On A Pale Horse.

**Edit: Small addition to the status window, with a certain trait I forgot to include before; my apologies, heh.**

"Kai?" Ima was the first one to exit the carriage as I had lifted the warding from the inside, the ward on the outside was still active, however.

She had her fists ready with her magic enabled, the magic circles spun slowly atop of her knuckles as she slowly crept out of the carriage door- landing her slender foot onto the now bloodless ground.

"Hey Ima, I took care of it as you can see." I motioned to the remains of the skirmish outside of the carriage, only armor and weapons remained in place of their owners.

"H-How!?" She raised her fists at me, probably a reflex reaction.

"I, erh-" I quickly glimpsed at the speckles of dried blood still on my shirt, I hadn't thought up of a good excuse yet.

I didn't care if Carmilla knew about what I had likely done, but if Ima knew- she would suspect, and I didn't know how much she knew about Mana Eaters.

But if she's been around as long, or longer as Carmilla, than the likelihood of her knowing what they were is high- so I couldn't take any chances.

"Had a duel with their leader." Is the best thing I could think up of on the spot.

"A duel? Hired killers wouldn't agree to an honorable duel." Damn, she had a point.

"That's because I had offered the duel and followed it out myself-" I pointed to a considerably large, shattered war axe lying in front of the carriage's door; it belonged to the biggest of them, the one I had eviscerated with my snap.

"After beating their leader, mercilessly no doubt-"

"They saw that they were no match for me and deserted."

Some did try to desert, so I wasn't technically lying.

But only after I had gotten down to ten; they broke rank with half of them gone.

Ima skeptically looked at the remains of the axe and other left-over armaments scattered about. She still didn't lower her raised fists against me.

"I do not believe you." She concluded.

"But, as long as they're gone- then the Royal Assistant is safe." She finally lowered her fists, but she kept a tense guard up.

She began to rummage through some of the armor left behind by the mobs- I mean hired killers.

"No note, no anything- they must've burned whatever contract they had before attacking us."

"Obviously- these are Royalist hounds." Carmilla had finally made her appearance as she exited the carriage herself now, she hadn't changed out of the grey dress.

"Well paid dogs won't yipe." She didn't have her clipboard on her, it oddly felt disarming seeing her without it for once.

"As you say, Royal Assistant." Ima returned to stiff and formal posture once Carmilla had spoken to her.

"Hmph-" Carmilla only snorted as she too also looked around at the leftover garbs, I took this as an opportunity to look at what this new [Skill Information] thing had done to me.

Focus... focus...

There.

// [Kai Tieldich] [Race: Perfect Homunculus]

[Class: Sage Assistant]

[Skills:

Absorption lvl ??

: absorb the world's aether.

Reflection lvl ??

: reflect the world's aether.

Magic Immunity lvl MAX

: innate magical immunity of the body.

Physical Resistance lvl 9

: innate physical resistance of the body.

Moon God's Stamina lvl ?? // Passive //

: mimic the eternal chase of a supreme deity.

Moon God's Grace lvl ?? // Toggled On //

: mimic the intangible soul of a supreme deity.

Moon God's Healing Embrace lvl ?? // Passive //

: become the gentle, all-encompassing moonlight.

Moon God's Might lvl ?? //Toggled On //

: mimics the strength of a supreme deity.

Moon God's Charisma lvl ?? //Toggled Off//

: stir the shadow of a living thing's soul.

Skill Information lvl 1 // Passive //

: decipher the basic Information of skills.]

[Traits:

Moon God's Plaything

: [Skill Information] Too Low To Decipher]

Twin-Suns Goddess' Envy

: [Skill Information] Level Too Low To Decipher]

Virtual Strategist

: master of another world's virtual stratagems.

Incarnate

: vessel of another being.

Unliving Being

: non-aether being.

Recommended Route

: no information available.

Zodiac Candidate

: [Skill Information] Too Low To Decipher]

Healing Entity

: capable of the miracle of healing.]

Object of An Innocent Boy's Affection

: small affinity towards interpersonal relationships with men.

[Progress to Complete ???: 3%]

[Servants:

Levii: Wind-Deity Imp Princess.

Aim Dogan: War-Fiend Asura]

[Cannot Manually Expend Mana, Recommended Mana Expenditure Permanent.]//

Woah!!

I can actually seed descriptions of most of everything now!

But a lot of them are pretty basic, or even cryptic-

And I'm going to pretend I don't see 'that' trait at the bottom, for my sanity's sake.

But otherwise, I guess that's a result of my [Skill Information] being only level 1, as some skills aren't even readable yet.

??

The mysterious progress bar, it's risen in percentage.

