《Fractured God》


 Chapter 0

    There once existed a god.


    In fact, he could even be called ''the'' God as he was the only one left.


    He stood at the top of existence although he wasn''t by himself.


    Though not quite gods they might as well have been to the common people. They were his angels.


    While he considered humanity a treasure to be cherished, the angels were simply something he created to help him maintain them if some external factor were to ever come about.


    He couldn''t have done it himself as his power was too great for the world to ever handle (though he was at times able to find workarounds). He adored humanity but couldn''t help but wonder if his own bias towards them was impacting them in any way.


    While he liked to believe he was impartial to humanity and would only interfere at their most dire hours, he knew better than anyone that was not the case. He tried to respect their self-autonomy; he couldn''t help himself sometimes if they would tear themselves apart with no inference from demons or work on the demons'' behalf to drag their fellow man.


    He soon came to a conclusion.


    One supreme being is not enough.


    While the angels were indeed created to help him guide humanity he soon found himself loving them almost as much as humanity. He initially thought of them as nothing more than drones but eventually saw them develop individuality however minute it may have been compared to humanity.


    So he decided who better to pass on his power towards than them. Specifically his archangels. The beings that stood atop of his creations. If one felt like it, it would make an afternoon activity of ridding the world of any sort of life larger than an amoeba. Yet that would be the last thing any of them would do. It would be blasphemous to even consider destroying a creation of their master.


    When presented with the proposition they profusely refused it. Yet their master would not relent. He had seen his existence as flawed and hoped they would have been an improvement. What he asked was simple.


    "Protect humanity and this world the best way you may see fit. That is all I ask."


    They refused and called the rest of heaven to their aid but unlike the archangels themselves, those below could in no way disobey their creator no matter what their true feelings were.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    God looked at this and felt sympathy for his creations. He felt as if he was rigging a vote by simply existing but he still believed this was the right decision. He may be almighty but he was still only one being. Having multiple almighties would surely be for humanity''s benefit.


    After seeing their lord''s seriousness most of them accepted. Their creator breathed a sigh of relief and made one his penultimate act.


    He visited every angel and said his goodbyes. He was unsure after he distributed his power if they would feel the same they did now but if comforting them would lessen the sorrow they currently felt it was well worth it. He even visited those that had fallen and treated them no different than those in the heavens.


    After comforting his archangels, he performed his final act. He distributed his power to each one of them transforming them from mere archangels to fully-fledged gods. One became tied to the concept of femininity, one tied to strength, one was unsure what direction to put himself in, one became the final judge, one dedicated himself to observation, another to defence or rather protection. After they confirmed they could no longer find their lord''s presence in the world, the heavens cried continually for decades. After finally getting their sorrows out they began to follow their lord''s request.


    They soon spread the word of their lord''s departure but it took some effort to convince the hard-headed priests of the church. Some even dared to accuse them of usurping their creator''s throne for themselves. They found solace in the fact that most of those who did so had already lived a life worthy of being sent to hell.


    Most of humanity was astonished by this as the original only delivered messages in dire times. Though, one could argue that having new gods in charge was a dire situation.


    The churches of old soon faded and new ones came from its husk.


    Futile struggles began but as most things do they faded with time and the four churches eventually ended their qualms (The gods had a heavy hand in this). For the gods, claims of land and riches and all other reasons religions would use to justify their attack on another was less than desirable for them even if it was something their former lord would find interesting.


    They had one and only goal. To protect humanity in the best way they saw fit. While some formed churches others had no interest. Humans were fickle creatures and would defy even gods if they felt like they had a just cause. Those two believed that, though their reasons greatly differed. They went about performing the task without the use of a church in their own unique ways.


    While they were carrying their master''s last request it did not mean they didn''t have goals of their own.


    Although most of these were quite mundane such as "become a better god" or "find a role that suits them", one of them had a much more tangible goal.


    To find the fallen archangel. While the others were somewhat concerned about this, the fallen angel had shown no signs of movement even after their lord''s disappearance.


    In fact, it seemed the forces of hell had slowed down, though what this meant they did not know. After realizing how annoying it was not having a church he decided to do something else to help his search.


    ''Making'' humans.


    Though the word making is used loosely here he did in fact modify several humans in an attempt to find the fallen angel. And it seems his work is now starting to bear fruit.

 Chapter 1

    A young man observes a distant village from a nearby cliff. "Well, it looks like I won''t have to scourge around the forest for food" he murmured to himself. The young man slowly begins his descent down, thinking, "Man, it''s already been four years. There''s no way in hell I''m still in Akumia after travelling all this time. I should probably ask the villagers about where the hell this place." the young man then stopped in his tracks.


    "But what if no one there speaks Akumian? Eh, at this point, hearing anybody speak it would honestly be a relief", he then decided he''d figure out how to deal with them speaking or not speaking Akumian when he got to the village. Now, who was this eccentric young with a habit of making conversation with himself? His name was Tibaut Agirow and he had been travelling (more accurately trying to escape) his home country of Akumia for quite some time now.


    His hair was a dark muddy brown and nearly touching his knees, and his body''s current state, in terms of cleanliness, could only be described as ''ghastly''. His clothes were dirty and had so many holes in them that walking around in a potato sack would be considered more civilised and he smelt of a neglected chicken coop. With the village within eyeshot, he started sniffing himself. "Man, I hope I find a river soon, it''s been a few weeks since I''ve had a bath," he said with his face dejected.


    Eventually, he reached the entrance of the village, however, something definitely seemed off. "You know, it''s kind of odd for a village to be this silent so close to noon". He cautiously approached one of the houses and knocked on the door. Nothing. "Well, maybe they''re working the fields or something, not every villager has the luxury to stay home for most of the day," he thought to himself. He tried another. No response. And another. Zilch.


    "I''m probably just overthinking this, I''ll just go loo-" As he was about to walk away from the door, he noticed it was ever so slightly open. He opened the door and decided to look inside for a bit. Unsurprisingly there was no one inside, however, oddly enough there were a few chairs and some bowls with what looked like oatmeal that were knocked over and on the floor. "Hmm, what could have caused this" he pondered before hearing a discreet thud sound in the direction of the bedroom.


    He slowly entered but saw nothing out of the ordinary until he looked under the bed. Before he could react dust was thrown in his face and whatever had thrown it used the opportunity to jump through the window and run away. "Goddamnit, I loosen my guard for a second and this happens" he then begins to profusely wipe his eyes out. "Shit, that stings, what even is thi-" he then begins to smell the powder "Is this flour?" he looks outside the window and notices the footprints left in the dirt are quite a bit smaller than average size. "Tch, what a brat" he then cracks his knuckles, "looks like I''ll have to teach someone a lesson." He then vaults over the window and starts slowly following the little footsteps.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    While following the trail he cools off a bit and thinks to himself "Well, I did technically break into his house, so maybe I''ll just give the kid a flick on the head or something." As he continues his leisurely chase, he notices something odd. In the centre of the village, he notices a large pile. A large pile of what you may ask? Who knows, it''s been covered with a large sheet of cloth. However, it''s what Tibaut saw next that gave him a hint. There was blood splattered with splotches of various sizes surrounding the covered pile.


    His face straightened, and he slowly began approaching the covered pile. "Maybe it''s just a pile of diseased animals" he tried to rationalize. For all he knew a plague could be ravaging the local farm animals. Unfortunately, as he pulled up the cover, he was forced to accept reality. While he was unsurprised, it did still fill him with a flurry of emotions. "Wha-why, who would!?". He couldn''t even begin to find the words for the atrocity in front of him. Men, women, children and the elderly were all stacked in a pile about 3 metres tall at its ''peak'', with some with smashed limbs and faces and others with lacerations and various body parts cleanly sliced off. Before he could even get his thoughts in order, a piercing screech assaulted his ears before disappearing just as quickly. "The brat."


    He ran in the direction of the sound as fast as his legs could throw him. Greeting him when he reached the house of the noise was a woman. The sheen of her hair combined with the colour one might be mistaken to think she has threads of gold for hair, green eyes as stunning as a lovingly polished emerald and a body that was neither in excess nor lacking when it came to certain features while the leather and plate armour she was wearing seemed like it had no intention of hiding it.


    For Tibaut, who was lucky if he saw more than a handful of women a year, he would have praised God and engraved her very image into his soul. So why didn''t he? Oh, that''s simple, there was blood on her sword. While that alone may not be a deal breaker for some, the house she was standing in was littered with the bodies of various men with stab wounds and a young girl with a slit on her throat struggling to breathe.


    "Are you one of them?" she plainly asked. It was a simple question however the words could not leave Tibaut''s mouth. ("Do I answer? Will she let me go if I say no? Why the hell did I even come here?") As his head swirled and swirled with questions, he was quickly snapped back to reality as the blonde fiend started to approach him. He knew talking wasn''t going to get him anywhere and so he readied himself.

 Chapter 2

    ("Been a while since I''ve fought a person, all I can do is hope she''s third-rate") he thought as he prepared a fireball in one hand. "So that''s your answer." she nonchalantly remarked. She took up a fighting stance and Tibaut braced himself for what was about to come next.


    He took the initiative and threw his fireball while she responded by gracefully dodging it and closing the short distance between them as quickly as possible. He prepared another fireball but she had already closed in. She swung her blade at him while thinking "Well this was eas-" before being slugged by Tibaut''s free hand. She flew back a few meters but effortlessly landed on her feet.


    The only thing the punch seemed to do was piss her off. It seemed to have cut her lip but she simply wiped the blood with her thumb and turned to Tibaut. She looked at him like a lion stalking its prey. Tibaut, undeterred, simply threw another fireball but before he could even finish the motion of the throw she closed the distance between them with even greater speed than before and slugged him with a punch of her own.


    For a brief moment, Tibaut''s consciousness fades and she grabs his neck. He quickly comes back and kicks off her chest to break her grip. He holds his neck while thinking to himself, "Who the hell is this monster? Between getting hit by that or a bull, I''d probably take the bull. At least I''m warmed up now, so this fight shouldn''t be as bad going forward."


    The blonde menace continues her assault with her sword but Tibaut is just barely able to evade his way through the rain of stabs she throws his way. Tibaut tries to open some distance between them while throwing fireballs in a desperate attempt to be on the offensive while she follows ensuring to avoid the heat coming her way.


    Finally, *fsst* "Shit" He audibly mumbled. When tried to summon a fireball, all that came out was a minuscule spark. Even though all that appeared on the woman''s face was a mild smirk, Tibaut knew what this signified. ("You''re in deep shit now") was probably what the blonde banshee was thinking. With that in mind, Tibaut charged her to at least try to gain an advantage in close quarters. He came in swinging and was briefly able to put her on the defensive.


    However, her lack of effort was now quite evident. It was quickly apparent what she doing to Tibaut. She was taking it easy. She no longer saw this as a life or death. She believed her victory was assured. Eventually, Tibaut attacks slowed down. And he started to audibly breathe hard. The blonde demon immediately took note of this and started back the previously suspended offensive.


    All Tibaut could possibly do was defend himself. He still was able to dodge the stabs he was being harassed by, though they were now able to make contact with his skin. While she was not able to land any decisive blows, she was whittling him down, ever so slightly. He could only do so much while she was inflicting various small cuts all over his body. Finally, he dropped his guard. "He finally realized he''s outclassed," the blonde woman thought to herself.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    She muttered under her breath "Was that all?". A smirk appeared on Tibaut''s face, "Heh, of course not." The blonde warrior was sent flying through the air however this time she sensed the damage was much more than superficial. Her back was burned and had also experienced an immense blow. While she was momentarily dazed by this Tibuat used this opportunity to pile on the pressure. He conjured three fireballs in front of him and sent them her way. "These aren''t that fast, I should be able to dodge and then-" But before finishing her thought these three spheres of fury assaulted the young woman.


    As the dust from the blast settles, the woman is still standing, guarding with her sword. Unfortunately, it was not enough. Her hands were numb from the shock of the blast. She sustained several burns on her body including half of her face. Her body was screaming out in pain but she refused to entertain it. "Where the hell is he getting this strength from? Wasn''t he out of mana?" and then the realization hit her. She starts laughing "Ha ha ha, you really let yourself become a punching bag for one good attack."


    "Out of the two of us, it was a bit obvious who the weaker one was," he said while shrugging his shoulders.


    "You coward, how dare you hide your strength from me!" she said while raising her voice.


    "Coward? I don''t know who taught you but I''d say they did a real crap job," he said with new-found confidence.


    She scowled at him. "You can shoot me nasty looks all you want but it''s not like I''m speaking out my ass." he continued "There was a power difference between us and I used my wit to overcome it. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is who survives an encounter. Anyone who doesn''t tell you at least that much is full of a load of sh-" Before Tibaut had realised, she was already in front of him. The only reason he hadn''t lost an arm was due to his beast-like reflexes.


    However, the top half of his right hand wasn''t as fortunate. With one look in her eyes, he knew she wasn''t going to give him the luxury of lecturing her anymore. Their fight quickly resumed with the blonde warrior pursuing the defensive Tibaut. "Damnit, she was just buying time to recover" he lamented "And she has the nerve to call me a coward". It seemed she was through playing games as each fireball he summoned was cut down before it could be used.


    Finally, Tibaut was cornered against the wall of a village house. He summoned three more fireballs as a last line of defence. She eradicated them as soon as he made them. ("If all you focus on is your front there''s no way you beat me") he triumphantly told himself while trying to keep a straight face. With how close she was to him, he could easily summon a fireball behind her. It would be nigh impossible for her to react to it. His victory was assured. However, just as it was summoned, within one motion she sliced through it and stabbed her blade directly into Tibaut''s chest.

 Chapter 3

    As if directly responding to the disbelief on his face she stated "It was your face. You were trying to hide a smirk, which reminded me of that little stunt you pulled off earlier. Unlike your comrades, at least have solace in the fact that you drove me further than all of them together ever could." As she begins to remove her blade Tibaut grabs her arm.


    She is somewhat shocked by this but thinks nothing of it as the man in front of her can barely speak much less restrain her. Then her ears are assaulted by a deafening boom. A smokescreen is formed by an explosion which she promptly backs out of. She surveyed her surroundings and her body and came to an unnerving realization. Her arm was gone.


    Everything below the elbow was presumably scattered all across the ground. She was in complete shock, the only thing her brain in this predicament was allowing her to do was stare at her lost limb. It might have been half a second or three but it was more than enough time for Tibaut to crawl from the smoke and grab her leg.


    Just like that, she was no longer able to run, all she could do was scurry away and hope the shock of the blast put him away for good. As if living only to defy her thoughts, not only was he alive, he was now standing up as well. As he was walking towards her, instead of feeling fear or trying to run away all she could think about was his hands. Those things on his arms could no longer be called hands. Every bone visible was broken beyond repair and the flesh on his hand looked like it had been removed by a shoddy chef with a dull trimming knife.


    ("Why, why is he doing this? If he had this much energy left, he could have run away") but before she could finish her thought, he placed his ''hand'' on her neck. He summoned a fireball. And another. And another. And another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. Another. He fell to the ground exhausted. Next to him lay an unidentifiable piece of charcoal that was vaguely in the shape of a woman with a few pieces missing here and there. As he slowly faded he had but one thought. ("Was I reborn for this? Was my only purpose for being reincarnated just to slay this monster?")


    But before he could finish his thought, he heard a wet, squelching sound. He witnessed the blackened mass quickly develop flesh and grow back the parts that were lost. Next, the skin was restored followed by the eyes with lastly the hair regrowing. All he could do was lay there dumbfounded as the woman he had sacrificed himself to defeat came back better than ever. He felt an odd sense of relief at this sight. "Hehe, I never stood a chance." His head fell to the ground, taking him to an eternal slumber he may never awaken from.


    <hr>


    The man is given a few gentle taps to the face "Zzzz, give me five minutes" a less gentle slap this time "Give me a break, Cillia" Tired of waiting she delivers a quick punch. "AW, What was that fo-" Tibaut complains before realising one very strange thing. He''s alive. In fact, he felt amazing. For the first time in nearly four years, he had gotten some proper rest. He briefly believed his battle may have been delirium caused by a poisonous mushroom. However, there were two damning pieces of evidence against this.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Exhibit A: He was currently tied to the bed, which was in and of itself self was bizarre since he hadn''t slept on a bed that wasn''t made of hay or dirt in the past four years.


    Exhibit B: Blondy was sitting in a chair next to his bed.


    "So are you an illusion master or are we both in hell right now?" She puts her hand on his reddened cheek and it starts to glow a comforting gold. Within an instant, what little pain he even noticed was removed entirely. "Okay, now I have an even better question for you. Why?" he asked.


    "You''re the only lead I have on the cult, so until you tell me what I want, you''re not allowed to die" she quickly responded.


    Tibaut twists his face in confusion. "The cult? Yeah right, you just made that up. Was the cult really the best thing you could come up with? Stop wasting my time and kill me already you banshee."


    She stabs him in the leg. He holds in the pain the best he can but he still makes a whimper. With a smile on her face, she continues her interrogation "Sorry about that, you aren''t called the cult, my mistake. So why''d don''t you tell what you call yourselves Mr. Fireball." All Tibaut could think was ("Why the hell did I have to become this immortal sadist''s plaything.")


    Just as Tibaut was about to resign himself to his faith a young girl entered the hut they were in. That young was the same one that had her throat slit. "You''re a real piece a shit, you know that?" he blurted. "Not only did you heal me, just to satisfy your sick kicks and turn me into a pin cushion, but you''ve also now decided that torturing someone your own size is too-" the girl raised her hand "Um, mister"


    "Huh, what is bra- little girl"


    "Miss Elizabeth saved me".


    The blonde woman presumably named Elizabeth interjects "You see, I happened to be near this place when I heard a scream. Apparently, there were cultists here so I took care of them. Imagine my surprise when I was about to heal the girl when you showed up."


    "oh" Tibaut replied. He was starting to see the picture and he didn''t like what it was showing him. ("I pissed off this once in a millennial monster for no reason. But, I mean who starts a conversation with ''Are you one of them'' in a village full of dead people? No one can blame me for thinking she''s evil right? Right!?") He tried to rationalize. ("Welp looks it''s the end of the road for this life. I wasn''t able to avenge anybody. Why the hell was I even born in this world to begin? Was my old life too cushy? Did God think I needed some adversity in my life? Well, I got it you bastard, enough to last several lives worth. I''m done, I don''t care anymore, do whatever you want with me.")


    "Um, mister are you alright?"


    "Oh, I''m fine kid. You might want to leave though, me and, uh, Miss Elizabeth have grown-up things to discuss"


    "Okay!" She exclaimed.


    Now the two of them were finally alone in the room. "So, did you really attack me, thinking I caused all this?" she asked.


    "What do you think?" He dejectedly replied.


    She begins to hold her head almost as if in anguish deliberating over something. She starts mumbling which makes her look like a woman possessed. "Be careful, you might burst a vein"


    "Shut up you walking pig-stye". After continuing for a few more moments she stops.


    "Oh, whatever." She pulls her sword out of Tibaut''s leg and strikes directly at him.

 Chapter 4

    To Tibaut''s surprise instead of striking to kill him, she had just cut the ropes binding him to the bed.


    "You could have just told me I was free to go. Those wouldn''t have been that difficult to escape from." Tibaut remarked.


    "Who said you were free? From this moment onward you work for me" she responded. Before Tibaut could even make a run for it Elizabeth grabbed him by one of the many holes in his clothing. "Listen, I can slit the tendons in your heels and drag you back with me or you can be a good boy and follow me on your own."


    Tibaut weighed both his options and decided the latter might be a hair bit better. Elizabeth begrudgingly healed his injured leg as it would make their journey easier. "So, what are you gonna do with that kid? Seems kinda rough to have lost her whole village" he asked


    "Oh, apparently she wasn''t from here. She was just visiting her relatives since their villages were so close," she responded.


    "You sure her place wasn''t ransacked?" Tibaut said with a mild sense of concern.


    "Considering I passed through there on my way here, I''m pretty sure." she responded slightly annoyed.


    "Sure we shouldn''t walk her back?" Tibaut insisted.


    "She''ll know her way back. Now if you keep talking, I''ll cut your legs. Now follow me. And keep your distance that smell coming off you is making my eyes water." She said as she held her nose for dear mercy. They now had a long journey ahead of them.


    <hr>


    "Huff, huff, my God do you know what a break is" Tibaut pleaded.


    "Quit complaining, we''ll be there soon enough," She told him.


    "Complaining? We''ve been running for over a day now." Tibaut complained.


    "If you''re complaining about something as simple as this, I''m honestly starting to question your value," she responded.


    Then Tibaut''s face seriously straightened and started to worry about his predicament.


    ("Wait, she couldn''t possibly know who I am? Shit, we are still talking Akumian so she might. Damnit is she thinking of pawning me off!?")


    "What, starting to get scared? For killing me, you''ll be lucky if you''re ever out of work" she said with a grin.


    ("Ah I see, I''m not getting pawned off, I''m just gonna be enslaved. Honestly, at this point, I think that might be the better fate.")


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "By the way" he asked.


    "What is-eugh, let''s take a break," She said with her face holding nothing but abject disgust. They came to a stop.


    "What''s with the change of heart?" he asked


    "It''s amazing how a small amount of sweat has made your odour so much more unbearable," She says before running to a nearby tree to vomit.


    ("Way to go bruise a guy''s ego").


    She returns in view of him while ensuring she''s facing windward. "So what were you asking again?"


    "What country are we in?" As soon as those words exited his mouth words could barely describe the face Elizabeth was making. A college professor who specialises in math being asked by one of his students what the answer to 3 x 3 is would make a kinder face. A woman being told by her boyfriend that he cheated on her with a dog would make a kinder face. Immediately sensing the verbal onslaught that was about to take place, he started talking before she had a chance. "Okay, listen I''ve been travelling for about 4 years now cut me some slack alright"


    "What kind of half-brained excuse is that, are we not speaking the same language right now?"


    "Yeah but, it''s not like there''s only one country that speaks this language," he said, praying he was right.


    She took a deep breath in and replied "Sure, even though you would have had to have passed a whole country to get here, let''s just assume you were too busy admiring the wildlife and trees to notice."


    "So where ar-"


    "We''re in Anglia you cockwomble"


    Tibaut, now feeling like a complete and utter idiot, decided to hold off from speaking to her until they reached their destination.


    "We aren''t far now, let''s walk there so we don''t have to worry about you sweating."


    ("Was it really that bad?") He thought while sniffing himself. They continued their trek in the forest until they encountered a clearing.


    ("Now that I think about") Tibaut mused ("I haven''t seen a single road or path on the way here. Is she gonna take me to some secret coal mine or something?")


    "We''re here." She told him.


    When Tibaut snapped back to reality he was pleasantly surprised by the sight in front of him. It was a large 3 story mansion. As Tibaut was admiring the sight, Elizabeth suddenly spoke up.


    "Stay right here for a minute." She then immediately ran inside. Tibaut then began to examine his hands. "Man, what the hell is she?" He said exasperated. "She can regenerate back from the point of death, heal wounds with ease and to top it all off she''s an absolute brute. I had no idea people like her existed. If the bastards who killed my family are on her level, what the hell do I do?" He moped. "Well, I''ll figure out what to do eventually, a change of pace doesn''t hurt every now and again."


    "HEY!" Elizabeth shouted from a window on the second story. "Get up here."


    ("Why is sh- Eh, whatever I''ll go up there and see what''s up."). Tibaut then quickly climbed up the side of the mansion and proceeded to enter through the window.


    "So why am I up here?" he asked


    "Take your clothes off."


    ("No way! I mean it''s not like I don''t want to but I can''t just say yes to the first woman who offers. I mean a first time''s gotta be special, plus she tried to kill me yesterday.") "Sorry, bu-"


    "What are you dawdling for, get in the bath. I''ll be waiting outside, I have something I need to talk to you about" She said before leaving the room.


    "Oh, okay" Tibaut replied like his soul had just left his body. A few minutes pass. In the room next to the bath, Elizabeth silently waits for Tibaut to make his appearance.


    ("He had none of the blue cubes on him, so he''s not a cultists, so what did she mean he''s more trouble than he''s worth?")


    Let''s rewind back to about 20 hours ago when their battle was at its end.

 Chapter 5

    Laying before Tibaut was a blackened mass that was once human. Tibaut assumed that would be enough to get rid of her, but it wasn''t. However, he wasn''t the only one who assumed that. As soon as Tibaut placed his hand on her neck, she was paralyzed with fear. As far as she was aware it was the end. However, the next few moments proved she had a God watching over her. Literally.


    Before Elizabeth was a golden sky and clouds beneath her feet and in front of her was a pale woman with black hair sitting on an intricately carved chair. "Am I dead?" Elizabeth asked. "Nope!" The woman cheerfully responded. She then left her chair and began inspecting Elizabeth. "My, my, not bad at all"


    "Um, if you don''t mind me asking, who are you?" Elizabeth asked with a puzzled look on her face. "Don''t be like that Izzy." the lady responded


    "I''m sorry, but I really don''t know who."


    "Jeez, I made you my Saint, the least you can do is recognize me." Within an instance, Elizabeth realises the woman''s identity. She immediately knelt on one knee and started apologising profusely.


    The woman starts waving her hand and tries to calm her down. "Come on, it was just a joke, don''t be uptight about it. But still, I didn''t expect to see you this soon. How much time has passed since you''ve been granted sainthood."


    "Three months, my lady,"


    "Three months? It usually took the others a few years to meet me." She then made a hole with her thumb and pointer and looked through it.


    "My lady, I''m sorry for disappointing you, my inexperience led to this," Elizabeth said while holding her head down.


    "Oh, this guy. Don''t feel too bad about it Lizzy." the lady said while trying to comfort Elizabeth.


    "What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.


    "He''s associated with someone I know that''s kinda annoying. Honestly, I''d prefer it if you stayed away from him. However, I think he could probably help you with that guild problem you''ve had for a while." she responded.


    "My lady, h-" Before she could finish the lady interrupted her.


    "Lizzy, stop calling me that. You''re not some priest or cardinal that''s trying to kiss my ass. You''re my Saint, if anyone''s qualified to call me by name it''s you." She said to her visibly annoyed.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Sorry about that G-Gabriel," she responded meekly.


    "Now that''s a good girl," Gabriel said as she stroked Elizabeth''s hair.


    "So how did you know about the guild thing my-no, Gabriel?" she asked.


    "Well, I''m always watching you, so how wouldn''t I know?" she casually stated.


    ("Always?") she thought.


    "Well think it over Lizzy, he could be the big break you need" she continued.


    "I''m highly grateful for your input my la- Gabriel. I''ll keep it in mind going forward" Elizabeth bowed her head and thanked Gabriel.


    "Don''t worry about it. Anyhow it''s about time I send you back." As Gabriel was about to put her hand on Lizzy''s shoulder, she remembered something, "Oh yeah, I don''t think I need to say this but just in case, don''t go thinking you can die as much as you want. What good does it do me to have a Saint that''s only good at dying." Elizabeth felt ashamed when she heard that but also realised Gabriel wasn''t wrong in saying it.


    "I hear you very clearly Gabriel," she softly replied.


    Gabriel then hugged Elizabeth for a long while before sending her on her way.


    When Elizabeth woke up she noticed her body was completely restored. She examined her body, amazed the last few minutes were real. She then noticed Tibaut lying on the floor.


    "My big break, huh..." She said to herself "Troublesome or not, it sounds like he might be able to make my dream come through." She healed him while also remembering to take care of the little girl and then carried him into an emptied house and tied him up. She held her breath for as long as she could while she began her search of him. Unfortunately, all her search turned up was a martial arts manual and exactly nothing else. Elizabeth had no idea what to think of this man. He had nothing on him the other cult members had so was either a higher-up who had disguised himself or a complete nobody. She decided speculation would get her nowhere and decided to wait until he woke up.


    Elizabeth was sitting on a canap¨¦ with her hands interlaced wondering about Tibaut before being interrupted by him. "Hey, these clothes you left me are kinda small, don''t you have anything else?"


    She turned to him


    ("Why is his hair red, wait was his hair brown because it wasn''t clean, no, I have to get this out the way first,") She thought to herself.


    "Sit down, we have something to discuss" She replied.


    ("Just gonna ignore me, how rude?") He thought to himself as he sat down on the canap¨¦ parallel to hers.


    "You''re going to work for me as a member of this guild." She said


    "And if I refuse?" He asked


    "Given how many chances you had to run but didn''t, you must be somewhat interested. But if you''re not, I''d be happy to take the reparations for killing me from you." She said gleefully while holding her hands out.


    "Nice to work for you boss," he said while shaking her hand.


    "If only you were this agreeable when we first met, your first order of business is cleaning the mansion. Oh and greet the other two here if you see them."


    Before she can get up Tibaut grabs her hand


    "Clean!? You don''t want me to go slay some kobolds or something?" he responded shocked.


    "Next time we get a commission I''ll let you handle it, so until then make yourself useful." She said as she left the room.

 Chapter 6

    "What a pain in the ass," he thought, but on the bright side there was bound to be useful information here he could acquire. The first thing he searched the mansion for was a map. Eventually, while he was on the first floor he found one.


    ("Ah, here it is,") he thought to himself. He was curious about how far away he travelled. It was a map of Anglia but it also showed the names of border countries. Akumia was not among them. ("How the hell did I get here? I''m pretty sure the few people I met on my travels all spoke the same language, hell even that Elizabeth speaks the same language.")


    He thought to himself trying to grasp the situation. ("Well at least I don''t have to worry about my bounty too much.") he thought. ("Guess I have nothing else left but to get cleaning. I''m basically superhuman so it''ll probably be light work.") He then set forth and made the blistering progress of cleaning only the first floor.


    <hr>


    He sat on the floor, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. "What the hell? I knew I (deep breath) was rushing it. But goddamn, why the hell is there so much dust here" he complained to himself. "Eh, screw it, I''ll just take a nap and try to finish it later." And with that said Tibaut promptly fell asleep.


    Due to having to survive in the wilderness for four years, Tibaut had gained a somewhat useful ability. He could sleep nearly anywhere. Tree branches, underground, damp caves, forest floors, he had grown used to all of them. The tiled floor was a welcomed change of pace to him.


    "Who''s this?" the woman thought to herself. She tried to get his attention by calling to him but it seemed to be of no use. As she was about to touch him when Tibaut woke up and backed away quickly.


    "Huh, who are you?" He said, trying to wipe away the drowsiness from his eyes. The woman in front of him was short, dark-skinned and quite stacked on a certain area on her chest. It took all the willpower Tibaut could muster to look her in the face. "Man, I didn''t even know we had the money left to get a housekeeper," She remarked.


    "Are you one of the two I was told to greet?" He asked, trying his best not to let his eyes wander.


    "So you''re that new guy Elizabeth mentioned. You don''t look that scary at all, what was Elizabeth on about?" She replied.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    His ears perked up and his face soured.


    "What did she say about me?" he asked.


    "Well, she kinda described you as a wild mutt that clamps down on anything it can get its teeth on. Honestly, I kinda expected someone bigger, with a lotta scars." She replied.


    ("Well if I''m a mutt, she''s definitely a bitch") he thought to himself, somewhat proud of his lukewarm insult.


    "Sooo, got a girlfriend?" She said as she got closer.


    "(Huh, what''s she doing?) Uh, no I-I don''t." He responded slightly flustered. A devilish grin then appeared on her face.


    She then put her hands on his chest.


    "Well, how about me?" She whispered in a sultry tone. "I saw the way you were looking at me. I don''t mind if you take a grab."


    His cheeks reddened in an instant. Against physical and magical threats Tibaut was better off than most of the population. However, against a woman who had set their sights on him, he was about as powerless as a baby in a room of pit bulls. With one single phrase, he was essentially putty in her hands. "Hehe, you''re reacting better than I thought," she said with glee.


    "Vanessa, please stop this," Elizabeth said unenthused while lifting Vanessa up by her shirt collar.


    "Why should I, it''s not like you have dibs on him" said Vanessa before being pinched by Elizabeth.


    "You still haven''t finished repairing my sword, so get back to the forge already. " She said as she dropped her on the floor. Elizabeth got up and dusted herself off.


    "Whatever, hey red-hair visit my forge sometime, I''ll make it worth your time," She said as she walked away while making sure to pull her eyelid down and stick her tongue out in the direction of Elizabeth.


    "That was our resident smith Vanessa. You can visit her in the basement if you feel like it." she told him.


    "You''re okay with me going!?" He responded, shocked.


    "Sorry to burst your bubble but she has a nasty habit of teasing guys like you. Pfft, I never thought you''d freeze up like that after a few words." She said while trying to stifle her laughter.


    ("What an asshole, human garbage bag, blonde bitch-") and he continued to think up insults for her until he felt better.


    "Anyway, get back to cleaning," She commanded him.


    "But I already finished one floor" he pleaded.


    "Last time I checked one floor isn''t the entire mansion" She bluntly responded before leaving to do other matters.


    Tibaut then begrudgingly started to head to the next floor.


    After an excruciating amount of cleaning later, Tibaut was finally finished. Even though he didn''t clean some rooms, as they were locked, he simply took it as God lightening his workload. He had been cleaning for so long that he was starting to hear the birds outside begin their chirping.


    "Thank God, it''s over" he thought to himself.


    Before he was about to collapse from exhaustion


    "Oh, there you are. We''re gonna leave soon so get ready" Elizabeth said before leaving just as quickly as she had appeared in front of him.


    "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUC-"

 Chapter 7

    After a quick sprint of over an hour they finally reached their destination.


    "I had no idea there was a town here!" Tibaut remarked


    "Well it''s the only one in the parish, so get used to it," Elizabeth responded.


    The town was bustling with people. There were various stalls selling fruits and vegetables most of which Tibaut hadn''t seen before, shops selling things from armour to good luck charms and various ''businesses'', all of which only opened at night.


    "So what are you buying? Sorry to say but I don''t think you''d get much value out of trading me" he said with a sly expression.


    Elizabeth looked at him with mild disgust and responded "I don''t know what kind of towns you''ve been to but this place is quite civilised."


    They continued their walk through the town until Elizabeth stopped in front of what seemed like the largest building in town.


    "What is this place?" Asked Tibaut.


    "The regional adventurers guild. We''re going to get you registered with us today." She responded.


    When they entered, Tibaut was quite underwhelmed by what he saw before. The first floor of the building was mostly empty with only a single receptionist. Most of the furniture was covered in dust and a board that presumably was used to post commissions was completely empty.


    Elizabeth completely ignored the receptionist and went upstairs to the next level of the building. Tibaut was somewhat confused by this as there was a sign next to the stair in plain text which stated "STAFF ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT".


    "Are we allowed to go here?" He asked


    "Do you see anyone trying to stop us?" She responded.


    He looked back at the receptionist but she was busy playing cat''s cradle with a piece of string, paying them no attention.


    Elizabeth continued walking until she reached the door at the end of a corridor.


    She opened it and was greeted by the smile of a friendly-looking old man.


    "Oh ho ho, Elizabeth my girl, what''s bring you here." He said cheerily


    "Good Morning, Mr. Bentley, firstly" After saying that she dropped a pouch with blue cubes on the table. The old man signed.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Another cultist massacre? My word what is the world coming to" he said as he slouched back in his chair. "So my dear, how''d you get them? Those cultists aren''t really known for staying in one place for more than a day."


    "I happened to have a commission in the village," Elizabeth replied.


    The old man opened a drawer on his desk and took out some gold.


    "Here, while it can''t bring the people they''ve killed back, you deserve something for vanquishing those fiends" he said as he handed her some gold.


    Elizabeth took the gold and thanked him.


    "Well, well Elizabeth it was good seeing you but-" but before the old man could finish Elizabeth cut him off. "There''s also another reason I came here today," She said before then pointing at Tibaut.


    "Oh ho, who''s this young man?" the old man asked.


    "He helped me with cultists and he said he wanted to join my guild." She responded without a hint of doubt.


    ("It''s amazing she said that with a straight face.") Tibaut thought to himself


    "Well young man, would you like the placement test or will you be recommending him, Elizabeth?" The old man asked.


    "I don''t have time to waste sending him to a test facility" Elizabeth responded.


    "You young people really should learn how to slow down every once in a while," he said while pulling out a piece of paper from his desk. "Now, young man name and signature please"


    <hr>


    "It''s really that easy?" Tibaut asked Elizabeth while they were heading home.


    "Would you stop yapping already? What? Sad you weren''t allowed to throw a fireball or something" Elizabeth replied.


    "But is it that easy for everyone?" he asked genuinely.


    "Of course not, be thankful I was the one recommending you," she responded.


    ("I didn''t even ask for this though,") he thought to himself


    "Now let''s hurry up, we have to take care of certain matters before we get any commissions," she said.


    "Such as?" He asked.


    "I need to determine how strong you are. All you''ve shown me is that you''re quick to go down with an enemy" She plainly told him.


    "Ugh, do I have to fight you again?" He bluntly asked.


    "Don''t worry, I have something special lined up for you." She said while grinning.


    They soon reached the mansion and Tibaut was now waiting on the first floor for Elizabeth to return back with her "something special". She soon appeared with a large box.


    "What is that?" Tibaut asked slightly concerned.


    "Oh, this?" She said smugly. "It''s just one of the newest advances in magic" When she opened the box a note fell out. At the bottom of it, it said "signed Merill".


    "Who is Merill?" he asked.


    "Oh, she was one of the other members I was saying you might see around. Although with her..." Elizabeth lets out a sigh "Don''t count on her coming out unless we have work. Though I wonder what this is about" Elizabeth then began to read the note. Her face immediately soured. Suddenly Tibaut sensed bloodlust in the air.


    He looked in Elizabeth''s direction. She calmly put the box down. She went outside, making sure to calmly close the door behind her. Within the next few moments, the sound of her screaming mixed with multiple trees being felled could be heard.


    She then entered the mansion and stomped back to her room while muttering "I paid so much", "That bastard" and "I''ll kill him" repeatedly. Tibaut picked up the note and from reading it, could guess the reason for her anger. The note explained how whatever was in the box couldn''t work without someone who knew illusion magic. Judging by her reaction it seems like no one here knows illusion magic.

 Chapter 8

    Tibaut and Elizabeth were staring each other down under the blazing sun. After her tantrum yesterday, she woke up bright and early to test Tibaut''s strength (blow off some steam by kicking his ass).


    "Before we start Tibaut I am curious what spells you have," Elizabeth asked


    "I mean, in terms of offence, I can only do fireballs" he responded.


    Elizabeth immediately dropped her stance. "Seriously?" She asked.


    Tibaut, somewhat confused by her response, showed her something else he could do with fire magic, however, it was more of a party trick than something useful for combat. Tibaut then started to draw a line in the air with fire. "What do you think of that?" He stated.


    Elizabeth immediately buried her head between her palms. She eventually perked back up, with a fresh look and asked


    "Oh, so you''re primarily a martial artist?"


    "I mean, I know some moves," he said while showing off a few kicks and punches.


    Elizabeth then pulled out a martial arts tome that seemed incredibly familiar.


    "So how far have you gotten into this?" She asked expectantly.


    "I gleam it every now and then for anything useful" he responded.


    "Can you summon ki yet?" She asked.


    "What''s that?" He asked back.


    Elizabeth then crouched on the ground and had her head in her palms. Her groaning was audible even to Tibaut. ("It can''t be,") she thought, ("there''s no way,") she thought. When the thought ("I was killed by this man") came into her head, tears started to roll down her cheek. She asked one more question hoping to get an answer that''d make her feel better. "Do you know defensive magic?"


    Seeing her in her current state all Tibaut could do was turn his face away from her and respond "I could learn".


    That response opened the floodgates and she was now full-on bawling. "I''m a Saint damnit! How''d I lose to him?" She said as her tears were now flowing across her face like a river.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Tibaut tried to comfort her but it was all in nought as her waterworks continued for over an hour.


    After her little episode, Elizabeth brought Tibaut to a room in the mansion to have a discussion.


    "First off, you''re telling me you have a tome of the martial king yet you can''t summon ki?" Elizabeth flips through the pages and finds a page mentioning ki and continues "Right here it even states how you should use ki with techniques shown."


    "I''m going, to be honest, I thought ki was another name for mana." He spoke bluntly. "At least that explains why I couldn''t do any of the flashy-looking moves."


    Hearing this sentence Elizabeth tried her damndest not to strangle him to death there and then. She gritted her teeth and responded "Is that right? Happy to help."


    "By the way, are you a martial artist? You are pretty good with a sword." He asked trying to lighten the mood.


    Elizabeth''s face loosened and she responded "While there are sword arts that use ki out there, mine is one that is used in tandem with magic."


    "The only magic I''ve seen you use is healing though." He responded.


    She pointed her finger towards him. "Watch. I''ll now summon a light breeze with this finger." She stated. While he did not feel a cool breeze on his face, he did notice something wet on his face. Although when he wiped it off he soon realized what it was. It was her blood. He looked at her finger and was shocked.


    Within a fraction of a second her otherwise normal finger was broken entirely. "Due to some recent changes within me, any non-healing magic I use is too much for my body. So for the time being until my body is strong enough to handle it, I will have to do without" She told him. She then threw three books at him.


    "Oww, what the h-"


    "Figure out what you''re good at. I''ll be outside training if you need me." She said as she promptly left the room while making sure to hide the fact she was clutching her finger. One of the books was the martial arts tome however the other were new. The first was a book called "Mastering Your Element" and the other was "Fundamentals of Defensive Magic".


    "Ugh, I feel like I''m back in high school" he sighed while looking at them. "Guess I''ll start with the "mastering your elements" one."


    What Tibaut originally thought was going to be a pain was actually quite interesting. It spoke of various ways one can form their magic with enough practice or talent. One thing he took particular note of, was a part of the book that stated "Of those blessed with magic, none may be a master of all".


    It was essentially stated that if one were to be talented in a certain magic, say for instance fire, they would not be as talented in any magic opposed to it such as ice or water. Sure enough, when he tried to summon a ball of water it was barely smaller than his hand. "While that seems kinda obvious, it is nice to know." He thought to himself.


    After he had read half the book, Tibaut decided it was time to put his knowledge to use. He first started by modifying his fireballs. "Alright, first I''ll try with the shape" he then began to try and flatten it. Slowly but surely the ball was being squashed down. "Heh, this is easy," he thought to himself.


    "Hey, what''s up?" asked Vanessa.


    "Oh noth-"*BOOM*


    but before he could respond he lost focus on the flat circle in front of him.

 Chapter 9

    "Tibaut, pay attention!" The woman in the maid''s uniform scolded the young boy.


    "Cillia, give me a break, do I really have to learn every day." The young boy responded.


    Ah man, it''s been a while since I''ve thought about back then. Most people think of another life as a way to redeem themselves or start anew and be their ideal selves.


    Not me.


    I was just as lazy in this world as the last.


    Maybe, just maybe, if I had studied more, maybe if I was more interested in magic, maybe if I took sparring more seriously I''d still be able to enjoy my life with them. In Tibaut''s mind appears an image of a mansion burning down with the bodies of a woman with white hair and a man with red hair outside of it surrounded by rubble.


    But now, I can''t do anything. If any God out there is listening please,


    Let me get revenge before I die.


    <hr>


    "Oh he''s awake!" Vanessa exclaims.


    Tibaut slowly begins to open his eyes to the scene before him. He was currently lying down in a canopy with Vanessa in front of him.


    "Hey V-Vanessa, (that''s her name right?) what''s up?" He asked.


    Vanessa then grabbed his arm and pressed her breasts against it. Tibaut''s face has now skipped being blushed and has gone straight to beet red. While Tibaut was confused by this, he was by no means trying to free his arm.


    "Cheered up?" She asked.


    While Tibaut tried to respond, all that came out of his mouth was various levels of gibberish.


    "Glad to hear" she responded smiling. "But why were you crying?" she asked him.


    His face stiffened, remembering his dream.


    "Oh, just Elizabeth working me to the bone." He responded while trying to fake a smile.


    "I get ya. You''re such a slave driver Elizabeth" She said while looking behind Tibaut.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Tibaut then looked behind the canopy and was surprised to see Elizabeth was there the entire time. She then quickly flicked both Tibaut and Vanessa on their heads.


    They both said "ow" in unison at the attack.


    "I thought dwarves liked to work at their forge," Elizabeth remarked.


    "How many times do I have to tell you, having a dwarf for a grandpa, doesn''t make me one," Vanessa said annoyed.


    "And you," She said while pointing to Tibaut "how''d you manage to give yourself three broken ribs?"


    He then explained what happened while he was training his magic. Elizabeth then sighed "Please don''t try anything like that without me around. If I got kil- rescued by someone who killed themselves through their own magic, I''m not sure I''d have the spirit to continue being an adventurer.


    By the way, how thin did you compress your fireball?"


    "Uh, about his much" he said while bringing his pointer and thumb about an inch apart.


    "And you said it kept the same diameter" She continued asking


    "Uh-huh." He nodded


    "I see." She responded, "Well keep at it and you''ll eventually be of use to me."


    "Also," She added. She then grabbed Tibaut''s hair and cut it with her sword so it was shoulder length.


    "Please do remember to take care of yourself, I''m not looking forward to that smell returning." She said before leaving the room.


    "Oh yeah, you approached me earlier, did you need something" Tibaut asked.


    "No. It''s just that you said you''d visit me and it seems like you forgot about it." She said while making puppy dog eyes and squeezing his hand tighter.


    "Well, it can''t be helped I guess, let''s go now then." He said while trying to hide a smile.


    When he reached her basement workshop, it was exactly as he imagined it. A forge, an anvil, a hammer and a bunch of other shit he didn''t know the name of.


    "By the way, can you produce a flame for me?" Vanessa asked.


    "Sure" he then produced a pretty decent-sized flame.


    She then brought him to a chair and asked him to stay put. ("What''s she planning? Maybe she''s planning to get a candle and drip some wax on my-") but before he could finish his thought she returned in tow with several weapons and armour pieces. She then began to heat the equipment with Tibaut''s flame then hammer them on her anvil.


    "Uh, Vanessa what are you doing?" Tibaut asked, puzzled.


    "Oh, my mana forge is broken, so I haven''t been able to finish up some pieces that need the heat of magical fire. And don''t worry there''ll be a reward." She responded.


    "Don''t worry, I can do this all day" Tibaut responded, fired up.


    They preceded to keep his fire up for the next hour. And the next. And the next. And the¡­..


    Wiping the sweat off her head, she then finished hammering the final piece.


    "We''re done," She told him slightly out of breath.


    Seeing that his task was finished. The only thing Tibaut could do was collapse on the floor. "So ready for your reward," She asked.


    "Please, just bring me to my room." He asked her.


    "Oh my, what are you gonna do to me th-"but before she could finish.


    "Listen, I don''t mind being teased, some guys dream of this sorta thing but I genuinely can''t move right now, so can you please just bring me to my room."


    After a few more failed attempts at teasing Vanessa finally relented and brought him back to his room.


    While in bed thought to himself "I don''t think wheeze I''ve ever used enough magic to be tired before". He then made a mental note to be careful of Vanessa going forward.

 Chapter 10

    With Tibaut incredibly sore from the previous day, he decided to finish reading "Mastering Your Element" while he lay in bed.


    After he finished reading it, he was extremely motivated to test out some new ideas he had. He then ran outside to get started.


    "Alright so compressing fireballs is off the table for now" he thought to himself. Instead of manipulating a fireball, he decided to try and form his magic in a new form. At first, he tried to coat his body.


    While he could ensure the flames wouldn''t burn him, the heat they gave off was more than he could handle. "No matter," he thought. He had a bunch of ideas and surely some of them would be useful.


    After a painstaking amount of time testing moves, he finally came up with something. "Alright, here goes." He said calmly. He was slowly forming a long rod of fire. He ensured to point the tips of the rod. Expecting big things out of his new creation, he let it loose on a nearby tree.


    The shape of the rod made it quicker than any fireball he had ever thrown. "Alright, it''s looking good so far" he thought to himself. When it hit the tree it made a nice bang. His hopes were now as high as they could and he quickly rushed to the tree to examine the damage.


    When he saw the damage to the tree he became quickly disappointed. He had expected the spell to have completely pierced the tree, but from what he was seeing from the charred hole in the tree, it couldn''t have gone more than two inches.


    "Well, at least it''s quick," he remarked. While not the fight-winning super move he hoped for, he realised the utility it provided for faster opponents.


    Deciding that was enough for today, he back to the mansion and was greeted by Mr. Bentley.


    "Hey, Mr. Guild man, what brings you here?" He asked.


    "Oh ho ho, nothing much. Just discussing a few matters with little Elizabeth." He responded before leaving.


    He then entered the mansion before being pulled aside by Elizabeth. "How are you right now?" She asked.


    "Fine, I guess?" He responded.


    "Good enough to fight?" She asked.


    The question caused Tibaut to raise his eyebrow but he was curious how his new move would perform in actual battle.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "What are you asking me to do exactly?" he asked back.


    "Mr. Bentley holds a yearly little event, in hopes that it inspires people to join or form their own guilds." She stated.


    "So what is it exactly?" He asked again.


    "He wants members of the two top guilds of this parish to have a spar to ''showcase the strength and wonder of adventurers'' as he put it" She explained.


    "How does that involve us exactly?" He replied.


    "Well, in this parish, we are technically number 2. Granted there are only ten guilds in this parish but the point still stands." She told him.


    ("Seriously!?") He thought to himself ("It looks like these guys are actually pretty respected. Honestly, though, I think Elizabeth might be carrying them.")


    Seeing the shock on his face, Elizabeth quickly responds.


    "Don''t get your hopes up too high. This parish doesn''t have a single roaming guild, so we''re pretty low on the list when it comes to guilds nationwide."


    "Uh, what''s a roaming guild?" He asked.


    "Ah," She replied as if she forgot something. She quickly left the room and came back with a book. She then handed it to Tibaut. Its title was "The Adventurer''s Guide".


    "Make sure you read through it before we get a commission." She told him. "And since you asked I might as well explain. There are two categories that a guild can be placed in. Either Roaming or grounded. Roaming guilds get to explore wherever, take commissions wherever they want and challenge dungeons or ruins they find in the wild."


    "So what about us?" He asked.


    "We''re only allowed to operate within our parish and take commissions in the parish" She responded.


    "You know, calling us adventurers kinda seems like a stretch at this point." He told her.


    "Anyway just get ready for tomorrow," she said before walking off.


    "Tomorrow? Give a guy a little more heads up. Well, I better start refining my new move. I don''t even want to imagine what she''d do to me if I went down without a fight." He thought to himself.


    A little later he decides to visit Vanessa and discuss the event that is taking place tomorrow.


    "Hey, you''re back. Hehe looking for a reward?" She said teasingly while grabbing him. However, Tibaut was unaffected by this act. He made no faces, his cheeks didn''t change colour and he was looking her directly in the face.


    "Eh, don''t tell me you''re scared stiff, don''t worry I don''t bite. Unless you want me to?"


    "I''m here to ask you about some event happening tomorrow, and besides I''ve gotten used to you now. (I actually jerked off a few minutes ago but she doesn''t need to know that.)" He responded.


    After a few more attempts to fluster him, she realised she''d have to rethink her strategies, and decided to fly the white flag and give up for the day.


    "So what do you want to know about tomorrow?" She said, with her mood slightly soured.


    "Well Elizabeth told me I was gonna fight tomorrow, but she didn''t tell me who I was facing." He said.


    "Eh? You''re going tomorrow?" She responded surprised.


    "Is it that shocking?" he asked


    "Kinda, since Elizabeth went the last two times. Ezekiel might have a chance this year."


    "Anyway, could you tell more about him, say, for instance, fighting style?" He told her.


    She thinks for a minute with her finger on her lips.


    "Sorry, but the only thing I remember about him is that uses a sword."


    While that information was about as basic as could possibly be, he thanked her nonetheless and returned to his room to rest and prepare.

 Chapter 11

    After a night of careful planning, Tibaut came up with absolutely nothing. If there was one thing he could be grateful for, it was that his opponent likely had no idea about Tibaut''s own abilities. He left his room to do his usual cleaning of the mansion.


    However, while doing so he noticed something amiss. He didn''t see a trace of Elizabeth or Vanessa anywhere. "Well, they probably had something important to do since she''s sending me to do this instead. (I''d hope anyway.)"


    He said to himself. After cleaning the first floor(which had become routine at this point), Tibaut decided to go to town to see where the event was being held. By the time he arrived, the sun was fully out, which helped to highlight the current emptiness of the town.


    "Did everyone get raptured?" he thought to himself. He continued exploring the town until he heard what sounded like a group of people shouting. Tibaut suddenly had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Shit is this another cult attack?"


    He thought while running to the source of the sound. When he finally reached the source he was shocked by what he saw before him. Several hundred people were sitting on multiple wooden stands overlooking a pit of sizable diameter. The people were wildly cheering. Mr. Bentley also appeared to be on a wooden podium giving a speech.


    "Ladies and gentlemen" He shouted boisterously "He''s finally here, the upstart of Wisteria, Tibaut the pyromancer." The crowd roared with excitement. "What took you so long, dumbass" "Ezekiel''s got this" "I bet good money on you so you better win red-hair." "Kick that loser''s ass!" People in the crowd shouted at Tiabut.


    "Small event my ass, what the hell is this, the Olympics?" Tibaut thought while feeling nervous. He slowly walked, awkwardly greeting the crowd when they called to him. When he got into the pit he saw his opponent at the far end of it.


    In terms of size, he was only slightly taller than Tibaut, not more than an inch or two and for some reason he had dreads. Do they have rastas in this world? However, he was wearing an unbuttoned sleeveless vest which showed how absolutely shredded he was. By appearance, his upper body looked like it had no unnecessary fat or excessively large muscles. It was as if he had a body made out of sculpted marble. On his pants hung a leather pouch that looked like it held something of note. The sword he had by his side was a claymore. "Shit, I thought he''d have a rapier thing like Elizabeth." Tibaut thought.


    Mr. Bentley began announcing, "Get ready everyone! It''s the time you''ve all been waiting for! The sixth annual guild clash!" The crowd made a deafening roar.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Can the leader of Eternal Night finally get his much-desired win this year or will Wisteria be keeping their win streak." Mr. Bentley shouted from his podium.


    Due to the atmosphere, Tibaut was stunned and was paying no attention to his surroundings. Before he knew it Ezekiel was in front of him, pointing his sword to his neck. "Hey kid, it''s me you''re facing, not the crowd." He said before walking back to his side of the pit. The crowd absolutely loved Ezekiel''s taunt.


    "The fight hasn''t even started and Ezekiel''s already showing the newcomer who''s boss. How will Tibaut respond? Will he defy his expectations or be shown the difference of experience" said Mr. Bentley who was surprisingly really into this whole thing.


    Tibaut''s face straightened up "This is no place to be getting distracted, after all, it''s just a simple spar, nothing else" he said trying to calm himself down.


    Two men brought out a giant gong and another followed them with a large hammer.


    "Now, let the sixth annual guild clash, BEGIN!!" Mr. Bentley shouted while the men rang the gong. The crowd erupted as Ezekiel made a beeline for Tibaut. Tibaut threw a fireball but Ezekiel easily cleaved it and started to close the distance.


    Tiabut had thought "Wait a minute, they called me pyromancer so, he probably thinks I only use fire magic." As Ezekiel got closer and closer, Tibaut tried to attack him with fireballs until eventually, his sword was in range of Tibaut.


    The crowd was cheering, believing in Ezekiel''s victory until Tibaut got closer to him and delivered a liver blow. ("Magic may be one thing, but when it comes to martial arts there''s no better training than combat with a real person") he thought while making a spur-of-the-moment decision to improve his martial arts.


    Ezekiel started to swing at him with a focus on speed instead of precision due to this unexpected development. While dodging these sword swings an absurd thought started making its way into Tibaut''s head.


    "No, I can''t, I''m barely dodging these as is." He responded to the thought. Then out of nowhere while he was dodging he got pulled into Ezekiel and got nicked by Ezekiel''s sword on his chest. "Huh? How the hell did that happen" he said flustered.


    He checked his chest but there seemed to be no cut on his body or shirt even though he felt the strike. On closer inspection of the blade, it appeared to be dull. "Well, using a real sword for a spar may have been a bit too much," he said, thankful he wouldn''t have to worry about being cut in half.


    Ezekiel did another slash, which Tibaut easily dodged before being pulled back to him again, and narrowly weaving another slash of the sword. "What the hell is going on? How does he keep pulling me back in?"


    Up in the stands Elizabeth and Vanessa are eating some corn dogs while watching the fight.


    "Are you sure it''s okay not to tell him about Ezekiel''s magic, Liz?" Vanessa asked while chowing down.


    "He can consider it a learning experience" Elizabeth coldly responded.


    "You''re never gonna get a man if you keep doing stuff like this," Vanessa responded already through five corndogs.


    "Hey, stop eating those, we bought ten of them and you''re already through six," Elizabeth complained while trying to wrestle the corn dogs away from Vanessa.

 Chapter 12

    As the fight continued, Tibaut grew increasingly frustrated. Why? Each time he dodged a swing of the sword or back away from it he''d be pulled back into the range of the sword.


    "How the hell is he doing this?" Tibaut thought frustrated.


    Tibaut was at his breaking point. If this kept happening he''d lose. Again he tried to hit a few punches on him and he did, although none cleanly.


    As soon he dodged out of the way of the blade, he was brought directly back into the blade''s path through no fault of his own. Each time this happened he was cutting it closer and closer to nearly being sent flying to a wall of the pit. "Screw it," he thought.


    He wasn''t going to get a medal nor was the girl of his dreams going to appear before him if he only used martial arts. ("I honestly don''t care how sweaty this looks, he''s the asshole that decided to take the sparring session this seriously.") He thought while trying to hide his frustration.


    As if a sign from God he caught a glance of Elizabeth in the crowd. While the crowd around her was fraught with excitement, she herself was eerily still, without the slightest hint of emotion on her face.


    "That bitch, this was supposed to be your fight. At least pretend you''re amused." He mumbled infuriated.


    However with her if worst came to worst, she could probably step in to heal Ezekiel if he got too rough. So with that in mind, he decided no moves were off the table for this "sparring session".


    However, he still couldn''t get enough between him and the swordsman to comfortably use his spells. While evading his various slashes he jumped back far enough to start unleashing his spells. He was able to throw a fireball.


    "Finally, get a mouth full of fire you cocky bastard," He said brimming with a newfound confidence. With the spell now unleashed, Tibaut was confident he would be able to truly begin his offence. Shockingly for Tibaut, it had seemed his hopes were misplaced as the fireball missed Ezekiel. He hadn''t dodged or sliced it. It simply missed its mark.


    Tibaut was dumbfounded by the sight before him. It had been months, nay, years since he had missed a fireball outright. Some members of the crowd even started laughing. To them this annual fight was the peak of combat, so to see someone so clearly miss with no action taken by his opponent was nothing short of laughable.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Insulted by the crowd''s laughter he tried again. To be greeted by another miss. He''d keep firing them only so they could miss him by a few inches each time. The crowd now seemed like they were watching a comic routine due to the laughter erupting from the stands.


    "Woah, Ezekiel''s really showing off this year," Vanessa said.


    "Tch, that''s what that bastard gets for trying to make new attacks without learning how to defend himself," Elizabeth replied, annoyed.


    Tibaut paid no mind to the crowd, the only thing on his mind was how he kept missing. "12. Out of twelve fireballs, none landed."


    It seemed like Ezekiel was in no rush to close between then, so Tibaut decided to do a little test. He aimed at a crack he saw on the wall that surrounded them and he shot a fireball at it.


    This crack was further than Ezekiel ever was to Tibaut. Yet he hit it almost dead on. "I see." Tibaut didn''t know how but Ezekiel was somehow making him miss. But was he doing it on purpose or was it automatic? Tibaut decided to test this with his newfound skill. While it took twice as long to summon compared to a fireball, their speeds were incomparable.


    He decided to call the move fire lance. Ezekiel stood a few metres from him with a bored look on his face. Tibaut summoned four before he decided to test his suspicions. He aimed the flaming rod and fired. It hit, but it was off target. He aimed for his chest but instead hit his shoulder. Ezekiel was visibly shocked.


    While the damage to him wasn''t enough to render his shoulder unusable, the fact that Tibaut, if only for one move, was able to overcome his magic through brute speed amazed him. Before Tibaut could fire any other lances however he was immediately pulled back into Ezekiel''s range and while he was able to dodge his sword the lances weren''t as fortunate.


    ("Okay I get Elizabeth probably has some super amazing sword since she''s immortal and all so I can accept her cutting my magic but I call dogshit on chucklenuts here''s display sword being able to do that as well!") Tibaut bitched internally while dodging.


    Eventually, Tibaut grew tired of having to constantly dodge. He believed he had taken a large enough sample of his swordsmanship to try out an idea he shelved several minutes ago. As Ezekiel swung his blade at him he made no attempts to move. He was unsure what Tibaut was planning but knew from this fight that he wasn''t going to just kneel over and give up so he braced himself.


    What he did not expect however was being thrown off balance and Tibaut using the opportunity to uppercut him. Flew through the air for a solid second before hitting the ground.


    Based on what he felt from his sword he couldn''t believe that was all it took for him to go down. He was almost disappointed in himself for not thinking the young was capable of parrying his sword.


    Meanwhile, Tibuat was ecstatic. That was the first clean hit he landed so far. Whatever his trick was, it was no use in close range. All Tibaut did was parry the blade while Ezekiel was going for a downward slice and yet he felt as though he was going to turn this fight around to his benefit.

 Chapter 13

    His swordsmanship compared to the average no-name town guard was impressive and blisteringly quick. However, compared to Elizabeth''s own swordsmanship it was quite geriatric in comparison. The only reason the idea to start parrying the blade even came into Tibaut''s head was because of how easily he was seeing the strikes.


    Ezekiel got up and nonchalantly continued his attack. Yet Tibaut stood there embracing the attack, not moving a single inch. Ezekiel kept swinging and swinging but the only thing that greeted his blade was the air. However, it would not be an easy win for Tibaut as parrying the blade no longer was affecting his opponent''s balance.


    With every parry, he looked for an opening yet saw nothing. Nothing there. Or there. Until finally he was able to strike. It was a good hit but it was by no means going to end the fight. However, when he looked at his arms he truly started to wonder if his victory was even possible.


    His arms were absolutely plastered in bruises. Every time he parried the blade, in the few moments his skin touched the cold steel it would cause bruising on his. He imagined if the fraction between blade and skin were any higher it would literally rip off his skin.


    He wondered why he was fighting so hard against this person he didn''t even know. He already put on a good enough show for the audience, surely this would get any young boy amped to be an adventurer. He was fighting an opponent who ate the few hits he gave him like candy and based on how hard he swung his blade could probably K.O. in one hit.


    So why did he keep going? Simple. He was having fun. The thrill of fighting an opponent with everything he mustered with having to worry about dying wasn''t something he had done in years.


    Eventually, he was getting used to the movements of Ezekiel and starting to see more and more openings. He started to get more and more hits in on him until finally, he got the motherload of all openings. His chin was unprotected and just looked like it was begging for an uppercut. That''s exactly what he delivered.


    At least, he thought so, but something was off. Even though he threw an uppercut he felt no recoil. He quickly looked in front of him and realised why. He missed. He just barely missed. Less than a centimetre of space between his fist and his opponent''s chin.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    His opponent was already mid-swing. ("There was nothing he could do,") he hoped his opponent thought. While it may have seemed like he gave up on using magic, he was close enough to his unmoving opponent that he had enough time to create a fireball behind him. "Sorry about this, pal." He thought before sending the prepared fireball at his opponent''s back. However, just like that it seemed as though his opponent was pulled by an unknown force to the right.


    "Wha-" Tibaut said confused before being blasted by his own fireball. Fortunately, he was able to lessen the blast of the blow from his own magic. The pain in his body was nothing compared to how confused his mind was.


    "How did he do that? I thought he could only move me?" He thought, confused. Eventually, he started to realise something. "Wait a minute, if he can do that, then that means, this bastard!" Tibaut had realised if he was capable of moving himself without physically moving then those misses from earlier would be explained.


    Yes all he did was move himself a short enough distance to avoid the attacks. While Tibaut was mad at this discovery in his mind the only way to counter this ability was to do what he was doing earlier.


    While he did miss a punch earlier it was only due to getting an obvious opening. If that opening was a feint, then that meant he needed to know when punches were coming to use his weird ability. "Well, this is nothing more than a theory at the moment, so I better test it." He said while running towards Ezekiel.


    Ezekiel started back his onslaught while Tibaut got to parrying. He was starting to get hits in again until it came. An opening then showed. And he did nothing. In fact neither did his opponent. His opponent started scratching his head. "Ah man, did you already figure it out?" The man asked Tibaut.


    While Tibaut did not answer, his eyes gave it away. "Alright tell you what kid, let''s have the next blow decide, I''m kinda getting tired swatting my sword." The man said as if trying to sound as disinterested as possible. The man then took a few paces back and readied his sword with only one of his hands instead of the usual two.


    Tibaut didn''t know what to think of the current predicament and knew had to be careful due to the man''s weird ability and he decided to summon all the fire lances he could muster. Then a deafening silence engulfed the pit they were in.


    He wasn''t sure how long they were both staring at each other but he was sure it was for too damn long. Finally, a lone bird flying overhead decided to break the silence and they rushed each other. However, almost immediately Tiabut jumped into the air and launched his lances at Ezekiel.


    To Tibaut''s amazement, he had hit Ezekiel. A smile appeared briefly on Tibaut''s face before he realised he was feeling an odd pain in his thigh. He looked to see what was bothering his thigh. It was a knife. "When did that-'''' he thought to himself before realising one thing.


    He lost.

 Chapter 14

    The two men lay in a tent, to rest from their earlier performance. Tibaut had his thigh bandaged immediately after the fight but even now he was still wondering.


    ("Where the hell did that knife come from? Okay, let''s review. He was able to seemingly pull me towards himself. Yet he could also push himself away from me.")


    Tibaut''s mind was in full throttle trying to figure out what trick Ezekiel used to win. ("At first I thought it was maybe gravity but throughout the fight, I only felt like my lower body was being pulled and if he had something as overpowered as gravity magic (if it even exists) he could have just put me under 5x gravity or something and easily picked up his win.")


    He proceeded to torment himself even more trying to figure out what the swordsman used to the point it was now visible to anyone who was near. ("I also thought he might be moving the ground, like some sort of earth magic but as far as I saw when I looked, the only thing disturbing the dirt was our footprints.")


    "Oi, oi, OI!" Ezekiel''s calls eventually turned to a shout. Also immediately, it broke Tibaut out of his thoughts as he had been freed from an illusion.


    "(What the hell do you want, it''s awkward enough having to stay in the same place as you, don''t tell you feel like shit-talking me now?) Um, how can I help you?" He responded meekly.


    "It''s about my magic isn''t it?" Ezekiel said plainly.


    Tibaut almost couldn''t hide the disbelief on his face with how matter of fact he said it.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not like those tight-asses from the capital." He said cheerily. "But, you sure want to know? The first time I fought Elizabeth she was able to figure it out on her own."


    Tibaut heard what he was saying and understood where he was coming from. To some people being able to figure out an opponent''s ability would be way more valuable than just being told a single opponent''s ability. It''s sorta like that one old proverb about teaching a man to fish instead of giving him a single fish. Some people may even feel insulted by the gesture saying something along the lines of "I''ll beat you through my own effort, I don''t need your help."


    "Yes please," Tibaut responded. Tibaut couldn''t care less about that sorta stuff plus this answer would help show him the types of magic that existed in this world.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "If you say so," Ezekiel said while shrugging his shoulders. "So basically it''s a type of spatial magic that allows me to move anything below my waist. That knife I got you with was basically me just throwing it and combining it with the movement of my magic. It was so fast you didn''t realise it hit you till you were in the air. Also, I think my effective range is about 8 to 10 metres."


    Tibaut was dumbfounded by the answer he was given. ("Horsehit!") He thought to himself. ("He just made that shit up. That''s not magic that''s a f**king stand ability. Not even a part 3 stand, that''s a full-on part 8 stand.") He thought, insulted.


    "Um, Ezekiel you don''t have to lie about your magic," Tibaut told him with his face soured.


    "I''m not though," Ezekiel said plainly.


    Then as if to prove his point he pulled a rock that had been on the floor into his hand as he was lying on the floor. He then lifted the rock upwards until it stopped approximately where Ezekiel''s waste would be if he were standing up.


    "(I know I''m sounding like a broken record but are you shitting me right now? I thought all this world had was earth, water, fire and wind and maybe holy when it came to offensive magic.)" Tibaut thought to himself.


    "Anyway," Ezekiel stated "Enough of that boring stuff, the hell did Elizabeth find someone like you? My place has been hanging on a thread being called the strongest guild in the parish then out of nowhere brings out a guy like you."


    "Huh," he responded confused.


    "Like I said, kid. You''re pretty good. In a few years, I wouldn''t be surprised to see you in some guild at the capital." He said genuinely.


    Tibaut had no idea why, but this man who had tried his hardest to defeat was now praising him. Tibaut had frozen up as if he was dropped in liquid nitrogen.


    "Tell you what kid, what do you say you join my guild? I could use some young talent. I can''t let Elizabeth hoard your talent to herself" he asked.


    "Would you please stop trying to poach my guild''s newest member?" Elizabeth said calmly while walking into the tent.


    "Guess that''s no, huh." He said dejectedly.


    "Well, Ezekiel you say I''m talented but that magic you used was pretty amazing," Tibaut said.


    The room suddenly got quiet. Ezekiel''s face suddenly straightened. It was as if Tibaut had just insulted a dead person at their own wake. Unsure of what he did wrong he looked at Elizabeth for some help. However, she covered her mouth like her life depended. What did he do, he wondered. All he did was say Ezekiel''s magic was amazing.


    "Pft" Elizabeth let out. "Hahaha haha, Ohohoho." Elizabeth let out the heartiest laugh he had ever seen from her which quickly tapered off into a stranger kind of laugh toward the end of it. Tibaut didn''t know what to make of this reaction.


    "So you think it''s funny to bully your elders, do you," Ezekiel said with his voice slightly quivering. He then got up and started pinching and pulling her cheeks. Even so, she continued laughing as if was the funniest joke she''d ever heard.


    "What the hell are these guys doing?" Tibaut thought while whatever fear he harboured for either of the two the individuals in front of him quickly disappeared.

 Chapter 15

    While Elizabeth and Ezekiel were having their scuffle, Tibaut eventually decided to raise his hand.


    "Um, excuse me guys" Tibaut meekly let out. The two paused their tomfoolery and looked at him. "What is it?" Elizabeth responded while she held Ezekiel in a Boston Crab.


    He responded to Elizabeth by simply asking "What was so funny?".


    Elizabeth then slowly got off of Ezekiel and then dusted herself off.


    "Oh yeah, I should probably show you how easy it is to counter his magic."


    Counter his magic? What was she talking about? If there was a way to counter his magic it''d probably take months of training to even get to the point it''d be of use. However, she said it was easy so was there some secret trick she acquired? He soon got on his knees and watched her intently.


    "Oi, old man?" Elizabeth said to the man still lying on the floor. He then turned his face to her. "Try to use your magic to move something near."


    The man''s face quickly filled with discontent as if a little sibling had eaten the cake he had left in the fridge for a special occasion. He still complied and started to move the rock he had moved earlier. There was nothing out of the ordinary with the movement of the rock until it was about half a metre from Elizabeth.


    The rock suddenly stopped moving. It was as if it had encountered an invisible wall.


    ("Why''d he stop it?") Tibaut thought. However, he did not stop it. Elizabeth did.


    "Alright Tibaut, how do you think I stopped it?" Elizabeth suddenly asked.


    His surprise quickly turned into curiosity. There was absolutely nothing around her. She was still but she did occasionally look at her clothing and surroundings which made it seem as though whatever she was doing was as simple as breathing.


    Tibaut quickly got up and tried to examine her in more detail but it seemed as if he did it for nothing. Eventually, he noticed the rock was being pushed back. Seemingly out of options he decided to put his hand in the area between the rock and Elizabeth.


    While there was no obvious change in the area, like say a barrier or the air being 0¡ãC, there was something he couldn''t put his finger on, that was off about the air. The more he moved his hand the more his senses told him something was wrong. While the air in the tent was dry, the air around Elizabeth felt like it was more appropriate in a jungle after some rainfall. For some inexplicable reason, the air around her felt thicker.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "Got an answer?" She asked him.


    While he wanted to ask her if she had learned to turn herself into a humidifier, he refrained.


    "Other than the air around you being thicker I got nothing." He responded tired of thinking about the answer.


    "Do you know why it''s thick?" She responded. Tibaut simply shook his shoulders. She then sighed and then stated one word "Mana".


    Ezekiel''s face looked like that of a person who just had their new shoes stepped by iron cleats.


    "I might teach you how to do it later but the fact of the matter is, if you fill a space with your own mana it interferes with his magic rendering it pretty much useless," Elizabeth stated.


    "And how hard is it?" Tibaut asked, hoping it was some sort of elite skill.


    "While magicians may differ in terms of skill, talent and even the magic they use, I think being able to release their mana might be the only commonalities they share." Elizabeth bluntly responded.


    Tibaut looked to Ezekiel hoping he''d prove Elizabeth wrong or call her out on an inaccuracy but his face looked as though he had been forced to swallow a bitter medicine.


    Tibaut soon placed himself next to Ezekiel and started to pat him on his shoulder trying to somewhat comfort him.


    "What are you doing?" asked Elizabeth.


    She continued. "You lost to a swordsman with no training, I don''t think you''re the one supposed to be giving out pity here."


    Tibaut then looked at Elizabeth with his head tilted wondering what she meant by that statement. As it looked like Elizabeth was about to continue, she was stopped by Ezekiel.


    "Truth is," he said looking down while scratching his head, "there was a time I used something other than a sword but I''ve long since switched over. But she''s right that I essentially just swing it in ways that feel right. I only use this thing for fun, so formal training seems like it''d kinda be a pain in the ass."


    Tibaut thought back to the fight. All he seemed to do was swing around his sword. No thrusts, no guarding, just swings.


    Tibaut lightly fell to the ground and then lay on it with an annoyed expression.


    "Next thing you''re gonna tell me is that he was only using 5% of his strength and that he gets 30% percent stronger against people with red hair." He said sarcastically.


    "If only." Quipped Ezekiel.


    "Unfortunately, I only have more bad news for you." Elizabeth responded.


    "Due to how sloppy swordsmanship I''d say it evened out the advantage of his magic, in fact, if you kept taking advantage of countering him you might have won."


    "Oh, I give up!" Tibaut shouted before covering his ears and leaving the tent.


    "Still," she said to Ezekiel. "I never thought I''d see the day you''d give up your fun sword for the oh-so strictly for business knife." She said while chuckling.


    "Shut up! His punches stung and I just wanted to get it over with. Besides it was a spar so wasn''t taking it too seriously and.." He then continued to rattle off excuses until Elizabeth grew bored and left.

 Chapter 16

    The two women were enjoying some tea together with muffins on the side. From how expressive their faces were, anyone could tell this wasn''t a common occurrence for them.


    Unlike their usual tea, which was made from various herbs collected from occasional walks in the forest, this stuff was the real deal. It came from a real tea farm, it actually gave the drinker a boost of energy and it went well with milk, unlike the herbal stuff.


    And while the muffins were plain, the fact they had soft, freshly baked, cakey muffins in front of them, instead of having to settle for stale bread or even hardtack was something they thanked the skies above for.


    How were they able to pay for these (without cursing their terrible financial decisions the next day) instead of dining the usual lunch of bland biscuits and herbal tea? Well, it was thanks to the money their newest member got doing a little public event. Why was it not in his hands? Well, you see¡­


    "Here''s how much we got for your little spar session today," Elizabeth said as she handed Tibaut a small pouch of gold.


    "What''d we even do to get this money?"


    "You wouldn''t know it but there was an entrance fee to even watch your little spar session."


    "Are people really that entertainment starved here?"


    "Yes." She responded almost immediately.


    "How much is this anyway" he asked while fondling the bag.


    "Enough for a good meal."


    "Could you be a bit more specific?"


    Elizabeth then clicked her tongue, annoyed and responded "About 4 meals at any local tavern."


    Upon hearing that Tibaut handed her back the money. Elizabeth looked at him confused. His eyes looked dead.


    "Why are you handing this back?" She asked, confused.


    "It''s just that" he paused for a second and looked to the sky "Putting in all that effort and earning less than a prostitute probably does for moving her hand for a few minutes makes me feel a bit hollow inside." He said before slowly walking away.


    "(Wait shit, I should have asked her about how much a world map costs. Eh, screw it, given the type of world this is, it''s probably expensive as hell.)" He thought having already walked outside of her sight.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Elizabeth looked at him as he walked away. She shook her head and thought to herself "It really has been a while since I''ve met someone as crass as him. Well, at least I can buy some treats on the way home." Before jetting off to the nearest pastry shop.


    <hr>


    "So why''d he suddenly give up when that knife hit him?" Vanessa asked with a few crumbs on her face.


    "Because he''s an idiot," Elizabeth responded plainly while sipping on her tea. "Honestly, what kind of idiot accepts their enemy''s terms so easily?"


    "Oh, you''re kinda starting to sound mad, Liz." Vanessa said while gulping down the hot tea like a cup of water.


    Elizabeth gave her a bit of a stink eye before dropping a familiar claymore on the table and telling her "By the way, Ezekiel''s paying you to sharpen up his sword. Get to it."


    Vanessa then began to pick up muffins before being stopped by Elizabeth''s hand.


    "What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, looking as if she was contemplating breaking the small woman''s hand.


    "I''m taking some later you idiot, what else does it look like." She responded while desperately trying to break Elizabeth''s grip on her (To no avail sadly).


    "You''ve eaten more than enough you old hag."


    Tired of taking this disrespect, Vanessa did what she thought at the moment was a good idea. Biting Elizabeth''s hand. While this did free her, the look on Elizabeth''s face told her that getting a hand broken might have been a better option.


    Tibaut was currently outside the mansion standing still and doing nothing. To the untrained, it may have seemed like he was doing nothing. However, to a trained eye, it''d also seem like he was doing nothing. However, in his mind, he thought he was making progress trying to release his own mana.


    He saw how Elizabeth looked about as natural as she normally was when she was doing it. Is it some sort of state of mind or did it work like magic? While he was trying to figure out how to do it he was interrupted by the sound of two women familiar to him shouting, followed by the sound of running.


    ("What the hell''s going inside there") he thought as he was walking to the sound of the noise. Suddenly Vanessa slammed the doors open, threw a muffin at Tibaut and kept running. Elizabeth almost immediately followed, however, she got distracted when she saw Tibaut with one of the muffins. Tibaut then made an awkward smile while he waved at her.


    "So about that mana thi-" He tried to ask.


    "Where did she go!?" She said, nay ordered him to spit out.


    "I wasn''t really paying attention.


    So anyway, could you help me out here."


    "Tch" She clicked her tongue looking and realising Vanessa was nowhere in sight. "Alright, what is it?" She responded with a lightened tone realising she could tortu-, teach Vanessa a lesson later. Elizabeth started to fix her hair while waiting on Tibaut''s response.


    "Can you show me how to do that mana thing?" He asked.


    "Have you read the defensive magic book yet?"


    "No, why''s that important?"


    Elizabeth sighed. "It''s literally the first thing you learn from that book. Well, whatever, it''s only one sentence anyway and most skip over it by accident."


    "One sentence?" he thought. How would one sentence allow him to do it?


    "Alright so imagine making a spell but don''t finish it."


    Surely it couldn''t be that easy. So he tried it. And the air around him felt quite odd. He felt like the dry air around him had been substituted with the humid air of a jungle. Just like Elizabeth did back to the tent.


    It was that easy.

 Chapter 17

    After seeing how easy it was to surround himself with his own mana he couldn''t help but feel bad for Ezekiel. He had an ability that could be trouble for 99.9% of people yet through no fault of his own it was essentially worthless against anyone with magic. That must absolutely suck.


    While Tibaut was thinking about how it must feel to have magic that can be countered by anyone with a pulse Elizabeth looked she had decided it was time to leave. Before she got away he quickly put his hand on her shoulder and asked her


    "Actually there''s been something that''s bothering me for a while now."


    She looked at him slightly annoyed but made no attempt to leave. "And what might that be?" She responded.


    "Why can your sword and Ezekiel''s just straight up cut through my magic? Like how can they just get rid of my magic like they were popping a balloon?" He asked, wondering if all swords could do this.


    She took a good look and responded


    "I''m kinda amazed that someone with your talents has absolutely no idea about these sorts of things. From the guild to our equipment, it really does seem like you lived in your own little world and only emerged recently. Were you perhaps the discipline of some hermit that recently passed away?"


    "No, just travelling." He said, looking a bit irritated by her statement.


    "Just travelling?" she then briefly considered his words more deeply than usual. "Wait, only travelling? No visiting the local guilds, no finding work, no solo missions, no nothing?" She asked, shocked. How did someone of his level go unnoticed? While his strength was above average for an adventurer, there was no noble or merchant who would scoff at the idea of buying his services. In fact, a young magician who had never worked before seemed like the perfect fit for them if they wanted to cheap out.


    "If I''m being honest with you I kinda just walked through the wilderness to get here, I occasionally saw villages and stuff but I usually avoided them. Not because I was in trouble or anything, just preference." He said while hastily adding the last sentence.


    Elizabeth was trying her best to understand the boy in front of her. He''d never interacted with any adventurer-related before he met her, he was living his life entirely in the wild for four years yet he was more competent than the average adventurer in the parish. The thought of him being in the cult flashed in her mind yet based on how he acted he was either a damn good actor or the more likely option of him being an unrelated idiot. She decided to ask him a question to confirm something to herself.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Who tutored you in magic," she asked, hoping he didn''t say anything too outrageous.


    "Uh, if we''re talking about the fire stuff then I guess¡­ no one, though I was taught a form of magic."


    "What do you mean no one taught you fire magic?"


    "It''s just like I said. Ever since I was little I was able to generate flames though it wasn''t until a few years ago that I actually started to use it for offence."


    Elizabeth''s thoughts were flooded with questions "Using magic despite not being taught? Is he a noble, maybe he''s a trainee of the royal guard, still his red hair is quite unusual so I would at least have heard of him? Is this related to that being my lady said was troublesome, could he be a vessel of some higher being or maybe he could be¡­" She was diving into her thoughts until


    "Um Elizabeth, is that weird or something?" He asked without the slightest hint of deception.


    "No, it surprised me how disappointing you are, considering the potential you have."


    Tibaut twisted his face in response to this insult and decided he was going to leave before she hurt his feelings any further. Before he left she told him "By the way, don''t worry about the swords me and Ezekiel use. They''re pretty expensive so you don''t see them around here too much."


    "Ah, well that''s good to know at least. By the way, the spell I was taught was a curing spell. So uh, if you ever get sick or poisoned, I can probably help you out." He said before waving and leaving.


    Standing there Elizabeth thought to herself "My lady it seems as though I''ve hit the jackpot with this. The speed at which he learns techniques is incredible. He did what took me several hours of trial and error in mere moments. The technique he developed in a day would take others weeks. If I''m able to train him correctly, his power in addition to mine when my body can finally handle magic again." A smile crept on her face. "I might be able to do it. It just might be possible to achieve." She whispered to herself. For the first time since she created her guild, she truly believed that she would be able to make her dream come through.


    Tibaut lay on the floor of mansion''s the first floor quite tired. While he had gotten quicker at cleaning that didn''t lessen the work he had to do in the slightest. Instead of collapsing from 5 hours of work he now collapsed from 1 hour of intensive work.


    While he was laying there Elizabeth showed up. "(Oh give me a break, just let me rest for a few minutes)" He thought to himself.


    "You have a commission to do today." She said while lifting him off the floor.


    "Finally, it took long enough," he said while hanging from her hand like a kitten being grabbed by the neck by its mother.

 Chapter 18

    "I''m Ready," Tibaut said while wearing nothing but his plain clothes.


    "(I''d tell him to wear some armour but we don''t have any spare) Alright go wait outside, since this is your first mission you''ll be going with someone else."


    Tibaut nodded his head and went outside.


    He decided to wait under the shade of a tree until he saw his partner. After waiting for over an hour he saw a familiar-looking face approaching the mansion.


    "Ezekiel?" He asked.


    "Oh, hey kid, what are you doing out here?"


    "Wait, are you my partner for the commission?"


    Ezekiel briefly showed some confusion which then quickly turned to him in thought.


    "Ah, I see." He responded as if he figured out the answer to an equation. He continued "I never knew a girl like her had the ability to toss her work on other people."


    "Wait wha-, that bitch." Tibaut said feeling somewhat insulted. Before he could walk back to the mansion to complain to Elizabeth, Ezekiel grabbed his shoulder.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" He asked Tibaut. Before Tibaut could answer his question. "She gave this job to you, didn''t she? Plus I''m kinda curious about you myself, so let''s get going." He said before leading the way.


    "(My brother in Christ, if it didn''t matter that she wasn''t the one that went with you, why did you say anything about it)" He thought while he began to follow him.


    What sort of commission were they about to embark on? Despite being saddled with someone else''s work he was looking forward to it. Would he clear out a few goblins? Take out some kobolds? Do a little side quest that would somehow be related to some conspiracy in the kingdom which would lead to him saving a princess and becoming king in the end.


    ("Okay that last one would be a bit of a pain in the ass but ever since I''ve come here I don''t think I''ve seen a single fantasy staple. From a slime to an oni I''d be cool with seeing anything as long as it isn''t too difficult to take down.")


    <hr>


    It was a large open field. With each gust of wind, the knee-high grass would sway in an almost hypnotic fashion. The two were sitting on the grass admiring the scenery of it.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Man, this''d be a great place for a picnic," Tibaut said with an aura of forced calmness.


    "I know right, I think I might even bring some of the little guildmates out here sometime," Ezekiel said while calmly admiring the scenery.


    Tibaut hit his fist on the floor. "So why the hell are we out here then!?" With his face looking like it was about to burst a blood vessel.


    "Like I said, we''re being paid to protect the sheep."


    Oh by the way I forgot to mention. There were a multitude of sheep on the field eating and shitting wherever they went.


    "From what? We''ve been here for 3 hours and there hasn''t been a single thing that''s passed that looked like it wanted to eat these guys."


    "Well that''s a good thing, we won''t have to work as hard," Ezekiel responded while comfortably laying on the grass.


    "Don''t give me that shit, we''re adventurers, aren''t we? Aren''t we supposed to be hunting goblins in caves and exploring ruins?" He asked, sounding exasperated.


    The man in the grass sighed. "First off, low goblins are practically extinct in this country and second off this parish or the area it''s in more specifically has done nothing but farming for most of its history. The best you could hope for here is finding some underground farm or something. Honestly out of the places you could have chosen to be an adventurer in this place is probably the most uneventful. (Until recently anyway)"


    "Is that so," he replied defeated "What about those culti-" Before he could finish he noticed something black out of the corner of his eye. He immediately sprinted towards it. "Holy shit finally, there''s something to do." He thought while approaching the figure. It was a huge black wolf. It had to have been a dire wolf. He took a fighting stance in front of the beast. "Come at me, you overgrown mutt." He shouted.


    The wolf calmly looked Tibaut in the face and slowly walked towards him. "What the hell is it doing? I don''t think I''ve ever seen a hungry animal act like this before?" He thought before readying a fireball. The wolf looked undeterred and continued walking before he picked up something hidden in the grass. It was a large stick.


    Tibaut was stunned by this. "Huh?" He said aloud. He didn''t know what to think. Was it going to use the stick to attack him? While he was preoccupied with his thoughts, the wolf eventually reached him. All it did when it was in this range was gently tap him with the stick.


    "What the hell is going on? Wait a minute, it couldn''t possibly be?" And after that thought he did what he believed was the most logical step. Throw the stick. The wolf bolted after the stick with a frightening amount of energy.


    Before the stick had even reached the floor the wolf had caught it. After playing with the wolf for a few minutes he decided to walk back to Ezekiel and his furry little companion decided to follow him as well.


    The dog upon seeing Ezekiel laying on the floor decided to lay down on top of him. "Huh, holy shit, Lucky?" He said while enthusiastically rubbing the wolf. The wolf gave a single bark in response.


    "You know this big guy?" Tibaut asked.


    "Yeah, I do." The smile on his then turned into a more worried look.


    "Man Elizabeth''s gonna be pissed when she hears about this."


    "Why exactly?"


    "I told her that he died."

 Chapter 19

    Tibaut put his hand on his forehead


    "And why did you tell her that exactly?" He asked while stroking Lucky''s head.


    "Thing is, we haven''t seen him for the last two seasons."


    "Okay, so how does that equate to death?"


    "The thing is, I think he''s the first pet she ever had."


    Tibaut looked at him expectantly for further information and Ezekiel obliged.


    "Ya know, I thought it''d be better for her to accept it now than having misguided hope he was alive."


    Upon hearing Tibaut''s eyes widened. "Wow, Ezekiel, I didn''t take you for a pessimist."


    Ezekiel then took Lucky off of himself and insisted he explain to Tibaut why he did it.


    <hr>


    Approximately 2 years ago


    "Are you serious?" A somewhat shorter Elizabeth asked the man lying on the grass.


    "Yep. We just gotta sit here and make sure they don''t wander off too far." The man on the grass responded while looking quite comfortable.


    "I''ve heard rumours that this place was where the dreams of adventurers die but I didn''t know it was this bad."


    The man looked at the clouds in the sky and responded to her. "Why does it matter if this place doesn''t have any grand ruins or swarms of monsters? That''s a good thing."


    "Then how the hell are we supposed to move up our guilds if we have nothing to do here?" She responded with a hint of anger.


    "So what, would you prefer the people here getting attacked every day so you can show off to HQ?"


    Elizabeth looked insulted. "Wha-, now you''re just putting words in my mouth. Whatever, it seems in both skill and attitude you''re subpar. I shouldn''t have expected much of the leader of the top guild from a parish like this." She said before storming off.


    "Yeesh, she needs to learn how to roll the punches. I give her a year before she mellows out. ''Sides, the hell did she set up shop here if she wanted to move up the ranks. I tell ya man, these newcomers nowadays are getting odd."


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Ezekiel then closed his eyes and decided now was as good a time as any to take a nap.


    However, in the next few moments, he would be awakened by a noticeable bang. Ezekiel decided he was gonna ignore it as he neither noticed the sound of flesh being torn apart near him nor the sound of the sheep crying.


    Then it happened again. "Whatever," he thought, surely it wouldn''t happen a third time. And it didn''t. Instead, this time he heard the cry of a wolf.


    He immediately got up. "Alright, what the hell is going on here." He said in an irritated tone before approaching the source of the sound. What he saw when he got there only further soured his mood.


    Before his eyes was Elizabeth, who was surprisingly clean for someone who just massacred a pack of wolves. The wolves surrounding her could be grouped into two categories, lucky and unlucky. The lucky simply had a stab wound in their eyes that presumably exited their skulls. The unlucky ones on the other hand looked like they had shot with a howitzer.


    The area between both their sets of legs had been completely blown away. Their ribs, internal organs and skin had been scattered across the field. Upon seeing this sight the only thing Ezekiel could do was sigh. "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" He asked her in a surprisingly calm manner.


    "There were wolves here and we''re protecting sheep, what do you think I was doing?"


    In response to that the only thing he could do was facepalm. He then asked her "Do you know anything about the local wolves?"


    She didn''t respond.


    "Thing is, these guys are pretty passive." He then paused to look at the offal she had spread all over the grass. "In fact, I''m pretty sure I see the kids in town play with them sometimes." He said while looking disappointed.


    She heard this information but did not react. However, her mind was in turmoil. "(Passive? What''s he talking about? Obviously wolves eat sheep even a little kid would know that. He must still be annoyed at what I said earlier. Yeah that has to be it!)"


    "They were near the sheep, what did you expect me to do?" She responded coldly.


    "Let me ask you this, did it look like they were hunting anything? In fact, did they even attack you when you approached them? And besides you could have just run them away instead of butchering them."


    Now that she thought back to it they only approached her when they saw her walking towards them. And even then the only one that looked ready to attack was the last alive in the pack. She thought the lack of resistance was just due to her swift movements, but was it just because they didn''t expect it?


    Her face started to turn. She tried to explain her actions but the words just wouldn''t come out. In her heart, she knew was in the wrong. She looked like she was on the verge of tears while she was struggling to get a word out.


    Then she saw it. She didn''t know where it came from but a small pup was rubbing its head against the head of one of the wolves she''d blown the guts out of. She couldn''t bear the sight so she turned away, however as if her legs were made of jelly she fell on her knees and started crying with her hands on her face.


    What had she done? Why didn''t she just shoo them away? Soon Ezekiel tried calming her down but she wouldn''t budge. Right as she was beginning to stand up she felt an almost negligible amount of pain on her leg.


    When she looked down it was the puppy desperately biting her leg. She fell to the ground embracing the puppy in hysterics. No matter how much she tried to straighten her face, the tears wouldn''t stop and her arms wouldn''t let go of the pup.

 Chapter 20

    "So let me get this straight," Tibaut said while holding two fingers to his closed eyes. "With an origin story like that, you just told her wolf died and didn''t bother to look for him?"


    Ezekiel immediately countered while throwing out his arms, "How could I not with a meeting like that? With people, it''s one thing but an animal? Most are as good as dead if you don''t see them for one month, much less six. It''d be better to be honest instead of her getting her hopes up and then being crushed by the harsh reality. Anyway, I''m just asking you to at least not tell her that he came here to us. You can bring him with you if you want, just don''t mention anything about him being here."


    While they were having they''re little spat, Lucky was busy sniffing and attempting to play with the sheep. The sheep looked less bothered by this than they frankly should have been.


    In his head, Tibaut was thinking "(Man, for someone immortal, she''s more human than I gave her credit for.)"


    "But now that you mention it, what the hell does a wolf do for half a year then decide to return for?" Tibaut wondered.


    "No idea," he responded while shrugging his shoulders. He then looked as if thought of something then shook his head to deny the idea.


    "Also Tibaut" added, "In the story, you didn''t seem too concerned with her killing the wolves, in fact, you seemed pretty calm about it."


    "I mean she already killed them, it wasn''t like she could unkill them now, could she? Besides the fact she showed regret over it was good enough for me."


    The two continued having conversation until the sun began to set and two men approached them. The men thanked the two adventurers and began shepherding the sheep to a nearby fenced-off area where they were safe to rest.


    "Welp time to leave. See you next time kid." Ezekiel said.


    "Next time my ass, this was boring as hell." He replied.


    "Don''t be like that kid, I''ve pretty much exhausted all the conversations I could have with everyone else I know. I''ll have you know this place is great for shooting the shit." He said.


    Tibaut waved his hand and said "whatever" before leaving.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "But man, I''m kinda surprised this dog, no, wolf decided to follow me. You''re master''s gonna be pissed she has such a disloyal pet." He said in a mocking tone petting the wolf''s head while it followed him.


    Eventually, they reached the mansion but not before seeing something that wasn''t an everyday occurrence. As Tibaut was approaching while he was somewhat hidden by the trees he noticed a large person.


    No, it''d be more appropriate to say they were massive. They were about 7-8 feet in height and wore armour that covered them from head to toe. The helmet seemed odd as it had metal horns jutting out of it which as far Tibaut knew made helmets impractical for combat although this was a fantasy world so decided maybe he was just overthinking.


    The entire armour was also black whether through some heating and cooling method or the use of dye he had no idea. The armour also seemed pretty heavy. The person wearing it seemed to be about two inches depressed into the dirt.


    Finally, to top it he seemed to be holding an axe taller than Tibaut in one hand. Not resting on the floor or their shoulder, he casually held that monstrous axe with one hand.


    "Who the hell is that?" Tibaut whispered to himself.


    The two seemed like they were having an amicable chat. Eventually, the armoured figure patted Elizabeth''s head and left through the forest. The thing that startled him about this was that each time the figure took a step he could feel the ground shake.


    "Is that her boyfriend?" he thought "Her dad? No, no, no, she''s immortal so maybe¡­ her son?" While he was deep in thought Elizabeth started to approach him.


    "Why were you over here, hiding like some common bandit?" She questioned Tibaut before immediately shifting her focus to Lucky.


    She began hugging him and rubbing while the wolf was none too bothered by this. "Lucky, please don''t leave here again, you worried me." She said while pouting. The wolf gave a simple bark and gave her a single lick across her face. "Geez, I can''t stay mad at you." She said smiling while playing with his fluffy fur.


    "Wait, you knew he was alive?" Tibaut asked, confused.


    "I see Ezekiel told you about it. That bastard for 3 months straight would tell me that Lucky was dead and I almost believed too. But from what I just talked about a while ago it seemed like he decided to follow my master." She responded.


    "Master?" He said, shocked.


    "Uh-huh. Honestly, I would have sold this place over a year ago if it wasn''t for my master''s contributions." She responded.


    "But you''re immortal, are you telling me after all these years, you don''t have some money saved up?" He questioned.


    After hearing that, she made a long drawn-out sigh. "I guess I never said it outright so I suppose it''s not surprising you''d come to a conclusion like that."


    Tibaut looked at her puzzled and she continued. "This immortality was something I acquired pretty recently. And just so we can clear any misunderstandings I''ll state this bluntly. I''m 19."


    "Seriously?"


    "Seriously."


    "Really?"


    "Really." She said in a tone filled with irritation.


    "Man, I thought you were looked about twenty-" but before he could finish Elizabeth had quietly and quickly managed to put her sword to his neck.


    "Want to continue?" She asked with a chilling smile on her face.


    "No, boss!" he responded while saluting.

 Chapter 21

    Tibaut lay on the bed in his room. He had already finished cleaning the house and the mood he was in made it difficult to train. What was wrong with him at the moment? He was bored.


    This whole adventurer situation was not quite what he had expected it to be. At this point he expected he''d be forced to fight dragons, dispatch bandits, bust a drug ring or something interesting.


    At the current moment the housework he did was more difficult than that so-called "commission" he got. A few years ago living like this wouldn''t have been too bad. He had a roof over his head, he didn''t have to put his life in danger and he got to see two beauties every day.


    Unfortunately, the him of a few years ago was a somewhat different person compared to the him of now. He acknowledged that made a few improvements here through the use of a magic textbook, but he felt that was the only thing the place had to offer.


    In his eyes, if he left with the textbooks and went along his way it''d do him more good. Granted he still had to find information about his home nation but there was no need for him to do it here. After observing Elizabeth he felt fairly sure she wouldn''t chase him down or anything if left.


    "Well, I better just ask her outright," he said to himself on the comfy bed.


    <hr>


    Elizabeth was outside like she usually was 99% time, training. Her training menu consisted mainly of training her swordsmanship and various exercises with weighted clothing (Well, it was more like metal plates attached to clothing). As she was going through her training she noticed Tibaut approaching.


    "Hey, Elizabeth, can I ask you something?"


    "What is it? If it''s teaching you a technique, then that has to wait until I''m finished."


    "Honestly I''m just curious about something. How long do you intend for me to work for you?" He said in a quite serious tone as he looked her in the eyes.


    Elizabeth could tell by his demeanour that this was no time to joke with him. She scratched her head and responded


    "Honestly, after observing you this much I can tell you''re more of a danger to yourself than you are to others. I''m surprised you haven''t tried to run away once since I brought you here."


    The young man put his hands into his pockets and responded "I did kill you. It''s not like I can change that. If I were to choose between repenting in this life or the next, I would rather choose now."


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "And you think working for me was sufficient?"


    "Hey it''s what you chose, I''m just doing my part. If you decided you wanted to take a hand or leg I probably wouldn''t have complained."


    "Is that so? So why is it you''re now asking how long you''re going to have to work for me if you said you wanted to repent? Why does the length of time matter?"


    "Honestly there''s something I want to do in the next few years and I''m not sure I''ll be able to do it if I stay here."


    "What is it exactly?"


    "..."


    She sighed in response to his silence.


    "Alright, you just have to serve me for one year counting when we first met." She said while doing some stretches.


    "One year? Is that really alright?"


    "You''d just leave anyway if I told you, you''d have to serve me for one hundred years or something along those lines. At least I have an idea of when you''ll leave now instead of being surprised when it happens."


    It was laughable. Back in the previous life if all he had to do was 1 year of labour for murdering someone, regardless of the circumstance, even he would call the judge presiding over him corrupt.


    He breathed a huge sigh of relief.


    "Honestly I came here expecting you to be a little more hard-headed. Do I really hold so little value to you?"


    "Pretty much."


    "At least deny it, goddamnit. Am I really so useless to you that you can say that with a straight face? You know what screw you. I''m going to hang out with Vanessa to cheer myself up. At least she wouldn''t call me useless (Although that might be because I''m a walking forge)." He said to her before storming off into the mansion.


    She looked up to the sky and thought to herself. "(Maybe I should have been more greedy and asked for two years instead. No, even with a year alone, both of us might be able to springboard this guild into relevancy. There''s no need for him to stay around for what would come next.)" A smile then briefly appeared on her face before she continued her training.


    <hr>


    In a separate part of the parish, a woman was making her way towards a village. "Geez, do those bastards not know how to send a letter? And they''re the ones who asked for someone to help."


    The young woman was an adventurer part of Ezekiel''s guild. Apparently, the village had asked for someone to help transport some milk. The pay wasn''t good but it wasn''t like they had anything more important to do.


    The girl went because she had lost in rock paper scisso-, I mean had decided she could go for a walk. As soon as she reached the town she noticed something odd. There was no one outside. It was strange but she thought nothing. The sooner she got this over with, the longer she could lounge around at home.


    However, as she kept walking around the village it felt more and more eerie. The lack of people was one thing but the lack of sound was a completely other thing. Eventually, she noticed an absolutely vile smell coming from somewhere.


    She noticed it was coming from nearby and decided to follow it out of curiosity. Soon, she came upon a clearing in the forest. In this clearing, a large sheet covered a large mound.


    Curious at this sight, the girl decided to check it. Under it were the rotting corpses of various men, women and children all neatly piled up. Upon seeing this the girl emptied her stomach contents on the forest floor and immediately started footing it to town.

 Chapter 22

    After lifting a mild weight off of his shoulders yesterday, Tibuat woke up in a better mood than usual. "Alright, only like 350+ days left to go." He said to himself while slapping his cheeks. He looked at the books at a nearby desk in his room and mouthed "I''ll read them later."


    And decided to start his day by cleaning the house. At this point, he was able to clean the entire mansion (not including the multiple locked rooms strewn about the place) in about 3 hours. "Well despite what some movies I watched showed, I''m not any stronger."


    He said while flexing his bicep then immediately stopping out of embarrassment. "Well, I think my stamina''s better so there''s that I guess?" He said while trying to make himself feel better. He then spotted Vanessa walking by him and decided to greet her.


    "My, looking for some special service, hmm?" She told as she bent over enough so Tibaut could get a good look at her cleavage. Upon this happening Tibaut let out an exhausted. "Man, it just doesn''t hit the same."


    Hearing this, Vanessa made no effort to hide her annoyance. "The ''ell, do you mean by that?" She spit at him with a sour-looking expression.


    "I mean, you kinda do this stuff so much that it''s kinda getting, you know, bland."


    "Hoh, I see, so you''ve been sneaking to the brothels lately." She responded back to him in a voice absolutely covered in spite. "Sorry to say but I''m not that kinda gal."


    "I think you''re misunderstanding here (besides I don''t even have any pocket money). I''m not saying I want you to do some pole dancing. It''s just that I don''t think I''ve had a single interaction with you since I got here that didn''t involve you teasing me."


    Silence then filled the room. It was then she realized how one-sided her attack had been. To an outside observer, it might have seemed that she was desperately trying to hook in a man. Although her skin was dark it began to be noticeable on her face that she was blushing. She immediately fired off at him with a loud voice


    "Wha- screw you, aren''t guys supposed to like stuff like this, what are you bitching about? I''ll have you know I was doing that stuff ''cause I was bored and uh, yeah, to make sure Elizabeth didn''t lose her new recruit."


    "No, it''s not like that. It''s just that I''ve been away from civilization for so long and¡­" he then quieted down and started thinking about the next few words that came out of his mouth very carefully.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Just promise you won''t laugh at what I say next." He said in a hushed tone.


    "Based on what Elizabeth said, I don''t think I''m brave enough to insult you."


    "Promise me."


    Vanessa looked at him with curiosity and nodded her head curious what he was going to say.


    Sweat started to pool on his forehead and it seemed as though he was fighting to get his words out. "Honestly I''ve been kinda lonely these past few years so um, (Force it out, you bastard!!!) If you wouldn''t mind, I''d like to be friends."


    "Pft" he heard. With her small laugh, he assumed the worst. "Man, I should have known. This world does look mediaeval. She''ll probably hit me with some shit like ''real men don''t need friends'' and tell me to grow a pair or something. Ah, shit maybe I can hang out with Ezekiel. He seemed pretty cool. Could men and women even be friends back in those days?" Before he finished Vanessa grabbed his shoulders and started a hearty laugh. Tibaut was painted in dread when she did this and he felt, no, knew she was going to give him the verbal whipping of a lifetime when she was finished.


    "Sure," she said when she finished her laughter.


    "Huh," he said while looking he had avoided the death penalty.


    "No, I just didn''t expect that. Guys ask me out all the time or ask me to bang them so this was kinda a first." She said while wiping a tear from her eye. "I''ll talk with ya if I get bored, it''s been a while since I talked to a guy who didn''t have any ulterior motives."


    "Is it that often?"


    "You wouldn''t believe the amount of guys that think if they get with me I''d repair their shit for free."


    "(Man, I hate to say it, but she sort of reminds me of her.)"


    They continued to have their first non-related interaction until Tibaut noticed something or more rather a lack of something. He stopped talking and then put a hand to his ear to listen for something.


    "Huh, it doesn''t sound like Elizabeth is training today."


    There were no noises of her grunting or harassing the trees outside which at this time of the day was a bit strange.


    "Oh no, she''s just not here."


    "Huh. So anyway¡­


    While they continued their merry conversation of nothing in particular it seemed that something was going down at the parish guild. There sat ten individuals listening to the single old man in front of them. "It seems like those marauders have struck again, I''m afraid to say."


    Reactions of the people in the dusty adventurer''s building seemed to vary but the common thing that united them was that none were positive.


    "While I know this may seem brazen of me to say since at the end of the day this is our fellow man we are discussing and none of us here are mercenaries but I do believe it is about time we try to put more effort into vanquishing these fiends. Although if you do think I''m presumptuous I''d be happy for you to correct me."


    None of the ten there raised a voice or even so much as grumbled at his suggestion.


    "I see. Well, I suppose after what they''ve done it''s not too surprising to see this response. Then starting today, consider it your primary objective, to locate and eradicate these monsters walking in the skin of man. Please ensure you inform your guilds of this."

 Chapter 23

    After Mr. Bentley said his piece he left for his office to send a few letters to adventurer headquarters. After his leave, several of the people present promptly left for their respective guilds. In the end, only four were left sitting in the dusty building, two of which included Elizabeth and Ezekiel.


    "Those bastards, are they even human?" Elizabeth asked those present.


    "I can''t believe they''ve managed to get away doing this five times now," Ezekiel responded.


    The next to open his mouth was a crude-looking man with spiky hair and black spots over his eyes wearing mostly dark leather armour.


    "Oi, Jake wasn''t this recent village they found near your place? The fuck were you doing huh? Too busy having fun fucking your groupies you little bastard!!" The crude man shouted at the other man present while standing up from his chair.


    "Come on Furor, it isn''t like that-" but before the man could fully respond Furor kicked his chair at him.


    "Don''t give me that horse shit you mean to tell me you limp dicks didn''t bother to check the place for a week? Ezekiel here was the one who had to report this and compared to you, he might as well be on the other side of the country!!!" He shouted at the man named Jake''s face.


    "Enough Furor, we''re supposed to be killing cultists, not each other," Elizabeth told him.


    "Tch" he responded while picking up his chair. He looked less remorseful and more annoyed at her comment.


    One might think that this group had no commonality. And they would be right. The only thing that caused this group to form in the first place was Ezekiel. Well, less Ezekiel and more of their respect for him.


    "Anyway Jake, I heard you had some big job," Ezekiel asked him.


    "Yeah, I was offered a commission in the capital, I didn''t even come back until yesterday," Jake responded, trying to clear the air. Jake himself looked for lack of a better word, pretty generic. He had short brown hair and was wearing pretty unremarkable armour. If you said the words "upstart adventurer" he would be the first thing you imagined.


    Furor didn''t even spare him a glance because as far as he was concerned Jake was giving an excuse for his incompetence.


    "Well," Ezekiel, "I suppose talking here isn''t going to get us anywhere. I''ll stay here and talk with the old man. You guys can go."


    "The hell are you running us away for!?" Furor blurted at him.


    Elizabeth quickly stood up and walked towards the exit.


    "Well, if you''ll excuse me."


    "Oi, where the hell do you think you''re going!?" He shouted at her. Unfortunately for him, she paid no mind to him and went on her way.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Tch, she thinks she''s such hot shit."


    "Jealous you''re not number 2 anymore?" Asked Ezekiel with a grin on his face.


    "Shut the hell up."


    "(Why am I still here?)" Jake thought to himself while minimising his presence.


    As soon as Elizabeth returned to the mansion she gave Tibaut a brief rundown.


    "So what are we gonna do?" Asked Tibaut.


    "At the current moment nothing. As far as I can tell we''re going to have our best trackers (not that, that means much) work on figuring out their location."


    "That''s it?"


    "Of course not you idiot. As soon as they find anywhere vaguely suspicious we''re gonna have to bust down its door and see what''s up."


    Tibaut nodded his head and responded "Oh."


    "And because of that, I''ve decided to add something special to your training."


    "What, you buy a new book?"


    With a smile on her face she continued "No, we have more than enough in the library. Starting tomorrow you''ll get some physical training with me tomorrow."


    "Oh cool." He responded not sounding nearly as concerned as he should have been. Due to him honestly speaking to Vanessa, he had taken a shocking amount of damage to his mental fortitude which is why sadly he did not realise the danger hidden in those words.


    <hr>


    It was now a little later in the day and Tibaut was scrounging around the pantry looking for food. From the outside of the room, Vanessa was discreetly watching him. When she was doing this she noticed Elizabeth walking by and called to her.


    "Hey, Liz." She whispered as loud as possible to catch her attention.


    Elizabeth just looked and sighed. "Vanessa, I know you haven''t had a boyfriend for a while but this is just creepy. I didn''t know you''d stoop to stalking." She said with a hint of sarcasm.


    "Shut the hell up, look at what he''s doing."


    Elizabeth unenthusiastically obliged and looked at Tibaut in the pantry.


    "He''s looking for something to eat. What about it?"


    "Thing is I don''t honestly think I''ve seen him eat before."


    "So?" Elizabeth responded plainly.


    "The thing is, and I''ve asked Merill, it doesn''t seem like for as long as he''s been here he hasn''t eaten any of the dried meat, or fruits or used any flour."


    "Are you sure?" she asked with false concern.


    "Very."


    Elizabeth looked as if she was done with Vanessa and walked towards Tibaut.


    "Hey Liz, what are you doing?"


    "If you''re curious why don''t we just ask him."


    Soon Vanessa had run up to Elizabeth to try and drag her back. If only Elizabeth had cared. Even a fly would have done a better job slowing her down. It was like watching someone try to stop a car on ice barehanded.


    "Hey Tibaut, Vanessa''s been curious about what you''ve been eating these past days."


    Tibaut looked at her with his hand stuffed with something. "Oh, these." He responded as he extended his hand out to her.


    "..."


    "..."


    "What''s wrong guys?"


    "Tibaut," Elizabeth said in the lightest tone she could manage. "Have you been eating nothing but hard-tack ever since you got here?"


    "Yeah, what about it?" He said while taking a bite of it. It sounded as though he had just bitten a rock.


    You might be wondering what hardtack is. Simple. Flour and water. And maybe if you''re lucky, some salt.


    None of that fancy leavening stuff here. In the history of mankind, there are few dishes, no calling it a dish would be an insult to anything that''s been called food throughout human history, creations as sad as hardtack.


    Due to it being created simply for survival and nothing else you could probably find rocks with a better texture and with its hardness too much to bear for some, they''d have to break it with a hammer and try to make soup with it to even eat it.


    "Please Tibaut we can teach you how to make bread, so please stop resorting to desperate measures." Pleaded Elizabeth.


    "Yeah, I heard Elizabeth say you used to live in the wild. You don''t have to live like you won''t know when your next meal is gonna come, anymore." Vanessa said while reaching out to him for a hug.


    "(Why the hell are they giving me those looks?)"

 Chapter 24

    The day was incredibly sunny yet the heat wasn''t unbearable. It had now reached that time of the year when the sun could be out and about yet you wouldn''t have to worry about becoming a sun-dried treat.


    With the clear skies above it was the perfect time for any outdoor activities or even a picnic. Unfortunately for Tibaut, he had just gone through the former.


    There Tibaut was on the ground, bloodied and out of breath. He was covered in so much black and blue, that you wouldn''t be wrong for assuming he was of another species.


    Sadly for this black, blue and red man, he was human. Chained to his chest was a circular weight that looked similar to a 45-pound weight plate.


    "Is that really all you have?" Elizabeth asked him.


    Seeing as he wasn''t talking or moving since he hit the ground a normal person may have called it quits or started or called a physician. Elizabeth then looked around to ensure nobody was around and started healing Tibaut.


    In an instance, what had once been a stretch to call human was restored, and he instantly backed away from his abuser.


    Once able to speak again Tibaut instantly made his complaints known.


    "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!! Who the hell just starts wailing on someone out of the blue? A little warning would have been appreciated!"


    Elizabeth looked at him unbothered. Worryingly she responded, "Don''t worry, I can tell you from experience you''ll stop complaining at the tenth attempt." She then began heading his way.


    A cold sweat then broke out on Tibaut. As he weighed his options while facing the approaching danger, he realised running away would be the best option. Unfortunately for him, the weight on his chest was not a 45-pound weight. By his estimation, it felt close to his own body weight.


    "Christ, what the hell is this made out of!?" He cursed in his head while looking at the plate. For the record Elizabeth currently had no plates on her. In her words "this training is strictly for your own growth." How so very kind of her.


    While Tibaut was occupied in thought Elizabeth decided to give him something. It was a haymaker. It looked like the healing not only restored his body but some of his stamina which was the only explanation for him dodging the punch by ducking.


    Unfortunately for him, the weight mentioned earlier on his chest made jumping up and backing away in time seem like a pipe dream. Elizabeth was easily able to slug him with her next hand which sent him sliding across the dry dirt.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The weight was one thing but the fact it wasn''t evenly distributed across his body is what made it such a pay in the ass to dodge with. Tiabut got up and wiped the blood off his nose.


    "Hells bells, I''m gonna die before I get anything useful out of this." He thought while approaching her. You may be wondering why he wasn''t using magic. Well, each time he did it in his earlier attempt she closed the distance and pummelled him each time he tried.


    Due to his lessened mobility, there was no way for him to comfortably use his magic. He was now in favour of using martial arts. If he could get even one hit in he would be satisfied.


    They soon approached each other although a spectator could easily tell who was quicker.


    Elizabeth soon began her onslaught with Tibaut being forced to defend.


    "My lady above, you really have been a lazy bastard recently, haven''t you? This wouldn''t have happened if you had just read the defensive magic book or learned how to summon ki."


    "Why the hell are you telling me this now, you harpy!?" Tibaut decided not to let leave his throat as he was already getting his ass handed to him.


    He was now in a defensive position biding his time. He knew she wasn''t a hand-to-hand specialist so his time would come soon. Each punch she landed felt it bored a hole directly through him.


    Her strength was absolutely unreal; the only thing he could be thankful for was that she didn''t formally know any martial arts that used punches. The thought of her using the techniques of a martial art with her strength made Tibaut almost want to cry.


    Eventually, he spotted an opening and took it. It was a clean uppercut and his fist felt as though he just punched a boulder. By most standards, it would send an opponent crashing to the ground at least. Elizabeth stood still after taking the punch.


    "Maybe this is one of those scenarios where she got knocked out on her feet?" He hopefully thought to himself.


    After a few seconds, she turned her head towards him. The look in her eyes made her seem like a viper eyeing down its prey.


    "Not bad¡­Unfortunately, that wasn''t the point of doing this" she told him before sending his face crashing into the dirt.


    After healing him, Elizabeth decided it was time to take a break.


    "I have to say, I didn''t expect you to get a hit on me this early." She told him in genuine amazement.


    "Why didn''t you go down?" He asked, sounding defeated.


    "Unfortunately for you, if there''s one thing my master''s training gave me too much of, it''d be durability."


    Tibaut then began analysing her current and previous statements during the training.


    "Don''t tell me you went through this too?"


    "Pretty much." She responded nonchalantly. "Well, this was a long enough break, let''s continue."


    "Hold on, no water, snacks? How bout we stretch a little first? You know I think I hear Vanessa calling for us." He began pleading as Elizabeth made her way towards him.


    <hr>


    Meanwhile in a location in the parish unknown to most. There were various people gathered doing what appeared to be praying while one man in front of them was giving a speech.


    There was nothing remarkable about the people gathered.


    They wore standard clothing that was common in the parish and they had no outlandish scars or tattoos that would help identify them as part of a particular group.

 Chapter 25

    The man standing before the group was drenched in sweat while he was giving a sermon of some sort.


    "My brothers and sisters gathered here today rejoice for it is because of our lord that we stand here. We are here, not because of Gabriel or Michael nor Uriel or Raphael. We are here solely because of L-"


    However, while giving his speech to his congregation he was tapped on the shoulder by a plain-looking man. The man giving the speech looked annoyed but decided to be cordial. The people continued praying as if nothing had happened.


    "Brother Leo, what might be the reason for this interruption? As you can see I am busy with these believers."


    "I''m sorry to bother you Father Daniel, but we received a letter about the activity of the adventurers." He responded to him nervously.


    "I see. This is earlier than expected. How long until they find traces of our presence?"


    "About half a week, Father."


    A smirk appeared on the man called Father Daniel''s face. He started chuckling


    "They sure will be taking their sweet time."


    "Excuse me Father, but will that really be enough time to escape their clutches?"


    "Fear not, Leo, even if they were to arrive tomorrow we would still have enough time to relocate." The Father said full of confidence. "I''ve been expecting to relocate for some time now."


    "I see. The father is well versed in the art of caution." The man named Leo said as his worry soon left his face.


    "All you need to know is, as long as I''m around you and all my beloved clergy will never have to worry about where we will relocate."


    The father avoided using the word flee as that would have suggested they feared the adventurers. Unfortunately for them, he was not avoiding it for fear of spoiling the mood. He had a hidden ace up his sleeve that would guarantee that the adventurers wouldn''t be able to touch him.


    "Now Leo, I have to get back to preaching."


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Understood Father." He said before promptly leaving.


    For being the hideout of a notorious cult it was rather tame. There were no hanging bodies, or skeletons that were being displayed.


    If you didn''t know better and stumbled here, you might be inclined to believe it was some niche harmless religion. One would not know this group had created mountains of bodies in their spare time.


    <hr>


    It was now sunset at the Wisteria manor. Tibaut was (again) lying on the dirt. This time however he was fully healed. It seems as though Elizabeth''s ability to restore stamina with her healing had a limit and Tibaut was busy gasping for air.


    "Well, this session wasn''t too bad. For a month of training, you did alright. You did serviceable enough adjusting to the weight. We can work more on your footwork next session."


    "Huh?" Tibaut tried his best to respond while not being able to push a coherent word out.


    "You see because I didn''t have access to healing magic of this level while I was training, so I''d get this amount of training done in a month during my first year with my master."


    In his mind, all Tibaut was hoping she would be lenient after this. She had just subjected him to in her own words a month''s worth of training within half a day.


    "(There''s no way she''d want to give me a year''s worth over these coming days right? She''s human, right? Surely she''d know that''d break me right?)" He begged and begged on his own mind.


    "Hey Elizabeth, so how much of this are we gonna do?" He asked hoping for a reasonable response yet being prepared for her saying it''d go on for two weeks.


    "I guess we can do it on weekday afternoons." She responded while holding her chin thinking.


    "For how long exactly?" Tibaut said while bracing himself.


    "Until you leave obviously."


    At that moment Tibaut looked as though he had just learnt he had been sentenced to life imprisonment.


    After Tibaut had accepted the torment he was going to have to go through he eventually picked his ass up off the ground. Elizabeth was long gone by this point and it was now the middle of the night.


    On his way to the entrance, he noticed Vanessa talking to someone.


    "Is that really true about his hair?" She then noticed Tibaut approaching and called to him. The woman she was talking to decided it was time to leave and went on her way.


    "Who was that?" Tibaut asked.


    "Oh that was Lily, she''s in Ezekiel''s guild. She was just here to deliver a letter to Liz. Actually, since you came by-"


    "Give it yourself." He quickly told her before making his way inside.


    "Well, I would but," she then started scratching her head and looking away.


    Tibaut sighed and responded


    "For someone who can''t fight, you sure do like pissing off Elizabeth." He then held his hand out.


    "I really do need to learn how to control my mouth around Elizabeth." She then handed him a letter.


    As he searched through the mansion he eventually found Elizabeth in her room. Vanessa not returning here was definitely to her benefit. Elizabeth looked like she was about to explode. "I didn''t even get to wear it yet." She said to herself while she gritted her teeth. On her bed was a panty.


    It didn''t take much brain power for Tibaut to realise what likely happened. For his own safety, Tibaut quickly turned his head away from the bed and gave Elizabeth the letter.

 Chapter 26

    Elizabeth for the first time Tibaut could recall seemed flustered and her cheeks briefly turned a rosy pink. She quickly sat on her bed (hiding the panty) and proceeded to read the letter. When she began to read the letter Tibaut decided he had done what he had set out to do and deserved a good night''s rest.


    "Wait there," Elizabeth said while not taking her eyes off the paper.


    While a bit annoying, Tibaut was too exhausted to resist her and leaned against her door frame as he resisted the urge to fall asleep.


    As she was reading through it she made various "huh", "hmm" and "oh" sounds.


    After a minute or so she was done.


    "Tibaut." She first ensured the panty was comfortably out of sight and then walked over to him and gave him a light tap. He instantly jerked awake but as soon as moved from the door frame he lost his balance and fell on the ground.


    Elizabeth gave him a blank stare.


    "Anyway, as I expected it seems like we have some work to do."


    "We?"


    "That''s right. Ezekiel decided that in addition to searching for their location, we should also mark any suspicious areas off, so if by some chance they were there we wouldn''t have to go on some goose chase. Apparently, Mr.Bentley approved the idea. (though that''s not too surprising)"


    "I thought the only thing done here was farming?"


    "It is but that doesn''t mean there aren''t any likely areas for them to hide. The majority of guilds will sweep through them tomorrow, so prepare to get up early."


    "Whatever, just throw me out of the bed when you need me." He mumbled as went to his room.


    <hr>


    As the crack of dawn approached Tibaut was briskly thrown out of his bed.


    "Ow, what the-, oh." His anger quickly turned to annoyance when he saw Elizabeth standing above him.


    "Get dres-, are you wearing the same shirt and pants from yesterday?."


    "Yeah, what about it?"


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I do believe you have pajamas in your drawer."


    "Yeah, I know."


    Elizabeth had her hand against her head and quickly decided this wasn''t worth arguing about and asked him to go downstairs. When he went down he was greeted by Ezekiel.


    "Yo, kid."


    "Oh, what''s up." He responded pretty casually. He looked around the mansion and then walked to a window that showed the outside.


    "Is it just you?" He asked while looking out the window.


    "No, but every guild already got a letter stating where they''re supposed to go," Elizabeth responded to him while making her way down.


    "Huh, so why are you here?"


    "Geez kid, you really know how to strike where it hurts. Do friends need any reason to show up at each other''s place?" He said in a mocking tone while pretending he was shot by an arrow.


    "But seriously I do have a reason for being here." After saying that he pulled a map out of his. He then pinned it to a nearby wall (To Elizabeth''s dismay).


    "How many x''s do you see on this map, kid?" Asked Ezekiel while he pointed to the map.


    While the map was crude, if anything, the lack of details made drawings or scribbles stand out more than they would on a regular map. It was quite easy to see there were 9 black x''s and 2 red x''s.


    "Eleven x''s, what about it?"


    "And how many guilds are there?"


    "Ten I think."


    "Correct." He then began mockingly clapping his hands.


    "That means we''re one guild short if we wanted to cover all these places today. Which is why I''ve decided to split you two up."


    Tibaut squinted his eyes slightly and asked "Why us exactly?"


    "Well, the other guilds don''t have impressive individual strength, unlike you guys. Plus don''t worry you''ll be coming with me."


    That answer left Tibaut with more questions. Ezekiel noticed the confusion on his face and decided to give a more thorough explanation.


    "Alright, here''s what''s going down. You see those red x''s? I don''t really trust anyone other than Elizabeth or myself going to them. Plus the x we''re going had a few little monsters crawling around last time anyone went to it so I''m just taking you as a little insurance."


    "Is it alright for Elizabeth to go by herself?"


    "If she''s not able to run away from whatever would be there, I think we''d have a way bigger problem than the cult."


    "I agree with you there," Tibaut said as he nodded his head. Elizabeth looked annoyed by this statement but decided to conserve her violence for when she might need it later.


    "Alright, you get the idea," Ezekiel asked


    "I guess, but are we gonna find anything?"


    "Probably not but better safe than sorry."


    After Ezekiel visited Vanessa''s forge to collect his sword he came back and left the mansion with Elizabeth and Tibaut. After an hour or so of running, they soon had to part ways with Elizabeth to get to their destination.


    After a few more hours of running at full speed (much to Tibaut''s dismay), they eventually arrived at their destination. There wasn''t a single sign of human presence here yet it was clearly made by human hands.


    There appeared to be a hole in the middle of the wilderness that was a 3 by 3 metre square. On closer examination, the hole appeared to have stairs leading down. It continued until light could no longer illuminate the stairs.


    "What is this place?"


    "Based on a few books I read about this parish, it seemed a few hundred years ago some conflict was going on and some of the local people were forced to go underground to hide."


    "Seems like a pretty obvious spot someone would hide."


    "Obviously they would have covered it and camouflaged it smart-ass."

 Chapter 27

    The two men began to make their way down the steps of the peculiar hole.


    "I gotta say, for something carved out of dirt it''s pretty impressive it''s still standing."


    Tibaut commented after seeing how smooth the dirt walls and ceilings were on his descent.


    "I''ve heard magic was the explanation but the books I read don''t really go into detail about it," Ezekiel responded.


    As they continued their uneventful descent Tibaut asked a really important question.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask but why did we both have to come here?"


    "Oh, that. Well based on the last time anyone came they sighted some monsters."


    "Isn''t that something to be concerned about?"


    "Thing is, that was fifty years ago and as far as we''ve heard there hasn''t been any trouble in any of the local villages."


    "Oh," Tibait responded quite disappointed. He soon continued


    "Honestly if we came all the way here and there was nothing I''m gonna be pissed as hell. Besides, how long do monsters live?"


    "Depends."


    "What do you mean ''depends''? Don''t you have anything more concrete?"


    "Well I can be anything from 20 years to 100, and since I don''t know what exactly was seen down here I''d just be pulling it out of my ass."


    "Where did you even get this info anyway?"


    "Oh, the old man told me. Man does he love to ramble."


    ("The old man? Oh he probably means Mr. Bentley")


    The stairway was now becoming noticeably darker.


    "Hey kid, can you make a light?" Ezekiel asked.


    "Oh, sure."


    Tibaut then proceeded to make a candle-sized flame.


    "The hell is that little thing? Surely you can do better than that."


    Tobaut clicked his tongue and turned into a ball of condensed fire akin to a mini fireball.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Now that''s more like it."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "You know, it is starting to feel a bit hot."


    "Shut up and keep walking"


    After a longer time than most would guess they finally reached the bottom. At first glance, it was a long hallway that went into darkness with a room on each side visible from where they were positioned. Interestingly enough this structure was also made out of dirt with no bricks or cut stone in sight.


    "I know they were trying to hide, but just dirt? They must have really had faith in their magic." Tibaut remarked.


    After a few steps in, the opening to the outside behind them then crumbled separating them from the outside world. It wasn''t particularly eventful, in fact, it might have been the calmest cave-in known to man. All it did was block their exit.


    "I have a theory." Ezekiel while looking at the former stairway.


    "What is it?" Tibaut said while also looking at the pile of dirt.


    "There are three possibilities either:


    A. That magic conveniently decided to stop working at that moment


    B. They set some sort of defence to trap unwary invaders if they didn''t have some sort of magic identifier


    C. Someone''s already here and they decided to trap us in."


    "Well, either way, we''re gonna have to find a way out."


    "I''m honestly surprised you didn''t suggest blowing your way out with your fireballs."


    "If option A is true I''m pretty sure I''d bury us alive unless you have magic that can turn us into moles."


    Ezekiel then searched his pockets and responded "Sorry, I think I left it at home," and proceeded to walk down the hall.


    Still unsure about the way this world''s magic worked, Tibaut wondered, "He was joking, right?"


    They checked the two initial rooms they saw and found a whole bag of nothing. They continued down the hallway and noticed a fork in the path.


    Ezekiel flipped a coin to decide the direction and went left. While exploring Tibaut was continually amazed by how great of a condition this place was in. The dirt that the walls and rooms were made of was flat and their edges looked as sharp as the day they were made.


    It did feel a bit eerie walking around for so long without anything happening. They then soon reached another fork in the path.


    "Do you think we got lucky or this place is just gonna be full of these?" Tibaut asked


    "Trust me, kid, it''s better to just deal with these problems as they come. There is no use worrying about wasting time when it comes to places like this."


    They proceeded down the left again as it''d be easy for them to retrace their steps if this continued. Now being stuck underground would probably panic most people.


    Tibaut found it somewhat odd Ezekiel wasn''t the least concerned but guessed he was probably always like this. The reason Tibaut wasn''t concerned was that if it came down to it, it wasn''t too unlikely that if he decided to cave in this place they''d be able to dig themselves out.


    Granted it''d probably be a pain in the ass to dig that far up however with the punches he has taken recently from a certain someone lately, he felt as though his body could probably withstand some dirt falling on him. After coming much more forked paths they eventually heard something. Ezekiel put his hand to stop Tibaut and he soon stopped his light spell.


    Now concealed within they noticed the flicker of a torch heading their way. The creature looked like a wolf except for the important distinction of it being bipedal.


    "Tch, Kobolds," Ezekiel carefully whispered.


    The creature then looked their way but quickly became disinterested. Tibaut gave him a look of annoyance in the darkness. What he didn''t notice was that Ezekiel had made his way over to the kobold until he was in the creature''s radius of light. He then quickly snapped its neck while behind it.


    "I''m guessing it isn''t sentient?" Tibaut asked.


    "I''d normally laugh at that but considering the parish we''re in, I do think some of the adventurers here would genuinely ask that."


    ("I was genuinely asking though¡­")

 Memories of a Distant World 1

    Two were stumbling through the darkness with middling speed. The more they walked, the more it felt possible that this place was infinite.


    "Can''t I turn on back the lights?"


    "Are you an idiot? We were lucky we weren''t caught the first time. If you wanna push your luck, go for it. As for me, I''ll stay far enough in the darkness so I can watch you fight a horde of kobolds. Wait, now that I think about it, that sounds like good entertainment."


    "Tch," Tibaut responded annoyed.


    While the darkness was annoying, it was oddly nostalgic. Within an instance, his mind was transported back to his previous life.


    <hr>


    The room was dark as always.


    For someone like him, the room was cleaner than usual. The things scattered about were three to four soda bottles on the ground. He used to be a slob and let clothes, bottles and dust litter his apartment but recently was starting to break that habit.


    He sat as he usually did at his monitor, playing some game from five years ago that most people had stopped talking about long ago.


    But he didn''t mind. He had all the time in the world. He played whatever he wanted, watched whatever or read whatever he wanted. He had no job, he had left university and decided that getting a higher degree than a bachelor''s would be a pain in the ass, so didn''t have to worry about work of any kind.


    He had a few friends here and there but it had been months since he had played an online game with them and over a year since he had seen any of them in real life. They all had jobs now couldn''t play together as frequently as they did in high school.


    One might think his existence was lonely however contrary to what one might believe he was satisfied with life. He had enough money that rent wouldn''t be a problem even if he lived past one hundred.


    He could enjoy the media he wanted without a single worry such as studying or being called to cover someone else''s shift. It was his own personal slice of heaven.


    It was funny, he obtained all of this just by losing two things. How many people in the world would give up those two things to obtain this heaven? He soon got up from his chair to stretch after finishing watching the end credits of the game.


    He was in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants combo synonymous with all NEETs around the globe. As he was walking towards his fridge he heard a knock on his door. While this wasn''t an uncommon occurrence the person at the door was. It was his brother.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What''s up, Miguel?" The man in the heart-wrenchingly expensive suit asked.


    "Oh, finally gonna take the shares off my hand?"


    "Those harpys haven''t asked me to do anything about that yet. ''Sides would I be like this if I came here for that?" He said while pointing to the smile on his face.


    The man decided to let himself into the apartment. The space wasn''t small but considering the money Miguel had it could have been bigger. The suited man began inspecting the apartment. He had a look of surprise on his face.


    "I never thought she of all people would be the one to whip you into shape."


    "Tch, I just don''t like people coming here when it looks like shit. She shows up whenever she wants, so I gotta keep the place okay looking so I''m not caught off guard. That''s all."


    The man in the suit snorted.


    "Yeah, sure. She isn''t that special but I suppose if you hook her in she would be your first girlfriend."


    "If you wanted to shit talk Louise you can do that for free anywhere else. Besides I''m pretty she only comes here for the air conditioning. Also don''t forget you''re the one that sicced her on me."


    The suited man waved one of his hands and let out a bunch of whatevers. He turned on the light from a nearby switch, sat down on a couch in the apartment and invited Miguel over.


    "So, like, I know mom and da-" but before he could finish Miguel interrupted him.


    "How many do you have to tell you? I''m fine. I''m not depressed or anything."


    The man in the suit had an unconvinced expression.


    "Are you though? Look at how you live."


    Miguel was visibly irritated by this statement. He clicked his tongue and responded "If anything you''re the weird one. If most people got the kinda money we did randomly one day I''d bet everything I own that they would live like me."


    Mr. Suit looked unsatisfied by his answer but decided to leave it there and not dampen the mood any more than he should.


    He looked at the floor and saw a controller on the ground. He looked in front of him and saw a last-gen console under the TV stand. He was curious so took a quick look in Miguel''s room. He soon came back.


    "Man, it''s such a good use of money to buy two of the same consoles."


    "Shut up, the one under the TV is the pro version. Plus you''re not one to talk, how much did that suit cost anyway?"


    "..."


    His brother stood and decided to look through a pile of games on a nearby table.


    "Found it." He said before lifting up a game case and showing it to Tiba-, no Miguel.


    "Let''s play some Carnival."


    It was a crossover fighting game from a bunch of series that haven''t had new entries in the past five years.


    Miguel looked intrigued by the proposition.


    ("I don''t think I''ve ever beaten him in carnival before but this is a newer one than the one we played when we were younger, plus he hasn''t touched a console in years. I got this in the bag.")


    With a smug attitude, he responded


    "Alright old man, let''s see what you got."


    They both picked up a controller and booted up the game.


    On this day Miguel learned a very important lesson. Humility.


    "What the hell, I didn''t even know he could do that in this game!"


    "You''re a hundred years too early to be challenging me in Carnival!!!"


    <hr>


    Tibaut''s reminiscing was cut short by Ezekiel tapping him on his shoulder.

 Chapter 28

    While Tibaut couldn''t see Ezekiel, he could certainly feel him tapping on his shoulder. It wasn''t odd to see why. A few feet in front of them they spotted a torch attached to the wall. Several torches were starting to line the wall.


    Ezekiel put his hand to his head and started to shake his hand.


    "Looks like we can''t depend on the darkness anymore." He stated.


    While they had now lost an element of stealth, if they did run into trouble they wouldn''t have to fight completely within the dark.


    While exploring this place Tibaut was amazed by the immense vastness of it. They had been going through this place for about 40 minutes-ish if his internal clock was right.


    It didn''t just seem like the people who built this place did so to simply hide. It was like they were crafting an entire society down. They had passed multiple rooms that looked like living spaces although it seemed they had made most furnishings out of dirt.


    They even made their beds out of dirt (although from his time living in the wild, he wondered why they didn''t simply sleep on the ground instead of going through the effort of making a dirt bed).


    Soon they approached a few kobolds that appeared to be engaged in some social activity of some kind (they were sniffing each other for some reason). They appeared to be really into it as they either paid no attention to or were completely oblivious to the pair of adventurers.


    As they were close together Ezekiel had an idea. He drew his sword and within an instant got in their range through his magic and was barely able to slice them both in half with his sword slamming into the wall. He quickly stomped their heads to make sure they wouldn''t be able to whimper for help.


    Even though they were monsters Tibaut couldn''t help but feel sorry for how brutally they were killed. Ezekiel however had a mild smile on his face.


    Tibaut quickly rationalized that if killing monsters was part of your job requirement you''d eventually learn to enjoy it.


    Ezekiel then placed his sword on his shoulder and asked Tibaut "Pretty cool, right?"


    Tibaut gave a vague sound of affirmation and they continued on their way.


    "Still, are you sure you should be using that?" Asked Tibaut.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "What''s wrong with it?"


    "Well, it''s just that, Elizabeth said that wasn''t your main weapon. You do seem pretty calm, but this is still a life-or-death situation. Is it okay for you to hold back?" Tibaut asked him with mild concern.


    "Eh, it''s not like I can change it out now. ''Sides this is way more fun. I wouldn''t have been able to get the kill back there if I used a knife now, would I?"


    "Fun?"


    "Yeah fun, I don''t think I''d have as much fun using a knife since I''m so used to it. Honestly, whenever I use that thing I go straight into work mode. I don''t take any time to think up strategies or try to improve myself when I use that thing. I''ll just do the same things I''m used to doing and eventually win. Honestly, it makes me feel like one of those automatic golems."


    ("This bastard''s just humble bragging now.") Tibaut thought while not trying to let his annoyance be noticeable.


    Soon they noticed the sound of multiple footsteps moving around. Due to them approaching the two paths of a T-shaped hallway, they weren''t immediately spotted.


    However, if they didn''t move soon they would be. Ezekiel looked at the hallway they were in and noticed there were two living spaces in the area. He looked at one that was a few metres ahead and rushed towards it dragging Tibaut in tow. While the one on the other side was slightly closer they made it nonetheless.


    "Dumbass," Tibaut whispered to him.


    "I''m not the one who lagged behind, shithead." He whispered back.


    They began to sling insults at each other before quieting down as the footsteps approached. To nobody''s surprise, it was a group of kobolds seemingly patrolling the area. After they left, Tibaut left the dark room.


    "How long till they find the bodies?"


    The man still in the darkness responded.


    "In the worst case, ten minutes."


    Tibaut gave a sigh. Fighting a bunch of short bipedal warrior dogs in a somewhat cramped hallway with his magic didn''t seem ideal.


    He had martial arts but the idea of defeating, from the sounds of the walking, 20+ using only his hands seemed about as arduous as writing a singular sentence on a chalkboard three hundred times.


    He would very much prefer to zip on out of here before they realised however it seemed as though Ezekiel was not of the same mind, as it looked like he was bumbling around in the dark room.


    "What are you doing in there, we gotta go!" Tibaut impatiently hurried him.


    While stepping out of the dark room, he appeared to have a piece of paper in his hand.


    While Tibaut was starting to have odd assumptions about what he was doing in there, Ezekiel soon explained about the piece of paper in hand.


    "I knew I felt something odd while I was in there. Searching for something in the dark is a lot harder than you''d think."


    "Okay, why were you searching around in the dark for a piece of paper?"


    "Well you know, it could be something from the people who built this place. I''m pretty sure some historian somewhere would buy it for a decent amount."


    Tibaut put his hand to his forehead and sighed at the display of greed shown before him. ("Well from what I can tell most adventurers here are broke so it isn''t too surprising I guess.")


    Ezekiel then read the paper and put it in his pocket.


    "Hehe, I think this is more valuable than I thought."


    Tibaut quickly wondered if he was somehow an appraiser then quickly dropped the idea after remembering who Ezekiel was. The paper was probably just in good condition.

 Chapter 29

    The two, instead of going at the pace they went at before, had now broken out in a full sprint. While they were discussing what to do earlier, Ezekiel spoke of a somewhat pertinent fact.


    "Given the size of this place it isn''t too unlikely for there to be hundreds of kobolds running around at the minimum," he informed Tibaut.


    Upon hearing this, Tibaut felt that he did not feel like experiencing the irl version of playing a Musou game and absolutely booked it trying to find an exit.


    Two men were at this point now hot and sweaty in their desperate escape.


    "You son of a bitch, why wait till now to mention that!?"


    "It was pretty obvious if you asked me."


    "Shut up, I''m a rookie. Anyway, how long till they discover the bodies?" Tibaut plainly said to him while trying to steady his breathing.


    As if on cue, as soon as those words left his mouth he heard what sounded like muffled howling coming from the direction the kobolds went in. Upon hearing this Tibaut decided to kick his running into the next gear. He had long surpassed the pace even an olympic runner could reach in his attempt to escape.


    "Why the hell is this place so fucking long?"


    "Why are you running so seriously for? They''re just kobolds."


    "Shut up you bastard, if you want to get mobbed by them be my guest. Just don''t expect me to bring back your corpse."


    "Geez, you''re so mean kiddo. You''d just let your good friend die down here?"


    "Tch, shut up and keep running," Tibaut told him while gritting his teeth.


    Even if they were "just kobolds" fighting one hundred or more of anything seemed like a daunting task.


    They soon approached what looked like a town centre of some kind. Well, they had no idea if it was one or not, but they assumed so because of how absolutely massive the space was compared to anything else they had seen.


    The space was about the size of a football stadium.  It also had various paths and tunnels that connected to it which made it clear it was a communal area of some kind.


    While Tibaut was busy trying to get the hell outta there Ezekiel grabbed his collar.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    This grab was very brief, which resulted in Tibaut being sent to his ass on the floor. Before he could complain to Ezekiel he noticed him staring in a certain direction in this giant space.


    When he brought his eyes to the direction Ezekiel was staring in he noticed something odd. There were several kobolds standing around something in the ground. They were examining it by poking and prodding it with their various clubs and long sticks.


    His heart dropped when he realised the thing they were inspecting was not a thing but actually a person. Although he couldn''t get a good look at them, the few glimpses he was able to get from looking in between the legs of the kobolds confirmed there was a person there.


    Without exchanging any words the two ran towards the group with speed that made their earlier pace look like a joke. Before the kobolds even knew what hit them, half were blasted into the air by fireballs.


    However, the person they were attacking was nowhere to be seen. Before they had time to even process what was even going on a strange man with dreadlocks appeared in front of them.


    Some of the kobolds tried to get some distance while others attacked him.


    Unfortunately for them, the ones who were attacking were moved back while the ones who moved away were pulled like a coin to a magnet. What happened next was in its purest form a slaughter. The seven kobolds didn''t stand a chance.


    As soon as they were within range of Ezekiel they had already lost. It was like watching a child forcing several ants to crawl on and off of its hand while slowly crushing them one by one.


    After they finished up the kobolds present, Ezekiel brought the person near to his feet using his magic. It was a woman. She seemed to have no noticeable bruises or cuts but had her eyes closed and was breathing heavily.


    "Man, rescuing a babe has really got me feeling like a hero, wouldn''t you agree, Tibaut?"


    "Is this really the time for this? Wait, you aren''t going to do anything to her while she''s unconscious are you?" Tibaut said while giving him a dubious look.


    "Kid, don''t look at me like that. I''m talking about the aesthetics of being an adventurer. You must have a real dirty mind if the first thing you think of when you see a passed-out woman is someone doing stuff to her unconscious." Ezekiel while shaking his head in faux disappointment.


    "You bastard, don''t you lecture me¡­"


    They continued bickering and quite loudly at that. It was so loud in fact it woke up the unconscious woman. Although maybe it was a good thing she didn''t fully have her bearings together as the conversation the two were having would make most women keep their distance.


    "Um"


    "..."


    "..."


    Upon making her presence known both of the idiots immediately shut their mouths.


    Ezekiel cleared his throat and helped her to stand up.


    "Say, what''s a woman like yourself doing down in a place like this," Ezekiel questioned.


    "I''d like to ask you people the same thing." She responded.


    "Oh we''re, just adventurers checking this place out for anything suspicious (I''m not sure if I should tell her that we''re technically stuck here)" Tibaut responded, keeping a watch of the multiple paths that lead into this place.


    Upon hearing that the woman smiled although a tinge of discomfort was noticeable on her face.


    "Is that so? My, I must have been blessed to have the both of you come down here in my time of need."


    "As I was asking, what-"


    But before Ezekiel could continue his questioning he heard howling coming from the various tunnels connected to the space.

 Chapter 30

    The sounds of howling could be heard from the various passages that were connected to the space they were in. The sound of the howls coming out of each individual tunnel and path was quite eerie. It was like being in a surround sound theatre in the middle of a horror movie.


    Through some openings, only various gazes of the beasts'' eyes were visible. In others, large numbers of kobolds were lightly bathed by the flames of their torches. While their faces weren''t clearly visible, their numbers certainly were.


    Tibaut tried counting how many he saw in one tunnel but stopped at 20. And there was no shortage of tunnels that looked like they held more. It was as if every kobold in existence was here, in this relic of the past.


    A cold sweat broke out on Tibaut. Individually these guys were no problem. But this? He felt as though he''d be drowned by their blood before they''d be able to kill them all. However, they couldn''t run away. Every possible path they could take was flooded with them.


    Nervously Tibaut asked "Ezekiel, if you have any surefire ways to kill kobolds, I''d be happy to know. Maybe they''re afraid of a certain metal, maybe they can''t stand the smell of piss or maybe they like being licked. I don''t care what it is, as long as it gets us out of here without fighting through these things I''ll take it."


    Ezekiel had a small chuckle at this and said his piece "I''ll admit it, there''s a lot more here than I thought. Sorry to break this to you but we''re gonna have to get out of this the old-fashioned way. If such a convenient way of getting through them existed¡­"


    He then paused as if thinking over his next words "I probably wouldn''t have brought it anyway. Don''t be fooled, these little bastards are at the bottom food chain when it comes to monsters. Little bastards are so dumb, they don''t even know how to use or even make bows. The only thing you have to worry about is them getting close. And even then it probably won''t take more than a second to kill one."


    He said with a somewhat unnerving smile while forcefully gripping his sword.


    "Based on what you said, we might be stuck here killing these things for half an hour straight."


    "Well isn''t great, I''ve been meaning to do some training lately."


    The woman with them looked dumbfounded at the sight before them. Ezekiel noticed this and tried to cheer her up.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Don''t worry, just close your eyes and wait till it''s all over."


    Ezekiel then slowly whispered to Tibaut.


    "Make you keep ''em off her."


    "Tch, you don''t have to tell me that."


    Ezekiel then rubbed Tibaut''s head while saying "She''s really found herself someone decent."


    Although their size was diminutive, the footsteps of the hundreds of kobolds hid their size very well. It sounded like an army marching towards their battlefield.


    The marching slowly got louder and they were inching closer and closer towards the trio. Eventually, they surrounded them with not a single point that looked devoid of kobolds.


    Tibaut soon summoned some fireballs and quickly picked the woman up in his arms.


    He had never held a woman within his arms before but this wasn''t the time for him to be glad about this occasion.


    Then within an instance, it started. It was not the kobolds who took the initiative but Ezekiel. He ran into them like a bulldozer and got to work with his blade.


    Within a moment he took out eight. However compared to how many there were present, calling it a drop in the bucket would be a gross exaggeration.


    "A signal would have been nice!" Tibaut shouted at him while jumping into the air blasting fireballs into the swarm.


    "Well consider this the starting whistle."


    The men now commenced their offensive.


    Ezekiel was absolutely ploughing through them like a landowner through grass. With each swing, he killed at least five of the little shits.


    Even though he had the ability to move them away, the numbers present made getting through the whole ordeal without being hit incredibly wishful thinking to put it kindly. They''d get hits very often but their power was quite lacking.


    It left a bruise sure, however at this point the only thing these attacks would do was damage his skin. In terms of strength, they were weaker than the average human.


    With each swing of his blade swung around in his usual wild manner he would paint the ground in their blood. He couldn''t stay in one spot as the bodies piled so much they''d get in the way of his attacks.


    On Tibaut''s side, he would launch various fireballs and land in the dirt at the points they cleared.


    Unlike Ezekiel, he took his time doing this and only launched fireballs when the kobolds were close enough to possibly grab him. They were almost childlike in their attempts and were not particularly quick either (compared to the adventurers anyway).


    This way of doing things was slow in terms of clearing them out however it ensured the safety of the woman in his hands.


    At this rate, they felt as if it was possible to get through this.


    Then five minutes passed. The kobolds on Ezekiel''s side were getting desperate and tried to restrict his movements by giving up on attacking and throwing themselves at him to at least slow him.


    They were able to grab him a few times and get a few hits in. He was bleeding now.


    However he welcomed the challenge, he could now finally get serious.


    Through his magic, for brief instances, he would increase his speed to the point of it being absurd for a few metres.


    Each burst would litter more and more corpses and body parts on the floor. His mobility was now too much for them as, as soon as one would grab him, they would be flung off when he used his magic to move away.

 Chapter 31

    It had now been fifteen minutes since the battle had started. The air was saturated with the smell of blood.


    The dirt beneath their feet had now formed a burgundy mud from the amount of blood that was being spilt, with the occasional burn marks scattered about.


    Ezekiel himself was now caked in blood. To kobolds he looked like a crimson demon sent straight directly from the lowest pits of hell.


    Did this not mean they ran away from him? Far from it. They had lost too much to give up now. Looking at the mud, that was made through their comrades'' sacrifices, only served to send them into a blinding rage.


    Stuck in Ezekiel were various fragments of teeth and claws from the kobolds that tried their damndest to kill him. His breathing was ragged as if he had just run a marathon.


    It also didn''t help that he was now starting to feel his magic reach its limit. He had to slow down or else he would be stuck fighting this horde without his magic which allowed them to get more and more hits on him.


    His claymore was now looking more like a cursed blade than the sword of a high and mighty adventurer. It was dyed in crimson just like himself, and when he had originally got it back it could slice a fruit by dropping one on it.


    Now, however, due to the constant slashing of his enemies, it was nothing but an oversized bread knife. Even then he kept hacking the little bastards apart.


    Instead of cleanly cutting them into halves, sometimes it would smash them like a club and other times it would only be able to make a cut that went halfway through them.


    The corpses stopped looking like they were created by an expert executioner and instead looked like they had been attacked by a wild beast on a rampage that cared very little about the efficiency at which it slaughtered its victims.


    On Tibaut''s side of things, for better or for worse the kobolds really seemed like they wanted Ezekiel gone. This left him a fraction of the beasts that Ezekiel had to deal with.


    Even then it was no walk in the park. He would occasionally land in areas that had mud over it slowly down his evasion noticeably.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    While he was grateful for the training Elizabeth had given him, as he was doing better handling the women in his arms'' weight than he would otherwise, it still did not change the fact a full-grown woman was within his arms and her weight was slowing him down.


    Thankfully the kobolds had not been able to reach her, however, the same could not be said for Tibaut. His legs and his back had various bruises, scratches and bites from the kobolds on them.


    His fireballs were sometimes not able to clear areas he could jump to so he was forced to use the few kicking moves he knew while aiming for their heads and necks like his life depended on it, as it did.


    If there was something to be grateful for in this hell he stood in, it was the fact they weren''t physically gifted enough to dodge his attacks nor had the mental capacity to read his attacks.


    He felt exhaustion growing whenever he threw his fireballs but he didn''t stop. He knew if he did the woman in his hands and himself would be swarmed by them like ants.


    Once that happened they''d be lucky if even their bones were left behind.


    Seeing the number of enemies Ezekiel was throwing himself at, it would be laughable if he was not able to deal with this amount of kobolds.


    It had now been thirty gruelling minutes.


    <hr>


    The crimson that formed the outer coat of Ezekiel''s body was now a mixture of his own and the enemies'' blood.


    His sword had been chipped so much by the battle it was now much more appropriate to call it a crimson saw. The upside of this was the efficiency was no longer inconsistent.


    It made an unnerving noise each time it cut through a kobold. You could hear the ripping of muscles as it went through and the shattering of bone.


    He could no longer use his magic anymore. He was completely out. No matter how much he tried, he could no longer move his opponents or himself. They would now be free to bite, claw and bash him to their heart''s content.


    He did still dodge and evade whenever he saw the opportunity however there was very little he could do when surrounded from every angle imaginable. None of this mattered to him. He had a job to do and he was gonna do it.


    His sword did not relent in its cruelty. Because if he stopped now, they would, without a doubt, all be killed.


    Nothing changed much on Tibaut''s side of things other than the fact he was now fighting exhaustion he had only felt a few times before in his life.


    He gave it five minutes before he collapsed. The woman in his arms looked as though she had accepted death and was very tightly hugging Tibaut. "Fuck that!" He thought.


    "In the next five minutes, I''ll kill all these bastards." He said while gritting his teeth so much it was a miracle they didn''t crack.


    He now had a defiant look in his eyes. He sure as hell wasn''t gonna let it end here, not without getting revenge for what happened four years ago.


    <hr>


    An hour had passed. The room, for the first time since the battle started, had now been blessed with silence. There was no one left standing.


    The battle was over.

 Chapter 32

    Seventy-five percent.


    That was how much of their own the kobolds decided was too much.


    As if a switch was flipped they immediately started fleeing. It didn''t matter where they ran to as long as they got away from the two monsters in the room. Some didn''t even bother trying to leave through the various connected hallways and instead tried to dig their way out.


    Others would climb over brethren to get away.


    As long as they could get away no method was above them. Eventually, the only thing left in that space was the uncountable corpses of kobolds, the almost overpowering stench of blood that had now made the room incredibly humid and the two battered adventurers that lay on the floor.


    Only the woman remained standing.


    "EZEKIEL!" Tibaut shouted with the embers of his strength that remained.


    There was no response.


    It wasn''t unthinkable but there was no way he could accept this. There was no way they could have gone through all that and he decided to die at the finish line. The only reason he could even call out to him in the first place was because of that man''s perseverance and endurance. There was no way he could accept he was dead. He would call out to him until he responded. It didn''t matter how long he had to do it, he wouldn''t stop until he heard his response.


    "Ezekiel!" He shouted with less vigour than before.


    "Shut the hell up, I''m trying to catch my breath here."


    "Huh?"


    He was somewhat confused by the response but he decided he had no time for that now that he confirmed that he was alive.


    Tibaut then slowly forced himself to stand up then limped his way towards Ezekiel. On his way, he stumbled and tripped various bodies of the kobolds.


    But no matter how many he tripped over he still made his way over to him.


    He couldn''t pass out now. He still had a job to do before he left his fate to Ezekiel. He soon reached him. Whether he travelled ten metres or one hundred he had no recollection. He stared down at the man catching his breath and dragged him up.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Hey kid, I think it''s a bit early to be leaving. I may look invincible but it''d still be dumb to leave without treating our wounds"


    Tibaut did not respond to him. All he had in his eyes was a vacant expression while his breathing grew increasingly harder. He then moved his hand in between the both of them. A faint green glow encompassed the both of them. Ezekiel looked at him shocked.


    ("The hell? Is he a healer?") Is what he thought but he didn''t feel any of the soothing effects of it. ("Shit it''s too weak.")


    This glow continued for a few minutes before Tibaut fell to the muddied floor. Before he fully submitted to unconsciousness he whispered what he could.


    "Cure. 12 hours before we have to worry about infection. Bring us to Elizabeth. She''ll heal us." After those last three words, he was out cold.


    ("So that was a cure spell huh? That was oddly forward-thinking of him. I couldn''t have guaranteed us returning without having to lose a limb or two. Plus Elizabeth knows healing magic? That''s the first I''ve heard of this.")


    While he had some doubts about that part with Elizabeth, he decided to trust him.


    Healing potions were expensive and would take weeks to reach the parish even if they ordered them as soon as they reached a town.


    And in terms of healers, none of the ones in the parish would be good enough to heal the wounds they had even if they fully drained their mana.


    He looked at his chest and noticed a rib that was showing. Thanks to the blood that covered his body, other than his rib he had no clear indication of how damaged he was and frankly he felt like he''d be better off not knowing.


    Tibaut wasn''t looking too good either. His back and his legs looked like they lost all the skin they once had. He didn''t know how good Elizabeth was but it was worth giving a shot nonetheless. He picked up Tibaut''s body and put him over his shoulder. He then stared in the direction of the woman.


    After taking a few seconds to catch his breath some more he stated. "If you don''t wanna die, stay close to me. Though I think I have a pretty good idea of who you are so don''t think about running away."


    The woman looked surprised but didn''t show any inclinations to running away.


    "Good, questions can wait until later, for now just follow me."


    <hr>


    It was a dark space. There was no sound. It wasn''t just silent, there was nothing that could be heard. Even the sounds one would notice in extreme silence such as the sound of your own eyelids blinking or the sound of your own heartbeat couldn''t be heard.


    It was unnerving. He had never experienced a silence as unique as this. Even when he moved his mouth nothing came out.


    He wondered why he was floating in this lightless and soundless void. Then he saw him. In the lightless void, he saw a figure suddenly appear in front of him.


    He couldn''t move. He couldn''t talk. He was forced to watch as this figure examined him. He couldn''t fully make him out as his appearance seemed somewhat blurry.


    "Tch, you''re still kicking around? Why don''t you just give up and die already."


    The figure said while sounding annoyed.


    "I can''t believe out of all the ones I brought here you''re one of two still alive. It doesn''t help that that both of you are basically useless."


    The figure then sighed.


    "Whatever, maybe you can still be useful to me. Just get me some good information before you die, I always try to make another batch."

 Chapter 33

    Before his eyes was a familiar ceiling. Although he had been living in the wild for the past four years, this ceiling he''d only been seeing for over a week was now more memorable than any other sight he had from waking up within the last four years.


    "Oh, I''m home." He softly said to himself.


    From the darkness present past his window, it was presumably now night. Whether it was just after the evening or midnight he had no idea.


    Then he realised something. His back was stinging. No, it''d be more appropriate to say it felt like someone had run a clothing iron all over his back. He then very quickly laid on his stomach as if his life depended on it.


    ("Why the hell am I still in pain?") He then felt his back very delicately and realised he had been wrapped with gauze of some kind.


    He looked at his hand and there was no sign of blood. ("Well at least my bleeding has been stopped.")


    He then tried to stand up on his feet and immediately fell to the floor. Because he wasn''t putting pressure on them before he didn''t notice but his legs felt like they were in an even worse state than his back.


    ("What the hell? Is Elizabeth still busy with her investigation?")


    He then decided to throw himself back onto his bed and wait until someone showed up. His injuries seemed to no longer be fatal.


    If no one showed up for the next hour however he decided he''d grit his teeth and go look for someone.


    He didn''t have to wait long, however. A certain blonde beauty opened the door to his room. At first, there was a hint of relief on her face but that was quickly hidden by a face that looked like an Asura.


    "You bastard." She said in a very unladylike tone. Before Tibaut could even react she had covered the distance from the door to his bed.


    Her fist was now directly in front of his face. Tibaut blocked but he knew if one of those was thrown, even a wall of Tungsten wouldn''t save him.


    Soon he realised something. The punch didn''t come. He slowly lowered his guard to see why she stopped but she used the opportunity to move her hand to his forehead.


    She then gave him a simple flick. However, the flick he received felt like someone shot a rubber bullet at his forehead. He writhed in pain for a moment before voicing his complaints.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "The hell was that for? Are you trying to finish me off? My hp just got back in the yellow and now it''s in the red again!"


    "Is that any way to speak to your saviour? (Thank God he''s alive. For a minute there I was worried I didn''t heal him enough. Do you know how hard it was to keep you alive while also making my healing look ''average'' you son of a bitch!?)" She responded coldly.


    A look of confusion was apparent on Tibaut''s face and Elizabeth quickly decided to answer the question he most likely had.


    "Because you decided to tell Ezekiel about my healing magic, I''ve had to lessen the effects a bit."


    "Is him knowing about you having really good healing magic that much of a problem?" Tibaut asked out of curiosity.


    In response to his question, Elizabeth gave a long drawn-out sigh.


    "Do you know how many people in this nation have healing magic on a comparable level to me?"


    Tibaut rubbed his chin for a few seconds before giving what he believed to be a reasonable answer.


    "A thousand?"


    "Lower."


    "A hundred? (I suppose it''s better to underguess so she tells me how many there are.)"


    She then shook her head. "Twenty-five if we''re talking about healing on my level. Although there are over nine hundred healers in the nation that would be able to treat serious wounds, so I suppose since you got it somewhat right on your first try, you get a 30%."


    "And how many people live in this country exactly?"


    "Around five million people live here. And in terms of those who wield magic, there are around 110,000 although if that number is rounded down to people who are considered competent it''s around 30,000 and that word just means they could probably win a fight with it."


    After hearing that Tibaut just nodded his head and responded "I see."


    "I honestly thought you''d show a better reaction."


    "I mean, I saw your immortality first-hand. It''ll take a bit more to surprise me at this point. Still though, is that really enough reason to hide your magic?"


    "Well, in my case there''s only a short list of reasons why I would suddenly gain this level of healing and any of them would make it detrimental to me if a large amount of people found out about it."


    "Don''t you trust Ezekiel though?"


    "I do but I''d rather not take that chance. The only reason I let you know about it was because of our first encounter, and trust me it wasn''t because I wanted to."


    A grim expression appeared on her face remembering that day.


    An awkward silence hung over the room for a few seconds until Tibaut decided to shift the subject.


    "Anyway, I''d appreciate it if you gave me the real thing."


    Elizabeth was unsure of what he was speaking about until it clicked in her head. He was talking about healing. She laughed to herself for a few seconds before getting up. He grabbed her hand like a vice grip without a moment''s delay.


    "Hey, Elizabeth, where are you going?" He asked, trying to hide the concern in his voice.


    "What do you think? I''ve confirmed you''ll make it through so I''m telling the others."


    "Aren''t you forgetting something?"


    "No." There was no hesitation in her voice. She then continued "Other adventurers aren''t as fortunate as you, so I thought I''d let you experience how most of them deal with injuries." She then removed his hand and walked away.


    As she closed the door only one thought remained in Tibaut''s head.


    "What a cun-

 Chapte(r 34)

    Let us rewind a bit.


    On the night before Tibaut explored the underground structure with Ezekiel, he was feeling quite restless.


    He was constantly squirming and turning in his bed. Even though his body felt like it wanted to sleep earlier it now showed no signs of sending him to dreamland.


    It wasn''t as though his fatigue disappeared, far from it. He knew his body needed some sleep but it just was not complying no matter how he lay in his bed.


    In a way, it was quite hellish. Infuriated at his current situation he decided to take an exploration around the mansion. This seemed to be a habit that came from his old life when he would go a few days without sleep yet not be able to when he finally felt like it.


    During his walk, he noticed something somewhat unusual. A door that was closed when he cleaned the mansion was now barely open and there was light coming out. This was quite unusual as, as far as he knew, that wasn''t Elizabeth''s or Vanessa''s room nor was it the library.


    "How odd." He thought in a state that was neither awake nor asleep.


    He heard some splashing but that confused him even more. There was already a room with a bath and an indoor pool seemed a bit ridiculous.


    What was going on in there exactly? In a mental state where caution was a distant memory, he peeked into the room. The sight that greeted his eyes was something that most men would dream about.


    Within a second his stamina returned to him. He knew he had to look away, unfortunately, the fact he was a red-blooded male made that almost impossible. Falling to his most basic instincts, he instead viewed the opening with even more vigour and caution than before.


    In that room was what looked like a communal bath surrounded by regal-looking marble (at least that was his best guess) floor with gold streaks in it.


    That however was nothing compared to the three women in there. Their bodies were incredibly complementary.


    There were very few men who would be able to look at that scene and not leave satisfied.


    Elizabeth was one thing clothed but this was a whole other level. Her skin was flawless and it was noticeable she had somewhat of a tan. It seemed her armour had protected her torso and the highest part of her legs as their lustre and paleness were similar to a marble statue compared to the rest of her body which was more average in skin tone. This made it very hard not to focus on her quite moderate chest. The contrast of the pinkness of her nipples against the skin however was a very clear reminder she was no statue.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The sight was interrupted by two dark hands grabbing them.


    "Hey Vanessa, stop doing that." She said before half-heartedly throwing Vanessa in front of her below the water''s surface. "Don''t think I''m just gonna let go of the fact you wore my new panty, you old hag!"


    With that throw of Vanessa, Tibaut saw something he hadn''t seen in nearly 16 (technically 12 but he didn''t care for the one he saw back then) years, from when he still had access to the internet. Those few moments now burned in his skull will be very useful when he has further sleepless nights.


    Vanessa soon surfaced from the water. "When will you stop calling me that? You call grandma''s hags, not me! You''re the only one who calls me that, isn''t that right, Merrill."


    Vanessa''s skin gave a nice contrast to Elizabeth''s. Her skin was comparable to a polished and stained dark oak. Now that he compared them both women were somewhat toned but had no clearly defined muscles. However as Elizabeth had a body that showed moderation with the chest and behind, while Vanessa looked like she represented excess. She had breasts that looked ever so slightly larger than her head. The bra she wore must have been a legendary item as they looked noticeably bigger than they did when she was clothed. Her behind was no slouch either. It looked as though it was sculpted by a master artisan who had no reservations about people labelling his art "lewd".


    Even though Tibaut knew if he was ever found, it''d be his last day on earth he couldn''t help but be grateful that this would be the last site he''d see.


    Finally, his eyes darted to the final woman present.


    In a voice so soft that Tibaut could barely hear what she was saying she timidly stated "um, well, Vanessa, you''re not exactly old but um," she then hesitated for a moment "you''re not exactly young either."


    She had purple hair that went down to her chest and was closer in skin tone to the parts of Elizabeth that had experienced the sun.


    This woman had completed the breast trilogy the group had created. While her breasts were smaller than her friends they were quite a refreshing sight after looking at Vanessa''s chest. It was like cutting the flavorful fat of an amazing piece of steak with an enjoyable citrus sauce.


    The two sights together in Tibaut''s eyes were worth more than the sum of their parts. While her body fat was noticeable it was certainly no issue.


    It played into her strongest feature.


    Her thighs.


    When she had stood up, Tibaut made one distinct observation. In all the time he had spent alive in this world and the next, he was absolutely certain he had not seen thighs as magnificent as hers. Even if a goddess were to appear before him he would have no doubt in his mind that the woman named Merrill would be leagues ahead in quality. If an illustration of her thighs were distributed across the globe, there was no doubt in his mind that men everywhere would form a new religion. They were so grand in fact that he nearly ignored the symbol of womanhood that lay between them.


    The woman continued to have a discussion but Tibaut soon left. He quickly stumbled to his room. Within one night he had made his right hand 10% stronger and the dream he experienced that night made any eroges and doujins he played and read in his last life seem laughable in comparison.

 Chapter 35

    Alright back to the present


    As soon as Elizabeth closed the door she immediately made her way down to the first floor of the Manor. With a look of relief on her face she told the two standing before her, "It seems like he''ll be alright."


    The two in front of her gave a sigh of relief. They were Ezekiel and Vanessa, who was holding Ezekiel''s sword to presumably repair it.


    "Geez, does he think it''s funny to worry us like that?" said Ezekiel.


    Without any time to react a fist flew into his stomach. He was glad he had no major injuries there as the shock alone from the pain would have probably sent him to an early grave.


    Nonetheless, due to his current condition, he immediately fell to the ground. Most of his upper body was wrapped in gauze due to him taking damage so it was a miracle he was even standing in the first.


    From the floor, he tried to see who his aggressor was. An ominous look had taken over Elizabeth''s face. She then placed her boot on the part of his chest that, up until recently, was showing a rib. While it was healed that ''healing'' had merely converted the rib with a layer of muscle. No skin was currently present there.


    "Hey, Liz?" He said trying to hold back his pain while sweat now started to show on the few parts of his skin that were visible.


    She then began to forcefully dig the tip of her foot into him.


    "Goddamnit, what''s the big deal here?" He pleaded as tears were now starting to form in his eyes.


    "What''s the big deal here?" Elizabeth responded coldly.  "You said you were going to explore somewhere that had a few monsters and yet you brought back my Tibaut looking like that!?" She said while delivering a kick to him.


    "Shit," he exclaimed in response to the kick. "Calm down Liz, no Elizabeth. Situations like that can''t be avoided for adventurers no matter how far down the totem pole we are."


    He knew what he was saying was true but he also knew he wouldn''t be able to control his anger if one of his own was brought back like Tibaut.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Can''t be avoided?" Elizabeth''s face looked as though she''d just been told someone had taken a dump on an expensive pastry she recently just bought.


    "You bastard, did you even try to prepare? You brought no healing potions, no S.O.S stones and worst of all was the kobolds. Do you know anything about kobolds?"


    While Ezekiel wanted to respond about the healing potions and S.O.S stones by saying he didn''t have any, he decided he''d have to refrain if he wanted to keep living.


    "Um, they''re weak and they''re short, that''s all you need to know about monsters like them anyway right?"


    She delivered a more unrestrained kick to him this time.


    "I can''t believe I had any respect for you."


    "(Was that not a good enough answer?) Stop being so harsh, Elizabeth, we all make mistakes, even me."


    "This was far beyond a mistake. You put both your lives in danger for no reason."


    Ezekiel looked confused at this statement so she decided to continue.


    "Here''s a fun fact about kobolds you can make sure to jot down in that thick skull of yours. Kobolds are considered docile."


    The sweat Ezekiel had broken out into before was flowing like a river. This wasn''t an unavoidable conflict that was caused by the both of them entering underground ruins. There was one moment that stood out in his mind as the cause of the conflict. Him taking care of the first kobold they found.


    "Seriously?" He said, however, from his tone of voice you could tell he wasn''t trying to deny it.


    "Yes, while they can cause damage to animals like sheep, and they''re also aggressive with children. They still will not pick fights with things of a certain height or, what would''ve protected you guys, the presence of mana. They especially ignore things that have traces of mana on them for their own safety." While saying it seemed she had gotten rid of most of her anger as she let out a calm sigh after.


    "Shit, guess I gotta apologise to the kid. I gotta say though it''s good that you have your heali-" Before he could finish he received a kick to the cheek that sent him flying a few metres across the floor.


    Elizabeth now had an even nastier look on her face than before. "You truly are remorseless."


    Now holding his cheek he asked "What did I even do? I mean what''s the point of beating myself over something I had no idea about, isn''t that right Vanessa?"


    He looked to Vanessa in hopes she would at least try to stop Elizabeth''s cruelty. The smile on her face gave him a brief moment of hope until he realised what she had in her hands.


    "Say, Elizabeth, that healing magic of yours should work on a few extra scars right?" She said while dragging the sorry excuse of a sword that was Ezekiel''s claymore in one hand as she walked towards him.


    He tried to get up while she approached but these new injuries had drained all the energy from his legs.


    "I''ll have to try my best," Elizabeth responded coldly while cracking her knuckles.


    "Guys, this is going a bit too far for a joke. Guys? Guys!?"


    Fortunately for him, Elizabeth had decided not to hold back with her healing for what was about to occur next. How very fortunate for him. No matter how much they bruised or slashed at him he would not have to worry about them accidentally killing him.


    How very, very fortunate for him.

 Chapter 36

    After falling unconscious when the two women had started their assault he found it strange when he eventually woke up on the floor and his injuries were not any worse than they had been after he had been healed by Elizabeth when he arrived at the mansion.


    How was he like this? Simple. After their assault, Elizabeth had quickly healed his body back to its pre-beatdown state and fortunately for her Vanessa couldn''t tell the difference between the healing she used when the men returned and this healing.


    Vanessa had then helped clean up the blood that pooled around him and changed his gauze.


    "Geez, those guys need to stop joking around, I thought they were gonna kill me." He said blissfully unaware of what had happened to his body before he had regained consciousness. He then stood and stretched for a few seconds.


    "Well I did almost cause his death, so I guess the least I can do is show my face."


    He mumbled to himself before making his way to Tibaut''s room.


    Tibaut was still in his room lying stomach-side down in his bed, still quite annoyed at what Elizabeth told him. He did hear a few concerning screams and shouts coming from the mansion earlier but it didn''t seem like a woman''s. Maybe some unlucky thief broke in while Elizabeth was around (bless the poor bastard''s soul).


    ("Ugh, this sucks. Surely she doesn''t actually want me to stay like that until I fully heal, right? What the hell is a person supposed to do for entertainment while they were injured in mediaeval times anyway? I can''t even practise anything. Wait, maybe I still use my magic.) He then tried to summon a flame and then felt an odd pain in a strange area within his arm.


    ("???")


    He tried again and experienced the same pain.


    ("What the hell is going on? Wait I''ve experienced something like this before.")


    When Vanessa had put through a gruelling gauntlet of being her smelter he remembered feeling a pain like this at the end of that slog. The only reason he forgot about that was due to the fact he felt like he was going to pass out and getting to his bed was the only concern in his mind. When he woke the next day he didn''t notice anything too out of the ordinary with his arms.


    ("Well it truly does seem like I have nothing I can do, at least for the next few hours or so.")


    As soon as he thought that, he noticed the door being opened. ("Has she finally come back to finish healing me?") He naively thought.


    The figure behind the door soon showed himself. "Hey, kid!"


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    It was Ezekiel and Tibaut had put no effort into hiding his disappointment.


    "Well, considering Elizabeth didn''t say anything about you, I had some slight concerns but I''m glad you''re still alive." He said somewhat relieved accompanied by the feeling of weight being lifted off his shoulders.


    ("Well I can''t just come right out and tell him I nearly caused our deaths, now can I?") Ezekiel thought to himself when he saw the look on Tibaut''s face.


    So he decided on explaining to Tibaut how he may have made a few mistakes here and there while making the explanation vague enough that it didn''t seem clear-cut enough to be Ezekiel''s fault.


    "No, if anyone''s at fault it''s me. Without you, there''s no doubt I would have died back there. You were doing your best to get rid of those kobolds while I was just jumping around trying to pick them off. The woman in my arms is no excuse." He said while he had a look of self-reflection.


    ("You little bastard, you heard the conversation downstairs, didn''t you? You''re just trying to guilt trip, aren''t you? Or maybe there''s just some cruel God out trying to punish me.") Ezekiel thought to himself while keeping a straight face.


    "Well, saying what is or isn''t your fault is solely for you to decide I suppose. Just don''t beat yourself up over stuff you have no control over. Consider something like this a learning experience to prepare in case something like this happens again (Man, if Elizabeth was here she''d probably kill me.)" Ezekiel then cleared his throat to change the subject.


    "Still, this wasn''t befitting of someone wielding a sword at all."


    "I thought you wielded a sword for fun, though what we went through wasn''t fun in the slightest, so I guess you''re right."


    "Nah, this is a different reason than that. That''d be the number 2 reason I use a sword nowadays."


    "Then what''s number one?"


    "Well you know, it''s the weapon a hero uses."


    "What does that have to do with anything? A weapon''s a weapon." The man who has not used a weapon up to this point stated.


    "Come on what type of person uses a sword? There may be many people but the most iconic one is a hero. There''s no weapon more associated with doing the right thing than a sword. Compare that to a knife, what''s it known for? Backstabbing, assassinations and thieves. There isn''t a single trustworthy type of person associated with knives."


    ("Don''t hunters use knives?") Tibaut thought but decided not to respond to see where he was going with this.


    "Think about it like this, if you saw a person in an alley staring you down who''d think would be more suspicious? The guy with a sword in its hilt or a guy with a knife on his belt."


    Maybe because during most of civilisation, there were probably shady people in dark alleys with knives, Tibaut responded with the latter.


    "So you think heroes use swords while villains use knives." Asked Tibaut.


    "Essentially. Also helps that the sword I use came from my own personal hero."


    Tibaut was a bit shocked by this revelation.


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, came from the old geezer himself."


    Tibaut then stopped and thought for a moment who this old geezer he referred to was.


    "(No way) Mr.Bentley?"


    "Yep."


    "That frail old man? (Aren''t those kind of old people supposed to be strong? The last time I saw him it looked like a strong breeze could take him to his grave)."


    "Frail? I''ll have you know he could have been a big shot adventurer if it wasn''t for an injury he got."


    Curious at what a big shot adventure would be, he decided to ask him a hypothetical. "How does that compare to Elizabeth?"


    "Back when I met him, he could probably take on three Elizabeth at once."


    I was within the moment Tibaut realised how wide the world is. The fact that someone who could take on three Elizabeths is considered someone who could have been a big shot must mean there are some absolute monsters that roam the world.

 Chapter 37

    They talked for a bit until Tibaut decided to address the elephant in the room.


    "Oh yeah, now that I think about it, what happened to that woman we saved?"


    With an absolutely resolute face, Ezekiel responded "Oh she went back to her village, apparently decided to explore it after she heard about it from an elder in her village."


    "Huh, that so (Man, in a world without the internet people would do anything when faced with boredom. Like who the hell explores a place like that if they''re not an archaeologist?)"


    Ezekiel decided enough time had passed and decided it was time to be on his back to his own guild.


    "Oh yeah, I''ll stop by here sometime to bring you to my guild."


    "Huh, now that I think about it, this place is the only guild I''ve actually seen."


    "You serious? I''m beginning to think more and more that Elizabeth grew you on a farm somewhere. How the hell did she of all people scout you?"


    A hint of discomfort showed on Tibaut''s face and turned his face away. "Well, you could say I left somewhat of an impact on her when we first met." He said timidly.


    "Damn, was it like one of those fateful encounters?"


    "sure." Tibaut responded, trying to forget their first meeting.


    Eventually, Ezekiel left and Tibaut was left alone in his room. He sighed and decided to do something he wasn''t much of a fan of. Reading.


    ("I know I''m going to have to get revenge eventually but surely I''m halfway there for the strength needed for it right? I don''t want to undersell my old man but I don''t think they killed him head-on. I don''t know if they poisoned him or what, but it didn''t seem like he put up much of a fight when he went down. Even back then I was able to defeat one of them when I was running away. The main thing that''s actually gonna be a pain in the ass is finding out who''s responsible. It did seem like maybe some higher in the country, since a bounty for my head was circulated, however the sole survivor of a noble house that was destroyed overnight with his whereabouts unknown is pretty suspicious even if I was only twelve.") He gave a sigh and then picked up the martial arts manual he mostly gleamed through. ("Well I suppose it''s no use thinking about stuff like that. I have a year till I can start kicking down doors in the homeland and ask some questions. For now, I better gain what I can for when I return.)


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    He then in earnest began reading the martial arts he received from a strange man.


    ("Now that I think about it, I was way too willing to accept this book when it was offered to me.")


    <hr>


    It was back when Tibaut was living in the wild and his hair was more of a muddy brown than the shining crimson it was now. He didn''t know where he currently was and he didn''t even know if it was winter or if he had entered a cold region of the world but nonetheless, it was snowing. And hard.


    However, it wasn''t enough to be considered a blizzard so Tibaut had not yet considered building an igloo. He was surrounded by a forest devoid of colour and stood over something that was vibrant in colour compared to the rest of the scenery. It was mostly red with a few pale purples and yellow mixed.


    He was gutting a forest animal he had managed to kill. It looked a bit like a kangaroo except that it had fur as white as a polar bear and it had two small horns on its head. There was an odd part on its back that was scorched black but that was an addition made by our hero.


    "Tch, no matter what I do to these things, the meat always tastes kinda shit." He complained while he removed the guts of the animal. While one may think he was complaining about the animal before him, it was actually the way he killed it that caused him annoyance.


    It seems using fireballs to kill his prey caused the rupture of various organs in the animal that somewhat tainted the meat by the time he finished cleaning the carcass.


    He soon blew down a nearby tree and eventually forced it ablaze for some nearby warmth in this stinging cold.


    He then ripped a piece of meat off of the carcass in his bare hands and proceeded to cook it with his magic (while still in his hands).


    He had gotten tired of using cure when he undercooked meat so decided to err on the side of caution this time and cook it to the point of being overdone and dry. His eyes had dark circles under them. Whether from improper sleep, stress or a mineral deficiency your guess is as good as mine.


    As he ate the dry meat near the fire of the burning tree only one thought was going through his head.


    ("I''ll kill them. The bastards that killed my family. The bastards who forced me to live like this. I''ll gut them like the pig bastards they are. Heh heh maybe I''ll roast them with my own flames while rotating them with a spit.") His face showed a deep pleasure imagining this. He continued to eat the dry meat until he noticed munching sounds beside him.


    "You were right, this meat does taste kinda shit."


    Behind him was a shirtless man with rags for pants with each of his limbs chained to a weight larger than Tibaut''s head. He was chewing on a raw piece of meat that belonged to the beast that Tibaut killed.

 Chapter 38

    There was a moment of shock in Tibaut when he initially saw the man but he was eventually able to force himself out of it and tried to gain some distance to assess the situation.


    Unfortunately for him, as soon as he took the back step, the man was easily able to grab him by one of his hands. He then lifted him off the ground and proceeded to examine him.


    Tibaut tried to fight back during all of this but it was too close for him to feel safe using a fireball and every punch or kick he threw while being held up was effortlessly blocked by the man''s free hand.


    While the man didn''t seem to be on the offensive who knows what purpose he was examining him for? For all Tibaut knew the man before could be deciding if he should make him a concubine. However, this seemed more likely to be about his bounty.


    ("How the hell am I gonna get out of this? This asshole isn''t even gripping my arm that hard. All he''s doing is just connecting his thumb and middle finger. Yet I can''t get out. I even tried pulling them apart using my other hand and it felt like I was trying to pull apart a steel ring. How''d this guy even find me anyway?")


    Tibaut''s now looked like he was out for blood but the man examining him couldn''t care less.


    ("I don''t how long he''s gonna be like this but should I use this time while I still have it.") Tibaut then wracked his brain thinking of a way to attack. How was he supposed to attack this guy without hurting himself? Eventually, an idea came to him.


    ("There''s no way that would work but¡­")


    He then tested something. He produced a flame to the side of him to see how far he could use his magic. Either the man was too busy examining or simply didn''t care as he showed no reaction when he produced the flame.


    ("Okay that should be enough distance to put it behind him but there''s no way I could produce a whole fireball behind, that requires way more mana.")


    He then proceeded to make a fireball behind the man, much to his amazement. Even more shockingly, the man, while in temperatures that measured in the negatives, while also not wearing a shirt did not notice the mass of heat behind him.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ("I''ve heard of the cold doing crazy things to people. Poor bastard, he probably just wanted to make a quick buck off of me or even worse he must have been a prisoner forced to find me. Now all the heat receptors in his body are damaged beyond repair. The worst part is he probably doesn''t even feel cold right now, that''s why he probably took off his shirt.")


    However, just because this man was probably on his way out didn''t mean that Tibaut wanted to join him. He then prepared to fire his attack when suddenly the man dropped him.


    "You get a six out of ten," the man said, looking disappointed. He then threw a book towards Tibaut and continued walking into the white forest. He soon disappeared from view and his footsteps began to fade as well. It was a mystery if the man had even existed in the first place with how quickly any trace of his existence vanished.


    "Huh?" Tibaut mouthed.


    From the moment the man threw the book in his hands Tibaut did not move a single inch.


    It was as if the man had frozen him with an ice spell.


    He then produced a flame with one of his hands. "That wasn''t a hypothermia-based delusion since I can still differentiate between hot and cold."


    He then pinched himself. "I''m not dreaming since I can feel pain."


    He then wondered if it was an illusion then quickly wondered what would be the point of using an illusion like that on someone like that in the first place.


    He then calmly breathed in and breathed out a few times. He then circled around in the snow for a few seconds and then stopped. "What the fuck was that about!?"


    He then quickly moved out of the area to give himself some peace of mind and he eventually started looking through the book the man gave him.


    ("Huh? Is this a boxing manual?") He kept turning through the pages ("Karate maybe? Is that capoeira? I don''t even have an idea about that one.")


    He soon came to an idea about what was in the book.


    Instead of one martial art or style, there seemed to be quite a healthy amount of options contained in the book.


    The only reason he even recognised some of the fighting styles in it was because of some of the fighting games he played back in his old world. The only thing he found odd about it was that there was a distinct lack of styles that were grappling or submission-heavy.


    As much as he found the situation he got the book from odd, he realized that only fighting with magic was just asking to be exploited. He then threw his hands up in the air in defeat.


    "Eh, who cares, I''ll just consider this the god that threw me into this world giving me a freebie." He said while trying his best to put what took place in the last ten minutes in the farthest parts of his mind.


    <hr>


    Tibaut then thought to himself on his bed while he thoroughly went through the book. "What was that guy''s deal anyway." He then gave up on trying to figure it out and started focusing on the parts of the book that mentioned ki.

 Chapter 39

    The inside of the regional adventurers guild looked the same as always. The various chairs and tables inside were covered in dust. The notice board was empty as usual and there was barely anyone around.


    However, did this mean that there were persons actually here and even more than that, of the three present, two of them didn''t even work there.


    If one were to look around they would notice the receptionist nowhere to be seen. Then that left Mr. Bentley present in the building as the sole employee. Standing next to the frail old man was a man with dreadlocks who had somewhat of a wild look to him.


    He had recently gone through a bit of trouble and was covered all over in gauze. Most importantly he considered the man he was standing next to him his hero. It was none other than Ezekiel.


    The two men were looking down on something or rather, I should say someone. The person on the floor the duo were staring at had both their hands and feet bound with rope.


    On closer inspection, the person on the floor appeared to be the woman Ezekiel and Tibaut rescued from the dungeon.


    Ezekiel looked unamused and casually kicked her in the stomach. The woman grimaced in pain and let out a yelp.


    Ezekiel then crouched down and moved his face towards her.


    "As you can see, I''m not in the mood to bullshit around. If you can tell me what I want to hear I think it''d be in both our interests." He said while forcing a smile.


    The woman moved her face away and decided to keep her mouth shut.


    "I see." He then sighed and hung his head down in disappointment.


    He then started fiddling with one of his locks. "We don''t have too much information on the cult, even those the pricks in the capital don''t have much about them. So you can see why this kinda info would be important. What I''m saying is, that depending on the info you have, we might get a bit rough with you. Now that I think about it, you wouldn''t be in a place like that if you didn''t have something important now, right?"


    The woman had clearly never been trained to endure interrogations as she started wiggling away as soon as he said the word important.


    "Oh? I was just throwing bait out. I didn''t expect you to bite this quickly. Is it an object?"


    The woman unconsciously flinched when he said.


    "Man, I''m on a roll today. I know we didn''t search before we brought you here, but man am I glad. I can take my time searching through you for it. Ah, when''s the last time I got to play with a woman half as pretty as you hehe. The screams when I slowly peel their clothes off are the best." He said with a smile one could hardly believe belonged to a human being.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Wait, you aren''t actually going to anything like that, right?" The once silent woman now nervously asked while fruitlessly struggling in the rope.


    Ezekiel said nothing. He began slowly approaching her with the look of a beast that hadn''t eaten in days.


    "Wait! Why do you even think I''m even in that cult you speak of? Please wait! Is this really what adventurers are like!?"


    The look in Ezekiel''s eyes didn''t change while he made his approach. The woman continued begging while trying her best to back away.


    This continued for a few seconds until she hit a wall. A small giggle came from Ezekiel when he saw this. As if to spit on her struggle he quickened his pace. She had now fully resorted to shouting and screaming for help.


    Unfortunately for her, it was now past midnight and there wasn''t a soul outside the building that could hear her pleas. Just as Ezekiel was about to help himself to the bound woman, someone grabbed his shoulder. It was Mr. Bentley.


    "Boy, did you really think I was going to allow you to commit such an atrocity in my building?" He said looking insulted.


    "Why do you care? Just go upstairs and wait thirty minutes." He then grinned. "I''ll get her talking by then."


    In a surprising show of agility, he quickly delivered a punch to Ezekiel''s gut and then threw him to the ground. He then sighed and remarked, "What is the new generation coming to?"


    Ezekiel looked to be in pain and was holding his stomach. The old man then walked over to the young woman and pulled out a piece of paper.


    "Please excuse the boy, he needs to work on his manners. Now, unlike that buffoon, I''m willing to negotiate."


    The woman was relieved by this turn of events however she was able to read the piece of paper and soon started questioning him.


    "How do you have that?"


    "See, apparently the boy who was protecting you found it but obviously he didn''t put two and two together like our friend here." He said as pointed to Ezekiel


    The piece of paper in his hands was an order to certain cult members to look for possible hideouts.


    "What do you want?" The woman asked with hesitation.


    "Settle down now, let''s make my terms clear. I''m willing to let you go."


    "?"


    The woman almost couldn''t believe what she was hearing.


    "Wait, what, why would yo-"


    The old man shushed her.


    "Now, now, I feel people as of late have been too willing to kill their fellow man. And besides just because you''re one of them doesn''t mean you killed someone, am I right?"


    The woman vigorously nodded her head.


    "See? If I had sent you to the capital or left you alone with that boy over there, an innocent woman would have died or worse."


    The old man began to untie her roped limbs.


    "Now I''m not asking for much but was the boy right in saying you had something important on you?"


    The woman walked over to Ezekiel and looked like she was about to kick him but then refrained.


    "Yes, he was right." After saying that she reached up into her skirt and pulled something like a scroll of some kind.


    "To be honest, my faith has been wavering recently so I have no problem handing this over."


    "Is that so? Better late than never," he responded as he collected the scroll from her.


    The woman soon walked to the entrance, bowed to Mr. Bentley and promptly left.


    "Was all that really necessary?" Ezekiel asked while getting up off the floor.


    "No, but I''d rather have gotten this from her willingly. Making a mess here would be quite the trouble to clean up"


    "You sure we can let her roam free?"


    "You heard what she said. In fact that was probably why they had her in a place like that to begin with. There is no need to worry about a lynx that had no claws in the first place."


    "(So they''ll send those wavering in faith on suicide missions, eh.) Just so you know I''m not gonna clean it up for you if she goes on a rampage."


    The old man gently waved his hand and then examined the information in the scroll.

 Chapter 40

    It was a wonderful day outside. There wasn''t a cloud outside that dared show itself and the cool breeze blowing made the sun rays seem like barely a hassle.


    One could do many things in this weather. For example, a nice picnic would be a great afternoon activity or even some exercise would feel lovely on a day like this. In fact, Elizabeth was working a nice sweat and seemed like she was really enjoying herself on this particular day.


    Unfortunately, there was someone at the manor who wasn''t enjoying themselves as much.


    Laying on the bed in his room, Tibaut was starting to feel a bit antsy. It had been a few days since he had gained his injuries and much to his chagrin, Elizabeth truly didn''t seem like she was going to fully heal him. While he was glad he wouldn''t have to go through her daily training (torture) pretty much everything else about this situation sucked.


    While he was now able to rest on his back, his feet were still a bitch to walk on. This left him with only one action he''d actually take, staying in bed all day.


    He wasn''t sure if it was because of the injuries or the food he''s been eating recently has been very hearty but he found himself easily falling asleep and taking naps all the time. He found it quite annoying as this would consist of more than 75% of his day.


    Even more so was the fact he finished reading through the ki parts of the martial arts book. While this in and of itself wouldn''t be something to be annoyed about it was the fact the book clearly stated that using ki wasn''t something that was learned through a book but through practice that nearly made him burn the thing.


    "Tch, what a pain in the ass. Why the hell even write about it if ''you can''t learn it in a book''."


    He soon noticed the sounds of Elizabeth practising had now stopped for a while now. He then heard footsteps approaching his door. The one behind it didn''t seem like knocking as they quickly opened the door.


    ("I can''t tell if it''d have more of a negative impact on her or me if I was jerking off. Has she never lived with a guy, nay, another person before? I don''t mean to shit-talk Vanessa, but she sure as hell doesn''t seem like someone you''d just randomly open the door on.") Tibaut thought to himself as Elizabeth approached him with a wooden bowl in her hands.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Here''s lunch, can''t guarantee the taste though."


    "I''ve had worse."


    I can''t go into detail about how much worse he had but I can say he does consider a raw worm a solid 4.5/10.


    He then grabbed the bowl from her and downed the soup out of it like it was a glass of water despite it having the texture of a stew.


    Over these days Tibaut had gained a new ritual he''d go through when Elizabeth gave him food. First, he would get into the lowest kowtow he could manage. He would then throw away every shred for those few minutes then beg her to heal him with all his might. He cried without restraint (well, faked crying the best he could), and he kissed her feet, as long as he thought it had a chance of swaying her mind he''d try it.


    As soon as he tensed his body in preparation to jump to the floor Elizabeth put her hand to his chest and fully healed.


    ("Huh?") He thought.


    His mind blanked. Although he did all that stuff to get her to heal him, he didn''t think it would work. And even if he did he didn''t think it would be this quick.


    Before he could ask her why Elizabeth simply said these words.


    "You''re needed."


    Her face was incredibly stern when she said that. What the hell did she mean? Were they finally gonna attack the cult? Were the kobolds invading towns hoping for a round two with Tibaut and friends? Was there a nationwide fight for survival he was going to have to take part in? What the hell could it be?


    Without changing expression, she continued


    "The mansion has gotten quite dirty."


    When she looked back to Tibaut all she saw was an empty bed and an open window.


    A smile then crept across her face.


    "I suppose starting with training couldn''t hurt."


    She then jumped through the window and started the hunt for her prey.


    ("I suppose I should take it easy on him.")


    She thought as she landed on the ground.


    As she looked for him she began thinking about the past few days. She then sighed.


    ("What the hell was I thinking sending him out like that? Am I an idiot? Sure that idiot could have stopped him, but it shouldn''t be his job to stop him. What was I expecting to happen to him if he was supposed to deal with monsters without armour?") Despite how she treated Ezekiel a few days earlier she didn''t consider herself blameless in the injuries Tibaut received.


    In fact, these past few days were her giving the boy some time to rest. Sure he couldn''t walk around as freely as he wanted but at the same he wasn''t in pain when rested. The boy''s back was something she healed stealthily when she noticed he was avoiding lying on his back. Even the soup she brought was something she cooked, (while ensuring Vanessa didn''t notice her) and delivered it herself.


    While running through the forest she finally found him.


    ("While this isn''t enough consolation for nearly sending you to your death, I suppose a spar without dodging any of his punches is a suitable punishment for your leader''s incompetence.")


    She then gave him the easiest sparring session he was going to have for the whole year.


    Unfortunately for Tibaut this just resulted in the both of them being black and blue when they were finished.

 Chapter 41

    After being sent back to the edge of death and being healed, Tibaut was now cleaning the mansion. At this point, he was disappointed in how this was now second nature to him.


    ("Is she trying to turn me into a house husband? If I''m not careful I''ll be cooking their meals and ironing their clothes. Hell, she might start going on frequent business trips and I get stolen away by the neighbourhood gyaru.")


    As he was being filled with delusions, he made his way through the mansion, at quite the casual pace. He recently realised that there was no point in speed cleaning if he had jack-shit to do in the first place.


    ("I tried using that ki stuff against Elizabeth earlier but all that ended up happening was us trading blows. Although now that I think about it, it''s pretty weird I got hits off in the first place. I guess the gap between when I don''t have the weights on is closer than I thought. But man, I am half convinced someone just tricked her into believing that stuff exists cause none of the tips in that book did anything. Save for the illustrations of techniques, that book feels like it belongs in the fiction category in a library.")


    He was finishing up mopping the top floor when noticed he was being dragged by someone. He gave a quick glance and didn''t see anyone. He then shifted his gaze down and saw Vanessa.


    "Uh, I''m kinda busy." He said with the tone of someone being asked something while on the phone.


    "I''ve decided not to listen to the words of idiots today." She said while dragging him with more force than before.


    "(Did I do something to piss her off? No, the only thing I''ve done today is clean and get beaten up by Elizabeth.) What''s wrong Vanessa? Don''t feel like talking about your breasts today?"


    Vanessa paid no mind to that comment and continued dragging him until they eventually reached her basement.


    "Sit down." She told him.


    Tibaut looked around but the closest stool was a few metres away. As he began walking Vanessa grabbed him. She then pointed to the floor.


    "Right here."


    Tibaut thought putting up a fuss would draw this out more than it had to be and then sat in a lotus position. While like this he couldn''t help but feel like a child about to be scolded by his parents.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "What am I, Tibaut?" She asked.


    "A friend who likes to tease me?" He responded plainly.


    She then picked up a hammer and replied "A blacksmith, Tibaut. I''m a blacksmith. Now what do you think I''m supposed to do for my guildmates?"


    Tibaut scratched his head for a moment then responded. "Fix our stuff?"


    "True that is part of it, however, to fix something, it has to exist in the first place. Yet I don''t see a piece of armour on you."


    "Oh that, well it''s not like I have money so I guess I''ll just do without for the time being."


    Vanessa then threw her hammer and missed Tibaut''s head by a few inches.


    "Are you a dumbass? Who the hell fights without armour? The only reason your sorry ass was dragged back here was because Ezekiel was wearing his armour and was still able to stand." She sounded quite upset while saying this.


    "Yeah, but it''s not like I could ask you for a freebie."


    "You could''ve. We''re a guild like 4 strong who would refuse you getting armour?"


    Tibaut couldn''t really respond to that as he didn''t ask about nor really show interest in armour in the first place. He started scratching his head and avoiding her eyes.


    "Oh, sorry bout that." He said while standing up and attempting to pat her on the head.


    She stopped his hand, "Do I look like a puppy to you?"


    She then pulled out a string of some kind. Afterwards, she positioned in him a T-pose and told him to hold still. It seemed like she was taking measurements of various parts of his body.


    ("Elizabeth was right, this idiot was thinking of continuing to fight without armour."). She continued taking her measurements of parts of his upper and lower body until finally reaching his crotch.


    "No funny business." He stated.


    "Does it look like I''d do anything like that? If you want a tight codpiece be my guess."


    He then sighed. "Hurry up, I don''t want Elizabeth coming in thinking we''re doing anything funny." He then lowered his guard. This would prove to be a fatal mistake. As if her hand was a viper it quickly slithered under his crotch. Within one squeeze he was sent to the floor. He crumpled up like a ball of paper and was writhing on the ground.


    Vanessa then began laughing. "Hehehe, Tibaut. I wasn''t impressed in the slightest. I''m curious, are you like that all the time or are you a grower?" And just like that, something outrageous just left her mouth.


    "Ugh, what the hell," Tibaut said while fighting the pain.


    "Don''t worry Tibaut, I was showing you how important armour is. Don''t you think you could''ve avoided it if you were wearing something to protect your little hero?"


    "shut up." He said while beginning to stand up. He then began to make his way out when she said one last thing.


    "By the way, Elizabeth said it''d be pretty stupid of you to keep fighting barehanded, so tell me what kind of weapon you want."


    "Do I have to tell you that now?"


    "Just make sure it''s before you''re going to have to fight something. I don''t want Elizabeth to think I''m being lazy." She then patted him on the back (and gave a cheeky pat on the ass) and he left the basement.

 Memories of a Distant Past 1

    It happened just a few metres away from his apartment building. The sound of rain was rudely interrupted by someone''s voice.


    ("A distant voice is shouting for help. No, that isn''t quite right. It sounds distant but he''s right in front of me. Why''s he crying?")


    He reaches down and feels his abdomen and notices a sticky liquid and something hard. He looks down and sees a knife lodged in him.


    ("Oh right.")


    "Miguel! Keep talking to me! An ambulance will be here soon, just stay awake."


    The man then took off his disgustingly expensive jacket and pressed it around the knife in a desperate attempt to reduce the bleeding. He then kept shouting for help but no one would show up.


    ("I''m gonna die, huh.")


    He calmly thought to himself. He found it odd. He was on the verge of death yet he wasn''t desperately clinging to life. It was oddly reassuring that the pain would end soon. Death was going to happen eventually, however, if his life could be used to save someone, he had no problems with that. As long as his big brother could live to see another day, there was nothing wrong with this.


    ("I feel bad thinking this, but if you can make it past our parents'' death then mine isn''t going to be any worse to overcome.")


    He did have a few regrets but they mostly consisted of not being able to see the ending of his favourite mangas.


    ("If there is a heaven, it''d probably have the ending of one piece somewhere right?")


    His blood had now stained over half of his white T-shirt and his consciousness was now fading rapidly. While going over his regrets, there was one that he couldn''t brush away.


    ("Sorry Louise, I don''t think we''ll be able to go drinking anytime soon.")


    He shed a tear at that thought and within the next moments, the man named Miguel was no longer in this world.


    He didn''t know whether a minute or a month had passed but he eventually woke up.


    ("Holy shit am I alive?")


    He didn''t know how but he had managed to survive. However, something was off. There was no pain in his body when he touched his abdomen. He could hear some talking here and there and assumed he was most likely in a hospital.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    This is when he realised something. His limbs felt incredibly weak. He also noticed some strange liquid was covering him.


    ("Is this muscle atrophy? How long has it been since I was stabbed? Plus what the hell am I covered in? Did the hospital get flooded or something")


    His eyes were still closed as he was struggling to open them. He then started calling for help hoping a nurse would come by. That was when he noticed something off about his voice.


    "Waahhhh"


    ("???")


    Upon hearing this his mind ground to a halt. Within seconds he bounced hundreds of theories around in his desperate hope to figure out what was going on. Despite his mind running at maximum power, he was no closer to figuring out what happened to him than when he had heard the crying. He tried speaking hoping what had happened was just a nearby cat giving him a heart attack.


    "Ugoh"


    ("What the hell is going on!?")


    Realising something was really not adding up he tried again to open his eyes. It felt like something had put gorilla glue on his eyelids but eventually, after a few minutes of effort, he was able to open them. That''s when he saw an unusual scene before him. He appeared to be wrapped in a towel of some kind while in the arms of a black-haired woman. As he took in more and more of the scenery he noticed the room they were in was massive yet had no technology in it.


    He also noticed a redheaded man looking incredibly relieved at the foot of the bed the woman was on. A maid was nearby holding a stained white sheet and putting it aside in a basket. Finally, he noticed some red-headed brat poking his cheeks.


    Although he found it hard to believe there was only one explanation for all this. He had been reincarnated. And judging by the room they were in, it was either in the middle of nowhere in Europe or he was in the past.


    He thought that however what they said next shocked him.


    "Did I look like this, Mother?"


    "Yes Pyrus, and one day this little boy is going to be as big as you." She responded faintly.


    They were speaking English and not the old-timey kind. He had always heard that even English a hundred years ago was quite distinct compared to the English of now. Yet there was nothing noticeable. Even as they kept speaking with each other, he could tell no distinct differences or mistakes in their English.


    ("Don''t tell me? Is this the future!?")


    That line of thinking was quickly cut short when the maid approached and started holding out her hand. The next he knew both he and the woman likely to be his mother were being showered in a green light.


    "Cillia, that''s enough. I''m fine now, there isn''t a bit of pain left."


    "Even if you don''t feel any pain, my lady, that''s no excuse to be stingy. Until you can leave bed, I will keep healing you."


    His mind searched for answers but could only come up with one answer.


    ("It''s magic. It''s honest-to-goodness magic.") He started thinking of the possibilities and came to two:


    A. This was heaven, and being in a world of magic was somehow his biggest dream which is what he was currently experiencing


    B. Reincarnation was not only limited to his world but others as well.


    ("I didn''t see any blonde goddess with big breasts tasking me to save the world when I came so I''ll just assume A for now. But now that I think about why would I be a baby? Eh, I''ll figure out what''s going on eventually.")

 Memories of a Distant Past 2

    While lying in a crib Tibaut decided to organise the information he obtained from the past few days.


    It''s now been a few days since my birth (Man, that feels so weird to say) and I''ve come to learn a few things. That black-haired woman who gave birth to me is apparently named Tomoe. Given that I haven''t seen any tatami mats around I have no idea what she''s doing in a place that just screams European, although it is possible I may be in the Russia of this world. I have also figured out my name is Tibaut. I didn''t even know a name like that even existed. You always hear a bunch of old-timey names in video games like Moriarty or Mordecai but man, Tibaut? Whatever, I can always change when I get older. Oh, and that red-headed brat who loved to get in my face is apparently my brother. What kinda horseshit is that? I get reincarnated and I''m still someone''s younger brother.


    He briefly wondered how his other brother was doing but quickly changed his train of thought.


    His name is Pyrus and man I still can''t get over my name. Like he gets a name worthy of at least being a member of the main character''s party and I''m stuck with some background npc name.


    As he was going through his thoughts his mother Tomoe, followed by the maid, entered the room and picked him to breastfeed. He gave no reaction to this and started sucking on her teat.


    Oh, I was starting to feel hungry. Man, it does feel kinda weird doing this. Though, to word it better, it feels weird how natural this seems to me. I''ve seen her right boob so many times at this point, yet it feels no more important than looking at a wall. Although, compared to being conscious of it, this does seem like the better option.


    The maid then brought Tibaut into her own hands and put him down on a nearby table to change his diapers.


    This woman''s name is apparently Cillia and I do feel like the day I''m capable of speech again, I need to profusely apologise to her.


    Cillia then finished up and placed him back in his crib.


    Initially, I did feel like this was heaven but I''m leaning more on the fact that this is more B. Although I must be quite lucky to have rich parents in both lives. Apparently, I''m the youngest heir of some nobles called the House of Agirow. However, I don''t feel like ''some nobles'' is appropriate as the only ones at my birth were my parents, my brother and the maid. Either we''re so high up in the family we don''t have other members present at special events or we''re literally some low-rung family nobody cares about. Eh, as long as I can have an easy life it doesn''t really matter too much, to be honest.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Little baby Tibaut looked quite tired as his eyes started to close.


    Jeez, being a baby is so tiring. I''ve done nothing but poop, eat and sleep these last few days. Add video games and comics and this wouldn''t be any different from my last life.


    He then quietly fell asleep.


    He then woke up and had a walk around the manor.


    Huh, something feels a bit different.


    He began walking around in circles trying to figure out what it was. He then looked down.


    Ah, it appears I am standing.


    He then began looking at his limbs and realised that they were way longer than before.


    He noticed a person-sized mirror in the room and approached to confirm something.


    I see. It appears a few years have passed.


    By his estimations, he was approximately somewhere between three and four. He tried his best to recall the previous years but it all seemed like such a blur he couldn''t recall anything.


    I know you can''t really remember memories from when you were a toddler but this is ridiculous. I can''t even remember if I still wet the bed.


    The door in the room soon opened and behind it came his brother.


    "Yo Tibaut, your brother finished studying."


    He then picked up Tibaut and started bringing him up and down in the air.


    What the hell is he- well I guess this isn''t so- hehehehe this is so fun.


    "Higher, higher, higher," Tibaut demanded of his brother.


    "Sorry Tibaut, I nearly threw you to the roof one time and everyone really got angry. Although they probably won''t mind if was outside, however,"


    He looked outside the window and it was pitch black.


    "I don''t think they''ll let us outside this late for just this."


    Tibaut was paying absolutely no attention to his brother and was having the time of his life.


    Soon the door opened and the maid came into the room. Although it didn''t seem that Pyrus noticed. He then threw Tibaut into the air one more time. However, he didn''t seem to come down.


    With sweat now visible on his face, Pyrus looked to see where his brother went, only to notice him floating. No, on closer inspection someone was holding him above his head. He turned around and noticed Cillia. With a look that put fear into the heart of any man, she asked him


    "Young master, I thought I told you to get some books from the study. What are you doing here?" Even the four-year-old Tibaut could feel the contempt coming from her voice. She noticed the fear the little boy had and started comforting him by rubbing his head.


    Within that moment, Pyrus saw an opening in the nigh-invincible Cillia. He took his chance and ran towards the door. Unfortunately for him, this resulted in getting kicked as soon as he got behind her. She then put Tibaut down and patted him on the head with a smile.


    "Little- no, young master your parents will be here shortly. And please don''t grow up to be a slacker like your brother."


    She then grabbed Pyrus by his collar (he was still lying on the floor) and dragged him out of the room.


    Tibaut soon awoke from his dream.


    "Ugh, is it a good or bad thing to dream about the past?"


    He then got up and prepared himself for the day.

 Chapter 42

    Tibaut then began his usual morning routine of cleaning the mansion. After finishing, Elizabeth dragged him outside for some training.


    While in the shade of a tree, Tibaut was enjoying the cool shade. While the sunny day was nice and all, he''d prefer not to get sunburned.


    Though now that he thought about it was odd he could feel his back in pain. He also noticed the dirt in front of him was disturbed like something was dragged through it.


    A bit confused, he tried to stand up but immediately fell back to the ground face-first. He then coughed up blood and got seriously concerned. He looked up and noticed Elizabeth walking over. Was she always there?


    She then placed her hand over and a soothing yellow glow followed.


    Within an instance, it came to him what happened.


    As he was dodging and weaving her blows like normal something truly terrifying happened. Elizabeth got into a similar stance as him and threw a punch. The sight of the stance alone froze Tibaut in place. While the stance was quite lacklustre compared to Tibaut the blow was so powerful that Tibaut was sent rocketing towards a tree.


    It also seemed the blow momentarily wrecked his mental state and made him forget about the action that took place before he was resting in the shade.


    "Why''d you freeze up like that?" She asked.


    "Elizabeth," Tibaut said with a deathly look on while grabbing her shoulders "For the sake of everything that lives, PLEASE DON''T COPY MY MOVES!!!" Tibaut begged.


    "Why does it matter? Besides, they''re not your moves, they''re from the Tome of the Martial King."


    While it would be good for someone of Elizabeth''s talents to be able to fight without a sword, Tibaut could not accept it. He if had to go through hand-to-hand combat with a monster like that every day he would kill himself from now on to lessen the suffering. He would even accept her fighting with her sword over this.


    His brain frantically searched for a compromise and soon gave up. He decided to come out with it as his life would be on the line if this continued.


    "Elizabeth, how good is your healing?"


    "I''ve already explained but there are less than 100 people with my healing capabilities in the country."


    "Can you heal the dead?"


    "That''s not healing, that''s necromancy."


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Then until you learn necromancy please refrain from using those moves!"


    Elizabeth looked confused by his statement and soon responded.


    "I don''t know what you''re worrying about but as you can see, it''s nowhere polished enough for actual combat."


    ("Thank God.") He praised in his head.


    "Therefore, I''ll be sharpening these moves with you every now and then in our training sessions."


    As soon as he heard these words, time stopped. He considered biting his own tongue but she would just heal him. His mind searched and searched for an answer.


    After a few hours, he awoke in Elizabeth''s lap. She seemed to be listening to his heartbeat and was examining some of his veins. She saw his opened eyes and she sighed and gave him a relieved look.


    "Finally, you''re awake. If you aren''t feeling well you should tell me, you just suddenly passed out. I was really worried when you didn''t get up after I healed you."


    "Really? I don''t really remember what happened?" He said while sounding groggy.


    "Well at least you''re alright, just don''t push yourself too hard."


    ("Last I remembered, you''re the only person who pushes me hard.")


    What had happened was simple. His brain refused to accept the fact that Elizabeth would use martial arts on him. In some desperate attempt of self-preservation, it removed all information pertaining to the last few hours and resulted in him blacking out. Unfortunately, this isn''t a problem not remembering is going to solve but at least he had an extra day of ignorance.


    Tibaut soon lifted himself up and looked around the area for a few seconds. Then something hit him.


    "Where''s Lucky?"


    "Oh, I should have mentioned that," Elizabeth replied as if that was a commonly asked question.


    "Well, he''s probably in the forest, wait it''ll be quicker if I do this," after saying that she then put her fingers to her mouth and whistled. Within over a minute, Lucky ran up to them.


    He started licking the (unknowingly) pitiable Tibaut. He gave him a few scratches and turned to Elizabeth.


    "So do you not have anywhere for him to stay?"


    "Why would I? He loves hunting rabbits and sleeping in the forest, I doubt he''d stay here long."


    Tibaut wondered if what she said was an issue with her or the time period but decided to write that comment off. From what he saw of Lucky he didn''t seem to have any fleas on him nor any injuries so she probably took care of him. While he didn''t like the idea of a pet living in the forest he couldn''t really argue with her since nothing seemed wrong. Lucky soon returned to the forest and the pair entered the mansion. As soon as Elizabeth was about to close the door she pushed Tibaut to the side to hide him.


    "Oi, Liz got some news for you," Ezekiel said while holding up a letter.


    "Oh is that so." She then grabbed it and tried to close the door. "Well, thanks."


    Ezekiel then used his shoe to stop the door.


    "I know you''re still mad Liz, but I promised your little guildmate I''d bring him over to my place."


    Tibaut then tried to open his mouth but was punched by Elizabeth before being pushed away while still out of view of Ezekiel.


    "Sorry, he still seems to be recovering."


    "Tch, that so. Can I at least visit?"


    "Last I checked he was still sleeping."


    "Damn, looks like I came at a bad time."


    The bandaged man was slightly displeased by this and soon left.


    Tibaut then got up and gave Elizabeth a very nasty stare (as that was the only thing he could do in that scenario if didn''t feel like being sent to the edge of death).


    "The hell was that about?" He said while sounding annoyed.


    "Are you forgetting you probably wouldn''t be standing right now, if you were still recovering naturally."


    "Ah."


    "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have to see what this is about." She said as she pointed the letter at him. She soon left for presumably her bedroom.

 Chapter 43

    With nothing left to do for the day, Tibaut decided to visit Vanessa.


    As soon as he got down to the basement he could feel the oppressive heat of her forge. While his flames had helped him to build up somewhat of a high-temperature resistance, the heat down here was anything but healthy. He was surprised someone would willingly put themselves in a room like this. When he saw Vanessa, the clothes she was wearing were drenched in sweat.


    He was unsure if the sweat cooled her down or the humidity from it made the heat worse.


    While she seemed to be hammering away at a piece of metal she noticed him. It seemed whatever she was doing had been important as kept hammering while trying her best to keep a conversation.


    "You like seeing women sweat?" She said wholly focused on her task.


    "How the hell do you work like this?"


    "What do you mean?" She said while breathing heavily. "Having all you could need in one place is convenient. Don''t tell me you think this place is cluttered?"


    "No, I was talking about the heat."


    "I thought since you throw fire all the time this wouldn''t be that bad for you, was I wrong?"


    "You''re not, but last I checked you can''t do that,"


    "So what? If I can''t handle at least this amount of heat how can I call myself a blacksmith?"


    Tibaut sighed.


    "Well be careful, I don''t think it''d be pretty if you fell unconscious and landed on whatever hot metal you''re working on." He said while shrugging his shoulders.


    "Let''s get down to business already, you surely didn''t come down here to warn a smith about the danger of their own trade now did ya? If you''re wondering about your armour it''s not gonna be done for a few more days, so come back some other time."


    "I didn''t come down here for any sort of business, honestly I just was bored. Now that I''m here, watching you doesn''t seem like a bad way to waste some time."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Although Tibaut had no way of knowing due to her dark skin, this caused her to slightly blush.


    ("Tch I know your type, you say you''re interested to try and hook me in. You''re 100 years too young to get me to fall for that, green horn.")


    Then as she continued she occasionally glanced over to Tibaut. And with every move she made Tibaut would be intently staring at her. And this continued on for over an hour.


    ("Is he actually interested? Seriously!?")


    She felt somewhat embarrassed by this as this was the first time she could recall someone had watched her smith something.


    She then quenched the metal in a large container of liquid and left it to cool. She then wiped the sweat off her head and turned to Tibaut.


    "Was it really that interesting?"


    "I mean¡­yeah. It''s really interesting to see how a professional like you does stuff. I didn''t even know you used the pointy part of the anvil for that."


    His genuine compliment pushed her over the edge. In a desperate attempt to not let her embarrassment show, she quickly searched for a sword.


    "Stop yapping your mouth and help me with this."


    "I know you''re still mad about the armour thing but give me a break already." He said. He then approached her to see what she was holding.


    Although the blood had been cleaned off of it, there was no mistaking what it was. It was Ezekiel''s (formerly Mr. Bentley''s) claymore. It was chipped beyond belief and looked more like a saw than a sword. It was a mystery if it could even be restored in the first place.


    ("Ugh, why''d I grab this one?") She lamented to herself after the fact.


    "You''re gonna fix that?" Tibaut said in shock.


    "Yep. Although with how bad the blade is looking, we might have to melt it down and forge it from scratch."


    "We?" Tibaut asked, hoping she was making an error.


    "What, you think the show was free?"


    "Ah, well would you look at the time, I think it''s to look for something to eat."


    She didn''t try stopping him and looked as though she was getting ready to put the sword back.


    ("Thank God, this would be way too much of a pain in the ass to deal with today.")


    Upon seeing her not try to stop him, he turned back and started producing a flame in his hand.


    "What are you doing?" She asked.


    He then looked for a stool and sat down on it.


    "What does it look like? I''m helping you. I''m not so heartless I''d actually just leave like that."


    "Huh?"


    "Come on, let''s start already. I don''t want this taking past midnight. Elizabeth''s probably gonna kick my ass if I don''t wake up in time for her training."


    Vanessa at first didn''t know how to respond. This might have been the first time someone''s ever willingly decided to help her with her blacksmithing.


    ("Of all the times to pull this shit, was now really the time. Although¡­ I suppose it isn''t so bad having him be willing to help out now and then.")


    She then broke out of her shock and responded.


    "Sorry to disappoint but it may be a whole day''s operation."


    "Seriously?" He complained yet he never bothered looking at the exit.


    Since they were melting metal he made the hottest flame he could manage and unbeknownst to him Vanessa had a smile on her face as they began to slave away at the task before them.

 Chapter 44

    Elizabeth sat at her desk with an opened letter lying on it. Her face was flushed with relief. She had just come back after showering since she decided to do some extra training herself after Tibaut left.


    "Finally, we''re gonna put an end to this cult business. Geez, it''s because of those bastards I haven''t been able to put Tibaut to use yet. I have a tiger in a cage but nothing to release it on."


    She was commenting on the contents of the letter she read a few hours ago. In short, it details how they knew they had a few reliable locations for where the cult might be. It strongly advised those reading to ready themselves for the coming week as it was highly likely after investigating these locations the adventurers who received this letter would be called to action.


    She looked around her room and eventually found her sheathed sword under her bed sheets. She pulled it out and examined it.


    "Ugh, looks I went too rough with it." She pressed her finger against the edge yet didn''t draw blood. She then left her room and walked through the mansion before reaching the basement.


    "Why does she keep doing this to herself?" She said as the heat of the underground workshop blasted her.


    She quickly moved to a window that most would ignore and opened it. It did its best to try and get the pre-dawn air in the inferno that Vanessa locked herself in.


    Elizabeth soon noticed her blacksmith covered in sweat lying on the floor. She seemed to be having a good dream as she was smiling.


    Elizabeth then did what most good friends do to wake each other up. She kicked her. Vanessa immediately got up, looking confused before staring at Elizabeth.


    "Liz, you''re so mean to me."


    "I would like to remind you that you have a bedroom. If I keep sleeping down here, I''ll consider renting it out for some extra money."


    "At least let me clear it out before you start (there are a few things in there I''d have to kill someone if they found them) ."


    Elizabeth gave a dismissive sigh and then threw her sword at Vanessa.


    "Sharpen it." Elizabeth coldly told her.


    Vanessa''s face grimaced. She quickly thought up an excuse.


    "Uh, sorry Liz I''m kinda working Ezekiel''s sword so I can''t (She doesn''t need to know we took a break)."


    "Vanessa, I''m asking you to sharpen it, if you try to slink your way out of this one, I might have to lower your budget."


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Wha-"


    "In fact I noticed, you fixed some armour lately yet didn''t mention a word to me. It seems like you''re doing pretty well so maybe you don''t need any extra support."


    Vanessa looked like she was about to short-circuit and immediately took out a whetstone and sat on a nearby stool.


    "What are you talking about Liz? That rest left me worked up. I''m roaring to go," she then began rubbing the whetstone against the sword in an energetic manner.


    "How convenient." She remarked before she left.


    In another part of the parish, a pair were going on a walk through a forest.


    "..."


    "Come on, don''t be like that Lily," the man with dreadlocks told her.


    "..."


    "I promise it won''t take too long to get back and have a nice breakfast."


    A vein on the girl named Lily''s forehead twitched when he mentioned breakfast and she punched him in his side. He didn''t react to it much and that only served to infuriate her more. The short girl wearing a hoodie over her short black hair complained.


    "You bastard, the food we were carrying was supposed to serve the both of us."


    Ezekiel put his hands in front of him and tried to calm her down.


    "Now, now Lily, I''m a grown man, you can''t expect me to eat that little?" The girl then delivered a kick to his shin after that unapologetic comment. This left him on the floor for a few seconds and she continued walking. He soon caught up to her and proceeded to dig his grave more.


    "Wow with a kick like that, it''s no wonder you learned martial arts."


    The short girl looked defeated and didn''t bother harming him anymore.


    "Well if you can still stand after that like it was nothing you must be fully healed. What the hell kinda potion did you get from Mr. Bentley?"


    "Well, the bright side is that I no longer look like one of my parents was a mummy."


    "Did you just ignore my question, you bastard!?" She said while getting up in his face.


    "Is that any way to talk to your boss?" He said while trying to sound intimidating. The girl paid no mind and responded "Then how about you actually act like a respectable person and not eat my packed breakfast."


    "But your cooking is so tasty though. I wished you cooked more often." He responded without missing a beat. A kick to his face soon followed. As the girl was wearing shorts she had no worries when it came to letting loose some kicks.


    Eventually, a few minutes passed and Lily was starting to get restless.


    "Are you sure you copied that map correctly?" She asked.


    "Do I look like I''d send us on a wild goose chase?"


    "Didn''t you do exactly that, the other day?"


    "Just trust me alright." And with that lacklustre encouragement, they continued forward.


    Eventually while walking Lily stopped Ezekiel.


    Before he could ask why he was dragged by her into a nearby bush. She then took off his shiny chest plate.


    "I didn''t realise you were that kinda girl Lily. I''m kinda disappointed."


    She ignored him, found a nearby rabbit running by and grabbed it. She then threw it in the direction they were walking in and the rabbit seemed to be fine. However, within a few minutes, some men approached the area and looked around.


    "Tch, why couldn''t we have gotten a regular barrier?"


    "Shut up, you know this is better than having nothing at all."


    "I''m sick and tired of coming out here for every rabbit and deer that feels like passing by."


    The men walked back from where they came from while continuing to talk to each other.


    "An alert barrier, huh? Looks like we found them" Ezekiel remarked.


    "Well, we would have probably had to fight them if they saw the moonlight reflecting off your chest plate."


    "I really am disappointed Lily, you''re trying so hard to justify stripping m-"


    Even from their crouching position she managed to kick him.

 Chapter 45

    As soon as Tibaut woke up from his much-needed sleep he could tell something was off. Even though Elizabeth''s training could be loud at times, it wouldn''t explain the noise. It almost sounded like the march of a mob. He looked outside his window and quickly put his head down. There were about twenty people of various sizes outside.


    "What the hell is going on!?" Tibaut said to himself.


    He quickly got out of his bed and rushed through the mansion to find Elizabeth. As he was making his way down the stairs he ran into her. Before he could ask what was going she quickly grabbed him and dragged him back to his room.


    ("What the hell is the going on that even Elizabeth is running away?") He wondered as he braced his back against the door. As he was about to ask Elizabeth what was going on she hurriedly started to pull up one of the legs of his pants.


    ("???")


    The mob outside, them hiding in Tibaut''s room, her pulling up a leg of his pants, it was just too much for him to keep up with. His confusion grew greater as he noticed she had gauze in her hands. Within seconds she quickly wrapped his leg and proceeded to the next. Tibaut watched this, dumbfounded as to the reason. After finishing she got up and wiped her forehead as if wiping off sweat and proclaimed "Finished." with a satisfied look on her face.


    "Uh, Elizabeth?"


    "I''m glad I saw them before I opened the door. Who knows how suspicious Ezekiel would have gotten."


    "Um, Elizabeth, what''s going on?" He asked, seeming a little lost.


    "Oh, they''re probably just here to group up with me,"


    "Who are they exactly?"


    "Some members of the other guilds. Oh wait, I didn''t show you the letter."


    Tibaut looked more lost by this until Elizabeth decided to explain what she read in the letter that Ezekiel gave the day before.


    Tibaut decided to do a few stretches after being told what this was about and decided to look for a change of clothes in his drawer.


    While looking through the drawer he asked her


    "So we''re gonna be fighting those cult guys, right? For guys like them, I think I''ll wear my Sunday best."


    "You''re not coming." She coldly responded.


    "Huh?" What was she talking about? Ezekiel had said he was stronger than most adventurers here but was he just gassing Tibaut up?


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Why not?" While Tibaut didn''t particularly like the idea of throwing his life away, it didn''t feel great to have Elizabeth think he wasn''t strong enough to accompany her.


    She then pointed down to his legs. He soon realised why she had wrapped his legs in gauze.


    "We''re still doing that?" He said, oddly disappointed.


    "Yep," she then opened the door and made her way downstairs.


    He decided to follow her and see what was going on downstairs.


    By the way, there wasn''t a single point during this that someone bothered to check if his legs were injured.


    "Still, why are they always coming here?"


    "I think they heard some odd rumours about me."


    "What does that have to do with anything!?" He asked.


    She ignored him and continued walking down the stairs. As soon as she reached the first floor and opened the door, Ezekiel was nearby waiting.


    "Yo, Liz you ready?"


    She pointed to her sword and responded.


    "Yup, unfortunately, your sword isn''t ready yet."


    He put his hand to his forehead when he heard this.


    "Ugh, really? Tsk, guess I have to go with my knife this time." He tapped the leather pouch on his leg to ensure he didn''t accidentally leave it at home.


    The others present soon noticed Elizabeth. Various murmurs could be heard coming from the 19 or so in Elizabeth''s yard.


    "Oh, it''s Elizabeth." "I wish she was with our team." "Are you an idiot? She''s probably gonna have to deal with the worst threat." "Yeah, someone like you would only slow her down."


    While the conversations happening were mixed they all had a common theme of discussing her.


    While Ezekiel and Elizabeth were talking, a short girl wearing a hoodie tried to walk through the front door.


    "Oi, Lily, this isn''t the time for one of your girl talks," Ezekiel said while holding the small girl''s hood.


    "Shut up you breakfast-eating bastard, I''m just seeing if she has anything interesting to borrow." She then desperately tried to pry his hands off her hoodie. While doing so she noticed Tibaut.


    ("Does she want something?") he wondered as she stared.


    She stared at him for a few more seconds before opening her mouth.


    "So you''re the old woman''s new plaything." She said while looking sympathetic. She soon continued


    "And I''ve been wondering why I haven''t heard her talk about going drinking as much. Is she trying to clean up her image?"


    "Huh?"


    "Oh don''t worry. Keep doing what you''re doing, it''s honestly refreshing to see Vanessa like this."


    Tibaut had no idea what this short girl was going on about so he just nodded and said "Is that so."


    Ezekiel dragged her away.


    "Stop flirting with him and come on already, we''re gonna have to leave. Later Tibaut." He then walked away while the short girl punched at his side.


    Elizabeth then waved to Tibaut and the group of over twenty soon disappeared into the forest.


    "Huh, what do I do now?" He said as he looked up into the sky.


    As the group progressed through the forest. They split up at various points. They would not all be fighting in the same place.


    Before they had arrived at Elizabeth''s mansion they were discussing the areas they would be raiding. Based on the piece of parchment Ezekiel and Mr. Bentley got there were 8 locations that were shown to have likely presence of cultists.


    After some investigation, 3 of them were shown to have any activity. While these may not have all the cultists it would most likely contain the majority since the paper was relocation plans and also included the location of their original base which was completely empty.


    "You ready to get rid of some trash Elizabeth?" Ezekiel asked Elizabeth as they ran through the forest.


    "I suppose," She said with a smirk on his face.

 Chapter 46

    Eventually, the group of six made it near where the cultists were spotted. They slowed their movements and looked for any signs of traps being placed. After finding nothing they grouped up.


    "Alright, do you have an idea of how many enemies there are?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Nope." Immediately responded Ezekiel.


    Lily then slapped him on the back of the head and chastised him.


    "I thought you said you took care of it!?"


    He then tried to calm her down.


    "Wait, wait, I was just having some fun. While I didn''t technically count how many are located here, based on some documents we found and the people we counted in the other bases it was 20 or more but less than 25."


    The others around, including Elizabeth, were not shocked in the least, it was almost as if they were expecting him to pull something like that.


    "Twenty to twenty-five¡­ based on those three cultists I fought before, I could probably manage that by myself." Elizabeth quietly remarked.


    She then began discussing a plan with those present.


    "Is there any way to get past that barrier without alerting them?" She asked


    "Well, I already prepared for that so I brought some-"


    But before they finished they noticed Ezekiel walk away.


    "?"


    "?"


    "?"


    "?"


    "You idiot what are you-"


    Lily and the rest were stupefied by what he did next. He stuck his hand into the barrier before eventually walking into it.


    "Just as I thought, this thing''s harmless."


    Even when he did something like this the four except Lily seemed like they had expected as much. They then began walking towards the barrier together.


    "You idiot, why the hell did you do that!? Do you like watching people die? Do you think being outnumbered is a joke?" She shouted at him.


    "Now, now, Lily, Elizabeth said these guys are small fries, so what''s there to worry about?"


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Lily looked like she was about to burst from anger but he continued.


    "Why the hell do we need a plan for things like them? We''re not hunting a fox nor are we searching for a bounty. We''re cleaning up some trash, simple as that. With me and Elizabeth here, their deaths are basically confirmed. With our help, everyone here should be able to handle some small fries."


    Before Lily could retort to what she believed to be an asinine statement, voices started shouting at them. They were coming from a few men wearing regular clothing.


    "Who the hell are you guys!?"


    "Unless you bastards want a fist up your ass you better turn around!"


    "Dumbass, we can''t let them escape after seeing us!"


    The men took out various weapons and charged the adventurers. Before they even knew what happened they fell to the floor. Elizabeth swung her sword in the air to fling the blood off and sheathed it again. Those present except Lily gave a brief applause and continued on into the forest.


    Lily wondered if she was the weird one here, but she just shrugged her shoulders looking defeated and followed them.


    In a rickety shack further into the forest there were four men gathered that were sitting on the floor, forming an enclosed space in front of them. One threw a pair of dice in the open space and punched the ground. He was bald, had a beard and was a bit fat while also having noticeable muscle. For some reason, he wasn''t wearing a shirt.


    "Snake eyes again? What kinda horseshit is this? Zama give me more of your coins."


    The man in front of him sighed and handed some over.


    "Boss, is it really gambling if we''re just forced to give you gold when we lose?"


    "That''s priest to you jackass!" He said while grabbing the gold out of Zama''s hand.


    "Boss, you''re only a priest because of your strength."


    The other men present nodded their heads and agreed.


    "Shut the hell up you slackers, do you think just any muscle head can be responsible for covering a retreat."


    "You say that but isn''t this just Father Daniel''s plan with you doing what you''re supposed to by staying here?"


    The bald man then slapped the man although it looked more like he received a punch as he was sent flying out of the shack.


    "Tch, you better not mention that annoying bastard''s name or I''ll actually kill you next time. Bastard thinks he can order me around just cause he fucked up and got too greedy. When we get back I''ll report it to a bishop and see how high and mighty he acts then."


    One of the men got up to pick up their fallen comrade, brought him back into the shack and tossed him to the side. When he was about to sit back down he asked something "Boss how much longer we gotta be here?"


    "Ask that bastard Daniel, he was supposed to send us a letter when he got out of the country yet we haven''t heard shit. Maybe he''s too busy giving the new believers some speeches none of them give a shit about." He then gave a hearty laugh and rolled the dice again. He got a six and five.


    "Unless any of you bastards are feeling lucky you better be ready to hand over your gold."


    As the bald man was about to win his first round so far, a man rushed into the tent.


    "Priest Saito! It appears we''ve been located!"


    The man then grabbed the dice and threw them through the shack''s wall leaving two holes.


    The priest then got up, grabbed the man by his collar and lifted him up.


    "Are you fucking with you little shit? As soon as I win a game you expect me to believe some assholes are out there right now." After he closed his mouth he heard some noise outside the voices of various cultists he recognized shouting. He then threw the man to the ground and clicked his tongue. The men sitting on the ground got up and immediately went outside.


    The man then cracked his neck by twisting it and reached for something in his pocket.


    "What a pain in the ass. You''re gonna be lucky if the higher-ups even let you be a priest after this, Daniel."

 Chapter 47

    Various explosions of differing colours could be seen in the forest. A moment later various battered and bruised men were running away as if their lives depended on it. Elizabeth calmly followed after the men at a leisurely pace.


    In the trees above the rest of her team could be seen jumping from the tree branches. While Elizabeth was doing her thing on the ground the others were in the air providing supporting fire.


    Ezekiel was on the ground with her as he didn''t have any way to perform ranged attacks.


    Elizabeth gave a disappointed sigh as she sheathed back her blade.


    "While I am glad this won''t be too difficult, it is quite infuriating that these bastards were only able to get away with their atrocities because they were good at hide and seek. Are you sure this is all they have?"


    Ezekiel looked quite carefree and responded.


    "Sorry to disappoint Liz, these guys seem to be the definition of fodder as you can see. I wouldn''t count on any head honchos or elite squads being here at the moment. If anything we''re probably just getting the scraps of the leaving party."


    "Leaving party?" She responded while giving a look that demanded an explanation.


    "Come on, Liz, you know our guys aren''t the best. As soon as our scouts started trying to sniff them out, it wasn''t too surprising they''d notice. At first, they probably tried to relocate but since we kept sniffing around even after they relocated, they must have decided it was too much of a pain in the ass and decided to flee or maybe go back to whatever HQ they have in this country since it''s sure as hell not gonna be here."


    "I suppose it isn''t too unlikely for that to be the case however they must be in dire straits if they''d run from the likes of us and possibly go to where more competent adventurers are." She responded while looking around for any stray cultists.


    "Other than their secrecy they''re probably not too much of a big deal. As soon as they know they''re being searched for they''ll probably run away to somewhere that''s less cautious and repeat what they did here."


    Elizabeth looked concerned as he said this and quickly responded "But doesn''t that mean they''ll just kill people somewhere else?"


    "Calm down, Liz. The old man sent out a letter to HQ to warn them. It shouldn''t take long enough to arrive for them to start killing again."


