At that moment, I refrained from greeting Innis. The revelation that she was an 'Imperial Mage' left me stunned, even though I couldn't completely grasp the implications. What I did comprehend was that the Imperial Mages were directly accountable to the Mideron Empire's King. They had been dispatched from the capital to track down and apprehend, either dead or alive, the individual behind the gruesome massacre at Azalea Village — Shizu, to be precise.

I wasn't dumb enough to risk our isekai lives by waltzing through the crowd and over to Innis to say hi, when she could very well respond by slaying Shizu and I on the spot.

"Cover yourself with your hood," I whispered to Shizu, keeping a watchful eye on the knights. "Do it now!"

"Eh? Why?"

"Please, just trust me!"

"A-alright, Ryuji..."

Camouflaged among the other civilians queuing to be screened for entry into Lunaris, I discreetly moved us further away from Innis and the knights.

"Hey, you guys!"

I froze dead in my tracks, then slowly turned around.

"What a coincidence to see the both of you again!" the familiar face with golden brown hair looked at us with an amiable grin.

To my surprise, it wasn't Innis but Catherine, the knight captain who had visited my house back in the village.

"Oh, Catherine," I laughed weakly, keeping a watchful eye on her while maintaining my guard. "What a coincidence indeed! What brings you to Lunaris? Weren't you stationed in the village?"

"We were," Catherine sighed, glancing around at the other knights patrolling past the gates. "It's a long story. Do you recall that incident near the village?"

"Which one are you referring to...?" I asked, narrowing my eyes and feigning confusion.

"Come on," Catherine chuckled. "You can't have forgotten so quickly. It was a gruesome scene we discovered you guys in."

"Ahaha, yeah, I remember..."

"Well," Catherine hesitated, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "The truth is, me and my fellow knights were actually taken off the investigation..."

"Sorry..." I said.

Catherine shook her head, "It's not your fault, Ryuji. You don't need to apologize," then she added with a grumble, "it's those darn higher-ups..."

I laughed lightly, then asked, "So that's how you got re-stationed to Lunaris from the village?"

"Well, actually, and keep this to yourself..." Catherine leaned in and whispered, "I've got a lead on the suspect and I'm still following the case on my own."

"R-really...?"

"Yeah," Catherine leaned back and grinned. "It's top secret though, so make sure not to tell anyone!"

"Understood..."

Catherine glanced at Shizu, who was hiding behind me, and waved. "Hi there! Shizu, right? Do you remember me?"

Shizu retreated further behind me, eyeing Catherine warily. She was likely following my instructions to stay hidden, which is why she didn't speak up.

"Shizu's just really tired," I told Catherine. "We've had a long morning, sorry about that."

"I see," Catherine said, frowning in disappointment. She must have really enjoyed talking to Shizu previously.

"By the way," I mentioned, glancing in the direction where Innis was now being guided by some of the knights through the gates. "The earlier commotion, they're saying that the girl over there is, uh, an 'Imperial Mage'?"

"That's right!" Catherine said, her eyes lit with excitement following where I was looking. "Can you believe it? An actual Imperial Mage! This is my first time seeing one in person too, and she's so tiny and cute!"

"What is an Imperial Mage?"

Catherine stopped and looked at me as if I had just suddenly asked her what planet we were on.

~x~

Around a decade ago, the King of Mideron embarked on a mad journey. Travelling across the farthest reaches of his vast empire, and venturing into the deepest, darkest corners of his realm, in pursuit of power.

Possessed by his vision, people feared that the King had lost his sanity, and the two other Empires, that ruled this world alongside the Mideron Empire, had begun planning to seize the Mideron Empire from underneath the hands of the mad, vacant King.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

However, reality was often stranger than fiction.

To the shock of his doubters, his relentless search eventually bore fruit. Returning to the throne at the heights of the battle, the King brought back with him a handful of extraordinary individuals who would forever change the course of the Empire's history.

They were known as the 'Imperial Mages'.

Thirteen prodigy mages, each one uniquely gifted and possessing an exceptional affinity for magic. They were trained, re-educated, and breathed new lives into to become the shining beacons of the Empire's might. They represented the best of the best, embodying the pinnacle of magical prowess and expertise within the realm.

The Imperial Mages were not only chosen for their magical aptitude but also for their unwavering loyalty to the King and the Empire. Serving as the King's personal vanguard and answering only to him, these mages were entrusted with the most important and secretive missions, often playing pivotal roles in shaping the fate of the realm.

Each Imperial Mage was capable of casting A-tier spells, a feat that only the most powerful and well-trained spellcasters could achieve. This incredible ability allowed them to shape the world around them, bending the forces of nature to their will and unleashing devastation upon their enemies.

Through their exploits and retellings, the Imperial Mages became the ultimate symbol of the Mideron Empire's magical prowess, instilling awe and terror in both foes and allies alike. Their names became part of the Empire's history, their deeds woven into the tapestry of its legacy.

With each new challenge they overcame, the Imperial Mages continued to prove that they were the living embodiment of the Mideron Empire's greatness.

~x~

"So Shizu, do you understand now why we gotta lay low?"

