《The Creator》 Chapter 01-Swallowed Chapter 1-Swallowed City of Breman library. A handsome young man was sitting in one of the isolated areas in the library. He was currently reading a book and flipping its pages, so engrossed that he did not even notice that a lot of girls had been walking back and forth behind him for one hour with the excuse of getting a book from a shelf while throwing their glances at him. His classes in the afternoon had finished at around 2 PM. His university doesn''t require them to wear a uniform, so he wore a striped black and white polo shirt, navy blue pants, and sneakers. His short hair was light brown and was the same color as his eyes. His name was Lixon Rayver. The young man reads a detective novel that made his eyes shined and excited whenever he encountered a good scene. Finally, he reached the last page and lightly raised his brows. "So there is an additional series of this book. Sigh, I''m not sure when I will be able to read it, I guess I''ll have to wait for at least a few months." He thought. He closed its leaves and looked at his wristwatch. It was already past 05:00 PM. The library will close at 6:00 PM, so he still had a few minutes. He stood from his seat and was about to return the book when a girl approached him. "Ahm...excuse me, are you done reading that book?" She pointed the book in his hand. The young woman had short black hair. Her face was pretty, and she was wearing a yellow dress and black doll shoes to pair it. She looked uneasy, but Lixon gently smiled at her and handed the book. "Here." The girl was about to open her mouth, but Lixon had already walked past her. She stared at his retreating back while pouting. Then another two young girls appeared beside her. One had a ponytail and wore a simple black shirt and tight pants. The other had long curly hair. She was wearing a red long-sleeved with a checkered design and tucked by below the knee-length jeans skirt. "That was a good move, Trixie!" The first girl with a ponytail cheered, "But it''s a pity that he just left like that. We thought that he would at least ask for your name or even your number." When Trixie heard those remarks, she sighed. She even mustered all her courage to approach him. She was not used to being rejected, that is why she was also a bit disappointed. However, Trixie was considered popular among her peers and even got many confessions from her classmates. She even joined the popularity contest just to be noticed by him. Since their first year in high school, she had a crush on Lixon and even studied hard to be in the same university as him. But it seemed that he revolved around his world only. He was popular enough to be dubbed the school''s prince. But the young man instantly rejected the idea when the campus offered him to join the popularity contest. She clenched her fist and opened her mouth, "I will not give up. Not until Lixon rejects me." The two girls behind her cheered, "That''s the spirit!" "Excuse me, students." The three students flinched then nervously turned their heads. The lady librarian greeted them with a frightening smile on her face. "This is a library and not a cafeteria. Would you mind going out?" She pointed at the exit door. They all frantically nodded. "Yes, ma''am!" ----- 45 Liason St., Frenchborough, Breman City. Lixon''s room. "...Yes, I''m already thinking of the scenes of the next series. Hmm... I''m planning to write and submit it before the end of the month. Okay. Thanks, editor-in-chief." Lixon pressed the end call button and placed the phone atop his table. He looked at his wristwatch; it was past seven. He ate his dinner earlier, thinking that he would dive into writing after. There were some crackers and gummy candies on his table and a cup of coffee. He had this habit of having them while doing his studies or while he was writing. It helped him relax and concentrate.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He leaned on his swivel chair while staring at his laptop. He had finished writing the first series of his book [The Legends of Udeville], and now he was thinking of starting the second volume. Being an author sure was hard. He had to think of new ideas of how the story would continue. "Rather than just imagining things, I think it would be better if I just live with my created characters and places so it would be easy for me to think of how my story will proceed," he thought. He closed his eyes and felt that he wanted to sleep for a bit. Maybe after he dived into his dream world, he might think of better ideas. ----- Lixon twitched his ears when he heard the sounds of the running of horses. Then, he slowly opened his eyes and observed that he was inside a dark forest. ''Am I still dreaming?'' He sat up and looked around. He was still wearing the clothes that he had since he went to the library. The young man was still half-awake when he heard the sound of the running of horses nearing him. Then he saw a group of people who looked like knights. "Eh? They are wearing the same uniform of the Luton territory army." He observed. Luton territory, located in the north of the Udeville empire, is where the fifth prince, prince Gavinus Udeville resided. He was of royal blood, which people considered an oddity. He had long red hair. His eyes differ in color, his right eye is green, and his left is purple. He was one of the strongest contenders for the crown. But due to his methods of doing things, the prince was labeled as cunning and vicious. That''s what he remembered from the book that he wrote. Lixon massaged his temple. Is it the result of too much pressure? Why is this story being continued even in his dream? He was still contemplating when one of the knights, who looked like the leader, pointed his sword at him when they arrived. "Who are you?" The knight asked. Lixon raised both of his hands and introduced himself, "My name is Lixon Rayver." "Who is it, Davis?" Lixon looked past the knights and noticed a luxurious carriage following them. "His voice and tone always show indifference as if no one would ever get his attention." He tilted his head upon remembering that line from his book. Why on earth was this person''s tone of voice reminded him of that prince? "To respond to my lord, this person was seen lurking in the forest." The knight, who was called Davis, answered. Lixon raised his brows upon hearing this but was instantly puzzled. Hold on a minute, did that person call him Davis? Davis was the name of the captain of the knights of prince Gavinus. So why are these people reminded him of those characters? "Who are you?" Davis asked again and placed his sword on his neck, "This is a restricted area; peasant should not be here if you want to look for food." "Peasant?" Lixon thought before looking at himself. He was astonished when he observed that his earlier clothes changed into the locals of Udeville. "Answer me!" There was a severe threat from the tone of the knight. Lixon could feel the cold steel on his skin, but instead of shrinking out of fear, he stared at the knight with calm and gentle eyes before responding, "My apologies, I was lost when I was looking for food earlier. I didn''t even know that this was a restricted area. If it would be okay, can you show me where the exit is?" Davis stared at him intently before placing his sword back in his sheath. "Find the exit yourself." "How cold." He silently thought. "MAN, MOVE!" They all turned around and left Lixon, who was still sitting on the ground. The latter stood and quietly dusted his clothes while his mind sorted the earlier events into the fastest possible time. "Traveling inside a restricted area?" "To counter his enemies, Prince Gavinus made it a habit always to use the Dead Forest whenever he traveled back to his territory. A mysterious jungle where the most potent spirits resided. There were times when a thick fog covered the area. Legend says that a mysterious entity that had lived in the forest for thousands of years was guarding the jungle." He looked at the people who were walking farther away from him and thought, "This is not a dream." ----- "Captain, is it okay for us to leave him behind just like that?" The second-in-command knight asked Davis while they continued to walk further. "Why? Do you want to save him?" "Of course not!" The knight denied right away, "It''s just, it''s very unusual for you to leave a suspicious person just like that." Davis smirked, hearing this sentence, "This is the Dead Forest." He looked at his second in command before continuing, "Do you think an ordinary person and a weakling like him can survive here?" "Oh..." "Let the creature of this jungle deal with him. He might not be able to walk out of this place alive. We don''t want to waste our time killing some insignificant flies. Got it?" "Yes, sir." The fog of the forest started to thicken. The group continued to walk when they heard the man from the earlier called out, "Mr. Knight!" All of them stopped at once. "Does he have a death wish?" The other knights murmured. Davis heard a light giggled inside the carriage. He turned his head and stared coldly at the young man standing a few meters from them. "Is this the Dead Forest?" His voice echoed around the area. "So?" "Ah, just as I thought." They saw him nod. The captain knight waited for the young man to continue while maintaining his cold demeanor. Then, all of them noticed that the thick fog continued to cover them rapidly. Then Davis saw the young man smile at them before opening his mouth. "Be careful on your travel then." "What?" "Seems like you are guarding a very precious treasure." After saying these, the fog covered the entirety of the area, and the man could not