Volume 1 – 44. Team Coordination
By the time they returned to the plaza, the four Hollows remained exactly where they had been before, motionless beneath the shadows of the surrounding buildings.
“That's a pretty diverse group,” Isolde remarked, narrowing her eyes slightly as she examined the figures occupying the square.
“Yeah,” Thane replied simply.
At the front sat a broad-shouldered Inferni male with a large broadsword resting across his lap. Chainmail covered most of his body, while a pair of curved horns, reddish skin, and a long spaded tail made his heritage unmistakable. Even seated, he looked roughly as tall as Kira.
Slightly to his left sat a shorter human man dressed in light leather armor. A heavy linen wrap concealed most of his face, and a serrated shortsword rested in each hand.
The third figure was a massive bear beastkin. Thick brown fur covered his body, and instead of armor, he carried a heavy tower shield strapped to one arm.
Near the center of the group sat a high elven woman holding a worn wooden staff crowned with a dark blue crystal. Positioned behind the others, she appeared to have occupied a protected role within the formation.
Even after turning, remnants of their original group structure remained visible. It wasn't difficult to imagine what they had once been; a frontline fighter, a skirmisher, a defender, and a spellcaster.
“We should take out the elf first,” Ava said without hesitation.
Everyone turned toward her.
“High elves are naturally inclined toward either the Golden Thread or the Emerald Thread,” she continued. “That means we should assume access to things like healing, revelation, poison, or similar abilities twisted through the Obsidian Thread. If she still retains any healing capabilities, she'll be a nuisance.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
Lucien studied the enemy formation for a few moments longer, his gaze moving from one Hollow to the next.
“Let's talk about positioning first, though. That Inferni looks like their front-line fighter, so Kira should keep him occupied.” His eyes shifted briefly toward Ava. “Maybe you can handle the shorter guy. The beastkin will probably stay close to the elf and act as her shield, but he can't watch every direction at once. Thane can move in and keep its attention focused on him.”
A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth as he glanced toward the surrounding buildings.
“I'll try to circle around through one of the side alleys and take out the elf from a blind spot. Though if she still has some kind of revelation ability, I'm not expecting it to be easy.”
He then looked toward Isolde and Sylphie.
“I'm assuming Thane will stay with the two of you and provide protection. As for when to use your spells...” His gaze settled on Isolde. “I think I'll leave that judgment to you.”
Kira let out a short laugh.
“You're acting like our leader already.”
Lucien blinked before an awkward smile appeared on his face.
“Ah... sorry.”
“No, I didn't mean it as an insult.” The Wolfkin waved a hand dismissively. “It’s just that, how should I say, you're quick at reading a situation, and you explain things clearly?”
Thane nodded in agreement.
“I think the kid has a point.” Resting a hand atop the head of his hammer, he gave Lucien an appraising look. “With that sort of judgment, you should probably be leading the team.”
Lucien looked at him flatly.
“If you're trying to delegate your job to me, at least get everyone else to agree first.”
As he said it, his gaze drifted deliberately toward Isolde.
The noblewoman noticed, narrowing her eyes at once.
...I suppose he really is different from most Inferni-blooded people.
The Inferni she knew had always been impulsive, reckless creatures who charged forward before thinking. Lucien was the complete opposite. The contrast was obvious enough that she had found herself wondering whether he truly possessed Inferni blood at all.
Or perhaps he did, but not enough to be considered half.
Compared to the vivid crimson skin, horns, tail, and volatile temperaments commonly associated with Inferni, Lucien's only obvious resemblance was the color and iris of his eyes. Everything else about him appeared entirely human.
For a brief moment, an old memory surfaced unbidden.
A gathering of reddish-skinned humanoids laughing and celebrating within a lavish estate. The image lingered for only a second before she shoved it aside with growing irritation.
I need to move on…
Suppressing a sigh, Isolde looked back at Lucien, a trace of annoyance still visible on her face.
She still knew very little about the man. Yet Seren trusted him, and Seren was not someone who could be easily manipulated by a charming smile or a few well-chosen words. If anything, she was one of the most stubbornly independent people Isolde had ever known.
Still, as she had already told Seren yesterday, she intended to judge Lucien for herself.
“I don't particularly care who leads,” she said at last.
The response seemed to catch Lucien off guard, and he blinked.
“I possess enough intelligence to determine whether an order is sensible or not.” She folded her arms lightly. “As long as the person giving it is competent, their identity is irrelevant.”
A small grin appeared on Lucien's face.
“Are you starting to become smitten with me?”
Isolde stared at him as though he had just said something profoundly idiotic.
“...You still seem remarkably fond of flirting with women, just like the demons.”
“I agree, though I only did that with their consent,” Lucien replied without missing a beat. “You can ask every woman I've slept with. I'm sure they'd give me a five-star review.”
A brief look of confusion crossed Isolde's face.
“Five stars?”
“Ah.”
Lucien paused as realization struck him.
Right.
He wasn't speaking to someone from Earth.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I mean they'd give my services a very high satisfaction rate.”
“What a strange expression...”
Isolde murmured the words under her breath before turning her attention back toward the plaza.
“One last question before we move,” she said. “What do you think their Stage is? Their type? And what classification rank would you place them at?”
Lucien followed her gaze toward the four Hollowed.
“Based on what I can see through Corruption Detection, they're all Stage 3.” He paused briefly. “As for their type, I'm not sure. I'd guess either Occupational or Relational. Their threat classification is probably somewhere between Dangerous-rank and Deadly-rank.”
That placed them two or three tiers below the most dangerous Hollowed he had encountered so far. The Spider Hollow and the Hollow Knight were almost certainly Lethal-rank threats—only one step above Deadly.
“Then they probably don't have many abilities, huh?” Kira asked, rolling his shoulders as excitement crept into his voice.
“Shouldn't,” Lucien replied with a nod.
At most, they would likely possess around five abilities.
“Well,” Ava said, a faint grin tugging at her lips as she glanced around the group, “shall we finally get moving?”
“I guess so.”
Letting out a quiet breath, Lucien subtly nudged his chin toward a nearby alleyway and caught Ava's eye.
“I'll head over there and signal when I'm in position. Just give me a few minutes.”
“Noted.”
Without another word, Lucien detached himself from the group.
The alleyways in this district were particularly confusing, though they were still far more manageable than the Warrens. More importantly, there were no zone-locked Hollows in this part of the Civic Quarter, which made moving through the area considerably less stressful.
It didn't take Lucien long to reach his position.
Carefully peering around the corner of the alley, he immediately spotted Ava watching from across the plaza. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Lucien gave her a small, deliberate wave.
Time to start the attack.