Chapter 21: Dawn After the Storm
After the attack on the Northern City of Salem, the fiery swordswoman Karen and the ashen-haired girl Nya walked together in a gloomy cave.
Propping up one another, they carefully made their way forward, under the watchful gaze of a group of bats nesting in the ceiling.
“Ugh, that Crow guy got us good. Wanpurgis can’t ignore the threat a great warrior like him poses,” Karen remarked.
“I’d rather not have to deal with him ever again,” Nya replied. “He doesn’t look like it, but the guy’s a monster.”
One somber, the other annoyed, the pair discussed Crow—unbeknownst to them, neither a great warrior nor a monster, just a sad loser under the thrall of a cursed sword.
The two nodded to one another, agreeing to be more careful next time.
“We’ll need to be mindful of him. He’s a force to be reckoned with, just like Iris of the White Blade,” Karen said. “Also, Nya, you look really cute now. I had no idea who you were at first.”
The swordswoman had only just fully taken in the appearance of her fellow Seven member, whom she’d known for ten years. Unlike the hoodlum from before, she(?) now looked like a nondescript young girl. All the two forms had in common was the fox-like eyes, naturally slanted due to Nya’s strong personality.
“Hey! Stop staring, stupid!” Nya snapped, turning away in embarrassment from her(?) colleague’s tepid gaze and clicking her tongue. “It was the best I could do in an emergency. It’s not like I wanted a woman’s body. Well, not a talentless woman’s body, anyway.”
“Huh, so you wouldn’t have minded a talented woman’s body?” Karen asked, a bit taken aback by the unexpected statement.
“Obviously,” Nya responded. Blushing dreamily, she continued, “It’s embarrassing, sure. But if it means I can be of service to our great leader, then that’s enough for me. I’ll accept any humiliation if I can be a cornerstone for the glorious future he’s building.”
“Yikes. There’s the religious fanatic I know,” Karen said.
“What do you mean, ‘yikes’?! Rude bitch!” Nya retorted, puffing her cheeks up angrily.
Karen turned her gaze to the stone bracelet on the girl’s wrist. Tamamo-no-Mae, the Ashen Killing Stone. Such an outlandish aethereal arm, she mused.
The stone’s powers were that of soul preservation and possession. Its wearer’s soul was contained not in their body, but within the bracelet itself, which could be put on another person to take over their entire existence.
Nya had once told her, “People whose minds and bodies are in shambles are more likely to give in to possession without resisting.” Karen had sighed and remarked that this was extremely creepy.
“Say, after your old body was suddenly killed, you snuck onto the body of a dying local girl, right? How did you do that when your previous vessel was already dead?”
“Oh, I didn’t mention? Even without a body, I can at least make the bracelet vibrate,” Nya explained. “So I just went brrrrrrr all the way to the girl’s body.”
“Gross,” Karen said.
“Did you just call me gross?!” Nya snapped.
Startled by the angry voice echoing throughout the cave, the bats flapped their wings in unison.
“Also, Karen, don’t disrespect our great leader like that!”
“Oh, I respect him, all right—fear him too. I’ve known him for twenty years, after all. Unlike some people he only recruited ten years ago.”
“Aaaaaaargh! I’m so jealoooooous!”
Despite their argument, the atmosphere between the two was friendly. To a casual observer, they would look like sisters, rather than dangerous terrorists who had nearly destroyed a major city.
When they’d made their way halfway into the cave, a voice suddenly rang out, “Hey, you two! You made it back in one piece!”
A bat crossed their field of vision, and suddenly the scenery around them began to change.
The ground they’d been treading on shifted into a red carpet, and the dark cave stretching before them was now a dignified throne room.
“Wait, you’re not in one piece at all! Karen’s cut open, and Nya is...adorable? What the hell?”
A middle-aged man sat on the throne before them. His voice, though perplexed and rough, was clearly tinged with concern.
“Master, we have returned,” the two said in unison, getting down on one knee and bowing in reverence, ignoring their wounds.
