《The Rise of the Unholy Paladin - Book 1》 Chapter 1 - Another Shot The click-clicking of the keyboards through the office of Minterna gives an almost rhythmic vibe to the day. Everyone all tediously working on their daily duties, it almost seems like everyone is part of an orchestra. That might be how some people see it, but for some reason I can¡¯t bring myself to enjoy the work I do. It¡¯s not so much the work I am doing now, but any work. It all feels so boring, no end in sight besides retirement. Even getting retirement seems like a lofty goal in today¡¯s economy. ¡°Big plans for the weekend?¡± ¡°Have a nice day!¡± ¡°See you guys tomorrow!¡± ¡­ the unending daily ritualistic pleasantries ring out every, single, day. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I am ever going to get used to it enough to even moderately enjoy it. But¡­ if I want money I guess I will have to just tolerate it. At least for now. Nothing beats being able to afford my favorite hobbies. ¡°Ken, what are you planning for the weekend?¡± Timothy, a co-worker of mine, asked while leaning over the cubicle wall. His shadow is almost imposing. He¡¯s a big guy, a little over six-foot. Not too bad looking either, I am not too sure why he isn¡¯t married yet. We are getting up there in age, I just turned 34 myself. Dirty thirties¡­ hooray for me. I can¡¯t say much about that either, I don¡¯t have much of a love-life myself. ¡°Honestly Tim, I think I am going to go out for a drink.¡± Tim¡¯s face lit up, ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear!¡± He slammed his fist to his chest, pointing his thumb at himself, ¡°Where are we going?¡± I guess he just invites himself wherever he wants. It doesn¡¯t really matter, it¡¯s not like I planned on meeting up with anyone else. It beats being completely alone. After what felt like an eternity, the buzzer rang the finish line for the day and we were finally permitted to leave. I rode with Tim to the bar down the street from our work. The dingy atmosphere is almost uplifting. I am so tired of the corporate white and grays. ¡°Something about this place always puts me in a better mood. Barkeep!¡± Tim said raising his hand to the lady working the front counter. ¡°2 of your best beers, and by best I mean cheap!¡± He said laughing. The woman laughed and turned to fill our order. ¡°Hey man, when are you planning on getting married or something?¡± I said, looking down at my beer. ¡°Where did this come from?¡± Tim asked, looking almost concerned. ¡°I don¡¯t know man, we are just getting up there in age. I figure we only have so much longer before family life is a fantasy for us.¡± I said without lifting my head. ¡°Oh hell, I thought you were going to drop something serious on me! HA HA!¡± Tim said hunched over laughing. I guess he¡¯s already drunk. ¡°I¡¯m being serious man.¡± I said, giving him the most serious look I could muster after a few beers. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Look, I don¡¯t have any issue meeting people. I just haven¡¯t found someone I¡¯d trust. Like if you were a chick that would be awesome. Too bad tho, right?¡± He said smirking at me. ¡°That¡¯s cute. I guess I have the same issue. With all of the stories going around of how people are divorcing and losing everything really puts a bad taste in my mouth.¡± I said tilting and stirring the beer around in my glass. ¡°Tell me about it. Barkeep!¡± Tim yelled again. After the drinks, we headed outside. Tim, like always, lit up a cigarette and breathed in deep. ¡°Give me a minute bud, would ya?¡± ¡°Sure, smoke up.¡± As I turned to lean against the wall outside the entrance to the bar, I heard a commotion a little down the street. I can¡¯t tell what it is, but something is going on. It¡¯s a little late to be partying outside. ¡°RUN!¡± Someone screamed out running as they passed. Gunfire rang out from down the street, before I could understand what was happening Tim grabbed me and started saying something. I¡¯m not sure what it is he¡¯s saying, maybe ¡°Are you alright?¡± or something similar from his lips moving. My ears were ringing, but my body won¡¯t move. I look down, the warmth I started feeling was what looked like a bullet wound to my chest. ¡°Oh.¡± I said, as my legs collapsed. Tim was still talking but I couldn¡¯t understand him. Why can¡¯t I feel anything? Am I seriously going to die here¡­ no family, no kids, nothing. Wait¡­ Oh no¡­ ¡°Tim, I don¡¯t know if I am going to make it¡­ I need you to do something for me¡­ please.¡± Tim grabbed my hand, tearing up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ken¡­ you¡¯re phone, your computer. I¡¯ll destroy it all. There will be nothing with a browser history left.¡± He smiled. Wow, what a guy. I guess I can at least not worry about how people are going to view me after I¡¯m gone. ¡°Thank you.¡± I spit that out as I drew my last breath. Too bad it has to end like this. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Well that depends on how you look at the word ¡®end¡¯¡­¡± Wait¡­ what? I open my eyes to what looks like outer space. Stars passing by beneath my feet, like the entire universe is converging on this exact point. ¡°Wait!¡± I jumped up feeling around, the wounds I had just moments ago were gone. What is this? ¡°What happened?¡± I said, to what appeared to be no one. ¡°You died.¡± A voice echoed. Suddenly, a figure started materializing right in front of me. A swarm of dark¡­ particles? Whatever it was swirled into the figure until it took a complete shape. Only when the last particle joined the others did it take the complete form of an old man. ¡°You died, and you ended up here. The truth is, we gods have worlds for all souls. You move around to different domains, but essentially you remain yourself.¡± The man said calmly as he pulled an old fashioned pipe out of his cloak and lit it with a flame coming from his fingertip. Okay¡­ was that him flexing his power by lighting a pipe? Maybe he just enjoys it, I don¡¯t know anything anymore. ¡°I died? Wait, did Tim--¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry he kept his promise.¡± He said taking another puff of his pipe. ¡°Oh thank God.¡± That¡¯s a relief, after all the crap I gave him he is a real friend¡­ now I feel kind of bad about all the times I tried my best to avoid him. ¡°Alright, so what now?¡± I stood in front of the old man, trying to take all of this in. ¡°Well like I was saying, we recycle souls. There are only so many in the universe, it¡¯s not something that we can just make whenever we want to. Yours just so happened to land in mine. So, anything you would like to ask?¡± He said, floating in a sitting position. ¡°Well, to be honest I don¡¯t really know what to ask. How about how can a god just sit here smoking a pipe and talk with a single soul?¡± The god smirked. ¡°Let me think about the correct way to answer that request.¡± The god sat there floating, looking like he was lost in thought. Since he¡¯s think about that, I might as well take a better look at where I am. The stars shifted, shooting below, above, and to the sides of us. The dark emptiness contrasted with the beautiful different colors and hues of the stars and gasses mixed throughout. A breathtaking mix of purple, red, and blue hues. The god lowered himself to the ground and walked a little closer. ¡°Okay, so I don¡¯t have the power I used to. Basically, this is my enjoyment now. I can send you to my world, but I can¡¯t do much more than that.¡± He said blankly. ¡°How can a god lose power?¡± The idea that an all-powerful being could diminish is more than my puny human brain can fathom. ¡°The souls feed us power through prayer and thoughts. That is how we all get power. The issue is, the souls that have left my world knew my name and gave thanks for the benefits I gave them. The ones there now have all but forgotten me. They pray to a false idol, one named Murak. They call him the divine giver, however he doesn¡¯t exist. He might in the future, but not as a god. If you put enough willpower into an idea you can force its existence. That¡¯s beside the point, the basic fact is I am almost powerless now. I can¡¯t even visit my believers in their dreams anymore.¡± He looked down at his pipe, it looks like he reminiscing over his memories of a world long gone. I didn¡¯t notice it before, but his demeanor isn¡¯t that of an all-powerful being. It¡¯s more of a friend, maybe that¡¯s why he had followers before, but why would someone come up with a fake god just to worship when they had one that was actually a part of the world? That is something I didn¡¯t know in my past life. His white hair fell to his roughly featured face, and he brushed it to the side. ¡°So, anything else?¡± He seemed to be back to his blank state. I sat down, ¡°How about this¡­ is there something I can do to help you? I mean you are giving me another shot. I want to do it right.¡± The god¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Really? You would try to help me?¡± The god asked scratching his chin. ¡°The last thousand years have been full of self-fulfilling souls. No one cared about me honestly, just what I could give them. The last ones were a bit jaded about the fact that I didn¡¯t have power anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think I could help you out somehow. Maybe spreading the word about you again.¡± I said grinning. ¡°The only issue is the Church of Light. They follow the teachings of this Murak and are violently opposed to other religions. The only place that would be safe for a believe of mine would be the Forest of Turantia. My last bastion was there, well I say mine but it was a paladin named Hulin who fought in my name. He was regaled as a hero until the church burned all the books containing him and myself.¡± ¡°Perfect, send me to this forest to start out with. That should let me get ready for the rest of the world.¡± I mean, I got to help right? If I can get on his good side maybe he can help me live a peaceful life. That is, in itself, a selfish desire. But hey, I¡¯m still human. ¡°The issue is that the Forest of Turantia is a very dangerous place. If you survive you would undoubtedly grow stronger, but that is IF you could survive that.¡± The god scratched his head, looking out into the void behind him. ¡°Okay, how about this. I might not be able to give you all the power you can use, but I can send you to the Holy Bastion where Hulin lived before he passed. There are a lot of books on magic, runes, weapons, and more there that you could use to get a good understanding. If you are extremely careful you should be alright.¡± The god said smiling. I¡¯m not going to lie, it seems like he has no idea if I could actually survive there¡­ Ah what the hell. I already died once. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The god said joyfully, ¡°Let¡¯s your adventure started!¡± ¡°Hold on, did you say something about magic earlier? That exists here?¡± I said as he was already in the middle of doing something with his hands. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s very similar to the one I am using now.¡± As he finished speaking his fingertips lit with a bright white light. Drawing a circle into the air. The circle drifted under my feet, then it started to pull like gravity had been turned to the max. ¡°Before you go, my name is Ysmiro. I am the true god of this world. Spread my name, disciple and paladin of Ysmiro!¡± He waved at me as I was pulled into the circle with what felt like the force of the universe itself pulled me into the magic circle below me. Chapter 2 - What it Means to be a Paladin I felt myself slowly coming to, the grogginess of what felt like an all-night bender weighing on me. ¡°Ysmiro¡­ this is a little much. Even for a god.¡± While I can¡¯t quite see yet, I feel what seems to be a stone floor, caked with dust under my fingertips. As my vision starts to come back to me, I see myself in a dimly lit room. The only light coming from a flickering candle placed on a desk in the middle. I can¡¯t make out all of the details with the light I have, but I can tell this place has seen better days. ¡°Ken, can you hear me clearly?¡± Ysmiro''s voice pounded in my head. ¡°Yes, please turn down the volume. It feels like my head is going to explode.¡± I grasped my head in pain. Aches shooting down from the crown of my head to my neck. ¡°That is to be expected. Listen, this is the last time I can use my power to speak to you in this manner. I just wanted to tell you to search the desk in the room. Hulin, my last paladin, left his diary there. It should help shed some light on what your quest entails. Also, I am giving you a system to help you understand the powers in this world. Normally, all souls here can accomplish that by feeling. However, you are going in as an adult with no abilities or training to do so. Goodbye, for now.¡± The end seems to taper off like an old song exiting before a new one plays on the radio. Kind of odd that it sounds like his power faded rather than just went away. First thing¡¯s first. I am letting this headache go away. After a few minutes, the feeling I was experiencing finally subsided. I made my way to the desk and found the diary placed on the top, neatly positioned in the middle with an ornate pen to its side. ¡°I guess this is it, then?