Chapter 141
Golorath’s Princess
Erin could feel beads of sweat fall down the side of her face, as she held the picture with a shaking hand. The fact that she was staring at a picture of her old high school friend, Stacey, who had seemingly been transported into the same world as she had been was something the redhead would have never imagined. All this time, she had simply assumed that it was only herself and Devin’s group who had come here, yet here was proof that there were others.
Questions began to race through Erin’s mind from this revelation. Were all of her old friends here? Had anybody else been transported here? And if so, what were they doing? What had happened to them?
“Uhh… Everything okay?” Ao asked, breaking Erin out of her thoughts. “You suddenly started spacing out and your face seems rather pale. Are you alright?”
“O-Oh! Yes! I’m completely fine!” the redhead replied awkwardly, realizing just how strange her reaction must have seemed. “Just… Who is this person? She doesn’t seem like a general or any other important person like that.”
“Well, you’re right about that. She isn’t any kind of an influential person in the traditional sense,” the dark-haired man replied. “However, she is very important to Golorath himself. While she has been rarely seen, whenever she has been spotted, she is always staying very close to the big boss himself. Even though our intel hasn’t been able to verify her name, background or status, we have come to the obvious conclusion as to who she is.”
“...And that would be?” Erin asked.
“She’s obviously Golorath’s wife,” Ao stated with a serious look on his face.
This response almost caused the redhead to let out a surprised scream that was so loud that even the runes wouldn’t have been able to block it. Part of her wanted to laugh while the other part wanted to scream in rage over the absurdity of such an idea. It was these conflicting feelings and her own sheer willpower that managed to help Erin keep up her act and not lose her composure completely. However, it still took her a few seconds, until she was able to respond herself.
“Oh… I see,” was all that the redhead managed to say.
The reason as to why Stacey being the wife of Golorath, who was one of Erin’s former friends by the name Gabe, was such an absurd idea didn’t come just from the fact that the redhead knew how much her old friend group hated Devin’s group. Stacey had always had a personal deep disgust towards Gabe specifically, finding him gross and repulsive. In fact, it had been Stacey herself, who had given Gabe his infamous nickname “Porky Gabe.” This is why the idea of Stacey actually marrying the person she hated so much seemed like a sheer impossibility to Erin.
However, when she thought about it more rationally, it could make sense. After all, she was in a strange and unknown world now. What better way to survive than to seek the protection of someone of immense power? Even if that was someone you used to hate. Besides, Erin herself had changed since her high school days and the same could have happened to her old friend as well.
“So why do you want to kidnap her, if she is just Golorath’s wife?” Arkay asked, bringing Erin back from her thoughts. “I doubt she has any sensitive military information on him, so isn’t this just a waste of time?”
“That’s where you’re wrong, my young friend!” Ao said with a grin. “This isn’t done so that we can extract important military information out of her! What we want is to cause emotional and psychological damage to Golorath himself!”
“W-What!?” Erin cried out in surprise. “What do you mean by that!?”
“Exactly what I said. What’s so hard to understand?” the dark-haired man replied with a confused look on his face. “I mean, isn’t it obvious that in order to attack someone as powerful as Golorath, we need to strike him where it hurts? And what better way to do so than to target someone he holds very dear to him, like a wife?”
“B-But she’s not any kind of a combatant or anything!” Arkay tried to argue. “How can you just attack someone who has nothing to do with what Golorath has done!?”
“Nothing to do with…? Do you really believe that?” Ao asked. “Do you really think that the person, who is basically the closest thing to Western Continent’s queen hasn’t dirtied her hands even a bit? If nothing else, she surely has enjoyed the privilege her position grants her, while everybody below her suffers! Do you seriously think that she’s completely blameless in all of this?”
“Do you have any proof of that!?” Erin asked, not liking how this operation was looking. “All you have said so far is nothing but assumptions! Can you really put faith in that!?”
“So what if it isn’t true? I was honestly just repeating what a lot of people are saying in order to get you motivated into doing this,” the dark-haired man said with a sigh. “Besides, you’re completely missing the bigger picture here. What we want is leverage against Golorath, which isn’t something that’s easy to come by. In order to free these lands from his rule, we have to get our hands dirty. Or is that somehow a foreign concept to you?”
