by M Sisa
“O-Of course!”
“We’re studying! Right away!”
As though all of the monsters in the forest they passed through had become docile, they did not encounter any troubles in their trip from Wizzert towards the Capital. After almost a week, they finally arrived at Behemoth City, the Capital of the Kingdom.
“How do I say this,” mumbled George. From the carriage, he looked at the walls encompassing the entire city. “It’s huge but—”
“—Underwhelming,” completed Austen.
George nodded. “We’ve just been through the City of Magic, so maybe that’s why.”
From afar, the walls of the city stretched endlessly, with no end in sight. Unlike the City of Magic, there was no air of grandeur and magnificence in this city. It was simply colossal, that’s all.
This was also the sentiment of Lark. He had expected more, since Behemoth City was the Kingdom’s Capital. But aside from its size, it looked ordinary from the outside.
Their group passed through the gate and went into an inn in the Middle District. Looking at the date, it seemed that they still have two days before the King’s birthday. It was just enough time to look around and prepare for the event.
Lark donned a plain-looking cloak. He asked everyone, “I’m going to look around the city.” Noticing that his guards were about to speak, he added, “I’m going alone. That is final.”
After Lark left the inn, he wandered the busy streets of the Capital. Despite its large size, the Middle District felt cramped due to the amount of people traversing the streets. Numerous stalls were lined up here and there. Numerous taverns and inns filled this particular area of the Capital.
A familiar scent wafted in the air. Lark looked around and saw the source of the smell.
“Hey, what do you call these?” he asked the vendor.
“Bulbar boar meat.” The vendor cast a glance at Lark before flipping the grilled meat in front of him. “Thirty coppers each.”
Lark smiled. The name of this particular food had not been changed even after a thousand years. It was the meat of a boar commonly found in the forest of Magic Empire. Despite its bland taste, it had a very long storage life, making it an ideal food for travelers.
“Give me one of those,” said Lark. He pointed at another piece of meat. “And that one is?”
“Bihorned rabbit. Twenty-eight coppers.”
Lark took out a silver coin and handed it to the vendor. “That one as well.”
After receiving his change, Lark continued his tour of the City. Along the way, a hooded man bumped into him. The man mumbled, “Watch it, damn it,” then continued walking.
But before he could get away, Lark grabbed the man’s wrist. The man angrily growled, “What do you want?!”
Lark simply smiled. “That’s mine, mister.” Without warning, he fumbled inside the man’s garb and grabbed a leather pouch.
“H-Hey! What are you doing? That’s mine!”
Lark lightly tossed the pouch into the air and nimbly caught it, creating loud clanking sounds. He noticed a group of patrols near an intersection. The man must have also noticed them, judging by the way he suddenly stiffened.
“This is yours?” Lark tilted his head. “I’m pretty sure this is mine though?”
“Damn bastard!” The man clenched his fists. “Are you telling me that I stole it from you, huh? Is that it?!”
This small form of intimidation did not work the slightest. Lark said, “Then why don’t we make those soldiers over there be the judge, mister?”
A bead of sweat flowed down the man’s forehead. He stammered, “F-Fine!” Quickly, the man disappeared amidst the crowd.
Lark strapped the pouch into his leather belt. That person was quite a skilled pickpocket. If it was another person, the victim would have not even noticed that his pouch was gone by now. Since he had just arrived in the Capital, Lark decided to let the pickpocket go for now. It was none of his business, after all.
He finally finished eating the boar meat he bought. Still a bit hungry, he took out the rabbit meat and began biting on it. As he was walking through the streets, he arrived at the Red Light District. Numerous women wearing thick makeup stood outside the brothels, enticing men to enter the establishment.
Naturally, these women started targeting him as well. Lark simply ignored them.
“Hey, Lark!”
A loud voice rang out. Lark halted in his tracks when someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
“Lark! It’s you, right?!”
Lark turned around and was greeted by a bald man a head taller than him. He had numerous tattoos on his hands and neck, giving him the appearance of a typical hooligan.
