“And that’s level one hundred.” Ichiro said, dispelling his magic and scratching the back of his neck. For some reason, the last day or so he had been feeling oddly itchy, and he couldn’t find a reason why, so he could only assume it was because of his impending race advancement “How does this whole race advancement thing work?”
“Amazing, Lord Yamamoto!” Princess Meg said, clapping her hands together. “At this rate, there’s no way the Lord of Monsters will stand up to us! As for race evolution, it’ll happen automatically the next time you sleep.”
“You’re doing pretty well yourself, Princess.” Ichiro said. “What level are you now?”
“O-only seventy.” Meg admitted, admitted, turning away in embarrassment. “And I’ve been training for years before this…”
Princess Meg was the first companion to join Ichiro on his journey; she was Brom’s daughter, and the two had met while Ichiro was still researching this world. As it turned out, she was frustrated with the way things were going, saddened at her father’s helplessness to stop the ruinous future he saw, despite his best efforts. She felt it wasn’t right to not be doing anything while her father worked so hard, so she had chosen to seek Ichiro out and help him however she could.
“You can’t compare normal people like us with a Hero, Your Highness.” Neph said, placing a boot on the corpse of the monster she was fighting and using it to pull her spear out of the monster. “You are quite high level for someone of your age.”
Neph was their other companion, and she had joined because King Brom had assigned her to watch over Princess Meg while she was with Ichiro. She was not only a skilled combatant, but a skilled manager as well; she kept watch over the party’s finances, and made sure to scope out everywhere they went before they got there. Ichiro sometimes wondered how she was able to accomplish so much in such small periods of time, but whenever he asked, she only said that she would be a failure of a servant if she wasn’t able to do at least this much.
She flicked the gore off of her spear, then walked back over to Ichiro and Meg. “We should turn in for the night.” She said. “It may be early in the day, but race advancements tend to make your body tire quickly in preparation for the coming night. Besides, this is cause for celebration, as our way of life is now that much safer from those who would try and change it.”
And then there was that “habit” of hers. She often said things in a strange roundabout way, claiming it was an old habit that she couldn’t shake, but Ichiro knew that wasn’t the case. She was clearly trying to communicate things about this “swarm” to him, and though it had taken quite some time, he was beginning to get a picture for what it was.
It was made up of people, though at the same time, not normal people. It was not some outgrowth of the Lord of Monsters, but a force in opposition to it. It was a powerful force, too; Neph had stated on many occasions that she did not fear the Lord of Monsters. In fact, she pitied the Lord of Monsters because of the opposition it would face. And, finally, the swarm grew by absorbing people, as the constant references to “necromantic armies” that she made implied.
This world’s Hero was, apparently, obscenely powerful, more so than any who had ever lived. Even knowing of his multiple Heroic Jobs, Neph said that she doubted Ichiro would be her match until he was at least level two hundred, and the Hero had yet to even reach level one hundred.
He would have doubted her, had he not put two and two together already; the Hero was responsible for the swarm, and if it was everything their implications made it out to be, then she was clearly an unparalleled genius. And, even if they were exaggerating the swarm, the video Owen had taken showed a dungeon that could only have been made by the Hero.
Yet, Ichiro couldn’t help but feel uneasy about this information. For one, Neph was hinting at a lot more information than the Goddess of Law would normally allow, were the country truly under an Oath. Either he was being misled, or the Goddess of Law considered the swarm enough of a threat to allow her rules to be bent around Ichiro, and neither was a pleasant thought.
For two, Connie had repeatedly told him that things in this world were not as they appeared on the surface. If this world’s Hero truly was leading the swarm, as he expected, then surely it couldn’t be all bad. Yes, the Hero had “gone rogue”, but all she had provably done was move out into the middle of nowhere and trap the scouts who came to retrieve her.
Yes, when that girl said she would ‘make Owen into something strong’ it was unsettling, but it wasn’t necessarily malicious. Really, he just needed to talk with the Hero, and get her side of the story. Surely everything would make sense when he found out why she had done what she did.
