ã€ŠA GenEric Storyã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Once upon a time, long ago in a mystical land. There lived a boy called Eric Gen. He had no special qualities, he looked plain and was born into an average family, but he had a special thing going on for him. He was average in everything, be it in strength, intelligence, or in anything he ever did or will do in the future.

    He could run but only as fast as an average person, he could swim but only as fast as the average swimmer, he could fight but only to the level of an average fighter.

    Eric Gen was born to a family of farmers, he was the only child, as was the norm back then. His family consisted of his father and mother, who spent their whole day tending their fields. They earned enough to get by, eating twice daily. Eric, however, did not like that. He wanted to be something more. Eric was born with the power to read, as with many other things. So, he went to the local town library and read short fantasy stories filled with adventure, the stories enticed him. A knight in shining armor, saving the day. The stories usually had a happy ever after. Eric assumed that meant the knight married the princess they saved and lived a comfortable life. Young Eric thought it was way better than spending his life in the field. What he didn¡¯t know, was how hard it was to get there.

    Eric knew that he couldn¡¯t save any princesses with his current skills, so he needed to train. There was a fight training center near their town, which taught people for a cheap price of spending their entire lives in the glory of their king. It wasn¡¯t very popular. They were desperate for a student, or else the king wouldn¡¯t pay them their salaries. A blessing came in the form of Eric, he came there running, asking to be taken in, and his princess was waiting. The fight trainers didn¡¯t really want to train a young boy who sounded crazy but they had to take what they could get. Now, with one student in their hands, all ten trainers had money to feed their families.

    Eric came to the training center early in the morning and went home in the evening. He started strong, even being able to defeat some of the trainers in the center. The trainers thought that they found a prodigy in their hands, and increased Eric¡¯s training. However, nothing happened. Eric did not improve. Months passed by, and no matter what or how they taught Eric, his skill level remained the same. Seeing how the trainers were useless in training Eric, they held a meeting. Some of them felt guilt as they thought they were scamming him, but they all came to the conclusion that they really needed the money. And so, the training continued.

    The town had a festival coming up, it only occurred every 10 years. And it was the only thing of worth there. People all around the kingdom came here, not specifically to see the town itself, but for the sword tournament. The town had a lot of barren land, so the mayor decided to use the town''s savings and make a giant arena on it. His plan was to make the tournament so grand that it would increase the sales of the festival. The festival wasn¡¯t big enough to make enough profit for his plan to succeed, which led to him losing his position and almost his neck.

    The news of the tournament reached the ears of many famous people all around the kingdom, thanks to the mayor also using his life savings. But the tournament was in 3 days, so only a few knights from the neighboring town and cities were able to come. Thanks to that, there weren¡¯t enough people to fight for the tournament. The mayor decided to double down and open it to anyone, irrespective of whether they could fight or not. Eric heard about it and decided to get into it. A knight in shining armor does need a good backstory or else the princess he saves wouldn¡¯t know about him. He wanted to start the relationship on a strong note.

    However, fate had other plans for Eric. His parents found out about this and being sane, they barred him from participating in the tournament.

    ¡°But Father, I need to go there. My time has come.¡±, said Eric Insane Gen.

    ¡°Are you suicidal?¡±, asked his father in return. He looked at Eric with worry, perhaps his parenting wasn¡¯t good enough. He did let him go to the training center because that made Eric happy and it was relatively safe from what the other ten-year-old children were doing with their time.

    ¡°Your mother and I have been talking about this, we realize that we didn¡¯t spend enough time with you. And we¡¯re sorry. Saying that we were busy with our work would just be an excuse but Eric please, you¡¯ve got to understand this. Tournaments are not a place for children.¡±, said Eric¡¯s father calmly. He touched his son¡¯s head and went out of his room looking sorrowful. Eric, however, did not see any of that. He was busy fuming, all his years of training going to waste? He wouldn¡¯t, no he couldn¡¯t let that happen. As soon as he made sure his parents were asleep, he made his escape. He talked to his trainers, telling them all about what happened with his father and that If he couldn¡¯t join the tournament, he would leave and become a farmer, just like his father. The trainers looked at themselves and realized that they were doomed.

    Eric¡¯s father went to his room and found that Eric had escaped, deep down he knew that it would¡¯ve happened but he had hoped that it wouldn¡¯t. He went and discussed with his wife what they should do about their child. They decided that they should let Eric learn from his own mistakes and besides, they knew that their son had a weird power inside of him. Maybe, just maybe, it was what their son needed.

    The day of the tournament came, and Eric was surprised that his parents didn¡¯t come looking for him. There was only one place where he could be. He sat up from his bed, among hundreds of other empty beds, and came to the conclusion that it was his parent¡¯s way of showing him their support. He started his day with a smile. The trainers were ready in the cafeteria, they were busy contemplating their lives.

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    Eric did not pay any attention to them; he ran out of the door and then towards the arena.

    ¡°Hey! At least have your breakfast... our last breakfast...¡±, exclaimed one of the trainers, but it fell on deaf ears.

    Eric ran all the way to the arena, arriving three hours before the tournament officially began. He was the first one there, and he was proud of that. Smiling, he thought to himself whether this was a sign of who was going to win this tournament. Spending at least half an hour on the thought. As time went by, Eric didn¡¯t stop smiling. Little by little the other participants came by, knights, adventurers, and even mercenaries. Eric finally came out of his own imagination where he had already won the tournament in hundreds of different ways and looked at the other participants. He counted that there were sixteen in total, including him. Eric then proceeded to replace the fighters in his imagination with the people he just looked at. The other participants, however, choose to ignore the small kid, thinking that he was just a crazy kid who was just excited to watch the tournament in a town where nothing exciting ever happens.

    With thirty minutes remaining, the organizers told the participants to drop their names on the ballot. Eric ran first, took the piece of paper and wrote ERIC GEN in big letters, and dropped it in the box, he kept his big smile as he was doing it. The organizers thought to themselves about whether they should allow a child to participate in a tournament where he could lose his life but decided against it. The mayor did tell them that anyone could participate and there weren¡¯t any other people there. A fifteen people tournament would be weird after all. Almost all of the other participants looked awkwardly at what had happened. They prayed that they wouldn¡¯t face the kid in the first round. It was a lose-lose situation that they wanted no part in.

    All, except one. The Bloody Killer, as he¡¯d like to call himself, or just BK if you were his fan.

    He thought to himself that fighting a child would be really good for his image. After all, what kind of a monster would be willing to beat up a child? That¡¯s right! The Bloody Killer, who was also known as BK. He took out his savings, went to the organizers, and gave them to him. He then proceeded to point his finger toward Eric and shouted,¡± That Child is mine!¡±, completely ignorant of the weird implication it set out.

    The other participants were already weirded out by everything that had already happened, and now this was just crossing the line.

    ¡°Yeah sure, why not.¡±, said one of the organizers, breaking the silence.

    ¡°Sir, I think that¡¯s illegal¡±, complained one of his juniors.

    ¡°What is? If a man wants to beat up a child in front of thousands of people and the child is willing to get beaten up by a man in front of thousands of people then who are we to stop it?¡±, said the organizer who was just happy to get some extra money.

    The other participants had realized that the only thing they¡¯d lose here is their pride. Most of them were having a nervous breakdown. They couldn¡¯t run away from this either, as they had already given word to the mayor that they would participate in this tournament, no matter what.

    Eric did not notice the panic. He looked at The Bloody Killer, smiled, and went towards the main stage.

    The first battle was about to begin.

    ERIC GEN vs. The Bloody Killer.

    The crowd was hyped, nothing ever happened in this town but now? A tournament. They were all excited about what kind of fights they were going to see. But all the hype died down as soon as they heard the first fighter¡¯s name.

    ¡°Entering first, GEN ERIC.¡±, said the announcer.

    That¡¯s all it took for the crowd to make noises of displeasure.

    ¡°A child?¡±

    ¡°WOW!¡±

    ¡°Is that the farmer¡¯s kid?¡±

    Were all heard all around the arena.

    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this?¡±, asked the mayor to the organizer who was sitting beside him.

    ¡°What sir?¡±, replied the organizer.

    ¡°Why is there a child fighting in the tournament?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you gave us permission to allow anyone who was willing to fight, to participate in this glorious tournament.¡±

    ¡°But a child? Really? I meant any adult who was willing... Who in their right mind would allow a child to participate in a deadly tournament?¡±, shouted the mayor.

    ¡°Alright, Alright, calm down. It¡¯s going to be fine. No one would be willing to hurt a child in this prestigious tournament. They¡¯d just push him around and...¡±, thought the mayor, but before he could finish his thoughts. The announcer announced the name of the other fighter.

    ¡°Coming to fight the brave kid, is none other than The Bloody Killer.¡±

    ¡°NO.¡±

    ¡°Famous for deeds such as beheading people, killing orcs, and stealing candies from babies.¡±

    ¡°NO. NO. NO!¡±

    ¡°Also known as BK by his adoring fans.¡±

    ¡°NO! We have to stop this before it gets out of hand¡±, screamed the mayor, who had enough of this.

    ¡°We can¡¯t sir, the Baron is already here.¡± replied the organizer.

    The mayor knew that he could do nothing, it was a miracle that the Baron had decided to join this lowly tournament in the first place. If he stopped this now and wasted the Baron¡¯s time, his head would go flying. He put both of his hands on his face and started sobbing.

    ¡°Heheheheheh kid, nothing personal really. I mean it. You see, a monster like me needs reputation and you are just someone who¡¯s going to help me get there.¡±, said BK.

    Eric didn¡¯t say anything to what he said, he didn¡¯t even hear it. He didn¡¯t hear anything, not the crowd''s scream of horror or the bloody killer¡¯s maniacal laugh. All he could hear was his heartbeat, faster than it had ever beat. He knew he was ready. His first true fight. He took out the sword that his trainers had gifted him, took his stance, and looked straight at the bloody killer.

    The fight starts. The bloody killer takes some rocks from his cape and throws them at Eric, who dodges them easily. But Eric didn¡¯t notice the bloody killer running towards and when he does, it was too late. He is kicked in the stomach before he could realize it. Eric was thrown quite far, and the crowd gasped. This wasn¡¯t anything like the fighting sessions but it was alright. Eric realized that training wasn¡¯t everything. He stood up, picked up his sword, and took his stance once again.

    The mayor opened his eyes to see what the commotion was about, only for him to get stared down by most of the crowd. He sobbed even harder.

 Chapter 2

    ¡°You can call me BK, that¡¯s what my fans call me¡±.

    The Bloody Killer was born in the slums of the city. Orphaned at a very young age, he had to do what he had to do in order to survive. He often dreamed about what it was like to be popular. In his mind, popularity was equal to being rich. After all, how often have you seen famous people starving? So, he made up a persona and made-up rumors about it. The Bloody Killer. Famous for gruesome deaths. He quickly became a myth in the slums. He even got some fans that donated him money. Money which helped him survive.

    Bk took out his swords and started to swing them around while walking toward Eric. He then quickly swung one of them and tried to plunge the other but his plan failed. As soon as he swung, Eric parried it and then pushed him with full force with the help of his body. Bk fell down and whispered, ¡°Damn, you¡¯re really strong for a kid¡±. Eric didn¡¯t stop to converse and swung his sword again. Bk barely managed to dodge it by rolling towards the side.

    ¡°BK huh? Sure, I''ll call you Bk. After all, you are my first real fight!¡±, said Eric calmly, trying his best to hide his excitement.

    Bk felt terror. It was quite odd for BK, to see someone face him with no fear in their eyes. And from a ten-year-old child no less. He stood up and tried to swing both of his swords at the same time. Eric was a step ahead once again. He hit BK¡¯s right sword and then his left sword, and he hit them hard. BK couldn¡¯t take it anymore and before he could do anything else, Eric kicked him just like BK had kicked him before.

    Eric walked toward BK, at a slow pace.

    The Bloody King was afraid, he saw his life flash in front of his eyes. He remembered how he stole candy from a baby and how many lies he spread. It was all over, or so he thought.

    Eric held his sword near BK¡¯s neck, smiled, and then proceeded to put his sword away. He then looked towards the crowd and then trotted away.

    The crowd was surprised, but that surprise didn¡¯t last for long. Little by little, they all shouted Eric¡¯s name. Who was this ten-year-old prodigy and how far would he go? No one knew but they were excited to find out more.

    The Bloody Killer looked over to his fans, they were all hiding in shame. His career was over. He wondered if maybe he took the wrong job from the start.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve won this tournament if only I wasn¡¯t here. I¡¯m sorry kid, maybe you¡¯ll have another chance in the future.¡±, said a knight who watched Eric trot away.

    Eric was happy. He felt like he had proved his worth. No, he thought to himself. He still had a princess to save and many more knightly things to do. Before he could get lost in his thoughts again, he collided with another person. He looked at them. They looked like a small girl, about his own age.

    ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Are you alright?¡±, said the young girl.

    Eric didn¡¯t reply, he got up and proceeded to go where he was going.

    ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t mind me asking. Are you a perhaps a knight?¡±, asked the girl in a curious tone.

    Eric heard this one, he turned back and looked really close to the girl. The girl flinched back.

    ¡°No, not yet. But maybe one day!¡±, Eric replied, without missing a beat.

    ¡°But why do you ask?¡±, he added.

    ¡°Oh, you see. My mother got accepted as a maid in the king¡¯s castle...¡±

    ¡°Wait. The king must have children, right?¡±, asked Eric, not letting the young girl finish.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know? Maybe?¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Eric took a piece of paper out of his pocket and gave it to the young girl.

    ¡°If the King¡¯s children ever get kidnapped by some dragon, then please send me a letter. I will go and save them!¡±, exclaimed Eric.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry but I''ve got to go now. OH! I¡¯m also really sorry for colliding with you!.¡± said Eric and then he ran away while waving his hands towards the girl.

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    ¡°That was a weird experience.¡±, thought the girl, and she was right.

    Eric went back to the Training Center and told his trainers all about what had happened. Maybe there¡¯s a chance after all! They thought to themselves. Maybe Eric winning will bring new students in and they wouldn¡¯t have to depend on Eric anymore. They hugged each other and cried tears of joy.

    ¡°Oh right, who¡¯s your opponent tomorrow Eric?¡±, asked one of the trainers.

    ¡°I do not know.¡±

    ¡°Why am I not surprised... It should be fine, right?¡±, thought the trainer.

    Maybe...

    Eric got up from bed, excitedly and he then proceeded to do exactly what he did yesterday. He was ready for his second win; he could feel it. He wondered when the king would ask him to save his children from the evil dragon, but first, he needed to win this tournament.

    ¡°...the young prodigy from this very town, Eric Gen!¡±

    Eric woke up from his fantasies after hearing his name and walked toward the arena. The crowd was going wild, no one had seen a young child beat a grown-up man that badly before. People wondered what he would do when he grew up and how strong he would become.

    But the crowd stopped, as silence took over. A Knight in shining armor walked out. Eric saw him, it was as if he was Eric¡¯s dream personified. Eric smiled again, took his stance and he was ready.

    ¡°One of the King¡¯s knights, sent by the baron himself. The one who won his fight yesterday with one swing. Knight Shine!¡±

    Shine stopped a few meters before Eric, looked at him, and drew his sword without wasting a second. His stance was way more dignified than Eric¡¯s. You could see the difference in battle experience between them.

    That didn¡¯t bother Eric, after all, he was the hero of his own story. The knight was just a small boss that he needed to defeat before reaching his dreams, just like yesterday. So, Eric swung his sword, as fast as he could. It didn¡¯t hit Shine, it¡¯s as if he teleported behind Eric.

    ¡°Nice speed kid.¡±

    Eric swung his sword behind him, but it missed again.

    ¡°Lacks accuracy though, but for a kid? You''re pretty great!¡±

    Knights, or King¡¯s personal soldiers. They serve directly under the king. The baron got one of them as a favor from the king, thanks to his card game skills. The baron had put all his money on Shine, it¡¯s no doubt that he was going to win the tournament.

    ¡°You impressed me yesterday, so let¡¯s end this now. Do not let it get to you. This is only because I''m older than you, when you¡¯ll be my age, you¡¯ll be way stronger than me. That is if you...¡±

    Eric attacked Shine before he could finish his sentence.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    Shine easily blocked Eric¡¯s sword and parried him, he threw Eric off-balance and took his sword from him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a mean swing kid, what do you even eat?¡±

    Eric was dumbfounded, none of his trainers could beat him this bad. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s facing a huge wall, a wall that he could never overcome. The result of the match was obvious by this point.

    ¡°I guess talent can only make you come this far.¡±

    ¡°But he did great, facing a knight at such a young age.¡±

    ¡°What a disappointment, honestly...¡±

    Eric could hear all of this from the crowd, he could hear them clearly. Shine took Eric¡¯s sword and planted it on the ground right in front of Eric and walked away. Eric couldn¡¯t bear it, he picked up his sword, looked at the ground for a while, and then ran away, as fast as he could.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Rally, are you done? We¡¯re getting late.¡±, said a mother to her child in the crowd.

    ¡°Yes Mother.¡±, replied the girl, putting a piece of paper back where she had kept it.

    Eric ran past the training center.

    ¡°Hey kid, what¡¯s wrong?¡±, shouted one of the trainers. Eric didn¡¯t hear him; he was lost in his own world.

    ¡°I guess this is it.¡±, replied another trainer.

    ¡°Time to find a new job.¡±

    Eric stopped in front of his house, tears still falling from his eyes. He could barely see the door. He pondered what he was going to say to his parents after his shameful performance. He waited there for what seemed like hours, but he knew that he was just delaying the inevitable. It took everything he had to open the door, and he was greeted by both his parents sitting there in their dining room. Eric went inside, unable to face his parents, having a staredown with the floor.

    ¡°Eric!¡±, screamed his mother, running and hugging her son.

    ¡°You realize how worried we were.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright son, everyone makes mistakes. As we did, by letting our ten-year-old child join a fighting tournament where he could¡¯ve lost his life¡±, his father chimed in.

    ¡°We thought It¡¯d be fine, considering how you fight. You¡¯re the strongest fighter we¡¯ve ever seen and you¡¯re only ten. And maybe you are, you just were unlucky to face one of the King¡¯s men.¡±, his father continued.

    ¡°We¡¯re just glad you¡¯re not hurt.¡±

    Eric¡¯s father joined his wife and embraced Eric, together. Eric started crying, but they didn¡¯t leave him. They hugged together for what felt like an eternity.

    Eric retired to his room after the much-needed hug, and sat down near his window, looking at the stars. He pondered if he could actually save someone from a dragon, he didn¡¯t really notice it before but he hadn¡¯t really improved. He was still the same as he was back when he started to train. Will he ever be strong enough?

    ¡°Get him!¡±

    ¡°All our money, gone!¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    A noise came outside his window; a crowd was chasing some rich guy Eric never saw before. He decided to stay away from the whole commotion.

    He went down and talked with his parents.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try out farming...I mean if it¡¯s alright with you guys.¡±

    Eric¡¯s parents questioned his sudden change in attitude but didn¡¯t question him further. Hoping that he¡¯d explain himself when he was ready.

    ¡°Sure son! We''d love your help.¡±

    And so, Eric started a new journey.

 Chapter 3

    Time passed away; it had been six years since the tournament. Eric was now almost an adult; he had spent the past six years helping his family tend the farms. He learned quickly and he was decent as if he was born with the knowledge of farming. His parents appreciated his help but Eric still hasn¡¯t opened up about why he quit his dreams.

    Plow the fields? Feed the cattle? Carry anything? Wake up late due to looking at stars till midnight? Eric¡¯s got it in the bag. Filled with the guilt of not helping his parents in his early years made Eric work really hard. Even though his parents wouldn¡¯t have let their young child work away in the fields anyway. He didn''t talk to his parents about it, but thought over it himself, without any outside input.

    Eric, however, wasn¡¯t very good at dealing with pigs. His father had bought a pig that was supposed to be the best pig in the kingdom. No one knows how it got the title, maybe from the best pig in the kingdom tournament. But no one cared enough to dispute the claim. Goh was the name of the pig. He was one of Eric¡¯s first responsibilities, and he cared for it since it was a piglet. He fed it, gave it a bath, and told it bedtime stories relating to a pig knight saving a pig princess, which he may have come up on the spot, or he just exchanged the characters of the stories he read with pigs.

    This went on for days until Goh suddenly reached its rebellious phase.

    Eric and he were really close but for the past couple of months, Goh¡¯s having a pig and human chase with Eric. Eric tries his best to catch Goh but to no avail. The pig is fast. Too fast. Perhaps he really is the best pig in this kingdom. If being the best pig in the kingdom entailed winning pig races. Maybe catching him with traps would be better, but Eric didn¡¯t think of that. He took it upon himself to have a physical competition without the use of brains with the pig and the pig won every single time.

    On such a day, Eric was having trouble with Goh again.

    ¡°Leave Goh alone son, he goes back to his home at the end of the day anyways. Just leave him be!¡±, shouted Eric¡¯s mother.

    It, however, fell on deaf ears. Eric didn¡¯t want to be defeated by a mere pig. What kind of a knight would he be if he couldn¡¯t even catch a pig? Is a Dargon going to be tougher than this guy?

    While Eric was still having a chase with Goh, a carriage came near the farm¡¯s gate, it was not a common carriage. None of Eric''s parents had seen something like this before. A knight came out first, followed by a rich man, maybe a noble? Eric didn¡¯t notice them; he ran past them and into the town following Goh.

    ¡°Is this the kid you were talking about?¡±, asked the Baron.

    ¡°Yes, I''m certain", replied his knight, Shine. He then proceeded to follow Eric to the town.

    ¡°Well, alright then...¡±, said the Baron to himself, since no one else was there to hear him talk.

    Shine followed Eric¡¯s footsteps and found himself in the arena where he met Eric for the first time. It was filled with trees and didn¡¯t have proper maintenance for years. After the Baron took over the town, he focused on things that would¡¯ve made him money and this arena was sadly not one of them. Shine found Eric crouching down, looking at something intensively.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±, asked Shine silently.

    ¡°Trying to catch something that has been hogging my time for months!¡±, replied Eric tired from all the chasing he¡¯s been doing.

    Eric and Goh were having an intensive stare-down. One small movement from Eric would result in Goh resuming the chase.

    ¡°Really? A pig? You can¡¯t catch a pig? Have you tried using traps?¡±

    ¡°No. Of course not! I want to catch that hog myself!¡±

    ¡°You do realize that humans are outmatched by monsters and some beasts physically? Use your brain and lay down some traps...¡±

    Eric thought to himself, maybe this random knight was right. A good knight should also know how to use his brain.

    Eric looked toward Goh and sat down on the ground.

    ¡°Remember when we first met Goh? You were so tiny, so frail. We were so close back then. What happened to us?¡±, said Eric in a sad tone, tears almost dropping from his eyes.

    Goh responded by coming near Eric, slowly but steadily.

    ¡°I just miss hugging you, falling asleep with you. Playing with you, training with you.¡±

    Eric opened up his arms as if he were waiting for someone or something to hug him.

    Goh ran and jumped right into Eric¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Got you now you little...¡±

    ¡°Well, that works...¡±, said Shine to himself.

    Meanwhile, back on the farm.

    The Baron was having tea with Eric¡¯s parents.

    ¡°So, if you don¡¯t mind me asking. How good of a farmer is your kid?¡±, asked the Baron.

    ¡°Eh¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡±

    Eric and Shine walked back from the town, with Goh in Eric¡¯s hands trying its best to run away.

    ¡°You should really remove your helmet, Mr.Shine. I couldn¡¯t recognize you.¡±

    ¡°A knight¡¯s full armor is his pride. It protects them from all kinds of danger.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t wear your helmet back during the tournament.¡±

    ¡°There was no danger back then.¡±

    ¡°Is that so...¡±

    They walked back silently for the rest of their journey.

    As soon as Eric came back, his parents ran and hugged him. Eric thought that they were happy that he finally caught Goh but no, apparently this rich guy, who¡¯s a Baron or something is willing to sponsor Eric to become a King¡¯s knight. Every year, a noble can sponsor someone. However, whether they become a knight or not, depends solely on the person.

    ¡°Your dreams of becoming a knight can now be true!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha yes, so what say you, young Eric. Would you like to be a Knight?¡±, exclaimed the Baron.

    Eric looked at him, with tears forming in his eyes. Will his dreams finally come true? Will he finally be able to save a princess from the dragon? He knew he had to try.

    Eric looked straight at the Baron, filled with determination, smiled, and spoke.

    ¡°Yes!¡±.

    Meanwhile, in some other parts of the world.

    In the capital of the kingdom, the King was walking in the hallways of his castle along with his trusty aide. He looked towards a picture of a knight, tired from battle, and spoke.

    ¡°The legendary knight, who was cursed by a sage to be born again, but average in everything.¡±

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    ¡°Is that even a curse, sire?¡±

    ¡°I honestly have no idea and I don¡¯t really care. It¡¯s just a legend, it probably didn¡¯t even happen.¡±

    In the other part of the kingdom, Eric had finally packed his bags and was ready to go and receive his knight training.

    He looked toward his family and his pet pig, smiled, and spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you guys.¡±, before hugging his parents tight.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yesterday, Goh.¡±

    He then petted Goh. It was time for him to go, leaving the life he had known from his birth behind. The Baron and Shine were waiting for him in the carriage. Before getting on it, he looked at his family one last time, and waved his hand, knowing well that he wouldn¡¯t see them for a long time. The carriage moved and his parent¡¯s goodbyes became soft, Eric put his head outside of the carriage window to see his family really far away. He waved one last time, there was no going back now.

    The ride to the capital was silent, no one spoke. The Baron looked at his documents and looked busy while Shine closed his eyes and made no movement. Eric didn¡¯t want to disturb them so he looked outside the window. The roads were bumpy, but there were no monsters in sight. The only living being he saw on his journey were tiny rabbits.

    Soon, the capital was in sight. It was already evening. The roofs of most of the buildings were the same as the sky, orange. But it didn¡¯t look better than his town. Before going inside a big gate, Eric saw a boy, around his age with white hair packing his bags. Their eyes met and Eric continued to look at him before he was out of sight.

    ¡°Was that your brother, Shine?¡±, asked Eric curiously.

    ¡°What? No? At least not as far as I¡¯m aware. You do know that there are other people with white hair out there?¡±, answered Shine, looking like someone who just woke up from his sleep.

    Eric didn¡¯t argue with him, after all, his books didn¡¯t say anything about people with white hair.

    ¡°Are you curious about why the houses look so... shabby?¡±, asked the Baron. Eric nodded, but he hadn''t even noticed them.

    ¡°The outer city is filled with people who come to the capital in order to be something, and as you can see, it usually doesn¡¯t work out. My grandparents were one of them, but they had luck on their side. If you want to see good houses, then you have to go to the inner city, that¡¯s where most nobles live, along with some rich commoners.¡±, the Baron continued while smirking.

    It was almost nighttime, they had finally reached the hotel. The Baron dropped Shine and Eric off. Before leaving, he gave Eric a pouch of coins and spoke.

    ¡°This should be enough, go enjoy yourself. After all, this is your first night here.¡±

    Shine didn¡¯t say anything, he just went inside his room and locked the door. Eric looked at his pouch and wondered about what he should do with it. There was a pub nearby, and he had read about them in his books. Filled with adventurers who come there and talk about their adventures. Eric got excited and went in. However, once inside, all he saw were people his age, complaining about their lives.

    ¡°The capital doesn¡¯t have anything, I got excited about nothing...¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have nominated myself for being a knight...¡±

    Eric took a seat far away from the crowd and wondered what he doing here. Did his books lie about other things or is this a one-time thing?

    ¡°Only nobles can nominate someone to become a King¡¯s knight.¡±

    ¡°Well, almost. Did you hear about someone who got nominated by a knight? Apparently, he went toe to toe against him at the age of ten.¡±

    ¡°Ten? Wow. He must be some sort of a prodigy...¡±

    After hearing this, Eric went outside the pub. He wasn¡¯t feeling good, and he wasn¡¯t looking either. He collided with a girl, around his own age...

    ¡°Wait, I know you!¡±, Eric said frantically.

    ¡°Oh right, you¡¯re the guy from back then...¡±, replied the girl.

    ¡°You remember me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, how can I forget one of the few non-negative interactions I had with people living in that town? I even have the note you gave me back then.¡±

    ¡°Non-negative?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡±, the girl paused and looked at Eric. She then spoke, "People apparently don¡¯t treat a child of a widow well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±, replied Eric looking sad.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t even know him, and look at me, talking to a guy I just met about my dead father.¡±

    ¡°Ahh... well, we¡¯ve never introduced ourselves. I¡¯m Eric.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Eric, I¡¯m Rally.¡±

    ¡°So... What are doing here Rally?¡±, asked Eric, curiously.

    ¡°Going through the town... actually I''m going to start my job as a maid from tomorrow. So, my mother told me to have fun today.¡±

    ¡°Same. I mean not as a maid; I mean I''m going to be a knight trainee from tomorrow. So, the guy who I came with told me to have fun too.¡±

    Rally laughed and spoke, ¡°So, why don¡¯t we have fun Eric.¡±, before smiling a smile that Eric would never forget.

    Eric nodded, not realizing that he was smiling too. Rally moved her hand asking Eric to follow her. Eric smiled and went after her.

    Eric and Rally were having the time of their lives, they visited stalls and even had food in a restaurant. It was very different from the food Eric had back in his town. It was way oilier.

    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±, asked Rally.

    ¡°Not really...¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to lie, I was too... Moving into a big city, the capital no less, from your town and you get this. The inner city is way too costly but that¡¯s where the only fun things are. It¡¯s just food and more food here.¡±

    Eric nodded in agreement. He was curious to see what the inner city that he heard so much about, looked like. It was getting late. Rally told her goodbyes.

    ¡°I hope we meet again, Eric. It was fun!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was. And I hope to meet you again as well.¡±

    They both waved. Eric had fun, for the first time in forever. He was happier now than he was when he had caught Goh for the first time. Eric went back to his hotel and slept as soon as he touched the bed. It had been a good, but tiring day.

    ¡°Wake up! It¡¯s almost time for you to go to the castle.¡±, said Shine, who entered Eric¡¯s room because he didn¡¯t lock it. He pushed Eric around to no avail. After trying to wake Eric up for what seemed like an eternity, Shine threw Eric off the bed. Which resulted in Eric finally waking up.

    ¡°When did you even sleep yesterday? Didn¡¯t I tell you to sleep early?¡±

    ¡°No...¡±, replied Eric, still sleepy.

    ¡°Whatever, you¡¯re late. Run to the Castle, now!¡±, shouted Shine.