¡± The book looks a little too elaborately designed to be a diary. But maybe this is normal in this world, like someone¡¯s diary is their biography. Either way, I need to read this to get some kind of bearing on what I should do next. According to Ysmiro, the forest outside of here is known as the Forest of Turantia and it is teeming with dangerous creatures. Talk about living in hard mode. I flipped to the first page of the diary. ¡°Whoever has the strength to find this book, and can open it with the guidance of Ysmiro, I pray for your luck in your journey to come. May the light of Ysmiro be with you, future paladin. -Hulin Aylur¡± Future paladin? Maybe the only ones who can reach this spot are the paladins of Ysmiro. I am still unsure of what a paladin is, but maybe this can shed some light on that. I flip the page. Instead of the diary I was expecting¡­ I found a page with symbols and one line of text: ¡°Paladin. Welcome to the fold.¡± The book illuminates in a blue aura, sigils floating around it. I tried to drop the book, but I couldn¡¯t release my grip despite my overwhelming urge to back away from it. The sigils look like they are made of a rainbow of colors, churning and changing between themselves. They left the book and floated around me. I have a feeling this was a mistake¡­ The sigils wrapped themselves around my arms, then torso, then finally my legs. ¡°Agh, AHH!¡± Where the sigils rested, they began to sink into my skin along with the strong sensation of them being branded directly onto my skin. After my legs buckled I hit the floor, but I am still unable to let go of the book. After what feels like forever has passed, I begin to lose consciousness again. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± The dizziness causes me to lumber forward, landing face first on the ground. In a puddle of¡­ something? I slowly lift myself up off of the floor. The oozing puddle neither water, nor anything else I have seen before stuck to me like I fell into a pool of that ¡°Make At-Home Slime¡± you could purchase from the toy stores in my old world. As I teeter upward, I notice something different in the room¡­ a person. Standing upright and tall, a man¡­ or maybe a spirit? He was glowing in the same blue light as the book. His robes, while they didn¡¯t contain any color, seemed ornate and elaborate. In one hand a book, a sword on his hip, and a half-helmet with the same ornate design as his robes on his head. He held up his hand as if to tell me to stop. ¡°Future paladin. Or shall I say, present paladin. I welcome you to my castle. The last bastion of the great Ysmiro!¡± The figure''s voice echoed loud enough that the walls seemed to shake at the sheer power of it. ¡°You find yourself in my quarters, where I studied both magic and the nature of souls in Astrania. You may be asking yourself who I am, I am but the humble Hulin. Paladin and defender of Ysmiro and his works.¡± The figure bowed, in a way that seemed anything but humble. Moreso like a nobleman would after flaunting his reputation or status. He''s awfully full of himself¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t believe I am, Ken the Paladin.¡± You¡¯re kidding me¡­ It just dawned on me that he can read my mind the same way Ysmiro could. Maybe it¡¯s because he isn¡¯t human anymore. ¡°This is my soul, integrated into the diary. The only one who could summon me would be the next paladin of Ysmiro. That is the magic I had cast on the book prior to dying. I will be brief. I am going to give you my soul and the powers therein. You won¡¯t be able to use my powers outright, like anything you have to put the work in to be able to master any craft. This includes the powers I gift to you. Understand, this world is full of evil. You need to be on guard at all times.¡± The figure stood there, as if patiently waiting for me to say something. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know how I can be a paladin. After coming here, I see how important that role must be. I want to share the name of Ysmiro for assisting me, but this castle and all really put it into perspective that I didn¡¯t know what I signed up for.¡± I said, trying not to make eye contact with the projection of Hulin. ¡°Haha, ahh. I remember when I first started my journey as well.¡± Hulin looked away, as if reminiscing on old memories. ¡°Becoming a paladin and being a paladin, these are two different things entirely. Do you know what it means to be a paladin, young Ken?¡± ¡°Fighting evil, things of that nature?¡± I tried to sound as serious as I could, given it was absurd coming out of my mouth. ¡°In all things, there is good and evil. Protecting those you love, while giving thanks to Ysmiro for what you have. That is what it means to be a paladin. That can be your family, or the entire world. Doing what you can to protect what is dear to you in the name of your god. If you can do that, you can be a paladin.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I am not sure I can do that, I don¡¯t even understand what I am supposed to do right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all will become clear soon enough. For now, I am integrating with your soul. This will give you the system Ysmiro told you about as well. Don¡¯t worry, he contacted me not long before you came to this world and helped me adjust my soul so that it would be more useful for you. This isn¡¯t goodbye, moreso, this is welcome to the fold my new friend.¡± ¡°I never agreed¨C¡± Before I could finish the sentence, Hulin vaporized into motes of light and drifted into me. Even though I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening, the sensation is warm. It¡¯s as though his soul was pure and loving, and by integrating with mine he shared his feelings. I guess I don¡¯t really have a say here. Without realizing it, the pangs of hunger started to hit me. I don¡¯t know how long I have been here¡­ but I am absolutely starving. As I turned to reach for the candle to help me find my way out, a translucent square appeared in my view. Ken Tigressi Human (Age: 17) Level: 1 HP: 23 Mana: 11 Jobs: Apprentice Paladin Titles: None Skills: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] Swords (1) Bows (1) Shields (1) Wands (1) Staffs (1) Magic: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Wind Cutter (1)] Well damn. That looks¡­ pretty much like what is included in games in my old world. Kind of cliche¡­ I mean, Ysmiro said it would make things more familiar for me since I can¡¯t feel what the people here feel when they think of skills and stuff. Job? ¡°APPRENTICE PALADIN?!¡± The truth is, once I told Ysmiro I would do it I guess I lost all choice in the matter. Skills and magic, most of everything is locked. I can currently use swords, bows, wands, and staffs. Too bad I don¡¯t have one right now. Wind Cutter, huh? This world has magic¡­ and I can use magic¡­ ¡°Hehe¡­ maybe this won¡¯t be so bad.¡± I mean¡­ who doesn¡¯t dream of using magic. *grrrrr* Obviously I need to get a bite to eat. Before my stomach eats itself. I lift the candle up, carefully at first. Then I noticed that there is no wax anywhere on the pan. Is the candle magic, too?! With everything that has been going on, I honestly should know better than to be surprised anymore. I make my way out of the room and into the corridor. After a few turns through the maze-like hallways, I find myself basking in the sunlight. The windows, or holes shaped like windows, let in the crisp clear sun. I could see that the castle is completely overrun by the forest, the trees are making their way up the sides and into the courtyard. Small animals are scurrying around, but I am not positive on what they are. There is no way that any food from Hulin would still be good to eat¡­ guess I am going to go hunting. Plus, I have been dying to try out this magic I have now! As I narrowed my eyes on what looked like a squirrel from my old world, minus the horn on its head, a window popped up into my view. Skill Prerequisite Met. New Skill: Appraise Unlocked. This window appeared and was met with a disembodied voice that read it to me. Honestly, it was very nice to not feel like I am so alone. I focus on the Appraise skill in my status screen. Appraise (1) A skill that allows the caster to understand basic information regarding a target. Can not be blocked by magic below the level threshold of the user. Can not be used on targets with the Passive Counter skill. So, from what I can tell my Appraise is level 1, so anything that can counter it has to be lower than level 1. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem very helpful right now¡­¡± I focus back on the squirrel-thing and activate Appraise. Horned Forest Rodent (Level 2) HP: 9 Mana: 1 The Appraise skill seemed to come in handy here. The horned forest rodent is a level above me. However, I think I can win if I use a surprise attack. I hold out my hand, honestly because it just feels natural to do it this way, and¡­ ¡°Wind Cutter!¡±. Nothing happened¡­ ¡°I guess I should have known it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡± I hang my head, I can still figure out something else, but I really wanted to try out magic. ¡°Maybe I am doing it wrong. How can I use magic?¡± A screen appeared. Magic A phenomenon utilizing a host¡¯s mana. Mana is channeled into the form the host interprets, then activates by releasing said mana. I love Appraise. I hold out my hand again, trying to feel the mana. I can feel something that wasn¡¯t there before, like a warm flowing throughout my body. I try to focus it in the palm of my hand. ¡°Wind cutter. A blade? A blade of air pressure.¡± The mana took shape and formed a razor sharp crescent in the palm of my hand. ¡°Now, I need to release it.¡± I focus on the horned forest rodent, and cut the connection to the mana off toward it. The blade took flight at lightning speed, and cut the creature in half. ¡°My aim was off but I did it! Can I eat this? I¡¯m going to try.¡± I jumped off the ledge into the overgrown courtyard and picked up the horned squirrel. I guess it would be too much to ask for a loot function¡­ I picked up a sharp stone from the ground and started to cut away at the creature¡¯s fur. What pieces I didn¡¯t destroy, I put away in the satchel that I found on the way out of Hulin¡¯s office. It isn¡¯t magical, but it is a bag. Once I finished butchering the animal, I grabbed the candle from the ledge and went down into the courtyard once more. ¡°Wind Cutter! Wind Cutter!¡± I know I didn¡¯t need to say it, but it felt like the right thing to do. I mean, it¡¯s magic, right? I used the spells to cut limbs into sections and built a base for a fire. Using the candle, I lit the fire and began cooking the meat on a smaller, sturdy stick. The ambiance of the campfire, with the smell of the burning meat really gave me a sense of peace. I wonder if I could have done this with anyone in my old world. I guess it wouldn¡¯t matter since I never made the attempt to be around anyone. I really would have loved to start a family. Maybe I can do that here? What a thought. I open my status to see a new notification. Congratulations. You have reached level 2. Wind Cutter has progressed 1 > 2 Appraise has progressed 1 > 2 You have learned the spell Flicker. ¡°Flicker?¡± Flicker Concentrating mana into your limbs allows you to create a small flame. While small in size, the flame is extremely hot. Useful for survival situations. It¡¯s not like I am not happy to have it, but how did I learn that? It could have been the candle, but maybe it is some sort of self-actualization this world gives its inhabitants. I won¡¯t figure anything else out just guessing like this. For now, let¡¯s just move forward. The sun started to set and I made my way back up into the castle from the ledge I came down. The first room I found looked like it may have been a bedroom. Taking some wood from the trees in the courtyard with Wind Cutter, and extinguishing my campfire, I boarded myself in the room and built a fire in the fireplace. ¡°Flicker¡±, the fire slowly grew across the logs. The floor definitely doesn''t feel as bad as it did when I first got here. So let¡¯s see how I ended today¡­ Ken Tigressi Human (Age: 17) Level: 2 HP: 29 Mana: 17 Jobs: Apprentice Paladin Titles: None Skills: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Swords (1)] [Bows (1)] [Shields (1)] [Wands(1)] [Staffs (1)] Magic: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Wind Cutter (2)] [Flicker(1)] Not bad I guess. Maybe tomorrow I can work on getting a little bit stronger and learn some new skills. First up, I should probably find some weapons. After the warm meal, and in front of the roaring fire. I finally drifted into the deepest sleep I think I have ever had. Chapter 3 - The Paladin and the Cat-Girl I stretched, feeling the morning sun shine through the cracks in the bricks of the room I fell asleep in. The fire long since turned cold, bird chirps echoing down the halls of the castle. If I weren¡¯t in a solid brick room right now¡­ I could almost say this is exactly like camping in my old world. A grin cut across Ken¡¯s face as he enthusiastically leapt up. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go hunting!