“Damn him! Again with the rosy attitude!”
Franz Argman slammed the Sounding Stone on the table.
✦ ✦ ✦
Within the imperial capital of Zebrudia, situated near the imperial castle, was the immense Argman Manor. For generations, it had also served as a gathering spot for the Zero Order. The Zero Order was entrusted with protecting the emperor, while also undertaking a wider range of missions when His Imperial Majesty ordered it. Though they were small in numbers compared to the other orders, they were elites with the authority to order their counterparts if the need arose.
The search for Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox and the prophecy indicating calamity were each more than enough to justify the Zero Order’s mobilization. With their orders coming straight from the emperor himself, they had no reason to be dissatisfied, and yet...
Franz held a hand to his aching stomach. The other knights watched, completely accustomed to displays of rage from their captain.
“What in blazes is he thinking?! He definitely knows that the Divinarium can be trusted! Even after his reticence led to Key of the Land being activated, he hasn’t changed his ways! If anything, he’s getting worse! I didn’t give him the Sounding Stone so he could get to know me better!”
Just thinking about it ticked him off. Nobody had ever greeted Franz, the current head of House Argman and captain of the Zero Order, with a “yoohoo.” Not even the most undisciplined hunter would do such a thing. Whether that man was doing it genuinely or just to tease him, Franz found him impossible to deal with. Perhaps he had been given that personality as compensation for his near-divine powers of manipulation and artifice.
Entertaining Krai’s request, Franz had pressured the papers not to mention the Devil Sword incident, because he thought the prophecy was referring to the sword, or its curse, or something related. So if Krai had requested the Sword Saint’s aid in dealing with it, then Franz was willing to accept that there might be bloodshed; he was even willing to cooperate. But he hadn’t for a second imagined that the prophecy might remain unchanged even after the incident had been resolved.
“You’re quite right, Captain,” said a nearby young knight with a faint smile on his face. “Honestly, a mere hunter should know better than to act so arrogantly. Is there really any need to listen to him? The empire has an excellent intelligence corps of its own, doesn’t it?”
This man had just recently joined the order. His eyes were blue, and he had blond hair with a slight wave. Handsome features and a slender build like his were rare among the Zero Order, whose members mostly had larger frames. Having just graduated from the academy for knights, he was on the young side to be joining the imperial guard. Someone must have high expectations for him.
If Franz recalled correctly, his name was Hugh Regland. He was from one of the lower noble houses, but he had graduated top of his class at the academy. A few knights tried to stop the recruit from offering his unsolicited opinion, but Franz gave them a chastising glare. He hadn’t spent much time in the imperial capital lately, leaving him with few opportunities to meet new recruits. This would be a good opportunity to talk with him.
“The orders come from His Imperial Majesty,” Franz answered with a glare. He crossed his arms. “Which is to say, we’re supposed to stay in contact.”
Franz had considered handing the Sounding Stone off to someone else, perhaps a civil servant or the captain of another order, one charged with keeping the peace. However, Krai Andrey’s inscrutable nature would no doubt be too much for any of Zebrudia’s other nobles to handle. That could lead to a gap in the sharing of information. In the end, the soundest option was for Franz to bear the stone himself. Even if that man talked to him like they were chums or something.
Not my subordinates, not my friends, nobody says “Yoohoo” to me!
At his age, he never thought someone, not even among his friends or family, could cause him so much mental anguish. He had an excess of anger and nowhere he could direct it.
“What troubles our intelligence corps,” the young knight said with a shrug, “is that they can’t be worth much if they’re being outdone by a single hunter.”
“I see our new member is a bold one,” Franz replied. “Keep such thoughts to yourself, Hugh.”
Young people these days. Didn’t this man just refer to the intelligence corps as excellent?
The intelligence corps supported Zebrudia from the shadows. The nature of their work meant they rarely ever took to the stage, but their competency was undeniable, and they had on a number of occasions stopped trouble before it could happen. Zebrudia wouldn’t be where it was if not for them.
“But Captain, after multiple days of keeping the Thousand Tricks under constant surveillance, the intelligence corps hasn’t learned anything, correct? If you send me, I’ll find something of value.”
“Hmph. I appreciate your confidence, but I’m not convinced. I’ve seen many hunters before, but none like him. Damn it all...”
Though the Thousand Tricks could obtain information faster than the intelligence corps, that did not mean they were incompetent. In the past, Franz might have agreed with Hugh, but that man had demonstrated a level of awareness that couldn’t be explained merely by a good information network.
