51)The King Gets His Sceptre Back

“Where is he~?” Hisui groaned as she sat in her throne, Arcadios looking a bit confused at her words as he leaned closer since they were the only ones still in the throne hall.

“I beg your pardon, my Queen?”

“Eric. It looked as if he was just going to take out Raven Tail and then come back, but it's been nearly a week since he's left and there hasn't been word from him.” Hisui spoke and Arcadios grimaced slightly as he remembered the reports from the Royal Scouts when they went to check out the now Dark Guild's headquarters.

He was used to hearing reports of dismembered & descerated bodies, but those were usually reports that involved civilians and/ or weaker mages that got too big for their boots.

To hear the reports of finding nothing but charred bodies that belonged to mages strong enough to contend with the strongest mages in Fiore and to find that all of them were taken out with laughable ease…

'I knew he was strong, but perhaps Eric Creed is something that's beyond human reasoning.' The man thought with a frown before being knocked from his daydreaming as Hisui let out another sigh.

“I hear that sighing a lot can lead to wrinkles, my Queen.”

“Then I should be looking like an old hag right now.” She said with a giggle, Arcadios just shaking his head in amusement before instantly being on alert as the doors were opened.

Hisui went from relaxing leisurely in her throne to sitting upright within the blink of an eye, Arcadios as fascinated as always as he saw the teenage girl fade away & the Queen of Fiore take her place once again.

“Sir Sukki, I assume there is a reason for your entry without my announcer?” She asked as the Rune Knight knelt down on one knee, to which the man nodded before standing back up.

“Yes, my Queen. A flaming beast has been spotted nearing the capital.”

“That does not mean it's important enough to bring to the Queen. Have the Beast Keeper go & take care of it.” Arcadios spoke with a frown and Hisui nodded before her eyes widened as the Rune Knight shook his head.

“We would, but Eric Creed was spotted flying on the beast's head.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?! Let us go welcome our hero!” Hisui spoke excitedly as she stood up & rushed out of the room, the Rune Knight just confused by his body language as he turned to Arcadios who sighed before following after his Queen.

'She really wants him in Crocus, doesn't she?'

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“So, how does it feel riding me?” Eric simply raised an eyebrow at Ms. Fortune's words, looking down at the Exceed who was looking back up at him with a smug grin before shaking his head as he looked back out at the city of Crocus in front of them.

“Think about how you just said that and then ask me again.” He responded and he heard her humming in confusion before a chuckle escaped his lips as she let out a squeak of embarassment.

“N-No! T-That is not what I meant!”

“I know what you meant. It just felt fun to make you feel embarrassed.” Eric said with a smile and Ms. Fortune simply looked up at him in shock before letting out a huff as she looked out in front of her.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don't. As for the answer to your question, it's…nice. A good change compared to how I usually fly.”

“Your flights are comfortable too. You just…need to slow down a slight bit.”

“Well, considering the few times you did fly with me was when we were trying to leave the are as fast as possible, it makes sense that they were too fast.”

“Are you sure it's not because you don't know how to go slow?” She asked and Eric rolled his eyes before frowning slightly as he saw a familiar ethernano signature already heading out of the castle & towards their general location as soon as they entered the city's boundaries.

“You can transform back now. We'll be dropping here.” Eric spoke as he stood up, Ms. Fortune looking a bit confused & uncertain before nodding as her form shrunk rapidly.

Immediately, the two of them began falling towards the ground, but Eric simply looked at ease as scarlet flames reached out & wrapped around the Exceed, Ms. Fortune at ease with the flames wrapping around her as continuous blasts from Eric's feet made them float slowly to the surface.

It took them a minute or two to finally touch ground, but as soon as they did, Eric simply gave an amused sigh as Hisui was already waiting a few paces away with a happy smile, an exasperated Arcadios at her side along with a group of Rune Knights & civilians that wanted to see what was going on.

“I-Is that…?”

“Yeah, that's the Dragon Slayer. Holy shit~Do you think he does autographs?”

“Go and ask, but if he burns you, I don't know you.”

“Hey, Hisui. I have to honest, I didn't expect a crowd to be waiting for me.” Eric spoke with a smile and Hisui blinked before finally noticing the crowd around them, glancing over to Arcadios who nodded before snapping his fingers to catch everyone's attention.

“All right, clear out! The princess wishes to speak to the Hero in private!” Grumbles & whines echoed from the crowd as the Rune Knights formed a protective barrier around Hisui & Eric, who simply shook his head as he & the princess began making their way back to the castle.

“I thought you had forgotten about us.” She began speaking and Eric glanced at her before snorting as he shook his head.

“I did for a while, but then I remembered the promise to you so I decided to come pay you a visit to say that I'm not going to be accepting that offer. Right now, that is.” He added as she turned to him in shock, the girl frowning before sighing as she saw the amused look in his eyes & nodded.

“Fine~but then, what are you going to do?”

“I have a few stops in mind, you know? Take care of a few loose ends, but before I can do any of that, I've come to ask for a favour.”

