Most dragonians left home to become adventurers or warriors, but some occasionally decided to try to make a living as dancers. “Hmm. Okay. Well, you wouldn’t be the only girl who performs as an idol on the side, so feel free to apply at the recruitment window anytime!” Diamond said. “That’s great and all, but it’s not what we’re here for. I want to talk about our job,” Tiana interjected. She seemed just as overwhelmed as Karan. Diamond had a natural knack for lifting others’ spirits just by being around them. The Survivors all felt like she was a mirthful fairy who had jumped right off the pages of a novel. “Yeah. I wanna hear about idol stuff, but we’re here to discuss the bodyguard job. Umm… Can we consider you our direct client?” Nick asked timidly. “Yeah, I am!” Diamond responded with an enthusiastic nod. “No, she’s not,” a bald man in a suit who was sitting next to her answered at the same time. “Hey, this was my idea! I should be the client!” Diamond whined. “Miss Diamond. You need to leave backstage jobs and security to the staff.” “Oh, come on, that’s just dumb. There’s a lot I need to explain to them directly,” Diamond complained, swinging her legs and clicking her tongue to show her annoyance. When she didn’t protest beyond that, the bald man turned to Nick. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Joseph Coleman, Diamond’s producer,” he said. “I’m Nick from the Survivors. It’s nice to meet you,” Nick replied. “Yes, I have seen your face plenty of times. I am also Agate’s producer,” Joseph said. Nick nodded with a troubled expression. “Mr. Coleman. It sounds like you already know this, but this guy is a hard-core idol fan. Are you okay with that? Are you sure you want him as a bodyguard?” Tiana interjected. “I appreciate the concern. This issue was hotly debated within the agency,” Joseph answered. “What do you…? Eh, that makes sense. It’s definitely strange,” Nick said, starting to argue but then nodding with understanding. “Oh, do you think so?” Zem asked. “Honestly, I half suspected this job was given to us by some criminal posing as the agency. And even if it was legit, I thought there had to be something weird going on,” Nick admitted. Zem’s expression turned serious. “You should have said so sooner, Nick. I thought the prospect of working with idols might have driven all critical thinking from your mind.” “Sorry. I did get a little excited,” Nick replied. Zem looked both exasperated and relieved. “It also occurred to me later that my friends in the idol fandom might shun me forever if they hear about this. I’m taking a big risk here.” “Are you afraid of learning all our secrets?” Diamond asked with a smile. Joseph observed quietly; it seemed like he wasn’t going to prohibit her from casual conversation. “Trust me, I’d love the chance to watch you all up close, but I’d hate if I couldn’t be a fan anymore,” Nick said. “I don’t want to give up your ability to be a fan, but… You’ll have to stop going to fan gatherings for a little while. At least while you’re under our employ,” Diamond responded. “You both must want to know if we’re fit for the job. This is business, not an extension of my fan activities. I think we should get to the point,” Nick said. “There are some idol fans who treat our concerts as business opportunities, you know.” “Huh?” “Though I guess it’d be more accurate to say they pretend to be idol fans. Have you heard of scalpers?” Nick grimaced. “Yeah. They’re jerks who buy all the tickets they can and try to make money off them. I’ve heard some people make fake tickets and try to force their way into the venue.” “It’s a real headache. These people are hurting our image,” Diamond said. Surprise formed on Nick’s face. “Hold on… Do you want us to catch these guys?” “This isn’t normally the kind of problem you’d turn to adventurers for, but we’re afraid this might lead to a concert being disrupted or one of our girls being targeted.” “What do you mean?” “Who do you think is buying the resale tickets?” “The spoiled sons of nobles and merchants with too much money? Oh wait, I know where you’re going with this…,” Nick said. “The biggest threat is fans who have been banned from concerts for life and can’t buy legitimate tickets. Some of these banned fans are advanced adventurers, knights, and mages,” Diamond told them. “You can’t be serious,” Tiana said. Nick pressed his lips together, thinking back to the fan club report Jonathan had given him. “Those idiots do exist, unfortunately.” “We need to determine if these people are just fools or if they are serious criminals with connections to demon-god worshippers,” Joseph said. That got the Survivors’ attention. “Why would you suspect that?” Nick asked. Instead of answering, Joseph produced a slip of paper. “Jewelry Production’s tickets are made with a special process. They are printed with ink extracted from particularly beautiful flowers that only grow in labyrinths, and the coloring and patterns cannot be achieved with normal printing equipment,” he said. The surface of the paper shone slightly and changed colors, depending on the viewing angle. The special printing had a sparkling, jewel-like quality to it. By contrast, the text was simple and easy to read. JEWELRY PRODUCTION ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY IDOL APPRECIATION CONCERT BLAZING MOON DAY 30. 6:00 PM. STARMINE HALL. ROW C SEAT 15. It was an idol concert ticket. “Wow, it looks like paper money,” Bond remarked. “Oh yes, paper money was used in the past,” Zem said. They both examined the ticket curiously. “Paper money still exists, actually. All the countries and banks that printed it were devastated by past wars, but what remains still has value. Very few people use it, though,” Tiana said. “Wow, you know a lot!” Diamond exclaimed, surprised. “But this is the first time I’ve seen something resembling paper money that was made in the modern era,” Tiana commented. “Hee-hee. The recent advancements in modern printing are incredible. This ticket costs ten thousand dina because of the anti-counterfeiting measures… Which would be fine on its own, but the problem is they’re being resold for a million,” Diamond said. This news was a shock to all the Survivors but Nick. “A million?!” Karan responded, shocked. “Yes, it’s true. Some people have also begun to take advantage of the rising ticket prices by making and selling forgeries,” Joseph added. “It takes only ten forged tickets to make ten million dina. Crazy, right? Look at this,” Diamond said, picking up a slip of paper. She put it next to the ticket. Its luster and coloring appeared identical, and so was the writing. BLAZING MOON DAY 30. 