Lusentia (1)
On the afternoon the black-haired boy left Philes Territory, an official dispatch arrived announcing that an imperial investigation team would be dispatched from the capital.
From that moment, the knights' efforts to suppress rumors reached their limit, and fragments of the truth began to spread throughout the territory.
"The lord was assassinated?"
"I heard he was a black mage."
"A black mage? What's that?"
"Servants of the demons…."
"You think it'll come after us too?"
"Nah, no way…."
These partial truths quickly twisted into sinister rumors, and naturally, the territory's residents began to avoid going out.
In the increasingly deserted streets of Philes, a stranger cloaked in a gray robe appeared.
No matter how loose a traveler's robe might be, hands and feet were bound to show, and once inside the territory, people usually showed their faces. But this figure in the gray robe, completely shrouded from head to toe, moved like a ghost draped in ash itself.
Even stranger was that the few people he passed treated him as just another part of the scenery, not batting an eye at his eerie appearance.
This bizarre situation persisted even as the gray-robed stranger reached the entrance to the inner castle.
"H-Halt!"
"Who…."
"Get lost."
A single curt phrase in a shrill voice. In that instant, the soldiers' eyes glazed over blankly, and the gray robe slipped past them without a care, arriving at the lord's office in the blink of an eye.
"…The acting lord?"
Gren frowned involuntarily at the raspy voice like scraping metal and turned around.
A gray robe entered his view. At the bizarre attire unseen in the territory, Gren's hand immediately went to his sword.
"Who are you?!"
But.
"I have questions."
Snap.
As the gray robe lightly snapped his fingers, Gren's eyes glazed over blankly.
"Tell me everything you know about the lord's death."
"It started…."
He stared blankly into space with clouded eyes, obediently answering the gray robe's questions.
"Where is the lord's body?"
"At the imperial investigation team's request, we placed it in a coffin… in the lord's bedroom…."
"Good. Sleep now, and wake up in one hour."
After spilling everything that had happened recently in the lord's residence, Gren heard the gray robe's final words and slumped back in his chair, eyes closing.
An hour later.
"Nngh…."
Waking with a faint groan, he blinked in bewilderment.
'Did I just nod off? Well, I've been pushing myself lately.'
He felt like he'd had an unpleasant dream, but couldn't recall it. Frowning uncomfortably for no reason, the door suddenly burst open as the head steward rushed in.
"Sir Gren! Big trouble—the lord's body has vanished!"
"What!?"
Gren shot to his feet in shock.
"The guards on the body!? The other knights!?"
"They all say they have no idea. Like nothing happened…."
"Tch. Out of my way—I'll go myself."
As he rushed toward the lord's bedroom.
The true culprit behind the commotion was already beyond Philes's outer walls, deep in the forest.
Dark gray mana, ominous even to look at, swirled around the gray robe before condensing in one spot, then scattering into various shapes.
Those shapes depicted forest carnivores tearing into and dragging away unidentified chunks of meat.
'The sword's owner was already dead when discarded here.'
So, he wasn't the culprit.
Then, as expected….
'The one who wiped out Wolf's gang. And the black-haired kid who vanished right after this happened. Suspected descendant of 'that family.'
Only that boy fit as the prime suspect.
Eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.
Even if it defied easy understanding.
But.
'Even so, a mere thirteen-year-old kid pulling this off?'
This went far beyond cunning.
No matter his slum origins….
'How could someone that age do this?'
Was he really from 'that family'?
Well, whatever.
"…Capture him and ask."
Whether he did it, why he did it.
And if he was the culprit, exact the price for ruining the organization's plans.
Beneath the gray robe, eyes burning crimson turned toward the northeast, where Tiny had fled.
* * *
Pffft!
"Hah."
Racing wildly made his nose itch. Tiny snorted, then turned his gaze back to the blurring scenery.
Despite his leisurely demeanor, a storm of dust erupted beneath him.
Thud-thud-thud.
Boom!
Each time Wolrang's four paws lightly struck the ground, the earth exploded heavily. The silver wolf pierced the thick dust cloud, charging forward at terrifying speed.
Though the violent motion should have jolted him, Tiny atop Wolrang remained utterly relaxed.
Perfectly synced senses with Wolrang made it feel like he was running himself. Aside from the mana drain, there was no discomfort.
A ride needing no saddle or reins. Merging perfectly with Wolrang to dash like the wind—it was fantastical even for Tiny, who'd seen it all.
"Awesome!"
"Woof!"
Thud-thud.
This single ride let him perfectly grasp how Estina had maintained balance on that massive eagle for aerial combat in his past life.
And now it was just straight speed, but once his body grew, his realm advanced, and Wolrang enlarged….
'I could swing a warhammer like before while doing high-mobility combat.'
It seemed to naturally compensate for his past life's shortcomings.
Then in this life.
- You're slowing us all down again!
- Lose some weight!
- This isn't fat, it's muscle—argh… damn it.
No more teasing from Estina and the others about being slow.
Snicker.
His chest swelled with pride, naturally exciting him.
"Faster!"
"Awoooo!"