“And what do I get in return?” She asked instantly with a raised eyebrow and Ms. Fortune giggled as she saw the raised eyebrow Eric gave her.

“It's a favour I'm cashing in since I saved your city & all.”

“That's a dirty trick and you know it.” Hisui spoke with a narrowed 'glare', to which Eric simply smirked & shrugged.

“I never did get payment for that.”

“Your payment was me not giving you a hefty bill when you decided to eradicate the royal bedroom we so graciously gave you after you passed out when you first arrived.”

“That's a low blow from you, princess.”

“It's Queen now as I'm sure you can recall.” Hisui spoke with a huff, Eric chuckling at her words before blinkg as he saw her looking at the Exceed on his head.

“So, who is your friend?”

“This is Ms. Fortune and no, it's not Misfortune as in being bad luck. Just Ms. Fortune.”

“Ah, okay. Well, hello, Ms. Fortune. I am Queen Hisui E. Fiore, leader of Fiore. It is a pleasure to meet to you.”

“Same to you! You didn't tell me you know a Queen.” Ms. Fortune said to Eric, Hisui giggling as he simply rolled his eyes.

“I did not see a point in telling, especially since I didn't know if I was going to come back here.”

“So, you were just not going to mention it?”

“That is correct. Now then, about that favour?” Eric asked as he turned to Hisui, who looked to be in thought for a few seconds before he felt a bit unnerved at the sly smile on her face as she looked at him.

“Okay, but in return, you have to make a promise.”

“To come back here after I finish with whatever I'm doing?”

“And take that teaching job, yes.” She said and he hummed before her eyes widened as he shrugged.

“Sure, I don't mind.”

“R-Really?” She asked before grinning as he smirked & nodded.

“Why not?”

“Yes~!! Okay, what did you need?”

“Well, it's two things actually. Firstly, does your family have a secret treasury vault with artifacts and secondly…do you have a guy called Zash Caine still working for you?”

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Zash Caine was a bit confused & wary as he followed the Rune Knights around him, not able to understand why the Queen wanted to see him when the next foreign meeting was almost seven months away.

'Perhaps she found my secret playground & the toys in it. No, they are hidden behind a series of jutsushiki to make sure no one can find them so that can't be it. Hah, whatever it is, she is but a little woman so outsmarting her shouldn't be that hard.' He thought with a confident smirk as the Rune Knights opened the doors to the Queen's office & gestured for him to go in.

As he entered however, Zash froze a bit before calming himself down as he saw Eric sitting behind the Queen's desk instead of Hisui, a frown appearing on his face as he walked forward while sneering at the man.

“Does the Queen know that a commoner is sitting in her chair?” He asked, slight frustration flowing through him as Eric still had his eyes closed while answering.

“Eh, she told me to make myself comfortable and this is the most comfortable chair in the room. Also, she told me to tell you to sit down & wait while she's coming up.”

“No thank you. I'll stand.” He answered before rolling his eyes as he saw Eric shrug & lean back.

'Simpleton.'

“So, what are you here for?” Eric asked after a few moments of silence, Zash glancing at him before snorting as he looked past him towards the windows.

“I believe I'll refrain from answering that question.”

“Eh, just trying to make conversation. Oh, here she comes.” Eric spoke as he stood up, Zash a bit confused at the man's words before his eyes widened as the doors behind him opened and he heard heels walking closer along with the sound of armoured boots.

'H-How did he…?' Zash trailed off as he looked at Eric, freezing slightly as the man's eyes were now open & giving him an amused yet knowing look.

“Ah, Lord Caine. Glad to see you heeded my call.”

“If the Queen asks for my presence, who am I to deny her orders?” Zash spoke with a charismatic smile while bowing his head slightly, standing back upright as he heard Hisui sit down with a giggle before his eyes widened for a brief moment as he saw the staff in her grasp along with the gauntlet she was holding it with.

“Well, sorry to keep you waiting for long, Eric. Here you go.”

“U-Um, if I may ask, why exactly are you handing over a historical treasure over to this…Eric, my Queen?” Zash asked, to which Hisui & Eric raised an eyebrow as Arcadios frowned slightly.

“Well, as the hero of Fiore, Sir Eric is allowed to ask for one favour and he asked for the Dragon Cry.”

“B-But did it not belong to the first King and it is not capable enough to destroy a country with one attack? Would it sit right with you knowing that the greatest treasure in our country's history is being handed over to someone not of royal blood?”

“Firstly, the staff & gauntlet are simply collecting dust in the family vault so him receiving both are not truly a concern to me. Secondly, I know Eric well enough to know that he would not use it against myself or Fiore seeing as he sacrificed his world to save mine. Finally, what I do with my family's heirlooms has nothing to do with anyone not of royal blood so there is no need for you to worry about it.”

“O-Of course, my Queen. I am merely looking out for the safety of our country as its Secretary of State.”

“Why are you so concerned about it, Mr. Zash? Do you wish to hold it?” Eric asked as he reached over, everyone's eyes widening as he grabbed it without anything covering his hand before turning & holding it out to Zash.

