[ Moments before Kuro went inside the city ]
Karin, who was protecting the small child's innocence, was speaking to Kuro, who had multiple fire-formed knives around him, covered in the blood of a nearby bandit cave, "So, what kind of training did you undergo? Seems to me like you've gotten better than last time, and sharper too."
Kuro responds while cleaning up his fists, "Let's say it was a training from hell."
"I see... But was it so hard to the point of hearing people from afar?"
"My senses have been trained to its peak."
(I can't say that this is all thanks to my teacher teaching me Dragon slayer techniques.
Dragon slayer techniques. Though the name implies that it is a compilation of offensive techniques used to take down Dragons, they aren't. Rather, they are techniques worthy of rivaling the Dragons' might. And if a Dragon were to learn it, their strength would be catastrophic.
The time when this was technique was passed on, it was now known that there were 2 types of mana. The normal mana, and Dragon mana. In order to gain access to Dragon mana, one has to first use a Dragon slayer technique. How can it be used when there's no Dragon mana? That is one thing even I fail to understand. Even my master failed to do so.
However, one thing's for sure, I succeeded. It might be my willpower of some sort, but even then, my master said that many failed to do it.
After casting one however, it all goes uphill from there.)
Kuro burns away the blood from his clothes and body.
"I've always wondered... How does your clothes never burn at all?"
"Well, unlike normal cloth, this was from a monster which Rai didn't disclose to me, but from further testing at the time, my clothes never burned, and it regenerates from tears when inputting mana in it."
"Is that so..."
"What? Don't tell me you want to see a 16 year old kid strip in front of you."
Karin throws a rock at Kuro, "I'M NOT THAT PERVERTED YOU IDIOT!"
"Haha, alright alright, I'm done sterilizing myself, gimme."
Kuro takes the child from Karin's arms and hugs her.
"You really like kids huh."
"Can't help it, I like hugs. But kids like her? She's adorable and worth protecting."
"Ah... A pervert..."
"I'm not like you who'd question a kid about how his clothes don't burn."
"AGAIN, I'M NO PERVERT!"
"WELL I'M NOT THE ONE WHO STARTED IT NOW DID I?!"
They then started laughing at each other. After laughing however, Karin "Well anyways... What are you gonna do about that bandit?"
Karin points to the bandit who's terrified for his life.
"Please spare me! I'll give you everything, just spare my life!"
"Ah this guy?..."
Kuro then turns back to Karin as he gives back the child to her, "Please promise me not to tell anyone about what I'm going to do."
"What?"
Kuro then gets closer to the bandit.
The bandit, now becoming more and more panicked with each step Kuro takes, "No, PLEASE NO! I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING! I WAS BRAINWASHED, HYPNOTIZED!"
"Don't worry... THIS WON'T HURT."
Kuro's crown appears once again on his ring finger. This time, it was glowing as his hand was in front of the bandit's face.
"As your King, I order you, after I buy apples from a stall in the city we are going to, I want you to steal from someone and run to my direction, but don't run to me. Try to escape. If you're caught, confess everything you've done to the guards."
The bandit, now blank and emotionless, answers like a robot, "Yes, your highness."
"Now, follow us, but enter the city moments after we enter."
"Yes, your highness."
Karin, now terrified of Kuro, holds out her weapon while protecting the child behind her, "You're- YOU'RE A KING?!"
Kuro seems unfazed by her reaction, "Please keep it a secret."
Kuro pushes her crossbow down and points to the gold from the cave. Of course, even she couldn't say no.
Moments later as they get out of the cave with the bandits' gold, Karin grabs Kuro's right arm.
"Your nose."
"... Ah, I guess it takes too much after all to abuse it."
Kuro's nose was dripping with blood.
"Why are you hiding the fact that you're a King?"
"Well... Too bothersome. I hate formalities and shit like that, isn't it best to find trustworthy people not because of your status, but because of who you are as a person?"
"Don't dodge the question Kuro. If you're a King from a country that wishes destruction, then I'll have to stop you here on out."
"Look Ms. Karin, I don't give a fuck about conflicts and shit, all I want is to live how I want, be it a crook or a farmer. All I want is to live a happy life that I-- ?!"
"That you... What?"
"No, forget I said anything."
"No, I won't let go until you tell me."
"Tch, annoying. Just know that I won't cause too much trouble in the city."
"Then tell me this instead, where do you come from?"
"..."
"... Kuro?"
Kuro, caressing his brows, sits down on a nearby flat rock, annoyed at his slip-up, "Let's-- sit down at least, it's going to take us a while if you want to hear the full story."
"... Alright."
Sitting down on the flat rocks nearby, Kuro and Karin talk privately while the child plays with the wolf.
Kuro sighs, "As you've heard, I was one of the sole survivors in my village. The Guardian village, it was filled with Dragonkins whose task was to prevent wars from around the continent. My father had married a human girl. They both fell in love and she was the first and only human to be housed in the village. They gave birth to me, the first half-human and half-Dragonkin. It was unprecedented as both humans and Dragonkins had a relationship that although neutral, it was to the point that they wouldn't meddle in each others businesses. However, on my 7th birthday, that was when the cause of our village's demise came."
Kuro's hands hardened the moment he remembered that being's face.
"That damned Dragonkin. He came in without a moment's notice and obliterated half of our village's manpower. Even as my father and everyone who could fight attacked it, they were all overpowered, even to my father, who was known as the strongest chief born as Shin's offspring."
"You're Shin's grandson?!"
"Yeah. The one and only. At least from what I could gather all throughout these years from studying Shin's origins and all."
