Chapter 16

Koji was just finishing up his breakfast when there was a knock on his front door. He opened it to find a pair of soldiers from the Order standing on his doorstep.

“We’ve come to escort you to headquarters, sir,” one of them said.

“You’re early,” Koji observed, looking up at the position of the sun in the sky. “The High Lords said I was due there at midday.”

“Yes, sir. But we have orders from the High Lords themselves to escort you directly to headquarters for the parade. We have a carriage ready for you.”

Koji shrugged. “Fine, then. Let me go get dressed in my Order uniform and then I’ll join you.”

“Very good, sir,” the guards smiled widely at him and returned to their carriage to wait.

Koji pulled his Order uniform out of the wardrobe and pulled the armor on, making sure that it was all attached correctly and straight. He was glad that he had bothered to clean it after his misadventure in the burning mansion, although there were still a couple of smudges on the gauntlets. He rubbed them against his pants to remove the smears and then belted on his short sword. Finally, he clipped the medal onto his chest and straightened his hair.

“Alright, I’m ready.” Koji came out of his house and locked the door behind him, pocketing the key in one smooth motion.

It was then that Koji noticed that along with the carriage, there were two more unicorns with riders bearing the crest of the Order as well, one on either side of the vehicle. They were stern-faced and each wielded a long, pointed spear.

“What’s with the extra security?” Koji asked as he was about to step inside the carriage.

“Orders are to keep a close watch on you, sir,” the nearest Order soldier said briskly. “After what you’ve done to hinder our enemies, the High Lords are concerned for your safety.”

“Uh huh.” Koji thought about this, but ultimately decided it was a decent enough reason. “Okay, then. Let’s not keep the High Lords waiting.”

“Aye, sir!”

And the carriage began moving.

As they went, Koji noticed that there were locks on the doors, but they were not in use. However, the windows were barred and a quick look around revealed that this carriage was reinforced with stout bands of metal, which would make it hard to break into.

“Or break out of…” Koji muttered unconsciously.

He clenched his fist and golden light gathered around it, but he quickly let the power go. Something had the High Lords spooked for his well-being, and in his opinion, anything that gave the High Lords pause was not something he wanted to face, at least not on his own.

The ride to the Order’s headquarters took about two hours, during which Koji nodded off, perceiving everything around him in a blurry, half distinct state, as if he were being held underwater. Half asleep, dreams drifted in front of his eyes. Gregory’s face swam around, laughing at him, followed by the faces of his parents. It was odd, but their faces seemed less distinct to him now.

Koji writhed in his seat, uncomfortable with these visions. He tossed and turned, reaching out in his dreams for his friends and family from Earth, but they seemed to grow further away the more he tried.

“Sir? Is everything alright?”

Koji jerked out of his reverie, awakened by the sound of a guard outside.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m good. Totally fine!”

The guard peered into the carriage before opening the door and extending the steps. “We’re here, sir. I’m sure the High Lords are eager to get the parade started.”

Koji alighted and strode over to the meeting chamber of the High Lords, but on the way he stopped. There was a host of Order soldiers standing in formation, some of them riding armored unicorns. The three High Lords were speaking to the head of the procession. Koji scratched his head; this was the first time he had ever seen the High Lords not in their meeting chamber. For some reason, he found the sight fascinating.

“Surprised?” Sylvia’s voice said from behind him.

“Sylvia!” Koji turned around, eager to see another friendly face. “I take it you know what’s about to happen?”

“We are about to have a military parade,” Sylvia said brightly. Her armor was polished to a gleam and her long auburn hair was neatly secured with her circlet. “With you as the centerpiece, of course.”

“Y-Yeah…” Koji rubbed his left elbow with his right hand. “I’m not sure what I have to do.”

“Just march in time with everyone else,” Sylvia advised. “And just smile and wave. By the end of today, every person who sees the parade will know your face.”

“What’s that supposed to- oh…” Koji watched as several groups of Order soldiers raised the banners on their spears. Painted on them were pictures of his upper body. Whoever had drawn them had someone managed to make Koji look more heroic and grand than he felt. There were images of him saluting at the sky, and others of him using his powers in various ways that he wasn’t sure he could actually do.

“Aren’t they grand?” Sylvia gushed. “Now everyone will know what a great hero you are!”

“Heh. Yeah,” Koji couldn’t help but feel elated and he grinned; Sylvia’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Are we going to march all the way from here to… wherever this is supposed to go?”

Before Sylvia could answer him, she was interrupted by the sight of the three High Lords coming over to them. Sylvia and Koji saluted at them as they came to a stop in front of them.

“Well, Koji. It seems that you look ready for the parade,” High Lord Tristan said, giving Koji a once-over from head to toe. “You’re wearing your medal. Good. Good.”

