Chapter 388- The Weight of a Name

'What was I getting so worked up over? Hahaha..... whoever did this, it's true that they may have messed with my plans. I wasn't able to save the women of that town, and I certainly wasn't able to play the role of the hero saving the innocents.... but even so..... who am I?'

A man with golden hair now drove across the landscape, hanging his arm out the window of his brand new Lamborghini as his hair fluttered.

Sitting in the backseat was a woman with dead eyes and a slightly mad smile, her hands cuffed behind her back. This blue haired woman seemed to be murmuring something to herself, but the blaring music which Oscar was playing overtook anything she said.

'I'm the Indeterminant. I have the power to control the truth.'

Reminding himself of this, Oscar looked to Risa with renewed resolved.

"We regroup with Darius and continue our march. As for this woman, we put her under strict watch. Hopefully at some point we can get the information from her, but I am worried as to whether she's been cursed just like the others.", the man stated.

This man was Oscar, the Indeterminant.

The one he spoke to sat in the passengers seat, and she glared behind her at the captured woman.

This woman wore a leather suit of armor and had black hair which had been tied together then allowed to fall freely from her head.

"Are you sure she isn't gonna try anything funny? You handcuffed her and everything but.... if she's working for whoever did all that, don't you think she might have some strange power?"

The tanned woman who spoke was Risa, the hero of the Asarith Sultinate.

Teaming up with the Indeterminant for the sake of her people so that they would not starve due to the recent drought in her homeland, she was on a campaign assisting the Empire in the complete takeover of the Kingdom.

"Don't you think we should just question her until she dies?"

Oscar looked over to Risa in surprise as she made such a statement.

"Eh? What do you mean, Risa? Of course we can't...."

"She's on the side of the one who killed all those people, including the hero of the Empire. I didn't really trust him, but he was a hero, right? And it was that person who killed that innocent woman as well....."

Risa's voice became high pitched at the end and she put her hand over her mouth, as if to block herself from gagging.

Risa could not shake the powerlessness and the terror she felt as the head of the woman had blown to bits within her very arms.

Even as a hero, even with her immense fighting prowess which she had clearly shown in her fight with Kyle, she felt completely useless.

She couldn't do anything, even with that woman in her very hands, to prevent her death.

Risa looked to Oscar with saddened eyes, and then glared back at the woman.

"Does..... it really matter if she dies?"

Oscar was stunned at the change in Risa which had occurred, as he was not phased in the least.

He had acted out his sorrow, yet the only emotion he truly felt during the entire endeavor was irritation.

Irritation at the loss of his potential harem members.

Irritation at the fact that someone had bested him.

Irritation at his lack of information.

And right now, seeing the expression of Risa, Oscar was presented with a decision.

'Do I give the girl before me consolation at the cost of the one in my backseat, or do I try and obtain both?'

Grinning within his mind, Oscar knew the answer before the question was even asked.

Who was he?

The Indeterminant.

He was the very existence who could make that which was not reality into a reality.

What did he have to be scared of?

What limits could hold him back?

An unknown enemy?

A woman filled with hatred towards another?

'It was exactly because two women were fighting over me that I was killed in the last world... but right now, I am different.'

"It would be extremely unheroic to simply kill her off. We will keep her alive, and if we can gain even the slightest bit of information on who she works for, then it will be worth it."

'Do you think that you can force my hand, Risa? Do you think that I care enough about you to sacrifice another one of my potential women? You aren't worth that much. But even so...'

"I.... see..... you're right. Sorry I said something like that. You're right."

'I'll obtain both. No, not both. All. Every. Single. One.'

"I know how you feel."

Placing his hand on the shoulder of Risa, Oscar looked forward, focusing on the road.

"I understand well what it means to hate someone to the point of wanting to kill them. But we are heroes. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into that trap."

'As if! If I hated anyone to the point where I wanted to kill them, it would be every man on this planet. For existing as a rival to me.'

Risa looked at Oscar, and saw the sincerity in his expression, feeling it in his tone down to the depths of her being.

He was an actor beyond imagination.

"Indeterminant....."

"We will save the people of this world. There may be more tragedies like this to come..... but we will stop the people responsible. And when we have done that, we will stop the Queen of Demons. Don't let darkness overtake you. No matter what surrounds you..... no matter how much suffering tries to engulf you..... just know that I will always be here for you."

In her fragile state, Risa felt tears flow from her eyes.

She needed someone.

She had put on the airs of strength this entire time, but right now, after seeing such a scene, she was weaker than ever.

And right now, Oscar was there for her.

"Can I..... trust you?"

"I would never in my life betray you."

Risa allowed these words to sink into her chest, and smiled.

"I..... see. Then..... I will do so. You had better not betray me."

"Of course not."

