Seeker 296

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Chapter 296. Tyrant

Seeing the townsfolk hastily gathering at the edge of the road, we followed suit a bit late.

Regardless of whether he was someone we should respect, there was no point in causing unnecessary trouble.

That man wearing a crown on the portable shrine must be the new king who has been mentioned here and there.

Was his name Usman or something?

He appears to be around thirty years old.

A tall, slender man with brown skin and black hair, reclining arrogantly while exuding a sense of superiority that makes people kneel before him.

His body was adorned with ornaments decorated with gold and jewels, jingling as he moved.

The king's procession resembled the feudal lord's procession in period dramas.

As the portable shrine, escorted by soldiers wielding weapons, arrogantly attempted to pass by the townspeople who had respectfully moved aside, a problem arose.

"Wait. - You, the girl in the wizard attire, lift your head."

"Huh...? Me?"

Among the three of us who were somehow pretending to be respectful at the edge of the road, one of us got called out by the king.

The surrounding people became restless.

For some reason, the king on the portable shrine spoke to Yuzuki.

Then the king proceeded to say something outrageous.

"Yes, you, girl. You have quite the charm. I like you. Become one of my attendants."

"Huh...? Um... Hey, Senpai, what's that king suddenly saying? It makes absolutely no sense."

Yuzuki whispered to me, looking bewildered.

Yeah, I don't blame her.

I don't really understand what that king is saying.

Well, actually, I do.

What's up with that, Gerzel No.2?

Can I just beat him up right now? No?

"Daichi-kun, what should we do?"

"Well, what should we do..."

Asked by Kazane, I found myself at a loss.

I'm too dumbfounded, and the only solution that comes to mind is a violent one.

As civilized beings with intelligence and reason, I feel like we should seek a more peaceful solution, but...

While we were bewildered, the king turned his gaze towards Kazane.

"Oh, ho, upon closer inspection, that girl is quite beautiful too. Though lacking compared to her companion, it's acceptable. You should come to me as well."

"Hey, Daichi-kun, can I tear him apart? Is it okay?"

Kazane's smile turned into that of an assassin.

I'm a little confused.

Wait, did that old man call Kazane an old lady?

Is he sane? Is he really just a pure lolicon?

Come to think of it, all the girls attending the portable shrine are young girls.

Still, when Kazane's hand reached for her waist dagger, I hurriedly grabbed it to stop her.

"Kazane, hold on. I understand that, but tearing him apart is a bad idea."

"Huh. Then how about cutting off his head?"

"Wait. I'm scared because I don't know how much you're joking about."

Although I tried to stop them, I'm starting to feel too lazy to deal with this properly.

Just because Kazane and Yuzuki are in a different order, that king is definitely Gelzer No.2, right?

But he's still a king.

What would happen if we stood up to him?

It would cause trouble for Volf-san, too. That's troublesome.

However, Kazane and Yuzuki seem to be waiting for my decision, unable to do anything until I make up my mind.

I sighed and stood up, abandoning the kneeling position.

The commotion among the people grew louder.

Facing the king on the portable shrine, I replied with these words.

"Regrettably, Your Majesty Usman. These two are my dear companions. We are travelers on our journey, and tomorrow we will depart again. We cannot serve by Your Majesty's side."

As I spoke, Kazane and Yuzuki nodded in agreement.

The king on the portable shrine showed a greatly displeased expression.

"Who are you? I spoke to the two beautiful princesses. I don't recall allowing you to speak, you impudent fool."

With a casual wave of his hand, three of the guards who were guarding the portable shrine stepped forward to intimidate me.

One of them, standing at the forefront, drew a scimitar from his waist and pointed it at me.

"Behave, commoner. You are in the presence of the king. Or do you wish to be cut down right now?"

"...Sigh."

I let out another deep sigh.

That's hopeless.

Causing a scene wouldn't do any good, but there's no way I'm handing over Kazane and Yuzuki to this useless king.

Kazane and Yuzuki are appealing to me with their eyes.

"Hey, Daichi-kun, can I finally get angry?"

"Senpai, Senpai, can I get angry too?"

I can hear their voices in my mind.

I'm at the point of giving up, so I nod to give them the go-ahead.

When Kazane and Yuzuki exchanged glances and smirked at each other, they stood up abruptly on either side of me.

"Because that king is trash, there's no helping it."

"That's right. Before bullying innocent travelers, he should discipline his own king first."

...Yes, they're both saying too much.

Thank you very much.

The king on the portable shrine's forehead veins bulged.

Spitting, he shouted.

"Hmph, it's blasphemy! Seize those three and throw them into the dungeon!"

In response to the king's words, the guards complied, surrounding the three of us with weapons in our hands.

Among the guards, some sighed and shrugged from where the king couldn't see them.

Though they obeyed the king's command reluctantly, they might be secretly exasperated.

However, we can't just let ourselves be captured obediently.

Daichi, Kazane, and Yuzuki each took up weapons, standing to protect each other, wary of the surrounding guards.

There were eight guards in total.

It doesn't seem like any of them have broken their limits, so it's not an unmanageable number, but...

Just then.

A notification popped up indicating a special mission.

Yes, yes. Whenever there's trouble, this is how it goes, right?

Well then, I'll gladly accept the mission experience points──or so I thought.

The problem was the content of that special mission.

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Special Mission: Arrested in the Desert City and Sent to the Royal Palace Dungeon!

Experience Points Earned Upon Mission Completion... 40,000 points

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""""???"""

Never before had we encountered such a baffling mission, and the three of us couldn't help but tilt our heads in confusion.

While she probably means to act as a guardian, being embraced by such an adorable junior never fails to make me happy.

That's how it was while we wandered around town, enjoying our leisurely time.

Suddenly, a formidable group approaches from ahead.

Encircled by numerous armed warriors, a desert man wearing a crown is carried on a palanquin.

Beside him, three scantily clad girls, dressed in revealing attire, cling to him like attendants.

"It's... King Usman!"

"The king's passing through! Everyone, make way!"

The people on the street hastily move to the sides, bowing with one knee down in reverence.