The Conquerors bloodline

Chapter 26: Unwanted Encounter

Parc's nerves were on end as he travelled through the forests surrounding the capital. Since the incident at the Ryuusen he has been keeping a low profile, keeping his activites to a minimum to let his aching body heal up before making a sprint back the HQ.

Now, he was more than capable of dealing with any normal riffraff banditry or lowlifes, but that didn't mean he was prepared to let them get anywhere near him when he was carrying five teigu's on his body. And if anyone came to learn of this fact, chances were he'd end up surrounded or attracting the attention of the less savoury form of enemy in the name of empire soldiers or hit squads.

Which, now with Nyau, Liver and Daidara being dead, was a likely thing to happen. He hadn't left Bulat's body on the ship, heavens no. Once the ship had run aground, Parc had carried his body to the nearest hill he could find and buried him at the top with the best for of marker he could make out in the wilds.

'Gods, I'm not looking forward to seeing them' he sighed solemnly. He could already feel the saddened atmosphere from here, nearly a weeks walk away.

Continuing his trek, Parc's strides brought him further into the forest. Only pausing when he lifted his head up seeing small silhouettes in the distance between the trees. 'A village?' he thought, worry forming in his mind when he saw the gates wide open. Something that in danger beast infested territories was an absurd thought. Even a single A-class getting in was enough to kill the entire village if they didn't have anyone capable of dealing with it.

They either had the strength, or the village was already destroyed.

Either one was an foreboding thought. If they had the strength, then they could possibly ambush him for the teigu to get the bounties put out on them. If destroyed? Then Parc wasn't going to enjoy the sight, danger beasts were far from known for leaving bodies in one piece.

As he approached, Parc began to notice the slight bustle of life within the walls. Shadows running around. He squinted, a frown forming on his lips as he saw the familiar sight of imperial armour on various people.

Two of which were standing outside the gates keeping watch.

When they noticed him, their bodies visibly tensed, the grips on their rifles growing tighter at his approach.

"Halt!" One of them shouted, stepping in front of him. Eyeing him up and down, "state your name and business at this village."

Parc halted, forcing a smile to his face and swiped a bit of sweat from his brow. "Henry Olivebranch. Just looking to make a quick pitstop before continuing on my way to the capital." He told them.

The two looked to each other shrugging before the one who blocked his path stepped to the side, "don't cause any trouble and you'll be right as rain."

With a nodded and a nervous scratch of his head, Parc pushed past them and entered the village. Rolling his shoulders a little while turning his head back to see if they were suspicious about anything on him.

He'd done his best to hide the Teigu, the ones like Black Marlin, Scream and his new bracelet were easy enough to hide in his pocket or beneath his shirt. But add in Incursio and Belvaac who were a sword and giant double bladed axe respectively? That just made things complicated. He could only keep Incursio on his hip like a sword and hide as much of Belvaac beneath a cloak as he could, leaving just a bit of a crease on his back where it was. If they weren't looking carefully they wouldn't be able to see it.

Patting his pocket, Parc felt he still had a decent amount of coins left, 'just need food, then I'm out of here.' He turned to the sky with a frown. A few hours had passed since noon so the sun was already on a downwards trek towards the horizon.

He didn't feel comfortable surrounded by so many Imperial guards. Straining his ears, he tried to listen in to any chatter he could.

"still, Esdeath taking over capital defenses? Has the Emperor gone insane? He's just asking for her to kill us all now." One soldier said.

"Shh!" another hissed, "do you want to get killed? You can't speak about the Emperor like that. He's got ears everywhere." Another said, even more on edge than Parc was as he looked around where the two were conversing. Letting out a relieved sigh when he saw no one looked to have heard them.

"I'm more worried about that new group she's putting together. 'Jaegers' all teigu users from what I hear. She's going to use them to go to war with Night Raid."

Parc's eyes sharpened, recalling the name of the Jaeger's from before he arrived in this world. He didn't recall everything about them, just a few faces, three to be precise. The first was one he was all too accustomed with, Seryu Ubiquitous and her teigu, Hekatonkheires or better known by her as Koro.

The second was a bare-chested gasmask wearing man, and the only reason he so much as recalled that person was because of his flamethrower and his wife and daughter.

'Right those two die as well' he thought, suddenly remembering something about them getting killed at some point after the gas masked mans own death. 'Should I save them?' he pondered. He may be enemies to her husband, but an innocent woman and a child getting killed wasn't something Parc was inclined to allow happen.

Last of the three he remembered was the one he was least looking forward to. For the main reason of her having a familiar face. Not because he actually met her before, more on the side of she just resembled someone else. Akame.

'Shit, looks like Kurome's getting to the city soon. That's going to make things complicated with Akame.' As he thought, he failed to notice crunching sounds from besides him. 'what even happens between the two again?' he scratched his head, failing to remember anything of worth.

"Hey."

Parc's spine straightened at the sudden voice besides him. His head shooting to his side and down, drawing a blank when he saw a short black haired and eyed girl standing next to him wearing a black and red sailors uniform. A katana at her hips.

'I just had to think about you, didn't I?' Parc wept in silence. Flinching a little as Kurome leaned forward and sniffed him, "Your smell makes me want to kill you." She put bluntly.

"Huh?" Parc muttered incomprehensibly, "uh, thanks? I guess?" he said with a slight nervous backing away from the girl.

Said girl moving closer with every step he made, still sniffing the air.

