บท 23: Tyland Sylphon (part 2)
"Now, then. Mind telling me what was that all about?"
James asked jokingly while turning around the other way, and I silently followed behind him.
I ended up explaining to him about my situation, like the fact that I am being hunted by my own father and that several people from high places wanted me dead.
"Then, doesn't that apply to your friend as well?"
"Kirnos is… outside the walls. He is safe there, or so I assume. He will contact me if anything happens."
"Hmm. The power struggles seemed to be so much worse here in Velborn, huh?"
Hearing that coming from a human made me feel embarrassed as an ethelen. In Velborn, every single noble obtained their position by continuously boot-licking the higher ranking, including the king. My father spent so much time making himself look good so the king ended up giving him the title Duke.
Masqueren was never supposed to be a trading town. My father made it into one, despite it being a military base. Such is the reason why the king gave the highest noble title to him.
"As for me… I am just a throwaway child."
"Let me guess… you're not even the firstborn?"
"I'm the third and last child. I was born unlucky."
I told him the reason for why my family is hunting me down. The main reason was because I refused to be a dog to the family, not doing any important errands and becoming a completely useless son of a Duke.
The second reason was because I failed to impress the princess, and brought shame to my own father.
"Must've been terrible for you."
James said to me after I told him the second reason, and I laughed slightly.
"Haha. Indeed, it is… that is the main reason for him hating me, I suppose…"
But the true reason why he wanted me dead was because of what I know.
"Masqueren… has been dealing with a ton of underground businesses. Illegal ethelen trafficking, drugs and drinks, slavery… It is easily the worst city in Velborn."
"I see… And you have the knowledge that can take him down from his position."
"… That is correct. I know quite a lot of things that can purify the people of Velborn."
Purify the people of Velborn… huh?
Never once I thought I'd be saying this, especially when it is so baseless. I am weak, and all I have is a bunch of information.
But if I have this guy helping me…
"S-Say… do you mind if we go somewhere?"
"Hmm? Where?"
"The knights headquarters."
Hearing me saying that, James cannot look more lifeless.
"I thought you're being hunted down…"
.
We did end up going to the knights headquarters.
After a long quarrel at the alley, he agreed to protect me while I came to the knights headquarters to report. All he has to do is to protect me from any incoming attacks, all while I'm talking to the most important person in the knights headquarters.
The knight general.
"Is this it?"
James asked after we arrived, and I nodded.
The knights headquarters is almost like a castle on its own. It has six towers surrounding it in the form of a hexagon with a large building also in the shape of a hexagon. The entrance was guarded by a whole team of knights, and to enter, one has to reveal their identities.
"Here we go… Can you truly protect me?"
"Well, I definitely don't want my favorite ethelen to die."
"Am I your favorite ethelen, now?"
"I don't know. Find out if you're dead or not, later."
I chuckled to his grim joke and he looked like he grinned as well. To think I am this close with a human… I would never guess such a thing to be possible.
We both wore our helmets, and we began exiting the alley.
"Halt! Show us your identity--"
Faster than he can talk, I whipped out my identity card.
"S-Sir Tyland of Sylphon!!? We heard you were dead!"
"Says who? The hunters' division?"
Yeah, that's right. I know.
Their faces began to change as they turned their hands towards the hilts of their blades. All of them weren't wearing any helmets, and a lot of them looked like they were off duty as well.
But even when they are off duty, they are still knights. Dangerous, even when they are unarmed.
"I wish to see the knight general."
"No can do… You know what will happen if you show up. The moment your face arrives on Velborn… Everyone will not stay still."
"Fuah… this is not going to be easy after all…"
I turned my gaze to James, and he turned back to me.
"What? Talk to them. I ain't doing anything until they attack."
Really…? Well, his task was to protect me anyway, not help me.
"Let us through. This is more important than your lowly lives."
"The hunters division already gave all the knights a command to report you if we see you… to take you in no matter what."
"Then, take me in."
I lifted both of my hands, and the knights turned at one another. They began moving to my back and placed a handcuff on me. They also disarmed me, removing me from my weapons.
"H-Hey, me too…?"
James complained when the knights arrived behind him, about to cuff his hands.
"Yeah. You're coming with him, aren't you?"
"Can I at least keep the helmet?"
They did end up letting James keep his helmet, which was a relieve because if his identity got revealed, I might as well become a runaway.
