.i.+baids point of view Tiera and the Chosen One coming from the front were similar in capability.

As s.h.i.+baid had said, how she was able to discern the Chosen Ones name and level, even Tiera didnt know.

Should we continue wandering the city then?

Yes. I think itd be wise to have Sigurd mapped out. Once thats over, even if they were to escape from Palmirack to the inner city, we can easily follow them.

Given the current situation, the only way that someone could escape s.h.i.+n and Schnee were if that person teleported or flew. Just in case though, it was necessary to map out Sigurd to understand its nooks and crannies. Since a support characters map could be shared with their master, with s.h.i.+n inside Palmirack and s.h.i.+baid mapping the city, they could cover all of Sigurd.

How far along are we?

Id say about 10% of the mapping is done. It takes quite some effort when youre up against a city this big.

Is mapping considered to be a skill?

No, I wouldnt call it that. Its hard to explain though, let me see. I can see a slightly transparent map in my periphery, but Id have to show it for you to understand.

For Tiera, who doesnt understand game elements, its difficult to even imagine the map. Its an otherworldly experience to try to picture something youve never seen.

If I could do it too, perhaps we could split into two and the task would be done quicker.

Thats alright. Aside from filling up the map, information gathering is also our objective.

Even if s.h.i.+n and the Golden Company were the main focus of this plot, Tiera and s.h.i.+baid still had roles as information gatherers.

Besides, with the two characters low spying abilities they would easily give s.h.i.+n and Schnee away. Thats why it was better for them to be in public.

s.h.i.+baid-san. Where are we no w?

It seems this city has a complicated layout. Im sure its a defense strategy for if this city were ever under siege.

Turning a corner was enough to bring a pedestrian into a totally new neighborhood. The stores were drastically different, and so were the people. Tiera was losing sight of herself.

Although Tieras directional senses is on the better side, Sigurd really tested her abilities.

She questioned how the locals from Sigurd were able to get back to their homes.

They designed this city quite well.

Do you think so?

For Tiera, it was so confusing that she a.s.sumed the architect was a mad man. Or mad woman.

It might be hard for you to see, but there are several secret corridors here and there. I havent gotten to all of them yet, and I have a good hunch that they all connect to Palmirack. I know that s.h.i.+n had mentioned how all churches have secret pa.s.sageways. This goes above and beyond that though.

s.h.i.+baids map was also accounting for the routes that you couldnt see from outside. If theyre really all connected to the church, then there are several escape routes.

Does that mean that its easier to attack and defend the city?

Yes. Its also possible to wage wars and immediately safely return, before the enemy has a chance to respond. The layout of this city is so complex, it would also be difficult to plan your next move. Im sure thats why Sigurd is considered to be such a stronghold. Guerrilla tactics would not work against the citys army and the Chosen Ones.

According to s.h.i.+baid, the city that was seemingly built on top of another had multiple layers of defense strategies.

The most disconcerting for Tiera was how many attacks did this city endure for these kinds of security measure to come into play.

Who can blame them. Following the Dusk of the Majesty, riots got so bad they needed at least this to feel safe. Not to mention, theyre right on the border with other countries that are constantly trying to expand. Im sure the majority of this citys population is made up of war refugees, war veterans, and those who were forced to flee their homes.

I get it now. This city also tries to keep its residents safe.

Its a roundabout way though.

s.h.i.+baids sights focused on something far away, as he recalled the battles after the Dusk of the Majesty.

s.h.i.+baid himself was somewhat responsible for rounding up the neighboring Dragnil. He didnt know about the specifics of the churches here, but he could imagine that it must have been a similar ordeal.

Kilmont had also thrived after taking in refugees.

As someone a bit sheltered, I cant really relate to the disputes between men. When it comes to the scourges between monsters of course, I have experienced that in Balmel.

Im sure that today their biggest concerns are thieves. I hope that another big war doesnt happen for a while. Its nothing like the battles between monsters.

s.h.i.+baid had the air of someone who had seen it all.

Tiera had once killed a thief. Based on s.h.i.+baids mood, she a.s.sumed that it couldnt compare to what he had gone through.

Well this is just depressing.

No. Im glad I heard it.

s.h.i.+baid had the weight of someone who had survived and seen war firsthand.

It certainly was depressing. But theres nothing funny or hopeful about war to begin with.

were there really that many refugees?

No. But they werent a rare sight. And there were those that came here for silly reasons.

s.h.i.+baid answered Tieras abrupt question indifferently.

Ive heard of someone moving to avoid a curse.