He also needed to find Connie’s followers. They were supposedly an eclectic bunch, but were also people who were wrapped up in this, and knew what was going on. If he could talk with them, whoever they were, it would surely go a long way towards clearing things up, but no one seemed to have any idea who Connie might be talking about.
They’ll find you soon ;)
How soon?
A day or two. As I said before, they can be kind of pushy, but there are plenty of deals they can make that would further your aims. Just remember…a good merchant only makes deals that benefit them in some way.
They are good people, right? Can I trust them?
Everyone has a different opinion, but I can say for sure that they’re actively working to be the best people they can be. “Good person” is a relative term, and you’re the one who decides that, not me
“Lord Yamamoto?” Meg asked. “Are you alright?”
Ichiro shook his head, as if clearing it. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. Let’s go back to the inn., I’m starving.”
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
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A couple of nights later, Ichiro was awoken by his Dangersense bleeping a warning. Immediately, he shot up, hand flying to his staff as he looked around the inn room. Yes…there, right next to his bed, there was a hazy, indistinct figure, looking directly at him. “Show yourself.” He commanded, pointing his staff at it. Dangersense had only given the figure a ‘moderate’ threat, so he wasn’t particularly worried about his safety at the moment, and he would prefer to solve things nonviolently if possible.
The figure made no movement at all, as if it hadn’t heard him speak. So, he did the only logical thing, and analyzed it with his Blessing.
Analysis blocked by Connie’s Counterintelligence Charm!
Ichiro froze. “Are you…one of the people Connie has been talking about?” He ventured.
The figure’s haziness suddenly faded, and he was able to see it clearly. She was a tall, beautiful kitsune, with orange hair and five oddly knotted tails behind her. She struck an imposing, larger than life presence, one that outstripped even some of the rulers that Ichiro had associated himself with. “I am.” She said. “You are Yamamoto Ichiro, correct?”
Suddenly, it struck Ichiro; though this woman had changed slightly, she looked almost identical to the one from the video, and the growth of four tails would certainly trigger the sorts of changes he was seeing. “Lia Mios, right?”
Lia raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you’ve seen the video, then?”
“I have.” Ichiro said guardedly. “And I happen to have some questions about it.”
“I would be willing to answer…for a price.” Lia replied.
Ichiro frowned. “What sort of price?”
“A simple deal. If you agree with our ideals, you join us.”
Ichiro paused. “I’m afraid I cannot agree to that right now. But, if after I know everything, I agree with you, then yes, I will join you.”
Lia hummed, thinking that over. “I suppose that’s something, at least. I’ll give you some preliminary answers, then. Ask away.”
“Is this “swarm” thing related to you and Amelia?” Ichiro asked bluntly. “It seems the only logical conclusion.”
“Yes. We lead it.” Lia said. “And, before you ask, yes, we will defeat the Lord of Monsters. This is part of the Oath we made with Brom, so there is no need to worry on that front.”
Ichiro frowned. It was the truth; lying about an Oath was an act akin to spitting in the face of the Goddess of Law, and would be grounds for an immediate smiting. Yet…something was strange. “Why can you speak of the Oath, but Brom cannot?”
“Because the information restriction is one way.” Lia said. “He and the Glens are only unable to talk about us, not the other way around.”
“Then…what happened to Owen?”
“He is happy and healthy, living with his wife and children.”
“As part of the swarm?”
“As part of the swarm, and I can say with full confidence that his quality of life will be better than it was before, once we finish building up our city.”
Ichiro sighed. “And how can I believe you?”
“I swear on Connie’s name that I am speaking the truth.” Lia vowed. “And she will vouch that I believe what I am saying.”
It’s true, she hasn’t lied to you yet.
And your Blessing doesn’t work on her why? How’d she get that charm thing?
Her info has details on some of our business transactions in it, and you can’t see those without paying up first.