Parc's cheek began to twitch, 'go away, please,' he pleaded in silence, regretting his decision to get so much as near this village now.

The girl dug her hand into a bulbous bag in her hands, pulling out a small circular cookie with a jam center, tossing it into her mouth while still sniffing Parc.

"Can-can I help you?" Parc said, raising his hands up in the hopes of not switching on Kurome's murder mode and earning himself a bunch of unwanted attention from the guards.

Kurome remained silent, eye falling to squints as she looked up at his face before straightening herself and tossing another cookie into her mouth.

Parc looked around the street seeing a few guards laughing at his expense.

"Did you meet a girl? Long black hair, red eyes. Uses a sword like mine that can kill someone with a single cut?" she patted the katana hanging from her hips, eyes locked with Parc's.

"Uh, no, I haven't run into anyone like that. She your friend?" he lied through his teeth hoping his poker face wouldn't be seen through.

Kurome frowned at him, "nnn," she shook her head, "onee-san." She muttered, "you smell like her."

Parc flinched, 'and that makes you want to kill me!?' he wanted to scream out. "that's cool? Sorry to say but I've been travelling for a bit and haven't met any 'onee-san' of yours. If that's all, I've got a few things to get before heading out. So if you'll excuse me." Parc turned and began to walk away, not wanting to keep this encounter with someone he knew would likely kill him in order to get to her sister.

The village was quite lively, children were playing, adults were doing adult things. There were a few shops littered about, nothing particularly large and barely a shop by any means. It was more of just a single building where the village stored all its produce for the others to come pick up and either trade or buy.

"Sir, if you would. Our blacksmith has taken a fancy to crafting jewellery, perhaps your girlfriend would like one?" The storehouse attendant not so subtly nudged her head in the direction of the door where Kurome was standing chewing on sweets.

Parc weakly smiled at the woman, "we're not together." He told the attendant who seemed to take his smile as a hint of something else.

"Oh, I see," she winked to him.

'Something tells me you don't.'

The attendant bent down beneath the counter, pulling out a small chest, scanning around the room to see if anyone was watching before opening it up to him. Inside were numerous shiny bracelets, necklaces, hair pins with added rings interspersed in the neatly organized mess. "I'm willing to go down to seventy percent if you buy six pieces." She whispered to him, ensuring Kurome couldn't see what she was doing.

Parc gave the woman the blankest look he could before dragging his eyes down to the chest of jewellery. Sure, they looked exquisitely carved with somewhat expensive and beautiful gems inlaid across them. But he really didn't need them.

"Thanks, but we're really not a piece."

"Not with an attitude like that." She whisper shouted, "the girls been staring right at you the entire time. She's cute and she likes you-"

'She's more likely to kill me because I smell like her sister to her.'

"-so take my gracious offer of fifty percent for the entire box and get yourself some cute ass tonight, okay?"

He was certainly not expecting that type of language, 'are you a shop attendant or a pimp?' Parc groaned; he really didn't want to deal with blatant extortion. "And how much is that?" he groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

"Two thousand five hundred and seventy-three, rounded up to two thousand six hundred just because you're a handsome lad." Parc's cheek twitched, he barely had that on him, and how was making it more expensive supposed to be because he was handsome, wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

"Haa" Parc sighed, "add in two canteens and eight jerky bars as well and I'll take it." Just because it would get him away from this woman sooner than bargaining would, and hopefully away from the girl who had been boring a hole through him from the opposite side of the room.

The attendant smiled jovially, her ample bosom bouncing as she exclaimed, "deal, give me one moment and I will have everything prepared for you." She slammed the jewellery box lid shut, scampering off into the back room while Parc lightened his pockets of most of the money he had apprehended from bandits on his way back to the capital.

"And, that will be two thousand six hundred!" with a thump, the attendant placed a small satchel filled with jerky and placed the two canteens besides it.

Handing the money over, Parc scooped up his provisions, pausing just above the box of jewellery for a second, lifting it up a moment later.

"It was a pleasure milking you of all your worth."

Parc looked up to the radiantly smiling attendant, a tick mark appearing on his forehead. 'Never shopping here again,' he turned away, making quick strides away from the accursed merchant.

Pushing his way through the door, he found himself back into the midst of the bustling village.

Making his way towards the entrance with hastened steps that resounded out twice. Tilting his head back he saw Kurome following behind him, eyes still locked firmly on him, still snacking.

"Why are you following me?" He suddenly halted and turned on a dime to face Kurome. Who just as suddenly stopped herself.

Kurome shrugged, as if that was an answer. "why not," she said so neutrally it irritated him.

"Well for one, I don't know you," he lied, "and two, I don't very much like company on my travels." Especially when he was carrying so many teigu.

Kurome's mouth fell open in realization, "ohh Kurome. There, now you know me."

"just knowing your name doesn't mean I know you" Parc sighed suddenly feeling himself growing weaker the longer he dealt with Akame's little sister. "what are the chances you're going to leave me alone?"

Kurome said nothing.

"Gods I thought so. This day keeps getting worse," he wiped his hand over his face. "you know what, Kurome, it was nice to meet you. But I have other places I need to be, so, be seeing you." He left little room for negotiation. Turning on point, he aimed himself towards the opened entrance, his body rippling as he rushed forwards, leaving Kurome standing with a tilted head, feathers fluttering to the ground around her.

"Teigu?" she muttered, snapping a cookie in half. Her feet moving as she walked towards the gate, slightly picking up speed when she got closer until she practically disappeared into a blur of red and black.