Chapter 2:
The Black Cat Champion
WHEN WE REACHED Rose Raccoon, we found quite a commotion ensuing outside its gates. The town was sizable, but even so, it looked like half the population was clamoring outside. As we drew closer, I noticed a platoon of adventurers at the center of the crowd. There were at least thirty of them, and they were all trying to pile into various horned carts.
Fran approached an adventurer. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Look, kid, I don’t have time to…oh.”
The adventurer turned around to look at Fran, and his eyes suddenly went wide. He stood there, petrified, with one foot already resting on the cart.
“Well?” Fran asked.
“Uh, I… You see, there’s… Ahem! Excuse me.”
Suddenly, he was as meek as a dormouse. Being in the Beastman Nation sure had its upsides.
“What happened?” Fran asked again.
“Ah, yes. We’re organizing a caravan to protect the nobility, you see. We must depart immediately for a town in the south.”
“Adventurers protecting nobles? I thought they had guards for that.”
Were there so few knights left that aristocrats had to resort to employing adventurers? That seemed like a waste, but they must have had their reasons.
“The knights and guards were sent to defend the borders,” said the man. “There are no reserve forces left in town.”
“So, the town is completely defenseless?” Fran asked.
“No, some guards are left. But they can’t afford to go far.”
Still, wasn’t thirty adventurers kind of overkill?
“We must keep our client absolutely safe,” said the man, seeing Fran’s skeptical look.
“Who is it?”
“Princess Menea.”
They were guarding a princess?
“I didn’t know you had a princess,” said Fran.
“We do. There she is now.”
The man pointed at a distant cart. Surely the princess wouldn’t just be standing around, would she? I strained to see where he was pointing. There was a girl on the cart, and she certainly did look like a princess.
“Our Guildmaster was more than happy to deploy us,” said the man.
I bet he was! The man probably jumped at the chance to show off his guild’s strength and win the royal family’s favor.
Should we go and say hi to this princess? After all, the Beast King had been really nice to us. Still, I didn’t think her bodyguards would let us just walk up to her.
What do we do? Fran asked.
Let’s get closer.
Hm.
We moved in until I felt a strong disturbance. The chills reminded me of the Coercive Influence skill I experienced in Ulmutt. Was someone using a similar skill? Had they even screened the princess’s guards before hiring them? This was starting to look rather suspect.
Back up a bit, Fran.
All right.
Once we were a good twenty meters away, the disturbance disappeared. I used Mana Sense to identify its source, and suddenly, it seemed to make sense. The area of effect centered on the princess herself.
I wanted to Identify her, but it was always risky using that kind of skill on royalty. There was a good chance that someone in the princess’s personal guard had Identify Sense, and the last thing I wanted was to put Fran at the center of a scandal.
Instead, I summoned a clone of myself. I left this exact replica on Fran’s back, then shrank myself to the size of a ping-pong ball and teleported way above the princess’s head. It was a lot harder to maintain a shrunken state than an expanded one, so I didn’t have much time. Taking a leaf out of Quina’s stealth-technique book, I used an illusion spell to blend into the sky. It was just like wearing a stealth suit.
Time to use Identify!
Name: Menea Narasimha
Age: 17
Race: Red Cat; Gold Lion
Class: Swordsman
Level: 45/99
HP: 19; Magic: 129; Strength: 181; Agility: 202
Skills: (Acting 7); Singing 5; Royal Etiquette 6; Presence Sense 5;
Sword Arts 5; Sword Mastery 5; Shield Mastery 4; Shield Arts 2; Poison Sense 4; Fire Magic 5; Dance 5
Class Skill: Awaken
Titles: Princess; (Royal Guard)
Equipment: Divine Silk Maid Outfit; (Ring of Fake Identity); Bracelet of Sacrifice
Yep, she was the princess, all right! However, there was something off about her abilities. I mean, what were those parentheses about? Acting, Royal Guard, and Ring of Fake Identity were all inside them. Were they fake parts of the princess’s identity? My Heavensight and maxed-out Identify weren’t enough to see her actual stats, but I at least knew which parts were fake.
What about that Royal Guard title? Was she a princess with the defensive capabilities of a guard? It didn’t make sense for the princess to be her own guard, did it? I tried digging deeper, but I couldn’t break through her Fake Identity.
Still, considering that she was the Beast King’s daughter, she didn’t seem very strong. Her base level and skills didn’t match, either—all of them were far too low. Maybe she’d powered her way to Level 49 without seeing much real action? I couldn’t imagine Rigdith would allow that, but it wasn’t completely out of the question.
What else…? Seventeen? I thought the Beast King said she was sixteen.
Then again, maybe she’d had her birthday while we were headed here.
At least I knew the source of the disturbance now—it came from that Ring of Fake Identity. Still, Menea must be who the adventurer said she was, right? After all, the Guildmaster vouched for her when he issued the quest. Just to be sure, I Identified the maids around her, and there was nothing suspicious about any of them.
I floated back down to Fran.
All clear, Fran. You can go say hello.
Hm. Got it.
The guards tried to stop us as Fran approached the princess, which was a good sign. What self-respecting bodyguard wouldn’t stop a mysterious, armed girl from approaching royalty? However, the guards glared at Fran for all of two seconds before realizing who she was.
“The Black Lightning Princess,” someone muttered.
They notified the princess, and she got off the cart. I didn’t know whether she should be doing that, but she sure had the air of Rigdith’s daughter about her.
“Oh,” she said. “I have heard about you.”
“Hm.”
“Y-you’re talking to the princess!” one of the guards spluttered at Fran.
The princess waved him off. “There is no need for that,” she said. “Did my father not tell you to treat this girl with the utmost respect?”
Wow, I guess the Beast King really pulled through for us. Thanks, Your Highness!
“I would love to spend some time with you,” the princess continued, looking a little sad. “But I’m afraid I have urgent matters to attend to.”
“Hm,” said Fran. “That’s okay.”
“I apologize deeply.”
They really must need her in the south.
Now that we were close to the princess, I noticed that she didn’t resemble Rigdith at all. Plus, her powers and personality were nothing like the Beast King’s. Was she really his daughter?
Hang on—what if this girl was the princess’s body double? That would explain a lot—especially her Royal Guard title and use of Fake Identity. I knew there was something weird about her Class Skills. All the evolved beastmen we’d run into so far had their Racial Skills listed there: Black Tigers had Thunderclap, Black Sky Tigers had Flashing Thunderclap, and Golden Flame Lions had the Golden Flame of Extinction. Surely, a Gold Lion would have Gold Flame, or Flame of Extinction, or something?
This was all just too strange. Was one of the princess’s guards really using False Identity to protect her? If so, the guild had to be aware of it. Of course, it was entirely possible that the Guildmaster had other reasons for issuing the quest, even though he knew the truth of Menea’s identity.
Teacher?
Sorry about that. I think this princess might be a body double.
She’s a fake? What should we do?
Uh… There’s nothing we can do, really.
Nothing good would come of exposing her. We might start a riot, if anything, and then the government would definitely be on our case. Besides, it wasn’t like she was up to no good. We should probably just treat her as though she were the real princess, and let her be on her way.
All right.
“If you’ll excuse me,” said the not-princess.
“Hm.”
She bowed gracefully and stepped into her private cart. Finally, the caravan was on its way. Our meeting had proved very short, but I didn’t mind; we had to get to the capital as soon as possible. If she’d asked us to stay for tea, or worse, to join her guard, that would have made things awkward. We should’ve been grateful she let us go so easily, if anything.
Right, I said. To the guild.
“Hm.”
Rose Raccoon was a large town, but there was nothing particularly memorable about it. That was probably why it was such a prosperous place all year round. Even the food was middling. Fran and Jet munched on some skewers as we walked—satisfied, but largely unimpressed.
Suddenly, Fran stopped in her tracks.
What is it?
Someone’s hiding, Teacher.
Where?
Near the gate.
