THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

When I go back to the others, K'nor hasn't moved from his position. He is still sleeping like nothing important happened. Willhem and the others have already assembled the bodies in one single place and are burning them. 

The smell of burnt corpses is filling the air slowly while the light of the fire enlightens this particularly dark night. I walk to Willhem and Hendrick and sit between them. 

"They didn't have tongues so we couldn't obtain any information." Willhem is the one who starts the conversation.

"The last time I saw this kind of assassins was during Nivalnheilm's revolution." Then Hendrick comments as well. "People so adamant to a cause that they gave up on everything useless. Going as far as putting poison in their mouths to drink it in the eventp they are captured." 

"You were a mercenary at that time?" I am curious about this story. 

"Nope. I was in the official nivalnheilm's army of the time. I actually against Willhem and lost miserably as well." 

"So that's when you two got to know each other." 

"Yeah, though he was one huge weakling at the time. Because he was always bound by useless rules and codes and shit." Willhem makes a hard face while speaking about that. Was it really that bad?

"Yeah, I was really stupid at the time. I still feel extremely lucky that you didn't kill me like the rest of my unit back then."

"Yeah, my mission was to just stop and hinder your troops. Not to slaughter you guys. Though, I guess I don't really know why I sparred you myself." 

"Right. By the way, those guys are from the Kalor's family. You know of them?" 

Being mercenaries, they should know something about those guys, right?

"The kalor? Weren't they wiped out?" 

"Yeah, I think so. Though, you can never truly kill all the cockroaches trying to flee so it may be possible." 

"I see." Like I thought, they know of them but it would seem I did kill most of them back then.

"Also, they were sent by someone ultra-dangerous. We should be extremely cautious and vigilant."

"Oh, is she strong?" 

"She is." As I say that, I don't know why but my hands are trembling. I even close and open them a few times but it lasts for a minute or so before stopping.

"Oh, somebody strong enough to make you tremble like that. She must be one hell of a monster." Willhem smiles like a child who just receives a new toy. Is he thinking of fighting her? I won't let you, okay? She is mine, alright?

"I am not afraid of her." 

"Yeah, maybe not you. But your body is."

"It doesn't matter. She will die by my hands and mine alone." Though I killed her once but it doesn't count. This time, I will bring her to death's door and give the finishing blow myself.

***

The next day, we resume our journey after deciding not to inform Frankher of the attack. It would be meaningless to tell him about it since we only know that Tatiana is the one responsible. The guy said that she is in a tower near Titan so I will go there once we reach Titan.

We are running as usual but suddenly, I hear the sounds of people fighting. It is still far ahead but it seems to be…

"KRIEKKKK!!!" Yep, Longinus.

"What do we do?" For the first time in ever, I think, Willhem asks me what we should do. Why? He can't be afraid, can he?

"Is it not obvious?" 

"But the old man said we can't fight. Or he will take the alcohol." AH, I see. Well, it is certainly refreshing to see Willhem making a child face. He really is fond of drinking.

"Fufufu. Look at you all shy and bashful. Let's take care of this. I will claim the full responsibility." 

"You got it, boss!!!" Boss? It is not captain anymore. "Let's go guys!!" 

"Yeah!!!" 

They even speed up and when we reach the place where the battle is taking place, they immediately dispatch on it without a second thought. It seems the Longinus are attacking some titanies. A group of five carriages with the same insignia on each of them. Currently, there are almost thirty knights fighting against…

"Fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six. And one kirsurk." 

There are fifty-six Longinus, with five prators and ten dalls, the rest being simple vanguards. The origin of the kirsurk is unknown but it doesn't matter, I guess. I immediately fly to his leg and cut it with Raizen.

"Kriekk!!" 

"Reinforcements are here!! We can do this, men!!" 

"Yeahhhh!!" 

When the kirsruk's leg falls, I hear one of the knights encouraging the rest of the group. It must be a captain of some sort.

The kirsurk tries to grab me with a claw while bringing the other down to help him maintain his weight. I evade then cut the claw it is about to use as support.

"Kriekk-" I don't give him the time to scream and fire two bullets at his head. He didn't get the time to use its head protection and the bullets have destroyed his face. Still, it is alive so I fly overhead and slam it down with a Tremor filled Raizen. Bits of meat or whatever those things are made of flies everywhere as it falls to the ground.

"I already killed three, capt'. You are too slow!!" 

Willhem doesn't even give me the time to bask in the glory of my kill and I am forced to join the fray and rapidly kill other Longinus to not lose to him. We take care of everything pretty quickly. There no deaths on our side and none on the knights' side after we arrived as well. That is a rescue mission well done, I would say.

The knight leader, wearing a damaged armor which still looks good compared to the other guys with him, walks to Willhem and extends his hands.

"I never thought I would get help from the infamous mangradora tongue himself." 

"It is not me you should thank, man. I personally didn't care about your fate whatsoever." 

"I know but still, let me thank you." 

Willhem shakes his hand unwillingly. Meanwhile, a girl, a man and an old man, helped by the man who just got out, leave one of the carriage, the one at the center, and join us. So I was actually protecting my…Rebecca's family just now. If I had known, I wouldn't have. Though, no, they don't have anything to do with my hatred for her or her betrayal. 

Unlike the knight leader, they walk to me instead and the girl grabs my hand. 

"Thank you for your help."

"Huh…Okay." I remove my hand first. There was no need to hold it, was there?

"Haven't we seen each other before?" The man who is helping the gramps walk asks me without even looking at my face. 

"We did. During the schools' tournament." There is no reason to lie so…

"I see. So Frankher sent you then. He is really an intuitive and clever man to know we needed help right now." Now, it is the gramps's turn to speak. 

"Well…" he didn't exactly send us to rescue you guys but since it might help to justify which we fought when he clearly told us not to, let's say it is the case. "Yeah, something like that." 

"Really a clever man. We should make sure to thank him properly later, Imas." 

"Of coruse, sir."

"But grandpa, those guys are the ones who helped." 

"I know, I know." The old man looks at the knight leader and he instantly moves, going to one of the carriages. Surprising enough, even though they were overwhelmed, none of the carriages were destroyed. Those guys were skilled enough to hold on. That's impressive.

The guy then comes out of the carriage with a ring that he passes to the girl. She then infuses it with her Angas. 

"Light, heh…" This is not that surprising but I am still taken aback that there is somebody else with light Angas when people keep saying that it is extremely rare to have it. Though yeah, it guess it is since apart from Cordel and me, I don't think anybody else had it in the eternal academy. 

Out of the ring, gold pops out, not wellis but gold bars. 

"I believe this should be appropriate payment, right? After all, mercenaries only work for money." The gramps's eyes changed into that of mockery. And not only him, even the knight leader looks at me with judging eyes. What is happening?

"Are you not going to pick it up?" The man supporting the old man continues. I don't know why, this feels weird. Like I am being tested somehow. But even that aside, I don't like the way those guys act. The girl is the only one who seems a bit uncomfortable. 

"So stupid." I read the old man and the test is conducting is so stupid. Trying to see if I am worthy of being Frankher's subordinate. Who are you to decide that when your daughter abandoned her son? 

I walk away to K'nor and signal the guy that we can leave with my finger. 

"What are you doing? This is highly disrespectful." While they start leaving, the knight leader addresses me while walking to me rapidly.

"Disrespectful? I will have you know that I am a noble as well. Who is lacking respect now, I wonder. Also, old man, I am no one's lackey. So fix that damn head of yours." 

"How dare-"

Befor the knight leader can reach me, I fly above them and go away. Now, I am sure of it. Everyone in Rebecca's family pisses me off.