!? Errr, what curse was it

This person had been cursed to attract high level monsters. There are very few of them. Ive yet to meet anyone like that person since the Dusk of the Majesty.

Tiera was fast learning that there was someone else out there like her, with the cursed kid t.i.tle. She recalled her own experiences, and thought about how difficult that persons life must have also been. s.h.i.+baid didnt seem to be taking this matter seriously enough.

What happened to them?

Oh? We asked the said person to cooperate with us to level up our own soldiers. Were very grateful.

What?

Tiera might have already heard this one.

The conversation was audibly s.h.i.+fting.

Yes. Its a difficult status to stomach. But depending on your outlook, it can be quite useful. In return for trying to find the cure, we had this person aid us in bringing monsters. Leveling up back then was a more efficient process. The soldiers were screaming with joy.

No. They were screaming because they were screaming.

That was Tieras initial reaction.

He was s.h.i.+ns follower after all. She should have known that hed think differently and go against present common sense.

Still, it was a relief to hear that the cursed person was treated humanely. It could have gone either way.

I knew that you and my master come from the same path.

No. Not nearly as much as Schnee honestly.

s.h.i.+baid was quick to deny, after his thoughts ran to Schnees intense training regimens.

But from Tieras standing point, s.h.i.+baid was just like Schnee for forcing people to beat high level monsters.

(Is everyone near s.h.i.+n like this?)

When she thought about the other characters she hasnt met yet, she started to harbor deeper concerns.

Alright. Playtime is over. Tiera-dono Im sorry, but on the next corner lets make a right.

Is it time already?

They lowered their voices.

Tiera instantly understood what he meant.

Tiera was quite sensitive to others looking at her. It didnt take her long to realize that after leaving the inn, someone started following them.

Tiera-dono, I think youre the specific target here. Can you think of any reason why?

No. This is my first time in Sigurd so I cant really think of anyone after me here. I dont even know that many people anyways.

Until recently, Tiera had been holed up in Tsuki no Hokora. On top of that, she was always in disguise, so she really couldnt think of why anyone would come after her.

After she finished saying I dont even know what many people, she felt a bit lonely.

Through listening, it seems they are in the immediate vicinity too.

I think there are4 of them?

No, 6, Tiera-dono. There are 2 who are keeping their cover quite well. I think that the 4 are the main muscle. The 2 are more like backup for when things go as planned.

I cant tell. Is it a skill?

No. To be honest, my detection skills are not that great. I couldnt possibly compete with s.h.i.+n or Schnee on that front. However, I am able to detect a presence. Theyre doing a good job maintaining cover, but it is extremely difficult to hide murderous intent.

s.h.i.+baid is able to grasp the number of people in a party based on presence, not skill. Once youve gained enough experience as a soldier, this was a logical forward step.

Tiera still didnt understand the amount of presence that one could have.

Given the number of people and their presences, I dont believe that theyre simple thieves.

Yes. Not to mention how they seem to have singled me out.

While they couldnt jump to conclusions that the a.s.sailants will lead to Millie, it didnt hurt to find out directly from the culprits as to why they were targeted.

Any bit of information could help at this stage. If they were from the citys underbelly, they could potentially obtain information from them.

The two pretended that they didnt notice anything, and nonchalantly turned the corner.

They had come across an alleyway no wider than 2 mels.

4 figures emerged from behind, as if they were waiting for the two to stumble in. Tiera turned to realize that 2 others were coming from the front.

They seemed to have climbed the wall and circled around on the roof. They were much more agile than the average man.

We should wait and see first.

Yes.

The alley was dark despite it being the middle of the day. The wall was just the right height and placed at such an angle, that it would be hard to see whats happening in the alley.

The truth was, the road was so bright that itd be difficult to see into the dark alleyway.

Tiera and s.h.i.+baid were walking slowly, as they were being attacked from the front and back by two figures on each side. Yet, they could not be seen.

? Whoa!

Because a suspicious object was coming towards Tiera she squinted her eyes, a throwing knife was coming her way.

However, Tiera had known that there was malicious intent ahead of them, and so in response to the knife that produced a chime as it cut through the air, she wielded a short sword in her right hand.

Without hesitation, Tiera relied on her short sword and sent the throwing knife flying elsewhere.

Tsk.

Tiera having heard the a.s.sailant was dissatisfied, also heard another sound, similar to sand crushed underneath ones feet. With that, beyond Tiera she could glimpse a slight fog of distorted reality.

!!

She did not miss a beat.

She took in a deep breath, and returning the favor she threw a knife of her own. She had it ready beneath her left hand, all while she brought the dagger in her right hand to about half way up her body.

