The Hope They Left Behind (Premium)

by Sakon Kaidou

  “Nope, this info’s on the market.”

  Azurite sat down and covered her face. “Just what is that news company...?”

  I knew exactly what she meant. The DIN was so well-informed, it was freaky.

  Then again, they had Marie, the Superior Killer, among their special correspondents, so it was far from normal, really.

  “By the way, you mentioned that you’ll also be going into the ruins, right?” I asked.

  On the road to Quartierlatin, she’d said that she was here to investigate, but I hadn’t realized that she would be going in.

  “Yes, I will,” she nodded. “I need to get a grasp on what kind of place these ruins are.”

  “What kind of place could they be?”

  “Ruins are treasure troves, full of pre-ancient civilization technology, but in some cases, they’ve contained dangerous weapons that’ve gone out of control.”

  “For example?”

  “A good one is the Fourth Seafloor Excavation Fortress in Granvaloa. It became a source of countless carnivorous monsters that almost destroyed the ecosystem. In the end, the one called ‘Human Bomb’ incinerated it along with the entire sea space. Mind you, it happened shortly before his final battle against the Dual White Whale, so it was somewhat overshadowed.”

  Human Bomb...? Oh yeah, that’s Koukin Shoyu, Master of Abura-Sumashi.

  I’d heard of him a few times, and I had always been thrown off by how big the stuff he did was, compared to the banality of his name — “antibacterial soy sauce.”

  “I assumed that ruins could only be full of treasure,” I said.

  “Of course, many ruins contain useful technology, and it would be great if this one did, too,” she replied. “If it doesn’t, a factory to create something good would be favorable, as well.”

  “And you are here by the order of some powerful individual to investigate it, eh?”

  Azurite was stronger than even Liliana — the current top of the Royal Guard. It wouldn’t be strange for her to receive such a task.

  “Yes. I... the person who sent me here has the kingdom’s future in mind. As you are aware, this country is on the verge of destruction,” she said. “As things are, it will surely be overthrown. That’s why we need the technology inside the ruins. Resisting what we haven’t been able to resist before now will require something we didn’t have before.”

  She talked while looking at the mountain where the ruins were, then threw a glance down at the sword on her hip.

  “What you didn’t have before, eh?” I raised an eyebrow. “If you’re talking about the war, doesn’t that include Superiors and other powerful Masters?”

  Suddenly, I felt her attitude change. I didn’t need to see the top half of her face to know that she was against that idea.

  “I... no... the one who sent me has no intention to ask for any Masters’ cooperation,” she said.

  I was silent. There was no need to ask why.

  This reminded me of my first meeting with Sir Lindos back in Gideon. It was perfectly reasonable for the people of the kingdom, especially those who’d gone to war, to not think highly of Masters.

  There had been few on their side, many on the enemy side, and our powers were overwhelming.

  Masters were the reason why the kingdom had suffered such a staggering defeat at the hands of Dryfe. There was no room for argument about that.

  Azurite had clearly been Langley Grandria’s pupil, so she knew the pain of having lost her mentor to a Master. The person who’d sent her here had probably lost someone dear to him, as well.

  Therefore, asking why that person was against hiring Masters would be nothing but rude.

  But there was something I could confirm here.

  “You have no intention to ask for Masters’ cooperation, huh?” I asked. “Does that mean it’s fine if we participate on our own? You know, to intercept the Dryfean Masters or something.”

  “Eh?”

  “Tian rules don’t apply to confrontations between Masters, right?”

  “R-Right. That’s true.”

  “Then I’m sure you’ll have lots of people who come, even if no one asks them to.”

  Shu’s face came to mind, then Rook’s, Marie’s, and then the faces of the many rankers and Masters I’d become acquainted with in Gideon.

  Then there was B3’s face and uh... yeah, actually, even Miss Aberration was there.

  I wasn’t sure why, but I felt like these people I’d just thought of would definitely come to Altar’s aid during its eleventh hour.