    "But still-"


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He cut her off


    "Whether we like it or not this is no longer going to be our problem. We''re just gonna have to trust in our more competent peers."


    Elizabeth didn''t seem too convinced by this answer but there was nothing she could do if what he was saying was true. However, if that wasn''t the case then the cult would still be in the parish and they could be eliminated before they scurry away from their reach. This base would likely show them which of these ideas was more accurate.


    There were various paths of blood on the ground. They were following the general direction.


    "By the way how many have we killed so far?" She asked while looking at the blood trails.


    "About ten I think." He said in an unconvincing tone.


    She put her hand to her forehead.


    "If I wanted a guess I wouldn''t have asked you."


    "Shut up, you killed like seven of them, you should have the best idea."


    They continued bickering until they reached a clearing in the forest. There were some wooden shacks here so it must have been the main base. Those in the trees came down as their covering fire didn''t make sense unless they fired accurately and unfortunately most only trusted their aim for a few metres at most.


    While walking through they noticed a man with various other men behind with some injured. Including him, there were 10 men in total.


    The man in front was a bald man with a short beard. For some reason, he wasn''t wearing a shirt which showed off his body. It was clear to see he was a little chubby but he also had some muscle as well. If he was wearing a shirt it wouldn''t be unreasonable to assume he was just a bit bulky.


    He turned to one of his injured men and started talking.


    "The hell is this? This a prank or something? You''re telling me that babe gave you knuckle-nuts a hard time? The only thing she looks like she could make hard is me." He then laughed at his quite boring joke for a few full seconds before turning to her. The injured men gave a disapproving look to Saito when he said this while the other men laughed along.


    "So what do ya say blondie? How bout you help me and the boys over here since we''ve been kinda pent up? Hell, I''ll even let you and your little buddies over there live."


    When losing about half of your troops, you would expect the leader of such a group to be more cautious. Not Saito however. Either he had absolute faith in his strength or he was the type of idiot one would spend their whole life searching for just to know how low human intelligence could be.


    ("Sorry guys but the more of you that die, the more trouble that dipshit Daniel''s gonna be in.")


    He thought to himself while giving Elizabeth a grotesque smile while squeezing one of his hands suggestively.


    Elizabeth simply drew her sword and to everyone there except Ezekiel and Priest Saito, it seemed like she crossed the distance in an instant.


    She swung her sword and Saito blocked. However, blocking a sword with his arms seemed questionable, to say the least.


    He was sent flying into a nearby hut. While the fact he wasn''t sliced completely into two could be seen as commendable by some, there wasn''t a single doubt in anyone''s mind that he wasn''t out of commission.


    The men that were behind Saito made sure to keep their distance when Elizabeth appeared.


    However with Elizabeth now focusing on them they were about to be slaughtered like the pigs they were.


    Well, that should have been the case until a piece of wood was thrown at her. She perceived it and sliced it in two but it came from an odd direction. She looked at the destroyed shack and saw a man standing in a pile of rubble.


    The bald bastard was standing there as if nothing had happened.

 Chapter 48

    The man in the rubble was dusting himself off as if he hadn''t been sent flying just a few moments ago.


    "Who the hell are you?" Shouted someone. Surprisingly it wasn''t Elizabeth but Ezekiel who said this.


    The bald man soon responded.


    "Sorry pal, but my date''s with blondie over there."


    "Cut the shit dumbass, who the hell are you?"


    He then sent a barrage of small rocks and pebbles around him at the baldy using his magic. The bald man just blocked protecting his face as this was more harassment than an attack. Just as he put down his block, to presumably bad mouth Ezekiel and his attack, he saw Ezekiel standing in front of him.


    Ezekiel lightly slapped the man''s cheek.


    "Still gonna be silent?"


    Saito gave a laugh.


    "Hahahaha, I didn''t know the adventurers'' dregs had anyone decent within them. Especially two at that. Do you want a name? Sure I''ll give ya. It''s not like I''m gonna let you guys leave anyway."


    Saito then cracked his knuckles and continued.


    "Names Saito though if you want to refer to me properly, call me Father or Priest Saito. But I don''t mind if that blonde over there calls me daddy."


    Ezekiel seemed as though he was gonna stare a hole into the man with the nasty glare he was giving him.


    "A priest? Here of all places? What the hell is going on?"


    "Heh, it seems like I was underestimating you shits. How sloppy was that bastard Daniel, if you know this much?" He then gave a sigh and scratched his head.


    "A priest?" Elizabeth wondered.


    ("Although it isn''t impossible I don''t wanna use my divine powder fighting both these guys. The real pain will be leaving the country. Guess I have to go for a good ole command and conquer strategy.") Saito thought to himself.


    He then shouted to his men:


    "Oi dipshits spread out and take ''em out!"


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The men who were taking their time inching away from Elizabeth when she was distracted by Saito then burst out into a sprint. While Ezekiel was looking at the runaways, Saito made his way to Elizabeth. He seemed to make a barricade between the men and Elizabeth.


    When he was about to support Elizabeth he saw the team they were with being attacked.


    ("Did they get around that quickly? No, did we predict less than there was around?")


    Elizabeth shouted to him as she blocked a strike from Saito.


    "Help them out, I''ll be good here!"


    Ezekiel clicked his tongue.


    "This shouldn''t take more than five minutes." He responded before running to help the four they brought with them.


    Now the two were, in terms of combat, separated from the others. Elizabeth jumped back to gain some distance between them and they started circling each other.


    "Hehehe, whores are nice but it''s something else to break in ''strong'' girls like you."


    "I must say, I expected more from the elite of the cult. Is taunting people the only skill you have?" she responded while looking quite unbothered.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make good on them when I win."


    Elizabeth then struck him with her blade and he managed to parry it. Well, that isn''t quite right. Regular skin would have a layer of it sliced off like a chef cutting prosciutto if someone else attempted what he did. His skin also had a silver-like substance form on it when he parried her blade. Although she was thrown off balance by the parry she was able to throw a punch at his face with her open hand and send him a few feet back.


    She stared at him like a lumberjack would at a tree he planned to chop down.


    "I see. Magic that involves metal, no, steel."


    "Yep." He openly admitted.


    "But what''s that information gonna do for you sweetcheeks?" He continued.


    "I''ve heard of swordsmen in the east being able to cut steel without the use of magic or ki. Who would have thought I would be able to try this out for myself."


    Although one might have been discouraged by it she noticed he had a small slice on the parts of his arms he had earlier used to block her sword.


    As soon as he noticed what she was talking about the battle started in earnest. His fists were coated in metal and he threw a barrage of punches.


    She did her best to avoid these but the few that grazed her gave small bruises from the friction of her skin and the steel hands rubbing.


    She managed to get a clean strike on his stomach but the steel covering it was the only reason he hadn''t been sliced in two.


    He tried to grab the arm that held the sword but she quickly let go and performed a (albeit somewhat sloppy) roundhouse kick to Saito''s head. As he was pushed back she managed to grab her sword before it fell. Due to how much resistance she felt in the kick, he probably used steel to protect his head.


    They sized each other up for a moment before continuing the battle.


    Saito then rushed her with a tackle. She easily dodged to the side but it seemed he was counting on this. He then held out his hand as if he was summoning something. Even though this was brief, it did catch her attention. She jumped into the air to avoid whatever was coming.


    ("Are surprise attacks all the rage nowadays? Have a taste of your own medicine.") She calmly thought to herself.


    She soon realised something when she looked down, however. Nothing was there.


    ("Wait a minute what the hell i-")


    Before she could realise it, Saito had grabbed her leg. With a thunderous boom, she was slammed into the ground.


    ("I was hoping for her to turn around or something but this is way better than I expected.") Saito thought with a grin on his face.

 Chapter 49

    With a slam like that, her face had to be bloody at least.


    It''d be a miracle if she could continue fighting in her current state. When the dust settled from the slam, Saito quickly realised something, however.


    She was guarding her face when she was swung down. Even more shocking was that soon after he was flung through the air.


    In a feat of strength that could only be considered monstrous, Elizabeth had flung the priest with the one foot he was holding her by.


    ("Are you serious!?") He thought while in the air.


    He landed a few metres away on the ground and before he could even process what had happened Elizabeth skewered him with her sword.


    Fortunately for him, he was able to harden his chest before it touched his skin. He then slid his hand under one of her feet and flung her back.


    She soon landed as nimbly as a cat but this bought enough time for Saito to kip up and get to his feet.


    He felt his chest and soon noticed a red sticky liquid flowing out of a shallow wound.


    ("Tsk, is she using an enchanted blade? Thank god it''s a cheap one or I would have been done for.")


    Elizabeth wasn''t going to wait for him to assess his damage and decide on a course of action so she blasted towards him.


    Although Saito had already come to a conclusion. If this was the most she could manage then it was just a waiting game until she either tired out or his troops defeated the other fodder and regrouped with him.


    ("The guy with the dreads was a bit quick but against greater numbers he''ll probably be forced to cover for his group. He''ll be stretched thin before he knows it and killed. Although I''d prefer getting rid of this bitch first, so I can kill him myself. If he decides to run away there''s nothing those dumbasses can do.")


    He then completely ignored defence and committed fully to offence. He threw a whirlwind of punches that Elizabeth skillfully dodged.


    It seemed she had grown used to them as they were no longer grazing her skin. She was able to get strikes in but all they did was leave a few small scratches on his skin. Elizabeth soon found an opportunity to kick him and sent him flying a few feet. She quickly sheathed her sword and rushed.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ("How pathetic. I know you''re desperate but at least keep using your sword. I know bludgeoning might seem like a nice option but punching steel barehanded is probably one of the dumbest things you can do.")


    She then did her best to copy Tibaut and dodged the man''s punches and made counters where she saw them.


    ("???")


    Contrary to Saito''s expectations, as the punches started coming more and more he could tell it was hurting him. He didn''t think it was enough to knock him out but he was amazed that this woman''s attacks were even being felt in the first place.


    ("Hmm, although I might be worrying over nothing maybe I should be more careful going forward.")


    He then tried to back to dodge a blow away but Elizabeth stepped on his foot and delivered a sucker punch.


    Although he was the one who received the blow, she was the one bleeding. What he had done was simple. He received the blow using his forehead.


    When a punch is delivered to that part of the skull it is almost guaranteed the fist will come out of it worst off. Add in a skull that is protected by iron and it''s almost guaranteed to be broken.


    She could be heard clicking her tongue. She soon backed away and examined her fist. She was able to move it but each time she did her face winced.


    "Now girly, what are you going to do against this?" He taunted her.


    With her uninjured arm, she pulled out her sword and looked at him defiantly. The man now felt he had this in the bag and created a smokescreen by kicking up the dirt.


    She tried to make her way out of the dust but was greeted by a punch as soon as she left. She blocked it with the sword but her hand was blown away and she received a punch to the face. Thankfully for her, the sword had taken most of the energy away from it.


    Elizabeth was soon being driven back by him and any slash she made did jack-shit.


    Her backing away soon left her unexpectedly having her back touching a tree. This development shocked her briefly, and it was enough time for Saito to land a punch on her.


    I would say it was gentlemanly of him to aim for her stomach instead of her face but no gentleman would punch a woman in the first place.


    A moment after the punch landed it seemed like she had the wind knocked out of her and he took advantage of this to hold her up by the neck.


    He had a shit-eating grin on his face as he looked at her.


    "That offer to help me and my boys out is still open."


    She seemed like she was flickering in and out of consciousness. In what seemed like a desperate hail mary she stabbed into the arm holding her.


    It only penetrated a few centimetres and he showed no reaction to this.


    He sighed at this and looked ready to smash her head in until she did something unexpected.


    She hammered her sword with the bloodied hand she left free and sent the sword through Saito''s arm like a nail through plywood. Blood trickled out of the wound like wine would from a small hole in the side of a barrel.


    For a second it didn''t seem real to Saito.


    This woman was at the end of her ropes, how the hell did she have enough strength left to do this? He unconsciously let her go because of the pain his brain was now being flooded with but it didn''t stop there.


    She was still holding the blade. What happened next sent Saito to the pits of despair. The sword was pulled out of his flesh. If you''re thinking it was simply pulled out you would be mistaken.


    She pulled it through his arm until it was cleanly split in half.


    If one were to put a label on it "Bisection of a Male Adult''s Forearm" would seem the most appropriate.

 Chapter 50

    ("How? How did this happen")


    Saito was on the ground clutching his split-open arm. He was able to stop the bleeding by converting his arm to metal but this didn''t fix the fundamental problem in the slightest.


    His arm was now useless and the woman who he thought was cornered couldn''t look better. She opened and clenched her hand without a hint of discomfort.


    "If only you weren''t being such a pain in the ass, I probably wouldn''t have had to go this far. You could have just let me wear you down bit by bit with my punches but apparently, that was no good in your mind. Consider this a small price to pay for fracturing my hand."


    While she was saying all this Saito had managed to rip a leg of his pants off and had used it to tie together his arm. The sweat was pooling on him and his breath was ragged. He looked at her almost in disbelief.


    "What do you mean broken arm? Wasn''t that just you pretending?"


    She looked surprised by his assessment and quickly felt the need to correct him.


    "No. It really is broken although you weren''t wrong about me tricking you," she then brought her hand to her face to examine it. "If all it took was this for me to start wincing then I would have chosen a different profession. Even that punch you landed earlier was weak enough for me to have to ham it up for it to seem like it did anything."


    Saito rejected this idea in its entirety. She had to be bullshitting him. With a few hits, she''d be down. He believed this with all his might and rushed her.


    When he did this the woman looked at him as if was a pile of garbage and with the enthusiasm of a dog owner having to pick up its turd, readied herself.


    Unexpectedly (he hoped) He struck first with his damaged hand. She calmly dodged it while also using her sword to cut at the cloth keeping it in one piece.


    Also instinctively he drew back his hand when this happened and focused more than he should have on the arm which left him open and allowed Elizabeth to land a punch with her broken hand in the centre of his face.


    He used his magic on his face but that sure has hell didn''t mean it wasn''t painful. He staggered back and noticed blood on his face. It wasn''t Elizabeth''s, his own nose was bleeding.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Elizabeth clicked her tongue and remarked.


    "Now you''ve really done it. It''s gone totally numb now." She said while looking at her limp hand.


    Saito soon had a thought. What if she wasn''t punching him with her full strength? What if she was punching him while keeping an emphasis on not breaking her hands? Now that one of her hands was fully broken would she bother holding back anymore?


    She soon closed between the space them and continued her onslaught. Her uninjured hand would lightly kiss his skin and the broken one hit him like a sledgehammer.


    She then threw a punch with the sledgehammer to his face that he desperately blocked with his only good hand. She then threw another punch with the kinder hand.


    Although it slightly stinged it was vastly superior to the hell the other hand would provide.


    He didn''t know it yet, but allowing this punch to land would prove to be a fatal mistake.


    And he found out exactly why a moment later. He felt something pierce his stomach. That''s when he realised her fist and his own arm was blocking his vision. He desperately backed away and looked down. Her sword was in his stomach.


    "I did find it odd you didn''t convert your whole body to steel."


    She slowly walked to him and spoke as if she was revealing a secret recipe.


    "Then I wondered, maybe it wasn''t that you didn''t but rather couldn''t. You must have amazing reflexes. There wasn''t a time I was able to catch you off guard except when I was against the tree. You must have only partially converted your arm as it was only the side the sword struck that had a sheen on it. If you had fully changed it may not have gone all the way through or maybe it would have. Yet one thing was certain, when it went through there was blood on my blade."


    Saito pulled the blade out of him and threw it to the ground. Unfortunately for him, it wasn''t cheap enough of a blade to break from that.


    "So I decided to conduct a little test and the fruits of it were quite bountiful. I simply blocked your vision and would see if you could still block my sword."


    She pointed down to his stab wound.


    "Thankfully it seems you couldn''t."


    What she forgot to mention was that she threw the blade into the air and blocked his vision before it fell, while also having the precision to knee the sword into his stomach.


    She would only give herself 70 points for this as she was aiming for his chest but at least it proved her hypothesis.


    Saito started to slowly back away. He quickly realised the type of monster he had encountered in this uneventful countryside.


    ("Fuck this, that bastard Daniel didn''t say anything about a monster like this having the possibility showing up. It''ll take all the powder on me to even return in one piece and who knows if I''ll even survive the backlash long enough to reach Akumia.)"


    Saito soon realised there was only one option before him. Although he was confident he could bring this woman down in a fight to the death if he was willing to part with his own life. This fight just wasn''t worth it. Through no fault of his own, he had to watch out for an idiot that fucked up because he got too greedy. His life wasn''t worth throwing away for someone like that.


    He then kicked some dirt and tried to make his exit. However, he soon noticed something piercing his neck. He looked to his side and noticed him. It was the fast bastard from before.

 Chapter 51

    He turned his head to the man but soon found his attention pointed to what was behind him.


    All his men, including the ones the adventurers hadn''t planned for, were lying on the ground neatly lined up next to each other.


    On further inspection, most of them did show signs of breathing but were lying in a pool of their own blood. Ezekiel then pushed his knife further into the bald man''s neck. He also noticed the other adventurers doing stretches and one in a hoodie examining another''s wounds while clearly looking irritated about something.


    "Don''t worry pal, they aren''t dead yet. We still need all the details about you and your little group. Although I can''t say if they''ll ever be able to move anything other than their heads for the rest of their lives. So feel like doing this the easy way?"


    He tried using his magic on his neck but it was to no avail. The blade kept slowly sinking in.


    "Although their prices may be similar, this knife''s a bit more quality compared to her sword''s quantity."


    That was a bald-faced lie as his knife''s market value is currently twice that of Elizabeth''s sword but their soon-to-be prisoner didn''t need to know that.


    Elizabeth clearly no longer saw the man as a threat as she relaxed herself and walked up to Ezekiel.


    After walking up to him she gave a smack to the back of his head.


    "Um, Liz, our enemy''s right there."


    "What took you so long?"


    "Well after I downed about half of them, they started trying to get away through the forest and it was a pain in the ass to catch them all."


    "Yet you had time to put them over there after you took them out so neatly."


    Ezekiel started scratching his head with his free hand and started avoiding eye contact.


    "Uh, well it seemed like you had things over here sorted out and you did look at him." He said while pointing to the chubby bald man with noticeable muscle.


    Elizabeth shook her head and approached her sword to pick it up.


    Stolen story; please report.


    After picking it up she wiped off the dust on her sword with her shirt but realized something halfway through. The dirt on the ground had created a gross muck after it combined with the blood already on the blade.


    This genuinely pissed her off and her face told as much but she continued nonetheless as her shirt was already ruined.


    "If getting a broken hand seemed like I was handling things, I really do wonder if I should ever let Tibaut work with you again." She said as she sheathed the recently cleaned sword. She then held up her broken hand.


    "By the way do you have anything for this?"


    Ezekiel at this point had his knife touching one of the bones of Saito''s spinal column. He was gently wiggling the knife and if he wasn''t careful it might accidentally go in between the vertebrae and cut the cord itself.


    "Hmm, I still have leftover potion from the 4-pack the old man gave me the other day."


    In this casual conversation, there was one who didn''t seem to be having a good time.


    Saito was gradually losing his mind while those two spoke.


    ("It''s over. Against her is one thing but if this bastard can cut through me just fine then I''m fucked. Either they capture me here and I have to kill myself or they decide to kill me since I might be too much of a handful. Why? Why did it end up like this? I only recently got anointed a priest, I even heard some of the bishops say I had potential. Why do I have to die because of that fuck-up? He was a priest longer than was so I thought it wasn''t worth arguing. Why didn''t tell him to fuck off then and there?")


    He soon came to one thought.


    ("I''m gonna die, no doubt about it. But. But.") He struggled to think but continued ("But at least I''ll bare my fang against these bastards. Then I''ll curse that bastard Daniel from the grave. The powder was supposed to last me through the weeks I got back to Akumia but that doesn''t matter anymore.")


    He slowly but surely put his bisected hand into his pocket that contained a pouch full of an unusual black powder.


    Ezekiel noticed this and started to scratch his vertebrae with the knife.


    "AAAHHHHHH"


    "A hidden weapon isn''t going to do you any good."


    He then released the magic on his arm and it started pouring out blood. His hand was already in the pouch so he started bleeding all over it. Whether he planned what happened next or not did not change the fact of the matter. His opened flesh came in contact with this mixture of blood and powder. As soon as it touched his exposed flesh it seemed as though his arm absorbed the liquid entirely.


    Ezekiel and Elizabeth weren''t able to see the full picture but they both noticed a black substance running inside his opened arm.


    Before he could run a shock wave blew Ezekiel away from Saito. He kept himself grounded but fought to stay in place as he was being blown away by a dark aura of some kind Saito was producing. Elizabeth was also in a similar predicament. The other adventurers, who were quite a few meters away, looked on in shock.


    What produced the dark aura was not Saito but a concerningly black flame that was similar in size to him. The darkness of the flame was impressive. It seemed almost fake, due to its flat appearance. It didn''t allow any amount of light to reflect off of it nor produced any, which made it impossible to perceive its depth or any of the finer details a 3-dimensional object would have.


    Those present gulped almost in unison in preparation for what would come next.

 Chapter 52

    The void-like flame flickered for a few more seconds before eventually dying down. Saito''s body soon became visible as the flame decreased and Ezekiel and Elizabeth felt the force pushing against them gradually weaken.


    When the flame fully went out they turned their attention to the new and improved Saito.


    The thing that immediately stood out was his wings. Yes, he now had wings and honestly, they looked how one would imagine an angel''s. The only difference was instead of them being a pure and unsullied white, they were black. Their feathers were comparable to that of a crow.


    That wasn''t the only new thing about him. Whether for practical or aesthetic reasons it seemed the fat he possessed was entirely gone. It left him looking quite imposing instead of his previous appearance which looked like an athlete who over-ate before a big competition.


    He had also acquired horns. They were pitch black and had the sheen of a beetle. They were somewhat skinny compared to a bull''s horns. While his irises did turn black his sclera remained unchanged. And finally his skin. His skin had gone from the average easterner to a very pale skin tone that contained the smallest hints of blue.


    Worryingly his arm and every other wound on him seemed to have fully healed after his transformation. Was this a part of his new transformation or was it a one-time deal, those present wondered.


    He observed his body and seemed to be lost in thought.


    ("What happened? I always heard you''d die if you ever took more than three times the regular amount of the powder. So why am I alive?")


    He then pointed his finger to the sky and after a few seconds, he fired a beam with a darkness similar to the one he came out of with his fingertips.


    The pair close to him tensed up when he did this. They then began slowly inching towards the monster that had appeared before them.


    He didn''t seem to notice as he kept thinking to himself.


    ("Although this was an accident, it seems I am favoured by my lord. If others die when they ingest this much divine powder yet I have not, priest is too small of a title for me. Bishop? Nah, maybe I might even be considered for a new position. Maybe a Saint? Saint Saito, now that has a nice ring to it. Surely they wouldn''t mind if their Saint kills that bastard, Daniel?")


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    A grin slowly formed on his face. He had gained a new power and there was no better place to test it out than here. That bitch who cut open his arm and that fast bastard would make excellent punching bags to test his new limits.


    As soon as the grin came to his face Elizabeth rushed towards him and aimed her sword to his neck. He responded by sending out a punch. It was just a simple punch yet she sent flying into the forest with this simple punch. A loud thud was heard a few moments later.


    ("Tch, did that bitch really block that?")


    The punch felt more like punching a boulder than a bag of meat, so she was presumably able to get her arms up in time to block.


    He then dodged Ezekiel''s knife, who did his best to launch a surprise attack and was surprisingly grazed by it a few times.


    He continued dodging for a few seconds to confirm something.


    ("I see. It seems I can no longer use my own magic. Has the powder overridden my own magic or was it not compatible with this form?")


    While paying little attention to the fight he half-heartedly kicked Ezekiel. Yet he missed. And Ezekiel used this opportunity to stab his foot.


    He didn''t seem bothered by this in the slightest.


    ("Has my sense of pain been reduced? Also, has this form reduced the size of my limbs in some way?")


    Thankfully for Ezekiel, he reached an incorrect conclusion as to why his kick had missed.


    Saito grew bored of dodging his blade and simply grabbed it. He pinned it with two of his fingers and Ezekiel seemed to be powerless against his strength. He then moved to punch the man yet missed by a few centimeters. When he looked back to his fingers the blade had been removed.


    Saito then tried to negate his footwork by performing a leg sweep. However, in his current state, a leg sweep would be akin to a guillotine made exclusively for feet. Yet he still missed although the man before him had looked like he had just jumped out of a river with the amount of sweat pooling on him.


    ("Is he causing this? No matter, he''ll slip up eventually")


    This was of no concern to Saito. Honestly speaking, the longer he could use this man to test his current capabilities, the more convenient it would be for him. Having an opponent who wouldn''t instantly die yet could do no meaningful damage in return would be hard to come across in his new form.


    Ezekiel kept trying his best to stab the demon yet all he could get was miniscule scratches on his that wouldn''t even draw blood. Eventually, the demon attempted another punch and Ezekiel was fooled by its speed. He immediately moved himself back and attempted a counterattack. However, the punch by Saito was simply a feint yet Ezekiel had not realized. Within moments he was about to receive a punch from that monster but there was nothing he could do. Even if he did notice there was not enough time for him to get out of Saito''s range before the punch landed.


    Amazingly, Saito''s punch did not land. He soon found himself flipped horizontally. He looked behind himself and soon found the answer.

 Chapter 53

    ("She''s back already?") Saito thought as he fell to the ground.


    Behind was Elizabeth, and she had somehow managed to sweep his legs from under him.


    When he fell to the ground he immediately pushed himself away from them avoiding the blades of both his opponents. He then stood up but not before being dragged back to them by Ezekiel.


    ("The hell kinda magic does that dreadlock bastard have?")


    When he was placed back in front of them Ezekiel backed away and let Elizabeth do the heavy lifting. Her sword cut through the winds as if it was a supersonic jet but she could only get very shallow cuts on him.


    All the stepping back and dodging Saito was doing eventually led to them going into the forest. Saito then decided he had seen enough and prepared to deliver another punch. This time he was able to see Elizabeth being moved though he still missed. He was able to barely manage to avoid getting his arm cut off by her counterattack.


    ("So that''s their game, huh?") The demon thought.


    ("So the bastard is gonna play defence for her? What horseshit, they''re starting to ruin my mood.")


    He then backed away a few meters and raised his hand towards them. He held out his finger and a black ball formed.


    He was going to use the attack he tested earlier in combat.


    As he released it he noticed his aim was off though he could tell the pair hadn''t moved. It seemed as though trees for several kilometres had a small hole in them in the direction he fired but he paid that no mind. He looked at his hand and noticed a knife embedded in it. He looked up to the trees and noticed movement and several eyes staring at him.


    ("So the small fry wanna play too, huh?")


    He pulled it out and then pointed his finger at one of them and prepared another beam. This time he was interrupted by Elizabeth as she punched his hand causing him to miss yet again.


    He delivered another punch and actually hit her though she blocked it. A cracking sound could be heard from her forearms when she blocked and the solemn expression she wore throughout the fight faltered slightly.


    An unapologetic smile grew on his face when this happened. He knew by her expression that this was different than before. He was finally able to break her down. If he landed a clean punch it would be over for her. Then remembered something and jumped a few meters to the side.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Behind his old position was Ezekiel who had a knife positioned at neck height.


    He audibly clicked his tongue and Elizabeth took the lead by rushing towards Saito.


    ("I swear, you can''t let one of these guys out of your vision for a second.")


    As Elizabeth was approaching, he was struck by a bolt of magic in the trees when had his focus on her. This gave her an opportunity and she used this to go directly for the head.


    The smoke of the supporting attack had kicked a bit of dust but she felt her blade stuck in something.


    The dust soon settled and Saito was standing at an awkward angle with the blade held between his teeth.


    He then aimed towards Elizabeth with one of his fingers that had an unnaturally black orb at the end of it. A chunk of ice soon flew out of the trees and slammed that hand.


    However, he had not yet fired and soon aimed in the direction of the attack. Elizabeth''s fist arrived a moment too late and the void-like beam went into the tree. A yell of pain was heard before the movement at the top of various trees could be seen.


    He used the sword in his mouth to do something that confirmed he was something beyond human. He used only the movements of his neck to fling the sword in between his teeth and its owner above the trees of the forest. He then lowered his hips and prepared for a punch, most likely an uppercut. He wasn''t even allowed the pleasure of watching her fall before he was moved away a few meters back. He turned around and swung his fist but nothing was there.


    He then noticed an odd feeling coming from his back. He saw Ezekiel a few meters back with his hand opened. He then pulled whatever was causing the odd sensation in his lower back. It was a knife and it was covered in a black, almost tar-like substance.


    It had gone directly into the lower part of his spine yet he was still standing. The only person with a look of surprise on their face was Ezekiel. The disbelief on his face was clear for anyone to see. He even had his jaw agape for a few moments. Saito then felt his lower back some more before looking upwards and throwing the knife into the night sky.


    Thankfully Elizabeth had reached the ground but now one of their hard hitters had lost his weapon.


    The bald demon looked at Ezekiel and cracked his neck.


    "Well, this is getting a bit boring so I''ll have to go full force now. Try not to die."


    Those last four words raised every hair on Ezekiel''s body. Full force? That wasn''t full force before? Everyone here was struggling with this monster yet he wasn''t even trying that hard?


    Ezekiel then got into a fighting stance though it felt strange to him without his knife. Was there any way to kill this monster? He took a stab to his spinal cord yet he still stood.


    Even the stab from earlier didn''t seem to faze him. Did he really stand a chance with only his fist?


    Yet he didn''t run away.


    Whether he liked it or not, only he and Elizabeth had any chance of defeating this monster. If this monster was released on the parish no one would be able to stop him.


    He briefly wondered if having Tibaut would increase their chances but doing that would be no help. He had to win using the cards he was dealt.


    He gave a sigh and stared down his opponent.


    Thankfully it didn''t seem like he could regenerate. So he saw only one way out of this. Elizabeth seemed to be in the forest biding her time for an opportunity. Whether in a bush or in the trees he had no idea. When he was hiding himself it may not have worked but a sword would be a different story. He now had a clear goal.


    Have Elizabeth cut his head off.


    Draw this monster''s attention to the point he leaves his back open.


    The monster soon kicked off the ground and rushed towards him.

 Chapter 54

    Ezekiel watched in trepidation as Saito approached.


    He could feel his heart rate rising and the sweat that gathered over him looked comical. He knew it would only take a moment for the monster to arrive yet he had to fight against every instinct urging him to run away. This was the second time in his life Ezekiel had felt this level of fear from an opponent.


    It took all the willpower he had to stare this monster into his eyes. If he for any reason took his eyes off him it wouldn''t even be a question of if he would die.


    ("What changed? Why does fighting him feel so hopeless right now?")


    He wondered to himself as he observed Saito''s ''serious'' punch. He was barely caught by the blow yet he sent spinning through the air into a tree.


    On impact, he coughed up blood and staggered. He still had enough time to see Saito right in front of him swinging again. He moved himself to the side and felt one of his dreadlocks being ripped out.


    The sheer force of the punch had torn it from his scalp.


    This wasn''t intentional and that fact made Ezekiel almost consider giving up. In his current position, he tried something all men were weak to. A punch to the nuts. The blow landed but it did nothing to delay his next attack. It was almost impressive how ineffective that attack was.


    ("Are you fucking kidding me!?")


    He moved Saito back but the punch that grazed his chest felt like it tore all the skin on his chest off even with his armour on. It took every ounce of willpower he had to muffle a shout of pain.


    ''Fortunately'' the only thing there was a nasty bruise but he didn''t have the time to check. Saito aimed another one of his incomprehensible dark beams toward his face.


    In that moment every moment of his life flashed before his eyes. His first meeting with Mr. Bentley, all his escapades and his old profession, him forming his guild and finally meeting Tibaut.


    ("I guess this is an appropriate ending for someone like me. Is this some sort of divine punishment?")


    Just as he was accepting his fate, the beam suddenly disappeared. Rather the thing forming the beam was gone. In place of Saito''s finger was a knife. It was Ezekiel''s. Saito had a look of disappointment on his face. He then aimed his entire hand and formed an even larger beam that was moving in pace with the girl in a hoodie who was running through the trees.


    "Sideshows should know their goddamn pla-" but before he could he heard something behind him.


    As he looked he saw the woman who he had thrown previously swinging her blade. It was aimed almost surgically towards his neck.


    By the time he acted on this information, the blade was already touching his neck. If this were any other opponent it would have been over. But this was no regular opponent.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He quickly swung down the elbow of the arm that was aimed at what he believed to be ''fodder'' and delivered an almost otherworldly elbow to Elizabeth''s abdomen.


    The force with which she impacted a nearby tree almost uprooted it. The sword had cut almost halfway through his neck and exposed both his spine and a dense layer of muscle yet he still stood tall.


    What he did not realize was that this detour had given enough time to Ezekiel to pick up his knife. As long as he dragged him close quick enough for him not to react he''d win. Yet when he tried, Saito didn''t budge an inch. He soon noticed a strange atmosphere around the demon. It was almost as if the air around him was being blown out of a furnace.


    ("No way? I was this close. Did he realize how to counter me or ¡­ is he doing this unconsciously!?")


    Whatever the answer was, he could no longer affect Saito.


    He didn''t let that bog him down and instead approached.


    By telling time he had decided and committed to this action Saito had already turned around. When he aimed his knife at Saito''s already weak neck the last thing he could have even predicted happened. Saito moved his head to headbutt him. He did his best to move his head back and reduce the blow but it sent him flying away like a pinwheel.


    The wound on Saito''s neck seemed to have increased but at the moment he was the victor. He looked at Ezekiel, who was tens of meters away and slowly approached. Ezekiel was out cold. It was a miracle his face was in one piece but that was all. Within the next few moments, he would be killed by Priest Saito.


    As he closed the distance a girl fell from the trees and stood in front of Saito. It was his guildmate Lily. Her legs trembled as the monster grew ever closer. Tears filled her eyes as she took out a throwing knife and held it in a fighting stance.


    She muttered prayers under her breath as the distance grew smaller and smaller. She closed her eyes, maybe in an attempt to not witness her own death. She heard the footsteps grow ever louder and tensed her legs in an attempt to charge him. Then a voice shouted out and a sword soon followed.


    "You bastard!!!"


    He caught the sword and looked at his accuser unimpressed. It was Elizabeth and she wasn''t looking too hot. She was clutching her side and half bent over. She wiped some blood off her mouth and walked closer to him.


    He gave a sigh, dropped the sword and turned around to approach her. Poor Lily who had attempted a last stand fell to her knees with tears rolling down her cheek.


    "I will admit, you may have been too much for my former self to have handled but what can you do now?" He asked as he came closer and closer.


    Elizabeth simply breathed heavily while limping towards him.


    The man shook his head and continued.


    Now it wasn''t as though Elizabeth didn''t actually have a plan but the aftermath of it would be difficult to hide.


    ("If I use my magic in my current state, at best I would have my arms obliterated and in the worst case I might just die.")


    She remembered the words her goddess had given about not dying to the point of embarrassing her but she felt it would be quite necessary in this scenario.


    ("They might figure out I''m a Saint.")


    If this info were to get out, it would change her life for the foreseeable. She could either become someone''s pawn in her current state or have assassins target her while she was still weak.


    ("Who cares? So what if they figure out I''m a Saint? Is a Saint really the type of person who would her friends, no, any lives be trampled on for their own convenience!?")


    As she convinced herself, she then quickened her pace and they were soon within arms reach of each other.


    Saito then reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. He put it on his thumb and looked ready to flick it into the air.


    "Alright blondie, let''s see if you can do something worth remembering."


    She then prepared herself to use her magic.


    An uncomfortable amount of time passed before Saito flicked the coin into the air. When that coin fell to the ground her life as she knew might be entirely over. Just when things were looking up it had to take a turn like this. The path to her goal was just now starting to become visible yet she no longer was able to follow it.


    As she was thinking of what to do if she was able to kill him something odd struck her.


    Why hadn''t Saito thrown the coin yet?

 Chapter 55

    In the entrance hall of the Wisteria Manor, Tibaut was spread out, lying on the floor. He smelled like he had just finished a workout and that wasn''t entirely wrong. He finished helping Vanessa with Ezekiel''s sword over an hour ago but he wasn''t here because this was a great place to rest. He had his head pointed toward the door and would occasionally glance at it.


    ("Ah, I haven''t cleaned the mansion haven''t I? Eh, that can wait until tomorrow.")


    He then got up and walked towards the door. Incidentally, Vanessa happened to be walking by. Upon seeing her he immediately changed direction and walked to the stairs.


    "Oh, I see."


    Tibuat turned towards her with a look of confusion. He walked towards her now and decided to question.


    "You hinting at something? I just felt like breezing the stink off but I changed my mind, so I was going to shower instead."


    Vanessa wore a blank expression and replied "uh-huh".


    "Now I don''t know what ideas you think I''m having but as you can see you''re clearly wrong."


    "ok"


    "And what''s this about ''I see''? I just turned around, what''s there to see in the first place?"


    Vanessa gave a sigh and shrugged her shoulders.


    "Alrig-"


    Before Tibaut could continue on his tirade, Vanessa put her finger to his lips.


    "Jeez, you''re like a puppy waiting for his owner to come home."


    Tibaut looked insulted but she continued "You don''t have to hide it, it''s normal to worry about someone if they''re gonna do something dangerous."


    Tibaut''s expression lightened.


    "I mean I''m not too concerned since it''s her we''re talking about but¡­ it''s been a while since they left, hasn''t it?"


    "You took nearly a day to come back from your little stint with that useless bastard."


    "(I was out for that long?) Ugh, I guess I''m not one to talk then. But does she usually take this long with her quests and stuff?" He responded.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Hmm, I''d give it an hour or two before I''d start worrying. Wanna go outside and wait for her?"


    "No, I was probably worrying ov-"


    Vanessa then dragged his shirt.


    "The least we can do is greet her when she comes back, even Elizabeth can get tired."


    Tibaut looked at her in shock


    ("Who is this angel and why did she replace Vanessa of all people?")


    Vanessa noticed the look on his face and then walked into him and gave him a hug which caused certain parts of her to become very noticeable.


    "Unless you want to do something else?"


    Tibaut quickly pushed her off (before his little adventurer got any ideas) and gave her a flustered response.


    "Ah, yeah, outside that sounds good, I''ll go ahead of you." Vanessa hadn''t done any proper teasing for a while so that caught him completely off guard.


    Vanessa chuckled to herself as she noticed him trying his best to hide the front of his pants from her as he quickly walked towards the entrance. She followed him with a smile on her face. She then smelt herself and winced.


    "Maybe we should take a bath before Elizabeth comes home."


    <hr>


    She stared down the demon in front of her for the last five minutes. Yet he made no attempt to throw the coin.


    ("Is he messing with me!?")


    His facial expression had not changed for the past few minutes. He looked her dead in the eyes. Then she noticed a change.


    The veins on his forehead were bulging. She was unsure of what this meant and jumped back to be safe. His gaze didn''t change. He was still staring at where Elizabeth formerly was.


    She was unsure what this meant and slowly walked up to him. He didn''t react. Her anxiety grew greater and greater as she approached him yet he did nothing. She felt like she was going to stop breathing as she approached him.


    Finally, she was now close enough that it would be considered intruding on his personal space.


    Yet nothing. She felt insane. She looked to Lily in the back as if to confirm she wasn''t the only one seeing this and Lily nodded as if to confirm what she was seeing. Why she didn''t slice his head off now, she had no idea but the first thing she did to him was touch his skin.


    It felt as though his muscles were tense. She touched another part. It felt the same. Finally, he showed a sign of movement. It was a cough. More accurately coughs. He fell to his knees coughing until he started coughing up his own dark and uniquely viscous blood.


    The amount of blood that came out was easily more than he shed in the fight. It felt almost insulting to Elizabeth. He then grabbed his chest and fell to the ground. He looked as though he was struggling to breathe.


    He tried his best to stand but kept falling back down. There was now a pool of his blood below his head and half his face had been dyed by it. He started flapping his wings but that just made him look like a struggling bird. Elizabeth slowly flipped him stomach side up with her leg and Saito attempted to grab her. This grab however seemed almost geriatric compared to what he was doing earlier.


    At this point, two other adventurers holding a wounded third between them approached along with Lily. Lily decided to ask the obvious question.


    "What happened to him?"


    Elizabeth tried to come up with a few hypotheses in her head but ended up with nothing. Eventually, the movement of his chest eventually stopped. She brought her head down to his chest and listened. His heart had stopped. His eyes started to slowly close and he reached to the sky.

 Chapter 56

    Let''s rewind back a few minutes to Saito''s perspective.


    He stood there unable to move and for the first time since his transformation, he was feeling fear. He wasn''t sure if it was due to his new body or a side effect of the powder itself but he wasn''t sweating.


    He didn''t know what was going on. He was guaranteed to kill this blonde warrior, go back home and be seen as a hero. What went wrong? Was he hit by some sort of illusion or body magic? No, they wouldn''t wait this long to bust that out. He wondered if the woman had done anything but she looked just as confused as him.


    His body was in agonizing pain. It felt as though he had blood replaced with molten steel. Yet he could do nothing about it. He couldn''t move any part of his, the pain resistance of this new body was doing nothing and each time he tried to use that new magic he gained, nothing happened. It was as if the last few minutes were a dream and reality decided it was time to throw the cold water on him. He soon started to cough up blood.


    ("Why is this happening? I was granted power by my God was I not? My lord provided me with power in a time of need, so why? I was to be a Saint of a God that had none, so why? Why did this have to happen?")


    An unnerving thought soon entered his head. He tried to bury it but it kept surfacing. He rejected it with all his might. He had to. If this thought was right then he had no hope.


    What if¡­


    ("STOP!!")


    This power¡­


    ("please")


    was an accident?


    He let it through. He was no special and unheard-of Saint in the cult. His lord didn''t save him. It was simply luck.


    After using the divine powder, one would be hit with a slew of generally unpleasant effects. It usually varied from person to person but overuse had a common side effect.


    Death


    Although this transformation wasn''t heard about there was probably a good reason. Either the powder killed them as soon as they used the whole pouch or it killed them before it could be reported to anyone. What probably happened was nothing more than an anomaly. He gained this new body but it didn''t change the fact he ingested (or accurately absorbed) a whole bag of powder that at minimum would serve him for two months. All it did was prolong his death.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He soon fell to his knees and cursed himself forever thinking he had gotten an easy way out of this. He fell to the floor and soon looked up to the sky. His vision darkened and he reached towards a strange light he saw in the darkness.


    The life known as Saito then left this world.


    The adventurers stood around him confused. They didn''t know the context behind it so they had no idea what had happened before them. However, this was no time to dilly dally and they got to work treating the wounded. What to do with the monster''s corpse and his paralyzed lackeys could come later.


    After around an hour Ezekiel regained consciousness. He jerked up and cautiously looked around. He saw Saito''s body and jumped back but the fact the monster was lying on the ground stopped him in his tracks. He then looked to Lily who was nearby and immediately asked


    "How!?"


    Lily looked him in the eyes and shrugged her shoulders.


    "You''re a bit late to the party," Elizabeth said while sitting near a tree.


    "You''re still alive after that!?"


    "Would you have preferred to have seen a makeshift grave nearby?"


    Ezekiel looked dazed and quickly responded.


    "No but," he paused for a second. "How are we alive?"


    Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. She then reached into a large pouch on her side.


    "We tested to see if his blood was poisoned by giving some to a nearby rabbit but it seemed like it gave it more energy. It tried its best to bite Lily''s finger off before we decided to kill it."


    Lily looked embarrassed when she said and turned her face away.


    She continued and held out her hand with the contents of her pouch "And all we found in his pockets were a few gold coins and this pouch. Although it''s strange now that I think that it doesn''t have any blood stains on it like the coins"


    Ezekiel walked over to her and examined the pouch himself. He looked inside and was surprised to see it empty.


    "There wasn''t anything already in this when you got it right?"


    Elizabeth found his question strange and responded "No, why?"


    Ezekiel had a look of relief on his face. Elizabeth was further confused by this.


    "See, the thing is, I got a friend in the capital and he told me about this. Didn''t think I''d see one here though."


    Elizabeth was looking at him for further explanation.


    "So basically, he saw one of these priest guys put some black powder in his mouth and managed to fight back and escape. They search for him and a few hours later they find him dead clutching his heart though it seems his lackeys took his goodies with them."


    He walked over to Saito and examined him.


    "So what exactly happened to him?"


    Elizabeth then explained the events that took place when he was unconscious.


    "Oh, so he probably overdosed or got hit with side effects."


    He then kicked the monster''s body.


    "Why couldn''t you have just fallen dead then and there when you took it, you bastard!"


    Elizabeth then spoke to him


    "Are seriously telling me this bastard just got lucky to have survived this long."


    He got one more kick in.


    "Basically. (well I''m not exactly sure but it seems like it)"


    An audible groan came from all the adventurers present.

 Chapter 57

    "Dead"


    "This one as well."


    The blonde woman poked the man on the ground with her only usable hand.


    "I''m not sensing a heartbeat for this one."


    The girl with the hoodie brought it down and clutched her head.


    "Are you kidding me!? Not a single one lived?"


    She ran towards the closely located Ezekiel and punched him in the side. He kneeled over slightly before trying to calm her down.


    "Hold on-"


    The girl didn''t care and cut him off.


    "You bastard, I thought you paralyzed them!" She shouted


    He put his hands forward as if to say "Calm down" and continued from where he was rudely cut off.


    "As I was trying to say, all I did was paralyze them, I don''t know why they''re dead."


    "You probably cut an artery or something!"


    "Oi, oi, don''t bad talk my precision. Some of them probably wouldn''t have lasted until we returned, but most of them should''ve at least stayed alive until tomorrow."


    They kept going back and forth until Elizabeth called to them.


    It seemed she had opened the corpse''s mouth.


    "Ugh, are you one of those people that collects someone''s teeth after you kill them? I''m not one to judge bu-"


    Lily elbowed him in his side.


    Elizabeth then pointed to his mouth.


    "Smell it."


    They gave her a few looks before she got tired of it and grabbed Ezekiel''s head and shoved it towards the mouth.


    "Is this some new fetish, sniff ugh what is that?"


    Ezekiel''s face slightly twisted when exposed to the smell.


    Lily became curious and gave it a smell as well. She quickly got up and moved a few paces away so she could breathe some fresh air.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever encountered a smell as uniquely horrible as that one." She said while ensuring she took deep breaths.


    A pungent and strongly acrid odour was coming from the dead man''s mouth.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She then pointed to another corpse.


    "Smell that one as well."


    "Do I have to?"


    Elizabeth then dragged him by his head over to it.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll do it so stop dragging my hair!"


    He then sniffed this one and noticed the awful smell coming from his mouth as well. Elizabeth then requested (threatened) him to do some of the others.


    "I see."


    Lily looked confused and Elizabeth decided to explain.


    "They''re all missing a tooth."


    Lily tilted her head at this and turned to Ezekiel.


    "Considering the awful smell, they either all ate something real nasty that also happened to make them lose exactly one tooth or they all had a fake tooth that contained some sort of poison."


    Lily then hit her open palm with a fist like a mallet with a gavel and mouthed an "Oh".


    "So they''re all useless." She responded.


    "Tch, tch, tch, Lily I''m sure it''ll be pretty useful to at least know the poison they use."


    "But if that''s the case we at most need to bring two back. The rest of them are useless."


    Ezekiel wanted to counter but couldn''t think of anything and instead approached her and gave her noogie.


    Elizabeth sighed at the sight.


    "I suppose it''s about time we left."


    Ezekiel continued to noogie his helpless guildmate and nodded his head in agreement.


    "By the way, who''s gonna have to carry that monster''s corpse back?"


    Both Lily and Elizabeth responded in unison.


    "You,"


    "You, dumbass."


    "Oh, come on can''t we play rock, paper, scissors for it?"


    Lily immediately responded "Not this time you bastard."


    He looked at everyone and all he received was cold stares.


    "Come on guys, I''m pretty sure this counts as mutiny."


    Two of the adventurers picked one of the corpses and moved along and everyone else followed.


    Elizabeth slowed down a bit to tell him something.


    "He''s all yours Mr. ''There aren''t any big shots''."


    She soon disappeared into the forest.


    Ezekiel groaned and quickly picked up Saito''s body.


    "WAIT FOR ME YOU BASTARDS!"


    <hr>


    Vanessa was passed out on Tibaut''s shoulder at the manor entrance and Tibaut looked like he was fighting sleep himself.


    He soon saw a wolf exiting the forest looking excited and barking towards the forest.


    He shook Vanessa but she wouldn''t budge. He moved her off his shoulder and she soon fell into his lap. This seemed to wake her as he immediately felt something bite him.


    "Ah, what the hell?"


    "Tch, I missed." She responded with an ominous comment and looked forward.


    "Seriously?"


    Tibaut himself looked forward and saw what she commented on.


    Elizabeth was walking back limply with one of her hands bandaged.


    Upon seeing this, Tibaut couldn''t help but unconsciously say "seriously?"


    Eventually, Elizabeth made it to the pair.


    "Did you get into a fistfight with a dragon?" Tibaut responded astonished.


    "Would you consider a demon higher or lower ranked than a dragon?"


    "I suppose it would take a demon to fight one," Vanessa commented.


    Elizabeth, imperceptibly fast, grabbed and pinched her cheek after this comment.


    While Vanessa writhed on the ground, Tibaut looked to be processing some thought in his head.


    ("So demons exist in this world, huh.")


    Although he was right, Elizabeth was simply referring to how Saito looked.


    "Anyway, it seems my current training isn''t enough," Elizabeth said while looking as if something was weighing on her mind.


    She grabbed Tibaut and pulled him up.


    "So I''ve decided we need to intensify our training."


    Tibaut had a look of horror on his face. Not because he was afraid of getting his ass kicked. What was this battered woman saying? In her current state, even Tibaut would be able to beat her without any shenanigans (at least, he believed so).


    He then got behind her and started pushing her.


    "Fight with that hand? Are you an idiot?" He sharply responded.


    Vanessa joined him and helped to push her inside.


    "Did you get your head hit too hard, Liz?"


    She protested but they were able to get her inside and brought her to her room.


    They held her by her hands and legs and threw her on the bed.


    "Get some rest."


    "You''re not enough of a monster to train like that."


    They then shut the door and quickly left.

 Chapter 58

    Tibaut leaned against the mop he was holding as he lost himself in thought.


    ("I''ve tried everything I can think of.")


    He then came to a conclusion.


    ("Ki is probably a scam. I mean, I haven''t heard of or seen anyone out here or throughout my travels who''s used anything like that.")


    He didn''t see any magicians during his travels either but that wouldn''t get in the way of his theory.


    ("I mean it''s probably just a different flavour of magic that people convinced themselves was different.")


    If any competent martial artist heard what he was saying he''d probably be forced to learn ki through it being used on his body.


    ("Alright let''s test me using mana instead with those techniques I saw.")


    He then put aside the broom and got into a fighting stance. Instead of listening to what that book was saying he was going to use his mana instead of trying to figure out this ki nonsense.


    He stood in silence for a few seconds tensing up his body and generating mana. He took a deep breath before letting loose his fist.


    *wosh*


    While it was a textbook punch it really wasn''t anything special.


    ("Okay, getting it on the first may have been a bit too presumptuous. However, this probably shouldn''t take too long.")


    *woosh*


    *wosh*


    *wooosh*


    *fwip* (he didn''t make a fist for that attempt.)


    *woosh*


    ¡­


    After thirty minutes or so of trying Tibaut quickly lost interest and was trying something else.


    He had both his hands clutched at his side and a fireball between them.


    "Ka"


    The ball got a bit denser when he said this and a smile formed on his face.


    "Me"


    It was now producing a high-pitched sound.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Ha"


    "What are you doing?"


    And just like that Tibaut quickly dissipated the magic and quickly grabbed his broom.


    "Uh, there was an odd smell so I decided to see if I could get rid of it with my magic. (I wonder if there are any holes nearby I can bury myself in.)" He said while trying to hide his blushed face.


    "But what about those punches you were doing earlier?"


    "(She''s been here that long!?) Uh, I just felt like doing some stretches. " He said while trying to maintain a normal expression.


    "Pft,"


    ("Did this bitch just laugh?")


    She then cleared her throat.


    "Well, it''s good to see you''re concerned about improving yourself," Elizabeth responded.


    He then looked down at her hand and grabbed it.


    "Why the hell did you take the gauze off?"


    "Because I don''t need it anymore."


    "Hmm, I guess it has been a few days but couldn''t you have kept it like that for longer? (After all, you were a pain in the ass when you were talking about how other adventurers don''t have a healer like you and I take it for granted yet here you are deciding you don''t wanna deal with pain and healing yourself.)"


    Tibaut forgot about the fact that Elizabeth lost this bandage in the same amount of time she had waited to heal him.


    She looked confused for a second by this comment.


    "Oh, I suppose I never told you or never listened."


    Tibaut wondered where she was going with this and she continued


    "I can''t heal myself."


    "Huh?"


    Tibaut looked as though he had just been told that the sky was in fact green and he had just been looking at it wrong.


    "What do you mean you can''t heal yourself, what about when we first met?"


    "Are you an idiot? That wasn''t my power and besides that wasn''t just healing that was resurrection."


    "Wait, you actually died!?"


    "Yes I did, did you think I was immortal?"


    Tibaut couldn''t hide his surprise. If what she was saying was true he had actually won in their first encounter, though that wasn''t important right now. What did she mean by ''wasn''t my power''? Did she know someone who could resurrect her without having to be anywhere near her?


    "Dead, dead?"


    "Yes, I truly died."


    "Like, you saw the afterlife?"


    "I suppose I did see a certain part of it."


    He was speechless, he couldn''t think of anything else to say. If someone reduced him to a black mass yet he was immortal he believed it was somewhat reasonable to punish them. However, if someone had killed and truly sent him to the afterlife he wasn''t sure he''d hold that same opinion.


    He then put his hands on her shoulder and started sweating.


    "Eli-, no Liz, we''re cool, right? You''re not planning on killing me when I achieve my dream or something to that effect right!?"


    He desperately pleaded while slightly shaking her.


    She brushed his hands off.


    "I can assure you that I would have killed you long ago if that was the case. A complex revenge is one thing but if you''re simply planning on killing someone, the sooner the better. I truly don''t understand why some would bother making a whole song and dance of it instead of getting it done with and moving on with their life."


    It was frightening how casually she said this. This both reassured and slightly unnerved Tibaut.


    With this revelation, he decided to quickly move on out of there, before he remembered something.


    "Wait a minute then why don''t you have the bandage on?"


    "Oh, I heal quicker than the average person."


    She lifted up her hand


    "This should be fully healed by the end of the weak."


    "Ah, is that so (I don''t know what to think anymore. Is she next gonna tell me she was the god that brought me to this world? An alien from another planet? A princess from another world? Honestly, she could add on anything at this point and I''d believe her.)".


    She then felt near her rib cage. Although she showed no reaction she could tell it wasn''t in the best shape.


    "Well, I guess we might have to wait longer than the end of the week to start back our training."


    ("Thank fuck")

 Chapter 59

    After seeing how bright the day was, Tibaut decided to have a little walk. With Elizabeth out of commission, he had more free time than he knew what to do with. And by little I mean he decided to explore the parish.


    "I already know about the town but surely there is stuff here other than that right?"


    While walking at a relaxed pace he also had another thought.


    "Also what the hell is this place called anyway? Elizabeth just says ''the parish'' so whenever I look at that map she has, I have no idea where we are."


    He could have just asked Elizabeth or anyone else but he wasn''t in a rush to know so that could wait. He soon reached a plain and continued walking. He soon noticed the grass changed colour a few hundred meters away. It was brown.


    Was that area devoid of water or did this world have some sort of brown grass? Vaguely curious he approached to see what it was. It was a field of wheat and it looked commercial in scale.


    "I suppose I did hear this place was big on farming."


    He then made sure to walk around the field and soon noticed a village nearby. While making his way there he felt something hit his feet. Although ''hit'' might have been generous. It felt more like someone knocking on his foot like a door. He looked down and saw the troublemaker.


    It was a rabbit. For some reason, this little guy had decided to test its might against Tibaut. He couldn''t help but giggle at this little creature''s effort. He then picked it up and got a closer look.


    "This really is just a regular bunny."


    While Tibaut had seen creatures unique to this world before, it shocked him even more when he saw animals that looked like they had been plucked directly from Earth in a world of magic.


    The bunny made no attempts to struggle and just moved his lips. Tibaut then placed back on the ground, gave it a pat on the head and shooed it.


    "If I remember, rabbits get easily stressed, so I''d probably accidentally kill the little guy if I made him my pet."


    He soon continued on his way.


    "What am I even gonna do when I go there? Are they alright with some random just showing up to their village? I mean, people here don''t seem unfriendly but that doesn''t mean everyone here is friendly."


    As was considering turning back around and going somewhere else he noticed something. A dead bunny. However, the fact it wasn''t bitten and instead had what looked to be two holes stabbed into it suggested the culprit.


    His expression straightened upon seeing this.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Tch, I guess people are gonna be bastards anywhere you go."


    He then noticed another and another and another and¡­


    "Holy shit, how many of these things are here and who the hell has a vendetta against rabbits?"


    When he approached the village he noticed a small pile of them at the entrance of the village. They all looked like they had been killed today.


    "Man, I do not like the vibes this place is giving off."


    Despite saying that he entered the village regardless. If they were a village that loved animal cruelty he would give them a word of his mind.


    Upon entering, someone quickly made their way over towards him.


    "I''ve said it once and I''ll say it again. If you bastards don''t knock this shi- who are you? Wait a minute." The villager said as he approached.


    He then moved his hands as if to call people and a bunch of other villagers soon appeared.


    Tibaut wasn''t sure what to think of this.


    "Um, what is this about?"


    Before he could even get his answer a bunch of children ran up while grabbing onto his clothes.


    "Can you show that fire?"


    "Are you stronger than Furor?"


    "Are Ms. Elizabeth''s boyfriend?"


    "Can you do what you did with that sword again? I''ll use this stick"


    Some of the children even had the audacity to start climbing him and sit on his shoulders.


    ("What the hell is going on?")


    He then looked beyond the children and noticed a small crowd that gathered. They seemed to be observing him as if he were a carnival attraction. The various smiles and looks of awe were overwhelming for someone who barely had any human for the past four years. After feeling a bit shy having this crowd watch him, he quickly (with the children still on him) made his way to the villager that caused the commotion.


    "Uh, excuse me but what''s going on?"


    "Sorry about this," said the man while smiling and rubbing the back of his head. "We don''t usually get to see one of you around, especially higher up like yourself."


    Looked even more confused by his explanation. What did he mean by one of you and higher up?


    "Higher up?"


    "Sorry, I''m not too familiar with adventurer lingo so I don''t know the proper term. But you must be something if you can fight with Ezekiel."


    "Ah."


    He finally got it. For some reason, the people here had assumed that he was similar in importance to Ezekiel. He felt like he''d be here all day if he tried to explain to them otherwise so he didn''t bother.


    "You guys were watching that?"


    He then heard a collection of "yeah"s follow after saying this.


    "Of course we would. Even if my wife were giving birth we''d still show up."


    ("Just how boring was life here?") Tibaut thought to himself.


    Tibaut then got back to the pertinent question.


    ("I kinda feel bad if talked down these people after this reaction but I better figure out what''s going.")


    "By the way, I noticed some dead rabbits outside. What''s that about?"


    As soon as he said he could feel the entire mood drop.


    The man he spoke to clicked his tongue.


    "Sorry about those little bastards getting harder and harder to dispose of."


    His face twisted in shock. They were unapologetic about this.


    "(What bastards.) Why are you killing them?"


    The villagers then had a realization and became flustered.


    "Wait, wait, oh you probably don''t know since you aren''t from here."


    ("How does he know that?")


    The villagers and a few others then grabbed his hands and dragged him outside.


    They soon made it to the field.


    One of them then kicked wheat and two rabbits popped out. Another one close by then stepped on them as they came out.


    Tibaut''s heart dropped when he saw this but the villager clarified.


    "I suppose since you''re not a farmer you would know but these little bastards are everywhere."


    He kicked another section and more appeared.


    Tibaut slowly opened his mouth and realized what was going on. These weren''t innocent little creatures. They were pests eating away at the livelihoods of these people.


    ("But still, this is a ridiculous amount of them. Isn''t this just from the field alone?")

 Chapter 60

    After being reminded of the amount of work they''d have to do after they saw the rabbits run away a few of the villagers gathered around the one that was speaking to Tibaut and gave him an idea. He looked a bit unsure after they suggested it to him but he went through with it anyway.


    "Say Mister you are like Ezekiel, right?"


    "(It''d be a pain in the ass to explain) Yeah, sure." he responded.


    The villager looked back to the others and they seemed to be nodding their heads.


    "So if you don''t mind me asking, would you mind clearing the field of rabbits for us today? It''s just today so you don''t have to worry about making this a habit, we''re just tired of having to go out and kill these things all day. We could really use a break."


    Tibaut thought about it for a second then snapped his head to face the man.


    "Just today? How often do you kill these little guys?"


    "About every two days."


    Tibaut then looked towards the pile at the entrance. He then started laughing awkwardly.


    "I mean it looks like you already got most of them, so I''m not sure how much help I''d be?"


    "You''d think, but from experience, that''s not even half of them."


    Tibaut then looked into the villager''s face in horror.


    "Every two days?"


    The villager nodded in response.


    "Every two days."


    ("I''d say this was a rabbit genocide but they''d have to be putting a dent in the population for it to even be called that.")


    Tibaut then took a brief sigh.


    "Why the hell are there so many?"


    "Well, we got a few ideas but it''s nothing for an adventurer like yourself to get involved in."


    Tibaut gave the man a puzzled stare before changing the question.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "So what''s the reward?"


    "Well you take as many rabbits as you want, and-"


    Tibaut then cut him off.


    "As many as I want?"


    "I-I suppose. Plus we''ll give you some-"


    "I''ll do it."


    Now this may seem odd but consider this. This was quite literally a treasure of free food. Although Tibaut didn''t care much for money, food was a different story. Although he tried to convince himself that food was food and he could subsist on hard tack for the rest of his life, he most certainly would not turn down food if it was free. Especially meat. The ideas were flowing to his head now he had somewhere to live, in addition to a kitchen. A cruel grin appeared on his face. It had been over three months since he had eaten some meat. He had to force himself to stop salivating at the idea of eating them.


    ("Today I''m gonna feast like a king. Fried rabbit, jerk rabbit, BBQ rabbit, stew rabbit, rabbit soup, rabbit meatballs and maybe if I can find some eggs I can make pasta with it, maybe some boiled rabbit for Lucky with the bones removed of course, I might even try to get a little inventive and try something crazy like pickled rabbit. And of course, since this time period doesn''t have refrigeration I can turn the excess into jerky which can either be eaten as is or in soups or stews. Ah, the possibilities are endless.")


    The look on his face was horrifying. He looked like he was plotting the murder of his greatest enemy.


    The villager he was talking to could feel his heartbeat increasing and almost felt stifled by the malevolent aura Tibaut was producing.


    ("Shit did I piss him off? He isn''t going to curse at me like that other one did!?")


    Tibaut''s expression then changed back to normal so fast it was a miracle none of the villagers got whiplash. He then moved two of the children that were sitting on his shoulder to the ground and asked the man a question.


    "Got a bag?"


    "Uh, sure."


    After a few minutes of waiting a massive bag was brought over and placed on the ground nearby him.


    Tibaut then cracked his knuckles while looking at the wheat field. Those who stayed behind to watch witnessed a legendary sight. They had seen the greed of a man who could take as much as he wanted. The cacophony of squeals that came from the fields would hold a permanent place in their minds for years to come.


    It soon became dark out and Tibaut held a bag that was larger in size than himself.


    ("I may have gone a bit too wild.") Thought the man whose rabbit-killing skills would put a group of hunting dogs to shame.


    He then visited the villagers to tell them he was leaving but they were able to give him a large amount of grain before he left.


    ("Thank God the way back to the mansion wasn''t too far. I can''t imagine I''d be too good walking around with raw meat for too long.") He thought as if most regular creatures were a threat to him. A bear might seem scary but when you could blow up said bear with your magic it was about as threatening as a chihuahua.


    ("Still this place looks like a treasure trove when it comes to meat, I might have to come here whenever I''m in the mood for fresh rabbit.") He thought as trudged home licking his lips.


    After coming home he brought the bag into the kitchen before the cold reality of the situation hit him.


    "Now that I really look at this, there are a lot of rabbits."


    He then began gutting and skinning one of the rabbits. It took him longer than he cared to admit and slightly worried him. He then looked towards the big pile of rabbits and realized at his current rate it would take him at least until morning to be finished.


    Realizing the herculean task he had given himself he softly muttered while his hands were placed on his cheeks


    "oh fuck."

 Memories of a Distant World 2

    Tibaut soon left the kitchen and went outside instead. With the number of rabbits he had, the kitchen would overflow with rabbit skin and rabbit guts within an hour.


    Yet what would he do with them once he finished cleaning up a rabbit?


    Litter of course.


    "Well, it''s not like I''m gathering up plastic and letting nature deal with it. Something''s bound to eat this stuff if I throw so many away." He said while trying to justify his crime.


    He then got to skinning and cleaning out the rabbits. He knew the smell of the internal organs rotting would be awful so each time he was finished he''d ball up the guts, using the skin to wrap them, then throw it as hard as he could towards the forest.


    "Geez, it''s been a while since I''ve properly cooked something."


    He then began reminiscing about his own past.


    <hr>


    It was dead of night. In fact, it was technically morning right now. What he was about couldn''t be done anytime other than these odd hours.


    He held his head down while sighing at the screen in front of him.


    "I can''t believe I bought this. I know it''s different compared to buying a regular game but why the hell did my bank call me when I bought it?" He said exasperated.


    In front of him was a new game that had come out. But not just any game.


    "Since I pirated the first few games before I had any money that belonged to me, I thought I''d just buy this new one to support the devs but man, buying porn never feels right."


    That''s right, he was playing an ero-game. And just any ero-game at that. From what he had seen online it was a masterpiece. Although no big-name publication worth its salt would ever review it, tons of (heavily censored) videos online reportedly said it could rival most big-name RPG series in terms of quality which made the sex scenes seem that much more impressive. Within the few days it was out it was regarded as one of the best experiences of all time (though, prudish people would have strongly disagreed).


    On his desk, besides his P.C. setup, was a bottle of lotion and a large box of towels. He then pulled down his pants and selected ''new game''.


    "If this game is as good as I heard, this might not be enough lotion."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The game started off strong with a scene between the main character and his childhood friend going at it.


    "Holy shit, this looks amazing!"


    He sat there stunned at the visuals for a second before doing what he was supposed to do when presented with a scene like this.


    Just as he put his hand on the key to happiness he heard something he didn''t notice before as the game''s audio had stopped due to him not advancing the dialogue.


    *ding*


    He nearly jumped out of his chair in shock.


    "Tsk, who the hell is there anyway." He said annoyed.


    He decided he would wait until this person left before continuing.


    That proved to be a mistake as for the next five minutes the doorbells ringing grew increasingly more frequent. He soon heard knocking on his door that quickly turned to banging.


    He quickly turned off his monitor and put his pants back on. Was he being robbed? He decided to look for something to defend himself before anything else. What good would calling the police do if he got shot or stabbed in the middle of it? He quickly went to the kitchen but he soon realized something. The knocking had stopped. He tried to rationalize it.


    "Fucking pranksters, they must have gotten tired."


    He then tried to calm himself by checking out through the view hole in his door. As he was walking there he realized something as soon as he stopped to look at a light switch. There were other footsteps present. Sweat quickly pooled on his forehead and he felt his legs become weak. He wondered why he hadn''t picked a knife from the kitchen but his thoughts soon stopped. The lights were off but he noticed a figure standing a few feet in front of him. His body was paralyzed by fear and screaming became a luxury his body could no longer give him.


    ("Oh, fuck, oh fuck oh fuck.") He thought of himself.


    The figure soon took off. It seemed they had no time for Miguel to interfere with them. Time in his head slowed down to a crawl. He was forced to see the figure get ever closer yet not move his body. He stopped breathing and accepted it. Besides they were just robbing him so killing him in cold blood would do them more harm than good if they were ever caught. So he decided to bet his life on them not killing him. That was all he could manage.


    He soon felt a fist plough into his chest and he was sent flying. He soon landed on the ground gasping for air.


    "You bastard, why the hell didn''t you open the door!?"


    His fear dissipated almost immediately upon hearing that voice. He then got back up and grabbed the culprit''s hair.


    "You asshole, who the hell visits someone at 12:30? How the hell did you even get here anyway?"


    She quickly bit his hand and he was forced to let go.


    "Grab my hair again and I''ll smoke in here. Besides, don''t you remember that time I said I was gonna copy your key?"


    "But I didn''t even give it to you yet."


    "I just took some photos of it."


    "..."


    Tibaut fell silent and realised he''d have to take care in the future to not have anyone else take a pic of his keys or at the minimum delete the photos she had.


    The woman standing in front of him was almost as tall as him. She wore a black hoodie with the name of a band neither of them knew along with a pair of baggy jeans. She had shoulder-length black hair that seemed somewhat messy though whether caused by Tibaut or its natural state was unknown. Her skin was pale which was surprising since she loved going out so much and she smelt of liquor.


    She was his ''friend'' Louise.

 Memories of a Distant World 3

    They sat in the living room with Tibaut looking quite annoyed.


    "Alright, so why the hell are you here?"


    Louise then got up and went through the front door she was previously banging on.


    "?"


    He wondered if she was leaving but she soon came back with some white plastic bags.


    "These."


    "Alright, what are they?"


    "Ingredients for pork cutlets."


    He squinted his eyes and looked at the bags. They were pretty big. Whatever she bought looked like enough to serve a family get-together.


    "Alright, maybe I wasn''t being clear enough so I''ll be more direct. Why the hell have you shown up at my house at past midnight with ingredients for tonkatsu? Are you gonna cook or something?"


    She placed the bags down at a nearby table and explained.


    "Yeah actually."


    "Huh?"


    "You don''t really come out much to buy food, so I thought I''d stock you up. Plus you like Japanese food right?"


    Miguel was struggling to find words. He always thought she was a cruel harpy who only showed up to his place to either cry, ask for money or annoy him but who knew she had a caring side? As he thought he remembered something. He quickly pulled out his phone and looked through his emails. There it was.


    "Stock up my ass, you used my card to buy that. Wait a minute, how the hell do you spend three hundred dollars on food, what did you buy? Diamond-encrusted pork?"


    "Alright the costs were more than I expected but trust me, I asked some guy at a restaurant about it and he said this was the good stuff."


    "When did you become friends with a chef?"


    "Oh, I didn''t, I just asked some chef at the Japanese restaurant I went to a few days ago. Man, their cutlets were amazing."


    "Ah,"


    What had happened soon became apparent to him. She had gotten some good food at a restaurant and wanted to try to make it herself. And she used his wallet to pay for it. He sighed and looked through the bags. There was a lot of pork, a lot of bread crumbs, a meat tenderizer that felt quite hefty and some other ingredients.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "sigh Whatever, I''ll put these in the fridge until you''re ready for them."


    "What do you mean? We''re making it now."


    "Now, I think my hearing might be going but did you just say "we''re"?" He asked while staring her down.


    Notice how he had no problem with her cooking this late at his place.


    "Yup, let''s get to the kitchen." She said as she picked up the bags. He begrudgingly followed her.


    The ingredients were laid out on a counter.


    "Alright chef, I''ll follow your lead." He said sarcastically.


    "Give me a moment, I''m looking for a recipe." She said while scrolling through her phone.


    He looked at her as if she was a piece of dogshit he stepped on.


    "You''re telling me you don''t even have a recipe on hand!?"


    She shushed him by waving her hand and kept scrolling. After a few minutes, her face lit up.


    "This one." She said while pointing the phone in Miguel''s face. Happy she finally found an ingredient he pulled out some pork.


    "Wha- why are these pork chops with the bone on?"


    "Oh, I was told they would work, we just have to cut the bones off."


    "But don''t you have other parts?"


    "Why does it matter, pork is pork isn''t it?"


    "Yeah but¡­ whatever I could use a midnight snack."


    Louise quickly started looking through his cupboards.


    "How many of these do I need to debone?" He asked with a knife in his hand.


    She looked preoccupied in thought for a moment before responding "12". That would be around six pork chops per person including rice and other sides. This would be quite a bit of food they would be making.


    "Alright." He responded.


    However, they both possessed stomachs that had never tasted defeat so this was no concern.


    When he finished with the pork chops he saw Louise filling a massive pot with oil, he couldn''t help but cringe.


    "(I''ve heard that it''s pretty sketchy to deep-fry indoors but it should be fine, right?) Hey, what the hell are you doing? We haven''t even finished breading the pork."


    "Stop complaining, it shouldn''t take more than five minutes."


    The breading, in fact, did not take five minutes. It took about fifteen with both of them working together.


    "Oi Miguel, you got a thermometer?"


    "If you drip a piece of breading in the oil and it starts sizzling then it''s good to use."


    She then quickly googled something.


    "Huh, it''s true. Are you training to be a house husband?"


    He gave her a quick pinch on the cheek before testing the oil. It was ready. With the amount of pieces they had ready, it took over an hour before they were done. Thankfully Miguel put some rice on the stove at the same time they started.


    While most of the country was getting a good night''s rest, they were gorging themselves on greasy foods and carbs instead.


    Louise was scarfing down her meal with soy sauce and a bunch of other Japanese condiments she bought while Miguel was going the extra mile to make tonkatsu sauce for his serving.


    "Man, this isn''t as good as that restaurant one."


    "Complain, and I''ll kick you out." He responded.


    They continued eating until she had a suggestion.


    "Hey, what do you say we go there together sometime."


    "W-well, I don''t have anything better to do so why not." He said while trying to hide some mild redness on his face.


    <hr>


    While gutting and skinning the rabbits Tibaut sighed as he put an end to his reminiscing. There was now a sizable pile of them by his feet on a sheet he was using to cover the ground beneath. He had a bitter smile on his face.


    "I hope she''s doing okay."

 Chapter 61

    A thick scent awoke Elizabeth from her sleep. She couldn''t tell what it was specifically but appeared to be something cooked. It honestly wasn''t unpleasant. Of all the ways she could be woken up this certainly would fall on the positive end of the spectrum. Though if the smell lingered for more than a day, she certainly would reconsider that position.


    "Wait a minute, we don''t even have any fresh meat."


    Her just woken-up brain left her susceptible to thoughts she wouldn''t normally have and it led to a ridiculous thought. She soon voiced what she had on her mind.


    "Wait a minute, I''ve heard people talk about how burning flesh smells similar to meat being cooked. What the hell''s going on out there?"


    She soon jumped out of her bed and quickly followed the smell while checking the doors as she went along.


    About halfway down the stairs, her brain started to shake off the sleepiness and she held her face in her hands at how stupid that thought was. She quickly looked around and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming no one could have been watching her.


    "I suppose since I''ve already gotten up I might as well check the smell."


    What could be producing this? She would bet all she owned that Vanessa hadn''t woken up yet and Merill wasn''t the type to cook. That left one option but she immediately wrote him off.


    "If he could, he would only eat hard-tack for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Would meat even be an option for him? He would probably complain about how he''d have to cook it and trade it for more of those bricks disguised as biscuits."


    Well, whatever the case she''d figure it out when she reached the source. Eventually, she made it to the kitchen and it was quite the sight. The place was littered with small bones. On closer inspection, it appeared they were all rabbit bones.


    That wasn''t all, there were also a few pots and pans scattered about that looked like they had been recently used. One seemed to have some charred bits on it and to her amazement one pot was completely filled with an oil of some kind. There was something crispy on a plate next to it. She first sniffed and decided to take a bite after not noticing the scent of charcoal.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "It''s rabbit meat."


    The identity of what was in the pot also became apparent to her as well. It was rabbit tallow.


    "But this doesn''t make any sense, how many rabbits would you have to render to get this much?"


    She looked around and found what looked to be a lot of leftover food. The things that stood out were a breaded ball that by its texture seemed to have been fried in the tallow and a few bowls of stew with rabbit and possibly hard-tack as the main ingredients with one half eaten.


    Moreover, she had a big question. Where was the culprit behind this? She noticed the door in the kitchen that led outside was slightly cracked open. She soon approached and found something she didn''t expect.


    It was Tibaut but his eyes were bloodshot and his stomach was bulging out more than usual. He looked like he was looking in mortal combat with drowsiness as the number of times he''d close his eyes while slowly drooping his head only to jerk his back up with his eyes open as wide as he could manage was staggering. But that was nothing compared to the contraption in front of him.


    He somehow had built a rack out of sticks that was about 5 layers with each stick holding tens of skinned rabbits. Below it was a massive flame producing a thick column of smoke the boy was monitoring. Soon he took them off and threw them to a pile.


    To her amazement, the pile of smoked rabbit almost reached his knee in height but when she turned to see the amount still raw she knew she had to get involved.


    "Wha-what is all this?"


    Tibaut just blankly stared at her as he continued his self-imposed trial. There wasn''t a single hint of life in his eyes. He truly had become nothing but a tool that smoked rabbit.


    Soon after seeing Elizabeth, Tibaut fell to the floor and passed out. He avoided the fire so at least he had that going for him.


    Elizabeth saw this and put her palm to her forehead.


    "Is this what he does when he''s by himself?"


    She then looked down at her (previously broken) hand and wondered about something.


    "I wonder if they''ve gotten rid of his body yet?"


    <hr>


    As usual, the building was empty and a thick layer of dust had built up on the furniture. The notice board was empty as ever and there were only three present. Unsurprisingly two of them were Ezekiel and Mr. Bentley. The third however was new. He was a man in a lab coat with a thick pair of glasses on. This was contrasted by his bright green hair and a burn that covered half his face.


    "Ha ha, hahaha hahaha."


    "Uh, you good?"


    The man paced around the room clapping his hands together and laughing before he responded.


    "Good? I''m feeling amazing, what the hell is that? Where do you pick it up? Did you find this for the adventurers'' encyclopedia, cause you over-delivered. I don''t know what the hell this is but I guarantee it''ll make waves."


    "I''m surprised you didn''t think it was a demon."


    The man pushed up his glasses.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, what kind of man do you take me for? What idiot would think this a demon."


    The reason why was so obvious he didn''t even feel the need to state it.

 Chapter 62

    The man in the lab coat was examining Saito''s body like a child admiring the gift he had begged his parents for all year. He moved the joints of the hands and examined the wounds he had. Or at least where they should have been. It seemed between his death and now, the wounds had fully healed. His body was in an amazing state all things considered.


    "Yo, Ezekiel." He said in a high tone that did not suit him.


    "Ugh, what?" He reluctantly responded.


    "How long have you had this body?"


    "About over a week, Why?"


    "Isn''t it amazing?"


    "?"


    "I mean just look at him," he said while pointing at the monster. "He''s a work of art. He''s been dead for over a week yet he hasn''t shown an inkling of decay. In fact, he hasn''t even shown any of the fluids in his body drying out either. It''s straight out of one of those stories where after a Saint dies their bodies don''t decay because of how holy they were."


    "I see." Ezekiel meekly responded.


    "Well isn''t that something!" Mr.Bentley said in the most monotone voice he could muster.


    "And you said a simple black powder was the cause of this?" The man in the lab coat fervently asked.


    "Yup, but I don''t have any samples."


    "Who cares when we have this before us!?" He said as he slapped the corpse''s chest. "Oh, man, I can''t take it, I''ll go get my scalpel, I have to see what his insides are like."


    "Cornelius I''d appreciate it if you didn''t, turn my workspace into an operating room, besides you said yourself he doesn''t rot so there''s no need to be in a hurry."


    The man with the green hair clicked his tongue.


    "Whatever, I''ll just take this body and go then."


    "Oi, wait a minute, what about the other body we brought?"


    "Oh that thing, there isn''t anything special. It seems to have been suicide by some inorganic poison."


    "Bu-"


    Cornelius then cut Ezekiel off.


    "Before you ask, the compounds used were pretty generic so no, we wouldn''t be able to track where they came other than saying they came from the western half of the continent. If you want to bother someone some more you can ask an alchemist since they like playing with metals and other things they find in the dirt."


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He then lifted up the body and reached into the pocket. He pulled out a hefty bag. He then handed it to Mr.Bentley.


    "You''ve given an amazing specimen, Branch Owner Bentley. If it makes it into the encyclopedia you can expect twice as much."


    "Hohoho is that so, then let''s hope for the best." He said while checking inside the bag. It was filled to the brim with gold.


    The green-haired man soon left and the sound of a carriage followed.


    "Those capital researchers sure are something. Why the hell do we even have a research organization anyway? Surely there are enough universities and cabals out there we can hand off the work to."


    Mr. Bentley yawned.


    "Well in their words, it is better to be self-sufficient where possible."


    "Yeah, but having guys like that technically be considered adventurers doesn''t feel right."


    "Enough of your nitpicking and help me decide how much of this we''re going to distribute out to the guilds that participated."


    They then proceeded upstairs to the old man''s office.


    <hr>


    Tibaut was in a living room on the first floor of the mansion resting. He immediately jerked up and looked around.


    "Oh shit the rabbits."


    As he was getting up he noticed someone else in the room. It was Elizabeth.


    "You truly are indecipherable."


    "?" He looked at her puzzled. "What are you doing here?" He asked.


    "Do you even know how you got in here?"


    He thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. Elizabeth shook her head in disappointment.


    "You may be the first person I''ve ever witnessed, no, you may be the first person on the continent to have fallen asleep preparing rabbits. (Is he perhaps related to some guardian angel of eccentricity?)"


    "Oh, I fell asleep."


    He looked outside and saw the sun was looking ready to set. He then looked anxious.


    "Wait a minute, how long have I been out Elizabeth!?" He asked as if his life depended on the answer.


    "About ten hours give or take."


    "Goddamn, what''d you do with all the rabbit meat?"


    "I stored some but got rid of most of it. There was no way you were preserving all of that."


    "Aahh" Tibaut then held his head looking like someone had shot him there. "Why would you do that? You could have at least cooked it all or given it to a nearby village or something useful."


    "Would you shut up? If you came back with that many rabbits, I don''t assume it would be hard for you to find that many again. And besides, who do you think had to clean up your mess in the kitchen?"


    "Don''t tell me you threw it all away?"


    "Of course not, it was my and Vanessa''s breakfast."


    "What did you do with the leftovers?"


    "What leftovers?"


    ("Why do I know so many people that could eat a whole turkey and ask for more!?")


    "Also what do you mean by store?"


    "Ohoho, I suppose someone behind the times as yourself wouldn''t know."


    ("What does that mean.")


    She then got up and urged him to follow her.


    They soon reached the kitchen. There she indicated a large chest of some kind.


    "You put it in a wooden chest?"


    "Don''t you dare call it a simple wooden chest!"


    "Alright, it''s a big wooden chest."


    "I suppose this truly is like presenting pearls to a swine. Not that you''d know of it, but this was made with a recent breakthrough in rune magic."


    "Okay, so what is it."


    "Would you please look inside."


    He looked inside and what was there truly messed with his sense of reality. He felt inside and confirmed what he was seeing had been real.


    Elizabeth then opened her mouth. "The man I bought it from said it was called a chiller."


    ("So it''s just a fridge¡­")

 Chapter 63

    "Wait a minute, why is this the first time you''re using it? You could have definitely put the fruit I''ve seen around here in it."


    "Why would I start using it for a couple of fruits?" she retorted as if it was common sense.


    "Why not, didn''t you say it uses some sort of magic?" He asked out of curiosity. "What''s wrong with just putting stuff in there? (I mean it''s not like it isn''t generating its own magic right? Though the thought of a company that provides magic to a home like electricity and having to pay a magic bill is surrealist enough that I wouldn''t mind it honestly.)" Said the man who couldn''t even think about paying bills.


    "Because it would be a waste of mana."


    He gave her a puzzled look before asking her to explain how it worked.


    "Simple, using the runes, if you provide it mana, the chiller will start producing ice magic."


    "I don''t see the problem." He responded.


    She then grabbed his hand and placed it on a rune on the outside of the chest.


    "Alright then, provide it some mana, in fact, try to fill it up."


    He shrugged his shoulders and then placed his hand on the chest. After putting his hand there he felt a weird sensation after he produced mana from his hand. After around fifteen minutes Tibaut stopped.


    "That should be enough right?"


    "It is¡­ for over an hour of cooling." she responded.


    "Eh, that''s it?"


    "Yup."


    He looked back to the chiller with shock.


    ("Are you kidding me? Over an hour for fifteen minutes of it gobbling my mana? Although I''m fine now if I did this for 30 more minutes I''d definitely feel a bit sore.")


    "Wait a minute, how does it work for people without magic?"


    "It doesn''t."


    "Are you sure we aren''t just doing something wrong with our mana?" Said Tibaut switching his train of thought.


    "All I was told was to give it my mana."


    "Really?" he responded and then looked at the chest with his hand on his chin in thought. "Oh yeah, didn''t you say it was made with some breakthrough? How much did you pay for it anyway?" He asked out of curiosity after accepting it was going to be a pain in the ass to use.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Elizabeth timidly looked away and placed one hand on her cheek. She then mumbled something under her breath.


    "Uh, I can''t hear you?" he said.


    She mumbled again but ever so slightly louder. He then got in front of her and asked her again.


    With nowhere to hide she changed her statement.


    "Well, it''s not really a cost, it''s more so me donating to its creators with the hope that someday they''ll make a better and more efficient version in the future, so really it''s not fair to judge by its price."


    "Alright then, how much did you donate for it?"


    She then started poking her index fingers into each other while looking down at her modest chest.


    "Well, if we go by this manor, then the chiller got about," she then softened her voice as much as she could muster "maybe, ? or ? of this mansion''s cost."


    Tibaut''s expression was blank. By his own estimates, if the mansion were made in his world this place would cost one million dollars at the minimum (though this value was pulled out of his ass). So at minimum that chest would have an approximate value of $250,000. Even though he could comprehend that amount of money due to his previous life''s inheritance, spending that kind of money on something other than a house seemed absurd.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Elizabeth said while avoiding eye contact.


    "If you have this kinda money, why don''t you buy better food or at the very least the amount of food that''d justify this thing." He reasoned.


    "Uh, I''ll keep that in mind." She meekly responded. She made sure to avoid talk of their dire finances at all costs.


    She then grabbed him and ran through the kitchen.


    "You know what, I''m feeling rusty so let''s train." She said after she reached outside. She then threw Tibaut ahead of her and rushed at him.


    "Woah, WAIT A MINNUUTE!!!"


    <hr>


    After recovering stamina from his beat down, he visited Vanessa''s at her basement. Immediately upon entering, something was thrown at his face. He barely managed to catch it and got a good look at it. It was a chest plate. A few other pieces followed which he thankfully managed to avoid.


    "My God, I''ve been finished with these for how long and you''re now just showing up. Did you forget this place existed?"


    Tibaut then remembered he hadn''t seen her for the past few days but chalked it up to her working hard.


    "It''s not my fault you haven''t left this place in a while."


    "I do leave this place."


    "At the times me and Elizabeth are walking around?"


    She then narrowed her eyes at him before walking over to him. Tibaut preemptively covered the weak point that most men possessed.


    ("Huh, I wonder if this would count as a pavlovian response.")


    Vanessa then looked up into Tibaut''s face.


    "So, have you decided on a weapon yet?"


    "Oh, that."


    "fym ''Oh, that''"


    "Don''t worry I''ve decided on something."


    Relief then quickly showed itself on her face and he told what it was. Relief soon turned to a look of annoyance.


    "Ugh, are you serious?"


    "Can you not make it?"


    "Of course I can make it, you idiot, it''s just gonna be a pain in the ass. Besides that''s not even a weapon."


    "I mean considering how I fight, I feel it would qualify."


    "Whatever, I had a sword prepared and everything but I guess I jumped the gun about you."


    "I mean swords are cool and all but I haven''t used one in forever. Wait a minute, why did you have one prepared?"


    "Don''t worry about that (tch, I wanted to surprise him when he asked for his weapon but who would have expected him to choose something like that). Anyway just try on the armour so I can see if I need to make adjustments."


    With a nod, he then tried on the amount he was given. While it was on the lighter side of things it certainly was better than nothing. Other than the chest plate, he had metal thigh and calf guards covering most of his legs in addition to shoulder and arm guards.


    He examined it and had a small smirk on his face.


    "This is pretty good." While checking the armour.


    "You''re damn right it''s good, who do you think made it?" She said with a proud smile on her face.

 Chapter 64

    As the time quickly crept to night, Tibaut was in his room inspecting his armour. He couldn''t help but smile at it each time he looked at it. He was like a child who had gotten a flagship smartphone for Christmas when they were expecting nothing.


    ("God, I wanna go on an adventure right to test it out, hell I''ll even settle for some training with Elizabeth to test it out.")


    Shockingly enough he did ask Elizabeth to help test it out but she waved him away and told him she''d do it tomorrow (coincidentally she was training when she told him to wait until tomorrow).


    He put on the armour again and looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn''t stop smiling and made various poses with it.


    "Who am I? Pft, you don''t even know that much? I am the eternal silver all blades will cross eventually, I am the flame that will consume all, I am the mighty Ignis." He said as he produced a flame behind himself during his monologue in the mirror.


    While his total age was over 40, there were just some things age wouldn''t change for him. And acting like a big shot in some battle manga was one of them.


    As he took off the armour and was preparing to go to sleep, a comment of Vanessa''s suddenly came back to him.


    "Oh yeah, this didn''t have a codpiece."


    While this wasn''t that big of a deal, he decided having some armour down there would be better than not having any.


    "I know she was probably saying that as a joke but I gotta at least see if she has any. It shouldn''t make too much of a difference to me, right?" he said as he decided to pay her a late-night visit.


    As soon as he approached the basement he could hear laughter coming from it.


    "I guess she and Elizabeth are shooting the shit."


    He continued on until he entered and saw who was making such a ruckus.


    It was Vanessa and that girl in the hoodie who had spoken to him one time. Her name was Lily¡­wasn''t it? Now that he thought about it, she was also the girl he saw who gave a letter to Vanessa with Ezekiel''s message that one time.


    In her hand was a metal cup and in Vanessa''s hand was a large bottle.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Upon meeting eyes with Vanessa she immediately put the bottle behind her while shifting her gaze.


    Tibaut wasn''t sure what that was about and asked her what he intended to.


    He turned to Lily and said "Excuse me." before turning to Vanessa.


    "Hey, Vanessa I thought you said you were gonna make a codpiece for my armour, where is it?"


    The girl with the hoodie laughed at this before Vanessa responded.


    "You idiot, did you really come down here for that?" she said while keeping her hands behind her.


    "(I know a codpiece covers my dick and all but is saying it really that funny?) I mean I''d prefer to have it than not but if you don''t have one I''ll just leave."


    Lily continued laughing and Vanessa responded.


    "By the way, I was just pouring her a drink."


    Tibaut raised an eyebrow when she said this and responded "Okay?"


    Lily was the one who decided to open her mouth this time.


    "Hehe, don''t act like you don''t finish bottles every now and again hag."


    Vanessa punched her shoulder but Lily didn''t seem to mind, in fact she was rolling around the ground with a smile on her blushed face.


    "Oh, you drink? I guess that''s not that surprising."


    "What do you mean by that?" she quickly responded but soon changed her tone of voice, "Wait you don''t mind?"


    "Huh? Why would I?"


    Tibaut was genuinely confused.


    Lily decided to chime in.


    "What do you mean why would you? She''s drunk, seems like a pervert and likes smithing in her forge. She''s basically a useless old man who likes to complain about the old days in a woman''s body. Though she''s not all that bad." She said with a blushed face while hugging Vanessa. Vanessa pushed her off and then started wringing her neck.


    "So?" He asked. "If her being a pervert wasn''t enough for me to dislike her, why would adding drinking be the breaking point?"


    "You don''t think I''m a loser who''s wasted most of my life?" Vanessa asked.


    "Why would I?" he asked confused.


    Vanessa always had a hard time making new friends who weren''t involved in a certain industry ever since her 25th birthday. Being seen as a pervert who drinks more than some sailors while being past that age always made people (whether knowingly or unknowingly) judge her. Most would see her and think "What good is keeping her company gonna be for me" and slowly distance themselves after a while. Even Elizabeth took a while to warm up to her. And she honestly didn''t blame them. If she met someone like her, she''d probably call them a bum behind their back as well. Although the attempt was somewhat undermined by trying to mess with him, she really did try to present herself differently to Tibaut. Instead of being the sad drunk who hung out at brothels and sometimes made okay metal works, to him she tried to be a playful beauty who was secretly a serious blacksmith. It was a small change but she believed it worked. But now she saw the truth. He didn''t care. He only saw her as his friend Vanessa. Not some drunk that you''d keep arm''s length away from.


    She soon dug through some stuff and found something. It was a codpiece. She walked over and handed it to him.


    "Thanks." He stated.


    "Don''t worry about it." she said as she avoided eye contact.


    He soon left.


    Lily, still on the ground, began laughing.


    "Hehehe, aren''t I a great wingwoman? You better make me your kid''s godmother hag."


    Vanessa turned to her and gave her the meanest look she could muster. Immediately after she began kicking her while she was still on the ground.

 Chapter 65

    ("Man the sky''s looking beautiful today.") Tibaut thought to himself.


    He saw what looked to be some bats-looking things flying through the air and wondered if they were just regular bats or something unique to this world. Elizabeth soon appeared in his vision.


    "So how was it?" She asked him.


    "(I think I was a bit too confident in this) I think I broke some ribs." He weakly muttered.


    He was currently in his new armour. On his chest plate was the vague outline of a fist made from blood.


    Elizabeth looked at her hand and clicked her tongue.


    "I didn''t even hit you that hard, why is it broken again?"


    In a move any sane person would question, Tibaut had asked her to punch him as hard as possible with the chestplate on. Unfortunately, he seemed to have forgotten the concept of blunt-force trauma. He coughed up a bit of blood before Elizabeth decided to heal him.


    "Well, I''m pretty sure you would have penetrated me if I wasn''t wearing this, so at least I''ve confirmed it doesn''t just look good."


    "Alright now, take it off."


    "Huh?" he asked her, tilting his head.


    "Have you ever seen me train with my armour on?"


    "Come on, I need this handicap!"


    She then tore his chest plate off (ripping the leather straps that held it in place) and looked him in the face.


    "Are you saying you want me to treat this like a real battle?"


    He quickly took the rest of his armour off like a seasoned courtesan and got into a fighting stance.


    "What are you talking about, let''s train!"


    While the wall between was still massive, Tibaut at least got comfortable with her movements to use his magic. And shockingly enough this made them equal in skill (at least when Elizabeth didn''t use her sword.)


    ("Huh, now that I think about it, the only reason I haven''t used my magic in any of the spars is because it didn''t work when she put that heavy plate on me. What kind of shitty teacher puts a student in a scenario where they can''t use one of their best tools?")


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    For the first time he could recall, this training session had left Elizabeth sweating. This didn''t mean he won but he felt satisfaction from it nonetheless.


    His lips formed a cruel smile and he optimistically imagined the future.


    ("Soon it''s going to be me delivering the ass whoopings you blonde asshole.")


    He was on the ground, bruised but not bad enough that he needed medical attention. Regardless, Elizabeth healed him and held out her hand to help him off the floor.


    "It''s nice to see you''re not totally hopeless."


    "Whatever, I''ll take the compliment." He said as he got up off the floor.


    "By the way"


    "?"


    "Since for the time being this cult business has been wrapped up, I''m going to request some work for us so be prepared for the future." She said as she tried to neaten her hair.


    "Finally we''re gonna actually do some adventuring." He said as he pumped his fist.


    "Well, optimism isn''t bad but try to think realistically so you aren''t caught off guard when the time comes."


    "I''m not sure anywhere would disappoint me more than this place." He said with a dead look in his eyes.


    "I know what you mean," she said with her eyes looking lifeless as well.


    They soon entered the mansion and were greeted by an unexpected guest or rather two.


    Ezekiel was leaving from the basement with a short girl with a hoodie held under his arm. She looked completely out of it and had to cover her mouth a few times when Ezekiel walked over to them.


    "Yo, it''s been a while since I''ve seen either of you." He then looked at Elizabeth''s arm.


    "I know you said you had a healing potion but are you sure you don''t want me to give you another one?"


    "I just injured it in some practice, it''s nothing to worry about."


    He shrugged his shoulders and turned to Tibaut.


    "You don''t mind me borrowing him, right Liz?"


    "Shouldn''t you ask him?" she responded.


    "It''s not like he''ll say no."


    Tibaut felt briefly offended. ("I know I''d say yes but at least ask me, you bastard!")


    "Alright, kid let''s head out to my place."


    <hr>


    After an hour or so of jogging, Ezekiel eventually slowed down. The area around his place seemed to be a forest as well but it was substantially less dense than the one around Elizabeth''s mansion. Even though they were a hundred or so meters away he could make out the silhouette and color of it.


    "So why''d you invite me out here anyway?" Tibaut asked as he looked at Lily flop each time Ezekiel took a step.


    "Eh, do I really need a reason to invite a friend over?"


    They continued walking until Tibaut got a clear view of his base. It seemed to be a two-story cabin. While it wasn''t as big as Elizabeth''s Mansion, it was still a decent amount of space¡ªmore than comfortable for five people living together.


    "Oh yeah, by the way, how many members does your guild have?"


    "Including me and this little runt," he said while pointing his other hand at Lily, "about four."


    "About four?"


    "I mean I do take in adventurers sometimes when they can''t make a living through what they make but I don''t have anyone there right now so it''s four."


    ("Ehhh, I never took him for the charitable type.") Tibaut thought to himself.


    Ezekiel then set Lily on her feet.


    "Come on, surely you should be good enough to walk by yourself at this point."


    In response, she stumbled to a nearby bush and vomited into it. After finishing she unsteadily walked up to Tibaut and mumbled "help me out here."


    Since they were just a few steps away he thought "Why not?" and gave her a piggyback ride back to the cabin.

 Chapter 66

    Ezekiel opened the door before saying "We''re here."


    Tibaut entered with Lily still on his back and looked around the place.


    "Huh, how cosy looking."


    As soon as he entered he noticed a fireplace and a huge carpet laid out. He walked over to a nearby couch and gently placed Lily down. After putting her down he noticed two other figures in the room sitting on chairs. Both were women.


    ("Huh, living in a cabin in the woods with three women, honestly I''m not that surprised.")


    Ezekiel glared at him and said "They''re like little sisters to me, so I''m going to have to ask you to change that expression."


    "(How''d he know?) Come on, I wouldn''t assume anything like that. You''re a respectable guy."


    One of the girls sitting nearby giggled when he said that last sentence.


    "By the way, older brother?" he asked.


    By his estimates, one of the women there at least looked like she was in her mid-twenties. He was certain Ezekiel was older than him but he was certain he couldn''t be more than 25.


    "Aw, you''re gonna make me blush." He said in a dreadful (for Tibaut anyway) voice. "Sorry sweetie, but I''m 31 and by the way, Tina might look old but she''s the youngest one here. She''s about the same age as Elizabeth."


    Before he could notice her a woman a few inches taller than him tapped him on his back. He turned around and saw her staring at him with her face pouting. Her hair was pink and almost reached below her torso. Not red nor orange, an almost bubblegum pink. In terms of skin tone, she was noticeably tan but nowhere near as dark as Vanessa. She had blue eyes that were quite pretty looking if she wasn''t glaring at Tibaut. She was wearing a shirt and pants combo that was quite drab in colour. The chest area of the shirt seemed to be especially tight.


    "Did you call me old?" She asked with a hint of animosity in her voice.


    "No?" he responded confused.


    Thanks to his everyday encounters with Elizabeth, he could deal with the hostility of most people who weren''t her quite easily.


    She stared at him down but Tibaut stood there puzzled as to why she was looking at him for so long.


    "What, is there something in my teeth?" He said before feeling around in his mouth using his tongue.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    He turned around back to Ezekiel and could hear someone click their tongue. She continued glaring at him (to his ignorance) before eventually going back to her seat. He heard a snick then a yelp of pain.


    "Well, uh, you seem to have some characters here (I wonder if she was a kuudere type of girl). Anyway, you''re 31?" Tibaut asked.


    "I know first-hand how much of a struggle these girls are, so you''re not wrong." He felt two gazes turn his way but continued "But is it really that surprising I''m 31?"


    "I suppose, you just don''t carry yourself like someone that old I guess." He responded.


    "What does that mean?"


    "You''re immature."


    "You''re immature."


    "You''re immature." responded each of the three girls present.


    Ezekiel ignored them and brought over two chairs.


    "Anyway, let''s talk."


    "About what?"


    "You know¡­"


    They had a conversation that spanned over an hour before Tibaut asked about a specific topic.


    "Man, that sounded crazy. Your parents let you do that?"


    "Well, the old man always said as long as I came back alive without a bounty on my head it was alright."


    "Oh, old man," said Tibaut, looking as if he had just walked into a wake.


    Ezekiel tapped him on his shoulders and reassured him. "Don''t worry about it, my birth parents have been dead for so long I can barely remember their faces."


    "Huh? Is that really a good thing?" He asked while looking offended. "Do you really want to forget about them!?" Tibaut asked while raising his voice.


    The mood shifted and two of the girls sensed it as they looked at him. He sensed their gazes and turned to them while awkwardly waving. He turned back to Ezekiel and wimpily muttered "sorry about that.


    "No, I suppose for someone with normal parents it''d be unthinkable to causally say you''d forget your parents. Though I heard my dad was the bastard that caused their deaths in the first place so I''d be lying if I felt any sympathy for him."


    Tibaut''s face looked disgruntled but he let him continue.


    "Anyway I guess that would be a story for another time but at the end of it Mr.Bentley came by after the aftermath and decided to take care of me."


    "I mean I have time," Tibaut responded.


    "Look at you, you must be the studious type."


    "(I wish) Nah, I''m just interested in what happened." Was it morbid curiosity or was he curious to see if this situation was similar to his own?


    "Well, I''m not sure the details are super accurate since''s based on what I saw and heard plus what the old man saw at the time when he was surveying the aftermath but here goes."


    <hr>


    A young boy with brown hair was playing with his mother in his bedroom. It was quite large as they came from a family of nobles. The family they came from had enough power, where an audience with the king, was a simple matter. Yet that didn''t matter in this room. It was just a simple mother and son playing together.


    "Huff, huff, Ezekiel you''re getting quite energetic lately."


    The young boy looked at his out-breath mother and asked "what''s energetic?"


    "Ask one of the maids to define it for you when you go to the library." She told him as she approached and then laid down on her bed.


    "Okay." the carefree boy responded. He immediately went onto the bed himself and landed on his mother. She didn''t seem to mind as she started stroking his hair.


    The door soon opened and a man came inside.


    "Now isn''t this a picturesque scene, hold on dear I''ll get one of the maids to capture this scene."


    "Shut up and play with your son. He is becoming too much of a handful for me."


    "I''d much rather play with you dear?."


    "Mommy, do you two play together?"


    "Ugh, this isn''t the time dear." She said while stretching her son''s little cheeks in an attempt to distract him.


    Suddenly they heard various footsteps approaching and then almost frantic-sounding calls were heard.


    "My lord are you there!?"

 Chapter 67

    The woman looked to her husband with concern but he had no such thing on his own face.


    He waved his hand at her and told her "I''m sure it''s nothing." He opened the door and closed it behind before talking to his men in the corridor.


    He had a stern look on his face when he turned to them and asked "So why have all of you come so near to my quarters this late at night." It was a group of six men wearing armour and the one standing at the front kneeled down and addressed him.


    "Well you see my lord, we weren''t sure how to handl-"


    The owner of the property put his hand on the kneeling man''s shoulder and crouched down to his subordinate''s level.


    "I don''t have all night so get on with it already."


    The other looked nervous and the man he was speaking to nervously obliged.


    "Well," the man made sure to lower his voice and started to whisper, "it appears the palace has sent someone here."


    The lord stood and began stroking his beard after hearing this.


    "Are you positive?" He calmly asked.


    "Yes, sir, they even had a sealed letter that had the crest of the royal family."


    "Tch, what''s this about?"


    It didn''t take an expert who dealt with the high class to feel that something was off. It was almost bizarre to have someone on behalf of the royal family come at these times, much less without even sending a letter to notify him about it. Nevertheless, he followed his men to the entrance where his guest was waiting.


    There he encountered quite the sight. They were wearing spotless white armour but that wasn''t the noteworthy part. The armour (and presumably the person inside) was massive.


    They would have to duck down if they wanted to enter through the front door.


    The armour also seemed to have a space in the chest area, so was this armoured behemoth a woman?


    She also appeared to have a massive sword on her back that had no hilt. Stranger than that was the fact that the helmet hiding their face had two giant horns on it. The noble could now see why his men seemed so nervous when they appeared before him.


    He cleared his throat and greeted her.


    "Good night, I couldn''t help but notice you have-" he was cut by a muffled and monotone voice.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Are you Elijah Prescott?"


    The man felt a vein in his forehead bulge but decided not to escalate the situation. While gritting his teeth he responded "Yes, I am, though I wonde-"


    He was cut off by the giant woman but not through her voice. She attempted to grab him but he barely managed to back away.


    "What the hell are you doing?" The noble shouted before his men stood between him and the white knight. I would say the white knight looked to them without a change in expression but her helmet and the armour as a whole hid any emotion away from the rest of the world but herself.


    "The order I have been given is simple. You are to be executed. Those of you present who wish to leave will be spared as long" Before she could finish she was hit by a large piece of ice. If the ice hadn''t shattered, however, no one there would been able to believe it was ice instead of styrofoam as she had no reaction to it.


    She looked down and brushed off the chips of ice on her but another one of the guards charged at her in an attempt to push her outside. It did nothing. He would have had a better chance of pushing a brick than her. She looked at him trying to push her and tilted her head. She began talking again. "As I was trying to say earl-" Soon after a barrage of different types of magic was sent her way.


    "Did we get her?" One man openly stated.


    There was thick dust covering the entranceway that restricted their vision. After a few seconds, the dust faded and she was standing there looking almost untouched. Leaning against her was the mangled corpse of the man who charged her.


    She pulled the sword off her back and muttered under her breath "I see." When she took her first step the man''s corpse fell to the ground. The other men present looked on in shock.


    Ezekiel''s father then opened his hands and pointed them towards the white pillar of a woman who was approaching them. Soon she heard creaking sounds under her feet and stopped. He began slowly moving her foot up and down.


    "Get her already! While she''s still slowed down!" Elijah shouted to his subordinates.


    The men seemed to have forgotten they were in battle as the words they heard took a few moments to click in their heads.


    They soon began running at her as they realised this may have been their only chance of victory.


    ("So that''s our lord''s gravity magic!") one thought to themselves.


    ("With this, we actually might win without any more casualties.")


    Their impromptu plan was simple. They''d use the opportunity given by Elijah to attack in between the chinks in her. If she broke free, at the minimum she would still be injured.


    Soon one had gotten close enough to stab his sword. Before the sword could reach, the guard soon noticed something.


    He had been sent back behind his comrades. No that wasn''t accurate, he noticed he was in the air as well.


    Did she get him with some unseen magic? Then he saw it and realised what had happened. His body was still standing in front of her but it was missing something crucial.


    His head.


    The head soon landed at Elijah''s feet and he bit on his lip in an attempt to stop himself from screaming. To everyone else what had happened was obvious.


    She swung her sword. The worrying thing about it though was the fact her movement didn''t seem to slow down in the slightest.


    Another one, angered by his comrade''s death, aimed for an eye hole in the armour. She didn''t even bother using her sword this time and simply slapped him across the face.


    He hit a wall and limply fell to the ground. Those observing knew he was slapped but his face told a different story. It looked as though it had been hit by a sledgehammer.


    Half his face was unrecognizable. Each footstep she made left a crater on the wooden floor so it was obvious she was being affected by the magic. Yet she seemed totally unimpeded. It was no more effective on her than using a feather to weigh her down.

 Chapter 68

    Due to the commotion caused by their attack, a few guards rushed over to the entrance. They saw the damaged entrance along with the bodies of their comrades. Seeing the white titan they immediately threw themselves towards her. Meanwhile, Elijah managed to slip away when this happened.


    He was now upstairs and leaning against a nearby wall. He punched the wall in anger.


    "SHIT!" He shouted, "How did he find out?"


    Although none of his men would have known, there was a legitimate reason why the king would send someone to kill him. He thought he did his due diligence and erased all traces yet he still found out. Elijah was a part of a faction that had seen the current king as weak and along with others, entertained the thought of overthrowing him. Well not really a part, he moreso gave them money, and watched to see what they would do with it.


    This group took various actions to delegitimize the king, some good such as exposing corrupt officials that worked under him and some more unsavoury like massacring villages and blaming it on corrupt nobles he let go rampant.


    The king, much to their detriment, proved to be more than they could handle as it only took a few weeks for the organization to be dismantled. Given that Elijah made sure for them not to keep records of his donations, he thought he was in the clear. Today unfortunately showed him otherwise.


    ("The hell do I do? I frequent the palace often and I''ve never seen that monster before?")


    As his mind was in full throttle searching for an answer it was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. With each step, he could hear the wood barely holding together. Against his better judgment, he looked down the stairs and was slammed into the wall. He looked in front of him and saw it was one of the guards that had tackled him to the wall.


    ("What is this idiot thinking, tch.")


    He thought so at least until he got a proper look at him. He had a hole in his chest that looked like he had just been hit by a cannonball. His face paled and he desperately pushed him off. At the top of the stairs, the white titan stood like a statue.


    "For committing treason, Elijah Prescott has been sentenced to execution." She said in a cold voice.


    The man used his magic again but it did nothing to stop her approach. She was now a few steps away and due to her body size, she''d probably be able to grab him if he tried to run away. He was finished. She took one more step and then something not even he could predict happened. She fell through the floor. Was her weight plus his gravity too much for the floor to handle? Je didn''t believe so, as he was certain his upstairs could handle even an elephant. Then what happened?


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Who the hell was that?"


    That voice answered his question. It was his wife. She appeared to have used her own magic. She ran over and helped to pick him off the ground.


    "What the hell are you still doing here? Take Ezekiel and get out of here!" he shouted at her.


    "And let you die? Besides, that should slow them down for the time being so we can probabl-" Before she could even finish a figure jumped from the hole. Not even thirty seconds had passed before she returned. She smacked his wife to the side like a mosquito and stabbed him with her oversized sword.


    "AAaaaAh" He screamed in agony for a few seconds as the white monster watched. As she was about to pull the sword out of him she looked down and saw his wife crawling towards them.


    The pain was unbearable but still tried using whatever energy he had left to say something. "S-stay¡­b-ba-back."


    She paid no heed to this and continued forward. Then in a deceptively quick motion, she reached her hand into an opening in the armour''s leg.


    The leg came off. The husband and wife were actually the ones shocked. Not because of the magic but because of the fact it actually worked.


    Elijah''s wife had a simple magic. It decayed organic matter. That was how she was able to break the wooden floor earlier. The problem with it however is that it barely affects anything that has mana. Which meant it was worthless against other magic users. Yet her leg came off. Was this monster not using magic? Was this all pure strength? Or was she using the Eastern art of ki?


    Whatever the answer was it didn''t matter as a smile grew on the crawling woman''s face.


    ("It worked, we can win this")


    A crunching sound soon followed. Elijah looked down on the ground and saw what was once his wife''s head crushed under the titan''s remaining leg. There was no panic, no fear, and not even a hint of hesitation. She did it as naturally as someone crushing a mosquito.


    Tears started flowing from Elijah''s eyes and for a brief moment, all his pain ceased.


    "O-OLIVIA!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. He grabbed the sword in his chest and desperately tried to pull it. Now that he grabbed it himself, he was convinced it might have weighed as much as him. The white knight seemed unconcerned and picked up her own leg before attaching it back to herself.


    "You bitch, you killed her. I''ll cut your head and use it as a lavatory. Get over here, I''ll kill you overgrown whore!"


    "Mommy?"


    He looked in the direction of the voice and felt he had truly been sent into a nightmare. It was his son Ezekiel. He slowly walked over to his mother''s body and slowly dragged on her nightgown with a vacant look in his eyes. The knight removed her foot and the boy fell to his knees and vomited at the sight.


    Elijah struggled even more trying to get the sword out of him but it was useless. It wouldn''t budge. Even if he did manage to get it out, it would probably slice the part of his body below the sword in half. He gave up and tried a different avenue. He used his magic on the knight again.


    "Don''t you touch him you bitch!"


    She looked unconcerned and slowly made her way towards him.


    "Why would I?"


    "Huh?"


    "My only orders were to kill you and anyone who resisted."


    "Huh?"


    She then pulled the sword out of him with ease and cut him in half. The top half of his body tried its best to grab her leg. His eyes were filled with tears. He had one final thing to say.


    "Please take him, he has nothing to with this. He at least deserves to have a good life." He said as a final plea.


    "I don''t think I''m allowed to," she coldly responded while looking down at him. She said it as if she talking about how she wasn''t allowed to have a dog in her apartment.


    The sound of something else being crushed rang through the night.

 Chapter 69

    Let''s rewind back a few days.


    After an ass whooping from Elizabeth, Tibaut was having a proper night''s sleep.


    "She should really learn how to go easy on a guy." He said as he stared at his ceiling.


    "Maybe you should learn to improve instead of complaining."


    Tibaut fell out of his bed in surprise and looked towards the voice. Elizabeth was crossing her arms while leaning against the door frame.


    "Wha- why are you here?"


    "For training of course."


    Tibaut felt like he wanted to scream. What cruel force brought this tragedy upon him? He looked towards the window as a route of escape but before he could do so she grabbed him.


    "Sigh, this is for your own good." She stated.


    "Bullshit it is, we already did training!"


    "So?" She responded "With how weak you are training 24 hours a day wouldn''t be enough to get you into shape. But don''t worry my healer friend also knows a bit of time magic so we''ll be able to train for 72 hours a day now."


    Tibaut looked as if he had just been told a bomb was planted in his chest.


    He begged as desperately as he could.


    "No, no, no come on this is unreasonable, I train enough as is. Can''t we use this to make my regular training more efficient? Think about it, if I train for two days there it''s essentially a regular week of training right? And it''d be pretty fair to get the rest of the week off right?"


    "Nope, the only free days you''re getting are the weekends and even then I''m considering getting rid of them," she coldly replied.


    He started holding his head in agony.


    "Oh come on, are you really gonn-" Before he continued he noticed something odd about a book on his desk. He couldn''t read the text on it. He knew it was the ''Fundamentals of Defensive Magic'' book he had been ignoring ever since he got it. But the fact still remained that he couldn''t read the title.


    "hehe" a smile crawled across. "Hahahahahaha" He spread his arms open laughing.


    Here''s a hint of why he was laughing. There are two common ways of figuring out you''re dreaming, either you look at a clock or more commonly you try some text. If the text is unintelligible garbage, congratulations you''re in a dream.


    "How many years have I waited for this?" he said as he looked around the room.


    He had tried all sorts of methods of inducing one in his previous life yet it never seemed to happen.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "The gods must be smiling upon me today." He said in a gleeful voice.


    "What are you so cheery about?" The other person in the room asked.


    He turned to Elizabeth and decided to test if he truly was in a lucid dream.


    He walked up to her and in one swift motion tore all her clothes off.


    She looked unperturbed and continued staring at him. That nude body he had seen in an accident once before was now in front of him. While in reality there were multiple details this body was possibly missing in comparison to the original, he couldn''t care less. He was going to savour this for all it was worth.


    After getting a healthy look at the untanned part of her body, he approached her while squeezing his hands


    "Hey Liz, you don''t mind right."


    She looked at him puzzled and she didn''t respond.


    "Well, it''s not like this real anyway, though it wouldn''t be pretty if the real one found out about this."


    He then took a squeeze of one of her breasts. The soft stimuli his brain provided dazed him for a second. He immediately threw away his self-restraint and started playing with both her breasts.


    "I know this isn''t real but my happiness sure is."


    This Elizabeth didn''t seem that bothered by this as she kept her gaze on him without a hint of emotion. Before he proceeded he clapped his hands together and went back into his old body with a puff of smoke.


    "Well, this body''s never gonna get any action so I might as well give it a proper send-off." He said to himself. As the smoke faded it revealed he had no clothes on.


    He picked her up and placed her on his bed. He admired her body for a few more moments before finally deciding to do what he never had a chance to while his name was still Miguel.


    Have sex.


    He put it in with the force of a jackhammer and managed to make his movements progressively stronger and faster. He had to praise his dream for its realism as with each thrust soft parts of her including her breasts jiggled. His little warrior felt like it was going to explode at the sight of this. He even got so excited he put one of her breasts in his mouth. Soon he couldn''t take it anymore and released his white magma inside of her. He collapsed on her and she started straddling him.


    "Satisfied?" She asked.


    "More, more, more." He responded out of breath.


    "Hell yeah," one voice responded.


    "I suppose I can help the young master." Another voice added.


    When he looked to the side of his bed he saw Vanessa and his old maid, Cillia both of which were entirely naked.


    ("Oh yeah, I took a bath with Cillia when I was younger. Man who knew seeing her nude back then would have been so helpful imagining her nude now.")


    His old maid and Vanessa went onto Tibaut''s bed (which he decided to increase the size of for this dream) and got to work. He tried every move and position from every piece of erotic media he could remember.


    It was a paradise of pleasure and he was making the most of it. He stuck fingers in various holes of theirs and he did the same with his reproductive wand as well. He made extra sure he put it in between Vanessa''s chest as he thought he would have been a fool not to.


    He even decided to multiply his Excalibur so he could pleasure them all at once. By the end of it, they were all left face down, ass up absolutely, drenched in his titanium white. Just as he was about to go in for round 2 he heard a voice.


    "Aren''t you having fun?" A nostalgic voice said to him.


    It was Louise (in regular clothing).


    Tibaut stopped what he was doing and walked towards her. His face stiffened as he looked at her. He tried to say something but his voice wouldn''t come out.


    "I''m glad to see you''re doing well," she said before giving him a hug.


    Ah, how long had it been since he''d seen her?


    Before he could embrace her back she disappeared.


    The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes to sunlight. He felt something irritating his face and realized they were tears.


    "W-what a weird dream," he said as he wiped his face.


    Then something else caught his attention. His underwear was feeling unnaturally sticky.


    "Ugh, seriously!?"


    Unfortunately for Tibaut, all his unloading had a real-world consequence.

 Chapter 70

    Back to Ezekiel''s story.


    "Tch, why the hell was I even sent out here anyway? A disaster? How the hell am I supposed to know what to do if you don''t tell me what happened specifically?"


    Walking on the dirt road was a man with orange hair on his way towards a certain mansion. He was going there based on the instructions of one of his friends.


    "He didn''t even sign any paperwork, this better be an official commission or I''m gonna kick his ass when I see him again."


    He had been recently told by a friend of his about a disaster that had happened that he would like him to check out since he lived close to it. What disaster you might ask? He didn''t specify.


    After taking his time walking up the road he approached the gated estate.


    "Is this really the place?"


    From what he was seeing, the estate was in top shape. There wasn''t a sign of any damages or fires anywhere.


    ("Does he take me for a joke?") He wondered.


    Though now that he thought about it was strange that didn''t see anyone around. There was no one at the gate either. Were the guards taking a break? It''d make sense given the time he arrived.


    "Whatever I''ll just tell him I didn''t see anything out of the ordinary." He said to himself.


    Just as he was about to leave he noticed someone with bloodstains on them running to the gate. They appeared to be wearing a maid''s uniform.


    When they saw him, they turned around and ran back to the estate.


    "Oi, wait a minute, who are you!?" he shouted to them. He didn''t get a response.


    He saw her running away and clicked his tongue. He decided to give chase.


    ("That bastard better give extra for this") He thought to himself as he climbed the fence. As he entered, the eerieness of this place started to sink in. There was no noise being made. Even in a place half this size there would be some noticeable noise. As he began to go in the direction of the figure he noticed the size of some footsteps. It sounded like some sort of golem was walking around.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ("Shit, I am going to have to deal with one of those?") He thought to himself.


    The source of the sound soon made itself apparent. It was a giant knight in white walking around with a giant sword nearly the size of him. From the design of the armour, they appeared to be a woman.


    From the first sight of her, he readied himself. He didn''t know what she was but he knew she was bad news. He quickly pulled out his sword and waited for her first move. She kept walking and walking until she got to what he regarded as close enough. After deciding to swing his sword he noticed it hit nothing but air. He wondered what happened but soon saw his answer. She had walked past him. He knew he didn''t put much effort behind it so he could easily back away but this felt kind of embarrassing.


    He assumed she would stop once she got close to him but that wasn''t the case.


    He wasn''t even on her radar. She looked back at him while tilting her head, before continuing on. After a few more heavy steps, he noticed the sound of the steps vanish.


    "Who the hell was that?" He said to himself while wiping some sweat off his forehead. He placed his sword back on his back and decided to explore the manor, mostly because he didn''t like the idea of running into her while outside.


    After walking near to the main building he noticed the outside was littered with bodies. Some of them were crushed and others were sliced in half.


    "Good God, did she do all this?" He spoke aloud. On further thought maybe his sword missing her was a good thing. He soon noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. It was maid-stained with blood running away.


    "Hey, wait a minute." He said as he chased after her. As soon as she heard his voice she tripped on her skirt. She turned to him with tears in her eyes.


    "Please don''t kill me!" She begged.


    The adventurer slowed down and walked towards her.


    "Hold on, I''m just hear to talk,"


    "Get away, NO!" She shouted.


    She then began desperately crawling away while still on the ground.


    He stopped in his tracks and gave her a glance. She looked like a bunny dropped in front of a wolf.


    ("I don''t think I''m gonna get anything out of her")


    He then turned back around and decided to explore the building he saw most of the bodies strewn around. As soon as he entered the mansion it was more of the same. Bodies were strewn haphazardly about with some of them looking to be alive but unconscious. The only reason he could tell some of them were alive was due to their breathing.


    "Tch, I don''t have first aid on me," he mumbled to himself. He continued exploring in hopes of finding anything he could use to treat the injured until he reached upstairs.


    Up there he saw the body that had probably gotten it the worst. It was cut in half and had its head squashed.


    What disturbed him the most was a child who appeared to be trying to put the body back together. He had placed the top and bottom half together and had his hands in the puddle of bone fragments, squashed brain and blood that was formerly head.


    There was another body beside the child that appeared to have its head crushed as well. It appeared to be a woman''s. The child had a vacant expression in his eyes as he tried to ''fix'' his father. The man approached the child in an attempt to get his attention but nothing seemed to change that child''s target.


    "How awful."

 Chapter 71

    "And then after that, he decided to take care of me," Ezekiel said while holding his cards. He then showed his hand and the two girls at the table groaned.


    Ezekiel''s little story had been going on for so long they had decided they had decided to start playing a card game in between it.


    At first, they were playing some game Tibaut hadn''t heard of (whether or not it existed in his previous world was anyone''s guess). But soon after going on a 5+ game losing streak, he managed to convince them to play poker instead (at least what he could remember about the game anyway).


    Tibaut sat there with his face pale.


    ("I can''t even imagine going through something like that. Seeing your parents dead is one thing but in that state? How do you even move past that? Could I have moved past that? Would I have been able to convince myself I needed to get stronger after seeing something like that?")


    Tibaut clenched his cards so hard that it would leave an imprint on them.


    While he was lost in thought trying to put himself in Ezekiel''s position he felt a flick on his forehead. He turned to see Tina looking quite annoyed.


    "You''re the one who started this game in the first, so don''t go zoning out." She said to him.


    "Oh, right" He played his cards and much to Ezekiel''s distress he had a better hand.


    He continued "Still I''m kinda surprised how casual you guys are after hearing that."


    The girls shrugged their shoulders.


    "It gets less shocking the more you hear it plus this bastard doesn''t seem to care so why should we?" Tina said while drawing her cards.


    Tibaut was at a loss for words. How could they brush past this so easily?


    Ezekiel decided to speak.


    "Man, it really isn''t that bad," he stated. "I was barely four at the time so it was essentially a fever dream to me when the old man decided to tell me about it when I was older. ''Sides he''s the one who has taken care of me since I was little, so the whole thing kinda just felt like hearing bad news about some distant relatives. Like it sucks but it''s not like I knew them well enough to be sad about it."


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "But," Tibaut tried to say but was cut off.


    "Don''t worry about it, I''m fine." He said with a smile on his face.


    After he said this, Tibaut decided not to press any further.


    "But still, this royal family sounds pretty ruthless."


    "Eh, it only seems like they bother nobles most of the time so I''m not too concerned." He said as he shrugged his shoulders.


    He then played his next hand and was shown he had drawn the worst hand out of the four of them. He clicked his tongue and looked outside.


    "Well it''s getting pretty late wouldn''t you say."


    "I guess I better head back home now," Tibaut responded.


    "The hell are you talking about? It''s time for dinner so let''s put away the cards."


    "You bastard, I can still win this!" One of the girls shouted to no avail.


    They soon prepared and had dinner. Surprisingly Ezekiel did most of the heavy lifting and made everything except the salad and juice. After eating, Ezekiel convinced Tibaut to stay for the night.


    "Do I really have to sleep in your room?"


    "Don''t worry I have an extra mattress you can sleep on," Ezekiel replied.


    "No seriously, I''m alright sleeping on the couch."


    "I''m telling you this is a pretty fine mattress (there''s no way I''m leaving a man influenced by Vanessa unmonitored around the girls)"


    "What was that last bit? Eh whatever I guess this isn''t so bad, I wanted to ask you about something" Tibaut asked.


    Ezekiel widened his eyes in curiosity and nodded as if to tell him to go ahead.


    "Why did you become an adventurer? From what we talked about earlier you seemed pretty wild and were mostly by yourself."


    Ezekiel looked at him with a surprised look.


    "Isn''t this quite the question though it''s not surprising." He then rubbed his chin for a bit while thinking. "I suppose it''s the funniest thing I can do, I guess?"


    "Didn''t you give that answer for your sword?"


    "Yup, they''re both fun. What''s wrong with that? I mean I used to do some hunting before I became an adventurer. It was dull as hell."


    "You, a hunter?" Tibaut asked.


    "Yup, though I never bothered to be one of those hide-in-a-bush types. As soon as I got my prey targeted, I''d take them out as quickly as possible. It was honestly pretty boring."


    "I suppose your magic would make it pretty easy once you got close."


    "Well, to be honest, I did start to only use my knife a few weeks in but it was still pretty easy."


    ("Is this guy a challenge youtuber or something") Tibaut wondered.


    "To be honest I felt pretty empty doing it. I''d get in work mode and just do my job without a second thought. It made me feel like someone''s golem. Having to kill something that doesn''t fight back much every day to make ends meet was pretty boring. So I decided to visit the old man and see if I had what it took to be an adventurer. And from me being here you can see the answer was yes."


    "Huh, but is adventuring that much different?" Tibaut asked.


    "At least I don''t have to do it alone and the killing isn''t every day."


    "I see. Doing something with someone else is indeed better than being alone." Said the man who had been alone for the past four years.


    They continued their conversation before going to sleep.

 Chapter 72

    The two men were outside the cabin saying their goodbyes.


    "I have to say, I''m surprised you know how to cook," Tibaut said in jest.


    "With those slackers, if I wasn''t the one cooking they''d starve to death." He responded having an irritated look on his face.


    Just as he was about to leave he turned back to Ezekiel.


    "I know this is a long shot but do you know anything about ki?"


    "I know a guy who uses but that old bastard lives in the capital so it''d be a trip to go and ask him anything about it. Why?"


    "That so, huh." He said before groaning. "Truth is I''ve been wanting to try it out but I can''t seem to summon any."


    "I mean I could send him a letter."


    Tibaut soon pounced forward and then grabbed both of Ezekiel''s hands.


    "REALLY!?" Tibaut said with excitement.


    "Yeah I could, I''m not sure how useful I''d be but it''s definitely something I can do."


    Tibaut vigorously shook Ezekiel''s hands.


    "I shouldn''t have expected less out of you. You''re the most reliable guy I know." Said Tibaut to the only guy he regularly talked to.


    After deciding to leave, he started walking into the forest. But he stopped yet again. Though this time it was Ezekiel who decided to stop him.


    "Wait here for a moment." He told him.


    He then ran into the house and came back a solid five minutes later. As he left the cabin he held a pouch in his hand. He threw it to Tibaut.


    "That''s for everything from when we fought the kobolds to me bringing Elizabeth along. I''d recommend you give it to Elizabeth unless you want a pummeling in the distant future."


    "(My days are already filled with pummeling) I''m surprised we get paid for stuff like that."


    "I guess you wouldn''t know, but for every action the guild itself orders us to do, we have to get paid for it. Though it doesn''t really happen that much around here."


    Tibaut then tried to fit the pouch in his pocket, realized it wouldn''t fit and then walked back to the mansion in a sour mood, with the pouch in hand.


    "Ugh, my hand''s all sweaty." He complained as he opened the door.


    <hr>


    It was now later in the afternoon and as always Tibaut was on the ground.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ("Are my afternoons destined to end with me bruised and abused on the floor? One win, one fucking win is all I ask for. Is that so much? I don''t care if I go on a 100-lose streak after, I don''t think my ego can take this anymore.") Tibaut lamented to himself.


    Elizabeth approached and as usual, started healing him. Though now she had two burned areas on her clothes instead of being spotless.


    "I can''t tell if I''m getting more careless or if you''re genuinely improving."


    "Are we finished for the day?" Asked Tibaut.


    "No, I''m thinking of trying some more of the weight training."


    A bitter expression took over Tibaut''s face. He didn''t bother saying anything about it as he knew his pleas would fall on deaf ears. As he was mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen he noticed the burns on Elizabeth and a question entered his mind.


    "Hey Elizabeth, you say you can''t use magic right now but does that mean you have a specific magic for attack?"


    Elizabeth was doing some stretches and responded to him.


    "Yup, over a year ago I was using wind magic."


    "Alright fire and wind I get but what''s up with Ezekiel''s magic?"


    "You never had a formal education in magic, correct?"


    "Yup, I learned most of what I learned by watching someone else."


    "Were they a relative?" she quickly responded.


    "Uh, yeah how''d you know?"


    "If that''s the case then I suppose it isn''t that implausible (though the fact his magic was even this useful in the first place is amazing)"


    Tibaut looked at her for an explanation and it soon came.


    "When it comes to magic¡­honestly it''s kind of a roulette. For most regular people there is no telling what magic they''d be good at or not based purely on instincts. Though, like you, I never had to figure out what magic I was good at, that isn''t the case for most people. The first year of learning magic for most people is figuring out what magic they''re even good at in the first place."


    "And how would they do that exactly?"


    "Say for instance if," she then groaned and continued "someone used magic that covered their body in metal. Now this isn''t a hundred percent accurate but it usually goes like this. They''d first try to use one of the four basic magics (earth, wind, fire, air) and if they aren''t particularly amazing at one, they then try to split it into various categories. So for the metal user, he may have, at first, used earth magic but decided it wasn''t worth it due to some factor. After, he would then try to separate it into various categories such as controlling sand or trying to use mud. Eventually, the bastard settles on metal. Then after settling on it, he decides projectiles are either too hard because he''s dumbass or too lazy so he focuses solely on what he''s good at. Covering his body in metal, because he is probably too poor to buy armour or has an exhibition fetish and likes everyone seeing how fat he is." Elizabeth said with a hint of disdain in her voice.


    "(Oh she''s still mad about that guy she fought the other day) Wait a minute then how would someone like Ezekiel develop their magic?"


    "I mean it''s probably best to ask him but I''d assume it was wind."


    "Why that specifically?"


    "This may not be right, but it makes the most sense to me since wind magic is effectively just moving the air and his magic in essence, just moves things. Though I have seen a person who started with fire magic being able to use magnetism magic and move around metal so I may be wrong."


    While the explanation was appreciated, Tibaut couldn''t help but feel this way of developing magic seemed kind of loose. What if a person developed a magic that produced a love pheromone? How would you go about it? None of the elements seemed particularly related to that. He decided to ask her.


    "Pheromones¡­ animals produce those right? Then it would probably be earth magic since magic involving nature is an offshoot of earth magic."


    She didn''t look too confident with her answer but Tibaut accepted it.


    "Now that I think about it, magic''s weird."


    "Well, the only ones bothered by it being like that are academia. As long as I can use it to defeat my enemies, how dubious it is isn''t my concern." She responded as she went to a nearby bush and pulled out the weight she had used on Tibaut days earlier.

 Chapter 73

    "Tch, I thought you were going to explore more, you useless bastard."


    Startled by the voice, Tibaut tried to get up but felt his entire body paralyzed. He looked around the space with his peripheral vision but saw nothing but darkness. He couldn''t tell how far it went and felt nothing below him as he lay on the floor of whatever this space was. He felt like he was floating. The temperature was neither too hot nor too cold here. He could hear footsteps approaching him.


    "That exploration the other day made me hopeful but you really are the same in this life as the last." The unseen voice said before sighing.


    He scrambled his eyes around but it seemed the bearer of the voice was just out of his sight.


    "I had high hopes since you had managed to get in contact with Gabriel''s Saint but it seems she''s hopeless in a sense different from you. By the time she''ll have gained use, you''ll probably be dead."


    ("What an odd dream") Tibaut thought to himself as he pointed his eyes towards the source of the voice.


    A figure soon walked into his vision. Even though he was on the ground he could tell they were shorter than he was. They sat on his chest.


    "Keep thinking that."


    ("What a shitty little bastard")


    "Aren''t you fearless? But no matter, there''s no point feeling insulted by an existence like you." They replied.


    ("Am I going to have to listen to you drone on and on? Why the hell couldn''t I have gotten a dream like the one I got the other day?")


    "What a lustful man. Anyway, the only reason I came here was to introduce myself but I suppose that can wait until you prove yourself useful."


    A thought then ran through Tibaut''s mind before he said his next words. Could this be real? This conversation was a bit too coherent and as much as he tried to take control of this dream, he couldn''t find the reins for it. But where could they have brought him?


    "Well, this conversation is real but this space is in your subconscious." The short figure on him replied.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ("What the hell are you? How did you get in my mind?")


    "Isn''t that funny? Would you also ask a shepherd how they were able to enter their own pen?"


    ("?")


    "Adventurers I''ve heard, explore the world and discover its mysteries yet you waste away at this home as if you''re crippled."


    ("It''s not my fault we''re not good enough to go exploring.") Tibaut tried to lighten his tone as he didn''t want whoever this was to decide to kill him.


    "Then get at it better already. It''s annoying having only one eye on the ground and that bastard has only given me one hint in his years alive."


    ("What do you mean by that?") Tibaut did not like what the figure was suggesting. ("Don''t tell me!?")


    "Yes, I can see everything you do."


    ("Everything?") He cautiously thought.


    "Do you want me to list every day at the exact time and place you masturbated in this world?"


    Tibaut felt his mind and dignity crumbling but tried to hold on.


    ("You monster, what''s your problem!? Haven''t you ever heard of privacy you pervert?")


    "At the scale I exist on, I couldn''t care less about that sort of information." They had now taken a lotus position on his chest. Why they chose to do this on him was anyone''s guess.


    "Though if you aren''t able to prove yourself useful, I might have to consider reusing your soul for another experiment."


    Tibaut tried his best to start moving but he was still stiff as a cinder block.


    "Would you please stop grunting? You''re reminding me of all those memories of yours I looked through." The figure giggled.


    Tibaut''s self-esteem was now at an all-time low and he decided to stop struggling.


    ("What do you mean by ''reusing my soul''? I''m not some glass bottle that can be turned into a vase!")


    "If you don''t find any useful information you will find out." They responded.


    Some time had passed and the figure had been quiet for a while.


    He still wasn''t able to discern the figure''s features but he could tell they were looking at him directly in his face. They shaked their head and a click of the tongue was heard. Were they thinking about something?


    And before he knew it he was in his bed looking at his ceiling. His face was covered in sweat and he could feel his heart pumping fast.


    "What the hell was that? Dammit, I didn''t even get their name!"


    As he lay in his bed, he thought about it logically.


    "Ugh, it''s probably because I saw Louise in a dream recently."


    After seeing her and being reminded of his previous life he had been contemplating a question he brushed off soon after being brought into the world. Who had brought him here or why had he been brought here? It had been weighing on his mind recently.


    "Tsk, it was probably my mind just making up nonsense. I remember once, I was so stressed about a test I kept dreaming about doing it for a whole week. It''s just that again isn''t it?" He tried to convince himself.


    He wiped the sweat off his face and got out of bed.


    "I probably shouldn''t take that dream too seriously. Besides, there was a distinct lack of things with words on them there plus it seems my mind couldn''t visualise someone who would bring me here so it probably just left it blank."


    He then did some stretches, tried not to think about the dream too deeply and started his day.

 Memories of a Distant Past 3

    As Tibaut finished his daily cleaning he looked outside a nearby window, towards a patch of forest and was reminded of his childhood in this world.


    The boy was sitting on his older brother''s shoulder.


    "Come on Pyrus let''s play outside." The little boy asked.


    "It looks like Cillia''s busy so it should be fine¡­probably."


    The redheaded teen then brought his little brother outside.


    ("Me? Outside? Why the hell can''t I keep my mouth shut? I want to stay inside and read some book but being a kid again is a pain in the ass.")


    Ever since Tibaut had reached four he had told himself he would stay inside all day and try to entertain himself with whatever they had available. This was a new life and he sure as hell was going to take advantage of the fact he was born in a high-class family. However, he encountered one small problem. He didn''t know if it was because certain parts of his brain hadn''t fully developed yet or if books of this world were simply boring but he could not contain himself. He''d feel impatient reading and try looking for something else to do. The fact that he knew the problem yet still couldn''t fix it bothered him to no end.


    ("Ugh, whatever, some physical activity might calm me down enough to actually read in peace.")


    When they reached the outside Tibaut playfully covered his brother''s eyes and asked "What are we gonna do?"


    His brother stopped, put his hand on his chin, and thought for a second.


    "Cricket?"


    "That''s lame I wanna see something cool. (I am not playing that overcomplicated baseball clone again. Besides I could barely swing the bat last time we played.)" The little boy responded.


    The young man took his brother''s hands off his eyes and looked forward.


    "Hmm, maybe we could catch some bugs and make them fight?"


    The little boy''s eyes lit up. "(That sounds a bit cruel.) Really, we can?"


    "Yup, I used to do it when I was younger. Man, it''s been forever since I did it."


    The older brother then shot off (with Tibaut still on his shoulders) to a forested area near their property. He looked around there for a bit before stopping.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Ah, here it is."


    His vision was currently fixed on a flat tree stump.


    "Where are we?" Little Tibaut asked.


    "Have a good look at the area, many gruesome battles have been fought here over the years and today isn''t going to be any different!"


    "(I''d say you''re oddly enthusiastic about this but you were the one who suggested it) I''m having a good look!" Tibaut said enthusiastically.


    Tibaut then stared down the stump and while his initial thoughts were that it was anything from special, he dropped down from his older brother''s back and gave it a closer look. He ran his hand over the stump. It was smooth. It almost felt polished.


    "This stump is weird." He commented based on his astute observation.


    "Oh ho ho, I shouldn''t have expected anything less of my little brother. Your intuition is correct, it isn''t any regular stump."


    "(Just tell me what''s special about it) Why''s it weird?"


    "If I remember correctly, some blacksmith gifted our father a sword and he decided to test it out. I remember him cutting a bunch of stuff like leather armour and a rolled-up tatami mat (Mom wasn''t happy about that one, even though we have a few and never use them anyway) and found he could never tell how good the blade was since it went through them too easily."


    ("Sounds like it was plenty good enough.")The seemingly little boy thought.


    "So when we were having a picnic one day our mom goaded him into using the sword to cut a tree."


    "(Aren''t the women in a household supposed to discourage that sort of stuff?) Really?"


    "I guess you wouldn''t know since she tries to behave herself around you but with how she acts sometimes it''s no wonder she married our dad. Uh, you know what, forget all of what I just said."


    "So mom acts like dad sometimes."


    Pyrus groaned as he realized he might have to deal with his mom being annoyed at him sometime in the distant future.


    "Anyway he swung and instead of damaging the sword and hurting his hand from the recoil he actually cut through it cleanly. I remember both their reactions being pretty funny."


    "Can I get that sword?" Tibaut honestly asked.


    "You''d have to wait until Dad retires until you get that sword." He casually replied.


    "You don''t want it?"


    "Well, I''ve trained using a different type of sword, so I''m not too sure if I''d be able to use it as well as he does."


    Tibaut tilted his head at this information. ("Why doesn''t he use the same type of sword as dad?")


    "Anyways, let''s go catch some bugs. Also, stay close to me, I know it doesn''t look like it but it''s easy to get lost here."


    "Did you get lost here?" He casually responded.


    His older brother then started coughing with his cheeks looking slightly red.


    "Of course not, I know this place like the back of my hand, I just don''t want you getting lost or I''d get in trouble. Just stay in my vision alright."


    "Kay."


    "Alright, then let''s get started."


    As they ventured in their search for bugs Tibaut asked his older brother a question while he was kicking a bush and seeing if anything came out.


    "Can I pick up any bugs?"


    "Geez, you''re more danger-aware than we give you credit for. It should be fine though. When I was playing this with some friends when I was your age, one got bitten by something mildly poisonous, so Dad decided to hire some magician to deal with it. (I have no idea why he did that instead of just telling us to be more careful)"


    "Oh, I found something weird." He said while trying to grab something that fell from the bush.


    "At least listen to me when you ask something, Tibaut." Pyrus said in a calm voice watching his little brother pounce to the floor.

 Memories of a Distant Past 4

    ("Hmm, other than having gnarly looking horns, I don''t think there''s much difference between begs in this world and the last") Tibaut thought to himself as he looked at a beetle in his hand.


    He was currently crawling through the bushes looking for bugs.


    "Woah, this one looks crazy."


    He was gawking at a really bizarre-looking creature. It was a rhinoceros beetle-looking thing with a scorpion tail. As put his hand near it, it started to get a bit feisty. It flicked its tail at him but he didn''t seem too bothered. He glared at it and flicked it with his finger. It was flipped over and was struggling to get right side up.


    "Oh, he survived it."


    A few minutes into their search, his brother quickly ran back to the mansion to get five small wooden boxes to put the bugs in. And Tibaut had used up about four of the five so far.


    He had a sly grin on his face. "Hehe, you can be my ace."


    He then captured the invertebrate and decided to keep looking through the bushes.


    After a few his brother pulled him out of one.


    "It''s time to get this started, Tibaut." He said as he held his brother up in one hand.


    "Kay."


    They leisurely walked to the tree stump while looking at each other''s bugs. Tibaut made sure to hide the last one he found, though he wasn''t discrete.


    "Oh, you have something special, eh? Don''t you worry I probably have something here that can match it." His brother said while grinning.


    Tibaut didn''t look too concerned as he had decided to run over to the stump.


    "Oh come on, Tibaut, are you really gonna have me carry all these boxes by myself?" He complained but his little brother didn''t seem to be paying him any attention.


    ("Sigh, was I like this as kid.") He thought as Tibaut watched him approach.


    "Okay, do you know the rules?" Pyrus asked him.


    "Rules?(How does putting two insects together in a deathmatch have rules?)"


    "Alright here''s how it goes. We put two bugs on the stump and the one that''s still alive is the winner."


    Tibaut nodded his head.


    "Also if they don''t fight, we''ll call it a tie and have our next bugs fight. Finally if for whatever reason one of them falls off the stump that bug loses."


    "Okay let''s do this already." The boy said impatiently.


    They both readied their first bugs and began their makeshift bug tournament.


    <hr>


    Tibaut was sat on the floor with a sour expression on his face.


    "I''ll be honest with you Tibaut I didn''t expect for it to turn out like this."


    Tibaut got up and tried to walk away.


    "Come on, Tibaut don''t be like that, we have one more match waiting."


    "I wanna go read a book, maybe I''ll get Cillia to read me one."


    While Tibaut could read, he enjoyed hearing the maid''s voice. But that aside his mind had long left the bug fighting and he was all but in body, in his room resting on the bed.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Come on, Tibaut, it''s just one more." His older brother pleaded.


    "But it''s just so boring!!!"


    For the past hour or so they had been watching their bugs with much anticipation. Unfortunately for them, these bugs didn''t feel like playing their games. For four consecutive rounds between eight bugs, guess what happened?


    That''s right, a whole helping of nothing. When they placed the bugs down they''d just walk around the stump while occasionally bumping into each other and slowly backing away. They tried various things like placing a single piece of food on the stump, putting them close to each other, and boxing them into an even smaller space through the use of the boxes yet it all resulted in the bugs not being any more aggressive to each other.


    "I''m bored Pyrus, can''t we just go back now?"


    "Now, now we still have one more round (I could swear these bugs were more aggressive when I used to play this, did that magician dad hire cause this? Anyway, I have to impress Tibaut or else he might grow up thinking I''m lame. Ah, I can see it now, we''ll grow further over the years and anytime I try to bond with him he''ll say "You''re lame" and try to avoid me. I have to give him a strong impression or our brotherhood is finished."


    "okay." Tibaut said, clearly running empty on enthusiasm.


    They both brought out their final bugs and placed them on the stump. First up was Tibaut''s nippy little scorpion beetle thing he caught earlier. It came out of the box swinging as it tried to attack the box itself when Tibaut was pulling it away.


    His brother''s bug was simple. It was crab. Like straight up just a brown crab. Granted its claws were pretty big for its size and it had a large mouth but yeah. Just a land crab. It just sat there trying to pick at the stump.


    Tibaut''s enthusiasm had reached new lows but at least he was positive a fight was actually gonna happen now.


    "That''s it?" Tibaut said.


    "Dear brother, you should learn there is more to things than they would seem."


    "?"


    The beetle rushed the crab and started stinging. The crab started to move but it didn''t seem like it was fighting back.


    ("Sorry little fella, maybe you should have stayed in the sea.") The small boy thought to himself.


    It went on to be stabbed several more times without much in the way of defence. If things kept going on like this it was going to lose quite badly. Then Tibaut''s excitement came back to him with the next move.


    "What!?" he said with a slight grin at something actually happening.


    "What did I say, little brother?" While looking at the stump.


    The crab had grabbed the stinger with his claw. Then with surprising dexterity, lifted up and slammed the beetle into the stump. The stinger was completely ripped off and it decided to have it as a snack. Within a few seconds, it had eaten the stinger whole. The stump was stained with the bug''s green blood.


    "Go on, you still have the advantage!" Tibaut shouted at the bug.


    "He may have hit more strikes but mine certainly doesn''t seem worse for wear. Yours on the other hand seems to have lost a major weapon."


    "Tsk," Tibaut clicked his tongue and his eyes were laser-focused on the stump.


    His beetle had decided it wouldn''t take this lying down and rammed the crab. The crab seemed unperturbed and simply grabbed its lower horn and with a shockingly loud crack, broke it. Just like the stinger, it ate it within a matter of seconds.


    "Dear brother, this is the quality you can find when you look past appearances. Consider this a learning experience." Pyrus remarked.


    Yet the hope in Tibaut''s eye did not waver.


    ("Children do like stubbornly clinging to hope. Hopefully, he doesn''t cry when it loses.)


    The beetle rammed the crab again but all it did was push it back slightly. Like a butcher separating the various cuts of neat, it calmly reached its claw towards the beetle''s upper horn and crushed it. Like last time it ate it whole while staring down the beetle.


    "I must say Tibaut, you have a lot of fate on that thing."


    "Do you not see it?" Tibaut calmly responded.


    "?"


    His brother calmly looked at the stump again.


    "!"


    ("How, could I miss something so obvious?")


    "Dodge it!!!"


    "The battle is ours!" Tibaut shouted.


    Pyrus had overlooked that with every ram the crab was pushed closer and closer to the edge. It had made no attempt to move away from it. With the next ram, it was going to fall.


    Then without any warning, the beetle was flung from the stage.


    Tibaut turned to his brother with suspicion.


    "Why are you looking at me like that, Tibaut? It was just the wind. (tch, that hurt more than I thought it would)" He said while holding one of his hands behind his back.


    "You cheated."


    "Oi, oi, don''t throw that word out so loosely. It really was just the wind!" He tried to convince the young boy.


    He had used his fire magic but there were no signs of burns on the stump. What did he do?


    He had cupped his hand to aim it at something. Not his fire magic but the blast it produced. He generated a mini fireball in his cupped hand and used the aimed blast of it to knock off the beetle. Why he thought his hand would fare better than it did was anyone''s guess.


    Tibaut looked at his older brother while pouting.


    Tibaut then put both his hands towards the crab and it was blown away by a small ball of fire.


    "Sorry Pyrus, the wind got your crab."


    "Don''t do that Tibaut, being spiteful is for women."


    The little brother blew raspberries at him before the older brother caught on to something.


    "YOU CAN USE MAGIC!?"

 Chapter 74

    "Hehe what a sore loser."


    Tibaut rubbed his eyes in an attempt to combat his sleepiness.


    Like every other day, he was busy cleaning the mansion.


    As he was about to finish his cleaning he heard a thud behind one of the doors.


    "?"


    "aw, why is this so high up?"


    ("Who was that?") He wondered to himself. He tried to open the door but it was locked. The person on the other side noticed as they called to him.


    "woah, Elizabeth is that you?"


    "Uh, no, it''s Tibaut."


    "..."


    "Hello? By the way, who are you anyway, I don''t think I''ve ever seen you around the mansion before."


    "..."


    Tibaut tilted his head at her silence.


    ("Well it did sound like she got hurt earlier so maybe she went unconscious?")


    "Hey, are you okay?"


    "..."


    "If you don''t respond I might have to break down the door to see you''re okay."


    "I''m good, don''t worry about me. I''m just busy so I can''t really respond so readily."


    "Huh, that so."


    "..."


    Tibaut shrugged his shoulders and finished up his cleaning.


    "What a strange girl. If I remember correctly Elizabeth said that it was a library, so is she some sort of researcher or something?"


    While Tibaut did think it was a bit rude to hog a room that wasn''t your own all to yourself, he had only read through two of the three books he had and with one left untouched it wasn''t like he was going in there any time soon.


    "Ugh, what a pain I have to go training with Elizabeth now."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    He quickly rushed down the stairs and came outdoors before he realized something. It was the weekend.


    His knees hit the floor and tears trickled down his face.


    "THERE''S A GOD, I GET TO LIVE FOR TWO MORE DAYS, THANK YOU, THANK YOU GOD." He said with more passion than even the most devout pastors.


    Elizabeth stood a few feet away training, puzzled at his reaction.


    "You sure do like overreacting." She said to him.


    "Shut up, let me enjoy this."


    "But must you do it every weekend?" She asked exasperated.


    "If I''m not thankful for moments like these, I might accept your beatings as unchangeable reality. These two days remind me what it''s like to live as a human and not as a punching bag."


    She rolled her eyes at his words and continued her training. She felt his words were harsh but reassured herself.


    ("Tibaut you are an uncut jewel and I will do all I can to get you dazzling no matter how much you complain. Though I feel like if I told him this he''d let it get to his head.") She thought to herself as she watched him walk away.


    "So what do I do today?" He thought as he pulled some rabbit jerky out of his pocket and started snacking on it. After taking a bite of it and really giving the jerky a good look it reminded him about something.


    He ate the jerky he was holding preceded to place every other piece that was in his pocket on the ground and waited. After scaring off the occasional bird and small carnivore, his target of interest appeared before him. It was Lucky.


    "He really is always nearby."


    It came up and then ate the jerky in the ground. It walked up to Tibaut, playfully bit his leg and played with him before trying to leave.


    Tibaut decided to wrap a rope around the wolf''s neck and take it on a walk.


    "I''m curious about where this little guy goes most of the time and plus I''ve heard dogs really like walks."


    Lucky looked at him with suspicion before Tibaut pushed him with his leg to start moving. The wolf started moving and Tibaut followed.


    <hr>


    "We''ve done nothing but walk around this forest for two hours? Is this all he really does?"


    For the past few hours, Tibaut and the wolf had been walking around the forest. While the wolf occasionally attacked the bugs and rabbits he saw, for the most part, he was just running around the forest and pissing on some trees.


    "Man, I thought this would be a lot more interesting. I remember seeing those videos of people setting gopros on their cats and they usually get up to do some interesting stuff. I guess dogs are just kinda boring in their free time."


    While lamenting what a waste of time this was, Lucky pointed his head in a certain direction and kept it there for a few minutes as if he were analyzing something. He then took off running and the rope slipped from Tibaut''s hand.


    "Woah, woah, woah, what''s the big idea here?" Tibaut said to the dog.


    After seeing it enter a full sprint, he sighed and decided to chase after it.


    "Was he waiting for this? Is he trying to ditch me, is there something he doesn''t want me seeing?" He said while following him from a distance.


    Eventually, they reached a less dense part of the forest. Tibaut slowed as he knew where this was.


    "Wait a minute, this is where Ezekiel lives. And based on the direction Lucky was going, he was probably going to his house."


    He walked at a leisurely pace while heading in Lucky''s direction.


    "Now that I think about it, he did say he knew the dog, but I didn''t know he showed up to his house."


    After walking for a while he smelled something. It was the scent of smoke. He looked at the sky but didn''t see anything.


    ("Did a forest fire happen nearby?")


    He paid it no mind and continued. Yet no matter how many steps he took the smell wouldn''t go away. And he soon found the reason why.


    When the cabin came into his view, even at the distance he was standing, he could tell one thing. It had been burned to the ground.

 Chapter 75

    Although it was a fair distance away, anyone could tell it had been burnt down. Tibaut felt a pit form in his stomach but tried to reassure himself.


    "Heh, knowing him, the place probably caught on fire when he was trying to cook something." He said to himself while wearing an uneasy grin on his face.


    He wanted to believe nothing was wrong but couldn''t help quickening his pace as he walked to the former cabin. He could feel his heartbeat growing with each step he took. When he approached the cabin he wasn''t sure if it was better or worse than he thought.


    Although the cabin itself had been turned into a pile of charcoal, he let out an audible sigh when he looked through the still-smouldering remains and saw no signs of bodies.


    "OKAY, they probably didn''t burn to death, good."


    He sat on the ground while calming himself down.


    "I mean, of course, they''re probably fine, they''re adventurers. House fires to people like them would be no more than a minor annoyance."


    He soon got up and started to look for Lucky.


    ("Still where the hell did they go?")


    He rested his fist on his chin in thought before coming to an answer.


    ("They''re probably just at the adventurer building. Guess I''ll visit them later and see what happened.")


    He walked around the former cabin but found no one or wolf in sight.


    "Lucky! Where are you, boy!?"


    No response.


    "Tch, I probably shouldn''t have given him all my jerky. Whatever, he was the one who came here in the first place so he probably knows his way back."


    Just as Tibaut was leaving he heard the sound of footsteps and turned to see Lucky come out from a nearby bush. He crouched down and started trying to pet him but the wolf had other plans. He put Tibaut''s hand in his mouth.


    "?"


    Yet he didn''t bite him. It was gentle but it certainly seemed like he was trying to pull him somewhere. He pulled his hand out and flicked it, to get something off it.


    "Ugh, Lucky I''m not a fan of drool so I''d appreciate it if you don''t do that." The wolf looked unconcerned and started walking somewhere.


    "What a little bastard," Tibaut said to himself as he began following.


    Stolen story; please report.


    As Tibaut was following the wolf he noticed something on the ground. It was a trail of footsteps.


    ("Did they not go to Mr. Bentley? Well it looks like it happened this morning so I suppose they might still be nearby.")


    Finally, after following the wolf for a few minutes he saw what looked like a person resting on the dirt.


    ("Man, I haven''t done that in a while.")


    He walked over casually until he got a closer look at her. It was the short girl who usually wore a hoodie named Lily. The first unusual thing he noticed was that she wasn''t wearing her usual attire. She was in some cute-looking pink pyjamas. Though it wouldn''t be surprising if she had to leave in that because she woke up when the fire was raging.


    He walked over and tapped her on the face. She sprang up and immediately backed away from him.


    He looked at her confused but realized this was a probably natural reaction if one were to sleep out in the wild.


    She looked at him while breathing heavily before lightly saying "tibaut?".


    "Uh, yeah that''s me, anyways what happened to Ezekiel''s cabin."


    She sat silent for a few seconds. She looked at herself a few times and her face strained before she eventually curled up and started crying.


    Tibaut didn''t know how to respond to this and just awkwardly watched for a few seconds. Eventually, he noticed her hands looked as though they had been burnt.


    "So what happened to you guys? (Is this insensitive?)"


    She slowly got up while still crying and walked over to him. She hugged him and started crying harder.


    ("What the hell do I do here?")


    He tried to comfort her by patting her head and she used his shirt as a napkin to catch her tears.


    ("Ugh, it''s wet now.")


    Whatever happened must have been devastating as she was making full use of his chest by crying on it with no restraint. He soon began looking around to distract himself from this and noticed the pink-haired Tina crouching at a tree with a vacant look in her eyes with a few burns on her body and others on her outfit. He flinched at the fact she was there the entire time.


    After seeing two of them like this he pushed Lily off his chest and held her with two hands while looking directly in her face.


    "Uh, Lily was it? What happened?"


    "... dead"


    "Could you repeat that?"


    She started crying harder while pointing off to an area dense with shrubs and bushes. She held his hand as he walked towards where she pointed and on the walk noticed another one of the girls on the floor but she had a few burns on her as she rested. The fact she was still breathing probably meant she was fine but he was certain they''d have to go to Elizabeth''s mansion as their first stop.


    As he got closer to where Lily pointed she let go of him and wouldn''t go any further. He was going to ask what was up but then noticed Lucky further up. He cautiously approached the dog and¡­ it''s¡­ it can''t be. The body was severely burned in certain parts. But it wore a familiar-looking set of armour and clothes underneath. It couldn''t be. He got closer to the body hoping it was wrong and examined it even further. Beside the body was a soot-covered knife. Did they place it here? All clues pointed to one thing. It was Ezekiel''s body. Yes, only his body. Beside was a blackened mass with what looked like dreadlocks facing Tibaut. He looked at the other side of the mass and saw what looked like a face.


    Tibaut could his teeth start clattering and sweat engulfed his body. He felt like he was drowning with how much he was struggling to breathe.


    Ezekiel''s face flashed in his mind and he couldn''t hold it in anymore.


    "AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHGKKKGHHH"


    He let out a bellowing roar and crawled over to and held it in his hands.


    "EZEKIEL! EZEKIEL!? EZEKIEL!!! EEZZZZEEEEEKKIIEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!?!?!?" He kept shouting but no matter how much he did the other man did not respond. Well, he wasn''t alive anymore so it''d be more appropriate to say the corpse wouldn''t respond.

 Chapter 76

    He slowly walked over to Lily, who was still crying.


    "What happened?" He asked with a desperate look in his eyes.


    "WHAT HAPP-No it isn''t the time for this."


    He said while holding his head and trying to keep his cool. He took deep breaths while looking at Lily.


    "For the time being, let''s just go back to Elizabeth''s place." He gritted his teeth while saying this and began walking back towards the body. He clenched one of his fists so hard that it started bleeding, and with a look that would startle a demon, he picked up the body along with its head and rounded up the other girls.


    By the looks of things, Lucky seemed to have left, but that didn''t weigh too much on Tibaut''s mind. Eventually, he started making his way back to the manor, but the girls seemed to be oddly taking their time. No, that wasn''t it; it was as if they were expecting to be attacked at any moment. Because of how slowly they were moving, he tried to get information out of the other girl there he had interacted with, Tina. Unlike Lily, she was actually in her armor, but now that he got a closer look at her, she had clearly gotten into a scuffle of some kind. She also seemed to be limping as well.


    "Hey, uh, Tina, was it? What happened to you guys?" He said softly, hoping he''d have a better chance of getting an answer.


    "Those cult fucks." She responded. "Those fuckers did this." She said in a voice devoid of life. She seemed to be holding back tears when she said this.


    ("Tch, it looks like I''ll have to wait until we get back, so they can at least calm down until I get a proper answer. So it''s those bastards they killed the other day? But wasn''t this settled? As far as I heard from Elizabeth, there were no more of them here. Did they send reinforcements? But why the hell would they attack him? Moreover, how''d they even know he was involved? Didn''t they kill everyone there? This just doesn''t make any fucking sense.")


    While Tibaut was scrambling his brain over the little information he had even received, Tina spoke up.


    "I-It happened in the night."


    "You sure you wanna talk about it?" Tibaut asked in a sympathetic tone.


    "Shut-up, the shorty and four eyes won''t talk, so it falls on me to tell you what happened."


    "I see," Tibaut replied before she continued.


    <hr>


    It was a regular night, and Tina was in her room polishing and maintaining her armor.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "How the hell did it even get this dirty? I just left this stuff sitting around for the most part."


    After cleaning them, she decided to put them on to see if they still fit her. She had bulked up considerably this year, and she had been wearing this armour on and off throughout her two years with it.


    "Tch, it''s a bit tight around the arms and legs." She commented.


    It still looked her size when she viewed the mirror, but the feel was less than desirable. Though getting another set was something she had no intention of going through, so she just accepted the fact that it would be slightly uncomfortable for the rest of its usage.


    "You''d think being friends with a princess and having your boss be your dad would make money issues non-existent." She sighed before hearing footsteps walk outside.


    "Hmm, is that Ezekiel?" She wondered before trying to take off her armour. Then she heard a bang and an assortment of other sounds coming from downstairs.


    "What the hell is he doing down there?"


    The noise continued for a minute or so before she decided to check it out.


    "He better not be making a mess, or could it be he''s finally snapped from being the best adventurer in a backwater parish that''s only known for farming? If I were him, I''d be having a mental breakdown and wondering where my life went wrong too. But I''m not gonna let that bastard destroy our furniture." She said to herself as she went down the stairs.


    But the figure she saw wasn''t Ezekiel. They were wearing a black cloak and mask over their face. A few meters away in front of him was a body that was hard to clearly see because of the darkness. In his hand was a match stick that was on fire. He sighed before throwing a lit match on the ground. Whether from the carpet or from pre-placing a flammable liquid the floor lit up and a flame spread across it.


    "Who the hell are you!?(who the hell was on the floor?)" She shouted at him.


    "I suppose I have time to play with one of his chicks. If you want my name then make me yield." He said while signalling with his hand to come.


    She rushed down but not towards him. She went into the living room and picked up her weapon. She, like the other girls here, had an annoying habit of leaving their weapons in the living room. She quickly picked up her spear and turned behind. The man was watching her from a few feet away.


    "Come on now, show me why I had to wait on you."


    "This bastard!" She quickly rushed him with her spear but he almost nonchalantly parried its blade and moved alongside it before making a home for his fist in her stomach. She flew back and slammed into the wall.


    He made a yawning motion while looking at her.


    "Is this place really the number 1 guild here? I hope the others aren''t this easy; otherwise, we got worked up over nothing."


    She sprang back up to her feet, and she aimed her spear at him again.


    "I''m really hoping you''re the weakest link here, cause this is just pathetic." He said exasperated.


    She paid him no mind and rushed again. He yet again parried the blade and ran alongside the spear. Then, without warning, she swung the shaft of the spear into him. He quickly moved to the side and, a moment later, saw why that was a good call.


    The shaft and blade of her spear surged with electricity.


    "Heh, so the whole thing''s made of metal. I wondered why your spearmanship seemed a bit average, that thing must be heavy."


    She clicked her tongue.


    "Guess surprise attacks are no good (I gotta end this before the fire spreads, it doesn''t seem like any of the three idiots woke up yet. Or maybe he was that guy in the kitchen that got handed his ass.)" She said as she took up a more imposing stance.


    "Alright girl, now show me what you actually got."

 Chapter 77

    Unamused by his words the pink-haired girl rushed at him with more strength behind her than before. She stabbed at him with the spear but the man kept backing away just out of its blade''s reach.


    He whistled as he touched the spear''s tip.


    "I guess that''ll be an alright post-meal workout." He said before casually removing his thumb. A moment later the whole spear was covered in electricity.


    Without any hesitation, she thrusted the spear. In a shocking show of flexibility, the masked man in black kicked it up, briefly lifting Tina into the air before closing the distance between them and landing a blow on her. Luckily she managed to maneuver her spear quick enough to block his punch. It still sent her sliding across the floor for a few feet.


    The man looked at his fist and also lifted his shoe to see its underside. Both of them were burnt though his shoe was worse. The area of his shoe that had touched the spear was burnt and over a centimeter lower compared to the material around while his hand only had a light char on its surface.


    "It''s resisted by mana, eh?"


    The girl paid him no mind and continued her offensive.


    ("Should I call out for them? No, if they haven''t woken up in this havoc then shouting isn''t going to be much better. Tsk, still this bastard had the fucking gall to light a fire here? Did he know how long it took us to help that bastard build this place?")


    Her swings were starting to have less force behind them but the blade itself was moving quicker.


    ("Guess I''ll have to chip away at this bastard and hope the place is still intact when I finish.")


    With this new strategy, the blade was now able to contact his skin. Though the wounds were shallow and the electricity running through it cauterized his wounds.


    She smiled at the fact she had put him on the defensive. After continually attacking him for a while she was finally able to land a hit on him, with the shaft. He blocked it but the spear blackened the parts of his arm used and he was forced to back away.


    "I would have considered keeping you alive if you didn''t set the place ablaze. Consider it karma."


    The man looked at his injured arm before replying


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Maybe I should have just gone all out from the start. I''ll still win but I feel these things are going to be nasty to heal without any potions." As the man reached into his pocket he noticed someone running down the stairs. It was the short-haired and short-statured girl, Lily.


    "What the- you need any help?" She asked.


    "Just focus on putting out the fire, I''ll deal with him first."


    The short girl nodded her head before rushing to the fire.


    With a thud, the man in black sneakily roundhouse kicked her but she barely managed to block it with her spear. While his leg was still in the air he managed to sweep her legs with his remaining leg. She fell to the fall and nearly had a boot planted in her head. She had to let go of the spear in her hand and the man took advantage of that to kick it away.


    "Well getting rid of that was easy. What, did you have butter in your hands?"


    ("Dammit he kicked it too far away. Guess I''ll try to use that.")


    The man in black soon restarted his assault and Tina was forced to block and occasionally receive hits. The man soon got a particularly hard blow in her gut that sent her stumbling backwards. Then surprisingly enough she kicked something at her feet upwards and grabbed it in her hands before thrusting it into him. It was her spear.


    He managed to block it with both arms, but the spear blade went through both of them and was stopped just before it reached his face.


    He then received a full dosage of her electricity for two seconds before he managed to free himself from the spear and back away.


    He began reaching for a knife on his waist before stopping his hand.


    "Nah, I''d be a sore winner if I reached for it now."


    "?" Tina looked at him in confusion before resuming her dismantling of him.


    An earring-ringing scream soon echoed through the house.


    A few moments Lily walked up to Tina''s side holding something in her hand. It was Ezekiel''s knife.


    "Where did you get that?" She asked the short girl.


    The girl didn''t respond. She had tears in her eyes and spoke to the man in black.


    "Y-you, you''re the one who did it, d-didn''t you." She said with venom most snakes wish they could produce.


    "Someone finally noticed it. I was wondering how long it would take."


    Before he could even finish speaking she went straight towards him hoping to end this. She felt the knife connect and looked at his masked face with hatred in her eyes. She soon felt a punch and was sent tumbling on the floor. Upon looking up at him and realized what happened. He had blocked the knife with his hand. He pulled it out and limply threw it her way.


    She tried to get up but was still suffering the aftereffects of the punch and fell back to the ground, still struggling to stand up.


    "Lily what the hell''s going on, why are you trying to fight him on your own? Didn''t you say you were going to put out the fire?" She asked.


    Lily paid her comrade no mind as she continued to glare at the masked man while still on the floor.


    "Say, who do you think was in the kitchen?"


    "What?"


    "And why do you think she has your boss''s knife?"


    Tina threw the spear at his head but he simply moved it to the side.


    "You fuck, this isn''t time for jokes!!!" She said while gritting her teeth with a few veins on her head bulging.


    "I''ll be blunt, I killed your boss since he was kinda a nuisance."

 Chapter 78

    The man in black walked back towards the spear and grabbed it.


    "Feels a bit tingly." He said as he watched what seemed like a minuscule amount of electricity run over the entirety of it. It seems she was somehow still running her magic through it and that may have been how she moved it earlier.


    Seeing him grab she kicked off the floor but as soon she reached the halfway point between he lobbed it outside of a window.


    He then dusted his hands as she approached him.


    "Using my weapon might be cheap but getting rid of yours is your own fault."


    She didn''t care about the words he was saying and launched a blow with all her might behind her into his gut. He narrowly avoided the blow and spun around almost like a ballerina before countering her with a mace-like elbow strike to her head. She tried to shrug off the blow and strike back but he quickly crouched and elbowed her on the gut. Finally, as he was rising he slammed into her with his shoulder and sent her rolling on the ground.


    The smoke in the cabin was becoming too much to bear. The entire space was now covered in smoke and there was a noticeable change in the house''s temperature.


    "Looks like there''s no stopping the fire at this point, so my job is complete." He said as he began walking to a window.


    Suddenly he started feeling disoriented and looked up to the stairs as he was trying to keep himself standing up.


    "Ugh, the third one." He said while looking at the girl in glasses standing at the top of the stairs holding onto the railings.


    "Sorry, but I don''t have time to play with you." He said before stumbling to a nearby window and trying his best to climb through it.


    Tina managed to stand back up and ran to the window but by the time she looked out of it, he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Damnit!" She said before slamming her fist into a wall.


    The third girl ran downstairs.


    "What the hell happened?" She asked.


    "That''s what I''d like to know!(Surely he wasn''t serious about what he said, maybe he''s just injured)."


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    They were both stunned into silence as Lily came into view dragging something. Her face was in pain and the sweat pooled around her. If she was dragging anything else the scene would have been comical. After dragging it this far she fell on the floor and started breathing heavily. From the looks of things, her hands were both burned.


    "Please, his head is still in the kitchen." She said while staring into the inferno she had just escaped.


    While the third girl looked confused and seemed to be awaiting some context, Tina bit her lip so hard that she drew blood and ran into the kitchen.


    "This isn''t real, this isn''t real, he''s alive I know he is, she was just mistaken, there''s no way that bastard would die, even you killed him he''d show up the next day like nothing happened, maybe just fought the first guy he saw and some other adventurer was visiting. That''s it, that''s what happened last, the bastard probably had someone over and accidentally fell asleep and left with our guest, why the hell would he do something like plus he''s responsible for some unrelated person''s death how are you gonna sleep at night you lazy bastar-"


    His desperate rambling was cut short when she reached the end of the kitchen. Her momentum came to a halt and her mind very briefly went blank.


    All that sat on the wooden floor was an object that had been thoroughly burnt by the flames raging there in the cabin. Yet there was one recognizable feature it had that solidified what it was. Though most were burnt off, it seemed to have charred and untouched dreadlocks remaining on it. Even though burning pieces of wood were falling around her, she slowly walked to see the other side of this object. It was a face charred beyond recognition yet that sealed the deal on what it was. A head. And she knew only one person who wore that hairstyle.


    She gently picked up the head and smashed her way through a window while making sure to put extra care into maintaining the head.


    She circled the cabin to its entrance to see the two other girls nearby.


    "Tina! Is it true tha-" She stopped when she saw what Tina had in her hands.


    "For the time being, let''s get out of here." She said as she handed the charred head to the girl in glasses and headed over to the body. She picked up the body and started walking towards the forest. The glasses girl looked on in shock while Lily silently followed. After having to take in the reality of the situation the girl in the glasses started walking.


    After walking for a few minutes helped by the moonlight, they heard the sound of something flying through the air and all stopped. Afterwards, they heard the sounds of footsteps in the parts of the forest that were darker.


    "You left something." A voice said.


    Tina looked at a tree in front of her and saw a knife sticking into it. It was Ezekiel''s.


    She gently placed the body on the ground and three of them pressed their backs against one another while trying to keep vigilant of their surroundings. They ended up staying together like this until the sun started to rise and the light penetrated parts of the forest it wasn''t able to before.


    "You two get some sleep, I don''t think it''s safe to move just yet." She said while nervously scanning the forest. The two girls obliged and looked for patches of grass to lie down on.


    She too was about to fall asleep until her spear landed next to her. She decided to stay awake.

 Chapter 79

    Tibaut didn''t know what to say after hearing all that. Tina herself had nothing more to add and kept walking in silence and the other two seemed too shaken to say anything.


    "A man in a black mask, involved with that cult. I''ll have to ask Elizabeth if he rings any bells."


    They continued walking in silence until they reached Elizabeth''s manor.


    Elizabeth was still training outside and saw them walking into the clearing the house was located in.


    Tibaut put down the body before walking up to her.


    "I know this might seem a little too convenient but are you serious when you said you don''t have any way to revive the dead?" Tibaut asked in a cold tone.


    She looked at him confused and noted the people he came with.


    "No, that''s not something I can do. Anyway, why are they here and whose body did you bring?" She asked, sounding concerned.


    Tobaut looked away from her and turned his gaze towards the girls.


    "In the meantime, just heal them up. They''ll tell you the rest. From the looks of things we might have to go to town and tell this to Mr. Bentley."


    "Just spit out what happened already."


    "Ezekiel''s dead."


    Elizabeth stood there stunned while darting her gaze between Tibaut, the girls that came with him and the body that was on the ground.


    "I¡­I see." She responded before walking away to attend to the girls.


    Tibaut looked to the sky and marvelled at how clear the sky was.


    "What a shit day for a sky like this." He said as a tear trickled down his cheek.


    After deciding this was no time to be stingy with her magic, Elizabeth healed the girls before giving each a spare room in the mansion.


    Tibaut was still outside looking at the sky when she returned. She grabbed his shoulder to get his attention.


    "I put his body in a sack we had lying around so let''s get going."


    "What is he, a bunch of potatoes?" he snidely replied.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Listen here, would you have us parade his corpse around town like he was part of some circus?" She said as she grabbed his collar. She looked at his face and quickly let him go. She could tell he hadn''t said it out of disrespect. It was the first time she had seen his face so downcast. She could see marks under his eyes from the tears.


    "Tch, just know most people don''t take kindly to comments like those."


    "I see." He weakly responded.


    They both walked over to the covered body and Tibaut picked it up. They then made their way towards town.


    <hr>


    A few days earlier in a place unknown to most in the parish, a man in quite normal clothes was reading a letter in his hands as he sat at a table.


    "Is all this true Zama?" The man seated asked.


    "Yes, Father Daniel, I almost couldn''t believe it happened myself." The plain-looking black-haired man responded to his superior.


    "Say, did you ever see him with a pouch that didn''t contain gold?"


    "Uh, sometimes? Why sir?"


    "Oh, just checking something. Anyway, did you give anyone else this information?"


    "I sent a modified version of the events, excluding your orders to Saito, back to our home country about a week ago if that''s what you''re asking about."


    The man on the chair put two fingers to his forehead while thinking about something.


    "Well, as long as this stays between us. At least that nuisance Saito is gone, by the way what were you doing in the week before you gave me this letter?" Father Daniel asked him.


    "Well, I was staking out the adventurers that fought Saito to confirm how many survived."


    "I see. The version sent to the main base must have been scant in detail then. Just be prepared for further questioning from them in the future."


    "I''ll keep that in mind father."


    "Still, how did that useless bastard not manage to kill a single one? He could have at least killed that one. I even gave him a description and told him to be wary and get rid of him first."


    "Excuse me, father, a description?"


    "Yes, what of it?"


    "Where was this exactly?" Zama meekly asked.


    "It was in the envelope with his orders, what of it?"


    "After reading your orders the letter with the orders alongside the envelope," Zama responded while trying his best not to make eye contact.


    The man referred to as Father Daniel simply groaned.


    "I should have expected as much. I suppose I''ll have to rid him some other time alongside that old geezer. Alright, you''re dismissed until I say otherwise."


    "As you wish father."


    The man named Zama promptly left.


    ("Still, that information regarding the black powder is quite interesting. Who knows what the main base will be able to cook up with that information.") The priest then chuckled to himself.


    <hr>


    It was dusty as always and as usual had a distinct lack of people. The only thing there that could even be classified as such was contained in a sack lying on a table with its head detached. On the upper floor, there were three people gathered in an office.


    The old man sitting at the table had his hands behind his back looking out of a window.


    "I think I''ll need some time alone." the old man told them.


    The two obliged and shortly left.


    "Say what are we going to do now?" Tibaut asked as they walked down the stairs.


    "We''ll start acting once word gets around of what happened. It''d be better if we''re all on the same page instead of seeking vengeance individually." She responded.


    "How long''s that gonna take?"


    "Tibaut we don''t even know who they are other than their description." She told him as she opened the door. "We have to be thorough with this or it might happen again."


    Tibaut did not attempt to argue, and they began their walk home.

 Chapter 80

    Over a day had passed since Tibaut had discovered the girls and Ezekiel''s body.


    Tibaut himself was lying in bed looking at the ceiling.


    "Man, I just don''t feel like getting up."


    He rolled over and covered himself in his sheet since it was starting to get colder at this time of the year. The day before didn''t help either.


    In the manor kitchen, Elizabeth was using the ingredients she could find in the kitchen to cook something up. Which was mostly rabbit meat and the bag of grain Tibaut brought back with him from the village he visited. She contemplated using the fresh fruits around the kitchen in her creation but thankfully decided against it. She''d pair whatever she made with some bread she made yesterday so they at least had something edible.


    "I can put this in soup and it should be fine, right?" She said as she held the bag of grain.


    She was in front of a pot over the kitchen''s fireplace. She looked at the grains and pot a few more times before throwing an arbitrary amount in.


    "Alright, maybe I should use a mixture of the frozen and smoked rabbit." She said while walking towards her chiller.


    "Still, this really is a mana glutton, that red-headed barbarian better be grateful for me doing this for him."


    She collected what she needed and threw it into the pot.


    She sat on a nearby stool, waiting an hour or two before tasting it.


    "Ugh, it needs some seasoning."


    She soon started scavenging through some cupboards and found only salt.


    "I''m not surprised about the other seasonings but is there really no black pepper? Whatever, as long as it''s edible it should be fine." She said while adding salt to the¡­ soup? stew?


    She tasted it a few times before putting it in some bowls. She put three bowls in a tray and began walking through the mansion.


    She reached her first destination and knocked on the door. No one replied so she left the bowl on the floor and moved on. Much of the same was happening at her next stop but it didn''t bother her in the slightest.


    Finally, she reached the last door which was located at the end of the mansion''s corridor.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    She knocked and surprisingly someone answered. The person who opened had some messy bedhead and was in clothes that looked a bit too small for her. The bags under her eyes made it seem as though she hadn''t slept in a while. It was Tina.


    "What the hell Elizabeth, I''m trying to get some sleep." She said in a low-energy tone.


    "Tina, it''s morning."


    The pink-haired woman walked outside her room and looked to a nearby window.


    "God damnit!"


    "For the time being, why don''t you eat something before you get some rest?"


    She handed the bowl towards her.


    Tina gave it a dubious look before asking


    "So what is this?"


    "Just taste it, and eat it with some bread," Elizabeth said annoyed before dropping a thick slice of bread in it.


    "By the way," she continued, "I''m going to be training with Tibaut later, if you still can''t sleep by then, you''re welcome to come."


    "After yesterday, I''ve seen how weak I am. So I''ll take you up on that." She said before closing the door with a lifeless look on her face.


    "Tch, why''d I mention that!?" Elizabeth said while walking as she slapped her forehead.


    As usual, Elizabeth showed no consideration to the male living in their midst and opened his door.


    "Get up."


    ("Maybe if I pretend I''m asleep she''ll leave.") He thought to himself while remaining still.


    He didn''t hear anything for a few moments and thought she had left. He was abruptly dragged out of his bed.


    "I saw you flinch when I opened the door."


    "Then just tell me to get up!" He shouted while getting back up.


    "Get cleaning."


    "What the hell? That''s all you came in here for? Call me when we know what we''re going to do about those cult guys." He said while going back to his bed.


    "We''ve left those rooms locked for a while so I was hoping you''d clean them bu-"


    "What rooms are you talking about?" He responded.


    "The ones the girls are in. But if you''d just leave them in dusty rooms, I suppose I misjudged your character."


    "Fine, I''ll do it." Tibaut snapped back and jumped back out of his bed.


    "Good, let''s get training in the meantime."


    "Huh?"


    "It''d be rude to clean them while they''re still in there so let''s do something to pass the time." She said as she grabbed him by his collar.


    Surprisingly Tibaut didn''t struggle as she walked out of the room with him.


    ("I already know being lazy isn''t going to get revenge so I suppose this isn''t all that bad. It''s honestly nice having someone who''ll have me train even if I complain. Hell if she was with me during my years travelling I''d probably have gotten revenge already.") He thought while giving a deprecating laugh.


    "Please, don''t laugh when I drag you, it''s a bit creepy."


    ("Says the bitch dragging me against my will to pummel me!") He thought while ensuring it stayed to himself.


    They soon reached outside and to Tibaut''s surprise, Tina was waiting outside on them.


    "Tch, look at you two, must be nice." She said while looking at Elizabeth dragging Tibaut around.


    They both weren''t sure what she meant by that and continued on like normal.


    "Hey, Tibaut, go clean her room since she''s left it."


    "Tch, already? Can''t I just stretch for a bit first?"


    "I didn''t know you like that, Tibaut. I honestly didn''t expect this from you." She said while pretending to be disappointed.


    "For fucks sake, I''ll clean it." He said before walking away with an irritated look on his face.


    As soon as he reached the front door he turned back and walked towards her.


    "By the way, where is it exactly?" He asked her while scratching his cheek and looking away.

 Chapter 81

    After spending a few minutes slaving away in the room Tina slept in Tibaut returned with the smell of cleaner thoroughly permeating him.


    "Oh, he''s just your errand boy. I thought he was more." Said Tina sounding somewhat disappointed.


    Elizabeth completely ignored her statement (which resulted in Tina glaring at her).


    "Um, Ms. Tina," Tibaut said before walking closer to her and lowering his voice "I know this is on me but you should probably be more careful with where you put your underwear or at least let me know if you want to clean your own room moving forward. Don''t worry I didn''t touch it but it felt odd cleaning around it when it was on the floor." He said before trying to quickly walk away.


    His face turned a shade of pink quite different from her hair and she grabbed Tibaut and started shaking him.


    "You¡­ don''t you dare mention this to anyone."


    Elizabeth, clearly unamused, grabbed him out of her clutches and began speaking to both of them.


    "Ready to get training, today I''ll go extra har- oh wait a minute."


    "What is it?" Asked Tibaut. He was wondering why she had stopped getting them amped up for training.


    She dragged him away a few meters and whispered in his ear which definitely flustered poor Tibaut. Her opening her mouth and her warm breath blowing on his ear caused him to quiver slightly. She looked at him with suspicion before saying what she needed to.


    "We''re going to have to tone it down today, Tibaut."


    Any other day this would have left Tibaut on his knees screaming thank you to the skies, but he was feeling pretty determined today, so he couldn''t help but make up his face.


    "Why does Ezekiel mean nothing to you?"


    "Alright let me speak in a language you can understand. Are you a dumbass, do you know how our training sessions look to the outside observers? If I tried that sort of training with her she''d know some things up with my healing magic."


    He looked over to Tina who was feeling quite left out after seeing them whisper to each other and occasionally hearing Ezekiel''s name.


    "Does that really matter at this point?"


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "If she says the wrong thing to the wrong person I could end up being sent away before we even begin planning on dealing with Ezekiel''s killers."


    "Tch, at least think about it. We aren''t the only ones who want revenge and could benefit from that kind of training." He said while whispering to her face.


    "That''s something for me to decide at my own discretion."


    She soon walked away and went back over to Tina.


    Tibaut sighed before joining them.


    "Maybe you guys are more buddy-buddy than I thought. I''m surprised Elizabeth, to think you of all people hunted down a man. I know there''s somewhat of a gap between us but this is just insulting. Do you think that little of your rival?" She said to Elizabeth.


    Tibaut turned to her in shock.


    "Rival? (Sorry Elizabeth but I don''t think going easy today is going to be an option.)"


    Elizabeth looked just as surprised before remembering something.


    "Oh yeah, you''re always saying something like that, aren''t you?" Said Elizabeth with not a single care on her face.


    "Why are you downplaying it like that, Liz." Said Tina with a terrifying look on her face.


    ("Well I suppose I can wait until they''ve both tired each other out so I can even have a chance in the training after.")


    "Listen, Liz, this guy seems pretty alright but if I wanna beat that guy in black, training with you is my best shot."


    Elizabeth didn''t look too concerned and responded to her.


    "The gap between us is not something that could be described as little. Even if we fought 100 times I''m unsure if you''d get a single win. What I would do to you would constitute a crime. Yet..." Elizabeth rolled her eyes before continuing, "There''s no point arguing with you over this since you won''t listen, so I suppose I''ll grant your request. See it yourself." Tina looked anxious yet had a smile on her face when told this. But Elizabeth continued "However you first have to beat Tibaut."


    The pink-haired girl clicked her tongue.


    "Hey redhead, get your ass over here already." She shouted at him. Her face hid none of the irritation that was currently and Tibaut damned Elizabeth with all his might before walking over to her. "You don''t mind if I use my weapon, since you have healing magic and all that, right Elizabeth?"


    "Please refrain from taking off his head or stabbing his heart please."


    "Woah, WAIT A MINNUUTE, Liz, I agreed to train not a deathmatch." Tibaut had not listened to a single word Elizabeth said to Tina and was currently a few moments away from filling his breeches.


    She looked directly into his face before giving a thumbs up and saying "Start."


    Tina immediately began rushing towards and Tibaut let loose a fire bolt towards her leg.


    ("Okay so she''ll probably dodge to the left and then I''ll have to deal with her inside of my blind spot, plus that spear seems like it''ll be a pain in the ass in general-")


    Then Tibaut''s thoughts came to a halt.


    It wasn''t because he had been stabbed or beheaded, you could say the opposite happened in fact. The fire bolt he had shot off as a momentary distraction in an attempt to control her movements had actually hit her.


    It hit her. How many days had it been since his magic had hit anyone? He stood there dumbfounded at what happened.


    Tina winced and moved back.


    "Damn, that comes out faster than I thought."


    She checked her wound and breathed a sigh of relief since it didn''t cause too much damage.


    She swung her spear downwards next and Tibaut easily dodged it to the side. He was surprised at how slow the attack came compared to Elizabeth''s punches.


    After those two interactions, Tibaut had a single thought in his mind.


    "Do I actually stand a chance?"

 Chapter 82

    Of course, if she got too close he wouldn''t be able to dodge, but for the first time since he had met Elizabeth, Tibaut felt he could actually win a fight.


    Now most people when doing anything competitive with someone who lost a loved one recently would, I don''t know, show some sympathy and maybe go easy on them. Like what absolute dickhead would see a person in mourning and decide to give 120%?


    Anyway, Tibaut exploded with enthusiasm against this chance. He almost felt as though his heart would explode from the excitement. He had long been victory-starved and today he was going to have a feast.


    He almost suicidally threw himself towards her. She tried to respond with her spear but was caught off guard. Tibaut landed a devastating blow on her face yet she didn''t move an inch. She quickly countered with the metal shaft of her spear and sent him going sideways for a few feet.


    ("I should have known it wouldn''t be that easy.") He thought as he picked himself up off the floor. Yet he couldn''t help but feel joy at the sight before him. She had staggered to her knees from the punch. Ah, how long has it been since someone reacted like that to his attacks?


    But he realized he couldn''t take it easy.


    ("But what the hell was that blow") He thought to himself as he was struggling to get up. He normally would have jumped to the side to lessen the blow of the impact but he felt paralyzed as soon as it touched him. He felt the side he was hit and realized that area of his shirt had been partially burnt.


    "That sure as shit wasn''t fire." He said.


    He noticed she was coming towards him and soon had an idea of what paralyzed him. Her spear was brimming with electricity.


    "Oh yeah, she mentioned that, didn''t she." He said before ducking the spear after her swing.


    Her expression soured slightly and she soon switched to stabbing motions which Tibaut was quick to evade from while firing off some fire lances.


    She avoided the ones to her abdomen but had a few hit an arm and a leg. She was really regretting not wearing her armour at this point, but she didn''t let the pain show on her face.


    Tibaut soon attempted another suicide rush and Tina watched him closely before lunging her spear. Amazingly Tibaut managed to jump onto her spearhead and used it as a launchpad to dropkick her.


    As soon as the kick hit her face moved one of her hands fast enough to touch his leg and hit him with her magic.


    The magic attack stopped his momentum, while she flew back. Within the next second, they both hit the floor.


    Tibaut did a kip-up with a cautious look on his face with his hair looking dishevelled from the electricity. Tina groggily got herself back up and picked up her spear which landed beside her. It didn''t look like this fight was going to end anytime soon...


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    After another thirty minutes or so of intense physical activity, Tibaut had his hands on his knees, sweating as he breathed heavily for air. Down on the ground was Tina, wincing in pain with various parts of her limbs looking as though they had been slammed with a boiling hot kettle.


    "Man, you really don''t run out of energy, huh." Tibaut blurted out while wiping the sweat from his brow. The euphoria of combat had faded and his conscious was starting to take over.


    "Hey Elizabeth, heal her already, it''d be cruel to leave her like this any longer!"


    "S-shut up." The pink-haired warrior responded trying to fight through the pain.


    "I can still fight," she tried to push herself off the ground but her arms were wobbly. "I need Elizabeth if I''m going to kill that bastard." Her throat forced out on the ground.


    Elizabeth rolled her eyes and walked over to her. She threw a glass bottle of water on her and swiftly healed her.


    "And I was saving this for a dire situation." She said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.


    Within seconds Tina felt her energy return to her and turned around shocked to Elizabeth.


    "What the hell?" Tina asked confused. "We were just training! How the hell could you use something so important for this?


    Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders.


    "It would honestly be more of a bother if you weren''t fully healed by the time we needed you. Besides I have a few of these left."


    "But this level of healing," Tina looked at her arms and legs. The only thing left was the burns on her borrowed clothes. Elizabeth also realised those burns were the only thing left and gave Tibaut a good smack as he was watching the farce in front of him.


    "That potion must have been expensive." She then sniffed her clothes. "It doesn''t even have a smell, all the stuff we can afford smells either bitter or minty."


    Elizabeth cleared her throat.


    "Well they were gifts from relatives, so it''s not too big of a deal to me."


    Tina looked at her in amazement for a few seconds before quickly fixing her expression.


    "Must be nice to use expensive stuff so willy-nilly."


    "Now, then do you see the gap between us?" Elizabeth asked.


    "I was fighting the redhead not you. Give me another round and I''ll be making him squeal."


    Elizabeth had to rub her forehead from the amount of cope she was hearing.


    "Say, Tina, were you trying to kill him?"


    The pink-haired girl soon began stammering.


    "A-wha- Well I''ll- okay you t-told me not to go for his head or um, heart and I didn''t hit them right?"


    "It certainly wasn''t because of a lack of trying." She responded back.


    "I''m sorry, Excuse Me!?" Tibaut tried to interject but the two ignored him.


    "While you were trying your best to defeat him as if you were battling in some savage coliseum, he made sure to use his weakest magic on you while only attacking whenever you showed the will to fight. If he wanted to, he could have killed multiple times during this fight."


    Tina remained silent about what her ''rival'' was saying.


    "What? Are saying I''m too weak to be of use to you guys? Are you saying I''m too weak to get revenge? Well I don''t care I''ll, I''ll get that bastard even if I have to throw away my life. Ezekiel took me and was one of the first people who said I-"


    Elizabeth raised her hand to cut her off. She soon walked over to her and placed it on the sitting Tina''s shoulder.


    "Tina, I''m not saying you''re weak. I just think you should train with Tibaut for the time being. Besides, you already know we don''t have much quality when it comes to the adventurers here so whether you wanted to or not, you''ll be taking part."


    Tina sulked before turning her head away.


    "Can I train with you if I beat him?"


    "As much as you''d like!" She replied with a smile on her face.


    Tibaut found the scene almost endearing. It was like watching an older sister comfort the younger after a tantrum from not buying something they wanted.


    "Wait a minute do I have to deal with her genuinely trying to kill me?" Tibaut asked his guild master.


    "I suppose I''ll give you a break from each other."


    "Oh than-"


    "I''ll just go ahead and fight you two instead."


    ("There really is no rest for the wicked, huh.") Tibaut thought to himself as he accepted his fate.

 Chapter 83

    Tibaut was dragging Tina with her leaning over his shoulder to the front door.


    From the colour of the sky outside, it seemed the sun was looking to set.


    Tina seemed absolutely knackered and Tibaut wasn''t much better.


    "How the hell do you survive that sort of training?" Tina asked, amazed at what they had gone through for the past few hours.


    "To be honest, I think that''s the first time she''s ever used her sword during training," Tibaut responded.


    They had both looked like they had seen a ghost.


    At first, they did quite well in their training and managed to overwhelm Elizabeth. Soon after, however¡­


    "Whew, you guys are actually working pretty well together. Since Tina here is using her spear, I suppose it''s time to bust out my sword." She said while smiling maliciously (at least that was their interpretation of it anyway).


    Neither could fully remember the horrors that followed but they were eternally grateful to whatever higher powers existed that they came back in one piece.


    As he started dragging her inside she started struggling.


    "Let me go already, I can walk on my own." She said.


    "Oh really now."


    He stopped supporting her and she looked like a foal trying to support itself after being birthed with how unsteady her legs were.


    She scowled at him for a few seconds before he had decided he had seen enough.


    He soon supported her again and started dragging her somewhere.


    "Hey redhead, where are we going?" she asked powerless to stop him.


    "I''m pretty sure with your pink hair you''d also qualify as a redhead but let''s not get side-tracked. (If orange can count, pink sure as hell can too.) I''m bringing you to your room."


    She almost immediately started struggling again.


    "Let me go you pervert! Aren''t Elizabeth and Vanessa enough for you!?"


    This statement peeved him so he decided to keep dragging her without saying a word.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Stop it already, I don''t want you."


    "No, you''re way too short."


    "I apologize for bad-mouthing you, but please just let me go."


    "Those were all jokes, I actually don''t mind short guys like you." She said in an especially unconvincing manner to the 5''11" Tibaut.


    With each sentence, Tibaut grimaced more and more. He soon had enough of this slander.


    "Could you shut up already?" he bluntly asked her.


    They soon reached the door of her room and Tibaut opened the door. At this Tina''s face was pale as a ghost and much to Tibaut''s delight she didn''t have a peep more to say.


    As if he was pretending to be a strongman, he lifted her up and threw her on her bed.


    She quickly turned around to face him but he was already on his way out.


    She breathed a sigh of relief now that she was finally free to open her mouth again.


    "You shouldn''t tell a woman to shut up, you know." She said while still steadying her breath.


    "Don''t worry you''re the only woman I''d say that to," Tibaut said before closing the door.


    As he was walking he thought to himself


    ("I mean, I guess I was in the wrong so maybe I should be the bigger man and just say sorry for scaring her. That''s right, needless animosity in a time like this is unneeded.")


    As soon as he reached her door he heard her mumbling about something.


    "So Elizabeth''s little boy-toy thinks he''s hot shit. He has a few decent moves and suddenly he thinks he can talk to me like that. Elizabeth better learn to train her mutt or I might make sure he can never open that mouth again."


    He was livid. The only reason he didn''t go in there and ask her what she meant by that statement was that he was too tired from the training with Elizabeth. In all his time living there, these few words had been one of the few things that peeved him.


    He walked away while keeping the sound of his footsteps to a minimum.


    (Man, I forgot how absolutely annoying some people can be. I swear if she had just kept her mouth shut while we were walking back I would have kept a neutral opinion of her. Now I''m not even sure I''d ever help her up if she was hanging off the side of a cliff.)


    Tibaut quickly went to his room and decided to go to sleep. He''d wake up with a cool head and calmly think about it tomorrow.


    He couldn''t sleep. The more he''d try to stop thinking about it, the more he''d think and the more it''d piss him off. It was like an endless cycle of annoyance he could not escape.


    It was now dark out and he had given up on sleep. Suddenly he heard something move outside. No one usually came on this side of the floor at these hours so he felt the need to investigate this (crack open his door to look outside).


    ("I suppose I need something to keep my mind off her.")


    He then got up off his bed and slowly peered outside.


    He saw nothing out of the ordinary and fully opened it. At the end of the hallway, he saw a figure in black go down the stairs.


    He had no thoughts in his head and simply chased after him. He fired a fireball into the hallway behind him and it exploded, but thankfully it didn''t hit anything.


    Down to the second floor he caught up to the figure and fired a fire lance at them. Before it could hit another figure blocked the blast with a small metal shield. It was another figure in black. Another soon appeared. And another.


    All in all, there were eight figures present.


    "What the hell is this!?" Tibaut shouted at them.


    A ninth figure that appeared behind him spoke.


    "Well, I heard there was a real nasty one here so I decided to bring some insurance."


    The ninth man responded.


    He knew. Although he had no way of verifying it, he knew. Even though he was now holding a weapon in his hands instead of showing up bare-handed, he''d stake his life on this feeling.


    He was the one who killed Ezekiel.

 Chapter 84

    Almost instantly Tibaut summoned all the fireballs he could muster. The lights from them fully illuminated the surroundings to the point it was almost blinding; the other eight quickly made themselves sparse while the man in the mask just casually watched on.


    "BURN IN HELL ASSHOLE"


    He dropped the cluster of five fireballs on the man and the shockwave of the explosion sent him flying back a few feet.


    He didn''t know what this place was made out of but the floor was still intact from his attack. While looking up at the blackened floor, he said "Is he dead?"


    There was a thick smoke covering some parts so he''d have to wait a bit until they cleared to check if he was dead.


    Then he felt a tap on his shoulder.


    He tried his best to move away and got back on his feet. He looked at the figure before him. Half of his cloak had been burnt but other than that he seemed peachy.


    "Bit slow for a finishing move don''t you think?" The man in black commented as he rubbed his chin. "But I suppose you''ll make a fine appetizer for tonight''s main course."


    He said as he pulled out something.


    It was a knife. But it was far more different and crueller than Ezekiel''s bowie knife. It was a stiletto. It looked like a really thick ice pick attached to a hilt. That thing wasn''t for cutting meat or slicing opponents. It solely existed for stabbing.


    Tibaut didn''t care about any of the words he was saying and launched a few fire lances at him. The man easily dodged them in an acrobatic-looking movement but was taken by surprise when he saw a fist moving to his face. He blocked it with his stiletto and Tibaut was surprised by how sturdy it felt. The man in black swept his legs and aimed for his chest while he was still on the ground, but Tibaut swept him off his feet instead and rolled away. The two men soon got back to their feet though Tibaut was looking more out of breath than his opponent.


    "What? Did you do some cardio today?" The man remarked.


    Tibaut gritted his teeth and launched a fire lance at his face, but he simply blocked it with the stiletto. Not only did he block the attack with his finger-thick blade but the weapon didn''t seem any worse for it except for some soot on it. The man held it out sideways as if to say "See, no bending or cracks".


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Was it one of those special weapons Elizabeth had told him about? No, this wasn''t any time to get sidetracked. As he took a step forward, another of the black cloaks stepped in front of him. He seemed like he was going to use some magic but Tibaut simply put his hand on the man''s chest and hit him with a point-blank fireball. This sent the cloaked lackey flying and also left Tibaut reeling from the pain of damaging his hand. A few of the other cloaked figures gathered around their comrade and dropped green-looking liquid out of some bottles onto his opened chest.


    The man in black, face palmed at this.


    "What the hell did you think you could have done against him, huh dumbass? Oh, he''s passed out." He said as he looked at his comrade. "Anyway, the rest of you stay back, this seems like it''ll actually be pretty fun."


    He soon wiped the soot off of his stiletto and began walking over to Tibaut.


    His hand was broken beyond use and the pain was raging through his body. He was amazed he had gone through this pain once before and still had the energy to keep moving.


    ("Shit, I lost most of my energy when I trained with Elizabeth.") He thought while watching the man approach. He wasn''t sure if he''d even be able to keep himself standing if this kept going for five minutes. ("Tch, looks like I''ll have to bank on that.")


    Based on what he saw, the only major threat was the original man in black. The others all seemed to be lackeys. So what he had to guarantee victory was simply. Take the bastard out for good. He was lucky he decided to fight him one-on-one but based on what he said earlier, the group''s target was Elizabeth. But what if they find anyone else? Would they just let them walk away? He couldn''t take that risk. So he resolved himself and stood there waiting for him to come. He knew there was only one way he was going to get the chance to kill him. He''d wait until the man in black attacked him and try to go for a mutual strike with his remaining good hand. Even if the lackeys use that liquid on him it seems he''ll still be knocked for a while. But this mutual strike would only work if Tibaut could survive the blow in the first place. Earlier he aimed for his heart so he''ll probably try the same this time.


    ("Can I survive if he stabs my chest? Who cares!? I''ll land that blow on him even if I have to do it from the afterlife!")


    "Why''d you stop moving? Shit your pants?" the man black said as he approached.


    Tibaut''s body tensed up.


    ("Get ready for it")


    The man in black soon backed away and the rest of his group that were still conscious soon circled around Tibaut.


    "What the?" Tibaut mouthed before hearing the reason for the group''s sudden caution.


    "What are you scum doing in my home!?"


    The person behind him was Elizabeth. She was looking ready to kill with her sword drawn and her armour on.


    "Took you long enough," Tibaut said, breathing a sigh of relief.


    "Well the first explosion had me wondering if you were up to buffoonery so I had to check it out." She looked at his damaged hand and continued "A few more moments and you would have tried something reckless."


    "Wait, how did you know?!"


    "I haven''t seen you emit bloodlust like that since the end of our first fight."

 Chapter 85

    He started rubbing his head.


    "It was that obvious?"


    "You''d have to be an amateur not to notice."


    The man black spoke to them.


    "Ow, man. Why''d you go and cool him off for? I can almost guarantee something interesting was going to happen." He said in a playful tone.


    Soon one of his subordinates whispered something in his ear.


    Even with his mask on you could tell his face started shifting at whatever he was being told.


    "tsk, fine."


    His whole mood suddenly changed and his playful demeanour was thrown to the wayside.


    He tightened up his stance and his eyes seemed focused.


    The surrounded pair noticed this and Tibaut soon prepared himself. Elizabeth didn''t look too concerned by this and grabbed his hand.


    "You don''t expect to fight like this do you?"


    Tibait quickly pulled it back.


    "Oi, wait a minute. In front of these guys?" He asked discreetly.


    "What does it matter, they''re all gonna be dead anyway." She responded as if it was already decided.


    Tibaut wasn''t too confident in this, so he did what he thought was best for the moment. He took his shirt and used it to hide both their hands.


    "Tibaut." She said in a low voice after having her hand wrapped in his sweaty and somewhat sooty shirt.


    "Just do it already."


    She scoffed and healed him fully, but the light was hidden by the shirt. Those in black watching didn''t know what to think of this sight. After all, what was the point of the shirt? The man in black with the burnt cloak was first to respond.


    "I see. Is it a ritual of some kind? How archaic. I wonder how many times you''ll be able to do it?"


    The pair that was surrounded both had to hold in their amazement at his confidently incorrect assessment. They unwrapped their hands and Elizabeth, seeing an opportunity, responded "So what? There''s no way to tell the ones that still work today and those that don''t. Even if you have an encyclopedic knowledge of them, there is too much overlap to know the one I''m using for certain. As long as you don''t know the conditions, how will you stop me from doing it again?"


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He didn''t respond and the figures around started closing in.


    "At least let me put my shirt back on," Tibaut said while breathing heavily.


    ("It seems his stamina is still low. Looks like I''ll have to be the one putting most of the work now on.") Elizabeth thought as she readied herself.


    Just as she said that something neither of them could predict happened.


    Tibaut was pulled away from her to directly in front of the head honcho.


    "What the?" He looked at the man''s hand and noticed something in his hand. Due to the darkness, he never noticed it but it was a string thinner than a hair.


    ("Did he really drag me here with that"!?)


    He quickly burned it using some fire magic he put on his finger and quickly tried to back away. All the man in black did was go "hmph" before landing a blow in his stomach.


    A moment later Tibaut heard the sound of glass breaking behind him with a few coughs after.


    He wanted to see what was going on but it seemed like he was going to have his hands full.


    A kick flew to his head that he was able to barely guard.


    ("Shit are these steel-toed!?") He thought as he heard an unpleasant cracking sound come from his arm. He tried to gain some distance but the man wouldn''t let him. He grabbed his shirt in an attempt to stop him and Tibaut used the opportunity to tackle him and push him back. The man in black came back with another kick and Tibaut responded with one of his own. Their legs connected and the sound of them hitting was noticeable. They stood there for a moment before making their next move. The man pushed himself straight towards Tibaut while Tibaut positioned himself for an uppercut. Shockingly the man jumped over Tibaut in his attack. Tibaut himself took a moment to realize what had happened and turned around right into his kick. It was amazing he was even standing after that but the onslaught wasn''t over. Tibaut barely moved his hand in front of his face in time to stop the stiletto. It was just a few centimetres away from his eye. The stab to his hand left him gritting his teeth but the man in black wasn''t done. He kicked Tibaut in the stomach but he saw this as a blessing. He used the force of his kick to gain distance and was now several meters away from him.


    He looked back to his hand and muttered


    "That''s all, you bastard?"


    The man responded with a single glance. They both soon ran back to each other. Though Tibaut fired off some of his magic, none of it hit and they were forced back into hand-to-hand combat. Tibaut had now somewhat gotten used to his movements and parried attacks he couldn''t before.


    He tried to create a fireball behind the black marauder but the man quickly dispersed it by stabbing into it and in the same motion aimed a kick for Tibaut''s head. Tibaut blocked while also realizing why his surprise attack didn''t work.


    ("Damnit, the light it produces is too obvious.")


    As if laser-guided his stiletto soon made its way into Tibaut''s chest, specifically towards his heart. Tibaut knocked the weapon away, by striking his hand and launched a close-range fireball. The man tried to stab it but soon realized he wasn''t the target. It was the ground to the side of them. The blast knocked them both away.


    ("If I were even a few inches closer, I''d be dead right now.") Tibaut thought as he picked himself up. Around him was covered in the smoke of the blast.


    Before the dust from the blast could even settle he narrowly dodged the villainous-looking weapon, getting only a nick on his neck. Releasing the disadvantage he was at here he quickly jumped out.


    There he didn''t see his opponent, but an odd sight instead.

 Chapter 86

    The seven or so black-cloaked enemies that were surrounding Elizabeth seemed to all be intact. No missing limbs, no visible slashes and none dead. Tibaut knew it hadn''t been long, but he was sure at least one of them would be on the floor during his scuffle with their leader.


    But the thing that stood out to him the most was Elizabeth. He didn''t know what happened but as he watched her, she seemed unnaturally sluggish. While it wasn''t enough for those surrounding to have a clear advantage, there was equilibrium between them. Neither side was dominating the other.


    "What the hell are you doing, Elizabeth!?" He asked almost on instinct due to the sight before him.


    She was breathing heavily as she held them off and only seemed to get a sentence off while she focused on her.


    "It should wear off soon, just hold on!" She said as she blocked with her blade and landed a kick on another.


    ("Wear off soon? Did they hit her with some sort of spell?") He thought to himself as he watched what was happening in front.


    He was soon interrupted by his opponent and had to block his knife by grabbing his hand.


    The man in black slowly pushed the stiletto into his face as Tibaut struggled to stop him. He tried for a low blow with his knee but the man in black stopped it with his own. The two with their hands preoccupied, started kneeing each other trying to push the situation in their favor. Tibaut soon managed to raise both their arms and hit the man with a headbutt, then soon after backing away and launching multiple attacks. He fired a fireball and a few fire lances. He lost sight of him and quickly noticed the stiletto aimed for his side. He managed to stop it by using his hand as a shield and was soon thankful he did.


    ("He was going for a liver blow with that?")


    The man pulled the blade out and kicked him away. He tried to make his way towards Elizabeth but Tibaut fired off another fireball.


    "Who said we were done?"


    Even though it wasn''t loud, Tibaut clearly heard him mutter "Damnit" under his breath after he looked to his side and jumped through a nearby window.


    When he looked in the direction the man in black had, the lackeys occupied with Elizabeth seemed to be in way worse shape than he had seen them in earlier and followed their leader by jumping out nearby windows as well.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Tch, they must be running away," Elizabeth said as she looked outside one of the windows.


    "What are we waiting for? Let''s chase them!" Tibaut responded while climbing through one of the windows.


    Elizabeth quickly grabbed him and pulled him back inside. He looked offended but she paid it no mind as she healed him.


    "It''d be pointless at this point, especially considering your current condition."


    "What are¡­you..."


    Tibaut leaned against a nearby wall and slowly slid down. He held his hand against his head while mumbling.


    "While I can heal your wounds, your stamina is another matter. Besides, if I chase them down, I might end up somewhere they can fight on their own terms. Still, how did those bastards know that''d work on me?"


    Tibaut wanted to ask what she meant by this but he was out of it. Yet took all the energy he still had keeping his eyes open.


    Elizabeth picked him up and threw him over her shoulder.


    "Though it isn''t ideal to lose you before I can confirm they''ve truly left, Tina and Lily should make for a viable substitute in the meantime."


    He tried to respond but at this point, his eyes were closed. A moment later she could hear snoring.


    "I might have to go easier on him if this is something we''re gonna have to worry about." She looked at him while lugging him, "why don''t you take better care of yourself? Your hair''s already reaching your knees and your nails are unclipped. You''re not a wildman anymore, geez."


    The night passed with no more incidents and day soon arrived.


    "Are you serious, that''s what all that noise was about?" Asked Vanessa, seeing Elizabeth off at the front door.


    "These cultists are getting more brazen by the day." Said Elizabeth. She was checking a bag on her side to ensure she had the papers she needed on her.


    Vanessa curiously pulled one out and looked at the figure drawn on it.


    "So it was him?"


    "What I remember of him anyway. I drew it an hour after he left so it might not be the most accurate, but we need something to give the others that isn''t just a description."


    Elizabeth took the paper back from her hands and placed it in her bag.


    "Enough time should have passed. Wake Tibaut up and have him, Tina and Lily watch the place"


    "Ugh, Lily isn''t doing too good so I''m not too happy with that idea. Can''t Bayley do it?"


    "No. She isn''t too useful in a fight and her magic makes it difficult to work with others. The best thing she can do right now is investigate the mansion with Merrill to see if they can find anything to trace us to them."


    "Fine, just let her take breaks every now and again."


    "What do you take me for? They all can take breaks if they want, just tell them to keep an eye open for anything suspicious."


    Vaneesa''s face looked relieved when she heard this.


    "Well, be careful out there, Liz. They must have been something for none of them to be dead after facing you."


    Elizabeth had a pained expression on her face after hearing this.


    "I suppose you''re not wrong."


    She soon closed her bag and went on her way.


    Vanessa closed the door and soon stopped at the stairs of the mansion.


    "Man, I''ve been busy with Lily lately. I wonder how Tibaut''s doing. He looked like he really hit it off with Ezekiel." She looked up the stairs and slapped her cheeks (the ones on her face), "Alright, let''s cheer him up!"

 Chapter 87

    Elizabeth walked through the forest with a grimace on her face for the entire way. Now that no one was around she didn''t feel like keeping her calm. As she walked past the trees she''d slash at them to relieve her anger.


    "How the hell did they know!?"


    She kept slashing the trees she walked by, which was making quite a ruckus in the area. So much so that someone noticed.


    "Ohoho, what was that?" Said a voice that was more curious than scared.


    Elizabeth felt slightly embarrassed and wanted to move away from them but she recognized the voice.


    "Mr. Bentley? What are you doing out here?"


    "Oh, it''s you Elizabeth. Please have some consideration for the local wildlife."


    Her cheeks blushed slightly from embarrassment but she pushed past that topic.


    "More importantly, what are doing out here Mr. Bentley?"


    He glanced at her with the same jolly expression as always.


    "Well, now that I think about it, this is convenient. I came here to see how the girls are doing. Ezekiel considered them like family so I have to at least discuss his funeral with them."


    "Oh, I see. I must say, you seem to be taking this better than I thought."


    He fanned his hand.


    "To be honest, I''m surprised it didn''t happen sooner. Ever since he became an adventurer, I steeled myself, prepared for him not to come home one day. I''ve had so many friends die back in the day, I thought this wouldn''t be any different," his smile slightly faltered and he looked to the ground "It just caught me off guard is all. I wouldn''t want him to cry over my death and he wouldn''t want me to cry over his either. The least I can do is make good on that mutual trust."


    Elizabeth stood there in shock, not sure what to say to the old man who was at least 4x her age.


    "Enough of that negative talk dearie, you asked me, but what are you doing out in this forest? Cutting lumber for some villagers? Or are you stocking some up to dry before the place starts snowing?


    "Oh, no. I had something to talk to you about."


    She started taking something out of the bag on her side and the old watched in curiosity.


    "Is it about those cultists? Did you learn something new about them?"


    "Well, I''m not sure if it''s something new or I have a better understanding of what they''re trying to do."


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Well, why don''t we walk back and discuss?" He said as he continued in the direction of Elizabeth''s mansion.


    Elizabeth pulled out the image of the man in black she had drawn and followed him.


    ****************************************************************************************


    "Tibaut!" Shouted Vanessa outside of his room. "Wake up already, you aren''t the type of guy to let some delicate ladies do hard work by themselves are you?"


    No response.


    She pressed her head against the door but didn''t hear a sound.


    "Is that bastard really doing this?" She tried to open the door but realized it was locked.


    "Tch, don''t tell me he''s doing that in there. It''s alright to be embarrassed but at least respond to me. You know what, for not responding to me he deserves a little punishment."


    She soon pulled a lockpicking kit out of her pocket. Why did she have a lock-picking kit in her pocket? It was a hobby of hers to make them to test her fine motor skills and general precision (When the other girls bathed, she''d be too rowdy and they eventually decided to lock her out if she wasn''t there when they started. She also had a habit of not locking the door after she entered but we''re getting off-topic).


    After putting a wave rake in the keyhole and moving it in and out a few times the door was open.


    "Now let''s get a good look at it. Huh?"


    Contrary to what she believed, Tibaut was not actually wrestling with his sausage. He was in his bed covered up, sleeping without making a peep.


    "Don''t screw with me Tibaut, I know you''re awake." She shouted.


    With no response, she pulled his sheet off of him.


    "Don''t those things at least stand up in the morning?" She said with a disappointed look on her face while looking below his belt.


    She sat on the bed and slapped his face.


    "Wake up already, if someone attacks us you''re our best hope!"


    She was starting to wonder if something had been done to him that night. Elizabeth said he only tired himself out, but was that true? She couldn''t help but feel worried that he was drugged or hit with some nasty magic.


    She however quickly discarded this thought when she saw his face. It was tranquil and didn''t have an ounce of discomfort on it. Even though she just slapped him.


    "What, are you saying my slaps don''t hurt you!?" She shouted.


    After shouting she soon had a mischievous grin on her face. She took her pants off, revealing her underwear, and kept her shirt on (since nothing was under it).


    "This''ll wake him up alright. Hehehehe, when he asks I''ll go "Oh you don''t remember this morning? I thought you said you wanted kids?". Hehehhe."


    The cruel woman laughed to herself before she snuggled up to him.


    She didn''t expect it to happen quickly but the payoff would be well worth it (In her mind anyway).


    But something she didn''t expect to happen took place instead. Tibaut grabbed her. Well, it was more of a hug but it left the problem of her not being able to free herself. She tried to escape but his grasp around was too strong.


    "Damnit you prick let me go already."


    As she said this Tibaut was in a half-awake state.


    "Come on¡­Vanessa don''t be¡­ so rough with me."


    This sentence stopped Vanessa in her tracks.


    "Is he dreaming about me?" Vanessa blushed slightly at the thought of this.


    "I mean, of course, he would. I''d be surprised if it was anyone else." She said as she fought her embarrassment.


    Not over how embarrassed she was feeling, Tibaut brought his face closer to hers. She could feel her heart beating but didn''t try to move away. His soft breath blew in her face and his lips looked so...inviting.


    ("I mean, it''s been a while since I''ve dated someone and he isn''t so bad.") She thought to herself as she moved her face closer.


    Just as their lips were about to touch, Tibaut''s eyes focused on her before looking around the room. He looked down at her lower half and nearly fainted.


    "Wha-WHAT HAPPENED!?" His expression was pale and he was trying to find words, "DID WE ACTUALLY DO ALL THAT!?"

 Chapter 88

    After a few minutes of blankly staring off into space, Vanessa started laughing awkwardly.


    "Hehe I can''t believe you fell for that, I wonder what you were dreaming about me to fall so silent. (How''d I nearly let myself get taken in while he was asleep!? Am I that desperate?)" She said as she did her best to appear smug.


    Tibaut quickly snapped out of it and blushed while hiding his face in his hands.


    "Y-you heard all that?" He asked with a deathly look on his face.


    "I mean I just heard my name and I put together what you were dreaming about."


    "Pft, whatever. (Thank God, she didn''t hear what I was saying in the middle of the dream. I think I''d have to find a hole to die in.)


    She soon explained why her pants were off and Tibaut flicked her on the forehead.


    "Get off of me already, you''re heavy." He said.


    "Can you guess where most of it is?" she said as she pushed her chest into him.


    He pushed her off and got up to his feet.


    "Why the hell are you here anyway? The only things I know of that harass men in their sleep are succubi and last time I checked you''re missing some wings and a tail. Is sexual harassment a hobby of yours?"


    "Sexual harassment? Oh, I read about that in a book I have, are you enjoying it when I do stuff like this? I can do it more if you''d like."


    "Tsk, you really did wake me up for nothing." He commented in an annoyed tone.


    "Oh no, Elizabeth said you''re supposed to watch outside the mansion while she''s gone."


    "Why''d it take you this long to tell me this!?" He asked with a blank expression.


    After forcing her to put on back her pants they went downstairs only to be greeted by Elizabeth and Mr. Bentley coming through the front door.


    Tibaut quickly grabbed Vanessa and started giving her a noogie.


    "You bitch, you really did do that for no good reason!"


    Elizabeth looked at them before bringing Mr. Bentley over to the area of the mansion where the girls were located to the girls.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Wait, help me out here, Liz!" The short dark woman pleaded.


    A few hours had passed since then and Vanessa and Tibaut were hanging out in an empty room.


    "You sure you''re okay, Tibaut?" She asked.


    "As much as I hate to admit it, I kinda get over things like this quickly. The only thing I want to do at this moment is kill that bastard.."


    "Just know you can lean on my shoulder if you''d like." She said while lying upside down on the couch they were on.


    "Anyway, I''m surprised you''re doing fine." He responded.


    "Well, it''s not like I knew him super well. I''d fix his weapons now and then and at first he wasn''t too thrilled with Lily hanging out with me but eventually let it slide. You and Elizabeth are way closer to him than I ever was."


    "Really? I''m not gonna lie, you two seemed like you would have been buddies."


    She squinted her eyes at him.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "You know exactly what I''m saying." He responded.


    They continued their conversation for a while until they saw the old man walk by due to the room''s door being open.


    "Guess they''re finished."


    "I guess they are. I''m gonna go check up on Lily. Later." She said while waving her hand.


    As Tibaut was leaving the room he noticed Tina walking by with some tear stains on her face.


    "Uh, sorry about yesterday."


    "Don''t worry about it." She responded before lifelessly walking away.


    ("I guess this isn''t exactly the time for this.") He thought as he watched her.


    ****************************************************************************************


    A day or so passed and adventurers from around the parish were gathered.


    "Let''s kill the bastards!" One voice shouted.


    "Calm down and let him finish Furor." Another responded.


    The adventurers guild building, unlike most days, was quite lively today. Over forty people were gathered in it and various hushed whispers and discussions were happening.


    In front of all of them, an old man was speaking.


    "As I''ve said earlier I''ve sent a letter to the capital requesting some assistance though I''m not sure how quickly they''ll respond. We have no idea where these people are so I''d like for us to be on the same page. I''d like for those who were involved in tracking them down previously to help us out again. Also, it seems he wasn''t their only target."


    All the conversations in the crowd stopped and they brought their full attention to the old man.


    "Just the other day they targeted Elizabeth."


    Various faces turned to her.


    "Did you get them?" Furor asked with a gruff voice.


    She turned her face away while gritting her teeth.


    "Seriously!?" "They fought her and escaped?" "For real?" "Who are these guys?" "Weren''t these guys pretty weak?"


    "Thankfully she came from it not too worse for wear. But you can see we aren''t dealing with the average cult members if they can escape from Elizabeth with none dead." He paused before continuing "However, we''ve concluded something from this. We''d like this to be wrong but we believe they''re targeting other adventurers. Now I don''t want to alarm any of you but have you noticed any of your members being missing or taking longer to come back from their assignments than they should have?"


    Several faces seemed like they had an idea of someone when he said that. Some looked distraught, others turned to those beside them to discuss and one even ran out the building, as if to start his own search.


    "I see. This doesn''t seem targeted. On an individual level at least. My guess is, they want to get rid of all adventurers in the parish."


    The room began filling up with anxious and angered mumbles and conversations.

 Chapter 89

    Worried conversations and looks spread around the room like wildfire. More of them had decided to leave the building and go God knows where. Some seemed like they were having a breakdown and either curled up on the floor or curled up in a ball leaning against a wall. Others paced around the room, thinking about what to do next.


    "I know Eater''s Mound isn''t known for its adventurers, this is just pathetic," Elizabeth commented as she watched them.


    "Come on Elizabeth, you know most of these guys aren''t as serious about this as we are." Commented the plain-looking Jake.


    "OI, WHERE DO YOU LIMPDICKS THINK YOU''RE GOING!!?!?" Shouted the ever-as-loud Furor looking at those who were making their way to the exit.


    They stopped and stood around awkwardly.


    Unfazed by what had happened Mr. Bentley continued what he was saying.


    "Now, it isn''t as if I don''t have a plan to prevent any losses."


    Those still listening perked their ears.


    "While this doesn''t guarantee that there won''t be any more attacks, it will at the very least protect the lower ranked guilds." He then walked over to the guild reception area and pulled some papers from behind the counter.


    "Now, all guilds ranked lower than number four are going to be living in this town."


    "How does that help?" one person asked before being hit on the head by the person next to them as if he asked a dumb question.


    "Numbers. If we gather all other guilds to live in the town there should be no worry about the cultists deciding to fight the weaker among you."


    Another adventurer raised his hand.


    "My, it seems someone finally decided to show some manners. Yes, go ahead with your question."


    "Um, old man Bentley, are you sure this is going to work? Isn''t it more convenient for them to have us all in one place?"


    "But you''re not all going to be in one place."


    "?"


    "I said everyone except the top four guilds, remember? They will stay where they usually have been."


    Yet again murmurs started.


    "Huh? Why?"


    "Why else? To draw the attention of the cult to themselves for the time being. While I don''t know how long headquarters are going to take to help, the cultist shouldn''t be able to take down four of our finest before then."


    Stolen story; please report.


    The room fell silent. He said exactly what they were thinking. They were going to be sacrificed to protect them.


    The three leaders of the four guilds in question didn''t seem that bothered by the announcement. In fact, Jake and Elizabeth were having a casual chat while Furor glared at them.


    "Now then, I''d like for you to fill out these forms so we can place your guild in a building. I''m asking the guild leaders or members who might be the only ones here to form a line in front of me to fill out the form. Oh, I said form twice."


    Various people stepped forward and formed a line in front of him.


    "This is boring as hell, when are we going to discuss how to kill those bastards?" Furor said as he looked at the line.


    "I think they''ll be a lot more willing to fight if they can guarantee they won''t be killed in their sleep," Elizabeth responded.


    "Huh? Who gives a shit about these small fries? If these bastards would run away just because they''re afraid it some bastards might show up to their house, we don''t need them."


    "And do any of us have any decent trackers to locate them?"


    He started scratching his head.


    "You have Lily right? Plus don''t you have one Jake?"


    "Yea-"


    Elizabeth cut off the plain-looking man.


    "So that''s two. Do you not think it''d be better to give them someplace safe and ask for their help locating them?"


    "Tch, so that''s the point of this. So we''re forcing them to fight for safety?"


    "No, they''ll only help us locate them. They''ll take no place in the fighting."


    "Huh? Then what about the non-tracker ones?"


    "They can stay here for the time being."


    "What a load of horseshit." He commented. "So we''re gonna be bait, and they''re not even gonna have the decency to help us out when the time comes? Did Ezekiel mean nothing to these fucks?"


    "That''s just the way it''s gonna be. Besides, what adventurers would want to force people to risk their lives?"


    "Come on, this is some bullshit she''s spitting, right!?" He said while looking at Jake.


    ("Why is he bringing me into this?")


    For the next hour or so ? of the adventurers present were sitting at the various tables, writing down the information they needed to move to the town.


    "Um," Jake spoke up.


    Elizabeth and Furor looked at him.


    "How did Mr. Bentley get space for them in the first place? I mean, I don''t think anything adventuring-related has been doing so hot in the parish recently."


    "That''s right Elizabeth, can the old man even afford this sort of thing? Why don''t we just send those useless bastards out of the parish?"


    "Tch," she looked around before lowering her voice and continuing. "It''s not like the people in town could refuse."


    They looked at her inquisitively.


    "How many guards have you seen here since you decided to be an adventurer?"


    Furor was the first to respond.


    "You don''t mean?"


    "What you''re thinking is correct. The guards here are so understaffed and so little happens here to begin with that we''re basically the ones who are responsible for keeping the peace. Think about it, nothing happens here other than farming and the noble who''s responsible for Eater''s Mound is always on vacation. If we fall, the cultists will have this place for who knows how long."


    "Seriously? Aren''t we on a border with what''s it called again¡­Hyland?" Jake asked, also keeping his voice low.


    "Sure but we''ve been at peace for a hundred years plus, I''ve heard the land on the border isn''t particularly useful. We''re not a southern nation so land grabs aren''t too common here, Jake, you should have known that by now."


    "Still" Furor interjected as he pointed to the adventurers around "These guys are the only ones stopping this place from being a cultist paradise?"


    "Essentially."


    "Shit, no wonder those bastards targeted here." He said as put his hand on his forehead.

 Chapter 90

    "Elizabeth, were these guys really strong enough to escape from you?" Furor asked as they watched various adventurers filling out forms at the tables.


    Her face soured when she heard and took a few moments to respond.


    "Don''t worry about it. What they did against me, could only be done against me. You guys should fare better."


    "What do you mean, Elizabeth?" Jake asked.


    She looked around the room and whispered "I''ll tell you what happened in detail, somewhere private later."


    "It''s that serious?"


    "It''s that serious!!?!?"


    They both responded with one of them substantially louder than the other.


    They soon went back to watching the adventurers around them. Jake eventually took out a notepad and started making notes of some kind. Elizabeth herself decided to pass the time by doing a wall sit. At first, Furor stood patiently but as the minutes passed he started tapping one of his feet. He soon started grinding his teeth as he crossed his arms. After another few, he opened his mouth.


    "Tch, fuck this. Oi old man, when the hell are we gonna talk about killing those bastards!!!" He shouted in the direction of Mr. Bentley.


    Elizabeth shook her head and Jake looked away in an attempt to not be associated with him.


    "Hmm, I suppose we can start discussing that now, we have been wasting time on getting these forms signed when we could have done both." He said in a carefree tone.


    ("Then why didn''t you start when they were handed out?") most of the room thought to themselves.


    "First off, fighting them isn''t going to be mandatory. We will ask you all for help locating them but after that, it is your own choice. As for locating them, that will be discussed in detail later this week with the trackers of your various guilds. For the time being, if you have no intentions of fighting you may leave now. If you''d like you can bring the forms back here later today."


    Several people soon got up and left the building. However, including the ones that left before only about ? of them were gone.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "What the hell''s the hold-up!?" Furor shouted at them. "Don''t act brave now, you little bastards, I saw how some of you were crying before and rushing for the door to cry in some whore''s chest. Get the fuck out! I don''t want to work with a single one of you bastards if you don''t even have the balls to stand your ground after hearing what the old man said."


    Most of the people in the building held their heads down in shame but did not attempt to leave.


    Irate at this point he grabbed one of them and tried to drag him out but he refused to budge.


    "What the hell are you doing? I saw go towards the door earlier, so get the fuck out!"


    "no."


    "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?"


    "i said no." the average-height man with white hair responded.


    Furor looked like he was trying to glare a hole through him but the young man continued.


    "Of course, I tried to run away. Who wouldn''t after being told we were being hunted down? But¡­" He seemed to be struggling to get the words but another man walked up next to him and patted his shoulder. "They killed Ezekiel. He was the person who showed me the ropes as soon as I came here. My parents always told me being an adventurer here was worse than being a farmer but I held onto my dream of eventually making it to the capital if I tried hard enough and Ezekiel told me my dream wasn''t so far-fetched. He said I had potential and always accepted my requests if I wanted to spar with him. If I ran away from these guys I don''t know how I''d face him in the afterlife."


    Someone else spoke up.


    "As if I''d just let those bastards kill the man we all looked up to, just because I''m scared. Not only have they killed Ezekiel but possibly one of my own as well? I don''t care how strong they are, I''m gonna kill them if it''s the last thing I do."


    More and more people began speaking up to Furor explaining why they were staying behind to fight.


    Furor let go of the young man he was holding and muttered "whatever" before returning to Elizabeth (who was giggling at him) and Jake.


    "I suppose I spoke too soon about them," Elizabeth said.


    "Shut up," Furor responded.


    "Thank you, Mr. Graham, for testing the mettle of those who remained. They seemed quite roused up now. I hope you can do the same when they''re staring down the enemy." The old man said in a gentle tone.


    "My name''s Furor you senile fart." He shouted back.


    "Now, now, considering you seem ready to go another round with this cult and these new lackeys they''ve sent out, I suppose it''s time to get our discussion under the way."


    ****************************************************************************************


    Tibaut was standing in front of a door. He looked indecisive on whether to walk away from it or not.


    "What am I doing here? This is probably only going to rock the boat even further."


    Moved a foot to walk away but stopped it mid-air.


    "I''m not really good at these sorts of things, so I''d probably just make things worse."


    He moved his hand to knock on the door but used his other hand to stop it.


    "There''s no point, besides it isn''t my problem if she stays in her room for a few days."


    Finally, he knocked on the door.


    "Well it looks like she isn''t accepting visitors so I''ll ju-"


    Before he could finish, the door opened. Two eyes stared at him from the darkness before coming out. It was the pink-haired woman, who annoyed him a few days earlier, Tina.


    "Oh, it''s you. What do you want?"

 Chapter 91

    "Well¡­you know¡­ you haven''t been out of your room since Mr. Bentley visited. You okay?" Tibaut asked in a subdued voice.


    "Did you know?" She asked.


    "?"


    "Mr. Bentley wants to have it after the cultists are dealt with. Good luck."


    She said before closing the door. Tibaut hurriedly put his foot between the door.


    "What do you mean ''good luck''? You''re gonna help us out, aren''t you?"


    She kept trying to close the door which slowly crushed Tibaut''s foot.


    "Come on, stop that already."


    "Just leave already, you and Elizabeth are supposed to be training."


    "Did you forget you''re also part of that?"


    "You think I don''t know?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I heard about what that commotion in the night was about."


    "Oh that, I guess I do need some more training after that fight but that doesn''t mean you can skimp out. Don''t you want to avenge Ezekiel?"


    "Heh hah ha, you don''t even realize it."


    Tibaut looked at her puzzled for a moment before she continued.


    "He actually drew his weapon against you. I was putting all I had in when I first met him yet he didn''t even feel the need to bother. Yet, against you, he felt threatened enough to try and kill you."


    Tears started to form in her eyes and she leaned against the door frame.


    "The worst part," she struggled to say as the tears started rolling down her face "The worst part about it is, you were barely able to stay awake after it happened. After all that gruelling training, with that little energy left, you were able to fight him on that level!" She threw a punch in his face.


    "IS THERE THAT BIG OF A GAP BETWEEN US!?" She shouted as she cried.


    ("Ah, shit. I stepped on a landmine. What should I do? Do I comfort her? No, that''d just be throwing salt in the wound. Walk away? No, that''d be cold. Shit, what would a battle manga protagonist say at a time like this!?") His mind was in turmoil at the problem before him. It had been a while since he had to comfort someone and this was well outside his usual niche of annoying alcoholics.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Before he could think of a way to resolve the situation she started wiping the tears off her face.


    "I''m sorry, please just¡­just please kill him."


    "So what if you''re weak?" he responded.


    She looked at him.


    "Are you still going to be weak when you meet him again? Hell no!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her outside the room.


    "Do you think hell we''ll go through until we meet him again won''t do anything? What kind of talk is that? Are you okay staying weak? Do you want someone else to defeat him? Is this what you want, Tina!?"


    "Of course, it fucking isn''t but what am I supposed to do!?" She responded as she dragged her hand out of his grip.


    Tibaut reached out his hand. "You say how I made him fight me seriously but even then I''m not sure I''d be able to fight him at one hundred per cent. That''s why," he reached out his hand towards her.


    "Why don''t we help each other out? Who says it has to be you or me individually that defeats him?"


    "What, feeling pity for me? What? Want to do all the work and hand me him on a golden platter? Don''t give me that shit, I-I can''t accept that." She said hesitantly.


    "Why not fight him as equals then? Come on Tina, don''t just beat yourself up over one training session. If you stop training how are you ever gonna know if you can stand up to him or not?"


    Tina looked like she was about to cry again but persevered and looked him directly in the eyes.


    She wanted to argue and wanted to tell him it was no use but she couldn''t bring herself to do it. No matter how she called herself weak, she wouldn''t give up the chance for revenge, even if she had to accomplish it with someone else. She knew her other peers weren''t up to the task and if someone outside their trio wasn''t responsible for taking him down she was positive she, no, the three of them as a whole wouldn''t be able to accept it as long as they lived.


    She shook his hand and immediately went back into her room.


    ("I hope that was alright.") He thought to himself as he began walking away. He rubbed his cheek and wondered if he would have to deal with any more gorilla women.


    As she was in her room she thought back to the night of the attack.


    <hr>


    She was lying in her bed fast asleep before being woken up by an explosion.


    She slowly staggered out of her room to the first floor where she saw Elizabeth.


    "What was that?" She asked as she leaned herself against a wall.