Was it because of what I had absorbed?

The remains of the demons.

That's... strange.

"Kai." Ima spoke out to me, I closed my display in reflex.

"Y-Yes?"

"Our cockatrice is dead, either you or I must return to the castle and call for help." She explained.

"No." But Carmilla shot her command down.

"Neither of you will leave."

Carmilla looked at me, as she had still been inside of the carriage as I was explaining my excuse to Ima- she didn't know how I had gotten the bandits to leave.

But she looked indifferent, probably because she already 'knew'.

I'm just glad that knowing how the warding works, most of the battle had been muffled out. I made sure to kill them as far as I could from visor window however, to prevent any screaming from being 'that' audible.

"Royal Assistant, could I ask why not?" Ima asked.

"Because that's exactly what they'd want you to do." I answered in Carmilla's place.

Thinking about it- the likelihood of this being 'all' of the mercenaries were pretty slim.

Carmilla is a high priority target, sending in a bunch of them like this wouldn't be a smart move.

No, they would've likely had them act as the first line of the attack, with there being a safety net of other groups set up at intersects if we did manage to beat them back.

"It's why they killed the cockatrice." I pointed to the dead beast lying still under the sunlight.

I'm surprised that it wasn't absorbed by me- maybe I'd have to have had killed it myself to absorb it? Nah, there's probably more to it than that; that just seems too convenient!

"Why would they bother doing that if not for a safety net- if they were purely confident in winning, they would've likely had just kept it for themselves." Is what I concluded to.

Carmilla said nothing but she did give a small nod of approval.

"It's as he said, there is more to this- especially so as they had managed to find our secret route." Carmilla rested an arm on her hip.

"All of that false information- what a waste." Is what I managed to hear from under Carmilla's breath.

"Then Royal Assistant, what do you want us to do?" Ima accepted the explanation.

"For now- I do not know." Carmilla knitted her eyebrows, she stared off at the road ahead of the carriage.

I wish I could easily say that I could protect them as we would walk ahead- but I couldn't.

With the risk of breaking the restriction of Ima being present, and the high probability of them being killed while I'm fighting was something I couldn't bet on.

There were too many variables, too many- if I wasn't sure of it, I wouldn't go down that route.

But if Ima died, I don't think that would affect the run too much, sure I would lose some friendship with Ami but if as long as Carmilla survives-

No.

They're both vital to the route, what the hell am I talking about.

It's just too many varia-

"Sir Kai." Carmilla interrupted my train of thought, she had her hand on the carriage door.

What the hell was I thinking about?

Odd.

"I see some figures up ahead, as you're more than 'capable', stay outside and relay to me who they are as they approach." Is what she said as she disappeared back into the carriage.

Figures?

"Kai, over there!" Ima pointed to the road ahead, just within eyeshot of the end of the tree line, there was a small ensemble of people approaching.

"They've sent reinforcements!!" Is what Ima shouted, she took a defensive position behind the carriage door- readying her fists.

But I didn't follow suit- as I'm for certain that I had erased any attempt of alert of reinforcements after killing off the twenty.

It's too soon for a checkup either, if it was the enemy force.

Whoever they were, they weren't enemies- as if I would be bothered anyway; I'll just lock up Ima back into the carriage again by force if I have to, for her safety.

"...!" I heard shouting from their direction, it came primarily from someone who was mounted on what looked like a horse.

"C...!" Again, did the shouting persist, as they got closer. I began to hear more and more of what the figure was saying as they approached, so I walked ahead to hear better, against Ima's death glare of a complaint otherwise.

"...Ila!!" They were demons, but not demons dressed for combat- from what I could. Instead, they looked like farmers, the ones who were following the man on the horse, the horse having two horns on its head.

"C...ila!!!" I could finally see who it was on the horned horse, it was a man- a rather round looking one at that. He had on a loose long coat; he was waving around a long saber into the air as she shouted.

"CARMILLA, MY BELOVED!!!" Is what I heard at long last, as the fat man on his white horse arrived at the tree line- but before I could I wave, he escaped his entourage of farmers with pitchforks and raced towards me- his saber pointed right at me.

"ENGARD FIEND!!" He screamed, as his horse galloped at me at break-neck speed- he was trying to behead me!

But- even with the speed of his horse, I managed to duck easily enough.

"Agh!"

"A s-slippery villain!!" Now looking at the fat, but heroic looking man- I noticed that he was holding his saber in a weird way- as if it was his first time ever really using it.

Maybe it was?

"Have at you!- Oh!?" Just as he spurred his horse for another short gallop, the horse was stopped dead in its tracks by Ima who stepped in front of it.

