Chapter 6 - Sigurd Euphemia

“Are you screwing with me right now?” Kindred couldn’t help but be pissed.

“Hey, look, you white rank adventurer, you’re going to die on your first mission by doing these hard ones, and I’m trying to save your girl so that she ain’t gonna be wasted by some arrogant fool like you. We are orange level adventurers and good ones at that. We use our fists ‘cause we don’t believe in weapons. Who are you?” The man justified himself.

Kindred turned around and raised his hands, “Hey, lady, is this seriously allowed? Where the hell did righteousness and fairness go? I saw that on the form you made me sign. They signed it too, right? Aren’t you supposed to get guards and stuff to stop this madness from continuing?”

The lady didn’t even bother with him and continued to tap at her calculator for reasons Kindred didn’t bother to know about.

“...”

“Oh, so you’re getting worked up now. What the hell are you going to do? Ask mommy next?” The man gave a cocky grin before looking at his squad members behind him who laughed along with him.

Kindred sighed. He decided to resort to violence. He walked up to the man, who seemed completely confident that the man in front of him was weak. Kindred simply went for the neck. He was going to scare the man through a choke. There was very little speed and strength in the hold. However, it was still daunting for the relatively weak adventurers.

When the man finally processed what was happening, he tried to push it away. Yet, to his surprise, he couldn’t waver the firm arms of the man in front of him.

“Wai---” He was interrupted by a hand on his throat lifting him up into the air. His teammates were equally surprised. One of them immediately shouted, “Wait. What? Stop. I said stop it. Let go of Kenzar.” Of course, Kindred was already committed to choking the captain until he was a second away from dying.

Kindred tapped his chin, “His name is Kenzar? Nice to know.” He was completely ignoring the fact that four men were trying their hardest to punch and scratch him.

He stared at Kenzar’s face, watching the normally pale face turn red and finally to blue.

Kindred finally released his grip to the relief of Kenzar and his men. They pulled on their captain and left the room after making one last remark, “That’s right, be afraid of our fists. You better drop our captain faster, or else you’ll be dead next time.”

“Che.” Kindred did the first thing that came to mind.

“Dred-sama, would you like me to kill them?” Ruby whispered to Kindred.

“No, leave them alone. I don’t care about them. Perhaps, they’ll even help us with those flappy mouths of theirs.” Kindred smirked.

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They left the guild and split apart. While Ruby began starting on the missions, Kindred decided to wander around in the empire.

Oooh, these things taste hella good. I guess it’s like akumaki from back home. Kindred looked around at the street shops and occasionally snatched things that caught his interest. He would’ve considered buying them, except, he had no money. Money was one of his priorities. It was part of the reason he went to the guild. Strength was heavily rewarded in a world completely dominated by it. As such, adventurers were well-paying jobs.

Funnily, at first, Kindred thought that it was going to be the opposite. He took the meaning of adventurer more literally and thought that it was about exploring. Exploring did not necessitate strength. Back at home, explorers would be scientists whose only strength was knowledge.

Before long, Kindred arrived at the front door of an incredibly fancy house. Using the blueprint Ruby had given him, it wasn’t difficult to understand that this was a second-rate noble’s house.

Kindred breathed in, wow...this fancy-ass house is only second-rate compared to the king’s mansion? It definitely looks like one worthy of a emperor’s mansion anyway. What would a royal house look like when this is only that of a noble’s…

Well, actually, he already knew what they looked like. He just couldn’t stop himself from thinking that.

He knocked. Immediately, a butler calmly said from behind the door, “Please state your business. Please understand, as this humble house is under the jurisdiction of Lord Euphemia, the most influential noble in Chirenth Empire, very few guests have the right to enter.”

[Cast [Absolute Control Tier 3] ]

“Let me in. I am going to talk to your lord, Sigurd Euphemia.”

“Of course, milord. You are the true lord; I dare not put his name above yours.” To his own frustration, the butler opened the door and welcomed the masked stranger. What am I doing and saying…

Kindred entered, taking off his shoes and revealing his pale feet. The butler quickly produced a pair of slippers for Kindred to wear. Seeing multiple guards around the house, Kindred decided to silence them all.

[Cast [Mass Mind Oblivion] ]

“Where would Sigurd be?”

“I would assume he would be in his study room. Allow me to lead the way.”

“Aii.”

They walked up 2 floors before finding the door labelled “Study Room”.

The butler knocked on the door after being given the okay.

An elderly-sounding voice answered, “Yes?”

Kindred walked in and smiled under his mask, “It is I.”

Turning around from his work table, Sigurd finally realized there was an intruder in his house. “Guards! Guards! Help! An intruder!”

“Calm do---”

“Help! Help! Someone!”

“Calm down, nobody’s gonna help you.”

“Who are you? What the hell do you want? I have money. I have power. And women. What do you want? Please, please, don’t kill me! Stop, stop, don’t get any close. Listen, I’ll give anything you can dream of,” Sigurd began begging as soon as he understood the man in front of him had killed (not really) all of his guards.

