The next day
As Issac was walking down the dirt road, he heard the clacking of wooden wheels from behind. He turned around and saw the shabby carriage with a white cloth hood. The old man driving the carriage squinted his eyes to see who was walking in front, but his eyes widened suddenly.
The old man pulled on the reins and stopped the carriage beside Issac. With a hurried look, he got down and knelt down before Issac. Issac looked at him in bewilderment; however, since the old man had his head down, he didn’t see it. Even if he did, he wouldn’t dare question it.
“Sire, this subject would like your highness to use his carriage to return to the Sawheim Duchy.”
Realization dawned on Issac. “Ah, he’s mistaking me for someone from the Sawheim Duchy.” He looked at his clothes - there was a small crest near the buttons on the lower end of the coat. He didn’t take time to identify the crest, and with the most formal tone he could muster, he said, “Well, that would be splendid. But before I get onboard, I’d like to ask – you do know where the Duchy is, right?”
Issac did not have the air of blatant superiority and arrogance that most nobles had. But he gave off the air of a learned man, and to the carriage driver, that was enough.
“I do, sire. Would you like me to escort you to the Genia Marquisate or Sawheim Duchy?”
“No need to go that far. The Marquisate will do. I have people there.”
“Understood, sire. Please climb aboard,” the carriage driver hurriedly went to the back of the carriage and brought out a small step stool to help Issac get into the carriage.
Issac nodded at him and got up on the carriage. Looking at the empty carriage and the wooden seats, he quietly sighed and took a seat. Soon, the carriage driver put the step stool back inside the carriage, got up on the driver’s seat, and whipped the reins.
“Haiya!” with a shout, the horses started walking forward, tugging the carriage along. For the first ten minutes, they rode in complete silence as Issac tried to sit comfortably on the hard wooden seat. After he found a comfortable position, he exhaled and looked outside the carriage. The only openings in the carriage were on the back and the front. He looked at the driver and said, “So, is this a transport carriage or a cargo one?”
The carriage driver adjusted his hat and said, “I transport cargo for merchants, sire. And sometimes, when there’s no work from them, I take commissions from adventurers to take them to their quest site.”
“Yeah, that seems about right. So, where do you stay?”
“I live in Dinel Town with my wife and three kids,” the carriage driver answered honestly. After answering, he started fidgeting before nervously asking, “S-Sire, if I could ask – why were you walking on the road?”
“Ah,” Issac tried putting on the best ‘regretful’ face he could muster, “I had a carriage. We got ambushed. The knight group traveling with me died but took the enemy with them. Maybe it was planned. They did not look like mere bandits. Perhaps it’s the work of our enemies. They couldn’t possibly have known I carried a letter most important to the Duke….” Issac got quieter and quieter as he said that last line. But the driver heard it nonetheless.
Fear started to grip him. With clattering teeth, he asked, “S-Sire, t-then won’t we be attacked?”
“Fear not, my good man. The attackers have been killed, so our enemies have no way of knowing what truly happened. And by the time they check it out, we would be long gone.” Inwardly, Issac felt speechless, “Man, I just picked up a ticking time bomb, haven’t I?”
He quietly took a look at the small crest pin on his shirt. It was in the shape of three swords, two crossing each other and one laid vertically on the two. He quickly took off the crest pin and stuffed it in his pocket.
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“Do you have curtains on this thing?” Issac asked the driver.
“I do, sire.”
“Draw them; I’m going to rest for a bit. However, I want you to do something.”
“What is it, sire?”
“Head straight for the Marquisate, specifically its main city.”
“By that, do you mean Litera City, sire?”
“Yes, do not stop until we get there. If someone stops you, say no one is inside. And if they want to check inside, let them. Don’t worry; I have methods of passing undetected.”
“…I understand, sire. Then I hope you rest well.”
Issac said nothing and smiled. The carriage driver closed the curtains, making the inside of the near dark. Only the faintest light shined through the cloth hood and curtains. He instantly felt comfier. Taking off his coat, he bunched it up and placed it at one end of the long bench to use as a pillow.
“Let’s try to get familiar with my escape plan for now.” He brought up his Status Screen and pressed the 『Night Walk』 skill. A wall of text formed on the holographic screen in front of him.
Skill: Night Walk
Description: The night calls to you and you walk in its midst.
Effect:
* Gain the ability to enter the ‘shadow state’ and mesh into shadows and darkness.
* Will be forcefully ejected if there is no darkness to hide in.
* Unable to perform other skills in ‘shadow state.’
* Saps 3 times the usual stamina.
* Will evolve to Dark Shift upon reaching max proficiency.
Night Owl’s perks:
* Stamina requirement is halved.
* Easier to Manifest
“Hoo,” Issac exhaled and inhaled deeply. “Let’s begin. Just like last time.” He closed his eyes. Now, it was truly dark. The faint light didn’t pierce his eyelids. The shade called him. He slumped down, allowing the comfort of the dark to take him. Just like last time, he could feel himself sinking. It was comfortable, like a lover’s embrace.
He opened his eyes again. “I’ve done it!” He could feel himself moving in the shade. He felt like a fish in the water. He ‘swam’ around in the dark and found he could move anywhere it was ‘dark’ – on the underside of the benches, the railings of the carriages. He had an inkling that if the carriage hood didn’t have light permeating through it, he would also be able to move on it.
Issac didn’t wait until the duration was up and canceled the skill. He could instantly feel being pushed up and materialized inside the carriage again. He pulled up the tab for 『Night Walk』 again.
He muttered, “So if this is right, I can use 『Night Walk』 for ten minutes. And I can use it as long as I have the mana and stamina. So, it’ll take 1.5 times more mana than average.” He was feeling really grateful for the 『Night Owl』 job. This was more than convenient. However, a sudden thought struck him.
“The 『Night Owl』 mitigates some of the drawbacks of skill or improves them. But the original skills are much worse than this. Why is this? Aren’t these skills only exclusive to people with Nyx’s Blessing? These skills come from Nyx, and the job also comes from her. So, why make a skill only to better it with a job?”
Issac felt like his questions only kept increasing without answers. Why did he turn into a 『Demon Lord』 despite being a human? What was the miasma-like aura that surrounded his friends? Where had he come into contact with hallucinogens? What was he going to do? Out of all these questions, he needed to think about the last one the most.
Shaking his head helplessly, Issac brought his status screen up.
Name: Issac Noir
Race: (1/8th) Arachnid Demon
Age: 25 years
Level: 6(Exp. required: 35/125)
Title:
Affinity: 『Dark』『Ice』
Job: 『Demon Lord』『Illusionist』 『Night Owl』
Blessing: 『Nyx’s Throne of Night』
Skills: Advanced Comprehension(76%), Charm(76%), Basic Illusion(45+45%), Expert Illusion Theory(98%), Translation(Complete), Danger Sense(Basic), Truth-seeking Eyes(Max), Night Blade(5%), Night Walk(12+10%), 24 more minor skills and 20 locked skills.
“So, 『Night Walk』 increased by 2% and 『Night Blade』 by 5%.” He paused and held his head, “I really wish she chose more creative names instead of slapping ‘Night’ before everything. I feel like I have 8th-Grade Syndrome. Anyway, I should quickly raise my proficiency and level up. My experience points rose by 10, probably from the Mesmer Snake. The extra added proficiency besides my actual proficiency must come from my 『Jobs』. That means I can use my skills at a higher proficiency than I currently have.”
After he was done checking everything, he closed his status screen. He laid down on the narrow wooden bench with his head on his previously bunched-up coat and closed his eyes.