The man, flustered, exclaimed, “This is no time for formalities!” He rushed over to them. “Forget that! Go get treated! And you, Karen, mind your movements! Your guts might spill out or something!”
“But Master Vortigern, we can ill afford to not show respect to our organization’s great leader.”
Indeed. The man was Vortigern, leader of Wanpurgis, the Order of the Black Star.
Glancing at him gave the impression that the years had taken a toll on his appearance. He looked like he’d once been dashing, but now his skin had lost its luster, his jaw was covered in stubble, and wrinkles had begun to form around his eyes. His dull, sooty golden hair was long and unkempt. The man looked like a grizzled lion who had been cast out of its pride.
Karen would never underestimate him, however. Even just speaking to him made her break out into a cold sweat.
I was almost fooled at first. He looks like some nice old dude, but no.
It had been this very man who had orchestrated the attack on the Four Cardinal Cities, after all. He was a bona fide destroyer. Reminded of this fact, Karen bowed her head even lower.
“Hey, Karen! I told you, no formalities! Your guts are about to spill out! And your chest too, sort of!”
“I don’t mind it if you see my chest. It’s covered in burn scars anyway.”
“What? Don’t say stuff like that!” Vortigern protested. “Hey, Nya, back me up here! She’s being all weird and sensitive with me.”
Instead of getting the help he sought, the man was baffled to see the (now) young girl burst into a waterfall of tears, forming a puddle at her feet.
“P-Please, forgive us! We ran into an unexpectedly formidable foe, and we couldn’t destroy Salem!” Nya wailed, sobbing violently and clinging to her master’s leg.
“Nya! Hey, Nya?!”
Flustered and confused, Vortigern considered asking Karen for help, but she was just bowing her head even lower.
Her intestines peeking out from her wound, she declared, “My apologies, Master. We’ve suffered a crushing defeat.”
The atmosphere grew more and more awkward as the two severely wounded women kept expressing their regret.
“You two, I swear...” Vortigern said, sighing.
Grabbing them by the scruff of their necks, he made the two stand upright, put a hand on each of their shoulders, and gazed straight into their eyes.
“You failed your mission, you said. Very well. Both of you should indeed repent. Your allies may blame you for your failures, yes. You’ll have to accept and endure that as your punishment. Today, you two wallow in defeat,” he said, confronting them with their failure instead of coddling them.
But then he suddenly grinned widely, roughly petting their heads.
“Whoa!”
“Master?!”
“Seriously, though, relax, both of you!” Vortigern exclaimed merrily. “Sure, Salem still stands, but the other three cities? Gone. The empire’s in for a really bad time!”
***
“Hey! Is that black-haired guy with Iris of the White Blade—”
“Yes! The dude who fought the ogres!”
“Yeah! And he killed a whole bunch of those dark magi!”
Three days after the attack, I was kicked out of the infirmary.
Walking around the city with Iris, I secretly thought, Crap! This sucks! We’re attracting so much attention!
Yep. Everywhere I went, people who knew about what I’d done would stare at me. Which was bad. Like, really bad. It was the kind of attention I absolutely did not want.
All of them thought really highly of me. They thought I was skilled. It was awful!
I’m just a regular guy, I reminded myself. All I did was train a little! I’m a weakling with almost no combat skills! Muramasa, the Sable Specter or whatever, is the only reason I can fight all these powerful enemies!
What had happened was that, prepared to die, I’d gone and done something incredibly stupid. Under normal circumstances, I was but an amateur.
What would people think of me if I became a knight?
I was sure they’d be like, “Wow, Crow, you’re so strong! Now go and hunt down big-name criminals and powerful aetherborn!”
Please, no! I’d just mess up and die!
I’d cut it really close three days ago. After having been made to fight repeatedly, I’d seriously almost died.
And so my dumb ass had just had to go and think, If I’m gonna die, I’ll do it in style! and pull the Condemner act in front of a whole damn crowd.
I sighed. On top of that, people think I’m a—what was it—“myth conqueror”? Someone who’s unaffected by aethereal arms? Which I’m not! I’m barely holding Muramasa back right now!