I had a good look in the direction that Fran indicated. Oh, that was a strange presence, all right. It felt calm but deadly, like a predator eyeing its prey. There weren’t any wild animals in town, though, so it must’ve been a person. Whoever it was, they were a master at concealing themselves.
Good catch.
Because it wasn’t actively hostile or murderous toward Fran, I’d completely overlooked this presence. She’d done a good job spotting it.
What do we do?
Hmm… I’d feel bad if we didn’t look into it.
Fran was right; this presence was much more than just some thug waiting for a shakedown.
I’ll go check it out, I said. You stay here.
“Hm.”
I’ll be right back.
I teleported over to observe this unknown figure.
Let’s see… There you are.
A shape lingered in one of the alleys next to the town gate. It was definitely using a skill to conceal its presence.
An assassin…?
I Identified the man. His name was Genro, and he was indeed a professional assassin. Aristocide was even listed under his titles! His stats showed that he was quite skilled in his line of work. If he was just part of the local mob, I would’ve left him alone, but I couldn’t ignore an actual assassin.
Guess I could rough him up a little to see why he’s here. Not too much, though. For all I knew, he was just out on his lunch break.
Still, it was better to know. I bound Genro’s movements with Telekinesis and Wind Magic. Add a dash of Earth Magic on top…
The ground crept up around his ankles and solidified. You could never be too careful with these people.
“Urgh! What…?”
No sudden movements, now. I have you surrounded.
“Who’s there?!”
Don’t bother looking. You won’t find me, I promise you that.
“Ugh…”
I mean, he could have found me. I was just leaning against the wall behind him. I was a sword, though, and swords didn’t give out vital signs the way that people did. You had to be really good at reading mana flow to sense that I was there.
Genro the assassin, I take it?
“…!”
That’s fine; stay silent. I know everything about you.
“Identify, huh?”
Why are you in town? To kill the princess?
“…”
What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?
Genro looked troubled—understandably. The assassin was dealing with someone who possessed Identify, could sneak up on him, and could even bind him while he wasn’t looking. Worse than all that, his mission had failed. Props to him for keeping a cool head, though.
Who sent you?
“Urgh…” Genro’s eyes rolled back, and his face went purple. He’d probably crushed a poison pill hidden in his mouth.
Antidote.
“What?!” Genro’s eyes widened with surprise. The deadly toxin that was close to killing him mere moments ago had simply vanished from his system.
That was a really strong poison, but it’s no use.
“…”
How about you tell me what I want to know?
“Eergh! No!”
This time, Genro bit his tongue, but that wasn’t going to work either.
Heal. I don’t recommend that.
“…”
I can force you to talk, or you can just tell me what I want to know. May I suggest the second option? It will make things easier for the both of us.
“…”
No? Hard way it is, then…
I began the process of inflicting pain and collecting information. Genro was a tough customer, but I could glean info through his most poker-faced refusals. Processing his answers using Essence of Falsehood, I deduced that this man was from the kingdom of Basharl, and was sent to assassinate Princess Menea. He planned to track the princess’s cart until it was far enough away that he could dispose of her on the road. He also thought that the not-princess was the real deal, though, so I figured she was doing a pretty good job deceiving everyone.
“Urgh…” Genro was close to death.
It was time to hand him over to the authorities. I guess I’ll call them here.
To catch the attention of the local guard, I shot an explosion into the sky, taking care not to damage anything around me. A crimson fireball flashed across the heavens and exploded with a bang. If that didn’t get the guards’ attention, I didn’t know what would.
Sure enough, a number of guards approached us a few minutes later, right on cue.
“You there! Don’t move!” They pointed their spears at the human duplicate I’d made of myself.
“I know, I know.” I raised my hands to show them I was unarmed, then brought Genro to their attention. “This guy’s an assassin for Basharl.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“He’s after the princess, so I took the liberty of incapacitating him. You can take it from here.”
“Hold on, we’re not—wait! He’s disappearing!”
“Fare thee well!”
The guards stood there in stunned silence as they watched my replica wave and disappear, but soon they remembered Genro. After healing his wounds, I had also knocked him unconscious and tied him up, so the guards could take him in for questioning without breaking a sweat. I watched from a distance as they carried him away. Mission accomplished.
I teleported to Fran’s side. I’m back.
“Hey, how’d it go?”
I’ll fill you in on the way to the guild.
“Hm.”
No one other than me would have noticed the way Fran’s anger mounted as I explained about the assassin. She might not have been born here, but the beastmen had been kind to her. She was upset that someone would try to kill Princess Menea, especially after the Beast King treated her so well.
Well, Genro is behind bars now.
“Hm.”
Fran and I chatted until we reached the guild, then fell silent.
“Is no one home?”
The place looked deserted. I guessed that most of the adventurers were assigned to the princess’s caravan.
“Hey, there!” A burly middle-aged man in a bandana emerged from the back.
It’d been a while since we saw a receptionist who wasn’t a pretty lady. This man looked like he hauled tuna for a living.
“Hi,” he said. “I know you! Black Lightning Princess, right?”
“Hm.”
“I knew it! Glad to have ya!” the man bellowed happily as he inspected Fran’s guild card. The guildhall was completely empty, and his voice rang through it like a foghorn. “So, what brings you here today?”
“How do I get to the capital?”
“Usually, I’d recommend taking a horned cart…”
“But?”
“But there’re actually none here at the moment.”
“Because of the princess?”
“That’s right! Our Guildmaster always stretches us too thin. He kept saying we could afford to have fewer idle adventurers and horned carts in town. Well, I guess it makes sense that he’d want to support the royal family.”
“Really?” Fran asked.
“Yeah. We’ve been doing much better since this Beast King took the throne. He used to be an adventurer, you know, and he hasn’t forgotten about us. He’s good to the guild.”
So, the adventurers looked up to Rigdith? I’d thought that the Guildmaster was just jockeying for the Beast King’s favor, but it seemed he was genuinely fond of the royal family. Still, I was a bit worried for Rose Raccoon. How would they fend for themselves if something happened while all their fighting men and horned carts were gone?
“Will the guild be okay?” Fran asked.
“Ha ha ha! We’ll manage!”
Adventurers were always coming and going along the shortcut through the Forest of the Scorpion Lion. Rose Raccoon would probably have a whole new set of adventurers in about ten days.
“Plus,” said the receptionist, “we asked for help from the guild in the capital. They’ll send a handful of expert adventurers who can take care of any trouble. If anything happens to us before then, well, the Guildmaster will look after it.”
“Is he strong?”
“I mean, he is a Guildmaster, you know. He’s a bit of a show-off, but he’s got skills. And he’s a real hard worker.”
It was good to know that they weren’t lacking for firepower, at least.
“Riding a horse-drawn carriage to Bestia will take five to six days.”
“And the path there?” Fran asked. “Complicated?”
“No, there’s a clear track for carriages. Keep on it, and it’ll take you straight there.”
“I see. Thanks.”
“Are you planning to leave soon?” the receptionist asked.
“Hm.”
“I see. Well, if the rumors about you are true…heck, even if they’re exaggerated, I fancy you’ll get to Bestia faster than any carriage.”
What kind of rumors were people spreading about Fran, anyway? They made her sound like an A-Rank.
Before we could reply, the receptionist frowned and looked away.
“What is it?” Fran asked.
“The Guildmaster’s asking for you.”
“Hm?”
“He’s something of a wind mage,” the receptionist explained. “He can transmit his voice to deliver private messages.”
By manipulating sound and vibrations? That sounded like a pretty advanced skill to use to send messages to a receptionist.
“Do I just go up?” Fran asked.
“Yeah. Sorry about this. Just give him a good whack if he says anything stupid.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t worry,” the receptionist said. “He’s not a bad person.”
Oh, I was already imagining exactly what kind of person he was!
We headed up to the Guildmaster’s office, where a frivolous-looking man welcomed Fran in. “Hello, there! Glad you could make it! I am Wind Tanuki Elmute, the Guildmaster here.”
