Entropy's Servant

Chapter 26 - End of Part 1

"There are various ways these systems could work", Reynald said. "For example, in some games, there are actual people going around, known as 'game masters', who supervise the players. They also answer questions from new players. In other games, though, the task doesn't fall to a human, but the game itself, and the game will independently prevent rule-breaking players from playing. Occasionally, a game will represent this by a special type of monster appearing, one which is by definition undefeatable, possesses a status higher than anything else and only goes after one player--a rule-enforcer. World End Online calls them 'Royal Knights'."

"Then... When Yxon said that, he...", the king said, and this time, it was clearly visible he was sweating more than normal.

"Yes. He was comparing that man--our enemy--to creatures which are by definition unbeatable and only go after specific people", Reynald answered. He followed his answer up with a grave nod as his face warped into a resigned expression.

"And it looks like his targets are... whoever the girls dislike, aren't they?", Ebstrea theorised, slumping forwards.

"That is not entirely correct", a mysterious, deep voice cut in.

Everyone in the room except Reynald was startled and started looking around, searching for the origin of the voice.

"Over here", Reynald said, pointing to the sword on his back.

"It is I, Claiomh Solais", the sword said. How was a mystery, as it did not appear to have a mouth.

"Reynald, the sword... can talk?", Ebstrea asked, looking a bit dumbfounded.

"I only found out when I fought that guy", Reynald said, looking away.

Both the royal knight commander and the head priest remained in their positions, on the ground, only changing their directions so they were facing the god-sword rather than the king.

"There is no need to bow to me", it said, though the tone of its voice did not indicate displeasure. "I am, after all, only a fragment of a god."

"Rather than that", Reynald said, "what did you mean earlier?"

"As one who has directly fought him, I do not believe that man would fall to slaying people on a whim."

"Huh? But, he was attacking us because the demon girl had a grudge against lord Yxon, wasn't he?", Ebstrea asked, tilting her head.

"I believe he simply would have left it to her", Claiomh Solais said. "Instead, I believe his true objective was not the death of any individual. Instead, it was what you might call... a theft."

No one present understood what it meant, so everyone tilted their heads in unison, almost as if choreographed.

"He possessed the Aspect of Protection", it said bluntly. There was no emotion in its voice.

Contrary to its apparent lack of interest, the head priest quickly raised his head and grasped Reynald's shoulders. "What, what do you mean?!", he shouted. "That, that belongs to Lady Theliel! How could he--?!"

"Calm down", the sword said. "It will do you no good to touch the user, and if you attempt to harm him, I will be forced to retaliate. The current user is a good match." The head priest's face paled as he took a step back. "Then, I will explain..."

At the same time, on the edge of what humans would no doubt call the 'country of darkness', there was a pair of what were undoubtedly children. Apart from the fact that they both had pitch-black hair, dead eyes like a fish and were dressed in expensive-looking ceremonial garb, they had almost nothing in common, however.

The boy's rather short hair was somewhat ruffled, and his dark skin was dotted with freckles. On his head rested two ears that were no doubt those of a fennec, except the same colour as his hair, rather than a sandy brown. From his lower back extended a tail, which was hanging truly low as it drooped behind him. He was a fennec beast-person.

The girl's long hair was surprisingly smooth for someone who'd been on a journey for a week without finding a proper town--it seemed she'd been taking good care of it. Her pale skin looked smooth and soft, a rarity in this world. On either side of her head were a pair of extremities a human wouldn't have--that is, a pair of curling horns, like a ram's, and a pair of ears like a sheep's. She was an uncommon 'hybrid' of a sheep and a ram beast-person.

The two shivered involuntarily as they crossed the border. It seemed that even if they had the eyes of a dead fish, without even the slightest focus or will, their body still longed to survive.

"... I guess we'll reach the castle soon, huh, sis", the boy said, his tail drooping further than it already had. For someone nearing the end of a journey, he sure seemed downhearted.

"I hope mister demon king likes us!", the girl said, seeming a whole lot more excited than the boy. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, making a motion as if praying.

"So do I", the boy nodded. "Who knows what'd happen to the village otherwise..."

"It'll be alright", the girl said, gently patting the boy's head. "After all, we were chosen, weren't we? Mister demon king'll like us, and then he'll spare our village!"

The girl's comforting words were interrupted as she felt a curious gaze, and the moment she looked over, she was met with a pair of inquisitive eyes.

"Who are ya?", the red-skinned, horned and rather short humanoid asked.

Startled, the girl took a step back, but she composed herself within seconds. "Uh, mister demon, could you read this for me?", she asked, handing the demon a note she took from within her garb.

He accepted it and looked at it for all of two seconds before handing it back. "Lass", he said, "this is written in High Kobold. I'm an Imp. So, no, I can't read it for ya. I don't know any High Kobold."

At the girl's heartbroken expression, the Imp panicked slightly--actually, it was just her dead fish eyes that gave him the impression--so he suggested a compromise: "But, lass, I know there's a Kobold pack which regularly hunts at a distance not too far from here, I'm sure they can read it for ya!"

"... No, I know what it says", the girl said, shaking her head. "It's just that I'm not sure we'll be allowed in unless someone reads that, mister demon."

"Ah, so it's a visa of sorts?", the Imp concluded, in return to which the girl nodded. "Then I'm the wrong person anyway, ya should show it to a patrol guard. By the way, what're ya doing out here? Don't see many people 'round here who aren't monsters."

"Ah", the girl said, "we're sacrifices."

"... Sacrifices...?"

The boy nodded his head gravely. "For... For the demon king", he said.

Girl and boy alike had a hard time containing their laughter as they looked at the Imp's expression.

~End of part 1~

Author's note: and that's the conclusion of 'part 1' of Entropy's Servant, which I'm posthumously going to call the Demon master Arc.

I'll take a break from the main story for now, but I'll keep writing, and return to this in like, a month, maybe? Maybe a bit longer, maybe a bit shorter.

In the meanwhile, I might write some side stories, or some stupid independent things, I'll see.

Anyway, thanks for your continued support, and I hope you look forward to the start of part 2~!