    Eric woke up from Shine¡¯s scream. He didn¡¯t need to dress up, since he slept in his dress. He got up and ran as fast as he could. He didn¡¯t pay attention to the inner city that he wanted to see so badly. Eric reached the castle, with barely any time to spare.

    ¡°Knight cadets! Come near the main hall! The King wants to speak with you!¡±

    Eric heard that, he took a moment to catch his breath and went to the hall. There was a person standing there, he didn¡¯t look like the King, more like one of his aides. Eric went inside and stood somewhere near the middle. Some minutes passed by; Eric was getting bored. So, he started counting the total number of people in the room, one, two, three... thirty-two. That didn¡¯t even take a minute, Eric was about to start to drift into his world of fantasy when he realized that a white-haired guy was looking at him. It was the same guy he saw when he was about to enter the city. The guy noticed Eric watching him, he walked over to Eric.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Orph. We¡¯re supposed to be partners from now on.¡±, said the guy, holding out his hand for a handshake.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Eric. How did you know who I was?¡±, said Eric, while shaking Orph¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I saw you with the knight Shine in a carriage. Since, he¡¯s, our mentor. I assumed that you were the rumored prodigy.¡±

    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the list in front of the noticeboard?¡±

    Eric looked at Orph with shock, sweating profusely, not knowing how to reply to that. Thankfully, the King walked over to the stage before Eric got to explain himself. There were five knights who came before the king, and five after.

    ¡°Maybe, we¡¯ll be lucky enough to directly serve the king!¡±

    ¡°Knowing my luck, I''d probably be sent to serve some village lord...¡±

    ¡°Oh man, I hope I get to be a knight in the first place.¡±

    The crowd was murmuring among themselves. It all stopped when the King took a loud cough.

    ¡°Ahem!¡±, said the King while crumbling a piece of paper and throwing it into the crowd. The King¡¯s aide looked worried.

    ¡°So, we¡¯ve been doing this for like every three years? I say something motivating, you guys pledge your allegiance to me. So, let¡¯s just skip to the chase. I wish you good luck, and I hope all of you are good enough to serve me. We really need the manpower.¡±, the King continued.

    The crowd didn¡¯t know how to react, could they actually boo the King? It didn¡¯t matter, however; the King didn¡¯t wait for the reception. He was long gone before the crowd could react to what had just happened.

    ¡°With a leader like that, you ever wonder how this kingdom¡¯s even functioning?¡±, said Orph, in a mocking manner.

    Eric didn¡¯t reply. He was shocked to see this. It was nothing like his fairy tales. Orph, however, looked like he was used to it.

    ¡°The knight cadets must find themselves in the training grounds in five minutes, for their physical tests¡±, shouted the announcer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±, said Orph while patting Eric on the back. Eric took some time to gather up his mind and followed him.

    The physical tests were simple, they consisted of a basic hundred-meter race and a weapon skill showcase that was rated by the instructors. Eric came fourth and Orph eighth. The tests were just a formality, taken in order to rank the cadets when they first started. It would change a lot over the course of their stay of three years.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Shine. I¡¯m going to be your mentor.¡±, introduced Shine to his own students.

    He took a look at the results and spoke, ¡°You¡¯re Orph right? Nice to meet you and also nice job in coming in the top ten.¡±

    He then proceeded to look at Eric with disappointment and spoke, ¡°Eric, I suppose it¡¯s alright but it¡¯s almost as if you haven¡¯t improved at all from back then... What did you even do for the past six years?¡±

    ¡°Worked at the farm...¡±, replied Eric. Seeing that Shine¡¯s look hasn¡¯t changed much, he added, ¡°I didn¡¯t train at all... for the past six years...¡±

    ¡°Ahh, then it¡¯s a miracle that you didn¡¯t lose any of your skills. With training you should be able to improve much more.¡±, said Shine, while patting Eric¡¯s head.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll end it here. Go back to your room. We¡¯ll start our training from tomorrow.¡±

    Shine left the boys alone and went to his own room.

    Eric and Orph obeyed Shine¡¯s word and went to their room. It was a normal room, it had two desks and a bunker bed, with one window with a view of the royal garden.

    Orph looked at Eric and spoke, ¡°There¡¯s only one way we decide on who gets which bed!¡±

    Rock, Paper, Scissors!

    And the day ended with Orph¡¯s second loss to Eric.

 Chapter 4

    Eric took the bottom bed because it¡¯s easier to get into it. Orph didn¡¯t complain at all, looks like he¡¯s a man of his word. It was a new day, with new beginnings. Which in this case meant a new day for new training!

    The training was going to start today, a knight cadet¡¯s life isn¡¯t easy. They¡¯re supposed to be training to be the elite soldiers of this kingdom. The training consisted of sword training and only sword training in the weapons department. A knight''s pride is their sword, and someone took it very seriously to make it so that they don''t use anything other than the sword. The cadets also had to do physical exercise and study. Eric seemed like he was quick to learn but he never really improved, much to Shine¡¯s dismay.

    All of this went on for six months, Eric didn¡¯t miss a single day of his training but he was still the same. He never changed. On one such day, Eric was sitting on a bench, tired from all his training, looking down. He closed his hands and wondered what he was even doing here. Orph came near Eric and spoke, ¡°Hey! Here.¡±, and gave him a water bottle. Eric smiled at him and drank.

    ¡°Shine¡¯s calling for us...¡±, Orph added. He patted Eric¡¯s back and spoke, ¡°Race you there!¡± and he bolted off. Eric laughed and followed him. Orph, unlike Eric, had improved a lot. You could see it from how he ran, it almost reminded Eric of Shine when he trained with him. Orph won the race, he did a victory pose, and to top it off, he wasn¡¯t tired at all. Eric on the other hand was gasping for air, after some seconds he got up from his knees and spoke, ¡°Not fair... you had a head start...¡±. Before Orph could reply, they finally noticed that Shine was standing beside them, neither of them could notice him beforehand. It was as if he allowed them to notice him. Was he a Knight or an Assassin? Wondered both of them.

    ¡°Take a day off from training tomorrow. And in case you haven¡¯t heard the King¡¯s going to give the cadets their first knight mission in a couple of months.¡±, said Shine. He then waved his hands and went his way. Eric and Orph looked at each other.

    ¡°Hey Orph, what¡¯s a first knight mission?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a test that the king gives to knight cadets, the best thing about them is that you can be a knight if you manage to do it successfully.¡±

    ¡°So, what you¡¯re trying to say is that they¡¯re really hard?¡±

    ¡°Yea...¡±

    After the much-needed exposition, Eric and Orph talked about their time there and then retired to their room for the day.

    The next day, Orph wasn¡¯t to be seen anywhere. Eric didn¡¯t have anything to do, so he sat in front of his room¡¯s window and looked at the garden. It was beautiful, filled with various different flowers, plants and trees. If you paid close attention, you could even hear birds chirping and bees buzzing.

    While experiencing nature in all its glory, Eric saw a girl walking down his window. It was Rally! Eric took his sword because a knight cadet never leaves anywhere without their sword.

    He hurried down the stairs and ran to where Rally was. He didn¡¯t think of anything and while smiling, blurted out, ¡°Hey!¡±. Eric, realizing what he had just done, got as red as a human could possibly ever be without injury. Rally didn¡¯t really notice that. She smiled and replied, ¡°Hey!¡±.

    ¡°How¡¯s your knight cadet training going on?¡±, she added.

    ¡°It¡¯s been fine...¡±, replied Eric, trying to avert his eyes. ¡°What about you? How¡¯s your work going¡±, said Eric, trying to dodge her question.

    ¡°Well, I''m living as well as a maid could live? So, that¡¯s nice.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like working as a maid?¡±

    ¡°No... Not really. I mean it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s better than the alternatives...¡±, She paused and added ¡°What about you? Why do you want to be a knight and save a princess or prince? Is it because you want to marry royalty?¡±

    ¡°You remember my dream?¡±, said Eric, surprised.

    ¡°I still have that note.¡±, replied Rally, laughing.

    Eric smiled and spoke, ¡°No, not really. The person I save has no obligation to marry me just because I saved them... and besides marrying someone you barely know? I don¡¯t know about that.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you want to save a princess?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly because of the book I read back when I was a child. It had this awesome knight saving a princess and ever since then, I''ve always wanted to do it.¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re really something Eric!¡±, said Rally, laughing and smiling at the same time.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot... I have to deliver these to the orphanage...¡±, she added, while pointing towards a basket she kept on the ground.

    ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±, said Eric while being nervous.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all, I''d actually like you to join me.¡±, replied Rally smiling.

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    Eric didn¡¯t feel nervous anymore, he started to smile. This conversation made Eric forget all about his troubles.

    And so, Eric went out of the castle, for the first time in six months. Rally and him walked together to the orphanage.

    ¡°Oh right, I never asked. Why are we going to the orphanage?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°Most of the maids and some of the knights come from there apparently.¡±, said Rally. ¡°So, they came together to donate things there and choose a maid who has never been there to be the person to deliver it.¡±, she added.

    Eric pondered on why they did that, but he doubted that Rally knew the answer either. They soon reached the orphanage.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the same building I saw Orph for the first time in.¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°Orph?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, he¡¯s my cadet partner.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡±, replied Rally.

    The orphanage was well kept, you couldn¡¯t see any damage even if you tried to find some really hard. Rally and Eric knocked at the door, but they didn¡¯t get any answer. They looked at each other and decided to wait without saying anything. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen...

    ¡°How long are we going to wait?¡±, asked Eric getting more impatient by the minute.

    ¡°What do you suggest? Should we just break in?¡±, replied Rally.

    ¡°No? Maybe? I don¡¯t know! Alright, let¡¯s see. Maybe there¡¯s another entrance and everyone¡¯s busy with something that they can¡¯t answer the main door.¡±

    Rally nodded in agreement, and they both started looking for other ways to get in.

    ¡°Look, there¡¯s an open door.¡±, said Rally pointing towards an open door.

    ¡°If we go in through there it¡¯s not trespassing because the door is open! They¡¯re practically asking us to go in at this point!¡±, said Eric enthusiastically.

    ¡°Oh yes, what could go wrong!¡±

    ¡°Do you have a better plan? One that does not include us not getting anywhere even after trying so hard.¡±

    Rally stared at Eric, after a while, she spoke, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    And so, Eric and Rally ventured inside the orphanage. The halls were large, and the building in itself was large. Almost as big as ten town buildings.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±, asked Rally while walking.

    ¡°Yes? Why?¡±, replied Eric.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that... it looks like something¡¯s bothering you...¡±

    ¡°Yea... I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to get so impatient and I know it¡¯s not really a good excuse but I''m dealing with some stuff...¡±

    Rally stopped and spoke, "It''s alright if you don¡¯t want to talk about it, just know that I''m here...¡±

    Before she could finish talking, they heard some screams coming out of one of the rooms. They both ran towards it.

    ¡°This is not allowed in here. I do not know where children learn about these silly games... Rock, Paper, Scissors. GO STUDY!¡±

    Rally and Eric hid themselves near the door, they saw a woman in black clothes screaming at the children. Before the children could leave, another person with black clothes came and talked to the woman screaming.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, the principal wants to talk to the children.¡±, she said.

    ¡°Very well.¡±, replied the woman, she then clapped her hands and continued, ¡°The principal wants to speak to all of you. Remember the rules and go down in an orderly fashion.¡±

    The women lead the marching children down, every single one of them marched in an orderly fashion. Which made you wonder how long they had practiced this.

    They went to the hall, Eric and Rally followed them from behind. The children stood in a line, making no noise. Soon, a man appeared on the balcony above the hall. He addressed the children and spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing about your misdeeds. If you want to be a knight or a maid, who would be very lucky to get chosen by the duke then you must follow the rules.¡±

    The children unanimously said, ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±. The man saw both Eric and Rally peeking from the hall door and spoke while looking at them, ¡°Looks like we have visitors.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this...¡±, said Rally.

    ¡°Neither do I...¡±, replied Eric.

    They both entered the hall, being the center of attention to all who were there before. The principal came down from the balcony and spoke, ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Gifts! Gifts, donations from the people in the castle...¡±, replied Rally.

    ¡°Look, Children! Your seniors, your successful seniors were kind enough to bless us with donations! Maybe one day, you children would do the same. But for that, you guys have to work hard and above all, follow the rules! And if you don¡¯t...¡±, said the principal, and as soon as he said that, the children¡¯s eyes dropped down.

    ¡°We¡¯ll excuse ourselves.¡±, said Rally, giving the gifts to the principal and waking away really fast with Eric. They soon found themselves outside the orphanage''s main gate. Eric looked back at the orphanage and saw a girl looking outside from the window, she placed her hand on it but the curtains dropped before Eric could make much out of it.

    ¡°Well, that was...something...¡±, said Eric.

    Rally nodded in agreement and spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t like that, the children looked... not full of life... and I thought my childhood was bad.¡±

    Eric saw how sad Rally was and spoke,¡± Hey, do you want me to do something about that...¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about that, the orphanage is owned by the duke and we¡¯re just commoners... Even knights, the highest rank a commoner can get is always going to be below a baron who is way below a duke...¡±, said Rally, almost rambling.

    Eric not knowing what to do, nervously moving his hands and finally holding Rally¡¯s shoulders, spoke, ¡°I may know a guy...¡±

    ¡°So, what brings my first nominated knight cadet and his friend here?", said the Baron.

    Eric and Rally told the Baron about what had happened in the orphanage.

    ¡°Hmm, I see. I¡¯m sorry but that¡¯s hardly any proof... besides the duke is a much more powerful man than I am.¡±, he paused and looked at both Eric and Rally¡¯s frowning faces and added, ¡°But! But this is better than nothing! Yes! This will make a great start to building a case against the duke! A case that not even the King would be able to stop!¡±.

    Hearing that, Rally was able to smile a little which caused Eric to smile a little too. They both left, thanking the Baron.

    Rally looked at Eric with a smile on her face and spoke, ¡°Thanks for trying, but there¡¯s nothing else we could do but I really appreciate you trying. I really do.¡±

    Eric looked at her with sad eyes and didn¡¯t say anything, he just nodded in agreement.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that seeing those kids made me remember my childhood, it wasn¡¯t that bad... I mean my mother tried her best, being a single parent and all but I... I wouldn¡¯t call her a good parent...¡±, Rally added, trying to hold off her tears.

    Eric couldn¡¯t or rather, Eric didn¡¯t say anything. He just listened to Rally. They spent a little more time in the city, walking around and sightseeing, mostly in silence. Soon, they reached the Castle. They both said goodbye to each other and went their ways. Eric went inside his room, he saw Orph laying in his bed. Orph asked Eric how his day went, upon hearing the details, he didn¡¯t reply and simply went to sleep.

    Eric found himself sitting near the window again, but this time it was night. He stared at the stars and thought about what had happened today.

 Chapter 5

    Three months go by. Eric and Orph¡¯s lives continue as usual. Training every single day. Eric still showed no improvement. They still hadn¡¯t received their test from the King. But it looks like it was about to change. Shine had called for both of them.

    ¡°So, I''ve received news about your cadet test from the King¡¯s aide. It says that you guys have to deal with the battle orc problem that¡¯s been plaguing the outskirts of the Capital.¡±, said Shine. He put the piece of paper in his pockets and looked at both Orph and Eric and added, ¡°Mentors cannot help their students in any way, so I wish you two good luck. But know this, do not risk your life if it gets too dangerous. The test isn¡¯t the only way you can become a knight.¡±

    Eric and Orph nodded in agreement. Shine went on his way.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to need information and thanks to me, I heard about a guy who¡¯s like the local information dealer¡±, said Orph.

    ¡°How do you even know this?¡±, replied Eric.

    ¡°Well, unlike you. Who sits in his room and daydreams about who knows what, I go outside and talk to people! And thanks to that I''ve heard about a lot of information...¡±

    ¡°Or rumors.¡±

    ¡°Same thing! Did you know? That Dragons fart an inflammable gas near the area where they eat?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°I... I did not...¡±, replied Eric.

    ¡°See! Today¡¯s the day we learn about new things!

    Eric didn¡¯t reply, he just looked at Orph with big eyes and started going out of the castle.

    ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°To your information dealer...¡±, replied Eric.

    ¡°Oh right! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Eric and Orph went outside the castle, for the first time together.

    They went to a bar on the outskirts of the city, it was mostly empty. Orph touched Eric and pointed toward a man with a hood on, he was sitting near an open window. Both of them sat near the man, the man looked and flinched, he thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s that kid!¡±.

    ¡°Do you remember me...?¡±, asked the man to Eric.

    ¡°Nope.¡±, replied Eric.

    ¡°Of course not, after all, we haven¡¯t met before¡±, said BK.

    Eric didn¡¯t say anything else, Bk sighed in relief.

    ¡°Alright, so I''m not even going to ask.¡±, said Orph pulling out his coin purse. ¡°So, I''ve heard that you¡¯re a spell user...¡±, he continued.

    ¡°You¡¯d have heard correctly. It is I, the Beautiful Kite. The person who can turn into a shiny orb whenever he pleases.¡±

    ¡°If you can turn into a shiny orb, then why to call yourself the Beautiful Kite...?¡±, inquired Orph.

    ¡°If not, then I wouldn¡¯t be called Bk...¡±, replied Bk.

    ¡°Wait, spell users? What¡¯s that?¡±, asked Eric shockingly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of spell users before? I know they¡¯re rare but they¡¯re found in pretty much any knowledge-based book in the library...¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only read books... about... knights and them saving princesses...¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve never left the kids section!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright! Let me tell you about spell users! Being one myself, no one else is more qualified and to top it off, I''ll tell it to you for free, like a bonus.¡± said Bk, he then proceeded to get on the table. ¡°Some humans after facing trauma can get powers related to it. No one really knows how it works, since most humans can¡¯t even use magic.¡±, he continued.

    ¡°And what trauma did you have?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked! I got defeated by this... monster! I tried my best to defeat it but alas, fighting wasn¡¯t my forte. So, in order to avoid other¡¯s pitiful- I mean, sad gazes, I turned myself into a shiny orb!¡±, replied Bk.

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    ¡°I¡¯ll totally ignore that I didn¡¯t hear the word pitiful.¡±

    ¡°So, what job do you have for me?¡±

    ¡°Can you help us with information relating to battle orcs?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do!¡±, replied Bk, then he turned himself into a shiny orc and flew outside the window.

    ¡°Well, that was something...¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake!¡±, replied Orph.

    The shiny orb came back inside from the window, transformed back into his human form, and dropped off a paper. He then proceeded to transform back into a shiny orb and flew back outside from the window again.

    Orph and Eric looked at the piece of paper, there were some words written on it in good handwriting.

    ¡°No need to find me, I¡¯ll find you. When I get any information that is! - signed, The Beautiful Kite.¡±

    Orph and Eric went outside the bar and went back to their room, without saying a single word to each other on the way back.

    Three more months had passed, there was no news from Bk and their yearly exams were coming near. It was going to be the same thing as before and as everyone had improved, not many worried about it. Eric, however, was worrying really hard. He had started to train even harder than before. Waking up before anyone and trained, he did it every day with no breaks.

    Rally visited him, whenever she could. She tried to bring him food or just came to talk to him. Orph came and trained with Eric too, but Eric couldn¡¯t keep up. Even Shine dropped by to give Eric some tips.

    The day of the exam was coming near, Eric kept increasing the intensity of his training. Days passed until it was finally time for the exams. It was the same as their first day here. Eric tried his best but his performance didn¡¯t change at all.

    After the exam was over, Eric was visited by Orph. He had his sword equipped. Upon seeing the sword, Eric questioned Orph on whether he had heard anything from Bk yet.

    ¡°No, nothing yet. But that doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t try on our own.¡±, replied Orph. ¡°We¡¯ve been putting off this search due to our exams and now that it¡¯s over, we can finally try this on our own! We¡¯ll come back before the results are out.¡±, he continued.

    Eric wanted to ask Orph about how his exams went, but he hesitated and chose not to ask him. He excused himself to go get his sword and left the castle with Orph.

    Orph instinctively went towards the orphanage, Eric didn¡¯t question him. Upon coming near the orphanage, Orph stopped and started to look at the orphanage.

    To break the awkward silence, Eric asked him whether he lived there or not.

    ¡°Yes, I might have. Once upon a time.¡±, Orph answered. Eric didn¡¯t say anything back.

    After some minutes passed, Orph looked at Eric and spoke, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, let''s look in this area.¡±

    Orph started to walk towards the forest without waiting for Eric¡¯s reply. Eric started to follow him, he wondered why he didn¡¯t ask Orph why he didn¡¯t wait for his reply, maybe because it was awkward? Orph never talked about his time before the knight training, and after seeing the inside of the orphanage, Eric had a feeling about why.

    Soon, they came near three battle orcs. Giant green humanoid creatures with the head of a boar.

    ¡°They probably can¡¯t see us, since they have bad eyesight. But their physical capabilities outclass us¡±, said Orph. ¡°We can probably take them on¡±, he continued.

    ¡°Wait--¡±

    Before Eric could finish his sentence, Orph started to run towards the battle orcs. Eric, not wanting to leave Orph alone, joined him. Eric took one of the orc¡¯s attention away from Orph but hit it in its leg. It didn¡¯t do anything except make the orc look at Eric and attack him with a big axe.

    Orph on the other hand was having an easier time handling two battle orcs. He dodged their strikes and kept attacking their joints, making them lose their balance and making them an easier target to hit. He was able to take out one of the orcs easily, but that made the other orc more aggressive and now it was time for Orph to dodge a lot.

    Eric, meanwhile, was still trying to hit the orcs at their joints. But he always missed, somehow. He lacked Orph¡¯s accuracy and he could barely dodge the orc¡¯s attacks. Orph saw Eric struggle and realized that he had to finish off the aggressive orc he was fighting. He distanced himself from the orc and let it hit the trees. He then positioned himself behind him and plunged his sword into the orc¡¯s neck. Orph frantically looked back at Eric who was barely surviving. He threw a rock at the orc, the orc looked back and realized that his allies were dead. Eric distanced himself before the orc started to swing his axe madly everywhere. He ran quickly towards the position from where the rock hit him but Orph had already moved away from there. The orc hit a tree really hard and fell down. He was an easy target for Orph.

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±, asked Orph. ¡°How can you have trouble with low-ranking battle orcs when our quest is to defeat them entirely in this area?¡±, he continued. Orph looked at Eric who looked at him nervously, gasping for his breath. He pulled Eric up, with a sad look on his face, and patted him. Orph didn¡¯t say anything and Eric was too busy thinking about his own incompetence to blame Orph for charging into battle without consulting him.

    They both went back to the castle together, lost in their own thoughts the whole way. Apparently, the exam rankings were out. Eric ran towards them, hoping that maybe he still had a decent rank. Orph was second, but where was he? Eric... Eric Gen... Gen Eric... twentieth. Upon seeing his rank, Eric¡¯s heart fell.

    ¡°The top three cadets and their trainers are requested to come to the castle to meet the King! The rest of the cadets can go to the party held in the garden.¡±, said the announcer.

    Eric went near the garden and stopped near where the party was being held. He saw the other cadets enjoying themselves, he then saw Orph and Shine go into the castle from the distance. He couldn¡¯t do it. He didn¡¯t go inside the party and went and sat down on a bench where there weren¡¯t many people nearby. He looked at the moon and then stared at the ground. Trying to stop his tears. He didn¡¯t realize that Rally was standing near him.

    ¡°There you are! I was looking all over the party for you...¡±, said Rally. She looked at Eric and realized that something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±, she continued and then sat near him on the bench.

    Eric tried to hide his face from Rally and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s just... just that I try really hard but I... can¡¯t seem to improve... at all.¡±

    Tears started falling from his face. Rally hugged him, but she didn¡¯t say anything. They both sat there, under the bright moon and starry sky, with Eric crying his heart out.

 Chapter 6

    Eric woke up, after the rough day yesterday. He felt slightly embarrassed for his actions in front of Rally but he felt happy and relieved for some reason.

    Orph noticed Eric waking up. He gave Eric some time and then asked, ¡°Can I sit there?¡± while pointing to his bed. Eric agreed.

    After sitting, Orph spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yesterday... It was my fault for going straight into battle without asking for your opinion, my partner... it¡¯s just that after I saw that building... I know it¡¯s no excuse but know this, I''m truly sorry...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if I was competent...¡±

    Orph didn¡¯t reply to that and he stood up.

    ¡°Alright, so I finally heard some news from that Bk guy. He asked us to go to the bar.¡±, said Orph. Eric complied and they were off to the bar again.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s not here yet. Let¡¯s get a table.¡±, said Orph.

    They both sat down and Orph continued, ¡°What was that earlier, something about your competence?¡±

    Eric looked at Orph and then decided to speak after some time.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that no matter what I do, my skill doesn¡¯t change. It¡¯s like I''m average at everything... It¡¯s like a curse...¡±

    ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s a blessing.¡±

    ¡°Blessing?¡±

    ¡°I mean being average at everything has to be a skill of some sort, right? You¡¯re like a jack of all trades. No, you are the jack of all trades.¡±

    Eric chuckled at Orph¡¯s comment and spoke, ¡°Maybe.¡±

    They waited there for a couple of minutes before BK arrived in his shiny orb form. He turned himself back into a human and sat on one of the chairs at the table.

    ¡°I hear you men want some information about a certain group of battle orcs, well, you¡¯ve come to the right place...¡±, said Bk trying to stand up, only to be interrupted by Orph.

    ¡°Look, we¡¯ve waited enough! Do you have the information or not?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have! If you let me continue...¡±

    Bk stood up from his chair and spoke,¡± I¡¯ve heard some group of noble children talking about supplying the orcs with glasses and other supplies. I do not know about them but I do know about their supply drop-off point!¡±

    ¡°Great! Finally! Let¡¯s go!¡±, said Orph. Three of them paid the servers and went off. Bk led them to the place, they passed the orphanage. Eric looked at Orph, who didn¡¯t seem to be as bothered as was the last time they came here. BK pointed them towards an empty space in the jungle. It was only a few minutes away from the orphanage.

    ¡°So, this is it?", said Orph in a disappointing voice.

    ¡°Maybe, we¡¯ll find some orcs near here.¡±, said Eric trying to cheer Orph up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you guys know that I''ll run away at the first sign of a fight...¡±, added Bk.

    They soon heard a battle orc screaming, and ran there. Bk turned into a light orb and flew off. Eric and Orph saw a single battle orc trying to attack a girl sitting down, scared with her hands over her head. Both of them ran over and plunged their swords at the orc¡¯s back, putting it down. The girl started crying after looking at Eric and Orph, Bk came near them and turned himself into a human and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s alright...¡±, trying to hold the girl. The girl stopped crying for a moment and looked at Bk. Thanks to that, Eric was able to see her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re the girl I saw in the Orphanage, what are you doing here?¡±, asked Eric. The girl put up her hands again and tried to hide her face.

    ¡°She¡¯s from the Orphanage...?¡±

    ¡°What, you never saw her?¡±

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    ¡°No... She looks older than me...¡±

    ¡°Maybe they bought her there recently¡±, Bk chimed in.

    ¡°No, the Orphanage never breaks their rules¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°Well, we should take her there. Leaving her here would not be good.¡±, said Bk. He went near the girl and tried to get her up.

    ¡°No! Those two have the same color as them...¡±, said the girl frantically, trying to get away.

    ¡°Color? Them? What?¡±, asked Orph. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re that girl... I rarely if ever saw you... The one who got special attention from the principal¡±, he continued.

    ¡°Special attention...?¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°Yea... They didn¡¯t let her mix with us...¡±

    ¡°Is my color different from theirs?¡±, asked Bk.

    She looked up at him and spoke, "Yes... It¡¯s warm...¡±

    Bk smiled, ¡°Want to see a little trick?¡±

    The girl thought for some time and nodded. Bk turned himself into an orb and moved around the girl while she stared in awe.

    Bk turned himself back into a human and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯re the same... We¡¯re both ability users.¡±

    "Some even call us spell users.", he added after pausing for a moment.

    ¡°I thought of that as a possibility and that makes sense...¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°So, she can see colors in others that tell her something?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°Seems like it¡±

    ¡°Can you tell us what you¡¯re doing here?¡±, asked Bk, trying to speak as softly as he possibly could.

    The girl didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright... What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°They call me Subject E...¡±

    ¡°What do you call yourself?¡±

    ¡°Emma...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice name, Emma. It¡¯s nice to meet you, my name¡¯s Beautiful Kite but you can call me Bk¡±, said BK with a warm smile.

    Emma nodded in agreement. Bk held her hands and helped her to stand up.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°We have no other choice, it¡¯s unsafe to leave her here. Let¡¯s take her back to the orphanage.¡±, replied Orph.

    Orph started walking towards the orphanage, Eric stopped him by his shoulder and asked him, "Subject E?¡±

    ¡°The orphanage has a peculiar way of naming people...¡±, replied Orph. ¡°Do you have a better idea of what to do with her?¡±, he continued. Orph started to walk again, with Bk following him slowly holding Emma¡¯s hands. Eric not being able to find the right words to say decided to follow them after thinking about it for a while.

    They soon reached the orphanage''s main gate. Orph stopped in front of it and look up at the orphanage.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never be accepted anywhere but here!¡±

    ¡°You alright?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°Yeah... Just memories...¡±

    They all went inside the orphanage.

    The principal saw them coming inside and spoke, "What makes you two come inside our orphanage along with her?¡±

    After hearing that, Eric turned around to find Bk. Only for him to find out that he turned himself into an orb.

    ¡°She was lost, alone in the woods. You should take more care of your residents, but we both know you¡¯d never do that.¡±, replied Orph.

    The principal smirked and spoke, ¡°Oh is that so?¡±

    He looked at two people wearing different clothes than normally worn by the teachers and said, ¡°What was she doing outside? The duke will not be happy about this.¡±

    One of the two replied, ¡°Maybe she ran away?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that seems likely¡±, agreed the other one.

    ¡°How would she manage to run away? She was supposed to be under your care!¡±, said the principal in an annoyed tone. He looked at Emma and spoke, ¡°Can you tell me why you choose to go outside?¡±

    Emma didn¡¯t answer.

    The principal looked back at the two odd people and spoke,¡± Did you by any chance use the silent spell on her in order to hide why she would go outside?¡±

    ¡°Maybe...¡±, replied the two at the same time.

    ¡°You fools! What have you done? The silent spell can only hide one thing at a time... That means that she can tell her pow-¡±

    The principal stopped speaking and looked at Orph, he smiled and spoke,¡± Well, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±

    ¡°What doesn¡¯t matter anymore?¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°This.¡±

    Orph and Eric looked at the principal shocked and confused as he called two knights to come in.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°Like I''d know...¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal really. The duke¡¯s orders were very strict regarding this matter.¡±, said the principal. ¡°You guys know too much, we can¡¯t even use you as slaves...¡±, he continued.