The knife that s.h.i.+n had made for her was made out of steel and quite sharp. The knife went straight into the direction where there had been a bit of a mirage. A small thump could be heard as the knife struck something.

Ugh!

The thump was the quietest noise in comparison to what would follow. You could hear a man groaning in pain and fall to the ground, causing dirt to fly up. What came into sharper focus was a man, lying on the ground with his hands on his leg. The thigh of his pants were a deep crimson red, where the knife had gone through. What was even more of a sight to behold was the other man lying in the background, with s.h.i.+ns knife to his back. It seemed that the knife had gone straight through the thigh!

But, that didnt stop the oncoming attack.

A mirage appeared to be coming closer towards Tiera.

Shh!

!

A short sword appeared out of thin air.

Tiera looked closely at the blade of the sword. She had determined where the swordsman was and had also deciphered that he must be right handed.

In that split second, Tiera managed to draw her short sword and split the swordsmans sword in half.

!

It was audibly clear that the only one left out of the four was taken aback.

Tiera took a step towards this man. And with that step, powerful magic was flowing through her body. Tieras body hastened, from the power of her magic. She understood where her opponent stood in relation to his allies, stepped into his zone, and struck him with her left hand, which had also been strengthened by magic.

She struck quicker than he could defend, penetrated his armor until his bare skin felt the thrust, and the man fell to the ground.

Gah.

The man drew short breaths as he lost consciousness. His hand had covered where he was wounded which was in the middle of his gut. It was a critical hit.

Phew.

Tiera made sure that no one was awake, as she went around to check on the others who had fallen. Tiera tried calming herself down, as she let her arms loose.

You could look at Tiera and see that all her stats were average. Yet the damages that she inflicted didnt seem possible from her slender arms. However, she had managed to combine her magic into improving her bodily performances this was a technique that combined the a.s.sets of the defensive martial arts operation and applied the foundations of activity and alchemy.

While it wouldnt dramatically improve ones stats, it was enough to place emphasis on specific body parts such as the hand. This improved close combat too something elves were notoriously weaker at.

Schnee had been teaching Tiera, just in case.

What is that.

Tiera turned to see the two other attackers, their heads caught in s.h.i.+baids arms. She had not cared for the two in the back, because even she had known about them. So Tiera had a.s.sumed that s.h.i.+baid would handle it. Still, it was a sight to behold and certainly one that raised a lot of questions.

The attackers were struggling until s.h.i.+baid put a little more strength into his arms. They eventually ran out of air and lost consciousness. It really was a surreal scene to witness, with two grown men dangling from his arms.

Tiera tried to go towards s.h.i.+baid, but immediately jumped back instead.

that was a close one.

A thin blade had zoomed past her head.

She had been able to understand that there were others in the vicinity. But had it not been for the fact that she had already warmed up with the other attackers, and how she had been informed of those in the distance, its possible Tiera would have been killed at that moment.

Tiera and s.h.i.+baid had both agreed that if they encountered any enemies that were beyond Tieras skill levels, then s.h.i.+baid would take over. s.h.i.+baid would probably have been able to do something for Tiera just a second ago, had she not been the first to take a lead.

Still, Tiera didnt want to be the damsel in distress.

She turned towards where the blade had come from. She could not find the blades owner. Given how there werent any mirages either, their cover skills far exceeded that of the others from the pack.

(Theyre coming for me. But I cant see from where!)

She knew that she would be under attack. Yet, she was totally at a loss at how to predict their move.

She tried to snap out of it, as she began to move when suddenly, a red arm went whoos.h.i.+ng past Tieras head.

!?

It was s.h.i.+baids arm. And in his arm was another person, who was struggling to breathe.

Fumu, thats a good reaction.

Yes.

Tiera felt calmer once she confirmed that the attacker had lost consciousness.

She turned around and realized that another man was dangling from s.h.i.+baids other arm.

Im sorry. I didnt mean to draw it out.

No, its fine. Im used to it.

Really? I thought that this was an opponent you would have considered more powerful than you.

I said Im used to it.

She tried to smile.

s.h.i.+baid didnt bother asking what she was used to and why. He had his soft spots. He probably figured as much, after hearing so much about Schnee from Tiera herself.

These men can take a break and nap. Its far too crowded here to question them.

With that, s.h.i.+baid cast magic onto the men and put them into a deeper slumber.

It felt like they had already been damaged enough, that they wouldnt be able to wake up for a while. Still, it was better to be safe rather than sorry so Tiera didnt say anything.

s.h.i.+baid took out a 2 mels long wooden box from his item box. He unequipped all of the men, tied their arms and feet together and threw them into the box. When he held onto the wood box on his shoulder, s.h.i.+baid also looked like a carrier, on his way to a delivery.