be seen anymore. Chapter 02 - Funis, Guardian of the Dead Forest Chapter 02 - Funis, Guardian of the Dead Forest "Sir, what shall we do?" Davis second in command, Emeric asked him. "Let''s go!" He commanded the group, but his thought was still lingering by what the young man had mentioned earlier. They walked a few more distances when he noticed whistling sounds from every direction targeting the carriage. "Tsk! Annoying pests!" He cursed before swinging his sword, which moved the fog a bit. A few seconds later, they all heard the sound of the falling arrows. All of the knights draw their swords. Then, they listened to a lazy tone coming from the carriage. "Make it fast. I''m tired." "As you command!" The fog was thick, but the knights could see some shadows around twenty in numbers surrounding them. Then, a while later, the sound of shouts and metal friction reverberated in the quiet forest. --- Lixon wandered inside the thick fog while sighing. He''s too tired to walk any further. The young man slumped himself on one of the stones he found. He thought of the group that he had encountered earlier. "Prince Gavinus, the fifth prince of the Udeville empire, was one of the strongest contenders to the crown. A man with green and purple eyes, an oddity of the royal family." "Wow, I just met one of the vicious characters out of my novel." He asked that captain earlier if this was the Dead Forest to confirm his theory. He lowered his head with some frustration. "I''m doomed. I''m really inside my written novel." He looked around him, and the fog started to dissipate. Still, the forest was dark and silent. "Growl." Lixon cringed when he heard the sound, and his gaze focused straight ahead. There he saw a giant white tiger with eyes looking calmly at him. But instead of being terrified, he leaned on the nearby tree and closed his eyes. "The Dead Forest was being guarded by a powerful spirit whom the people believed to be a thousand years old. According to the legend, its appearance was a huge white tiger with calm eyes as if he was looking peacefully at the world. The name of the Guardian was...." "Funis." He spoke in a hushed tone, but the approaching tiger paused when it heard him mention its name. Lixon, on the other hand, was too lazy to bother. He went through a lot today, and he was too tired. So his consciousness drifted to the dreamland without caring for his situation. --- Lixon shifted comfortably, feeling a soft fur as his bed. He lazily stretched his arms. "Am I finally back?" He thought. He opened his eyes, and a very unfamiliar environment welcomed him, "Maybe not." He sat and observed his current location. He was on top of a high cliff where he could oversee the whole Dead Forest. The vast tree where he was gave him some shelter. He could now view the clear and blue sky, which showed that it was past noon.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Where am I?" "You are in my home." A calm male voice answered him from behind. Lixon was startled as he turned his head. The white tiger whom he met earlier greeted him. He lightly bowed and greeted the Guardian. "Hello." It slowly walked and sat beside him as its eyes roamed the jungle. "I smell blood." "Someone might be dead," Lixon responded casually. He noticed that there were some fruits and roasted meat placed in front of him. "Can I eat?" "Sure." The tiger sighed before continuing. "That prince brat from Udeville was always giving me a headache." The tiger voiced out his complaint. "Oh, you mean he was always using the Dead Forest for burying his enemy." "Tsk, they should at least offer me something if they will keep using my territory." "They were giving you something." "Hmm?" "Blood and the dead''s spirit." Lixon turned his head to the tiger before smiling. "They were food for the living creatures of this wilderness." "Hooo...brat, you know a lot about this place. You even knew my name." "What can you do if you don''t know anything." He answered back. "What''s your name?" "Lixon Rayver. Nice to meet you." The tiger licked his paw and lightly scratched his fur. "You are an unlucky kid," then, he asked, "How did you end up in this dangerous place?" "Don''t ask me. I also don''t know the answer." "I did not feel your presence when you entered the forest. That''s interesting." Lixon kept his silence. "Then what''s your plan?" "I want to go back." "Is your place very far?" "Yes. I don''t even know the way to go back, and even a spirit like you cannot help me out." "Are you saying that I''m a weakling!?" The young man lightly chuckled. "No. You are strong, but sending me back is out of your domain. That''s what I''m saying." "If that is the case, you can stay here as long as you like." The tiger offered. "Then I will become a jungle man? No way!" Lixon readily refused. He finished his food and drank his water. Then, the tiger and the human conversed until it was already dark, as if they had been friends that had not met for a long time. "Can you lead me to the exit?" "That''s easy peasy." "You sure know a lot of expressions for an old spirit." "And you are fearless even if you are facing an old spirit like me." The tiger retorted, "It''s getting dark. I will bring you to the exit by tomorrow." The white tiger stood and spoke, "I will roam around for a bit; you can go ahead and sleep." "Okay. I appreciate your help." The Guardian smirked before responding, "There is no such thing as free lunch in this world. You should know this rule." "I know. I want to thank you, that''s all." "Yeah, whatever." The spirit jumped off from the cliff where they at and vanished in thin air. The next day. The fragrance of roasted meat awakens Lixon. He sat up from his bed and noticed the food placed on the table. "Eat. I will lead you to the exit after." Lixon nodded and, in a few minutes, finished his food. The white tiger then approached him, "Hop in my back." The young man immediately followed. Funis made a loud growl. "Hold on tight." After saying this, he jumped off the cliff, which made Lixon close his eyes and tightly hug the spirit. --- Lixon gazed at the forest exit with Funis. "Brat, this is where we part. Do not visit this forest unless you have the power to do so. And do not trust spirit, even me. But, on the other hand, I''m feeling magnanimous, so you have to be grateful." The young man stared at the Guardian and smiled, "Yes, I''m very grateful." Before the tiger could react, he stepped forward, hugged the spirit, and patted it lightly before moving back to his position. The white tiger was slightly taken aback by his action. "You...What are you doing? Do you have a death wish?! I just mentioned it, do not trust spirit!" But instead of getting angry, Lixon smiled at him gently. "Thank you. Now, I know how your story will develop." "You are speaking cryptically now?" The young man responded by shaking his head. "Nope. I will keep my promise to you, so wait a little bit." "Tsk! You are annoying. I do not want to see you. Don''t ever think that I will have the leisure to have free accommodation again." After saying this, the tiger disappeared. Lixon stared at the spot where the spirit was earlier and thought, "That fool is as arrogant as ever." He then turned around and left the place. --- The young man left a long time ago, but Funis had been staring at the entrance for quite a while. The tiger was sitting in his home, where he could have a full view of the jungle. "Master, is there something bothering you?" It was a question from the black butterfly that landed on his fur. A white mist covered the Guardian''s body, and when it disappeared, on his spot stood a handsome young man. His hair was white as snow, and his eyes were like an infinite night. He was wearing a robe with a tiger pattern on it. "That young man has a familiar scent. I think I already met him before." He murmured to himself while trying to remember something. Chapter 03 – Damien’s M. Store Chapter 03 ¨C Damien''s M. Store Because of his knowledge of the geography of the empire, Lixon was able to locate the nearest city from the Dead Forest, the City of Alvon. It''s fifteen minutes'' walking distance. When the young man was nearing the entrance, he noticed some wagons and carriages carrying some goods passing him. Sigh. "I miss riding a taxi right now." He internally complained. He saw them lined at the gate, which he followed. He observed that the two guards at the gate were checking some identification from each person. Now it was his turn. "Show us your identification documents or pass." "Pass?" "If you don''t have it, then scram!" "Ah, sorry." Lixon took something out from his pocket sleeves and gave it to one of the guards. They looked at it before bowing immediately to him. "Excuse our rudeness, my Lord. We don''t know that you are related to the family of the guardian." "You don''t have to be too courteous. I am a friend of the owner of this medallion. He let me have it temporarily." He waved his hand while smiling at the guards. "What is this?" Lixon asked the white tiger. "Once you leave this forest and enter the nearest city, you will need it, and." The guardian used his teeth to grab a pouch from a corner and threw it towards him. He caught it and felt the coins inside. "Are you giving this to me?" The tiger snorted. "Are you stupid? Why do I need to give you money? It''s borrowed money, you hear me? ''Borrowed,''" the spirit emphasized the last word. "I don''t know that you are such a stingy spirit. You have lots of it." "Hmph! Who cares if I am stingy? I have the means to do so." Lixon shook his head when he remembered their conversation. But, he quietly passed the gate and did not notice the two guards whispering when he was a few more distances away. ---- In a courtyard inside an ancient-looking mansion within the city, an older man with gray hair and beard opened his eyes, and it immediately traversed and landed at the city''s gate. "Grandfather, what''s the matter?" A beautiful young lady with red hair beside him asked. "It''s faint, but I felt a strong aura enter the city." "Eh? How is that possible?" "I mean, it''s from our family''s medallion. Quick! Call the guards of the gate. Now!" The older man commanded with some urgency. The young lady slightly bowed and called out some servant to relay the message. --- Lixon stared at the buildings, the street vendors, and people walking past him. He felt that he was some tourist who was enjoying the scenery.