Chapter 10: Here he goes again
In the council room, all the members had gathered together once again, the ambassador Velvet had arranged for this meeting. There was a thick stigma around the room, as if the death of the Religious head wasn't enough, the killer had managed to escape from among all of them and with the princess, whose capture had facilitated for the pseudo sense of peace that existed in Denrenkyu, what's more, Karma had done all this on grounds meant to be his own execution, not to mention he was supposed to be the devil's spawn as well. One mistake on top of another, they were left with utter failure, something had to be done.
Velvet preceded over the meeting "We have to make a move before the emperor sends in reinforcements, we all know what reinforcements from the capital mean, if they are not satisfied with the measures we have taken, all of you will also be coming back with me to see the emperor"
None of them wanted any part of it, but they couldn't help it, they would be in even deeper trouble if the Emperor found out about their discretion towards this incident, he was notorious to be a scary man who strongly believed in the sense of duty. The council looked pretty disturbed at even the thought of him. "He escaped but not unharmed, we can still rely on Lord Fiend to take care of him, can't we?" a member suggested looking at Fiend. "Well I back that thought, after all the executioners all just ended up being dead weights."
Just as he said that, there was a dagger at his throat out of the blue, there was no movement or noise, just a man standing behind the council-man with a dagger at his throat, the council-man panicked, breathing heavily he turned around, and got cut by the dagger, he started calling for help in pain, "You know, screaming like that is really not very royal of you, great sir of nobility"
Velvet wasn't surprised, unlike most other councilmen looking with open jaws, "You just keep getting bolder, don't you, Jikko, and even after this meeting is because of a person who was entrusted to your squad."
A shrewd looking man walked into the council room, "The devil boy may have escaped once in our custody, due to our lack of diligence, but I, Jikko, as the leader of the executioners, vow that we will locate him and bring his corpse back," he narrowed his eyes, "I won't underestimate him this time, only the best of our men will go, and they will be led by me." Then he bowed to the council-man sitting on the ground getting his wound treated, "If I fail to so, you have my head" he said and curved his lips into a condescending smile, as he rose back up, 4 silhouettes emerged from behind him.
--
Out in an open field with a long road paved through it a fight had broken out, a bunch of people, appearing to be bandits from their attire, were just lying around, rolling injured in the mud. Shin stood there holding one of the men in his grip by the head, hovering just above the ground.
"Come on, least you could do is make me sweat a little" Shin just tossed the man away with the rest and started walking towards the wagon. In the wagon, Charlotte was sitting, waiting for him with a pout on her face, "Why are you doing this? All you have been doing since we left was pick fights with all the thugs or any potential combatant you come across. More importantly, how are you doing this, where'd you learn how to fight in just the few _periodoftimevsrlo_ we were apart."
Shin didn't respond, he just got on the wagon and started driving, "So she doesn't have anything to say about my attitude towards her?" he thought.
Charlotte got way more serious than earlier, "You have some scheme, don't you? I can tell, you aren't raiding all those guys for fun, they can't satisfy your unusual bloodlust, can they?"
Shin finally turned towards Charlotte, "You are pretty smart, aren't you?" He grinned "Honestly, I'd rather fight you," and then looked down at her womb, she bore a child.
Charlotte: "Don't underesti-"
Shin interrupted her, "I am not!"
Charlotte couldn't wrap her head around this once conniving alchemist's sudden power up and his unprecedented and so simple-minded love for bloodshed.
--
"That sly fox! Is he mocking me? Goofing around like that! I will send him back to his grave! And for good this time." A really frustrated tone of voice.
--
"Hey, Ya're the one going around causing trouble, aren't ya?"
Charlotte let out a sigh saying, here he goes again as Shin started walking towards the hoard of people like he was leaving for a morning walk.