Chapter 7: Attack Preparations
Part 1
Lower Fire Month (9th Month) 3rd Day 18:27
It was evening by the time Brain could return to Stronoff’s home, after handing over his watch to the guards Climb had called over. Now that he was released from the stress of battle, he realized that he was so hungry that his stomach ached.
…If I made Stronoff wait for me while he was hungry, I don’t know how I’ll live this down.
He opened the house’s door. Naturally, Gazef had permitted Brain to treat this home like it was his own.
As Brain entered the house and walked towards the room which Gazef had lent him, he heard the sound of footsteps heading in his direction. Someone must have heard him coming in.
He guessed that it was Gazef, and when the person making those footsteps came down the stairs, his guess was proven correct.
“Well, you’re back late, Unglaus. Did you go anywhere?”
Gazef’s question held no hint of a rebuke. In fact, as Brain fell into contemplation about how to answer that question, Gazef instead looked upon him with eyes that were bright with interest.
“If you don’t mind, how about talking over dinner?”
That idea sat just fine with Brain. He rubbed his belly and laughed.
“That’s a great idea. Where shall we eat?”
Gazef looked surprised for a moment, and then he led Brain to the dining room, saying “over here.”
“Are you going to have the servants make something? Or don’t tell me, you’re going to cook yourself, Stronoff?”
Gazef smiled bitterly at that unexpected question.
“No, I can’t cook at all.”
Saying so, he pursed his lips into a cat-smile, and added:
“However, everything my servants make is pretty bland, probably because they’re getting on in years. In my line of work, I’d like to eat things with strong flavours… but they just don’t seem to get it.”
Brain chuckled, and teased: “So even the great and mighty Warrior-Captain of the Kingdom is forced to eat bland, healthy fare?”
Gazef did not protest this, merely frowned and replied: “Indeed.”
Then he continued: “While i’d thought of letting you try my famous home-cooked food, in the end I ordered take-out.”
“Is that so. That’s very kind of you. Thanks.”
Brain smiled thinly as he said this. It seemed to amuse Gazef, who chuckled. Then, he shot back:
“Can you cook then, Unglaus?”
However, that riposte went wide.
“Well, it’s nothing much, but I can throw together simple dishes. After all, it’d be pretty hard to get by if I couldn’t cook on my own while training.”
“I see,” Gazef answered as they entered the dining room, whereupon he picked up the basket placed near the wall.
It seemed large enough to hold a baby, and a fragrance wafted out from inside, stimulating the nose and belly.
The two of them sat down, facing each other.
After setting several dishes on the table, they raised glasses filled with wine and clinked them together. There was no special occasion for the toast. They simply glugged the wine down in silence.
A refreshing flavor spread from their mouths.
After about two mouthfuls, Brain put the glass down. He coughed and said in an earnest tone:
“…It’s been a long time since I had wine.”
“Same here. Or rather, I should say I haven’t eaten at home in a while.”
“…Working in the Palace is hard, huh.”
“There’s a lot for the Warrior-Captain to do.”
“Are you in charge of the Royal Family’s security too?”
“Yes. It’s what I do for the most part.”
Brain could sense Gazef’s upright nature through his words. It would be fine to lapse a little, but he insisted on sticking to his guns.
The nobles must hate commoners like this.
It would seem Brain’s guess was on the mark, because Gazef very rarely mentioned the nobles. Despite his lofty station of the Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain, Gazef mainly talked about his military duties or how he served the Royal Family. There was hardly any talk of the decadent world of ballrooms and banquets.
An imposing social barrier still separated noble from commoner, though this practice had largely vanished in the nearby Empire.
Brain suddenly found it all very amusing.
In the past, he had honed his sword skills to defeat Gazef, and he had selfishly thought that “the next time we meet will be a battle to the death”. Yet the two of them were now friends who could share a drink.
Perhaps Gazef had picked up on his thoughts, but the other man smiled too.
They clinked their glasses together. Perhaps the wine was starting to get to them, but they used a bit too much force and the wine spilled out, soaking the table.
“Oi oi, don’t spill it on the food.”
“Don’t you think the wine’ll make it taste better?”
“Well, my tongue’s pretty bad so it’s all one to me… is it the same for you, Unglaus?”
“Brain. Call me Brain.”
“Really now. Call me Gazef, then.”
“Got it, Gazef.”
The two of them looked and each other and laughed, and there was a clear ringing note as their glasses clinked together again.
Gazef brought up all manner of topics, and Brain soon found himself in unfamiliar territory. As they were getting into it, Gazef nonchalantly asked:
“Come to think of it, how did a man like you end up like that, Brain?”
He asked that question carefully, as though afraid of reopening old wounds. His penetrating gaze did not appear to be testing the truth of his words. He seemed genuinely worried about hurting Brain’s feelings.
“Mm, thanks.”
Gazef froze at Brain’s unbidden thanks. Perhaps that face of his was amusing, but Brain’s own expression softened a little. Then, he straightened himself up and said:
“…I saw a monster.”
