𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏
(1)
Under the piercing blue sky, atop the spire jutting out from the royal palace, stood the Black Neck Squad leader, Ozma.
Resting his chin on his hand atop the parapet and sporting a loose smile, he gazed at the view below. What he saw was a massive space surrounded by castle walls, the royal palace’s front square, opened only during celebratory events and festivals.
As a symbol of the royal family’s prestige, not a single piece of trash lay there, and no weeds sprouted. The magically restored walls and cobblestone pathways shone pristine. It was empty at the moment.
However, a different scene reflected in his eyes.
Thousands of people crammed within the square. Above them, a burst more like a flash than a flame was released. Along with the castle walls, the guards were scorched, with embers scattering. After a moment of silence, screams echoed, utter chaos. Among the panicking crowd, indifferent to their plight, a lion-like demon beast with blue fur, horns, and wings, stood majestically.
ㅤ
“That was, quite a sight.”
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Ozma, sighing as if reminiscing about his first love, suddenly noticed a presence overhead.
In the cloudless blue sky was a black shadow. Slowly circling the vast expanse, this shadow, as if locking onto prey, dove rapidly towards the spire where Ozma stood.
Massive wings sliced through the air, and sharp talons were readied.
Just as it seemed about to strike, the shadow sharply decelerated, erecting its wings, and landed gently on the parapet.
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“Hey there, Tenku. Good job out there.”
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Ozma greeted in a relaxed tone the bizarre man before him, bearing wings of a bird of prey on both arms and talons on his feet.
A subordinate of Ozma’s, named Tenku.
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“Did you come out just to welcome me, captain?”
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Both his arms and legs writhed unnaturally, transforming into human limbs. He remained barefoot.
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“Right now, everywhere lacks information. Inside the royal palace, it’s all chaos.”
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Ozma gave a shrug.
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“If a handyman like me casually shows up, they’ll dump impossible tasks on me. In times like these, it’s better to just relax and enjoy the view.”
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Sliding his hands into his pants pockets, Tenku gracefully jumped off the parapet.
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“So, you’re skiving off?”
“Being on standby is part of the job.”
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The two descended the spire, crossing the courtyard towards the Black Neck Squad’s station. Along the way, they passed several officials. These officials glanced at the two’s neck area and hastily ran off with furrowed brows.
In a poorly lit and damp corner of the royal palace, a storeroom converted into their station, the Black Neck Squad members awaited, five in total including Tenku. All wore black collars, a mark of a top-grade wizard.
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“Hey, everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
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Ozma had Tenku report the reconnaissance results. Utilizing the flying abilities obtained from the demon beast, Tenku had checked the conditions of the kingdom’s second-largest city, Perzen.
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“As rumored, the city of Perzen was surrounded by a swarm of demon beasts. At a glance, there were over a thousand of them. They won’t hold out for long.”
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For now, they are holding up within the fortifications, but some demon beasts are climbing the outer walls, and significant damage has already been inflicted.
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“If that’s the state of Perzen, huh. Didn’t the city of Arche fall?”
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While tending to his nails, a flamboyantly dressed large man with flashy makeup named Paulun shared his opinion. He wore a unique outfit that resembled wrapped cloth, and had an unusually large collar that hung down almost like a necklace.
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“In other words.”
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A bald man with a dark complexion, named Fuuri, asserted with a displeased expression.
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“The Royal Knights, who departed from the city of Arche, have been completely annihilated.”
“Pfft.”
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A young man, who had his legs propped up on the table, burst out laughing while holding his stomach.
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“Gyahahaha. Serves them right!”
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His hair, cut short, stood on end. He had a menacing look with sanpaku eyes and a foul mouth. His name is Battsu. Despite being the youngest in the group, he has the largest attitude because he considers himself the most powerful wizard.
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“Noble bloodline? Loyalty to the royal family? Such things are utterly worthless!”
“You really.”
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The only woman, Tabashika, sighed while resting her cheek on her hand. Her hair was tied up high, and she wore a provocative outfit reminiscent of a dancer.
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“Do you understand the current situation? Sooner or later, swarms of demon beasts will attack the royal capital.”
“Hmph, who cares. Only the weak will die.”
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It was an extremely inappropriate statement for someone benefiting from the nation’s treasury, but no one, including their captain Ozma, reprimanded him. They had always been looked down upon just for being wizards. They genuinely lacked the spirit to protect the country and its people.
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“So, captain, what do we do? Should we perhaps make a run for it at night?”
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In response to Tenku’s teasing question, Ozma shook his head.
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“Unfortunately, if we don’t defeat the “Blue Demon Beast”, there’s no future for us. If we flee now, the kingdom will blame us for the defeat. The position of wizards will plummet, and our lives will only get tougher.”
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The spirited Battsu looked challenging.
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“If we can finish off the prey that the knights failed to capture, it’ll be our win. No one will have anything to say against us.”
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As if to rein in the young man’s enthusiasm, Fuuri pointed out.
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“The “Blue Demon Beast” is said to be at the edge of the wilderness. It’ll be extremely difficult just to approach.”
“Most of the demon beasts attacking came from the wilderness, right? Maybe it’s less crowded there now?”
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In response to Paulun’s perspective, Tabashika raised an initial doubt.
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“Even if we manage to defeat the “Blue Demon Beast”, will that calm things down?”
“Well, who knows?”
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Under everyone’s gaze, Ozma responded as if it didn’t concern him.
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“It’s believed that this demon beast is one of the causes.”
“First, let’s just kill it and think about it later.”
“Ugh, Battsu-chan, you’re so simple-minded.”
“What did you say, old man? You want a piece of this?!”
“Bring it on, brat!”
“Stop it, both of you. It’s stifling.”
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Various opinions were voiced, but this operational group didn’t have the authority to decide. In the end, they had to wait for orders from above.
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“All the information is currently being gathered by Elder Hou. He’s smart, so he’ll probably come up with a plan.”
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Ozma, to whom Battsu conveyed the message as if he just remembered, summarized the conversation.
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“Speaking of which, that old geezer’s messenger came by earlier. He was calling for the captain. He said to stop slacking and come to the room immediately.”
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Ozma turned serious and muttered in an annoyed manner.
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“You should’ve told me that sooner.”
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