chapter 9
What happened on the way to the imperial castle
The inside of the large wagon was like a small room.
Unlike normal wagons, it was very stable enough to drink tea with very little shaking, and thanks to that, the children comfortably watched the outside while eating cookies and drinks.
But even in the midst of that, there was a child who didn’t even look outside and carefully looked at the man sitting across from him… … .
“My lady, do you have something to say to me?”
It was Allin.
After a moment of hesitation, she opened her mouth.
“Did you say Uncle James?”
“Five… You remember my name.”
“yes! I’m memorizing all the other guys’ names too.”
“Haha, you are very intelligent. Your lord will like it. Why did you call me anyway?”
“Are you the captain of the other uncles?”
A look of interest began to appear on James’ face.
“Why did you think that?”
“All the other guys are going outside, but you’re the only one here.”
“Someone has to keep this, and maybe I was lucky enough to be chosen?”
Aline shook her head.
“no. Uncle is the captain.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“I just feel that way.”
James smiled at Arlene’s confident eyes.
“There are people who instinctively feel what kind of person they are the moment they see someone. They say it feels good.”
It was like that from James himself.
“So if I’m the captain… Do you have anything to say to me?”
Arlene looked at James with longing eyes and said.
“Teach me how to fight.”
“It’s a fight… Wouldn’t it be better to learn from your lord?”
“The captain is my style.”
Embarrassed, James stepped aside.
“I-I’m older than I look… … .”
Realizing what James was misunderstanding, Arlene blushed and shouted.
“It’s not like that!”
“Hmm, that was a joke. By the way… How can you be sure that my style suits you?”
Aline, whose face was still red, said with a serious expression.
“Most of the powers my father used came from his traits. He was born with good traits and realized them to the limit with natural talent. In terms of characteristics alone, there is no superhuman on the continent who has reached a height as high as his father. So, although the characteristics have bloomed, it does not fit your style, which requires direct armed force. I heard that.”
Who the hell is looking through the master like this?
James asked, looking at Arlene with trembling eyes.
“… Who said that?”
“Brother.”
There is only one person she calls her brother.
‘Brother Martin… … .’
James was really surprised and couldn’t contain his joy.
His eyes were wet with emotion.
“How long has it been since I met my lord… … . Bocchan is a really great person. The next generation of the Lamott family will not have to worry. Did the Bocchan do that? You want me to learn how to fight?”
“I just said that I would know if I saw it, but I didn’t pinpoint the man.”
“You must have looked at the young lady properly… … . What a wonderful person!”
Arlene blushed again.
“Are you looking at me properly?”
“Yes, isn’t that the right advice for you, my lady?”
“My brother was taking good care of me… … .”
James asked her muttering to herself.
“As far as I know, a lady’s characteristic is the use of power beyond its limits. Is that correct?”
“yes.”
“Since the characteristics are like that, in the end, instead of strengthening the characteristics themselves, when the lady uses her power beyond the limit, she should learn something like simbeop or chess to control that power.”
“Right! My brother did too!”
“From that point of view… I match her style well.”
“then… … ?”
Arlene’s face was stained with anticipation, but James shook his head sadly.
“Unfortunately, I cannot teach the young lady.”
“why? Do you hate me?”
“My martial arts is specialized for the male body type. The lady can’t learn it… … .”
“That, like that… … .”
Aline lowers her head in disappointment.
James, who felt sorry for her, opened his mouth after thinking for a while.
“I will try to find a superhuman who can be the lady’s teacher. There are a few people I can think of.”
“… really?”
“How could I lie to you? If you have any troubles like this in the future, please find me. He is nothing compared to his master, but he still has his own abilities.”
Arlene nodded quickly.
It means that I’m not a superhuman enough to describe myself as ‘myself’ just by comparing myself to my father.
“thank you!”
“Thank you very much, lady.”
In this way, Ali succeeded in building a friendship with James Redford, the leader of the Phantom Knights, Pedro’s direct subordinate.
* * *
On the side of the road leading to the imperial castle, two people are sitting on a large rock.
Many people passing by the boulevard used to look at it with curious eyes.
It’s not because the two are curious. I’ve passed this road countless times, but it’s the first time I’ve seen a rock like that.
Among the two, the elderly man, who seemed to be a good 2m tall, sighed with a dissatisfied face.
“Can’t we just get rid of the rock and wait under it?”
In response to his complaint, a small woman with a height of only about 150 cm, more compared to an old man, opened her mouth.
“If you’re not satisfied, go down and wait.”
What was unusual was that the woman spoke carelessly even though she seemed to be only about the age of the old man’s granddaughter, and that the old man took her tone for granted.
“after… I’ll just wait here. By the way, are you sure your brother is passing through this place?”
“older brother?”
“Fantastic words, cheers! Aren’t we waiting for cheers here?”