“A monster? Some kind of magical beast, maybe?”
“I think it was a Vampire… her name was Shalltear Bloodfallen. With just her pinky finger she managed to deflect the move I invented… to defeat you.”
Brain sensed that Gazef’s eyes had slightly widened.
“…Is that so.”
Those words were accompanied by a savage smile. Brain knew well what that smile meant.
It was the desire of any warrior to defeat a mighty foe.
Brain had once felt that way about Gazef. Gazef had probably wanted to fight Brain as well, to re-experience that pitched exciting battle from back then—
However, that bestial grin promptly vanished. In its place was the smile of the Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain.
Brain described the Vampire’s appearance, but Gazef replied that he had never heard of her before. Then he took a mouthful of wine. Brain had a sip himself, and then described their battle — no, of how she had trampled him underfoot.
However, he stayed away from the topic of being employed by the Death-Spreading Brigade. He felt that Gazef might say “every man walks his own path in life”, but the truth was that in front of a righteous man like Gazef, Brain felt ashamed of mentioning the depths to which his past self had sank in pursuit of sword skills.
There was no doubt in Gazef’s eyes after he had heard the whole thing.
“Do you believe me?”
“…The world’s a big place, after all. It wouldn’t be strange if such a monster did exist. When you look back at history, there were things like the Demon Gods and the Dragon Lords. Still… I don’t think I could beat such a powerful monster either.”
“Yes. I don’t know how strong you are now so I can’t really comment, but I’m still certain that you can’t beat her. She lives in a world which people like us can’t even approach. Even if the two of us attacked at once, all we’d manage to do is draw the battle out from one second to two.”
“Shouldn’t you be comforting me and saying ‘no, it’s alright’ or something?” Gazef mock-complained.
However, Brain sternly told him:
“Gazef. You have to protect the royal family as the Kingdom’s Warrior-Captain. Don’t challenge her even if you see her. You can’t waste your life like that.”
“Thank you for your advice. However, if that monster called Shalltear strikes at the Kingdom, I will throw my life away even if all it does is buy some time.”
What time could he buy? Gazef would be helpless before her unless she wanted to play.
Even so, Brain began to feel that Gazef might be able to do it, even if it was just to buy some time.
“She’s called Shalltear. Shalltear Bloodfallen.”
After Brain described her appearance once more, Gazef nodded gravely.
“Right, I got it. However, you’d best tell me again once I recover from the wine, just to be safe. I’ll learn as much as I can about her too.”
“I don’t think any amount of learning is going to help against her.”
“If we know a storm is coming, shouldn’t we try to do something about it? Can’t just leave things be. Besides, we might be able to come up with something if we can pick enough brains.”
“If only that were the case.”
“I’m not too close to him, but I know an adamantite-ranked adventurer. He ought to be able to come up with something useful… anyway, what do you plan to do in the future, Brain?”
Brain’s eyebrows knitted at that question. What should he do?
His eyes unconsciously drifted to his beloved「Katana」beside the table.
It was lingering attachment.
Ultimately, that was all it was. No matter how much he tried, he would never be able to beat that monster. His dream of becoming the greatest swordsman was in ruins. He had indeed wasted his life.
From now on, he would have to keep his feet firmly on the ground and live his life correctly.
It was just a childish dream…
“What should I do, huh… what about working on a farm?”
He had been born in a farming village, and while he had forgotten much about agriculture, the knowledge still lingered in the recesses of his mind. The only other thing he knew besides that was swordsmanship. Put in a nicer way, he had lived a very focused life.
“Farming… well, that’s not bad, but… how about this? Why not serve the nation with me?”
Brain did not think it was a bad idea. He might not be able to beat that monster called Shalltear, but he considered himself quite capable in terms of human-scale ability. However—
“I’m not a very sociable person, and I’m not into the bowing and scraping business.”
“Well, I don’t bow and scrape that much…”
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of you. Just that the thought of serving in the court made me think of that sort of thing… In truth, I think that’s a pretty good idea, Gazef. Fighting for others… that’s it! Oi, Gazef, I met a boy called Climb.”
“Climb? That hoarse-voiced kid?”
Gazef went “ohhhhhh” as he saw Brain nod.
“Where did you meet Climb? I thought he was the Princess’ bodyguard, so he shouldn’t have had many chances to leave her side…”
“I saw him training on the streets.”
“Training on the streets, huh… well, he just doesn’t have talent. I don’t think he’ll get any stronger than he is now. All he can do now is train his body and improve his physical attributes. Was he doing that? If not, I might have to guide him a little.”
“Hm — indeed… he’s got no talent for swordsmanship. However, he’s stronger than me in some areas.”
The look on Gazef’s face seemed to say “are you kidding me”.
Indeed, Brain was far more skilled than Climb, and more talented as well. However, Brain knew that this discrepancy meant nothing in the face of true power, and so he felt that laughing at Climb for it would be hypocritical.