¡± The monster I beat yesterday seemed easy enough. So, is that what is considered dangerous in this world? If so, I have nothing to worry about. I gathered my belongings and sprinted out the door. Not even realizing I just jumped into the castle courtyard off of the two-meter ledge without so much as breaking a sweat. I ran into the overgrown courtyard, and unleashed Wind Cutter at every small animal I came across. After I was satisfied with how my magic was working, I decided to take all of the creatures back to the start of the courtyard and look for something better than the stone to butcher them. Back in my old world, smoked and cured meats were really good ways to preserve food. I would give anything for a refrigerator or freezer, but maybe I could do something with magic when I learn more. I looked around the castle, which was way bigger than I remembered. Finally, I came across a room that was boarded shut. The boards were rotted away, so peeling the wood from the door wasn¡¯t hard at all. ¡°Jackpot!¡± I walked right into the castle armory. Err¡­ most of the weapons are rusted beyond use thanks to the rain. Even though most of the metal blades were past their use, I manage to find a small dagger. After using Appraise, I figured out that it was known as a Dwarven Mithril Hunter¡¯s Dagger. Dwarven Mithril Hunter¡¯s Dagger (R) Only can be forged by the Elder Dwarves of Solsguard. This mithril dagger is impervious to damage, and will remain sharp forever. The magical properties of the mithril gives this knife the ability to slice even the toughest hides. Attack Damage: 37 ¡°Oh, so there''s statistics for weapons as well? This seems like it is pretty nice!¡± I happily look over the knife, even the hilt is in pristine condition. ¡°The mithril must have done its job.¡± The ceiling had partially fell in, which was the reason for all of the water damage. After sifting through all of the items in the armory I found a few more useful pieces. High Elf Recurve Bow (R) Specialty of the High Elves of the Forest of Turantia, this recurve bow is easier to draw and fire than any other of its type. Attack Damage: 54 Wight Magus Staff (U) Staff of the Undead King. Allows the caster to easily manipulate their mana, while also giving a boosting effect. The Undead King had this staff created from the remains of the countless armies who lost to him by his grand magus. The Spell Multiplier enchantment works in conjunction with the caster¡¯s magic to deal damage. Enchantments: Spell Multiplier (7) Attack Power: 29 Dwarven Clippers (S) Created by the Elder Dwarves of Solsguard, these scissors can cut through any material that is beneath steel. The hair of the Elder Dwarves was said to be so tough, mithril had to be used to trim it. Enchantments: Weather-Resistance (4) Attack Power: 22 ¡°I wonder what the letters beside the name designate? I can figure that out later.¡± I happily stash the dagger and the scissors in my bag, hang the bow over my back, and take the staff with me. This was a much better haul than I thought I could get. It¡¯s been so long since the last paladin, that I figured everything would have withered away by now. I went back to the room where I slept, and sat the bow down in the corner. ¡°For now, I will use this room as my base of operations.¡± It''s large, comfortable¡­ sorta, and most importantly¡­ it is still in one piece. I spent the next few hours gently butchering the prey I found in the courtyard. I didn¡¯t take the time to look at their stats before I attacked, I definitely need to make sure I pay attention next time. I would hate to take on something I can¡¯t handle. Demon Rabbit (Level 4) Dead Dark Pigeon (Level 1) Dead Twisted Canary (Level 7) Dead What is with all of these sinister names? I guess Appraise won¡¯t give me any details about them after I have slain them. No matter, I have food for the next few days thanks to these guys. That is, if I can preserve it. I frantically gathered stones that had fallen from the castle walls since they still resembled a square and slowly built a smoke pit to preserve the meat. Once I completed it, I went through my routine of wood gathering with Wind Cutter. ¡°Now the moment of truth¡­ Flicker.¡± I lit the flame at the base, and once it got going well enough I covered it to allow the smoke to rise. Taking some dirt from the courtyard, I plugged all of the holes that were leaking smoke on the sides. Besides it being built from an old castle, this actually looks and functions pretty well. I look up at the sky and see that there¡¯s still about a half-day of sunlight left. I wonder what it¡¯s like outside of the castle. Until now, I haven¡¯t left the castle grounds. While the meat is smoking, I take it upon myself to stretch my legs a little and leave the castle¡¯s safety. If all there is out there is creatures like I have faced here then I have little to worry about anyway. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Getting to the front door was easy since I saw it in passing while looking for the armory. I open the small hatch, and a gentle breeze blew in, lifting the dust from the floors. ¡°It¡¯s time to go exploring!¡± I fist pumped in the air¡­ and of course no one saw it. But I did, and it felt good. The outdoors had some of the same fauna that had made its way into the castle. Unfortunately, Appraise can¡¯t give me much in details regarding the plants yet. Plant ¡°Why, yes. Yes it is a plant.¡± I rolled my eyes at the sarcastic feeling window that appeared when I activated appraise on the bushes near the entrance. I¡¯m really not out here for that anyway. I want to try out this new staff on something a little bigger than the squirrels and rabbits in the courtyard. It didn¡¯t take long for me to find my first opponent. Savage Deer (Level 14) HP: 64 Mana: 38 It could almost be mistaken for a regular old deer¡­ except for the fact that its twice the size and its antlers look like they are made of blades. ¡°You have to be joking.¡± One wrong move here and I¡¯m dead. And what¡¯s worse? The deer is already looking at me. ¡°PHERUUU!¡± It charged, shaking its head left and right trying to gore me as it passed. It is so quick that I almost didn¡¯t have the chance to dodge. ¡°Wind Cutter!¡± The staff¡¯s end caused an explosion of wind pressure that flew at the deer, knocking it on its side. The deer got back up, shaking off what I thought was a killing blow as if it were nothing. It charged again, this time, stopping right before it reached me. As it rammed its head upward in an attempt to uppercut me with its massive antlers made of metal, I panicked and slammed the staff down as hard as I could. I was sent flying back into a tree, with more force than I thought would be enough to kill me. The deer started to charge again. ¡°Wind Cutter! Wind Cutter! Wind Cutter!¡± After a lengthy battle of me dodging to the best of my abilities, I somehow managed to defeat the savage deer. This is probably why all of the smaller creatures were inside the castle walls. This has to be the big species of the area. It managed to cut me a few times, but not deep enough for me to be concerned with my life. I pull the deer back to the entrance and push it through the door. I¡¯ll come back for it later. I still want to see what else is out here. I managed to take out the biggest threat yet, so I should be alright. I wandered around for a little while, yet couldn¡¯t find any other creatures. ¡°I guess the deer was the boss monster here.¡± I dust the dirt off my pants and head back towards the castle. The sun was already setting, and the crickets were playing their orchestra. ¡°Veee, veee¡± ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I turn around abruptly, but I can¡¯t see where the sound came from. I start walking again, however I keep an eye over my should incase something comes at me from behind. ¡°Vee!¡± I spin around, but by the time my vision registered what happened a large bat creature had latched onto my neck. I pulled it away, tearing a small bit of flesh from myself. ¡°AH! You overgrown buzzard! Wind Cutter!¡± Unlike the deer, the Wind Cutter had torn the bat in half. I stumble around, I didn¡¯t think I lost that much blood but the dizziness of low blood volume started to set in. I picked the largest part of the bat up and ran as fast as I could to the castle. Luckily, nothing else came for me. Inside the door, I still found the deer lying on the floor. I ran by it to the room I am using, and searched for any cloth I could find. At this point, my vision was blurry¡­ I¡¯m going to die again. This can¡¯t be how it ends. I cusp the hole in my neck, but the pressure doesn¡¯t help and I pass out. ¡°I feel warm.¡± I slowly open my eyes after noticing the change in temperature, to my astonishment my neck was wrapped in a linen cloth. ¡°Appraise¡± Linen Bandage (C) Soaked in the medicinal herb Synea Leaf. Heals minor injuries. ¡°How the?¡± I looked around, in the corner of the room stood a little girl. She couldn¡¯t have been no more than six, maybe seven years old. She looked petrified, as though she was scared of me. I sat up slowly, keeping an eye on the child in the corner to make sure this wasn¡¯t a trap. I looked myself over, it looks like she treated the cuts on my arms, too. ¡°Hey, thank you for helping me. My name¡¯s Ken.¡± I reached out a hand, trying to send out a friendly sign. The girl didn¡¯t move from the corner. ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry. Despite how I looked before you put the bandages on, you are safe here. Outside of the castle is pretty dangerous I know, especially for kids. Why did you come all the way out here?¡± Again, the girl didn¡¯t move a muscle. What the hell do I do in this situation? I can¡¯t rightly ask her to leave since she probably saved me from bleeding out. ¡°Appraise.¡± Belinda (Age: 7) Level: 4 ¡°Belinda, huh?¡± The girls¡­ ear twitched? She has cat ears? That¡¯s a thing here? No, back to the matter at hand. ¡°Look, are you hungry? I have food if you want some.¡± The girl looked shocked, and nodded her head. ¡°Okay then!¡± I smiled. ¡°Follow me!¡± I led the girl to the courtyard where the smoker was preserving the meat. She sniffed the air hard when I removed the lid where the meat was hanging, and her eyes lit up. Still, she didn¡¯t try to take the food and run away. I handed her the piece of smoked demon rabbit, which she took albeit slowly from me. I mean, I get it. What kid trusts a stranger they just met, right? I guess her parents raised her well. We sat down on bricks next to the smoker. ¡°So, where are your parents?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°Are you lost?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°You have to tell me something. I promise I won¡¯t be upset, you have to let me know how I can help you.¡± The girl stopped eating, tears filling her eyes when she looked up at me. ¡°Don¡¯t make me suffer when you kill me.¡± ¡°What the hell did you just say?¡± I blurted out spitting up the bird meat I was chewing on. The girl jumped back and put her arm up as if to guard from an impending attack. ¡°Why would I hurt you?¡± I stood up and pointed at her. ¡°You helped me out, and you think I am just going to kill you or something? What do you take me for?¡± ¡°Please sir, I am sorry.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°Seriously, why would you think that?¡± I asked, sitting back down. ¡°Well, because you are a vampire.¡± She said, without look up. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s funny. You think I am a vampire? Ha ha ha!¡± I burst into laughter. The girl didn¡¯t move, looking even more skittish than before. ¡°Status.¡± Ken Tigressi Half-Vampire (Age: 17) Level: 18 HP: 61 Mana: 92 Jobs: Apprentice Paladin, Vampiric Overlord Titles: None Skills: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Swords (2)] [Bows (1)] [Shields (1)] [Wands(1)] [Staffs (3)] Magic: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Wind Cutter (6)] [Flicker(3)] [Life Steal (1)] [Blood Oath(1)] ¡°I¡¯M A FREAKING VAMPIRE?!?!¡± Chapter 4 - Paladin and Guardian ¡°I knew my fate was sealed the minute I stepped into your domain, Paladin of Damnation¡­¡± The little girl softly spoke. As if understanding her fate was second nature. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s right there. I am a freaking vampire. What the hell happened?¡± I paid no attention to the girl speaking to me, I mean who would at a time like this? When the hell did I become a vampire? ¡°Sir paladin?¡± The girl looked at me quizzically. ¡°I mean, maybe it was that bat? I have no idea, am I cursed now or something? Am I going to burn in the sun?¡± I started to panic. Without me noticing, the little girl stood up and got a stone and sat in front of me with her arms outstretched. It was though she was trying to offer me the stone. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not burning now and the light is touching me. Maybe it isn¡¯t like what I am used to? Hey, you ¨C¡± Just then I noticed that she was trying to hand me a rock. A rock? ¡°What¡­ uh¡­ what are you doing?¡± I asked, I hadn¡¯t noticed anything she was doing up until this point. ¡°You can use this to kill me. I just don¡¯t want to suffer before I die.¡± The girl said without lifting her head. ¡°Okay, so let me ask you this. ARE YOU STUPID?!