Chapter 473 - Strangest Team
"You are looking a bit different, Lusica," smiled Arthur as his mana blocked the knight, who now looked like a humanoid black flame. Then, the darkness receded, and Lusica appeared unharmed.
"Please forgive me, my lord," kneeled Lusica. "This power is only meant to serve you, not to attack you."
"I sure hope so," Arthur frowned as he clenched his fist and released it. "How did you learn that technique?"
"A pirate taught it to me," answered Lusica instantly.
"There is only one pirate that comes to my mind," Arthur muttered as his robes fluttered. A pulse of mana transmitted through the city with him at the center. A smile appeared on his face after he found the pirate in mind.
Arthur was interested in this technique, so he teleported to the location of the pirate. It was a bar that had recently opened in the inner parts of the city, and it seemed to be doing reasonably well.
"No men are allowed," a giant woman blocked his path, and Arthur was taken aback. There was indeed a sign that mentioned this, and the bar was named El Rose.
"I am here for my captain," Arthur frowned. "Please call her out for me," he demanded. The guard stared down at him with disdain before shooing him away.
"This is a safe place for the women of this city, and the owner instructed me to keep all men away," the woman waved her hand.
Arthur frowned because even if this was a part of the rules, it was still in his city, and his captain was inside. Mana gathered into his throat to amplify the sound as Arthur called out.
"Eleven, come out," his voice rang in the entire street, and the woman frowned as she took a step forward to send him away. However, before she could reach him, a hand pulled her back.
"Please forgive her," Eleven had a flustered face as she pulled the guard back. "This idiot does not realize that she is talking to her lord."
"I don't care because she would know if she did attack," Arthur didn't have time for this. The woman was already trembling as she heard Eleven's words. "What is this place?"
"Ah," the pirate paused. "It is my latest investment. A paradise with only beauty inside. Since you are the lord, I can give you a special permit."
"I don't need it," Arthur walked toward her. "It seems you had an encounter with one of my knights. Let us go back now," he grabbed the knight, and she disappeared.
"My lord," kneeled the guard from earlier as her voice trembled. "I was blind. Please forgive me," she seemed scared of him.
"You were doing your job," Arthur was confused. "Why would I need to forgive you? I am no different from the others, but I have no time to wait."
Arthur teleported to appear in the arena again as he finished his words. The Knight of Courage and Eleven were chatting while Lusica waited on the side.
"Ya, hello," waved the pirate. "I missed you, my lord. You should have told me you were coming to the city."
"I just arrived," replied Arthur before he pointed at Lusica. "What did you teach him?"
"Ah, the young knight," Eleven recognized him after a second. "It was not anything important, just a technique to control his emotions."
"Greetings, Master," Lusica bowed to the pirate, and she nodded with a proud smile.
"You overstepped your boundaries," Arthur frowned, and the pirate was surprised. "This power is not something you can handle using any technique. Your amateur attempt to help him only made things worse."
"Seika," the Knight of Courage stepped forward. "I dare not refute your words, but Lusica indeed showed extraordinary power. If this technique can be taught to the rest of the knights..."
"I don't care what the rest of the knights learn," Arthur walked toward the young knight and placed his hand on his chest. "If I were not here to restrain his powers, all of you would have died."
His hand began glowing golden on the knight's chest, and he started to show signs of struggle. Then, a shadow loomed behind him, and it morphed into a wrathful face as if it was a demon from hell. However, Arthur used his mana to weaken it, and Lusica fainted.
"That creature..." Eleven muttered with a frown. "I only thought he was trying to use his hatred to grow stronger. It worked for me, so I believed it would be the same."
"You have indeed made him stronger," Arthur stared at the unconscious knight. "However, strength has a price. This idiot was feeding it his soul," Arthur sighed. "Let someone take him away."
Arthur turned toward the pirate and stared at her. Eleven blushed from being stared at and started scratching her cheek.
"Come with me."
***
"I would be an instructor?" blinked the pirate. "You just scolded me for teaching that hatchling, and now you want me to instruct all of them?"
"You made them stronger than I could have, and you have more experience dealing with people than I do," Arthur said as he took out several books. "These are Arts that fit each of the knights. I want you to give it to them and teach them how to train."
"I have my plate full, boss," said the pirate as she scratched her head. "The bar is getting more customers, and the little girl seems to have assembled an army of maritime monsters. I would need to start my shipments soon."
"Hana is almost done?" Arthur was surprised, as he thought it would take the girl more. It was not a question of her ability, but such a young girl was bound to grow tired of only working, and Arthur had no plans to enforce child labor.
"Along with the little flying plant, they seem to be treating the aquatic creatures as family. They have even included the citizens in it by starting a touristic tour atop the creatures," sighed Eleven. "When I was their age, I was busy robbing ships. But, the world has changed."
"You are the oddity here, Eleven," Arthur smiled. "Since that is the case, then I can give Hana a different assignment."
"You are overworking her, Boss," frowned the pirate. "She is just a little girl, no matter how much power she holds."
"This is the last request," sighed Arthur. "I need her to save this city."
"What do you mean by that?"
"This is something that I have been helpless to do, but she can do it easily. I need you to protect her along with Lusica. You three need to find a missing child."
"What does that have to do with Hana?" the pirate was more confused, and Arthur raised his hand. Mana gathered in front of her to form the hydra's image.
"I need you to find this child, or the city might be destroyed."
***
The team has assembled. A mentally unstable knight, a masculine pirate, and a girl with only spirits for friends. This was the strangest team of all time, but Arthur had faith in them.
"I have to entrust you with this task," Arthur gave Lusica the book he found in the mansion. "This will guide you to the child, but you only need to find its location. There is no reason to fight it. Hana should be able to pinpoint its precise locations for you."
"We are going on an adventure!" Hana said with an excited look, but Arthur couldn't bring himself to remind her that it would be a dangerous one.
A knock arrived on the door, and the Knight of Courage stepped into the room. Lusica and the Titled Knight exchanged glances, as this was the first time they met again after their battle.
"You have asked for me, Seika," the Knight of Courage stood proudly.
"I want you to leave the city and join them. However, I am not exactly comfortable sending the three of them on their own."
"Ah," exclaimed the pirate. "If the beautiful miss is going, I have no reason to go with them," said Eleven, not forgetting to flirt with the knight.
"I need you to be there for Lusica," Arthur said, and the young man looked offended. "You are leaving this city, and the blessing I gave you will stop working. The nightmares will be stronger because of that. So I need someone to monitor you."
"As you command, my lord," bowed the knight.
"This will also serve as your exam," Arthur revealed. "You are strong enough to fight for me now, but I am not sure that you can control that power. If you lose control in this trip, then you will fail."
His words placed pressure on the young knight, but Arthur had no other choice. After that, he watched the four of them leave his study, and a sense of unease overtook him.
This was the first time he relied on anyone but himself to handle a task.. It was the first step to becoming a lord of this city because he needed to trust his people.