An evolved tanuki? Given his name, he must’ve been really good at Wind Magic.
“C-Rank adventurer Fran.”
“I know. I didn’t think I’d get to meet a legend today. I’m so honored! And you’re strong, too. No wonder the Beast King gave you his seal of approval.”
Elmute was overly familiar, but just as the receptionist said, he didn’t seem like a bad person. The hand on Fran’s shoulder was a bit much, though. If he got any closer, I might have to do something.
Jet felt the same way. “Grrr!”
“So,” said Fran, “what do you want?”
“Right down to business, eh? Well, there’s a favor I want to ask you.”
“A favor?”
“We just caught an assassin. Apparently, he was sent to kill the princess.”
“Princess Menea?”
“The very same.”
Was Elmute talking about Genro? Wow—word of that had traveled fast. Had the guards already questioned Genro? Even if so, it seemed unlikely that the information would have reached the guild already.
Elmute must have seen the look on Fran’s face. “I have some manatech installed in the holding cells,” he explained. “It updated me a few minutes ago. You really do have perfect timing. The gods themselves must have sent you.”
“So,” said Fran, “what do you want me to do?”
“Simple. Just take this letter to the capital. I’ll even list it as a quest.”
Elmute pinched the letter between two fingers like some kind of card player, handing it to Fran.
“Do I just turn it in to the guild at the capital?” she asked.
“Uh-huh. On the double, if you please. I know you’ll make it there faster than a carriage.”
I decided we might as well accept. We were going to the capital anyway, and it was a personal request from a Guildmaster. It was always good to have one of those guys in your debt.
“All right,” said Fran. “I’ll take your quest.”
“Thank you, you’re an angel! Deliver the letter as soon as possible. It contains a request to bolster the princess’s guard.”
“But the princess has all those adventurers protecting her.”
“She does… Well, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. But don’t tell anyone else, all right? This is highly confidential.”
“Hm. I swear on my tail.”
“The princess in this city was actually a body double,” Elmute whispered in Fran’s ear. “The real princess is elsewhere.”
I knew it. All those adventurers and horned carts must have been intended to make the not-princess seem authentic. Well, Genro was fooled, so I figured it worked. Still, there were likely to be at least a few assassins too smart to fall for it.
“The delivery of this letter is crucial to the real princess’s safety,” said Elmute.
“All right.”
“That said, would you like some lunch before you leave?”
“I thought you wanted me to deliver this ASAP?”
“I do. But filling a woman’s stomach is far more important than a measly quest!”
That came out…bad, Elmute. What was his angle here? We should show him that we meant business, just to be sure.
“Hm.” Fran punched the Guildmaster in the gut without batting an eye.
Elmute was as squishy as mages came. He curled into himself and fell to his knees. “Gack! Why did you…?”
“The receptionist said to give you a whack if you said anything stupid.”
“That’s not… Urgh! My stomach…”
“Tell me the fastest way to the capital,” said Fran.
“Okay…”
When Elmute was done explaining, we took the letter and headed off for the capital. We’d planned to stay in Rose Raccoon overnight and sample the local cuisine, but we hadn’t a moment to lose. There were assassins to foil and a princess to save, after all. Besides, Rose Raccoon’s food wasn’t that great anyway.
Let’s get going, I said.
“We’re counting on you, Jet.”
“Woof!”
There was only a single fork in the road to the capital, so long as we kept to the right, we had a straight path all the way there.
Fly, Jet!
“Woof woof!”
Jet picked up speed and lifted up into the air. At full tilt, he was faster than any horned cart. If a horse-drawn carriage took five or six days to get to Bestia, we’d probably be there by tomorrow.
Giddy up, Jet! Woo-hoo!
“Whoo!”
“Awooo!”
Jet sped up, enjoying the chance to stretch his legs. We might reach the capital even sooner than I’d anticipated.
***
Eight hours later, Bestia was already within sight.
“Is that the capital?” Fran asked.
Has to be. I don’t think any other city would have buildings that tall.
“Hm. Real big.”
I guess that explains the tower we spotted a while back.
Fire and magic lit up the tower’s ramparts and spires. Bestia looked just like a city in a fairy tale. This was the first time we’d visited a capital city. The biggest place we’d been was Bulbola, and Bestia dwarfed it. The capital’s city walls were over twenty meters high, and the castle at its center was by far the tallest building I’d seen since arriving in this world. You could spot its spire from miles away!
It’s late already. I wonder whether they’ll let us in, I said.
I don’t mind camping out.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
Most cities shut their gates at night to keep out monsters and robbers. But as Fran and I drew closer, we saw that Bestia’s gates were still open. What’s more, a small crowd of merchants and adventurers gathered in front of the entrance. I guessed that the capital had a lot of visitors, both day and night.
As we drew closer, Jet shrank himself down to a more reasonable size. It was late, after all. I couldn’t imagine what panic we’d cause if a giant direwolf emerged from the darkness.
We joined the queue quietly, but it didn’t matter. Fran immediately stood out. The people around us were already staring—first, at the weak black cat with a direwolf for a familiar. Then, upon closer inspection, at the fact that Fran was evolved.
“Huh? How?”
“I must be getting tired…”
“You idiot, that’s her—”
“The Black Lightning Princess.”
“The Black Lightning Princess? Where—”
The merchants and adventurers whispered amongst themselves, but Fran and Jet paid them no mind. They were getting used to it.
However, a few minutes later, a voice cut through the muttering. “Excuse me. Are you the Black Lightning Princess?”
“Hm?”
A young Red Cat had called out to us. He had another Red Cat, probably his older sister, and a middle-aged Blue Cat with him. “We’re a party of cat tribespeople called the Six Whiskers. We’ve always wanted to meet you!”
“You really have evolved,” his sister said to Fran.
“So,” said the Blue Cat, “the rumors were true!”
I kept an eye on the Blue Cat especially, but he had no intention of threatening Fran. In fact, he sounded genuinely admiring. I guessed that the Beast King had done a lot to change how his subjects treated the Black Cats under his protection…though it could also just have been that there were some half-decent Blue Cats in this country.
The party seemed a little worried about whether Fran would answer their questions about her evolution, and they were delighted when she did.
By the time we approached the front of the line, another figure came up to us. This guy was big, over two meters tall, and he was headed straight for Fran. Unlike the others, he was clearly hostile.
“You the kid they call the Black Lightning Princess?”
“Hm? Yeah.”
“Ga ha ha! My uncle lost to a little girl like you? He’s gone soft!”
The big man laughed and slapped his thighs. I didn’t like the look of this. His uncle? Who was he talking about? A quick Identify revealed that the man was an unevolved White Rhino named Gwendartha. Ah—that made sense of everything! We’d only met one other White Rhino with a name like that.
Fran, I think that this guy is Gaudartha’s nephew.
Gaudartha was an A-Rank rhino beastman, and a personal guard of the Beast King. He’d also lost to Fran in the tournament.
“You know Gaudartha?” Fran asked.
“Ha! You don’t even respect him enough to call him ‘sir’! Yeah, I know him. The name’s Gwendartha. That weakling is my father’s brother, as much as it shames me to admit it!”
“Weakling?”
Fran frowned. Her annoyance was palpable. Not only had Gwendartha appeared out of nowhere and insulted her—now he was badmouthing a warrior she’d fought a good, clean battle with and held in high esteem.
But Gwendartha wasn’t about to back off. “You heard me!” he shouted. “Gaudartha is a weakling! He abandoned his office as the chief of the tribe, just to become the Beast King’s lapdog!”
Fran scowled. “He’s a powerful and valiant warrior.”
“Ha ha ha! To a weakling like you, maybe! I’ll crush you and prove how pathetic the both of you are!”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Fran.
Fran, I don’t mind you handing this guy his own ass, but you shouldn’t do it here. We might end up getting denied entry into the city.
“Hm,” Fran agreed. “We’ll do this somewhere else.”