“U-Um, Eric. You might want to put that down before…”

“Before it drains my lifeforce & ethernano at the same time?” Eric asked with a raised eyebrow, smirking as he threw it between his hands & Hisui's eyes widened as she didn't see him becoming exhausted or looking as if he was near death.

“So, you weren't lying about having it in your former world, did you?” Hisui asked and Zash frowned in confusion & slight concern as Eric smirked & shook his head.

“Not at all. Like I said, the Dragon Cry & I were very close, isn't that right buddy?” He spoke with a smile as he let go of it, both Hisui & Arcadios in awe as the staff simply kept itself afloat next to him while warning bells rang off in Zash's head as he saw the amused smirk Eric was giving him.

'Something isn't right here.'

“Does that mean you were telling the truth about everything else?” Hisui asked and Zash noticed that she was now looking at him, glancing over to Arcadios to see the man resting a hand on the sword sheathed at his side while a determined frown was on his face.

“Yep. So, Zash, how are your secret dealings with Stella going?” Eric asked & Zash glanced at him to see his eyes closed once more, looking over to Hisui to see both her & Arcadios having their eyes closed as well.

“Don't even try to run, Zash. I simply wish to ask a few questions and you'll be free to go.”

“What is going on here, my Queen?”

“Oh, nothing much. We simply wish to see if you're a traitor to your country.”

“A traitor?! Ha! The day I become a traitor is the day I take my own life out of regret that I couldn't be more loyal to my country.”

“So, the documents I'm currently looking at are not documents that show not only the patrol patterns of Fiore's Rune Knights for the next month, but also the weaknesses in the border barriers between Fiore & Bosco?” Eric asked, Zash freezing as he heard that before glaring at Eric as he saw the scarlet glow behind his eyelids.

“Also, is slavery not abolished, my dear Queen?”

“It is, indeed.” Hisui spoke with a frown as she continued to look at Zash with her eyes still closed, feeling her blood beginning to boil as Eric hummed.

“Then, I'm sure the five women currently chained up under your manor are just realistic dolls with ethernano, aren't they Sir Zash?”

“How are we suppose to believe these ridiculous allegations? Do you have any hard evidence to support what you're saying?”

“Well, no, but not to worry. I had a word with the Garou Knights and four of their members are currently saving the hostages & retrieving the documents while their leader should be entering the room right about now!” On cue, Zash's eyes widened as pain exploded in his leg, looking down at it to see nothing but a bleeding stump while the part of his leg below the knee fell over onto the ground.

Before he could even scream, he wheezed as a fist slammed into his chest, flames wrapping around his mouth & silencing him while a blinding pain erupted in his skull as he felt a pair of fingers reach in & rip his eyes out with ease.

“Uh-uh~No using your Evil Eye here~ Anyway, Kama, I'm guessing from your reaction that you found what I was talking about, correct?” Eric asked as he wrapped up Zash in a tight cocoon of harmless flames, watching as the Garou Knight captain glared at the cocoon while nodding.

“Yes, the others should be arriving soon with the girls we rescued from his evil clutches.”

“And the documents?” Hisui asked as she finally opened her eyes, sighing as Kama reached into his coat & took out a stack of paperwork that he placed on her desk along with a stack of sealed envelopes.

Opening them & reading through them, Hisui's frown deepened more & more as she read through them all, her hands shaking as she read through the final one before slamming it down as she glared at the squealing Zash.

“Eric, burn his mouth shut so he can't speak.”

“As you wish.” Eric said with a nod as the flames around Zash's mouth burned brighter, muffled screams coming from behind the flames before they dissipated after a few seconds to reveal the skin under his nose having melted together.

“Knights!” She called out, the Rune Knights barging into the room before being confused at the sight that greeted them.

“Take Lord Zash into custody & throw him into the Abyss Palace. Kama, make sure he suffers for his treachery.”

“It will be my pleasure. Come, pick him up.” The Garou Knight captain spoke and the Rune Knights just nodded as they each grabbed an arm & began dragging the man behind them, Eric quickly burning away the blood & cauterizing his stump of a leg to keep him from blinding out before turning as he heard a soft sigh behind him.

“Didn't think this would happen when I came back, did you?” Eric asked with a smirk, chuckling as Hisui simply groaned while Arcadios shook his head.

“One of our closest allies, a traitor to our country. What has the world come to?” Arcadios muttered and Eric chuckled before turning as he saw Hisui looking up.

“You…owe me so much more than just taking the teaching job.”

“Well, I know I'm going to regret this, but how about I'll do whatever you want for a day?” Eric spoke and as he saw her eyes lit up when she heard the offer, Eric shared an uneasy glance with Arcadios as an eerie giggle came from Hisui's lips.

'Maybe I should retract that offer?'

A/N: And another chapter done as Eric takes out another future enemy~!!

Next chapter is going to be a short & light one before we continue on with the next arc and you guys are probably going to like that one.

Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!