Chapter 27

Upon their arrival at Loria, the imperial soldiers looked at them with suspicion. They wore gray armor, made entirely of metal. Their armor was similar to some of the military uniforms Neila had with her. Neila herself had used a wig to better improve her disguise, but it’s still risky for her to be the one speaking, so Four took over her role.

“Where are your escorts?” one soldier asked.

Four pointed to the land behind them. “Thanks to your incompetence, we got scattered after a monster attacked, and we escaped first. They should be arriving later.”

Despite her flat expression, her tone was clearly mocking them. Kakashi wasn’t sure if such a tone was a good idea, but the guards, despite their annoyance, stepped back. Maybe her arrogance made them believe her as a real high-ranking merchant. Regardless of the reason, it was clear they wouldn’t be bothering the group any further, and Neila drove the carriage into the city.

Inside the city, the atmosphere was tense. There were guards everywhere, all wielding sharp weapons and armored from head to toe. The citizens weren’t happy with them being here. Some of the guards didn’t look like they enjoyed their assignment, either. They probably preferred to be assigned to somewhere friendlier.

“It’s been one hundred years, hasn’t it?” Kakashi whispered. He thought things should have improved by now, but it looked like the war had just occurred yesterday.

“Well, the empire isn’t exactly kind…” Syorin replied, also in a whisper. They tried to minimize their voices as much as possible.

Kakashi took a look around. The most notable building in the city was one that stood high above the rest on top of a hill. Its position made it notable from this far away.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“That’s the former Elesia Royal Palace, I think. Currently, the noble tasked with ruling this town is the one controlling it.”

“I see…”

As they passed by, there was a fight on one of the smaller streets. A group of people attacked two soldiers. They were lightly armed, but their numbers made them a threat. Reinforcements came not long after, and the tide was immediately turned. The attacking group dispersed while the soldiers chased after them.

“Idiots. I wonder what they expected?” Astill murmured, watching them as they ran away.

“Is this a common occurrence here?” Kakashi asked.

Four was the one who responded. “Yes, that is correct. It seems that it has not changed since my last visit.”

“It won’t change as long as the empire’s the one in control.”

The people of Elesia were living happy lives before the empire came and ruined it. The good old times became a story one generation handed down to the next. Even those who never experienced life before the empire knew about when Elesia was its own country, and they deeply resent the empire for taking that life from them.

“How’s the progress of the rebellion?” Syorin asked. If they take Meberiado and his group as any sign, then the rebels were still far from the strength level required to topple the local imperial government through traditional means.

“They are gathering more supporters each and every day, but the empire’s pressure on them is tightening every second, so even if they receive more troops, they could not train them.”

“I see…”

“It’s not impossible to help them, though,” Neila said. “The empire’s command structure is heavily centralized. Take out the head, and the entire body dies.”

“That description fits what I have observed,” Four nodded in agreement. “The question is how? I assume the leader would be well protected.”

“Let’s meet up with the rebels. Maybe they’ll give us ideas.”

“Alright. I know an inn we can stay at.”

Four led them to an inn. It had gotten quite late, and Meberiado didn’t give them a specific time they needed to arrive, so they could probably delay whatever that was to tomorrow.

After checking into their inn, they went to the nearest tavern, hoping to get some food and look for intel while they’re at it. There was a popular tavern that the innkeeper recommended a fifteen-minute walk away. It was quite a large, two-floor building, the largest tavern Kakashi had been in.

“Welcome.” One of the waiters greeted them with a smile. “Table for five?”

Neila nodded, and the waiter guided them to the closest available table before giving them the menu.

“Should we try something fancy this time?” Syorin asked. Their last few dinners had been simple takeout food, so that idea was accepted.

“I’ll go with Bolognious Sauce Steak. How about you four?” Neila asked.

“Shrimp Ashimi,” Astill said.

“Hmm… I am always curious about this… I think I will go with Roast Western Goat,” Four said.

