The Great Hero is a Schoolteacher

Vilo left me alone for some time. I mostly dozed on a chair, wondering what Catalin and Chess were going through. If I had enough energy, I’d run across the city and jump at Pernel’s throat. But I was hurt and tired, so I waited.

When Vilo came back, using the door that led to the side of the block opposite his cousin’s shop, there were a couple of people with him. He carried a small cask that he put in the tiny corner of the apartment he used as a kitchen. Then, as more people arrived, he served glasses of cider.

There were about fifteen of us squeezed into the small living room. Vilo made the introductions.

“Friends, this is the Great Hero Al.”

“Just Al, thank you.”

He smiled. “Al went missing for several days, because she refused to comply with King Esthar’s orders regarding the Gold Dragon’s attack. She gathered crucial information, she almost lost her life in the process, and she decided we’d be the right people to share her knowledge with.”

I initially trusted you with the information, not your friends, but I understand why you want them involved.

As I opened my mouth to talk, a young woman spoke first.

“Is that why you look so terrible, Al?”

Thank you, I needed that…

I nodded. “I’m not that badly hurt. It’s mostly scratches that will heal soon. Now that I have your attention, can you listen, please?”

I went through a simplified story of my journey to Inabar. I summed up the situation, the spell compelling Kossi to obey Saegorg’s orders, and how the latter could control the former at a distance. I insisted that the dragon was completely subdued and that every attempt at resisting was not only useless, but extremely painful for him.

“Some of you are furious at Kossi and it’s perfectly understandable, but he’s not the one pulling the ropes. One of the Senior Magi is a traitor. He cast the spell on the dragon, he’s the only person who can break the last seal that’s keeping him under control, and he intends to have him slaughter the king and his council, the day after tomorrow. This is why I need to confront him tomorrow, in front of as many witnesses as possible, and find a way to coerce him into breaking the seal.”

Skeptical gazes turned to Vilo, who nodded.

“I trust Al. Anyway, she’s the one who’ll confront the sorcerer. The plan is only to take advantage of our protest tomorrow. We all divert Esthar’s guards’ attention, I get Al where she needs to go, and that’s all.”

One man raised his hand.

“Why must we act tomorrow? Isn’t it better to first let the Gold Dragon rid us of the king, and then break into action?”

“No, it’s not,” said Vilo. “He’d kill innocent people before we can stop him, and I’m not supporting this. If you are, get out.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone in the room considered their options. Finally, Vilo’s companions all chose to stay.

“What should we do?” they asked.

“We’ll hold the protest as close as possible to where Al’s target will be. Al, you mentioned King Esthar’s council earlier. Do you know where they’ll be tomorrow?”

I nodded.

“There’s a strategic meeting every morning, to prepare the ambush against the dragon Kossi. I never actually attended it, since I escaped Carastra before the first one, but I was told it took place at the Royal Sword Academy.”

Everyone in the room frowned in disbelief.

“Meetings should be held at the palace! Doesn’t the king have a room for that?”

“Indeed, but the council room suffered significant damage. It’s unlikely to be usable before…”

I paused to think. Kossi had smashed the beautiful stained-glass window. Since there wasn’t such a thing as standard glass panels in this world, given the size of the windows in the council room, a decent replacement would take weeks at best, even if it was ordinary glass.

In a medieval castle, they’d hold meetings in there anyway. Luckily for me, Brealian comfort standards seem to dictate otherwise. I won’t need to sneak into the palace itself.

“I’d say at least a month. In the meantime, we should expect meetings to take place elsewhere. In this case, I’m almost sure King Esthar and his whole council will be at the Royal Sword Academy tomorrow at eight.”

“Almost,” Vilo repeated.

He ran a hand through his dark blue hair.

“Lily, Riban, can you check this information and report to me in the afternoon?”

A man and a woman nodded quickly. “Of course, Vilo!”

They waved at the others and left the place.

While the rest of us waited, we discussed all kinds of topics. Some members of All One asked me for additional details, which I was happy to provide. I wanted them to trust me the way their leader did. The more information I shared with them, the more likely they’d be to understand I wasn’t lying.

Except I did lie. When asked how I’d been able to get back to Carastra so quickly, I pretended the enchanted compass was a gift from Princess Nigella. I didn’t want to admit I’d met Faur, let alone negotiated with him. Elkodunar wasn’t technically at war with Brealia, but my whole existence was supposed to revolve around defeating the Demon Lord, not reluctantly agreeing to ride on his coach.

I must sort this out once Kossi’s problem is solved. I can’t go around forever pretending to be the hero who’ll put an end to some imaginary threat. There are more interesting things to do, if I want to bring prosperity to the kingdom.

The rest of the time, we wondered how to adjust the logistics of the protest. All One was supposed to gather at nine, near the south bridge of the palace. If the meeting did take place at the Royal Sword Academy, people would need to come together earlier and in a slightly different location, near the north bridge. The place wasn’t much of a problem. All One could even invade the moat if they wanted. What really mattered was the time. If we wanted to disrupt the meeting enough to let me slip in unnoticed, there needed to be a noisy crowd at eight. No sleep-in for the revolution.

Lily and Riban finally came back with a confirmation for the time and place I’d announced. Vilo nodded contentedly.

“Good. Did you find out where exactly in the Academy?”

They shook their heads, but an older man raised his hand.

“I used to be a janitor there, Vilo. The only suitable place is the demonstration room. It’s big enough to accommodate the whole council, and there are only two doors, so it’s easy to guard. I can tell you where it is.”

I didn’t fully understand his explanation, but Vilo seemed to. Since he was the one who should help me inside, if one of us knew where to go, it was enough.

