Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Thirty-Two - Genesis of Gods

Techno

Per the empire's traditions, when a member of the imperial family is to travel, they must be escorted by no fewer than four well trained guards with reputable prestige. This differs from the church because only high ranking members are allowed to travel with guards, and even then, a single hired mercenary is always chosen over a paladin as an actual guardsmen. In his lifetime, Techno had only been a guard once, and that was for the reverend of the Blood Church's main sanctum. It had been a long journey across the empire from the capital to one of the outermost districts, but he had been paid a hefty sum for his contribution to the church.

In times of war, however, certain allowances had to be made. Although Scott, the imperial crown prince, was going somewhere, his escorts were not empire-approved. At least, the emperor would have a lot to say about the arrangement. The emperor did not like Techno, so he would never be allowed anywhere close to the imperial family. Even though they hadn't met, Techno knew for a fact that the emperor would not like Niki or Fool. They might have been powerful, but they were not officially trained in any martial schools. Niki, too, was a former assassin, and that certainly didn't bode well for escorting an imperial son to a destination. Gemini was the Archmage of the Crystal Cliffs. She was on par with a duchess in terms of political power, and while her magical abilities were nothing to scoff at, she wasn't a trained fighter. The emperor wouldn't like any of that.

The worst part would be that the Blood Gods were not a part of the guard. Alex was sitting on top of the carriage, but she refused to acknowledge Techno in any way. Steve's presence hung in the air despite there being no signs of where he was. They were watching over Techno, but they were still upset with him. Techno wondered if Steve was in the carriage with Shrub and Scott, or if he was hanging off the back of the carriage with Fool. Techno didn't know what he would prefer. He wasn't sure how he felt about the petulant gods at the moment any more than they were sure how they felt about him.

"Is something on your mind?" Niki asked him with a soft voice. She was sitting on the bench of the carriage right beside him. While Techno's hands were wrapped up in the reins to guide the horses (two of them, including Carl). Techno regarded her from the corner of his eye. Niki was a kind-hearted person. She was respectful and helpful, making her everyone's friend at the military camp. Techno, on the other hand, knew that this was only one half of who she was. Her happiness was a remnant of who she was before Schlatt became a tyrant. His rise to power forced Niki to develop a new aspect of her personality. She learned how to kill and torture people for Schlatt's sake. She learned how to hide her emotions and how to intimidate her targets. With the power of the sea serpent at her disposal, she was a terrifying opponent to come up against. She was as cold as the ocean and as strong as a rogue wave. Her main motivation of destroying Schlatt and the house of cards he built to support him was what initially drew Techno into bestowing the name 'Nemesis' onto her. But, despite her prowess, she was his friend, in basic terms. Their time spent traveling together and the few missions they've had together has made it clear that Techno can trust her, probably with his life.

"My emperor would be most unpleased to see who is guarding his son," Techno explained with a shrug. He supposed that being around Wilbur and Tommy was a bad influence on him because he was starting to get better at conversing. He never needed the skill before, not with how the Blood Gods were the farthest from human social situation as one could get and how everyone else avoided him. Wilbur and Tommy were extremely talkative. Wilbur was a little more eloquent than Tommy, but that didn't mean he didn't talk any less. Techno was being forced to respond, lest he deal with their stupidity for longer than he had to.

"The empire seems like such a fascinating place. In all my travels, I was never able to go there. I hope to see it one day. I would especially like to go with my friend. He was a soldier in the L'Manberg army stationed in Snowchester, so he's accustomed to freezing weather," Niki told him with a certain glee in her eyes. She twirled her dagger in her hand, the blade catching and throwing the light briefly as it reached the zenith of its arc. When it dipped down to the nadir, it seemed to flash with an otherworldly power that glimmered inside of the metal itself. Techno tore his attention away from the weapon to keep his focus on the road.