Saikō no Chitsujo

Chapter 17 part 2

"Shitty capital, we meet again, huh?" Hijiri barked, tugging on the cloak that covered a good portion of his head.
"I thought with how much Akame and Kanae-chan nagged, you’d keep a lower profile," Mine sighed while fiddling with her temporarily silky black hair, a disguise created for her by Night Raid’s newest member. While Mine might have been cautious of her at first, after observing how much she cared for Hijiri and the amount of trust he placed in her, she decided to give Kanae an opportunity, and one could tell that they were destined to become best friends—not that Mine would admit it.
"But can you believe them? They actually said I shouldn’t push myself, of all people?" Hijiri shook his head in mock disappointment, and Leone playfully tapped his shoulder.
"Can you blame them? It’s not like the capital’s completely safe."
"Leave the old dude be; he thinks he’s the protagonist or something," Lubbock taunted, adjusting the black gloves on his hand to cover Cross-tail’s fingerless gloves."
"Any story that’d have you as a main character would be absolute shit, noodle brain," Hijiri shrugged, snorting at Lubbock’s frown.
"Okay boys, break it up. We’ll be taking our leave now, Hijiri, Mine," Leone guided Lubbock away while waving at the cloaked duo.
Hijiri waved at the two until they disappeared in the tree line, turning to Mine with a cheeky smile and saying, "Okay, my lady, let’s get going."
"You don’t have to do that now, y’know?" Mine muttered, hopping down the steep edge and walking on the path that led to the capital’s gates, her silver-haired bodyguard on her tail. Looking away from Mine, he whistled at the crowded queue trying to get through the gates, breaking into a chuckle and saying, "Looks like the capital’s more screwed than we thought."
 
Roland glanced up as he neared the city gates, raising a brow at the crowd before them. That wasn’t there when we set out this morning? "The crowd?"
"Ah, well, it seems a lot of merchants are trying to take advantage of the scarcity and inflation the capital has been experiencing since the terror attack."
"...that so?" Roland muttered in reply to the soldier’s explanation. "Amongst the crowd are also a few relatives of the deceased." He trailed off at the sight of Roland’s clenched fists, "Terra-sam-." A gust of wind knocked the soldier off his feet. Scrambling to sit up, he noted the absent Roland, his head swiveling as he looked for him to no avail.
 
"So Hij-" Mine shielded her eyes from the powerful rush of wind that nearly tripped her. "What the hell was that?" Her eyes slowly widened at his absence, her dress spinning while she frantically searched for him.
"Oi! Fuckin’ let go!" Hijiri stomped on Roland’s forearm, leaping out of his hold and landing with a grunt, his palm closing around the handle of his newly summoned crystalline axe. "I must’ve gotten really slow if you’re able to catch me, Roland." He barked with a glower, his grip tightening on his weapon.
"What are you doing here, Hijiri?"
"Would you look at this cocky asshat? It’s Hijiri-san to you, or have you forgotten that I-" Instinctively leaning to the left, Hijiri used his axe to redirect Roland’s fist away from him, pushing him off to land a few paces away and dashing forward immediately.
Roland charged at him, and the two clashed, Hijiri’s crystal axe striking against his fists to parry the majority of the blows. His arms throbbed and his legs shuddered beneath the weight of the blows; it was then that Hijiri realized winning against Roland in his current state was impossible.
A large armored shin slammed into Hijiri’s side and tossed him into the surrounding tree line, the sharp pangs of pain holding him in place. His breathing became labored, and his silver lashes partially covered his eyes as his eyelids grew heavy. So my mind’s clear, but my body can’t keep up with my original move sets. "...still," Hijiri spat and glowered at the slowly approaching Roland, "I’ve gotten so damn weak, eh?"
Hopping from a crouch, Hijiri sprinted through the forest, circling Roland. There! His eyes widened and he leaped at him, Roland spinning back to easily counter the strike. "Tsk, let’s try this then." Hijiri tossed the axe to his left and struck Roland’s palm with all his might, ducking beneath the armored left arm. Hijiri’s right foot slid back and his left knee bent forward.
He sucked in air sharply as his palm shot forward, a loud popping sound and sharp pain accompanying the strike. Roland’s vision began to turn, much to his surprise, with his legs slipping on the muddy ground and his body tumbling back and smacking a tree in his path, a few leaves and rain droplets crashing on him.
"Yosh, score 1 for Hono arts and the environment!" Hijiri pumped his fist with a wince, looking at Roland while he asked in a dire tone.
"Why’s your danger beast suppressed? A prideful beast like him won’t agree to be willingly sealed, and you’re far too reckless to do such, so why?"
"Heh," Hijiri tilted his head with a smirk, his tone strangely emphasizing fondness and pride, "looks like your overthinking’s paying off. Let’s head back to-"
"Hijiri!! What the hell happened?!" Mine landed on a tree branch, and Pumpkin—her trusted imperial arm—trained in on the crouching hunk of armor.
"I was just having a talk with our wonderful escort, ain’t that right, Roland-san?" Hijiri grinned wolfishly, ignoring Mine’s baffled look and Roland’s not-so-visible disgust.
Standing and dusting off the leaves and mud from his armor, the wandering knight stated, "Arata-sama believed you might have answers that would aid his investigation into the terror attack that occurred within the capital, and though I doubt your relevance, I have faith in the Arashi’s young lord."
Assisting Mine as she leaped down, Hijiri faced him, his lips drawing into a thin line. "I really don’t give a shit ‘bout the capital, but Arata’s got answers I’ll need, especially since," he gestured at the city with his thumb, continuing, "shit like that can’t just happen when he’s around."
Roland spared a glance at the two for a brief moment, sighing and walking ahead, saying, "Stay close and don’t cause any trouble; I’ll lead you in."
"Wait, then why’d you pick a fight with me, huh? If you knew my beast was suppressed and shit?" The silver-haired assassin stared at him inquisitively, his crimson irises slowly widening when he assumed the look the tall knight had given him when he turned back momentarily. Though, with the presence of the helmet, Roland’s facial expressions were completely hidden, Hijiri knew he smirked at him tauntingly; after all, that was a face he’d make after bullying a person who was previously known to be stronger than him.
Shaking his head with a small smile, Hijiri muttered, "You asswipe." Turning to the confused and cautious Mine with a smile, he chortled, "C'mon, my lady, three cheers for Roland-senpai. Cheers! Cheers!! Cheers!!!"
The silver head’s two companions halted in their tracks, Mine burying her beet-red face in her palms while Roland took off his helmet, not attempting to hide his disgust.
"Oh yeah," Roland raised a brow, "ain’t it a bit too early for this much rain?" Hijiri tasked himself, tapping the muddy ground with his boots.
"You mean your attire was not designed with the empire’s current state in mind?" The wandering knight inquired, gaining his reply from the gesture made to the swordsman’s silver hair. "No worries, Arata-sama will explain everything."
 