Afterwards, we entered the knights headquarters. The knights were about to place me in jail, but I immediately demanded.
"Let me see the general. I have important information."
Hearing my words, the knights began to grow confused. They know that I am being hunted, but they aren't exactly sure why. They only know that I am a terrible person and must be punished, but not for what reason.
The general heard of my request, and we immediately began making our way to his office.
We entered the office with both of our hands cuffed, and two other knights walking in with us. Other than us, is a single fifty year old man with massive muscles, and a level of focus that is the result of years of training. A man whose depth of strength is deeper than others.
The strongest knight of Velborn, the general.
"Leave us."
The general said to everyone else in the room, and the rest of the knights who came with us immediately left. Now, only me, the general, and undercover James in the room.
As an opening, the general let out a very long sigh.
"Seriously… you just had to get caught, do you?"
The general said with a tired tone, and I chuckled.
"Actually, I turned myself in."
"Huh? Why would you do that?"
"Because I wanted to see you! Why else?"
I then chuckled in front of the general, and he let out a long tired sigh once again. I turned my grinning face to James, and he looked as confused as ever underneath that helmet.
"Ah, right. I didn't mention this.
Meet my teacher. He is the one who's been teaching me everything, even my combat knowledge or my spying knowledge."
I said while nodding at the general, but my teacher doesn't seem proud of me in the slightest.
"He's the worst student I've ever had. Only a tier three mage even after so many years of being with me… such a talentless kid."
I got absolutely demolished by his words, and I turned to James once again.
"W-Well, James… he is a bit rude of a teacher, isn't he?"
I said to James awkwardly, but the guy doesn't seem to be interested. Instead, he is somewhat looking towards the left side of the room's floor.
What's on the floor?
"James?"
I asked him, but he didn't reply. He is just being dead silent, as if he is staring at something.
I turned my gaze to my teacher, and found him staring angrily at James.
… H-Huh?
"Oi, you there.
I wasn't actually ignoring you since the beginning. I was watching your presence fluctuates, but I can't seem to sense a thing… Who the hell are you?"
My teacher asked very nicely to James, which shocked me because he is only this angry towards his enemies.
Did he find out that James is a human!?
"… How… Odd."
All of the sudden, James spoke with a cold tone.
On his table, teacher was already standing up and a sword appeared on his hips. His body is without armor, but he can still fight without it.
"I ask you once again… who are you!?"
Teacher asked coldly once again, but James was still not turning his gaze away from the floor.
Teacher kept on studying him, and he finally realized what James had been doing. He followed the direction where James was looking, which is the floor, and immediately realized something.
"Y-You… found it--"
"Indeed, I did. Well done keeping it hidden."
James said happily as he lifted his hand. His fingers began to click on the helmet's lock, and he lifted it up.
"I've been searching for it the entire afternoon… I even checked the entire city, too…
But, to think it was in such an important facility. In such an obvious location--"
"Tyland, get away from him!!"
Teacher shouted all of the sudden as he unsheathed his sword. He began inserting mana into his blade, and it glowed green as it was being charged.
"Hoooovaaaarrrr!!!!!!!"
It's teacher's most powerful arsenal.
Hoovar, a sword that can split the mountains.
VWOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
I got out of the way as quickly as I possibly can when the sword slash flew from his sword. The powerful green slash made its way very quickly towards the unarmed human, and it exploded everything to smithereens.
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I already casted a protection magic myself, but the explosion still hurts me.
Hoovar is a tier five magic sword slash that annihillates everything in its target. A very powerful technique that only the strongest knight of the kingdom is capable of doing.
It destroyed everything on its path. The wall behind me, even the floor that we were standing on.
My left leg is wounded and my arms are a bit cooked. I can feel the taste of metal as blood coughed from my mouth. But I ignored all that and turned to look around.
Everything has been covered by ash and smoke. The day is no longer, so there was no sunlight. But the moonlight is already there, and is currently shining through the opened roof that my teacher created.
I found my teacher's silhouette still standing in his original position, but there was something else I noticed.
"Ghahakk!!!"
The sound of an old man coughing blood can be heard, and finally the smokes clears itself so that my cursed eyes can see.
Standing right in front of teacher is James. His helmet is no more, and his eyes are now shining bright red. His entire body is enveloped in a golden aura, and he emits a really powerful pressure.
His hand… is piercing through the chest of an old man I call teacher.
"H-Huh…?"
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