“Running scared, girl? Hurry up!”
“I don’t want to cause a scene.”
“Come on! Come at me!” Gwendartha was trying to provoke her.
“…” Fran responded with an annihilation of all facial expression. That meant one thing—rage.
Fran? Maybe you should hold back your battle fury a bit.
I’m fine. I’ll kill him in one strike.
Ah, well. There was no stopping her now.
“Ha ha ha! What’s the matter? Do you surrender, little girl?”
What the hell was wrong with this guy?! Didn’t he sense Fran’s battle rage? If he couldn’t even gauge his opponents’ abilities, he had no place picking fights with them. I didn’t want to start our first night in Bestia by beating someone into the ground.
“Don’t worry, Black Lightning Princess!” called one of the Red Cats. “The White Rhino started the fight, and we’ll testify to that. Go get him!”
Not helping, guys!
I guessed that there was no avoiding the fight now. I raised a Stone Wall around us to protect the other adventurers and stop them from seeing what was about to happen. I got the feeling that plausible deniability would become important.
“Awaken.”
Gwendartha winced as Fran entered her Awakened state. Now there was no way even he could deny what she was. “W-wait, I’m not…”
Too late for any of that, idiot.
“Think fast,” said Fran. “Flashing Thunderclap.”
“Gooorf!”
She pounded Gwendartha square in the abdomen. Electricity crackled down her hand, splitting his armor and throwing him backward with the force of a battering ram. His giant body crashed right through the wall; Fran’s attack left him sprawled out motionless on the ground.
After I went to the trouble of making that Stone Wall…
“All that talk,” said Fran, “and that’s all you’ve got?”
Uh-oh—it looked like her anger had yet to be quenched. She approached Gwendartha slowly and looked down on his pitiful form.
“Who’s the weak one now?” she asked.
“…”
Fran, this guy’s unconscious.
“You’re pathetic,” she told him. “Gaudartha would’ve taken it.”
I mean, I’m not sure it’s fair to compare him to that monster. But what should we do with this guy now?
Fran clearly wasn’t done with Gwendartha. “Wake up.” She delivered a kick to his stomach.
“Hurk!” Gwendartha groaned, but remained unconscious. He stayed that way even after Fran administered a few more rejuvenating kicks. He was out cold.
“All right, come on. That’s enough,” said one of the guards, approaching us cautiously.
“Hrmph.”
“I gotta say,” said the guard, “you really did a number on him.”
Were we about to get arrested? It seemed pretty likely at this point. Fran had taken things a little too far. I scrabbled for excuses while the guard splashed Gwendartha with potions.
“I don’t suppose you’d let him off with this, would you?” the guard asked.
Hang on—this guy wasn’t blaming us. In fact, he seemed relieved that we’d put Gwendartha through a wall. That was pretty strange behavior for a guard.
“Why didn’t you stop us?” Fran asked him.
“Ah, a beating might do him some good. And he wasn’t much trouble for you, was he?”
“Hm. Hardly.”
Stop gloating, Fran.
“Great. I know he seems like a piece of work, but Gwendartha has his reasons.”
Were we about to get his life story? I mean, I didn’t mind. It’d be good to know why he’d picked a fight with us out of the blue like that.
“I knew his uncle when I was an adventurer,” said the guard. “He helped me out a lot. I look up to him, and so does Gwen here. He always used to go on about how he’d help Godo be the chieftain of the tribe.”
Wow, Gaudartha was next in line to be the chief? I hadn’t known he was that well respected.
“But he relinquished the title to Gwen’s father so he could join the Royal Guard. Gwen took it hard. He felt betrayed, I guess. Ever since then, he’s talked about how he’ll surpass Gaudartha.”
So, that was why Gwen had challenged Fran. If he could defeat someone who beat Gaudartha, that would prove that he was stronger than his uncle. It was shortsighted, but I understood the logic.
“Don’t worry,” the guard said. “I’ll give him quite the tongue-lashing when he wakes up. I’m sorry for his behavior, although I know it’s not worth much.”
He bowed his head in apology, then lifted Gwendartha with one hand and carried him off. The sight of the slender guard carrying that giant of a man was pretty comical. He was clearly much stronger than he looked. A quick Identify revealed the guard to be a powerful cow beastman, and fairly close to Awakening, if I was any judge of the matter. I guessed that Gwen was about to spend the rest of the night cooling off in a cell.
We should let him off. At least he didn’t hurt anyone in the end.
“Hm,” Fran agreed. “We killed some time, at least.” She seemed satisfied, having had her daily fill of violence.
After that, we made it into the city without any further disruption. I guessed that, if nothing else, no one dared challenge Fran after what she did to Gwendartha. As the gate guards let us in, we asked for directions to the guild, and soon we found our way there. The guildhall was smaller than I expected—no larger than the one in Rose Raccoon.
“Hello,” said Fran.
“Good evening!” said the receptionist. “Are you looking for quests? No, I don’t suppose so. It’s Lady Fran, I presume?”
“You know me?”
“Everyone in the Beastman Nation’s guilds knows you,” the receptionist said. “And the guild in Argent Lupin let us know via manaphone that you were headed our way.”
The Guildmaster of Rose Raccoon had mentioned using similar manatech to get information on the assassin they caught. It seemingly made sense that the guild in the capital was similarly equipped, but it did beg the question…
Why have us deliver a letter?
Rose Raccoon’s Guildmaster could’ve told them about the crisis instantly. A letter seemed like more trouble than it was worth.
Maybe maintaining long-distance communications was difficult? Then, however, I remembered Ulmutt’s Guildmaster using the same manatech to hold council with Guildmasters from other cities. That was how Fran got promoted after the tournament. Even foreign branches of the Adventurer’s Guild should’ve had the same equipment.
It was strange, but at least we’d ensured that the letter got here safe and sound.
Fran handed it over. “This is from the Guildmaster of Rose Raccoon.”
“Allow me to verify it,” said the receptionist, inspecting the seal. “Yes, it’s the genuine article, all right. Please wait here.”
The receptionist left her desk. When she returned, she led us straight to the Guildmaster’s office.
“Please hand the letter directly to the Guildmaster.”
“All right.”
“Guildmaster, Lady Fran is here to see you.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you. You may return to your business.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Guildmaster of Bestia was an aging beastman with fox ears and a tail. “My name is Melos,” said the hunched figure, “the Guildmaster of Bestia.”
“C-Rank adventurer Fran.”
“Ho ho ho,” Melos laughed. “I know who you are. And you are far stronger than the rumors say. You surpass my expectations.”
Melos seemed like a harmless old man, but his eyes were as sharp as knives. Best not to judge this book by its cover.
“Here’s your letter.”
“Indeed. Thank you for your hard work.” Melos opened the envelope and quickly scanned the message inside. “I see. Thank you again for delivering this to us. We shall see to it that our princess remains safe. You’ve saved us a lot of trouble.”
“Hm…”
“Oh, what’s this? You look like you have a question.”
Whoa, he noticed that? I thought I was the only one who could see through Fran’s poker face. I’d Identified Melos earlier, out of habit, but hadn’t noticed any mind-reading skills.
“How could you tell?” Fran asked.
“You don’t get to my age without learning a thing or two.”
“Why send a letter when you have manaphones?”
“Ho ho! So, you noticed. I suppose you wish to know our reasons.”
“Hm.”
“Very well. I’ll show you.” The Guildmaster handed Fran the letter.
“Really?” Fran asked.
“Go ahead.”
The letter said that an assassin from Basharl had targeted the princess, and requested an increase in her security detail. At the bottom was a series of numbers—probably a code. The old man never once took his sharp gaze off Fran.
“What’s with the weird numbers?” she asked.
“A code concealing the princess’s location,” he said, “in case the letter fell into the wrong hands.”
Melos proceeded to explain. As it turned out, the manaphones were of Basharlian origin, and Basharl was rumored to have developed ways of intercepting the transmissions. Several assassins and spies had been discovered in possession of information only discussed on manaphones, so the threat was very real.
