Monster / Prodigy

That brings us back to the present, there were other events in between, such as our head base getting moved from the capital into the outskirts of our kingdom and the entire hexagon evolving into the second stage of manifesting their powers – excluding me. Hard to believe, right?

–However it was just one radio intermission into the future, or to be more precise, the day after my birthday.

...

{Beep}

{Beep}

"Yes," Lucien answered casually while sipping his morning coffee, one leg crossed over the other.

"A new mission came from HQ."

"A mission, huh? Interesting. For who?" Lucien inquired.

"For two individuals by the names of Makino and Yuki," the voice on the other end replied.

Lucien smirked, setting down his coffee. "I see. Well, I'll inform them as soon as possible."

With that, Lucien headed toward the main hall of our base.

Oddly enough, he grabbed both, me and Yuki by the collars of our shirts, as if we were misbehaving dogs.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" Yuki protested.

Lucien unceremoniously tossed both of us out of the base. "Look behind you, you two dimwits."

As we turned to see what he meant, a massive carriage with horses was before us.

"You two have a mission. Go to HQ for more information. That's all," he declared before slamming the door shut, leaving us stranded outside.

"That maniac just can't use words for once," I muttered, brushing the dust from my clothes.

"Let's just get this over with," Yuki replied, pushing open the carriage doors.

The interior of the carriage was surprisingly comfortable, with plush seats and intricate woodwork. It seemed that Lucien had spared no expense in ensuring our journey to HQ would be as pleasant as possible, despite his abrupt eviction.

As the carriage rolled along, Yuki and I exchanged a glance, a silent acknowledgment of the strange turn of events. We had been living relatively peacefully in our base and we had grown accustomed to our routines. A sudden mission, especially one assigned by HQ, was bound to be anything but ordinary.

As I stared out of the carriage, my gaze fixed on the scenery passing by - the trees, the stones, anything my eyes could discern - I couldn't help but wonder about the nature of this mission.

After all, the only time I had visited the capital this year was for my birthday, and to make it worse I hadn't set foot in HQ for a longer period.

The journey to HQ was uneventful, and we arrived at our destination just as the sun was beginning to set. The headquarters of our organization was a massive, imposing structure, nestled in the middle of the capital. It was a place of power and of course, that was where the king made most of his important decisions.

We stepped out of the carriage and were immediately greeted by a stern-faced officer. He ushered us inside, where we were met with a big lobby. 

"Wait here," the officer instructed us before disappearing behind a closed door.

Yuki and I exchanged another glance, this time tinged with uncertainty. We had been thrust into a mission we knew nothing about, and the air in HQ was thick with tension and anticipation.

After what felt like an eternity, the door finally swung open, revealing a high-ranking official who motioned for us to enter.

"Makino Katsu and Hikari Yuki, I presume?" he said with a strong expression.

"That's correct," Yuki replied, his voice unwavering.

He nodded and gestured for us to follow closely behind him.

He led us to a door at the end of a grand, opulent hallway adorned with luxurious gold picture frames.

The official knocked five times, and then he swung open the colossal door, which was at least three times my size.

As we entered the room, we beheld our king, seated behind his desk.

The official excused himself and departed, leaving Yuki, me, and the king alone in the room.

"Please, have a seat," the king said. His tone sounded cheerful, but his words carried a weighty significance.

Yuki and I complied, taking our seats– the seats were coated with gold with a red fabric.

"I'll get straight to the point. In the last few weeks, an interesting person has come to visit us. That person goes by the name of Hiyoku Fuyuka."

"Hiyoku Fuyuka?" I repeated, feeling a bit confused.

I turned to look at Yuki to gauge his reaction, and he appeared quite shocked, to say the least.

"You mean the young prodigy from the kingdom of Kogasha has come to visit?" Yuki exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. It was the first time, I had seen him this excited.

"Yes, and the problem is that she is still here. To put it simply, I want you two to escort her safely back to her kingdom. Tensions are rising in this region, so we need to be cautious," he continued explaining.

"So, we need to escort this so-called prodigy?"

"Easy," I remarked, giving the king a smirk.

Yuki and I rose from our seats, already focused on the mission at hand. Personally, I didn't fully grasp the significance of this mission because I didn't know who Hiyoku was. However, Yuki was brimming with energy, his excitement palpable, acting like his gonna meet a saint.

As we were about to step out, the king reminded us of one crucial detail: "Do not create problems with her or the guards at all costs. They will be a valuable asset on this mission and possibly in the future, so don't mess it up."

With that, we continued onward.

As we exited HQ, our eyes fell upon a magnificent carriage adorned with green and a flag bearing a red rose symbol, parked in the vicinity. Two boys, roughly our age or perhaps slightly older, stood beside it. However, the most notable figure was the girl who appeared to be around 14 or 15, standing beside the carriage also. 

She noticed us and gestured for us to approach.

"So, you both must be my additional escorts, I presume?"

Yuki nodded while initiating a conversation with her.

As they spoke back and forth, I found it challenging to maintain my focus on Hiyoku, for a few reasons. Firstly, the multitude of badges strapped to her right arm drew my attention. But more captivating were her eyes, a striking shade of blue as well as her hair, which had the same color. A part of me suspected that her hair color wasn't natural, but in this world, where people could have hair of any color they desired, it hardly mattered.

Suddenly, Yuki slapped the back of my head, snapping me out of my reverie. "Focus, you idiot."

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, realizing that we needed to stay alert and be focused on the mission at hand. The girl raised an eyebrow at my reaction but didn't press further.

"Very well," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "I trust you two will be capable escorts. My guards have already briefed me on the situation, and it seems we'll have an eventful journey ahead of us."

As we boarded the golden carriage, her guards joined us inside. They were a formidable-looking duo, all dressed in matching uniforms and armed with an array of swords. It was clear that they were well-trained and prepared for any potential threats.

The carriage began to move, and as we ventured further from the capital, I couldn't help but wonder why she came to our kingdom. She was known as a prodigy in her own right, a person of great importance in her homeland. 

What had made her come here of all places?

I decided to strike up a conversation, hoping to learn more about her.

"So, Hiyoku, what brings you to our kingdom?" I asked politely, trying not to pry.

She sighed, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery. "It's a long story, but to put it simply, I left my kingdom to seek answers. I've heard rumors of a powerful monster hidden in these lands."

Yuki and I exchanged a surprised glance. A powerful monster? It was a bold claim, considering that most of the monsters we had encountered in the past were relatively easy to handle. However, her sincerity was evident in her expression, making the words carry more weight.

"Do you have any leads on the whereabouts of this monster?" Yuki inquired, his curiosity piqued.

She slightly nodded; "Yes, I have some information about the monster, but it's incomplete. That's why I came here, hoping to find more information."

As the carriage continued its journey, I couldn't help but feel that our mission had taken an unexpected turn. No longer were we merely escorting a young prodigy back to her kingdom but rather, we were venturing deeper into the mysteries of this world's evolution and the fruits it bore. 

The question lingered: what kind of monsters could arise from these mysterious fruits of evolution?