He looks young. Why is he bald?
A weird, senseless question popped in Lark’s head.
“I was right! It’s you!”
Every time the man spoke, the smell of alcohol and tobacco assaulted Lark’s nose. The man’s entire face was flushed.
Silence befell the two. Caught off-guard, Lark did not know how to respond to this man who obviously knew the previous owner of his current body.
The man burped then pointed at his face. “It’s me! Jepsy! Remember? Come on, man! It’s hardly been a year! How could you forget your best buddy!”
Even the man’s name was stupid. Lark almost sighed. He had not expected to run into someone who knew the real Lark this soon.
“Jepsy, of course I remember.” Lark smiled and wrapped a hand around his supposedly best buddy.
Jepsy frowned, “You feel… different.”
“Must be the alcohol,” said Lark.
Jepsy nodded, “Right. Must be the alcohol.”
Jepsy saw two men walking out of the brothel. His eyes widened in glee. He waved his hands passionately. “Omie! Renz! Over here! Look who’s here!”
The two men, whose faces were also flushed, were momentarily stunned upon seeing Lark. They grinned at each other and jogged towards Lark.
“Lark! You damn little shit!” said Omie, a plump young man with various ornaments wrapped around his neck and wrists.
“Hey, I heard you were forced to become Lord of that small town! You should have told us you’re coming to the Capital!” added Renz, the smallest of the trio.
Like Jepsy, the two also reeked of alcohol. Renz’s neck, in particular, had numerous kiss marks.
“I can’t believe the Four Masters of Lukas have been reunited!” Jepsy heartily laughed. “We should drink! Let’s drink! And women!”
“Of course, women!”
“Another round, eh? Not bad!”
Swept by the mood, Lark was forced to enter a nearby tavern. Unsure of what to say, he decided to keep his silence for now. Less talk, less mistakes.
“So, you were also invited by His Majesty for his birthday, eh?” said Jepsy.
Lark was surprised at this statement. After all, according to the Sword Saint, this was highly classified information.
Seeing Lark’s surprised expression, Jepsy grinned. “What? You think I’ll be kept in the dark in these things? I may be the third son of a Viscount, but I’m still a noble, pal.”
“I see. So, it’s for the crown, huh? And here I thought Lark paid us a visit,” Omie smirked, then chugged down a bottle of alcohol. After emptying it, he burped then wiped his lips with his wrist.
Renz lit a tobacco. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s just be glad that Lark’s here with us. Honestly, I thought you died. We haven’t heard from you for several months.”
The other two nodded.
“I’m still very much alive,” Lark chuckled, doing his best to blend in with this weird atmosphere. He took a bottle of alcohol and half-emptied it. The trio smiled upon seeing this. They probably felt glad to see Lark being his usual self once again. “So, tell me more about what you know about the crown’s invite.”
Renz blew out a puff of smoke. Jepsy crossed his legs, leaned his body on the couch, then said, “They’re going to conduct a small test after the King’s Birthday.”
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br /> “A small test?” Lark was curious.
“That’s all I know,” Jepsy shrugged. “My family paid a large sum just to obtain that information, you know? It’s not easy to get anything from the Royals these days.”
“I know what the test is about.”
Everyone’s attention turned to Omie. He grinned. “I don’t know what exactly the test is, but I’m pretty sure it’s a test to assess the candidates to the throne.”
“Assess the candidate, huh?” Renz blew out another puff of smoke. He was staring at Lark. “Well, it’s not like it’ll matter. You’re not the type to be interested in such things, after all.”
Jepsy chuckled. “Hahaha! That’s right! As long as we have alcohol and women, we’re all good!” He shouted, “Hey, where’re the women?!”
One of the staffs of the tavern bowed his head, “Apologies! They’re being prepared, sir!”
Jepsy threw a bottle to the ground, breaking it into several shards. “Hurry up, you damn incompetent piece of shit! Do you have an idea how much I pay every month in this tavern?!”