Despondent, I tightened my grip on the sword’s hilt.
Cutting down nearly a hundred foes between dark magi and ogres had at least somewhat satisfied the sword’s hunger. (And sometimes it made a gagging sound, then swallowed. What the hell was it doing? Ruminating on souls?!)
It was, however, horribly fuel-inefficient, and it had already started kicking up a fuss, yelling about souls this and souls that, trying to wrestle control from me. If I didn’t keep a tight grip on the damn thing, it might make me draw it.
Sadly, my hand was getting tired and starting to tremble.
Ugh, come on. What have I gotten myself into?
Cutting through my pessimism, a beautiful white hand clasped my own, still shaking against the blade’s hilt.
“You’re so kind, Crow.”
Next thing I knew, Iris was gazing at me with understanding in her eyes. Huh?
“Those sad eyes, those trembling hands... You regret having been unable to save everyone, don’t you? I can tell.”
So that’s what she thought.
“Yes...” No!
Listen, yeah, saving everyone would’ve been best, but with that many people attacking the city? Impossible. Casualties had been inevitable!
First of all, nobody would’ve thought criminals would come in not from the outer zone, but from the supposedly peaceful inner zone. The gatekeepers had probably thought so too, and that’s why they’d just let everyone in.
“Crow, Hypno will likely fill you in, but allow me to say this first. The Lemurian Empire is currently facing a dire crisis.”
Right, yeah. The other cities had probably been attacked too, and all that.
News hadn’t reached Salem yet, but one or two of them had probably fallen. And if the other cities had been invaded from the inner zone too, the capital’s safety was already compromised. People would want to know who had let the evildoers in, why nobody had noticed them sooner, and so forth.
“So you see, we’ll probably be apart for a while due to work. I wanted to give you an answer before that happens.”
Iris offered me a resolute smile.
“I love you too, Crow!”
I’m sorry, what?
Her sudden, shocking statement sent the people around us into a tizzy.
I mean, yeah! The famous Iris had just boldly confessed to someone! Of course people would be surprised! I was surprised! More than anyone!
What the hell?!
Wait, no, that can’t... Oh, right, yeah! This is about that “confession” I made when we were out shopping! When I said I loved her “as a mentor”!
Granted, I’d gone and forgotten to add the “as a mentor” bit, but I was sure that based on context and our previous interactions, she’d understood it as that. Which had to mean she was now telling me that she loved me “as an apprentice”!
Phew. For a second, I thought she meant romantically.
Of course she wouldn’t have.
Other than calling her the “fairest of blossoms” when we’d first met, I hadn’t said a single thing to her that could’ve been interpreted that way. Also, we’d known each other for what, a couple of days? There was no way she could’ve fallen for me unless I’d landed a bunch of critical hits to her heart. And I had no idea how to do that.
“Iris... How brazen of you to say this in front of so many people,” I murmured.
All the eyes on us were giving me the heebie-jeebies. I tried to keep my face stoic, but I could feel my cheeks growing hot.
Seriously, why’d she have to go and say that in public?!
And she’d left out the “as an apprentice” part too! How were people not supposed to get the wrong idea?!
At my embarrassment, she blushed and grinned mischievously.
“Didn’t you say it publicly too? I’m just delivering a little taste of your own medicine,” she said.
“Huh?”
Ohhh! That was what she’d meant!
She’d said it in public and left words out on purpose to cause a misunderstanding and get back at me! It’d been deliberate!
Iris, you little devil! I’d thought she was an angel, but she’d done such a childish thing! She had the perfect mixture of light and dark!
“Now, we should get going,” she said. “Hypno’s waiting for you.”
“Right,” I replied.
Iris, a satisfied look on her face, led the way back to the division.
The two of us, mentor and apprentice, merrily strode along the streets of Salem.
***
Because of the attack, the building that housed the Salem division was largely in ruins, and so they’d rented a place nearby, where Iris and I were to meet with Hypno.