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "I just wrote those things for the sake of world-building but seeing them in person amazes me." He thought. When a slight wind blew, he saw a flyer flew towards him, which he instinctually grabbed. He slowly read the short content. Wanted: Store Assistant Requirements: So long as you''re brave and can keep your mouth shut, you can apply at Damien''s M. Store. Please see the direction below. "Brave, and can keep the mouth shut? What unique requirements." After reading the instruction, he folded the paper and followed the direction. After a few minutes of walking, he found himself in an isolated alley. There, he saw an eerie-looking store with a hanging sign Damien''s M. Store. He pushed the door open, and the sound of wind chimes echoed while he entered. He looked around and saw some candles with different colors hung like chandeliers. There was also a sala set with unique patterns at the center. Lixon stayed at the entrance for a few minutes, but no one greeted him. Then, finally, Lixon eyes turned towards the counter and noticed some sealed colorful liquid placed inside the counter cabinet. "Who is this punk?" Lixon''s ears twitched when he heard a voice and stared in the direction where it was coming. Then, at a small table at the corner, he saw two cats looking at him, one is white, and the other is gray. He slowly walked towards them and silently observed. "What is he doing? This guy is good-looking, but his clothes are too shabby." "Who knows? Maybe he came here to beg. But, unfortunately, we have visitors like that. Poor visitors." The young man raised his right brow, hearing this. "Why is he looking at us?" It was the white cat. "Maybe he is amazed by our appearance." The gray cat answered. The latter stood, wagged its tail, and slightly raised its chin. "I will give you permission to experience my handsomeness." The white cat did the same. The two animals gave Lixon a look as if taunting him. Slightly annoyed, he opened his mouth to answer, "Hey, you two." The two were startled and stared at him with some puzzlement. "If you want to insult someone, at least do it when they are not around. And don''t brag about your appearance. In my place, your colors are as common as cabbage." SHRIEK! "You can understand us?!" "Why? Yes. I can hear you loud and clear." Lixon looked at them with some confusion. Hearing his response, the two animals froze on the spot. "You can understand them?" A deep voice echoed inside the store. Lixon turned his head and found a middle-aged man from the empty counter earlier. He was wearing an oversized purple robe, like a wizard that you usually saw in a movie. He had short black hair, his brows were as thick and dark as night, and his face was neither good-looking nor ugly. He tried to recall his appearance from the novel that he wrote. But, unfortunately, he can''t remember this person. "The story is developing on its own." He thought, "Considering the appearance of a new character is proof of it." " The moment I entered my novel could be considered the start of the second volume." "Yes, sir." He nodded. The middle-aged man walked out from the counter and sat on the sofa. He beckoned him to sit across from him, which he automatically followed. Then, one of the cabinets inside the store opened on its own. Lixon saw two floating teacups land in front of them. Then, an invisible force poured each cup with some tea. "Are you used to this?" The man asked Lixon with some curiosity. "Huh? What do you mean, sir?" He responded with some puzzlement. "You just saw something out of the ordinary, and you are not freaking out." He explained. Lixon came to a realization, "Ah...I just experienced something out of the ordinary prior, so I guess that''s the reason." "And I''m a writer of a fantasy-genre novel, so this kind of scenario is nothing." He added internally. "That''s acceptable." The man nodded in agreement, "Anyway, do you need to buy something? A magic potion? Talisman?-" Before the man continued his lists of store goods, Lixon cut him off. "I did not come here to buy something. I came here for this." He pulled out the flyer that he kept from his sleeves and gave it to the store owner. Now that he was close, Lixon noticed that he had yellow eyes with a unique star pattern. But when he saw that the young man was observing him, the imprint immediately vanished. "You came here to apply as my store assistant? Oh, my apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Damien. The sole owner of this store." "My name is Lixon Rayver." He also introduced himself. "I cannot feel any magical power from you," Damien gave his assessment. "It''s not in the requirements." Damien responded, "You are right. Well, since I badly need an assistant, I''ll give you a chance." He slowly stood and returned to the counter. Before Lixon could react, he saw a basket was thrown towards him, which he caught with agility. Inside it, there was a small piece of paper with some lists and a coin purse. Damien pointed his finger to the door at his right side. "Enter that door and buy all the ingredients written on that note. If you could accomplish that, then I''ll accept you." He gave his instruction. "Okay," Lixon responded and turned towards the door, then pushed it open. When he left, the store owner returned to sit on the sofa. He took his tea and slowly drank it. The two cats jumped and snuggled in his arms. "Master, you said that he doesn''t have any magical power. Will he be alright?" The white cat asked. Damien placed the teacup before answering, "I did not say that he doesn''t have any magical power." "Eh? But you just mentioned-" "I said, I cannot feel it." "Well..." "If he can safely return, then we''re good." Chapter 04-The Town of the Beast People Chapter 04-The Town of the Beast People When Lixon opened the door, a bustling place greeted him. He observed the people walking on the street, but he was astonished that they were not people; to be precise, they were mystical creatures. Beautiful elves were walking past him. Some were even bargaining from street vendors who looked like half-human and half-animal. They have tails, and some of them have ears like a dog or cat. ¡°Beast people,¡± he thought. Then he remembered that he had a mission that he needed to accomplished. So he approached one of the vendors who looked like a half-cat. ¡°Excuse me. I just wanted to--¡± Before Lixon could finish his sentence, he saw a fruit-like peach threw at him. He practiced practical self-defense before, so evading it is not a problem, but seeing this reaction made him flabbergasted. ¡°I DON¡¯T SELL TO HUMANS! GET OUT!¡± The vendor with tail and ears like a cat shouted. All of the other nearby beast vendors stared at him with menacing looks. Then, he heard some elves murmured, ¡°What is a human doing here?¡± Lixon stepped back when he saw that they all took fruits from their stall, and he was not an idiot to knew what they planned to do. Before the first threw happened, he immediately took a turn and ran as fast as he could. ¡°Damn that owner. He did not even warn me of this.¡± He cursed through his breath. Then, after a few minutes, he stopped and looked back. He made a sigh when he noticed that no one was following him. He observed his environment while catching his breath. There were some stores where he was, but there was no living soul. ¡°Ever since I entered my novel, the scenes that I encountered were becoming bizarre. But why did those beast people reacted that way?¡± He closed his eyes and tried to remember the content of his novel. It is the haven of the beast people. They were free from the discrimination and cruelty of humans. In here, no one will experiment with them or made them do things that they hate. They hated humans to the core, enough reasons even to kill them. ¡°Naporia?¡± He was stunned for a few seconds, ¡°Really now, no wonder I nearly died.¡± He looked up and saw hanging signage of the store where he was: Ghost Grim Store. ¡°What a unique name.¡± He then noticed a small piece of wood plastered on the door with the following written words: We don¡¯t discriminate. Whether you are a beast, a human, or other, you are very welcome. After reading this, he immediately pushed the door. But when he opened it, his heart almost jumped from his throat. What welcomed him was a headless lady wearing a black dress standing at the center of the store. ¡°Oh, you startled me!¡± Lixon bumped his back at the door and held his chest. Seeing his strange reaction, the headless lady seemingly came to an understanding. It momentarily left him and took something from a plate placed on a small cabinet at the corner. It was the head of a young woman with blonde hair and a face of a porcelain doll.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. With him as a witness, it quietly placed its head on her severed neck. Then Lixon heard a melodious voice from the headless lady earlier. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± The lady asked with some concern. He breathed heavily before answering, ¡°You did not only scare me; you nearly killed me!¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± The lady bowed towards him. ¡°I told you not to take your head and scare our customers, didn¡¯t I? You will make me lose my business!¡± It was an aged voice of a lady. Lixon followed it and saw an old lady coming out from a room. Her face was full of wrinkles and warts. She was wearing a black robe, and her gray hair was tied in a bun. She was walking with a stick, and her back was slightly bent. ¡°I will apologize on her behalf, young man. Please take a seat.¡± The older lady gazed at Lixon signaled him to sit. Both of them took their respective seats. The blonde lady served them cookies and tea before standing behind the old lady. ¡°My name is Tia Morgan, and this is my assistant Rose,¡± the old lady introduced the both of them, then she queried, ¡°How did you end up in this place?¡± ¡°My name is Lixon Rayver. I only came here to buy something, but those beasts nearly killed me.¡± He explained. ¡°Buy something?¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± He reached his hand to give her the list, and the old lady quickly ran through it before looking back at him. ¡°Tell me, did that punk Damien sent you here?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Sir Damien told me that if I can buy those, he will accept me as his store assistant.¡± He answered. The old lady clicked her tongue, ¡°No wonder. Damien is the only irresponsible person that I knew that would send some humans to this place.¡± Tia handed the piece of paper to Rose and instructed, ¡°Find those for this young man.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Then she quickly left them. Tia observed him for a while before asking. ¡°Do you know what this place is?¡± ¡°Naporia,¡± Lixon responded immediately. ¡°You know, and you still came?¡± ¡°No, I only realized it when I was standing at your doorstep, ma¡¯am. If I know, then I would think twice before coming here.¡± ¡°Right, you don¡¯t like an idiot that would do something like that. Give me one gold, and that would be enough payment.¡± Lixon immediately took one gold coin and gave it to her. ¡°How did you met Damien? Did he con you?¡± ¡°Grandma, do you have an enmity with him?¡± Tia snorted before responding to him, ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t like him, that is all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pure coincidence.¡± He spoke while nibbling his cookies, ¡°I stumbled to his store after I came from the Dead Forest. I even met the knights of the Luton territory and¡ª¡± ¡°Hold!¡± Tia interrupted his rambling, ¡°Did you say the Dead Forest?!¡± ¡°Hmm¡± ¡°Did you also mentioned the knights of Luton?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Lixon heard the older woman heavily sighed. ¡°You¡­Did you do something bad? Why are you so lucky to encounter those dangerous entities? And you are still alive?¡± ¡®Ma¡¯am, stop cursing me.¡¯ ¡°Well, I can¡¯t believe my luck as well.¡± He shrugged his shoulder. ¡°Oh, poor soul, you¡¯ve been through a lot. If Damien does something terrible to you, tell me, and I will spank him.¡± Lixon smiled, ¡°That is reassuring. Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± A while later, Rose returned to them. And with her is a basket full of different kinds of herbs. ¡°I brought it, master.¡± She then gave it to him. Lixon stood from his seat and bowed towards the old lady. ¡°I¡¯ll be going. Thanks for your help and hospitality, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Ah, wait a minute.¡± Lixon stopped his track and waited for her. ¡°Once you exit from here, turn to the right. When you reach the second block, you will be able to see a black door. Open it, and you can safely return.¡± The young man bowed again and left the store. He followed her direction and reached the location of the black door. He lightly pushed it, then found himself at the familiar store. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s him!¡± ¡°What?¡± Lixon thought, then turned his head to the voice. There he saw the guard that he encountered at the gate earlier that day. There were also several men wearing armor. He also saw the store owner at the counter area. Lixon stared at him, and his eyes were asking what was going on. ¡°They came here looking for you,¡± Damien answered. ¡°So, you are that fraudster.¡± A musical voice came from a woman whose back was facing him. She stood from her seat and looked in his direction. It was a gorgeous young girl with red hair. She was wearing a long white robe with wide sleeves paired with leathered boots. She was also holding a sword in her right hand. ¡°What did you say?¡± Lixon asked, but his face showed some annoyance. ¡°Opportunist,¡± The girl spoke with some arrogance, ¡°Not only that you use the name of the guardian family, but you also stole our medallion just to enter the city.¡± When Lixon heard the word guardian, he almost rolled his eyes. ¡®Oh, Come on, give me a break.¡¯ Chapter 05-The Family of Guardian. Chapter 05-The Family of Guardian. There was silence inside the room. The young lady crossed her arms and lightly smirked. "Do you know the penalty for crossing the family of the guardian?" She asked with her chin slightly up. Lixon kept his silence. "Capital offense," the girl then commanded coldly, "Take him." Hearing this, all the men in armor stepped forward towards the young man. "If they take me away and it turns out that you wrongly accused me, will you take responsibility?" Lixon spoke with indifference before they reached him. "What?" "If you are confident that you are right, then go ahead." "You are a fraudster, and you have the arrogance to threaten me?!" A heavy aura enveloped them, but Lixon stood his ground. On the other hand, Damien continued cleaning the potion bottle while murmuring, "What a scary lad." Sigh. "I''ve been through a lot today, and I''m too lazy to argue with you." Lixon then turned his attention to the gate guard he met earlier and spoke, "You." "Ah, yes, sir!" "What did you tell them that they concluded that I''m a fraudster?" He interrogated the nervously-looking guard. "I just told them the whole story! I did not omit anything, sir! I promise!" The guard even raised his right hand to showed him that what he said was the truth and nothing but the truth. "Isn''t it obvious? No one in the family of guardians will entrust an essential proof of identity to some stranger." The red-haired girl interrupted them. "But someone did. Didn''t I have it right now?" The young man gave his rebuttal. "We don''t know if what you have is fake or not." "Good catch!" Lixon clapped his hand once before continuing, "But you already draw your conclusion? Are you kidding me?" All of them were stunned hearing this. Pfft! "Ah, Excuse me, "It was Damien, "You can continue your debate. Please don''t mind me." Lixon sized up the young lady from head to toe, "You must be Madison Saintinne." The young girl raised her chin proudly, "So you know me." Lixon smirked before responding, "Of course, in the family of guardians, there was a rumored red-haired lady whom people dubbed as arrogant and worst at judging people. She was a source of headache to the head. Judging from your character, you fitted her description perfectly." Pfft! All the guards held their laugh and immediately lowered their heads when Madison glared at them. "Leave." "Are you commanding me?!" Her face was turning red due to anger.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Oh, does it sounded like that? Take it however you like." He shrugged his shoulder and continued, "Since you are scared of taking responsibility, that means that you are doing something against the order of the head guardian." "You¡ª" "I''m not done yet." Lixon raised his right hand to stop her. "Tell the head guardian that the name of the person who gave me the medallion is Funis. Until then, get lost." The young man gave a shooing motion which made the hot-headed girl angry to the core. Madison gave her a piercing gaze, and her hand turned into a fist. "We are not done yet." She warned him. "Sure." He answered lazily. After the heated discussion, the young lady left the store in anger together with her guards. Clap! Clap! Clap! Lixon rolled his eyes before turning to the source. He then placed the basket on top of the counter. "I''m done with my errand." The two cats circled him, seemingly inspecting. "He is fine." The gray cat commented. "I thought that he would die. We were worried for nothing." The white cat followed. Lixon heavily sat on the sofa and lazily leaned his head. He was too tired to listen to their nonsense. "That means that I pass, right?" He asked, turning his head to the owner. "Of course." Damien left the counter, took some water, and sat across the young man. "You sure you''ll be alright? You just offended a member of the guardian''s family." "She is just a brat." "Hooh..." Damien gave him the water, "How did you know her? Based on the description from the guard earlier, you are very new at Alvon." He took the water and quenched his thirst before answering, "Beats me." "Fine, I will not ask. Here is your key. Your room will be on the second floor. Since you are done with your errand, I''ll let you rest." "Thank you." ---- Crash! Crash! Crash! Madison whipped every porcelain pot in her room. "That damn con! I will get you next time!" She shouted in an angry voice. ---- In a spacious room with no furniture, two men were sitting on the floor facing each other. One was a middle-aged man with