The staff bowed repeatedly, before scurrying away in fright.
Lark frowned at this. “Alcohol’s enough for now. I’m not in any mood for a woman right now.”
The three froze. They looked at Lark with wonder. They began whispering with each other, casting glances at Lark every now and then.
“Hey, seriously?”
“Lark, the womanizer… rejecting women?”
“Must be the town. The Duke’s really harsh, eh? Throwing him away to a place like that.”
The whispers continued for a while. Unable to bear it any longer, Lark made a firmer remark, “I’m not in the mood for women. Do you understand?”
His sharp gaze made the three concede. Jepsy shouted again at the tavern staff, telling him that they no longer want the company of some women.
The ‘reunion’ continued until midnight. By the time Lark left the tavern, he had come to learn many things about the original owner of his body.
It seemed that the original Lark was a far bigger bastard than he originally thought. Women, alcohol, drugs. He did it all. Jepsy even mentioned a time when the original Lark coerced a commoner to come to his room late at night. It was no wonder that his father, the Duke, threw him away to that town.
He also came to learn more about the members of their group, The Four Masters of Lukas.
Although the name of the group sounded stupid, it was actually comprised of rich nobles who practiced a hedonistic lifestyle. It also seemed that Lark was their leader, with each of them having some kind of influence on the underground organizations of the Capital. It was the same reason why they were able to get their hands on several forbidden drugs.
Jepsy was the third son of Viscount Lakian, the Chamberlain of the King. Omie was the second son of Baron Morivar, and Renz was the fourth son of Viscount Amarozo. Lark, who had the highest status among them, easily solidified his position as their leader.
Friendship easily formed among the four of them, stemming from the mutual vices and hedonistic lifestyles they each led. All four men had no fear. Peculiarly, what Lark felt from them were admiration. The trio probably respected how Lark did anything he wanted without thinking of the repercussions.
It’s been a tiring day.
Lark sighed. He reeked of alcohol and smoke. He looked towards the direction of the King’s Castle. It was a lot smaller when compared to the Wizzert Tower, but it was still the tallest building in the entire Capital.
Two more days.
The King’s birthday was nearing. After learning that there would a test for the candidates, Lark grew curious.
What could it be?
I’ll find out soon. No use pondering about it.
He went back to the inn and fell asleep immediately.
Chapter Eleven
Today was the King’s birthday. Nobles from various backgrounds have started entering the Capital to answer the crown’s invite. Security was increased tenfold, and thousands of soldiers were stationed all throughout the city to ensure the safety and order of the Capital.
Duke Kelvin arrived at the King’s Castle, his stubby body moving with pride and purpose. Behind him were his twenty sons – all of whom were candidates for the throne.
Just by numbers alone, it was apparent who held the advantage in the competition. After all, out of the twenty-eight candidates, twenty belonged to the House Kelvin. Just a week ago, one of his sons, Kalavinka, led their navy to victory against a Mullgray Pirate fleet.
The seemingly invincible pirate fleer suffered a crushing defeat!
Duke Kelvin looked at one of his younger sons walking behind him. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder how a timid-looking boy could come up with such cunning naval tactics. Even the fire that could burn in water was invented by this son of his.
Kalavinka held no talent with the sword, but his abilities in naval warfare more than made up for it. The second youngest son of Duke Kelvin easily solidified his position within the family after these consecutive victories against the Mullgray Pirates.
While the Duke was lost in his thoughts, their family finally arrived at the Capital.
“Duke Kelvin, Head of the House Kelvin, has arrived!” the Master of Ceremonies announced.
The door opened and Duke Kelvin stepped inside the Grand Hall, his sons immediately following suit. The nobles inside stopped what they were doing and looked at his direction. Just the Duke’s entourage alone gave the impression of a formidable force.
“Sir Lancaster of the House Kelvin has arrived!”
“Sir Zaask of the House Kelvin has arrived!”
“Sir Amphus of the House Kelvin has arrived!”