The two continued to drive, and soon enough the town of Vena came into sight, along with the roughly 6000 men who were still alive under Darius.

'Hahaha..... so that was what it took to tame her? Here I was thinking that everything had been ruined by that person..... and yet as a result of them, everything turned out just fine, didn't it? Maybe even better than what I had planned for.'

Accelerating, the engine revved and the dirt underneath the vehicle was kicked up.

'To whoever you are, thank you. I really needed a villain in my life so that I can show off just how great I am as a hero.'

----

"What is that!?"

"It looks like..... a chariot? Kind of? But there are no horses?"

"How is it moving?"

The soldiers were stunned as a white Lamborghini pulled up to the encampment, and stepping out of it were none other than the Indeterminant and the hero of the Sultinate.

Yet their faces, were not those of heroes arriving in style.

They were somber, as if something horrible had happened.

The blonde man opened the backdoor, and took out a blue haired woman who was cuffed and captured.

These three then walked through the encampment towards the center, where Darius' tent was located.

"Oi.... they don't look so happy...."

"Did something happen?"

"Where is the hero of the Empire?"

"Wait a minute.... wasn't there some strange message earlier....."

"Don't tell me...."

The men around them whispered in confusion, however the three merely walked through the encampment, not giving them an answer.

"Darius. May we enter?"

"Indeterminant. Please, come in."

The three entered the tent to see the man with the cleanly cut beard, standing at attention.

"I have unfortunate news to report."

Oscar spoke with heavy tone, taking the attention of Darius immediately.

"What is it?", he said as he thinned his eyes.

"An enemy has appeared with unknown powers. I do not know who they are or why they have come, but they are an enemy of the heroes of humanity- that much is certain. The 4th Legion has been wiped out, and the hero of the Empire..... has died."

"Could it be the Queen of Demons!? My goodness..... another hero dead..... and an entire legion....."

Darius shouted out this question in exasperation, yet Oscar shook his head.

"It cannot be the Queen of Demons. I have been granted a piece of information about this enemy. It is somebody that I have faced previously, and that implies that this person is.... or at least was human at one point- for I have never faced any monsters since the moment I arrived in this world. That is all that I know."

Oscar refrained from saying that he 'killed' the person, in order to keep his heroic reputation in tact.

"We have captured this woman because she is likely working under the orders of that person, however we fear that some sort of curse might have been placed on her which would prevent her from talking, killing her if she were to do so. Therefore, I would like to attempt to remove this curse myself here and now. If not possible, we should keep her in captivity and try to find someone else to undo it."

Darius was shocked at first due to the statements of the Indeterminant, but he was a man of the military. He was well accustomed to unexpected developments.

Including death.

Even the death of a hero- a beacon of hope.

How many times had he seen warriors who showed promise much greater than any become arrogant and take on missions which were too much for them to handle, only not to ever return?

Too many.

While the burden weighed on the heart of Darius, he understood that he had to accept it quickly and continue to lead those who were under him.

For that was what it meant to be the Commander of 10,000 men.

"I see..... so it is not the Queen of Demons? Hmm..... yet they hold the power to put such a curse on someone..... that is almost unheard of. This enemy....."

Darius held his breath, speaking in a low tone.

"Is not someone to be taken lightly."

"I understand that. Which is why we cannot afford to let this woman go."

The woman who these two spoke of, Mackayla, merely listened with irritated expression.

"If you think I'll talk..... then you have another thing coming to you. Never..... never..... never..... I'll never talk. It doesn't matter if you remove the curse. It doesn't matter if you protect me. I won't speak. I won't say anything."

Quivering with madness as she spoke, Mackayla said her piece.

She was filled with terror far too great to ever be able to speak.

For even if the curse was removed, she would likely be hunted down.

She would not be killed.

She would likely be put through that suffering, that ultimate amount of pain, to which having her very legs and fingers cut off felt like a cool breeze when compared.

Therefore, she would never talk.

Even if they tortured her, it would be preferable to such a thing.

"I will see first if I can remove the curse."

[/check status]

[Note: Name Required.]

Remembering that he needed a name to do anything, Oscar grimaced in annoyance.

"What is your name?"

"My name? Why do you want to know my name? What does it matter to you?"

"Yes, Indeterminant. What does the name of this... wench.... matter?"

Risa followed up, however Oscar merely closed his eyes looking straight into the blue haired woman.

"I want to know your name at least. I am going to try and remove the curse on you, so will you at least give me that much?"

The woman seemed to look around with fear as Oscar said this, wondering to herself.

'Is that too much information to reveal?'

'Why does he want to know my name?'

'Does he wish to use that against the Determined somehow?'

'Will I be killed if I tell him?'

[You can tell him, but if you do..... it will mean that he holds control over your life. Just as I do. Do you want that?]