¡± I startled her by yelling. ¡°Why would I kill a little girl?!¡± I mean, the audacity here. Am I right? You just meet someone, help them, then ask them to be gentle when they KILL YOU? It¡¯s outright absurd! ¡°I stepped into your domain after I was released into this forest. I knew what fate awaited me if I were to meet you. I didn¡¯t realize this was the fabled Castle of Damnation until I had already treated you and looked around.¡± The girl, who I could see more clearly this close, was actually shaking as though she was standing before an evil god or something. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what you think you know¡­ but this is the Bastion of Ysmiro. The god.¡± I said, trying to sound empathetic to her feelings. I don¡¯t want to scare her even more. Seriously though, who ¡®releases¡¯ their child into a forest? ¡°I AM SORRY!!¡± The girl kowtowed against the ground, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, mighty god Ysmiro!¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re just being a smartass. You did see me get my ass kicked by a bat right?¡± I said, narrowing my eyes at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, I swear!¡± The girl said, sobbing. ¡°Okay look, I am a Paladin to the god Ysmiro. I am not the god Ysmiro, or any god. Yes, apparently I am a vampire¡­ but that is news to me. I wasn¡¯t a vampire yesterday.¡± Trying to ease the situation, I spoke as plainly as I could in the given situation. ¡°You are the Paladin of Damnation, right?¡± The girl said, looking up. ¡°Honestly, this is my castle. It is devoted to Ysmiro, while it has seen better days nothing here is about damnation¡­ including me.¡± The girl looked at me, from what I could tell it was a state of utter confusion. ¡°So you aren¡¯t going to kill me?¡± ¡°No.¡± She stood up slowly, still on high alert even though I told her I don¡¯t have any intention of doing any kind of harm to her. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she whispered. ¡°Yes, I am positive. Please stop acting like this. I do have some questions, though.¡± I started to think about the actual situation at hand. From the castle, I didn¡¯t see any structures as far as I could see, besides mountains and other natural forms. Where did this girl come from? ¡°What are you doing in the Forest of Turantia?¡± ¡°I was released here.¡± She said plainly. ¡°What does that mean? You were released here?¡± She isn¡¯t making any sense. Was she an animal that got booted in the woods because someone couldn¡¯t take care of her? That wouldn¡¯t make sense, she might have cat ears but she''s a kid. ¡°I was a slave in the Holy City, they had deemed us problem items and threw us away into the Forest of Turantia. That¡¯s what happens to slaves when they either can¡¯t do their duties or are no longer wanted if sale is off the table. You don¡¯t know that?¡± The girl looked at me concerned. How can she look at me like that? That is the most messed up thing I have ever heard. So someone can say ¡®I don¡¯t need you anymore, go die in the forest?¡¯ That is messed up on so many different levels. ¡°Sigh.¡± I look down at the ground, thinking about what to do here. Wouldn¡¯t it be weird for me to have a child living here? What else could I do with her besides give her a job here or something? Wait¡­ Could I actually be the guardian of a child as a paladin? As the thoughts rolled over in my head, the girl started playing in the courtyard, chasing small insects as they flew by. At Least she let her guard down a little. ¡°Do you have anywhere else you can go?¡± I asked bluntly. I don¡¯t want to sound rude, but I need to know if she has someone else that could be looking for her. ¡°No, after we were released, I had no one left. My friend went into the forest with me, but we were separated. The monster¡¯s in this forest are the most dangerous things in the world as far as I know. The odds of her making it are almost zero. I am actually surprised I made it here. I have been wondering for days now, hiding the best I could after it got dark.¡± The girl started tearing up. I can¡¯t leave a child out here like this. ¡°Look, if you want to stay¡­ you are welcome to.¡± I said, still unsure if it¡¯s a wise choice or not. The last thing I need to do is end up on some kind of list. ¡°I¡¯m defective, though. I can¡¯t do my job right at all, so there¡¯s no reason for me to exist. That¡¯s why I was released. I don¡¯t want to be a burden on you.¡± ¡°What job was that?¡± I mean, she¡¯s so small that I couldn¡¯t imagine her job being anything THAT bad. ¡°I was a miner in the coal mines.¡± She said plainly. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A COAL MINER? A SEVEN YEAR OLD? No freaking wonder she couldn¡¯t do her job, she weighs like 50 pounds and they want her to mine coal?! ¡°Is that a normal job for your kind?¡± ¡°Well, yes it is actually. We can sense when the oxygen is getting too low. So certain beast people make for excellent miners.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just change your job then. I don¡¯t have a coal mine.¡± Like I would ever send a child into one anyway. Who is ruling this world to let such crap happen? ¡°How about, you can help me clean up the castle some. In turn, I can teach you some magic¡­ or something?¡± Not really sure how helpful I will be there but I can¡¯t really offer her money. Belinda¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°For real?! I can stay as a maid?¡± She looked so eager that it was almost heartwarming¡­ if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was just happy that she isn¡¯t a coal miner anymore. ¡°How about we try this out, then. I will be your guardian here and you can speak normally to me. I am nothing special. So please, do as you like but make sure to stay inside the castle. That is the only way I can make sure you are safe.¡± The more I think about it, the more angry I get. I don¡¯t even care anymore. If someone comes looking for her, then I know who to take out my frustration on. ¡°Deal!¡± The girl jumped, waving her hand in the air. ¡°You can call me Belinda.¡± She bowed, ¡°It will be a pleasure to serve you master!¡± ¡°No master-stuff. I don¡¯t want a servant. It¡¯s like rent¡­ if that makes sense. You can stay as long as you like and all you have to do is help out around the grounds. Please, call me Ken.¡± The days went by pretty well after that first meeting with Belinda. Even after becoming a vampire, I don¡¯t really feel that different. From what I can tell, my eyes have turned a shade of red but that is about all that happened. Oh, and the cuts I suffered were healed before I removed the bandages. So I guess that is some trait vampires have. The best thing I have noticed so far though, is that even though the stories of vampires from my world show them as burning up from sunlight in a blaze of flames. Luckily, that doesn''t seem to be the case here. The sun still feels fresh and crisp on my skin. Honestly, it might even feel better than before. It¡¯s almost like my senses have heightened. Belinda seems to be doing better as well. The first day I met her was rough to say the least. Everything moved so quickly from her thinking I was going to kill her to me hiring her to work here that my head was spinning. Truthfully, she works really hard for her age. So much so that I make it a point to have her spend time playing and just be a kid. I honestly look at her like she was mine at this point. Being related by blood doesn¡¯t make you family, I know that all-too-well from my previous life. My actual parents abandoned me, it was a couple of great people who took me and helped me get my footing as a person in the world. I wish I could have told them how much I appreciated it. I never built relationships with anyone else, but at the very least, they showed me what it is supposed to look like to be happy. And this feeling right now¡­ I do feel happy. ¡°Belinda! It¡¯s time to stop working and go play. I don¡¯t want to hear anything otherwise.¡± She waved her hand at me smiling, tossing her apron on the desk outside the room she was working in. Obviously I took the desk out, what kind of monster would I be to force a child to do that¡­ even though I kind of am a monster now. I made my way back to the courtyard to work on my project. The days I have spent teaching Belinda have helped me, too. I picked up a couple of new skills that I need to try out. Ken Tigressi Half-Vampire (Age: 17) Level: 19 HP: 70 Mana: 104 Jobs: Apprentice Paladin, Vampiric Overlord, Master of the Home Titles: None Skills: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Swords (2)] [Bows (1)] [Shields (1)] [Wands(1)] [Staffs (3)] Magic: [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Locked] [Wind Cutter (6)] [Flicker(3)] [Fireball (1)] [Ice Needle (1)] [Life Steal (1)] [Blood Oath(1)] I got a new title too it seems. Master of the Home¡­ Master of the Home Title given to one who builds home as the leader. Typically this is given to the father of a family, however it is also given to those who command servants. Title Effect: Better HP and Mana restoration of the entire party while in the confines of your own domain. That seems pretty cool¨C Father? I mean, I guess she could probably see me that way but that doesn¡¯t matter right now. I did want to start a family in my old life, maybe this is the chance where I can do that? I am not going to be pushing that onto a kid, though. She has been enough as it is. For now, I¡¯ll just be the kids¡¯ guardian. Time to switch gears, I wanted to test out some new magic. Ice Needle (1) Converge mana into a solid ice needle and launch it at your target. Small chance to freeze your target on impact. Mana: 9 Attack Power: 30 ¡°Ice Needle!¡± I hold my hand out, a magic circle appearing in front of my palm. The mana went from my hand and formed as though it came through the magic circle. Then, it launched with alarming speed at the tree I was aiming at. It blew a hole clean through the tree, and then stabbed into the tree behind it causing a large amount of ice to build up around the base of the tree. ¡°Wow! So cool!¡± Belinda stood beside me clapping. I am not sure when she got there, but I did feel pretty good about myself after accomplishing that. Still, I need to be careful with this magic. It did just blow a hole big enough for me to crawl through in the tree I was aiming at. Luckily, the tree was still standing and it didn¡¯t fall anywhere that could have hurt her. ¡°Hey Belinda, I want to try something. Do you mind getting up on the ledge there so you don¡¯t get hurt?¡± She gave me a pouty face ¡°But I want to watch close! Please?¡± ¡°Sorry, I want to try something that will be dangerous.¡± I kneel down and pat her on the head, ¡°After we see what happens we will know going forward if you want to stand right beside me, okay?¡± She looked like she was holding her breath for a minute, then stormed up the steps to the ledge. She really is still just a kid at heart, regardless of how this world has treated her. Something I read recently while teaching Belinda magic, was something the previous paladin called magic combination. According to the notes, it looks like I can combine two or more spells and increase the output of them drastically as a new spell. Apparently, sometimes you can create a completely new spell that has never been done before. I don¡¯t really care about that, what I want to know is how much it will cost me to use it. Looking at the fireball spell: Fireball (1) Converge mana into a ball of fire that can be shot at a target. The fire will explode on impact. Mana: 12 Attack Power: 34 I wonder what will happen if I combine fire and ice spells¡­ The magic circle that appeared before is something new to me. Apparently, after so much use you begin seeing the circles form. Before, the spell just happened. Now even my Wind Cutter spells activate with a circle. If I remember the text right, I have to overlap the magic circles to create the spell. I am not sure if it¡¯s the system, or if I am becoming more familiar with magic, but I can see the spell circle of the spells in my list with appraise if I concentrate hard enough. ¡°Ice Needle.¡± I hold out my right hand, forming the ice magic from my right palm. ¡°Now, Fireball!¡± I take my right palm and position it next to my right hand in front of me. The two circle grow in size, and vibrate violently between themselves. Then¡­ New Magic Spell Acquired. [Magic Combination (1)] New Magic Spell Acquired. [Burning Sicle (1)] Whoa, so I learn the spell I create through using it? Nice! ¡°Burning Sicle!¡± The spell circles pulled what felt like my entire life force from me before erupting toward the tree. The steam explosion that occurred was so much more than I was expecting, the force of the spell knocked me back. When I stood up, it was raining from the condensation of the spell. The tree was gone, completely. As was anything within 3 meters of it, only the scorched brick floor remained. I stood up and saw Belinda in awe on the ledge. ¡°That was¡­ AMAZING!¡± She jumped with joy. As I went to give her a thumbs up, I was hit with a dizzy spell that brought me to my knees. ¡°What¨C What is going on?