2. The Ten Seats of the Empire
2. The Ten Seats of the Empire
Yuma, having completely descended the mountain.
Yuma recognized the name of the massive town before him without difficulty.
Because it was written plain as day.
The capital of the Asthes Empire, Barnok.
Upon learning the name of the capital, he also confirmed he had no trouble reading this world's script.
'Something's off.'
But the atmosphere of the capital was unusual. Soldiers and a small number of knights bustled about as if searching for someone.
Perhaps because they were looking for someone already inside the capital, only two people were keeping watch outside.
Yuma headed for the gate without hesitation.
"Halt."
Yuma stopped at the guard's command.
The guard stared at Yuma's appearance. Shabby, worn-out leather clothing.
But.
'What's with that noble-like face....'
A handsome face.
And the noble aura emanating from his entire body gave an inexplicable sense of pressure.
"Are you a noble?"
"No."
Yuma took something from his chest pocket.
It was a merchant's plaque.
"A 3rd-grade merchant of the Rokane Trading Company...?"
A plaque signifying a 3rd-grade merchant.
Yuma had held out the merchant plaque, one of the belongings that had been in Aron's chest pocket. It was likely a plaque the man had taken after killing a merchant. If it was a merchant plaque found on a bandit roaming the fields before the capital, it surely belonged to a trading company connected to the capital. So he had decided to make use of it.
Yuma tensed his body.
So that he could draw the dagger hidden at his waist, <Black Dragon Bernak's Fang>, at any moment.
'I need to commission a device to hide a dagger in something like a wrist guard, something I can draw quickly.'
Yuma began thinking of ways to survive in this world with his abilities, one by one.
The guard stared again at Yuma's handsome face. A disgustingly handsome face.
"Is there a problem?"
Yuma stared at the guard.
Even though he, a mere guard and not a noble, was being addressed in banmal so casually, strangely, he felt no displeasure. Because even those words somehow felt dignified.
'He must be the son of a trading company head or something.'
A very finely raised son.
"None, enter."
"Thanks."
Yuma took back the merchant plaque as if nothing had happened. And then, entered with an air of nobility.
Into the imperial capital Barnak.
***
A young girl with black hair sat in the busiest restaurant in the capital.
The young girl wore a gray robe and sat still. As if unable to shake off a certain tension, she continuously tapped the tabletop with her index finger.
Deureureuk─
At that moment, the restaurant door opened.
The young girl's gaze turned to the man with ash-gray hair, Yuma.
Yuma had come to the restaurant right after purchasing a 300-cent top and bottom set at a clothing store.
A white shirt and a navy coat. And black pants that matched the coat.
That was Yuma's current appearance. A combination that suited his gray hair well.
Feeling the noble aura from Yuma, the young girl's eyes widened. It was an energy that a mere mortal who hadn't reached a certain state could not emit. Because an intimidating pressure radiated from him.
'No way.'
She suspected something, but soon shook her head.
'There's none.'
There wasn't the desperation and rage seen in those chasing something. It was simply the look of someone gazing at the world with boredom.
The young girl's eyes met Yuma's.
But Yuma, as if not paying her any mind, merely glanced at her before immediately looking away and taking a seat at the side.
The young girl picked at the spaghetti in front of her and took another couple of bites. Because she had to fill her stomach.
And now she had to get up soon.
Before those tracking her stormed in.
She put down her fork, roughly straightened her clothes, and was about to stand.
Kwang─!!
Unlike the previous time, the door burst open with a violent sound.
And what followed from the doorway was killing intent.
A killing intent strong enough for all 50 or so people in this restaurant to feel it.
Deol-deol-deol......
The citizens' arms and legs trembled.
Jjaenggeurang!
The server dropped the dishes he was holding. Even as a small shard lodged shallowly into his left leg, he was so consumed by terror he didn't even notice it.
The one who unleashed that killing intent was a man with red hair.
"Here, I intend to check whether the beast I'm looking for is here or not."
The giant man slowly entered the restaurant. When he had taken ten steps, the man looked toward one side and raised the corner of his mouth.
"There you are, beast."
It was exactly where the black-haired young girl in the gray robe was.
"Witch's Seed. What are you doing among the humans?"
The man raised his right hand. Red aura condensed in his hand. A distinctly ruinous energy.
"My name is Keingal. A member of the Imperial Ten Seats."
Keingal did not try to hide his divine might that had reached the level of Master.
The Imperial Ten Seats.
The ten greatest warriors of the Asthes Empire.
As they realized that such a person was emitting a vicious killing intent toward them and might attack, the people felt a fear as if they had been suddenly shoved to the edge of a cliff.
"What I am pursuing right now is the Witch's Daughter. As you all know, she is the daughter of the Hell Witch Vinness, who met her end at the hands of the Imperial Ten Seats only after burning down two cities of this empire."
