Chapter 16

The first part of our operation involved the four of us pretending to be travelers from afar. A family of merchants who got lost during our visit to this town. We had heard of this inn, and thus decided to stay the night here.

Our backstory had a lot of holes in it, but that didn't matter. As long as it distracted the soldiers long enough for Emori’s spell to work.

I would be playing the dad, Emori the mom, Solicea and Maya being our two daughters.

The two of them were giggling when we divided our roles, and Emori’s face was red. I had the faintest inkling of why, but I wasn't sure if I'm even remotely correct, so I kept it to myself.

After leaving the safehouse, we took the long way around, blending in with the crowd and hiding our tracks.

“Are we far enough?” Solicea asked. I glanced at the road behind us. We were already a few buildings away, the inn itself obstructed by its neighbors.

“We should be far enough.”

Following the main roads, we circled and approached the inn from a different path. I took a careful look at my surroundings. The areas away from the inn were slightly less crowded, I assumed thanks to the soldiers and wolves that stayed in the area near the inn.

“Oh, by the way, if we're lost, shouldn't we go to the Hunters’ Guild instead?” Maya asked.

“Oh, I completely forgot about them.”

They have been irrelevant to the story so far, but Maya has a point.

“Then we should say something like ‘do you know where the Hunters' Guild is?’ Kind of thing,” Solicea suggested.

Maya stroked her chin. “But that means Emori won't have as much time to deploy the spell.”

“I should still be able to deploy it,” Emori said, her expressions firm and serious.

“Well, I can just pretend to be dumb. I am Fortis’ daughter, after all.” Solicea gave me a wink.

“What does that mean?” I groaned.

“Nothing! Hehe.”

“I… don't think my husband is dumb…” Emori twiddled her fingers.

“Mom, that's not how you say it. You say it like this. ‘Ehem, you kids should respect your father.’” Maya's words reminded me of her status as a drama club member, her flat face and tone told me otherwise, though.

“Is that so…?”

“Just do what's natural to you, Emori.”

“Honey, Fortis! You mean Honey!” Maya wouldn’t stop pestering me.

“Uh, fine.”

Eventually, we arrived back at the inn. We approached the two soldiers, or rather, guards that stood near the door. They didn't look all that ‘soldiery’ with the clothes they wore and the relaxed posture. Considering it was done on purpose to make sure they weren't drawing attention, I must say they did a decent job.

They didn't react until I was about to reach the door.

“Excuse me, Sir.” The one standing on the right extended his hand, blocking my right hand. “This inn is no longer in operation.”

“It isn't?” I couldn't glance at Emori, praying inside that she noticed and began her spell.

“No. It had been a while since it closed down.”

“I- I see…”

“Dad, I'm hungry.” Maya stepped forward and held my shoulders. “I thought you said we'll have dinner soon.”

“Umm, please wait a bit, Dear.”

“Sheesh, Sister. Can't you wait just a bit longer? Hadn't you eaten earlier?” Solicea let out a deep sigh, folded her hands and tapped her feet.

Maya pouted. “I'm still hungry. The food at the Hunters' Union isn't enough.”

Hold on, I thought we're going to use that as an excuse?

“You're disturbing him. Get off Dad!” Solicea held Maya's hand and tried to pull them away. Maya's grip on my shoulders tightened.

“Ouch! Ouch!” I yelped in pain.

“You're- You're hurting him!” Emori panicked.

Wait, Emori, focus on the spell!

“But I'm hungry! I'm hungry!” Maya began shaking me back and forth.

This is definitely not the plan!

“If you're hungry… then…” the two guards lost their balance and collapsed.

“Wh- What happened?” Solicea asked in shock. I wasn't sure if she was just acting or if she was genuinely surprised.

“Done.” Emori smiled.

“Good job, Em- Honey. Come on, let's go in.”

“Tha- Thank you.”

I reached for the handle and opened the door. The four of us snuck in. We arrived in front of a dark room. The windows to the receptionist room had been blocked off, causing very little light to creep in. Not a single torch inside was lit up, making the darkness even more imposing.

I then noticed a weird feeling in the air. It took me a while before I could tell what I was feeling.

… this is bad.

There were multiple anti-magic barriers inside the inn. I could tell based on the strong dispersing effect of the barriers.

This is really bad.

Anti-magic barriers, depending on the strength and size, were hard to maintain. Based on that fact, I thought the only one covered by the barriers would be Nayala. I didn't expect them to cover the entire inn’s interior with it.

To make matters worse, the barriers messed with my ability to sense magic. I couldn't pinpoint where Nayala was hidden.

We need to retreat.

“Da- Dad… What should we do?”

“Dad, I’m still hungry.”

“Sis, this isn’t the time for that! The two… people outside. We don’t know what happened to them!”

“Calm down, everyone, Ho- Honey, you will find a way, right?”

Are we still roleplaying?

“Umm… the last time I was here, the inn didn’t look like this. Maybe we got the wrong inn… hehe…”

“Dad, how long before we can eat?”