    Elizabeth looked at her and said, "For the time being, stay in your room."


    "What are you talking about? I can still fight."She said.


    She began walking towards the stairs but was stopped by Elizabeth.


    "On the off-chance this is who you saw then you''re in no condition to fight. You pushed yourself too hard today. Go back."


    "What the hell are you talking about? Besides we don''t know if it''s him so let me throu-"


    She was interrupted by the mansion trembling slightly and a giant explosion being heard.


    Tina tried to use this as a chance to run up the stairs but Elizabeth grabbed and delivered an earth-shattering gut blow to her. This left her whole body limp and Elizabeth caught her before lowering her to the ground.


    "Sorry, but this isn''t the time for this."


    She went up the stairs and out of Tina''s vision as she lay motionless on the floor.


    "wait¡­don''t¡­kill him." She muttered on the floor. "please, I have to do it"


    She tried to crawl but Elizabeth''s point-blank blow was too much for her body to handle.


    "please, I can help! don''t leave me here!" She weakly begged.


    Tears slowly filled her eyes as she passed out on the floor.

 Chapter 92

    "She isn''t here," he said before sighing as he waited outside. He knew it was asking a lot of her to come outside after he saw her like that but he still felt saddened by this nonetheless.


    "Come on, Tina, you''re the one Ezekiel probably wants to get revenge, not me." He whispered to himself.


    After accepting she wasn''t going to come out today he walked back to the front door of the mansion before being stopped by Elizabeth.


    "Oh, you''re back."


    "Why wouldn''t I be? The sun''s about to set."


    "I mean, I thought with what you guys would be talking about, I probably wouldn''t see you until tomorrow."


    "Fool, we''re only discussing the basics of the situation. We haven''t even located them yet, so it would be foolish to discuss our attack in detail until then. Though, we are discussing places to visit."


    "Visit?"


    "Yes, though I''m personally not a fan of this during our discussion today, Mr. Bentley suggested visiting certain people." She said with a displeased look on her face.


    "Why are you not a fan?"


    "We will be visiting these people to determine if they have any connections to the cult. He asked me to deal with some nobles related to this parish."


    "Ah, that sounds rough, if you''re wrong or he knows what you''re trying to find out, who knows what he''ll do to you."


    She shook her head.


    "No, I''d leave him hanging from a noose if he dared. I''ve just heard he''s¡­odd to say the least." She said to him in a rather casual manner.


    "(I think I just heard something that could probably get you jailed but I''ll move past that) Wow, um, that sounds rough?"


    "That''s right. It''s so far as well. We''re gonna have to charter a carriage to get there. We should at least gather some evidence before trying to sniff him out on nothing more than some rumors."


    " "We''re"? Not "you''re"?"


    "You''re obviously gonna come with me."


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "What''s the chance of this guy actually being a cultist?"


    "Well he''s our first stop of five, so I''m not optimistic."


    "Ugh, why can''t those bastards just show back up again? Can''t they have the courtesy to make their deaths easier?"


    "Well, wild animals do love hiding themselves away when they face danger. (I hope they''re not using this time to acquire any more of those.)"


    Tibaut could tell Elizabeth was thinking about something but decided against asking about it.


    As he was about to walk inside she stopped him.


    "Also Tibaut, I got a letter from Mr. Bentley. I heard Ezekiel wanted you to get this." She gently handed him it before going outside herself.


    "Huh, from Ezekiel? What could this be?" He thought as he opened this letter. His heart was beating with anticipation. Was it a clue to who his killer was? Was it a will of some kind?


    He nervously ripped open the envelope and read the first few lines.


    "Dear Brat,


    The only time you decide to send me a letter and you don''t even ask me how I am? I thought that wrinkled ball sack of a man you call your father was bad when he was young but you take the cake. Do I seem like an encyclopedia to you? A guide to help manipulate Ki? You can''t use it even if I did give some tips and that girl of yours is years away from being ready t-"


    He put the letter down before reading the words on it again. They didn''t change. Did he get the wrong letter? No Elizabeth said that Mr. Bentley gave this to her. He read more of the letter and soon realized who it was supposed to be sent to. It was meant for Ezekiel. This entire letter was someone going on a tirade about how rude he was for sending this letter since he hadn''t talked to them in a while.


    "Man, I''d feel terrible if this was the last thing I sent someone before they died," said Tibaut.


    As he read through this, he remembered that he asked Ezekiel to help him out with ki and he said we would send a letter to someone he knew.


    He quickly scanned through the rest of the letter before reaching the bottom. After several paragraphs of complaining, the sender finally outlines some tips for those who want to summon ki. It was organized very neatly and laid out in bulletin format. It''s quite tidy for someone who uses thousands of words to insult and call someone ill-mannered.


    Tibaut couldn''t help but smile when his face reached this section.


    "Don''t worry Ezekiel, I''ll put all this to good use when I meet that bastard again." He said as his grab on the letter tightened.


    "Alright, I guess it''s time to give ki another shot."


    As he read the letter he viewed the first point.


    "I won''t lie. Ki is pretty tricky. The best way to go about learning it would be being hit with some from someone who can already manipulate theirs."


    ("I see.") Tibaut thought to himself. ("Alright so I just have to who can manipulate ki in the parish")


    He soon kept reading and his face soured.


    "Though as I remember, there isn''t a single ki user in your parish. This one is good if you decide you wanna pay me a visit. Besides you really should visi-"


    The point then proceeded to devolve into the sender begging Ezekiel to visit then stretched out over a few hundred words.


    "This guy is starting to annoy me," Tibaut said as he skipped over to the next point.


    The next stated you''re supposed to keep yourself satiated and fully hydrated before attempting to summon it but then devolved into the sender begging Ezekiel to come visit them so they could eat together.


    "Is this an ex-girlfriend or something?"

 Chapter 93

    After gleaming over various other points that became pleads for the reader to visit them he finally found one that seemed useful for his situation.


    The letter read as follows:


    "Now, I''m not sure how useful this way may be to you but it''s worth trying regardless. At least you''ll work up a good sweat since you don''t do too much there anyway."


    "Enough with the preamble already just to get to the point." He said as he read the letter.


    "Simply put, drain all the energy you have. Make sure that even standing up is a chore. Push your body to the point moving a finger will have you straining. Then put yourself in a situation you have to survive in. If you''ve conditioned your body properly, then the straining of your body will eventually turn to power. It''s simple really but apparently, it''s not safe or whatever the soft skins of the guild believe."


    "That''s so vague, is there anything more?"


    He kept reading but the point had nothing more to say. The next talked about how it would take a year at least with the fastest natural method.


    Tibaut stood there and thought for a moment.


    ("Maybe it''s like adrenaline? But why is the requirement of it being out of energy? How the hell is that supposed to help? Though I did read that that martial arts manual says it''s good for the body and helps you maintain peak health, it could be like those phony acupuncture places that say they release your chakra when all they are, are sadists that like sticking needles into people.")


    He shrugged his shoulders.


    ("Well whatever, I can try it out with Elizabeth tomorrow. I''d better make sure it doesn''t work first before calling it phoney and not trying it, this is a world of magic after all. Still, that part about fully draining all my energy and putting myself in danger leaves me feeling nervous. Not having the energy to dodge and fighting Elizabeth seems like a nightmare.")


    He felt a pit form in his stomach just thinking about fighting Elizabeth in a state like that.


    But he convinced himself that night as he lay in bed unable to sleep that it was worth trying. Though with how much he was repeating to himself as he tried to sleep the phrase "it''s worth a shot" had been seared into his mind.


    After a rough night, Tibaut soon woke up and decided to clean the mansion first thing. He wasn''t avoiding going to Elizabeth, he was doing something he had to do (At least that''s what he told himself). As he was cleaning he soon came across Tina.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "What are you doing?" She asked him.


    "Well, cleaning. I''m only the one around who cleans the place. (Well that''s not exactly true but I''m not gonna tell her Elizabeth forced me to do this)"


    "Oh, I see." She soon started walking away.


    "By the way, why are you up here?"


    "Oh, I wanted to¡­ you know what, never mind."


    "Is it the training?" He asked almost in reflex.


    "Well, you seem busy so I''ll just ask another time."


    "(Tch, the place isn''t that dirty anyway, I mostly just used this as a way to stall having to train with Elizabeth. It''d be pretty dickish to blow her off just because I don''t want to train. Plus who''s to say there''ll be another opportunity.) Wait a minute, I can go now if you''d like."


    "No, I''m to- What are you doing!?" She questioned him.


    As soon as she said no, Tibaut had picked her up, placed her on his shoulder and began walking.


    "Let me go, why are you doing this?" She said with a blush on her face.


    "I said we''d train to make you stronger, so I''m not just gonna let you run away like that."


    "Just put me down, I can walk by myself." She protested.


    "I let you try and slip away? No way. (Man, carrying a woman on your shoulder really does feel pretty manly. Is this why I see people use this kind of carry? This is way better than the fireman''s)"


    She looked with a sheepish expression but kept bargaining with him.


    "(Thank God I''m wearing pants. Or is that why he has no qualms carrying me like this?) Put me down already, I feel like a child."


    "Then how about this," He said as he turned his face to her''s "I''ll stop as soon as you beat me. That''s a pretty good motivation right?"


    "(I can see why Ezekiel told us to be careful around him.) Fine." She said plainly while pouting.


    Tibaut carried her over his shoulder until they reached outside (Thankfully for her pride no one saw them).


    "Don''t expect too much on the first day." He said to her, hoping she would become discouraged.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not dumb enough to believe I''ll get stronger in a single day."


    "Still, if what Elizabeth was saying was true then I don''t mind if you come at me to kill. (Though it''d be way more reassuring if Elizabeth was here.)"


    "Alright, then. Here I come."


    And without hesitation, she swung her spear at Tibaut which he barely managed to dodge.


    "Oi, what''s with the impromptu start!?" He said as he dodged the barrage of her spear strikes.


    She had a cold look in her eyes and wasn''t responding.


    ("Oh shit, she''s taking this way too seriously.") He thought to himself.


    He soon trapped the spear between his arm and side and she quickly let go of it to punch him. He dodged back but she grabbed the spear and shocked him.


    ("Man, that stings. She''s pretty ruthless like this.")


    Yet after five minutes or so of brawling she found herself on the ground with his hand on her neck.


    "Good going but keep up that pace you''ll be out within an hour. Try to keep a, um, how do I say it, keep a better tempo I guess."


    "Damnit." She slammed her fist into the ground.


    "Come on, this is just the first match. We have more to go."


    He held his hand out to her after removing the one from her neck. She hesitated a bit before grabbing his hand.


    "At least use magic, you cocky bastard!"


    "Sorry, but I wouldn''t want to do something that could kill you without Elizabeth around. (Honestly, knowing my attacks won''t kill her makes fighting her way easier.)"


    She clicked her tongue.


    "Why are they acting like it''s a problem? Just force me to use it. Simple as that." he responded.


    "Hmph, I''ll have you using it by the end of the day."

 Chapter 94

    In a dimly lit room a man with a black mask was laying down on a bed, wearing nothing but his pants and the aforementioned mask. Across the right side of his body were some burns.


    "Things seem to be going well so far." He said. "Honestly, it''s going a bit too well. I''m surprised they haven''t found this place. There''s no way they don''t realize what we''re doing."


    He looked across the room to a table with a bottle containing green liquid.


    "Finally, they brought it. These burns were getting quite annoying."


    He got off the bed and walked over to it before downing the whole bottle. The burns across his body soon started fading away. It was as if their opacity was being decreased with some photo editing tool.


    "It''s a good thing that we got so many of these before we started."


    He soon left the room he was in and went into a larger living space.


    "Oh, you''re awake." Said the singular figure in the room.


    "What? Surprised I''m up and not lazing about? This is serious work so I can''t afford to mess up."


    "I ask you not to put words in my mouth." The lackey in black responded.


    "Anyway," The man who looked like a lucha libre yawned before continuing. "Have we made the preparations yet?"


    "We have found a few suitable horses but is this really necessary? Surely one of us can go instead of you."


    "Do any of you think you can traverse that place like the back of your hand? Like I said, I''m the only one that''s been there, so I''ll go."


    "Just know this plan falls apart without you."


    "I helped create it so of course it would."


    "Hey, how much longer are we gonna have to do this? I''d like to return home and have some decent food."


    "Is my cooking not good enough for you?" He said playfully. "As long as we have to." He responded in a more serious tone before walking away.


    The lackey in the room sighed before looking over some letters in his hand.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "For the time being you''ll get orders from him while I''m away." The shirtless continued.


    "I don''t like having orders with a delay."


    "Then get one of them fancy new communication orbs." He said sarcastically before entering his room.


    <hr>


    "Whew, good job Tina," Tibaut said out of breath with various shallow wounds all over his body. His hair was also dishevelled from the electricity attacks.


    "Whatever," she grumbled.


    She had various bruises and dirt all over her body. Due to how much dirt had gone in her hair it was looking like more of matte rose gold than the glossy pink it usually was. She was also on the ground and soon picked herself up.


    "You could have killed me three times in the amount of time it took me to get up."


    "But I only managed to take you down five times today! That''s way less than our first fight."


    "Do you think that sounds any better?" She retorted.


    "Just be glad you''re improving." He said enthusiastically.


    She began to use her spear as a crutch.


    "I don''t know what Elizabeth did to you but you''re a monster. I''m done for the day." She said.


    "I can carry you back if you''d like."


    She quickly limped away out of sight while looking embarrassed. He made sure she left before he began doing a jog around the house.


    "Guess it''s time to test this stupid shit out. That little session with Tina got me 70% of the way there. Just 30% more in the tank to get rid of."


    "70% of the way to what?" A voice from the bushes asked. Elizabeth soon walked out of the brush.


    "I thought you were training with her out of the goodness of your heart? I didn''t think you''d try to use it for some sort of gain."


    Tibaut didn''t like where she was going with this and promptly brought out the letter he had kept folded in his pocket.


    ("I knew I was going to ask her for help anyway but couldn''t you have waited a few more hours to show up?")


    "I see. I think I''ve heard of something similar happening to a martial artist. Alright, let''s give it a shot." And without a moment''s delay, she threw a fist towards his head.


    The fist grazed his nose and he was thankful it wasn''t broken.


    "Nothing to say?" She asked.


    "Would you stop if I did?" He responded.


    He soon lobbed a fireball at her but she easily side-stepped.


    Inside the house, from a nearby window, Tina was watching them.


    "One day, you''ll be forced to fight me like that." She commented while watching them.


    After a few minutes, Tibaut was on the ground looking like he was in pain.


    "Are you sure you can''t move anymore?"


    She looked down at his face for an answer.


    Tibaut was breathing as if he had just finished a marathon.


    "I''m *huff huff*, pretty, *puff* sure."


    "Really?" she stomped her foot down and he narrowly dodged.


    "What the hell? Are you trying to kill me?" He snapped at her.


    "It doesn''t seem like you''re empty to me as yet. Why don''t you just make this easy and let me pummel and heal until you can''t move anymore."


    "I know I joke about me being your punching bag but this is taking it a bit too literally."


    "Tibaut, healing the parts of your body that are injured does actually reduce your stamina somewhat so I don''t see why we don''t do that instead of trying to empty you naturally."


    "Shut up, I want to keep my pride by the end of- woah!" Tibaut said as he rolled out of another stomp. Another followed and then another before Tibaut managed to force himself to his feet and got blown away by one of her punches.


    ("Idiot, of course I''m holding back. What good would making your brain a paste do me?")

 Chapter 95

    Tibaut was leaning against a wall, somewhat bruised. The only act his body could afford was breathing. His eyes were closed as he was struggling to keep them open and he soon dropped to the ground due to his legs being nothing more than props at this point.


    Elizabeth walked up to him and stomped on his face. He didn''t react to it and kept breathing.


    "I guess we''ve finally emptied you." She said.


    She picked him up by his neck and put him against the wall of the mansion.


    "If you don''t want to die, I''d suggest finding whatever it is you need to summon ki."


    She punched him in the stomach and flung him into some nearby bushes.


    ("She''s joking¡­right?") He thought as he lay on the bush.


    She quickly went over to him and kicked him as though he were a football. While he wasn''t showing any signs of pain, he felt every bit of it.


    ("I think she broke a rib with that one. Come on get up. If this continues she really might kill me.")


    She picked him up yet again and this time hit him with a lariat sending him into a nearby tree.


    The pain he was experiencing right now was finally starting to overpower his lack of energy.


    ("AHhhhhhHHhh.") He screamed internally. His body was so lacking in energy he didn''t have the power to scream anymore.


    "I really am going to kill you if you don''t stand back up." She said, walking leisurely towards him.


    ("Damnit, he said it was supposed to come out during a life or death situation. Why isn''t it working?")


    He didn''t even have the time to contemplate why it wasn''t working. Elizabeth held him up against the tree and started wailing on him. With each punch leaves fell and the snapping of fibers was heard from the tree.


    ("no¡­stop¡­I....")


    His mind had gone completely blank.


    Elizabeth stopped when she noticed his breathing was beginning to get uncomfortably faint. The only she could tell he was still alive was due to her putting a hand on his chest and feeling his heartbeat.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ("Maybe I went too far? Oh well, he can always be healed.") She thought.


    She let go of him and placed him on the ground. One of his eyes faintly opened to her, moving her hand to his face. His mind was in a feral state and perceived this as danger, ignoring the soothing gold aura surrounding it. How much time had slowed that he was seeing the hand move in slow motion? His mind burned with fear seeing the hand inch closer and closer.


    His mind was fully convinced. When the hand reached his face, he would die.


    ("Now this looks interesting.") He heard a voice comment.


    Before Elizabeth had known what happened she was sent flying into a mansion wall. Thankfully the wall withstood her collision with it and a moment later she fell to the dirt ground.


    She touched her cheek and felt a bruise on it.


    "Tch, I let my guard down." She commented as she looked at the area where she previously stood.


    A blue aura had condensed around Tibaut. He stood there, watching her with all the life of a mannequin. To her surprise, all the damage that had shown on his skin was healed. However, how much of his internal injuries had healed was another matter.


    "Is the colour of it dependent on the person?" She said while looking at him. "Hey Tibaut, how does it fe-"


    He was right in front of her. She had seen him move but she couldn''t believe this was the same Tibaut of five minutes ago.


    Before she could do anything he fell to the ground.


    Her forehead was coated in a few drops of sweat and she looked to her side. She had instinctively grabbed for her sword when Tibaut appeared before her.


    Elizabeth breathed heavily a few times before removing her hand from the sword.


    "Tch, was that all it took to frighten me?"


    After calming herself, she picked Tibaut up and brought him inside the mansion.


    Tibaut woke up with a throbbing headache.


    "Ow, did she manage to give me brain damage?" He said.


    "Fortunately, I''ve been able to confirm that even if half your face was blown away, as long as I healed you quick enough you''d still be alive, no worse for wear."


    Tibaut jumped back in his bed and turned to the voice. It was Elizabeth. She was sitting on a stool she presumably brought up with her. After seeing him awake she started clapping her hands.


    "Congratulations."


    Tibaut gave her a puzzled look.


    She stopped the clapping and flicked his head. An irritated look soon engulfed her face.


    "Did you forget that you used ki?" she asked him.


    "I did?"


    She sighed.


    "Whatever. I felt like congratulating you on this but I suppose it was just a fluke."


    "Congratulate me? Since when were you the type to do that?"


    Her face soured and she gave him an audible punch on his shoulder.


    He laid back down on the bed and rolled around in pain.


    "Got anything to say about me?"


    "No ma''am."


    She punched him again.


    "Don''t call me ma''am, I''m only nineteen!"


    He simply nodded his head while in pain.


    "Still, it seemed as though it took a lot out of you when it happened."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Look at yourself."


    "?"


    He looked over himself and realized he had lost a noticeable amount of body mass. All the minor improvements he had gained to his physique training with Elizabeth were gone.


    "How long was I out for?"


    "Surprisingly, you were only unconscious for one day. Considering how drained you are, I was expecting a week at least."


    ("Normally, people don''t black out for a day!")

 Chapter 96

    "Wait, that doesn''t make any sense! How did I lose body mass if I was only passed out for a day?"


    Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders.


    "Though, something else that happened to your body might be related to it."


    "?"


    He looked at her for clarification.


    "You do notice your body is healed, correct?"


    "Yeah? What about it? Didn''t you heal it like usual?"


    She glared at him.


    "Like usual, huh? It must be nice to have someone like me healing you, so you can say something like that." She continued "But regardless, are you sure you''re fully healed?"


    "I know that beatdown you gave me was particularly nasty but I can guarantee you didn''t do a sloppy job. What, is your ability to heal slowing down?"


    "(Well there is that to worry about but it should be fine as long as I don''t overdo it) No. I wasn''t even the one to heal you."


    "What? Then who did? Was it that other girl that came with Tina and Lily?" He asked.


    "No, I''m not even sure if she even knows any healing magic. You did."


    Those last three words confused Tibaut even more.


    "Um, Elizabeth, this isn''t the time for jokes like this. In the first place, I don''t get why you''d admit to beating me up like that yet deny healing me. Are you being bashful?"


    She flicked him on the head and he reeled back in pain.


    "It seems you''re still dreaming." She sighed. "Like I said, you were the one who healed yourself. And from what you said and the fact you didn''t squirm when I checked your body, it seemed you fully healed it."


    "Check my body? How''d you do that?" He asked.


    "Well, I¡­" her face started to blush and she punched Tibaut in his side. "A-anyway, you seem to have gotten something quite useful."


    Tibaut had given up reacting to her every blow and accepted the pain running through his body.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "I-I see, well i-it sounded like it was quite something, I wish I remembered w-what it was like. (Couldn''t you have held back with that punch?)" She said while his body jittered slightly.


    She put her hand on his side and healed him.


    "Well, I suppose since you are awake, we can start practicin-"


    Before she could finish her statement Tibaut was attempting to jump out the window.


    Lucky (or sadly in Tibaut''s case) She grabbed his leg and pulled him back in.


    Tibaut had a look of fear on his face and she sighed and let him go.


    "Get some rest. I''m not cruel enough to send you outside after you''ve just woken up." She got up and walked towards the door. "And I''d encourage you to remember what happened when you hit me. I''m curious to see how powerful you are like that."


    She went through the door and closed it behind her.


    "I hit her during all that?"


    A few hours passed and Tibaut was in the mansion cleaning the floors to clear his head. (It seemed he fully accepted that he was the mansion''s maid)


    "Ugh."


    That was the only sound he made as he thought back to what happened. His memory of it was blurry and the only thing he could piece together was fearing for his life as Elizabeth beat him like a wet brush. He decided to save those unsavoury memories for later and continued cleaning the mansion.


    "Are you really cleaning right now?" Said a voice behind him.


    He turned around and saw it was Tina. She wore a shirt and shorts combo that looked a little too tight for her overall, especially in the chest area.


    "So should I not be cleaning?"


    "Of course not you idiot! You should be training that blue aura you got."


    "Blue aura?"


    "Of course your blue aura thing. It was amazing, you launched Elizabeth into the mansion. What the hell are you doing here?" She started pushing him "Come on, you can''t let that go to waste. You''re gonna train right now."


    "Nah."


    A vein on her forehead bulged.


    "What the hell did you say?" She asked in a scathing tone.


    "I''ll do it after I''m finished."


    "Are you kidding me? You experienced power like that and decided cleaning took more priority? Don''t joke around with me, weren''t you the one who said you wouldn''t be able to take on that bastard at full strength? So why the hell are you wasting time doing this?"


    "Does it really matter if I try to do it now or later?"


    "I can''t believe what I''m hearing, of course it does. Have you never heard of adventurers or martial artists mastering a technique on their first and then struggling to do it again after? That was nothing more than beginner''s luck, so get your ass out of here and start practising."


    "I really don''t feel like it but is there any chance you''re going to leave?"


    She dragged him harder. "Of course not!"


    "Ugh, fine (do a few hours of difference matter? I was out for over a day. Besides, this would make me stronger, why does she care so much?)"


    Now outside, Tina looked at him in anticipation.


    "Now, do it."


    "Uh, I''ll try my best."


    He closed his eyes and started focusing. Tina braced herself for something amazing to happen but after waiting for a few seconds she grabbed his hair.


    "Last time I checked, I was here to see that blue aura, not you standing around like an idiot."


    "Hmm, let me try again." He removed her hand and now stood in a different pose. Nothing. This attempt he recalled all the events he went through, hoping would show him the way to gain that power again.


    This time he stood around for a few minutes while making a strained face, as if he needed to use a bathroom but there wasn''t one for another few kilometers.


    Worry started to creep on his face and sweat gathered on his forehead.


    "Don''t tell me?" Tina said as she observed him.

 Chapter 97

    "(No. There is no way. I refuse. After all that, are you trying to tell me I can''t do it anymore? Both Elizabeth and Tina saw me use ki (though I wish I could have been awake for it). I refuse to accept that I got my ass tenderized by Elizabeth for over an hour, only not to keep the skill I gained from it. What kind of horseshit is this? If this was a battle manga I''d at least be able to summon it for a limited time in exchange for some tax on my body. But not even that? Just nothing?)" Tibaut as he held his head, looking as though he was in great pain. As Tibaut''s mind went through turmoil refusing to accept he couldn''t even use the cooling-sounding ki he had used on Elizabeth, Tina looked at him with pity for a moment before straightening her face.


    "What a disappointment."


    Tibaut had nothing to say to that and held his head down in shame.


    "(Huh? You''re not gonna snap back or say anything?)" She thought as she watched him.


    He stood still and closed his eyes one more time. He tried focusing and attempted to pull any energy out of his body but all it did was encircle him in his mana.


    He soon stopped and started squatting on the ground with his hands on his temple.


    "Um," Tina unconsciously let slip from her mouth.


    Tibaut had an aura of misery around him that made it difficult to say anything to him. He stayed there wallowing in his failure until she walked up.


    "Um, Tibaut."


    "...want to."


    "What?"


    "I don''t want to do all that stuff again!!!" He said in a higher-pitched tone than usual.


    Tina had to hold herself back.


    "What? Are you insulting me? All you had to gain that power, was lose to Elizabeth. You''re just annoyed you''d have to do it again you lazy bastard?"


    "Say that again when you''re the one being beaten within an inch of his life."


    "Inch of your life? Don''t exaggerate!" She said as she threw a punch at him. "You get bruised a bit and now you''re complaining, talk about being ungrateful."


    He stopped the punch with his own hand.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Bruised a bit? Did you see our fight before I had my blue aura?"


    "Of course I did."


    "...huh?"


    She jumped back and seemed to mimic some of Tibaut''s own movements.


    "(I really hope the next person I train with doesn''t copy my moves) How much did you see exactly?"


    "I mean I saw Elizabeth heal you a few times. She''s quicker than I thought but I suppose bruising and a few small scrapes shouldn''t take too long to treat."


    Upon hearing Tibaut quickly changed his tone.


    "Uh, yeah. (Aren''t you the one that said this would be bad if this got out, Elizabeth?) Maybe she''s improving?"


    Tina looked to the sky.


    "Man, she loses her wind and in no time she gets this and improves it to the point of being practical. Sigh." She said sounding quite melancholic.


    "Her wind?" Tibaut asked, confused.


    "Oh, right, she''s only had you for a month or so. You should probably ask her about it, though I''d like it if you didn''t mention my name."


    "(Hmm, is this related to what Elizabeth said happened to her magic?) Whoa, what the hell?" Tibaut exclaimed. He had his train of thought interrupted by Tina''s spear stabbing at him (Did she hide it nearby?).


    "Don''t worry Tibaut, I''m a great friend so I''ll help you out." She said with a hint of sarcasm "What Elizabeth did to help you unlock that thing didn''t seem so hard, so I''ll be substituting for her today." She said as she thrust the spear.


    "Come on, I was asleep for over a day getting rest can''t a guy get a break?"


    "I can send you to the ground if you want a break."


    She swung her spear towards Tibaut but he jumped over it.


    "Tch, fine, let''s do this."


    <hr>


    Tina was sprawled out on the ground with her spear next to her. She breathed heavily while gritting her teeth. A hand reached out to her.


    "You honestly did pretty well today," he commented.


    "I don''t want to hear that from a man who was sleeping all day yesterday."


    As soon as she grabbed his hand, he managed to put her over his shoulder and lift her up.


    She blushed slightly and commented "W-w-why?"


    "Don''t you remember our bet?" He responded. "Until the day you beat me, I''ll keep carrying you like this."


    She was surprisingly calm about this and made no attempt to leave his hold. In fact, she let her body go limp.


    "I''m tired so I suppose I''ll allow it today."


    ("Although this was shorter than any of our other sessions, it definitely felt like I had more taken out of me.) He thought to himself. (I don''t why but she felt more serious today, or rather more difficult to deal with. I noticed a bunch of improvements even an amateur could spot like cleaner footwork and quicker strikes. I''m glad she''s making progress.)


    "Hey, Tibaut."


    "Hmm, what is it?" He asked.


    "I am not heavy? This seems like more of a punishment for you honestly."


    "You''re pretty manageable. Honestly, for someone taller than me, I''m surprised how easily I''m carrying you around (plus, this is quite the ego boost. Her personality is one thing but it''s nice to have a pretty girl on your shoulder.)"


    "Oh really. Were you expecting me to be heavier?"


    Tibaut decided not to tackle that minefield and kept walking in silence.


    "Coward," Tina stated.


    ("I''ve never been carried around this much. Even when I was younger, my parents never lifted me up that often. Honestly¡­ I don''t mind this. When I get a boyfriend this should honestly be one of his requirements.") She thought to herself with a satisfied look on her face.


    "Did you say something?"


    "So you think I''m heavy?"


    Tibaut''s walking pace increased and he reached her room in no time.

 Chapter 98

    Tibaut ran into someone in the mansion''s corridor as he left Tina''s room.


    They were about 5''6" to 5''8" ish, and had brown hair. They looked Tibaut in the face for a while before walking over.


    "Are you Tibaut?"


    "Uh, yeah. Why are you in my house?"


    He scratched his head and awkwardly laughed.


    "Elizabeth invited me. But you should probably know who I am even if you haven''t been in this parish for long, right?"


    Tibaut put his hand towards his chin and thought for a moment. He started thoroughly analyzing his face.


    "C-come on, me and Furor had a spar before yours with Ezekiel. Surely you were in the crowd for that, right?" His face was starting to get more desperate.


    "Oh yeah, you''re that guy haha." Tibaut said as if he knew who the person in front of him was.


    The man held his head down and the area was now encased in a drab atmosphere. "You don''t know me, do you?" He asked in a voice devoid of all life.


    Tibaut started panting him on the shoulder.


    "Don''t be ridiculous, of course, I know who you are." Said Tibaut, deciding to double down.


    "It''s fine, you can say you don''t know me." The shorter man said sulking with tears forming in his eyes.


    "Listen, little buddy, I didn''t mean t-"


    "You think I''m a kid don''t you!?" He snapped back at him. The hallway was filled with silence for a few moments.


    "Uh, what? No way you''re totally, um, sorry Sir it seems I addressed you improperly." Tibaut said awkwardly.


    But no one could blame Tibaut. Although he looked generic and pretty forgettable, most people would tell you he looked no more than 15.


    "Stop it already. I''m Jake, a pleasure to work with you." He said in a very defeated tone.


    "So how old are you?"


    "Stop with that already."


    They stood there for a few more moments in silence before Tibaut opened his mouth again.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Work you say?"


    "You don''t know?" He asked in a soft tone.


    Tibaut looked at him puzzled.


    "I mean I came here since we''re leaving tomorrow to go see that noble."


    "Huh?"


    Tibaut was now more confused by this. Leaving tomorrow? A noble?


    "Did Elizabeth not inform you? She used to do that to me too, when she first came here."


    "I was on my way to tell him, thank you very much, Jake."


    The short man with a generic face slunk back.


    "You scared me Elizabeth, do you always keep your footsteps quiet?" The man asked.


    "For the time being get your stuff packed for the carriage tomorrow."


    "Oh, okay."


    He excused himself and left the two by themselves.


    With the free time to think, Tibaut had an idea of what this was about.


    "So we''re gonna go meet that noble guy. It seems like you found a new plus one so I guess I won''t be needed." Tibaut stated before trying to walk away.


    "Think again. All four of us will be going."


    "Eh? Didn''t you say this guy wasn''t likely?"


    "I did but Mr. Bentley thinks it''s good to be thorough. Also, he said the only way he was able to convince him to allow us to go to his property was to work for him on some commission."


    "And how long will that take?"


    She sighed and held down her head.


    "Over a week in the best-case scenario. I don''t know what that old man sees, but apparently, he already bought some carriage reservations in advance. They come tomorrow so pack enough stuff for when we leave."


    "If you say so. Is there at least anything to do while we''re out there other than work?"


    "Nope, it''s pretty similar to here, honestly."


    She soon walked away and Tibaut stood not sure what to think of this.


    "Well, I better get packing I suppose. Wait, she said four, right? Then who''s the last one going with us?" He wondered as he began walking down the hallway.


    And on his way to the stairs, he ran into Vanessa. She saw him and grabbed his hand without a word.


    "Um, I''m kinda busy right now Vanessa, can this wait?"


    She continued dragging him until they reached the basement. There she pointed to something on a work bench nearby.


    "I''m finished with this one so far. What do you think?"


    Tibaut walked up and grabbed it. He looked at it for a while and smiled.


    "This looks amazing, can I use it now?"


    "Just one? Stick to what you''re doing right now and wait until I''m finished."


    He put his hands and her shoulders and looked her in the face.


    "Please?"


    She moved her face closer to Tibaut''s with her lips puckered and he instinctively backed away.


    "Heh, it''s fun to do that every now and again." She said observing his reaction. "Anyway, my answer is no. Wait until I''ve finished them."


    "Then why bother showing me it? This is some next-level cock-teasing."


    "Would you prefer the other kind then?" She responded while walking towards him.


    Tibaut blushed slightly after realizing the trap he had walked into and slowly walked away.


    "Whatever." He said while hiding his expression from her.


    She giggled and waved at him as he left.


    "Tch, she''s getting better at that." He commented as he left the basement.


    Tibaut soon made his way to his room.


    He quickly searched around the room looking for stuff he obviously needed with him before realizing something.


    "No phones in this world, no tickets for your flight and no pc. The only thing I need to carry are some clothes."


    This packing felt oddly anticlimactic so he began searching his room for anything he could take with him.


    There on a drawer, he saw it. The book he had not touched in God knows how long. The defensive magic book.


    "I guess if we''re not gonna be doing anything for over a week I might as well bring it." He said as he dusted off the cover.

 Chapter 99

    A man with long straight black hair was lying in a tub. His hair looked as well-kept as a princess''s and his skin had a pleasant paleness to it. He was toned but his musculature wasn''t overbearing. To put it simply, he was breathtaking. He almost looked like a vampire. The sunlight in the room however disproved this assumption. Various rose petals were scattered in the water, and the water itself had a pink hue. He sat in comfort looking out a nearby window. It looked like it had been recently shattered.


    In his bathroom were several bodies of various men. They all looked like they had been trampled by an elephant. The stench of viscera and blood had made itself home in the bathroom but the man in the tub didn''t seem to mind. He pulled on a string of some kind above his bath and within a few moments, someone knocked on the door.


    "May I come in, Lord Bradley?" The voice.


    "Of course my dear, why else would I have called you?"


    The door soon opened and a woman in a maid outfit entered. The woman looked around the room and sighed in disappointment. She walked up to the window and looked outside.


    "I really don''t see why you don''t have us do your guarding, Lord Bradley." the woman calmly commented.


    "And have you scared these idiots away?" He responded, washing the blood off his hands.


    "Isn''t this quite sadistic, Lord Bradley? All you cause is necessary deaths by doing this," She said.


    She scanned outside and started counting with her fingers.


    "It''s not like anyone important is getting hurt." He responded.


    "Do you not think people will find it suspicious if all the adventurers you hire mysteriously fight to the death with all your assassins?"


    The man finished rinsing the blood off himself, got out of the tub and walked up to the window.


    "Seriously? They all died again!? I even made sure to hire some decent ones outside of Eater''s Mound."


    "Against this many people, you do have to commend them."


    Outside the mansion, there were at least a hundred bodies on the ground. They all seemed to gather around eight individuals. There were various craters and damage to the ground which left the grassy land looking quite ugly. Not to mention the blood staining the ground either. Of all the bodies, not a single one was left breathing.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "These guys barely lasted a week." He stated. He broke a piece of the glass to push his head out the window to get a better look outside.


    "Apparently Mr. Bentley has sent us some more, so there''s no need to worry about an attack without any guards present. This should take them a month or so to recuperate from."


    "More trash? Send some more commissions to some further parishes. I don''t expect them to last long."


    "As you wish, Sir." She bowed before taking her leave.


    "Hold on a second." He said. "None of the packages have been taken today, right?"


    "No, Lord Bradley, that would be tomorrow."


    "Thank God. I can''t imagine the effort we''d have to go through if someone from these idiots ran away after seeing it."


    "You mean the effort the other maids and myself would go through?" She commented.


    The man walked up to her and playfully pinched her cheeks. Her expression did not change.


    "Don''t be like that Avis. I''d have to make my own food while you guys are gone."


    He pulled her cheeks up and down but she made no effort to stop it.


    "I find it insulting that you believe it''d take us more than a day." She said pretty clearly despite her master playing with her face.


    "That''s my head maid for ya." He said as he moved from playing with her face to hugging her.


    She sighed.


    "If anyone other than you did this, I would have buried them as deep as I could have dug."


    The naked man smiled upon hearing this.


    "Man, am I happy to be me!"


    <hr>


    The men had coincidentally met back together in one of the various rooms of the mansion. They were both sitting down on a couch having a discussion.


    "So, uh, Jake, are you a friend of Elizabeth?"


    "I mean, I''d like to think that." He weakly responded.


    "Ah, that explains it."


    The small Jake tilted his head.


    "Explains what?"


    "Well, I mean, you don''t look particularly strong so I was wondering why you were coming with us."


    The brown haired young man soon fell to the ground clutching his chest.


    "You''re really mean, Tibaut."


    "Was that not it?"


    "It wasn''t. I''m the leader of the fourth strongest guild here, me being friends with Elizabeth has nothing to do with it."


    "You?"


    Tears started forming in the man''s eyes.


    "Yes, I''m fourth, so don''t act like I''m weak." He said, sounding defeated.


    "Yeah, you''re totally strong." He said while giving him a pat on the back.


    "Don''t talk to me like I''m a child!" He begged.


    Throughout their discussion, the noise had attracted someone Jake could absolutely in no circumstances ever allow to see him. The small silhouette sneakily entered the room and by the time Jake noticed, it was far too late.


    She had fully wrapped her hands around him and gotten him in a tight hug.


    "Hey Jake!!!"


    He tried to push her off but her grip was too strong. He turned redder than a blender full of chicks being turned on. He was struggling to get words out. It was Vanessa and she seemed to be having the time of her life making him uncomfortable. Her smile was almost childlike.


    As she was hugging him she made sure to rub her chest on him which made him sound like a squeaky toy. If this scene was viewed a few meters away by someone who didn''t have their glasses on, it would seem like two children having fun.


    ("I''m not the only victim?") Tibaut thought as he watched her.

 Chapter 100

    As Vanessa rubbed against Jake and smiled at his reactions, Tibaut stood there in awe.


    ("She really is a menace.") He thought.


    As Vanessa was doing this her eyes eventually met with Tibaut''s. Her smile soon shrunk in size until it eventually vanished. Sweat started forming all over her face and she gently let go of Jake.


    "What''s up?" Tibaut asked.


    Her hands started flailing as if trying to grab something and she stammered like a person who hadn''t spoken in several years. Her blushing was visible even across her dark skin.


    Tibaut looked disinterested and turned to Jake.


    "What''s up with her?"


    "No idea," he said, amazed at what he was seeing. "This is the first time I''ve ever seen her like this."


    After a few more seconds of stammering, she finally found her voice.


    "THERE''S NOTHING BETWEEN US!"


    The men looked at each other and then looked back at her.


    "In the first place I only do this to tease Nora, since she likes him but never seems to make her move so I thought it''d be pretty funny to do it to egg her on to snatch him already but after a while, I found how ridiculous he reacted to me pretty funny, I mean how could not, look at his face when put my boobs on him, are you saying you wouldn''t keep doing it to him after seeing how he reacted if you were in my shoes? But I can assure you it wasn''t because I liked him or anything, I mean I won''t lie about him being pretty cute but with reactions like that, it''d get annoying fast plus what kind of person would go after someone they''re friend likes just to tease them? What friend would I be at that point? Listen, I know people say all sorts of things about me and I don''t blame them but I''m not vile enough to steal another woman''s man. And besides¡­"


    "Vanessa, it''s okay I don''t care." He calmly responded.


    "Well I do," Jake said as he grabbed Tibaut''s shoulder. "If this gets her to leave me alone then you should care, Tibaut!" Jake said, resembling a stressed rabbit.


    "Is it that much of a problem? (It can be annoying sometimes but she doesn''t do it that often.)"


    "Yes!" He took no time to respond.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Tibaut turned Vanessa.


    She meekly turned her head away.


    "V-vanessa? It doesn''t happen that much right?"


    "Every time we meet," Jake stated. "Every single time we meet she does this."


    Vanessa awkwardly laughed.


    "Hehe well, I suppose it sorta is like instinct to me at this point."


    Tibaut had a disappointed look in his eyes.


    "What? I already told you it wasn''t because I was into him, I just found his reactions funny."


    Tibaut flicked her on the head and she reeled back in pain.


    "Ow, what was that for?"


    "Do you really think doing it to get a reaction out of him is a good reason?"


    She awkwardly laughed while scratching her head.


    "Hehe, I guess not?"


    "Get her to promise to stop, Tibaut," Jake asked with newfound energy.


    "You heard the man, are you gonna stop?"


    "Of course, just make sure to make a move on Nora already." She said.


    She soon walked away looking defeated and gently closed the door behind her.


    Jake breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed on the couch.


    "I heard you two were close but I never imagined it was like this."


    "What do you mean?" Tibaut asked while looking into his face.


    "Well¡­ I think that''s the first time I''ve seen her so easily listen to someone."


    This statement caught Tibaut''s attention.


    "First?"


    "Yeah, if it was Elizabeth who said that she would rant about how this was the right thing to do and that it''d pay off eventually."


    "Wait a minute, she did that in front of Elizabeth?"


    "I mean she did it wherever she met me. No matter the location."


    "No matter?"


    "Yeah, I remember one time I was performing for a crowd and she ran up and did that. I can still remember their laughs." He stated without an ounce of life behind his eyes.


    Tibaut patted his shoulder out of pity.


    "So is it true you''re her boyfriend?"


    "No? Where''d you even hear something like that?"


    "You don''t know the rumours?"


    Tibaut gave him a look that demanded clarification.


    "You won''t get mad?"


    "I mean, it''s not you''re the one who made them up."


    Jake sighed before continuing.


    "You came here pretty suddenly and it''s not like everyone heard or believes what Elizabeth said about you. You know it''s pretty odd for someone on your level to go unnoticed. One of the rumours I heard was that¡­" He paused for a second then gulped, "You were a warrior travelling through a few countries,"


    Tibaut flinched at this. It wasn''t wrong so far.


    "And your performance in a local brothel impressed Vanessa so much, she did all she could to make you her own."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Tibaut stuck his pinkies in both his ears, moved them around for a moment and then pulled them out as hard as he could. He then wiped the wax on his (technically Elizabeth''s but it wasn''t like she was going to wear them again) black pants.


    "I''m sorry Jake I think I misheard, could you repeat that?"


    Jake turned his head away.


    "It was exactly as I said, Tibaut. Though it''s not like everyone thinks of you like that. It''d just be the people who betted on you during the spar with Ezekiel."


    "Who are these people, Jake?"


    "Um, you don''t have to worry about that Tibaut, they''re just mad that-"


    Tibaut grabbed his shoulder and brought his face closer to Jake''s.


    "Who are these people?"


    His eyes were now that of a beast looking for prey rather than a man.


    Jake got off the couch and walked to the door.


    "Sorry, Tibaut but I''m not finished packing my luggage, I''ll tell you later." Soon after he slipped out the door.


    "Wait a minute, Jake!"


    The young-looking man was already booking it.

 Chapter 101

    A day had passed and various luggage had been gathered and brought outside. Tibaut and Elizabeth were in their armour while Jake looked like he had left him in some luggage.


    The dirt opening had various travel bags and suitcases strewn about. Honestly, with how many were there it made Tibaut feel under-prepared with the single bindle being held on his shoulder.


    "Is that really all you need Tibaut?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Well, we shouldn''t be there for too long so it should be fine." He said, sounding unsure of himself. "Still, bodyguard work? Are you sure we''re not mercenaries?"


    Jake interjected.


    "Don''t be like that, Tibaut. This is respectable work we''re doing compared to those guys."


    "Well, I won''t lie, there is overlap between us."


    "Come on Liz, not you too!" He said while pouting.


    "You idiot, have you already forgotten why we''re going there?" A voice said to Tibaut.


    He turned to see the front door open with Tina standing at the frame. She was in the armor she wore on the night of the fire but it seemed far more polished than before.


    "Oh, you''re the fourth one coming with us."


    "What? Disappointed it wasn''t someone else?"


    "No, leaving you at the house without us might just make you sulk without doing any training."


    She ran up to him and started (lightly) punching him.


    "S-shut up. I don''t need you or Elizabeth to train. Do you think I''m some lonely hamster? But I suppose seeing your stupid face will keep my blood pumping." She said while looking flustered.


    "But aren''t you happy?"


    "About what?"


    "That you''re with us. If you were weak we would have left you behind."


    A smile started forming on her face but she increased the power of her fists and Tibaut had to bend over to catch his breath from being winded.


    "Whatever, Elizabeth probably just brought me here to even us out."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "I wasn''t the one who made the team."


    "Huh? Then who did?" Tina asked.


    "Mr. Bentley. I asked if me and Tibaut could go alone but apparently, the commission was four at least and he decided to add you two."


    ("Tch, did the old man think he was doing me a favour with this?") Tina thought to herself.


    Tina staggered slightly. ("Did you seriously not consider me, Liz!?")


    "Do we seriously have the time to be doing this?" Tibaut asked.


    "How many have you asked and how many times am I going to tell you we have to do it?"


    "I mean, are we sure about just leaving the parish? Couldn''t the cult attack in the time we''re gone?"


    "Don''t worry, by the time we come back we should have reinforcements of some kind whether it be other adventurers, soldiers or the police."


    "Police?" Tibaut looked at her confused.


    "Yes, police. Are you so dense you don''t know the names of the guards officially stationed in the parishes?"


    He scratched his head. "Oh no, it''s just that I didn''t know that''s what they were called here as well. (Hearing the word police and not something like "the Royal Guard of Smith''s Borrow" in a world like this did kinda trip me up.)"


    "Oh right, you aren''t from here so I suppose you wouldn''t know the formal name of the guards stationed here. (Especially because you''re more likely to see a mythical beast than any guard.)"


    "He isn''t?"


    "He isn''t?"


    The two sitting out the conversation commented that but they went ignored.


    "(I know Elizabeth said she told them a modified version of how we met but did she not tell them I''m not from here? Shit, Elizabeth said it was a close country but I don''t know where she was talking about, she might get suspicious if I can''t name it. Though it''s not like I can''t say I''m from Akumia but I feel like she''ll be pissy about me lying about where I''m from.)


    "We can have all the time in the world to chat when we catch our carriage, so let that be for the time being," Elizabeth said.


    ("Nice save Elizabeth!")


    "By the way Elizabeth" Tibaut looked around the forest and also scanned the clearing they were located in.


    "How is the carriage gonna get here?"


    Jake looked concerned when Tibaut pointed this out and commented, "um, it is coming here, right Elizabeth?" in the most polite tone he could muster.


    "What, do you guys not know?" Tina said while holding all of her luggage.


    "Ah, it appears I forgot to inform you two. We''ll be running to town to catch the carriage."


    Tibaut let out a sigh of agony and Jake fell to the ground like he had just been shot.


    Tina didn''t seem to pay them any mind and was the first to set off.


    "Oi Elizabeth, come join me already, surely you aren''t afraid of losing." She said before disappearing from view.


    "I suppose I can give her a head start." Elizabeth then calmly picked up her luggage and started walking.


    "Wait, Elizabeth isn''t it past noon now? How long are they gonna be there for?"


    Her eyes went upwards and she entered thought for a few moments. Although her expression was calm, sweat soon started beading on her forehead.


    "Maybe I shouldn''t give Tina a head start after all." And immediately after, ran into the forest.


    ("Well at least I only have this small thing") Tibaut thought to himself looking at his bindle.


    As he took his first step he felt something grab one of his legs and turned around to see Jake on the ground nearly in tears.


    As he looked around he realized something. Only half of the luggage was gone.


    Jake said no words and looked at him with puppy dog eyes.


    Tibaut tried to walk away but couldn''t force himself to shake him off his leg.

 Chapter 102

    After a sweat-filled race of determination, Tibaut and Jake finally reached the town. Thankfully they were just in time to see the carriage exit town. As they ran towards it Tibaut, one by one, threw the luggage into the back of the carriage. He soon tossed Jake before jumping in himself.


    "Why huff the hell huff do you have so much wheeze shit?"


    "Elizabeth said to come prepared so I thought we''d leave from there." He responded.


    In contrast to Tibaut who had carried most of Jake''s luggage, Jake himself had carried a slender-looking suitcase and two travel bags.


    Although some of the suitcases had been opened when thrown in, Tibaut couldn''t care less and pulled himself off the floor and sat down.


    "I hope you would have been ready to bear the consequences if one of those hit me," Elizabeth said. She sat a few inches away from him looking at Jake who had decided the floor made a great place to lie down on.


    "It''s amazing how slow you guys were," Tina said. She was seated at the other side of the carriage brushing her hair.


    "Shut up, unlike you two I''m not used to being a pack mule." They both shot him a dangerous glance but Tibaut was too busy catching his breath and wiping away the sweat on him to notice.


    "Anyway, I''ve heard this guy we''re gonna work for is pretty¡­ unique. Is that true?" Tina asked while turning to Elizabeth.


    "Well he was ousted by his family, so maybe it''s related."


    "I see, it makes sense you''d kn-"


    Elizabeth interrupted her.


    "Why do you think it makes sense I know that?"


    Tibaut looked at them with curiosity and Tina looked nervous.


    "Wait, I wasn''t implying anything, I''m just saying how connected, um, no scratch that, how, ah, well informed you are that it''s no wonder you''d know something like that."


    "Listen," Elizabeth turned to her then continued "I don''t know what you heard, but don''t take everything you hear too seriously."


    "Of course. I wasn''t even saying you wer-"


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    She quickly stopped talking as she realized the hole she was digging herself in.


    "What are you two talking about?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about it''s just something Elizabeth gets mad about. I don''t see it honestly. If she was related to someone from the royal guard I could see it, but a,"


    Elizabeth pinched his cheek to get him to stop talking.


    "Could we stop talking about this already? It''s an embarrassing rumour anyway."


    Elizabeth said.


    After removing her hand from his face she sat back down.


    They continued travelling in silence until Tibaut voiced something he couldn''t let go unheard anymore.


    "Holy crap, this is uncomfortable as hell!"


    Elizabeth paid him no mind while Tina seemed up for conversation.


    "What? Never ride on a carriage before?"


    "Why the hell are you guys acting so nonchalant? It''s already been a few minutes and my ass is already numb."


    "What are you talking about? This is on the better end of things in my book."


    He looked at her in amazement.


    "I wonder if being a woman makes it any better." He commented.


    "How would that make it better!?" Tina asked confused.


    "Cause you guys have more fat on your ass than us. I wonder if it acts like a cushion and makes it a more comfortable ride."


    Elizabeth then moved over towards him and delivered a blow to his neck knocking him out.


    "He really has spent too much time around Vanessa." She commented while looking disappointed.


    "Really? No wonder Lily sometimes talks about stuff like that."


    "I feel he has somewhat of a point, though." Said Jake while still on the ground.


    They both glared at him and he decided to look away and keep to himself for the time being.


    ("I know he mentioned butts, but was it that bad of a topic?")


    An unknown amount of time passed and it was now dark outside. Tibaut slowly woke, confused when he had fallen asleep and looked outside.


    He looked beside him and noticed Elizabeth was still awake unlike the other two.


    "Where are we going anyway? Considering how dark it is outside, at least five hours have passed."


    "We''re going to the parish boundary. He decided to take an old border checkpoint and convert it entirely into an estate."


    "Border checkpoint?"


    "The parish he''s in was some small state that was annexed a few years ago. The rulers gave the place up to be nobles in Anglia."


    "Huh." He responded while looking outside.


    "If you''re not interested you don''t have to respond." She said annoyed.


    Tibaut yawned and stretched his arms.


    "So I heard you guys trash-talking this noble we''re working for, is he that bad?"


    "Well, the only thing I do know about is, when it comes to his staff he only hires women. That only should be enough to tell you about the type of guy we''re working for."


    "Oh, I see."


    The carriage soon fell to silence again and Tibaut was left with own thoughts.


    ("But still. If I was a rich noble, I''d probably hire a bunch of hot women to work for me as well. I mean if I have the money why not use it to make myself happy? And plus Elizabeth said he isn''t likely to be connected to those bastards so he can''t be that bad.")


    Feeling the coldness of night Tibaut created a small fireball in his hand to warm up. He looked at Elizabeth and she seemed to be enduring the cool air.


    He scooched over and placed the ball in between.


    "I''m surprised you''ve learned how to be a gentleman." She commented with a sly smile.


    "Tch, can''t I do something nice without you saying anything?" He said, sounding quite bashful.

 Chapter 103

    The warmth had put Tibaut to sleep (Thankfully his fireball went out as soon as it was lights out for him) and for the past few hours, he had been in dreamland.


    He woke up to find the carriage empty and scanned around to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating. He also realized why he had such a good night''s rest in the first place. The carriage had stopped. It was early morning from what he could see outside and after a few more minutes of enjoying some rest, he finally got up.


    "Alright, where did those bastards go?"


    He slapped his cheeks to fully wake himself up and exited the carriage. They seemed to be a few meters away from a dirt road and he noticed a river nearby. He saw the horses nearby resting, with one of them eating some grass.


    As he looked at the horses, he felt growling coming from his stomach but decided against eating their only form of transportation.


    ("Man, it''s been a while since I''ve had to eat horse. When I couldn''t find any pigs or cows on a farm, these guys would get the job done.") He thought, remembering his time alone.


    He was going to walk along the river but then quickly decided against it.


    "I know where this is going." He said while staring it down. "I''ll walk down the river all clueless then I''ll stumble across Tina, Elizabeth or both of them bathing, then get my ass kicked. Sorry world, but I''m not that naive." He said looking quite smug from avoiding this imaginary scenario.


    "What are you going on about?" A voice behind him asked.


    He turned and saw Elizabeth carrying a few pieces of wood in her arms. Tibaut cleared his throat hoping she didn''t catch what he said.


    "Putting that aside, are we there yet?"


    "Do we look like we''re there yet?"


    Other than the dirt road there was no sign of human presence in eyeshot other than the carriage.


    "How much longer am I going to have to deal with my ass getting tenderized?"


    "Until we reach there." She responded.


    She began walking somewhere and Tibaut decided to follow. They were in some collection of trees, not quite large and dense enough to be a forest but it was at least able to hide them.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    They approached a campfire with Tina and Jake around with a third figure resting on the floor.


    "That guy''s our¡­driver?"


    "Coachman."


    "So that''s what that''s called."


    Don''t worry Tibaut, I thought they were called coaches before googling it.


    Elizabeth walked over to the fire and dropped the wood that was in her arms on it. To the side of it was a pot that looked like it had been emptied out recently.


    "How much longer are we gonna stay here anyway?"


    "Until our friend there wakes up." She said as she turned her gaze towards the coachman.


    "Wanna pass the time you lazy bastard," Tina interjected.


    "Man, I don''t wanna train before I eat something."


    Elizabeth handed him something.


    "Huh? You brought the rabbit jerky?"


    "Don''t tell you''re tired of it?"


    "No, I just didn''t think you guys would eat any."


    "Unfortunately, when you''re in the wild you''ll take whatever you can get especially dried food like this."


    As Tibaut was about to take a bite, something jumped on him and took the jerky away. He tossed it upwards and it gracefully landed on its feet.


    At first, he thought it was some wolf, and briefly considered Lucky following them but soon discarded that idea after getting a closer look at it.


    It had the head of a rabbit with the horns of a bull (though substantially smaller) with the body of a wolf. However, it wasn''t the size of a wolf Lucky''s size and was more similar in size to a husky. Its coat had a similar look to a calico cat with the orange replaced with gray and strangely it seemed quite clean despite a sizable portion of its fur being white. Its paws seemed noticeably larger than a wolf''s, despite its size, and it did nothing more than scratch its head with a hind leg while yawning.


    "What the hell is this thing?"


    Jake walked up to it and viewed it closely. It didn''t run away and looked him directly in the eyes.


    "I don''t know but it seems pretty cute." He said while looking at it.


    The girls sat around the campfire with no worry on their faces.


    "Is that Bellus?" Tina commented, looking over in interest.


    "Let me check." Elizabeth got up and walked over. She pulled Jake aside.


    "Um, Elizabeth, what are you doing?" Asked Tina with concern in her voice.


    Jake looked over at Tina before taking a step back after seeing what Elizabeth pulled out. She drew her sword and had it held over the creature.


    Tibaut looked concerned but with how many animals he killed in the wild and with how hungry he was, he didn''t mind some fresh meat. Plus the little bastard stole his jerky, so it was just desserts for all he cared.


    Elizabeth swung her sword down with a speed none of the others there could react to and shouting was heard.


    "Elizabeth, why the hell did yo- what?"


    Tina''s complaints were cut off by the sight of the beast rubbing against Elizabeth''s leg. Her sword was still in the dirt.


    "Looks like you were right Tina. This is Bellus." She said as she rubbed his head. She pulled out her sword, brushed off the dirt and sheathed it.


    Tibaut didn''t know what to think of the scene in front of him. That attack was something he knew he couldn''t dodge yet the creature came out unscathed and didn''t try to fight back.


    "What the hell is that?" He asked


    "Bellus?" Jake said. "As in, Mythical Beast Bellus!?"


    The animal seemed to react to its name and let out a delicate-sounding "Aro" sound.

 Chapter 104

    "Wow really?" Tibaut said, amazed. "By the way what''s a mythical beast?"


    Tina glared at him while Elizabeth was petting the animal on its head.


    "How the hell are you an adventurer if you don''t know what a mythical beast is? Elizabeth, are you sure you didn''t create him as some sort of combat homunculus?"


    "Please be patient with him, he is new to this after all."


    ("Don''t speak about me like I''m your developmentally slow kid.") He thought, feeling insulted by Elizabeth''s words.


    "That''s true, I didn''t even know these things existed until I bought an adventurer''s encyclopedia," Jake commented.


    Jake looked at the odd creature next to Elizabeth in amazement. He tried to pet it but Bellus evaded every attempt to do so. After throwing himself at it a few times, the boy eventually stopped. He had curled up into a ball and started sulking from being treated like this.


    Bellus made its way towards Tibaut and started rubbing against him looking quite satisfied with itself.


    "A mythical beast, huh?"


    He made a smaller version of his forehead Lance and launched it at the creature. Before he knew it, it was on one of his shoulders and began licking Tibaut''s face.


    "I assume that has something to do with it?"


    "It is said to be the weakest," Elizabeth said as she walked over to him. "But it is also regarded as the fastest."


    Tibaut looked shocked.


    "Speed? Not teleportation?" He asked. He looked at the creature in its eyes and all it did was lick his face again.


    ("Augh, at least it''s tongue isn''t too slimy")


    "Yes, it''s quick. That''s all."


    Tina herself also wanted to have some interaction with Bellus, so she tried to touch its fur. Before she knew it was on the ground rubbing against Tibaut''s legs.


    She went right back to the campfire and sat there looking annoyed.


    "Why''s it so picky with people?"


    "The encyclopedia didn''t mention anything about its preferences when it comes to people so your guess is as good as mine."


    She began scratching his neck so he rolled over on the floor and accepted it with pleasure.


    "So is there anything specific that makes it a divine beast?"


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "I just said the term, how are you messing it up already? But no, it''s up to the guild and the various countries they inhabit, to determine if something is a mythical beast or not. It helps if it''s a singular individual."


    Tibaut picked Bellus up and started really looking at him. He didn''t seem to have a care in the world and soon ended up on Tibaut''s shoulder again.


    After a few more minutes of playing around with him, (and a few more unsuccessful attempts from Jake and Tina trying to interact with him) he eventually vanished.


    "What''s with all the ruckus? Oh crap is it this late? Let''s get going." The coachman said as he quickly got up. He made his way over to the carriage and waited for them to come over.


    "Man, I''m still hungry, got any more jerky Elizabeth?"


    "I think I have some," she started feeling her pockets, then a pouch on her side. "Ah."


    "Ah?"


    "It appears it''s gone."


    30 seconds had passed and he hadn''t responded. Elizabeth had wondered if he was okay but he soon responded. His face looked determined before he spoke.


    "I guess a horse will have to do."


    Tibaut began walking to the carriage but Elizabeth easily knocked him out as soon as he turned his back on her.


    "You absolute idiot, why did your mind go to eating our transportation first!?"


    Their journey continued and Tibaut was forced to battle with his hunger on the way.


    After a few hours of looking at a scenery that didn''t change much, Tibaut finally noticed some civilization.


    Unable to contain himself he jumped out of the back of the cart and ran there.


    "It''s going to be so unfortunate when he realizes he didn''t carry any money on him," Jake commented.


    "Honestly, the fool should think things through before he runs off like that."


    Only Tina had decided not to comment on him. This was because she was trying to calm herself when she checked for her coin purse. She couldn''t find it on her waist and was discreetly looking for it when they discussed this.


    ("That bastard surely, he didn''t!?")


    Tibaut quickly reached the town and threw a pouch up and down in his hand.


    ("Sorry about this Tina but you were the only option. Elizabeth''s too scary, and I''d feel awful if I took anything from Jake. Just use this anger as energy in our next training session.")


    He walked down the dirt road without a single ounce of remorse while whistling.


    "Hmm for being a town, this ain''t all that lively."


    There were some people around but all that did was emphasize how empty the town was.


    "Maybe today''s a Sunday?" Tibaut commented before continuing his search for some grub.


    After walking for a while he came upon a tavern.


    "These places don''t only sell beer, right?"


    He meekly pushed the door open and was absolutely slammed by the drab atmosphere. He didn''t know what happened but he just felt depressed looking at the inside. The few eyes that were inside quickly turned to him.


    "Um, this looks like a bad time so I''l-"


    One of the men inside got up and went to the door.


    "You one of them?" The man asked.


    He looked in his forties going on fifty and had a gruff look to him. His hair was going grey and he had noticeable body hair on his hands and the part of his chest his shirt left exposed. He looked like he could be a blacksmith or some sort of carpenter.


    "Uh, I think you got the wrong guy."


    Tibaut tried to walk away but the old man grabbed his hand.


    "Listen here you little bastard, I''m asking you a goddamn question. Are you working for that bastard!?"


    Tibaut removed the old man''s hand and decided to enter the bar.


    "Alright old man, I''d appreciate it if you didn''t keep asking such a vague ass question before you inevitably throw a punch at me. What? You drunk?"


    The old man closed the door behind him and the bartender behind the counter simply sighed as he wiped a glass mug.


    "Richard, you know this never ends well, so just leave him alone already."


    "Shut up, you know damn well why he''s here. He''s that rich bastard''s lackey."


    "I suppose I am here because of a noble," Tibaut said with no regard for his surroundings.


    Some other men got up and surrounded him.


    Tibaut started doing some stretches and threw Tina''s coin pouch down in front of the bartender.


    "Looks like I''m gonna have to work for my meal."

 Chapter 105

    Words could not do enough justice to describe the satisfaction Tibaut felt after fighting the men. Ever since he had met Elizabeth, he fought people and things that were far from the ordinary. Elizabeth, Tina, Ezekiel, the man in black and the kobold horde. Even though Tina was the ''easiest'' of those he fought she was still a pain in the ass and the only reason he regularly sparred with her was to see her get stronger.


    These guys, though, they helped to shine a light on Tibaut to show him how much of a gap there was between normal people and adventurers. The fight didn''t even last a minute.


    With what he had been through, he felt like he had skipped the tutorial and went back to it after playing the main game for a few hours.


    ("Holy shit, why couldn''t these guys have been who I ran into in that village!")


    He thought as he checked through one of their pockets.


    ("Rejoice Tina! Your gold will be spared thanks to these generous men.")


    "Is that necessary?" The bartender asked.


    "Why should I feel bad about stealing from some thugs?"


    The bartender put down the glass he was cleaning and started looking through his selection of liquor.


    "So what will you be having?"


    "Hold on, isn''t this a bit too casual of a reaction after beating these guys up?" He asked. He had finished searching through the final idiot and walked over to the counter.


    "It was only a matter of time before this happened." He commented, sounding disinterested. "As I was saying I have a fine collection ranging from Red Hell 82 to High Sphe-"


    "Sorry, but I don''t do alcohol. I''d like something to eat." He put the coins down he had ''borrowed''.


    "Would you like a meal or a meal with a story?"


    He looked at him confused.


    "Uh, your voice isn''t really that interesting so I''ll just take the meal."


    The bartender sighed before putting it in plain words.


    "Listen, aren''t you curious about why those men attacked you?"


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Aren''t they a bunch of thugs?"


    "I''m afraid I can''t say. So how about the story?"


    Tibaut clicked his tongue and said "Fine." When it isn''t your money, it''s quite easy to part with it.


    "Say, you said you''re working for a noble, correct? Is it Mr. Bradley?"


    "I don''t really know his name, he just asked for a bodyguard."


    "At least you''re honest. And that sounds about right for that young man." He walked over to a stove and turned it on. A pot was already on it so he seemed to be reheating something. "Ever since last year, that man has been hiring bodyguards like crazy."


    "How much are we talking exactly?"


    "About 7 to 15 every month."


    Tibaut at first didn''t think this was much but then remembered he had been doing it for a year. On average that''d be 132 guards based on his loose math.


    "He''s not well-liked now, is he?"


    "Well, I have no qualms about him but there seems to be some group that has it out for him."


    "Is that these guys?" He said while pointing to the idiots on the floor.


    "No." He had now opened the pot and was stirring it around.


    "Huh? Then what the hell was their deal?"


    He then began putting some spices in whatever he was reheating on the stove, which didn''t inspire confidence in Tibaut but it wasn''t like he could unpay for the food.


    "You see they''ve been going around villages lately and¡­ let''s just the places they visit have a lot of missing girls. People here are getting tired of it and starting to throw blame at the¡­ what is he again? A Lord or something, anyway those guys over there either had a daughter, sister or lover taken away. Honestly, if my daughter was living in town I''d have probably joined them in attacking you."


    Tibaut couldn''t help but cringe after hearing this.


    ("I know they''re wrong for attacking me but damn, maybe taking their money was a bit too much.")


    "What the hell? Why aren''t the police doing anything?"


    The bartender picked up a ladle and started filling a bowl with what looked like a stew.


    "That''s the thing, they are. Yet no matter how many of them they detain, the bastards appear like roaches in some village or town and attack the noble the next day. The strange thing about it is they almost always fight to the death with guards he had stationed and even injure some of his maids. I''m honestly surprised he doesn''t just leave the country already."


    "Fight to the death?"


    "Ah, that''s right, you are working for him, aren''t you." He served Tibaut the bowl.


    ("I mean, with Elizabeth here, we should be fine.")


    "I don''t mean to sound arrogant but I''ll probably be fine." He started devouring the meal before him before the bartender had even been given the chance to give him some bread.


    "Yes, yes, do take care of yourself." He said. He dropped the bread in his stew and soon made himself sparse.


    "A guy with only women around him that has troubles with guys that take away women whenever they visit somewhere. I can see the problem here."


    Tibaut finished his meal before leaving the tavern. He felt quite awful about turning those guys into his punching bags. Unfortunately, he didn''t feel awful enough about it to bring them to a doctor.


    "Well, I didn''t hit them too hard so they should be fine. Probably."


    A bit nervous about their conditions he listened to each one of their chests to make sure they were still breathing. Thankfully they were all still alive. Though he felt less sorry for them as most smelled of booze.


    Except the man who first approached him. The only thing he noticed about him was tear marks under his eyes.


    "Don''t worry you grumpy bastard, I''ll do something about them (I hope anyway)."

 Chapter 106

    As Tibaut left the tavern he noticed how this group that had passed affected. He didn''t think much of it at first but the few people he saw walking around were men.


    "I didn''t expect this world to be perfect but it''s always a bummer seeing stuff like this."


    As he walked around he barely dodged a weapon thrown his way. He turned to the figure who threw it, concerned he''d have to fight more innocent people.


    Thankfully their tan skin and pink hair made it quite obvious they were a companion of his. It was Tina, looking noticeably bloodthirsty.


    "Come on Tina, don''t be so mad." He lifted her pouch up. "See I didn''t even spend anything."


    He soon noticed a buzzing sound behind him and dodged without seeing what it was. Whatever it was, hit Tina''s pouch and scattered her coins all over the place.


    It flew towards Tina and Tibaut felt a pit form in his stomach.


    However, this worry would soon prove to be unfounded. Instead of piercing her, it went straight into her hand. On closer inspection, he realized it was her spear.


    "Since when the hell could you do that?" He asked.


    She didn''t respond and instead rushed him. He didn''t like where this was going and quickly jumped between the walls of two buildings before escaping through the rooftops.


    "Hold on, hold on! Can''t we do this outside of town at least?" He pleaded.


    The only response he got was a spear that came a bit too close for comfort to his face.


    "Wow with those javelin skills, the Olympics would be a cinch."


    Tibaut kept his pace across the rooftops until he reached what looked like the outskirts of town.


    "tch, guess this''ll have to be good enough."


    He leapt off the roof and after landing, (which hurt his knees way more than he thought it would''ve) looked around for the pink-haired spartan chasing him down.


    "Come on Tina, it was just a little joke, there''s no need to try and kill me over it."


    "Who cares about that?" A voice from a nearby alley responded. She soon walked out with a spear in hand. "I thought I''d just lodge my spear in your shoulder and then head back. But then you dodge it. You bastard do you know how I''ve been working on that to make it viable as an attack? Yet YOU DODGE AS IF IT WAS NOTHING. Worst of all you didn''t even fight me." Her face was starting to look scary so Tibaut tried calming her down.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Don''t sell yourself short, it almost-"


    "Shut the hell up. I''m not just getting you to use your magic today, I''m beating your ass here and now."


    Tibaut scanned the area and no one seemed to be around. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders.


    "One round should be more than enough, then."


    "Hmph, get ready to have your ass dragged all the way to that noble''s house after I''m finished with you."


    And so they had their impromptu sparring match. The resulting damage to the area made Tibaut glad as it seemed to have been abandoned for some time (he hoped anyway).


    "Get your ass back here!"


    "I said one round you idiot!"


    Unsurprisingly the spar ended with Tibaut winning and, ever the sore loser, Tina wanted another go.


    No matter how he ran he wasn''t able to lose her.


    ("Holy shit, was she always this fast?")


    After deciding enough was enough he stopped and faced her.


    She swung her spear down at him with all the force she could muster but Tibaut used her momentum against her and hit a brutal counter punch in her stomach which sent her flying.


    "Listen, we don''t have time to be doing this."


    "Ugh," Tina groaned in pain before getting up. She tried to bring back her spear but it weakly rolled over to her instead of flying at him like it did earlier. "Shut up, I''m not finished yet."


    "Then why don''t we finish this at that noble''s place?" Tibaut said as he slowly walked towards her. "If we hurt any of these people, I feel like we''ll be in some deep shit."


    After looking around and being slightly cooled off from fighting Tibaut, she started blushing. Although there weren''t many, a few people gathered around to watch them. One misaimed spear throw and she could have turned someone into a shish kebab.


    She started stuttering trying to explain away her hot-headedness but felt ashamed for even trying to excuse what she did.


    She picked up her spear and calmly walked away.


    Tibaut was surprised she listened to reason at first but wished she could have done so sooner.


    "Let''s go." She quietly remarked.


    "I guess it is about time to unpack our stuff. Anyway, where is that guy''s mansion anyway?"


    Tina stopped walking. She soon scaled a nearby building and overlooked the area. She really took her time doing this.


    Tibaut soon went up there himself.


    "Uh, what are you doing? Shouldn''t we get going?"


    "Tibaut do you see any mansions or expensive-looking groups of buildings from up here?"


    Tibaut gave a quick glance.


    "Not really," Tibaut''s eyes soon opened wide. "You don''t mean?"


    "I left the carriage when it got close to the village." She quietly commented. "I don''t see the carriage either."


    After searching for an embarrassing amount, Tibaut eventually asked the bartender (whose bar was fully empty) for directions. He begrudgingly gave him the rest of his ill-gotten gains and they made their way towards the mansion.


    "You gave him 15 coins for directions!?"


    "Listen, it wasn''t my money to begin with, so if you think about it as me getting those directions for free it''s not that bad of a deal."


    "You stole that?"


    "Why are you assuming I stole it? I mean it should be fine if it was self-defense, right?"


    Tina sighed at his mercenary-like question and continued walking.


    "So you got in trouble earlier?"


    "Yeah, apparently the guys here don''t like the noble."


    "Why do we have to work for some corrupt, privileged bastard?"


    As Tina was getting the wrong idea, Tibaut explained what he heard in more detail.


    "Women? Now I have to worry about some pervy bastards if I ever go to town at the wrong time?"


    "Yeah, you should probably stay at the noble''s place to avoid trouble."


    "..."


    They continued walking in silence.


    ("... If I was talking to Ezekiel, he probably would have said something like "Don''t worry they wouldn''t have their eyes on you in the first place." He''s so similar to him sometimes yet completely different other times.")

 Chapter 107

    After trudging around in a forest, (why the hell do these guys love making their homes in forests?), they found what looked like buildings in the distance. As they approached the property, it looked like it was a fenced-in property.


    "They''re really gonna have us walk more?" commented Tina who had gotten tired of this evening stroll.


    "I think them not allowing just anyone to walk into this place is a good thing."


    As they walked throughout the property looking for the entrance they noticed a hole that was made in the fencing.


    "What do you say we just enter from here and greet the guy?" Tina asked.


    Tibaut had his hand to his chin and started thinking.


    "That sounds like a terrible idea."


    "Hmm, I''m surprised you said no," responded Tina.


    "I mean walking through here without anyone here just seems like it''s asking for trouble. Also, why are you surprised I didn''t want us just showing up unexpectedly?"


    "(Well you do, you seem like the type of person to do that.) No, I''m just used to picking the sketchy option before Ezekiel does."


    "Why?"


    "It''s better to acknowledge the first thing I find as an option before he finds an even worse one."


    "?"


    "For instance if he couldn''t find the entrance and we already walked past the hole in the fence he might just suggest throwing him over the fence so he could find someone to talk to."


    She removed the foot she had already stuck into the fence and walked back over to Tibaut.


    "Ah. Yeah, that does sound like him."


    As they were about to walk away they noticed a maid nearby. Before they even had the chance to call to her she was already on top of the fence looking over them.


    Tina held up her spear ready to react while Tibaut was more curious than anything.


    "Um, excus-" Before he could ask her for directions or even just where her boss was she dropped to the floor and tried to wrap his neck with some shiny wire but he was able to react quick enough to melt it before she reached his neck. She didn''t seem too bothered by his response to that and kicked him. He blocked it but the kick sent him flying a few feet back.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "What''s this? Since when have scum like you had magic of that level? Come to get revenge perhaps? Or feeling guilty you didn''t join the main group? It doesn''t matter because you will be joining them soon enough."


    Surprisingly it was Tina who made the next move by striking at her. The woman had another string in her hands and wrapped it around the head of Tina''s spear. She tried to use the string to guillotine off the spear''s blade but she quickly realized that wasn''t possible.


    ("This isn''t wood!")


    Tina soon put a charge into her spear and the woman instinctively let go of her string. It seemed the current was too much for it as the parts touching the spear melted.


    "Two magic users of your level. It seems you cockroaches are taking things seriously now."


    "STOP!" Tibaut shouted.


    The maid and Tina looked towards him.


    "This is no time for this shit, and Tina why the hell did you attack her?"


    Tina looked to Tibaut while keeping the maid in her field of vision.


    "She attacked us first so why the hell should we lay down and take it?"


    The maid seemed ready to pounce so Tibaut took control back of the conversation.


    "We can''t just do that for the people we''re working for."


    "What is this farce?" The maid asked as she looked at him. She seemed to be reaching into her pockets for something.


    "It''s true. Us four were sent to guard here but it seems like only two of us would have arrived."


    "Four of you, you say." The maid dropped her guard and checked a notebook she pulled out of her pocket.


    "Oh, a red-haired man and a pink-haired woman." She put the notebook back in her pocket and went through the opening in the fence.


    "Might I recommend you two to use the front gate."


    "Uh, where is it?"


    She pointed east.


    "Just continue heading that way." She seemed like she was about to walk back to where she came from but seemed to remember something and stopped.


    She bowed down and lifted her dress.


    "I''m the head maid and personal guard of my lord, Avis Latrodectus."


    Satisfied with that introduction she soon left.


    "I say we should have kicked her ass a bit to teach her a lesson," Tina remarked, still gripping her spear tightly.


    "Do you think it would have looked good if beat the shit out of his personal guard? He''d probably just send us back home and I wouldn''t wrong him."


    Tina shrugged her shoulders and started walking east and Tibaut soon followed.


    "We''d just be cutting the fat from our list. This guy''s probably just a pervert, not some cultist lifeline."


    "I know but there must have been some reason Mr. Bentley sent us here."


    "He probably just wanted some quick cash to help us fight those bastards."


    "Huh?"


    "I guess you wouldn''t know but we aren''t exactly flooded with work."


    "Oh trust me, I know."


    "Oh, so do you also know funding for each regional guild is given out based on how much activity they receive."


    "..."


    "You can see the problem right? We''re fighting these cultists for round 2 and it seems like they''ve brought out the big guns this time. I can see why he''d need the money but he had no reason to lie to us."


    "..."


    Tibaut didn''t know what to say to that. Were they really sent here to get some money for their fight against the cultists? I mean this guy is a noble so he probably isn''t hurting for cash. He decided when they finished this commission he''d ask Elizabeth to look into it.


    After a few minutes of walking, they saw a carriage outside of a large gate.


    "Finally," Tina stated.


    "Wait a minute, why are they still out here?"

 Chapter 108

    After walking up the carriage and entering, Tibaut immediately bombarded Elizabeth with a question.


    "Why the hell are you guys not in yet?"


    "Oh, you two returned." She said. She was clipping her fingernails and looked quite bored.


    Jake was on the other side of the carriage tapping a pencil against his head while looking intensely into a small notebook he had open. Hearing Tibaut''s voice he turned to him.


    "Oh, you''re back Tibaut. How was the town?"


    "Elizabeth, how long have you guys been waiting here?"


    Jake started sulking from being ignored.


    "Hmm, about two hours by my estimation." She said as she clipped another nail.


    Tina made her way beside Elizabeth and sat down, not seeming to care about what Tibaut was saying.


    "You''d think from what that maid said, you guys would be inside already."


    "Maid?" She asked, turning her attention to him in interest.


    "Yeah, some maid of theirs tried to take my head as a trophy."


    "The rude bitch tried to do something to my spear as well," Tina stated.


    They briefly explained their encounter with her.


    "I see."


    Before Tina could even react she was flicked on the head by Elizabeth.


    "Ow, why''d you do that?"


    "I can''t believe, out of the two of you I''m telling you to be careful. With you two so close to the gate they would have been able to easily make the argument you two were trespassing. They seemed to have been attacked recently so the place looks on edge."


    "We didn''t enter it but she still attacked us. If it was just some regular people they would have been killed."


    "Yet you were quick to trade blows. What would you have done if you killed her without even attempting to explain the situation?"


    Tina piped down and turned her face away.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Anyway, you said she pulled out a piece of paper and confirmed you two were part of the guards sent."


    "Yeah, why?"


    "So she''s the one that has been running late."


    Tibaut tilted his head slightly.


    "Running late?"


    "From what the guards at the front said," Tibaut looked outside and saw they were also women, "This person you ran into supposedly is the only one on the compound that has our descriptions. So we can''t get in until she shows up."


    "It didn''t look like she ran this way after she told us to come up here." Tibaut quietly muttered.


    After another eventless hour of waiting the gates were opened and someone approached the carriage from behind.


    "You will have to excuse me, I had various matters to go to first before I was to let you in." The woman stated.


    It was the same woman that had attacked Tibaut and Tina earlier. The lord''s head maid, Avis. There wasn''t a hint of emotion on her face which made it hard to determine if she even remembered Tibaut after trying to kill him.


    "I''m afraid we don''t want anyone except our employed guards on the property so I''ll have to ask you to carry your luggage from here."


    "Very well," Elizabeth commented before telling the coachman he could leave as soon as they unpacked.


    Tibaut was surprised Tina didn''t have anything to say to the maid and turned to her to see how she was keeping herself quiet. Elizabeth had a hand firmly placed on her shoulder and Tina had her arms crossed while pouting.


    After several minutes they were walking across the property with their package in tow. Tibaut as before was forced to carry most of Jake''s luggage.


    "Sorry, Tibaut." He apologized.


    "Tch, why the hell can''t those pack mules help me?"


    "We''re carrying enough as is, so be a man and help him out," Tina said carrying considerably less.


    "It is unsightly for a man to complain too much," Elizabeth commented also carrying considerably less.


    "Well, I never expected that one to be the runt of this group," Avis commented, seeing them force this on Tibaut.


    Saddened by no one trying to correct her, he continued walking in silence and looked around the property. Most buildings looked like their exteriors were made of marble and it seemed quite fancy.


    "I must say, this place is quite luxurious looking for a former border fort," Elizabeth said as she looked around.


    "Well, my lord''s family has been renovating this place. The old fort is still here but my Lord has personally decided to make some renovations to it."


    "They must have quite the disposable income to make something like this."


    "Of course. My lord''s family is one of few noble families that have direct ties to the royal family."


    "How prestigious," Elizabeth commented leaving their conversation there.


    After walking some more they were soon at the doorsteps of a comfortably sized building.


    "Make yourselves comfortable. This is your guesthouse which you will be living in for your tenure."


    "How grateful of him."


    The maid bowed before taking her leave.


    "This place looks pretty decent," Tibaut said.


    "Wait, so when the hell are we gonna meet this bastard?" Tina said, as she no longer had to worry about Elizabeth scolding her.


    "Nobles operate on a different set of time than us, Tina. He''ll meet with us when he feels like it." She said opening the door. "Ugh."


    "Tch, so he''s one of them," Tina commented walking towards the front door. "Ugh."


    ("Oh I know those types. I remember when I was getting my inheritance, I had to meet with a lot of those types of guys. Me and my brother would agree to a time to meet them and they''d have the gall to show up 2 hours later. You''d think with so much money they could afford a watch.")


    Tibaut thought, realizing some things are the same, no matter the world.

 Chapter 109

    As Tibaut was unpacking in his room (well, unpacking was being a bit generous), and looked to be winded from doing something and was wiping sweat from his brow.


    "I really am her whipping boy." He said as something caught his eye.


    Laid out on the bed next to the three sets of clothing he brought with was the book he had been ducking ever since Elizabeth had handed him the two books.


    "Defensive magic¡­ I suppose it''s about time I read this."


    He opened the book and nervously read the first page. Surprised at how easy to understand it was, he continued reading it.


    After reading the book for about an hour he closed and put it down.


    "I didn''t understand a single part of that other than the first page."


    Thinking he wasn''t paying enough attention, he opened the book again and read through the first five pages.


    It took another five hours but after enough he finally understood what it was trying to say.


    "Fucking hell, is this a college textbook?"


    The first five pages of the book dealt solely with the theoretical aspects of a single type of defensive magic and showed various equations he assumed were involved in the creation of this magic most of which he didn''t recognize. Not recognizing what most of the symbols represented didn''t help either.


    "I can''t do this. This is like dropping someone who did middle school math into a calculus course. I''m missing too much information!"


    He started flicking through the pages hoping there was something he could gain from this.


    There was nothing of use he could gleam. He hadn''t felt this out of his depth before since he had decided to ask some graduates for help with a topic he was struggling with. Why the hell was this book so much more complicated than the other two?


    "Man, I give up. I''ll see what the others are up to."


    As soon as he opened the door he was greeted by a spear heading for his stomach. He quickly dodged, having it graze his side and quickly ran along the shaft to strike back at his attacker. It sent them into the wall of the hallway but she had a smirk on her face.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "This should be fine since we''re not in the town anymore, right?" Tina said while readying her spear.


    "Can''t we at least do this outside?"


    "Have you seen this place?"


    Despite the outside looking well-kept and the rooms they chose having no issues the rest of the building was far from ideal.


    The building had ten rooms and 5 of them were incredibly dirty with holes head-sized to the size of something reasonable like a grape, in the walls with the remaining 5 needing a bit of elbow grease to be cleaned to a satisfactory state. This of course fell on Tibaut. The rest of the building wasn''t much better with damage, the floor had some cracks and stains on it and various rooms like the kitchen looked like they hadn''t been cleaned in years. Thankfully for him, they didn''t ask him to clean those as well. The whole reason he stayed inside and decided to try and read the defence magic book was because he didn''t want to risk them asking him to clean after he left his room.


    The place also had what Tina referred to as ''battle scars''. Various walls inside looked like they had been damaged with blunt weapons or sliced with blades.


    "Come on, can''t we at least go outside? With this type of atmosphere, I feel like I''m fighting for my life."


    "(Tch, I was hoping to give him a shallow stab to even my odds but he dodged it anyway.) Whatever, just don''t make any excuses for when I win. I don''t want you complaining about the night darkness causing you to lose."


    "Can''t I set up some torches at least?"


    Tibaut looked at the wound on his side and touched it. He slightly winced and Tina looked at him with her eyes squinted.


    "Sure. If you can evade me for long enough."


    Tibaut frowned when she said this and started walking towards the outside.


    As they walked through the building that looked like it had been through a war they stumbled into Elizabeth who was looking at a room in disappointment.


    "Oh, you two." She said,


    "Quite the place isn''t it?" Tibaut responded.


    "I should have known we were gonna get stuck with a place like this," Tina said.


    "At least there''s a roof above our heads," Elizabeth said, trying to force herself to be optimistic.


    Tibaut looked up.


    "Huh, I think I can see some stars through a hole."


    "Let''s hope it doesn''t rain," Elizabeth said dejectedly. "Also." She put her hand on Tibaut''s side and healed it enough for it to stop bleeding.


    "Can this wait until tomorrow? If you two fight, I''m certain one of you will accidentally kill the other in the dark."


    "Fine by me," Tibaut said.


    Tina clicked her tongue and shrugged her shoulders. "Since I was the only one to land a hit, I suppose I''ll accept this win."


    Tibaut glared at her but she didn''t let it bother her and walked away.


    "Tibaut, we will be meeting with the lord tomorrow so make sure you don''t oversleep."


    "Why do I have to go? Isn''t he fine just meeting with our leader?"


    "With Jake in our group, I''m not presumptuous enough to declare myself the leader. Besides, even if I were, you would have to come with us anyway. How are we supposed to guard him if he doesn''t even know our faces?"


    "Fine. I can''t guarantee it since sleeping in the carriage was so rough on me."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll wake you up if I have to."


    ("Like hell, I''ll allow that to happen!")

 Chapter 110

    Thanks to sleeping relatively early in the night, Tibaut was able to wake up early.


    As he woke he ran over his tongue over his teeth. He did a few more times and got and looked through his bindle. Three sets of clothing and the book.


    ("Fuck, I forgot my toothbrush.")


    He got up and searched around the house until he found himself in the kitchen. In the doorless cardboard, he found some salt.


    ("I''ve heard baking soda was an alternative to toothpaste mostly for its physical properties. Crushed-up salt has a similar texture to baking powder so it should be fine¡­ right?")


    He looked for something to crush the salt with and was surprised during his search when he realized there were no forks or knives in the kitchen.


    ("Just spoons. It seems our predecessors were really something.")


    After deciding it didn''t matter if it was crushed or not he rubbed the salt against his teeth using his finger and rinsed his mouth out.


    ("At least it''s better than using soot.") He thought as he headed back to his room.


    Someone''s hand grabbed his shoulder. It was Elizabeth.


    "Get dres- do you have no shame wearing the same thing all the time?" She asked him.


    She looked at Tibaut and he was wearing the same white shirt and black pants he always wore.


    "Pyjamas are a waste of time. I don''t know why you guys even brought them."


    Elizabeth shook her head in her pyjamas.


    "At least change out of those. They have your body odour all over them." She commented before leaving.


    He sniffed himself. "I don''t smell that bad, right?" Said the man who used to regularly put up with not showering for several weeks.


    The four of them soon assembled and went outside.


    "So where are we going to meet him?" Jake asked.


    "In the main building presumably."


    "Mmh, Presumably?" Jake replied looking quite chipper. He did various stretches as he walked beside Elizabeth.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Well I talked to one of the maids and they said to go to the main building."


    "I hope it doesn''t take long," Tina commented as she walked behind them.


    "Well I''d like to ask him a question or two so you guys can leave after we''re introduced," Tibaut said.


    "Oh, was it about those men you said terrorized the village?" Elizabeth responded.


    "Yeah, I don''t know why, but that kinda feels like cultist behaviour to me."


    "You did say they were kidnapped, correct?" Elizabeth looked around at various buildings before going to one with seemingly no rhyme or reason. "I suppose that is something we will have to look into, though I have no idea why they would abduct only women. Did they take children as well?"


    "(Is she guessing which building is the main one?) Didn''t hear anything about that from the bartender, so I guess not." He responded while observing her.


    "Hmm," Elizabeth mumbled as she walked closer to the building.


    Jake looked interested in what they were talking about but decided not to join.


    ("What would be so odd about them kidnapping only women? I mean they kill indiscriminately sometimes but it''s not like they do it for any other than causing chaos. Maybe kidnapping women makes people more afraid here.") Jake thought to himself.


    They soon reached the building and Elizabeth knocked on the door. A maid came outside and briefly spoke to Elizabeth before going back inside. A few minutes passed before the finally came outside. He had silky smooth hair and pale skin. He was wearing a sleeveless black crop top with white pants.


    "Another maid?" Tina commented.


    "Maybe, a relative?" Tibaut stated.


    "I wonder if sh-" Jake was cut off.


    "That''s him. Albus Bradley." Elizabeth said as she looked at him.


    "HIM!?" They all commented.


    A smile appeared on his face as he looked at them and went over straight to Tibaut.


    He looked him over while shaking his head in affirmation.


    ("What''s up with him?") Tibaut thought as he was getting analyzed.


    A maid soon exited the door.


    "How are they, Lord Bradley?"


    "These girls are great! I can''t wait to see them in a maid outfit, especially this one."


    He hugged Tibaut.


    ("Huh?") Tibaut tried to escape his grasp but he was surprisingly strong.


    "Um, Lord Bradley, these are the guards."


    "So?"


    "Two of them are men."


    As he was hugging Tibaut he looked back to him.


    "Ah, that''s why I wasn''t feeling anything on your chest."


    He looked at Jake.


    "Man, I thought that one was a tomboy type."


    "...Could you stop hugging me?" Tibaut asked, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.


    "Hmmm, what do you think about a maid''s dress?"


    Tibaut blushed and desperately looked around for help.


    Someone tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and started squinting at her.


    "Do I know you?" He asked uncertainly. His grip loosened and Tibaut took the opportunity to escape and step back a lot.


    "I think you have me confused for someone else. Anyway, I''d like to discuss in detail what we will be doing in your service."


    He scratched his chin.


    "If you guys are the guards then, you should probably talk to Avis about the details."


    He grabbed Tibaut''s hand and started walking back towards the building.


    "Huh, why me?"


    "I haven''t seen anyone with hair like yours before so I want you to try on a few outfits for me."


    "Hold on, help me out here Elizabeth!"


    "We''ll go meet with his personal bodyguard so feel free to ask him the questions you had for him earlier."


    Tina and Elizabeth walked away. Tibaut looked at Jake as he was being dragged by his hand with fear in his eyes. Jake looked at him, and clasped his hands to pray before walking away, catching up to Elizabeth and Tina.


    "Just outfits right?"


    Albus smiled at him and kept walking.


    "RIGHT?"

 Chapter 111

    Ah, Mother, Father, Pyrus, I ask if you''re looking down at me from above, please stop. I ask you all to forgive me for letting something like this happen to me. I should have known from the start, I should have fought back harder. Now, I''ve sullied your eyes and made you see my ruination. I''m not sure I will ever be able to look in a mirror again.


    This is the end of the road for me. I won''t ever be able to live a normal life for as long as I live. Could you all please prepare a space for me? I think I''m going to be visiting you all very soon.


    "Nice," Albus said huffing and puffing with a blushed face. "Your slender build, your youthful face, that lovely crimson hair, and that lovely unblemished skin. It''s all so amazing, and it pairs so well with a maid outfit!"


    Tibaut had his eyes closed as he didn''t want to confront the cold reality he was faced with.


    "Is that so¡­" He said, sounding almost clinical. "I don''t think I can wear one." He said as he gritted his teeth.


    "What are you talking about, you''re in one of the finest ones I own."


    Tibaut was standing in front of a mirror in the iconic outfit, from the black dress and the white apron to the bonnet. Albus even added his own flare by adding a choker. The only reason Tibaut hadn''t burned the place down was due to talking Albus out of putting stockings on him. His hair was straight and tidy from having various maids brush and comb it. This wasn''t rock bottom for Tibaut but it was pretty fucking close. The worst part about it was that the materials were quite high quality so it was pretty comfortable and it provided a nice warmth since this was the time of the year it began to feel cold.


    His eyebrow twitched when he heard what the man with the face of a princess rather than a prince answered.


    "W-what are you talking about? I''m wearing a black kilt that has a shirt attached." Tibaut said while wearing a fragile-looking smile.


    "Be glad you''re wearing that Tibaut, you''re probably the only man I can think of that can pull it off."


    A vein on Tibaut''s forehead twitched and his face made it seem like he was contemplating murder.


    "Even when you''re angry, it looks nice. It''s like you were made for maid outfits."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Tibaut couldn''t take it anymore and opened his eyes.


    "LISTEN HERE, YOU SON O-"


    His eyes wandered towards the mirror. He fell to his knees with an empty look in his eyes. There was no denying it. He was in a maid outfit.


    "Even your look of despair is delightful!"


    Tibaut gave him a look that held nothing back in terms of what he was feeling and slowly got up.


    "But seriously, how long are you gonna have me do this for? I''m not even getting paid."


    "Don''t worry I''ll add a bonus on your commission. This alone is worth doubling your fee."


    ("Now I just feel like an escort.") Tibaut thought as he examined the outfit. "Still, was it really necessary for your maids to change me?"


    "Well, you wouldn''t budge so my hand was forced. Besides I''m sure they were happy to see someone other than me in my underwear."


    "They see you in your underwear?" His attention was caught by what he said.


    "Pretty often."


    ("Tch, this lucky bastard")


    "Lord Bradley, I''m finished with the drawing." A maid who was sitting in the back minding her own business stated.


    "Ah, perfect."


    "Can I take this shit off now?" Tibaut asked.


    "Say Tibaut," Albus said with a smile and bright eyes.


    Tibaut''s eyes squinted. ("Just gonna ignore me, huh?")


    "Do you have a sister?"


    "Tch, I have a cousin but I couldn''t tell you where she is."


    Albus breathed a long and overdrawn sigh. "Aw, man I was really hopeful. I really would love a maid that looks like you."


    As Tibaut was quickly making his exit Albus grabbed his shoulder. "Don''t you have questions to ask me?"


    "Let me change out of this first."


    "No." He said quite firmly. With how resolved his face was looking, Tibaut decided to ask what he came for and get out.


    "What the hell''s up with the guys attacking you?"


    The smile on Albus''s face resided, though he didn''t look annoyed or bothered by what Tibaut stated.


    "Ah them. Those Lochmull bunch." He walked over to a bench in the room and sat down. "You can have a seat."


    Tibaut rolled his eyes and sat down beside him.


    "So who are these Lochmull guys?"


    "This parish was originally a small territory called Lochmull. They feel that it should have stayed that way."


    "I think I heard about that, but I never heard the name of the place." Albus handed him something in his hand.


    "Apparently the noble that used to overlook this parish was some big shot in the previous territory. And as such people didn''t complain about it that much. But that all changed when I came here."


    "I guess that makes sense. By the way, why did you give this to me?" Tibaut asked. He held out the thing Albus gave him and it was a cupcake.


    "Feel free to take it, it''s always nice to see something cute like eating a cupcake."


    Tibaut gritted his teeth when he heard this and ate the cupcake in the least sophisticated manner he could manage.


    "That also has its own appeal. As long as it''s a maid anyway you do it is fine." He said with a soft smile on his face.


    ("I''ll kill him, I swear to God or whoever the hell''s up there. Screw this bastard, I hope he has all his maids get ntr''d")

 Chapter 112

    "The main family can be quite cruel sometimes, right Avis?" Said the pale-skinned man. He had his arms bent out looking at the scenery in front of them.


    "They''re a mean bunch, master." The woman said as she hugged him. "Whatever will we master?" She said in a high-pitched voice looking at him with tears in her eyes.


    "Haha, my little Avis, just leave this all to me."


    <hr>


    "HOLD ON A MINUTE!" Tibaut shouted.


    Albus tilted his head at him.


    "What''s the problem, Maid Red?"


    "It''s Tibaut, you bastard. Anyway, you''re making this up."


    Albus tilted his head even more.


    "I haven''t even gotten a few sentences in, you could at least listen to what I''m saying a little longer before accusing me, Maid Red."


    Tibaut shook his hand in disagreement.


    "You''ve already got one thing suspicious in it."


    "And what''s that?"


    "How that bodyguard of yours talks."


    He looked at him unsure what he was speaking about. "Bodyguard?"


    "You know that maid that calls herself Avis."


    "Oh, her. I forgot I called her that. I mean why is it suspicious if she talks like that, you don''t know her." He said, sounding quite defensive.


    "No way. Someone like her, who wouldn''t think twice about attacking someone wouldn''t sound like that. I''ll cut my hand off if that''s true."


    "Why not make the wager serving me?"


    Tibaut''s face contorted at his suggestion.


    "But still, it sounds like you''ve seen her in action."


    "I almost became her victim while I was walking around the property," Tibaut said before finishing the last of the cupcake.


    This caught Albus off guard and his eyes widened before returning to their usual size.


    "It seems like she was sloppy. That isn''t like her." He commented with a serious expression on his face.


    "Like, I''m not saying she should be punished but she seems a bit more ruthless than the way you''re describing her."


    "Ugh, fine I''ll tell it more ''accurately'' since you don''t like my creative liberties. For a maid like you, I''ll give you the unedited version."


    ("I regret ever thinking this guy wasn''t going to be some creep.")


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    <hr>


    "Avis, is this really where they sent us?"


    "Yes, it is, Lord Bradley."


    "Tsk, bastards."


    Before the duo stood a Grey Fort. It looked like it hadn''t been visited in ages and there were cracks all along the stone that made it. Albus looked around the area before sighing.


    "Now, young master, maybe the inside is better kept."


    "I''d hope."


    They took a quick inside and all it served to heighten Albus''s blood pressure, it looked like it hadn''t been cleaned in ages. The dust inside was so thick, he wondered if exploring the fort could be considered archaeology.


    "Those bastar-"


    <hr>


    Tibaut now had his hands on Albus''s shoulders.


    "Albus you said you were attacked, so what does this have to do with anything?" Tibaut asked. At any other time, Tibaut would have let him speak but the maid outfit was getting to him and he had to get out of it before the last shreds of his pride vanished.


    Albus shrugged his shoulders and sighed.


    "Fine, I''ll tell you from when I first saw them."


    <hr>


    Albus was in a wooden house, drinking tea across the table from Avis. He looked outside a glassless window at various men moving wood and stone.


    "How long will it take them to finish Avis? With how open this house''s design is, the bugs are starting to become a problem."


    "And who said they wanted a house built as quickly as possible?"


    Albus downed the cup while avoiding her gaze.


    "They should take four months by our estimations." She said.


    "They''re sending me out here and we don''t even have a proper house. Whatever, how many of the maids will be coming?"


    "They should all be here by the end of the month, though I wonder about their living quarters."


    Before Albus could comment on what she said, he heard some shouting outside and looked to see what the problem was.


    A group of men who were wearing bandanas to cover their faces had started arguing with the construction workers.


    "Avis, could you deal with that?"


    "How so?" She said as she reached into her pockets.


    "Calm down. It''d be bad if you killed them, I don''t want the people here to think I''m some warlord."


    She removed her hands from her pockets with nothing taken out.


    "As you wish, little master."


    Albus blushed.


    "Don''t call me that anymore, I''m a man now."


    She giggled before leaving.


    ("Yeah right.") Tibaut thought as he heard this.


    She left the hastily built log cabin and walked over to their unwanted visitors.


    "Fucks your problem man? We''re just trying to work!" A man with a giant slab of stone in his hands shouted to the man blocking him.


    "And you call yourself a Lochy? Bending over and taking the money of some Anglia ass wipe?"


    Avis stepped between them and faced the man covering his face.


    "What seems to be the problem?" She asked.


    The other men with bandanas noticed and soon surrounded her. The construction workers decided to stop what they were doing and also came over with some looking worried.


    "You from Anglia, bitch?"


    "As far as I can tell we''re still in Anglia."


    He walked up to her and grabbed her collar.


    "Don''t you dare say something like that to me you bitch. You think now, ''cause you bullied us into becoming a part of you we''ll accept that?"


    "Mr. Patriot, I know it must be tough to know this but I have no control over what my government did. If what you''re saying is true, I truly feel sorry for all of you but what does that have to do with my master building here? Or the people working here? This seems like a matter to take up with parish courts or the royal family, not us."


    The man gritted his teeth and attempted to throw a punch at her. She put a hand in her pocket but before the punch could even be swung down another man stopped him. From the marina he was wearing and the dirt and sweat all over him, he looked to be a construction worker.


    "Just give it up already. You guys say all sorts of things about Anglia being devils yet, ever since they took over I couldn''t tell ya an ounce of difference other than traveling being easier."


    The man in the bandana looked insulted but as looked around he decided not to say anything more. The construction worker had all decided to pick up either larger rocks or wooden planks.


    "Listen pal, we''re all people of the same parish here, so before you decide to do someone you might regret, imma ask you to leave." The construction worker told him while wearing a stern look.


    The man clicked his tongue. "Whatever. Be the Anglians'' little pooches all you like."

 Chapter 113

    "They left soon after, but that was just a sign of things to come. Honestly, I don''t know why I wasn''t more concerned when that happened."


    Albus was lying down on the bench and trying his best to use Tibaut''s lap as a pillow. Tibaut''s jaw muscles were clenched with his eyebrows furrowed as he did his best to push away his head.


    "Ever heard the term sexual harassment?"


    Albus continued smiling while trying to rest his head.


    "Don''t be like that Maid Red, it''s not like I want to do anything to you. I just want to experience you in the maid outfit."


    "Don''t make me kill you bastard."


    "pft, as if you could."


    Tibaut raised an eyebrow at this comment but realized he was probably talking about that head maid of his, protecting him. Though now that he thought about it, the maid who drew him was still in the room and simply giggled at them bickering.


    "Anyways, where was I? Oh right, the first ''attack''." He said as he made air quotes.


    <hr>


    It was the middle of the night and the construction workers had long left.


    "Avis, can you sleep in bed with me?"


    The pair were in their windy log cabin and the night breeze was not kind.


    "Well, I suppose it has been a while since we shared a bed." She commented not against the idea.


    ("Is this bastard fucking bragging?") Tibaut thought.


    "Thanks, I could really use the warmth."


    She walked towards the cabin door and left without saying a word. He lay on his bed in silence unsure of what happened.


    ("Maybe she forgot something?")


    Curious, he got up and followed after her.


    As he walked he marveled at his surroundings.


    "I heard he was good but to do this with a bunch of regular people is amazing."


    Various foundations had been built all over the land in the three weeks he had arrived. Some of them had even had walls built.


    "At this point, the fort is going to be out of place, no matter how much they fix and remodel it."


    The fort was also undergoing some repairs and improvements as its current state was a bit concerning.


    He walked on what would be his future main building and found Avis, looking at a wall.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Is it that interesting?"


    "Hmph,"


    She looked at him before turning back to the wall. Her face was expressionless as always.


    "I have nothing to say to someone who considers me a heat source."


    He approached what she was viewing and placed his hand on her shoulder, which she quickly pushed off. He smiled and tried to look oblivious.


    "Anyway, why''s that x got your interest?"


    On the wall, she was looking at was an X with finger-length strokes carved into the wall.


    "Whenever spots like this are made, they usually indicate something being done to the area, whether it is being destroyed, carved or something placed here."


    "What about it?" He asked. He didn''t get why she was interested after her explanation.


    "Well, the men out here use pencils to mark areas like."


    "Maybe they just got lazy?"


    "No, I''ve seen them work, they use pencils for this. What''s odder is the fact I''ve seen several of these so far."


    "Come on, stop overthinking it and let''s get back already I''m cold." He said as he crossed his arms.


    "Wouldn''t your magic be able to warm you up?"


    "Hmm, maybe, but I want to sleep next to you."


    Albus was looking around when saw something out of the corner of his eye.


    "Hey?" He said. He saw movement and tried to speak to the figure.


    "Shit" someone quietly muttered before the sound of footsteps were heard.


    This immediately caught Avis''s attention and as soon as she stood up, she went into a full sprint.


    She was able to catch the intruder without incident.


    <hr>


    "Yeah right," Tibaut said


    "I don''t see the problem?"


    "She just caught him as if? Are you telling me she decided to kill me without hesitation but just caught that guy without killing him?"


    Albus started sweating and scratching his head.


    "Come on, just tell me what happened with censoring it."


    "Oh, I suppose I can, though I''m going to have to ask you for another drawing of you like that later."


    Tibaut lips pursed.


    "... you know,"


    "Don''t worry Tibaut I''ll give you the story with no details omitted, my wonderful maid."


    Tibaut had defeat in his eyes and his shoulders slumped.


    <hr>


    Avis chased the figure and they threw something at her. It looked to be a bottle with a flaming rag in its opening. She bent lower than any normal human could at that speed and caught it. Considering he didn''t hear the sound of glass breaking the man looked around and was just in time to see her throw it back. He crashed to the ground and the bottle broke in front of him. He cussed at the bruises he got from his fall and got up only to see the maid in his face. He instinctively threw a punch but something caught it before it touched.


    "Who are you?"


    "Shut up bitch."


    He tried reaching his other hand into his pocket but felt a searing pain around the hand that was stopped.


    "Let me ask again. Who." He felt greater pain. "Are" Under the moonlight he saw his hand was bleeding. "You" It fell off.


    The man screamed in agony while rolling around on the floor. Someone else walked up.


    "Avis, you really should have gone easy on him."


    The man glared at Albus. "You''re that pretty boy bastard they sent down here, aren''t you?"


    Albus didn''t have an ounce of fear on his face.


    "Well, people do say the only thing I have is my face, so I guess you''re not wrong."


    He pulled his other hand out of his pocket and threw something. It was a stick of dynamite and the fuse was already lit.


    Before he even had the time to look concerned, the fuse was cut off before it reached him. It hit his chest and fell to the ground.


    The man on the ground didn''t even have time to process what happened before his head was cut off.


    "So Avis,"


    The maid looked deep in thought before sprinting away.


    "Huh?" He mouthed confused at her reaction.


    "Those bastards, did they-"


    A moment later when she was no less than 10 meters away from Albus, various explosions were heard and seen around the property, from the various foundations.


    She stood there with her fists clenched.


    "So that was what those marks were about." Soon enough, they saw several figures running.


    "Lord Bradley, do you mind if I deal with this?" She said holding as she clenched her fist looking at them, scurrying away like insects.


    "Go wild."

 Chapter 114

    "Avvvviiissssss!" Albus shouted in a drawn-out tone.


    The maid was outside guarding the cabin for the last night. After waking up he quickly came outside.


    "Take a break already, you need some rest."


    Her uniform was covered in splatters of blood but she didn''t care how she looked, as long as any risk was present, she''d defend him.


    "I shall stay here until the workers arrive. Now go back inside until then."


    "But," Albus pointed away, "Are you sure you want to leave that there?"


    A few meters away from their humble cabin was a pile of garbage. The garbage that had decided to attack last night. In total, there were 9 nine bodies piled on each other. Some had lost heads while others had lost limbs.


    "I do think there would be no advantage to hiding them."


    "Come on, Avis regular people can''t handle stuff like this."


    "I have no respect for people who want to look away from reality."


    "These are dead bodies." He bluntly stated.


    Avis changed her tone.


    "Little Master, while I¡­."


    "..."


    <hr>


    Tibaut managed to reach a compromise with the pale pervert and allowed him to rest on his shoulder.


    "Hmm, these guys sound serious."


    "I wish they''d use they''re patriotism for something more useful, honestly." He faintly spoke with his eyes closed.


    "Though I assume this was just the beginning."


    The maid who had drawn them earlier was now blushing and seemed to be putting a concerning amount of effort into what she was drawing. The only thing Tibaut was glad for was that he wouldn''t have to see the end result. Albus also opened one of his eyes to look at her dubiously.


    "More or less. Though they kept using the same method afterwards so there''s no point talking about anything other than the first time it happened."


    ("Thank God. After this, I can change and leave.")


    He had a sly smile on his face from this thought. Even if he had stopped being vocal, that doesn''t mean he accepted it.


    "Ah, right, eventually we rebuilt all they destroyed relatively quickly and we finished most of the estate by that point. Then came that day."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    <hr>


    Albus opened the front doors of his decadent new mansion. The inside had wood carvings attached to the walls with a spotless marble floor that contrasted the dark wood used.


    "Hmm, seems a bit much."


    The maid tried to fix her bonnet before taking it off and hiding it in a pocket.


    "Master, please remember that this please was designed for the family as a whole, not specifically you."


    Albus looked around the house and started running his fingers against the carved wood.


    "As if those bastards are ever gonna come here."


    Albus stopped telling the story to clarify something.


    "Oh, by the way, Avis hired a few bodyguards since she wasn''t so sure about my safety."


    ("You could have just kept telling the story.") Tibaut thought


    He continued where he left off.


    The sounds of an angry mob were quickly heard outside and someone soon started banging on the door. The duo looked to the door in worry and Avis decided to approach.


    She pulled something out of her pocket ready for action but she had no need.


    "Hello!?" Someone asked.


    "Oh, it''s you." She quickly recognized the voice. It was one of the bodyguards.


    "Oh thank God, is the lord with you?"


    "Yes, he is. What seems to be the problem out there?"


    Although the mansion had windows the only ones that pointed to the noise were located upstairs.


    "Don''t worry about it, just sit your asses in there."


    "Are you sure you don''t need my help?"


    "...it''d be appreciated."


    Avis looked to her master and he did the same to her.


    "That doesn''t sound too good."


    "Just give me a few minutes, and I''ll have it dealt with."


    She gave him a confident look before walking to the door. Even with the door opened briefly, he saw some of the carnage going on outside. He saw one of the adventurers making blood fly with a mace, though he looked like he had been sent through a rock tumbler. The guards were against people in bandanas, some running around while others stood their ground. He couldn''t imagine the full picture from that brief glimpse but he knew it was rough out there. Nonetheless, Avis stepped out the door with no hesitation and quickly closed it. Some banging was heard against the door before abruptly stopping. He assumed they were barricading the door but when he asked what they were doing he got no response. Time passed and he walked around the mansion. He looked around various windows scattered around the house (except the ones upstairs) and saw only brief snapshots of the carnage. A few stragglers here and there that had been put down like animals. Though, since it seemed they were after his life, "better them than him," he thought.


    He decided to sit down on a couch with hands held together to pass the time.


    "Thank God the maids weren''t due to come until next week. Who knows what would have happened then."


    On the topic of maids, his mind wandered and before he knew it appeared to be evening.


    Upon realising the time sweat slowly started to form on his forehead.


    "Surely not."


    The sounds of battle had died down for a while now, yet no one had come to open the door. He wasn''t sure if this meant they were still fighting or maybe¡­ the attackers left.


    Growing worried he knocked on the front door.


    "Hello?"


    No response.


    They were probably still fighting so had sat back down and bided his time.


    As sat he heard the breaking of wood and the sound of something heavy being dragged away.


    "..."


    He didn''t say a word and just watched. He clenched his fists and walked towards the door.


    The noises soon stopped and he stood in front of the door waiting with bated breath. He couldn''t stop himself from breathing hard and tensed his body in preparation to attack.


    The door slowly opened, and though the sight initially relieved him, it was most definitely not what he wanted to see.


    Avis was covered in wounds and blood, presumably both hers and her enemies'' and stumbled inside. Even the beloved maid outfit was tattered beyond the point of restoration. If she wasn''t wearing a bra her breasts would be exposed for the world to see, though it would be the least of her concerns. Her face was emotionless as always and she looked at him.


    "None remain."


    After saying those two words she fell to the floor.

 Chapter 115

    When she spoke those words, she meant it. When Albus looked outside, no one survived. Not one of the attackers, nor any of the adventurers he hired. It looked like the front of a war, rather than a luxurious estate meant for a noble.


    "After that, I decided to hire more guards, just in case though, I''d have never expected them to go on for this long, I don''t even do anything important, I just live here."


    "I mean, you have a bunch of women on your property."


    He looked Tibaut in the face before putting his hand on his forehead.


    "Ah, so that''s the reason."


    ("You''re now just realizing?")


    "So they''re a bunch of perverts you think? Though I suppose, now that I think about it does make sense. I''ve heard one of my maids talk about some recent disappearances. To think, they''re not patriots but perverts." He said while clenching his fist.


    "Yeah, perverts." Tibaut looked down at his outfit. "But man, this does sound like it''s a problem. Do you think I can help?" Tibaut asked.


    "Wow, I never expected you to be a defender of justice Maid Red."


    Tibaut held himself back and took a few deep breaths.


    "Albus, stop calling me that. Besides it''s not like I''m going to solve or help end anything. It''s just¡­ well, you know, I don''t think I could stand knowing people like that are anywhere near me or my friends."


    "What? Afraid for those two girls with you?"


    Tibaut groaned, not sure of the answer himself.


    "Well, I''m not sure about the relationship between you and that Avis but wouldn''t you feel a bit antsy with those types of people around?"


    "I think I get what you mean." He said while nodding his head. "Well, I suppose I could ask the local police if they need any help."


    Then without any prior warning, Tibaut got up and headed for the door.


    "Aren''t you rude?" Albus said in a cheerful tone.


    "I''m not the bastard who put another dude in a maid outfit."


    He shrugged his shoulders and moved his head in the direction of the maid in the room, pointing at her.


    She stared at him blankly before, realizing his intent and getting up.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Tibaut found himself in a changing room and contemplated burning the outfit off him, but gritted his teeth and simply took it off.


    "Tch, you had Elizabeth and Tina yet this bastard went straight for me. You better hope I die young you bastard or come the day after your funeral, I''ll piss on your grave."


    Although he said that, he was somewhat thankful he''d let him try his hand at this group. Were they tainted by the cult, or was this just another terrible group doing terrible things?


    As Tibaut left the changing room, he stumbled upon a maid waiting outside.


    She had blonde hair so pale, you''d be forgiven for thinking it was bleached. Instead of the usual black her maid uniform was a deep navy blue and had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She was shorter than Tibaut but still tall for a woman. She wore no bonnet and had short hair styled into a pixie cut. She had the complexion of Elizabeth but he wasn''t sure if it was due to exposure to the sun or naturally like that. However, her eyes were a generic brown, making Tibaut question if blonde was her true hair colour.


    "Um, can I help you?"


    She shook her head.


    "No, no, Sir, I should be asking if I can do anything for you." She said full of vigour and enthusiasm. "In fact, that''s what I''m doing right now, Maid Red. Just tell me where you want to go and I''ll take you there."


    Tibaut''s face twisted.


    "Ugh, you aren''t all going to call me that right?"


    "Haha, don''t worry, you''ll be used to it in no time."


    Tibaut started walking away.


    "Woah, woah," she grabbed his hand, "Didn''t you hear the part about me being your guide?"


    "Does it have to be you?"


    "I wouldn''t let you choose another option." She said with a smile on her face. She patted him on the back and walked in front of him.


    "Come on, don''t just stand there. You want to meet back with your friends don''t you?"


    "Oh, I have words for them."


    "Then let''s get going!"


    She went back behind him and started pushing him along.


    He sighed and went along with it.


    "Still, you got along pretty well with our lord." She commented while still pushing him.


    "You call that getting along?"


    "Of course, I even saw you smirk a few times." She childishly brought her legs up as she walked behind him.


    ("Those were out of anger.")


    "Of course. That''s the first time I''ve seen the Lord smile that much."


    ("Did that bastard know what he was doing? Was he just fucking with me?")


    "I''m jealous, you know?" She said while pretending to pout. "That''s supposed to be our job. Unless you''re willing to join?"


    Tibaut continued the rest of the walk in silence no matter how much she apologized.


    "Come on, I''m sorry, don''t be so stiff."


    "So are they here?"


    "They should be."


    She tipped her toes and looked in one of the windows.


    "That them?"


    He looked himself and saw the three of them talking to the maid that had tried to kill him a day earlier.


    "Yup."


    She looked at him and tilted her head.


    "Aren''t you going in?"


    "No thank you. I''ve had my fill of explanations from Albus. They can just tell me the important bits when they come out."


    "You''re lazy for an adventurer."


    "You''re one to talk. After all, you were just guiding me, so you should be finished."


    She scratched her head and started squatting.


    "Nah, I''m just waiting on those guys. You see, the adventurers employed usually had a maid guide them around the property, and I''ve made the hard decision of taking on that task."


    He squatted next to her.


    "I suppose I''ll have to pass the time like this."


    "Don''t worry." She pulled something out from her meagre chest. "Let''s just play with these till they''re finished." In her hands were a pair of dice.


    "(I feel like a delinquent.) Fine but I don''t have any money on me."


    She smiled.


    "Me neither."

 Chapter 116

    Both crouching on the floor, the maid groaned while holding her head.


    "This had to be a joke."


    Her cheerful demeanour was gone and her face was left twitching, as she looked at the ground.


    "Ah man, it''s just like my luck for something like this to happen while we''re not betting anything."


    The maid had thrown two dice to the floor and gotten a whopping total of 3. Tibaut had rolled a five. If it had happened once it would''ve been that one thing but every single roll they''ve had while waiting has been won by Tibaut.


    Tibaut yawned and got up.


    "Where are you going, Maid Red?"


    "Tibaut. T-I-B-A-U-T. Call me my name."


    She put her hand on her chin and started rubbing it.


    "Well, how about you call by mine then? The name''s Grace."


    "Anyway, I''m tired of this game and I''m going back to the guest building."


    As Tibaut walked away, he felt something grab his leg.


    "Now, don''t be like that Tibaut, we still have a long game ahead of us."


    "Alright, I''ll leave if you win a game, how does that sound?"


    "Hehe, Tibaut you really do want to leave. But no matter, I''ll accept."


    Tibaut grabbed the dice and threw. Then he picked them up and threw them again. And again. On the fourth time, Grace stopped his hand.


    "Now, I know I''m amazing and will probably win anyway but I can''t just let you cheat Tibaut."


    "So 6 then."


    Grace tilted her head at him.


    "I was rolling looking for the lowest result. That should be fine right? After all, you look like you need the handicap." He said while grinning.


    She punched him on the shoulder and kept smiling.


    "Now, Tibaut, you shouldn''t be making up excuses in case I win. I think I''ll roll double your total to set you straight."


    She threw the dice and rolled an earth-shattering 3.


    "..."


    "Maybe I should have made my condition you losing."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Oh shut up, it''ll come soon enough."


    The door of the building opened and the four that were discussing soon left.


    "Being told to do whatever isn''t exactly a sign of confidence." Said Elizabeth.


    "Well, that''s just the way things are around here," Avis responded.


    "YES!" someone shouted.


    The group immediately turned their attention to the sound and saw two people squatting on the ground outside. The maid with the pale blonde hair and Tibaut whose cheeks were being pulled by her with a smile on her face.


    "It appears he''s more sociable than I thought," Elizabeth commented.


    ("I''ll need to keep my guard up around that guy") Tina thought as she looked at them.


    "Wh-" Jake was cut off.


    "Grace!" Avis Shouted.


    Within no time she found herself standing directly above Avis. This was the first time Tibaut saw emotion on her face and it was filled with irritation.


    She grabbed Grace by her hair and forced her to stand.


    "Ow, hey boss lady, good day isn''t it?" She said while making a pained expression.


    "Grace, what are you doing here? Aren''t you on laundry duty?"


    "Well, the lord asked me to help with some stuff so I had to dip on that."


    "You were supposed to do it yesterday."


    "Ah ha, well," she looked to Tibaut, "I would have finished it but he asked me to guide him around the place."


    ("Oi, don''t drag me into this.")


    "Really, now? Then what do those dice there have to do with it?"


    "I swear I found them there when I arrived."


    Avis pulled on her hair more.


    "Tch, look at the bottom of your skirt. At least pull it up if you''re going to squat down."


    She released her and Grace swiftly started dusting off that part of her uniform.


    "Anyway, I''m going to be guiding these guys so I''m not sure when I''ll be able to return."


    Avis sighed.


    "Whatever, do as you please. Just know your pay is going to be halved for this."


    "(That doesn''t sound too bad) Oh no." She unconvincingly stated.


    "By the way," Avis stated before leaving, "After you''re finished playing hooky, I''ll have you solely responsible for drawing our master''s art."


    "Ugh,"


    Avis quickly left and the group was left in Grace''s care.


    "What''s so bad about that?" Tibaut asked.


    She reached into the chest area of her uniform and pulled out a book.


    "Look."


    Tibaut had a gander and found a treasure worth more than gold in his eyes.


    "Hey Grace, I think I deserve a little compensation after winning all those rounds."


    Jake was curious about what they were talking about but Tibaut grabbed her book and closed it.


    Tina was intrigued by this while Elizabeth had an idea of what it was and decided not to dig any further.


    "The whole book sounds fair doesn''t it?"


    "Pft, are you sure you want everything in there?"


    Tibaut opened the book and gave it a more thorough glance as he turned the pages. After stopping on a certain he closed the book. He looked at her suspiciously.


    "Now, I''m hoping this isn''t what you were drawing back there."


    "Well the one he wanted wasn''t like that, so rest assured it was for me."


    Tibaut pretended not to hear that.


    "Well whatever, just give me the ones I want."


    "If you say so."


    No matter how much Tina and Jake asked, he didn''t divulge the details of the book.


    They soon reached their guest building and Grace brazenly opened the door.


    "I see this place is the same as ever."


    "Well now that you''re here, it shouldn''t be long before it''s in a better state," Elizabeth responded.


    Grace walked further in after hearing such words.


    "So Tibaut, I assumed you had fun bringing someone like her back," Elizabeth said.


    "Maid outfit."


    "?"


    "I won''t forgive you two unless you put on a maid outfit!"


    "Haha Tibaut, that''s the spirit." Grace encouraged.


    ¡­


    With Tibaut bruised and battered on the floor, Tina and Elizabeth enjoyed tea.


    "How cruel," Elizabeth commented.


    "That pretty boy has some weird tastes," Tina said before sipping.


    "Tch, they got me to work." Mumbled Grace as she held a tray with a teapot on it.


    Jake picked Tibaut up and placed him and an adjacent couch in the room. They were in the main living room of the building.


    "I have to go through it but you guys don''t?"


    "Take it up with him, not us," Tina said before taking another sip.

 Chapter 117

    It was the start of a new day and Tibaut began his morning by reading through the defensive magic book.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    He put it down on a dresser that looked like it had been used to test the sharpness of various blades.


    "This must have been a joke." He said while chuckling.


    After reading the book he came to a single conclusion. It wasn''t possible. Not to learn defense magic but put the information the book was giving him to use. Of the ten pages he read he realized this book was a supplement to describe the ways it could be used, the way you improve it in a certain climate or with certain levels of mana. To put it another way, it''d be like reading a book on the history, improvements and structure of a car with painstaking detail on what each part does to improve your driving and the car''s longevity without ever knowing how to drive in the first place and not owning a car.


    This book would be useful if he ever learned defensive magic but at the moment it was useless.


    "Ugh, this was a waste of time."


    He stretched after going through that slog of a book and laid back in bed.


    "I need a mental health break after what that bastard did to me yesterday."


    Though the lack of reaction he got from the others worried him. Was this something they just chalked up as "Yup, that sounds about right for a noble."


    "I can only pray we don''t work for another one." He said as he stared at the ceiling.


    He lay there staring at it until he got back up.


    "It''s no use, I''m not tired anymore."


    He walked over to the book and picked it up.


    "I guess I''ll complain to Elizabeth about this unreasonable book."


    He left his room and noticed a change in the hallway. It was obvious but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. Everything looked the same and it still had as many permanent scars as a sexual assault victim but something was different. As he took another step he realized what it was. He crouched down and rubbed his hand against the floor. The wood floor was clean. Something he ignored a few minutes after noticing was that the floor in some parts of the building felt either grippy or tacky. As he walked around he realized it was gone. He also rubbed the walls and noticed nothing off with them either. Even an odd smell he wouldn''t describe as good or bad was now gone. The only reason he didn''t notice how clean the place was was that the wood used had been very dark, though if he looked closer he''d realize they were a slightly lighter colour now.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Are they actually able to clean for themselves?" Tibaut asked.


    He went to the living room area and soon found the reason for the place being cleaner. Lying on the couch asleep was Grace. She was dirty but she looked peaceful.


    On the adjacent couch was Elizabeth. Upon seeing Tibaut she walked over to him and grabbed his hair. She pulled out her sword and within an instant cut something. Now instead of Tibaut''s hair nearly touching the ground, it was back to a nice shoulder length.


    "Are you incapable of cutting your own hair?"


    Tibaut didn''t seem fazed by this.


    "I usually burn it if it becomes a hindrance."


    "How is that not a hindrance (and why would you burn it!?)?"


    "As long as it''s not dragging on the floor it''s fine in my book."


    They''re bickering caused Grace to wake up and start groaning.


    "Ugghh."


    "I see our hard-working maid has woken up. Good work around the house." Elizabeth said.


    She wore a smile on her face.


    "Haha, don''t mention it. (As if bitch, you''re the one who forced me to do this.)"


    "Anyway, what are you still doing here?" Tibaut asked.


    She got up and hugged him around his stomach, though it wasn''t out of any intimacy.


    "Don''t be like that, Tibaut, why do you want your guide to leave you guys?"


    "Oh, you''re staying here to skip work."


    She stood up and patted him on his back with a beaming smile.


    "Haha, we really are on the same wavelength, though," she looked at Elizabeth and brought her face closer to his "Could you keep this on the downlow."


    He lowered his voice as well.


    "Just give me one of those drawings now and again and we''re good."


    "Hoho, I guess getting to laze around for a bit isn''t too bad in exchange for those. What? You want me to use those two girls as references?"


    Tibaut looked conflicted for a moment before shaking his head.


    "No, just let it be random girls."


    "Your loss."


    Elizabeth was starting to look at them with suspicion and they quickly moved their faces away from each other. Grace went back to the couch and Tibaut remembered the reason he left the room in the first place.


    "Elizabeth, what the hell''s up with this book?"


    Elizabeth blankly stared at him for a few moments.


    "Are you¡­ just now reading it?"


    "Yup. (I can''t be arsed to lie today)"


    She took the book back.


    "Oh, my bad, I gave you the wrong one. I meant to give you "Basics of Defensive Magic" not "Fundamentals of Defensive Magic." "


    Tibaut breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Thank god, I guess I''ll learn it when I go back."


    "By the way," Elizabeth asked as she looked at the book. "How far did you reach?"


    "I''d say I understood up to Page 10."


    "How long have you been reading it?"


    "I used two mornings, is that a lot?"


    "I suppose someone of your level can only do so much."


    "Well, it''s not like I had formal education in magic so I guess you''re right."


    As Elizabeth spoke she looked at the book in thought.


    ("Well it is disappointing he wasn''t able to absorb this material as quickly as he did with the others but I suppose this was a bit unreasonable. Even I can''t make most of what this book is putting out to good use.")


    "Though I wish I could read again after I learn Defense Magic."


    Elizabeth''s eyes lit up.


    "Oh, right I suppose I can show you what it is."


    Tibaut looked at her interest before she left for an unknown destination.

 Chapter 118

    She quickly came back with a friend. Behind her was Tina, who seemed to have been woken recently due to her bedhead and the fact she was rubbing her eyes. She also wore a similar pajama to one Elizabeth wore a day prior though it was a bit of a tight fit on her, especially on her chest and rear.


    She yawned before speaking.


    "Liz, what''s this about?"


    "As you know my magic is," she clears her throat, "so I''d like you to show Tibaut how to use defensive magic. Specifically, a simple shield should be fine."


    Tina''s eyes relaxed and her face became downcast. "So you can''t even use that anymore, huh? Wait, how''d you know I knew?" She asked, with a hint of worry.


    "Well, Ezekiel wasn''t one to keep a lid on stuff."


    "You''re not mad?"


    "I won''t be as long as you show Tibaut the magic."


    "As long as you promise."


    She held her hands out but Elizabeth stopped her.


    "Let''s do this outside."


    Tina shrugged and went with her suggestion.


    All of them including Grace went outside and Tina changed into more fitting attire.


    Tina stood in front of Tibaut with Elizabeth beside her.


    "Alright, show him."


    Tina nodded and placed both her hands outwards.


    Next to Tibaut was Grace, who was watching out of curiosity.


    "Why are you here?" He asked.


    "Cause it sounds interesting, you don''t hear about many people using defensive magic nowadays."


    "Really? Is it something that special?"


    Grace chuckled and patted him on the back.


    " "Is it special?" he asks. Of course it is, I''ve heard some of the top guild leaders and some members of the royal guard are the only ones that can use it properly." She said as she pointed her finger at him.


    "For real?" Tibaut''s eyes opened in shock.


    ("I don''t know about those guys but, Ezekiel said to be considered decent they''re supposed to be way stronger than Elizabeth. And these guys are at the top of those decent people so they must be amazing.") Tibaut thought. ("But she said some, so it''s not all of them. But it must be pretty handy if those big shots are using it. Wait a minute, then why is Tina just now showing it off?")


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Hey asshole, stop flirting and look at me." She said as something slowly appeared between her hands.


    A blue diamond-shaped object soon formed at the spot between both her hands. It was equivalent in size to the box of a new phone.


    "It''s a bit small," Tibaut commented.


    "Pft," Grace uttered as she tried to hold in her laugh.


    Tina glared at both of them.


    "Get over here Redhead,"


    ("She better not use this as an excuse to attack me.") He thought as he walked over.


    "Since you''re confident it''s so puny, why don''t you punch it?"


    "Alright, in the worst case, you should be able to catch it."


    Tibaut held nothing back and winded his punch back a comical amount. It moved so fast it whistled in the air and his punch made an audible boom as it crashed into the small barrier. That''s right, a boom not a crack. Tibaut removed his hand and looked at the barrier pleasantly surprised. It was in perfect condition with the only marks left from the damage of Tibaut''s hand.


    "Heh, how''s that."


    "That''s pretty impressive." He said as he looked at it. He rubbed the surface and felt nothing. "Damn, Tina, why the hell have you been holding back something this useful?"


    Tina looked at the arm he punched with and sighed.


    "(I at least expected you to shout in pain or something amusing.) Trust me Tibaut, it''s nothing more than a party trick at this level."


    Tibaut gave her an unconvinced look.


    "She''s right. It''d be quite impractical for battle." Elizabeth said.


    "I see," Grace said, inserting herself into the conversation. She held her chin as she walked over. "With how long it took to set up, it''d be a death sentence in battle."


    "There''s actually a brain up there?" Asked Tibaut.


    "You''re not one to talk." Responded both Grace and Tina, though Tina meant it.


    Tibaut held his head down and started sulking.


    "But, still," he continued "If you lose your opponent for a few seconds, I imagine it''d be pretty good as a way to at least surprise them when they try to attack."


    "Tibaut, that is but one of the many reasons it isn''t used. Let''s show you the main one." Elizabeth said.


    Grace looked as though she just remembered something and raised her hand.


    "Oh, can I do it?" She said while jumping up and down.


    "No. It''ll be better if he sees for himself." Elizabeth said.


    She put her hands behind her head and muttered "whatever."


    Tibaut wasn''t sure what they were getting at and listened intently.


    "Tibaut, use your fireball against it," Tina asked.


    "No, your lighter attack should be good enough Tibaut," Elizabeth interjected.


    Tina looked at her pleadingly.


    "Come on Liz, don''t underestimate me like this."


    "I''m not. Know your own limits, Tina." She said in a passive-aggressive tone.


    Tibaut was unsure what was going on between them but he decided between the two Tina was easily the lesser of the evils and he already got her angry, semi often.


    Within a few moments, he summoned a flame spear and aimed it at her barrier. She gritted her teeth and looked at him with a fire in her eyes. The barrier soon became a deeper blue and increased in size making it nearly 50% larger.


    ("Why''s she taking this so seriously? If it can take a punch fine, it should be able to take this easily.")


    While watching her do this he produced several more spears to see if had what he took to break it.


    ("If you''re taking this so seriously, I guess I''d be a dick to hold back.")


    He fired the one to gouge its strength for his next attempts and¡­


    Shatter


    As Tina held out her two hands, Tibaut noticed two things.


    1. Her hands had a small amount of soot on them.


    2. The barrier was gone.

 Chapter 119

    Grace covered her mouth while stifling laughter and Tibuat looked on in awe.


    ("No way. I hurt my hand trying to break it, are telling me it''s that easy?")


    Tina slowly crumpled to the floor and it seemed she had all her energy sucked out of her.


    ("Why did you use that one instead of fireball, Elizabeth? I could have at least gone out looking cool.")


    She was now bent over on the ground punching the dirt.


    Honestly, Tibaut thought he''d have done the same if that had happened to him.


    Realizing she was in the presence of other people she quickly got back up and formed back her initial stance.


    In front of her hands, it seemed the outline of another one was being formed. She had tears in her eyes and her lips were trembling.


    "Come on, that one didn''t count, this time let''s really put our all behind it." She said while trying to make it sound like a different outcome was going to happen.


    Elizabeth pushed her hands down.


    "Tina."


    What hurt her the most, was the fact that Elizabeth didn''t have any anger in her voice due to her being stubborn. Her face showed only pity. She felt like a jester who had been told their joke bombed and on the follow-up attempt, the king came down from his throne, put his hand on their shoulder, looked them deep in the eyes, shook his head and said "no more."


    She threw a punch towards Elizabeth with a blushed face.


    "You had me do this so you wouldn''t look bad, didn''t you!?"


    Elizabeth swiftly dodged without a hint of concern on her face.


    "Why ever would I do that, didn''t you hear from Ezekiel what happened to me?"


    "Oh, horseshit, you can use healing magic, so you sure as hell can use this magic as well."


    Tina called out her spear from a nearby bush, (why did she hide it there?) and began an assault on Elizabeth to regain her dignity.


    Grace was on the floor, without a single care for her uniform, laughing at Tina. She was kicking her feet and held her hand over her face as she tried to contain herself.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Seeing as Tina and Elizabeth were busy, Tibaut turned to Grace to have his question answered.


    "Why''d it break so easily?"


    After laughing for a few more seconds and eventually regaining her composure, she got up and dusted herself off.


    "Ahem, well I''m not sure about the details but defensive magic like that in the hands of most people is pretty weak to magic. I''d heard about it once or twice but to see how weak it is person," she bent over and had her hand over her mouth trying to stifle her laughter. "Anyway, that''s the way it is, unless you''re a genius or something."


    "Defense magic that is normally weak to magic¡­.."


    At that moment Tibaut understood why he had never seen Tina use it. Based on how time it took, at the close range she probably wouldn''t have the time to make it and further ranges, he''d probably be using magic and based on its performance a piece of tree bark would do a better job at protection.


    "That''s not all," Elizabeth added.


    Tibaut looked over and saw Tina with dirt all over her while Elizabeth was spotless. Tina begrudgingly stood next to her like a child being forced next to someone they didn''t like.


    "Make it again, please."


    "I hate you." Tina bluntly stated.


    He held out both hands and produced the small barrier yet again. For this demonstration, Elizabeth grabbed each hand and then without warning pulled them away from each other.


    Within no less than 3 seconds the barrier vanished.


    "What the hell Liz, at least let me prepare myself."


    "Would an enemy let you prepare for that if you were in battle?"


    Tina pouted before looking away.


    "Wha- why did it go away?" Tibaut asked.


    He turned to Grace but she looked just as clueless as him.


    "It was due to how she visualized it," Elizabeth stated, answering his question.


    They both tilted their heads at this answer and Elizabeth expounded.


    "Imagine regular magic as using firewood to fuel a fire to forge a tough and strong metal. With the firewood being mana of course. You use the metal for whatever you choose as its purpose. Regular defensive magic isn''t like that. With it, imagine using the firewood as is. For the sake of my explanation imagine it is very brittle and has little strength compared to the metal. Now imagine trying to use it instead of the metal for your purposes. This causes it to be more fickle than regular magic."


    "Oh, that''s because it''s an uninherited magic, isn''t it?" Grace added.


    Tibaut looked at her.


    "What''s that?"


    "For the time being you don''t have to worry about it l but just know those magics are trickier to use than the one or ones you were born naturally inclined to."


    "Okay I heard that, but why''d her barrier disappear?" Tibaut asked, still unsure.


    Elizabeth turned to Tina.


    "No need to keep silent, tell them why it happened, after all, I can''t read your mind."


    Tina glared at her before relenting.


    "(You moved my hands away so you already know why, you bitch!) This magic is a bit tricky, so whenever I''m making something physical like that shield I try to use something as a reference or else I might make it at the wrong spot. My reference was both of my hands so as soon as she moved them, it messed with me and I couldn''t keep it up."


    "Why didn''t you keep it on one of your hands as it moved then?" Tibaut asked.


    "Huh?" Tina looked at him like he just asked her to strip nude. "Moving? Who the hell said I could move it?"


    ("Wow,") Tibaut thought. ("This stuff sounds worthless.")

 Chapter 120

    "Now you give it a try Tibaut" said Elizabeth looking at him expectantly.


    "Huh?"


    Tibaut looked at her confused.


    "Wasn''t the whole point of this showing me how worthless this magic is?"


    Elizabeth sighed before walking over to him.


    "If it was worthless I wouldn''t have gone through the effort of showing it to you." She said.


    ("Didn''t Tina show me it though?")


    Speaking of Tina, she was a few meters away half-heartedly terrorizing Grace for laughing at her. She currently had her in a Boston Crab on the ground, dirtying her uniform even more.


    "Do I have to? What use is learning it at this point?"


    "Stop complaining. For all, we know you could be one of the few in this world that can fully draw out the potential of this magic."


    Tibaut rolled his eyes.


    "Fine, I''ll do it. Let''s get this over with."


    Elizabeth walked over to Tina and tapped her on the shoulder. She released Grace out of the headlock and turned to face Elizabeth.


    "You two finished talking? I want to try my luck against him today."


    "Before that, show him how to use the defensive magic you used earlier."


    Tina stared at her blankly for a few moments.


    "Liz, what the hell are you saying? Do you know how long it will take to do that!?"


    "How long did it take you?" She asked.


    "Five months."


    "Alright, it shouldn''t take too long then. I trust your abilities." Elizabeth soon waved before walking off.


    Tina held her hand out towards her but couldn''t bring herself to tell her to stop. This wasn''t all bad though. A cruel grin soon crept over her face. For all the humiliation she had endured from Tibaut''s training, she could pay it back tenfold. She started chuckling to herself.


    "Hehehe, maybe this isn''t so bad Eliza- EEP!?"


    She jumped in the air and instinctively covered her butt. She quickly turned to see Grace crouched down and with both of her hands clasped with four fingers pointed up. She had a smirk on her face and quickly ran towards Tibaut.


    She gritted her teeth and she walked over but it soon turned into a sprint when she saw her stick out her tongue and pull down a lower eyelid behind him.


    Tibaut wasn''t sure why she was running at him at full speed but he readied himself.


    Before she could throw a blow she felt a gaze pierce through her. She felt like a rabbit standing in front of a lion. This was only the second time in her life she had felt an experience like this. She wanted to attack that little annoyance before her, but she felt a more potent and tangible threat behind her.


    ("What th- I haven''t felt something like this since I sparred with Eliza-")


    She quickly looked around to see Elizabeth leaning against a tree, with an annoyed expression on her face looking directly at her.


    After weighing her options, she clicked her tongue and loosened up.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Anyway,"


    ("We aren''t going to fight?") Tibaut thought as he watched her.


    "Elizabeth said I''m going to be teaching you defensive magic, so let''s get this underway."


    She looked around but it seemed Grace had left. Honestly, this might have been for the better.


    "Alright now first off, you''re gonna have to release your mana."


    "Alright." Within seconds the air around became heavier and its appearance began to ever so slightly warp.


    "(Tch, he already knows how to do that?) Alright now imagine bringing it to one place. It''d probably feel similar to how you make those fireballs."


    "Okay teach."


    He brought both his hands forward and got into a similar pose as Tina did earlier.


    Tina brought her own hand forward. ("Now time to give him shit about not gathering it properly.") She moved her hand around his body, making sure not to touch him. She moved them all over and began to feel a cold sweat come over her body.


    ("Eh? No way.") She moved her hands around his body more but didn''t feel anything out of the ordinary.


    Tibaut started to blush from how close she was getting.


    "Um, Tina, what are you doing?"


    "I''m feeling for any stray mana you idiot." She got up and stood back.


    She looked around the area but didn''t see any area where the space looked off. Then she finally looked towards his hands, and within an instant, she could tell he had done it. She moved her hand towards the visible refraction from the mana that had taken on a slight blue tinge and felt it.


    "(It''s noticeably thick. Even a child would be able to realize something is here) Well, it''s a decent start."


    Sweat had now formed all over Tibaut and his breathing was noticeable.


    "Thanks. Next step please." He said.


    "(Finally) Now, now, Tibaut, if holding it like this is difficult then it''ll be months before you can use the magic. Rushing isn''t going to get us anywhere now is it?" She had the biggest grin on her face as she said this. "But¡­ I suppose unnecessary wasting time doesn''t help you¡­so," She then slowed down the pace she spoke while adding in a bunch of filler words before she gave Tibaut his next instructions. By the time she reached the important part, his breathing had become ragged.


    "Imagine that all that mana you have gathered and form it into the shape you want. That''s essentially it. Remember if it isn''t solid enough it''ll just disperse (Hehe after the first week I might tell him the density of it if he begs me enough. It''s pretty tricky if it''s denser than a rock then it''ll just explode from the compression yet if it''s less dense than water it''ll just disperse)."


    Several minutes passed without progress from Tibaut. On his first attempt, it just exploded which thankfully only resulted in dirt being kicked up and noise no louder than a firecracker but every subsequent attempt resulted in the mana dispersing.


    At this point, he looked like he had just swam in a river. Tina thanked The Four Gods for having access to water, as she couldn''t imagine being near him with a smell like that all week.


    She was getting quite bored as his face never faltered during all his failures.


    ("Well, I suppose it makes sense. It took me around three days of trying before I wanted to throw in the towel.")


    An hour soon turned to several and they were still out there practicing. It was now dusk and Grace was under the tree with Elizabeth watching them.


    "Shouldn''t you stop him at this point?" She asked as she yawned.


    "I think he is far more aware of his limits than I am."


    Tina looked at him with a stone-cold gaze but in her mind she was conflicted. She enjoyed seeing him struggle but after watching she couldn''t help but feel bad without giving the information she had when she learned this.


    "Hey, Tibaut the truth is you have t-"


    The end of hands, she briefly got a glance but she saw it. The blue was getting deeper. Slowly but surely she saw a circle being formed. She looked at the thickness of it and it was on par with paper. She gulped while looking at this.


    "Mind if I test this?"


    His exhaustion was nearly at its peak and he simply nodded.


    She held out her hand and pulled over her spear. With it in her hands, she swung it at the small circle.


    *Creak*


    It showed cracks but it didn''t shatter.


    She soon moved her hand on it. Her hand was surrounded by electricity and the circle shattered.


    "Not bad I suppose."


    "Thanks."


    Tibaut soon passed out on the ground. After ensuring he was unconscious and positioning him to lay on his back, she quickly ran over to Elizabeth with her face pale.


    "Wha-what, how did he!?" She stuttered.


    "It looks like I don''t have unfounded hope placed on him."


    "Is that impressive?" Grace asked.


    "Is it!? I know it was on and off, and I only practised an hour a day after my third day of trying but he did what took me a few months in one day. Granted, shoddy doesn''t even begin to describe it but the fact anything even formed at all should b-" Tina rambled before Elizabeth cut her off.


    "Stop trying to downplay him, Tina."


    "I-im not it''s just¡­" She held her head and calmed herself down, "honestly it''s just amazing. Though I feel he should learned this when he was younger."


    "So you don''t think, it''ll bear fruit anytime this year."


    "Huh?" Tina was caught off guard. "I mean, I''m no expert, since I learned from Ezekiel, but I don''t think so?" She said not very confident.


    "I see. I suppose he can put this on the back burner for the time being."


    "Seriously Elizabeth, where the hell did you find him? I didn''t know you had an eye for talent."


    "You could say he was a gift."


    "?"


    "?"


    They both looked at her oddly but she didn''t explain further.

 Chapter 121

    A day passed and Tibaut was in his bed resting.


    "Do I look like a joke to her?" Tibaut said, sounding upset about something.


    ""No, sorry, just focus on learning ki since that defense magic looked useless." My ass. What was the point in having me do that then!?" He said while imitating her voice.


    A day ago after Tibaut had demonstrated he could (very poorly) use defensive magic, Elizabeth told him to focus on ki in the meantime. While he could understand where she was coming from since ki had a more concrete benefit, that didn''t change the fact he was left feeling sore from yesterday''s little training session with Tina.


    "Son of a bitch! Why the hell do my arms feel sore after I use a bunch of magic?" He said as flapped them up and down on his bed.


    "You okay in there?" Someone asked. It came from outside and Tibaut blushed slightly at the fact his bitching could be heard from outside.


    "Yeah, I''m fine." He paused for a second. "Wait a minute, who is this?"


    "You''re pretty mean Tibaut, it''s Jake, can''t you recognize my voice?"


    "...yes, just checking." He lied. "Wait a minute, why are you still here?"


    "Huh?"


    He knocked on the door before entering (unlike someone else Tibaut knew).


    "What do you mean Tibaut?" Jake asked unsure what he meant.


    "Well, we are guarding the place so aren''t we supposed to be walking around the place to ensure everything is alright?"


    "Ah, that. I guess Elizabeth never told you about our meeting with that head maid."


    Tibaut looked to him for further explanation.


    "Well, when we talked to her she said having us around is good enough."


    "What? What does she mean by that?"


    "They take a while to come back after their usual attacks so she said for the time being we''re free to do whatever. And at maximum, we just need one person outside for lookout."


    "What are we, decoration?"


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "I know how you feel. Honestly, this seems kinda weird but I''ve seen nobles do weirder things."


    "So it isn''t too out of the ordinary." Tibaut sighed and shrugged his shoulders.


    "..."


    "..."


    They stayed there in awkward silence. Tibaut was tired so he lay on his bed with his eyes closed while Jake stood there unsure how to continue the conversation.


    ("I hate to say this but I''m not used to talking to guys other than Furor. Sure I talk to nobles sometimes but those are mostly pleasantries not conversation. Do people talk like Furor, do I have to wait for him to get angry to listen to what he says and defend myself? No, that''s not a conversation that''s a debate or argument. Tibaut''s a guy, so what would guys like ourselves talk about? Women? Well, he hangs around Vanessa so it might work. Alright, I have an idea but what specificall-")


    "Is there something else Jake?" Tibaut asked as he realized Jake was still in the room.


    "Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah." He looked as though he had finally thought of something. "Hey Tibaut what is type of wo-"


    "Yo!" Said Grace as she walked in. She had her hand raised and walked over to Tibaut. "The hell are you doing in bed, you lucky bastard!" She commented. She soon began pulling him out.


    "What the hell''s your problem?"


    "Screw you, if I can''t sleep past one in the afternoon you can''t either!"


    "You can though, aren''t you staying over here?"


    Her brown eyes filled with fury.


    "That blonde friend of yours woke me up and told me to get to work."


    After enough struggling she pulled him off his bed.


    "Crabs in a bucket, huh."


    "Why are you talking about Crabs? Unfortunately, they''re out of season this time of the year."


    "Never mind. Anyway, what are you gonna do now you have me out of bed?"


    She thought about something for a few seconds before shrugging her shoulders.


    ("This bitch really did just drag me out of bed to spite me!") He turned to Jake. "Anyway, sorry about that, what were you asking me about before?"


    "Ah right. (Dammit I was going to ask him his type since the conversation could snowball from there but now she is here.)" He had a quick glance at Grace and she had a smile on her face poking about the room while Tibaut glared at her. "Should I bank on the fact she doesn''t act ladylike and might not mind a question like that? No, no, no matter the lady, unless it''s Vanessa, they''d obviously feel uncomfortable about a guy ignoring them and talking their types in front of them. Damnit she''s made kicking off this conversation a lot harder. What else could I ta- Oh combat. Yes, that could work since he seems to like training with Tina. Alright, what will I ask? His favourite move could work. Yes I''ve found a way out of this.) Hey Tibaut what''s yo-"


    "Oh, I know," Grace interjected. "Hehehe, this would still be considered work wouldn''t it." She said as she grabbed Tibaut''s hand.


    "What, where are you bringing me?"


    "Around the property obviously. I am technically your guide after all." She went behind and began pushing him out.


    "I just want to rest for the time being, besides I don''t even have anywhere in mind."


    "Don''t worry I''ll pick out the best places to visit. Now, stop dragging your feet and let''s go already." Said as she pushed him to the door.


    Tibaut looked at Jake sympathetically.


    "Sorry Jake, it looks like you''ll have to ask me your question later."


    She pushed him into the hallway and their footsteps became more and more faint.


    Jake stood in the room with his hand held out.


    "The only guy I''m ever going to regularly talk to is going to be Furor isn''t it." Said Jake sounding fresh out of hope.

 Chapter 122

    "Do you really have to drag me with you?" Tibaut said, sounding somewhat irritated.


    With a smile on her face as always, Grace didn''t care how he felt and happily pushed him along.


    "Oh, shush, if the other maids saw me walking without you, I''d probably be forced to work."


    "Didn''t you choose this job?"


    "Yeah, but I thought all I had to do was sit around and look pretty. I didn''t know he hired us to do real work."


    "Hey¡­" Tibaut thought of defending Albus for a second. He thought of it.


    Grace stopped pushing him.


    "Oi, oi, at least say something nice about the lord, you two seemed so friendly."


    Tibaut stood in a thinker pose and the air around him became dense. His eyes became focused though not on anything around.


    "Oi, come on, you don''t have to think that hard?"


    Tibaut''s teeth were now gritted and the veins all over his forehead were bulged. To say the air around him was stifling would be an understatement. He was dedicating all his brainpower to say something nice about Albus. Grace swore she could hear the gears in his head running at full throttle.


    "At least he doubled our pay for me wearing that stupid uniform?"


    "Don''t sound so unsure!"


    Tibaut initially thought they stopped because he was bad-mouthing but from the semi-regular traffic into the building in front of him, he guessed this was their first destination.


    It was a short building with only doors and no windows.


    "Miss Tour Guide I don''t remember seeing this place on the brochure*." Tibaut as he pretended to analyze the building.


    "Ohoho, have no worries, sir, this place is way better than anything on that piece of toilet paper."


    *there was no brochure.


    Grace held his hand and walked inside.


    The smell immediately hit him and he knew right away what this place was. It was the smell he had been hit with a few days earlier in town. Few bottles lined shelves on this floor and the stairs leading down went quite deep into the ground. The place was lit with oil lamps (though he wasn''t sure if these were hazards, considering what the place contained.)


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    His face was immediately filled with disappointment.


    "Oh, is this just a wine cellar?" Tibaut commented already disinterested.


    "Just a wine cellar?" She commented in mock offense. "This place is where our worries melt, it gives us the energy to keep working when our master gives us our hardest tasks, second to the pay it''s probably why most of us stayed. This is no mere cellar but a cathedral of happiness the lord so graciously granted us."


    The maids in there nodded their heads and took a swig of whatever they had in their mugs or glasses.


    "Oh, that so." Tibaut said, eyeing the exit.


    She waved her hand at him. "Come on, let''s get some drinks in, I''m not gonna leave you out of this."


    "No."


    "Come on you don''t have to be this serious, if the lord allows us to get some drinks then you should be fine." She said.


    She held his hand and walked down to the cellar.


    "No that''s not it."


    "Then why don''t you want any?"


    "Cause I don''t drink?"


    Grace looked at him in shock. She looked him dead in the eyes.


    "Really?"


    "Really."


    There was deception or a hint of trickery in his eyes. He was serious.


    "What, you''re like past 12. How haven''t you had a drink yet?"


    Tibaut stared at her with eyes devoid of life and said these next two words


    "Drop it."


    The whole room felt the mood shift and slowly poured out of the Safe Haven of All Maids.


    "(Ugh, I don''t know why but that question felt like it kinda killed the mood. Why is he so touchy about this?) Ah, that sucks, I had so much wine stored up that I wanted someone else to drink. Oh, well guess I''ll just have to drink for two people."


    "What do you mean stored up?" Tibaut asked, seeming normal as ever.


    "(I wish I could switch moods that fast.) Hehe, you see the lord gives us a quota of wine we can drink on," she pulled something out of the chest of her uniform "these sheets of paper right here, every week." she pulled out what seemed to be ten of those sheets.


    "You''ve been working here for ten weeks and you avoid your job so much?"


    "Shut up and I''ve been here for much longer since I already used some of them up. So do you still want to sit this one out?"


    Tibaut was no longer paying attention to her and was admiring the illustration on a bottle that had been emptied.


    "tch, be that way then, I''m going to having the time of m-"


    A maid walked over to her and tapped her shoulder.


    "Grace?"


    "Hmm, what is it?"


    "You do know how those things work right?"


    "Yeah, you give them in and you get wine, what about them?"


    "Well the thing is, they''re only good for one week."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Grace?"


    A gloom unlike the silent resolve Tibaut had exerted on the room earlier, had completely overtaken the room. It was especially effective since most of them could imagine the pain she was going through and couldn''t help but think "man, that sucks." The atmosphere had become so bad that the drinks of those inside somehow became unpleasantly sour and caused the whole room to clear within a matter of seconds.


    Tibaut, not really a man who was ever known to wet his gills, was oblivious to this atmosphere and was really enjoying the picture of what looked like a tsunami ( or was it an explosion?) on the bottle.


    She dropped all the papers except one and grabbed Tibaut''s arm.


    "Hey I''m still looking a-"


    "You''re right Tibaut, maybe alcohol is overrated."


    With a broken spirit and tears forming in her eyes, Grace left the cellar feeling the most defeated she ever had in her life.


    ("I never said that I just said I don''t drink.")

 Chapter 123

    "Where are we going now?" Said Tibaut in a voice that oozed disinterest.


    He turned to her as she pushed him.


    "I guess I can show you the garden."


    "What garden?"


    "Well it isn''t a garden, what was it called again?" She said as she tried to recall.


    As she pushed him, she spent the rest of the time going "hmmmm" until she reached their stop. Before them stood a giant glass building with all sorts of greenery inside.


    "Oh, it''s a greenhouse."


    "Yeah, that!"


    Tibuat looked at it in suspicion.


    "Why does he have a greenhouse?"


    She shrugged her shoulders and opened the door.


    "Maybe he likes plants?"


    "You''ve been working here for how long and you don''t even know why this is here?"


    "All I do is clean and occasionally draw him stuff. Besides, it''s not like knowing about the function of this place is gonna add anything to my purse."


    Tibaut saw her point and soon entered.


    "Woah,"


    "I have to admit this place is kinda pretty." She commented.


    In the greenhouse were trees and bushes of various kinds but the real focus was on the flowers and herbs. Some had the appearance of a regular shrub but were a colour other than green like purple, blue or dark red. The flowers came in every colour from black to everything between it and white.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve seen some of these."


    Grace turned him with an eyebrow raised.


    "What are you talking about? Most of these are all high-class plants that are scattered over the continent."


    "I thought you said you didn''t know anything about this place."


    "I was gonna pick one, but a maid in here put a shear to my throat and told me that. I honestly don''t get what the deal was, they grow a lot of stuff in here anyway, so one flower shouldn''t be much of a deal." She said.


    "How are you still employed? (Hmm, maybe he''s gathering plants over the continent to sell at a premium here? Or maybe he just appreciates their beauty? Well it''d make sense if he showed them the same amount of enthusiasm he did maids.)


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    They decided to take a walk around the greenhouse until he encountered a plant he seemed to have fond memories of.


    "Oh I remember this, man it was a lifesaver when I was traveling by myself."


    "Oh, you travelled." Said Grace, realizing why he said the plants seemed familiar.


    "Wait, did you think I was lying?"


    "I mean it''s kind of a fact guys lie to sound cool."


    Tibaut sighed and continued observing them.


    "So are they edible?"


    "Enough." He said ominously.


    A nearby overheard maid heard they''re conversations and looked at him in shock. Grace couldn''t help but notice her.


    She waved at her.


    "Oh, Maggie, what''s up?"


    "Who''s she?" Tibaut asked.


    "The person who put the shear to my throat."


    She was watering a flower nearby but soon stopped to walk over to them.


    "Excuse me, Sir, did you say these are edible?" She asked, looking very concerned.


    "I mean they got me through a few hard times, what''s the problem?"


    "Well, they''re mildly poisonous. The only reason we grow them is for their scent some are a fan of."


    Grace covered her mouth and started giggling.


    "Hehe, it seems I was right about guys lying."


    "It induces paralysis, right?" Tibaut asked.


    Both maids were left silent. Grace looked to Maggie waiting for an answer.


    "T-that''s right¡­"


    "Man, the first time I ate one of those it really scared me. If I didn''t know how to use a curing spell, I don''t know how long I would have had to wait until it wore off."


    Grace looked at him in amazement and Maggie''s face paled at his words.


    "Is it particularly dangerous?" He asked.


    "N-no, I''m just surprised you said you ate them consistently."


    "Well the first week I ate them I had to use a cure whenever I did but after that, I think my body adapted since it was rare I had to use cure anytime after that."


    Maggie instinctively covered her mouth from hearing him speak like she was watching a horror movie, while Grace patted him on the back.


    "Wow, Tibaut you''re made from some stern stuff."


    "If something can be made edible, my own mana is a small cost."


    "Have you eaten anything else in this room before?" the maid asked.


    "I recognize a few of them here and there. Is that a problem?"


    "No, just curiosity. If you''ll excuse me."


    After looking like she had just seen a ghost she bowed before taking her leave.


    "Well, it was fun exploring here, got anywhere else?"


    "Hmm, let''s knock all these out today. We should have enough time."


    They began a tour of every building on the property that could be considered interesting. Tibaut enjoyed himself more than he thought he would and Grace was satisfied in the fact she wouldn''t have to do any work.


    As walked around Tibaut noticed a terrible smell.


    "Ugh, what the hell is that?"


    "Oh, I guess we''re near the fort."


    Tibaut looked around and eventually caught sight of it behind another building.


    "Why the hell does it smell so much?"


    "I''ve heard the lord say during the repair process some pretty smelly chemicals are being used to fix it up."


    "Fix it up?"


    "Yeah, I hear they''ve been trying to fix it since he came here but it''s gone so poorly he''s had to take drastic measures."


    "Huh (well this is a medieval society so them using all manners of bullshit on some stubborn building hoping it works isn''t too out of the ordinary.)"


    "We can''t even go in there anyway so let''s get going."


    "I still can''t get over the communal showers having a window," Tibaut said while grinning.


    "Well, it is mostly other maids or the lord here so we don''t mind. Plus it''s so high up, I''m amazed you could jump up there. I guess the reward incentivized you. (I was honestly hoping to see you balance on some empty barrels or something, but he is an adventurer so I should have expected as much.)" She remarked.


    "I honestly wasn''t expecting anyone to be in there, don''t say it like I did it out of desperation."


    "Whatever you say, you lecher." She said with a smile on her face pushing him.

 Memories of a Distant World 4

    As Tibaut was being pushed around he could help but remember his old friend from his own world.


    "What are you smiling for? Have you never had this much private time with a woman? Hmm, hmmm?" Grace pestered.


    She got uncomfortably close to his face in an attempt to tease but Tibaut remained unmoved.


    "Oh shut up, I''m just remembering something from a few years back."


    "Wow." She said in false shock as she held hands to her face. "You''re so cruel thinking about other women while on a date with moi." She put her hand on her chest in faux pain.


    "Shut up. (Tch, why do I keep meeting people that remind me of her?)"


    <hr>


    It was 4 pm and Miguel was doing what any self-respecting NEET would be doing at this time, sleeping.


    "Zzz..zzz"


    He was enjoying his evening nap until he felt something irritate his nose. It felt hairy but he knew he didn''t have a cat. In his dreams, he had a dog rubbing his tail on his face.


    "Stop it, Apollo, I don''t want dog fur in my lungs."


    The golden retriever stopped and looked at him sympathetically.


    "No matter how much you beg, I''m not letting you do that to me again."


    The dog decided to take a new course of action and started rubbing his cold nose against his face.


    "Hey, sto-, actually, as long as you don''t lick me, you can continue. Ah, I don''t know why but your nose feels so pleasant." The dog whimpered in joy and continued rubbing Miguel''s face.


    "Pft"


    "Why are you laughing, boy?" He said. He started rubbing the dog''s face and laughed.


    ("Wait a minute can dogs even laugh like that.")


    And with that single thought, he was promptly woken up. The person moved their hand and Miguel jumped in shock at the intruder.


    It took him a few seconds of staring but his brain finally caught with his eyes and told him who was standing before him.


    "Louise?"


    She had both her hands behind her back and was giggling at him.


    "I''ve seen Alzheimer''s patients with better reaction times."


    Miguel started rubbing his eyes.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Do you also break into their houses?"


    "Aw, man it seems like you are developing symptoms. Have you already forgotten you gave me a key?" She said.


    She held the key out right in front of his face and jangled it.


    "Last I checked you made it without my knowledge."


    "But it''s not like you''ve asked me to destroy it."


    Miguel rolled his eyes and brought his attention to the more important issue.


    "First off, why are you in my room?"


    "Just felt like it." She said as she played with her short hair.


    While Miguel appreciated her honesty, it honestly pissed him off she saw no problems with going into his room.


    "What would you have done if I was stroking my hog, half a bottle of lotion in looking at something out of my special collection, huh?"


    "Trust me, other than being drawings most of the things on your computer are pretty normal."


    "..." Miguel remained silent and slowly looked over towards his monitor. It was on. There was even an eroge opened up. He felt time slow to a crawl and started breathing manually.


    He looked her in the eyes but she didn''t see what the big deal was. She looked behind and then back at him.


    "Still, they do like mentioning being brother and sister a lot. Are you into that since you don''t have a sister?"


    She asked.


    He buried his head in his hands.


    "Did you?"


    "You don''t have a password and I wanted to check something out."


    He really and truly felt like he wanted to die. He had lived alone for so long that he got fed up with using his password to open his PC, and he eventually just turned it off since he never thought anyone but himself was going to use it. He couldn''t even blame her as he had the shortcuts in plain view on the home screen. The only thing he was grateful for was that real stuff was hidden deep in the file explorer.


    He placed his hand on her shoulder.


    "I hope you didn''t use this one before you went to sleep." She commented with a smug look on her face.


    He had the eyes of a man who had everything taken from him.


    "Please, don''t tell anyone about this."


    She removed his hand and looked at him in curiosity.


    "Why would I?"


    Miguel thanked all that was holy she never considered the idea and breathed a sigh of relief. Still, he did feel awkward having a girl go through some of his porn but whatever, it already happened, he''ll take better precautions next time.


    He got up out of bed and stretched.


    "So why have you visited me this time?"


    "Let''s go out."


    Miguel turned to her in shock but she cleared up his misunderstanding.


    "Not like that dumbass, just hang out with me for the day. I recently got laid off and I honestly could use a day to blow off some steam."


    The excitement on his face dissipated and he couldn''t help but feel slightly disappointed. Though, maybe it was a good thing his brother''s ex-girlfriend wasn''t into him.


    "What am I, an emotional support dog?"


    "I can scratch your neck if you''d like, Fido." She said with a smile.


    "Still isn''t this like, what, the third time?"


    She shrugged her shoulders.


    "I can''t help it, my coworkers are handsy bastards."


    "Did you also send this one to the hospital?"


    "..."


    "I can help you sue them if you want."


    "No, it''s just easier to get a new job. I don''t want anything more to do with that dump."


    ("It''s nice she can stick up for herself but it''s honestly a miracle she isn''t arrested with how she leaves those guys sometimes.")


    "Anyway, you said tomorrow?"


    "Yup,"


    "So why are you here today?"


    "To sleep here obviously."


    "..."


    "You have a whole other room you aren''t using, surely you can let me enjoy the bougieness of this place until tomorrow."


    He scratched his head while thinking.


    "Fine,"


    "And don''t worry, I played your game over there at full volume and didn''t hear a thing in the other room."


    Miguel had had enough and pushed her out of the room. She seemed cheery at his reaction and didn''t resist.


    "Jeez, my brother really did open Pandora''s box on me."


    As he walked back to bed he looked into the mirror and realized why he had felt something cold on his face while he slept.


    He looked into the mirror and saw the words: househusband, nerd and other tepid remarks on his face.

 Memories of a Distant World 5

    To Miguel''s surprise, she stayed at his house without incident and the next day came.


    He was still awake from the previous day but he decided to leave his room so he knew when they''d get ready. He looked around until he saw her in the kitchen.


    "Just helping yourself to someone else''s food, huh?"


    "I''m pretty sure I bought most of this stuff."


    "Yeah, with my money."


    "...Let''s just say it''s a fifty-fifty split of effort."


    She looked at him before returning to the fridge.


    "How do you have so much money yet can''t afford pyjamas?"


    Tibaut looked at his white t-shirt and grey sweatpants.


    "What''s so wrong with them? They''re comfortable and they get the job done. Why do I need a whole extra set of clothes to sleep in?"


    "I wish you listened to yourself sometimes."


    She also wasn''t wearing any pajamas but he decided not to bring it up. Enough though he didn''t wear pajamas he couldn''t imagine wearing denim jeans in his sleep.


    She took out a bunch of eggs and vegetables.


    "Anyway, when are you going to drag me around with you?"


    "Hmm." She pulled out her phone and looked at the time. "It should open in the next hour."


    She turned the heat on and liberally added butter to the pan.


    ("I swear it''s a miracle she can stay that size.")


    She cracked open some eggs and added the mostly frozen vegetables into the pan, which upset Miguel slightly.


    "(Enjoy a cold veggie omelet.) I guess I''ll shower."


    "Oh yeah, you don''t mind if I borrow your soap?"


    "I use a bottle of the liquid stuff so it doesn''t really matter to me."


    They continued having their meaningless conversations until finally getting ready and leaving.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Miguel was wearing a black oversized T-shirt with some black jeans while Louise wore a black leather jacket with a white shirt and the jeans he had seen her in earlier.


    "Just black?"


    "Shut up, they don''t get dirty easily."


    "That''s kind of a frugal way to think Miguel, why don''t you enjoy life and wear the colours you want?"


    She wrapped her arm around his neck as they walked to their destination. He didn''t ask where they were going but knowing her it had to be somewhere ridiculous. It looked like she was walking to the bus stop so it probably wouldn''t take too long to reach.


    "Just cause I have money doesn''t mean I''ll just spend it on random shit I don''t need. Besides black''s an alright colour."


    "Even in the summer?"


    He couldn''t lie that a sweat had broken out on him but he wasn''t sure if it was due to the clothing or just plain inactivity. Now that he thought about it, he couldn''t remember the last time he had left his house, let alone with another person. As his mind started overthinking the scenario more and more he couldn''t help but feel on edge.


    ("Wait, isn''t this sorta like a date? I mean she said it wasn''t like that but this is to cheer her up right? Isn''t she saying I make her happy? I''m not making this up am I?")


    "...iguel. MIGUEL!"


    Her loud voice broke him out of his trance and he blushed as he looked at her face.


    "We''re having a conversation, you know? Do you know how crazy I look talking to myself while walking next to you?"


    Her face held only annoyance for ignoring him. He looked her in the face for a few more moments before responding.


    "Sorry, but what do you expect out of someone who sleeps during daytime hours? You''d be lucky if I''m still awake by the time we reach where you''re going."


    "Unless you like being dragged against asphalt I''d recommend staying awake."


    He looked at her face more before returning to thought.


    ("What the hell am I thinking? We''re friends, of course, she wants to hang out with me. I''m probably the only one that has free time since I don''t have to work.")


    "Is there something on my face?" She asked.


    "Just thinking about what I should write on your face."


    She smiled. "So you did notice!"


    Miguel was annoyed at her response but he couldn''t deny how cute her face was as she said this.


    They continued walking until they reached their destination.


    "Really?"


    "What''s wrong?" She asked.


    "No, it''s just that¡­"


    "Just what? Speak up already."


    "This is shockingly normal."


    "What do you mean shockingly normal!?" She asked, sounding insulted.


    "Don''t act like you don''t know. You''re the type of person who''d go to an amusement park as soon as it opens on a weekday. Honestly, I''m surprised you didn''t book a private tour at the brewery that makes that beer you drink all the time."


    She began stuttering before regaining her voice.


    "Excuse me, since when have I done anything like that?"


    "You literally booked a flight across the country just because that Japanese restaurant you went to had a better-reviewed location there."


    "... that was only once. Besides, we both enjoyed it, so it was worth it."


    Tibaut looked at the location in front of them.


    "Well, I suppose going somewhere normal isn''t so bad."


    She playfully punched his shoulder.


    "Stop acting like this out of the norm for me!"


    Before them was¡­a mall. It was a mall that had been in the area as long as he could recall and he was honestly surprised it was still here with the so-called extinction of them happening across the country.


    "Anyways let''s go inside. If all we do is stand out here the guards might think we''re terrorists or something."


    "Fine by me, I could use some A/C."


    There was no A/C in the mall.

 Memories of a Distant World 6

    The mall was pretty big by mall standards. It wasn''t going to win any Guinness World records or anything but if you asked Miguel to run the entire length of the place he''d tell you to fuck off. It had a lot more variety than he realized and it even had a few specialty stores that sold stuff cheaper than he bought online. As he was gawking at the place like a child in a candy store, Louise grabbed his shirt and started walking somewhere.


    "Don''t act so surprised, this place is only a mile from where you live."


    "No wonder I was sweating, this place is a whole mile away?"


    She looked at him pitifully and continued walking.


    "Anyway I brought you out here so I''d appreciate it if you didn''t run off and leave me at the first thing that catches your eye."


    "Fine."


    They commenced their hanging out. Which was a generous way of saying Louise brought him to a bunch of stores and forced him to carry some shit.


    They had stopped in a local arcade/fast food joint to take and seeing the amount of bags they had laid out before them Miguel couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Louise, did you really just bring me out here just to be a pack mule?"


    "You say that as if we didn''t talk when we carried these."


    Miguel sighed and spread out on the table.


    "Besides, why the hell did you go to so many clothing stores anywhere? Did you burn the last ones you had?"


    "That''s my business. (I hope this is enough for them)" She said as she turned away.


    Miguel raised an eye at this but shrugged his shoulders. He pulled out his phone to check how much it would cost him and didn''t see any emails about any recent purchases.


    "By the way¡­did you personally buy these?"


    She continued drinking the soda she had in her hands before responding.


    "Hmm? Oh yeah. What about it?"


    There were several ways Tibaut could have responded but he decided to not draw attention to it.


    He took a bite of his burger while looking inside the arcade.


    "I see."


    ("I always thought she hung out with me for money. I feel kind of scummy now, honestly. I mean she worked a nine-to-five like most regular people, of course, she spends her own money dumbass.")


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "You good?" She asked as he spaced out.


    "Yeah, I''m fine. I''m just wondering if you''re just gonna have me carry bags all day."


    She looked around.


    "We could play a game or two."


    "Pft, it''d be wash so there''s no point."


    She slammed her fist against the table.


    "What was that Mr. Incest porn?"


    She looked into his eyes.


    "You heard me Amazing Alcoholic, you''d get washed. Getting such an easy win would be boring. How about we play one of those physical games like the one where you''re throwing balls into a hole? I''m pretty sure gorillas don''t have fine motor skills so it should be even."


    She gritted her teeth and her eyes started twitching.


    "Really, now?"


    She pointed to an arcade game nearby.


    "Sorry, Miguel but I think I''ll have to humble you."


    Miguel scoffed in ridicule and got up taking what he believed to be a ridiculous challenge.


    "You better not complain."


    An hour had passed and they were neck and neck.


    "Hehe, where''s all that confidence from earlier Miguel?"


    She made the most exaggerated movements as she aimed the guns at the screen with pinpoint accuracy. She looked more like a stuntman practising fight choreography than someone playing a game.


    "Huff puff Dammit you tricked me, I thought this huff was a traditional game."


    He was sweating worse than before and making only the most minute actions he could take while still hitting his target.


    He was so out of shape that even an arcade game that had you aiming its guns was enough to leave him a sweating mess.


    "(Damnit, how''d she coincidentally pick a game where her superhuman reflexes and movement benefit. Don''t tell me she planned this? To think she would scheme against me.)" He thought as he fired himself up trying to tie their scores.


    Unfortunately for Miguel, there was no scheme on her mind, she just thought shooting zombies looked fun.


    After tiring himself out trying to match her, they continued going through the mall. With her shopping finished they casually explored the mall having fun at the various shops they stopped at.


    Eventually, after an eventful evening, Miguel sent her home in a taxi.


    He called himself a taxi and went home soon after. In the back seat, he lay down, totally spent.


    In the backseat, he had memories of his childhood. He remembered lying down in the backseat with his brother after returning from the beach. He remembered the scents of his old car and the amber sky slowly turning into pitch black.


    "Oh dear, look, they''re asleep." She said gently watching her two sons.


    "Of course, they''d be. With how much Miguel terrorised his brother, I''m surprised they even returned to the car awake."


    "Ha, well he is at that age he wants to interact with girls. Though it seems little Miguel hasn''t reached the point he wants to play with anyone but his big brother."


    "I guess you''re right about that."


    "...."


    "..."


    As he lay down in the taxi as it sped past the streetlights, he had a smile on his face.


    "Thank you, Louise," he whispered, "it''s been a while since I''ve seen my parents."


    <hr>


    "This place is pretty interesting," Tibaut remarked.


    "I know right?" Grace commented.


    It was night and they were walking back to the guest building.


    As they were walking Tibait couldn''t help but look at her face.


    "Hey Grace, thanks for the tour."


    "?" She looked confused. "What brought this up? Are you finally treating me with the respect I deserve?" She said. Her voice was drenched in sarcasm and wore the same old smile on her face. "You must really have liked that person you mentioned."


    "Yeah, I guess I did."


    While Grace was somewhat curious about who this person was, she didn''t feel cruel enough to force it out of him.

 Chapter 124

    Tina was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. After doing some strenuous training the day before she decided she could use the rest and had no intentions of leaving her bed anytime soon. As she looked at the ceiling she had one thing on her mind.


    Tibaut.


    While the training did help to take her mind off of it, it wasn''t long before she started thinking about it again. Tibaut was odd to her. He magically appeared to Elizabeth one day and she decided to make him work for her. Which seemed strange to Tina. The members of Elizabeth''s guild all had noticeable quirks that were counteracted by their usefulness. Except Tibaut. He was just your run-of-the-mill adventurer, so she had no idea why Elizabeth added him to her group. That was until she saw what he was capable of a few days ago. The strangest thing about it was the fact that Elizabeth seemed to have expected that result.


    She tried to stop thinking about it but her mind would always circle back. She would close her eyes but certain thoughts would always fill her head.


    "Why him?"


    It was a simple thought but that made it so hard to get rid.


    "I thought he was like me¡­ some talent but a lot of grit. Was he simply working for her unaware of his talents? Pft some people have all the fucking luck. If it was me I''d probably be able to use it in combat by now. Maybe it would have been enough to¡­" She paused and entered a different train of thought "Also not just that, he can use ki and the bastard acts like it''s not a big deal. Does he know how long Lily has been trying to use it and has to grit her teeth because she doesn''t have the talent? I fucking swear some people have all the fucking luck in the world and never decide to use it. What was that lazy bum doing this entire huh? I think I heard he travelled, tch must have some money behind him if he can do stuff like that whenever he wants."


    She felt herself getting angrier but she just couldn''t stop it.


    "Imagine if he had just put some effort in, into learning ki or defensive magic." Her teeth gritted. "If he had just decided to be more proactive we wouldn''t have been in this mess." She got up and was now walking towards the door.


    "Imagine what I could have done with that talent. I could have brought us out of this backwater parish and helped repay that bastard for helping me out all those years yet a bastard like him gets it." She was outside his door and loudly knocked on it.


    "Yea-"


    Without even for him to say she could come in she slammed open the door and walked over to him, still on his bed.


    "Something up, Tina?" Tibaut asked, no longer even trying to complain about his privacy.


    She looked at him like a piece of garbage.


    "(How nice must it be to be in bed after a day out with that dumb maid.) Yeah, why the hell are you still in bed?"


    Stolen story; please report.


    "If you wanted to train you could just ask me."


    She clenched her fist at this comment and pulled him off the bed.


    "What the hell was that for?" He asked, quite used to her by now.


    "(You fucking bastard do you not realise the potential you have? Why the fuck are you in bed waiting on me to get you out?) We''re training."


    Tibaut got up and followed her outside, at the front of the building.


    "(Is it her time of the month or something?) The maids have a nice-looking training facility so let''s go there. They even have mock weapons so you don''t have t- Woah!"


    Tibaut narrowly dodged her sneak attack this time, but his ear was nicked.


    ("I''ll show him. I''ll show him if he doesn''t start taking his training seriously I''ll end up killing him.")


    She held no emotion in her eyes and thrust the spear at him again. Tibaut knew this wasn''t time for talking and took this as seriously as he could. He countered the spear thrust by stomping on the tip to ground it and launched himself towards her. She let go of the spear and dodged his incoming knee.


    Before he landed she grabbed his leg and caused him to land on all fours. As she stabbed her spear into him she hit nothing but the ground as he rolled away.


    "Sigh This shirt is going to be a bitch to clean." Said Tibaut remembering he only had three shirts. She stabbed at him again but he parried it to the side this time and ran alongside its shaft. She hit him with the now electrified spear expecting him to dodge but he took it which momentarily confused her.


    "Why did you?!"


    She quickly realized his momentum had not slowed down in the slightest and she was too slow to dodge his punch which sent her flying back several dozen feet.


    "Ugh, sorry about that," Tibaut remarked to the now bruised Tina. He was also injured but hitting a woman would never feel write to him.


    The fight continued but it was entirely one-sided after this.


    She lay on the floor trying to hold back tears as she looked at the sky. ("Why? Why couldn''t I have been as talented as him.")


    She slowly got up while clenching dirt in her hand.


    As she got up a hand reached out to her.


    "You were pretty aggressive today. Huff I almost couldn''t keep up."


    "(Don''t patronize me you bastard!?) Tell me that, when I''ve won." She brushed aside his hand and got up.


    "Yeah I guess, say I''ve been thinking recently."


    The next few minutes shocked Tina to the point of silence.


    "Y-you bastard! Think about your own magic!"


    "So you can''t?"


    "Why the hell does it matter if I can or can''t? Think about how to improve your own magic."


    "I do, they just don''t turn out practical sometimes. Besides, aren''t we doing this to improve each other? Why wouldn''t I think about how you can get stronger."


    "What?"


    "Did you forget you''re going to be helping us get revenge? Don''t tell me you''re moping again?"


    "N-no."


    Tibaut didn''t look convinced. He sighed.


    "If you''re getting so antsy about it, we can train more than we usually do."


    "Are you sure? Aren''t I just wasting your time? What about your ki training?"


    "You''re acting like I can''t do both. And besides, I feel training with you is just as helpful as Elizabeth. Honestly seeing the stuff you do sometimes makes me reevaluate how I fight. With Elizabeth, I can''t take in any subtle movements and I''m just forced to move."


    Her face softened when she heard this.


    "I see. I guess I can''t just throw you away to Elizabeth."


    ("I''m an idiot. Why''d I let it bother me so much? Of course, he''s better than me. Of course, he can do things I can''t. Why the hell was I beating myself over this? So what? It isn''t the time for petty shit like this. I can complain all I want after we kill that bastard. Besides it''s not I will stay like this forever. What I have to do is obvious. I just have to catch up to him.")


    She said it as if it was a simple matter but after talking to him, she felt it was more and more possible.


    Tibaut looked oblivious to her newfound resolve and was in for a bitter session of training.

 Chapter 125

    After his spar with Tina, the afternoon sun was pelting him and he decided to rest in the shade for a bit.


    "That was some impressive stuff."


    Grace commented.


    At this point, she was like a housecat who showed up whenever it wanted but was never consistently around. He turned to her but he showed no surprise on his face.


    "I see you''re finally back to working."


    "What are you talking about Tibaut, I''m your guide, I wouldn''t just leave you all by yourselves."


    "(Is she hiding from Elizabeth) I should have known as much. Anyway, you got any reason for visiting me?"


    "None." She said before sitting next to him.


    "I''m not sure I believe that."


    "Well, since I saw you here I realised how comfy of a spot this is. Just wake me up when you see Elizabeth or Avis around."


    "So I''m just an alarm clock?"


    Although he didn''t expect a response he was quite annoyed she had the audacity to fall asleep before he finished speaking. As he looked at her he realised she was pretty cute whenever she wasn''t irritating him. Though he was pretty sure he could say that for most of the women he knew. As he was getting a good look at her he noticed her hands. He even felt them realised they had a few callouses.


    "I guess she doesn''t just sit around doing nothing after all."


    She grabbed his hand but he nervously freed himself and put some distance between them.


    "Ah man, I felt a great nap coming and she had to ruin it. I wonder if she stole it for herself."


    Despite what he said he soon felt himself drifting off and put up no resistance against it.


    "Tina was going really hard today. I need some time to recharge my battery."


    As his eyes started to close, he sensed a malevolent presence and quickly got up with his back against the tree.


    "I suppose it''s assuring we haven''t employed the bottom of the barrel." The voice said in a somewhat snooty tone.


    She walked over to him while adjusting her glasses. She had black hair in a Bob cut with a face that held no emotion., though he could feel her gaze pierce through him. It was the maid Avis.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    He looked in front of him and stood up normally.


    "Oh, it''s you. Do you need me for something?"


    "Quite an ill-mannered response, but yes there is something that my lord asks of you." She pulled out a letter from her pocket. "He''d like for you to deliver this letter to the local police."


    "(Why am I their mailman?) I don''t mean to sound arrogant but is this really a job for me?"


    The maid looked at him with annoyance.


    "Is that so, I''m almost certain my lord said you wanted to meet with the local police."


    "Oh, it''s about that."


    She facepalmed but quickly regained composure.


    "Yes, it is about ''that''. I suggest you go today as the information is time-sensitive."


    He took the letter and shook his head.


    "I''ll be quick¡­ By the way, where are the police stationed?"


    "You have a guide, yes? Ask her."


    She then bowed and soon took her leave.


    He woke her up and she was blissfully unaware of what happened. Her ever-present smile disappeared when he broke the news to her since she''d have to do what she said she''d do.


    "Ugh, why couldn''t she have gone with you?"


    "Miss Tour Guide, isn''t this your job?


    "That is true, however, that only applies to places I find interesting."


    "Aren''t you a bit biased Ms. Tour Guide?"


    "Hah, I''ll give you all my gold if you find a human that isn''t biased."


    "But do they let it affect their jobs?"


    "Anyways, we''re here."


    "(I wish I could shift the topic that quickly.) Where is it?"


    Tibaut looked around the area but the buildings on this side of town were very unremarkable. If you asked him to draw after a few hours or so he''d likely just make some brown and grey rectangles with doors and the occasional windows on them.


    "I think it''s here."


    She opened the door and was greeted by the scent of meat. The owner looked happy but she slowly closed it.


    "Here?" She opened the building beside it but only consisted of a few men being interrupted in a game of cards.


    "I thought you were a guide."


    "Oh shut up, the buildings around here all look the same."


    "Excuse me?" One of the men around the table asked. "Are you looking for somewhere?"


    Tibaut pushed Grace out of the doorway and walked over to the man.


    "Yeah, sorry about this, we''re not really familiar with the area." He said while awkwardly scratching his head.


    "Don''t worry about it, even some people around here get confused sometimes, where are you heading?"


    "Oh, we were just looking for the police."


    "Police¡­ oh that''s what the guard is called now isn''t it?" He said while looking at another man at the table.


    "I''m sure¡­ probably." The other man said while looking unsure.


    "So where are they?" Tibaut asked.


    "Well, you''ve found us."


    "Huh?"


    "What? Is there trouble around?"


    Tibaut took a more thorough look around. There was no reception desk. No wanted posters or general tips to stay safe on the streets. Nothing something even vaguely identifiable as a logo or symbol. Plus they were all wearing bland-looking tunics and leggings no different than the general populace. He felt like he was in someone''s flat rather than a place of authority.


    "No, no problems. I just have a letter. (Police? This wouldn''t even qualify as a neighbourhood watch)" He pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to the man at the table. The man looked at him oddly before seeing the messenger.


    "Oh it''s from the lord."


    The rest of the men at the table put down their cards and got up.


    "Come on guys, it''s too early for him to send us another important tip. He''s probably just telling us he''s recovered from the attack."

 Chapter 126

    "Is something up?" Tibaut asked. All of them standing up as soon as they got a letter from the lord piqued his curiosity.


    "No, it''s nothing." As she replied he opened up the letter. "It''s just that when he sends us letters," His eyes started going through the letter. "Sigh, It looks like we do have work."


    The other men there groaned before pushing their chairs into the table and entering a room in the back.


    "(Is everyone in this parish lazy?) Is that a big deal? To get work from him? I mean isn''t he essentially your boss?" Tibaut asked while trying not to sound condescending.


    "What are you talking about, Tibaut?" Grace asked at the entrance.


    Tibaut looked at her confused by her reaction. "Is that not how it works?"


    "Oh, I see. It''s an honest mistake." The man at the table commented before getting up. "That lord isn''t our lord."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "Well I''m not sure his reason but apparently he''s the lord for a parish that borders ours, I think that''s the reason he renovated the old border fort. I''ve heard the fort is technically in that parish."


    ...


    "Wait a minute then why are you taking orders from him?"


    The man raised his hand and shook his head.


    "Who said we were taking orders? Consider it¡­ an alignment in interests. Rest assured it''s nothing shady boyo. By the way, I never knew that man had the ability to hire men. Are you a butler perhaps?"


    With his white shirt and black pants Tibaut could vaguely see how someone could interpret him as that, although he didn''t imagine many butlers were running around in only their dress shirts.


    "No, I''m just a guard he hired."


    The man placed his hand on his shoulder and shook his head.


    "There are better ways to make a name for yourself. Listen I know it may seem like surviving something like this would launch your career but it isn''t worth it. I can count with the fingers on one hand how many adventurers have survived working for him."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "(Don''t worry old man, we have the Immortal Elizabeth-chan with us.) Don''t worry about it. In fact, the reason I came down here was that I wanted to help you guys and see if I could get some experience with this group beforehand."


    "Hmmm, alright then. Come on, I''ll show you the way."


    "That easy?"


    "Well, we''ll just be observing them for the time being so there shouldn''t be anything wrong. Besides I can probably convince you to drop this guard business by the time we reach."


    A man left from the back room with some leather armour though he was wearing some himself. He handed it to the man talking to Tibaut and nodded his head before going outside.


    He then began strapping on the armour.


    "By the way lad, what''s your name?"


    "Tibaut."


    "Call me O''Reilly. I''d prefer it if you called me by my first name but that''s all the bastards around here ever call me."


    He finished strapping up and quickly ran to the back.


    As Tibaut was about to exit to wait outside he realized Grace was still in the room.


    "I''m surprised you haven''t ditched me to return back to the mansion."


    "Why would I do that? As long as you''re around I don''t have to work, so I''ll stay around you as much as I please." She said. As carefree as she looked Tibaut wasn''t so certain about bringing her along.


    "You can stay here if you want." He said.


    This immediately caused her to raise an eyebrow.


    "Don''t tell me you''re afraid of me getting abducted. Hehehe," she patted him on the back, "You got a real heart of gold under there don''t ya."


    "No, it''d just be a hassle if anything happened there with you with us."


    She got behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders, all smiles.


    "Don''t worry Tibaut, with how strong you seemed fighting against that pink-haired gorilla, you have enough strength to protect me 5 times over. Plus, don''t guys fantasize about protecting a beautiful damsel in distress?"


    "I''d prefer one with a better personality."


    "With an attitude like that, you''ll have to settle for me." She said while pushing her face over his shoulder.


    "Oi, is your lord alright with that?" O''Reilly asked as he returned.


    She put her finger over her lips and went shh.


    ("Don''t give people the wrong idea you carefree paintbrush.") Tibaut thought but he felt saying anything would only put him in a worse spot.


    "Wow, you got some skills boy. I tried my luck with one of those maids and she wouldn''t spare me the time of day."


    "Can we just leave already?"


    He looked at the man and noticed a sword now sheathed at his side.


    "No plate armour?"


    "Realistically we shouldn''t get into altercations, so it''s better to wear the light stuff. Alright boy, now let''s go."


    They went outside and the other men soon came out.


    "By the way¡­ where are we going?"


    "Didn''t your lord tell you what was on the letter before you came here?"


    Tibaut shook his head.


    "It''s information on their whereabouts," O''Reilly responded.


    Tibaut''s eyes and mouth widened before going "Huh!?" He fixed his face before continuing, "Why does he have that information?"


    "Why wouldn''t he?" O''Reilly asked. "Anyone in this parish can tell you that they''re that Lord''s enemy through and through. Would you just sit around doing nothing if a bunch of wankers showed up every so often trying to get your head?"


    "I¡­ no it makes sense it''s just hard to see that guy thinking that far ahead."


    "Come on now, there''s more to that man than keeping a harem around himself."


    "(Like forcing me to wear a maid outfit!?) He could have fooled me."

 Chapter 127

    The men along with Grace were walking down a dirt road surrounded by expansive plains of grass. Although Tibaut was somewhat used to this as his own parish was quite similar, with how tall the blades of grass were he felt like he was surrounded by a sea of emerald. There were no trees for miles and the village in eyeshot was the only piece of civilization they had seen on their jog within the past hour.


    "I was kinda going with the flow but how did Albus get this information? Does he send you guys around to look for them?" Tibaut asked Grace.


    She moved her eyes up and thought for a moment. "As far as I know I don''t think he does. Maybe they were just that obvious with their whereabouts?" She commented, sounding uncertain.


    "You don''t know?" O''Reilly chimed in. "He has a cash reward for anyone that reports their presence. I even heard it''s a pretty decent-sized purse."


    "(Why does he know more about this than you?) I suppose money will loosen the lips of anyone."


    "Boyo it''s not about loosening lips, it''s about giving them a reason to tell us."


    As they jogged, Tibaut slowed down and stayed a few meters behind the group. Curious, Grace slowed down as well and made her beside him.


    "Great plan Maid Red, my legs are killing me, so it''s nice to slow down since we''re already this close."


    "Call me that name in public and I''ll burn that uniform off you. Besides, the only reason I came back here was because I didn''t want to ruin their image of a maid of Albus."


    "Burn? Wait, what kind of magic can you use? Heh since I haven''t seen you use it must be something embarrassing. What, does it only dissolve clothes or something?" She said with a cheeky smile.


    "Sorry, but it''s just basic fire."


    Grace raised an eyebrow as she heard this.


    "(Oh right!) Hoh, you got one of the four basic elements."


    "Is it special?"


    "I mean, it''s cool to see but it''s like not they''re any better than other magic. So what did you want to ask me now that we''re back here?"


    "Are you sure you need to come inside the village?"


    "pft, what afraid they''re gonna take me away?"


    "Aren''t you scared? Didn''t these guys raid where you live? Are you sure you want to go after seeing them first-hand?" Tibaut asked. He was genuinely concerned it might cause her trauma or the sort from being around them.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Don''t worry, by the time we were allowed to leave it was all over. I didn''t even get a glimpse of them until they were all dead and being buried. I was disappointed I didn''t get to see any of them still alive, honestly."


    "Wow, you''re like a cat that''d try to meet with a wolf pack."


    "What are we talking about? I have a nice big lion to protect here don''t I?"


    Before they knew they were inside the village. As soon as they entered they heard an uproar coming from the village. Tibait immediately started picking up his pace but O''Reilly stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.


    "What''s the deal? Don''t you hear that!?" Tibaut asked. He became antsy as soon as he heard the voices and had a fierce look in his eyes. He pushed the man''s hand off his shoulder and ran off.


    "Oi lad, wait it''s probably jus-"


    Tibaut didn''t have to listen to him, who knows what those woman-stealing monsters disguised in the flesh of man were doing. He ran through the village and saw the occasional person walking about, though it didn''t assure him until he got to the source of the noise. It was coming from a building that looked nicer than the others in town. He didn''t hesitate to open the doors and what he saw wasn''t what he expected.


    It contained groups of men all in high spirits. Some were drinking out of pints, others were singing and dancing along with each other and some fights had broken, though it seemed only to enhance the atmosphere in the minds of those inside as they watched in joy and shouted the name of the person they thought was going to win and splashed their beer at them.


    The atmosphere was so wild no one paid an ounce of attention to Tibaut at the entrance.


    "Huh?"


    The fear and anxiety Tibaut was struck soon faded and he watched on in awe.


    "Oh, this place looks fun," Grace commented.


    She walked up to Tibaut and pushed him inside.


    "Woah, the entrance was wide open."


    "You can''t enjoy something like this from outside Tibaut! Come on, let''s order some beers." She said enthusiastically. The amount of people inside seemed to be past what whoever built this place probably ever dreamed of but she pushed herself over to the counter with him in tow.


    "Like I said I don''t drink!" He said shouting as the background of people talking and singing had become overbearing.


    "Then drink some milk or something, with this sort of atmosphere you''ll get drunk in no time." She said, "Yo bartender what you got?"


    The bartender stared at Grace seeming almost petrified and ran up to her.


    "Lady are crazy!? What the hell are you doing here? Go home before any of these drunks notice. You know what, just climb over the counter, I''ll let you go through the back." He said before reaching his hand out to her.


    The pair looked confused by his words and Grace soon waved her hands.


    "Don''t worry I have this guy, I''ll be fine."


    Now that Tibaut thought about it, he hadn''t seen any women in here when they entered and drunk men aren''t exactly known for their modesty.


    "Sigh Don''t worry old man, I''ll keep any wandering hands off her."


    The bartender didn''t relent and held his hand out still.


    "You idiots do you not know who these guy-"


    The noise stopped. All the singing, conversations and arguing all ended within seconds. The silence happened so quickly that it was almost deafening. Fearing the worst, Tibaut looked towards the men but saw they''re attention wasn''t directed to him but something else. They were all focused on the entrance.


    Tibaut decided to jump in the air to get a better look and saw what silenced the room. It was O''Reilly and the rest of his men standing at the entrance.

 Chapter 128

    Relief washed over O''Reilly''s face when he saw Tibaut jump into the air; however, the action also caused some of those in the bar to turn their attention his way. Realizing the growing looks that were coming his way, Tibaut grabbed Grace''s hand and quickly walked his way over to the officers. They all opened a path while staring at him and the woman next to him. As they walked to O''Reilly, a man with brown hair and blue eyes slowly walked down the stairs. He had stubble all over his face and his hair looked wet. His eyes were those of a warrior and he focused his gaze on the men at the entrance and Grace. He looked massive, it was as though his pale skin was trying to cover the muscles of three men stuffed into one body. If this behemoth was in his Tibaut''s old world no one would be fooled into believing he was natty. He was easily the second tallest person he had seen in his life and towered over the men around him when he reached the first floor. The steps he made as he approached weren''t very loud in reality but the sight of him made Tibaut''s mind perceive the steps as being as loud as the gong of a church bell. He readied himself for what this monster was going to do but O''Reilly stepped in front of him and raised his hand as if telling him to yield.


    The man kept walking and Tibaut was half convinced the man who stood before was insane. Before he could get the words he wanted to leave his throat, the man built like he had consumed nothing but whey, chicken breast and protein shakes for the last ten years, lowered his head down to O''Reilly''s level and looked quite smug, wearing an unnerving looking smirk on his face.


    "Oh, it''s you lot. What do we have the honour of being graced with the presence of dogs like you." He said. His voice sounded primal and Tibaut felt his core being shaken as he spoke.


    What amazed Tibaut, was that even though he was behind O''Reilly, the giant''s breath reeked so strongly of booze, he was convinced he would get drunk off the fumes if the giant spoke for long.


    "Just here to gather some sightseers. And to make sure you''re not making a ruckus as usual."


    O''Reilly seemed undaunted by his presence and spoke to him with familiarity. How he was able to speak on par with this man was beyond Tibaut.


    "Haheee, ruckus!?" He said with a laugh that was ipecac to the ears. "Me and my men here are lawfully paying for drinks. If there''s any ruckus, well the bastard over there shouldn''t have opened up a pub if he can''t handle it now, should he?"


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Keep up this behaviour and we''ll have to kick you out. Just cause it''s a pub doesn''t mean you treat it like your personal retreat. Have some courtesy for the other folks who come here."


    He put his massive hand on O''Reilly''s shoulder.


    "Now, you little pooch, surely you can give me and my boys here some leniency. After all, we just had some of our men tragically pass away, we do have to give them a good send-off after all."


    He tapped his shoulder and gave him a stare that''d make any child cry.


    O''Reilly walked to the side and let his shoulder fall off.


    "Boy, don''t you touch me. And celebrating for a bunch of terrorists is something people do behind closed doors, not out in a peaceful village."


    The large man didn''t react to the provocation.


    "Is that so, then it''s more so the case. They were terrorists after all so wouldn''t anyone be happy they''re gone? Officer, I really think you should be doing better things with your time, after all, who knows how people would feel if something happened here in this quaint ole village and you were stuck in here with a thumb up your ass because you liked harassing honest men."


    "Just know the second you lot misbehave, you''ll have no excuses."


    O''Reilly nodded to Tibaut and both walked with the other guards and Grace kept an eye on the men before they left.


    But the big man couldn''t help but get one last word in.


    "I see you even got a manky little tart your master gave you. You must want to do a good job with benefits like that, eh? The boys must have fun with her on a weekend."


    The men inside bellowed in laughter and Grace turned around in response, still holding a smile, but the veins on her face all looked like they were about to pop. She took a step forward.


    "Lass, contain yourself, if you caused any trouble I''d have to take you in," O''Reilly commented from outside.


    Grace showed them the middle finger before leaving.


    "Oi give me a swig already, we''re not gonna stop drinking until our boys reach the promised land!"


    "OOOIIIIII" The men all shouted before showering the giant in their alcohol.


    <hr>


    "Who the hell was that?" Tibaut asked. He was out of the atmosphere and felt a lot more comfortable.


    "I say we throw him into a pig pen when he gets drunk. Sounds fun doesn''t it, Tibaut?" She said with an unconvincing smile.


    "Stop it, it''d be better not to antagonize him," O''Reilly commented. "That man is Cormac Healy. He''s an upstart delinquent in this parish and as far as we know the leader of the group that hates that lord you work for."


    Tibaut stopped in his tracks.


    "He''s been responsible for all those kidnappings?"


    Tibaut was distracted by his breath earlier and wasn''t paying too much attention to what they were saying.


    As soon as he heard this he looked like he had half a mind to go back there.


    "Stop it, boy, that''s not going to help us."

 Chapter 129

    "Are you insane? Why the hell are we letting that guy go?" Tibaut asked, becoming visibly irritated.


    "As much of a mean-looking bastard he is, there''s nothing concrete about his crimes. That''s the whole reason we''re here in the first place." O''Reilly responded.


    Grace had a finger on her chin and tilted her head. "What do you mean? He''s obviously their leader and who else would order them to attack?"


    O''Reilly had a hand over his face and looked dejected as she said this. He sighed before he responded.


    "We''ve already discussed this with our local judge but he said just believing he''s responsible and the fact he leads his current group isn''t enough evidence to get him locked up."


    "Current Group?" Tibaut asked.


    "Yeah, the thing is he''d call those in there with him the Loch Independence Society. However, when his possible lackeys start attacking the lord they make sure to clearly call themselves the Wrath of Lochmull. We all know they''re the same bunch but if he brought the case to a judge outside the parish we''d be shit out of luck and he''d walk scot-free."


    "What about the women? Surely you have proof for that?" Tibaut asked.


    O''Reilly shook his head, and one of his men responded.


    "We know women are disappearing but we''ve never seen the act happen and the assailants always make sure to wear clothes that hide their identity. The last time it happened, we followed these bastards around and somehow the next day, the town they had visited the night previously had some of their women stolen. We were fucking fools to think they wouldn''t notice us."


    "Damn, so they have a group purely for kidnapping?"


    "Seems as much," O''Reilly commented.


    "So what do we do?"


    "I think it''s obvious," Grace commented. Tibaut turned his attention to her. "They''re just gonna stand guard here and make sure they don''t cause any trouble."


    "Hu-what? What does that solve?"


    "Nothing," O''Reilly commented with a painful look on his face. It was as if he was forced to swirl a razor blade in his mouth before spitting it out. "But that''s all we can do. Just hope the bastard makes a mistake somewhere. Anywho, we''ll be spread around the village making sure everything is in order."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    With that he turned away and most of the guards scattered around town with one staying in the same general area as Tibaut.


    "Tch, for looking like a muscle head, he does make sure to cover his ass." Tibaut bitterly commented.


    "Come on, there''s no use sulking over this. How about we explore the town for a bit." She said cheerily.


    Tibaut looked around. Houses and more houses. With the occasional stable to spice things up.


    "What''s there to do?" He asked.


    She looked around as well and remembered the only place of interest they encountered so far was the bar.


    "Hmm. We can play dice again."


    "That was a quick pivot."


    Tibaut had no intentions of having a hundred-game win streak again so he decided to explore the village in the meanwhile. Grace decided to follow him along.


    The lack of people walking around, especially women, really cemented how people felt about that Cormac guy. He soon bumped into O''Reilly and asked him a question.


    "Where the hell are the police here? I''ve been walking for some time and I haven''t seen any in that uniform (Well technically armour) you''re wearing besides the men you brought with you."


    "Well¡­" He looked around and lowered his voice. "It''s a bit of an open secret, lad, but you see those men walking around in tunics and trousers?"


    He looked at a man walking.


    "Yeah?"


    "Well, with this whole kidnapping business, most of the force has decided to stay in their own villages and keep a lookout. That bloke over there is just off duty."


    "Oh, so they''re staying home to protect their own," Grace commented.


    "Shh, don''t say it like that. While I don''t agree with it, we reached the decision months ago since we were already being stretched thin."


    Tibaut gritted his teeth and didn''t say anything. After waving he continued walking around Grace.


    "What bastards. I honestly wouldn''t wrong these guys if they decided to lynch them in the bar."


    "As long as I get to see that big guy suffer, I''m all for it," Grace commented.


    After enough time passed it was starting to get dark, the men in the bar finally decided to leave and made a huge ruckus as they did so.


    One of the officers came up to Tibaut when this happened and told him what they were gonna do.


    "A few of us and the old man O''Reilly will be tailing them. You stay here with the ones left back and watch out for any shady bastards." With that said he quickly left.


    "Well, looks like we''re not going to sleep anytime soon," Tibaut commented.


    "Come on, let''s go to the bar already, they''ve emptied out so let''s see if there''s anything left."


    "Well¡­" With the moonlight as the only source of light and it sometimes being blotted out by the clouds, he decided he could take a break and ask the barkeep if he had a torch he could borrow before going back outside.


    "Fine, just make sure we don''t take too long."


    He saw others with torches outside and at least felt confident he''d hear something if trouble occurred.


    The light from the bar almost blinded Tibaut from the brightness and Grace ran in like a kid in a toy store. She immediately had all her joy drained when she was told no liquor was left.

 Chapter 130

    As the night went on, the two sat in the deserted pub and were playing with some cards Grace had hidden in her bosom. The barkeep seemed to ignore their existence and began cleaning the place up and mopping the floor.


    "Those bastards, they cheap out on my liquor and leave the floor looking like something out of a prison." The man muttered as he wiped.


    They somehow got him to lend them a torch and it sat on the table between the both of them as they played cards.


    "Come on Grace, give up already," Tibaut asked as stretched out and yawned, seemingly out of boredom.


    "S-shut up, I''ll get you to pay for our meals." She intensely looked at her cards as if it would change her dealt hand.


    The two had been playing cards for quite a while since Tibaut suggested it. Based on his astute observation of her going to buy beer he assumed she had money of some kind. Feeling a bit cheeky and hungry he betted in a game that the winner would pay for both of their meals. Seemingly unaware of her own luck she decided to gamble. Now, this was all well and good but she soon managed to drag Tibaut down in her misery by doubling her wager each time. At this point, there was 1.5 ¡Á 10^13 in currency gambled but that amount only existed in theory. She only had about 1.5 ¡Á 10^2 coins on her so this was essentially wasting Tibaut''s time or buying enough time to hope she could squeeze out a win.


    "Come on, if we''re gonna ask him to cook us something it better be now. Within a few minutes, he''ll be goin'' home." Tibaut said.


    "Shut up. Damnit what else can I bet? That''s right my bra, I''ll bet that!" she said triumphantly. The bartender gave her an odd stare before continuing his mopping of the floors.


    Now, the only reason Tibaut had been entertaining this farce was because after she had made a compromise that with doubling the wager she would also offer a piece of clothing as compensation for what she couldn''t pay. Of course, Tibaut didn''t do this so he could see her in her underwear or possibly more, absolutely not.


    He just wanted to see her embarrassed reaction after she dug herself in too deep. It wasn''t because he''d get to see a woman strip for the first time in this life or the last in real life, it was simply to have a good laugh. Though if she did strip after losing he certainly wouldn''t stop her and it''d obviously make for a better laugh if he told her she didn''t have to do it after she finished.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Anyway, that was the idea but it wasn''t worth it in the slightest. After her bonnet she told him she would cut 1-centimeter strips off of her uniform, eventually switching to one of her sleeves when she realized her skirt was going to be too short if she kept cutting it, then the other and now finally the bra since the chest would still be covered. The excitement had died and Tibaut''s hunger overpowered any feelings that came from his second head.


    "Cut the shit and buy us something already."


    "Heh, scared. Are you truly satisfied with only seeing my luscious thighs and my smooth arms?" She said while attempting a sultry voice.


    "I already see your forearms since you love folding your sleeves. That rest of your arm can''t be that exciting. Besides, nothing is stopping you from flaking out and doing nothing to your uniform."


    "Trust me, I''m a woman of my word, so let''s get on to the next round."


    Tibaut threw down his cards and Grace immediately went over to the bartender to pay.


    After a hard-fought battle, Tibaut picked up the torch and headed for outside after his well-deserved meal. Grace made extra sure to keep her mouth shut and went outside with him.


    "I hope you''ll keep your word, Grace," Tibaut commented with a shit-eating grin on his face as he turned to her.


    She gritted her teeth and turned away.


    He walked around the village not really expecting much. After a few minutes, he was walking back towards the bar.


    "Don''t tell me you''re hungry again?" Grace asked.


    "While I am, that''s not the reason. Since we are borrowing the barkeep''s torch we might as well ask to walk him home. I can''t imagine he''d be too happy if we didn''t return with it before he went home."


    "Hmmm." Was all Grace could mumble in response to that. She was surprised he''d make such a gesture. "I suppose I could ask him if I could buy any beer from his personal stash. All right let''s go." She said. She went behind him and started pushing him forward.


    As they went Tibaut stopped her.


    "What''s the deal?" She asked.


    "Is that a torch?" Tibaut asked as he pointed.


    She looked where his hand guided her and saw a lit torch on the floor.


    "Huh, maybe someone dropped it."


    She quickly walked over to it and Tibaut slowly followed.


    ("What optimistic thinking.") He thought as he carefully watched around her.


    As he looked around he couldn''t see anyone suspicious but still couldn''t stop his unease.


    "Hey, Grace be caref-"


    "Aw!?"


    She suddenly put her hand to her neck and pulled something off. It looked like a small dart. Before Tibaut could rush over, she fell to the ground on all fours struggling to get up.


    "GRACE!!" Tibaut shouted.


    He heard something fall behind him and felt sweat starting to form on his forehead. He quickly turned around and formed a giant fireball above him as a brighter light source and to discourage any attackers.


    As soon as the light shone, he saw him. It was unmistakable. That black mask, and the black cape that was still retained its burns. It was the man in black from before. He slowly walked over to Tibaut with an unconscious person on the ground behind him.


    "Funny meeting you here."

 Chapter 131

    Tibaut had to restrain himself from throwing the giant fireball. He looked around and realised he''d do himself no favours if he used it.


    ("Damnit, he''s too close to those buildings.")


    There were two houses nearby behind him and who knew if people were still in them. He decided to back over to Grace. He could hear her struggling to stand up but he couldn''t afford to take his eyes off the threat in front of him.


    ("What do I do, what do I do, WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO!?!!")


    His whole body was tense at the situation, and he had an even bigger question. Was he the only one? Did he use the dart on Grace or did he have an ally waiting nearby? He didn''t see a blow dart or any implement in his hand. He felt like his teeth were going to shatter from how hard he was clenching them.


    ("Damnit I fucked up!") He thought to himself. As the man in black walked closer in a nonchalant manner he realized what he had done. Instead of the only casualties of the blast being the man in black, himself and the two buildings, it was now a weakened Grace, himself and the man in black. He traded off theoretical casualties for a guaranteed one if he attacked.


    "Stay back you bastard!" He shouted.


    The man in black shrugged his shoulders.


    "Why? It''s not like you''re going to attack anyway." He continued walking towards him.


    ("Dammit why the hell is he here? Is he working with those bastards?")


    He soon heard scuttling behind but realized it was further than Grace was located to him.


    ("Fuck it all, he did bring an ally!!!") Tibaut cursed in his head. If he did nothing he and Grace were both screwed. He wasn''t naive enough to think the fireball he had summoned would be enough to take the black bastard out. Yet if he kept this up he''d be picked off by the one behind him. No matter how he looked at it, he was fucked. Should he take the risk of bombarding the bastard and hoping Grace can survive the blast? It was his magic and he could mitigate some damage and in the best case, Grace would be stable long enough, for Elizabeth could heal. It might even provide a smokescreen to try and lose them. He saw it. His only path to victory. Even if Grace didn''t survive, he could at the very least avenge her. The few seconds that had passed while his mind raced had felt like an eternity. He could no longer hear the figure behind moving and all he heard from Grace was laboured breathing. He turned his head to keep the man in black in his line of sight and barely in the corner of his eye saw Grace on the floor.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Grit your teeth Grace." that was all he could mutter before sending the fireball that carried his only way out of this situation. The man in black was just a few feet in front of him and the fireball itself was wider than both the men were tall.


    "Woah, he actually did it!?" the man in black commented before moving quickly to the side.


    As the fireball was about to hit the ground, Tibaut could only curse at himself for bringing Grace here. She''d either be a sacrifice or heavily injured after this was over.


    As the thing too large to be called a fireball was mere millimetres from the floor, Tibaut put his hands out in the direction of the fireball.


    "LIKE HELL I''LL ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN!!!"


    The fire that formed the ball was slowly being sucked away and dragged towards him. It formed a sort of veil of fire around him and Grace. His heart was pumping with the same vigour as a redlined engine and his hands shook like a person with Parkinson''s. He had no idea this would work. He could always have manipulated fire but this was the first time he had manipulated it on this scale. He felt like his knees were going to give out but was given the motivation to stand up as he noticed some ash enter his veil. It came from behind and a small bead of molten metal dropped to the floor. As he looked on the floor he also realized the dart that had initially hit Grace was made of wood and metal.


    "He''s found a persistent henchman." Tibaut shakily commented as he caught his breath.


    He quickly lifted Grace in his arms and used his cure spell on her. Her breathing returned to normal and she weakly opened her eyes.


    Tibaut breathed a sigh of relief and fell to the floor.


    "Okay, somehow I''ve managed to buy us a few more seconds." He soon looked at her and realised she was sweating way too much for her current state. Did his cure not fully heal her? As he was thinking about what to do he noticed how arid the air had become. He looked around and slapped his forehead.


    "It''s just from the fire."


    He got up, dusted himself, picked up Grace and tried to have her stand on her own feet.


    "You good?" Tibaut asked.


    After catching her breath for a few seconds she responded.


    "It''s a bit too hot for my liking but I suppose it''s better than being asleep during all this."


    She was bent over with her hand on her knees but it thankfully seemed she wasn''t going to pass out anytime soon.


    "Anyway, this is some time to bring out a trick like this." She said while wiping sweat off her forehead. "Anyway, so when can we leave this oven?"


    Before he could answer, a stiletto pierced the veil before being retracted. The hole it left was permanent.


    "So it does work on it." A voice outside commented.

 Chapter 132

    "Listen to me, Grace." The relief in Tibaut''s voice had vanished and he was thinking about the next step.


    "As soon as that bastard gets in, I want you to run as fast as possible and get the hell out of here. I remember seeing a guard or two around before we came here. Run in the direction we came from and don''t look back."


    She narrowed her eyes at him before standing up properly and staring him in the face.


    The stiletto stabbed the fire veil again.


    "Fine."


    "Alright, get ready. (Aw, man how the hell am I going to take two of these guys on at the same time while she runs away? I guess the best move would be to focus on the one behind since that black bastard has a fetish for me or some shit.)"


    As Tibaut turned around ready to pounce on the hiding enemy, Grace stood in the direction they came from mere inches from the veil.


    The stiletto stabbed one more. It was pulled across the veil, tearing it open.


    "Go!" Tibaut shouted.


    He released the veil around them and the removal quickly spread to the rest of it. However it was slow enough to provide adequate light still and the figure who had shot the dart had come closer, was covered in the orange glow of Tibaut''s desperation. They immediately ran away but Tibaut wasn''t having it. He made a firelance and fired at them. It landed on a leg and they ducked behind a building.


    Although that threat wasn''t taken care of he couldn''t forget the one behind him. He immediately turned around and saw the man in black aiming the stiletto at his neck. He quickly moved his arm up to stop it but a movement that wasn''t the man in black''s caught his attention. As the blade was about to graze Tibaut''s skin the man moved his free arm to block something. The blow sent him sideways, though he used it as an opportunity to back away and get a clear view of this unforeseen enemy. Her feet landed on the ground and she moved her neck side to side to crick it as she hopped up and down like a fighter in the ring.


    She clicked her tongue when she saw her surprise attack didn''t work.


    "Tch, I felt like I had him."


    The person standing before Tibaut looking ready to brawl was none other than Grace.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "What the hell are you still doing here!?" Tibaut shouted at her.


    She looked calm and did some stretches while keeping her eyes on the man in black.


    "This isn''t the time for that Maid Red. How about we deal with this guy first." She had her usual cheery attitude, but there was no mistake in what her intention was.


    "Don''t get in my way," Tibaut stated before throwing himself at the man in black. The sooner he took care of him, the less likely Grace would have to throw her hat in the ring.


    "You sure do have a penchant to be protected by blonde women." The man in black stated as he parried the punch thrown his way.


    Tibaut didn''t respond as he used the momentum from the punch to do an impromptu frontflip and try to hit him with an aerial axe kick. The man in black backed away and as Tibaut fell to the floor, he pushed himself forward to get close enough to sweep his legs but the man in black responded with a knee to Tibaut''s face. He blocked it, though he felt like the blow would have broken an arm if he used only one of them to block it. The blow sent him back and he rolled away hoping it would be enough distance to comfortably get back to his feet. The man in black chased like a wild dog and as he brought the stiletto down a kick to his forearm stopped him.


    "(Tch, the visibility is shit.)" It took him a bit too long to realize the clouds were covering the moon. He had been so tunnel-visioned fighting Tibaut that he hadn''t taken notice of it. With this darkness, she bided her time waiting for him to make a mistake and as a bonus, she didn''t make any noise due to her light steps. With how far away she was, it was likely the second attacker didn''t have a clear visual on her to hit her with another dart.


    As he swiftly moved the stiletto towards her, Tibaut used this opportunity to use both feet to kick him in the stomach and kip-upped to his feet.


    The sky soon cleared and they were bathed in moonlight once more.


    "Sorry, but I''m only good for support without my sword." She said as she focused behind her for any sneak attacks.


    "Stop ruining my opportunities. If he had stabbed me, I could have grabbed his hand and traded a blow with my fireball." Tibaut commented while eyeing down the man in black.


    "That''s one way to thank someone for making sure you didn''t get stabbed." She said with an uneasy smile on her face. "Shit."


    "?" Tibaut wondered what caused that reaction but he knew he couldn''t afford to turn around.


    As he stared down his adversary he started to notice movement behind him.


    "What th-"


    Various figures in black were walking down the road, behind the man in black. Seeing Tibaut''s reaction he turned around.


    "Oh." He plainly commented. "Hmm, I guess I''ll leave them to you."


    Then without warning, he ran to the side, in-between two buildings. Some of the figures jogged after him, though Tibaut wasn''t sure why. Compared to his comrades from last time, they were shorter and wore different clothing. They were baggy pants and leather armour dyed black on their torsos. He could however notice a bulge on their knees so they may have been wearing armour underneath the pants. Maybe not showing it was an aesthetic choice.


    "It seems that fucker has a lot of friends here."


    "Sounds like we''re both seeing the same thing," Grace responded as she backed up until they had both their backs touching.

 Chapter 133

    Tibaut quickly looked around and in total, not counting the ones that followed the man in black, there were eight. Of the three behind him, he noticed one of them standing awkwardly.


    ("Looks like he''s decided to stop hiding.")


    He quickly looked in front of him and was ready to pounce.


    "I know it''s a bit late to be asking this but how strong are you?" Tibaut asked the girl his back was against.


    "As long as they aren''t anywhere near that dude you fought earlier, I should be good."


    They all had blunt weapons such as staffs, batons, bats of both types and one even had on a pair of brass knuckles.


    ("Is killing people not their goal? No, these cult bastards are brutal, for all I know they might just enjoy making people suffer.")


    As soon Tibaut started tensing himself, getting ready to rush them, a few of them reached into their pockets and pulled out something. They were blow darts.


    Tibaut immediately used his body to shield Grace and they fired at him. Not taking any chances he preemptively used his cure spell as their assault turned his body into a pin cushion. Some had hit Grace as well and they both fell to their knees, as the figures were unrelenting in their attack. Within a few moments, they had stopped. Not out of mercy or anything like that but it seems they ran out. They would have preferred if he had fallen to the ground but this was good enough. Two of them soon walked over to him. The one with the staff, poked him a few times to ensure he was unconscious.


    "That shit''s annoying."


    Tibaut grabbed his staff and pulled him in. Before he could react, Tibaut delivered a punch that sent them straight to the floor. As soon as he did this Grace ran towards the ones behind them.


    The one beside the staff wielder, quickly aimed at him with her baseball bat but he had no intentions of playing around and as soon as he blocked it, summoned a fireball in the space between them.


    She instinctively backed away and Tibaut launched it at her. She threw the bat at, detonating it prematurely and instead of being dead was sent flying back from the blast along with some wood splinters. The three that had been watching jumped in, and as Tibaut tried to make some distance, the one on the floor grabbed his leg. He summoned fireballs around him and blocked the cricket bat of one but soon was hit by another staff user and narrowly dodged the punch of the one with brass knuckles that barrelled towards his face.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ("Shit I''m too close to these guys.")


    With the enemies this close, he''d risk hurting himself if he fired away. With nothing else he could use them for, he fired them just far enough to kick up dirt but not cause any serious injuries to any of them. The staff user was most affected by this attack and jumped closer towards him to reduce any damage from the blast. The one on the floor also had loosened her grip when this happened and he used this to gain some distance. With all three comfortably in his personal space he tripped one of them causing the other two to stumble and summoned another fireball. As he made sure to gain some distance, one of them threw a brass knuckle after he fired it, detonating it before it reached them.


    ("I never realized it, but these things are pretty easy to set off. If this keeps up, they might use it against me. It seems these bastards have done some homework compared to last time¡­ no they would have detonated my giant fireball if that was the case. It seems these guys are a different breed than the guys who showed up last time.")


    For his own safety, he decided to lay off with the fireballs and focus mainly on the fire lances. As he was backing away he soon heard someone shouting as they came closer.


    "tibAUUTTTT!!"


    He turned around and had to brace himself as they flew into him. He somehow managed to not get sent to the floor and held her in his hands.


    "Back already?" He asked.


    It was Grace and she was looking more bruised than she did earlier. Of her three opponents, one was struggling to get up, and two were running towards them.


    "It seems they aren''t fans of how I fight."


    As she was in Tibaut''s arms, he tried to let her go but she held out.


    "Let go, we can''t fight like this!"


    "Oh shut up and wait until they get close."


    They didn''t have to wait long as they were already there. He soon saw her master plan. She threw dirt in their faces.


    One reeled back while the other wasn''t deterred. She used her weight to bring Tibaut forward and he used the opportunity to headbutt the middle of their face.


    He thanked God they weren''t wearing any head armour or he would be the one on the floor, rolling away in pain. She quickly exited his arms before running over to the one trying to clear their eyes and kicking them in the ankle. They crumpled over and she added a knee to the face as a bonus.


    "Well, looks like that''s most of them," Tibaut commented.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure," Grace replied.


    He turned to see what she was viewing and six of them were back up. One had wood splinters on them, the other was dirty, three seemed to have minor burns and one was limping towards them. Even the two that had been put down were getting up. He couldn''t see their faces but he could tell they weren''t exactly thrilled about what they went through.


    "If only beating people up was as simple as knocking them to the floor," Grace commented as she wiped some blood off her lip.


    ("Hmm, based on the weapons they still have left, they might be able to interrupt my fireballs. I guess I''ll just have to fight without them.")


    Grace flying into his hands had caused him to lose focus but he quickly summoned more fire lances.

 Chapte(r) 1(34)

    As he thought about Grace in his hands he couldn''t help but think about something that had happened a few days earlier.


    "Hey Tibaut, come on, this next place is pretty interesting."


    Grace had run on ahead and looked pretty excited to show Tibaut something. She had a smirk on her face and skipped along at her own pace.


    "What''s got her so excited?" Tibaut wondered as he followed along. It was soon going to be evening and he was getting a bit tired from being dragged along by her like a dog on a leash (though he could admit some of the places they went to were interesting.)


    She stopped at a brick building that was quite large and waved at him like a tourist.


    "Is that it?" He said to himself as he walked over. He looked at it but all he could see were the windows at the top. As he approached, he noticed Grace had her hands behind her with a smug look on her face.


    "You know," Tibaut looked in front of him, "If we''re going inside here, shouldn''t we go to the entrance?"


    In his face was a brick wall that was way taller than he realized now that he was right in front of it.


    "Hehe, why would we do that?" She cryptically replied.


    Tibaut tilted his head as he looked at her.


    "Do you not know how a building works?" Tibaut asked sarcastically.


    "Oh, I can go. But I''m not sure they''d let you in." She answered as she looked up.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "You know, Tibaut, you''re a swell guy. Instead of giving you my drawings, how about something more realistic."


    "Stop with the runaround and tell me what you''re going on about," Tibaut asked. He was quite enjoying the tour around the property and he was certain hanging around at the back of a building wasn''t something interesting.


    "These are the showers."


    Tibaut couldn''t help but open his eyes at what she said.


    "S-s-so what?" He said, trying to get the words out.


    He knew what this meant. There were only women on the property and all of them looked like they were in the prime of their lives. This was no shower but the gateway to Eden.


    "I''m saying I won''t snitch if you have a peek inside."


    She walked over and leaned on his shoulder, brought her face close to his and began whispering.


    "Now, I''ll have you know I''m not into women but, there are a few girls in there that I can''t help but stare at. Their curves and chest make me hope for a late growth spurt, ya know?"


    "..."


    Tibaut couldn''t lie that he was interested but he wasn''t that sort of guy. No matter what body stood on the other side of that wall, he''d feel a bit wrong if he just intruded on their privacy. After a tense few seconds of contemplation, he responded.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "No, I can''t."


    Grace reeled back in shock.


    "Impossible!? No red-blooded man would refuse such an offer. I get it, you''re scared of them seeing you. Don''t worry, I can tell you from experience, that no one looks up there."


    "I will not stoop to such tricks to get my blood pumping. However, I don''t mind if you hand me some drawings."


    "(What kind of bastard wants drawings of women over seeing the real deal?) Come on Tibaut, there''s a few barrels right here you can stack. Trust me it''ll be easy."


    As soon he heard that gears in his brain started turning.


    ("Why''d she mention the barrels?")


    He looked around and saw there were a lot of barrels and wooden boxes around here. Some were broken and others looked like they had started to rot. And she had just suggested stacking them.


    ("Ah.")


    He listened to the wall and didn''t notice the sound of water flowing either.


    ("Oh, I see what''s going on. Considering the fact she''s out here and in there, it probably means it''s not time for the maids to shower after all this is a communal shower if it''s this size. So she''s probably hoping I''m too horny to think and try to climb up there with these old pieces of shit, fall down and eat shit. Let''s show her why she should give me a little more respect.")


    "Alright, I bet I can get up there no problem."


    Her eyes flashed with dollar signs.


    "Bet you say, are you willing to make a wager?" Trying to hide her excitement. ("Hehe I get to watch him fall and take money from him.")


    Tibaut scratched his head and pretended to look uncertain. "Damn, well I guess I can wager some cash."


    She put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. "Let''s do it."


    She turned to the barrels. "Now let''s get stacking. (If he looks like he''s getting too high I''ll just kick the stack and blame it on the wind or something.)"


    "Alright," Tibaut responded.


    But he didn''t come over and instead kept staring at the wall.


    "Um, don''t you want to see inside?" She asked.


    He then jumped into the air. The act nearly sent Grace''s heart out of her chest but she quickly calmed herself.


    "(Shit he''s an adventurer, of course he could probably do something like that.)"


    But she took solace at the height he reached. It was only about 60% up.


    ("But, I already took that into account. If I can''t reach that high by jumping up there then you don''t stand a snowball''s chance in hell.")


    But instead of letting himself fall down he planted his feet against the wall and kicked himself up. He was glad the wall wasn''t exactly clean or he might have had to help her clean it later.


    "..."


    Grace watched in silence. ("He''s pretty agile. Welp I don''t have any money on me so he can get bent when it comes to that¡­ however,")


    Tibaut grabbed the window and pulled himself up.


    "I can''t believe she thinks I''d be stup- oh wow."


    That reaction was something he had no control over when he looked inside. Heaven. That was the only word he could use to describe inside.


    Women of various heights, bust sizes, hips and skin tones were all gathered inside.


    There was a woman with a similar skin tone as Tina scrubbing her breasts and making extra sure her nipples were clean.


    A few had gathered around a petite one with brown hair to shave her. This hair happened to be on her mons pubis and the girl with the razor seemed to have a large smile on her face as she moved it closer.


    There was a slender one with black hair that had her legs open in Tibaut''s direction. She seemed to have recently fallen. That pink was forever seared in Tibaut''s mind.


    As far as his field of vision went he saw women.


    Women grabbing each other''s breasts in play, others their behinds, some washing the back of another (with their chest on full display.)


    He felt something rising and instinctively tried to hide it. Unfortunately, he met with the ground a moment later.


    Grace giggled and walked over to him. She crouched down and began laughing at him in full. As he brought his face to face up to tell her to stop, he saw it. From the way she crouched, it held up her skirt. Although he had seen so many of them moments before, seeing one hidden away barely contained by its confines made him resemble a tomato in seconds and had him in no rush to stand up, as he lay stomach-side down. There was no garter belt or stocking there, only the cloth that covered the cat, but he felt an odd pureness from that being the only clothing under her skirt. However with the camel toe so pronounced he wondered if it was on purpose and the pureness was just a facade. He thanked the lord it was a thin white material and not a matte black which helped it be that much more visible. He could even notice faint details of what was hidden underneath.


    From the hair, he could tell the type on her head was natural.


    She could tell what he was doing and stood up immediately. She quickly got up and turned around.


    A few seconds passed before either said a word.


    "It''s nothing that special." She said, "Now, get up, we still have places to go. (Ugh, he better not tell anyone about this. Though I can use this to have him not ask me for any drawings.)"


    "I''ll be there in a second."

 Chapter 135

    Now back to the present.


    As all eight of them rushed the duo, they put their backs to a nearby house and prepared themselves.


    As soon Tibaut finished summoning the fire lances he immediately targeted the one with a limp. She tried to dodge and successfully avoided one of them but was hit with the remainder when she put her body weight on the injured leg. Before Tibaut could summon another they were all in range. All the close-range combatants were in their personal space while the staff users kept behind them.


    Tibaut launched a fireball at the ground causing some to instinctively back away while others stood their ground. Tibaut blocked a baseball bat slicing through the newly formed dirt cloud, although the sound his arm made as it blocked the bat made him cringe. He grabbed Grace with one hand and attempted to jump over them. The staff users landed various blows on him when this happened, but they were able to escape being cornered by them.


    He landed on the ground face-first from the blows but it seemed they left Grace unscathed as she gracefully landed on her feet.


    Grace picked Tibaut up as the entourage was once again in their face. The time on the floor was enough for him to recover and he fired off a prepared fire lance into the throat of the staff user. They were barely quick enough to place a hand over their throat, but the force seemed to have knocked the wind out for them as they fell to the floor gasping for air with both hands on their throat. Tibaut didn''t see this of course as they didn''t even spare a moment for their fallen ally.


    He immediately had to parry the punch of them one with brass knuckles which tore the sleeve of his shirt. They seemed to have put a lot of force behind which caused them to lose balance.


    ("Shit, that was a quick punch. They must be using the brass to give them more pow-")


    This thought was cut as a staff hit him square in the gut. He was glad for his training with Elizabeth or else that blow would have completely knocked the wind out of him. He backed away and blocked the other two attacks from the bat wielder and one with a baton and narrowly ducked down when he realized the brass knuckle user had gotten behind him.


    Grace was violently knocked to his back and she used this opportunity to headbutt the brass knuckle wielder and slam her forearm into their throat as they both fell to the ground. Before she could land a decisive blow she had to roll away from her two opponents, who were in hot pursuit of her.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Tibaut had no time to appreciate what she did as immediately after ducking he delivered an earth-shattering blow to the crotch of one of his opponents which caused a husky "Argh" to be heard.


    ("A boy, no, a woman?")


    He had no time to contemplate this as he attacked the other one like a hungry wolf to not give a moment of reprieve.


    ("Fuck it, I can afford to lose my hands.") Both of his hands were already killing him from the blows he blocked and his punches had lost their edge in dealing damage. He decided this was a more efficient move.


    He aimed his hand at the chest of the other attacker and formed a fireball within his hand. They quickly backed away but it was too late. The blast destroyed the armour on their chest and sent them flying back. He couldn''t even spare the time to check their status as the staff user attacked which he countered by stomping its top to the floor. They quickly let go and¡­


    Started running away?


    ("Huh?")


    Before he could process what happened two of the women that Grace had been fighting picked up, their comrade who had been hit with the near point-blank fireball and ran off. Although the blast hadn''t completely burned through their shirt it left a few holes in it. Under it he could see skin and what looked like a material similar to hand wrap covering their chest.


    ("Were they injured beforehand? Don''t tell me I fought these guys at half-strength. Wait besides that.")


    He looked around. He now noticed that the others began limping away as well.


    They all congregated and Tibaut watched as they got together.


    ("This is good.") He thought. ("Now I can use my fireballs without worrying about being too close plus even if they do throw something it won''t reach my fireball quick enough to be a danger to me.")


    Before he could react a glass bottle from an outside party was thrown and a gas formed around him. He quickly used cure on himself but they used this opportunity to use the remainder of the stamina they might have had and unashamedly ran away.


    He clicked his tongue and turned behind to check on Grace. She limped over and looked worse for wear. Her hair was dirty, she was bleeding from her forehead and had a black eye along with various bruises.


    "Tch, they got away." She bitterly stated.


    "Seems they had one more friend in hiding," Tibaut commented as he breathed a sigh of relief. At the end of it, nothing major had happened due to him and Grace being there. Though he had no idea why the cult came.


    "Why were they here in the first place?" Tibaut wondered.


    "Beats me. I wish we could have gotten some help from those guard guys but oh well. Let''s go look for them."


    "The guards¡­"


    Now that he thought about where they were?


    "So that''s what the darts were about."


    Grace looked at him puzzled before opening her mouth and widening her eyes.


    "Oh, that''s why they aren''t here."


    As they reached their realization, they heard various shouts in the distance.

 Chapter 136

    "Damnit, did they just cause chaos somewhere else?" Tibaut said.


    They couldn''t make out any words but it seemed like something was happening on the other side of town.


    "I don''t suppose we can take a breather?" Grace asked as she turned her head in the direction of the sounds.


    "Of course, not. Let''s get going."


    She turned her head back to him and as he started walking, she covered her mouth with one of her hands and her eyes shot open in concern when she saw what was at his side.


    "Wha- what the hell happened to your hand?"


    "Oh, that." He lifted up his arm and took a good look at it. It wasn''t in the worst state it had been in but this was definitely in the top 5. Bones were showing, in addition to shards that had broken off. The blood had covered most traces of skin on his hand but on closer inspection, some of the skin he was looking at wasn''t skin but exposed flesh.


    He shrugged his shoulders and began walking again.


    "There''s no time for this, let''s get going."


    "Are you kidding me!? At least cut the fucking thing off."


    "What are yo- Oh right."


    The blood loss from his destroyed hand had left him a bit lightheaded so he completely forgot that having someone like Elizabeth wasn''t the norm.


    "Actually, no it''s fine."