“Cloudy Meatballs sound delicious,” Syorin added. They all looked at Kakashi, who was still trying to figure out what to eat.

“I’ll go with-”

The doors slammed open. Soldiers rushed into the building. Some ran and blocked all exits, while others surrounded the party’s table. Kakashi acted quickly. He pressed the button, bringing all movements to a halt.

But there was a problem. Even the non-combatants got held by his ability. They wanted to shout, but the glare of the soldiers silenced them. The civilians didn’t have great physical abilities, nor did they have the initiative, so they went last. The soldiers launched a successful surprise attack, hence why they got the first move.

They wore different uniforms, with a different crest from the soldiers that guarded the gate. Their armor was colored dark red, in contrast to the imperial soldiers’ gray armor.

“His private soldiers?” Neila murmured.

“I didn’t detect them… why?” Astill gritted her teeth. Four hadn’t noticed anything either. None of them felt anything wrong when they entered.

Kakashi turned toward the waiter who was taking their order. He had dropped his pencil and note, his body shaking in fear, suggesting that he too wasn’t expecting this turn of events.

“Of course. Of course, you didn’t detect them.” Came a voice from outside the tavern. A man with a top hat walked toward the front door. “I told- Akh!”

He walked straight into the barrier, his top hat flying off his head.

“Just what the hell is this!? Ouch!” He punched the barrier. The barrier punched back, technically, and hurt his hand greatly. He glared at no one in particular, probably angry but still not understanding what was going on.

“I have heard of your abilities, but I wasn’t expecting the news to be accurate,” he said with a sinister smile, trying to hide the slight red on his cheeks. That crash into the barrier must be embarrassing

“Who are you?” Kakashi asked, but Neila gave him the answer.

“Lord Baronnt, the person I’m betrothed to.”

The group let out a gasp.

“Kakashi!” Astill shouted. Kakashi tried thinking about a way to move their turns forward, but Baronnt stepped aside, revealing soldiers behind him.

Not just any soldiers. They’re a group of mages, fire magic in their hands.

“Try anything funny, then I’ll burn the entire place down.”

Kakashi swallowed his breath. Those mages were outside his twenty-by-twenty-meter range, meaning they could move freely. A part of the building itself was also outside, which meant that they could attack the building without having to wait for their turn.

There were many civilians inside the building. Letting him do that would result in a lot of innocents losing their lives.

“Now, you can choose to die along with everyone here, or you can choose to surrender yourself, Your Highness.”

“You wouldn’t do it!” Astill shouted, her face filled with rage. Baronnt simply smiled, acting as if he was dealing with a little child.

“Would you like some proof?”

One of the mages readied their spell.

“Stop! I’ll surrender!” Neila shouted before they could unleash their spell.

“Neila!”

“You can’t!”

Neila shook her head, something she’s still able to do while inside the barrier.

“This is my responsibility, my problem.”

“Neila…”

Neila gave them a reassuring smile before turning to Baronnt. “Promise me you won’t bring harm to anyone here, including my friends, then I’ll come peacefully with you.”

Baronnt let out a thundering laugh. “You really think those rats have any value? But fine, since they’re worthless, I’ll let them go.”

Astill’s fury only increased. Syorin looked like he would gladly punch this guy over and over, and Four wasn’t taking the insults well either, hiding her anger behind her flat expression. Had they not been outnumbered, Kakashi was more than willing to give Baronnt the same thing he gave Meberiado earlier that day. Unlike before, though, they’re much more outnumbered. The enemy got the initiative, and they’re much more well-trained. They also couldn’t risk anything with so many civilians around him.

“Kakashi, deactivate it.”

“But Neila-”

“Trust me.” There’s a fire in her eyes. Kakashi understood that she had something planned.

“Alright.” He deactivated the barrier. The civilians couldn’t run away just yet, as the soldiers were still blocking the exits. Neila raised both of her hands and walked to Baronnt. A carriage appeared, and she was forced to board it. Baronnt retreated, along with his soldiers. Kakashi and the rest could only watch as she was taken away.