That was only fair, Ichiro supposed. “Fine, you’re not lying. But if this is the case, why’d they go through the trouble of summoning a Hero, when a perfectly capable one is with you?”
“People fear what they can’t control.” Lia said softly. “Amelia needed to be away from their control, and they couldn’t accept that. It’s political jockeying, and it’s highly distasteful, if you ask me.”
“I can agree with that, but I don’t think you’re telling the whole truth. Brom and his people are scared stiff of you, and that’s not something that comes from just being unable to control you. And…they speak as if you intend to conquer them someday, am I wrong?”
Lia shrugged. “They’re free to believe what they will. They don’t see eye to eye with us on policy issues and philosophy, and it scares them.”
Ichiro resisted the urge to groan. He hated all this roundabout talk and doublespeak. “What issues?” He asked. “And what are these ideals you were talking about earlier?”
“As you seem to have inferred, they’re the same. We seek a world without war, without inequality, without hunger, without discrimination. A world where everyone is free to live their lives as they wish, and no one is looked down on for something as silly as a difference in race, gender, or age. We possess the unique capability to turn non-sapient creatures into an obedient workforce that will allow sapient people to flourish, to pursue arts and sciences without any fear of starvation.”
“Slave labor, then.” Ichiro said flatly.
“Do you call your horses slaves?” Lia shot back. “If it turns out that any of our manual laborers develops a will of their own, we will immediately offer them other work. In many ways, I would argue that is better than the treatment modern kingdoms give their citizens. We have mandated breaks, policies to prevent people from overworking themselves, and many other small things that make the lives of even our laborers better than a serf’s.”
Ichiro frowned. It all sounded too good to be true. “And you intend to bring this dream about…by making everyone a part of the swarm?”
“Yes.” Lia said simply. “You did not grow up in this world, you don’t know the price of peace. We had it once, when the Ruby Emperor reigned, a way to progress forward, a golden age filled with progress towards a brighter future. Do you know what happened? He was killed, killed by people who wanted only to increase their own influence, with no regard for the lives they worsened along the way.
“People are afraid of change. They are afraid that moving away from the status quo will decrease their power, and they think that will somehow decrease their worth, or make their life worse. Their greed and pride means they are not afraid to trample on those they see as lesser, and it is sickening. This is the only way to achieve a truly peaceful future.
“We hope you would be willing to join us; we vow to not only better society as much as we can, but to better your life, individually, too. We know you wish to have a harem, and that is a natural thing. While I cannot promise you that you will be able to build a harem within the swarm, we can say that none of the swarm is opposed to polyamory, so long as all parties consent, so there will be no obstacles in your way other than your own ability.”
A bribe, then. Unfortunately for her, Ichiro wasn’t going to let himself be bribed. And, while her intentions seemed noble, and Connie had said she was trying her best to be a good person, Ichiro just couldn’t agree with her methods. “I’ll have to decline.” He said. “And I’m going to have to ask you to stop what you’re doing. If not…” He slammed his staff into the floor, and began to cast a spell. “I can’t guarantee your safety.”
Lia seemed unperturbed. “I thought it would end like this.” She said sadly. “Very well. If you change your mind…give Connie a call. We’d be happy to accept you at any time.” And then she was gone, vanished as if she was never there. Ichiro couldn’t even sense the spell that warped her away, something that could only have been the other Hero’s doing.
Still…it was such an odd visit. She snuck in originally, likely to capture him should she have remained undetected, tried to talk him over to her side, and then left, not surprised or upset at all that negotiations had broken down and Ichiro now considered them his enemies.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he rushed out of his room and down the hall to where the girls were staying. Ignoring any sense of propriety, he flung open the door to their room…and found his comrades sleeping peacefully.
“Lord Yamamoto?” Meg asked, blearily sitting up. “What’s wrong?”
Ichiro let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll tell you on the way. We need to leave, now.”
“Now?” Meg asked. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“And we’re not safe here.” Ichiro said. “Wake Neph and gather your stuff, we’re leaving in ten minutes.”