"Mm..."

Shizu had a hand to her chin, glancing upwards to the corner as she thought.

"Why don't we just kill them all?" Shizu suggested. "Wouldn't that fix all our problems?"

"W-what? Did you listen to a single word that Catherine told us from before?"

We were standing in an alleyway tucked away into the corner of a marketplace near the Adventurers' Guild, trying to avoid the bustling crowd outside. Before I was willing to walk around the city with Shizu any further, I had to first explain to her why we needed to act more low-key from this point onwards.

So far it wasn't working.

"Listen to me," I said in a serious tone, grabbing Shizu's shoulders. "You can't keep attacking people out of nowhere or causing a scene for no reason. We are seriously going to die if you keep this up!"

"It's okay, Ryuji, I will protect you!" Shizu smiled at me, blushing at the fact that I was touching her shoulders.

Alright. This approach wasn't working. Time for plan B.

"Shizu, just do as I say," I ordered her. "Please."

"Okay."

Simply instructing her on what to do worked out to be a far more effective solution than trying to explain the rationale behind our actions. As the saying goes, you can't teach a fish to climb a tree.

"Anyway," I sighed, running a hand over my head. "There's also something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time now, Shizu..."

"What is it?"

"Why do you like me so much?"

"Love." Shizu corrected me.

"Fine, why do you love me so much?"

Shizu thought for a moment before responding, "Do you really need a reason to love someone?"

"Well, considering how much you're attached to me, I think I deserve an explanation," I replied.

"Hm..." Shizu placed a finger to her temple, thinking. "Gee, you are making me say such embarrassing things..."

"Tell me."

"I love everything about you, Ryuji. I love that you're a good person. I love that you are kind. I love that you are patient with me. I love that you're always looking out for others."

I laughed embarrassedly.

"I love the way you laugh. I love your smile. Your face. Your hair. Your smell. Your--"

"Okay, okay, that's enough," I said. "That's not love, Shizu. That's obsession."

Shizu looked confused. "What do you mean, Ryuji? Love and obsession are the same thing, aren't they?"

I shook my head. "No, they're not. Love is a feeling of affection, commitment, respect and trust. There's healthy boundaries around love. But when you're obsessed with someone, you only care about yourself and your own desires."

Shizu looked offended. "I'm not selfish!" she protested. "I care about you more than anyone else in the world!"

I sighed. "I know you do, Shizu. And I appreciate your feelings for me. But the way you express them can be a little... intense."

Shizu looked hurt. "I just want to be with you, Ryuji. Is that so wrong?"

I could tell Shizu's mental state was rapidly deteriorating just from the look on her face. I decided to ease off her for now and change the topic.

"Look, I still don't really get it, but fine," I shrugged, crossing my arms. "Another thing I wanted to ask you was about the first time we met. Was the first time you met me really in the isekai world? Not in our lives from before?"

My memories of the day I died prior to isekai was still a hazy recollection. All I knew was that we were hit by a truck, but I had a vague suspicion that Shizu knew me prior to this isekai life. I mean, that's the only reason that would explain why she's so maniacally obsessed with me.

"That was the first time we met." Shizu said.

I gave her a surprised look, "Really?"

"Yep." Shizu forced a weak smile at me, still disturbed by our prior conversation.

"But..." I paused, trying to think back to when we first met. "Didn't you say something about being 'happy to finally be together' when we first met?"

"Did I say that?" Shizu laughed lightly. "That's strange."

"Yeah, it was." I said.

"Hm... I don't really remember right now why I said that, Ryuji."

I watched her silently. Was Shizu telling the truth? There was obviously something not right about her responses. But then again, was there ever anything right about the way Shizu thought?

"Should we go now?" Shizu asked me, peering out the alleyway to the marketplace. "There's less people outside on the streets now."

"Alright, let's go," I said.

~x~

Returning to the Adventurers' Guild may have been a bad idea. As soon as we walked in, eyes immediately fell on us.

"Hey, isn't that..."

"That's them!"

"She's the one that did it!"

I shielded a hand across Shizu, bracing myself for the worst as the adventurers came at us.

However, instead of being attacked or arrested on the spot as I expected, the adventurers from around the guild started praising and congratulating us from out of nowhere.

"Thank you," One of the adventurers said to Shizu. "You're the only one I've ever seen that was brave enough to stand up to the Bronze Titan. That jerk really needed someone to put him in his place!"

"Yeah, he was always strolling around the guild like he owned the place!"

"Wow, are you really just an Iron-ranked adventurer? Do you wanna join our party?"

I relaxed a little, but still felt overwhelmed by the attention we were receiving. However, things quickly got out of hand when the adventurers started crowding around Shizu, shoving me aside.

"Hey, give us some space," I said, trying to push my way back to Shizu.

But the adventurers were only interested in talking to Shizu. One of them even reached out to try to grab her hand and shake it.

That's when Shizu pulled away, unsheathed her knife from behind her and assumed a fighting stance.

"Back off," she growled, her eyes flashing with anger. "Or I will kill every single one of you."

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AI generated image - Shizu

[https://i.imgur.com/TqgB7xp.png]