“No, no, I just want a nice little talk.” Kindred calmly stated. Sigurd kept silent.

“Aii, I’ve heard of your thoughts. From what I’ve been told, you are a rebellious child.”

Sigurd didn’t like this situation. The masked man had stated two things right off the bat. One, someone was looking at him, perhaps a betraying subordinate. Secondly, the word “child” connoted superiority. He didn’t doubt that the man in front of him was much more powerful.

Perhaps, he is back from Thenada Kingdom? I’d believe it. The people at the Kingdom are incredibly powerful. I moved to this stupid place because I’d rather be the head of the chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Screw this guy, he probably knows I betrayed them.

Actually, what Kindred meant by rebellious was different:

“You hate the emperor don’t you? You want power. Much more power. You have quite the hold already, but… but, it’s not enough isn’t it? You’ll start with the emperor. Then the Thenada Kingdom? You’ll keep going…”

“N-no, I wouldn’t dare be-betray my empire.” Sigurd finally attempted to gain his composure and stood back up. “That would be blasphemy. I love my empire as the next man.”

“Then, what if I told you that I could touch your head and find the truth?”

“No, stop, stop, you’re just trying to assassinate me. Heh, I bet you can only kill me by touching me... I’ll get you first.” Sigurd toughened up and pulled out a magic mini-crossbow of some sort. “I really will shoot you. Get out… Leave this instant. Else, I’ll really shoot you. Really.”

Kindred let out a very loud laugh. “Really, really, really… Why don’t you continue to try to persuade yourself that that little weapon is going to kill me. Perhaps another ‘really’ will solidify the deal don’t you think?”

“I’m shooting now!” Sigurd screamed at the top of his lungs before releasing a magic bolt.

It bounced off the mask and dissipated. Not a mark or a scratch was to be seen.

“Hahaha. You must be internally damaged. How’s your brain? You see the power of this weapon? I will continue to shoot! Try to run!” Sigurd had already become hysterical. He refused to believe that the weapon had done nothing.

“Pfff, hahaha. You stùpid, delirious man.” Kindred advanced onto the crazed man who repeatedly shot the bolts to no avail.

…

Sigurd had pressed himself against the bookshelf with Kindred’s masked face right next to his own. He was sitting down in complete despair, finally accepting the fact that his crossbow was useless.

Kindred took off his mask and revealed the young, blonde-haired face. He then grinned, showing off two fangs.

“Y-you. You. You’re a monster. Stop, stop, don’t kill me. Please, please, please.”

“I already said that I just wanted to talk. You made me pull my teeth out, no?”

“Stop, ok, let’s talk.” Sigurd pleaded.

“Good! So, as I was saying before, all I want is you to aid me to power. Okay? That’s what you want as well, right?”

“... Y-yes. I just need more military power to defeat Emperor Verinas.”

“Exactly. So, I’ll just give you some of my men to take over the empire.”

“Yes.”

“To make one thing clear, you better have a plan on how to make you the good guy. Justify your coup d'état. Give me a good show.”

“Yes.”

“Good, join me. Join Mordekor. Become my slave and I’ll grant you life and the power you seek. Else, I will torture you until you do. Here’s a blood contract. I see the choice won’t be too difficult.” Kindred bit his lip and let a drop of blood flow onto a piece of parchment. It wasn’t really anything. It was all for show.

“Okay, I’ll sign it.” He fumbled for a pen before signing his name on it with no hesitation.

The text was simple:

Become a slave of Mordekor and a servant of Kindred, the benevolent tyrant, the merciful executioner, and the Undead Lord. An act of betrayal encompasses regret forever. Unless, of course, you truly are able to escape our reaching grasp as we will forever commend the strong.

Honestly, Kindred was incredibly embarrassed by the contradictory titles that his maids had made official in the tower of Mordekor. But, it was true that he commended the strong. Anyone that could beat Seth in stealth would be let go. Any grudges would disappear. It was purely out of respect for the capable.

[Cast [Temperature Change: Increase 25%] ]

[Uncast [Temperature Change] ]

Sigurd felt it. Some kind of sign was all that was needed to confirm any doubt inside his head. He unconsciously knelt and dropped his head.

Kindred squatted next to him and began to smile and affectionately scratch Sigurd’s head and chin to tacitly tell Sigurd he was only a dog.

“We’ll meet soon. Be a good boy. Master will be back later.”

Kindred disappeared.

[Uncast [Absolute Control] ]

[Uncast [Mind Oblivion] ] (AN: For the guards and the butler)

Sigurd finally released all the tension in his body.

“My deepest apologies, my lord. I don’t understand what was going on in my head. Please forgive me.”

“No, no. No worries. Perhaps… perhaps, today is a day of celebration. A celebration for my rise to power. That man is my key.” Sigurd began to laugh.