    ¡°Slaves? Is that where John is?¡±, asked Orph.

    The principal didn¡¯t answer but simply smiled as he waved his hands to the knights.

    Eric didn¡¯t know what was going on, he knew that Orph had some idea but this wasn¡¯t the right time to ask him questions. The main goal was to survive.

    Eric leaped back behind one of the many pillars, he looked for Bk and found him being right beside him.

    He moved his hands in such a way that asked Bk to come near him and spoke, ¡°I need you to do something for me.¡±

    Meanwhile, Orph took out his sword and prepared for battle. Emma sat down beside him and started to shake. Orph knew that they wouldn¡¯t harm her so he left her there and went near knights who came from the main gate.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re all alone here, where did that friend of yours go?¡±, said one of them.

    ¡°Maybe I should go and find him...¡±, said the other.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡±, replied Orph.

    The two knights smiled and looked over at Orph, "I guess both of us can take care of you alone faster.", said one of them.

    Both of them rushed towards Orph with their swords drawn. Orph knew that he couldn''t fight two fully-fledged knights alone, so he ran away. Orph looked for Eric and found him hunched over behind a pillar.

    "What are you doing?", asked Orph in a hurry.

    "Saving our lives..."

    "Saving our lives by cowering in fear?", said Orph not letting Eric finish what he was saying.

    Orph took Eric''s hand and ran away.

    "Don''t worry, I doubt the knights know the orphanage as well as I do!", exclaimed Orph.

    Eric thought to himself that he needed to buy some time anyway, so he went along with him.

 Chapter 7

    Eric and Orph ran and found themselves to be in a hall of some sort, they hid behind the many chairs found there.

    ¡°What is this place?¡±, asked Eric.

    Orph didn¡¯t reply, he was lost in his own thoughts. He recalled a memory...

    It was the first time Orph came to this orphanage, he was put alongside a couple of other children inside the hall. The principal came in, along with the other helpers, and spoke,¡± Welcome to your training grounds, loyal subjects of the duke!¡±.

    ¡°Orph, you alright?¡±, spoke Eric trying to get Orph¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Before Orph could say anything else, the two knights came in through the hall doors. One of them spoke and said, ¡°So this where you were hiding.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t recall the knight academy teaching us the tricks of cowards.¡±, said the other.

    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine if it means survival!¡±, screamed Eric as he threw one of the chairs at the knight.

    It stunned them enough for both Orph and Eric to make a run for it.

    ¡°You sure are not average at screaming your lungs out.¡±

    ¡°What? Am I finally above average at something?¡±

    ¡°That was one of the lowest screams I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±

    As soon as they got out of the halls, the other knight who didn¡¯t get stunned by the chair tackled Orph and said, ¡°I finally got the troublesome one¡±

    ¡°Just run!¡±, screamed Orph, while looking at Eric with fear in his eyes.

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    Eric hesitated for a moment but decided to follow through.

    The knight looked at Eric and started to get up from the tackle while saying, ¡°You¡¯re not going awa-¡±

    Orph kicked him with both of his legs before the knight could finish what he was saying.

    The knight fell over while Orph got up.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not disciplined enough, are you sure you¡¯re a knight?¡±, said Orph.

    The knight groaned and didn¡¯t say anything, he unsheathed his sword. He charged at full force at Orph.

    Orph barely had time to unsheathe his sword but he barely managed to do it. They traded blows, and Orph started to get pushed back, he knew he couldn¡¯t beat him.

    ¡°Is this the end?¡±, he thought to himself.

    ¡°NO! I will not die in this place... at least not like this.¡±

    Orph threw his sword right at the knight, which the knight dodged but that gave Orph enough time to tackle him, making the knight drop his sword. Orph didn¡¯t give the knight a chance to recover and kept punching him in the face. It didn¡¯t really affect the knight, he pushed Orph off, grabbed him, and threw him out of the window.

    Thankfully it was the first-floor window. Orph managed to survive that with some minor injuries. He got up, with no sword. The knight picked up both his and Orph¡¯s swords and jumped down.

    ¡°So, this is the training grounds. Where I trained... where you trained as well, I assume?¡±, said the knight.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t come back in years, it doesn¡¯t bring back good memories.¡±, he continued.

    Orph had another memory come back to him...

    The principal came to visit the orphans during their training that day.

    He saw three people stand out.

    He called three of them to him and said, ¡°I still haven¡¯t named you guys. The performance of you three has inspired me to do so right now.¡±

    The principal looked at the first one and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call you Orph...¡±

    He looked at the one beside him and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll call you Anage¡±

    He chuckled to himself, looking proud. He then looked at the third child and spoke, ¡°I''ll call you John.¡±

    The knight kicked Orph right in his face, causing him to fall over.

    ¡°This is not the time to blank out.¡±, said the knight.

    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s the other knight...¡±, thought Orph to himself still trying to recover from a kick to the face.

    Meanwhile, Eric was busy running from the other knight.

    ¡°Get here you little...¡±, exclaimed the knight before getting a vase thrown at him.

    Eric had destroyed most of the furniture of the orphanage by throwing it at the knight while escaping for his life.

    ¡°You¡¯re a really good thrower, ever wondered that you may be in the wrong field?¡±, said the knight while trying his best to control his rage.

    ¡°No, I¡¯d just consider myself to be average at it.¡±, replied Eric.

 Chapter 8

    Eric, however, was running out of stamina. He couldn¡¯t really run away anymore.

    ¡°What¡¯s taking them so long?¡±, he thought to himself. He was near the main stairs and didn¡¯t have enough energy to jump down. He had to jump, he tried but before he could the knight closed the distance, grabbed Eric, and said, ¡°I finally got you!¡±. Then he threw Eric to the ground floor.

    Eric fell right in front of the principal and other orphanage staff. The knight followed Eric and jumped down.

    ¡°Stop playing with them and kill them already!¡±, shouted the principal.

    The knight made a somber look at the principal and walked toward Eric.

    Eric tried his best to get up, but he couldn¡¯t. He was exhausted and couldn¡¯t even think straight properly. The knight unsheathed his sword and pointed it toward Eric.

    As soon as he plunged his sword toward Eric he stopped before the sword hit.

    The knight felt intense fear. Fear that he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time.

    He looked around, only to find a girl pointing her hands towards him and in pain.

    He started walking toward Emma, and the closer he got to her. The more fear he felt.

    ¡°Amusing...¡±, thought the knight to himself.

    But before he could do anything about it, he was interrupted by Orph getting kicked in through the training doors. The other knight soon followed.

    The two knights looked at each other, and spoke, ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all back from where we started.¡±

    ¡°You are all useless!¡±, shouted the principal.

    ¡°Two knights of the duke, two students of this prestigious orphanage and neither of you can kill two knight cadets?¡±

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    The knights stopped what they were doing, and looked over towards the principal.

    ¡°I knew we shouldn¡¯t have been lenient and passed two brothers at the same time, but the duke needed more knights and you got really...¡±, the principal went on shouting.

    Orph blanked out again, another memory popped into his mind...

    It was the final day of their training, all the orphans in that batch were supposed to fight it out among themselves and see who was really fit to be a knight cadet.

    They all knew this early on; they had trained their stay for this. All those years of strict education and not having a childhood. They¡¯re finally so close to gaining freedom. At least the winners are.

    They all fought the best they could. In the end, it was three of them left. Orph, Anage, and John. It was always like this, they never really got to interact much due to the orphanage being strict on wastage of time. But they were always last to survive the various training, this helped them form some sort of weird companionship among themselves.

    ¡°...maybe one of the two of you should¡¯ve been sent to the labor camp.¡±, screamed the principal at the top of his lungs.

    This made Orph pay attention. He put his arms over his eyes and started to smile.

    The knights looked toward the principal.

    One of them spoke and said, ¡°I do not like you. I... we will never forget your treatment of us. Please do remember that you¡¯re only alive because the duke doesn¡¯t want you dead.¡±

    ¡°The moment the duke finds you useless is the moment you¡¯d find your many orphans coming for you.¡±, added the other.

    The principal knew that he no longer had any power over the two knights. He clenched his teeth and looked away.

    ¡°Now where were we¡±, exclaimed the knights together.

    ¡°I will not let you guys have it your way!¡±, exclaimed Orph, trying to get up.

    ¡°You guys know about all of this and yet... and yet you guys didn¡¯t do anything to stop this...¡±, he continued.

    ¡°We don¡¯t really care to be honest¡±, said one of the knights.

    ¡°As long as we survive.¡±, said the other knight.

    ¡°As long as we thrive.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who we have to kill, who we have to suppress.¡±

    ¡°The Duke and us have a mutually beneficial relationship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the other knights from this orphanage feel that same way.¡±

    ¡°After all, only the strong can rule.¡±

    Eric who was listening in took all his strength and threw his sword at Orph.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can give us a chance to win this...¡±, said Eric.

    Orph took the sword and took his stance.

    ¡°So, you still choose to challenge us?¡±, said the knights.

    As soon as they did, the main gate got kicked open.

    Knight Shine came inside and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s time for me to shine.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Knight Shine looked over to his two students and sighed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°A knight? What brings you here?¡±, asked the principal.

    ¡°I could sense you guys breaking the rules from far away, actually I could actually smell it.¡±, replied Shine.

    ¡°What rules might you be referring to?¡±

    ¡°Well, for starters... two knights beating up two children, that doesn¡¯t seem very fair...¡±

    ¡°Oh! Ignore them, they¡¯re just being taught a lesson.¡±

    ¡°...and slavery!¡±

    The principal frowned.

    One of the Duke¡¯s knights chimed in and spoke, "Whose knight might you be?¡±

    ¡°The Baron¡¯s¡±, replied Shine.

    The principal hurriedly walked over toward the knights and spoke to them, ¡°Recently, the Baron has become a thorn to the Duke. This might also be a good chance to take care of him...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only one knight¡±, replied one of the knights.

    ¡°Two knights versus one knight... I wonder who¡¯ll win?¡±, said the other.

    ¡°Just because I said it¡¯s my time to shine doesn¡¯t mean no one else is going to shine...¡±, replied Shine.

    Hundreds of royal guards came rushing in.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for them to shine too.¡±, said Shine while smirking.

    One of the royal guards came forward and spoke, ¡°This orphanage is under accusation of slavery. As it is known by royal decree, slavery has been banned from the start of this kingdom and will remain banned till the end of this kingdom.¡±

    ¡°S..Sl...Slavery?¡±, said the principal.

    ¡°We do n...no such..t..thing¡±, he continued.

    ¡°Then you¡¯d have no problem letting these fine gentlemen search your orphanage?¡±, replied Shine.

    ¡°Just consider this to be a checkup.¡±, said the royal guard.

    The principal was out of words, he couldn¡¯t help but look down.

    ¡°We cannot allow you to do that¡±, exclaimed the knights of the Duke.

    ¡°You guys do realize that you¡¯re practically accepting the charges against you?¡±, said Orph barely being able to stand up. He went over to Eric and gave his sword back to him as he helped Eric stand up.

    ¡°No...! I can¡¯t let it end like this!¡±, thought the principal to himself.

    ¡°You people do realize how strong the Duke¡¯s reach is, don¡¯t you?¡±, asked the principal.

    ¡°He is the second strongest man, after the emperor himself!¡±, he exclaimed while putting both of his hands above trying to make a grand gesture.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s in custody.¡±, replied Shine.

    ¡°What?¡¯

    ¡°Custody. Slavery is a big crime. Not even the duke is safe from accusations against him and well, the Baron has a lot of money.¡±

    Shine then looked at the two knights and continued, ¡°Do you want to fight 100 royal guards and me at the same time? While they¡¯re knight cadets who failed to become true knights, their strength is not to be trifled with. Especially with a number like this.¡±

    The knights hesitated.

    Shine noticed their hesitation and added, "Give up, without the Duke you all are not even knights anymore. Maybe you¡¯ll receive less punishment.¡±

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    The knights understood how helpless they were and gave up, they moved aside and let the royal guard search the orphanage.

    The principal clasped his hands and sat down on the floor, mumbling, ¡°It¡¯s over¡± over and over again.

    The other orphanage employees gave themselves up, while some tried to make a run for it. However, they were soon caught by the royal guard.

    Orph came over to Shine and spoke, ¡°How¡¯d you find out about this?¡±

    ¡°A shiny orb came over and told us all about it.¡±, replied Shine.

    ¡°He had some trouble convincing the Baron but thankfully, the Baron likes to take risks.¡±, he added.

    Eric awkwardly laughed.

    ¡°Was this your plan?¡±, asked Orph.

    Eric nodded and gave a faint smile.

    An orb of light suddenly came in front of them. It went towards Emma and transformed.

    Bk held Emma up and asked her if she was alright.

    Emma nodded.

    Orph took Eric, who was still in his arms and went toward them.

    ¡°I have to thank you. Thank you for saving our lives and for putting an end to this orphanage...¡±, said Orph.

    He looked toward Eric and continued, "I... I have to thank you as well, this plan of yours really saved us...¡±

    Eric didn¡¯t say anything, he just smiled and nodded in return.

    ¡°Wait, why didn¡¯t you come in along with the royal guards?¡±, asked Eric while looking at Bk.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of fighting¡±, he replied.

    ¡°Thanks to a certain someone¡±, he added while looking back at Eric.

    Some time passed and the royal guards found evidence of slavery and forms of human trafficking inside the orphanage.

    Eric got news about Orph¡¯s friends and asked where he was.

    ¡°He went towards that way.¡±, said one of the royal guards.

    Eric went where he thought Orph was, only to find him near a cliff.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°Nothing... just reminiscing.¡±, replied Orph.

    Eric didn¡¯t say anything for a couple of seconds. He thought about whether he should, considering how Orph was behaving and what they went through today.

    He gulped and decided to just through with it.

    Eric spoke and decided to tell Orph about his friends.

    ¡°They don¡¯t know where they are... the records just show them being sold to some bandits... we do not know where those bandits are...¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°Oh.¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I knew that something like thing happened when I heard they were turned into slaves¡±, he added on.

    They stood there for a while, not speaking to each other. Orph stared at the sky until he decided that it was enough and walked back. Eric followed him.

    They soon reached the Orphanage.

    The royal guard had escorted all the employees out to question them more and the children to another place.

    Orph went inside the orphanage. He found it was empty, with signs of broken vases everywhere. He walked over the halls; he went into all of the rooms. The kitchen, the bathroom, the places where he spent eight years of his life at. He wouldn¡¯t call them good times, especially not knowing how the rest of the people he defeated to become a knight cadet got treated.

    After spending his time there, he went outside. Eric was still following him.

    He touched the outer walls of the orphanage and recalled a memory.

    A memory about his last day here, his first day as a knight cadet...

    The orphans he spent time with, all of the children came out to say their farewell to him. The principal watched all of this from above his office window.

    ¡°Hey, this is probably the last time we¡¯ll ever speak.¡±, said John.

    ¡°You guys are going somewhere?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°Going? More like being sent away.¡±, replied Anage annoyingly.

    ¡°Where?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet... Probably to the Duke¡¯s mansion to work as a servant there...¡±, replied John.

    ¡°But know this, this isn¡¯t your fault. Someone had to win this.¡±, John continued.

    Anage showed dislike to John¡¯s statement and went to stand alone, separately from all of them.

    ¡°Leave him be¡±, said John.

    ¡°He¡¯s just angry he didn¡¯t win.¡±, he continued.

    Orph looked over him sadly.

    ¡°Become the best knight there is... all of our failures are riding with you!¡±, John exclaimed.

    "There''s no pressure.", John smiled and bumped his fist into Orph.

    The other children there nodded in agreement.

    Orph smiled.

    He later found out through his sources about a child named Anage being killed by monsters while trying to escape.

    He felt sad back then, understanding why he did it but still cursing why he had to do it.

    Orph thought to himself, looking back this was probably his strongest memory, and all of the new information he got makes it even stronger.

    ¡°What if Anage wasn¡¯t killed by monsters?¡±

    ¡°Is John even alive?¡±

    ¡°What about the others?¡±

    All these thoughts kept coming to his mind.

    Soon, his hands turned red. It started exuding heat and Orph was still touching the orphanage.

    Soon the whole Orphanage burned down and got destroyed.

 Chapter 10

    Eric couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. The whole orphanage got burned down.

    ¡°Did you ever learn magic?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°No... I did not...¡±, replied Orph while looking at his hand which turned back normal again.

    Eric looked at Orph, he still had that somber expression that he had after finding out about his batchmates.

    ¡°I guess this is less shocking than what he had learned earlier.¡±, Eric thought to himself.

    ¡°What happened here?¡±, asked Shine, who appeared out of nowhere and shocked Eric.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±, replied Eric.

    ¡°Replying to a question with a question?¡±

    ¡°I could say the same to you-¡±

    ¡°I burned down this building with my hands¡±, said Orph while cutting off what Eric was going to say.

    ¡°Burned? I know what happened here today but burning a building like this is still an offense...¡±, replied Shine.

    Eric spoke up and explained what had just happened a few moments ago to Shine.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re an ability user now?¡±, asked Shine.

    Orph didn¡¯t reply, he kept looking at his hands. Still maintaining that sad expression.

    Shine looked at Eric and spoke, ¡°I came here under the Baron¡¯s order, he has called for the both of you.¡±

    Eric nodded and touched Orph on his shoulder, expressing that they should go.

    Orph nodded in return.

    Shane guided the two of them through the busy streets of the capital.

    Eric questioned why the usually empty streets of the capital were filled to the brim with people.

    Shine noticed his curiosity and spoke, ¡°The Duke, he¡¯s going to receive his punishment.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡±, replied Eric losing his composure.

    ¡°The principal of that orphanage liked to account for everything there, especially all the slave trades made. It almost looked like he was having some sick fun while doing so.¡±

    ¡°That sounds convenient.¡±

    Shine stopped and looked at Eric, but he soon stopped and started walking again.

    ¡°It was. The Baron took the chance and made the Duke pay with all he could.¡±, said Shine.

    Soon all of them reached the main attraction spot for today¡¯s event.

    There were people screaming at the top of their lungs.

    ¡°Make the Duke pay for his crimes!¡±

    ¡°Slavery is a crime punishable by death!¡±

    ¡°Finally, something interesting in this boring city¡±

    All of them kept chanting, it¡¯s as if they all took out the frustration of their hard lives on someone who not only deserved it but also was in a higher position compared to them and also led a comfortable life.

    All of their chanting stopped as soon as the Duke got up, with ropes tried around his arms.

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    ¡°I WILL NOT FORGET THIS!¡±, screamed the Duke while looking at the King.

    ¡°I AM THE DUKE, MY POWER WILL NOT BE STOPPED FOR AS LONG AS I BREATHE, I SWEAR I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!¡±, he continued screaming.

    The King gestured to the guards and got out of his seat, leaving the place.

    The guards placed a rope around the Duke¡¯s neck.

    Shine gestured to the boys and spoke, ¡°I think we all know what¡¯s going to happen now, there¡¯s no need to watch anymore.¡±

    Eric agreed. He looked at Orph who appeared to be mesmerized by what was happening.

    He touched Orph on his shoulders and spoke, ¡°You alright?¡±

    Orph looked at Eric and realized what was happening. He nodded and they all started walking away.

    Eric heard a loud snap and the crowd cheering but he didn¡¯t dare to look behind. He ignored it with all his might.

    Soon after that, they reached the Baron¡¯s office.

    Right outside it, Shine gestured both of them to wait there and went inside the office on his own.

    Time passed away; Eric didn¡¯t know what to say to Orph who looked like he was lost in his own thoughts.

    Eric decided to keep it shut and leave Orph alone.

    After some minutes, Shine came outside and gestured for them to come inside the office.

    ¡°So, these are the heroes who saved this kingdom from the traitorous Duke?¡±, spoke the Baron smiling with joy.

    ¡°I already know my knight cadet, who already paid his dues with this.¡±, he continued while getting up from his chair.

    ¡°Dues?¡±, thought Eric to himself.

    ¡°But I never expected the Duke¡¯s knight cadet to betray him.¡±, said the Baron while walking towards Orph.

    ¡°So Kid, want any rewards for this?¡±, he continued before stopping right before Orph¡¯s face.

    Orph thought for a while and replied,¡± I want to keep being a Knight cadet.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, still got that wish to be a knight cadet huh? You could have been rich but... but this is better.¡±, said the Baron while smiling.

    Orph looked at the Baron and showed eyes that told the Baron that he wouldn¡¯t regret this decision in the future.

    The Baron smiled even more and spoke,¡± I like you! That fire in your eyes doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯d diminish anytime soon. You¡¯re going to be an asset to me.¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m practically the Duke now¡±

    ¡°Practically a Duke?¡±, asked Eric surprised.

    ¡°Ahaha yes, thanks to me with a little help from the outside. I was able to capture the previous Duke and gain power enough to rival a Duke¡±, replied the Baron.

    ¡°So, while I¡¯ll still be a Baron in name... My power is more. Way more.¡±, he continued while sitting on the chair he sat before.

    The Baron clasped his hands and spoke,¡± You do know what that means don¡¯t you?¡±

    Orph looked at the Baron.

    ¡°I can make another person my knight cadet. Orph, do you want to be my second knight cadet nominee?¡±, continued the Baron.

    Orph knelt down and said in a firm voice, ¡°It would be my honor!¡±

    The Baron smiled.

    He then looked over to Eric.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    Eric still shocked at what just happened stumbled and couldn¡¯t speak for a while.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really do anything... If you want to gift me some then I¡¯d like you to gift Bk...¡±

    As soon as Eric spoke those words, a ball of light came inside the room and transformed.

    ¡°You were here?¡±, said Eric shocked again.

    ¡°Ahh yes, the mysterious informant. I had already planned to award you but with my precious knight cadet saying... I¡¯m more inclined to do so now¡±, said the Baron.

    ¡°Thank you, your grace... What I¡¯d like is...¡±

    After getting their rewards, Bk, Orph, and Eric went outside.

    Orph asked Bk,¡± Are you really alright with that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always wanted to open an orphanage and with so many orphans without a home... this felt like the right choice.¡±, replied Bk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of them... and I¡¯d like you to thank you guys for not telling the Baron or his knight about Emma...¡±, BK continued.

    ¡°I do not know if the Baron is a good man or not but he is ambitious... I want to take care of Emma and let her know about the good in the world... The Baron would¡¯ve probably used her for his own good...¡±

    ¡°Thank you...Thank you for doing this¡±, replied Orph, showing a faint smile.

    All three of them bid their goodbyes and went on their own ways.

    ¡°I want to get some fresh air.¡±, said Orph before going on his own.

    Eric nodded in return.

    Eric was on his way to return to the academy. On the way, he suddenly got reminded of Rally and wanted to speak with her about today.

    So, he rushed to where he thought she was. But he couldn¡¯t find her. After hours of trying, an older woman came near him and introduced herself as Rally¡¯s mother.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for Rally right?¡±, she spoke.

    Eric nodded.

    ¡°She¡¯s gone somewhere, somewhere good.¡±, she added.

    ¡°Somewhere good?¡±

    ¡°Yes, her father called for her and now she¡¯s somewhere better.¡±

    "Wasn''t her father dead?", asked Eric.

    "No... He was missing, assumed dead...", she couldn''t look Eric into his eyes, "They found him and he called for her..."

    ¡°Oh...I am happy for you both...", he replied, still confused.

    "When will she return?¡±, he added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she will...¡±

    ¡°Oh... is that so?¡±, said Eric while looking at the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re Eric right?¡±, replied the mother, finally able to look Eric in his eyes.

    Eric nodded.

    ¡°Rally wanted me to give you this.¡±, said Rally¡¯s mother.

    She handed Eric a letter. Eric smiled. The thought of Rally was enough to put him into a good mood, even after what had happened today.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°A letter?¡±, Eric questioned, not being able to hide his smile while doing so.

    Rally¡¯s mother nodded.

    ¡°I-,¡±, she replied before stopping and going into deep thought and then smiling.

    Eric wondered what was written in it so he said his thanks and went to his room.

    Rally¡¯s mother didn¡¯t move from her position until Eric was out of her sight. Eric looked back to see that she was still standing there until her face was just black. She walked away soon after that.

    Eric went inside his room and found that Orph still hadn¡¯t returned.

    He sat on his desk and looked at the letter for a while. He was kind of afraid of what was in it. But he was also curious. He opened the letter and started reading it.

    ¡°Dear Eric,

    I hope you have been well. I fear that we will not be able to meet again. My mother apparently knew who my father was and send me to him. A carriage came and picked me up. He¡¯s very rich. My mother told me that I wouldn¡¯t need to be worried about anything anymore. But she didn¡¯t ask for my opinion and just sent me off... I do not want this but it¡¯s too late... I¡¯m in a room and I can¡¯t go outside but all of my needs are taken care of. I do not have to work anymore. But I also lack freedom... I wish I could¡¯ve met you again. I¡¯ll miss you; I¡¯ll miss our talks. Maybe one day we¡¯ll meet again. I hope we will.

    Take care, yours Rally.¡±

    Eric started to tear up while reading the letter, it seemed to have an additional effect due to what he went through today. He knew he¡¯d miss Rally. He didn¡¯t know what he could do, so he laid down on his bed and put one of his arms on his eyes, and kept crying. Soon, he fell asleep.

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    He woke up with teary eyes, it was already morning. Eric looked around the room and couldn¡¯t find Orph anywhere. It looks like he stayed outside. Not that Eric can blame him but he hoped that he was alright.

    Eric looked at Rally¡¯s letter and felt his sadness grow again. He kept looking at it until something changed inside him, he suddenly got determined, took a piece of paper, and started to write on it.

    ¡°Dear Rally, I hope you have been well. I have been well too...¡±

    Eric stopped; he never really wrote letters before. He looked at what he had already written and started having second thoughts but he wanted to write so he continued

    ¡°I have never written a letter before so forgive me if I make a mistake... I just wanted to say that I¡¯m sorry, I will miss you too, I will miss you a lot. I too hope that we¡¯ll meet again someday. I wanted to say this to you personally but since you¡¯re so far away, this might be the best opportunity I¡¯ll get. Remember the orphanage that we went to?¡±

    Eric kept writing; he wrote everything that had happened yesterday in great detail. Towards the end, he looked at his letter and kept reading it over and over again.

    After being content with what he had written he picked up his pen and wrote the hardest thing he could write at that very moment.

    ¡°I know that we can¡¯t meet each other in person but would you like to send letters to each other?¡±

    Eric took a deep breath and encased the letter inside an envelope after going through it again. He looked at the letter and smiled.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±, said Orph who had just come inside and saw Eric smiling to himself.

    ¡°Nothing!¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    Orph sat down and looked towards Eric who started to smile again.

    He signed and spoke, ¡°Are you going to sit and smile for the whole day?¡±

    Eric looked over, and closed his eyes before speaking, ¡°No.¡±

    He got up with the letter in his hand.

    Just before he went outside the door, he looked at Orph and spoke,¡± Do you want to visit Bk today?¡±

    Orph looked over and thought it over for a few seconds before nodding his head.

    They both went outside together, Orph was following Eric who looked like he had found who he was looking for.

    He ran towards an older-looking woman who was sweeping the floor with a broom and handed her a letter.

    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, can you send this to her?¡±, said Eric.

    The woman didn¡¯t say anything but smiled slightly and nodded before going her way.

    ¡°Who was she?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°She knows someone I¡¯m close with¡±, replied Eric.

    Orph didn¡¯t inquire any further, feeling that It''d put Eric into a tight spot and soon enough they were outside the academy and on their way to Bk.

 Chapter 12

    Eric and Orph both walked there silently, like usual. Eric wanted to ask how Orph was but he couldn¡¯t, but just before they reached the place, Eric spoke, ¡°Are you happy?¡±

    ¡°Happy?¡±, Orph replied shocked.

    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have said that¡±, thought Eric to himself and started to sweat a lot.

    Orph looked back at him for a moment and looked back before speaking, ¡°Happy huh?¡±.

    Eric walked behind Orph a little more than usual for the rest of their journey.

    They reached the place where the orphanage was, now completely reduced to ashes. Orph went near it and sighed.

    ¡°Where is he?¡±, he asked.

    Eric shrugged.

    They kept looking for Bk until they saw a tent a little further away from where the orphanage was.

    Eric and Orph went near the tent. Orph knocked on the tent, which didn¡¯t make a noise and confused Eric as to why Orph would even do that.

    ¡°Wakey wakey.¡±, screamed Orph.

    Eric didn¡¯t get a chance to be more confused before Bk replied, ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯m coming¡±, before coming out of the tent.

    Orph and Bk started to look at each other before Eric opened his mouth and spoke, ¡°So, you slept here?¡±

    ¡°Yes... The Baron... Or the Duke, whatever he is now giving me this gift and I weren¡¯t going to let it go to waste.¡±, said Bk while making a lot of hand gestures.

    Someone groaned inside the tent. Both Orph and Emma looked at it.

    Emma came out of it still sleepy.

    ¡°She¡¯s no longer a kid so she can¡¯t go to an orphanage like the other kids, so I let her stay here with me¡±, said Bk.

    ¡°In my humble abode.¡±, he continued.

    ¡°It¡¯s humble alright.¡±, replied Orph.

    Before Bk could think of a reply, Eric spoke up and said, ¡°What are you going to do with the Orphanage?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I have to make it but I don¡¯t really have an idea about to how to make an orphanage...¡±, replied Bk.

    Orph sat down on the ground cross-legged and started to stare at it.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±, asked Bk.

    ¡°Thinking.¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°Think about what?¡±

    ¡°Thinking about how we can make an orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just ask the Baron about a carpenter or an orphanage maker?¡±, asked Eric.

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    Both Orph and Bk looked at Eric in shock while Emma had gone back to sleep.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that! I¡¯ll be right back.¡±, said Bk before transforming into an orb of light and flying away.

    An hour later when neither Eric nor Orph talked to each other, a builder came with Bk.

    ¡°He¡¯s called the builder everyone.¡±, said Bk introducing the builder to everyone else.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m the builder.¡±, said the builder.

    Orph looked behind them and then back at them and then spoke, ¡°Where are your other men?¡±.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually the first builder who¡¯s employed under the Baron... he¡¯s still under the process of increasing his workforce.¡±, replied the builder.

    ¡°But I¡¯m very good at building things, so you guys should not be worried!¡±, he exclaimed.

