บท 52: Chapter 12
Buku stood by the door leading to the S class, where Shizue's students sat unaware of their 'teacher's' return.
'We killed her and now I will lie to them. They deserve better.' She couldn't take the last step and open the door. She would see their faces, and lie to them about who she is. They would find out the truth soon enough either way.
Maybe it was her own harsh upbringing and the state the world was in when she grew up, but Buku knew these five children could take the truth. They would hate her, but she couldn't play Shizue around them indefinitely. Once they are safely away from this place and taken to Nazarick, she would tell them who she really was.
'Maybe I am partly her?' The thought once again arose. There was no reason for her to care about some random children that much. Yes, she did have Shizue's memories, and she had inherited her feelings as well, but what she felt now wasn't forced, it wasn't some alien part of her trying to hijack her heart. She cared about these children as if they were her own.
With a gulp, Buku finally opened the door and stepped in. All five children looked just like she remembered them. Kenya Misaki was the first to catch her attention. The orange-haired boy with black eyes, in his usual overly energetic manner, was not sitting at the school table but was standing on it, fighting an imaginary enemy with his sword.
A blonde, pink-eyed girl, Alice Rondo, was sitting at the table beside him, and with smooth movements of her hands was directing two stuffed toys who were doing some sort of choreographed dance.
Next to her, two boys had pushed their tables together and were playing some sort of game on a large sheet of paper. The smaller of the two boys, with the black hair and eyes, Royata Sekiguchi, was writing something down as the taller, brown-haired and brown-eyed boy, Gale Gibson, was patiently waiting for his turn.
The final one, a black-haired girl with dark blue eyes, Chloe Aubert, was reading a book while quietly sitting at her table.
"Is this how you behave while I'm away?" Buku said, imitating Shizue's angry voice, even though it was way too soft for anyone to even consider angry.
"Teach!" Kenya shouted and jumped down from the table, rushing over to her and hugging Buku tightly. The rest of the children followed suit, with Alice being the second to reach her and the remaining three walking up to her in a more timid manner.
Buku made sure to hug each of them while holding back tears. 'How can I tell them? They deserve better!'
Once she let go of the last child, Buku straightened out and tried to sound a bit angry again while holding her waist. "Yuuki told me you have been scaring off all the teachers he could find!"
"What's the point of us sitting and learning all the useless stuff? It's not like we're gonna live…" Kenya said.
"Shut it! Teacher is back!" Alice shouted at the boy, "She is going to help us!"
"Miss Shizue?" Chloe looked at her questioningly.
"Children…" Buku sighed, " I did find something, but it is dangerous. There is a chance that none of us will ever come back." They simply couldn't know where she would take them beforehand, and them not coming back was not a lie.
"Who cares, it's better than waiting until we will go boom!" Kenya said.
"Kenya is right. Miss Shizue, if there is a chance of us not dying, I think… I think we should take it." Gale chipped in.
"If all of you are ready, then I will talk with Yuuki to take you with me." Buku said with a light smile but then switched to a stern expression "But all of you will have to take your studies seriously from now on!"
"Aw, do we have to?" Kenya whined.
"Kenya!" Buku said with a tired sigh.
"I'm sorry, teach." the boy said apologetically while looking down.
"Kids, your education is important. If we pull this off, you have entire lives ahead of you." Buku said, and then added. "Now then, everyone, take your books and reread what we touched upon before I left. I have to go talk with Yuuki. If you misbehave, there will be a surprise test."
"That's not fair!" Alice exclaimed.
Buku turned her head and looked at Alice with her eyebrow raised. The girl immediately picked up a book and frantically searched for the right page.
'She reminds me of myself at her age.' Buku mused as she left the classroom. Yuuki was waiting for her down the hall looking out the window.
"Sensei, are you sure it will work?" he asked as she approached.
"I don't know, but we have no other choice. I'd rather die trying to help them than just let them wait for their deaths here." Buku said.
'He suspects I'm not who I'm pretending to be.'
Yuuki sighed "I understand."
'She knows something and is not telling me. Why? She trusted me before. There is something off about her.'
"I will prepare the paperwork so you can take them with you."
"Yuuki, can I ask you for a favor? A big one."
"Of course. I will do anything I can."
"Can you pull some strings and make me the legal guardian of the kids? If what I plan to do works and their bodies stabilize, I don't want them to grow up as tools for governments that summoned them in the first place."
"If word gets out…"
"I know, but I trust you."
"I will do what I can, but you have to promise me to reveal how you helped those kids if it works." Yuuki said, turning to face her.