“We have ways of dealing with such interception…but we would have to know Basharl’s methods.”
“And you don’t?”
“No. That is why we consider it better to put grave matters to paper, and employ a fast and powerful messenger like yourself. Then we can be certain the message will be delivered safely. That’s all there is to it.”
“Hm. Okay.”
I’d activated Essence of Falsehood at the beginning of this conversation and had watched Melos closely. He told the truth about the code and the threat of espionage, but he was lying when he said that was all there was to it.
The whole thing stank. The Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t obliged to disclose its motives to anyone; however, I was increasingly worried about Fran being implicated in something shady. I couldn’t tell you what that “something” was, but I was getting paranoid.
Teacher? Fran said, looking to me for guidance. She wasn’t convinced either.
There’s something he’s not telling us.
I’ll ask him, she said.
Sure. If he refuses to explain, we should drop the matter and forget about it. The last thing we want is to make an enemy of the guild.
Hm. Fran turned back to the Guildmaster. “That can’t be all of it.”
Simple, straightforward, and to the point. It turned out that Fran’s idea of “asking” was more like a statement.
“Oh?”
“If you wanted the message delivered fast and safely, you could’ve used a carrier pigeon. What are you hiding?”
“Yes, we have numerous methods of communication at our disposal. But we have our reasons for employing you in this particular instance.”
“Which are?”
“I’m afraid those are confidential. They are not for a C-Rank to know.”
And that was the end of that.
“…”
“Oh, don’t give me that look,” said Melos. “Fine, I will tell you one thing. By delivering this letter, you have gained the trust of this country’s Adventurer’s Guild.”
“So, it was some kind of test?”
“No comment. But realize that we were as suspicious of you as you are of us. Especially considering that you have not previously worked in these lands.”
It was a good thing we hadn’t peeked at the letter on our way here. Melos was telling the truth when he said that he trusted Fran, which hopefully meant that it would be easier to move around the Beastman Nation now.
I understood why he’d been wary of us. The other beastmen we’d met were starstruck by Fran’s reputation, but that meant nothing. There was no guarantee that she was a friend of the Beastman Nation.
“I see,” Fran said.
“I hope you understand.”
“A little, yeah.”
“You really did us a favor. I will mark your quest as complete.”
“Hm. Thanks.”
We took our reward and made our way to an inn the guild recommended. It was the dead of night at this point, but the front desk was apparently open to adventurers twenty-four hours a day. Fran walked to her room and dove right into bed.
Come on, Fran. Let’s get you out of your cloak.
“Unh.”
You need a bath, too.
“Hrm.”
All right, then. But at least get under the covers.
“Urgh.”
She was already half-asleep, so I tucked her in with Telekinesis.
Good night.
“Hmm…zzz.”
Three seconds later, and Fran was already in dreamland. She fell asleep as fast as Nobita.
A good night’s sleep is just what a growing child needs.
Tomorrow, we would head for the palace. The Guildmaster had even instructed someone to lead us there. Hopefully, we would meet Kiara, the Black Cat who indirectly contributed to Fran’s evolution.
What kind of person would Kiara be? I could only hope that Fran would be able to confide in her.
***
After breakfast the next day, a guild employee showed up at our inn to escort Fran to the guildhall.
When we arrived, they greeted us warmly. “Good morning, Lady Fran.”
“Morning.”
“You are going to the palace, I take it?”
“Hm.”
“Very well. Please wait while I fetch an adventurer to take you there.”
Fran sat at the guild counter. As we waited, we looked around to see the receptionists all occupied with various adventurers.
“So, do you wanna get dinner tonight?” someone asked the girl manning the counter next to us.
“Don’t you have a date with the other girls tonight?”
The receptionists treated the adventurers lightly.
“Whoa, all this can’t be that cheap!”
“Look, you bring damaged goods, we give damaged prices.”
It seemed that Fran was the only one getting VIP treatment. The adventurers muttered amongst themselves, glancing at Fran. Some even tried to talk to her, but the receptionists quickly halted them. I strained to listen to their conversation, and learned that there was an express order from the guild to leave Fran alone.
When one of the guild secretaries brought Fran a cup of tea, we asked her about it.
“Oh, that was a direct order from the Guildmaster. A lot of our members are curious about the existence of an evolved Black Cat, but the Guildmaster told them to leave you be.”
He probably wanted to stop weaker adventurers from getting in over their heads. If they couldn’t discern Fran’s strength, they could end up severely injured.
I silently thanked the Guildmaster for looking out for us. It was a relief not to have to deal with every idiot who came our way, although Fran was probably disappointed by the lack of people to smack down.
Eventually, the receptionist returned. Trailing behind her was our supposed guide, who looked somewhat familiar.
“Gwendartha?” Fran wasn’t good with names, but she wasn’t about to forget his. At least, not after a single night.
“I have been informed of what happened yesterday, Lady Fran,” said the receptionist. “If you do not want him to be your guide, I can get someone else.”
If she already knew what happened, why had she even brought him here?
As I pondered that, however, Gwendartha fell on his face and prostrated himself. Even with his body hunched over and his forehead pressed to the floor, he was still taller than Fran.
“I apologize deeply for what happened yesterday!” Gwendartha bellowed. “I have caused you great grief, Lady Fran!”
What had happened to this guy? He was acting completely different.
“Mere words will not make up for my behavior,” he added. “Please allow me to be of service to you.”
Is he a fake? Fran asked.
So, even she had her doubts. Still, I didn’t detect a shred of hostility in Gwendartha’s eyes. He really wanted to help her.
“Did you eat something funny?” she asked him.
“I finally see my faults. Your beating and Brath’s scolding convinced me.”
“Brath?”
“The gate guard who took me yesterday. He’s like a brother to me.”
“The cow man?”
“Yes. I’ve turned over a new leaf. My first course of action is to be of service to you.”
All this had happened so suddenly that I didn’t know what to make of it. Are you okay with this, Fran?
Sure. Don’t see why not.
She was never one to hold a grudge, and a good night’s rest was enough to wipe away any resentment that might have lingered.
“The White Rhinos are a warrior tribe,” the receptionist whispered in Fran’s ear, doubtless seeing how skeptical she was. “They pay the utmost respect to anyone who defeats them in combat.”
So, they were a race of bruisers who respected brute strength? Good to know.
“Gwendartha is also the son of the White Rhino chieftain,” added the receptionist. “I’m sure that status will aid you.”
“I’m in your hands,” Fran told Gwendartha.
“I’m honored!” Gwendartha said, bowing happily. He might not have earned Fran’s trust yet, but now at least he had a chance of gaining it.
“Hm.”
“Would you like to see the sights of the capital before heading to the palace?” he asked. “I grew up in Bestia, and I know all the finest locations.”
“That’s okay. There’s someone I really want to meet.”
“At the palace?” Gwendartha asked, sounding puzzled. I suppose it didn’t make much sense to him. He already knew that this was Fran’s first time in the Beastman Nation. Who could she possibly have an appointment with?
“Hm. Black Cat Kiara.”
“Master Kiara? Very well.”
“You know her?” Fran asked.
“Yes. She trained me as a lad.”
Hunh. Well, Kiara had taught both the Beast King and Gwendartha’s uncle, so I supposed it made sense that Gwendartha got lessons from her too.
“Shall we leave, then?” he asked.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“We’ll be there posthaste!”
Gwendartha beat his chest confidently. At least he knew what he was doing—less than twenty minutes later, we were before the palace gates.
It’s so huge!
We’d already seen the castle from afar, but up close, its magnificence was downright intimidating. Unlike the white castles in the fairy tales back home, this was built from solid black stone. That was fearsome enough, but the castle was also every bit as sturdy as it was intimidating.
The castle walls were as tall as the ones surrounding the city, and just as thick, if not a little thicker. This place looked less like a royal palace, and more like a fortress.