We each took a seat on a cheap chair, and gathered around a table.
“Now, about why you’re here— Wait, Iris, what’s with the intense aura of happiness around you?”
“You must be imagining it, Hypno,” Iris said.
Hypno forced an awkward smile at her in response. It did kinda look like flowers might start blooming around her any second.
In contrast, Hypno looked exhausted. Not as much as when I first met him(?), mind you, but he looked like he had a lot going on.
Didn’t he get smacked around by that Karen lady? Was he okay?
“You were wounded in your fight with Karen, weren’t you?” I asked. “Are you all right?”
“Mm. Don’t worry about me, Crow. You saved me before I got too seriously injured,” Hypno replied. “Speaking of which, you’re the one who seems to be in bad shape. Sorry about this.”
Huh? Why was Hypno suddenly apologizing to me?
“See, I asked the doctor to send you this way as soon as you were able to move.”
Ohhh. That was why they’d kicked me out of the infirmary so fast. I guess it made sense that they wouldn’t kick a recently awoken patient out just because visitors were being loud.
“Now then, Crow. I’ll start with the current situation in our country.” His expression turned serious. “We have yet to inform the citizenry, so please be mindful.”
Okay.
“I won’t mince words,” he continued. “Salem is the only cardinal city that managed to fend off Wanpurgis’s attack. The other three have fallen, and aetherborn have breached the previously safe inner zone.”
“Truly?” Seriously? Wasn’t this national crisis-level stuff?!
As I panicked internally, Iris pitched in, “It’s solid intel. After the attack, I personally went to each city to confirm their status. Excalibur—my aethereal arm, that is—has the power to emit light. By using the flow of aether to propel myself, I can move faster than the swiftest of horses,” she explained, puffing up her (ample) chest proudly.
So that was how she’d cut down all those ogres so quickly.
A horse would’ve taken several days to reach each of the cities, but it’d taken her no time at all.
“Back to the topic at hand,” Iris continued. “I reported the situation to the capital afterward. Presently, the knights’ headquarters is deploying troops to the city’s perimeter and preparing to intercept the aetherborn. They’re crafty creatures, however, and few would be naive enough to attack the capital directly. Most would build nests throughout the inner zone, and try to sneak into the city via, say, the sewer system. They must be hunted down and eliminated.”
There was much that needed to be done, Iris said, sounding a bit tired. On second glance, her hair looked a bit disheveled too.
From what she was saying, it sounded like she’d had a lot to do while I was asleep.
Regardless of what speed she could move at, she was still human. All that running around would’ve fatigued her, no doubt.
I mean, back when we’d first met, she’d been ambushed and nearly killed.
“We’ve also searched for the perpetrators of the attacks, but what tracks we could discover ended abruptly, for no discernible reason. Finding these people has proven to be quite the challenge. We may have been able to protect Salem, but otherwise, this has been a crushing defeat for the empire,” Iris said, sighing heavily, her aura of happiness entirely replaced by an air of exhaustion and defeat.
I see, I thought. So that’s the situation in the country right now. If Wanpurgis attacks again, we’re totally screwed.
“Well then, Crow,” Hypno cut in, “Vice-Captain Iris has a lot on her plate, as you can see, and so...”
He placed a case on the table and opened it, revealing a pure-white uniform.
“This is...”
“A magus knight’s uniform, yes,” Hypno said. “Typically, in order to formally become a magus knight, one must pass exams and interviews in the capital, then undergo a knighting ceremony and swear fealty to the emperor. But, given the circumstances, the Vice-Captain here, along with Captain Blackmore, decided to petition the emperor to allow them to make use of capable personnel—that is, you—immediately. Of course, I personally wrote a letter of recommendation as well.”
I see. So this was the result.
Hypno, with the uniform in his hands, prompted me to stand.
“It wasn’t easy, but we managed to obtain his approval, under a few conditions,” he explained. “First, if a new knight shows any disloyalty toward the imperial family, those who have vouched for them will be summarily punished. Second, if their capability proves to be insufficient, there will also be punishment. Lastly, they must start as sixth class—the lowest possible. These shouldn’t pose a problem for you, though, Crow. Right, Iris?”
