128. Heading to the Capital
128. Heading to the Capital
I tucked the Imperial Knights' parchment back into my pocket and began preparing for the trip to the capital.
Since travel time was nearly nonexistent, I only needed money, weapons, and items proving my identity.
'My identification dog tags were already around my neck, so I just needed weapons... money... ah, it was pretty much like the last time I went out, then.'
By now, three necklaces were jangling against my chest.
One was the Russell crest given to me by Lucia, and the other two were dog-tag-like identification tags.
They looked like rough metal tags at a glance, but one was an adamantium tag proving my status as an executive officer of the Imperial Knights, and the other was the Adventurer's Guild's highest-rank mithril tag.
To lead an elite reconnaissance squad like the Snow Country Expedition, the captain needed at least a mithril rank, so I had earned it back then.
-Tik!
Just then, someone threw a small pebble at my window.
"What the... uwaaah???"
When I turned my gaze toward the window, Liber was staring back at me from outside.
The dormitory wall had no handholds whatsoever, so it was impressive how he managed to get there.
Fortunately, no one out there seemed to be watching, so I opened the window for him.
"What are you, some kind of assassin? Just use the front door."
"...It's still bright out, embarrassing."
"Embarrassed about entering the boys' dorm?"
"Yeah..."
"But isn't it embarrassing to scale the wall?"
"It's about people's stares, that's different."
This seemed to be the first time we met at the dormitory while the sun was still high in the sky.
Usually, he'd sneak in after sunset.
"Don't I look different today?"
"Let's see..."
Liber asked the question that men so greatly fear as if it were nothing.
I tensed up for a moment, but the correct answer turned out to be fairly easy.
"... The sun's still up, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's it."
What was different was that Liber's eyes shone with a golden light.
A faint golden aura rippled softly around his body, making it feel like a full-moon night.
"Amazing, right? I've been able to do this since the Hunting Festival. I've gotten a bit stronger this way."
"Your physical abilities have been enhanced?"
"Yeah, and I think my aura got a bit stronger too."
"That's a relief, then."
"'A relief'?"
"No, I thought maybe it was like the full moon... never mind."
I stopped myself from saying that I had worried he might start boiling over or something.
But Liber seemed to realize what I was about to say.
Liber's fingers lightly caught my sleeve.
"... Not today."
"That's not it."
I truly hadn't meant anything by it, but the way he turned his face slightly red with shyness was endearing.
Since this was a private room, the only places to sit were the bed or the two chairs in front of the desk, so we both perched on the edge of the bed.
After sitting down, Liber withdrew his golden aura.
"So, what brings you here in broad daylight?"
"There were no lectures, and I had nothing else to do during the day, so I came to hang out."
"It's going to keep being like this for a while. What are you going to do if you're already bored?"
"Then I'll just go somewhere else to play, I guess."
Liber's eyes subtly glanced at the sword and wallet sitting on my desk.
"... You're hiding something, aren't you?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Extremely."
The sudden sight of my wallet and sword laid out on the desk must have been a big giveaway.
Unless I was going out somewhere, I wouldn't have set those two items there like I was about to use them any second.
"I was going to tell you anyway."
It turned out to be a good opportunity.
I decided to just say it now.
"I have to make a trip to the capital."
"The capital?"
When I said I was going to the capital, Liber looked quite startled.
"I need to undergo some questioning related to this incident."
"Questioning... is it something serious??"
"It's nothing major. Just going to report what I saw and felt, and then I'll come right back."
Hearing that I was going to the capital to be questioned, he worried that something terrible had happened.
He seemed anxious, so I held his hand.
"Don't be scared. This is already the third major demon-related incident. I've always been filing reports on them.
"I guess since this happened three times in a row, they're taking it seriously now.
The academy might even tighten its security going forward."
"If that's all it is, then I'm relieved..."
It seemed like the consecutive incidents were making him uneasy.
"When I get back quickly, let's go out somewhere for fun."
"... Study. It's almost exam time."
"All I have to do is not fail, right?"
"I'm inviting Emy too, so let's study together."
"That sounds fun."
"It's not for fun."
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Before leaving, there were a few places I needed to stop by.
"I'll come back after saying my piece, so stay put here, got it?"
[Ugh... to think I must listen to a human... this damned Cyclops...]
"You got mind-controlled by a demon bastard, so what pride are you strutting around with?"
The magical beasts residing in the deepest part of the Black Forest were all groaning in pain, every single one of them.
Since the control pins had been driven into their bodies and their brains and minds had been completely scrambled, they suffered from splitting headaches now that the Authority had been released.
"Still, it was a relief that the Hydra went somewhere else."
[Ssiiik...]
The Hydra was coiled up as if utterly drained, gasping laboriously atop the soil that had been hideously transformed by its own venom.