"Dark Magic: Kiss of Night." Is what she said as she gently laid a hand onto horse's thick neck, it immediately fumbled over; dropping the fat man atop of it onto the ground along awkwardly.

"Gaagh!" He screamed pathetically as he fell hard onto the ground, Ima kicked away his saber.

She readied her fist at the disarmed demon lying flat like a beached starfish on the ground, I walked over to where she was.

"Did you really have to kill the horse? We could've used that for the carriage." I chided; it was such a waste.

But she looked at me funny as I said that.

"Kill? No, I didn't kill it." She motioned to the horse that was on the ground next to the demon with her head- as I took a closer look, I noticed that the large horse was still breathing.

"But wasn't that the same spell you had tried to use on me!?" I cried.

"It was- it's a spell that inflicts deep slumber; hence 'Kiss of Night'." She coolly replied as she kicked at the befuddled demon's fancy boot- it garnered a twitch out of him.

I guess that's on me for assuming she was using her killer move on me-

I'm such an idiot.

Wait- then what was she going to use on me when I woke up in bed today!?! I didn't hear her say 'Kiss of Night' then!!

"Guhhhh- Carmilla, oh~ Carmilla my sweet, sweet flower~" The man on the grounded cooed Carmilla's name- I think he hit his head on the fall.

"F-Forgive me, damn my tender constitution! Ahriman b-beckons..." Oi! Oi! Why is your face turning blue!?!

I got onto the ground and held up the downed demon's head, I spotted the culprit of his imminent death.

It was an overly tight collar that snagged itself wrongly from the fall, his own ruffled blouse was choking him to death. I untied the button from the tensed collar, and with it- the color returning to his face in an instant.

"I-... I lived!?" He shouted with gusto.

"Ah!! Ah you rogue! You are a merciful wretch, a gold-hearted brute, a gentleman of a miscreant!" I couldn't tell whether or not he was thanking me or insulting me- but either way, as I was just about to drop his blocky head back to the ground, I heard a sultry voice from behind me; it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Ahh! My cute little hatchling!~♥" The who what now!?

"H-Have I died and awoken in the moonlight!? C-Carmilla?! CARMILLA MY DEAR!!" With a newfound vigor, the demon who was just at death's door a moment ago, spryly shot up from the ground from my arms and raced like a maniac to the voice that had spoken out.

"O-Oh! Ohh, my sweetest, my dearest, my honey atop of my toast!" As I looked behind me (against my best judgement) I saw a rather grotesque scene unfold.

The fat demon was on his knees as he gleefully kissed at the hand of Carmilla, who was in turn acting as though she was enjoying every minute of it.

A deep blush colored Carmilla's cheeks- it looked like she had de-aged ten years with how she looked at the demon. What were they, high school sweethearts!?

"My, my, I have missed you my little love." What of anything about him was little, Carmilla?

"Co- Count Saleos!!"

"Count Saleos! Count S-Saleos!!"

The rest of the group that were with the fat demon had finally arrived; they were out of breath from running at full sprint to catch up to the horse's sudden dash.

Some of them pointed their pitchforks and scythes at Ima and me.

"Little love, could you please~ tell your good, strong friends to put their weapons away? They're scaring me and my-"

She looked at Ima and me for a brief second, I could see her now droopy, lovesick eyes return to their original cold squint as she returned her gaze to the fat demon; her hand was a slobbery mess at this point.

"Servants~" She raised a hand up to her forehead and feigned a fainting kind of look- it sparked him to jump into action.

Wait a minute, aren't I supposed to ASSIST Carmilla on this venture!? She took this as her chance to demote me to a servant!?!

"Men!! Down!! You're scaring my beloved's maid and manservant!" He barked.

With his command, they lowered their weapons- or farming equipment to be exact, as some even tipped their hats in apology.

"Apologies! Apologies my dear!" He kissed her far-too-kissed hand some more, "One of my field tillers had spotted strange men entering the forest where you were taking to reach Rezabel."

"After receiving the report, I feared the worst! I raced here as fast as I could to protect you from such, such-!" His face turned tomato red as his voice grew angrier and angrier.

"RASCALS!!!" Is what he shouted as he blew his top, his eyes were bulging out in pure anger.

"Shhh, Shhh- it's okay." Carmilla comforted the angry demon as she used the same hand he had kissed to rub his curly-haired head- I think she was wiping off the residue saliva instead of it really being a comforting gesture for him; but he didn't notice.

"*Hiccup* I'm, I'm just glad~ *Hiccup*" She began to tear up.

"I'm just glad a hero like you came to help~, *Hiccup*"

Oh brother.

///