6:00 PM. STARMINE HALL. ROW C SEAT 15. “Is that a fake ticket?! It looks exactly like the real one!” Nick exclaimed. It was his turn to be shocked. The iridescence of the ticket and its coloring were slightly different, but anyone who noticed that would chalk up the differences to slight variations in printing between each ticket. The design and writing were identical. Nick found one aspect of the ticket strange. “Wait, this is a ticket for reserved seating. A general admission ticket would be way easier to get away with.” “I imagine the forgers made it a reserved seat ticket so they could sell it for as much as possible. And the larger the concert, the harder it is to catch duplicate tickets at the point of entry. It’s also unlikely anyone who arrives with a fake ticket will follow orders and leave without a fuss. Some people simply want to enter the venue,” Joseph explained. “Do some people try to get backstage and into the dressing rooms?” Zem asked with a knowing expression. “Yes, actually. We have had multiple guards assaulted and injured trying to keep fans out of dressing rooms. No idols have been injured yet, but neither have any criminals been captured or identified,” Joseph answered. “Do you think they’ll come back?” Zem asked. “We could handle any repeat offenders, but there is a chance a large group of people will storm the backstage area at once. The Hundredth Anniversary Concert next month is Jewelry Production’s largest event ever, and I expect the risk of violence to be proportionally large,” Joseph said. “But where do demon-god worshippers come into this? I can’t imagine why they’d bother with an idol concert,” Nick asked. “Oh? Are you surprised to hear me mention them?” Joseph said. “How could I not be? They’re a mysterious group plotting to resurrect the demon god.” Nick seemed exhausted. “Oh, I see. That’s how you think of them,” Joseph said. “Huh? Who do you think they are?” Nick asked. “We just perceive their real threat slightly differently. To us, they’re an illegal organization that makes a massive profit by selling stolen goods and contraband. It wouldn’t be wrong to call them a combination of a heretic cult, a gang, and a band of thieves.” Nick’s mouth fell open in shock. “R-really?” “Yes. Demon-god worshippers have attacked research facilities and artifact storehouses. Any other industry or business that deals in large sums of money must be wary of them.” “So you have to be more careful of them than the average person.” Nick thought these explanation made sense. “Of course, we currently have no reason to suspect them other than by the process of elimination. We have no evidence of involvement from other illegal organizations. But the threat posed by the counterfeit tickets is more important right now than identifying the criminals. That is why we want to hire capable, trustworthy people as guards.” “How can you trust us when this is the first time we’ve met? Doesn’t the client normally perform a test for an extended bodyguard job like this?” “Think of this conversation as your interview. I do already plan to give you an official offer, though.” “What?” Nick was surprised to hear that. He was about to ask for the reason when Joseph continued. “You want to know why we chose you, right? It’s because you fought White Mask,” he said. The tension in the room rose noticeably. “…Guess we’re celebrities now,” Nick commented. There were a few shady rumors associated with idol agencies. Some people suspected they were actually consulting firms that lent money. Others believed they obtained their talent through human trafficking. Yet more people suspected connections to major politicians or noble lords. Nick thought most of those rumors were unfounded, but he was beginning to believe some pieces of them might be true. “In other words, your allegiances are clear. We know you don’t work for demon-god worshippers,” Joseph said. “It’s not like we chose to fight White Mask, though. Surely there are other people you can trust on that count. The Sun Knights, for instance,” Nick argued. Joseph didn’t seem to care. “The Sun Knights are reliable, but I don’t expect them to consider our every need.” “We’ve had knights start trouble with fans and even use their position to get close to idols. I don’t do well with those types.” Diamond sighed. Nick nodded with understanding. The Order of the Sun Knights worked to protect the peace in Labyrinth City, and deftly handled incidents involving violence and threats. Their authority gave them a difficult relationship with the populace, however. “Your job will be to protect the idols. You’ll help escort them from the office to concerts and guard them within the venues. Essentially, I want you to protect them every hour they spend working as idols. There are numerous events and concerts before the Hundredth Anniversary Concert, and I would like you to begin work today,” Joseph explained. “Huh? Today? We’re not even waiting until tomorrow?” Nick asked, surprised. “Our agency has twenty idols who have already made their debut. We have five carriages to transport them, each of which is operated and protected by a team of guards. We’re still short one team, however. Multiple guards have been injured trying to stop fans who entered a venue using fake tickets and grew violent. We just don’t have enough people.” “So you’ve already got holes you need us to plug.” “I’d like to hire a team that has reliable leadership and members who know how to divvy up responsibility. You had plenty of bodyguard experience in Combat Masters, didn’t you, Nick?” Joseph asked with a glint in his eyes. He was suggesting he knew a good amount about Nick’s past. Nick nodded, trying not to react to that. “We will prepare an ample reward,” Joseph went on. “I cannot guarantee you personal interaction with idols, handshake tickets, or concert tickets, however.” “You have to take a break as an idol fan,” Karan said with a teasing smile. Her eyes were determined, and she looked ready to crunch heads with her shining canine teeth. “What do