“I’ve explained it several times. Before his abilities go out of control, he can be calmed down using the method the Advisor mentioned. Once the Advisor arrives, he will definitely be able to receive guiding.”
Calix clicked his tongue as if he didn’t like it.
“The Advisor? Ha, that’s hilarious. I didn’t like him from the moment he started running around the Imperial Palace. It seems he got his position by offering his backside to the Emperor, but what does that bastard child even know!!”
At that moment, the sword Calix was holding fell to the ground due to an invisible golden force.
With a scream of “Argh!”, Calix clutched his badly burned hand and glared at the source of the power.
Immediately after, a chilling voice rang out in my ears from beside me.
“Stop. Calix Ixion, do you dare to doubt my decision?”
“Y-Your Majesty…”
The murderous intent of an S-rank hunter dominated the air instantly.
I could see the Knight Captain’s complexion turning white in real-time under the terrifying pressure.
‘Oh my, how pathetic.’
If you’re going to talk behind someone’s back, don’t get caught.
Actually, I didn’t feel sorry for him at all.
‘Serves you right, you petty little man who wouldn’t even accept a greeting.’
“It’s laughable. A soldier who doubts the Emperor’s decision… Is this the extent of the Ixion family’s loyalty?”
“K-kill me, Your Majesty. I just thought that he was disturbing the order of the Imperial Palace…”
“The order of the Imperial Palace?”
Leonel scoffed.
As if the word “order” was infinitely light and meaningless.
“That order is me. Thank the fact that I am not cutting you down today.”
“…I apologize for causing trouble.”
Calix eventually stepped back a few paces from the Subjugation Captain.
The Emperor headed toward the Subjugation Captain, who was on the verge of a rampage in the messy atmosphere, and I followed him diligently.
As the heavy, crushing air gradually thinned, the confronting Imperial Knights and the Subjugation Team slowly sheathed their swords and, with disciplined movements, knelt on one knee and bowed their heads toward the Emperor.
“We greet Your Majesty.”
Following the Magic Captain, the entire Knight Order and Subjugation Team saluted.
Leonel’s gaze left Calix and turned to the Magic Captain.
“Magic Captain, explain.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The Subjugation Captain went to support the outer regions excessively and then, due to the overuse of his abilities… he entered the rampage stage. He is a physical enhancement type mage and usually doesn’t use his abilities much because he says it interferes with his sword training, but it seems there were an unusually large number of strong monsters this time.”
‘No, he wasn’t in the rampage stage yet.’
These were symptoms that looked like level 9 out of 10 levels of overload.
I immediately activated my skill to check the state of the suffering Subjugation Captain.
Name: Vern Zed
Fatigue: 80/100
Overload: 85/100 (Rank B)
Matchmaking: Find a match with the ‘Match Activation’ keyword.
Assessment: Danger! Immediate contact guiding is required!
As expected, phase 9 of overload.
Still, it looked like the Subjugation Team had successfully transported the pre-rampage Captain all the way to the palace.
If I had the abilities of an S-rank guide right now, I felt I could calm him down with just a kiss.
No matter how low the matching rate is, if there’s a difference of two levels or more, the matching rate becomes meaningless.
I approached the Subjugation Captain.
“Ian, find Vern’s match.”
“Excuse me? Ah, but it would be better for me to step in directly right now.”
But the Emperor shook his head.
‘Why? If I go now and kiss the Subjugation Captain once, the overload would be cleared, right?’
I was puzzled, but I’d do it since he told me to. It’s definitely not because I’m scared.
‘Searching for guides in the vicinity-’
Along with the mechanical sound, the blue pop-up window in front of my eyes began to turn to a ‘Loading-‘ state.
Then, it stopped spinning, and the blue arrow pointed definitively at a guide.
‘Oh…?’
But for some reason, I felt like another fight would break out if I shared this result with everyone.
It didn’t seem like it would be good for anyone to know who the guide was in this grim atmosphere.
‘It’ll be fine, right?’
I looked at the Emperor earnestly, signaling for his help in this awkward situation.
“Speak. Who is it?”
“Well, that’s…”
I pointed my index finger at Calix Ixion, who was standing in the back, looking like he’d been through hell and back after being scolded by the Emperor.
“It’s this gentleman…”
“Hup!”
I heard the Magic Captain let out a small sound behind me.
Right, I didn’t believe it either, so I checked the pop-up window again, but the subject it was pointing to was indeed the Knight Captain.
And with a surprisingly high matching rate, too.
[Guide Confirmation Complete!]
Name: Calix Ixion
Rank: B
Matching Rate: 85.73%
If this is anything to go by, maybe karma really does exist.
It’s a pity for the Subjugation Captain who has to receive guiding from someone he dislikes, but well, what can you do?
You have to accept it as fate.
Leonel muttered, “I see,” and then spoke calmly.
“To what extent should the guiding be done?”
“Um, since the rampage is imminent, strong contact guiding is required. First off, a kiss is the most certain method.”
“Is that so?”
Leonel’s calm death sentence fell toward the Knight Captain, who was standing behind us, looking bewildered by what this conversation even was.
“Lord Calix, kiss Lord Vern right now.”
“Excuse me??”
“It is an imperial order.”
Calix’s face turned ghastly pale in an instant.
I didn’t know a person could get even paler than when he was terrified by Leonel earlier…
Right, they didn’t get along, so he’d probably rather die than do it.
Still, I felt sorry, but it was necessary to save a life, so I moved to Calix’s side to pass on the knowledge needed by a beginner guide.
“I will transmit the guiding manual. First, think of gently taking in his lower lip and slowly letting your energy flow out. Closing your eyes makes it more effective.”
Calix hesitated as if he really didn’t want to do it, but unable to overcome Leonel’s chilling gaze watching the whole situation from behind, he eventually acted according to my instructions.
He should have listened well from the start.
“Good. Now, gently cup both his cheeks and kiss him just like that.”
When Calix’s “please shut up” glare poured onto me, I just shrugged.
Yeah, I’m probably annoying, standing there spurring him on.
But that lasted only a moment; soon, a passionate kiss began.
Subjugation Captain Vern’s tongue snatched Calix’s, and they began to twine together deeply as if melting and swallowing each other.
“Hut… you, you bastard…”
Behind the flustered Calix, the Magic Captain covered his eyes with both hands, but he was watching the situation through the gaps in his fingers.
Employees are all the same.
They never miss an interesting event.
“Oh my.”
Since Vern, whose rampage was imminent, was teasing Calix as if he were a person who had found an oasis in a desert. Any hunter whose rampage is imminent would act like that.
It’s like instinctively searching for a way to live.
Along with wet smacking sounds, the Subjugation Captain groped and twisted the Knight Captain’s chest with his rough, large hands.
Watching that, the Imperial Knights turned around, as if to protect their superior’s honor as much as possible.
“H-hut…! Vern, wait… hut!”
Accustomed to this situation, I watched the guiding process carefully, but the knights held back tears and covered their ears, turning away as if they didn’t want to hear anything.
I learned only much later that this day came to be known as the “Day of Dishonor” among the Imperial Knights.
I kinda expect this but this is genuinely hilarious