Noble Front Read online

  “But Pa was so healthy,” the boy replied. “I can’t believe his heart’d just give out like that. There were no warning signs at all, were there? I can’t say exactly what, but lately, something’s gone out of whack. They were talking about offering human sacrifices, for pity’s sake! Is that anything for a scholar from the Capital to say?!”

  “Damn straight.”

  All of them turned stunned looks toward the voice—and D. He was standing near the door, his back to the wall. While that looked like the best position for responding to any attack by an enemy, that didn’t seem to be the case here.

  “Let’s hear all the details.”

  The bereaved family members and the secretary exchanged looks.

  “Before we get into that, there’s something I’d like to tell you,” the widow said, gazing at D with a determined look in her eyes. “I’ve heard what it was my husband hired you to do. Had I known ahead of time, I think I would’ve stopped him, but it’s too late for that now. However, Grand Duke Bergenzy is a Noble to be feared. Should the mood strike him, he could make slaves not only of our village but of everyone in his domain in less than a night’s time, poison the very earth, sow curses in the wind, or make rain fall from the sky until the end of time. And no one knows if that’s the full extent of his power or not. Also, we’ve heard that the retainers who’ve been with him since ancient times are fearsome devils, and this time, you’ll also be making an enemy of the scholar who’s come from the Capital and his guards.”

  “To be honest, they’re a creepy bunch,” the secretary interjected. “I find it hard to believe he’s an official from the Capital. And those others are Frontier warriors, no question about it. Just to be sure, I checked their names against all known lists, but they aren’t listed in the ‘warrior’ section. Which leaves the ‘brawler’ section. But they don’t show up there, either. In other words, they’re either brand new to the game, or they’re ‘nameless,’ who work without letting anyone know who they are.”

  “Not that,” the boy groaned. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.

  Out on the Frontier, any child over the age of three knew how terrible the “nameless” could be. They were fiends, and one of them might destroy an entire town singlehanded just so he could leave without anyone knowing his name or what he looked like. There were no wanted posters put up for them because everyone they went after wound up dead.

  “The grand duke won’t be your only foe. I discussed the matter with Mr. Jacos, and have decided to withdraw our request to you. We’ll have no more pointless bloodshed. Fortunately, you haven’t been paid yet. We’ll reimburse you for your travel expenses out here. Please, just move on. I beg of you.”

  The widow got up from her chair, put her hands on her knees, and bowed deeply.

  “What I want to know is the details of the situation.”

  D’s reply made the mother and son look at each other.

  Surely he doesn’t intend to—

  Footsteps of “The Nameless”

  Chapter 2

  I

  It was Jacos who took charge of the conversation.

  “Just two days ago, someone calling himself Professor Chaney and claiming to be from the Noble Ruins Survey Office in the Capital showed up at the town hall without any previous notification. He was accompanied by four “nameless.” I only learned what brought them here after returning to the village from contacting you, when the mayor told me. From the way he was acting, I could tell he’d intended to keep it all bottled up inside, but he just couldn’t help but confide in someone.”

  Professor Chaney had come there with one-sided demands. The human government in the Capital was focusing on the Nobility’s science and technology, and had decided to make humans’ using and applying them their first priority. And pushing their blind ambition was the Noble Ruins Survey Office, with Professor Chaney as its director.

  The desire to make the Nobility’s science and technology their own had existed long before the human government was ever established, promoted by ambitious individuals and a subset of the revolutionaries. Talented people were put on the problem, and results were achieved. Indeed, a portion of their technology fell into human hands. According to scientists’ calculations, it only amounted to a ten-quadrillionth of the Nobles’ technology.

  For a long time that horrifying statistic had flown above the collective head of the human race like a flag of surrender, but for those of indomitable spirit it became a source of incredible hope. If humanity could access ten percent—no, even one percent—of Noble technology, their civilization would grow by leaps and bounds. They dreamed not merely of controlling everything on their world but of conquering space as well, and were convinced this was possible.

  However, the Nobility’s technology was such that something as simple as how to switch it on was beyond human comprehension. On seeing their enormous facilities, humans would think, This device apparently has something to do with energy, or I’m not sure whether it’s powered by subterranean magma flows or galactic energy, having nothing but conjecture to go on. The human race remained at the feet of the Nobility. When the people saw the gargantuan devices constructed in the center of the Capital, they heard the mocking laughter of the dying race.

  There was only one way to remedy the situation—that was the conclusion the human government quickly reached. In order to master the Nobility’s technology, they would need the guidance of a Noble.

  “The mayor wasn’t informed as to why our village had been selected,” Jacos continued. “Professor Chaney said that he’d been privately in negotiations with Grand Duke Bergenzy for some time and had obtained his consent. And in exchange for his technical guidance, Grand Duke Bergenzy demanded a human offering once a week from our village.”

  Ever since the existence of the Nobility had come to light, their predations to quench their thirst for blood had to be taken into account. To protect themselves, people barred their doors and spent the night with wooden stakes, crossbows, and stake guns in hand. Who’d meekly hand their friends and loved ones over to the fiends? That thought alone kept them going. The demands the Capital was now making of them virtually trampled their pride and dignity into the mud.

