44 Chapter 43 Coffin Dance Arc Part 5

It took two days for Michael to see Sena on his front door with a bureaucrat from the governor's office.

"Michael, just...just why?" Sena said exasperated, looking at the church tank visible over the manor walls, then back to Michael.

"Well, I wanted to get your attention so we can set time for our date." Michael said cheerfully.

"You..." Sena sighed and lowered her face into her palm.

Two days of peace.

Two days of normalcy. Michael would wake up, make breakfast while making his teammates watch (the threat of giving them a quiz afterward to see if they actually focused on remembering his instructions, and not daydream, was enough for them to listen to the cooking lesson).

After that Michael did follow through on having his party run laps around Axel's walls. 5 laps sadly, rather than his expectant 10, but it was a good first effort nonetheless. He hoped to get them to his initial 10 laps by the end of the week. Naturally, he used healing and rejuvenating spells to get them going if they were too tired to move during the run.

The most surprising thing was Aqua not complaining about Michael "stealing her shtick".

After that was some aerobic exercise, with assistance from motion resistance spells, and some increased gravity. Nothing too big.

When the light morning training is done, Michael would leave his party that's too grateful for words, sans Darkness, and heads to the Axis church tank for the tank operating seminar.

Finally, Michael and his party would go finish a quest, cash in their reward, have lunch before doing whatever they want for the rest of the day.

It was a blissful, normal routine, even if it was only two days thus far.

Michael wonder when will the next thing come around to interrupt his life, but for now he'll deal with this.

"Hmph," the official gave off a huff with his nose turned up. "Listen here, Adventurer Michael Chaser, I am--"

"Hello there Mister Government Man, wonderful to meet you on this fine day," Michael took the guy's hand and vigorously shook it. The bureaucrat didn't know whether to be surprise or disgusted at the overly friendly, and cheery attitude. "Please, please, come on in. Let's not talk at the gate like some strangers."

"W-wait!"

Michael wrapped an arm around the bureaucrat whose name he didn't bother to get, and lead him into the manor's garden.

"Lucky for you, I had some tea just made, so please come and sit down." The man hesitantly smiled at Michael's teethful grin.

Sena felt like Michael was going to do something to complicate things, but followed along to make sure the situation didn't blow up too badly.

===x===

Hyrban von Ekelston was enraged.

He, the assistant secretary of the chief secretary of the treasurer to the Governor of Axel, had been manhandled! Manhandled he tells you.

He had been sent to give this ruffian, this adventurer, those rapscallion rude and filthy bunch, a warning by the governs office. To cease his defiance of the governor's will, turn over the structure he had made to the rightful hands of the governor.

And maybe if the Dark Paladin were to beg, the Governor in his merciful wisdom could allow the peasant to have his smithy, as long as his creations were given to the governor's office for inspection first. Can't allow anything too dangerous into the public.

As is right for these peasants. Hyrban thought as he drank the fantabulously delicious tea.

Yet when he had arrived to the adventurer's little home, along with the Royal Prosecutor, to take this troublemaker in should he dare refuse the demand Hyrban delivered, well, it was...outrageous.

Hyrban was dragged to the garden by this Neanderthal. Forcibly sat down, in an admittedly comfortable, chair. Under the shade of a wide umbrella, with a round garden table before them, with refreshments and sweets.

Hyrban couldn't believe the audacity of the adventurer, expecting him to drink some commoner's boiled water. Although the glare Royal Prosecutor sent to him, had him at least stay his tongue, hiding his outrage, and lower himself to sip the commoner made drink. Although, he supposed his magnanimous self should offer some wisdom to this rabble, on how to prepare a correct welcome to one of the nobility.

And then there was the rambunctious noise coming from the Axis church next door. Hyrban didn't even want to know what they were up to. Hopefully, the Dark Paladin would be the one to evict them, and hand over the weapon.

Unexpectedly, the tea was the most tasteful thing he had every had in his life. The scones offered were also godsent.

Hyrban decided he would hire whichever maid, this adventurer had. Surely a worthwhile amount of gold would appease the Dark Paladin.

"Hmm, Adventurer Chaser, tell me, who made this tea and these," better not oversell how well the food was. "Very well made scones. Why, I would be willing to talk to the Governor's office, if--"

"I did."

Hyrban scowled at the commoner so rudely interrupting him, before the words registered.

"Truly?" Hyrban asked in surprise. "My that's quiet the surprise. Why I never expect one of your...profession, so be skilled in some manner other than..."

