Fūma Kotarō
A blue-white light shone from Castor’s hand. A man’s figure appeared from within it.
A man wearing a black robe with a hood over his face. He is a small man, just like his name “Kotarō”.
The man was kneeling on the floor and bowing, paying tribute to Castor.
“Yes, it seems to have worked.”
Castor grasped his right hand and nodded deeply.
The power that Castor was given by the goddess Izanami is the power to summon heroes who existed in a different world to this one.
In addition to regaining their lost bodies, the summoned heroes can gain special abilities appropriate to their character through the blessings of Izanami.
The first hero Castor chose to summon was a man named Fūma Kotarō.
He is a secret agent in a special profession called “Ninja”, which is responsible for covert operations, espionage and assassination.
“I’m glad you’re here, Fūma Kotarō.”
“Ha! It is an honour to serve a new master.”
Fūma Kotarō answered Castor’s call, his head still bowed.
The cape prevents him from seeing his face, but his voice is higher and younger than Castor might expect.
“I thank you for giving me the opportunity to fight again, even though I was once defeated and lost my life. I, Fūma Kotarō, will serve you with all my life.”
“…..thank you.”
Kotarō’s voice was quiet, with little inflection, as if he’s already into his secret agent mode, but there was a strong will in it.
“Then I have a request for you……!?
“My lord!”
Just as he was about to continue, a strong dizziness struck Castor.
Castor almost fell to the floor, but Kotarō stood up from his kneeling position and supported him.
“Are you all right, my lord?”
“Ugh, …… no problem. I’m fine.”
Castor slowly sat down on the floor, supported by Kotarō.
It’s as if Castor had run through a dozen or so kilometres, and received a strong sense of fatigue and weariness.
Perhaps the use of [summoning the spirits of the dead] has drained his physical and mental strength.
If he wanted to, he could summon at least one more hero, but he might faint at that moment.
“But let me explain the situation. I’m at…….”
Castor explains briefly the situation he is in.
He was a prince of this country. He was betrayed by an ally during his wedding ceremony. His father, the king, was killed by an enemy blade, and he is in prison awaiting execution.
“………”
Kotarō listened to Castor’s explanation in silence and then nodded quietly.
“…………”
“I see. …… So you want me to help you escape from this prison?”
“Thank you for taking this quickly…… So, do you think you can do it?”
“It’s easy. I will do as my master wishes.”
Kotarō walked noiselessly to the bars of the prison and touched the keyhole with his fingertips.
“Metallic key. It’s made of iron and is probably of Nanban origin. I’ve never seen one like it before, but it’s a wonder I know how to open it.”
Kotaro took out a pointed metal rod – a weapon called a ‘stick shuriken’ – and plunged the pointed end into the keyhole.
Then, after a few seconds of playing with the keyhole ……, the prison door was opened with a click.
“It’s open. Let’s get out of here, my Master.”
“So Fast ……! You’re the master of ninjutsu. It seems I was right to summon you first.”
Castor looked at Kotarō with admiration in his eyes.
As a side effect of [Summoning Heroic Spirit], by concentrating Castor’s consciousness, the abilities of the hero he summoned will come into his mind.
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Fūma Kotarō
Profession: Ninja
Bravery: 7
Statistical rate: 3
Politics: 1
Knowledge: 6
Special ability: Ninjutsu user
The ability to disappear at will.
Able to disguise himself, pick locks, and set and disarm traps.
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Castor chose Kotarō because of his special ability as a ninja.
There are many heroes who are more powerful than Kotarō, but no one is more capable of escaping from enemy territory than him.
Kotarō looked at the stairs leading up from the prison and muttered in a low voice.
“……It seems that there is a guard at the top of the stairs. I’ll go ahead and make them disappear, master then can climb up slowly without worry”
“Wait, wait, you can’t go ……by yourself.”
Before Castor can say a word of restraint, Kotarō’s figure melts into the darkness and disappears.
Castor peeled his eyes open and looked around, but no matter how hard he looked, he could not see him. He had been made invisible by the power of the Ninjutsu.
“It’s like magic……so, this is the ‘Heroic Spirit’. The power of the hero who received it from the goddess Izanami. It seems I’ve been given more power than I ever imagined.”
Castor let out a sigh of neither dismay nor admiration and slowly made his way to the stairs as Kotarō had instructed him.
A month ago he was taken down the stairs by the Revra soldiers, but now he ascends them step by step of his own free will.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he found himself in the corridor of the castle. It was already half past midnight and the castle was quiet.
In the corridor, a dark-skinned man named Kotarō stood in the moonlight. A man who looks like a soldier is lying beside him, bleeding from the neck.
“A soldier of the Revra,…… Kotaro, did you kill him?”
“Yes, I killed him without allowing him to let out a single groan. Does, master have a problem with that?”
“…… No, you did well.”
The Kingdom of Styria has long been an enemy of the Leohart Empire, but unlike the Kingdom of Revra, its territory does not border the Empire. In the past, they have continued to provide arms and supplies to their ally, Revra, but they have not sent many soldiers to support them.
This is why Castor has never been on the battlefield and has never seen a soldier, friend or foe, die.
“I see……. I think I understand a little bit why Zardis hated me.”
Castor and Zardis.
Both were royalty, but Castor was born and raised in a relatively peaceful country, while Zardis was born and raised in a war-torn country. There must have been a great divide in their values.
Or perhaps …… that is one of the factors that made Revra choose the path of betrayal.
“I don’t know how he feels, but I’m not going to give up my life and my country just because……Zardis will get what he deserves,……!”
Castor clenched his fists tightly and reaffirmed his intention to escape.
He stripped the soldier that Kotarō had killed of any weapons or anything else of note, and tumbled the body down the prison stairs.
“……Even if we hide the body of this soldier, they will eventually find out that master has escaped. I do not know the structure of this castle. Does master know?”
“Ah……the main and back gates may be fortified by the enemy, but there is a hidden passage at the back of the castle that only royalty knows about. We can escape from there.”
“Then please use this sword.”
Castor received the sword that Kotarō offered him. It was the weapon worn by the Revra soldier earlier.
Castor had his doubts about taking the weapons of a dead soldier, but he also felt uneasy about going through a hostile castle unarmed.
Castor took the sword with a bitter look on his face and led Kotarō through the corridors of the castle.