    The builder picked up an axe and started to get a big tree from the forest nearby. He swung his axe with his full force, only to have the axe stuck at the tree.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°Uh...I¡¯m a builder I build things... cutting may be above my paygrade.¡±, replied the builder.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing may be about that.¡±, said Orph while he pushed the builder away gently and took out the axe which was stuck in the tree.

    Orph sighed and spoke,¡± Alright, I¡¯ll cut these trees and give you wood... and you... build things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to help¡±, said Bk.

    Orph looked at Bk and shook his head, he then used his full force and cut the tree in a couple of swings.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re not a knight cadet for anything!¡±, exclaimed Bk.

    Orph smiled and kept going.

    Bk and Eric picked up the trees and transported them near the builder, they also helped him cut them up and put them where it was required.

    All of this went on for the whole day. The builder did what he could today and told his farewell for the day.

    All of the other three were tired and could barely move a muscle, except Orph who looked like he could¡¯ve cut a lot more trees.

    Eric couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fell down to the ground, joining Bk who was already there.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late...¡±, said Bk while trying to catch his breath.

    ¡°Do you guys want... to stay... here for the night?¡±, he continued.

    Eric and Orph looked at each other and nodded.

    The guys sat down and rested.

    Bk took off and returned a while back with a couple of rabbits in hand.

    ¡°Animals really trust a ball of light a lot¡±, he said while smiling.

    Eric found whatever wood was left from the building making process and put it in one place.

    Orph came near them and spoke, ¡°Let me.¡± before using his hands and making a fire.

    They roasted the rabbit and ate alongside Emma who shows a slight change of emotion.

    ¡°Is this tasty?¡±, asked Bk while looking at Emma.

    ¡°Yes, very!¡±, replied Emma while smiling.

    Orph looked at them both and smiled too.

    Eric didn¡¯t notice any of this and kept on eating his food.

    It was now time to sleep, Emma slept inside the camp while Bk joined the others to sleep outside.

    ¡°Are you guys sure that you do not want to sleep inside? There¡¯s plenty of space there.¡±, asked Bk.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re fine... I wanted to sleep under the stars again.¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°Again?¡±

    Orph looked at the stars for a while and then replied,¡± I slept under them for the first time yesterday... It was good.¡±

    Bk laughed and spoke, ¡°Yes, it is nice to be one with nature sometimes.¡±

    The conversation stopped but right before Eric could fall asleep, Bk spoke up and said, ¡° I think I¡¯m going to make a lot of cabins, cabin orphanages.¡±

    ¡°It would be completely different from the previous one here¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°Yes, different but not any worse.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t go worse than that... but I agree, it would be a nice change of pace from the usual orphanages out here.¡±

    ¡°I want to make it as soon as possible; the other orphanage is pretty crowded... I want those kids to enjoy life too... I want to be there for them like I wished someone was there for me¡±, said Bk.

    Orph smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do it.¡±

    Bk laughed and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so!¡± and turned around to sleep.

    Orph looked over towards Eric and spoke, ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±, Eric replied half-asleep.

    ¡°About the question, you asked today morning. I don¡¯t know If I''m happy, or if I ever will be, but I think this is a good change, maybe I¡¯ll be happy once I find the others but till then... till then... this isn¡¯t bad...¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±, replied Eric not knowing what to reply.

    ¡°And... thanks...for being there for me¡±, whispered Orph.

    ¡°Did you say something?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°Nothing, Good night!¡± replied Orph turning his head away from Eric/

    ¡°Good night.¡±, said Eric.

    Eric looked up at the stars and thought to himself how beautiful they were before falling to sleep soon after.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Wake up¡±

    ¡°Wake up?¡±, Eric questioned himself.

    ¡°Wake up!¡±, Orph screamed.

    Eric jolted up and spoke, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m up!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this loud noise about?¡±, asked Bk moments after waking up, rubbing his eyes.

    ¡°We have to do the academy for our lessons.¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°Oh right, you guys are still cadets.¡±

    ¡°Very late cadets at that.¡±

    Orph looked over at Eric and spoke, ¡°Hurry up.¡±

    Eric got up as soon as he could and got ready.

    Both of them said their goodbyes and rushed to the academy where they met Shine, who looked like he was waiting for them.

    ¡°Oh wow, if you had been 3 minutes late, you guys would¡¯ve been late.¡±, said Shine.

    Eric was catching up his breath and couldn¡¯t even hear Shine properly.

    Orph apologized for both of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like you guys were actually late but be careful next time.¡±, said Shine.

    They both followed Shine to the training grounds.

    Shine stopped right in the middle of the training ground, no one else was there.

    ¡°The others are out doing their special mission if you¡¯re curious about it.¡±, said Shine as he brushed off the dust from the place he was about to sit. He looked over to both Orph and Eric and sat down.

    ¡°I have one of the best students in this batch and also the worst... I¡¯m not going to tell who¡¯s who.¡±, he continued.

    ¡°Look, I know you guys have had a rough day with all the orphanage and the Duke.¡±, said Shine before sighing and looking at the ground.

    ¡°And you guys helped the Baron for which he was very grateful and as a personal reward from me, you guys are going to have a shining training session!¡±, exclaimed Shine while getting up.

    Shine gestured for them to follow him.

    Eric could barely stand, maybe it¡¯s because of the things he did the day before yesterday or the things he did yesterday but it wasn¡¯t looking good for him. Eric looked over at Orph, hoping to find a brother in a situation only to find Orph unfazed by every and in deep thought.

    Before Eric could curse Orph and the situation he was in, they had reached their destination. The training arena. All of them went inside, it was filled with seats and weapons. A lot of weapons, from spears to bows and arrows. It reminded Eric of the tournament he had participated in back he was a kid.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°I met you for the first time somewhere similar to this.¡±, said Shine while looking at Eric.

    ¡°Back then, I thought you¡¯d be the greatest knight this kingdom has ever witnessed and mentioned you to the Baron...¡±, he continued.

    ¡°Maybe I had put too much faith on a little kid.¡±, he continued even more.

    Shine put Eric and Orph against each other and spoke,¡± Since one of you is the best knight cadet, I thought that you guys should face each other and learn from it.¡±

    ¡°So, keep on fighting until you learn something. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± said Shine before leaving the arena in a hurry.

    Eric ran towards where the swords were and picked two of them up, he ran back to Orph and gave him one and then ran back to where he stood originally.

    ¡°I wanted to have a fight with you, especially after you awakened your powers.¡±, said Eric trying to control his excitement.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± asked Orph in an almost monotone voice.

    Eric nodded three times while smiling.

    Orph sighed and took his stance.

    Eric smiled and took his stance as well.

    The fight started and ended after five seconds, resulting in Eric¡¯s humiliating loss.

    ¡°Why are you even doing this?¡±, asked Orph putting his sword down.

    He went towards Eric who was slumped over and almost in the process of crying. Orph touched Eric¡¯s shoulders with both of his hands and spoke, ¡°There are other weapons, other than the sword.¡±

    He made Eric look at all of the other weapons in the arena.

    ¡°If you¡¯re average at everything you do, then you¡¯d also be average at using a spear or even a bow and arrow.¡±, said Orph while getting up and helping Eric stand up.

    ¡°What¡¯s stopping you from using them?¡±, Orph asked Eric while smiling a little.

    ¡°The Imperial rules.¡±, replied Eric with a stern look.

    ¡°What rules?¡±

    ¡°According to section 55D, which clearly states that a knight may only use a sword or two swords and only one sword or two swords if the need arises...¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright. Stop. Who made this rule?¡±

    ¡°I hear the King...¡±

    ¡°Right...¡±, said Orph while looking at one of the many bows.

    He went towards the bows and picked one up, along with a couple of arrows.

    Orph came near Eric and spoke, ¡°Here take this.¡± and handed the bow and arrows to Eric.

    Eric protested but before he could speak up his protests. Orph continued speaking, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only banned for the King¡¯s knight and you¡¯re just a knight cadet now.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯ll never be the King¡¯s knight?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°I¡¯m not implying anything. I hope you never become the King¡¯s knight.¡±, replied Orph.

    Orph left the bow on Eric¡¯s hand and stepped back before speaking, ¡°What do you think a knight is?¡± and started at Eric with a serious expression on his face.

    Eric looked at the bow and pondered the question, and asked himself other questions. Why did he want to become a knight in the first place? Did he really want to save a princess that much? What even is his goal in life? Eric didn¡¯t know the answer to his question, maybe he will someday in the future but the choice of using other weapons was his and his alone.

    Eric got determined and put an arrow in the bow, it was all-natural to him.

    ¡°See, this is your talent.¡±, said Orph smiling.

    Eric took a deep breath and aimed at one of the many pillars in the arena, he shot the arrow and it almost hit what he meant to hit.

    ¡°I knew you could do it!¡±, exclaimed Orph.

    Eric put down the bow and exhaled a sigh of relief. He thought maybe this would be good enough and clenched his fists.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±, asked Shine who had just arrived back at the arena.

    ¡°Well, whatever. Your training for today''s done. Follow me.¡±, he continued.

    Orph and Eric didn¡¯t question the orders they received and followed Shine.

    Upon their arrival on the main training grounds, they saw another knight.

    Eric asked Shine who the other knight was. Shine looked over and spoke,¡± Oh! That¡¯s Dave. The kingdom¡¯s supposed strongest knight.¡±

    ¡°Even stronger than you?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°They say. Yes.¡±, replied Shine.

    Eric smiled and tried asking another question.

    ¡°So, you can say that you got outshine-¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Knight Dave was a big man, bigger than any man Eric had ever seen before. Eric was in awe at how big a man can even be but maybe he stared a little too hard. Knight Dave was approaching them.

    Before Eric could die off a nervous breakdown, Dave spoke,¡± Hey, Shine.¡±

    ¡°Hi.¡±, replied Shine visibly irritated.

    ¡°Have you changed your mind about joining my faction?¡±, asked Dave.

    ¡°No. I will never join your faction.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, maybe next time. My offer still stands and you¡¯re always welcome¡±, said Dave before walking away.

    ¡°mY OfFeR STilL sTAnDs¡±, said Shine with Dave nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Who does he think he is-¡±, he continued but Eric stopped paying attention.

    ¡°That was Dave¡±, said Orph catching Eric¡¯s attention.

    ¡°They say he¡¯s also an ability user with his super strength.¡±, he continued.

    An ability user, no wonder he was so big thought, Eric, to himself.

    They both soon said their goodbyes to Shine and went to the new orphanage.

    On the way over there, Orph looked back at Eric and spoke, ¡°Why does Shine not like you?¡±.

    ¡°Is my bad performance not enough for him to not like me?¡±, Eric asked back.

    ¡°No... No, this is something more... Did something happen in-between you guys?¡±, Orph asked back.

    Eric looked at Orph for a few moments before sighing and replying, ¡°I faced him in a tournament as a kid...¡±

    ¡°As a kid? I thought my orphanage was special regarding this.¡±

    Eric paused and looked down, and spoke after sighing again,¡± It is special... I was stronger than the usual kids, so I guess... It made me cocky¡±.

    ¡°I was stronger, I mean not exactly stronger just because of my curs-¡±, Eric continued before looking up at Eric, then spoke again, ¡°My blessing.¡±

    Orph looked at Eric in silence for a while before facing forwards again.

    ¡°I get it now, somewhat.¡±, said Orph.

    The rest of their journey was in silence.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s back!¡±, exclaimed Bk trying not to fall down on the ground tired,

    With neither Eric nor Orph replying to his statement Bk got up from his slumped-up position and spoke, ¡°The builder got more men to work for him... with him but it¡¯s not enough... it¡¯s nowhere near enough...¡± and fell down on the ground, unable to take it anymore.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Orph sneered and spoke, ¡°What would you guys do without me?¡± and took the ax from the guy who was cutting the trees and did his magic, which was cutting the trees in one big swoop.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to get to work.¡±, said Eric sprinting to where Orph was. Bk sighed, got up, and tried his best to follow.

    With the extra help from the other people and the builder, they were able to get pretty far into building the cabin.

    All of them, proud of what they did so far, took a break.

    Orph approached Eric, who spoke after seeing Orph approaching him, "If it isn¡¯t Orph, the slayer of trees.¡±

    Orph laughed and picked up a stick and threw it at Eric and said, ¡°Here! Catch!¡±

    Eric barely caught the stick and looked at it, he then spoke up and asked, ¡°A stick?¡±

    ¡°Not just any stick, a big stick... can also be used as a spear if you add those pointy things at it.¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°Pointy things?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Pointy things!¡±

    Before Eric could laugh, Orph continued speaking and said, "Look you were right before, we were trained to be the King¡¯s knight, so I don¡¯t really have any knowledge with weapons not called a sword.¡±

    ¡°I never really paid attention as to why we weren¡¯t trained with other weapons, I mean the spear is probably the best melee weapon out there... with all its range.¡±, he continued.

    Orph picked up another stick, but way smaller, and spoke, ¡°Think of that stick as a spear and come at me.¡± and took his stance.

    Eric looked at the big stick and thought that it was worth a try and charged right at Orph.

    Orph having no experience in facing off against spears underestimated its range and got poked by it.

    ¡°Wow, you actually hit me!¡±, said Orph hiding his shock.

    ¡°Are you trying to mock me?¡±, asked Eric being defensive.

    ¡°Ha, no. But you see my point, right?¡±, replied Orph.

    Eric looked at his big stick and thought about it.

    Bk coughed and spoke, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t interrupt a tender moment.¡± and laughed.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±, questioned Orph somewhat annoyed.

    ¡°The builders and his friends called it a day for today but I need help with something.¡±, replied Bk.

    Bk gestured both Orph and Eric to follow him, which they both did.

    ¡°So, I want to create a farm.¡±, said Bk.

    ¡°That came out of nowhere.¡±, replied Orph.

    ¡°Not out of nowhere, I¡¯ve thought about this but we need extra sources of income and this would be a good learning experience for the kids!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I think so, yes. So, do any of you have any experience with farms?¡±

    Eric looked over Bk¡¯s excited face and decided to help him.

    ¡°My parents are farmers.¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°They are? Then would you like to give me some pointers?¡±, replied Bk.

    Eric nodded and took his equipment out, showing Bk the way to farming.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re good at this!¡±, exclaimed Bk.

    Eric awkwardly laughed and spoke, ¡°Yes... to someone who¡¯s never seen farming, maybe but... but I¡¯m just decent at it.¡±

    Bk didn¡¯t really know what Eric spoke about but was really thankful that he showed him the way.

    Eric gave Bk the equipment and got out and took a breather, He saw a huge crowd of people in armor marching out of the city.

    Orph looked over to Eric and saw what he was looking at.

    ¡°Those are the Viscount and his men; they¡¯re going to save the princess from the dragon... It¡¯s a tradition as far as I¡¯m aware.¡±, said Orph.

    Eric looked at the men going with slight jealousy, he knew he wasn¡¯t ready but will he ever be?

    ¡°I don¡¯t even think a dragon exists but no one has come back from this journey, so it might be something far more sinister or maybe it¡¯s just a dragon.¡±, Orph continued.

    Both of them went to their rooms this time, camping for two or three days in a row was a little too much for their tired bodies. The next day, there was an announcement regarding the knight internship.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to hunt some slave owners and increase my reputation with the public! Now who wants to join me?¡±, screamed Knight Dave to the top of his lungs.

    ¡°At least he¡¯s honest.¡±, thought Eric to himself.

    He looked over at Orph and saw his determined look, Eric knew what they were going to do this vacation.

 Chapter 15

    Eric and Orph went over to the commercial capital, a port town where trade was booming. It was an hour''s walk away from the Capital city.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to come with me.¡±, said Orph while looking over towards Eric.

    Orph hadn¡¯t spoken much since he gave his name for this expedition yesterday.

    ¡°I know.¡±, replied Eric.

    Orph continued to look over at Eric and then moved his sights away and sighed.

    Yesterday.

    Orph walked over to Dave in a hurried manner and Eric followed him.

    ¡°So, the cadets under Shine want to join me and help me in this noble task?¡±, asked Dave.

    Orph nodded, and Dave looked towards Eric. Eric couldn¡¯t meet his eyes, he looked towards Orph and saw his determined eyes again. It¡¯s as if his powers also burned the fire in his eyes.

    Eric put both of his hands on his face and replied,¡± Yes. Yes... I will.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡±, exclaimed Dave and put his hands on both of their shoulders while smiling.

    Dave went to the middle of the expedition members and spoke, "So, here¡¯s the plan...¡±

    Present day.

    And that was yesterday, Eric wanted to rest. Maybe help around in the orphanage. They did visit there before leaving today but Bk told them that it¡¯s fine, especially with the new Duke¡¯s men here.

    And Eric knew that he couldn¡¯t leave Orph alone, at least not for this.

    They soon reached the commercial city. It was filled with people, way more people than the capital city had. There were ships in the port, and stalls on the street, and people looked happy.

    ¡°Are we sure we¡¯re under the same King here?¡±, asked Orph.

    Eric didn¡¯t really hear him but was in awe.

    ¡°So, this is what a real city looks like?¡±, he thought to himself.

    Orph pointed towards a restaurant and spoke,¡± We still have an hour left till the meeting time, let¡¯s eat something.¡±

    Eric nodded.

    ¡°Viscount left for his journey; will he be successful?¡±

    ¡°The King¡¯s blessing has increased ever since the new princess has been found.¡±

    ¡°Tomato price increases as tomato farmers revolt.¡±

    There were people selling newspapers, screaming out various different headlines in order to get people¡¯s attention. They got Eric¡¯s.

    An old man clashed with Eric and woke him up from his inattention.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±, said Eric trying to pick up the old man.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.¡°Of course, you are!¡±, replied the old man with a smile on his face. Which made Eric fall back.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±, screamed Orph who had already reached the restaurant.

    Eric looked over at Orph and before he could say anything, the old man vanished as if he never existed.

    Eric got even more confused, was his mind playing tricks on him? He looked over at Orph who looked as confused as him but for a completely different reason.

    ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m coming¡±, replied Eric

    Orph wanted to question what he was doing but he amounted to Eric being Eric, then they both went inside and found a place to sit. This was hard to do since the restaurant was filled with people but they were lucky enough to find seats.

    They both ordered food, with Orph ordering a hefty amount and Eric just ordering a simple breakfast.

    When their food arrived, Eric looked over to Orph¡¯s plate and stared at it.

    ¡°What?¡±, asked Orph who caught Eric in full display.

    ¡°I need energy... lots of energy for my body to work properly.¡±, he continued and shrugged.

    Orph then proceeded to eat all of his food as fast as possible leaving Eric in more awe. He was more surprised to see this than the city for the first time.

    Orph finally looked over at Eric after consuming his food and spoke, ¡±This is the first time we really ate together outside of training or at Bks?¡±

    He then chuckled and continued, "Your food is getting cold.¡±

    It was getting cold; Eric hadn¡¯t even touched his food. He never really ate much, especially compared to the other knight cadets. He was always the one to require the least amount of food. Made him the favorite of the cooks there. Although he didn¡¯t know that. He didn¡¯t even know how much food the other people ate.

    Eric finally decided that it was time to stop admiring Orph¡¯s attack on food and decided to finally attack his own. It was way gentler than anything Orph did in the past couple of minutes.

    While Eric was doing the deed, Orph spoke, ¡°You¡¯re only bringing a sword with you?¡±

    Eric looked up and replied, "Knights or Knight cadets aren¡¯t allowed to use other weapons except for a sword.¡±

    ¡°You know that rule doesn¡¯t make sense and I don¡¯t think Knight Dave would mind.¡±

    Eric didn¡¯t really reply except to make a humph noise which annoyed Orph. The rest of their time there was mostly spent in silence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s almost time.¡±, said Orph breaking the silence. Eric nodded. It was time to begin their new journey. They both got up, Eric placed his hands on the table and wondered about what Orph said to him. Deep down he knew that he wasn¡¯t ever going to catch up to them with just a sword, maybe he¡¯d never catch up to them if he used all the weapons in the world at the same time but he had to try. He followed Orph but he couldn¡¯t say anything. Maybe this journey would mean something for him too, except just being there for Orph. He however put those thoughts on hold as he got near the meet-up point.

    ¡°You guys ready?¡±, asked Dave.

    Both Orph and Eric had determined faces. They both replied at the same time with a ¡°Yes.¡±

    And so, they started.

 Chapter 16

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

 Chapter 17

    Eric felt pretty down after getting destroyed by both the rabbit and Cess yesterday. Which Orph noticed.

    ¡°I take it that your hunt yesterday didn¡¯t go well?¡±, he asked.

    ¡°No... It went really well.¡±, answered Eric.

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°I just watched...¡±

    Orph sighed and spoke, ¡°At least you succeeded even if you leeched off of someone.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel any better. Have you ever talked to Cess before?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not here to make friends.

    Eric looked up at Orph and saw him getting serious again. The determined look returned to his eyes. Eric looked in front of him, where his and Cess¡¯s eyes met again, she also smiled again. Eric jolted back and thought he didn¡¯t want to talk to her again either.

    The rest of the journey was relatively easy, Eric hunted with Orph. Orph did most of the work and let Eric chase after the rabbits without complaining. It was a win-win for both sides, Eric thought he was doing something and Orph didn¡¯t get disturbed by Eric in his successful hunt. At least that¡¯s what Cess thought.

    She wasn¡¯t fond of Eric; she had clarified it to him. Clearly, a leech who came this far just because of his partner, Orph. Whenever she tried to look at Orph and try to study him, Eric always came in front of her.

    ¡°Grandmother always told me to smile whenever I¡¯m angry.¡±, she said very softly.

    It¡¯s fine. She thought to herself. Even if she couldn¡¯t observe Orph, she could always take this opportunity to get close to Knight Dave. She looked up at the sky and spoke softly again,¡± I do miss them though.¡±

    ¡°You sure talk to yourself a lot, Cess.¡±, spoke Dave smiling.

    Cess didn¡¯t expect it but she somehow managed to reply, ¡°Ahh, yes sir!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me sir.¡±

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.¡°What else should I call you, sir?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do not know. Please continue to call me sir then.¡±, replied Dave still smiling away.

    Cess looked up at Dave and asked, ¡°Can I ask you something, sir?¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Is it true that the rumors about you having super strong are true?¡±

    Before Dave could answer her question, he saw something or rather, someone standing in front of them. No one else seems to have noticed them. They had white hair and didn¡¯t look like they belonged to the kingdom. They also wore a cape and had two daggers in their hand. On closer inspection, they also wore a slave collar.

    Dave gestured for the others to stop. He walked toward her and asked, ¡°Hello, who are you?¡±

    ¡°Sir, you have to save me, sir. The slave traders... my owners are very cruel men. I somehow managed to escape them. Would you please help me?¡±, the person pleaded.

    Dave got close enough to see that it was a girl, a teenage girl maybe. He couldn¡¯t imagine what horrific incidents she must¡¯ve gone through.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright miss.¡±, he replied.

    Cess thought to herself that this was clearly a trap, but she had full confidence in Knight Dave that he already knew about it.

    Dave went near her, holding out his hands trying to comfort her. The woman took out her daggers and wounded Dave. Dave managed to dodge them enough to not get serious injuries but he was hit. He fell to the ground.

    ¡°Stay away from him!¡±, screamed Cess running towards them with her sword in her hand. The others soon followed suit.

    ¡°This was a warning, stay away from these lands. Your kind is not welcome here.¡±, answered the girl.

    Cess ran towards her and tried her best to hit her but to no avail, the girl dodged all her attacks easily.

    ¡°You¡¯re slow.¡±, said the girl and started to run away without missing a single second.

    Cess began to chase after her before being stopped by Dave.

    ¡°Stop! It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±, said Dave.

    ¡°We must make camp here.¡±, he continued.

    Both Orph and Eric saw the state in what the strongest knight of the kingdom was in.

    This is clearly way more dangerous than they thought it was going to be. But the determination on Orph''s eyes only grew.

 Chapter 18

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±, asked a strange person in a hoodie.

    ¡°Of course, I am.¡±, replied another strange person in a hoodie.

    ¡°I¡¯ve sent Slav to confront them, they should get the message.¡±

    The person glanced behind them and continued,¡± Oh don¡¯t look at me like that, She¡¯s fine. Probably.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say Ban.¡±, replied the person sadly. He left Ban behind and went back to their camp.

    Just when he reached there, he saw Slav waiting for him. She rushed towards him, smiling.

    ¡°I succeeded!¡±, she said while not being able to contain her excitement.

    The man placed his hand on her hand and spoke, ¡°Good work.¡±. You could see a slight smile on his face.

    ¡°What did I tell you Dit?¡±, said Ban who joined them soon after.

    ¡°My student would do better than fine.¡±, she continued.

    ¡°What happened exactly?¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°I warned them to go away and wounded their leader.¡±, said Slav while smiling.

    ¡°Their leader? Do you mean Knight Dave.¡±, spoke a person from some distance.

    Slav shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, you can go join your friends. Nice job.¡±, spoke Dit. Slav obeyed his orders and went away.

    ¡°Why did you make her go away? I wanted to ask her more questions.¡±

    ¡°The principal of a burned orphanage is going to question us?¡±, interrupted Ban, in a mocking tone. The principal¡¯s face turned bright red. Ban laughed and continued,¡± Are you going to do something about it?¡±.

    The principal didn¡¯t do anything about it, he turned his face and scurried off.

    ¡°Thought so!¡±, said Ban as loud as possible. Making sure her words were heard by him.

    ¡°Why is he even here?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he thinks us of as comrades. Maybe we should kill him?¡±, asked Dit.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°No, not now. He¡¯s fun to mess around with.¡±, replied Ban smirking.

    Nearby, Slav entered a shed. She was way too happy to hear what was going on behind her.

    ¡°Look who decided to join us.¡±, spoke a man who also had a slave collar on his neck.

    ¡°Ogre.¡±, replied Ogre.

    ¡°Not you... you...¡±

    ¡°Leave him be, Median. You know he doesn¡¯t know how to speak any other word except his own name.¡±, spoke Slav, interrupting what Median was going to say.

    ¡°If it even is his name.¡±

    ¡°Ogre!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    Median looked over at Slav and asked, ¡°Were you successful?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I was! I mean, I am the strongest here after all.¡±, she exclaimed proudly.

    Median scoffed and replied,¡± I¡¯m sure Ogre¡¯s stronger than you and...¡±. He stopped and looked at his slave collar and continued, ¡°If I didn¡¯t have this on my neck, I¡¯d probably beat you too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would.¡±, said Slav smiling.

    ¡°Ogre is strong.¡±, she added.

    ¡°Ogre?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you. Ogre.¡±

    She jumped over on his shoulders and touched his slave collar.

    ¡°Maybe if you didn¡¯t have this on, you¡¯d be where you belong...¡±

    ¡°We all would!¡±, replied Median, angry.

    ¡°Ogre?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even you Ogre!¡±

    Slav jumped down from Ogre¡¯s shoulders and patted him. Median collected his cool and spoke, ¡°You¡¯d probably be a high ogre. Ruling your clan or whatever ogres do.¡±

    ¡°But no, we¡¯re all stuck here.¡±, he added.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stuck here! I¡¯d always be here to support Ban and Dit!¡±, exclaimed Slav. Median glanced over to her slave collar and sighed before speaking.

    ¡°Whatever you say. I guess this is better than mining whatever those others mine in the caves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure if they proved themselves to Ban and Dit, they¡¯d be here with us.¡±, added Slav. Median looked at her and decided that it wasn¡¯t worth talking about anymore.

    Back at Dave¡¯s camp.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°I will be fine, I¡¯ve had worse wounds in the past.¡±, replied Dave, trying to smile and hide his pain.

    ¡°That girl... She¡¯s skilled. This is going to be harder than I thought. Now I know why he was so eager to allow me to come here.¡±, he added.

    ¡°Who?¡±, asked Orph.

    Dave looked at him for a few seconds and spoke, "Can you please call Cess here?¡±

    Orph looked at him for a few seconds before nodding.

    He went to where Cess was and asked her to join Dave. Which she did while running as fast as she could.

    ¡°What happened, sir? Is there anything wrong? Maybe you¡¯d like me to chase after that girl who wounded you?¡±, she asked.

    ¡°Oh. Nothing like that.¡±, replied Dave.

    ¡°Then why have you called for me?¡±

    Dave was dumbfounded and started thinking of a reason, an excuse, anything. He didn¡¯t think this far or through.

    He finally ended his silence and spoke, "How was your day?¡±

    Cess didn¡¯t reply, she only looked at him in silence.

 Chapter 19

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 Chapter 21

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 Chapter 27

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 Chapter 28

    Median didn¡¯t move an Inch, and neither did Cess but she had her sights on him and so did Median. He didn¡¯t take his sight off her.

    ¡°Forgive me, I have no intention of being creepy.¡±, said Median coming towards her, trying to close the distance between them.

    ¡°But I must do this...¡±, he added.

    Cess fired a warning shot as soon as he tried to do it. It hit the ground not far from his feet.

    ¡°Stay away.¡±

    Median looked at the arrow for a second and then right back at her.

    ¡°I will not warn you twice.¡±, she added.

    Median took note of her warnings but still decided to rush forward. He soon closed the distance between them without giving Cess a chance to fire a shot.

    ¡°You¡¯re fast.", said Cess while trying her best to add distance between them.

    ¡°Stop tooting your own horn.¡±, replied Median.

    Cess didn¡¯t have a chance to think about what he meant by that. She took out her sword and took her stance while still having her bow in her other hand. Median smirked and clashed his sword with her, soon being able to overcome her and forcing her to back off again.

    ¡°This is annoying.¡±, Cess thought to herself.

    ¡°I can¡¯t win in a straight-up duel against him.¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking so hard about?¡±, asked Median.

    ¡°Nothing for you to worry about¡±, replied Cess, taking her chance to disappear when she saw a big enough tree and hiding behind it.

    ¡°This will not work... wait, where¡¯d she go...?¡±, said Median very nervously, he couldn¡¯t track Cess anymore. Shocking him.

    ¡°Wait-¡±

    Before Median could reach a proper conclusion, there was already an arrow lodged on his shoulder.

    Median screamed and fell.

    Cess decided to drop down from the trees and come near him. She took out her sword and decided to question him.

    Median started to awkwardly laugh before she got a chance to speak.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I had a choice...¡±, he said.

    ¡°Everyone has a choice.¡±, replied Cess.

    ¡°Not someone with a slave collar stuck on their neck!¡±, screamed Median.

    Cess was taken aback. Median groaned in pain.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±, he asked.

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    ¡°If only they had given me a ranged weap-¡­ Just end my suffering.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°No. Not yet. I have some questions that I want you to answer me.¡±

    ¡°Do you not get it? I can¡¯t...¡±, replied Median.