you think, Bond?” Nick asked. The holy sword had been unusually quiet. “We don’t have a choice. We have already fought White Mask. It was only a matter of time before we wound up in danger or a chance presented itself,” Bond answered. “Yep,” Nick agreed. “But this job will keep us busy for quite a long time. As our leader, you need to make sure we are properly rewarded. Specifically, we’re going to need…,” Bond said, lowering his voice and leaning in abnormally close to Nick’s face. “Hey, back off,” Nick protested, bewildered. “No. I don’t want to be overheard,” Bond said. Nick noticed something in Bond’s eyes, and he nearly gasped in surprise. They were small letters. One eye said “Don’t use” and the other said “Telepathy.” It was a warning. “…Yeah, this is gonna be a really difficult job,” Nick muttered. And so the Survivors stepped into the world of conspiracy hidden behind the brilliant idol facade. The rhythmic clopping of horse’s hooves on stone pavement echoed within the carriage as Tiana drove it through the city. Nick was sitting next to her. “Haah, I never thought I’d find myself working as a coachman.” Tiana sighed. “You should just be grateful we’re not fighting with veteran guards over deployment like you normally have to on jobs like these,” Nick responded. Joseph Coleman had placed the Survivors in charge of a carriage shortly after their conversation. It was rare for the deployment of adventurers on bodyguard or escort jobs to be decided so smoothly. Coordination with veteran guards was normally an issue, and there was no guarantee that the person who needed protection would follow orders from the newcomers. Nick had been prepared to receive a less-than-warm welcome. Contrary to his expectations, the veteran guards relaxed when they saw the party, relieved to have received reinforcements. The injuries had left them understaffed and overworked. Joseph had apparently spoken positively of the Survivors’ accomplishments and told the guards that they’d caught the Iron Tiger Troop, so they got off on the right foot. Nick was beginning to realize that guarding idols was an exploitative and thankless job that didn’t pay enough for how exhausting it was. “I’m glad one of us is good with horses. That’s a huge help,” Nick said. “Don’t mention it,” Tiana responded. Tiana was the one who had the most experience with horses. Nick and Zem had both ridden and taken care of horses plenty of times, but they weren’t experts like her. Karan was terrible at riding, which was true of all dragonians; horses were spooked by their dragon scent and sizable mana. Bond had absolutely zero experience and was so curious about them, it would have been dangerous to have him drive the carriage. As such, they had stationed Zem and Bond behind the carriage, Karan inside the carriage with the people they were protecting, and Nick and Tiana on the coachman’s platform. “Hey, Nick. You’re free to use Telepathy now.” Bond’s voice echoed within Nick’s mind. Telepathy was a spell that allowed one to transmit their voice into another person’s head without making noise, regardless of distance. It could be used to communicate in labyrinths while avoiding detection from monsters or to speak to comrades without being overhead during a negotiation. It was highly convenient. Bond had never told the party not to use it before. “What was that back there?” Nick asked. “I can customize my skin and eye color to an extent, which lets me…” “Not your eyes. That was the first time you’ve ever told us not to use Telepathy,” Nick interrupted. “I think the office was being monitored,” Bond answered. “Monitored? You mean someone would’ve noticed our Telepathy, like we did when the Iron Tiger Troop used it?” “Yes. That is what I felt. They would not have been able to hear our conversation, but they could have used the process of elimination to figure out that we were the ones who used Telepathy.” The party gulped in response. “Who was it? Someone from the agency? Or was someone monitoring us from the outside?” Nick asked. “It felt like something was set up within that room. I do not think it came from outside,” Bond answered. “Why would someone do that?” “They were probably being careful. There aren’t many people who can use Telepathy,” Zem began to speculate. “Perhaps our initial suspicions were correct, and the agency offered us this job after guessing that we might be the paladin. They could have set a trap in that room to detect the usage of any ancient spells such as Telepathy.” “…I could see that,” Nick said. Nick and Tiana had actually used the ancient spell Union to save a Jewelry Production idol. The idol was even inspired by that incident to write a song called “The Lovely Paladin.” “But what would they do after finding the paladin? Like you said, Tiana, they wouldn’t have used this roundabout method if they just wanted to say thanks,” Karan said. “Hmm… Maybe they’re being cautious. They could see us as a threat similar to White Mask,” Tiana guessed. “If they were cautious of us, they never would have met with us in the first place.” “That’s true… Oh, I don’t know. My brain feels like mush.” Tiana sounded exhausted. “How do you feel about all this, Karan?” Nick asked. “Like you are all overthinking this job,” Karan replied. She didn’t sound nearly as gloomy as the others. In fact, she sounded confused about why they were so down. “Really?” Nick asked. “All we have to do is protect the idols from anyone who might target them. And protect ourselves, too. Can’t we just do our jobs like normal?” Karan responded. “Sure, but…I think they’re still hiding information from us,” Nick said. “That’s normal. Just because they trust us enough to meet with us doesn’t mean they trust us enough to reveal everything. We just have to do our jobs and report. If they like what they hear, they’ll tell us what we need to know. If this job still feels wrong then, or if they don’t tell us anything, we can quit.” The others were struck by Karan’s composure as she spoke. She had grown since their adventure in Pot Snake Cave. Before, Karan probably would have spent her time in this wealthy residential district glancing around anxiously and having a hard time focusing on the job. She would have been more flustered when Diamond tried to recruit her as an idol, too. She was showing a new level of calm, not letting