Return of the Runebound Professor - Chapter 805

Noah leaned back in his chair, unable to resist the urge to rock it back onto its hind legs. Far-sed sat across from him, his tanned skin slightly pale as he watched Noah with flighty eyes. He looked like he half expected Noah to tear the entire building down around them.

Far-sed had invited him into the town — with no little amount of reluctance — after Noah had wiped out the entirety of the Jagged Daggers. Something told Noah that hadn’t been out of the kindness of his heart. Far-sed had probably just realized his walls weren’t going to do anything against Noah.

He’d led Noah to the room they now currently sat in, which was within a guardhouse attached to the inner side of the walls. Aside from an old wooden table and the two chairs they sat in, the room was completely empty.

There weren’t even any windows. It looked like the kind of place where one would interrogate a criminal, but Noah wasn’t exactly dressed like a king. He supposed a room was better than being told to wait outside for an indeterminate amount of time.

“Is there something on my face?” Noah asked.

Far-sed started, nearly jumping out of his chair at the question. The guardsman caught himself. He lowered his weight back into the chair and swallowed before shaking his head hurriedly.

“No. Nothing at all.”

And there was silence.

A second passed. Then another. It didn’t seem like Far-sed was one for conversation.

Noah scratched his chin. Now that he’d gotten out of the Citadel, he really didn’t have any desire at all to just sit around forever. Especially not when he had a way to finally start looking for Moxie and his students again.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Noah asked.

“What? No. No. Of course not. Why would I be waiting for someone?” Far-sed asked. “We aren’t waiting for anyone.”

“Then why are we just sitting here?” Noah asked. “I was under the impression you would appreciate it if I took care of your little problem outside the gate. I didn’t misread the situation, did I?”

Far-sed swallowed again. “I — no. You did not. They’ve been a thorn in our hide for months, now. It’s just part of life when you live so close to the borders of an empire. We have no complaints there. How could we ever? The greatest honor bestowed upon those such as we is to reside anywhere within the Coral Empire. Bandits are a small price to pay to live here. But…”

The guardsman trailed off. Something about the way he looked at Noah made it abundantly clear he had no plans of ever finishing the question that had been forming at the end of his sentence.

A polite man would have moved on from the topic.

“But what?” Noah asked. “You don’t seem very appreciative. It’s not like I’m asking you for a protection fee or anything, you know. I’m not here to rob you.”

“I would never insinuate such a thing! Never would I accuse a Hand of such a thing. Your presence honors us all.” Far-sed wrung his hands together nervously. “But we are unprepared for one such as you. It has been so long since anyone of your stature has visited. We must prepare—”

“My stature?” Noah interrupted, his brow furrowing. “I’m not asking for your wives and daughters, man. I just need directions.”

“Right,” Far-sed said with a nervous nod. “Directions. I understand.”

Noah stared at the other man for a second. Then his eyes narrowed. “I don’t think you do.” Just who is it that you think I am?”

Far-sed paled another shade. It was several breaths before he mustered the courage to provide an answer. “A Hand of the Empire.”

The hell is that?

“You’ve got me mixed up,” Noah said. “I’m just a traveler.”

Far-sed nodded so quickly that it was a miracle his head didn’t fly off his shoulders. “Yes. Of course. Just a traveler. I would never think to claim you to be anything else. Sir.”

Noah pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. He’d definitely gone a bit overboard when dealing with the Jagged Daggers. In his defense, he hadn’t expected them to be so… weak. Their strongest member had been a Rank 5, after all.

I suppose I’ve spent so much time going up against Rank 6 and 7 mages that a shoddy backwater Rank 5 really isn’t much of a threat at all.

Noah blew out a sigh. “Look. I — okay. What is a Hand? Tell me. For… educational purposes.”

“The top agents of an empire,” Far-sed replied. “Operatives sent to deal with… threats.”

Wow. How vague and ominous. Exactly what I was looking for. How did he know I love my information largely useless?

“And what is it that I have done to make you think I am one of these Hands?” Noah asked.

Far-sed stared at him like he’d asked why the sun had risen in the sky. “You’re not, sir. You’re just a traveler.”

Noah sighed.

Damn it.

