Chapter 50 Guardian Shadows (3).
Chapter 50 Guardian Shadows (3).
Chapter 50 - Guardian Shadows (3)
“Why can't you accept this fact? For instance, when the woman named Niberis ambushed the party, why did she go through all the trouble of setting up a stage where there weren't many inhabitants? Truthfully, with the amount of power she possessed, couldn't she have easily wiped a country village off of the map, while conducting her business?"
“Mmm…….”
He was right. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't understand why Niberis went through such a complicated process to mount her surprise attack.
Kairen spoke.
“Those bastards have to be careful to avoid attention from human eyes. If humans other than the Dragon Demon King worshippers spotted them, then the Guardian Shadows will become aware of their existence. The Guardian Shadows will hunt them down.”
“What?”
“Ah. Of course, the system isn't foolproof. For example, I am a member of the Guardian Shadows. If I saw a Dragon Demon King Worshipper, then it is the same as all the Guardian Shadows witnessing it. However, if a civilian spots a Dragon Demon King Worshipper, there is a good chance the Guardian Shadows might overlook it. However, as the number of spectator increases, the chance of the Guardian Shadows noticing goes up.”
“No. Wait a moment. That wasn't the question I wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“It is as if you said…….”
Azell understood the meaning of Kairen's words, so he shuddered.
“The clueless civilians… Anyone who isn't a Dragon Demon King Worshipper is being used as surveillance network?”
“Yes..”
Azell was struck dumb.
4
Azell almost never showed his unrest, but he couldn't help looking at Kairen with a dumbfounded expression.
Who could do such a thing? Excluding the Dragon Demon King worshippers, someone was using everyone as a tool for surveillance? Moreover, this person used the information to move these ghost-like apparitions to stop the Dragon Demon King worshippers?
If the person capable of pulling this off said he was a god, Azell would have believed it.
After a moment, Azell asked a question.
“Do you really think that makes any sense?”
“I understand my explanation might sound like bullshit.”
“So?”
“The problem is, it is the truth. I know it's hard to believe. Even I had a hard time believing it.”
“…….”
“The Guardian Shadows exist to stop the prophecy told by the Dragon Demon King worshipers.”
“Prophecy?”
“There is a prophecy saying that the Dragon Demon King Atein will overcome death to return to this land, and he will make the world right.”
“It really sounds like a prophecy that would be given by an evil church.”
“Isn't it? However, those bastards accept it as absolute truth, so they are growing their power for that days to come. Unfortunately, unlike the other evil churches, they have a great amount of power... There are too many organizations to grasp anything of substance.”
“There are a lot of organizations?”
Azell was confused, so he asked the question. There were a lot of organizations, but not members?
Kairen spoke.
“Yes. For example, I've never heard of the 'Dragon's Shadow', who ambushed you guys. They seem to be an organization with a level-head and some ambition, and they had high quality troops.”
Azell could easily take care of them, but all of the Dragon's Shadow members that showed up would be able to suppress the likes of Giles and Boar. Although Boar and Giles were Quadruple masters with powerful battle capability, the opponents were a step above them. Each of them were capable enough to easily deal with Arrieta.
“It is well known that their headquarters are located in the Field of Darkness, but... The members of the Dragon Demon King worshippers are divided into numerous organizations. They are structured in a very complex manner. Even if there were a lot of them, no one knows which organizations are the core groups. It makes it hard to deal with the Dragon Demon King worshippers.”
“Hmmm….”
“If it wasn't for the Guardian Shadows, the world would be in a worse place right now. Moreover, the Dragon Demon King worshippers would boldly act out in the open.”
“Mmmm. Still, there is a part I don't understand.”
“What is it?”
“When the Dragon's Shadow ambushed the princess, we found out the ambushers were Dragon Demon King worshippers. However, the Guardian Shadows didn’t show up.”
“When you guys realized who they were, were the Southern Border Guards with you?"
"No. It was only the four of us including the princess and I."
“That's probably why. Didn't I tell you in the beginning? This system isn't foolproof. There is a higher chance the Guardian Shadows will realize what is happening when numerous people witness the event. Moreover, the more people there are, the more detailed a report they could get. Instead of the countryside, the surveillance net is much stronger in a major city. It can't be helped, but the power of the surveillance is weakened in a place like the Balan Forest.”
“Hmm. I guess so.”
When he heard Kairen's explanation, he understood why the Dragon Demon King worshippers acted the way they did. They had attacked the party at the Balan forest and the mountain road where there weren't a lot of people. Moreover, they even tried to seal off an area from any outside observation. This was all done because they were afraid of the Guardian Shadows...…….
Azell queried.
“So who made such an amazing system? I would believe it if you said it was made by the god of magic.”
“I have no idea.”
“What?”
“I have no idea where the Guardian Shadows were born from. Someone might know what's the driving force behind them is, but I'm not the one in the know.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Guardian Shadows choose their successors from the living. However, it isn't as if we all know who the other members are....”