the unfamiliar perturb her like it used to. And now she was remaining composed, despite the strange nature of this contract. “If this job was a trap, they could have poisoned our tea at the agency. Maybe they have a trap planned for us in three days or in a week, but we have no way of knowing that now,” Karan said. “Th-that’s a good point,” Nick responded timidly. “What do you think? I don’t know much about idols yet, but I’ll do my part to protect them. You should do whatever it is you want to do. I’ll…give you my support,” Karan said, finishing weakly. “…Thanks,” Nick replied with a bit of embarrassment. The Survivors all relaxed, their anxiety fading as their secret conversation ended on a surprisingly peaceful note. “Make way, make way! I’m coming through!” a coachman called out as he raced past the Survivors’ carriage. The party had reached the central street that separated Labyrinth City’s northern and southern halves, and it was packed with carriages and pedestrians. “Whoops, wasn’t paying attention,” Tiana said, quickly grabbing the reins and directing the horse to move the carriage out of the way. The horse whipped its tail indignantly, but it obediently pulled them to the side. “Sorry, horsey. I didn’t forget about you. Let’s go,” Tiana apologized. It proceeded smoothly down the street while avoiding carriages and pedestrians as if it understood what she said. “It’s easy to lose track of what’s in front of you when you’re focusing on Telepathy. I don’t really want to use it while driving. I already have mixed feelings about working as a coachman.” Nick looked confused. “Do you not like driving? You seem fine with horses.” “That’s not what I meant.” “Maybe we should demand we be escorted along with the idols. Diamond did recruit us, after all.” “Don’t be stupid.” The Survivors were transporting two idols to a concert. They were inside the carriage along with Karan and a few staff members. One of the idols was going to perform at the concert, which meant she was the primary person they needed to protect. The other idol had come to support her. She was speaking to her to help calm her nerves. Nick was a little relieved he wasn’t sitting with them. It would be awkward if they spoke to him while he was using Telepathy, and even if he wasn’t, he wasn’t confident he’d be able to keep a cool head. One of the idols in the carriage had that effect on him. “It’s not the driving that I dislike. It’s just that I don’t want to be seen by old acquaintances,” Tiana explained. “Ah… That seems pretty unlikely,” Nick responded. “Sure, but this area reminds me of the capital. It’s putting me in a bad mood.” “Are there idols there, too?” “No. Only regular minstrels. The music culture here is pretty unique.” “A lot of people say that, but that’s not quite right. Idols come from a legitimate form of music entertainment that originated in the ancient civilization. Diamond says we’re reviving an ancient and honorable custom,” a girl said after clattering open the carriage window. She was one of the idols the Survivors were protecting. “Seriously?! Hey, that’s dangerous. Get back in the carriage and close the curtain before someone sees you,” Tiana ordered. “Do I have to?” the girl whined. “I can’t believe you picked us on our first escort job, Agate. Are you not scared?” Tiana asked. The girl’s idol name was Agate. It had been less than a year since her debut, but her striking performances had gained her a large following. She was also the person who had saved Nick from the depths of despair after he was betrayed by his ex-girlfriend Claudine, getting him hooked on idols in the process. Later on, in a curious twist of fate, Nick and Tiana ended up using Union to save her life. It was as if they were bound by an invisible string. “I feel better having guards that I’ve met. I prefer you to random people that my producer happened to approve after a test and interview. Oh, wait. I should hide that I know you, right?” “Don’t ask me. It’s a little late for that anyway. You already shouted, ‘Oh, it’s the stray dog! Long time no see!’ when you saw me,” Nick said. “Oh yeah. Ah-ha-ha,” Agate laughed. Once the Survivors were assigned a carriage, the question then became who they would escort… Though it didn’t remain a question for very long. Agate approached the party immediately when Diamond and Joseph introduced them to the idols present at the agency, making it more than clear she knew them. “Agate,” Tiana said. “This guy’s a hard-core idol fan. You know that, right?” “I’m kinda the one responsible for that,” Agate responded. “That’s a terrifying thought,” Tiana said. “Anyway, I had been wondering if you two were in the same party,” Agate said. “You know each other? That’s news to me,” Nick commented, looking at them questioningly. Tiana seemed to be searching for words. “Is that something I’m allowed to say?” Agate asked. “Don’t make it sound like we know each other more than we really do,” Tiana replied irritably. “I have to ask… Did the agency choose us for this job because of the casino incident?” “Hey, you don’t trust me! I haven’t said anything!” Agate insisted. “Huh? Really?” Nick responded. He’d assumed Agate must have given them away somehow. “Even I can tell what I should and shouldn’t say… I think!” Agate said. “That sure inspires confidence.” Nick sighed. Agate glowered at him, but her expression quickly softened. “Honestly, I also wondered if management hired you all because they found out… I can’t say for sure that I was never caught by a leading question. I’m sorry!” “Don’t worry about it. I really would rather you keep it a secret, but sometimes you can’t prevent someone from finding something out,” Nick said. “What will happen if they find out for sure? Will that cause you trouble?” “Quite a bit, yeah.” “Then you’ll have to be careful about unleashing your full strength…” Agate lowered her head, her expression serious. “What is it?” Nick asked. “…There have been a lot of people at shows recently with strange looks in their eyes. The number of fights has also increased significantly in the last two or three weeks. Some people have even deluded themselves that they’re the paladin and going crazy,” Agate said. “Seriously? I haven’t heard about that.” Nick had been busy with his work in the Garbage Heap and their trip to Pot Snake Cave during that