Chapter 21 Gray Tower(2)

Editor: BaeBae

Caught off guard at Juan’s response, Huksel looked away and slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ve heard of a strange rumour going around.”

“Rumour?”

“Apparently a demon appeared in Tantil and slaughtered colosseum Director Daaron after ordering the monsters to massacre the civilians. Even the knights were no match for this demon.”

“………”

“Not only that, the bishop personally led the search for this demon in Tantil, sealing the city for a week but couldn’t catch him. They’ve even requested assistance from the capital in order to catch this demon…. And in truth, rumours suggest the demon is a……….”

“….a black haired boy?”

Juan smiled bleakley and finished Huksel’s sentence for him. Huksel felt as if a knife was placed on his throat. His other comrades already had their hands on their weapons.

“You’ve heard of the rumour?”

“First time hearing it.”

It wasn’t a lie as Juan had avoided human settlements on his way here. But considering the chaos he created in Tantil, he had already expected rumours to have spread.

Juan had already assumed Huksel and his companions had put the two together when they noticed him back in the village.

As nervous as he was, Huksel carefully examined Juan.

“Like I said, I’m not here to fight. I’m here to give you an offer.”

“And what would that be?”

Juan found himself a little interested in Huksel.

Demon or not, Juan was still just a thirteen year old black haired boy.

And yet, Huksel approached him as if he knew ‘someone else’ existed within Juan.

“Initially, I believed the rumours were greatly exaggerated. I thought that the local church caused trouble and an outsider was simply involved in the commotion. But now….. I’m thinking maybe the rumours were not exaggerated at all.”

Huksel let out a big sigh.

“…….I don’t care if you’re a demon or not. It sure ain’t the emperor who provides food into my mouth. Rather, the church takes food away from me. How could you be any worse than those devils..”

With flustered looks, his comrades all looked at him. But Huksel was betting as if he had nothing to lose. Wrong or right, it wouldn’t cost him.

“Hmm. Holy city of Torra……. If you take a small detour, on the way there’s a Gray tower. Have you been there?”

Juan nodded his head.

Huksel rejoiced.

“We’re on the way there to find the hidden treasure inside. Rumour suggests, after destroying a local cult group, the emperor hid all of their treasure inside the tower. Even if the rumour is exaggerated, there’s bound to be people who would buy treasure from inside a historical site.”

Juan revealed a grin. His words were true.

There was treasure inside the Gray tower. However, there was a reason why it hadn’t been ransacked by people for so long.

“If you value your lives, go look for treasure elsewhere.”

“No. We’ve made preparations for this exploration for quite some time. Even talked to people who have survived the tower. Plus, this is my third exploration now. With the amount of planning I’ve done, I know we’ll succeed…….but you can never be too sure.”

What he wanted was Juan’s help just in case.

“Mr Huksel!”

Before Juan could reply, a female prisoner cried out.

Juan looked at the female. He had already guessed the roles for each member of their group but couldn’t grasp what her role was in the team.“What are you doing. I’d requested because I had belief in you. Why are you asking a boy like him to join.”

“Be quiet!”

Huksel screamed out loud.

“I’ve already spent everything I have! Didn’t you ask to be compensated with what we find? If this expiration fails, I’m doomed! I will do anything to make this expedition succeed. Bring this child along, sell myself to the devil, sell the emperor’s corpse!. Anything!”

At such profane words, the adventurers all clamped their mouths and drew a cross on the ground. The woman bit her mouth.

Huksel turned around to offer Juan a second time but was taken back at what he saw. Juan was giggling with his hand over his mouth.

“Pfft, ee, hee, hahaah. Ah, sorry. I found it too amusing.”

Juan gave a satisfactory laugh.

“Let’s hope we don’t have to be selling the emperor’s corpse now. Okay. I like it.”

“Then……?”

“Listening to you made me think it might not be a bad idea to visit the tower on the way. With a few non-negotiable conditions of course.”

“Conditions?”

“When we get there, I’ll pick my item first. I don’t care about the rest. Take as much as you can carry.”

*****

Sina Solbein’s eyes moved up the flagpole that she was holding in her hands.

A flag displaying the emperor’s emblem, fluttered in the wind.

It was an honour for a knight to be stationed as the flag bearer, holding up the flag.

Sina never dreamed she would get this opportunity after she’d been kicked out of the capital.

“It appears you’re surprised, top knight Sina nim. No, shouldn’t we now be calling you ‘investigator’?”

Sina turned her head at the voice from behind. Pale skin with blue weak veins. A man with a sickly appearance stood.

The moment she saw him, Sina felt the cut on her back ache once more.

“It would be a lie if I wasn’t surprised, inquisitor Kato nim.”

The man that she assumed a Paladin, was actually an inquisitor of higher rank.

Sina knew then, why he was holding a whip instead of a sword.

“Instead of punishing you, on behalf of the merciful emperor, Bishop Rieto nim has decided to give you another chance. We’ll be expecting you to live up to his generosity.”