    ¡°There has to be something that you can...¡±

    Median thought about it hard before speaking out, "Not everything is as it seems.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Think about it. Think about it hard.¡±, said Median still groaning from pain but you almost hear some laughter from it.

    ¡°What-¡±

    ¡°Stay away from him!¡±

    Before Cess could ask him more, another person appeared with a slave collar on their neck. However, Cess had seen this person before.

    ¡°You¡¯re that girl who wounded Sir Dave.¡±, shouted Cess angrily.

    ¡°And so, what?¡±, shouted back Slav.

    Cess was going to try and attack her but she saw a big Ogre standing right behind them.

    ¡°Ogre?¡±, it said.

    It looked nothing like the usual ogres Cess had faced before, it looked bigger and more bloodthirsty, it was as if nothing could stop its rampage and satisfy it except the blood of its enemies.

    ¡°This is not a fight you¡¯d want to take.¡±, said Median while still groaning in pain.

    Cess thought over her chances and backed away while still looking at Median, her eyes were enough to communicate that this wasn¡¯t over yet.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going-¡±, said Slav.

    ¡°Let her go...¡±, he groaned in pain, ¡°it isn¡¯t worth it.¡±, continued Median as soon he could. Slav looked at him and pondered for a second, it was enough for Cess to vanish away from their sight.

    Ogre gently picked up Median and gestured Slav to follow him.

    ¡°Ogre.¡±

    Soon enough, they reached their camp. Ban was already waiting for them there.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve seen better days.¡±, asked Ban while looking at Median¡¯s wounds.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she got away.¡±, he replied.

    Ban looked disappointed but showed no severe reaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They are strong, we cannot underestimate them.¡±, said Ban before leaving them.

    ¡°Ogre¡±, said Ogre.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get his wound treated.¡±, said Slav.

    Ogre carried Median to the shed while Slav went to look for bandages and medicines to treat the wounds.

    Ogre put Median down, gently as he could.

    ¡°Thanks...¡±, said Median.

    Slav soon joined them.

    ¡°Dit gave me the necessary things... Let¡¯s get you fixed up.¡±, she said trying her best to do it as fast as possible.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, take your time.¡±, Median replied, who could see how scared Slav was.

    ¡°And... and thank you. Thank you, the both of you.¡±, he added while putting his face in a direction that neither could see him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say thanks. We¡¯re family.¡±, Slav replied.

    ¡°Ogre¡±, said Ogre, also agreeing with what Slav just said.

    Median didn¡¯t say anything in return.

    Back at the village

    Orph woke up from what felt like an eternity.

    ¡°It¡¯s already night...¡±, he said before noticing Dave sitting right opposite of him.

    ¡°Talk about d¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡±, he added.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake!¡±, said Dave.

    It took everything in Orph to not retort to that, but he couldn¡¯t even say anything after that humiliating loss. So, he decided to just keep his mouth shut.

    Eric woke up a little later, noticing both Orph and Dave sitting in silence. Not wanting to break the silence, he just sat up where he was sleeping. It was a campsite right outside the camp near the village.

    Dave looked at Eric and smiled.

    ¡°You guys are under Knight Shine, right?¡±, he asked.

    Both Orph and Eric nodded.

    ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so skilled.¡±, he added while still having a smile on his face.

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±, Dave replied.

    ¡°Who would win in a fight in-between you and Sir Shine?¡±

    ¡°That I do not know about, it could go either way.¡±

    Dave chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that right?¡±, said Orph.

    ¡°I mean you are the strongest knight of the kingdom...¡±, he added.

    ¡°That¡¯s what they say¡±, Dave replied, while chuckling again.

    ¡°Sir Shine is a better knight than me, his skills are unmatched.¡±

    Dave looked towards the ground and picked up a stick before continuing, ¡°The only reason I am even in the conversation is because of my physical strength.¡±

    ¡°And because Sir Shine doesn¡¯t leave the Baron or should I say the Duke¡¯s side, ever.¡±, he added while throwing the stick he picked up in the air.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    The three of them looked over to where the sudden noise came from. Only to find Cess coming out of the bushes while rubbing her head in pain.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±, exclaimed Dave.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll live.¡±, Cess replied.

    ¡°But we have bigger problems.¡±, she added

 Chapter 29

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 Chapter 30

    Swords clashed, and there were around a hundred dragons guardian just one princess. One princess waiting to be saved by her knight in shining armor.

    ¡°Eric!¡±, the princess shouted.

    ¡°You¡¯re here to save me!¡±, she added.

    Eric smiled and nodded, the princess saw the gesture and charted to cheer.

    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±, said Eric, charging forward toward the dragons. He had no fear in his eyes for he knew his victory was certain.

    One slash is all it took for him to slay one dragon, sometimes two dragons fell to just one of his slashes, sometimes even three.

    Soon, Eric¡¯s dreams were going to come true. He was finally going to save-

    <hr>

    <hr>

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 Chapter 31

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    <hr>

    "Little brother... Dit"

    A familiar voice.

    "Elder sister? What are you doing here?", replied Dit.

    "What am I doing here? Can I not be here?", replied Ban, giggling.

    "No-I mean..."

    The giggle soon turned into laughter, "Aunt Carer is looking for the kids. Dinner''s ready."

    Ban smiled and held Dit''s hands, pulling him towards her, and ran to the village orphanage.

    "I''m hungry... Are you not?"

    Dit smiled as well, and replied, "I am!"

    They both ran and giggled.

    <hr>

    Dit opened his eyes, tears almost running down. He closed his eyes again and wondered where they would''ve been if those happy days continued.

 Chapter 32

    <hr>

    Both the children were playing away.

    ¡°Hey, Dit!¡±

    Dit looked at Ban who was screaming her lungs away.

    He rushed towards her only to find her playing with a bunch of flowers and laughing away.

    ¡°See?¡±

    She looked behind.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡±, she continued. She picked a bunch of them up and went near Dit.

    She placed one near his ears and spoke, ¡°Just like you... Hahaha¡±

    Dit blushed and turned his face around before speaking, ¡°S-stop teasing me sister!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha, I-I won¡¯t...¡±, Ban replied still laughing away.

    She wiped away the tears from her eyes and found Dit sulking and pouting.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidding.¡±, she continued and patted Dit.

    ¡°After all, I have the world¡¯s most beautiful sibling¡±, she added while smiling brightly.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be late again sister!¡±, Dit exclaimed, trying his best to take Ban with him.

    ¡°A kid needs to have proper meals to grow up properly!¡±, he added.

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    ¡°Hahaha, alright! Alright! I understand now let go of my hand!¡±, Ban replied.

    She stopped and looked at Dit before asking, ¡°And? Who told you that?¡±

    ¡°Aunt carer Of course!¡±, Dit replied, smiling proudly.

    Ban couldn¡¯t control her laughter any longer.

    ¡°Sister!¡±, exclaimed Dit.

    ¡°I thought you said that you wouldn¡¯t tease me anymore!¡±, he added.

    ¡°How can I not? When I have such a cute brother such as yourself?¡±, Ban replied, still laughing away.

    Dit grunted and started to walk away.

    ¡°Hey! Hey! Wait up for me...¡±

    But Dit didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°No... No, I will not!¡±

    Dit started to run away; Ban ran after him as well.

    ¡°W-Wait... Please don¡¯t leave me behind...¡±

    Dit stopped as soon as he heard that and looked backward towards Ban who was gasping for air.

    Ban looked up, ¡°Y-you were always so... a-athletic...¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t make fun of you again.¡±, she added.

    ¡°Y-yea...¡±, replied an embarrassed Dit.

    Ban started to laugh again.

    ¡°Sis-¡±

    Before Dit could say anything, Ban held his hands and ran with him towards the village while laughing away.

    Dit forgot what he was going to say and just enjoyed the moment.

    Soon enough, they saw a figure near the entrance of the village. It seemed like they were waiting for them.

    ¡°Kids! There you are! I was worried sick¡±, said the figure, dropping down to hug both.

    She pushed them just enough to look at their faces before continuing, ¡°How many times have I told you, children, to not go out of the village?¡±

    Dit looked sorry but Ban laughed in return.

    The figure sighed before getting up.

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry Aunt carer.¡±, Dit replied.

    The person smiled and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re sorry.¡±

    She patted both their heads and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The other children are waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°What did you cook today, Aunt?¡±, asked Ban.

    ¡°Soup¡±

    ¡°Yay¡±

    Ban smiled and so did Dit.

    On the way there, they overheard a man talking about something. Which Dit overheard.

    ¡°Bandits? Are you serious? They were seen in the area...?¡±, asked one man the other.

    ¡°Shh, yes.¡±, replied the other.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the knights will handle them.¡±

    ¡°When have they ever handled anything...¡±

    Dit got scared and hugged aunt carer¡¯s legs.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Dit?¡±, she asked, worried.

    ¡°Bandits...¡±

    Ban heard that and comforted Dit, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Dit! I will protect you! And there are soldiers of the king, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll catch them!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Dit.¡±, said the carer.

    Dit nodded.

    The carer sighed and hugged them again.

    ¡°Now who is ready for some soup?¡±, she asked.

    ¡°ME!¡±, replied Ban.

    Dit was still scared but being comforted by both made his heart feel easier.

    <hr>

 Chapter 33

    <hr>

    There was fire everywhere. The village they had known for their whole life, the village where they had spent so many years living, all those happy memories.

    ¡°Bandits...¡±, screamed someone. Both Dit and Ban looked towards it, before seeing that person getting killed by a sword attack.

    The only thought that came to Dit¡¯s mind was to run, but he couldn¡¯t. He froze and would¡¯ve stayed frozen if Ban didn¡¯t take his hand and been forced to run.

    ¡°Kill everyone who resists and take in anyone who seems useful!¡±, screamed one of the men on a horse, he seemed to carry a giant sword on his back.

    How did this even happen? Thought Dit to himself. They both were playing outside as usual, but the smoke, the fire.

    Dit was confused and scared, and the sight of their orphanage burning didn¡¯t help.

    ¡°Aunt... Carer...¡±, said Dit while falling to the ground.

    ¡°We don¡¯t h-have time Dit...¡±, said Ban trying to pick him up.

    ¡°Hmph. What Knights?¡±, said the man on the horse as he took out his sword and jumped down from the horse.

    ¡°Kneel down, and maybe you¡¯ll live.¡±, he continued.

    ¡°W-Who do you think you are?¡±, asked one of the villagers.

    ¡°No...¡±, said some of the other villagers. ¡°Keep quiet!¡±

    ¡°Knave. Remember the name.¡±, Knave replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you run away due to your... bravery.¡±, he added while taking his face closer to him.

    ¡°RUN!¡±, he screamed near his ear.

    The villager ran away as fast as he could.

    Knave took his sword and threw it at the running villager. It killed him in one stroke, and he then recalled it back. The giant sword flew back at his hand.

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    Dit and Ban were both watching this from a distance while hiding in a bush.

    ¡°How... How could he do that?¡±, asked Ban.

    Dit was too shocked to speak.

    ¡°Kids?¡±

    Both looked behind in shock.

    ¡°Shh... it¡¯s me.¡±, whispered the carer.

    ¡°We need to get out of here... I was worried sick. The other children are already out, I don¡¯t know where... some of them are...¡±, she added.

    ¡°Did you...¡±

    She stopped as soon as she saw the worried look on both their faces.

    The carer sighed and whispered ¡°I should help you guys get out of here first. Come. Follow me quietly.¡±

    All of them quietly went past the bandits when they were rounding up the villagers, but their luck ran out. They were near some bushes which were near the village entrance when they heard, ¡°There¡¯s someone there...!¡±

    The carer didn¡¯t wait for a moment, as soon as she heard them utter those words, she pushed the children into some bushes and gestured to them to keep quiet.

    One of the bandits came near her and dragged her away.

    Dit and Ban saw that, and they felt helpless and decided to run away before anyone else could notice them.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    Ban and Dit ran as far away as they could, Dit fell and couldn¡¯t run any further. Ban picked him up and hid in the forest. She looked around to make sure that they weren¡¯t being followed. Thankfully they weren¡¯t and Orph let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared...¡±, said Dit, while sitting down and crying.

    Ban dropped down and hugged him, ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, I¡¯m here.¡±, she replied.

    ¡°I will protect you.¡±, she continued.

    Dit looked into her eyes; they looked like nothing he had ever seen before.

    <hr>

 Chapter 34

    Dit made his way back into the camp and got greeted by Ban who seemed like she was waiting for him.

    ¡°Where did you go?¡±, she asked.

    ¡°The village...¡±, he replied.

    ¡°Oh?¡±, she looked back, surprised.

    ¡°And why did you- Oh right!¡±, she stopped herself.

    Ban laughed and continued, ¡°You met Doug didn¡¯t you?¡±, while finger-gunning Dit.

    Dit nodded.

    ¡°Did they realize who you were?¡±

    ¡°I think they were suspicious of me...¡±

    ¡°HA! Of course, they would be. I don¡¯t know why you went there considering the bond you two share but maybe the bond is why you went there, to begin with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±, Dit replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. This will be over soon, and you can visit Doug as much as you can then, and it¡¯s not like you had much to do in the village anyway.¡±, said Ban, smiling.

    ¡°Sister-¡±

    ¡°Yea?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember our... our mercenary days?¡±, asked Dit.

    Ban smiled and replied, ¡°Looks like someone is being nostalgic! Of course, I do, why would I ever forget those happy days!¡±

    ¡°Happy days...¡±, Dit thought to himself.

    He took out the flower from his pocket again.

    ¡°Is this for me?¡±, asked Ban.

    Dit nodded.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±, Ban replied, smiling.

    Dit smiled back but it wasn¡¯t as bright as Ban''s.

    ¡°Our mercenary days...¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Will this be all, count?¡±, asked a nervous Dit.

    The count nodded and dropped a sack filled with gold coins in front of them.

    ¡°I must say, for a bunch of commoners with nothing much to show for. You both were impressive, being able to deal with the goblin swarm.¡±, he replied while looking at them all smugly.

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±, replied Ban, smiling.

    ¡°It is all thanks to you that we were able to solve this problem, to begin with.¡±, she added.

    Ban bowed down and continued, ¡°Your subjects are very lucky to have a superior such as yourself looking out for them...¡±

    The count started to laugh, ¡°Of course! Of course! They are! Here take this!¡±

    He dropped another gold pouch.

    ¡°This is for you, for showing such wisdom!¡±, he added.

    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for your generosity.¡± replied Ban.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    The count continued to sip his wine while forgetting that they both were still present in the room.

    Both bowed down and left.

    ¡°I hate that...¡±, snickered Ban.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so mad...¡±

    ¡°We should¡¯ve gone to Babour or even Decna!¡±

    ¡°Shh! Calm down!¡±, said Dit.

    ¡°We¡¯re still inside the Count¡¯s mansion.¡±, he added.

    Ban kept quiet but still held down her grudge all the way to the local bar.

    Ban screamed while taking a sip from her glass.

    ¡°We did get paid well... sister...¡±

    ¡°I know we did... but seeing that man so happy and content while the village that was under his care was destroyed. He didn¡¯t even bat an eye...¡±, said Ban.

    ¡°I know...¡±, Dit replied with a somber voice.

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have survived without the count¡¯s household.¡±, he added.

    ¡°Count¡¯s household... more like his wife...¡±, Ban burped.

    ¡°Sister! You¡¯re drunk!¡±

    ¡°What If I am?¡±

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    Ban sighed and spoke, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. The count¡¯s wife took us in and gave us enough of an opportunity to be mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I hope you take that into consideration for what I¡¯m about to say.¡±, said a girl just before sitting down beside them both.

    ¡°My lady...¡±, Dit replied.

    ¡°Calm down. Just call me Tess.¡±, she replied while putting down her hood.

    "But someone your age shouldn''t be here...", Dit countered.

    "This is our land, I can go where ever I please!", replied Tess, while scoffing.

    Tess sighed and shook her head.

    "I''m here to discuss something important with you."

    Both Dit and Ban looked at her.

    ¡°Oh! Before I start, I must congratulate you both for taking care of the goblin''s nest.¡±, she added.

    Both Dit and Ban nodded.

    Tess looked at them both before speaking, ¡°I want you to be my people.¡±

    ¡°Your people?¡±

    ¡°Yes-¡±

    Before she could say anything more, a drunk Ban interrupted her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry my lady but I cannot... Even if your mother...¡±

    Tess looked at her with a sad face before replying, ¡°Is it about your village...¡±

    Ban nodded.

    Tess sighed and looked down before speaking, ¡°I understand... is this the same for you Dit?¡±

    Dit nodded as well.

    ¡°Wherever my sister goes... I will go too.¡±

    ¡°And where might that be?¡±, asked Tess.

    ¡°We¡¯re planning on doing to Babour...¡±, replied Ban.

    ¡°We are...?¡±, asked Dit in shock.

    Ban nodded.

    ¡°That lawless place?¡±

    ¡°For mercenaries like us... fewer rules, the better...¡± replied Ban before falling asleep.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry my lady... looks like my sister had too much to drink...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Tess smiled and spoke, ¡°It was a pleasure knowing you both, and I bid you farewell.¡±

    She got up and started walking out. But before she did, she looked back and said, ¡°For what it¡¯s worth... I truly am sorry about your village.¡±

    Dit nodded.

    After Tess left, Dit took Ban to their room and fell asleep.

    The next morning, they were already on their way to Babour.

    ¡°Are you sure about this, sister?¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°Trust me, Dit! We¡¯re going to thrive!¡±, Ban replied.

    ¡°If you say so...¡±

    Babour was nothing like the kingdom they were used to.

    ¡°They¡¯re selling everything here...¡±, said Dit.

    ¡°Even people.¡±, he added.

    The central marketplace of Babour, is known as the best place to find anything that you would want.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan sister?¡±, asked Dit.

    Ban didn¡¯t reply but instead went towards the notice board.

    ¡°You¡¯d think a lawless land such as this wouldn¡¯t have something like this... but they do.¡±, she said while laughing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pick the one with the best rewards... there it is!¡±, she added before plucking a notice from the board.

    Find missing slaves.

    ¡°Seems easy enough.¡±

    ¡°Sister! Are we really going to deal with slaves?¡±

    Ban sighed and looked back, ¡°Little brother...¡±, she touched Dit¡¯s face with both her hands and looked straight into his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s us versus the world... don¡¯t you ever forget that.¡±, she added.

    Dit nodded in return.

    ¡°Sister... Why are we really here?¡±, asked Dit.

    Ban averted her eyes before sighing.

    ¡°That man... who destroyed our lives all those years ago...¡±, she replied.

    Ban couldn¡¯t look towards Dit anymore.

    ¡°Revenge?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I-¡­¡±

    Ban became quiet.

    ¡°I understand how you feel sister but...¡±

    ¡°Dit! It¡¯s not just him! I- I want us to really thrive as well!¡±, she shouted.

    ¡°Think of it as hitting two birds with one stone!¡±

    Ban started laughing.

    ¡°Sister...¡±

    ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s go! Maybe that rich person has enough information and enough money to satisfy us.¡±

    Dit said nothing else but complied.

    They went through many alleys, the more they went inside, the worse it looked.

    ¡°Would someone as rich as them live in such a place...?¡±, wondered Dit.

    Soon they arrived in front of their door.

    ¡°Looks like nothing special.¡±, said Ban, sighing.

    ¡°Maybe we should go back...¡±, she added.

    Before deciding their next course of action, both were teleported inside that man¡¯s shop.

    ¡°Customers...? Or future associates?¡±, the man asked.

    Both Ban and Dit took note of him and put their guards up.

    ¡°So, what does this spearman and...¡±, he looked towards Ban and saw her hiding her daggers.

    He put his hands up, ¡°I wish you no harm.¡±

    Both Dit and Ban calmed down a little, but they still had their guard up.

    ¡°Is it gold you seek, or information? Maybe both?¡±, asked the man again.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±, asked Ban.

    The man laughed and replied, ¡°My name is not important. Just call me the dealer.¡±

 Chapter 35

    The Dealer came towards them.

    He had a closer look before speaking, ¡°Neither of you looks like you belong here.¡±

    ¡°Let me assure you, there is no other place we belong more.¡±, replied Ban while laughing.

    The dealer smirked and said, ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it then¡±, he added.

    Ban took out the poster she picked up from back then and showed it to the dealer.

    The dealer smiled, ¡°Future associates then!¡±

    ¡°Heh, how do you know that we¡¯re going to be future associates then?¡±, asked Ban while laughing.

    ¡°It¡¯s this feeling that I have...¡±

    Dit looked at that man, he could say that something was off but couldn¡¯t tell what was.

    The dealer looked at Dit and said, ¡°Your companion feels wary of me...¡±

    Dit took a step back.

    ¡°Is it because of the teleporter...?¡±

    Sweat kept rolling down Dit¡¯s face.

    ¡°A magical instrument you see!¡±, said the dealer while teleporting right behind Dit.

    Dit screamed at the top of his lungs.

    The dealer laughed but Ban didn¡¯t follow suit.

    ¡°My apologies, maybe this harmless joke was not as harmless as I intended it to be.¡±, said the dealer while still laughing.

    ¡°Before we get down to business... I¡¯d like to know your names.¡±, he added.

    ¡°This is Dit and I¡¯m Ban.¡±

    ¡°I see, interesting names you have there.¡±

    ¡°What are you called?¡±

    ¡°I have many names...¡±, he laughed.

    ¡°But my friends call me Esting.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Esting. Any idea where I could find these slaves of yours?¡±, asked Ban.

    ¡°I will tell you... but before that, are none of you curious about how I teleported?¡±, replied Esting while pointing towards the ring he was wearing.

    ¡°Really? No one?¡±, he added.

    ¡°Just tell us-¡±

    ¡°You see, this ring uses an energy stone and sacrifices all its power to work, which in this case would be teleporting.¡±, said Esting, not letting Ban finish what he was going to say.

    ¡°Interesting... Where can we find your slaves?¡±, replied an agitated Ban.

    Esting pondered upon the reply for a few moments, went towards his desk, and took out some papers which he looked at. He then threw the papers toward Ban and Dit, which both of them caught.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find it there.¡±, said Estings, trying his best to control his anger.

    He sat down on his chair before speaking, ¡°Do not disappoint me.¡±

    Ban and Dit went out of the shop, through the door this time.

    ¡°I think we made him mad.¡±, said Dit.

    Ban laughed and replied, ¡°Heh, we probably did Dit.¡±

    She looked towards Dit and continued, ¡°As long as he pays us our money... our fair share, we will have no problems.¡±

    Dit nodded in return.

    ¡°So, the slave is somewhere here. Right in the middle of the marketplace?¡±, asked Ban.

    ¡°If you were a slave on the run... Let¡¯s just hope the information is right!¡±, she added and screamed.

    They walked around for a while before someone caught Dit¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that him...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it is him!¡±, Ban replied, smiling.

    The man looked behind and noticed Ban and Dit running towards him, he got scared and started to run.

    Going through various alleys but it wasn¡¯t enough, he could see that they were closing the distance.

    Soon enough, the man got tired and stopped to catch a break. Ban and Dit soon got to where he was.

    ¡°Got nowhere to run now?¡±, asked Ban.

    The man took his time to catch his breath before replying, "Why... W-Why are you chasing me?¡±

    Ban laughed and took out the poster she had in her pockets.

    ¡°Why else?¡±, she replied.

    ¡°Slave Hunters?¡±, the man replied with shock.

    ¡°No- No this can¡¯t be... I¡¯m under the protection of the Bel Re gang...¡±, he continued.

    ¡°The Bel Re gang?¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what gang protects you...¡±, replied Ban.

    She went near the man and punched him, knocking him out before speaking, ¡°...from us.¡±

    She picked up the unconscious man on her shoulders and looked towards Dit who looked at her with shock.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before more trouble shows up.¡±, she added.

    Dit nodded.

    Both went back to Esting¡¯s place with their job complete.

    ¡°Oh... you¡¯re back!¡±

    A familiar voice greeted them.

    Ban laughed and replied, ¡°Of course we are.¡±

    She threw the man on the ground and continued, ¡°Here¡¯s what you were asking for.¡±

    Esting¡¯s bend over.

    ¡°Nice. Nice. The commodity isn¡¯t damaged at all.¡±

    He smiled.

    ¡°Were there any problems with... the job?¡±, he added.

    Ban laughed and replied, ¡°Problems?¡±, and then she smiled again.

    Esting smirked.

    ¡°He said he was protected by the Bel Re gang.¡±, said Dit.

    ¡°OH! He speaks.¡±, replied Esting.

    ¡°I thought you were mute¡±, he added while going towards Dit before getting stopped by Ban.

    ¡°Back off.¡±

    Esting smirked again, ¡°An overprotective sister!¡±

    He put his hands up and backed away.

    ¡°Either way, you both deserve praise for a job... well done.¡±

    ¡°I hope this Is the beginning of a very fruitful relationship.¡±, he added while giving both their fair share.

    <hr>

    <hr>

    That was the only time Esting asked them to catch a slave. Most of their time was spent being a bodyguard at the shop or roughing up people who wouldn¡¯t pay their fair share.

    It wasn¡¯t a pretty job, but it paid well.

    It was also the first time since forever Dit saw his sister happy. It felt like she had given power, power enough to be free from her past. Their past.

    At least that was the start of it, or so he thought.

 Chapter 36

    With time, both he and his sister dealt with more shady businesses. At first, Ban did it reluctantly but it felt like, slowly but surely, Ban started to accept things with happiness.

    Dit couldn¡¯t keep it in any longer, he questioned his sister.

    ¡°Why are you doing this Ban...? So many people... Are we any different from those people...?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing this for us!¡±, shouted Ban in return.

    Dit stopped and looked right at her.

    She looked back, anger fully taking over her face. She sighed and looked down.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing this for us... Can¡¯t you see, little brother?¡±

    ¡°All the people... we¡¯re just following the laws of this place; we¡¯re just following the laws of humanity...¡±, she added.

    She started walking back and forth, stopped, and started to laugh.

    ¡°This is how it goes... we were too weak to protect ourselves...¡±

    A moment of sadness passed on her face.

    ¡°Protect... who we lost...¡±, she murmured.

    Ban shook her head and looked at Dit again.

    ¡°More importantly, I¡¯m doing it for you.¡±

    She placed her hands on his cheeks.

    Dit held her hand and nodded.

    He believed her.

    Ban nodded in return.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! The job isn¡¯t going to finish itself!¡±, said Ban, laughing again.

    Which they did. Slowly earned Esting¡¯s trust as well.

    ¡°How... is the kingdom?¡±, asked Esting.

    Ban and Dit were both sitting around in his shop, it was a slow day.

    ¡°The kingdom?¡±, Dit replied

    ¡°Yes. The kingdom.¡±

    Esting looked back at Dit.

    ¡°I¡¯m from... there.¡±

    Ban jumped out of her seat laughing, ¡°You¡¯re from the kingdom? How did we not know of this before?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so shocked?¡±, asked Esting.

    ¡°Did you think I was from Decna?¡±, he added.

    ¡°Yes!¡±, said Ban, laughing even harder.

    ¡°Is it because of the rules... I mean you aren¡¯t half wrong.¡±, Esting replied.

    He sighed and asked, ¡°So... how is it?¡±

    ¡°Oh... Can¡¯t say we have a good experience with it.¡±, Ban replied, stopping her laughter altogether.

    Esting¡¯s snickered.

    ¡°I can imagine so.¡±

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    He picked up a vine glass and started to clean it.

    ¡°The kingdom... The kingdom... All because of the hero who hailed from there, that it can use the name.¡±

    Ban shrugged and replied, ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have high opinions of the hero.¡±, asked Dit.

    Esting¡¯s chuckled and put the glass down. He looked at Dit before speaking, ¡°Observant as always!¡±

    ¡°The hero and the mage get all glory... Did you know that there was also a sage?¡±

    Ban and Dit looked at Esting and then back at each other.

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve heard him being mentioned in the story we heard back when we were in the orphanage.¡±, Dit replied.

    ¡°Yes, him. He¡¯s supposed to be my ancestor...¡±, said Esting.

    Esting smiled and looked down, ¡°My father was quite proud of that fact...¡±

    He sighed and picked up another glass to clean.

    ¡°Ahh... The sage didn¡¯t receive much. He¡¯s forgotten by time.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever visit the kingdom?¡±, asked a curious Ban.

    ¡°No... No, I did not. I do have some associates there though.¡±

    Ban laughed again,¡± What associates? ¡°, she asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s this person called Knave...¡±

    Before Esting could continue, Both Ban and Dit stood up in shock and came near Esting, who got shocked.

    ¡°I assume you¡¯ve heard of him...¡±, he replied while putting up his hands.

    ¡°The glass in my hand could¡¯ve fall-¡±, he added before being interrupted by Ban.

    ¡°Where is that man?¡±, she asked with anger in her voice.

    Esting couldn¡¯t stop his smirk.

    ¡°Want Information about him? I¡¯d be glad to help.¡±

    Ban grabbed Esting¡¯s collar.

    ¡°Ban! Stop¡±, said Dit trying to pull her away.

    Esting laughed.

    ¡°What do you want... in exchange.¡±, replied Ban.

    ¡°Good. Good. You''ve learnt how merchants behave while spending time with me,¡± said Esting while fixing his collar.

    ¡°I believe in a fair share... and I want Knave to be removed... Just like you!¡±

    ¡°Why do you want him to be removed?¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t believe in a fair share!¡±

    ¡°But first... I need you to do something for me.¡±, Esting added.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have heard of the Bel Re gang in your countless expeditions to take back my goods...¡± said Esting.

    ¡°The ones we avoid... What about them?¡±, asked Ban while crossing her hands.

    ¡°Just to make sure...¡±, said Esting while taking out a poster from his shelf.

    ¡°... Bel Re himself doesn¡¯t know what you look like, right?¡±, he added.

    He came near Ban with the poster in his hand, expecting a reply.

    ¡°No... I don¡¯t think so...¡±, Ban replied.

    ¡°Good. Good.¡±, Esting gave Ban the poster he held and continued, ¡°This is Bel... In a few days, he¡¯s going to bust up another merchant''s... stock of goods.¡±

    Esting clasped his hands, ¡°I want you both to go help him!¡±. He then smiled.

    ¡°Help your enemies?¡±, Ban asked while laughing.

    ¡°No. No. They are not my enemies...¡±, Esting replied. He walked towards the side and looked Ban directly in the eyes and continued, ¡°They¡¯re... merely tools. Tools which I will utilize to get what I want.¡±

    ¡°I guess we won¡¯t get to know what you want...?¡±, asked Ban, smiling sarcastically.