  Some of them were weirdos or schemers, but I didn’t think that any of these people hated this country.

  Some had Altarian tian friends.

  Some avidly bettered themselves in the Altarian arenas.

  Some had Altarian adherents.

  ...I wasn’t too sure about that one, honestly.

  Still, none of the people that came to mind actually wanted this country gone.

  Okay, sure, Marie and B3 had played a part in the blockade, and Miss Aberration was a schemer, but even so, they wouldn’t be able to sit idly by as this country evaporated.

  I was pretty sure that we all liked Altar at least that much.

  “But...” Azurite said, and then fell silent again.

  “At the very least, I know I’ll be joining the war,” I said. “Sure, I know that doesn’t mean much from a newbie who’s not in any ranking, but I can participate by briefly joining the clan of an acquaintance.”

  The idea of joining The Lunar Society scared me, so I’d probably go for Chelsea’s Golden Pirates.

  “So, even if there aren’t any requests for our cooperation,” I said, “I’d appreciate it if you accepted any Masters who volunteered to help.”

  “That’s... not something I can decide by myself.”

  “I figured. It’ll be a big help if you pass that over to the person you work for, though. Sorry if this seems a bit out of left field.”

  “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

  I could see her close her eyes behind her mask’s lenses. It looked like she was thinking about something.

  Oh, right. Speaking of cooperation...

  “Also, can you let me help you out with your ruin investigation?” I asked.

  “Eh?” She opened her eyes wide in surprise.

  “Like I said, I’m only here to switch jobs. Other than that, I’m mildly interested in history. I have the time and I’m not preoccupied with anything, so I’d like to help you out with whatever you’ll be doing.”

  I planned on joining the war, of course, but if the investigation here would also have a great impact on the future of this country, I wanted to help with that, too.

  I really didn’t want to just leave after doing nothing more than the relatively minor thing I’d come here for.

  “But this is my duty,” Azurite argued. “Also, something that could impact the fate of the kingdom might happen there. I can’t make a Master like you be responsible for something like that...”

  “You’re right. It’s your duty,” I said. “But I don’t think it’s something that you have to bear and do all by yourself.”

  “...!”

  “I’ll help however I can, as long as it doesn’t break confidentiality,” I said.

  If I didn’t help and something bad happened to her, that’d leave a bad taste in my mouth.

  “Also, you mentioned being responsible for the fate of the kingdom... I’m kinda already there, you know?” I added. “Thanks to the scheming of a certain bastard in a lab coat... Mr. Franklin.”

  “...Ah.”

  Naturally, I was referring to the battle against the RSK during Franklin’s Game. If it hadn’t been taken care of in time, a horde of monsters would’ve been released into the city. The vile asshole had even broadcast the battle to all of Altea and Gideon.

  “So yeah, considering what I went through then, there should be no problems with me helping you ou— Why are you crying?”

  Azurite was s
taring at me while bawling her eyes out for reasons I couldn’t fathom.

  Hold on, did I say something bad? Wait, she’s an Altarian tian. Did the very mention of the lab coat shithead resurrect some unwanted memories? That bastard...!

  “Sorry,” she said as she wiped her tears. “You’re right. You were... back then...”

  It was hard to understand what she was trying to say.

  Once done wiping her tears, she looked directly at me.

  “I understand how you feel,” she said at last. “Can I trust you to help, then? With the investigation, I mean.”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she extended her right hand to me. “I’ll be relying on you tomorrow.”

  “As you should,” I said as took her hand and shook it.

  Thus, it was decided that Azurite and I would be investigating the ruins together.

  ◇◆◇

  A record of a certain magical communication

  “Where are you now, Logan?”

  “Just entered Barbaros territory. I’ll be at Quartierlatin tomorrow night. You?”

  “I’m staying at a nice little inn not far from the ruins.”

  “Sure they don’t know about you?”