Kuro transforms his arm into his Dragon form, showing his signature silver scales.
"Although I'm like this, my father's race was from his mother, Fire Dragonkin. And yet, even then... He still couldn't kill that bastard. Even when hit with the most destructive ability that cost both my mother's and father's life, give it a few lightning bolts and he'd stand as if nothing happened. Fucking bastard."
"What the..."
"We had to escape... There was no choice. The remaining survivors and my group split up to give the monster some confusion as he was down. I don't know what happened to them, but we managed to escape. The next thing I know... We were at Rai's house, being treated."
"I... I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I understand your reasons for suspecting me to be an enemy or a potential threat, seeing how dangerous Kings are first-hand. After all, I nearly died to two of them."
"TWO OF THEM?!"
"Yeah, I forgot I never told anyone about it."
"Geez... You keep surprising me huh..."
"Now, are we good?"
"... Well, I can't really feel as if you were lying to me. Either you're a really good liar, or you're telling the truth."
"No shit I'm telling the truth, why the fuck would I lie?"
"Yup, that's you alright. You're good."
As they stand up to head into the city, Karin asks Kuro once more.
"Kuro, why did you order the bandit to steal?"
"Oh that? Don't worry, I intend to catch him once he steals. The only reason as to why I did that is to test myself. My master did say that using the power of a King is hard, but I wanted to see how hard it is. Turns out..."
-----------------------
-Present-
Kuro blows away the blood dripping down his nose, (-- It's harder than I thought.)
As Kuro was carrying the child and the wolf, they were running through the roofs. Finally reaching their destination, Kuro lands down slowly so as to not make it harder for both the child on his head and the wolf on his arm.
"So Karin, how's it going?"
"Haa... Well, we can't strike a deal. He's demanding too much."
"I'm sorry Miss, but we simply cannot take such an offer without profit!"
"Alright, I'll be the one talking now."
Kuro trades the papers from Karin's hand with the child and the wolf.
"Uh-huh... So these are your terms? 300 thousand Jennies... How much do we have again?"
"Half of it."
"And this is the lowest you can offer?"
"If you'll keep your word of the fact that you'll be providing the materials, yes."
"Reason as to why this shit's expensive?"
"Legal matters, construction and lack of manpower since there's a lot of things being repaired at the academy."
"Yeesh that's a problem alright."
Kuro, annoyed, hands back the papers to the construction leader, "How about this proposal: we pay you the 5 mil now, and the rest later with interest?"
"What?! Isn't that preposterous! How will we know that you won't give us the other half? And what's an 'interest' anyways?"
Kuro sighs once more, "Haa... Right. Basically, for a period of time, I pay you more than 10 mil overall. Meaning, depending on the time, the longer it is, the more money you'll get."
"I see... But how can you guarantee the payment?"
"Contract. Failing to pay any amount more than or equal to 10 thousand Jenny without interest will result to imprisonment and temporary enslavement to get the needed money in order to pay it."
Karin jolts upon hearing Kuro nonchalantly say that they would be slaves, "O-oy..."
Kuro, whose stress had been piling up more and more, hits Karin with his elbow to the pit of her stomach.
"-Guh!"
The man coughs, pretending to ignore what they just did, "Alright, we'll accept your terms."
"Splendid. Now then, since I'm not of legal age, I am not allowed to grab those papers, so can you get it yourself sir?"
The man sighs, "Well, alright. What about you two? How are you gonna get the money now?"
"I have the perfect solution for that. Ms. Karin."
"What is it now?"
"Can you register me as an adventurer?"
"I- Wait what?"
"Yeah, I'll register as an adventurer and get the money."
"Wait, is that even alright to begin with?!"
"No shit it ain't."
"Then-"
"That's why I'm not going to register as 'Kuro'. I'm going to register as someone else."
"Ah... Yeah, that makes sense. But why not me?"
"Well first of all, as powerful as you are, you can't abuse the laws since you're only allowed to take quests one tier lower and higher than you. Not only that, but you're also illiterate when it comes to laws, so you really can't abuse its loopholes."
"Well, if you say it like that..."
"Not only that, but even if the quests you can take give off good rewards, but they're also scarce and lengthy, sure you can get the other 5 million in the span of 3 years, but you have to remember that there's interest left to pay, so you'll be gone again for what? More years? We also have a time limit in between those payments. Not everyone is a kind samaritan, so most likely, he'll do around a year or less. So, what will you do? Keep this kid here, and I'll take the wolf to strengthen him."
"Gh... Haa... Just do what you want..."
"Now then, before we go, I'll have to prepare."
"What?"
"Sir, you may go now. I'll prepare myself to be an adventurer."
"Alright."
"Ah, before you go, can you tell me your name?"
"It's Dave."
Kuro then gets closer to him, near kissing length. However, behind him is his crown shining on his finger.
"I order you to tell me... Your REAL name."
"... David."
"Good, forget about me asking your real name once you get out of here."
"Yes sir."
David then walks out of the area in a robotic manner. As he keeps moving, slowly, his actions are becoming more human until he walks 30 meters away from Kuro, where he
walks normally.
Again, Kuro's nose bleeds.
"I'm fine. Let's get in the building for now, I'll need to change myself before I can register myself. Rai can catch me after all."
"Alright."
Heading inside however, Kuro removes the enchantment on his hair, with the dye fading out of his hair, showing its silver luster.
"Y-You're?!"
"Ah, right. I forgot I didn't tell you what kind of King I am. Kuro Sylverius, the Silver King."
Chapter 32 -END-