He then proceeded to assign a task to every person in the room. Each one was to contact a group of people and warn them of the change in the organization. The protest would take place on the square between the Royal Palace and the Royal Sword Academy. Should anyone ask why, they’d explain that the king would join a meeting at eight o’clock and that he’d pay more attention to a crowd hindering him on the way.

“This isn’t a lie,” he added. “We’re asking for a tax relief tomorrow, and we intend to get it. I’ll just help Al at one point.”

One by one, his companions left. There were only the two of us in the apartment, and I was surprised to find that the living room wasn’t so tiny after all.

Vilo had a smug smile.

“You owe me one, Al.”

“You mean the prospect of Esthar having to admit he was wrong in front of his council isn’t enough for you?”

“Certainly not. I expect you to side with us in the future.”

How cunning of him to only bring it up after his whole party agreed to help me. Now I’m stuck with a debt.

I sighed. “I can’t promise I’ll support you no matter what, Vilo. But as long as you seek equal chances and don’t mercilessly kill all nobles in the process, consider me your ally.”

Vilo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“You sound more reluctant than I expected, but thanks, I guess. I won’t let you forget.”

“I know. You’ll come for me wherever I hide.”

I failed to smile this time. This is a major political change he’s asking for. It’ll either take time or take force, and I don’t think he’ll have the patience. I can’t blame him. I’m just worried about the casualties.

Vilo looked around us and pointed to the kitchenette.

“I don’t have a spare room or even a spare bed, so I’ll leave you here tonight. Help yourself to whatever you want in the pantry. In your state, I advise against going out tonight, but I won’t leave anyone at the door to keep you in. You don’t need a guardian.”

But I don’t want to be alone!

I frowned. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me, I have other options. I’ll be back in the morning.”

“No, wait!”

But he’d already walked right through the wall, where I couldn’t follow him.

There was reasonably fresh bread in the pantry, along with dried meat I couldn’t identify. I kept looking outside as the night fell, wondering if I should try my luck outside, but realizing I had nowhere to go. The only person I wanted to talk to was Princess Nigella, and she was out of reach.

Vilo’s bed was narrow, but at least, there was no green wallpaper in his room. It took me hours to fall asleep, and not only because of the pain. I kept thinking of the thousand ways I could fail, and of the harm it’d do to everyone around me. I owed Catalin a better life. I wanted Chess to smile again. I had so many ideas to make the Brealian kingdom a better place, ideas I hadn’t had a chance to tell the king or the crown princess about, because I’d been summoned at the wrong time!

Vilo came back at dawn, smelling of floral perfume. I bet his night was better than mine. He wore a dagger at his side and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Today is the day we save Brealia!”

“Or die trying,” I answered in a sigh.

The bruise on my side, where my rib was broken, was more defined now. It helped me know where not to put a finger.

Vilo tilted his head with a smile.

“You look good at cheating death.”

“My ribs beg to differ.”

He giggled. “The Almighty watches over you, Al. Please wear this.”

He handed me a man’s dark brown coat, big enough to hide my figure. In a crowd, it’d help me avoid detection.

“Ready to go?”

I nodded in return.

Vilo took me through the walls, leaving me wondering why his power didn’t make me sick the way teleport spells did. As other worlds go, I’m lucky I didn’t end up in a sci-fi spaceship. I’d keep throwing up all over the teleporter room.

We left Potions’ Corner and got closer to the palace. Of course, the area was guarded, but the crowd gathering near the north bridge was clearly attracting most of the guards’ attention. We could blend in with the normal animation of the city, slightly apart from the protesters. There were crossbows pointed at them.

Will any of these men lose temper and open fire?

As I thought this, I realized these protests had gone on for months, and Esthar still hadn’t repressed them in blood. From what I’d gathered the day before, his guards had only arrested a few leaders, although Vilo Jozin himself remained impossible to catch.

It meant there was still hope. The king didn’t wish to crush All One into despair. Perhaps he could be talked into agreeing with some of their demands.

We blended in with the crowd near the north bridge. They chanted slogans asking for tax relief, to make up for the rising prices of basic goods. When guards walked out of the palace and pushed them to the sides, they booed enthusiastically.

One universe away and it feels so much like a student protest.

We couldn’t see beyond the cordon, but I suspected the guards were securing King Esthar’s route from the palace to the Royal Sword Academy. At least the man didn’t take a coach just to cross a city square. Not even a horse, or he’d tower over the crowd, which wasn’t the case.

Vilo elbowed our way out of the bustle and near the fence that bordered the Academy.

“Go on for a moment, follow the fence. We’ll meet at the side gate.”

He walked away from me, through the crowd, got closer to an officer on horseback, and shouted on top of his lungs.

“Freedom and justice for the people!”

I smiled. I’ll take truth and a hard-boiled egg anytime.

“He’s here!” shouted the officer. “The troublemaker!”

I couldn’t see what happened, but Vilo was obviously evading all attempts to seize him, either by physically dodging them or by using his natural power. Nobody was looking my way anymore. I edged my way to a secondary entrance, as we’d agreed on the previous day.

A row of footmen and a handful of horsemen pushed the crowd away. The king was probably sheltered between them, out of sight, ready to enter the Academy.

“Here I am!” announced Vilo from behind me. “We should get inside while no one pays attention to us.”

He grabbed my arm. Thanks to his power, we crossed the fence, then the wall, where the older man had told us the demonstration room was. We arrived behind a thick red curtain. Judging by the noises, there were people gathered inside. Too bad it’s already crowded. I wish I could see where Pernel is. I mean, Uturi.

“Advisors, His Majesty, King Esthar!” called a voice.

The murmurs stopped. For a moment, all I could hear was the muffled sounds of steps on the carpets. What was going on in there? I tried to peek behind the curtain.

Someone caught my arm and pulled me into the room. It was an officer in a fancy uniform, and everyone was staring at me, including the king.