Chapter 96
Time is of the Essence
About half an hour after Yuuji and his party had left the city, Sergio returned from his jaunt at the market.
In his arms was a cask of local wine.
The man liked to drink, but he was not a drunk like Kamiya who would settle for sour ale if she had no money. He relished the fragrance, the aroma, the subtle nuances of certain wines. And today he had a good haul and thus was in quite a good mood. He was looking forward to enjoying one of the cheaper ones while returning to his home country.
Once he arrived at the Compound, he noticed that a few horses were missing, which caused him to pause as a his earlier good mood evaporated into the air.
His men would not defy his order therefore they would not even think of leaving their posts. He stored the wines in his Item Ring and grabbed the nearest stable boy.
“You! Where are the horses?!”
The boy was lifted off the ground by his collar and panic set in. “I – I…! Hero! Yes! The Hero used it!”
“WHAT?!”
Sergio dropped the boy on the ground and stormed into the compound in anger. A push caused the heavy and expensive door to blew off their hinges. Inside, he saw Bernardo and Andre on the ground, sleeping like babies.
The broad chested man lifted his friend with one hand and slapped him a few times.
“WAKE UP!!”
“…ngh…Ser – Sergio…?”
“Where did that shit go?” the man asked promptly, his square jaw clenched in anger.
“The…the Hero?” the fat man looked at the room door and recollection dawned upon him. His grogginess instantly evaporated and the mild-mannered man cursed like a sailor.
Bernardo explained briefly about what happened and Sergio exhaled with exasperation. “That little shit! Hero or not, I will slap some sense into him,” he walked out of the room while shouting. “Wake Andre. We leave at once!!”
After kicking the thin man still asleep on the floor up, Bernardo followed him outside and they quickly made their way out of the City.
Without minding the dangers of riding fast on the main road on such a busy day, Bernardo led point while shouting, “Make way! Make way!!”
The pedestrians going about their days scattered to the sides. Shouting curses and screaming in fear.
One woman with a pregnant belly tried to run away, but the sudden stress caused her belly to contract, causing her to fall to her knees in pain. Yet the men did not intend to stop.
“NO!” the woman screamed, knowing that this was to be her end.
Then a person stood before her, shield outthrust.
“Hero!”
“It’s Akira! Our Hero!!”
“Watch out!!”
The crowd shouted his name. A mix of pride and fear for his life.
He stood there, poised to face them. Yet riders had no intention to stop.
Sergio calmly ordered his subordinate. “Andre.”
A brief glance was enough for Andre to understand as he pulled out an Iron Staff with a glittering frost within.
“By the Grace of Junnaveil. I call upon the Frost! Frost Pillar!”
A piercing cold filled the air and a ramp of ice was created. The King’s Watchmen ran over the ramp and leaped above Akira and the pregnant woman.
And for just a moment - when the gallant painter’s horse’s front legs touched the ground – Sergio and Akira’s gaze met.
Sergio then continued riding forward, not even bothering with the Hero.
Not long after, Hannah - who was separated from him during their usual walk - found Akira. Who was still looking at the vanishing horses with a face full of horror.
“Akira! That was dangerous!” she scolded him. “And you! Don’t just stand there! Help the woman out of the way.”
Akira blinked, and then clutched tightly at his chest.
“Akira?” she asked again, concerned with his silence.
“H-Hannah. We - we need to go! We need to warn them!”
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That morning before Connie left, she instructed Illumca to take care of Akula.
Despite being in a sulky mood, Illumca still dutifully did as Connie asked and was wiping the sleeping Centaur with a cloth.
Suddenly, Akula awoke with a jolt. She tried to stand but the ceiling too low and she hit her head on it. While groaning from the pain she felt a sudden urge to throw up coming from the pit of her stomach.
“Urp - !”
Without saying anything, Illumca handed her a bucket into which Akula quickly perused. After finishing her busines. Akula groaned and spat into the bucket. She could smell the sour sting of her vomit in her nose and put the bucket down.
“Where…where is this?” she asked. She was sweating profusely and her face was pale.
“The dorm of the Junnaveil Church,” Illumca said curtly. It was not because she was angry or anything, but because it was the only way she knew how to act with other people.
“Oh,” she looked at the Dark Elf. She remembered her vaguely. One did not often see a dark elf with an eyepatch. “You and Connie saved me. Thank you.”
“It was Connie’s will. I’m only following it.”
“Still, I thank you,” she replied as she looked at her hands. “It felt…like a nightmare. In which I was trapped between waking and sleeping, unable to control my body. Slowly being twisted and my will no longer mine. To have control over my own body once more…I…I can’t thank you enough.”
“…I know how you feel. That bastard did the same to me,” Illumca said in a rare show of sympathy. She could remember her own pain so vividly, as it was still fresh in her mind.
“I know. Because he did the same to me,” Illumca’s eyes suddenly light up in hatred.
“But I did not see you with him,” the dismal feeling Tonsulde asked. “You didn’t fall?”
“I almost did. However, my love for Connie helped me go through it,” she said, her gaze turning slightly downward. “But not…without great pain.”
“I see. I guess I have not trained enough,” Akula touched her face. Then her expression changed into one of panic as she realized that something was missing.
“W-where is my veil?” she asked with a trembling voice.
