#212
Jeron's Suffering (1)
Jeron, the capital of the Azerion Empire.
The city had gone through a great tribulation due to an attack by the Immortal King just a few months ago, but it was now so clean and tidy that no trace of that time could be found.
From repairing damaged buildings to reorganizing roads and increasing security forces.
The Empire poured effort and capital without sparing as if to erase the traces of that day, and as a result, Jeron was able to look neater and neater than before the incident.
However, even if what happened at that time was no different from a natural disaster and the Immortal King himself took action.
The kidnapping of the heirs of the imperial family in the middle of the imperial capital was a shameful incident that could never be overlooked.
Even the crown prince who was captured at that time has not yet returned.
"Welcome, Princess. Thank you for your hard work representing the empire. "We will take you from here to the imperial palace."
Since such an incident occurred on the day we returned from the first summit, it was natural that the security this time was more thorough than before.
"I didn't know that Sir Stav would come in person. "No matter how far it is from the imperial palace, it is still a matter of moving within the realm of good security."
Princess Riley's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the middle-aged man standing at the head of those waiting for her at the main gate of the Great Temple of Zeron.
I fully expected that the best elites would come out to meet me, but it was still quite surprising that the opponent in front of me came out here in person.
"Didn't something big happen last time when you let your guard down like that? "If you go through something like that and don't prepare, it's not enough to say you're incompetent."
After all, he is one of the master-level knights residing in the capital of the empire.
He was the commander of the imperial guard who oversaw the security of the imperial palace.
As the Guard Knights focused solely on protecting the emperor, it was solely the responsibility of the Imperial Guard to take responsibility for the defense of the imperial palace, the most important facility in the empire.
However, the head of the place personally came out to meet me and was waiting for me all the way from the imperial palace to this place, which was over an hour away by carriage.
"Even if the Immortal King comes again this time, we have made every preparation so that the princess can escape safely, so don't worry."
Stav continued speaking bluntly and slightly lowered his head.
He must have been one of those who fought directly when the Immortal King attacked, and it was a very confident statement, as if he had prepared very thoroughly.
'Now that I think about it, that gentleman was a knight who fought with Hans along with that very strong old man. It looks like he was injured quite a bit at the time, but has he fully recovered now?'
Hesperon, who was watching their conversation from behind, nodded slightly.
Well, a few months have passed since then, so a knight of that level would have had enough time to recover in no time.
"Viscount Pristine? They say so. So don't worry too much."
At that time, Riley, who heard Stave's rant, slowly turned her head and looked at Isea, who was standing behind her.
"…All right. "There is definitely this much power, so it would be inefficient for me to use too much power."
Se-Ah reluctantly nodded and agreed.
Originally, she should have been with the warrior party by now, but now she had asked for their understanding in advance and postponed joining for a while.
Still, considering her strategic value, it is natural that the longer it lasts, the worse it is.
'You can't move through space in the capital, so if you follow us from here to the imperial palace, the round trip will take about three to four hours. I've already wasted a lot of time, but if I go to that extent…'
Of course, that would be a disservice to my colleagues who believed in me and waited for me.
"Then I will leave now, princess."
"I am grateful to you, Viscount Pristine, for always representing the empire. Please take care of yourself."
Isea greeted Riley with a smile as she held her hand.
He then glanced at those who had come out to escort the princess again, then turned his gaze one last time to Hesperon and nodded slightly.
Even though he might not be of much help in a brute force, he was Riley's most trusted partner besides her, so wouldn't just having him by his side be helpful?
Of course, his half-hearted smile that seemed to respond to that actually made me feel more anxious.
"Then, princess. We will take you to the imperial palace. "Let's get in the carriage."
So she disappeared into the main shrine to use the gate again.
The guards and delegation each mounted horses and carriages and began moving.
'Well, I thought it would be like this.'
And Hesperon lightly scratched his head in the carriage, quite far away from the princess.
In fact, it was only natural that a man of no special status could ride in the princess's carriage.
Of course, it would have been possible if Riley had pushed a little harder, but since it was an important time ahead of the crown princess's installation, it was better to avoid doing anything that would cause unnecessary gossip.