long red hair flowing freely. His brown robe fit his toned muscles, and his face had a ninety percent resemblance to Madison. His name was Erick Saintinne. The other was an older man with gray hair. He was wearing a white robe with the tiger pattern on it, a symbol of the head of the family. His hands with cloth were gently wiping the sword on his lap. The older man''s eyes were closed entirely while listening to the report of a shadow guard whose face and body are cloth by white. The man''s name was Silvester Saintinne, the current head of the Saintinne family. After listening to the narration, Erick heavily sighed. "If I know that this would be the result, I should be the one to visit that youngster. So please forgive my daughter''s unruly behavior, father." Silvester waved his hand, "Never mind that. She is very young indeed and had a long way to go." He then turned to the guard, "You may leave." The guard hesitated. "Anything else?" It was Erick. "Ah, there was something that the youngster mentioned to lady Madison." Erick urged him to continue. "He said, tell the head guardian that the name of the person who gave him the medallion is Funis." When Silvester heard this, he was stunned for a few seconds and opened his eyes before turning his head to the shadow guard. "What did you say?" "Is something the matter, father?" Erick asked with some puzzlement. "Have you seen the medallion?" Silvester ignored his son and continued to interrogate the shadow guard. The guard shook his head, "The young lady did not give him a chance. I think the youngster was annoyed when lady Madison called him a swindler." The head guardian heavily sighed and tapped his sword for a few seconds before opening his mouth again. "Inform Madison that she is to be grounded for one week. She has to stay in her room and read the book for the proper etiquette of a guardian. She has to reflect on her wrongdoings. You may leave." "As you command." The shadow guard then vanished from the room. Erick was taken aback by this sudden turn of events. It was the first time that her daughter received a one-week punishment. His father dotes this daughter of his so much that he can oversee such a small matter. "I have to meet this young man," Silvester spoke after a while. "Do you happen to know him?" Erick asked with some curiosity. "Why would I know some outsiders?" "Then you have to explain to me." Silvester contemplated for a moment. "I''ll tell you now since you will be my future successor. There was a name in this household that only the head of the family could know. It is a secret that we''ve been protecting for many generations." Erick listened intently. "Lord Funis, our ancestor and founder." Erick opened his mouth with shock, "Then, how did that youngster know?" "That''s why I need to meet him." "Honestly, father, I don''t know why his name was taboo in our family? Shouldn''t we publicize it? He is our ancestor." "There are some things that need to keep hidden. But, for now, you don''t have to know those." Silvester replied to his son. "Alright, I''ll go with you. Let''s go tomorrow." "Okay." Chapter 06-Crossing Path Again Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Chapter 07-Clearing the Misunderstandings A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Chapter 08-Eye-Catching Chapter 08-Eye-Catching Spring River Estate. A beautiful blonde girl was seen trimming the blue roses in a large garden. She wore a simple white gown with some raffles on its hem. But her simple attire did not cover her beautiful appearance that had a striking resemblance with Gavinus. She was the second princess of the Udeville empire, princess Geneva Udeville. Princess Geneva was also known to have a good relationship with her fifth brother. "How was my fifth brother doing these days?" She casually asked Mila, her maid, while trimming. "To answer the princess, prince Gavinus safely returned to his Estate," Mila respectfully responded. "Is that so?" She handed the trimming scissor to Mila before walking to the table where her tea and snacks were served, "But I heard that he traveled through the dangerous Dead forest again." "That is indeed the case." "That means that there was another assassination attempt to his life." She sighed. "Sometimes, being too outstanding is not good if you are a contender to the throne. Would you please send a gift to my little brother to congratulate him for his safe return?" "I will handle it." Mila bowed towards her. ***** "A nobles gathering?" Lixon raised his brows when Damien placed an invitation in front of him. "Yes. I have another appointment on that day, so you have to attend on my behalf." Damien answered nonchalantly. "I don''t know that a merchant like you needs to attend some nobles gathering such as this?" "That''s how significant a person I am back in the days." Lixon stared at him intently. "Do you want to ask me something?" "No. Even if I ask, you will not answer it anyway, so why bother." He shrugged his shoulder. The owner smiled before responding, "Don''t worry. I will prepare everything from gifts down to clothes. Just tell them that you are my representative." "Are there VVIP in that banquet?" He asked. That was the most concerning thing. "I''m not sure. There are some surprise royalty guests, but it''s infrequent." Damien answered leisurely, "I know that you can handle it. You were able to manage prince Gavinus and his party, including the family of Guardian. So this trivial matter shouldn''t bother you too much." Lixon sighed. He was grilled by this man last week, so he doesn''t have any choice but to tell him about his adventures in the Dead Forest. But no matter how insistent he was in asking him about the case related to the family of Guardian, he kept his mouth shut. That is something that he needed to guard since it involved the Guardian spirit, Funis. He opened the invitation and saw the date, time, and place. The event will occur on Wednesday evening of this week, so he still has at least two days to prepare. Duke''s Xander Creep, one of the prominent personalities of the empire, will host the event. The Duke was one of the neutral parties when it came to the fight for the throne. He was also a close friend of the current emperor, Thomas Udeville. Lixon would include parties such as this, but he did that to add some plot to the story. Now that he thought about it, he would engage the main and supporting characters with idle chatter. I hope that no one from the royal family attended the banquet at all. It''s not that he can''t handle it, but he was just too lazy to bother. *** The day of the banquet arrived, and Lixon found himself stared by three sparkling eyes. "Wow! I told you he could rival the appearance of the princes of this empire." Thedios, the gray cat exclaimed. Damien also clapped his hands, amazed by his looks. Lixon was wearing a red coat with buttons that had some magical patterns on them. He also wore an inner white shirt. The owner paired it with black trousers and leather shoes. Lastly, they placed three gold chains that connected to his shoulder and chest pocket.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Damien also made some arrangements to his hair that made Lixon think he was a hairstylist. The owner also added a dangling male earring on his left ear. "That looks so cool!" It was Aerious, the white cat. "Am I not overdressed?" Lixon asked. He felt like he was attending some cosplay as a prince at some party. However, if he thought about the standard of this world, this was something normal. "Of course not!" Damien answered, "You will be attending as my representative, so I can''t have you look pitiful." "Why? Are you some illustrious figure in the past?" Lixon questioned in passing. "Oh? Are you curious?" "No." He immediately rejected when he saw the sparkling eyes of his boss. ''I don''t want to know some useless secrets. I had enough,'' Lixon added. "I will have Aerious accompany you to the event. It would be best if you had a bodyguard, and he was also very familiar with these banquets." A purple mist covered the white cat when Damien mentioned this, transforming him into a cute teenage boy with white hair. Lixon was expecting him to have some cat ears but remembering that humans often discriminated against beast people, Damien may have done something to make it like a human ear. Aerious was wearing an all-black outfit and bowed towards Lixon. "Tonight, I will be at your disposal. I hate humans, but since my master trusts you so much, I will make an exception." Lixon shrugged his shoulder when he heard this. "The carriage is waiting for you outside. I already loaded the gift for the Duke. You have to get used to this since this will become part of your obligation in the future." The owner explained. ''Well, I hope I don''t need to attend many events before I can figure out how to return to my world.'' Lixon thought while slowly nodding to his current boss. "Then I will be going." He stepped into the carriage. Aerious took the driver''s seat, and they started their journey to Duke Xander''s residence. Lixon leaned on the carriage and closed his eyes. It took them almost half an hour drive before he felt that they were slowing down. He slowly moved the curtain and saw many luxurious-looking carriages ahead of them. Well, his can be considered on par with them. Lixon had to admit that Damien was experienced when it came to these kinds of events. He looked at his back, and he noticed that he was the last person to arrive. Everyone got off from their carriages and walked towards the gate of the large mansion. "Master Lixon, we have arrived," Aerious informed him. Lixon raised his right brow when he heard how