Still, what were they supposed to do now? At the moment, they weren’t aware of anything, besides the sword incident, ostensibly related to the prophecy. Just like last time, all they could do was gather personnel and make preparations so they could respond to any potential situation. However, just dealing with Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox had already put them on high alert and short on manpower.
In other words, they were in the same position as last time. At this rate, they would once again be at the mercy of the Thousand Tricks. It was certainly possible.
“If only the Divinarium’s prophecy were a bit more specific,” Hugh remarked, ignorant of Franz’s concerns. “Besides, the imperial capital’s defenses are solid. Most hexes cast from outside won’t have any effect, and we have measures to prevent cursed items from being brought inside. As for the matter of Soln the Sword Saint, that was smaller in scope than we had envisioned. Are you sure we’re not overthinking this?”
Hugh spoke fluently, with a confident bearing.
Indeed, the Divinarium’s prophecy had led Franz to anticipate casualties in the tens of thousands. Even if Krai hadn’t made his move, the Devil Sword incident probably wouldn’t have caused so much destruction.
To begin with, hexes weren’t the sort of spells that could cause physical destruction the way most other offensive spells could. What’s more, taking countermeasures against hexes was easy. While they could be deadly to someone not taking the necessary measures to protect themselves, such measures were simple and a fundamental part of the art of curses.
The storied imperial capital had airtight defenses; it was fair to assume it was impossible for anyone to kill someone with a hex cast outside the perimeters. The one exception was, as Hugh had mentioned, a scenario like the Devil Sword case, in which someone brought a cursed item into the city. But the sort of item capable of killing thousands of people wouldn’t just be lying around wherever.
But they were all well aware of this. Their problem was that despite their stalwart defenses, the prophecy hadn’t faded.
“You’re all letting your nerves get the best of you,” Hugh said. “Captain, don’t look so grave. Relax a bit. Don’t you think the renowned Zero Order should show a bit more confidence?”
Franz narrowed his eyes. The other knights looked at Hugh with exasperation. Infallible discipline was what the Zero Order was expected to show. They were assumed to be competent and frequently served at the emperor’s side, meaning they had a duty to thoroughly fulfill any orders given to them.
In this regard, Hugh was far too flippant. Having graduated valedictorian suggested he was talented. He was slender but had a good figure and a dashing appearance. Franz had heard he tended to be just a bit extravagant when it came to women. He was probably used to being showered in praise, with few failures to call his own.
In some ways, the audaciousness he was displaying before his captain was commendable. Unfortunately for him, Franz got his fill of audacity just through the Thousand Tricks.
For a moment, Franz let his scrutinous gaze rest on this rude junior knight before eventually giving him a slow nod. “Hmph. I see. Well then, Hugh, I’ve got a job for you. On your pride as a noble, head over to the Thousand Tricks and wrench what information you can from him. Hang around him for a bit, and cooperate with him. Don’t try to tell me it’s impossible.”
A moment’s thought suggested this wouldn’t go well. In terms of age, Hugh and the Thousand Tricks were similar, but they were vastly different in terms of skills and experience. Accolades like graduating top of his class wouldn’t do Hugh any good here.
When it came to audacity, the one who wore a floral shirt when escorting the emperor easily won out. Hell, when it came to being extravagant with women, it was hard to beat the guy who allegedly owed his childhood friend massive amounts of money. What insanity. If there was one thing Hugh had going for him, it was probably his bravery. Considering how he had just talked to his captain, it was hard to think he would be intimidated by a Level 8.
Having one more novice knight around wouldn’t make things any easier for the rest of the order. In which case, they may as well give Hugh an early opportunity to learn some humility. It would benefit them in the long run.
Hugh was briefly taken aback by Franz’s acquiescence, but a faint smile quickly formed on his lips. That smile, however, did not reach his eyes. He had strength and spirit, and burning in the depths of his eyes was ambition. Perhaps this was just how youth were meant to be?
“Your wish is my command, Captain,” Hugh said with a bow that was deferential, but perhaps exaggerated. “I, Hugh Regland, will do everything in my power to ensure your peace of mind.”
“Get going.”
Standing straight as a rod, Hugh left the room. Franz watched him with a bitter gaze before turning his attention back to his other subordinates. As captain of the Zero Order, it was his duty to carry out the emperor’s orders. He had arranged for the aid of the Sword Saint. However, if the prophecy persisted, they would follow the next lead. They would eliminate each possibility, one at a time. That was how knights operated.
“If it’s not an issue of pure might,” Franz said, “it might be magic. I guess we have no choice. Contact specialists at every institution and inform them of our work. And be discreet about it.”