“It was built this way so that it could double as a fortress if the need ever arose,” Gwendartha explained.
He wasn’t wrong that the castle could be used as a fortress. The moat around the outside of the structure was wide and deep—built for war.
“That’s the entrance,” he said.
“Hm.”
We walked along the wall until the castle gates came into view. They were just as massive and sturdy as the rest of the building, cut through by a drawbridge connecting the city to the castle. Gwendartha went to the guardhouse beside the gate and handed something to one of the guards on duty. It must have been some kind of identification, because after the guard saw it, they let us in.
“What about me?” Fran asked.
“The guild has already vouched for you, Black Lightning Princess,” said Gwendartha. “You could even request an immediate audience with the king, if you desired.”
Fran had won the guild’s trust when she delivered the letter. Now they wanted to win her over. A few days here had proven to us that evolution had tangible repercussions. It was easy to see how gaining Fran’s trust now would profit the guild down the road. Had the Beast King been thinking of that when he gave her his crest? Knowing Rigdith, perhaps not. Even if he hadn’t, however, his vassal Royce certainly had. Still, I wanted to keep the favors we owed to a minimum.
Fran presented the Beast King’s crest to the guard. We were visiting the royal palace, after all. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to demonstrate high-level clearance. After all, who knew what would happen once we got inside?
“Here.”
“Wha…?! Wait a moment, please!” The guard took the crest and passed a crystal over it to determine its authenticity, then politely returned it to Fran. Very politely. “Th-thank you so much, ma’am. Let them through!”
Gwendartha looked at the crest with surprise. “To think that you had the Beast King’s crest all this time… You have no need of me.”
“That’s not true,” said Fran.
“I appreciate your modesty.”
Fran wasn’t just being polite, though. The guards would definitely have suspected us of foul play if we came here alone; maybe they’d even have had us sweat it out in a holding cell for a couple hours while they verified Rigdith’s crest. Having Gwendartha with us backed up our claims. The White Rhino tribe must have had political clout to match their physical strength, too, as the guards deferred noticeably to him.
We passed through the gate and found ourselves in front of another large gate.
“More doors,” Fran complained.
“The castle is right behind these walls.”
“What? Where are we now?”
“Those were the outer walls,” Gwendartha explained. “Servants and soldiers live here. Merchants also trade here sometimes. The real castle is beyond these inner walls.”
“How do we get in?” Fran asked.
“This way.”
Instead of passing through the imposing gates, we followed the inner wall around to the side.
“What about the gate?” said Fran.
“The palace uses it to welcome nobles and other privileged guests. It stays closed the rest of the time.”
Entering through the gate was a ceremonial event, and I could see why. It was probably quite the undertaking to open and close something so massive.
We passed servants and merchants and eventually found ourselves outside a less intricate entrance. Again, Gwendartha walked past it, heading for a mansion-like building a little farther on.
“This is where the palace formally accepts its guests,” he explained, approaching one of the guards and saying, “We would like to meet Master Kiara. Tell her that Gwendartha and the Black Lightning Princess have come. She is expecting us.”
“Very well. Please wait.”
The guard led us into a gorgeous room, probably one of numerous others in the mansion. Audiences likely came with long wait times, and I wagered that they wanted to keep their important guests as comfortable as possible. A servant entered with light refreshments, and Fran quickly devoured them. Gwendartha had an appetite to match his size, too.
“I would expect nothing less for the Black Lightning Princess,” Gwendartha said.
“What do you mean?”
“This room is usually reserved for nobles and other extremely important visitors. Even the refreshments they just served us were of the highest quality.”
Wow. I wouldn’t have known any of that if Gwendartha hadn’t told us. Even Fran watched him with mild interest.
“Please,” Gwendartha said. “I am nothing to marvel at. Remember that I am next in line for the chieftainship. I was exposed to these ceremonies as a child, although I did leave to become an adventurer quite early.”
I hadn’t known that Gwendartha had a noble upbringing. Mind you, I’m not sure anyone would’ve guessed that just by looking at him. Had he become an adventurer to follow in Gaudartha’s footsteps?
“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” said a maid, entering the room. “Please, right this way.”
“Hm.”
I thought we’d leave the mansion then, but the maid took us deeper inside.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
The maid knew exactly where she was going. She opened a small door, tucked away in the depths of the mansion. It was ornate, but nothing distinguished it from any others we’d passed.
What laid behind it, on the other hand, was definitely special. Red carpet smothered the floor, and a chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Yes! Finally!
“This is the castle?” Fran asked.
“That’s right,” Gwendartha agreed.
The door leading in from the mansion was probably intentionally left plain, so no one could guess where it led.
“I shall take you to Lady Kiara now,” said the maid.
We followed her on a long, winding walk through the castle, passing several doors along the way. Did Kiara live in the deeper parts of the building?
“We used to meet her on the training grounds of the outer walls,” said Gwendartha. “But her health has failed lately, so she moved to the castle interior.”
“She’s sick? Will she be okay?” Fran asked, worried.
Gwendartha didn’t look anxious. “She is getting old, but I’m sure it’s nothing life-threatening.”
I guess that makes sense. Kiara was close to seventy, by all accounts.
Eventually, the maid stopped in front of one of the rooms. “Right this way.”
“Is this it?” Fran asked.
“Yes,” said Gwendartha. “This is Master Kiara’s room.”
“Pardon my intrusion, Madam Kiara,” said the maid. “Gwendartha and the Black Lightning Princess are here to see you.”
Finally!
“Hm.”
The maid opened the door, and Fran followed Gwendartha inside. The room beyond was exquisite—well furnished without being opulent, lined with embroidered curtains and carpet. A single manalamp hung from the ceiling, covered with ornate glasswork. In the name of tradition, I brushed against a nearby desk to check for dust, but came up empty. Everything was immaculately clean.
A king-sized bed graced the room, and in it was an aging Black Cat. Although she leaned against the headpost, her spine was still ramrod-straight. Kiara was…what, sixty-eight or something? She was thin, and her hair was white, but no one would call her decrepit. She was tall, and imposing, and her eyes were just too sharp.
There was nothing little about this old lady. She had a presence that dominated the room. If I were still human, a single glare from her would have made me crumple, but Fran approached her with no reservations.
“Are you Old Kiara?” Fran asked, with an innocence that bordered on disrespect.
“Hmm? Where did you hear that title?” the old Black Cat asked.
“The Beast King.”
“Hah! I see. That boy needs a good whipping.” There was a masculine quality to the old woman’s speech, but it suited her. “Yes, my name is Kiara. I don’t think we’ve met, but I know that child next to you.”
“Master Kiara,” Gwendartha complained, “I’m twenty-three now.”
“Anyone under the age of forty is a child.” By that standard, the Beast King was a child, too. I supposed she had taught him how to fight. “I was told the Black Lightning Princess would visit me. I take it you are she.”
“You haven’t heard, Master Kiara?” Gwendartha asked.
Surely, they wouldn’t have kept Kiara in the dark about Fran’s evolution?
“Madam Kiara has been very sick,” an attendant informed us. “She was close to death for almost three weeks. She only woke yesterday.”
I noticed now that Kiara’s arms were withered, and her cheeks sunken in.
“Master Kiara,” said the attendant. “This is—”
“Wait.” Kiara beckoned Fran over. “Come.”
“Hm.”
“You can start by telling me your name.”
“Fran. Black Cat Fran.”
“I see…”
Kiara stared at Fran for a long time, her eyes slowly misting over. Then she threw her arms around Fran and held her, softly at first before tightening her embrace.
“Yes!” Kiara said. “I see now!” She squeezed Fran a little tighter. “Fran…thank you.” She let out a sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of her heart, and lowered her voice so that only Fran could hear. “Your very existence tells me…that I have not chased an illusion all my life. It is real!”
“Hm.”