the white cat addressed him. ''Well, that''s unexpected,'' he thought. He noticed that some of the visitors came in pairs. Others came with their families, and there were also some special loners. Every guest had to come forward to the Duke to present their gifts. When Lixon was nearing the area, something bothered him. "Do we have to walk on that red carpet?" He asked Aerious in a low voice. "Duke Xander sometimes can be eccentric, but this had been the tradition for the past five years. And I heard that the visitors like it." Aerious responded. Lixon secretly rolled his eyes, ''Is this some red carpet fashion show of some celebrity? He is not attending some awarding ceremony, is he?'' "Is this one of the reasons why sir Damien is not attending this event?" The white cat lightly coughed but did not answer. Everyone gave their invitation to the attending servant, and almost everyone raised their chin when their name was called and had to walk on the red carpet. ''Wow, they are enjoying it.'' Aerious informed Lixon that their boss was one of the close friends of the Duke. But the white cat also added that the nobles hated him because of his straightforward personality. He also doesn''t think twice when offending them, and this notorious personality made him so famous in a negative way. Now it was his turn to be called. Aerious gave the invitation to the servant, and Lixon observed the change in his facial expression when he read the written name. ''He is indeed popular.'' Before the servant called the name, Lixon immediately cut him off because he noticed that he did not even bother to look at him and verified whether he was that person or not. "Sir Damien is not here." When the servant heard a different voice, he immediately looked up and found a handsome young man in elegant clothing smiling at him gently. He almost failed to react. If he said that his appearance could rival the princes of this empire, no one would criticize him. "My name is Lixon Rayver. I am sir Damien''s representative." The young man introduced himself. "Ah, my apologies, my Lord," The servant coughed twice before announcing his name. "Sir Damien''s representative, Lord Lixon Rayver, has arrived." When the guests heard this announcement, all their focus turned to the new visitor, but when the young man stepped onto the red carpet, he listened to some gasp around him. Lixon was not used to getting some attention; this was too much for the thin-skinned like him to handle. ''Be cool and look forward.'' He chanted while walking towards Duke Xander. Even the man was looking at him without blinking. When he reached the host, the young man bowed and greeted the celebrant with a smile. "Greetings, Duke Xander Creep. Sir Damien would like to ask for your forgiveness. He had another appointment to attend to, that''s why he sent me here. So please accept his simple gift as his token of apology." Aerious handed the exquisite box to the Duke. When he opened it, his face showed a pleased expression before closing the box again. Finally, he shook his head while smiling. "Ayah, if he said that this gift is simple, I would be ashamed." He then looked towards Lixon amiably. "Thank you for sending the gift, but I would say that your appearance did light up my banquet." "You praise me too much, your grace. I am nothing compared to you." "Hahaha, I''m flattered. Please guide sir Lixon to his table." He spoke to one of the servants. When he finally settled, he felt that someone was staring daggers at him. He looked around and found the lady guardian, Madison Saintinne that he met recently. If looks can kill, he might be dead right now. He shook his head and took the wine prepared for him, and started to sip. When everyone settled, there was a surprise announcement from the doorkeeper. "Prince Bryan Udeville has arrived!" Lixon almost choked when he heard it. If he ranked people among his written characters he doesn''t want to associate with; this first prince will be among the top lists. As if that announcement was not enough to shock everyone, the doorkeeper made a follow-up. "Prince Gavinus Udeville has arrived!" Lixon almost cursed, ''Didn''t he say that royalties who attend this event are infrequent?!'' Chapter 09-So Annoying Chapter 09-So Annoying Everyone turned their heads to the entrance. Gavinus appearance made everyone''s face stiffened, and that is something to be expected. It''s rare for the fifth prince to attend banquets unless the imperial family hosted it. The prince was with his butler. Lixon remembered that orange-haired teenager because he was one of his favorite characters in his novel. The competent two-faced assistant of Gavinus, Aries Lambert. The young man came from a fallen viscount family from a small kingdom. When Gavinus once traveled to their neighboring empire, he encountered Aries and discovered his talent. The two princes followed Duke Xander to the VVIP area. Lixon can''t help but sigh. ''Even though they wanted to kill each other, they can still smile and pretend to be close siblings. What a family.'' He almost placed his hand on his forehead. ''Ah, right, I forgot. I made it that way.'' Lixon saw that the area where they were headed needed to pass through their tables since Damien was among the important guest of the Duke. ''I''m just an insignificant encounter to this prince. So he will pay no attention to me, right?'' Lixon tried to convince himself. He pretended to be busy with food, praying that they would silently ignore him. But this was bound to be impossible when he noticed that Prince Gavinus paused, turned towards him, and smiled when the group was about to pass their table. ''S***!'' Lixon almost cursed. "It''s good to see you again, sir Lixon." Gavinus greeted him with a gentle gaze. ''This little-'' When the guests heard his greeting, everyone turned their attention to Lixon. He even noticed that some of them started to murmur. The first prince, Bryan, looked at him with some curiosity. Gavinus, aside from his being cunning and vicious, is known to have very few acquaintances. Not unless he deemed you valuable or placed you of great importance. At least, that''s how Lixon made him be. So now he doesn''t have a choice but to stand and greet this brat. The young man returned his smile as if he was genuinely happy to see the prince. "Greetings, prince Gavinus. It''s good to see you as well." ''Hurry up, do your thing and leave me alone.'' He wanted to add. "Seems like sir Damien is very busy because he sent you here." "Younger imperial brother, this person is?" It was prince Bryan who suddenly interrupted their conversation.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Oh, let me introduce you. This gentleman here is sir Lixon Rayver. He is the trusted person of sir Damien." ''What nonsense is he talking about?'' Lixon silently rolled his eyes. When Bryan heard the name Damien, his face immediately changed, which did not skip Lixon''s eyes. Prince Bryan then smiled amiably towards him. "It''s great to make you an acquaintance. My name is Bryan Udeville, the first prince of the Udeville empire." He extended his hands towards him, which he grabbed and lightly shook. "My name is Lixon Rayver. It''s my honor, your highness." After these small greetings, they continued to walk to their table and settled. The banquet proceeded smoothly. But Lixon could feel some heated stares directed toward him. ''This is not good. My intuition is telling me, It will now become annoying from here on.'' Sigh. ''This is one of the reasons why I don''t want to get entangled with the royal family.'' When he heard the Duke announced that they could start socializing, Lixon immediately stood from his seat and made his way to the back garden. "Phew." Lixon exhaled, "This is tiring." He stood there for almost five minutes before he heard the familiar voice of a female. "We meet again, Mr. Fraudster." ''Here we go again.'' He turned to find Madison Saintinne in her beautiful green gown staring at him with a cold face. "What do you want?" He asked with some indifference. She crossed her arms and raised her brows, "I''m a bit astonished that you were able to attend this kind of banquet. Are you here to con someone?" "If I knew that I would meet you, I would think twice before coming here." He replied with some annoyance. "What did you say!?" "You heard me already, so don''t let me repeat myself." After saying this, he walked past her. "Stop right there!" She shouted. But who is she to stop him? He was too exhausted. This is why they said that introverts could quickly get tired from too much crowd. "Hey!" He turned again with some irritation. "Why do you keep on approaching me? Do you like me that much?" Lixon asked. Madison''s eyes widened, and her face turned red from anger when she heard this. "Who would like someone like you?!" Lixon shrugged his shoulder, "Not sure because I''m good looking?" He was actually getting a goosebump when he heard himself say this. The young man noticed that the lady in front of him was gritting her teeth. Sigh. "I''m kidding." He lightly shook his head before continuing, "If you don''t have an important reason to approach me, let''s stay away from each other, shall we? Oh, and if you are still suspicious about me...." He pulled out something from his inner pocket and showed it to Madison. It was the medallion given to him by the head guardian. "That...Why do you have that?" She asked with a widened eye. He put it back before answering her, "Why don''t you ask your grandfather. He gave it to me, saying that I could use it when something annoying happened. Just like now." He observed that she was taken aback for a while, but he was too lazy to bother. So