  “No one in the kingdom knows my face. And I have a web set up. If someone finds out who I am, I’ll be the first to know.”

  “All right. Then we can get this over with the day after tomorrow, just as planned. That works for me. I have things to do on Monday in real life, so... Well, just keep in mind that I can only cooperate until the day after tomorrow. You won’t have me if this takes any longer than that.”

  “Understood. I’ll prioritize your circumstances in this arrangement. I doubt this would take long, anyway... Oh, and I have some extra information.”

  “What?”

  “The younger of the Starling brothers is here.”

  “The younger... him?! The guy who messed up Franklin’s plans twice?! The Unbreakable?!”

  “Yes, the same one.”

  “That is some good news.”

  “Why? I told you about him as a heads-up — a warning.”

  “I’ve had my eye on him ever since he beat a Demi-Dragon at level 0, and him beating Franklin gave him even more value. It’s a good chance to make those who think they’re better than me shut up. So yeah...” There was a pause for effect.

  “The Unbreakable is mine.”

  Chapter Five: Countess Quartierlatin

  Paladin, Ray Starling

  Thus began our second day in Quartierlatin.

  The skies were pleasantly clear, and the morning sunlight leaking through the window was gently warming the room. It was the perfect day for an outing, but sadly, we would be heading for the ruins buried deep inside a mountain.

  “How regrettable,” said Nemesis. “This day is far better suited for sunbathing, picnics, or barbeques.”

  Two of those are food-related, which says a lot about you, I thought.

  “Well, I got an unhealthy amount of sunlight just the day before yesterday, so I’m perfectly fine with not getting to sunbathe,” I said.

  “I’m not quite sure I can see that as a joke,” she shot back.

  Too soon, huh? I guess you’re right. Our battle with Monochrome was just two days ago.

  For all I knew, if Miss Aberration hadn’t fixed me up right then and there, I might still be getting essential medical care at right this very moment.

  Ah, speaking of Monochrome... I’ll have to get some light magic Gems before I go to the ruins.

  “That’s certainly important,” said Nemesis. “But first, we must have breakfast!”

  I sighed. “I knew you’d say that.”

  All the food she’d eaten last night had done nothing to lower her appetite for today’s breakfast. How very like her.

  I sighed at my partner’s gluttonous nature, and we both left for the cafeteria in the main building.

  Once done with breakfast, we went to the lobby to wait for Azurite.

  However, she wasn’t showing up, even when it was past the time we’d agreed to meet.

  “Did something happen?” I wondered.

  “She is a girl, after all,” said Nemesis. “Perhaps she needs time to work on her appearance?”

  “Well, I guess that makes... wait, no, hold on.”

  She wears a mask. What good would make-up do?

  Right as I thought that... speak of the devil... Azurite walked into the lobby.

  “Sorry for the wait,” she said.

  “That’s fine,” I replied. “What took you so long, though?”

  “...I slept in.”

  Now that was a shocking truth. I hadn’t known her for long, but she definitely didn’t look like the type to do that.

  “Ahem.” She cleared her throat. “Now, about our plans for today... would you mind postponing the exploration a bit?”

  “I don’t mind, but why? You got something going on?”

  “I must report my arrival to Countess Quartierlatin and tell her that I will be investigating the ruins. I intended to take care of that yesterday, but things did not go as planned.”

  She’d just casually said that she would meet the noble in charge of this area.

  “It’s really easy to meet up with nobility and royalty in Gideon, so I guess the same goes for other counties too, huh?” I commented.

  “Of course not,” she shot back. “What nonsense are you saying?”

  “Hold on...” I said. “You know how the second princess is in Gideon right now, right? Well, she constantly escapes the place she’s staying at and runs around town.”

  And I worked directly for Count Gideon as a de-curser.

  Azurite made an expression I found hard to describe, and it wasn’t because I couldn’t see half of her face.