“Oh, Pedro?”
“yes.”
“not really?”
“yes?”
“I’m not waiting for Pedro?”
At her words, the old man Cedric’s face contorted.
The reason Cedric followed the woman from the beginning was to meet the cheers.
But don’t you ask me to follow you because the place suddenly changed on the road you used to go on, so I followed you and waited for a week in this empty place, and now you say that I’m not waiting for cheers again.
It’s a really frustrating situation.
Cedric asked in a calm voice.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Is there any reason why I should make fun of you?”
“Then why are you teasing me like this?”
“I didn’t fool you.”
Cedric finally exploded at those words.
My heart swelled and my mana burned.
“Didn’t my brother hold me for a week on a road where he wouldn’t come!”
Hearing the sound of a magic bullet, the woman opened her eyes and turned her face to Cedric.
Cedric met her eyes and swallowed a gulp.
He met her eyes many times, but each time Cedric felt like he was drowning in the depths of the ocean, where no one was around and no sound could be heard, and it still is.
‘… Why did I do that?’
The momentum of a superhuman who has reached eight stars is useless in front of her. The roaring anger faded in an instant.
Seeing him like that, the woman turned her face to the front again and closed her eyes.
“I never lied. Pedro come here.”
“… Didn’t you say you weren’t coming a moment ago?”
“I told you it wasn’t Pedro who was waiting.”
Cedric thought for a moment and asked.
“Then didn’t the queen come to meet you from the beginning?”
“okay. The human I will meet is with Pedro right now, so I just brought you who wants to meet Pedro.”
Cedric turned his head away from her and pursed his lips.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you said this from the beginning?
Anyway, this queen is too quiet even without words.
“Then I will wait patiently. But there… … .”
“what?”
“Because I have a question.”
“Say it.”
“Who will the Queen meet?”
“Someone who can do things I can’t.”
Cedric’s eyes widened.
This queen, who seems to have to give even the top 10 superhumans of the continent a hand, can’t do it!
‘If there’s such a thing, shouldn’t I meet my older brother?’
Because out of the 5 heroes, no one has abilities closer to omnipotence than my older brother.
But the woman spoke as if she had read Cedric’s mind.
“Even Pedro can’t do it.”
“… Can he who is with his older brother do it?”
“okay.”
Who is it?
Sword Saint?
not. He only knows how to handle a sword, nothing else.
‘Not even common sense.’
In that respect, the other three heroes are no different.
So Cedric thought that Pedro was with a hermit who was hiding his identity.
“Here he comes.”
Pointing with her finger at the approaching carriage, the woman jumped off the rock and walked to the middle of the boulevard.
“Let’s go together!”
Cedric also followed her.
After a while, the coachman stopped the carriage when he found her and Cedric standing in the road.
A superman who was riding near the wagon approached the two and opened his mouth.
“The procession of the Duke of Ramote’s family. Why are you standing blocking the road… Ugh!”
Cedric grinned at the startled Superman.
“Illusion Knights, right?”
“No, that’s right.”
“Since you always go with your older brother, do you even know who I am?”
“Yeah, yes. ah!”
The Superman got off his horse and bowed his head towards Cedric.
“Meet Count Lu. I am Daeron of the Phantom Knights.”
“Six stars… Was it at the level of a foreman?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you anyway. I would like to see my brother.”
“He’s not here right now, but he’ll follow you soon.”
“Right.”
It was then that Cedric nodded.
“I have to go.”
The queen muttered softly.
Cedric frowned at this and said.
“If you wait, it will come, won’t it?”
“Pedro has already entered the imperial palace. I can’t even wait.”
“What else… … .”
Her finger pointed far behind where the carriage had passed.
“The person I’m looking for is over there.”
Saying that, he grabbed Cedric’s arm.
“Why, why are you like this?”
“Humans are dangerous.”
“I just went to the imperial castle… … .”
Before Cedric could finish his words, the ground beneath her and Cedrick’s feet was enchanted.
“Hey, this! not… … .”
Soon, the two disappeared as they were sucked into the black circle that formed on the ground.
“… Something?”
When James approached, Deron explained what had happened so far with a bewildered face.
James sighed as he closed his mouth.
“The Earth Queen has come.”
“Are you the Queen of the Earth?”
“There is such a person. Anyway, report to the lord… Oops, if you’ve already entered the palace, the communication port must be out of order. Yes, you should take the young ladies and the young lady to the imperial palace and find the master. I need to go to the big boy.”
“yes? Lord is still… … .”
“done. If the queen is like that, so be it. Then let’s go first.”
Just as James was about to move, he heard Arlene’s voice from behind.
“Can I go too?”
“… Let’s go together.”
James, who lifted Arlene with both arms, also disappeared from there.
Left alone, Daeron shook his head.
“What the hell is going on?”