    "You call that fine? Your hand looks like it got mauled by a bear!! How did that even happen!?"


    Grace must not have been a fan of gore as she was reacting very strongly towards it.


    "Trust me, as soon as I get back it''ll be good as new."


    Tibaut had slowed down his walking as they made their way towards the noise.


    "Just cut it off, trust me, I know the lord has money, but there''s no way in hell he has any potions that can heal that."


    "Is it that bad?"


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    She slapped him on the back of the head.


    "Of course it is. I''m surprised you''re not on the ground rolling around in agony."


    "(Training with Elizabeth really has changed my sense of pain.) It''s not like I''m enjoying it, but there''d be no point in doing that."


    Grace turned her head away and scoffed.


    "Don''t blame me if you get an infection and you have to lose the whole arm."


    As Tibaut heard this, he decided it wouldn''t hurt to be too safe and use a cure spell on it. Just in case.


    As they walked, Grace decided to walk on ahead, due to how much Tibaut had infuriated her.


    There she finally heard a voice shout clearly.


    "KY!?!? WHERE ARE YOU!?"


    It wasn''t just one.


    "LILIGRAM!!!" "DIANA!!!!"


    "MARLENA!!!"


    Tibaut had gotten in range as well and rushed over.


    There were various men outside their homes shouting various names. They all looked distraught. On the ground, Tibaut could see several of the guards and other men unconscious, though they had no discernible injuries.


    He could see the doors and windows on some of the houses had been broken down or removed from their hinge.


    Most of the men shouting had bruises all over them and some even looked to be in tears.


    As they walked over to investigate what happened, one of the men ran up to Grace. Tibaut instinctively stood in front of her but quickly realized he wasn''t a threat.


    "W-whe-where''d you find her!?" He asked, sounding jittery. "Where are the rest of them, don''t tell me you just took her and left the rest!?!?" He started to raise his voice and grabbed Tibaut''s collar.


    "What the hell are you going on about?" Tibaut asked. Both Grace and Tibaut looked at him with confusion.


    "Oi fellas this bloke has a woman with him, he has to know where they went." He shouted, sounding desperate.


    Some of the men turned their heads his way and ran over while others sat against their houses looking at the night sky or crying.


    "Spit it already, who knows what they''re gonna do?"


    "You bastard, are you one of them!?"


    "Please just tell us where to go¡­"


    ("Ugh this looks bad.") Tibaut thought. ("Based on these context clues¡­ shit. Never mind that, I''m hoping I get these guys to settle down peacefully. I''d feel pretty bad beating the shit out of these guys.")


    Tibaut put up his only working hand (The blows he received to his arm earlier made him squint as he lifted it) and tried to calm them down.


    "Come on, could you guys clearly explain what''s going on?"


    They all responded in a cacophony of anger, distraught and hope that got nothing across.


    "Oi, Tibaut!" Shouted Grace as she waved at him.


    She had somehow managed to get behind the crowd and was dragging along one of the officers. Seeing how his discussion with the men was going he ran around them and headed over to her.


    "Think you can wake these guys up? Cause from the looks of things, we aren''t going to get anywhere with those guys."


    "I''ll try."


    He put his hand on the guard and a green glow was emitted from it. The guard soon began groaning and started moving his limbs.


    "What the?"


    "Could you deal with those guys?"


    Tibaut helped him to his feet and tossed him to the crowd walking over.


    They (Tibaut) ran around this part of the village waking up those that were unconscious.


    "Alright, now let''s get out of here and back to the mansion."


    She looked at his hand.


    "I agree."


    They begin walking outside the village. Tibaut had his one working arm clenched as tightly as possible.


    "So¡­ they got kidnapped." Grace said, trying to confirm her suspicions.


    "Yeah." He responded while gritting his teeth.


    An awkward silence fell between them and they continued walking through the night.

 Chapter 137

    As they headed back to the mansion in the now quiet night, Tibaut passed out. It didn''t take a genius to figure it out it was from that thing attached to him that used to be called a hand.


    "The dumb bastard didn''t even cut off blood flow to it," Grace commented, infuriated at his current state. But she probably wasn''t as angry as the man she was holding up.


    He didn''t say a single word to her after they left the village and the little moonshine that provided light on his face only showed a mixture of infuriation and regret. She felt bad thinking this but now that he was unconscious she felt like she could finally breathe easy. She had him on her shoulder, dragging him along but she had learnt a better method of carrying someone.


    "Fucking hell, he''s heavy." She commented as she laid him on the ground.


    She looked at his hand with disdain.


    "This is for your own good." She commented.


    She looked around her but couldn''t find anything she deemed suitable. She sighed and crouched down.


    "What the hell am I saying? If I try to do some impromptu amputation with a rock or something I''ll probably end up making it worse. Besides, we can amputate it after we reach the mansion."


    She tore off one of her sleeves and ripped it open to use as a makeshift tourniquet. Although the bleeding had eased down, it didn''t hurt to make sure.


    "Still, what the hell did those bastards do to him to leave his arm like that? What the hell is he made of that he treated it like a mild injury?"


    Unfortunately, she was talking to someone who had entered dreamland and wasn''t getting answers anytime soon. She lifted him with some struggle¡­


    "Okay, osh"


    And with that sound of confidence threw him up and onto her shoulders in a fireman''s carry.


    She staggered before steadying her stance.


    "Jeez, dude go on a diet or something."


    She soon started to notice how toned his abdominal muscles were and blushed as she tried to ignore the sensation pressed against her back.


    Although it was harder than the previous way of carrying him, it was blistering compared to the pace she walked at while dragging him., which made it much more efficient to carry him (she told herself that anyway).


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As she walked down the lonely dirt road, she saw a few figures approach.


    As she contemplated throwing Tibaut on the ground to wake him up, she recognised one of the men coming down the road. It was O''Reilly. Upon seeing the two, O''Reilly looked pleasantly surprised immediately followed by horror.


    "Oi, oi, oi what the hell happened to both of ye!?" He asked as he jogged over.


    "I really think you should check out the village." She responded as she kept walking.


    "We will but look at you two! We''ll have to patch you two up at the village."


    She kept walking without turning back.


    "We''re going to the mansion to be taken care of. Besides I''m sure those in the village would appreciate your presence more than us."


    "(Did something happen there? Shit, the only reason I came back was to gather my men since so many off-duty officers lived there. What the hell could have happened to leave these two like this?) Are you sure that lad on your shoulders can survive the trip? Besides we need to know the details."


    Grace was seemingly not in the mood to entertain him and kept walking along.


    "We''ll tell you when you visit the mansion. In the meantime, you should probably help the men in the village out."


    "Oi you, stop trying to walk away, this is no time for this."


    She kept walking and O''Reilly begrudgingly accepted that he was going have go to the village.


    "Tch, what a young fool." He commented as he rushed towards the village.


    She could feel his heartbeat as she walked and felt confident he wasn''t going to die anytime soon.


    <hr>


    "Finished sleeping yet?" A voice asked him.


    Tibaut opened his eyes and saw he was in a black expanse that seemed to expand forever. There was no sky and as far as he could tell there was no ground. In front of him was a blurry figure.


    The figure sighed as he looked at them.


    "I guess I''ll commend you on the fact you left your little nest. However, if this was a test you couldn''t hope for more than a D-. I had so much hope about this yet you''ve just run into that boring group again."


    Tibaut wasn''t sure what to make of them as they talked. Were they a figment of his imagination or were they some malevolent being that had taken hold of him?


    "Don''t ignore me, you bastard." They said as they flicked his nose.


    "Ow, why''d you do that you bastard?"


    "Oh you can talk now, I see our link together is getting better. Last time I had to use a dream but now I can come in whenever I want."


    "Wait this isn''t a dream?"


    "No, this would be similar to that state you go into while you sleep."


    "How''s that different?"


    "Have you ever fallen asleep and instantly woken up? Anyway, I was just testing something out. Just know I will communicate with you if I find you useful."


    And after saying that the figure snapped a finger. Tibaut slowly opened his eyes and saw himself in his room in the guest building.


    "Oh, we made it back. What a weird dream." He said.


    He stretched his arms out as he sat up on the bed but he felt something fall off his chest on looked down.


    It was a hand.


    His injured hand was feeling odd right now and he instinctively turned to it. It was wrapped in gauze and its shape didn''t suggest it was a regular hand anymore.


    "..."


    "Oh, you''ve finally decided to wake up."


    He turned to her.


    "I tried to stop her. I really did, but she kept insisting on it to save you from having to sever the whole arm. I really thought that was quite sweet and frankly, I think you needed to learn a lesson. To give you a glimpse of what it''s like without my power."


    Elizabeth was busy peeling a fruit with a cold gaze.


    Tibaut felt his stomach sink and couldn''t even find the words to respond with.

 Chapter 138

    ("I wonder how he''ll react.") Elizabeth thought to herself. She finished peeling the fruit and started slicing and plating it on a nearby platter.


    She handed it over to and he took it with his remaining hand. He picked up a slice. The flesh was whiter than any apple he had ever seen and the taste was oddly refreshing and closer to a melon than apple.


    He looked at the hand before him and sighed.


    "It feels like I''ve been on a bad streak of luck recently." He said as he looked at it.


    It was unmistakable his.


    "Bad luck wasn''t the reason for losing that arm. It was carelessness." Elizabeth responded. She brought her hand over to it and picked it up as casually as a fruit.


    She began examining it before putting it back down.


    "After all, you did use that close-quarters fireball technique, didn''t you?"


    "I guess I did." He took another slice of the fruit and stared blankly before him. "Though, calling it a technique is a bit of a stretch."


    "(He''s taking this news pretty well¡­) Are you not mad? I thought you would have asked why I didn''t help."


    He looked at the bandages wrapped around his former hand.


    "I mean, it makes sense logically. It''d probably be suspicious if an arm as damaged as mine was healed by you. My arm is probably a smaller price to pay than whatever scrutiny you''d come under for doing something like that. Besides having one arm doesn''t mean I can''t fight anymore."


    He turned to Elizabeth and saw her face filled with shock before she quickly fixed it.


    "Elizabeth?"


    She put her hand on her face and started rubbing her eyes.


    "I was honestly expecting you to throw a tantrum or something or at least reflect on your recklessness."


    He wasn''t sure what she was going on about.


    "I''m sorry Elizabeth, but when it comes to a life and death fight, I''ll do whatever it takes to walk away alive, even if it doesn''t last long."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Shut up and stop trying to justify what you did."


    She pinched his leg to alleviate the annoyance she was feeling right now.


    He retracted his foot and yelped in pain.


    "Ow, what the hell was that for? Wasn''t losing a hand good enough punishment."


    "You idiot, take that gauze off."


    "What do me- Hey stop that!"


    She grabbed his arm and quickly started ripping off the gauze.


    "Hey, stop, I''m not ready to see it¡­ what?"


    She finally took it all off and he saw what lay under it. It was a hand. Now that he moved it, he realized the gauze had caused his hand to go numb which was the weird feeling he had under there. But this hand was better than ever. No bones were sticking nor was the flesh underneath showing.


    "I went through all of that trouble to show off why you shouldn''t be careless and yet you took it in stride. You''re more of a danger to yourself than any enemy."


    She commented while pouting.


    "What''s going on? I know that''s my hand, so why do I have anyone?"


    "I regenerated it. Do you really think my healing isn''t powerful enough to do such a thing? As I''ve said before, as long as your brain isn''t severely damaged and you''re still alive, I can practically heal you from anything."


    "Oh¡­cool"


    "(This little sod) cool? That''s all you have to say to that?" She had quickly gone from annoyed to angry with those two words.


    "I mean, I appreciate it but you have shown everyone your ability, so I can''t be that glad."


    Elizabeth stopped and calmed herself.


    "Don''t worry about that, I was able to trick so it wasn''t too much of a big deal."


    Tibaut looked confused by what she was saying.


    "What do you mean? Wait so why is my hand cut off? Was it easier to heal that way?"


    "No, no, I did it simply to get a reaction out of you. I thought this would be a sobering moment for you but I underestimated how thick-headed you were."


    "So you cut my hand only to throw it in front of me? That''s it!?"


    "I am sure that is what I just said."


    Tibaut fell back into his bed unsure how to react to this.


    "So how are you tricking them into believing this is normal? I''m pretty sure Grace said a potion wouldn''t heal this."


    "She was used to somewhat cheap potions so the idea that the Lord here would provide you with his potions didn''t exactly inspire confidence in her."


    "Wait, he has potions that can heal a hand that messed up."


    "Well, yes but I suppose it''d be better if I told you what happened. But you really do need to stop that habit of yours."


    "What habit?"


    "Doing irreparable damage to your body. I''m surprised you still had all your limbs on your body when I met you."


    "It wasn''t even like that, I just used it because they were strong opponents."


    "Sacrificing a limb shouldn''t be a thought that comes into your head when you fight a strong opponent. Going into a fight ready to throw away a limb is the same as giving it away."


    "Come on, don''t be like that, it just means they were strong."


    She punched him on the shoulder and for a split second he thought he saw his family in heaven.


    "AAAAHHHAHH" He crumpled on the bed and rolled over in pain.


    "That''s it. I''m not letting you fight again until you learn how to do so without sacrificing one of your limbs."


    She sounded finished with Tibaut''s recklessness.


    Tibaut weakly whimpered while rubbing his shoulder and muttered "whatever" with tears in his eyes.

 Chapter 139

    Tibaut sat in the bed turned away from Elizabeth under his sheets.


    "Don''t act like that, this is for your own good."


    "Shut up, my shoulder is killing me!" He shouted.


    "Oh."


    She quickly moved her hand over to his shoulder and healed it with a golden glow.


    "You really did break it." He commented as the pain went away.


    Elizabeth flicked her hand as he mentioned it.


    "Now that you say that, my knuckles do feel like they have been fractured."


    ("What the hell is she doing to get that strong.")


    After breathing in and taking a moment to appreciate how lovely it felt not being injured he turned to her.


    "So how''d you convince them to heal me?" He asked.


    "I was quite lucky that lord of theirs was overthinking the situation."


    "?"


    <hr>


    It was technically the next day but the sun hadn''t shown its face. Around the mansion seemed busy but Elizabeth had no idea why.


    "I wonder if something is happening. It wouldn''t look too good if I sat here and did nothing."


    She got out of the chair she was sitting in and walked over to the front door. On her way, she saw Tina who had fallen asleep on the couch but saw no reason to wake her up.


    "You''re not going to catch up to me if a spar with him is enough to drain you."


    She went to her room and picked up a blanket. She placed it over Tina before leaving.


    *This part was excluded from her explanation.


    After leaving to the outside, she was greeted by Avis. She pushed up her glasses.


    "I see you''re still awake. That''s more than I can say for our previous guards."


    "That seems a bit insensitive considering they''re dead." She responded unamused.


    An awkward silence hung over them as Avis realized her words could be misconstrued like that.


    "No, I-I didn''t mean it like that. They just slept a lot. I suppose that was disrespectful on my part."


    Elizabeth''s eyes shot open and she raised her hands in an attempt to show there was no offence taken.


    "Oh no, I misjudged you and took your words to mean the worst thing they possibly could, the fault is mine."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "No, no, they sacrificed our lives protecting us, I shouldn''t have even considered bad-mouthing them." She sounded substantially more dejected than when she started this¡­ conversation?


    Elizabeth started feeling bad and even placed her hand on her shoulder to calm her down.


    "It''s okay, really, I''m sure they would be laughing about it from the grave, we aren''t the types to be thin-skinned about something like this."


    As Elizabeth remembered what happened she buried her face in her hands.


    *This was also excluded from her explanation.


    "Sorry to get side-tracked, what were you telling me about?"


    "Oh, right. Although his condition isn''t serious it appears that red headed underling of yours was badly injured. After what we just talked about this doesn''t feel tact to discuss but the lord wants you to make a decision. He''ll inform you about what the choices are. Please follow me."


    She promptly turned around and started walking.


    ("He really does take me for granted, doesn''t he? I''m sure he did a suicidal manoeuvre that has left him nearly dead. I hope they don''t make taking him back too much of a bother. Well, as long as it doesn''t look bad on the outside, it shouldn''t be too hard to convince them my healing can work on him.")


    She followed her across the Manor until they reached the building he was being kept in.


    "Oh, you''re here," Albus said as he spotted the two walking over. Judging by the smells of disinfectant, Elizabeth assumed this was some sort of infirmary. Though compared to the ones she had seen it seemed quite quaint in size but she was glad they knew to keep the place clean.


    There Tibaut laid on a bed, peacefully sleeping like a fairytale princess.


    "He looks to be doing well." She commented, somewhat relieved. From how Avis had worded it earlier she was expecting him in a far worse state.


    "Check his other hand," Albus commented.


    She walked closer to the redheaded princess and saw the problem.


    "Dear Gabriel!" she couldn''t help but exclaim.


    She cleared her throat before turning back to Albus.


    "Well, it''s certainly bold of you to not wrap his injured hand."


    "Well, there was something I wanted to discuss before that."


    She hadn''t noticed her earlier but that maid that followed him around was lying down on a bed next to him.


    "What are you doing, just cut his hand off!"


    Elizabeth looked at her in curiosity.


    ("Well I suppose, it is natural to think that. How am I going to convince them not to do so?") She wondered.


    "Like I said Grace, we have potions," Albus told her.


    Grace was adamant.


    "Master, I don''t want to imply you''re wrong but I''ve seen the limit of them. It won''t be enough to heal his hand!"


    "Grace, what were these potions you were using exactly?" Albus asked.


    "Well, I used to help out one of my friends with their adventuring career the parish over and the things weren''t all that useful. She got a large gash in her leg once and when we treated her it took five of the things to stop her bleeding."


    "Did you know that there are different levels of potions?" Albus simply stated.


    "..."


    She couldn''t respond. The statement made sense to her but that experience had clouded her judgment on the effectiveness. As she was feeling guilty over wanting to hastily remove his arm, Albus continued.


    ("That''s right. It''s been a while since I''ve heard someone mention the level of potion. Most people just say they''re either weak or strong, but in actuality, there are four levels of potions. Though I''m not sure how accurate that is. If I recall adventurers get issued level 4 potions every month but Mr. Bentley''s supply has been dry for some time now. I heard the regional guilds get access to level 3s and 2s but considering he can''t even hand us level 4s, I don''t he would have those either.")


    "But, it''s not like we have enough potions here to treat him. We used most of them trying to treat the adventurers that bravely defended us so we''re a bit low. I only have two level 2s to spare and I already used one."


    ("Are you telling me his hand looked even worse than it did now?")


    Although she was shocked by this she did well to hide her reaction.


    Grace turned to look at his hand.


    "Amazing, there''s less flesh showing than before." She was genuinely amazed at the difference between the potion she saw compared to the one used on Tibaut.


    "You say that, but it''d still take over ten of them if you want it usable again or maybe five if he was okay never punching again."

 Chapter 140

    "I see. So what have you called me here for, Lord Bradley?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Well¡­ Since I only have one potion left and I''m not sure I can spare it for my friend over there, I wondered if you wouldn''t mind paying for some of the next shipment of potions I receive. Of course, I wouldn''t be cruel enough to make you pay for them at the same prices I did, so I''ll reduce their prices by half. I know tight-fisted you adventuring folk can be, so even that might be a bit too much for you. If that''s the case we can amputate and treat it until it''s fully healed."


    All the hope on Grace''s face disappeared and dejection made its way on her face.


    "So he will have to lose it." She said. She looked at him while sighing. If this adventurer before he was anything like her friend, she was beyond doubt broke. The fact they even accepted being a guard for her Lord told as much.


    "Well, at least he has the rest of his arm," Grace said, trying to convince herself to look at the bright side of this situation.


    "Oh no, that won''t be necessary," Elizabeth commented.


    The three present in the room all turned towards her in shock at what she said.


    "What do you mean?" Asked Albus. "Surely you aren''t thinking of handling it yourself? There''s a limit to what a single person can do. I''ll have at least three of my best to ensure there are no complications, so please leave it to me."


    "Yeah, considering how strict you are, I thought you''d know better." She looked at her with disappointment clearly on her face after she said this.


    ("What do these people think of me?") Elizabeth thought, slightly insulted.


    "No, I''m saying I have my own potions I can use. After all, there''d be no need to amputate his hand if I can save it."


    "Now, now, miss, didn''t you hear about what we talked about earlier?" Albus asked, feeling almost insulted. "Those things you get from whoever''s in charge of you ain''t gonna do squat to heal him. Jeez, the air you give off is totally misleading, you''re just an amateur."


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "What if I told you there were level 1 potions? ("That would be the minimum required to heal the external wounds I believe. Though I''m not sure how rare they are, so I should study his reaction to see how I lead this conversation.")


    Albus''s eyes widened and nearly fell over in his chair. He had to snap himself out of it before he could respond.


    "WHa- This isn''t the time for jokes!" He shouted.


    "(Shit, if even a noble like him is stunned and left stammering, it must not be something someone of his status can obtain regularly or even at all.) I assure you it''s no joke."


    "Is it so unbelievable?" Grace asked.


    "Of course it is! The jump in price from level 4 to 3 is about ten times and the same is true for 3 to 2. However, 2 to 1 is nearly a hundred times the price increase. If I sold off my estate I could probably only hope to buy 2 or at most 5 of them. What she''s saying is hogwash."


    "(They''re that expensive!?)" Grace and Elizabeth thought in unison but Elizabeth managed to keep her poker face.


    ("Shit how am I going to convince him, wait a minute, Tina isn''t here. So I suppose as long as I keep hush-hush about this around her, I can tell a conflicting lie with the one I told her.")


    "You see, I received it from a family member. He seemed keen on getting rid of it and gave me a few. At first, I thought they were bootleg goods but I tested one out and it worked better than I imagined. He didn''t give a level when he gave me them, I had to discern it for myself. If you let me test it on him I can show you."


    "Keen to get rid? How long ago did you receive them?" Albus asked as if he knew something.


    "(He took the bait.) Why does it matter? They work, do they not?"


    "(I see. I did hear about some robbery gone wrong that attacked a caravan carrying potions. They messed with the wrong caravan, it was carrying stuff that even nobles had reserved so they had everyone captured with the incident executed. I don''t know what was on it but if they had a few level one potions no wonder they were pissed. Plus I heard no one would fleece the merchandise so the few that escaped were killing themselves trying to get rid of the potions. Some people in this world really are born under a lucky star.) Just know, if law enforcement comes, I won''t hesitate to give them a tip."


    "(He read too much into my words!!!) I see. Don''t worry Lord Bradley, I won''t cause you any trouble. Are you sure you don''t want to see the potion at work?"


    "I''m good, thank you. Just make sure you dispose of the bottle properly. I''ve heard they''ve been marked in a way you can tell where and when they''ve been manufactured. Also, I hope you haven''t changed its container, as you''d have gotten my blood pressure up for nothing."


    "(Wow, they really put a lot of thought into making these hard to steal. How does he even know this stuff to begin with?) Of course not, now if you''ll excuse me."


    She walked over to Tibaut and picked him up with relative ease.


    Grace still looked unconvinced but she laid back in her bed as there wasn''t anything she could do to help him.

 Chapter 141

    "So what you''re saying is that you''re good at lying?"


    Elizabeth raised her fist and Tibaut backed away while shouting "I''m kidding!".


    "I''m just glad that lord here was so gullible. Though I suppose it wouldn''t make sense for someone to lie about something like that."


    Tibaut reached over to the desk beside his bed and picked up his hand.


    "So what are we gonna do with this? Won''t they get suspicious if it was good enough to regrow a hand?"


    Elizabeth got up and picked up his cleaned platter.


    "You''re free to do whatever with it. And please¡­" Elizabeth''s face looked at him with sympathy. "Please find a way to fight without being self-destructive."


    She opened the door and soon left.


    Tibaut sat alone in the room with the extra hand.


    "Stop saying that as if I''m doing it on purpose." His gaze soon towards the hand.


    "You know¡­ I''ve heard about people eating their own limbs after losing them in an accident." He briefly thought about eating it since it wasn''t like he had killed another person to get this hand. "No, if it actually ends up being tasty, I might consider people on the menu if I ever get stuck in the wild again."


    He picked up the hand and started observing it again.


    "But I can''t believe this is what it looks like after a healing potion. I mean it didn''t look that bad at the time."


    He tossed it into the air a few times before staring at it more intensely.


    "Well, I haven''t eaten much meat since I''ve come here¡­"


    he pulled an exposed piece of meat and laid his (severed) hand down. With his other hand, he produced a small flame.


    "A taste wouldn''t hurt? Besides, I''m pretty low in fat and it''s not like I''m going to season it. It''s probably going to taste terrible."


    Even as he was saying that he brought the piece of flesh ever closer to the flame.


    As the smell of the meat cooking was entering his nostrils, he heard a knock at the door and quickly hid both his hand and the piece of meat under his sheet.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Before he could say "Come in" the door was opened and he saw two people in the frame. It was Tina and Grace who was meekly hiding behind her. He wondered what she was up to hiding like that.


    Tina looked at him suspiciously before walking closer. She started examining him so he decided to discreetly leave the sheets and stand up.


    ("Please don''t check the sheets, please don''t check the sheets, please don''t check the sheets.")


    She grabbed and examined each of his hands and even squeezed them.


    He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her curiously.


    ("What''s up with her?") He thought to himself.


    After doing her analysis she turned back to Grace.


    "He seems pretty fine to me. Are you sure something happened to his hand?"


    Grace came over and grabbed one of his hands.


    "She really wasn''t lying! The only thing left is some caked-on blood on his finger" She exclaimed.


    "(Oh, crap I should have pretended it was hurt. Wait, blood? Oh right, I must have gotten it when I tore off that piece of flesh) I''m trying to heal here, could you cut me some slack?" He said, sounding annoyed.


    "Oh!" She let go of his hand. "Sorry about that."


    ("Don''t give me that, you''d be the type to squeeze it if I complained.")


    "I must say, you sure are something. I thought you had some strength, yet you let her end up like that. Isn''t that embarrassing as a man?" Tina snidely remarked.


    Tibaut was initially irritated by her comment but looked in a mirror and understood her viewpoint.


    In terms of visuals, Grace had bruises over her face, some scratches, and a bandage on her forehead. She looked like a domestic abuse victim. Meanwhile, it looked like he was on his way to a modelling shoot. There wasn''t a scratch anywhere on his skin and he felt no pain anywhere in his body. If you had seen their states a day prior Tibaut would obviously be the one worst off. Yet in a few hours that had flipped.


    ("I appreciate the healing of Elizabeth but at least leave my minor injuries so it isn''t too suspicious. Wait a minute did I even get any other major injuries than the one on my hand?")


    "Yeah, I guess I dropped the ball," Tibaut replied as he looked away while scratching his head.


    "(Well, he seems fine, I suppose it wasn''t anything too serious.) And here I was hoping to see you bite off more than you could chew." She did her best to sound disinterested and calmly left.


    "Are you really okay?" Grace asked, wondering if the sight before her was some type of illusion.


    "Of course I''m fine. Do you think I''ll defeat those guys with a lame hand?"


    "Oh, right."


    At the mention of their enemies, Grace felt a shift in Tibaut''s mood and decided to leave him to himself for the time being. Judging by his reaction he must have felt somewhat responsible for what happened the night before.


    Tibaut sat at his bedside and couldn''t help but grit his teeth with a sour look on his face.


    "Of course, that bastard didn''t run away!" He said while trying to contain his fury.


    "What? I''m chopped liver? Was kidnapping the women in a village so important it couldn''t wait!? And I just accepted that the bastard just ran away without any ulterior motives."


    He got up and punched a nearby wall. His fist went through like it was made of drywall instead of an inch or so of wood. It left his hand bleeding at the knuckles though he couldn''t care less.


    "That bastard has gotten 2 over me while I''m sitting at nil. Fuck that. The next time I see him, it ends."


    As Tibaut was working himself up, someone was outside wondering if he was okay.

 Chapter 142

    Jake stood outside timidly listening to Tibaut raging inside and wondered if he should have just left.


    ("Ah, I blew my chance. I didn''t want to try talking to him while those other two were in there. But now it seems he''s upset about something. He''d probably feel embarrassed about it if I entered now. Maybe I''ll just wait until he''s in a better mood.")


    Jake looks to both his sides in the hallway.


    ("Dangit, I can''t wait out here, in the open. What would someone think if they just saw me standing outside of his room? This would totally look creepy, wouldn''t it? If I tell them I''m going to talk to him they''d just think it''s an excuse. Come on Tibaut, calm down already, my friend group is already small, I need more people to talk to that aren''t Furor!")


    "Fuck!" Tibaut shouted inside his room.


    ("I mean, it does sound like he''s in distress. Is it actually in danger? I heard something like wood breaking earlier. Is it an enemy?")


    As placed his hand on the door but stopped himself.


    ("No, no, no, what if there''s nothing in there though? If I just burst through his door, who knows what compromising position he''d be in? And he''d know I was on the other side of the door listening to him. That fact alone would put a damper on any conversation starter I''d try.")


    As Jake sat there in contemplation someone walked past him and opened the door.


    "Yo, Maid Red."


    "You bastard, my name is Tibaut!"


    It was the lord who looked like a princess rather than a prince, Albus. He quickly closed the door behind him and left Jake standing there with a hand held out jaw agape. His shoulders fell limp and his head sank as a dark atmosphere took over him and his surroundings.


    "Don''t be like, Maid Red, you should be happy you can do a maid outfit justice. I don''t think any other man can say that."


    Tibaut gritted his teeth and looked at him like he killed his dog.


    "If you love them so much why don''t you wear them yourself?" He bitterly responded.


    He put a hand on his and thought about it for a moment.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Hmmm, I do think I''d look nice but it''d just be too weird."


    Tibaut had to hold himself back as every fibre in his body that was screaming to teach this asshole a lesson.


    After taking several deep breaths, he walked over to him.


    "This visit got a reason? And if you mention anything about maid outfits I''ll throw you outside."


    "Come on don''t be like that Ma-"


    Tibaut''s face flinched and he started clenching his fist.


    "...Tibaut. Besides,"


    He lifted up Tibaut''s hand and looked at it.


    "Hoh, hoh, so this is the power of a level 1 potion. (She better not have any more. I''ve heard their manufacturers have methods of tracking them down and I don''t need them rummaging around the place for something I''m not at fault for.)"


    "Y-yeah it''s quite something."


    He let his hand go and walked over to him to take a seat (as opposed to the chair a step or two away.)


    "(Oh shit the hand''s still there.) Is the chair not to your tastes, Lord Maid Fetish?"


    "I''m insulted," Albus replied as he kicked his feet. "Maids are the ultimate woman, and their uniform would put whatever trash women in high society wear to shame but I''d never be so brazen as to think I would sully one."


    "Really?" Tibaut said unconvinced.


    "Okay maybe one or two but I make sure they lose the maid outfit before we do anything. It''d feel disrespectful to have them wear it while having a date."


    "(I don''t get this guy, also the fact a guy like him has dated before me¡­ I know he has money but that isn''t fucking fair!!!) Did you come in here to tell me of the women you seduce?"


    "Sorry for getting sidetracked." He stuck a small part of his tongue out and hit his head.


    ("Gross.")


    "I''ve heard from Grace and from old man O''Reilly, bless the guy. It seems you two had a rough time." He commented cheerfully.


    The mood became stifling as he said those words and Tibaut turned his face away. He walked over to the chair before sighing and sitting down. His face became downcast and any energy he had left his voice.


    "I guess."


    "Don''t be like that." He began tapping his shoulder which looked and seemed quite condescending but Tibaut didn''t have the energy in him to tell him to knock it off. "Because of you two, those attackers didn''t weren''t able to steal, no, kidnap all those women. You should be glad for doing such a good thing."


    "Really?"


    Albus looked at him, unsure what he meant by that. Tibaut continued.


    "What''s there to be glad about? That bastard forced us to fight his lackeys while he was busily taking their women like he was picking berries. I''m sure that was probably the plan as soon as he saw me."


    "Bastard?" Albus commented confused. ("Grace didn''t mention anything about this.")


    "Right, I should probably tell you, based on what I saw last night, those patriotic bastards you were talking about, they''re probably working with the cult."


    Albus couldn''t contain his shock as he heard this.


    "I-i-is that so?" He commented, sounding noticeably startled by that statement. "This isn''t good at all then. To think they have reached here as well, spreading terror."


    "I know. The guy I saw was from my home parish as well."


    "What? You''re saying he came from your parish? What''s going on here?" He asked, puzzled.


    "No idea, but honestly, I know this sounds kind of mean, but I''d recommend you leave the parish. That guy is a real piece of work." He looked like he was being forced to swallow a ball of nails as he said as he remembered him.

 Chapter 143

    Albus shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.


    "What are you talking about? Wouldn''t this be the perfect opportunity to get revenge? After all, those cult guys and him are seemingly related."


    "No, they''re¡­ perfect opportunity? Aren''t the ones who raid this place that big dude''s lackeys?"


    Albus chuckled and lowered his voice.


    "You''ve caught on. How about we help each other out?"


    Tibaut looked at him with an eyebrow raised and wasn''t sure of his intentions.


    "I''m not saying you''re untrustworthy but could you lay out what the details are exactly?"


    "I suppose I can but I''d like it if you could keep your voice down. The thing is, we''ve recently realized where they''re located."


    Tibaut began leaning in closer but Albus blew a small puff of air in his face which had him backing away like a bear that was maced.


    "You bas-"


    He put his finger on Tibaut''s lips.


    "Shhh, I''m getting to the good part."


    Tibaut backed away from the finger and got up back to his chair.


    "So, I had Avis stake them out a few times at night and I discovered something interesting."


    "Don''t you mean she?"


    "Apparently they communicate with someone, sending messages every now and again."


    Tibaut was immediately intrigued by this and was starting to show interest.


    "Seriously?"


    "Indeed. Apparently, someone would approach their hideout''s entrance and hand those on lookout a letter. If I had to say those are the people they are either taking orders from or communicating with. And now that you''ve mentioned this cult I think they may be a likely contender."


    He made an audible gulp and felt his body tense. This was a lead he needed. He wasn''t sure if it was by chance or if Old Man Bentley had seen something characteristic of the cult in this parish but this was the very much wanted lead he wanted.


    "Where is it!?" Tibaut asked impatiently.


    "Hold on."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Listen, I''m not in the mood, just tell me where it is. I don''t want to hear it''s too dangerous or it''ll ruin whatever plan you have, you should know what would have happened if you told me." Tibaut told him, looking like a starved animal.


    "Fix your face, I''m not the one you want to kill here. Besides that depends on your answer. What we''re doing here isn''t exactly a good thing."


    "What do you mean?


    "We''re gonna break in and steal it. Well that''s being generous, we''re gonna go in and forcefully ask him to give us the letter."


    "What''s wrong with that?"


    "Considering he is technically considered innocent by a local judge, we would essentially be like a group of thugs breaking into his property and committing theft. Granted, I could find a decent lawyer to absolve me but you would be left on your own if we were overpowered by them."


    "So? If that bastard''s working with that guy in black then that''s more than enough reason to take him down. So we''re good as long as we find the evidence?"


    "Yes, even with our actions taken into consideration, no judge would be foolish enough to take his side if the letter is talking about the trafficking or sacrifice of humans."


    Tibaut could feel himself get worked up as he mentioned the possible fates of the women kidnapped.


    "Do you think I''ll back away now?" He asked.


    "Well, as long as you know the consequences of failing, it''s nothing that will lose me sleep at night. Do you think any of your comrades would join us?"


    "No. (Well, I''m not sure but there''s no reason to bring them into this. Then again I''ll probably feel like punching myself if I encounter that black bastard without Tina.)" Although his answer was quick his face wavered. "I''m good by myself. Now when are we starting?"


    "Come to the front gate by, hmm, let''s say 9:00pm. Well then," He got up off the bed (Thankfully not noticing the severed hand) and made his leave. "I do hope to see you today." With that, he closed the door and his footsteps were heard slowly fading down the hall.


    "Tch, so that big dude with nothing but muscle teamed up with them. His funeral, if you team up with people like that, it shouldn''t be shocking you''d have to deal with their enemies."


    But now that he thought about it, were they even teaming up? They had no interaction with each other than the coincidence of them stealing women in the towns they go to.


    ("Well, it''s not like they''re saints,") Tibaut thought to himself, ("They go and attack, even kill people just because they don''t agree with Albus being here. If anyone deserves an ass whooping it''s them.")


    He soon turned around and looked out the window. The sun was hitting its stride and the shadows of the trees and buildings he could see outside were at their smallest.


    "Looks like it''s noon. I better go sharpen myself up with Tina. (Though I might have to take it easy.)"


    As he approached the door he heard a pair of footsteps walk away.


    "!"


    But he reassured himself. "No, if I''m like this the rest of the day I''ll look suspicious. Besides, it''s probably just someone passing by."


    He left his room and went in search of Tina.


    <hr>


    After an intense several hours of training and taking a few hours to rest, he silently exited his window and made his way to the property''s exit. As he made his way, he ran into Avis who stopped him.


    "Come with me."


    He nodded his head. As he walked he realized that they weren''t going in the direction of the entrance gate. Was she taking a shortcut? After walking along the fence she soon stopped.


    "Lord Bradley, I do think this is quite ridiculous. There would be no issues in leaving through the front gate."


    "Come on, don''t be like that Avis, I want to feel like I''m sneaking out. Besides, who knows what he would do if one of the guards told his friends we left."


    "Lord Bradley, they work for you. You can simply tell them to keep their mouths shut." Said Avis in a tone that radiated annoyance.


    "Well, I like this way better, so that''s that."


    Even in the dimly lit night, Tibaut swore he could see a vein become noticeable on the maid''s forehead.

 Chapter 144

    As Tibaut was wondering what they were talking about, he looked behind Albus. That area of the fence had a person-sized hole in it.


    "(They haven''t fixed that yet?) So we''re leaving through here?"


    "Yup, sure makes you feel sneaky right?"


    "Uh, sure. So how many of us are going?" Tibaut asked.


    As he looked around he realized only Albus and Avis were in the area. He looked across the other side of the fence but didn''t notice anyone.


    "What are you talking about? We have all we need right here." Albus responded.


    Tibaut scanned the area again but just like last time, saw nothing.


    "You don''t mean?"


    "That''s right, it''s just the three of us." He said with a smile that made Tibaut want to punch him.


    "Three? Just three people, to take on all those guys? Wait a minute, where''s the third one?" Tibaut asked as he looked around.


    "Are you blind? I''m right here!" He exclaimed as he pointed towards himself.


    Tibaut started stumbling with his words and stared at him blankly trying to parse whether it was a joke or not. He turned to Avis for confirmation and she sighed and then nodded at her.


    "Oi, what the hell? I at least thought we would get help from O''Reilly and his group! What the hell is this?"


    "Yeah, about that¡­" Albus said before walking over and wrapping his arm around Tibaut''s neck. Tibaut showed irritation but let him be for the time being. "I pitched a kinder-sounding alternative to him earlier today and he blew me off. He gave some spiel about this not being right, and it making them no more than common thugs. Honestly, I probably should have asked some of them from the village you went to earlier but oh well. This will have to do."


    Tibaut slowly removed Albus''s hand from him and stepped back a few feet.


    "Alright, I can understand that but why did you feel the need to come along? Do you think that maid over there can babysit you while we''re busy?"


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "What are you talking about, Maid Red?"


    Tibaut''s jaw clenched but he stopped himself from doing anything he''d regret.


    "I''ll have you know that I can defend myself thank you very much. Besides, don''t you think I, of all people, deserve to see the mastermind behind all this?"


    "(Tch, he does have a point. If it was Tina in front of me, and we were raiding the man in black, I''d definitely want to kick myself, if I ever thought of leaving her behind.) Sorry, this guy is something of a nemesis to you after all. Just make sure you don''t slow us down."


    "It''s lovely how understanding you are. I knew you wouldn''t be such a worry wart unlike that maid over there."


    "I mean she is your bodyguard i think it''s in her job description to worry about you."


    "Right, she is."


    Tibaut wasn''t sure why he emphasized that, but he had bigger worries in his mind.


    ("Ugh, just the two of us? She seems pretty kill happy but I''m not sure how that translates to skill. This is too sketchy, maybe I should try and have him postpone until we get some decent firepower. Wait a minute maybe I''m overthinking it.") As his thoughts gathered and gathered he decided to ask for some important information before they continued.


    "(Maybe it''s someone like, 20 people. If they''re all normal then it should be a cinch.) How many people are we expected to go up against?" Asked Tibaut.


    "No idea! Avis?" He turned to her.


    She sighed and pushed up her glasses.


    "At least over two hundred, Lord Bradley."


    Tibaut pursed his lips and glared at Albus.


    "Two hundred?"


    "Oh, that sounds more manageable than I thought."


    Knowing he wouldn''t like the answer he still asked anyway. "At most?"


    "That would be a conservative estimate." Avis bluntly stated.


    "Oh man." Tibaut''s head slumped and he rubbed his temple with his fingers.


    "You''re acting like we have to fight them all," Albus commented. "In actuality, as long we can get the letter, we probably won''t have to find more than 20 of them if we aren''t slacking."


    "Ugh," Tibaut wasn''t particularly confident in this coming through. He now was realizing maybe he shouldn''t have been so gung-ho about this.


    ("I should have realized this would have happened when the plan was so simple even I could understand it on the first go.")


    "Alright, let''s go then. (I need to leave before I change my mind.)"


    They some began exiting the fence but Tibaut felt something grab and quickly turned around.


    ("Wha-What the hell am I doing?") It was Jake, timidly looking at Tibaut as he was at the gate.


    "Jake!? What are you doing here?"


    The other two turned as well and Avis''s face soured.


    "I knew I felt someone''s gaze." She coldly commented.


    ("Come on, don''t say it like that, I''m no pervert!")


    "Jake, don''t tell me you were the one outside?"


    "Oh, now that you mention it, I did see him outside our room after our discussion." Said Albus.


    "And you let that slide!?"


    He turned back to the issue at hand and placed his hand on his shoulder as he looked down into his face.


    "Hey Jake, could you keep this a secret from the other two? This is kinda important, but I don''t want to get them involved."


    He let him go.


    "Than-"


    "I''m coming with you guys."

 Chapter 145

    "Huh?"


    Tibaut couldn''t hide his surprise.


    Avis and Albus turned to each other and weren''t sure what to make of this development.


    The person that had made the proclamation seemed cool on the outside, however.


    ("Oh no, why''d I say that? I mean I don''t want him going by himself somewhere dangerous but¡­")


    "Listen, Jake, I appreciate the gesture but I can handle this without your help. Just listen when I come back."


    "Well, uh, couldn''t you use an extra hand? Surely you aren''t thinking of going somewhere like that with three people."


    "Is one extra person going to help?" Tibaut questioned.


    "(Why am I still talking!?) Well, my magic is great against a group of people so it would be fine if it came down to it." His voice lowered as he said that last bit, hoping they''d leave him and let him stay here.


    "(AOE magic? I guess my fire could also work but I suppose it wouldn''t be too bad to have more.) Hey Albus," He turned to the man who looked quite interested in this development. "Can he come with us?"


    "Why not?"


    "Lord Bradley!?"


    The one who was surprised by this was his maid Avis. She was about to say something but he touched her lip and shushed her.


    "Now, now, Avis, we need all the help we can get don''t we?"


    Her eyes wavered and it was clear she doubted this decision, but she let it go and accepted her Lord''s decision.


    "I-I suppose."


    "(Oh no, I''ve joined something shady!)" Jake thought to himself.


    "Thanks for this, Jake."


    Jake looked at him, unsure what he was thankful for but Tibaut continued.


    "To be honest, I was kinda doubting this thing as soon as I came here. But now, I don''t know, the confidence you had when you showed up makes me kinda hopeful. After all, you''re in the same league as Elizabeth and Ezekiel, so I''m curious to see what you can do."


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Jake could feel the weight of Tibaut''s expectations slowly crushing him but he kept his calm.


    "I nearly forgot but you are just a kid aren''t you? I guess I can show you what your senior can do. (I guess I have to commit to this now, I think this is the first time someone''s had hopes in me when it comes to adventuring.)"


    "(Hoh, is he one of those guys that change as soon as they get to work?) I''ll be happy to see."


    "Are you two done yet? We''re getting ready to leave."


    Tibaut and Jake soon exited through the fence but they noticed someone was missing.


    "Where''s Avis?" Tibaut asked.


    The clopping of hooves was heard coming from the trees and a horse revealed itself with a rider on top.


    "I hope you don''t mind, Lord Bradley, I wasn''t able to get it out without removing its saddle."


    Atop it sat Avis, with no rein, or crop in sight. The horse was as natural as the day it was born. Tibaut had no idea how she controlled the horse, but he supposed there was a time when people rode horses without those things, so he didn''t question it.


    "Ah, dammit, I knew I was forgetting something," Albus commented.


    "Are you telling me you accepted him without realising this?" Avis commented in a venomous tone.


    Albus did his best to look innocent and his maid seriously contemplated retiring, here and now.


    "What''s the problem?" Tibaut asked.


    "There''s one horse. Honestly, I was just planning for three to ride it but four people might be pushing it."


    While the horse did look stout, Tibaut assumed there was probably a good reason he never saw more than two people on a horse in most of the movies he could remember.


    "Is it that far?" Tibaut asked.


    "It''s just a few hours away, on foot," Avis commented. "My master however thought the distance too much and asked for a horse instead."


    "Don''t make me sound like a pansy, Avis, we need to conserve our energy until we reach there."


    "Whatever you say, Lord Bradley." She said with a dash of indifference.


    "Wait, wait, does that mean?" Tibaut asked.


    "One of us will have to run alongside the horse, personally, I have no qualms doing so," Avis added.


    "No way, Avis, you''re the only one who can control that thing."


    The horse neighed in reply as if saying "Who are you calling ''that thing''!?" and Albus blew raspberries at it.


    As she contemplated finding a new employer Tibaut turned to Jake.


    Before he could even ask him who''d be the one running, he started walking and jumped on the horse.


    "You''re a pretty strong guy Tibaut so something like this should be easy for you."


    What pissed Tibaut off the most was how genuine he sounded.


    He adjusted himself on the horse and left a space between him and Avis, which he assumed Albus would fill.


    Albus wasted no time sitting between the both of them and putting his hands around the waist of Avis.


    "You can switch with me when we take a break!" He shouted to Tibaut.


    "I''m good."


    After seeing how close they were, he decided he wasn''t too mad about being forced to run there. With how bumpy a horse ride is he dreaded imagining what would happen to him if his heavenly soldier decided to stand up when he was so close to Avis. Or worse, it happening to Jake and being forced to endure.


    "(I''d say I hope he doesn''t have a sensitive guy down there but I honestly wouldn''t mind if it happened to Albus. I think he''s the only person who I wouldn''t mind it happening to, honestly.") With dark thoughts in his mind, he walked with them until they reached a main road and set off.


    Within a few minutes, Tibaut was lagging behind.


    "Huff We were about the same pace puff for a few hundred meters but I suppose cough it''d be ridiculous if I was faster than a horse."

 Chapter 146

    After an arduous several hours of travelling, Avis stopped the horse in a stretch of woods, and all three got off.


    She rubbed the mane of it and told it "Stay here." The horse exhaustedly neighed and wasted no time laying down to rest after such a taxing experience.


    "That wasn''t so bad," Albus commented


    "My ass!" Tibaut shouted.


    He was currently on the floor doing his best to regain some strength. If it wasn''t for the thirty-minute break they took on the way here, he wasn''t sure if he''d even have the ability to throw a single punch when he arrived.


    "I thought you meant a few hours away by a normal person''s standard."


    Avis took off her glasses and pulled a cloth out to clean them.


    "Why would you assume that?" Avis asked. "I based how long it took based on my own experiences coming and going."


    She looked through them before putting them back on.


    Jake took his time walking over to Tibaut with an uneasy look on his face.


    "I-I''m sorry Tibaut. For a distance like that I''ve heard Elizabeth say she could run that far and still have enough energy to take Furor on. I guess I shouldn''t see you too so similarly."


    Tibaut began forcing himself to stand up and wiped the sweat off his brow using his shirt.


    "Is that so? Then I guess I''m slacking. (While I don''t think she''ll be thrilled, she should at least see me in a more capable light if leave this place without needing her healing. Though that''s honestly a tertiary objective at this point. Besides, with this battle against the cult, there''s no way she''d sideline me. Whether she wanted to or not.)"


    "Get back to the floor, and cool yourself off. I''m not going to work with you while you''re so sweaty." Avis stated as she leaned against a nearby tree.


    As usual, Tibaut looked like he took a nice, refreshing swim in his white shirt and black pants. As he went back to the ground, he remembered something and face palmed.


    ("Damnit, this is the second time I''ve left my armour. Oh, well at least I''m fighting against normal people this time.")


    "So where are they?" Tibaut asked.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Tibaut I''m wondering if you even listened to this guy before you came out here. Surely you discussed this earlier."


    Albus had nothing to say to that and responded to Tibaut''s question.


    "There''s some mineshaft nearby. It''s been abandoned ever since this place became a part of Anglia. Looks like they''ve decided to squat in it."


    "A mineshaft, huh? Hopefully, it isn''t trapped." Jake offhandedly commented.


    Albus turned to Avis to see her reaction to this and she raised her hands as if to say "How the hell should I know?"


    "I suppose we will have to move cautiously."


    ("The more Albus talks, the more I''m convinced he did this on a whim. I get this guy has been harassing and trying to kill him for how long, but you''d think he''d put a bit more effort into doing this.")


    "We''ll rest for the next few minutes before heading out. That''s fine with you two?" Albus asked.


    "No problem here," Jake commented.


    "You better use this time for a good plan." Tibaut cynically replied as he cooled off.


    <hr>


    A behemoth of a man, sat at a table reading a letter. He had brown hair and skin more similar to porcelain than any human skin tone. He slammed his fist down on the table, smashing it in two and groaned in anger.


    "Who do these bastards think they are?"


    He crumpled up the paper and threw it to the side.


    "Not only do we have to deal with this kidnapping nonsense but I have to recruit a few hundred idiots willing to die in my group. Do they think it''s easy to find people patriotic about a miserable old state that doesn''t exist anymore and willing to die for it? In a few months, I''ll be out of idiots to convince so the least the bastards can do is pay me on time. Fucks Sake."


    "Oi, keep your voice down, the newbies might hear."


    A bald man with stubble entered the room and closed the door behind him.


    "Oh shut up. If these bastards want us to do something, the least they can do is pay us on time."


    He got up and kicked the remnants off the table.


    "I get ya boss. If that''s the case, why don''t you pay them a visit in that thing?"


    He pointed to something towards the back of the room and the giant sighed as he heard this.


    "Don''t be an idiot. Although it hasn''t failed me yet, I can''t imagine it''d be enough to fully convince them to reconsider." He kicked away the rubble at his feet and dragged over another that was a few feet away. "After all, they are on a greater scale than some backwater group of patriots."


    "For real boss? Shit, I hope they don''t get the idea they can shaft us."


    "Don''t worry, while it isn''t enough to kill them all, it''ll give them a good spook if I use it."


    He chuckled after and shooed the man from his room.


    <hr>


    All four of them were staring at the entrance to the mine. Avis had confirmed in her initial investigations that there was only one entrance. There were two men at the entrance.


    "So how are we gonna sneak in?" Tibaut asked.


    "Well¡­"


    Tibaut was not a fan of the tone Albus responded in and wondered if he had only used the time they had to think about maid outfits or whatever other perverse topics he had on his mind.


    "Don''t worry," Jake responded, looking confident. "(Hehe, this is the perfect chance to showcase my magic. With this my friendship with Tibaut is in the bag. He might even think I''m cool.) Give me a few minutes and I''ll give us a chance. But first, you guys are going to have to-"


    "What the he- what the hell!?" Tibaut shouted before lowering his voice.


    Jake wondered what warranted that reaction since they were so close to the enemy until he saw it as well.


    "Don''t tell me?"


    "I guess this could work," Albus commented as he looked on, seemingly unnaturally calm.


    Avis had gotten up and was walking towards the entrance.

 Chapter 147

    As Tibaut stood up to stop her, Albus got up, though not to stop him.


    "Let''s get to it, Tibaut."


    "You bastard! Was this your plan!?"


    The two guards standing by the entrance heard their commotion and saw the maid walking towards them. They held spears in their hands and looked unconcerned as they approached.


    "Who the fuck are these losers?"


    "No idea, but I say we take the woman for ourselves. She wouldn''t mind having some drinks with us, if we capture those two wankers running after her, eh?" The other said with a sly grin.


    The other guard looked visibly annoyed and stopped leaning on the nearby wall.


    "Tch, this is why I hate being on watch with you, you''re always prattling about women. Can you stop thinking with your knob? Stay here, I''ll run them off."


    He walked over to Avis with his spear over his shoulders.


    "Alright, listen you lot this place is under the owne-"


    As soon as he began speaking the maid started running at him.


    ("Holy shit she''s fast.")


    He immediately swung down his spear and felt the resistance of something.


    ("Damnit, we''ll have to kill the rest of them now.") Is what he thought but the sight before him left him stunned stiff. He hadn''t hit the woman and the part of the spear that reached her was cleanly cut off.


    He immediately dropped the spear as she moved closer to him and took no time trying to escape. As he turned around to run away he tripped on something and fell to the floor. He looked down at his feet and saw he was mistaken. He didn''t trip, he lost one of his legs.


    The terror overtaking his mind didn''t allow him to scream and the adrenaline surging through didn''t even let him think of screaming out in pain. All he could do was crawl away to the entrance.


    He saw his comrade look on in horror before making a bolt to the entrance. He wanted to curse him but he knew he''d do the same. Before he reached it, he got blasted with various fire projectiles and sent to the ground, clutching the places he was hit.


    He turned back around and saw all three of them walking towards him. As he prayed for his suffering to end quickly, he heard the voice of someone coming behind those three.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Hold on a minute guys!!" Jake shouted.


    "Huh? What is it?" Tibaut asked as they approached the man on the floor.


    "You aren''t planning to kill any of them right?" Jake nervously asked.


    Tibaut turned to Albus.


    "Well now that you mention it, it''d probably look bad if we killed them all on our way to obtain evidence. Hey Avis!" Albus said.


    She had broken away and had placed a string around the throat of the guard. She looked at him before sighing and removing the string. She did however start strangling him before he passed out.


    While he didn''t like how it was done, Jake could breathe a sigh of relief at the minimum.


    "Were you really okay with them killing everyone we came across, Tibaut?"


    "Honestly, I''m just here to get information about the cult. It doesn''t matter what happens to these kidnappers as long as they get what they deserve. Especially that big dude. Besides, since they''ve decided this is how we''re doing this, it''s going to be a real handicap going easy on them."


    "(Wow, he''s just as cold as Elizabeth. If it weren''t for his hair, I''d honestly believe they were siblings.)"


    "But."


    Jake''s eyes widened and he continued listening.


    "I suppose there are probably innocent people in there that haven''t done anything wrong yet. Your call was probably valid." Tibaut sounded disappointed in himself as he said this which left Jake feeling a bit like a senior having his junior reflect on his actions.


    ("At this, I might even get him to call me bro.") He thought with a smile on his face. He was beginning to feel the joys of being a mentor.


    Avis quickly took off the man''s belt and used it to restrict blood flow to his now severed foot.


    "While it isn''t impossible Master, I will admit it will be substantially more difficult if I''m not allowed to kill my opponents."


    Albus looked calm as ever and brushed off her concerns.


    "Just use your non-lethal wires."


    "She has those?" Tibaut asked. He thought those would be the ones you''d use encountering strange people outside your gate but he never did confirm which ones she used on him, so maybe she did use those ones.


    "The dull ones? As you wish, master, but as you know, I''m not exactly a fan of them."


    That statement planted some doubt in his mind but she did use the non-lethal ones against him, right?


    As they walked to the entrance they heard the footsteps of someone running away.


    "Ugh, they heard us. And I hoped this was the only flashy thing we''d do today." Tibaut said, already sounding tired.


    "Then we better get a move on before they keep us stuck out here." Avis set off like a rocket into the mine.


    "Oi, hold on, why do you think there are four of us here," Tibaut shouted as he ran after her.


    The other two began running as well and the four of them ran down the narrow entranceway of the mine.


    Tibaut caught up to Avis and the two of them were stopped in the middle of a large passageway that split into several different areas.


    It was a group of around less than a hundred and they held pickaxes and sticks of dynamite. Thankfully none of them were lit and the group seemed hesitant to light them


    "(Thank God, it seems they understand what would happen if-) What the hell are you doing!?" Tibaut shouted.


    What had interrupted his train of thought was Avis picking up a torch on the wall and throwing it at one of the dynamite holders.


    The group began scattering and she used this chaos as an opportunity.


    Using a darker wire than before she wrapped it around the arm of a dynamite holder who fled and threw him straight into his comrades.

 Chapter 169

    Let''s go back a bit to the day Tibaut talked with Albus about his ''plan''.


    <hr>


    It was just after noon and Tibaut came back to his room and opened up a window to let the cool breeze in.


    "I swear, how the hell did she put it into practice so quickly? She nearly turned me into a shish kebab."


    He jumped on his bed and laid down to take a quick nap. This quick nap soon turned into half a night''s rest when he woke to see the outside so dark. He quickly jumped up, thinking he had overslept the meeting time but based on the activity outside and the moon''s position outside he''d say it was only seven o''clock so far. As he sat down back on the bed and breathed a sigh of relief someone knocked on the door. He was surprised that someone in this place knew the meaning of courtesy and gratefully told them to come in.


    ("I wonder if it''s Avis. Is it already time to leave.")


    The one who entered was a maid but she had blonde hair instead of the black of Avis and would look quite strange in a pair of glasses no matter how staunch you were in believing they elevated a woman''s beauty. Grace entered the room looking red-faced and she held something in her hands. Tibaut could recognise black and white even with the dim moonlight serving as the only light source. It was a maid outfit. He immediately got off the bed and tensed himself. He wasn''t letting that thing be a part of his wardrobe again as long as his heart was beating.


    Grace looked confused when he reacted like this and started laughing when she looked at the uniform.


    "Pft, hahaha, don''t worry Maid Red, I''m not gonna put you in my uniform."


    "Your uniform?"


    Now that he examined it more closely, it obviously wasn''t his size and Tibaut wanted to punch himself for knowing if a maid uniform was the correct size for him.


    As he remembered the fitting process Albus and his maids put him through and cursed him for ever existing, he turned to Grace and the uniform she had set aside on a nearby drawer.


    "Wait a minute, why did you bring that here then?"


    She meekly turned away and started blushing. She turned and asked towards the door but stopped herself from opening it. It looked like she was going through an internal struggle and he wondered what this was about. Did the night before change something in her? She slowly turned back to him, with her face pink as a peach and stared at him with visible annoyance.


    "..bastard" she muttered under her breath.


    Tibaut scratched his head at this. ("Did I piss her off? What the hell did I even do?")


    She walked up to him and gave him a pair of scissors she had hidden in her chest.


    "The bet."


    "Huh?" Tibaut looked unsure of what she was referring to.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Her face became even redder and she grabbed his shirt. She shouted "THE BET YOU IDIOT!" and shook him around.


    As he tried to figure out what she was talking it was transported the night of yesterday.


    As he looked at her uniform more closely there were lines drawn around the skirt and the two sleeves.


    Tibaut slowly turned pink himself and Grace felt oddly reassured by this.


    "What are you waiting for? Come on, do it. I-I am a-a w-woman of my word." At the end of this, she couldn''t stop herself from stuttering.


    She stepped back and went in a T-pose.


    "You can''t be serious!" Tibaut exclaimed. ("I mean I wanted something like this to happen but, but, but this is just too sudden. I haven''t had enough time to prep myself!")


    On her peach-pink face irritation was starting to show as Tibaut delayed this.


    "D-don''t pussy out now, Maid Red." Her teeth started to clatter as she spoke, "This was your terms for the bet. Although if you want to null it I wouldn''t-"


    As soon as he heard the word null, he brought the scissors to her left sleeve. She blushed even harder at his sudden action and he blushed realizing what he was going to do. The heat they both produced did away with any of the cool night air still present in the room.


    ("Tch, I wanted this in the first place, why am I even hesitating?")


    He did a straight cut up to her shoulder and cut around the circumference of it leaving her whole arm exposed. Vanessa was one thing but seeing Grace blushing and trying her best to look comfortable as he did it, did something for him, he didn''t know he needed. As the silky smooth skin on her slender arm was exposed he couldn''t help instinctively rub his hand against her arm. She squealed at this unexpected stimulus but allowed it to happen.


    He moved to her next arm and quickly cut the sleeve off. It amazed him how the dim moonlight and her red face made this feel more lewd than most of the interactions he had with Vanessa.


    He finally moved to the main event. The thing that both had anticipated the most. Her skirt. Tibaut slowly cut her skirt up to the line, but this cut made her flinch.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked as he began sweating. ("Shit did it cut her!?")


    "Don''t worry, it''s nothing. (Damnit, I didn''t expect the breeze to hit there so soon.)"


    He then cut along the line but wondered if this was an error. Her white panties were now exposed but he continued. When the skirt dropped her panties could be seen as clear as day and her ass stuck out like a sore thumb. It was more ridiculous than any school skirt you''d see in an anime and Grace had now become a vibrant red that challenged Tibaut''s hair in colour.


    Tibaut couldn''t bring himself to look her in the face and focused his gaze on her lower half. ("She has a nice lower half.") He vacantly thought to himself. What was nice about it? Everything in his eyes. Her thighs had a nice volume to them. They looked nice enough to grab but didn''t steal anything away from the other parts there. Her ass wasn''t the biggest, but its shape more than made up for it. It was nicely shaped and rounded, which had Tibaut forcing himself to not be tempted to take a grab. He was certain it was the best one he had seen in this world. The area between her legs wasn''t bad either. He could barely see its outline and it made it all the more erotic to him.


    After having stared for what felt like years to the both of them he got up.


    "Well, the bet''s honoured," Tibaut said as he steadied his breath. He had broken out in a cold sweat and looked like he had just defused a bomb.


    "Not yet," she mumbled.


    "?"


    She grabbed his hand and brought it into her uniform. She placed it firmly on her bra. Tibaut had to put his other hand over his mouth to stop himself from making any weird noises.


    "T-T-t-tak-take-" Grace was stuttering so badly she couldn''t get the words out.


    As Tibaut tried to remove his hand he soon realised why she did this. After experiencing the softness of her modest mounds of happiness, his hand went between the both of them and he felt something strange. A strap.


    ("There are bras that open from the front? What cruel bastard made her wear it and how can I thank him!?")


    He opened the bra and grabbed it, though not before having his hand graze against one of her nipples as he pulled it out.


    They both fell to the floor, exhausted and blushed. They solemnly swore this would stay between the both of them.

 Chapter 148

    One of the men got behind her and aimed a pickaxe at her skull. As he brought it down, Tibaut considered shooting a fire lance to slow his attack but Avis parried the attack without looking and wrapped the wire around his arm. She then flung him at the enemies approaching her front and used the wire to trip various foes as she dodged their attacks and dragged him along. She soon tired of dodging and dragged the wire towards herself. Then she held the wire like a lasso and spun in the air (with the poor bastard attached).


    Throwing him was one thing but Tibaut had to admire the sheer strength required to do what she did. The figure in the air became faster and faster, with shouts becoming more and more distorted with each rotation. Some of those gathered looked in terror, unable to move while others started ducking on the floor. Then, as if on a whim she brought him down on the poor souls. Hearing the man scream in agony as he clutched his dislocated arm, she released her wire and quickly tied another as she dodged his pickaxe, this time by his legs. She proceeded to dodge her opponents as she spun him in the air. They must have foolishly thought she would have been immobilized as she did this.


    "There''s no way." He felt a cold sweat break out as he watched this insult to common sense. "Is she using these guys as disposable flails?" As a one-off, he could probably manage that if he was willing to spend the next few minutes gasping for air. But to do it back to back without so much of a sweat quickly showed him the type of monster she was.


    ("Geez, no wonder that bastard was so sure of his safety when I threatened him. There''s no way in hell I''d ever fight her.")


    She attacked the man and released him, then took another. Then another.


    With each poor fool she wrapped in her wire, he felt his jaw get closer to the floor.


    As he watched the poor souls who were unfortunate enough to be here get used to like bowling pins, he realized he severely overestimated the force he was fighting against.


    As he heard the men scream for help and run away in desperation he realized she wasn''t a force that could be defeated with such paltry numbers.


    As he watched in amazement, Jake and Albus caught up just in time to watch Avis finish up.


    They stared blankly at the phenomena happening before them.


    "Oh, does her magic increase her strength?" Jake asked as he witnessed the sight.


    "No, she doesn''t have magic¡­" Albus said, sounding stunned at what was happening before him.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    They watched in awe until she finished up and there was nothing but bruised, broken and traumatized men lying on the floor.


    "I would have appreciated it if you two did something other than gawking." She coldly stated as she wrapped the wire she was using around her hand before putting it in a pocket.


    "Well, you look like you had it under control," Tibaut said as he walked over.


    "Ah, I just saw one throw up," Jake commented as he looked around.


    "I knew I could count on you Avis, but this seemed a bit excessive."


    As they surveyed the area they came to the conclusion they would have to go down one of the paths this room was linked to.


    "Well, five paths in total, which one do we head down?" Tibaut asked.


    "After asking around I''ve heard that one likely has what we''re looking for," Jake responded.


    He pointed to the only opening on the west side of the room.


    "Likely?" Tibaut asked, not liking the sound of this.


    "Well, they said their boss usually goes that way and always tells them never to follow him."


    "Really? Then let''s go!" Albus shouted before running down the passageway.


    Before he could even reach the source of light he saw at the end of it, he noticed a clicking sound and immediately stopped his movements. He felt like he was stepping down on something and didn''t like the implications of it.


    "Uh, hey guys?" He weakly muttered.


    The three walked down the tunnel and Tibaut used his flame to light up the passageway.


    "Woah, what the hell did you step on?" Tibaut commented as he got a good look. The area of the floor was a noticeably different shade than the rest and there were various cuts made to those areas that weren''t made elsewhere. It reeked of a trap.


    "Young master, would your magic not suffice?" Avis calmly suggested.


    "Yeah, but I''d prefer if I could."


    "Oh, let me, I think I can do something about this," Jake said as he walked on over.


    He crouched down and lay on the floor to see what Albus had gotten himself into.


    "Oh, you stepped on a button."


    "Can I come off it?"


    "I wouldn''t recommend it."


    He pulled out a knife and gently stabbed at the openings in the floor. After making sure not to damage anything, he pushed a stone tile out of the floor, using the knife as a wedge and looked at what lay underneath.


    "Huh."


    "What do you mean by "huh"?" Tibauy asked.


    "No, I''m just wondering if something I''m seeing is real. Well, Lord Bradley was it? You must have some good luck."


    Tibaut didn''t like the sound of that and took a look for himself. There was a switch of some kind under the tile and two fuses. One looked already lit.


    "I suppose that one must have been faulty. The other must have been installed to activate after lifting his foot."


    He cut the unlit fuse and looked satisfied.


    "Alright, lift your foot."


    Albus lifted it and what remained of the fuse was lit before abruptly ending where Jake cut it.


    "Phew, thank The Four Gods that didn''t light." As he went to wipe his brow, an earth-trembling explosion happened further up in the tunnel.


    Avis immediately went to investigate and Tibaut decided to follow. Jake and Albus looked at each other and decided to take their time following the two.


    When Tibaut entered the room he noticed there was a blockage of rubble at the end of it.


    Avis was there examining the site.


    "This seems recent." She commented.

 Chapter 149

    Tibaut started observing the pile as well but the most he could do was pick up the rubble and go "yup, that''s a rock." before putting it down.


    An awkward minute of trying to be hopeful to the maid passed until the other two came into the space.


    ("Finally they''re here.") Tibaut thought as he walked over to them.


    Jake stopped and looked to the rubble, with his hand covering his mouth, in thought.


    "So that was the purpose of the first fuse."


    "Are you saying this was on purpose?" Tibaut asked.


    "Probably so. If I had to guess, the purpose of the trap was to injure the stragglers in a group that''d accidentally step on it and force the whole group to walk through here and then get trapped on the other side of this."


    "Huh? But isn''t where they said their boss was? Did they lie to us?"


    "I mean he could be." Albus stated.


    Jake and Tibaut listened keenly for his reasoning for believing this.


    "I mean, I''ve always heard he''s confident and as we''ve seen his men are a bit of a joke. Maybe he just wanted to take on all of his attackers by himself." He said as he raised his arms, sounding unsure himself.


    "For the time being let''s see if there is an alternative route we can take," Avis suggested as she walked back towards the passage.


    They decided to follow her back and began questioning the men Avis had traumatized and exploring the area for any clues.


    After tying all the men in various of her wires, some much so it began to cut slightly into the skins of those it touched, she gave the advice, "Don''t move too much or you might sever an artery." and left them in a corner of the large space.


    They all gathered around a table they decided to borrow and shared the information they collected.


    Jake started off.


    "Based on a map I found, it seems that it was a storage area for valuables, so it has more than one way to enter, but¡­"


    He pointed to three lines beyond that pathway.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "It seems like it''s being protected by a big steel door. And considering there are three of these lines I''d assume they are three."


    "My, they really have turned this into a wild goose chase. No wonder those idiots kept talking about three key holders." Avis stated.


    "?"


    "?"


    "?"


    The group turned to her as she muttered something cryptic.


    "I see you haven''t heard. The men around kept saying we should ask the three key holders how to get to him. It seems the keys function as some sort of status symbol here. Young man, did those doors have keyholes?"


    "Well, the one I saw did, so assume the others would be similar."


    "So where the hell are they, don''t tell me they escaped!?" Albus asked.


    The two started to look worried but Tibaut tapped the table to draw attention to himself.


    "I see it''s my time to present what I found to the class." He said sarcastically before continuing. "I asked around and it seemed they''re hiding in the other areas here waiting for an ambush."


    Tibaut pulled the map over to himself and based on what he worked out earlier, he pointed to the three rooms. There was the entrance to the main mine, an area to store explosives, pickaxes and other miscellaneous items and a canteen.


    "So they''ve split themselves up in each room hoping to ambush us. What fools, this won''t take me more than fifteen minutes." Avis commented as she got up.


    Upon hearing they likely split up, Albus had a gleam in his eyes which Tibaut did not like the look.


    "Since they''ve split up, why don''t we split into three and take them down."


    "Jake, I''m not the only one who thinks that''s a terrible idea right?"


    "No, it''s as you say, it''d be better for us to stick together and defeat them." He said this softly, trying his best not to sound insulted at the lord''s idea.


    "Avis?" Albus the lord sympathetically asked.


    "Fine. But make sure you don''t injure yourself."


    "Wait, did you not hear hi-"


    Albus pressed his finger against Tibaut''s lip which Tibaut responded to by trying to bite it.


    "Woah, easy there Maid Red. I''m just trying to be more time-efficient here. Besides he could have some secret exit, he told no one, so shouldn''t we do this as quickly as possible."


    ("Maid Red? Wow, was Tibaut a fan of what the lord did to him?") Jake thought.


    "Tch, whatever, do whatever you like."


    "Alright let''s go, Avis."


    The two got up and started walking towards the passageways.


    "By the way, we''ll need someone here to ensure the big guy doesn''t have his own keys and try to escape."


    "My and Jake wil-"


    "Actually Tibaut¡­"


    "Hmm?" Tibaut turned around.


    "We might as well commit to their plan. After all, they might hear the commotion they cause and seal off the entrance with explosives. Your magic is especially loud so you should stay out here and watch out. (To be honest, I just want to look good in front of my junior since I wasn''t able to earlier. Though will he really believe such reasoning? Wait why am I even doing this, I can easily jus-)" before he could even stop himself from committing to this Tibaut placed his hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.


    "You''re right Jake. It''s amazing you managed to find logic out of Albus''s seemingly dumb idea. I''ll stay here on guard, you do what you have to do."


    After giving him a look of confidence and giving him a thumbs up he walked over to the passageway to the exit and stood guard.


    For a moment Jake stood stunned before turning around and heading to the only passageway that hadn''t been chosen.


    "Sigh Why''d I even think this was a good idea."


    As he entered the passageway the other two entered their respective ones as well.

 Chapter 150

    As Avis walked down the passageway, she noticed the light became sparser and less visible. She grabbed a nearby torch from the wall and continued walking. The passageway quite subtly began sloping before it turned into a stairway. She looked to the side and noticed a railway.


    ("With the railway here the place that would make sense is the main mine. I suppose I''ve drawn the hardest of the three options.")


    She sighed and made her way down the stairs, making sure to keep her gait silent. She thought about abandoning her torch but saw no need against opponents of this calibre. By now she had noticed a distinct lack of torches. Earlier there was at least a set interval they would appear but so far, she had seen none in the stairway.


    ("They can hide all the light they want. The outcome will only be prolonged.")


    After several minutes of walking she reached the end of the stairway and what greeted her was a black abyss. It was a space so wide even her torch couldn''t help to show its scale.


    As took her first step inside, several lights in the underground had vanished.


    "Yes, I''m here, can we please get on with this?" She said to the darkness. She wasn''t given a response and continued walking into the void.


    Out of curiosity, she threw her torch and it didn''t hit the ceiling before falling back down.


    "I see they''ve made the most out of having such a low underground mine."


    As she threw the torch upwards she noticed this quarry had paths of various heights dug out.


    "I do hope that key holder isn''t foolish enough to hide at the highest point."


    She continued along, now at an almost casual pace and noticed the various boxes and minecarts scattered around the area.


    Her annoyance was now becoming visible to any foolish enough to go close to her and she continued her search until she had to stop or risk falling. She came across a giant pit, the size she could not determine, from her torch''s light alone.


    "Now that I think about it, this place is more of a quarry than a mine isn''t it?"


    She stared over the edge of it and the little rats waiting in the dark decided to take their chance.


    The moment she heard she turned around ready to accept their attack.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ("The foo-")


    What came at her was not a person but a stick of dynamite. She quickly used her wire to grab and throw in the direction it came from but that wasn''t the only thing coming her way. Rocks, pickaxes you name it, they were throwing anything they could get their hands on at her. She easily dodged them and even grabbed a pickaxe to parry all the stones thrown her way. She was still close to the edge and they weren''t going to give up. As she walked to the source of the thrown objects she quickly dodged a minecart pushed her way. Based on how long it took for the sound of it to hit the bottom of the hole, she realized it wasn''t because of the quality of light she didn''t see the bottom of it.


    As she dodged to the side an object from behind was thrown and she used the pickaxe to block it. Unfortunately, it was neither a rock nor a stick of dynamite but a bolas aimed at her feet.


    She tumbled to the floor and a figure came into her light to deliver a dropkick. With the pickaxe now tangled with her feet she had no chance but to take the pathetically weak attack and was sent straight towards the hole.


    All that was left on the ground was the torch she held.


    "Did we get her?" One voiced.


    "Shut up you idiot, we have to confirm she''s dead."


    "And how are we gonna do that? I''m sure as hell not going down there."


    The man who drop-kicked her picked up the torch and started walking towards the hole.


    "Could you twats, can it for a sec?"


    As he walked over to the hole, he heard something hit the floor and breathed a sigh of relief. She was now either dead or had so many broken she''d wish she was.


    "Alright fell-"


    He assumed that anyway but he noticed something as he looked at the edge. This mine was used to excavate blocks of marble (as well as other more valuable materials) which meant it was dusty. He saw the outline of a hand gripping the edge.


    "N-no way."


    He calmly said before being knocked out by the maid with an almost personal blow to the face. She grabbed the torch and quickly searched him.


    "Tch, not him. It looks like your leader has smaller balls than the rest of you."


    Since baiting out the key holder didn''t seem to be working she simply lit the place up to find him.


    Anything flammable? She used her torch to light it on fire. The minecarts, the boxes and even the clothes of her defeated enemies, she would light and throw to areas in complete darkness.


    "What the hell is doing?" one whispered.


    "I don''t fucking know, just move!" the other whispered while making his annoyance known.


    They weren''t sure why she did this and kept moving along as she got closer or brought light on them. She''d catch those that tripped or made noise as they moved but they were in the minority.


    "Jeez, what the hell is sh- WOAH!" the man shouted.


    "You jackass"


    "Dumbass."


    "Gobshite."


    "Arsehead."


    "Wanker."


    "Cun- wait a second."


    As they cursed at the fool for making noise, they realized there were a lot more there than they expected.


    Tired of playing mouse, they began lighting their torches and stared her down. As one looked behind he realized they were in front of the pit and pulled up the one dangling on the edge.


    Without knowing it, they had been corralled like a herd of cattle here.


    "Now, I''m sure this isn''t all of you but one of you must have it."


    She pulled out her string and dropped the torch on the ground since they had been so kind to provide their own light.


    Realising how bad this position was some tried to push past their comrades but it was too late. She started taking them out.


    "I do hope none of you fall. It''d be inconvenient if I had to search down there for the key."

 Chapter 151

    As Albus walked down the passageway he didn''t have care in the world.


    "I hope Avis isn''t too mad about me doing this. After all, being lucky here could land us two birds with one stone."


    He had his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling as he walked. Unlike another passageway, the torches here are exactly where they were supposed to be. As he walked he noticed the smell of something good.


    "These guys¡­" Albus said exasperated. "They have the balls to eat while we''re here? I was thinking of going easy on them but I guess it wouldn''t hurt to put some effort in."


    He realized he had most likely drawn the cafeteria and proceeded forward. Maybe after he settled it with those inside, he''d have a taste of what they cooked up.


    As he reached the end of the passageway he came up to a locked door. He pulled the handle but it wouldn''t budge.


    ("Did they really think this could stop me?")


    The muscles on his arm became more and more prominent as he pulled on the door and it became an otherworldly sight when compared to the rest of his delicate-looking body.


    The sounds of the hinges straining, cried throughout the passageway and he started to hear commotion behind the door.


    He smiled as he heard them scramble and within the next moment ripped the door off and threw it down the hallway.


    He ran towards the room like a beast on the hunt but was interrupted by a chest-height rope. In his bloodlust, he had completely tunnel-visioned towards the inside of the room.


    ("Now why did the-")


    Before he could even question the purpose of the ripe as he ran through it, a set of pickaxes swung down and one struck him in the head as he ran. It made a sickening thud and even those that had laid the trap cringed. He fell limp towards the floor and rolled into the room like a sack of potatoes. He was stopped when he rolled into some chairs and a table.


    "Oi, is he dead?" One of the men inside asked.


    "What else would one of those picks to the head do to a man you idiot! Plus the bloody fool was running in head first."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    They were both hiding behind the counter and so were another 30 or so men. The men on the other side of the counter soon began circling Albus and started prodding him with the ends of their pickaxes.


    "It''s a miracle his head is still in one piece."


    "What do you mean by miracle? The bastard fucking ripped the door off! He''s not normal."


    "Could Healy even manage such a feat?"


    "Course he could, haven''t you seen that armour of his?"


    Others looked towards the passageway.


    "Looks like only that one came inside."


    "Bloody adventurers are always so cocky."


    As conversations started throughout only one man had the bravery to check Albus''s body in close detail.


    "?"


    He pulled up Albus''s face and instead of being greeted by a hole in his head and blood on the floor, all he saw was a small bruise. He quickly reached for his knife, but at this point, it was already futile.


    "AaaaHHah." He screamed as his hand was crushed.


    The entire room turned to the noise and saw something that shouldn''t have been possible. Albus used the man''s shoulder, who was now sobbing over his hand, as a hold to pull himself up and looked around.


    He rubbed his bruise as he talked, "(Shit, if I didn''t have my magic up that would have killed me.) Wow, you guys really were out to get me. I hope that isn''t the only thing you guys had in store."


    He threw the man towards a crowd that gathered towards the exit before jumping over them and out into the passageway.


    "Shit he''s gonna go for some reinforceme-"


    Before he could finish, the man at the doorway was sent flying into the room and Albus walked in with the door in tow. He placed it back into the frame and pulled it on which caused it to bend in a way it got stuck in the door.


    "Now, I can take my time with you guys."


    One brave soul tried to attack him with a pickaxe but he stopped it with his palm. All it did was push on his skin. It didn''t bruise much less penetrate him.


    ("The hell? Is this guy made of iron!?")


    Albus grabbed the tip of the pickaxe and dragged it out of his hand. He looked at the handle of it and pointed it towards the room.


    ("It should be fine if I hit them with the wooden part of it instead of my fists, right?")


    The room didn''t know what he was thinking but braced themselves for the worst.


    <hr>


    As Tibaut heard the commotion going he couldn''t help but wonder if those three were doing alright.


    "Well, considering I''m hearing a bunch of screams instead of distinct ones, they''re probably fine... I hope."


    He looked at the space as he sat at the entrance and wondered how much longer he''d have to wait. As he was getting used to the screams echoing and the distraught faces of those Avis defeated earlier, he noticed a sound unlike the screaming coming from somewhere it shouldn''t have. It sounded like a large mass of stone either being destroyed or moved.


    It came from the passageway that was blocked which further raised his suspicions.


    "Well, it''s not like I can leave here." He said as he looked towards the source of the sound.


    He didn''t want to risk someone escaping if he investigated the noise, so he sat there, waiting in anticipation for whatever was making that noise to show itself.

 Chapter 152

    Avis gathered all the torches and lanterns the men had taken for themselves and began setting them up around the mine. The warm lights flickering made for an eerie scene with all the bodies on the floor. It looked as though a ritualistic sacrifice had taken place as opposed to a battle.


    As she walked around doing so, she came across a switch and out of curiosity pulled it.


    The light hitting the mine was as if the sun had been brought down there and for a moment she had to cover her eyes. After her eyes adjusted she realized the place had been fully lit up.


    ("A light stone that can illuminate a space like this? Even one hundred of my masters wouldn''t be able to afford such a thing, much less maintain it.")


    As she walked around, she made her way to the highest point of the mine and witnessed all the men she had defeated. No more men were hiding. This light had confirmed it.


    <hr>


    As Albus slammed one man into another like a hammer, he finally defeated all the men in the room. He let the man go and started dusting himself off. He had an assortment of bruises across his body and even several sooty spots on him from the explosions of various sticks of dynamite.


    "I guess I overdid it."


    All the men lying on the floor either had broken bones or internal bleeding. It was no different from being thrown into a stampede of gazelle.


    As he searched the pockets of various men on the floor, he felt increasingly confused.


    ("I am just unlucky?")


    He searched through the last man and started scratching his head.


    As Avis looked over the mine she realised one thing.


    They both came to a conclusion. No one they fought had a key.


    <hr>


    As Jake walked down the passageway, he felt a sense of dread.


    "Why am I doing this? I mean, Tibaut wouldn''t think any less of me if I turned around and waited for one of the others to return, right?"


    As he looked behind him and felt the temptation of the darkness telling him to go back, he stomped his foot and turned around.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "No, I said I''d do this alone. You wouldn''t want to be friends with someone who''d go back on their word."


    Against his better judgment, he continued walking into the passageway until he reached the light.


    As he walked in, he could tell at a glance this place was shady. The room was massive and looked like some sort of storage area. It had a multitude of steel storage racks holding various wooden crates. The racks were by his estimation ten times his height and twice as wide as him. Forget a storage area, this place had more in common with a warehouse.


    As he looked, he sighed in regret and stayed where he was for a few seconds.


    ("Ugh, this is bad this place is too large to fully utilize my magic. Though I might be able to manage if they''re all on the floor with me. Let''s just hope they don''t feel like attacking me for a few minutes.")


    He began looking around to ensure, no one was too close, sat on the ground and really started tensing up.


    This peace wouldn''t last, as a crate fell off the storage rack behind him.


    "Huh!?"


    He slid across the floor and narrowly avoided becoming a pancake.


    "At least treat me with caution if I''m sitting on the floor looking suspicious."


    It might have looked suspicious to any adventurers worth a damn but to the average person it looked like a chance.


    ("These guys aren''t even going to allow me to set up in peace.")


    He looked up and saw a man running away.


    "(Eck, it''s going to be risky if most of them aren''t on the same level as me but there should be a bigger portion on the floor. I hope anyway.)"


    He made extra sure to observe his surroundings and bought time to stay in one place as long as he could.


    "You don''t think?" one man asked.


    "I think so. He probably doesn''t have any magic."


    "Of course, he doesn''t, why else would he be hiding around like a rat? It seems this plan wasn''t so bad after all, although taking on that gorilla woman isn''t going to be pleasant."


    After observing him for several minutes on the top of the storage rack, one of them turned behind and gave some sort of signal to the man behind all three of them.


    As Jake sat in silence trying to complete whatever preparations he had, all three jumped down in front of him.


    The one with stubble and a bald head quickly slid towards him.


    Jake dodged out of the way but took a hit from something. He felt something heavy slam his stomach and tried to get back to his feet. The third kicked the air but instead of doing nothing it formed a barely visible blade that slammed into Jake smashing him into a container. A dust formed and three men looked on.


    "He really is a joke."


    "I think we drew the jackpot Sheamus."


    "If the other two are this strong, then the women will be nothing." Said the man named Sheamus.


    All three had a key attached to a piece of string around their necks.


    As Jake staggered away in the dust he ran into something else. Several men were waiting in the space between the two storage racks he escaped into.


    "Sorry lad bu-"


    Jake took no hesitation in kicking the man in the balls and the others had a good laugh before rushing in.


    The dust had settled and they got a front-row seat to watch him fight.


    "Boys, what do you say we let the blokes deal with this guy?"


    "If you feel like being a sissy that''s on you." The man named Sheamus said before walking towards the ensuing chaos.


    "Not wanting to waste our time doesn''t make us sissies, Sheamus. Just don''t be surprised if we start sipping on your liquor."


    "I beat both of ye black and blue if ya ever had the gall to try."

 Chapter 153

    Jake started using the enclosed space to his advantage. He jumped between the crates on the storage racks and let out a frenzy of kicks to his opponents as they approached.


    ("Thankfully these guys aren''t too big of a deal.")


    He aimed for their heads as he kicked between the crates. Although in terms of strength he was weakest of the group that came into the mine, his kicks still had enough power to knock someone out if he aimed at their skulls.


    ("I''m not sure if I should be thankful or not, but those keyguys assault has drained so much strength from me, I don''t have worry about killing these guys with my kicks.") He had noticed the three men all had a key with string around their necks.


    With the space so enclosed only three men out of the multitude present could attack him at a time.


    They eventually managed to grab a leg of his but he countered with the other and fell to the ground. The men realised they couldn''t underestimate him anymore and jumped on him to begin dog piling.


    ("I guess I''ll have to use it here, though I''ll have to make it brief. If those guys in the front figure it out I''ll be in trouble.")


    Another man jumped to restrain and he decided that was the moment to use it. All the men running towards him either stopped or continued running and tripped which caused the entire collective to trip themselves to the floor. Those that had caused the mess were rubbing their eyes and looked around the room as if they saw something.


    ("Oh? What''s this?")


    Sheamus wondered as watched their reactions. It seems something happened to their eyes. Did he use a mace or was this something else.


    ("But if all he can do is something like that, there''s no need to worry.")


    Sheamus had gotten tired of waiting and walked over to him.


    The two men holding Jake released him and rolled on the floor holding their knees. In Jake''s hand was a hammer.


    ("Who''d think I''d ever use this as a weapon. Well, at least the ones here are down.")


    He looked at the men around trying to stand up and behind them was an even larger group waiting in the open.


    ("I guess they realized how much of a disadvantage it is to come into this space. I honestly might just keep tripping these guys over one another so I can get the whole room covered.")


    As he was thinking this he heard something cut the air behind him and jumped into the air.


    The men below him were blasted away and it even caught some of those getting back to their feet.


    ("It''s the guy with wind magic!")


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    While he was still in the air, another blast was launched and he got struck directly. That blow knocked the wind out Jake and he opened his mouth wide, imitating a snake, trying to get some air back in his lungs.


    He grabbed a storage rack and managed not to get sent into the sea of men awaiting him in the open. He turned himself around to get a better visual on his opponent and climbed up the racks to avoid further attacks from his opponent, using the short breath he had taken. As he reached the top another blow blasted him upwards and sent him to the top.


    He fell down on his back and used this time to fully catch his breath back.


    ("On that bright side, his magic is anywhere near as powerful as Elizabeth when she could use hers.")


    His chest and his legs were in pain from the man leisurely standing below.


    ("I think I could do it now, but I''d like to have all three of those ones together before I do it.")


    He felt the rack he laid on shift and peeked his head out enough to look below. Sheamus was sending more wind blades into the storage rack and all the men in the area were making their way out.


    ("He''s gonna drop it¡­")


    Jake immediately jumped off and began his next round with Sheamus. Sheamus aimed another wind blade at Jake but he kicked at a crate to dodge and threw his hammer at him.


    He instinctively protected his face and the hammer slammed into his arm.


    "Fucki-"


    His shout was cut short by Jake closing the distance to dropkick his face.


    He slid across the floor and clutched his nose.


    "You little!"


    Jake allowed him no time to recover and rushed over to stomp on his chest.


    ("It''s as I thought, he can only use those attacks with his kicks.")


    Sheamus moved his legs up to kick but Jake delivered a kick of his own to change their trajectory.


    They hit the storage racks in a futile effort.


    ("So if you control his legs, this guy isn''t that bad.")


    As he was about to deliver a blow to his face, a metal ball struck his chest and sent him flying back.


    "Is that really the best you had, Sheamus?"


    Sheamus quickly got up to feet and used his shirt to wipe the blood running down from his nose.


    "Let''s end the bastard already."


    The bald man shot past the both of them, towards Jake.


    "Just be ready to give up your booze for this favor."


    As Jake lay on the ground clutching his torso he only had one thought in mind.


    ("I guess it''s time to finally use it.")


    He closed his eyes and got ready to use his magic in full.


    The man skating towards him slammed into a crate and struggled to his feet to get up.


    "Lavern, what the hell are you do-"


    Sheamus was suddenly cut off.


    "What the hell?"


    Sheamus said as he looked around.


    His ally looked at him with confusion.


    "What''s the matter She-"


    He stopped as well. The lights had gone out and the only thing he could was black.


    "Did he manage to get rid of the lights?" Sheamus asked.


    "No, this seems different." He walked around struggling to feel and then several late reactions to the lights going was heard across the room.


    "I''ll tell you from now, I''m used to fighting in the dark." Jake commented beside the man.


    He instantly shot in the direction he heard the voice but heard the pained cries of someone else.


    "Gavin you bastard, what''s the big idea!?" Sheamus shouted. "Gagghh."


    Before he had a chance to respond he heard a sound of pain come from Sheamus.


    "S-Sh-Sheamus you bastard, are you alright?"


    He focused all his concentration on his hearing and heard a footstep behind him.


    "Got you now bastard!"


    He fired away but the sounds of pain he heard didn''t inspire confidence.


    "Boss it''s us!" One of them hoarsely shouted in pain.


    "(Damnit, are we this helpless in the dark?) One of you bastards must have a torch, how about you fucking use it!"


    He felt himself get impatient and nearly had a heart attack when he fell to the floor. He wondered what had caused it and quickly felt a building pain in his knee. He shouted out in pain as he clutched it, wondering how the hell he got so close.


    "Sorry to make you wait, it was a bit hard finding my hammer in the dark."


    He aimed his hands to shoot again but this was useless.

 Chapter 154

    He shot the steel ball towards the sound but all he heard was the shouting of his men.


    "Wow, I could feel the breeze from that one."


    "Stay away from you bastard!!" The man on the floor shouted.


    Crack


    "AAArrggghh!!!"


    After that sound, he started going into hysterics and shot in all the directions he could manage as he was forced to sit on the cold ground. Tears ran down his eyes as felt the area to confirm it. He winced and gritted his teeth as his fingers grazed it. His other kneecap had broken.


    Jake couldn''t help but wince at the sound of the bone.


    "Oh, sorry about that, your attack didn''t give me time to hold back."


    Countless shouts and explosions were heard all around. It appeared his barrage did more harm than good for those on his side. The fear of the lights being out in addition to the screaming, broke any discipline the men had been trained and all hell broke loose.


    "sniff sniff, Oh it smells like a fire broke out somewhere. sniff, I really hope those guys close to it aren''t too worse for wear." Jake commented in disinterest.


    People began punching one another, out of fear the crawl they heard was an enemy, most of those gathered here weren''t the type to turn the other cheek after being punched.


    "I''m one of you, idiot!"


    "Then why''d you punch me, bellend!?"


    "Aw, what the fuck was that?"


    "Don''t get in my way fatass!"


    "Let me out of here!!!"


    "Idiot he''s just one man, turn the fucking lights on."


    "It isn''t the lights you fools, he blinded us all."


    As he heard the chaos ensue around he could not help but rethink his life choices. He was on the cold dirty ground in some storage of an abandoned mine, listening to friends around him beating the shit out of each other.


    ("Let''s at least take out enough of them it won''t be a bother when they regain their vision.") Jake thought to himself.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    <hr>


    Tibaut sat in horror as the sounds coming from the passageway Jake entered became a harmony of screams and shouting.


    "That''s¡­ a bit louder than the other two." He commented while staring in disbelief.


    And mingling with the sounds that seemed like they came from hell itself was the movement of heavy stones.


    "Alright, either they have a bulldozer moving the rubble, or all this ruckus has awakened something it shouldn''t have." Tibaut bit his bottom lip as though about what it could be. The only thing he could guarantee was it wouldn''t be pleasant.


    He got up off the stairway and started stretching. He wasn''t going to leave but he felt he might as well prepare himself for what was coming his way.


    As he listened in anticipation, he realized he could only hear the faint screams and shouts of those within the area Jake went and felt the hair on his neck start to stand up. What came next was imperceptible to the average person or adventurers but he heard it. The faintest sounds of footsteps.


    "N-no way!"


    The footsteps not even a deer in the middle of a forest could hear became louder and louder to Tibaut. He didn''t pretend to watch the passageways any more and started walking towards it.


    The source of the footsteps, which he began questioning if it was his imagination, showed himself.


    "You fucking wankers, how many times have I told ya, not to fucking walk this path. You know how fucking long it took me to mov-"


    The giant shut his mouth and looked around. Although he couldn''t see what, his men had tied up with something and passively sat in the corner, looking like they had been put in timeout at daycare.


    He saw that red-headed bloke that came with the police a few days ago and interrupted his celebration.


    He shouted towards his men.


    "Da fuck are you shitheads sitting on your asses!? Get up before I make ye!!"


    Although small, a portion of the men tried to escape their bonds and one group even managed to escape.


    Tibaut shot a fire lance at one standing proud and beating his chest and the rest sat back on the ground.


    "I''m asking that you all don''t get too excited. After all, other than this guy, you''re all cannon fodder."


    Tibaut began slowly making his way to the behemoth of a man named Cormac.


    ("Why the hell isn''t he wearing a shirt? You know forget that, did he actually just move all the rubble out of the way!? Most of what I saw was larger than me!")


    Cormac saw him walking and decided to approach him as well. He looked annoyed about something but that didn''t stop him from coming over.


    Tibaut felt intimidated but he also felt his anger overpower any voice in his head telling him to be careful.


    ("This bastard works with those cult fuckers to kidnap and sees no problem with sending his men out like cannon fodder just because he dislikes a guy. This piece deserves no mercy from me. But I''ll be nice. As soon as I get where that bastard in black is out of him, I''ll let Albus decide what to do with him.")


    As Tibaut was in thought walking over, Cormac noticed this distraction and jumped towards him like a cannonball. The distance was short enough by the time Tibaut realised, his first thought was to block it.


    He brought both of his arms in front of his chest and the blow hit. That was the first time Tibaut had ever experienced a flight without being on a plane. He was launched three times his height in the air before slamming into a wall. He immediately coughed up blood as he slammed into it and felt his chest screaming in pain. He fell to the ground and started gasping for air.


    ("Holy shit. How am I still alive?")


    He painfully learned that the muscles he had on display weren''t just for show.


    He could hear him running towards him. And he wiped his mouth before staring down the freight train heading his way.


    "I''ll make that first shot your last."

 Chapter 155

    Cormac, who looked like the head of a human was transplanted on the body of an orc, backed away when he saw the fireballs form above Tibaut''s head.


    Tibaut launched them and the giant did his best to dodge.


    "With aim like tha-" Cormac said before being interrupted.


    Tibaut ran through the dust he had created with the fireballs and landed a punch on him. It went straight for his face but it didn''t move him an inch.


    He brought both his hands down but Tibaut managed to slide through his legs and shot two fire lances at his back.


    The blasts didn''t even break skin and he turned around unamused.


    ("I''d like to hit him with a direct fireball but I''m not sure if it''d kill him or not. After all, there is a big difference between the lance and the balls. We do need him alive after all.")


    While he was thinking, Cormac had gotten in his face and let loose another earth-shattering punch.


    He was too close to dodge and Tibaut in that split decided to parry the blow. He redirected the blow past his face and after doing so regretted ever thinking that was ever a good idea. All he did was push aside his fist but the force behind it left his hand in more pain than he thought a simple manoeuvre like that could cause.


    ("All I did was parry but it felt like I blocked a blow from Elizabeth.")


    The momentum of his fist brought him forward and Tibaut used his other hand to respond with the most solid-sounding punch he ever landed. He was convinced that would knock even Elizabeth to the floor, but all Cormac did was stagger back before throwing another blow.


    He swiftly dodged but the way Cormac responded was getting to him.


    ("I punched him square in the face but it didn''t even leave a bruise.")


    He brought out the fire lances once more and began firing at Cormac. The pillar of a man withstood everyone that hit as he made his way to Tibaut.


    ("Don''t tell me these aren''t doing anything?")


    They were in close quarters yet again but the man who looked like he had the body mass of a bull stuffed into a man tried a new tactic and started grabbing at him.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Tibaut did his best to dodge but the giant pinched at his collar and lifted him up before slamming him into the ground. It broke the stone the floor was made of and left a Tibaut sized crater.


    Tibaut used his hands to protect his head but the rest of his body was in shambles. He didn''t know what happened in specific detail but he knew something in him was broken.


    ("What the hell I am thinking, this isn''t any time to hold back!")


    Still pinching his collar, he launched a fireball on his arm. Cormac immediately withdrew his hand and came in for a stomp. Tibaut narrowly avoided it and launched another fireball at him, but he didn''t flinch. The burn this left was larger than his other attack but he seemed to be able to move perfectly and continued trying to stomp Tibaut.


    ("Fuck me, what this guy made off?")


    After rolling enough, he used a fireball to form a smokescreen when he shot at the ground and used this as an opportunity to get back up.


    His opponent slightly faltered before running into the dust cloud. As Tibaut heard his footsteps, he launched a fireball in his direction and jumped out of the dust cloud.


    "Argghh!!"


    That was the first sound of pain Tibaut heard in their encounter but that sounded more of rage than any pain.


    The cloud was blown away from the fireball and Cormac stood looking undeterred, even with the burns on his chest and stomach.


    He looked at Tibaut while gritting his teeth and¡­ ran in the opposite direction.


    Curious at his course of action Tibaut carefully watched him and he saw that he was running towards the passageway he came from.


    "Dammit! He is trying to lure me into a trap?"


    He hesitated before following him. He quickly ran through the passageway only to hear an explosion further up. He reached the room at the end of the passageway and saw the man had indeed moved all the rubble out of the way to reach the outside. He climbed over the remainder of the rubble blocking the way and continued down the way. As he ran down the hallway another explosion occurred. He continued until he turned a corner and saw¡­ more rubble.


    "Huh?"


    Why did he barricade himself?


    He heard coughing on the other side of the rubble.


    "What the hell are you doing!?" He shouted.


    "Shut up you twat, I''ll deal with you in due time."


    He heard coughing and even the sound of vomiting, that quickly vanished.


    "D-did he¡­ r-run away?" Tibaut said looking dumbfounded.


    Tibaut was pretty sure he had the disadvantage, was he mistaken? Whatever the case was, he walked back to the entrance to wait on the others.


    As he walked back, he felt lightheaded and tried his best to remain standing up.


    "Jeez, just two blows and he has me like this. Though, I am glad he wasn''t a threat that all of us needed to be present for."


    He placed his hand on the wall to lean against as he walked down the passageway and sat on the floor as soon as he exited.


    "See Elizabeth, not all my fights are ''self-destructive''." He snarkily remarked.


    <hr>


    There was a trail of blood splotches decorating the floor on the way to Cormac''s personal quarters. The man himself was crawling in his quarters looking for something. He smashed open the door of a cabinet, took out some bottles of green liquid and started chugging.


    After the third, he coughed some blood and began shouting.


    "FUCK!!"


    Although he seemed impervious to the fireballs other than burns on his skin, the inside of his body felt like it turned into a soup after being blended.


    He drank more of the potions but the pain wouldn''t stop. It made it even worse as some organs that were destroyed by the force of the fireballs were regenerated enough to feel pain.

 Chapter 156

    As he writhed in agony on the floor, he grabbed a nearby cabinet and picked himself up.


    "Where is it!?"


    He smashed the cabinets, ripping them apart like a ravenous bear, searching for what he needed.


    After scattering all of its contents to the floor and as well turning the cabinet into a heap of scrap wood he found it. It was a small pouch filled with a white powder but it granted him a much-needed smile. He put it on a nearby table and slowly limped towards the back of the room.


    "You think you can come here and leave me like this!? I''ll show you why this body of mine didn''t come about naturally."


    <hr>


    As Tibaut sat outside the passageway he could hear vague shouts but didn''t pay it any mind.


    ("Are my ears playing tricks on me?")


    He looked back to the passageways his three comrades had entered, waiting for them to eventually come back.


    ("Albus better not have gotten himself killed.") He commented while staring at them.


    After a bit more waiting, the first returnee arrived. It was Avis and she didn''t seem to be worse for wear other than a bit of dirt on her uniform.


    ("I haven''t really thought about it until now, but wouldn''t fighting in that be a pain in the ass?")


    Tibaut slowly got up and walked towards her. The maid looked at him with suspicion as he walked over to her with his injuries.


    "You don''t expect me to believe you got those injuries from the men in the corner?" She coldly stated as she pointed to the men in the corner.


    "Yeah, that big guy came through here on a rampage. Honestly, we would have been sorted if you came earlier but as long as you have the keys, it doesn''t matter." Tibaut said.


    She looked around the room and saw the damage caused by their brawl.


    "(That sounds likely enough.) But why would the keys still matter if he escaped?"


    Tibaut explained in detail his little spat with Cormac to Avis.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "So he barricaded himself, again. I have half a mind to use all the explosives here to trap him down here but I suppose a decision like that would be at the discretion of my lord."


    Since they were the only two here Tibaut nodded along, trying not to sour the mood.


    ("I mean¡­. That seems a bit extreme, but I suppose she''d have just as much right to complain as her master.")


    Avis left to ensure the men were properly restrained and quickly returned.


    "Uh, finished?"


    "I am."


    "..."


    "..."


    ("Can''t someone return already? Also why the hell is she standing so close to me?")


    While it wasn''t as close as it seemed in his mind, she was standing beside him several inches away. She was further away than a lover would stand but way closer than where you''d want an acquaintance to be.


    She also began playing cat''s cradle with one of the wires in her pocket. She was looking quite pleased.


    ("If you''re just gonna do that to pass the time, why stand so close to me?")


    It seems the gods had heard Tibaut''s cries as Albus came out of his passageway almost immediately.


    The bruises and burns across his body were evident but he didn''t let that put him down.


    "Woah, Maid Red, did you run into a wall or something."


    "Something like that."


    Albus looked clueless at his response and turned to Avis. They both stared at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time.


    "Uh, guys?"


    Last but not least, Jake exited his tunnel with three keys wrapped around his neck, which quickly took off when he saw the rest of them.


    "So you''re not mad, right?" Albus weakly asked.


    Avis didn''t respond and turned her head away.


    "So you didn''t get a key either. It seems we both wasted our time."


    Tibaut looked at them confused.


    "You don''t have the keys either?"


    "Did you not see how many keys your friend there had around his neck?" Avis commented, annoyed.


    "So they all hid in one spot?"


    As Jake came closer it was pretty obvious he had the roughest experience of the three.


    He looked about ready to pass out but the surprise of seeing Tibaut kept him on his feet.


    "What happened to you?" Jake asked with concern in his voice.


    "Ugh, let''s just use the keys already, I''ll explain on the way. Also, you''re looking rough yourself." Tibaut said.


    Jake softly laughed as he responded.


    "hehe, I played it a bit too cautiously."


    The group began walking towards the passageway they couldn''t go down and Jake took out the keys. Like a groupie''s legs in front of her favourite pop star, the doors opened quite easily.


    As they walked down the passageway, their voices could be heard.


    "Really? So why''d he go back?" Jake asked.


    "Maybe he thought his lackeys would mop us up since he already put the hurt on our red-headed friend here?" Albus interjected.


    As they walked down the hallway Tibaut saw a route that had been sealed off with rubble.


    "So he came through here. It shouldn''t be long until we''re face to face with that bastard again."


    "So you believe he''s not a threat, correct?" Avis asked him.


    "Well, he was a handful by myself but with you guys here it shouldn''t be too much of a problem."


    "Aw, don''t worry Tibaut with your good friends here, it''ll be a cinch," Albus said. He then pounced on Tibaut and wrapped his arm around his neck while bringing his face close as Tibaut fought him off.


    Jake looked sympathetically at him. (He didn''t help)


    Avis simply sighed and continued walking on.

 Chapter 157

    As they went further down the hallway, they noticed puddles of blood all over the floor.


    "What the hell?" Tibaut wondered. ("Where the hell did all this blood come from?")


    "You really did a number on that giant fool. Though I''m not quite sure why you would lie to us about his current constitution." Avis coldly stated after observing the blood.


    She continued in the hallway.


    "I always heard you say you''d burn stuff but you seem pretty brutal, Maid Red," Albus stated as he crouched over one of the puddles.


    "He was perfectly fine when I last saw him! (Shit if that bastard decides to croak here I don''t have a lead anymore.)" There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice and he had his attention fully turned to the blood stain.


    Jake saw the worry on Tibaut''s face and tried to comfort him.


    "Don''t worry Tib-"


    "Could you all come over here please?" Avis asked the group.


    They all quickly walked over to the Avis and saw what had caught her attention. At the end of the hallway was a single door. There was blood on the doorknob and Tibaut could feel his heartbeat nervously when he saw it.


    ("You big bastard, you better not die before I get my answers!!")


    Without waiting for the group to comment on it, he opened the door and saw something he never would have guessed in a million years.


    In the room stood a suit of armour with equal amounts of white paint and exposed metal. There was no pattern the paint was applied with. It almost seemed like an afterthought. On another point, the only reason he could tell it was armour was because it had four limbs, a torse area and a helmet. That might seem obvious but with its design that point had to be emphasized. It wasn''t something a master blacksmith made as his final work or the piece that defined his career. It looked like a cobbled heap of scrap metal someone had welded together after hearing about the general idea of a knight''s armour. And it was massive. Even as it stood across the room he could tell it towered above all of them.


    As Tibaut looked at it he couldn''t help but feel unnerved at the creation but a part of him also wanted to laugh at its shoddiness.


    Which is why he was taken aback when he heard laughter coming from the armour itself.


    "HAHAHA, YOU BASTARDS HAD THE BALLS TO FOLLOW ME!? IT SEEMS THE HOLIDAY HAD COME EARLY!!"


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The others quickly pushed into the room to see who was causing the ruckus and were also taken back by the sight.


    The armour took its helmet off to reveal the strained face of Cormac Healy. He was breathing so hard he could have changed his name to the big bad wolf and the colour on his head had gone from a fine porcelain to that of a dead body.


    "What''s that trash he''s wearing?" Asked Albus.


    "Wow, you really did a number on him, Tibaut," Jake said.


    "Jake, was it? Your friend didn''t mention him wearing armour when they fought." Avis said.


    As soon as Tibaut got a look at Cormac''s he felt something nagging at him and quickly remembered something.


    "That white armour¡­ don''t tell you''re!?"


    The other three looked at Tibaut curiously, wondering what he might be leading towards. It was a white armour and a large one at that. What did that remind him of?


    "Are you the assassin of the King that wears white armour!?"


    "The King? So that''s who this scrap metal belonged to. I''ll have to thank the bastard for this." It seemed he no longer had the energy to shout and responded in a more subdued tone. This just led to him sounding like he wanted to shout but his family was in an adjacent room.


    "The king!? What are you talking about Tibaut?" Albus asked.


    Tibaut looked relieved at his answer but didn''t drop his guard.


    "Don''t worry about it, as long as he isn''t the person I heard about then it should be fine."


    Jake looked puzzled until his eyes shot open and he slammed his fist into his palm.


    "Did Ezekiel tell you that story too, Tibaut!?" He asked.


    "Yeah, for a minute I thought we were gonna have to fight that monster."


    Albus and Avis looked towards each other in confusion.


    "Don''t worry, after we interrogate this guy, we''ll let you know what we''re talking about."


    Tibaut began walking towards the nearly seven-foot-tall heap of scrap metal and Cormac wore a manic expression as he approached.


    "I''ll show you bastards why no one fucks with me in this country and gets to live after."


    He revealed a small pouch he kept in his closed hand and emptied its contents on his face. It was a white powder he sniffed and swallowed down, making sure he pushed the powder into one of these three holes.


    ("Is that the same white powder I''m thinking of?") Tibaut wondered.


    He let out a war cry that left the whole group stunned, almost like a deer paralyzed in the face of oncoming traffic. He put his helmet back on and rushed towards the two.


    Avis had no fear in her eyes as he approached and took his challenge head-on by rushing into him. They ran straight towards each other but she managed to slide in between his legs and wrap her wire around both his feet.


    "I guess that- huh?" Albus was sure she had it in the bag so what happened next came as a shock.


    She tried to pull his feet but he wouldn''t budge. He didn''t move when she pulled on him. As she pulled on him and the veins on her forehead began to show, she felt like she was pulling against a rooted tree rather than a person. Before she used her other hand, he turned to observe her reaction and quickly got a hold of the wire before pulling her in himself. There was no struggle, she didn''t have a test of might with the giant, she was simply dragged towards him.


    As she flew towards him in the air, Tibaut knew this was no time to hold back and unleashed a barrage of fireballs on the giant. The four all directly struck his back but instead of exploding they all vanished as they touched him. No, it''d be more accurate to say they faded away.


    Avis braced herself for what was coming. She brought her knees upwards and used her arms to protect her face.

 Chapter 158

    The giant with an arm as thick as a tree trunk connected with his clothesline against the balled-up maid. The sound he made when he contacted her echoed through the room like a gunshot.


    Tibaut had started running when his fireballs failed and managed to place himself behind her as she flew through the air. The momentum had Tibaut sliding across the ground on his feet despite his best efforts.


    Avis lay wide-eyed in his hands with her arms and legs shaking.


    ("Without my arms and legs to absorb the blow¡­")


    "Can you stand!?" Tibaut asked while keeping his eyes on Cormac.


    She left his arms and stumbled to the floor.


    ("Shit, she''s already out!?")


    Tibaut had no time to dawdle as Cormac started approaching. He shot another fireball at him but again, it just vanished and fizzled out. As he considered if he would have to take on this monster in hand-to-hand combat, he heard a loud thud and Cormac was pushed forward.


    He turned back to see Albus behind with a bruised fist running away.


    ("The hell? What the hell happened to my magic when I touched him? Wait a minute my hand did feel weird after I touched his armour don''t tell me!?")


    He started running after him but Tibaut shot a fireball at his legs and it exploded like normal, tripping the giant. Albus and Jake moved around the giant, going over to Tibaut and Avis, who were still struggling to stand up.


    "What the hell is he?" Tibaut asked.


    "Hey, you two, you recognized the armour and said something about the King right?"


    "Yeah, though I think this one might be different," Jake said while checking on Avis.


    "Based on what I felt, that might just be the only reasonable possibility." Albus while the clattering of his teeth could be heard.


    "What are we talking about? Is there something up with the armour?"


    "Now, this may be an overestimation on my part but, that armour may be made out of Disiponium."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The struggling Avis and Jake almost broke their necks turning towards him.


    "Impossible!" the maid shouted.


    "T-th-there''s no way¡­" Jake said, looking on with dead eyes.


    Cormac had already gotten back on his feet and started laughing.


    "What''S WRONG YOU BASTARDS? I THOUGHT YOU RECOGNISED THIS ARMOUR?"


    He continued his assault and started running straight towards them. Tibaut shot several more fireballs he had been preparing but he had already seen this trick. He lowered his upper body to touch them and they all disappeared within seconds.


    With his attention briefly drawn away from Tibaut and his group, he used the opportunity to close the distance and deliver a kick to the hacked-out front of the helmet and jumped on his shoulder to go over him.


    The giant reeled but not before taking off Tibaut''s shoe as he grabbed at him.


    Seeing Tibaut''s attack Albus tried one of his own when Cormac turned around and jumped into the air to deliver a punch which sent the big man to the ground.


    ("Good job, Tibaut, now my magic can shine.")


    He tried to capitalize on the opportunity but it seemed he got too greedy. In an act that defied common sense, Cormac brought his legs into the air and spun himself around, which reminded Tibaut of break dancing. Tibaut tried some sort of action to help Albus but it was too late and a leg slammed into him. The crushing of bones was audible to anyone in the room and Tibaut watched on in horror as the giant spun himself around. The momentum of the legs carried Albus around as if he were glued to it before Tibaut launched another fireball at the floor killing his momentum and sending Albus flying at the sudden stop.


    Jake jumped in the air to catch him and they both fell to the ground. He could still stand after taking a kick like that but the giant welt across his stomach certainly wasn''t pretty. He coughed up a bit of blood but that was it. He stood on his feet ready looking ready for another round but that was all he could do.


    ("Damnit, I can only keep parts of my body together with my magic, not heal them! It''s taking all I have to ensure I don''t fall apart. If that bastard hit another one of those, I''d be so preoccupied with keeping myself together I wouldn''t be able to move.")


    "How are you still standing after that, Lord Bradley?" Jake asked.


    "With my magic, it''s all I can do at the moment. I might have to sit this out for the time being. (This bastard broke most of my ribs, I think my lungs and heart would be out without my magic and even fractured my spine. Shit if I hadn''t turned off my pain receptors as soon as I started flying I''d be on the floor in agony.)"


    Cormac got up to his feet after his display and looked at his opponents. After getting a good look at Jake, he commented "It seems I have one left."


    He turned around to Tibaut and it seemed his attention was solely focused on him.


    After finding a newfound respect for Albus after taking that, he assumed there was a good reason he wasn''t rushing back.


    "Shit, I guess it''s on me for the time being."


    He looked down at his shoeless foot and wondered what would have happened to him if he grabbed a toe instead.


    Cormac rushed towards him like a bull, and Tibaut readied himself for this one-on-one encounter.


    ("Is this what Ezekiel''s parents fought against or was it an even greater monster?")


    He aimed a fire lance at the giant''s face but Cormac brought his head down and it dispersed at the top of his helmet.

 Chapter 159

    Tibaut ran into him as soon as he did this for another strike to the face but Cormac moved his head just enough for the strike to miss and hit the part of his helmet covering his forehead.


    He felt an odd sensation and backed quickly for only his shirt to get ripped when Cormac swiped at him.


    ("I''ve been noticing this since earlier but this guy isn''t as quick as us. If he was I''m pretty we''d all be dead by now. But so what if I have the speed advantage? If I can''t hurt the bastard then this doesn''t mean shit.")


    As he thought about hurting him, an idea came into his mind and he began summoning fireballs while keeping his distance from Cormac. Cormac fruitlessly tried to at least grab him and finally got a hand on his hair. As he prepared to slam him into the ground, he realized something was wrong as he swung his arm. As he looked into his hand and noticed a terrible smell he realized he had burnt his hair to get out of his grip.


    Tibaut jumped away before unleashing his fireballs and the ground around and ran over to his group watching this ordeal.


    "Hey, what the hell is this Disiponium you guys keep talking about?" Tibaut was hunched over, heavily breathing when he asked this.


    "You don''t know what Disi-"


    In a rare instance, it was Jake who was cutting someone else off.


    "It''s that metal in Elizabeth''s sword! (Well, hers is an alloy but this should get the idea across)"


    "(Really? No wonder his armour did what her sword was doing in our first fight.) What does it do!" Tibaut said hearing some running behind. He turned around and began running back towards Cormac.


    "It, uh, disperses magic back to mana!!!" He shouted at Tibaut.


    "(That''s what it does?) That''s all?" He shouted back as Cormac moved to grab him.


    "YES!!!" Jake shouted as he and Albus ran away to ensure their distance.


    He shot a fire lance in the giant''s face and the giant reeled back before stomping the floor and causing both of them to stumble with their footing now uneven. With how much they both had been abusing the floor (Mostly Tibaut) in this space he was surprised there was still so much flat ground in there.


    The giant threw himself in a tackle towards Tibaut but he narrowly managed to drop flat on the floor and Cormac soared over him while trying his best to grab him.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    As Tibaut and Cormac continued their stalemate, the other three stared in amazement.


    ("With the beating he took, I''m kind of amazed he can still move like that.") Jake thought as he watched on. Something about the air around the room seemed different to Albus; he was sure he was imagining it. He turned to Avis, helping her stand up.


    "How''s your legs?" Albus asked as he stared at them. Cormac had managed to tear the front of her skirt with the force he struck with.


    Her legs seemed shaky and she visibly winced when she lifted them up and down.


    "The only thing I can confirm is, they''re still in one piece."


    "How good can you move?"


    "I''m positive I can keep up with that giant oaf."


    "You sure?" He asked with some worry in his voice.


    "Don''t underestimate me brat. I''m capable of more than just babysitting you." She said in a venomous tone. Albus didn''t have to turn to her to feel the bloodlust she was exerting. He turned to her and saw eyes that wanted nothing more than bloodshed. They weren''t cold, they were blazing with hatred. He had a gentle smile when he saw her like this.


    "(It''s been years since she called me that.) Alright. Also." he looked at Jake before lowering his voice and whispering, "Don''t hold back. You can kill him for all I care."


    She reached into her pocket and pulled out gloves before pulling strings she had kept in a closed pouch.


    "(Tsk, I only bought this one) Don''t worry, I would kill him even if you told me not to."


    She walked away awkwardly before committing to a full sprint. This was short-lived however as she noticed Tibaut create a giant fireball above him.


    "Has he gone insane?" She wondered as she stopped.


    "Is trying to cave the place in?" Albus shouted as he watched.


    ("He has a plan right?") Jake thought.


    As Tibaut held it above him, even the giant was too intimidated to take a step.


    ("So that armour only disperses magic right? Then all I have to do is this.")


    The fireball soon lost its shape and like a scarf unravelled before being wrapped in the space they were both occupied.


    Cormac wasn''t sure what the point of this was and rushed at Tibaut. Tibaut began circling around him, ensuring neither of them left the fire veil he had created. Cormac got annoyed and attempted to stomp on the floor before he realized he was winded. But this wasn''t from running around, the powder he took ensured he could comfortably fight for an hour straight.


    ("It works!") Tibaut celebrated as he saw this.


    It was the heat. The inside of Cormac''s armour had now become a makeshift steamer with how hard he was sweating. He ran at Tibaut some more before realizing with his current speed this wasn''t going to work. He ran towards the flame veil itself in an attempt to escape.


    ("You''re not getting out that easy you bastard.")


    He shot a fireball at the ground and Cormac fell to the ground. Tibaut saw this as an opportunity to get some damage on his face but the man unashamedly crawled out before he could get him. The fire that touched his armour dispersed and left a giant hole in the veil.


    Tibaut clicked his teeth before taking it down.


    The giant gasped for air before getting back up to his feet.


    ("Damnit, how am I gonna keep him in it for long enough?") Tibaut wondered.


    In the moments Cormac lay on the floor to recuperate, he prepared another giant fireball. Cormac then stood and did the unexpected. He spared no time jumping into it.

 Chapter 160

    Tibaut was confident he could jump that high but seeing that heavy-looking combination of the man and his armour that probably alone weighed thrice as much as Tibaut jump into the air and reach that height was an experience he didn''t think he was going to forget anytime soon. He tried to move his fireball out of the but it wasn''t nearly as fast as he was and Cormac dived into it.


    He could feel his entire body clench but his fears didn''t come through as the giant fireball simply dispersed and faded into the air.


    Cormac landed on his feet and turned to Tibaut. Without hesitation, he ran back towards him.


    ("At least give me some time to settle down, you bastard! I thought we were both fucked with that last move.")


    In that brief moment he jumped Tibaut forgot all about the main gimmick of the armour.


    As Tibaut braced himself for another encounter, someone jumped behind Cormac.


    ("Avis? Why''s she back?")


    Tibaut didn''t know what was going to happen but he rushed towards Cormac, sensing an opportunity. Cormac immediately stopped himself when he realized something was wrapped around his face. He noticed blood running down his face and realised the part of his nose sticking out of his helmet had been sliced. He grabbed at it the thing slicing the tip of his nose and realised it was a string of some sort. He felt it pull down and it nearly overpowered the single hand he had on it.


    Avis was behind him using both her hands to drag down on the wire she had placed on his face.


    It if wasn''t for the armour he was wearing his head would have been sliced in half like a watermelon and his palm severed.


    He quickly reached behind with his other hand to try and grab the wire and he managed to snag it. He tried to grip but the metal of his gauntlet had too little friction. She tried even harder to pull down the wire but his hand near the helmet wouldn''t budge.


    ("As soon as it''s around your neck, it''s over.")


    He had nothing visible protecting his neck and if the wire slid down to his neck it''d be no question if it would sever his neck. After all, if it could cut his nose then it could certainly cut his neck as well.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He managed to pull the wire towards himself and seemed to be aiming for another clothesline but Tibaut blew out his footing and caused him to swing in the air. The momentum of the pull caused Avis to fly in the opposite direction he was landing and as she held onto the wire it went further down his helmet, severing a small piece of his nose.


    Tibaut ran towards his preoccupied foe and in a desperate act of strength, Cormac pulled so hard on the wire, making a dent in the back of his helmet and gauntlet in the process, that it snapped.


    Avis soon landed on the ground and Tibaut was mere feet away from the giant. He shot a fire lance at his face but the giant already had a hand on his face as he checked his nose.


    ("That armour''s fucking bullshit. It didn''t give his hand any recoil.") Tibaut complained in his mind.


    As he got closer he slowed himself and was thankful, as the giant managed a kick from the ground that sent a gust of wind in his face instead of snapping his head clean off. He used the momentum of this kick to lift himself and flowed into another unexpected kick, which Tibaut had to settle for blocking instead. He jumped back when he received it to lessen its blow but the force of the kick nearly sent him back to the entrance, even with Avis catching him. He heard a sickening crack when it landed and looked down.


    He knew one of his arms was severely injured and now the other was plain broken. The arm he kept in front of the other when he blocked bent like it had gotten an extra joint.


    "Aagaghsfs" he screamed out in pain and if Avis wasn''t holding him, he would have fallen to the floor screaming in agony.


    He gritted his teeth and breathed in and out to calm himself as he watched Cormac¡­ fall to his knees?


    "Is he finally tired?" Tibaut asked as the relief washing over him masked any pain he was experiencing.


    "No, I just used something to even the odds. (Tch, I really was careless to bring only a paralysis poison with me")" Avis stated as she let him go.


    Cormac struggled to stand up and looked at both of them. He started his charging again but this time it was noticeably slower.


    "I don''t know what you did but can you hold him back for a minute?"


    "Hold him back? I''ll kill him before you can do anything."


    Tibaut held up his only good hand and summoned a giant fireball. Cormac looked up at it, almost dazed and picked up a piece of rubble he could throw at it. Avis had gotten in his personal space and wrapped the wire around his arm, stopping it barely, as he almost lifted her off the ground when he moved his hand. The arm of armour she had wrapped around was particularly shoddy as there was a noticeable gap between his hand and arm. She managed to slide it down the weakened Cormac''s arm and reach that gap where his skin was exposed. It happened in less than a second but the thud it made as it hit the ground was clear to the two. His hand had come clean off and fell to the floor. The sight of his own hand was like a panacea to him and he started moving with renewed vigor.

 Chapter 161

    His hand fell to the floor and for a brief moment, Tibaut and Avis felt optimism.


    ("My arm is gnarly, but his is gone. Within a few minutes, the big guy''s gonna pass out from blood loss.") Tibaut thought to himself.


    ("I''ve finally managed to inflict major damage. With more of the poison in his system, this should be his end.") She thought with a vengeful look on her face. She could already feel the pain in her legs fading.


    As a river of crimson flowed from Cormac''s arm, he flicked it up and shouted in pain. Avis was a fan of the sight and didn''t decide to interrupt him while preparing his funeral ground.


    Being cornered while in this armour was a new experience for him. His mind didn''t how to react and the drugs in his system removed any critical thinking he was capable of. Only one thought surged in his head in these brief moments.


    Survive.


    As Avis watched on hoping to see his horror and maybe have him beg for mercy, he grabbed at her wire and she quickly let go. He moved his fist down and destroyed one of her feet with a slam to the floor. It wasn''t that the blow was fast that she got hit, it was because she didn''t think she was going to get hit in the first place, that it happened. She used all the strength in her other leg to jump away but he managed to keep up with her and she dodged his advances.


    ("I am this slow? No, he''s managed to increase his speed even with the increased poison.") How she managed to calmly think was a mystery but she barely avoided his attacks while the grazes he landed would leave cuts across her body and tears on her uniform.


    As Tibaut was positioning himself to place the flame veil, Albus came up to him to whisper something in his ears.


    "What the hell are you doing, go help your maid there!" He angrily responded.


    "Despite how I look, I''ll be dead in a few hours without any medical help. But putting that aside."


    Tibaut''s face was in shock after hearing that but that wasn''t what he came to deliver.


    "..."


    "Tsk, fine, since Jake is suggesting it, it''ll probably be fine."


    The atmosphere around became slightly different and after doing that Albus rushed towards Avis and took her out of danger.


    Cormac in this state ran after Tibaut instead and he activated the flame veil.


    All four were now trapped in it. With one still outside and out of sight for Cormac.


    ("This is a gamble but with how my magic works it should work... I hope.") Jake thought.


    As Cormac attempted to escape the flame veil, deciding Tibaut wasn''t worth it, Albus ran straight towards him with Avis still in his hands and managed to wrap a wire on his torso. He paid them no mind and attempted to exit the veil, just mere feet away from it but he fell to his feet and started clutching his leg in pain.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Tibaut had no idea what caused this other Jake relaying a message to him to release his mana.


    "Is this Jake''s magic? (But how? Shouldn''t his armour stop it?)"


    He fell to the floor and scrambled around even turning away from the veil, with erratic movements. Based on how much he was screaming and looking around, something must''ve happened to his senses.


    "What the hell kinda magic is this?" Albus commented.


    It wasn''t safe to approach him but with the combined effort of Avis and Albus pulling him around when he approached the exit, it seemed like they had this in the bag.


    Just what was he experiencing?


    "What the hell is going on?" Cormac shouted.


    He couldn''t see anything but black, one of his legs felt like it was broken and the only thing he could hear was someone''s else breathing. He was no stranger to drugs and their side effects. However, this one was new. As listened closely he could hear the sound of destruction and shouting from far away.


    ("Is that me?") He wondered. ("But then how am I listening to myself so far away?")


    Even his sense of smell was altered. He was smelling sweat instead of the blood and dust he had been exposed to for most of this fight.


    As he felt himself getting unnerved by this he struggled more to release himself and the destruction in the distance became louder.


    He could feel his hand and feet touch the ground but not being next to the sounds he made, shattered any invincibility he felt during the fight. He could also feel himself being moved but he wasn''t sure if that was just his mind playing tricks on him.


    He struggled more but the sound didn''t come any closer.


    From Albus and Avis''s perspective, this thing was a mess. Given the damage to Avis''s lower body, he had decided to substitute in their place and hold her in his arms as she wired Cormac. After she did so the Giant thrashed around on the ground like an alligator and they were flung around a few times trying to keep him in the veil but his struggling seemed to intensify as time went on.


    "I thought that little bastard said this would get him to ease up!!" Albus shouted as his legs were now looking monstrous in how defined they were.


    "Unfortunately master, this is better than he was earlier." Avis coldly stated as she held her wire like a lasso in her hands with her arms visibly straining to keep him in.


    He destroyed some much of the floor, they weren''t sure they''d have any level footing by the time this was over.


    Meanwhile, it was taking Tibaut all he had to maintain the veil while occasionally avoiding the rampaging Cormac.


    ("Was it always this hard to maintain?") He wondered as sweat ran down his brow. It wasn''t from the heat but exertion.


    ("Damnit, this feels a worse version of the time Vanessa had me help her out.")


    He stopped moving and stood as far away as he could to keep distance between him and Cormac. It got so bad he wasn''t confident he could dodge if Cormac came his way. He fell to his knees and rested his good hand on his knee.


    "Damnit, go down already you bastard."


    He didn''t think he had the energy left to fire any of his magic if the opportunity presented himself.


    As Cormac struggled with his vision, hearing or smelling, he could feel the heat slowly taking hold of his body. This caused him to panic even more and shouted like he was being murdered in a back alley.


    ("Fucking hell, is that really me screaming like a banshee?") He thought with his hearing placed from the action. ("You know, what fuck it. I''ll just pick a direction and keep going.")


    After that thought he stopped struggling and got on all fours. Albus''s feet looked like they were going to explode with how much muscle was being contained in his poor skin and Avis fought the exhaustion from the heat to prepare for what was to come.


    There was a straining noise being heard in the veil and three other than Cormac, had no idea what it was. Although he couldn''t hear it, he had a good idea what it was. It was Cormac tensing his muscles to their absolute limits like a spring being compressed as hard as it could.


    No one saw what happened next, the only thing in the veil was dust and flying debris.


    Avis noticed the gloves she wore had slipped off and wondered if she would have lost her fingers if she didn''t wear any with no sight of the wires anywhere.


    The entire room shook like a cannonball had been fired at it and there was a hole in the veil. Outside of that hole was a different one in the wall. It looked like it was connected to somewhere else in the mine. There was no one in the passage that was broken into.


    Tibaut released the veil and immediately fell onto his ass while looking at the sight.


    ("That bastard managed to escape.")

 Chapter 162

    Although he had escaped, no one in the room had it in them to follow him. Even Avis and Albus decided to lie on the floor to rest instead of going after him.


    The only one concerned enough to mention it was Jake. He was crawling on the floor when he reached Tibaut and tapped him on the shoulder.


    "Should, uh, we not go follow him?"


    Tibaut looked at the hole and rested his back on the ground.


    "If that bastard manages to escape, then so be it, we''re here just for some evidence, right? (Damnit the bastard escaped!!)" He said, sounding tired.


    "Oh right, I completely forgot," Jake commented as he looked around.


    Tibaut had a nasty-sounding cough before replying to him. "I don''t blame you."


    He looked around the room and it looked like the scene of a war rather than a battle between four people. Around half the ground in the room was broken and there were stains of blood here and there thanks to the giant.


    As Tibaut looked around he noticed Jake on the floor.


    "Did he get you during the battle?" Tibaut as he observed Jake kept the pressure off one of his legs.


    "Oh, no. It was just a final gambit I decided to try with my magic."


    "Huh, what does that mean? In the first place, how does your magic work? I remember Albus telling me to create some mana around me but I had no idea what it helped with."


    As Jake sat up, he rubbed his leg which seemed injured and winced.


    "(Wait a minute are we having a conversation!?) Oh right, I should probably explain that. My magic works through skin contact with my mana."


    "So¡­" he thought about it for a second. "My mana protected me from the effects of your magic? So what happened to the big guy was your doing?"


    "Pretty much. I''m surprised you accepted it so easily. Most people are surprised when I say it needs my mana to be in contact with someone else to work."


    As they chatted, Tibaut noticed Avis and Albus start searching around the room for something. They headed towards the scant drawers and dressers that were in the room.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "(Surprised? Have you heard about Ezekiel''s magic!?) I''m not surprised by anything when I hear magic''s involved."


    "Really? You must have seen some strange magic on your travels."


    "Y-yeah. Anyway, what does your magic do exactly?"


    "Oh, it just allows me to share some of my senses with whoever touches my mana."


    "(How the hell do you figure that one out?) Is that why he was acting so strange?"


    "I mean, having your sense of smell, hearing and sight taken out would make anyone freak out," Jake said, with a drab look on his face. "Training without being able to see was rough enough, I can''t imagine how bad it''d be without your own hearing."


    Tibaut wondered if he misheard.


    "Train without seeing?"


    "Yeah, I did. Is something wrong?"


    "Why would you train to-"


    Jake seemed to have gotten where the point of confusion came from and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a blindfold and when Tibaut grabbed at it, it felt like it was made out of a thick material.


    He took it, put it on himself and wasn''t surprised at how dark it was.


    ("No wonder he was looking around so much, you can''t see shit with these.")


    As he handed them back he had another question.


    "What made him fall to the ground? That wasn''t my doing or Avis''s."


    Jake tapped his injured-looking leg.


    "Since it was so close, and I wasn''t in any shape to fight, I decided to make myself useful for that plan you had at the end."


    Tibaut blankly stared at his leg before realizing what he was implying.


    "Y-you broke your leg!?" Tibaut shouted.


    Jake awkwardly laughed while looking away, not denying what he said.


    ("Maybe I should keep quiet I was going to break the other if I saw him running out of Tibaut''s flames.")


    Before Tibaut could get another word in, Avis walked, with her stride noticeably less jittery than before and one of her legs covered in a herbal-smelling liquid.


    "Both of you come with me."


    Tibaut stood up and Jake pointed to his injured leg. While Tibaut considered picking him up, the maid lifted him in the bridal carry and walked over to the entrance. He slightly blushed but the maid paid no attention to him.


    Next to the entrance was an opened cabinet, with Albus chugging down green bottles of liquid like there was no tomorrow.


    As they approached, she started opening her mouth again. "I''ve already had my share and my pain has subsided. Please decide amongst yourselves how to split the remaining bottles after my master is finished."


    "Yo, Maid Red. That bastard was hiding some good shit under here. I think these are all level 2." He continued gulping them down and as far Tibaut could count, he went through about thirty, though some of them might have been from Avis.


    ("Well his punch broke my arm, so I guess a kick to the chest would be life-ending. I''m surprised he could still move after that.") Tibaut thought.


    Avis gently placed Jake on the floor and went further into the room to search for anything they could find of importance.


    Tibaut looked at his broken arm and sighed. ("Elizabeth will probably be pissed but it''d better to have Jake heal up and I take the remainder. It''d be less risky for her to heal me than Jake. Besides she wouldn''t just¡­") He was about to think "She wouldn''t just leave me injured" but considering what she told him plus past times he was injured¡­


    ("Maybe she''ll be more lenient if I pretend I didn''t think she was going to heal me. Yeah, she wouldn''t leave my arm like this if I said I let Jake heal as much as he could because he needed it.")


    With that flimsy reasoning, he encouraged Jake to drink as much as possible after Albus finished.

 Chapter 163

    Cormac breathed heavily as he leaned against a tree. He considered himself far enough to be safe and hurriedly took off his armour. By the time he had reached his chest plate, he had buckled under the weight of it and fell to the floor. He had a cloth wrapped around his severed wrist and had managed to stop the bleeding.


    "Damnit!" He muttered as he slowly felt himself blacking out. As he did so he couldn''t help but remember the story his father had told him about finding the armour as he faded away.


    <hr>


    Two men sat in the back of a carriage and were on their way to a massive estate several hundred meters away.


    The carriage stopped and the coach turned around to the men.


    "Well, here''s your stop lads."


    The man turned back to the other and slapped him in the back of the head. He jolted up and fell off the seat while staring around dazed. He rubbed his head and slowly got up.


    "Your a real piece a shit, you know that Fionn?"


    The coach sighed as he watched them.


    "Stop the hell up you old dog, we have to pay the good man, now take out your fare."


    "You fecking bastard, is that really the reason you did that to me?"


    He walked up to the other man and grabbed his collar.


    "I''ll give you a right bashing if that''s the case but¡­ I''ll look the other way if you pay for me."


    "You little bastard, are you threatening me?"


    The coach was beginning to lose interest and tried to stop the men.


    "Listen fellas-"


    "Threaten you? I''m seeking due compensation for what you did to me."


    "Compensation? And you haven''t even paid me back for the beer we had yesterday?"


    "You penny-pinching bastard, do you think one drink is worth so mu-"


    <hr>


    The two men walked towards the top of the hill where the estate was located. They were both bruised and looked almost embarrassed.


    "That coach fella¡­ he''s an alright bloke."


    "His name''s Cillian. How can you not remember his name when he''s the only person that brings his carriage around these parts."


    "... I could have sworn he looked older the other day."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "That he was his pa."


    The two men continued walking in silence until they reached the estate''s front gate. They seemed confused by something and looked around.


    "They don''t tell me those bastard guards are taking a nap somewhere?"


    "Why''s it matter? We can just stay out here until they finish, I could use the spare time. If the lord wants to complain then we just point to his guards."


    The other man leaned against the gate to get a better look inside.


    "You idiot. You think the Lord would trust the words of a gardener and a handyman over his guards?"


    "More reason to appreciate this extra time we''ve been blessed with."


    The other man clicked his tongue before falling down as the gate moved inward. Fionn started laughing at him and the other man scrambled to get up.


    "I told you we should have appreciated the extra time we got. Even the gods think you''re ungrateful."


    He patted the dust off very aggressively and started walking forward. As he did so he noticed something strange.


    "Why are the lights on?"


    Fionn turned his head to the buildings and sure most of them looked to be illuminated.


    "Ah, maybe that''s why the guards aren''t here. Think someone fucked up?" Fionn causally as he walked beside Kylian.


    "For the whole place to be awake?"


    "Don''t you remember how much of a pain the lord was when he found the chefs were sneaking with some of his vintage wine?"


    "You know what, maybe we should go back outside and appreciate th-"


    Kylian fell silent.


    "What''s the matter?" Fionn asked.


    It looked like Kylian pointed to one of the houses in the distance.


    "I think my vision''s going but does that look like someone lying on the ground there?"


    Fionn looked more closely at where he was pointing and saw the shiny outline against the dark ground.


    "Let''s go a bit closer, Kylian." Fionn said as he slowed down his movements.


    The two moved slower and slower until they reached their destination. They could now clearly see the man on the floor. He was lying down on his stomach so they couldn''t quite get a good look at his face.


    "Is he alright?" Kylian asked.


    Fionn walked closer and Kylian could feel his heart rate increasing.


    "Hold on, Fionn, why don''t we call the lord or one of the guards first?" He asked with unease in his voice.


    "There''s a guard right there, and I''m going to wake the lazy bastard up. (If I play my cards right, I can replace him too.)"


    Fionn continued walking, until crouching down and poking him.


    "Oi. Oi. OI!" Fionn shouted.


    "Lower your voice, you know the lord doesn''t like a ruckus."


    "I don''t mind if the man himself decides to show up."


    He kept shouting at the guard while shaking him but he seemed insistent on staying in dreamland.


    "You useless bastard, wake the hell up!"


    He turned the guard around and soon saw the reason he was in dreamland. He wasn''t. He was dead. There was a large fist-shaped dent in his chest plate and he had blood running from his mouth.


    Kylian backed away and fell to the floor.


    "Christ almighty, what happened to the man!? Fionn, get up, we have to leave!"


    He quickly got himself up and ran over to Fionn, grabbing his hand. Unlike the cold sweats, heavy breathing and twitchy eyes Kylian was experiencing, Fionn looked at the body and started stroking his chin.


    He got up and placed his hand around Kylian''s mouth.


    "Shh, you dumb bastard, you don''t want whoever did this to him coming back."


    Kylian''s muffled protests soon stopped.


    Fionn closed his eyes and started listening the best he could, around the property.


    He released Kylian''s mouth.


    He crouched down and got back in the face of the guard.


    "Based on the colour of our friend here I''d say he''s been dead for some time now. Looks like we couldn''t have come at a better time."


    "Fionn, let''s leave. If we report that we found thi-"


    Fionn picked up the guard''s sword.


    "Walk with me Kylian, I think we have something special here."


    "Oi, who decided you could pick that, you idiot."


    "Sorry Kylian but only one of us can use this sword and it ain''t you."


    He started walking closer to the property and Kylian muttered curses under his breath before following him.

 Chapter 164

    Kylian begrudgingly followed behind Fionn, and the further they walked, the more Kylian could feel his stomach turn.


    First, it was the guards laid out on the ground. There were several more than the first one they found and they seemed to have been killed through a single stab or a single punch that left a massive dent on their armour.


    They looked in one of the buildings that still had their lights on and he didn''t know such a horrifying sight could exist. The guards he could see looked like they fought the epitome of strength as they had parts of their bodies crushed or cleaned and sliced through with their armour on. There were a few without heads and next to them on the floor were an assortment of red, brain and white. It also seemed the flies had started showing up.


    Kylian had gone pale-faced following his friend.


    "I can''t take this anymore, Fionn. I''m leaving."


    Fionn turned around and slowly walked up to him.


    "Lad, don''t be such a fool. If we play our cards right, you''ll never have to work another day in your life. Besides, I''ll need someone to help and by the time I go and come back, this place will be emptied by other opportunists."


    Kylian gulped as he turned away from the man. He didn''t seem fully convinced and his eyes held doubt in what Fionn was saying.


    "You have a new kid right?"


    He felt his heart sink.


    "W-what about it, Fionn?"


    "Doesn''t making a big score here and providing for your family, mean anything to you? Don''t worry I''ll split the rewards fairly."


    He placed his hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.


    Kylian simply nodded and Fionn removed his hand and placed it back onto his sword.


    "But I hope you''ll know to keep your mouth shut. It''d definitely cause both of us problems if this got out."


    He moved his hand, telling him to go on ahead, and Kylian quickly started moving. He decided the main building was their best hope and started walking that way.


    As they went towards it, the bodies on the ground increased and Fionn stopped them for something he felt was pertinent.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Hoho, if it isn''t the lord of the Manor." He commented as he crouched down.


    Kylian did his best to ignore the bodies and focus on the night sky.


    "Hey, Kylian!"


    "What is it, Fionn." He responded weakly.


    "Look here!"


    "..." He didn''t turn his head.


    "Don''t be like that lad, you should feel relieved knowing this bastard can''t boss us around anymore."


    "Can we move on?"


    "Psssh, what a sad sack." Kylian heard the sounds of footsteps and Fionn touched his shoulder.


    "What i- AGAHSGAA!!!" He fell on the ground and started crawling away before running into another dead body and covering his mouth to keep his breakfast down. Fionn had placed the dead body of their boss on his back.


    He was hunched over laughing at Kylian''s reaction.


    "Hahaha haha, I swear, people who''ve never seen a body before are comedy gold."


    He kicked his former boss'' head before continuing on.


    Kylian got up and tried to run away but Fionn grabbed him before he could manage it.


    "We''re in this together lad, so I''d hope you don''t have any funny ideas."


    He let him go, and Kylian accepting his fate continued walking alongside him.


    As they got a better look the front of the main building had a giant hole in it. That wasn''t all, the hole went through the entire building and as far as Fionn could tell, everything behind it.


    "whistle Assassination sure are scary."


    Kylian had stopped talking for a while now and he only nodded. As they walked closer to the property, Kylian noticed wolves taking a fancy to one of the bodies on the floor and he shooed them away. It initially caught his eye due to its white colour compared to the other armours that were just the colour of the bare metal. However, another aspect of it caught his interest as well. It was only the lower half but that''s why it caught his interest. He laid down beside it and asked Kylian to look at them. He relented.


    "It''s¡­ big." He plainly commented while appearing downcast.


    "I know right? Must have been a fucking giant or one of the things that live in forests like orcs that wore it."


    He got up and looked around more to see pieces of the upper part of the white armour (including the helmet) scattered around.


    ("Hmph, those wolves sure were messy eaters with this one. Maybe the reason they loved it was because it wasn''t human.")


    What caught his attention was the torso piece that had a circular portion cleanly removed. As he looked at the hole in the armour and the building he realized they were the same size. He curiously touched it and felt a strange sensation. He placed his hand on it and nothing happened.


    A smile crept on his face and he removed his hand. This time a small amount of ice formed on his hand.


    "You can use magic?" Kylian asked with the most energy he had shown after seeing the piles of bodies.


    "Fionn, get a horse and a carriage. This alone is going to make us rich men."


    He tried to pick up one of the pieces of armour on the floor and he looked like he was struggling to pick up the singular shoulder piece.


    "Hahaaha, it is Disiponium! Those crazy noble bastards, how the fuck did they manage to find anyway who can wear this shit?" He turned to Kylian. "Get going asshat, it''ll be no time until those bastards are back for this. I''m surprised they left it in the first place."


    As Kylian looked at the armour questioning its supposed wealth, Fionn drew his sword and Kylian quickly made his way to the stables.


    <hr>


    Cormac woke from his reminiscence to see a group of his men dragging him somewhere. It seemed they escaped their bonds.

 Chapter 165

    Jake''s broken leg required the rest of the healing potions and although he tried to give half to Tibaut he rejected, saying it''d be more important if he could start walking properly than getting his hand fixed.


    As they waited in the room and Tibaut could feel himself slowly succumbing to unconsciousness, Avis came by the three with an assortment of letters in her hand.


    She intensely stared at Albus before he waved his hand. She clicked her teeth and handed him the letters.


    Jake and Tibaut briefly wondered what that strange interaction was about before Albus opened his mouth.


    "So, Avis, what are these all about? You don''t expect me to read through all of these do you?" He commented as he handed them back to her.


    Although she had no expression, Tibaut swore he heard her fist clench. Trying her best to remain formal she responded "Master Bradley, I believe looking at the senders of the letter would shed some light on the operations of the Lochmull Independence Society."


    Albus sighed disinterestedly and looked through one of the letters. He looked through another and another and quickly looked at the senders of all the letters. A smile crept on his face but he didn''t seem happy in any way. He handed the letters back to Avis.


    "So that''s what''s going on. Hehe, what a bastard." Although he was laughing his face held no joy.


    "What was on it?" Tibaut asked.


    Albus quickly snapped out of it and fixed his face.


    "Oh, well I couldn''t find anything linking your cultist friends but I found a massive lead that might just solve it. At the very least I found some mentions of trafficking people so this group is as good as finished but nothing concrete."


    "So they''re related but they haven''t been mentioned. Dammit!" Tibaut was infuriated by this but the accumulated damage he had taken left him less energetic than he wanted.


    He leaned against a wall and silently cursed himself for letting Cormac away, even if it would have resulted in his death if he continued.


    Seeing Tibaut''s reaction Jake couldn''t help but try and comfort him.


    "Um, Tibaut? Don''t worry too much about it. Whether we want to or not there is a high chance we''ll meet them again. (What the hell am I saying, how is saying we''re gonna run into those guys again reassuring?)" Jake questioned the words coming out of his mouth but it seemed to get Tibaut to stop moping. He now had a more focused face and Jake felt like he was staring directly into his soul.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "That''s right. They''ll keep coming back until they get rid of us. I''ll turn that bastard''s confidence into his undoing."


    Jake felt he had just added fuel to the fire but kept his mouth quiet, trying not to rile him up even further.


    The group soon decided it was time to leave the mines and they eventually made their way out (Leaving the men tied up).


    When they reached the outside, Tibaut passed out from his injuries and in this state, Avis manually readjusted his bones to straighten his arm and made a makeshift splint out of some wood and her dull wires. With Tibaut unconscious it was decided that Albus would be the one running alongside them, it was a fair decision and had nothing to do with him pissing Avis off.


    <hr>


    Tibaut soon woke up on the bed of his room, in the guest building. He looked around and realised there was no one around to greet him. He moved his formerly broken hand around, realising it now looked like a normal arm. It still pained him but the pain was nowhere near the amount he felt when his hand was broken.


    ("I swear, I wouldn''t be surprised if my hair went white from the amount of pain I''ve been through.")


    As he breathed he realized his chest was in pain as well.


    ("So she hasn''t healed my injuries fully, huh.")


    He touched his chest and felt like a searing chain had been wrapped around it. He felt his back but it seemed fully healed.


    ("At least I can lay down in peace.")


    As he was drifting off, someone entered through the door. It was Elizabeth. She had a cold look on her face but Tibaut knew she was anything but cold when he pissed her off. He scrambled out of the bed and ran towards the window, but she shockingly didn''t react to this.


    Now that he looked at her, she had a tray with a bowl of soup on it. She placed it on his bed and promptly left the room. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his heart was beating like a drum. This was a new reaction to him pissing her off and he wasn''t sure how to feel, so his body defaulted to fear.


    He slowly walked over to the bed and looked at the soup. It was a mixture of herbs and a type of fowl.


    "Is it poisoned?" He took a sip but other than it needing some more salt, he didn''t notice any adverse effects. Not sure what to do and too afraid to face her again, he stayed in the room and continued drinking the soup. As he finished it up someone else entered the room. It was Grace and she had a relieved look when she saw his face.


    "Did you get a haircut?"


    He touched his hair and looked into a nearby mirror. He saw his hair was shoulder length and cleanly cut.


    "Phew, I guess it isn''t that bad." She commented


    "That bad?" Tibaut asked.


    "No, it''s just, that Elizabeth''s reaction to you coming home was a bit concerning, so we were wondering if you are still alive or not." She said with an awkward smile. "Like when we asked about you, she''d say "A dead man doesn''t need your concern" or "It''d be better off if you don''t know". I''m surprised your eyes are even open."


    "... (...)" Both his throat and mind were empty as he heard this.


    "Don''t worry Maid Red, I''ll tell the others you''re alright."


    And Tibaut was left alone in the room yet again. He laid back down on his bed and looked at the ceiling, before falling back asleep.

 Chapter 166

    Tibaut faded in and out of consciousness during the day, occasionally catching glimpses of the others coming by to check on him. The next time he woke up, the room had gotten dark and he looked outside to see it had become nighttime. With the night as quiet as it was, he was able to organize his thoughts.


    ("So I''m back at step one huh? Old Man Bentley, whether he knew or not, handed me an opportunity to end this and I fucked up. Then I let the only lead we had escape. Bastard has probably either died in a ditch somewhere or left the parish.")


    He rolled over on the bed and pressed his head into the pillow. He soon got up and stared outside.


    ("Tch, I can''t even get revenge right. I am gonna fail like this when I go back home? Are they just gonna slip out of my hands and do what they did to me, to someone else while I twiddle my thumbs?")


    As he could feel himself get enraged and he tightly gripped the window sill, he saw something outside. It was a person several feet away walking by. His attire was all black and he wore a familiar burnt cloak. Tibaut had to pinch himself when he saw this as it didn''t feel real. He was mocking him. That had to be why this man was casually walking around outside his window.


    He immediately opened the window and jumped outside. He didn''t care that he was still injured or he was overpowered in their last encounter. He wasn''t going to let this opportunity slip away, even if he had to die to take him out.


    He flung the window open with such force it shattered and the man in black took notice and quickly walked away. Tibaut knew it was obvious he was leading him somewhere based on his reaction but he couldn''t care less.


    The thought of killing him removed any sense of self-preservation he had. He heard a door open in his exit but paid it no mind as he ran after him. Without the moonlight, he would have immediately lost him and wondered if this was some sort of redemption the gods had given him. No matter how fast Tibaut was, he was barely able to keep up with him.


    He fired fireballs and firelances at his enemy but they caused damage only to the surrounding, leaving the man himself unharmed as he skillfully dodged them while maintaining the gap between.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    This gap was so large it allowed the man in black enough time to climb up a structure and enter it through the roof. This gave Tibaut some pause but he immediately started climbing himself as he didn''t care if he went to the bowels of hell itself, he was going to be the man to kill this cultist bastard. After making his way to the roof, there was a single guard on the roof knocked out.


    He briefly checked her condition and feeling they still had a pulse he continued his chase into the main building by going down the stairs. Judging by the material used and the size of the structure, Tibaut was able to work out this was the unfinished fort the lord was working to restore to his own tastes.


    As he ran through the top floor, he noticed there were various guards on the floor and unusual implements scattered across the place. The ones he saw as he ran through were whips and collars but he chalked it off as them not cleaning the place out yet. When he ran to the bottom floor he couldn''t help but notice an awful smell coming from it.


    It almost smelled like a barn.


    At the end of the hall, he noticed the man in black exit through a door and make his escape, so Tibaut followed. As ran down he saw prison cells on each side but he paid no attention to them until he reached the exit. Until out of the corner of his eye, he saw something he had to question was real.


    He didn''t want to stop but, he didn''t want him to slip out of his hands yet again but this thing he saw was egregious, so appalling, so inhuman, he had to stop to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him. The torches on this floor were scant and the only thing that supported his vision was the few rays of moonlight coming through one of the cells. He looked in the cell and stood there in horror at what he was looking at. It couldn''t, it shouldn''t, why is there¡­ a human inside this cell?


    He looked at her hoping his eyes were playing tricks on him but she took notice of him. She was chained to a wall with a gag around her mouth and had only a single cloth covering her lower half. Her chest was exposed for all to see. She had some bruises across her body, mostly on her torso. When she caught him in her vision, all she did was start crying. She didn''t even attempt to cover her chest.


    Tibaut backed away, hoping the scene he was seeing was some sort of attack the man in black had planned but he backed into the next cell. He turned around and there was no window but he heard something. He used his magic to shine a light and he saw another woman. She had no clothing and wore more recent bruises and cuts across her body. She was soundly sleeping with bags under her eyes.


    He stepped away with anger, disgust and sympathy all having a battle over who would reside on his face. But dread became an upset winner when he realized he had looked at two cells. By his count, there were 12 here.

 Chapter 167

    As he examined the cells, his expression grew more and more pained. He had completely forgotten about the man in black at this point. He had to know if this was real. He didn''t even look in the third one as he blasted the cell''s lock with a fire lance and went inside. She was drooling as she lay on the floor and had a vacant expression in her eyes. She wore nothing but rags to cover her bottom half and nothing to cover her top.


    These and the breasts of the women before were the first Tibaut could recall he felt deeply uncomfortable looking at a pair of breasts. She had no bruises on her but looked worryingly docile. There was an empty vial on the floor beside her so Tibaut had an inkling of what happened to her. When he reached to grab her, he hesitated. He wished what he was seeing was an illusion, that instant he touched her, he''d hear a cacophony of voices mocking his stupidity, for falling into this trap.


    But he wasn''t the one to touch the other first. As he hesitated she noticed his presence. Her first action was tightly hugging the man and rubbing against him as she made muffled noises with the gag around her mouth. He gently pushed her off himself and fell back to the floor. He started hyperventilating and steadied his breath as he stood back up. Her warmth alone was enough to tell him she was real. He quickly ran out of the cell and looked in the remaining cells. They all had residents.


    All of them were chained up and gagged, some had bruises while others sat in silence. Only one had any sort of big reaction in her eyes when she saw and it was abject fear as she hid in the corner of the room and held her hand over her head, shivering.


    He tried to convince himself they might have been prisoners but no matter how vile they all were this was a step too far. He couldn''t bring himself to believe this was something that would be done to an innocent woman. As he stood in the hall contemplating what to do he saw the door open and two people come in.


    "Huh, who the hell is that? Is he the bastard that''s been causing trouble?" She commented sounding annoyed.


    "I hope this isn''t one of our clients throwing a hissy-fit." The other casually remarked. She seemed as though she didn''t have a single care as she watched her comrade walk over to him.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He ran up to the one walking towards him and grabbed her by the chest plate.


    "What the hell is this!? What the fuck have these guys done to deserve this, HUH!? Just what!!?!" He shouted at her.


    The woman had disgust across her face when he grabbed her but it quickly turned to shock.


    "Uh, well, uh."


    The other guard looked at her with confusion.


    "What''s the mat- Oh shit." She went over to him and drew his attention.


    "You''re that adventurer, aren''t you? What brings you to our¡­" she paused for a brief but very noticeable moment, "prison."


    There was visible doubt in Tibaut''s eyes and he didn''t care if those two could notice it. He went back on the attack and started lambasting them.


    "You call this a prison, what th-" Before he could get the words out he was slammed in the gut by a baton. The sneak attack paired with his remaining injuries nearly knocked the wind out of him but he managed to block the next blow coming his way.


    "You idiot what are yo-" The one he was speaking to, raised her voice at the other guard.


    "What the hell are we waiting for? This bastard left me taking out wood splinters for a day," There was a tone of disdain in her voice as she spoke. "You think I''m just gonna let this bastard leave here? You know what''d happen to the Lord and us if he did. Plus don''t you wanna kick this guy''s ass for the trouble he caused us. Help me out, you bitch!"


    She was already on the attack as she talked to the other and Tibaut seemed to be struggling to take her on as he parried the baton. The other guard looked uncomfortable as she said all this but she must have made up her mind because she also pulled out her baton. As soon the other looked ready to attack, Tibaut landed a blow to the face of the one attacking him and the other hurriedly tried to swing her baton at him. She also was sent to the floor when he got close to her and landed a roundhouse to her head.


    When they fell to the floor he began searching them and even examining hoping he''d find something to prove he was overreacting and this was all a big misunderstanding. As he looked at the girl on the floor, that hesitated to attack him, he realized she looked familiar.


    ("I remember her. She was in the garden when I visited with Grace.")


    This confirmed in his mind that the estate had some part to do with this. This wasn''t something they could hand wave away by saying it happened under their nose without their knowledge. But this left him with a question. How far up the estate did this go?


    His question was quickly answered when he saw Albus standing at the entrance of the hallway trying to hold a neutral expression, with occasional twitching on parts of his face. He always had the appearance of a princess but with the dim orange lights of the torches flicking on him, he looked like a vampire hungrily staring down his prey trapped in a dungeon.


    "Let''s talk, Tibaut."

 Chapter 168

    Tibaut removed his hands from the guard and slowly got up.


    "Albus, what the hell is all this?" He calmly asked him but his mind was anything but.


    Albus left the doorway and motioned for Tibaut to follow him. He hesitated but after seeing what this fortress held he had to get some answers, even if he had to delay finding the man in black.


    He walked outside and saw various armoured women on the floor. As he followed Albus across the manor he couldn''t help but feel like he was being led into a trap.


    They were only walking for a minute but Tibaut ran up to him and grabbed his shoulder.


    "Just tell me what that fortress was about Albus. This silent treatment isn''t doing it for me."


    Albus brushed his shoulder off and kept walking. Tibaut pulled him around and punched him in the cheek with a punch audible to any in the area but he didn''t move much less react to it. Tibaut felt like he had punched a rock with little his face gave when his fist landed. He wore the same neutral expression with no emotion coming through other than the occasional twitch.


    "We will discuss this inside." Albus removed Tibaut''s fist from his face. There was no sign of bruising. He turned around and continued walking.


    Tibaut gritted his teeth and simply followed. That prison infuriated him but held hope it was something that could be explained or had a good reason and continued following. If he didn''t, he would make sure to let the lord of the manor know.


    They continued walking until they reached the main building and uneventfully entered. Various maids were either gossiping or giving Tibaut dirty looks. He couldn''t care less and continued on, following behind him.


    They went up the stairs and walked down a long corridor before entering what Tibaut assumed was a lounge area. Avis was standing by the entrance and opened the door for them. It was a spacious area and in the center of it was a table table and two chairs. He pulled out one of them and motioned for Tibaut to sit there. He went to the other side of the table and took a seat as well.


    "Let me preface this. I''m doing this simply because I respect you. The few moments we''ve spent and our troubles in the mine, make me feel, this is the least I can do to show my gratitude."


    Tibaut''s face twisted at this statement and worried for what was to come.


    "Gratitude? What the hell are you talking about? Just tell me what was up with the fort." He sported a cold look of his own.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Don''t be like that. It''s because of that gratitude, that I haven''t taken any actions yet. I want you to make a choice, at the end of what I have to say. If it was anyone else, they wouldn''t have one."


    Tibaut could feel his body tensing at what he perceived as a treat but he continued listening for the time being.


    "This starts back when I was a child."


    <hr>


    A child was alone in his room playing with his toys. He moved the miniature carriage around and slammed it into some blocks. His face had no joy on it and he continued slamming it into the blocks. There was an argument in the room next to his, and the voices sounded muffled. They were still clear enough for him to make out.


    "What do you mean he isn''t mine, you whore!?"


    "You heard what I said, you useless bastard! Do you think he magically came about? You think that useless excuse for a dick you have can make a child?"


    An audible slap was heard.


    "You fucking bitch, I knew it. And you had the gall to call him a miracle in front of my family?" A bang was heard against the wall. "I knew I shouldn''t have taken a whore like you. You come from a third-rate family that hasn''t had any relevance in decades, yet you had the nerve to cheat on me with some riff-raff off the street? Get this through that head of yours that''s only good for pleasuring men. The Bradley family isn''t made for useless sacks of shit like yourself."


    "Useless? You''re the one with a dick that can''t get me pregnant."


    Another slam was heard followed by some crying.


    "I should have known better than to pick a woman with only good looks."


    Another slam was heard.


    "Since pleasuring men is all you''re good for then do your damn job, you hussy."


    Sounds of a struggle ensued and the voice of a woman screaming was heard.


    Albus continued slamming his toy carriage into his blocks with a vacant expression on his face. He got up and looked outside as the screams for help increased. The maids and the butlers may as well have been deaf at how little they reacted to the noise that was audible throughout this floor. They''d sneak glances at the boy peeking outside his room and continue walking along with some holding laundry.


    The boy went back into his room and the crying soon stopped. He heard slams along the lines of the ones heard earlier exiting the room in addition to the man shouting.


    "Don''t look at me like that you bitch, you think I enjoy having my wife sleep with another man? I''m taking back what rightfully¡­" his voice droned off.


    After several more minutes of silence, Albus went into his bed.


    It sounded like there was a commotion going on outside.


    "Don''t just stand there you idiots. Take her¡­ no, go to my brother''s estate and ask him to come immediately!"


    The sounds of footsteps moving away were heard and Albus laid in his bed and looked out of the window at the starry sky.


    His door soon opened. He looked to the doorway and saw his father with bloodstains on his shirt, looking at him. There was no love in his eyes and he slammed his fist against the door as he looked at Albus.


    The boy stared at his father unsure why he was staring at him like that. His eyes were much kinder earlier today. Even when he did something wrong they didn''t look as hateful as they did now.


    His father stepped into his room and picked up a block off the floor. He stared at it for a moment before staring at the boy on the bed.


    He flung the block directly at his head and the boy recoiled back and covered the now bleeding injury.


    "Don''t you stare at me like that, you bastard!!!"


    He slammed the door and the mansion was silent once more.

 Chapter 170

    The boy stayed in a cabin away from his father''s mansion and away from the people there who once treated him with respect. He was here in this wooden and bare house with his new caretaker. It was far enough from the property that it was out of mind but close enough to call him over in the case of extinguished guests visiting. After all, he was his legitimate heir so it would be quite odd if he didn''t have his son around.


    The caretaker was busy making herself stew and the boy watched her with interest. She wore the uniform of a maid but she couldn''t look more artificial in it if she tried. Her eyes showed no kindness and her rolled sleeves showed scars from who knows where. She sighed at his gaze and tasted what she cooked. She spit it out and immediately took it off the heat of the stove.


    "Hey kid, take it. I''m sure as hell not gonna eat that."


    She placed the pot on a table and went over to the counter to pick some more ingredients and try to make whatever meal she had in mind in another pot.


    The boy picked up a ladle and shared with himself some of the concoction. It looked like something out of a witch''s cauldron. It bubbled even after it was taken off the pot and it turned so dark it looked black which amazed the young boy. Did she manage to char a stew?


    As he shared his portion the distinct lack of smell genuinely unnerved him. Even water had a more noticeable scent. He couldn''t cook and the caretaker wouldn''t normally share meals with him. The most she would allow was eating some of her freshly hunted meat.


    He placed some in his mouth. It was odd. There were obviously what felt like bits of charcoal in it as well as cold pieces of meat. He attempted to take another spoonful but had to cover his mouth as he felt what went down come back up again. After forcing it down he took another bite. The maid looked at him with disinterest and continued making her own meal.


    After finishing the unusual assortment of organic matter, even Tibaut would struggle to find edible, the caretaker sat down and ate her own meal. The smell alone would make a better meal regardless of if it tasted the same. Instead of being a dark, almost black colour, it was strong brown with the ingredients taking various shades of it.


    Instead of being cold, her meat was still steaming as she picked it with her spoon and the stew had a nice consistency to it.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He had just eaten but his stomach started growling when he saw what she cooked.


    The boy got up and bowed to her.


    "Thank you for the meal, Avis."


    The maid paid him no mind and continued eating her salivating food by herself. As he walked away he felt a steaming piece of something hit his head. He looked on the floor and saw it lying there. He wasted no time dropping to the floor to pick and put it in his mouth.


    The maid looked unamused and continued eating.


    He got up and bowed again.


    "Thank you, Avis."


    She clenched her spoon but didn''t let any reaction show on her face.


    As he walked away she got up. She ran behind and tripped him to the floor.


    "Listen here you little shit, I''m the one in charge here. Don''t think kissing my ass is gonna do you any favours." She kicked him in the stomach and grabbed him to look at his face. He looked more like a girl than a boy, but that didn''t help her opinion of him.


    The boy looked her in the face and held a faint smile. "I''m sorry Avis, I promise I''ll be quieter next time."


    He didn''t struggle out of her grip and looked genuinely happy as she held him up. She moved to slap him but stopped herself. "Don''t give me that shit you little bastard, I know you hate me. Stop sucking up or I''ll twist that little dick of yours off." She started moving her hand but the boy showed no reaction.


    "Will I be more you?"


    She let go of the boy''s hair and wore a sour expression when he said that. His face slammed into the floor and he clutched his face.


    "You''re a real gross kid, no wonder your family wants nothing to do with you." She commented. She glared at him looking like she was starting a fight. She began walking away but the boy opened his mouth once.


    "What''s wrong with being like you?" He muttered. The maid looked ready to give him a beating and picked him by the back of his shirt. "You''ve cleaned my room ever since Daddy kicked me out and washed my clothes. You cook sometimes when I eat too much raw meat. And unlike daddy, you stop beating me when I get bruises. You do so much for me Avis. Is it so wrong I want to be like someone I look up to? Ever since mommy died you''ve taken care of me for all this time, unlike those other maids."


    She let go of him and wore a conflicted expression on her face when he spoke.


    "Shut up you bastard you hate me!"


    "That isn''t true," he shouted. He covered his face and recoiled but a slap or punch or any sort of blow never came. He got up and hugged her as she looked at him in disbelief.


    "You''re the only one that takes care of me, Avis. I don''t think there''s anyone I love more in the world than you. I know no one likes me but I like you."


    She punched him in the stomach and sent him to the floor. He lay there gasping for air to breathe but seeing this infuriated the maid. There was no malice or distraught in his eyes. Just the same gentle resolve she saw from him every day. Seeing this resolve in his eyes weighed on her no matter how many times she saw it. She walked away with her teeth gritted and a scowl on her face that made anyone in her path think twice.

 Chapter 171

    The boy had now grown older and moved out of the dingy cabin with his maid. They were both now allowed in the main house as his father had gone missing a year or so ago. His uncle was taking care of affairs and allowed him to be the head of the estate, as he had much of his own matters to attend to.


    They sat in the study of the old lord and Albus was laid out as he sat in the comfy chair behind the desk.


    "Hey, Albus," Avis said.


    Albus sighed. "How many times do I say it, Avis? Call me Master or Lord Bradley. I want to enjoy this."


    "Enjoy what? Your father running away?"


    Albus glared at her but rested his head back on the table.


    "I couldn''t care less what happened to that guy. As far as I''m concerned you''re the only family I have."


    Avis rolled her eyes and flicked him on his head. He recoiled back and covered the area she flicked him.


    "Those words would mean something if you weren''t so insistent on having us bathe together, and commenting on my body like fruit at a market."


    "Don''t be like that Avis, you know I love you best in that uniform."


    Avis glared at him with a hint of disgust on her face.


    "Listen here you little shit, don''t ever claim there''s any love between us. The reason I''m still here is because this paycheck is a hell of a lot easier than being a sword for hire."


    Albus moved his hand to her hip and patted it. She didn''t stop it but didn''t seem amused by it either.


    "Would you really still be here if you didn''t love me, Avis? You''ve even treated me better since Dad left. You can''t fool me."


    She sighed and pulled over a chair to sit in front of his desk. After all, there was no reason she had to inconvenience herself by standing, with only him around.


    "You think because I showed loyalty to my new employer instead of my old one, I love you? I can''t wait for the laugh I''ll have if you ever encounter a prostitute who tells you they love you."


    She had the audacity to put her feet on his table next to his face but the young man didn''t mind.


    "Be as bashful as you want Avis, I know the truth you hide in your heart."


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    As he said this he attempted to look in between her legs as they rested on his desk but she tapped him with her boot.


    "Try that again and I won''t hold back next time."


    He tried again and got left with a shoe imprint on his head.


    After the lord brushed the dirt off his head, he pulled out a box from the desk and gave it to her. It was fancily wrapped in a gaudy pink wrapping with red hearts. The maid didn''t know what it was or what was in it but the design was enough to give her a headache.


    "I hope you haven''t put my income in that, Albus or I''ll squeeze that dick of yours so hard it''ll pop like a balloon."


    He shoved the box in her face.


    "Stop with your pretence and just open it. I put a lot of thought into it."


    She looked at him with suspicion and looked at the calendar in the room.


    "(My birthday is over a month away.) This better not be something silly like a choker or lingerie. Besides, what''s the occasion?" She asked hesitantly.


    "Just open it." He responded with a smile on his face.


    She opened the box and it contained various pieces of string or wires since they metallic gleams.


    She pulled one out and pulled on as much as she could but it showed no give. She pulled out a knife she had in the chest of her uniform and tried to cut it. After it couldn''t go through, uncertainty clouded her face followed by concern.


    "A-Al, What is this?" She nearly stuttered as she asked her simple question.


    "Well, you always say you''re better with strings and steel wires in combat rather than a sword but they''re too expensive to justify using and too fragile. So I got you some durable ones you didn''t have to pay out of pocket for."


    Avis placed the box back on the desk and had a look of distraught on her face. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape.


    "Wha-what the hell are you talking about!?" she angrily shouted. "Do you know how expensive one of these would be? And you bought," she quickly looked at the box "Five!? What would your uncle think, you idiot!"


    Albus wore a carefree expression and kept smiling as she raised her voice.


    "What are you mad about? Don''t worry, they''re not cheap, they are made out of an orichalcum alloy. You could try to cut it for a month and still be unsuccessful."


    She slammed the box and moved her face closer to his.


    "Listen you little shit just because you have the money of the estate doesn''t mean you buy useless shit like this. What would that uncle think if shelling out so much of the money we have on me."


    Albus moved his face closer and kissed her on the cheek and Avis almost slapped his cheek.


    "Don''t be like that Avis, it only came out of my money."


    "Huh?"


    "My uncle was kind enough to give me some spending money for the year as a gift for taking over."


    She looked at him stunned.


    "Your money?"


    "Yup, the money responsible for managing the estate and wages are untouched."


    "But what about you? I mean you don''t think your uncle would give another gift if you asked him, do you?"


    Albus laughed. "Of course not. I guess I''ll be hunting rabbits for dinner. Though I can cook on my own now so I''ll be fine."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "That money was supposed to be my own personal food, clothes and a bunch of other stuff for myself but I don''t think anything would make me more satisfied than giving you this."


    The maid blushed slightly but slapped her master up the side of his head.


    "Tch, do look like a woman you can buy with money. Do be more careful with your spending Al."


    As she sat back down and looked outside she was reminded of the time of year. There was snow outside but it was quite light and the sky was as clear as it could be. It was this time of the year she had first met the boy.

 Chapter 172

    As another year passed in his life, the maid noticed several changes the lord had implemented.


    "Albus." She asked calmly.


    "What is Avis?" He politely responded.


    "Who are these women?" She asked while pointing to the other women in the room.


    They had hair of various colours, nice builds, with one being slim and the other two having some muscle on them, and most noticeably, pretty faces.


    "Oh, they''re your underlings."


    "..."


    The other maids in the room smiled as they looked at her and one even gave her a thumbs up.


    She took a deep breath in and placed her hand against her forehead. She turned to all of them.


    "Could you please all wait in the hallway? I have something to discuss with the lord."


    They turned to each other and slowly walked out of the room and closed the door.


    "Albus." She calmly asked.


    "So what do you think of them?"


    "Why do you ask? Are they not to your liking? Actually, let''s move back a second, why the hell are you giving me underlings you little shit? I''m here for an easy paycheck and I''m sure as not in the mood to manage those girls of yours. Put them with the other maids."


    She walked over to the ottoman in the room and lay down on it.


    Albus smirked when she told him that and got up from his chair at the wooden desk he was sitting at.


    "That''s where you''re wrong, Avis. They''re no ordinary maids." He seemed quite smug when he announced this so couldn''t help but worry.


    "I see, so that''s why you haven''t gotten me any garottes this year." She coldly commented as she looked at the ceilings.


    "With the way you use them, I don''t think you can call them those garottes anymore. I''m pretty sure whoever made them didn''t expect someone to be cutting them to cut through arms and legs instead of necks."


    The maid on the ottoman shrugged.


    "It''s not my fault they were made with uncreative purposes. So why, Lord Bradley, are they special?"


    "Oh, right. It''s cause they''re all just like you."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Avis raised an eyebrow at this comparison. She reached into her pockets and carefully kept her eyes on the door.


    "In what way exactly Al?"


    She seemed perked up and was ready for a commotion any second now.


    "I know you wouldn''t be able to tell. All the other maids noticed immediately."


    Avis wasn''t sure how to take that statement and continued listening.


    "They''re not professional maids."


    All the tension in Avis''s body vanished and she got up off the ottoman and walked over to her boss. She gave him a smack on the head.


    "What''s fucking deal, huh? You think I''m lonely or some shit you little bastard!? I swear you get more annoying every day."


    "Now, now, Avis, why would you be lonely when you have me? Besides that''s not the reason."


    Avis fixed her face, so she could get angry again when he said something stupid. She felt being permanently angry as he spoke wouldn''t have the same impact.


    "Alright pretty boy, speak up."


    "Well, you''ve been way easier to deal with than the other maids."


    She tilted her head. "Are they shit-talking you or something? I can set ''em straight if that''s all you''re asking."


    Albus frantically made an X motion with his hands while shaking his head.


    "No way! As long as they work for me I''ll treat them like human beings. I wouldn''t want a repeat of what you did to that one butler who wouldn''t stop stealing panties after I told you to talk to him."


    Avis took slight offence but shrugged her shoulders since being told to do nothing fit perfectly with her current employment.


    "No, I''m saying there''s a certain magic you have that the other maids. They''re so stiff and polite that it''s kinda miserable interacting with them. I know they''re trained to be like that but that''s not my style."


    "And what exactly have you hired these women for?"


    "To be honest, I just want more maids like you."


    "Kid, that sounds like a terrible idea."


    He held his arm out and pointed to her. "I know that''s why I''m having you train them. You''re my perfect idea of a maid so they''ll be perfect in your hands. Plus you do actually serve as an okay regular maid, so you can teach them about that as well."


    "I assume you''ll also be having your baths with them?"


    "Of course not Avis, that''s something between us."


    She sighed.


    "I see. You truly are deplorable."


    "Woah what''s this about?" He asked, feeling whiplash from her sudden mood switch.


    "You can call them my underlings all you want but all you''re making is a harem, Master, like those savages in the south."


    "Come on, Avis, it isn''t like that." He moaned in a whining voice.


    "Alright, then explain in more detail about that excuse of yours about creating more me''s."


    Albus got up and pushed his chair under his desk. He walked up to her and hugged her.


    "I mean it''s pretty embarrassing saying this?" He blushed as he spoke and was glad she couldn''t see his face right now. "When you took care of me in that cabin, it was one of happiest times in my life. You took care of me, you bathed, you fed me food and you didn''t treat me as badly as the others here. When I looked into their eyes all saw was disgust but when I looked into yours you saw me as a person and tried to treat me like one too. More than any of the women who work here, you feel like the ideal maid. Is it so bad I''d want more of my ideal maids here? In my eyes, anyone who starts as a maid can''t be one I''ll ever want. Not a true one anyway. They have to gr-"


    Avis pushed him off of her and delivered a punch to his gut. She brought back her fist and clicked her tongue when she felt it sting, shocked he had the audacity to use his magic.


    "So what you''re saying is they''re all useless and you''re hoping for them to be more like me. sigh (Albus, I know the people in your life were terrible but I''m also one of them!)"


    He looked into blank space and rested his hand on his chin.


    "Not exactly but if that explanation works for you then sure. I expect good things, Avis."


    He gave her a thumbs up and she promptly left the room with her mood soured.

 Chapter 173

    As Avis interacted with the three girls she came to know two things.


    1. The women had all come from lower-income backgrounds.


    2. They believed they were all going to be the mistresses of Albus.


    While the second thing wasn''t surprising to her the first one did leave somewhat of an impact on her.


    She remembered the first time she saw how much his father offered her to work for him and she couldn''t bring herself to say no. If she had, she''d either be dead or have lost most of her limbs. In a way, she saw what Albus was doing for these girls as generosity and contemplated giving them a hard time.


    He said he wanted nothing romantic out of them and talked about mostly making his own maids from the ground up (whatever that meant). If these three hussies ever had the nerve to take advantage of the Albus she''d kick them out and, more importantly, take their salaries for herself.


    It was initially negative but as she and Albus interacted with the girls, they soon became a cornerstone of his mansion. They all became full-fledged maids a year or so after working. Certain rumors did start popping up when this happened but the five couldn''t care less. In fact, to some women in the area, he became known as somewhat of a saviour.


    Somewhere you could make comfortable money while ensuring you didn''t have to sell your body. This fact emboldened Albus. He had seen his idea had worked. He could create more of his perfect idea of a maid. And so he hired more and created more of his own personal maids until that became all he was known for within his family.


    But he would soon realize not every woman he hired was a success.


    In his study were three people, Avis, himself and another maid with grey hair, sitting in front of his desk.


    Avis wore a cold expression and Albus looked excited. Sometime during his maid-hiring escapades, his uncle had volunteered to hire his formally trained maids and take them off his hands as he saw the direction Albus was heading down and found it interesting. With this Albus hired over thirty maids and the woman before them was #31.


    "Happy to have you aboard Misha." He reached his hand out to shake hers.


    "Oh, right, happy to work for you, Lord Bradley!" She shook his hand happily.


    It took only four days after her hiring for the first incident.


    As she left the dining area with some colleagues, they ran into Avis. The maids had all adopted the habit of bowing whenever they saw her which annoyed her to no end. As Misha went to bow something fell from her. It was a fork.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Her colleagues looked confused by this and Avis immediately picked it up


    "Oh, it''s one of Albus''s dinner forks. Thank you for finding it, Misha."


    Misha had a soft smile on her face. "No worries Avis, I was just on my way to bring it to the lord himself."


    She said her goodbyes and immediately left with the group.


    The next incident happened when she visited the library. Avis kept an eye on her as she left and stopped her.


    "Misha, you know you''re not supposed to bring those books out, correct?"


    The grey-haired maid looked at her with concern plastered on her face.


    "Oh no, is that so? I never realised. I''m sorry, I''ll put it back right away."


    As she walked away, Avis had something else to say.


    "And make you put back any other books taken from here as well."


    "Of course." She responded, "I''ll get the others immediately."


    She quickly left the room.


    Avis reported to her master about the two incidents.


    "Hmm, those don''t seem too bad," Albus responded to her info.


    "My lord, might I remind you, your cutlery gifted from your uncle is made of pure silver."


    "R-really!? I never really use them much unless he''s over. (Wait is she implying-)" He commented.


    Avis sighed and continued.


    "And might I remind you of the book of ours I saw in a local pawn shop."


    "Come on Avis, you aren''t saying-"


    Avis cut her master off. "I am saying she was attempting to steal these items. Al if you hire people like it isn''t surprising this is gonna happen. I''m surprised it didn''t happen sooner."


    "Are you sure you''re not overthinking things, Avis?" He asked with his mood considerably lowered.


    "Al, stop making excuses, it''s clear as day what she''s doing. If she''s doing this stuff after being here for two weeks, imagine what she''ll do in a year."


    Albus groaned in displeasure and slid back in his chair.


    "Tch, dammit, for the time being just call her in."


    They called her in for a discussion. After a lengthy discussion and a dressing down from Avis, the girl left in tears both from regret and thankfulness she kept her job.


    "Did you have to go that hard Avis?" Albus asked after talking to her.


    "Albus, you shouldn''t take the words of people too easily. (Though I suppose I''m to partially blame for him not being more cautious.)"


    After that meeting her antics stopped for a week. Then Avis once checked in on her and found more money than she could have possibly had. She checked with the other maids and sure enough, they had noticed missing some small quantities of money.


    She reported this again to her master and they had a serious discussion about letting her go. During this discussion, his uncle happened to stop by and overheard the conversation.


    "Albus, is it so hard to let this one woman go?" He asked. His uncle was a portly fellow and had a face most people were convinced couldn''t show anger.


    "Yes, Master Bradley, my lord is having a hard time letting her go, I''m hoping you can convince him."


    "No, I''m just saying maybe she deserves another chance ya know. Imagine if I wrote you off for one mistake." He said while looking at Avis. "I want to give her a proper chance."


    Before Avis could open her mouth, the portly man raised his hand and Avis let him go ahead.


    "Why don''t you entrust her with me? I got some proper maids with me." Albus and Avis both opened their eyes in shock. "I''ll have them keep an eye on her and try to lead her down the right path if she strays. They''re good at dealing with that sort of thing."


    "Are you sure Uncle Choeros?"


    "Of course just leave her to me."

 Chapter 174

    After agreeing on what to do with her, his uncle came for her and Albus spent his next few weeks waiting in anticipation. Unfortunately, it seemed she didn''t have the skills to hang out as she soon quit within the following weeks. This left Albus feeling somewhat mixed, but Avis decided it was a necessary experience for him and they both agreed to send any troublemakers to his uncle for the time being. This was the state of things for the next year or so.


    "Uncle Choeros, how is Nile doing?" Albus asked.


    The two men were fishing in a pond that had been installed on the property. The sun was out and it was now the middle of summer. Albus wasn''t a fan of this as his pale skin got skin burnt easily and Avis, and some of her cronies, would show no mercy making fun of him. But he did respect his uncle for helping him out and allowing him to watch over this estate his way. He didn''t have any friends of his sex but his uncle was the closest thing to one.


    "Hoho, that one eh?"


    He responded while carefully observing the water. That response didn''t give Albus much confidence.


    "Boy, not everyone is cut out to be a maid. The ones you have here are true fighters, but the ones that come over to me aren''t the most resilient."


    "Oh." He had no smile on his face and his voice had no energy to it.


    "Don''t be like that boy, I''m sure one of these days you''ll have one of them return to ya."


    "I hope. You know Uncle Choeros, I''m really glad you''re, uh, entertaining this. Most of the family just call me a pervert."


    "Hoho, of course, boy. I''ll admit I was a bit concerned when you started doing it but the place just seems so cheery recently, I couldn''t help but wonder about trying it myself. Besides, they don''t think you''re a pervert, just a misguided boy with too much money."


    The big man could feel something drag on his line and started pulling back on it.


    "(Isn''t that just a nicer way of calling me a pervert?) I''m glad you can see what I''m trying to do here Uncle Choeros."


    The fish he had gotten on his line managed to escape and the two men continued fishing until evening. His uncle left after dinner and the place quieted down.


    The entire manor had gone to sleep but screaming was soon heard coming from the entrance.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The two female guards outside weren''t sure what the noise was about and one walked up to the gate.


    "ALBUSSSSS!!!" The figure shouted.


    "(Ugh, is it a beggar? No, I''m sure most don''t know our lord''s name.) Who goes there?" She calmly asked.


    Whoever they were, they weren''t important enough for the lord to give them prior notice of their arrival.


    She walked closer to the figure reaching their hands through the gate and shined the light of her lantern at her.


    They could tell at first glance it was a woman. Where they are looking for a job? Unfortunately, the lord would go to local bars and taverns for his recruitments. Better luck next time.


    But on closer examination, she wasn''t wearing any proper clothes. They seemed more like rags than clothing. How could she walk around in such a thing and not feel ashamed? Her clothing was also dirty as could be, it was like she had been crawling in mud before she came here. Her skin wasn''t that clean as well and she had an odour to her.


    The guard pulled out a spear and pointed it at her.


    "Scram you tramp, do you think we would hire someone like you!?" She shouted at her.


    Her face was somewhat obscured by her hair. She quickly looked into her face as she heard her voice. There was no anger in her response to the insult lobbed at her just. Just a subtle look to the guard''s face.


    "Casey?" She asked weakly.


    The guard showed visible confusion at having her name said. Just who was this grey-haired person who appeared before her?


    Her face looked malnourished and the guard didn''t have the best memory. Until she remembered the only person she knew with grey hair. Her heart sank even considering if it was this person but she asked anyway.


    "M-misha?" She meekly asked.


    The person outside fell to the ground and started crying. The guard quickly opened the gate and went outside. She felt unease seeing her former colleague like this.


    "Misha!? What happened to you?" She asked.


    The grey-haired girl just lay on the ground crying.


    After quickly calling the other guard over they brought her inside and decided to treat her. Albus himself rushed down to see and thankfully saw her in a more sightly state with some actual clothing on.


    "Misha? So it is true she returned. What happened to her?" He worriedly asked the women there.


    "..."


    She looked like she knew something but didn''t want to say it. Well, that wasn''t right, all he could clearly tell was that there was a large amount of discomfort on her face. She even tried to walk away but Albus quickly grabbed her.


    "What is it? She looks fine to me but is there something wrong with her?"


    The maid started to look like a cornered animal and grabbed his hand to drag him somewhere more silent.


    ("What''s this about?") He wondered as she brought him over to an empty storage area.


    "Master¡­" she said.


    "Just call me Albus, just tell me the issue."


    "Well, I was talking to her earlier while she was awake and¡­" she seemed hesitant to speak.


    "Just spit it out already, what is it?" He impatiently asked.


    "Sir, how much do you know about your uncle?" She asked. Her voice cracked as she asked this which made this question seem very suspicious.


    "Well, he provides for me and if it wasn''t for him I wouldn''t be hiring people like you so what is it?"


    "I-i see. Is that all?"


    "Janett, just tell me what it is and stop beating around the Bush. Did he overwork her or something?"

 Chapter 175

    A day passed, and Albus called his uncle over to discuss something. It was a very unassuming message but this was probably the first time he had invited his uncle over with no holiday or special date close by.


    They both sat under a gazebo with Avis standing guard close by. They had an assortment of charcuterie on a table and ate as they talked. His uncle seemingly showed no restraint and had already gone through half the table.


    "(Ugh, sorry girls, looks like there aren''t going to be any leftovers.) Geez, Uncle Choeros, you should ease down, this was meant to last the entire evening."


    Although the portly man with several more chins than he should was quickly cleaning through the table, the way he ate wasn''t undignified or grotesque. He ate gracefully like any other noble but the speed at which he did it, made it seem like he was fast-forwarded.


    "Ohoho, my boy, glutton isn''t something to be ashamed of when around family. In fact, you should be glad you have people you can be around who would laugh at your antics instead of condemning you."


    "(Uncle, at least let me fill my stomach before you finish the table.) I guess you''re not wrong there."


    Looking at his uncle so cheery, he knew what he heard had to be some sort of lie or miscommunication. There was no way a man like him had any bone in his body that would allow him to do such a thing. Someone had to be taking advantage of his uncle in some way.


    "So you read my letter Uncle Choeros." The tone and general atmosphere of Albus shifted when he said these few words. It sounded like he struggled to even get the words out of his mouth. His eyes quickly darted off his uncle and towards the table and he became fidgety as he tapped his fingers across the table.


    His uncle seemed none the wiser and responded.


    "Of course Albus. This is the first time you''ve called out here, isn''t it? So what is it? Finally feel capable enough to manage this estate without my help? If you''d like I can transfer this property over to your name by the end of the day." He said as picked up all forty slices of prosciutto and elegantly scarfed down the chunk of meat.


    Albus couldn''t hide his shock when his uncle suggested this and stared at him wide-eyed before quickly fixing his gaze.


    "So it is that. Honestly, I''ve been wondering when you were going to ask to take over. This place is your father''s property after all, it wouldn''t make sense for a brother to inherit it rather than his own son." His uncle continued.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Albus felt so shocked he didn''t know what to respond with. He felt the tension in his body slowly dissipate and felt he no longer needed to ask the question he had in the first place.


    ("Choeros has treated me so kindly throughout the years. And now he''s offering this? There''s no way he''s related to what Misha talked about. I''d stake my life on it.")


    "That''s not what I called you here for Uncle Choeros but you''ll have to give me some time to prepare if you''re going through with that."


    "Ohoho of course, I can''t expect you to jump into the saddle so readily. Hmmm, but that''s strange, what did you ask for me to come here for?" His uncle commented as he ate a stack of 20 crackers without getting a single crumb on him.


    "(I''d feel kinda disrespectful if i said anything now.) Well¡­"


    "Out with it, we are family aren''t we?"


    "(I can''t just outright say it''s him)Uncle, I think there''s someone unsavoury on your property. I received a letter from one of my old maids and the things they wrote about were concerning."


    His uncle continued eating and Albus noticed a few crumbs around his mouth. His uncle started laughing.


    "Haha, letter? Don''t lie to me Albus, isn''t she already on your property?" he said cheerily.


    "I mean I ca-" He felt his heart rate spike. His response was so casual he just went with it for a moment before realizing what he asked.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    "Uncle Choeros?"


    "Tsk, so that bitch came here." The fat man sitting across didn''t care about his appearance anymore and started shovelling food in his mouth, like an overgrown pig.


    He felt his throat start to dry and Albus started stuttering trying to get a word out.


    "So it''s true, eh?" His uncle remarked after observing his reaction. He gave an unsoundly burp and looked straight into Albus''s eyes.


    Fear took hold of Albus but his nonchalant attitude as he spoke also pissed him off. He flipped the emptied table and stood up as he faced his.


    "Uncle Choeros, what do you mean that bitch came here? Are you saying what you did was true!?" He shouted at the man. It seemed to also draw Avis''s attention as she looked at him with a glare that held nothing but disgust and reached into her pockets as she walked over.


    The fat man waved his hands at Albus.


    "Of course I did. Do you think I''d take a babe like that and just use her cooking and cleaning? Albus, you''re a naive kid. But I gotta say, you have a talent. The men she satisfied said she was a prodigy. Hell, all the women you sent me were at minimum silver."


    "All the women I sent?" Albus weakly muttered.


    He fell to his knees. He felt like vomiting and gagged a few times as he processed what he said. He had tears in his eyes and gritted his teeth.


    Avis ran towards the tub of lard sitting comfortably in front of her master. As she did so, something whizzed past her face and left a cut on her cheek. She looked to the ground and saw a smoking hole in the ground.


    Choeros wagged his finger at her. "Now, now, you didn''t think I''d come without some insurance. I''m not my brother after all."


    Avis glared at the man who had more in common with a hippo than a human being and stopped her approach in the meantime.


    "YOU BASTARD!!!! YOU WHORED THEM OUT!?!"


    "Of course I did. You don''t think I''d take a bunch of beautiful women and not put them to use. In fact, I think some of them have really adapted to pleasuring my clients. You even had a few virgins in there."


    Albus was left speechless by how unapologetic he was.


    "Selling off their virginities was one of the best ideas I ever had."

 Chapter 176

    The man before him wasn''t his beloved uncle who had taken care of him when his other family had abandoned him. He was a plain monster. Albus didn''t think twice about ending him here after hearing the words that came out of his mouth and ran towards him like a crazed beast. He didn''t even take two steps before he felt a searing pain in his side.


    He fell to the ground and clutched his side.


    "Agaggdgf!"


    He wailed in pain and realised from the wetness in his hands that he was bleeding. He looked at his side and saw his blood ebbing from a wound in his abdomen. Avis quickly ran towards him and tore part of her uniform off to try and stop his bleeding.


    His uncle had no change in his gaze and simply yawned at his nephew groaning in pain.


    "Did you think I wouldn''t attack you? Don''t be such a fool. After all, I can just claim one of your maids did it and those foolish officers would be none the wiser."


    He got up out of his chair and dusted himself off.


    "Now that we''ve reached this point I suppose I better put you to good use."


    "You bastard!" Albus forced out through the pain. ("Why the hell didn''t my magic at least mitigate that attack? And I can still feel pain too.") As soon as his uncle confirmed what he did to the woman he used his magic to protect himself since he wasn''t foolish enough to believe his uncle would come without some sort of protection, but this was beyond his expectations.


    "Listen here you privileged little shit, do you think you can defy me?" His uncle asked. "I own this pitiful estate and I''m the reason this place has any cash flow. What do you think would happen even if you could attack me?"


    As Avis was busy stopping his bleeding, Albus reacted to his words.


    "Even if you kill me, I''ll just have one of my heirs take this place. And do you know what would happen then? They would probably use all the women here in my business."


    "You bastard!" Albus shouted with a scratchy throat.


    "Now, now, Albus, I''m not saying I won''t allow you to run this place how you normally would I leave you alone for the time being but I think it''s about time you contributed something to our family, monetary wise. Just throw a girl of yours to me every once in a while and I''ll let you continue living this life."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Rot in hell, you bastard!" Albus spat at him.


    "I see. Then expect me back within a few hours. I''ll need some help if I''m going to take back my property. Though I wonder what would happen to most of those women you provide for if they tried to escape."


    The fire in Albus''s eyes started to dissipate when he mentioned the women.


    "They might escape but then I might have to report they were involved in the death of my darling nephew."


    "D-don''t." Albus softly asked.


    "Sorry Albus but you''re not being reasonable, I dear sa-"


    He was cut off by Avis.


    "Hold on, do you only need women?"


    The fat bastard licked some sauce that had been left on his finger as he looked at her.


    "Yes. In case you''re wondering, I don''t care where they came from. They just have to have some looks and I''m satisfied, in case you were wondering." He was speaking about them like there were items. He didn''t care about their brand, just their quality. "I wasn''t lying when I said you had an eye for talent Albus."


    Avis gulped in hesitation and continued with her idea. "What if my lord¡­" she breathed in deeply before saying the next sentence, "Gave you a woman that wasn''t under his employ." She asked with a pained expression while looking away.


    Choeros scratched various of his chins while pondering the thought.


    "I suppose there would be no problem. Hehehe, it seems you have a quick learner with you there, Albus. Oh, you don''t look too good."


    Albus''s eyes were half opened and he was struggling to breathe. Whatever he was shot with was no joke. Although Avis wanted to run inside and get him some proper treatment she knew she had to finish discussing with this bastard before she could.


    "Abo-"


    He cut her off.


    "I assume you want the other ladies that were sent to me, yes?" As the fat man spoke it seemed like this was something he expected. "I''ll return them as soon as you make your next payment. After all, it would do me no good to slight my new business partners after all."


    She was shocked by how reasonable he was after she agreed to do this.


    "Why?"


    "Why would I not? I got wanted, didn''t I? As long as you can bring me enough women to replace those I already have, your hands are as dirty as mine. Whether you and that boy would like to admit it or not, as far as the royal court is concerned we''re both the same thing. And as long as you want to live the lives you have been living you''ll listen to my commands."


    He patted his stomach and walked off.


    "Be ready by next week or I''m not sure I can guarantee those women''s lives. If you can''t even do that then I''m not sure keeping this relationship between would even be beneficial."


    He walked away without sparing them a glance and Avis quickly lifted Albus up and ran towards the closest building towards them. She looked to at least get a look at the hidden attacker but the only thing she saw indicating his presence was an opened window. It seemed he had already left. After all, like the bastard said, it didn''t matter if they killed him, it would only make their situation worse.

 Chapter 177

    After being brought into an internal infirmary at the estate, Albus was left unconscious and the maids discussed amongst themselves. The maids involved were all close confidants of Avis, had some combat experience, and had been on the less savoury end of life for a few years. After their discussion, Avis immediately approached Albus to check up on him. It wasn''t until it was night that he woke up.


    He winced as he tried to sit and placed his hand at his side. He felt pain but realised he could now use his magic to counteract it.


    "I guess that was real." He coldly commented. His eyes had no life and he blankly stared at the space in front of him.


    "Alb- Master Bradley." Avis weakly said to him. She was in no pain physically but suggesting what she at that moment, had slowly been picking at her mind throughout the day. She couldn''t imagine how he would react after he woke and felt some anxiety as she sat in the room with him. She couldn''t imagine how disgusted he would feel with her but the guilt would be unbearable if she hid away from him.


    "Earlier when I made my suggestion to your uncle-" As she talked she noticed a tear running down one of his eyes.


    "H-h-hey Avis, c-can''t we just run away?" He stuttered.


    Avis shook her head.


    "I''ve been having the feeling I''ve been watched these past few days even before your uncle visited. If I had to guess, it''s his work." Avis told him with a downcast face.


    Albus hid his face between his hands and started crying.


    "Avis, was this a mistake? Did I cause this?" He asked through his sniffling.


    She only wore a pained expression as he sat on the bed with his hand in his face.


    "Of course I did. I knew. I thought he was allowing us to get back on our feet before I took the duties of a lord. I knew it was suspicious how he treated me yet I never questioned it. Was it so bad to believe someone in this family would treat me like I was a part of it?" The tears flowed through his hands and Avis could feel herself wanting to cry as well. She was the first person to treat him kindly in his eyes but in her perspective that honour belonged to his uncle. She couldn''t imagine what he was going through right now. But that had to wait. As he cried, Avis interrupted him resting a hand on his shoulder.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Lord Bradley, please stop with this pitiful display." There was no emotion on her face. "Whether you want to admit it or not, your uncle wasn''t the man you thought he was. I had to bail you out. I, a maid instead of the supposed owner of this mansion, suggested the logical conclusion to get him off your back. If you-" She stuttered but soon regained composure. "If you couldn''t even make a suggestion like that for our sake then I''m not sure you want to protect us. Just sit here and wallow in the fact you nobles can''t be buddy-buddy with each other. I will make sure we will still be here when next week comes."


    As she removed her hand, Albus looked like he was going to burst into even more tears. "I''m sorry for getting you involved with this Avis. Because of me," he stopped himself. Was he going to let Avis do this by herself? He grabbed her hand. "No, I have to help."


    She quickly removed his hand. "Don''t be foolish. What could you do other than hinder our efforts?"


    "Avis please, I can''t let you do this by yourself. I know you''re doing this to push me away."


    She turned and tried again to walk but Albus got off the bed and ran towards her. He could barely manage to stay on his feet and Avis quickly caught.


    "Alb- Master, what do you think you''re doing?" She let some emotion slip out but quickly hid it.


    "Avis, I''m not gonna let you be my scapegoat."


    "W-what a ridiculous suggestion, we''re only doing this to ensure our lives and paychecks continue."


    Albus hugged her tightly. Avis tried to push him but couldn''t bring herself to do it.


    "You''re right, you''re only doing this to ensure your lives."


    "Albus?"


    "Then I should also pitch in, shouldn''t I? After all, he did say I had a talent for picking these women out."


    She forcefully pushed him off and dragged him over to his bed.


    "The only thing you keep yourself concerned about is recovering. Leave those matters to myself."


    "Please," Albus asked. "Let me shoulder this burden with you."


    Avis gritted her teeth. ("Dammit you little bastard, I was afraid of this exact thing happening. As a mercenary, I did things just as awful if not worse. Just let me handle it. I can''t have you turn out like a bastard like him.")


    A certain fat man came into her mind.


    He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. She turned away and answered.


    "Sigh I''ll never allow you to take part with us. But I suppose you will know about them regardless."


    Unsurprisingly Avis''s group agreed to help since most knew a thing or two about kidnapping. After talking to Avis, Albus became a larger part of the meetings Avis had with her confidants. He mainly gave them criteria he considered when picking someone for the job and they got to work finding one. They eventually tracked her house down to some run-down town that hadn''t seen prosperity in decades and Albus himself had come to watch. Even if he wasn''t going to be at times they kidnapped someone, he at least wanted to be present for this first time. He had to bear witness to this sin with his own eyes.

 Chapter 178

    It was a calm night and he was placed in an abandoned building across the street from their target. The women said nothing after this and all slowly approached the house. He could feel his heart rate increase and a part hoped the women would abandon him. He wasn''t sure about his eye for women but he was the one who gave them the go-ahead, after seeing her a few times in a local bar.


    As he watched in silence, he noticed one of the women finally starting to make their move. She entered through the window of the building. He wondered where the others were but soon had his attention on the building he was standing in. He realized its roof was damaged to the point he could see the night sky outside. He saw the roofs of other nearby buildings and they had the same issue, including their victim''s house. Poverty seems to be an issue in this part of town.


    Albus had a knack for less fortunate women but who would have known it would have benefited him in this way?


    He didn''t see or hear any commotion from the house. He was alone in the dark building with his thoughts. He wondered if they had failed somehow and walked from the window to get a closer look. Before he could make another step he saw one of the women in full black leave the building with a sack over her shoulder, with several other women following her.


    The feeling Albus felt as he watched them leave with her was indescribable. He clutched the wooden window sill he leaned against and left visible cracks in it. He had sentenced this young woman to a fate comparable to death. All for the sake of the women he knew. All because he was foolish to trust his family. And after seeing how easy it was, he couldn''t help but laugh.


    She had her own life and probably went through tribulations of her own but he laughed at how easily he could throw her life away just because he didn''t know her. The relief he felt knowing the maids he sent away would be returned outweighed any guilt he had at witnessing this. Something in him changed that night and he embraced it with open arms.


    Avis approached him and removed the woman from the sack. Albus walked over to the woman and gave her a pat on the head.


    "Thank you for protecting my daily life."


    There was some bruising around her neck and it wasn''t hard to see how they knocked her out.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Two weeks passed and Albus managed to get all the women his uncle desired. They both sat in his study with Avis standing guard outside.


    "Well, I''ll be." His uncle commented after entering the room. "You did manage to get 18 women, and they''re all lookers too."


    "Did you think I wouldn''t do it?" Albus coldly asked.


    "Well, I''m just surprised you have such a talent for it. You and your maids here are honestly better than some professionals I''ve worked with." He took out a pipe and began having a puff. "Just like you''ve asked, I''ve dropped them all here. (I was planning to kill one for each one he didn''t have a replacement for but, I suppose some people in this world have talents in areas you wouldn''t expect.)"


    The man with as many chins as a pig had nipples, pulled out a piece of paper. He looked it over and it was an internal agreement of sorts, with a company named "East Anglia Exotic Enterprises".


    "By the way, from now on you''ll be dealing with the men from this company. I don''t have time to be showing up here every week."


    He pulled a pin and handed it to him.


    "Make sure you properly get your thumbprint on it." His uncle told him.


    ("So this was how he was going to control me after I got the women back")


    While this world wasn''t as advanced as Tibaut''s, blood and a thumbprint were easy ways of verifying a person, if you had enough money.


    He pricked his thumb without hesitation and pressed it against the paper.


    His uncle quickly snatched the paper out of his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."


    He scurried away and left the mansion not long after.


    He got up and made his way outside.


    "How are the ones that came back?"


    Avis turned to him. "In terms of body, they are slightly malnourished. In terms of mind, half of them aren''t fully here. Master Bradle-"


    She was cut off by him. "You know Avis, I''ve realised something these last few weeks."


    She remained silent.


    "I don''t care what I''d have to do, but I know I''d do anything to keep you guys safe. So if you ever feel too tired let me know. I''ll do it myself "


    Avis gritted her teeth and looked away from his face. She was the one who had suggested it, so there was not a chance she would make her master do what she had pitched.


    "Don''t be foolish Lord Bradley, if you end up being caught, it wouldn''t benefit any of us. Just sit back and let us do our job."


    <hr>


    A year passed and his uncle was in front of him.


    "It''s a damn shame those three maids of yours were caught in a human trafficking ring. It''s such a shame really I wouldn''t have expected it from them." The old man sarcastically commented.


    "Uncle Choeros, what is the purpose of this visit exactly? This is the first time in several months you''ve decided to visit me." Albus coldly asked.


    "Can''t a man visit his nephew¡­" His uncle''s expression changed. "Leave this property. The police are finding you too suspicious."

 Chapter 179

    Albus raised his eyebrow. "And go where exactly? Uncle, I''ve been doing all that you''ve asked of me for the past year. Don''t think you can try and screw me over now. I''ve accepted that I have to throw random women''s lives away to protect what I have here so-"


    Choeros raised his hand and Albus stopped talking while trying to glare a hole into his uncle.


    "Listen, kid, I get you''re all hung up about your women taking the fall but I have no reason to screw you. The women you bring in are some of my top earners when it comes to businesses and those exotic poisons you keep hidden away give a decent chunk of change as well. Even if you didn''t give me women, people would still find you suspicious after what happened to those women. Just move to some bumfuck parish for a few years to wait until this stuff is old news."


    Albus clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair.


    "But you are growing arrogant, aren''t you little shit." His uncle commented. He got up out of his chair and walked closer to Albus. Albus got up in response and walked closer to him. They eyed each other down. His uncle tapped him on his shoulder and laughed.


    "Hehe, it''s like looking at a younger version of myself."


    Albus brushed his hand off. "Don''t compare me to a bastard like you!"


    Choeros laughed it off. "You even sound like me back then." He turned around and went back to the table. ("It seems any fear he had of me from the past year is now gone. Maybe he''s thinking of mutually assured destruction if I try anything. He has been bringing more combat-ready women under his employ lately. What naive thinking.")


    Albus sat back down and looked relieved. ("I know I objected, but if all I have to do is move then I probably won''t have to do any more kidnappings. Honestly, I''m not sure how much longer some of the girls can do it while saying it''s for our sakes.")


    "Wipe that smile off your face boy, you''re still going to be doing some work for me, just under a different company."


    Any relief on Albus''s face disappeared and he looked at the man with contempt.


    "Sorry boy, but staring at me isn''t going to change anything about your predicament. If you''re not quick enough the police might receive an anonymous tip about the criminal group you work for along with a thumbprint proving your loyalty. Even I wouldn''t be able to help you then."


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Albus kicked his desk and his uncle waved before making his exit.


    ("Just you wait you bastard. Your day will come and I''ll be the one to deliver it.")


    Within a few days, he and Avis had travelled to the site, his uncle prepared for him.


    "Master, are you alright?" Avis asked.


    Throughout the whole journey, Albus wore a furious expression and had little to say about their destination. When Avis spoke to him, he immediately fixed his face and nodded his head.


    "Oh don''t worry about it Avis, I just had something unpleasant on my mind."


    "I see. My lord, what has your uncle ordered of you?"


    Albus scratched and laughed awkwardly.


    "Was it that obvious?" he asked.


    "Yes, my Lord."


    Since none of the workers had arrived, and the place was already abandoned, so he could freely speak.


    He sighed. "Apparently, my uncle wants us to continue our operations with the women of this parish." He replied dejectedly.


    "Don''t worry, Master Bradley, as soon as we get our bearings we''ll get to work right away."


    "Yeah."


    They began walking around the land around the fort, not saying a word to each other.


    ("How long am I going to make her do this?") Albus wondered. ("How long are we going to be under his thumb, following his orders.")


    He accepted he could sacrifice others for his own life but he couldn''t accept having Avis and other maids be the ones to do the kidnapping. He wanted an environment where he could be happy with these women and create his ideal maid yet it resulted in him becoming a master at abducting women. Given what happened at his old mansion he needed someone else to take the fall or at least look suspicious if the kidnapping were to continue.


    As the days went on he had his first encounter with the patriots harassing him. The glimmers of an idea formed in his head but it would take a few more months until he could bring it to fruition.


    <hr>


    It was after their first on-the-estate attack.


    As they looked at the rubble around them Albus walked over to Avis with an idea.


    ("With these actions tonight, it wouldn''t be strange if they did something like that, would it? After all, they''re a group of men, and they seem pretty hated in the parish. I can protect Avis and the others with this. It might cause greater pressure on those idiots so I don''t have to deal with them anymore.") He smirked at his idea.


    "Hey Avis, when the other maids come here, make sure to monitor the movements of this group."


    Avis looked at the pile of bodies she had gathered. "Not to worry Lord Bradley, I''ll deal with them before the others even arrive."


    "Actually, that''s why I want them monitored."


    "?" Avis looked at him confused.


    "They can be our scapegoats. Think about it, would it be strange if a group like theirs took a woman or two?"


    Avis had a calm expression but this shocked her internally. "(That pig bastard! To think his influence on him would allow for an idea like this. The old Albus never would have suggested an idea like this but this, this, business of his has caused his mind to change.) I see you''re growing more used to this, Lord Bradley."


    "Tch, it stings hearing that from you. But I suppose it is true."

 Chapter 180

    After the maids of his had arrived, Albus enacted his plan. Avis diligently stalked this group of ruffians for a few months and when the time came they struck.


    A group of men in rambunctious spirits had made fools of themselves as they exited the pub. They punched each other, spilt beer on the ground, slapped each other''s asses (as well as any passers-by) and were a general nuisance to anyone that lived in the small village. They left the village and no one there longed for their return.


    As the day soon turned to night, a woman walking home noticed how empty the main dirt road of the village had gotten.


    "That''s strange¡­ is there something going on?"


    She continued walking along the road but as much as she walked there was no one else but her. Maybe the village had decided to rest early after those punks had been partying all day. As long as she got home, she could always ask her parents what was going on.


    She got somewhat side-tracked looking for another person and groaned when she realised ended up on the side of the village further away from her home.


    "I swear, everywhere here looks the same." She muttered as she turned around. As she walked she noticed something in the yard of the nearby houses. With the night so dark she hadn''t noticed it before but there was something on the ground. It breathed and made a strange sound as it lay on the floor.


    ("Don''t tell me it''s a stray sheep? Shit maybe it''s a wolf!") As she decided to mind her own business rather than mess with a strange creature on the ground, a hand was placed around her mouth.


    She briefly considered it was a friend trying to frighten her but she was quickly sent to the floor and dragged behind the stone fence of the home she viewed. She didn''t know what was going on and tried to struggle out of it but she couldn''t move her limbs the way she wanted. She noticed a powder had been thrown in her face and slowly lost consciousness. As she felt herself fading the thing in front caused her to make a muffled scream to briefly ring throughout the village. It was no animal but a human being that looked to be in terrible condition. Their head was split open though they kept breathing.


    As she desperately tried to figure out what was going on, she finally fell unconscious.


    She woke up in a cell with her hands and legs chained. She tried to call for help but a gag had been tied around her mouth.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Albus was staring into her cell, looking quite curious.


    "She''s not gonna cut it." He disappointedly remarked.


    "I see, Lord Bradley. Then what shall we do with her?" The maid beside him asked.


    "For the time being, we''ll figure it out after these contacts of my uncle stop by."


    The woman had been making noises for help but the pair paid her no mind as they walked off.


    Soon rumours began spreading across the parish about what had happened in the village. Mysterious attackers had come in the dead of night in a peaceful village and taken all the young women they could get their hands on. What happened the day after, all but confirmed who the suspects were. At least to those not in the know.


    The estate was littered with the bodies of young men; they were especially concentrated around a few select individuals.


    "These adventurer guys did better than I thought," Albus commented as he walked around with one man in his hand. He held him by his neck and twisted it unnaturally.


    "Is having these fools die for you necessary my lord?" Avis commented.


    "Honestly I''m not sure. I do feel kinda bad having them die for us but I feel we''d be worse off if we showed we were capable of defending ourselves against these guys." He dropped the man in his hand to the floor. "More importantly, these guys aren''t aware of what we do right?" He asked with uncertainty.


    "(It''s been a while since I''ve seen him this worried.) Worry not, Lord Bradley it seems they''ve only committed this act in some vain sense of patriotism."


    As if a switch had been flicked in him he was back to his usual self. "Whew is that so? (I don''t know what I would have done if these guys had figured me out.)"


    <hr>


    Several days after the attack, an officer commonly known as O''Reilly had visited him.


    "I tell ya, it''s sick what those bastards did," O''Reilly said.


    Albus had various parts of his body wrapped in gauze.


    "I knew they were bad but this is out of hand. To think they''d have the arrogance to attack a proud noble of this nation. And you say that wasn''t all?" Albus said as he did his best to sound appalled.


    "That''s right, from what we''ve heard they''ve also kidnapped some women as well. Cormac and his gang have gone too far this time. And just because of some silly beliefs about a place that doesn''t exist anymore." O''Reilly sounded dismissive when he said that last statement and Albus nodded along. "I''m sorry this is how you had to experience this parish."


    "Oh please, I won''t let these stains on your parish ruin my perception of it, Officer O''Reilly."


    "Well, I''m glad to hear. Since this was such a big commotion, you wouldn''t mind if me and the boys guarded the property for a few days."


    "I don''t mind but¡­ with how many came out are you sure there are any left?" Albus asked.


    O''Reilly groaned and wasn''t expecting this reaction. "Unfortunately, this might not be the end of it. I''ve heard that boy say he has members in the thousands and given I''ve seen him strutting about the parish no worse for wear he might not be telling a lie."


    Albus''s eyes opened but O''Reilly would have found it suspicious if he was so calm after hearing something like that.


    "I-I see. I do hope we can capture these barbarians soon."


    "Don''t worry we''ll be on it in no time."

 Chapter 181

    Whether it was a blessing or a curse, it seemed Albus had gotten tangled up with a tenacious group.


    As he sat in his bath dyed by the blood of the enemies that entered the room, he wondered why they were so persistent in trying to kill him. Granted, his operations would slow down dramatically without them acting as a scapegoat but this seemed too convenient in his eyes.


    ("Before coming here, I''d never heard of these guys yet as soon as I showed up they have the capacity to send hundreds of men over a year to try and kill me. And they''ve come out with so much force that not even the parish''s police can do anything about them. Though to be fair to them, I heard O''Reilly say his old police chief took all the competent men he had with him before I came here and they haven''t fully rebuilt themselves to their old strength.")


    He sighed as he got out of the bath and the pink water dripping off him made the tile floor its new home.


    ("I suppose I shouldn''t look a gift horse in the mouth. Who knows what that bastard uncle of mine would do if he didn''t get his quota of women? Honestly, now that I think about it, it was also pretty convenient how a solution for the leftover women came to me. It''d be pretty depressing to think people like me have the luck of the gods on our side.")


    He wiped himself off with a towel in the room and turned it from a nice bright white to a pink that wouldn''t wash out any time in the future.


    <hr>


    He looked outside the window of his main building and stared at two carriages. There were various people outside with one group selecting women out of a lineup while the other stood there waiting. The women were in actual clothing instead of rags and had no chains or gags on them. Some of them looked like they weren''t all there while others seemed fully aware of what was happening but had given up. Avis and a group of her maids looked on.


    ("It''s that time of the month huh? Good thing we did this before those adventurers were let in or who knows what sort of excuse these bastards would give me if we had set a meeting place in the forest. And somehow my uncle''s the one who always gives me shit for that.")


    As he moved from his window and looked to another that showed the other side of his property, he noticed two long-haired persons with coloured hair, outside his fence.


    "Hoh, that red hair is pretty nice. I haven''t seen anyone with hair that vibrant in a-"


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    He paused. Were these maids? No, they weren''t wearing the uniform. As they walked closer to the hole that he left in the fence as a hotspot for the patriots to sneak through, he could feel his throat dry.


    He quickly looked through the room, picked up a small bronze statue of a maid (that looked very much like Avis) and ran towards the other window. He wasted no time opening and threw like a javelin towards her position. It landed headfirst at her feet. She looked up at her master with a glare but there was no time for that. He pointed towards the other side of the property and she excused herself before seeing what had her master so anxious about.


    <hr>


    After dealing with them and sending them along their way she soon vanished and Albus rested in his chair. A few moments later the bronze pierced through his door and was only stopped by the base.


    ("... I hope she isn''t too angry.")


    The door creaked open a moment later.


    <hr>


    "Master, are you sure it is wise to send the adventurer boy along to the police?" Avis asked.


    "What''s one more person gonna do for them? Besides I''d rather he snooped around with them out of our eyes. Honestly, I think he''s the first adventurer we''ve hired who''s cared about the goings on here." Albus commented.


    "Are you sure? It would be quite an annoyance if he recognised the poisons we used. (Though I have recommended they use a more novel poison just in case.)"


    "Don''t worry, it''s not like he''ll be one of those attacked."


    "I see. By the way, the preparations for tonight are complete. All we need is the signal they''ve left and we can do what we need to."


    "(Gotta keep the pressure on those guys.) Remember Avis, take a break now and again. I don''t want you guys doing back-to-back pickups."


    At this point, he got so used to them that he started referring to the kidnappings as simply pickups. As if he was just sending Avis down to a local store to pick up some groceries or a local butcher for some fine cuts.


    "Don''t worry Master, I have dependable subordinates."


    "By the way how are Grace, Marley and the others? Do you think they can be added to your group or will they remain a part of the regular maids?"


    "Grace shows promise but I''m not sure she''d have the stomach for what we do. She seems surprisingly straight-laced." Avis commented.


    "I see. Well, it''d be better not to risk it for the time being."


    Avis made her bow and soon left. Albus rested his head on the table and sighed.


    "This is our life now, isn''t it? I always hoped I''d have found a way out of my uncle''s palm but I guess I was being optimistic. At least I can protect the women here. That''s all that matters now honestly." He silently muttered to himself. He slowly nodded off.


    <hr>


    Knock knock


    "Lord Bradley?"


    He almost fell out of his chair from the sudden noise and quickly answered.


    "Avis you can come in whenever you''d like."


    She quickly opened the door and lit a nearby lamp. Her face was as cold as ice but it must have been important if she showed this late.


    "Please come with me, Lord Bradley. There has been a problem recently with those tasked with pickups tonight."

 Chapter 182

    His heart rate increased when he heard what she said but judging by how calm her demeanour was, he reasoned it couldn''t be that bad. He quickly left his desk and followed behind her.


    They entered his clinic and Albus looked around. The maid sighed and called over a few maids by the entrance.


    She pushed aside a bed and it revealed a trapdoor.


    Albus began feeling anxious. ("I know we built it in case we needed discretion from the other maids but I didn''t realise it was this bad.")


    Avis climbed down and Albus followed her. The maids above promptly closed it. It was only a short climb so it didn''t take more than half a minute to get down here.


    The underground was much like above but noticeably more cramped in space. While none down here had an issue, someone like Tina would have to crouch slightly. In total, eight women were laying in the beds of the underground. The women had all been changed out of their black garbs and armour. Some of them had burns across their body, one had wood splinters in her body, others were bruised and one even had burns on her chest. Some of the women were so badly injured they had to be left in little more than a panty so their wounds were easily accessible. Albus gritted his teeth as he saw this and turned to Avis.


    "Who did this!?" He shouted before covering his mouth. The women inside turned to him briefly before turning their heads from the shame they felt from having their master look at them in their current states.


    She blankly stared at her master.


    "Before that, based on the amount of potions we have left, in addition to how many we have injured here, it''s likely we''ll be out of the potion for the next few months. Do you want to give them enough to heal but not fully recover or-"


    Albus turned to her with an unhinged look in his eyes. "What the fuck are you asking? I don''t care how many we use, just make sure they''re all in good shape when you''re finished."


    "Just confirming. (It''s nice to see he hasn''t been changed too much by this whole thing.)" She snapped her fingers, and several women taking care of their comrades went to the ladder at the back of the room and climbed out the trap door. "By the way, it was by their requests we held back with the potions. They thought it would be a waste."


    "Tch, did I take in a bunch of idiots?"


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "Considering you''re not much of a thinker yourself, I believe the answer is obvious."


    He briefly blew raspberries at her before remembering why he came down here.


    "These are all of them, right?" He asked.


    "Correct Lord Bradley. Thankfully the others were more successful." She responded.


    "Lord Bradley? Just call me Albus." After hearing this was the worst of what happened to the women, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Who the hell did they run into to get sent home like this? Don''t tell me they fought with those bastards who attacked us or was it O''Reilly and his gang? Did they leave without any of the tranquillisers?"


    "Actually, Lord Bradley¡­" She seemed somewhat hesitant. Albus felt as if he was going to pass out from contemplating who they ran into. ("Don''t tell my uncle screwed us over!?")


    "It was Grace,"


    He nearly fell to the floor in shock. His eyes bulged like a delinquent learning he had a secret love child. He tried to get words but it just resulted in gibberish. "ShewahnowayohmyGodsthatsimpossinow-"


    Although Avis didn''t show it she was very much amused by his reaction and held a very faint almost imperceptible smile. That smile soon dissipated when she continued.


    "Alongside that red-haired adventurer you hired." Although slight, there was a noticeable venom in her voice when she mentioned him.


    Albus got up off the floor and cleared his chest. "And?" He looked serious when he asked which made his resulting shock all the more jarring.


    "It was only the two of them, Master Bradley."


    He turned around to look at the maids and turned to look back at Avis. He still had a serious and stern expression on his face.


    "Those two," he asked.


    "Those two." She responded.


    "You sure?" his face got closer.


    "You can ask everyone here." She responded.


    Their noses were now touching. "Them?"


    "There was one more there, but he simply used the dart of one of them against herself. She was perfectly fine when she came back. We have no idea who he was or what he wanted."


    "So three people did this."


    "No, in fact, strangely enough, it seemed he attacked the red-haired adventurer and Grace beforehand."


    He could no longer hold his stern face anymore and had his jaw drop to the floor while holding his hands against his face.


    After that revelation, and watching the girls get fully healed through the potions, he and Avis returned to the surface, which seemed to be in a commotion.


    "What the hell, Avis I thought you were supposed to keep this stuff on the down-low." He commented, annoyed.


    She gave him a nasty glare. "Master please don''t take that tone up with me unless you feel like hiring a replacement. But I will admit, it was pretty calm when they arrived."


    They walked throughout the compound and realised more maids were gathered the closer they got to the entrance. One woman wearing armour approached the duo.


    "Lord Bradley, Grace and the adventurer have returned injured."


    Albus and Avis shot each other a glance.


    "What are you doing? Bring them to the clinic promptly." Albus commanded.


    The woman ran back from where she came from.


    "Them?" Avis asked.


    "Yes, them. Obviously, we''ll be using potions on Grace. Whether Tibaut lives or dies tonight depends on what he knows."


    ("Hoh, he remembered the adventurer''s name.") She thought.

 Chapter 183

    After Grace and Tibaut had been brought to the clinic on the property, they immediately began questioning Grace. She had a curtain between her and Tibaut because she couldn''t help but have a pained expression on her face each time she looked at him.


    "Why don''t you cut it off already?" She asked.


    "Like I said, it''s for those adventurers to decide. Besides, it''s a miracle the flesh on his hand still looks healthy." Albus responded.


    Due to how quickly the pair had arrived back from their skirmish with the other maids, Avis wasn''t able to get much information from those who returned other than being driven back by Tibaut and Grace, along with the appearance of a strange third party.


    "His hand is still healthy looking?" After Grace said that she paused in thought.


    "Is there something wrong with what I said?" Albus asked.


    "Hey Lord Bradley, can curing magic prevent infections in wounds?"


    "(He knew curing magic? So that''s how he countered the tranquiliser darts.) Yes, they can." He responded. He looked at her some more. She had bruises all over, a black eye and a cut lip. "Give me a moment." He told her before getting up.


    He walked towards Avis and snapped his finger to get her attention. He began whispering.


    "The hell were those guys doing? Why the hell did she get so roughed up!?"


    Avis sighed at her master''s concern.


    "Master, you don''t expect them to take a beating from someone just because they''re one of our own? I''m sure there was a good reason they couldn''t deal with both of them without attacking her."


    He thought back to those injured below and clicked his tongue.


    "I suppose you''re right, it''s my fault for letting her stay around him in the first place." He relented before walking back towards Grace with his head held low.


    What he said was correct but Avis couldn''t help but feel somewhat bitter having him say it was his fault.


    When he returned to her side, he signalled Avis to come over. She slowly walked over and began asking the questions he wanted to ask from the start.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "By the way did you get a good look at these guys? I bet it was a group called the Lochmull Independence Society."


    Avis carefully observed her face as she walked over.


    "Uh, I honestly couldn''t tell you but I think Tibaut recognised them. I think I overheard him mention something about some cult."


    He briefly stole a glance at Avis and she didn''t seem to have any issues with what she said.


    ("The cult? I suppose he isn''t too far off but what gave it away?")


    "Also there was this guy in black leading them."


    Both Avis and Albus raised an eyebrow at this. "Guy in black?"


    "Well, they were all in black but they had a loud mouth for a leader."


    "And you''re sure this person was a man?" He asked. Avis quickly pinched him for asking such a suspicious question.


    "Uh, yeah. I heard his voice pretty clearly."


    "Well, that''s interesting." He said while hiding the pain of the pinch.


    They continued questioning her until they were satisfied but didn''t get much more usable information. After she fell asleep the pair went back to the underground for some more information.


    After meeting with Elizabeth, they went back to the main building of the manor to Albus''s bedroom.


    "It seems he knows nothing for now," Albus commented.


    Avis sighed. "Master, you''re being too relaxed about this. Based on what we heard from those below he heard the voices of the women."


    "Yeah but he didn''t hear them speak, just groan at the worst." He responded as he crossed his legs on the bed.


    "Yes, however, he also possibly saw the binding wrap around the chest of Natalie. We can''t discount the fact he knows that one of the kidnappers was a woman."


    With his legs still off the bed, he laid his upper body down.


    "Don''t beat around the bush, Avis. You''re saying we should kill him."


    "The only one beating around the bush was you, my Lord. You seem insistent on not bringing up the option after visiting him."


    Albus didn''t respond as he stared up at the ceiling.


    She sighed. "Master please dec-"


    She was cut off by her own master. "Let''s do it. I''ll think of something but let''s do it tomorrow. But¡­"


    Avis rolled her eyes.


    "Only if he acts too suspicious." He continued.


    "Very well. After all, killing him too hastily could lead to suspicions from those of his group left behind. And killing all of them more troublesome." She walked over to the bed to sit beside him. "So what do you suggest, Master?"


    "Well¡­"


    Despite saying he was going to be the one to think of something, the night went on without anything being done.


    "Ugh, come on Avis that one has to be good?"


    "Master, do you really think having him be accidentally killed while the two of you attempt to spy on the maids showering is plausible?"


    "I mean if you''re the one throwing something. Besides I might as well let him die while seeing something go-"


    She covered his mouth. "Master, please stop talking."


    "If my ideas are so bad why don''t you suggest something!" he shouted at her.


    She placed her finger on her chin in thought. "By the way, master, we haven''t explored the base of those mongrels that attack every so often, have we."


    "What? No, there''d be no point. If they''re not around, our pickups would be way more suspicious."


    "Then how about we invite him with us to explore their base? If you do decide on killing him, we can say they killed him when we entered a skirmish. Besides, we are already curious about their origins are we not?"


    "Well, I suppose that could work." He said dejectedly.


    "Good. Then I''ll visit him as soon as he wakes up."


    "No," he said. "I''ll do it."

 Chapter 184

    After confirming what Albus would tell Tibaut, he decided to pass the time in the guest building.


    ("Woah, this place is rough. I don''t think I''ve been here since it''s been built.")


    After being shocked by the general damage inside, he sat next to Grace, who had also decided to stay here.


    "Lo-lord Bradley!? What are you doing here?" she asked.


    "Oh, I''m curious about that potion. (I heard some buyers interested in poisons talk about it a few months ago. I hope that girl''s ready to attend whoever stole that thing''s funeral. Hmm, I''m pretty sure I saw her somewhere, wait a minute, she couldn''t be one of the women I sold off could she!? No way, she''s too recognisable. But it isn''t impossible ¡­)" As he was busy thinking, someone walked him.


    "Oh my, on what occasion is the Lord of the Mansion visiting us?"


    His train of thought broke and he saw the woman he was thinking about before his eyes. He looked into her eyes trying to gauge her reaction to him but it seemed she had more pressing matters in mind as she continued walking with a tray in her hand.


    ("Tch, shit. I was never as good at reading faces as Avis. Is she walking since something is obvious to her or does she not care if I''m here? Also, I''m the lord of this mansion, show me more respect than greeting me and immediately walking away!")


    "So how''d the potion work?"


    ("Darn, Tina is¡­ not here. Phew At Least I won''t have to worry about her saying something and him finding holes in my explanation. I don''t even remember what I told her. Did I say I got them from a relative or friend?")


    "His hand is in perfect shape now. Honestly, it unnerved me when I witnessed it." She responded.


    He got a good look at her this time and if there was an emotion that could be made out, it was annoyance.


    "(Did the question piss her off or something?) Uh, Miss Adventurer are you okay? Your face seems a bit stiff."


    She pointed with her chin to the hallway of the rooms.


    "Oh, it''s because of that idiot in there. Honestly, with how carelessly he fights I''m not surprised this happened to him." She turned her attention towards Grace. "Grace, can I ask you to keep an eye on him? I feel if that fool leaves the estate again he''ll end up dead in a back alley somewhere."


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yes, ma''am I''ll do my best." Grace respectfully responded. Elizabeth turned around and walked down the hall.


    ("I know I''m not a stickler for rules but why does Grace respond to her in a more professional tone than me? You''re my maid, I know that casual side of you in the maid uniform has its charms but it wouldn''t hurt if you did some of that every so often.") As he was busy pouting he realised what Elizabeth said. ("So is he a brash sort of guy? Shit, this plan might actually work. Plus she said she wouldn''t be surprised if he died somewhere they didn''t know. Maybe we can just leave out the fact he helped us with those Lochmull Independence guys. They''ll be none the wiser it even happened and just assumed he was careless again. Though that''s if we decide to kill. After all, it''s not like that''s determined.")


    After waiting for everyone else to take their turns talking to Tibaut after he woke up, Albus chatted with him about the mime and made his way out.


    After leaving the room he was nearly frightened when he saw Jake standing outside.


    ("Hmm, what''s he doing here? He has such a weak presence I barely noticed him.")


    He thought nothing of it and went on with his day.


    <hr>


    It soon became night and although the plan had a few hitches here and there, they went through the mine.


    It was after their fight with Cormac that Avis and Albus were able to have their discussion. Avis had been drinking the potions they found at Albus''s request.


    "(Albus why are you stubborn when it comes to us? If your magic runs out before you''re the only person at any risk of dying.) Master, are you sure about your decision tonight?" she whispered.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure. It''d be safer but it''d feel unnecessary if nothing happened. Well, at least that leader of theirs escaped, so we still have our scapegoat. Just give the lackeys a method to escape after we leave."


    "Master, there''s nothing good about that gorilla escaping. I swear I''ll kill him the next time we ever meet. I''ll make sure to keep some of the nastier poisons from the greenhouse with me until then."


    "...you weren''t holding back?"


    He could feel his throat dry after she gazed his way and decided to move past that topic.


    "But I am kinda curious who is backing these guys."


    "The obvious answer would be former nobles of this parish would it not?" Avis asked.


    "Yeah, but I wanna see it with my own eyes."


    She walked away to call the others over and promptly began searching the room. Albus just stood near Jake and Tibaut while waiting. After Avis tested his resolve yet again he saw the letters. The senders of which had him struggling to keep a straight face. He looked through the next and the next. It made him want to curse the world and everything but the maids that lived in it. He handed it back to Avis while trying to maintain his expression. If he didn''t have his magic his teeth would have been damaged from how hard he clenched and his fists would be bleeding from how hard he held them tight.


    ("Half of those Letters were sent by East Anglia Exotic Enterprises. Is my life a joke to that bastard? Did he do this solely as harassment? Is my suffering that entertaining to that bastard? Sure these guys were incompetent but he honestly hired these guys to kill me.")

 Chapter 185

    "My uncle''s been playing me like a piano," Albus stated, looking downcast. "So I''m gonna have to ask you to forget what you saw tonight. Just walk away. My uncle is involved with both me and that group Cormac runs."


    As Tibaut sat at the other end of the table he had to process everything Albus told. His face wasn''t peachy either and he looked deep in contemplation.


    "Listen, I''ll arrange for you and your group to leave tomorrow. Don''t worry about the payment, I''ll make sure it works out." Albus stated. He moved back his chair from under the table.


    Tibaut could still feel the pain of the brawl from yesterday with Cormac. Certain parts inside his body were in pain he didn''t know existed and sitting in this room for so long had only emphasised the pain. He didn''t know if he was able to stand up. Yet he did not hesitate in what he did next. He threw the table and flipped it towards Albus.


    With one punch, he split the table in half and looked at Tibaut with regret. His eyes had noticeable pain, but there was no shock at this reaction.


    "So that''s your answer¡­" Albus remarked as he looked at Tibaut.


    "Of course it is," Tibaut responded. "You know how many fathers and brothers out there are missing their daughters and sisters because of you? How much fear have you caused for the people of this parish!?"


    Albus shouted at him "You think I wanted to do this!? You think I wanted everything I ever admired sullied by that bastard if I don''t work for him!?" Albus looked on the verge of crying. "You know I considered you somewhat of a friend. That''s why I was so insistent on getting you to leave. But if you''re gonna spout some bullshit about me then I''m not sure I can let you go."


    "Bullshit? I don''t want to hear that from a man who kidnaps women as casually as picking berries." He responded.


    "Of course it''s bullshit. You''d never understand the weight on my shoulders of what I have to protect. Every woman here is at risk of becoming some plaything under my uncle if I don''t obey him. It must be easy to talk like that when you don''t have anything to protect."


    Tibaut gritted and clenched his fists. Albus realised that he must have struck a nerve.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Yeah, that''s right I don''t have anything to protect anymore. All the family I''ve ever known are dead because I was too weak to do anything. But I''m not gonna let you use that as an excuse. Did you even try to disobey him? Did you even try to find a way out?" He asked.


    "Of course not. You think those women are a game to me? If even one of them had something happen to them because I messed up, it wouldn''t have been worth it. I don''t care how dirty the option is, if it''s to protect them, I''ll do anything."


    Tibaut clicked his tongue. "This is useless. Screaming at each other like children isn''t going to do either of us favours."


    Albus also commented. "Of course, it isn''t, my uncle has tested my resolve time and time again. There''s nothing you can do to change it."


    Tibaut began walking over towards him.


    ("That''s the thing, Albus. I might never call you my friend because of the actions you''ve had throughout your life but any friend would want to set their friend on the right track no matter how far down they''ve gone down on the wrong one. Maybe prison can be a good start for getting a sick bastard like you, back on track. Though with how prisons are in this era that might be wishful thinking.")


    ("This bastard, I gave him a way out yet he refuses. Doesn''t he realise what''s at stake for either of us here?") Albus watched as he walked ever closer.