“It’s there,” Illumca nodded at the delicate piece of cloth on the bedside table. “It got in the way of the medicine and the vomit.”
Akula quickly put on the veil and gazed at her. “D-did you see?”
“See what?” Illumca asked.
“No. Nothing,” she hurriedly answered. Her pale face now had a hint of redness in it.
“Okay…I…I’m gonna go now.”
“Wait,” Akula said, her usual confidence no longer could be seen. “Will you…will you stay here for a bit? I’m not…feeling well.”
Akula was a Tonsulde and was used to a life of solitude. You could not survive the harsh life of one if you had to rely on another. But at the moment she felt so naked and alone that she was desperate for someone. Not to talk, perhaps. Just to be there. One that knew her pain and did not spout empty words of pity.
Illumca knew this and in some ways could relate to Akula. However, she had only started to be able to interact with other people only recently – with great difficulty and often abrasive at that - Thus, she did not quite know how to deal with the situation.
The two fell into an awkward atmosphere. One sitting on the bed that almost cracked from her weight, and the other sitting there silently.
“I – “
“I – “
The two started at the same time, not knowing the right timing.
“…I’m sorry. I am not good with this type of situation,” Illumca said honestly. This person was a friend of Connie. So, she at least would try to tolerate her.
“Don’t mind it,” she replied. “By the way, where is Connie? I’d like to thank her. I owe her very much for saving me.”
“Oh, she’s out on a business,” Illumca answered quickly.
All of a sudden, the door to their room swung open, the brass handle hit the wooden wall so hard it chipped the aged wood.
“Akira! What are you doing here?” Illumca shouted warily. She did not have a good opinion of this man. Especially after how he tried to kill them back in Alabaster Atrium.
“Connie!” the man panted, “Where is she?!”
“Please! Sir Hero! You cannot be here!!” A nun in a habit tried to stop him, but she could not hinder the plight of a Hero. Especially one out of his wit.
“Wait. I’m not here (pant) to fight!” he said when he saw Illumca’s hand reaching for her dagger. “It’s about Connie! I…saw a vision! She is in great danger!”
Once Hannah managed to catch up with him, he had almost finished explaining what he saw.
“…Judging by the uniform they were wearing, they must be the Vorzennian’s King’s Watchmen! And that one man at the end…” Akira shivered. “The moment I saw him, my Skill went haywire! And I saw the image of her and the others dying at the hand of that man!”
“What’s haywire?” Hannah asked.
“Doesn’t matter!” Illumca shouted as she shook Akira by the shoulders. “Is it true?! Did you really see that?! But how? From what we see at the Ball, none of the King’s Watchmen are that strong. Connie can defeat a Named Demon, and Kasheem is the protector of the Al-Khemian Hero! How could mere three men defeat them?!”
“Wait…if it’s that man…” Akula started. She winced. “I’m sorry. My memories…is a bit jumbled up,” she said, her face pale from the effort. “I remember…the man had brown hair…and very muscular!”
“I didn’t see that well, but yes. He had brown hair.”
“That’s…Sergio,” the Centaur’s face stiffened. “That makes sense. He did not attend the Ball so you don’t know him. But he is strong. The strongest man I've ever seen aside from my father!”
Seeing the urgency in the Centaur’s face, Illumca knew that this man was not normal. She quickly turned to leave.
“Wait, where are you going?” Akira said with a worried face.
“To Connie,” she answered curtly.
“I’m coming with you!” Akula tried to stand up, but a wave of nausea hit her and she almost fell over.
“You are not well enough to move yet!” Hannah scolded her. “And you! Are you going to send yourself to Sud-Ghazid? If this man was so strong that it could defeat that bastard lover of yours, how could you be of any help?!”
“No matter what you say I will still go to her,” the dark elf looked back. “And you stay here. You’ll just be a hindrance in your current condition.”
“And how are you going to catch up to them?” Akula exclaimed.
“We have horses,” Illumca gave her answer.
“The horses used by King’s Watchmen are the best of the best. No normal horses can catch up to them. But I can.”
“But with your condition – “ Akira was about to speak, but Akula quickly shut him up with a glare. “Tonsulde have their ways. Five minutes. I will meet you outside in five minutes. Prepare yourself. This will be a hard battle.”
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“Are you sure about this?” Akira asked as Akula put on a quiver of arrows she took out from the Item Ring upon her back. “We could try asking the King for help.”
“And how long will that take?” Akula asked in return. “All this complicated life of you Stonemen. Life on the grasslands are better. Debts of gratitude do not need to be weighed in gold.”
She then took out a vial of horrifyingly blue liquid. She exhaled lightly and downed it to the last drop. After that, her pale complexion turned to its normal hue. In fact, she looked energized. “Enough. Just enough…,” she muttered.
Moments later, Illumca came out of the dorm, decked in her usual leather armor. But she had a pair of new boots and conspicuous metal gauntlets. They did not look cheap.
“I am ready.”
Akula nodded, answering her determined look.
“Hop on now. And hold on tight to my waist. We will not be stopping or slowing down.”
Illumca did as she was asked and took her place on her back. Her arms went around her waist. It was stout and powerful, giving her a feeling of reliability.
But when the Centaur started running, all of that feeling instantly went out of her mind and all she could do was clung on for dear life.