Although arduous, the Master of Ceremonies announced the arrival of his sons one by one. After all, every single one of these nobles was a candidate for the throne.
Duke Kelvin scanned his surroundings. There were around twenty or so nobles gathered inside the Grand Hall. Barons, Viscounts, Counts, Marquis. All of the men gathered here were of great prestige, each of them ruling over a significant territory. He also saw the despicable Duke Drakus and Duke Youchester speaking with each other. His brows twitched at this sight.
What were those two up to? It was rare for them to interact with each other even in previous gatherings.
“Sir Kalavinka of the House Kelvin has arrived!”
The nobles stared at the timid-looking boy upon the utterance of the name. Most of them had not expected that this child, who had half of his face covered by his black hair, was the so-called genius of naval warfare.
They had heard of his feats before. They knew that he had never suffered a single defeat even against the Mullgray Pirates.
The nobles who belonged to Duke Kelvin’s faction immediately went to greet him.
“Duke Kelvin,” Viscount Alma shook hands with the Duke. “I heard of your victory a week ago against the Mullgrays. Even the Empire had a hard time dealing with those barbarians, but it seemed that you managed to obtain a crushing victory against them!”
The Viscount was obviously trying to gain favor, but Duke Kelvin did not mind. Everything he stated was true, after all. The fat Duke bobbed his head, his lips twitching as he tried his best not to laugh out loud.
As expected, everyone has already heard of the news of their victory!
“We’ve been developing our navy these past few years in anticipation of such battles,” the Duke lied. Their navy was not developed at all. Those victories were solely due to Kalavinka’s skills in naval warfare. “Those damn barbarians are obviously not a match with our navy.”
A gasp of admiration escaped the lips of the nobles surrounding the Duke. Even the Empire who bullied the neighboring countries was unable to do anything against those pirates. Those barbarians knew the waters like the palm of their hands, and despite the advance weapons of the Empire, they were unable to drive the pirates back.
“I heard about the blackfire,” said V
iscount Alma. “The fire that could burn even in water.” He looked at the timid-looking boy. “It’s Young Master Kalavinka who invented it, right?”
Kalavinka stiffened when he found himself the center of everyone’s attention. He brushed his hair to the side, covering both of his eyes. He slowly moved behind his father.
Before, the Duke would have reprimanded Kalavinka for such actions. But now that he had become the rising star of the House Kelvin, he had become tolerant of this kid. He simply chuckled.
“That’s right,” the Duke answered, his chest puffed out with pride. “We no longer have to fear those barbarians! You should have seen how their ships sank after being burned to crisp and dust!”
Like hyenas, the nobles belonging to the Duke’s faction sucked up to him. The praises uttered by these guys elated the Duke’s mood.
Then he saw Duke Drakus and Duke Youchester.
Damn it. They’re still talking to each other?
Duke Kelvin had a grave foreboding. He did not like how those two Dukes conversed. Since when did they become this friendly with each other?
Duke Kelvin grabbed a cup of wine and approached the two. He smiled broadly, emphasizing his plump cheeks.
“Duke Drakus, Duke Youchester,” Duke Kelvin greeted the dukes. “It’s rare seeing the two of you. I heard that the Empire started moving at the Western Front?”
The two Dukes looked at each other and stopped their conversation.
“You mean the Yorkshaire Mountains?” Duke Drakus did not conceal his displeased expression. He obviously disliked how Duke Kelvin suddenly interrupted their conversation.
“Yorkshaire Mountain. Indeed,” Duke Kelvin nodded. “That’s right. I heard that the Marcus Army lost almost a hundred soldiers after the short skirmish a week ago.”
Did Duke Kelvin come to pick a fight with him? Duke Drakus did not like those condescending eyes staring at him, not one bit.
“It was a reconnaissance mission,” Duke Drakus explained. “The sacrifice of those soldiers did not go in vain. We gained crucial information regarding the movement of the Empire.”
Duke Kelvin sipped his wine. “Of course, of course. Reconnaissance mission. Splendid.” He chuckled.