    Tibaut got right in front of his face. And threw a punch. It felt like he had punched a steel wall. But he didn''t let the pain show on his face. He looked him dead in the eyes with anger.


    ("At least it won''t be hard to punch him. After all, this bastard threw away so many human lives. Even if he was forced to kidnap women, the killing of the adventurers is all him. I never knew them and may never know what they were like but they alongside the women that got kidnapped need some retribution. I may give you a chance to repent if you survive after this but that doesn''t mean I won''t try to kill you tonight.") Tibaut thought as he landed another blow towards his stomach. It again felt like he had struck a block of iron. Albus showed no reaction to this and simply exhaled as this happened.


    Tibaut landed another blow, with a near textbook roundhouse to his chin. Finally, he reacted to a hit of his and staggered back slightly. Albus responded with a blow that left Tibaut speechless. The punch flew towards him like a cannonball and he could barely move quick enough to dodge.


    Albus then backed away and threw a flurry of punches. They were substantially quicker than the one he threw at Tibaut.


    Tibaut clicked his tongue. He realised it wasn''t by chance or skill he dodged that first punch. ("I was hoping not to kill him but it really does seem like I''ll have to use my fireballs.")


    He realised due to him being as injured as he was already, he was sweating while Albus looked like he was in the best shape of his life, without a drop of moisture on him.


    He wiped the sweat off his brow and approached him. Albus had disappointment on his face and walked towards him.


    Fire lances began to periodically appear around Tibaut while Albus looked on in disinterest. Albus closed the distance between them within a moment and the fight began in earnest.

 Chapter 186

    Tibaut shot off three fire lances at Albus but the pale-skinned man showed no hesitation. They all made the popping sounds of firecrackers as they landed on his skin but it did nothing to slow him as he threw another punch at Tibaut.


    Although he had been shown a snippet of the speed moments before, experiencing it was something else entirely. He saw the fist but it was too late. It had already connected with his abdomen. With one punch he was sent flying across the room and he felt most of what Elizabeth had bothered to fix was broken again.


    Realising this was no time to hold back he summoned a fireball and shot it towards Albus. He took it head on and before Tibaut could see if he had killed him, he quickly exited the smoke with a high axe kick aimed at Tibaut. He narrowly dodged the kick that broke through the wooden floor and used the time, Albus took removing his foot out of the wood, to gain some distance. As soon as he was preparing another fireball, Albus had removed his foot and caught up to him. He launched it and again, Albus took it without issue before launching another blow towards Tibaut. The space between them was far enough that he managed to parry the blow barely but when he did it the area of his arm that contacted Albus''s fist had its skin stripped off.


    ("I knew he could hold his own but this is ridiculous!") Tibaut thought as felt an uncomfortable breeze on his exposed dermis.


    He decided to sweep his legs after the parried blow and got him on the floor. He kicked in the stomach and while it did move him, he felt he kicked a bucket of concrete. His toes were briefly in agony but he had no time to focus on that.


    ("Again, what the hell is up with his body!?")


    Tibaut hoped he was imagining it since he was injured but that last kick put any doubt to rest in his mind.


    ("This has to be his magic. Does it harden his body? No¡­")


    He didn''t have enough data to make any assumptions so he kept his mind solely focused on defeating Albus. As he rolled away from Tibaut''s kick, Tibaut launched several fire lances at him that he seemed to have no intention of dodging. As these assaulted his body, he used it as an opportunity to get up and the moment he did Tibaut had already gotten in front of him and threw him to the ground. Tibaut backed away when Albus attempted a leg sweep and he got up back to his feet.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    His breathing was ragged as he stared down Albus, while the pale-faced beauty seemed to have no issue breathing and still didn''t have any sweat on him.


    He decided to try a new approach as he flicked the blood from his bleeding arm towards Albus and for the first this fight he seemed shocked by an action Tibaut took. He decided to get one more hit, and thanks to Albus''s cropped tank top he was able to see what had happened as he landed his blow.


    His abdomen was rocking a six-pack but he had never seen him with one before. As backed away while Albus wiped his eyes, he noticed his whole body was looking different. To say he bulked up was an understatement. He looked like he did nothing but cardio and crossfit every day. It was a far cry from how he usually looked, which was similar to Tibaut, with the muscles across their bodies not being very noticeable without some flexing.


    But as he kept his eyes on him and fully wiped away the blood in his eyes, it was obvious this was then the natural state of his body. When he launched another fire, the lean Albus took it without reaction and managed to land a kick on Tibaut, though it only hit his finger, breaking it instantly, when he backed away.


    ("Does his magic fortify his body or something? It''d make sense since he was able to take a blow from Cormac with seemingly no incident. Shit, Am I really gonna duke it out with him in a battle of endurance!? Maybe if I was at a hundred but while my body is like that''d be ridiculous! I''d run out of breath before I''d get him bleeding.")


    It seems the blast caused some of the blood on his face to char and get in his eyes. As he was busy wiping his face Tibaut had no hesitation in hitting him with a barrage of fireballs.


    ...


    "You done yet?"


    He exited the smoke of the attack with mind-boggling speed and Tibaut managed to trip his legs to send him flying into a wall. He quickly came back after kicking off the wall and managed to catch Tibaut''s hair in a flying spin kick, after he relaxed his guard. It ripped a few strands of hair out but putting himself airborne, allowed Tibaut to land a free hit somewhere most men would have nightmares of being hit. After stretching one of his arms he managed to hit with an airborne punch to the balls. He landed on his feet and moved towards Tibaut as if it didn''t happen.


    ("Huh? That wasn''t like the rest of his body, those were soft. Well, relatively speaking anyway. Also, how the hell is he not down on the floor kneeling in pain?")


    Albus once again got Tibaut in close quarters. He had gotten used to Albus''s speed or rather his predictability in his moves and decided to dodge his punches while landing counters where he saw them.


    ("What the hell is going on? I thought he was fortifying his whole body but his nuts don''t feel anywhere near as bad as hitting his stomach. What the hell is he doing to himself?")

 Chapter 187

    Several minutes earlier...


    With the sound of the broken window, ringing throughout the building, all those present came to see what happened. It was an empty room, with no one on nor under the bed. The glass shards at the window showed the obvious cause of the noise but the person who caused it was nowhere in sight.


    "What the hell''s Tibaut thinking?" Tina commented.


    "You don''t think those cultist guys came here?" Grace worryingly asked.


    "Or maybe it was that big guy we fought the other day!?" Jake wondered.


    Elizabeth had to calm herself down when she looked into the room.


    ("Considering what happened and the position the window is currently in, I''d say either he or whoever caused him to leave, slammed open the window. Dammit, it better not be that foe he fought with Jake.")


    She turned to the other three.


    "For the time being stay here. I''ll go check with the lord of the manor to see if he knows anything or can help us out."


    As she tried to leave the room Tina grabbed her shoulder.


    "Liz, what the hell do you think I am?" She looked at her with a defiant gaze. "If you think I''m just gonna stay here and do nothin-"


    Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed. "Tina, why must you be so bullheaded sometimes?" Tina looked annoyed by this statement but Elizabeth paid her no mind. "Think about the people here."


    Tina looked around to Jake and Grace. "What are you implying here? Are you saying you''re better than us!?"


    "Tina, what do Jake and that maid there have in common?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Why the hell are you being such a pain? Just let me come with you already and stop stalling!" Tina shouted.


    "They''re injured."


    This paused Tina''s annoyance for a moment.


    "I mean, yeah they are but what does that have to do with anything?"


    "If the enemy that Tibaut is engaged with comes back, and for instance, it is that giant they fought, do you think they''d be able to fight back without your help?"


    She looked at Grace and Jake and couldn''t help feeling annoyed. Grace still had bruises all over her and a limp while walking and Jake''s leg didn''t fully heal which severely limited his mobility.


    "Stay here and protect them," Elizabeth asked.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Tina looked like she wanted to disagree but the other two there didn''t seem to mind either way. "It''s fine Tina, I can take care of myself," Grace told her.


    Jake did his best to look stoic but... ("Please, for the love of Uriel, please, stay with us!!!") he thought to himself.


    She gritted her teeth before walking over to sit on Tibaut''s bed. "Fine, I''ll stay here."


    Elizabeth gently smiled before quickly making her way towards the Lord''s Manor.


    As she made her way there she heard a ruckus going on in the upstairs of the building. She quickly made her way inside and instead of seeing chaos, the few maids in the building were conducting business as usual. It was frankly odd hearing the destruction going on upstairs with the sight before her. She had to wonder if the women there were deaf or something.


    She quickly pulled one aside.


    "Do you not hear what''s going on upstairs?" she calmly asked.


    The woman she pulled aside looked somewhat anxious and stumbled to answer.


    "ah, it''s, uh, um, I''m sure it isn''t anythin-"


    She was cut off when another maid saw her making a fool of herself and walked over.


    "If you want an answer for what''s going on please ask Ms. Latrodectus. We frankly have no idea either but she assured us it was nothing to worry about."


    She quickly pulled the other maid away and by the time she looked around, all the other maids had made themselves sparse.


    She knew this was suspicious but supposed whatever was happening upstairs was a more place to give her attention. Considering she heard explosions there was a high likelihood Tibaut was up there. As she ascended the stairs she noticed Avis at the end of the hallway speaking to another maid. As soon as Avis noticed she finished up what she had to say and the maid went on her way and walked past Elizabeth, though with how quickly she walked it drew Elizabeth''s attention.


    In the short time frame Elizabeth had her eyes on the maid walking past her, Avis closed the gap between them and stood before her.


    "Can I help you Ms. Adventurer?" She asked in an emotionless tone.


    "Yes, I''d have to have a look in the room down the hallway. I have a feeling one of my subordinates is there."


    "I don''t know-" The sound of an explosion rocked the hallway and the floor beneath them shook. Avis looked annoyed at this occurrence but kept her tone the same. "I don''t know what my master decided to do in that room but I can guarantee it has nothing to do with any of your subordinates."


    "Is that so? Then I''d at least want to discuss something with your master since one of my men did leave in a hurry and I can''t seem to find him. Maybe we ca-"


    Avis decided not to continue with this farce any longer and launched a kick at Elizabeth. She blocked it but the force sent her tumbling down the stairs behind. She managed to land on one set of steps but had to back away to the first floor when the maid came stomping down at her.


    She looked up at the maid.


    "I assume that wasn''t by accident?" Elizabeth asked as she drew her sword.


    As she landed she realised the lights of the first floor had been put out and only a faint glow of outside moonlight and the lights from upstairs were still lit.


    The maid had no words for her and slowly approached.


    Elizabeth decided fighting in such an enclosed area would be to her detriment and quickly backed away while keeping her eyes on Avis. As she made her way back, something stopped her. She had leather armour on her back but could feel something cut her there. She quickly turned to see what it was. It was a string or wire barely thick enough to be seen if focused on.


    She tried to cut but it was like trying to cut a fishing line with a stick. ("What is!? Well, Tina and Tibaut did mention she used string but something of this quality for a maid is ridiculous.")


    Avis was already making her way towards her with both hands held out. Elizabeth held her sword up to the darkness but as if hit by an epiphany ducked down, when Avis brought her hands together and pulled them back. After doing so, she sprang up over Avis slashing at her head but being blocked by her string.


    ("Hoh, she realised I threw it over her head and tried to decapitate her. It looks like this batch of adventurers wasn''t like the usual rabble that flood this manor.")

 Chapter 188

    As Elizabeth made a beeline for the living room, several wires blocked her path.


    ("Tch, did they set these all up in the short time I was upstairs!?")


    She again tried to cut to it, to no avail before she dodged a kick from Avis aimed at her neck. Her leg was similar to a hammer and if Avis weren''t wearing the shoes she had on it, her leg would have been sliced in two when she hit the wire.


    ("No wonder that kick stung, she has some sort of metal at the bottom of her boots. But I must admit, it is quite commendable of her to keep up with me, with those things on.")


    She swung her sword at the exposed leg but her foot was quick enough to block the blade.


    ("Is her entire shoe made of metal?") She briefly wondered before getting a better look at it. Avis ensured her shoe was perpendicular to Elizabeth''s blade and she realized why. She had a wire wrapped around her shoe.


    ("When did she have the time to do this? Now that I think about it, I didn''t get a look at her feet in the first place. That long skirt of hers covered them up.")


    Elizabeth backed away when Avis kicked her blade and tried to search for a possible room that would be more ideal than the hallway they were fighting in. It was somewhat cramped and she''d have liked a more open space for her swordsmanship.


    Avis didn''t seem in any rush to catch up to her but she was trailing behind.


    ("I see. I imagine the room not barred off is trapped.")


    She saw an open room and decided to ignore her reasoning and enter.


    While the space was more open compared to the hallway, it was also filled with several gleams she could make out.


    Avis blocked the entrance and the sole window in the room was covered in wires.


    "I assume you want to kill me, correct?" Elizabeth asked.


    "That seems like an odd thing to ask," Avis commented. "Do you think these wires aren''t capable of killing you?"


    "In your hands, I''m not quite sure."


    They had entered a large ballroom (which Albus considered a waste, since none of the maids had any interest in using it.)


    She tightened the wire in her hands. "Would you like a demonstration?"


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    As Elizabeth eyed her opponent, she realised there was a distinct lack of her cronies who set this whole headache-inducing situation up.


    ("I don''t want to think she did but...") Before managing to finish her thought, Avis quickly approached.


    <hr>


    In the guest building the trio of Tina, Grace and Jake were sitting in the living area.


    "You hear those explosions, Grace?" Tina asked.


    She turned her head and cupped her ear. She seemed to be focusing and closed her eyes.


    "Is that what that was?" She commented.


    "Of course, you idiot." She commented.


    "Who are you calling an idiot, you third-rate adventurer!?" Grace replied.


    The two began arguing, while Jake looked out of a nearby window. He saw something moving by the window but he assumed it must have been a wild animal or something. He sighed as his mind went back to the day before.


    That sigh brought attention to himself and Tina decided to ask him something.


    "Jake, why didn''t you call us to help you out when Tibaut left yesterday?"


    ("Eh!? Why have you moved on to me? Weren''t you arguing with Grace a while ago?")


    "Yeah, why''d you run off with them without saying, shorty?" Grace interjected.


    ("Shorty!? I''m average height!") He thought. "Well, uh, I feel like they probably would have just left if they tried to do something like that."


    "I suppose that makes sense," Tina said.


    "Yeah, Avis would probably leave you behind."


    "(Why are you two so easy to agree with me!?) But Grace, that Avis person is kinda amazing. I''m surprised no one got hurt when Tibaut and Tina met her."


    "Really? Well, I''ve never seen her fight before, so I couldn''t say."


    "Hold on there, you haven''t even seen her fight before?" Tina asked.


    "Not once. Honestly, I thought she just looked scary."


    "Bullshit, you can also fight can''t you? Then you must be some guard. And you''re telling me you''ve never seen your lord''s personal bodyguard fight?" Tina asked as she eyed Grace suspiciously.


    "Personal bodyguard? She calls herself that? Well sorry but as far as I can tell the lord doesn''t really have bodyguards. The only thing we have on the property are just regular guards that do the rounds and I ain''t one of them."


    "So you''re saying it''s a coincidence you can fight?" Tina asked.


    "Well, not exactly," Grace responded. Tina made a "Huh?" noise but Grace continued, "Before I got hired, the maid I talked to said they''d give me priority if I knew how to fight. I showed her some moves then after that, I saw that master of ours, talked to him for a few minutes and got hired. The strange thing is that it never came back up. I thought I''d be beating up people but this isn''t too bad as an alternative." She said as she made herself more comfortable on the couch she was lying on.


    "Well, that''s strange," Tina added.


    "I know right?" Grace said, burying her face into the couch before quickly removing it after noticing the smell that permeated it.


    Tina laughed at her and she blew raspberries in response.


    ("She got priority if she knew how to fight? Are they other maids on the property that got similar treatment?") Jake wondered in the chair.


    A glass bottle smashed through the window with a lit cloth attached to its mouth. Grace and Tina reacted to the sound and immediately stood while Jake managed to dive to the floor and catch it. He quickly set it down after realising how hot it was.


    "A molotov?" Tina commented.


    "Shit, we gotta get out of here," Grace commented as she picked up Jake off the floor.


    Before Tina could ask why she noticed the smell of something burning.


    "Shit, they''ve already hit the house!" She realised as she picked up both of them and booked it outside.

 Chapter 189

    Tina kicked open the door with both Jake and Grace on her shoulders and was greeted by several people in black standing outside. Some held flaming bottles in their hands which made it obvious they weren''t friends to any of the three there.


    "Move it!" Grace shouted as she saw them.


    Tina placed both of them on the ground. "Don''t worry, these guys won''t last more than a few minutes." She stated as she looked at the attackers in black pulling out weapons. She held out her hand near the entrance.


    "No, you idiot I''m saying we should run away, did you not remember about the darts I talked about earlier!" Grace nearly shouted at her.


    She had gotten up but Jake was still on the floor struggling to stand.


    Her spear barreled down the hallway, went through the door and sat comfortably in her hand. The confidence on her face soon turned to worry when she remembered that she had no means of curing herself.


    "Uh, actually running away doesn''t sound that bad." She said. The people outside already had their blow guns aimed at them. So she had only one option. She picked up Jake and ran back inside the burning house. The fire only reached the roof, so the inside wasn''t an inferno yet. Grace just barely reacted to this choice as she ran behind her and closed the door.


    Several small thunking sounds were heard after she closed the door. She turned to Tina in distress.


    "You bitch, at least say something before you move." She shouted at her.


    "Oh fuck off, you''re the one who told me to move it," Tina responded with Jake on her shoulder.


    "For the time being let''s escape through a window," Grace responded as she walked through the now burning house. The increase in temperature was noticeable and there was a smoky smell but it hadn''t yet reached the floor of the house. She leaned against it and peeked her head out the broken window. Several darts flew inside the room as soon as her nose came into sight.


    "Shit, how many are there?" Tina complained.


    "Enough to keep the house surrounded. We should be glad they''re not excited about entering this death trap like we are because thanks to a certain someone the door''s broken." Grace responded.


    "Oh shut up, you act like they couldn''t have done that on their own," Tina said.


    Now this was a conundrum. How was Tina supposed to protect these guys if a single stray dart would put her out of commission? She didn''t have curing magic and the new move she had learnt and practised against was strictly offensive. And with the smell of smoke in her nose and an unbearable heat, she was stumped on what to do.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "Shit," she commented. She looked to the window and stuck her spear and the darts came flying.


    ("Maybe if I keep doing this they''ll deplete all their darts?")


    She soon did it again but got no reaction this time. She decided to try her face and they were quick to attack with the darts.


    ("Dammit, they figured it out already")


    "Don''t forget there are ones out front, too," Grace commented.


    As Tina sat there at a loss at what to do, Jake raised his hand.


    "Could you guys open all the doors and windows?" He asked.


    "Would that work?" She asked.


    <hr>


    It seemed they used all the Molotovs they possessed, as the sound of them being thrown had stopped for some time now.


    "Well..."


    The flames in the roof were now visible and the flames on the outside walls provided a warm light.


    As the women stood outside watching the building go down in flames, they began talking to each other, like they were in the middle of town instead of murdering people.


    "You sure we should have backed them into the house?" One of the women in black asked.


    "Of course. Only Avis is allowed to use the fast-acting poisons and we didn''t have enough time to prepare any more paralysis darts. This is the safest way to defeat them."


    "But didn''t she say to get rid of the short one first?"


    "There''s no need, didn''t you see him limping when he came out? All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the light show." Another commented.


    One further away than the others weakly commented "Grace¡­" As she saw the housefire pick up.


    But something else drew her attention. The air around her began to feel odd. It was as if the atmosphere had picked up a slight amount of humidity. She was very sensitive to changes like this but it seemed the others didn''t notice. Well if they said nothing about it then it probably wasn''t anything serious.


    As she watched the fire, it suddenly vanished.


    "huh?"


    But she quickly realised vanished wasn''t the right word. Her entire vision was filled with dim red and that slowly became black. She fell to her feet and one of her legs was in agony.


    "Aahha"


    "Damnit what is this!?"


    "Fuck they got!"


    "My eyes can''t see!"


    Her allies were in distress shouting. She tried to stand up but the pain sent her back to the floor.


    "What the hell is going on?" She asked.


    She crawled and crawled before stumbling into someone standing up.


    "What the hell is going on? What happened to our eyes?" she asked the person.


    Tina stood above the woman with a spear in hand.


    ("Bless above that Jake''s magic only needs a small concentration of mana to work. I think the fire might have provided some help as well with the wind currents it generated spreading his mana outside.")


    As she was about to bring the spear down on the woman in front of her Grace reached out and barely stopped it, having it go only a few centimetres into the woman on the floor.


    She screamed in pain and struggled on the floor.


    "What''s the big idea you annoying bitch?" Tina asked.


    Grace paid her no attention and quickly took her mask off.


    "M-maggie?"


    It seemed that Grace and Tina producing their mana so close to her stopped the effects of Jake''s magic.


    She tried to crawl away but Tina wasted no time kicking her head, knocking her out cold.

 Chapter 190

    "You know this bitch?" Tina asked as she looked at the woman on the ground. She looked around to see the other women in the area struggling to stand or crawl away.


    Grace went to her knees and looked into Maggie''s face unsure of what was happening. She could hear the voices of the other women shouting for help and felt a pit form in her stomach as she recognised some of them.


    Seeing her in shock, Tina decided not to waste the opportunity Jake gave them and decided to deal with all the other women on the floor.


    Grace grabbed her leg without looking. She breathed heavily and her face had no problem showing her distress. She looked confused and sat there for several moments unsure of what to say.


    Tina forcefully removed her foot and walked along. "Don''t worry I''m not gonna kill any of them. At least until we figure out what''s going on."


    Grace gave a single nod and watched as she choked out all the women in black on the ground while occasionally ''fighting'' (giving one or two punches) the few that managed to stand up.


    <hr>


    Tina had gathered them all in one area and Grace felt more and more hopeless as she unmasked the women and saw more and more familiar faces.


    "What the hell is going on?" she shouted. Even as they were nowhere near the housefire and the night was quite cool, Grace had broken out into a cold sweat. She was crouched on the ground with her hands on her head, distraught by what was before. It was a far cry from the sunny girl who constantly smiled a few days earlier.


    Tina couldn''t help but feel annoyed at seeing the little shit who pissed her off a few days earlier looking like this.


    "For the time being," she used her spear to cut the shirt of one of the women open and took it off her.


    "Woah, Tina, even if you roll that way, don''t you think that''s a bit much?" Grace asked.


    Tina kicked Grace''s ass, nearly causing her to fall over, with a nasty look on her face.


    "(Hmph, I don''t know why I worried about you, you flat-chested harpy!) Don''t give me that shit, unless you have rope!"


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    She removed the woman''s shirt, fully exposing her chest for the world to see, and used the torn shirt to tie up her hands and legs.


    "Huh, I guess even you know the difference between work and pleasure." Grace commented as she got up and rubbed her bum.


    "Say another word and I''ll strip you then force you to walk around that town near here," Tina said as she removed the armour, then tore the shirt of another woman.


    <hr>


    In the manor, Avis smelled the scent of smoke as she kicked away Elizabeth.


    "Ah, it seems your friends have already been dealt with. I hope you won''t take too much time joining them."


    Elizabeth looked disinterested.


    "(Tsk, I have to hurry. Who knows what Tibaut and the others are being put through.) It seems you''re filled with nothing but provocations. Will you not tell me the reason for this assault or will I have to beat it out of you?"


    In their preliminary spat in the room, she noticed Avis trying to lead her back into several wires strung up around the room.


    ("Is she trying to get me to give myself a deep cut evading her? No, these are just one of various ways she can defeat me.")


    She readied her sword and Avis came soaring towards her. She thrusted her sword at Avis but the maid dodged it with no issue and wrapped a wire around the hand holding it. Before Elizabeth became an amputee she managed to grab the wire and through brute strength pulled Avis towards herself and headbutted her. In that brief moment, she managed to remove the wire but it left a deep cut on her hand and even removed some skin when she pulled it off.


    She sent her upper body to the floor and grabbed her sword. As she swung herself upwards for an upward swing, Avis had backed away, especially wary due to this encounter.


    ("Hmph, even when I do manage to wrap the wire around her she manages to escape it with a limb intact. It''s been a while since I''ve fought somebody on her level.") Avis thought as she looked down to see a cut made through the middle of her skirt. She sighed and pushed up her glasses.


    It was Elizabeth on the offensive sending various slashes in her direction. Avis decided to try something different and managed to parry Elizabeth''s sword. She tried to land a blow on her but promptly brought her fist back when Elizabeth made a wide swing towards her arm.


    ("Even with the poor visibility, she realised I only wrapped it around my hands.")


    She threw the string around her, perhaps hoping to slice her in two but Elizabeth jumped before she had the time to close it and aimed her sword directly at her face. The maid managed to dodge but the sword sliced her shoulder. She immediately followed with a kick when Elizabeth landed on the floor but she barely managed to block with her sword.


    The force of the blow however sent into a nearby wire and sliced into her side. It wasn''t deep enough to reach her insides but it was bad regardless. She tried to back away but Avis managed to snare one of her fingers and cut it off.


    Elizabeth used her sword as a feint and kicked Avis away but it was obvious who was worse for wear.


    Avis had seemingly no intention to chase her down.


    "Three minutes," Avis stated. "In three minutes you will die, thanks to the poison in your system."

 Chapter 191

    Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at this statement but the pain throbbing through her body gave this statement some credibility. She looked at her injured hand and sighed.


    ("I was careless. Her only goal was likely to slice me with the wire in her hands from the start.")


    She had a closer look at her hands and gave attention to the sturdy-looking gloves on her hands.


    ("It seems she is wary of her own poison. I don''t imagine she''d want to take chances with wire so sharp and durable.")


    Elizabeth launched herself to the maid calmly watching a few metres in front of her. She attacked with a flurry of slices but Avis blocked and parried them all with extreme focus, with her wired-up hands. Elizabeth jumped over her and at the same time flung her sword.


    Avis ducked down to avoid whatever attack she had planned and smirked.


    ("If I remember correctly there''s a-")


    A kick to the side of the head rocked her and sent her sidewards. A sword soon came down afterwards and she used her hands again to block it. As she struggled holding up the blade she stared Elizabeth in the eyes. Hers were cold but internally she was wondering if she underestimated her opponent.


    ("Did she dodge and run back to her in that short time frame? No, I didn''t even hear her hit the floor before attacked. How''d she-")


    Their struggle came to an end when the maid sent the sword to the floor, splitting the ceramic floor. Before she had time to launch a counterattack, in one smooth motion Elizabeth used the momentum from her swing to front flip into a kick which the maid dodged by jumping to the side.


    She aimed a punch for the gut but Elizabeth managed to block it with her blade.


    As Avis looked at the blade that stopped her fist, she noticed a mark on it. She wondered where it came from before remembering that kick from earlier, that still had her ear ringing.


    ("Did she use her sword as a platform to jump off the wire I had set up? No wonder she wasn''t bisected when she came back to the floor. In the first place how did she react so-")


    Deciding to test something, she threw a kick at Elizabeth who dodged it by ducking. She made sure to stop her feet and quickly withdrew before Elizabeth could manage to slice it off. The slice took a strange direction and went further than it needed to. The point where Avis stopped her leg glittered with a reflection of the moonlight.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I see, you''ve already recognised where I''ve placed the wires," Avis commented.


    Elizabeth had no comment on that and continued her attack but with more vigour than before.


    ("I see. Well, no matter, she''ll die soon thanks to the poison.")


    Elizabeth decided to resort to a stabbing motion which Avis took no part in blocking. She dodged them without incident but soon realised she was being led into another wire she had set up earlier. ("Hmph, she''s using the fact I can''t block stabs with how precariously it wrapped the wire around my hands. What a sly little fox. I suppose desperate would have anyone, thinking of all kinds of solutions.")


    She backflipped into the string and used it like a springboard to launch herself towards Elizabeth.


    Avis soared towards Elizabeth with her arms open and Elizabeth stood steady with her sword in front. Avis flew over her and closed her arms together and Elizabeth ducked. When Avis landed on the floor she saw Elizabeth still had her head intact and quickly released it when she felt Elizabeth pulled it towards her.


    She had planned to decapitate her with that manoeuvre and even assumed it would have worked even with her sword blocking. At worst, she assumed she would have cut her legs off if the wire went too low. A glance at her sword gave her the reason the woman still stood unscathed.


    ("The hilt of the sword stopped my wire from going any lower. She could duck with confidence if knew it wasn''t going any lower.")


    Elizabeth spun her sword around to collect the wire she discarded in a bundle and continued her onslaught.


    ("Damnit, it hasn''t even been a minute yet but she''s proven to be a handful. Even without the poison, I do feel she is the sort of opponent where one of us would be dead before even five minutes has passed.")


    Elizabeth had now closed the distance between them and went all out with her slashes. She turned into a hurricane of slashes and Avis was forced to block and parry them with how close they were getting. Elizabeth had also started throwing punches occasionally to throw off her rhythm but not frequently enough that Avis could predict them and wrap a wire around her hand to cut it off.


    Elizabeth soon took a blow that nearly left her breathless and Avis was going to make the most of this opportunity.


    ("Finally, it seems the poison is affecting her stamina. There''s a wire nearby so it''d be less risky to kick her into it than trying to slice her myself. She somehow manages to escape whenever I try it.")


    She attempted to kick Elizabeth but she had gone further than Avis predicted with that punch and the moment her leg went out, Elizabeth wasted no time slicing at it even with her body in an awkward position.


    The maid quickly backed away but Elizabeth rushed her.


    ("Shit she managed to get a deep cut on my leg. She only allowed me to get that hit to lower my guard. Tch, what an annoying bitch.")


    It seemed her mobility had taken a hit as she was forced to stand her ground when Elizabeth approached. She again blocked the slashes coming at her and employed a new strategy.


    Elizabeth tried to swing her sword at Avis''s throat but it stopped just short and Avis landed a blow to her which sent her backwards. She looked down at her sword and noticed various cuts and nicks along the blade. And stuck in one of these nicks was a wire.


    ("She... she stopped my blade to guarantee a punch.") Elizabeth noted.


    ("I don''t like wasting these things, but if it''s to run out the time until she dies then I''ll take it.")

 Chapter 192

    Elizabeth removed the wire and sighed at the current state of her sword.


    ("Dammit, I''ll have to wait until we return, to get this fixed!")


    Her sword was in bad shape, but it still could kill someone, which was the important part.


    Avis decided to initiate the battle this time and Elizabeth dodged and countered with a kick of her own which Avis blocked with one arm. She attempted to wrap the wire around her foot but Elizabeth had thrown her sword to her four-fingered hand and stabbed at her, causing Avis to back away.


    Elizabeth kept up the pressure, went back into slashes once more, and hit with a particularly heavy blow that sent Avis''s hand upwards.


    She followed up by aiming for her abdomen. Avis managed to parry it with her other hand and sent it sideways before Avis brought down her hand like a hammer towards Elizabeth''s head. Undaunted, she took the blow directly to her forehead, landed a nick on Avis'' side and forced her to back away.


    ("Tch, I could have wrapped the wire around her but that would have only guaranteed both our demises. I have no doubt this girl would be the type to slice at me even if I took her head off.")


    "It looks like we''re both in hot water. Unless you don''t use your poisoned wires as much as I hoped." Elizabeth commented as she pointed to one of Avis'' hands.


    After having a moment to calm down, she didn''t have to look down to realise her body was in pain. Her knees felt weak and she staggered while staying on her feet.


    ("What the hell is this!?")


    She looked down at the glove she was wearing. Notably, it was on the hand that Elizabeth swung hard at. Between the threads of wire she had wound over the glove, was a small cut between two threads of the wire. Although small, she could notice some blood. The gloves she had were durable but not durable enough for Elizabeth.


    "So do you have an antidote or are we both screwed?" Elizabeth asked as she walked over.


    She instinctively reached towards a pouch on her apron and realised too late what she had done. Elizabeth smiled when she did and Avis gritted her teeth.


    "So you do have some. Why don''t you call this here?" Elizabeth asked, seemingly no worse for wear with the poison.


    Avis could feel a sweat run down her forehead. While this did have to do with exertion from their battle, the responsibility fell mostly on the pain she was experiencing. Her breathing had grown ragged due to the torment her body was and it left her with an appreciation for her opponent.


    ("How the hell has she been fighting through this!?")


    She briefly thought about revealing the antidote but there was no way in hell she was going to give after doing all this.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ("Screw you, snot-nosed hussy. I just have to outlast her then Albus is going to be safe. Then we go back to how we usually are with him being an idiot and me having to look out for him. I rather go through this pain forever than ever allow this woman to meet him. If she finds out what we did, there''s no doubt she''ll kill him. I can''t let him die because of my own weakness.")


    She gritted her teeth before letting out a scream that sounded similar to a beast shrieking out before a hunt. She showed no hesitation in throwing herself towards Elizabeth and managed to feint Elizabeth out with a kick then turned into a punch. After the initial blow, Elizabeth got her bearing but was now the one on the defensive. This pain must have activated her fight or flight as she started to use the environment to her advantage. What Elizabeth thought was a missed punch was actually Avis throwing herself towards a wire and springboarding herself off it.


    She kicked at her and managed to string her sword using the wires at her feet.


    Elizabeth tried to deliver a blow to the still airborne Avis but she moved the wire to stop the sword and managed to cut most of her fingers. They weren''t cut off but they managed to expose bone and Elizabeth forcefully pulled on her sword to drag it away as she stepped back. This left the blade of the sword blunt from the wire seemingly managing to cut thin strips of the blade from the sword.


    Elizabeth clicked her tongue but didn''t back down and continued having this test of wills with the now-grounded Avis.


    In their exchange of blows and slashes Avis managed to consistently land punches here and there on Elizabeth but she would remain vigilant enough to realise her attempts at wrapping a wire around her and dodged accordingly.


    ("Just let me cut some more off you stupid bitch!!!")


    But she wasn''t unscathed in this trade. Although her limbs were at no risk (in her mind at least) her skin was a different story, receiving several nicks and slashes from the blonde in front of her.


    ("What? You think being able to cut me is more worth it to receive these punches? I''ll have to teach this cunt some manners.")


    She managed a land blow on Elizabeth''s injured side and quickly moved and went to wrap the wire around her head the moment she reeled back in pain. Such a moment didn''t come and she had to back away when Elizabeth''s blade found itself a few inches into her abdomen. She backed away and punched it off course but found herself almost disgusted at the resolve she showed.


    ("You stupid bitch, I can see your wound bleeding more because of my blow. WHY DIDN''T YOU REACT!?")


    Elizabeth allowed her no time to think on this and charged forward. Avis simply ran back to the ends of the room and found her back to the wall. She tried to escape but Elizabeth was not going to let this opportunity go away.


    Elizabeth attacked more with the blade and Avis caught it, but Elizabeth caught the other fist she had thrown in retaliation.


    They were in a stalemate and were stuck in a contest of strength.


    She forced herself to throw Elizabeth to the side but Elizabeth didn''t see the value in this. The time she spent in the air wouldn''t be enough for Avis to escape the wall. As she didn''t see any wires close to her when she reached Avis. Which is why it came as a shock when she had the side of her chest cut open after she was thrown. If it wasn''t for the chestplate she had worn she might have been cut in two.


    She fell to the floor and immediately coughed up blood. This was a deeper wound than the one to her side. She could feel her lung hurting but she could still breathe and assumed it had stopped just shy of her lung.


    As she heard the footsteps of her opponent, she forced herself up and held her injured side, while staring her down. She now had a calm air around her.


    ("It''s a good thing I had a few wires installed that I painted black. She was so used to the bare metal ones, that she didn''t expect it. I planned to use this if the poison didn''t kill her but she forced my hand. I was aiming for her hip to hit it but I suppose I didn''t have enough strength left to throw her that high.")

 Chapter 193

    As the blood from the side of her chest dyed her crimson, she struggled to breathe as she looked upwards to see what damaged her.


    ("Tch, how''d I let myself fall for a trick like that?")


    Avis showed no caution as she walked towards her but the pace she approached was almost glacial.


    ("Damnit, I''ve accidentally ingested this poison before but I''ve never allowed myself to be affected for this long. My body hurts. I don''t feel cold, I don''t feel heat, I don''t feel discomfort. All I feel is pain. Maybe I can¡­ No, I''ll wait for the next 45 seconds until the poison kills her.")


    Avis thought as she stared down Elizabeth. She contemplated attacking but with how immobile her opponent was it seemed she had no problem staring her down until her final moments.


    Which was why it came as a shock when she was sent flying into the wall behind her. She crashed into and the strain it made suggested it almost broke.


    ("A moment.") She thought. ("I blinked and in that moment she decided to strike.")


    She fell to the floor and felt her broken nose. As the blood dripped down her face she contemplated if she even had the energy to stand back up. She had gritted her teeth so hard enduring the pain, that her gums were starting to bleed.


    "Sorry, but I''m somewhat of a professional at enduring pain," Elizabeth stated as she walked over. She bent down and reached her hand near the apron of Avis.


    ("Ah, Albus. Forgive me, but I can''t move anymore. Because of my weakness, your life is going to be ruined. No, I''ve ruined your life ever since I came into it. You may not have had this obsession of yours nor would you have had that twisted sense of love you possess.")


    Her eyes started tearing up.


    But as Elizabeth''s hand got closer and closer she felt something burn inside her.


    <hr>


    A woman was facing the sky. She had messy black hair and was covered in bruises. She was covered all over by blood and bone fragments. She turned her face to the sky and had her eyes closed. She looked blissful from afar, almost enlightened. After so much fighting, she could finally appreciate the quiet on the battlefield. Around her were several bodies, in various states of damage.


    As she stood, enjoying that her life had not ended, a purple-haired woman walked up to her.


    "What are you doing slacking, Avis? You know it''s not over yet." The purple haired woman responded.


    "Please, let me enjoy this for a bit more," Avis asked as she stood. She looked like a statue with how still she was keeping herself.


    The purple-haired woman walked over. "Do you think closing your eyes will make the battlefield disappear?" She asked.


    "No. But at least I can go another moment without seeing it."


    Around us were not only enemies. There were far more allies. It was a miracle she survived. Yet she had no joy at the situation.


    "Huh, you''re made of weaker stuff than I thought." The purple-haired woman commented before leaving.


    <hr>


    The black haired had spent her days in ''retirement'' as a deep collector. The pay wasn''t as good as her old job but the amount of fools who would let their guards down just because a woman had come asking for their debt was comical. At first anyway. With enough time, she had become so feared by the average debtor, that they would end up running at the sight of the first black-haired woman they saw. This was not ideal for business and she soon had to figure out a new way to make money.


    Sitting in her bed, she remembered an old discussion she had with her old leader.


    "Become a maid?" she asked.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Why not?" Her boss responded. "It seems pretty popular with mercenary dropouts."


    "That sounds ridiculous," she stated.


    "Does it?" She asked as she scratched her head. "Well, my good old sister became one, and considering I haven''t heard her talking about coming back since, the pay must be decent."


    "That sounds no better than whoring yourself out."


    "I mean, aren''t we already doing that? Instead of allowing ugly fucks to do whatever with our bodies, we put our bodies on the line to kill the ugly fucks they tell us to. Is losing your virginity to some smelly bastard any worse than losing your arm?"


    "So you''re saying we''re no better than common whores?" She asked in a cold tone. She already lost any respect for the profession so she felt no need to defend it.


    "Shit, we probably make less."


    <hr>


    After remembering that conversation, she still couldn''t stomach the idea of becoming a prostitute no matter how her former leader put it.


    "I suppose wearing one of those frilly dresses would be better than losing an arm."


    And so with that, she started looking for a new job as a maid. And as expected it didn''t exactly go according to plan. Most people were unlikely to hire a random woman looking to become a maid, to begin with, but add the lack of experience or formal education and it was damn near impossible.


    And the shadier places that would accept her already knew of her reputation and made sure they did anything possible to keep her out of their buildings. The one time she was allowed in a gambling house, half the clientele recognised her and ran for the nearest door or window they could find.


    After tiring herself out, searching for a job during these few days, she decided to rest on a bench in the town.


    "I suppose if it was that easy, I wouldn''t have become a mercenary to begin with."


    As she watched the populace walk by she noticed a young boy run around. He appeared to be hiding from a group nearby, as he quickly slipped into an alley.


    They all had on maid uniforms.


    Sensing an opportunity, she decided it was worth giving it a shot. It couldn''t be any worse than the other failures.


    She made sure not to look in the direction of the child and approached one of the maids.


    She tapped her shoulder and jolted back. She appeared to be startled by Avis. It probably didn''t help that she wore a short-sleeved shirt that hid none of the scars on her arm.


    "Um, can I help you, M-miss?" Even the maid was unsure why she was shaking in front of this woman but something in her body was telling her the woman before her was dangerous.


    Avis rolled her eyes seeing the woman in front of her.


    "Looking for a kid?" She asked.


    "...N-no, sorry you have the wrong person."


    She didn''t even try to listen to what she was saying, before trying to make her exit.


    Avis didn''t think twice about grabbing her arm and the maid was visibly shaken by it.


    "Please let me go, hold on." She didn''t even attempt to scream and scrambled into her pouch for a purse.


    Avis slapped it out of her hands and the maid fell into deeper dread. She looked to the crowd behind her and before she could open her mouth to scream, Avis quickly placed her hand over it.


    "Listen if you don''t want to find the kid that''s fine with me, but I could do without you drawing attention to us." Avis bluntly stated while staring deep into her eyes.


    The maid had tears in her eyes and looked away in fear. Avis removed her hand.


    "Now, follow me."


    "Please, I''ve only just become a mother!" she pleaded.


    "You dumb bitch, I''m showing you where I saw the kid."


    She grabbed her hand and dragged her into the alley. The fact nothing other than a trash can was present, truly made the maid''s life flash before her eyes.


    Avis was surprised no one was there as well until she heard rumbling from the trash can. She opened it to find the boy balled up inside. However, the only reason she could tell he was a boy was due to his pants and shirt.


    "It''s Albus," the maid muttered softly.


    The boy looked in her face for a few moments before attempting to run away. She quickly grabbed him by his collar and lifted him up. She brought him closer to her face to get a good look and he responded to this by spitting in it.


    She simply clicked her tongue and turned back to the maid. Surprisingly the maid was the one to walk closer and slap the boy in his face.


    "You dumb little bastard, do you not have any sense?" She shouted at the boy.


    She quickly turned to Avis and bowed to her. "Please the boy doesn''t know any better, don''t do anything too rash."


    "Is he your kid?" Avis asked.


    "Ah, no he''s¡­ it doesn''t matter."


    "Hey, quick question, is this kid important?"


    "Uh," the maid wasn''t sure how to respond to that question.


    "Is he?"


    "He is." Another responded.


    Avis turned around to see the other maids entering the alley.


    "Ma''am, might I ask what you are doing with the boy? He is the child of a noble after all, so I do hope you aren''t planning unsavoury."


    "A child of a noble, you say? And here I thought he was just a lost child."


    She placed him on the ground and patted him on the back to go towards the other maids. He didn''t move. Strangely enough, he decided to walk back towards her.


    "Is he usually this clingy? By the way, you mentioned a noble?" she asked.


    "Correct."


    "Considering how easily he escaped from you all, I don''t mind keeping an eye on him until we meet his father. (Hopefully, I use this to leverage a way into a job position. Hell, after that maid slapped him, I probably have a guaranteed position.)"


    The maids huddled together to discuss for a moment.


    "Alright, after all, it would be odd for his father not to show generosity after all."


    After that reassuring comment, Avis followed them back to the Lord''s Manor.

 Chapter 194

    As they walked onto the property, she knew she hooked in a big fish when she saw the estate. The space it occupied was more than the slums she inhabited. It was larger than some of the estates of her previous clients she served as a mercenary and those men were rich. As she walked down the property, with the little boy still close to her, she couldn''t help but relax.


    ("Well, it seems I won''t have to worry about cash for a while.")


    The maids soon parted Albus from Avis and one maid led her towards the main building, where his father was located.


    "Aren''t you bringing the kid?" Avis asked.


    "Oh, don''t worry, his father will meet with him shortly."


    ("I''m pretty sure you''d immediately want to see your kid after he ran away but I''m no parent I suppose. Maybe he does this often?")


    They entered the building and went up the stairs. They walked down the hallway and entered the room at the end. It was a study, with a blonde-haired fellow sitting at a desk reading a book.


    "Have you found hi- Janet, who have you brought with you?" The man asked.


    "My Lord, this was the lady who found your son."


    He looked at her for a moment before immediately standing and running towards her.


    He grabbed her hand and started shaking it. "Oh Michael, is that so? Thank you, thank you so much for finding my sweet young boy!"


    "Yes, well I''m happy to help."


    As he shook her hand he took notice of the scars on it.


    "Oh, are you an officer or a guard?" He asked.


    "No. Don''t worry, they''re from an old line of work I used to do."


    "I¡­I see. I suppose it would be uncouth to let you go empty-handed. How much gold would you like?"


    "(Well, this could work but I''m not sure the amount he''d give me would be enough to live off for more than a few years.) Actually, I was hoping you could give me a job."


    The man stared at her blankly for a few moments.


    "Ha, a job eh¡­ you don''t have many people asking for those, misses?"


    "Avis Latrodectus."


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Avis? Hmm, that name sounds quite familiar."


    The maid in the room bent over and started whispering in the Lord''s ear.


    ("Tsk, what a nosy bitch.") she thought to herself.


    Surprisingly his expression remained unchanged even after hearing what the maid had to say.


    "Now, Avis, what might you want a job with me for?


    "(Tsk, guess I''ll play to his emotions for a few moments.) Well, ever since I saw your child, I couldn''t help but worry about him."


    Strangely enough, he opened his eyes when she stated this almost in shock. Was it that unbelievable?


    "(Tsk, maybe I need to be more convincing.) So, I''d like to be here for the boy to make sure he doesn''t run away. I can tell you for a fact he seemed to be quite fond of me on our way here. Plus you wouldn''t believe it but I saw one of your maids slap him across the face as if it were nothing. Can you believe such a thi- Um, Sir?"


    The lord had been sweating profusely when she mentioned the maid slapping Albus.


    "Is it that hard to believe?" She asked.


    "No, no, no, I''m shocked one of my maids would do such a¡­" He paused for a moment and his tone changed.


    "Tell me Avis what was your former occupation? I just want to confirm what I heard from Janet here was accurate."


    She clicked her tongue in annoyance but the sound wasn''t loud enough for the others to hear.


    "I was a debt collector." She responded weakly.


    "Now is it true how that boy reacted to you?" He asked.


    Avis and the maid both looked at him strangely.


    "Yes?" She responded.


    ("This is the first time in quite a while he''s latched onto anyone. That little bastard, if only I could kill him without getting my hands dirty. Those bastards already find me suspicious because of how that other bitch died. But fucking hell, I have to be careful even here about how I treat that brat. Who knows how the family as a whole would treat me if it was leaked what I did to the boy? But I can''t stand that little bastard being happy. Should I perhaps have her killed and dangle her body in front of him every so often? No, I can''t imagine her going down without a fight. Wait a minute, she is a debt collector.") The lord thought for a few moments before getting an idea.


    "Excuse me, Avis, I think I have a job for you."


    "Really?" She asked, "(Damn, that spiel actually worked.) If you want, I can tell you who I saw slap him, I''m pretty good at recognising faces."


    "No, that won''t be necessary." He responded. "But I would like to hire you if you are willing to follow my orders. And don''t worry it''s nothing lewd."


    "Sir, I do want to make it clear that if you want me to be a guard, I''m fine with it."


    "Oh, no, I''m staffed pretty comfortably on that front. What I want you to do is¡­ rough my boy up every so often."


    "Excuse me, sir?" She asked.


    "Can you not?" He quickly responded.


    "No, I can, but this seems like an odd thing to request."


    After seeing her budge on that point, he was convinced she didn''t quite have her morals in check. He wore a devilish grin on his face and continued to negotiate with her.


    <hr>


    "I suppose a paycheck is a paycheck. So just make sure he''s alive?"


    The lord was now all smiles and looked at Avis with respect. "That''s right. You''re more agreeable than I thought."


    "Well, I was a mercenary a few years ago so, this wouldn''t even come to mind as one of the worst things I''ve done in a few years."


    "Is that so? I suppose having a stable income will make this easier than breathing for you." He chuckled.


    "(Tsk, this is why I hate rich bastards like you. You think we enjoy shit like this?) Rest assured, as long as I get paid I have no problems doing this."


    ("Hehe I can''t wait to see the look on that little bastard''s face when the woman he was clinging onto starts treating him like shit. Oh man, I might have to get Janet to create a portrait of his miserable little face one of these days.")

 Chapter 195

    It was easy money. It was essentially a step down from baby-sitting. All she had to do was make sure he stayed alive and he had no visible scars. It was a better way of gaining money than she could have ever imagined. Plus the cabin in the woods wasn''t all that bad either. It was sure as hell better than that dingy slum she lived in.


    But it soon took its toll on her.


    <hr>


    His father had come to visit and started beating his son without so much as saying hello. He''d have his maids hold up the boy and deliver blows a child shouldn''t have to take. The child had gotten tired of screaming months ago and simply took the punches with little or no qualms.


    "Lord Bradley, is this really necessary so early?" Avis asked while yawning as she watched them.


    "It is Avis. This little bastard''s mother dared to humiliate me and you think I can just let that slide? I don''t know which bastard she laid with but if I can''t get my hands on him, or the boy''s mother, then he will have to serve as a substitute."


    He delivered another blow and caused Albus to cough up blood.


    "I do hope you''ll leave him alive at the end of this." She remarked after seeing his blood flow.


    "Oh, trust me, my rage for him cannot be quenched in a lifetime."


    The boy was barefoot and the man showed hesitation stomping on his toes with his heavy boots.


    That gave the first scream the boy had uttered in months.


    ("Tsk, I know it''s free money but why''d I have to work for a nutcase like him?")


    "Come on mercenary, I''m sure you want a few hits of your own, right?"


    Avis sighed before getting up. He delivered one blow but it made an audible crack. The boy fell to the ground in tears and rolled around on the floor.


    The lord looked almost giddy seeing this and had a good laugh watching him.


    "Holy shit, do you not disappoint!" He bent over to grab Albus''s head. "Not so tough are ya, ya little shit!?" He shouted in the boy''s face before spitting in it.


    He got up and tried to steady his breathing. "You know what to do Avis."


    He took a coat from one of his maids and put it on. He left the cabin noticeably satisfied.


    "THanKs AviS." Albus told her while fighting through the pain.


    "For what exactly?"


    "Whenever Dad goes too far, you break my rib to get him to leave." He said.


    "Shut up, with that magic of yours you don''t have to take that beating in the first place. It''s disgusting how nobles can get such grand powers with no effort." She responded.


    "But then he''d stay here longer right?" He asked.


    "Why does that matter?" she asked before crossing her arms.


    "You always look annoyed when he comes by."


    "...Listen here you little shit, I don''t need you trying to read into things that aren''t there. The only reason I looked annoyed was because the guy decided to wake me up so early."


    "Oh." The boy weakly responded before passing out.


    "Tch, already?"


    She lifted him up to bring him into his bed. Although her medical knowledge was shoddy at best, with the equipment his father provided her, that knowledge was more than enough to keep Albus alive.


    "What annoying kid."


    She looked at him as his face was in pain on the bed and couldn''t help but feel disgusted.


    ("Tough shit kid. There are probably tons of kids out there who have to go through worse shit than you every day. Just because I have to watch it doesn''t mean that what''s happening to you is worse than any of them.")


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    As she looked at him she tried to give herself a reason it was okay to carry on like this. She couldn''t have imagined making money for something so simple when she was a mercenary and had decided no matter what, she was going to milk this thing for all it was worth until that fool ended up killing this little boy.


    But after watching this for months, she couldn''t help but at least wonder why. You''ve already killed your bitch wife. Why continue to make this child suffer? Why continue to torture him like this?


    Those thoughts had been slowly eating away at her during her days here and they were particularly strong today. That''s why she decided to do something she normally wouldn''t have.


    <hr>


    She waited in the forest waiting for someone. While she was here, she had learnt various secrets about the lord, though the one she found the most troubling (legality-wise) was the fact he killed his wife. While she had no problem with this, she was surprised by how blatant he was with this fact around the boy and her. But she couldn''t help but wonder how many people knew this fact.


    The lord came down into the forest with two of his guards. She had on a black cloak and hid her face well.


    "Is it you!?" The lord shouted. It was obvious at a glance it was a woman. "Are you the bitch that dares threaten me!?" He shouted at her.


    One of the guards had a briefcase. He walked in front of the lord to open a briefcase. It was filled with bars of gold.


    "There, take it you slut, now make I don''t hear a word of this from anyone."


    As the guard set down the suitcase and walked back, Avis quickly ran towards him while his back was turned and cut his head off in one motion.


    The other guard had already started running towards her and the lord had already begun running away.


    ("Shit, what the hell!? I didn''t think there''d be someone that strong threatening me! Shit, what the hell even was that? How''d she manage to cut his head off in one swipe? Fuck it all, they must have hired some assassin to get the money. Why jokes on them, that gold is fake so they''ll be as broke as they-")


    Before he could finish his thought he noticed something sticking out of his chest. It was the blade of a sword. He turned around to see the assassin behind him and quickly fell to the floor.


    The other guard had been quickly dispatched off.


    ("I only did this because he was missing me off.") She told herself. ("That''s right. Regardless of what he was doing to that boy, the fact he disgusted me was more than enough reason to kill him. The boy had nothing to do with it. I feel if anyone had been forced to watch this useless bastard beat his child and then expect you to nurse back to health, anyone would have done this.")


    She told herself all of that yet showed no hesitation in heading back to their cabin.


    <hr>


    She remembered the boy she protected long ago by killing his father which led him down the path he is on now. She would not let him suffer. For as long as she lived she would make sure he didn''t have to pay for her mistakes.


    She quickly wrapped a wire around the arm that reached out towards her. Elizabeth managed to lodge her sword between her arm and the wire as soon as the wire reached bone. She wore a leather arm guard with metal on its top and if it hadn''t been for that her mutilated arm would have been an amputated one. She delivered a punch with said arm and Avis willingly backed away while letting go of the wire.


    They were now both parallel to the wall and stared each other down as Avis got back to her feet. They rushed each other with no hesitation. Elizabeth now only had one usable arm with the injury to the other, and Avis was barely holding on due to the pain she was in. Every step she took tested her resolve but she took them without hesitation.


    In their struggle, Elizabeth managed to land a sword strike with her non-dominant arm that left blood spraying. She stabbed her abdomen but she could tell by feeling it wasn''t anything vital. She had to quickly let go when Avis attempted to throw the wire over her which narrowly dodged. She attempted to throw a punch into the lodged sword but Avis managed to back away fast enough and caused Elizabeth to stumble and land a counter blow of her sending her backwards.


    She showed no care for the metal in her torso and showered her in punches seemingly showing no interest in cutting her apart anymore. As Elizabeth took this beating she slugged her with her only good arm every so often with a blow that sounded more like a gunshot but neither woman took a step back. With each punch the other sent they bruised the other more, driving them closer to death. Elizabeth even managed to land a few nasty blows on the sword but the pain of the poison had its upside as Avis could no longer discern the pain not caused by the poison.


    There was no parrying, no grace and no skill shown between the two women as they slaughtered each other with their fists. They targeted each other''s wounds without mercy and left each other with bruises and a dash of each other''s blood on the other, with a large helping of their own staining themselves.


    The first one to falter in this bloody stalemate was Elizabeth. After receiving a blow that broke her own nose she was sent back. Even with the pain running through Avis''s body, for a brief moment, the relief she was feeling washed it all away as she watched Elizabeth.


    ("Finally. Don''t worry Albus, after the antidote I''ll quickly rush to your si-") Her mind froze in awe of what she was seeing before her eyes. Elizabeth had managed to muster enough strength to send a kick towards Avis.


    It''d obviously go for her head so she blocked it. Within the next moment, she realised she was mistaken and it was too far away for her head. Then what was it aimed for? It hit the sword in her abdomen and turned the floor, the sword and Elizabeth''s leg into a bloody mess. Her stomach and several other viscera were visible and her feet lost all strength...


    As she felt herself fading away, she only had one thought on her mind.


    ("Forgive me, Albus.")


    With tears in her eyes, she limply fell to the floor and her heart got its last beat out. It got darker and darker for eyes until she passed out.


    Elizabeth roared out when she hit the floor like a lion displaying its dominance.

 Chapter 196

    With less than ten seconds left until the poison supposedly killed her, she reached her hand into the pouch and felt nothing. Nothing. She moved her around some more and still nothing.


    ("N-no, she couldn''t have?") She desperately searched the pouch of the maid to no avail. As the final second passed she finally had the thought to search elsewhere on her body. But three minutes had passed and she would be dead in a few moments¡­ if she was a normal human that is.


    She continued searching her body until finding the vial tucked in her chest. After ensuring she swallowed the whole thing, she made sure to heal Avis and pressed her head against her heart to ensure it was still beating.


    Beat. Beat Beat. Beat Beat Beat Beat


    After a few moments, it sounded her heart maintained a steady pace again. After searching some more she found another vial hidden, this time on a leather strap on her leg that held various of them. She continued finding these vials in parts of her except her pouch.


    "Tch, what a petty woman. I can bet you don''t even have a lover." Elizabeth commented as she poured one of them in her mouth.


    ("Though I always suspected it, I guess this confirms it. I''m resistant to poison. I remember Vanessa giving me alcohol to get me drunk because she found it funny but after I became a saint she quickly stopped when it didn''t happen with the usual amounts¡­ I really should pay her back for that.")


    Back at the Wisteria Mansion, Vanessa didn''t know why but she could feel an unexplainable chill run down her spine.


    Elizabeth looked at the now-healed Avis. She unravelled the wire she had wrapped around her hands and made a discovery she had no more wire on her.


    ("So that''s why she chose to do some pugilism at the end of our fight. She probably did not have an opportunity to unwrap the ones on her fist.")


    She looked around the room filled with wires and remembered those in the manor.


    ("I''m surprised I didn''t realise she had so little in the first place.")


    After wrapping the wire tightly around her arms and legs, to the point they had cut into her skin, she looked at the woman on the floor and sighed.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ("So it''s a draw. Tch, if she didn''t mislead me into thinking the antidote was in her pouch, I would have a clean victory.")


    She contemplated kicking the maid but after their battle, she decided to show her opponent some respect.


    ("I know I could have probably easily dispatched her if I still had access to my magic but it still feels bitter regardless to know I would have died if I didn''t have this body.") As she made excuses for this performance a more pertinent question came to her mind.


    ("In the first place why did she even attack me? Did she think I was working with those cultists or maybe those men they had attacked together with Tibaut? I''ll have to question her later.")


    Her sword had been pushed out of Avis''s body when she healed and she could only look at it with regret. It was in rough shape. It had scratches and nicks to the blade all over and a layer of the blade had been cut off with the women''s wire. She sighed and prayed to her Goddess that Vanessa would be able to fix it.


    It could still be cut and she used to cut the sleeve off of Avis. She used it to stop the bleeding in her arm that had been cut to the bone.


    ("Well, I should be able to heal back from this, right?")


    She looked at the cut to her chest and the one lower and already felt exhausted trying to explain them away once they healed.


    ("For the time being I''ll focus on ensuring everyone''s safety. First, Tibaut, then the others.")


    She considered the possibility that Tibaut was in the manor due to the frequency of explosions she had heard during her fight but at some point during her fight, they had stopped. If Tibaut was in the mansion this did not bode well, but if it was some experiment of the lord she could quickly rush back to the others to help her find him. She walked up towards the window and looked in it to see her reflection.


    The bruising was beyond her expectations and she sighed at the fact someone other than her master caused these injuries but she soon made her way outside the ballroom and headed back up the stairs. As she did so she noticed someone crawling along the floor towards the stairs. As soon as they noticed her they hurriedly scurried to one of the rooms on the floor.


    This caught her attention.


    ("I hope it isn''t him. If he''s been reduced to crawling I can only imagine the state he is in.") She thought as she followed them into the room. When she opened the door she saw¡­


    Several minutes earlier.


    As Tibaut landed his counters while Albus attacked, he started to wonder if he was attacking in futility. He was managing to get solid hits but Albus moved like he was unaffected while each punch Tibaut made had him wincing. A change of tactics was in order and he began to only target a specific part of his body. He kept going at his shoulder to no avail. He carelessly let his frustration cloud his mind and Albus scored a punch on him.


    He managed to block in time but it felt like being hit by an iron pipe and it had him backing away while flicking his arm in pain.


    "Ow, you mother fucker!" Tibaut shouted.


    "The deal''s still available if you want to leave the estate."


    His answer was sending a fireball into his face.


    As he ran through it, Tibaut tripped him and sent him to the floor. He quickly stomped on his head and had to back away when Albus reached his hand to grab his leg.


    As he got up, it looked like the floor had gotten more damaged than his face.

 Chapter 197

    As Albus got up, he did some stretches, while staring at Tibaut. He saw the confusion on his face and honestly couldn''t blame him.


    ("I''ve only told Avis what my magic does in specific so it''s no surprise it''s left him looking like this. Worse he might have underestimated me since I ran into what is essentially a major weakness of mine when we fought Cormac.")


    He looked down at his arm and flexed it as Tibaut launched another fireball at his torso.


    ("But I''m definitely gonna be sore when I release it. I haven''t taken any major damage but I''ve been using it too much. Though I suppose it is thanks to him.")


    Tibaut had decided to keep his distance and kept attacking him with magic.


    ("Would it be easier to just wait until he tires himself out? He was injured after all and his movements have kinda slowed down (though he still manages to escape me¡­). No, I should end this quickly, who knows what Avis will do to the others if I take too long with him. If that shady old man down south hears about this, who knows what he might want to keep him shut.")


    He turned to Tibaut and with a brief stare in each other''s eyes he decided to continue his assault.


    ("Damnit, he just stood there taking all my attacks? Is every part of him except his balls invincible? Or were they fake and that''s the reason they felt different?") As Tibaut came up with odd theories, he narrowly dodged a punch from Albus that left a cut on his chin.


    As he tried to gain more distance, he took a kick from Albus but made sure to back away before it landed cleanly. Instead of being killed then and there it just reminded him of the pain his body was experiencing. He had to grit his teeth and roll over on the floor but aimed a fire lance at Albus''s face to block his vision, if only briefly. This seemed to be enough as his stomp missed and Tibaut kicked at his knee, in a desperate attempt to dislocate it.


    ("Alright he can harden himself but maybe that doesn''t apply to parts inside him? I think I read in a textbook that testicles are supposed to be inside the body but hang outside for some reason.")


    His foot did contact the knee but it just resulted in Albus stumbling. Tibaut quickly got himself up and looked like he wanted to rip his hair out. ("What the hell is this bastard''s magic!?")


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He aimed another fireball at his torso and Albus came through the smoke and managed to grab his hand, shattering four fingers.


    Tibaut shouted out in pain but Albus had no reaction. As he was about to deliver a final blow on Tibaut, the redhead did something Albus never expected. He created a fireball in his broken hand and let it go off. The blast allowed Tibaut to get away and as a bonus¡­ left some damage on Albus''s hand.


    ("I see, he created it in-between my hand. The fact it was closed so tightly allowed it not to waste a drop of energy on the surroundings. I do think I could have prevented it but turning my body like that wouldn''t be worth it.")


    His hand was burnt and flesh was showing in his palm but his hand was looking far better compared to his opponent.


    Tibaut''s legs shook and he breathed heavily as he stared down Albus. The sound of a liquid dripping on the floor was present and that wasn''t caused by any turned-over jugs or spilled bottles.


    His hand had now lost the crushed fingers from the blast and his hand was in terrible shape. It was bleeding, bone was showing and it was dirtied by the soot of the blast. But he saw this as a better alternative than being punched in the face by Albus and took his opportunity.


    He noticed Albus looking at his hand and as Tibaut felt he was going to kneel over, he felt his energy come back to him when he saw his.


    ("Fucking finally. It looks like this guy can get injured. Maybe I should continue doing what I''m doing. It shouldn''t take much more until I see some damage.")


    He launched another fireball at his torso and Albus took this as a sign to continue. He punched at Tibaut using nothing but speed. Considering the state of Tibaut''s hand, he focused on parrying with the injured hand and dodging where necessary. Even then he could feel himself being slowly shaved away, seconds into this stalemate. He managed to position a fireball behind Albus and launched it at him, though this was more of a smokescreen than anything.


    He backed away and launched one more fireball to his torso but for the first time in this fight, Albus used his hand to stop it.


    He looked at him and wore an irritable look as he turned his gaze to Tibaut. The flesh on his abdomen was starting to show and it had various burns as well.


    ("So that was his strategy. He kept targeting one part of me to see if it would get damaged. Tsk, maybe I should have gone all out to kill him. Still, it''s only these burns.")


    He dodged the blast of the fireballs Tibaut threw at him while in thought.


    Tibaut smiled as he realised this meant his barrage of attacks did do meaningful damage.


    Albus threw himself towards Tibaut and he tried his best to run away but was quickly caught up. As he blocked and parried Albus''s punches, frustration started seeping back into him.


    ("Tch, if only I wasn''t confined to this room. If I was out in the forest or something, I wouldn''t be forced into fisticuffs with this guy.")


    Tibaut then decided on something even more risky than trying to escape. These were less powerful than the ones he threw at Albus from a distance but more powerful than the ones he''d use at point blank. He created a fireball in the space between them.

 Chapter 198

    His fists were already approaching Tibaut and he didn''t have time to block it. Being so close to the explosion made it seem louder than the others and for a very brief moment, he wondered if that did the job until he reflexively blocked a punch from him at the last moment. It was with the finger-deficient arm and he could hear something crack as he blocked it.


    He stared at Albus''s torso and it was only marginally more injured than he recalled it being.


    ("I didn''t crack the crab''s armour.")


    He thought as he swept his legs and sent him to the floor. He quickly backed away and fired another fireball but again he blocked it with his arms.


    ("All I did was chip the bark off a tree.") Tibaut''s thoughts strung together as he watched him stand up. He sent a fireball at feet but Albus kicked it before he could do any meaningful damage to the wooden floor. His tank top was gone, the shoe he kicked with was also gone and his pants were holding on for dear life. His torso looked somewhat unpleasant but compared to Tibaut he looked like he had just had a spa day.


    ("Honestly, if we''re counting actual fights he''s probably the third hardest opponent I''ve faced.") Albus thought to himself as he kipped up.


    ("And honestly he''s probably the only person I''ve fought that didn''t have a counter to my magic.")


    As Albus stared at the man in front of him he couldn''t help but wonder how he was still standing.


    He was pale and had been sweating buckets since the fight had started. He was already injured when the fight began yet he still managed to stand after taking two of his punches. His hand was nearly gone and his arm is more of a decoration than a limb at this point due to the abuse it''s been through.


    ("I have to hand it to him. If our magic were swapped I would have been completely trounced. It seems the Gods really do bless people like me. Though I wouldn''t mind a simple magic like fire. It''d probably be more flashy than magic that modified your body.") Albus thought watching Tibaut.


    Although he said this, his magic was far superior to some simple fire magic.


    It allowed him to modify certain aspects of his body. What would this entail? A lot more than you''d think. He could control the toughness of his skin. He could move certain body parts if he felt it (Though he only used this to keep certain body parts or bones intact.) If he felt like it he could turn off his sense of pain or heat. But this all had a limit, especially the modifications he made for combat. His muscles and bones would usually be sore depending on how heavily he altered them. And sore in this case could mean pain so agonising he wouldn''t be able to move for a day.


    He casually dodged the fireball thrown his way as drifted off in thought. He picked up a chair he dodged into and threw it at Tibaut.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Tibaut wasted no time dodging it and shot several fireballs he had prepared behind him at Albus but within the short period he had his attention focused on the chair, Albus came within his range. He had already fired off the fireballs and Tibaut did his best to block them. The blast sent him flying back and he began profusely coughing up blood as he landed on the floor. He kept coughing it up until coughed a large chunk of something and he felt his breathing return to normal. Well as normal as feeling every nameable organ inside you scream in pain from your every breath could feel.


    He heard someone click their tongue and looked up to see Albus sending exactly where he left him. His torso was looking more damaged and Albus looked at it in distraught.


    ("Shit, how long is going to struggle?") Albus wondered as he walked over to him.


    Tibaut screamed in pain when he mistakenly put force on the hand that served no longer served a purpose, trying to get up. He fell to the floor before forcing himself up with his one good hand. His legs were shaky as stared Albus down and it didn''t even seem he had the energy to gain some distance. He fired another fireball at Albus but the man with flawless skin didn''t see the necessity of dodging it. It would definitely leave him sore when he stopped his magic but this was the end as far as he was concerned. Tibaut put up a good fight, but that''s all it was. A good fight.


    He sent a punch hurling at Tibaut''s head but he dug down deep and managed to block it. It was the arm he severely damaged earlier and with this punch, it had snapped in two. Even if he hadn''t landed a clean hit, the momentum he hit the arm with sent Tibaut''s head sideways and left him dazed. He sent another directed at his gut and almost immediately Tibaut coughed up enough blood to paint a room with. It wasn''t a question of how many of his internal organs were injured but how badly they had been injured.


    Albus sent another punch directed at his face but yet again he blocked it, this time with his good arm. It didn''t snap in half like the last but an audible crack was heard throughout the room. The force of the impact broke his nose and he staggered back yet remained standing. He began screaming out in pain but didn''t step down.


    Albus had had enough of watching him struggle in pain and attempted a flashy kick to his head to end it. It wasn''t particularly clean and he only copied what he saw Tibaut do earlier. But it was still as fast as the other moves he had used. Which is why it came as a surprise that the scrap meat in front of him had enough energy to dodge. Not only did he duck it but he rapidly placed his hand over Albus''s mouth as he moved himself closer to his enemy.


    Albus briefly wondered why he did this but the heat in his mouth provided a quick answer.


    Tibaut''s other hand was destroyed but he was confident he had defeated Albus. It was a shame he had to kill him but he couldn''t afford to be sloppy with an enemy willing to kill him. He fell to the ground and observed Albus still standing, almost lifeless.


    ("I guess it''s over.")


    That briefly ran through his mind until he saw Albus''s legs. He knew he had bulked up somehow in their fight but were they this large? Plus instead of looking defined, they were more like someone had shoved the muscle mass of a wolf into a single leg.


    As he wondered what happened to him, he was sent flying into a wall. A sickening splat was heard and a splotch of blood clearly marked the part of the wall he had impacted. In the centre of the blood was Tibaut whose body had been lodged in the nearly six-inch thick wall. His back had broken through it but his head and legs were still inside.


    The man responsible began coughing. He was substantially larger in terms of body mass.


    ("If I hadn''t increased my bone and muscle mass when he did that, my brain would be mush...")


    The inside of his mouth had been burnt but he preferred that to the alternative of death.


    He looked to Tibaut and despite the kick he gave him, he was still breathing, albeit weakly and infrequently.


    ("What the hell is this guy made of?")

 Chapter 199

    Tibaut had been knocked out as soon as he hit the wall. His blood had decorated the wall but the real damage was inside him. It would be a miracle if he managed to stay alive for a minute longer.


    Albus finished his coughing fit and couldn''t help but stare at the man before him. With his current appearance, there would be no question whether he was a prince or a princess. His body mass had almost doubled, though it wasn''t as egregious as Cormac''s physique.


    He had broken out into a sweat of his own, even if only a few drops were on his forehead.


    ("Shit, he made me go this far.") He looked at his hands and couldn''t help but cringe realising what he had in store for him when he stopped his magic.


    ("Tsk, if I stop it now I''ll be in so much pain, I probably won''t be able to think straight for the next few days. But if I wait until my magic runs out I''ll only have maybe two minutes to stay like this. I''ll have to deal with the pain after two minutes anyway, so it doesn''t make sense stalling¡­ but I just can''t bring myself to do it. Well first order of business, I should go meet Avis in the time I have remaining.")


    Deciding it was best to finish this up, he began walking over to Tibaut and, like a miracle, he opened his eyes as he heard Albus coming towards him.


    "Come on man, just die already," Albus stated as he walked towards him. He sounded defeated.


    Tibaut''s mind saw the danger in front of him and shot off another fireball. He seemed to be straining himself as he shouted in pain. The fireball he shot towards Albus felt like it really did embody the term ''fireball''. It was the size of a ball a small child would play with and its speed seemed laughable. Only out of respect for his fallen opponent did he let such an attack hit him. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed before getting closer to him.


    Complex thoughts were a distant memory to Tibaut while he was stuck in the wall. He didn''t feel fear as Albus approached but anger. His body boiled at the fact he had been treated this, turned into a wall mount ornament by him. The unfair magic that made him almost invincible. It pissed him off. He couldn''t accept this defeat. He wouldn''t expect that his story would end here of all places. His blood gurgled in his throat as he tried to move himself out of the wall.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    To Albus, this just looked like the death throes of a defeated man. It felt oddly reassuring seeing him act like this. He had finally realised there was no fighting back and that death was his only option.


    He stared at Albus with hatred in his eyes and Albus accepted it wholeheartedly. Even he realised he deserved as much.


    ("I''ve changed my mind. I''ll use my remaining time to watch him die. He deserves as much to have someone in his final moments.")


    He did this as a sort of punishment. That no matter what happened only his maids would have his back and friends outside of them were impossible.


    As he watched he noticed an odd aura around Tibaut as he struggled in the wall. It was blue and he wondered if this was a new magic but¡­ it was too odd. It was almost like a flame in its appearance. And a large one at that. It started to light that part of the room blue. But it had no heat. He felt conflicted seeing and wasn''t sure how to proceed. Was it a technique he activated upon death or was this something more?


    As he wondered, he noticed the broken arm of Tibaut snapping itself back into one straight piece and the finger-deficient arm slowly growing them back, first forming bone then flesh.


    Albus didn''t know what he was seeing but he knew it wasn''t anything good. He rushed towards Tibaut and aimed for his head. His fist landed with nothing. He managed to dodge the fist at such close range. He pushed himself out of the wall and stared Albus in his face. His eyes seemed lifeless. It was as though he was staring at something beyond Albus as he looked at him.


    Albus had been left stunned at his punch missing.


    ("That''s impossible, my body is at its physical limit in this state. How did he dodge it so easily?")


    Tibaut got into a stance with his blue flame-like aura surrounding him. He moved his fist as if to say "Come on already."


    He sent another blow to the face of Tibaut. The redhead grabbed Albus''s hair and the sudden jolt caused him to miss.


    He immediately backed away and used his hand to cut the hair Tibaut had grabbed onto. He then shortened his hair with his magic before feeling confident enough to step back in.


    ("Why did he do that? Wait a minute, why am I so worried? He had the perfect opportunity to hit me yet he went for my hair. This means he probably can''t hurt me even with that aura of his. Wait, shit was this his plan after all? Did he get like this so he could make me drain my magic? No, only Avis has seen this form before today and it was very brief. This is the first time I''m using it in a fight. But dammit this has just turned into a matter of who can maintain themselves for longer.")


    He maintained hope that Tibaut''s form was as situational as his and threw himself towards his opponent. Tibaut wasted no time dodging the blows coming his way and for further annoyance he kept touching Albus''s fists.


    ("Are you saying I''m not fast enough you bastard!?")


    On the fly, Albus had thought of a way to increase his odds.


    He started pumping adrenaline throughout his body.

 Chapter 200

    ("Now that I''ve thought all I''ve done is increase the natural limits of my body. That doesn''t mean I''ve drawn out one hundred of what this body has to offer in terms of power.")


    He had always harboured thoughts about what he could do with his magic, but the thing he wanted most so he could defeat his uncle was impossible, so there had never been a point where he used his ideas until now.


    ("Hehehe, this is the first time I''ve ever had to cook up a way to increase power during a battle. I knew you were something special Tibaut but this is far beyond my expectations, friend.")


    He felt a brief sadness, being presented with the choice of continuing to fight or giving up but the maids had more of a place in his heart than the little time he spent with Tibaut.


    As the adrenaline pumped through his body, he stared at the waiting Tibaut almost in anticipation of what he could do with this level of power.


    ("Alright, time to see what one hundred per cent of these muscles have to offer.")


    His legs tensed, and for a moment it was as if the whole world had come to a crawl in his mind. He ripped the flooring out from under with his preliminary steps within less than the time it took to blink he had covered the distance between them and had a punch aimed at Tibaut''s head.


    He missed. The punch only grazed Tibaut''s nose. But that didn''t matter to him, he was still moving fast and he couldn''t stop himself. He''d slam into him and leave him a paste on the wall. But Tibaut lowered his torso then his shoulders and threw him into the wall instead. He broke through it cleanly but managed to grab at the newly formed hole. He quickly pulled himself inside to see Tibaut staring at him, blankly, and stepping back.


    He clicked his teeth.


    ("Tsk, I''ve already wasted a minute.")


    Seeing as throwing himself towards him had a disastrous effect he quickly walked up to him and began throwing punches. The punches were grazing Tibaut but none could land cleanly.


    ("At least I''ve evened the speed gap.") Albus thought.


    His punches whistled through the air, like crossbow darts but none managed to land. He tried a shoddy leg sweep, imitating what had happened to him earlier but Tibaut stopped it with a leg sweep of his own to Albus''s only grounded foot. It sent him to the floor but it did more damage to his ego than anything else.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ("This martial arts bullshit is getting annoying.")


    He attempted a kip up but Tibaut landed a kick on his legs while they were airborne and it sent him back to the ground. A vein was starting to show on his forehead.


    He rubbed his legs and decided to stand up like a normal person.


    ("What, you don''t have a counter for this too!? Damnit, what else can I do to increase the limits of my body?")


    His mind used the brief time he had left to try to find an answer. Tibaut was now the one who began walking towards him.


    In the recesses of his mind, he found eventually something. ("If I remember correctly, there''s an organ in our body that affects our use of magic.") He looked at his arm and probed around for it.


    1 second had passed.


    ("Got it. If I remember correctly this affects how fast we can use the mana in our body. If that''s the case.")


    He rapidly expanded their size until it affected the size of his arms.


    1 second had passed.


    ("Can I force myself to use more mana than I currently can? And will it translate to better magic?")


    His body began an even more extreme transformation and his body now looked like it was composed entirely of muscles. Even with this change his physique still wasn''t at the level at Cormac but this was good enough. At the start of this, he had over 40 seconds left but at this point, he now had 10.


    He threw one of the final punches he would ever make at Tibaut. He managed to dodge it by a hair and seemed to be countering with a punch of his own.


    ("Hmph, it seems the skills he has truly do outclass my body. Fine then, I''ll allow him to throw a punch, then immediately grab it. He can counter all the flashy shit I do but this should guarantee his death.")


    Based on their current positions, he had no chance to dodge but he could at the minimum reduce its impact if he jumped back. Instead, he decided to take it head-on. Even with this new blue fire around, there was no chance it would be enough to burn his body before he grabbed and killed Tibaut.


    What he hadn''t noticed was Tibaut''s aura had gotten smaller in size and it had gathered around the fist making its way towards his abdomen.


    The instant it hit him he realised something was wrong. He felt pain. And a lot of it. It was as if his magic was just a fantasy.


    He couldn''t even let out a yelp before it sent him barrelling towards the other end of the room. He crashed into the wall beside the front door and clutched his stomach.


    ("It hurts, it hurts, why does it hurt, what did do that bastard do, I''ll kill him, I''ll fuckin-")


    His magic soon wore off. Every perceivable muscle all at once decided to betray him. It felt like his entire body had been placed into a vat of molten metal.


    "Aa-"


    He tried to scream but the pain from even the brief moment of doing so made him stop. He rolled around the floor in pain but pain from doing even that made him stop. Even lying on the ground made certain muscles in his body sear with pain. This pain was the worst he had ever experienced in his life. Yet from experience, he knew this was when the pain was at its least intense.


    He crawled to the door and dragged himself outside, praying Avis was still there. But much to his dismay, she wasn''t. He didn''t even spare his opponent his attention and crawled like a madman, praying for one of his maids to show up.

 Chapter 201

    The moment he saw the blonde hair coming up he wasted almost no time crawling towards them. But as they took another step he saw their face. It wasn''t one of the maids. It was the adventurer woman who seemed to be their leader.


    He quickly diverted and made his way towards a room with an open door. He managed to shut it but he knew she had already spotted him. He wanted to writhe on the floor due to the pain from crawling so much but for these brief moments, he tried his best to stay still, praying she didn''t notice him.


    He waited with painful breaths as he heard her footsteps. He started to have tears in his eyes from the pain but did his best not to make even a groan.


    The footsteps continued. Did she walk somewhere else? As that thought went through his mind he heard the doorknob click and the door promptly pushed open.


    He hadn''t crawled too far from the door and as it opened it bumped his arm. He choked in pain and the person who opened looked on in sympathy.


    ****************************************************************************************


    (Oh, it''s the lord? What happened to him? And why is he shirtless?") Elizabeth thought as she looked at him.


    She walked into the room and Albus began fearing for his life. This was it. It all ended here.


    Elizabeth wasn''t sure what to make of him. The parts of his attire being burnt obviously suggested he had fought Tibaut but for what reason? From the way he lay on the ground, it was obvious he was in some sort of pain. Was this the aftermath of their fight? She did find it quite worrying how little burns he had (The occasional burns she got while sparring him were easily the worst part of it).


    For the time she would subdue him with some of the wire she had gotten from Avis. She also knocked him out and healed him to make sure he wouldn''t die before she questioned him.


    After doing so she hurriedly scuttled over to the large room on this floor and at the very end of it was Tibaut laying on the floor. She quickly rushed over and thankfully his heart was still beating.


    He seemed to be unconscious and she checked him for pain over his body. Something unusual she noticed was some of his fingers didn''t have any skin on them and he looked unhealthily thin. His cheeks were sunken and through the parts of his shirt torn, she could see bones easily showing through his chest. He looked like he went through a desert without food and water.


    Her leading theory was that he used ki more extremely this time and she wasted no time healing him.


    ("Still the last time he used ki it healed all his injuries, how bad was it this time that his fingers were left unfinished?")


    She lifted him up and carried him out of the room.


    ("Sigh, it seems that the Lord of the Manor was a tough opponent. I''ll regroup with the others and question the Lord later.")


    She looked into his closed eyes and sighed.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "It seems you weren''t looking for trouble this time. Sigh Thankfully the lord wasn''t too much of a problem even with your injuries. (Maybe I''ll just keep a closer eye on him. With the cult around, keeping him injured and having them show up would do us no good.)"


    She left the room and soon reunited with the others.


    <hr>


    In the fort of the manor, a certain blonde-haired individual stood outside one of the cells. Inside was a person who looked like a princess, with straight black hair that possessed a lustre only a varnish could match and pale skin reminiscent of a vampire. They were sitting in a chair tied up with a metallic string.


    The person''s head started bobbing up and down and jolted up when they fully awoke.


    "Lord Bradley was it?" A voice asked.


    He focused his eyes on the figure in front of him. His mind was still foggy and he struggled to recall who the person was in front of him.


    "Adventurer?" He asked, confused.


    "Yes, I am one of them."


    She opened the cell and went inside.


    His mind slowly started turning its gears.


    ("If I remember correctly, I was discussing something with Tibaut and¡­ SHIT")


    He started using his magic to struggle out of his confines and he realised the strings were stronger than he imagined. In fact, they left cuts on him even with his strengthened skin.


    ("Wait, are these!?")


    "You can thank your maid named Avis for those. After I finish questioning you, I''ll move on to her..."


    He struggled in the chair more and glared at her.


    "You bitc-"


    "If you don''t behave," she continued.


    He stopped and sighed.


    "Fine. But I hope you know who you''re messing with. My family isn''t some third-rate nobility you haven''t heard of. As soon as they (My uncle anyway) hear about this, you''ll regret ever stepping foot in this country." He didn''t look confident or reassured as he stated this. He made it sound like more of a legal disclaimer than a threat.


    Albus didn''t have much hope his uncle would avenge him but he would bet all that he was worth, his uncle would kill the woman before him and then other adventurers as a way of flexing his strength.


    "I see. But that would cause quite a ruckus wouldn''t it?"


    Albus wasn''t sure what she meant and watched as she reached for something in her pocket. She threw it to the floor and the moonlight coming into the cell illuminated it.


    Beads of sweat started forming when he got a good look at it. His breathing started quickening and he couldn''t help but clatter his teeth. He began stuttering as he spoke.


    "Y-Y-Y-You k-know t-that it''s illegal to counterfeit that."


    "Oh, it''s no counterfeit. How do you think I had so many of those potions?"


    "...(Ah, that''s where I recognised her.)"


    <hr>


    He was brought back to a memory of the past. For appearance''s sake, his father would carry him with him to various events and balls that had high society gathered.


    During one of these, he met a small girl with blonde hair and green eyes. She was the youngest sibling in her family and everyone around had their attention on her.


    She walked around the ball with two large men at her side and approached him.


    "So there are other girls here." The young girl commented.


    "Who are you calling a girl? I''m a boy."


    "Haha, then why do you have such long hair? Tomboys aren''t actual boys you know!"


    Before he could respond his father pulled him away and bowed to the men by her side. They found this reaction odd but considering the family he came from it wasn''t too surprising.


    He brought his son to a corner.


    "Listen here little bastard, don''t you dare think you''re good enough to be interacting with the second princess."


    He looked around the room before giving him a punch to the gut and returning with the boy to the party.


    <hr>


    "A princess hu- ARGHH."


    He groaned in pain and the princess tried to force a sword into his leg. She struggled for a few moments with one hand and had to use both to get it to go inside. After a few seconds of pushing, with the sounds of meat being torn, it went through his leg.


    ("H-how? I still had my magic up, it should have at leas-")


    He felt an odd sensation in his leg and although it wasn''t as strong as the object that pierced his body nor Cormac''s armour, it was still recognisable even if he had to focus on it.


    "That took more force than I''d like to go in. Well, the sword is already dull, so I should have expected as much."

 Memories of a Distant Past 5

    As Tibaut lay weakly in his bed, his mind drifted back to his past. These memories and those from his past life were better than any dream that his mind could create (Except if it''s erotic but after seeing the women in the fort his subconscious was in no mood for anything like that).


    <hr>


    The two brothers stood before their parents, with the smaller one oblivious to what was going on. The maid was also nearby to see if the older brother''s words were true.


    "(Why did Pyrus bring me inside? Don''t tell me he''s trying to get me scolded for what I did out there? Screw you, you''re the one who started it.) Pyrus started it." He said, unaware of the real reason he was brought here.


    His mother put a hand on her cheek in faux shock. "Is that true?" She said sarcastically to her son.


    "It is. He. Destroyed. My. Cool. Bug. So I destroyed his." The little Tibaut asserted while jumping up and down like a rabbit. ("Shit I''m letting my mood swing too easily. Dammit, why is being a kid so hard!?")


    Cillia gave Pyrus a nasty glare but for the sake of his mental wellbeing, he tried to ignore it.


    "Let''s move past that stuff, it isn''t anything important." He said as he tried to brush past proof of his pettiness. "I''m telling you, he can use magic!"


    Tibaut wasn''t sure why his brother put so much emphasis on this. "(Is that surprising or something) Is that bad?" Tibaut asked his parents.


    "No, you''re brother''s probably just jealous. Why don''t you show us it, Tibaut." His mother responded.


    Pyrus rolled his eyes at that comment and Tibaut walked over to his mother. He held his hands and produced a small flame.


    His father, who hadn''t said this entire time, looked the most shocked out of everyone.


    "Already?" He quietly muttered.


    "Oh, that''s good Tibaut. You really are the son of your father. (Tsk, not only do they both look like him, but they both inherited his magic. Honestly, why did his genetics have to be so strong in them? I honestly wouldn''t have minded one of them having black hair like me.)"


    She got up from her chair and crouched to his eye level.


    "Is that the only thing you do, Tibaut?" She asked.


    ("Tsk, are you calling my flame weak!?")


    He tried to put more fire into the flame in front of him and it only grew to the size of a golf ball.


    Tomoe patted him on the head. "I guess I know who to call if I need a candle lit."


    He turned away from her and started pouting. ("Tsk, screw you, I''m just a kid.")


    She looked surprised by this and picked him up.


    "What''s got you so mad?" She asked.


    "Are you really that oblivious?" Her husband asked.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ("Why did have to hit his ego, he''s barely starting to form one.") Pyrus thought after hearing her comment.


    It seemed the other two men who controlled flames found the offence in her comment.


    "Huh, why are you two looking at me like that?"


    Tomoe received no answer.


    "Still, this is a surprise, he''s learnt his magic almost as fast as me." The father commented.


    "Is that a boast, dear? I do hope you realise there''s no one here to impress." She said as she poked at Tibaut''s pouting face, with a smirk on hers.


    "Don''t get mad before I eve- never mind."


    She brought Tibaut closer to her face and looked into his eyes.


    "Say Tibaut, can you use lighti-"


    "Cillia, can you hold on to Tibaut for a moment? Me and these two have something to discuss."


    While this did sound suspicious to Tibaut, he was bored out of his mind and welcomed being able to leave.


    Tomoe stared at her husband with her mood soured and handed Tibaut over to Cillia. The maid bowed before exiting the room.


    "Magnus, couldn''t you have let me, at least ask the boy, before you got him out of here?" Tomoe asked.


    "If he did show the ability to use your magic, I already know nothing I can say would have stopped you from teaching him it."


    She scoffed and returned back to her seat.


    "Why does it matter? Would he even be allowed to succeed you if he used a different magic?" she asked.


    "Tomoe, you already know the story, is not wanting my sons to fight such a bad thing?"


    "Of course it isn''t, I just want him to-"


    She turned her eyes to the other brother that had been left in the room.


    "Jeez, Pyrus, if you''re dad''s letting you talk with us, you could at least chime in." She said as she slouched in her chair.


    ("I''m glad my friends don''t know my parents act like this. Who knows what they''d think if the bulwark of our country and his wife were seen bickering like this.") He thought. But he still had cold feet about voicing what he had to say.


    His father sat in his chair, with red hair formed in the mane of a lion waiting on what his son had to say.


    "But dad¡­"


    "Speak up, Pyrus, as the future of this house and protector of this nation, I think you should be in discussions like this."


    "Is it so bad if Tibaut starts learning this magic?"


    His father wore a stern expression and his mother sighed seemingly tired with the topic.


    "Sorry, Pyrus but that''s something your father won''t relent and honestly, I don''t blame him," Tomoe said.


    "It is as she says. That boy will not learn fire magic as long as he lives under this roof." Magnus added.


    "But why!?" Pyrus raised his voice. "What gives you the right to take that away from him? Are you convinced that you''ll raise us imp-"


    His father raised his hand and Pyrus stopped. "I''ve determined this is the best way to proceed if I don''t want any chance of my sons spelling each other''s doom. Pyrus, can you say with one hundred per cent certainty that your brother won''t betray you?"


    "What the hell kinda question is that?" He shouted at him.


    "Pyrus, don''t be dense." His mother added. "You hear about families, betraying each other all the time when it comes to nobility. These are people where family means nothing. No offence dear." She quickly added at the end.


    "No, I agree. By limiting his knowledge of fire magic in the meantime, there will be no worries about you two butting heads in the future. Trust me Pyrus, we love both you and your brother but we''d both like for him to go on a path separate from yours."


    "But don''t you see the talent he has?" Pyrus asked in a dejected tone. He looked defeated but had hope in his eyes.


    "Let me ask you this, Pyrus. How would you feel if your brother caught up to you and became my successor?"


    Pyrus stumbled on his words and thought about it for a moment.


    "The fact you''re even thinking is reason enough for me not to train Tibaut."


    Pyrus fell silent.


    "Don''t look so defeated, Pyrus. There are other paths your brother can take and the fact you''re this adamant about it gives me hope you''ll keep supporting your little brother."


    "Now, now, dear, time to discuss what the boy might have gotten from me."


    "... I feel that can wait," Magnus responded, obviously not looking forward to this. He seemed almost nervous. "(She''s always been a bit harsh with her words whenever she wants something) Besides the boy is still-"


    He looked around the room and all he could see was the recently opened door. ("Dammit!!"). He felt his wife''s stare pierce through him. ("I only barely managed to have her accept that only one of our children will learn my magic.")


    Although she held a smile on her face, he knew what was awaiting him as soon as she opened her mouth in earnest.

 Chapter 202

    As Tibaut''s eyes slowly opened after wondering what his parents and his brother had been discussing, he saw an assortment of people in the room. Jake, Tina, Elizabeth and Grace.


    The only one awake was Grace and she breathed a sigh of relief, before playfully punching his shoulder.


    "Wh-"


    Before he could ask her what happened she placed her finger over his mouth and shushed him. She walked over to a counter with a tray on it and brought it over to Tibaut.


    "Eat." she simply stated.


    Now that she mentioned he felt like he was starving. On the tray were several porridges and a meat dish. He wasted no time slurping the porridges down like a glass of water and left only the bone of the meat dish in less than a minute. There were wild animals with better table manners than him but Grace felt relieved seeing him eat energetically.


    As he put down he noticed his hand was considerably thin.


    "Huh?" He moved his hands around and realised how much body mass he had lost.


    "How long was I asleep for!?" Tibaut asked.


    She started shushing him. "Be quiet, they''re getting some well-deserved sleep. And don''t worry you''ve only been out for a week."


    ("A week is something to worry about! But then how did I lose so much weight?")


    As he examined himself his eyes soon drifted to Elizabeth. She was sitting on a stool and was lying on Tibaut''s bed. In fact, she was on his legs.


    As he looked at her he noticed her forearm had some gauze wrapped around it. On closer inspection, there was gauze all over her.


    "Shit, did he attack you guys while I was out? (Why didn''t he kill me? Wait a minute¡­)"


    Now that Tibaut was reminded of what happened between him and Albus, how was still alive right now? The last thing he remembered was being on the brink of death.


    ("Is this a dream? Or heaven maybe? Shit other than Vanessa, am I in a gathering of all the people I talked to at the time.")


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    As Grace responded to his question he looked around for something to confirm if it was a dream or not but couldn''t find anything. Suddenly with an idea that made sense to a person who hadn''t fully woken, he found the perfect way to determine if he was awake.


    He reached his arm out and grabbed at her chest. His arm grabbed a handful of her modest bosom and even got a few gropes off.


    ("Amazing, this dream is much more detailed than I thought. This feeling is¡­ more detailed than any dream I''ve had...")


    It seems his mind kicked into top gear after that sensation and he realised what he had just done.


    Grace blushed and removed his hand from her chest.


    "Not only did you make me lose my job, but you also took away a part of my dignity as well. I hope you aren''t thinking of getting me by force." She said with a smile.


    "Job, eh?" Tibaut.


    ("At least react to the other part you pervert!")


    "So all of you weren''t working for him?"


    She delivered a more powerful punch to his shoulder this time.


    "Don''t even joke about that!" She shouted.


    "No, it''s just that¡­ I''m glad is all. I don''t know how I would have reacted if you were part of that."


    She sighed and calmed down. "Whatever. With this whole thing happening I''m kinda out of a job. In fact, most of the women here are."


    "What are you gonna do now?" Tibaut asked.


    She shrugged her shoulders. "No idea but I guess this is the end of me making some easy money. I guess I''ll go back to my home parish and help my adventurer friend out whenever they need help."


    "That doesn''t sound like getting a job¡­" Tibaut commented.


    "Of course not. The jobs around here and at home don''t pay anywhere near enough to be justified. I''ll just crash with my friend until I find something lucrative." Grace quickly responded.


    Tibaut almost respected the fact she stated her declaration of laziness right in front of him.


    "Well, I better get going, see you around." She got up and headed to the door.


    "Huh? You''re just leaving like that?"


    Her expression looked almost pained as he said that.


    "Well¡­" she paused for a moment and continued. "It seems like some former maids went to town and talked about what happened. With things how they are, the people are finding the maids here, even the ones who didn''t help Lord Bradley, suspicious. The only reason I stayed here was to see if you were still alive. So I''d like to leave here before the people go from suspicion to anger."


    She waved at him before leaving through the door.


    "She''s gone¡­"


    Tibaut laid back down in his bed before noticing Elizabeth had her eyes open the whole time. He flinched back when he noticed this but she calmly got up off him.


    "Well, now that you''re awake, we can finally leave. Eat enough to regain your strength and prepare to leave. Also¡­"


    Tibaut wondered what she''d say next.


    "Albus had some connection with the cult."


    "Tsk, so that bastard is one of them."


    "Unfortunately not. When I pressed him about it he only told me had some sort of deal where he gave them women."


    Tibaut''s face soured when she started about Albus, so she decided to stop in the meantime.


    She got up and walked around to the room picking up Tina and Jake like left-out toys.


    "Make sure to get some rest. It seems when you used ki this time, it left your body in rough shape."


    With the two over her shoulders, she closed the door and walked off.

 Chapter 203

    A day had passed and after stuffing his face with breakfast Tibaut decided to explore the estate. Close behind him, for some reason was Elizabeth.


    "Uh, shouldn''t you be preparing stuff for when we leave?" He asked.


    "I''ve set our leaving time as afternoon, we only need ourselves and our belongings by the entrance when noon passes."


    "So shouldn''t you get to moving your stuff?" Tibaut said, clearly feeling uncomfortable having her follow him around.


    "If you recall, we have two others with us. I''ve asked them to do it."


    "Well, suit yourself then. (She''s been so weird since I woke up. She was super insistent on staying near me.)"


    Tibaut began his exploration of the manor.


    Elizabeth was behind and watched as he went through the manor. ("Frankly this seems like the only reasonable option. Leaving him injured nearly got him killed, as much as I don''t want to admit it. It was careless and stupid on my part. And based on what he told me after he woke up, it didn''t seem to be his fault. After all, he might have lost the man in black if he called for us. There''d be no sense leaving him like while we have an opponent that can spring up at any moment. I''ll just keep a close eye on him for the time being, until we get rid of these cult bastards.")


    And by close by, that meant she''d follow him everywhere except the bathroom. And even then, she''d ask Tina to watch the outside window to make sure he didn''t go anywhere.


    As Tibaut explored the estate, unsurprisingly the place was a bit of a ghost town. As he walked around he noticed Officer O''Reilly and a few others on the property.


    He contemplated greeting the officer but he didn''t look too hot. He had bags under his eyes and his clothing and hair looked unkempt.


    He decided against it after seeing him looking so rough but it seemed the man himself noticed him and walked over.


    "Oh, it''s the man of the hour," O''Reilly said. There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh, sorry lad, you did a good thing but¡­"


    "Did I cause you guys a headache?" Tibaut asked.


    "I''m not sure you have all the blame. Do you know any officers in the capital?" He asked.


    Tibaut gave him a puzzled look and that was all O''Reilly needed.


    "So that wasn''t you. Those guys really are on another level." O''Reilly said.


    "What happened?"


    It was Elizabeth who decided to say something this time. "Are you not curious where Albus and his maids are?"


    "The maids? Is that how you got your injuries? First, how did you even determine which ones to arrest? " Tibaut asked.


    Elizabeth then told him a brief explanation of what she and the others had been through.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Those were all the women that were arrested. There may be others that helped with Albus''s activities but all the maids have left and it seems none of the women captured nor Albus intended to sell anybody out." Elizabeth said.


    "So you''re saying there''s a chance some of them got away." Tibaut gave a downcast sigh. "Also from the way you talked about Albus earlier, I assume you don''t have him, Mr. O''Reilly?" Tibaut asked.


    "That''s right, some officers from the capital came for him."


    "Wait a minute didn''t he say his uncle was a big noble? Dammit, did they come to get him?"


    "I thought that at first, lad, but¡­"


    He pulled Tibaut in closer and whispered so Elizabeth couldn''t hear. "Between me and you lad, those men showed a crest from the royal family. This order came from very high up."


    "Is the king involved? Did he save him!?"


    "Hell no," O''Reilly responded. "This noble family of his has been acting high and mighty lately, so I''ve heard my boys discussing whether he wants to make an example out of him or have him talk about any illegal operations his family is a part of. Whatever the case, you won''t be hearing about him anytime soon unless it''s an execution."


    Tibaut sighed but supposed the legal system would have the final say on Albus.


    "But what''s the problem?" Tibaut asked.


    "The bastard who told me said not to let word of this spread. You know how hard it is to convince people in the parish we''re not a group of useless bastards after some other blokes come in and take a noble like that away? It''s got people up in arms lately. People are taking it like he got away without any punishment."


    O''Reilly sounded like he was having a bad go of things and hurriedly rushed back over to his men after speaking to Tibaut.


    "Keep this between us, alright?" He said before taking his leave.


    ("I guess, he''s gonna rot at the bottom of some cell somewhere. I would have liked for him to at least try to redeem himself but I suppose crimes like that aren''t very redeemable.")


    After accepting the reality of the situation he continued travelling across the property.


    He entered one of the buildings and the inside was starting to gather dust. He decided to look around it out of curiosity.


    "I do hope you aren''t thinking of stealing anything," Elizabeth commented.


    "Trust me, I don''t even know where I''d sell anything off."


    He continued walking until he noticed an open room. He pushed it open and two people were inside. They had a sack and were stuffing as much as valuable things they could find into it. They only displayed mild hostility when Tibaut opened the door.


    "Fuck off, we got here first." The man told them, reaching for something in his pocket.


    "Fuck me, isn''t that red one an adventurer?" The woman shouted.


    She threw her sack through a nearby window and jumped out.


    The man stayed in the room and approached Tibaut.


    "So you''re a bastard that worked with that rapist noble? I should skin your fuc-"


    Elizabeth gave a quick punch with her good hand (although it did have a few bandages wrapped here and there) and the man fell to the floor clutching.


    "Please don''t pull out a knife unless you''re going to use it," Elizabeth advised the man


    "It''s cause of bastards like you that I don''t have my sister anymore." The man muttered as he clutched his stomach.


    "And it''s because of him you knew who took away your si-" Tibaut placed his hand on her shoulder and she stopped to turn to him.


    "It''s alright."


    Elizabeth clicked her tongue. "If you want to leave the man ignorant it''s your choice I suppose. But I''d prefer someone hate me because they''re unreasonable rather than them not getting all the facts and making a wrong assumption." Elizabeth stated.


    "What are you talking about?" The man on the ground asked.


    "He''s the one who found out about this whole thing and beat the lord black and blue," Elizabeth stated.


    The man looked confused. "What do you mean?"


    "Let''s go Elizabeth, this is making me uncomfortable." Tibaut walked out of the room. Elizabeth said nothing and followed him.


    The man was left in the room dumbfounded.


    The duo continued exploring the property. It seemed parts of the property had been vandalised with all manner of obscene things written.


    The greenhouse was set on fire with only broken glass and the charred remains of the plants left.


    "If I remember correctly, those officers from the capital called this a poison farm and burned the whole thing, saying it was dangerous," Elizabeth commented.


    They continued exploring some more until it was a few minutes until noon.


    "It''s time to leave, Tibaut," Elizabeth said.


    "I guess it''s time to go home," Tibaut responded.

 Chapter 204

    Tibaut ran back to the building for his clothes and lamented the fact he only had one good shirt left.


    "Tsk, dammit, most of these aren''t even worth wearing anymore."


    He took only the pants and quickly left the building.


    He met up with the others and they entered the carriage.


    Tina and Elizabeth sat on one side while Jake and Tibaut were on the other.


    "So Elizabeth, you said those guys were related to the cult?" Tina asked.


    "Yes, but their relationship seemed distant," Elizabeth responded. "In the Lord''s own words, it seemed there was just a convenient way of getting rid of the women his uncle didn''t want."


    "Tch, what a gross bastard. Instead of letting them go, he sends them off to those bastards." Tina responded.


    "I suppose from a criminal perspective it makes sense." Jake added. "sigh I thought he was someone decent after we fought with him."


    "Makes sense? Isn''t getting more people involved bad." Tina asked.


    "Of course, it would," Elizabeth interjected. "However it would have been far more risky of them to release the women who had probably seen their faces back in the parish."


    Tina scoffed in disgust and the carriage fell silent.


    As the carriage moved further from the property, a large crowd was gathered down the road. As the carriage passed by them, they shouted all sorts of names at those in it.


    "Rapists!"


    "Anglia Dogs!"


    "Bastards!"


    "What have you done to my sister!?!"


    The coachman had to duck in the carriage as the people started throwing things at it. Rocks, mud, rotten food, you name it.


    "Sorry about that." He said. "Don''t worry those horses will know what to do. They''ll be a bit slower without my guidance but we shouldn''t be around for too long."


    He looked around for a cloth and began wiping off the things that had been thrown on him.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "They sure do know how to treat their hero." Tina sarcastically remarked. "It''s people like them that cause adventurers to stop caring for the common person."


    "Don''t be like-"


    "Don''t be like-"


    Both Jake and Tibaut had responded with the same three words but paused when they heard the other. Jake stared at Tibaut and told him to go ahead.


    "Come on Tina, don''t you think you''re being a bit unfair? Those people are just angry about the whole situation."


    "Angry enough that they''d blame us for what that noble did? They should be grateful I don''t go out there and beat their asses."


    "Oh, are you saying you''d do something like that under my watch?" Elizabeth questioned.


    "..." Tina froze up.


    The silence continued in the carriage until they had passed the mob of angry people outside the manor.


    They had now reached the main road that originally split between the manor and the town.


    "Hey Tina, would you say you know Mr. Bentley the best out of everyone here?" Tibaut asked.


    "Hmm, not really, don''t you visit him more Elizabeth?" she asked.


    "I do but you''ve probably seen him in a casual setting more often than I."


    "Trust me, he''s the same there as he is at the branch building," Tina said. "So what are you asking about, crossdress maid?"


    Tibaut decided he wasn''t going to acknowledge those last two words.


    "(Tsk, did Grace rub off on her?) Do you think Mr. Bentley knew about this?" Tibaut asked.


    "Well¡­ I don''t think so. It was probably a coincidence."


    "Really?" Tibaut responded.


    "I mean think about it, if he knew what was going on, he wouldn''t have sent us here hoping to stumble on an opportunity."


    "But what if he found something suspicious and sent us here to confirm it?"


    "Other than the maids, there was nothing immediately suspicious about the guy. Besides the people who live here thought it was the work of those guys you teamed up with him to battle. I firmly believe he sent us here to get some funds to help fight the cult." Tina commented.


    "I don''t know, I just don''t buy it. The noble he sent us to just so happened to be working with the cult at the exact time we decided to fight against them?"


    "Rest assured, this topic is one of the first I''ll ask him as soon as we return to the parish," Elizabeth stated.


    The carriage continued going along. Through the course of two days, the four eventually returned back to town. Three women were waiting for Jake in town and he left with them back to his house.


    ("If only they had been there to help him carry his stuff back when they were rushing to the carriage.") Tibaut mused.


    Elizabeth stayed in town to go report what happened to Mr. Bentley while the pair of Tibaut and Tina headed home.


    As they walked through the forest around the mansion, they encountered Lucky.


    "It''s the mutt." Tina blankly said.


    After saying this, the wolf walked directly over to Tibaut and began rubbing against his leg.


    "What, mad I''m right you little bastard?" Tina responded.


    Lucky made his thoughts clear to her when he left a nice steaming pile in front of her.


    "I think this is the first I''ve ever seen a wolf be so subtle with its animosity," Tibaut remarked. He began rubbing and scratching Lucky''s belly much to his joy.


    "Hmm¡­(The fur must be hiding it.)" He looked at Lucky''s stomach.


    "You gonna keep petting the mutt?" Tina stated.


    "You must have a cold heart if you don''t want to be doing what I''m currently doing," Tibaut stated as Lucky happily accepted his scratches.


    "Whatever," Tina stated as she continued walking along.


    "I guess this is enough of this. Come on boy, err, whatever let''s go back to the mansion." Tibaut stood up and walked alongside Tina.


    After a few more minutes, the mansion was in sight. Sitting by the entrance were two people. One of them was Lily with a bottle of something in her hand and the other was Vanessa, also with a bottle of something in her hand.

 Chapter 205

    ("I did hear she was a fan of drinking.") Tibaut thought as he saw them. Their movements seemed sloppy and Tibaut could hear Vanessa''s voice raised, though he couldn''t discern any of the words she spoke.


    "Ugh, I''ll enter through the back entrance," Tina commented as she saw the two.


    "Come on, they''re probably not drunk (hopefully). Besides we''ve gone for a while, the least we can do is greet them."


    Tina clicked her tongue and continued walking alongside him.


    After they had gotten into the clear, Lucky turned around and headed back to the forest. ("He really is more of an outdoors wolf. Though I''m not sure if there''s such a thing as an indoors wolf.")


    As they approached closer, it seemed the two noticed them. Vanessa got up and could barely walk in a straight line towards them while Lily seemed to have no issue walking but had a rather mischievous smile on her face.


    Tibaut raised one of his hands up.


    "Hey, Vanessa, it''s been-" Before he could get his greetings out, Vanessa staggered over and landed an almost pinpoint punch to his groin. He was reminded of one of those kung-fu movies with how swift her movement was. He kneeled over and she jumped into him, causing them both to fall to the floor.


    "I suppose I should have expected this," Tibaut said with a smirk. Considering what he had been in the previous week, a weak punch to the dick wasn''t really all that bad.


    "You bastard!" She slurred. She hugged him tight and made it hard for him to get up.


    ("Hold on, is she angry? I can''t tell if this is just how she is with some booze in her.")


    Tina sighed as she watched this. "We were only gone for two weeks." She commented. She walked over towards the two idiots on the floor but another idiot grabbed onto her leg.


    "Don''t go ruining this Tina, just because you can''t find a man doesn''t mean you should ruin it for the rest of us." The short girl in a hoodie, snidely remarked as she held on to her leg.


    "What was that, you little shit!?" Tina angrily responded.


    Lily blew raspberries at her and then bit her ankle.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Ow, damnit, this is why I hate it when you''re like this." She said. She quickly withdrew her foot and rubbed it. Lily proceeded to blow more raspberries in her face and ran away with her arms in a t pose. This left Tina red with anger and she wasted no time chasing her.


    "Uh, you good Vanessa?" Tibaut asked, unsure what she was mad about.


    She pounded on his chest but other than the noise it made it didn''t hurt in any way.


    "Am I good? You bastard, where''s that Grace girl? I''ve heard you got a woman." She asked as she got closer and closer to his face.


    "Grace? What does she have to do with anything? Besides, how do you even know about her?" Tibaut asked as confusion started to cloud his face.


    Tina, who now had Lily pinned to the floor with her foot on her neck, filled in the blanks for him.


    "What do you think, we sent her a letter," Tina responded.


    "Yeah they sent me the letters but you didn''t you, you, you asshole." She looked like she was going to punch him but stopped the punch and instead started crying.


    Tibaut looked completely out of his depth. ("I''ve dealt with a drunk before but this is way too different.")


    He looked to Tina for help but she only gave him a scathing glare.


    "You didn''t even have the decency to send her a letter and you had the gall to fool around with another girl? You''re pure scum. I can''t believe I respected you."


    It seems the atmosphere had taken hold of Tina as well.


    "Woah, hold you know we''re not like that. Besides, I didn''t know you guys were sending letters."


    "Why do you feel the need to embarrass yourself? Of course, we sent them letters. What kind of uncivilised mud hole did you crawl out of that doesn''t send letters?"


    "(Ugh, now that I think about it, I''ve never needed to send a letter to anyone.) Listen, I grew up in a poor household."


    "Don''t give me that when you''re fully capable of reading."


    As those two were busy arguing, Vanessa was busy getting a good look at his lips. She contemplated taking this opportunity but as she looked at him and more of his face, she realised his face looked quite sunken in. It seemed to sober her up for a moment.


    "What happened to you?" She asked. Her attitude had changed and she was visibly concerned.


    "Oh right." She walked over and picked Vanessa off of him. Behind her back, Lily had grabbed a bottle of her alcohol and splashed some on Tina. Like a stone, she didn''t hesitate to throw Vanessa at her.


    The two collided and were sent to the ground.


    "Elizabeth said to let him rest and get some food in him," Tina said.


    "You''re just jealous she has someone to snuggle, you pink-haired tomboy. Maybe if you didn''t dress like a man so often-"


    Lily was seriously starting to piss her off and she held her hand out as if motioning for something.


    "Oi, aren''t you guys guildmates!" Tibaut shouted at her.


    She held her hand for a few seconds until she remembered something. ("Oh right, I left it with the other stuff. Elizabeth did say she''d get someone to bring our luggage here later.")


    She held out her hand before her and had some electricity spark out of it. ("Guess my fist will have to do.")


    And when she looked in front, the front door was open and Lily was gone.


    ("Tch, slippery little bitch. For my own sake, I''ll have to get rid of all the alcohol here.") Tina thought to herself.


    She looked to Vanessa on the floor who was staring at Tibaut with visible concern.

 Chapter 206

    After capturing Lily, Tina locked both women in Lily''s room until they sobered up.


    "Was that really necessary, Tina?" Tibaut asked.


    "If you prefer the alternative of me killing Lily, then I can let them out whenever you''d like," Tina responded, still looking irritated.


    "But why''d I put Vanessa in there as well?"


    "To keep her occupied until she sobered up. Who knows what stupid idea she''d get in her head if I left her alone."


    As Tibaut followed he noticed she was heading towards the outside.


    "What are you going out there for?" Tibaut asked.


    "What else, we''re gonna train." She said. She quickly grabbed his hand and began leading him outside.


    "Oh fuck off, can''t I get some more time to rest?" Tibaut asked as she dragged him.


    "(Elizabeth''s the one who told me to get you back in fighting shape.) Shut up, you''ve already had over a week of rest. Look at yourself." She said. "You look so bony, you had Vanessa wondering what happened to you. Oh, I get it, you like her sympathy, don''t you? Want her to carry you a meal while lying in bed pretending to be weak?"


    Tibaut let out a groan of exasperation and removed his hand from her grip while continuing to walk behind her.


    "Of course not. It actually kinda stung seeing her look at me like that."


    "Then come on." She opened the door. "Let''s get you back into fighting shape."


    <hr>


    The branch building of the adventurers guild was substantially busier than the months before. There were various people gathered around talking to each other, the receptionist did her best to look studious as she sat up with her back straight and looked to be logging some information into a notebook. The sight was a mild shock for Elizabeth but she didn''t let it slow her down. Various people walked up to greet her and the place erupted into cheers when everyone else noticed her. She smiled and waved before making her way to the receptionist.


    "Oh, that''s what all the noise was about." The receptionist said. "You''re free to head to Mr. Bentley, there''s no one up there at the moment."


    "Thank you very much," Elizabeth responded before she turned around and headed for the stairs.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "By the way, are you finished?" The receptionist asked.


    Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and turned around. "What do you mean?"


    "Well, I heard you were investigating a lot of people. I''m surprised you guys came back so quickly."


    "Oh, well, things went better than planned and we returned early," Elizabeth said.


    She waved and headed off towards the stairs. She quickly walked down the upstairs hallway and knocked on Mr. Bentley''s door.


    "Ohohoho, come in."


    She entered and took a seat near his table. She spent the first few minutes informing him of information she may not have felt the need to send or couldn''t fully explain over a letter.


    <hr>


    "By the way, Mr. Bentley," she asked the old man in front of her.


    "What is it Elizabeth, I''m sorry to say but I''m not too much of an expert on that ki."


    "No that''s not it." She responded. "I would have sent Tibaut and Jake home regardless but are you sure it wasn''t necessary to have me and Elizabeth investigate the other people of interest you found suspicious."


    "Ohoho, no dear. Even before Ezekiel, we both strongly suspected only one of them to have connections to the cult. It is quite lucky the one you visited first was our man. It is a shame though, but it seemed like they were betrayed."


    Elizabeth nodded her head. "Indeed. I can''t think of any other reason that man would lead Tibaut towards somewhere only a few people on the compound knew the going ons of. But how did they benefit from it?"


    "Maybe they had hopes of incorporating him into their group?" Mr. Bentley suggested. "After all, they may have seen your force and decided the nobles'' group was superior in power. You do say the noble was overpowering Tibaut and they did know nothing of ki, right? They would presumably return the next day when the group were licking their wounds and trying to reach some compromise, and possibly use force if needed."


    "Hmmm, I''m just not sure I buy that story. Even if that plan failed, surely they would have tried to finish us off during the next day." Elizabeth said, not convinced by Mr. Bentley''s theory.


    "You did alert the police of the parish immediately, did you not? Perhaps they saw their presence and got cold feet."


    "(I''d believe that but I could tell just by the looks of the officers, that even in my current state I could handily defeat them without issue. The officers from the capital were a different story but they only arrived on the second day after we defeated them.) I''m not fully convinced, but I suppose there''d be no point in trying to fruitlessly decipher the unknown."


    "Then is that all Elizabeth?" He asked.


    "Well, I do have a more pressing question about our current situation," she asked. "Based on what I saw below, all I saw were familiar faces. Has the Guild Headquarters not sent anyone down here yet?" she asked.


    Mr. Bentley sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair.


    "I suppose it makes sense you would ask about that," he stated. "Thankfully, after all of you left we''ve had no more attacks in the parish. However, it pains me to say it, but it might be a double-edged sword."


    "In what way?" she asked.


    "Since they only attacked two times, that we can confirm, the guild doesn''t see that matter as urgent. I asked a friend of mine to help the process along but he said the bureaucracy involved means we''d have to wait a month at least before we get a response, much less whether we''re going to get help."


    "Tsk, so they want more people to die before they do anything." She said annoyed.

 Chapter 207

    "Well, let''s just hope our friends here are going through preparations of their own that require more time than ours. Not seeing or hearing any mention of them for two weeks is worrying." Mr. Bentley stated.


    "What about Furor, have you heard from him recently?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Yesterday. Even he seemed shocked they haven''t done anything yet."


    They continued discussing other topics until Elizabeth had talked about all she needed. Just as she was about to leave she remembered one more thing.


    "I know this is confidential Mr. Bentley but do you feel we could discuss the reason the cult kills people with other adventurers?" She asked with a stern expression.


    "As I''ve told you before, this is something only a few people in the kingdom know about. Besides, who knows what sort of people would want to figure out how to make or experiment with the crystals they produce." Mr. Bentley firmly responded.


    "That is true but I feel if they''re risking their lives against these people, they at least to know how they operate and how strange this whole thing is."


    "Strange?" Mr. Bentley asked as he tilted his head.


    "Think about it, I''ve had the displeasure of running into them a few times. Plus with our operation several weeks ago, of the locations we attacked, only two had any cultists. In total, we encountered twice the amount I''ve encountered by myself."


    "Yes, what seems to be the problem?" Mr. Bentley.


    "Well, it just seems odd they''ve chosen to attack us. With the level of people we''ve seen from them, it''d make more sense if they used them to kill more villagers and continue to evade us." Elizabeth bluntly stated.


    "I thought you of all people would know people aren''t logical creatures, Elizabeth." Mr. Bentley remarked.


    "I know but¡­ are you sure they haven''t attacked any villages recently?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Not to my knowledge. We have a few adventurers who volunteer every day to check on local villages." He responded.


    Elizabeth looked stumped. ("I could at least see them possibly trying to take advantage of our initial wariness of them to attack a few villages but they haven''t done so. What are they planning?")


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Don''t worry Elizabeth, we''ll find out, all in due time." He said.


    "Let''s just hope, when we find out, we can deal with whatever they throw at us."


    <hr>


    In front of the mansion, Tina and Tibaut were having a light spar. He managed to land punch after punch on her but she took them like a brick wall.


    ("Damnit have my punches really gotten that soft?") He wondered to himself.


    ("God, why the fuck do these sting so much!?") She cursed in her head.


    While his punches had gotten weaker, Tina was also throwing herself at him a lot more brazenly trying to exploit this newfound weakness. Their luggage hadn''t been delivered yet so she "borrowed" a spear she found in Vanessa''s workshop.


    ("But still, I''m not even using my own spear and I''ve got him on the ropes.")


    She got him on the defensive more than he''d like and for the first time in ages, Tina saw victory in sight.


    ("Damnit I''ll have to use my magic.") He thought to himself before he shot off a fireball at her while trying to keep distance between them. She smirked and easily dodged.


    ("I''ve gotten him to actually take this fight seriously. It is regretful this had to happen while you were weakened but a win is a win, Tibaut.")


    She jumped into the air and swung a spear downwards, towards him. He barely managed to dodge it and instinctively shot a fireball at her. She blocked it with the spear but¡­


    <hr>


    "Hey Tibaut, do you know if Elizabeth has any more of those potions?" Tina asked.


    She and Tibaut both had tweezers in their hands while she sat on a stool. She seemed pleased with herself and had a rare smile on her face.


    "I feel like they''d be overkill for you Tina." Tibaut was looking less enthusiastic.


    "I don''t want to hear that from you," she responded as she looked down her chest.


    She had blocked the fireball from chest height. Thankfully she didn''t have any burns on her but the blast had destroyed the spear''s shaft¡­ which was made from wood. It sent splinters into her body. Tibaut had to concede the spar before she stopped trying to attack him.


    "But I suppose you''re allowed to sour today since I won." Tina boasted.


    "Uh, sure. (We were having a spar, not a deathmatch.)" Tibaut responded, unsure why she was so pleased with herself.


    "But you really should let me keep going. Don''t think I''ll stop the next you say you quit. A man should be able to take as much of a beating as he can give. Ow."


    Tibaut pulled out a splinter and nodded his head. "If you say so. It is a shame your spear isn''t here, then this wouldn''t have happened."


    "Yeah, I''m pretty sure it would have been able to take the blast."


    "The blast? There wouldn''t have been one in the first place." He said as he pulled out another splinter.


    "?"


    She looked at him confused. "What are you talking about? The blast would happened anyway."


    "Huh? Isn''t your spear made out of Disiponium?" He asked.


    She responded sounding dumbfounded. "What? No, it''s an alloy of Mithril. I don''t have anywhere the amount of money for something like that (Well, the spear wasn''t cheap either). It helps me course my mana through it. Disiponium would only be useful as a spear tip, not the whole thing."


    "Huh¡­ So you would''ve taken the blast anyway!?!" Tibaut asked concerned.


    "I mean, it probably would have left my hands a bit sore but why wouldn''t I?"


    Tibaut wondered if he should ever use magic on her when Elizabeth wasn''t around.


    ("Shit I might accidentally kill her if I don''t regain my strength.") He thought to himself.


    A few minutes passed and the pair eventually removed all the wood splinters from her.

 Chapter 208

    After tiring each other out with the little training they did, Tibaut decided to head back to his room. As he walked up the stairs, he noticed Tina behind him.


    ("Does she need something upstairs?") He wondered to himself as he ascended the steps. His room was on the top floor so he didn''t pay her too much mind. This is why he took notice when she kept ascending the floors with him when he walked past the second floor.


    "Uh, going to the library?" Tibaut asked.


    "No. Besides, it''s locked most of the time." Tina commented as she walked behind him.


    Tibaut decided he was overthinking the whole time and went towards his room¡­ with Tina following behind him.


    "Uh, Tina?" He looked expectantly at her.


    "Huh, what is it?" She asked.


    He opened the door and she followed him in.


    "Alright Tina, why are you following me?"


    "Well, it''s because El-(shit I forgot Elizabeth told me not to let him know) because I''m curious to see the room of someone as perverted as yourself."


    Elizabeth had tasked Tina with keeping an eye on Tibaut while she dealt with Mr. Bentley.


    He gave her a side eye before entering his room.


    ("Wait a minute, this is the first time I''ve entered his room. Ah, shit I''m kinda nervous. Considering he''s so close to Vanessa, who knows what''ll be in here?")


    Her thoughts had set her up for disappointment. She searched around the room but it was as bland as could be. The only things inside were a bed, a large drawer and a stool. She searched through the drawer and under the bed and found nothing although the biggest indication of nothing interesting was in the lack of reaction Tibaut had as he watched her. No matter where she put her hands nor what part of the room she occupied, he showed seemingly no concern.


    "Um, Tina, what are you doing?" Tibaut asked.


    "Wow, you''re pretty boring," Tina responded.


    "B-boring? What do you mean?"


    "I mean there''s nothing here. Even my guest room looks more lived in than this place." As she looked around it seemed an idea popped in her head. "Oh, I see, you''re trying to throw me off. No worries I can always ask Elizabeth where your actual room is later."


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    She walked past him and laid down directly in his bed.


    "Screw you, this room has been plenty lived in. And get the hell off my bed!"


    He shaked her but she seemed out of it.


    "Huh? This is no time for jokes Tina, come on get up."


    "zzzZzzZzzz."


    "...(she couldn''t possibly be?)"


    Quickly going to plan b he tried to lift her out of the bed. It seemed his reduced body mass had left him weakened to the point he struggled to lift her up. He wrapped his arms around her trying to lift her off but had to stop himself from squealing after his arms slid up and made some nice contact with her chest. He quickly dropped her and prayed she wasn''t awoken.


    He watched her in anticipation with held breath. She seemed to show no reaction other than scratching one of her boobs with a smile on her.


    "I can''t believe this, this bitch stole my bed!" Tibaut felt genuinely insulted. As he thought about heading downstairs and finding a couch in an empty room to sleep on, he stopped himself.


    ("No, this my bed.")


    So he pushed her over the best he could and sat down on the bed. He could feel his heart race as he did this but he felt her reaction to him when she woke up would be worth it.


    ("Pft, don''t blame me when you wake up, serves you right for sleeping on my bed.") He thought to himself.


    This only lasted for five minutes. By the end of it, he felt his heart was going to explode out of his chest.


    ("Nope, can''t do it. It''s so quiet all I''m hearing is her breathing and murmurs. I don''t know why but I can''t settle down as long as I''m listening to her breath. Shit, is this why people listen to asmr? Damnit, all laying in this bed has done for me is give me a fetish I can''t even indulge in, in this world.")


    As he attempted to leave the bed, he felt arms wrap around him and his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.


    ("What the hell?")


    It didn''t take a genius to know it was Tina who had her arms wrapped around.


    ("Why now!?") He thought as he tried to pry open her grip. In his current state, it was useless and even worse, his muscles were starting to feel sore from the training early.


    ("You have got to be shiting me, I mean I''m not against this turn of events, but I at least want the strength to escape her if she tries to kill me when she wakes.")


    She pulled him in closer to herself and Tibaut gritted his teeth as he reached a milestone. It was the first time in his life he had been spooned by a woman (At least awake anyway). He would have preferred being the one spooning, but it wasn''t bad by any means.


    ("Ah, I can feel her chest on my back.") That sensation only seemed to stop any struggling he was doing. As she pulled and squeezed him tighter and felt her against his back, he felt himself ascend to a higher plane. All his worries disappeared, the weakness from the training vanished and he felt truly at peace.


    He could feel himself forcing his eyes to stay open.


    Just before he fell asleep, Tina kissed his neck and whispered something in his ears.


    "I guess smaller guys aren''t so bad." She weakly whispered while still in dreamland.


    ("Go down, go down, go down, GO DOWN!!!") Were the only thoughts Tibaut had in his head as he enjoyed this new experience (Though he would never admit it).


    <hr>


    It was a dark and spacious room and the man at the centre of it sighed as he looked around.


    "Tch, how long will they go on with this farce?" The man stated.


    It was none other than Father Daniel, who seemed irritated by something.

 Chapter 209

    He looked around the empty room and sat on a nearby bench. There were various benches gathered in the room. It could possibly fit hundreds. A simple wooden altar was on a platform at the front of the room.


    "We were careful to let the believers keep to themselves for the meanwhile. We should have cut off any trace that would lead back to us. So why don''t those two fools give it up already? It''s obviously their doing. Try as they might, their actions will never rile those needed to eradicate us completely." He commented as he moved his legs up on the bench and laid on it.


    He was wearing the garbs of a pastor but black was the only colour it consisted of. No white, gold or any other colour.


    "Thankfully we have that noble up north, to sate us until we commence operations once more. If it weren''t for him, I can already imagine the complaints, I''d receive from the Bishop." He began picking his nose and made himself more comfortable on the bench. "Oh, Holy Lord Lucifer, is this work sabotage from your envied compatriots? Are they trying to stop us from giving you the power you rightfully deserve? Give me strength in these times, my Lord. Help me harden my resolve to oust these wrongful successors from the from the former father''s throne."


    He looked westward in the room and held his hands together to pray. After doing so he continued to lounge in the room. He soon heard footsteps.


    "Oh, Brother Leo, what brings you here on this fine day?" He asked the man walking in.


    "I see you''re astute as ever Father." The man called Leo replied. "Unfortunately I come bearing bad news."


    "Have those fools called adventurers sniffed out another one of our hideouts?" He asked as he got up from the bench.


    "No Father, but this is something even more dire," Leo responded.


    Considering they had been hearing nothing but bad news after Saito''s death, this was the last thing he needed.


    "(Oh Lord Lucifer, give me your guidance.) Get on it with it then. What is the issue?" Father Daniel asked.


    "It appears the noble we had used for a consistent source of essence has been arrested," Leo said, making extra sure not to make eye contact with the man in front of him.


    He could immediately feel a pressure push down on him and tried his best not to let his quivering knees be noticeable.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The man called Daniel looked ready to kill him here and now with the hatred his eyes exuded. Leo''s teeth clattered as he faced him and he considered running away.


    Father Daniel reached his handkerchief towards Leo.


    "Are you alright Brother Leo? You seemed to have broken out into quite the sweat." Father Daniel commented. Father Daniel grabbed Leo''s hand and placed the handkerchief in it.


    "Please, such an appearance is unsightly for a church."


    "Thank you for your consideration, Father." Leo weakly responded as he wiped his face off. "If I may ask, what are your plans now?"


    "Firstly, the men who came back from the parish border, were they followed and where are they now?"


    "They didn''t notice anything however, we have made sure to limit those at the hideout they arrived at, to only that hideout."


    "How quickly was this done?"


    "As soon as the monks and nuns we had stationed nearby his estate noticed the maids leaving droves."


    "(How badly we''re in trouble depends on the answer to this question.) Second, how was that boy up there, found out?" he asked.


    "It seems a group of adventures sent to his property found the area where he stored the slaves, based on hearsay from the onlookers," Leo commented. "In addition, they came from this parish."


    ("Tsk, so the bastard targeted him? I should have been far more thorough in my plans of exterminating him. Thankfully it seemed he only sent his dogs up there to get rid of the noble.") He breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. "I see. I suppose we''ll have to lower our quota of essence considerably in the meantime."


    "A-are we allowed to do that, Father?" Leo hesitantly asked.


    "I said lower, Leo, not completely stop. Gather those from uncompromised hideouts for a discussion. It seems we''ll have to harvest from this parish earlier than expected."


    "As you wish father."


    Leo excused himself and hurriedly walked out of the room.


    "It seems my insurance has become quite the liability. Oh well. At least I can guarantee he''ll keep his mouth shut. After all, if our deal got out, he might be slaughtered by those who trusted him. I suppose I''ll just have to resort to the tactics of my peers for the time being."


    He sat back on the bench and stared at the ceiling.


    <hr>


    A door was shut and the noise of it caused Tina''s eyes to open slightly. She felt something in front of her and was a fan of the warmth it provided.


    As her eyes opened, all she saw in her face was red. ("Is it a pillow of some kind?")


    No, she could feel it breathe. While she didn''t appreciate the idea of having an animal snuggle up to her, she didn''t mind if it was as tame and docile as the one in her arms.


    She had a smile on her face as she drifted off back again but a certain person''s voice immediately woke.


    "Well, this is a surprise," Elizabeth commented.


    She immediately jolted up to see the person in front of her.


    ("Shit I fell asleep! Don''t tell me the bastard ran off somewhere?")


    She gulped before she acknowledged Elizabeth.


    "I swear he''s still here! I just took a moment to rest and let the others watch him instead!"


    "Hmm? What are you talking about Tina?"


    "Uh, didn''t you say to watch Tibaut?"


    "Yes, and you''re doing a fine job of it. I honestly thought you were more sensitive to these sorts of things but at the end of the day I suppose it is nothing more than sharing a bed." Elizabeth said, sounding impressed.


    "Sharing a bed?"

 Chapter 210

    She looked down and looked ready to scream. She backed up against a wall while still on the bed but Elizabeth swiftly placed her hand over her mouth.


    "I''d appreciate it if you don''t overreact," Elizabeth commented. "Having him sleep is the most convenient thing possible if I want to make sure he doesn''t run off or get dragged into something dangerous."


    Tina blushed as she stayed on the bed. She stared at Tibaut in silence.


    "Aren''t you coming off?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Urgh, when I fully wake up." She hastily responded. "Besides we''re just sleeping on the same bed, there''s nothing wrong with that."


    "I''m surprised he even agreed to be on the bed with you," Elizabeth commented.


    "What the hell''s that supposed to mean?" Tina bluntly commented while wearing an irritated expression.


    "Oh, what''s this? Are you strong enough to have that type of tone with me?" Elizabeth commented as she motioned to get up.


    Tina placed her arms in front of her and motioned for Elizabeth to stop. "Woah, woah, Elizabeth it isn''t like that but don''t you think that comment''s a bit mean?"


    "Hmm? Oh no, not like that, I only meant with how sensitive he is to these sorts of things, I''m surprised he agreed to sleep with you."


    "(I don''t remember the specifics but I sure as hell don''t remember him on the bed when I fell asleep.) Sensitive? Doesn''t he hang out with Vanessa?"


    "That''s why she hangs around so often. I remember the first week he came here, you''d see him as red as a tomato whenever Vanessa came around him."


    "Huh? That''s their relationship? She just hits on him all the time?"


    "Yup. I honestly don''t know why the grandma doesn''t just ask him out, it''s not like he''d have the ability to refuse."


    "Grandma? Isn''t she only 40?" Tina asked.


    "42 but¡­ honestly Tina how many boyfriends do you think she''s had since she''s been a part of my guild?" Elizabeth asked.


    "Uh, you won''t get mad at the answer, right?"


    "Trust me, if your answer isn''t mean about the old hag I''d be disappointed."


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I mean, she regularly goes to brothels so it has to be a lot right?" Tina said in a timid voice. "50?"


    "That''s being conservative wouldn''t you say?"


    Tina started blushing. "Over 100?"


    "Incorrect, Tina. It''s zero." Elizabeth responded, with a smirk.


    Tina sat on the bed, her jaw agape at this answer. She slowly tried to process the information she heard.


    "Could you repeat Elizabeth, I think I misheard you."


    "You didn''t Tina, the answer is none."


    "But¡­ it''s Vanessa. It''s I-I-Impossible. There''s no way! I''ve heard stories of men flirting with her all the time."


    "But how many have you heard from people saying they''ve slept with her?"


    "I mean, I''ve heard rumours."


    "How many have you heard from people who''ve actually done it?"


    "..."


    No matter how often she ran the idea through her head, she couldn''t fully accept what she was hearing.


    "So you say Tibaut''s sensitive to things like this?" Tina said, switching the topic so abruptly you''d be at risk of getting whiplash.


    Just like a computer needing several hours to render an animation, Tina''s mind needed several hours to fully absorb the information she received from Elizabeth and in the meantime decided to switch gears.


    "I could almost guarantee he''d wake up red-faced with you still on the bed," Elizabeth commented


    Tina had no idea how they both ended up on the same bed but hearing what Elizabeth said, it seemed neither would have done this normally. Was it the exhaustion of training that led them both to this?


    "Is that so." The remaining brain cells she had unoccupied began turning. "(Heh, if that''s the case, I suppose I should pay him back for lifting me up.) Hey Elizabeth, I don''t mind staying in here a bit longer to watch him."


    "Hmm, are you sure? You were blushing when I woke you up."


    "Uh, it was just a bad dream."


    Elizabeth sighed. "If you say so. Just let me know when you''ve left."


    Elizabeth got up and promptly left the room.


    ("Hohoho, that''s why you were so adamant there was nothing between you and that maid. I suppose he is young, so it makes sense he isn''t the man I thought he was.)"


    She wrapped her arms around him once more and hugged him tightly.


    ("Hehe, I wonder what face you''ll make when you wake up? Will it repay the humiliation you''ve given me or will I have to do it more than once to be fully satisfied?")


    It seems her entire philosophy of how to deal with him changed when she learned sex appeal could be used as a weapon.


    <hr>


    Vanessa woke up with a splitting headache.


    "Ugh,"


    She looked down to see Lily drooling on her as she slept. She slapped her face a few times.


    "Huh?" She looked disoriented and looked around the area. "How''d we end up in my room?" Lily commented.


    Both short women were on the single bed in the room. The windows were closed, with the curtains drawn but the small amounts of light coming in told them it was day.


    "Now that you mention it, Merrill and Bayley always put us in my room," Vanessa responded.


    "Wait, I remember seeing Tina," she said as she felt her neck.


    Vanessa quickly got up and headed towards the door. "It won''t open¡­"


    "You''re quick to run back to your boyfriend aren''t you Vanessa? I remembered seeing him as well."


    "Lily, you''ve been fucking annoying lately."


    Vanessa walked to the other side of the room and opened the window. Lily quietly followed her out and they basked back in the presence of the sun.


    "My eyes!" Vanessa said before using her hands to cover her face.


    "How long has it been since I''ve seen sunlight?" Lily said while squinting so much she had basically just closed her eyes.

 Chapter 211

    The two girls quickly ran inside, to escape the blinding rays of the sun.


    ¡°Whew, anyway I''ll go check on Tina. I''m sure you need some alone time with that redhead.¡±


    She swiftly dodged the punch Vanessa threw at her shoulder and ran along towards Tina''s room.


    ¡°Jeez, does she still have some alcohol left in her?¡± Vanessa wondered before she headed for the steps. After climbing them and reaching Tibaut¡¯s room she had no hesitation opening the door. But what she saw inside left her stunned for words.


    ¡°Oh, hello Vanessa,¡± Elizabeth commented as she turned to her. ¡°It seems you''ve sobered up.¡±


    She was on Tibaut''s bed facing him.


    *Tina left his bed after accidentally humping Tibaut. She will carry this secret to her grave.


    ¡°L-l-liz!? Impossible, inconceivable, have you managed to snatch a m-¡±


    In the time she had been speaking, Elizabeth had gotten up and grabbed her throat.


    ¡°Listen up, Grandma, I''m only doing this to keep an eye on him. (Well, I was tired and his bed is one of the better ones in the mansion.)¡±


    ¡°Huh, keep an eye on him? Why?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I feel he''s prone to trouble. Besides I''ve already sent you a letter telling you what had happened to him this week.¡±


    She walked over towards him and examined him closely.


    ¡°Is that why he''s so skinny?¡±


    ¡°It is a byproduct,¡± Elizabeth responded.


    As they continued talking his eyes started to open. ¡°(What a weird dream.) Huh, what are you guys doing here?¡± Tibaut asked as he saw the two women talking in his room.


    Vanessa walked over and hugged him. He hugged her back. Her face was in his chest.


    ¡°(Well, I do look kinda rough.) What the hell is this about?¡± He said playfully. ¡°Don''t worry yourself, I''m perfectl- Ow, what the hell!?¡±


    He pushed her off his chest. She seemed to have taken a bite of his nipple.


    ¡°Why''d you do that for?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You idiot, you forgot to wear your armour again, didn''t you?¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Tibaut moved over on his bed to be closer to the wall and looked out the window.


    ¡°Ah, the armour. Which I might add is a fine piece by the way. But firstly what is the purpos-¡± She jumped on his bed and seemed to be ready to take a bite of something more delicate.


    He grabbed her hair and desperately pulled her head away, as his future generations depended on it. ¡°Alright, alright, I forgot the armour but give me a break.¡±


    ¡°A break? First, you run off somewhere without it, then you chase someone, who defeated you, without it, are you suicidal or something? Do you think I gave it to you as an art piece, you dense bastard!¡± She seemed worked up about this.


    ¡°Come on, now I know better, I can guarantee you I''ll wear i-¡±


    Where is it? That thought came into his head and he briefly wondered the retribution that would come his way if he said it out loud.


    (¡°Uh, where was the last place I saw it? Oh right, at the esta-¡±)


    He gritted his teeth and decided to keep his mouth shut.


    ¡°Huh, what''s got you looking like that?¡± Vanessa asked as she saw what looked like to be Tibaut in pain.


    ¡°Wow, have your boobs gotten bigger Vanessa?¡±


    Vanessa paid him no mind and looked around the room as he did earlier. ¡°Where''s the armour Tibaut?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡±


    ¡°Where''s¡­ the¡­ armour¡­ Tibaut?¡±


    Sweat began pooling on him as he began imagining what she''d do to him.


    ¡°Did you forget Tibaut? It''s supposed to be delivered with the rest of our things today.¡± Elizabeth said as she walked over. She picked up Vanessa like a house cat and placed her on the floor.


    ¡°By the way, Vanessa, I''ve heard you''ve been developing a weapon for Tibaut, are you finished yet?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Uh, well, Lily was grieving so I decided to, uh,  help her cheer up and-¡±


    ¡°Are you finished yet?¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, Lily drinks more than you''d expect so, uh, I got some work done on the first day you guys were gone but after that, it kinda became a blur-¡± Vanessa lowered her tone which increased its pace as she spoke to Elizabeth.


    ¡°So you''re saying you slacked off.¡±


    Although imperceptible to those who didn''t know her, Vanessa and Tibaut could feel the terror radiating off Elizabeth as she stared down Vanessa. Vanessa shrieked back while Tibaut came off the bed to her aid.


    ¡°Come on, Elizabeth, I''m not too mad about it, so why don''t you cut her some slac-¡±


    Elizabeth forced him to his knees and her mouth to his ear.


    ¡°Was I talking to you, Tibaut?¡±


    ¡°No, Ma¡¯am.¡± He weakly replied. His face grew pale.


    She turned her attention to Vanessa, who had made a break for the door and brought her to her knees as well.


    ¡°I swear I don''t know why I even have you employed, you walking mass of¡­¡±


    <hr>


    Some people call lecturing a person, giving them a tongue-lashing. What Elizabeth gave them was closer to a tongue-execution. After giving a lecture that crushed both the mind and soul of both parties kneeling on the floor, she sat back on the stool. Vanessa had tears in her eyes while Tibaut looked like he had gone through a war.


    ¡°what did I do?¡± He weakly muttered.


    After getting what she wanted off her chest, she looked at them with no remorse. While Tibaut did get back up, Vanessa was the one who took the brunt of the verbal evisceration Elizabeth had given out.


    He wondered if she could ever recover, but she stood up. And ran towards Elizabeth.


    (¡°Don''t do it, Vanessa, you have so much to live for!¡±)


    She began punching Elizabeth but those wimpy things did nothing to the all-powerful Elizabeth. She kept doing it until Elizabeth decided to flick her forehead.


    ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°Stop doing that when you pout, it''s annoying. Besides it''s childish for someone your age.¡±


    Vanessa kept doing it. Elizabeth sighed as seemed Vanessa landed only the softest blows imaginable while pouting.


    (¡°Huh, I forgot sometimes but... these two are friends. This was probably the norm before I came here.¡±)

 Chapter 212

    "Come on, is this all you got?" Elizabeth asked as she stared at the floored Tibaut. It hadn''t even been five minutes and yet he was on the floor gasping for air.


    "Liz, you should really leave his rehabilitation to me," Tina said as she watched from the shade of a tree. Lily was by her feet, biting one of her nails watching this fight. She was looking somewhat distressed.


    ("Ah man, I shouldn''t have told her.") Tina thought to herself.


    "I knew you had weakened but this is unexpected. Tina may have surpassed you in power now." Elizabeth commented as she helped Tibaut back up.


    It seems the lack of muscle had also considerably slowed him down. That plus his already weakened state had made him easy pickings for Elizabeth, even with his magic. After all, if she rushed him quick enough, he couldn''t even be able to use it.


    "Then why''d you go all out on me!? I''m supposed to be recovering, not fighting for my life."


    "Hmm, this won''t do." She walked closer to him. She lifted up his arm and began examining it. "There is a noticeable difference compared to a few days earlier but this is too slow. It''ll probably take months for you to get back to normal."


    "Ugh, really? Dammit."


    "Let me get some training in with him, Liz, I wanna help him out, after all," She said in an oddly nefarious tone. ("I''m gonna get a clean win over you, you bastard.")


    After convincing herself what she did to Tibaut happened in a dream, she was fired up to defeat him. Before she could begin her approach, Lily stood up and put her hand before her to stop her.


    "You don''t mind if I try, right Tina."


    "Lily, come on, this isn''t the time for this," Tina responded.


    She gave no answer and began walking towards Tibaut. Tina rolled her eyes. ("He can''t even do it on command, what are you even going to accomplish?")


    Lily walked over to Tibaut with a mean look on her face.


    ("Huh, what''s up with her?") He wondered as she stood in front.


    Elizabeth seemed to be in thought after talking to Tibaut as if she was trying to remember something. She paid no mind to Lily.


    "Hey Tibaut, quick question." Lily calmly asked.


    "Oh, uh, Lily, what brings you over here?" Tibaut asked. They had never had a conversation before, so he wondered what this was about.


    "How long have you been doing martial arts?" She asked, completely ignoring his questions.


    "Uh, I think three or four years now¡­ what is it?"


    "Hehehehe," she coldly laughed after hearing this. "Hehe, three years." Her face took on an unhinged appearance and she kept laughing to herself. Tibaut was starting to worry.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Uh, is there a problem?"


    "Eight years."


    "I''m sorry?"


    "I''ve spent eight years trying to hone my craft and reach the point where I can use ki. Yet you just show up out of nowhere, already knowing how to use magic and also manage to learn ki? Do you think my eight years were a joke? Besides learning both magic and ki at the same time? Pick one to be good at you fucking overachiever."


    Tibaut started to feel uncomfortable as she began ranting.


    "Um, I''m sorry to hear that?"


    "You think I''m talentless don''t you?"


    "Uh, no I actually. I don-"


    "You liar!" She swung at him.


    ("Wow, this is the first time I''ve ever seen Lily this pissed.") Thought Tina as she watched with interest.


    "You''re gonna show me how you did before the end of the day, you bastard."


    She threw a kunai at him and Tibaut managed to grab it. She threw several others and he blocked them with the one he grabbed.


    ("Is she a ninja or something?") He thought to himself.


    She had jumped into the air and landed with a kick aimed at him. He quickly blocked but she didn''t relent. She immediately got closer to him and began throwing punches. He attempted a leg sweep but she stepped on his foot stunning him momentarily. If not for his pain tolerance, she would have landed a clean hit to his face. He comfortably blocked with both his arms but she soon hit him with a leg sweep of her own.


    ("Geez, she''s really fired up today.") Tina commented.


    Tibaut quickly swept her legs after she left herself open momentarily after sending him on the floor and both rolled away from each other. They both got up. She was already sweating while Tibaut was sweating before the fight even started.


    "Um, listen I know it migh-" Before he could get his words out she threw more kunai at him. He managed to parry most while the others missed but she used this brief moment his attention was focused on them, to get closer.


    She threw another punch but Tibaut managed to stop it with a blow with his elbow, which made her wince. She backed away while flicking her wrist. But she soon ended up backing into Tina.


    "Cut it out, Lily, I''m the one who''s gonna train with him."


    "Oh screw off, I''m not gonna stop until he uses his ki!"


    She ran back towards him but Tina grabbed her hoodie which sent her straight to the floor. She got up, rubbed her ass and turned her attention to Tina.


    "What''s the big idea, Pinky?"


    She flicked her forehead. "Don''t call me that," Tina responded.


    Lily placed a hand on the point she was flicked and looked ready to start brawling with Tina. "Ow, what is this about, can''t you see I''m busy?"


    "Why are you even doing this?"


    "Cause it isn''t fair, God dammit. You''re telling me I trained for eight years, yet don''t feel anywhere near close to it and this guy who''s been doing it for half the time can do it." She angrily said. She began stomping her feet. "It''s not fair, besides the least he can do is show me it." She said as her attention turned back to him.


    "I already told you, he can''t do it on command, besides I want to beat him before you can devalue him."


    "Devalue?"


    "Right, if he loses to you then a win against him in his current state would mean nothing to me."


    "Hmph!" she turned around and began walking back towards him. Tina quickly grabbed and held her back. She bit her arms in from there the two got into a squabble.


    "Ah, I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to check the library. Stay here, for the time being, Tibaut." Elizabeth seemed to have finally finished her thought and quickly walked from the scene.


    Tibaut didn''t know what to think as he saw Tina and Lily go at it.


    Eventually, she ran behind Tibaut as Tina chased her. She used him as a makeshift shield and Tina eventually gave up and walked back towards the tree.


    "Uh, you''re not gonna attack me right?" He asked.


    She looked more amicable than earlier as she stood behind him.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got it out of my system. But man, it sucks seeing talented people."


    ("Why''s she acting so close with me?") He wondered. "But, uh, did you have to attack me?"


    "Well, Tina hid all our booze and Vanessa seemed really busy with something so I couldn''t hang out with her. So this seemed like the best way to let off some steam. You''re a cool guy, though, you don''t mind right?"


    ("I mean, I would have appreciated a heads up.")

 Chapter 213

    Tibaut and Lily had gotten a conversation going and soon after Tina came over.


    "Yeah, I''ve been told I''m not that good which made hearing about that sting even more." She said to him.


    Tina placed a hand on her shoulder.


    "Move along Lily, it''s time for me to get some sparring done."


    "Oh shut up, can''t you see we''re talking here?"


    Tina raised her spear and Lily quickly gained some distance.


    "Alright Tibaut, no holding back." She stated.


    "Trust me, I don''t think I can afford to do that anymore." He responded as he readied himself.


    <hr>


    Tina stood over the man on the floor, using her spear as a crutch to keep herself on her feet. Lily came over while clapping her hands.


    "Wow, amazing, Tina, you managed to defeat him after Elizabeth and I had managed to tire him out. You''re so impressive." She remarked sarcastically.


    Tibaut lay on the floor, completely spent.


    "Oh just let me have this, Lily, and besides I could have ended it earlier if I felt like it." She stared at him bitterly. ("This¡­ isn''t what I wanted. I always thought a win was a win but what the hell was that? The fact I struggled so much while he was like made me feel even weaker somehow.")


    While this victory wasn''t what she had wanted, what came next was something she would savour to the fullest.


    She had an eerie smirk over her face, that made Lily instinctively back away. She slowly walked over to Tibaut and mixed with her expression, it had Lily genuinely fearing for his life. She pulled out a throwing knife but withheld her decision, waiting for Tina to do whatever she was about to attempt.


    Tina dropped her spear, picked up Tibaut and placed him over her shoulder. She was absolutely beaming with joy and had an expression so soft and gentle, Lily had to wonder what happened to the woman once in front of her, and how, whoever took her place managed to replace her so quickly.


    Her usual scowl was replaced with a face that radiated an almost motherly aura, with how soothing and reassuring it looked.


    "Guess what Tibaut?" She asked him.


    "Huh, why are you carrying me, Tina, I can walk to my room by myself."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, that won''t do Tibaut. After all, you''re so tired you can''t even move. What kind of friend would I be if I left you exhausted on the floor."


    "Sigh, whatever, I suppose you want to milk this victory for all it''s worth."


    She turned the opposite way from the house and started walking.


    "Uh, the mansion''s the other way, Tina."


    "Oh, I know. I just believe you need some much-needed relaxation. I know a local river I can bring you. Heh heh, there should be a good amount of people there."


    "What was that last bit!?"


    She didn''t respond and was fully engulfed in the possibility of getting back at him. ("Hahaha, if even ten people are there to witness his weakness, I''ll be satisfied. Hahaha, imagine how shocked they''ll be to see him over a woman''s shoulder, helpless to escape. Then he''ll feel some of the embarrassment I felt when he carried me around like this.")


    As Tina salivated at this idea and quickly walked towards the forest, Lily ran before her.


    "Oi, oi, amazon, I know what your people do when they drag people into the forest."


    *Lily doesn''t know Tina has Amazon heritage, she just calls her that because she''s tall.


    She slapped Tibaut''s ass, to which he reacted strongly towards.


    "You better not do that again!" he shouted. ("God, this sucks.") He thought to himself.


    "That ass belongs to Vanessa, so you better put him back down if you''re not gonna bring him inside."


    "Tsk, I don''t have interest in him, he''s too short for me anyway, just let me pass."


    As Lily blocked her way, she looked at his face and noticed he blushed slightly.


    ("Huh, is he actually embarrassed by this? No, his face was normal when I picked him up earlier. Then what caused-") Her mind went back to the slap to his posterior.


    He noticed the look in her eyes and struggled like a wild beast to escape her. His limbs thrashed and the look in his eyes suggested he saw death looming. Unfortunately, this only confirmed what she was thinking.


    If the earlier smile Tina held was one considered motherly, almost angelic, the one she currently wore would unease even the devil.


    Lily saw her bring her free arm back in an exaggerated manner and she clasped her hands together, preemptively praying for the soldier who was about to become mortality.


    It seemed Tibaut had realised there was no escape in sight and decided to clench, hoping it would mitigate some of the impacts. This decision would prove to be a foolish one. But sadly there were no smart decisions in this scenario.


    Tina''s hand moved with enough force, that it whistled through the air as it flew. She put her all behind it.


    ("I''m sorry Vanessa. I know I said that ass was your property, but after today, I''m not sure there''ll be much left of it.")


    A smack resounded through the forest clearing followed by a wail of pain.


    "You fucking bitch, what''s your fucking problem!?" Tibaut shouted after the smack. His face was the reddest Tina had ever seen and that alone made her action worth it. She wondered if she was anywhere near that red when he picked her up.


    "What are you complaining about? If you don''t want it happening again, just train harder until you beat me. That doesn''t sound so hard does it?" She replied with a grin that had far surpassed the shit-eating variety.


    Lily sighed and attempted to soothe him by rubbing it.


    "Could you guys please leave my ass alone?" He weakly asked.


    "Anyway, can we go inside? It''s pretty cold out here." Lily asked as if the last few minutes hadn''t happened.


    "Well, Elizabeth did say to wait out here but she is taking a while. I''ll just go look for her after I set him down." Tina casually responded. She was still beaming but noticeably less than earlier. It was akin to the constant smiling of Grace.

 Chapter 214

    The pair walked into the mansion and were greeted by Elizabeth descending the stairs.


    "By the way, Lily, you seem pretty cheery," Tina stated.


    "What, you want me to be locked in my room doing nothing? Besides, I''d like to be ready in case anything happens."


    They left it at that and Elizabeth approached the pair with a book.


    "Tina, could you put him down?" Elizabeth asked.


    She laid him on the floor and he sighed, still unhappy about what happened to him earlier.


    "So what''d you go for?" Tibaut asked as he looked at her while making sure to lay on his knees.


    "Hohoho, you''re more observant than I''d expected." She remarked in a haughty tone. She chuckled as she presented the book forward, looking proud of it. Tina and Lily looked on in confusion as this was the first time they had seen her like this.


    Elizabeth cleared her throat as she saw Tina and Lily''s reaction and straightened her face.


    "The book I have in front of me will be the key to you regaining your strength Tibaut."


    "What is it?" He questioned.


    "It''s not what it is in but rather, what is inside it."


    She opened the book and turned it to a certain page. Tina and Lily stared in awe at the book and it seemingly captured their attention.


    Tibaut looked on but wasn''t sure what grabbed their attention. Other than the page containing some instructions he wasn''t sure what was special about it.


    "What''s so special about it?" He asked.


    "Don''t you see the strange text on it?" Tina asked.


    "If I''m not mistaken, that''s an ancient language, isn''t it? Then that means-"


    ("Ancient language?") Tibaut thought. ("Well, the text is written in a strange font and the wording of some sentences did sound kind of awkward, so I guess it could be the old version of the language we speak.")


    "That''s right, it''s a ritual guide."


    "You own one? That''s amazing. I haven''t seen one since I visited the capital a few years ago. The only place I remember that had any was that big library in the capital."


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Ugh, that place. The lines are awful" Tina remarked instinctively. "Don''t tell me you actually paid to go inside?" Tina asked.


    "So what if I did, huh!?" Lily responded aggressively.


    "Must have enjoyed wasting your money."


    Lily blew raspberries at her and Tina seemed ready to rip her tongue off. Elizabeth closed the book to gather their attention.


    "Yes that''s right, there are few and far between."


    "So how''d you get it?" Tibaut asked.


    "Well, this isn''t anything the average person would find useful. In fact, this book contains nothing but rituals most people would wonder about the purpose of."


    "Uh, so it must have been cheap. That''s why you have one." Lily commented.


    "...Right," Elizabeth responded. ("Well, I didn''t pay for it per se, but I can''t imagine it was cheap.)


    Two of those in the room knew better than to question her, though Tibaut''s reason was different from the others.


    ("How much money does she spend on useless shit like this?") Tibaut wondered.


    ("Please keep your mouth shut Tina, you know how she gets with that princess talk.") Lily thought as she stared at Tina.


    Unfortunately, the third wasn''t as versed in the art of knowing when to shut up.


    "Oh, I guess that makes sense. After all, who would want a useless ritual book? It''d be nothing more than a paperweight for most people."


    Thankfully she was far off the money and they continued their discussion.


    "So you say it''s useless. How''s it gonna help me then?" Tibaut asked.


    "Well, as long as it all goes well you should regain your muscle mass back in a week."


    Tibaut jumped off the floor and began standing. He walked up to her and grabbed her free hand with both of his. "Really?"


    "Hopefully." She responded less convincingly.


    "Huh? Really, how''s it gonna do that?" Lily asked.


    "She''s right, you said yourself it''s pretty useless," Tina added.


    "To the average person, it is. However, for Tibaut it should be useful."


    "So what does it do?" Tibaut asked.


    "It allows you to constantly eat."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    They stood in silence at what she had said with a singular thought.


    ("Wow, that does sound useless.")


    She sighed at their silence. "Now, I would appreciate it if one of you used your heads to realise what this could be useful for."


    Almost immediately Tibaut had something. "(Is nutrition known about in this world?) Uh, it''ll help me regain some muscles?" He threw it out...


    "Not exactly but close enough. It will allow you to consume more than you are capable of and in turn, we should be able to get you in fighting shape with increased exercise."


    Lily and Tina looked on in amazement that he knew where this was going.


    "Increased? By how much exactly?"


    "Just know you will have to bear it for only a week."


    Tibaut started sweating after hearing that non-answer.


    "Come on Elizabeth, so what, will I be doing twice the exercise I usually do?"


    "After I cast the ritual we start tomorrow. By the time you finish your sessions with Lily and Tina, you will train with me."


    "We''re involved in this?" Lily asked.


    "Heh, I would spar with him even without her saying anything," Tina commented as she cracked her knuckles.


    "Yeah, that''s great and all but can''t you tell me how much training we''ll be doing?" Tibaut asked.


    She waved her hand and walked away.


    "Tch, bitch." he commented before making his way back to his room.


    He very quickly went back to his room and was soon engulfed in a good night''s rest. Until someone woke him up.


    Slap Slap


    Slap


    He woke up to Elizabeth lightly smacking his face.


    "Ugh, what is it?" he asked.


    "It''s time to start it," She commented as she went to lift him out of the bed. He didn''t even fight it and stood on his own when she got him out.


    "Fine let''s get this over with."

 Chapter 215

    She brought him downstairs into the kitchen. And pointed towards a nearby table.


    Tibaut had to rub his eyes and get a better look around his surroundings.


    "Why are we in the kitchen?" He asked.


    "Because it''s a part of the ritual, now sit down."


    He shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the table, pulling a seat out for himself. He noticed something cooking and the smell was quite pleasant. It smelt like a meat dish.


    "Oh, are we finishing the rabbit you have left in the chest?" Tibaut asked.


    "Chiller, and no that was finished before we left. The smoked and dried meat is baking right now, but it should work since the translation only said meat."


    "Translation? (I mean it looked pretty easy to read.) Is this part of the ritual?"


    "Yes, though I''m not pleased I had to use the last of some spices I had to make this."


    As Tibaut began to slowly wake up, he noticed the room feeling¡­ odd. It felt oddly humid. It surprised him that the warmth of the flame wasn''t making the room unbearable.


    "Hey, Elizabeth, can you open a window or something? The air in here feels strange."


    "Use your head Tibaut. What do you think could be the reason for this?" She answered unamused. She had gotten closer to the flame of the oven and was watching very closely.


    "(What are you being pissy about?) I dunno, did you turn in here into a makeshift saun-" Before Tibaut could make his witty remark, he realised the air itself was starting to look odd as well.


    "Is this mana?" He asked.


    "Correct, the ritual called for the eating of the pie to take place, somewhere cooking is done that is exceptionally mana-rich."


    "The pie? Wait a minute, releasing mana is used for more than defence?"


    Elizabeth surprisingly answered this question without much annoyance in her tone. "Yes, I suppose if you had never done a ritual before it would seem a bit odd but some do take advantage of having an area rich in mana. I have no idea why they didn''t use any of those runes we''ve learned about but I suppose this might have come from a time without the use of such techniques."


    Elizabeth seemed equally puzzled by the creator of the ritual using their mana like this which left Tibaut shocked that he had said something that made sense.


    Elizabeth soon pulled out tongs and used them to pull something out of the oven. It was a metal pot with its lid and she hurriedly walked to the table to place it down.


    She used the tong to take the lid off and revealed a pastry of some kind with writing on top of it.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ("She mentioned pie, so is it a meat pie? This would usually be called a shepherd''s pie in my own world. Or was it cottage pie? I think it''d just be called a meat pie because a specific type of meat is associated with the other two. Plus this has pastry on the top of it. Actually, this has nothing to do with eithe-")


    "Eat it." She told him. "And make it quick, the details stated it has to be eaten in the darkness of the morning."


    ("So that''s why she woke me up so early. Couldn''t the guy who made this, make it a more convenient time?")


    He grabbed a fork and looked at the writing on top of the pie.


    "Have a grand feast!"


    It showed.


    "How subtle," Tibaut remarked as he looked at it.


    Elizabeth raised an eyebrow when he said that and before she could ask, he began eating away at it.


    "It''s a bit salty."


    "Blame the ritual," Elizabeth responded.


    Although a bit salty the flavour wasn''t bad at all. He continued eating until he felt the mana in the room lessen.


    As he stopped to look around she spoke up.


    "Don''t worry and continue eating. There was a reason for the mana being here in the first place."


    He continued until finishing it.


    "Ugh, got any water?"


    She pointed to a nearby barrel and he quickly picked a cup up and scooped some out.


    The flavour initially was enjoyable but as it went on the salt became overbearing and even stung his tongue.


    After gulping down the water, he looked at her expectantly. There were several loaves of bread on the table in addition to the dried meat.


    "So when is something gon-"


    He felt his stomach rumble.


    ("What the hell, how am I hungry after I''ve just eaten.")


    "Please hurry and begin eating. If you aren''t careful, you could end up in a worse state than you did after you fought that noble. (I''d guess anyway)"


    His stomach quickly began voicing its displeasure and he ran over to the table and began scarfing down anything he could get his hands. It continued until daylight and left Elizabeth staring at him wide-eyed.


    "I knew it would promote appetite but this is beyond my expectations." She commented. In this one feast, he had finished half of their flour with the amount of bread he consumed and ? of the dried meat that had been left.


    ("Ugh, I''ll have to go scavenging to find an alternative for the bread. The rabbits shouldn''t be too hard to find but I''ll ask him where he found the rabbits just in case.") She thought while looking at the empty table in chagrin. "Are you satisfied?" She asked.


    "Yeah, I am. But it felt so weird eating this much food."


    "I suppose that will do. Time to work off any excess food you''ve consumed."


    Someone soon walked into the room. It was Lily who was looking somewhat.


    "Huh? I thought you said you''d make breakfast for me, Liz."


    "Well, I underestimated Tibaut''s appetite."


    As Elizabeth wasn''t completely heartless, she soon made something for Lily and the pair of her and Tibaut went outside to get some training in. Elizabeth quickly went into the forest to find anything she recognised as edible to feed to Tibaut.


    Tibaut looked at his body before the training started.


    ("It''s weird, I ate so much yet I still look like I came out of a gulag.")


    His once tight shirt and pants combo he had gotten from Elizabeth, were now quite roomy.


    <hr>


    It was a dark room and two people were playing poker. They both wore all black and had no qualms with their choice of clothing due to how cold the time had been. Their table was lit only by a single candle.


    A door opened and brought with it moonlight. There was a singular figure standing there. He had a charred cape and wore all black.


    One of the men quickly bailed from the table.


    "Wow, you sure took your sweet time coming back huh?"


    The other got up to stop him.


    "Oi, you haven''t played your cards yet."


    The first man ignored him and the other sighed and went to sit back down.


    "I had to make sure I wasn''t followed or they noticed my presence. Hopefully, you all did your jobs and followed the ones that came back." The man in black responded.


    "That''s where everyone else is. I''m surprised you knew where the group watching that noble would head down to. It seems they stopped their interactions with other bases a bit too late."

 Chapter 216

    "Well, considering where they were coming from there were only a select few routes they could use if they wanted that info back promptly."


    "You''re lucky you had enough people to watch all your planned routes in the first place. Waiting somewhere for over a week, praying for someone to come by is miserable." The lackey stated.


    "It''s not my fault you weren''t smart enough to carry a few books with you."


    The lackey shook his head and sighed.


    "So when are we gonna be able to drop this whole thing?" The lackey asked. "I wanna be able to go back to my family. I have to thank the Gods they don''t live here but I''m worried they might have gotten a letter regarding the situation."


    "Don''t worry, we''ve made sure something like that couldn''t happen." The man responded.


    He stretched before walking over towards the table and checking the cards face down. He walked over to the man and sat him back down.


    "Uh, what are you doing?" He asked.


    "Finish your game, it''s a pretty bitch move to walk off like that."


    The man sighed and revealed his cards. Shockingly he was the one who had the better cards. He only won because of a card that had been one rank higher than his opponent.


    "See, with me on your side, you won''t have to worry about losing any time soon."


    He patted his shoulder.


    The other man raised his hand. "Uh, boss, we''re still seven to one. With the one being him."


    "Anyway, how are the others proceeding?" He asked, ignoring the other man who so rudely ruined the mood.


    "They should be back by the end of tomorrow if they''re doing their jobs. With all the information we need." He responded.


    "Good, I''ll rest up and then go greet our other associate." The man in black said.


    "Associate? Why are you referring to him like that? Isn''t he just your-"


    "As long as I wear this black and uncomfortable outfit, we''re just associates." He remarked before making himself scarce.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "Hey Marcus, what do you think about this whole thing?" The lackey asked the other.


    "Do you want to pay me what I''m owed now or lose a few more games?" He coldly responded.


    "Tsk, don''t get so cocky you bastard, I''m finally building a winning streak!" he shouted at his opponent.


    <hr>


    After training with Lily and tiring her out, Tibaut quickly ran inside to the kitchen. There a variety of meat in addition to various greens were laid out on the table.


    He wasted no time throwing them down his gullet and he even recognised some of them from his time in the wild.


    "I''m surprised you realised most of these plants were food," Elizabeth commented.


    "Don''t worry, I probably would have eaten them even if they weren''t." He continued his feast by shoving the meat of an entire rabbit, deboned of course, in his mouth.


    Elizabeth glanced outside, through the window of the door to see Lily lying against a tree trying to catch her breath.


    As Tibaut continued his onslaught on the food in front of him his face got serious as he thought about something. He stared intensely at Elizabeth while scarfing down the greens she collected.


    "What is it, Tibaut?" She asked.


    "Is it that obvious?" He asked while scratching the back of his head. He continued eating but would speak after swallowing.


    "I''ve been thinking... you''ve been doing this to get me back in fighting shape if those cultists show back up, right."


    "Yes." He plainly responded.


    "So that got me thinking about my encounters with him and I just remembered something crazy."


    Elizabeth looked at him, curious what it might be. Did he somehow encounter them at some point she wasn''t aware of?


    "That time they broke into the mansion, I remember they had you all weak and stuff. How the hell did they manage that?"


    Elizabeth started blushing and seemed pretty embarrassed when Tibaut mentioned this. She held her face in her hands and this threw him for a loop.


    "Um, Elizabeth, you okay?"


    "Oh, I didn''t tell you about what happened that day¡­" She dejectedly responded. She seemed almost depressed remembering what happened.


    She got up and looked outside the window. She soon looked outside the kitchen to ensure no one was around.


    She gave a deep sigh.


    "Because of these new changes in my body, I don''t use my magic often." She sighed even deeper. "Because of this change in my magic, and my mana, and because I don''t have a proper grasp of it, I am vulnerable to things other magic users would be far less susceptible to." She seemed incredibly disappointed in herself as she spoke.


    "Oh¡­ so what does that mean?" He asked, unsure of the implications.


    "Well, there are potions that exist other healing potions. My best guess would be it was a sleeping potion of some kind."


    "Sleeping potion? (Other types of potions exist? I suppose that isn''t too shocking.)"


    "That''s right, for a normal adventurer with magic, it takes drinking some out of the bottle to induce sleep. People who can''t use magic and myself would be affected by only the fumes of it. And those bastards knew specifically to throw it at me. It seems they know a weakness of mine."


    She said. She looked pained admitting this.


    Tibaut had cleared about half the table before he had stopped.


    "H-hold are you telling me they know about that change in you?" He asked.


    "Oh, no but them knowing a weakness of myself isn''t ideal."


    "Huh, but I thought you said it''s because of how you are that-"


    She cut him off and shook her hand.


    "Oh no, they probably believe it for a different reason. After all, I did need an explanation for those around me."


    "For what?"


    "For why I couldn''t use my magic."

 Chapter 217

    ¡°Huh, now that I think about it, it is strange that no one questioned why you stopped using your magic.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they did, but that was long before you came here.¡±


    ¡°So what''d you tell them?¡± He asked as he downed the last of the meat on the table.


    ¡°That I was a cursed child.¡± She said as she looked around.


    ¡°Wow¡­.. what does that mean exactly?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Tsk, I swear the more you speak the less of an idea I have of your upbringing. Even a child would have some idea of that topic. Were you raised in isolation of some kind?¡±


    Tibaut awkwardly laughed and turned his face away.


    Elizabeth sighed and continued. ¡°Whatever, I''ll probe your origins when we actually make a name for ourselves. It would be quite disheartening if you were a notorious criminal.¡±


    (¡°I mean, this country seems incredibly far from Akumia, so I should be fine about the bounty. However, even if that country''s bounty doesn''t apply to me here, I did steal animals every now and again on my journey, from the villages I''d occasionally run into. But I probably wouldn''t get a bounty for something like that, would I? Besides, the only thing they''d get a glimpse of was my red hair when they shouted at me¡­¡±)


    Elizabeth had visible concern on her face as Tibaut seriously contemplated her words.


    ¡°T-Tibaut¡­¡± she stuttered. ¡°You aren''t a criminal are you?¡± She asked with less conviction than before. He sat there in contemplation for a few more seconds.


    ¡°Well, if my name doesn''t immediately jump out to you then it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Could you tell me your full name?¡± Elizabeth asked, pale-faced.


    ¡°Tibaut Agirow.¡±


    ¡°Agirow? What sort of last name is that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What the hell do you mean? It''s my family name, you bastard! (Ah, I was dreading this, but it seems this last name isn''t super common. Oh well, she probably won''t put up too much of a stink if she finds out what country it came from.  If anything, I''ll either just tell I''m from there or say I have some relatives from the country depending on how negatively she reacts.)¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I see, well thankfully, I don¡¯t think I''ve heard of a fugitive with such an odd last name. (That''s strange, I don''t think I''ve heard of such a commoner last name yet but that''s not a last name I''ve heard of with nobles either. It could be of a different language but I also imagine it could be due to my lack of knowledge of the nobility of Saxland. I suppose that can wait for now.)¡±


    After doing some musing of her own she decided to drop the topic and continue with what she had to say.


    ¡°Where was I? Ah, right cursed children. Simply put, they''re people that have lost their ability to use magic.¡±


    Tibaut leaned closer into her.


    ¡°What a minute, that can happen!?¡± he asked worriedly.


    ¡°It is rare but it is known to happen every so often.¡±


    ¡°Wha- Why?¡± For someone as unfortunate as Tibaut, he wouldn''t discount the possibility of such a thing happening to him.


    ¡°As far as most people are concerned, it seems to happen randomly. One day they just lose it, with no indication nor reason why. They don''t feel ill nor do they notice any change within their bodies. It seems the Gods don''t favour some people. (It''s not like I can ask Lady Gabriel about it. That moment was the second time I''ve been in contact with her. And frankly, I don''t think I''d use my time with her to ask questions about that condition unless someone close to me had been diagnosed with it.)¡±


    ¡°Damn, that''s a crazy-sounding. Is there a cure?¡± He asked.


    ¡°None that is known commonly. Though I have heard of some regaining their magic, I can''t assume it''s common.¡±


    (¡°Jeez, imagine having your magic and then being shafted like that.¡±) Tibaut thought to himself.


    ¡°I''ve heard the notion that it happens more commonly among nobles and it does make sense. After all, nobles are more inclined to have magic than the average person.¡± She commented.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a fact that isn''t acknowledged very often, after all, it''s not like nobles commonly become adventurers and mingle with us. Getting back on topic, I believe those cultists may have gotten information about this information. After all, without your magic, you''re no more than a regular person.¡±


    ¡°(Now that I think about it, I''m technically a noble, Ezekiel was technically one and Albus was one¡­) Didn''t say you only told people close to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes but based on the interaction I had with Tina a few weeks ago I believe Ezekiel wasn''t exactly sparing in who he told it to. Tsk.¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, he probably didn''t mean to.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I hold nothing against him. But who knew his killers would take advantage of something that came from his mouth.¡± Elizabeth was intensely focusing on the empty space in front of her with her fists clenched.


    (¡°I get ya Elizabeth. These bastards are essentially mocking him by using this to attack you.¡±)


    ¡°Stay here for a moment.¡± She told him before walking away. He wondered if she was going for anything and quickly stood up when Tina rushed into the room.


    She motioned to throw her spear at him but Elizabeth raised her voice.


    ¡°Break anything in the kitchen, and you''re going to pay for it out of your own pocket!¡±


    She grabbed the already-thrown spear by the very end of its shaft and managed to keep it from flying.


    ¡°Let''s go outside Tibaut.¡± She asked with sweat forming on her brow.


    Feeling bad for her, he quickly walked outside and began their sparring.

 Chapter 218

    Lily was under a tree catching her breath as she saw the pair of Tina and Tibaut come outside.


    ¡°Wow, that ritual''s doing wonders for you.¡± She commented as she saw Tibaut.


    Tina had realised there was a difference in Tibaut but couldn''t quite put her finger on it until Lily had stated that.


    She grabbed his arm and lifted it up. While it wasn''t the size it was a few weeks prior, it wasn''t as skeletal-looking as it did a few days earlier. He had gone from looking half-dead to extremely skinny.


    ¡°You''re starting to look human again,¡± Tina commented.


    ¡°I hope that means you''ll treat me like this is a spar,¡± Tibaut commented.


    ¡°A man shouldn''t be so quick to beg for mercy from his opponents,¡± Tina commented.


    Tibaut only sighed in response to this.


    The two got in their fighting positions and Lily for her own amusement started heckling Tina.


    ¡°You know he''s tired, right? We went for nearly an hour earlier, so I hope you don''t get too big of a head if you manage to inch out another win, Amazon.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up, fighting you shouldn''t even be considered a warm-up.¡±


    Tina, seemingly in the mood for violence and not bickering, shot off towards Tibaut.


    <hr>


    In the mansion, Elizabeth watched some of their fights from a floor above.


    ¡°Hoh, he already seems to be doing better than yesterday. Who knew a book from that gag gift would actually be useful for something? Though I suppose without Merrill, I wouldn''t have known such a book was included in the first place.¡±


    As she watched them fight, she saw someone approach the group before being pointed towards the front door.


    ¡°Hmm? Who''s that? Oh, wait, I recall seeing him at the guild during our first meeting after Ezekiel died. I wonder why he''s here.¡±


    She made her downstairs and opened the front door. In front of her was a young man, with white hair and pale skin. It was easily the palest she had seen.


    ¡°Um, you''re Elizabeth, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, good afternoon,¡± Elizabeth responded.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Uh, right, good afternoon too. I''m here, uh,¡± the boy seemed nervous and kept stumbling over his words as she spoke. ¡°Here.¡± He handed her a letter and quickly went on his way.


    ¡°Hmm, he must be shy.¡±


    The sender of the letter was Mr. Bentley and it also had the words "Urgent-Read Today¡± written on it.


    ¡°Tsk, don''t tell me they''ve started moving?¡± She went into a nearby room and opened the letter. When she read through she couldn''t help but go through it with anticipation. While it wasn''t what she was expecting, she was surprised it came this soon. It was a letter detailing that all guild leaders were to be at the Adventurer Branch tomorrow as soon as the sun rose to discuss their plan of attack. The scouts had discovered the location of the cultists and based on its size it might have been their main base in the parish.


    ¡°By the sounds of this letter, we may attack them by the end of next week. I guess they weren''t doing nothing, while we were gone all this time.¡±


    She got up and decided to pay a visit to the basement. The scorching air slammed her face but she remained unperturbed as she headed down.


    ¡°You really should open a window,¡± Elizabeth commented.


    Vanessa was at an anvil methodically hammering away at a piece of steel. Her skin glistened with sweat and the yellow wife-beater she wore was completely drenched in it.


    ¡°Actually, I think a break would be way-¡±


    Elizabeth placed her hand on the small woman''s shoulder.


    ¡°You lounge and do nothing but drink in the time I''m gone and you think you have the privilege to ask for a break? Until you make up for the time you spent drinking away down her, you can consider breaks a thing of the past."


    ¡°Come on, Liz, don''t be so cruel! I was helping a friend out.¡±


    She picked up a nearby bucket of water and drank the contents.


    ¡°At least use a cup to collect the water,¡± Elizabeth commented as she looked inside the bucket.


    ¡°Why do that when I can drink straight from that thing? Anyway, as you can see, I''m working. (Tch, I can''t slack off with her around.)¡±


    ¡°Actually, I came here to make a deal.¡±


    Vanessa stared at her curiosity. She stopped hammering whatever she was and quickly placed it into an oil bath.


    ¡°Don''t worry he''s not my boyfriend but I''m not sure you even-¡±


    Elizabeth pinched her cheek.


    ¡°Shut up and listen. If you fix my sword in the next three days-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Vanessa didn''t even give her time to fully state her case before she rejected it. She had been given Elizabeth''s sword last night and from the moment she laid eyes on that piece of scrap metal, she quickly put it in the furthest reaches of the workshop so she wouldn''t have even to think about how she was going to fix that.


    Elizabeth pinched another one of her cheeks and started pulling on them. ¡°Listen here you fat-chested hag, if you don''t want to die down here from being broiled, you''ll fix that sword.¡±


    ¡°Hell no, you couldn''t force me to look at that thing again.¡± She said with her cheeks (the ones on her face) stretched.


    She started throwing a tantrum to show off her displeasure, by beating her fists against the floor while laying down against it.


    Elizabeth quickly sat on top of her and put her in a boston crab.


    ¡°You''re gonna fix it, grandma, now stop complaining and get to it.¡±


    Even as she was subjected to pain as she lay on the floor, she stayed adamant.


    ¡°Never, Liz, you couldn''t force me to-¡±


    ¡°I know where you keep your stashed liquor.¡±


    They both stopped struggling and got off the floor. Vanessa dusted herself off and shook Elizabeth''s hand.


    ¡°Geez, I''d do anything for you, Elizabeth, there''s no need for the jokes, haha. (Damnit, I underestimated your cruelty Liz!)¡±

 Chapter 219

    After leaving the basement, Elizabeth trained on a separate part of the estate for some time before placing a lot of greens and the few smoked rabbits they had left in the kitchen.


    She looked outside to see Tibaut and Tina lying on the ground outside.


    "Damnit, what changed between yesterday and today!?" She shouted.


    "Be grateful he had to deal with me beforehand Tina or else you''d be the only one on the ground," Lily remarked as she watched them.


    It amazed Tibaut how much these two bickered. Didn''t they live together? Or was it because they lived together that they constantly argued?


    Either way, he didn''t have to think about this for long before Elizabeth grabbed him by his collar and picked him up like a kitten by the scruff of its neck. She walked inside and dropped him in a chair.


    In front of him was more food.


    "Eat." She commented.


    He wasted no time chowing down on the spread in front of him.


    "So that''s it for the training, right Elizabeth? I''m pooped, I''m not sure I could move another inch."


    He looked outside and the evening sky with its purple suggested that was the end of anything physical for the day.


    "Well, you better find the energy to do so because you''ll spar me later."


    "Ugh, I''m not even surprised," Tibaut said, disappointed as he crunched on the greens in front of him like a goat. "What''s the sparring for anyway? It doesn''t really feel like it''s doing anything to help digestion."


    "It''s simply to help you work off any excess calories. After all, I''m not too sure about the efficiency your body can process all that food. (But it seems my worries were unfounded based on his looks. Though regular training can''t hurt.)"


    As she looked at Tibaut she realised he gained more weight than she imagined he would. She walked over to him and opened his shirt. Thankfully there was no flab and none of his ribs showed.


    He was blushing when she opened his and she quickly let it go.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "I was just checking how much your body has recovered," Elizabeth said. She tried to avoid mentioning how odd this action would seem to an outside observer.


    "You could have just asked me to open my shirt¡­"


    "That would have looked even worse."


    After that violation, he continued to eat and after finishing, was brought outside against his will to train.


    "Alright, come at me," Elizabeth said.


    Tibaut looked around the area and picked some solid-looking branches.


    "I hope you aren''t going to use those as weapons." She remarked.


    "What are you talking about? I''m gonna use these as torches."


    She walked over to him and smacked them out of his hands.


    "Then stop, we''re going fight like this."


    "Oh come on, this is just unsafe."


    "All fighting is unsafe. Consider this training to help you in a low-light environment. (Well, I''m not sure we''ll be fighting them in the dark but it never hurts to be safe.)"


    She threw a punch to his face and the spar started. Tibaut quickly dodged and backed away.


    "Geez, why can''t you guys just say ''start'' or ''hajime'' or something."


    He threw a fireball at her and she dodged it without much hesitation. She decided for this spar, like most, to only use her fists. She closed the distance between them pretty quickly and threw another punch. He dodged it without incident although his face showed otherwise. He had his lips pursed and kept his eyes focused on her limbs.


    ("Jesus Christ, if she hits me with one of those while I''m like, I might actually die.")


    Elizabeth proceeded to throw more punches and Tibaut dodged and parried them.


    Although it hadn''t been more than five minutes, Elizabeth could tell his fighting style had changed.


    ("He''s focusing more on defence than a mixture of offence and defence, like his usual style. I''m pretty he''s even gotten better at dealing with my heavier blows. Maybe I should have kept in this weaker state for a bit longer.")


    He threw a fire lance at her and she effortlessly dodged. ("I see, this must be how he tired out Tina earlier. If I recall he had little to no bruising and she did as well. But do you think that is going to work against me?")


    She performed feint into a kick and Tibaut seemed to have no issue dodging. But it seemed that kick was just set up as she flowed into another kick but Tibaut casually punched it to send it off course.


    Her upper body had swung towards the ground and Tibaut had wondered why she had used such exaggerated movements. Until he saw the object she swung towards him and narrowly managed to parry the object with a kick, though it did still sting.


    ("Oh, he managed to react to that. I''m impressed.")


    She had picked up one of the large branches Tibaut had picked up earlier and was using it like a sword.


    ("Weren''t you the one to say not to use them as weapons?")


    She slashed at him and left a dirty mark across his shirt.


    ("That would have cut deep if it was her actual sword¡­")


    They continued their brawl until Tibaaut had gathered a large fireball above his head. They continued fighting with this boulder-sized ball of fire above their heads with neither slowing down.


    "Just to check, Tibaut, you aren''t planning on killing the both of us, are you?" She asked while stabbing towards him.


    "It''s not as bad as it looks. Just don''t throw anything at it. (Or we might actually die.)"


    He caught the stick between his arm and knee and broke it in half with his other fist.

 Chapter 220

    Elizabeth did not hesitate to punch him and landed the first clean hit either of them had so far.


    He activated his newest magic as soon as he was hit by the punch and sent backwards.


    The fireball above soon started to wrap around them and they quickly became surrounded by a veil of fire.


    Elizabeth looked around in surprise at his magic trick and stopped momentarily to appreciate it. She walked up to the veil and placed the remains of the stick against it. It almost instantly became engulfed in flames and there was no hole in the flame veil.


    ¡°Hoh, when did you get this?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Huh? Didn''t Grace tell you about it?¡± He asked as sweat started to pour on him. (¡°That''s right, keep talking. You probably won''t even realise the heat¡¯s sapped most of your strength till it''s too late.¡±)


    Now, you might think using this move as a final gambit against Elizabeth might be a bit much. And it is. However, a win over Elizabeth is a win over Elizabeth and Tibaut wasn''t going to let this go. The trauma he had to go through while training with her wouldn''t let him.


    ¡°I see. Well, I suppose I can ask about it later. When did you first use this?¡±


    ¡°Uh, the night we were with the officers?¡± Tibaut responded, sounding unsure. This wasn''t how he thought this would play out after using this move. Though he was glad that wasn''t the case as he imagined a desperate Elizabeth using every ounce of strength she had to deliver a single solid blow.


    ¡°Huh, I wonder if the defensive magic training had anything to do with it. Well then¡­¡± she wiped some sweat off her brow. ¡°How do you interact with the flames?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I never tried¡­(I know this isn''t a spar but it''s kinda weird how casual Elizabeth is being about this.)¡±


    He put his hand to the veil and quickly brought back his hand after going wrist-deep outside.


    ¡°Jeez that''s hot!¡± he said as he flicked his hand. While he could resist his own magic, to him it still felt like he ran his hand through uncomfortably hot water. Not boiling but certainly not a temperature you''d shower in.


    ¡°Are you telling me you can''t even create a hole for yourself?¡± She said, sounding disappointed. ¡°Let''s discuss more of this later. After all, this heat is getting quite annoying.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    She instantly ran towards Tibaut and started throwing punches. She was breathing heavier than before but it seemed like her movements hadn''t changed.


    (¡°I have been trained in similar conditions by my master but those were very interspersed. I think it''s been years since I''ve been in temperatures like this. I have to admit, this would have slowed me down. If I was going all out. I was hoping he''d notice but I''m surprised he thought he could hold his own against me while his body was like that.¡±)


    As she continued her assault, Tibaut held hope she would be affected by the heat, not realising she already was.


    They were both sweating but it was obvious Tibaut was at a disadvantage. He kept backing away until he backed into the flame veil. He instinctively stepped forward and Elizabeth ended there with one solid punch to his chest. She heard cracking and quickly moved as his body fell limply to the floor. The flame veil around disappeared and the cool night breeze was all that was left.


    She grabbed him by the chest and healed him.


    ¡°It seems his durability is down as well. It''s lower than I expected.¡±


    He began to limply open his eyes.


    ¡°Did you¡­ always hit that hard?¡± He weakly asked in her arms.


    ¡°For the time being, you should get some rest,¡± she commented as she stood him back up. She supported him on her shoulder and brought him back to his room.


    ¡­


    Tibaut woke up to something nice smelling beside him. He remembered Elizabeth beating him, as always, then dragging him back to his room while he was dazed. Did her scent linger in the room? No way, despite how she looked, she constantly had the faintest undertones of sweat following her around. It wasn''t potent enough to be bad but the only times Tibaut would say she smelt uninteresting. Like the olfactory equivalent of the colour white. However, she did smell of a subtle rose perfume in the mornings and late at night (presumably after she showered). Which is why it came as a shock when he saw blonde hair when he woke up. As he backed away, Elizabeth noticed his movements and soon woke up.


    ¡°I hope you aren''t planning on going anywhere.¡± She commented while yawning.


    ¡°Um, Elizabeth¡­¡±


    ¡°If you''re wondering why I''m in your bed, it''s because I''m keeping a watch over you. I can''t help but wonder if those cultists would ever think about coming back to finish the job.¡± She said, sounding tired. She yawned while stretching in the bed. By the way, the bed was queen-sized, so there was a comfortable amount of space for both.


    ¡°The same bed though?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Are you a young maiden or something?¡± She bluntly asked. (¡°Maybe it was a bit much sleeping on the same bed as him. I can only imagine the way Father would react if I said I casually slept on the same bed as a man.¡±)


    She quickly got off the bed as she felt her cheeks start to be flushed with embarrassment. She turned away to hide her face.


    ¡°By the way, the ritual is said to only last from sunrise to sunset.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked. ¡°I felt hungry so I was wondering how long this thing would last.¡±


    ¡°If it went for a whole day you would have died of hunger in your sleep.¡± she coldly commented.


    ¡°...you know, maybe we should hold off on that spell.¡±

 Chapter 221

    The pair left his room and Elizabeth opted not to bring him with her as she was sure Tina was enough to keep him in his current state. As they walked along the hallway they soon caught Tina in their sight.


    "Huh? You''re leaving?" Tibaut asked.


    "Yes, Mr. Bentley has found some relevant information regarding the cultists. Though it must be somewhat tenuous as he suggested only the guild leaders meet today."


    She looked at Tina and the pink-haired woman nodded her head.


    "Since I won''t be here, I''ll hold off on doing the ritual, (though, since it has passed sunrise I''m not even sure we could do it) and we''ll continue tomorrow."


    Tibaut rubbed his shoulders and looked ready to fall asleep the first chance he got the opportunity.


    "Finally, yesterday was super rough, I deserve some rest."


    "Yup, instead of taking on Lily, me and Elizabeth, you''ll just be taking on me today," Tina commented while looking uncharacteristically cheery.


    Tibaut looked to Elizabeth in a vain hope that she''d tell Tina "No" but she simply waved and went down the stairs.


    After she left, Tibaut was having none of Tina''s nonsense.


    "What are you being such a bitch for? Let''s go outside already." She bluntly told him today.


    "Really? Then what does that make the person that''s trying to fight the bitch, huh? Are you saying you''re absolutely dying to fight a bitch? Are you saying a bitch is a worthy opponent for you?"


    "Just cause you''re being a bitch right now, doesn''t mean you''re weak." She commented before picking him up. He didn''t try to fight out of it and clicked his tongue.


    She began to bring him outside but he jumped off her in the kitchen.


    "I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to have some breakfast before we spar," Tina commented.


    "I''m surprised this is the point you decided to be reasonable with." He said.


    He looked around the room and realised something. They were out of rabbit meat.


    "Oh well, guess it''s back to hard tack for me."


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Why''d you say such a dreadful sentence?" Tina asked.


    "We''re out of meat."


    Tina looked visibly disappointed. "Tsk, seriously? I bet you''re the asshole who finished it."


    "Probably." He commented as he started searching the cupboards.


    "Then get your ass outside and start hunting!"


    "Sure, after I eat some breakfast."


    It seemed the spiteful Tina would not let him have even that as she forcefully dragged him.


    "I refuse to eat breakfast without meat because of your gluttony," Tina stated unashamedly.


    "Are you forgetting how I looked at the start of yesterday?"


    "Yup, now you''re in way better shape to hunt." She commented.


    Tibaut sighed and decided it was better to get this thing over with. "Tsk, fine, follow me. You can get all the meat you''d like."


    <hr>


    As Elizabeth approached the adventurer branch, she noticed a sizable amount of people outside having discussions.


    "I see he''s serious about only having guild leaders inside."


    As she walked to the entrance, the adventurers in her way quickly moved. Some of them even cheered when they saw her. She quickly made her way inside and was greeted by 12 or so people already inside.


    "Ah, you''re here Elizabeth." Mr. Bentley commented at the front of the room.


    "Tch, looks like she finally came here after taking her sweet ass time." commented the tall, pale man, who had decided to stand up for this meeting.


    "Last I recall, the letter said only to be here by day."


    "Ohohoho, sorry Elizabeth. Your letter was the first I drafted and I forgot to set a time. I''d usually send the first one to Ezekiel to proofread but he isn''t with us anymore so you''ll have to forgive this old man."


    The mood of the room fell into low spirits after he mentioned that name.


    "I would appreciate it if you all weren''t moody about this. Mentioning his name shouldn''t be something that discourages you all. It should be something that fires you all up."


    "Don''t worry old man, I''m plenty fired up after reading that letter," Furor said, breaking the tension. "So what''s the deal with calling only us here? Though, it seems that hasn''t stopped someone from barging in here."


    He turned to a woman sitting near him and she scoffed. "Furor, it seems you have been out of the loop. But I guess it''s not surprising considering how many people here are your friends. But in case you weren''t aware, Jake injured his leg which is why I''m here until he fully recovers."


    "Heh, some bitch who''s not even the leader of her own guild, thinks she can get uppity with me? How about I walk you outside to teach you some manners."


    "Shut up, Furor, you''re always trying to start shit for no reason." One present shouted at him.


    "Hoh, you got balls talking back to me, want another ass whooping? Fuck it, I''ll take both of you on."


    "Could we please listen to what Mr. Bentley has to say?" Elizabeth chimed in. "I really don''t want to participate in such impromptu sparring, however, if you all won''t be quiet."


    "No, I''m sorry for making a scene, Elizabeth." The woman commented.


    "Woah, we don''t have to go that far." the man commented.


    "Tsk, whatever. So Mr. Bentley mind telling me why only the leaders of various guilds are allowed here? In fact, I think a few are missing." he commented as he looked around.


    "Well, it has to do with what I''m about to discuss. It seems these cultists have positioned themselves in a tricky location."


    This piqued the interest of all present and they started listening more intently.


    "Which is why, I''ve decided to only invite those of you with a certain level of strength. After all, I can''t imagine if those not gifted physically were to hear about this and attempt something rash at their location."

 Chapter 222

    "Where the hell are they, that''d you have to open with that?" Furor asked.


    "How about you shut up and-" the woman was interrupted by Mr. Bentley.


    "Now, settle down. Like I was saying it is somewhere dangerous. I didn''t even know it existed before this week. I only coincidentally learned about it through an old encyclopaedia." Mr. Bentley paused before he continued. "It''s apparently the ruins of an old dungeon."


    People in the room started looking at each other and mumbling began.


    "A dungeon?" It was Elizabeth who questioned this first. "Are you sure Mr. Bentley? Last I recalled this parish had no history of them."


    "I was just as shocked as you were but that was the only explanation." He responded.


    "Explanation? Are their circumstances surrounding the dungeon?"


    "You could say that. The dungeon was associated with a parish adjacent to us. However, at some point, it appears our boundaries were modified so the land that encompassed it became a part of Eater''s Mound."


    "I find it a bit hard to believe that would fly unnoticed." She responded.


    "Trust me, I did too, until I found the encyclopaedia entry. Do you want to know what it said?" He paused before continuing. "Not much is known about this dungeon other than the fact it was conquered and all valuables have been looted. The church has decided it must remain untouched. That was it."


    "The church? Which one?" The woman present asked.


    "I bet it''s the Church of Raphael, those guys are super snooty."


    "What''d you say about me?"


    "No, I mean those guys that work closely in the church. You''re cool."


    "It''s none of the four churches you and I know. I looked in the references for the source that mentioned that quote and it was a book from nearly five hundred years ago." Mr. Bently continued.


    "Five hundred?" Several present repeated in shock.


    "Though I''m not sure how many of you know this but this was before the split of the churches."


    "Are you saying the original church declared this?" Elizabeth asked.


    "At least part of it. It says there''s nothing there but I feel that statement must be somewhat false if the church decided it must be untouched."


    "Can we even go there?" One asked.


    "Of course, we''re gonna go there. The people, hell even the organisation who told people to stay away from it, doesn''t exist anymore, so why does it matter what they said?" Furor said.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "While Mr. Graham''s language is somewhat crude, I do believe his fundamental message is correct. As far as I can tell none of the churches have issued any statement regarding it. There should be no problem entering and exiting. After all, if they were watching it, they would have realised our friends have taken residence there."


    "But do we really need to limit our numbers to only the exceptionally strong for such a place?" The woman asked.


    "Well, I do prefer it if we are careful. It is a dungeon after all. Who knows what mechanisms could be left unchecked or worse, refurbished under their new owners. Well then, now that I''ve adequately explained this problem, I suppose there''d be no better time to start discussing our assault."


    <hr>


    While not unused to skipping breakfast (or not eating for days entirely), he knew it was a bad habit and very much appreciated the lifestyle change of having three guaranteed meals a day. He didn''t waste any time walking by the village where he found the rabbits.


    "Where the hell are you walking? We''ve skipped so much game I''m beginning to question if you even know how to hunt." Tina said while following behind him.


    "I want to gather enough meat to never have to hear you complain for a month at least," Tibaut responded as he kept walking.


    "Complain? You finished all the meat and now you have the balls to say I''m complaining!?"


    "Even if it was justified, it''d still be considered complaining."


    "Whatever."


    They kept walking until the village was in sight. Tina looked to the side and noticed a massive wheat farm.


    "Tibaut, did you not hear me talk about meat? We already had enough flour back at the mansion to make bread. (Tsk, I was just trying to piss him off. I didn''t think he''d waste our time by coming here.)"


    Realising the error of her way, she decided it would be better to use violence to get Tibaut annoyed in the future.


    As they continued they noticed various dead rabbits on the floor, with some starting to gather flies.


    "Uh, Tibaut, what is this place?" She asked.


    "Somewhere we can get as much meat as we need."


    As they walked, the frequency of the rabbits grew and Tina grew worried. ("Uh no, don''t tell me this guy is some sort of loony. Shit, maybe he felt emboldened when Elizabeth left!")


    As Tina considered turning around, feeling almost overpowered by the scenery, she stopped when she heard shouting coming from the village.


    "Huh, wasn''t this loud the last time I was here."


    She decided to stick with Tibaut a bit longer and eventually walked with him into the village. As they walked into the village, they noticed a crowd gathered in the centre.


    Trying to get a better view, the pair climbed onto a nearby rooftop to watch what had gathered so much attention.


    In the middle of the crowd were two groups of men arguing.


    "Huh, the fuck are talking about, you assholes?" One man said irate.


    In the group of the men gathered, Tibaut recognised the village chief on one of the opposing sides. He was the one to next open his mouth.


    "You heard me, this problem was caused by you lot!" He shouted.


    "Oh really now, we just magically made them appear to ruin our crops? Get real you geezer, this was all your fault."


    "You talk about magic yet that is the only way we could be involved in this crock of shit."


    "Don''t bullshit me, me pa used to say one of the bastards round here used to keep rabbits."


    "Well, your pa''s full of shit!"


    The other man looked ready to throw a blow and Tibaut decided to stop in before it got ugly.


    He shot off a firelance between them. The one who attempted to throw the punch fell back to his feet while the village chief immediately looked over to the cause of the ruckus.


    "Oi, it''s the red-headed adventurer."


    The entire crowd turned around and started cheering for him.


    "Huh? It''s that guy who fought Ezekiel."


    "You boys are fucked now, that''s a friend of ours."


    The men started sweating bullets when they heard this.


    "Fucking hell, these guys can afford an adventurer? Let''s move for the time being boys."


    One of them picked him up and they hurriedly pushed through the crowd to make their exit.

 Chapter 223

    Tibaut jumped down from the rooftop, (which hurt a lot more than he expected) and greeted the people of the village.


    (¡°Ah shit, my knees.¡±) He stumbled before turning to the village chief. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Mr. Adventurer you couldn''t have come at a better time, those brutes from a village were trying to blame us for their folly. The next time I see a guard, I''ll tell them about their behaviour.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fuck those pricks.¡±


    The village chief quickly turned to the man who shouted the phrase and shushed him. ¡°Don''t you dare use that sort of language around our guests here.¡±


    ¡°Guests?¡± Tibaut said. He looked around to see Tina beside him. ¡°When the hell did you get here?¡±


    ¡°More importantly, how do you know these guys? This is the first time I think I''ve ever been to this village.¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Before he could answer a few of the children around had decided to crawl on her. While a vein did form on her forehead, she did begrudgingly allow them to continue in peace.


    (¡°I can''t tell if she has a soft spot for kids or holding herself back from throwing them into the crowd.¡±) Tibaut thought.


    With the altercation over, the people gathered around slowly started to dissipate with some coming over to pat Tibaut on the back and thank him before leaving.


    ¡°How the hell are you so popular?¡±


    ¡°The fight with Ezekiel.¡±


    ¡°Tch, really? I know I should have taken him up on it to replace him. So what, these guys give you free meat or something.¡± She asked, trying her best to ignore the children on her.


    One of the children jumped off her shoulders and onto Tibaut which left a smirk on her face.


    Another child decided to sit on her shoulder. ¡°Hey big lady, are you his girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°What? No. (Especially with how much of a twig he is now. Now that I think about it he wasn''t so bad-looking before.)¡± She answered, sounding almost insulted.


    ¡°Way to bruise a guy''s ego.¡± He commented.


    ¡°Don''t worry lad, I can tell ya, you probably wouldn''t want a lady taller than ya.¡± The village chief stated. ¡°You''d bloody feel like a child walking around with her, innit.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Tina seemed to take great offence at what the village chief and Tibaut quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°Right¡­ I''d like to say I''m interested in those guys that were just here but how immediate of threat are they?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry about those guys, they''re just a bunch of scallywags that have nothing better to do but blame their mistakes on us.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? It sounded a bit serious earlier.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose I can tell you what those basta-¡± he stopped himself. ¡°Annoying people are on about. Now I''m not sure whether you believe this or not but not too many years ago the rabbit problem wasn''t anywhere near as bad as it currently was. I''d say the rats were way worse back then.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you telling me that stuff out there happened overnight?¡±


    Tina seemed to have accepted the children and was flinging those that lined up to her, in the air.


    (¡°Let''s just hope she doesn''t drop any.¡±) He thought to himself.


    ¡°In a strange way, I suppose. They just suddenly increased numbers one day and the thing is, you hear they''re a problem all over the parish, then you start hearing how they''re a problem in the nation. It was bloody ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Over the nation?¡±


    ¡°Right, you ever notice how no matter what part of the country you''re in, as long as there''s some green, you find a lot of rabbits. Can''t go a stone¡¯s throw without finding them.¡±


    Now that Tibaut had heard this, there was a substantial increase in rabbits, in his last few weeks of travelling. He thought it might have been the climate but it seems he encountered a nation-specific problem.


    ¡°That''s crazy, Do you have any idea what''s the cause?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have an inkling it''s those bastards over the river but I won''t bore you with our theories. Anyway, those bastards believe it''s us who did it but I frankly believe they''re trying to cover their asses.¡±


    ¡°Why? I don''t think it''s reasonable to assume a single village can cause a nationwide problem like this.¡±


    ¡°Well, we''ve always had our suspicions but they were confirmed when some smart folk from the capital came by. They sent them around this area and said this is where the rabbits most likely started to spread. And honestly, I think it confirms that''s them.¡±


    ¡°Um, isn''t it more likely they came from somewhere else?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°No way. They said it had to be here and no other parish. The news would have spread quicker in other parishes. And certainly couldn''t have come from the Green Hell.¡±


    ¡°(Green hell? Wait a minute, I think I did see a place called that when I looked at that map Elizabeth had but what sort of place would be called that?) But why do you believe it''s them?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It has to be them with how adamant they were blaming us when those fine folk came by.¡±


    (¡°That doesn''t sound like solid reasoni-¡±)


    Before he could finish his thought, something tapped his shoulder. He turned around to see Tina looking impatient.


    ¡°Tibaut, why did we come here? I sure as hell don''t see any meat in sight.¡± She commented, looking ready to fight.


    The children had backed away a concerning amount of distance.


    ¡°Oh shit, that.¡± He said while scratching the back of his head. He looked around from her eyes and smiled awkwardly.


    Before he could turn back to the chief she threw a punch and the onlookers started cheering in excitement.


    ¡°What the hell Tina?¡± Tibaut shouted. He dodged her blow but as it grazed against his skin he felt a shock.


    ¡°Providing the people here some entertainment. (More importantly, beat your ass in front of a group of people.)¡±


    The village chief started stepping back.


    ¡°Really, well isn''t that kind of you lass.¡±

 Chapter 224

    After leaving each other gasping on the floor, the villagers decided to give some water and bread as thanks for the show.


    ("Damnit, why has he been so slippery lately? He''s gone from fighting like a man to this horseshit. The worst part is didn''t even have the decency to use his magic against me!")


    She tore away at the bread in her hands and the sight left Tibaut slightly annoyed as the whole reason they even came here was to get her some meat.


    He glared at her for a few moments before deciding to drop it. As long as her stomach was satisfied he didn''t care anymore.


    ("Still, today''s spar wasn''t half bad. She didn''t have her spear so I wasn''t fearing for my life the entire time. I think this is the first time we''ve sparred without either of us aching from something. It''s nice not having to leave a bruise on her or vice versa.")


    As he sat, enjoying the bread with the nearby water, he found himself somewhat disappointed with the spread.


    He turned to the village chief and began speaking in a hushed tone (the last thing he needed right now was Elizabeth being reminded of the meat.)


    "(You''d think with the amount of rabbits they''d have some ready.) Uh, don''t you have any rabbit meat? I''d be fine even if it''s raw."


    "Woah, Tibaut, you can''t expect me to serve you those oversized rats. My father would be rolling in his grave if I did such a thing to a man like you."


    "(I suppose it makes sense they wouldn''t have the best reputation.) I see. Well, that''s fine, the only reason I came here was to gather some rabbits from those fields."


    "Hoho, you''ll clear the fields for us? Tibaut you''re a good man. If only all adventurers were like you."


    "Anyway, as soon as we finish eating (I''m not letting Tina stop me from eating before I collect the meat) we''re gonna start."


    "Of course, take your time. It is still daylight after all."


    After spending the next half an hour, eating and lounging around, Tibaut finally decided they were gonna come here.


    The pair looked on at the field.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Tibaut, I don''t appreciate you bringing me out for some community service. We should get back to training, that session earlier didn''t do it for me."


    "Shut up and watch this," Tibaut stated. He picked a big stone and threw it into the field. Within moments, a few rabbits came running out of the field. They quickly ran back in after coming outside.


    "So what? You''re good at sniffing out rabbits." She said.


    "No, try it yourself."


    She was confused about what this would accomplish but accepted it anyway. She threw a stone at a random part of the field. Rabbits came running before quickly turning.


    "What the?"


    She did again. The rabbits came out. And again. With the same result. She did it five more times to confirm this wasn''t a fluke.


    "What the hell is going on? Isn''t this too many rabbits!?"


    "I know right, it''s a rabbit goldmine," Tibaut responded.


    "I suppose. So this is where you guys got all the rabbit meat from. Ugh, don''t tell me you expect me to hunt bare-handed? Of all the times to not bring my spear."


    "Yup, let''s get to it."


    Well, meat was meat. He followed him into the field and the pair got to work. She grabbed them and used her magic to deliver precise shocks to hearts, killing them.


    She felt it would be far better than possibly crushing them and ruining their meat. Tibaut was on a completely different wavelength. She assumed he might use his magic, not caring for the damage to their meat but she couldn''t be further from the truth. Almost immediately Tibaut shocked her by how wild he seemed as he hunted them.


    He chased them down like a wild hunting dog and used any of his four limbs possible to crush or snap the necks of any poor creatures in his range. He was almost clinical in how he killed them and it left her stunned. She felt like she was watching a wild beast go on a rampage but couldn''t bring herself to stop him. She didn''t know he was capable of such cruelty. The thing that brought a chill to her spine was the almost childlike smile he had as he slaughtered them.


    After finishing up, they bagged all the rabbits they could get their hands on.


    "Uh, Tibaut, are you always like that when you hunt things?" She asked.


    "Always like what?" He asked while picking up the rabbits.


    "Uh, never mind. (Geez, what the hell was that?)"


    It seemed the wilderness never truly left Tibaut.


    They collected the rabbits and soon made their way home. It was still in the afternoon and the sun hadn''t set yet.


    "So what are we gonna do with all these rabbits?" She asked.


    With the bag still over his back, Tibaut fell to his knees and placed a hand over his face when he heard this question.


    "Oh fuck, I forgot."


    He realised the long day he had ahead of him.


    When they returned home, although he considered otherwise and left most of the rabbits to rot in the forest, he buckled down and began smoking all the rabbits he could manage over a fire.


    "Serves him right," Tina stated as she watched him from the outside.


    <hr>


    A few hours passed and night quickly came. As Elizabeth approached from the forest, the smell of smoke lingered in the air. And also meat.


    "What the hell is that smell?"


    The mansion was in sight and it appeared to be perfectly fine, so couldn''t be that. Plus this smell wasn''t anywhere near as awful as flesh that had been burned by a fire.


    She reached the clearing and circled the mansion to find her answer.

 Chapter 225

    "Again?" She said exasperated. It was Tibaut with an even larger stick structure than last time with massive fire, (in area taken up, not height) under it.


    His eyes were dead and he looked like he had been doing this for a while.


    She took one of the rabbits off and started snacking on it.


    "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" He responded this time.


    "These things are to be eaten are they not?" She responded. "I see you''ve gone and gotten more rabbits. That''s surprisingly forward-thinking of you."


    "It''s because Tina was bothering me. I''d be fine eating only greens for the rest of my training involving the ritual." He responded while keeping an eye on the meat in front of him. "So what''d you guys talk about?"


    "Sorry, but I''m not sure you can know yet." She responded. She soon walked away.


    "Well, I guess it''s back to this."


    After smoking more meat than a smokehouse he could finally go back inside (with the bag of it in tow). As he walked towards the kitchen, he noticed Elizabeth and Tina having a conversation.


    "Really? No wonder you found so many rabbits. I''d always heard some people refer to this place as the rabbit capital but I always thought they were here naturally." Elizabeth said.


    Judging by the way both women were sheening, it wouldn''t be too far-fetched to suggest they bathed. Not seen here was Lily making her way to the bath after being convinced by Elizabeth to keep an eye on Tibaut.


    "I was surprised when I saw it for myself. I thought that old crone was bullshiting to impress Tibaut." Tina responded.


    He didn''t have anything in particular to do either and walked past both without a word.


    Elizabeth stopped him.


    "What is it Eli-"


    She felt his arms and then began caressing (Well, that''s the word Tibaut would use to describe it) his abdomen.


    He began softly blushing but this went unnoticed by Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Tina took extra notice of this.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Hmm, I guess it wasn''t my eyes. You haven''t improved at all today," she commented.


    "Of course I didn''t, you didn''t even do the ritual." He dropped the bag and tried prying her hands off him. This resulted in them clutching each other''s hands and getting into a contest of strength. She easily overpowered him and pushed him to his knees.


    "I''m not even trying and you''re being pushed to the floor." She commented while looking down at him.


    "Can you let me go?" He pleaded.


    After obliging she turned around with a look of uncertainty. ("Hmm, I''m not sure what to make of him yet. While I''m not too comfortable with the idea of him being weakened, I have no doubt we will be heading to the dungeon within the next four days. Factoring in travel it would probably take a three more days if we travel at the pace of our slowest but it''d be too dangerous to continue this ritual while on the move.")


    He noticed her in thought but quickly made his way to his room fearing she had some ''training ideas'' in her head.


    As he walked up the stairs he noticed Elizabeth and Tina follow behind, but thought nothing of it. She was probably heading to her room. Tina headed straight to her room after Elizabeth said something to her.


    After walking for a while he noticed Elizabeth still behind him. She wasn''t wearing a nightgown or anything so it was obvious she was going to her bed. He felt dread build each time he heard her footsteps behind his. Eventually, he reached his door and she was still behind him.


    "Uh, Elizabeth?" He timidly asked.


    "Hmm, what is Tibaut?" She responded as if she hadn''t followed him back to his room.


    "You''re not gonna come inside are you?" He asked, knowing he wouldn''t like the answer she had for him.


    "Unfortunately, with the cult still at large and with them having some sort of fascination with you in addition to your tendency to get in trouble, I''m not sure I can leave you off by yourself." She responded. No hidden motive nor attempts to sneak inside. She told him point blank, she wanted to be in the same room as him as he slept.


    Tibaut knew this was quite tepid as far as romance was concerned, but by God did his time in the wilderness make him weak to the smallest of gestures women showed him. He cursed the fact the time he spent with Elizabeth did nothing to desensitise him to women.


    He began blushing but managed to keep his tone normal.


    "Huh, are you sure? I mean you are staying in my-"


    "Tibaut are you trying to say, anyone here would be so uncouth to insinuate anything¡­ well other than Vanessa." She looked at him with an annoyed expression. Even as he stood slightly over her and looked into her eyes, he couldn''t help feeling like the smaller one.


    "No." He quickly responded before opening the door.


    He quickly went inside and lay down on the bed. He looked around the room.


    "The stool''s not in here so you might want to look around for one."


    "You dullard, do you think I''d spend my time watching you sleep?" She pulled out a¡­ handcuff? The chain was very long.


    "Fortunately, the officers of Lochdale* were kind enough to lend me one of these. (Tch, I can''t believe I''m using this. But after the day before yesterday, I''m not certain I''ll be able to wake up before he does.)"


    *Lochmull''s name after it became a parish.


    ("I know she was in here that other night but it''s a whole different thing trying to go to sleep while she''s next to me!")

 Tales of a Distant World 7

    She locked on the cuffs and quickly went behind him. Although he smelled strongly of smoke, it seemed she had no problem falling asleep. Tibaut wished the same could be said for him.


    Several minutes had passed but nothing had changed. It certainly didn''t help that she was breathing against his neck.


    As a last resort to calm himself, he began reminiscing about his past world.


    "Dammit, what do I think about to get my mind off her!?" Tibaut whispered to himself.


    But being so close to a woman on his bed, led him to a past memory.


    <hr>


    Miguel sat at his monitor, playing what he usually played. A single-player game from three console generations ago. This was from an era where games were starting to learn how not to be annoying and purposely time-wasting experiences but hadn''t fully worked out the ways of modern convenience.


    He wasn''t playing a live service game because he hated what they did to the industry with a passion and he didn''t play multiplayer games because he felt they had an intrinsic toxicity to them unless you were playing with friends. And with his sleep schedule inverse of the average human''s, that wasn''t changing anything time soon.


    He had modern games but unless they were revolutionary, he wouldn''t touch them until he finished his back catalogue of old games.


    His room had some cans, wrappers and clothing on the floor. It was quite light and he had no problems walking around. While it was better than some rooms he had seen in online forums, he wasn''t proud of his environment. But at the same time, as long as there wasn''t a possibility of cockroaches taking residence in his apartment, he was A-okay with it.


    He threw his controller into the wall and slammed his fist into the desk, not sparing his keyboard either.


    "Fuck, this boss is bullshit. Why the hell is so tanky? I swear to fucking God, I''ve spent ten minutes on him and he hasn''t even lost half his health."


    If he just had the foresight to look up a guide, he would have realised the boss takes 10x damage from a specific weapon in the dungeon but alas the boss felt so manageable the idea never crossed his mind.


    He looked to the wall, that was marked by his controller and the shards of plastic around the room that was previously his controller. He held his face in his hands and sighed.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Damn, being rich really does make you a lot more careless." He got up from his chair and started picking up the shards and remnants of the controller. He had to get far too many plastic shards in his bare feet to realise that the sooner he picked these up the better.


    He picked the main remainder of the controller up and sighed.


    "Jeez, how many of these have I gone through with this game alone?"


    Three. He had gone through three controllers since he started this game.


    As he walked through the house to throw it in the bin, he heard a knock at the door.


    "Huh? What''s he doing here so late?"


    Last he checked it was 11:00 pm but that was some time ago.


    He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe the investors are busting his balls about something." He commented as he made his way.


    They continued for a while and didn''t stop.


    "Hey asshole, are you forgetting I have a doorbell?"


    He commented before he opened it to find¡­ not his brother. It was a woman, slightly shorter than him. She had pale skin and jet-black hair. She wore a black hoodie and smelled of cigarette smoke and alcohol.


    This shock between expectations and reality stunned him for a moment before he regained his composure.


    "(A woman!?) Uh, um, can I-I help you?" He asked as he stuttered. It was obvious he was flustered.


    It had been nearly half a decade since he interacted with a woman in any meaningful way and the fact he didn''t leave his house certainly did him no favours.


    She stared at him for a few moments, obviously sizing him up.


    "Uh, can I help you? (Who the hell is this lady!?)"


    She stood in silence for a few more seconds before Tibaut decided this was a bit too strange for him.


    "(Shit is she drunk? Or is she some kind of beggar?) Uh, I think I have something for you, give me a few minutes."


    He was about to close the door but she stopped it with her foot.


    "Um?" He looked at her confused before she wasted no time opening back the door.


    ("What the hell!? I had both my hands on the door, how did she open it so easily? Wait, hold on, am I about to get robbed by this bitch?")


    He tried to run past her to the outside but she grabbed him and dragged him inside.


    ("This is a joke right? I mean look at her she''s barely my size, how''s she manhandling me?")


    She threw him to the floor and had a look around.


    "Are you serious you don''t recognise me, you little bastard?" She said while standing in front of him.


    "Am I supposed to?"


    "First of all, did your brother not tell you I was coming here? I swear, that unpleasant bastard better not have done this as a joke."


    "My brother? (Bro don''t tell me you hired an escort!)"


    She tapped him with her boot.


    "Don''t you dare look at me like that, you bastard. Don''t I ring any bells when you look at me?" She asked as she bent over and got closer to his face.


    "(Micheal you bastard, who did you send to my apartment!?) Well, I can say I don''t know anyone who''s a heavy smoker."


    "That''s the thing that stuck out to you?" She smelt her jacket and seemed to have no problem with it. "Are you saying you''ve forgotten about Louise?" she asked.


    "Louise? Oh... wait a minute, now I''m even more confused." He recognised the name but what would she be doing here?

 Tales of a Distant World 8

    Louise was the name of his brother''s ex-girlfriend. He remembered them being together until his first year of college. Now, Miguel loves his brother and all but even he would admit that his brother wasn''t the most faithful. Looking back on it, it was a miracle he stayed as faithful as long as he did back then before fooling around with other women.


    But this brought up another question. Why is she here? He remembered the fall-out being so intense that she left him with a few broken ribs but considering what she said a few moments ago, they had to have spoken to each other.


    "So, uh, what brings you here?" He asked.


    He had submissively begun sitting in a seiza position as he looked up at her.


    She rolled her eyes at his question and began reminiscing.


    "Tch, get this, I ask all my friends if I can crash at any of their houses for a while and then your dipshit brother somehow hears about it and guess what he says?"


    "Uh, was it something about me?" He asked.


    "Damn right, it was something about you! Motherfucker told me, you''d welcome me with open arms. Worst of all, no one else took my offer, so here was my only choice. I''m fucking here and you''re telling me you didn''t know!?"


    "I didn''t Louise, be a bit easy with me!" He begged.


    (Bro, I love you, you''re a cool dude. But why the hell did you set your ex on me? Don''t tell me this is part of some sort of plan to get back with her. I want no part, none!!!")


    She scoffed.


    "Whatever, so can I crash here in the meantime?" She asked.


    "Well¡­ I mean it is a bit-" He tried to stand up but she placed her hand on his shoulder and had him in a vice grip.


    "Oi, what the hell is this? Your brother screws with me as a joke and you''re telling me the younger one can''t even man up and take responsibility?"


    His knees buckled to the floor and he was once again forced to look up at her.


    "Uh, well, Louise isn''t that between you two?"


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She clamped down harder and it took all the courage Miguel possessed not to squeal out in pain.


    "What kinda half-assed answer is that? Are you saying there isn''t any space for the both of us." She looked around. "This place seems pretty spacious."


    "I mean t-there is but who knows what your friend group and my brother would think of this. After all, it would be a bit odd for me to accept you so willingly into my house, wouldn''t it?"


    "Huh? Who cares what assholes think! If those bastards couldn''t bother helping me out, I couldn''t care what criticisms they pull out their asses."


    "Well, uh, I guess it''s okay." He relented.


    This woman wasn''t going to be discouraged by words.


    "Finally, now you''re talking some sense." She let him go and began walking around the apartment.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    "Checking this place out."


    She began combing through the rooms and to her disappointment there was only one bedroom. Well, only one room with a bed in it to be specific. She also wasn''t impressed by the state of the place. There were pieces of paper, boxes and empty bottles strewn around the whole apartment, Miguel couldn''t help but feel reduced by her gaze when she stared at him.


    "Yeah, it''s not in the best shape. It''s okay if you don''t wann-"


    "What are you talking about? I''ve seen far worse with some people I''ve crashed with." She commented before continuing inside.


    ("Listen, I know I''m not one to be talking but are you sure you want to live in an environment like this?") He pondered.


    She instantly made herself home and began watching his TV.


    "Uh, Louise?"


    "What is it, Miguel?"


    "How long might you be staying here?" he asked.


    "Oh don''t worry, it shouldn''t be more than a week. I have a nasty bitch of a roommate and it seems she no longer wants to help pay rent. I told the landlord. The guy must have a heart of gold or something. I considered dragging her out but the guy tells me I don''t have to worry about rent as long as she''s still in there, so I''m not in too much of a hurry for her to leave."


    "I, uh, see."


    The awkward atmosphere continued with Miguel keeping a close eye on her throughout the night.


    After determining she was probably okay, he decided to go to bed. She began following him.


    "Uh, what''s up Louise?" He asked.


    "Oh don''t mind me, just gonna go to bed."


    He continued walking towards his room and she followed him. After opening the door and still remaining behind, him he knew something was off.


    "Okay, I guess I''m sleeping on the couch." He commented.


    "What are you being such a pussy for?" She bluntly asked him. "That bed''s big enough for the both of us."


    "Louise, do you realise how odd it is for a woman to show up at your house in the middle of the night, and then demand you and her sleep on your bed?"


    She thought about it for a moment.


    "Unlike you, I probably wouldn''t have let them in." She wasted no time tossing him on the bed and making her way beside him. "Besides we''re friends aren''t we Miguel? Why don''t you say we catch up? It''s not like I have anything better to do."


    As Tibaut felt himself drift away finally, he couldn''t help but feel nostalgic about their first encounter. It was odd and he felt she threw her weight around a bit too much for his liking but he couldn''t deny it led to his fondest friendship. He''d even argue she was his only friend by the time his death came around.


    "If only we could have been more than friends." He thought to himself.

 Chapter 226

    Finally being used to Elizabeth''s presence, he soon fell asleep. Unfortunately, not even an hour later, Elizabeth would wake him up to perform the ritual.


    The training would happen interspersed throughout the week.


    <hr>


    The next week soon came and at the beginning of the night, Elizabeth returned to the mansion.


    Tibaut had decided to clean the mansion and saw her as soon as she entered.


    ¡°Oh you''re ba-¡±


    She wasted no time making her way over towards him. She examined his arms for a bit before turning to him.


    ¡°Mind opening your shirt?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Tch, I assume you won''t take no as an answer?¡±


    He opened it and Elizabeth had a thorough examination of his torso.


    ¡°Well, you look healthy enough to fight properly. (I''m still not a fan of his body''s current state.)


    Tibaut had gained a substantial amount of weight and was, at worst, looking a bit skinny. But if they were going to encounter that man in black again they''d need all the help they could get including having Tibaut in perfect health.


    (¡°Oh well, I knew this was going to happen. I suppose I''ll make sure to keep a close eye on him.¡±)


    Tibaut was blushing from how thoroughly she had been examining his bare torso but she seemed to have little care for his embarrassment.


    ¡°You done?¡± He asked with his face turned away.


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    He buttoned back up.


    ¡°By the way, Tibaut, get ready for the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Based on our discussions, we''ll leave for the cultists after today. So make sure to prepare yourself. And as Vanessa suggested, please make sure to wear some armour.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, there''s no way I''m forgetting it this time. (Though against the type of foes that give me trouble, would it even be that helpful?)¡±


    Although his armour was a mixture of leather and metal, the metal only covered his chest and parts of his limbs. Against a foe like Albus, he imagined the metal would do nothing against his strength. Same with Cormac. And with the man in black, the places he''d aim his stiletto weren''t anywhere that''d have armour.


    ¡°That''s a foolish expression you''re wearing,¡± Elizabeth said after a look at his face. ¡°If your armour can stop even a scratch from reaching, it was worth wearing.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Trust me, I''ll wear it¡­ Speaking of armour, I haven''t seen Vanessa in a while.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, don''t tell me she''s still working on that?¡± Elizabeth mumbled to herself.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just make sure you''re prepared tomorrow, I assume we''ll be leaving before morning, so you''ll have no time to prepare on the day we leave.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, see ya.¡± He continued cleaning and Elizabeth walked off.


    <hr>


    The two days passed and they were ready. Well for the most part anyway. Other than his armour, Tibaut wasn''t sure about bringing extra clothes. After they were there only to fight the cultists, he shouldn''t need more than one extra set of clothes to travel with.


    (¡°I can''t imagine if that guy shows up that I''m gonna walk with my clothes intact.¡±)


    He looked outside his bedroom window and although it was still dark, he could make out several figures waiting outside.


    ¡°Is this place a local town hall or something? Why do these guys use this place as a meeting area? Seems like you''d really have to go out of your way to get here.¡±


    The door soon opened and Elizabeth was surprised to see him awake.


    ¡°Well, this is unexpected.¡±


    Tibaut was fully confident he could sense someone in his bed as he slept. She must have watched him and left before he awoke.


    ¡°Why the hell would I oversleep for something like this? You think I''d miss a chance to make those bastards pay?¡±


    ¡°It''s nice to see you''re enthusiastic, at least.¡±


    He got up and walked over to her. ¡°So when are the rest of them coming?¡± He asked.


    ¡°The rest?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there was a lot more when they last gathered here.¡±


    ¡°Tibaut everyone we''re travelling with is all out there.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He quickly looked out his window, making sure his eyes weren''t tricking him, and by his count, there were only ten people outside.


    ¡°Ten? That''s it!?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Well, counting the one that came inside, in addition to Tina, you and me, it''d be fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah, woah, you''re telling me, we''re gonna storm ''em with fourteen people? You know they probably have more numbers than the ones that attacked us right? You guys can''t be serious.¡±


    Elizabeth sighed. ¡°There is a reason for that. We''ll be exploring a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°A dungeon? (So they exist in this world. Though, the image of one spawning monsters I have in my head might not be accurate.)¡±


    ¡°Correct. We chose to be cautious and decided it would be better to choose our strongest instead of focusing solely on numbers.¡±


    ¡°Strongest? What does exactly mean when you''re talking about these guys? This parish doesn''t exactly seem to be brimming with adventurers.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, all these people gathered are strong. I''d guarantee they''d have no problem joining a guild from the capital.¡±


    ¡°Is that impressive?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that means nothing to someone who has no history with adventuring. Let me put it this way, the capital is where the top guilds around the country gather. The fact they are allowed to operate in the capital is a testament to their strength. And we have several people here that would qualify for the height of adventuring in this country.¡±


    ¡°I see. So they''d be big shots?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t go that far. They would likely fall among the nameless faces that do the grunt work.¡±


    (¡°Wow, that sounds a bit harsh.¡±)


    ¡°Regardless, they''re powerful. Make sure to make your way down, we''ll be leaving within the next hour.¡±


    She quickly left the room.

 Chapter 227

    After putting on his armour, he left the room with his bindle over his shoulder.


    He walked down the stairs to see Elizabeth talking to an odd-looking man speaking to Tina and Elizabeth, though it seemed neither was particularly pleased juggling by their faces.


    He stood at the same height as Tina but had skin more appropriate on a dead body. He wore a mohawk, but it seemed to have more hair on the sides than expected.


    (¡°Who the hell introduced such a tacky hairstyle to this world?¡±). He thought to himself.


    He also had black spots painted over his eyes, (At least he assumed) which made him wonder if he was a mime or perhaps a clown that was quite fond of a monochrome palette. He also wore some garish shoulder pads covered in spikes.


    It seems his constant staring caught the attention of the odd man.


    ¡°Oi dipshit who the fuck are you looking at!?¡± He shouted at Tibaut.


    He sounded as unpleasant as he looked.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, it''s just that-¡± before he could finish his sentence


    Before he could fully respond the man had made his way over and grabbed his collar. He was as skinny as Tibaut currently was but something about his skin tone and size made him infinitely more intimidating than Tibaut could ever hope to be.


    ¡°Huh? Making fun of me ya bastard? Speak up dipshit!!!¡± He shouted in his face.


    Tina was one thing, but this was the first time he could recall someone had been so aggressive to him for absolutely no reason.


    ¡°N-no, I''m just saying I''m surprised since no one else is in here.¡± He stuttered at the start but managed to get his words out. (¡°Geez, what is this guy''s deal?¡±)


    ¡°You little shit, you comparing me to those bastards outside? You think Elizabeth''s little-¡±


    ¡°Furor, could you please calm down? This isn''t the time to be hazing our own.¡± Elizabeth commented.


    Tina simply clicked her tongue as she looked at him.


    ¡°What was that pink hair!?¡± Furor asked. He had his teeth gritted as he looked at her and started walking over.


    He completely ignored Elizabeth''s words. It was almost as if she wasn''t there.


    ¡°Furor, am I going to have to do a little sparring with you to get you to behave?¡± She asked as she put herself between him and Tina.


    ¡°Teach your subordinates some fucking manners, you blonde bitch. But if you''re up to get your ass beat then I''m all for it.¡±


    He seemed ready to throw a punch but Elizabeth caught it without issue. She didn''t even flinch when it happened.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Tsk, whatever.¡± It seemed the lack of reaction bored him and he soon left through the front door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked him. ¡°We haven''t finished discussing.¡±


    ¡°The old man said it should take a few days to get there, right? Then we have plenty of time.¡± He slammed the door and an audible groan was heard from the adventurers outside.


    ¡°So Elizabeth¡­¡±


    ¡°That''s Furor. He''s currently the second adventurer, or to be more realistic, he''s probably the second strongest person in the parish.¡±


    ¡°He''s also a massive dick,¡± Tina added.


    ¡°I can see that. What''s a guy like that doing as an adventurer?¡± Tibaut asked. ¡°He looks like a gang leader if anything. (He looks like a Fist of the North Star villain.)¡±


    ¡°Tsk, I wish he was,¡± Tina stated as she looked towards the door. ¡°Then I could beat his ass without getting in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Tina, you''re the only one who would end up having a bad time.¡±


    ¡°Why? All you''d have to do is stuff the stupid bastard¡¯s mouth.¡±


    ¡°I hope you don''t think it''s as easy as it sounds. Besides I''d prefer if we were thinking about defeating the enemy, not our ally.¡±


    Tina seemed to have a look of realisation followed by disgust. ¡°Don''t tell me that bastard is getting angry because of him? He thinks he can act like that because he talked to him every now and again!?¡± She sounded insulted by this.


    ¡°I''m not sure but he is more antsy than usual. It''s been somewhat of a bother reining him in.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Tibaut,¡± Elizabeth immediately asked. ¡°How do you feel right now?¡±


    He was caught off guard by this question but as he considered the setting, he supposed it wasn''t an odd question to ask.


    ¡°I''m ready to avenge a friend of mine.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Well, that''s how we all feel as well, including the oaf that was in here. Let''s hope the others aren''t as brash as him.¡±


    Tina kept wearing a sour expression, but hearing The two talk about wanting revenge for Ezekiel, provided her heart with a little warmth. As they were about to leave, Tina staggered forward, revealing Lily on her back.


    ¡°Whew, I made it.¡± She stated, with bags under her eyes.


    ¡°It''s a bit late to be making this decision, isn''t it?¡± Elizabeth asked her.


    ¡°Oh please, I spent the whole night thinking about this, there''s no way I''m letting you guys leave without me now.¡±


    <hr>


    It was a dark room and it smelled strongly of booze. It wasn''t like this initially but one week of heavy drinking made sure the smell would linger for the next few months.


    The door opened and the person behind it was Elizabeth.


    ¡°Finally remembered me?¡± Lily asked. She sat in the middle of the bed, almost in expectation.


    ¡°You were on the cutoff mark when it came to strength. Frankly, it was someone else I wouldn''t have considered them tagging along.¡± Elizabeth responded as she walked in. She sat on the bed and looked at the small girl in the middle of it. ¡°But I still think you''ll be a liability. Is Tina coming along not enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Haha that bitch?¡± she said in a boisterous voice. She held her shoulders up and made herself look confident.


    Elizabeth stared at her for a few moments, before the girl deflated and slouched her shoulders.


    ¡°Honestly.¡± She said in a lower tone. ¡°I''m okay if it''s just her. She''s the strongest out of all of us and it''d probably be better if I didn''t risk it. After all, what good would the revenge be if I ended up dying? But I can''t help but feel a little guilty staying behind.¡± She said, sounding quite candid.


    ¡°Well, we are leaving tomorrow, so I don''t need an answer now.¡±


    Elizabeth left and Lily was left in the room to consider the opportunity.

 Chapter 228

    The trio went outside and greeted the group outside. They all seemed resolute, except Furor and were ready to leave. Everyone there, except Furor, seemed to have their attention on Elizabeth. She started speaking about the journey ahead, and the ten-person group nodded.


    Since he would follow them around, he didn''t see the point in listening to them talk about the places they''d pass through and instead began examining the group.


    (¡°Hoh, an Albino?¡±) He thought to himself as he looked at one of them. It was a boy with white hair, pale skin, and characteristic red eyes.


    (¡°Red eyes? Isn''t it usually blue?¡±)


    He looked about Tibaut¡¯s age but was substantially shorter.


    He kept looking through the group but that boy was the only one with anything notable about him appearance-wise. Sure some were tall and one lady there had a nice figure but he didn''t spare them more than a glance.


    As he looked around he felt something was missing.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    (¡°Ah, Jake.¡±)


    Right, him. If this was a group of the strongest in the parish, where the hell was he? He kept looking around but he was nowhere to be found.


    Tina didn''t seem to be paying attention either and was busy glaring at Furor.


    ¡°Hey, Tina.¡±


    She turned to him annoyed and rolled her eyes. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°(Ugh, it seems that guy has her pissed off.) Where''s Jake?¡±


    She began looking around and realised he wasn''t there.


    ¡°Tsk, don''t tell he''s late? No, that girl¡¯s from his guild. So where is he?¡±


    She walked over to the still-talking Elizabeth to satisfy her curiosity.


    ¡°(I mean, it''s a legitimate question so she won''t get mad right?) Hey Liz,¡± she tapped her shoulder.


    Elizabeth turned to her. ¡°Tina, I''m a bit busy right now.¡± Which she delivered in a snippy tone.


    Tina decided to ignore the warning and continued. ¡°Chill out, it''s just a quick question. Where''s Jake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, where is he?¡± Another person in the crowd of ten asked. It seems they overheard them.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°What do you mean, where is he?¡± A woman asked sarcastically. ¡°He''s at home recovering, do you idiots not listen?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but he should be more than fine enough to leave the house.¡±


    ¡°Besides he¡¯d still be useful, even if he was just limping.¡±


    ¡°You bastards, you want to overwork an injured man? No wonder this place had the dregs of adventurers.¡± She commented.