time, necessitating a break from idol concerts. He made a mental note to ask his idol fan friends about this later. “I want this show to go well for Amber, so…it would be reassuring if I knew the real paladin was there to cheer her on,” Agate said. Amber was the other idol in the carriage. She was going to perform at the venue they were traveling toward. “Protecting the idols and making sure the concerts go off without a hitch is the job. Leave it to the real deal,” Nick said. Agate’s expression relaxed. “I’m counting on you, stray dog and stray cat!” “Who are you calling a stray cat?! Geez, I don’t remember you being this bold…,” Tiana grumbled, but she had a soft smile on her face. The horse’s hooves continued to clop along the road under the bright blue sky. The concert was at the town hall in the commercial zone of Labyrinth City’s southwest district. It was the same venue as the first concert Nick went to. Fans were lined up outside, eagerly waiting for the doors to open. Amber—the star of today’s show—had suffered a number of unfortunate setbacks, and a lot of fans had shown up to cheer her on and help make the concert a success. Amber’s first solo concert was originally supposed to be held over half a year before, but it was foiled when the owner of the venue they had booked skipped town overnight. The next attempt at the concert fell through when that venue was shut down due to an outbreak of yellow demon fever among the staff. Such unfortunate incidents continued, perpetually delaying her solo debut. Amber’s image as an idol was defined by an unyielding spirit and a bright personality. Those were true aspects of her character; she was always taking the initiative and encouraging others. But her bright personality coexisted with a sensitive nature. She was frustrated when Agate, who had entered the agency at the same time as she had, made her solo debut first. But she didn’t let it break her. She applied herself to practicing and improving her dancing skills, polishing her natural sense of rhythm. Having her debut delayed actually lit a fire in her heart. Topaz, another idol who’d started around the same time, also debuted before her, but again, she let that motivate her even more in her training. Her contagious effort galvanized other idols as well, and while it was later than she initially envisioned, her solo debut was finally set. As tough as Amber was, though, the continual delays had begun to break her spirit. Any further delay could do serious damage to her mental state and her future career. She was becoming known as a popular yet unlucky idol who would never get a solo concert, and she had even gained the nickname “Miss Cancellation.” This was Amber’s chance to redeem herself, and she couldn’t afford for it to fail. She was determined to catch up to her contemporary idols. Unfortunately, she fainted before the show. “Amber collapsed?! Help her, Zem! Please!” Nick pleaded with Telepathy. “I did. She just had anemia. She’s fine now,” Zem responded. The Survivors got right to work after arriving at the town hall. They stationed Karan in the waiting room and split up so the other four members could each watch a different part of the venue, but it wasn’t long before Karan told the others that Amber had collapsed and dragged Zem to the waiting room. Nick panicked with concern for Amber, but Zem quickly calmed him down. “Th-thank goodness! A friend of mine named Jonathan is a huge Amber fan. He’s really looking forward to this show,” Nick said. “I understand your concern, but please focus on your job. You’re losing your composure,” Zem chided. “Sorry… I’m a little worried about something. We need to be careful.” “Worried about what?” “The fake paladins. Agate said people are convincing themselves they’re the paladin and getting violent.” “That is…definitely concerning. The venue’s doors are about to open. Take care.” Nick focused on his surroundings after he finished talking to Zem in his head. This kind of job had a surprising amount of downtime, which meant the ability to stay focused was even more important than fighting strength. Shortly afterward, Bond used Telepathy to inform the group that he sensed someone suspicious within a passageway that led into the venue, accessible only to staff. Nick was closest, so he went right there. “You can’t use this entrance. I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” he said sternly when he found two men by the door. They were both Amber fans, which Nick could tell by their cheaply dyed jackets that were closer to reddish-orange than to amber. They clearly weren’t working together, though; one man was unconscious and bleeding from the nose, while the other was dragging him by the collar. It was obvious the one on his feet had assaulted the other man. “Let him go. Put your hands up and face the wall,” Nick commanded. “Take me to Amber,” the man growled. The man was a bigger threat than Nick had thought. He seemed deranged. “Bond! Tiana! I need support! This guy’s dangerous!” he called out with Telepathy, and leaped at the man. “What the…?” Nick muttered. The assailant must have been either an adventurer or a knight, as he was a good enough fighter to knock a person out with one blow and quickly enter a defensive stance when Nick jumped at him. Nick had surmised as much, however, and when the man instinctively raised his arms to protect himself, Nick used Light Body to leap off them and land behind him. “Time for you to take a nap. I’ll hear what you have to say later, after I’ve given you to the Sun Knights,” Nick said. He wrapped his arm around the man’s neck, blocking his carotid artery. That was his signature move. Something felt wrong, though; the man’s neck was hard, as if he was wearing thin, invisible armor that clung to his skin. “I’m Amber’s paladin! Me! I was chosen by the ticket!” the man shouted. A black fog-like substance that was barely visible drifted from the ticket in his chest pocket and wrapped around his body, and he ripped Nick’s arm from his neck with impossible strength. “What the hell—? Gah!” Nick grunted after the man punched him hard enough to launch him into the air. He thought he was going to crash into the ceiling, but someone caught him. “You’re…much lighter than you look. It’s uncanny.” “Bond! Thank you!” Nick exclaimed. “Who is that man?” Bond asked. “An idol