¡± A new screen appeared. Mana critically low. Entering restorative mode. The last view I had was Belinda racing down the steps towards me. I am so happy I didn¡¯t have her down here, that could have ended so badly. Before she could make her way to me, I passed out. Chapter 5 - A Surprise Visit After the incident with the combination spell I learned a few things. First off, the new spell I have is awesome. Burning Sicle (1) Combination spell. Flaming ice causes a large explosion on impact, causing burning vapor to sear anything close by. Radius is affected by both equipment and mana usage. Mana: 32 Attack Power: 78 The second thing I learned is when I use magic combination spells to create magic it heavily drains my mana. I spent some time back in Hulin¡¯s study and found the book I originally saw. Apparently, it drains both spells mana which I kind of figured. The thing I didn¡¯t realize is it also uses a large amount of mana to combine the spells initially. I haven¡¯t tried since, but if I make sure that I am in a safe environment I should be okay in the future. It scared Belinda, so I don¡¯t think I will do it again for now. I finally got around to clearing the courtyard. The fountain that is there is where we have been getting our water. Truthfully, if I would have known how dirty it is I would have done this much sooner. The bushes almost completely overtook the area so I didn¡¯t get a good look initially. Now, we have completely fresh drinking water from it, but I really want to fix the well that is located in the center of the courtyard. I dropped a stone down it and heard water, so I assume it¡¯s still usable. Belinda has been spending her days in the study, too. Her magic skills have grown, and it''s been pretty nice to watch her grow as a person. She mainly looks for magic to help us around the castle, so I am not complaining. Since I got here, I have worked primarily on combat-type magic. ¡°Reinvigorate.¡± Belinda held up both of her hands, magic circles appearing in both. It looks like she picked up on magic combination, too. I want to do something nice for her to show how much I appreciate the work she¡¯s been doing. The new spell she learned has revamped the castle, literally. It appears to revert the target back to its initial state. So everywhere she has cast the spell looks like it¡¯s brand new again. The courtyard, our home of operations, and even the walkways around the courtyard. All of it looks like it was just built. I don¡¯t let her do too much each day, because I don¡¯t want her mana to deplete too much to where she passes out. But I don¡¯t think I can make myself stop her from continuing. Each time she does a section, she runs to me for me to see it. Honestly¡­ it¡¯s the cutest thing ever. I¡¯m happy she gets to just be a kid. Yeah, she¡¯s technically a servant in her mind I think. At least now she can still do kid things while living her life. As the day started to end, I think it¡¯s time for me to give her that gift. In my old world, we fried foods with oil. Oil was technically just fat, so while she worked on cleaning up the castle I spent my time boiling different meats and getting the fat collected by skimming the top of the water. Luckily, we found the kitchen and Belinda made it just like new again so I have some utensils to work with. I figure, if I had to choose, I think kuraage would be a good choice. I don¡¯t have any breading, but frying it with some of the herbs in the garden, which Belinda fixed up too, should be fine. After I leveled up my appraise skill some more, I got a little better information from the plants I appraise. Peppercorn Plant (U) The seeds are well-known for their taste, nobility are always on the lookout for this plant¡¯s fruit at the market. Can be used whole or crushed. I kind of figured out what kind of plant it was by looking, but since this is a new world I wanted to make sure I wasn¡¯t making a poison. I took the oil and pan, then built a small fire in the stove in the kitchen. While the oil heated, I thoroughly cleaned then used the Dwarven Clippers to cut the meat off of the bone from the twisted canaries and dark pigeons. With the oil boiling, I cut the meat into small pieces and peppered them before placing them in the oil. The sound and the smell¡­ This is going to be good. To my surprise, the cooking method went over pretty much like it did in my old life. The smell enveloped the room, which made me even more hungry. After a few minutes, the breadless kuraage was done. ¡°I want to add a little something extra¡­¡± I remember there were fruits in the garden. I am not sure what kind, but with appraise I should be able to make Belinda some juice. Deathknell Fruit Tree (R) The fruit of this tree is poisonous enough to kill a person with one bite. Assassins use this to kill their targets, alchemists break down the poison to make medicines. The uses are hard to find, as this is a rare plant. ¡°Well¡­ not that one.¡± I continue looking through the garden until I find something that looks promising. Joba Fruit Tree (S) The Joba fruit is known for its great flavor. Can be sold for large sums of money as this plant is extremely hard to find. Most cities have two or three of these fruits come through the market every few years. Jackpot! There are a few of these trees here in the garden, and they are all fruiting. I guess I struck it lucky here. I took the fruit back and pressed it into glasses. After tasting it¡­ ¡°MMM!¡± I can see why appraise noted its great flavor. I took the food outside to the courtyard and set up a small table with two chairs. ¡°Belinda! It¡¯s time for dinner!¡± I yelled out, unsure of what part of the castle she is currently in. Not long after, I heard the pitter-patter of small feet come running around the ledge to the staircase. She sat down, staring intently at the food in front of her. ¡°Is this alright for me to eat? I have never seen something like this¡­¡± She poked at the poultry in front of her with her fork. ¡°Yea, it''s something that I had in my homeland before coming here. Eat up before it gets cold.¡± I said, with food already half-way to my face. ¡°DELICIOUS!¡± Belinda yelled as she was chewing her first bite. ¡°I wanted to thank you for all your hard work. You are doing so great, and this is my way of thanking you. Honestly, we can have this more if you like it. Since you fixed the kitchen, I have been able to¨C¡± I stopped midway through my sentence after noticing the tears hit the table. I couldn¡¯t tell because her head was looking down, but she was crying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, I said you were doing good.¡± I hope I didn¡¯t make her think she was just being rewarded for being a hard worker. She¡¯s not a tool, honestly, I couldn¡¯t think of anything further from that statement. I just wanted to give her something nice since she has been trying so hard. ¡°Do-Do you really think I have done good?¡± She said without lifting her head. ¡°Of course! Honestly, even if you didn¡¯t I would still want to do stuff like this for you. Truthfully, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get the castle back in the condition it is now by this point without you. You have researched magic to help around here all on your own. I couldn¡¯t ask for more.¡± I looked down at my plate, kind of embarrassed for having to actually say it. But it¡¯s true. I couldn¡¯t ask for more, but the hardest thing to say is I really feel like a family. This feeling isn¡¯t something I want to lose so I don¡¯t think I can tell her that. She looked up grinning, tears still staining her face, ¡°Then I will keep working hard!¡± She started eating again. I couldn¡¯t help but to smile. ¡°I still want you to be a kid, though. So don¡¯t overdo it. That¡¯s not what I want.¡± I said calmly. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The rest of the dinner was great, we happily chowed down on the food until there were nothing but crumbs left. Not long after we cleaned up the dishes from dinner, something in the sky came flying down at an alarming speed. A dragon? A massive green dragon landed in the courtyard, crushing the stone floor beneath its feet. The monster had to be at least 12 meters tall. This might be a problem¡­ I sent Belinda up to the ledge and walked over to the dragon. It seemed to not care that I was there, like either it was ordered to do something else or it didn¡¯t see me as a threat. Before I could get any closer, a man slid down the dragon, off of its back and down its side carrying a scroll. ¡°Good evening.¡± The man bowed, putting one arm over his chest. ¡°How can we help you?¡± I asked. I haven¡¯t really taken in what is happening, but that dragon did just destroy the floor of the courtyard¡­ Either way, I am going to treat this as something diplomatic until I see how it goes. The man stood up, ¡°My name is Bartholemus, I am a holy rider from the Holy City. We got word from some of our scouts that the Castle of Damnation was changing. It appears you two are to blame. Am I correct?¡± ¡°Yes, this is our home. We have been cleaning it up.¡± I said calmly, not letting any depiction of worry show as to not show weakness. ¡°By order of the Followers of Murak, this castle is deemed unholy ground. You must vacate at once.¡± He said, holding out his hand with the scroll. I grabbed it, but didn¡¯t open the scroll. I don¡¯t follow Murak, so this shouldn¡¯t apply to me. As I think about it, the man notices I am lost in thought. ¡°You said our, are there others here?¡± He said, glancing around. ¡°Yes, a small girl as well. Belinda. My name is Ken.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a stroke of luck? There was a warrant put out for a runaway who survived named Belinda. She is to be executed.¡± My chest starts to ache from what he just said. ¡°Executed?¡± The man kept talking, but I only heard bits and pieces because my ears started ringing. Slowly, my vision turned red at the thoughts of what might happen. ¡°--you will be killed if you don¡¯t¨C¡± Bartholemus was still bantering. ¡°How about this¡­¡± I said looking up, I could feel something happening with my teeth. It felt as though my canines were growing. ¡°I follow Ysmiro. I don¡¯t follow Murak. I don¡¯t follow you. I don¡¯t follow your rules.¡± The scroll lit on fire and burnt to ash in an instant. ¡°I don¡¯t follow you. And I damn sure won¡¯t let you take away the only family I have ever had.¡± I finally got a family, the one thing I dreamed of. Even though she may not look at it that way, I do. I will not let her be taken. I will not let her die. My body started burning. Something was happening, whatever it was¡­ I don¡¯t even care anymore. I have to protect Belinda. ¡°You will not take my daughter.¡± A new window appeared. Evolution Successful. Half-Vampire has now evolved into Demonic Vampire Windows grew from my back, my hands cracked and split into sharp claws. My mouth grew outward, giving a dog appearance to my jaw. I lost control of my anger, and slashed at the dragon. ¡°No¡­ it-it can be¡­¡± Bartholemus stepped backwards as the dragon spewed blood from the claw marks. Covering him as well as the grown in spatters of it¡¯s remains before it slid apart into three pieces. ¡°Leave.¡± I stood over Bartholemus, pointing toward the front gate. ¡°Never return.¡± My vision was still red, and for some reason it is as though I don¡¯t have control over my body anymore. Bartholemus fell backward, in shock of what just transpired. I started to raise my arm toward Bartholemus when I felt two small arms wrap around my leg. ¡°Ken, please stop. If you kill him it might make it harder for us to live here in peace. I finally found somewhere I can be happy¡­¡± Belinda cried out. I slowly began to regain control over my body, and it went back into its previous form¡­ for the most part. There were two horns that started to grow from my forehead now, which felt more ominous than anything. ¡°My papa spared you. Let your lord know to leave us be or else.¡± Belinda spit at Bartholemus, pulled down one eye and sticking out her tongue. I stood there, still fixed on him as he sat. ¡°Don¡¯t make her say it again.¡± ¡°Un-un-understood¡­¡± Bartholemus gathered his composure and stood, dusting off his pants. It looked as though it were for nothing with all of the blood on his clothes. ¡°Follower of a false god, you have made enemies of the Followers of Murak.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you are wrong. They just made enemies of me. I am the Paladin of Ysmiro!¡± I said walking toward him. ¡°If I have another unwelcome visit like today, I will pay you a visit in the near future. Along with everything you hold dear.¡± I locked eyes with him, his eyes wide-open staring back at me. In the end, Belinda managed to calm me down and Bartholemus took his leave. ¡°Do you really see me as your daughter?¡± Belinda said grinning. ¡°Only if you are okay with that. I wouldn¡¯t mind at all.¡± I said, looking back down at her. After stopping me from finishing Bartholemus, I can¡¯t really say I didn¡¯t feel as though she could be my daughter. She grinned, the first full smile I think I have ever seen from her. ¡°Then you are my papa from now on!