Lumina, the dungeon master in Ulmutt, had reacted in a similar way. After a few more moments, Kiara calmed down enough to let Fran go. She kept a hand on her shoulder, as though she was afraid Fran would evaporate if she released her.
“So, how did you do it?” Kiara asked. “How did you evolve? Can you tell me?”
“Of course.”
“Wonderful!”
“But…” said Fran, “I thought you already knew.”
“And who told you that?”
“Dias.”
“What? So, he still remembers…”
“Hm.”
Dias, the Guildmaster of the Dungeon City of Ulmutt, had told us that the last Beast King kidnapped Kiara after learning the truth about Black Cat evolution. It seemed that Kiara still remembered him, even though it had been decades since they last met.
“How is he now?” she asked.
“He’s the Guildmaster of Ulmutt.”
Step by step, Fran told Kiara everything about Ulmutt, meeting Dias and Aurel, and the dungeon master Lumina. Kiara looked surprised, but happy. Perhaps she’d thought Aurel and Dias had forgotten her after all these years.
“Dias said that some bad people went after you because you figured out how to evolve,” said Fran.
“I see. That isn’t the whole truth. Let me tell you my side of the story.”
Kiara began by explaining to us what had happened in Ulmutt. She’d still been looking for a way to evolve when she first arrived there. Eventually, she met Lumina, and the two grew close. Finally, Lumina proclaimed that she would help Kiara evolve.
To achieve that goal, however, Lumina ended up turning herself into a Fiend. In the distant past, the Black Cat tribe had become half-Fiends when they received the grace of the Evil One. Although Lumina had not partaken in that atrocity, she was left with the stain of Malice, and had used that—coupled with her authority as a dungeon master—to completely transform into a Fiend. Since Kiara had Malice Sense, she’d realized what was happening.
What did any of this have to do with Kiara’s evolution?
“It was then that I remembered an old manuscript I’d once read,” said Kiara. “I had gathered many documents in my quest to discover why Black Cats could not evolve. This particular parchment was torn in half, but the part that remained told how the Black Cat tribe incurred the wrath of the gods, and how the curse could be broken if the tribe defeated the Evil One or his servants. At first,” she continued, “I did not know whether it was true. It could have been a fictional account, written to give us hope, or falsified by an enemy in an attempt to send us to our deaths. In any event, I was not willing to sacrifice Lumina for a chance at evolution, so I stopped her.”
I figured that explained how Kiara knew about evolution without knowing the exact details.
“The most I could make of it,” she said, “is that we need to kill a certain number of Fiends.”
“I see.”
However, Kiara had no way of confirming whether she was right, and no idea how to undo the curse for the entire tribe. Those were probably the only reasons the previous Beast King had let her live. A single Black Cat could never hope to bring down the Evil One by themselves, after all. Even if word somehow got out, it was doubtful anyone would dare try breaking the curse—and if they tried and failed, it might plunge the Black Cats deeper into despair. Kiara, being painfully aware of this, had kept her theories to herself.
“So, was I right?” she asked.
“Hm. Partly.”
Fran proceeded to explain the requirements of evolution to the best of her ability.
“You need to kill Fiends—”
“I see—”
“Alternatively—”
“Hmm—”
It was strange to hear Fran talk this much at a go. She must really have wanted to share everything she knew with Kiara.
“And that’s all of it,” she said.
“I see…I see.” Kiara folded in on herself and trembled.
I thought she was crying, but it turned out to be something else.
“Heh heh heh…ha ha ha!” She threw her head back and bellowed with laughter. Her eyes burned with joy. She turned to her attendant. “Mia! Fetch me my sword!”
“Uh, Master Kiara?” Gwendartha asked sheepishly.
Kiara ignored him. “Don’t just stand there, girl. My sword!”
“Master Kiara, please!” said the girl. “Don’t be rash!”
“Do you expect me to remain calm?! Worry not. I am only going to kill some goblins!”
“But you were treading the border of life and death just yesterday!” the attendant protested.
“I can kill goblins when I’m half-dead, child!”
Kiara was already halfway out of her bed, despite Gwendartha’s attempts to restrain her. She knew what she had to do to evolve now, and there wasn’t a force on earth that could stop her.
“To think that I should awaken the day before Fran arrived to bring such wonderful news!” she said. “It is truly the hand of Fate.”
However, Gwendartha was still worried. “Master Kiara, you’ve already lost your Favor!”
“Perhaps, but I have no intention of giving in! Now, out of my way, child!”
“Please, be reasonable!” he protested. “Achieving this goal would be difficult for you even with the Favor!”
“Favor?” Fran asked.
“I suppose you haven’t heard,” said Kiara. “You see, Fran, I possessed the War God’s Favor for a long time.”
War God’s Favor? Nope, still couldn’t make any sense of it. Although, looking at everyone’s faces, I guessed that I was the only one.
“Wow!” Fran exclaimed.
“I grew much stronger under its influence,” said Kiara. “But it is with someone else now.”
Fran’s eyes sparkled with admiration. If even she knew about it, it really must be quite important.
What’s this War God’s Favor thing? I asked.
It’s a really famous skill.
The War God’s Favor was a well-known Extra Skill, prominently spoken of in folklore. It allowed the user to level up her skills faster, and increased the stat gain earned from leveling up. The skill even added to your stats automatically. It sounded pretty strong, but there was another reason for its notoriety—to retain the skill, its owner had to expose themselves to a life-threatening battle at least once a month. Failure to meet this requirement meant that the skill passed on to someone else.
No wonder people wrote stories about the War God’s Favor.
“I received it when I was seven,” said Kiara, “and fought every month of my life in order to keep it. Unfortunately, I lost it around ten years ago.”
“How’d that happen?” Fran asked.
“My body failed me. I was hospitalized for almost six months.”
Back when Kiara was a slave, the former Beast King sent her to a nearby Haunt at least once a month. It was the smart thing to do; having a slave with an Extra Skill was a tremendous asset.
“But that’s all in the past now!” said Kiara. “Heh heh heh…my blood longs for the heat of battle!”
She had trained for decades in the hopes of evolving one day. Now that she knew how to achieve it, she was already cooking up plans.
“We must go to Schwarz Katze,” she said, “and tell the tribe of the news.”
“I think the news was delivered while you were asleep, Master,” said the attendant.
“Well and good,” said Kiara. “But we should still go. If nothing else, we can enlist others willing to go Fiend-hunting.”
“Schwarz Katze?” Fran asked, tilting her head.
“It is a village of the Black Cat tribe, founded by the current king,” Gwendartha explained. “Black Cats who were freed from slavery live there in peace.”
That sounded like a place we should definitely visit. But what about Kiara? I suspected the old Black Cat would be more than happy to keep us company, but one of the people present stopped the old fighter from rushing to go with us.
“You must not overexert yourself,” said Mia. “Not now.”
“Curse you, Mia!”
“I implore you to rest for at least another week.”
Kiara might not have been evolved, but she was still pretty strong. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d actually been stronger than some evolved beastmen in her prime. Yet Mia had her pinned down.
“Let go of me!”
“I will not.”
Wow, this Mia girl was crazy strong.
“I suppose this is the power of the royal maids,” said Gwendartha.
“They’re that famous?” Fran asked.
“Yes. The maids serving the royal family and their privileged guests are an elite force, trained from an early age. Their fighting prowess is matched only by their immaculate housework.”
So, Mia was not only evolved, but also highly trained.
“I wouldn’t stand a chance against them,” added Gwendartha.
“Ooh.” They must’ve been really strong.
“I take it you were not born in the Beastman Nation, Fran,” said Kiara. “What will you do now? Will you remain in the capital?”
She was trying to divert Mia’s attention, but she wasn’t very good at playing sly.
“Perhaps,” said Fran. “I came here to see one other person, beside yourself.”
How much could we even tell Kiara about the Godsmith? Our secondary quest was highly confidential, which was why Fran was being so vague.
The sudden shift didn’t go unnoticed. “A person you can’t tell me about,” said Kiara.