“...It’s not,” the redhead said, thinking back on her talk with Rayleen. “Doesn’t mean I like doing stuff like this, though.”
“Hey, do you think I enjoy this?” Ao asked. “I’d rather be doing pretty much anything else than going around mercilessly slaughtering people. However, if you want to see some actual change, you need to get your hands dirty. That’s just how this world is, I’m afraid.”
Arkay was about to protest further, but Erin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. The cat boy looked up to see the redhead lightly shake her head.
“Let’s say we do this job for you,” Erin said, looking at Ao. “What is going to happen to this woman? Are you going to torture her or something?”
“Please… We’re not animals. I can promise that she’ll get fair treatment, including food and a decent bed to sleep in,” the dark-haired man replied. “That is, of course, as long as she behaves herself. I can’t promise that she’ll be unharmed, if she decides to try and fight us. Self-defense and everything, you know?”
“...And once you no longer need her?” the redhead asked.
“She’ll be let go with no strings attached. I promise,” Ao said. “After that, she’ll be on her own and has to make by herself. We won’t be looking after her any longer, so it’s all up to her whether she can survive or not.”
“...Alright. That sounds fine by me,” Erin said after thinking it over. “I pretty sure I can work with that.”
While she completely understood the grudges and other negative feelings Rayleen’s people and many others most likely felt towards Stacey, the redhead wasn’t keen on the idea of letting her be killed because of them. Now that she had received confirmation from one of Rayleen’s closest aides, she could rest easy that nothing too bad would happen to her. Stacey would still have to find a way to live in this world on her own, but she could always receive help from those willing to give it. Erin herself would be more than willing to do so and she was sure her friends wouldn’t mind either.
“That’s great to hear!” Ao said happily. “So you’re willing to take part in this operation then?”
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“I’m pretty sure that’s what I just said,” the redhead replied. “Besides, it’s not like I have a choice, do I? I mean, the way your boss made it seem was like we either work with her or we’re dead. Or did I misunderstand something?”
“Nah, you’re pretty much right about that. I was told that if you for some reason decided to refuse, I would have to kill you and your friends,” the dark-haired man said with a shrug. “Good thing that we didn’t have to go there, though. I would have hated being forced to kill you guys. I might not look like it, but I’m quite the pacifist at heart.”
“You would have killed all of us?” Erin asked. “Are you saying you’re the only one here?”
“Yup. The boss didn’t feel like sending anyone else here, as I’m more than enough to handle this operation,” Ao explained. “Something wrong with that?”
“I’m just a bit surprised. I mean, you’re saying that you alone are enough to take on our whole group. While I’m certain you can handle us, the strongest members of our group are still left and they would not go down quietly. You’d be in for the fight of your life,” the redhead said, before looking at Arkay apologetically. “No offense, Arnie.”
“None taken,” the cat boy replied. “I know my limits.”
“Oh, you think your buddies can take me on? That’s adorable!” Ao said with a laugh. “Tell me something, though. Can you say that after I do this?”
Before either Erin or Arkay could say anything, they felt the heat in the shack suddenly rise up to an insane degree. It was like they were in the middle of a desert all of a sudden and the sun was shining right on top of them. Both were immediately complete drenched in sweat and fell to their knees, unable to take the heat and sheer pressure they were under.
They looked up to see Ao simply standing before them without showing any signs of even being bothered by the heat. They then noticed a strange aura surrounding the dark-haired man’s body. It was only barely visible, but they could see small blue embers surround his body. It was then that they realized that this was all his doing and just how powerful he truly was. If he could make them kneel like this with such ease, just what else could he do?
“I think you’re finally starting to understand the pecking order here,” Ao said with a grin, releasing his technique. The temperature inside immediately dropped down to a normal level. “Try not to say anything that can be taken as a threat again, okay? A lot of people are not as forgiving and kind as me, so it would have ended badly for you with pretty much anybody else.”