¡± She jumped up and embraced me around the neck. I could feel tears piling up around my eyes, this was the one true feeling I was hoping for since I came here. I really just wish we could have done this differently¡­ maybe I took that a little too far? No. He had it coming. No one is going to hurt my family. ¡°Belinda, dear. Could you please fix the stone where this stupid lizard fell?¡± I asked, looking at the broken stones. ¡°Reinvigorate!¡± The dragon moved slowly as the stones went back into place. I¡¯ll deal with the dragon carcass later. ¡°Want some more kuraage?¡± I asked, smiling. I took Belinda by the hand and headed back to the kitchen to cook some more. - Holy City Imperial Headquarters - ¡°Bartholemus, report.¡± A man sat at the end of a round table and spoke bluntly. ¡°What of the Castle of Damnation?¡± ¡°Sir Rojan, there is someone who lives there.¡± Bartholemus lowered his head. ¡°Lives there? You didn¡¯t remove them?¡± The man said, slamming his hand on the table. ¡°Why else did we give you a dragon to use? And where is that dragon?!¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s dead. The man who lives there is a demonic vampire who serves a god named Ysmiro. He killed the dragon in one slash. Honestly, I thought I was dead next.¡± He said, with the fear of what happened still fresh on his mind. ¡°I see. So Ysmiro, huh?¡± Rojan said, scratching his beard. ¡°I have never heard of this deity.¡± A robed man twitched twice now at the name. Rojan took notice, but decided to pay it no mind. ¡°Let¡¯s leave him be then. If he is this powerful, then we don¡¯t want to go making enemies with him just yet.¡± ¡°That may be hard now sir¡­¡± Bartholemus said, in a tone closer to a whisper. ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°He took in a runaway slave as a daughter¡­¡± Bartholemus said, still in the same tone that sounded like he knew he was going to be scolded. ¡°And?!¡± Rojan said, commanding the answer from Bartholemus. ¡°And her name is on the warrant list for execution. So I told him, that she was to be executed. That is actually what started this whole dilemma.¡± Bartholemus finally blurted out. Rojan stood and walked over to Bartholemus, the moment he was within distance he punched him across his face. ¡°You don¡¯t know your enemy and you spout nonsense like that!¡± He hit him once more. ¡°You disgrace not only yourself by doing that, but also your own countrymen!¡± Rojan walked back over to his seat and fell into it, putting his hands on his head. ¡°We are going to have to fix this. Vampires are one thing, but this one is on a whole other level. Obviously he doesn¡¯t think like a killer otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have made it home after your comment.¡± After thinking for a short time, a smile came across Rojan¡¯s face. ¡°I have an idea. Let¡¯s give him the forest. That way, he has his own domain to worry about.¡± ¡°The whole forest, sir?¡± One man voiced. ¡°Honestly, do you want him to come here and request it himself?¡± ¡°N- No¡­¡± A few voices started murmuring. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I am going to use my power as General to ensure his domain is the Forest of Turantia. With all of the rabid beasts there, surely he won¡¯t be able to do anything of note. Also, that makes us look apologetic by ¡®giving¡¯ him his own domain.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Bartholemus, make yourself useful and ready my dragon.¡± Bartholemus stood, bowing with one arm over his chest. ¡°Yes, sir. Right away.¡± Then scurried off, scowling over what had happened. ¡°Damn you, you unholy beast. Making a mockery of me will be the worst mistake you have made.¡± Bartholemus spoke under his breath while he trudged his way out of the conference room. ¡°Keep an eye on him, Asmirelda. I don¡¯t trust that he won¡¯t cause us problems with that ego of his.¡± Rojan said to a figure in the dark corner of the room. ¡°Consider it done.¡± The female voice responded before disappearing. ¡°Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. I hope we can find common ground with this vampire.¡± Rojan whispered to himself. Chapter 6 - Coming to Terms It has been a few days since Bartholemus departed. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to think anymore. Belinda has been excited and trying to be helpful as usual, and most likely due to the fact that I said we could be a family she has been in high spirits. But¡­ I lost control of myself, and honestly I don¡¯t know what would have happened if I didn¡¯t stop attacking. Would I have hurt Belinda? Destroyed the castle? The power I got from that transformation was nothing like I could have ever imagined. The downside is, I wasn¡¯t able to control it. While I might be weaker in this form, I would much prefer to stay like this. But even this form is different. Belinda and I decided to spread out a little bit and occupy a bedroom near the base of operations. She has a small bed on one end and I have one on the other. The room next to us is the bathroom, and the mirror I am looking at above the magic sink has something looking back at me that I really don¡¯t recognize. ¡°Did I really turn into a monster this time?¡± Something to note. The bat that attacked me initially gave me no real answers. The only thing appraise gave me was: Atlos (Age: 1,314) Level: 64 I guess it was someone¡¯s pet, and this transformation didn¡¯t have anything to do with it attacking me. The age is pretty impressive, though. Everything has happened so fast lately that I haven¡¯t had the time to really breathe and take it all in. One thing is for sure now, though. ¡°I guess these horns are here to stay.¡± I ran my hand over my face, the subtle horns growing out of my forehead were much larger when I was transformed. Hopefully it doesn''t become even more noticeable that I am some sort of demon-monster thing now. I wonder if all the monsters outside the castle feel this way, I still have my consciousness. I really do love Belinda, as a daughter I couldn¡¯t ask for more. I don''t want to cause people pain. I really want to help Ysmiro out the best I can, still. I am not too sure if he would be keen on a vampire demon spreading his gospel, though. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I let out a deep breath and walk away from the mirror showing me I am no longer the person I once was. Belinda was in the garden picking peppercorns and joba fruit. There were more plants nearby that I never got a look at. ¡°Appraise.¡± Turanti Leaf (S) Medicinal plant, the quality of this herb is extremely high compared to others of the same type. Can be pressed into ointments or eaten. Has antibiotic properties and can heal infections of all types. ¡°Great, so this can be used to heal wounds.¡± I pressed the leaves between my fingers, the liquid on the leaf immediately dissipating into my skin. Basil (C) Herb that is typically used in cooking. Known throughout as a Delinian specialty. Well, that¡¯s a nice change of pace. Something that I actually recognize easily. While I normally cooked with ground up black pepper in my old life, I loved the taste of whole basil, so I knew immediately what this was. Maybe I can make something nice later on. Behind the garden stood what seemed to be a wheat field. It wasn¡¯t large, but it took up almost a half-acre. ¡°Appraise¡± Bina (C) Grain that is used to make breads and pastries. It is normally threshed and ground into flour. Sweet. ¡°Hey Belinda, want to go for a walk outside?¡± I asked over my shoulder, still looking at the Bina plants. She stood up, mud covering her clothes. ¡°That sounds fun!¡± She said smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have been outside since we first met!¡± I went back to our little armory that was located on the wall of the room we use as our base and grabbed the Dwarven Mithril Hunter¡¯s Dagger and the Wight Magus Staff. I threw the staff over my back using a strap I made from the deers pelt, and tucked the dagger into a sheath I found. While it didn¡¯t fit perfectly, it was good enough to carry it along with me without using my hands. Looking around at the room. The truth of the matter starts to really set in. I am not in my old life anymore. This isn¡¯t a dream. This is my new reality. I mean, do I really belong here? Apparently up until this point I have not been able to make a good choice. I¡¯ve turned into a full-blown vampire, I threatened a diplomat¡­ The only good thing I have going good for me is Belinda. Am I not causing problems for her the way I am now? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, she seems happy enough. But that could be a facade that she puts on because she¡¯s afraid. I almost killed a man in front of her, and I sliced a dragon into pieces. I¡¯m a little scared of myself to be honest, I couldn¡¯t imagine what she is feeling. I put those thoughts on the back-burner, if she isn¡¯t happy I should be able to see it at some point. Then I can make a decision on what to do from there. ¡°You ready?¡± I asked, looking down at Belinda. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do this.¡± She said plainly, trembling a little bit. I wonder if it is me, or the outside that she¡¯s scared of? I open the doors, and we walk into the forest. To my surprise, nothing attacks us. The only creatures I see as we walk along are fleeting away by the time I notice them. It¡¯s as though they are keeping their distance from us for some reason. I wonder if they know I am a monster too. Maybe they see me as a threat. Up ahead, I notice something staring at us. ¡°A raccoon?¡± I whispered, Belinda covering my mouth immediately. ¡°Shh! That¡¯s a king of the forest!¡± She whelped. King of the forest, huh? I wonder what that is. ¡°So what is a king of the forest? What do they do?¡± I whispered to Belinda. ¡°They keep¨C¡± Belinda was cut off by the new voice in the conversation. ¡°We keep order in the forest where we live.¡± I look up slowly, and the raccoon is right behind us, looking us over. ¡°Normally, we don¡¯t get mixed with humans. But you smell different. You aren¡¯t a human, are you?¡± He asked scratching his chin. Okay, I am not going to lie, he is kind of cute. It¡¯s almost like a house pet that learned how to talk. ¡°Your guess is correct. I am not a human anymore.¡± I said confidently back to him. ¡°Anymore?¡± The raccoon cocked his head. ¡°Apparently, now I am a demonic vampire.¡± I said, sounding a little unhappy about that fact. I can¡¯t really help that, because I really am quite a bit disappointed how everything turned out. ¡°Hmm¡­ Are you here to kill me?¡± The raccoon asked. ¡°Are you wanting to fight?¡± I asked. I have no intention of fighting a creature that doesn¡¯t fight back unless it¡¯s for food or survival. ¡°No.¡± The raccoon said plainly. ¡°Then no. I have no quarrel with you or any of the other creatures. While I do hunt to survive, I have no joy in killing anything.¡± I stated matter-of-factly, crouching down to meet his gaze. ¡°My name is Ken, this is Belinda. We live in the castle up the hill there. Drop by sometime if you are ever in the area, I could make you something to eat or drink.¡± ¡°I may take you up on that offer. Be well, Ken and Belinda.¡± The raccoon started to scurry off when it turned around. ¡°My name is Bellock. I rule this forest.¡± I nodded towards him, then he scurried off into the forest out of our view. ¡°He was intense for a little guy.¡± I said laughing. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Do you understand what just happened?¡± Belinda asked, wide-eyed from the situation that just occurred. ¡°Yeah, we just made a little forest friend I think.¡± Not really sure what she is going on about. It was a raccoon for god¡¯s sake. ¡°That was the king of the forest. The king of THIS forest.¡± Belinda said plainly, still looking in the direction the raccoon left. ¡°I still don¡¯t get the issue here.¡± I said. I don¡¯t get the big deal here, it looked like he was just happy we didn¡¯t want to fight. ¡°Do you understand how powerful you would have to be to rule this forest? That creature is on par with a demon lord of ancient times. It has to be.¡± Belinda looked up at me, then her face lit up. ¡°AND WE GET TO INVITE IT TO DINNER!¡± She started jumping around, excitedly. Wait¡­ strong as a demon lord? Then why did it just ask if I was there to kill it? There¡¯s no way I could have beaten that thing the way I am now. The reality of what just happened started to settle in. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ uhh¨C head back I guess.¡± I said to Belinda. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see any more creatures out here, and I think I got a good enough survey of the land around the castle. I¡¯d like to do some remodelling soon, when we have the time.¡± She gave me a smile with a thumbs up, and we turned around back the way we came. As we walked back to the castle, the raccoon¡¯s question still echoed in my mind. ¡°Are you here to kill me?