fan,” Nick responded, just as the man swung at him with tremendous force, the black fog around his arm increasing its weight. “This is bad… Wait, that looks familiar! Doesn’t that fog look like White Mask’s armor?!” “That fog is one stage before cognition armor! It’s not manifesting, because he does not have enough mana, but its power will increase and make him impossible to handle! We must incapacitate him!” Bond replied. The moment he was almost killed by White Mask flashed in Nick’s mind, and he cleared it away by glaring at the man before him. “Yeah. The concert could be canceled if we don’t stop him here. We need to take him out as quickly as possible,” Nick agreed. Not an easy task. This man was out of his mind. Nick didn’t know if that was due to the man’s nature or to the influence of a dangerous drug or spell, but either way, he was totally unpredictable. He might hurt Amber or a fan or wreak havoc on a much larger scale if they let him get away. “I’m here!” Tiana said breathlessly as she ran up behind Nick, holding her staff. “Tiana! Bond! We’re gonna take him out in less than three seconds! Don’t let him see us!” Nick commanded. They all knew what they had to do. ““Union!”” Nick and Tiana yelled. A white light blazed out against the black fog in the narrow corridor. There was a festive mood in Amber’s waiting room. The paladin who was rumored to have saved Agate had reappeared to protect another idol. That had to be a good omen. Amber, who had suffered anemia after being overwhelmed by the pressure ahead of her debut concert, had made a full recovery. “U-um, Ms. Paladin! You’re the real paladin, right?!” Amber asked. The person was as beautiful as a fairy and had fine golden hair that flowed like water. Their body was supple, and they were more beautiful than most idols and models. No one in the room had seen this person except for Agate, but Amber knew who it was right away. ““Yes. I am the real deal, my lady. I caught the fake paladin, so you can relax,”” they answered. “I-I’ll do my best!” Amber said. She was struggling not to cry as she shook the paladin’s hand. It seemed like she had come to think of the paladin as a real hero after hearing that they saved Agate. “Thank you so much, Ms. Paladin.” ““I’m cheering you on. Good luck with your concert,”” the paladin responded. They said good-bye and left the waiting room. Then, after checking to see if no one was in the hallway, they entered an empty room and dispelled Union to split into Nick, Tiana, and Bond. “You have to be more careful! You’re gonna give us away!” Tiana complained immediately. Nick and Tiana had quickly incapacitated the intruder after activating Union. They had used a slightly dangerous spell called Steal Heat to cool his body temperature and had taken the strange ticket that had given him strength. He’d been knocked out almost instantly. The only problem was they were seen by a part-time janitor who happened to be passing by. Zem and Karan had warned Amber and her staff not to leave her waiting room, but Nick, Tiana, and Bond had missed the presence of the janitor. The janitor had screamed upon seeing Nick and Tiana in their combined Union state, but fortunately Agate had heard him, rushed over, and calmed him down (“You came back to support us, Ms. Paladin! Thank you so much!”). “We didn’t have a choice. That guy could’ve easily killed a fan or a staff member if we didn’t stop them,” Nick argued. “That’s true, but…it’s only a matter of time before people find out we’re the paladin,” Tiana said. Bond tried to calm her down. “That Agate girl was quick on her feet. I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Even if someone does figure us out, I am sure idols and their staff are strict about keeping secrets. If we keep their secrets, they will keep ours. Anyway…” Bond pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket. It was the fake ticket they had taken from the assailant. The ticket looked completely different from the one they were shown at the agency; the paper had turned a dark color, as if it was soaked in venom. “This is one of the fake tickets… It seemed to act like a talisman,” Nick observed. “I’ve never seen one like this, though. Even the way he used it is totally different,” Tiana responded. Talismans were one-use magic items that activated a spell when broken. Some expensive types automatically cast a healing or poison-curing spell when the owner’s life was in danger. Most talismans were light-brown pieces of paper with a magic circle drawn in black ink, but the paper itself didn’t change color after being used. The piece of paper Nick was holding didn’t resemble a normal talisman. When he held it to the light, it was possible to see densely packed hieroglyphic characters that were a slightly different shade than the rest of the dark ticket. This design and the sinister color it turned after use were like nothing they had seen. Someone knocked on the door as the three of them examined the ticket. “Excuse me! Is anyone in there? Can I come in?” “Yeah, go ahead,” Nick answered, and Agate walked into the room. She sighed with relief when she saw the three of them. “That was my second time seeing the paladin, but it was still shocking… Is that some kind of ancient spell?” she asked. “Hmm-hmm, actually—,” Bond began, but Tiana slapped a hand over his mouth. “Let’s keep that a secret. I want no part of any scandals between you and the paladin,” she said. “Hey, I wouldn’t tell anyone!” Agate sniffed. “Thank you, though. Seeing the paladin really cheered Amber up. She was worried about a stalker, too… That was probably the guy you just caught.” “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. We’re not the ones who saved her,” Nick said bluntly. “Of course. My lips are sealed,” Agate said with a smile. “Was that guy really a stalker, though? A few things aren’t adding up for me,” Nick said. “Really? Umm, he did seem pretty weird.” Agate wasn’t sure what Nick was getting at. “I’m not talking about the man. His strength and this ticket he had on him are what feel off. Have you ever seen one of these?” Nick asked, showing her the ticket. “What is that? It’s creepy…,” Agate said. It seemed like she had never seen a counterfeit ticket turn black. “Is this what the fakes look like? It doesn’t look anything like the real ones.” “I think it looked