“You will be in the main convoy with us,” High Lord Eliana told him. “The procession will start here at the Order’s headquarters, then loop around the city’s main districts before returning here. It will probably take the rest of the day, so prepare yourself properly. We start in twenty minutes. Sylvia, you should get to your own place.”

“Yes, High Lord Eliana!” Sylvia saluted again and turned to march away. As she passed Koji, she winked at him.

The High Lords also made to leave for their posts, but Koji had one more thing to say.

“Did you organize the escort from my house this morning?” He asked.

The three High Lords turned back around to face Koji.

“Yes, we did,” High Lord Tristan nodded.

“Why?”

“Well, we wanted to make sure you made it in time for the parade,” High Lord Eliana said reasonably. “We couldn’t have you running off and missing your own celebration. It was the safest thing to do.”

“Run off? What do you mean?”

“Nothing,” High Lord Sampson rumbled. “We just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“That’s-” Koji started, but High Lord Tristan cut him off.

“Now, if you have no further questions, we really must start the parade. Come along, Koji.”

Koji dutifully followed the High Lords over to an armored, but ornately decorated carriage that had its top removed. The four of them climbed aboard, finding specially raised seats for all of them to sit in. The High Lords sat in the back, while Koji was all alone at the front. He felt terribly exposed, but there was nothing he could do about it.

High Lord Sampson raised his hand, and there was a great blast of music from the front of the convoy. It seemed that the Order had either hired a band to announce their presence, or some members of the Order had hitherto unseen musical talents.

The parade set off, rolling slowly down from the Order’s headquarters and down into the streets below. Once they reached ground level, Koji saw that there were long swathes of dark red ribbon hanging from the lampposts, marking the way for the parade to go.

There were also thousands and thousands of civilians. Children, men, and women were all lined up alongside the roads, waving and throwing colored paper strips and flower petals along the road as the convoy neared them. There was an overwhelming amount of cheering and clapping, and Koji remembered Sylvia’s advice to smile and wave back.

There was also the sound of other Order members shouting, “For destiny’s true path! For destiny’s true path!”

This proud chant was taken up by the spectators, who began to repeat “For destiny’s true path!” at the top of their lungs. Here and there, Koji could see food carts and street vendors taking advantage of the event to make a few extra coins.

Despite the deafening sounds of the music and the chanting, Koji felt rather good. He had initially felt nervous about so many people seeing his face, but now that he was actually here, it was kind of a warm feeling. These people liked him, they loved him! They needed him; he was their hero!

Koji closed his eyes and raised his arms to wave at people on both sides of the road. This seemed to stir the crowd into a greater frenzy than before, and their chanting grew louder.

The parade slowly made its way around the city, the music and chanting a near constant. Koji could not see the High Lords seated behind him, but he hoped that they were having as good of a time as he was.

The parade rolled to a stop in the middle of a wide open square, and Koji felt the High Lords get up onto their feet. At an unseen signal, the music stopped, as did the chanting.

“Citizens of the magnificent city of Behalan!” High Lord Tristan’s voice echoed. “We, the Order of the Unbroken Path, are honored to greet you this day! We know that each and every one of you is precious to the cause for humanity, and we thank you for doing your part to keep this city safe!”

High Lord Eliana spoke next. “For too long has the plague of magic, this scourge against destiny, infested our walls. However, the arcane, and the Magecroft Organization, will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to this brave youth you see before you!”

There was a cheer from the crowds, and Koji stood up also.

“This young man’s name is Koji Hagane! And while he was a foreigner to Behalan, he has demonstrated bravery, honor, and self sacrifice for the cause of the Order of the Unbroken Path! Koji holds a power beyond magic, a power that will at last wash the city clean of any magic still remaining!” High Lord Tristan bellowed. “Koji Hagane is the hope of the future of humanity, in which no man or woman need live in fear of the arcane, of the interlopers!”

“Hail!” Sampson shouted above the crowd, raising his armored fist to the sky.

The crowd followed suit, raising their fists and chanting, “For destiny’s true path!” At the top of their lungs.

And yet, Koji could not help but notice that compared to the usual number of people on the streets that he had seen while exploring the city on his own, there were a small but noticeable amount of people missing.

A blast from the trumpets sounded, and Koji felt the eyes of hundreds of people on him. Thinking fast, he raised both his arms up and gathered his power. A golden torrent of sparks flew up into the air, raining down over the crowd like a downpour.

The crowd went wild. They pointed and cheered, grinning faces everywhere. Koji poured more of his power into the display, lighting up the whole square with shining golden light.

“Koji! Koji! Koji! Koji!” The people roared, the cheers washing over Koji like a tidal wave.

Koji had never felt as proud and appreciated as he did now. He had never imagined that when he had first arrived here that it would turn out like this, not at all.

It was hard to feel worried about anything right now, not even about the mission he was slated to embark on the next day, when he and the Order would deal the final blow to the Magecroft Organization.

“Let them come,” He said to himself with a cocky smirk. “I’ll show them what a hero can do.”