  “Any comment from the grand duke?” D inquired.

  “Not a word.”

  “The message from the mayor asked me to get rid of the grand duke for seeking human offerings. But it seems that this time, there are many in opposition to the mayor’s cause. Is there anyone who’s likely to bend to the Capital’s will?”

  “Deputy mayor Bezo and his supporters.”

  “There’s the folks in the Schwartzen Rejuvenation League, too,” said the boy, Puma. “For a good long time, they’ve been saying we should work with the grand duke to get the village booming. The bastards talked about doing the same stuff as the guys from the Capital. My dad quieted them down once he became mayor, but I can already picture them singing that tune again.”

  “So you mean to tell me people here would offer up their fellow villagers as a sacrifice?”

  “Afraid so,” the boy replied, looking down. More than anger, he felt fear that this would sour D’s impression of the village. He looked up again right away, though, and said, “But we can’t let that happen. It’s not right that somebody be sacrificed so that others can profit. This is just a little village, but there’s an inscription on the stone marker at the entrance. Together, in life and in death, it says. Those words are what’ve kept this village going. We’ve all gotta keep that in mind!”

  D said nothing as he gazed at the boy. Once Puma had finished speaking, he was heard to say, “You really are your father’s son, aren’t you?”

  “Huh?”

  Though the boy looked up at him, D continued on as if he hadn’t said anything, asking, “When does this Bezo person officially become mayor?”

  “Officially, tomorrow—there’ll be an inauguration over at the town hall,” Jacos replied, heaving a sigh.

  “And what
are those from the Capital doing?”

  “Lurking around town and gambling in the bar. I don’t know whether they’ve been to see the grand duke or not.”

  “When the new mayor’s sworn in, what do you think he’ll do?”

  “He’ll get right to negotiating with those fellows from the Capital, no doubt about it.”

  Jacos bit his lip. Though the man had constantly butted heads with the mayor, he’d also been his most loyal subordinate.

  “Then he’ll accede to all their demands, and probably use the remuneration to enrich no one but himself. And everyone knows it. The mayor’s wife insists she wants to avert further bloodshed, but there are good, strong people both inside and outside the town hall that hate the deputy mayor’s personality and his way of doing things. No one will be able to stop them. I can as much as guarantee you, lives will be lost. And when they are, my only hope is that their blood won’t be spilled for nothing.”

  The room was about to sink into heavy silence—but didn’t get the chance.

  “Is there someplace for me to stay?” the traveler in black asked.

  “You mustn’t do this,” the mayor’s wife said, shaking her head dumbfoundedly. She didn’t even seem to realize she was doing it.

  “You’d be up against Nobility and the ‘nameless.’ You’ll be killed for certain.” Jacos’ eyes said he was looking at a dead man.

  D replied softly, “I took the job. Short of a request that I stop from my employer himself, I stay at it.”

  The three villagers exchanged looks. Astonishment spread through their eyes—and a look that they’d been deeply impressed. The gorgeous young man wasn’t called the greatest Hunter simply because he was the strongest.

  “If you won’t tell me where I can stay, I’ll look for someplace myself,” D said, starting toward the door.

  “Just a moment, please. I’ll show you the way,” Jacos said gravely. “The group from the Capital is staying at the inn. I’ll bring you somewhere else.”

  As the two of them headed for the door, a voice called out, “Um . . .”

  It was the boy, Puma.

  D didn’t stop.

  The boy stepped forward, as if to follow him. Seemingly no longer able to resist, Puma said, “Thank you, D.”

  D turned his head. There was no smile on the face looking back over his shoulder. However, the boy grinned. And his grin didn’t fade until after the door had closed.

  Jacos led D to a farmhouse near the northern forest. The secretary explained that the owner and his entire family had vanished about six months earlier and never returned again. Since all their furniture remained, there was nothing to keep anyone from living there. You could say it was an ideal hideout.

  “I’ll bring some food and water by later. If there’s anything else you need, feel free to let me know about it then.”

  “I won’t need anything,” D replied.

  “Don’t drink water, either,” he said, his voice suddenly hoarse.

  But it wasn’t the tone that made Jacos freeze, but rather the import of those words. The gorgeous young man was a dhampir.

  “Don’t tell anyone about this place,” D said, his voice back to normal.

  “Of course I won’t,” Jacos replied, his voice quavering.

  “That includes any of the mayor’s sympathizers. And especially his son.”

  “Understood. I’ll be sure to tell the younger folks not to do anything.”

  “Let them do as they like.”

  Jacos was just about to nod in reply, but then his eyes went wide. For he’d grasped the terrifying import of what D was saying. The gorgeous young man was telling him they were free to do what they would, but if they got in his way, they’d be cut down. His job was to eliminate Grand Duke Bergenzy. Toward that end, he made no distinction between friend and foe. Whose blood would spurt beneath D’s blade remained to be seen.

  “The sun will be down soon. Then they’ll be out,” D told the secretary, who then left the farmhouse.

