Scare Tactics

The time had finally come for Aiden and Shu to join the Merchant King. The archmage had concluded his other business matters and was prepared to leave the nation. Many things had to be set in place so as to not leave Valsir in a vulnerable position. The common people wouldn't have any idea that their king wasn't present.

An elegant carriage that wasn't too fancy or bland could be seen exiting the borders. Two powerful auras were inside. On top of the vehicle was the lazy samurai, lying on his back. He looked up at the sky in a sleepy manner. A recent scene played through his mind.

______

The captain and his recruit arrived at the meeting point. King Solomon was already waiting inside. He watched them through the window. His eyes scanned both of their figures before smiling.

"So you're here. Let's go then." He spoke amiably. The red eyed commander nodded while entering the carriage.

There wasn't anyone else needed to steer the vehicle. It could move on its own with a mix of self sustaining mana and technology. The only thing it needed was a destination and slight tweaks to autopilot. Shu couldn't help but stretch his entire body. As he did so, his loose clothing rose up slightly, revealing some of his skin.

Solomon scanned the recruit and frowned. There were blue marks on his abdomen that trailed down even lower. The rest was hidden by the waistline of his clothes.

"I hope you are in good health. Those marks look worrying." He finally said.

Shu finished stretching to see both Aiden and Solomon looking at him weirdly. A visible question mark floated above his head. What are they talking about? Looking under his clothes, he saw the marks.

'Ah. That little minx.' He thought. Rin's blue tongue popped into his head.

"...Don't worry, I just fell into some paint." The samurai lied.

Both of the powerhouses left it alone after that. The commander was rubbing his temples in annoyance, while the king just smiled. It wasn't too hard to guess what those were. That wasn't the real question though. Just how did they turn out blue? Did he sleep with a slime woman? A river nymph?

"I'm sure you understand what's expected of you this time? Do you know why we're here?" The archmage questioned.

"Yes. I've already been briefed for the mission."

"Great. Let's not waste anymore time then."

There was a nod of agreement. As Shu made his way into the carriage, Aiden stopped him. The captain pointed to the roof.

"Keep watch. We'll switch at the halfway point."

______

'They sure are close.' Shu thought. The fact that only Aiden and him were allowed to accompany the king showed the trust Solomon had in Silent Night.

While lying on top of the carriage, he wondered how long this mission would take. Not only would they have to locate the hidden powers, but they'd have to do it discreetly. Lux, the child king of the elves, shouldn't find out at all.

Zariel was a kingdom that closed its borders. Only elves were allowed in. A mass panic would ensue if the population knew that outsiders were controlling things beneath their noses.

King Solomon knocked on the window, garnering Shu's attention. His head was poking out of the carriage. The young swordsman looked down to see what he needed.

"We'll be traveling straight through the Vadim Death Gorge. This will be the first time I get to witness your skills. I heard that your natural element is light?"

"...That's correct, your majesty."

"Rumors have given you the moniker, Sword Demon. A powerful swordsman with light mana. It almost feels like you should be in Laria!" He joked. Shu shook his head.

"I would hate to live there. Valsir is much better."

"Oh? How so?" The king asked with a sly smile.

"Compared to other kingdoms, ours is paradise. One could call it a utopia if you will. There is no oppression. The economy is good. There is no chance of poverty. Funds aren't mismanaged. Everyone is welcoming. You truly live up to the title of Merchant King."

"Hmmm. I see…" Solomon trailed off.

It wasn't hard for Shu to understand what this was about. The Legendary archmage was known for his intelligence and wisdom. He wanted to know the samurai's view of the nation. It almost seemed like he knew more about the recruit than he let on.

"We've made it to the Gorge. Shu, eyes open." Aiden called from inside the carriage.

The sleepy man sat up and grabbed his katana. It rested on his lap as he took steady breaths, particles of mana entering his lungs through the mana breather. It would then be purified by the overwhelming sea of light mana in his core.

The Vadim Death Gorge was a large canyon that separated Zariel's forest from the rest of the world. Elves would purposefully trap monsters and herd them into the land, making it unpassable. For normal people, traveling through this place was a perilous decision.

Not even ten seconds after they entered the area, they felt a strong aura lock onto them. Small tremors could be heard in the distance as something made its way over. The young samurai sighed. It hadn't even been five minutes yet!

Even though something was approaching, the carriage didn't stop at all. It would continue to push forward unchallenged. They had somewhere to be, after all.

Eventually, a massive hand grabbed one of the nearby rock structures as leverage. A humanoid giant finally came into view as it entered the area. What made it interesting was that it only had one eye. It was a cyclops!

King Solomon leaned back in his seat, waiting to see the sword demon in action. Aiden also paid attention. They knew he was stronger than he let on. A low tier Supreme aura was being emitted from the monster's body.

"Uwah. Humans!" It exclaimed with drool on the side of its mouth.

It stared at them with hunger. As if reacting to its emotions, multiple earth pillars jutted out of the ground. The pillars started from the giant's feet and quickly made its way over to the carriage.

Shu was already standing at this point. His body glowed with a gentle light. Time froze as the pillars converged on his position. His hand grasped the hilt of his sheathed katana. The blade only made it halfway out of the scabbard before a massive sword beam was released.

SHIICK PHOOOM

Everything in front of Shu was annihilated. The sheer power almost caused the carriage to flip over. The beam slash went on as far as the eye could see. A new mark had been engraved into the Vadim Death Gorge.

Once the light died down, Solomon and Aiden scanned the aftermath. The only thing left of the cyclops was its right foot. Everything else had disintegrated. The entire landscape behind it had changed. If the stronger beasts were smart, they'd stay away after witnessing such a scene.

The sword demon sheathed his barely drawn katana and sat back down. His weapon rested on his lap once more as he entered his meditative state. Solomon patted Aiden on his shoulder.

"Damn." He muttered. That attack was definitely in the late Supreme realm. The red eyed commander nodded.

"Shu is a special recruit. Since he's been here, his strength has increased by the day. Sometimes I wonder if he is just revealing more of his true power instead." The captain explained.

In reality, it was both. Shu grew stronger by the day. As long as he stayed in the light, the mana inside him would increase in capacity and purity. It was safer to call him an elemental than a person.