    ¡°Oi, what''s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Before the argument could get out of hand, Elizabeth raised her hand to get their attention. The instant her hand rose all the talking stopped and they turned to face her.


    (¡°Does she have these guys trained like dogs?¡±) Tibaut wondered


    ¡°More importantly, he has been left behind in the case of an attack.¡± She added. ¡°Given his current state, Mr. Bentley and I decided it wasn''t worth the risk to bring him along with us. Also important to note is some of us here can''t use magic and could be affected if he tried to use his magic in a tricky situation.¡±


    ¡°What a load of bullshit!¡± Furor said. He had been keeping to himself under a nearby tree but it seemed he took offence with what she said. ¡°You feel like telling us this shit now, huh? What kind of sloppy shit is this? And you''re supposed to be the one leading us?¡±


    ¡°Furor, we all already knew he wasn''t going to come, due to his injuries. There was no need to tell you this information because it was obvious.¡± She responded.


    He scoffed at her and quieted back down.


    (¡°What''s that dude''s vendetta against Elizabeth?¡±) Tibaut wondered.


    Elizabeth continued with what she was saying.


    ¡°He''s probably just jealous of her,¡± Tina added.


    ¡°That''s a bit childish, isn''t it?¡± Lily said. ¡°Is he still mad he became the third strongest in some backwater parish?¡±


    ¡°Third strongest?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°You see before Elizabeth came here, Furor¡¯s guild was considered the second strongest in the region. The only reason he didn''t give Ezekiel shit for being stronger than him was some sort of weird respect he had for him.¡± Tina responded.


    ¡°Then why try to pick on Elizabeth? I feel she''s just as, if not, stronger than him.¡±


    ¡°She is stronger than him,¡± Lily stated. ¡°Though I''m not sure if Tina has come around to the same opinion yet.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you dwarf. But you wouldn''t be wrong assuming they''re both stronger than him. But I feel the real conflict comes from her being a pr-¡±


    Elizabeth uncannily turned around to face her and stared directly into her eyes. She mouthed the words ¡°Say that at your own peril.¡± and gripped her sword.


    She felt a chill run down her spine and decided against continuing what she was saying. ¡°Maybe it''s because she was a one-person crew for a while,¡± she stated, with anxiety present in her voice.


    Lily had also noticed Elizabeth and decided to go along with that idea. ¡°Right, he must have been pretty jealous she made her guild be considered the second strongest with only her doing any adventuring.¡±


    ¡°He got mad over a reason like that?¡± Tibaut stated. ¡°Some people, man.¡± He said in a dismissive tone.


    The people gathered began walking and Elizabeth turned to the three.


    ¡°The least you could have done was listen to that last section.¡± She said.


    ¡°Eh, we''re all going to the same place so why does it matter?¡± He asked.


    She pinched his cheek and dragged him closer. ¡°Because it could mean life or death. Besides, I talked about more than just our travel route.¡±


    ¡°Really? Like what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The teams we will be splitting up into.¡± She responded. ¡°Tsk, since you weren''t listening we''ll discuss this on the carriage on our way there.¡±

 Chapter 229

    Thankfully, this time around, The carriages were just outside Elizabeth''s forest. The caravan soon took off at a middling pace. Though calling the three carriages a caravan did seem a bit generous in Tibaut¡¯s mind.


    ¡°We''re travelling by coach?¡± He asked.


    In their carriage were Tibaut, Elizabeth, Tina and Lily.


    ¡°Yes, we decided on it yesterday morning,¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°After some discussion with the others, we concluded it''d be a bit too hard on them if they were forced to go there by foot. After all, we know what these people are capable of. It''d be irresponsible to go there not at our best.¡±


    The coach seemed to have overheard her.


    ¡°That''s right. Say Elizabeth, have you changed your tune about letting me join you guys?¡±


    She didn''t even look at him.


    ¡°No, now keep the horses moving.¡±


    ¡°It was worth a shot, I suppose.¡± He droned off before focusing back on the road in front of him.


    Tibaut looked on, unsure what the coachman was doing.


    ¡°Uh, what''s up with him?¡±


    ¡°You don''t recognise him, Tibaut?¡± Lily asked.


    He looked at the man again and started squinting his eyes.


    ¡°Am I supposed to?¡± He responded.


    ¡°Lily, do you think he was running around the parish enough to know that guy?¡± Tina stated. ¡°Hell, I''ve been here for years and don''t remember that guy''s name. Why should I? It''s not like we''ll ever work together with how weak he is.¡±


    It seemed the coachman slumped his head down after hearing, but quickly brought it back up after realising his sadness was showing.


    ¡°(Geez, Tina take it easy on the guy.) So he''s an adventurer?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Tina please keep that mouth of yours under control,¡± Elizabeth said.


    ¡°Right, you''re being too blunt,¡± Lily said.


    (¡°Don''t you mean she''s wrong?¡±)


    ¡°I mean if he''s asking to come, he can probably fight decently, right Elizabeth?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, he has the spirit.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The coachman audibly sighed and slumped his head down as he kept the horses moving and Tibaut couldn''t help but feel sorry for the guy.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°It''s, uh, admirable that our coach has a hobby as an adventurer,¡± Tibaut said, trying to find something to give the man.


    ¡°Actually, I wanted to be an adventurer so I quit my old job of being a coach.¡±


    The mood was dire at this point and they stopped speaking for several minutes.


    As they went along Tibaut whispered in Elizabeth''s ear.


    ¡°Why''d you choose this guy, isn''t this a bit insensitive?¡±


    ¡°It was Mr. Bentley who chose him and I can assure you it was necessary. We decided it would be better to have the coaches be adventurers on the off chance, the cultists notice our approach and attack us instead.¡±


    ¡°... how likely is that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Likely enough that it sounded reasonable to everyone discussing it at the time.¡±


    <hr>


    On the floor, Tina had decided to engage in push-ups and Elizabeth being the good friend she was, sat on her back to give her some extra weight.


    The carriage was starting to smell of sweat but it wasn''t overbearing.


    ¡°Is that all you can handle? And you dare label yourself as my rival?¡± Elizabeth shouted at her. Despite her words, she seemed to be smiling as she said this.


    ¡°Tsk, please, it''d take five girls your size to tire me out.¡± Her arms were shaking but she pushed through and continued with the push-ups.


    Tibaut watched on, glad it wasn''t him going through that and Lily with nothing better to do, saw this as a prime source of entertainment.


    ¡°Hey, Tibaut?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I know it''s kinda late to ask this but can you not use ki?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I can, it''s just that I can''t use it consistently.¡±


    ¡°You sure? I knew a guy that could use ki a while back and he had a sort of an aura to him, you know. Like something tangible, you feel just by looking at him. I don''t get that from you.¡±


    ¡°I mean that just might be the difference between someone who can use it when they want and someone who can''t do that.¡±


    The pair began discussing ki and along with it, Tibaut told her of the scenarios he used his in and the letter he got from Ezekiel.


    ¡°Eh? He got you a letter with a bunch of tips?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    She sulked for a few moments before perking up again with annoyance visible on her face.


    ¡°Wait a minute, did you get a letter from that bastard?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That bastard?¡±


    ¡°Did you see the name at the bottom of the letter?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I think it started with a C or something?¡± He said trying to recall.


    ¡°Don''t. I don''t want to hear his name. Are you telling me that the old bastard''s advice actually worked for you? Just remembering it pisses me off.¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Of course, did he also give that bullshit advice about having someone who can already use, help you?¡±


    ¡°I think I remember something like that. Why was it bullshit?¡±


    ¡°Urgh, so I go to the capital one day to visit him so he could do it for me and you know what the bastard says to me? ¡°You don''t need it. Come back when you''re doing dangerous work.¡± And then he told me to go home. Like, what a dick right?¡±


    ¡°He gave the advice, right? Why''d he run you away?¡±


    ¡°It wasn''t me he advised technically. It was Ezekiel. Bastard sees him like a grandson yet couldn''t even do his grandson''s friend a favour.¡±


    ¡°Like a grandson?¡± Tibaut asked. ¡°Who is this guy?¡±


    ¡°I don''t remember but he was some big shot in the capital. Can''t stand that smug bastard.¡± She continued commenting. ¡°That aside, did one of them work? I always assumed he ran me away because the advice was bullshit but if he could help me out, that pisses me off even more.¡± She said as she gnashed her teeth.

 Chapter 230

    ¡°Yeah, actually.¡± He said.


    ¡°So which tip helped you out? I suppose it''d be better than doing nothing for the next few days until we reach that dungeon.¡±


    ¡°It was the one about bringing you to the brink of death.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lily remained silent for a few moments while monitoring his facial expressions.


    ¡°You''re serious.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn''t I be?¡±


    ¡°Did this happen by accident or?¡±


    Tibaut sighed and shook his head. ¡°You wouldn''t believe it but I told Elizabeth about it and she said she''d help me.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± She asked. She looked completely lost and wondered how this would lead to him being sent to the brink of death.


    ¡°You know, she sparred with me without showing any mercy. There was a point in there where I genuinely believed I was going to die, so I can''t say I''d recommend it.¡±


    ¡°She beat you up just like that?¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s not like I said no to doing this. Besides, it worked out in the end so it was cool. (Though, I''m pretty sure I''m used to her beatings at this point.)¡±


    Lily stared at him in amazement.


    ¡°Well, I guess it can''t be that bad since I didn''t hear anything about you being injured.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was thanks to the healing I received from it. (Now that I think about it, ki seems a bit overpowered. I don''t remember shit about my fight with Albus but I do know I somehow won in the end. Like I''ll be honest I was barely hanging through that whole and didn''t even manage to hurt¡­ him.)¡±


    As he thought back to their fight he remembered the fact he did hurt him.


    (¡°Shit I do remember something! I remember punching him and sending him flying. How the hell did I do that?¡±)


    It seems thinking about hurting Albus rekindled a memory he didn''t know he had.


    As Tibaut was busy in thought, Lily kept staring at him in awe.


    ¡°(This guy''s kinda hard-core.) But what would you have done if it didn''t work?¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Oh, I would have, uh, (Shit, I can''t just tell her Elizabeth would have just healed me if it didn''t work out!) dunno, honestly. Guess I would have just healed up normally. But now that I think about it, it wasn''t that bad.¡± He tried to reason.


    ¡°Not that bad?¡± Tina said before giggling. ¡°She sent you flying with some of those punches, I was wondering if you were made out of paper. I was amazed you could handle so many punches from her.¡± She stated.


    Elizabeth looked the most shocked by these words. ¡°Oh, you were watching us, Tina? (Considering his state at the end of that, maybe I should be thankful he healed up. I can''t imagine the headache of explaining how I brought back a half-dead Tibaut with my supposedly paltry healing magic)¡±


    ¡°(Shit, now that I think about it I was kinda sulking when I walked away, wasn''t I? Dammit I don''t want her thinking I was watching them because I was left out.*) Oh I just caught a few glimpses as I was heading back to my room.¡± She hurriedly stated.


    *She was watching because she was left out of it.


    She kept staring at him in awe and Tibaut realised how ridiculous this all sounded.


    (¡°Wait a minute, this makes it seem like I took on this advice with no hesitation. She isn''t thinking-?¡±)


    (¡°Wow. In my over twenty years of existence, I don''t think I''ve met someone as hardcore as him. He took a beating that could''ve killed him from Elizabeth of all people without hesitation. I-I¡¯ve been doing this for four years but, but¡­ I''m starting to question if I even have what it takes to do this. Lord''s above, what have I been doing all this time? Does it take a resolve like that to learn ki? There must be a better way right!?¡±)


    There was a noticeable shift in Lily''s mood and she sat, with a dark atmosphere forming around her, engrossed in her thoughts.


    ¡°Uh, Lily? (I hope she doesn''t think I''m crazy or anything.) It was more extreme than it sounded, trust me.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I''d be fine if I did it?¡± she responded.


    ¡°Well, uh, I mean-¡±


    She raised her hand to cut him off.


    ¡°It''s fine Tibaut. Could you give me a few moments to myself?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I''m telling you, you''re overthinking this.¡±


    Unknowingly, Tibaut had crushed the hopes of a martial artist.


    With Lily deciding to keep to herself for the time being, Tibaut moved closer to the back of the carriage to view the scenery.


    (¡°Ugh, she probably thinks I''m some fearless death-defying warrior or something. Maybe I even freaked her out? Ugh, whatever, I can take care of any wrong impressions she has of me after this is all over.¡±)


    He looked at the landscape outside, and even this early into the journey, the scenery was different compared to the last.


    ¡°This is a pretty thick forest.¡± He stated as he looked outside.


    The forest on the sides of the road was quite lush. Both sides were so thick with trees and general greenery, that he couldn''t see anything under the trees even if he wanted to. The road almost looked quite unkempt as grass was starting to take over the trodden path.


    At this point on their journey to Lochdale, it had been all plains.


    ¡°I guess not many people pass through here,¡± Tibaut stated.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Elizabeth stated. She got off Tina, who had been gassed by the experience and sat back down. ¡°We decided on the most covert path we could come up with. It would be suspicious if a band of the parish¡¯s most known adventurers travelled together somewhere. At least in the cultists'' minds.¡±

 Chapter 231

    ¡°Wow, you guys put more thought into this than I realised,¡± Tibaut stated.


    ¡°Of course we did!¡± Elizabeth responded, looking at him with an eyebrow. She seemed almost insulted by the question. ¡°Do you think we were twiddling during our discussions? Just a few days of nothing but moving our mouths with nothing coming out?¡± She had left her seat and was now in Tibaut¡¯s face.


    ¡°Uh, n-no.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how long it took to convince these guys, especially Furor, I swear he¡­¡±


    She continued complaining but it seemed she did it more for stress relief than confiding in Tibaut.


    <hr>


    ¡°Seriously how can you guys not agree on a route? I presented all the options and the scouts even suggested their route we all decided looked promising, so why did it take four hours to agree on it!?¡±


    Tibaut sat there, completely drained listening to her animosity, all this time being too afraid of the consequences if he happened to fall asleep. The other two had fallen asleep.


    They slowly began noticing the carriage going over bumpier terrain before stopping.


    Elizabeth looked outside and realised how dark it had gotten.


    ¡°I guess we''re staying here for the night.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I don''t feel like we''ve travelled much. At least compared to that other time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, not. We''re being more careful. For we''ll have a few of the quicker ones scout out ahead of our route, to ensure they haven''t either caught on or are lurking in the area.¡±


    Tibaut looked at Tina, and Lily sitting in the back.


    ¡°Well, then I better get some rest.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be checking with the others tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, goodnight then.¡±


    Thankfully he had the whole bench to himself as Tina slept on the floor while Lily was on the other side of the carriage.


    ¡°You''re coming with me.¡±


    She grabbed his arm and started dragging him.


    ¡°Oh come on! Can''t I just stay here?¡±


    ¡°It''s not my fault you''ve proven I can''t leave you out of my sight.¡±


    Tibaut resisted but Elizabeth pulled him with little effort on her part.


    It seems the others that came along had gathered in their own small groups. As soon as their eyes caught Elizabeth they gathered around a campfire that had already been lit. She approached it and like children gathering before their teacher, they formed a small group in front of her.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Tibaut was forced to stand next to her and got a lot of looks he didn''t like.


    ¡°Alright then, now I want to ensure everything about this plan goes smoothly and for that I need all of you to be as compliant as possible. I would also love to know what you all have on your minds. Also,¡±


    She seemed to be making a specific point with this next sentence. ¡°I know I''m the strongest one here but I would appreciate it if our discussions didn''t so heavily rely on me.¡±


    The others nodded and the discussions began in earnest.


    They then began talking about matters Tibaut tried his best to pay attention to (sadly this was a waste of effort).


    As they spoke, he realised there was one person who consistently brought things down to a halt. The lanky guy and frankly sketchy-looking guy called Furor.


    He would consistently bring up points that, although reasonable, would take way too much time to clear his doubts and several others present.


    (¡°Ugh, has she spent thirty minutes answering this question? No wonder she was complaining about this.¡±)


    As Furor asked these questions Tibaut couldn''t help but make up his face and it was further noticeable due to him being close to her.


    ¡°Hey dipshit, if you''ve got the time to look bored how bout you answer the question, huh?¡± Furor asked.


    (¡°Tsk, couldn''t you have left me out of this.¡±)


    ¡°Furor, could you please stop antagonising the others here?¡± Elizabeth asked, sounding ready to go to bed.


    ¡°Don''t give me that Elizabeth, I''m not gonna go easy on him just cause he''s your golden boy or whatever!¡± Furor shouted at her.


    (¡°Have you gone easy on anyone, Furor?¡±) Everyone else there wondered.


    ¡°Furor, can we please keep this discussion on rails-¡±


    He cut Elizabeth off, ¡°I see you rolling your eyes at me you bastard! Hey Elizabeth, how about I teach this dipshit some manners!?¡±


    (¡°Dammit, I let it show on my face.¡±)


    ¡°Whatever, just stay where I can keep a view of you two.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Hehe, scared I might break your golden boy? Don''t worry he''ll only have a phobia of me when I''m finished.¡±


    Some in the crowd sighed while others were glad they weren''t picked.


    ¡°Seriously Liz? Do I have to?¡±


    ¡°Just do it so he''ll shut up. Also, word of advice, make sure to release some mana-¡±


    ¡°Hey!!!¡± Furor shouted at her.


    She looked at him annoyed, and gritted her teeth. She turned back to Tibaut and patted him on the back.


    ¡°Tsk, don''t take it too seriously. If he injures you in any way I''ll just slap him around before sending him home.¡±


    ¡°He''s not gonna... right?¡±


    Furor wasted no time coming over and started the battle by¡­ opening his mouth?


    Tibaut expected a punch or kick or something but all he did was take in some air before shouting. Is he trying to burst Tibaut¡¯s eardrums or something?


    While Tibaut wasn''t seeing much to be afraid of, the others were hightailing as soon as Furor made his way over.


    Even Elizabeth rushed over to place her hand over his mouth.


    ¡°Not here.¡± She said. She wasted no time on his response and threw him further into the forest.


    ¡°FUCK OFF.¡± His shout started off powerful before fading into the forest.


    It was just a shout but Tibaut couldn''t help but feel antsy. He felt like he wanted to go home after hearing that.


    ¡°Huh? What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Tch, he can be such a bastard sometimes,¡± Elizabeth commented.

 Chapter 232

    As Tibaut felt a strange obsession to return to the mansion, Elizabeth noticed him looking unsure. He was looking at the road they travelled on and seemed to be forcing himself to stop walking.


    He noticed Elizabeth walking over.


    ¡°What the hell is- wait hold on what are you doing!?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Just make sure both of you stay in my sight.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second, there has to be an easier wayyyyyy!!¡±


    She grabbed his arms and flung him towards Furor with seemingly no hesitation.


    He managed to land on his feet, though not as graceful as a cat, and noticed Furor standing a few feet away from him.


    (¡°Tch, why are you having us fight Elizabeth? Can''t you just straighten this guy out and be done with it?¡±)


    Furor seemed to him comfortably observing and Tibaut couldn''t help but bring his mind back to earlier.


    (¡°But what the hell was that? I think he said fuck off or something and immediately I started feeling like going home. Is this a part of his magic or is he just psyching me out?¡±)


    The thing about the feeling of going home he felt was that it didn''t feel unnatural. It was like a bad feeling about those who had been left behind, like Vanessa. He felt a sinking feeling like there had been something he missed that could lead to her endangerment. But was it real or was it because of him?


    ¡°Worrying about something you dipshit?¡±


    Tibaut narrowly dodged a stone tossed at him after snapping out of his internal thoughts and hearing the voice of his opponent.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± Tibaut asked. (¡°It''d probably be a bit much using my fireballs, even if this guy is a dick.¡±)


    ¡°The fuck are you talking about, huh? I DIDN''T DO SHIT! YOU ACCUSING ME OF SOMETHING YOU LITTLE FUCKER!?¡±Tibaut looked taken back by how adamant Furor was. His rage almost left Tibaut speechless.


    ¡°Wha- I''m not accusing you of anything, I''m saying that it feels kinda¡­ you know what never mind, I''m just mistaken. (Huh, it must just be my imagination¡­)¡±


    ¡°Damn right, dipshit.¡±


    As he accepted the feeling of¡­ homesickness? He had earlier he couldn''t help but


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    wonder


    why he accepted his words so easily.


    (¡°Wait a minute this doesn''t make sense. He obviously did something to me or did he? I mean he picked a fight with me so it wouldn''t be out of the cards for him to use some sort of magic but would someone on Elizabeth''s level need magic to beat me? Why am I so-¡±)


    Before he could finish his thoughts, Furor had closed the distance between them and landed a blow in his gut.


    ¡°For her golden boy, YOU SURE AIN''T SHIT!¡±


    He quickly backed away and took a few moments catching his breath as he stared at Furor.


    (¡°Damnit, one punch already has me like this? What the hell was Elizabeth thinking putting me against this guy!? Wait this isn''t the time for complaining, I have to focus on him.¡±)


    Furor was in front of him yet again, but this time Tibaut managed to block the blow and counter with a kick which was also blocked. He hesitated with the kick which left him open long enough for Furor to land a kick of his own towards the place all men cherish.


    He jumped back although it reduced the force, it still left leaning against a nearby tree to stand up.


    ¡°(Should have known a bastard like him would fight dirty. Dammit, how''d I fuck that kick up? If I was just a bit quicker, I would have gotten away before he countered. This whole fight has been weird. Why do I feel so antsy around him? He isn''t Elizabeth and it''s not like I''m shaking in my boots whenever I fight her.)¡±


    He was right, he didn''t shiver in fear when he trained with Elizabeth. It was more of a suicidal frenzy. In fact, that was the way he fought most opponents too strong for him. Which made his timidness during this fight even more bizarre. As much as he wouldn''t want to admit it, he would already be trying to kill him if he was having a hard time.


    (¡°This is strange¡­ I mean he said he isn''t doing anything but¡­ wait a minute why''d I take his word so easily?¡±)


    He looked at Furor and although brief, he noticed a smirk on his face, as he watched Tibaut.


    (¡°So he is doing something, but what is it? Wait a minute I remember Elizabeth saying something¡­ right my mana.¡±)


    While keeping his eyes on Furor, he released his mana and felt his head become clearer.


    Furor clicked his tongue seeing this.


    ¡°That fucking bitch did tell you how to counter it. That nosey cunt.¡± he commented looking at Tibaut.


    ¡°You son of a bitch, what the hell was that?¡±


    His homesickness, his uncertainty in himself and most importantly, his belief in Furor''s words all faded.


    ¡°Why the hell should I tell you, you FUCKING WORM!?¡± He shouted towards Tibaut.


    He felt intimidation and froze up long enough for Furor to close the distance between them. He quickly broke out of it and parried Furor¡¯s punch before landing a counter of his own to his face.


    He took it without incident but backed away and wiped his lip.


    ¡°Hmph, so it has something to do with your words,¡± Tibaut commented.


    Furor looked ready to shout something else but Elizabeth came between them.


    ¡°Enough, it''s hard enough discussing with you screaming obscenities. This is as far as both of you take this.¡±


    He looked away and spat on the floor.


    ¡°Aren''t you something, coming to his aid like Prince Charming? Whatever, your golden boy gets off with a light warning today.¡±

 Chapter 233

    Furor left without incident and Elizabeth continued with her discussion. Although their brawl was brief it caused the others'' attention to be drawn to Tibaut. The attention was even worse than earlier and left him feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    As Furor walked away, he surprisingly wasn''t wearing a sour expression.


    (¡°Tch, I guess he isn''t so bad. I mean I wasn''t going all out, but he isn''t that terrible. He and that dumb bitch Tina should make for some good exercise before we reach that cultist hideout.¡±)


    Although they had no idea why, Tina and Tibaut felt a shiver run down their spine.


    After Elizabeth and the others finished their discussions, a few gave Tibaut a pat on the back before setting up their tents or sleeping bags.


    He noticed a pair of a man and a woman going in a tent.


    (¡°Huh, I guess travelling isn''t going to get in the way of having some fun.¡±)


    It seemed his gawking gathered the attention of others nearby. They began giggling and one of them approached the tent.


    (¡°What are they-?¡±)


    The one who approached held their hands and created a big ball of water. They unceremoniously dropped it on the tent and all ran off. The pair in the tent seemed to have been miffed by this as one of them tore open the tent.


    ¡°Oh you fucking wankers, I''ll rip your heads off. Oi, Redhead, did you cause this?¡±


    The shirtless man who tore through the tent stared holes through Tibaut, but he continued standing there casually.


    He had long hair with a ragged-looking beard and had chest hair all over him. It wasn''t just chest hair, it covered his arms as well. He also had a scar across his face and together with the beard left him looking more intimidating than the average man.


    Yet Tibaut couldn''t help but feel unimpressed.


    (¡°God, after seeing that giant Cormac, this dude feels like nothing.¡±)


    ¡°Oh don''t worry, I wasn''t one of-¡±


    ¡°You think you''re hot shit just cause you fought Furor, huh kid!?.¡±


    ¡°(Okay I think I''ve had more people get angry at me in this past month than I have in the last 15 years) Ugh, could we not do this? Besides I have fire magic, how could it be me?¡±


    Tibaut had decided to lean against a nearby tree and this caused a vein to bulge on the man''s head.


    ¡°You little shit, what''s with the disrespect?¡± He commented with annoyance.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He got up from the tent and began walking to Tibaut.


    Tibaut immediately looked away.


    ¡°(Gah, I never thought I''d see a dick that wasn''t mine in this world but here we are I suppose.) Woah, at least put some pants on dude.¡±


    ¡°Listen here kid, how old are you?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°(If it''ll get him to fuck off.) Sixteen, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Sixteen!?¡± The man looked at him shocked but Tibaut wasn''t sure where this reaction came from. ¡°What the hell? Did they bring another ankle-biter out here? Well anyway, listen here kid-¡±


    (¡°Dude put some pants on, wait a minute¡­¡±)


    ¡°Respect¡­ I''m your¡­ Kids like you¡­ I have seniority¡­ I was kicking ass while you were just a¡­¡±


    The man seemed to be going on Tibaut about how he should respect him because he was older than him or something or another but Tibaut had his attention on something else.


    (¡°I wonder if the woman is also¡­¡±)


    And he soon got his answer. He could only see her top half and it was quite dark but he could see that the woman sitting in the tent was still naked.


    (¡°Hoh, nice chest. I think it''s just a few sizes smaller than Vanessa. Seriously what a guy, he just runs out of his tent when he has that waiting for him.¡±) He finished his respectful look before sighing as he remembered how he had no action in his previous life.


    The man soon realised Tibaut wasn''t paying attention to him and turned to where his attention was directed.


    His face turned red and he began working himself up.


    ¡°Woah, dude it isn''t like that, I just had a glan-¡± Before Tibaut could finish the man swung at him.


    ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are looking at her like that? I get it, you wanted a look so you did this, isn''t that right? Well, I''ll have to beat your ass for looking!¡±


    ¡°(Are you suggesting, I knew you''d leave the tent naked?) Listen I''ll just leave, I''ll leave you two priv- whoa!¡±


    He dodged the next blow and sighed in disinterest.


    (¡°What a boring man.¡±)


    ¡°That''s a bit mean, I mean I guess I did¡­¡±


    He looked behind him and saw no one.


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Man made another swing and Tibaut parried it.


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°The only thing I''m gonna hear is you screaming like a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Nigel, stop embarrassing yourself and get back here. You know what, I''ll sleep with Nora, you''ve just ruined the mood, like you always do.¡±


    ¡°(Whoa lady, be a bit easy on the guy, are you just gonna say something like that with another person around?¡±)


    ¡°Wha- what the hell are you talking about? We can still use the tent.¡±


    ¡°You tore the tent dumbass. I''m not gonna fuck you with a bunch of bugs biting me.¡±


    This was getting a bit awkward and as he was leaving the man threw another punch.


    ¡°Oh come on, I don''t wanna be around for this!¡± Tibaut said as he threw his hands up.


    ¡°You little shit, do you know how long I''ve been waiting for this!? We finally had an opportunity together and you fucking ruined it.¡±


    He swung much harder this time and grazed Tibaut¡¯s cheek.

 Chapte(r) 2(34)

    Several nights ago.


    After Elizabeth left the room, she wrapped her arms around Tibaut in anticipation of what would happen next.


    ¡°Come on you innocent little bastard, I want to see that face of yours.¡±


    She began holding him tighter, hoping to wake him up, but he remained on the bed, soundly asleep.


    (¡°Well, it probably wasn''t going to happen this quickly. At least I''ll have something pleasant to wake up to when he wakes up and sees me.¡±) And with that, she soon fell asleep.


    Well, that was the plan at least but¡­ now that she thought about it, she had never slept this close to the opposite sex before.


    Her face started to slowly become pinker but she held her position. (¡°Tough it out, Tina. Just imagine his face when he wakes up.¡±)


    She lay on the bed, almost in torture from the embarrassment she felt, with her hands around him. She repeated those words over and over as the night went on. And finally, she felt herself slowly drift away.


    She was now in a state of half sleep and it seemed this state lifted her of any embarrassment she felt. She stopped clutching Tibaut and began to let her hands wander.


    ¡°Ah, are you the man of my dreams?¡± She whispered to the figure in front of her.


    Her dreams and reality were now working in tandem. She imagined herself in a field of grass lying next to her would-be lover. He was taller than her and had a body that looked like it was sculpted from marble by Michelangelo himself. He had his back to her but with such a wide back she was reassured.


    ¡°I''ve finally found you¡­ a man worthy of me.¡± She said to him, She turned him around and¡­ Tibaut?


    ¡°When the hell did he? What am I thinking, it can''t be him.¡±


    Indeed the figure before looked similar but with different bodies, it had to have been a different person. And more importantly, he had a beard. That little boy almost certainly had no chance of growing one of those.


    ¡°Oh, whatever, I''ll enjoy this hunk all for myself.¡±


    She wasted no time bringing their mouths together and seemed almost feral as she kissed.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Finally, fucking finally, how long have I waited for a guy like this? I swear guys these days either look this and are weak as hell or look like a Tibaut and can defeat me. I almost lost hope that I wouldn''t be able to find my type of guy.¡±


    She reached down and grabbed his crotch and was happy with what she felt.


    ¡°Patience, I need patience. I gotta enjoy this.¡± She forced herself to refrain. This was her first time after all and she was going to enjoy every last minute of it.


    She wasted no time grabbing his hand and placing it on her chest. She looked into his eyes but nothing happened.


    ¡°(Is he timid? I guess it''d be a bit much to expect him to be this perfect.) Go on ahead, you don''t have to worry about being cautious with me.¡±


    A few more moments passed by and she grabbed his hand. ¡°Come on you Mr. Perfect, I''ll even guide you.¡±


    She began moving his hand with her own.


    ¡°Wow, it is something when someone else is doing it.¡± She said,


    Her cheeks had begun turning red again but she had an eerie smile on her face as her dream man began groping on his own accord. His hands were strong and forceful yet at the same time gentle. He made sure to not pinch or dig into her breast too deeply yet.


    (¡°Fuck, he''s good. It took me months before I got it feeling this good.¡±)


    She wasted no time opening her shirt and letting him get full contact with the skin on her chest.


    He even began teasing her nipple and had her reeling back.


    ¡°Heh, know your place you bastard.¡± She playfully commented.


    She responded by going in for a deeper kiss and grabbing his ass. She even pulled his pants down a bit to expose it.


    She noticed a pause in his movements but continued. ¡°What''s wrong? You''re my man so you should already know I''m not gonna be passive during this.¡±


    The man began messaging and groping her breast with more vigour and she continued playing with his cheek (not the one on his face) and they continued their tongue fighting.


    ¡°This is amazing¡­ I can''t believe there''s more after this.¡±


    She couldn''t contain her excitement and began preemptively thrusting on him for some sort of release like a lioness in heat trying to goad a mate to¡­ well mate.


    She couldn''t take it anymore. She had to go further. She began taking off her own pants and then her partners for some further foreplay before the main event.


    She planned to rub their crotches together in their thin underwear and see how long they could both stop themselves from doing the obvious.


    But as she did this, the man of her dreams began speaking up.


    ¡°Louise, you''re so rough. At least ease me in a bit.¡±


    (¡°Louise¡­


    Who the hell is Louise?¡±)


    Those few words shattered her dreamscape and dropped her back to reality.

 Chapter 235

    The man who was filled with so much vigour earlier, laid on the floor with multiple bruises.


    Tibaut sighed as he looked at him and crouched on the ground to look into his eyes.


    ¡°Whew, he''s just unconscious.¡± He said as relief washed over. ¡°Dammit, I''ve gotten too used to Elizabeth and Tina. I didn''t expect him to go down like that after a few punches.¡±


    The woman from the tent walked over,  and thankfully for Tibaut¡¯s heart rate herself, she was wearing something, though he only got a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye. She got a good look at the man on the floor.


    ¡°What a worthless bastard, am I right kid?¡±


    ¡°Are you just gonna leave him like that?¡± Tibaut asked, concern present on his face.


    He tried to turn his head away when he saw what she had on. "Woah, uh, sorry."


    She was wearing her panties with a coat. He could instantly tell there was nothing under the coat and even the slightest of breezes would show off at least one of her mounds of chest fat.


    ¡°No need to be shy, you''ve already seen me nude.¡± She commented.


    Tibaut cleared his throat with pink cheeks. ¡°As I was saying, aren''t you gonna cover him up or something?¡±


    He was still nude lying on the floor, and Tibaut could hardly imagine the bites and stings over him if he was left like this all night.


    ¡°Why don''t you do it, if you''re so concerned.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He firmly answered. ¡°Anyway isn''t this guy your boyfriend? You''re oddly calm about me knocking him out.¡±


    ¡°Tch, this guy knew what you were capable of and decided to attack you. It''s not my fault he''s a dumbass. Besides he¡¯s not my boyfriend, just a guy I end up hanging out with sometimes.¡±


    ¡°(Jeez, I think I go into a depression if I heard someone say that about me.)¡±


    ¡°Hell, you can even take his place if you''d like.¡±


    ¡°...No thanks.¡±


    She began chuckling and walked closer to him. ¡°Oh, what was that little pause there, boy? Hehe, you thought about it, didn''t you?¡±


    She wrapped her arm around Tibaut¡¯s shoulder and leaned on him. He felt his legs become jelly but forced himself to stay up. Her bare skin would rub against his arm and although not unique, it never failed to leave him stunned.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°uhwhyuharedoingthist-¡± His words came out and slurred and a jumbled mess.


    She patted him on the back. ¡°Just say yes, after all, when we reach that cultist base or dungeon or whatever it is, you might not get a chance to do this.¡±


    Being reminded why he was in the first place sobered Tibaut up. He gently pushed the woman off.


    ¡°Trust me, there''ll be other chances after we''re finished with them. Those bastards aren''t going to get a single one of us¡±


    ¡°So you do want it.¡±


    ¡°Wha- no I-¡±


    She placed her finger against his lip. ¡°I''m just teasing ya, kid. Besides I may find this guy annoying but I won''t just find another guy without breaking things off first. (I just can''t help but tease guys like him, he''s so cute when he fights off temptation. He kinda reminds me of my prot¨¦g¨¦ when he was younger. Plus there''s an added layer of fun knowing he could easily make me stop. I honestly wouldn''t mind a piece of him.) My name''s Ruby.¡± She smiled and brought her hand out for a shake.


    Tibaut could sense the malevolence behind her but shook her hand regardless.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ruby. I''m Tib-¡±


    ¡°Kid, the entire camp already knows your name. Anyway, I''ll be bringing this dufus back into his tent, surely you wouldn''t leave me by my lonesome to lug this guy back there.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I can give you a hand.¡±


    Even in this weakened state Tibaut almost certainly had enough strength to lift the man by himself, however, the thought of this big, hairy and somewhat sweaty man hoisted on his shoulder, made it easy for him to keep his mouth shut.


    They each grabbed two of his limbs and lifted him back to the torn tent. She placed pieces of fabric on him.


    ¡°Alright, see ya tomorrow wonder boy.¡± She walked off and Tibaut breathed a sigh of relief. Which left him open to her surprise attack.


    *smooch*


    ¡°HUH!?!¡±


    He looked beside him to see her laughing. ¡°You deserve a treat for dealing with his bullshit. I hope you won''t harbour any hard feelings for him (heh, he''s almost as red as his hair.)¡±


    Tibaut quickly walked off to ensure no more of those and went back to the carriage.


    ¡°God damn, can''t I encounter pure maidens or something!? Stuff like that isn''t good for my heart." He cursed internally. "But man, I should''ve guessed the guys here weren''t going to be normal. In a group that includes that Furor guy and Elizabeth, I should have expected as much. I just hope the others won''t strain my heart or try to fight me.¡±


    That Ruby woman soon became his internal focus. (¡°Huh, she kinda reminds me of Vanessa before I became friends with her. Though, I don''t think she was as bad as Ruby back then. If I were to give a comparison, it was like I tasted the brand name version of something after eating the budget version. Though, I do remember she said that whole stuff was an act but still, I never imagined I''d meet the real deal.¡±)


    After reaching the carriage, Tibaut decided to call it a night and go to bed.


    <hr>


    The next morning soon came and they were on the road though with a change Tibaut didn''t expect.


    ¡°Why?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Consider it team building,¡± Elizabeth responded.


    ¡°But¡­ does it have to be that one?¡±


    ¡°Listen, I know he''s the unreasonable one here but we still need him for our assault. I''m not asking you to become his friend, I just want you to ensure, when the time comes you can work together.¡±

 Chapter 236

    ¡°Wait, which one are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Both of them.¡±


    She pointed to a carriage in front of theirs.


    ¡°Hang on, both of them are in there!?¡± Tibaut exclaimed.


    ¡°Listen, it only has to be this day. If you three can''t set aside your differences then I''ll have to plan around it.¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°Besides this is a four-day trip, you should be able to put up with this for one day.¡±


    ¡°That other guy wouldn''t be a problem but Furor is another matter,¡± Tibaut said.


    ¡°Sigh, Just bear with it. Now get over there already, we leave as soon as the scouts we sent ahead return indicating there''s nothing suspicious about the path.¡±


    Elizabeth pushed him along and he begrudgingly walked over to the carriage.


    ¡°Welp, better get in.¡±


    He climbed in through the back of the carriage and it was filled with quite a roster. Not only was the guy he knocked out and Furor in here but so was the woman named Ruby and the young Albino boy who caught his eyes a few days earlier.


    ¡°Oh, it''s you,¡± Ruby said with a smile. It was dark out the night earlier so he hadn''t noticed it but she was tanned. It was about the same shade as Tina, perhaps a few shades darker. Her hair was a normal brunette but her eyes were far from it. They were yellow. Was that even a possible colour for eyes? The darkness of night hid a lot about her features (That and he was focusing on other parts of her when he got a clear look at her).


    She patted the area beside her and signalled for him to come over. She was sitting next to the Albino kid. He didn''t seem too preoccupied and was looking nervous.


    (¡°Poor son of a bitch, is she teasing him too?¡±) He thought as he walked over.


    Normally he wouldn''t have sat next to a woman like her, mostly for his own sake, but the two on the other side of the carriage made this the obvious choice.


    Sitting there was Furor and the guy he knocked out last night. Furor paid Tibaut no mind and wore a scowl staring into the space in front of him. The man beside him however seemed like he had his head replaced by an overgrown tomato with how red and bulbous it had gotten.


    He opened his mouth but unlike last night it was at a reasonable tone.


    ¡°You bastard? You beat me up in front of my lady-¡±


    ¡°Could you stop saying that, Nigel? We drink booze together and sometimes fuck, I ain''t your woman.¡± The woman responded.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°¡­ (God, I''m starting to feel sorry for the guy.)¡± Tibaut thought watching the man before him get emasculated.


    ¡°Babe come on, don''t be like that.¡±


    ¡°I swear, you''re always so clingy, why the hell-¡±


    Before she got any further the carriage started moving.


    She sighed and took her focus off him. ¡°Finally, it seems they''ve returned.¡±


    ¡°Took them long enough,¡± Furor commented. ¡°Besides who fucking cares if we encounter those bastards? I''ll rip their throats out if they think they''re such hot shit they can attack us.¡±


    ¡°Don''t be like that, they''re doing us solid.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Tch, whatever.¡±


    The carriage soon began moving but Tibaut couldn''t hide his surprise and began whispering to Ruby.


    ¡°Woah, is this normal for him?¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME YOU LITTLE SHIT!?¡± Furor shouted at him.


    ¡°Oh don''t worry about that.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Don''t say anything weird, you old bitch.¡± Furor commented before deciding to stare outside.


    Unsurprisingly Tibaut looked at her expantantly but she quickly changed topics.


    ¡°Why are you here anyway?¡± She asked, not expecting an answer. ¡°Did you scare the girls? Are more inexperienced girls your type?¡± She said, chuckling softly.


    ¡°Wha- No, Elizabeth just decided to put me in here.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, it''s a shame we have this bastard in here, instead of Nora, ain''t that right, Kevin? She was a real piece of eye candy wasn''t she?¡± He said in an oddly forced tone.


    Kevin looked intently focused on something and didn''t respond. Now that Tibaut looked at him more, it seemed it was Furor. Did he bully him earlier?


    ¡°Maybe she noticed your stares and asked to be swapped, hehe,¡± Ruby replied.


    (¡°Does it not bother her that I said that?¡±) Nigel wondered to himself.


    ¡°Nora? Are you saying I got replaced with someone?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°That''s right, the carriages all have five people, though Elizabeth''s had four including yourself.¡±


    ¡°Tch, she thinks she can hog space for herself,¡± Nigel commented.


    ¡°Jeez, no wonder I only talk to you when I''m not sober. Do you really think a single person would take up that much more space?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, these aren''t the larges-¡±


    She had already moved on and had her focus on Tibaut again.


    ¡°Anyway, you must have heard of Nora before. You know Jake right?¡±


    ¡°Is she friends with him?¡±


    ¡°She''s a part of his guild buddy. Did he not mention her? Wow, I wonder if he feels shy about it. Anyway, she''s a good girl, you should talk to her sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh okay.¡±


    The carriage ride continued along and instead of making it clear whether or not he''d be able to work with this Nigel guy or not, all it did was result in that guy being talked down by a woman he clearly had feelings for.


    ¡°Hey, Kevin, why don''t you introduce yourself to him? You guys are similar ages right?¡± Ruby suggested to the white hair boy beside her.


    ¡°(I mean technically you''re right but mentally I''ve got at least ten years on this kid.) I''m not sure we''d have much in common.¡±


    ¡°I don''t mind.¡± He spoke up. ¡°You were close with Ezekiel like me right?¡±

 Chapter 237

    ¡°Yeah, I was. Were you close to him too?¡± He asked. (¡°I guess it isn''t too surprising. The guy was pretty popular so he probably had a lot of friends.¡±)


    ¡°Close? He''s the reason I''m doing this in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Really? How''d that happen?¡±


    He wore a sombre expression after Tibaut asked and reading the room he decided not to press any further. On closer inspection, the whole room had dampered after being reminded of the man they were going to avenge.


    Furor was busy gritting his teeth which had Tibaut thankful he hadn''t started another one of his outbursts.


    ¡°Those fucking bastards think they''re slick. They just come outta nowhere and decide to take down Ezekiel just like that. Those must think we''re afraid of them or something.¡± Nigel commented breaking the silence.


    ¡°I don''t want to hear that from a guy who had some of his guys running out of the room when they heard this,¡± Furor responded, glaring at Nigel.


    ¡°Come on man, it wasn''t like that, they were scared ya know?¡± He responded.


    ¡°Isn''t one of your guild members also missing?¡± Ruby said in the first non-aggressive statement she gave the man.


    ¡°That''s fucking worse!¡± Furor added.


    Nigel looked taken aback. ¡°What do you mean? One of us is dead, of course, they''d be afraid.¡±


    Furor looked ready to burst and grabbed the man''s head. He slammed him into the piece of wood they sat on and began shouting at him.


    ¡°You fucking idiot did just say that!?¡±


    Nigel was beginning to turn red and looked at Furor with malice.


    ¡°Listen you young shit, don''t think you can boss me around like I''m some bi-¡±


    He removed Furor¡¯s hand from him and foolishly threw a punch. His didn''t land before Furor¡¯s counterpunch landed in his face.


    It sent him to the floor and left him clutching his face, specifically his now bleeding nose.


    Tibaut was about to stand and try to stop them but Ruby stopped him.


    ¡°Let them work this out. They''re men after all.¡± She said to him. Having been pushed back by her, he realised she was surprisingly strong.


    ¡°You useless son of bitch! What the fuck is the point of adventurers that run away at the first sign of danger!?¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Nigel got up again and threw another punch. Furor gave him a headbutt and sent him back to the floor.


    ¡°Furor, dear, please be more gentle with him, we do need him for the assault after all.¡±


    He clicked his tongue as he turned to her.


    ¡°Why the hell should a useless son of bitch like him that makes excuses for other useless sons of bitch even be allowed to run with us? I swear Elizabeth focused too much on quantity than quality.¡±


    He bent to the face of Nigel who was graining in pain.


    ¡°You think you can come in here and forgive people like that? We''re not farmers nor are we fucking fishermen. We''re adventurers. If your first instinct is to run away instead of finding the son of bitch that offed that buddy of yours, then those men of yours are better being fishermen or finding a hole to die, ''cause they ain''t meant to be adventurers.¡±


    As he was speaking he noticed Nigel had managed to move his hand to Furor''s leg. He grabbed it but Furor had no concern on his face.


    ¡°LET GO YOU FUCKING BASTARD!¡± He shouted at him.


    His grip loosened before letting go.


    ¡°Try that shit again and I''ll stomp your head in.¡± He stood up and walked over to sit back down.


    ¡°Are you sure we shouldn''t have stopped that?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Trust me, you probably would have been dragged into it if you stood up. Besides, I think Nigel is getting pretty used to taking beatings.¡±


    ¡°You''re new here, right Tibaut? I know it''s kinda rough but that''s kinda how adventurers here do things. (The guys anyway.)¡±


    ¡°I know but is it okay for him to be bleeding like that?¡±


    ¡°Eh, it''s just a broken nose,¡± she responded.


    None present in the carriage had any plans of pulling Nigel off the ground and left him on the wooden floor.


    As Ruby began another conversation with Tibaut, Furor pulled up the pants sleeve of the leg that was squeezed. It looked bruised and sported a dark purple. It really popped compared to the rest of his pale skin.


    (¡°I guess he isn''t so useless after all. Nah, he''s still shit, the only reason this happened was because I wasn''t paying attention.¡±)


    The carriage continued along and the most Tibaut could confirm was that he wasn''t likely to be either man''s most hated but was a likely number two candidate.


    ¡°Haha really? That''s why Elizabeth put you in here?¡±


    ¡°I mean, Furor¡¯s seems like one thing but Nigel, uh, seemed like he''d harbour hard feelings.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that guy¡¯d go on about disrespect the first time I came in here because I never greeted him first,¡± Kevin added


    ¡°I swear, the only reason he''s been acting like that is because, and I''m surprised he didn''t realise how stupid it sounded, he wanted to fill the gap left by Ezekiel. Can you believe that guy?¡±


    ¡°Alright time out!¡± Tibaut said as he crossed his arms. ¡°I swear I don''t think I''ve heard you say a single positive thing about this guy! Just what is the relationship between you too?¡±


    ¡°Ho ho, I never took you for the type to gossip. Don''t worry boy, I''m available if you''re up for it. Don''t feel shy about asking me either Kevin.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Both boys blushed while remaining silent.


    ¡°But like I said we''re just drinking buddies and sometimes we have sex. That''s all.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? Are you serious? That doesn''t sound like something you can end ¡°that''s all¡± with.¡± Kevin added.

 Chapter 238

    She put her hand on her chin and thought for a moment.


    ¡°I suppose you''re right¡­¡± She turned to Tibaut. ¡°For a kid¡¯s line of thinking anyway. So why didn''t you question it?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why would I-¡±


    An idea soon slammed into Tibaut¡¯s mind. This world obviously looked like it was in a mediaeval period. Would people back then have been so understanding of a casual relationship like hers?


    Ruby got closer to him and began leaning on him. ¡°Are you more of a man than I thought? Or did you like the idea and keep your mouth shut, Tibaut?¡± She whispered in his ear.


    He quickly moved himself to the edge of the bench they sat on, with his heart starting to pound.


    ¡°Listen, people''s relationships aren''t any of my business. (Tch, with how much I heard about stuff like that happening in college, I didn''t question it.)¡±


    She scooched over and patted his head. ¡°My, aren''t you the understanding type?¡± He blushed but didn''t fight off her hand. She turned back to Kevin and got closer to him. Really close.


    ¡°But I''m disappointed in you Kevin, why can''t you be more Tibaut in how you view these things? Maybe I should broaden your horizons.¡±


    Kevin was choked up trying to get words out but nothing would leave his mouth.


    She chuckled seeing him like this and moved to a comfortable distance between the two, satisfied with herself.


    By the way, Furor had left the carriage for a quick jog alongside it.


    <hr>


    (¡°Well, it looked worse than it was.¡±)


    He said as he looked down at his injured leg.


    <hr>


    And the man who caused the bruising was still on the floor out cold. Ruby sighed as she looked at him and finally picked him up. She placed him on his side of the carriage.


    ¡°Boys, make sure you don''t take him as a role model.¡±


    ¡°It isn''t his fault he got beat up though,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Well, he would have still been sitting peachy if he decided to keep his mouth shut.¡± She added.


    The journey continued until the group made a stop for the horses to get a break.


    They gathered in the forest during the break.


    Tibaut, Ruby and Kevin had sat in a circle on the forest floor, while others from the carriage in front of them were spread out in the forest, doing their own things.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    (¡°Huh, I guess Elizabeth and the others are probably just waiting in their carriage.¡±)


    ¡°So they''re the ones who threw water at us.¡± She sighed. ¡°I guess my hand will have to do this journey.¡±


    Both boys had an inkling of what she was talking about but decided not to pursue it.


    They heard footsteps approaching them and Tibaut turned to see who it was. It was Nigel and it seemed he washed his face at a nearby spring since there was no longer blood on his face.


    ¡°What the hell are you looking at? You have so much strength yet you couldn''t spare a guy like me a hand? And people wonder why injustice happens all over the world. If they saw bastards like you it''d make a whole lot more sense.¡±


    He casually sat next to Ruby and the annoyance on her was visible for anyone to see.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sorry about yesterday and uh, earlier,¡± Tibaut responded.


    Nigel¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Ruby gave him a look that no man would desire.


    ¡°Yeah, I probably shouldn''t have knocked you out yesterday and the least I could have done to make up for that was break up that scuffle with Furor. My bad, that''s on me.¡± He said.


    While what Tibaut said was sincere, it came out a lot easier because of what Elizabeth told him.


    Nigel had a smirk as he heard him and brought his hand around Ruby. She gave an audible sigh.


    ¡°(Heh, looks like the kid has learnt some respect between yesterday and today.) Damn right, kid. Nice to see someone around who has some manners.¡± He said while looking at Kevin.


    He shrugged off this comment and soon had his attention turned somewhere when he noticed a certain person walk by.


    ¡°Oi, red and white.¡±


    Tibaut turned around to see Furor. Nigel wore a scowl but Furor paid him no mind.


    ¡°You two follow me.¡± He said.


    He began walking without so much as another word.


    ¡°Oh, shit again?¡± Kevin commented as he got up and ran over.


    Tibaut looked at him in confusion but Kevin turned back and grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Tibaut, listen we have to follow him.¡± He said looking nervous.


    ¡°What''s this about?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Just come already! (I''m not doing this alone again.)¡±


    He forcefully dragged Tibaut along with him.


    ¡°Aren''t you gonna help him?¡± Ruby said, showing disinterest in her current position.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I should thank the guy for getting that bastard from my face and he did say he wanted to repay me back for yesterday right? Now why don''t we have a little fu-¡±


    Ruby removed his arm from her and walked off on her own.


    ¡°She''ll come around eventually.¡± He stated.


    The boys stood before Furor, with both looking ready for a fight. Or more accurately, to take a beating.


    ¡°Alright, with two of you idiots here, it should be more of a warm-up.¡± Furor stated as he held a wooden sword and pointed at them.


    (With the slippery and the nippy bastard here it should provide some good exercise.)


    (¡°No magic huh?¡±) Tibaut thought to himself. (¡°I guess even he realises it''d be needlessly risky.¡±)


    Kevin looked nervous as they eyed Furor.


    ¡°3 hours.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°3 whole hours of training.¡±


    ¡°Uh, you good Kevin?¡±

 Chapter 239

    ¡°We trained for three whole hours.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What''s so bad about that?¡± Tibaut asked. (¡°Well, I guess for the average three hours is a lot. Thankfully or unfortunately, I''m not sure which is more apt, I''m used to going long hours of training with Elizabeth.¡±)


    ¡°No, you don''t get it,¡± Kevin responded. ¡°He did the same thing yesterday when the horses had their break.¡±


    ¡°Okay but¡­¡± He thought about what he said and recalled how long the horses had breaks yesterday. ¡°Didn''t we only stop for an hour?¡±


    ¡°They did. We were forced to run along to catch up with them¡­¡±


    Tibaut now saw the problem with this.


    He immediately rushed the still-stretching Furor. He scoffed at his frenzy and parried Tibaut¡¯s blow.


    ¡°How long do we have left!?¡± He shouted.


    ¡°By my estimation, 50 minutes,¡± Kevin said. Instead of helping Tibaut to overwhelm him, he picked up a rock and cautiously eyed Furor.


    (¡°He''s staying back for now? The kid must think he''s a big deal for something like that. I''m still curious how he knew when to dodge my attacks yesterday but I suppose that can wait.¡±)


    He and Tibaut threw and dodged each other''s punches and it was moments like these that reminded Tibaut how much weaker he had gotten in hand-to-hand combat. His punches made noise when they landed but that was all. No bruising, not even a wince. He had yet to be hit directly by Furor but each punch that grazed him left a cut.


    ¡°Hey Kevin, I could use a hand here!¡±


    ¡°J-just give me a moment.¡±


    He was still standing there with the stone in his hand.


    (¡°What''s he waiting for?¡±) Tibaut thought.


    (¡°Come on, I can''t wait forever. There has to be a good opportunity here somewhere. I can''t settle for mediocrity like yesterday.¡±)


    As Furor¡¯s punches whizzed past Tibaut¡¯s head he couldn''t help but weigh the option of running away.


    (¡°I mean he already has a hate boner for me. Running away wouldn''t make him hate me any more right? Besides there''s no way I can handle cardio as well as I did before I fought Albus. I''m not gonna run all that distance!!¡±)


    He looked towards the carriages and immediately turned around.


    ¡°Come on dude don''t leave me he-¡­ I see it.¡±


    (¡°Is this bastard gonna run away!? I swear, he really is a useless bastar-¡±)


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He felt something hit his head and briefly staggered back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a rock ricochet off him.


    (¡°What the? The white-haired brat, was he expecting this?¡±)


    Tibaut immediately noticed when he looked behind and turned back around.


    (¡°I guess he wasn''t waiting for nothing.¡±) Tibaut thought to himself.


    He threw a punch but Furor easily stopped it, despite being rocked.


    (¡°That shit hit my jaw and it wasn''t light either. Looks like I''ll have to go all out.¡±)


    He was planning to whittle down Tibaut and then deal with Kevin but his slip in attention caused him to change plans.


    He threw a heavier, admittedly slower, punch aimed at Tibaut¡¯s midsection.


    (¡°I know this is gimmicky but it even causes me to slip up sometimes. I''ll get him used to slower punches then rock him with a quick one.¡±)


    Tibaut moved back to dodge it and Furor chased him, moving forward into a punch from Kevin.


    It sent him back and he gritted his teeth at this unexpected blow.


    (¡°When the hell did he get there!? Was I tunnel-visioned on the redhead?¡±)


    The punch did hurt but not enough for him to delay a response. He immediately grabbed Kevin''s hand and was rocked by another punch.


    (¡°Did he not go back as much as I thought he did?¡±)


    He grabbed the other hand and was treated to a leg.


    (¡°Woah, are they in sync or something? This level of coordination isn''t something two guys who''ve talked for an afternoon can pull off.¡±) Furor wondered as he dodged Tibaut¡¯s boot only to be hit by another punch when got back up.


    (¡°Dammit this is getting annoying. It''s unnatural how good they''re- I see, this probably has something to do with the little rabbit''s magic.¡±)


    He wasted no time running away from the pair and keeping them both in sight. Thankfully he seemed to have an advantage in running speed.


    ¡°Have you given up Furor?¡± Kevin asked.


    (¡°Man, this isn''t anywhere near as hard as I thought.¡±) Tibaut thought to himself.


    ¡°Of course not you little shits! We''re not gonna be finished until I say so.¡±


    He looked at them, making sure to keep both of them in sight. Shockingly they both ran straight towards him.


    (¡°Alright, I did say not to use magic but let''s see if I can expose the bastard before I beat his ass. There has to be some telltale sign. First I''ll release some mana and see what he does.¡±)


    He began releasing his mana and slowly watched as they approached. They came at him side by side. Tibaut threw a punch he easily dodged and Kevin landed a leg sweep. He jumped back when he felt his feet being touched by Kevin''s but as he was about to jump he noticed Kevin instinctively push Tibaut. Based on his movements he did this at the same time as the leg sweep.


    Just as he jumped, Tibaut was pushed far enough to land a punch on him.


    Furor¡¯s jump backwards somewhat negated the punch but Tibaut still landed a clean hit on his face.


    (¡°He knew I was gonna jump? No, that doesn''t make any sense. Plus the mana did nothing. Is it magic or does he have insane situational awareness? No, he''d obviously be involved with more if that was the case. So what the hell is this magic?¡±)


    As he thought to himself they paired yet again, ran towards him.


    (¡°Tch, I''m not gonna let myself be gimped by this little shit¡±)


    As he was about to shout, he noticed Kevin look around in confusion.


    ¡°(Hmm, I''ll figure it out later.) YOU FUCKERS BETTER STOP THIS SHIT!!!¡±


    Tibaut slowed down and then ground to a halt while Kevin stopped looking around.

 Chapter 240

    This suggestion he gave only lasted a few moments but it was enough for Furor to change the tides. He spared no effort with his punches and left both boys on the floor clutching their stomachs in pain.


    ¡°Should have listened to me, you stupid bastards.¡± He said while rubbing his boot against Kevin''s head. ¡°And you, do you have shit for brains or are you just retarded? I said no magic!¡±


    ¡°It''s¡­ not¡­ magic¡± He weakly responded.


    ¡°Oh yeah, then what the hell was it, huh? What gave you the ability to work so in sync with that bastard even though it''s the first time you two have fought together, huh fuckhead?¡±


    ¡°It''s just intuition, honest. I don''t even have magic.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Bullshit, you fu-¡±


    He threw another punch aimed towards his stomach but Tibaut caught it before it landed.


    Furor looked down to the annoyance beside him and took his foot off Kevin.


    ¡°Isn''t this enough?¡± Tibaut asked.


    Furor looked insulted but he let Kevin go without issue.


    ¡°(Fighting without magic is stupid anyway.) Screw it, there''s no point fighting in such an unrealistic way, anyway. You two fuckers better fight me with all you got.¡±


    <hr>


    After barely finishing what Furor considered acceptable, they only had to jog for about 15 minutes before they caught up to their carriage. On their way to it, Tina laughed at Tibaut while giving a nasty glare to Furor.


    They were back in and Kevin almost immediately fell asleep.


    (¡°Tch, I don''t know what it is but it has to be magic. But maybe there''s more to it. He only experienced my magic but he was hounding me like I owed him money during our second session and kept going for my mouth each time I spoke.¡±) Furor was deep in contemplation looking at the now sleeping Kevin before him.


    Tibaut didn''t think much of it and recoiled back when he got a sniff of his clothes. (¡°Ugh, when are we gonna stop at a nearby river.¡±)


    Ruby made sure to keep both boys at her side after being forced to bear with Nigel for the time they weren''t present. After Furor came back, the man decided to ¡®behave¡¯ himself and kept sizing up Furor and would move suspiciously like bouncing into Furor whenever there was a bump in the road.


    ¡°Hey, old woman, what''s that kid''s magic?¡± He asked.


    She shrugged her shoulders and started playing with his hair.


    ¡°How should I know? I think I remember hearing he doesn''t have any. Guys like them are rare amongst us.¡±


    ¡°Wha- bullshit, not after what he did today.¡±


    Tibaut had more than his fill of Furor for today and decided to sit this conversation out though he kept a keen ear. (¡°What''s so strange about it? He''s probably just good at teamwork.¡±)


    ¡°What did he do exactly?¡± She asked.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    He then explained their training session and she stared at him more closely.


    ¡°Well isn''t that something? I''m kinda interested now.¡±


    She began tickling and poking his face but his eyes remained shut and he would let out mumbling from his dreams.


    ¡°Wow, you must have tired him out.¡±


    ¡°He''s a slippery little bastard but his stamina is atrocious. The only reason he lasted as long as he did against me was because had that bastard covering for him.¡± He said while pointing to Tibaut.


    Tibaut made extra sure to turn his face away but Furor paid him no mind.


    ¡°So do you know then?¡± She asked. She got closer to Tibaut and wrapped her arm around him while bringing her face close to his. She giggled when she felt his heart rate immediately start increasing.


    ¡°I, uh, uhhh, I have no idea.¡± He said meekly.


    ¡°Babe leave the kid alone, there''s only one person man enough in this carriage for you.¡± Nigel confidently remarked while puffing out his chest.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°ZzzZzzzzz.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you''re having a hard time figuring it out, imagine how our enemies are going to feel?¡± Ruby continued.


    ¡°Tch, he''s just the human equivalent of a carrot on a stick. As soon as they realise they can''t hurt him but he can''t do anything meaningful to them, they''ll stop wasting their time and focus on other people.¡±


    ¡°Really? It sounded like his work with Tibaut put you in quite the doozy.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, the brat over there did most of the work while that bastard kept aiming for my mouth. If I had another guy they''d be able to keep him busy while I took care of the redhead. And as you know we''re gonna be fighting against a slew of people so being outnumbered shouldn''t be surprising.¡±


    ¡°Well, if what you''re saying about their teamwork is true then that''s false. Come on, Furor don''t try to downplay them like that.¡± She said as she hugged Tibaut further.


    The carriage continued moving and the two had their conversations (with the occasional interruptions from Nigel) until they stopped for the night.


    Tibaut soon made his way back to his own carriage and found some of the occupants sleeping.


    Lily was sleeping next to a girl he wasn''t familiar with.


    ¡°That''s Nora, in case you''re wondering,¡± Elizabeth commented when she noticed where his stare was directed.


    ¡°(Holy shit, I didn''t know she was there!) Almost didn''t see you in the dark.¡±


    ¡°So how were the two of them?¡±


    ¡°I can confidently they probably won''t try to fuck me over.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose that''s better than what I was thinking. How were the others?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tibaut seemed taken aback by this question. ¡°I mean Kevin seemed alright.¡±


    ¡°What about Ruby?¡±


    Although nothing had happened between them, Tibaut felt his heart sink when she asked that question.


    ¡°Uh, she''s a, uh, alright?¡±


    His uncertainty left a smirk on Elizabeth''s face.


    ¡°How''s she doing?¡±


    He noticed Tina turn around when she asked. With both of their gazes piercing through him, he felt like he had been put on trial for adultery.


    ¡°What''s this about?¡± He asked with sweat forming on his brow. ¡°I swear nothing happened.¡±


    Tina looked annoyed when he said this and scoffed at him.


    ¡°Tibaut just tell us how she''s doing?¡±


    ¡°F-fine, very fine. A bit too friendly if I had to say.¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s good.¡± Elizabeth dropped it there and left the carriage soon after.


    Tibaut looked dumbfounded but he noticed an annoyed expression on Tina''s.


    ¡°Hmph, you seem to have a trait for getting the attention of unbearable women.¡± She said bitterly.


    (¡°Is there some beef between those two?¡±) He thought to himself.

 Chapter 241

    He was somewhat curious what Tina meant by that statement but based on the look on her face, he decided it would be best for him not to pry too much.


    She was about to leave the carriage but eyed Tibaut down as she was about to leave.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You don''t seriously think I''ll allow you to stay in here right? You pervert.¡±


    ¡°Pervert? What''s this ab-¡±


    He looked to his side and saw the two women sleeping against each other. He threw his arms and turned towards her.


    ¡°Oh come on, you know I wouldn''t do anyth- Tsk, whatever, I''ll leave.¡± Tibaut left the carriage irritated.


    ¡°(At least put up more of a resistance. It''s no fun if you give up so easily.)¡± She thought as she watched him walk by.


    Tibaut quickly climbed up a nearby tree and decided there would be a comfortable place to retire for the evening.


    Tibaut wasted no time going to sleep following this, after all, that glorified death match he had with Furor took all the spare energy he had.


    <hr>


    He was in a noiseless abyss. For miles or even parsecs, nothing stood around him but darkness. He heard nothing but his heartbeat and the sound of his own swallowing. He floated there motionless, helpless to do anything.


    (¡°This weird dream again.¡±)


    His eyes were the only thing capable of moving. He looked down and saw a short figure lying on his chest. He could tell they had pale skin and black hair but that was all the detail he could make out.


    ¡°I feel her.¡± The figure stated. They sounded somewhere between a teenager before puberty and one of those delinquent women from the visual novels he used to play. He seemed almost certain it wasn''t a guy at the minimum.


    (¡°Feel who, exactly?¡±) He wondered.


    The figure leaned closer to his face but he still couldn''t make out their details.


    ¡°Well, this is a surprise. Have you given up your meaningless prattle?¡±


    (¡°Would you tell me what''s going on if I said yes?¡±)


    ¡°Hmph, it seems you''re finally making yourself useful after all.¡±


    (¡°What does that me-¡±)


    ¡°Shut up and listen you, *clears throat* virgin. Really? That''s a term that offends you?¡± The figure stated, sounding disappointed.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Wha, what does that have to do with anything you-¡± they covered his mouth.


    ¡°Hmph, it seems your reaction to that word is different behind closed doors than it is with those girls around.¡± They sighed. ¡°No matter. Now listen well, experiment, I feel the presence of something extremely important. I don''t care where you and that girl Gabriel has grown fond of, are going. You are to follow my directions and head there immediately.¡±


    (¡°What?¡±)


    ¡°Like I said, this is something extremely important. Follow my words and do your best not to irritate me.¡±


    Tibaut was stunned for a moment. He wanted to ask an obvious question but decided to get some important information first.


    (¡°How long will it take me to get there?¡±)


    ¡°About two days give or take, if we consider the fact you''ll have to go through unfamiliar terrain.¡±


    (¡°Two days? I remember Elizabeth said this trip might take a week but so far it''s been two days. Tch, if it''s a round trip then I might not come back in time to help them out. No, what am I thinking, I can''t agree to-¡±)


    It would do you good to remember I can hear your thoughts. Boy, answer my question. You aren''t foolish enough to think I''ll let you tend to your personal matters before serving me, do you? Let me make this very clear. Your existence came to be only because I wanted a servant without the annoyances of a church.


    Their words crept into his head like a leech forcing its way through his ear and he felt his chest tighten so badly, he was convinced this figure had grabbed his heart.


    (¡°You, y-you can''t do this! I have to avenge him. You can''t expect me to-¡±)


    ¡°I couldn''t care less about that fool you befriended or his plans. You will go to where I direct lest you wish death.¡±


    (¡°... then kill m-¡±)


    His skin burned and he saw nothing but a barren wasteland before him. His lungs were filled with putrid air. Hooks dug into his flesh and he felt nothing but the urge to scream. He could tell his body was being dragged by something but he had no idea of what or who it was. He tried to resist but the pain left him defenceless. The only thing he could think of was pain.


    This is just a preview of what awaits you if you disobey me. I will drag you through the streets of hell like a dog. I will make you a being that knows only suffering. I will reduce you to a pile of flesh that knows only the smell of brimstone and the cinders of hellfire.


    Their words rang through his skull like a gong smashed against his head. They echoed and echoed throughout it but no matter how they did, they didn''t lose a decibel of impact.


    He was nauseous to the point of vomiting but held it back, in the only act of rebellion he could muster.


    They were once more back in the abyss. And the figure once again stared into his face.


    ¡°Let me make something very clear. You are an experiment. One of two remaining. Your death would be only an inconvenience. Instead of seeing what that presence is by the end of the week, it would take me over a month instead. And let''s make something else clear about the type of experiment this is. Using your memories of course. You are not the man who will first land on the moon. You are the dog that will scratch and claw their shoddy spacecraft in desperation. You will feel the heat build and build until it''s unbearable yet no one will come to help. Finally, you will be reduced to cinders and your ash along with the craft will be studied to ensure progress occurs in the next experiment. That is the type of experiment you are.¡±

 Chapter 242

    (¡°Experiment? Are you saying I''m only here as an experiment!?¡±)


    ¡°Get some sleep, experiment, you leave in the dead of morning.¡±


    <hr>


    Tibaut soon woke in the darkness and looked around with caution. He touched his skin but it no longer burned. He had free movement and he quickly fell from the tree as he looked around himself.


    Thankfully he landed on his feet, though it stung his ankles.


    (¡°What the fuck was that!?¡±) He thought to himself.


    (¡°It was a dream. It had to be a dream. It had to be a dream.¡±)


    He leaned against a tree and caught his breath. It seemed he worked up quite the sweat as he felt drenched.


    (¡°Maybe it''s time for a change of clothing.


    Hmm, no that''d raise too much suspicion. You''ll leave as you are now.¡±)


    He quickly looked around but no one was there.


    (¡°Did you forget I said I would communicate with you if I found you useful? Chop, chop, move along now human.¡±)


    The voice spoke again, but it had no source.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? Have I finally gone insane? Damn, I have heard prolonged periods by yourself are dangerous but why''d it have to happen when something this important is taking place!¡±


    The voice sighed and Tibaut felt a blow to his back.


    He wanted to scream out in pain but something covered his mouth (Or at least felt like it.)


    (¡°Hmm, have you forgotten our interaction earlier?¡±)


    ¡°Interacti-¡±


    He fell silent for a few moments.


    (¡°Ah, you''ve remembered human. Good, now let''s go.¡±)


    ¡°You bitch! You expect me to follow your whim? Where the hell were you when I got brought into this world? Huh? You expect to follow-¡±


    He soon began kneeling and the voice sighed.


    (¡°Human, I''m quite experienced in torturing your kind so I''d prefer if we could quit the prattle and move on already. I''m not sure with my current capabilities you would be able to survive my torture.¡±)


    ¡°Please, I''m still alive after that thing you did in my dream, do your worst.¡±


    (¡°Hoh, do you think that was an accomplishment?¡±)


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    Compared to the things I can do to you, hell would seem like a tropical vacation.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The voice giggled. (¡°But if you want, I can let you experience it.¡±)


    ¡°...¡±


    (¡°Now then, let''s move along human.¡±)


    Tibaut gritted his teeth.


    (¡°Damnit, are you shitting me? The moment I can get some revenge this stupid-


    Consider your words carefully. ¡±)


    Tibaut had never needed to ponder this but hiding your thoughts from someone in your head was pretty much impossible.


    (¡°You can say or do all the useless things you''d like after you go where I tell you, human.¡±)


    Tibaut gritted his teeth and thought about it for a moment. (¡°Alright two days to reach, four days total.¡±)


    And he came to a conclusion. He''d have to finish this before the assault. It wasn''t an option or choice. He had to do this.


    Now that he had decided on what to do, he broke into a sprint. (¡°Alright, tell me what to do, uh,


    For the time being call me the red drake. And before you get any silly thoughts, no I am not one of those boring beasts referred to as dragons. For now, follow the path you have been travelling along.¡±)


    He took off, following the red drake¡¯s words to the letter. In his mind, being as cooperative as possible was the only way he''d have any chance to finish quickly enough to return.


    But his departure did not go unnoticed.


    ¡°Heh, I can''t believe that kid of yours is deserting, Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if you were blind not to recognise my presence here but it seems you were just being ignorant. I never took you for a stalker. Furor.¡±


    Both were hiding in the darkness of the forest observing.


    ¡°Don''t get so uppity you bitch, I saw him acting strange after taking a piss is all.¡±


    ¡°Really? But you''ve been here for much longer.¡±


    ¡°! (What? But I saw her walk there¡­ Tch, she was just letting her presence be known. What an annoying, overachieving bitch.)¡±


    As Tibaut was making his escape, Elizabeth quickly decided on something.


    ¡°You''re in charge until I come back. Make sure you don''t do anything rash without me present if you encounter the cultists.¡±


    ¡°Wow, just gonna leave us for that little shit?¡±


    ¡°Quiet, I should be back within an hour.¡±


    She took off like a bullet train and left Furor in her dust.


    Furor spat on the ground and walked off.


    ¡°Huh? W-what do you m-mean she''s following me? (Like I said, I can feel her coming) How?¡± Tibaut said, stuttering in disbelief.


    ¡°(That''s irrelevant, for the time being¡­ hmm, yes, that''s right I suppose that would be the easiest thing to do in terms of reliability. Stop human, I''ll deal with her.) Alright Mrs. Voice in my head, how are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°Please stop referring to me with a human title or I''ll leave her to you.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute you wouldn''t do that, would you? That''d fuck over both of us! (...if you fail, just know your life is forfeit.)¡±


    A layer of sweat started forming over Tibaut¡¯s forehead. He decided to take a detour in the forest, in a vain hope that it would slow her down.


    He made his way up a tree and jumped from tree branch to branch.


    He soon heard footsteps behind him.


    (¡°Shit, already!?¡±)


    He positioned a fireball behind him praying it would at least take away her footing but as he turned around he saw her.


    He fired it anyway and she quickly slashed it.


    While her attention was focused on it, he decided this method of traversal wasn¡¯t worth the hassle and fell to the forest floor. Thankfully he rolled this time and saved his ankles. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was in front of him when he looked up.

 Chapter 243

    He couldn''t contain his fear. He immediately sensed the Elizabeth before him, was a different one than the one in his daily life. He felt almost stifled just looking at her but he slowly stood up while keeping his eyes focused on her and her alone.


    ¡°Mind explaining where you''re going, Tibaut?¡± She asked. There was no anger in her voice but he could feel the animosity radiate off her.


    She stood in a fighting stance and her hand was placed on her sword. She would be ready for anything he did at a moment''s notice.


    ¡°(Maybe I should just tell her, there''s no point in-


    Reveal my existence and I''ll make sure to deliver a swift death.)¡± The red drake responded.


    Tibaut clenched his fist and started breathing heavily.


    (¡°Boy, I''d appreciate it if you stopped cursing so much. No matter how many times you utter fuck, she''ll still be in front of you.¡±)


    Elizabeth moved closer and he wasted no time readying himself.


    ¡°Tibaut, I would appreciate it if you told me why you have been tight-lipped so far.¡± She asked while slowly inching closer.


    (¡°Well, here goes nothing.¡±) He thought. ¡°Listen Elizabeth, I can''t explain but can you just allow me to go ahead? I swear I''ll be back by the time you guys reach that dungeon-¡±


    As he explained himself, Elizabeth stood before him in thought slowly moving forward.


    (¡°Is it magic of some kind that had taken him over? Is he being blackmailed or goaded into an ambush by the cultists? While he does seem hesitant about disclosing information it could all be a ruse to drop my guard. This might not even be him, it''s not unthinkable if the cult replaced at some point, though it would require adequate planning.¡±)


    As she thought about it some more she realised there was a very simple answer before her. Defeat him and question him later after she had gotten him secured. After all, the chances of him being killed in this scuffle were so low in her eyes, that this seemed like a no-brainer.


    She immediately swung at him and he narrowly dodged, leaving only a small wound on his chest.


    ¡°Did you even listen to me!? (Of course, she didn''t. Now deal with her.)¡±


    ¡°I''ll listen to you after I take you back to our caravan. If you''d like, you can surrender now.¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡±


    He threw a fireball towards and she sliced it, causing it to dissipate. He tried to have her focus her attention on it as he ran closer but wasn''t fast as she sent him flying back with a kick. A large boom echoed in the forest.


    He blocked it with both his arms but neither felt pleasant after taking a blow like that.


    He didn''t even have time to groan in pain before Elizabeth was in front of him once more.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    (¡°Damnit, she isn''t holding back, is she?¡±)


    He wore a pained expression but continued to fight on. He threw another fireball but this time did something special.


    ¡°Straight towards me again? Are you a foo-¡±


    Instead of going into the path of her blade like a mindless drone, the fireball evaded her blade and touched her arm instead.


    Tibaut backed away as fast as he could and watched carefully as the dust settled. The best case scenario would be if she had been knocked but if she had been killed, he didn''t want to imagine the recompense awaiting if he were to return to her.


    But what he saw before him was the worst-case scenario.


    The hair on the side of her head had been burnt but it wasn''t a bad hairstyle by any means as long as she wiped the soot away. The rest of her body was a different story.


    The side of her face had been burnt, though not to an extreme degree. Her clothing had burnt as well and if it weren''t for the chest plate she wore, one of her breasts would be hanging out in the wind. Her sword arm had also been left bare in nothing but armour, burns and soot.


    ¡°Well, that''s new.¡± She commented while looking at him. Before she had indifference in her eyes. Now? She was on the hunt.


    She stuck her sword into the dirt and began slowly walking towards him.


    Why did she stick her sword into the ground? Well, that''s simple.


    She was convinced she would leave a butchered carcass on the ground otherwise.


    (¡°Ho ho, human, good luck¡±) The drake cheerfully commented.


    Tibaut immediately gave up on the idea of incapacitating her. He was thankful she could be revived otherwise his hesitation in killing her might have cost him his life tonight. That was his only way out of this. To kill her.


    He wasted no time rushing her and immediately tried to get a fireball formed behind her but the light in the dark gave it away immediately.


    (¡°Alright, so now she should- what the!?¡±)


    In a move even he didn''t expect, Elizabeth grabbed his hand.


    Before he could retaliate with a punch or magic, he was let go. He instinctively wondered what was the point of throwing him until he saw the fireball in front of him


    He quickly dispersed it but she wasted no time landing a blow in his back. A crack was heard but he managed to turn himself around and parry the next blow.


    (¡°Wow, she broke a rib in one hit. I don''t recall Gabriel''s Saints gaining increased strength.


    Help me out, you asshole!!!¡±)


    His plea fell on deaf ears as he heard nothing else from the drake.


    Tibaut stepped on her feet to trip her up but she showed no reaction to it before nearly taking his head off.


    That punch managed to rip a few strands of hair from his head from the force alone. He couldn''t imagine what his face would look like if it landed.


    In a move unlike Elizabeth, she spat in his face.


    (¡°Oh, Fuc-¡±)


    This left him blind momentarily; that moment was all Elizabeth needed to start unloading on him. She landed a merciless uppercut to his jaw. It put him into the air and left him out cold. But Elizabeth wasn''t done. She grabbed his leg and slammed him onto the floor.


    It left a Tibaut-shaped depression in the dirt and she tossed his leg into the air once more. As he fell, he began to regain consciousness.


    He was just in time for the finish of this little spat.


    She brought her arm back and swung forward. She performed a lariat. It''s a simple action anyone could but the way the wind whistled as her arm soared, the way her muscles flexed and the way her feet pushed against the dirt put it at a comparable level of danger as a firearm.


    ...


    ....


    .....


    (¡°You brought up the idea of killing her yet you kept playing it safe after the fireball. *Yawn* What a useless bastard¡­. Though, I suppose you can''t hear me now, can you?¡±)

 Chapter 244

    Tibaut had left a bloody mark on the tree he had slammed into before falling to the ground. Yet the damage he sustained from that was negligible compared to the lariat.


    Most of his ribs were broken, it was almost certain several of his organs had been ruptured in the initial blow.


    He lay on the dirt ground with blood slowly spilling from his mouth and not a single twitch out of him.


    Elizabeth flicked up her hair and slowly walked over to him.


    (¡°Now what could have gotten into him? Tch, regardless now we have one less man to help us in the dungeon. I can''t imagine the others will have any faith in him if he left me like this.¡±)


    Tibaut had displayed a concerning amount of stillness as she walked towards him.


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    She quickly turned it into a jog and hurried her way over. After healing him she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing his chest move in and out.


    ¡°Whew, alright, he''s alive.¡±


    She wiped some sweat off her brow and picked him up.


    (¡°He should be out for the next few hours or so based on what I saw during our training sessions.¡±)


    She hucked him over her shoulder and began heading back to the others.


    It wasn''t even five steps before she noticed movement on her shoulder.


    (¡°Is he having a bad drea-¡±)


    She turned to look at him and was greeted by Tibaut staring directly at her face. He had his hand on his chin and looked to be taking in her appearance.


    ¡°Finally feel like telling me what you were hiding?¡± She asked. (¡°It looks like he stayed conscious during all of that.¡±)


    Tibaut stared blankly at her for a few more moments. With each passing moment, Elizabeth felt increasing unease. Tibaut could easily be read by his facial expressions on his best days, much less after being defeated by her. Which made it odd he didn''t react to that comment.


    (¡°Damn, I didn''t permanently damage him in some way did I? Now that I think about it, I did give him a good blow to the head. Oh no, don''t tel-¡±)


    Her thoughts were cut off when Tibaut, without any warning, pushed himself off her shoulder and got back on his own two feet.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She turned to see him dusting himself off with the same blank expression.


    (¡°Damn is this ki!? It doesn''t have the aura but I can''t imagine why he''d be unresponsive. I should have known something like this was going to happen. The time I''ve spent with him had been going far too smoothly.¡±)


    She looked at her sword briefly but decided against it.


    (¡°Ki¡­ hmph, if I''m going up against her I can''t hold anything back. But he should be much easier in comparison. I should take this as a training session to prepare myself. After all, I would be admitting defeat if I didn''t think of a countermeasure in the scenario where she manages to get rid of my sword.¡±)


    Tibaut paid Elizabeth no mind and stared at the trees and scenery with a soft smile.


    (¡°Could this be a different form of his ki? Maybe it''s in response to his emotions?¡±)


    After observing him for several more moments, she decided to go all in and threw herself at him.


    He didn''t react and she was starting to wonder if he was in any state to fight to begin with.


    (¡°Am I just overthinking this? Whatever I''ll check with this first punch and if he doesn''t respond to it, I''ll heal him and take him back.¡±)


    She threw a punch aimed at his jaw and the sound of the impact reverberated throughout the forest.


    But two people were still left standing after this picturesque punch. And the one who was most shocked looked on in confusion.


    ¡°Such a beautiful world. It really is a shame he favoured those insects over this scenery.¡±


    Tibaut? said, speaking to no one in particular.


    While Elizabeth''s punch had made a nice sound, it did still end up being blocked by Tibaut. With only one of his hands.


    She immediately backed away and Tibaut looked at his hand in interest and began flicking it.


    ¡°You have quite heavy hands, Elizabeth. Thankfully this fight isn''t determined by that alone.¡±


    He produced a flame in his hand but looked confused by this.


    ¡°That bastard. I give him such wonderful magic yet he uses this basic garbage. I thought he might have hidden it but he really doesn''t know he can use it yet.¡±


    ¡°W-who are you?¡± Elizabeth asked. (¡°Is this a possession?¡±)


    Tibaut began mockingly clapping his hands.


    ¡°Good job Elizabeth. I''m sure this idiot would taken much longer to figure out something isn''t right.¡±


    Elizabeth wasn''t sure how to take this.


    ¡°And as a prize, you can help me pass the time. This is the first time I''ve used this body so I want-¡±


    Elizabeth interrupted him by throwing a branch. He dodged it by moving his head but soon had a sword in his field of vision.


    She was aiming directly for his head.


    He sighed and held his hand out.


    She sliced through it almost like butter and quickly turned to heal him. But she was surprised to see him with an intact head.


    She quickly backed away.


    ¡°How did he?¡±


    She looked at him and noticed something shiny on the same hand that held a flame earlier. He flicked it off and it looked like a bead of something.


    She turned to her blade and realised what it was. Half of her blade had been removed and it was obvious by the half left it had been melted somehow.


    If she decided to look to the ground she would have noticed several parts of the ground burning or steaming, but this thing inhabiting Tibaut wasn''t something she could take her eyes off unnecessarily.

 Chapter 245

    There was a burn on Tibaut''s hand and the drake sighed.


    ¡°(It seems that was too much. I''ll have to stick to his fire in the meantime.) I hope you aren''t thinking that a cheap piece of scrap metal would be enough to stop me.¡± They said. They rubbed their palm while looking at Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth broke out into a cold sweat and slowly sheathed what was left of her sword.


    (¡°I-impossible. I know this blade is a lower-end alloy of Disiponium but, but, he used his magic to destroy it so effortlessly...¡±)


    While Disiponium could turn magic back to mana, most weapons were not made of the pure stuff. That''d be far too expensive, plus more importantly, impractical. Against the average person born with magic, the lower-end alloys did their job fine. Unless you were going to fight a royal guard, legendary adventurers, a mythical beast, or even a trickier form of magic it made no sense to have one that was relatively pure. But in the chance you were fighting one of these, these weapons would have to be used sparsely. The level of magic this group produced would be strong enough to easily overpower the rate lower-end alloys could turn magic into mana, and even be affected by the magic.


    Tibaut began forming flames with his hands and began walking over.


    ¡°I do hope you''ll entertain me, Saint of Gabriel.¡±


    She was several feet away yet she could still feel the flames he produced.


    This magic was on a different level than Tibaut''s. They were unnaturally bright and were very light blue. Even by simply looking at the flames in his hands, she found it hard to believe they originated from the same magic as Tibaut.  Then and there, she decided this was no time to hold back.


    As he got closer she felt the air get more and more drier.


    She dug a foot of hers into the ground and kicked it, to throw some dirt in his face.


    He created a screen of fire in front of him and not a single speck of dirt touched his face. The instant the dirt touched his flames, they vaporised.


    (¡°Defeat him? How the hell am I gonna even touch him?¡±) She thought to herself after seeing this.


    He had a smile on his face seeing the confusion on hers.


    Elizabeth looked to her surroundings but there was nothing in this forest that would help her. She gritted her teeth and silently cursed in her mind as he drew nearer.


    (¡°I''m sorry, Lady Gabriel but I''m not sure if I can defeat him without dying.¡±)


    As Tibaut came closer he noticed the night breeze had begun to pick up. Or was it the night breeze?


    The girl before him was holding out a hand of hers and looked to be aiming at him.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Oh, I suppose a good clash is fun every now and again.¡±


    He held out a hand of his own and aimed as well.


    A vortex of wind was building in Elizabeth''s hand and Tibaut looked on unimpressed.


    (¡°I''m sorry Tibaut but whatever it is that is inhabiting you is too dangerous to be left alive. I''ll pray for your survival but that''s all I can spare you at the moment.¡±)


    Her arm started making cracking noises and began sputtering blood yet she continued to hold it. A giant vortex of wind had started to form in front of her and it even took some of her blood, giving a pink hue.


    (¡°She''s really serious about this isn''t she?¡±) The red drake thought.


    They began to form a fireball using the flames he produced earlier but came to a disappointment halfway through.


    (¡°Wow, this body is weaker than I thought. He can''t even form an attack like this without the risk of passing out?¡±)


    The drake noticed its surroundings becoming darker and quickly realised its host''s body wasn''t appreciating how it was being used. He dispersed the fireball and continued to watch her.


    They still showed no fear and simply shrugged their shoulders. (¡°I suppose dodging is the better option but how fun it would have been to have this Saint crawling back to her Goddess in tears.¡±)


    Elizabeth paid no focus to Tibaut and focused solely on forming her attack.


    (¡°This isn''t enough. I need more to destroy that monster.¡±)


    More splits formed in her arm and more cracking was heard coming from it but she paid it no mind. The vortex she formed was now taller than her and had twice her width.


    As the vortex grew in size, an image of Tibaut flashed in her head and she decided this size was good enough.


    Her arm was now a bloody mess. It looked like it was smashed by a road roller but she didn''t care. She was now at the final stretch and whether through pride or negligence, the foe in front of her had allowed her to get this far. And she wasn''t going to let this go to waste.


    ¡°Take this, you bastard!¡± she shouted.


    She threw it forward. It didn''t go more than a metre without weakening and promptly dissipating.


    ¡°What the?¡± Elizabeth mouthed. She stumbled to the floor clutching the arm she had used.


    (¡°I''ll admit, I didn''t expect that.¡±) The drake thought as he watched.


    The arm she was using to summon began gushing with blood and the wounds on her arm began extending past it. They spread to her shoulder, side and part of her chest like glass breaking, bloodying her attire within an instant.


    She started coughing blood while looking at Tibaut.


    (¡°Damnit, Damnit, Damnit, DAMNIT!!!¡±) Were the only thoughts in her mind as she looked at him.


    He slowly walked over with his hands in his pockets, casual as ever.


    ¡°Well wasn''t this disappointing? We both couldn''t do what we wanted because of our limitations.¡±


    He moved to grab her neck but she backed away as soon as his hand moved.


    ¡°Even on your knees, you choose to resist? Heh, what am I saying? This isn''t anything new for humanity.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked, slowly getting back to her feet.

 Chapter 246

    The parts of her attire that hadn''t been burnt were now covered in a stomach-turning about of blood.


    She forced her ragged breathing to a more stable pace and looked into Tibaut¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Hmm, I''m not sure I want to tell you. After all, I''d feel a bit unclean doing what a human of all things has asked me to.¡±


    He turned around and began walking away, with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°You bastard, don''t turn away from me!!¡±


    Elizabeth ran towards him and threw a punch with her only good arm. Tibaut ducked and flung her over his shoulder.


    ¡°Hoh, you still have some fight in you, do you? Why don''t you go ahead and make that other arm useless?¡±


    Elizabeth landed on her feet after the throw and kicked up dirt running back towards him. She threw a flurry of punches and kicks but Tibaut effortlessly parried them.


    She threw her injured arm at him and he stopped it without a second thought. She reached for her damaged sword and he moved his hand to stop it before it left the hilt.


    She decided on a kick to free herself but he landed a headbutt on her before she managed to lift her foot off the ground.


    It left her bloody, but it was nothing compared to the backlash of using her magic.


    (¡°He''s stopped using his magic? Did my magic fail or did he do something to stop it? Whatever the case this is my best opportunity to get rid of him.¡±)


    She wanted to continue the brawl but Tibaut held his hand out.


    ¡°This is just too boring. I thought a Saint would make me put this body to good use but I guess she''s still underdeveloped.¡±


    ¡°What was that you bastard?¡± She said. She blew some blood out of her nose before pulling out the part of her sword that remained.


    ¡°By the way did your goddess not tell you about me?¡±


    ¡°Don''t change the topic you-¡±


    She fell silent. He had been mentioning her being a Saint all this time. She assumed he might have gathered as much from Tibaut¡¯s memories but¡­ she soon remembered the time she briefly spent with her goddess. That someone troublesome by her standards was associated with Tibaut.


    ¡°W-what? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Well, Saint girl, I''ll be borrowing this boy for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    They threw a fireball much faster than the ones Tibaut did and if she hadn''t already had her sword out, she imagined she would have been sent into a nearby tree.


    ¡°I said I''ll be borrowing the boy. Listen, I''m leaving it at this only because of your Goddess. But if you push this god any further I''ll send you to her.¡±


    ¡°God? Is Tibaut also a Sai-¡±


    He threw another fireball and used it as a cover to close the distance between them. He grabbed her neck and slammed her into a tree. She grabbed his hand and struggled to pull it off. He backed away with a clear look of disgust on his face.


    She was left coughing and trying to regain her breath.


    Stolen story; please report.


    I''ll kill you if you even suggest such a repulsive idea. Do not liken me with that cheery fool you call a Goddess.


    He turned around and began walking.


    ¡°You shall receive him after I''m finished. Be thankful I''m even returning him.¡± He said as he disappeared into the forest.


    She watched as he walked away but if what he was saying was true then she didn''t stand a chance against him. She leaned against the tree and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor. She held her good arm against her head and shook it.


    (¡°A god? No, he might just be lying. Lady Gabriel did say he was troublesome but she didn''t mention anything about him being a fellow god¡­ yet even if he was, which one would he be? His personality matches none of the other three. There might be an argument for Uriel but that''s unlikely. If only I could ask her but I can''t imagine she''d be pleased if I died again this soon or rather at all.¡±)


    She sat there questioning what she encountered for the remainder of the morning.


    <hr>


    ¡°... kid has more spunk than I thought.¡±


    She woke up and immediately sidestepped the person in front of her.


    The morning sky had now taken on a golden hue and the birds of the forest were chirping with vigour.


    She reached for her sword but soon stopped when she got a closer look at the person in front of her.


    ¡°What kinda bullshit is this? Huh, Elizabeth? You let that little shit get away!?¡±


    Elizabeth looked at him unsure but quickly remembered what happened earlier.


    ¡°Ah, that.¡± She said.


    Thankfully her minor injuries had healed but her arm still looked obviously damaged and blood still stained her.


    ¡°The fuck did that bastard do your arm? Doesn''t he have fire magic!?¡±


    ¡°It wasn''t him.¡± She said.


    ¡°Huh? Then who the fuck was it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°(Right, I remember the conclusion I came to when I sat and thought about it.) Furor, what I say to you stays between us, agreed?¡±


    ¡°What kinda shit is this?¡± He looked into her eyes for several seconds before continuing. ¡°Oh, you''re not bullshitting.¡± He clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°So what fucked you up then, huh?¡±


    (¡°It''d do me no favours telling anyone about this encounter with Tibaut and that thing that controlled him. If I take him at his word, Tibaut will return but when is unknown. Plus he knew I was a Saint. If I say anything suspicious he might try to capture him or inform the others to help him behind my back. Not only would they be in danger but I''d run the risk of the others learning of my Sainthood if they meet him in that state. More importantly, I need to question Tibaut about it after he returns and the last thing I need is someone else confronting him.¡±)


    She sighed and looked around the area before saying what she had to.


    ¡°Last night, Tibaut and I encountered the man in black.¡±


    Furor¡¯s eyes widened and he looked around.


    ¡°Then¡­ is he?¡±


    ¡°No, for some reason it seems they wanted him alive. It looks like they contacted him at some point during the day and told him to meet with them alone.¡±


    ¡°Damnit, I knew I should have kept a closer eye on him. So where''d they go, huh? Which way?¡±


    ¡°It seems like they''ve covered their tracks but they''ve most likely headed for the dungeon. (At least if he does leak it, our destination remains the same.)¡±


    ¡°Fuck, are they planning to take us out one by one?¡±


    ¡°No, it was only him. They seem to have some sort of fascination with him. (Well, with how many times they''ve encountered him, it doesn''t sound too outlandish.)¡±


    ¡°Damnit, that kid was pretty decent too plus they got you fucked up as well.¡±


    ¡°Trust me these battle wounds look worse than they are. But we''ve indeed lost some fighting power because of this. Regardless we''ll have to go there.¡±


    ¡°I would have beaten your ass if you said otherwise. Of course, we''re gonna rip those bastards a new asshole.¡±


    ¡°Good, also I''d like you to leave the explanation to me. I feel the truth would wear on the others too much.¡±


    ¡°Tch, if those pussies feel like running because of the truth then-¡±


    She cut him off.


    ¡°Furor, we can''t afford to distract the others with this. First, get me a change of clothing, gauze and a wet towel so I can hide these injuries.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. So how are you gonna explain your missing golden boy?¡±


    ¡°I sent him to investigate something about the cultists and sent him ahead. That should suffice. Oh, make sure to argue with me to make it more believable.¡±


    Furor rolled his eyes and walked off.


    ¡°Tch, whatever. Just make sure it sounds realistic.¡±

 Chapter 247

    ¡°ZzzZzzzzzZzzZ.¡±


    The red-haired boy snored away in the tree. His eyes soon opened and he took a few moments to process the scenery before him.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    This was a far taller tree than the one he slept on earlier and there was no sign of the carriages nor the path he had travelled on.


    He looked at his chest to see a part of his shirt had been cut though, there was no wound underneath. There were some splatters of blood on him as well.


    He soon began rubbing his head trying to recall what happened. A familiar voice jogged his memory.


    (¡°You''ve woken up, haven''t you? Then get a move on.¡±)


    ¡°Huh? Wait a minute, how''d I escape?¡± he asked.


    (¡°It seems the girl showed you mercy or maybe she believed you died? She left you after healing your wounds and I moved you out of there.¡±)


    ¡°Wha- what do you mean moved me? Do you have a physical body?¡±


    (¡°Stop with the unnecessary questions and begin moving. For the time being head north, I''ll tell you when to go in a specific direction.¡±)


    ¡°Hey, don''t act like we don''t have time, you said we''d have two days till we reached there, right? Can''t you explain some stuff to me on the way?¡±


    (¡°...¡±)


    The silence was deafening and Tibaut begrudgingly came down from the tree.


    ¡°What an asshole. Whatever, I just have to do this then quickly head back to Elizabeth and the others. I can deal with her in the future.¡±


    (¡°Deal with me? Aren''t you ambitious, human?¡±)


    He began running but the voice in his head soon had a complaint.


    (¡°You don''t know what direction is north, do you?¡±)


    ¡°Shut up!¡± He said, immediately stopping. He looked around his surroundings, unsure of where to go.


    (¡°Turn 90¡ã clockwise and continue running.¡±)


    ¡°...thanks.¡±


    <hr>


    Tibaut had tried numerous icebreakers throughout his journey but all that resulted was him being left in silence.


    He stopped by a nearby river to wash his shirt.


    ¡°Holy shit this is a lot of blood! And it''s all mine?¡± he asked.


    (¡°Yes, Gabriel''s Saint is a miracle worker.¡±) He sarcastically remarked.


    ¡°Gabriel''s Saint?¡± He asked.


    (¡°If you''re so interested, you can ask the woman when you two meet again.¡±)


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Come on, you''re the one who brought it up, tell me.¡±


    (¡°...¡±)


    He wrung his shirt out and attempted to use his magic to dry his shirt out. The word attempted was used because he fell to the floor clutching the hand he used to summon his magic.


    ¡°AAAGGGRHRBRBRHHH¡± He shouted in pain.


    This pain was in another league. It felt like an intensified version of the pain he experienced after overusing his magic. He crawled to the river and placed his hands in the cold river, to alleviate the pain.


    ¡°What the fuck is this!?¡± he shouted.


    The red drake had no response.


    ¡°Answer me you asshole!¡±


    (¡°Hmm, you should be fine if you don''t use magic until we reach our destination.¡±)


    ¡°Tell me what happened to my arms!¡± He shouted.


    He had tears in his eyes and kicked at the ground as the pain surged through his arm. He looked like a toddler throwing a tantrum which amused the drake (they wouldn''t admit this, of course.)


    A few hours passed and his arm started to feel normal again.


    ¡°Just do it, Tibaut. Once this is over¡­ it probably won''t end after I do this, will it?¡±


    (¡°Correct!¡±)


    ¡°Don''t sound so glad, you bastard!¡±


    With a cold arm and a damp shirt, he continued on his journey.


    <hr>


    (¡°Hoh, we''ve made better progress than I''ve imagined.¡±) The drake commented.


    ¡°Alright, so here''s probably a good place to rest?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? We''re already so close.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± He requested. He had been doing a mixture of jogging and running for over 12 hours now. His legs weren''t anywhere near the condition his arm was but they were getting sore.


    (¡°Get going.¡±)


    He sighed and looked at the ground before him. He took another step and felt an odd sensation.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked.


    (¡°Oh, that was a barrier.¡±)


    ¡°Barrier? (I guess if you can use magic for shields then this isn''t too surprising) But wait a minute, why didn''t it stop me?¡± He asked while looking around. He heard an odd sound in the distance and turned to face it.


    (¡°Because it was meant to detect intruders. You should be glad it wasn''t a defensive one or this would take much longer.¡±)


    The source of the sound became obvious. It was several men on horses approaching him.


    (¡°They''re enemies by the way, so you might want to get started.¡±)


    ¡°What? You bastard, did you set me up?¡±


    (¡°Get to it before they realise you''re an enemy.¡±)


    He motioned to throw a fireball but quickly remembered what happened a few hours earlier and drew back his hand.


    Plus it wasn''t certain these men were enemies, the voice in his head might just be overly cautious.


    That thought was soon thrown out the window when one of the men threw a bolt of lightning at him.


    (¡°Feel like making any more assumptions?¡±)


    He gritted his teeth and hurled all the swears he could think of at the voice before charging towards them.


    As one of the men got closer he kicked out the legs of his horse sending him and the man to the floor.


    (¡°Thank God that worked out, I can''t imagine how badly that would have turned out if I wasn''t as durable as I thought.¡±)


    The horse neighed in pain and the former rider struggled to push the horse off him. Tibaut swiftly delivered a kick to his head and dodged a stone rod that came from the ground. It impaled both the horse and its rider and nearly made a victim out of Tibaut, scraping the side of his torso.


    (¡°I can''t believe you let such a slow attack touch you.   Shut up and let me focus!¡±)


    He kicked himself off the rod and looked at the remainder of the riders. Three were left.

 Chapter 248

    The deceased rider had dropped his sword when Tibaut took out the horse''s legs. He noticed its glimmer in the forest and hurriedly ran to it and picked it up.


    The three riders seemed to all have the general idea of keeping away from him and attacking from a distance.


    (¡°I don''t see how the extra metre or so of range that sword will give you will help you out.


    Then shut up and watch.¡±)


    He wasted no time choosing which of the men to chase and made his way over.


    He dodged another stone rod from the floor and made his way towards the horse. The rods came out at a glacial pace and weren''t a concern. However, the others decided to tag in as well.


    As Tibaut ran towards the rider of his attention, a stone pillar was made a ways in front of him.


    ¡°Is the guy controlling that blind?¡±


    The rider made an odd move and decided to stop moving.


    Tibaut felt there was something strange going on but decided to push through anyway.


    He heard the sound of crackling quickly approaching from behind and narrowly dodged. From its appearance as it shot past him, it was a beam of ice.


    It moved slowly and lasted for a few seconds before disappearing.


    (Whew, if it didn''t move so slowly after its initial shot, I might have been down.


    It wouldn''t have been anything you wouldn''t survive. Besides did you not notice what they did?¡±)


    ¡°Huh what are you-¡±


    His feet left the ground without his permission and he was now airborne with his head making its way towards the forest floor.


    (¡°They used that stone rod to absorb the attack of the missed ice beam. It caused a formation of ice around it, that you so happily lost your balance on. Maybe my expectations for you were too high.


    Oh shut up, I was focused on the beam, I hadn''t seen anything like that before!¡±)


    He heard the earth move beneath him and desperately moved his head to the side. A stone rod came from the ground and scrapped his neck but thankfully nothing more.


    It took everything Tibaut had not to empty his bowels and quickly recover.


    The other rider was still close and Tibaut wasted no time throwing the sword. The rider created a stone pillar to shield himself but that wasn''t Tibaut''s goal. The sword was aimed towards the horse''s rear legs.


    It sent the horse to the ground and the rider wasn''t reassured by the sounds of ice slowly approaching him as he got back to his feet.


    Tibaut soon came before him and the man used an attack he believed to be surefire. He aimed, using his body to obscure the incoming rod.


    He believed it would end there but as soon as he fired it, Tibaut backed away.


    He ended up killing himself without so much as a scar on Tibaut.


    (¡°Didn''t he realise it shook the ground whenever he did that? I could feel it from here.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    It appears humanity has taken a nosedive in quality recently.¡±)


    The other riders quickly turned around and began an escape. Tibaut picked up the fallen rider¡¯s sword and chased the other two like a starved beast.


    (¡°Kill them or don''t, there will be others that will be alerted regardless.


    If getting rid of them gives me an extra hour of free time then I''ll take it. Also, I''m not trying to kill them, they seem to be doing that themselves.)


    He threw the sword but the distance was too great. They reacted to it in time and dodged the blade.


    But the direction one dodged sent them into a tree and to the ground.


    (¡°I can''t believe that worked, couldn''t he have just slowed down?


    Wouldn''t you have been able to defeat him regardless?¡±)


    He paid no attention to that person and ran past him pursuing the other rider.


    A beam of ice came from behind but it wasn''t too hard to dodge and for caution, he decided to jump over the area of the tree he blasted.


    The last rider continued along with Tibaut in hot pursuit.


    (¡°It seems the bush of the forest is slowing them down.


    Thank God, I don''t know how much more of this can take.¡±)


    The only thing that pushed Tibaut along was the initial adrenaline he got from seeing his enemies. Otherwise, he was completely spent travelling here.


    He still couldn''t close the gap and became impatient. Which resulted in drastic measures. He gritted his teeth as he fought through the pain and shot off a fire lance at the horse''s leg, causing it to stumble and later lose its balance.


    He shouted in pain as he ran towards the last rider. He jumped off the horse before it tripped over itself and landed on him as gracefully as a cat.


    He unsheathed his sword and ran towards Tibaut without an iota of fear in his eyes.


    He took a blow to his torso but withstood it and countered with his sword.


    (¡°Clean hit, heh the bastard is¡­¡±)


    His counter strike landed but it was far too light. The most annoying thing about it to Tibaut was the fact it stained his shirt and left a massive rip in it.


    Tibaut struck back with a blow to his chin and sent him to dreamland. He fell to the floor and his skull made an unpleasant sound when it hit the forest floor.


    Tibaut had his hands on his knees gasping for air and shouting in pain.


    ¡°*Gasp* Fuck! *Cough cough*, son of a bitch what happened to me!?¡±


    The forest echoed with his swears and he had to slowly limp over to a nearby tree in an attempt to hide himself.


    (¡°There''s still one left.


    I know. God damnit.¡±)


    The adrenaline had worn off and he was now struggling to stand up straight. He peeked from the tree and didn''t see anything out of the ordinary.


    (¡°He''s likely hundreds of metres behind. Let''s hope he doesn''t have binoculars.


    Stop trying to will bad stuff into existence.¡±)


    He began walking in the silent forest for several minutes before he ducked behind another tree after hearing a branch break.


    (¡°I believe that was you.


    ¡­Why are you so talkative now, and not during the boring journey here?¡±)


    He slowly made his way towards the area where the horse had crashed into the tree and he began hearing the horse''s neighs of desperation.


    He soon got a visual of the horse and its rider.


    ¡°I don''t think I''ve ever seen a person run that fast.¡± She said, sounding a mixture of amazed and distraught.


    She was rubbing the neck of the horse in an attempt to comfort it. It didn''t seem to help as it continued neighing loudly all the same.


    ¡°I knew I wasn''t cut out to be a guard. They''ll probably punish me if I head back.¡±


    She looked at the horse and sighed.


    ¡°What do you think I should do, Dolly?¡±


    The horse paid her no mind and continued neighing in agony.

 Chapter 249

    ¡°...¡± Tibaut was left speechless by the scene before him. For a moment he forgot about the pain in his right arm.


    The woman had blue hair and had bags under her blue eyes. It seemed like she hadn''t slept in a while but that was last on the list of his questions.


    He clutched his arm and remained eternally thankful it didn''t hurt anywhere the amount it did yesterday. It still pained him when he moved it but now he wouldn''t be screaming on the floor in pain if a fight broke out.


    He turned his attention back to her and was surprised to see a knife in her hand.


    ¡°I''m sorry for asking such a stupid question, Dolly. That doesn''t have anything to do with you. I''ll stop letting you suffer now.¡±


    She looked unsure of herself but after a few moments of silence, she pushed the blade into the horse''s neck. She wasn''t adept with it as she struggled to slit its neck. The horse''s struggling didn''t help either but after a minute of gargled neighs echoing throughout the forest, it stopped moving and she pulled the bloody knife out.


    She gave a long exhale and rested against the horse.


    ¡°If only I could have converted him.¡± She gazed at the horse''s face ¡°Would they go easy on me if I converted Dean and Turo? What am I saying, I''m not even sure if Ken has killed that guy yet. Ugh, why did I get chosen for guard duty? My magic is the only thing I have, take that away and I''m useless. Even with it, I''m useless.¡±


    She began tearing up.


    Tibaut looked completely thrown for a loop, observing her.


    (¡°Hey, uh, red drake right? These guys weren''t like, good people, were they?


    Now you ask that?¡±)


    Tibaut felt a pit form and had to lean against a tree lest he kneels over.


    (¡°Oh, oh no. What have I- n-no it was self de- What am I saying I''m the one who showed on their property, it''s totally my fault. Oh God.¡±)


    He soon fell to his knees and held his head in his arms.


    (¡°I didn''t mean to kill-


    I do feel I need to inform you who these people are before you start feeling any sort of guilt. (It was fun watching how he might deal with murdering innocent people but this would bog down my plans if he went through any mental turmoil at the moment.) )


    (What are you talking about? Who the hell are these guys, foremost!?


    Hmm, I''m not sure I''ll do it if you take that tone with me.)


    (¡°Please just tell me.¡±) He asked in a sombre tone.


    (¡°I feel here is a good place to give you two pieces of vital information.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    <ol>


    <li> These people were cultists.</li>


    </ol>


    <ol start="2">


    <li> You will be exploring the structure they''ve inhabited here.¡±)</li>


    </ol>


    (¡°C-cultists? What the hell are they doing out in the middle of nowhere? Wait, that dungeon somewhere in this vicinity, do they have this whole region under their control?¡±)


    ¡°(Pft) That''s beside the point, focus only on exploring this structure. There''s something I need to confirm.¡±


    As soon as Tibaut had heard the word cultists, his conscience eased and he brought his eyes back on the girl. She wore regular clothing and non-distinct armour which is why he never considered the idea of them being cultists.


    (¡°Huh, I guess that guy in black must be part of some special unit. Yeah, these guys were pretty weak so that''d make a whole lotta sense.¡±)


    (¡°...¡±)


    He felt a massive load fall off his shoulders coming to this realisation. He always hoped this was the case but seeing it with his own eyes nearly left him euphoric.


    (¡°So we actually have a pretty good chance. Hell, with that Furor guy, those guys in black won''t be too much of a problem.¡±)


    He stopped this line of thinking when he realised he was getting comfortable with the idea of him not being there to help.


    He gritted his teeth and flexed his pained arm. It was now or never. He looked to the girl and she laid on the horse with so much as an ounce of attention to her surroundings.


    (¡°Gonna keep stalking her?¡±)


    (¡°Shut up, I don''t wanna fuck up now.¡±)


    He took a deep breath and ran from behind the tree. A few metres of space was between them and she noticed the footsteps coming her way. She fumbled to take her knife out and quickly gave up on it, to aim her hands at him.


    Tibaut aimed his fist for her face but stopped before it landed. She brought her hands forward to block his punch hopefully. The problem with this was, she brought them to her face after he stopped his punch. She closed her eyes but tears were running down her cheeks and she shivered like she had placed in a blizzard nude. She opened her eyes a few moments later, confused as to why she was still conscious.


    Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull and she made a break for it. She soon tripped on forest debris and began desperately crawling.


    She was less than 10 metres away.


    Tibaut jogged over and grabbed her with his good hand.


    (¡°You know...... this wasn''t what I was expecting.¡±)


    She quickly turned to face him.


    ¡°p-punch me.¡± She asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Just punch me as hard as you can on my right cheek. Please.¡±


    ¡°What? N-no.¡± He answered sounding unsure.


    She looked to be on the edge. Tears streamed down her face and she had to choke out those words to Tibaut.


    (¡°Ah, I believe Elizabeth spoke about them having a fake tooth that carries poison. Maybe she''s afraid to break it herself.¡±)


    (¡°...How long have you been in my head?¡±)


    (¡°I believe she''s working up the will to do it.¡±)


    Tibaut looked at her and saw her begin moving her jaw around.


    He quickly moved his hand into her mouth and reached around in it.


    Sure enough, one of the teeth came out with a tug. He pulled it out of her mouth and tossed it into the forest.


    ¡°W-why?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I''m not letting you get out of this that easily.¡±


    She yelped in fear and huddled against the floor.

 Chapter 250

    He took pity on her and brought his fist back up. She opened her eyes and quivered in fear. He was on top of her to restrict her movement but she interpreted this position differently.


    She moved one of her hands and he looked at her with increased vigilance, wary of any sudden movements.


    (¡°She doesn''t have a weapon, so what''s she doing?¡±) He wondered.


    Her hand soon reached the side of her chest and she began unstrapping her leather chest plate.


    (¡°Maybe it''s tight on her?¡±)


    He decided to help her and began unstrapping it with her. (¡°Maybe she''s showing she isn''t a threat anymore?¡±)


    She looked uncomfortable with his help but didn''t decline it either.


    As he thought about what this gesture could mean, she reached for the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up. Instead of a bra, Tibaut¡¯s eyes were greeted with a lovely pair of breasts. They weren''t the biggest he''d seen but they had a nice shape to them, plus her pasty areal-


    Tibaut quickly stopped appreciating them when he remembered the situation and soon began blushing.


    (¡®Why did she-¡±)


    She looked away from him and silently mumbled.


    ¡°Please don''t be too rough. Just let me let me go after it''s over, please¡­¡±


    She began pulling down her pants but Tibaut quickly stopped her.


    (¡°My, I pray she can handle a man as pent up as you.¡±)


    (¡°Shut up, nothing''s going to happen here!!!¡±) He internally screamed. ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡± He shouted, red-faced.


    ¡°D-don''t torture me. S-see, I''m young, my skin''s pretty silky p-p-plus I haven''t had a boyfriend so please let me go after t-¡± He stuttered as she talked but she quickly stopped and looked in his face with dread.


    Tibaut sat on her stomach and something only those two would be able to feel, caused her to stop talking.


    She didn''t fight him and lay there, awaiting her faith.


    (¡°Well, it''s not like you''re gonna get another chance.¡±)


    ¡°SHUT UP!!¡±


    He quickly pulled down her shirt and got off her.


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop. Time out for a second! Why the hell would I ever do that!?¡± He asked both flustered and confused.


    ¡°W-well, you didn''t kill me s-so-¡±


    ¡°So nothing!!! I did it because (well honestly it''d leave a bitter taste in my mouth if I killed after how I saw her acting)...¡± He paused, feeling somewhat embarrassed to admit why he spared her.


    ¡°So it is my body¡­¡±


    ¡°No it isn''t! (Huh, wait a minute. Hey Red Drake, do you know the layout of this place or how big it is?)¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    (¡°Nope!¡±) They said, insultingly ecstatic.


    (¡°Why are sounding enthusiastic about that!?¡±)


    He turned to her with an idea in mind. He sighed and looked her dead in the eye.


    She still seemed fearful of him but maybe that could work to his advantage.


    After a few moments of silence, he grabbed her shoulder and slowly brought his face to hers. She wanted to turn away but kept her face still, fearing she might anger him.


    ¡°Answer my question honestly. Have you ever killed someone?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Her eyes opened wide and it did her no favour in the eyes of Tibaut.


    He squeezed tighter on her shoulder.


    ¡°Just answer the question.¡± He asked in a tone devoid of emotion.


    ¡°N-no. I was just a regular believer until recently. They found I possessed magic and had me stationed as a guard since it was mostly uneventful. A-all we usually see out here are wild deer.¡± She pleaded.


    ¡°So what I''d like to know is why you bastards are going around killing people.¡±


    (¡°Aren''t you getting off-topic?¡±)


    (¡°I don''t care.¡±)


    ¡°Uh, well, it''s for our lord.¡±


    ¡°For your lord!? Is there some big bastard calling the shots on this!? Huh!?¡±


    She curled into a ball and quieted up. It seemed she got easily intimidated.


    He nearly threw a punch at her but held it back for now.


    ¡°Don''t make me ask this again. Who is that lord you serve?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, how do I explain this? So, there was this angel that got betrayed b-b-by their master an-¡±


    ¡°Cut to the point.¡±


    ¡°Well, we serve that angel.¡±


    ¡°An angel that wants the death of humans? Aren''t they supposed to be the good guys?¡±


    (¡°It''s not unheard of for an angel to rebel against our Father''s wish.¡±)


    (¡°Our?¡±)


    ¡°Well, no, we''re trying to revive him.¡±


    ¡°Revive? How the hell does killing someone do that?¡±


    ¡°Uh, shit, I guess there''s no point hiding it. Is, uh, okay if I go see the bodies of those that died?¡±


    ¡°Firstly, follow me.¡±


    He had her follow him up into the forest towards the man he knocked out earlier. He looked to be regaining consciousness, so Tibaut delivered a swift kick to his jaw, took a leather belt from the woman to restrain his arms and used the man''s to restrain his feet.


    After doing so he followed her back towards the scene of their scuffle.


    She wasted no time heading towards the body of her ally without so much as a frown on her face.


    ¡°Cold face for looking at a guy you used to know,¡± Tibaut commented as he watched her.


    ¡°Well, I''ve only been out here for a week. I feel sorry for them but we weren''t so close.¡±


    She pulled out her knife and looked at the body for a few moments.


    ¡°Could we bring Turo over? It''d be a bit inefficient to do him alone.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter what you''re doing?¡±


    She turned around and didn''t respond. Tibaut sighed and started walking over to the other body. He pulled it off of the rod it was propped up by and dropped it next to the other.


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    She used the knife to cut her finger and opened one of the men''s mouths.


    ¡°As long as both are touching it should be fine,¡± she mumbled to herself.


    She drew a pentagon with various symbols unknown to Tibaut around and in it.


    The moment she pulled her last stroke if Tibaut¡¯s eyes weren''t deceiving him, something formed on his tongue.


    (¡°Oh, they know of that ritual.¡±)


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°I, uh, took his essence.¡± She meekly replied.

 Chapter 251

    Tibaut gave her a doubtful glance.


    ¡°Essence¡­ what would that be exactly?¡±


    She reached into the dead man''s mouth and pulled out a small crystalline cube.


    ¡°This.¡± She said, before handing it over to him.


    He took it and began observing it. It had a blue hue and gave off an iridescent sheen in the centre of each square. It had a height no greater than his thumbnail but was surprisingly weighty. A small pouch of these could easily bludgeon someone.


    ¡°Okay, so what is this ¡®Essence¡¯ exactly?¡±


    She looked confused.


    ¡°Uh, sir,¡±


    ¡°Don''t call me Sir, I''m only sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really!?¡±


    (¡°Is it really that surprising?¡±) He thought to himself.


    ¡°I knew you looked young but¡­¡±


    ¡°That''s beside the point, can you explain what this is?¡±


    ¡°...¡± She looked away and began scratching her head. Tibaut grabbed her cheeks and turned her to face him.


    ¡°Explain.¡± He asked in a forced tone that deepened his voice.


    (¡°Pft, keep practising and one day you''ll sound like a man.¡±)


    The woman broke out into a cold sweat and began jittering while doing her best not to maintain eye contact.


    (¡°Maybe it''s a secret that''ll get her killed if she tells me. Guess I''ll just have to force her.¡±)


    ¡°Promise you won''t get mad.¡±


    Tibaut raised an eye at this comment but gave her the go-ahead.


    ¡°Well, the thing is¡­ I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Repeat that?¡±


    He wanted to accuse her but based on her facial expression she was either a really convincing actress or she truly had no idea. And based on their earlier interactions¡­


    ¡°Ugh, out of all the cultists, I find the only one that slacks on their studies.¡±


    ¡°It''s not like that! I don''t think even the priest knows.¡± She hurriedly added.


    ¡°Really? Well whatever, so is this the reason your colleagues kill people in cold blood.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°Don''t you feel disgusted with yourself knowing you work with such a group?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Sigh Whatever. We''ve spent a while talking, how long would it take for someone to come check up on you guys?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think we''re supposed to report to the dungeon by the end of the week usually.¡±


    ¡°Dungeon? They have another one?¡±


    (¡°Oh, guess the cat''s out of the bag now.¡±)


    (¡°..........What do you mean by that?¡±) Tibaut asked, feeling greatly unnerved by that sentence.


    (¡°Well, I sensed something and I guessed pretty quickly it was that dungeon your group was supposed to go to.¡±)


    Never had Tibaut felt the urge to kill himself. But this thing that had taken residence in his head had him contemplating that action with those careless words. If he could delay whatever this bitch wanted by even a day then he felt his death wouldn''t be wasted.


    (¡°You''re lying.¡±) He flatly denied it and had to lean against the woman as support when he heard those words.


    (¡°Why would I lie to someone of your standing? Besides I''m sure that woman you had with you along with those other cretins would have made independent traversal an annoyance. So from my perspective, this was the correct choice.¡±)


    ("An annoyance? You had me fight Elizabeth and come here by myself because it would have been an annoyance!?¡±) He snarled at them.


    (¡°Yes.¡±) There was no hesitation in their answer. He felt like he was going to have a blood vessel rupture with how much his body had tensed up. A man who had eaten nothing but salt for a week would have a lower blood pressure than him.


    ¡°Ow, p-p-please I''m sorry for what I said!¡±


    He wondered what she was begging for but realised in his anger he was tightly clutching her cheeks. He let go and apologised for it, and it left her at a loss for words.


    ¡°Uh, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. Anyway, just show me the way to this dungeon of yours. I want to get this shit over with already.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡±


    They began walking through the forest and Tibaut no longer cared. Not about the cultists or their origins. He could figure all that out when he was in better company. He had only one goal and that was to do whatever this asshole in his head wanted him. That was all. If he spent any more time digging for details with the cultists he felt he would obtain more information from that voice that would make him want to rip his head open to reach that bitch.


    (¡°Silly, I''m not here physically!¡±) They remarked sarcastically to his thoughts.


    They encountered the tied-up rider and his horse nearby.


    ¡°Did this guy kill anyone?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Umm, I don''t think he mentioned being a part of the collection squad.¡±


    Tibaut hocked a loogie. ¡°Collection squad? Do you think you''re taking out trash?¡±


    She didn''t respond.


    ¡°So you say we have a week?¡±


    ¡°Well, for us show up in person. We have a piece of paper we write our signatures on, but it''s collected inconsistently. It could be tomorrow or three days. I don''t think they''d take it too seriously but they''d probably start looking for us.¡±


    ¡°So in and out before they discover me. (Just to confirm I''m not killing anyone, right?)¡±


    (¡°Nope, just confirming something. Though I don''t care how you go about it.¡±)


    ¡°How far away is the dungeon?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°About five hours on foot.¡±


    (¡°Even if they search her cabin in a day, it''d probably do me more good to get some good sleep, than risk going in there groggy.¡±) He thought as his fatigue became evident.


    With that decided, he began gathering tinder and branches to make a fire. The heat and the light were irrelevant. The only thing he used it for was to make good use of the leftover horse.


    He borrowed her knife and used it to hold pieces of meat over the fire.


    ¡°You got a name?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Y-yeah, it''s Agnes.¡±

 Chapter 252

    After stuffing his face with more horse meat than the average person eats in a lifetime, he began tying her limbs up.


    ¡°Don''t try to wiggle away while I''m sleeping or I might change my mind about killing you.¡±


    She nodded her head.


    ¡°D-don''t worry, if I tried to escape using my magic I''d probably freeze my hands.¡± She said, almost oblivious to how pathetic that sentence was.


    ¡°...¡±


    He continued tying her limbs up. With no more belts that weren''t his left to use, he cut up the reins of the horses using her knife and used that instead.


    (¡°You forgot about her magic, didn''t you?¡±)


    He did. With how docile and frankly, pathetic she was, the fact she was one of those that tried to kill him earlier was a distant memory.


    Tibaut gagged the mouth of the other man and tied him to a tree.


    He lay down on the forest grass and felt himself fade away.


    <hr>


    As he woke up, he felt a body of warmth beside him.


    (¡°I swear if I open my eyes and see-¡±)


    He opened his eyes and saw Agnes snuggled against him. He sighed and pushed her away. She rolled on her face and jolted awake.


    (¡°I thought you''d love something like that.¡±)


    (Yeah, if she wasn''t a cultist.¡±)


    ¡°Huh?¡± She said groggily. ¡°Ugh, what time is it?¡± She attempted to get up but was stopped by her bindings. ¡°Oh right.¡±


    Tibaut pulled out her knife and cut her free.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡± He said.


    She rubbed her wrists for several moments and reached her arm to his to pull herself up.


    ¡°It should be pretty quiet until it comes into view. C-can I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°Start moving first.¡±


    She turned around and quickly began walking.


    (¡°If I''m going to do your bidding, it''d be best to conserve some energy. So walking it is.¡±)


    (...)


    (¡°No snappy response?¡±)


    (...)


    The voice was hushed compared to yesterday.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Uh, this is unrelated to my question but are you okay? You''ve been mumbling to yourself a lot.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. (Shit I was that loud?)" His cheeks reddened thinking about how he appeared to her. "Anyway, ask your question.¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, do you mind if¡­. Nevermind.¡±


    They continued walking in silence for several more minutes.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey Liz, what''s the big idea?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°What big idea?¡± She responded.


    ¡°Sending that guy away by himself? Didn''t you watch him? What the hell was the point of me watching all those days you left if you just sent him off anyway!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that''s what you''re mad about.¡± She responded.


    Lily sighed and lay down in Tina''s lap. ¡°Quit it, Tina. You keep bringing it back up every few hours with a different argument. Do you secretly like the guy- Guh!¡±


    Tina showed no restraint clutching the little lady''s throat. ¡°Don''t say anything you''d regret. Besides I''m just mad Elizabeth sent him and him only. Why couldn''t I have done it? I''ve been getting stronger lately, besides you already know if a woman with looks so much as sneezes his way he''s finished.¡±


    ¡°Give it up Tina, even I can see is making you sound desperate.¡± The other woman in the carriage responded. She had jet-black hair tied into a ponytail and was of average complexion.


    ¡°Shut up, Nora. You just want to make me sound desperate because you''re too embarrassed to talk to that little boy you have feelings for.¡±


    ¡°Boy? Pft, I wonder how it must feel giving guys shit because they don''t want to deal with a man with tits.¡± Nora replied.


    They glared and scoffed at one another.


    Elizabeth watched as they argued but only had one thing on her mind. (¡°Should I kill myself to talk to her? Maybe she might forgive me if I explain the situation. After all, a God possessing someone would be big news and might cause problems within some churches.¡±)


    She had toyed around with this idea after Tibaut left.


    ¡°Hey Elizabeth, but seriously, are you sure it''s okay? I mean what if-¡±


    ¡°Stop questioning her. Besides, she said he was sent to a base of theirs with weaker security.¡± Nora interjected.


    ¡°Correct. It''s unfortunate but we can''t afford for our plans to be derailed by any unseen factors.¡± Elizabeth added.


    (¡°Thankfully they bought our excuse. I do think Furor was a bit ham-fisted in his anger but it worked regardless.¡±)


    She was in a long-sleeved shirt as opposed to the sleeveless shirt she usually wore and had a glove on to hide the wound she suffered from trying to use her magic. She had also modified her hairstyle as well. While this was a new look no one felt the need to question it. It was just a change in fashion from their perspective.


    (¡°Damn, I felt I could do it as well. How much longer must I train before I can handle my magic again?¡±)


    They were about three days away from reaching the dungeon and moods were higher than she expected, considering one of them had left.


    <hr>


    They had stopped to take a break and Tibaut could sense Agnes was antsy about something throughout their journey.


    ¡°Alright, say what you want to.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You wanted to ask a question, right? Then ask it already. It''s annoying seeing you so jittery.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, okay.¡± She took a moment to compose and breathed in deeply. ¡°could you maybe think of taking me with you when you escape?¡± Her words were soft but they nearly took Tibaut off his feet.


    ¡°Excuse me!?¡±


    ¡°So it''s no good then.¡± She quickly responded.


    ¡°No, I''m just-" He tried to regain himself. "Why would you want to leave?¡±


    ¡°Well it''s not like I wanted to be here in the first place,¡± she responded.


    ¡°Huh? Didn''t you join on your own terms?¡±


    ¡°No, well, I believed in the religion but I was drafted since I was unmarried.¡±


    ¡°Drafted!?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

 Chapter 253

    (¡°Okay I said I wouldn''t let myself get bogged down by this until I was finished but how does a cult draft people!?¡±)


    ¡°Like, in a war, drafted?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± She said, looking unsure.


    ¡°Alright, just how large of a pool does your organisation have that they can draft people.¡±


    Her eyes lit up and it seemed she finally understood the point he was making.


    ¡°Oh, right. You probably wouldn''t know it but we''re from a country in the west. The state religion or rather, the church controls the country. So if they call for people to help with various things we have to oblige.¡± She explained very matter-of-factly.


    Tibaut¡¯s eyes shot wide open and he grabbed her shoulders while staring into her eyes.


    ¡°H-hold on, you guys control a whole country!? Damn, this is on a bigger scale than I thought. Wait a minute so does that mean all of you are from that country?¡±


    ¡°No, we gather converts as we travel the world but you wouldn''t be wrong in saying most of us come from Terra Luciferi.¡±


    ¡°That''s certainly a name.¡±


    (¡°Hoh, now that''s interesting.¡±)


    (¡°Shit you''re here!? I better cut this short.¡±)


    ¡°So, uh, Agnes what was that question you asked me earlier?¡±


    She looked like she was about to pass out. (¡°W-w-why''s he so close to me? H-he isn''t going to reach into my-¡±)


    Tibaut snapped his finger, with a hand on her shoulder and Agnes snapped out of it.


    ¡°Oh, uh, sorry I''m not used to having someone this close to me.¡±


    ¡°My bad.¡± he removed his hand from her and backed away. Agnes sighed.


    ¡°(What am I thinking!? I should be glad he backed away.) So would you at least let me follow you until we leave this area?¡±


    ¡°(Well... She seems harmless enough.) I have no qualms but uh, why? Wouldn''t doing essentially get rid of any chance of seeing your family again? You did say you came from a country controlled by this religion so I can''t imagine-¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She used her hands to make an X shape.


    ¡°I don''t mind that fact. This whole guard thing had me on my nerves even before you came. Travelling was a pain too. We''d go days without eating and then when they started making bread with more beans than wheat they''d tell us to be grateful for what our lord has provided for us. Are you serious? I''m sure our Lord is fine and all at the capital but-¡±


    ¡°The capital? Huh, didn''t you say you''re reviving your lord?¡±


    ¡°They''re physical body is there though I haven''t gone to see it myself. I''ve heard they can even blink and breathe (Well, Father Daniel was the one who said that so maybe I shouldn''t take it as fact, uh no, he won''t be mad if it''s wrong right it''s not-).¡±


    As she overthought her possible future from this hypothetical, Tiabut sat in silence processing this new information.


    ¡°Hold on, then haven''t you already revived them then!?¡± He asked, concerned. He had only just heard about their objectives, so learning they were this far ahead embedded a sense of dread in him.


    ¡°Well, it''s not like they can speak or move around yet. At least the last I heard. Plus they''ve been like that since they were first introduced. But get this, I wasn''t even going to be in the draft since recruiters don''t come to my parish often but my parents sent a letter to the capital when they saw I met the requirements. Can you believe that? Sure I didn''t do chores that much but isn''t that a bit extreme? Couldn''t you guys just let me stay and read books or something? I''m sure I could have been useful as a teacher. Also, the fact that not even a month into my guard duty a guy as strong as you showed up is ridiculous. I don''t care about those bastards, there''s no way they can expect me to fight guys like you more than once in my lifetime. I don''t even like fighting yet they placed me here anyway just because of my magic, like are you shitting me? Sure I can freeze stuff but only if the fucking thing stays still for long enough. I don''t care if we don''t have many people in our group that can use magic, fighting¡¯s fucking scary. I''m not built for a battlefield, I''m built to lounge around my house and sometimes go to church. I just wanted a comfy life. Why did I have to go into this? Plus don''t get me started on how often they move around this parish. I have so man-¡±


    She kept talking and Tibaut found himself stunned into silence by how much her mouth was moving.


    (¡°Wow, she isn''t holding anything back.¡±)


    After talking to the point of exhaustion, her cheeks grew red when she realised what she had done. (¡°Shit, I said way too much. He didn''t hear that part about romance novels, did he?¡±)


    ¡°(For someone in a cult, she''s not very limited in her thinking.) You can keep going. It doesn''t hurt to have a conversation while we walk.¡±


    ¡°Really? (No Agnes, don''t let yourself get too carried away. This guy is giving me a chance to move away from all this. Don''t ruin it by saying anything dumb! I mean, I feel sorry for the Lord but I''m just not meant to live like this!)¡±


    They both stood up and continued on their walk. Tibaut sighed when he realised he had softened up for Agnes but swore to himself he wouldn''t hesitate to kill her if she did anything he thought a cultist member would do. Now that he thought about it, was it okay for him to agree to so readily bring her out of here with him?


    As they walked away, the voice lounged in Tibaut''s head, muttering to themselves with a smile on their face.


    (¡°Ah, I can sense it. This aura is unmistakable. I can''t wait to find you sister. And hopefully, you won''t run away this time.¡±)

 The Cerulean Maidens Reverie

    They were now, by Agnes¡¯s estimations, an hour away from the dungeon. They had taken another break and were sitting opposite each other. The only reason they had been taking breaks with a walk this short, (At least by Tibaut¡¯s standard. Any distance that was walked instead of ran seemed like a reasonable distance to him) was due to how poor her constitution was. Exercise and Agnes were no friends and this was painfully obvious by how gassed she got when they walked together.


    But that was of no concern to her.


    ¡°Ah, I can''t believe it.¡± She thought to herself. She felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest.


    ¡°I''m not dreaming, right? This is reality right!?¡±


    In reality, they were both sitting down and having a rest. In her mind, however¡­.


    The blue-haired filly sat on a throne adorned with blue gemstones. She wore a dress as extravagant as any royalty.


    ¡°Hello everyone, Agnes Bufuford here. And I think I''ve found heaven.¡± She seemed to be drooling in anticipation as she stared in front of her.


    Before she was an image of Tibaut.


    ¡°My mother used to say I''d never find the one for me lazing around at home. Tch, as if the bitch thought she had any right talking, considering she had to get an arranged marriage but suppose I''ll keep that secret between me and Dad. Regardless I suppose she was onto something. I''d never meet this wonderful specimen if it wasn''t for them sending me off. I hope you guys enjoy never seeing your grandchildren. Eh, now that I think about it, kids sound like a pain in the ass.¡±


    She continued staring at Tibaut with a content smile on her face. ¡°Ah, he''s perfect. He''s too perfect. Does a woman like me truly deserve such a man? Damn right, I do!¡± She said as she smashed her fist into the armrest of the throne. ¡°I fucking worked for this! Being around these idiots has been driving me insane. Serve your country? Revive our lord? Who gives a damn about all that shit? Why can''t our lord revive himself? If he''s responsible for humanity''s creation then he sure as hell wouldn''t want you guys busting my ass for him. I''m a delicate maiden yet they had me digging holes for them to hide in? I swear, those bastards, especially that old smart-ass priest, can go die in a hole.¡±


    She gripped her armrest to the point cracks started forming, just thinking about her time in the cult. ¡°But I prayed and prayed and prayed and my Lord finally pulled through. I got a man that can take me away from this nonsense.¡±


    An angel with flowing blonde hair appeared before her and she gave it a fist bump.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Lord Lucifer you aren''t so bad, ya know?¡±


    The apparition gave her a thumbs-up before disappearing.


    Despite her looks, Agnes was a very, uh, unique person in her mind. From the moment she had joined the cultists, she had been praying, nay, trying to manifest through willpower alone, a man that would take her away from this bullshit and give her the life of comfort she deserved.


    ¡°Just look at him. I''d have been fine if he was a 6/10 but he''s a solid nine. Plus he''s young. Ah, will he take me as is? Or do I need to apply my feminine charms to bring him home?¡±


    She began giggling with an eerie smile when the topic of his virginity came up in her head.


    ¡°I''ll take it. I don''t care if it''s gone, when I''m finished with him, and I ask ¡°Who took your virginity¡±, my name is the only one that''s going to come up.¡± She said. She salivated thinking of the things she could do with him.


    During her travels with the other cultists, they would steal books to get a glimpse into the culture of the country they snuck into. There she would discover her vice. Romance and more often, erotic novels. She had always been a fan of romantic novels in her home country but a whole new world opened up to her when she gleaned these erotic novels of foreign lands.


    She cleared her throat and scratched the back of her head after she realised what she said.


    Her face was as bright as the sun in this world but the bags under her eyes soon returned.


    ¡°Okay, maybe that was a bit much. But if anyone can go a bit far with my prince it''s obviously me.¡± She said while blushing. ¡°Hehe, I can finally live out my life like one of those romance protagonists. Hehe, this might just be the start. A chance encounter with a beautiful man? That''s usually followed by another suitor being introduced for conflict. Wait, maybe this one of those where I get a whole gallery of men after me. Ah, you''ll always be my number Tibaut but I wouldn''t be mad if you felt jealous every now and again. Maybe even mad enough to grab my arms and bring me to the bedroom. And then after you throw me on your bed, you''ll utter the words ¡°I''ll make you my woman, and my woman alo-¡±


    She was startled back to reality when Tibaut tapped her shoulder.


    ¡°You good?¡±


    ¡°Uh, y-yeah.¡± She stuttered. She hid her face as she started blushing remembering all the things she thought about doing with him. ¡°W-w-what¡¯s¡± she paused and took a few deep breaths.


    (¡°I guess she''s still nervous around me. Makes sense considering I killed her buddies.¡±)


    Like a whiteboard, any feelings pertaining to her fallen comrades were wiped clean from her mind.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked. (¡°Why are we standing? And why are my legs sore? Did I go on autopilot during that?¡±)


    ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked while pointing.


    She turned around and gave an audible sigh. (¡°Ugh, we''re here already!? Damn, I was at least hoping to get some action when I slept with him this time around! Uh, I mean¡­ugh, who am I kidding? I wanted something steamy to happen.¡±)


    Even her internal embarrassment couldn''t stop her from admitting this.

 Chapter 255

    A giant stone structure stood before them a few hundred metres away. It had carvings of various beasts, like ones he recognised, such as a lion and multiple others he had no idea where to begin with. It reminded him of a Greek temple but the pillars had a unique design to them. They looked like hands bursting from the ground.


    (¡°Is that a hippo with sharp teeth and horns!? What kind of nightmare monsters exist in this world?¡±)


    The thing that stood out to him most was the fact this building looked to be in immaculate condition.


    ¡°So that''s the dungeon?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± She softly answered.


    ¡°You guys look like you''re taking care of it.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­ it looked like that before we came here.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Seriously!?¡± He asked, raising his voice slightly.


    When he raised his voice, she seemed to be startled and backed away.


    ¡°Oh sorry about that. (Damn, it''ll be a pain if she''s like this the entire time. Who knows, she might think about running off to the other cultists at this rate.)¡±


    ¡°I-it''s fine.¡±


    He began scratching his chin. There looked to be several guards, standing outside the structure.


    ¡°So how are we gonna get in?¡± He asked.


    ¡°...¡±


    (¡°The security must be pretty tough if she doesn''t even have an idea.¡±) Tibaut thought to himself. ¡°Well, I suppose we''ll have to figure something out.¡±


    ¡°No, I was trying to remember something. How much time do you have?¡± She asked.


    (¡°Hey you red asshole, how long will this take?¡±)


    (¡°Hmmm, if this place has a similar construction to her other creations, then the things I need to confirm shouldn''t take more than a day.¡±)


    ¡°(A day to go in and out. It should have about a day of spare time considering I don''t have to run back to find them.) A day-ish¡± He responded.


    ¡°Well, I remember the guards for the main building being pretty serious a few days ago but I think they''ve fallen back on their old habits.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Well, if we wait long enough, they should start goofing off outside the temple. Actually, now that I think about it, they shouldn''t even be visible from here.¡±


    Tibaut turned around to get a better look at the men. They were playing hacky sack with some sort of leather pouch.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°We should be able to approach from the back.¡± She commented, watching them.


    (¡°These guys are seriously destroying my image of them.¡±) He thought to himself.


    They slowly continued through the forest until the temple blocked them from any guards that might see them.


    After entering, they used the pillars as cover as they made their way towards the stairway on the floor.


    ¡°I know this is a bad time to ask but are there any guards at the bottom?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°The place is pretty big so it''s usually empty. I think. I was only allowed on the first two floors but it was still massive.¡± She commented while fidgeting. (¡°Dammit I was doing so well! Can''t I talk to him for more than five minutes without getting nervous!?¡±)


    ¡°So we can just walk around?¡±


    She nodded her head and cursed herself for fumbling the possible conversation.


    They began walking down the steps and thankfully, they had torches on both sides to light the stairway. With only their, admittedly quiet, footsteps as noise, Tibaut noticed the voice in his head mumbling about something.


    (¡°What are you saying?¡±) He asked.


    (¡°Hmm? Oh, you can notice that. Well regardless, what I''m feeling from this dungeon certainly is positive. It''s a shame she has fallen this far since I''ve seen her but I suppose that must have done quite the number to her.¡±)


    (¡°So am I looking for a person?¡±) He questioned.


    (¡°Heh, don''t worry about it and only follow my directions.¡±)


    Tibaut shrugged his shoulder and left it at that. He just wanted to get this over with.


    After a few minutes they reached the bottom and were greeted by¡­ no one.


    (¡°For the time being make your way to the bottom.¡±) The voice commanded before becoming unavailable for Tibaut¡¯s questions.


    ¡°(God, I hate that bitch.) So you said something about two floors. Is that how many this place has?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°N-no. It''s more but I don''t know how many.¡± She quickly responded.


    Her cheeks were red and Tibaut assumed she might have been embarrassed saying this. (¡°Oh well, I guess there''s no use chastising her over it. We seem to be on pretty thin ice already.¡±)


    ¡°Have an idea?¡±


    She gave no response.


    Tibaut sighed.


    ¡°Do you at least know where to find the stairway for this floor?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Good. I''d appreciate it if you led the way. (Using encouraging language should get her to drop her guard a bit. At least I think. I think I read about something like that online once.)¡±


    She nodded and began walking. (¡°Aw he''s so sweet. Don''t let him slip out your hands Agnes, the Lord provided our prince, now all we have to do is seal the deal!¡±)


    They leisurely walked through the dungeon and as sceptical as Tibaut was, they encountered nobody. A few of the pathways had been cordoned off with boxes and barrels. The interior of the dungeon also was made of plain-looking stone bricks.


    They reached the next stairway and stopped before heading down. As they looked down, Tibaut realised another pair of footsteps were approaching and grabbed Agnes to duck into a nearby room. He covered her mouth and thanks to the light of the outside was able to observe the two leaving the stairway.


    It was a man with blonde hair, almost formed in the mane of a lion.


    (¡°How much of a pain is that to maintain?¡±) Tibaut wondered.


    The other was a plain man he paid no attention to.


    After their footsteps were no longer heard, he removed his hand from her mouth.


    ¡°Alright, let''s move.¡± He said.


    ¡°We might have to move quicker.¡± She said.

 Chapter 256

    ¡°Why''s that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°That was brother Leo.¡±


    ¡°Okay and?¡± He asked with unsure an expression.


    ¡°(Speak more you idiot!) H-he''s the man who usually checks up on us. I-if I have to guess, he-he''s probably going outside to check up on us.¡±


    ¡°Shit really!? Then let''s hurry up.¡±


    He pointed his head towards the stairway and although it took her a few moments to realise what he was asking her to do, she began leading the way.


    (¡°Hmm, it seems he might not survive this. Well, this is worth the sacrifice, so losing him in exchange for this information is no major loss on my part.¡±)


    (¡°What was that you bitch!?¡±)


    They hastily headed down the stairs and reached the second floor. Nothing immediately stood out to Tibaut about this floor. It was exactly like the previous one.


    ¡°(If this was a dungeon crawler, the floor would at least change colour or something.) You know where the next stairs are?¡± He asked.


    She nodded and continued leading the way.


    Like the last floor, various hallways were cordoned off with boxes and other than the path he walked, he couldn''t tell any difference from the first floor.


    They encountered several more cultists, but it was shocking how easily avoided they were.


    They reached the next set of stairs but Tibaut felt an odd feeling staring into them.


    (¡°This feels different.¡±)


    Whether it was his instincts or some other unseen force, he could tell there was something about the next floor.


    Agnes had already begun going down the next flight of stairs and looked at Tibaut patiently.


    ¡°Hey, Agnes, do you feel anything different about this next floor?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, not really.¡± She responded.


    He sighed and decided to ignore his instincts in the meantime.


    As they walked down the stairs, they had a few more words for Tibaut.


    (¡°Hmm, based on the distance, I''d say you have two more floors to go down, excluding this one.¡±)


    (¡°Really? Thank God, it''d suck if this place was as deep as Mementos.¡±)


    They continued down and reached the third floor. There were no torches on this floor. And the silence was almost eerie. On the other floors the background noise of conversations of other people, and walking could be noticed if one really focused, but there was none of that here.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Hmm, guess there''s no harm in doing this now.¡±


    He created a small flame from his hand and thankfully, the major pain he felt from using his magic had subsided. He still felt sore doing it but he no longer screamed from the pain.


    As his flame lit up the surroundings, this floor of the dungeon was already different from the other floors. It was much darker than the other two.


    (¡°The floor above was darker than the earlier one but it seems you''re lacking when it comes to differentiating colours.¡±)


    He decided giving her no attention was the best course of action. He looked around and noticed dust on the floor.


    He bent down and wiped some off the floor with his finger. It had no obvious effect, so it wasn''t poisonous. But it was too white to merely be regular dust.


    ¡°Hey, Agnes, what is this stuff?¡± He asked, pointing it towards her.


    ¡°I''m not sure. Father Daniel always tells us not to head to the lower floors. I don''t think I''ve seen powder like that anywhere else in the dungeon.¡± She said. She continued observing the powder but nothing came to her mind.


    Tibaut shrugged his shoulders. Figuring out what this powder was wasn''t going to finish his task any faster.


    ¡°You walk forward, it''ll buy me some time to attack if they see you first.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    (¡°I probably could have worded that better. I made it sound like she was a meat shield or something.¡±) He lamented. She had already gotten in front of him so there was no point trying to take back what he said.


    They continued walking and Tibaut noticed murals on the wall. They seemed to be fires, though at their size it''d be more appropriate to call them embers.


    They continued walking and noticed another difference compared to the first two floors. There weren¡¯t any boxes or containers of any kind blocking off areas.


    They stopped at a four-way intersection, unsure of where to go.


    ¡°Well, shit. I guess this wouldn''t be a dungeon if it didn''t branch off in various directions.¡± He said. He observed each of the three directions available to them and none of them had any distinguishing features. No symbols, no different coloured paths. Hell, by his eyes they looked to be of even width and height as well.


    ¡°Any ideas?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°No. S-sorry.¡± She responded as she twiddled her fingers.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it.¡± He said as he patted her shoulder.


    As she tried to contain her joy, Tibaut was busy thinking of the path to take.


    (¡°Hmm, I''ve heard in a maze you''re always supposed to walk left. It should work in a dungeon right?¡±)


    With nothing but a vague rumour he had heard in his previous left, he wasted no time choosing the left path.


    They saw nothing but the same terrain for several minutes until Tibaut stopped Agnes from stepping on an obvious button.


    ¡°Be more careful Agnes, who knows what could have happened if you stepped on that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She responded with her head held down.


    ¡°Just keep an eye out for them. Actually, I don''t think I''ve heard a single footstep so we can switch around if you''d like.¡±


    She formed her arms in a cross and shook her head. ¡°No, it''s fine. (Urgh, I was hoping for something to happen. Oh well, even helping him out like this should close some gaps between us.¡±) She hoped anyway.


    For most of their exploration, she couldn''t help but imagine fantasies about him. Most would consider this putting the cart before the horse but she wanted instant gratification more than anything.


    They continued walking but they heard something lurking further ahead.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose they must have recommended this place as our base proper, for a reason.¡±


    Father Daniel was in front of a giant gate. It looked cracked but he knew better than anyone that must have been an aesthetic choice. It was anything but weak.


    As he looked at it, in his hand was a light pouch of divine powder.


    ¡°It seems the powder¡¯s effects are amplified in this dungeon.¡±

 Chapter 257

    ¡°However, I can''t exactly say I''m pleased with these results¡­¡± he continued.


    He had a notepad on a nearby stone pillar. The room had damage all around it, including several of the pillars being knocked over in addition to several sword marks and indents in the walls.


    The notepad had various names with either an x or a tick next to them. The amount of names with a tick next to them could be counted with one hand.


    ¡°I was somewhat curious about what other effects the powder could have been after Zama''s explanation. But it seems it''d be better to run tests on the more magically inclined.¡±


    He opened his pouch and looked inside. He rolled his eyes after looking inside and set it down next to his notepad.


    ¡°I don''t even have enough here to access that transformation Saito went through.¡± He said, in faux disappointment. ¡°Hmph, as if I need it. There would be no point with such a power if it left me dead.¡±


    Outside of the room he inhabited, he heard footsteps outside.


    ¡°Thankfully they seem quite docile to me. I''m not sure if it''s due to my prior exposure to the powder but nevertheless, I can imagine this discovery being a novelty to those in Akumia. Unfortunately, they seem aggressive to anyone not in contact with it. One nearly took Leo''s head off, so I don''t see them being used alongside the rabble. However, I do imagine some of the bishops would find this interesting.¡±


    He looked around the room and sat down on the broken pillar.


    He stretched out and yawned.


    ¡°Now to devise our escape. By my estimations, we only have a few more weeks until the adventurers show up. Pft and even that is being cautious, they might end up overrunning that other base and calling it their victory.¡± He said before giggling.


    He moved his legs to lay on the pillar and soon fell asleep.


    <hr>


    Tibaut quickly dimmed his flame and grabbed Agnes to drag her into a nearby room. It was empty so Tibaut would have to rely on the darkness alone to hide them.


    They heard footsteps slowly approaching and Tibaut covered Agnes¡¯s mouth as they hid. The footsteps slowly got closer and closer but no shouting or attacking followed.


    (¡°Are we alright?¡±) The footsteps eventually stopped but they never faded off in the distance. Now, either this person was capable of teleporting or they remained silent in the hopes whatever they heard came into this room slipped up.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Tibaut being the reasonable person he was, assumed the latter. With the pair so closely together, (Tibaut had decided to wrap his arm around Agnes, to prevent any funny business on her end) it would be quite inconvenient if this mystery enemy were to attack. If it was a weak attack it would only damage Agnes, but he already wasn''t a fan of that. However, if the enemy had some firepower behind them, they could easily kill both of them with one attack.


    Tibaut tried to communicate through feel for Agnes to go beside him but it seemed she didn''t get the message. Or ignored it.


    (¡°H-he¡¯s hugging me¡­ Ah, is this what affection is like?¡±) She thought with a smile on her covered mouth.


    She wouldn''t budge and with his arm across her torso, he could feel her increased heartbeat.


    (¡°Shit, is she afraid? Damnit why''d she have to seize up now of all places!¡±)


    Tibaut decided to turn around to have her facing the corner instead of cramping himself in the corner.


    (¡°Come on Tibaut, you''ve seen what these guys are capable of. If it''s only one of them it''s gonna be a cinch.¡±)


    He slowly got himself ready and quickly summoned a flame with his hand. He turned and immediately stumbled backwards when he saw what was in front of him.


    ¡°Huh, are you oka- Eeek!?¡±


    As Agnes turned around she immediately backed into the corner, witnessing what Tibaut saw.


    Tibaut threw his arm forward to throw a fireball but stopped at the last moment.


    Agnes was on the floor with her legs spread out, mumbling as her teeth clattered together.


    ¡°P-p-p-p¡± He stuttered.


    She wanted to ask ¡°Please don''t kill me!¡± But the words wouldn''t come out. She looked away in fear with tears in her eyes. The fearless could look death in the face but unfortunately for her, she wasn''t a part of this elite group.


    After a few moments, Tibaut tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to him but was confused as to why they were even alive in the first.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She looked at Tibaut confused.


    ¡°I guess she''s friendly?¡±


    Before them was a woman. They knew because of her long hair, her breasts and various other features. But she had things women normally didn''t have. Like horns of the bull variety. They had the gloss of a polished countertop and were as black as a rhinoceros beetle.


    She also had pale skin with a slight blue hue to it. Her hair was also strange. It was black but had a blonde iridescent to it. Was hair like that considered normal in this world?


    To top off the strangeness, regarding her humanity at least, she had a single wing on her. It looked like a crow''s and had a similar size to her arm.


    She stood only several inches away, with her eyes focused on Tibaut. She didn''t speak, she didn''t look angry nor did she walk closer. She only looked at him even as he was about to throw his fireball.


    Focusing on an aspect of her that wasn''t related to her body, she wasn''t wearing a top of any kind. She wore only a cloth to hide her nether regions and Tibaut was fairly certain if a strong breeze blew on it, he could see everything that cloth was hiding.


    ¡°Friend of yours?¡± He asked.

 Chapter 258

    The man with bright blonde hair approached the cabin with his subordinate. They seemed to be in no rush as they approached it.


    ¡°The horses aren''t here.¡± Brother Leo said before sighing. He rubbed the middle of his temple and paused his footsteps. The exasperation on his face was evident to anyone with eyes.


    ¡°Don''t be like that, brother Leo.¡± His subordinate said, trying to lighten his mood. ¡°Perhaps they''ve finally remembered to place them in the stables.¡±


    He turned to his subordinate and placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Would you bet on it?¡±


    His subordinate looked away from him and began scratching his head.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought so.¡±


    They continued walking and entered the cabin. It was empty. As usual.


    ¡°What do they even do that requires them to always be out? Are deers that fun to chase around!?¡± He shouted.


    The other man had already begun scouring the room. He held a piece of paper in the air.


    ¡°I found the daily attendance sheet, sir.¡±


    He walked over and gave it to him.


    ¡°Oh well, at least they-¡± He got a better look at the paper. ¡°Oh for the love of- this is from yesterday!¡± He shouted before throwing the paper to the floor.


    He went outside and lo and behold the attendance record for today was left in a window sill.


    ¡°Those useless little-! They''ve been gone since yesterday!?¡± Brother Leo was starting to become red in the face. ¡°You!¡± He shouted at his subordinate.


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± He said, sounding defeated.


    ¡°Find them immediately and tell them to report to the first floor of the dungeon in my quarters!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He immediately started jogging off.


    ¡°These useless bastards, now that I think about it, a woman was introduced to their group recently. The idiots better not be doing this to hide their activities from my eyes.¡±


    He slammed the cabin¡¯s door and headed into the forest himself to find these men.


    <hr>


    They both stared at the woman in front of them in wonder. If Tibaut didn''t know any better he might have suspected she was a succubus.


    ¡°Friend of yours?¡± He asked while giving the woman before them a healthy stare


    Agnes vehemently shook her head. ¡°I don''t even know what she is. Did we have another rexman in our ranks?¡± She asked the figure before them.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    They didn''t respond and only stared at Tibaut blankly.


    ¡°(Hey, set your sights on some other guy, this one''s taken!) But she doesn''t have any feathers on her other than her wing. Plus I''ve never heard of one with wings on their back...¡±


    ¡°(What the hell¡¯s a Rexman? Eh, that can wait.) So you''re clueless about her too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Agnes said. She held her head down in shame, feeling useless she couldn''t provide the answer Tibaut wanted.


    During this whole time, the strange woman had her eyes only focused on Tibaut. He was starting to feel awkward from her stares.


    ¡°So, uh, who are you?¡± He asked.


    She simply tilted her head at him, staring at him blank-eyed. He walked over to her and tapped her shoulder.


    ¡°Um, hello?¡±


    She continued looking into his face but gave no response.


    ¡°Hey Agnes, let''s get moving, whatever she is, she doesn''t seem dangerous. (I don''t like the fact Agnes doesn''t know what she is but I guess I should be glad it didn''t end up causing a fight.)¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡±


    They both left the room and continued to explore the dungeon. They also had a guest decide to follow them.


    ¡°Tibaut¡­¡± Agnes muttered when she turned around. The discomfort was etched on her face.


    ¡°I realise she''s there too.¡± Tibaut calmly responded.


    A few feet behind, the weird one-winged girl was following them. Tibaut stopped again and tried to communicate with her.


    (¡°Alright, what about writing?¡±)


    He looked around the floor and began gathering some dust together. Before Agnes could ask what he was doing, he used his finger to write a message in the dust.


    ¡°Can you understand this?¡±


    The woman paid the writing on the floor no mind and continued staring at it. He pointed at it but her gaze wouldn''t leave his face.


    Thinking ¡°Screw it,¡± he asked Agnes to write the message on his face and she quickly did so.


    The pale woman did not react.


    ¡°She can''t speak and can''t read. She hasn''t made a sound either. Wait, you said your lord was an angel right?¡± Tibaut asked.


    Agnes nodded her head.


    ¡°Hmm, maybe she''s one as well.¡± He suggested.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Agnes sounded intrigued by this idea. ¡°Actually, I do remember the mention of our Lord''s wings being stained black.¡± As Agnes thought about this her face grew paler and she began shivering. ¡°Huh!? An angel here? N-no way!!¡± She shouted.


    ¡°Shhh¡± Tibaut said before placing his finger over her mouth. ¡°What''s the matter if it''s an angel?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh, it''s, uh, they''re very strong.¡± She communicated while trying to calm herself down.


    ¡°How strong exactly?¡±


    Agnes had leaned against a wall to calm herself down.


    ¡°I''ve heard one would have no problems wiping out a small state if it so decided.¡±


    ¡°One?¡±


    She nodded her head.


    ¡°Shit, is she really that dangerous?¡± Tibaut asked, visibly showing worry himself. ¡°I guess we should be glad she doesn''t feel like doing any exercise.¡±


    After hearing that unnerving fact, I''d be lying to say Tibaut enjoyed having her so close to them but he felt trying to shoo her away might make their situation substantially worse.


    (¡°You know of all the things I expected to find in a dungeon, this wasn''t one of them.¡±)


    (¡°Hmph, you fool that isn''t-¡±) Before the drake could finish, Tibaut heard growling coming from behind and Agnes stumbled to the floor in fright.


    He quickly turned around to see the angel making the noise.


    (¡°Please no.¡±)


    She began baring her fangs and shouted at the top of her voice.


    ¡°YOU BASTARD!!!!!¡±

 Chapter 259

    A husky bellow echoed from her throat.


    ¡°YOU BASTARD!!!!!¡±


    Even in the dim light, Tibaut could see her eyes were blazing with fury. After that sudden outburst, he was glad his pants weren''t stained brown and snapped out of the confusion caused by this.


    She gnashed her teeth for a few moments as Tibaut prepared himself. She let out an earth-shattering scream before throwing herself towards him.


    (¡°Why is she angry now!?¡±) He screamed internally.


    He put his arms up and quickly threw them back down when he saw what the woman would do. He was left with shallow wounds across both his arms as he backed away.


    The pale woman must have put her all into it because her fingernails were stuck in the ground from the attempted slash.


    (¡°Where the hell was she hiding those?¡±) Her fingernails were substantially longer than they were earlier and noticeably pointed. They looked more like claws than fingernails.


    (¡°Shit, am I gonna have to fight her? Maybe they were just being hyperbolic with the small state thing.¡±)


    He threw a fireball towards her and she pulled her fingernails out just in time to dodge. She jumped into the wall and used it as a springboard to launch herself. Her expression had softened and Tibaut ducked to dodge her. She stood watching him just as before.


    (¡°You fool, don''t you dare compare that human-based hodgepodge to an angel.¡±)


    She kicked off the ground and swung again at him. Tibaut managed to slip past it and gave her a headbutt. Her physical capabilities seemed impressive but thankfully she only seemed like she could swing wildly and nothing else.


    The blow sent her back but she quickly retaliated with a kick. He tried to stop it by grabbing it in between his arm and shoulder but that was too much and he had to put his arms upwards, lest his head get smashed by the roof.


    He flicked his arm in pain when he landed and groaned. (¡°Yup. Stopping her attacks are off the table.¡±) But he had more pressing matters to think about. (¡°What did you mean by what you said earlier?¡±)


    (¡°That thing is no angel. Though oddly enough I do sense her presence from it.¡±)


    ¡°Is that person we¡¯re-¡±


    The pale girl was already in his face again, and Tibaut launched a point-blank fireball.


    (I shouldn''t have done that-¡±) Before he could regret possibly rendering his arm useless to defeat her, she did something he never would have guessed in a million years. She parried him. Well, parry is generous, she pushed his hand aside and delivered a punch to his torso.


    The blow rocked him but he was thankful it was a punch instead of a stabbing motion with her fingers.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    (¡°Did she go light with that punch? Fuck it who cares, the only reason she got this close was because I got distracted. My questions can wait until she''s dealt with.¡±)


    He countered with another headbutt and decided to back away this time.


    She reeled back and looked at him in visible annoyance. Strangely she seemed content with standing there.


    (¡°Ah that''s what it is.¡±) The drake commented.


    She ran at him and grabbed at his head. He ducked but was certain he lost a few strands of hair. She continued to swipe at his head while Tibaut narrowly dodged, not getting enough distance to attack with his magic.


    (¡°Got something helpful you bastard!?¡±)


    (¡°You won''t believe this but this girl seems to attack you every time I speak.¡±)


    Her attacks intensified and Tibaut did his best to parry the ones he had no chance of dodging.


    (¡°Huh? She can hear you!?¡±)


    (¡°Apparently. Well, it does seem she has some remnants of her within so I suppose it''s possible she can notice me. Hoho, this is looking quite promising. Is this where that bitch has hid for the last few years?¡±)


    Her attacks were becoming almost unmanageable. Some were able to get through his defence and scraped either his chest or limbs.


    (¡°Dammit I can''t believe I don''t have my armour, again! Also doesn''t that mean, you can end this thing by shutting up!?¡±)


    He tripped her and sent a fireball in her direction. She managed to use his leg as an anchor with her own leg and dodged a direct hit, although the blast did shake the both of them internally.


    He quickly removed his leg from hers and jumped away.


    (¡°I could but as much as I find her existence disgusting, I am curious of what she''s capable of. My sister must have created her for some purpose.¡±)


    She kipped up and started forming a dark matter between her hands.


    (¡°You bitch!!!¡±) In the time they both stared at each other Tibaut managed to form a few fireballs and sent them her way.


    She shot off some ball of pitch-black matter in her hands and it travelled at an extraordinary speed. It was only the size of a marble but it punctured through one of Tibaut¡¯s fireballs and set off a chain reaction, its explosion causing the others to explode as well.


    It left a scar on the side of Tibaut¡¯s face. If it had been just a few inches to the right, he likely would have died.


    (¡°Damn, her strength, the darkness, her insistence on staying close to me, plus my blows not hitting as hard as they used to, these factors altogether are making this fight an absolute bitch.¡±)


    She soon came through the dust of the explosion, but it was a casual walk more than a predator chasing its prey. She still had an annoyed expression but it slowly started to dissipate to neutrality.


    (¡°Please don''t.¡±) He asked.


    (....)


    (¡°I take that as a yes?¡±)


    (¡°La la la la la la la¡­¡±)


    Tibaut¡¯s face contorted as the woman once again ran towards him with her speedometer topped out.


    The bitch drake had decided to start humming a tune. It seemed this battle wasn''t going to end anytime soon.


    <hr>


    After over thirty minutes of on-and-off combat, the woman was struggling to jump at Tibaut or at the very least, grab at him. She was immobile and a look at her feet showed why. Up to her knee was covered in ice.


    ¡°Thanks, Agnes.¡±

 Chapter 260

    (¡°Boring. She can''t even shrug off magic of that level?¡±)


    (¡°Shut up you bitch, you nearly got me killed. Do you think I''m a joke or something? Weren''t you the one who talked about me dying being an inconvenience?¡±) Tibaut thought as tried to stop his rage from showing externally.


    (¡°It was amusing to watch you struggle.¡±) The drake said before giggling.


    As Tibaut was busy gritting his teeth, Agnes looked swamped with worry.


    (¡°I''m so stupid!¡±) She berated herself. (¡°I was just watching instead of helping for so long. He''s probably mad about that. Oh no, don''t tell I''ll be one of those maidens that pretends everything''s alright while he''s cheating on me and then comes home to give a me few smacks after a drink?¡±) While her mind was focused on pointless nonsense, Tibaut walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder.


    ¡°(I guess she''ll at least save my life, so I suppose her feelings against me aren''t too negative.) Thanks for helping me out Agnes, I''m pretty sure I''d be screwed without your help.¡±


    Her face became as pink as Tina''s hair, though the darkness of the environment hid it well, and had placed a hand over her face to hide her smile.


    ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± She meekly replied.


    Tibaut walked over to the horned woman and used his flame for light. She was once again docile and stared at him blankly.


    Everything from her knees down was covered in ice. She showed no discomfort so maybe she was okay with it?


    ¡°Geez you were a pain in the ass.¡± He remarked while looking at her.


    Since they had restrained her, he felt killing her would be a bit unnecessary.


    It was obvious from their fight that she was weak to magic. She kept avoiding his fireballs but had no issue with taking blows from Tibaut.


    He inched closer and closer to her and she didn''t attack. (¡°It really was you, you bitch.¡±)


    Before he knew it, she had a hand on his head, running it through his hair.


    (¡°For all that is holy, do not say a word.¡±)


    (¡°...¡±)


    Even though he couldn''t see her, he could feel a smirk forming on the drake¡¯s face. When he looked up, he could see the first emotions he''d ever noticed on the woman''s face. She looked to be cheery patting him on the head.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    They used their other hand to grab his collar and pulled him closer. She gave him a hug that felt like it lasted an eternity, (the lack of a shirt on her part also didn''t help Tibaut¡¯s heart rate) before letting him go, a smile still present on her face.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    (¡°W-what was that about?¡±) He wondered while backing away.


    (¡°Hmph.¡±) The voice groaned, obviously displeased by something.


    Instead of attacking the woman giggled instead.


    Agnes looked on in distraught. (¡°My Lord''s angel is stealing him from me¡­¡±)


    Agnes and Tibaut soon left, with Tibaut deciding to wave at the woman and more shockingly, her waving back.


    ¡°Well, I guess there''s more to this dungeon than even you''d know about,¡± Tibaut said.


    ¡°Y-yeah, I didn''t know this place had fallen angels.¡±


    (¡°Hmm, the voice said they weren''t angels but there''s no reason to have her believe otherwise. I mean, it''s not that important.¡±)


    As they continued walking, Tibaut stopped Agnes again. She didn''t even have to ask why before looking down.


    ¡°A tripwire?¡± He asked. ¡°Ugh, I guess that button wasn''t out of the normal then.¡± He sighed when he realised they would have to continue this floor at this casual pace if they didn''t want to set anything off.


    Agnes carefully stepped over it onto another darker-coloured tripwire.


    ¡°Oh no.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    A loud bell started ringing and¡­ that was it. They ran away at first but the only damage the trap caused was mild ringing in their ears.


    ¡°Hey, Agnes, how about you have me lead from now on.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± She said while trying to hide her embarrassment.


    <hr>


    In the bottom of the dungeon.


    RING


    Father Daniel looked upwards and wore a sour expression.


    ¡°Did one of those lobotomites set off a trap? No, strangely enough, they seem aware of the trap placements here.¡± He got off the pillar and started walking towards the hallway. ¡°One of those fools must have entered the third floor. I have no doubt the girls will kill them, but I should at least collect their crystal and show off his body to the others as a warning. They should really learn to listen to their priest.¡±


    <hr>


    (¡°I wonder what the purpose for that trap was?¡±) He thought as they walked deeper into the dungeon.


    The scenery hadn''t changed much in the five minutes they had been walking.


    (¡°Okay, more going left.¡±)


    This led to them being subjected to so many dead ends, that Tibaut wondered if there even was another floor.


    But finally, after God knows how long they found the entranceway to the fourth floor.


    There were no torches, and the floor had a thick layer of dust, with some shoe prints and footprints in it.


    (¡°Don''t tell me there are more of them? Nah, no way.¡±)


    (¡°She wasn''t the only one I sensed!¡±) The voice happily reported.


    (¡°Go kill yourse- Whatever. So you know where they are right? Can you at least give me a heads up?¡±)


    (¡°Don''t you think that''d be a bit boring?¡±) The drake said with a tone oozing with sarcasm.


    Tibaut had to stop himself from punching a nearby wall and began mumbling curses at the demon that decided to inhabit him of all people.


    ¡°Uh, are you okay?¡± Agnes asked.


    Tibaut took a deep breath and fixed his face. ¡°Oh sorry, I just remembered something irritating. Let''s go.¡±


    He began walking down the stairs and Agnes obediently followed.

 Chapter 261

    They reached the fourth floor and the colour of the stone tiles and the floor was unmistakably black. It wasn''t a dark grey but it wasn''t exactly Vanta Black either. It made the white dust stand out even more and Tibaut was starting to get concerned with how much of it was around.


    (¡°Seriously, what is this stuff? I hope it isn''t cancerous.¡±)


    (¡°Demons.¡±)


    That casual answer had Tibaut doing a double take. (¡°D-demons?¡±)


    (¡°Specifically the remains of them. There must have been quite the battle here for so much remains to be left behind.¡±)


    Tibaut decided asking would probably leave him with more questions than answers so he condensed his concerns into a single question.


    (¡°Is there a chance I''ll have to fight some demons?¡±)


    (¡°Possibly. I can''t believe there''s a chance of seeing any of those rats here.¡±) The drake continued, sounding annoyed rather than any sort of concern.


    Tibaut held his face in his hands and took a deep breath.


    (¡°If these guys are anywhere on the same level as the guy that attacked Elizabeth, then I''m screwed. No doubts about it.¡±)


    Well, this was the hand he was dealt and he now had an extra incentive (of the already many) to do what he had to quickly and then get out as fast as humanly possible.


    The walls also had a flame aesthetic but they were more pronounced than the previous floor. The embers had now grown to human-sized fires. These carvings stretched across the walls and as far as he knew throughout the entire dungeon.


    As Agnes watched his internal turmoil¡­


    (¡°Is he the broody type? Oh please lord let him be the broody type. I mean I''ll be fine with him being anything but, oh my, if he''s one of those morally grey types who does what he needs with a dark past and I''m the one to show him the joy he once possessed then-¡±)


    ¡°I gotta say, Agnes,¡±


    She immediately stiffened and turned towards him. He was already a few feet ahead of her.


    ¡°That magic is actually pretty powerful.¡±


    Now that he thought about it, that weird girl from earlier was insanely strong, which made it all the more surprising that Agnes¡¯s magic stopped her. He didn''t consider asking her for help because it didn''t even occur that it would do anything, other than put her in the one-winged woman''s crosshairs.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    She ran up to him and tried her best to hide the growing smile on her face.


    ¡°Well, I guess there''s a reason they decided I was worth training up.¡± She said with a stiffened face.


    ¡°(Yikes, based on her face she probably thinks I''m talking her down. Should I just change topics?) Anyway, I just want to check something in case we get in any trouble. Can you fire off that magic quickly?¡±


    ¡°Ye-¡± She closed her mouth and thought about it for a moment. (¡°Well the problem isn''t how quickly I can fire it but how long it takes me to aim it. Ugh, I can imagine the disappointment on his face if say ¡°I can shoot it rapidly but because I suck at most things in life I can''t aim quick enough to make use of it.¡± Sigh maybe I would have put more effort into magic when I was younger if I knew I was gonna meet him.¡±)


    ¡°N-no, it takes me a while to aim charge up.¡± She nearly bit her tongue when aim came out but quickly recovered. (¡°Damnit I even thought about not saying yet it came out anyway!¡±)


    ¡°I see. I guess it makes sense it seems pretty potent. Alright, for the time being, if we get in any sort of trouble, just stay as far back as you can and wait for the prime opportunity to fire.¡±


    ¡°Okay. (He didn''t notice!)¡± She pumped her fist in the air thanks to her slick recovery (in her mind anyway).


    The pair continued their journey and this floor of the dungeon was incredibly more treacherous than the floor prior. For example, they found their first body in a spike pit Agnes nearly walked into. In unrelated matters, this part of the dungeon also had spike pits, some opened and as Tibaut would discover, some yet to be found.


    (¡°A body? Wait is a skeleton considered a body or just a skeleton... eh who cares? How long ago did someone die here, anyway?¡±)


    The body contained only the metal of its armour and a sword or two were alongside it in the pit. Any leather or cloth that was there likely had been reduced to dust due to how long it had been here.


    (¡°Oh my, that''s about seven hundred years old, isn''t it? Hoh, so it''s one of these dungeons, I remember hearing about these places when she was trying to destroy humanity.¡±)


    (¡°Got an explanation for me?¡±) He asked pleadingly.


    (¡°...¡±)


    (¡°I should have known.¡±)


    (¡°Hehe.¡±)


    (¡°Don''t giggle at me you¡­ oh, whatever.¡±)


    He rolled his eyes and walked away from the pit. As they walked through the floor, Tibaut suddenly remembered the auto-mapping feature in some JRPGs he had played and remembered they had a base in reality. And by that, he remembered the fact people would make maps in areas they hadn''t explored.


    He couldn''t find any paper but wasn''t deterred. After thinking of the alternatives, he determined his shirt would make a viable substitute. His blood from fighting Elizabeth had left irreparable stains on it and he wasn''t sure if bleach existed in this world so he was probably going to toss it anyway (Not to mention the cuts on it). He handed it to Agnes and created some soot on a nearby wall. He convinced Agnes to stain her fingers with it to use as a makeshift pen.


    ¡°Alright, I''m counting on you, Agnes.¡±


    Seeing him shirtless turned Agnes¡¯s mind into overdrive. While he wasn''t as lean as he was a few weeks ago, he still looked better off than other boys his age and even some men (as long as they weren''t adventurers).


    She simply nodded while strongly clutching his shirt.

 Chapter 262

    With the amount of skeletons they encountered on this floor, it seemed more appropriate to call it a catacomb. There were some located in traps while others had been gathered around a higher-than-usual concentration of white dust.


    ¡°Must have been quite the battle here,¡± Tibaut remarked.


    By his count, there had been about twenty skeletons they had seen so far.


    (¡°Twenty-five if we consider the extra limbs without bodies.¡±)


    He rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Agnes.


    ¡°Hey, Agnes, why''d you guys come to this place anyway?¡± He asked.


    She continued breathing while staring intensely at his body. She had a smile on her face which worried him.


    ¡°You good Agnes?¡±


    He placed his hand on her shoulder and had to shake her for a bit before she snapped out of it.


    ¡°Oh uh, wha?¡±


    He quickly looked at the shirt in her hands and thankfully, it seemed she was still creating the (albeit quite crude-looking) map.


    ¡°Phew, who knows how many more circles we''d be travelling if you dozed off.¡±


    They had gotten sleep several hours earlier but he wouldn''t call it beauty sleep and to his knowledge, well, disregarding the existence of more women like the weird one he encountered earlier, no one was down here. And even if someone was, it was unlikely they would encounter Tibaut. It was obvious what he was thinking.


    (¡°You wouldn''t infuriate one of those women while I''m asleep right?¡±) He asked.


    (¡°Consider it like a¡­ what were those things called in your world again? Ah yes, alarm clocks. As long as you sleep in a timely manner you won''t have to worry about them.¡±)


    That was probably the best answer Tibaut could hope to get out of this bitch and he decided to risk it.


    He brought Agnes into a room with an empty chest and a skeleton he promptly threw outside.


    (¡°I won''t get cursed right?¡±)


    (¡°That''s none of my concern.¡±)


    She was joking¡­.. right?


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    He decided to place it gently on the floor, leaning it against the wall and said a few prayers before heading back inside.


    ¡°(Is this my chance!?) Um, why are we here?¡± She outwardly looked confused as to why they stopped but it was more nervousness about what being in this place could lead to.


    ¡°I think we could use some rest. You''re obviously groggy and I''m honestly not too thrilled about having to fight another one of those women feeling tired.¡±


    ¡°There''s more!?¡± She almost shouted.


    ¡°Uh, it''s just a hypothetical.¡± He said while clearing his throat.


    She breathed in deeply and sighed. ¡°(T-that women was fucking creepy. I don''t think I could handle seeing another one. Plus what was her deal putting her hands on him, bitch I''m the one who''s the protagonist here, not you, I don''t care if you''re an angel or a fallen angel I''ll¡­..) Whew.¡± She simply stated.


    ¡°Anyway, I''ve been meaning to ask.¡±


    She perked up and looked interested. As ideas flooded through and she braced herself, he asked away.


    ¡°What''s with this place?¡±


    She deflated like a balloon but managed to get some words out.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked, sounding lifeless.


    Tibaut looked around for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°I mean look at this place. It isn''t just somewhere you''d find randomly now, would you?¡± He replied.


    She rested her finger against her lip and thought for a moment.


    ¡°I guess it is kinda weird Father Daniel knew where this place was.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what does that mean? Are you saying you didn''t know about it?¡±


    ¡°N-no. When we came here we didn''t think twice about the place as long as we had a roof above our heads.¡±


    ¡°(I guess she would be too far down the totem pole to know anything meaningful about this place.) I see. Who''s that father Daniel anyway?¡±


    ¡°Huh? He''s the priest. (Huh, I could have sworn he came here to kill him. Oh, who cares, as long as I get to leave this shithole with a guy like this he could be his brother for all I care.)¡±


    ¡°Priest¡­(I guess they have official sounding titles in this cult. It makes sense if it is a force of some country. I wonder if they have anything weird in there like vice bishops or pope admiral.)¡± He very briefly got sidetracked fusing church and military titles before getting back on topic.


    ¡°So he''s your boss?¡±


    ¡°Basically. He controls the activities of all followers in this parish. I think the duties were divided between him and another priest but I believe he died a few months ago.¡±


    (¡°Another priest? Well, there was that thing Elizabeth did that was snuff them out, along with Ezekiel. Could it have been that? Shit could this be the reason why those guys in black are here?¡±)


    He turned to her and asked another question.


    ¡°Did you see any important guys that wear black!?¡± He asked. It came out somewhat aggressive but he didn''t care how it sounded. He had to have this answered.


    ¡°Black? The priest prefers the colour but I can''t say I''ve seen anyone else wear it. (Oh is this part of his deep and mysterious backstory? M-m-maybe I should¡­)¡± The thought of actually initiating any sort of interaction to comfort or seduce him left her as stiff as a brick.


    ¡°(What am I thinking? Of course she probably doesn''t who these guys are, considering what she said they''re probably on par with her boss. Guess that''ll have to wait till the others come.) Sorry bout that, I just heard about this group of guys so I was just wondering if they were real.¡±


    ¡°Oh. (Who could he be talking about? The bishops don''t wear black. Or maybe there''s some secret group he''s fighting alongside the church?)¡±

 Chapter 263

    After a few moments of awkward silence, Tibaut decided against tying her up. She seemed trustworthy enough and more importantly, he forgot the belts he used to tie her up in the forest.


    (¡°Damnit, she even forgot her belt. Why even wear one if it''s not keeping your pants on your waist?¡±)


    With the added pain in the ass it''d be if the map got smudged because he used it to restrain her arms, she¡¯d also keep the movement of her legs, unless he did something diabolical like tying her legs with her pants. Besides, the instincts he obtained in his time in the wilderness, should be enough if she ever tried to do something while he slept.


    ¡°Let''s get some rest.¡± He said.


    She nodded and the pair lay on the floor looking at the ceiling.


    ¡°Mind if I stop using my magic?¡± He asked.


    She nodded and the darkness now covered them. It almost reminded Tibaut of that place in his dreams.


    (¡°Jeez, how long has that bitch been in my head? If I had known-¡±)


    (¡°There would have been nothing you could have done about it.¡±)


    He scoffed and did his best to fall asleep. When he woke up, he''d head to the final floor of the dungeon and get the hell out to join back up with Elizabeth.


    <hr>


    The caravan had stopped again and its members had gathered in various places to sleep. One of these members had not gone to sleep, however.


    She swung her sword downwards but the damage was far too great. She dropped it and gripped it with her other hand.


    ¡°Heal faster you stupid arm!¡±


    She was covered in sweat and based on the light marks against various trees, she had been here for quite some time.


    She held up her sleeve and the gauze covering her arm under was a crimson deeper than Tibaut''s hair.


    She clicked her tongue and picked up her sword with her other arm. It wasn¡¯t the one Tibaut had destroyed and she made sure to hide that info in the meantime. And she could almost guarantee it would be nearly imperceptible in battle. But a limp arm, however¡­


    (¡°It''s not gonna heal in the two days it''ll take us to get there. They''re gonna notice.¡±)


    She sighed and sheathed her sword.


    She was in this situation cause of the person her goddess warned of. Should she have taken her word or¡­


    maybe the fruit this path will bear is worth the effort.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    A smile started to form on her face as she thought of the positives of having such a force as a subordinate.


    (¡°Yes, yes, after we defeat these brutes¡­ I''ll have the power of someone my goddess acknowledges. Right, he might not be on my level but he is still a special existence. If he can aquire the power that strange being showed then keeping him around will be well worth slight irritants like this.¡±)


    As she looked at the positives, she slowly walked back to her camp, wiped herself off and then fell asleep in the somewhat uncomfortable wooden carriage.


    The night passed and morning soon came.


    Out of sheer curiosity, Ruby left her carriage and came inside Elizabeth''s.


    ¡°Did you have to send such a looker away, Lizzy?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Ruby, might I ask you to keep your eyes off my subordinate.¡± Elizabeth sternly responded.


    ¡°Oh come on Lizzy, you can''t expect to keep a diamond like that to yourself? Or maybe I should call him a Ruby due to that lovely red hair.¡± She moved closer to her and began leaning on her shoulder.


    ¡°I just sent him on important business. If all goes well we should spot him during our attack. If not, he''s probably let himself be distracted by something unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°EEEEHHH? There''s a chance we won''t see him? How cruel Lizzy.¡± She sarcastically remarked. ¡°You sure love working the man, why don''t you repay him with you in a bed-¡±


    ¡°Could you not discuss such things so early in the day?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s just tasteless. Besides the only one he''s getting in bed with is Vanessa, so ease up Aunty.¡± Lily responded.


    ¡°Sigh, I swear the topics are always like this when she''s around,¡± Nora said exasperated.


    Tina was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°You girls are no fun. Real women can discuss things like this as naturally as they breathe.¡±


    ¡°Do ¡®real women¡¯ also ask other women about their sex life?¡± Lily said bitterly while crossing her arms.


    ¡°Of course kiddy. I guess that''s too mature of a question for you. After all, I can''t imagine you''re having much of the sex part.¡± She said before getting into raucous laughter.


    Elizabeth and Nora sighed while Lily considered jumping on her like a wild animal and trying to leave teeth marks wherever she could manage. After one slap on her behind, she ultimately decided against it.


    Ruby walked over to her and patted her on the head. ¡°It''s just a joke Lily, don''t be mad at me, kay?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, whatever.¡± She said before turning away. She allowed the head pats.


    ¡°I''m sure I know few guys that''d be interested in you, if you''re interested I''ll let you know as soon as we''re alone.¡±


    She pushed her away, red-cheeked and Ruby giggled to herself while poking her cheeks (On her face).


    In the other carriage.


    Kevin contemplated jumping out and running alongside the horses with the looks and faces inside.


    ¡°Fuck you say about Ruby, Girlie!?¡± Nigel shouted.


    ¡°You heard what I said, you hairy prick.¡± She responded with a contorted face.


    ¡°Would two shut the hell up already!¡± Furor asked.


    ¡°Make me you creepy bastard¡± Tina responded before showing him the middle finger.


    ¡°Ha, at least someone knows how this guy should be treated. Shame you show that treatment to Ruby. I''m sure your parents-¡±


    ¡°Don''t want to hear that from a walking sex toy.¡± Tina coldly responded while keeping her eyes on Furor.


    They all wore a set of nasty glares, each a hairpin trigger away from causing an all-out brawl.


    Kevin had a chill run down his spine just thinking about getting involved with these guys. He could only pray he would be able to leave quickly enough before the fight started.

 Chapter 264

    The blonde man with the mane of a lion punched a nearby tree in rage. He had been searching for hours yet they were at none of their usual haunts.


    ¡°The bastards, a woman enters their group then they go and do this shit.¡± His voice oozed with contempt and his face had more in common with an evil spirit than a person. ¡°Flogging isn''t going to be enough. Stripping them of their positions isn''t going to be enough¡­¡± He said while gritting his teeth. ¡°I''ll send them as bait the next time the adventurers get wary. Maybe then they''ll-¡±


    He was interrupted by the clopping of horse hooves. He looked ahead to see his subordinate riding along.


    He was going to ignore him and search on his own but that unmistakable mane along with the blonde hair made him stand out like a sore thumb.


    ¡°Brother Leo!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°If you''re that loud, I would have hoped you found something.¡±


    He slowly came over on the horse and came off.


    ¡°What are you doing out here, Brother?¡±


    ¡°Searching, just as you are. Have you found anything?¡±


    ¡°No Sir. You don''t think they left the barrier, do you?¡±


    Leo stood in silence for a moment.


    ¡°Eugh, you have a point. With no one in the cabin, we wouldn''t be able to tell.¡± Father Leo said as he considered the idea. ¡°If they''re being more brazen than usual they might have done something like that. Damn it, for the time being, go call the other guards and have them take over. Inform me when they notice something entering the barrier. And keep an eye on them, I don''t want them covering for their buddies.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I''ll keep searching. I''d prefer not to consider the alternative as I imagine Father Daniel would have them all killed if he heard of this.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really!?¡± The subordinate responded with shock.


    The man with the mane didn''t respond and continued walking.


    The man quickly got back on his horse and went to inform the others.


    <hr>


    Tibaut woke up to something warm by his side. They had quite a grip on him and although he enjoyed the heat in the chilly dungeon, he wasn''t thrilled with what the likely thing beside him could be. Especially due to the fact he could feel two mounds of fat pressed against his chest.


    (¡°Please don''t tell me it''s another one of the-¡±)


    He quickly lit the room up and to his relief, it was just Agnes.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Phew, just her. I guess she must have felt chilly. I thought temperature resistance came with her magic but maybe heat resistance being another part of mine isn''t the norm.¡±


    He pushed her off him and a frown made a home on her face.


    She could resist the cold. She just became more brazen the instant he fell asleep and used him like a body pillow.


    He woke her up and they continued their journey.


    <hr>


    On the third floor.


    ¡°Well, that''s strange.¡± He remarked.


    He had travelled to the top floor and to his amazement not a single one of his lackeys had gone past the second floor. He even had a roll call of all that were present in the dungeon with a few exceptions like brother Leo, who seemed to be wrangling the guards (It was sad how often this happened as soon he retreated to the lower floors.)


    He stood at the bottom of the third-floor stairway in thought. ¡°It''s unlikely the women triggered the trap. Is it an intruder? No, the guards would have noticed. They may be useless but the only reason I allow them to goof off as much as they do is because they do their jobs.¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I suppose having another walk through these floors shouldn''t hurt. I haven''t even mapped all the areas of the third and fourth floors yet. It seems the lord has given me a good excuse to finish this up.¡±


    He pulled out a folded paper with clearly labelled traps and pathways on it and began walking to the nearest path that was left incomplete.


    <hr>


    This floor was HHHHUUUGGGGEEEEE. At least that was what Tibaut thought. In the hour they had been walking, there had been nothing but traps, corridors and empty rooms.


    They had decided to go left for split paths and they hadn''t yet encountered a dead end. Yet they didn''t feel like they were going in the right direction either. The direction they travelled had gone on for so long that the map drawn on the outside of his shirt had to continue into the inside, with Agnes deciding to lessen the scale.


    ¡°How much longer are we gonna have to walk through this?¡± He wondered out loud.


    ¡°I-I have to agree, this seems a little ridiculous,¡± Agnes responded. ¡°Who would even have time for something like this?¡±


    (¡°I wonder how she''d feel if she knew her hobby was being ridiculed by humans of all things?¡±) The voice giggled before disappearing.


    They continued further into the dungeon until they entered what looked like a barracks. Various rusted blades, alongside untarnished ones, were on a wooden rack. Various skeletons were strewn about inside. Tibaut was sure there were more here than there were outside of it. The space was also quite large so it wasn''t hard to imagine a battle here.


    As they explored, Tibaut nearly had his heart sink looking at something on the floor.


    They had red skin and curved horns. There was a black stain surrounding them but he could notice movement when they breathed. Present on their back were bat-like wings, of a darker red hue.


    He turned them around and saw their eyes had been glazed over. She had fur covering her lower half but her top half was as bare as the day she was likely born. Her face was surprisingly normal, so hey, at least there was that.


    (¡°I never expected to see one of these rats here.¡±)


    Tibaut jumped away from her but there was no response.


    (¡°Worry not boy. This is not one of my sister''s experiments.¡±)


    (¡°Huh, then what is she?¡±)


    (¡°A demon.¡±)

 Chapter 265

    (¡°...¡±)


    ¡°...¡±


    Agnes stood behind, speechless at what they were seeing.


    ¡°I-is it another angel?¡± She asked.


    Tibaut remained unresponsive. He heard what the demon who fought against Elizabeth could do. What would happen to the both of them if this thing woke up? The only reason he was confident his heart hadn''t exploded in a meaty firework was that Agnes¡¯s voice was so soft it wouldn''t wake up a guard dog.


    He cautiously put his hand over her mouth and then coerced her to walk out of the room with him.


    (¡°Stop being so cautious you idiot. Get a better look at her.¡±)


    (¡°We''re not doing this asshole! I''m not gonna risk my life against one of those.¡±)


    (¡°Get a better look at her first before you start clinging to your mortality.¡±)


    He did his best to inch away from her silently but reluctantly gave her another look.


    (¡°Huh?¡±)


    (¡°She''s harmless in her current state.¡±)


    He let Agnes go and she was the first to speak.


    ¡°Is she dead?¡± She asked.


    There was a massive gash in her stomach travelling down into her left leg. He could comfortably fit his fist in there if he so chose. There was a dark substance inside her wound but she didn''t seem to be bleeding.


    (¡°She appears to be in a comatose state.¡±)


    Tibaut took a solid half of a minute to catch his breath before approaching it further. Agnes watched on in caution.


    He placed his hand against her chest and felt a heartbeat.


    (¡°Of course she''s alive, you idiot, you saw her breathing.¡±)


    (¡°Shut up, I was just curious. But how''d this happen? And how''d she end up like this.¡±)


    (¡°Do you not see the bone and dust around you? It was obvious a battle took place here and given the fact it''s been taken by new occupants it''s obvious the defending side lost.¡±)


    (¡°No, but¡­ how''s she still alive?¡±)


    (¡°Demons can live indefinitely if they don''t take substantial damage. It seems this wasn¡¯t enough to kill her. Enough chatter, kill her already.¡±)


    (¡°Woah, why are we doing that?¡±)


    Even if she was a demon, it just seemed a bit cruel to kill her in this state. She was defenceless and who knows maybe demons in this world could be reasoned with.


    (¡°Hmm, it seems your knowledge of isekai is making you reluctant. How boring. Boy how long do you think she has been here?¡±)


    (¡°Uh, well¡­ it can''t be.¡±)


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He remembered a statement uttered by the drake earlier and looked at the demon in shock.


    (¡°No way. She would have died by now, wouldn''t she?¡±)


    (¡°It seems you''ve figured it out. Yes, she''s at least seven hundred years old. Though it''d be more realistic to assume she was already over a hundred when this dungeon was sieged, so over eight hundred being realistic.¡±)


    He crouched down to get a better look at her and his fear quickly turned to curiosity.


    (¡°Holy shit, seriously!? Do they just look like that forever?¡±)


    (¡°Yawn, just kill her already, what''s the holdup?¡±)


    He looked all over her body but there was no sign of old age. No wrinkles and not a single grey hair. She also had immaculate skin for what was a demon.


    (¡°What? Want to use her or something? Go ahead but I''m sure it''ll impact your relationship with the blue-haired woman poorly if you don''t-¡±)


    Tibaut slanted his eyes.


    (¡°You''re gross. I wasn''t going to do anything like that.¡±) He said in disgust.


    (¡°Really? I''ve seen your memories. Besides it''s not necrophilia if that''s what you''re concerned about. She''s nice and alive, like in those lewd comics you read about with sleeping wom-¡±)


    (¡°Enough, enough, enough!!!! Why are you so insistence on killing her?¡±)


    (¡°If you saw a half-dead cockroach would you also not feel the urge to stomp on it?¡±)


    (¡°Ugh, can you at least guarantee she''s evil? What if she actually helped the humans out huh!?¡±) He weakly argued. He believed she could be evil but at the same time, killing her without proof felt somewhat wrong.


    (¡°Now you''re just being a contrarian for the sake of it. But now that I think about it¡­¡±) She went silent for a few moments. (¡°Ah yes, that did happen, didn''t it? Haha, do as you please with her. I can even give you a trick to rehabilitate her.¡±)


    Tibaut gulped at the drake''s sudden 180¡ã and broke into a cold sweat.


    (¡°...I think she can stay right there now that I think about it.¡±)


    No. You wanted this. Now follow my words human.


    He sighed as he felt her voice echo throughout his head. He could disobey but the only person that''d be a disadvantage to is himself.


    (¡°Don''t worry human. While I find your kind repulsive disgusting wretched filthy vile loathsome depraved detestable a mixed bag, you''re my creation so I''ll never purposefully lead you to your downfall. And more importantly, it''s been quite some time since I have tormented a demon. She must be quite useless if my sister hasn''t revived her. Oh, I can''t wait to see how she reacts to this modern era.¡±)


    (¡°As long as I''m not on the chopping block. Sorry Ms. Demon but it seems you''ve caught her attention.)¡±


    During all of this, Agnes watched him as he silently crouched observing the red-skinned woman.


    (¡°Don''t tell me he has a thing for women with horns and wings!?¡±)


    While that was true to an extent, this current scenario had nothing to do with that answer.


    (¡°So what do I do?¡±) He asked.


    (¡°Just release your mana. You''ve done it before, correct?¡±)


    (¡°That''s it?¡±)


    (¡°Yes, now hurry, I''m curious to see her reaction.¡±)


    He prepared himself and started releasing it but almost immediately he could feel something odd. Or the lack thereof.


    The atmosphere didn''t feel stuffy when he did it. As he wondered why he opened his eyes to see her wound healing.


    (¡°Oh it seems she has the ability to heal herself, how lucky.¡±)


    (¡°How is she doing that?¡±) He asked.


    From Agnes¡¯s perspective, this seemed like a miracle.


    (¡°W-were they communicating?¡±) She wondered.

 Chapter 266

    As he released more of his mana, it seemed the red woman before him had no end to her appetite for mana.


    He even felt the air being dragged towards her from how violently her wound was sucking up the mana he produced.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t as if his efforts were in vain. Her wound slowly started forming a flesh darker than his own. The fibres of her muscles formed strand by strand until the wound was completely covered by it.


    Finally, the skin formed and she looked as good as new.


    (¡°You can stop now. Unless you want her waking up at full power. I''m not sure that''d be a good idea but I''m curious how you''d handle it, so don''t let my words discourage you!¡±)


    He quickly stopped and stood back up.


    ¡°(Damnit, I don''t wanna do this but I guess I don''t have a choice!) Hey Agnes, fall back real quick. I''m not sure how safe she is.¡± He said while sweating bullets. The uncertainty in his voice was all Agnes needed to start hightailing it out of there.


    Her breathing was more prominent and he waited in bated breath for her to get up.


    <hr>


    It had been thirty minutes and during said time, Tibaut had been standing like he had a stick up his ass from the tension. He didn''t even know so much time had passed with his laser focus on the demon in front of him.


    He looked like he surfaced out of a river not too long ago with how much moisture had collected on his body.


    (¡°Hmm, maybe she''s brain dead?¡±) The drake suggested. (¡°She has been in a comatose state for over seven hundred years. Maybe there''s no activity left in that brain of hers.¡±) She casually suggested.


    Tibaut fell to the floor mentally exhausted.


    (¡°I hate you.¡±)


    (¡°Oh, such a shame. Well then, get a move on, experiment.¡±)


    He walked outside the room and found Agnes before they continued in the dungeon. She asked about the woman but Tibaut just gave vague answers, trying to hide his embarrassment from essentially eyeing down a dead body for half an hour while fearing for his life.


    They continued exploring the dungeon, (with Tibaut¡¯s BO making its debut) and found more skeletons and piles of dust lying on the floor.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    <hr>


    As they explored more and more of the dungeon its scale became more and more nonsensical. Tibaut was pretty sure he had been walking down here longer than it took him to walk around town when he was at Albus''s estate.


    (¡°We¡¯ve travelled a few kilometres at least. And based on our map, we haven''t even repeated any paths yet. How much much further is this path gonna go?¡±)


    Finally, after God knows how long they approached what looked to be a staircase.


    He ran over and kissed the floor before it. Before this stairway, there were various other paths, so it is likely the path they travelled wasn''t the only possible one.


    ¡°Fucking finally.¡± He said he hugged the floor.


    The walking had tired out Agnes and she took this opportunity to sit down on the floor to regain her stamina.


    (¡°Damnit, I''m so sweaty. Couldn''t they have just made a straight path to the stairway!¡±) She thought to herself.


    As Tibaut was busy hugging the ground behind him he heard footsteps approaching from behind. He slowly turned around, perhaps expecting another one of the strange women. It wasn''t them.


    Agnes hurriedly scurried behind Tibaut. Her eyes bulged in shock and her mouth was forced open by what she saw. Her teeth were audible clattering as she looked on at the person who approached them.


    They were shorter than Tibaut and had unkempt hair. They wore black robes reminiscent of priests. It looked like it had been used for some time based on the stray fibres sticking out of it along with minor tears at its collar and base.


    They had blonde hair and surprisingly looked younger than Tibaut himself. He had very sharp eyes that''d seem intimidating to most people. It was like he was silently judging you as he watched you.


    He continued slowly walking until he was mere feet away from Tibaut. There wasn''t an ounce of muscle on him and he looked even shorter than Jake now that Tibaut was this close to him.


    (¡°Hmm? Who could this guy be?¡±) Tibaut wondered. He knew this could possibly be an enemy but with his appearance, he couldn''t help but subconsciously liken him to a child lost in a mall looking for their parents.


    ¡°Sorry bud, but I can''t let you walk off-¡±


    ¡°Was it you who did it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There was a bell that went off a few hours ago. Was that you?¡± He asked.


    Tibaut''s face flinched for a moment and that confirmed the boy''s suspicions.


    ¡°So it was you. But how did you get down here?¡± He placed his hand on his chin and started to think.


    (¡°Uh, isn''t this guy gonna do anything? I was gonna suggest surrendering but it seems like he''s already doing it.¡±)


    Tibaut let the boy continue thinking in peace.


    ¡°Did you see a woman earlier?¡±


    This immediately put Tibaut on guard and he started summoning a few fireballs.


    ¡°Yes, I take it? Then how are you alive? They''d leave Leo a mess if I let them but I saw no scarring or damage on her when she walked past me on the third floor. Who are you exactly?¡±


    ¡°What is that woman?¡± Tibaut asked.


    The young-looking man smirked.


    ¡°Curious? I''m sure most outside the dungeon would be.¡± He said, seemingly unsurprised. ¡°Do you know of that boy we did business with? The one from the failed state that joined this country. He gave us a few of his women and-¡±

 Chapter 267

    ¡°And I decided to use them for a few tests.¡±


    (¡°This guy¡­ he isn''t just a lackey.¡±) Tibaut thought as he clenched his fist. (¡°Boy from a failed state!? Is he talking about Albus? So this is where they sent them!¡±)


    ¡°Now I''m not going to pretend it was a success. Out of the thirty under our care, only a handful survived. And based on the Saito reports and how they look I suspect you already know that¡­¡±


    Tibaut gritted his teeth as he heard this information.


    (¡°Used? Survived? This fucking bastard. So were they just used as guinea pigs for his experiments? Those girls were forced to be either guinea pigs or sex slaves!!!?!!! Albus you fucking bastard, I hope whatever torture you go through doesn''t end.¡±)


    The boy continued prattling but that was all Tibaut needed to hear to make a decision.


    He threw a fireball at him and the man dodged backwards, as if he had expected it all along.


    ¡°I see, this is going to be quite a problem.¡±


    ¡°You bastard? You did what to those women!?¡± Tibaut shouted.


    ¡°Why so mad? They were going to die anyway. Besides, even if the powder couldn''t be recovered-¡±


    Tibaut threw a barrage of fireballs this time but something odd happened. As they were about to hit, it seemed they slowed down before the young man. He quickly dodged them and¡­


    ¡°It''s sad that two brothers of the same faith can''t have a civil discussion.¡± The boyish-looking man said as he rubbed his forehead.


    ¡°The hell are you talking about!?¡± Tibaut snarled at him.


    ¡°Fool, the only way you could go by that woman unharmed is by consuming the divine powder. I don''t know why a fellow priest has decided to snoop on my work but it''s quite distrustful don''t you think?¡±


    Tibaut''s face was painted with confusion, so genuine that the man was rethinking his position.


    ¡°You''re not? No, you have to be. (Hmm, is he someone related to the bishops? I know no priest of his description, though admittedly it''d be foolish to claim I know all priests but I can''t imagine the average priest would know our whereabouts. Those bishops always have a few men of my calibre hidden away. Did I catch the ire of one?)¡± Tibaut threw more fireballs but he had no problem dodging them while in thought. Unlike earlier they didn''t slow down either.


    ¡°(Thankfully it doesn''t seem like he can detonate them at a whim.) Will you not have a civil conversation with a fellow believer?¡± He asked as he kicked off a nearby wall.


    Tibaut gave him no words and continued with his peppering of fireballs.


    ¡°Such a shame. But alas, I can''t allow you to do as you please. You''ve even taken a potential prodigy of mine hostage.¡± He said as he looked towards Agnes. She scurried even further away until she hit a wall.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    As he dodged another fireball he noticed Tibaut had considerably closed the gap between them. With both mid-air, Tibaut tried to land a punch but the short man had no problem jumping over him, using his fist as a springboard. But he might have been too confident in this as Tibaut grabbed his robe and flung him down to the floor.


    Tibaut felt an instant stop but no impact. He looked down to see the man hovering ever so slightly above the floor with his hands behind his back looking comfortable. He stomped at Tibaut¡¯s knees and slapped his face after he slumped down from his knees.


    He quickly backed away after regaining his footing.


    ¡°Listen, you''re certainly a decent priest but why don''t you stop this already? The gap between us is evident.¡±


    (¡°Human this is quite embarrassing.¡±)


    (¡°Shut up you bastard. Help if you''re gonna comment.¡±)


    (¡°...¡±)


    Tibaut rubbed his knees and witnessed the priest get back to his feet. (¡°How the hell did he do that?¡±)


    He hovered above the floor. But was that his magic? He also saw his fireballs slow down but what would those two things have in common for a single magic?


    (¡°It''s really quite obvious but I suppose it wouldn''t hurt for a monkey like you to figure this out yourself.¡±)


    (¡°Just tell me already, my life¡¯s on the line here.¡±)


    (¡°Hmph, you could have played this smart and listened to what he said, maybe even reached some sort of agreement. You don''t have my sympathy.¡±) The drake answered before going silent.


    He slammed his fist on a nearby wall and looked back towards the boyish man.


    ¡°Feel like giving up? Don''t worry, unlike our lord I''m capable of forgiveness.¡± He commented before yawning.


    (¡°Don''t get pissed off yet. I haven''t actually tried to kill him yet nor is he trying to kill me. We just felt each other out. I''ll just catch him off guard and get this over with. From the way he talks, this is obviously that Father Daniel, Agnes was talking about. If I kill him then it should be smooth sailing from here.¡±)


    He turned to him and the father looked disappointed.


    ¡°It seems you think you stand a chance against me.¡± He sighed. ¡°Oh well, it seems I''ll have to draft a letter trying to justify my actions.¡± He looked at Tibaut and smirked. ¡°I can guarantee it''ll be harder than breaking most of your limbs and sending you back to the motherland.¡±


    The pair ran towards each other and began flinging punches at each other. The thing that surprised Tibaut was how nippy he was. If he was in tip-top shape, they might be evenly matched back; his offence was too erratic for this current Tibaut. His size made his punches unpredictable in their destinations. He could just as easily aim for Tibaut¡¯s gut as he would his face. He would also chain missed kicks into flowing elbows into kicks then a punch, ad infinitum.


    He managed to defend himself but there was no opportunity for Tibaut to attack.


    If he only had his fists available.


    He moved his head to reveal a firelance and due to its unexpected speed, it nearly landed on the priest. But yet again it slowed the moment it reached his face and narrowly avoided it, leaving only a mark on his cheek.


    He kicked Tibaut and he had no problem moving back, using a fireball to keep the priest back.


    ¡°Hmm, slippery.¡± The priest stated. ¡°You move pretty well for a man your size.¡±

 Chapter 268

    Quick reminder: Tibaut was 5''11¡± and towered over the boyish man in drab robes before him. Yet he was the one feeling intimidated.


    He had no words for his backhanded compliment and decided to do something somewhat tricky. The priest had come with a torch but he placed it on a part of the wall further away from them. The light was in Tibaut¡¯s control from a flame he kept positioned at the top of the ceiling between them.


    He ran towards the short and somewhat arrogant priest, throwing a punch. The priest backed away to dodge but the lights soon went out.


    ¡°Hmm- gueh!¡± He shouted in the dark. He certainly dodged the punch Tibaut threw at him but what he didn''t dodge was another Tibaut threw almost immediately after the lights went out. He quickly backed away after it hit.


    The lights came back on and the priest looked amused.


    ¡°That was a good one. But I wonder if it will work a second time?¡± He asked.


    He wore a smile that was just begging Tibaut to do it. So Tibaut ran back towards him and was quickly forced back on the defensive due to their gap in offence.


    He continued to block and parry blows but it certainly wasn''t pleasant.


    (¡°For such a short bastard why the hell does he hit so hard!?¡±)


    Each blow wasn''t on par with Elizabeth, Cormac or Albus but they had a deceptive bite to them, unlike those people. But they didn''t hurt enough that Tibaut considered fully focusing on parrying.


    He went for a leg sweep and Tibaut easily jumped over it. What he wasn''t anticipating was a kick that sent him flying backwards. His gut felt like it was rammed by a scooter and he struggled to regain his breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    His descent felt odd but he couldn''t tell what about it was odd.


    (¡°It''s ssssooooooooo obvious.¡±) The voice said, sounding like a disappointed teacher.


    He tried to think about it but the priest was in hot pursuit with a smile on their face.


    ¡°It''s nice to see you won''t break in one hit.¡± He cockily stated.


    He came down with a diving axe kick that Tibaut decided to block instead of dodging. The blonde prick was still airborne and Tibaut let loose a kick at approximately the point he would land.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Which made it all the stranger when he gingerly landed on his leg and used it platform to throw another kick. Tibaut narrowly dodged it but not without losing a few strands of hair and being forced to back away.


    He essentially said screw after that attack and converted the flame that illuminated them into a fireball. The priest showed no concern and dodged while running towards Tibaut.


    Tibaut quickly formed another light and several other fireballs and lances.


    (¡°Screw this guy, I think I''ve seen most of his tricks to comfortably use my magic. Plus it doesn''t seem like he can create projectiles with his magic.¡±)


    Tibaut threw several smaller fireballs towards the small man, interspersed with a few fire lances.


    The firelances were tricky but other than them he had no problems evading. As he finished jumping over the cluster he was met by the face of Tibaut.


    Of all things, Tibaut gave him a headbutt, slamming his forehead with the priest''s face and used the moment to launch a fireball. The priest resolutely stepped forward, avoiding the attack and Tibaut narrowly blocked the small fist aimed at his torso. He tried to sweep his legs but the priests jumped up and gave him a dropkick almost by instinct.


    But with the priest now airborne, he fired a fireball he had formed behind him. The priest had noticed this for quite some time and with his height he was easily able to manoeuvre his body to avoid it. But as it flew under him and was about to hit redhead, it stopped.


    (¡°What? I didn''t-¡±) The priest briefly thought.


    He was now low enough that he couldn¡¯t manoeuvre his body to dodge it. Tibaut flung the fireball directly at him. He almost certainly knew this wasn''t the end but at the very least, it''d heavily turn the tide in his favour.


    The priest looked like he had seen a ghost and stared at the fireball dead-eyed.


    And managed to duck it after falling to the floor.


    (¡°Bullshit, that should have hit!¡±) Tibaut cursed.


    The fireball continued flying down the hallway and an explosion was eventually heard, shaking the floor slightly.


    It seemed he could only move his fireball once.


    His kick clashed with the priest''s and it felt like he had struck an iron pole.


    He formed and fired a fire lance at the priest''s side. Creating it in the priest''s field of vision had him expecting the moment he made his next moves. He dodged it but the moment after the lights went out.


    (¡°Screw it, losing a fist is more than a deal if I get to kill this guy.¡±)


    He planned to form a fireball on his fist after punching but that plan would never come to fruition. He felt his entire body come to a standstill. It only lasted a second but the priest managed to land four blows within that time frame.


    Tibaut was sent to the floor, clutching his chest. He shot off a fireball between them and Father Daniel backed away. The closeness of the blast left Tibaut¡¯s ears ringing for a moment.


    He returned the light to see the priest snickering. ¡°Please don''t use the same trick twice, it''s quite boring.¡±


    He stumbled to get up and leaned against a nearby wall. This was far from the worst he had been through but it would be a lie to say he wasn''t hurt.


    He kept his eyes on him and his hearing began to return.

 Chapter 2(69)

    Earlier¡­


    <hr>


    A mansion stood atop a hill. It was a lovely shade of blue and if your vision wasn''t immaculate it might have blended in with the sky at first glance. It was adorned with various blue gems similar to ice in appearance. But this was in no tundra nor an ice sheet. Long flowing grass surrounded the mansion as far as could be seen.


    In the front yard of this mansion, a woman sat down looking at the sky. She sat there with a smile on her face in thought. Why was she smiling? The reason quickly appeared in her field of view.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± The red-haired man asked.


    They had been through a lot. But after all of their struggling, they had finally been rewarded. This place was now a paradise for only the two of them.


    ¡°I''m enjoying the sky. It''s been cloudy lately so I''m glad it''s cleared up.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He said. The man looked up. ¡°Doesn''t seem any different than normal.¡±


    ¡°Silly. I''m talking about the sky in our lives.¡± She replied with a sly smile.


    He smiled back at her and sat beside her. ¡°Aren''t you the romantic?¡±


    ¡°Heh, please. You''re the more passionate lover, no matter how much I want to match you.¡±


    His hand slowly moved towards her thigh and started rubbing it.


    ¡°Aggy that''s not all there is to romance. Before I met you I was clueless. But now I have an idea of who I want to be for the rest of my life. I''m pretty sure no other woman could do that for me. Sure I may thrust hard but when it comes to romance you''re the master. I still don''t know how I got you.¡± He said while a mild blush spread across his cheeks.


    Agnes sat up and hugged him. ¡°Idiot, I should be asking that. I was just as clueless.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He replied in a raised tone.


    She laughed at his surprise and brought her face close to his ear. ¡°Really. I know it seems shocking after all we''ve been through and our first night together easing you in, l but I was a novice before I met you. Sigh The men around me were all either brash, immature or had sickening mindsets of what a relationship should be. I forever wondered if I had to walk alone for my existence but then you came into my life. I will admit however I had hoped this day would happen and refined myself.¡±


    ¡°That''s not fair now, is it?¡± Tibaut pouted. ¡°You had so much time to think about what you''d do when you found that special someone and I''m over here flying by the seat of my pants. That''s not fair to you, even if I put in a hundred times more effort loving you I''m not sure I''ll ever fix this imbalance.¡± He commented looking downcast.


    She smooched his neck and rubbed her arms against his torso. ¡°And even with that imbalance, I think I''m the happiest I''ve ever been in my life. The idea you''re a novice makes me excited to see what you''ll be like when you''re doing an amazing job. Ah, I think I''ll have to live forever, even heaven wouldn''t match what you''d give me.¡±


    He turned around and gave her a kiss on the lips. They had to restrain themselves from going any further and Tibaut slowly pulled away. ¡°Thanks. I''ll make sure I go past your wildest expectations.¡±


    She gave him another kiss and they both went to the floor in their vortex of love.


    ¡°Woah, out here?¡± Tibaut asked.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Don''t be so shy. There''s no one around for miles. This is our little oasis after all.¡±


    ¡°Hoh, I suppose a change in scenery is nice every now and again. The same background would make it feel a bit stale, right dear?¡±


    He lifted up her sundress and she took it off with no problem.


    ¡°Would you like me to fold it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Oh please, this isn''t the time to be neat.¡±


    She ripped open his shirt and she felt something rise in his pants. She briefly ground on it but stopped herself.


    ¡°My, my, roughness with a change of scenery. You''re making this one to remember.¡± He said as he pulled down his pants. Agnes was the one to drag them off and throw them to the side.


    Both were now in nothing but their underwear and Agnes sat atop him, looking to take the initiative for the first time in how many months.


    ¡°You''ve started these so much lately. I feel I have to remind you who took your virginity.¡±


    She took her bra off and began rubbing her chest against his while giving kisses across his face. This left him silent and created a massive smile across Agnes¡¯s face.


    (¡°It''s been a while since he looked this cute. Who would¡¯ve thought this would be the same man making me scream for release every night.¡±)


    As her now hardened nipples rubbed against his chest, she could feel he was now at full mast.


    She knew an opportunity when she saw it and decided to put her breasts to good use. She had grown so bountiful lately compared to when they first met, she no longer felt it was laughable to try this.


    Both her panty and his underwear had a wet spot but she decided to back away and pull down his boxers as she did.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± She bit her lip when she looked at it. ¡°Always the right size.¡± She commented before placing it between her breasts.


    ¡°Woah, what are!?¡± Tibaut commented unsure.


    ¡°Relax, I read about this in one of my favourite novels, you''ll love it.¡± She said before moving.


    He let out a groan before relaxing. ¡°Geez, you and your novels.¡±


    She giggled before continuing. ¡°I''d like to read them with you but I don''t think we''d get past the first page without getting preoccupied with other matters.¡± She increased her movements and Tibaut was leaking like a runny tap.


    ¡°This can''t be all of it now can it?¡±


    He was breathing in and out deeply in some vain attempt to resist his biological instincts. Once she put her mouth on it was all over. But that wasn''t to say he was done.


    She quickly removed her mouth and the redhead before her wasted no time ripping open her panty.


    ¡°Not another one,¡± She replied before putting her back against the floor. Tibaut was on his knees waiting for the go-ahead and Agnes slowly opened her legs, showing him the entrance to nirvana.


    It went in as satisfactory as it always did. Both could no longer hold themselves back and she pushed him down yet again.


    ¡°Phew You got some ugh spunk today.¡± He commented.


    He wasn''t deterred and he continued his upward thrusts. In combination with her riding, the slapping of meat could probably be heard for miles with a keen listener. No more words came out of either and they continued slamming into each other until they both had their greatest orgasm yet.


    After, they both continued to lay in the grass nude, with Agnes using his chest as a pillow and his penis like a fidget toy, gently rubbing and moving it around.


    ¡°At this rate, we''ll never go back inside.¡± He commented sarcastically.


    ¡°All the better.¡±


    A few moments of silence passed before he opened his mouth again.


    ¡°I love you, Agnes.¡±


    She nearly teared up at those words. ¡°I-i-i-i lo-lo-ve you tOo.¡± She responded awkwardly. She buried her face into his chest, to hide her blushing.


    She felt something touch her face and the dreamscape soon faded.


    <hr>


    She rubbed her eyes and opened them to see Tibaut in the dimly lit dungeon before her.


    ¡°Come on Agnes, let''s get moving. It shouldn''t be much longer before we can leave.¡±


    She gave a weak nod and did her best to stand up.

 Chapter 270

    As Brother Leo continued his search he heard the clopping of hooves yet again. He clicked his tongue and turned around. At this point he searched 80% of the perimeter, leaving only the edge remaining. But he knew the edge of the barrier was the last place those imbeciles would hide and was fully convinced they had left.


    ¡°Did they return?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No Sir.¡± He weakly responded. He was pale-faced and was coated in a layer of sweat.


    Leo was suspicious of why he looked so worn out considering the horse was the one that ran here.


    ¡°You have something important to say, so get on with it.¡±


    The man took a gulp and readied himself.


    ¡°The detection stone is gone.¡±


    What is a detection stone you might ask? Well in essence it alerts its user that someone has entered the barrier and their general direction. It isn''t uncommon to pick it up and carry it along when it detects something. But¡­.


    (¡°Those fools. Did they not bring it back? No, even they can''t be that stupid¡­¡±)


    He dragged his subordinate off the horse and threw him to the ground. He protected his face but the brother had no intention of hurting him.


    ¡°I hope the other guards aren''t playing you for a fool! Are you sure you searched the cabin properly!? I better not see it if I decide to swing by after my search later!¡±


    The man scrambled to bow down before his superior.


    ¡°No Sir, I can confirm!¡± he shouted. ¡°All drawers were emptied and even removed from the cabin and I even had a few of the entrance guards help me search for them.¡±


    ¡°(A search? Well, I suppose I don''t disagree but I can''t imagine they were happy about it.) Is that so? Then did those numbskulls actually-?¡±


    No, he refused to believe they would have taken it with them. This could lead to the base being attacked while being none the wiser and even if they were fools they at least knew better than to so blatantly endanger the lives of everyone here.


    He soon considered another option.


    He picked his subordinate up and brought his face close to his. The man leaned back, clearly shivering away but the brother paid this no mind.


    ¡°Listen to me closely. Ask, nay, request Father Daniel as soon as you arrive back at the dungeon and tell him I ordered you to collect a detection stone. Also, alert him that if I''m not heard from in the next day, to tighten the main dungeon¡¯s security.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear me!?¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The man responded before running back to his horse and quickly leaving.


    Brother Leo sighed as he watched him ride away on his horse. ¡°I don''t want to believe it but there is a chance we have some intruders. But if that is the case, what kind of foe must they be to kill all the guards without incident? At least one should have escaped if the enemy was overpowering them.¡±


    He looked uneasy as he walked further into the forest to complete his search. He hoped he was overthinking but he couldn''t help but feel a sinking feeling after hearing about the detection stone being missing.


    <hr>


    Tibaut regained his footing without the aid of the wall and threw himself at the priest yet again.


    His entire body stopped but he fired off a firelance from behind. That headed for the ceiling.


    As another punch from the priest was going to rock Tibaut he caught the attack out of the corner of his eye.


    (¡°What''s he- guh¡±) The priest paid little attention to it and suffered the consequences. It landed on his shoulder and he backed away before being hit by a clean blow from Tibaut.


    He slid through Tibaut¡¯s legs and kicked his knee from behind while narrowly blocking a roundhouse with his injured shoulder.


    (¡°He can move those small ones as well. I should have suspected as much. Of course just because I''ve stopped his body doesn''t mean I''ve stopped his ability to use magic. If only it were so convenient.¡±)


    He backed away and clutched his shoulder with a smile. Tibaut let him back away as he wasn''t sure he had the energy to chase.


    ¡°Seems like you''re pretty brittle,¡± Tibaut responded.


    The priest laughed and slowly removed his hand from the wound on his shoulder. It burned through the robe and left a nasty burn on him. But based on the way he moved it, the blunt force of it might have done more damage.


    ¡°haha Isn''t that right? I thought I could take this slow but it''s my mistake. I definitely should have brought my armour. Oh well, I suppose the time for play is over.¡± he moved his shoulder around some more clearly wincing from it. ¡°But I am cur-¡±


    The man who forgot his armour yet again watched on as the priest mumbled on.


    (¡°What the hell is his magic?¡±)


    (¡°Have you seriously not figured it out? It''s a wonder how you even got a diploma in the first place.¡±)


    Tibaut rolled his eyes. (¡°Shut up, I''m not stupid. I know he can slow things down or stop them entirely but I''m not sure how he does it. I''m not even sure how far he has to be on what things he can affect. So shut up and let me think about it while he''s yapping.¡±)


    (¡°But it''s quite simple honestly. He''s¡­.¡±)


    Tibaut listened in interest but an answer would never come.


    (¡°I mean this from the bottom of my heart, with every fibre of my being, I hope you fucking kill yourse-¡±)


    He was interrupted by the priest throwing powder around before running into him with a dropkick. He summoned a fire lance but he forgot something very important. The powder ignited and caused a large and admittedly weak explosion. The priest managed to escape unscathed while Tibaut was covered in soot and smelled of burnt hair.


    ¡°I''ve decided to fight smarter and not harder. After all, I don''t want to tire myself out. Who knows if you''re the only one here.¡±


    He said while dusting a white powder off himself.

 Chapter 271

    (¡°Using dust explosions against your magic. Hmm, not bad for someone of his skill.¡±) The drake commented. (¡°By the way, the general knowledge of how this explosion works is within your mind. Are you perhaps an amnesiac?)¡± The voice remarked.


    (¡°Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up¡­¡±)


    He knew how it worked but identifying what the priest was doing was another matter.


    The priest once again threw powder in the air around them and made his way towards Tibaut. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he wasn''t allergic to dust in this world and took the priest head-on. He was forced to be on the defensive once more but he knew the man before him wasn''t infallible.


    (¡°I just have to shoot it behind him. As long as he can''t react to it, it should hit. Plus if he turned around I could just slug him in the back of his head. I can''t imagine him being able to react to both.¡±)


    He was slowly worn away and his arms stung more and more but he knew the dust could not be airborne forever. And when it did clear he would take advantage of his opponent''s fragility.


    The small priest''s punches and kicks were no joke to block but it had been over a minute and¡­. The air was still filled with the powder. It was unusual really, it seemed more like fog than dust with how permanent it was. He couldn''t hide his reaction and the priest smirked when he noticed his face.


    (¡°The bastard, is he causing the dust not to fall!?¡±)


    He quickly realised until he knew the rate at the powder was slowed down, his plan was a bust.


    He tried to back out of it but the priest reached into his pockets and threw out more powder. The image reminded him of a child playing with sand at the beach when he threw the powder with both his hands. But he couldn''t say an image like that had ever filled him with rage before.


    (¡°It''s your fault for imagining it. I imagine I''d be mad if I imagined a child whooping me as well. ¡±)


    As he backed up he quickly realised there was nowhere else to go. Behind him was the stairway to the final floor, but with someone as quick as that priest following him, he couldn''t imagine he''d have an easy time in there. And behind the staircase was a wall Agnes had been leaning against, watching the battle unfold.


    But as he stepped away something else unusual struck him. Why was there still light? Surely the powder had to go far enough in height to reach the flames he created. Plus he was pretty sure he got rid of them after the first fire lance.


    He looked up to see a flame but it was not his. And he hesitated to even call it a flame. It looked like the freeze frame of an explosion. It was circular and did not move. And it was substantially larger than the flame he used.


    What that was would have to wait as another punch was headed towards him. Strangely he moved his foot towards Tibaut but from his position, he could easily sweep his leg. The other foot went into the air and Tibaut swept the one still grounded.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    And he soon got a boot to his stomach. He had to hold off from using his magic, lest he burn himself again. The other foot was swept but he remained in the air until finishing the blow and positioned said foot back on the ground.


    (¡°Oh fuck this.¡±)


    He didn''t care anymore. The explosion would certainly do more damage to him than to Tibaut. He summoned a flame and a much bigger explosion occurred. The light from it blinded Agnes and left Tibaut¡¯s ears ringing and covered in minor burns.


    He fell to his knees but the problem had more to do with the first whiff of air being filled with carbon dioxide than any damage he suffered. Clean air quickly filled his space and he was breathing again.


    (¡°Whew, that definitely should have¡­¡±)


    ¡­


    (¡°Are you really surprised?¡±) The drake asked.


    (¡°No. Not really.¡±) He said disappointed.


    A few metres away, the priest was standing with no new injuries or burns. And to add insult to injury he was surrounded by dust.


    Tibaut shook his head and sighed. His hair was now partially blackened from the soot of the explosion. If it weren''t thanks to his natural resistance to fire, he''d be rolling around on the floor in agony from the burns.


    (¡°I noticed that not all of the explosion happened at the same time¡­¡±)


    (¡°At least you''re learning.¡±)


    During the explosion, the part of it closer to Father Daniel took substantially more time to fade away than the part Tibaut was engulfed in.


    ¡°Hahaha, I haven''t had this much fun in ages.¡± The little figure laughed, without so much as a spot of soot on them. He signalled for Tibaut to come over by moving his fingers towards himself but Tibaut rejected, firmly standing his ground.


    But he soon had an idea. He formed and shot off another firelance. The priest realised what he was doing, but now he could get a better look at what the priest was doing.


    The wall of fire lasted for a few seconds before it dissipated and showed the smiling priest behind it.


    ¡°You didn''t think that was going to work did you?¡± He asked. He began throwing more powder and running towards Tibaut.


    (¡°Shit, that didn''t help in the slightest. It just confirmed what I knew. Well whatever, he¡¯s fragile, I guess I can try to trade blows.¡±)


    He ran towards him and took a nasty-sounding punch towards his abdomen. He had to hold back the meal he ate over a day ago and try to retaliate. He landed a punch but it felt too shallow. The priest immediately backed away after his punch, with a red nose.


    ¡°Keep using these tricks and the fight¡¯s not gonna last much longer.¡±


    Tibaut had a coughing fit after but thankfully there was no blood coming out of his mouth.


    The priest began eyeing him up and with his hand on his chin. ¡°This point should be good.¡± He mumbled. ¡°Sorry, my fellow, but I think it''s about time I ended this.¡±


    He ran towards him and Tibaut like before blocked his attack. But this time his body stopped entirely. He instinctively created a fire lance and subjected himself to yet another dust explosion. The burns weren''t anything to worry about but the bruises were starting to show.


    (¡°I guess there''s more to worry than just fire in an explosion.¡±)


    He heard a faint voice say. ¡°Screw it.¡± to his amazement when the wall of flame before him disappeared, the airborne dust was gone and the priest now had a burnt hand.


    He threw another punch but Tibaut knew better at this point and narrowly dodged as he recovered. Yet he was still stopped. He launched another fire lance he prepared behind the priest but Daniel quickly went between him and the lance and landed a blow to his kidney.


    When he regained control of his body he kneeled over and moved forward, blocking the next blow.

 Chapter 272

    Father Daniel seemed serious this time and stopped him again, landing another punch to his side and head.


    Tibaut gained movement once more but this was too much. He assumed his magic worked by touch but this was thrown out the window by him constantly stopping Tibaut without touch.


    He did his best to block and dodge in the brief gaps Daniel allowed but he was slowly whittled down by the man nearly 3/4 his height. Each moment he regained his movement he believed this would be the last time it happened, only to be met by disappointment when the priest continued his onslaught. Father Daniel''s fists left his body with more bruises than an abused housewife.


    At this point, he was barely conscious and it was a miracle he was even standing based on the damage he received. He tried to block then attempted to blow up the floor between them but Father Daniel stopped his hand. But not the fireball? It continued towards the floor and although he slowed it down he still got caught in a blast.


    The bottom of his robes and parts of his legs had been burnt.


    ¡°You don''t give up, do you?¡± He said while catching his breath. He seemed a bit winded.


    Tibaut wasn''t sure where to go from here. He knew his body well enough to know he wasn''t going to die but he wasn''t sure he had the energy to keep going. It was obvious to anyone with eyes he was outmatched.


    But an idea soon came to his head. (¡°If I can last long enough, I can tire him out with that flame veil.¡±) He reasoned.


    (¡°Oh really?¡±) The drake said, unimpressed.


    It was a gamble. If he couldn''t withstand the beating it''d obviously be his loss. But he had been beaten on by stronger people. The current scenario was also caused by him being weaker than he would have been normally (he thought anyway). But if there was one thing that didn''t change it was how well he could take a beating. As he thought about it, he became more convinced of his victory. Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? An hour? It didn''t matter as long as the smooth-faced gremlin before him would fall first, he could endure it.


    But, much to his surprise, someone else took advantage of the pair¡¯s insistence on staring at each other.


    The priest looked down at his feet and saw that everything below his knee was covered in ice. He casually looked around to see Agnes holding her hands out. He puckered his lips before wearing an awkward smile.


    ¡°Ahaha, Agnes, blessed child of our lord, what is the meaning of this?¡± He asked, laughing uncomfortably.


    She got up and shimmied against the wall to avoid his reach, (In her mind anyway. The priest didn''t try to reach out or grab her in any way, and watched on in confusion.) to make her way towards Tibaut. Tibaut had also forgotten about her and looked on in awe as she grabbed his hand.


    Her face was covered in unease and her body was shaking like she had seen a ghost. He decided to go along with her and went down into the stairway. The short priest watched helplessly as they went lower.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    He looked down and tried moving his feet but they wouldn''t budge.


    ¡°Her magic is pretty strong¡­¡±


    He looked to the stairway before letting his arms fall limply and slumping over slightly. ¡°Did he manage to seduce her? No, she never seemed the type for romance. She always did keep to herself.¡± He began scratching his head and sighed. ¡°Whatever the case, he convinced her to side with him. How troubling, I hope he doesn''t have others in his midst he''s converted.¡±


    He was left alone in the darkness with his thoughts as to who this red-headed man was.


    <hr>


    Tibaut was just going with the flow of the moment but he started regretting not finishing off the priest when he had the chance.


    (¡°Dammit I blew it! I had the perfect chance to end that bastard.¡±) He chastised himself.


    When they reached the fifth floor, they took whatever split paths they could find and hid in a nearby room before they ended up at a dead-end.


    Agnes was breathing heavily but as long as they didn''t hear footsteps he supposed there was no harm in it.


    (¡°I gotta admit, she saved my ass there. Without Elizabeth, I''m not sure I could have continued through the dungeon if I defeated that guy.¡±)


    (¡°Since you''ve run away like a child and that man seems to have no intention of coming back here-¡±)


    (¡°Seriously!?¡±)


    (¡°Sigh, Yes seriously, it seems he''s broken out of the ice and is heading further up. My best guess is that he''s going to wait until you exit. Now would you let me finish? That was a god-awful display. Which is why it was so fun to watch.¡±)


    Tibaut rolled his eyes but the voice continued.


    (¡°Which is why I shall tell you of their magic. After all, you still have use to me yet.¡±)


    (¡°So you really could have helped me out but sat there and watched as-¡±)


    (¡°I could not tell you, how does that option sound?¡±)


    Tibaut kept his thoughts quiet.


    (¡°How obedient. But hear the simple explanation. He can stop things with his magic-¡±)


    (¡°That doesn''t sound right then how does-¡±)


    Quiet.


    That shut Tibaut up once more.


    (¡°But his magic is affected by the concentration of mana something possesses. So at most, he can only slow things like your fireballs down.¡±)


    (¡°So that''s why. But wait a minute, why didn''t he slow down Agnes¡¯s magic and dodge it?¡±)


    (¡°I have a question boy. Would you be able to shoot a fireball at something you couldn''t anticipate?¡±)


    He thought about it for a few moments and made an ¡°Ahh¡± sound which frightened Agnes, still unsure if the priest was near.

 Chapter 273

    The father made his way up the stairs while dusting off the flakes of ice still on his robes.


    ¡°Phew That was close, I could have damaged my legs if I stayed there any longer minutes.¡±


    He looked at the stairs before him. The walls around him had embers so the staircase led to the second floor. He made no effort to stop and continued walking.


    (¡°They will have come by here if they want to leave, so I suppose there''s no harm waiting on the second floor.¡±)


    He looked at his hand. ¡°It will be a bother but I''ll have to get it wrapped. Hopefully, they won''t make too much of a fuss. That boy was quite something. He''s nearly a quarter my age in appearance and so far my concoction isn''t a public matter, so I can only assume he is in his twenties, more or less. I''m glad the church has a good-looking new generation but he is quite the thorn currently.¡±


    He continued slowly moving his head from side to side, musing the matter until he reached the second floor. There several men were waiting by the entrance. He scoffed as he saw but didn''t slow his approach.


    ¡°Might I ask your reasons for being here?¡± He asked from the shadows of the stairway.


    The men all jumped back but quickly regained their composure.


    One pushed another forward and the priest looked unimpressed. (¡°If you have something to say, get on with it. Ah man, maybe I should head back down, I can''t imagine whatever this is being all that interesting.¡±) He said, staring blankly at the man pushed forward.


    ¡°Father Daniel, um, I-¡± The man was taken over by his nerves.


    ¡°Yes, yes, get on with it, you''re that man that hangs amongst Brother Leo yes?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± He took a deep breath and continued. He proceeded to relay the information Brother Leo wanted.


    ¡°Ah.¡± He said to himself. ¡°So that''s why Agnes was with him. Maybe he promised her life if she cooperated?¡±


    ¡°Um, father?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Look in my office on this floor.¡± He quickly commanded. ¡°Take as many of the five detection stones as you need and ask Leo to set them up. I''ll leave the rest to him.¡± He turned around and sat in the lotus position, in front of the stairway.


    ¡°Um, father, then are we not under attack?¡± He asked.


    The priest didn''t even turn around to face him. ¡°I have a good idea of where they are. But tell Leo to keep an eye out. (Eh, who am I kidding, if another intruder of his level were here none other than myself would stand a chance. But I can''t just take my subordinates dying lying down even if he was ordered to do so. Which is why, I hope his master won''t mind if I take him as my own. Considering the talent I lost when he broke in, I hope they''ll take my viewpoint and see this as a fair trade. After all, it wouldn''t be a good look for even a bishop if they got my men killed.)¡±


    ¡°Really? That''s the priest for you. I''ll inform him right away.¡± He quickly ran off and the other men soon dispersed.


    (¡°But now that I think about it, a man with red hair and the control of flames¡­ there was that man from the motherland wasn''t there? What am I saying? He''s been dead for about five years now.¡±)


    He continued sitting with his eyes closed musing about the redhead.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    <hr>


    On the final floor of this dungeon, sat two individuals with only a few centimetres of space between them. One with blue hair and the other with red.


    (¡°So it''s not automatic¡­ damn now that you mention it''s pretty obvious.¡±) Tibaut thought.


    After all, he had been hit by a few of Tibaut¡¯s moves and as far as he knew, they weren''t slowed down.


    (¡°There one point you''re wrong about.¡±) She quickly added.


    (¡°Which is?¡±)


    (¡°The dust explosion you created as he punched you. For that one, it seemed he wasn''t quick to stop the flames before they touched his hands.¡±)


    (¡°Huh, what are you talking about? Shouldn''t he be able to slow down my flames only.¡±)


    (¡°The flames of the explosion were caused by your magic, yes but they are just that. Regular flames that were created in the combustion of the dust.¡±)


    (¡°Seriously? I guess that makes sense. With what you''re saying, he did that to make sure he could stop it. Oh! So that''s why he didn''t get burned.¡±)


    (¡°I must say, it was quite amazing watching you endure those blasts. I think I might try it on you as a pastime whenever I feel idle.¡±)


    Tibaut could sense it wasn''t a joke and decided not addressing was the best course of action.