“Noted,” Erin replied as she stood up and helped Arkay to his feet. “So what exactly is the plan? How do we go about this kidnapping?”
“It’s quite simple, actually,” the dark-haired man replied. “You see, one of our buddies managed to get their hands on a bus that travels between here and a nearby city. That bus is supposed to bring people to work here and take with it those who are going on a vacation. Since it’s a very high-class pampered population up there, they require top staff to be there 24/7. I’ll give you the location of where the bus will come to pick you up and you’ll be stepping onboard it. Once it has taken you inside, you’ll have to go about the kidnapping itself on your own. We will, however, provide you with maps and possible other equipment in order to help you with the job. Any questions?”
“Well… I do have one,” Arkay said. “If Golorath’s wife is going to be here, doesn’t that mean that he himself will also be here? Shouldn’t we go after the overlord himself instead of his wife?”
“While otherwise that would be a good point, it unfortunately doesn’t work here,” Ao said. “You see, Golorath himself isn’t coming here, only his lady and some of his personal guard as escorts. My best guess is that even such powerful couples need time away from each other or something.”
“Alright, but mind explaining one more thing for us?” Erin asked to which the dark-haired man nodded. “Why exactly do you need us for an operation like this? Doesn’t Rayleen have enough people serving under her that could do this?”
“She certainly has more than enough people capable of doing this, but there are two reasons as to why she wants your group to do it,” Ao began to explain. “For starters, it’s always a good idea to use your own resources in a smart manner. Why waste your own people, when you can get someone else to do the job for you? Also, if she were to send me or anybody else that is recognizable from her forces, there’s the risk of her plots being discovered. That’s why using outsiders like you is a more sensible idea.”
“How charming,” the redhead muttered unhappily. “Anyways, where do we need to be in order to get into this bus your colleague is driving?”
“It will be near the outskirts of the city on the way towards the main road that leads to the upper part of the city,” the dark-haired man answered. “There are some rocks over there that have been marked with graffiti, so it should be easy to find.”
“When will the bus arrive?” Erin asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” Ao replied. “Make sure to be there or else we might lose our chance in doing this, okay?”
“Understood. We’ll be there,” the redhead said. “Is there anything else that we should know?”
“Not really, although, I guess I should warn you about the guards there. They’re far above your average soldier in terms of strength and abilities, so be very careful when facing them. Unlike most people, they actually have received legitimate training in using magic and ki, so they’re some real hardcore killers. Do NOT underestimate them, okay?” the dark-haired man said to which Erin and Arkay both nodded. “Also, if you wouldn’t mind, could you…?”
For some reason, Ao left his question unfinished and simply stayed silent, seemingly staring off into nothing particular. Erin and Arkay shared and uncomfortable glance, wondering what was up with him.
“Uhhh… Is everything alright?” Arkay asked, breaking the sudden silence and snapping Ao from his thoughts. “You were about to ask us to do something, but went completely silent all of a sudden.”
“Oh, don’t mind that!” the dark-haired man replied with a smile. “I was just thinking about asking your help with something, but I decided it’s better if I handle this on my own!”
“...If you say so,” the cat boy said, before giving Erin a glance, who just shrugged in response.
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With their business concluded, Erin and Arkay started to leave. Ao gave them directions, so that they could get back to their van as fast as possible.
Once the two had walked away, Ao let out a sigh and turned to look at the buildings behind him.
“Hey, you guys can come out already,” the dark-haired man said. “I already know you’re all there, so there’s no use in hiding.”
As soon as he said this, people began to emerge from different hiding places. For the most part, they were just local residents, having most likely been hired cheaply to provide some extra muscle to whoever was leading the group. A few guards from the upper parts of the city were also mixed in the ranks, brandishing proper weaponry instead of whatever the locals could get their hands on.
However, at the front of the group was a large male orc, making himself know as the leader. He was wearing a gray uniform with a large gray camouflage raincoat over his shoulders. On his back were two large battleaxes that were glowing with magical energy. His hair had been styled into a spiky mohawk and he had a cocky grin on his face, as he was certain of his victory.
