Emperor's Reckoning

The shimmer of dawn struck the corner of Di's eyes. The carriage passed the second checkpoint with Sakya's snore challenging the noise of the galloping horses.

"Ehm, mmm," Sakya snuggled to the other side and avoid the warmth of the sun.

Di squinted his eyes before looking over through the windows. He could see every green grass flamboyantly rustling against each other from the light gale of the daybreak. The scent of the old oak wood that the carriage was made off didn't make him lose his focus. He gulped, for the time was nigh for him to deliver the promise he made over a method to hunt an oversized lizard chicken that could kill a god with a single glance.

He darted his glance over to the woman that was sleeping like she was a cocoon. He let out a sigh before darted his glance back toward the coming blue sky. "Looks like I have to confront them on my own then.... huh?"

He turned his body toward the window before his eyes squinted, "Those are...!!"

Five figures were running along the horizon over the rising sun before accelerating its speed and leaving Di's field of view.

"He is really fortunate huh, seems like fate is siding with him," Di smirked. "They have come back from the exploring."

"Sir Di, have you noticed, that the Leviathan Party is coming back from exploration?" said the driver.

"Yes, I saw," said Di. "It seems like we are going to leave early too.'

"Understood."

"Make haste, please," said Di calmly.

"Certainly," the driver nodded before the horses challenged the wind.

Soon they heard a charade of praise from the people. The carriage started moving along the canters of the horses.

"Why is it so loud?!" Sakya grunted with her eyes half-opened.

"Good morning, guild leader," Di smiled. "We are in the main city now."

Sakya gradually got up with a push of her hand before she rubbed one of her eyes and let the other one close before she lowered her jaw as much as she could and then yawned. "Are you seri... ous..?"

"Look over the window and see it for yourself," said Di.

"Huh?" She raised her brows before she placed her face right on the window. She blinked twice to focus her glance. "Are they cheering us?"

"Of course not, they are cheering the number one party," said Di.

"They're back? Oh..." She peeked over before seeing the five figures waving their hands toward the cheering masses. "Wow, when will I have that kind of treatment."

"It's not good to compare yourself to others, guild leader," said Di.

Sakya sighed. "Your wisdom is wasted on me, Di."

"You and Abaddon are roughly the same," Di sighed. "But enough about my wisdom and wise words, since you're up, I want to ask your aid as well."

"Huh? It's in the morning and I just get up from sleeping," said Sakya, "What do you want?"

Di couldn't see her face at all, but he could guess accurately that she was having a solemn face under her ridiculous cover. "I need your presence when I fulfilled my promise, that's all."

"So you want to use my status," said Sakya. "Well as long as I don't get to do anything extra, I guess it's fine, however, I want you to do the paperwork for the next six, oh wait, no, for the next year, starting from today on ward, good deal right?"

Di's brow twitched relentlessly as he heard what she demanded. A year was a long time for sitting at a desk than doing nothing but reading documents, signing, and all those boring stuff. He immediately hesitated but his pride made him sigh. "I agree, but one year and that's it."

"Yup, that's it, one year starting today," said Sakya with a blatant smile under her cover. "I have high expectations for the former guild leader, hahaha!"

Di sighed, "However, I will do it only at my own home."

"That can be arranged by you, you have the power to do that measly thing, no need to ask me for permission," said Sakya as she shrugged.

"I know, I'm just informing you," Di sighed. "Let's wait until they go to the Guild Link Hall, that's the perfect place with lesser ears."

"Sure, sure," said Sakya before she knocked at the wall behind her. "You hear that?"

"For sure, guild leader," the driver nodded.

"Alright," Sakya leaned back whilst the cheers from other adventurers didn't stop.

"WAY TO GO LEVIATHAN!" shouted one adventurer.

"GO GO LEVIATHAN!!"

"I LOVE YOU ZELENA!!"

"YOU ROCK FANG!!"

The cheers continued as the five of them waved at the crowd. They all walked in a pentagon formation with the lone one being at the front.

On the sides, there was a man with a sleeveless black top with straight golden buttons and baggy pants. His stature was the smallest of the party but his eyebrows were the sharpest out of them. He was rocking a crew cut and one of his hands hold a dagger in reverse. His name was Baik, the wings of Leviathan.

Opposite Baik was a man with taller stature and a bigger smile. He had thin eyes and a wide grin as he walked proudly into the praises of the adventurers. He wore a full plate without the helmet, made out of adamantine. He had a shield on his back that was made out of the same material and a blunt great blade. His name was Harmon, the body of Leviathan.

Another pair up front and one of them was a man that was clad in a cloak. He had no smile on his charming face nor any emotion under his glasses. His stature was hidden but the power yielded on the metal staff that he held in his hand was shrouding in menace. One wave of it might spell the destruction of a being. His name was Lorey, the eyes of Leviathan.

Beside Lorey, was a woman with a pair of huge fans in each of his hands. The fans looked thin and smooth as silk. There was no engraving nor anything special on the pleats of the fan, only the pale color of white like untouched paper that was kept in an open area for some time. Her face was bare, she had a beautiful pair of eyelashes and a cute nose. Her eyes were sharp and she feigned ignorance about the praises that she received. She was making waves without making words, though her heart fluttered as her ears received positive vibes about herself. Her name was Nise, the tail of Leviathan.

Finally, the one at the end of the pentagon was the woman of utmost beauty. Her hair was slick and black as the night itself. It was draped around her shoulder. She wore a dark garment that proved her elite swordsmanship, the master of the art of the blade. The material was extremely light-weighted even more so than what Lorey wore. The sheathed sword beside her waist could prick someone's glance when they stole one. Her name was Zelena, the fang of Leviathan.

She and the party proudly walked the main road leading toward the Guild Link Hall whilst the Flame Guild carriage patiently cantered with an abundance of space between them.

A pair of adventurers greeted them with grins on their faces before the party entered the guild hall. However, when the crowd dispersed and the Flame Guild was about to enter, it was halted by one of the adventurers.

"Are you here with the Guild Leader or Seven-Stars Adventurer?" asked one of them.

"I am with th—"

"Let us in," shouted Sakya from inside the carriage.

The two adventurers immediately turned pale upon hearing the words. They stood straight with their goosebumps jolted. It was instant perspiration.

"Sorry!!" said both of them before bowing and letting the cantering horses pass by their ears. They didn't dare in the slightest to leer over, to take a peek, at the window of the prestige carriage. They held their breaths for the longest time before the carriage parked right under the fleet of stairs leading toward the Guild Link Hall.

"Hah..." both of them immediately exhaled out the breath that was keeping them alive.

"I have high hope not to die today," said one of the adventurers before sighing.

"Hmm, I wonder what's going on," said another as he noticed Di coming out of the carriage and looking sharp as ever.

Di looked up the building with his sharp eyes before glancing over his shoulder. "Are you ready yet?"

"Wait just one minute, I need to take off this mask," said Sakya.

"Well, they are inside already," said Di.

"Done!" Sakya kicked the door open only for it to close back in. Di and the driver had black lines over their head before the latter opened it up for her.

Sakya pretended nothing happen and got out of the carriage. Her tangerine eyes looked bright and were perfect with her apricot hair which was a short bob with bangs.

"Alright, let's meet the Leviathan," she smiled.