    ¡°Precisely.¡±, replied Esting.

    ¡°Do as I told you, and you¡¯ll get all the information you¡¯d want.¡±, he added while smiling.

    Ban started to laugh again, and both Dit and Esting looked at her.

    ¡°Of course. Consider it done.¡±, she smiled.

    Ban went near the desk Esting was sitting on and smashed her hands on it, while looking directly into Esting¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I hope you fulfill the end of your bargain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a man who believes in fair share...¡±, Esting replied while smiling.

    Ban nodded and Esting nodded in return.

    Ban took one of the many fruits on Esting¡¯s table and bit into it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Dit.¡±, she said while getting out of the shop.

    Esting kept smiling, ¡°Good luck!¡±

    ¡°For both our sakes, I hope you succeed.¡±, he added.

    Dit looked back at Esting and saw him smiling, he nodded and went outside the shop as well.

    They had an important task at hand, they were close to getting the information they needed. Which made Ban even more excited.

 Chapter 37

    They spend the remaining days preparing for the task.

    ¡°What do you think of this, brother?¡±, asked Ban, laughing.

    ¡°Of what?¡±

    Ban threw a knife, shocking Dit.

    ¡°Wha-¡±

    But it stopped just before it hit Dit. The knife was attached to a rope, which was attached to Ban¡¯s body. Ban then used it like a whip, spinning it around almost perfectly.

    ¡°I need to get more used to this.¡±, she said while still laughing.

    ¡°You scared me!¡±

    Ban looked over at Dit and laughed before speaking, ¡°Why? Do you think I will ever hurt anyone I¡¯m close to?¡±

    She hid the daggers back and continued, ¡°More importantly, what do you think of that?¡±

    Ban looked at Dit with eagerness in her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s impressive...¡±

    Dit looked closer at her new daggers.

    ¡°They¡¯re bigger than the ones you usually use to throw.¡±, he added.

    ¡°Yes! Now I have the range and can fight in close range.¡±, she replied.

    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting a sibling moment!¡±, said Esting while sitting on top of a roof nearby and looked down on both.

    ¡°How did you get up there-¡±

    Esting teleported down and replied, ¡°Like this!¡±, and smiled.

    ¡°I still can''t get used to that...¡±, replied Ban stopping her laughter.

    Esting snicked and walked over to check their equipment.

    ¡°So, how are the preparations going?¡±, he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s going good...¡±, Dit replied

    ¡°Is that all you came over for?¡±, Ban replied.

    Esting looked back towards Ban with his hand behind his back. ¡°Yes? Why wouldn¡¯t I? This is an important day...¡± He put both of his hands forward, ¡°...for the both of us.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know!¡±, Ban replied, controlling her anger.

    ¡°Do I sense anger?¡±, asked Esting.

    Dit looked at Ban, as did Esting.

    Ban didn¡¯t reply, but she kept looking at Esting.

    ¡°Let me guess... Is it because I¡¯m associated with Knave?¡±

    Ban jolted back.

    ¡°I guess correct? I assume you guys didn¡¯t have a good meeting before? Knowing Knave, that isn¡¯t a surprise.¡±, Esting added.

    Esting snickered again, ¡°He calls himself the Bandit King.¡±

    He picked out Ban¡¯s daggers on the ground, checking them.

    ¡°We know.¡±, Ban replied.

    Esting sighed, ¡°Look... I¡¯m not associated with him anymore, he has... betrayed my trust. I want him gone as much as you do.¡±

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    ¡°I hope you do.", Ban replied.

    Ban sighed and continued, ¡°What are you really here for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss our plans¡±, Esting replied.

    ¡°As you already know, you are to assist the Bel Re gang...¡±

    He takes out a necklace with a key on it.

    ¡°What is that?¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°The slave key. Every slave master has it.¡±

    ¡°I assume the one we¡¯re targeting has it too.¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°You assume correctly!¡±, Esting replied.

    ¡°This is your main job; you are to snatch it away from the merchant. Without it, he can¡¯t control his slaves.¡±, he added.

    ¡°Does this mean you have one too?¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°Of course! Decna has its own uses...¡±, Esting replied.

    ¡°Is that all?¡±, asked Ban.

    ¡°Still mad?¡±, Esting replied.

    Ban looked away.

    ¡°Well, I have this too...¡±, he added. Esting took out a black ball.

    ¡°What is that-¡±, asked Dit before being interrupted by Esting throwing the ball at the ground at full force near his own feet. Suddenly black smoke appeared, surprising both Ban and Dit.

    ¡°Are you alright-?¡±, asked Dit.

    ¡°Yes... Of course...¡±, replied a coughing Esting. Who continued coughing for quite a while, unable to hold a conversation.

    Dit and Ban kept looking at him, waiting for him to stop coughing. Which he did after the black smoke disappeared.

    Ban started to laugh, seeing Esting having a hard time breathing, gasping for air.

    ¡°Are... Are you done...?¡±, asked Ban, still laughing away.

    Esting sighed and wiped his face, "Yes...¡±

    ¡°Do I need to thank Decna for being able to witness this glo... glorious scene? HAHAHAHAHA¡±, said Ban, unable to control her laughter.

    ¡°No..¡±, smirked Esting.

    ¡°It¡¯s all me!¡±, he added.

    ¡°All you?¡±, asked Dit.

    Esting took another black ball out and pointed towards it, ¡°I made this!¡±

    ¡°I saw some people using something like this to blind other people¡¯s eyes by throwing it at them. So, I thought to myself, what happens if I mix this with energy stones... with some minor adjustments!¡±, he added.

    ¡°If you think this will make me less mad... You¡¯re wrong... HAHAHAHAHA.¡±, said Ban, still laughing away.

    ¡°Did you not know that this would happen?¡±, asked Dit.

    Esting looked at Dit before replying, ¡°No. This is the first time I¡¯m using this. I¡¯m glad this worked...¡±

    ¡°You threw a magic thing near you... without knowing what would happen?¡±, asked a shocked Dit.

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll call it a smoke bomb!¡±, replied Esting smiling. He put the smoke bomb back while having a somber look.

    ¡°Besides... I wanted an audience...¡±, he added and looked at Dit before continuing, ¡°I can show you how to make this if you¡¯re curious.

    Ban stopped laughing and went near Esting, " I don¡¯t want you to hurt-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sister.¡±, said Dit.

    ¡°I want to learn it.¡±, he added while looking him right in the eyes.

    Esting looked back and didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll show you.¡±, said Esting breaking off the silence.

    ¡°I have a limited amount of energy stones at the moment... but It¡¯ll do.¡±, he added.

    On the day of the mission

    ¡°Are you the merceries referred to me?¡±, asked Bel.

    They had all met in a bar, and only a few Bel Re members were there. But their leader was present. Bel Re.

    ¡°Is this all?¡±, asked Ban.

    Bel looked around and replied, ¡°Looks like it.¡± and smiled.

    Ban laughed.

    Bel looked at Ban and Dit, ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready?¡±

    ¡°As ready as I ever will be.¡±, Ban replied.

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s a good thing.¡±, said Bel.

    He looked at his gang members and patted their backs before adding, ¡°After we save those poor people, the drinks are all on me!¡±

    The gang members cheered.

    Bel then looked over at Ban and Dit again, ¡°I hope our mercenary friends will join us too!¡±

    Ban smiled and replied, ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±

    Bel smiled and spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    All of them got up from their seats and went near the merchant''s main house.

 Chapter 38

    The Bel Re gang was known widely in the Babour region for freeing slaves. The region did not have any form of government or rulers to rule.

    True Freedom. That¡¯s what their leader believed in. Babour has always been the land of freedom, too much freedom. Unlike the Kingdom in the south and Decna in the west, Babour had no rules, it was mostly a barren land, filled with merchants all around the world, selling anything and everything.

    That is not to say that there weren¡¯t any original citizens here. Many of Babour¡¯s citizens were children of slaves.

    Bel was one of them.

    ¡°The merchant we¡¯re targeting today... he¡¯s dangerous.¡±, said Bel, with hands in his pockets, walking without a care.

    ¡°It¡¯ll make every single one of your past missions seem like child''s play.¡±, he added while sighing.

    He looked behind towards Ban and Dit, with eyes filled with hope, and spoke, ¡°I hope you both help us with this... our acquaintance... tells me that you both are skilled...¡±

    Bel stopped right at his tracked and turned back before continuing, ¡°I doubt we¡¯d make it past the security without your help.¡±

    He put his hand up and gestured in a positive way, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you both.¡± and smiled.

    Ban came forward and spoke, ¡°You¡¯re taking this too seriously.¡±, while placing one of her hands on his shoulder and laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±, Bel replied.

    ¡°There are innocent lives at stake...¡±, he added.

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let us go and save those innocent lives.¡±, Ban replied, almost looking down on Bel.

    Bel jolted back and groaned and started walking again.

    Dit pulled Ban aside and asked, ¡°Are you alright? What are you doing...¡±

    Ban removed Dit¡¯s hands, frowned, and replied, ¡°I hate self-righteous...¡±

    She sighed and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to get left behind.¡± before starting to walk after Bel.

    Dit was shocked at first but he too followed them soon after.

    They all had to walk quite a while to reach their destination. It was outside the major markets in the city, in the middle of nowhere. There stood a big building, almost like a mansion, surrounded by big walls and towers. Towers which from the looks of It had guards posted on them.

    Babour didn¡¯t have any nobles, but if they did. This merchant would certainly be one of them.

    Bel looked at Ban and Dit¡¯s faces and spoke, ¡°Shocked?¡±

    ¡°This merchant is the most powerful slave owner in all of Babour-¡±, he added before getting interrupted by Ban.

    ¡°Shocked?¡±, Ban replied. She started to laugh as she usually does, ¡°No. Excited is the word you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    She smiled and gestured Dit to follow her.

    They both easily climbed over the barbed wall with wire and made their way toward the nearest towers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this one.¡±, whispered Ban, smiling.

    She climbed up and hung herself on the ledge and threw her dagger tied with the rope at the guard.

    The other guard on another tower noticed it.

    ¡°Hey-¡±

    Before he could finish saying what he was saying, he got attacked by Dit¡¯s smoke bomb and then stabbed by Dit¡¯s spear.

    Ban and Dit checked the guard''s bodies and found keys.

    ¡°Nice!¡±, exclaimed Ban.

    ¡°Who knew we would get this lucky.¡±, she added and looked at Dit.

    Both went down and opened the main gate using the keys they had just found. Letting the Bel Re gang in the mansion grounds.

    ¡°Nice work guys.¡±, said Bel as he gestured for his people to follow the plan properly.

    ¡°Heh. What did you expect?¡±, Ban replied while smirking.

    ¡°As the plan said, you both need to go down and save as many people as you can... It¡¯s where he stores them.¡±, said Bel, ignoring what Ban had just said.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Bel took out his sword and added, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±, and smiled before leaving Ban and Dit on their own.

    ¡°Hmph, who does he think he is?¡±, added a frowning Ban.

    Dit shook his head and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go sister.¡±

    They made their way down to the basement, taking care of the guards stationed there silently.

    ¡°He¡¯s so young and he¡¯s ordering me around?¡±, murmured Ban, almost letting her anger take the best of her.

    Dit sighed and saw a gate in the distance.

    ¡°Looks like this is it.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°The gate... that¡¯s where they are being kept.¡±

    ¡°The goods?¡±, added Ban, laughing.

    ¡°Sister...¡±

    Ban saw Dit¡¯s concerned expression and replied, ¡°The world is unfair... There¡¯s no one there to protect you. No one except family...¡±

    Ban went near Dit, and looked directly into his eyes before continuing, ¡°...Family like us.¡±

    ¡°I get that!¡±, Dit exclaimed back.

    ¡°But what does that have to do with treating them as... as that?¡±, he added.

    Ban groaned and replied, ¡°This! This my dear little brother! This helps my consciousness!¡±

    Ban sighed and murmured, ¡°Look. I¡¯m doing this for both of us, you know that. So, let¡¯s just focus on the task in hand.¡±

    Dit looked at her with remorse in his eyes; he couldn¡¯t stand up to his dear sister. Someone who has always taken care of him, someone who has always been there for him. He¡¯d fear that he¡¯d be alone even though he questioned further. He feared that she¡¯d leave him.

    Ban went towards the door and spoke, ¡°The weak will always get trampled upon... so, let¡¯s not be weak little brother!¡±

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    She kicked open the door, alerting all the guards inside of it, and laughed.

    ¡°Your hero is here HAHAHAHA.¡±

    ¡°Intrude-¡±

    Ban threw her daggers at the guards, who all got killed before they could come near her. Some couldn¡¯t even realize what was going on before meeting their fate.

    ¡°Heh. All done.¡±, said Ban, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

    ¡°Sister!¡±, screamed Dit, while looking at a guard who was behind Ban, moments before striking her down.

    But before that could happen, Dit threw one of his smoke bombs right in their face. Making them cough uncontrollably.

    Ban laughed and spoke, ¡°This will never not be funny.¡± before stabbing the guard and putting them out of their misery.

    ¡°No need to thank me.¡±, she added and chuckled.

    She looked back at Dit and smiled, ¡°I can always count on you!¡±

    Dit nodded in return.

    ¡°You should really give me one of your masks that you made to protect yourself from the smoke,¡± said Ban, while opening the jail cells and letting the people stuck there out.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to get a coughing fit... like that.¡±, she said while laughing again.

    ¡°Thank you...¡±, said one of the people stuck there.

    Ban looked at them and smiled, ¡°No need to thank us...¡±

    Her smile felt sinister, shutting up all the noise that the prisoners were making. They all looked at her, but no one was brave enough to say anything.

    No one except a little child, ¡°W-What¡¯s going to happen to us?¡±, asked the child.

    The sinister look on Ban¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. Dit was going to speak up but before he could Ban spoke up, ¡°Nothing!¡±, she smiled.

    ¡°Get out of here and go to the yard outside.¡±, she added.

    The people didn¡¯t miss a beat and ran as fast as they could.

    ¡°HA! This is really fun¡±, said Ban.

    ¡°I really needed to blow off some steam after meeting that Bel guy.¡±, she added while smiling.

    They both followed the people outside, where they met the Bel Re gang again.

    ¡°That is a lot of people... I must thank you...¡±, said Bel.

    ¡°Save it. We still have a lot of work to do.¡±, Ban replied.

    ¡°I saw you and your people fighting before...¡±, Ban added and chuckled. She made a round around Bel and spoke, ¡°It wasn¡¯t very impressive.¡± while being close to Bel from behind.

    Bel jolted in the opposite direction, ¡°I-I know that we¡¯re far less skilled than the both of you!¡±

    ¡°At least you¡¯re self-aware!¡±, Ban replied while laughing.

    ¡°We learned how to fight on our own...¡±, said Bel while looking down at the ground.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that.¡±, Ban smiled. ¡°It was very obvious.¡±

    Bel groaned and looked straight at Ban before shouting, ¡°And? Where did the two greats such as you both learn from?¡±

    Ban smirked before replying, ¡°From the countess¡¯s knights.¡±, and smiled.

    ¡°Then what are you doing here?¡±, asked Bel, pointing his finger towards Ban and coming towards her.

    He scoffed before adding, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you both be a knight and not mercenaries?¡±

    Ban laughed and said, ¡°This is the life we chose...¡±. She put her face as close to Bel as possible before adding, ¡°...unlike you.¡±

    Bel¡¯s face got red; it was like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

    Before it got out of hand, Dit stepped up in between them and spoke, ¡°Focus. We have a job to finish.¡±

    Bel looked at Dit and stepped back, he then looked at his gang members before saying, ¡°Hmph, Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s finish this.¡± and went inside the mansion.

    Ban started to laugh, ¡°Ooh! This is fun!¡±

    Dit sighed and spoke, ¡°Sister...¡± and shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±, replied Ban. They ran and followed the Bel Re gang inside, only to find them starting at a metal door.

    Ban came near Bel and asked, ¡°What are you guys waiting for?¡±

    ¡°Do you not see that big metal door...? Hahaha... This wasn¡¯t in the plans...¡±, Bel replied, nervously.

    ¡°Plan this! Plan that!¡±, screamed Ban.

    She held Bel by his shoulders and added, ¡°Get a hold of yourself!¡±

    Bel looked Ban straight into her eyes before sighing and speaking, ¡°Alright... Change of plans.¡±

    He shrugged Ban¡¯s hands off him and looked at Dit, ¡°Take your sister with you and check what¡¯s behind that door... We¡¯ll carry on upwards and meet that merchant.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m right here!¡± replied Ban. Dit nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go sister.¡±

    ¡°You too?¡±, said Ban sighing. ¡°Alright.¡±, she added and reluctantly followed Dit to the metal door.

    Dit placed his hand on the metal door.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going move with physical strength alone.¡±

    ¡°Nothing a good old kick can¡¯t solve!¡±, said Ban, before kicking the door at full force. Only to hurt her legs and the door not budging at all.

    Dit sighed, "Let''s just try using the keys we got before... maybe that¡¯ll work?¡±

    ¡°Nice Idea!¡±, Ban replied, laughing.

    Dit tried all the keys they had. The first one didn¡¯t work, and neither did the second. Maybe the third one? Nope. They kept trying. With only a couple of keys left and Ban¡¯s patience growing thin.

    ¡°Haaaaah. Maybe we don¡¯t have the key-¡±

    Before Ban could finish what she was going to say, the door opened.

    ¡°Who knew that the fifteenth time was the charm?¡±, added Ban laughing.

    ¡°That¡¯s a foul smell.¡±

    Dit didn¡¯t like it. He didn¡¯t like any part of this.

    Slaves. Humans are stuck. The sight was horrific.

    ¡°They... they were used as test subjects... For what awful experiments?¡±, asked Ban.

    ¡°This...This is horrible.¡± said Dit, falling to the ground almost on the verge of tears.

    ¡°This is life.¡±, replied Ban. ¡°They were too... weak. Weak like us back in the day...¡±, she added.

    She tried to comfort Dit and looked around. The chamber was mostly dark, maybe that was for the better.

    ¡°It looks like some of them are still alive.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s save them¡±, she added.

    Dit wiped his tears and nodded.

    ¡°You are still soft little brother!¡±

    Dit didn¡¯t pay any attention to the taunt and tried to remove the shackles from the people as fast as he could.

    ¡°Calm down. They are not going anywhere.¡±, said Ban, in a calm voice, and helped Dit do it properly.

    The people stuck there had no will to live, they kept sitting down. They hadn¡¯t realized that they had finally gotten freedom, or maybe they did. Maybe they simply didn¡¯t care anymore.

    Ban put her hand on one of Dit¡¯s shoulders and comforted him before speaking, ¡°We did what we could. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Dit nodded but couldn¡¯t lift his head up.

    ¡°Yo-you go..you go on a-ahead.¡±

    ¡°Alright, little brother. Take your time.¡±

    Ban left Dit alone and went above the staircase. On the way to the main room, where the merchant mostly spent his time in. She saw many dead bodies, alongside some members of the Bel Re gang.

    She went into the room and pointed back at where she came from and spoke, ¡°I guess they¡¯re not going to the afterparty huh?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±, screamed Bel as he rushed towards Ban and grabbed her collar.

    Ban laughed and put her hands up.

    ¡°Can¡¯t take a joke?¡±, asked Ban, while smirking.

    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!¡±, Bel replied screaming and crying. He let go of her collar and dropped down on the floor.

    ¡°Boss-¡±, said the remaining surviving members of the gang, trying to comfort Bel.

    The merchant had hired some elite mercenaries and stationed them near his room. Hoping that it¡¯d save him.

    Seeing this commotion, the merchant tried to sneak through.

    Ban saw that and threw a knife at him, killing him instantly.

    ¡°I consider this a job well done.¡±, said Ban before going near the merchant¡¯s body and taking the slave key off it. She then walks down and meets up with Dit who looked like he was still contemplating something.

    ¡°You alright?¡±, asked Ban.

    Dit nodded in return.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They both went outside the mansion, only to find Esting waiting for them there.

    ¡°I could hear the screams from down here.¡± said Esting while smirking.

    ¡°I guess it didn¡¯t go to plan?¡±, he added.

    ¡°When does it ever?¡±, replied Ban laughing.

    ¡°But it was fun!¡±, she added.

    ¡°Fun?¡±, thought Dit to himself.

    Ban threw the slave key toward Esting, which made him smile.

    ¡°Good job. Meet me at the shop tomorrow¡±

    Ban nodded and put up her hand while looking at Esting, gesturing farewell.

    Dit followed her, the memories of this day are some that he''ll remember forever.

 Chapter 39

    The next day

    Ban and Dit made their way to Esting¡¯s shop. They found him inside, singing.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could sing?¡±, asked Ban, laughing.

    Esting looked at them and laughed as well, ¡°I¡¯m full of surprises.¡± and went back to his singing.

    Ban made her way toward Esting and sat at his table.

    ¡°About our deal...¡±

    Esting looked over at her and replied, ¡°Yes! I haven¡¯t forgotten about our... deal.¡±

    He handed over her a map and added, ¡°You¡¯ll find who you¡¯re looking for if you follow this.¡±

    ¡°A map?¡±, asked Dit.

    Esting nodded, ¡°You both did a great job yesterday!¡±

    ¡°I hope we maintain our fruitful relationship... no matter wherever we find ourselves in.¡±, he added.

    Ban laughed and replied, ¡°Who knows?¡±, and smiled.

    ¡°Exactly! Who knows!¡±, replied Esting.

    ¡°Hello. Is anybody there?¡±, asked a voice outside the shop¡¯s door.

    Bel opened the door, saw Ban smiling, and added,¡± You...¡±

    Ban laughed and replied, ¡°Yes! Me!¡±

    ¡°I will come at another time...¡±, said Bel before getting interrupted by Esting.

    ¡°No need. They were just going.¡±

    Esting looked over at Ban before adding, ¡°Don¡¯t forget... I will contact you in a few days. Good luck.¡±

    Ban and Dit nodded and made their way outside.

    ¡°Now where were we? We have some business to discuss!¡±, said Esting, in a very joyful tone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s open the map sister.¡±, said Dit, who had heard Esting but wasn¡¯t curious enough to stay back and listen.

    Ban followed up with her brother¡¯s request and opened the map.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see here...¡±

    ¡°This looks like the mountains near our village... we used to play here back when we were kids.¡±, said Dit, pointing towards the spot on the map.

    ¡°How can I forget...¡±, groaned Ban.

    ¡°At least we know where to go now!¡±, she added and smiled.

    Which they did, going back made Ban become silent. She mostly hid her face during the journey, Dit thought that she was sad, but he was able to get some glimpses of her face. It seemed to be filled with excitement.

    Soon enough, they reached the place. The place where they played together, the place with all those sweet memories.

    Ban sighed, ¡°It¡¯s just a mountain. Do we need to climb it?¡± and chuckled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out. Maybe we¡¯re missing something?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re missing Knave and his whole gang...¡±

    Dit pondered for a while and checked the surrounding area. He had played here for a long time, even if it has been years since he last stepped foot there.

    ¡°Esting...¡±, said Dit.

    ¡°What about him?¡±

    ¡°Esting... Esting is not a person who... who wouldn¡¯t give us our fair share.¡±

    Ban sighed and replied, ¡°Maybe he lied...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he did... maybe there are some magical instruments here?¡±

    ¡°Magical?¡±

    ¡°We know that Knave was an associate of Esting... and you know how much Esting loves his magical instruments.¡±, said Dit, while taking out one of his smoke bombs.

    ¡°Yes...¡±

    ¡°Maybe... Maybe...¡±, said Dit before.

    He touched the mountain and moved his hands alongside it until he went straight thru it.

    ¡°DIT!¡±, screamed Ban.

    Dit came back outside and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    He nodded his head and gestured for Ban to follow him, as they walked inside the mountain.

    ¡°Some sort of an... Illusion.¡±, said Ban in awe to find stairs in front of her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±, said Ban.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Ban looked back at an anxious Dit.

    ¡°Are you alright...sister?¡±

    Ban laughed and replied, ¡°Never been better!¡± before rushing up the stairs.

    Dit followed her quickly.

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    ¡°Shh.¡±, said Ban who was waiting for Dit above.

    She gestured for him to look at Knave who was sitting with his gang near a cave.

    ¡°I need you to get above the giant tree and drop your bombs at them.¡±, she whispered.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you face them alone!¡±, Dit whispered back.

    ¡°I¡¯m not... you¡¯re there to support me!¡±

    Ban sighed and added, ¡°I need you to trust me.¡±

    Dit stared at her for a while before looking down and sighing.

    ¡°Alright.¡±, Dit climbed up the tree.

    Ban smiled and jumped out of her hiding place and threw her knives. Which hit and took care of some of Knave¡¯s crew.

    Knave got up, ¡°Catch her!¡±

    Just as he said it, Dit dropped smoke bombs on them. Which set all of them, including Knave into a coughing fit.

    Ban started to laugh, ¡°This feels good!¡±, before throwing more of her knives and taking out more members of the crew.

    Knave groaned, ¡°Who are you?¡±, as he took out his big sword.

    ¡°I-¡±

    He threw his sword, which Ban easily dodged.

    Ban smiled, ¡°I¡¯m someone whose life you destroyed!¡±, she laughed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are...¡±, said Knave as he pulled back his sword. Which Ban barely dodged.

    ¡°How can I forget...¡±

    ¡°It looks like you know about my ability... You even lived to tell the tale.¡±, said Knave.

    ¡°You have to know how little your words narrow it down.¡±, he added.

    Dit threw another smoke bomb, but this time directly at Knave.

    Knave smiled and dodged it very easily. He planted his giant sword right on the ground and picked up a pebble. He threw it right towards Dit, who barely managed to dodge it but got hit as soon as Knave pulled it back towards him.

    Dit fell.

    ¡°Dit!¡±, screamed Ban, as she rushed towards her brother.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can help you any... longer.¡±, said Dit.

    Ban sighed a sigh of relief. Dit was injured but it didn¡¯t seem like it was life-threatening.

    Knave walked towards his sword and picked it up.

    ¡°One more to go.¡±, Knave smiled.

    Ban reached out for more knives, but she ran out of it. She took out her roped daggers and started to swing them around like a whip. Taking out all of Knave¡¯s men.

    ¡°You¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! I got inspired by a very special someone!¡±, replied Ban laughing while looking straight at Knave with intensity.

    She swung her roped dagger at Knave who tried to counter it by cutting the ropes off, only for him to fail and the ropes to bounce off his sword.

    ¡°HA! At least I know who sent you now...¡±, said Knave before throwing his sword again.

    Ban dodged it again, ¡°When will you lear-¡±, before getting hit by the sword hilt on the sword coming back.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    Knave caught his sword again and kicked Ban far away.

    ¡°Time to end this!¡±, Knave threw his sword straight at Ban, who got up and started running toward it.

    ¡°Took the words straight out of my mouth.¡±, Ban dodged the sword and before Knave could call it back, she threw one of her roped daggers at him.

    Knave caught the rope very easily, ¡°You thought I couldn¡¯t catch it?¡±

    ¡°I hoped that you did!¡±, Ban replied and laughed.

    Ban took out her other roped dagger and got near Knave who was defenseless, unable to call for his sword.

    She stabbed him. She kept doing it and slit his throat at the end.

    Ban fell on the ground gasping for air and looked at Dit, before smiling and laughing.

    ¡°Bravo! That was nice!¡±

    A man in a noble gown walked over.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±, asked a roughed-up Ban.

    ¡°I am the duke...¡±, he walked over to Knave¡¯s body and looked at it before continuing, ¡°That was a nice fight, I am glad my business partner didn¡¯t put his faith in someone... incompetent.¡±

    ¡°You were watching?¡±

    ¡°I was.¡±, said the duke, as he looked over at Ban and then Dit.

    ¡°How did you know that Knave could only call back things that he touches and loses the ability to do so if he touches something else?¡±

    Ban laughed for a good while before replying, ¡°I saw him running to get his sword after throwing a rock...¡±

    ¡°I guess I must thank these trees for being dense and big enough for his giant... sword being unable to go through them properly.¡±, she added.

    She looked over at Dit and sighed, ¡°And for saving my brother¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The duke smiled, ¡°Get up. Let¡¯s discuss our partnership.¡±

    ¡°I will provide you with some slaves and our partner will provide you with some of his own.¡± said the duke.

    ¡°Slaves?¡±, asked Dit, walking over to them.

    ¡°Sister. You can¡¯t possibly accept that...¡±, he added.

    ¡°Dit. We¡¯d treat them well. We¡¯d be the best slave owners out there.¡±, Ban replied, while laughing.

    ¡°Wh-¡±

    ¡°Dit! We will! We will treat them well. Is that understood? Besides, we will be able to take care of the village.¡±

    ¡°Yes... sister.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of slaves. Who do you have there?¡±, asked Ban.

    The duke looked behind him, ¡°Oh. You mean that small child?¡±

    ¡°You can have her. Does she remind you of you?¡±, asked the duke.

    ¡°Thank you. She does.¡±, Ban replied, dropping down and patting the young girl who smiled in return.

    ¡°Where is she from?¡±

    ¡°Somewhere from... I don¡¯t know or care.¡±, the duke replied.

    Ban laughed, ¡°I shall name you Slav.¡±, and smiled.

    ¡°On to more important matters.¡±, said the duke.

    They all walked over to the cave.

    ¡°The prince has been winning a lot of public favor... recently after joining as a knight cadet. Why would a prince ever do that? With this, I can...¡±, murmured the duke

    ¡°Did you say something?¡±, asked Ban.

    ¡°Nothing that you need to know.¡±, he sighed and added, ¡°Look at this cave, it¡¯s filled with energy stones.¡±

    The duke looked at both Ban and Dit, ¡°Use some of those slaves to mine them.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s to a fruitful partnership!¡±, said the duke.

    "The nearby village is also under your care. Our partner made sure that you get it.", he added before saying farewell.

    Ban and Dit nodded. Maybe their dreams will finally come true, maybe they will be powerful enough to protect what they held dear.

    <hr>

 Chapter 40

Back at the village.

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    Back in the bushes near the campsite.

 Chapter 41

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 Chapter 42

    ¡°Wake up, Slav.¡±, said Ban, caressing her hair.

    ¡°Are they here?¡±, yawned Slav.

    ¡°Are who here?¡±, asked Ban.

    ¡°Our new family!¡±

    Ban laughed and replied, ¡°Hopefully!¡±

    They went outside, Dit was standing right there. He nodded when he saw them coming out.

    ¡°Are they here yet?¡±, asked Ban

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was saying!¡±, said Slav, before she went on and hugged Dit.