    (¡°But how''d he stop me?¡±)


    (¡°You have mana flowing through you, though no were near as dense as the fireball. But if he focuses he can stop even someone like you if for a moment. I suppose it could be looked at as time-related but it should be fine.¡±)


    (¡°What was that last part?¡±)


    (¡°Nothing you should be concerned with. Au revoir.¡±)


    The voice instantly vanished like a line had been cut. For most of the conversation, he could hear the occasional breathing but now there was nothing.


    He sighed after hearing that but there was one more question in his head. (¡°That wasn''t my question though¡­ I was asking how he stopped me if he didn''t touch me.¡±)


    He got no response and knowing the voice, this was intentional.


    He could not see but he could hear Agnes was shivering in her britches. It wasn''t difficult to see why. He couldn''t imagine the consequences of betrayal would be light.


    (¡°Hmm, that father Daniel guy thought I was another priest for some reason. Maybe that bastard in black is already here but he hadn''t seen him for himself.¡±) He clenched his fist. (¡°That father Daniel can wait. I''m killing you first you bastard!¡±)


    He heard giggling but based on Agnes''s lack of reaction, he already had a likely suspect.


    (¡°Laugh all you want but I''ll give Elizabeth a present before I head back to the others. Sorry Tina, but I don''t think I''m gonna wait on you to help me kill that bastard.¡±)


    He created a flame and Agnes did her best to try and swat it.


    ¡°Careful, Agnes, you might burn yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wh-wh-what are YOu doing? (Oh no, did he already sense Father Daniel nearby, shit I can''t imagine he''ll let me off easy.)¡± She said with a crack in her voice. She looked around the room like she was expecting an assassin and got up to try to escape.


    Tibaut grabbed her shirt and slid forward when she fell backwards.


    In his arms and with her face so close to his, she felt she could endure even the apocalypse.


    ¡°(I should probably explain.) Uh, I can tell he isn''t that close.¡±


    She stared at him blankly with a smile on her face. Not one word entered her ear.


    He let her go and she snapped out of it. ¡°Huh, oh that''s good.¡± She turned around to hide her now burning cheeks.

 Chapter 274

    Tibaut was lying on the floor with Agnes standing close by looking concerned. She had her hands on her face.


    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± She meekly asked.


    ¡°Yeah, just give me a few minutes.¡± He weakly responded.


    The adrenaline had worn thin and the damage was now starting to catch up with him. That little bastard did a doozy to him.


    (¡°Damn, I either blackout or get healed by Elizabeth before this sort of pain kicks in.¡±)


    He slowly forced himself to his knees and used Agnes as a hold to pull himself up.


    He felt something nagging at his head and an urge to move west.


    (¡°At least tell me it''s that way, instead of this weird thing to my head you bitch.¡±)


    He looked west and sighed before walking. Agnes cautiously followed behind.


    When they exited the room they were greeted by a new set of murals on the wall. The stone of this layer also had eerie blackness. He had to increase his flame¡¯s size five times to get visibility equivalent to the last floor.


    On the murals were flames that stretched several metres wide with no tips visible at their highest points. Within the flames were various figures with horns, tails and wings looking in a single direction.


    ¡°I guess a dungeon wouldn¡¯t be complete without some strange decor.¡±


    Knowing what the voice told him earlier, he knew these drawings were more than symbolic.


    (¡°Don''t tell me I''ll have to watch out for some flames now?¡±)


    His eyes briefly glanced at the floor and he noticed more dust. Out of sheer curiosity, he picked it up and threw it forward. He ensured his flame stayed far behind him and this little action of boredom proved to be useful. There was no dust cloud formed and all the particulates fell like lead sinking in water.


    (¡°Hmph, so not only was he using his magic, it probably wouldn''t have been possible unless he used it.¡±)


    Agnes wasn''t sure what he was trying to prove with this and watched on in interest.


    ¡°Hey, Agnes, do you know what that priest guy''s magic is?¡± He asked an unnecessary question.


    ¡°Um, it looked like it stopped things?¡± She answered.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Tibaut was honestly happy with this answer. He wouldn''t know how he would have felt if he had the answer to Father Daniel''s magic before their battle.


    ¡°But I''m surprised you knew it was him.¡± She commented.


    ¡°If someone that strong wasn''t the priest, I''m not sure I would have survived this long.¡± He responded, continuing to walk ahead.


    (¡°Of course, he knew you idiot!¡±) She berated herself.


    ¡°(Hmm, I wonder if there''s anything else I should know about him.) Hey Agnes, could you tell more about that priest?¡±


    She stopped for a moment and started thinking.


    ¡°Well, I guess the main thing is that he''s old. I remember reading something and he told me he remembered it being published when he was younger.¡±


    ¡°(Old? I guess the way he acts is kinda strange but I''m pretty sure I''ve seen kids act that way when I was younger when they wanted to seem mature.) What''s strange about that?¡±


    ¡°The book was made 50 years ago. My mom gifted it to me when she got a more recent copy.¡±


    (¡°That guy''s at least fifty!? I just thought he was a prodigy or something.¡±)


    ¡°We always assumed he had some elf ancestry but, weirdly, his ears look normal.¡± She commented.


    ¡°(I guess that makes sense. Kobolds exist, and I heard Vanessa''s part dwarf too. Elfs aren''t off the table.) Ugh, don''t tell me that guy''s gonna live to two hundred or something.¡± He said with his head held down.


    ¡°I know right?¡± She responded downcast. ¡°I also remember him using a weird-looking weapon.¡±


    ¡°(He uses weapons? Dammit, don''t tell he''s gonna be waiting for me with those) What are they?¡± He quickly asked.


    ¡°He had a bag of caltrops and a weird chain weapon. It looked like a chain attached to a small sickle. I''ve never seen him use them before but I can''t imagine how they work in combat.¡±


    (¡°Hmm, that sounds kinda familiar. Ahh.¡±)


    He didn''t know they were called kusarigamas in his old world but he recognised them as weapons jobbers would use in mangas like Fist of the North Star before being killed in one hit.


    ¡°(So he can stop stuff in addition to that weapon. Ugh, I don''t even wanna think about fighting him with that.) Thanks, that seems important, anything else?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll sometimes play chess but that''s it for useful information, I think.¡± She said.


    ¡°Well, at least I won''t be blindsided when I see that weapon.¡± He sighed before continuing to walk.


    It was at this point he noticed something that would make their escape somewhat tricky.


    ¡°Um, Agnes?¡± He asked calmly. ¡°Where''s my shirt?¡±


    They both stopped and she fell to her knees and placed her head between her hands. (¡°I forgot the map, didn''t I? How did it even slip my hands, oh right I dropped it when I saw Father Daniel, that old bastard. I can''t believe-¡±)


    As she cursed in her head Tibaut crouched down and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don''t worry, you saved me back there, the fact I even have your magic on my side is more than I can ask.¡±


    ¡°(Oh, maybe this isn''t so bad¡­ I guess that old bastard didn''t ruin my chances with him.) T-thanks.¡±


    And with that, they began exploring the fifth floor in earnest. And quickly ran into some trouble.


    She had black hair with a white iridescence. A single black wing and scraps of clothing covered her chest and lower half. Straight black horns adorned her forehead. It was a mixture of familiar and subtle differences.

 Chapter 275

    ¡°A-another one?¡± Agnes stated behind Tibaut.


    Her skin was pale with a hint of blue like the last but this woman was clearly different.


    She stared blankly at Tibaut and unlike the last one approached him.


    (¡°As long as that pain in the ass doesn''t speak I should be fine¡­. I''m doomed.¡±)


    He kept an eye on his surroundings as she approached. As much as he didn''t want to admit it, he was in no shape to fight.


    (¡°So apparently this is one of the women Albus kidnapped¡­ God imagine being turned into something like. I mean if I retained my mind I probably wouldn''t mind, I mean I''d look cool as hell-¡±) He paused after noticing how close this particular woman had gotten. She thoroughly examined his body and even lifted an arm of his.


    ¡°Uh,¡± He looked unsure as he looked at her.


    Hearing this, she turned to his face, staring into his eyes.


    ¡°Hello, there.¡± He awkwardly said. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    She seemed to be amazed by something and opened her mouth in surprise. She quickly ran off and Tibaut stood there unsure of what happened.


    Agnes quickly dragged on his arm. ¡°It''d be good if we left, right?¡± She worriedly asked.


    ¡°R-right, let''s get a move on. (What was that?)¡±


    (¡°If I had to guess, not all the women with my sister¡¯s essence have the same set personality. The original host¡¯s personality might have a strong effect on how they act. Ugh, I''m disgusted. I hope you die, experiment.¡±)


    He was simultaneously thankful for the information and was worried about that last part. Regardless they were at the final stretch of this and if he was lucky he might encounter the bastard who has been giving them problems recently. He ran towards the direction the voice in his head had highlighted.


    <hr>


    So here''s the funny thing about being shown the direction of something within a maze. Even if you know where your endpoint is, you still have to find the correct path in said maze to get there. And over the course of an hour, Tibaut came to learn that fact. He''d foolishly go west each time there was a fork in the path and each time would result in disappointment and a new dead end. Without the map, it was a matter of luck that they didn''t thread old paths. He considered having Agnes use his pants as a map but there was only so much clothing a man could take off around a woman and not feel awkward and the shirt passed that point for him. He was sure he''d be better off without this carrot on a stick dangling before him, showing where he couldn''t reach.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Step back, Agnes.¡± He warily stated.


    She wondered what he was doing and quickly ran back when she saw him creating a fireball the size of a man. It moved like a man who moderated internet forums and gave Tibaut ample time to run away.


    A giant blast rang out throughout the hallways and even echoed a few times. The ground even shook and Tibaut was confident this was the way.


    (¡°I don''t care if I tire myself out, as long as I get there I don''t gotta do shit this for¡­ wait he said it could be a person¡­¡±)


    The thought of having an extra person and even worse, them resisting him as he made his way up and confronted that priest left his spirit soured.


    (¡°At.. at least I''ve made a shortcut.¡±)


    He wondered how much of a hole his blast had created and after the dust settled he was greeted by an almost identical wall.


    He and Agnes walked up to the wall to make sure what they saw was real.


    Agnes first rubbed her hand against it and quickly pulled it off.


    ¡°Hot but...¡± She said.


    Tibaut put his hand against it as well and didn''t even feel a scratch.


    (¡°Didn''t you notice the lack of damage during your battle? You disappoint me with each passing moment.¡±)


    Well, back to walking for them. That is what he thought but he noticed something strange about the murals in this part of the dungeon. The demons were looking in a different direction. Was this it? Was it the hint he needed to find his destination? He started walking with an increased vigour and Agnes scrambled to follow him.


    He ran following the direction of the demons until they changed directions. He noticed they did so at an intersection and quickly entered the path both demons stared down.


    He ran down the path with bated breath until finally he entered the room. It was followed by disappointment when he noticed there was no further path in this room. And the feeling he was *gifted* told him his destination was further away from here.


    (¡°Is this really a red herring? No, no way, there has to be some secret path here that leads to there. I refuse to beli-¡±)


    A thought soon came into his head. Was there any guarantee that this thing or person the drake was looking for was even somewhere important?


    (¡°Hehehe, so you''ve finally realised?¡±)


    He crumpled to the floor, soundly defeated. Any hints or significance anywhere in the dungeon were worthless.


    This important thing wasn''t located at ¡°5F Throne of The Ruler¡± it could be in ¡°5F Room A3¡± or ¡°5F Hallway F8¡±. There was no way out of it. He''d have to find this thing without hints or help.


    ¡°Screw it, I''m already here. Maybe I''ll find a map of the place or something. It''s important so something worthwhile has to be here!¡± He convinced himself.


    ¡°Tibaut?¡± Agnes asked.


    ¡°Oh, I said that out loud. Don''t worry Agnes, I was thinking about something. Don''t mind me. (Ugh, I''m drained. But there''s no way in hell I''m sleeping down here.)¡±

 Chapter 276

    He noticed Agnes had her attention caught by something before he spoke and quickly turned to it.


    It was a throne made of yellow metal and had a red cushioning material part of it. He walked over and felt it.


    (¡°It''s soft.¡±)


    He did what he felt was natural and took a seat in it.


    (¡°Damn, this is comfortable. I don''t mind staying here for a little longer.¡±)


    Not to say his bed at the manor was uncomfortable but this was in a different league. It felt like it adjusted to his body and made itself as comfortable as it could be for him specifically.


    But as he looked to Agnes he noticed her gaze was directed above him.


    As he got up he realised there was a red carpet leading to the throne.


    (¡°How bougie.¡±)


    He turned around to see what left Agnes so captivated. What he saw explained the directions the demons looked in. On either side of it, was demons staring towards it. It refers to a being that has several wings behind with horns on its head. The wings weren''t like the other demons, however. They looked more like the wings of a dove than the bat wings the other demons had. Its carving was more detailed than the other demons but carried a more beastly appearance as well. It had shackles on its hands and feet and looked to be screaming towards the sky. The demons close to this demon were drawn with a greater level of detail as well, with one in flames and another with small particles surrounding them.


    ¡°Is that our lord?¡± Agnes said herself.


    ¡°That''s the guy you worship?¡± He asked. After hearing Agnes¡¯s explanations of their Lord he briefly wondered if this ¡°angel¡± was being used as a sort of proof to show their lord existed, almost a powerless figurehead showing that they should follow the cult¡­ but he could tell by this mural that whatever they were wanted this.


    (¡°Dude, I''m no hero. There''s no way I could beat that thing if I ever came across it. I mean demons are strong, how strong would that guy be if they''re all staring towards him?¡±)


    He got up from the chair fearing that he didn''t possibly piss off whoever owned the throne.


    ¡°No, no, I''m not sure if it''s them either. I haven''t heard of the lord being in contact with demons, though with how much they hated humanity it wouldn''t surprise me.¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah, your lord hated humanity?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes but I''ve heard without the¡­ never mind.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Is it a long story?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''m not sure we''d have time for it. (Ugh, I can''t believe I forgot why our lord no longer yearns for our end. It has something to do with heaven, right? Or was the other God''s? Gah, dammit, I should have kept a copy of our bible with me.)¡±


    Tibaut kept trying to convince her but she wouldn''t relent saying they didn''t have the time to do so.


    (¡°I guess I can learn about that stuff after we leave.¡±)


    He continued looking around the room and came across a plaque scribed with words.


    ¡°Hmm, what''s this?¡±


    He shone a brighter light on it and it read as thus.


    ¡°I have been cast out. For what reason? My father''s incompetence. He prefers the disease that inhabited this world for aeons instead of his own children made from his hands. He believes he is all-seeing but he is blind. He believes he is all knowledgeable but he is a fool. And most importantly he believes I should foster a disease when I am the cure. My new brothers and sisters, I have to come to a conclusion. Only with this disease¡¯s eradication will my father truly open his eyes. Which is why I shall use a natural factor to end them. You. From the bastardised god to the smallest imp, I shall grant you the power to turn the tides against humanity. I ask only that you open that old fool¡¯s eyes with your actions.¡±


    ¡°How ominous. Is this like a war mantra for them?¡± Tibaut wondered.


    Agnes looked on in amazement but Tibaut paid her no mind.


    (¡°Well this doesn''t show anything other than showing demons hate humanity. Maybe there''s a button somewhere?¡±)


    He rubbed against certain parts of the plaque and found nothing.


    (¡°I should have known¡­¡±)


    He turned to Agnes. ¡°Find anything important?¡±


    ¡°N-no. Are you looking for something specific?¡± She responded.


    ¡°I was hoping this place was important and had what I needed. It looks like I was wrong so far. But don''t worry it shouldn''t be too long before we can leave. (I hope anyway. Who knows how long she''ll accept running around in a dusty dungeon with me before she tries escaping on her own.)¡±


    Agnes was just happy to be in the same room as him.


    They continued searching with nothing to show for it. It looked like the room had been ransacked and he wondered why the throne hadn''t been stolen. After attempting to pick it up he realised why.


    (¡°Holy shit this thing is heavy!¡±) Having almost superhuman strength he expected it to at least budge but he got nothing. It left him humbled by the weakness he felt after trying to lift it.


    He walked over to Agnes and nearly threw her to the roof with the excess force he used.


    (¡°It really is just that heavy, god damn!¡±)


    Agnes blushed in his arms and he quickly put her down.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I was just testing something. (Dumbass why didn''t you just accept it was heavy and move on!?)¡±


    Agnes had that experience engraved in her body and was going to make sure it was used well in her fantasies.


    After wasting enough time here the duo decided to leave but stopped when they noticed someone standing at the entrance of the room.


    They slowly walked up to Tibaut and in turn, walked into his light.


    It was the weird monster girl whose hair had a white iridescence despite being jet black. Why was she here?

 Chapter 277

    (¡°I still can''t believe there are so many bimbo angels here.¡±) Agnes thought to herself. (¡°I thought one was enough but here you have another one. Was there a sale or something? Ugh, you better not put your fucking hands on him again or I''ll shove an icicle up your-¡±)


    ¡°Hey, Agnes, you should probably keep back for safety.¡±


    With hearts in her eyes, she nodded and did as he said.


    The woman walked up to Tibaut and hugged him.


    (¡°Tsk, ¡­ ¡­ telling me ¡­ will is ¡­ these women!¡±) The voice in his head almost snarled.


    Tibaut preemptively jumped but to his surprise, the woman wore only a near-demonic expression. She didn''t lunge and she didn''t throw any punches.


    (¡°Looks like this one has more self-restraint than the other one.¡±)


    He breathed a sigh of relief before noticing she was closer to him again.


    ¡°Uh, I don''t suppose you speak English, do you?¡± He asked with an uneasy smile.


    The girl perked up and looked behind her. Tibaut also looked and noticed the sound of footsteps coming from the entrance. If she hadn''t seen the second girl, Agnes might have died of shock and Tibaut looked in both amazement and horror. He wasn''t sure whether to laugh or run away.


    Several more women walked forward, all having pale bluish skin, horns and one wing that looked like a crow''s in common. Their hair all had an iridescence of different colours with the same black base. One wore something to cover their tops and bottoms, while others had something for just their top or just their bottom.


    There were four, including the one before him, in total.


    Two looked on in amazement, and a familiar-looking one stepped forward.


    Given he was shirtless, as were two of the women, he couldn''t help but feel a tad awkward. It was made worse by the fact that the one who walked forward started examining him.


    ¡°Oh, you''re that one from the third floor, right? You know I''m not too sure how comfortable it is with you guys eyeing me down like this.¡± He said.


    The one that examined him originally rolled her eyes and continued and the one with a blonde iridescence to her hair began running her hands across his abdomen.


    ¡°Ow, stop that. I had a fight not too long ago, it still hurts.¡±


    She quickly removed her hands and placed them back on him slowly.


    ¡°Huh, can you understand me?¡±


    She showed no indication that she did but he wasn''t buying it. He soon had more worries to deal with, however. The other two standing back approached him and began their own analysis.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Tibaut jumped and squirmed at their touches but it was definitely better than fighting all of them, so he toughed through. He certainly didn''t like the attention they were giving him. Nope. Not at all.


    ¡°Guys stop it already, how long are you gonna do this?¡± He asked.


    Agnes leaned in the corner, her eyes sapped of life. Her stillness would have anyone questioning if she was alive. But, as much as she didn''t wish so, she was.


    (¡°Those- those whores! Who the hell do they think they are touching him like that? Well screw them, I''ve gotten a few hugs out of him so he''s mine you succubi with feathers.¡±)


    The one whose hair shone a white iridescence, smirked at her, which was followed by her sticking her tongue out and pulling an eyelid down.


    Agnes was left speechless at this display. (¡°T-they know? These mean, mean bi- bitc-¡±) She couldn''t even finish her thought without wiping away a tear forming in her eye.


    Tibaut was completely oblivious to this and was trying his best not to get taken away by their advances. He tried to take their hands off him but they showed no mercy in their assault.


    Soon the one in the back decided this enough and pulled them off him.


    ¡°Phew, thank-¡± This was not a selfless action.


    She rubbed against him with her bare skin as she hugged him, bringing him downwards.


    (¡°Honestly, of things that could waste my time in this dungeon. I¡­ honestly don''t mind that this being one of them.¡±)


    He accepted he was nothing more than a curiosity for these strange women. Besides they probably wouldn''t be at this for too long.


    As the others approached him and gave him a sample of what a hug from four scantily clad women would feel like, he looked in the direction of the thing he had been looking for. They all noticed almost simultaneously and began staring at him.


    ¡°Did I do something?¡± He asked.


    As he prepared to escape, they looked in the direction he stared in and picked him off the floor.


    One by one they left the room with the last one suggesting for him to follow with her index finger.


    He dusted his back and turned around to see-


    ¡°Woah, you okay Agnes?¡±


    She was on the floor huddled into a ball with tears in her eyes. She kept muttering ¡°it''s not fair¡± before she noticed Tibaut.


    She wiped her eyes and slowly got up, still sniffling.


    He quickly placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.


    ¡°(Shit, I didn''t realise they scared her so much) Sorry about that Agnes. I''ll take you out of the room before they show up again.¡± He said.


    ¡°NO!¡± She shouted.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She cleared her throat. ¡°Um, I mean I''ve gotten used to them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I, uh, just needed to let that out. They''re servants of my Lord, after all, I was just so overcome with emotion you know?¡± She lied.


    He took his hands off her shoulder. ¡°(Well, that''s not accurate but if those are tears of joy I suppose I won''t ruin it.) Just let me know if you''re- Ow, I''m coming.¡±


    One of the women pulled him by his ear and he was forced to follow.


    Agnes looked on in anger as she was forced to watch what was rightfully hers be taken. She bit and pulled at her handkerchief with her eyes blazing as she watched them walk away.


    (¡°I swear Tibaut, I''ll always love you, no matter how they defile you. And I swear no, I will make sure these mouth-breathing rejects of our lord get what they deserve!!!!¡±)


    She timidly followed behind them.

 Chapter 278

    As they walked along the hallways of the dungeon, it was starting to unease him where these women were taking him. And after they so thoroughly examined him, his mind was racing with possibilities.


    (¡°They couldn''t be thinking off¡­ No, no, no, I''m just overthinking it. But they were kinda handsy. No, what am I thinking? My first time can''t be in a group. I mean I''m flattered but¡­ I mean I might not survive escaping this place but¡­ no this isn''t the time for this.¡±)


    He wore a blushed face and did his best to subdue the smile creeping on his face.


    One of the four women looked at him with a hint of disgust in her eyes and he stopped his train of thought there.


    (¡°...Ugh, did it show on my face?¡±) He lamented in his head.


    She sighed before grabbing and dragging him quickly. They passed the others and the girls looked on with stars in their eyes. The others also wanted a part in this and decided to grab his limbs.


    ¡°(What are they-) Woah!¡±


    They lifted him by his limbs and began running. Agnes looked distraught as she witnessed this and did the best her body could manage to keep up with them.


    After five minutes of jogging, they stopped and Agnes was a sweat-covered mess, lying on the floor gasping for air.


    But where they stopped wasn''t eye-catching in the slightest. They were in the middle of another hallway.


    The women let Tibaut go and placed him on the floor.


    ¡°Why''d we stop here?¡± He asked as if he expected one of them to answer. He crawled over and sat up Agnes against a wall.


    (¡°I guess I shouldn''t expect the average person to be able to keep up with them.¡±)


    He commented as he dusted the white powder off of Agnes. There seemed to be a lot in this hallway. It looked like an indoor area next to a beach with many how many white piles were on the floor.


    It also seems years in this body had caused Tibaut to forget what an average person can do.


    She was completely drenched in sweat and on the floor gasping for air after five minutes of a middling jog. This would be considered atrocious by the average person. She was so drained, so didn''t even react to Tibaut in her proximity and focused only on breathing while she stared blankly in front of her.


    (¡°Is she good?¡±) He wondered.


    She slid back to the floor, focusing only on breathing. He decided to let her rest in the meantime.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    As he watched her with concern, one of the women picked him up off the floor and stood him up.


    ¡°Easy I''m injure- what the hell?¡±


    There was now a new pathway in this straight hallway. When he looked at the floor he saw various bricks on the floor and based on his ¡°gift¡± from the drake he could sense something was down in the new path.


    He picked one of the bricks and it had a segment of the dungeon¡¯s mural on it. He threw it and it cracked when it hit the floor.


    He gritted his teeth and couldn''t stop himself from throwing another brick into the wall.


    ¡°Are you fucking telling that little bastard created a hidden path!?¡± He shouted


    He didn''t know if the priest was the one responsible for this but he was the only person he could think to blame for this.


    The girls and Agnes turned to him. He cleared his throat before placing Agnes over his shoulder. One of the girls grabbed Agnes and placed her on her shoulder instead while another pulled him inside.


    There he saw light for the first time on the third floor. Torches were hung on each side of the hallway going down further into a brightly lit room.


    (¡°It really was that little bastard.¡±)


    They continued and soon reached the room and the source of the feeling soon became apparent. It captured his attention as he entered the room, as it should. It stood opposite the entrance and its size was massive. It was three times his height, minimum and had murals of various beasts and demons in higher detail than the rest of the dungeon. Atop the gate was the sculpture of an angel with six wings. They had a fist resting on their jaw as they sat on a throne. Though it had no distinguishing features aside from the wings and their pose, he tensed up seeing it.


    (¡°It''s not gonna come to life right?¡±)


    He shot off a firelance and after confirming it was decoration, he was somewhat surprised it did no damage. But what surprised him more was the signs of previous damage. There were cracks all along the gate. It was a miracle it was still in one piece.


    He threw another fireball, this time at the gate itself. Other than leaving it dirtied, there was no difference in appearance.


    (¡°What monster was able to nearly break that thing?¡±)


    But as he observed the gate, another question that came to mind. What was it? It was obviously a gate but did it have a purpose? Was it sealing an ancient demon, did it lead to another world or was it just decoration?


    (¡°You''re right about one of those human.¡±) The drake responded.


    (¡°Oh God, don''t tell me it''s a demon you''re gonna release. Screw you, I didn''t sign up for this!¡±)


    He already began running but a look behind showed his caution unwarranted. The girls all wore ugly expressions on their faces looking at Tibaut but three of the girls restrained the other when they heard the drake¡¯s voice.


    (¡°Keep it brief, please? Fighting those guys alongside a demon would be the death of me.¡±)


    (¡°There''s no demon behind those gates.¡±)


    (¡°So is it just decoration?¡±)


    (¡°Nope!¡±)


    He stopped running as he neared the gate.


    (¡°Wait, are you saying it¡¯s a gate to another world!?¡±)

 Chapter 279

    (¡°Shit is he for real?¡±)


    An indescribable feeling washed over Tibaut as he looked at the gate. The gate was larger than he could hope to open but he couldn''t help but feel it was worth a shot.


    He grabbed a handle and started pulling.


    It was no dice. That throne felt more movable than this.


    He gave up and stepped back. ¡°I guess it wasn''t going to be that easy.¡±


    But a strange optimism filled him. It had been 16 years but he was positive his brother would still be alive. She was another matter, however. With her habits, who knows what kind of trouble she could get into in those years? It wouldn''t surprise him if she died or became a kingpin.


    But if he entered that door, he''d know the answer.


    (¡°I can actually go back. I just have to figure out how to ge-¡±)


    (¡°HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!¡±)


    The voice in his head boisterously laughed. The laughing continued, mildly annoying Tibaut. But who cared?


    (¡°You may find my dreams of returning back to my world funny but I''ll do it. You can laugh all you want but I''m not gonna lie, you''re just making me eager to prove you wrong. I''ll see her again and give my brother a better send-off.¡±)


    The laughing continued, this time increasing in volume.


    Tibaut scoffed at the attempt to unnerve him. (¡°Stop it already it''s annoying as hell hearing you cackle like a hyena, you battleaxe.¡±)


    Tibaut had no problem imagining this voice as a vindictive old woman, who couldn''t hold a man for more than a month and enjoyed making people miserable.


    The laughing soon became lower and lower until it became an innocent-sounding giggle.


    (¡°Oh, man, you really took what I said and created your own fiction. Could you please repeat your goal again, I don''t think I''ve laughed that good in years.¡±)


    (¡°You miserable old hag, I said I''m gonna get back to my world. There has to be someone in this world who knows how to operate this thing.¡±)


    The laughing intensified more and left Tibaut almost nauseous, as it rang through his head.


    (¡°Laugh all you want-¡±)


    (¡°Oh, Tibaut, you really have made up for this disappointment I''ve found. This alone has been worth the trip down here. You''re a true comedian, hehe.¡±)


    They took some breaths to catch their breath.


    (¡°Disappointment? Isn''t this what you wanted? A gate to another sounds pretty important.¡±)


    (¡°I can go to most worlds with little hassle, experiment. Besides, I was looking for something else. It seems this has retained a sizable amount of her presence in these last few centuries. Oh well, at least I''ve confidently confirmed it isn''t her here¡­. Wait a moment.¡±)


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    A strange sensation came over Tibaut and his head turned around without him doing so.


    ¡°(Huh!?) Be quiet.¡± He stated.


    He looked at the women and Agnes had joined them in holding back the one that looked particularly irritated. The others began loosening their grip when they looked at Tibaut.


    Tibaut quickly regained control of his body and the other three monster women calmed down.


    (¡°That''s odd. That''s certainly her presence within them. But if she''s not here then who would¡­ ah that priest did have her presence on him but I assumed he was a fool she deceived. This is quite strange. Oh well.¡±) They said with the same level of concern as if they noticed their favourite flavour of milk was sold out.


    (¡°Can I leave now?¡±) Tibaut asked.


    (¡°Sure go ahead.¡±) The voice responded nonchalantly.


    (¡°Still it was good I found this. Whether ten years or a hundred I''ll-¡±)


    (¡°I suppose I should clarify something about this gate.¡±) The voice said, sounding absolutely bubbly. Well, whatever they said would not deter Tibaut so he decided not to pay any more attention to them. He just had to drown out their chatter like he would during a class on a boring subject he didn''t care about like music or English language.


    (¡°That gate doesn''t lead to your earth.¡±)


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    He wasn''t going to react.


    (¡°In fact I''m not sure something not on my level of existence could even travel worlds.¡±)


    They were saying this to get a reaction out of him. If he opened that gate he''d go home.


    (¡°But I wasn''t wrong about it leading to other worlds.¡±)


    Please just shut up, you fuc-


    (¡°Based on the iconography here I''m surprised you didn''t realise. It doesn''t lead to your world. It leads to-¡±)


    Tibaut tried to cover his ears but it was useless for a voice in his head.


    (¡°Hell.¡±)


    Tibaut fell to his knees with tears in his eyes. He breathed a sigh as he wiped his eyes.


    (¡°Is¡­


    is.. that true?¡±) He weakly asked. He could almost sense the voice wearing a grin.


    (¡°True, true. Want me to give a demonstration? This might be a creation of hers but I sh-¡±)


    He finished wiping his tears away and stood up. (¡°I suppose it was unrealistic.¡±)


    (¡°... Are you not devastated?¡±) The voice asked.


    (¡°I never expected to go back there in the first place. Besides I''m sure they''ve already gotten over me. I''m not sure they''d find it pleasant to have some red-haired jackass show up and say I''m the reincarnation of some guy who died.¡±)


    He shrugged and turned around.


    He had given up that dream the moment he gained a family in this world. And as much as he loved the last world he wouldn''t consider leaving this one until he gave his family peace in the afterlife.


    And even that desire died a little after living with his new family friends.


    He walked over to the girls and given the drake¡¯s silence they had calmed down. Agnes looked traumatised, but that sour expression quickly disappeared when Tibaut walked over.


    ¡°Hey, Agnes, we can leave now.¡±

 Chapter 280

    Even though he had said that, the words the drake said were only now starting to seep in.


    (¡°Wait hell? As in hell hell?¡±)


    (¡°At this time I am reminded of that idiom in your world that states you must have a hamster running on a wheel in your head instead of a brain.¡±) The drake said unamused.


    (¡°Shut up, can''t a guy reminiscence?¡±)


    Agnes looked ready to leave but Tibaut stopped in his tracks, much to her chagrin.


    (¡°Yes it leads to hell, where else would the demons that habituated this place centuries ago have come from?¡±)


    (¡°I don''t know, magic circles!?¡±)


    (¡°Hah, to bring a legion of hell¡¯s rats through such a method would take several years. It''s far more efficient having an entrance to hell.¡±)


    (¡°Wait a minute, those cultists bastards aren''t planning to-¡±)


    (¡°Let me stop you right there human. There is no one considered human that could possibly open that gate once more.¡±)


    ¡°Phew.¡± For a first, he was thankful his idea had been shot down.


    As he looked around, he noticed several fallen pillars and sword marks around.


    (¡°Must have been one hell of a battle.¡±)


    (¡°Of trust it was, humanity was really scrambling to save themselves during this time.¡±)


    Agnes watched as he continued to walk around the room and sighed before deciding to start searching it.


    ¡°U-u-umm what are you looking for?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Oh, no, this place is kinda strange now that I think about it. I''m just taking a look around, it shouldn''t take too long, honest.¡±


    Agnes continued searching around the room and Tibaut decided to let her.


    (¡°Well, it wouldn''t hurt to take a closer look down here.¡±)


    There were several wooden operating tables in the corners of the room. Well, they were regular-looking tables but they had restraints on them, in addition to blood, dark and foul-smelling stains and a black substance over some parts.


    ¡°Ugh, this priest is a sick bastard. How many people has he done this to leave these tables in this state?¡±


    The smells were a bit much and he looked inward in the room. He found a notepad on a pillar with several names on the first page with symbols next to them.


    ¡°Tayla¡­ X.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    It didn''t take a genius to realise what the x beside their name meant. Several other names, most likely female, followed with x''s beside them. There were dates beside them as well, which led back to over several weeks ago.


    (¡°What a coincidence.¡±) The voice stated.


    (¡°What is?¡±) He asked.


    (¡°I do believe this happened about a week or so after Elizabeth and Ezekiel carried out their attacks against this so-called cult. In desperation, they must have done this. What a shame, they might have still been alive for a hero to save them, if they didn''t carry out their half measure.¡±) They snarkily remarked.


    (¡°S-Shut up. This would have probably happened regardless with these bastards.¡±)


    (¡°Really now?¡±) The drake responded, unconvinced.


    He continued looking at the page and noticed only four names had a tick beside them. It was easy to intuit it was the girls in the room with him.


    (¡°How the hell did this even happen?¡±)


    He flipped the page and got a block of notes the priest must have made.


    -Given we have a steady supply of these women thanks to our generous benefactor, in addition to Zama''s report I feel the need to truly test the effects of the divine powder. Saito¡¯s demise showed we truly don''t know much about the powder.


    The top of the report was an overview of the experiments he was going to do. It explained that the powder could grant power, and its power somehow increased within this dungeon.


    ¡°A powder that increases powder. Is it the same one Cormac used?¡±


    (¡°No, that was made from a natural stimulant. It didn''t increase his power, only fooled his body into using more power than it should. ¡±) The voice answered.


    (¡°You''re surprisingly helpful sometimes.¡±)


    (¡°You answer with such confidence sometimes, I feel obligated to show your stupidity.¡±) They answered with a snicker.


    He rolled his eyes before continuing his read. (¡°Jeez, this guy put more effort into this than I did my lab reports.¡±)


    The paper continued and documented the effects of various doses of the powder alongside their analogous amounts if this test were to be performed outside the dungeon. Though, he admitted it wasn''t very accurate as he only did one test outside.


    ¡°Choking on their own blood? Blood exiting the pores!? Mana ripping the subject apart from the inside!!!¡± He had to put the board down for a moment. ¡°What the hell is he using on them?¡±


    (¡°...¡±)


    He stopped reading the paper out of disgust and had no issues reducing it and the board to cinders.


    He looked around just in time for-


    ¡°Pwah!?¡±


    one of the monster girls to stick a bottle in his mouth. It tasted bitter and had a minty sensation to it. The liquid was green but he had no idea what I could have been. And the bottle was so far into his mouth the only way he could eject was through his nose, which was solid no in his book. Well, the monster girls seemed quite friendly to him. And more importantly, if it was poison he could easily cure himself.


    He downed it with little issue. This was objectively a bad drink but he had sampled and lived off far worse.


    After downing it, the girl hugged him.


    ¡°Hey, I''m injured here.¡± He said while half-heartedly trying to get her off. ¡°?¡±


    He felt his abdomen and it wasn''t anywhere near as noticeable as earlier. Did the pain subside?


    (¡°What comes in a green bottle in your video games and makes you feel better?¡±) She said with the cadence of a kindergarten teacher.


    ¡°A healing potion, huh? Where''d she find this?¡± He found it tiring to respond to their taunts and said only what he needed.

 Chapter 281

    As Tibaut read through the paper, Agnes found a crate hidden under a cloth behind a pillar. She dragged the fabric off to find various green bottles.


    ¡°Are these?¡± She picked one up and looked at it.


    One of the girls came beside her, pressed her cheek against hers, and looked at it. A smile came over her face and she uncorked it.


    ¡°Want some?¡± She said as she held it out.


    The woman grabbed it with both her hands and took a swig.


    (¡°Hehe, try to steal him away from me, will you? I can''t wait to see your reac-¡±)


    Beside her, another one had opened a bottle. She smirked before forcing it into Agnes¡¯s mouth.


    The bottle wasn''t flush with her mouth and she created a green mist after it touched her tongue. She began spitting it out and using her shirt to wipe it off her tongue. After the first swig, the monster that drank it simply took it out of her mouth.


    She pouted while looking at the other with tears in her eyes. (¡°Ah, I knew it. It was those nasty healing potions the priest used to keep with him. Wait, Tibaut¡¯s still injured maybe I can use this to-¡±)


    The ticket to Tibaut¡¯s pants was quickly cut off when the monster girl behind her, dragged her to the floor, having her legs straddle Agnes¡¯s back. The one that took a swig of the bottle leered at her while giggling.


    (¡°What is she-¡±)(¡ñ¡õ¡ñ)


    She turned to Tibaut and within an instant, she knew what the harlot was planning. After all, she was planning the same thing.


    (¡°N-no, you couldn''t be thinking of!¡±)


    The monster placed her bottle into Tibaut''s mouth and¡­


    <hr>


    (¡°Woah, is Agnes good? Shit, she must have been running on fumes after we escaped from the priest.¡±)


    Only the whites of her eyes were visible and she was foaming at the mouth. The monster girl placed a potion in her mouth, so Tibaut wasn''t too worried for her health.


    (¡°Or maybe she just passed from fear? To be safe I should probably take her off Agnes.¡±)


    <hr>


    He drank a few more potions and the pain eventually subsided. He wasn''t as fresh as he was when he entered the dungeon but this was good enough considering the blows he took.


    (¡°Hmm, hey Drake.¡±)


    (¡°What, have you grown tired of calling me a bitch?¡±)


    The monster girls had gotten used to the red drake and were now only mildly irritated when they spoke. (Well most of them, the one with blonde iridescent hair calmed herself by biting a nearby table.)


    (¡°How much time has passed since I''ve left Elizabeth? I''ve kinda lost track.¡±)


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    (¡°Oh, you do have a brain. You''re correct in thinking you''ll only have to wait over a day before Elizabeth supposedly arrives. So stay here and keep yourself occupied.¡±)


    (¡°What? Down here''s no good. I have to be on the third floor at least. I''m not gonna just let them fight them by themselves.¡±)


    (¡°Sigh, you could do with an increase in wit. Unfortunately, I don''t think any modifications I made to this body would help in that regard.¡±)


    (¡°...¡±)


    Was it really them who brought him into this world? If so, Tibaut might be one of the unluckiest men in the multiverse. This wasn''t a goddess asking him to save the world, just an annoying and miserable old crone in his ear that made him her errand boy.


    (¡°So you do know your role.¡±)


    He clicked his tongue.


    (¡°So about what? Over twenty-four hours until they arrive right?¡±)


    (¡°Hmm, sure.¡±)


    He wasn''t confident in that answer but trusted it regardless. After all, it wasn''t as if he had a watch with him.


    (¡°You mentioned knowing where Elizabeth was when I ran away. Can you sense her like that gate?¡±)


    (¡°Who knows? Maybe I''m just making better use of your five senses than you are.¡±)


    Tibaut scoffed and rolled his eyes.


    (¡°You know what, I''ll just head up as soon as I wake up. You''re no good.¡±)


    And with that, Tibaut decided the hard stone floor would make for a good bed and quickly fell asleep.


    (¡°Heh, I''m sure you''ll be surprised when you wake up.¡±)


    <hr>


    The ten shadows ran through the dense midnight forest. There were no roads here and there probably haven''t been roads here in centuries.


    ¡°Hurry the hell up, you slow bastard!¡± Tina shouted.


    It looked like stealth wasn''t a priority to this group. ¡°Shut the hell up? Girl, do you think I''m gonna be as quick with this brat over my shoulder,¡± Nigel responded. Over his shoulder was Kevin, holding a hand over his mouth with weak-looking eyes.


    ¡°So you think the rest of us are slacking?¡± She shouted. On her shoulder was Lily, who looked quite comfortable on this ride.


    ¡°Sorry, I''m so slow, Tina. But ya know, people like me gotta conserve our energy.¡± She said with a smile.


    ¡°Elizabeth, I''m sure I could travel just as fast if I dragged her with a rope,¡± Tina responded, eyeing Lily''s undefended rear.


    She began struggling but she held on to her tight.


    ¡°If you''d like for me to drag you like that as well, I''ll consider it.¡± She responded. She had the black-haired Nora over her shoulder, leading the group.


    Tina kept her mouth shut while grimacing as she heard Lily''s giggles.


    ¡°I''ll volunteer if you get this old hag off me,¡± Furor answered.


    ¡°Come on Furor, this is great training,¡± Ruby responded.


    ¡°Why the hell are you even on my shoulder, you''re probably the third quickest here.¡±


    ¡°You did offer, didn''t you?¡±


    After seeing Tina and Elizabeth lug what he felt was deadweight, he boldly shouted: ¡°If any of you bastards think I''m gonna carry you, fucking try me!¡± Ruby was quick to oblige him.


    ¡°Can''t you tell this bitch to run with her own feet!?¡± Furor shouted at Elizabeth.


    ¡°Sorry but as long as Nigel maintains his current pace, there''s no problem with her being on your shoulder.¡± She answered.

 Chapter 282

    ¡°What is he thinking?¡± Leo thought to himself. He had returned to the cabin but his discovery in the forest left him unsure of the priest''s decision. He had found the guards at the edge of the forest of all places. But this wasn''t the good news he had hoped for. Two were dead, one was missing, another was unconscious and had been tied to a tree.


    The latter man was resting in a bed in the cabin, but he wasn''t likely to be waking up anytime soon.


    And the words his subordinate returned with made him even more confused.


    (¡°Has the enemy already entered the dungeon!? How? But I can¡¯t think of any other reason the priest would keep watch of the stairs and say that.¡±)


    As he sat on the chair engrossed in his thoughts, the others in the room were focused on the stones he had on the table. They kept their gazes subtle but he could tell they drew their attention.


    (¡°The detection stones.¡±)


    Four blank stones were laid out on the table. And if they showed an arrow then that meant those gathered here would have to go outside and fight a foe who managed to do that to their comrades.


    (¡°Sigh, I would like to tell them the priest has it under control but at the moment that''s all conjec-¡±)


    All the stones flashed a red light. Those all gathered in the room turned to Leo for indication.


    (¡°This¡­ this is beyond what I imagined.¡±)


    The stones would normally point to the direction something entered the barrier. But a solid red light on the stone indicated something else. The barrier had been broken.


    <hr>


    ¡°Dumbasses, did they not think putting a barrier in a random forest wouldn''t make them obvious?¡± Lily commented.


    ¡°Alright, you''ve served your use Lily, now go home,¡± Tina said.


    Out of everyone brought along for the journey, Lily had the most experience dismantling barriers.


    Lily slapped her fat chest and Tina responded in kind by clamping down on her head like she was trying to crush a watermelon with her bare hands.


    ¡°But this is strange,¡± Elizabeth commented as she examined it. She slapped Tina''s hands and she stopped. Lily rubbed her head and turned to Elizabeth.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Bentley didn''t report a barrier being here.¡±


    She pulled out a map. It had an approximate representation of the roads and various forests, with even the dungeon itself represented but no mention of the barrier anywhere on it.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Shit, did they set this up recently?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Ugh, I can imagine that red-headed idiot got himself in some trouble.¡±


    As these words exited Tina''s mouth the whole group became a standing commotion.


    ¡°Regardless!¡± Elizabeth said loudly. ¡°That doesn''t change what we have to do. If anything we have an extra incentive. After we spill their blood I want you all to do your best to find him.¡±


    The rest soon quieted down and began walking.


    She sighed as they began walking into the dense forest. (¡°I should start thinking of what to do when they don''t find him.¡±)


    As they walked into the forest there was one amongst them, dragging their feet an exceptional amount.


    (¡°Damn that Ezekiel. Why''d you have to die? Couldn''t you have been something cushy like a hunter or fisherman? ¡±)


    The one with these thoughts that was different from the others present was Kevin. The white-haired young man was starting to regret opening his mouth while at the regional building.


    (¡°Ugh, why''d I even come here? I''m not a fighter. I can barely protect myself, much less do damage. Besides that guy was just an annoyance.¡±)


    <hr>


    Four years ago.


    The pale boy was minding his business as he walked through town. He was shorter than he was in the present and held something shiny in his hand.


    (¡°Who keeps leaving gold coins around the place?¡±)


    The coin had a labelling of 1000 on it and it was probably the most money he had probably ever held. There was a multitude of these coins scattered throughout the town. How did he know this? Well, he had found some the day prior.


    ¡°Hmm, that''s strange. Yesterday the coins were blue, but now they''re green.¡±


    Another fact. He didn''t have magic. Or that''s what he told himself at least. But his eyes were strange. Various things in the world would have a different hue covering them like a miasma, through his vision.


    Red was usually bad and blue was usually great. Green was just okay.


    Blue would be a winning lottery ticket while green would be one that gave you a few thousand dollars and at minimum, recouped buying the ticket.


    (¡°That''s strange. Why''s it green today? This is great money. I can probably live the rest of my life easily with this. Heh, I could probably even build a nice home.¡±)


    He didn''t give it much thought and continued searching the town for more coins. And he finally found it. The motherload. It seemed whoever had dropped the coins had done so by accident. At the bottom of a building no child should be around or under, he found a whole sack of coins. It had a tear at the bottom and the number of coins labelled with a thousand, seriously messed with the kid''s sense of scale.


    ¡°Ten, twenty, thirty. Holy crap, I could probably build five mansions with this type of money.¡±


    As he counted the coins he noticed the bag and its coins were labelled grey. This meant whatever he was looking at wasn''t of any particular gain or loss.


    ¡°Huh? Why''s it grey? Don''t tell me!?¡±


    He ran the coin against the bottom of the building and much to his relief, it kept a consistent gold colour instead of a brown or silver being revealed.


    He had fooled with a trick like that before when he ignored his eyes on a coin that had a grey miasma.


    ¡°But why is it¡­¡±


    He paused when he heard a footstep approach.

 Chapter 283

    He heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. But he was under the building of an adult establishment. Why would anyone come here?


    More realistically if someone was coming to this part of the building it was to get lucky with one of the maidens of the establishment. So normally there was nothing to worry about. Normally.


    His attention turned back to the bag and he continued counting the coins. The footsteps got closer but there was nothing to worry about. It was just someone passing by. The footsteps soon stopped and he could finally count the bag while breathing easily. Besides their feet were grey so he was confident he wasn''t in any danger. That was until he felt a hand grab his back and drag him from under the building. He was brought face to face with the man. He had dreadlocks, seemed pretty tall and was built like a brick shithouse. And more importantly, he was focused on what was in Kevin''s hand.


    ¡°Damn, I should''ve known this place was a bust. It''s next to a place where women can do nothing but drain guys of cash, of course, someone here would be an expert in finding money that isn¡¯t theirs.¡±


    Kevin tried to struggle out of his grip but Ezekiel paid him no mind. ¡°Listen, kid, I know you probably have it rough with your mom working here but¡­¡±


    ¡°M-m-my mom doesn''t work here.¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Sure ki- hmm?¡±


    As he observed his clothing, the boy wasn''t a member of high society but only the front of his clothing was dirty. The back of it looked pretty alright. Plus it looked well kept and more importantly any kid raised in this kind of place would have been calling him a cocksucker at his age.


    ¡°She doesn''t?¡±


    ¡°N-no. My parents work in the capital. I live here with my grandpa.¡±


    ¡°(Thank God I don''t have a kid, he''d just start yapping to the first person who asked.) Is that so¡­ so what are you doing under this place?¡±


    ¡°I found this treas-¡± He froze up. A large man holding up. A large amount of cash is hidden away. Near an adult establishment? This was definitely shady.


    He was screwed. His greed screwed him at the worst possible moment. He started tearing up and desperately tried to struggle out of his grasp.


    He shouted out for help but no one answered.


    ¡°Easy kid-¡±


    He threw the bag at his knee and Ezekiel crumpled to the floor. He wasted no time running away.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Ezekiel rubbed his knee as Kevin ran away and cursed like a sailor as he got back up to his feet.


    (¡°Shit, he just had to go for the injured kne- huh?¡±)


    He limped to the end of the alleyway and¡­ he was gone. It wasn¡¯t a crowded street either, at this point of the day at this time of the week, the town was pretty empty.


    ¡°How''d he?¡±


    He ran down the street looking through a few windows of nearby stores but he found nothing.


    ¡°Well isn''t that interesting?¡± He said with a smile. ¡°I think I found one of those prodigies I hear people talk about.¡±


    <hr>


    A day passed and Kevin decided he was going to be more careful with his actions. Follow the colours like they were gospel or he might end in the clutches of that man again. He assumed red was dangerous but grey was also a sign of danger as well.


    He began looking for some more coins, undeterred from yesterday but this time he''d avoid anything grey.


    But as he wandered around town he noticed something odd. Many of the coins labelled green would turn grey as he approached them.


    ¡°Why is this happening? I don''t think I¡¯ve seen this before.¡±


    From the rooftop of a nearby building, a man was looking through a pair of binoculars. He had dreadlocks and a body sculpted of marble. More importantly, he was staring intently at a child.


    ¡°Why isn''t he picking any of them up?¡±


    Intrigued by the child and with nothing better to do, he decided to harass test this kid out.


    He noticed his coin pouch had a hole in it but the strange thing about it was that it only left coins in his previous hiding spots.


    (¡°I thought I could keep this income a secret but this kid would really make that a pain in the ass. But I am curious how he does it. Does he have magic? I gotta get him a part of the guild, even if he moves on to another parish.¡±)


    After observing the kid some more he noticed walking with two coins in his hand after he stopped paying attention.


    (¡°What the? Does he know I''m watching him.¡±)


    He noticed the child look at the coins with caution and put them back.


    (¡°Huh!?¡±)


    He started running and Ezekiel immediately gave chase. (¡°Alright, I don''t know who this kid is but I gotta check him out. That seems like a freaky magic.¡±)


    <hr>


    Yet again, a kid who probably hadn''t even grown hair down there outmanoeuvred an adventurer. The #1 at that (for this parish at least).


    Granted he would probably lose track of someone of a similar skill level to him if they tried to run away, but a kid? He''d feel embarrassed saying he lost a kid at any distance.


    But he couldn''t help but smile. This was the most interesting thing he''d witnessed in months.


    Ezekiel was now determined to catch this little prodigy. ¡°Heh, with the right polishing, this kid is gonna be a star, I can see. I can imagine all those snobby bastards in the capital getting shocked when they''re working for him.¡±


    His skills alone would make him an excellent scout. But if he could use that evasion for combat¡­.


    He returned to the top of the roof and decided then and there, that he wouldn''t leave unless he captured that kid, no matter how long it took. And then promptly find his grandpa so he could train him without it being considered kidnapping.

 Chapter 284

    A few days had passed and¡­


    ¡°Let me go, Help!¡± He shouted.


    Behind an old dilapidated post office, Ezekiel had caught the boy. Ezekiel wore a smile on his face as he held the boy up to his face.


    ¡°Easy kid, I wanna discuss something. Also, kid, why are you so slippery? Each time I think I have you, you''re gone.¡±


    ¡°That was you doing that!?¡± He shouted.


    Ezekiel raised an eyebrow at that comment and the boy quieted down. While he didn''t think anything bad would happen to him if he revealed his ability, his grandpa recommended against it.


    ¡°Listen, boy, your power is something that could be exploited to no end and even inconvenience some powerful people. I don''t want a lick of what that power does leaking to anyone.¡±


    And more importantly for him, this guy looked super shady. Who could imagine the things he''d have him do if he figured out what Kevin could do?


    He tried to hold a neutral expression and turned away from Ezekiel.


    ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about, Sir.¡± He politely responded.


    Ezekiel placed him on the floor. Was he free?


    ¡°How strange, you were calling for help yet the instant I mention magic you suddenly change your tone.¡±


    He puckered his lips and tried to run away. Ezekiel quickly grabbed his shirt.


    ¡°Don''t worry kid, I''m not anyone bad. Just take me to that Grandpa of yours.¡±


    ¡°Huh, why do you want to see my grandpa?¡± He asked as he turned to him.


    ¡°I can''t just drag you along without saying anything to your grandpa now can I? You said you lived with him, right?¡±


    ¡°Drag me along? Where are you gonna take me?¡± He tried to free himself once more while Ezekiel looked on unimpressed.


    ¡°Easy kid, I''m just gonna train you. Besides I have to get your grandpa''s permission first and old people are kinda stubborn when it comes to convincing. So I''m gonna need you to help me out.¡±


    (¡°That''s right, there''s no way my grandpa would let me be dragged off somewhere by this weird guy and his weird hair.¡±)


    He begrudgingly agreed and the pair soon went to Kevin''s house.


    <hr>


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    Kevin nearly wanted to faint after hearing that.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Both his grandpa and the man named Ezekiel were at a table enjoying some tea.


    ¡°Oi, Periwinkle I didn''t know you had a grandkid,¡± Ezekiel stated.


    ¡°Tch, he''s outside fooling around so much, I forget about it too.¡± He bitterly commented.


    (¡°G-grandpa, what is this!?¡±)


    This was far from the reaction Kevin was expecting from his Grandpa. Apparently, they knew each other and were amicable.


    He ran towards his grandpa and shook his arm.


    ¡°Grandpa, you can''t be serious right?¡±


    ¡°I am. Listen, Kevin, you''ve been far too lazy lately and in the arms of the parish¡¯s number one adventurer, I feel you''ll be whipped back into shape.¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    ¡°Hey Ezekiel, could you scram for a second? I need to talk to the boy.¡±


    Ezekiel wasted no time getting up. ¡°Just make sure the boy''s fine with this. I wouldn''t want him trying to run away.¡±


    Ezekiel went outside, and the old man turned to his grandson.


    ¡°Grandpa, you''re joking, right? Listen I didn''t mean to stea-¡±


    His grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°I''ve been thinking, Kevin. Maybe there''s a reason for you being gifted your magic. Oops sorry, that ability as you call it.¡±


    Kevin loosened up and tilted his head.


    ¡°What do you mean, Grandpa?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it''s a good thing that boy came by here. Otherwise, you''d probably be wasting that talent of yours. Think about it, isn''t something like that meant to help people out rather than giving you an easy life.¡± He said before he rubbed his grandson''s head.


    ¡°But didn''t say I had to keep it hidden?¡±


    He gave him a light tap on the head and the boy recoiled slightly.


    ¡°Need your ears checked out boy? I didn''t say anything about yapping about it. Just help people out, that''s all.¡± He said with a smile.


    (¡°Hmm, help people? I guess if Grandpa says I can do it, then it''s worth a shot.¡±)


    He agreed to his grandpa''s proposition and agreed to go with the weird. Besides, with his ability, he couldn''t imagine it being that hard.


    <hr>


    ¡°I GIVE UP EZEKIEL, NOW PLEASE STOP!!!!¡±


    The boy faced a fate no child should endure as he ran through the forest. For most of his life hadn''t so much as sniffed danger thanks to his ability showing where to avoid it. Unfortunately, he had willingly walked into a dangerous area this time.


    He threw himself behind a tree and five knives embedded themselves into the opposite side of the tree.


    ¡°What are you saying, kid? You haven''t even gotten a scratch yet. (This kid''s spatial awareness is amazing. Or maybe it''s his magic letting him dodge all this stuff.)¡±


    Kevin heard the trees shuffle and took that as his cue to run.


    (¡°As soon as we got out here, he began throwing those things. Is this how all adventurers train? Then I want no PPPAAAARRRTTTTT!!!!¡±) He lamented.


    He stopped to avoid a knife aimed at his foot and quickly turned directions.


    ¡°Hehe, I can feel it. This kid''s a real gem.¡±


    Ezekiel watched in delight as the child continued to dodge his projectiles no matter where he went.


    This experience convinced Kevin that the life of an adventurer wasn''t for him. Yet he could never shake Ezekiel off him whenever he came to train him.


    <hr>


    (¡°Ugh, thinking about that makes me feel queasy.¡±) Kevin thought to himself as he walked with the group. (¡°I''m no adventurer. But¡­but for as annoying as that guy was, he wasn''t a bad guy. I can''t just let his killers walk away.¡±)


    After this was over he told himself he''d quit adventuring but before that, he had to at least make sure that annoying guy could rest in peace.

 Chapter 285

    (¡°That said it should probably be easy with these guys around. They could probably do this without me but I suppose it isn''t too laughable for me to be here.¡±)


    He didn''t learn nothing from his time training with Ezekiel, as much as he tried.


    As the group continued walking he noticed the sound of something approaching from the distance.


    He looked to someone beside him and they had already stopped. Before he could ask why they already pulled out their sword.


    (¡°Huh, why''d he-¡±)


    He looked ahead and noticed something dangerous approaching.


    (¡°Red¡­ already!?¡±)


    He saw the world through various colours and for his eyes, red meant danger of some kind.


    He scrambled to pull out his knife but by the sounds of the clopping approaching, their enemy was already before them.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± The man on the horse stated. He had blonde hair formed in the same manner as a lion''s mane. He and eight others had stopped before the group.


    Elizabeth kept her guard up. ¡°Are you the dogs, the cultists that plague this parish?¡± She simply asked.


    The man had no words for her and came off the horse.


    ¡°Who the hell are you fools? I''ll give some warning in advance if you don''t leave-¡±


    Elizabeth pulled her sword out and he pulled out his own while placing a hand behind his back.


    As she did so, a man in the blonde man''s ranks rode off on the horse. He paid no attention to his allies or enemies.


    ¡°(Is he? Damn, we can''t afford for them to know our ambush) Get him!¡± Elizabeth shouted.


    Brother Leo tried to block the path of Lily but Elizabeth wasted no time getting him in check.


    Everyone began running after the one who had ridden off but the men on the horses came to block their path.


    Kevin slipped through the legs of a horse, Nigel pushed a horse aside as it blocked his path and the others all easily forced their way through, whether through magic or brute force. Within moments they had all disappeared.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Hmph, I suppose I was over-cautious staying here by myself. Based on what I saw just now, even Tina would be enough for the likes of everyone here.¡± She said before kicking away Brother Leo.


    Instead of chasing the others, the men all kept their ground and began circling Elizabeth, aside from their leader.


    ¡°You were foolish not to follow your comrades.¡± Brother Leo stated. (¡°Tsk, I''d like to believe I made the right decision but there''s something off about these people. I can also force a horse aside if needs be but it''s not something the rank and file would be capable of. Well, this woman headed them and even commanded them to follow him so I assume she''s the leader. She will serve as a litmus of sorts to determine how urgent a situation this is.¡±)


    ¡°Foolish? I can guarantee this won''t take more than five minutes.¡± She remarked. She sheathed her sword.


    ¡°Hah, you say that yet you put away your weapon? You must be practising to become a court jester.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what backwater country you come from but court jesters are something even my oldest grandfather would have considered outdated. Besides¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The man had a thought. ¡°(Blonde hair, green eyes¡­) Ah, are you perhaps that adventurer that got herself brutalised by Saito?¡±


    ¡°Saito?¡±


    ¡°You know, bald head, big stomach.¡±


    Brother Leo heard some details regarding Saito¡¯s demise but it wasn''t anywhere near the full picture.


    ¡°I can''t believe that idiot accidentally killed himself by overdosing on the powder, you kn-¡±


    He couldn''t breathe. He felt like he was suffocating when he looked into her eyes. Her face was not that of a human. She looked closer to Hannya, and the gritting of her teeth was audible.


    ¡°That fat prick was your friend!?¡± She snarled at him.


    It took a moment for him to catch his breath. (¡°What an unpleasant woman.¡±)


    He moved a hand behind him and made a signal towards one of his men. They wasted no time riding towards her at full speed. they jumped off at the last minute, so even if she managed to avoid being crushed by the horse, he''d immediately respond with an unseen blow. But his sword would never reach Elizabeth.


    In a feat that would be burned into the retinas of all those watching, she sidestepped the horse, immediately grabbed its legs and then proceeded to spin it around. The man was only mid-swing before she slammed the horse into him. He and the horse cried out in pain on the forest floor before falling to the forest floor. As she approached him, Brother Leo attempted to capitalise but she dodged his sword strike and delivered a blow to his side.


    He had no problem backing away and the next moment he looked he saw her with a sword in her hand standing over the injured man.


    ¡°I''m sorry but we don''t care much for hostages.¡± He remarked while inching forward.


    She rolled her eyes before making her intentions clear. She brought down the sword on the man''s neck. He didn''t die instantly and started gargling blood as he slowly faded away to the afterlife.


    Brother Leo, held his hand up, signalling for the other riders to bide their time.


    ¡°You are curious why I sheathed my sword, yes?¡± She asked while she pointed the sword towards him. On closer inspection it wasn¡¯t her own but the dead man''s. ¡°I''ve had to borrow a sword recently but I feel it would be a waste to dull and bloody it on the likes of you worms. So your own weapons shall do.¡±


    The man raised his arm again and several of their riders rushed towards her.

 Chapter 286

    One showed no hesitation in thrusting a spear at her and she showed no hesitation in grabbing it and jumping into the air. The two riders beside him tried their best to attack her but they didn''t want to risk hitting their comrade.


    She went over his horse with a frontflip and managed to fling him upwards on her descent as he held on to his spear. One of the riders jumped off his horse hoping to surprise her but the loudness of his footsteps, the shaking of the ground and his ragged breathing were too much. Any one of those would have alerted Elizabeth to his presence but with all of those in conjunction, he may as well have placed a siren on himself.


    One back elbow was all Elizabeth needed to send to the floor with his face bloodied. She caught his sword when it flew from his hand and just in time. The man she had flung into the air was now at the latter end of his descent and she quickly rushed towards him.


    She brought the sword upwards and thankfully for the man falling he wasn''t bisected. He had worn a metal plate to protect himself and she could tell. Instead of turning into two halves, the blade broke after going several inches into his back, leaving Elizabeth with a sword similar to her own, damaged by Tibaut.


    He fell to the ground limply, still breathing yet incapable of ever moving his legs again. Elizabeth moved past him and turned around to see the man with the man of a lion before her.


    A slash was evident on the leather armour she wore on her back but that was all.


    (¡°I see Saito¡¯s actions were not out of caution.¡±) He thought as he wiped the sweat from his brow.


    The man grimaced after witnessing that display. Five of his riders remained, yet she only had a scratch on her armour. Worse of all she mocked them by using their weapons yet she didn''t have a scratch on her body.


    The riders were beginning to look hesitant about approaching.


    He moved his hand once more and some of the riders pulled out crossbows.


    (¡°...Not all of them have crossbows but this should be good. Even if they don''t hit they should provide a good distract-¡±)


    He narrowly avoided a sword flung his way and swiftly blocked a punch with his sword. The blow sent back a few feet and it wasn''t pleasant when the side of his sword slammed his chest.


    ¡°Have you no chivalry, woman?¡± He remarked.


    ¡°You call ganging up on a single opponent chivalrous?¡± She disinterestedly responded.


    He noticed her eyes were focused behind and saw it as an opportunity. He soon stopped himself when he heard the sound of something falling behind him.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He backed away and when he decided there was a safe enough distance between them, he looked behind.


    On the floor was one of his men with his crossbow in hand. It was obvious he was focused on drawing back the bowstring and not their opponent. Why might you ask? The sword thrown at Leo was lodged in their face. Based on the lack of movement, it didn''t take a genius to see they were dead.


    The men looked to Leo for directions and he gave them another hand signal. The ones with crossbows rode off a few metres in the forest, and the one with a melee weapon got off his horse.


    Elizabeth continued to watch them, opening and closing one of her fists for some reason.


    Whistling was heard and she ducked. An arrow flew over her head. Two men alongside Brother Leo rushed her and she showed no concern.


    She parried Leo¡¯s attacks while dodging the others with relative ease. They might as not have been there with how much she was focusing on solely Leo. She even started to overpower him, while his two henchmen were helpless to do anything. One with a bloodied face tried to grab her but she hopped over him like she was playing leapfrog and kept the pressure on Leo.


    (¡°Why is-¡±) He wondered why she hadn''t retaliated but it soon became obvious. With all three so close to her they provided cover from the crossbowmen. She pushed him aside and picked up a crossbow. She had forced him all the way to the dead henchmen with a sword in his face. She picked up an arrow and fired off two shots in succession, in two completely different directions.


    (¡°To draw a shot so effortlessly¡­¡±) He thought as he approached her. One was already set in the crossbow but it took her no time at all to load a crossbow that''d take the average person two hands, with only one.


    Much to his chagrin, he knew where these shots were going. After all, the riders were a few metres away but they were still visible with the naked eye.


    Two yelps were heard soon after and the men fell off their horses.


    ¡°E-Enough of this shit!!!¡± He roared out before being punched.


    (¡°Sharp teeth?¡±) She mused before as she watched him wield back in pain.


    (¡°I didn''t want to use this here but¡­¡±)


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    ¡°What''s this?¡± The blonde man asked.


    He had been brought to the fifth floor and was standing before Father Daniel. There was a woman restrained to a table, with tears in her eyes struggling. He wondered why Father Daniel hadn''t just killed this woman already, her excretions gave the place an awful smell.


    ¡°Leo, I''m conducting an experiment of sorts.¡± The shorter blonde man responded.


    ¡°I can see that but why have you called me down here.¡± He slowly reached for his sheathed sword but the priest laughed.


    ¡°Hahaha, don''t worry Leo. If I wanted to kill you I would do it as soon as I felt the need. Besides, what do you think would have happened if you did stand up to me, hmmm?¡±


    ¡°Surely you jest, Father, it''s the atmosphere around here that''s putting me on edge. I feel like I''m being watched.¡± He jittered while observing his surroundings with extra care.


    ¡°(The one on this floor should be fine. Though I''m not yet sure what makes them so docile¡­) I see¡­ my mistake.¡± He pulled out a small sack and handed it to him.

 Chapter 287

    Leo eyed the pouch with suspicion. ¡°And what might that be Father?¡±


    ¡°You know of the powder we priests use, correct, Leo?¡±


    He nodded and accepted the pouch. ¡°Of course Father! But is this really-¡±


    Father Daniel shushed the man taller than him with a finger on his lips. ¡°My dear brother of a common God, what might be the issue with this?¡±


    Leo looked hesitant with the sack in his hand, but he placed it in his pocket regardless.


    ¡°I mean¡­ won''t our brothers in our motherland find offence in this?¡±


    He was right. Only those within the religion who had, at minimum, become a priest were allowed such a luxury.


    ¡°My dear child, that is a foolish notion. To restrict the powder would be no better than our previous god in heaven who restricted the fruit from humanity. I''d much rather follow in our lord''s footsteps and give you a taste of this succulent gift. Besides, do you not believe you should be rewarded for assisting me?¡±


    Leo looked taken aback and got on one knee.


    ¡°I see. Thank you for-¡±


    The small man placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°You seem to be mistaken about something. I''d like for you to help me with my experiments.¡±


    Leo gulped before trying to ask what he meant by that. He looked at the woman at the table and couldn''t stop himself from shaking. She looked into his eyes, praying for a miracle and continued struggling.


    Father Daniel tilted his head and turned around. He giggled before patting Leo on the shoulder.


    ¡°Leo, do be serious, would you believe I''d subject you to such a thing?¡±


    He tried to respond but his words wouldn''t leave his throat. He began breathing with an increased pace. A gentle slap to his face snapped him out of this delirium and he looked to the Father.


    ¡°Your tests will be far less taxing than hers.¡±


    ¡°And what might they be, father?¡± He asked softly.


    ¡°Simple, sample some of the powder and tell me its effects on your body.¡±


    Leo gave a brief sigh.


    ¡°Might I ask why Father?¡±


    ¡°Well, it has to do with your constitution. The women I have gathered are all women and since you''re a-¡±


    ¡°A Rexman.¡± He replied. ¡°Are you sure this is meaningful father? The blood in me runs somewhat thin.¡±


    ¡°You have enough. At a minimum, it should tell whether there is any difference between a human and a rexman using it.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°I see. I assume I will start now?¡± he asked as he pulled the sack out of his pocket.


    ¡°No, that powder is for you to use how you see fit. I will call you when I need a test.¡±


    ¡°Truly Father? I must say, your generosity is much appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure you either use it, get rid of it or hide it before we return to the motherland. I can''t imagine the headache they''d give me if they found you with it.¡±


    ¡°Of course Father, I wouldn''t do anything to embarrass you or betray your generosity.¡±


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    As he flung his head back in pain, she noticed the sharpness of his teeth. He seemed to put extra care on not exposing too much of his mouth earlier.


    (¡°Those teeth¡­¡±)


    She looked at his hands and while not exactly claws, his nails were longer than they had any right to be and even looked somewhat sharp.


    She soon realised that mane wasn''t a form of self-expression but something that grew naturally.


    ¡°Are you one of those beast people?¡± she asked. ¡°I didn''t know your kind harboured such disgusting beliefs.¡±


    One of the two remaining henchmen no longer cared about what Leo commanded of him and brought his sword down with one hand at her.


    She stepped aside and grabbed his bicep when it reached the highest point of its swing. She roughly dragged it backwards with no attention to the joints that held it in place, dislocating it as casually as picking a daisy.


    She grabbed the dropped sword and slashed at his throat, as he held his arm in pain.


    The other lackey realised there was no hope and quickly began running. She threw the sword and it made a home in his back. Unfortunately for him, he had worn leather armour to protect his back unlike one of his more prepared comrades.


    She dusted her hands and turned to Leo.


    He had stuck a finger in his mouth and covered it in saliva. He placed it into his pocket and pulled out his finger covered in a black substance.


    (¡°It was unfortunate she took two of the three magic users before they had time to use theirs but if my eyes don''t deceive me, I believe both the crossbowmen are alive.¡±)


    Before his finger reached his mouth Elizabeth slammed his jaw, sending him into a nearby bush.


    (¡°Was that powder, the same the fat bastard used?¡±)


    She was taking no chances and ran towards him but her focus on him took her attention off her surroundings.


    She nearly tripped and had to regain her footing. Something grabbed her leg. She looked down to see a root wrapped around her foot. A whistle in the air forced her to try and drag out the root. It was stronger than she anticipated and she narrowly ducked the arrow, with with new scrap on her forehead.


    A smile on the face of the man with his hand on the ground soon turned to terror when he realised she placed her hands on the root. The other man was still reloading.


    She pulled out the root and pulled the man along.


    (¡°It''s connected to his hand?¡±) She thought.


    He cancelled the magic, turning the root to dust and stopped himself from being dragged any closer. He was left on the floor after being dragged. He attempted to get back up to his feet but Elizabeth took this opportunity to stomp on his head when he reached a crouched position. The cracking of bone was heard when his head came in contact with the forest floor. She spared him no more attention and ran towards the final lackey.


    He leaned against a tree unable to get to his feet due to the arrow within him. He hurriedly tried to pull back his bowstring. It was just centimetres away from being set and he would be able to defend himself.


    He finally managed it and¡­ looked to see Elizabeth in front of him. He tried to aim the crossbow but she stomped on it crushing his fingers. He removed his fingers from it and wailed in pain before receiving an arrow between his eyes.


    Elizabeth picked up an arrow from the corpse and loaded it.

 Chapter 288

    She aimed it at the rabid beast approaching her.


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    A dead horse and several men and women stood in the forest.


    Next to the horse was a man who had his head stomped into a pink paste interspersed with bone fragments.


    ¡°Furor, did you really have to kill the guy?¡± Ruby asked. She shook her head looking at the corpse.


    As always, he responded boisterously.


    ¡°The fuck was that you hag? You wanted to spare this piece of fucking garbage!?¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Furor we could have used him for info. Use your head more.¡±


    She approached the fallen man and searched his pockets.


    ¡°Fuck off. We don''t need that shit. We go in, do what we''re supposed to and leave. And as long as Elizabeth''s busy I''m the one in charge here, you hear!?¡±


    The group gave disinterested sighs all around but reluctantly followed when he began moving. Ruby shrugged her shoulders after searching the man''s body and got up.


    Lily and Tina stayed at the back of the group with Nora walking slightly ahead of them.


    Lily walked with her hands behind her head and turned her attention to Tina. It was obvious Tina was thinking about something.


    ¡°I''m surprised you kept quiet while he talked.¡± She said. Tina rolled her eyes and continued walking.


    ¡°Tch, I have better things to focus on than whatever that bastard has to say.¡± She returned to her thoughts.


    ¡°Really, Pinky?¡±


    Tina didn''t respond and continued walking.


    ¡°Huh, it must be important.¡±


    ¡°Let her think,¡± Nora interjected. ¡°After all, this must be something she''s thought about for a while. Lily, how do you feel about this whole thing?¡±


    ¡°How do I feel?¡± She looked up and shrugged. ¡°I thought I''d feel more emotional coming here but it''s kinda creepy how calm I feel right now.¡±


    ¡°Is that a good or a bad thing?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°No idea. I might stay like this for the rest of this or I might explode after I pull my knife out and kill one of those bastards. For the time being, I guess I don''t mind it.¡±


    Nora left it at that and they continued walking along. That is until she noticed something. She looked around a few times and even eyed down the front of the pack.


    (¡°Nigel, Ruby, Furor, Dennis, Josh, Agatha, Tyrel¡­¡±)


    She looked behind her yet again.


    Lily noticed her and was somewhat curious. ¡°What''s up, Nora?¡±


    ¡°I think I''m overthinking this but¡­ where''s Kevin?¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    This caught the attention of all the adventurers present and they all started looking around.


    Furor showed no concern and continued walking. ¡°That bastard will show up eventually. If he doesn''t, I''ll kill him myself.¡±


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    His mane grew longer and his body looked like it had shot up two weight classes.


    Elizabeth fired the arrow at him and he swatted it out of the air. He brought his hand down and it left four evenly spaced claw marks on her chest plate. She dodged the blow but it seemed she underestimated him.


    (¡°It''s likely he ingested the powder. Thankfully he hasn''t turned out like that bald asshole.¡±)


    Leo''s eyes were bloodshot and he swiped at her along with slashes from his sword.


    (¡°This is amazing!¡±) He thought to himself. This was the first time he had used the powder. He initially had doubts it wouldn''t work on him due to his lack of magic but he was pleasantly surprised.


    His body was moving at speeds he could only dream of achieving. He managed to slash away at her hair and she used the crossbow as a bludgeoning weapon, slamming it into his torso. He clamped on it when he caught it and broke it like it was made of cheap plastic.


    ¡°Haha try as you-¡± He narrowly dodged a punch and caught her side with his claws. She showed no reaction and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer for a headbutt. He welcomed this and both slammed their foreheads into each other''s.


    She scoffed as she felt blood flow down her forehead and Leo laughed at her before getting his legs swept. She showed no mercy when she attacked and landed a remorseless kick on his crotch.


    He kicked the floor to back away and threw his sword at her to buy himself some time. When he returned to his feet, she slammed the sword into his shoulder. He managed to stop it with the claws on one of his hands and stabbed the other hand towards her torso. Elizabeth jumped over it and sliced at him.


    She caught part of his mane but other than that, he was unharmed.


    ¡°Blasted woman, just let me kill you already!¡±


    He turned around into a blind swing but Elizabeth was already several metres away.


    ¡°Need a breather? Sorry, but I''m gonna end it here.¡± He chuckled before making his way over.


    She touched her side with one of her arms and looked at the blood. (¡°It seems like I''ve been holding back too much.¡±)


    She threw the sword in the other hand and readied herself.


    (¡°Is she ambidextrous? Hmph what use is switching your arm?¡±)


    He brought his hand down and blood flew in the air. But it wasn''t the blonde adventurer¡¯s blood but his own. He showed no hesitation backing and gazed at his hand. Four of his fingers had been cleanly bisected, leaving his thumb as the only whole finger.


    Elizabeth clicked her tongue looking at her arm with the sword.


    ¡°I should have known it wasn''t going to be as precise as the other arm.¡±


    ¡°What? Other arm? What the hell are you talking about!?¡± He shouted. ¡°Are you telling me you''ve been using your less proficient arm this entire time!?¡±


    This was right but it wasn''t the whole truth. Elizabeth had seen this fight as a test of sorts. To test whether using her non-dominant would affect her capabilities in battle and how noticeable it would be. She considered her swordplay exceedingly sloppy for this battle so she was thankful the others weren''t here to watch her. But there was also another reason.


    (¡°I was hoping I could save my good arm for a stronger opponent but I can''t afford to take careless damage before I encounter that bastard in black.¡±)


    She blocked and parried the now desperate strikes of Leo.


    (¡°Fuck off you whore, you think changing an am is going to do me in!?¡±)


    He fought more conservatively and kept such obvious strikes to a minimum. He didn''t lose his fingers to her change; he lost them to his own carelessness. He told himself that and pushed her further backwards, backing away to retrieve a spear on the floor.


    (¡°Now I don''t have to worry about her cutting my hand, you''re finished.¡±)


    He swung down with the spear but she blocked the with her sword and ran closer, her sword still rubbing against the shaft of the spear.


    (¡°Her sword arm is busy, heh she''s finished.¡±)


    Within striking distance, he let go of the spear and moved both his hands towards it. He''d either stab with his thumb or slash her face with his healthy hand. The tides of battle would turn in his favour.


    But before that could happen he wondered why he wasn''t moving her sword.


    (¡°She hasn''t attempted to block, wh-¡±)


    A chill ran down his spine. He was so used to fighting with that arm earlier, he didn''t realise. She was using her weaker arm. He looked to see what the other arm was doing. That arm had pulled out the sword she left in its sheath.


    Like a gunslinger, she drew her weapon and ended it in moments.

 Chapter 289

    The sword sliced one of his hands off and left an open gash in his torso. You could easily see his stomach and parts of his rib.


    He fell to the floor and that was that.


    Out of caution, Elizabeth stabbed his blade into his throat and flicked her own to get the blood off.


    She sheathed the blade and soon began running in the direction her comrades went. She looked displeased as she ran further into the forest.


    (¡°They''re gonna notice. If I could make use of my dominant hand more freely, that wouldn''t have taken as long as it did. I thought a few days might have been enough but it seems I overestimated myself.¡±)


    She looked at her arm and the sleeve was covered in blood from the brief amount of time she used it. She considered ripping it off but showing the gauze underneath was bound to leave the others with questions.


    ¡°This whole thing really has become such an unnecessary pain in the ass. If any more men of that beast man¡¯s calibre appear it might leave this arm completely useless. And against that man in black, the risk of using my non-dominant arm is too great.¡±


    The arm didn''t lack the power of the other, but the precision of it was not to her standard. With this arm, an apple would be manageable to slice but with the other, she could easily split a pea thrown at her.


    She sighed and decided she would keep behind the others so they wouldn''t witness her in combat unless the situation was dire. She''d then follow the group she was a part of from behind when they entered the dungeon.


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    A boy was breathing heavily in the forest. He had hair as white as a rabbit''s fur and eyes as red as a ruby. And he was tired.


    ¡°Heavy breathing, G-guys?¡± He said to no one.


    He looked up and unsurprisingly they were nowhere to be found. He had tripped on a branch and was killing himself trying to catch up with the group. The sizable distance between him and the next person certainly didn''t help either and he was left all alone in enemy territory.


    ¡°Oh man, I trip once and this happens.¡± He said to himself as he rubbed his head.


    He looked around and his eyes showed him a blue path.


    ¡°?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Now this could mean two things. It either led him to the dungeon or it''d take him to a tropical paradise where he wouldn''t have to fight. He shrugged his shoulders, and with no better options, he followed the path.


    <hr>


    After one hour, he found an empty cabin in the woods.


    ¡°Alright, what''s so positive about this place?¡± he wondered to himself.


    After observing through the window, he entered the log cabin.


    It didn''t take him long to find something highlighted blue with his eyes.


    A map of the area. He initially wasn''t sure what was so useful about it until he took a closer look at it.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    The map showed him something he wasn''t too fond of.


    ¡°If I''m reading this right, then those guys probably aren''t going to reach that dungeon for a while.¡±


    The map showed that the direction others ran in was quite far out of the way. It did lead to the clearing where the dungeon was located, but based on the scale I''d be an hour or two away if they decided to walk along the clearing.


    ¡°I don''t get it. Why''d that guy run off in that direction then? He''d pretty much be putting himself in danger by dragging out the chase.¡±


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    90 minutes earlier


    ¡°Come here.¡± Brother Leo signalled to one of the men. It was the one that always followed him.


    They gathered outside and were ready to search for the disturbance to the barrier. They had a likely area (the area of the barrier closest to an abandoned road) and would precede shortly, with the only thing they were waiting on being Brother Leo.


    ¡°Brother Leo? What seems to be the matter, isn''t this situation urgent?¡±


    The red detection stones meant that someone had broken the barrier, so he wasn''t sure why Leo couldn''t discuss it as they travelled.


    ¡°This person the priest has taken an interest in might be extremely dangerous.¡± Leo cut to the chase immediately away from the ears of the others. ¡°With this mystery assailant happening so closely together with this, I believe they might be related.¡±


    ¡°I see, Brother.¡± The man nervously commented. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡±


    ¡°I see you catch on quick.¡± He patted his shoulder. ¡°I want you to ride to the priest and show him this stone. If we don''t return in three hours, assume we are dead. I''ll take the blame if this is the result of an internal problem or we don''t return in time.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Brother.¡±


    Leo handed him one of the detection stones and he rode off.


    ¡°Oi, Leo where''s that guy going?¡± One of the guards asked.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it, if all goes well we don''t have to worry about it.¡± He confidently responded before jumping on a nearby horse.


    The signal Brother Leo gave the doomed rider wasn''t ¡°alert the main base!¡± but rather ¡°gain some distance!¡±


    And no matter how fast the adventurers were, if they were led astray they''d reach the dungeon long after his associate broke the news to the priest.


    Kevin wasn''t privy to any of this.


    ¡°Even with the 1-hour difference, if I go at a moderate pace I should meet them there.¡±


    He gave a faint smile. He couldn''t imagine the pits of despair he''d be in if he missed the battle, regardless of how helpful he''d be.


    He pulled down the map and quickly left the cabin.

 Chapter 290

    In front of the dungeon¡¯s temple, the short priest and an exhausted man sat down, looking at the forest and grass before them.


    ¡°Did he mean three hours after you left the cabin or after you delivered this message to me?¡± The short priest asked.


    ¡°I''m...... not sure, Father. Maybe we should err on the side of caution?¡±


    (¡°Sigh, what a pain. Based on what I heard from this boy earlier it seems the methods of entry for that boy and whoever this person/s is, was different. No, it couldn''t be them. Not this early at least. Unless¡­¡±)


    His mind went back to the incident with Albus. He originally believed they sent the adventurers to Albus to silence him and cripple one of their lifelines. But what if there was more to this?


    (¡°I remember Leo saying they began exercising caution after the maids left but¡­ how could I have overlooked this.¡±)


    But what if the adventurers weren''t the only ones there? He assumed the fool was lying low in the parish after goading the adventurers but, they might have been watching and snooping around that estate for longer than he would have liked.


    (¡°I assumed he would''ve been protecting him from the shadows. But I see, that''s why he did those two things. I assumed he sent only the ignorant dogs and gave them hints. And gathering them all together was to make them meat shields for his protection. Tsk, if I had known he left the parish I wouldn''t have hesitated to end that greedy bastard. But he also possesses some and I can''t risk fighting him without knowing how compatible he is.¡±)


    He rubbed his forehead in disappointment.


    ¡°Something the matter, Father?¡±


    ¡°There is. Go inside and tell the others to prepare themselves on the second floor at the third-floor stairway. I want them to hold back the intruder. If they spot him, send someone to alert me immediately.¡±


    ¡°A-are you sure?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Are you questioning me, boy?¡± He calmly asked.


    ¡°Of course not father!¡± He pleaded.


    ¡°Good. I''d appreciate it if you brought my weapons after. I feel the people approaching are going to be quite the pain.¡± He said before, falling flat on the grass.


    ¡°As you wish father. But, why are you so sure Brother Leo won''t return with their heads?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, it''ll be a pleasant surprise if he proves me wrong.¡±


    He got to his feet and began walking but soon stopped himself. ¡°Wait a minute Father, shouldn''t everyone else be here with you if an enemy does attack?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I feel like stretching my bones a bit.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    Father Daniel threw a rock and it stopped mere millimetres from his face.


    ¡°Go.¡± He bluntly stated.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The lackey wasted no time running off into the temple.


    (¡°Why don''t I have them here with me? It''s fu- fricking obvious. You guys are weak. It would be a hindrance to fight with so many of you. Lord grant me strength. I''ve only heard of their strength through that bastard but I can tell they''re going to give me a headache.¡±)


    He sprang up and began stretching, waiting for his opponents.


    ¡­


    ..


    .


    Three hours had passed and Leo never returned. After three hours and thirty minutes, Kevin arrived at the dungeon.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    He began circling the forest before the dungeon. Nothing here. Nothing there. He wore an uneasy smile as he continued searching.


    ¡°Haha, there''s no way right?¡±


    He continued searching and his smile grew increasingly pained with every bush he peered into.


    ¡°They''re not here¡­¡± The dread in his voice was palpable.


    Not Elizabeth, Ruby or Furor was present in the forest. He already knew this thanks to his eyes, (if they didn''t label his allies blue he didn''t know what good they''d be) they weren''t here.


    ¡°Wahhhh seriously!?¡±


    He quickly covered his mouth remembering he was so close to enemy territory. He considered that they might have begun their attack but the red haze covering the front of the dungeon told him otherwise.


    ¡°Holy crap, how many guys are here?¡±


    He went as far as the forest allowed him and moved into a position that gave him a view of the entrance.


    ¡°... Are my eyes bugging out?¡±


    He rubbed his eyes for several moments but no matter how hard he did it, the miasma didn''t disappear.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. It represents the danger of the dungeon itself.¡±


    The entrance of the dungeon was completely undefended. Had they barricaded themselves in? They were certainly people here, otherwise he wouldn''t have gotten lost chasing down that bastard in the first place.


    ¡°I hope that guy gets a stick up his ass.¡± Kevin groaned. Whether that was a worse fate than what happened to him was subjective.


    But it would look bad right? If he just hid in the forest before they came.


    He started pumping his arms and amped himself up.


    ¡°Damn, I already know what I have to do. It''d probably help them out if I did some sabotage. My eyes make escape pretty easy so¡­.¡± He took a deep breath in before continuing. ¡°I guess I''ll enter it first.¡±


    His face showed determination, but internally, he cursed at the skies for giving him such a fate.


    He walked towards the entrance and saw no one.


    ¡°They can''t go invisible right?¡±


    Looked around and nothing stood out with his eyes.


    ¡°I guess they''re underground.¡± He slowly walked closer to the entrance making sure to keep an eye on his surroundings.


    Even if they had decided to hide underground, leaving nobody up here seemed kinda sloppy.


    Maybe those guys Elizabeth handled were the guards. In that case, entering the dungeon was going to be a cinch.


    But he noticed something new. A part of the ground a few metres away was labelled a dark red.


    ¡°Is it a trap?¡±


    He stepped a few paces to its side and continued walking. The red spot moved as well.


    ¡°Hmm!?¡±


    He continued walking side to side but the red spot would continue to block his way.


    ¡°Is it some monster? Maybe I can find a deer and distract it with its meat.¡±


    That might seem like a stretch to most people but with his eyes, it was an eventuality.


    As he thought about going back into the forest, he noticed the red spot move closer.

 Chapter 291

    He blankly stared at it before trying to back away. He was too slow and noticed the area before him was covered in red.


    ¡°Damnit, I haven''t even seen what this is yet!¡± He shouted before jumping away and landing on his back.


    Something burst from the ground and slashed the space he formerly occupied.


    It was a sickle attached to a chain. As the chain burst from the ground, so did the man attached to it.


    It was a boy, younger looking than Kevin, covered in metal plates and leather armour. He was covered in dirt and wore a fierce glare as he stared down Kevin.


    ¡°(White hair¡­ I think I heard that bastard mention him but he didn''t say anything useful. Well, he must have been somewhat decent to dodge that attack. I was counting on it to kill one at least, as well. I wonder if I''m getting rusty.)¡±


    The young blonde man backed away while keeping a look at his surroundings.


    (¡°What- what the hell is this guy? Are the cultists training kids!?¡±) Kevin wondered.


    He hesitantly pulled out his knife and the priest pulled back his weapon before dusting himself.


    ¡°Come out you bastards, you don''t expect me to believe he''s the only one here!¡± he shouted towards the forest.


    It was a quick lapse in attention but Kevin knew this was an opponent he couldn''t afford to hold back on.


    (¡°I''m not seeing any blue. Ugh, should I just run away?¡±) He thought but showed no hesitation in throwing his knife.


    His eyes had shown him a path to at least minimally benefit him and he banked on it.


    The lack of movement in the forest left the priest confused. (¡°If they''ve come to kill at least one in their party should react. After all, they wouldn''t be stupid to send only their best. By his count, there were only three that could be described as such and that white-haired boy isn''t on-¡±)


    He parried the knife thrown at him with the weapon¡¯s handle but the blade caught part of his hand.


    (¡°I guess I shouldn''t judge this boy by his appearance. Damn, did he keep quiet about some hidden talent?¡±)


    The white-haired boy showed no hesitation in running at him and preemptively slid when he noticed the area above turn red.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    (¡°Why did that-¡±) Within a fraction of a second, the sickle swept through the air.


    His teeth began clattering but he continued forward.


    (¡°I suppose he was foolish enough to come here alone. What a brat, the little skill he has made him arrogant enough to think he can take me on.¡±) The priest thought.


    (¡°Is it too late to run away!?¡±) Kevin thought as he inched closer.


    He soon noticed the area around the priest became red and moved to his side.


    (¡°What the hell? Can I not touch him!?¡±) He thought as he desperately tried to change course. Other than these eyes, Kevin had no defence against magic and his body, while impressive to the average person, was considerably lacking for an adventurer.


    The priest reached out his hand but Kevin did his best to stay out of the red aura he saw cover his hand and ran to his side.


    The priest instinctively swung his chain and Kevin saw a chance. He ducked down and brought his hand up.


    The chain caught his hand and swung back at the priest. He didn''t realise what had happened until the chain was in his vision. He stopped it inches from his face and Kevin noticed this as well.


    (¡°What the hell!?¡±) He wondered. The chain had gone stiff and the man stopped the sickle with little more than his glance. Thanks to the chain''s current stiffness he could remove his hand from it and it remained coiled.


    (¡°What the hell kinda magic is that!?¡±)


    The priest backed away and the chain became limp once more.


    (¡°This boy¡­ I don''t know how but he can see the range my magic extends.¡±) The priest thought as he began swinging his chain again. (¡°Not only that but he knew the exact length of my chain to interfere with to cause it to swing back at me. Furthermore, if I didn''t stop the chain he would have been caught and I could have dragged him towards me, sealing his fate. Hohohoho! The more I think about it, the more this child doesn''t make sense. Can he both predict my magic and know the scenario!? How interesting, I might have to keep this one. At least what¡¯s left of him.)


    The boy''s aura changed in Kevin''s eyes. There was no colour on him other than red. For most of the fight, except when he approached, he was covered in grey. This meant one thing for Kevin. He was probably screwed.


    (¡°Come the hell on, even Furor wasn''t covered in this much red when we pissed him off.¡±)


    A flat plane on the same level as his head was covered in red and he tripped over himself, trying to back away. Instead of annoyance, the priest''s eyes were cold, yet he very clearly wore a smile on his face. He seemed to be focused.


    Kevin had to roll away as the blade immediately came down on him.


    There was a cut on his nose from the previous sickle attack and he nearly lost the strength in his feet thinking what would happen if he was just a few inches closer. But more importantly¡­


    (¡°Didn''t he swing that sideways? How''d it come down so quickly?¡±)


    He only dodged it because of what he saw with his eyes'' warning, so he wasn''t sure how the blonde boy managed this.


    (¡°Impressive! He can dodge a move he hasn''t seen before. I was sure I''d catch his chest with that.¡±)


    The smile on the face of the priest grew wider. He was going to have fun with this new plaything that entered his abode. And hopefully, no one would intrude on it.

 Chapter 292

    Kevin managed to get back to his feet and dodged the sickle once more. As it went behind him, he noticed the area below his waist was labelled red. He quickly jumped up and the sickle cut the heel of one of his shoes.


    When he landed back he slapped the sickle away, when it was thrust towards him and wasted no time backing up.


    (¡°Nope, I tried. This is impossible!¡±) He thought. This was no longer a fight but a test of survival for Kevin. (¡°Can he make things solid or stop? No, if he could do that he''d be trying harder to touch me. Or maybe he''s to get my guard down. Ugh, I don''t know.¡±)


    As he looked at the chain it became limp when the priest flicked it towards himself.


    (¡°Is it the construction of the weapon? I''ve heard of swords that turn to whips¡­¡±)


    As he stood sizing his opponent up he noticed a hint of blue in his vision. Was it a mystical weapon they had left outside? An ally lying in wait? No, it was the path that led into the dungeon.


    (¡°If the best option here is running into the dungeon, am I screwed?¡±)


    The priest meanwhile was carefully observing Kevin hoping to find a flaw. (¡°He predicts when I attack almost perfectly. Even now as he looks lost in his thoughts.¡±)


    He swung the chain towards him yet the boy didn''t react. He stopped the chain next to his torso, but despite the boy reacting to the blade, he didn''t try to dodge. The moment his muscles tried to move it closer, he was backing away like no tomorrow.


    (¡°Interesting. Can he sense the difference between an attack and a faint? I also wonder if that worried expression of his is an act to hide his abilities.¡±)


    He pushed the chain forward and let it go. It remained in the air.


    Kevin looked ready to dodge again but after seeing the priest let go of the chain, and run towards him, he instinctively backed up.


    It if wasn''t for his armour he would have been pierced by the blade. He didn''t have to look behind to know what scraped against his armour.


    (¡°It''s the sickle!¡±)


    (¡°I see. It was out of his vision. Does that mean I have to attack from where he cannot see?¡±)


    As the priest came closer, Kevin ran toward him as well.


    (¡°What is he do-?¡±) The confusion at this move left the priest momentarily stunned.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Kevin slid at the last moment and tripped the priest''s legs. He almost couldn''t believe what had happened as he went into the air.


    What was in front was the blade he had set up. He stopped himself.


    (¡°This bastard. Well, it confirms one thing at least. He can''t-¡±)


    He stopped mid-air, so he was dumbfounded when he felt a hand on his ass.


    (¡°!?!?¡±)


    He looked around with red cheeks but released his magic when he felt the blade touch his cheek.


    The white-haired boy had already begun running away when he hit the floor.


    (¡°...I could have hit him with my magic there¡­¡±) Daniel thought, watching him. His eyes showed no life and he quickly picked up his weapon. The priest tightly gripped his weapon and started swinging with it with seemingly no rhyme or reason.


    (¡°Did that really benefit me!?¡±) Kevin thought as he closed in on the dungeon.


    Thanks to his eyes he could tell the strikes that would hit him from the ones that were for show. He looked behind briefly to see the priest rapidly gaining. He ran into the pillars and the blonde boy did his best to wrap the chain around him. The white-haired boy ducked as the chain was mid-throw and slid behind the pillar.


    (¡°Humiliate me, will you? I send you lower depths of the dungeon, for what you touched!¡±)


    That was the most intimate touch the priest had received in a long time and as soon as he got a hold of Kevin, he''d repay that favour a hundredfold.


    In the forest of pillars that occupied the upper temple, he reached the pillar the boy ducked behind. Yet he was nowhere in sight, nor did he hear any footsteps.


    When he focused his hearing, he couldn''t even hear breathing.


    ¡°That bastard, where the hell-¡±


    He heard something make a noise on the floor and quickly turned to it. And from the front of the pillar the priest was behind, Kevin shimmied around. His focus was still on the rock Kevin threw as the albino delivered his sucker punch.


    This unexpected punch sent him to the floor and he stayed there.


    (¡°The moment he continues his attack he''s finished.¡±) Daniel thought as he waited. But that moment would never come, as he heard footsteps move further away than closer.


    He wore a sour expression as he got up and quickly chased after him.


    (¡°I didn''t even move my muscles that time. I thought he was reading my movements by the small, almost imperceptible movements your muscles make when you begin an action but I was mistaken. I hadn''t even moved my muscles yet he knew I''d use my magic. Can he read minds¡­. I suppose he escaped to the forest.¡±) He thought as he approached the stairway. He couldn''t see the boy but he could hear his feet echoing down the stairway, with no change in pace. It looked like that hypothesis was proven wrong.


    The priest was losing patience and he was in no mood for a cat-and-mouse game.


    Kevin ran like an Olympic sprinter and he headed down the stairs but for some reason, the entire centre of the stairway had turned red.


    He moved to the side and continued running, this time, risking a fall by skipping several steps with each step.


    (¡°Is going to use some big attack?¡±)


    He continued down the stairs bracing himself for what this could but nothing could have prepared for what appeared with those next few seconds.

 Chapter 293

    Something shot past him, but he couldn''t get a good glimpse. All he heard was the rattling of a chain. A chain was visible quickly following what shot past him.


    He jumped up in the air, nearly hitting the ceiling when something shot by the area his legs used to be.


    He landed awkwardly and had to slow himself, lest he tumble down the stairs. There he saw what was ahead of him.


    (¡°S-s-seriously!?¡±) He screamed internally.


    Floating in the air, parallel to the ground was the priest. He flung himself down here to reach Kevin. He stopped whatever made him levitate and landed softly on the stairs. Kevin jumped down to kick him immediately after he landed and both began tumbling down the stairs.


    The priest quickly stopped himself but Kevin continued for a few moments.


    (¡°I must say, it''s been a while since I''ve had an opponent, I truly couldn''t take my eyes. Every opportunity, without a missed beat, he takes to attack me when my guard is down.¡±) The priest thought as he watched him fall.


    For several painful seconds, Kevin slammed against the stone steps and the worst part about it was, it was better than whatever the priest had in store for him, according to his eyes. Which worried him, considering he was covered in bruises and welts.


    But the falling wasn''t for nought. When he stopped and tried to pick himself up, he was surrounded by lights in all directions. This wasn''t a stair he landed on but flat ground.


    (¡°I''m-¡±)


    He quickly dodged and not even a second later, the priest landed beside him, with his chain quickly following. Again he stopped himself, this time just inches before his feet touched the ground. Kevin was too slow to dodge the sickle and it nicked his shoulder, leaving a shallow wound as he tried to roll away on the floor.


    Daniel managed to get his blade stuck between two stone bricks in the dungeon and hurriedly tried pulling his blade. While making sure to keep in mind the boy was near. (¡°Punch me already, I''m wide open!¡±)


    Kevin gave a muffled groan, trying to keep down the pain as he rolled away. He pushed off the ground and got back to his feet. He turned himself around and began running, clutching his shoulder as he ran.


    Daniel finally managed to pull the blade out and followed in pursuit but amazingly the white-haired boy had lost him, within a few turns of the dungeon.


    The priest wasted no time and ran towards the second-floor stairway.


    (¡°Just to be safe I have to make sure he doesn''t sneak to the second floor. I can imagine his strength would increase tenfold if he used my men as human shields in this battle. His evasion is no joke and with my men around and the way he can seemingly predict movement, it''d be a disaster to fight with them around. But it wouldn''t be impossible.¡±)


    The priest had the first two floors of the dungeon memorised to a tee and quickly made his way towards the stairway.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    As he mapped through the floor in his head he realised the path he had taken was the third fastest available path from the stairway. It should have been more than enough to catch the white-haired boy off guard if he did try to get to the next floor.


    ¡­.


    Kevin gritted his teeth as he ran and slowly removed his hand from his shoulder. He briefly looked at his hand and wiped the blood on his pants, trying his best to ignore the wound. The damage from the stairs didn''t do his body any favours either.


    His breathing got more ragged and his face was covered with sweat. Yet he was amazed he could still run at her current pace. (¡°I know the only reason I''m here is because of him but without his training, I would gassed out before I even got down here. Let''s just hope this wasn''t in vain.¡±)


    He felt his knees weakening but pressed on. After all, his eyes showed there was hope, he just had to follow the path it provided.


    ¡°Huff I Huff have to get there.¡±


    The closer he got to the goal the more it changed from blue to turquoise. He could see in real-time as his path to escape became more and more unviable.


    He forced himself through the pain for 5 gruelling minutes and saw his reward in sight. There wasn''t a single enemy in sight as he ran through this floor but it didn''t matter to him. There was the place his eyes led him.


    Another stairway.


    Frustration washed over him and he yelled out a blood-curdling ¡°Dammit!¡± when he saw it. How many more of those stairways would he have to run down and what were his eyes even pointing him to? He knew they benefited him but what that benefit was, was anyone''s guess. If he was running to a stack of gold or something, he would curse whatever God brought him into this world for the rest of his afterlife.


    Yet he ran down the pathway without so much as a whimper. It was the only choice he had.


    But his shout was not unnoticed. As the priest ran closer, he heard the shout and didn''t know whether to smile or rip his hair out.


    (¡°Luck, it has to be luck right? That''s the only explanation for how he''s been able to out-wit me and outrun me so far.¡±)


    The priest reached his hand into his pocket and quickly pulled it out without anything in it.


    (¡°No, not yet. I''m not going to use it this early on a foe like him. I injured him at the stairway so I know his magic isn''t invincible. I just have to press him further. I should corner him in one of those rooms on the second floor. Yes, yes, he''s had too much free space or spaces where it''s easy to hide. If I corner and limit both our movements, I should come out on top. Even if he can predict my moves he won''t have enough time to dodge my attacks.¡±)


    The stairway soon came into view and he wasted no time jumping, posing like a superhero as he flew down.


    And in a nearby room close to the stairway, Kevin emerged, breathing heavily after holding his breath for so long.


    He held his head in his hands and leaned against a nearby wall.


    (¡°Oh thank God I noticed.¡±)


    The stairway had gone grey when he reached it but a nearby room turned blue in its place. After Daniel dived down, the stairway turned green and then blue immediately after, signifying that the little guy (hopefully) left.


    He looked back to the path walked to come here and contemplated going back into the forest to wait on his friends. But it was still grey. And whatever existed deeper in the dungeon still showed signs of positivity in his eyes.


    Was it really worth encountering that man again? Would it really turn the tides of an eventual battle in their favour?


    He chose to believe so and with nothing more than the armour on his body and a few ounces of hope, he entered the stairway.

 Chapter 294

    ¡°FUUCCCKKK!!¡±


    A voice shouted in the forest.


    ¡°Slow down Furor, we''re barely keeping up as is!¡± Another voice wailed.


    He ignored them and sped up. ¡°Where the fuck is this place!?!¡±


    The group initially walked, then began a brisk jog before running in no time. The first thirty minutes or so of their trek were fine but after the first hour, Furor became increasingly antsy. After the second hour, he broke out in a mad dash, trying to find something.  They had been running for several hours now with nothing but trees, deer, rabbits and grass in sight.


    ¡°Boy, just look at the map, there''s no need for this nonsense,¡± Ruby shouted a while trying to catch her breath.


    ¡°It''s fucking useless. It just shows a clearing around the dungeon but I don''t see any fucking clearings!¡±


    At the back of the pack, a clearly drained Lily lay on the shoulder of Tina, as the latter focused her all on not losing the bastard that led them.


    A bit further down, Nora wrapped her arms around Tina''s hips and swayed in the air like a flag.


    (¡°After we reach that dungeon I''m stomping both of your asses.¡±) Tina thought as she focused only on breathing.


    A few hundred metres away.


    (¡°I worried this would happen.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she followed the group. (¡°The map doesn''t seem to be the most accurate. Ugh, the scouts he sent most have sloppily labelled the dungeon¡¯s location after they left the area. I hate when they do stuff like this.¡±)


    It came down to the fact a novice made the map than this but regardless, it seemed they would be running for a while.


    However, it seemed the gods finally answered his prayer. With just five more steps he entered a clearing.


    He quickly pulled out the map and shouted towards one of the men.


    ¡°Hey, dipshit, which way north!?¡±


    The man quickly pulled out something out of his pocket. It was a compass.


    He pointed upwards. Before he could respond with ¡°It''s that wa-¡±


    Furor shouted, ¡°Fucking finally.¡±


    This was the south end of the clearing the dungeon was located in. It was just a few more minutes north.


    Sounds of relief were heard and everyone,e except Furor, took a lie on the floor to rest.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What the hell are you dipshits doing, knowing that overachiever she''s probably arrived at the dungeon already. Get your asses up, we''re heading there immediately.¡±


    Elizabeth looked on and witnessed as they begrudgingly got up and entered a middling jog.


    (¡°Well, I believe this is the correct decision. If we waste too much time they might suspect something from their guards being missing.¡±)


    Yet she couldn''t help but feel a bit bad having them continue running this long.


    <hr>


    The priest had thrown his armour off in an attempt to gain more speed when he ran towards the stairway. Its weight was minimal, but it was worth it if he gained a minute or two of time saved that way. The white-haired boy was tricky, but he was no powerhouse like the red-haired one. He took the most efficient path available from the previous stairway and reached the next stairway in fifteen minutes.


    But when he reached the third-floor stairway, expecting the worst, it was almost disappointing how boring the area was.


    He had noticed a few guards scantily walking around but most were here, as per his instructions.


    He ran to one of the guards blocking the stairway. The guard nearly had his jaw drop to the floor when he saw who approached.


    He looked down to see Father Daniel.


    ¡°Father!?¡± He shouted. The other guards turned from the stairway to look at the priest but he quickly gave them a glance that suggested ¡°Do your jobs.¡±


    They all turned back except the initial guard. ¡°What can I help you with father?¡±


    He clicked his tongue. From those words alone he could tell they hadn''t seen the white-haired boy. ¡°Have you been slacking off in your surveillance of the stairway?¡±


    ¡°Wha- no sir. We''ve been here for the last three hours.¡±


    ¡°Have you left this post at any point?¡±


    ¡°No sir, one guard is swapped within an hour to ensure there is no point in time this stairway is left empty.¡±


    ¡°I see, carry on.¡±


    He turned around and began circling the dungeon floor. (¡°He hasn''t reached this part of the dungeon yet? Was it really luck that got him this far?¡±)


    Guards were highly concentrated in the halls towards the stairway so it wasn''t unreasonable he hadn''t passed through here yet. Maybe he was waiting somewhere for an opportunity? There was no way that boy had found the quickest route of the first floor yet be lost on the second.


    The priest slowed down and soon came to a stop.


    (¡°Ah, that should work nicely.¡±)


    He turned around and headed for the stairway.


    <hr>


    At the bottom of the second stairway, Kevin retreated to a nearby room to rest himself. He touched part of his rib and it hurt every time he did so. But it probably wasn''t broken. He hadn''t broken a bone before, but he had seen people break their bones. He was positive he''d be in unbearable pain right now if that was the case.


    He breathed deeply, enjoying his reprieve. There was no danger and he took his time walking around the structure.


    ¡°Well, I''m down here,¡± He sighed ¡°And my eyes are still leading me somewhere.¡±


    It seemed he had to go down yet another floor.


    His stomach was starting to grumble and he quickly found some dried meat in one of the boxes, using his eyes.


    He consumed it as he followed the path and came across a room that was recently inhabited.


    ¡°He''s looking for me? I suppose this isn''t too bad compared to falling down the stairs, but this stuff looks sorta cheap. It should protect me if he finds me, right?¡±

 Chapter 295

    On the third floor, Father Daniel stood in anticipation.


    (¡°It''d be a disappointment if he left the dungeon but it''d also make sense. In the first place, why did he even come in here? He could have easily run back to the forest, granted he might be missing a few more limbs if he allowed me to chase. And where the hell are the rest of them? Unless¡­¡±)


    He thought about the adventurers barricading the dungeon but deemed the idea unlikely given the resources in the area. Furthermore, he knew no one with the ability among the adventurers who could do something on that scale.


    With the time to rest, he could think in peace about that boy and what his goal was.


    (¡°The dungeon¡­ could he be scouting it out? Unlikely, why would they send a man to his possible death for information? They''re already inside this forest and for them, this type of move wouldn''t make sense if they''re doing this out of revenge.¡±)


    He didn''t want to believe it, but the boy most likely had left. It''d be foolish not to. Only the second floor had any sort of guard presence, except for a few guards resting.


    He contemplated heading back up but the sound of commotion caught his attention.


    <hr>


    ¡°Is this really the best move?¡± He thought as he looked at the guards. Thankfully he managed to walk here with little issue. But each time he attempted to throw something or attempt a sneak attack, they''d turn red. When he thought about doing a certain type of attack and ran at them, they''d show a blue hue.


    He cringed going through that again but if this was his best move he had no alternative.


    <hr>


    Several guards fell down the stairs, with one of them taking a nasty-looking bump.


    (¡°So he is still here¡­ is he baiting me up? Did he watch as I headed down? But where would have seen it from that angle? Or did he risk it and think he hit gold when I wasn''t present with the guards? Perhaps he thinks I''m searching this floor for him. Oh well, at least I can keep him in this space.¡±)


    The stairway was just what he wanted. It was enclosed and the stairs made for awkward footing. As long as he guarded the entrance the boy would be shit out of luck for options. And the priest would also no longer worry about falling down the stairs like he did on the first flight.


    The guards continued falling and he slipped past them as they came one by one down the floor. He looked up in anticipation for when Kevin would arrive but he heard an odd groan from one of the men on the floor, followed by running.


    ¡°Why''d he throw himself?¡± He said in pain trying to get up.


    <hr>


    The guards all had their backs turned and the room nearby had the guards conversing and making meals. It looked like it had been turned into a makeshift canteen. A few guards inside the canteen got to witness what happened by chance as they looked outside the room.


    Kevin dressed himself in the clothing and armour he found in a random room. This allowed him to walk this close to the stairway without any questions.


    And he jumped into the air.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The few inside the kitchen area who saw him wondered if what they saw was real until he disappeared from the visibility of the room''s doorway.


    The guards of the stairway had their backs turned looking out to the intruder the priest mentioned, so they were none the wiser until impact.


    He hit all four guards with a cross body, none being swift or strong enough to stop it. All five men tumbled down the stairs, in for a few minutes of hurt.


    <hr>


    As the man began running away, the priest soon realised something as he turned the corner.


    (¡°There were only four guards at the stairs and based on the lack of noise, a brawl hasn''t broken out. That little sh- bastard!¡±)


    He immediately chased after him but no dice. He only ran for a minute but he knew he had lost him. He didn''t blame himself for this. Because in what world would he have predicted his opponent doing something like that?


    He could only shake his head in disbelief and check out his men.


    One was seriously injured while two were able to walk but weren''t anywhere near fighting ready based on their limbs. The final man seemed able to fight but was more appropriately placed in a reserve category if things got dire.


    The priest mumbled to himself cursing this defeat the white haired boy had given him. What amazed him most was the boy was able to run away almost unharmed from the fall.


    (¡°Maybe he''s more durable than I gave him credit for.¡±)


    <hr>


    Kevin bit on the sleeve of his shirt trying to withstand the pain. He broke something. He definitely broke something in that fall. He had slowed down to a crawl and it was a miracle (from an outsider''s perspective) he was able to hide in a nearby room close to the stairway. If the priest noticed his breathing when he ran by the room it was all over. This floor''s lack of light certainty helped as well.


    He took off his helmet and noticed a dent on top of it. There was some space between the top of the helmet and his own so he never felt the brunt of the impact. This was the only blessing he was given when it came to the fall.


    Part of his arm felt seared with so much pain, that he contemplated finding a knife to cut his arm off. His chest felt like a horse landed on him and he limped with both legs as he walked.


    As he leaned against a wall fighting back tears, he couldn''t help but feel unnerved that this was the best option for going deeper into the dungeon. It wasn''t just semi-optimal but the best choice. What would have been in store for him if he found some way to half-ass it?


    He continued walking. He had to find out what his eyes led him towards. What was worth all this pain and suffering he had been put through?


    The armour he put on was strapped tight to the point it hurt his body. He didn''t care if his eyes would recommend it or not, he took them off and limped in the darkness until he found a torch. He took it down and continued forward.


    <hr>


    ¡°We''re finally here~¡± Ruby stated before she fell into the back of Furor.


    Just a few hundred metres away was a strange stone structure. It was obvious to everyone present what it was. They were finally here. And based on the lack of guests, it was obvious to everyone who had shown up first (they were wrong, unfortunately).


    ¡°Holy shit, she really did reach before us,¡± Tina stated as she placed Lily down and pushed Nora off her.


    Based on the dirt thrown around and the blades of grass cut, it was obvious some sort of scuffle occurred.


    ¡°Of course she did, she isn''t the strongest person in the parish by accident,¡± Furor responded.


    Everyone else looked unsurprised and nodded along to what he had to say


    In a nearby brush of forest. (¡°Why are they all agreeing with him? Even if I was travelling by myself, I can''t imagine I''d run off further into a dungeon without them. But a battle happened here¡­ who was-¡±) A certain red headed associate of hers appeared in her head but she told herself there was no way it was him. She couldn''t imagine whatever took him over, coming here of all places.

 Chapter 296

    The group cautiously approached the temple and after searching the top portion, they headed down the stairs. Elizabeth meekly followed behind.


    There was no blood nor defeated enemies as they walked down the stairs. Which left them confused as to where the belligerents that caused the upturned dirt and cut grass went.


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if Elizabeth chased the poor bastards into the forest,¡± Ruby commented.


    ¡°Tch, if that bitch was sloppy enough to let them run off. We don''t need her.¡± Furor responded before cricking his neck.


    As they walked down the stairs, Nigel hastily placed himself between the two.


    (¡°We''re in enemy territory now.¡±) Furor thought. (¡°I can beat the shit out of this dumbass when we''re finished.¡±)


    Ruby held herself back from sweeping his legs as they didn''t know what was in store for them at the bottom of the stairs.


    When they arrived at the first floor, Lily immediately noticed the blood stain on the floor and pointed it out when everyone else walked past it.


    Tina was the first to crouch down and get a good look at it.


    ¡°Seems pretty small for something Elizabeth did,¡± Tina commented. Most gathered agreed by nodding along.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably trying to lead them back to their friends,¡± Ruby commented.


    Tina scoffed and walked off when she approached the stain.


    ¡°If we aren''t quick, we might not get to do anything.¡± She continued.


    ¡°Then let''s get a fucking move on and split up.¡±


    He walked off but someone ran over and grabbed his shoulder.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Nora was the one who interjected. ¡°You still haven''t decided who you''re going to travel with, we can''t just-¡±


    He slapped her hand off and lowered his head to look her directly in the face when he turned around.


    ¡°Don''t put us together on the same level, you weak bitch.¡±


    Her face soured but he showed no care. He pushed her back and she clicked her tongue, as she accepted the shove.


    ¡°I''m not huddling together with any of you shits like a little bitch. I''m going to go through this place and get a job done. If you all weren''t so worthless we wouldn''t have to worry about some sorry sack of shit ending one of you but that''s just the world we live in.¡±


    She had already turned around and walked off but he made sure he finished his message.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    He walked in a random direction of the dungeon, and the rest split into teams, hoping to explore the dungeon safely.


    <hr>


    Walking down a hallway were Tina, Lily and Nora. Tibaut and Elizabeth were supposed to be with them, and Nora with another group, but with their absences, there had to be a change in plan.


    They explored around the floor, but with most pathways being blocked off with boxes, and said paths looking unused it was easy to traverse.


    They encountered a guard and Tina felled him in one strike. He wore plain-looking attire but if he lived down here and had access to a sword he had to be one of them.


    Standing before the man with a hole in his chest, Nora couldn''t help but sigh.


    ¡°sigh So are we just not gonna get information out of them first?¡± She asked.


    ¡°If you want to find out what sort of magic he has, you can do that in your own time,¡± Lily answered. She searched his pockets and¡­


    ¡°Oh, a map.¡±


    Tina used the man''s sleeve to wipe off her spear¡¯s blade.


    ¡°Quit your bitching Nora. See we did get something out of him, plus we didn''t have to listen to him lie to us. I think this is way more efficient than what you were planning.¡± Tina said.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± She said in an uncaring tone. She walked closer to Lily and had a gander at the map. They looked at the map and it had two sides to it.


    ¡°Based on this the top one, I''d say it''s mapping out this floor. The map stops at a few places, including where the boxes are located.¡± Nora said as she recalled the floor.


    ¡°Do you think they have anything special past those boxes?¡± Lily asked, looking towards one.


    ¡°I doubt it, it''s more likely space the inhabitants have found useless.¡±


    ¡°Bastards have a whole dungeon to themselves yet they don''t want to use it?¡± Tina said.


    ¡°For what exactly?¡± Nora responded.


    ¡°I don''t know, there must be something they could use it for!¡± She said aggressively.


    Based on a symbol on the map, it looked like there was a stairway that led deeper into the dungeon. There was also an office of some kind marked on the map, but based on how sparse this floor was, it wasn''t likely they''d find anyone important there. Besides, it was really out of the way to get there.


    They continued into the dungeon, following the map, until they found the stairs to the second floor. On a wall close to the stairway, a blood-covered hand print was on the wall. Lily quickly rushed towards it and examined it.


    ¡°Elizabeth''s really doing some work. This is recent but it''s definitely not as recent as any of us entering.¡±


    ¡°She keeps underestimating me. Why does she have so much faith in him and not me?¡± Tina muttered to herself.


    ¡°What was that Tina? You still going on about that redhead, eh?¡± Nora asked sarcastically.


    Tina gave her a pinch on the side and Lily moved between them to de-escalate.


    ¡°Let her sulk, it''s good for her to think about men that don''t exist in her fantasies.¡±


    The pair ran down the stairs with Tina close behind.


    Carefully observing her surroundings, Elizabeth exited a nearby room, making her way towards the stairway.


    ¡°I can''t tell if they know we''re here or performing something important.¡±


    An almost empty floor, while safe, concerned her. Did they prepare an ambush or were preoccupied with something? They were a cult after all, so it wouldn''t surprise her if they were busy killing a horse somewhere deep within the dungeon as a blood sacrifice to whatever childish fantasy they believed.


    (¡°I hope I''m overthinking this but I can''t imagine this is all there is to this place. Based on what Mr. Bentley said, this was the final step in our battles with these bastards.¡±)


    The footsteps of the three girls had faded and she quickly made her way down the stairs, slowing herself down when she heard them.

 Chapter 297

    On the second floor of the dungeon¡­


    Furor encountered more guards within five minutes than he did the entirety of the time he spent on the first floor.


    He held one up by his throat before crushing it. The man limply fell to the floor.


    (¡°Hmm, a prior intruder that no one got a good look at¡­¡±)


    He managed to get some information from the man before he killed him.


    He told him an intruder had thrown themselves down the stairs and escaped the priest. It seemed there was an earlier meeting and this priest of theirs told them to watch throughout the floor more carefully.


    It seemed their leader was on this floor based on what he said.


    In unrelated matters, his blatant disregard for stealth or subtlety made him quite the target.


    ¡°There he is!¡± A man shouted.


    Several men ran from behind a corner, holding spears and swords.


    They charged at him but didn''t look bothered. He slowly pulled his sword and¡­


    ¡°Stop FUCKING running you assholes!¡±


    They all stopped and he wasted no time running towards the group. He slashed at their necks and left the hallway painted in red instead of the dull grey of the stone bricks.


    One struggled out of his magic and blocked the blade aimed at his neck.


    A knife pierced the side of his neck and he fell to the floor.


    Furor rolled his eyes and looked towards the corner the men came from, to see three from his group ahead.


    They spared him a glance and formed a circle. Based on what Furor saw, they must have been playing rock paper scissors. One of them lost and placed his hands against his head, almost in agony.


    Furor didn''t have the time to watch these idiots goof off and turned around. They quickly pushed the man forward and he ran towards Furor.


    He considered running but they were allies, regardless of their strength.


    ¡°This better be good dipshit.¡±


    The man who approached him had a few cuts and bruises on but nothing major. There was nothing but the blood of enemies on Furor.


    The man looked nervous but tried his best to hide it.


    ¡°Of course. Say Furor do you have one of these?¡±


    He pulled out a piece of paper and showed him.


    Furor gave him a cursory glance before stopping. He grabbed it out of his hand and turned around. He turned the piece of paper around.


    ¡°Is there another one?¡± He asked.


    The man breathed a sigh of relief for not being ridiculed. ¡°Not that we know of.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Tch, I should have expected as much.¡±


    The man had brown long hair and was a mere inch shorter than Furor, yet had none of the intimidating presence Furor had. ¡°Come on dude, we''re trying here. Only a few of them had a map.¡±


    ¡°Dude? Dipshit, don''t get so familiar with me.¡± Furor remarked, almost disgusted.


    ¡°Right, dud- Sir.¡±


    ¡°Just say Furor or I''ll knock a tooth out.¡± He coldly added while looking at the map.


    ¡°R-right. (Fuck you guys, why couldn''t we have approached him together!?)¡±


    His two friends made sure to keep their distance.


    ¡°So none of them had a map of the floor below this? You know who else is on this floor?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No and no.¡±


    ¡°Hey fuckface, give me a reason you should be walking beside me right now and not taking your ass back to the carriages. You small fries should at least be good for this much.¡±


    ¡°(Bro, I don''t think I''ve encountered a dude this moody. Hehe maybe he gets a period with how cranky he is.) H-¡±


    Furor noticed the expression on his face and asked a simple question. ¡°What the fuck were thinking right now big man?¡±


    ¡°Hehe just that you whine so much I''m wondering if you have period-¡± He tried to cover his mouth but most of the words had already come out.


    Furor only looked annoyed while his friends had a good laugh watching his reaction.


    He fell to his knees and kneeled before Furor. Furor ignored him and kept on walking. He slowly raised his head, thinking he was spared.


    Furor stopped and looked behind him.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll set you straight when we return home.¡±


    He continued walking with his friends on the floor trying to stop themselves from laughing.


    ¡­..


    After twelve minutes of walking the impromptu group came across an especially dense group of guards near the stairway.


    The two in front of Furor had already started the slaughter.


    (¡°I guess small fry should deal with small fry.¡±)


    They ran through the group like an Asian hornet through a hive of honeybees. It seemed almost unfair from the cultists'' perspective that these abnormally powerful people coming out of nowhere had begun killing them.


    He slowly walked forward as they dealt with the group in front of them, leaving limbs, blood and viscera across the floor.


    The man at the back couldn''t help but sigh. On the outside.


    (¡°What''s so bad about this? I get to chill while those idiots are doing the hard work. And when that asshole who iced Ezekiel shows up, I''m gonna be fresh enough to get him. I wonder what favour I should ask for when they gas themselves overdoing it and I have to save them?¡±)


    Slaughtering the guards was a man and woman duo. The man used a plain-looking shortsword, while the woman used two claw-like blades on each hand. They had four blades each and she used them well.


    (¡°You godforsaken Bastards! You took him from me! W-we were gonna-¡±) She thought with a nasty expression as she cut through them.


    A close confidant of hers had gone missing during the initial cultist attack. She had spent enough time penting up her anger.


    The guards began running away and towards the stairs. They rushed down them but before the two marauders could continue their cleansing, a man emerged from a room nearby. The smell of viscera was strong but the smell of food was stronger. Was he a chef? Given his apparent age, it wouldn''t be unthinkable to give a child such a position. But the way he looked at them was anything but childlike. He looked at them with the same concern of an unflushed turd.


    He clapped his hands and the men all stopped. The two stopped as well to observe his actions.


    ¡°Right, I''d appreciate it if you all walked down in an orderly fashion.¡± He asked, turned to his men.


    The woman ran towards him. She didn''t care if he was a child, he had to die.


    She stopped in the air.


    Two punches assaulted her body before-


    ¡°Fucking stop!¡± Rang throughout the air.


    The priest stopped his punch and immediately backed away further into the room.


    Several of the guards stopped dead in their tracks.


    The woman fell and Furor grabbed her before throwing her to one of the men outside.


    Both went to the ground when she fell into his arms.


    ¡°Three more this time?¡± The priest said more annoyed than angered.

 Chapter 298

    He pressed three fingers against his temple and shook his head.


    The woman gasped for air in her comrade''s arms and tried her best to stand up with little success.


    Furor did his best to position himself in the doorway, to stop any escape on Daniel''s part. He didn''t care he looked like a child, with those moves and the fact he was here helping the cultists, were all the excuses he needed to cut him down.


    ¡°First the redhead, then the whitehead and now this villainous-looking man? I swear, when I go back they better consider me for the position of bishop.¡± He began swinging his weapon, readying himself to throw it


    Despite having three opponents, he disregarded the other two based on their passivity.


    (¡°Redhead? So he saw that bastard.¡±) He pulled his sword out and readied himself. (¡°I''m not sure what to think of what he said. Either her golden boy¡¯s dead or he escaped somewhere. With that guy in black around, I''d doubt it''s the latter.¡±)


    Before he opened his mouth, the priest continued.


    ¡°But I must say, boy will you not consider giving your heart to our lord?¡±


    Everyone who heard him had the same reaction. Confusion.


    Furor took extra care in observing his surroundings. The guards had all fled to the stairs, so he wasn''t buying time for them. Did that strange magic of his have some activation requirement, like his own? It was too soon to say anything certain but he didn''t notice the young boy focusing on anything other than speaking while he talked. He kept his guard up regardless and was ready to exit the room at a pin-dropping.


    ¡°Please listen, boy.¡± The child stated, noticing Furor¡¯s attention on other matters. ¡°I haven''t seen a more lost-looking child in all my time as a priest.¡±


    ¡°Priest? (I think I remember Ezekiel saying these fuckbrains give themselves titles to sound more legitimate. Pft, are those rags meant to resemble a priest¡¯s?)¡±


    ¡°At least you understand language. I was worried you were a beast that acted only on instinct. There might be hope for you yet.¡±


    Because of his attitude and how little most people wanted to interact with him, Furor never really got ridiculed for how he painted his face and dressed.


    ¡°But I am not fully convinced. Can you speak more than three words in a row or that is your limit?¡±


    A vein started forming on the top of his head and he clutched the hilt of his sword tighter.


    ¡°Yes, I am capable of more than three sentences, you little lunatic. You criticise me but you''re the one trying to have a conversation with an enemy.¡± Furor responded, his face red in anger.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The two men still standing were amazed that he could go a whole sentence without cursing.


    ¡°Lunatic? I don''t think you have any right to call me such a thing. My clothing may be old but it wouldn''t frighten any children unlike you. Have you seen a mirror lately, my dear lost lamb? You look like you worship demons with that garish wear you consider suitable clothing. Do you worship any of the gods?¡±


    ¡°Hah, like you have any right to ask me that question.¡±


    (¡°They''re really going to do this¡­¡±) The two watching thought.


    ¡°You murder people for fun and now you''re trying to talk down to me because of how I dress? And demons? Are those things even real? How about you shut yo-¡±


    ¡°I assure you, they are. And I do worship a God, unlike the false ones you all place faith in. I think it''d do you good to listen to what I have to say.¡±


    His suspicion of the short boy''s magic was the only reason he was entertaining this conversation.


    ¡°These four fools are not who we must be worshipping.¡±


    ¡°I''d say I''m partial to Micheal but I wouldn''t call myself religious. So what the hell are you yapping about, kid? You believe the junk these psychos are feeding you?¡± Furor said.


    ¡°Haha, a believer of Michael, no wonder you are so brash and foolish. It would make sense he of all of those usurpers would have the most misguided believers.¡±


    ¡°You''re speaking like you know the guy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don''t. But my God does. My lord ________.¡±


    ¡°Hit your head or something? The four gods are Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel and Michael. I don''t recall a ________ among those names. Is this something you guys made up or do you expect to me believe there''s another God we never knew about in all these years?¡±


    ¡°God? More like gods. There aren''t four but six. With our lord making seven when they gain what''s rightfully theirs and then only one when she kills the usurpers of their father''s throne.¡±


    ¡°Kid, you got a whole life ahead of you. Why don''t you stop doing all this kooky shit and actually contribute something to the world? With your talent, I''m sure they might consider taking it easy on you. Hell if I take an arm or two off you, I''ll consider it all good and not dig up anything about your past.¡±


    The priest showed no reaction to the threatening statement. ¡°And also, murder people for fun? It is a necessary evil.¡±


    This piqued his interest. He always felt Elizabeth and Ezekiel knew things about the cultists he didn''t with one of them being their reason for killing.


    ¡°What? You sacrifice them to your god or something along those lines? I''m sure you''re God is happy about you killing people in the middle of bumfu-¡±


    He reached into a pocket and pulled out several blue crystals. ¡°We provide our lord these.¡±


    ¡°(What the hell is that?) So you''re saying you got pretty rocks out of them, am I supposed to believe that? For all I know that''s a mineral natural to this dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Then toss one of the dead brethren over, would you? I suppose it would be wrong of me to mock you without alleviating your ignorance.¡±


    He snapped his finger and the two men stood, unsure of what this meant until he shouted, ¡°Bring a fucking body over, you dumbasses!¡±


    One of the men quickly ran down the hall and grabbed one. After walking back he slid him into the doorway, with Furor nor Daniel taking their eyes off each other.


    The body slid between Furor¡¯s feet. He picked it up and threw it directly at the little man. He quickly drew his sword but didn''t move a foot, when he noticed the body stopped mid-air before the little blonde bastard.


    He pushed it aside and looked towards Furor. ¡°Thank you for humouring me. I will show you something special within the next minute.¡±


    The body ungracefully fell to the floor and¡­

 Chapter 299

    And the little blonde man bit his finger, creating a small wound.


    Furor readied his mouth and watched as the priest placed his finger in the dead man''s mouth. He began drawing something on his tongue but he couldn''t see nor had he any intention of approaching. After he finished, Daniel pointed the body¡¯s mouth towards him and he saw it for himself.


    ¡®W-what the fuck?¡± There wasn¡¯t anger in his voice. Just confused at what he was seeing.


    A small, blue cube formed on the corpse¡¯s tongue.


    ¡°These are our goals. It''s unfortunate but apparently, only humans produce them. And more importantly, in them lies the key to revive our lord.¡±


    (¡°This is real¡­¡±) Furor thought to himself. He assumed they were a bunch of nutcases causing damage across the country with radical beliefs that held no merit.


    ¡°Revive your lord?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Wonderful, it''s nice to see you finally show interest. I must say, we will have to get you out of those garbs when we finish. But yes that is their purpose. Honestly, we''re not sure why but these things are the only thing that strengthens our lord.¡±


    ¡°And how many would you need exactly?¡± Furor asked.


    ¡°Hmm, no idea. We''ve already used, I''d say over a ton of the stuff last time I checked so-¡±


    A ton of this stuff? Based on the little cube that the singular person created, he didn''t like where the math was leading for such a large amount.


    ¡°STOP RIGHT THERE FUCK HEAD!¡± He shouted before running over. He had heard enough. This thing before him wasn''t a person but a monster in human skin trying to summon some horror through occult means. He didn''t know what _______ was but if it required such an amount of people to be sacrificed and not even be satiated then whatever it was could stay dead.


    The priest was frozen in place and before Furor could swing his attack, he was stopped as well before him.


    ¡°I assume this magic of yours has to do with your voice?¡± He asked before swinging his chain down.


    He regained control of his body but it was too late. It was already on course with his head.


    But something shot over his head, batting the blade away. The surprise allowed Furor to back away and the priest stopped his blade and swung it down once more, just barely catching part of his forehead.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    (¡°Damnit, is there a range around him that he can do that? I thought it might have been like my magic but I can only stop people, not objects. I was hoping he at least whispered or something when he did that but he couldn''t be that easy. No, he just fucking had to be able to do when he feels like it.¡±)


    He wiped his forehead and spat on the floor when he saw the blood stain.


    ¡°Brrr,¡± the Priest mockingly gestured, arms held together with his body now soaked. ¡°Please don''t flood the place, I''m not sure that was taken into consideration when we chose it as a haven.¡±


    The ball of water that slapped the blade towards him had gotten him quite wet when it impacted the wall behind him.


    The tall man Furor had taken the map from fired off the shot. It seemed his magic was water.


    ¡°Thankfully, you lot, as you say in this country, don''t seem anywhere near as annoying as that white-haired boy.¡±


    He began swinging the blade above him. Furor looked ready to explode and it didn''t help when the priest commented:


    ¡°I knew it. You''re one of those types that''s silenced with overwhelming power!¡±


    He exhaled like a bull and ran towards the man. He moved to swing his chain and Furor made his move.


    ¡°Fucking stop that!¡±


    He redirected the blade then brought it back on course and the blade flew several shy inches from Furor.


    (¡°I see stopping my movements isn''t the only thing he can do. I think for a brief moment he caused me to try and avoid him. If I weren''t releasing my mana, I imagine I''d be fully under his control. Is that enough though?¡±)


    He froze the chain solid and pulled it back like a scythe.


    Furro used his sword to stop it and ran closer with his blade rubbing against the chain. The priest showed no indication he had the advantage and silently made his move. He brought the weapon sideways before swinging back against his blade.


    Furor paid it no mind until he noticed the chain slackened once again, wrapping around him once before the blade-


    ¡°STOP!¡± He shouted. The priest wanted to laugh at his futility but was stuck for a moment.


    The blade pierced his back. And a ball of water flew from behind him.


    ¡°That will obv-¡±


    He jumped over the ball of water by his estimations, nearly his mass in water, the moment he regained his movement.


    He originally thought ¡°That will obviously miss me based on the angle it was fired.¡± But a fire-wielding young man was on his mind and he was reminded of what the boy had done to him earlier.


    (¡°No need to use that now.¡±) He thought as he looked back towards the man. He dodged his own blade being thrown at him and caught the part of the chain closest to it.


    The tall and pale man had taken it out in the time he dodged.


    He looked ready to shout again and the priest covered his ears, testing a hypothesis.


    ¡°Stay still fuck face!¡±


    His body still stopped and admittedly, his hands didn''t make the best earplugs. But it was valuable knowledge to know the effect wasn''t weakened. And behind Furor was some more valuable information.

 Chapter 300

    (¡°Them too.¡±) Daniel thought.


    Furor threw his sword and the priest stopped it with his magic, leaving it floating before him. In the time his body was stopped and the sword was thrown, Furor closed the distance between them. He kicked it into him while shouting ¡°Stay Fucking still!¡±


    The blade moved but the priest stopped it when it touched his skin.


    (¡°Got ya bastard!¡±) Furor thought with a smirk.


    It looked like the length of his sword was more than far enough out of his range. It was about a metre, so at minimum that was the distance he had to keep between them if he wanted to stand a chance of killing this little shit.


    He gave the blade''s hilt another kick, and shouted ¡°Keep there fucker!¡±


    Now he had an avenue of victory, he had no shame using his voice to keep the boy permanently stunned. Each shout would allow him to drive the blade further into the priest''s body, and each time priest would stop the blade.


    The priest clearly showed irritation at his tactics but there was nothing he could do. He hadn''t considered the cooldown of Furor¡¯s magic. Even though he had a limit on how quickly he could stop things.


    But why didn''t he do this at the start?


    Each he stopped his blade, he noticed the tall and unsightly man, breathing more ragged and forcing himself to do another kick.


    (¡°Ah, this is a final gambit.¡±)


    If that was the case if he could escape¡­


    The point of the blade was now inside the chest of the small man and although he didn''t show it, Furor didn''t imagine it was pleasant.


    (¡°Just give up you bastard, I can do this all day.¡±)


    ¡°stay fucking still!¡± He said, sounding noticeably hoarse.


    His throat felt like it was rubbed with sandpaper but he didn''t care if this put him out of commission for the rest of the assault. This guy was worth doing something like that for.


    But with his next kick, he noticed something odd. It usually felt he was kicking it against a wall, and barely moved. This time he was sure there was no movement. The priest had his eyes closed and seemed to be concentrating.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Furor opened his mouth once more but the priest moved again. He ran around the space in front of Furor and got behind him after, moving a hand to his side and freezing him.


    Something strange happened immediately after. The priest didn''t attack and he heard the shout that he tried to stop him with, though substantially less intense than the sound he produced.


    The instant he gained movement of his body, he tried a sidekick that was blocked by the priest.


    The priest scoffed and backed away to the side, grabbing his chain.


    ¡°You''re a real piece of work, you know that young man? I don''t think I''ve had to force myself to such an extent before.¡±


    The priest moved sluggishly compared to earlier. Was his magic still having effects on him?


    ¡°I didn''t think stopping your shout would consume so much mana. Ugh, sound really is fast.¡±


    ¡°S-sound?¡± Furor commented.


    ¡°Yes, sound. I didn''t know until recently, but I read a book the other day from an academy in this country. Did you know that sound is a physical thing that moves?¡±


    The only reason this conversation even happened was because both men were trying to buy time to recuperate their magics.


    ¡°(I should be ready in 30 seconds to finish this bastard off. Heh, talk all you want, just don''t blame me when you get caught with your pants down.) That so?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but I admit, stopping something as intangible as sound was quite difficult, especially considering the fact it seems your mana has been imbued in it. It took three attempts until I could escape.¡±


    His sword dropped from mid-air and Furor had no issue running towards and grabbing it.


    ¡°Want a fucking trophy or something? The fight isn''t fucking over yet.¡±


    He ran to him and opened his mouth, sword tightly gripped. His arms suddenly tugged him backwards and nearly left him on the floor. He looked behind and noticed what it was. It was his sword that had the odd feeling. Trying to pull it up when he was getting back up felt like trying to pull it out of a pit of tar.


    He heard footsteps but the sound of splashing water came after. The priest was on the floor, face first, absolutely soaked.


    He pushed off the floor and went back to his feet with another water ball slamming against his body.


    ¡°That stung quite a bit.¡± He commented before Furor shouted once again. He held a looser grip on his sword and like earlier it left him and floated mid-air.


    (¡°Screw it!¡±)


    He pulled up his pants leg and revealed a small knife held onto his leg by a leather strap. He pulled out the knife and aimed for his neck. If he could get it in halfway, he didn''t see a way for the priest to survive. He didn''t care for his throat any more. It had gotten worse in the few more shouts he made. Instead of sandpaper, it felt the red-hot iron being rubbed against the meat of his throat.


    He continued his shouts, undeterred and the priest no longer had the capacity to stop him, at least from Furor¡¯s perspective.


    He moved his knife to his throat and unsurprisingly he was stopped when it touched his neck. Just a few more thrusts and this battle would be finished. There lay a more troublesome bastard in the dungeon but with Elizabeth around he felt no worry leaving it to her.


    But in his haste, he forgot something. Something very careless on his part, that the adrenaline and pain of battle obscured.

 Chapter 301

    When his body was stopped, it truly was stopped. It was something suggestive like Furor''s magic, he was stiffer than stone. Which meant various parts of him couldn''t move, even if he wanted them to. Such as his hands, and eyes, but thankfully not his heart.


    Another thing included in the body parts that were stopped with the priest¡¯s magic was his mouth.


    He couldn''t say a word while being so close. He couldn''t tell him to fuck off nor to fucking kill himself.


    The priest regained his movement first and jumped when he witnessed something out of the corner of his eye.


    It was another ball of water. The user narrowly avoided Furor and sent back towards the priest.


    He slowed it down before it collided with him again, clearly his doing. He landed and ducked before it hit but the annoyances wouldn''t end. He turned his attention to two behind him, a woman and a man.


    He stopped the woman before her claw reached a hair and wrapped the chain around his hand to block the man''s sword.


    (¡°Deciding to take their chances?¡±)


    He began swinging his chain, using all its length as he swung it in the air.


    Furor regained his movement and shouted, ¡°Stop you fucking bastard!¡±


    Blood was visible on his tongue.


    Like other magics, he controlled how powerful he made his before he fired. Against Tibaut he used about half power. Against this guy, he was going all out. He never had to use his voice at this level of power for so long, even against Elizabeth. When they initially fought, he easily won. And he kept winning until one day she put her body on the line, giving him a slash at her body, for a chance at punching his throat.


    Ever since that day, she would rush him down and always manage to reach his neck or punch his mouth before the words came out. He wondered what reminded me of this experience. After all, he was winning, this was nothing like that time. He remembered being confident in his victory after the slash and didn''t even see the punch that landed on his throat. He was almost convinced he was going to go mute.


    (¡°Alright this is creepy.¡±) He thought as he motioned to back away. Why did that memory decide to appear now of all times?


    Furor was stopped. It seemed he didn''t back away far enough. The sword wielder was stopped. The priest was stopped. But the chain wasn''t. He began to motion it upwards when Furor used his magic and the chain caught on the woman in the air. She fell but was still stopped.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    (¡°I must thank you, you tall idiot. I''m not sure I could have stopped all of them in time. Thankfully I only had to stop you.¡±)


    He didn''t know at that moment but the priest was running on fumes. With his battle with Tibaut and his unsuccessful attempt at killing Kevin, he was looking for an opportunity to recuperate. And within an hour this fool showed up. If Furor could control who his magic affected, the fight would have ended here, with either the sword wielder or the woman cutting him down. But he had no such fine control over his magic.


    The chain swung around her and wrapped around the three of them excluding the priest in the middle. The chain got smaller and it became more apparent to Furor, that there was a blade at the end.


    (¡°He couldn''t have plann-¡±)


    As the chain wrapped around them, where the blade would end up concerned him more and more. When the chain wrapped around them for the final time he finally had an idea of where the blade would hit. He regained control of his body but he ignored the threat before them. He quickly moved his hand in front of the woman''s neck and the blade pierced through his hand like butter and stabbing into her neck.


    The priest regained his movement first and jumped out of the circle of people around him. The others soon regained their mobility and the tall man by the entrance tried to block the priest.


    The priest showed no restraint stopping him and running outside.


    Furor wanted to shout but a pink-haired woman stabbing at the priest stopped him.


    It was Tina and the priest stopped it with his bare hand, which left him with a shocking surprise.


    (¡°I wanted to get ahead of this but another one has appeared. Considering only that man sounded familiar based on his descriptions, it was only a matter of time until another one he talked about as being powerful would arrive.¡±)


    As he recoiled in pain he realised the blade had a very familiar feel.


    (¡°Heh, it''s a purer mithril alloy than my own chain. If that''s the case!¡±)


    His mana was powerful enough to imbue in other objects but the rate at which he did so was quite wasteful and inefficient. With Furor¡¯s sword, it took nearly half a minute of struggling to get enough mana into the blade to stop it on command, without it being in range. With the spear blade stuck in his hand combined with what he heard about this pink-haired woman¡¯s strength, she could likely stab him even if he used his magic to stop the blade.


    But with a natural mana conductor like Mithril, his effect on it would be much stronger.


    Tina showed no worry in her eyes as she moved to stab the priest further. Furor also was at ease. He could tell even from a distance, that she was outside of his range. But the spear stopped, and the priest pulled his hand off the blade. He backed away while Tina struggled to push her blade.


    He dumped all the mana he had left into it and it took several seconds for Tina to expel his mana with her own.


    She looked up to see him jump into the stairway ahead and disappear into the darkness.


    She ran but Furor shouted ¡°Fucking stop!¡± before she could reach the stairs.

 Chapter 302

    The priest fell halfway down the stairs before having to use his magic to stop himself. Well, with how much he had used it was more of a slowing down than a sudden stop compared to earlier.


    He hit one of the stairs with reduced impact and grabbed onto another to stop himself from tumbling down the stairs as four of his men did earlier.


    (¡°I can say with confidence, we are in some shit at the moment. Excuse my phrasing lord.¡±)


    He picked himself up and listened upwards. There were no sounds of running and he took his time walking down the stairs. He reached around for something in the dark and approached a torch. He pulled it out of its holder and¡­


    He reached into his pocket with his other hand. His hand touched against the map and he quickly pulled it out, after realising what he had done.


    ¡°No, no, no, no, no.¡± He quietly muttered as he placed the torch in the other hand. In his haste to check if he still had his map on him, he forgot about his injured hand.


    His hand was covered in burns and other parts of his body had them as well but he knew through feel, his hand had not been cauterised by the woman''s magic. The bleeding worsened when he grabbed the torch but he couldn''t go without knowing what happened to his pocket. At a glance, his pocket was covered in blood but maybe it was worse than it looked?


    He pulled the map out with his good hand and¡­


    He placed the torch back into the holder on the wall and placed his head between his hands. He looked like a child that had been told off by his parents. If only it was so trivial.


    The map had its centre covered in blood. Some parts of it escaped unscathed like the edges, but he knew trying to navigate through those floors with nothing more than the edges of the map he recorded was a folly of the highest order.


    The first and second floors had been optimised through the use of boxes or blockages to stop believers from getting lost which resulted in its paths being easy for him to memorise. He spent most of his time in the dungeon on the bottom floor, so it was no surprise he knew it like the back of his hand. It was the floors between 2 and 5 that proved a problem.  Floor 3, to put it frankly, was a bitch to map out when he first entered the dungeon.


    It was larger than the prior floors and given the fact the space on the first two floors was more than enough to house the permanent residents, he wanted it to act as a buffer zone of sorts. He liked the privacy of having a floor to himself, so he made no serious attempts to map it, focusing his efforts on finding a route to the next floor.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The fourth floor was a miserable experience. He had heard from sources in the motherland that this dungeon had five floors and the fourth floor convinced him those buffoons were lying to him. It took days before he found the stairway, not to mention all the still active traps he set off.


    This is all to say, getting to the fifth floor with the remaining guards and setting up some sort of defence was going to be¡­ difficult to say the least. Actually, that''d be a lie. He knew escaping their attackers at the bottom of the dungeon was nothing more than a pipe dream at this point.


    If those adventurers all pursued as he went down the stairs, he wouldn''t be able to do anything other than die a drawn-out death at their hands.


    He began laughing as he walked down the stairs. It started as a small giggle and got louder with each moment that passed.


    Half of his face was covered in his own blood, and a few small burns were scattered across his neck


    ¡°Hahah, I see my Lord!¡± He shouted. ¡°I must admit, this is a disastrous situation. If I had stayed up there a minute longer I would be dead. Yet I am not. Losing my map has crushed my spirits. Yet I am still standing here, walking, talking and with a sound mind. I am sorry for my ungratefulness, my Lord. I lost faith due to a mistake I caused through my lack of caution. But I shall not allow this life you spared to go to waste. I shall continue to fight until your enemies are reduced to nothing more than essence for your resurrection. I shall fight to ensure this priest whose life you''ve spared will one day worship you probably in our nation''s largest cathedral. NO, THAT ISN''T ENOUGH, I SHALL CREATE MY OWN CATHEDRAL THAT SURPASSES THE LIKES OF THAT LITTLE BUILDING THEY''VE BUILT FOR SUCH AN EXALTED PRESENCE AS YOURSELF. I SHALL ENSURE THOSE FALSE GODS AND CHURCHES THAT EXIST IN THIS WORLD SHALL BE CONVERTED TO OUR OWN. AND I SHALL MAKE SURE EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD SHALL PRAISE YOU AND ONLY YOU, THE TRUE SUCCESSOR TO OUR ORIGINAL AND FoRMER GOD. FROM THE HIGHEST CASTLE TO THE LOWEST SLUM SHALL SCREAM YOUR NAME AND PRAISE YOU FOR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR RACE.¡±


    The priest began coughing and struggled to catch his breath. He cleared his throat. It felt somewhat sore after that long rant but he convinced himself that they would get out of this. He felt inside his pocket again and pulled out a few spare cubes of essence.


    ¡°But I hope you will forgive me when the time comes, my lord. I convinced myself with that man''s help, I needed to create something to keep his mouth shut and money alone wasn''t enough. But it was and in the end, I wasted that essence reserved for you. I''d ask you to forgive me for this sin but I am to commit an even greater sin. Using it for my own purposes. I hope you can forgive me when the time comes and I face you in the afterlife.¡±


    He sighed before placing the cubes in his mouth and began chewing. It took some force before they cracked.


    (¡°Based on my prior research, this should at minimum replenish my mana. I planned to show these findings to those in the motherland but even then, I imagined they would kill without a second thought. And don''t wrong them honestly. What was thinking of playing with our lord''s lifeblood? But regardless I can''t afford to waste the powder without knowing how many enemies remain. I think that tall man is too injured to continue and those around him are too weak to be considered threats. So that pink-haired woman, the boy with white hair, a blonde woman and a woman who has tanned skin. Once I see all of them, I can go all out.¡±)


    The powder would also restore his mana, at a much quicker rate than the cubes, but the other combat benefits it provided were too valuable to be wasted for mere recuperation.

 Chapter 303

    He continued walking down the stairs and eventually met with his followers at the bottom.


    ¡°Father wh-¡±


    He raised his hand to the man who approached.


    ¡°Let us find respite first my child.¡± He softly answered.


    Given the state of the priest, the others followed him without question, not knowing where they were going. Neither did the priest but as long it was far enough away from the adventurers, he could prepare himself the best he could for their inevitable approach.


    ¡°Father, here.¡± One man meekly responded. His head was held down and in his arms were equipment.


    It was one half of his chain and his armour. ¡°You told me to keep this for the time being but I made the mistake of¡­¡± He paused and gulped before continuing ¡°Thinking I could collect your armour. I found only your chest plate and your arm guards before I had to run due to the attackers.¡±


    ¡°I see. (Is this forgiveness lord? If so then I wholly accept your offer.)¡±


    He collected his things and proceeded forward.


    <hr>


    ¡°You fucking bastard what the hell was that abou-¡± Tina shouted at him for inadvertently stopping her after the priest had already gotten away but he looked to be in rough shape.


    He leaned against a wall catching his breath. Based on the blood, he had a wound on his back in addition to one in his hand. What seemed to tire him out the most was his magic.


    He tried to open his mouth but no sound that could be considered speech exited. Standing next to him was the woman he saved. Her neck had been pierced but it was only a few millimetres thanks to Furor¡¯s quickness and more importantly, the sickle didn''t hit any blood vessels.


    She crouched down and listened to his mumbling.


    She nodded her head for a few seconds and stood up.


    ¡°He said it''d be stupid for you to chase him. He had over twenty men go down those stairs earlier. If you went down there, even if they were only distractions, they''d probably be enough to get you killed.¡±


    Tina looked dumbfounded as she walked over. Discomfort and disgust were written on her face as she walked over.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Listen I''m personally of the mind we just go-¡±


    Tina cut the woman off. ¡°No, I''m talking about him.¡±


    She walked closer to him and looked at his back. ¡°Two stabs and you''re out here looking like this?¡± She said, amazed.


    ¡°I-I overdid it.¡± He responded, looking up at her.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Then why did that bastard even escape this room if you were going all out with that dogshit magic of yours.¡±


    The woman interjected. ¡°Well, it was sort of a stalemate with his.¡±


    Tina thought back to what happened to her spear and slammed the bottom of it against the floor.


    ¡°Oh screw off, that guy has a similar magic to yours?¡± But even if their magic was similar, for all four of them, including Furor, to struggle against him didn''t rest well with her, yet¡­


    (¡°Maybe this is what I need to catch up to him.¡±)


    Furor grabbed her foot and looked up at her. ¡°Don''t be a retard.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you care, you shit-talking asshole. Why should I give a damn wha-¡±


    An unexpected guest soon entered the room.


    Her sleeve was bloodied but other than that she looked to be in tip-top shape.


    It was Elizabeth and behind her were Lily and Nora who seemed to be struggling to catch their breaths.


    ¡°Hmm, it must have been quite a foe to leave you like this, Furor.¡±


    She quickly ran over and healed his wounds, making sure not to overdo it. He tried his best to keep himself awake but the exhaustion of using all his mana plus Elizabeth healing his wounds left him somewhat dazed. He tried to fight it but his throat still felt awful. He knew for the next several hours, he''d be worthless. With that in mind, he gave up and faded away.


    ¡°Sorry, I''m late,¡± Elizabeth said.


    Tina sighed. Her expression softened and she responded. ¡°(At least let me prove myself before you show up. That bastard can be suicidal all he wants but I can¡¯t have a moment?) Yo. Anyway, this guy that ran away sounds like a real pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like? Were you not here?¡±


    ¡°I came during the tail end of things. I got a stab off but the little bastard managed to stop my spear somehow. Hell, it''s still got some of his mana left in it.¡±


    She held her spear up and let go.


    It dropped noticeably slower than normal.


    ¡°?¡±


    Elizabeth turned to the woman present, who had started wrapping her neck with a piece of gauze she found lying about. It seemed the cultists were already treating injuries before they arrived.


    ¡°Agatha is it?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, that''s me.¡± The woman responded.


    ¡°What exactly was this magic he used?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    She walked over and picked up the weapon the priest had left on the floor. It was a long chain with a handle on one end and a sickle-like blade on the other.


    ¡°Well, I suppose the others and I can explain what we saw.¡±


    The other two lads were sitting at a table eating whatever they could find.


    She blankly stared at them and threw one of her claw hands at them.


    ¡°What the hell are you idiots doing?¡± She shouted.


    The one proficient in the sword blocked the blade.


    ¡°Lowering their supplies. You hear about savages doing it all the time. Why not empty their supplies while we''re here.¡± He said before taking another bite of bread.


    The tall one with brown hair nodded. ¡°Right, right, they had a lot of guys here so even if they manage to slip past and hide someone in this place, we can make sure they starve quicker.¡±


    ¡°You halfwits, I swear have a bit more¡­¡±


    Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It has been quite some time since we last had a meal. Let me test them for poison and then let''s decide if we''ll only discuss or discuss over a meal.¡±


    The men felt reassured to have Elizabeth back them up but suddenly lost their appetites when she managed the poison part.

 Chapter 304

    After several minutes of both men clutching their stomachs and crying out in pain on the floor, Elizabeth confirmed the food wasn''t poisoned.


    Agatha began stomping them as Elizabeth gave herself a proper portion.


    (¡°I can''t believe they bought that explanation. Well, at least I could test the food without having to waste any time thinking of an excuse for why I could eat and not suffer dearly.¡±)


    She banked on the fact her body could handle any poison that would be present.


    Agatha, Tina, Lily and all the others present sat at a table and began discussing.


    <hr>


    ¡°Cough cough¡± He caught his cough with his hand and tried his best to ignore the blood on his hand.


    ¡°S-something inside me is broken.¡± He muttered as he leaned against the wall.


    His eyes still provided a path, as much as he wanted it to stop.


    The boy leaning against the wall was the white-haired Kevin. He had taken off his armour and what a relief it provided. If only temporarily.


    ¡°It''s¡­ getting worse.¡± Thanks to his eyes he never experienced pain this great up to this point in his life. Unfortunately, this had left him quite susceptible to it.


    Each moment, the pain would grow worse and his pace would slow down even more.


    ¡°Why is it getting worse?¡±


    He had to stop against a wall and punch it a few times, in a vague attempt to feel some relief.


    He gritted his teeth and headbutted the wall a few times. With his head starting to bleed, he toughed through the pain and started running. He must have regained some stamina from essentially moving at a snail''s pace all this time.


    He continued running and soon found himself at a stairway that led to the next floor.


    ¡°Do it do it do it.¡± As these words echoed throughout his mind, as he ran towards them. Then something caught his attention. Someone was walking up the stairs. It looked like a woman.


    <hr>


    ¡°He can stop objects and people? Did you try stopping his magic by releasing your mana?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Huh? What''s that about?¡± Agatha asked.


    Tina sighed. ¡°What an idio-¡±


    Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Now, now, Tina, you wouldn''t have even known about it either, unless you bugged me about what Ezekiel''s weakness is.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Tina quieted down. ¡°I would have figured it out anyway.¡± She said while pouting.


    Elizabeth quickly explained the concept to Agatha and the others at the table.


    ¡°Oh, it''s similar to how Jake uses his magic,¡± Nora commented.


    ¡°I suppose that is a good analogue. So you all didn''t release your mana yet escaped his magic?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡± The tall one commented.


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Elizabeth turned her face towards Furor. (¡°I have no doubt Furor can do that as well. But they mention him escaping at the same time as him. If what they''re saying is true then he probably wasted a sizable amount of his mana trying to weaken the boy''s magic to no effect.¡±)


    She brought her attention back towards the table.


    ¡°So that means we won''t have to worry about expelling our mana, Tina.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Elizabeth explained her thoughts to Tina.


    ¡°Damn, so it just ignores the mana around you?¡±


    ¡°It appears so based on what they said.¡±


    It appears the method this magic affects others is more similar to a fireball from Tibaut than Ezekiel''s or Furor¡¯s magic.


    ¡°Ugh, so he can just stop us?¡± Lily commented, with her head lying on the table. She ate too much and was fighting off rest.


    ¡°I don''t see the problem, just don''t get in his range,¡± Nora remarked. ¡°Surely with all of us here, we can force into the defensive by having him block our projectiles from afar.¡±


    ¡°And what''d we use exactly?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°You have throwing knives, right? Plus I noticed crossbows on the riders earlier so there must be some around here.¡±


    ¡°I mean, you say that but I don''t think I''ve seen a single person use those since we came in here,¡± Agatha added.


    ¡°What?¡± Nora remarked. ¡°I mean I haven''t seen any either since we entered the dungeon but they must be around here somewhere!¡±


    ¡°If we can''t find them then I''d be no use considering a plan with them. You all have a map, right?¡± Elizabeth said.


    ¡°Yeah. Wait, lemme check if there''s an armoury.¡±


    She walked over to Furor and pulled a map out of his pocket. She briefly read it but her face was more than enough to tell everyone this wasn''t the case.


    ¡°Ugh, they only labelled offices, rooms like canteens and stairways.¡±


    ¡°Given what we''ve seen, it''s probable the crossbows were unique to the forest guards. And even then, I only recalled about four of them having crossbows when I encountered them. They must be exceptionally rare here.¡± Elizabeth said, peering over her shoulder.


    Agatha accidentally backed into her by accident but Elizabeth paid her no mind.


    ¡°I''m not against wasting his mana like that but based on how you described his movement, he''d be somewhere in the range of Furor when it comes to speed. And that''s a generous estimate. Other than me, I don''t think anyone would be able to outrun him if he targeted one of you.¡±


    ¡°He did slip away pretty quick,¡± Tina mumbled. ¡°So what are we gonna do?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Overwhelm him. I can''t imagine he took advantage of Furor''s magic and ran away immediately after as a boast. He has to be somewhat exhausted from this encounter.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± Lily added. ¡°I mean, if that''s the only way bu-¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry Lily. It is myself and Tina that will be doing the bulk of the work. You and the others focus on striking when his guard is down.¡±

 Chapter 305

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Tina asked.


    Elizabeth tilted her head, slightly unsure, why Tina reacted like this.


    ¡°Do you not want to do it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No¡­ I''m just surprised you said we''d be doing the bulk of the work.¡± She said, slightly blushing.


    ¡°Huh? What''s so strange about it? Other than Furor and me, you''re the most adept person in this room. It''d be a waste to have you waiting on the outskirts of battle waiting on a clear opportunity, like the others here.¡±


    Tina had turned around and did her best to hide her face. ¡°Hehe-¡± she cleared her throat ¡°I see. Well, it''s only natural after all.¡±


    (¡°Really?¡±) Lily thought to herself, with a sour expression.


    (¡°Does she think that''s hiding anything? I can hear the glee in her voice.¡±) Nora before shaking her head.


    (¡°Why''s she reacting like that?¡±) Elizabeth thought while looking on.


    <hr>


    As the woman walked up the stairs, he continued running where his eyes showed him.


    (¡°Don''t think, just move.¡±)


    He soon ran to the stairway and with his legs as unsteady as they were, he grazed her shoulder. Initially, he didn''t think much of it, but his eyes showed him it was a mistake.


    She gained a red aura and swiped at him, only catching his shirt. Now that he got a better look at her...


    (¡°What the hell is she!?¡±)


    She had black horns, pale bluish skin and a single black wing. And her face was filled with disgust. She bared her fangs and started her attack.


    (¡°Oh screw off!!¡±)


    He was in no condition to fight and the stairs seemed like a bad idea considering what happened to him when he fought an opponent he had no chance of defeating last time. But this time he wouldn''t have to do a suicidal jump down the stairs to escape danger.


    He tripped her legs and began running away from the stairs.


    It didn''t take a moment more for her to throw herself up and towards him. He ducked without looking behind and did not attempt to attack. Based on his eyes, it seems that''d only make the situation worse.


    (¡°Oh, whatever God is listening to me right now, please don''t make this a long run!¡±)


    He jumped over her and continued running with her hot on his heels.


    He threw the torch at her and she batted it away without much of a whimper. His eyes guided him in the darkness of the dungeon, so it was of minimal loss.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    She once again reached him and he backed into her at the last moment pushing her back unexpectedly. She still managed to catch his shoulders and gave them eight new flesh wounds in total.


    (¡°She''s going to cut me down bit by bit at this point.¡±)


    The thought of slowly being clawed until nothing but raw flesh was left, had him fighting to not give in to the temptation of defeat. He imagined a quick death if he stopped and that seemed tempting given what he had been through.


    He gained some distance and turned a corner. He ducked into a room and threw himself into the corner. She ran past him and he could rest easy. Until he noticed his eyes hadn¡¯t shown the danger was over.


    Several metres away, the woman smelled the air. She gritted her teeth and began walking backwards. When the boy burst out of a room running, she continued the chase in earnest.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey, so how do you feel if me and you ditch these two and go on our own private adventure, eh?¡± The bearded man whispered while raising his eyebrow.


    This floor had been a breeze. It seemed Elizabeth had been working hard when she ran through here before them. And whoever else had reached this floor. They noticed the handiwork of Elizabeth and a few others down here as well.


    Walking together as a group of four were Ruby, Nigel, and two other adventurers who had come along.


    Ruby and Nigel were a few metres ahead of the others, and he was using this as an opportunity to win back his sweetheart.


    ¡°Nigel, I said I was going to tolerate you because you''re a pal of mine and we''re currently in enemy territory.¡±


    ¡°Babe, listen-¡±


    She did her best to ignore him. (¡°Even if he is annoying, it''d do us no good to give him a wallop, as much as I''d like to.¡±)


    She carried with her a hammer, over her shoulders, covered in bits of brain and a few skull fragments.


    (¡°Still, I was expecting more out of this nationwide threat. Based on what happened to Elizabeth and Tina they seemed like a threat but is this it? I guess this place is another dud and this bullshit is gonna have to go on for a few more weeks at least.¡±)


    As they walked around the floor, they noticed a large amount of bodies concentrated in a hallway. This place was dense with bodies, and based on the bodies¡¯ positioning and expressions they were running away from something. The damage obviously wasn''t Elizabeth or Furor.


    (¡°These guys really are worthless.¡±)


    She stepped over their corpses, with Nigel still droning and came across a curious room. Just ahead of it was the stairway to the next floor but this room was far more interesting.


    ¡°Is that?¡±


    ¡°So like I say, Babe, even our astrology signs are compatible with- Oi are you even listening? Don''t shrug off my concerns ba-¡±


    She walked inside the room and two of the present inside stood up with their weapons drawn before taking a seat. Behind them on a table was Furor, who was lying down, soundly unconscious.


    ¡°Boys, why is Furor on that table having a rest?¡±


    ¡°This bastard was loud when it came to disrespecting my guild members and what the fuck does he do when we''re here!? Take a fucking nap! That''s it.¡±


    He stormed over and pushed the two men, trying to plead with him, aside. He lifted him up and motioned to slam him into the table before he felt something cold against his back.


    ¡°Jackass.¡± Ruby coldly stated. ¡°There''s obviously something wrong with him.¡±


    ¡°Wha- this is ridiculous, he''s obviously fine look at him.¡± He brought him around and presented him to her like a hunted game.


    His shirt had been cut in two parts but the skin only showed redness, no wounds.


    She pressed harder with her hammer against his back. ¡°I''m tired of your dumb shit Nigel, let him go.¡±


    He shrugged before placing him back on the table. ¡°You sure love treating him like he''s still a kid.¡±


    She didn''t respond and walked over to the two men he pushed over.


    ¡°What happened?¡±

 Chapter 306

    After the duo''s explanation, Nigel quickly left the room, hoping for the heat of his actions to die down.


    She shook her head at how unashamedly he did so and turned back to the duo.


    ¡°So you two were left to guard him?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    They conveniently left out the fact they had volunteered to stay and keep watch of him.


    She shook her head. ¡°Then we have no time to waste here,¡± She looked behind her to the two that had been following her and Nigel. ¡°Let''s get going, I can''t imagine they couldn''t use some extra help.¡±


    <hr>


    Kevin dodged another swing at him, which left him with a new scar on his back. He gritted his teeth and continued running into the darkness with the beast not too far behind.


    (¡°¡±)


    He had no time to fit new thoughts in his head and focused all the brain power he could muster into running. She jumped at him like a lion and he quickly bent his knees to dodge.


    He used the opportunity to change the direction he ran in, even if his eyes told him that way didn''t lead to success. His eyes changed the path¡¯s course like a GPS autocorrecting and continued forward.


    He was drenched in sweat and the smell of blood had mixed with it to create a smell nostalgic to any mercenary. To himself, he smelt like a recently butchered animal.


    If he had any consolidation, the wounds and internal bleeding had left him in so much pain, that the pain of running this long had seemed almost unnoticeable.


    He could feel himself slipping away¡­


    His mind grew more and more hazy as he ran.


    She sliced down at his back once more. It was a solid hit. His blood flew across the air and against her body. Was this it for him? Was he really going to die because of his foolish hope?


    <hr>


    As the men walked along the third floor of the dungeon, this was the first they witnessed their priest so injured. ¡°Father, do you truly not need to wrap that wound around your hand?¡± One asked.


    ¡°It can wait until we find somewhere far enough to regroup.¡±


    ¡°Also father¡­¡± There was hesitation in the man''s voice.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What shall we do with the intruder if we encounter him?¡± He meekly responded.


    ¡°Hope the adventurers encounter him first. It would do him some good to repay his slights against us.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean father? Is he not one of them?¡±


    ¡°I''d swear to our lord there is no chance of him being one of them. But make sure to keep vigilant. I''m not sure if even in such a dire situation, he''d be willing to cooperate.¡±


    That boy wasn''t going to be a problem with his current weapon but he didn''t like the idea of wasting the regained mana on him if he could avoid it.


    They continued walking until they noticed the sound of footsteps approaching. And they were approaching very quickly. He signalled for his men to stand back and stood at the front of the group.


    Emerging from the darkness his torch''s light could not pierce was a young man. A familiar young man he had seen on the top floor.


    He readied his weapon ready to strike but there was something off with him. His eyes were lifeless as he ran, as if a dead man walking and he had several visible wounds across his body, though they appeared light based on the amount of blood covering him.


    What could have left him so injured?


    He fell several metres before the priest. Out of curiosity, he walked over to the soon-to-be dead body of the boy and turned him face side up, examining his body.


    ¡°Well, it looks like one of the women down here sorted him out. I''m glad I can count on my lord for times lik-¡±


    Another pair of footsteps soon approached. The woman wore ragged cloths to cover her chest and groin. She had black hair and a single black wing. In aspects outside of the norm, she had blood on her claws.


    ¡°Good job.¡± The priest commented.


    As he crouched next to the boy, she looked at the pair and looked behind him.


    (¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to escape while she finishes him off.¡±)


    He stayed close to the boy and motioned with his hand for the men to leave.


    (¡°Just in case, I''ll stay here to steer her away if she tries to follow them. If this is what she is capable of with a man like this, then all those here would be-¡±)


    His mind momentarily froze. Instead of walking towards the boy before him, she walked past him.


    Before he could look around, he could hear her footsteps increase before it turned into a sprint. Her eyes were cold as she approached them. They didn''t know what she was but saw no danger in what essentially seemed like an ally. She defeated the white-haired boy the priest complained about and left him unscathed as she passed. Plus they were curious what exactly this woman was. She looked like an angel but possessed horns, was she a-


    A wet sound followed by the tearing of fibres rang out in the quiet atmosphere.


    From her perspective, Kevin being that close to someone she perceived as being similar to her, caused her to leave him alone, if only momentarily. And with the group of bodies standing away from him, she wasn''t hurting for alternatives she could get rid of in the meantime.


    Father Daniel had no idea his actions would save the boy.


    ¡°S-Stop!¡± Daniel shouted.


    When he turned around she had one of his subordinate¡¯s heads in her clutches. Based on the viscera around his neck, his head was ripped off through brute force alone. He got to his feet and ran towards her. She killed two more in this short time.

 Chapter 307

    He used his magic and stopped her. The men began running with some fools drawing their weapons to kill her.


    ¡°RUN YOU IDIOTS¡±


    She broke out of his magic, and sliced another man''s stomach, leaving his bowels exposed. She cut through a sword soaring at her and stabbed into the head of the disgusting human that dared to attack her.


    She cleared some distance with a few steps and killed more. Father Daniel stopped her once again.


    ¡°Stop, you fool, you''ll kill them all!¡± He shouted, nearly in tears. These men were his path to getting out of this mess alive and brothers in the same faith. To die in combat is one thing but for them to die in such an unnecessary manner nearly broke the priest''s spirits. So many had already died at the adventurer''s hands, these men were all the followers he had left, and he knew were still alive.


    He grabbed her head and tried to turn her face around. ¡°HIM, ATTAC- attack him?¡±


    He looked behind. All that was left of the boy''s presence was only a trail of blood that turned into a nearby corner.


    When did he leave? When she ripped a head off? Or when he took his focus off him...


    His attention to the blood trail was a costly mistake. Several moments after he took his eyes off her, he heard more screaming coming from behind.


    He turned around to see more of his men becoming cadavers. He hesitated when he felt his legs weaken.


    ¡°Already?¡± He looked at his hands in distraught. He could feel those two uses of his magic had taken a sizable hit out of his mana.


    She grabbed one of his men by the legs and slammed him into a wall with a sickening slam. The individual smashings of meat and especially bone were heard and both were prominent in their differences.


    His eyes were bloodshot as he looked on.


    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± He stated before finally attacking. The chain was swung towards her and she caught it the moment the blade came into her vision.


    He ran towards her and stopped her one more time before trying to end this. ¡°YOU MINDLESS BEAST, I SHALL NOT ALLOW YOU DESTROY MY CHURCH!¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    He delivered several punches to her body but it was like punching a brick wall. She regained her movement and slapped him back. His damage prior was too much. He landed on his back and by the flickering light of the torch on the now bloody floor, was forced to watch every last man he brought down here get slaughtered, sometimes quick, sometimes slow. Death would eventually come for all of them.


    <hr>


    He sat on the floor and watched as the woman approached him. She paid the small boy no mind and headed on her way.


    ¡°Haha. I see my Lord. Ha, my life did come at a cost. All that I''ve worked for was the price of living another day. I see. I see. I see. This is logical after all. You were doing me a favour. My men would have been a hindrance when it came down to it. It''s entirely reasonable to take them away at this moment they''d be at their most worthless.¡±


    He got up and slowly approached the woman walking away. He wrapped his arms around her. She paid no mind to him as his legs dragged along the floor.


    ¡°I thank you!¡± He stated with gritted teeth. ¡°I thank you for relieving me of this burden. I THANK YOU FOR DELIVERING OUR LORD''S PUNISHMENT!¡± He shouted as headbutted her back.


    She stopped and pushed him off, clearly annoyed.


    He got on his knees and kneeled in her direction as she walked away. ¡°THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WITH YOU ALL I NEED IS MORE. YOU SHALL BE MY ARMY. I SEE NOW WHAT I MUST DO NOW LORD!!¡±


    He slammed his head into the floor as she walked away into the darkness. He reached into his pocket and¡­ how strange? Did he really finish the cubes he had on him?


    <hr>


    Kevin managed to find a torch. He sat against the wall, in a room hidden away in the dungeon. He wasted no time ripping his shirt apart with his hands, to use as makeshift gauze.


    He was empty. There were no fumes left and if that woman appeared once more, he was finished. Hopefully, these things he swiped from the pocket of the priest would be useful.


    ¡°I don''t have much choice now, do I?¡± He said to himself. His eyes labelled them blue. They were obviously a consumable given their size in addition to the fact they didn''t change colour when he brought them to his mouth.


    He was struggling to stay awake and started to nod off when he stopped moving.


    He put the cubes into his mouth and bit on them with all the strength he had left. For something meant for consumption, they were surprisingly tough. But if it could save his life, it didn''t matter if he got a chipped tooth or two.


    It took a few minutes but he felt energy come back to him. He slowly got back to his feet and began walking.


    ¡°Well, I can stand.¡± He disappointedly commented.


    The wounds on his body still pained him and the damage he took to his internals made every breath a chore.


    He crushed one of the cubes with his torch and rubbed it on his wound. The pain eased and the bleeding stopped but this was on the lower end of the spectrum of what he thought it could be.


    ¡°So these guys have mildly useful medicine. After hearing about that guy Ezekiel fought, I was sorta expecting more.¡±


    He limped along the hallways of the third floor, still injured but able to move, going to the destination his eyes led him.

 Chapter 308

    Kevin found his way back to the stairway but he noticed something strange. It seemed a fresh set of footprints were collected in the white substance on the floor. What was that stuff anyway?


    He could tell it was a different set, not created by the woman he escaped earlier because the woman''s footsteps were beside it untouched.


    They were of a slightly different shape.


    (¡°There''s another one on this floor!?¡±)


    He didn''t know whether this statement was true or not but he wasted no time heading down the stairs, at a quickened gait.


    When he finally reached the fourth floor, his eyes continued onwards with the path.


    He felt the wound on his back and winced. He breathed in deeply before continuing his journey.


    <hr>


    In the darkness of the third floor, a light pierced the floor, slowly going from hallway to hallway.


    (¡°Whew, they don''t think it was my own.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she led the group holding up a torch. Behind her were Lily, Tina, Nora and Agatha.


    (¡°Any more of them I might have to worry about spreading myself thin protecting them if things go wrong. Who knows how many men like that lion man might be down here, in addition to that priest''s magic? Tina should be able to cover one of them while I cover the other two.¡±)


    She looked at her sleeve covered in blood.


    (¡°Thankfully they bought the excuse that it was the enemy''s blood and not mine. Given I use a sword I''m not sure why they believed I shoved my whole arm into someone''s torso to kill them but I should be glad it was dismissed this quickly.¡±)


    ¡°What''s up with the murals?¡± Lily asked, looking at them as she walked.


    Nora looked puzzled as well. ¡°They''re flames, I think? Though, maybe they drew some crappy cotton balls. For all we know this is what they worship.¡±


    ¡°It''s unlikely this dungeon has anything to do with them in the first place,¡± Elizabeth added.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lily mused.


    ¡°Oh, right this place is pretty old isn''t it?¡± Nora added.


    ¡°Correct. These markings and murals are irrelevant to its current occupants. It''d do you two more good to think about how you''ll deal with the priest and his minions before you let the decor of this dungeon sit on your mind.¡± Elizabeth said, focusing on her surroundings.


    ¡°Worship¡­ oh right!¡± Agatha commented.


    ¡°Hmm, what is it, Aggie?¡± Lily responded.


    ¡°Lily, you don''t even know her that well, plus leave the pet names for lovers,¡± Nora commented, disinterested.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°What''s wrong Norrie, jealous you don''t have one?¡±


    ¡°Don''t call me Norrie, you little undersized alcoholic. Plus what''s even the point of a pet name if it''s longer than the name you''re shortening?¡±


    ¡°It''s not shorter, it takes just as long to say.¡±


    ¡°How''s that any better?¡±


    Lily stuck her tongue at her, while Agatha patiently waited for them to stop bickering, cleaning her blades to pass the time.


    ¡°Whatever. I''m sure you''d love it if Jake called you that every once in a while.¡± Lily continued.


    ¡°Hmph, I don''t why you guys keep mentioning Jake. I just respect him yet all you people do is misconstrue and willfully misinterpret my words.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Agatha interjected.


    Nora''s face turned sour. ¡°Ugh, what do you mean ¡®really¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No, actually don''t mind what I said.¡±


    Nora slowed down and walked beside her. ¡°Actually I mind. What did you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°How creepy, are you gonna bully her for knowing who you love?¡± Lily added.


    ¡°Screw off, only women taller than children are talking here.¡±


    ¡°Well, we both got chests like a child so I don''t think your height is gonna do much for you in the looks department.¡± Lily venomously responded.


    ¡°How vapid, I wasn''t talking about looks¡­ besides they''re not that small.¡±


    ¡°And anyone could tell I''m not a child with these puppies.¡± She said before putting her hands on her meagre bosom.


    Agatha chuckled at this and she quickly took her hands off and turned around embarrassed.


    ¡°Wait, Lily, I didn''t mea-¡±


    ¡°So what were you talking about?¡± Nora said. Agatha realised they had gotten sidetracked.


    ¡°Oh right, so it isn''t true that you like him?¡±


    Her eyes shot open but she quickly recovered.


    ¡°Wha- I mean he''s my guild leader, of course, I like him¡­¡± She paused. ¡°But not in romance of course.¡±


    ¡°Really? I guess it makes sense, besides he probably already has a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°... what do you mean by that?¡± She asked, cautiously.


    ¡°I mean I''ve heard other girls talk about how cute they are. I''ve heard some refer to him like a puppy dog they wanna take for themselves¡­¡±


    ¡°Puppy dog? He''s a grown man, talk about him like one!¡± she shouted before clearing her throat.


    ¡°Yeah, but he''s so passive they can''t help but find him a bit cute.¡±


    ¡°Agatha please stop talking about him like that, it''s unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry.¡± She said dejectedly.


    ¡°No, it has nothing to do with you, just those tasteless harpies. Women, who see nothing but surface-level details. He isn''t a puppy that''s only good to look at, he''s a kind soul who looks out¡­ he has more to him.¡± She sounded genuinely upset when she heard how others viewed him. She also stopped herself for some reason when she started listing a positive aspect of him.


    ¡°Oh, so you want him to be more aggressive. What a pipe dream.¡± Lily commented.


    ¡°Wah? Stop saying that of course I don''t, I''m fine with him as is.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She started brief vocal exercises before putting on a half-hearted attempt at Jake¡¯s voice. ¡°Norrie, I feel like I want to take our relationship to the next-¡±


    Nora slapped Lily''s head while rubbing her own face which developed a hint of blush. ¡°Shut up you harpy, how would you like it if I said you loved Ezek-¡±


    She hushed up.

 Chapter 309

    Lily didn''t look too bothered. ¡°You can say his name, there isn''t anything wrong with saying it.¡±


    ¡°N-no. I shouldn''t bring him into something stupid like this.¡± Nora answered, her face flushed with embarrassment.


    Only their footsteps occupied the soundwaves for the next few moments. ¡°Plus y-you wouldn''t be wrong,¡± Lily commented.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I grew out of it quickly but, uh,¡± She seemed hesitant but continued. ¡°I mean there was a time I, you know¡­ had a thing for him.¡±


    ¡°Re-really? Well, I''ve never felt a thing for Jake so uh, you shouldn''t expect everyone to be like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    (¡°Why would you bring that up!? And why would you respond to that!?¡±)


    Everyone there other than those two thought. To say the atmosphere had gotten awkward would be like saying a forest had a tree or two.


    ¡°But I suppo-¡± Nora opened her mouth.


    ¡°Agatha! You mentioned something about worship?¡± Elizabeth was not going to let this atmosphere continue before a battle.


    ¡°Oh right! That''s right!¡± Agatha proclaimed, realising she could change the mood.


    She then explained what she heard out of the priest''s and Furor''s conversation while she lay on the floor after his attack.


    ¡°Revive their lord? And he had the gall to place them in the same sentence as the four gods?¡± Elizabeth said, sounding insulted.


    ¡°Ain''t they optimistic about their mumbo jumbo,¡± Lily commented.


    ¡°I also remember him creating cubes in the mouth of his subor-¡±


    Elizabeth flinched after hearing this but made sure to appear calm. She listened to her as she spoke but became engrossed in her thoughts.


    ¡°...they said they''re used to strengthen their lord.¡±


    (¡°Reviving their god? The cubes? Is that their purpose!? Could they actually be summoning some demon with those cubes? Hold on a minute if those cubes are created through a human life, and with the number of people they kill¡­ damn, it actually sounds likely.¡±) Elizabeth worriedly thought.


    ¡°Maybe he used sleight of hand to get those cubes?¡± Lily commented.


    ¡°Possible, I could only see him put his fingers into his mouth. Plus he was trying to convert him.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°What fool preaches in battle?¡± Nora added.


    Elizabeth had no idea if they were actually summoning demons but she also knew the priest had to be telling a half-truth at minimum. These things were created from people, and given they were so desperate to get them, it wouldn''t surprise her if they had some big goal in mind. After all, why else would they collect them?


    (¡°So they''re summoning some great being. Dammit, my magic can''t come back quick enough. I can''t imagine I''ll have a passive role in this given my sainthood and I''d want no such thing regardless. I can only pray they are years away from such a possibility. And if those plans of theirs come to fruition, I''ll have to be ready.¡±)


    As they talked about whether the idea of the cubes and this mysterious lord of the cult held any merit they came across a woman covered in blood. Elizabeth moved her hand to her blade.


    ¡°Ease up, Elizabeth-¡± Tina tried to say.


    The woman covered in blood swung her long nails down at Elizabeth and Elizabeth aimed for her fingers. The woman in blood corrected and cut halfway into her blade before Elizabeth backed away for her blade''s sake.


    Tina was standing at the back of the group and quickly threw herself to the front. She swung her electrified spear at the woman and she quickly backed away, with her face filled with scorn. She kept her eyes on Elizabeth, even as Tina was the one who approached me.


    ¡°yOU CaSt ME DOwN, AnD LET OUR FathEr Die!? AND DARE SHOw YOuRSELF BEFoRE ME!?¡± She shouted with a hoarse voice, towards Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth kept her sword pointed up but Tina stood between the two.


    ¡°Don''t waste your time with this trash, Elizabeth. I got it.¡±


    ¡°Fine but that woman is reminding me of something unpleasant.¡±


    The tone of her skin in addition to the black horns, wings and surprising power nearly gave her a headache.


    Lily started breathing heavily as she stared at the woman. ¡°What are you talking about? That woman is obviously like that bald cultist guy we fought, right!? Shouldn''t we all gang up on him?¡±


    ¡°Based on the little I''ve seen from her it seems she isn''t anywhere near him in terms of power.¡± She responded. ¡°And Tina, I won''t hesitate to help you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I''m not gonna need it. (Welp, most of these bastards haven''t really put up a fight, hopefully, you won''t go down in a single swing.)¡±


    ¡°You sure it''s okay for her to do this alone,¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think we should just take her down as quickly as possible,¡± Agatha added.


    Elizabeth made sure to lower her voice. ¡°Well, Tina is a good baseline. I don''t want to insinuate any of you are weak but that thing seems to have fast reactions. It''d be best if Tina could lower its guard before we strike. The last thing we need is one of you being injured. (Well, that''s somewhat true, but I''d prefer not to expose my injury. If she can handle this by herself then so be it.)¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess that makes sense,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°So we strike the first opportunity we find, right?¡± Agatha asked.


    ¡°As long as I give you the go-ahead,¡± Elizabeth responded.


    The demonic-looking lady showed Tina no attention and tried to jump over her to get at Elizabeth. Tina grabbed her leg and slammed her back first into the ground. It made a nauseous-sounding slam but she looked no worse for it.


    The woman reached her own hands towards Tina''s. Tina let go of her and the woman gave herself some minor cuts.


    Tina swung her spear down and¡­.

 Chapter 310

    He didn''t know how many minutes had passed since he reached this floor but he knew it was enough that the soreness in his legs started to outweigh the pain in his back. Did the pain in his back get better or was the walking so bad his back no longer seemed like an issue?


    His hair now had some red tips from leaning against his shoulder wound.


    He continued walking in the light of his torch, through this new floor. The walls had changed. They were covered in large flames. Was he descending into to hell?


    (¡°As if this place wasn''t creepy enough with that woman earlier¡­ now these flames. What the hell is this place and why did those guys even know where this place was, to begin with?¡±) He mused to himself, looking at the walls.


    As he walked he noticed another pair of footsteps. His eyes showed no danger, so maybe, just maybe, if he minded his business and kept walking he wouldn''t have to worry about any trouble.


    He walked into a topless woman with black hair with a blonde iridescence. Those were the only differences they had compared to the previous woman.


    His trousers nearly became weighed down by unpleasant bodily waste products but he endured. He backed away and fell to his feet, pushing himself away.


    (¡°OH FUCK OFF!¡±) He screamed in his mind.


    He got up off the floor and started running but stopped when he noticed something odd. At the end of the hallway, he noticed she hadn''t moved an inch since she stared at him. His eyes didn''t indicate danger. Could she possibly be-


    He stopped himself and walked down the hallway. She watched him as he approached and tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°Uh, you''re not gonna attack or anything, right?¡± He asked as he quickly shimmied against a wall opposite to her. She looked disinterested and turned away, continuing her walk to wherever she was going.


    He breathed a massive sigh. (¡°So they''re not all deadly¡­ so what was that other one''s problem!?¡±)


    He continued further into the dungeon following the path of his eyes until he came across something red in his path. While this referred to the colour his eyes only could show him, the danger appeared to be red in colour naturally. He turned away when he saw the hand clutch the doorway, but unfortunately, as he walked he noticed something. This path was not optional. His eyes showed no other path he could take. He had to walk past here. He sighed before turning around and getting into a sprinter''s start position.


    He shot off and then prayed to whatever God that''d listen to that he¡¯d get through this unscathed. The thing in the doorway noticed his footsteps and spared no effort leaving exiting.


    He backed away when he got a better look at her. Her skin was red and she had two bat wings instead of one dove wing but by his metric, she probably belonged in the same category. And based on what his eyes showed, she wasn''t docile.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Her top was exposed, she had the hoofs of a goat on her feet, with fur covering her lower half but he was confident she was the same as the woman that had injured him.


    He aborted the idea of running past and stopped in his tracks a few metres before her.


    She stared at him, unfocused, trying to stand up straight.


    (¡°Is she okay?¡±)


    ¡°Human¡­ how dare one of your kind come down here.¡±


    ¡°You talk?¡± he responded as he slowly backed away.


    ¡°Yes, I''m capable of speech, I''m positive my kind is more sigh for lack of a better word, more blessed in this regard than you mongrels that have the audacity to walk this realm.¡±


    ¡°(Maybe I can negotiate?) I promise I''ll leave, just let me pass!¡±


    She looked behind her.


    ¡°Do you think me a fool? That leads to the final floor of this dungeon. For such insol-¡±


    She paused and clutched her head. ¡°Damnit, how long has it been? This mana reeks of a human. You there human, what am I?¡±


    He continued inching away. ¡°A demon?¡± He asked, sounding unsure.


    ¡°A mere demon? I''m a member of the Ars Goetia, you dog. Tell me who rules this world?¡± She asked, trying to hold back the pain in her voice. She seemed to be having a headache from waking from her slumber. After all, it had been over five hundred years, side effects were a given.


    ¡°Who rules?¡±


    ¡°Yes, who is the ruler of this world, you walking bag of flesh!¡± She shouted while leaning more of her weight against the wall.


    ¡°I guess it''d be the Four Gods? (Saying they rule makes it sound worse than it is but if she''s talking about who¡¯s at the top of the world then it''d be them.)¡±


    ¡°Four Gods?¡± She seemed confused.


    ¡°(Should I start running? No, if she''s as quick as the other one, my best bet would be finding somewhere to hide. She looks different, maybe her sense of smell isn''t as good as the other one?) Yeah, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael.¡±


    Her shoulders dropped and she stood on her own two feet once more.


    ¡°Repeat that human?¡±


    She seemed infuriated based on tone alone and Kevin wasted no time running away.


    She placed her hand on the ground and various vines burst forth. They snatched Kevin from the ground and threw him back in her direction.


    He was thrown at her feet. When he hurriedly picked himself up, he looked up to see her drop to one knee and slam her fist against a wall.


    ¡°Damn it all, what is going on in the dungeon?¡± She said as she tried to pick herself up. At that moment Kevin saw an opportunity. And he wasted no time taking it.


    He swept her legs and based on what his eyes showed him, ran back in the direction he came from. She once again placed her hand against the ground but nothing came out.


    ¡°Why is the mana density of this dungeon so low?¡± She mumbled to herself before getting to her feet. She picked herself up and began running towards him.


    She stumbled and even tripped a few times but even with these errors, she managed to gain on him.


    Kevin did his best trying to lose her in the darkness of the dungeon, even throwing his torch at her.

 Chapter 311

    The group of four walked close together in the dungeon, with Nigel the farthest behind. They stopped for something on the floor.


    ¡°Ah~ they sure weren''t holding back when they entered this floor. I''m pretty sure the remains of their footprints end here. Though I¡¯d be pretty pleased if a tracker of your quality could help fill up my gaps.¡± She said with a wink.


    ¡°You already said I''m not your type Ruby, s-stop with the teasing.¡± The crouched man meekly stated.


    ¡°Come on, no one likes a guy that can''t accept a compliment, right Julie?¡±


    A woman stood straight and replied in a deadpan tone. ¡°You''re an enemy to men everywhere.¡±


    ¡°That''s right, I can''t stop myself from gobbling down all the lovely ones.¡±


    The woman cringed and the man on the floor turned red-faced. Nigel smiled and walked closer.


    ¡°You''re right about that Ru-¡±


    They all noticed her turn the corner.


    She had burns scars across her body. And based on their patterns, Ruby could tell they were electrical burns. The woman was covered in burnt blood and somewhat fresh blood, but her own was a sickly black, visible from her wounds and the weapon embedded in her side.


    The woman stared at them before taking the weapon out of her side. She bared her teeth but was hesitant in attacking them. The last group left her quite sore and if this group was the same, she wanted nothing to do with them.


    ¡°What a weird-looking chick,¡± Nigel commented as he looked at her.


    The one-winged woman turned around and began walking back down the way she came.


    Ruby placed her hammer''s head on the floor and leaned against it weakly. The other three quickly turned their attention to her.


    ¡°No¡­ she can''t¡­¡± she quietly muttered. Based on her outward appearance it was obvious she ran into the other group that ventured to this floor. She looked like she had been through a hard battle, but she was still standing.


    As the woman walked away she pulled the knives that remained embedded in her head.


    (¡°Those are Lily''s knives¡­¡±) She thought, almost sickened as she continued looking on. Tears started to sting the sides of her eyes.


    (¡°She killed them both. Maybe even Elizabeth too.¡±)


    She came to a single conclusion. She had killed the group down here, including Lily and Tina.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Babe you okay?¡± Nigel asked, concern present in his voice.


    An image of a girl with pink hair leaving her house flooded Ruby¡¯s mind.


    Nigel stood in front of her looking to comfort Ruby but she pushed him out of her way. She picked up her hammer and ran towards the demonic-looking woman.


    The woman noticed her footsteps and turned around. She swung the hammer onto their head and the black winged woman caught it with one hand. This didn''t amuse her.


    She decided to spare both herself and these fools yet this woman disregarded her and attacked anyway.


    Whatever, she''d kill this woman and get some much-needed rest.


    After brushing off her blow, she threw her back and watched intently, making sure to keep all her opponents in mind as they approached.


    Nigel grabbed Ruby before she ran back towards the woman.


    ¡°Chill out Ruby, she doesn''t look like an enemy or one of those cultists, what''s your problem, babe?¡±


    ¡°She killed them!!¡± Ruby shouted trying to push him off.


    Everyone was dumbfounded by what she said. ¡°What?¡± Nigel replied.


    ¡°Those burns are something only Tina would be able to give, she killed them!¡± She shouted before punching his gut to let them go.


    After she said that, they remembered the strange claw weapon she removed from her torso. That wasn''t a common type of weapon you''d see just anywhere.


    ¡°Wait but that means- that''s impossible, Elizabeth''s dead!?¡± The other man shouted.


    ¡°Shit if she can kill Elizabeth then what good are we?¡± the other woman said while eyeing the way they came from.


    ¡°Sweetie,¡± Ruby coldly stated before grabbing her shoulder. ¡°You better not be thinking of doing anything stupid or I might end you myself.¡± Tears had started running down her cheek, but no sorrow had taken hold of her face yet. Her eyes looked into the very core of the woman she grabbed.


    ¡°Fine, fine, but damn, I can''t believe they''re all dead.¡± The woman relented.


    ¡°You can sit this one out babe, she seems pretty worn down,¡± Nigel said as he stood in front of her. She pushed him out of her way.


    ¡°I''m not letting her get away with killing Tina. Try that dumb shit again and I''ll shove this hammer up your ass.¡±


    She ran toward her once again and the woman braced herself for them.


    Ruby swung the hammer down once again and the woman dodged and threw her claw forward with no remorse. Just as it was going to pierce the centre of her face, a strange force hit her hand and threw it off course, cutting the woman¡¯s cheek instead.


    Ruby moved her hammer up and slammed it into her chest, with little reaction from the devil woman. Not even the cracking of bone was heard. She defended with her hammer when the woman struck back. It struck some of her fingers but thankfully she had nothing more than a few small cuts.


    It pushed her back several feet. The instant the woman started pursuing, she felt a force slam her chest. She stopped and looked down to see what caused only to be greeted by nothing.


    (¡°Enjoying my magic you bitch!?¡±)


    Ruby''s magic was a simple one. As long as she had mana and was within a certain range, she could hit an area she already hit, with the same impact. But this was limited to one time for an individual, so it wasn''t as if fighting within close quarters would be meaningless after the first hit. Far from it.


    Nigel ran past her and attempted his own assault.

 Chapter 312

    He dived to grab the woman and succeeded. They both fell to the floor with him struggling to hold on to her.


    (¡°Sorry missus, but there''s no woman alive that can match this body.¡±) He cockily thought while subduing her.


    What he didn''t know was the fact she allowed this to happen. After all, what was more convenient than an enemy choosing to move away from their allies themselves?


    She wasn''t quite tall enough to reach face and began headbutting his chest. He found it laughable when she reeled her head back but the first hit to his chest had him thinking otherwise.


    It felt like he had been smashed with Ruby''s hammer. (Don''t ask how he knew what this felt like.)


    Before another head butt could grace his body, Ruby smashed her back with the hammer. She broke free of Nigel quite easily and kicked Ruby''s leg, causing the woman to fall to one knee.


    She shouted out in pain as she got back to her feet. It seems that blow to her back did a number on her.


    The two that had looking for an opportunity jumped in when both Nigel and Ruby remained grounded.


    They both pulled out their swords and slashed at her. She cut through their swords with her claws and before she could slice their necks, another blow rocked back, sending her to the floor. She tried looking behind her but no one was there. The two took advantage of this and began stabbing her other with the remains of their swords. No stab made it more than a few centimetres in her skin but they showed no restraint and peppered her with wounds.


    She grabbed both their legs and slammed them into a wall in her grounded position. Before she could finish them off, Ruby appeared before her once more with the hammer held above her head.


    The woman had had enough of this bullshit.


    She swiftly moved her hands to the leg of Ruby and caused her to fall to the ground.


    Ruby wasn''t sure what she did but the immediate pain that followed served as a good indicator. With one swipe, the demon woman sliced deep enough into her leg to show bone. Nigel ran over to try and kick her away but he was far too slow to surprise her.


    She jumped into him and shoved her hand into his torso, like a fork in jelly. What stopped her from going any deeper was a hammer strike that rocked her side, sending her sideways and removing her hand from the newly created wound.


    She managed to stop herself, but another phantom hammer strike sent her even further away. After looking around, she decided this was enough. These fools combined with the last ones had more than ruined her appetite to kill.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Get back here!¡± Ruby shouted, struggling to stay on her feet.


    The woman paid her no mind and ran off.


    Ruby fell to one knee, once more and looked around her. The fight barely lasted over a minute yet they had been left in rough shape.


    She could barely stand and her leg was gushing blood like it was going out of style. She took another step and had to lean her back against a nearby wall or risk falling.


    Nigel was doing his best to cover the new wound on his stomach. He had four finger-sized holes opened up.


    And thanks to the fact he was shirtless, a visible bruise was seen forming on the part of his chest the woman headbutted.


    He made his way over.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What else? With that bitch around-¡±


    ¡°Come on Ruby, get real, there''s no way we can-¡±


    She slapped him across. ¡°You shut the hell you, worthless son of a bitch!¡± she snarled at him. She turned to the wall and started crying.


    ¡°Tina was my responsibility, the person my sister would want me to protect the most and I abandoned her.¡± She said as she struggled to get the words out. She slammed her fist against the wall. ¡°And what did I do? I left her by herself and now, now¡­¡± She paused and looked up. ¡°I''m sorry, Tacey. I''m sorry, please, please sister I didn''t mean for this to happen.¡± She struggled to say as she caught her breath.


    The other two were still out cold. Not sure what to do, Nigel walked over towards them and tried resuscitating them.


    <hr>


    Several minutes earlier.


    After Tina swung down, the pale woman grabbed it bare-handed. With one hand. Considering Tina had both hands on the spear, this left her confused, to say the least.


    The still-sitting woman swung the spear into a nearby wall, planting Tina into it. She got back to her feet and planned to swing the pink-haired Amazon once more but she ran some electricity through her spear and the demon woman was briefly stunned but managed to let go before Tina could deal a counterattack. She backed away with a wretched expression across her face.


    ¡°She''s stronger than Tina¡­¡± Elizabeth commented, sounding annoyed. ¡°(Is she really like that fat bastard?)¡± She thought as she watched on.


    It was too soon to say if Tina needed any help and Tina stood between them and the woman, so any throwing weapons would risk hitting her if they tried anything.


    ¡°Why''s she wearing that shit anyway? Don''t they have better clothes?¡± Nora asked, watching intently.


    ¡°I don''t think she''s the type that cares about that sort of stuff. But if you are so curious why don''t you ask her?¡± Lily responded.


    It seemed Tina overheard what they were saying.


    ¡°Hey ya dumb bitch, why do you dress like a whore?¡±


    The woman showed no reaction to her words other than a mild slanting of the eyes.


    Tina swung her spear down and the woman stomped on it, sending Tina to the floor. She tried to shock her once again but the woman removed her foot too quickly to be affected.


    She brought her hand up and moved closer to end the annoyance in front of her-

 Chapter 313

    -and had to quickly swat a knife out of her face.


    She turned her attention to the insect that interfered. Tina used the opportunity to move her spear to her leg and shock her. Her body stiffened and Tina moved her spear away before slamming it into her leg. Given the spear¡¯s weight, it would have shattered a normal woman''s leg easily. Yet after slamming it she felt like she had hit a wall, with how unpleasant the recoil felt.


    The brief moment she removed her spear was enough for the woman to escape backwards and take a better look at her surroundings. She was now going to keep a close eye on the three women behind the large one.


    (¡°What a bitch. She''s smaller than Elizabeth but I''m the one who''s getting overpowered!¡±)


    Tina got back to her feet.


    ¡°You owe me one Pinky. Without me, she''d probably be stomping your head in.¡± Lily commented.


    ¡°Shut up, my sneak attack would have worked regardless!¡± Tina snarled while dusting herself off.


    ¡°Tina,¡± Elizabeth interjected.


    She got into a stance and focused on her enemy.


    ¡°She appears to be substantially stronger than you. React accordingly and stop acting like you have the advantage here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She weakly responded.


    The woman had been walking back, trying to lure Tina away but it seemed to be no good. It looked like this wasn''t going to be as simple as the men she killed.


    ¡°Whose blood do you think that is?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°We were the first ones down here, so I''m not too sure about the fate of our priest friend,¡± Elizabeth responded. ¡°He may have created a monster in hopes of killing us. But the monster wouldn''t let themselves be tamed.¡±


    ¡°So we don''t have that priest guy to worry about anymore? Thank Gabriel, that seemed like it was going to be a pain in the ass.¡± Lily said while stretching.


    ¡°Let''s confirm that after we deal with this woman first.¡±


    The woman finally made her move and quickly approached Tina.


    (¡°You''re stronger than me, you short bitch? Fine then, get a look at my new technique.¡±)


    She held the spear in one hand and placed the shaft on top of her other hand. It soon began pushing the spear up with nothing between them.


    (¡°I guess that red hair was on to something. Time to test it on a real enemy.¡±)


    The spear shaft floated slightly but the one-winged enemy paid it no mind as she approached. Until she got within range.


    Like a machine gun, Tina let out several spear thrusts within a moment''s notice. It left the monster with a shallow scar surrounded by an electrical burn.


    She rubbed it gently and turned back to Tina, now outside of the spear¡¯s maximum range.


    Her brow was covered in sweat but she had a smile on her face.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    (¡°Hehehe, I know my spear thrusts are usually slow. Which is why I don''t do them most of the time. But now I''m quicker than the average spearman, shit, I don''t think anyone in this parish can match this speed.¡±)


    She looked towards the woman waiting for the next moment she stepped into her range.


    The woman clasped her hands together and formed a small ball at the end of them.


    (¡°Whats-¡±) Her thoughts couldn''t even finish before Elizabeth shouted at her.


    ¡°Stop her!!!¡±


    Tina wasted no time, moving from her position and rushing down the woman.


    She swung the spear into her side and the woman blocked it before getting shocked. Tina supposed that was it, but she slid down the spear while being shocked, to close the small distance.


    Tina tried to pull the spear in to stab her with the blade but the woman''s grip on it was too tight. Given her strength, Tina had no reservations about letting go of the spear and backing away. The woman threw the spear into the darkness behind and turned to Tina. She was covered in burns. Given the way she stood and her complete lack of reaction, they were either superficial or she had no concept of pain.


    ¡°What a pain in the ass,¡± Tina commented. ¡°You had to go and throw my spear away huh? Think you''re fighting honourable doing this shit?¡±


    The woman paid her no mind and approached.


    (¡°It shouldn''t take more than 10 seconds to-¡±)


    She was already in front of her. She didn''t even blink yet she had lost track of when she had approached. She tried to back away and ended up having her chest plate sliced open and thankfully nothing more.


    The woman swept her legs with a kick that left Tina''s ankle in agony. Another kick was aimed at her head but Elizabeth managed to stop it with her sword. It left the sword bent. She used the edge of the blade to stop it.


    This left a gash on her leg but nowhere near the amount of damage that should have happened from doing that. She shouldn''t have even had a foot attached to her leg after doing that.


    The woman slashed her claws at Elizabeth, and the latter had to pull Tina behind her and simultaneously move to roll between the monster''s legs to get behind her.


    The two began exchanging blows with Elizabeth''s sword getting the worst of it.


    After the fifth clash, her sword was looking more like a piece of scrap metal.


    (¡°Her strength is no joke.¡±)


    She quickly delivered a kick to Elizabeth and Elizabeth had to block with her sword once more. She moved a claw to scar her face but Elizabeth had the foresight to sweep her remaining leg on the floor.


    She fell to her back and quickly kipped up into a spearheading into her. It pierced nearly an inch into her chest and its user moved her hands onto it from behind the woman.


    ¡°How''s the weather in hell?¡±


    She converted all the mana she could muster into magic and gave her Tina¡¯s own take on death by electrocution.


    The woman struggled and tried to make her way out but Elizabeth grabbed her hands to try and stop her. Even Elizabeth couldn''t fully restrain her but she could guarantee her nails wouldn''t impale Tina.


    The smell of burning flesh started to fill the air and the sight of the two women enduring the voltage was one to behold.


    A few projectiles were thrown at her head, with none piercing her skull.


    Tina began unashamedly smiling as she felt the blade of the spear going deeper into the woman''s chest.


    The monster had enough and moved her head back to headbutt Tina. Tina didn''t react to it quickly enough and had her face bloodied with one strike.


    Tina didn''t let go of the spear and the woman pulled herself forward, bringing Tina forward as well, delivering another headbutt on the pink-haired woman by bringing her head back.


    With a sound that could only be described as , Tina''s hands let go of the spear and Elizabeth whiffed a blow directed at the spear when the monster backed away.


    The other three women wasted no time backing away as fast as they could. But they had nothing to worry about as the woman was most focused on Elizabeth. She took the spear out of her chest while at the same time, Elizabeth wasted no time bringing her hand down to the unconscious Tina. It wasn''t even a question of if she could fight. Her face was bloodied and the central part of it was smashed beyond recognition with those two headbutts.


    In an internal view, you would have seen it was the skull itself that was smashed. This was no time to be stingy with the healing.

 Chapter 314

    She quickly healed Tina and the one winged woman looked on in ire.


    She kicked off the floor and within three steps she was before Elizabeth. Tina grabbed her leg, shocking (literally) her, with Elizabeth aiming for her neck. She dodged the sword strike and flung Tina off her leg with a football kick, like a rag doll.


    She turned around and swung an elbow towards Elizabeth, that left the edge of her nose with the skin scraped off.


    She wrapped her arms around Elizabeth, pinning her but a stab in her side had her letting go. It was Agatha who had given the wound with her claw weapon. Unfortunately, like Tina''s spear, she couldn''t push it more than an inch into her body.


    The monster woman paid her no attention as she noticed a spear strike headed for her head and slammed it upwards with a punch.


    (¡°She can react to them now?¡±) Tina wondered seeing this.


    This threw off her tempo and allowed the woman to approach her. She swung the spear down but the monster woman dodged it and jumped to the side and off a nearby wall. She didn''t get the distance she anticipated due to Elizabeth grabbing her leg.


    (¡°She''s faster than me!¡±)


    She slammed her to the floor but the woman responded in quick fashion by bringing her leg forward and throwing her into Tina.


    From the momentum of the kick, she managed to backflip onto her feet and started charging at the both of them, now floored.


    Elizabeth got up, quickly pulling Tina to her feet who was still slightly disoriented from the earlier headbutt and the woman slowed when she noticed Tina holding her spear.


    (¡°?¡±)


    Tina was confused but Elizabeth had an inkling as to why.


    (¡°I''m sure of it. Tina''s magic was the only offence from us that did any meaningful damage.¡±)


    The burns covering her skin together with her caution of the spear made it obvious she didn''t want to deal with Tina. Or at least wasn''t a fan of it.


    She clasped her hands and¡­ threw them down. She turned around and walked off, clearly annoyed.


    Agatha and the others did their best to put on a strong face as she approached but she paid them no mind as she walked off.


    (¡°What _ pain. _h__ is t__ m_ch eff_r_.¡±)


    Were the thoughts in her head as she walked off.


    <hr>


    Tina tried to chase after her but Elizabeth quickly grabbed her arm. She took her arm off. ¡°Why are we letting her run away!?¡± She shouted.


    ¡°Tina at least wipe your face off before you start complaining.¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She put a hand on her face and when she took it off, a slick coat of blood was attached to her hand. Tina even took a moment to cover one of her nostrils and blow the blood that had accumulated out of her nose.


    Lily gagged and Nora looked on, disappointed by her uncouth display.


    She wiped the blood that was still left under her nose.


    ¡°So, what? Are we just gonna let that bitch run away? I''m sure as hell not gonna-¡±


    Elizabeth flicked her head and Tina reeled back and clutched her forehead with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Be real, Tina. If we continue attacking that woman, I''m not sure I can guarantee your safety. (Judging by the fact she likely encountered those cultists and left herself as bloody as that¡­ it wouldn''t be unlikely to assume she''s a natural part of this dungeon.)¡±


    ¡°Who gives a shit about my safety, I didn''t become an adventurer to run away. Besides, she only broke my nose!¡± She retorted, wiping the blood off her face with a shirt.


    ¡°(You pain in the ass! Do you know how much of a gamble I took healing you? You''re lucky the others weren''t close enough to see your mess of face or I might not have been able to so freely heal you. Sigh.) I''m very sure you''d like to reunite with Ezekiel but please do so at your own discretion. I''m not going to say I led you astray.¡±


    Tina''s eyes flared and then in a move Lily didn''t expect, she calmed down. She exhaled and kicked some dust left on the floor.


    ¡°Tch, I know we still have other stuff to do down here.¡± She softly answered. ¡°Like confirming if that priest bastard is dead and finding the man in black. But is it just okay to let her walk off?¡±


    ¡°With the current structure of our group, it''s unlikely we''d defeat her without casualties. And I feel it''d be missing the point of getting rid of these monsters in the skin of men if we allowed a single one of us to die.¡±


    She leaned against a wall, somewhat exhausted, (from the healing) thinking it was the fight that had worn her down this much.


    She looked to the others there and remembered the most help they could manage was surprise attacks when she focused on the enemy.


    ¡°Ugh, whatever, let''s get moving.¡±


    ¡°Amazing, Elizabeth, you''re a real dog whisperer. Or in this case, she''s more of a bitc-¡±


    Tina walked over and grabbed her hair. Lily struggled trying to release her hand and kicked wildly in the air.


    ¡°I''m pretty sure the saying is cat whisperer you dumb little martial arts wanna be!¡±


    ¡°Let me go you asshole, I''ll cut your head bald if I lose any strands from this!¡± Lily threatened while in a position not recommended to do so.


    ¡°Who gives a shit, also why the hell weren''t you helping me out there? I thought you were support?¡±


    ¡°I was supporting, how was I supposed to know she''d have a head thicker than yours!?¡±


    Tina raised her higher and she further struggled, kicking at Tina''s knees, to no noticeable benefit.


    Agatha sighed when she realised the woman had walked with one of her claw weapons by her side, looking at the now bare hand and Nora rolled her eyes watching the two bicker.


    ¡°Let''s get going,¡± Elizabeth said as she turned around and walked in the same direction as the monster woman.


    ¡°Huh? Why are you coming this way?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°We''re heading back?¡±


    ¡°Wha- why? Aren''t we gonna explore the place to find out where that man in black is?¡± Agatha asked.


    ¡°First comes something more important.¡±


    ¡°Don''t tell me after you said all that, we''re gonna fight her anyway?¡± Lily lamented.


    Elizabeth shook her head. ¡°Though we should slow down if we hear her footsteps.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, then what are we doing exactly? Are we gonna follow her?¡± Nora interjected.


    ¡°Let me speak for a few moments please.¡± The ladies quieted down. ¡°Given the fact that we have other comrades that might try to come down to this floor, it''s imperative we head back and warn them first.¡±


    The ladies all went ¡°Oh!¡± in unison with some nodding while others softly placed their fists into their hands.


    ¡°Yes, now let''s get going before they run into any trouble. If we''re lucky they should still be on the second floor.¡±


    She quickly began jogging and the others followed behind in tandem.

 Chapter 315 + 316

    The four women had made their way to the second floor but to their chagrin, Ruby and her group had passed through the area already.


    They headed back to the stairway and ran down.


    ¡°You don''t think?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°Hmm, I''m not sure. I considered it a blessing that women took a different path but this may become our undoing. We can only hope they haven''t encountered her.¡±


    ¡°Why, we did some good damage to her,¡± Tina responded, not liking Elizabeth''s tone.


    ¡°Tina, we annoyed her into leaving. If she killed you we wouldn''t be standing here now. I can tell she didn''t put all she could into killing us. If she encounters weaker opponents who knows what she''d do.¡±


    ¡°Wait really?¡± Lily added. ¡°Then aren''t they-¡±


    ¡°We can''t say for sure they''ll encounter her, for the time being, let''s focus on finding them.¡±


    The group increased their pace down the stairs to possibly save the whole group from annihilation.


    <hr>


    The red woman seemed substantially less physically gifted than her pale counterparts. Which was the only positive Kevin could list from this situation. And unlike those women, she had more to her than just brute strength.


    After tripping over nothing yet again, she placed her hand on the ground and tried her magic. She managed only a single vine and moved it quickly enough to wrap around his hip.


    ¡°(Damnit, I can''t even dodge stuff like this anymore!)¡± He cursed in his mind.


    He wasn''t sure he could even defeat her, much less handle another woman of her type showing up.


    She dragged him back as he tried to cut the vine with his teeth. It gave a bitter taste and he contemplated continuing. Based on what his eyes showed it may have been poisonous.


    She managed to drag him towards her and brought him to the ground. She quickly released her magic and got on top of him.


    ¡°Give me your mana human!¡± She shouted before turning him over.


    ¡°What are you, Gah!?¡± She ripped the cloth covering the wound on his back and began voraciously licking it.


    ¡°I knew I smelled it. Why do you have your own kind''s essence human rubbed over yourself?¡±


    She didn''t wait for an answer and began biting into his back. She didn''t care for his flesh and only paid attention to parts where the dust and his blood mixed, using her teeth to scrape this substance off.


    His eyes showed him the path to victory and although it just showed it as green, it was sure it was better than whatever the hell this was. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some powder. He planned to use it the next opportunity he could rest but it''d do him no good if he died before that happened. He threw the powder to the floor and like a dog, she slid to the floor to lap it up.


    (¡°How humiliating!¡±) She thought while licking it down. His tongue spared the ground no mercy and the thought of how she looked to an outsider infuriated her to no end. She noticed him get up and run away but she couldn''t bring herself to follow him.


    (¡°Am I so desperate for mana that I''d do this? The lack of mana must be that boy''s doing. Damn him for thinking he can humiliate a great demon like myself!¡±)


    Chapter 316


    After finishing all the powder he had ground up, she wasted no time getting back to her feet. She wiped her lips off and looked in the direction he ran off.


    (¡°I''ve gained back some mana but this is still a pitiful amount. Hmm, based on what he said, this place might have had the mana removed to stifle any demons that come through the terminal.¡±)


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She clenched her fist and opened it several times. ¡°Pitiful as it may be, mana is mana. I''ll have to be conservative in my output.¡±


    She started chasing after the boy she encountered, for nothing more than the fact he pissed her off. She couldn''t let a human think themselves superior to her now, could she?


    Although he thought so many times before, he truly felt he was on his last legs now. That powder was his insurance and he had already burned through it on this floor. Added to the fact his back stung like it was washed with lemon juice, he couldn''t put up with this bullshit anymore.


    (¡°I came into this stupid dungeon for what? Cause of my stupid eyes? I should have run back to meet up with others. Why did I even trust these things to begin with? The only reason I''m even in this mess, was because these things didn''t recognise Ezekiel as a danger. If they''re so clueless why the hell do I even need them?¡±) He complained while following the path his eyes provided to him.


    He heard the sounds of footsteps coming and he knew without looking who it was.


    He tried to push further but ended up tripping himself and falling onto the ground. His eyes told him whatever could benefit was a few metres away around a nearby corner. He just had to crawl a few more feet further and he wouldn''t have to run anymore.


    But what if there was still more distance he needed to cover?


    He tried to ignore that thought but, one way or another, he no longer needed to know what that path held.


    He felt something take hold of his foot and drag him away from that corner. He knew it was coming but he didn''t have the energy to avoid it.


    She used the mana provided to her sparingly and used only to supplement her stamina. Given the distance, she didn''t even have to go into her mana reserves to catch him.


    After being dragged on the floor for a few metres she turned around and crouched down. She grabbed his neck and lifted him off the floor.


    He tried to struggle but his exhausted body stood no chance of escaping her.


    ¡°Based on what I tasted of your blood earlier, you don''t produce any natural mana of your own. So a pact would be useless.¡±


    ¡°A pact?¡± He struggled to say as she held a firm grasp on his throat.


    ¡°You don''t even know what a pact yet you dare enter this dungeon? Hmm, there may be use in you yet then.¡±


    She tossed him to the floor and sat atop him.


    (¡°Huh? What''s happening here!?¡±) He wondered as he tried to push her off.


    ¡°Your body should be weak enough to take for myself. Yes, I''ll take this body and leave these ruins. Based on your¡­¡± As she looked at him she realised he didn''t wear the robes of the clergy. ¡°Boy, why have you come down here, are you a prisoner?¡±


    It didn''t make sense if he looked like that as a member of the church. Did their training increase in difficulty so much that they have their own men walk around like this?


    There was no good move for Kevin in this position. No matter where he looked or what he placed his hand on, the surroundings and the woman herself wouldn''t change her red colour.


    ¡°I-i''m an adventurer.¡± He said, resigned to his fate.


    ¡°An adventurer? Hmm yes, that is a popular hobby among humans¡­ tell me, child, is this a ruin of sorts from your perspective?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. It''s a hideout for some cultists.¡±


    He noticed something odd. As long as he kept still and answered her questions, his surroundings would turn blue.


    ¡°Cultists? What is an adventurer doing in such a place?¡± She mused to herself.


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°Shut up, it''s irrelevant. So what you''re saying is that this place is not monitored by a church?¡±


    He nodded, hoping she would get off. The wound on his back was killing him due to its contact with the floor.


    ¡°Hah, so I don''t have to do such a useless thing as a pact. Wonderful.¡±


    She moved closer to his face and brought her mouth to his ear. Her bare chest pressed against his chest before she opened her mouth. There she felt something only the two of them would be able to feel.


    ¡°How deplorable. Even in such a situation, a man can''t help but lust. Humans never were picky with what they slept with.¡±


    He felt like he wanted to cry from that comment alone but she continued.


    ¡°You haven''t lied to me, right boy?¡±


    ¡°(Please just leave me alone.) Yes.¡± He confidently stated.


    She kept track of his heartbeat and moved her head back to stare deep into his eyes.


    (¡°The church really isn''t here. Leaving such a stronghold of our lord unprotected? Did they think this mana-dampening would be enough to stop me? What fools. I''d like to check the terminal gate but I''d love some fresh air. The lack of mana here is stifling.¡±)


    She eased up off him, though she still sat atop him.


    ¡°You''re useless to me child.¡± She commented.


    She stood up and picked him off the floor.


    ¡°Get out of my sight.¡± She simply stated.


    (¡°I''m alive~~~¡±) He exhaustedly thought to himself as he walked off. Who knows what would set this woman off, so he made it his first priority to get out of here.

 Chapter 316 Alt

    What if Buer never asked about the church?


    ¡°Your body should be weak enough to take for myself. Yes, I''ll take this body and leave these ruins. Based on your lack of mana, I should have no problems.¡±


    She brought her face closer to his.


    ¡°Huh? What are you- humfph?¡± He struggled as she put her lips on his.


    (¡°Why is this happening? Didn''t she want to kill me!?¡±) He thought as he struggled in her grasp.


    (¡°I can''t exactly call this a good thing. How much time would have passed that the church would allow its believers to come here without basic knowledge of demons? Based on his current appearance, I''d say they''re currently using this place for training regiments. He must be quite poor in skills to be this injured, yet I took so long to catch him¡­ What does that say about my current state?¡±)


    Kevin wondered about this kiss, but he quickly realised it wasn''t a kiss(at least not a traditional kind). She was depositing her own spit in his mouth.


    He tried to stop her by grabbing her horns but the attempt was so pathetic, she didn''t even pay it any attention.


    She even grabbed his throat and started choking him. She didn''t let go until she felt him swallow her mouth fluids.


    After doing so she stopped the mouth-to-mouth connection and placed her finger into the wound on his shoulder.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He weakly exclaimed. ¡°What the hell did you do that for!?¡±


    ¡°You didn''t expect me to spill my blood for a human did you?¡±


    ¡°I meant the spitting in my mouth!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Oh, that. Same answer. (It is quite a shame I had to place my lips on such a weak human but I do require him to ingest my own fluids. And I''m certainly not going to bleed for this man, no matter how minor. Though now that I think about it there was another option. But that''s far too much time.)¡±


    She began marking his chest with several foreign characters, using his own blood.


    (¡°Ah-¡±) Kevin thought. His surroundings had once again turned red. (¡°I''m going to die¡­¡±)


    He stopped struggling and she continued writing in peace.


    ¡°It seems you finally know your place, human.¡±


    He had tears in his eyes and began crying when he realised it was over. It soon turned to full unashamed bawling moments later.


    ¡°It''s not fair!¡± He shouted as the tears ran down his face.


    ¡°Crying? After just this? How pathetic.¡±


    This woman didn''t know what he had been through to even reach this point but it stung even more because he felt she was right. Why did he come down here? To play hero and trust his magical eyes that conflicted with the norms of magic? To pretend he could help avenge someone who saw so much in him even as he put the minimal effort required of him? He was pathetic. It didn''t matter what he thought, this woman above him was right.


    She stopped writing on his body and pressed both her hands against his chest.


    ¡°I can''t believe I''ll have to be the one who provides the mana.¡±


    He felt something rush through his chest.


    (¡°Thankfully I''ve already consumed his blood so the preparation should be finished.¡±)


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    What she had done was use his body as the parchment for the pact. And the conditions she had written skewed quite heavily in her favour.


    He could feel something hot flooding not just in his chest but throughout his entire body. His mind flooded with knowledge and characters he had no prior knowledge of. Various herbal recipes and even the knowledge of a healing potion that could heal broken bones became information as basic as washing his hands.


    <hr>


    He wasn''t sure how much time had passed. He wasn''t even sure if he was alive. His body burned. His mind burned. Everything inside him was burning.


    He was covered in a thick and almost oily layer of sweat. He moved his hand to wipe the sweat off his head.


    Did his eyes deceive him? No that wasn''t possible, maybe it was the lighting messing with his sense of colour.


    He brought it back before his face and no it wasn''t a deception. His hand was red. It wasn''t his eyes showing him this, it was physically red.


    Was it a dream? The pain resided enough that he could stand on his feet.


    He noticed his other hand retained its regular skin which confused him more than it should have.


    ¡°What- What happened to me?¡± He silently mouthed to himself.


    He noticed a vine grow by his feet. He bent down and gave it his attention.


    ¡°Wow, I didn''t know this place could support a wisteria, I wonder where the main plant is, I can''t how would look with a vine of that si-¡±


    Why did he know it came from a wisteria, despite only looking at the vine? He had no knowledge of what the vine looked like, he had only heard Elizabeth named her guild after them, though hers was a different kind.


    More vines took over the surroundings and the walls of the dungeon began breaking down and faded away, as if they were made of sand all along.


    Soon the stone roof disappeared and a blue sky, with a bright but gentle sun, took over the above.


    ¡°If there is one good thing I must say about this realm, it is the fact it can support far more flora than hell could ever hope to imagine. Ideally, if humanity were removed, I''d have no problem staying here. No, even considering humanity, I''d stay here in a heartbeat if all those God-fearing fools disappeared from this world.¡±


    The vines under his feet quickly rotted and turned to dirt. It expanded for miles for as far as the eye could see. Soon green burst through the surface of the dark dirt, forming a sea of green. Various flowers and trees soon decorated the scenery. The sea of green soon became a sea of rainbows, not a single colour missing out and not one tree having the same shade of brown.


    And the thing that frightened Kevin the most, was the fact he recognised all of them.


    Sitting behind him, with a cup of tea in her hand, in a chair and table formed from branches, was the demon Buer.


    ¡°You no longer have to work as a human, you no longer have to suffer, you no longer have to worry about rejection, and you no longer have to worry about death.¡±


    Various trees formed around him and those then took on the shapes of women. Their bark quickly turned to green flesh. They all took on the appearance of the demon Buer, with the only changes being horns made of bark and their skins being green.


    They all smiled and jumped into Kevin, bringing him onto the grassy and flowery floor.


    <hr>


    She stretched her new body for several moments.


    ¡°I can''t believe it was that easy. Was an encounter with me all it took to break his will? The church-¡±


    She blankly stared into space as his memories flooded his mind.


    ¡°500 years? They forgot about this place for five hundred years!? Are you telling me I took this body for myself for nothing? And why has humanity forgotten how to use the natural mana around them?¡±


    As Kevin''s memories and experiences flooded her head, she calmed herself down.


    ¡°I suppose having a human body is advantageous enough. After all.¡±


    She looked at her new body. It was Kevin''s. She had done the favour of healing his wounds but it seemed she might have accidentally overdone it.


    ¡°It seems some of my power has manifested in his body.¡±


    Parts of his body had turned red and he grew a single horn. And the biggest annoyance was the fact it was the body of a man.


    ¡°Well, it shouldn''t be too difficult to convert it to that of a woman''s. Ugh, now that I remember, human women go through some pain due to their reproductive organs every month, don''t they? I''ll have to remove the ovaries when I convert this body.¡±


    But with the boy trapped within their mind that was an easy task.


    She turned around and began walking. She recognised the reason the boy came here.


    ¡°Humans fighting against other humans. It seems no matter the period, things never change.¡±


    For demons, their greatest enemy was humankind. And for humankind, the answer was the same, with demonkind being a close second.


    She made her way through the dungeon, ready to see how the world had changed in the time that had passed.

 Chapter 317

    As he walked off, she created vines in her hand and condensed them down. They eventually created a pointed green stick no longer than a dagger.


    (¡°You embarrass me and think you can get away that easily?¡±)


    She slowly approached. (¡°I don''t how long I''ve been slumbering but the yearning for human flesh feels almost nauseating. It doesn''t get this bad unless I abstain for a year. Don''t worry human, after I drink more of your blood and feast on your arm, I shall let you leave as promised.¡±)


    As she was about to stab his arm, he stopped. She had to stop herself and wondered what caused this reaction. Until she looked beyond and saw a pale-looking woman walking. She had horns, with a beautifully black finish but¡­ from what Buer sensed, she was no demon. What was this affront to demonkind before them?


    The boy seemed to tense up and turned around to see Buer behind.


    ¡°What the?¡± He said before trying to pass her. She used her magic to restrain him. She created vines that exited her hand and wrapped around him. He helplessly fell to the floor.


    ¡°I''ll deal with you later. (It would have been rather enjoyable, attacking when his guard was down but I suppose such a thing wasn''t meant to be.)¡±


    She walked up to the woman with horns and¡­ an angelic wing?


    (¡°A fallen angel? No, I haven''t seen or heard of one with only one wing.¡±)


    ¡°State your identity, woman,¡± Buer commanded.


    The pale woman looked unsure of what she wanted and continued walking.


    As she went to pass Buer, the red demon grabbed her head and slammed her into a wall.


    ¡°I''m sure you''re hearing must be going. How lamentable it must be to be a feeble human.¡± She brought her mouth close to her ear.


    ¡°STATE YOUR IDENTITY, YOU WORTHLESS CREATURE.¡± She shouted into the poor woman''s ear. She forced her head out of the grip and rubbed her ear with, clearly annoyed.


    (¡°What the? How did she escape my grip so easily?¡±)


    She easily overpowered that man but this strange woman escaped her grip with little effort.


    Another strange thing she noticed was, now that she focused on her, was she could sense something from her. But she would never have thought it was something unique unless she saw her with her own eyes. Her presence felt similar to that of the dungeon she occupied.


    ¡°Let me ask again, what are yo-¡±


    A punch sent her flying down the hallway. The pale woman spat in her direction and began walking off.


    Her walk was interrupted by something that held onto her leg.


    ¡°You''re no human.¡± The woman with red skin stated. ¡°Yet you don''t respond to my words. It seems you need a lesson in manners.¡±


    As Kevin watched this go down, he noticed the vine wrapped around him had vanished. He wasted no time and did his best to escape while walking.


    (¡°I can catch the boy later. I placed some spores on him if I needed to track him. For now, I should keep my mana drain low, this woman is no joke when it comes to strength.¡±)


    She wiped the blood from her nose. She could heal it but fixing a broken nose would be a waste of mana.


    The pale woman ripped the vine from the ground with minimal effort and turned her attention to Buer. She looked at her like a piece of dogshit she stepped in and slowly approached.


    <hr>


    The five women did their best to go down alternative paths, to find their uninformed allies.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    They followed any footsteps they could find down, marked in the dust and soon came across quite the scene.


    For this section of the dungeon alone, the walls, ground and ceiling were painted red.


    Nora gagged at the sight, and Lily looked on in amazement and horror, eyes wide.


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± Lily said, stunned.


    Even Elizabeth couldn''t look at this scene cold-faced. ¡°I assume this is that woman''s handiwork¡­¡±


    Several men were lying on the floor unresponsive. How many men? Only their butcher could have the answer for that. They were quite literally torn apart. Hands, arms and legs were gathered with a single body. Intestines decorated the floors and walls, along with claw scratches.


    Some heads were missing jaw bones while some jaws had no suitable upper heads in sight.


    The smell of rot hadn''t yet come, but the viscera had its uniquely awful smell.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Tina commented when she walked into it.


    ¡°I suppose my theory about her encountering the cultists was right. The rest of you, do you see that priest anywhere? Please be quick.¡± Elizabeth commented, walking once more.


    ¡°I don''t see any blonde hair,¡± Tina commented. ¡°Wait¡­ no that head looks way too old.¡±


    As they exited the bloody carnage, they noticed a pair of footsteps exited the bloodshed. A pair of feet wearing shoes to be exact. Based on their size, they looked like a child''s.


    ¡°You said that priest looked young, correct?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Yup. Ugh, don''t tell me that bastard actually survived this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Elizabeth contemplated something. ¡°We are just walking at random and hoping to find them. It wouldn''t be too out of line to follow these footsteps now, would it? After all, if we do encounter the priest, I can''t imagine he''d be in the best shape after escaping that monster. ¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Tina commented.


    ¡°Why not? Might as well get him off the checklist.¡± Lily added.


    ¡°Can we leave this place already?¡± Nora asked, looking pale.


    Agatha felt almost cathartic, seeing those bastards get turned into mulch, and stood behind the group appreciating the view.


    With most of the group in agreement, they continued further, with the footsteps as a starting point.


    BONUS


    She held the stabbing implement made of vines and watched as the pale woman approached. Buer blew blood from her nose and decided to initiate.


    She created a vine that held the woman in place.


    It didn''t take her more than a second to close the distance between them. Her shank was inches from the pale woman''s neck.


    And the woman grabbed her arm with seemingly no effort.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± She tried to escape but the woman brought her next hand down like a hammer, removing her lower forearm.


    Buer had pissed her off and she wasn''t in the mood to play around unlike another one of her kin.


    Buer looked down and recognised what happened. The vines wrapped around her upper body were torn. She ripped through it with strength alone.


    She quickly grabbed her fallen hand and backed away.


    She placed it back on.


    (¡°Shit already? I can''t afford to waste mana like this.¡±) She thought calmly as her arm reattached, the strands of muscle forming and connecting back together.


    But the pale woman gave her no reprieve. She took a swipe out of her stomach, giving a detailed view of her intestines and liver.


    She hurriedly stabbed the shank into the pale woman''s side and a torrent of vines flooded the pale woman''s skin.


    Buer used this opportunity to run away and watch the carnage unfold. She healed the bare minimum.


    The vines wrapped under her skin and started moving to parts of her body other than her torso.


    ¡°Serves you right, you lobotomite.¡±


    She grabbed the still embedded shank and pulled it, vines and all. It ripped off a circle of skin surrounding her torso but nothing else thankfully.


    Buer had assumed the vines had penetrated much deeper but they didn''t even make it past her muscles. She didn''t so much as react to it.


    She balled up the vines. They tried to escape and tangle her but like the souls of the damned dragging down a sinner, none of them escaped. She crushed them all into a compact ball and threw it back to Buer.


    She swallowed her throat and looked on as the woman slowly approached, her black blood staining her lower body.


    (¡°... I should retreat for now. Right, as soon as I access the atmosphere¡¯s mana, it won''t take more than a single attack to end her.¡±)


    She slowly backed away and turned it into a sprint when she turned around.


    The pale woman grabbed her tail and Buer quickly cut it off.


    (¡°I''m not running away, I''m simply taking an easier path to victory!¡±) She thought as the pale woman followed hot on her tail back.

 Chapter 318

    The footsteps only continued for several more metres but it seemed the priest may have been injured as bloodstains continued decorating the floor, with blood-covered handprints on the walls. And based on their size it was easy to see who they belonged to.


    Lily ran up to one and placed her hand next to it.


    ¡°Wow, it''s even smaller than mine. Just how small was this guy?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Can we hurry up? Unless you prefer having our friends turned to human off-cuts.¡± Nora responded.


    ¡°Oh come on, it''s not that likely they''ll even see her in the first place.¡± She said that, but soon quickened her pace.


    ¡°It is a shame we didn''t bring Merrill,¡± Elizabeth commented, seeing all the blood available to them.


    ¡°Why''s that?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°She knows a tracking ritual that uses it. With her here he could pinpoint location instead of walking around, hoping he isn''t around a nearby corner.¡±


    ¡°You say that like he didn''t die in some hallway,¡± Tina said, walking next to Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth turned to her. ¡°Well, we can''t say with confidence that he is dead. If he isn''t, then he''ll likely be preparing something no matter how futile.¡±


    ¡°Come on, do you really think that guy could have survived that bitch?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely if he was alone, but his men may have bought him enough time to escape.¡±


    ¡°What a way to thank them for their services.¡± She snidely remarked.


    ¡°I don''t imagine these men are familiar with the concept of honour,¡± Elizabeth responded.


    They continued walking down the hallway and came across a large room. It was filled with various wooden benches. There was a separate room to the side. Based on these features and its size, Elizabeth hazarded a guess that this used to be a canteen and based on the amount of dust gathered, it seemed this part of the dungeon wasn''t frequented very often.


    They all thought little of the room and continued walking but Lily noticed something and borrowed Elizabeth''s torch.


    ¡°Who made you in charge, you-¡± Tina said before being interrupted by Lily''s finger on her lips.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lily exclaimed looking down.


    Tina firmly removed Lily''s hand from her mouth and looked down. And saw nothing of note.


    Elizabeth looked back into the room as well.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°I can''t believe I missed that,¡± Elizabeth said as she pushed past the pair.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tina asked.


    Elizabeth and Lily pointed down. Tina had to focus harder until she saw it. It was an almost imperceptible red stain on the floor.


    ¡°Eugh, seriously?¡±


    ¡°I don''t wrong you for not seeing it,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°I don''t think I''d have seen that either,¡± Agatha added.


    They gathered near to the entrance.


    ¡°Then¡­ wait is he-¡± Tina asked as she turned to Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth took the torch and walked further into the room. After nearly a minute of walking, sitting on a bench at the very opposite side of the room was a boy covered in blood. His hair had been stained with it. He looked lonely.


    He weakly turned around. He put a blue-looking rock in his mouth and chewed it.