In fact, many of the carriers they had pa.s.sed carried luggage in a similar manner, so s.h.i.+baid would not stand out.

so thats how well carry them.

Tiera had wondered how they would be able to carry 6 men. While they handled the men rather roughly, it really didnt make sense to show them any other courtesy.

Lets go now. s.h.i.+n seems to have found a clue. He says that hell be back shortly.

I was really hopeful that he would go on and get Millie back in one go.

I mean, think about where we are. This is the base for High Humans. Even he would be cautious.

Is it really that big of a deal?

She only knew one base, and it didnt give her an appreciation of the bigger picture.

Tsuki no Hokora was protected by a wall and barrier. Even Tsuki no Hokora was built out of the finest materials, had very little else going for it. There was no special defense mechanism in place.

Palmirack is definitely a different case. Theyve built the kind of fortress that could withstand a party of upper cla.s.s Chosen Ones adventurers, and not only that, but annihilate all of us if need be.

Haha right

She tried her best to cough out a laugh.

It was one thing to try to lure people into the center and trap them.

He was right though it was a one of a kind fortress.

Why would they build a city around it then

Perhaps it is not fully functional. I think that its built in a way that the whole area can blow up from the center out.

I mean. High Humans are just insane, really.

Tiera mumbled, but she meant it in terms of s.h.i.+n having no common sense.

She wanted to believe that even he was out there amongst High Humans.

Otherwise, she would go crazy too.

(Listening to him talk, I had almost normalized the whole situation. No, I need to keep reminding myself that this is a little bit nutty. Although it may be too late for me)

Maybe its both a good thing and a bad thing that Tiera didnt know how she had stopped acting and thinking like a normal person for a long, long time now.

Every day, people change and every person is allowed to change.

(Still. Why were they after me?)

Tiera could not stop thinking about the attackers in the box, while they walked back towards the inn.

Tiera became well-known in Balmel. She was known at this point not only by soldiers and adventurers, but common people as well.

But she shouldnt know anyone in Sigurd.

While she was in the storefront of Tsuki no Hokora, adventurers had told Tiera how there are some thieves who kidnap beautiful people. Perhaps that would be the case, if they also had the gall to attack a person accompanied by a powerful Dragnil.

If Tiera were a simple target, then they would have come for her when she was alone.

Were here.

Oh sorry, Ill open the door.

Tiera went ahead towards the door and opened it. She had a.s.sumed that it would be a tad difficult, what with carrying a 2 mels wide wooden box on your shoulders and all.

Welcome back.

Im sorry for all our commotion. Well head straight up.

s.h.i.+baid had caused quite a stir walking through the front with the box. Tiera went straight up to the waitress, who was immune to being phased by s.h.i.+baid, chatted enthusiastically and led s.h.i.+baid in.

It was hard not to step aside for a beautiful girl like Tiera. All of the adventurers coming from the front would move gracefully.

We wait for s.h.i.+n now.

s.h.i.+baid took a seat after putting the wooden box into a corner of the room.

Are you going to leave the box like that?

It shouldnt be a problem. They couldnt even put a dent in the box.

It looks like an ordinary box, but go figure. Theres some magic in its material.

Tiera knew as much. She could sense the magic reeking out of it. In fact, it gave her the same sensation that the tree of life that grew in the middle of the garden where she had lived before.

(No. It cant be.)

The tree of life was vital to elves and high elves. Since the Dusk of the Majesty, these trees had become fewer and fewer in numbers. Even taking a single branch from the tree of life could be an act of war against elves.

Yet, even someone whose master was s.h.i.+n, would be hard to stomach, if they had cut down a tree of life for materials.

Whatis that box made of?

Oh, that? Its from some of the leftovers when Tsuki no Hokora was being built. I believe its from the trunk of the tree of life.

It was the impossible.

Its not to the level of orichalc.u.m, but the tree of life has the same amount of strength, and can even be used as a cure against curses and alchemy.

H-How did you come across such a box?

Even asking the question is terrifying. She didnt know what to do if the truth was that the materials were extracted in an unpleasant way.

I grew it. Before the Dusk of the Majesty, I grew it at the base that Hecate-dono guarded he was one of s.h.i.+ns allies.

s.h.i.+baid looked nostalgic.

Hecates base was the 5th Dimension Confusion of Romenun. It was the site that s.h.i.+n had once mentioned how Berett couldnt go near.

Growinga tree of life.