¡± Then the visions of me killing the dragon played in my head. Maybe whatever I am now is just a boss class monster or something? I am not okay with that. I don¡¯t want power that I can¡¯t control. Going forward, I don¡¯t want to lose my control ever again. After we go back to the castle, Belinda quickly falls asleep in front of the fireplace. Instead of moving her, I just cover her up so she doesn¡¯t get cold when the fire dies out. I head outside to the courtyard, the racing thoughts going through my head are too much for me to sleep right now. If I am a monster, did I already ruin everything Ysmiro set up for me? Did I taint Hulin¡¯s soul that is within me? Is Belinda afraid of me? It¡¯s like those movies where someone fights with their darker self and has to overcome their feelings. The only difference is, I don¡¯t have anything to beat to win. Knock. Knock. Knock. I sit up quickly, my eyes fixated on the front gate where the noise is coming from. Unsure if I actually heard a knock or if my mind is playing tricks on me while I am sitting out here alone, I get up and slowly walk to the door. As I press my ear to the thick wooden door¨C Knock. Knock. I slid the small hatch open to see who was outside, but I didn''t see anyone. Something like this reeks of a trap. It has to be one. I grab the dagger out of the sheath, and ready myself for whoever tries to run in. Then I open the door. ¡°Hello¨C You said I could come visit!¡± The raccoon shrieked with his hand up in defense. ¡°Ah, hell I am sorry Bellock. I have been lost in thought, and it¡¯s nighttime. I didn¡¯t think anyone would be out here that was friendly. Sorry, man.¡± I placed the dagger back into the sheath and Bellock let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Come on in.¡± I stood out of the way so he could walk in. Oddly enough he walks on his back two legs like a human. I never really stopped to think about it but he can talk too, is that normal for monsters? Kind of hypocritical seeing as how I am one, too. We made our way back to the courtyard, where I got a fire going. ¡°Can I get you anything, Bellock?¡± I asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s quite alright. I know it¡¯s late. Creatures like myself are nocturnal, so I didn¡¯t think about it not being your waking hours. My apologies.¡± He said bowing his head. ¡°No need to be so formal, just relax. We are all friends here.¡± I said waving my hand as if to let him know its alright. ¡°Friends?¡± Bellock cocked his head sideways in confusion. It¡¯s weird, his voice sounds so soothing but at the same time so alien. ¡°It¡¯s a phrase I used in my old life. It means don¡¯t worry, be at peace. Sort of.¡± I said, even though I question if that is a good definition or not. ¡°Anyway, I wanted to discuss what your plans are, Lord Ken.¡± Bellock stated, looking at the fire. ¡°Plans? I don¡¯t really have any.¡± I said, not even looking up. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I am, much less what it is I want to do anymore.¡± ¡°Strange. Someone of your power can do whatever they want. Or so I would have thought.¡± The raccoon leaned back in the chair, trying to balance himself upright. ¡°The power you probably sense is something I don¡¯t ever want to have to use again. I lose control, sure the sheer amount of power is intoxicating, but it¡¯s also scary at the same time. The girl you met, Belinda, I see her as my child and honestly I am scared that I could hurt her if I get out of control again.¡± I said, sounding more and more like I am questioning myself again. Slowly I shift back into the mode I was in before Bellock came. All of these thoughts racing through my head, I have someone here who can look at it as a being that lives here, so maybe this is my chance. Slowly, I start to open up to Bellock. ¡°I see¡­¡± The raccoon put his hand on his head. ¡°You would rather live a peaceful existence. As a Paladin for Ysmiro, that might become difficult. While us kings of the forest, who have lived for centuries, know his name and still worship his light, most of the world has forgotten him altogether. Just believing in another god is heresy to the humans of this world, especially the Holy Church, who worships Murak. The penalty for that is death to the more fanatical believers.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care about that, to be honest. If everyone who comes is like Bartholemus, I have nothing to worry about.¡± I say as I snap a twig and throw it in the fire. ¡°Really, Bartholemus the Holy Rider? He came here?¡± Bellock asked, with a look of surprise on his face. ¡°Yeah, I killed his dragon when he threatened Belinda. He¡¯s gone now, though.¡± I said laughing a little. The power scares me, but it did feel good to put him in his place. I won¡¯t let anything hurt those I care about. I spent a lifetime without the feeling of my own family, I won¡¯t give it up now. The raccoon jumped off the chair in a look of utter shock. ¡°Yo-you killed his dragon?!¡± He shrieked. ¡°Okay, alright. Are you wanting to raze the forest?¡± ¡°What? No, why the hell would I do that?¡± I asked, looking at him. Does he think I just want to burn everything to the ground or something? ¡°Every living creature has a home. Just because the forest is here, doesn¡¯t mean I should change that fact. I might clear a little around the castle, but I have no plans to further disturb the creatures around here.¡± I stood up dusting off my hands on my pants. ¡°Understood. Well, Lord Ken, I will take my leave now.¡± The raccoon bowed. ¡°One sec, let me grab something for you before you go.¡± I turned and walked to the garden. ¡°Raccoons from my old world used to love things like this. I am not sure if you are actually a raccoon, but here.¡± I handed little Bellock a small basket of joba fruit. I didn¡¯t want to give him something so large he couldn¡¯t carry it, so I used a basket that was originally for holding clothespins. ¡°J-J-Joba fruit!¡± His face lit up with excitement. ¡°These things are almost impossible to grow! Where did you find these?!¡± ¡°In my garden. I have quite a few trees, but honestly we just use them for cooking and drinks. We rarely eat them raw. So my gift to you is that basket. Have a good night, Bellock.¡± I said, waving with a smile. ¡°Before I go¡­¡± Bellock started to talk, then got quiet. ¡°The issues you are experiencing are commonplace for those of us who evolve into power we aren¡¯t used to. While your human-side is unhappy with becoming something different, evolution is a part of life. I don¡¯t believe Belinda is actually scared of you, so maybe you should give yourself some credit as her family. I would have sensed it otherwise, and I for sure wouldn¡¯t have come to visit like this.¡± He came closer to me, ¡°Come to terms with yourself, and what you have become. Only then can you be happy.¡± He said before turning and walking toward the front gate. Come to terms with it, he might be onto something. I still haven¡¯t accepted that I am what I am now. Maybe that is the reason why I can¡¯t move forward. Bellock stopped before opening the gate. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to raze the forest to the ground?¡± ¡°Dude, no. Go home and have a good night.¡± I waved him off, locking the door behind him. What is with him and thinking I want to destroy the forest? Honestly, the forest seems to be keeping people away that can¡¯t fly. ¡°I need to come to terms with becoming a monster. Maybe even deeper than that, I need to come to terms with everything.¡± I smile slightly. ¡°I guess he¡¯s on to something.¡± After a few minutes I head back into the bedroom and fall into one of the best sleeps I have had since coming here. ¡°Morning, Belinda!¡± I say as I open the door, letting in the sunlight. Last night opened my eyes quite a bit. Belinda slowly gets up, looking almost like a tiny zombie from sleeping on the floor. Her hair is everywhere, so fluffed up I can barely tell she has cat ears. ¡°Want to go sit in the courtyard for a bit before we get the day started?¡± I ask. She slowly turns toward me and only nods, she isn¡¯t the biggest morning person. I got to hand it to her though, the fact that she got up at all means she is leagues above how I was as a kid. After we get dressed and sit on the bench outside, I rub the top of her head while she lays down. ¡°I have a question, Belinda.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She said without moving. ¡°Are you afraid of me? Am I a monster to you?¡± Even though I was worried to ask, I just spit the words out. Belinda sits up, and looks at me blankly. ¡°You are definitely a monster. In the traditional sense anyway. To me, you''re just papa.¡± She smiles, ¡°Why would I ever be afraid of my papa? You gave me somewhere to live, somewhere to belong. I could never see you as a monster, only as you!¡± I swear, this girl knows how to make me feel better. I got to appreciate Bellock¡¯s advice, otherwise I might not have mustered up the courage to actually ask her how she felt. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± She said, cocking her head sideways. I hadn¡¯t realized it, but I was crying. The release of all the negative thoughts I had about both myself and what was happening melted away. I guess it is too much for me to bear. ¡°Thank you, Bel.¡± I said smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I want to call you Bel from now on.¡± She smiled brightly back ¡°Sounds good!¡± We sat there, staring at the sky for what felt like an hour. Playing games like guessing the clouds shape, and just having a good time. ¡°What is that?¡± Belinda asked. Damnit. I have seen this before. A dragon is coming down from the sky. I gently scoop up Belinda, and walk her to the edge of the courtyard for safety. Grabbing my staff, I ready myself for Bartholemus¡¯ return, although this time I have a lot less anxiety about the situation. Since I know what must be done, I am ready to get it over with. The dragon gently lands this time, not breaking a single brick. This dragon is quite different from the last one. It is larger by a couple meters, the scales are red, and from what I can tell it is definitely weary of me. As I step closer, it scoots gently back. I don¡¯t want to back it into a corner, so I wait for the rider to come down. To my surprise, it wasn¡¯t Bartholemus. ¡°Pardon my intrusion. My name is Rojan, General to the Holy City¡¯s army brigade. I came seeking the one who would be this castle¡¯s master.¡± Chapter 7 - A Royal Paladin? Rojan held his bow until I spoke. ¡°What do you want? I told Bartholemus to never return. I thought I insinuated well enough that he understood that meant any of you.¡± I don¡¯t want to start this off with hostility, but given how the last meeting went I don¡¯t really have the option anymore. ¡°The very last we spoke about wasn¡¯t something I can allow to stand.¡± Before I could get another word in, Rojan stood up raising his hand as if to tell me to hold on. ¡°I wanted to express my genuine condolences for how that played out. He has been reprimanded, and Belinda isn¡¯t on any list any longer. Furthermore, I removed all slaves released into this forest from any and all warrants. Should you come across any, they are yours.¡± They are mine? They¡¯re individuals, I don¡¯t have any need for servants. I mean, I could work with some comrades, but I don¡¯t want anyone to be a slave. ¡°Understood. Anything else?¡± I said, half lost in thought with the number of slaves that may have been set loose here that might be alive. ¡°I plan to officially recognize you as the ruler of the Forest of Turantia. This entire domain will be yours. I will be back soon with official documents, I just wanted you to know. You will be the king of your own domain. You can even rename it if you wish.¡± Rojan said confidently. He must think he can buy me with nice words. He might be the general, but the church is the one I have had trouble with. The fanatics following Murak. ¡°And what of the Holy Church?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes on Rojan. After meeting my eyes, he seemed a bit shaken. ¡°Yo-you don¡¯t have to worry about them. I give you my solemn word that I will see that they do not step foot into your domain. I-I plan on holding a meeting with them as well once I return.¡± He said, bowing again. ¡°Look, I will think on it. However¡­¡± I forced my aura to return from when I had lost control, but I didn¡¯t tap into it. ¡°The price for going against anyone in my family is blood. If you attack them, you court nothing but death. Am I clear?¡± I could see the dark red mist permeating from my body out of the corners of my eyes. Hopefully, he understands the situation and this is the end of it. I would rather never use this power again if I can help it. Rojan stood motionless, wide-eyed in shock. ¡°Understood, King Tigressi.¡± Him using my family name stopped me in my tracks. How does he know that? I only told Bartholemus my given name¡­ ¡°Oh, how did you come by my full name?¡± I asked, fixing a cold gaze into his eyes. ¡°Naturally, we had scouts who could use high-level appraise looking into you and the castle¨C¡± Rojan started, but was ultimately interrupted. ¡°Naturally?¡± The thought of him sending people I don¡¯t know here to keep tabs on us, it¡¯s extremely worrisome. I haven¡¯t had the best of luck dealing with the neighboring kingdom. Well, one of them at least. I found a map in the study, I am not sure how up-to-date it is. There were two kingdoms neighboring the Forest of Turantia. Given how this man is from the Holy City¡­ He is from the Kingdom of Urell. According to Hulin¡¯s notes, that was the headquarters of the, then newly founded, Holy Church. That¡¯s actually where the name Holy City came from. ¡°Sir?