Chapter 49 - Vale Ashford

A week has passed by since Gavin and Luken left the Six Blades hideout.

Leaving Yin, Zachary, and Suna to take care of the place and train while they are at it.

It has been a long and tiresome journey onward to the Grand Castle for both the Commander and The Serpent Summoner.

On the way there, they came across some other S Rank Slayers.

About a hundred of them rode their respective private carriages in groups of five as they made their way to the heart of Niflheim itself.

"Man, we have been getting no breaks so far."

Luken sighed.

"I think we already do get plenty of resting time, Luken."

Gavin said.

"Quit your yapping, you are supposed to be the Commander of the entire Slayer Corps of Niflheim, are you not?"

A strong-willed female voice butted in.

"V-Vale? Did you come here to take revenge on me or something? Do not tell me you ae planning to assassinate me!?"

Luken had an overly exaggerated reaction on his face.

"I would not waste my time with the likes of you, Luken.

She turned her silver white eyes at the Serpent Summoner.

"Hello Gavin, well met."

Gavin shook her hands.

"It is good to see you are doing well, Lady Vale."

This silver haired woman who wore her hair in a long-untied manner. It was also shining and silver. She was roughly the same height as Zachary. Vale was indeed tall. She was a woman who knew how to carry herself well. Her pale skin also did not help, Vale was as bright as the sun.

One quick glance and you could even confuse her as an Angel, that is just how bright and shining she was.

Vale Ashford had worked her way up to become an S Rank Slayer, she was only two years younger than Luken. Yet her feats and accomplishments made the current Emperor Nicholas consider her for the position of 'Commander' at one point, before they stuck to Luken.

She specialized in espionage and stealth.

Once a monster sees her and notices her drawing her weapon, that would be the last thing these monsters would see, Angels and other creatures alike.

Vale was armed to the teeth with her signature ebony switchblade, a couple of throwing stars, her black-tinted light armor which made her move around swiftly undetected without sacrificing maneuverability.

"Look Vale, only S Ranked Slayers are allowed into the Grand Castle for now, so whatever it is you are doing, cease it immediately!"

Luken stood his ground to strike an honorific pose.

"You idiot, it has been years since I became an S Rank, we were both pitted and compared with each other as to who should be the Commander! Did you forget about that already!?"

Vale exclaimed.

"Please forgive him, Vale. He is still the same old idiot even after how many years might go by, you know how he is."

Gavin forced Luken to bow down in an apologetic way as well as him.

"Yeah, I keep forgetting how this guy is. I do not understand how you have kept sticking around with him after all these years, Gavin. It is honestly astonishing."

She replied.

"Believe me, I ask that question to myself every single day of my life."

Gavin responded.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be on my side, Gavin?!"

Luken said.

"The fact that we have not noticed your presence up till now is not very surprising, Vale, you are still the sly fox that you used to be back in the day. I commend you for that."

Gavin said.

"I do what I do best."

She said.

Luken had a serious face now.

"By the way, Vale, just what did you find out there?"

He asked.

"Can you not wait until we get to the Grand Castle for everyone to hear it?"

She responded in an annoyed tone and manner.

"How did you even guess that it was me?"

"I have my own connections, you know. Do not underestimate the Commander of the Slayer Corps."

He smirked.

After all these years, Vale was still kind of bitter after the Emperor chose Luken over her.

Little do the people of Niflheim know, there were actually three people that the Emperor was going to choose, Luken Regalia, Vale Ashford, and Ignis Silva.

When Emperor Nicholas suggested Ignis to be the Commander, every single Slayer and even the Higher Council were in uproar.

They knew what Ignis Silva was like.

And deep down inside her heart, if she was not to be the one the Emperor chose, she would rather have Luken be the Commander rather than Ignis.

"You are going to have to wait for my report in the Grand Castle, I am not going to disclose information early, specially not to you."

She scoffed.

"Alright then, I have no problems with that."

Luken looked at the carriage windows and pulled out a stick out of his cigarette box.

Just as he was about to ignite it, he noticed his lighter was missing.

"Crap, I left my lighter at home."

He frowned.

His eyes then locked with Gavin's gaze.

"Do not even think about it."

Gavin said.

Luken attempted to look even sadder than before.

"Do not think that I am going to be persuaded like that."

Gavin immediately responded.

"Please, dude. Just summon one of those fire egg creature things or something, anything!"

Luken hysterically cried out.

"You win, but I get to choose where we will eat outside afterwards, okay?"

"Fine, fine."

Gavin took out his grimoire.

Flipped the pages a few seconds to try and find the perfect summon.

"Where was it…"

Gavin was desperately trying to find a fire summon.

Seconds turned into minutes.

He was getting more and more frustrated.

"Are you alright, Gavin?"

Vale had to ask him.

"Yeah, I am fine."

Gavin immediately stood up and told the coachman driving the carriage to stop.

"S-Stop? For what?"

The coachman asked.

"Do not worry, it will only take a short while."

Gavin responded with a cold tone.

"Yo, what are you going to do, Gavin?"

Luken asked worriedly.