Chapter 71: Away on a quest

It had been six months since the Emperor appointed them as the top officials of his Demon Hunter society, and Reikishi had frequently visited the Imperial Palace, with the two associations joining forces to become one. The second years were said to have returned to the modern world, and much had happened since then. It seemed that everything had only worsened.

Currently, Gojin was aboard a ship heading to a foreign land beyond their country and continent. It had been over two months since the ship set sail, and two months since he last saw Kenji and Sakura. They mostly exchanged letters, which took days or weeks to arrive. Kenji had also been away in a foreign land. Having arrived two weeks ago, he sent a letter to Gojin, who was on his way to a different part of this foreign land. Sakura, on the other hand, was preoccupied with numerous duties and had risen to a high position within the association. It almost seemed like they would never return to the modern world, but they would. The truth was, the three of them had grown bored with this place since their arrival.

The Emperor had sent them—their team of elite exorcists—on a quest to conquer demons across various foreign lands. They knew little about these lands or their ancient history but were more familiar with the modern world. If they succeeded in conquering the demons, the native rulers would reward them and their country. This was the Emperor’s ultimate goal; he had much to gain from their success.

However, an assistant had been sent with them, though only one. Gojin, on the other hand, had two. The second assistant, Boss, was unknown to everyone. It has also been doing well, effectively assisting its master. Gojin has yet to find another commander like it. Nevertheless, he has raised his Demonic Legion to a formidable troop of eighty, carefully selecting demons he believes have potential, rather than just any.

Sakura had been assisting in exorcising demons in Heian-kyo until now, helping the others. She now boasted over three hundred kills. Kenji, with a significant lead, had slain five hundred. And Gojin, the King of them all, had a total of eight hundred and was nearing his goal of one thousand.

Despite their successes, many tragic events had occurred, and many lives had been lost. Surprisingly, Kurozai had not been bothering Kenji as much lately. In fact, Kurozai had even been aiding in executing demons, significantly boosting Kenji’s stats. It was clear that Kurozai was scheming, and everyone remained prepared for whatever he had planned. At the moment, Kurozai, the Demon Emperor, wasn’t much of a threat; rather, it was the demons themselves that were the primary concern.

Gojin and Kenji had also managed to fulfil their dream of battling Agnis together. Of course, they lost multiple times but got closer with each attempt. Eventually, Gojin managed to force Agnis into a wall when he utilised his speed, a feat that even Agnis couldn’t match, no matter how fast he was. Kenji, acting as backup, landed powerful blows to Agnis. Together, they managed to make Agnis crash into the wall. They had won.

Of course, they lost again. It was a battle without swords or magical techniques—only martial arts, strength, and speed. Though Gojin surpassed Agnis in strength and speed, Agnis’s superior martial arts skills always led him to victory. Yet Gojin had never been defeated to the ground, though he had taken many kicks and blows. He had learned much from the experience. The same was true for Kenji, and even Sakura had later decided to join in the training.

Now that they had all parted ways, they had been away from that. But once their quests were completed, they promised to return and train with Agnis. He had undeniably become their best mentor.

Gojin knew he was lacking in martial arts against Agnis and hoped to improve. Kenji and Sakura felt the same. Fortunately, Sakura had given up on her previous goal of chasing rainbows and now focused on more serious matters.

Over the course of these six months, all three of them had matured. Gojin, Kenji, and Sakura now understood what they truly had to do.

(Note: many things that had happened during these six months will be slowly revealed as the story progresses, coming to light at the right moment.)

***

Gojin stood at the crow’s nest of the towering wooden ship, his gaze resting on the vast expanse of the sea below. The ship, sturdy and weathered by time, creaked gently as it sailed on calm waters. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden light that reflected off the surface of the sea, making it shimmer like molten silver. The rays bathed the deck in a soft glow, illuminating the sails and the sturdy timber of the ship’s frame. The gentle breeze tugged at Gojin’s cloak, his thoughts lost in the rhythm of the water.

“Should I opt for ginseng? Heh-heh-heh. That would be lovely.”

Above him, birds glided effortlessly in the crisp morning air, their wings slicing through the sky with ease. The sound of the water lapping against the sides of the ship was soothing, a quiet melody that calmed his mind after the previous day’s ordeal. The storm they had encountered at night had been fierce, but with Gojin’s help, they had navigated through it without so much as a scratch. The crew rested now, their faces tired but relieved, their bodies still recovering from the tension of battling the tempest.

Below, his assistant—the boy he had come to rely on to carry his things, though he often forgot his name—was curled up in the corner of the deck, pale and struggling with sea sickness. Gojin had dubbed him “Little One” as a nickname, mainly because he always found it difficult to remember the boy’s name. At just fourteen, three years younger than Gojin, the boy was of slight frame, barely able to carry the cargo as Gojin’s Potter, but Gojin still saw potential in him for just that. Now, though, the boy was curled in misery, frequently vomiting over the side of the ship, his pale face contorted in discomfort.

Gojin, by contrast, stood tall and composed, his feet steady on the wooden deck as the ship glided forward. He looked down at the boy with a evil smile, though it was hard to feel any amusement as the ship continued its steady journey across the wide sea. The sun’s light seemed to stretch endlessly across the horizon, where the sea and sky met in a hazy, indistinct blur.

About a couple of hours later, Gojin spotted the shores; multiple ships had arrived, and it was bustling as he strained to see better. He noted they had finally reached the land—classic medieval Europe.

“Well, well. Here we are. Time to take down some demons. I need to get Slave back, and quickly,” Gojin muttered as he leapt off the high crow’s nest and landed gracefully on the ship’s deck.

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Chapter one of [Volume 2: Rift of Ruin]

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