  When he was only two minutes’ ride from his house, Jacos halted his cyborg horse and let out a sigh of relief. The sky had turned to black, and houses had their doors and windows shut. There was no sign of anyone. Once he turned the corner, he’d be home.

  Suddenly, figures charged around the corner, blocking his way.

  “What do you want?”

  Before he could reach for the multipurpose knife on his hip, the barrel of a gun had been thrust in his face. The size of its muzzle reminding him of the deputy mayor’s enormous nostrils, Jacos closed his eyes and sighed.

  “We’ve got company,” a hoarse voice called out in a darkness devoid of even a scrap of light, a yawn accompanying its words.

  Lying on an old leather sofa, D asked, “How many?” It was like a query from the dead. Even his voice was that of a gorgeous corpse.

  “Three of ’em. Stride’s none too steady—they’re heavily armed.”

  D didn’t move.

  “Just so you know, they’re still freaking kids—”

  “I’m aware of that,” D replied, returning to the calmness of the dead.

  Its words fitting its grating tone, the hoarse voice continued, “Who the hell are they, though? They’ve got heartbeats, and warm blood running through their veins, but still, they gotta be a little weird coming out to a house of the dead like this.”

  The darkness outside the window intensified, and that inside the house seemed to almost have a perfume to it. The intruders didn’t know that in a world like this, even a whisper was like a cacophony of destruction. They trod the earth lightly, the ground ringing as they pressed toward the house, where they kicked off the surface, moving like cats across the roof with sounds that were like explosions. The roof creaked in protest. It was a two-story house. They moved over the second-floor storeroom as quiet as thunder, and one of them pulled out a silvery object that seemed to be metal and began to cut through the roofing material at an intense pace. In less than three seconds, there was a hole three feet in diameter. His strength was far from that of an ordinary human.

  Another one looked down at the front yard and waved his right hand. Each time he did, the air snarled. A pebble arcing from behind a tree struck the door. It made a sound like the roar of a cannon.

  “They’re here!” the hoarse voice cracked wryly, and D got off the sofa and headed toward the front hall. He opened the door, looked around, and immediately closed it again.

  “The one behind the tree was keeping an eye on us and sending signals. Oh, they’re coming down, but through the storeroom—sure ain’t making it easy for themselves!” the hoarse voice remarked, with special emphasis on “sure.”

  D went back into the living room to lie down on the sofa.

  It was a dozen seconds later that three shadowy figures came down the staircase without a sound—except for a creaking that was like a giant grinding his teeth. They wore grotesque devices that were like glasses. From what could be seen of them from the nose down, they were still young. Probably in their early twenties. One was clearly female.

  The long-haired one at the fore indicated D with one hand and the woman—or girl—raised a pistol-like weapon. What the other two held were far more streamlined than the pistol or their goggles. Undoubtedly they were weapons of the Nobility.

  “Sure is a casual one, isn’t he?” the girl said, sounding disappointed. Her tone also carried a relief born of what they’d confirmed. It looked to them as if D were sleeping.

  “Stop,” the long-haired man said, halting them. “We’re dealing with the greatest Hunter of Nobility here. Don’t let your guard down.”

  “We’ll be fine, so long as we’ve got that,” said a youth who stood a head taller than the man with the long hair, his eyes gleaming at the sight of the streamlined weapon. “Take aim from there, Elsa,” he continued. “Me and Habaki will do the rest.”

  “Don’t move,” the long-haired youth called Habaki said, and then after a moment’s consideration he returned his pi
stol to its holster and drew the longsword from the scabbard he carried in his right hand. He probably wasn’t wearing it on his belt because it would be in the way going in through the roof, or because it’d make too much noise.

  “What’s the deal?”

  “I’m going to throw down with the Hunter now. Ranged weapons wouldn’t be very sporting. If it looks like I’m gonna lose, take off without me.”

  The girl, Elsa, replied that she understood even before the taller youth could.

  “I’m going, too,” he said.

  “Stay back.”

  “I’m not gonna touch him, okay?” the taller youth said, lining up beside Habaki.

  After closing to within six feet of D with silent footsteps, the two of them got a prickling sensation on the soles of their feet that told them something wasn’t right.

  “What should we do?” the taller one asked. “Wake him up?”

  “Yeah. I can’t just walk over and stab him out of the blue. Hey!” Habaki called out in a low voice, and he finally realized what was so incongruous.

  D’s position was strange. The whole sofa was sinking.

  No, that’s not it! he realized with amazement. It’s not that he’s sinking. Are the two of us being raised up?!

  “Best you don’t look down,” a hoarse voice said, but before that, Habaki had already turned that way.

  II

  The soles of his boots and those of his tall compatriot were supported by D’s blade. And the sword wasn’t lying on its side. They were resting on the cutting edge of the blade.

  When in the world had that happened? And how did he do it? At present, D’s arm was indeed extended at an angle with his sword in his grip. However, they’d never taken their eyes off D until they’d been lifted up. They could’ve sworn that the longsword the Hunter had clenched to his chest hadn’t moved an inch.

  “Make a move, and you’ll be sliced in two from the feet up.”