Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Rift (6)
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A chilling tension hung ominously between the two men descending the stairs.
"Now it seems we each have our own business to attend to. As you saw, there's a mountain of documents waiting for my approval."
"Indeed. I must have held up a busy man for too long."
Pablo, Lian's guard, and the others waiting below felt the tension ripple across their faces as well. It was obvious that the conflict between those two wouldn't end as a mere personal matter.
"It was nice seeing your face after so long. The soldiers will guide you out."
With that, Leon turned and left without even seeing them off.
"Let's go, Pablo."
"Y-Yes...? Ah, yes sir."
"T-Take care!"
Simon hesitated, wondering if he should see them off instead... After watching their backs uncertainly, he eventually followed Leon.
'What in the world is the Lord thinking...!'
Though he'd served his superior for a long time, lately he couldn't fathom his intentions at all.
"Simon, aide."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Tell General Hernan to keep an eye on Lian. That old man will surely approach him."
"Are you sure this is alright...?"
Simon asked the rest with his eyes. Asking if he knew what it meant to involve the kingdom's army between those two.
"What?"
"Nothing, my Lord."
"Then carry it out swiftly."
As always, the response his superior wanted was just a single 'Yes.'
"Yes, my Lord."
Simon squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head. In a way, this situation had been foreseeable. Perhaps he should have tried harder to dissuade him when he decided to take Delico Matron as a subordinate. But as a mere aide, there was no way he could stop the rift dividing the island.
As Lian headed back to the inn after leaving the castle, a playful chuckle followed in his ear.
A whisper from someone hiding a secret.
"Lian. Seems like we've got a tail."
"You noticed pretty quick."
"I may not look it, but I was in the patrol unit, you know? Three years in the 14th Legion under General Tullio, even..."
"Pablo, sorry, but I don't know much about the military."
"Yes sir..."
Military pride is everywhere, huh. Lian let out a snicker and listened closely, counting the tails. Two, two, two... three, three. All twelve.
"How many do you think are following us?"
"About twelve, maybe? Kingdom soldiers? They've got the training for this, but they look green in actual combat."
"They’re not even in uniform. How can you tell?"
"Look at those plain clothes they're passing off as disguises. They all look identical, like they jumped out of a manual."
"Impressive. A veteran's eye is different."
He'd just been keeping him around like a friendly big brother, but now he saw him in a new light.
"But what the heck did you do to get kingdom troops tailing us?"
"Who knows?"
Lian gazed up at the sky impassively. A clear blue sky with only scattered wisps of clouds. Strangely, not a single bird shadow in sight.
"Probably not me they're after, but someone who has business with me."
"Huh?"
Leon’s odd reactions every time the court magician came up. That old man had definitely fled the castle. He didn't know the details, but maybe the absence of birds was a side effect of that.
"Still, it pisses me off a bit that they're underestimating me."
Using him as bait without permission. It was a clear provocation against Lian.
'Moreover, if the kingdom army is chasing the court magician, whether framed or not, he's got charges equivalent to treason. Meeting that old man with tails on us is dangerous in many ways.'
Probably planning to lump them together, then use it as leverage to make him a puppet. A fatal weakness for Lian, whose homeland is the enemy kingdom. So the best move would be not to meet that old magician who needs to drop the 'court' part...
"What do we do, Lian? Just head back to the inn like this?"
"No."
Leon was the type who wouldn't gain but also wouldn't lose. The tails might also be to prevent Lian from meeting the magician—killing two birds with one stone. Then they'd have to counter with a frontal breakthrough.
"Pablo. You know the terrain here like the back of your hand, right?"
"Yeah, well. Even though it's been years since I was back, nothing changes around here, so it's all still in my head."
"Good. Then lead the way."
Thus began a game of tag where they were both pursuers and pursued.
Kingdom soldiers carrying out a secret mission on Lord Leon's orders.
They spotted unusual behavior from their target.
Movements suggesting an attempt to shake off tails, deliberately choosing complicated paths.
"Platoon Leader, looks like they noticed our tail."
"Doesn't matter. Keep following so they think they lost us. They'll surely make contact in that gap."
They called him a magician hunter or whatever, but he was just a merchant punk. No way he could shake trained soldiers. And his one guard variable? What could he do?
"Relay orders to the other teams."
The soldier immediately signaled distant comrades. And at that moment.
"Platoon Leader! They're suddenly running!"
