Chapter 112: Kyo: It Is a Long Story!

Outside the northern defensive line of Norcrest, a black off road vehicle roared through the city gates like an enraged bull, throwing up a long trail of yellow dust.

Sable sat in the back seat with a face dark enough to sour the air around him.

The barren landscape slid past the window, and with every kilometer, his dislike for the Frontier Marshal he had never even met grew stronger.

"Young people these days are far too impatient."

Sable shook his head.

"They learn a few Combat Arts and suddenly think they are qualified to command an army."

"When I meet this Joren, I am going to teach him a proper lesson."

Manester sat in the passenger seat and stared out the window without answering.

Joren, please do not do anything insane.

That was all he could think.

Then something appeared ahead.

Screech!

The guard driving slammed on the brakes.

The vehicle dragged two long black marks across the road, nearly tipping over before finally stopping in front of a terrifying presence.

Dust rolled past the windshield.

A tall figure stood in the middle of the road.

Long coat.

Sword across his back.

"Who is that?"

Sable’s protective force erupted instantly as he reached for the door.

Manester caught sight of the figure first.

"Kyo?"

He shoved the door open and jumped out.

The man blocking the road was none other than Kyo, who should still have been out in the Fallen Zone keeping watch over Joren.

"Where is Joren?"

Manester was already striding toward him.

"You were supposed to be watching him. Why are you back here alone?"

The questions came one after another.

Manester had every reason to panic.

Kyo was the last layer of insurance protecting Joren.

If that insurance had returned alone...

His thoughts went straight to the worst possibility.

Joren was already beyond saving.

Kyo looked at Manester, then at Sable climbing out of the vehicle behind him with anger all over his face.

His expression became slightly strange.

He opened his mouth.

Before he could say anything, Sable straightened his collar and studied him carefully.

Half Step Rank Six.

Strong.

Possibly even stronger than Sable himself.

So this was Kyo, the man known as Norcrest’s strongest expert.

"This is Sable, an inspector sent from Highcrest City."

Manester tossed out the introduction and immediately grabbed Kyo by the arm.

"Forget that for now. Tell me what happened to Joren."

There was already red around his eyes.

Kyo went quiet for two seconds.

He was trying to decide how to phrase this.

Should he tell them Joren had gone from middle stage Rank Four to Rank Five right there in front of him?

Would either of them believe that?

It was absurd.

Kyo had seen it himself and still felt as though part of the memory had come from a dream.

Sable, meanwhile, interpreted his silence very differently.

"Heh."

He walked over with his hands behind his back.

"Let me guess."

"That Joren was arrogant, refused to listen to someone more experienced, ignored every warning, and insisted on charging to his death."

Sable looked at Kyo and gave him an understanding nod.

"You made the right choice."

"No reason to throw away your own life for an idiot."

Kyo said nothing.

Neither did Manester.

Kyo looked at Sable as though wondering where Manester had found this fool.

Then he sighed.

"It is a long story."

He shook his head and quietly tightened the hand resting behind his back around the hilt of his sword.

"That Joren... I cannot control him anymore."

Sable’s eyes immediately lit up.

He stepped closer with the energy of someone who had finally found exactly the evidence he wanted.

"I am an inspector from Highcrest City."

"What happens here falls under my authority."

"I will deal with this properly."

Kyo glanced sideways at Manester.

Manester was staring back at him, completely lost.

Kyo cleared his throat.

Then began.

"This is what happened."

His voice turned heavy.

"Manester sent me into the Fallen Zone to protect Joren."

"But once we got there, that kid... changed."

Sable raised an eyebrow.

"Changed how?"

"He said I was getting in the way."

Kyo pressed a hand to his chest as though remembering it physically hurt.

"He said he was the Frontier Marshal of Antares Command and the highest commander of the operation."

"He said my presence was undermining his authority."

"And then he said..."

Kyo stopped.

As if the next part were difficult to repeat.

"What did he say?"

Sable leaned forward.

Kyo hesitated another moment.

"He said I did not understand his tactics."

"That keeping me there would only slow him down."

"So he told me to get lost before I interfered with his chance to earn military glory."

Boom!

Sable’s aura exploded.

Loose stones around his feet jumped and rattled across the ground.

"Outrageous!"

"Absolutely outrageous!"

His face turned red, veins rising along his neck.

"A brat who is not even old enough to know his place dares speak to a Half Step Rank Six senior like that?"

"Slow him down?"

"He should look at himself before saying something so ridiculous."

Sable spun toward the Fallen Zone and pointed into the distance.

"Arrogant!"

"Ignorant!"

"Utterly foolish!"

"A person like that sitting in such a position is a disgrace to Norcrest and a poison to the Aurelian Dominion!"

Once he had finished, Sable turned back and gripped Kyo firmly by both shoulders.

"You have been treated unfairly."

"Do not worry."

"I will settle this for you."

He swept an arm toward the vehicle.

"Get in."

"We are going there now."

"I want to see whether he still dares act this arrogantly with me standing in front of him."

Kyo lowered his head.

His shoulders trembled slightly.

This idiot actually believed it.

Perfect.

As long as Sable kept thinking Joren was some arrogant fool drunk on authority, all Kyo had to do was delay things a little.

Give Joren enough time to finish whatever he was doing out there...