    Dit put his hands up, awkwardly and didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Come here!", said Ban, as she took Slav aside and hugged her.

    ¡°How nice!¡±, the duke came up on top of the mountain with what looked like dozens of people and a big ogre.

    ¡°It has only been some years and she¡¯s already... so different.¡±, he added before looking at Ban.

    ¡°I assume she doesn¡¯t mine.¡±, he asked.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t, she¡¯s far more important than the other... merchandise than you bought before.", Ban replied, and laughed. She put her hands on Slav¡¯s head and spoke, ¡°She¡¯s good at fighting, so I will train her.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Slav?¡±

    Slav looked up at Ban, with stars shining in her eyes, and nodded while pushing Ban¡¯s hand up.

    Ban smiled and laughed.

    ¡°Are they what we talked about?¡±, asked Dit.

    Duke nodded before replying, ¡°The first graduates from the orphanage.¡±, he points to most of the people he came along with. There was a boy and an ogre separated from them now, they stood alongside his soldiers.

    ¡°Esting really gave you an interesting task...¡±, said Ban.

    The duke sighed, ¡°It¡¯s for our mutual benefit...¡±

    ¡°Sure. Sure.¡±, Ban replied before looking at Dit and adding, ¡°Take them in and show them the ropes.¡±

    Dit nodded and took them inside the cave.

    ¡°Are they our new family?¡±, asked an eager Slav who almost ran towards them, but she got stopped by Ban, who held her hand and jolted her backward. She kneeled and spoke, ¡°No, they are not!¡±, then she hugged Slav before adding, ¡°They are going to join the other people and work in the mine, alright?¡±

    Slav nodded.

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    ¡°Good girl!¡±, said Ban as she got up.

    ¡°What about our new... family?¡±, asked Slav.

    Ban smiled and pulled Slav to her and walked with her toward the young boy and the ogre.

    ¡°Ogre?¡±, said the ogre.

    ¡°Oh! it speaks!¡±, said Ban, smiling.

    ¡°Ogre!¡±

    The duke came to Ban and said, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a high ogre... Esting found him and sent him your way.¡±

    ¡°Tell him my thanks!¡±, Ban replied before looking at the young boy and added, ¡°And who might you be...?¡±

    ¡°Please say human!¡±, said Ban before laughing.

    ¡°Ogre...¡±

    She looked at Ogre, ¡°No offense.¡±

    ¡°An illegitimate child from Smadom.¡±, said the duke.

    Ban looked over at him and smiled, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t interested in slaves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±, the duke rolled his eyes. ¡°But this one¡¯s different.¡±, he added.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±, Ban replied while smiling. ¡°As long as they can fight.¡±, she punched her fists.

    ¡°That they can.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    Ban looked at Slav and smiled before adding, ¡°They are our new family!¡±

    Slav looked at them and then at Ban and then back at them again before smiling a huge smile.

    <hr>

 Chapter 43

    Meanwhile, inside Ban and Dit¡¯s cave.

    Median and John were mining.

    John looked at Median, ¡°So, how do you like mining?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than idling and doing nothing.¡±, Median replied as a rock fell on his head.

    ¡°Or maybe not...¡±, he added.

    John laughed, ¡°You have a lot to learn.¡±

    ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±, Median smirked.

    ¡°Ogre!¡±

    Median looked over at Ogre and said, ¡°No! We¡¯re not getting along, Ogre!¡±

    ¡°Ogre...¡±

    John laughed.

    ¡°You know what? I take that back.¡±, said Median, as he looked over at John and started to mine again.

    ¡°I would like nothing more than sitting around and doing absolutely nothing!¡±, he added while smiling.

    John smirked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you? But...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re slaves...¡±, said Median, interrupting what John was saying.

    ¡°We¡¯re slaves.¡±, John sighed.

    Median sighed in return, looked over at John with a pickaxe in his hand, and leaned on it before speaking, ¡°What would you like to do? If you had the freedom to do so...¡±

    John stopped mining as well, and stared at the cave wall.

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    ¡°Reading.¡±

    ¡°Reading?¡±

    ¡°Reading books... all kinds of books.¡±

    Median groaned, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of books to last a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve read before?¡±

    ¡°Not willingly.¡±

    Dit came rushing in, ¡°Did any one of you see Slav?¡±, he asked.

    ¡°Ogre?¡±

    ¡°No... We haven¡¯t seen her for about a... day...¡±, said Median.

    Dit looked at shock and rushed out.

    ¡°That guy rarely if ever speaks.¡±, said John, after he made sure that Dit couldn¡¯t hear him.

    ¡°Yes... Which makes this even more worrying...¡±, Median replied.

    In Ban¡¯s main camp.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±, asked the principal.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I call for you to just chat...?¡±, Ban replied, laughing.

    ¡°We are not that close.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯d like us to be.¡±, Ban smiled.

    The principal was shocked.

    ¡°Relax.¡±, Ban sat down. ¡°I was just joking!¡±, she added while laughing.

    The principal adjusted his collar.

    ¡°You know...¡±, Ban put her legs up on her table, "I''m from an orphanage too.¡±

    ¡°Except my caretaker...¡±, she looked at the principal from top to bottom, ¡°...was nicer.¡±

    ¡°Hmph... I was no caretaker.¡±

    Ban jumped out of her seat, ¡°Then, what were you?¡±

    ¡°I... I can¡¯t say.¡±, the principal tried to hide his face.

    Ban came near him and smiled as she tried her best to look down at him. The principal stepped back.

    ¡°The duke-¡±

    ¡°The duke is dead!¡±, screamed Ban.

    The principal got silent.

    "The duke... or Esting, they both never told me anything about it. It was a need-to-know basis, which worked for me...", Ban sighed.

    She looked over at the principal, "But I''m curious. With the duke gone and Esting...", Ban smiled. "I could always ask Esting! But then, you wouldn''t have any use now, would you?", Ban laughed.

    ¡°So, just tell me... You¡¯re not even a principal anymore. The orphanage you managed is destroyed.¡±, Ban added, still laughing.

    The principal got all red and stormed outside as Dit stormed inside.

    ¡°You can always come to me... ¡®principal¡¯¡±, Ban laughed.

    ¡°Sister... we have a problem!¡± said Dil, anxiously.

    Ban looked at him and touched him on his shoulder, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Slav... She¡¯s been missing for a day...¡±

    Ban was taken back, ¡°Are you sure? Maybe she¡¯s out somewhere...¡±

    ¡°We both know that she never does that and even if she did...¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d come back by now...¡±

    Dit nodded.

    Ban sighed.

    ¡°I hope she¡¯s alright.¡±, said Dit.

    ¡°Me too.¡±, Ban replied, and she put her hands on her desk and looked back at Dit.

    "What now sister?"

    "We find her... and we make sure that she''s back with us... safe"

    Dit looked over at a worried Ban and spoke, "Don''t worry... we will find her."

    Ban sat down on her chair and smiled, "I hope so.", as she looked straight up.

    Dit nodded and went outside. He wondered if maybe this is for the better, maybe Slav should stay far away from them. Far away, and free.

 Chapter 44

    Back in the village.

    The royal guards were searching around the village, making sure that no one could leave it.

    ¡°Is this... Is this really necessary?¡±, asked the village elder.

    Dave turned over to him with a sorrowful look on his face and nodded.

    ¡°It would be extremely helpful if you would co-operate with us...¡±, asked Orph.

    ¡°Co-orporate how?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, how about you tell us about the slave traders you¡¯re associated with?¡±

    ¡°S-Slave traders...?!¡±

    Orph sighed, ¡°Thankfully you¡¯re not an actor...¡± he looked at the ground before looking at the elder right at his eyes and moving near him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about any slave traders.¡± replied the elder, trying his best to keep his anger in check.

    Orph smirked, ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll play the long game.¡±

    Dave sighed at what was happening near him and excused himself to take a walk. Soon after, he found himself where he was back during the feast. The blacksmith was going on about her usual self. Dave did visit her at times, and looked over at her working with her materials, but he hadn¡¯t had the chance to talk to her after that day. Making up excuses, disturbing her work just for mere talks? Especially someone as skilled as her. He just couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it, or so he told himself.

    ¡°The sound of the hammer...¡±, Dave wondered. He walked at a steady pace and planted himself behind a tree, peeking while trying his best to hide. There she was, working as she usually does.

    ¡°She¡¯s a hard worker...¡±, Dave mumbled to himself, as the sweat from the blacksmith¡¯s forehead dropped and splashed on the sword she was making. She sighed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled before noticing Dave trying his best to hide behind a tree.

    ¡°Sir...?¡±, she asked.

    Dave didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Do you want something from me?¡±

    Dave came out and gestured towards him as if to ask whether she was talking to him or not.

    She nodded.

    Dave placed one of his hands behind his head and started to rub it as he laughed and walked towards her.

    ¡°No... I... I was just enamored with how well you worked.¡±

    ¡°Enamored?¡±, the blacksmith blushed.

    ¡°Oh... No... Not like that!¡±, Dave replied, as fast as he could.

    ¡°I just like seeing people full of passion...¡±, he added.

    ¡°Ahh...¡±, if disappointment was a living being, it¡¯d be her.

    ¡°I-I see...¡±, she added. ¡°I¡¯ll... get back to my work...¡±

    Dave sighed and nodded, before trying his best to smile. His eyes laid upon the sword she was working on.

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    He couldn¡¯t help but let out an ¡°Impressive.¡±

    The blacksmith smiled, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Before missing a beat, she continued her work.

    ¡°Sir knight!¡±, screamed Cess as she ran towards them.

    ¡°Oh! Cess! What brings you here?¡±, Dave replied, still recovering from being flustered

    ¡°What...?¡±

    Cess shook her head and added, ¡°The villagers are not revealing anything... Is Orph correct?¡±

    Dave sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know... maybe?¡±

    ¡°What he said does make sense...¡±, he added.

    ¡°Is this about the slave traders?¡±, asked the blacksmith, interrupting them both.

    Dave looked back at her, trying his best to hide his smile, ¡°Yes!¡±, he exclaimed.

    ¡°You could hear all of that?¡±, he added.

    The blacksmith nodded, ¡°There was a huge commotion about that a few moments ago...¡±

    ¡°Sorry for the commotion...¡±, Dave replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡±, she added and smiled.

    ¡°Remember that woman who asked you for a fightback when we first met?¡±

    Dave made a thinking expression and replied, ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s who you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°Wait? What?¡±, asked Cess, surprised beyond belief.

    She looked at Dave before adding, ¡°You¡¯ve already met her?¡±, before looking back at the blacksmith, ¡°You know her?¡±

    Dave didn¡¯t know how to react.

    ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re associated with them?¡±, he asked.

    ¡°You can say that. I work for them.¡±, she replied.

    Dave went near her and slammed a wall.

    ¡°Is it blackmail? Are they holding someone you hold dear hostage? Or are you a slave...¡±

    Before Dave could go on, the blacksmith mustered up a no.

    ¡°No... None of those things...¡±

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°Money...¡±, she replied, while looking at Dave, smiling but sadly.

    ¡°They paid well...¡±, she added.

    The expression on Dave¡¯s face went from worried to disappointed. He started to walk away. As soon as he walked past Cess, he finally spoke up, ¡°Arrest her.¡±

    Cess looked at Dave for a while before nodding.

    No other words would come out of the blacksmith¡¯s mouth, no matter how hard she tried. Saying sorry? To who? For lying? Why?

    Cess grabbed her and sat her down before tying her with rope while Dave kept walking towards the villager elder and Oprh still having a fight, with Eric standing nearby not knowing what to do.

    ¡°Listen here, young man-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re under arrest.¡±, said Dave.

    ¡°Under arrest?¡±

    Dave looked down on the elder as he tied a rope around his hands.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡±, the elder screamed.

    Dave sighed, ¡°Give it up. The blacksmith confessed.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re going to take her word over mine? The village elder?¡±

    Dave didn¡¯t reply as he picked the elder up on his shoulder and asked the royal guard to be extra cautious of the other villagers.

    Orph looked over at Eric, ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear. My deduction was correct.¡±, he smiled and smirked.

    Eric sighed and patted on his back before walking and signaling him to follow Dave.

    Dave put the elder right beside the blacksmith before asking, ¡°Where is their base?¡±

    ¡°What base?¡±, the elder replied.

    ¡°You see that mountain over there? Right behind you. Their base is on top of that.¡±, replied the blacksmith.

    ¡°I-¡±, screamed the elder.

    No longer being able to control his rage and knowing that it was too late, he gave in.

    ¡°How dare you! After the generosity we provided you! I told her. I told her not to hire you.¡±, he cried.

    The blacksmith ignored that, but instead looked at Dave who wasn¡¯t even looking at her.

    ¡°Sir... Sir Knight!¡±

    Dave looked down at her, eyes filled with no emotion.

    Words could barely come out of her mouth. There was a slight hint of regret, maybe she shouldn¡¯t have said the truth. She just wanted his attention, but this wasn¡¯t the attention that she wanted. No, she did feel relief when the secret was finally out. However, the only words that could come out of her mouth were, ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be sorry to.¡±, replied Dave not missing a beat.

    Tears started to roll down the blacksmith¡¯s face as Dave looked away.

    ¡°Why do you guys even support slave traders?¡±, asked Cess.

    The elder scoffed before looking Cess right into her eyes, ¡°Why? Why you ask? It¡¯s because they protect us. They protect us while you knights are nowhere to be found!¡±

    A slight smile started to form on his mouth, ¡°They protect us from bandits, it¡¯s only fair that we protect them from you.¡±

    ¡°So, all of that wise village elder thing was an act?¡±, Cess replied.

    The elder looked down before sighing and replying, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re too young to realize that my words still contain wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Leave him be.¡±, said Dave.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that knights are not there to protect everyone. It¡¯s true that we do a very bad job at it...¡±, he stopped before he could blame someone and sighed.

    ¡°But this? Two wrong doesn¡¯t make it right. What you guys did is wrong, no matter your reasoning.¡±, he added.

    The village elder didn¡¯t reply but instead chose to scoff at Dave, who ignored that and went to talk to the royal guards.

    ¡°Leave him be.¡±, said Orph looking at Cess.

    ¡°We have bigger fishes to catch.¡±, he added while looking at the mountain.

 Chapter 45

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    "Good! Finally some excitement!"

    "Did you say something?", asked Ban.

    Dit looked at her with confusion, "No?", he replied.

    "I... I was sure... I heard something..."

    "Is this one of your pranks sister?"

    "No...", Ban looked around her, trying to find something out of the ordinary but didn''t find anything.

    "Nevermind...", she added before staying silent for a while.

    The others looked at her and awaited for her response while still being confused as to what made her act this way.

    Meanwhile, back in the village

 Chapter 46

A few hours earlier

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡±

 Chapter 47

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    Do you want to win?¡±, with a faint laughter. As if hypnotized by those words, Ban didn¡¯t wait for a moment to pass before saying yes.

    power!¡±

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡±

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡±

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡±

    Dit... Dit!¡±, Ban groaned in pain.

 Chapter 48

    ¡°Oh... you¡¯re here... Doug...¡±, said Slav while wiping off the tears on her face. Doug whimpered towards her and let a bark.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine... I know you had your orders...¡±, Slav let out a laugh as Doug went near the ropes which tied her and tried to bite it off.

    ¡°Hey... Do you think... they¡¯ll save us?¡±

    Doug let out a hearty bark before going back to his chewing. Slav looked Doug directly into his eyes, ¡°I know... I know you can see this... Dit...¡±, she cried harder. She knew she made a mistake coming here alone, she didn¡¯t want to be alone anymore. She just wanted to go back to her family.

    ¡°Please save me...¡±

    Doug whimpered for a while before going back to biting the rope again and finally succeeded in doing so.

    ¡°Thank... you...¡±, Slav didn¡¯t get but continued to cry, while sitting on the ground as Doug tried his best to comfort her before hearing someone approaching from the distance. He growled as he walked outside and saw Cess walking right towards them. Doug sadly looked back at Slav still crying and whimpered before running outside, making sure that Cess saw him and ran in the opposite direction.

    ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not safe!¡±, screamed Cess before running after Doug.

    Meanwhile in some other place not so far from here.

    ¡°They are just hitting each other over and over again...¡±, said Dit, confused as to why Ban was enjoying this so much.

    ¡°I know, right? Free entertainment!¡±, she laughed.

    ¡°He¡¯s not even using his sword...¡±

    ¡°Plus the damage he got when he fought me!¡¯

    ¡°This is going to be close!¡±, she added and looked at Dit, ¡°Want to bet who wins, little brother?¡±, she smiled and looked back at the fight again.

    Dit sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll leave them be...¡±

    ¡°Look! They¡¯re wrestling now!¡±

    ¡°...I do have to find Slav, I saw her... crying...¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±, she looked back for a moment before going back to what she was doing, ¡°Alright, take care.¡±, and smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just... watch these two go at it.¡±, she added.

    Dit nodded and started to walk away, ¡°Take care sister.¡±

    Ban looked towards Dit and smiled before looking at where her injuries were and groaned.

    ¡°Yes, a right hook Ogre! Ouch, that¡¯s gotta hurt...¡±

    Meanwhile in some other other place not so far from here.

    ¡°Water! We need water!¡±, exclaimed a royal guard.

    ¡°Here!¡±, replied Orph, with Eric and him bringing some buckets full of water along with other royal guards following them who also did the same.

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    ¡°Thank you-¡±, the royal guard looked around, ¡°Wait... this isn¡¯t even half of our forces!¡±

    He groaned and looked towards Orph and Eric, ¡°I know this is hard... but can you both search for where the others are and inform me?¡±

    Orph nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We''re on the case!¡±, he patted Eric¡¯s back and signaled him to follow him.

    ¡°We¡¯re on the case?¡±, asked Eric.

    ¡°Are we not?¡±, Orph smirked before they reached a crossroad. Staying together would be much safer but the royal guards could be anywhere.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go there!¡±, Orph pointed toward the right.

    ¡°Then... I¡¯ll go there!¡±, Eric pointed towards the left, ¡°Not like I have any other choice...¡±

    ¡°Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡±, Eric nodded and ran towards the left. The houses were burning and people were screaming. No, the houses were burning but the people, they¡¯re screaming and coming towards Eric.

    ¡°What happened?¡±, he asked.

    It fell on deaf ears as he only got replied with screams which made no sense. Eric took out his sword and walked towards the source of where the crowd came from.

    There were royal guards, all on the ground with a man still standing in the middle of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry... I waited till they saved everyone before attacking.¡±, Median replied as soon as he saw Eric.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to let me go...¡±, he sighed as he took his stance.

    ¡°...It¡¯s not like I can let you go either.¡±, he added while groaning.

    Median did not lie.

    A while back in this very place...

    "I''m finally able to speak...", Median sighed in relief while touching his neck, hiding in the forest, and seeing the village burn.

    "Fire!"

    "We have to help them!"

    "We are helping them!"

    He glanced towards the royal guards doing their best to save as many villagers as they could.

    Median stayed his blade and didn''t move an inch, "She told me to flank... she never specified when to attack...", he murmured to himself.

    He waited till the royal guards saved everyone in their nearby vicinity.

    "Everyone alright?", asked one of them, the others screamed a yes as they rested and talked among themselves.

    Median sighed and took out his sword before walking outside.

    "Who goes there?"

    "I am told to flank you."

    "Are you the one who caused this fire?", screamed a royal guard.

    "You can say that... in a way... but no, not really."

    "It''s just one of you and about a dozen of us!"

    "I know.", Median smiled. "I hope you win.", he swung his sword and took his stance.

    "He has... he has a slave collar..."

    "I do. Nice of you to finally notice..."

    "Please do not go easy on me.", he added right before attacking them.

    He clashed his sword with all of them, always being a step ahead, never losing sight of them, as he looked around and fought.

    "What are you looking for?", said a royal guard and he swung his sword. Only to be parried by Median quite easily, "Who among you all is the most skilled?"

    "Why? What do you want from me?", replied a royal guard.

    "Who told you''re the most skilled?", asked the other.

    "Yes! It''s obviously me!", replied another.

    Median sighed and knocked all three of them down while looking straight at them.

    "I guess I don''t need to see who''s the most skilled...", as he looked at his sword.

    The other royal guards went backward before one of them exclaimed, "Charge! We will get him together!", and plunged right at him, alongside the others.

    "Well... this is troublesome...", said Median as he took out a smoke bomb and dropped it right at his feet.

    "I can''t see anything..."

    "That''s the plan.", Median replied, before knocking all those stuck in the smoke.

    One of the royal guards was lucky enough to escape, but he still inhaled some of the smoke and coughed. The villagers who remained there all started screaming and started to run away.

    "I guess they didn''t enjoy the show...", said Median while shrugging.

    "You... How...", the royal guard saw Median pull down the cloth he had tied alongside his face.

    "Don''t worry. That was the only one I had... thanks to someone''s generosity.", Median replied and clashed his sword with the last royal guard.

    The royal guard groaned and tried his best to fight, "It''s almost like... like... I''m fighting a better version of myself..."

    Median smiled, "Maybe you are...", before knocking the last royal guard down and sighed as he looked around him, surrounded by unconscious bodies.

    ...Back in the present

    "I really wish you hadn''t come here...", said Median with a sad look in his eyes. He smiled and sighed, "I''ll try my best to not hurt you.", as he plunged right toward Eric.

    Eric didn''t reply but instead braced for impact.

 Chapter 49

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 Chapter 50

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 Chapter 51

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 Chapter 52

    Orph swung his sword as fast as he could, which Ban dodged quite easily and countered by laughing at his face.

    ¡°Is that all you got kid?¡±, she smirked and looked down on Orph.

    Orph didn¡¯t fall for her taunts and didn¡¯t miss a beat, constantly attacked Ban, she could dodge most of them, but the intensity of the attacks kept increasing and with her injuries not fully healed, she had no choice but to counterattack.

    Ban groaned, ¡°If only it weren¡¯t...¡±, she shot daggers at Orph through her eyes, ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t play for you any longer.¡±, she laughed.

    ¡°Why do you laugh so much?¡±, said Orph trying his best to grab Ban.

    Ban moved back, ¡°A little too eager to touch me there...¡±, she smirked.

    Orph groaned and grasped his fist tightly. ¡°Why are you running away?¡±, he asked and smirked.

    ¡°A person must know when to retreat¡±, she smiled, ¡°I¡¯m teaching you so many life lessons...¡±, she laughed and threw knives straight at Orph, ¡°Even if those life lessons come at the end of your life.¡±

    Orph dodged the knives as they barely scraped by his skin.

    ¡°You know...¡±, Ban lunged at him, as he backed away. She ignored him and picked up her knives instead, ¡°...If only I had an ability which could control these knives...¡±, as she started to play with them and looked at Orph.

    She shrugged, ¡°Kind of like you, ability user.¡±

    ¡°I know what your abilities are... you couldn¡¯t have made it more obvious.¡±, she added and laughed.

    ¡°Keep guessing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I will!¡±, she started to walk here and there, pondering.

    ¡°It has something to do with heat... and...¡±, she looked Orph, straight in his eyes and stopped walking, ¡°Something to do with touch...¡±

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    Orph started to laugh, ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡±, he replied.

    ¡°Oh? You know that I¡¯m right!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you think-¡±, said Orph, as he got interrupted by Ban throwing a knife straight at his face, which is barely dodged again.

    ¡°Another life lesson, kid.¡±, she smiled, ¡°Never trust anyone-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you!¡±, Orph closed the gap between them, ¡°I have never trusted you!¡±, he screamed as one of his attacks managed to cut Ban.

    Ban revolted back in pain. The pain added up with her past injuries. "The wounds... they are not fully healed...", she thought to herself.

    ¡°Not laughing anymore?¡±, Orph smirked.

    Ban sighed, ¡°I feel like this lesson is very one-sided...¡±, she took out her roped daggers and started to spin them around.

    ¡°I need you to give me some information in exchange for the life lessons... Just one for the price of two!¡±, she added.

    ¡°It¡¯s practically the best deal you¡¯re ever going to get!¡±, she laughed.

    Orph pondered for a second, ¡°Let me think about it...¡±

    ¡°Sure, take your time!¡±, Ban laughed.

    ¡°Wait, I got a better idea! Why don¡¯t you figure it out yourself!¡±, Orph added and laughed.

    As soon as she heard that, Ban threw many of her knives at Orph who parried all of them, ¡°You¡¯re getting quite predictable...¡±, he smiled as he pointed his sword right back at her, ¡°Did you get scared of Dave? Is that why you¡¯re here?¡±, he laughed.

    Deep down she knew that he was correct, but she couldn''t bring herself to accept it. All she could see at that very moment was rage. Rage at herself and above all, rage against Orph who was hitting her where it hurt.

    ¡°Why...you...¡±, Ban tried to throw her daggers at Orph, hoping to whip him, but Orph dodged them and even managed to catch one of the ropes.

    ¡°Leave it!¡±, Ban screamed.

    ¡°Wait...¡±, Orph used his abilities to burn the rope to dust, ¡°There you go!¡±, he smiled.

    ¡°Argh!¡±, Ban whipped her other dagger attached to a rope straight at Orph, this time it managed to catch Orph¡¯s sword.

    Ban laughed, ¡°HA! This is what happens when children-¡± before she could finish what she was going to say, Orph let go of his sword.

    ¡°What-¡±, Ban got confused as she tried to make some distance between them. But it was too late, Orph with the added momentum was able to get close enough to her. He managed to touch one of her hands and grabbed it with his full force. ¡°Your laugh was annoying, very annoying...¡±, he smiled, ¡°I have waited a long time for this...and I¡¯m going to enjoy this!¡±

    Ban tried to free her hands, she tried to go backward, pushing Orph away, she even took out her knives, but it was too late. Orph had already activated his ability.

    ¡°Hot!¡±, thought Ban as her entire body started to burn.

    Orph groaned and let go of a half-dead Ban¡¯s hand and fell to the ground as he sighed in relief.

    ¡°It¡¯s over... I hope you¡¯re safe John...¡±

    ¡°Dit...¡±, Ban murmured to herself, barely getting the words out of her mouth.

    ¡°Do you want to try that again?"

 Chapter 53

    Ban could hear someone laughing, but she wasn¡¯t sure who it was. All she knew was that she wanted to meet her brother.

    ¡°Dit...¡±, she murmured again. There wasn¡¯t anyone there who could hear her properly. Anyone except one.

    ¡°Looking for someone?¡±

    ¡°Dit...¡±

    ¡°I can fulfill your wishes, but there are a lot of conditions that you need to fulfill!¡±, the voice spoke. Ban could barely see anyone but even then she knew that this voice. It wasn¡¯t there. Her eyes looked around, as Dave and the others came near them.

    ¡°Dit...¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±, Dave stopped in front of Ban. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s completely out of it...¡±, he added with a sad expression.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±, Orph replied while getting up from the ground and rubbing off the dirt on his body.

    Dave sighed, ¡°Nice job taking her out.¡±

    Orph looked down, ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me...¡±, he paused for a moment before looking back at Dave, ¡°The injuries you gave her... helped. I doubt that I would¡¯ve taken her out if you hadn¡¯t fought her before.¡±

    Dave left out a somber smile, ¡°Nice job, regardless.¡±

    ¡°Is she alive...?¡±, asked Cess who just walked in and went in front of Ban, gasped and added, ¡°...Being dead is better than that...¡±

    ¡°She was a slave trader, she got what she deserved.¡±, said Orph.

    ¡°Besides... It¡¯s not like I killed her.¡±, he added.

    ¡°Did you not hear what I just said...¡±, Cess replied.

    Orph looked straight at her and didn¡¯t speak for a moment before adding, ¡°I heard what you said...¡±

    Cess looked at him.

    ¡°...But this... I didn¡¯t mean to ignore you, it¡¯s... this person deserves far worse.¡±, he looked as if the rage that was In his eyes hadn¡¯t vanished yet.

    ¡°Orph...¡±

    Orph kept looking at Cess for a few additional moments before turning around.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Eric?¡±, asked Orph, looking around hectically. Cess decided to leave him for now. Maybe being alone for some time would do him good and chose to report back to Dave.

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    ¡°Dave...¡±, said Cess as she screamed a few moments later when she saw Ogre standing right behind him, ¡°Who¡¯s that giant Ogre?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±, Dave smiled and looked behind, ¡°That¡¯s Ogre. Once his slave collar came off, he didn¡¯t want to fight anymore.¡±

    ¡°Ogre!¡±, said Ogre.

    ¡°He¡¯s a very good guy when you get to know him!¡±, Dave smiled as he patted Orph¡¯s back.

    ¡°Ogre!¡±, Ogre replied happily.

    The royal guards had put out the fire and started to rest in a village almost destroyed. The village which was full of people living their lives was now filled with people screaming in tears.

    The villagers gathered around, ¡°Who did all of this...¡±, asked one of them. ¡°Where¡¯s the elder...?¡±, asked another.

    Orph groaned, ¡°It was her.¡±, as he pointed towards Ban.

    ¡°The one who destroyed the whole village burned it to the ground.¡±, he added as Eric joined them from the bushes nearby. While the villagers gathered around Ban, with Dave and Cess trying their best to keep them at bay.

    ¡°Eric!¡±, Orph screamed as he ran towards him. ¡°Are you alright?¡±, he asked.

    Eric nodded and asked the same of the others there, who all nodded in return.

    Dave heard Cess¡¯ report, ¡°The dog was a spy and the person who died was also a slave trader, but he opened the slave collars with his slave key that he always had?¡±

    ¡°Then the dog and another slave who¡¯s now free are crying?¡±, he added.

    ¡°Oh.¡±, Eric walked over. ¡°There¡¯s another slave who¡¯s now probably free, that I tied up to a tree.¡±

    Dave patted both Eric and Cess, ¡°Good work everyone. Looks like we¡¯re done here as soon as we take care of the rest of the slaves who¡¯re now free.¡±, he smiled.

    "Let''s get to it then!", Orph replied, eagerly. He couldn''t wait to finally meet them, the people who he''d lost contact with. The people who he still felt guilt for.

    Dave pondered as Ban let out another, ¡°Dit...?¡±

    ¡°Look at all of them blabbering about, disturbing our conversation! People these days!¡±

    ¡°So where were we?¡±, added the mysterious voice.

    ¡°Dit...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d think that you¡¯d get bored of saying the same thing over and over again but here we are.¡±

    ¡°Dit...¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±, said the voice as it plucked Ban¡¯s consciousness out of its body.

    Ban groaned, ¡°Where am I...?¡±, she asked before adding, ¡°I feel nothing...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a side-effect of losing your body.¡±

    ¡°Losing my body... what... who are you?¡±

    ¡°Just someone who wants to help you! Is there anything you want help with?¡±, the voice asked eagerly.

    ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, we¡¯re making a deal, and this isn¡¯t some charity.¡±, the voice added eagerly.

    ¡°I want to see Dit...¡±, said Ban without missing a beat.

    ¡°Seeing Dit it is then.¡±, said the voice as it transported Ban to Dit¡¯s lifeless body.

    ¡°Dit!¡±, Ban screamed as she rushed towards Dit.

    ¡°What happened...?¡±, she asked as tears rolled down her face. She could finally feel something, but it was just sadness and regret. She tried to touch Dit¡¯s body but failed as her hands passed through it. She was so shocked that she didn¡¯t even see Slav and Doug standing right beside her. She didn¡¯t realize they were there when they started to move away either.

    ¡°Dit!¡±, she cried and screamed. Not being able to handle or process her emotions, as she started to fade away.

    ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal.¡±, said the voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry... I will give you another chance... ¡±, the voice added as it started to laugh overpowering Ban¡¯s sobbing which soon started to fade away, soon the laughter was all that could be heard.

 Chapter 54

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Let¡¯s see... she was really close to gaining an ability of herself... that¡¯s a lot of spiritual blessing waiting patiently for me to utilize.¡±, the voice said to itself.

    With just enough motivation and my blessing... there you go!¡±, it added.

    HAHAHAHAHA¡±

    A perfect puppet!¡±, exclaimed the voice, as it laughed and escaped from a distance.

    HAHAHAHAHA¡±

    HAHAHAHAHAHA¡±

 Chapter 55

    The royal guards couldn¡¯t go near her, not near enough to strike as they got pushed behind by Ban¡¯s floating knives.

    The knives circled around her, pointing at everything and everyone.

    Ban walked slowly towards the guards who were forced to back away. Dave saw this and came in front of them, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid!¡±, he looked back at them. Ban saw this as her chance to strike and did so by rushing at Dave. She points her hands towards Dave, as three of her knives fly towards him from three different directions.

    ¡°Sir Dave!¡±, Cess screamed, trying to take aim but the knives were too fast.

    Dave knew what he had to do. He took his stance and span around in full force, parrying two of the knives that came from his left and right.

    Cess saw his skills in awe, ¡°Are you alright?¡±, she asked. Dave nodded and looked towards his back; Ban¡¯s third knife had hit him right at his back. He smiled, ¡°Just a minor wound...¡±, and grunted in pain.

    Ban was faster than before, Dave realized that as soon as she flanked him and took out the knife from his back before throwing it in the air again and laughing. Dave fell to his knee and looked back at Ban. He was now at her mercy, and she couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

    Eric came near Cess who was readying her shot. ¡°I have a theory...¡±, he whispered.

    ¡°What theory?¡±, asked Cess. ¡°Hurry! We don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a theory...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just a theory but what is it!¡±

    Eric pointed towards the two knives on the ground, the same knives that Dave parried away. ¡°Those knives aren¡¯t moving anymore...¡±, he added while still whispering.

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    ¡°So, she can only control the knives if she touches it and loses control...¡±

    ¡°Loses control when it touches something else! I got you.¡±, said Cess as she shot her arrow towards the knife that was about to hit Dave.

    Dave looked back at Cess and exclaimed, ¡°Nice shot!¡±, before getting up and plunging his giant sword through Ban. He looked at her with sorrowful eyes, as he took out his sword. Only to find her still standing up and smiling. Dave jolted back and took his stance again.

    ¡°What are you?¡±, he asked in shock.

    The royal guards tried to attack her from behind and managed to stab her in multiple places but to no avail. Ban started to walk away, still smiling as she laid her eyes on Cess. The royal guards couldn¡¯t take out their swords out in time, but Ban did that for them as she plucked and threw each of their swords up one by one, now controlling them as well.

    The royal guards jolted back in shock.

    ¡°What¡¯s even going on?¡±, screamed Orph. ¡°She couldn¡¯t do that before...¡±, he added and pondered.

    Ban sent one of her swords flying towards Cess and laughed. Cess tried her best to shoot it out but missed every time, ¡°It¡¯s hard when it¡¯s moving around like that!¡±, she screamed as she tried to move out of the way. Eric tried to touch the sword, but it was too fast for him to even come near. Orph saw all this and shouted, ¡°Come near me!¡±, he was ready with his sword as he ran towards Cess who ran towards him. He parried the sword coming right at her easily.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Cess dropped to the ground, panting and gasping for air. ¡°Thank you...¡±, she said after catching her breath.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±, Orph replied, still having the fires of hatred burning in his eyes. He looked over at Cess, ¡°Can you still shoot?¡±. Cess nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±, he added as he stood in front of Cess, ready to block anything that¡¯ll come their way. Cess readied her arrows once again, putting all her faith in Orph. Knowing very well that he will protect her.

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA¡±

    Dave grunted and ran towards Ban, ¡°Leave her alone!¡±, he screamed as he put all his force in his swing as he cut Ban in half. The smile on her face never left her, she didn¡¯t cry in agony, she simply turned around her head as her body reattached to herself. She turned back towards Cess who shot an arrow that hit her right in the middle of her forehead, but she didn¡¯t react and continued to smile before looking behind again now straight at Dave. It was as if her eyes were saying, ¡°I see you and I haven¡¯t forgotten you.¡±

    Dave watched in horror.

    Ban plucked the arrow out of her forehead and threw it at Dave¡¯s shoulder as he grunted in pain, forcing him back to his senses.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±, screamed Cess.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±, grunted Dave. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±, he added.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t working...¡±, murmured Eric.

    Orph pondered for a while, ¡°It¡¯s as if she¡¯s not even alive...¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±, asked Cess.

    Orph looked at Cess and then at Eric who was already listening before sighing, ¡°When I fought her... she spoke a lot.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s taking this really seriously now.¡±, Eric jumped in.

    ¡°Maybe...¡±, Orph pondered again before adding, ¡°But the only thing common in-between her back then and now is her laugh.¡±

    ¡°She also didn¡¯t have healing back then... it¡¯s mainly how I managed to... kill her.¡±, he added.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±, asked Median, as he rushed in with Slav and Doug following soon after.

    He saw Ogre standing in the background, still shocked. ¡°Ogre! You¡¯re alright, right?¡±, he asked as he touched him and made him come back to his senses.

    ¡°Ogre?¡±, asked Ogre. He realized that Median and Slav were with them and replied, ¡°Ogre!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re here too...¡±, said Orph.

    ¡°Do you mind us being here?¡±, asked Median.

    ¡°No.¡±, Orph sighed, ¡°I¡¯m glad you all are free now.¡±

    Median smiled, ¡°I am glad too!¡±, he looked over at Ogre. ¡°I am glad you¡¯re alright as well! Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±, he patted Ogre¡¯s back.

    ¡°Is that you?¡±, asked Slav as she saw Ban smiling and walked towards her.

    ¡°Dit... He¡¯s dead!¡±, she added and cried.

    For a moment you could see Ban¡¯s smile fade away before returning soon after.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± , said the voice.

    Ban threw a knife toward Slav, who was too shocked to move away.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±, screamed Cess as she tackled Slav out of the way, injuring her foot with a knife plunged in it.

    ¡°Cess!¡±, screamed Dave and Orph, with Eric worried for her silently.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine...¡±, Cess replied as she turned towards a crying Slav. ¡°She¡¯s not who you think she is...¡±, she said as gently as she could.

    Orph ran towards them, ¡°I hope this works...¡±, as he pulled the knife out and placed his hands on her wound before using his powers to cauterize it.

    Cess held her tongue in pain and closed her eyes.

    ¡°I think it worked... Thanks.¡±, she smiled. Orph nodded and let her go. Cess looked over at Slav again, ¡°Stay here and away from trouble.¡±, she smiled. ¡°You¡¯re finally free now.¡±

    Median saw all of that happening and sighed in relief before looking over at Ban who was still smiling and laughing. He picked up the two of the knives lying around on the ground and looked over at Ogre, ¡°Want to have some payback?¡±, he smiled.

    ¡°Ogre!¡±, Ogre replied.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡±, he smiled again and walked towards Ban.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always hated that smile of yours.¡±, Median sighed, ¡°Feels so good to finally say that.¡±, he pointed one of the knives at her, ¡°I have been waiting... no, dreaming for a long time for this.¡±, he smiled and rushed towards Ban.

    Ban didn¡¯t react but kept smiling as she sent her weapons flying towards Median who was no longer afraid to disobey her.

 Chapter 56

    Median parried what he could, and dodged what he couldn¡¯t as he closed the distance in-between him and Ban.

    ¡°Get back!¡±, screamed Dave, but Median ignored him.

    ¡°You never knew...¡±, he smiled and attacked. Knives and swords flew towards him, but he dodged them easily. ¡°Is this what being you felt like?¡±, he smiled again. ¡°Maybe this is why you were always so cocky!¡±, he laughed.

    Ban tried to make distance in-between them, but she failed as Median plunged forwards, putting both his knives at her neck. Slashing it from opposite directions.

    ¡°I have never felt better!¡±, he smiled as he tried to rub off the blood on the daggers. Only to find it had no blood on them. ¡°What?¡±

    Knives and swords flew towards him again as he saw Ban still smiling and her wounds healing.

    ¡°What?¡±, he questioned again before being tackled by Dave, who could barely move.

    ¡°I told you to get back!¡±, screamed Dave. ¡°She¡¯s not who you think she is...¡±, he looked behind towards Ban. ¡°Not anymore...¡±, he added.

    Dave sighed, ¡°Are you alright?¡±, as he got away from Median.

    ¡°Yes.¡±, Median replied as he touched his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±, he grunted in pain.

    Dave nodded and turned towards the royal guards, most of whom were scared, ¡°Retreat!¡±, he screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Your priority is to be safe!¡±, he screamed again and gestured to the guards to run away.

    ¡°I may have a plan...¡±, whispered Eric right at Dave¡¯s ears which startled him.

    ¡°You scared...¡±, Dave controlled himself, ¡°Did you not hear me? Your safety is...¡±

    ¡°The plan...¡±, Eric interrupted Dave.

    ¡°You sound confident...¡±, Dave looked at Eric¡¯s eyes. They were filled with confidence, confidence that he hadn¡¯t seen before. He sighed and asked, ¡°What plan?¡±, before smiling.

    ¡°What we¡¯re going to need is a giant thing to fall over her...¡±

    ¡°So that she can¡¯t move?¡±, asked Orph.

    Eric nodded.

    ¡°A giant thing like what?¡±, asked Cess as she pondered for a moment. She clicked her fingers as she got an idea, ¡°I saw a boulder when I was looking around.¡±

    ¡°A boulder could work!¡±, said Eric.

    ¡°But how are we going to transport that?¡±, asked Dave, as all their eyes wandered towards Ogre.

    ¡°Ogre?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll lead him!¡±, said Cess as she patted Ogre and asked him to follow her. Ogre looked towards Median who nodded in approval.

    ¡°Ogre!¡±, said Ogre as he followed Cess.

    ¡°I know!¡±, Median picked up the knives. ¡°I¡¯ll be safe.¡±, he took his stance before looking towards Dave. ¡°I¡¯ll distract her...¡±, as he plunged forward.

    ¡°We¡¯ll help!¡±, said Dave as he ordered the others to help Median.

    Ban was smiling but she did not move. Before Median could get near her, she finally spoke.

    ¡°After so many years...¡±, Ban clenched her fists.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking again...¡±, Median smirked. He took his stance again before adding, ¡°You sound different...¡±

    Ban looked at Median with indifference before smirking, ¡°Do I now?¡±, she came near Median with her fists still clenched and punched Median¡¯s face with as much force as she could. Median was forced backwards but he braced himself before kicking Ban forcing her to fly backwards.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°You... You¡¯re different!¡±, Ban laughed. ¡°Different and strong!¡±, she added.

    Median wiped the blood off his mouth before smiling, ¡°You¡¯re just complimenting yourself.¡±

    Before Ban could reply, she got hit a rock straight at her head. She looked towards the direction it came from, only to be hit by another rock. She looked at Eric, ¡°This isn¡¯t doing anything, but I love the feeling of it!¡±, Eric jolted back.

    ¡°I hope you enjoy the feeling of this as well!¡±, said Orph as he touched Ban¡¯s head from the back. Burning her.

    Ban smiled as she turned towards Orph while still burning, ¡°I do!¡±, she looked around, ¡°I do! I like having the ability to feel!¡±, she healed herself, ¡°The ability to finally feel!¡±

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±, asked Median as he tried to plunge his knives at her.

    "Not this time.¡±, Ban smirked as she dodged and threw Median off. ¡°While I do love feeling... I¡¯d rather it not be of pain.¡±, she smiled.

    She looked at her own body, ¡°Let¡¯s see what this body can do...¡±, before growing silent for a minute, confusing everyone standing beside her.

    ¡°Stand back!¡±, commanded Dave, as Orph complied while taking Median with him.

    ¡°This body isn¡¯t ready yet...¡±, sighed Ban, disappointed.

    Median got back up and walked towards Ban, ¡°The pain you inflicted on me and the others...¡±

    Ban sighed, and gestured Median to stop with her hands, ¡°Stop... the person who that is meant for is long gone...¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±, shouted Median.

    ¡°You¡¯re standing right in front of me!¡±, he exclaimed.

    Ban looked at her hands, ¡°I feel... less crazy when I have a body... interesting.¡±

    ¡°Are you ignoring me?¡±, Median gritted his teeth. ¡°Let¡¯s see you ignore this!¡±, he looked over at Dave and closed his eyes. ¡°I hope you¡¯re stronger than her!¡±, he screamed as he punched Ban. ¡°Yes! You are!¡±, he opened his eyes and smiled while Ban was sent flying away.

    Ban laughed as she lay on the ground, she saw the bright starry sky. The smoke had finally settled, ¡°I haven¡¯t had this feeling of defeat for a long time...¡±, she smiled as she got up and looked at Median.

    ¡°Your powers... ever wondered what would happen if you were to lose your eyes?¡±, she smiled again, creeping Median away. Suddenly an arrow hit Ban right in her eyes, just a few moments later. It was Cess, with Ogre carrying a huge boulder with him. Ogre kept the boulder near Dave and screamed, ¡°Ogre!¡±

    ¡°That boulder is almost double my size...¡±, exclaimed Dave. ¡°You¡¯re strong to carry that...¡±, he added as he patted Ogre¡¯s back, complimenting him.

    ¡°Now what?¡±, asked Cess, while looking towards Eric. ¡°Now we¡¯re going to need...¡±, Eric looked around and found a rope, ¡°A rope!¡±

    Orph nodded as Eric tied the rope around in a way that would be able to catch Ban.

    ¡°Your plan will not work...¡±, said Ban as she got attacked by Median, ¡°Did you forget about me?¡±, he kept attacking Ban, not giving her a single moment to plan. Eric spun around the rope and threw it straight at Ban.

    Ban grunted and threw Median away in a moment of desperation. Median was surprised as he saw a cliff near, ¡°I did not see this.¡±, he exclaimed as Ogre jumped at him and hugged him to brace for the impact of the fall. Before Ban could do anything else, Eric took his chance and threw the rope at her, tying her completely.

    ¡°What!¡±, she screamed in confusion.

    ¡°She¡¯s strong!¡±, Eric grunted, trying his best to keep Ban in one place. Both Orph and Cess used their strengths to help Eric out by holding the rope with him.

    With Ban in one place, unable to move but still struggling to do so, Dave finally saw his chance. He picked up the big boulder, almost twice his size. He grunted but he kept going forward, no matter how hard it was, and finally threw it straight at Ban. Before sighing a sigh of relief to be able to do that in the first place, since his injuries made it very tough for him to move much.

    ¡°What! No-¡±, said Ban as she was crushed under the boulder.

    Moments passed, with no movement to be seen, the party sighed in relief at their victory.

    Eric fell on the ground, tired, and the others soon followed him.

    ¡°There goes my new body...¡±, said the voice sadly. ¡°Curse you all!¡±, it screamed, soon followed by, ¡°Not like you all can hear me...¡±, it sighed and vanished.

    Eric heard it, he was surprised at where the voice came from. He couldn¡¯t see anything, but he was sure he heard it.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±, asked Orph. Eric looked at him for a while shocked before gathering himself and nodding, ¡°Yes... Yes, I¡¯m alright.¡±

 Chapter 57

    ¡°This boy will win us battles and war!¡±

    ¡°The boy will bring us glory and riches!¡±

    ¡°The half-breed is strong... ¡°

    ¡°Put him at the frontlines. I expect results¡±

    ¡°Median... Median, Are you here, Median?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Median... I hope you will be able to see a sky full of stars one day.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

 Chapter 58

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Sometime after, in the slave camp

 Chapter 59

    ¡°How was your first experience as a knight my fellow cadets?¡±, asked Dave laughing.

    Orph and Cess groaned.

    ¡°That bad?¡±, Dave replied somewhat in shock.

    ¡°If you ask me, this wasn¡¯t that ba-¡±, smiled Dave, but before he could finish, Cess walked away fast while huffing away with Orph following her soon after. They both maintained a distance ahead of Dave.

    Dave groaned.

    ¡°Was this really not that bad?¡±, asked Eric. Dave¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment before fading away. His eyes were full of sadness.

    ¡°No... I was just trying to say something comforting.¡±, he sighed, ¡°I guess they both say through me...¡±, he let out a sorrowful smile. He looked back at Eric and added, ¡°But It wasn¡¯t that bad, we succeeded and not many people lost what they care about.¡± He paused for a couple of seconds and with a serious look on his face added, ¡°Sometimes...¡±, he sighed, ¡°Sometimes that¡¯s all that matters.¡±. He let out a big smile.

    Eric could feel the pain behind that smile however, he was not brave enough to mention or ask about it. In an attempt to move the conversation elsewhere, he asked another question.

    ¡°Why are we going to the county?¡±

    Dave looked at Eric and smiled as he normally does before replying, ¡°I have to congratulate someone....¡±, he looked at Cess still mad at him, and added, ¡°and I wanted to cheer you guys up!¡±, he laughed.

    Eric looked at Dave and decided that it was the best conversation ender he could¡¯ve ever hoped for. At least in this scenario, he stopped his curiosities and simply nodded in return.

    Ahead of them Orph asked Cess, ¡°Is that really why you¡¯re mad?¡±

    Cess nodded in anger, ¡°Yes! He¡¯s trying to comfort us...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really see what¡¯s wr-¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it!¡±

    ¡°Then-¡±

    Cess looked at Orph with sadness in her eyes, ¡°I get where he¡¯s coming from... I just wish he thought of himself a bit more...¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°You guys seem close.¡±, Orph smiled.

    ¡°We are...¡±, Cess looked at Orph. ¡°I mean, he is my hero!¡±, Cess marched away.

    ¡°Yes! Dave¡¯s our hero!¡±, Orph marched behind her.

    ¡°Yes! Exactly!¡±, Cess smiled before sighing and looking at Orph, straight in his eyes. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m childing?¡±

    ¡°For what? For worrying about Dave?¡±

    Cess nodded.

    ¡°No.¡±, Orph smiled, ¡°It¡¯s alright to be angry on behalf of someone else.¡±, making Cess smile too.

    They all kept quiet mostly for the rest of their journey as they reached the county soon after.

    ¡°Ahh.¡±, Dave wondered, before exclaiming, ¡°Good on her!¡±, to himself.

    The others looked at him.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been to this place before and it already looks better than what I¡¯m used to.¡±, he smiled. ¡°I knew she had it in her...¡±, he thought to himself.

    Meanwhile in the county castle.

    ¡°I hope your talks with the priest were successful.¡±, asked Tess.

    ¡°Oh?¡±, Esting looked back from the statue of the hero on display and faced Tess.

    ¡°Yes.¡±, he replied before looking back at the hero again. ¡°It was.¡±

    ¡°The county is grateful for your donations!¡±, said Tess, piercing him with her eyes.

    Esting smiled, ¡°No, it was nothing. The county should be grateful for having you as its new countess!¡±

    Tess smiled without moving her eyes.

    ¡°Besides.¡±, added Esting. ¡°The hero was from these lands, it¡¯s only fit that this happens here.¡±

    ¡°The priest was eager to spread the teachings of the hero on his homeland.¡±

    "And...", he added. "My father''s family is from here... My mother loved him for that... At least she did at first."

    "Oh, How could I ever forget!", exclaimed Tess. "Your ancestor was the sage!", she smiled. "Forgive me... You mention it a lot and yet I..."

    "It''s alright, the sage was a great man.", smiled Esting.

    "And yet here you are making statues of the Hero.", murmured Tess.

    "Did you say something?", asked a curious Esting.

    "I''m sorry?", replied Tess with an innocent look on her face.

    Esting groaned and started to walk out of the room before stopping right in front of Tess with a glimmer in his eyes and looking her straight in her eyes. ¡°I hope you use the donations wisely. Wouldn¡¯t want my daughter¡¯s friend to make a fool out of herself.¡±, he smiled.

    ¡°Of course not, Prime Minister. I thank you for your advice, but can Babour survive for so long with such precious advice?¡±

    ¡°I made Babour strong enough to do so.¡±, scoffed Esting.

    ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me. I must go speak to MY dear friend.¡±

    Esting walked away and went outside.

    ¡°Did I hit a nerve...¡±, murmured Tess to herself. She went towards the Hero¡¯s statue and sighed.

    ¡°Did you ever see a future such as this for the Kingdom you founded, Hero?¡±, She looked away. ¡°I hope not. I... hope not.¡±, she started to go outside as well. Before leaving, she looked behind again, ¡° I have some guests to attend to, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±, and went outside to see a familiar face in the distance.

    She smiled, ¡°Dave! Long time no see!¡±

    Dave smiled back, with Orph, Cess, and Eric behind him. This was the first time any three of them had seen snow. The cold was hard to bear, but the beautiful sights made up for it. The county was different from all the cities, towns, and villages they¡¯ve ever visited and all of them couldn¡¯t wait to experience what it had to offer.

 Chapter 60

    ¡°Tess! Long time no see!¡±, exclaimed Dave.

    Tess smiled, ¡°Of course! I just said that¡­¡±, she laughed, ¡°¡­ you big doofus!¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ they look close¡­¡±, muttered Cess under her breath. Orph could hear It but Eric stayed oblivious.

    ¡°A knight from the capital and a countess¡­¡±, Orph smiled. ¡°You¡¯d think that you¡¯d only find these in stories¡­¡±, only to promptly gently punched by Cess.

    ¡°Ouch¡­ that hurt¡­¡±

    ¡°It did not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ but it was fun!¡±

    ¡°It was not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really out to be a contrarian today huh.¡±

    ¡°We have much to talk to!¡±, exclaimed Tess.

    Dave nodded and looked towards the others.

    ¡°I know what you guys are thinking¡­¡±, said Dave.

    Eric, Orph, and Cess, all looked at him.

    ¡°SNOW!¡±, he smiled. ¡°I remember when I first saw snow and met Tess, she was a kid back then-¡°

    ¡°I was only 3 years younger than you!¡±

    Dave laughed, ¡°I was a kid too! So go enjoy the snow!¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Tess groaned but then smiled, ¡°Dave right! Cadets, please go enjoy the snow.¡±, she points towards their surroundings, ¡°The county is the only place where it snows here anyway¡­¡±

    They all looked awkwardly at each other while Tess and Dave walked towards the mansion.

    ¡°I mean I do enjoy some snow¡­¡±, said Orph.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your first time seeing some?¡±, asked Cess.

    ¡°Yes, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t enjoy it¡­¡±

    Cess shrugged and threw a snowball at Orph.

    ¡°Hey¡­!¡±, Orph exclaimed.

    Cess smiled, ¡°What? Did I hurt you?¡±

    Orph smiled in return and threw a snowball in return.

    Meanwhile, Eric picked up some snow and stared at it. ¡°Cold.¡±, he thought to himself.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s her?¡±, asked Tess while looking at them through her window.

    Dave nodded as he sipped his tea.

    ¡°As always¡­¡±, he smiled, ¡°You make some lovely tea¡­¡±

    ¡°I removed most of my staff¡­ but I¡¯m glad that they somehow retained their tea-making skills.¡±, Tess smiled.

    Dave smiled too, ¡°I¡­¡±, he looked at her, ¡°I congratulate you¡­¡±

    ¡°For becoming a Countess?¡±

    Dave nodded.

    Tess scoffed, ¡°Dave¡­¡±

    She sighed, ¡°There¡¯s no need for pleasantries¡­ we¡¯re just one step closer to our plan¡­¡±

    Dave smiled again, ¡°I¡¯d like to ask for a favor¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no favor among us, Dave¡­ We¡¯re friends.¡±

    ¡°I need you to take her in¡­ after she becomes a knight.¡±

    Tess sighed, ¡°Should be easy enough¡­ Familiar love huh, I wonder what that feels like.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s retirement?¡±, Asked Esting to the previous Count.

    ¡°Could¡¯ve been better¡­¡±

    Esting smiled, ¡°A room with all your needs¡­ What more could you ask for?¡±, he scoffed.

    The Count didn¡¯t reply and sipped his tea.

    ¡°You know¡­ we had a good thing going. You, me¡­ the Duke¡­¡±

    The Count looked up and sighed, ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here? To throw a temper tantrum¡­¡±

    ¡°YES!¡±, Esting laughed.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d get me¡­ If only your daughter could get me too¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave her be¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this, Count? Feeling love for your daughter?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s still my blood!¡±, he screamed and started to cough¡­¡± Still my blood¡­¡±

    Esting looked at the count with disdain and turned around, ¡°Well¡­ no matter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick up the slack¡­ as I¡¯ve always done.¡±

    He opened the door, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even guess what I¡¯m brewing!¡±, he exclaimed as he looked at the Count for one last time and shut the door at full force.

 Chapter 61

    Orph threw a snowball at Eric and exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Eric simply nodded a no.

    ¡°Then why are you staring at the snow?¡±, Orph laughed and then he gasped, ¡°Wait¡­¡± with a complete look of shock on his face and then exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯ve never seen snow before have you?¡± and then he started to laugh again.

    He made up another snowball and threw it at Eric again, ¡°Come on!¡±

    As soon as he shouted that, he got hit with another snowball, ¡°You took your eyes off for far too long!¡±, smirked Cess.

    Orph smiled and started to make another snowball before getting hit right in his nose by another.

    Eric laughed.

    ¡°Eric you too!?¡±, Orph exclaimed, ¡°You guys are ganging up on me¡­ No fair¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing fair in war!¡±, exclaimed Cess right before throwing another snowball but Orph saw it coming and dodged, ¡°Nice try!¡±, he smiled. The snowball kept going and it looked like that it was going to hit Eric but he dodged as well.

    ¡°Wow! Nice dodge¡­¡±, said a shocked Orph as another snowball hit him right on his nose.

    ¡°What!¡±, he exclaimed. ¡°Cess is there too!¡±, he added.

    Eric laughed and threw another snowball, but not Orph this time. The target was Cess, she tried to dodge it to the best of her abilities but she slipped and still managed to get hit by the snowball.

    She grunted while Orph laughed, ¡°At least your nose is safe!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s not safe!¡±, she exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m a hunter¡­¡±, she added.

    Orph looked towards Eric and shrugged.

    Cess took her chance and created a bunch of snowballs for ammunition. Orph noticed it and tried to shoot some before she succeeded but it did not matter, Cess did not flinch, neither did she stop. IT was finally her time to shine, the snowballs ready for their orders, commenced the attack.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Cess attacked with a barrage.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s taking this a bit too seriously!¡±, exclaimed Orph as he tried his best to run away but only try he did, as he failed and fell. Cess started to laugh but her laugh soon turned into worry as Dave stood in front of Orph, protecting him from Cess¡¯ barrage.

    Dave laughed, ¡°Looks like you guys are having fun!¡±

    ¡°Guys¡­ It¡¯s more like just you¡­¡±, Orph pointed out towards Cess.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡±, exclaimed Cess.

    ¡°Think about it! It does!¡±, replied Orph, not missing a beat.

    Dave laughed again, ¡°Let me join!¡±, he exclaimed.

    ¡°What-¡°, muttered Orph and Eric both in unison while Cess was too stunned to speak.

    It took Dave almost no time to create a giant snowball.

    ¡°Who¡¯s ready?¡±, he asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a snowball!¡±, exclaimed Orph.

    ¡°It¡¯s a snow cannon¡­!¡±, he added while running away from the cannon that was shot at him.

    It hit him and then took out Eric on the way too.

    ¡°Come on Cess!¡±, said Dave while looking towards Cess with hopeful eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s team up and show them who¡¯s who!¡±, he laughed.

    Cess smiled and nodded.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem fair¡­¡±, muttered Eric.

    ¡°I should be the one saying that¡­¡±, replied Orph, ¡°No offense¡­¡±, he looked towards Eric.

    ¡°All taken¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait aren¡¯t I better than you at snowball fights?¡±

    Orph looked at him, ¡°Does it matter?¡±, he asked while pointing towards Dave.

    ¡°DOES IT MATTER?¡±, he exclaimed again.

    Orph and Eric¡¯s bickering gave Dave plenty of time to create a wall of snow, while Cess stockpiled again on ammunition.

    ¡°Let the attacks commence!¡±, he shouted.

    The snowballs were everywhere, Dave was the one doing the attacks, and Cess was the one to give him an opportunity to attack.

    ¡°Tsk¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a good team¡­¡±, Orph bit his nails.

    Eric pondered about that statement, as they both hit behind a tree. Eric patted Orph¡¯s shoulders and whispered, ¡°I may have an idea¡­¡±

    ¡°HA!¡±, exclaimed Dave. ¡°Just give up! Knowing when you lost is also a sign of winning!¡±, he added.

    Before he could say anything else, they saw a giant snowball rolling their way.

    ¡°What¡­ What is that?¡±, asked a puzzled Cess.

    ¡°A shooting target!¡±, replied Dave while smiling and laughing.

    But the more he shot it, the bigger it got.

    ¡°It makes no sense!¡±, exclaimed Cess.

    The snowball was now very near, Dave got a little too excited, ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about!¡±, he exclaimed before punching the giant snowball and breaking it into pieces.

    ¡°Gotcha!¡±, exclaimed Orph as he ran towards the snow wall, taking this opportunity of distraction, he succeeded and melted the wall using his powers.

    Orph smiled, ¡°Looks like we have a winner!¡±, he exclaimed and was about to laugh before Cess launched another snowball on his face, which hit him straight.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡±, she said.

    ¡°Nothing about this is fair!¡±, Orph replied.

    ¡°What are those fools doing¡­?¡±, asked Esting as he saw most of the action from the sidelines.