'Well, Hans isn't planning on attacking, so it won't be a big problem. Even if something happens, there will be one knight who has reached the extreme, dozens of knights above the upper level, wizards from the Imperial Palace's Magic Tower, and all kinds of magic tools.'
Besides, there was nothing special he could do even if he was next to him anyway.
He had already shown abnormal growth to the point where he had surpassed the low level and reached the middle level, but he was still at a level where he was not sure if he should deal with one of the knights here or not.
'At least it's possible thanks to skills and status.'
He leaned his arm against the window of the carriage he was riding with with the servants of the delegation, and gazed blankly at the scenery outside, lost in thought.
Before his main body fainted, he gave up strengthening his unique skills for a while and invested in his status, so he was now in a state of advancement in all aspects that was different from before.
'I gained new skills that made the investment worthwhile.'
"Monster strength" acquired after strengthening the muscles of the entire body.
"Nervousness" expressed in the sensory system, such as agility and visual acuity.
"Visiting" comes from improving one's mental system, such as reasoning and thinking skills.
Unlike when "Super Recovery" was obtained by only focusing on strengthening recovery, the skills were created by increasing various statuses in a complex way, so the initial correction values for all of them were abilities that greatly exceeded "Super Recovery".
'It's better than nothing for avatars who are already well-established in their respective fields, but it's quite useful for those who don't have anything special yet.'
Even without that, the outstanding abilities were accompanied by skills that compensated for them, showing an unrivaled synergy.
As a result, things that were impossible before became possible…
A representative example of this was Hesperon's initial skill, "Tope of Binding."
'Actually, I couldn't use summoning magic because I couldn't learn it.'
This skill, which provides additional correction upon contract, had no significant use since it was used to maintain the relationship with Princess Riley.
Here, as his mental ability grew significantly and his insight was added, new possibilities began to bloom.
While he was thinking about it, he decided to practice and focused his mind again on "Strength of Unity," as he had been doing all along.
Then, through the weak connection, Riley's presence in the carriage ahead began to be clearly felt.
'If you concentrate more in this state, you can know things like the other person's condition and mood.'
However, I thought that if I went any further, I would end up becoming a real pervert, so I didn't try any further.
Still, now that I've realized the possibility, I think if I use it well, I'll be able to take really good care of my summons when I get them later…
'Hmm? what?'
The moment when I was about to disconnect the "tie of solidarity."
Some of Riley's vague emotions began to flow through that weak line.
Doubtful. Puzzling. And a little caution.
'suddenly?'
His brow furrowed at the incomprehensible fragments of emotion.
That kind of worry was not an appropriate emotion for such a peaceful return trip.
But she wouldn't have felt that kind of anxiety without any basis.
He thought about it for a while and concentrated his mind more to get more certain information.
And at the same time.
Kwaaaang—!
A strong explosion erupted from a short distance away.
"boundary!"
In accordance with this, the command of the Imperial Guard Captain Stave rings out.
Wow—!
Chachaeeng!
The guards, who all drew their weapons, immediately surrounded the carriages, formed a square, and began to emit a sharp force, guarding all directions.
"Lord Stav? What happened?"
"The cause has not yet been determined, princess. "Still, it's dangerous outside, so please close the windows and wait inside the carriage."
From Hesperon's side, all I could see was the back of the princess's carriage, but what I heard in front was definitely the sound of Riley and Stave's conversation.
However, he ignored all the commotion and instead focused more on "the bond of solidarity."
Contrary to the voice heard in her ears, her conviction of sin was gradually growing.
And at some point, some of those feelings changed.
Confusion, surprise, and joy.
And the target those emotions are directed at is.
It was Hesperon himself.
'…I guess my presence can be felt over there.'
If you think about it, it was only natural that the ability in the first place was not to read the other person's mind, but to strengthen solidarity.
When it was faint, I could only vaguely sense the side that was the subject of the skill, but as the connection became stronger, the difference seemed to decrease.
'Maybe we can use this to enable mutual telepathy.'
But that kind of use was something to think about later.
Even though this situation must have been quite sudden for her, some urgent thoughts were passing through her emotions as if she wanted to convey something.
'Suspicious… outside…? Are you referring to the commotion happening now? …no? 'You're not even sure?'
