THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

After witnessing what those three guys did, I go back to the base. It is the middle of the night so I won't wake up the others now. I change from my armor then go to K'nor and use his tail as a bedsheet. He just opens his eyes slightly then closes them back while yawning.

The next morning, I go and wake up everyone then we sit at the table. It's time to act. yesterday was a very fortunate day so I shouldn't wait for too long.

"So, you found something last night?"

"Yes. Three things in fact."

"In a single night? Wow, captain, you work fast." Don't look at me like that.. I was simply lucky, okay?!

"I was lucky." I was really lucky. If those guys weren't operating yesterday's night. I don't think I would have been able to do anything.

"Luck is part of the talent, Mister Dragonroad." Eduard slides in a rather sincere comment. I don't know if luck is part of the talent but I do know that I am not the lucky type.

"I hope so. Anyway, the first thing is that the possible leader of the group conducting Longinus experiment here is called Theodore. He is young and a bit bulky. Brown hair and eyes, no particular features whatsoever. He using a house with a cleaned and renewed roof. There is a trap door there as well."

"You even have a name. That's some crazy fast work there, captain." Another guy cuts me off while I am talking. At least, let me finish explaining first.

"Shut up, Steve."

"Sorry."

"Continue, Captain."

"Thanks, Willhem. The second thing is that he is working with numerous people. I would say twenty." There were the six people with him inside the house plus the two who capture a woman and the others crystals I felt throughout the city. I think this is a pretty accurate number.

"Just that? I think there is at least four hundred people living in that village, right?"

"Yeah, more or less."

"I know Hendrick but I am talking about those involved with Longinus. Also, be extremely careful when dealing with them because some of them are especially good at using Regas. It won't be easy."

"Well, it was easy, we wouldn't be here. Right, lads?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Damn right!"

Willhem motivates his group then smiles while looking at Eduard. Hendrick looks at me meanwhile.

"So we are moving out, right?"

"If you are ready to do so, then there is no problem."

"Good, captain. May I tell you my plan?" Hendrick then intervenes.

"Go ahead." I am surprised you already have a plan, Hendrick. And also, I thought Willhem would be the one to do so. Does it mean Hendrick is…

"Hendrick is our strategist, sort of." It seems Willhem understood the meaning of my eyes.

"Not really a strategist. I just make sure that this no brain doesn't send us to our death too quickly. If we have to die, at least, let's do it in the most spectacular way. Right, guys?!"

"Oh yeah, baby!!"

"Who is you calling baby, Miguel!! You wanna die!"

"Shut up, shitface!!"

"Oh yeah?!! You wanna go?!!"

"Guys."

Those guys can be really funny when they want. They really look like a nice bunch if you look at it like that.

"Ahem. So, my plan. We divide into two groups. The first group will enter the village normally and prowl in the village while looking for that Theodore dude. The other group meanwhile will go to the identified house with the captain and handle whatever there is there."

"That's a bit of a suicidal plan, isn't it? Those who will look for Theodore are definitely going to end up in a big fi…Of course." I forgot I was talking with mad people. "Let's die in a spectacular way, right?"

"Right!!" They all shout it out like I woke up their innermost desire.

"You guys…Oh well, just try to minimize the victims."

"Good. Richard, you ar-"

"I will move alone. I have K'nor so I won't need help."

"Okay. Then we will all enter the village and find that guy fast. In the meantime, the captain and his companion will take care of the house and capture as many targets as he can. Our objective will be Theodore. We must capture him alive at all cost."

"You will certainly be attacked by the village's guards at the beginning but once they will start to act, I think they help you guys instead."

"Why? I thought they were cooperating with them?"

"It doesn't seem to be the case." If it were, they wouldn't have to kidnap people like yesterday.

"Well, if you say so. Okay, guys. Gear up!"

Willhem gives the order and we all stand up.  I put on my repaired armor, hoping that this time, it won't end up full of holes. The others do the same and after about ten minutes, all of us are ready.

We go out under the clear rays of the sun and while the others start moving towards Oregon, I put on K'nor armor.

"It is a gift from Frankher. We will have to say thanks once we go back."

"Woof!"

K'nor new armor is heavy. Most of it is made of metal and it comes in five parts. The first one enters normally and covers his back and his head. It is made of a hardened leather that is thick as my finger. There are hooks of sort on leg's parts.

"AH, that's where the other parts go." I raise each of his legs and the other parts enter easily. Then the hooks perfectly grip them.

K'nor looks beautiful right now.

"Woof! Woof!" He is happy, seeing how he jumps around with ease and joy.

"Let's go then."

"Woof!"

***

I cut through the wind with K'nor just like back in Karnados. We reach the village fast and jump on a roof. Then, from roof to roof, we reach the base of those guys but at the same time. An explosion occurs in the village. A bit far from my position.

"They have started then."

There are two crystals presences near me right now and both of them are moving in the direction of the explosion.

"Those guys really know how to create a ruckus." Maybe it was a bad idea to let them look for that Theodore guy after all. I am not sure they will be able to bring him back without killing him.

There is now eight enemies inside the house based on the number of crystals I can feel. Maybe the two guys from yesterday are here? Then I can get them as well.

I open the trap door and enter. The house seems clean enough. The first floor where I entered has a bed, a table, everything that a room should have. There is also a book on the table.

"A diary, huh…" How can this guy be so careless? Leaving pieces of evidence like that. I read the book a bit and there are descriptions of the people they have kidnapped and the roads used for delivery and such. Not too interesting but still, it might be useful.

I store it and signal K'nor. He enters through the trap door which is thankfully big enough to let him enter easily. We exit the room and there is an alley that directly leads to the ground floor of the house. There is a room in front of us but I can feel nor hear anything coming from it. K'nor seems more interested in the ground floor as well.

We go down and find three people. No, three Longinus men staying in place without moving. Is that why Theodore called them failures? Those guys don't seem to have any will left. Not just them, even those I can feel behind the door those three are guarding aren't moving. Also, there is the smell of blood coming from behind the door. It must be where that woman from yesterday was killed. I bring out my raizen. It's time.

"Yo."

The three men turn to me but before they can do anything else. Their heads fly. I guess they aren't hard to kill as long as you kill them before they use their berserker mode.

No blood spurts after I have beheaded them. Their bodies immediately start crumbling and so does their heads when they hit the ground. I continue and open the door of they were guarding and find three people inside.

Aside from them, there are two things attached to the walls of the room. They look like some arachnids' cocoon of sort but are completely black. Wait a minute…

"Ah, yeah. It is the-"

"Krieekk!!!!"

Oops. I accidentally talk out loud after remembering that those cocoons look a bit like the one that super strong Longinus. The three of them turn around and use a Longinus's scream. Can't they control their scream? They are going at it so hard their mouths tear apart.