Chapter 57: Tournament Interim (Part 6)

Moon wasn't sure about this development, nor did she trust the lizardman in front of her, sure he'd ostensibly saved her from the guard patrol but she had no idea what he wanted in return. On top of that his dress showed him to be an influential individual, likely some kind of rich merchant or noble by the looks of it. That ostentatious garb on top of the strange situation they'd met in only succeeded in raising her suspicions to the point where she couldn't imagine any outcome other than a negative one.

On the other hand...

[Moon. My name is Moon.] - Moon

[Okay Moon, will you tell me where you came from? I was tracking some captured Demi's and their trail led to a nearby warehouse and then while I'm attempting to slip through the patrols from the city guard I see you doing the same. The only thing I can think is that you belonged to that group of captured Demi's.] - Arlen

[That's...] - Moon

[Shh! Hold for a moment!] - Arlen

Resigned to her fate, especially since it couldn't get any worse than it was a little while ago, she decided to just go ahead and answer the strange lizardman's questions. The man, nodding at her introduction, immediately launched into an interrogation about the escaped prisoners. He said... that he was tracking them since before they were captured by that gang? Why? Confused as to the reason for his questions Moon blinked silently for a moment before opening her mouth to answer. The man though, suddenly cocking his head to the side, immediately shushed her with his finger while nervously glancing back at the door through which they had entered the building.

Moon, not realizing what he was looking at, turned towards the door only to be horrified at what she saw. The door, made of what looked like a heavy wood was being loosely jiggled, as if someone was checking the lock. Immediately clamping her hands over her mouth Moon watched the stretched shadows being cast through the crack at the bottom of the door, all the while preying to her long abandoned God's to send a miracle.

Luckily, after messing with the door for a moment, the man on the other side seemed to give up and turn away. Unluckily however he didn't go too far as he turned towards another group of shadows. Moon guessed it was someone smaller from the shadow she saw but the size of the crack that was letting in light made it almost impossible to tell any real information about their pursuers. Fortunately their voices had no such limitations.

[Are you sure it's saying she's nearby? Didn't you have a false-positive just a couple hours ago?] - Commander

[Y-Yes Commander, the detector is clearly indicating that she's within this area. It's simply impossible for ignorant beasts to escape from my machine.] - Trembling Voice

[Tch! Damn Engineer's and your mysticism. What about the false-positive? Are you telling me you're 100% sure that thing detected someone?] - Commander

[The Church wouldn't have sent me if they weren't sure of my skills, I'm telling you that it detected a mana signature which cut off abruptly. It's not my fault that you brute's are unable to do your job!] - Trembling Voice

[Careful Doctor, we may be allies but don't push your luck. Well whatever, everyone spread out! We'll continue our search pattern for another half an hour and if we don't find the survivor set fire to this section of the city. We can't have information getting out about what we're doing yet. Damn noble's and their plans...] - Commander

<Hehehehe... Better watch your back you simple-brained troglodyte. I graduated top of my class and I don't take humiliation lying down... Hehehehe...> - Trembling Voice

It's happening! I mean in all the books I read as a child the bad guys would always spill their plan right in front of the protagonist but I'd always thought it was just used as a plot device! Like seriously why would you just randomly spout out the details of what you were doing so that any passersby could hear you and pass that kind of stuff along.

Now while the fact that they'd decided to start revealing their secrets right outside their hiding place may have been too good to be true and would only work well in the context of a story Moon decided to ignore that and focus on what they were actually saying. It seemed that they were using some sort of device to search for her. Luckily, for the both of them, it seemed that while it gave a general location it didn't seem to tell them exactly where she was located. If it did they would be long dead at this point. The other interesting piece of information was that the Church was involved in this which meant her decision to leave the city, while coming too late, had been a correct one. Now she only had to find her little ones and get out of the country before the Church made the city into a living hell for any non-humans.

[An engineer...?] - Arlen

[Huh? That's what you're focused on?] - Moon

[Hmm? Oh right use your stealth skills immediately, they must be using some kind of portable device that searches for mana sources. Try to keep your output under the background radiation.] - Arlen

[Okay...?] - Moon

[I'm betting that the little "false-positive" that guard Commander was talking about was me, I activated a stealth skill after exiting that warehouse you escaped from and some squirrely little fellow nearly had a fit. I didn't stick around to see what he was doing but I'm betting the box he was holding "saw" me for a moment. Wait though, do you know what this means?] - Arlen

[Umm no?] - Moon

[Nevermind that we need to escape like now, right now. And you're coming with me, with our testimonies together we can have the city guard disbanded and sweep the city of the Church. Now let's get- what's wrong?] - Arlen

Moon expected the strange lizardman to comment on what had just happened, it would have been weird if he didn't. However, she didn't expect that the thing that caught his notice wasn't the casual reference to the Church supporting this little criminal enterprise that the city guard was helping with. No what seemed to surprise him was something called an "engineer". She had no idea what said thing was but couldn't imagine it being more important than the threat of a invasion from the Church.