“Yes. We believe in you,” Iris agreed.
The two looked at me, trust evident in their eyes. They took the uniform’s open jacket and placed it over my shoulders and back.
“We’re counting on you, Crow,” Hypno said.
“From today on, you’re a knight,” Iris declared.
The spotless white fabric fluttered.
And thus, thanks to the trust that both of them—and a captain I’d never met—had placed in me, I officially became a magus knight.
“A knight,” I murmured.
A special exception being made for me was bewildering, yes, but for once, I was actually motivated. I mean, I was still a man, you know? I hated fighting, sure, but I hated the thought of my beloved Iris getting injured and collapsing even more.
Besides, I was doomed to fight either way because of Muramasa. By fulfilling my duties as a knight, I’d be able to indirectly take some of the load off Iris’s shoulders. I wanted that, I really did.
“Leave it to me. On my blade, I will protect this country. I will protect Iris,” I declared.
“What?!” Iris yelped, blushing.
“Wow, someone’s a show-off,” Hypno teased.
The atmosphere in the temporary reception office brightened.
Once peace’s restored, I wanna hang out with everyone. Vita too. Have some fun, I thought. All righty, then! Knighthood, here I come!
This much motivation was unusual for me. Yes, I did want to help Iris, but there was another reason too.
They said, “They must all start as sixth class—the lowest possible,” right? Thanks, Mr. Emperor, sir! Now I don’t have to worry about being a knight!
One might’ve thought being assigned to such a low class would be humiliating. I was incredibly strong under Muramasa’s control, after all. However, I was actually relieved.
There was no way they’d send a low-class knight on dangerous missions, right?
Heh heh! I’ll take on all the missions to hunt down the wimpy ones! I mean, yeah, I’ll probably get sore, but hey. If I’m not at risk of dying, I’ll gladly do it!
My defenses were pristine when Muramasa was at the helm. Weak aetherborn and small-time criminals wouldn’t be able to catch me off guard, so it was perfect!
That’ll free up the other knights, making things easier for Iris!
“Oh! By the way, Crow. A uniform isn’t all I have for you,” Hypno said.
“There’s more?” I asked.
He clapped his hands, and several members of the staff walked in with a tray...filled with several ominous-looking pieces of equipment. Wait, what?!
“Now that you’re a knight, we can finally give you the aethereal arms in our possession,” Hypno explained. “Well, the powerful, problematic, cursed ones, anyway. But, since you’re a myth conqueror, that shouldn’t be an issue!”
Huh? Wait, wait, that’s not even true!
“Shall we tell him about that, Iris?” Hypno asked.
“Yes!” Iris said excitedly, sharply smacking my shoulder. “You’ll love this, Crow! See, His Majesty is quite close with the military aristocracy, so having yet another commoner rise through the ranks like I did would cause backlash. That’s why you were given the lowest possible class. Normally, that’d mean you’d only be sent on easy missions, but...look at this!”
Iris pulled out a second, sealed letter from her breast pocket, written under Captain Blackmore’s name.
“It reads, ‘Given that you’re Vice-Captain Iris’s apprentice, and considering both your stellar efforts during the attack and your status as a myth conqueror, you are hereby granted permission to undertake missions above your rank.’ Isn’t that great, Crow?! You can keep fighting for peace!”
Whaaaaaaaaaat?!
Wh-What was this captain doing?! This was the exact opposite of what I wanted!
“The captain has assigned a number of difficult missions to us, so you can start with those! As the Condemner, you must be elated!” Iris said.
“Best of luck!” Hypno exclaimed. “Oh, and since you’re a myth conqueror, you should bring the cursed arms with you!”
Smiling, Iris handed me the mission papers, and Hypno pushed the ominous arms at me.
They were excitedly volunteering me for things I did not want, and I screamed internally.
Why is this happeniiiiiing?!
“Breaking news! Hell exists, and Crow is in it!”