                               …
Arata adjusted his black glove and stood before his mirror, pausing and then chuckling dryly at his absent-minded actions. Though he couldn’t see due to his partial transformation, Arata’s senses were proficient enough for his temporary disability to not be a hurdle. But his eyes remained bound, as his currently weakened body couldn’t withstand the strain of wielding dragon eyes or the enormous information obtained by his sight.
A set of knocks attracted him to the door; a gentle click revealed his companion during trying times. Esdeath walked into the room, tugging on her black tie and adjusting her trench coat, eyeing Arata’s black four-piece with a smile as it mirrored her outfit.
"Your outfit is impressive as always, Arata-sama." She closed the distance, coming to a stop before him and reaching for his tie with her gloved palms. Fixing the knot and running her hands down his necktie, Esdeath tapped the side of his face gently, Arata bending slightly while she adjusted his bangs.
Her perfume permeated his nostrils, and her very presence unexpectedly soothed him. His inability to see her simply emphasized the other sensations: her scent and her gentle and comforting touch while her fingers ran through his hair. Yes, Arata was aware that he had grown more fond of Esdeath as they interacted continuously, but what he hadn’t expected was the comfort he felt in having her around. Maybe, just maybe, the general wasn’t as bad as he originally believed.
"I also believe your outfit is wonderful; after all, I trust your sense of fashion."
"Obviously," stepping back, Esdeath’s tone grew solemn, "are you ready to present yourself as the empire’s hero?"
Chuckling dryly, Arata replied, "If I did not know any better, I would believe you are concerned about me." He opened the door for Esdeath, shutting it after himself and falling in step with her, "This must be a joyous day for the Prime Minister, seeing as I am about to become a pillar of hope to the people."
"You say it like hope is a bad thing?"
"Far from it, except in this case, I am simply a distraction for the citizens from their real problems and the ones to be held responsible."
Esdeath sighed, staring ahead. "But even the Prime Minister could not have seen all this happening."
Smirking at her, Arata replied, "Exactly why I said it must be a joyous day; after all, he did not need to lift a finger for it to occur, or at least I believe so. But it does not matter; after all, this is a cross I have chosen to bear."
Esdeath peeked at him briefly, returning her gaze to the stage of the ongoing memorial.
 