Hell Witch Vinness. People buzzed at the name of terror.
"Hell Witch Vinness!"
"Vinness's daughter is here...?"
Keingal raised the corner of his mouth so high that his yellow teeth showed.
"Come out right now, if you don't come out, all these innocent humans here will die as well."
Above Keingal's right hand, the condensed red circular battle aura still rippled wildly.
Kkwaa─ak
He saw the young girl clench her fist tightly, as if crushing it.
She seemed to have resolved herself and tried to lift her bowed head.
But, Keingal's mouth opened again.
"...You. Why are you still stuffing your face?"
Keingal's gaze was directed at Yuma.
Dalgeurak
He stared at Yuma, who was spooning up soup as if his words and killing intent meant nothing.
That guy had been an eyesore from the start. The one who, even after he entered, even after he deliberately emitted killing intent, kept stuffing his face.
"What are you, you scum?"
Gray hair. Blue eyes. A strangely noble air emanating from him. But outwardly, there were no visible elements suggesting martial strength.
Yuma wiped his mouth once with a napkin, then opened his mouth.
"You do your job. I'm in the middle of doing mine."
At Yuma's brazen answer, Keingal's gaze crumpled further.
"My job, you say. Until just now, there was one. But thanks to your words just now, one more has been added."
Keingal's right arm, which had been facing forward,
pointed solely at Yuma.
"You die first. Lowly thing that doesn't know its place."
A crimson flash erupted from Keingal's right hand. And the circular red orb, 'Red Star', shot fiercely toward Yuma.
Kwaaaaang!
Savagely tearing through the air.
It was a cannonball of battle aura, agilely condensed with aura.
Yuma remained still, not even rising from his chair.
Teok─
He merely put down his fork.
'...Huh? That person.'
Was he nothing?
Was only the aura he exuded noble?
The young girl was flustered by Yuma's action, which seemed as if he was calmly accepting death. She hurriedly began casting a shield spell.
'Too late!'
But the lump of red battle aura had already reached the tip of Yuma's nose. At that moment, Yuma's right arm moved.
Kiiiiiing──!!
The skill Parrying.
Parrying an opponent's long-range technique such as magic.
That too was a strength of 'Don't Screw Me Over'.
The skill <Absolute Counter> assisted so that the Red Star returned precisely back to Keingal.
With a 10-times amplified force.
Kwaaaaaang!!
A terrifying explosive roar enveloped the restaurant.
"Keok, keoheok...you bastard."
Thick blood trickled from Keingal's mouth.
"Wh-what the hell did you do...!"
Peong.
Keingal's upper body was literally hollowed out in a perfect circle. Not even his spine was visible. The only visible thing was the scenery beyond the restaurant.
Keingal's body slowly fell backward.
Kuuuuuung
It was an instant death.
The 8th Seat of the Imperial Ten Seats, Keingal, was dead.
After a silence that felt too long to be called a moment.
"Kyaaaaaak!!"
"Uwaaaaah!"
Men and women, young and old alike, all screamed and fled outside the restaurant.
Only two remained inside the restaurant.
Aside from the trembling server and the restaurant owner inside, only Yuma and the young girl remained.
"Did you help me?"
The young girl stared at Yuma.
Yuma looked at the golden-eyed young girl with his blue gaze. And only then, as if he had finished his meal, put down his fork.
"I realized that guy was chasing you, but I didn't have that intention."
At the response that it was nothing much, the young girl swallowed hard.
The corpse before the door now.
He had killed Keingal, the 8th Seat of the Empire, in a single blow.
A swordsman who had achieved the realm of Sword Master.
'He definitely deflected it with a dagger.'
He had deflected the 'Red Star' of Keingal, the 8th Seat of the Empire, who, in a chaotic battlefield, could kill even a master of the same level in one strike.
And reflected that 'Red Star' back, killing him instantly.
"That bastard I killed."
The young girl listened intently to Yuma as he opened his mouth.
"Do you know how strong he was in this world?"
The young girl's golden eyes widened round.
The nuance was different from the phrasing of someone subtly bragging about what they had accomplished.
He genuinely seemed to be asking because he didn't know. About the Imperial Ten Seats.
'Did he come down from some mountain after training or something?'
But even so, his appearance was too noble.
"The Ten Seats of the Astes Empire...they are the swords of the empire. The ones who obey His Majesty the Emperor. And as such, they are naturally the strong. It's not an exaggeration to say they are the 10 strongest in the empire, excluding hidden hermits."
It was right after the young girl finished speaking.
Before the wide-open restaurant door.
Kugugugugugu!
About 30 knights in armor lined up.
"S-Sir Keingal!!"
And they were horrified. Because the 8th Seat of the Empire, the Sword Master whom they could not even scratch even if they all attacked together, lay dead. With a massive hole in his chest, utterly miserable.