instead, he started to walk again. He was about to return to the banquet area when he saw a group of male nobles approaching their side. He stopped on his track, and he felt someone bumped from his back. "Why did you stop?" It was Madison with her irritated voice. "Look who we have here?" It was a black-haired youth around fifteen years old. He first looked at Madison and respectfully bowed, "Greetings, Lady Madison Saintinne." The other nobles did the same. But, this time, they all looked to the young man in front of them. "Your name was Lixon Rayver, right?" The black-haired youth asked again. Lixon tried to remember who this person was. He might be one of the side characters that he tended to forget after they were done with their purpose. "You are?" "Oh, my name is Michael Fritz, and I am the first son of Marquis Leonel. Please to meet you." He extended his hand. Lixon was about to grab it when Michael pulled it back. "Ah, I forgot that you are not a noble. My father told me that I should be careful when shaking hands with other people, especially if they are not aristocrats." The other nobles from behind held their laugh when they saw this. Lixon gently smiled while thinking. ''Where did this jerk came from?'' Chapter 10 – Dealing with Cliché Chapter 10 ¨C Dealing with Clich¨¦ Madison stared at the group of nobles, then back to Lixon, whose back is still facing her. She smirked and thought. "What are you going to do now?" She was not planning to step in either. Why would she help someone who almost annoyed her to death? Let''s see what his glib tongue can do. The group of nobles stared at Lixon, waiting for him to flip out. Some even have taunting looked at them. The young man made another sigh. He was losing his patience now. "If that would be the case, then I''ll be on my way then." He answered while shrugging his shoulder. Why does he need to deal with some side characters that he tends to forget? It''s not like he asked this person to approach him either. He then started to walk past the group without sparing them a glance. "Sorry, but I don''t usually do clich¨¦." Lixon thought. If this is a typical novel with some familiar scenes, the main lead will definitely fight back or maybe do some exchange of hot words to some typical villain. But why would he do that? He is not part of the characters. He is the creator of the characters. All of them were dumbfounded, including Madison whose expecting some entertaining scene. "Hey, YOU!" Michael shouted at him. Lixon wanted to roll his eyes. Why are they calling him "hey you" when he has a name. Did he make many rude characters such as this? But, instead, he continued to walk, ignoring the group. "LIXON RAYVER!" So he knows his name. The young man stopped on his track and turned, "What?" He saw Michael crossed his arms and smirked. "Who gives you the courage to be arrogant? Is it because you are acquainted with the royal family? Let me tell you this; they are only nice to you because of sir Damien." Lixon tilted his head then answered, "I wanted to clarify something since I think the young master Michael wasn''t able to see the whole event. I did not approach them; they were the ones who greeted me. I''m not thick-skinned to do that because, as you have mentioned, I am not from a noble family." He raised his brows and continued, "If there is nothing important, then I''ll be leaving." He again turned his back, but he could feel that Michael walked faster than ever while speaking, "Don''t turn your back when I''m not done talking!" Lixon felt an ominous premonition as he looked back. What he saw was an approaching fist towards his face. He instinctively stepped back, seeing this. But before it reached him, a hand seized it. "Let me go!" Michael shouted as he tried to pull back his hand. But instead of letting go, the man twisted his arm and threw him to the ground. "AHHH! MY ARM!" Michael grimaced in pain as he rolled on the ground. All of the remaining nobles were shocked. Lixon looked at the familiar man in front of him. He was a tall blonde man with a handsome figure. The young man saw him turned his head and spoke in an irritated voice. "Are you a magnet of trouble?" Of course, the person was none other than Davis. The captain of the knights of prince Gavinus.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "What''s happening here?!" They all saw a chubby middle-aged man approaching their group. He had black hair with some white strands showing. With him are other aristocrats who attended the party. He stared at the man on the ground and glared at Davis. "What did you do to my son?" Davis smirked and answered him, "So, he is the son of Viscount Leonel? Didn''t you teach your son some manners? Especially in this kind of event?" "Who are you to talk to me about manners?" The chubby man answered him while looking down at Davis. "Father, he broke my arm," Michael spoke pitifully. Lixon rolled his eyes. Where did his arrogance go? He might win the best actor award for his performance. "I''m just trying to get to know sir Lixon, but his guard suddenly seized my arm and threw me on the ground." "My guard?" "His guard?" Davis and Lixon spoke almost at the same time. Viscount Leonel turned towards the other young nobles, and they saw them nodded. Madison, on the other hand, just crossed her arms and smiled. The Viscount then directed his glaring eyes to Lixon. "Didn''t you teach your guard some manners?!" ''Oh wow, so it became my fault now.'' If that is the case, then... "What is this commotion about?" This time it was Duke Xander''s group with prince Gavinus. "Greetings, your highness!" Viscount Leonel saw this as an opportunity and informed the Duke and the prince about the matter. When they heard about the guard, Gavinus turned his head towards Davis. "I didn''t know that you already resigned from your position as my captain, Davis?" "Ah?!" All of them stared at the handsome blonde man then back to prince Gavinus. Then, realizing that they made some error in judgment, all of them sweated. "It''s his fault!" Michael shouted, pointing towards Lixon. "I approached him with good intention, but he was rude to me!" Gavinus and Duke Xander focused on the young man, and they saw him staring at Michael with some indifference. Finally, he sighed, then silently removed the earring on his left ear. "You can decide whether I am innocent or not if you play this recording. I also don''t mind if you play it here." ''Use it when necessary'' He remembered Damien''s words when he handed him the earring. "That..."Michael''s face turned pale seeing the earring. Lixon handed it over to the Duke. "I think there was a slight misunderstanding in here. Let''s not be serious about this matter." Michael spoke nervously. "What are you saying?" It was Viscount Leonel, "No! I will straighten this matter. Since the Duke and the prince is here, they will serve as a witness." "Father..." Michael almost teared up by this turn of events. Gavinus smiled, seeing this reaction, "Sure, I will serve as a witness." "So do I," Duke Xander readily agreed. When the recording played for all to see, the Viscount''s face almost turned red out of anger and shame. Then, he glared towards his son. "You useless scum!" He shouted angrily. "Shouldn''t you be apologizing?" Gavinus spoke with a smile on his face, interrupting their act. "You almost accused an innocent person. Is this how the Viscount handles his territory?" Viscount Leonel stiffened when he heard this. He then stared at Lixon, who was looking at him with emotionless eyes in return. "I apologize on behalf of my son''s behavior." He bowed his head. Lixon sneer. If it''s not because of the recording, they might drag him already and accuse him of some nonsense. He was about to answer when he heard Aerious voice. "Do you think an apology is enough?" Aerious appeared beside him like a phantom and looked at the father and son duo with cold eyes. "Why, is it not enough that my son broke his arm?" The Viscount responded as if they should be the one getting an apology. "Oh, if he did not break his arm, Master Lixon''s face will be broken because of his fist. He deserves it if you are going to ask me." "What did you say?!" The Viscount asked angrily. "Shouldn''t you be paying for some compensation? You almost ruined my master''s reputation." Aerious replied, ignoring the Viscount''s anger. Lixon stared at the teenage boy. He didn''t know that this kid didn''t want to lose to an argument. "Tsk! We already apologize, and that is enough." Leonel answered firmly. Aerious smiled and responded. "That''s fine if you don''t want to compensate." He then continued, "With all the people here as a witness, I at this moment declare that the Viscount''s family will be banned from Damien''s M. Store as long as it exists." "What?!" All of the people around were shocked. Though they did not like Damien at all, he is a well-known wizard with an excellent apothecary. But, unfortunately, being banned from his store means that you will no longer have access to the high-grade potions and medicines that even the royal family wished to attain. "Sir Lixon here is representing my master on this event. Being rude to him means the same to master Damien. How dare you, a mere Viscount family, look down on my master when even the imperial family doesn''t dare." Viscount Leonel paled hearing this. He now understood the gravity of his situation. If this continues, then their family will have a hard road ahead. "That---" "It''s enough." It was Lixon who interrupted their word fight with his usual calm voice. He smiled towards Viscount, "I do not dare to request compensation from the Viscount. However, I hope that you can learn from this event, and," He turned his eyes towards Michael whose still seated on the ground, "Learn some manners because nobles should act like one." He bowed towards the Duke and the prince, "I appreciate your help and assistance. We will be leaving." Both Lixon and Aerious then left the banquet. Chapter 11-You Can’t Return Yet After a while, the carriage stopped, and Thedios opened the door for them. The young man looked around and observed that they were in front of the gate of a city. For some reason, he could feel a gloomy atmosphere when he stared at the entrance. He looked back at the carriage, which was currently parked behind them. The two cats were transformed in their human form, standing on Lixon''s and Damien''s sides. "Why did we alight from the carriage?" He asked curiously. "This is the rule of this place, no vehicle is allowed to enter, so we have to walk on foot." "I see. Can I ask you another question?" "Go ahead."