"Hmm." Michael made a sound while making a show of slowly reading the letter sent to him.

Michael ignored the bureaucrat, knowing that the guy would eventually notice and be "rightfully" angry. In the meantime, he had Sena sit next to him, putting the letter in front of them as though he needed her help in clarifying some points in it.

"Honestly, I can't believe you would do something this abrasive." Sena scolded in a low tone, that won't carry over to the bureaucrat.

"Well, it's not my fault that governor guy decided to put up a law specifically for me." Michael replied in the same volume. "Besides, I technically didn't break that law."

The noise from the Axis church increased, and the sound of machinery could be heard in the mix.

"I think we got it!" The voice of someone from church's loudspeaker system rang out.

"Hey, anyone hearing an echo?"

"Jon, did you turn the intercom on?"

"Sorry, sorry, give me a second to turn it off."

Hyrban and Sena looked toward the church. Sena ignored it after a second, and went back to her talk with Michael, while Hyrban kept giving the church building nervous glances.

"You do know I am a government official, right? We hate people throwing around technicities." Sena said back.

"I would say 'pot and kettle', given what's happening here." Michael rolled his eyes. "But you're right, 'technical' is bad."

"You agree?" Sena looked surprise.

"Yeah, because if this was a technical date, it would be horrible with a third wheel, and I would want you to enjoy you're time with me." Michael said with a sly smile.

"Wha!" Sena blushed.

"Although, admittedly, your stern expression is pretty hot." Michael continued, leaning his shoulder against hers.

"Michael!" Sena hissed, her blush rising.

"But how you switch to blushing is really cute too."

"B-be serious. I'm on serious business here." Sena lightly tried to hit him with her elbow, to get him to stop. It ended up as a playful tap.

"I am seriously trying to flirt with you." Michael replied.

Sena was lost for words. Her blush overloaded, she looked down and away from her wannabe paramour, as steam seemed to rise from her cheeks.

"Adventurer Chaser! Are you listening to me?"

The third wheel's shout slapped the duo back to reality. Sena was blushing, but now due to being distracted on duty. Michael just had a look of annoyance, while staring down at the official.

Hyrban didn't squirmed in his seat, at the gaze that seemed to see through his soul. He was just getting comfortable.

"This should do it!" Came a voice from the Axis church loudspeaker. The main gun of the tank moved, and pointed up.

"Clearly it didn't!"

Sena and Hyrban looked at the Axis building in worry, but Michael didn't seem bothered, and didn't even glance behind him at the church.

"Tell me something, Government Guy." Michael placed the paper on the table, and picked up his saucer and tea cup, his gaze never wavering with despite actions. The elegance in his movement is clearly more befitting of a noble or knight than a lowly commoner.

"My name is--" Hyrban spanned back to Michael wanting to correct him.

"None of the words on that letter, in any way, explains why you don't try confiscating the building from the Axis Church directly. After all, I don't own the building." Michael's condescending apathy however didn't care for Hyrban's words.

"You are not privy to kno--"

"Ah, right. If I recall, you can't tax or seize something that is owned, or belongs to a recognized religion. Especially so in the case of the main two. And if someone were to do that..." Michael paused, and calmly drank his tea in graceful manner.

"Oh, you're all doing it wrong. It should be like this." Aqua's voice rang out of the loudspeaker, followed by the sound of buttons being pressed and levers being moved.

The whole building quickly moved so that it was facing the Dark Paladin's manor. Then the main gun came down, breaking the fence wall, and pointed right at Michael's back.

"Why, that would be sacrilegious." Michael said as he placed the tea cup on the saucer.

"Um, ah, Michael." Sena tried to say as she looked back at the barrel wide enough to engulf her and Michael. "I think we should move." Sena leaned away ready to bolt and run.

"I, I, uh, I think Lady Sena is correct!" The terrified and suttering Hyrban agreeing instantly with the Royal Prosecutor's words.

"But then you're demanding that I be the one to take it. Boy, oh, boy, that would be just profane." Michael continued uncaring, and unbothered by the cannon at his back.

"M-M-Mister Michael Chaser, I, I think..." From Hyrban's point of view, he saw the cannon of the Axis Church pointing down at him, with Michael at the center, sitting with his legs crossed, holding the saucer and tea cup on his knee, like a devil bargaining with him at the gates of hell.

"Lady Aqua, I'm pretty sure we just broke Mr. Michael's wall."