“Sis!”

“If you’re looking for something to eat, may I humbly recommend some local delicacies?” A voice came from the dark hallway. As if on cue, all the torches lit up at the same time.

Light All!

In my surprise, I accidentally used the spell Light All, which turned off all of the torches again.

Ahhh! No!

I managed to use my slight chance to deploy a spell to use something as useless as Light All. Silence lingered for a few seconds before the torches lit back up.

“Umm, I’m sorry about that. That was an accident.”

The figure from the other side approached. A faint smile appeared on his lips. “It’s alright. I apologize for surprising you. Still, to be able to cast such a well-timed spell, you must be quite the mage.”

About that, that’s an accident.

To light up the torches, the mage that was tasked in guarding the receptionist needed to momentarily disable this section of the anti-magic barrier. I simply realized that moment, and in my panic, unleashed the wrong spell.

“... Dad, who is he?”

“Umm…”

“Ah, allow me to introduce myself. I am Akareseki Kakoro. Bearer of Nanawak.”

Oh dear… this is really bad.

What is he doing here in the first place!?

Akareseki looked toward Emori and bowed her head. “It’s an honor to have your visit, Your Highness.”

There goes our cover, although it didn’t matter in the first place. He has seen us before.

“Mom… He’s mean.”

“... Maya, I think that’s enough.”

“Ah, I’m afraid people often tell me that. I really need to work on my mannerisms.” He lifted his head and let out a loud laugh. “That said, this is the first time I heard about you having a husband.”

“... Mom, did you not invite him to your marriage?”

“Umm… Maya, I think that’s-”

“You know, Mom and Dad loves each other so much. They spend all their time together. They even do this… thing during the night together. I sometimes wake up and hear some noises-”

“We did not do any of that!” I screamed.

“Sis, I think that’s going too far… although they do spend a lot of time together, alone, just the two of them. I wonder what they’re doing…” Solicea smirked. I couldn’t believe these two had the time to tease us in such a situation.

“... I think there’s no point in continuing the roleplay…” Emori murmured.

“Ye- Yeah, I agree.”

“Dad, are you dumping us? I’m still hungry.”

“Oh Sis, we need to find a new home soon.”

These two!

“Umm… I’m sorry?” Akareseki looked at the two of them with pity.

“Ah, no, we’re just pretending!” I cleared things out.

“Yeah. We’re here for Miss Nayala!” Emori said. I glanced back at Solicea and Maya. They finally switched from their drama club mode for their battle mode. Solicea held her spear, Maya ready to attack.

“Where’s Miss Nayala?” Emori took a step forward, the determination shining in her eyes, her right hand gripping her light wand. She didn’t have the usual Ring of Protection with her, to prevent the castle noticing. Even without the ring, she acted bravely.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I guarantee Her Imperial Highness’ safety, but I couldn’t let her out.”

“Why?” Emori exclaimed.

Akareseki stroked his chin. “You do not need to worry. I will release her before long.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

I held my nature wand. The anti-magic barrier interfered with my magic, but they didn’t entirely block me from using spells. I didn’t want to risk killing him with a wild spell, so I decided to use a nature wand first.

“... Your Highness, it is a matter far too complicated-”

“The demon king. There, I simplified it for you,” I answered, drawing gasps from the rest of the group. “The demon king is coming, but Nanawak isn’t prepared. You’re worried what happened to Syla a hundred years ago would happen again here. This time worse, as you’ve seen the demon king forces at work.”

“... How did you know?”

“A bit of guesswork.”

Nah, most of it was a guess, just so I look cool, but I do have some things to back me up. For example, the demon-tempered monsters had begun appearing all around Nanawak. I wasn’t sure how he got into contact with the original demon symbol, but he may recognize the symbols on the magic stones. As the leader of the Nanawak military, the reports must have reached him.

He also increased the strength of the Nanawak’s navy fleet. And, in holding this coup, he didn’t harm the Emperor. It wasn’t his intention to draw the ire of the imperial family. Since Nanawak is currently at peace, I could only think of one potential enemy.

“... Dad, impressive.” Maya clapped.

“That’s our Dad!” Solicea laughed.

“Didn’t you just call me a dumb a minute ago?” I retorted. Emori seemed to relax a bit.

“... Are you actually not a family?”

“No, we are not!”

“Not yet!”

Everyone fell silent at Emori’s declaration.

“... Not yet?”

“Wait, no! I mean we’re a family as in one party, okay? Not in a romantic- Ah, forget about it!” She looked away.

“So… if you’re worried about the demon king, that’s why we were here in the first place. We’re here to help fight them.” I explained. We were at a severe disadvantage. I would rather not fight someone like Akareseki, especially when you consider his age and rank. I had no doubts about his skills.

“The task of protecting our nation fell on our shoulders, the soldiers of Nanawak. You children should focus on studying and living your youth. Let an old man like me take that responsibility.”