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Why is it that you did not use your magic? Isn''t it faster to use teleportation?" "You''re quite observant." Damien complimented him, then answered, "It''s because this place has no exact coordinates. So, if you try to use teleportation, you might get lost in some unknown places." They approached the red gate that looked like it was painted by dried blood from the outside. There were two statues beside it. Lixon discovered that they were skeletons holding sickles on their hands. Maybe it''s his imagination, but he felt like the two were staring at him intently. His hair stood from its end, and he felt uncomfortable. When they were about to pass the gate, a sudden sharp pain hit Lixon''s head, and he grimaced. Then, he subconsciously grabbed Damien''s arm while the other was holding his head. "Are you okay?" Damien was also startled. Aerious and Thedious steadied him from the side. He tried to open his eyes, but there was a heavy pressure pouring inside his brain. He doesn''t know what happened next. All he could remember was him blacking out and the worried face of Damien when he was falling on the ground. Chapter 12-The City of Cairo at Night Once they entered the city, the daylight from the outside transitioned to twilight, as they entered into a different dimension. But one thing that bothered Lixon was the unusual quietness of the place. It''s like a deserted city. "What is the name of this place?" He asked even though he already knew the answer. "Cairo," Damien responded. He looked around to observe. First, Lixon saw some streetlights were illuminating their way, but the lights kept on flickering as if they would be gone at any moment. Then, after a few minutes of their walking, he saw a figure appear from a corner then walked towards them while playing the accordion.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. It was a male clown. He was singing in a voice that sounded like it came from the bottom of a pit. It was muffled. When you walk at night, Some eyes are staring at you. Are they friends or foes? You do not know. In this night, who knows? You can become a corpse without you knowing? ''What a creepy song,'' Lixon thought. The young man observed his other group members, but they looked like they were not noticing the joker in front of them. Then the clown stopped on its tracks and laughed loudly. But the next scene made Lixon''s heart almost jump. The clown''s head flew towards them like someone cut it off, and then it landed near his feet. Chapter 13-Lord Topaz Grey "You are here." It was a voice of a young male, "This is the second time that you have to come here during dawn. I''m glad that you are still alive." They all turned their focus on the kid around ten years old sitting leisurely on one of the couches. He was a handsome kid with black eyes and hair, wearing long ruffled white sleeves tucked with black pants. He may look young, but his demeanor was that of an adult.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Good to see you, sir Topaz Grey," Damien replied while smiling faintly. The kid called Topaz turned his head towards Lixon then asked, "This is?" "My new assistant, Lixon Rayver." "Oh?" He stood from his couch and walked towards them. He extended his hand then greeted the young man, "Please to meet you." Lixon also reached his hand, but he suddenly froze when he made contact with it. The kid''s hand was cold as an ice block. He subconsciously retook his hand and felt that his hair stood because of its coldness. Chapter 14-The Authority of the Creator The subconscious walked towards him, and Lixon saw him hugged his body and disappeared. After that, the cave returned to its tranquility. The young man''s eyes were closed for a moment, then opened it after a while. The eyes of Lixon turned emotionless while looking at the open book. He waved his hand and from nothingness appeared a quill. He grabbed it and started to write the following lines: "Is it painful?"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "What?" The kid replied with a confused look. "Aren''t those chains bounding you to this place?" Topaz crossed his arms and peeked towards Damien; the latter shrugged his shoulder, indicating he didn''t know what was happening. "That''s right. The grudges of those souls and those that could not have peace are bounding me to this place." He explained. Topaz then continued, "That is why Damien is helping me on sending those souls to peace." All of them heard the young man lightly chuckled then, in a hypnotic voice, spoke. "Do you want me to send many of them at once?" Chapter 15 – The Vampire of the Fragrance City
"My master had been waiting for you for a while," Neil informed Damien as they were walking. "Oh, my apologies. I''ve been busy in these past couple of months tending to my business." The owner replied. Neil did not answer him. Instead, he led them to the basement, and Lixon could only saw some torches illuminating their way. Then they entered a very spacious room without any window. Lixon looked at the middle part of the room and blinked his eyes a couple of times.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ''Am I seeing coffin again? Do Damien''s clients had some affinity with death-related objects?'' The young man was in the middle of his inner monologue when Neil approached the casket. "Master, sir Damien is here." When Lixon heard this, a bad idea popped into his mind. ''I¡­have a bad feeling about this.'' They heard a light creek from the casket, and the lead fell to the ground with a loud thud. Lixon stared at the man who sat up from the coffin. It was a very handsome young man with a face that could rival Topaz. He had long silver hair and red eyes and based on this appearance. There was only one fantasy creature that could fit this definition: Vampire.
Chapter 16 - Encounter The person had a muscular physique and was wearing a white robe. His brown hair was tied in a bun, and he was looking down at him. "I''m sorry," he apologized immediately. He then turned to look for his group members. But before he was able to leave, someone grabbed his wrist. Lixon flinched and looked back. The one holding it was the masked man. "Excuse me, sir, but can you let go?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He tried to pull it, but the hands whose grabbing him was more substantial than he imagined. "Who are you?" Lixon heard the muffled voice of the man. "Huh?" ''Why the hell are you grabbing me if you don''t know who I am?'' He wanted to complain. But the man''s following words almost froze the young man on the spot. "You are not from here, are you?" But considering that he is indeed not from the Fragrance City, Lixon recovered right away and answered, "That''s right, I''m just a traveler." The young man heard the masked man chuckled and felt that he tightened his hold of his wrist. "You. Are. Not. From. Here. Are. You?" he repeated the praise, emphasizing every word. He was telling him that he was not referring to his answer. Chapter 17 - The Witch Lixon quietly received it and slowly stepped towards the cell. He saw the witch lying there with her bloodied clothes. She still had the shackles on her feet and hands. She slowly opened her eyes and looked towards Lixon. The young man sat on one of the stones on the cell. He then heard the witch''s voice. "I''m sorry."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Why are you apologizing?" He asked. She smiled weakly and replied, "Because you have to die at such a young age." "It was my fate to die here, just like it was your fate to die without seeing your son grow." Lixon removed the lead from the porcelain container he was holding and poured the liquid on the ground. "Giving you this would make me your murderer. And I don''t want to make you suffer that you already had." He turned his head and looked at the woman in the eyes. The witch seeing this action, lightly laughed and spoke. "What an odd kid." Authors Note My apologies if some of the readers of this book got confused about the content. I posted an author''s note on Chapter 11, but I bet some weren''t able to read it. Also, I already posted it as a note after Chapter 10 (if I''m not mistaken). This book had already signed an exclusive contract with the Popink; hence, I could not post the original chapters, only excerpts from the initial chapters/teasers. However, if you are still interested in reading the story, you may download the Popink app from Playstore/AppStore and read it from there.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Since I got so many confused readers, I will not be posting any teasers or excerpts from the original from hereon. Thank you for reading the story, by the way.