Wolrang howled excitedly, pushing on relentlessly.
And this charge unintentionally created casualties.
Clop-clop-clop.
Boom!
Neighhh!
"Wh-What!?"
"Grab the horses!"
Horses passing by panicked and veered off, dust clouds swallowing their wake. Chaos erupted among the startled travelers.
"What was that!? Something just flew by!"
"Looked like a wolf?"
"A kid was riding it."
"Lay off the drugs, all of you! Delusions…!"
"No, really…!"
The Jeffrey caravan heading to Valentino along the highway panicked at the sudden dust storm, searching for the cause—but the perpetrator had already dwindled to a dot and vanished, leaving the innocent mercenaries branded as junkies.
Unaware of the unexpected nuisance he'd caused, the rider arrived at his destination by evening, as the sun dipped red.
The city gates slowly closing in the distance, people lined up before them.
The west gate of Lusentia, the great city at the crossroads from Philes to Valentia Duchy.
"Good job."
"Woof!"
Wolrang, proud too, vanished back into his soul with a pleased bark.
The ride satisfied both summoner and spirit, with impressive results. A journey that would've taken three days on horseback, covered in one.
Tiny's steps toward Lusentia lightened even more.
"Halt! Kid, where's your adult?"
As he tried passing with his mercenary tag, a soldier blocked him, face sour like he'd seen something distasteful.
On this continent, with black hair and black eyes, it was a common reaction. Tiny answered calmly.
"Alone. Here's my mercenary tag."
"Ha!? Mercenary tag? Kid, don't talk nonsense—tell me where your dad is…."
- Grrrr.
"Gaaah!"
His small frame was still a hindrance in many ways, forcing Wolrang to reappear at the gate.
No more hecklers after that. Instead, crowds gathered, marveling at the spirit they'd only heard rumors of.
"Wh-What's that?"
"A kid with a wolf…."
"Ah! I've heard of it. A spirit…."
As he started finding the attention annoying.
Fortunately, others drew the eyes elsewhere.
"Hey! Over there?"
"Why are temple knights here!?"
"Where? Where!?"
Holy knights in gleaming silver armor appeared en masse at Lusentia's west gate, drawing all gazes.
'Paladins.'
Nodding to himself at their tense faces, Tiny knew where they headed—unlike the others.
"Hoo…."
Ignoring the sidelong glances, he surveyed the city for the first time in this life.
Main streets lined with two- or three-story buildings, most with shops on the ground floor—inns doubling as eateries and taverns aplenty.
Far livelier than little Philes.
One downside: other smells were intense too.
"Stinks…."
A foul odor forcing him to pinch his nose. New to this life, the rotten stench permeating the city wouldn't adapt easily.
But unavoidable for now. What served as fertilizer in farming territories was dumped in streets or alleys in cities.
Twenty years later, maybe—but now, outside capitals like Asrian or Valentino, sewers were rare.
Naturally, memories of first seeing the capital surfaced.
'I was shocked a city without smell existed.'
Lost in nostalgia, Tiny slowly headed into a back alley where the stench worsened.
He'd come to Lusentia not just for lodging, but for another reason.
Just in case.
'Hope everything goes as I think….'
Philes's lord, an imperial noble, died—a black mage exposed.
The imperial team would focus less on the killer, more on how he became a black mage.
Even if truth emerged, no issue. Few would guess a slum boy favored by the lord.
Even if magic pinpointed him, killing a black mage was merit—no punishment.
Worst case, noble-slaying sin offset by black mage kill.
But the baron's backers worried him.
'Black mages won't show with eyes on them.'
They were due four days after the lord's death—two days from now.
By now, investigation news spread; rumors inevitable despite knights.
Soon, world's eyes on Philes. Like those paladins, anti-black mage forces would gather.
Backers wouldn't dare approach.
But if they came early, uncovered everything.
'That'd be trouble.'
Even caught, Wolrang's speed meant escape. But constant paranoia to Valentino? No.
To prepare for worst.
"Need gear now."
Philes had merchants, but small—hard to find kid-sized equipment.
Especially his preferred weapon—not standard spear or sword; custom wasted time.
So, artisan alleys or famed forges in big cities.
One issue now: money.
'That knight, Gren? Grateful, but.'
A few silvers from Gren covered lodging en route, nothing more.
But Tiny wasn't worried.
Big cities had slums; rulers ignored their security.
So he sought the filthy, stinking slum.
And while checking his state, smirked.
'Perfect.'
Clothes from Philes manor weren't noble silk, but too fine for commoners. Tailored to a child's frame screamed rich kid.
"Hey kid, got money?"
Thus, trash drew to a thirteen-ish boy, dagger flashing.
"Hm…."
Glancing around, behind the gap-toothed dagger-wielder: bald guy, bucktoothed one, tattooed bare torsos.
"Kid, brother's asking. Hand over the clothes nice-like?"
Gap-tooth grinned, twirling dagger threateningly.
"And you?"
"…Huh?"
Unexpected retort tilted his head.
"You got money?"
With a feral grin, the boy's black eyes blazed red.