like a normal ticket at first. It turned black when some strange mana appeared from it, and that’s when the man attacked me,” Nick explained. Agate went pale for a moment as she realized they were in much more danger than she had imagined. “Bond. Agate’s not hiding anything, is she?” Nick asked with Telepathy. “Hmm. I detect no heart palpitations or variation in her breathing that would suggest lying… Do you suspect her?” Bond replied. “I don’t want to, but we can’t forget to keep an eye on our employers, too. Tell me if you notice anything.” “Understood.” Agate observed the ticket seriously, completely unaware of their conversation. “I’ll ask my producer about this later… Oh yeah, I came to tell you the concert is starting. You can catch a glimpse of the performance from the wings of the stage. Everyone but Nick, that is,” she said casually. “Huh? Why everyone else?!” Nick asked, shocked. “Because there are friends of yours in the front row,” Agate explained. “The fans don’t have the angle to see the wings of the stage, but someone might be able to sense you anyway. Beastmen have good hearing and there are some idol fans with a sixth sense for noticing people.” Nick gasped and fell to his knees. “Ah-ha-ha, that’s such a shame, Nick. You behave yourself as we enjoy the show,” Tiana said teasingly. “Yes, we’ll keep a very close eye on her,” Bond agreed, chuckling. Nick was white as a sheet, lacking the energy to even argue. The concert was a roaring success. Amber was in top form—her voice was clear and her choreography was perfect. Her performance had never been sharper. The encore sent the crowd into a wild frenzy, and the crowd’s thunderous cheers continued long after the show ended. Fans called it the best concert ever as they filed out of the venue. “Agate! Topaz! I did it! I performed my own solo concert! Whoo-hoo!” Amber cheered. “You were amazing, Amber!” Agate responded. Agate and Topaz, who’d rushed here after finishing another job, were waiting for her backstage. They hugged their fellow idol as she cried a little. “Hey, that hurts! Let me go! I’m sweaty!” Amber protested happily as they mobbed her. Amber’s manager and other staff members who’d devoted themselves to this concert all had tears in their eyes as well. The joy in the room was palpable. But the Survivors’ job wasn’t done yet. They still had to escort the idols by carriage back to the Jewelry Production office through the nighttime streets of Labyrinth City. Just when Nick was about to start preparing, he noticed that Karan was acting strangely. “What is it, Karan?” he asked. Karan watched the idols blankly, not hearing Nick. “Hey, Karan,” Nick said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She jolted and turned around. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you,” she said. “What’s wrong? Are you tired?” “No. It’s just…amazing.” “Right? Amber was stunning. She put her own spin on all the cover songs, and that last original song was out of this world. I wish I could have seen the dancing… I heard that Aggie and Topaz gave her advice on the lyr—” “That’s not what I’m talking about.” “O-oh.” “It’s amazing that this kind of place exists. They’re all following their dreams. They get along and cheer each other on, but they’re also fiercely competitive. They all want to be the best.” Karan watched the idols with a distant look in her eyes. It was as if there was an invisible wall between her and the celebrating girls. There were always walls between fans and idols, or between clients and adventurers, but this wasn’t the same. Nick was about to continue that conversation, when a town-hall employee entered the room. “Excuse me. We’re about to turn out the lights…,” she said apologetically. Amber clapped her hands and addressed the room. “All right, everyone, that’s enough fussing over me! Let’s go home! Thank you for today!” Everyone in the room thanked her and hurriedly got ready to leave. “We’ve got one last job tonight, Karan. Let’s get to work,” Nick said. Karan collected herself and nodded. “Okay. I wish we could use a dragon-drawn carriage instead of a horse-drawn carriage, though. Horses are such cowards.” “I prefer horses, personally. They’re friendlier than dragons,” Zem said. “That’s a tough one for me… I definitely prefer watching dragons,” Tiana said. “That’s a nice way to say ‘gamble on,’” Bond quipped. “Shut up, Mop.” The Survivors got started on their last job of the day. “We are calling this man and all others like him false paladins,” said Joseph. The Survivors went back to the Jewelry Production headquarters the next day. Joseph and Diamond invited them into a conference room, and they wasted no time getting to the main topic. “That name sounds way too dramatic for a bunch of idol fans who have lost their marbles,” Nick commented. “I wonder if the real paladin would be offended by that name,” Diamond said with an awkward laugh. Nick decided not to let that slide. “They would,” he said bluntly. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that,” Diamond said timidly, shrinking away. She was usually easygoing, but Nick had successfully intimidated her. “Let’s drop this charade. We have our secrets, and I’m sure you have yours. But you’re asking us to fight for you. If you hold back information we need to know, we’re going to quit,” Nick declared. “That is understandable. Allow me to explain and offer my apology. I see now that is how we must begin,” Joseph said. He wiped sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. “We know you are the Lovely Paladin. We obtained a list of everyone who was at the casino when it was attacked, and ninety percent of them said they thought it was you. The incident in the Garbage Heap only strengthened our conviction.” “Okay. Go on,” Nick urged, speaking for the group. “We wrote a song about the paladin, and despite being reasonably sure about their identity, we never considered reaching out and paying you a copyright fee,” Joseph said. “That’s not the problem!” Nick shouted. He and his party members looked astonished. “It’s not?” Joseph replied with genuine surprise. It seemed he truly thought the Survivors were angry that Jewelry Production hadn’t shared any of its earnings. “We don’t want people to know we’re the paladin. Asking for money would’ve given us away. Do you want us to give you an