“I’m not a — oh, forget it. Just tell me where we are,” Noah said. “This is Obsidia, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir,” Far-sed said. His brow furrowed slightly in confusion at what must have been an incredibly odd question. The ‘of course we’re in Obsidia’ wasn’t outright said, but it may as well have been. “This is the edge of the Coral Empire, united under the Church of Repose.”

Coral — wait. This is the Prophet’s land? That’s just lovely. She was insufferable.    

“Which edge?” Noah asked. “Bordering what?”

“The Ravages of the Horde of Man,” Far-sed said. He did a respectable job of keeping his confusion at what must have been incredibly obvious questions under wraps.

The Ravages. Sounds like a lovely place, that.

“Very good,” Noah said, as if that had been exactly the answer he’d been expecting Far-sed to give him. “Good indeed. I’ll be honest with you, Far-sed. I don’t want to be here. I’m sure you don’t want me here either.”

“I would never be so presumptuous as—”

“Far-sed.” Noah held up a hand. “Honesty. Please. I am interrupting your peace. Nobody enjoys that. Or am I wrong?”

Far-sed swallowed. “Nobody enjoys that.”

“Exactly,” Noah said. “So I would like to get out of your hair as quickly as possible. I’m pleased I was able to deal with your little bandit problem, but as you might guess, I’m traveling for a purpose. I don’t make a habit of just wiping out groups of idiots because they’re in my way. See, I’m looking for some people.”

Far-sed’s face managed to pale another shade. “Of course. Who are they? I will have the town scoured—”

“I don’t imagine you’d know them,” Noah said. He wasn’t stupid enough to hope that this random man had just happened to stumble into Moxie or one of the others — especially for long enough to remember them. “Unless any strangers have passed through the town that particularly stuck out to you?”

Far-sed shook his head. “No. No visitors have come here in a long time. We are far from the center of the empire. Nobody would ever waste time stopping here. Especially not now, of all times.”

“Oh?” Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. “Elaborate.”

“Well… in light of the Tournament of Heaven’s Path,” Far-sed hedged. “Anyone of any true strength would be heading to that. There’s only around a month until it begins. If you were looking for someone powerful, unless they were in hiding, they wouldn’t be hiding in the cracks of the empire.”

Noah tilted his head to the side. Far-sed spoke the name of the tournament with an almost reverential tone. This was far more than just some mere competition.

The strong people are gathering for this fancy tournament? That’s convenient. I don’t know about Moxie… but that sounds like the kind of thing the Apostles would totally do. And if the Apostles are there, I can find Garina. She can point me to where everyone else is.

It’s not much, but that’s the best thing I’ve got to go off.

“And where is this tournament?” Noah asked.

“In the center of the Coral Empire,” Far-sed said. “In Aqua Terra.”

Noah nodded thoughtfully. That was a start. At least it gave him a direction to head toward. A month was quite a bit of time. “And how can I get there? I don’t suppose you’ve got a direct connection to it?”

Far-sed sent Noah a sidelong look. It was, perhaps, the first genuine expression on the man’s face other than fear since they’d met. “We’re in the back end of the empire, sir. There isn’t anything here but rock.”

Figures. If I ask too many more questions this guy is probably going to pass out. I don’t know if I like how long they’ve kept me in here either. Even if they thing I’m one of these Hand guys, it seems a bit odd that they’d try to keep someone they think to be powerful in a crappy little interrogation box.

Noah sighed. “Didn’t hurt to ask. Well… I think that’s about all I’ve got to ask you. I don’t have the time to waste here. Would you happen to have a map of the Empire?”

Far-sed hesitated for a second. “We have a map.”

“Yes. That is what I asked for.”

“It… is not very good.”

Why would it be? I love shitty maps.

“If it can give me general direction, I would say that is enough,” Noah said. “More than enough. I trust the bandits that I dealt with have enough wealth on them to pay for that map?”

“Of course, sir. More than.”

Noah nodded. Then he paused as a thought struck him. A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips. “How much more than?”

“A lot,” Far-sed said.

“Enough to ask you for one more thing?” Noah asked.

“If it is within my power, then I will ensure you receive it.”

“I don’t imagine it should be too hard,” Noah said with a growing smile. “Can you get me a flying sword?”