"Eh, someone check the live feed thingie." After a few moments of quiet. "Oh look, that's Michael. Hey Michael~," Michael didn't answer, keeping his gaze at the trembling Hyrban. "Maybe he can't hear me."

"I think we should set things up back to default mode. We don't want to accidently fire the gun at Michael." Said one of the Axis members.

Sena jumped out of her seat. Hyrban tried to do the same, but an oppressive feeling kept him in place. What the noble bureaucrat saw in the Dark Paladin's eyes was pain if he moved.

"It's fine, there's no ammo in the gun, otherwise this lightbulb would light--Oh it is lit up." Aqua surprised voice rang out.

"Oh I discovered some of the ammunition earlier, Lady Aqua!" Came the excited voice of Cassey.

"And I loaded it up with help from Jacob and Jon." Came Elina's voice. "I was hoping to see the cannon fire and it's bullet burrow deep into the solid ground, or maybe the town walls, or something further away!"

"Hey, don't bring us into this."

Hyrban was sweating profusely. "M-Mr. Chaser, please let's t-talk about this. We, we can discuss this without v-v-violence."

"Hmm? What are you talking about? We're talking civilly here." Michael said calmly, as if he didn't understand why Hyrban was panicking.

"B-B-But..." Hyrban pointed with a shaking hand behind Michael.

"Back to the topic, clearly this order was made by some amateur newcomer at your office. As it is unlawful and unenforceable." Michael use the hand not holding the tea cup, to move the letter across the table to Hyrban.

"T-There's is..." Hyrban tried to say.

"Michael, there is a cannon right behind you!" Sena shouted.

"I'm sure it's fine." Michael said dismissively.

"I'm sure it's fine." Aqua mirror Michael's words. "We're just gonna move the cannon and the church back to their normal position." There was the sounds of buttons being pressed.

Then a loud groan and hum of machinery could be heard. Sena began to edge away from the table, and clear from where the tank gun's muzzle was pointed at.

"Umm..."

"I think you just turned the weapon systems on, Lady Aqua."

"Michael!" Sena said.

Hyrban kept switching between looking at Michael and the cannon behind him.

"So, Mr. Hyrban," the governor official looked back to Michael. The relaxed smile of the Dark Paladin was more terrifying than something innocuous had any right to be. "I believe it's only fair that that this order be rescinded, and an official apology be written. After all, if anyone had tried to go through with this order, I'd imagine the Axis Church would be...chaotic in their response."

"YES! Yes, please anything! Just, just, please, tell them..."

"'Anything'? Oh no, Mr. Government Man, I would never want to take more than I'm owed. That would be greedy. I just want what's fair." Michael said back in mock concern. "Something like not owning a blacksmith of my own? In my own house? After all, if anyone gets hurt, it's only me, and that should make it okay, right?"

"Yes, yes! I'll work right on it, right away. Just tell them to stop!" Hyrban shouted, he was stark white, even while sweating, and pointing wildly at the church tank behind Michael.

Michael stayed quiet for the few seconds, just holding Hyrban's gaze who couldn't look away. He let the aristocratic bureaucrat squirm in his seat for a bit, while the sound of the Axis members and Aqua panicking rang in the background on the loudspeaker.

"Aqua." Michael shouted.

"Michael! Yes!" There was a pause. "Wait, this intercom is two-way."

"The big red button." Michael said without explaining.

"Ah, got it!"

Hyrban found himself able to move again. He took the official letter (which Michael already got a copy off), and bolted from his seat.

Hyrban von Ekelston engaged in the most athletic running he had ever, and likely will ever engage in, in his life.

The church main gun went up, and the building rotated back to it's default position before powering down. The sound of machinery slowing till they stopped.

"...Did you plan this?" Sena said from next to him, having came back. She still looked warily at the obvious war machine, from time to time, never letting it leave her field of vision.

"Not really." Michael downed the rest of his tea in one go, placed the cup on the table and stood up. "I just told them to try and get used to the controls around this hour. Everything just ended up working out perfectly." Then Michael sighed and shuddered for a second. "Although it seriously got close. I can't believe they screwed around into getting the weapon systems turned on."

"THAT WAS REAL!" Sena mouth was left open.

"Yep." Michael chuckled. "Luckily it all worked out. So, wanna go on that date for real? I presume you're gonna be free for the rest of the day?"

Sena slapped Michael.

They scheduled their date to be in three days.