“The Beast King instructed me to ask one of his officials.”
“Very well. Then I’m afraid I cannot be of use to you. I hold no official title, despite the fancy room.”
“What are you saying, madam?” Mia asked. “There isn’t a soul who would dare go against your word.”
“And yet you have me pinned against my will, Mia. Does that mean you will let go of me?”
“I will not.” This attendant was taking none of Kiara’s nonsense. “But you have plenty of students across the land. His Highness and his daughter, the elite guard and their generals…and that’s just to name a few.”
“I regret teaching them so well,” Kiara complained. “If I had gone easier on them, they wouldn’t be capable of standing in my way now.”
“My condolences, madam. You should be more careful in administering your wisdom.”
“Tch! Ack! Cough!”
“You see? Your spirits might have lifted, but your body has not yet recovered.”
“Urgh,” Kiara grumbled, conceding Mia’s point.
“Also,” Mia went on, “the reason you don’t have an official title is because you keep refusing them. You could be an honorary commander in chief by now, if you wanted.”
Kiara might have been a slave of common birth, but she had come to hold influence over the whole country. That made her more powerful than most politicians.
“Enough,” said Kiara. “Send for one of those higher-ups, Mia.”
“As you wish.”
Mia unfurled a bit of parchment, wrote something on it, and handed it to the maid outside the door. I guessed that it was probably a summons.
“I’m afraid this is all I can do to express my gratitude,” Kiara said. “But feel free to ask me for anything you desire. I shall do my best to grant it.”
Fran only shook her head. “That’s okay. I’m not doing this for a reward.”
“Ha ha ha! Good answer!” said Kiara. “I like you. But allow me to do you some small favor, at least. Surely it is normal to do such things for people we like. How about it? Is there anyone whose head you would like to see on a platter?”
“That’s fine. I’d rather put it there myself.”
“Would you, now? Yes, I see your point. That is much more thrilling.”
“Hm.”
Fran and Kiara were off to a rolling start. I supposed that I shouldn’t be surprised; Dias had mentioned how much Fran reminded him of Kiara. The two battle-hungry Black Cats were a match made in heaven. They happily chatted about combat until someone else entered the room.
“Madam Kiara, you sent for me?”
An aging, silver-haired man made his way inside. He was dressed in some kind of official-looking robe, but Kiara addressed him casually.
“Took you long enough. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Indeed? Aaah, so this is the Black Lightning Princess?”
“You know her?” Kiara asked.
“Of course. You were the only one who missed the news, madam.” The man turned to Fran and bowed. “His Highness made it known that we are to treat you with the utmost respect. I hear that you would like a letter of introduction written on the Beast King’s behalf?”
“Hm,” said Fran. That was our best way of contacting the Godsmith.
Fortunately, this man seemed happy to provide the letter. “I shall do anything that I can to help you,” he said.
“Hm. So, who are you?”
“Goodness, I’ve misplaced my manners. My name is Raymond, prime minister of the Beastman Nation.”
Prime minister? Wow, he really was important! And modest, too. I liked him already.
“Raymond worked his way up from the lowest office of the nation,” said Kiara. “He’s pretty good at his job.”
“Though I must admit, the previous Beast King didn’t like me very much.”
No, I guess he wouldn’t have.
“C-Rank adventurer Fran,” Fran introduced herself. “People call me the Black Lightning Princess.”
“I am aware. Here is the letter you requested. Is there anything else you need?”
Anything, Teacher?
I can’t think of anything. What about you?
Just one thing.
Really? What is it?
I want to go to the Black Cat village.
Sure, that’s a great idea. Let’s ask him where it is.
Hm!
“I want to go to Schwarz Katze,” Fran told Raymond.
“Oh, I was about to ask whether you could do that. Excellent. I shall prepare a map for you immediately.”
“Thanks,” said Fran.
“Think nothing of it.” Raymond bowed out of the room.
Kiara told Fran to sit back down. She had given up on the prospect of Fiend-hunting for now, deciding to enjoy chatting with Fran instead. Jet piqued her interest, so we had him expand to his original size. Kiara responded by petting the direwolf from chest to tail.
Half an hour later, before we knew it, Mia intervened to remind Kiara that she needed to rest. The maid was no physician, but then again, she probably had more authority than one. Although Kiara would have kept us here several more hours if she could have, it was clearly time for us to go.
In the end, Mia relented and allowed Kiara to see Fran off at the gates.
“See you, Gwen,” said Fran.
“Goodbye,” said Gwendartha. “I apologize again for last night.”
“Hm. It’s okay.”
“I’m so sorry.” Gwendartha bowed his head in apology.
Kiara watched him, intrigued. “Did anything happen that I should know about?”
“Nothing, master,” said Gwendartha. “It’s just—”
“Gwen picked a fight with me,” said Fran, ignoring Gwendartha’s attempts to change the subject.
“Did he, now?” After that, Kiara made Fran tell her the whole story. When she was done, Kiara sighed. “Gods, are you still not over your beloved uncle?”
“Beloved uncle?!” Gwendartha spluttered. “I don’t miss that traitor one bit—”
“And this is why you are still a child. I can’t believe you’re going through puberty in your twenties. You know you’re the only living White Rhino to consider Godo a traitor? Everyone else realizes what a great honor it is to become the Beast King’s guardian.”
“I…”
“You’re just sulking because your beloved Uncle Godo didn’t consult you before relinquishing his claim to the White Rhino chieftainship,” Kiara said.
“Urgh.”
“Heh. But never mind the child for now,” said Kiara, throwing her arms around Fran. “Promise me that you’ll come and visit again.”
“Hm. Only if you don’t push yourself too hard, Kiara.”
“Ha ha ha! That will be impossible! I have to evolve now!”
“Hm. Well, as long as you don’t die, then.”
Kiara was too old for evolution to make any real difference to her, but that wasn’t the point. It was a goal she had fought for her whole life. One she would pursue at all costs. I really hoped that she wouldn’t kill herself trying. I couldn’t imagine how much that would upset Fran.
“I never thought I would experience such fulfillment in my old age,” said Kiara. “You have my deepest gratitude.”
“Hm.”
“Aah, I can’t wait to get back to cracking Fiend skulls! In fact—”
“Madam Kiara, you mustn’t excite yourself. It’s bad for your health.”
“Why are you here, Mia?! Let go! You said you’d let Gwen look after me!”
“I did, but I had a feeling this would happen, so I followed you.”
“Urk…!”
There was no getting anything past Mia! These royal maids really were something else.
After that, Kiara tried to talk Fran into staying so that Kiara could train her. It was a wonderful offer, and it sounded like a good life, but Fran politely declined. After all, we still had to keep our promise to Garrus, the dwarven blacksmith. We had to search for the Godsmith, then return to Granzell to find him. Equipped with the letter of introduction from Raymond, we could safely set out to locate him—but not before stopping by Schwarz Katze.
“I’ll be going now,” said Fran.
“Safe travels!” Gwendartha shouted after us.
“I’ll never forget this debt, Fran! Be well! You too, Jet!” We left the castle with Kiara’s blessings.
That was nice.
“Hm.”
Let’s come back sometime.
“Hm!”
With that, our business in the capital was settled. I suggested that we sightsee, but Fran couldn’t wait to get going.
We left the palace and headed out of the city. Our next destination was Schwarz Katze, which lay to the north. This worked out pretty well, because according to what we’d heard, the Godsmith’s hermitage was also in that direction.
Good thing we have this map, I said. Schwarz Katze is pretty hard to find.
The village was in the mountains along the northern border. If worse came to worst, we could always approach it by air. The road was long and arduous, but Jet could cover the distance in a day or two.
Let’s make for Green Goat, I suggested. It’s a good hub city to stop by.
Sitting at the nexus of numerous important roads, Green Goat was an important commercial hub for the kingdom.
“Can’t wait,” said Fran.
You can say that again.
“Let’s go, Jet!”
“Awooo!”
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