It said all nine heads were suffering from a headache that made it feel like it was dying.
The Hydra had been stationed with the faculty members.
It seemed the Demon Archbishop had placed it that way to instantly kill with poison any faculty members who regained their senses, but fortunately, no one had been poisoned by the Hydra.
Since the Demon Archbishop had identified the professors as the academy's strongest fighting force, that was apparently how he arranged it.
[I thank you for your consideration... strong human.]
"As long as you stay quiet here, I can do at least that much for you."
Our first impressions hadn't been great, but as ancient magical beasts with high intelligence, they were remarkably communicative for magical beasts.
I judged that we would be able to maintain an amicable relationship going forward.
Primarily in a direction that benefited me, that is.
I hadn't been able to visit lately, but I needed to drop by Professor Praha as well.
If I let him know there were such excellent research subjects, he would likely make significant progress in his research.
I decided to minimize the details in my report about these three magical beasts deep within the Black Forest.
It was because there was nothing good to be gained from drawing attention to them.
I planned to describe them only as powerful magical beasts that had been mind-controlled.
I also intended to make sure the investigators couldn't recklessly enter this area.
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I only told a select few who knew I was a Master that I was going to the capital.
To the outside world, I said I was briefly visiting the family estate, but honestly, anyone who listened even a little would immediately realize what a load of crap that was.
"You came?"
"Yeah."
Casey appeared dressed exactly as she had been the first time we met — a robe draped over her armor.
Since she was returning officially as an Imperial Knight, she had apparently donned her armor.
As for me, since it would be over the moment I used Squete at the doorstep, I decided to just go in casually.
I grabbed Casey's hand and took one large step forward.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Utterly predictably, we arrived in the capital in the blink of an eye.
I had barely taken a few steps at the academy, yet I was suddenly inside the capital itself.
If you asked for the most populous city on the continent, you might think of the Silk Road's trading city, but if you asked for the most densely populated city, you could point to the Empire's capital without hesitation.
The heart of the Empire, which could be called the overlord of the continent — the most splendid, the most developed, and above all...
Even the starkest contrast between light and shadow within a city was the greatest on the continent.
The place we arrived at was, as originally designated, near the Imperial Knights' headquarters building.
Liber, who had just experienced Shukuchi for the first time, said the unfamiliar sensation made him feel like his stomach was turning inside out, but Casey was completely unfazed.
"Uuk..."
No, it looked like she was just pretending to be unfazed.
"Shall we go in right away, then? No luggage to speak of."
"... Right, if we want to get back quickly, we should start quickly."
Together with Casey, who seemed to recover in an instant, I headed toward the knight order.
"What business do you have here?"
The front gate of the barracks was guarded by sentries.
Inside the guardhouse was a squad leader, while out front, a guard in full uniform stood under the blazing sun, a sword at his waist and a spear in his hand.
"Is the Director inside?"
"... Forgive my rudeness, but what is your name?"
The moment I mentioned the Director, the sentry sent me a suspicious look.
Back when I was active, just a few words would have let me pass, but now he was questioning in meticulous detail.
"I don't recognize your face either, so you must be new, huh? Tell them inside that Atlas Titan has returned, they'll know."
Since I didn't know this sentry's face either, he seemed to be a new recruit who joined after I left.
When I asked him to just pass the word along inside, the squad leader listened to the report and then subtly raised the corners of his eyes to study my face.
Ah, that guy's face, I remembered.
The squad leader's complexion turned pale the moment our eyes met.
"Y-you... you you you!!!! What do you think you're doing!!!"
The moment the guardhouse squad leader saw my face, he came rushing out and struck the sentry upside the head.
"My apologies!!! This guy is still a rookie, still very slow!!!"
The squad leader grabbed the sentry's head and bowed it down, bowing his own head alongside him.
"No problems, were there?"
"Sir, yes sir!!"
I remembered the squad leader's face.
He was the one who had enlisted as a rookie a few months before I left in search of the Growth Potion.
Now several years had passed, and he had become a guardhouse squad leader already.
"Then I'll be sure to pass the word along!!"
"Sure."
After a crisp, properly angled salute, Casey and I successfully entered the inner barracks of the knight order.
But right after we passed through the main gate, I heard murmuring behind us.
I discreetly listened in.
"I mean... sunbae, it's my first time seeing that person... who is he that you're acting like this?"
"You stupid bastard, take it as a sign your life was spared today! Don't you know there are currently two vacant executive officer positions in our knight order?"
"Yes, I'm aware they're vacant..."
"They're those two!"
"Th-then... if they're the currently vacant positions... the 'Worst Rider'... that's... that is the one, sir?"
"Yes, you moron!!"
I heard the sound of a fist hitting a helmet.
Who's calling who the worst? You morons who let everything be heard.