He focused more on the still incomplete connection.
His outstanding growth ability was shining as always at this moment, and as both parties actively accepted the connection, the "string of solidarity" began to stabilize at a rapid pace.
Cooung—! Kwaang—!
Meanwhile, heavy drinking continued to break out in all directions.
I could vaguely hear people screaming from afar, so it seemed like something was going on.
"Don't be rash and don't let your guard down! The fact that something happened in this place today means that the people who did it are targeting the princess! Be suspicious of everything that approaches this place!"
Stave, with his weapon drawn, shouted harshly and entered the square, standing where the princess's carriage and the wizards were gathered.
'Wait a minute, I can't believe I'm doubting it now…'
With a few keywords given, Hesperon's thoughts began to flow quickly.
All of his senses, including his five senses, were wide open and he was quickly absorbing information around him in a state of "nervousness."
Although he was only a mid-level wizard, his specifications could not be defined simply by that alone.
And from the information collected in that way, "Hye-an" extracted some disparate information.
'This is a bit… 'I feel uncomfortable.'
A subtle discrepancy.
Distortions that would not have been easy to notice if I had not been suspicious from the beginning were felt throughout the escort.
Of course, this kind of problem often happens when people have never worked together before, so it wasn't the stage to say anything for certain right now.
'Unless those involved were the Empire's elite knights.'
Instantly, alertness soared in Hesperon's mind and a sense of crisis rang an alarm.
But before he realized what was going on and took any action.
The situation was going to an extreme in the blink of an eye.
Saaaaaaak—
In a world where thoughts expanded and flowed slowly, only a single sword light embroidered the air quickly and beautifully.
For a moment, I wondered if that was really a slow pace.
Quad deuk! Kwasik!
Sigh—!
Red flowers slowly began to bloom in the area where the aura passed.
And just for that alone.
He—there wasn't a single living wizard left around Stav.
'Oh shit! 'Why can't my bad premonitions come to fruition?'
The protective shields and magic tools that wizards always wear are meaningless in the face of the surprise attack planned and launched by Stav, who is a knight of extreme righteousness… and is one of the highest ranking knights.
And the problem didn't just end there.
Many Aurors who had started a little later than him were simultaneously
digging into the bodies of their colleagues… or rather, their former colleagues.
Phew—
"Kuhuh!"
Sigh—!
"What the heck is this…!"
Indeed, there were some who withstood the surprise attack like knights and others who reacted quickly to the sudden attack… but it did not have much of an impact on the general trend.
Of course, many people died in this attack, and the number of those who survived became smaller than the number of those who betrayed.
"Wow! Captain, why…!"
"So you shouldn't have held my hand earlier."
Above all, there was Stave, the imperial guard captain.
He eliminated all the wizards except for a few who seemed to be accomplices, and then mercilessly plunged his sword into the bodies of those who were his subordinates.
-Hannibal Strauss: This is wrong. The death of an avatar is a great loss. At least you get out. The "Hero's Footsteps" that have grown so far will have some effect even in Xeron's barrier.
-Hesperon: If I go like that, what will Riley do? How can there be no way? If the Immortal King shows up now…!
-Hannibal Strauss: Not possible. Where do you think you are right now? You will need at least an hour of preparation time.
And amidst the accelerated accident, Hesperon continued to seek solutions.
As long as the main body has lost its mind, neither reinforcements from the transfer team nor emergency escape using summon cancellation is possible.
Moreover, looking at the way things were going, time was running out and the place was closed off due to a barrier, so help from other avatars was blocked.
'There's no answer.'
To believe that they won't harm Riley right away and escape alone in the "Hero's Footsteps"…
I'm afraid!
…Stav, who was breaking the barrier on the princess's carriage with his accomplice wizard, was so ferocious.
"Please save me! "I will cooperate with anything!"
"Hi! I didn't see anything! please…!"
No, more than that, the atmosphere of the knights approaching the carriage he was in was unusual.
No matter how you look at it, isn't it full of the spirit of murder and destruction?
-Hannibal Strauss: It is impossible to overcome the situation with your abilities. I'll say it again. Abandon the princess and escape now.
'Ah, bitter…! That guy is not helpful…!'
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like it was premature.