"They’re getting impatient. Don't panic, keep the distance."
If they'd mixed into a crowded square, it might've been tricky. Running into alleys to shake tails was actually a bad move. Unless flying or sinking into the ground, paths were limited. Send a couple teams ahead on predicted routes, and no escape.
'Braga to the left alley. Evor, standby in the alley leading to the east main road.'
The soldiers scattered into alleys per signals to their positions. If attacked? Even better. Arrest for attacking kingdom army, no need for annoying tailing.
"Eek...!"
Crash! While thinking that. A subordinate rolled on the ground with a loud crash beside the platoon leader.
"You idiot! What are you doing!"
"A bucket suddenly rolled over from somewhere..."
The subordinate pulled his foot from the bucket, looking wronged. Perfect timing, couldn't dodge.
"Damn, they slipped away already..."
But because of that one slip, Lian and his guard were out of sight.
"All because you slack on leg training! After mission, ten laps duck-walking the parade ground! Got it!"
"Yes, sir...!"
"Then don't sit there dazed, move! You a kid needing me to pick you up?"
"N-No sir!"
The platoon leader clicked his tongue and frowned at his subordinate's pathetic sight. Must be from slacking in the rear like Madella.
"Tch... At least hope the others do their jobs."
Proud kingdom army can't all be like this. The platoon leader headed to the alley without losing hope.
The platoon leader was disappointed.
"All lost them? This make sense?!"
Not just lost, but... Everyone looked a mess.
"The boxes suddenly collapsed..."
"Laundry fell on my head..."
"Seriously wronged! Dog shit flew at my face!"
Not even attacked, pure madness.
"What a circus. You clowns? Get your heads straight?"
Despite the platoon leader's yelling, the soldiers looked wronged. Too suspicious to call all accidents coincidence.
"Platoon Leader! Magician interfered for sure!"
"Right! No way such timing without..."
"Army life's easy now. Fail mission, blame magic, forgiven. Right?"
"N-No."
"We're ashamed."
"Snap to! This was to catch the magician, that an excuse?!"
The soldiers bowed heads silently. Talking more would just mean more punishment later.
"If we'd at least seen the magician help the merchant, something for the report. No one even glimpsed the old man's shadow...!"
"B-But platoon leader."
"What."
"Lord said court magician only controls birds..."
Strange upon reflection. Interference was objects moving, no birds.
"Maybe there's an unknown magician."
Sharp observation. But.
"Shut up! Don't make trouble with baseless guesses!"
"S-Sorry!"
Report only facts seen and heard. Soldier's thoughts irrelevant.
Suburban area just outside North Port city center.
Having safely shaken the kingdom army tails, Lian and Pablo strolled between the fields.
"Lian. Mind a question?"
"What?"
"What did you do back there? How'd you shake them better than me, ex-patrol?"
Pablo had only guided to the place Lian specified. Yet tails tripped or bumped, dropping out one by one.
"Maybe... magic? As expected of the magician hunter...!"
"Nothing that grand. Just high-level calculation, you could say."
"Hmm. Really?"
"Of course."
Lian nodded with a brazen smile. Even magic was just levitating light objects, not threatening. Effective as hidden card like just now, so keep secret if possible.
"Ah, that house there. Known them since kid, they'll help with your request."
"Talk to them for me? This money enough?"
"Three silvers? More than enough."
While Pablo ran the errand. Lian leaned against the field wall, looked around. Near big city, farmhouses felt totally different from his hometown. Finally understood 'idyllic'.
"Bordia deserves the barbarian label."
Lian waited for Pablo, lost in bittersweet memories. Pablo returned hugging more bundles than expected.
"What's with all that? Stripped the house bare?"
"Long time no see, so they added potatoes and corn."
"Good. With that, we look more like farmers."
"Nah. Where's a handsome farmer like you? Use this to cover your face."
Right here? Lian chuckled to himself, took old clothes and floppy hat from Pablo. Musty mold smell wrinkled his nose.
"Perfect stuff. What about the other thing I asked for?"
"Here. Looks tame, but it's alive alright."
Pablo nodded at cloth under arm. Wriggling life under cloth.
"Why'd you have me get that?"
"Gonna use it to guide the way."
"Huh?"
"Then, if you please."
Lian fixed his gaze on the cloth, as if addressing it, not Pablo. Peek— A chicken peeked its head out and stared at Lian. A familiar spirit's whisper echoed above the chicken's head.