¡± Rojan looked surprised at how I blurted out the response mid-sentence. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you see as natural, General Rojan. However, I don¡¯t want your troops in this forest again. Do you understand? Since you so eloquently put it, I will be the king of this domain. As such, understand that violating that statement is a cause for war.¡± Honestly, I just hope he takes the bluff and moves on. I haven¡¯t really seen how strong people are yet and I don¡¯t want to try my hand at fighting a country alone. ¡°Please, forgive me for that. We didn¡¯t know what was going on, and now that we do I will make sure that our scouts stay within our own territory. We don¡¯t want needless bloodshed.¡± Rojan said, bowing once more. ¡°Glad we came to an agreement.¡± The aura I was letting loose subsided, I wanted to make a point but I don¡¯t want to over do it. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, as long as we can live in peace, then we should be okay.¡± If he can agree to that, then I don¡¯t see any issue with them. I can start a country here and spread the word of Ysmiro that way. ¡°That is fair enough. I agree to your terms.¡± Rojan said as he stood, turning back to the dragon that has yet to stop looking at me with anxiety. It¡¯s kind of odd how these creatures react to me, the ones in the forest fled. Even the King of the Forest, Bellock, kept asking me if I were going to raze the forest. Once I started letting my aura come through, the dragon started shaking causing some of the blocks in the floor to rattle. I cock my head in confusion, but that caused the dragon to widen its gaze and freeze completely. ¡°One last thing, I have a government official who will be overseeing you legally governing this territory. They are extremely talented, do we have your permission to continue these diplomatic discussions here?¡± Rojan said, scratching his chin. ¡°If not, we can hold some in the Holy City as well, the choice is yours.¡± I don¡¯t really want to go to the Holy City, and I still have a lot of work to do here. Looking around, the castle has come a long way but there are so many things that still need to be done to get it where I want it. Belinda has honestly done the most work with her Reinvigorate spell. ¡°I would rather have them here. I plan on having a more formal setting the next time you arrive.¡± I said, waving him off. ¡°Th-that is great news! I will get started immediately. Till next time!¡± Rojan bowed once more, and quickly boarded his dragon. It took off so quickly, I swear it looks like it wanted to run as fast as possible. ¡°Papa, is there something wrong?¡± Belinda walked up behind me as I was staring off in the direction the dragon was heading. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s alright. I just have a few things I need to figure out. Do you mind finding us the coolest meeting room with a nice table and working on it so we can have formal meetings with our guests?¡± I asked, turning and patting her on the head. ¡°Consider it done!¡± She said smiling, turning to run towards the staircase leading up to the inside of the castle. I need to speak with Bellock. If anyone would understand what is happening in the forest, it would be him. I can also work something out with him to help me get some coverage throughout the forest depending on what kind of governance he has over the creatures here. I make my way to the front gate, and move the wooden plank that is used as a locking mechanism for the large doors. Once I push the doors open, I find something I was definitely not expecting. ¡°He-hey Lord Ken.¡± It was Bellock, who looked as though he were suffering from an anxiety attack. Not only was he stuttering but his body was trembling. ¡°Oh, I was just coming to find you Bellock.¡± I stated plainly. ¡°You do-don¡¯t say¡­ and why would you be looking for me specifically?¡± Bellock practically blurted out. Maybe he¡¯s sick or something. ¡°Come on in, let¡¯s chat. I¡¯ll make you something to help you feel better.¡± I said turning and waving him inside. We made our way to the courtyard again, this time I went and plucked a Turanti leaf from the garden before joining him. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Here, chew on this. It¡¯ll help.¡± I said, handing Bellock the leaf. ¡°I just wanted to ask you something.¡± Bellock practically devoured the leaf, sitting back upright as though he were waiting on someone to drop the biggest news he¡¯s ever heard. Wow, he can put it down for a little guy. ¡°Listen, I just had a meeting with someone from the Holy City again. This time it was the general, and he dropped some interesting news on me.¡± I said, sitting back down on the stone bench. ¡°Is that what that aura was?¡± Bellock said wide-eyed. ¡°That was the general?¡± ¡°Well no, that was me. Sorry if it alarmed you, I didn¡¯t think about if anything else could sense that. I don¡¯t have full control of my mana yet so I couldn¡¯t really control how far it spread out.¡± ¡°So the meeting was a bad one?¡± He said, cocking his head sideways. ¡°Do you need us to do something?¡± ¡°See, you are already coming up with solutions. I was wondering, when you say ¡®us¡¯, who exactly do you mean?¡± I asked, smiling at Bellock. ¡°Lord Ken, that look is very alarming. Please don¡¯t look at me that way, it looks like you are wanting to wear me as a hat!¡± Bellock said, putting up his guard and leaning away. ¡°Sorry, but just a thought, can you work with the other creatures of this forest?¡± ¡°Why yes, that is what King of the Forest actually means. There is always a hierarchy, in every facet of life. Why do you ask?¡± Bellock said, calming down a little. He¡¯s always on edge, I wonder if he is eating the proper foods or resting as he should. ¡°Okay, so this is what happened¡­¡± I explained away, Bellock sat there looking surprised, alarmed, and then lost in thought. ¡°So the Kingdom of Urell is declaring you King of Turantia? So you did plan on killing me to take the title?¡± Bellock said, looking gloomy. ¡°Dude, no. What I had planned on was us working together. I could start a country here, but you would still rule over the forest. Do you have any opposition to that idea?¡± I asked, rubbing my chin. ¡°Truthfully, I could use your help with stuff, too. And I would be willing to let you stay here and even create lodging for creatures that help out.¡± ¡°Really?! You would be willing to do that?¡± Bellock said, considering his disposition he is completely surprised by the idea. ¡°I am not against it at all, what kind of help would you need?¡± ¡°There are a few things, I would need some creatures to track down any slaves that are still alive that were released into the forest.¡± I said holding up one finger. ¡°Hmm¡­ So you need trackers? I got just the ones for the job. What else?¡± I held up my second finger, ¡°I need some eyes watching over the forest for trespassers that aren¡¯t slaves. They might even try to appear like slaves, but I need creatures that can tell the difference.¡± ¡°That one is going to be a bit difficult, but I have a creature in mind that can do that. I just don¡¯t know how well they will want to work with you.¡± Bellock said scratching the side of his head. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes, if at all possible, could I have some help clearing around the castle? I want to start a town here, but I don¡¯t want to destroy the forest by doing that. If I can have some help clearing the land from the creatures that live here, we can set up clear boundaries that distinguish the town from the forest.¡± I said, holding up my third finger. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it for now. I mean, I would love to have some stay close by as guards, but I don¡¯t exactly know how well a monster would take that request.¡± ¡°You would be surprised at how many creatures want a peaceful life, too. It¡¯s not just a human sentiment. The bears for example, most of them are extremely strong. The ones in this forest specifically are extremely fearsome. Even with that fact, they would much rather live happily alongside others.¡± Bellock said matter-of-factly. I understand that feeling all to well. Maybe this will work out well. ¡°Alright, then it¡¯s settled. Could you please gather some creatures that would be able to help us out, along with any slaves you come across? I will leave the door unlocked so they can come into the courtyard. ¡°You guarantee the creatures will be safe doing that?¡± Bellock said, raising one of his little raccoon eyebrows. ¡°I guarantee their safety. Like I was hinting at, I want comrades not servants.¡± I said smiling, holding out my finger. Bellock grab it and shook, and started to smile. ¡°I think this will be a very interesting endeavor. I can¡¯t wait to see how it unfolds. I will speak with you soon then.¡± After Bellock left, I did as I said and left the door unlocked. Belinda was on her way back waving with a giant smile as she usually does when she accomplishes a goal. ¡°Ken! I found the perfect place! Come take a look!¡± ¡°On my way!¡± I said, running towards the staircase. ¡°Wow, you outdid yourself!¡± I said, mesmerized at the room she chose. It was a large room, easily able to fit twenty individuals around the huge round table in the center. There was enough room to pull a cart between the chairs and the walls, so I could have extra here too and they wouldn¡¯t even pose a problem. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Bel said, pressing her finger to her chin. I can¡¯t help but smile at how adorable she is. ¡°I love it!¡± I said smiling, patting her on the head. Her giggles echoing off the walls of the room. ¡°We are going to have some special company soon. So don¡¯t be scared if you see them roaming around, okay?¡± I said, lowering myself to meet her gaze. ¡°Okay, so are they good or bad people?¡± She said, looking stern. ¡°Well, they¡¯re not people¡­ technically.¡± I said grinning. Belinda left the room, and I took a moment to look over the furniture. Her spell really does make everything like new again. I wonder if it would work on living beings? ¡°AHHHH! Papa! Help!¡± Belinda cried from down the hall. I sprinted, breaking the door as I left in a hurry to see what happened. Standing over Belinda was a large bear-like creature. ¡°Appraise!¡± Spectral Bear (Level 47) HP: 117 Mana: 152 Oh damn, this one might be a problem. I slide in front of Belinda and put my hands up in a fighting stance when ¨C ¡°Lord Ken! Please stop, this is one of the creatures you requested!¡± I heard Bellock scream from down the hall. ¡°Tyse, I told you to wait in the courtyard!¡± He yelled at the bear. ¡°Grr¨Cgrr¨Cgrrowl¨Cgrr¡± The bear responded, scratching his ear. ¡°So, this is a friend of yours?¡± I asked Bellock. ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact I already gathered quite a few of the creatures that can help around the castle. Most of them are sitting in the courtyard, well, except for Tys here. He is the head of his pack.¡± ¡°A spectral bear, definitely a fearsome beast.¡± I said, grabbing my chin and sizing him up. The bear dropped to the floor in a kowtow, which caused me to jump back in surprise. What in the world is going on? ¡°Bellock¡­ what is he doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s submitting. That is how he shows you he sees you as his superior, which doesn¡¯t happen often. But seeing who he is bowing to, it makes sense.¡± Bellock said, huffing a breath in a sort of egotistical kind of way. As if he knew it would happen. ¡°Okay, please rise up then Tyse. It¡¯ll take me a while to remember names, so bear with me.¡± Hehe, bear with me. The bear stood up and lumbered back towards the courtyard. ¡°Alright, Bellock, take me to¨C¡± ¡°BELLOCK!¡± Belinda shrieked as she came flying around me to hug the raccoon. Even though she practically plowed into him, the sight was so endearing that I couldn¡¯t help but smile. It looked as though Bel was cuddling her favorite stuffed animal. ¡°Please, resist Belinda! I don¡¯t want to upset Lord Ken!¡± He said between the face squeezes and Bel fluffing his fur. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bel likes you and I am happy about that. Let¡¯s go see who you brought with you.¡± I said smiling. As we made our way to the courtyard, it looked like an ocean of powerful beasts poured over the castle walls and left a puddle right in the courtyard. Savage looking beasts, from the spectral bears, to others I am not even sure what to call. Large birds were incorporated there as well, as well as some that favor monkeys, if they had a bunch of tattoos. ¡°Lord Ken, these are the creatures that wish to aid you.¡± Bellock said, puffing out his chest. This is a way better outcome than I was expecting, and I wasn¡¯t expecting Bellock to show up so quick with creatures. I guess they do want a peaceful life. If the Forest of Turantia has the strongest beasts, so strong that nations are scared to enter¡­ and they are our comrades. I started laughing, which bought some weird looks from Bellock. This is going to be so much fun. ¡°Right¡­ well, I guess let¡¯s get started.¡± I said smiling, rolling up my sleeves and walking towards the courtyard full of creatures.