  Having been taught by Mr. Langley Grandria, just like Liliana, she’d probably had to deal with Elizabeth’s escapes, too.

  On the way to the count’s residence, I asked her, “Why did you sleep in, anyway?”

  “I’m not accustomed to using bedding you spread on the floor, so it took a while for me to fall asleep.”

  “Ohh...”

  The kingdom almost exclusively used beds, so that had to be a way bigger deal than just switching your type of pillow.

  “The hot spring was magnificent, but getting used to Tenchi-style sleeping would take a while,” she went on. “It’s mildly odd, considering that I had no trouble sleeping in Granvaloa-style beds.”

  “Granvaloa uses hammocks, right?”

  From what I’d heard, they had proper beds, but since the people there constantly used ships, they often had to sleep in hammocks.

  The idea makes me kinda giddy.

  “Yes,” Azurite nodded. “I’ve learned about them through my mentor. He was from Granvaloa.”

  “Basically, bedding can be really different across countries, huh?” I asked.

  “Indeed. You would be especially surprised by Legendarian beds.”

  Legendaria was the country south of Altar, and it was the most fantastical place in this whole world.

  I recalled Marie saying that their Superiors were the weirdest people of all.

  ...Was it even possible to get weirder than our bear-suited KoD, the mild-mannered meathead Over Gladiator, and the High Priestess, AKA Miss Aberration?

  “The beds there are that strange?” I asked.

  “Oh yes,” said Azurite. “They sleep on large flowers or floating clouds.”

  “That’s straight out of a fairy tale!”

  So you can’t even sleep there without being immersed in fantasy.

  “The country is rich in natural magic, so everyday life there is drastically different from here or in any other country,” she said. “That’s why they use such magical beds.”

  “Why does it feel like anything goes as long as you add ‘magic’ before it...?” I muttered, then noticed something up ahead. “Hm?”

  It was a cat. Not just any cat
, but a bipedal cat sìth.

  “That’s...” Azurite said as she eyed it. “It’s immune to Reveal, so it must be an Embryo.”

  Seeing a cat Embryo reminded me of Tom, but his Grimalkin looked like a common, quadrupedal cat. I’d never seen it walk, either. It was always on Tom’s head.

  Also, this cat sìth had another special quality — it was carrying a flute.

  “Hm?” I murmured. A cat sìth with an instrument? That seems familiar, but I can’t remember why.

  “Meow... meow,” it meowed as it walked around.

  It reminded me of that one children’s song.

  “‘Oh, little kitty, lost on the road. Where, oh, where is your home?’ and all that, I guess.”

  Come to think of it, I remembered having thought about this song in Dendro before. Nemesis hadn’t liked the fact that it ended without the problem being solved. I’d thought something like, “Well, it asked for directions from a crow and a sparrow. Of course it wouldn’t find its way.”

  That had happened at the arena, right before Figaro and Xunyu’s Clash of the Superiors, and...

  “Ah,” I exclaimed as it came back to me. This cat sìth had been one of the animals playing music in the plaza outside of the arena.

  The one conducting the orchestra had been an elderly Master with a bird-like hat, but he was nowhere in sight here.

  The way the Embryo walked helplessly around made it pretty clear that it was actually a lost kitten.

  Ignoring that would leave a bad taste in my mouth.

  “Hey,” I called out to it. “Where’s your Master?”

  “We got se-pa-ra-ted,” it replied, not by voice, but by the music it nimbly played on its flute.

  Was that a skill or something?

  Some might wonder if it was even possible for a Master and Embryo to get separated, but I could assure them — it was.

  Nemesis would sometimes wander off by herself to go on eating sprees in restaurants and the like.

  It would help to have a GPS-like way of knowing where your Embryo was, but apparently, that required a separate skill. If all Embryos had come with such abilities, I’d never have walked in on Nemesis and Azurite bathing.

  “Do you know where your owner... I mean... Master went?” I asked.

  “He said he was called by the count-ess,” it replied.