“In all honesty, I didn’t see this coming.”

“Of course not. Bishop Rieto nim is somewhat unpredictable. However, the fact he made this decision for the emperor is certain. At the colosseum, you discovered the seed of evil early on, and tried putting it under your surveillance. Albeit failing, you did your best to protect the civilians. Bishop Rieto nim considered all these points.”

Sina wanted to argue that it was completely opposite to what was said during the trial, but she kept her mouth shut. She worried, pointing out their impudence would aggravate him into being more impudent in the future.

“……..Well yes. The only person who knows the culprit’s face and has spoken to him is me. I also believe that I am the right person to lead the investigation.”

“I appreciate you taking this in so well. Ah, and I forgot to mention, I’ll be accompanying you, as part of this squad. Direct orders from Bishop Rieto nim.”

Sina nodded her head. She expected one of Bishop Rieto’s phonies to take part. As an inquisitor he would be carrying a certain amount of weight during his expedition.

“Also, I’ve been granted a holy relic that might prove useful. If it’s true to its description, then it will be of great use.”

The item that Kato brought out was a weapon sheath.

Inside a square piece of glass, Sina saw a sheath that was emanating the emperor’s divine power.

Not an item for decoration purposes. It was an item of worth to be kept safe at the capital.

“This is…….”

“A real holy relic. An item that the emperor personally laid his hands on. I don’t know the exact principles behind it but it allows one to locate the whereabouts of a target.”

Sina felt more strange as time passed.

“The central church has never aided incidents in the past even when it was bigger. It seems it’s not only bishop Rieto nim that is taking an interest in this case.”At Sina’s words, inquisitor Kato grinned and pointed to the sky.

“Everything flows as the emperor wishes from his throne above.”

Sina’s expression hardened.

It didn’t mean much when ordinary citizens said but central priests used the term, it had a deeper meaning behind it.

The term meant the involvement of high ranking officials in the Holy city of Torra.

Sina was even more confused.

Why was the capital taking an interest in matters far on the outskirts of the empire.

“It seems we are about to leave. We can’t have the flag bearer being late. Let’s hurry.”

Sina nodded. The pursuing group in search of ‘Tantil’s demon’ had the blue rose order positioned at the very front. The expedition team was all ready.

Sina leaped onto her horse.

She was unsure why Kato told her about the capital’s involvement in this incident. Its meaning was one or another. Either a threat or being empathic.

Though one thing was sure. Either way, this expedition would have major implications on her life.

The flag pole suddenly felt more heavier in her hands.

*****

It was the third time Huksel had visited the Gray tower. The first two trips both didn’t end well for him. He was lucky to have even survived.

He felt he’d used up all his luck in the first two attempts, but yet again Huksel was returning for the third time.

‘This time I must succeed.’

Huksel thought of a particular female worker at a bar. He recalled her bloated belly.

The expected date for birth had passed. A cute baby would have already been born.

However, all he had for his wealth was a growing debt from gambling.

After seeing her pregnant, he’d come to term with reality. Although he was motivated to do all he can for his new family, apart from being a mercenary he didn’t have any other skills.

Travelling around as a mercenary didn’t allow him to stay with his family. He needed a lump sum of money.

And that was when a woman came asking to join her Gray tower expedition.

After his second trip, he never wanted to even think about doing it again but the woman gave him a substantial cash for the necessary preparement and only asked for half of the treasure.

Even if they’d failed the expedition, she’d promised compensation. It was a tempting offer, too good to be declined.

“Boss, are you sure about the kid?”

“………He’s survived alone after coming to the empire. He’ll have a few skills in him Benson.”

The man Huksel replied to; Benson, snorted back.

From his team, Huksel felt Benson was most wary of Juan.

Kicked out of a guild for rummaging through a party’s belongings, Benson didn’t exactly have the right to say much.

“Let’s be honest boss, you also thought he wasn’t alone right?”

Huksel thought Juan would have other companions that had come from beyond the border. But after observing Juan’s attitude and seeing as they haven’t made their appearance, it didn’t look like it.

They were leaving the fate of the expedition in the hands of a boy.

“You know, after the boss said those remarks about selling the emperor, I understand your situation, so I wont say much more. But, that bastard……..I’m sure you saw him giggling at us.”

“Yeah I saw it. He’s from outside the empire. It would be normal for him to not respect our emperor as much as us.”

“Yeah, but did he have to laugh?! The more I look at him, he’s not your typical weirdo. Tell me you guys also sense anything strange about him right?”

Huksel gave no reply. Benson came right up to him and spoke.

“What about this…… We tie him up and send him to Tantil?”

Before setting out, they’d heard from their mercenary guild that there was a large bounty for every blackhaired boy.

It looked as if Benson wanted the safe bounty over the dangerous expedition.

It wasn’t like Huksel hadn’t given this any thought.

“Let’s just watch him, for now.”

Benson sighed at hearing Huksel’s words.