“But you’re taking Miss Nayala hostage?”

“Correction. I’m protecting Her Highness and the imperial family. I will only be holding them until the Empire forces are prepared for the war. After that, I shall take whatever punishment they prepared for me.”

“But-”

“Pardon my rudeness, Your Highness. But let me ask you this. Since your friend here knows about the demon king, I assume you know about it to, right? Then, answer me this. What has Syla done in preparation for war?”

“Umm… about that…” Emori looked down.

I opened my mouth, wanting to answer, only to realize I couldn’t say anything. I had told the king and queen about it a long time ago. It had been four months, yet other than us grinding, I hadn’t seen any movements or changes at all.

Had I been a regular citizen, then that would be fine. The kingdom didn’t want to create large-scale panic. But, considering my relationship with Prilus and Emori, I should hear a thing or two about it.

“You know of the demon king, and you’re a princess as well. Yet your kingdom is clearly not ready to face the threat. How can you say such a thing for Nanawak, a land far from your own?”

“Urgh…” Emori lost words. I couldn’t say anything, either. He was right. The fact that we, with all our power, couldn’t get the country to start moving. In truth, we had no right to comment about what was happening in Nanawak.

We were outsiders. We have no say in Nanawak’s internal politics.

“With all due respect, please consider going back to Syla for the time being. I will promise Her Imperial Highness’ safety. With me in command, it wouldn’t be long before the Nanawak Empire’s military might return like how it was during the old times. When that happens, I will return the throne to the Emperor.”

There was no guessing whether he was serious or not. He might change his mind, removing Nayala and her parents from the picture to resume control of the country. Even if that didn’t happen, we have no way of knowing when he would release them.

But, he had a point. Unless someone takes real action, we wouldn’t be prepared to face the demons. History would repeat itself, and many would lose their lives. Besides, we had a low chance of winning here, thanks to the anti-magic barriers.

Should we retreat?

I glanced at Emori. Emori was clenching her fist, she hadn’t said anything yet.

She isn’t going to back down, is she?

To help or not to help. Ultimately, I didn’t really have any stake in this. I didn’t know Nayala all that well, nor did I have any real relationship with this country. Whether the coup succeeded or failed, whether Nayala survived or not, it had nothing to do with me.

But it does have something to do with my friends.

If something bad happened to Nayala, Emori and Prilus would be devastated.

Should I ask for a duel?

Duels have great significance in Syla. It may not carry the same meaning in Nanawak, though. I have only one way to find out.

I glanced at the figure. Large muscles, fearsome face, long beard. Everything about him spoke volumes of the experience under his belt, experience that I never knew about. I was at a complete disadvantage. I never fought another human, I never saw how he fought. My experience in the games wouldn’t be useful, as Nanawak wasn’t mentioned much outside the Eastern Wolves.

Even if we had a duel fair and square, can I win?

What should I do, what should I do.

Seeing the uncertainty, Akareseki coughed. “There’s no need to continue being here. You can go and live your lives. As I said, I guarantee Her Imperial Highness’ safety.”

“... I’ll challenge you to a duel.”

“... Mom, what?”

“Mom?”

I turned to our daughters. “Umm, you two could stop it with the roleplay.”

“Eh, no fun…” Maya pouted.

I turned back toward Akareseki. I expected him to reject the idea. He didn’t need to accept it, but,

“If I win, you will leave this country.”

“And if I win, you’ll restore Miss Nayala back to power.”

The two stared daggers at each other.

What is this feeling in my heart?

Emori’s face was filled with determination. I saw such a face a few months ago.

Ah… it’s when we fought.

It was a face similar to when I asked her to use White Void. I still remember her smacking the table and shouting at me. The face she made reminded me of that time.

She’s serious, but…

I was worried. Emori was powerful, yes, but her arsenal consisted of spells used to kill. One of the things about a Duel Shield, a spell casted during duels to protect the fighters and the area surrounding it, is that it automatically nullifies wounds.

And that included Emori’s White Spring.

If Emori utilized a spell of that caliber in a Duel Shield, it wouldn’t actually harm Akareseki. It would hurt like hell, as the shield didn’t nullify the pain, but it wouldn’t actually harm him. As a Bearer, I doubt he could be tricked by the fake pain. He would fight the sensation and continue attacking. Who knew how long Emori would last in that case.

Could she really do it? She must have a plan, doesn’t she?

If we lost, that would mean us not returning here. We wouldn’t be able to stop whatever Akareseki is planning.

“Emori, are you sure?”

Emori nodded. “I’ll bring back Miss Nayala no matter what.”

I had seen White Spring before. The spell was powerful, but still not comparable with the original. There was no way she would be winning a fight with just that.

I glanced toward the others. Solicea bit her lip, while Maya held Emori’s shoulders.

“Mom, I’m rooting for you.”

She wouldn’t let it go, would she?

“... Follow me.” Akareseki turned around, heading deeper into the inn. The four of us followed behind him.