"Uhm…Roland-san."
"Hm?" Roland glanced down at the cloaked Mine curiously.
"Why’d you remove your armor?"
"So he doesn’t stand out." Hijiri ignored Roland’s surprised reaction and explained further while fiddling with a black stone: "No one commented on him being the Order of Terra as we passed, so I figured nobody knows Roland."
"Your speaking’s much more refined, Hijiri-san."
"Fuck off." His brows twitched slightly, and his palm closed around the stone.
The emperor’s introductions ended, and two familiar blue heads clad in black took the stage, Arata’s bandaged face causing a ripple of gasps and incoherent mutterings from the crowd.
"Oi Roland!" Hijiri’s tone dropped to a whisper when a few people around him turned at the sound of his voice and asked, "What the hell happened to that bastard?"
"Arata-sama will give you the details after the speech," Roland whispered in reply, his voice hinting at his annoyance.
"Have you told him about us yet?"
"...no."
Hijiri sighed and turned back to Arata, saying, "I should be able to get him from here."
"What are-"
 
Esdeath calmly scanned the crowd, her cold gaze more interested in any hiding enemies than the pained or hopeful looks of the empire’s citizens. Her hand shot before Arata’s face, her gloved fingers closing around an object that made Arata its target. Stepping away with her hands behind her back, Esdeath glanced from the unfazed Arata to the troubled crowd, a frost mist emerging from her palm to encase the mysterious material in ice.
"What the hell are you-"
"Shhh." Hijiri raised his finger to his lips, grabbing Mine’s hand and slipping through the horde, Roland reluctantly following.
While walking down a somewhat crowded street that was lucky enough to be unscathed during the attack on the capital, Hijiri gestured to a bar, saying, "Let Arata know we’re here; I don’t wanna be kept waiting."
"But why’d you do that?" I told you not to cause any trouble!" Roland yelled, his eyes occasionally darting from side to side to search for any trailing soldiers.
"Tsk, noisy," Hijiri clicked his tongue in annoyance, wincing slightly while he reached for his cloak. "I did that so he’d know who’s looking for him."
"Why didn’t you let me tell him then?" Roland lowered his tone at the attention of a few passersby, his annoyance notable even then.
"My way’s faster," Hijiri turned away with a shrug, Mine looking between Roland and him, sighing and jogging after her silver-haired companion.
 
Sidling next to Esdeath while the emperor gave his parting remarks, Arata leaned in and whispered, "General, I ask that you refrain from destroying that item you seized during my speech, if that will be possible."
Shutting her eyes and nodding slightly, she muttered, "Very well."
They turned to the approaching emperor, with Esdeath peaking at Arata after noting the concerned gaze he was given by the child king. "I apologize for leaving such a burden on you, Arata-sama. If only I were a more competent leader."
Arata crouched before him and patted his shoulder with an encouraging smile; his actions were a surprise to Esdeath, who remained silent while she observed, "No one is born perfect, your majesty. Humans are prone to mistakes, but what matters is that you learn from them and grow. I would advise you to encourage those partaking in the reconstruction process in whatever way possible, so the people may know their ruler has their best interest in mind."
"There is no need for the emperor to do such, Arata-sama." The prime minister interrupted the conversation, bowing slightly before the young ruler.
"I did not expect to see you here, Prime Minister," Arata stated, laughing inwardly at his comment despite the situation.
"Of course, I will be present; after all, if not me, who can truly support our dear emperor?" Prime Minister Honest said, expressively.
"Ho?" Arata muttered, visibly intrigued by the noble’s act. A declaration as bold as that could only be made by a select few, the prime minister included. Anyone else outside of that particular circle might just offer themselves for execution on account of treason.
"Ah, General, I noticed during a portion of Arata-sama’s speech that you caught something thrown at his face. What could that have been?" Arata and Esdeath stiffened at the prime minister’s statement, the duo’s expressions fading a moment later.
"You need not worry, Prime Minister. The people are in a fragile state, so one or two tantrums would not be surprising," Arata stated with a smile, tilting his head away slightly at the end of his statement. I am genuinely more surprised that the old fogey was able to note that something was thrown. It seems I underestimated him.
"If you’ll excuse us," Honest placed his palm on the emperor’s shoulder, guiding him away, saying, "The emperor has some work to attend to."
The two bowed before the young king, with Arata noting the fading footsteps before sighing exasperatedly.
"I believe we should leave now, General."
"After you."
 
Hurriedly greeting the few nobles and colleagues that reached out to them, the blue-haired duo arrived at Arata’s office, locking the door behind them. Inspecting the ice casing, Esdeath slid a thumb over it, a crack trailing her finger. The frost separated, and an icy mist escaped as she reached for the black stone inside, placing it in Arata’s palm wordlessly.
He held onto it momentarily, his expression morphing into one of surprise but vanishing just as quickly as it appeared, intriguing Esdeath, who noted the changes.
"General, it seems I need to head out now."
"Might I ask where?" Her brow raised at his statement and the set of knocks that came right after her question. Arata silently strode to the door, opening it to reveal an armored Roland, who simply whispered a confirmation of his assumption. Glancing back, he said, "You need not worry, General. I am simply going to retrieve some answers that I seek."
She sighed quietly. When Arata wished to be secretive, Esdeath knew from her past experiences that getting him to talk was a near-impossible feat. "Very well, I hope for good news."
Arata smiled and closed the door behind him, his optimism rising as he headed to where he hoped he would find the answers to questions that had arisen since the attack on Esdeath and Roland on the outskirts.