'If it comes to the worst I might have to take them back by force, but she will not be able to hide them from me either way. I better play along so she thinks I'm ok with her just taking them away.'
"I will, but Yuuki, if you can, please do the same with other summoned kids in the future. We can't let them enslave children." Buku said with a pleading voice.
"I'll see what I can do. You know I can't burn bridges with most of the western countries. I think Hinata might be able to help us put some pressure on the smaller governments through the church, but not everyone will agree to just handing over summoned children."
"Please, do what you can."
"I will try sensei. That is a promise. But you better get out of this safe and sound." Yuuki said with a serious expression.
'I need those kids back. The plan depends on finding and keeping the right one.'
"How long would it take you to get all the paperwork ready?" Buku asked. She intentionally made her breathing heavier and put on her mask to fake exhaustion.
"Few days at most. You can start preparing for another journey. I can ask for some A-rank adventurers to accompany you, and you shouldn't have to worry about the payment."
'Let's see how she wiggles out of this one?'
"I do not want to risk more lives than necessary. I will be fine. I can make another trip, and I have a few friends who can take the kids in afterward."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Please do not worry about me." Buku said. She then bowed and added, "If we do not meet again. Thank you for everything you have done. This world doesn't deserve you."
'Ego stroking always works on these types of pricks. I can see it in his damn face, he is plotting something.'
Yuuki blushed and bowed back. "It was an honor to be taught by you. Please be safe and come back."
'I'm definitely sending Laplace to follow her. She is not getting away.'
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The group had finally reached the border of the enigmatic Tempest. The prince had played all possible approaches in his mind multiple times. As a leader of the ogres, he needed to show his might and determination before the majin who ruled these parts.
His instinct had warned him that they were being watched. He subtly ordered his subordinates to be prepared and walked on with the old sword saint by his right side and the blue-haired ogre at his left.
Soon enough he noticed a tall watchtower peeking through the woods, and not wanting to cause immediate conflict, ordered the group to stop and wait for the border guards.
Not even a minute later, a demon followed by a group of hobgoblins riding huge wolves emerged.
The prince stepped forward and announced loudly, "I want to parley with your leader. We come with news about the majin taking over the forest."
The demon smirked and said in a calm tone, "Welcome, young prince. Lord Momonga has been expecting you. He is well aware of the one named Gelmud. Each of the three leaders can take five subordinates. I would also advise against any sort of hostility. Let me assure you, we are more than prepared to deal with it." A dark void appeared behind the demon as he motioned for them to go through. "Do not make a Supreme Being wait for you longer than necessary."
The prince gulped. Every single scenario he had come up with about how this would go ended up being wrong. 'How did they know so much? We didn't even notice their spies! I thought we had been watched for maybe an hour.'
He quickly motioned for the lizardmen leader and the orc leader to make their choices and looked for candidates he would take with him.
"Brother, I'm coming with you." the princess said, walking up to him.
"No!" he answered in a stern tone.
"I was not asking. I am coming with you. You can be too hot-headed sometimes, and they are clearly stronger than us!" the princess said, getting in her brother's face.
The prince took a step back. He had to admit that despite her small stature, his sister surely could be intimidating sometimes.
"Fine." he said, relenting and acquiescing to her wishes. After a quick deliberation, he took with him his sister and her bodyguard, the old sword saint, the blue-haired ogre, and the blacksmith. If his might would not impress the majin, they could at least show off their skills.
The lizardmen and the orc group were ready as well. Not wanting to insult a potential ally, he quickly followed the demon through the void, ending up in a lavish throne room.
'The castle of a demon lord!' was the first thought that came into his mind. His gaze quickly fell on a majestic-looking skeletal deadman sitting on a throne. The demon who greeted them quickly took his place by the left side of the throne, with a demoness standing on the right side of the throne.
Suddenly he was hit with a feeling of dread unlike any he had ever felt before. His very being screamed to prostrate before this dark God, yet he managed to remain standing. He had to show the might and pride of his kind. It was better to die free than to become a slave.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw his companions remaining standing. They too knew what was expected. That couldn't be said about the lesser races; the lizardmen and the orcs had bent the knee the moment the dark aura engulfed them.
The deadman looked at him with a gaze that made the ogre's knees weak and said in a deep regal tone, "I know what you have come to say and ask. Tell me, why should I even consider allying with a group that abandoned their own homes."
Of course, he already had his own answer, not to mention Demiurge's overly complicated plan to use them as replacements for current leaders of their kind to add the territories to the west to Tempest. Even though he was using the smallest amounts of his Aura of Dread, it was somewhat impressive that the ogres managed to resist it enough to remain standing.