Rather than quibble about such a trifling difference, Brain felt that Climb’s strong will — which had withstood the murderous intent of the mighty Sebas — was truly worthy of praise.
I was beaten and chose to flee. But Climb would never run if someone he had to protect was behind him. He would choose to fight. Perhaps a man like him… could clip that monster’s nail.
Brain did not say anything about Gazef’s confused expression. Instead, he roughly explained the day’s events; in other words, the raid on the Eight Fingers brothel.
“I see. So you and Climb… I see.”
“You can abandon me if you think it’ll cause problems. I mean, when you think about it, having someone like me who goes in and out of your house is going to cause you trouble if I’m at odds with the underworld, don’t you think?”
“No, not at all. In fact, I rather welcome it… those bastards are the maggots infesting the Kingdom. I would like nothing more than to carve my way into their headquarters.”
“Are Eight Fingers so bad for the Kingdom?”
“They make me want to throw up. They control most of the secret societies in the Kingdom and profit from them. The money and benefits go to the nobles, allowing those rogues to mix with them and swan around in normal society. If we try to arrest them, the nobles obstruct us, so there’s nothing we can do on that front. The only way we can hurt them is by doing what you did, Brain. We need to barge into their cunningly concealed hideouts, force their criminal acts into the light, and make a big fuss of things. Of course, they’re more powerful than the average noble, so if we fail, the consequences will be severe.”
“You’re out of luck, then?”
“Indeed. Therefore, I hope what you did weakens them. Unfortunately, that’s not too likely.”
“Can’t you have the King issue a royal decree or something?”
“The nobles opposing him will interfere from the sidelines, so we can’t do it. And they have allies in both factions, which makes things even trickier.”
As the air hung heavily over the table, the two of them drank their wine in silence and reached for the food.
Part 2
Lower Fire Month (9th Month) 4th Day 07:14
The members of Blue Rose had entered the keep early in the morning. Each of them carried a large sack, which made metallic clattering noises when put on the ground. The sacks contained all their gear, because entering the Royal Palace all girded for war was not very appropriate.
After putting down their weighty luggage, the group rotated their shoulders. Renner looked kindly upon them, and their team leader, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, asked her:
“Will you have any princessly duties to discharge later?”
Renner had hardly any power, but she still had her responsibilities as the princess.
“It’s fine. Those matters can wait. Don’t worry.”
“Aha.”
A mischievous expression came over Lakyus’ face. Similarly, Renner also flashed her a mischievous look, which then melted into unrestrained laughter.
“Lakyus. Once you’re ready, I’d like to ask you to take care of that matter as soon as possible.”
“Why? I heard yesterday that we were going to attack in secret, taking each location in turn. Isn’t that so?” asked Evileye, the masked arcane magic caster.
She had not removed her face-concealing mask even in the Royal Palace. She had not been censured for such suspicious dress because she was an adamantite-ranked adventurer, the elite of humanity, and also because her team leader Lakyus was a member of the peerage.
“Something unexpected happened last night, so I feel we need to change part of the plan. It’s like this—”
Renner described the brothel raid from last night.
Climb stood stock still behind Renner, and the members of Blue Rose looked upon him with respectful eyes. Their gazes made him feel itchy.
Charging into the brothel and saving people from their hellish confines was not Climb’s doing. He had merely borrowed the strength of the two men who had gone in with him. Frankly speaking, Climb had done nothing worthy of praise.
Instead, he felt disappointed with himself. He had not been rebuked for his reckless, independent action and the plan had not been cancelled, only altered. The fact that he actually felt relieved by that only made it that much more tragic.
“Not bad, cherry boy.”
“Yup, Gagaran’s right. Apprehending a member of Six Arms is a pretty big deal.”
“…’Undying King’ Davernoc. ‘Void Cutter’ Peysilian. ‘Bloody Scimitar’ Edstrom. ‘Thousand Kills’ Malmvist. ‘Illusion Devil’ Succulent. And then their leader, ‘Battle Demon’ Zero.”
Tia smoothly recited each name.
“Davernoc is undead. Peysilian is said to be able to cut down even distant foes. Edstrom can skilfully use special magic weapons. Malmvist is a fencer with a poisoned blade, adept at lunges. Succulent has already been apprehended. And Zero is a brawler who excels in empty-handed combat. Each of them is equivalent to an adamantite-ranked adventurer.”
“Mmm. Catching one of them is a big aid to us.”
“Amazing work, Climb. Still, it was great good fortune that you met Brain Unglaus and fought by his side,”
Climb agreed with that sentiment.
“The fact that he could take out Succulent in one hit proves that Unglaus — the man who fought the Kingdom’s strongest warrior (Gazef Stronoff) to a standstill — is the real deal. That said, I’m more interested in that old butler which even he couldn’t beat.”
“I didn’t get Sebas-sama’s address…”
“…Hm, Climb. Did he not tell you because he was wary of you, or did you not ask because you knew you should not have asked… which is it?”