The demonic voice whispered into the mind of Mackayla, causing her to fall to her knees in fear.

Just the sound of that voice was enough to send her into a phase of madness, her eyes darting around the room with terror.

"Where..... where...."

She spoke to herself quietly, and the other three in the room stepped back at this sudden change in the woman.

"What is she doing?", Risa asked with confusion.

"I.... am not sure.", Oscar responded.

Darius merely watched as the woman looked around in horror.

[A name is a powerful thing. It should not be given away so easily.]

"You..... hahah... won't get my name..."

The blue haired woman said this, to Oscar's displeasure, however he did not show it on his face.

"I see. Then, let me attempt to remove your curse. I will see what I can do."

Holding out his hand, the man closed his eyes and pretended to do something beyond the comprehension of the two beside him.

He put on an expression of struggling, as if he was fighting something within his mind.

"It's..... strong!! It's too strong!! I can't overcome it without extra measures.... not here at least."

Opening his eyes, Oscar turned to Darius.

"Keep her as a prisoner, and do not allow her to die. I will see what I can do with her later, but for now there is nothing I can do."

'Won't even give me a name, huh? I'll wrench it out of you in bed later.', Oscar thought with delight.

"I understand, Indeterminant. For now.... what will we do?", Darius responded.

"The enemy will not likely show themselves directly. After all, they would not go to such lengths to hide themselves if they could face me and Risa head on. Therefore, we continue as planned. Prepare to march on the capital as soon as possible."

Pressing his hand to his chest in a salute, Darius nodded firmly.

"I understand."

And so, the remaining soldiers of the 2nd legion were ordered to pack up and move out.

The day passed, and the soldiers marched in unison towards the Capital of the Ruthobold Kingdom.

However, little did they know, in the chaos there was another event which had been brewing within the Capital.

One which not the Indeterminant nor the Determined knew of, which would come as a surprise to all.

----

Not once, but twice.

Twice now, a certain message had appeared before the people of Yolenos.

A message telling all that a hero had died.

"Brother!! Brother!!! Did you see the message!!!"

Earlier this day, when the first message had appeared, Sylvester ran to the living room, where he found Reginald dusting off the furniture of the palace.

"I saw it. What of it?"

"A hero has died!!! Do you think Kyle lost?"

Reginald continued his cleaning.

"Don't get your hopes up like that, brother. If he lost then it would have to mean that he was fighting another hero, or someone even more powerful such as the Indeterminant himself."

"Then what do you think happened?"

Reginald paused in his cleaning, frozen by the words.

"It is more likely that one of the other heroes has died for one reason or another."

"Do you believe that a hero was among the invaders, and that Kyle may have..... killed that hero?"

Closing his eyes without changing his expression, Reginald let out a sigh.

"It is possible. More likely than that monster dying himself. I believe he is the only hero who would resort to such barbaric means as killing another hero."

Sylvester was thrusted into depression at this statement.

His hopes, dashed.

"I see.... then, nothing will change?"

"Nothing will change."

"We will remain as his dogs?"

"Yes. We will."

Walking off defeated, Sylvester boiled in anger.

"Kyle..... to think that you would even kill another hero....."

However, later that day, another message appeared.

Another hero had died.

"Reginald!! This time for sure....."

Sylvester found his brother cleaning the bedroom this time, however this time Reginald had stopped his cleaning, entering a state of thought.

"If two heroes have died..... then that could only mean one of a few possibilities."

"What is on your mind, brother?", Sylvester asked.

"Either two heroes went out on a dangerous expedition to face some horrible threat.... perhaps a monster on the level of the antiheroes.... and were both killed..... but that would be too much of a coincidence to line up with the deployment of Kyle."

"What are the other possibilities, brother?"

"It could be the case that two heroes were deployed with the armies of the Empire to fight Kyle, however if that were the case then there would be almost no chance of Kyle winning. Even if he took one out himself, he would lose in the end. That is certain."

"Then!"

"No, wait. There is a third possibility. If one hero was deployed to fight Kyle, then perhaps he finished that hero off.... however, as a result of the battle perhaps he was weakened and died to the soldiers of the Empire who were left?"

Looking up, Reginald nodded with fervor.

"Either way, Kyle is almost certainly dead. But that is no reason to celebrate. Do you understand why, brother?"

Sylvester nodded.

"Because the men of the Empire still encroach on our lands."

"Exactly. If Kyle is now dead, we must retake our places as the rightful heirs, and gather all men in the Kingdom to beat back these invaders."

The two came to an agreement.

"But Reginald, how do we do that? The people all believe that Kyle is the King, so will we just tell them that Kyle is dead? Will they believe us?"

Smiling, Reginald took off his apron, laying it aside.

"We will show them that without doubt, Kyle is dead. By doing something which could not be done unless he has certainly been killed."

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