“Basically, you can't really call it an organization. The whole thing is a mess.”
“I can't deny your statement. It is as it is. There are only 5 people in this country who know about them.”
“Are you included in this number??”
“Yes.”
“There are only 5…….”
“Each one of us are equal to 100 warriors, and we have vast influence over the world. However, we aren't enough to stop the Dragon Demon King worshippers. This is why the Guardian Shadows exist.”
“The Guardian Shadow is the name of your organization, and it also is the name of these two beings?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm…….”
Azell frowned as he looked at the Guardian Shadows. No matter how he tried he couldn't discern their true forms. It had been a really long time since he had felt these emotions.
Kairen asked the Guardian Shadows.
“Do you want this friend to join as a member of the Guardian Shadows?”
This must be the reason why they showed themselves. It must be why they wanted him to give an explanation. The Guardian Shadows weren’t capable of giving precise explanations, so members like Kairen had to explain everything to his fellow comrades.
‘Of course, in the case that I refuse the offer, I would have to swear a pact of silence before I hear their pitch.’
The pact of silence was a magic rite, and even Kairen couldn't break it.
They had revealed the truth to Azell without making the pact. Truthfully, Kairen was a little bit annoyed. There were too many quirks in their actions that he couldn't comprehend.
「No……」
“What?”
「Not right now… Not yet……」
「We will watch……」
After saying those words, the Guardian Shadows disappeared like smoke.
Azell spoke within the silence.
“They suddenly appear and disappear out of thin air. Moreover, they put a geas on people so people can't approach them.”
“They are like the Dragon Demon King worshippers where they try their best to hide from the masses.”
From the moment the Guardian Shadows showed up, no one entered the garden. Moreover, even those who looked out the windows from the other buildings saw an intricately disguised illusion instead of reality. The Guardian Shadows had casted a barrier around them.
Kairen continued to speak.
“Anyways… They only show themselves to the members of the organization. This time they came here because of me. They received direction information from me instead of the people.”
“Can you have a proper conversation with them?”
“Sometimes it is hard to understand their words, but they understand mine. Of course, I'm not sure about that fact either.”
“Hmmm.”
“I have no idea why they revealed themselves, while putting their trust in you.”
“Anyways, doesn't this prove I'm a trustworthy person regarding the Dragon Demon King worshippers?”
“Mmm…….”
Kairen put on a dissatisfied expression at those words. He looked at Azell for a moment, then he spoke.
“Unfortunately, you are right..”
“I don't know how I should feel about you adding 'unfortunately' to those words..”
“Shut up. Just let me pour you some alcohol.”
Kairen grumbled as he poured Azell the alcohol.
5
After obtaining horses, and equipments needed for the journey, the pace of the travel increased once again. They had already left the territory of the Southern Border Guards and Boar took on the role of deciding which roads they should take.
“We were delayed two days from our original schedule. It would be best if we restocked our food from the Marquis Ventar.”
“We'll do so.”
Arrieta passively accepted the suggestion. Before, she would have chosen the quickest route, but they were now able to travel at a leisurely pace since Kairen had joined them.
After several days, Boar and Giles started to get antsy. They had recuperated for couple days after feeling the aftereffects of battle, but the two of them were martial artists in their prime. They lived to train their body, so they were overflowing with energy from just riding the horses.
On the fourth day, they were almost at the Marquis Ventar's territory, and Azell once again started his sparring sessions with Giles and Boar.
“Since you guys weren't annoying me these days, I was having a good time.”
“Stop being so heartless. Although, Sir Azell does have the skill to back up your behavior.”
Boar grumbled. Now Boar was able to interact with others in a comfortable manner.
Giles smirked as he butted in.
“Since Sir Azell finds us annoying, why don't we play by ourselves?”
“That might be the better option. Sir Azell could entertain the princess.”
“Hey. Hey.”
Before anyone knew it, Giles and Boar had become friends, and Azell could only look on in disbelief. When they were departing for the trip, their relationship had been very rocky. After experiencing several life and death situations, they must have gotten quite close.
It was at that moment.
“A training session… Do you mind if I join?”
“Uh. D...duke?”
Boar was surprised. Before anyone knew it, Kairen had appeared. Boar spoke in a humble manner.
“How can we dare…….”
“I heard from Arrieta that you guys entertained that child. Why would it be different with me?”
Kairen put on a wide smile. He was called the Dragon Sword Duke, and in his territory, he sparred frequently with the knights under his command. The Duke wanted to train himself, but he also wanted to give instructions to his knights.
“I'm used to participating in sparring matches. You won't be injured from me using excessive force.”
“But…….”
“In my territory, people line up to spar with me. Now that I come outside, I'm treated like cold rice.”
“That isn't true. The fact that the Duke is willing to spar us is an honor in itself.”
Giles and Boar displayed a grateful attitude. Kairen was a living legend in the Rulain Kingdom, the idol of every young knight.