'He knows!' The prince's mind went blank. He needed to think of something quickly.
"The majin who took our homelands will make vast armies out of our people. I know he will not stop at that. If we unite forces, we can stand…"
"Unite? What can you possibly offer me?" the deadman asked in an indifferent tone.
"We have the strength and resolve. Let me face your strongest warrior and I will prove our worth."
'He walked right into this one, just as Demiurge predicted he would.'
"Very well. I will let you and your companions face one of my best subordinates."
Twenty minutes later, he was standing in the arena with the five ogres that came with him. The match was not meant to be fought to the death, so he permitted his sister to join him. She might not be a great fighter but her illusion magic could help.
Considering the casual ease with which the majin had accepted, it was rather clear that the warrior they would face would be stronger than an ogre by a noticeable degree, but even a majin could not easily win against six ogres at once easily.
As they waited, a massive bug-like creature teleported into the arena about ten meters away from them, holding a massive halberd and a longsword. Lord Momonga took the seat of honor in the VIP lodge and announced, "You may begin."
The prince nodded at the others and the five frontline fighters charged with him while his sister started to cast a spell. Even before he reached the opponent, it was clear the spell had not affected the carapace-clad warrior.
In a coordinated attack, he and the purple-haired ogress went ahead to take the brunt force of the attack and block the opponent's two weapons while the remaining three went on the attack. His main bet was that the sword saint's hidden attack would wound the majin enough for the fight to be over.
What happened next defied what he considered possible. Within the blink of an eye, the buglike warrior had moved his sword behind his back, casually blocking the old ogre's attack, kicked the blue-haired ogre in the chest, and grabbed the blacksmith's massive mace with a bare hand, not to mention pushed him and the purple-haired ogress back.
'How can anyone be that fast?' Before he could even go for another attack, the majin hit him with the flat side of the halberd, shattering his left arm and sending him flying.
The prince winced in pain and stood up with a stagger. His left arm was rendered unusable and the broken ribs painfully pierced his lungs with every breath he took. With the only one good remaining hand, he gripped his sword and approached the majin again. Everyone besides his sister was already knocked out cold.
He slowly walked toward his opponent. If nothing else, he at least would show his resolve.
"I ADMIRE YOU SPIRIT, BUT KNOW WHEN TO GIVE UP!" the majin said.
"I will not stand down!" he shouted and broke into a run, with every step causing more and more agonizing pain.
His last desperate charge, predictably, did nothing, as his opponent parried his attack with ease and then hit him with a fist.
The prince awoke moments later when a soothing warmth engulfed him. He opened his eyes only to see a dog-headed woman turning away and casting a healing spell on the old ogre.
He quickly stood up and looked around. His sister was standing unhurt and the rest of his people were being healed. The match ended just as quickly as it had started.
A few minutes later, he was back in the throne room, but this time he was kneeling before Lord Momonga just like everyone else. He left his pride in that arena. The ruler of Tempest was right, he had nothing to offer.
"Cocytus, what can you say about the match?" Momonga asked the warrior the prince had faced.
"THEY WERE SMART WITH THEIR INITIAL ATTACK, TRYING TO OVERWHELM ME. THE OLD ONE'S ATTACK AIMED AT MY BLIND SPOT WAS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE. I ALSO HAVE TO COMMEND THE LEADER'S WARRIOR SPIRIT. HE WAS READY TO FACE ME AGAIN, KNOWING THERE IS NO CHANCE OF VICTORY."
"Thank you for your input." Momonga said and then turned to the ogres, "I will ask once again. What can you offer me?"
"Nothing. I understand now, we are no match for your warriors, lord." the prince said, looking down.
"Yet one of my best saw potential in you and your kind. So I will offer you to join Tempest and serve me, and you have my word that your people will be treated just like everyone else here."
'Serve? Ah, so this was his plan: to show me my place and then enforce servitude. Is he really better than Gelmud then?'
"What if I refuse?"
"Then you and the other ogres can leave my lands and hope you do not get in our path in the future. The lizardmen and orcs already agreed to serve."
'Be on the run or bend your knee. He is offering me a choice, not enforcing it. Maybe he already knows we have nowhere to go. But I have to admit, if we ever have to face that warrior – Cocytus was it? – I doubt even an entire clan could take him down.'
The decision was not easy to make, but after a moment of deliberation, the prince said, "We will serve you Lord Momonga, but know this: we will rather die than become slaves."
"You have my word that your people will be treated with the same dignity as all my other servants. For now, rest. I will start naming you tomorrow."
Edited by Edgy
Proofreading - placid_void
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