While Moon was contemplating the strangeness of this person's reaction to the overheard conversation she was broken out of her thoughts by the man suddenly ordering her to activate her stealth abilities, explaining to her that the weak sounding man had somehow been using a device of some kind to "sense" their mana. She wasn't sure how something like that would work but decided to listen to him for the moment and began using her abilities to hide herself.

The lizardman, apparently satisfied that she had followed his instructions, then began acting like he was the leader now. As if she was just expected to follow this random stranger to the ends of Miscalis. On top of that the things he was wanting her to do were absolutely crazy. Didn't he know that the guard was too powerful to take on, the rumors surrounding them just confirmed her decision in her head to find her charges and escape. As such there was only one thing to do...

[I'm not going...] - Moon

[What do you mean you're not going? We have to stop them, what about your civi-] - Arlen

[No! YOU have to stop them! I'm only interested in saving my little brother and sister and getting out of this country before the Church fully takes over.] - Moon

[But I'm trying to stop that, if you testify with me I can-] - Arlen

[You can what?!? Do you think they'll believe us? Believe me? Non-human's like us will just end up dead if we make those kinds of waves, and now that I have a chance at getting away I'm going to find my little ones and leave as fast as possible.] - Moon

[... I'll... I'll help you find and rescue your siblings if you come with me.] - Arlen

[...! What?] - Moon

[I said I'll find your loved ones no matter what.] - Arlen

[You? You'll help me find them? Who exactly do you think you are to make a promise like that?!?] - Moon

[Me? I am Prince Arlen de la Anguis, son of Queen Laura de la Anguis and future heir of my namesake.] - Arlen

[.....!] - Moon

[...] - Kurata

Kurata was angry. Not at anyone else, no he was angry at himself. And why you ask was he angry? It's because he was left behind once more while his master went on a dangerous mission. Time and time again he impressed upon his master his will to protect her and she continued to ignore his advice. A lesser man would have abandoned his duties and forfeit his life in shame. Kurata was no lesser man.

Angry at his own powerlessness in the face of any threats his master must face only one option remained. His master, not truly understanding the tradition he was following, seemed unwilling to bring him along to a situation where he could be injured or killed. She mistakenly thought of this as a kindness. It was not.

Kurata knew she didn't mean it as such but her actions shamed him greatly. They were a tacit acknowledgment of his inability to be of any help in actually defending his master. She, in her "kindness" had decided that rather than risk his injury she would instead move about on her own without a guard. He couldn't allow this to stand.

Of course given his position forcing his master to allow him to accompany her was impossible, not only did his role not allow it she was likely to refuse given how headstrong and independent he had found her to be. She was, different from the traditional beauties of his homeland. Where women in his birth city would be fragile and feminine she was confident and violent. A welcome attitude for a warrior, but a strange one for someone from his culture. Even with his experience in foreign lands he still found it difficult to deal with the irregularities. But between warriors nothing exists besides prowess, skill was the only measuring stick. And she had proven that she was the greater among them.

The only thing then that he could do was find a way to shrink the gap. Doing so would be the only path towards being accepted as her servant. It was the only thing he could think of to keep her safe. And so here he was, head pressed to the floor, begging for help from his master's friend's master.

[I already said no. No matter how long you Ojigi my answer will still be the same.] - Gil

[This one begs of the Honorable Master Gilgamesh of Uruk to train this unworthy warrior! This one must protect this one's Master and this one finds themselves unable to do so! This one has abandoned this one's shame in making this request and will do whatever the Honorable Master requires of this one!] - Kurata

[G-Gilgamesh? W-Who's that? Hahahaha!] - Gil

[This one was present during Mistress Rose of Amchier's arrival. This one heard about the Honorable Master's abilities, please train this one!] - Kurata

[Fine! Fine! N-Now keep it down will you! And call me Manic Blade! Or if you must Master, but never by... that name.] - Gil

[This one thanks the Honorable Master! This one will not let the Honorable Master down!] - Kurata

[Damn... I forgot how intense they can be... Hmm...? Hey since you're my apprentice now do you happen to have any of that alcohol your country is so good at making? I've been craving some for years but haven't had the chance to travel that far in a while. Hehehehe...] - Gil

[This one does have a single bottle sent with me to be drunk when this one returned. This one would be honored to share cups with the Honorable Master.] - Kurata

[Right right! Heheheheheh...] - Gil

Kurata, satisfied that his gamble had payed off, proudly allowed his face to show the happiness in his soul. He'd always been told by these "westerner's" that his race's face was unexpressive but he had never felt that was the case. To other however his smiling face had been so imperceptibly different from his normal one that he'd been told by several past party member's that they couldn't tell when he was happy. The only time it was different was during combat.

His new master however, was full of smiles, the twinkling in his eye expressing his happiness at learning of the alcohol that Kurata was holding. Kurata however couldn't help but feel that the smile on his Honorable Master's face was... false somehow. As if it was a mask worn during a Kabuki Dance, only being used to disguise an immense sea of pain. This glimpse told him that the choice to ask for this man's mentorship was the correct one. He was of similar temperament to his original master and would be able to help him catch up with his Mistress. He knew it.