“Well, this is certainly quite the party,” Ao said, looking over the group before his eyes. “Judging by your looks, you’re not here to tour the local sights. May I offer some assistance perhaps?”
“You’re a funny guy, aren’t you? Playing it up, despite the trouble you’re in,” the orc at the front said as he pulled out his weapons. Sparks of lighting emanated from the axes as he got in a battle stance. “You probably know who I am, so why don’t you just make this easy on yourself and surrender peacefully? That way you can at least live a bit longer.”
“My what originality you have, good sir. I’m truly terrified over here,” the dark-haired man said with a yawn. “As for knowing who you are… I’m sorry, but who exactly are you? I get that you’re one of those elite assassins or whatever, but I can’t just find it in me to remember your actual name right now.”
image [https://i.ibb.co/jZQnSSn/Ch-141-Pic-1.jpg]
“Well, aren’t you a cocky little prick!? But you won’t be laughing soon!” the orc said angrily, hating how he was not being taken seriously at all. “Once you realize that you’re facing the famous Twin Lightning Gulrak himself! Does that ring a bell!?”
“...Nope. Not at all,” Ao replied calmly, further angering the assassin. “But enough in trying to remember you. It won’t matter soon anyways. I do wonder why you guys decided to go after me, if you know who my guests were? They would have been much easier to catch.”
“That might be true, but what kind of a fool let’s a golden opportunity like this just slip past them?” Gulrak asked in return with a grin. “Not only will I be able to catch the largest bounty in the world, but I can also turn over a traitor within Lord Golorath’s forces! While I don’t know the details, my guess is that you’re part of a plot to overthrow him! Once I bring this to his attention, I will certainly be rewarded handsomely!”
“Oh, dear me… Another fool blinded by greed that leads him to his doom,” the dark-haired man said with a sigh. “You really shouldn’t have gone after me. To borrow what you said earlier, you could have at least lived a bit longer that way.”
“OH YEAH!?” the assassin asked angrily. “And what makes you say that!?”
“...You don’t get it, do you? For a moment, I considered letting my associates there handle you all in order to see how good they truly are, but decided against it. Do you know why?” Ao asked. “It’s not because I I feared for their safety or anything like that. I just realized it has been a while since I’ve gotten some proper exercise and wanted to do this myself instead.”
“You arrogant little…!” Gulrak cursed. “And just how are you going to beat us all by yourself!?”
“You seriously don’t know? Then you’re weaker than I thought,” the dark-haired man said with a disappointed sigh. “If you look to your left, you and your buddies might actually see it before you all die.”
Taken aback by this, the assassin looked to his left and saw a small blue ball of fire floating next to his face. Much like him, everybody else had a similar thing floating next to them. The ball was very small, no bigger than a golf ball. It honestly looked like a strong breeze could extinguish it.
Before anybody could react, Ao snapped his fingers, causing all of the fireballs to suddenly explode. The explosions caused every single person that had a fireball next to them to have their heads be engulfed by flames, which was soon followed by them dropping to the ground dead.
“Lucky you. You all managed to see it,” Ao said with a grin.
The dark-haired man was about to leave, when he noticed one of the bodies move. It was one of the locals, who despite his heavily burnt face was desperately trying to crawl away.
“Well, would you look at that. You’re either a very lucky one or a tough one,” Ao said as he walked up to the crawling man, who looked up at him in terror. “You were able to move your head far enough before the explosion, thus managing to save your life. Still made a mess of your face, though…”
“P-Please spare me!” the man pleaded with tears in his remaining eye. “I-I won’t tell anyone about anything that happened here! I promise!”
“Sorry. I’m afraid I can’t take that deal. There’s always a chance you’re either lying or you’ll change your mind later. Greed is a powerful thing, you know?” the dark-haired man said as he gathered blue flames on his hand. “Besides, if you’re ready to kill, you should be ready to be killed as well. You can only blame yourself here, but you do have my sympathies. I’ll make sure this will be as painless as possible.”
There was one last scream, before everything went quiet once again in Graven Hills.