invoice under the name The Lovely Paladin?” Nick retorted. “Um… Why are you keeping it a secret? That ability of yours is very unique, but surely you are not doing anything illegal. Are you afraid of catching the attention of the Sun Knights?” Joseph asked. “That’s part of it. This secret getting out would cause a lot of problems for us,” Nick responded. He didn’t intend to elaborate on that. “You guys are heroes, but you’re living in obscurity. Wouldn’t the Adventurers Guild make you S-rank adventurers immediately if you told them that you’re the paladin and shared what you’ve done?” Diamond asked Nick wasn’t sure how to respond. The Adventurers Guild itself was the problem. “Oh, do you have a bad relationship with the guild? Or are you hiding something from them?” Diamond asked. “No, of course not,” Nick said. Diamond narrowed her eyes and grinned. “I can tell you’re lying, Nick. Your breathing is giving you away.” “If that’s what you want to talk about, we’re leaving. Thank you very much for the job. We look forward to working with you in the future,” Nick said bluntly. “Hey, wait! I’m sorry!” Diamond apologized. “Let’s move on and talk about the false paladins,” Nick said. “That really does sound wrong…” Joseph seemed relieved that the conversation had returned to work. “This all began about three weeks ago, when people began to appear calling themselves the paladin.” “Why would they do that? I don’t get it,” Nick asked. “That we don’t know… But we have finally found something to connect them,” Joseph said. “What’s that?” Nick asked. “All the false paladins have had special counterfeit tickets. They seem to have some impact on their mental state. I never would have thought the tickets were quite so dangerous…,” Joseph answered. Tiana spoke up for the first time since entering the room. “Did you not realize the tickets are talismans? You have some of them, don’t you?” “The counterfeit tickets are deceptive in two ways. Not only do they imitate the design of the real tickets, they are also made so that you cannot detect that they are talismans,” Joseph explained. “Talismans have mana. Couldn’t you detect that?” Tiana asked. Joseph shook his head. “We checked, but the tickets barely contain any mana. There is so little that not even Magic Search can detect it.” “What?” “The counterfeit tickets contain only the smallest speck of mana. The special paint used on the legitimate tickets already contains a little mana, so such a tiny amount cannot be used to identify a counterfeit ticket.” Joseph looked at the black strip of paper on the table. It was the ticket Nick had taken from the man they’d captured. “The assailant is a D-rank adventurer known as Restless Ironman Giuseppe, who works primarily from the Travelers Adventurers Guild. He suffers insomnia and excels at taking the night watch,” he said. “Can he use magic? Has anyone heard of him giving shape to his mana and wrapping it around his body?” Tiana asked. “No, he seems to be an ordinary swordsman… Do you all want to know more about him?” Joseph asked, acting strangely hesitant. “Can’t we visit him in prison?” Tiana asked. “…I don’t want to put them in our debt. Some of our idols have been followed, and they might interfere with our concerts, claiming a need to increase security,” Joseph said. “Who’s ‘them’—?” Tiana began to ask, but she was interrupted when a staff member entered the room. “Mr. Coleman. She’s here,” they said timidly. Joseph made a rare sour expression. “Oh, great… Let’s get our stories straight, everyone. This will be best with Nick alone. It may turn into something of an interrogation.” “Whoa, I don’t like the sound of that. What’s going on?” Nick asked, mirroring his expression. “A Sun Knight is here,” Joseph answered. Diamond quickly said, “I’ve got training! Bye!” and fled the room with catlike agility. It was a truly impressive escape. “I didn’t expect to find one of the adventurers who distinguished themselves in the Garbage Heap here. Today’s my lucky day.” “R-really? It’s nice to meet you,” Nick stammered, speaking with unusual politeness. He was at a simple table set up next to the building’s reception rather than in a conference room. Joseph chose this spot because he said he didn’t want to let the person they were meeting any farther inside the building. Nick and Joseph were at one end of the table, and the new guest was sitting opposite from them. “You’re so formal. That’s not very adventurer-like of you,” she said. She appeared unoffended by Joseph’s brusque treatment. The guest was a beautiful woman with short blue hair and a demeanor so cheerful, she could have passed for an idol, though her eye-catching clothing—which consisted of a shiny silver breastplate and a white cloak—made it clear she was not. A hexagon with flames at each point was etched onto the cloak. It was the emblem of the largest order of knights on the continent—the Order of the Sun Knights—which made catching criminals and maintaining the peace its goal, rather than fighting monsters or warfare. “Everyone’s heard of the famous beautiful woman who serves as a Sun Knight captain. Any adventurer worth his salt would be nervous around you,” Nick responded. “I find that reputation flattering. Nice to meet you, Nick,” the beautiful woman said, reaching out for a handshake. Nick gave his hand to her, trying to hide his surprise that she knew his name. “I’m Nick of the Survivors,” he said. “I’m Alice Burrows. I’m the captain of the Gauntlet unit, which belongs to the Northwest Company of the Sun Knight Teran Defense Battalion,” the woman replied, smiling at Nick. Alice the Sun Knight was well known among adventurers, bounty hunters, and wanted criminals in Labyrinth City. The Burrows were a famous family that produced many people who assumed important roles in the Order of the Sun Knights. Alice could have joined the order as a captain, but she rejected that to sign up as a regular knight. Alice quickly proved that she was not just a noble having fun. She captured criminal after criminal with bounties totaling over one million dina each and earned her position of captain on her own merit. Wanted criminals spoke of her with fear on their lips. Too many ruffians to count underestimated her before she became famous and were nearly killed for it, and adventurers came to fear her, too.
Chapter 67
45 min read