    (¡°He didn''t just!?¡±) Elizabeth thought as she watched his actions. The others thought little of it and kept wary of their surroundings as they approached.


    ¡°He''s still alive?¡± Tina said, sounding disgusted.


    ¡°I assume that''s him?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that''s the bastard I stabbed in the hand. But it looks like we won''t have to do much more to kill him.¡±


    Tina began walking closer but Elizabeth raised hand her in front of her.


    ¡°I''ll be the one to approach,¡± Elizabeth told her.


    Tina made up her face but didn''t argue it.


    Elizabeth handed the torch to Tina and began creeping towards him.


    His eyes looked unfocused as he looked at the group. He seemed to be in a daze. Behind, on the table''s bench was a vast assortment of blue crystals, with most covered in blood. Though there weren''t very many of them.


    His head fell forward and it wasn''t until he jolted back up, that he was conscious of what was currently happening.


    ¡°...a blonde woman with green eyes. Ugh.¡± He commented upon seeing Elizabeth.


    He licked around his mouth, as Elizabeth made her way over.


    (¡°Have I been doing nothing but consuming these cubes? How long have I been at this?¡±) He wondered to himself before standing up.


    He was injured but he felt energised. He had regained all of his wasted energy from earlier.


    He looked behind Elizabeth and began laughing.


    ¡°Hehe, I see my Lord. If that is your will, I shall follow it.¡±


    ¡°Will?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Yes, ¡°will¡± my annoying adversary. It seems my lord is intent on forcing a certain message within my skull. I have to pay them back for my misdeeds. And those women behind you are the key. My lord showed me my followers were useless.¡±


    ¡°You seem pretty cheery for someone who had their men killed.¡± As Elizabeth spoke, she inched imperceptibly closer to him, readying herself for the inevitable brawl.


    ¡°Killed, ah yes that was my punishment wasn''t it?¡± The young seemed delirious as he spoke. ¡°But she showed they were not the answer. You women are.¡±


    Elizabeth couldn''t help but turn her face at those words.


    ¡°I see you''re sceptical but trust me, with the divine powder, you shall serve our lord well. I need not weak men with easily rent flesh but women who can do the rending.¡±


    Elizabeth''s eyes widened slightly at what he implied.


    ¡°Are you saying that woman was your creation?¡± Elizabeth asked, with her hand ready to unsheath her sword at the drop of a pin.

 Chapter 319

    ¡°Yes, though maybe not. I thought I created them but it was our lord providing me with a reason. A way to improve our church. Yet I considered such a momentous moment as a mere novelty. Through those men''s sacrifices, they showed me the next step of our crusade to right the wrongs of these unworthy successors to the one and formally God.¡±


    ¡°That bastard wants to turn us into one of those things?¡± Nora said with contempt present in her voice.


    The girls behind Elizabeth had been spreading themselves away from her, with Lily and Nora heading towards the nearest wall, while Tina and Agatha, came from behind Elizabeth, a few metres to her sides.


    (¡°He''s rambling nonsense. Having his own creature overpower him in a time of need must have left a deep wound on his psyche.¡±) Elizabeth thought.


    ¡°Accept my gift women and you shall all become closer to my lord than even I! You''ve seen the power they possess. It''s not much of a choice now, is it-¡±


    Elizabeth pushed herself forward and swung her sword. He revealed his hand wrapped in a chain, from under his robe and stopped her blade.


    ¡°It seems you''ll have to be dealt with first if I am to create more of them.¡±


    He jumped to the side and she made no action to follow him.


    He dodged the throwing blades from the room''s shadows and unspun his chain to reveal the small scythe. It was in time to stop another of Elizabeth''s strikes, which sent him flying back.


    (¡°I see he wasn''t wrong in calling her a woman with the strength of a gorilla. I can feel my hands shaking from those two strikes alone.¡±)


    He looked to see Tina behind him and quickly moved his hand toward her to stop her body, instead of her spear.


    Doing so had placed him with millimetres of the spear blade but as long he didn''t-


    He jumped forward into Tina and only ended up with a light slash on his back. Elizabeth had closed the gap they had formed within moments. If he had reacted any slower he would have his spine severed. He moved his hand to stop her. But before he could, he felt something piercing into his chest.


    Tina held the spear with only one hand and while this wasn''t unusual it gave her the ability to more easily move her spear around. Her grip was loose enough on it she could aim the spear towards the priest and move it down.


    He had no idea she could independently move her spear. It briefly dug it to his chest and the brief moment of confusion allowed Elizabeth to stab him.


    It also brought her in a close enough range for the priest to freeze her without extending his limbs.


    A third one jumped from the air and he forced himself away from the pair he was stuck between.


    (¡°Damn it, it''ll be ten more seconds until I can use my magic again.¡±)


    While he did recover his stamina and magic, there was something he didn''t consider. Fatigue to his magic organs. The possibility of such a thing happening hadn''t even occurred to him.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Each time he used his magic, it pained him to do so and more practically it prevented him from using it as freely as he hoped.


    The sound of flesh tearing permeated the air as he blocked the one-clawed woman with his weapon and backed away.


    He quickly had to block a blow from the now-moving Tina as well. The one-clawed woman backed away as Tina began stabbing her spear at Daniel with the intensity of a firing squad.


    He stopped her once again but the one-clawed woman returned. Within moments, the skill difference was evident and he managed to wrap his chain around her, restraining her. He dragged her towards him but it unexpectedly stopped. He looked to see Elizabeth grab the chain.


    She pulled on Agatha and pulled the priest as well. He let go of his weapon and stopped himself in the air.


    All those present briefly looked stunned, but the two in the shadows soon remembered their jobs.


    They threw knives and throwing axes at him and he quickly released his magic, falling flat to the floor, avoiding the projectiles.


    He was covered in a thick sweat. It wasn''t from exhaustion but sheer pain. When he escaped the two strong ladies, he ripped the side of his torso. Well, Elizabeth''s sword ripped it when he pushed himself away from Agatha.


    The side of him was flowing blood like a fountain, and the parts of his body that had been put through the wringer like his magic organs and legs, were sore as all hell.


    The only thing he could be thankful for was the fact the sword didn''t pierce closer to the centre of his body.


    Elizabeth untangled Agatha, and luckily for him, this freed up his weapon. The chain was long enough that there was still some on him. He drew it back desperately and held it above his head when Tina swung her spear down.


    He struggled to keep it above his head as Tina pushed down.


    He gave up and caused it to slam into his shoulder. It would leave a nasty bruise under his armour but thankfully it prevented his shoulder from being sliced open.


    But what it didn¡¯t prevent was an electric shock from Tina. He managed to bend his back and push himself between Tina''s legs, going behind her and tying her legs up.


    He got no rest when he noticed a sword aimed at his throat.


    The moment it touched his skin he managed to stop it. Not without it going several millimetres into his neck. Thankfully no veins or arteries were sliced.


    He looked beside to see Elizabeth. The moment her punch rocked his head, he stopped her body.


    His face slammed into the blunt side of the still-floating sword, pushing it down slightly.


    He briefly rested his face against it, with the blade leaving his neck with more cuts. He soon noticed the pink-haired one jump up slightly.


    Before he could wonder what she was doing he tried to move his head back. He quickly brought his hands up between his neck and the blade.


    With her legs bound, she performed a backwards bunny kick on the blade.


    It slammed the blade into his arms and he showed no restraint stopping her.


    A knife soon pierced his back as he picked himself up.


    He struggled to get back to his feet and looked around to see who did it.


    He got kicked in the face by Agatha. He couldn''t stop her, not yet at least.


    He screamed in agony as he brought his chain up to block her claw blade.


    ¡°MY LORD HAS BLESSED ME, YOU FOOLS, I SHALL NOT DIE HERE!!!!¡±


    Tina regained her movement and thrust her spear at him, catching his inner torso. She used the space between Agatha¡¯s legs to get a clean hit on him. It was barely long enough, with her hands holding onto to the last eight centimetres of the shaft.


    In the following moments, an electric shock ran through his body, frying him.

 Chapter 320

    Several minutes earlier.


    Father Daniel sat in the room, rocking back and forth on a bench. The room was large enough to hold most of his men''s beds comfortably. His men were dead however so this information only served as a needless reminder of what happened.


    ¡°Yes, lord I shall do my best to serve you.¡± He said to himself with a hoarse voice. He pulled something out of his pocket. It was the divine powder he kept in a small sack. He warily stared at it and placed it on the table.


    ¡°Sigh If that woman does overpower me¡­¡± His mind went back to the pink-haired woman who stabbed his hand. ¡°And I still haven''t seen that blonde-haired woman yet.¡±


    He was stuck in a dilemma, he wasn''t sure he could solve it. If the pink-haired twit managed to overpower him, he''d have to use the powder. But if he used it before meeting the blonde woman, he imagined the strain it''d put on his body afterwards would make him easy pickings for her.


    But there was a bigger problem for him to worry about.


    ¡°Would they even allow me to use the powder?¡±


    If he didn''t happen to find himself in a situation he required the powder would he be able to reach it? He heard Saito absorbed the powder through contact with his blood, so the idea of leaving the sack open didn''t rest well with him. The thought of accidentally using it when unnecessary left him with a tight chest.


    So that was out of the question. How would he easily access it would disadvantage himself in combat?


    An idea quickly came to his mind. He took his weapon out and began cutting up the sack.


    He created a small square with the powder firmly in the centre. He used the drawstring of the original sack to tie it up into a small tube. He then stuffed both open ends with the excess material of the sack and tied the ends closed with some extra string.


    He didn''t tie the strings into a knot and the sides were unrivalled when his hands left the string.


    ¡°This can work.¡±


    He tied the tube once more but used his magic to stop the string from unravelling and the square from becoming slack. He did the same when he tied the ends of the tube.


    He breathed in deeply before putting it into his mouth. He managed to swallow it after several moments of choking on the leather.


    He waited for what felt like centuries but nothing happened. He rested his head against the bench table and wiped the sweat that had formed on his bow in the time waiting.


    ¡°It appears to be watertight in its current state.¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    If it wasn''t he would have wasted his time doing this and the powder as well.


    He pulled out of his other pocket, the crystals he took the time to collect from his men. It was enough he had to use both hands to make sure none fell to the floor. His bloody hands had stained the crystals when he initially created them.


    ¡°It seems my only hope if I do encounter someone of note after using the powder, is praying these will be enough to recover myself.¡±


    The amount of mana they restored was pitiful but it was his only option that wouldn''t cripple him afterwards.


    He placed one in his mouth and started chewing. Then another. And another.


    He soon spaced out doing this action and blankly stared at the wall. His body was begging for a more proper break like a nap and he struggled to fight against it.


    <hr>


    After stabbing him with her spear and blackening parts of him with her magic, Tina assumed this was it. She pulled her spear away and watched as he fell to the floor.


    In the moment after his death, Elizabeth regained her movement.


    ¡°That was stronger than I expected.¡± She commented.


    ¡°What an annoying magic,¡± Tina stated. She dusted herself off and picked her spear up.


    Agatha was busy catching her breath. (¡°I know that killed him but could you give me more of a head-up before you shove that between my legs, Tina?¡±) She weakly thought with her hand on her chest.


    He deactivated his magic on the leather inside him.


    All the women nearby were stopped. How?


    Only Elizabeth and Agatha were staring in his general direction, with Agatha¡¯s eyes pointed too high to see him.


    ¡°Ah, I''m alive.¡± He stated. He still lay on the floor and parts of his flesh had been blackened. Maybe this was a death throe?


    ¡°I''m sure you''ve never seen what the powder does when it''s used properly. That knave Saito overdid it and learned something quite interesting, I will admit. But this is how it''s meant to be used.¡±


    Although motionless, all three were struggling to start moving.


    (¡°What did he do!?¡±)


    (¡°This bastard!¡±)


    (¡°The powder? When did he have the opportunity!?¡±)


    Blades flew from the shadows but he easily stopped them as soon he saw them. From metres away.


    (¡°What!?¡±)


    All the women present thought in unison.


    He rested on his knee before getting up to his feet.


    (¡°Thank you, boy. For the inspiration.¡±)


    His body still showed damage but some of his wounds started to recover, such as his hand.


    His hair turned a deep black, a drastic change compared to the blonde.


    (¡°Now that I think about it, the only reason I have a full serving left is because I only gave Leo a quarter. I hope he wasn''t too mad about it.¡±)


    His eyes turned red and he pulled up his chain. Yet despite his appearance, there was an odd calmness to himself.


    The women regained movement.


    His movement was sluggish. He couldn''t even swing his chain forward fast enough before they sprinted away.


    (¡°It seems I can stop them for about seven seconds now¡­ hmm?¡±)


    He noticed something odd. The blonde woman hadn''t regained movement yet.

 Chapter 321

    The two women had disappeared from his sight. But she remained. He threw his chain weapon at her.


    She regained her movement this time and backstepped out of the blade''s range.


    (¡°So she does possess mana. How strange, I don''t think I''ve seen someone taking longer than another to escape my magic. Is hers especially low?¡±)


    He brought his chain back and continued watching her.


    A boom could be heard and she was stopped again.


    (¡°I see. I really have run my body ragged. I still have a limited amount of these I can shoot out within a certain time frame.¡±)


    He heard footsteps behind himself and turned to see a spear in his face. He quickly stopped the wielder and stopped the spear as well.


    (¡°It seems I require more mana than usual to stop her spear.¡±) He calmly assessed, with the spear blade touching his nose.


    He slowly swung the blade at her. This was more than enough time for Agatha to throw one of the blades from her claw at him.


    It struck his hand and the chain went off course. It caught her cheek instead of his intended target of her neck. He looked in her direction and another boom was heard.


    He couldn''t see it but she had been stopped. He began pulling the blade out of his hand.


    (¡°It seems that women''s electricity has damaged me in ways unseen. The divine powder certainly helps but I still have major damage inside me. My muscles feel off.¡±) The slow movement was not the bravado of the priest, showing off his improved power but a reality of his indecisiveness that led him to this point.


    (¡°I was foolish to think I could defeat them without the powder. Did I really fear meeting that white-haired boy without the powder?¡±)


    In his sloth, Elizabeth had gained back her ability to move and closed the distance between them in the time it took him to turn around.


    (¡°Are we bound to be in a stalemate?¡±) He wondered as she closed the distance.


    He stopped her and coughed up blood as a result.


    (¡°A suppose that''s what I get for overdoing it. Now what to do-¡±)


    She didn''t have her sword in her hand.


    He lost part of an ear and now had a sword embedded in his shoulder.


    (¡°She threw it up and presumably aimed for my head. Such precision. She''s first on the chopping block.¡±) He thought with the most urgency he had since absorbing the powder.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She was so close, that he knew dragging back his chain was the wrong move. He began pulling on the blade, struggling to dislodge it. He originally looked like a child but now it seemed he had the strength of one. He managed to pull the blade out of his shoulder and swung down at her. Seven seconds had passed in this time and she grabbed the blade coming down at her head.


    She kicked him away and he threw the sword. She caught the handle and rushed forward.


    (¡°That time ended quicker than normal. Is he weakening?¡±)


    She continued rushing him but she believed this would be a wasted effort.


    With the blade still in her cheek, Tina looked like a batter ready to hit a ball. The still-flying Daniel was headed her way.


    He looked at her and she pointed her spear in his general direction.


    (¡°Heh, try and stop me now you bastard. If you do, you''ll still be stabbed.¡±)


    He stopped himself in mid-air and stopped her.


    (¡°Shit, he can still do that!?¡±)


    He stopped just inches from her and reached for his weapon. He pulled it out of her cheek.


    Before he could kill her, he moved his blade upwards to stop an incoming Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth slammed him to the floor with her strike and left him momentarily dazed.


    If he didn''t position his blade in front of hers he would have been bisected.


    She moved her blade down and even in his dazed state he had the instinct to stop her.


    Several moments of silence, with Daniel doing his best to regain his footing. He struggled like he hadn''t walked in years.


    Tina regained her movement and decided to back away for the time being. Elizabeth followed her lead and backed up as well.


    The group soon converged together out of his sight.


    ¡°Have any clues about what he can or can''t do?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°We''ll have to assume he possesses his previous techniques based on what happened to you, Tina.¡±


    ¡°So not only can he stop us anywhere, he can do all that other stuff too?¡± Lily added.


    ¡°Based on what I saw it seems he reacts based on vision.¡± Elizabeth continued. ¡°For the time being, I''d recommend taking our boots off for quieter footsteps.¡±


    The group had dropped their torch and Father Daniel was so kind as to pick it up for them. It seemed in their scuffle, he ended up next to it.


    He looked around as he held it up.


    ¡°I can''t see any of them¡­ Hahahahahahahahahahahahajahhahahahahahaha.¡±


    He began walking around the room and a trail of light followed him.


    ¡°He isn''t!?¡± Lily whispered loudly from the shadows.


    ¡°I didn''t think of that,¡± Elizabeth commented as he carried the light of the room.


    ¡°That''s something that can be stopped!?¡± Tina showed no hesitation in shouting at the current development.


    He was freezing the light his torch produced, lighting up the darkness of the canteen. He turned around when he heard their voices but only managed to stop Lily and Nora.


    The light shined bright to now cover a quarter of the room and made it far more difficult to approach him.


    They had already taken off their shoes but there was no time to go back to look for them.

 Chapter 322

    They had already taken off their shoes but there was no time to go back to look for them.


    Daniel scanned around the room the best he could and heard the sound of bare feet on a stone floor.


    He turned around but heard a pair of footsteps behind him. He narrowly turned around to see Tina. She had thrown her spear and he wasted no time stopping it.


    He managed to stop it as she backed away but the footsteps from the other direction grew louder. He turned to look at her but she sidestepped. And continued moving along.


    A bang was heard the moment he turned to her and she now had an idea of how this magic worked.


    (¡°She already figured it out?¡±) He wondered as she moved closer with her blade.


    (¡°I see. I can''t see them but I assume he is firing off something physical to stop us. And based on earlier and how he left himself open, he also can''t fire off this magic as much as he''d like.¡±) Elizabeth thought seeing the failed attack.


    One assumption was right but the other¡­


    He stopped her body.


    (¡°Does she think I have a time limit on each one I fire? What luck.¡±)


    He threw his blade forward and stopped it. It went from a chain weapon to a scythe.


    He thrusted it at her but another spear appeared to stop it.


    Tina slammed the stopped chain upwards. He undid the magic he used on the chain and brought it downwards in a swing. Tina had moved quickly enough to avoid the blade and only had the chain land on her shoulder.


    And she was stopped. He pulled the chain back and managed to lodge his blade into her back through a gap in her armour.


    He spent enough time on this action Elizabeth was freed and quickly ran to remove it, to prevent further damage.


    But where was the third-


    He turned around and caught a glimpse of Agatha jumping mid-air, with her blades pointed at his throat. He stopped her but Elizabeth was quick to capitalise. She was stopped as well.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    How did he do that? No bangs were heard and he didn''t even look at her.


    (¡°That''s impossible, the possibilities for his magic were him firing off one and needing a cooldown or firing off multiple with one large cooldown. How can he-¡±)


    She remembered something. Firing off. It was obvious he gained a new ability to fire off magic that stopped a person. But what about his old magic? How did he stop them all at once without being able to see all of them?


    (¡°Just right now, he used the initial ability to stop things within a certain range to stop us, not the new form of it. Is that more efficient on his mana?¡±)


    Daniel now had Tina to worry about, thankfully for Elizabeth and Agatha.


    (¡°Too many enemies.¡±) Daniel thought as he defended himself.


    He stopped Tina''s spear but that proved to be a mistake. With no mana left for the woman herself, she began laying into him with hand-to-hand combat as he waited for his magic to replenish.


    If not for his battle-trained body, he would have died after the eighth blow. She grabbed his robe and electrocuted him while using her other fist to drill blows into his torso.


    From the outside, this seemed like a woman bullying a poor defenceless child but it couldn''t be further from the truth.


    He regained his magic and stopped her. He took a moment to cough up some blood and took a few seconds to breathe.


    (¡°If it wasn''t for the powder heightening my resistance to magic, she would have killed me during that.¡±)


    He used her as a shield, keeping his back firmly pressed against her to discourage any sneak attacks from outside his vision.


    He kept his eyes on Elizabeth, evening stopping her just before his magic had worn off just to ensure she''d be out of commission even a moment longer.


    He turned around to see Agatha reach her around Tina to stab him. He mistakenly stopped her blade and foolishly used his other technique to stop her when she jumped out of his effective range for the regular version of the technique.


    He just wanted a few seconds so he could kill someone but Tina ruined him once again. She regained her movement for a single punch that rocked his jaw and sent him to the floor. He stopped her once again and struggled to pick himself up.


    The punch sent flying a few metres and left him without a shield. Agatha threw two more of her claw blades at him and he stopped both. She used them as a distraction, running alongside them and placing her claw in front of her, stopping it instead of herself. What he didn''t notice was the fact she picked up Tina''s spear.


    She threw it at him but he stopped her mid-throw. Unfortunately, her hand was left open and the spear soared towards him.


    He stopped it when it entered several centimetres into his torso.


    And Tina regained her movement in time and ran at him. She planned to kick at the spear in him, giving him a larger and far more devastating penetration than Elizabeth''s sword did.


    Daniel couldn''t take this anymore and threw himself into her, taking advantage of the range around him to stop her. He had to land on his side or risk doing her job for her.

 Chapter 323

    When the spear¡¯s shaft tapped against the ground after he leaned while trying to get up, he decided the benefits of trying to keep the blade in himself to prevent further damage was not worth it and pulled it out.


    His head would have been squashed if was moments slower. Elizabeth''s foot was firmly placed on his head and the pressure of it was unpleasant, to say the least.


    He slid his head out between the ground and her foot and managed the first beneficial move he made during the fight.


    He moved his blade up and slit her achilles tendon.


    Before he could do any more danger to her leg, a kick to his back sent him flying though he managed to stop the assailant.


    It was the weakest of the three that had kicked him away. Her claw only had a single blade left in it.


    As he got up he heard footsteps approaching, which sounded far heavier than the other two.


    (¡°The pink one.¡±) He loathed, internally.


    He looked up to see her throw her chest plate at him. He stopped it instinctively.


    (¡°What a waste.¡±) He thought as she threw her spear this time. He stopped it as well but only slowed it down. Both of them seemed to be taken aback by this.


    It hit him but not hard to meaningfully damage him.


    (¡°Why did it? Was she not using her magic the first few times she threw it?¡±)


    He wasted more mana than he''d like to admit, trying to stop it and she now had free reign on him once more.


    She grabbed his collar and flung him as hard as she could into the ground. She hammered his chest with a hammer-like blow afterwards, with an audible crack, loud enough to be heard and aimed a punch straight for his throat.


    Enough time had not passed to use his new technique but he had more than enough for his old one.


    He stopped her punch and lay on the floor. He continued using his old technique on her when the time was going to end and slowly reached for his scythe.


    He looked to his side and all around when he noticed the weak woman hadn''t returned to attack. He couldn''t help but have a small smirk on his face as he looked back.


    The weak woman was trying to help the blonde one stand up or maybe even bandage her wound. She only ran over when she noticed Daniel still moved after Tina''s onslaught.


    It seemed she had too much faith in her ally.


    She threw the remaining blade on her claw at him and he gladly stopped it. He moved his hand to the closest thing to him, her leg, and slashed her tendon as well. He wouldn''t have made it in time if he aimed higher.


    Agatha rocked his body with another kick but she wasn''t stopped this time. She assumed he was planning to single her out and do the same thing he had done to the others, but the real reason was he had been temporarily knocked unconscious by her blow.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    He did his best to try and turn his head around but the group had all disappeared back into the remaining darkness of the room. He saw two trails of blood leading towards it but trying to stop them based on proximity seemed too risky.


    He didn''t mind the momentary reprieve and slowly reached into his pocket.


    (¡°I should have a few of these left.¡±)


    <hr>


    ¡°Nora, Lily where the fuck are you!¡± Tina said, trying her best not to give away their location.


    ¡°Over here-¡±


    ¡°Don''t ¡°over here¡± me bitch, what the fuck were you two doing over here, while we tried to get us out of this situation huh!? You''re our cover right, so fucking act like it!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I''m sorry.¡± Nora sounded distraught and seemed on the verge of tears over something.


    ¡°Nora? What''s going.¡± Agatha asked.


    ¡°Come on, are you seriously crying over that? Just help us out more next time.¡± Tina added feeling somewhat guilty for this.


    ¡°No it''s just that, well, I''m sure your eyes are gonna adjust so you''ll see what I mean.¡±


    (¡°What did that mean?¡±) Both Tina and Agatha thought.


    ¡°Dear Goddess, is that what happens when you don''t have mana?¡± Elizabeth wondered as she looked forward.


    Tina''s eyes soon adjusted to the darkness and she found herself staring at a dumbfounded Elizabeth. She turned her eyes to what she was looking at.


    It was Lily in a crouched pose.


    ¡°Huh? Lily what the hell are you-¡±


    She reached out to grab her but she had an unnatural resistance when she pulled her. Stranger than that, she didn''t even react to it and kept the pose.


    Tina briefly wondered what had happened and the answer soon became apparent.


    ¡°N-no way.¡± Tina stated. Her breathing increased, as much as she tried to calm herself. Her eyes started tearing up as she realised what she was looking at.


    ¡°No way!¡± Her voice was louder than before. Elizabeth quickly put her hand over her mouth. Her muffled voice became louder as she held Lily in her arms, still keeping the same pose.


    She had been stopped. And by the looks of things, this may be permanent.


    She attempted to take Elizabeth''s hand off her mouth. Elizabeth struggled to keep her hand in place and got more forceful.


    ¡°Listen to me, Tina.¡±


    Tina continued to struggle but started kneeing her to get her to listen.


    ¡°Listen.¡±


    Tina eased up and stopped struggling.


    ¡°I''ll let you speak if you can stay quiet.¡± She began easing her hand up. ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    Tina nodded her head.


    Elizabeth fully removed her hand. And she quickly hobbled towards Nora.


    ¡°She hasn''t been like this the entire time right!?¡± Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder and she lowered her volume. ¡°C-come on, Nora answer me here?¡±


    ¡°It''s as you suspect, she has been like that since the boy managed to hit us with his attack.¡± She reluctantly answered, turning her face away.


    Tina seemed like she needed some time to process this information but they were in the middle of a fight and Elizabeth couldn''t let her be bogged down.


    ¡°Stop acting like she''ll be like that forever.¡± Elizabeth quickly interjected, placing a hard on her shoulder.


    Tina turned to her, clearly giving her full attention.


    ¡°We just have to kill that boy and she''ll be able to move again.¡± She quickly added.


    ¡°R-right.¡± Tina responded looking back towards the visible light. Besides, it wasn''t as if she was dead. She had been hit with that magic many times and it only stopped her from moving around. But just to give herself a piece of mind she leaned against her chest to listen to her heartbeat.


    Badump ba---dump


    She slumped to the floor and wore an almost euphoric expression.


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ she''s still alive. S-sorry for overreacting.¡±

 Chapter 324

    (¡°I can''t say I''m exactly unpleased by this turn of events.¡±) Daniel thought as he looked into the darkness. They had escaped him but he was pretty confident he had escaped as well.


    He lay on the floor with his head pointing in the direction the trail of blood led. Of course, his oasis was surrounded by darkness and the blonde woman had run in a different direction to enter the darkness. But he still had enough space between the darkness and himself that he was confident he could hear any initial sneak attacks.


    He was very grateful for the break their retreat had provided.


    (¡°Lord I must thank you for your generosity with these trials but, and I do hope this isn''t too blasphemous of me to say, I do wish I wasn''t placed in these trials in the first place.¡±)


    He now had some time to think. His wounds ached but not having to constantly turn his head every which way, with new wounds in his body every time he misjudged something made these moments worth their weight in gold.


    The best thing was the fact he could feel parts of his body slowly healing. It would be invisible to the naked eye, but his wounds had stopped bleeding. The healing wasn''t outrageous to the point he''d be back in tip-top shape within an hour but without it, he wasn''t sure he''d even have the strength to continue fighting as he did.


    But he didn''t recall such an effect from the divine powder. All it was supposed to do was grant him increased power and maybe initial healing. What was causing this?


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He reached into his pocket and felt a few of the cubes he created from his men. Now, he was educated enough to know taking two substances that had positive effects on your body wasn''t exactly a recipe for success. In most cases, nothing would happen but it wasn''t uncommon that certain remedies or medicines didn''t play well when taken together. But he had good reason to doubt such a situation would occur.


    (¡°Our lord needs these for her return to power. I''ve never seen it myself but I assume she consumes them¡­ and if my thoughts are correct, I believe this divine powder is created by our lord. And based on what happened to Saito, I''d dare say, it makes our being closer to our lord.¡±)


    He placed one of the few remaining crystals in his mouth and felt a unique sensation wash over his body. It was thanks to those women retreating he could use this time to test out a theory.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The pain he felt in some parts of his body was relieved, though the damage caused by Tina still remained, a greater, more dense form of mana poured into his body. The powder had allowed his body to make better use of the cubes than in his original form.


    (¡°Wow, it seems I wasn''t spewing pain-based drivel after all.¡±)


    He continued wearing a neutral expression but he moved far more lively than earlier.


    He quickly pushed himself back up and looked on in the darkness. He moved his body and although it was nothing like it was several hours ago, he could now move at the pace of a healthy, let''s say, child instead of a sickly one.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± He wanted to engage with the darkness and fully rid it but he had no interest in having multiple knives thrown at him. He didn''t have to use his new technique to stop them but it was far more convenient when dealing with multiple projectiles than waiting for them to get in his range. They were more likely to strike his blindspots if operated like that, as his focus would be on them for much longer than needed.


    He stood and looked into the darkness, with both hands at his side, torch still in hand.


    (¡°The powder won''t last forever. But that doesn''t mean it will lose its efficacy within the hour. Five minutes. If they don''t attack in five minutes, I''ll be the one to initiate combat.¡±)


    Without a hitch, he began counting the seconds in his head.


    <hr>


    They didn''t know why the young boy had passively kept quiet all this time but decided not to question this blessing. They used the time wisely to patch up any wounds and discussed the aspects of his magic they had noticed.


    ¡°So he had a range he could stop things and he can keep doing that? And that''s different from the current technique he''s using? Ugh, what a pain in the ass.¡± Tina said as she stood quite healthy.


    Elizabeth knew this wasn''t the time to be stingy with her power and fully healed Tina and Agatha. She made sure to pretend her healing wasn''t as potent as it was and told them their wounds were still delicate. She also knew, Tina at least, would disregard her warning, and fight at full capacity.


    ¡°Right, so make sure to adjust your approach accordingly.¡± Elizabeth calmly added as she leaned against Agatha for support.


    ¡°Damn, he really had it out for you. if only your magic could heal your wounds too.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, he did far more damage to my leg than Tina''s. (It''s a good thing we were in the dark.)¡± Elizabeth said, turning her attention to the now-standing Daniel.


    ¡°It seems we''ve rested long enough. Nora.¡±


    ¡°I''ve already handed over what I could find on her,¡± Nora said.


    ¡°Good. Let''s focus on overwhelming him from a range.¡± Elizabeth said.

 Chapter 325

    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The priest noticed someone walking from the darkness. They had blonde hair and a limp in their step. Yet despite that, they moved far quicker than he could''ve.


    He wasted no time stopping her and looked around. No one else had entered his light


    (¡°Are they going to attack in close range?¡±)


    A blade flew forward and he stopped it.


    What he didn''t see were the two other blades aimed at his back and arm respectively.


    (¡°They''re taking advantage of my disadvantaged state.¡±)


    He calmly thought while running forward. He planned to use Elizabeth as a safety shield. And more importantly, he was sure if she were a sitting duck, her friends would leave the shadows to save her.


    He kept his ears keen and heard the blades fly. He kept his gaze on one the moment it entered his range, and stopped all blades.


    (¡°The advantage of my old technique is that it can cover a wide range around me if I have enough mana.¡±)


    It seems they timed the three blades to impact at the same time. And he used this fact masterfully.


    He continued running forward and used his magic once more on the blonde woman to stop her, buying himself more time to take her apart.


    After stopping another set of blades he reached her. Why did she foolishly think she would be able to draw his attention with such a useless action?


    (¡°So the more concentrated something is in mana, the less effect his magic has on it.¡±) She thought as his fist came ever closer to her face. (¡°Then this should work.¡±)


    Both of their fists connected with the other''s face.


    (¡°Hmm? HMM? How is she moving? Based on what I saw earlier she shouldn''t be able to move for another three seconds at least.¡±)


    As his head flew back, he stopped her and brought his leg up for a kick.


    (¡°With each moment I make, I can feel my movements getting closer to normal. I''m not sure if it''s my body''s regeneration or my survival instincts pushing it beyond its current limits.¡±)


    It was too slow as Elizabeth broke out of his magic and tripped his leg.


    (¡°Again, I thought I might have half-assed it but she''s breaking out of my magic with little effort.¡±)


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    (¡°I''m glad it turned out to be true. All I have to do is focus my mana for an attack and his magic lasts less than a second. I think, excluding the healing magic, this is the first time the mana my sainthood has granted me has been advantageous in combat.¡±)


    He stopped her again and pulled his scythe out. Before he could slice her face, she grabbed his hand and threw him to the floor. He stopped himself before impact and stopped her in one fell swoop.


    He landed a slice on her cheek before a shotgun-like punch crashed into his stomach. And he stopped again before, coughing a now dark, but still red blood.


    She reached to pull her sword and he stopped her once again.


    He didn''t even notice the blade flying his way until it planted itself in his stomach.


    (¡°I can competently handle her in hand-to-hand combat now. If so then those other four are finished.¡±)


    He stopped her once again and began running. He''d focus his magic solely on her as he ran away. In a straight line, under normal circumstances, she''d be faster but his magic allowed him to create a gap between them.


    As he went closer into the darkness the frequency of the blades flying at him increased until it stopped. He assumed they did so because of poor visibility due to him entering the darkness but it was far simpler. They ran out of throwing weapons, and his magic had rendered most unusable, thanks to stopping them. With his magic applied they wouldn''t fly more than a few feet without stopping.


    (¡°Damnit, I didn''t think he''d be able to run before I ended it.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she was forced to start and stop chasing him. Her face looked closer to a demon''s while glaring at him but it didn''t help her to break out of his magic any faster.


    As he entered the darkness, he listened closely and noticed footsteps other than Elizabeth''s nearby.


    He followed them like a greyhound and shot off his magic in their direction. He threw his blade and swung the chain. If the blade didn''t slice on hit then the chain wrapped around the blade would do its job.


    But he used his magic to stop his weapon when he noticed something give off light.


    It was a spear and it had a very slight, bluish hue to it.


    He used his chain to swat it out of the air. (¡°So she can move it without touching, is that why my magic couldn''t stop it? It must require a large amount of mana to merit my magic slowing it down instead of stopping it.¡±)


    Elizabeth had gained on him in the time this distracted him and stabbed her blade in his back. He stopped her and made sure to imbue her sword with his mana. What Furor described happening to his blade was a handicap Elizabeth could easily deal with. Unfortunately for her, Daniel had not used the divine powder earlier.


    With his new power even Elizabeth felt overpowered. It was like trying to drag a feather through a river of tar.


    She felt the handle creaking as she pulled on it and let go of it.


    She had stopped his blade with her other hand but he stopped her once more.


    He managed to get a cut on her hand before she regained movement and landed a swift kick to his knee.


    And they both went down, with Daniel on his knee and Elizabeth flat on her back.


    (¡°I nearly forgot, but she is fighting on an injured leg.¡±)


    He brought his chain up and blocked the spear blade coming down on his head.


    (¡°I nearly forgot about her.¡±)


    He stopped her and a kick rocked his face a moment after. Elizabeth was grounded but that didn''t mean he was allowed to take his eyes off her.

 Chapter 326

    He continued rolling away and soon found himself back in the light. He quickly picked himself up, but unlike most who had been kicked, he had a smile on his face. He wiped the dirt off his face and noticed the pair head his way.


    (¡°She doesn''t have her sword¡­ hmm, I didn''t think my magic had gotten this powerful.¡±)


    The fact she decided not using her sword was better than using it, told him all the information he needed.


    In most combat scenarios, his magic was nothing more than a nuisance. It didn''t do anything more than add resistance to his enemy''s weapon. It served as a tiebreaker if he and his opponent were evenly matched. But that was the only scenario he''d actively try to slow down his opponent''s weapon or even focus on it.


    His magic did more than that with the powder. It allowed him to fully nullify his opponents'' weapon with, admittedly, a concerted effort on his part.


    As Tina thrust her spear at him, he threw his hand into the blade''s way.


    She raised an eyebrow but as the saying goes on, beggars can''t be choosers and she certainly wasn''t going to be picky about this opportunity.


    She shocked him for a few moments and as she did so, she felt something off about her spear. No, even she could tell this whole setup was odd. She expected to be stopped the moment her spear pierced flesh but he didn''t do anything like that. She was ready to use her magic while frozen defenceless.


    She tried to shove it further down his hand but it seemed the bastard had gotten a second wind while they got themselves together in the shadows. He kept dodging or moving backwards to ensure the blade didn''t go deeper or rip apart his hand.


    And now that she noticed it, the smell of burning flesh wasn''t as prominent as when she started.


    The thing that really freaked her out, however, was her spear. It stopped readily accepting her mana and started to feel harder to move.


    When Elizabeth came close enough to run past Tina, the priest freed himself and jumped in the air.


    Elizabeth jumped Into the air to catch him but he stopped and used her as a springboard to get himself higher.


    The magic wore off and she fell down after having her momentum stopped.


    He was now higher than Elizabeth or Tina could jump.


    When she touched the floor again she couldn''t help but wonder what he was planning. From that distance, if he did his usual song and dance of stopping them, he''d do nothing more than waste everyone''s time. He couldn''t hurt them from that distance and neither could they.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Tina tried to pull on her spear but it seemed like it had been glued to the air itself. She used both hands and went red on the face trying to pull the spear but nothing came of it.


    ¡°That motherfucker, I swear I''ll rip the little shit¡¯s throat out when I get a hold of him,¡± Tina shouted as she broke out into a sweat.


    (¡°I can''t believe I got up here so easily. And I can''t believe this magic truly is so wondrous. I can feel she is trying to expel my mana with her own but she''ll have to do that for a while before it becomes hers again.¡±)


    He reached into his pocket and Elizabeth immediately noticed how he stopped Tina.


    He moved his hand back and she ran to her ally''s side. She lifted her up and got running.


    The area around the blade soon became surrounded by... caltrops? She noticed he had a bag on his side and assumed it was the powder. It looked like her assumption was wrong.


    They were densely distributed and trying to move them with her bare fingers proved a challenge.


    Tina regained her movement and tried to brush them aside with her arm. The only thing this action accomplished was a bloody arm covered in large gashes.


    ¡°Ow, goddammit, what the hell are these things!?¡± She shouted as she flicked her arm in pain, causing some of the blood to splatter on Elizabeth.


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you looked before committing to something like that.¡±


    She grabbed her arm and healed it within an instant.


    ¡°But why didn''t they move?¡± Tina asked. ¡°These things aren''t made of Mithril.¡±


    ¡°He can accomplish similar feats with regular materials. My sword, being an example.¡±


    ¡°Shit really? Isn''t it made of Disiponium?¡±


    ¡°...correct. (If I had my original sword, it''s probable it would still be of use to me, even in its current state...)¡±


    If having her sword destroyed caused her end, she wasn''t sure she could ever bring herself to forgive Tibaut.


    She noticed Tina had been paused again and dragged her back as she heard a chain sound rattle through the air.


    A scythe blade passed through the area her head was in a few moments ago. And it stopped on a dime. It turned around and was pulled in her direction.


    She pushed Tina aside and grabbed the chain, now stiff as a piece of solid metal.


    She grabbed one part and motioned to punch and possibly break it but she was briefly stopped. And in that moment, the chain went limp and Daniel pulled on it.


    She lost half her fingers on one hand before she regained movement and batted it away.


    She quickly decided fighting while he had the high ground was too risky.


    Tina regained movement a second ago and Elizabeth began limping into the darkness with Tina following behind.


    (¡°Hmph, so they''ve decided to stop entertaining me. It was good while it lasted but I suppose I can''t one day build our lord a cathedral if I continue taking this easy. Regardless, that little rest did me good, that kick felt like it scrambled my mind. I had an opportune time to kill the pink woman and went for something as flashy as that instead.¡±)

 Chapter 327

    He waited in the air for a few more moments, hoping the women would use their throwing weapons but nothing came.


    He opened and closed the hand that was stabbed, (Once again, annoyingly enough. It healed in the initial transformation and she just had to go and stab the same hand again.) before letting himself fall to the ground. He warily kept an eye on his surroundings as he slowly followed both women. He turned his chain weapon into a more manageable-sized scythe and walked towards the darkness, ready for more.


    <hr>


    He had finally reached the last floor of the dungeon and the moment he stepped inside, he was convinced he was going to die. It had demons on the walls everywhere. He couldn''t ignore them either or say something like ¡°Maybe their just how people represented themselves back then.¡± They had tails, horns and wings, the whole package.


    (¡°There are more of them aren''t there?¡±)


    Kevin thought as he leaned against a nearby wall. He had nothing left. None of those strange rocks, and no boxes were on this floor, so he was pretty sure he couldn''t even snack on something to try and regain his strength plus he had the makeshift gauze ripped off his back.


    If he had to fight one more enemy, hell even run away from them, he was sure he''d be finished.


    His eyes continued to point him forward and his legs started moving, as much as his brain resisted.


    ¡°I''m gonna die. Sigh, can''t I get to tell my grandpa goodbye?¡±


    As he walked down the path his eyes led, he noticed multiple footsteps formed in some white dust that was scattered around the place. Most bare footed but some were made by shoes.


    He kept walking. There was no other option. He could examine them if he liked but that wouldn''t change the path he had to take. And for ease of mind, the fewer enemies he believed he had the better.


    He noticed some skeletons on the floor and wondered how many had made the trek down here and suffered for it eternally.


    He started to form tears in his eyes. They weren''t from sadness or regret but rather pain. Without the blue stone''s powder covering his back, in addition to being exposed to the open air, it stung. It was like he had lemon juice constantly being poured on his back. The tears were the only way to relieve his pain, as depressing as that sounded.


    His eyes would make sure to lead him on a safe path, (Though after the previous floors, he doubted this greatly.) which is why he paid no attention to anything other than his path while walking. Not to the throne room he walked by and not to the direction the demons pointed.


    He tensed up. He saw light down in the darkness of the dungeon. What did it mean? Were their other cultists gathered here? Demons? And why did his eyes point him here!?


    The answer to all his questions would be answered if he continued. And with nothing more than blind faith, he continued forward and¡­


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Was he dreaming? No, that couldn''t be right. He knew the pain he was feeling was very real.


    Then was this hell? Had he already died and become the devil''s plaything? He refused to acknowledge he walked all the way down here and this was the sight that greeted him.


    The sight his eyes showed him was four people.


    Two of them were similar looking to the brutal demons he encountered earlier. Well, one was brutal, the other just seemed indifferent. Still, that was no reason to exercise caution.


    They laid to the side of a shirtless... Was he a greater demon? The third woman covered his face. She looked surprisingly human but considering what he met down here, he treated her as something on the same level as the pale women. Her hair barely went past her ears and she wore a¡­ he didn''t know why but he felt she looked quite perverted. Like catching someone looking through a spy hole to a woman''s shower hole as they think no one is watching them.


    (¡°Ugh, don''t tell me she''s some succubus?¡±)


    He wanted to walk away but his eyes told him this was his destination. Perhaps they were good demons?


    Who was he kidding, he knew death would come for him sooner than later. At least he could say he tried before he died.


    As he approached, the pale women opened their eyes. Their eyes met and Kevin could feel his heart stop.


    They looked at each other and in unison, poked the blue-haired woman''s butt.


    (¡°W-what kinda stuff were they doing down here anyway?¡±)


    The man was shirtless and the pale women were covered in rags. The blue-haired woman was covered in drab and unremarkable clothing but if she could change her form then clothing wouldn''t matter.


    He gulped as he awaited her reaction.


    ¡°Ow, w-why¡¯d you two do that!?¡± She asked, with blushed cheeks as she rubbed her rear.


    She noticed them looking at something and turned around.


    Now, Kevin was looking quite ragged and the mixture of blood in his hair didn''t really do him any favours. In short, he looked like he just returned from a massacre.


    Agnes turned back to Tibaut and desperately pounded on his chest after noticing.


    ¡°TIBAUT WAKE UP WAKE UP!!!!¡±


    She shouted while trying her best to make use of her weak fists.


    (¡°huh?¡±) Kevin thought as he looked on.


    The two pale women continued lying down next to the man, unperturbed by the screaming.


    Tibaut jolted up and looked around confused. Agnes quickly got off him and went behind him.


    ¡°T-t-tibaut, that guy seem-m-ms like bad news.¡± She hurriedly said, biting her tongue for a few words.


    He kipped up and got a better look at this foe. As he prepared his fireballs¡­


    ¡°Tibaut? Wait a second, that Tibaut!?¡± Kevin asked, in disbelief.


    Tibaut did his best to hide his surprise (poorly) and tried to put on a stern face.


    ¡°Yeah it is¡­How do you know my nam-¡± Tibaut paused himself and got a better look at this guy. White hair, now who did he know with white hair?


    ¡°...No way.¡±


    ¡°It really is you¡­¡± Kevin replied with a childlike smile stretching across his face. His eyes quickly faded and he leaned forward.


    He fell to the floor and immediately went unconscious.

 Chapter 328

    From the shadows, they could tell the priest had stopped his antics and come back to the ground floor.


    The other two girls had manoeuvred their way over to Tina and Elizabeth.


    ¡°You two were right in not interfering, it seems he''s gotten a second wind. I''d recommend trying to attack only when his focus is directed on both of us and most importantly, if he hasn''t taken notice of you. I fear if he stops more than one of you there''s little I can do. Including you as well Tina.¡±


    Tina shrunk her face at that unnecessary little tidbit Elizabeth added and folded her arms.


    ¡°Hey Elizabeth, want my sword?¡± Nora asked, holding out her blade.


    The priest was slowly coming their way, slowly exiting the light he created.


    She clicked her tongue and thought about it tapping her foot impatiently.


    ¡°No, keep it. As soon as he sees me with a blade he''ll do his best to stop it like the previous blade.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two women started putting some distance between themselves and Elizabeth.


    ¡°I''d recommend you stay in the shadows as well, Tina.¡±


    Elizabeth began walking forward towards the sound of footsteps that had entered the darkness and much to her annoyance, Tina followed.


    ¡°Like hell I''m gonna do that. Do you think I''m on the same level as those two?¡±


    ¡°Without your spear combined with that man''s magic, yes I''d argue you three are equally as vulnerable,¡± Elizabeth answered while trying to hide her limp. With the damage to her Achilles, she was basically fighting on one leg.


    ¡°Oh screw off, if you told me how you escaped his magic so quickly, I could help you out.¡±


    ¡°That is something you cannot learn Tina.¡± Elizabeth firmly responded. (¡°Tina we don''t have time for this, just fall back!¡±)


    ¡°Why not-¡±


    Elizabeth pushed her back and Tina looked insulted by the action. She wanted to say a few choice words for her but she noticed the footsteps had gotten far louder than they were seconds earlier.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She swallowed her pride and ran off but not before a bang was heard. Based on the increased pace of the footsteps, it didn''t get her and she gained some distance.


    ¡°Damn, I could have sworn I would have got her.¡± The priest commented as he became visible in the darkness.


    ¡°Are you so confident you believe you can give us time to recuperate?¡± Elizabeth asked as she inched closer.


    ¡°I was going to ask the same thing. I''m sure there''s at least one point you all would have finished me off had you not retreated. But let''s not dwell on the past. After all, with some of my mobility back, your victory is currently a dream. And I can assure you, I''m comfortably capable of turning dreams into nightmares.¡± The priest said as he pointed the chain scythe towards her. He was breathing steadily as he watched Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Elizabeth couldn''t hide her pain. One hand was sliced but the real pain was felt from the hand with the missing fingers.


    It seemed after disabling one of her legs and her sword, the fists were the next weapons he hoped to disable.


    ¡°You sound exactly as you look. Immature.¡± She remarked, cold-faced.


    ¡°My offer to turn you four into something greater, stillstands. After all, it''d be such a waste if I accidentally killed you. Practically speaking, you''d be worth far more as one of those pale women than those other three combined. (I imagine I''ll have to drain her mana to get similar results to them. While not ideal, for such a powerful pawn it should be worth the effort.)¡±


    Elizabeth responded by moving a foot forward.


    The priest quickly used his magic to stop her and closed the gap between them.


    He aimed for her torso but she managed To sweep a leg to throw his aim off.


    (¡°She used a faint and realised I wouldn''t be able to attack her fast enough at my distance.¡±)


    He stopped her again and tried to regain his footing. But he realised too late that she was leaning forward. She had used her good leg to sweep his leg and had begun to fall towards him when he stopped her.


    It wasn''t enough time for him to block and Elizabeth used her fall to hit him square in the face.


    (¡°I know I''m not at my best but the fact she can fight this competent with only one good leg is commendable.¡±)


    The punch had stained his eye with blood and resulted in him stopping her but being forced to use his free time to wipe his eyes.


    Another punch came out of nowhere. His magic wasn''t anywhere powerful enough to subdue. He thought that the pink woman made her more troublesome when they fought together but it appeared she was only hindering her while they were in close combat.


    He stopped her again and had a wonderful counterkick lined up. She seemed unbearably aggressive when it came to his blade, so this would catch her by surprise.


    She managed to block the kick with one hand but the priest stopped and connected with another kick.


    He had used his magic to stay airborne longer. He quickly dropped himself when Elizabeth gained her movement and stopped her once more.


    (¡°I can''t get it consistent. Sometimes I can stop her every other second, sometimes it takes several. Wait a- did the pink-haired ogre damage my mana organs when she stabbed my hand? If that''s the case I should be glad it''s working this well.¡±)


    He stopped her the moment a punch was going to rock her torso and grabbed her arm to pull himself up. She quickly moved back and he allowed himself to be flung upwards as he let go of her arm.


    She was stopped again and quickly turned around into a blade that sliced her cheek.

 Chapter 329

    He stopped himself mid-air and threw his blade at her. She grabbed the chain and pulled him towards her. It seemed the magic he used on himself wasn''t as strong as the one he used on her sword, as he soared towards her.


    He stopped her and stopped himself, falling back on his feet. By the time he began running, she had another punch prepared. He stopped her the moment it touched his head, slightly concussing him.


    He reached into his sack attached to his waist and grabbed something. He managed to throw it before Elizabeth rocked him backwards with another punch.


    He stopped her as she chased him, and she noticed the sound of small pieces of metal hitting the floor.


    (¡°He has more caltrops left.¡±)


    It wasn''t the end of the world but it would make the fight more annoying. She would have to constantly sweep her feet to push away the caltrops as she fought him which sounded mis-


    (¡°!?¡±)


    Elizabeth''s eyes widened and she jumped back after noticing something far worse.


    She tried to sweep some away with her injured leg but¡­ they didn''t move. It was like they had been glued to the floor. No, with how little give they had, saying they were a part of the floor would be more accurate.


    ¡°Stay over there, please. I just want to make ensure you don''t interfere-¡±


    With one leg, she nearly cleared the distance between them in a single jump.


    He stopped her over the caltrops and she fell directly into one with her good leg.


    He wasn''t sure what she was thinking approaching him with such a dangerous floor, shoeless, and in low light conditions. Was she a masochist or plain stupid?


    Given the fact she had been stopped in her tracks after stepping on one, he rested easy knowing he could run away and deal with her friends waiting in the dark like opportunistic hyenas.


    He turned around and felt a hand grab his collar.


    (¡°He believed these would stop me?¡±)


    He stopped her again but could not get her to let go of his collar in time. He was flung to the ground but managed to stop himself, just barely floating above the caltrop-riddled floor he had a large part in creating.


    (¡°...It''s good that I didn''t poison them.¡±)


    He thought as Elizabeth pushed him into the floor, embedding several into his body.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    (¡°I should also be glad they aren''t barbed.¡±)


    He stopped her again and managed to cut the part of the robe, she had grabbed, off.


    He could have gone for her hand but he wasn''t sure he could cut it off before she regained movement.


    He backed up, awkwardly stumbling due to his caltrops but thankfully nothing pierced him due to his sabatons.


    Elizabeth landed another punch on him while forcing herself to walk through the caltrops.


    Just what was this woman made of to do such a thing without batting an eye?


    She couldn''t attempt to try to bring a foot up and pull out the caltrops, as she was supporting most of her weight using one of them. The lack of another foot, in a way, benefitted her. With caltrops embedded in her feet, she didn''t have to worry about slipping on her own blood. They acted as sort of crude spiked boots giving her grip against the floor.


    (¡°Bear through it Elizabeth, to defeat him, we have to go at least this far.¡±)


    Noticing she was using the spikes to her advantage, he stopped the caltrops embedded in her feet. The fact they were even embedded in her foot was his doing and so, he fixed this miscalculation.


    They were stuck to the ground once more and she stopped.


    She stopped an attempted stab with her hand and used the other to throw blood in his eyes.


    He backed away and continually used his magic on her the first moment he had the opportunity.


    She got closer, her foot getting more and more punctured due to the caltrops on the floor and fought back.


    This continuous start-stopping combat with Daniel inflicting new cuts and Elizabeth landing blows continued until he exited the field of caltrops he had laid.


    He was so preoccupied with her, that the moment she stepped on the hard floor and slipped due to the slick blood that coated the underside of her foot, he went for his chance and used a more potent kind of magic to stop her. At a minimum, he believed it was going to be a second.


    But he''d be defenceless without his magic for nearly thirty seconds if his estimation was right.


    He swung the blade at her neck and hesitated.


    Why? He was about to kill her, what cause was there for caution?


    He heard the breathing of someone behind him.


    ¡°He noticed¡­¡± Elizabeth thought. Right behind was Nora. She had been standing in that spot their entire fight. Waiting for a chance to move in. She didn''t think he''d move towards her, and made a mistake, breathing as she normally would.


    He tried to save himself but the blade was already touching his neck. He managed to move an arm in the way of the blade, leaving both his neck and arm with new scars. Elizabeth grabbed his legs and forced him to the floor.


    After falling Nora brought her sword down against his arm, over and over but she couldn''t manage to slice or cut through his arm.


    The grounded Elizabeth tried to drag him closer towards her and subdue his arms but he kicked like a mule trying to get her away, getting several hard shots in with his sabatons.


    He moved his blade to Nora''s foot, slicing it clean off and she fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes.


    ¡°AAgggHrrHHH!!!¡± She shouted, obviously not as well adjusted to pain as Elizabeth. She held onto her new stump and dropped her blade. Tears welled up in her eyes and Daniel no longer had her to worry about.


    He continued kicking at Elizabeth, with the woman having a vice-like grip on his legs.

 Chapter 330

    ¡°Kevin¡­Kevin!? What''s that kid doing here?¡± Tibaut said as he rushed over.


    As soon as he placed his hands on his back, his hands were covered in blood.


    ¡°What the!? Holy shit.¡±


    His back was covered in claw marks over a centimetre deep. That wasn''t the only injury or even slash on him. He had less serious cuts all over his body, he was bruised all over and had a deep gash in his shoulder.


    ¡°What the hell happened to you man, Jesus Christ!¡± Tibaut couldn''t contain his shock as he examined him.


    ¡°I-is that his name?¡± Agnes asked.


    Tibaut¡¯s face filled with general confusion, but as the blood left his hands sticky he realised this wasn''t the time to be bogged down by something like this.


    ¡°Wha? No, his name is Kevin. (I suppose the Jesus I''m thinking of doesn''t exist in this world.) Could you pass some of the healing potions you had earlier?¡±


    ("...")


    (¡°Oh shit, it''s his friend!¡±) Agnes thought as she nearly tripped over herself trying to get to the crate of potions.


    He brought his head down to Kevin''s chest and listened to his breathing.


    (¡°Hey, Drake is this breathing good or bad?¡±)


    (¡°Hmm, he''ll be fine for another hour or so.¡±)


    (¡°Wait, are you saying he''d die in another hour?¡±)


    (¡°Make of my words what you will.¡±)


    ¡°Was it the priest or some other monster lurking in the dungeon that did this?¡±


    The two pale women looked on at Kevin, unconcerned.


    Agnes quickly ran over with two potions in her hands and Tibaut wasted no time emptying them down Kevin''s gullet.


    <hr>


    It took an entire crate of leftover potions for Tibaut to feel confident about Kevin''s recovery. Even that wasn''t enough to fully heal him. His bruises went away and looked to be fully healed but the lacerations across his body seemed to have healed skin deep, as he''d squirm whenever Tibaut or the pale girls touched the areas he formerly had wounds.


    ¡°How did this happen? Wait a minute in the first place, how the hell did he even get here? Why is he even here? (Drake how long has it been?)¡±


    ¡°Eh? Were you not expecting him?¡± Agnes asked.


    Tibaut shook his head and left him with the two pale women.


    ¡°No, I''d be lying if I said I was close to him, besides he probably didn''t know I was here. Wait a minute, are they already here?¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Who?¡± Agnes asked.


    ¡°Uhh¡­(Well this is sort of a problem. How am I gonna get Agnes outta here with these guys around? Wait, I have bigger things to worry about.)¡±


    As his mind sobered up from his admittedly deep slumber, he realised just how tumultuous the current situation was. He placed his hands on his head and looked to be deep in thought.


    Agnes looked on in concern. (¡°Oh no, is this some group coming after him to kill him? Does someone high up in society want him dead and send the best killers in the country?¡±)


    As Agnes let herself be taken away by her imagination, Tibaut noticed her gaze and straightened his posture.


    ¡°Trust me, Agnes, it''s nothing serious, I''m just surprised about something.¡± He said before patting her shoulder.


    ¡°Well, if you say so.¡± She dropped the topic without further prodding.


    As he looked at her with unshakeable confidence, he began hounding the miscreant that lay in his mind.


    (¡°Answer me you asshole!¡±)


    (¡°It''s been about 9 hours since you fell asleep, experiment.¡±) They answered, disinterested. He could just imagine them, crossing their legs while sitting and staring at their nails like a diva when they said this.


    And an image of exactly that, with their image blurred enough to obscure their finer details, was the only thing his eyes could see.


    (¡°Sigh, you''re so weird, but since you asked, I suppose I should oblige.¡±) The voice said with a giggle.


    He briefly jumped, but kept calm, so as to not cause unwanted panic in Agnes.


    (¡°Stop that you whore! And I thought you said they would be coming in a day?¡±)


    (¡°How rude of you to call me that when I took on such a tame pose, you''re quite the misogynist aren''t you?¡±) They sarcastically remarked.


    Tibaut rolled his eyes and the drake was audibly giggling at his annoyance.


    (¡°To answer your question, they were a day away. A work day that is. After all, I never said what type of day I was talking about, you took that definition into your own hands.¡±)


    Tibaut nearly bit his tongue off by accident when he heard those words. His whole body was shaking, teeming with blind rage. He did his best to keep his displeasure internal and began walking around the room in an attempt to calm himself down.


    (¡°I''m going to kill you.¡±) He thought with strong intent. (¡°I''m going to make sure-¡±)


    (¡°Mister murderer, are you sure you can stay down here while your comrades are possibly in trouble?¡±)


    He walked over to Kevin and picked him up.


    (¡°Tsk, when I have the time, I''ll deal with you later.¡±)


    (¡°I look forward to it ?.¡±) They answered with an almost disgusting glee in their voice.


    As he placed Kevin on his back, and Agnes couldn''t help but admire the scenery.


    (¡°That white hair boy isn''t too bad himself¡­ Honestly¡­ both their bodies aren''t too bad either¡­¡±)


    As her mind started wandering, using both shirtless boys as a base for her ideas, she couldn''t stop herself from drooling.


    Oblivious to the vulgar thoughts and ideas flooding Agnes¡¯s mind, he tried to adjust Kevin more properly on his back and began walking.


    (¡°Can you at least help me retrace my steps back to the first floor?¡±)


    (¡°Do you really believe I was keeping track of the path down here?¡±)


    Why did he even ask? It annoyed him that they didn''t have a better option than running around hoping to find the exit but he had to see what was going on.


    As he walked towards the entrance, Kevin jolted awake, and Tibaut had to lean forward not to drop him.

 Chapter 331

    Kevin looked around the room and pushed himself off Tibaut¡¯s back when he noticed the pale women.


    He tried to run outside but had his arm grabbed by Tibaut.


    ¡°What are you doing? We need to leave before those things change their mind.¡± He said. He was struggling to drag Tibaut and seemed to be frantically trying to run away.


    ¡°Dude, what are you talking about?¡± Tibaut asked, confused.


    His brain ran for a few moments and spat out a serviceable answer. (¡°Oh shit, don''t tell me he recognised Agnes as a cultist somehow! Probably has the girls confused for them as well. ¡®Things¡¯ seems a bit harsh but they are bastards so I don''t wrong him for saying that.¡±)


    ¡°Those things next to the blue-haired girl. We need to leave now, I''m not going through that agai-¡±


    He looked down and around his body. His wounds were looking considerably less serious. He even rubbed one and all it did was rub blood off his skin. His wounds weren''t just better, they were gone. He still felt pain from the areas affected but it was night and day difference between now and earlier.


    ¡°It looks like we have a lot to talk about,¡± Tibaut said, as he looked towards him.


    <hr>


    The group were now walking down the hallways of the fifth floor, with Tibaut providing a much-needed light.


    They had just provided each other some much-needed information, omitting details when necessary, and decided to have a chat as they headed up the dungeon.


    ¡°So no need to run, right?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°I don''t think so. Last I saw, the others weren''t even close by when I came here.¡± Kevin responded.


    He was taking in more of the scenery as they walked and realised just how creepy this place was.


    (¡°What the hell was that big gate with demons on it anyway?¡±)


    ¡°Phew, so all we need to worry about is heading up and killing that priest, right?¡±


    ¡°Tibaut, please don''t say that like he''s still alive.¡± Kevin cringed while holding his hands against his face, thinking about meeting that little boy again.


    ¡°I hate to say it but there''s a good chance he''s alive. He mentioned them leaving him alone or something like that.¡±


    Kevin''s arms went limp and he proceeded to have a long drawn-out sigh.


    ¡°So I''ve been meaning to ask since it never came up but how did you get those two to be so calm?¡± He asked. His gaze turned to the two pale women who looked to be picking on Agnes.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Uh, well, (should I tell the truth?)¡±


    ("Do you even know what the truth is?")


    (¡°Tsk, you have a point. Wait, you didn''t do anything weird to me, did you?¡±)


    (¡°No, this is something that strictly relates to you.¡±) They said, sounding unamused.


    Kevin was still waiting for an answer and wondered why he froze up.


    ¡°They only wanted him for his body,¡± Agnes mumbled as the two women, walking directly in front of and behind her, with Agnes sandwiched in between, played patty cake with each other.


    What was meant as a disgruntled complaint of a woman who felt she was wronged had made its way to Kevin''s ears.


    He quickly turned around. ¡°Wait, is that true!?¡±


    She moved her head down into the chest of the pale woman in front of her and desperately tried to hide her blushed cheeks. (¡°OH LORD HE HEARD THAT!!!!¡±)


    The pale women looked to each other for a moment before nodding their heads, whilst they held back their giggling.


    He cleared his throat when Tibaut turned around to see what the reaction was for.


    ¡°Uh, well, um, you can tell me why they didn''t attack when you feel like it. (So that''s why they were all asleep together. If it was regular women maybe I might see myself doing the same thing, but those things!? I feel for you Tibaut. Yet even after that he can talk and walk as if nothing happened. We''re the same age, but it feels like there''s leaps and bounds between us¡­)¡± For Tibaut¡¯s sake, he decided not to ask any more questions.


    ¡°(Why''s he looking at me like that? Whatever, at least I don''t have to explain this whole thing.) Yeah, man don''t worry about it. With me around you shouldn''t have to worry about another run-in like earlier.¡±


    ¡°(Even after all he went through, he''s willing to do it again for my safety. I-is having the stomach to do something like that also a part of being an adventurer?) T-thanks.¡±


    Kevin felt he needed no more answers after that, but Tibaut heard something earlier that caught his interest.


    ¡°(He mentioned escaping a red one¡­ I should probably keep quiet about that¡­ No I''m the one who technically revived it, I should be more detailed in case I have to help put her down.) So about this red woman-¡±


    ¡°Please, Tibaut, you don''t have to talk about them anymore,¡± Kevin said as he gave an understanding look and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Them? Oh, no, no, these girls and that red woman are different. Like I said these girls were sold or given to the cult by Albus. I even saw a report saying as much.¡±


    He momentarily stopped to process this information and ran back to Tibaut¡¯s side.


    ¡°...really? Then what was she?¡±.


    ¡°A demon.¡±


    ¡°...¡± He went completely silent and held his face in silent contemplation.


    (¡°I know I haven''t said I''m the one that gave it mana, but it feels like he''s judging me.¡±)


    ¡°This is going to sound stupid but is that any worse than these girls?¡± He asked while pointing behind.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I felt way more threatened when I met that pale woman, no, I guess she''s a victim, on the third floor than the demon.¡±


    (¡°And that bitch was hyping her up like she was something to worry about. My God, were you trying to get me to have a heart attack?¡±)

 Chapter 332

    (¡°Your face was so funny, I just couldn''t help it.¡±)


    ¡°(Tsk.) Never thought I lived to see an actual demon.¡±


    ¡°Tibaut, trust me, as long as I''m leading the way, we''re not gonna see her again.¡±


    As the topic of direction came up something that bugged Tibaut since he saw Kevin down here came to mind.


    ¡°I''ve been wondering, how did you find me?¡±


    gulp ¡°Uh, well, your tracks were obvious to follow, you know with the dust and stuff.¡± Kevin answered as he did his best to avoid eye contact.


    (¡°He''s lying. Can you really trust a comrade who''d lie to your face?¡±) The voice said in a haughty tone.


    (¡°Shut up, it probably has something to do with his magic. He seemed pretty secretive when Furor was dogging him for it, and if he can''t get it out of him, then I probably can''t either.¡±)


    Well, all that mattered to him was that he could be of help when the time came to avenge Ezekiel, so he supposed the way it happened didn''t matter too much.


    ¡°Well, it''s good that you found an ally instead of a cultist.¡±


    ¡°Right? (Still, what''s so beneficial about this guy that my eyes pointed to him with such confidence?)¡±


    <hr>


    How long is 25 seconds? It''s not much, is it? You could probably read, what, maybe a short poem in that time if you don''t care for comprehension. There''s not much you can get done competently within that time.


    But for Daniel, those 25 seconds were a living hell.


    He managed to slice the woman who brought her sword down onto him like she was trying to kill an insect with the nearest object she could find.


    She didn''t manage to cut through his bone, which he attributed to the dungeon¡¯s increased efficacy of the divine powder. He still had problems afoot, however.


    The arm he blocked with was rendered useless by the attack and he still needed to put some distance between himself and the blonde woman. He noticed one of her arms was covered in a noticeable amount of blood and started focusing on that with his kicks.


    As the black-haired woman screamed in pain while clutching where a foot used to be, he noticed in the coming seconds a quieter sound under her shouts.


    5 seconds had passed.


    He kept kicking at Elizabeth''s arm and managed to free himself of a single hand. Yet the hand with only three fingers dug in his leg further as he struggled to have her left go.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    His focus was drawn to his face as he narrowly blocked a kick to his face with his good arm. He tried to retort with another slice of his blade but another kick struck the back of his head and to make matters worse, he couldn''t even roll away thanks to the grip the blasted woman had on him.


    He wildly swung his blade only to be met but another kick to his, this time far weaker than the last.


    15 seconds total had passed.


    The two women showed no mercy mobbing the bastard, with Tina kneeling on his good arm to stop his attacks, hammering his head with blows that would leave an elephant sore, and Agatha with a difference in strategy, trying to use her fingers to dig into parts of his body considered weak, such as an eyeball.


    And not to be forgotten was Elizabeth using both hands to dig away at the flesh on his legs, though surprisingly, the hand with three fingers hurt him substantially more.


    He could feel his eye slowly lose resistance to the dirty fingernail of the woman poking his eye and each punch left him closer to unconsciousness.


    20 seconds had passed in total.


    The woman poking his eye and had given in and looked for an alternative method.


    Tina continued to hammer on his face, and Elizabeth, seemingly wishing to put this battle behind her, reached for the area between his legs, gripped tightly, and started pulling, not caring what she took.


    Were it not for the powder, he''d be screaming at the top of his lungs in falsetto.


    But a body could only take so much, and he felt his eyes slowly be engulfed by darkness.


    The last he could see was the woman who poked his eye coming back with a sword, bringing it down on his eye with force.


    25 seconds had passed¡­.


    The sword reached his eye but was stopped before it could go any further. The woman pounding his face was also stopped and now the woman at his legs was the only one remaining. She had remained a constant thorn in this battle and if he could get rid of her within these 7 seconds his magic gave him, he''d win.


    He batted the sword from his eye and used his magic to stop it permanently before going further.


    The magic only momentarily stopped her and the instant she realised what happened, she grabbed his clothing and crawled up to him. It was as though a dreadful spirit of hell had come to claim him.


    He brought his blade down but he was caught without so much as a flinch.


    He stopped her again but her grip was too strong.


    He couldn''t afford to have these two other women move before he dealt with her.


    He shoved his useless hand into her mouth and tried to drag his blade hand back.


    He noticed it was a hand with five fingers and through forcing himself and kneeing it, he managed to get her to let it go. He stopped her once again and realised what he had to do to escape.


    One of her hands was still on his robe and he wasted no time cutting the front of it, before using his little legs to kick off her face, tearing the robe clean in half, exposing his pants and the lower half of his torso.


    She managed to grab leg but he had no problem with her tearing into his flesh, as he backed away.


    She had taken a gash out of his leg with her fingers alone, but he could still comfortably stand, unlike her.


    The others had regained their movements but wasted no time going deeper into the darkness of the room taking both their comrades with them.


    He allowed them to retreat, his arm may have now been rendered useless for the remainder of the fight but he felt confident the damage his eye was dealt would heal in a few minutes.


    (¡°This darkness is more disadvantageous than I thought.¡±)

 Chapter 333

    In the darkness, Tina forced her hand over Nora''s mouth as the group tried to figure out what to do.


    She was covered in a pungent sweat, likely a result of the immense pain she was in. Tina and Agatha knew the damage was serious but it wasn''t until they looked down they realised her entire foot was gone. They could clearly see both bone and muscle visible, ebbing blood.


    Elizabeth held her severed foot but they weren''t sure what good that''d do at this point.


    (¡°Shit she''s out too?¡±) Tina thought. If they included Elizabeth, they were now down to three able-bodied women. Her muffled screams were doing their group no favours and she considered if knocking her out in the meanwhile would be the best option.


    But unbeknownst to the two, Elizabeth had dragged herself over to Nora and placed her foot back on its stump.


    A golden glow soon illuminated the darkness and the woman witnessed a miracle.


    They looked on in awe as Elizabeth reattached her feet with supposedly paltry healing magic.


    Her muffled screams stopped, and she looked down at Elizabeth with ragged breathing.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She weakly muttered as she tried to get back to her feet.


    ¡°Sure thing. (I really can''t afford to screw around with my magic here of all places. If one of them is a loud mouth about it, I''ll deal with it when it comes.)¡±


    She tried to get back to her feet but slipped, and fell to the floor.


    The three rushed to her and helped pick her up.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Helping her back up, Tina could tell she stepped in something wet when she stood behind her.


    She strained her eyes trying to see what it was and noticed a darker substance against the already dark floor.


    ¡°You sure did bleed a river, Nora.¡± Tina commented.


    ¡°Sorry, Elizabeth I''m sure it''s hard enough standing on one leg without the floor being wet.¡±


    ¡°That''s not your blood¡­¡± She said with laboured breathing.


    ¡°What are you-¡± Agatha¡¯s question was cut short when she felt something land on her foot. Based on their positioning, it was probably Elizabeth''s own leg that touched her but she couldn''t stop herself from having chills run down her spine, even considering the thing that touched her as a leg.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    It was wet, cold and felt like it had a multitude of small holes on its surface.


    She kicked it away in disgust. And with Elizabeth leaning against her shoulder, she felt her tense up.


    ¡°Huh? Is that cut he gave you still ble-¡±


    ¡°G-g-guys, I think we need to stop and seriously get a better look at Elizabeth.¡± Agatha said before stopping. The concern in her voice was almost comical, which made it feel somewhat eerie.


    ¡°Let''s just¡­ There''s nothing we can do about it, so let''s keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Nothing we can do?¡± Tina asked. ¡°Elizabeth what the hell are going on about? And couldn''t you walk by yourself earlier?¡±


    The blood should have been wiped off after the initial step. Did the struggle with the priest leave her that spent?


    ¡°Sigh, just take a look at my feet. I''m not sure I can properly walk anymore.¡± She defeatedly answered.


    Her head pointed down and Tina looked down as well. She noticed there was currently blood coming from what was supposed to be her good foot. The darkness obscured it.


    She left her in Nora and Agatha¡¯s arms and bent down to get a better look at the blinding foot. She lifted it up and the bottom was almost indescribable in the brutality it had suffered. It was no longer a foot but raw meat.


    Tina unconsciously held her hand against her mouth when she saw it.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± She said.


    ¡°I noticed some caltrops on the floor when it tried to sneak up on the priest¡­ did she-¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tina answered Nora''s question and the group stood in silence, at a loss for what to do.


    ¡°I''d like to have my feet wrapped but the bleeding would soak any sort of binding, defeating the point of me slipping. Elizabeth, do you think you could burn the wound with your magic to stop the bleeding?¡±


    This was no time to act modest. They still had an enemy at large out there.


    ¡°Liz, can you even stand on that thing? Besides I''m sure I''d burn more than the outer layer of your leg if I tried to use my magic. That priest is one thing but I can''t guarantee I won''t ruin your leg.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Could you at least try to wrap a piece of leather around it? I¡¯m sure it''d be able to provide some grip, regardless if blood gets on it.¡±


    How could she so casually say such a thing? How could she even think about fighting in her current state!?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What''s with the silence? We don''t have all da- so that''s what he''s doing.¡± Elizabeth sounded like she wanted them to hurry up but something across the room caught her attention.


    The group looked towards the light and noticed the area that had been lit up by the priest was substantially larger than before.


    Tina soon caught the priest in her vision. He was walking throughout the space, a torch in hand, lighting it up.


    In the time they were discussing, including the parts he previously lit up, about 70% of the room had been lit up. The priest turned around and began walking. He was heading to their side.


    <hr>


    (¡°Well, I''ve guaranteed there aren''t any more hiding about, other than that frozen woman. Hmph, to think they''d have someone without mana to fight me. Regardless, I suppose it''s time to head to the part of the room where I heard some noise.¡±)


    The priest could feel his eye recovering and was now able to make out light with it. He kept his pace at the slowest he could muster as he approached the remaining darkness.

 Chapte(r) 3(34)

    The dark-skinned woman woke up and began rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Ugh, maybe I overdid it.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, as soon as Elizabeth comes back, she''s gonna leave me drier than a desert. I wish Lily was still here but this is important to her. Drinking with another person may be better than drinking alone but drinking alone is better than not drinking at all.¡±


    She licked her lips and reached over for a glass of water beside her bed.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    She looked around her room some more and placed the glass down.


    ¡°Did one of them put me back in my room?¡±


    She remembered falling asleep in her workspace. But she couldn''t imagine any of those two leaving there just to take her out.


    Oh shit, did they return already!? She wasn''t yet finished with Tibaut¡¯s requested weapon and she was sure Elizabeth would let her have it the moment their eyes met.


    She clutched her weary head and looked downwards, trying to think up a way out of this.


    ¡°Damnit, what the hell am I gonna do? Maybe I can ask Tibaut to back me up? No, she has the both of us whipped like dogs. Maybe I should go hide out at the brothel for a wh-¡±


    She noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She slowly turned around, fearing who it could have been and saw an unknown figure on a chair.


    It looked to be a young boy with his legs crossed, staring at her. He had deeply black hair and unlike other people she knew around his age, lacked any sort of musculature. Though, they had an androgynistic appearance, so there was a small chance they were a girl puberty had skipped entirely.


    ¡°....¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    They stared at each other in silence.


    (¡°Who the hell is that?¡±) She wondered.


    ¡°Hmm, don''t worry about that for now. Say, you must be pretty bored.¡±


    (¡°This kid is weird. Sigh, this is the first thing I have to deal with when I wake up. Who let this kid in any way? Is he an adventurer?¡±)


    Although he was obviously young, she could tell without leaving her bed that he still towered over her. That wasn''t to say he was tall or anything like that, it just pissed her off. She adjusted herself on the bed and sat up.


    ¡°Why would I be? And who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°My, what a crass mouth. What if I was an assassin or something?¡±


    She rubbed her eyes before stretching. ¡°Then you would have killed me when I fell asleep. Listen kid, for your own sake you better leave. If the owner of this place hears about this I can guarantee this isn''t going to be pretty.¡±


    ¡°Ah, her. Well she''s on an errand so I don''t have anything to worry about, do I?¡±


    Vanessa scoffed and rolled her eyes. (¡°Maybe if I hit him a few times with a hammer, he''ll screw off. Hehe, now that I get a look at him he looks pretty coddled. Weird outfit, smooth skin that hasn''t seen a day of work, light skin that hasn''t seen a meaningful amount of sunshine, a big shit-eating grin¡­ is he some fancy schmancy relative of Elizabeth? In that case, I should apply some of my feminine charms on him. Kid¡¯ll probably start running when I start teasing him, he probably doesn''t even know why men and women have different bodies yet and their purpose.¡±)


    As a malicious smile crept across her face, the boy waved his hand.


    ¡°Please, I didn''t come for any of that today, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you scared?¡± She asked as she got off the bed with both her hands raised. She seemed ready to pounce on him at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°You really are quite sad. Preying on a small, weak, innocent child.¡± They said while feigning distress.


    ¡°Don''t worry kiddo, I''ll just teach you something. What you do with that information is up to you. I''ll have you screaming for your mommy in no time. (Well, giving him a tight hug with my puppies should be more than enough to get this little guy running.)¡±


    As she came closer, the little boy became more disinterested, even having the audacity to yawn at her.


    ¡°Say, aren''t you curious about what Tibaut is doing right now?¡± He asked.


    She stopped mid-creep. ¡°Hmm, I mean... not really?¡± She hesitantly answered.


    ¡°You''ve gotten so bored being by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Psh, I''m not. This time is way better compared to last time. Fuckers were gone for nearly a month and that bastard couldn''t even spare me the time to send a letter or something.¡± She said in a louder tone, before quieting back down.


    ¡°Yes, you''re so bored that you''ve resorted to doing this to pass the time¡­¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    He formed a window with the index fingers and thumbs of both his hands before moving them apart and creating a large white window out of nothing.


    She looked on with suspicion but continued looking on.


    ¡°Like I said, I''m not bored, stop trying to put words in my mouth.¡±


    ¡°Really? Would have done something like this if the others were here?¡±


    The window showed an image. It looked to be Vanessa''s underground workshop.


    ¡°Shhh!¡± He went with one of his fingers. It looked like Vanessa wanted to say something.


    <hr>


    A figure walked down the stairs and it was none other than Vanessa herself.


    She was covered in sweat and had a towel over her shoulders.


    ¡°They better not take as long as last time.¡± She bitterly commented as she walked down the stairs. She continued walking and sat down by her stool in front of her anvil.


    ¡°It shouldn''t take much longer until I''m finished. But why''d he have to ask for a pair of these? This is more armour than weapon.¡±


    She lifted a nearby hammer and promptly placed it down. ¡°Ugh, I can''t do it. Besides, after this is all over, he shouldn''t need it for a while, should he? And if he does, I can bang it out in one day.¡±


    And with no work done, she decided to take a break.


    ¡°I wanted to give him a sword as well. I''ve gotten good at making custom swords. I''d give him his sword but that would probably be a waste. I was so young when I made that, it''d probably look and feel like shit compared to what I can make now¡­.¡± She sighed before continuing. ¡°He does remind me of him.¡± She said in a disappointed tone.


    As certain memories flooded her head she tried to get back on track. ¡°But they''re not all the same. I mean, I can imagine them being friends but Tibaut definitely felt like he could do with an inch or two more down under.¡± She chuckled to herself but that train of thought was a dangerous one.


    ¡°This is so stupid, why am I even thinking about something like that-¡± The more she tried to stop thinking about it, the more images of either member flooded her mind.


    ¡°I mean, I''d like to see it, so I can compare them but-¡± she placed her hand against her forehead. ¡°It has been a while since I last did it. Plus he is on my mind whether I like to admit it or not. I''ll just do it and be over with it. Yeah, it''s better to do this than let the bottle up, ya know?¡±


    As she tried to convince herself, a hand soon made its way onto her breast. She bit her lip as she kneaded them.


    (¡°Tch, shit this is so weird.¡±)


    She began kneading harder and leaned further back on the stool.


    (¡°I usually think about him, but I Tibaut should be fine too, right? I mean we''re basically a couple at this point right?¡±)


    She moved her hand down into her shirt and past her bra and kneaded more sensually as she justified this action to herself.


    The action felt so taboo but she couldn''t stop herself from continuing.


    Her breathing began more strained and she slowly pulled down her pants. (¡°I could just go all out, but I''m not sure I''d want to risk them seeing me with wet pants.¡±)


    She told herself that but she couldn''t stop her hand. She tried to pull it back up but it wouldn''t go further than her stomach. She rested it there, but it kept going further down until she could feel her pubic hair.


    She didn''t care about her reasoning anymore and pulled her panties out of the way. She could feel the sticky substance that stained it and it left her even more needy.


    She used her fingers to gingerly squeeze at and pull on her nipple and nearly fell off the stool falling deeper into her pleasure.


    Her breathing soon became ragged and she couldn''t put it off any longer and placed her fingers in the place most men dreamed to reach one day.


    Her index and middle finger were left wet on the initial insertion, but it wasn''t enough. She used a third finger and with her wetness, the lubrication allowed them to comfortably slide in.


    ¡°Ah~¡± She tried to keep her voice low. It was an empty mansion so the risk of her voice leaking to be heard elsewhere wasn''t unlikely.


    squelch


    squelch squelch


    squelch squelch squelch


    squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch squelch


    Her indecent sounds filled the air and she could only bite her lips as she tried to hold herself back, to get even an extra second of pleasure.


    There were many things she did in pursuit of pleasure she found detestable but this was something she believed topped the list. She felt unclean, she felt dirty beyond words yet that¡¯s made this session so much enjoyable. Using Tibaut to help her get herself off, was so aberrant yet so liberating. She felt for the first time she met another man she could fall in love with¡­


    ¡°Tibaut, oh Tibaut, harDER, HARD-¡±


    <hr>


    The sounds, the smells, the pleasure. She could feel it all. It was as if she had been transported back to that very damned moment.


    Tears formed in her eyes as she looked on. Every negative emotion imaginable flowed through her as she relieved that moment of weakness. This boy was showing it to her in perfect detail, an intimate moment only she should have known about.


    She ran to her bed and rummaged through her drawer for a hammer.


    ¡°Now, now, you''re the one who did this, why are you getting up in arms about it?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°...¡± She didn''t even have the heart to respond before throwing the hammer his way.


    It stopped like it had hit an invisible wall as it got close and the boy could only shrug his shoulders.


    ¡°Now, I''m just trying to help you here. You obviously like Tibaut right? Just as I showed you your regret-filled decision, do you not think I can show you Tibaut¡¯s?¡±


    She paused her throw of another hammer.


    He stopped the screen and showed a new image.


    It showed Tibaut shirtless as he lay with three other women. The one with blue hair had clothes but the other were dressed like prisoners in a smut novel.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± She shouted, wasting no time throwing the hammer.


    ¡°My bad, I accidentally showed what he''s doing right now. Like me, fix that.¡±


    He snapped his finger again and it showed a view of Tibaut sleeping in bed with Tina. And she was being quite handsy with him.


    Vanessa tried to grab a hold of the boy herself, but some invisible force seemed to be stopping her.


    Her face was bright red, despite her skin colour, as she desperately tried to bring her hands closer to him while shouting ¡°screw you!¡±


    (¡°Ah, this woman''s dreams should keep me occupied until Tibaut wakes up.¡±) The boy? thought to themselves.

 Chapter 335

    As the disheartening light of his torch came ever closer, Elizabeth took matters into her own hands and ripped the leather off the armour covering her bum leg. It''s not like she needed to protect it anymore.


    She wrapped it around her bloodied foot and pushed the women off in an attempt to stand on her own.


    The gritting of her teeth was audible to three women as she struggled to keep herself straight.


    ¡°Elizabeth¡­¡± Nora weakly pleaded.


    ¡°There''s no better solution. Without me putting some pressure on him, whether you like it or not, we''re finished.¡± She coldly responded.


    The priest began rubbing one his eyes and opened his mouth in amazement. It seemed he had regained his vision.


    She tried to walk forward but her own weight was too much to handle.


    She made a single hop forward before she stood in silence for several seconds as she prepared for another.


    ¡°Shit, this isn''t going to work. Sigh, you three stay back, I''m going to handle this.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking insane!?¡± Tina shouted.


    The priest perked his ears up and continued walking towards the darkness.


    ¡°(I can''t just go and say I have immortality, now, can I?) Tina, I''m the only one who can fight him competently. I''ll try to trap his leg with my arms but if I can''t, I want you three to make your way to the exit and regroup with others. A surprise attack is the only way he''s going to be defeated at that point.¡±


    Before she tried to walk off, Tina grabbed her hand and turned her around.


    ¡°Elizabeth stop fucking around and tell me how you''re getting out of his magic so quickly! You can''t just say shit like you have something and I don''t and expect me to believe you.¡±


    Nora made a ¡°Shhh¡± sound, praying Tina would quiet down but she just didn''t shut up.


    ¡°Come the fuck on Elizabeth, this asshole¡¯s gonna kill us, is whatever the fuck you''re doing so important you can''t tell us!?¡±


    Elizabeth blankly stared at her before turning around. ¡°Get ready to run away.¡±


    Tina felt like she was going to shout at the top of her lungs but something happened that caught the attention of all those in the room.


    ¡°Tina!?¡± A familiar voice shouted in the distance. ¡°Tina, is that you!? Are you hurt!?¡± They could all tell, the voice was slowly approaching.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The figure behind the voice soon appeared in the room''s entrance held in the arms of large man.


    ¡°Tina! Tina! Ti-¡± she paused as she looked at the boy with black hair walking around with a torch. Even at the entrance, she could tell the burns on his body were those of the girl.


    Her face instantly turned to pure unfiltered disgust when she saw him.


    "(He''s the same age wise but he''s clearly a different kid than what those two were talking about.) Kid, I''m only gonna ask this once. Who the fuck are you.¡±


    Daniel turned around and rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°The one with yellow eyes¡­hmm.¡±


    ¡°Hey Nigel, let''s kill this little bastard.¡± She commanded, her grip tight on his chest hair.


    ¡°Heh, sorry little guy, you were at the wrong place at the wrong time.¡±


    He placed her down. ¡°What the fuck are you doing, you oversized jackass?¡± she asked while propping herself up with her hammer.


    ¡°Babe you rest this one out, you can barely move.¡±


    He tapped the wounds on his stomach. ¡°I''ve just got a few flesh wounds, so you''d probably just slow me down.¡±


    Before she could tell him to stop, he began running.


    ¡°Hmm, who is this man? I don''t remember him saying anything about him. Oh well, I can''t imagine he has a trick similar to that blonde woman.¡±


    He kept his focus on the darkness as the large man approached and Elizabeth flew out of the darkness.


    He quickly stopped her and her momentum down but the other girls exited as well spreading themselves out. Tina reached for Elizabeth and threw her at him once again.


    As Elizabeth flew through the air her expression shifted from determination to grave concern.


    ¡°(Wait, a minute, Nigel!?) Nigel, turn back!¡± She shouted as Daniel stopped her a few feet in front of him.


    The other women appeared in the corners of his vision and he wasted no time stopping them before they got any closer. He had to rid himself of the blonde woman by any means.


    Before he could bring his blade down into the head of Elizabeth, Tina tackled him.


    He stopped her and pushed her off but not before being grabbed by the big man from earlier.


    He stopped him and¡­


    (¡°Hmm? What''s this now?¡±)


    His grip was stronger than he expected. He was large but he didn''t expect this sort of strength out of him.


    A punch smashed his jaw, sending him and the man who held him flying back several feet.


    (¡°Ah, Nigel. I didn''t expect you to listen to me but at least you''ve proven useful.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she watched them fly back.


    Nigel had no magic. What he did was raw strength. Strength so raw, even though he couldn''t move, he managed to keep the bane of their existence for the past several minutes in check.


    It took several seconds for him to realise this man didn''t have magic. Which was a good thing since he was convinced he might have taken unnecessary damage.


    After the punch Elizabeth was quickly crawling, which he delayed by constantly stopping her, to little success. She was now clutching to the leg of the man that had him restrained.


    (¡°Hmm, I would cut his arm off to escape but it seems my hand is too low to do so. How many stabs should it take to have him release me?¡±)


    While his hands were not in the same area as Nigel¡¯s arm, they were close to his torso. All he had to do was turn his sickle around and push the blade into him.

 Chapter 336

    The moment Elizabeth reached Nigel''s legs, his foot slammed into her chest sending her upwards, to a height of at least 8 feet.


    In addition to stopping a person whole, he could cause certain parts of a body to move (As long they didn''t have magic anyway. If a person possessed mana, it was usually too much of ball ache to attempt.¡±)


    ¡°Gargh!¡± She blurted out.


    It caught her completely off guard and the moment she fell to the floor, she felt her body stop once more, with a strange sound filling the air.


    She looked up not long after to see Daniel furiously flicking his wrist. Thanks to his light it was clear as day to see him repeatedly stabbing Nigel with the blade.


    She started dragging herself back towards them, using her leg for an occasional boost.


    The moment she reached his leg he undid his magic.


    ¡°35 should be enough.¡± He softly stated as Nigel resumed moving.


    He looked to have no regard for Elizabeth as he thrashed around like a beached shark, with the small boy in his hands. Elizabeth quickly backed away, not in the mood for another one of his kicks.


    Despite his efforts, the man still held him firmly in his arms, even as he resisted.


    ¡°YOU LITTLE BASTARD WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME!?¡± He shouted as he rolled around on the floor with the boy in his hands.


    (¡°I know I''m weakened but this is ridiculous.¡±)


    He thought before stopping the man once again. This time the position was even more disadvantageous with a shirtless and hairy man, lying on top of him as he faced the ground.


    Instead of simply stabbing, he started digging the blade as far as it could go and began moving using his wrist in a circular motion, leaving a bloody and ever-increasing hole in him.


    What he didn''t count on was one of the women he stopped, managed to kick him and only him, causing the pair of men to roll several inches across the floor.


    Based on the pain he was experiencing, it was a safe bet it was the pink-haired one.


    He ended up being the one on top and caught a glimpse of several women and another man in the immediate area.


    He released his influence and again the man kept holding him.


    He stopped those around and the man under him like an expert marksman hitting his shots but there were too many, just too far away. He''d need a few seconds to recover his magic.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    But he recognised there was one among the people he stopped that was seemingly absent.


    He felt her arm against his foot and within the next moment, he recognised he was no longer looking at the ceiling but staring at the floor.


    The next moment, a loud smack was heard throughout the large room.


    With a man of well over 300 pounds on his back, she was able to slam him against the floor like she would a sledgehammer.


    It left him winded and for a brief moment, he went unconscious.


    It took three seconds before he realised what had happened but Elizabeth was already reaching her hands into his face, which was currently pressed against the floor.


    She tried to reach his eyes but he quickly positioned himself to bite the hand that came before his face. With a single bite, the only thing that was stopping his teeth was bone.


    As he tried to bite through it, Elizabeth used her other, weaker hand to start slugging his face with blows.


    He felt his magic come back and would momentarily stop her to continue the bite uninterrupted. As he felt himself going deeper into her bone, he heard footsteps approaching.


    ¡°Sigh...¡±


    He was beyond words at this point. He just wanted this to be done with. He needed all the recovery he could get from the powder and those gathered here were making that goal an absolute hell.


    He looked around, with Elizabeth''s fingers still in his mouth, and stopped all those he could see.


    The newcomers were stopped but the other three were nowhere to be seen.


    The sound of a woman struggling was heard from behind and it seemed like she was being picked up.


    He tried to stop what was behind him and seemingly succeeded when the noise stopped.


    Elizabeth had grabbed onto his shirt and delivered another blow, finally getting him to let go.


    And Tina pounced when she confirmed his focus was only on Elizabeth.


    She sliced into his mouth, cutting both cheeks open.


    (¡°I swear, if you weren''t so close to him I''d have this bastard dead.¡±) Tina commented while trying to carefully adjust the sword.


    Before she could bisect his head he stopped her then the sword.


    (¡°Where did she get that? Ah, those two newcomers. I should really focus on stopping any weapons I see.¡±)


    After Tina''s attack, he was left with an even more demonic appearance, combined with his injuries.


    During all this time he was using his sickle to mangle the bottom left side of Nigel¡¯s torso but he wasn''t sure it was enough. He needed something more to guarantee this bastard would let him go.


    And he figured it out as he held on to the chain of his weapon. He left the sickle on the now loose meat of the man holding him and dragged on the chain. He threw it upwards and into his mouth.


    His chain went further back in his mouth than expected thanks to Tina''s handiwork. The raw flesh of his cheeks rubbed against the chain before stopping. He grabbed them with his molars and tried to move his head upwards.


    Elizabeth delivered another blow to his jaw. From the sounds of the cracks, several of his molars were broken and his jaw was now fractured.


    But Elizabeth had no follow-up. She had realised her mistake and instinctively stopped.


    Blood covered her face.

 Chapter 336.5

    She reached her hand out to Nigel and Daniel released his magic for hopefully the final time on this giant oaf.


    When he grabbed the chain in his mouth it was taut. And when Elizabeth punched him, it jerked his head with more force than he would have been able to provide on his own. With the sickle still, loosely stuck in him it left quite the result.


    The sickle was dragged so hard it injured Daniel, by taking off a thin layer of skin rubbing against him. It was similar to using a boxcutter while leaning it against a ruler to get a straight cut.


    And the proverbial box got it much worse. The sickle left a massive gash in him, nearly three feet long.


    He released his hold on Daniel and he scrambled away in a mad dash. As he backed away he noticed the wound looked like it was healing?


    Well, it didn''t even matter if the man was immortal, he lacked mana and as long as Daniel felt like it, he wouldn''t be moving for as long as he lived.


    He couldn''t help but wear a small smirk, knowing he no longer had to deal with that foolishness.


    He scanned his surroundings. Three new enemies had appeared. But the blonde woman seemed to no longer have the ability to stand, which more than evened odds.


    ¡°I''m actually going to do it.¡± He said. Even he didn''t think the situation would turn in his favour.


    The group seemed more focused on staying out of his vision than attacking.


    He had what? Twenty, maybe even thirty more minutes left with powder. He could afford to savour this helplessness a little bit longer.


    No, thinking like that would get him nowhere if he left this place. He''d be spitting in the face of his lord if started half-assing it now.


    He looked to see the pink-haired woman picking up the blonde and tried to make a move.


    The swinging of a hammer had him quickly rethinking that idea as he struggled to bring both hands above his head, falling to the floor to buy himself more time.


    (¡°The woman with yellow eyes, I forgot about her.¡±)


    He assumed she was a loudmouth but she had to be commended for getting him without so much as a peep.


    She wasn''t teleporting as he could see a trail of blood leading behind her.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He already stopped her but he could hear the footsteps of the others approaching.


    He stood himself up, using her as a ledge to pull himself up on. On his ascent, he stopped three of them.


    He grabbed her hammer and stopped it as well. She was another strong one. Though with the four he had seen that could have meant anything.


    He would have slashed her throat, but her hammer had left both his arms incapable of strongly gripping anything. Especially the glorified stick of meat he used to block. It bent in ways it shouldn''t have. The hand was rendered useless by the black-haired woman but the whole arm was now out of commission.


    He delivered a quick headbutt, more out of spite than any intent to do damage and leap-frogged over her shoulder. And it was well timed as he noticed the pink-haired girl, quietly approaching with the blonde in her hands, holding her like a bride.


    He ran all the way to the entrance and made sure to put himself between it and the others.


    ¡°My hand.¡± He tried to form a fist with his hand but it looked like he was checking his nails. He tried to force them together but they wouldn''t go any further. ¡°Alright then. The moment my right hand heals, I''ll kill them all.¡±


    He coldly said to himself, seemingly on the defensive. He watched them with shifty eyes stopping any that''d go too close to the other, though not enough for it to be exploited.


    Elizabeth showed no care for the action and unashamedly crawled across the floor towards Ruby, healing her leg.


    ¡°Thanks. You''re looking pretty fucking rough. Any idea why he stopped?¡± She asked, appreciating the relief. She stepped on the leg a few times and nodded her head.


    If they survived this, Elizabeth was gonna have one hell of a headache keeping their mouths shut about this.


    ¡°I think you broke his hand. I don''t think he has any means to kill us without that sickle you see on him.¡±


    ¡°So is there a good reason we aren''t rushing him? Waiting for him to give up dear?¡± She asked, mimicking a motherly tone.


    ¡°Look at where he is. Would you want to run at him if he decided to hide somewhere in the dungeon? Think about Furor and the others.¡±


    ¡°I see. Based on your lack of reaction, the giant idiot who rushed him is fine, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Nigel should be alive.¡±


    ¡°I guess ¡°should be alive¡± is a lot better than ¡°might be alive¡±.¡±


    The others were stopped but soon made their way over.


    <hr>


    ¡°What do you mean things have gotten really bad? I thought you said they weren''t here yet!?¡±


    Tibaut had broken out into a sprint with Kevin on his back. For their own amusement, the pale women held Agnes by her hands and feet while running alongside.


    ¡°I don''t know Tibaut, I just sorta sense it you know!¡± He responded while tightly wrapping his arms around his chest.


    ¡°What are you, spiderman!? Oh forget it, can you at least tell me where we''re going?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll give you directions after this hallway. Quicker!!!!!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Damn, alright, I''m hoofing it as fast as I can!¡±


    (¡°This is bad. I keep seeing a blue path that''s slowly turning green. When we stopped it turned bright red. What the hell is going on in the dungeon? Is it gonna explode or something!?¡±) Kevin thought, shouting the directions to their goal.

 Chapter 337

    The seven of them gathered together to get a better look at the boy.


    ¡°I thought he had blonde hair,¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°Do you remember that time me and Ezekiel nearly got wiped out by that bald cultist?¡± Elizabeth responded.


    ¡°So he has that stuff. Seems kinda underwhelming compared to what you described.¡±


    ¡°Well based on what Ezekiel said, that seemed to be an exception. And we''re currently looking at the norm.¡±


    Ruby could only sigh. ¡°So this is the best-case scenario?¡± She defeatedly asked.


    ¡°Given how long that bastard survived, I believe if he did undergo that transformation, he would have killed us and died of a heart attack long before any of you arrived. So whether this is the best case or not depends on how many of us he manages to kill.¡±


    Ruby began chuckling.


    ¡°Well, ain''t that just grim. If only you and me end up dying then it''d end up being the best case, right?¡±


    ¡°Could you two not so casually speak of death?¡± Nora asked, clearly unnerved.


    She, like the rest of them, was eyeing down Daniel.


    ¡°There must be something we can do. If he can''t use his hands then there''s no better time than-¡±


    For general inconvenience and in a bid to disrupt their communication, the priest would without warning, use his magic to stop whoever was talking.


    ¡°What a cunt!¡± Tina loudly stated.


    He shrugged his shoulders and looked on.


    ¡°Watch your mouth girl,¡± Ruby stated.


    She clicked her tongue and turned her attention to Elizabeth.


    ¡°Liz, are you sure that guy is the type to run away? He could have done so as soon as he got to the entrance.¡±


    Elizabeth sighed. ¡°Take a step forward.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    She raised an eyebrow but did as she was told.


    She was frozen immediately and the priest took a step back.


    ¡°Doesn''t anyone here at least have a magic they can use?¡± Nora pleadingly asked.


    ¡°Why don''t you use yours?¡± Ruby quickly responded. She walked over and placed a hand over her shoulder.


    ¡°Get off me, you''re all hot and sticky.¡±


    ¡°You''re not much better either but getting some skin-to-skin contact is reminding me of better times.¡± She said in an alluring voice.


    Nora scoffed after thinking why hot and sweaty skin-to-skin contact reminded her of better times.


    ¡°Can''t you think of anything other sex!?¡±


    The priest looked in their direction with a disapproving glance and Nora quieted down with a blushed face.


    ¡°I can but since we''re moments away from dealing with that monster again, can''t you excuse me just this once for wanting something pleasant on the mind?¡± She gently asked while hugging Nora increasingly tighter.


    ¡°Besides, I wish I could use my magic but the stone tiles here make it impossible.¡± She turned to the two others there. ¡°Can you guys do anything?¡±


    ¡°Nope, our magic is only good at short range. I don''t think he''ll just let himself get hit if we fire off any projectiles, especially at this distance.¡± The man matter of factly responded.


    ¡°We can only hope he becomes arrogant when he heals himself,¡± Elizabeth added. (¡°It seems the damage I''ve taken isn''t something that can be healed within a few minutes. Sigh, the more this goes on, the more it seems like the answer to this situation is to kill myself. It''s a gamble and I can''t imagine Gabriel would have kind words for such a deliberate act, but if she shows me mercy I might have what it takes to kill him.¡±)


    But there were no methods to do so in a timely manner without the others stopping her. Biting her tongue wouldn''t work as her own natural healing would likely stop the bleeding before she died of blood loss. But she didn''t want to do anything too obvious. Not only would the others interfere but that bastard up front would likely see it as an opportune time to strike.


    She didn''t know how long it would take to convince her Goddess to revive her but she couldn''t imagine it taking less than five minutes.


    (¡°I could tell them but even then, I don''t have a method to kill myself without the priest seeing.¡±)


    She sat in silent contemplation on the dungeon floor, trying to think of a way out of this.


    ¡°Hmm, this should be good enough.¡± The priest stated to himself.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The hand wasn''t fully healed but it was more than healthy enough to grab his weapon.


    ¡°Phew, I can finally end this. I think I might seal this place off. With my magic in its current state, I can''t imagine that white-haired boy having the strength to break through the stones, swords and whatever other hard materials I can get my hands on.¡± He calmly stated as he watched them.


    He began walking and the entire seven of them backed away at this action.


    (¡°No, even if I tried to explain, they might think I''m going mad from the blood loss.¡±)


    Tina lifted Elizabeth off the floor.


    ¡°Spread your yourselves as far as poss-¡±


    After the first step, the priest stopped. He looked to be extending his chain out like a scythe. He extended and extended until it was a bit too close for comfort.


    And the group kept backing away, wary of such a long weapon. He soon ran out of chain but continued walking.


    A member of the group would try to sneak off and out of his vision but he''d keep them in check with such a long weapon.


    They eventually backed themselves all the way to the other end of the canteen.


    ¡°This is stupid,¡± Tina stated before walking up to it.


    ¡°Be ready to react,¡± Elizabeth said.


    ¡°Yeah, whatev-¡±


    The chain was suddenly lunged forward and Tina quickly placed her hand in front of her face.


    It sliced into her hand and she quickly grabbed the stiffened chain and pulled it forward.


    ¡°It''s no use, he can lock it in- hmm?¡± Elizabeth was going to warn her that ¡°he can likely lock the chain in the air like our own weapons¡± but-


    ¡°Tina?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    It was as though she was frozen in place.


    The sound of running was heard in the chain¡¯s direction.


    (¡°My chain transfers and conducts my magic right just like that girl''s spear. So logic dictates not only can my magic affect my spear, it can affect the things it touches as well.¡±)


    He had frozen Tina with what could be seen as a throwaway action and was increasingly gaining ground. That time he was given to rest seemed to have brought him closer to his original state.


    Within the four seconds that had passed, he cleared the distance between himself and Elizabeth. The others wasted no time scattering but one flick of the chain was all that was needed to wrap it around a few of the would-be stragglers.


    He swung the chain in their direction and caused it to go limp just before it contacted Nora. She didn''t see the danger in having the blunt chain touch them, if even for a few moments. After all, his focus was on Elizabeth, who was right in front of him. From their perspective, it just looked like he had used that unusual technique that throws his magic.


    The chain stopped Nora the instant it contacted her and it soon touched two of Ruby''s plus ones. They had never seen the chain do that and weren''t expecting it to go flaccid again.


    He quickly pulled it in and Tina regained her movement. But not for long.


    He used his magic to stop her once more and aimed for her neck.


    Elizabeth stopped the blade with her three-fingered hand but all he had to do was trip Tina''s legs to floor her. They both tumbled to the floor with Elizabeth causing more unnecessary damage to her hand by holding on to the blade.


    (¡°Damn it, at this point the only use it has is as a bludgeon!¡±)


    With essentially only one hand, trying to escape out of Tina''s clutches with her weak hand was too much. Daniel moved his foot down to stomp her head as she tried to escape. There is no doubt, that her choice to let Tina carry her would have gotten her killed.


    But Daniel jerked to the right and momentarily lost his focus. Elizabeth used the opportunity to sweep his leg with her hand and grabbed tightly onto his foot.


    Daniel had had enough and moved his blade down with the swiftness of the snake and removed most of the only functioning hand she had left.


    Before he could get back to his feet, he moved his face out of the way of an incoming boot. The noise of the stomp nearly left of his ear ringing and he quickly stopped the person responsible for the scare.


    (¡°That blow felt exactly like the one she gave me earlier.¡±) He thought as he looked up to her.


    As he moved his hand to slash her legs another pair of hands grabbed him. She twisted the skin on his arm and even ripped it open at parts.


    He knew better than to stop this woman while she held the hand that kept his weapon.


    But he quickly gave that idea up when he realised she wasn''t holding Elizabeth anymore.


    He stopped her and threw the blade into his next hand. He heard something behind him but he couldn''t turn around as his focus was directed to the other three annoyances still standing.


    He quickly stopped them all, but it wasn''t fast enough to see the threat behind him.


    Elizabeth wrapped her arm around his throat and began choking him.


    He was not in the mood to play games and with Ruby so close he felt it was obvious what he must do before she regained her movement. As Elizabeth brought him closer to nap time, he moved his blade forward and slashed at her leg. He cut it from just above the ankle and the only reason she was still standing right now was thanks to his magic.


    Elizabeth loosened her grip but this wasn''t out of concern. Daniel managed to twist himself and slash Tina''s arms. He didn''t manage a clean cut and aimed for the head with the last remnants of his consciousness. Elizabeth broke the hold and batted the blade away with her arm.


    He tried to swing his hand around to stab her but Ruby went for a kick the moment she regained her movement and sent him flying a few feet.


    He released the magic on Tina''s hands and it seemed the force of the kick was enough to release him from Tina.


    He was instantly peppered with an array of magic when he left the surroundings of the three women.


    He looked to see the others had made their move. With his chain left between Tina and Ruby, he stopped them once more before Elizabeth picked it up and threw it back at him.


    ¡°Those two¡­¡± He rubbed the areas he was hit but the damage seemed minimal.


    ¡°I can ignore them.¡±


    He got back to his feet as they shot at him, hitting mostly his head until he felt an almost personal blow to his abdomen.


    He stopped the assailant and saw it was the woman who used the claws.


    As he got up, she placed her hands against his back and kneed him.


    (¡°That''s why they were hitting my face-¡±)


    He quickly stopped her but another assailant came from outside his vision and currently had two feet on his head.


    The other woman brought his head onto the floor but he stopped it before he could receive the full impact.


    With one swift motion, he brought his blade up Agatha, leaving a gash that went from her knee to her shoulder at her side and slashed deep into Nora, leaving a gash that went through both sides of her stomach.


    Elizabeth had crawled over and tried to reach her ally still in the air.

 Chapter 338

    Given those around him, he was momentarily spared from any of that weak magic distracting him. But just to be safe, he stopped the two of them before turning his attention to Elizabeth.


    She reached her hand into the air, trying to grab the woman he slashed across her stomach. One quick glance at the other grounded woman answered a question he kept at the back of his mind.


    (¡°This healing isn''t normal. I assumed she was making shoddy repairs but this woman whose leg I sliced off seemed almost too lively.¡±)


    Before her hand, or what was left of it anyway, touched Nora, he brought his blade down and with only one strike, lopped off what was still left from the wrist up. He expected some sort of reaction from her but she didn''t show any hesitation in moving her hand and touched Nora with her stub. And the wound across her stomach healed.


    (¡°What is this woman made of?¡±) He silently wondered before kicking her. Even as she neared death, he felt bringing his body too close to her was just asking for trouble. And he''d be right as she clutched onto his leg, essentially immobilising him.


    He dug into her back with the blade before quickly taking it out and using it to block a blow from the woman with yellow eyes.


    She managed to push him back and tripped to the floor with Elizabeth still holding one of his legs.


    But the moment she punched his blade, he stopped her.


    And an unexpected kick rocked the back of his head as he fell.


    (¡°The pinkhairerererrr-¡±)


    His mind was producing nonsense after the blow and he limply fell to the floor.


    Tina looked to go for the death blow and brought her foot down on his neck. The moment it touched his neck, she was stopped.


    Elizabeth was continually stopped as well but she didn''t see the benefit of doing this instead of running away.


    She could see Nora and Agatha regain their movement and back away as quickly as they could.


    Elizabeth continued to feel her body being momentarily stopped. Interestingly, he didn''t stop Ruby until she kicked his face.


    (¡°What''s going on?¡±) She wondered. She briefly let go of his leg only holding on to his pants and nothing happened to her.


    Tina regained her movement this time and continued pressing on his neck only to be stopped again.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Elizabeth had a look at his face and his eyes were glazed over. He wasn¡¯t foaming at the mouth or anything but it was obvious he was knocked out.


    (¡°Is he doing all this by instinct!?¡±)


    The moment he had been knocked out, he had been using the stimuli of his opponent''s blows to direct his attacks.


    Elizabeth could hardly believe this. But she could also benefit greatly. After all his magic was limited against her and right now he was a sitting duck. She wasted no time pulling him closer, getting stopped briefly.


    (¡°Is there anything I could do to end this in one strike?¡±) She wondered as she brought her mangled arm backwards for a blow. One of her hands served as nothing more than decoration at this point. The other was a few feet away on the floor.


    She slugged his throat and he made an atrocious coughing noise.


    (¡°It seems like he can stop me more frequently when I''m closer.¡±) She thought with gritted teeth.


    If she had full dexterity in her hands she imagined she could rip his throat out or at the very least have gouged out his eyes.


    She delivered another earth-shattering blow to his throat at this point. Tina and Ruby watched on, surprised by their foe¡¯s passivity.


    Was it finally over?


    After the next blow, the little Daniel rolled across the floor and clutched his throat. He seemed far more conscious than earlier and Elizabeth moved in for a head butt. He narrowly dodged it and pushed her off him.


    He continued clutching his throat as Tina and Ruby pounced on him.


    Ruby kicked his spine while Tina stomped his head. He quickly stopped both and even managed to stop Tina before her attack fully landed.


    The pain of their attacks paled in comparison to the damage Elizabeth caused. He couldn''t stop the blood from flowing out of his mouth as he lay on the floor.


    (¡°I don''t think I can speak anymore.¡±) He thought as he struggled to get up.


    With the two women so close he hid behind them as Elizabeth approached and attacked at their backs. Tina wore armour so he had to make a precise stab into her, but Ruby was much less prepared and he dug into her back before slashing across it, likely injuring her spine.


    Elizabeth moved her arm to Ruby but he quickly responded by stomping on the stub.


    ¡°Fi..l.y. (Finally.)¡± He mumbled before bringing the blade down.


    Tina regained her movement and pushed him forward. He settled for a leg as he went down and stabbed into it, while dragging her away.


    Elizabeth kicked at him, struggling to get him to let go and Tina momentarily lost focus seeing Ruby fall limply to the floor, screaming in pain.


    ¡°FUCK, I CAN''T FEEL MY LEGS!!!¡± She shouted while strongly grabbing onto Tina''s leg with tears in her eyes. Within an instant, her face was reduced to a snivelling mess.


    As Daniel dragged Elizabeth away, the pair were stopped once more.


    (¡°Get ready to die. You were a worthy opponent but this has gone on far enough.¡±)


    Elizabeth turned herself around and tried to grab at his legs to no avail. She kicked with her other leg and he finally released his grasp. But they were now far enough away he felt comfortable finally killing her. As he looked around the room while dragging her, he stopped Nora and Agatha in their tracks. The moment he jumped on her, he was pelted by more ineffective magic.

 Chapter 339

    He couldn''t help but smirk, finally being able to kill this troublesome woman.


    He brought his blade down but she blocked his arm from going further with her own. He slid his arm down against hers and managed to leave a nasty cut on her forearm. It didn''t show bone but it was deep enough to fit a whole fingernail.


    Just as he was to bring the blade down he looked up to see someone approach.


    His momentary lapse in judgement allowed Elizabeth to send him flying, throwing him into the air like a sack of potatoes.


    It sent him closer to the new figure and he scrambled to get to his feet. They offered their hand and he quickly got back up.


    He couldn''t speak and could only nod his head to their cooperation.


    Elizabeth slowly turned around and saw the figure standing next to him. Tina was now on the floor, with Ruby holding her in her arms looking up at him. She gritted her and writhed in pain while looking at him.


    ¡°YOU FUCKING BASTARD WHAT ARE DOING!?¡± Ruby shouted.


    Elizabeth wondered if this was an illusion but based on Ruby''s reaction, they all appeared to be seeing the same thing. It was Tibaut standing next to him.


    (¡°A God that isn''t any of the known four wanting to be revived¡­ how''d I not put the dots together.¡±) She weakly thought while attempting to get back to her feet. Her vision darkened as she tried to get up. Was the adrenaline running thin or did the sight of him as an enemy drain all the strength she had left?


    She saw what this current version of Tibaut could do. Did she stand a chance against him with those here?


    (¡°I''m sorry lady Gabriel, I have a feeling I''ll be meeting you quite soon. I can only hope you allow me to ret¡­ urn¡­.quickly enough to save anyone here.¡±)


    Her head slowly went down as she looked to be fighting tiredness, before slamming face-first into the ground.


    The hearts of everyone else watching sank. Elizabeth was down. And it looked like Tibaut had joined up with the priest. What the hell was going on here?


    But even in such dire circumstances everyone, except Ruby, kept their mouths shut if it that they''d get to live even a moment longer.


    Father Daniel quickly turned behind when he heard footsteps approaching and almost began laughing at what he saw. It was two of those women who had become closer to his lord. It seemed they had an interest in the red-headed boy and followed him around.


    The red-headed man took a step forward but he stopped him with a gesture. He looked back to see what the issue was. He could tell there was palpable disgust on his face.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    (¡°Uwah, it seems I''ll have to really sell him on these girls.¡±)


    He wanted to communicate ¡°Please don''t kill the blonde, I''d very much like to see the result she produces when I drain her mana and give her some of the divine powder.¡± But his throat wasn''t going to be delivering anything of that length for the next few hours at least. He dreaded to think what would become of him when the powder''s effects ran out but with the redhead here, he prayed he''d at least bring him back to the homeland to explain his actions if he did pass out.


    He pointed to Elizabeth and shook his head and turned the man to Ruby, who was still screaming expletives at him on the floor.


    He turned to Daniel and tapped his shoulder. He felt a heat build up on his shoulder and quickly tried to push his hand away.


    (¡°Is that fool really so foolish to attempt something like with around!?¡±)


    He wasn''t quick enough. Tibaut created a fireball over his hand and reduced his blade hand to mere decoration.


    He managed to nick Tibaut¡¯s hand but the bastard kept his hand moving and managed to throw a punch through the dust of the explosion sending him to the floor.


    He had stopped him but a fireball flying into his back told him otherwise. He quickly looked up to see him still motionless.


    Another fireball assaulted his back, burning the remnants of the rags he wore.


    (¡°I forgot he could attack with my magic active!¡±)


    Each time he tried to pull himself up his back would wracked with another fireball. It also didn''t help that his current position on the floor didn''t allow him to see him. Worst of all, he was sure the ones he slowed down the boy would detonate with other fireballs, rendering his efforts useless.


    Through Tibaut¡¯s onslaught, he charred the priest''s back and even had parts of his rib showing.


    (¡°I am not going to die here by the likes of a parasite like you!!! I have gone through too much to be stopped here. My lord has blessed me today and I shall not let those blessings go to waste!!¡±)


    As the fireballs assaulted his back he gritted his teeth and persevered through the pain of his flesh being used as a cinder, to get up.


    Tibaut aimed one at his head and the little priest managed to move his head out of the way and swung the blade in his other hand towards Tibaut. He had swapped hands while grounded.


    <hr>


    ¡°Huh? What the hell do you mean you''re not supposed to come in with me?¡±


    Tibaut asked with an arm dragging on Kevin. They were currently outside a large room and even from the distance they were standing, the sounds of combat and screaming could be heard. He hadn''t taken a look inside but he didn''t imagine it would be pretty.


    ¡°I''m saying it''d be better for you to go in by yourself!¡± Kevin responded, trying to keep his voice down. ¡°I don''t why, but it seems like it''d be the best move for you alone to go in!¡± He insisted.


    ¡°Stop fucking around and follow me, you''re useful in a fight I don''t see why you''re getting cold feet now.¡±


    The light provided by Kevin''s eyes slowly changed from blue to greenish blue.


    ¡°Just go in, trust me on this!¡± He said before attempting to push Tibaut.


    Tibaut sighed deeply. ¡°Is it related to your mag-¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is, now go!! I''m not sure what''s gonna happen if we delay!¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, it''s time-based!? Why didn''t you just say that.¡± He quickly turned around and ran into the room.


    Kevin breathed a sigh and leaned against a nearby wall to catch his breath.


    (¡°I don''t know why but whenever I approach that room it turns red. What the hell is going on in there and why is Tibaut required to go through it alone?¡±)

 Chapter 340

    The moment Tibaut entered the room, he was surprised by how massive it was.


    (¡°Holy shit, what is this place?¡±) He wondered while running towards the figures he saw in the room.


    Standing up was a familiar pink-haired woman and on the ground next to her was¡­ he honestly couldn''t tell looking from behind. They made some loud screams which unnerved him as he approached ever closer.


    Tina had crouched to the person on the floor and seemed to be touching a wound on their back.


    (¡°Ugh, that looks nasty.¡±) Even from a few metres away, he could tell they were in quite a rough shape.


    Further ahead he saw¡­ was that Elizabeth on the floor? Oh no.


    Even considering the words the drake gave regarding their matter, he couldn''t imagine she''d be too thrilled to see him. Even if she did allow him to leave, he didn''t imagine she was too happy he fucked off to God''s knows where, when they were in the middle avenging someone pretty close to all of them and putting a permanent end to a threat they''d all regarded as a threat.


    He sighed as he approached closer, imagining the lecture she''d have for him when this was all over.


    But who was she fighting? He looked young and unlike the little bastard priest he fought earlier, his torso was showing and his hair was black.


    Regardless he must have been pretty skilled to get Elizabeth on the floor. He only spared them a glance but he imagined with so many here she wasn''t in any real danger.


    The only reason Tina was occupied was because she was tending to an injured ally. The other four standing about were likely to do something.


    But why did Kevin say only he was allowed to go in? Was he overthinking it? All he needed to do was jump that black-haired kid, which as far as he saw was the only enemy and defeat him.


    (¡°Are you sure about that?¡±) The drake asked. (¡°Oh well, it is your life after all.¡±)


    He wasn''t sure what the old bitch was complaining about. He reached his hand out to touch Tina but as he got another look at Elizabeth¡­


    (¡°!?¡±)


    Now he was closer, he could see she was looking rough! Parts of one hand were gone and another hand was gone entirely.


    (¡°What the fuck are those idiots doin-¡±)


    He gritted his teeth and quickly looked at others in the room other than Tina.


    One took a few steps forward before being stopped completely. It was similar to something he had seen earlier. He focused more on Elizabeth''s attacker and¡­


    (¡°How the hell?¡±) It was a priest he encountered earlier, in a substantially rougher shape than how he fought him.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    He stood like a deer in headlights watching the two of them struggle.


    (¡°What? How? Was he always that powerful? I thought his range was no more than-¡±)


    (¡°Do you remember that powder he was talking about earlier? It seems he''s taken some. I swear, you''re unbearable when you don''t put two and two together.¡±) The drake responded.


    He saw him stop someone nearly twenty metres away with just a glance. How the hell was he going to stop him? Another odd thing was how long he stopped those people compared to Elizabeth. He stopped her in the same length of time he stopped Tibaut earlier but the woman he stopped was still frozen in place after three seconds.


    (¡°Did it make his magic stronger? Then how is- nevermind for now I''ll just assume he can stop me for the same amount of time.¡±)


    In the brief seconds that passed Tibaut''s mind went into overdrive.


    Kevin said he met the priest earlier. I healed him.


    He doesn''t know I''m an adventurer.


    Would he think I sided with them if I showed up with Kevin?


    How am I going to defeat him?


    Does he still think we''re on the same side despite being enemies?


    How do I get closer to him without getting stopped?


    I know Elizabeth can come back from the dead and she seemed almost nonchalant about it, but, but this bastard has been putting her through the fucking wringer. Who hell does he think he is leaving her like that?


    Every fucking time he meets someone in this world it seems some bastard has it out for them, is he not allowed to have a fami-


    He snapped out of his thoughts and quickly thought up a plan.


    Tina looked around and noticed him. She sighed and turned back around and got back to her feet.


    ¡°About time, you got back- Guaha!?¡±


    She tried to turn around and struggled to get his hands off her neck. Her fingers dug into his skin but she eventually passed out after another few seconds. He gently laid her on the floor and tried to get the priest''s attention with a fireball.


    He made a bang but the priest seemed heavily focused on Elizabeth. He began approaching and the priest through a stroke of luck noticed him.


    Elizabeth quickly pushed him off and turned to see Tibaut walking up to them.


    She tried to get on her knees but seemed incapable of even that.


    (¡°I''m sorry for running off.¡±) He thought as he approached.


    The priest looked like he had seen a miracle when he was picked up by Tibaut.


    He tried to mouth something but based on the bruise on his throat it seemed unlikely he was going to figure out what he was saying.


    (¡°I can read lips if you so desire!¡±) The voice in his head cheerily stated.


    (¡°You''re another one. If it wasn''t for you this wouldn''t have happened.¡±)


    (¡°Whoopsie! Can you fowgive widdle owd me?¡±) They responded in a pleasantly soft and almost vulnerable tone of voice. Which made it all the more infuriating.


    He nearly let out a roar of anguish at this insult but managed to contain it. His face still gave away his true feelings but he couldn''t care less.


    The priest soon pointed to Elizabeth and signalled for Tibaut to leave her alone. Did he think Tibaut was incapable of handling her in such a state? Or did he know the supposed value she had? After all, she did mention if anyone were to find out, it''d make her life convenient. And with these bastards, he could see it being a living hell.


    He couldn''t hold it in anymore and tried to form a fireball.

 Chapter 341

    (¡°What an impatient man. If you had acted like an ally for more than a minute I don''t think it would have taken long to get a suitable opportunity to deliver a death blow. Sigh, it seems I''m going to be reduced to one experiment left in the world.¡±)


    <hr>


    Tibaut moved his hand into Daniel¡¯s face but he was too slow. The priest had stopped him and was now aiming for his neck.


    (¡°DIE, you miserable whelp. Blame whatever master put you up to this in hell!¡±)


    The blade was just inches from Tibaut¡¯s chin.


    Poom


    "What was that sound?" Was what everyone other than the priest was thinking.


    The moment it hit, he knew what it was. But how did it happen? When he fell to the floor the others were in his range and he wasted no time stopping them. Was it the pink-haired woman? Were they tricking him? No, he couldn''t feel the touch of anyone behind.


    It was the woman whose spine he severed. It looked as though she didn''t need the hammer to do that strange attack.


    Damn her! Damn her and her stupid magic. But maybe he could still salvag-


    His face slammed directly into Tibaut¡¯s open palm. He felt the heat building in his mouth.


    He tried to back his face away but the small ball created was more than enough to rattle his brain and destroy all the teeth in his mouth. It burned the inside of it as well, and even singed the passage that led to his nose, making every subsequent breath an endurance of pain.


    He held onto his throat by instinct and coughed for air. If it wasn''t for the powder, that would have likely killed him. But was it worth it in the end?


    By the time he fell to his knees, he was still unconscious. A few seconds passed before regaining consciousness and he began clutching his throat.


    He felt a hand on his neck and within the next moments, a smouldering crater was formed in his neck.


    It exposed his oesophagus to the outside and even surpassed the nose and mouth as an intake of air.


    Tibaut reached his finger into it, astounded he was still alive after and hooked his fingers into it. The priest no longer had the wherewithal to fight back and was struggling to even form thoughts.


    He pulled upwards on his exposed oesophagus and the sound of muscle fibres being ripped rang through the air before-


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    (¡°It''s a travesty you managed to survive that idiotic mistake.¡±) The voice bitterly commented.


    After hearing this, Tibaut was briefly confused until he let go of Daniel and the man fell to the floor without so much as a twitch.


    The moment Tibaut delivered the fireball to his neck, he was paralysed from the neck down. The pulling on his opened throat was nothing more than a victory lap.


    He fell to the floor and caught his breath.


    (¡°If we have to deal with the man in black now, we''re screwed.¡±)


    He continued to catch his breath before standing back up. The pale women behind him breathed a sigh of relief. They gave Daniel the benefit of the doubt, but make no mistake, the instant his blade deeply sliced Tibaut, they would have interfered.


    <hr>


    Golden clouds surrounded her all around. A blue sky went as far as she could tell. It seemed like all the clouds were on the floor in this strange world.


    She looked down and noticed that she was sitting down on an intricately carved, wooden chair.


    Before was a table with a teapot and several teacup sets.


    A pale hand poured some tea into the cup in front of her.


    ¡°Ah, how nice of you to visit.¡± The voice stated before walking closer to her and nuzzling her face against Elizabeth''s cheek.


    She took some time to comprehend where she was. After looking at the lady nuzzling her, tears started to form in her eyes.


    She seemed choked up trying to answer.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± She softly stated. She held up to the woman''s dress like a child being told off. She brought her face into the pale and beautiful woman''s body.


    ¡°How long has passed?¡± She asked. She had been blankly staring into the sky for some time now.


    ¡°Ah, out there. Hmm, about ten minutes.¡± The woman standing next to her hugged her head and ran a hand through her hair.


    Elizabeth clenched her dress tighter. The woman could tell Elizabeth was bawling. She could feel the moisture form on her dress.


    ¡°I''m sorry everyone.¡± She started, trying to hold back her tears. ¡°I''m sorry Goddess.¡± She simply stated. She continued crying into her torso for several minutes while Gabriel nodded. She held a smile on her face and continued to rub her head as Elizabeth cried into her.


    (¡°Ah, what''s this bliss I''m feeling?¡±) The Goddess thought to herself. (¡°The usually cold Elizabeth is crying into my bosom. Is she seeking comfort in me, even though I might be disappointed in her? Ah, how nice, is this what motherhood is like?¡±)


    ¡°Cheer up my child,¡± Gabriel stated.


    Elizabeth looked up to her with snot formed on her face. ¡°But¡­ but¡­ I didn''t listen to you and now¡­ they''re all dead. Tina, Ezekiel, Lily, Furor, Ruby they''re all gone!¡± She said as she tried to keep her voice down.


    ¡°Don''t you care that you died?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No¡­ the fact I couldn''t save them makes this somewhat easier to accept.¡± She said as she wiped her tears away. ¡°Thank you for the power you''ve bestowed upon, Lady Gabriel but, it seems¡­¡± She sighed and looked directly into her face. ¡°It seems this power is something I''m not wort-¡±


    ¡°You''re alive.¡±


    Elizabeth blankly stared at her for a moment. ¡°I''m sorry Lady Gabriel?¡±


    ¡°You''re alive. In fact, I think someone''s drawing on your face.¡±

 Chapter 342

    Elizabeth blankly looked at her with her messy face and soon stopped her snivelling.


    ¡°I''m sorry Lady Gabriel, could you repeat that, I think I misheard you.¡±


    The woman in front of her clapped her hands together and a black screen appeared behind her.


    ¡°Hmm, I do wonder who would dare draw on your fa-¡±


    The black-haired beauty turned around to see the screen as well. It looked like someone was opening their eyes.


    Elizabeth was taken so aback by Gabriel and the ensuing screen, that she wondered if this was a fever dream of some kind.


    ¡°Maybe this is some delusion caused by blood loss? Ugh, I can''t imagine what''s in store for me when I meet he-¡±


    ¡°FINALLY!¡±


    The black-haired woman exclaimed, frightening Elizabeth. She focused back on the screen and saw what looked like-


    Disgust took over her face when she saw what was on the screen in full view.


    It was two, wait no, there was another one that was in the frame now! There were three of those blasted women that looked similar to that bald fuck that nearly got her killed.


    ¡°I¡­ what hell is this?¡± She muttered at the sight. ¡°There were more of them!?¡± She exclaimed. She heard that priest talk about creating more but she thought it was only the one. And based on their appearances, either the one Elizabeth had fought the others had healed already or there were four of them at minimum. She didn''t like either option and held her head in disbelief.


    But wait a second, why was her Goddess showing her this?


    She got a better look at the screen and realised that those women were rubbing their fingers against whatever the source of the screen was.


    Their fingers looked like they had been cut open and bled blackish blood. What uncivilised creatures, what were they doing?


    Someone soon walked into the frame. They had red hair and now wore a shirt. It was Tibaut.


    ¡°Guh¡­¡± She said weakly. She felt like she had a knife slowly driven into her back seeing his face again. She turned away and walked back towards the table, her eyes lifeless. Until she heard his voice.


    ¡°Oi, what are guys doing? Ugh, don''t tell that''s- I suppose blood is a better alternative. What''s your guys'' beef with Elizabeth anyway? As soon as you guys saw her you''ve been doing stuff like giving her wedgies and stealing her bra. I even saw one of you try to get some of her blood on her panty, that''s just cruel. Ugh, though I don''t think I''d have the heart to tell her that was your guys¡¯ doing.¡±


    He quickly walked over and pulled them off of her and his words left Elizabeth with a vein bulging on her forehead.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Huh? Did one of you guys leave her eyes open?¡±


    That confirmed what she suspected. It was her body.


    ¡°Lady Gabriel¡­¡± Elizabeth asked in a low tone.


    She walked closer to get a better view of her Goddess. Her face soon returned to a neutral expression after seeing her face.


    ¡°G-gabriel!?¡± She asked.


    Her Goddess¡¯s face looked more demonic than any of the three women she saw on the screen.


    ¡°That Jezebel, when I find your main body I''ll- (They think they can take her clothes off and view those parts of my Saint!!!)¡±


    Her teeth gritting was audible but she quickly changed her expression upon getting a glimpse of the nearby Elizabeth.


    ¡°Hohoho,¡± she laughed with a hand held under her chin. ¡°It seems I got distracted.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± She looked back through the screen. ¡°Are we seeing through the eyes of my dead body, Lord Gabri-¡±


    The woman similar in height with black hair placed a finger on her lips and shushed her.


    ¡°Now, now, Elizabeth, how many times am I going to tell you? Call me Gabby. Can you do that for me, Lizzy?¡± She asked with a gentle smile. And even with such a gentle smile, there was a silent resolve in her words that unnerved Elizabeth.


    ¡°As you wish, Gabr- Gabby.¡± She quickly corrected herself.


    The woman wrapped her arms around her and hugged her. Her soft bosom touched against Elizabeth''s and Elizabeth remarked at its softness before getting back on topic.


    ¡°That''s my dead bod-¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth, you''re so stubborn sometimes. As I said you''re not dead but alive.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± She looked back at the image. ¡°But what about the being in Tibaut¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Yo, you call?¡±


    Both women looked at each other before looking at the source of the noise. Sitting on a chair was a young person no older than 16, no younger than 14 in appearance, that Elizabeth could, with no confidence, say was male or female.


    ¡°Urgh, you''re here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed I am.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Who''s that G-gab¡­Gabby.¡±


    ¡°That''s somebody that doesn''t deserve mention invading my privacy.¡± She said before turning her face away. ¡°Just ignore him, despite what he thinks, he can be quite impulsive when it comes to humans.¡±


    They stuck their tongue at Gabriel but she ignored them. ¡°That being in Tibaut is well¡­ all I''ll say is you won''t have to worry about anything happening to you. I feel it is the boy that will suffer greatly from this.¡±


    She wasn''t sure how to react to that news but she couldn''t help but feel somewhat relieved that this thing that inhabited Tibaut had no ill intent for her.


    ¡°Hah, what a quintessential human you have picked Gabriel. She''s so unashamed in her relief now that the problem doesn''t affect her.¡± They commented with a snicker.


    Elizabeth quickly turned to him but Gabriel covered her mouth.


    ¡°Lizzy, don''t waste your breath. That thing is the forefront expert in infuriating humans.¡±


    ¡°Also, I assume they''re responsible for the cultists?¡± She said, unsure.


    ¡°No, that is another matter entirely.¡±

 Chapter 343

    After confirming the biggest topic on her mind, the two stood in silence, Elizabeth taking time to process the information.


    ¡°I''m not dead?¡± She weakly commented.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Then, why am I here?¡± She asked, not fully convinced. Maybe it was a dream after all. Why else would there be a weird person there with them?


    ¡°While you didn''t die, you were close to it. As you drifted between life and death, I decided to bring you here in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°I''m not dead?¡± She whispered to herself while examining her hands. She felt her face and realised she still had some tears left on her face. She blushed before quickly wiping her face off and clearing her throat, pretending that the first few minutes she was here never happened.


    She heard the boy snickering in the background but, for her own sake, she tried to ignore him.


    ¡°How thoughtful of you my Lady. There are a few things I''d like to discuss while we''re here if you don''t mind.¡±


    ¡°If you''re asking about the Lord those cultists worship, then I have an inkling.¡±


    The boy sitting down raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°But, it isn''t important currently. Just know these cultists are something I may eventually call upon your help for in the future, so the quicker you can use my magic the better!¡±


    ¡°As you say, my Goddess.¡±


    Gabriel soon had Elizabeth''s cheeks in her clutches and amused herself and only herself by stretching them as Elizabeth kept a straight face.


    (¡°Sigh, is she teasing me for my shameful display earlier?¡±) Elizabeth thought.


    No, this was something she would have whether she cried or not.


    ¡°I assume the matter with Tibaut is something I should sort out in my own time?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She continued pulling on her cheeks, using Elizabeth as a glorified fidget toy. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°But how did I survive?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You''d have to ask those friends of yours when you leave. You drifted in and out of consciousness during that time so I have no clear idea of what they did.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    They heard some slurping and Gabriel couldn''t look more displeased if she tried.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Goddess?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but it seems like this is important.¡±


    Elizabeth immediately vanished and the woman turned her sights to the boy at the table. She walked over, stomping her feet with every step before forcefully dragging out a chair and sitting down open-legged with her arms crossed like a delinquent.


    ¡°I get a one in a million chance to spend time with my Saint and here you come to ruin the mood. Are you proud of yourself, _____?¡±


    The sour expression soon faded and a smirk took its place.


    ¡°I have an inkling.¡± She said coyly.


    "Mind telling what that inkling is, dear?¡±


    She gagged before sticking her tongue. ¡°Never call me that again, you miserable excuse of God. From my time being a god, I''ve seen the characteristics of what can make a good man and frankly, you have none of them.¡±


    He looked at her and kicked his legs under the chair. ¡°I don''t care about this obsession with femininity Gabriel, just tell your good friend what you know about that group, please?¡±


    He said while clasping his hands together.


    ¡°Unless you''re praying to me, I''d suggest you stop that and look or ask elsewhere. I''m pretty sure you''d have this information too if you created your own church, but if you want to join, I''ll accept as long as you go through rigorous training.¡±


    He leaned his head against the table and continued kicking his feet in the air, even contacting the table.


    She turned her face but didn''t stop him from doing so. She knew he was trying to annoy her.


    ¡°Hahaha, you''re a true comedian if you expect to interact with those things called humans so willingly, Gabriel. You all took our father''s word so liberally and have formed such strong bonds with those insects. Don''t you feel disgusted with how you coddle that human?¡±


    ¡°If we are to ensure their survival I see no problem with interacting with them. Let''s stop this here, we''ve argued topics like this enough.¡±


    ¡°And I always win the arguments.¡± They confidently said with a smug expression.


    ¡°Will you not leave?¡± She asked. He remained seated.


    ¡°And have you brought that woman back? I know she''s barely regained her health, so you''d snap her right back the instant I left. And why would I leave one of my best friends alone with one of those humans?¡±


    She gritted her teeth at his words but removing him from this place would be laborious even for her. She was already imagining the look of delight on his after getting him out only to realise Elizabeth was healthy enough to no longer be summoned here. He''d done something similar with a previous Saint, which to this day remains a vivid memory for her.


    <hr>


    Elizabeth woke up to see Tibaut, Lily and Tina resting nearby. Something seemed to have woken up Tibaut and he fell to the floor. He was resting on what appeared to be a toppled pillar of some kind.


    Her initial focus was on those around her but now that she got a better look at this place¡­ where was she?


    The murals on the wall looked far more detailed than on the third floor and the walls and floor were made of a far darker material. Where were they?


    And her body seemed different as well.


    (¡°This pain¡­¡±)


    She clenched her hand in addition to moving her wrist and each movement felt like it would rip her hand off.


    She looked at her other hand and only the fingers felt anywhere near as damaged.


    But a question came into her mind.


    (¡°Why do I still have hands with fully intact digits?¡±)

 Chapter 344

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Tibaut mumbled as he got off the floor. Seeing Elizabeth stare into his eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief before walking over.


    ¡°You''re finally awake-¡±


    Even in her deplorable state, she managed to get to her feet and tackle Tibaut to the floor.


    ¡°Guh!? What the hell Elizabet-¡±


    She pressed her elbow against his throat.


    ¡°I''m sorry Tibaut but you''re not the one I''m interested in talking to. Come on out you demon, or else I''ll leave this toy yours in state even you can''t salvage.¡±


    Tibaut struggled trying to answer with her body weight pressed against her throat.


    ¡°E--Eli-Elizabeth! Calm down, what the hell is up with you!?¡± He desperately asked, trying to get her off him.


    ¡°Reveal yourself demon, I won''t take no for an answer.¡±


    She pressed harder against Tibaut¡¯s throat and the boy began fading. After his eyes began closing, she rolled her eyes and eased up off of Tibaut¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Ow, what the?¡± She looked down at her feet to see them wrapped in gauze.


    Within the few steps she took to Tibaut her legs were searing with pain.


    But there was no visible blood blotting the gauze.


    Tibaut coughed as he looked towards her. Both were on the floor, with Elizabeth firmly on top of him.


    She noticed the boy start blushing, noticing their current positions.


    ¡°C-could you get off me, please?¡± He softly asked.


    She looked around and their ruckus hadn''t woken up the others.


    She moved her lower half closer to his stomach and away from his ¡°greatsword¡±, hoping the hardness she felt rubbing against her thigh was a knife handle.


    ¡°Tch, so the demon chooses to hide itself. I suppose you''ll have to do it.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth, please, get off of me. Did my uh, acting really freak you out that much?¡±


    ¡°Are you so surprised I''d react that way considering how you left!?¡± She said.


    She gave a glance and the others remained silent.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Aren''t you the one that let me go?¡± He asked, unsure.


    She was about to respond, but she decided not to let her anger get the better of her.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°(I knocked him unconscious for that demon to appear. Was that the trigger?) Do you remember what happened when I knocked you out?¡±


    ¡°(I guess there''s no point trying to hide it...) Ugh, not really. I just remember waking up a few miles away. Considering how you''re reacting it seemed you talked to the miserable old bitch. She told me you let me off.¡± He said as he shook his head remembering the bitter times they''ve had together since.


    ¡°(I see she isn''t a very thoughtful house guest.) Now,¡± she cracked her knuckles and brought her face closer to Tibaut. ¡°(To think I''d take advantage of his weakness to the opposite sex¡­) What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing. Out. Here?¡±


    Tibaut was almost in tears. The weight and softness of a woman on top of him mixed with the Enma currently staring into his soul would likely have awakened a dangerous fetish in him in any other context.


    ¡°I''ll answer, I''ll answer just please get off me!¡± He begged, praying to whatever Gods that existed in this world or any other that she wouldn''t back up to get off him.


    (¡°He really is easy to intimidate with sex appeal.¡±) She thought not understanding the complex emotions he went through within those few seconds. She started to feel bad and got off him (thankfully by sliding off the side of him).


    She staggered to get to her feet, the pain building every moment she remained on her feet. After getting himself, he ended up giving her a hand and a shoulder as they walked towards a nearby fallen pillar.


    ¡°You call me careless but I don''t think I''d ever have the balls to walk barefooted over those nasty-looking caltrops.¡±


    ¡°I can die more than once. You can''t.¡±


    He set her down on the pillar, her face radiating with relief thanks to her feet no longer pressing against the floor and Tibaut gently sat beside her.


    ¡°Explain quickly.¡±


    ¡°Right. Honestly, I had no idea I was coming here either, they just told me they wanted something to check out.¡±


    ¡°They were inquiring about something? Could they not have come themselves?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Honestly, it wouldn''t surprise me if they could. (Wait, can I even talk about them?)¡±


    (¡°Hmm? Oh, sure, go ahead.¡±) The disinterestedly approved.


    (¡°What do you mean? What about the time she was chasing me down? Why were you so insistent on being secretive then?¡±)


    (¡°Yawn, I wonder if that friend of yours is still sleeping.¡±)


    A moment later he could no longer hear their voice.


    (¡°I don''t think there are words that exist that can describe my hatred for you¡­¡±)


    (¡°Really? I think you''re just being lazy.¡±)


    He tried to keep a calm demeanour but the room''s sudden silence was deafening to Elizabeth.


    (¡°He''s suddenly stopped responding and looks quite irritated. Is he...?¡±)


    She continued observing him as he stared off into space while growing perturbed in appearance.


    (¡°It really does seem I''ll have to render him unconscious if I want to talk to that thing. I''d be too dangerous even if I was healthy but at least I know the option is there if the time calls for it.¡±)


    He noticed her gaze and quickly cleared his throat.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I''m just a bit tired is all. Ugh, what were we talking about again?¡±


    ¡°(I really should teach him how to keep a steady face when lying. Or maybe it''s to my betterment that he doesn''t.) What was the voice inquiring about exactly?¡±


    Tibaut turned and pointed to something.


    (¡°Well, isn''t that something.¡±) She remarked while gazing at the structure.


    It was a massive gate nearly thrice her size, with various demonic imagery over it. On top of it were three winged creatures. Two of them were moving.

 Chapter 345

    ¡°(If I remember correctly from my time with the Goddess¡­) Tibaut those things are friendly right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You''re taking this a lot better than Ruby and Tina. Even Kevin wasn''t as calm about this as you are.¡±


    ¡°I don''t imagine you''d be calm if they were enemies. Now what is that gate there?¡±


    Tibaut discussed what he heard from the voice and she scoffed when he reached the end of it.


    ¡°So they were looking for someone and mistook this portal to hell for them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He responded, sounding as if he was the one responsible.


    ¡°What an utter load of bollocks.¡± She said.


    ¡°I''m not lying!¡± He said.


    (¡°I know. I don''t think you could have crafted such an infuriating lie.¡±)


    The thought that her unnecessary injury and her damaged sword could have been prevented if that feckless little wanker in his head had even an ounce of patience, left her more tormented than any soul of hell.


    ¡°Also,¡±


    ¡°Tibaut, can we switch to other matters for now? I know this is a bit rude of me to say but if you continue talking about that thing, I don''t know if I have the strength to stop myself from bludgeoning you.¡±


    She said while strongly clutching the pillar.


    Tibaut quickly changed the topic and began speaking of anything that came to mind, such as the pale women, Agnes and the travel down here.


    <hr>


    ¡°A survivor of Albus you say? Hmph, that man is truly vile.¡±


    With vile things on the mind, her thoughts jumped to Saito and then, the little priest.


    ¡°Right, the priest!¡±


    (¡°Huh, how''d we get here?¡±) Tibaut wondered.


    ¡°How''d you defeat him and what happened after? Why do I still have my limbs?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was honestly pretty amazing to watch it in real-time. I-¡±


    He gave a brief rundown of what happened after she fell unconscious and after the priest was defeated.


    <hr>


    After they could confirm the priest was incapacitated, Kevin rushed into the room.


    ¡°Sweety, why the hell are those things with you!?¡± Ruby snarled at her. ¡°And what the hell was thinking of choking out Tina huh!? Answer me you little bastard, want me to rip your dick off to get an answer?¡±


    He''d never seen her so¡­ spirited, so he was briefly taken aback.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Listen we need to get Elizabeth some help fir-¡±


    ¡°I don''t give a shit, give me an answer before I crawl over there and get it out myself!!¡± She shouted as she crawled towards him.


    As he was pleading with her to calm down, he didn''t realise Elizabeth had begun some crawling of her own and grabbed Ruby''s hand, with glazed-over eyes.


    Before either could pose a question, she healed her and promptly went limp.


    Ruby got up, her face still soured and immediately started tending to Elizabeth.


    ¡°I''ll deal with you later, let''s focus on Elizabeth for the time being.¡± She reluctantly answered.


    ¡°R-right. (This was the right choice right?)¡±


    As some walked over, with others already rushing out the room hoping to collect medical supplies, one Kevin was noticed walking around the room picking things up.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lily asked as she rushed over.


    ¡°A lot,¡± Agatha responded.


    The moment Nigel gained movement he fell unconscious. The wounds he took in addition to Elizabeth''s healing sapping away stamina, left him sleeping like a baby on the cold stone floor.


    The group tried to use pieces of their attire as tourniquets but it was a miracle she was still bleeding with the amount of blood she lost.


    ¡°Gods, is she gonna make it?¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°Shit,¡± He clapped his hands to attract the attention of the pale women. Most of the group backed away except Ruby.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She coldly asked.


    ¡°There are some healing potions on the fifth floor, if they help me out we can get there in the next five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Then wait until we finish, there''s no point if she bleeds out getting there.¡±


    As they continued to stop bleeding where they could, Kevin came over with a hand and various fingers.


    He showed no hesitation in attaching her hand back to her arm and grabbed Tibaut¡¯s hand to hold it in place.


    He walked to her other hand and placed her fingers back on. The cuts were relatively clean so they snuggly went back in place.


    ¡°Kevin.¡± Lily firmly stated.


    ¡°Dear, I don''t think you''re helping much,¡± Ruby added.


    ¡°Isn''t this the shit who ran away?¡± Agatha snidely remarked.


    ¡°K-kevin what are you-¡± Tibaut asked before realising it wasn''t as silly as it seemed.. (¡°Does he know!?¡±)


    Based on the blush on Kevin''s cheeks, Tibaut guessed not. He looked embarrassed holding her fingers on her hand but never stopped.


    ¡°Don''t you think that''s enough?¡± Agatha asked as she got behind him.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Tibaut exclaimed. ¡°(Shit, I know she said she has natural regeneration but how do I say that without giving away her secret?) You might not know this but Elizabeth¡­ Can heal herself.¡±


    The group looked on in annoyance.


    ¡°Boy, what the hell are you talking about?¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°No, I''m being serious. It''s just that¡­ it''s not very quick.¡±


    ¡°Tibaut, Kevin I think I''m going to ask the both of you to lea-¡±


    (¡°Oh screw it, I''ll just show her.¡±) He placed Elizabeth''s hand in her hand and she looked disappointed.


    ¡°What are you-¡± As she tried to pull Elizabeth''s hand away she noticed several new, albeit small, strands of flesh connecting the hand to the arm.


    ¡°....¡±


    The others looked, shocked that what came out of Tibaut''s mouth wasn''t manure.


    ¡°I don''t know how long she can keep this up but it''s probably better than leaving them off,¡± Tibaut added.


    Kevin sighed in relief, thankful his eyes didn''t lead him astray.


    <hr>


    ¡°Did you add anything to that explanation?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°No, they thought it wasn''t relevant since it looked true.¡±


    (¡°I am going to need a whole notepad of explanations by the time we leave here¡­¡±)

 Chapter 346

    ¡°Hmm, I assume the others are exploring the area?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Yeah, they brought Kevin along with them to explore the rest of the dungeon¡­ though with how big it is I''m not sure if they''ll get through it anytime soon.¡± He said as he got up from the pillar.


    She grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Where do you think you''re going?¡± She firmly asked.


    ¡°(Why are you treating me like a criminal?) Uh, is something wrong Elizabeth?¡± He asked as he brought his derriere back down on the pillar. He didn''t know why she was so suspicious of him leaving but he sure as hell wasn''t going to resist her.


    ¡°(I guess he should be fine as he isn''t unconscious, but now I feel even more encouraged to keep an eye on him.) I''m just curious where you were headed.¡± She asked in a substantially less aggressive tone than the former statement.


    In a rare mistake from Elizabeth, she seemed to have forgotten he no longer posed a great threat anymore. Did her encounter with the drake leave a lasting impact on her?


    ¡°Oh, I guess you probably don''t want me running away again. Don''t worry, I should be able to give you some explanation in advice about those sorts of things from now on. (Right?)¡±


    (¡°Sure, do whatever.¡±) They responded. (¡°Sigh, what a disappointment. That group sounds somewhat interesting but I can''t imagine you''ll be encountering them anymore and based on their skills they''re likely just pawns.¡±)


    (¡°What are tal-¡±) The drake paid no attention to Tibaut¡¯s prattling and continued on.


    (¡°I really believed you would have been of use to me. Farewell, experiment. I don''t think there''ll ever be a time I''ll need you again, but I will keep you in mind if I need a pawn to be sacri-¡±) They stated before fading away.


    ¡°Huh!?¡± Tibaut exclaimed.


    Elizabeth gave him a suspicious glance.


    ¡°Uh, I think I just got dumped?¡±


    He told the words he could remember them saying before they vanished.


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Elizabeth looked conflicted by his statement. He had potential and he was genuinely a major help to him. But with that thing, his potential skyrocketed to the same level as her. It''d be a massive loss if that thing truly did leave before he could tame them but the benefit of a more manageable Tibaut wasn''t to be underestimated.


    Before they could discuss more about it, Elizabeth turned her head to one of their seemingly sleeping companions.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°(It seems we will have to discuss this later.) Are you not going to greet me, Tina?¡±


    She flinched and immediately gave up the ruse. She picked herself up off the floor and looked towards them.


    ¡°Aren''t you two chummy as always?¡± She remarked as she strolled over. ¡°Didn''t feel the need to wake the rest of us up?¡±


    ¡°I was just discussing matters with Tibaut, but apparently his rendezvous here proved unsuccessful,¡± Elizabeth added.


    (¡°Whoa, I don''t think I''ve seen her lie so blatantly in person before. She really does have a poker face.¡±) Tibaut thought.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, he''s your ace. You could done that stuff after we saw you were well. I mean I didn''t trust those potions down here that much so this was kinda nerve-wracking.¡±


    ¡°Nerve-wracking? I guess with my state, that would make sense.¡±


    ¡°Not just that. I mean, the fact you didn''t even make so much as a peep for over a day really kinda dampened the mood.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? A day, you say? (I assumed it was longer than my Goddess stated but I assumed it was no longer than an hour or two¡­ A whole day?)¡±


    She quickly turned to Tibaut. ¡°Then how long has Ruby''s group been gone? You said they left not long after I was brought here.¡±


    ¡°Well, that doesn''t mean they don''t come back every so often.¡±


    She pressed her finger against her head.


    ¡°Tibaut please be more clear with details like that, a miscommunication like that could lead to unforeseen problems in certain scenarios.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my bad.¡± He said before slightly bowing his head.


    Tina looked around the room and noticed the two pale women playing around with the angel statue on the gate.


    She clicked her tongue and looked away. ¡°They''re still here?¡± She muttered under her breath while walking closer to Elizabeth.


    The two noticed the discomfort on her face and came down from the gate.


    ¡°You''re shitting me!¡± He exclaimed.


    Tibaut quickly got up to stop them, wrapping an arm around each one of them and trying to push them back. They half-heartedly struggled against his resistance, moving closer each time Tina backed further away.


    ¡°I hate these bitches.¡± Tina commented loudly. She was already on her way to the exit, but seeing Elizabeth calmly sitting down must have made her realise how silly she''d look running away from them.


    She cleared her throat and walked over to Elizabeth, sitting in the spot Tibaut formerly occupied.


    ¡°I''m surprised you''re so cool with those things, Liz.¡±


    ¡°As long as they don''t attack, they''re neither here nor there for me. I do feel sympathy-¡±


    ¡°Don''t tell me you''re sympathising with those things? They''re essentially dead bodies walking, shouldn''t we just kill them to put the girls at peace? I remember Tibaut saying their original personalities being affec-¡±


    ¡°Tina, are you saying that because you mean it or did something happen when I was unconscious?¡±


    Last she checked, Tina didn''t seem too perturbed by these women, even going as far as to believe she could have taken one down if they tried hard enough. Now, she very clearly had fear for them. What was with this change in attitude towards them?


    ¡°....¡± She remained silent. She held her hand against her mouth, looking down. It was obvious she was trying to make up an excuse of some sort based on her silence.

 Chapter 347

    ¡°Haha, these things are just so disgusting I don''t want them near me you know? Who knows the sort of-¡±


    ¡°(Well, I can''t just say they were drawing dicks and writing curses on your face so I had them bother someone else.) Uh, they were doing something they weren''t supposed to, so had them hang out with Tina. She seemed ready to spar with them but when I came back,¡±


    Tina''s face had gone red but with the pale women so close to him, she couldn''t bring herself to go over and shut him up.


    ¡°She had a few bruises and was clutching onto her spear¡­¡± He just now realised how embarrassing this might sound from a muscle brain like Tina''s perspective.


    Elizabeth turned back to Tina.


    ¡°...Its bullshit how strong they are.¡± She pouted before laying her head down in Elizabeth''s lap. ¡°Hey, um, could you heal me? I can still feel some of those punches.¡±


    What kind of humbling did they put her through to leave her like this!?


    Elizabeth relieved some pain, and Tina gave a soft sigh and loosened up. She felt quite stiff when she went into Elizabeth''s lap.


    As the image of how she appeared outwardly became apparent to Tina, she pushed herself off Elizabeth''s lap.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± After getting that out of the way she quickly shifted topics. ¡°But man, when are they gonna come back?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    How could she have forgotten? She felt her stomach sink and tried getting back to her feet.


    ¡°Elizabeth?¡± Tina asked.


    Tibaut was too preoccupied to spare his attention.


    ¡°The man in black! We have confirmed whether he''s here or not!¡± She tried to sprint towards the entrances but Tina grabbed her nightgown and tried to stop her.


    ¡°Hold on, Liz, it isn''t what you think.¡±


    ¡°(Right, of course, they would have confirmed something like this when I was asleep.) So did anyone die while I slept?¡±


    She could easily see Tibaut omitting this information if they inquired about some losses in a battle against him and his men.


    ¡°Well, no, but, sigh, Tibaut could you stop trying to glare at their bodies and hand over the letter!?¡±


    ¡°I''m doing no such thing!¡± He should before reaching into his pocket. One of them decided to cut his pocket open and grab the letter for herself.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Hey, what''d you do that for?¡±


    She paid him no attention and walked over to the duo to hand Tina the letter. She leaned away but with Elizabeth by her side, she felt it was unbecoming of her to show any cowardice. She gritted her teeth and reached her hand out.


    (¡°What cruel women.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she reached for the letter instead.


    The pale woman pulled it away and wagged her finger. She once again pushed it towards Tina.


    She slowly brought her hand out and gripped the letter with only two fingers.


    She tried to pull on it but the winged woman''s grip was not to be underestimated. The horned woman giggled slightly, watching her struggle.


    ¡°Stop fucking with me and hand it over.¡± She shouted nearly on the verge of tears.


    <hr>


    With some help from Tibaut, she eventually let go, grinning all the way through.


    ¡°Just read it,¡± Tina said, looking as though she had just lost a loved one.


    (¡°I suppose there is more to these things than killing.¡±) She thought as she received the letter. She unfolded it and read through the paper.


    She scoffed and put it down after the first paragraph.


    The rage slowly covered her face until she looked no different than some of the demonic murals on the floor of the dungeon. Even the horned women started backing away from the blood lust saturating the air.


    ¡°That worm!¡± Her voice oozed with vitriol. She sounded like a scorned lover recounting the fool she once gave affection towards. ¡°He thinks he has the option of running away back to his allies? After what he put us through!?¡± Her tone was flooded with contempt. Every living thing in the room, although safe, rightfully perceived her as a threat to their very existence.


    She calmed down when she noticed Lily on the floor gasping for air in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Sorry about that, but is what this piece of toilet paper saying true?¡±


    ¡°We searched around and why couldn''t find any trace of him,¡± Tina responded. ¡°Based on how it''s written, he didn''t even come here. That in addition to what we heard from the lackeys and the only person worth a damn in this place was that pint-sized priest.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± She said through strongly gritted teeth, gripping the paper tightly.


    The paper, in summary, was a letter from the priest. To the man in black. They didn''t know if he was the ¡°Alpha¡± who the letter was addressed to (that was the name used in it). But based on context it was obviously him. This letter detailed Alpha going back to their home country, simply referred to as the ¡°motherland¡± after cleaning up the priest''s mess. Cleaning up? What a laugh, he ran with his tail between his legs and left the priest to deal with the fallout. Was he not anticipating this amount of push back or was he simply content with harassing those involved with Saito?


    Regardless, that meant they wouldn''t be getting revenge for Ezekiel for quite some time.


    ¡°I can hardly imagine how you felt hearing this, Tina,¡± Elizabeth said, trying to calm herself down.


    ¡°As long as I get to kill that bastard, he can keep running all he wants. My spear will cut his chest open.¡± She said, now holding her spear in hand. ¡°But I''m not sure I''ll be strong enough by then. So¡­ would you finally-¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry. You''ve grown strong enough for my training, Tina.¡±


    Tina tried to hold back her smirk. ¡°About damn time.¡±


    With the now awakened Lily, Elizabeth decided she had gained enough information out of Tibaut and allowed the two women to check up on her.

 Chapter 348

    After several minutes of casual conversation, mostly focused on Elizabeth''s wounds, she looked back towards the entrance of the room.


    ¡°Even after seeing that letter, I''m not sure I''m fully convinced that the bastard isn''t here. Did they mention a specific location they were exploring?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nope, after seeing that letter combined with the fact there wasn''t anyone on any floor other than the second, made it seem pretty safe to explore. Ignoring traps and stuff.¡± Lily answered.


    ¡°Plus, Tibaut lent them one of those pale women,¡± Lily answered.


    ¡°I feel like I''ve ignored this for long enough,¡± Elizabeth said.


    Tibaut sat on an adjacent pillar, seemingly overwhelmed. One of the pale women lay against his shoulder while the other rested in his lap.


    ¡°What is your relation with those women Tibaut?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Ugh, he didn''t tell you? I swear this, if I was half as careless as him, I''d have died years ago.¡± Tina bitterly commented.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Elizabeth responded.


    Tibaut sat there, looking unsure of what they were talking about until seemingly being hit by an epiphany.


    ¡°(Ugh, I didn''t say anything to Elizabeth about them, did I? Shit, I suppose there isn''t anything wrong with telling her the truth but I already made up something so the rest of them wouldn''t find me suspicious. I mean, to be fair though it''s not like I know why they''re so cool with me.)¡±


    His silence definitely left the group to linger in their thoughts for far too long but he soon spoke up.


    ¡°I suppose there isn''t anything wrong with telling the truth here.¡± He quietly muttered.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°Wait, so you didn''t actually eat any of the powder?¡±


    ¡°He what?¡± Elizabeth exclaimed. She got to her feet and walked over to him. ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Tibaut raised his hand and stopped her. ¡°C-chill out that was something I said so Ruby wouldn''t find me too suspicious. (I mean, ugh, Lily''s here as well but, Vanessa trusts her and they seem pretty close as well, so it should be fine if she hears it too.) The real reason is-¡±


    The girls listened with keen ears and waited for his next words.


    ¡°I don''t know.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    They all (excluding Lily, she looked more stunned than anything) gave him harsh glances, and he couldn''t blame them.


    ¡°Oh, come on, I''m as clueless as you guys, no matter how hard you stare at me, the answer remains the same.¡±


    Elizabeth limped back to pillar and Tina whispered in his ears.


    ¡°You know I heard Kevin say he found him-¡±


    ¡°That has nothing to do with that!! I swear I don''t know why they''re docile around me!!¡±


    <hr>


    The others came back to find Tibaut sobbing in the lap of one of the pale women.


    ¡°What a catch, Lizzy,¡± Ruby commented on seeing him. She didn''t even seem surprised to see Elizabeth awake. ¡°I wish I had such a cute guy that''d cry for me whenever I get injured.¡± She said as she eyed Tibaut.


    ¡°What? Babe, I swear on my life that I was in tears after that bit-¡± He noticed the pale woman in the room and changed his tone. ¡°After we had that misunderstanding with the-¡±


    ¡°Nigel, I''m talking to Lizzy here. I don''t butt into your conversations, so don''t butt into mine.¡± She firmly responded. She spoke in the same way she did to Tibaut after he defeated the priest. Whether this was how she spoke or an intimidation tactic was a secret.


    ¡°My bad.¡± He said before looking away.


    She sighed and noticed Tina get up.


    ¡°I''m gonna go to the first floor to get some air.¡±


    Kevin was making his way to Tibaut but Tina grabbed his hand away.


    ¡°Um, Tina?¡±


    ¡°You have a good memory, right? Then lead me out of this place.¡±


    He looked around the room and no one seemed to have any complaints.


    Ruby grabbed her shoulder as she passed. Tina rolled her eyes before turning to her.


    Ruby pulled something from her chest. It was a folded piece of paper. ¡°We need him. Take this map instead.¡±


    Tina let go of his hand and scoffed as she grabbed the map out of her hand.


    She pulled a torch off a nearby wall and started walking down the hallway that led outside the room.


    Kevin breathed a sigh of relief and made his way back over to Tibaut.


    ¡°Ugh, now my train of thought is all off. Anyway, it''s good to see you healthy, Elizabeth.¡± Ruby said.


    She walked over and bent to her ear. ¡°If you want some alone time between you and your little knight then I''m-¡±


    ¡°There is nothing between us, get that through your skull woman.¡±


    ¡°Right, whatever you say!¡± She said with a grin. ¡°In more pressing matters, we''ve been going through this place with Kevin and honestly, there isn''t anything special about this place other than the drawings. I mean it has some ancient language in some places but other than that nothing. This place by itself is a bust. But I''m curious to hear what you''re thinking.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Bentley said this place was found in an encyclopaedia concerning the original church correct? Then whatever valuables it held has long been plundered or destroyed. I can''t imagine it would have gone abandoned if it had something of value to the church, so I don''t imagine we''d be spending our time well staying here.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I was thinking the same. We''re better off going home and telling some exploration team about this place. Or maybe those archaeologists would find something useful.¡± Ruby said as she took the now abandoned spot of Tina.


    ¡°I don''t think there''s any harm in another day or so of exploration, but after that, we leave,¡± Elizabeth added. She didn''t believe anything was here but she''d feel foolish leaving somewhere they inhabited so quickly.


    ¡°Honestly, I was ready to walk back to the caravan site,¡± Ruby responded, giving a light yawn at the end of the statement.

 Chapter 349

    Tens of hours passed and nothing of note was found. The only thing of concern found was the gate to hell Tibaut pointed out to Elizabeth but she felt confident forwarding that information to other parties and letting them deal with it. Based on what he said, it was essentially broken, so even they might not have any interest in this place.


    Everyone in the dungeon was preparing to leave and the extra time they spent there had allowed Elizabeth to heal up more. (She crafted some horseshit explanation to the others that she could heal herself but at an inefficient rate to be viable in combat.)


    ¡°Huh, are we just gonna leave this place?¡± Tibaut asked as he walked with Elizabeth.


    The pair were walking up a stairway.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, how are we going to carry our prisoners? There were a few cultists left alive after we attacked. There''s like ten of them I think?¡±


    ¡°Oh, them. We''ll carry the one most useful, then kill the rest. Thanks to our last encounter, we managed to remove the poison they placed in their mouths so we won''t have to worry about him dying before we want him to.¡±


    ¡°...(It''s a good thing I told them Agnes was a woman they enslaved.)¡±


    ¡°Are you against it?¡± She asked, noticing his sudden silence. ¡°I want you to know they''re all complacent. Even if they were raised to do this, evil like theirs isn''t something that can be trained out of. You might think, ¡°Oh but some of them have not even killed a man¡± But they support the deaths of their fellow men. If they can collect those crystals and see no problem with it then they''re nothing more than dogs. And fortunately, the deaths of dogs are far more palatable than deaths of any more innocent people.¡±


    (¡°I''d argue against that but I do think I''d be outgunned.¡±)


    Tibaut didn''t quite see things the same way as her but wasn''t too stressed about having a few more of them dying. After all, they likely would have been killed in the initial struggle if not for their weakness. To Tibaut, he didn''t see capturing someone to kill them any more cruel than killing them during battle. A person died at the end of it and that''s what really mattered.


    Well, even if he did say that, he was far more likely to try and get his foe imprisoned if he defeated them rather than killing them. Maybe it was his modern sensibilities?


    They continued walking up and the light of the exit became visible.


    It seems Elizabeth''s comments had seemingly soured the mood. With each step, it weighed more and more on Tibaut.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    (¡°Now that I think about it, he is still quite young. Younger than me even. Maybe I shouldn''t have shot down his idea so harshly. He can handle bloodshed but he seems quite naive in a sense.¡±)


    ¡°Look, Tibaut, if we were close to a town with a prison of some kind then I would have brought them there but-¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth, it''s fine. I know this is necessary. Who knows what kind of trouble they could get into if they managed to escape.¡±


    They continued up the stairs in silence until exiting. A forest of pillars surrounded them and they were now no longer in the dungeon. The rear of the group was gathered outside, either playing around in the sun or resting in the shade of the nearby forest.


    ¡°Finally, what were you two doing?¡± Lily asked as they exited.


    ¡°Do you really want to know Lily? I''m sure it''ll leave you feeling left behind. After all, Elizabeth is climbing the stairs of womanhood. If you want, I could train your little knight to increase his stamina, if you don''t mind sharing?¡± Ruby said with a wink.


    Elizabeth completely ignored her and continued walking, leaving Tibaut to deal with Ruby. And she pounced on the poor boy like a cheetah taking down a gazelle.


    She wrapped her arm around him and brought her face close to his.


    ¡°Spill it, boy, what were you two doing down there? I know she wouldn''t do something like that, but it must have been something right? Was it kissing, or were you two exploring each other''s bodies? Ah, I remember being young. Or wait, was it ¡°rubbing¡±?¡± She said like a giddy schoolgirl. The softness of her body left Tibaut dry-mouthed.


    ¡°We were just exploring, I swear!¡±


    ¡°You think I buy that? Come on just spill the beans, I need to know what she''s like when she''s swooning over you. Or maybe she left you unsatisfied?¡±


    She asked while running her finger over his chest. Lily could only pray this experienced cheery hunter didn''t take him before Vanessa.


    <hr>


    (¡°So their "Lord " is likely a fallen angel.¡±) Elizabeth mused as she walked into the sunlight.


    Elizabeth had asked Tibaut about the Lord of the cultists and although not confident he felt it likely this Lord was the owner of the dungeon. He showed her the throne room on the fifth floor and read a mural on the wall that showed to disdain for humans. After seeing the angel being surrounded by demons, she knew, in conjunction with Furor¡¯s information the threat of this Lord was a very real one.


    ¡°If the church was involved hundreds of years ago then there''s no doubt that the Lord of theirs is real. And the threat is massive. I think I recognised one of the demons that was looked to be subservient in the murals. If I recall that was the Demon Lord Beel-¡±


    She was stopped by Furor. He walked in front of her with something over his shoulder. It was wrapped tightly in cloth. It looked about the size of a small child.


    ¡°Can''t believe that pleasure boy of yours killed this bastard,¡± Furor said as he looked down at her.


    ¡°With how you talk, it''s easy to see you''re a former student of Ruby. I imagine the men of the parish will have to be wary if their women are around you. Or maybe it''s the men that should worry?¡± She said with a completely straight face.


    He scoffed and walked off.

 Chapter 350

    As Lily contemplated stopping the harassment of Tibaut, she started to hoof it away from the pair when she saw what lurked in the shadows of the dungeon stairway.


    Tibaut didn''t notice but Ruby wasn''t as unobservant as the boy in her grasp. She took one look in the same direction Lily looked and her smile soon turned to unparalleled discomfort. She let go of Tibaut and slowly backed away while keeping her eyes forward.


    Tibaut couldn''t help but feel slightly disappointed when Ruby let him go but what made Lily back away?


    He turned around and saw four of the pale women looking on from the stairway.


    ¡°Come on guys, I''ve told you, these guys aren''t gonna do anything (at least while that miserable bitch isn''t around)¡± He said as he signalled for them to come back.


    ¡°No way, I saw what one of those guys could do to Tina and Elizabeth,¡± Lily shouted from afar.


    ¡°I know you have them tamed honey, but you really should practise caution around those things. I''ve heard of many beast tamers getting cocky and being ended by the things they called their friends.¡± Ruby added, slightly closer than Lily.


    Tibaut shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the pale beauties, much to the discomfort of both women watching.


    (¡°I suppose it was a good thing he ingested that powder.¡±) Ruby thought, trying not to cringe as he approached.


    (¡°Vanessa, I know I joked about Ruby taking this guy away but I think he might have more unique tastes¡­¡±)


    Tibaut walked closer to the stairway but was surprised the women didn''t come any closer. They would have usually had their hands all over by him by now in the dungeon.


    Even more worryingly, they looked¡­ timid. They reminded him more of Agnes than themselves.


    ¡°Hold on, what''s going on with you guys? (Wait a minute, they did attack someone as soon as they were out of my sight. I don''t think I''ve seen them eat either¡­ don''t tell me they eat people?)¡±


    One of them soon exited the stairway to walk towards him but she stepped as light as a feather with the grace of a drunken old man. He lunged forward to stop her from slamming her head onto the stone floor (though he doubted it would have caused any serious damage to her.)


    The instant she fell into his arms he couldn''t help but feel guilty. ¡°Shit, I guess those guys weren''t just cultists they were also your-¡±


    (¡°Over here dumbass!¡±)


    (¡°She''s not gonna make it if you keep yapping!¡±)


    (¡°Please bring her back¡­¡±)


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    He looked up to see the others shouting at him.


    He wondered what it was and lifted her up. Was one of them going to sacrifice their own flesh in order to save her?


    No. The result was far more anticlimactic.


    The moment he walked back into the dungeon with the pale woman, she immediately perked up and brought him down to the floor. The other pale women joined in the dog pile, grabbing whatever limb they could find and placing it somewhere very soft.


    Ruby looked on, wondering if these monsters weren''t so bad after all while Lily sighed and walked off, swearing to keep this from Vanessa as long as her heart yearned for that man.


    (¡°Oh, right, I''m pretty sure the priest wrote something about the powder being more powerful in the dungeon. Since he used it on them it probably stands to reason they''re suped up by the dungeon as well.¡±)


    With that matter solved, he let himself lay in their soft embrace before eventually saying his goodbyes. Frankly, given their behaviour without him around, he was glad that was the case. But why didn''t Elizabeth consider this?


    <hr>


    (¡°I can''t believe we''ll have to leave his body here. But based on what Tibaut said it seems they focus their attention on whoever ingested the powder. He might be dead but they should still consider something worth attention. He hasn''t shown signs of decay so he might keep indefinitely like Saito. Sigh, I hope this works, there''s not much for a plan b other than hoping the church gets here in a reasonable amount of time. Though I suppose we could leave Tibaut behind if it comes down to it, but I don''t trust that voice for an instant.¡±)


    She thought as she looked at the wrapped corpse over Furor¡¯s shoulder.


    <hr>


    An hour or so passed and they began their trek back to the caravan.


    They walked through the forest and bunched up in their usual groups, with one new addition.


    A blue-haired woman was scuttling behind Tibaut like a shy child.


    ¡°Tibaut, you didn''t-¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°Tina, if you want to talk badly about a woman who was kidnapped, I feel that says more about your character than mine,¡± Tibaut responded.


    ¡°Tsk, for a woman that had some bad experiences with men she sure does seem clingy to you.¡± She added, eyeing her down.


    ¡°Are you forgetting that most of Albus¡¯s staff was women, Tina? Honestly leave the girl alone, she has been through enough.¡± Elizabeth added.


    Tina didn''t know why but the woman just seemed suspicious. She barely had any scars or bruises on her. Her clothing seemed clean and looked similar to the other cultists. But if Elizabeth said nothing was wrong maybe she was just overthinking it.


    ¡°Sorry, it''s just been a rough week,¡± Tina added.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine,¡± Agnes responded. (¡°Holy shit she bought that! Why the hell did they kill the others? Shit, would they have killed me if they were with the ones who were caught instead of Tibaut!?!?!?!? This is bad, this is bad, I can''t deal with this kind of pressure, they''re gonna know, they''re totally gonna know, oh no, oh Lord above save me!!!¡±)


    She was shaking like a cold dog and pressed her face against Tibaut¡¯s back praying for this to be over.


    (¡°Poor Agnes, I can''t imagine the others would be understanding if she was found out.¡±)


    To help lessen the mental load on her, he stopped, crouched down and had her ride on his back for the rest of the walk.


    (¡°Ah~ My Prince once again delivers. I don''t think I''ve ever been lifted up by a man that wasn''t my father. This is amazing¡­ but what if I shuffled around? I turn around and oh my, oh my, oh my!!! If I clutched on his front like this, all he''d have to do is-¡±)


    She continued jittering on his back and Tibaut incorrectly assumed it was still from fear. What he couldn''t see was the sickening smile plastered on her face.

 Chapter 351

    After a walk of several hours through the forest that surrounded the dungeon, the group soon made it back to their caravan and immediately got some proper rest.


    They got sleep at the dungeon but it wasn''t anywhere near as comfortable as sleeping somewhere they knew was truly safe.


    ¡°So the carriages were here the entire time?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Would you notice anything that happened in the dungeon if it wasn''t involving life and death?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I left the dungeon to meet up with one of the coachmen who walked out here by himself. The other carriages were waiting in a nearby town to see if we were still alive.¡± Lily responded. ¡°It''s nice to see if I go missing, you won''t be too concerned.¡± She sarcastically remarked while shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°Come on, we were exploring for hours in different parts of the dungeon, how was I supposed to know?¡± Tibaut asked.


    The group was gathered around a campfire, with the night sky above them. Lily, Elizabeth, Tibaut and Agnes, sat on one side of the flame with Tina comfortably resting on the other side.


    Lily glanced at the sleeping Tina and sighed.


    ¡°But seriously I wished this whole thing was a dream,¡± Lily commented, sounding oddly sombre. ¡°I worked up the courage to come with you guys and the bastard ran back home. Then I get taken out of the fight with the only guy worth a damn in minutes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Uh, guys, this is usually the part where you say something encouraging.¡± She weakly responded to the cold reception.


    Both Tibaut and Elizabeth seemed like they struggled for a response.


    ¡°Oh, well, uh¡­¡± Tibaut looked like he responded before his mind had put together anything worthwhile. It seemed he hoped his mouth would do the heavy lifting and spout something encouraging.


    ¡°C-come on, there must be something you can say right!?¡± She said as she walked over and grabbed his collar.


    ¡°Calm down Lily, as long as you''re alive you can keep training and eventually that man will be in your grasp,¡± Elizabeth answered.


    ¡°So can I train with you? I heard Tina say she would trai-¡±


    ¡°Tibaut should be fine for now.¡±


    <hr>


    After sulking for an unspecified amount of time, the chirps of the birds soon started to be heard and Elizabeth had fallen asleep, with Tina now waking up.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°So, where are you from exactly, Agnes?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, Lochdale.¡± She answered.


    Tibaut was currently sweating bullets. Why might you ask? All of a sudden, Tina began asking her questions about her life before being taken by the cult. And considering the fact she was never kidnapped plus her quite frankly, weak personality, it wouldn''t surprise if she cracked easily.


    However¡­


    ¡°What was your life like before all this, ya know?¡±


    ¡°I worked as a seamstress for my village though I''m out of practice currently. Frankly, given what happened to me, I''m not sure I could even face them if I ever go back home...¡±


    She said in a nervous and jittery tone.


    Tina laid off the questions after seeing her reaction. ¡°Don''t worry I''m sure that bastard is getting his balls crushed as we speak.¡± She responded.


    ¡°Is that very encouraging, Tina? I mean you''re essentially just saying the guy''s still alive.¡± Lily chimed.


    As the two got into an argument, Tibaut leaned into her and started whispering. ¡°That response was actually sorta smooth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I knew someone who came into the cult through that manner but¡­ she disappeared one day.¡± She said, not looking particularly upset about it.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she had blonde hair and was about my age. I think she used to complain about her old village and said anywhere would be better than that old shithole.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I think this is the first I''ve heard you talk about anyone with any sort of fondness. She must have been a good friend.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? Uh, I mean, sure. (As if. Sure she could be reasonable sometimes but she could also be a massive bitch! I swear, if the priest didn''t ask for her, I probably would have ended her myself!)¡±


    (¡°She must not have realised how important she was to her until now.¡±) Tibaut thought blissfully ignorant.


    <hr>


    The journey back home had started as soon as everyone awoke. There was no urgency in their actions. Although it left a sour taste in their mouth, they had essentially confirmed nothing else in the dungeon to be a threat, so some proper rest couldn''t hurt.


    <hr>


    After several days of travel, the scenery was finally looking familiar to some on board.


    ¡°Finally, we''re home~¡± Lily exhaustedly stated, looking outside the carriage.


    ¡°And you did nothing but sleep that whole time,¡± Tina remarked.


    ¡°Oh screw off, I''ll train as soon as we get back. Besides, all you''ve done is train by yourself, were you too afraid to train with Elizabeth, like you said you were gonna?¡±


    ¡°Wha- I''m just taking Elizabeth''s health into consideration. Although she looks healthy she hasn''t fully healed yet. A victory like that would mean nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right, Pinky!¡±


    The two began arguing.


    ¡°Are they always like this?¡± Agnes asked. She assumed they were just on edge for the journey.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Tibaut responded. ¡°I guess this would be the point where we say our goodbyes.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right. (Damnit where the hell am I gonna find a place to live?)¡±


    ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Huh? (As long as I''m close enough to visit you dear, I''d live in even a mudhole.) No, here is probably a good point to leave, but, uh, I don''t mind visiting where you live first before heading off.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I guess that should be fine, right Elizabeth?¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡± She answered.

 Chapter 352

    After several more hours, the carriage eventually reached the outskirts of the town the group all knew and loved. It was a Sunday so, from their point of view the town looked empty.


    With sore asses from their bumpy rides, they all wasted no time getting off their respective carriages and going home.


    <hr>


    Ruby walked with the group of Elizabeth, Ruby, Tina, Tibaut, Lily and Agnes, who were using Tibaut as her shield to hide her from these strange women.


    She especially despised the woman with yellow eyes. But make no mistake, these women were all enemies. She could see the hunger in all their eyes as they watched him.


    ¡°You okay, Agnes? You''re kinda breathing heavy.¡± Tibaut asked as he turned to her.


    ¡°Gah-ahah¡± She managed to turn her noise of shock into laughter. ¡°Ahah, sorry, I''m not used to moving this much.¡± She responded, struggling to put on a jovial expression. Luckily for her, it made her sound like she was out of breath.


    ¡°I can put you on my back again if you''d like.¡±


    An indescribable sensation filled Agnes. ¡°Ye-¡±


    Before she could shout ¡°YES!¡± Ruby lifted her up and had her in a bridal carry.


    ¡°Come on Tibaut, she needs to learn how to interact with other people,¡± Ruby said as she looked into Agnes¡¯s eyes with a sly smirk.


    She continued in a lower voice. ¡°Besides, you''re never gonna snatch a man like that, why don''t I give you some tips later?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What was that next part, Ruby?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it?¡±


    ¡°(T-this bitch!)¡± Agnes thought while hoisted by Ruby. Despite her thoughts, she didn''t struggle in any way.


    Elizabeth gave Ruby a nod.


    ¡°Ruby, you can follow them back to my mansion if you''d like. I have to talk to Mr. Bentley about what we learned in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Is that so, didn''t Furor head there already?¡± Ruby asked.


    The group had now reached the middle of the town and the branch building was now in eye shot. To head back to the mansion they''d have to keep going and exit out the opposite side of town.


    ¡°I''d like to fill him in on information that Furor may have missed while unconscious.¡±


    ¡°You don''t mind if I tag along, right Liz?¡± Tina chimed in.


    ¡°And why would you want to come along, Tina?¡±


    She looked in front of her, towards Ruby.


    ¡°No reason at all. I just feel like stretching my legs some more.¡±


    ¡°(I don''t understand why you two don''t just makeup already? It''s annoying watching you two pretend the other exists unless the situation is dire.) Fine, but you''ll have to sit in the lobby as we talk. Furor might be there as well.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She split away from the group and started walking towards the building.


    ¡°Maybe I can finally teach that bastard a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, Slow down, I don''t want you seeing him before I do.¡±


    ¡°Why not¡­¡±


    Tibaut¡¯s group soon pulled away from them and their conversation became inaudible.


    ¡°So, is there any reason you''re coming to our place, Aunty?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Hmm, hoh, I guess I could ask Vanessa to make me something.¡±


    ¡°Make you something? Like what?¡±


    Vanessa moved her head down and whispered in her ear. Both Lily and Agnes blushed after hearing what she had to say.


    ¡°S-s-she makes those!?¡± Agnes exclaimed.


    Lily covered her mouth and placed a finger over her lip while shushing and scanning their surroundings.


    Tibaut could guess what they were talking about and decided to let sleeping dogs lie.


    ¡°Yup, just tell her the design you want with the size and she''ll-¡±


    ¡°Design?¡± Lily interrupted. She looked out of her depth. She knew Lily could make those, she''d seen some of them after they got drunk once but was she talking about custom engraving like on weapons?


    ¡°Wait, you don''t mean like¡­ things other than human, do you!?¡± Agnes asked, worryingly intrigued.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°I-i-I didn''t think I''d find someone like that so easil-¡± Agnes realised she was giving too much information away and shut herself up.


    ¡°Haha, look at you, Miss Blue Hair. You''re less innocent than you let on.¡± Ruby chuckled, giving Agnes¡¯ rear a playful squeeze.


    ¡°Stop that, it''s gross. I''m not into skinship.¡± Agnes commented.


    ¡°G-guys, what were you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°Quiet down dear, women are talking.¡±


    ¡°You''re more of a grandma than you are a woman, Aunty,¡± Lily responded in a bitter tone.


    Ruby managed to carry Agnes with one hand and used the other to mess with Lily''s hair.


    ¡°That wasn''t very nice, dear.¡±


    They had reached the exit of the town and made their way into the nearby forest with Tibaut, glad he wasn''t a part of whatever the hell they were doing.


    <hr>


    Elizabeth and Tina entered the branch building and unlike the last time they entered, the building was mostly empty. The ones inside were, as usual, a short jolly old man and the receptionist behind her counter. Well, she was behind but her back was the only thing you could see.


    As they approached closer they heard her muttering the word ¡°Gross¡± over and over while looking through a sketchbook of various soft and fluffy animals.


    In the area was another person other than the four mentioned.


    ¡°Stop bitching about it, I can hear you from here,¡± He said in a gravelly tone. It seemed his voice wasn''t fully healed as of yet.


    It was Furor. He and Mr. Bentley were busy examining a body on a table.


    ¡°That bald bastard was one thing but can you really blame for getting like this over a child? I feel like I''ll be cursed just for looking at him.¡± The receptionist said, staunchly refusing to ever turn back around.


    ¡°Well, I can say for one thing, not all of this bastard is kid-sized,¡± Furor responded.


    ¡°What the hell does that mean!? Don''t you feel unclean with yourself!?¡±


    ¡°Hoho, calm down Melissa, this man is no child. And welcome back Elizabeth and my dear child Tina.¡±


    Furor noticed they had entered but didn''t pay them any mind.


    Melissa quickly turned around. ¡°Oh, welcome back. Can you two please tell them to take that thing outside? A butcher shop would be more appropriate than here!¡± She complained.


    ¡°Stop being a baby, you''ve probably seen worse,¡± Tina said.


    ¡°No, I haven''t, thank you very much. I''m a receptionist for the sole reason of not seeing things like this!¡±

 Chapter 353

    ¡°You can leave if you want,¡± Elizabeth said.


    ¡°Ugh, I''m not gonna let that thing ruin my comfort duties.¡± She said as she got up and went further back. There was a bookshelf back there so she wasn''t hurting for options to spend her time.


    The two walked up to the other two examining the body.


    ¡°He looks even paler,¡± Tina commented.


    Before them was the body of Daniel. After being killed, his body remained the same. His hair was¡­ not black actually.


    ¡°Did you do something to his body?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    The two looked confused. ¡°What might be the problem, Elizabeth?¡± Mr. Bentley asked.


    ¡°His hair was pitch black when we fought him.¡± She got closer and ran her hand through his hair. The majority of his hair was now blonde with, say, one in seven strands being black (Her estimation).


    ¡°Wait a minute you''re right! What the hell did you guys do to him?¡±


    ¡°Shut up ya big bitch, we didn''t so shit.¡± Furor responded.


    Mr. Bentley placed a hand on Furor¡¯s chest as he stepped forward. ¡°As the boy said, we''re not sure what the matter is. You said his hair was blonde right, Mr. Graham.¡±


    ¡°Call me Furor, you old bag of bones. But yeah, his hair was blonde.¡±


    ¡°It was however¡­¡± Elizabeth then explained in detail what happened to his body after they noticed the powder take effect on his body.


    The only reason the topic of his hair colour hadn''t come was because they wrapped his body before Furor had fully regained consciousness.


    ¡°Well, that''s strange.¡± Mr. Bentley wondered aloud.


    Elizabeth quickly gave him a look that said, ¡°I know why but I''m not sure I should say it around them.¡± And the old man acted oblivious.


    ¡°Does his hair changing even matter?¡±


    He lifted him by his hair and held him up in the air. The priest was stripped of his clothing, though the soot covering parts of his skin suggested they didn''t clean him.


    ¡°Unless you''re saying that bastard got swapped out with a body double that looked the same, and got his neck blown up in the same area, then that shit¡¯s small fry. That fuck from the capital that likes playing with dead bodies can worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it''s him, I can still see the remains of some of my spear strikes and even some burns,¡± Tina added, her gaze avoiding the lower area of his body.


    ¡°Indeed. And like Saito, his body is in great condition. I know the time is getting colder but it''s nowhere near enough to keep a body in this condition for more than a week.¡± Elizabeth said.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°It''s the powder that did this, correct?¡± Mr. Bentley asked as he felt the arm of the priest. It was supple and other than the lack of warmth, I felt like a regular person. But what stood out most to him was the lack of smell.


    The only scents the body stank of were burnt flesh, sweat and blood.


    ¡°It''s almost remarkable what this powder can do. Do you yet have a source for it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elizabeth responded.


    ¡°I wonder if those crystals are related,¡± Furor said.


    Mr. Bentley acted shocked. ¡°Crystals you say? What is this about?¡±


    Furor then explained to the best of his ability the crystals, though he expressed doubt throughout the explanation, wondering if it was sleight of hand or some other trick to try and bring him to their cause.


    ¡°Hah, what a strange fellow. If he wasn''t a monster he''d be quite interesting to have a drink with.¡±


    ¡°You going senile, you old fuck?¡± Furor asked. ¡°What good would listening to some loser''s rambling, do you?¡±


    ¡°That''s quite rude Mr. Graham. I''ll have you know, I''d have likely had a best-selling novel with his ramblings. I can''t think of a better fiction that''d attract as much attention. It has a new god on par with the four we know and it''s a revenge story. I can imagine the scenes when they raid heaven with demons. The church would hate it but I can''t imagine it wouldn''t be a guilty pleasure of the general public.¡±


    Turning his ideology into some trashy novel got a chuckle out of Tina.


    ¡°But I suppose that''s all we can get out of this body for now. We''ll have to wait until Cornelius is available to get further details.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°Have you got any word back regarding Saito''s body?¡±


    ¡°Other than his initial visit, I''m sorry to say, the man hasn''t sent so much as a letter nor a cheque regarding him. I can only hope he hasn''t gotten so engrossed he''s forgotten about us. Now, Elizabeth there was something important I tasked you with during the mission, I''d like to discuss that with you upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    The other two wondered what it was, but when she pulled out that letter that spat on all their efforts so far, they kept quiet and allowed her to follow him upstairs.


    ¡°I''m surprised you had the tact to stay silent about that.¡± Tina taunted.


    ¡°I''m surprised you left the job of telling him to Elizabeth.¡± He answered before heading for the door.


    <hr>


    The moment he was handed the paper, he placed it down.


    ¡°Is that important?¡± He asked. He knew she wanted to discuss some matter in private but he didn''t imagine it''d all be in a letter.


    ¡°It''s about the man in black.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He looked unsure but the realisation soon hit him like a bag of bricks. ¡°Right! What have you done with his body dear?¡±


    She sighed deeply and pointed to the letter. Was it shame that made her hesitant to say what was on it?


    He picked up the letter and read through the first few lines. The letter obscured his face but maybe that was for the best.


    He soon placed it back down and rubbed his head.


    ¡°Thank you, Elizabeth. It seems we will have to have his funeral under more bitter circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry for not getting the job done.¡±


    He raised his hand.


    ¡°It''s fine, honestly. That man will die eventually. And more importantly, there''s no point delaying his funeral because of a man like that. Honestly, I''m thankful. If you killed him, each time we talked about Ezekiel¡¯s funeral, we would have to deal with that man coming up in conversation as well.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that''s one way to look at it,¡± Elizabeth answered. She couldn''t hide her disappointment in herself. If only she wasn''t caught off guard by his tactics, she wouldn''t have to listen to this poor old man try to convince her this wasn''t her fault.


    ¡°Now then, what did you actually want to talk about?¡± He asked with a renewed voice. He seemed refreshed in a sense. Maybe he was glad he could now bury his son.

 Chapter 354

    In the forest surrounding the mansion, the group of four made their way towards it.


    ¡°....¡± Agnes remained silent in Ruby''s arms as they approached the clearing. Her face was blushed and she could only look away.


    ¡°So, you''ve read it. My, my, how did a little village girl like yourself, get a hold of that book?¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°S-shut up, you oversized bimbo! I''m not anything like you!¡±


    (¡°Are my ears functioning correctly?¡±) Tibaut wondered. (¡°Actually I haven''t seen her truly angry. I guess Ruby has a way of bringing out certain emotions in people.¡±)


    During their journey, they had gotten quite chummy. At least from Ruby''s perspective. From Agnes¡¯, she was being relentlessly harassed by a woman who had no tact!


    She quickly covered her mouth when she noticed the subtle side-eye Tibaut gave the pair.


    ¡°Quit with this!¡± She softly commanded. ¡°I don''t want him to think I''m some-¡±


    ¡°Somewhat? A bimbo like me? That the only difference between a woman like yourself and I is the amount of men we''ve taken to bed? I think you might even be lying about that.¡± Ruby said as she brought her face closer to Agnes.


    ¡°Shut up! Do you know how long I''ve looked for a decent guy that looks like he came from a romance nov-¡± She cleared her throat and changed the tone of her voice to sound more delicate. ¡°I, uh, mean, I wouldn''t give something so important to just any guy. Can''t we talk about anything else, this is getting exhausting.¡±


    Ruby pulled her face away. ¡°I guess you''re right, honestly, other than Vanessa I don''t have many people to talk about those types of novels with. Say, have you read ¡­¡±


    She quickly shifted topics and Agnes couldn''t help but be drawn in by the conversation, despite her annoyance with her.


    Lily was walking beside her, steam coming out of her ears trying to keep up with their conversation.


    (¡°N-no way. Are other women actually like this?¡±)


    The duo had set unnerving expectations in Lily''s mind of what regular women were like. If she didn''t get a proper role model soon she''d end up on the same track as them.


    Tibaut mostly drowned out their conversations, lost in thought.


    (¡°I haven''t heard her since she said her farewell. I guess I am free.¡±)


    As they entered the clearing, the sound of disturbed bushes and cracked sticks followed them out of the forest.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It probably wasn''t anything dangerous, but the group, almost in tandem, all turned around to see what it was.


    ¡°It''s the mutt,¡± Lily stated as she approached it.


    Exiting the forest was Lucky, with the blood of some animal covering the fur around his mouth.


    Lily tried to pet its back and got about one stroke before the wolf walked off and made its way over to Tibaut.


    (¡°Does he like me?¡±) He briefly wondered as he watched the wolf arch back and jump into him. He managed to stay on his feet but having something that weighed as much as a woman jump into him did startle him.


    He innocently looked Tibaut in the face. ¡°Geez, you''re heavier than I thought. Don''t just jump into my arms, you''re no house cat.¡±


    The wolf gave a soft whimper and licked his cheek.


    ¡°Ew, don''t do that, it''s gross.¡± He complained as he slowly placed him back on the ground.


    ¡°Why the hell is he so chummy with you?¡± Lily complained. She stomped over and began stroking its fur by force.


    ¡°Don''t do me like that Lucky, I''ve known you for far longer than this guy. Where''s the loyalty huh?¡± She asked as she rubbed its neck.


    He didn''t look displeased but it wasn''t like he was enjoying himself. It was probably the first time Tibaut had seen a dog so... neutral to a person.


    ¡°Well, let''s get goin- shit.¡± As he thought about heading back, he felt his chest and realised something. He wasn''t wearing his armour.


    Where''d he put it anyway?


    ¡°What is it dear?¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°Uh, you guys wouldn''t know where my armour i- huh?¡±


    As he turned to Ruby he noticed Agnes¡¯ attention focused on something. Her eyes were filled with want but she seemed too shy to ask. When he looked at what she was staring at, he decided to intervene.


    ¡°Hey, Agnes.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, uh, hi, Tibaut.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to pet Lucky?¡±


    She didn''t waver for even a moment. "Ca-can I?¡± She asked like a child being told they can buy the toy they begged for.


    ¡°Sure, I don''t think he''d mind.¡±


    Even Ruby wasn''t cruel enough to deprive a woman with this much joy in her face. She lit up like a Christmas tree and wore a childlike smile on her face.


    Ruby set her down and the girl slowly walked to the wolf clearly hesitant. Lucky paid her no mind and looked content as he stared off into the distance while Lily scratched him.


    Agnes crouched down and slowly reached her hand out. Lucky gave a brief glance before turning to Tibaut. Tibaut saw her hesitation and gave her a hand. Quite literally. He pushed her hand into Lucky''s fur and the dog turned to her.


    (¡°It''s so cute¡­¡±) She thought as she began rubbing it.


    The bags under her eyes almost disappeared from the action and she radiated an almost infectious aura. ("Was this really the same dreary, and admittedly helpful, Agnes?") Tibaut wondered.


    She started giggling as she rubbed through its fur and Tibaut couldn''t help but find the scene adorable. With her life in the cult, she probably didn''t have too many pets and it was the first time he had seen her genuinely happy.


    (¡°Ah, animals are amazing. They''re all so cute. Unlike a one-in-a-trillion man like Tibaut, they''re all just so perfect.¡±)


    It seemed she was quite fond of animals.

 Chapter 355

    In the dusty office stood two people. A father with no son and a daughter who thought of her father as an annoyance.


    ¡°I see.¡± Mr. Bentley replied. ¡°A demon with various other demons before it. You''ve stumbled on quite a worrying discovery. Given the fact the two down there seemed unshaken, I can imagine you haven''t told anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Correct, who knows what they might think or who they might spread it to with that sort of information. I hope you''ll send a letter to the capital about this. If they can''t even spare us help, they should help out in stopping whatever this is and not leave the problem to the government.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, dearie but unless the government sees it as such, the adventurer guild isn''t going to do anything. We aren''t a charity after all nor are we another wing of the government. We work as long as we''re provided a job.¡±


    ¡°What a farce. I can''t believe I''ve joined such an organisation.¡± Elizabeth bitterly commented.


    ¡°Now, now I didn''t say they couldn''t do anything, I just feel these cultists will have to become a more established threat such as goblins or ogres for things to pick up. In fact, your letter might be the first step to this becoming a reality.¡± He backpedalled.


    ¡°It better be. In the multiple months I''ve been in this organisation, I can''t help but be dissatisfied. I know this parish isn''t exactly seen as important in anything other than farming these days but I can''t believe the state the guild has left this parish in. I mean, you can barely make do with the potions they stock you.¡±


    ¡°Easy, Elizabeth, this parish has pretty low traffic when it comes to adventurers so it makes sense why they can''t treat us like the other branches.¡±


    ¡°Trust me I know, but is consistency so much to ask for? Sorry, I got off-topic. I remember seeing other branches when I was applying and *sigh* I mean no disrespect Mr. Bentley but are the other branch managers so concerned with their image that this was the only place that''d accept me? A place with little to no image?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I''d like to say they rejected you for other reasons but I''d be lying. After all, if this corrupt old man didn''t accept you I''m not sure who would have.¡± He responded in an almost gleeful tone.


    ¡°Don''t you feel that label a bit harsh Mr. Bentley? You do what you have to keep this branch functioning.¡±


    ¡°Corruption''s corruption Elizabeth, whether good or bad. Accepting you into the guild the way I did certainly falls under that. Even the way I accept everyone into this place would be corruption. We can''t even afford to do proper tests.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°I see. Well, it is a sorry state of affairs that a corrupt man like yourself has a better character than most of the other branch managers.¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure about that but I welcome the compliment you''ve given this old man.¡±


    Although they didn''t discuss much about the cultists today, Elizabeth felt she had said enough and made her exit.


    She calmed herself down as she walked down the stairs. (¡°I may have let my dissatisfaction show too much. Bless Mr. Bentley but I can''t believe I''m no closer to my goal now than I was when I started. Well, that''s a lie, I now have Tibaut on my side and that''s about it. I imagine Tina and the others will leave to go live with Mr. Bentley as soon as we have Ezekiel¡¯s funeral, plus I''m not sure I''d want to poach the talent of a deceased friend, so I won''t consider them a part of my plans. Sigh, I''m thankful that the commission request we got from the parish over is still available but it''s part of the blacklist, so there¡¯s no guarantee we''ll complete it even with our skills. How long will it take me to catch up with them and how much longer will it take me to surpass them?¡±)


    She walked up to Tina and the pair said goodbye to the receptionist before leaving.


    <hr>


    ¡°So have you decided on what you''ll do after you leave my care?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    The pair were now at the edge of town heading back to the mansion.


    ¡°No idea. I was thinking about reviving our guild but I''m not sure how well it''d go without Ezekiel. Maybe even move somewhere else that has a better branch, though I''m not sure the other girls would agree.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, until you''re ready, you stay with us.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I know you''re not the type that''d kick us out.¡±


    Tina held her hands behind her head and looked up towards the sky. (¡°As if, I''m not leaving until I surpass you.¡±)


    <hr>


    The duo of Lily and Tibaut headed inside and made their way to the basement.


    Agnes was still outside playing with the wolf and Ruby, quite kindly agreed to stay with her and show her around the mansion later.


    ¡°Hey, Tibaut, you ever gonna bang Vanessa.¡±


    Various indescribable sounds came out of his mouth as he tried to recompose himself.


    ¡°What the hell kinda question is that!?¡± He boisterously answered.


    ¡°So is it a yes or no?¡± She asked unfazed.


    ¡°(Ugh, I''m not sure how I''m supposed to interact with Lily. Does she consider me a friend or does she misunderstand my friendship with Vanessa and is trying to do her friend a solid? Actually, now that I think about it, how would I categorise most of the people I know? I mean other than Vanessa I''m not sure most of the people I know would call me their friends.) Um, uh¡­¡±


    Seeing how flustered this question left him, she decided to back off for now.


    ¡°I hope you can give a more favourable answer next time.¡±

 Chapter 356

    Tibaut wasn''t happy with her response as it didn''t clear up how''d he talk to her going forward, but as long as she hopped off that topic, he was fine with it. It''d feel especially awkward telling someone you''re not too close with that you''ve rejected their friend.


    They soon reached the bottom of the stairs and heard a concerning racket.


    ¡°Get away you bastard. No, no, no more please!¡± She said in a heart-wrenchingly pathetic tone.


    The two wasted no time heading downstairs, with Tibaut getting down first.


    With Tibaut in front of her, she couldn''t see what was going on and bumped into him when he promptly stopped.


    ¡°Ow, why''d you stop, Red Hair?¡±


    She quickly pushed him out of the way, dreading the horror that''d met her eyes and there Vanessa lay on the floor.


    She briefly wondered if she had been assaulted but a better look told her all she needed to know.


    ¡°Tch, really?¡±


    ¡°Stop it. I didn''t do it ''cause I''m lonely-¡± Vanessa pleaded to whoever it was in her dreams.


    Vanessa kept talking on the floor, while her face showed obvious discomfort.


    Tibaut immediately walked over and crouched down trying to wake her up. He shrugged her shoulders a few times but this dream seemed to have taken a strong grip on her psyche.


    Lily slowly walked over and gave Vanessa a boot to her rear.


    ¡°H-hey what are you doing? She seems kinda outta it.¡± Tibaut asked as he turned to her.


    ¡°It''s obvious what happened, you can practically smell the booze as soon as you enter. I can''t believe you held out on me when Tina took my stash.¡±


    ¡°Couldn''t she have bought booze when we left?¡±


    Lily cleared her throat, crouched next to Vanessa''s bum and started patting it like a mother comforting their child¡¯s boo-boo. ¡°Jeez, I can''t believe you''d let yourself get a hangover like this. I got so concerned over nothing more than you drinking too much.¡±


    Tibaut was left floored by her change in rationale.


    Before he could grill her for it, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes. He looked down to see Vanessa moving her head around and opening her eyes.


    She stared blankly into Tibaut¡¯s face before a noticeable blush took over her dark face. Tears even started prickling her eyes.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    (¡°What was with this reaction!?¡±) Tibaut wondered. What the hell happened to her in the two weeks since they left to leave her like that?


    ¡°Vanessa are you go-¡±


    ¡°You''re a real bastard, you know that?¡± She whimpered. She sounded like a medic confronting the enemies that killed the rest of her unit. Tibaut wasn''t sure what he did but he felt guilty nonetheless.


    ¡°You''ve decided to take his form, now huh? You know what, screw you. I¡¯ll admit it, as long as you wear that face you can do whatever you want to m-¡±


    Lily jumped to the floor to cover Vanessa''s mouth. The woman muffled in fear until she saw who covered her mouth.


    ¡°(Lily?) Muffled Noises¡±


    Lily quickly moved her mouth to Vanessa''s ear and whispered as quietly as she could manage.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s me. Could you keep your trap shut, this is the only decent guy that you have a chance with, I don''t need you to frighten him with whatever the hell that was! (Had she gone so long without a date it''s starting to affect her mind? Please, Vanessa don''t become the female version of those guys that beg for sex, you''re better than that!)¡±


    Vanessa''s eyes shot wide open and she dragged Lily''s face closer to hers. ¡°How much did you hear? What was I yapping before I woke up?¡±


    ¡°You sounded like you were in pain, I couldn''t make out anything specific. You weren''t saying anything stupid, right? I don''t think this guy has better hearing than me so you should be fine.¡±


    Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief but still wore a blushed face as he looked at Tibaut.


    ¡°Wow, you guys are back already? Wow, must have been some bullshit to be gone for two weeks, haha.¡± She said in a heightened tone.


    She turned away from him mid-sentence, unable to look him directly in the face.


    ¡°Are you okay, Vanessa?¡± Tibaut immediately asked. ¡°Did something happen while we were gone?¡±


    ¡°Haah, I''m fine, totally tubular, exceptionally exceptional, if I, uh, say, s-so myself. Oh, I finished your weapons, the finish is the only thing left.¡± She said as wiped some sweat from her brow. Which was quite unusual, as the basement was actually chilly for once.


    ¡°You sure?¡± He asked, concern present in his eyes.


    Vanessa did her best to calm herself. ¡°I''ve just had a few restless nights, big guy.¡±


    She moved her hand up and gave his chest a soft squeeze. ¡°Unless you want me squeezing somewhere else, scram. Me¡­¡± She took a noticeable pause ¡°and her have some important things to discuss. We can dick around later.¡±


    ¡°(Oh, right, she''s probably curious about her friend''s feelings. I should give them some space.) Yeah, I get it, see you later.¡± He understandingly answered before making his exit.


    The pair left behind looked at each other with Lily shaking her head.


    ¡°Using me to hide your embarrassment. You truly are something else, Vanessa.¡± She disappointedly stated.


    ¡°Come on, I wasn''t lying that much. Before I tell you what''s up with me I''m curious how it went.¡±


    ¡°Listen, nothing much happened alright.¡±


    Lily cleared her throat and gave her gaze to a nearby wall. "Wow, you''ve done a ton of work since we left."


    Her dismissiveness left Vanessa confused.


    ¡°Huh? Wait, did something bad happen?¡±


    <hr>


    The room was drowned in silence. It''d be easier to find a funeral more cheerful than the room in its current state.


    Both women were sitting on stools staring at each other. Lily''s face seemed to be filled with acceptance, while Vanessa looked at the floor, eyes darkened, with her fingers tented, resting against her face.


    ¡°.....¡±


    ¡°Come on, you''re making it seem worse than it actually was,¡± Lily commented.

 Chapter 357

    Lily, it''s okay, you can vent.¡± Vanessa softly replied.


    ¡°Screw off, I said I''m fine!¡±


    Lily had told Vanessa what happened in the dungeon from her point of view. Now, this might not seem like something that''d garner this reaction until you realise, for most of that, Lily was, to put it bluntly, useless. Further driven home by the fact when they encountered the leader of the cultists, she rendered useless not even half way into the fight. Her contribution to their victory is debatable at best and actively harmful at worst.


    ¡°Lily, come on.¡±


    She stood up and turned around.


    ¡°I''m fine, Vanessa. We all have our bad days.¡± She said as she dusted her behind off.


    ¡°Lily, come on.¡±


    ¡°I- I''m fine.¡± She said as her voice cracked. ¡°I just-¡±


    She sounded like she was choking on every subsequent word that exited her mouth.


    ¡°Turn around Lily.¡±


    She clenched her fists and turned around.


    ¡°S-see? I''m fine.¡± She started with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Be honest, Lily. You hated how that all went down, didn''t you?¡±


    She struggled for a few seconds before covering her face and sitting down on the stool.


    ¡°It''s not fair!¡± She shouted. Her tears dripped between her hands.


    ¡°It''s not fair! Why did I even go if that was all I could do? I''m a joke, aren''t I Vanessa!?¡± She cried.


    Vanessa got up and walked to her friend, trying her best to comfort her.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hello, Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, hello Ms. Elizabeth.¡±


    On their way home, the pair of Tina and the aforementioned Elizabeth encountered Kevin.


    Tina rolled her eyes and Elizabeth gave her a sly pinch to the side. She already predicted her thoughts. ¡°Why are we stopping for him? He barely did anything plus based on looks only he seems pretty weak.¡± Or something along those lines was currently in her foolish head. Hopefully, that fool would be able to process the idea of interacting positively with comrades for no gain.


    ¡°I''m surprised to see you out here.¡±


    They were all by a dirt road in a forest. Well, given its size it was more of a path than a road.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh, I just met up with some of my guild members. They decided to train out here for the time I was gone.¡±


    ¡°Really? I''m sure they could have trained in the town just as efficiently.¡±


    ¡°Yeah but¡­ it''s close to my own training grounds and for some reason, they think the luck will rub off on them. Especially our leader.¡±


    ¡°Leader? Aren''t you the guild leader?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Well, it''s complicated.¡±


    Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Other than seeing him occasionally with Ezekiel and the sparse guild meetings, she didn''t really interact with him much.


    He continued. ¡°Since I''m the best in terms of combat, they said it''d be a safe bet to pencil me in as the leader. But, uh,¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°(I can''t really say they offered that for me to join now can I? I was going to join regardless but they kept offering thinking I''d join Ezekiel.) I realised I wasn''t fit for the position and gave it to a more suitable member.¡±


    Elizabeth patted his shoulder. ¡°(He''s not telling the whole truth but he might just be excluding details he finds embarrassing.) Nothing to be ashamed of. It''s better to accept you might be suited for a role that would be commanded rather than making foolish commands.¡±


    ¡°Really? That seems sorta spineless if you ask me.¡± Tina commented.


    ¡°And that''s why you''re not leading any guilds, Tina.¡±


    Tina clicked her teeth. ¡°Come on, Liz, giving up your position is pretty spineless, regardless of the reason.¡±


    ¡°Tina, would you prefer if all your men died simply because you''re too stubborn to give up your position? May I remind you that being a guild leader is far different from the norms you see in this parish?¡±


    ¡°So what? If you feel like you''re a crappy leader just improve yourself. It''s better than being some spineless whelp who gives up at the first sign of difficulty.¡±


    (¡°I don''t disagree that I''m not adventurer material but it does sort piss me off hearing her say it like that!¡±) Kevin thought as he hid his anger.


    ¡°And what if someone in your group is better than you?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Just make them a strategist, you fall back on or something.¡±


    ¡°There''s more to being a leader than strategy Tina. The very minimum is being able to support your guild the best you can and be a figurehead. A sort of icon for the group. If you can''t do that or if you feel someone does it better there''s no shame. All you''d be doing is forcing a sword to do axe''s work.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, can we get this over with?¡±


    ¡°No Tina, this is a harmful mindse-¡±


    Elizabeth then proceeded to lecture Tina then and there.


    <hr>


    ¡°Fine, I get it, I was wrong, geez, I wasn''t even that serious¡­¡± Tina sulked. Her head was held down and Kevin watching it all go down only added to her embarrassment.


    Kevin could only awkwardly stand by and wait for his opportunity to leave.


    ¡°Well, it seems you two are busy, I should be getting on my wa-¡±


    ¡°Hold on Kevin, I''m sorry for getting sidetracked but there was something I needed to ask you.¡±


    He stiffened up but he faced her head-on. ¡°(Right, that demon. She''s probably curious about it.) Ask away.¡±


    ¡°I feel it necessary to learn how your magic works. It seems incredibly useful, so it would be best to learn how to take advantage of it in the future.¡±


    ¡°... wha- huh!?¡±


    Why the hell was she asking about that? He stuttered for a few words, looking increasingly nervous.


    ¡°Uh, ah, um, d-don''t you m-m-mean the demon I saw?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that. Based on what we saw in the dungeon, we suspect it escaped. Don''t worry I''ve already informed the relevant parties through a letter. I''d like for it to still be in the dungeon but if that brawl you stated was real then it''s likely they escaped.¡±

 Chapter 358

    ¡°But what I''m more concerned about is your magic, Kevin.¡±


    Kevin stepped back and began clearly jittering. He reached his hand out and began pleading.


    ¡°C-come on, Elizabeth i-i-its- isn''t that serious right? (Oh come on, I wanted this to be the last time I did any adventuring. The only reason I came out here today was to tell them I quit and I couldn''t even do that!)¡±


    ¡°It is. Without you finding Tibaut in the dungeon I''m not sure what would have happened to the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°Tch, come on, the guy shows up at the last second, knocks me out while I''m still in fighting shape and suddenly he''s our saviour?¡±


    ¡°Tina, I told you what happened, give him credit where it was due. If anyone else entered the room, no one would have gotten as close to the priest as him.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and turned her head. The only reason she held on to this point was¡­


    (¡°Bastard chokes me out and suddenly he''s a hero? Of course, I know what he did, but couldn''t have done anything else? What if he managed to kill me or I fought ba-¡±)


    As she continued to complain in her head it was obvious she was still feeling a bit sore about being knocked out by Tibaut.


    ¡°As I was saying, your act helped us in an especially dire moment, which is all the more reason we should know what your magic does,¡± Elizabeth stated, walking closer to him.


    ¡°I know what you''re saying but¡­ I''m sorry I can''t.¡± He responded. ¡°After all-¡±


    Elizabeth pulled out her sword but his eyes didn''t alert him to any danger.


    ¡°E-Elizabeth!?¡± He exclaimed. (¡°Ah shit, I always did hear Ezekiel describe her as scary. Dammit! Why do I have to deal with this after barely escaping with my life!? I even heard Ezekiel call her a princess. I''m not sure if that''s true or not but if it is, she''s exactly the person I can''t reveal the details of my magic to!¡±)


    He turned around and immediately ducked down when a spear went flying over his head.


    ¡°Tina, I can handle this myself. And please be more careful if you''re going to attack an ally.¡±


    ¡°Wha- I thought you found him suspicious?¡± Tina asked.


    Tina turned to Elizabeth but she had already closed the distance between herself and Kevin. She held him by his collar, having picked him up like a kitten. He had attempted to run away. His eyes hadn''t shown him anything other than to duck the spear heading his way, but running away from a distracted enemy was always a surefire way to lose someone. Not Elizabeth, however.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°....Am I in trouble?¡± He meekly asked.


    ¡°Kevin, I''m not going to pull your teeth out. I just want to know what your magic does.¡±


    ¡°And if I don''t say?¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel has said you were especially slippery and I''ve seen some of your training with Furor. If you don''t feel like telling me then I''ll have to ascertain it through my own means.¡± She answered. She tapped her sword afterwards and although he couldn''t see it from where it was held, he had a pretty good idea of what it was.


    She let him go and pulled her sword out. The fact his eyes hadn''t in any way shape or form shown her as red, really made him lose some faith in them.


    He held his head in his hands, deep in thought.


    (¡°I''m screwed, aren''t I? I could try to run away but none of the routes I can see are blue. Plus even if I did manage, I can''t imagine she wouldn''t stalk my house¡­¡±)


    He took a deep breath and looked around him. Tina seemed ready to jump on but Elizabeth held her hand up as soon as she heard her footsteps.


    ¡°I won''t kill you but I do need to know how your magic wor-¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He said, defeated. He walked up to a tree and leaned against it, with Elizabeth making sure to follow him.


    He felt his heart was going to come outside of his chest from how hard it was beating. He felt as though he was back in the dungeon staring down at the pale woman.


    He took a few moments to compose himself.


    ¡°Can she leave at least? I''m not sure I''d want to¡­¡±


    She turned back to Tina and almost immediately, even without any words spoken, he could see the shock on her face.


    A few moments later the words exited her mouth.


    ¡°You heard him Tina, leave.¡±


    She was surprisingly obedient and walked off.


    ¡°T-thanks.¡± He responded as he walked closer. ¡°Do we really have to do it here? This feels like something you''d have to sit down for¡­¡±


    ¡°Here shall do finely.¡± She answered. ¡°Now, Kevin, I wouldn''t mind an explanation.¡±


    <hr>


    Elizabeth stood before him in shock. She slowly walked over and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°I- Well, I can see why you would keep this to yourself. (A magic that involves choices? No, disregarding that, it gives correct choices? How would it do that? I''ve heard of many magics but I think this is the most perplexing.)¡±


    ¡°Ye-yeah.¡± He weakly responded as he looked at the floor.


    ¡°You don''t gamble, do you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Wha- No. Besides I wouldn''t have a use for so much money.¡± He answered.


    ¡°(It seems he''s telling the truth. I was hoping I could have him procure funds for the branch building but that can wait until later. Based on his face he¡¯d likely be against the idea. Maybe I should get him used to using his power for benefit instead of necessity.) Well, it''s fortunate to have such a person within our ranks, but it is probably best you keep that to yourself. You can go home now, though I am interested in discussing this matter further.¡±

 Chapter 359

    ¡°I-I can leave? (That''s it? She really did just ask me about my magic?)¡± He asked with the same tone as an abused spouse.


    ¡°Yes, you may. Based on what happened in that dungeon, I can''t say I don''t believe you. Just look out for me, I might be visiting your house in due time.¡±


    Kevin looked dumbfounded but bowed in gratitude before leaving.


    (¡°Maybe I kinda overblowed this? I mean, now that I think about it, anyone Ezekiel could call his friend wouldn''t try to exploit me. Though it doesn''t hurt to be safe. Ugh, I''m stuck now, aren''t I? I don''t think she''ll use me but I can''t imagine she''d let me retire without a fight. But¡­ maybe I can convince her if I try hard enough.¡±)


    Kevin wearily waved at Elizabeth, looking like he¡¯s aged ten years before walking off into the forest.


    ¡°Did you actually believe all that?¡± Tina asked as she exited some nearby brush.


    Elizabeth didn''t think he''d be so compliant and was frankly shocked he''d give that information away so easily. Was he a saint like her or was it something more?


    Regardless she had Tina stationed close by, to act as an initial test.


    (¡°I might have to give him the same training my master gave me to ensure I didn''t say anything I shouldn''t have to a malicious third party.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she turned to Tina.


    As Kevin walked away, his eyes showed no danger but he felt an ever-present chill as he made his way home.


    ¡°I believe that''s what he believes. Whether it''s true or not is something that has to be tested.¡± Elizabeth answered.


    ¡°Sounds like boring magic anyway. It doesn''t help you dodge or become any stronger. It''s just a glorified way for him to avoid danger and I don''t think that''s very useful in a fight.¡±


    Tina stretched her arms out and yawned. ¡°I think he''s over-rating it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But consider it this way. If you''re the leader of a kingdom and that ability does do what he says it does, then you could have a multitude of propositions in front of you and within a glance, you''d be able to pick the best ones without so much as reading a paragraph. That''s an immense amount of power.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it''s not like it''d make me any stronger. I would rather have raw strength than sacrifice it for such a convenience. In a one-on-one fight, the only thing he could do to me is run away. While I''ll always win or at least get a draw.¡± She said with a smirk.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    (¡°And that''s why it''s a good thing you''re not the one with it.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she began walking.


    She felt like it''d be too much of a bother trying to relate the power of this to Tina''s strength-obsessed mind. But she wasn''t wrong in fact, compared to her Sainthood, it wasn''t as helpful in combat (At least, if she fully mastered it.)


    The two began their trek home.


    <hr>


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Tibaut asked as he observed the scene before him. There was a hint of disgust on his face.


    Before him, was a shirtless Agnes and Ruby holding said shirt.


    The blue-haired girl was reduced to tears while Ruby looked on.


    He felt like he walked into the early stages of a heinous crime.


    ¡°Hey, boy!¡± Ruby responded as she waved at him using Agnes¡¯ shirt.


    ¡°Don''t ¡°Hey boy!¡± me. Why''s she shirtless?¡± Tibaut asked with a blushed face.


    ¡°Oh, don''t worry we were just playing around, right Agnes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Tibaut couldn''t help but feel sorry for her and rushed over.


    ¡°Listen I don''t know what you did but-¡±


    ¡°I-its fine Tibaut.¡± Agnes answered. ¡°I was the one who asked for this. I should have known she''d do something like¡­¡±


    ¡°What''d she do?¡± He exclaimed.


    ¡°Oh, come on dear it was for you. She was asking me if she could get big-¡±


    Agnes got up to her feet and unashamedly began covering Ruby''s mouth.


    ¡°Uh, I was asking if she could make my shirt bigger since she said she knew her way around a sewing needle. I was so desperate I took my shirt off right now and asked, no begged her to do it. It''s been super uncomfortable this entire trip but I gritted my teeth and beared with it until we got back here and man, I couldn''t take it anymore and she offered to help.¡± She said at the pace of an F1 car.


    Tibaut scrutinised her expression for a few more moments.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    He took his own shirt off and offered it.


    ¡°(I guess it''s a sensibility thing? After all, maybe women covering their chests is a recent thing? Ruby didn''t react to it either.) Well, uh, you can wear my shirt for now. You might want to cover up since it''s been so chilly lately.¡±


    He handed off his shirt and immediately walked off, red-faced.


    ¡°What a good little boy. He didn''t even bring up your bare chest once and you can tell he was struggling to stare you in the eyes.¡±


    ¡°Honestly¡­ I didn''t mind.¡± Agnes responded as she placed his shirt on her own bare upper half.


    ¡°Haha, is that so? I can''t believe I found a woman so brazen yet so meek.¡±


    Ruby laughed as she patted her back. The pair were surprisingly friendly with each other.


    ¡°Shut up you old bitch, I never asked you to do that here.¡±


    ¡°But you didn''t tell me to stop either.¡±


    ¡°...Hmph!¡±


    Agnes showed her the middle finger and grabbed her shirt back.

 Chapter 360

    As Kevin walked home, relief surging through him, his mind drifted back towards a certain topic.


    ¡°That demon¡­¡± He said, in a tone filled with discomfort. He looked like he licked a lemon just reminiscing about her, but, although not fully, he learned to get over his fear of the pale women in the extra days they spent in the dungeon (Though to say he''d stay alone in a room with them was another matter entirely).


    The fact that she was an honest-to-goodness demon left him just as shaken as his initial encounter with her. But considering the pale woman she encountered was accounted for maybe she wasn''t that dangerous after all?


    ¡°I wonder if she killed her¡­ I mean we didn''t search the forest as much as we could but, darn I should have asked Elizabeth about that blood trail she found.¡±


    The thought of her escaping and making her way into his house certainly wasn''t a pleasant one.


    (¡°I can only pray that she died in the forest¡­ as much as that''s kinda mean to say. No, I shouldn''t let the fact she looked somewhat human affect my opinion. It''d probably be a good thing if that happened.¡±)


    <hr>


    Just over a week ago.


    A woman with red skin lay at the edge of an absolutely massive set of stairs. They went as far as the eyes could see.


    She was in a sorry state. Half of the skin on her face was torn off, showing off the dark muscles underneath. It looked as though someone painted half the face of an anatomical model black.


    There were various other wounds across her body, but none carried the same humiliation and pain as the one on her face.


    The only way one could tell she was still alive was due to her breathing. The raising and falling of her chest was the only way one would recognise her as a victim and not a corpse.


    Standing behind her was the attacker. A pale woman. She had lost various parts of her skin but she had no damage that went any further than her skin, unlike the red demon on the floor.


    She looked down at the demon and scoffed before walking over to a nearby corpse. It seemed a follower had tried to escape but he wasn''t sneaky enough. He had a knife lodged in his head and based on his expression, he didn''t even know his demise was coming.


    She opened his mouth and drew inside it with her blood. She wrote something on his tongue and his body lost all colour before a slightly larger than average blue crystal formed on his tongue.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The pale woman placed it in her mouth and the results were almost instant. Half the skin on her body healed back and the other minor wounds were gone. She touched the still exposed flesh of hers and walked away, hoping to find another corpse.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Fifteen minutes passed before the red woman still lying on the floor felt comfortable getting up.


    ¡°That thing¡­ it''s related to Lord Lucifer.¡± She said as she caught her breath.


    She quickly healed her face and other major wounds across her body, leaving only the most minor wounds behind.


    ¡°That doesn''t make sense¡­ is Lord Lucifer still fighting against the church? Based on what I heard we lost¡­ though I''m not sure how the archangels have gained power to be labelled as gods. Has the old man in the sky decided to let his angels run the world as he rests? Tch, there''s no point in speculating... But it doesn''t hurt to consider the possibilities.¡±


    She got up and began walking up the stairs. She rested her hand against her chin as she considered the strange situation. In what world would the four archangels be ruling instead of their master?


    ¡°The most likely theory I can formulate based on the current information is that Lord Lucifer somehow dealt a blow to the man in the sky¡¯s confidence in his ruling of humanity and he has decided to let the archangels rule in his place. But if such a woman (the pale woman) exists then what of demonkind? Ugh, I can imagine the casualties weren''t pretty if our lord is resorting to whatever those are.¡±


    She continued walking up the stairs and the light of day soon blinded her eyes.


    ¡°Finally. Now I can get some fresh air and stock up on my mana.¡±


    She said with a smirk as she approached the outside. Maybe she might even teach that hodgepodge a lesson. After all, an elite demon like herself was likely worth far more to their lord than one of those things. She might even keep it as a plaything to experiment with. Maybe she might even be able to help her lor-


    <hr>


    After another minute or so, she reached the surface.


    Her tail was flicking behind her rapidly but she was no dog and more importantly, this was no sign of happiness.


    ¡°N-n-n-no,¡± She stuttered as she looked to the outside world. It was a nice sunny day and the birds could be heard chirping. Based on the current temperature and their current location, she hazarded a guess it was the very beginning of autumn and the leaves had not yet lost their colour.


    She looked as pale as a ghost and leaned against a nearby pillar for support.


    ¡°I can''t believe it.¡± She muttered as she began walking.


    (¡°Maybe the temple was interfering with my senses?¡±) She thought to herself. That was the only explanation that wouldn''t leave her curled up on the floor in defeat.


    She rushed out of the temple to a clear opening and¡­ nothing changed. Nothing she felt was different.


    ¡°What¡­ what happened to all the mana in the atmosphere!?¡± She shouted in disbelief. This wasn''t real, it couldn''t be real. How was all the mana in this area gone?

 Chapter 361

    ¡°Haha, I''m just mistaken, surely, yes surely all the mana in this area will start rushing back. Ah, those wasteful humans, one likely must have used a rather inefficient spell. I just have to walk until I feel the mana.¡±


    And so she began walking while forcing her body to try and absorb any mana in the area.


    <hr>


    The day had now taken an amber hue and the adventures had long since defeated the priest that could stop objects. But that didn''t matter to the demon named Buer.


    She could tell she had walked for several kilometres. She was surprised that in the amount of time that passed in her slumber and now, this area had been undisturbed by humanity. Given how different the landscape was from the last time she had seen it, she guessed, in the best case, a few hundred years had passed. She could, at minimum, tell a garden she kept as a hobby nearby the temple was nowhere to be seen and the hardiest thing she had in there could survive for one hundred and fifty years in the right conditions.


    Her breathing was ragged and she decided the best course of action would be to rest against a nearby tree.


    ¡°An alder¡­ I don''t remember alders in this forest.¡±


    This was minute compared to the reason she stopped. No matter how long she walked and how much effort she put into it, she managed to absorb only a pitiful amount of mana from the environment.


    How was this possible? Even if someone had used all the mana in the area it''d take no more than a few minutes for more mana to take its place. Hell, even if all the mana on this hemisphere was used, natural mana disperses so quickly, that the other hemisphere¡¯s mana would even out with this one in no more than an hour.


    The only thing she could think happened was¡­


    (¡°No¡­ that''s impossible. Even if the war raged that strongly, we hadn''t even scratched the surface of it during our war!¡±)


    She was shaking. The possibility of such a thing frightened her. If such a spell or ritual was used¡­ maybe her lord was no longer in this world.


    As she rocked back and forth trying to disprove the idea in her head, she heard a footstep approach and sluggishly turned around holding her head.


    <hr>


    Tina and Elizabeth returned home, with Tina quickly making her way inside and the trio of Elizabeth, Ruby and Agnes outside.


    ¡°Good job, Ruby.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Oh come on, she didn''t even try to run away. I''d say she''s on the same level as a kitten. Though her mind''s a bit dirtier.¡± Ruby added. She patted Agnes¡¯s head like a child''s.


    ¡°S-shut up.¡± Agnes said, slightly embarrassed. ¡°Also what did you mean by runaway? I said I''d follow Tibaut home, besides I''m not sure I''d want to go back to my village.¡± She added.


    ¡°You seem to be mistaken about something,¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°We know you''re not a slave of Albus.¡±


    ¡°.... (Oh fuck. No, no, no, stay calm, Agnes. You can''t leave your Prince alone in a den of villainy. Scratch that, if I''m not alive, I''m not even gonna have a chance of a happy ending with him.)¡±


    Even as a perilous situation looked her down, she could only focus on her sweet prince. Besides it''s not like she was implying-


    ¡°Based on your silence I take you were a member of the cult,¡± Elizabeth added.


    She could feel her stomach form a pit. Oh no. No, not now. Not when she found someone she loved. Not when she escaped that life of misery their God wouldn''t want. There was no way! She had to be bluffing.


    Agnes began stuttering and trying to get a word out, but Ruby simply patted her shoulder and shook her head when Agnes turned to her.


    ¡°Tibaut told me the women given to the priest by Albus were either killed or turned into those pale women. But that''s suspicious. Why would they keep you around? And as I was thinking this, I went to a cabin in the forest next to the dungeon. It was Kevin who informed me of this, so myself, Ruby and a few others went. Do you know what I found?¡± Elizabeth asked as she inched closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. She leaned into Agnes¡¯s ear and whispered.


    ¡°I found an attendance sheet. Do you know whose name I found on that sheet?¡±


    She began sweating and soon fell to her knees as she felt her breathing become difficult. She thought for a few moments and turned to trying to hang on to a thread of hope.


    Before she could open her mouth, Elizabeth killed her optimism before it even had a chance to recover.


    ¡°If you''re going to say some variation of ¡°But it''s a common name!¡± there happened to be a man in the cabin resting. Thankfully (He wasn''t too difficult to heal) He wasn''t in such a sorry state he couldn''t answer questions. So I asked him one related to this Agnes person.¡±


    (¡°Tibaut¡­ I''m glad I met you.¡±) She thought as she looked at Elizabeth. Her eyes were glazed over and she had fully accepted her fate. If anything, it was a bit easier to swallow knowing she got to live like a heroine for a few days. She may not have received his love but was happy she could close out her life loving a real person she connected with and not a romance protagonist.


    ¡°I asked what she looked like. After some convincing, he told me she had blue hair, tired eyes and seemed a bit shy. We thanked him and¡­ well you don''t have to hear the rest. After all, you can tell what happened based on the man we brought back with us. It''s amazing in hindsight how well you hid yourself when we removed his blinds.¡±


    Tears ran down her face. She didn''t even have the spirit to look Elizabeth in the face anymore. She clutched onto Tibaut¡¯s shirt and exposed her neck. She prayed these two would at least kill her quickly.


    (¡°A boyfriend and a new friend¡­. It was too good to be true¡­¡±)

 Chapter 362

    As Agnes kneeled with tears running down her eyes, Elizabeth looked on with indifference. She pulled her sword out and approached closer.


    ¡°Don''t you think this is a bit far, Lizzy?¡± Ruby asked. She didn''t seem too concerned and asked with the cadence of a teacher making sure you wanted to give your exam sheet after taking an uncomfortable amount of time glancing through it.


    ¡°Don''t you think it''d be fair for her to experience the terror some of the people who were killed by her religion felt?¡± Elizabeth answered as she placed the blade on Agnes'' shoulder.


    (¡°Damn it, can''t I get a quick death at least? Screw this shit! I had to join these motherfuckers because my parents didn''t want me at home. Those bastards caused this. It''s them you should kill, not me!!!¡±) She pathetically whined as she started hugging her. You might think she was trying to goad Elizabeth into killing but it was simply her trying to accept her death and seeking comfort in Elizabeth''s arms.


    <hr>


    Five minutes passed with Agnes crying into Elizabeth''s lower stomach. Elizabeth was somewhat soaked in her tears and snot.


    She eventually bore this and pushed her off and sent to the ground. Agnes immediately pushed off the floor and started running, for whatever good that would do.


    Elizabeth stabbed the sword into the ground just above her shoulder with Agnes crawling into it, hurting her shoulder. She began wailing on the floor, rolling around and clutching her shoulder.


    ¡°Ahhhh, Help Mmeeee!¡± She shouted as she tossed around the dirt.


    ¡°Alright that''s enough, we don''t need anyone coming out here,¡± Elizabeth commented as she crouched down.


    She reached her hand to Agnes¡¯s shoulder and healed it. Agnes looked on in fear, does she intend to heal her over and over when she-


    ¡°I''d say I''m sorry but, frankly I don''t owe you people anything.¡±


    Before Agnes could faint from the fear, Elizabeth continued.


    ¡°But it seems you were a great help to Tibaut. Tell me the truth about you and I''ll let you leave here tofay.¡±


    Agnes took a second to catch her breath and looked on in confusion.


    ¡°Y-you''re not gonna kill me?¡±


    ¡°Actually, wait a moment.¡± Elizabeth as she turned to Ruby. ¡°Go get him, I don''t want him thinking he''ll get off scot-free for doing something like this.¡±


    The tall lady nodded and made her way inside.


    A few moments later Tibaut exited and his face immediately soured upon seeing the scene. Ruby dragged him over and forced him on his knees beside Agnes.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Haha, wow, what are you doing to Agne-¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe this Tibaut. You really had the gall to bring one of our enemies back with us. Do you have any idea-¡±


    <hr>


    At the end of the chewing out, Tibaut was left on the flow with his eyes glazed over. He resembled a crumpled-up piece of garbage.


    Agnes meanwhile, was finishing up her telling of events that led to her joining the cult and her role in it.


    ¡°I see. Is that true Tibuat?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know¡­¡± He responded with unnerving tranquillity. It seemed the soul had left the body and all that remained was a withered husk.


    Elizabeth sighed.


    ¡°Tibaut, listen, I¡¯d appreciate it if you let me in on information like this. What would you have done if this woman turned out to be that man in black?¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡± he weakly responded. There wasn''t life in his responses. Elizabeth even contemplated healing him.


    ¡°Well, that''s settled right?¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°Indeed. I can confirm she''s nothing more than a grunt who happened to be forced into this. You don''t mind if she stays with you, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It''s better than throwing her into some jail cell.¡±


    ¡°H-huh? You''re not going to kill me!?¡± She exclaimed.


    ¡°No, though it comes at a cost. Tell us all the information you have on the¡­ actually, it''d be more convenient if you wrote it all down. Between you and that man we captured, we should get something usable.¡±


    Agnes fell limply to the floor and began slithering over to Tibaut to hug him. She didn''t care how shameless she looked; that was the only thing that stopped her from having a heart attack.


    ¡°She really is quite fond of him,¡± Elizabeth commented on seeing the display.


    ¡°Well, she seemed to be bitching about her old life so maybe she''s just grateful to him for taking her out of it,¡± Ruby answered, trying her best to hide the real reason.


    Elizabeth turned her attention to Tibaut and walked over to him. She stood over the pair and looked into his weak eyes.


    ¡°Get up Tibaut. I''m sure you won''t take my advice so readily, so I''ll do my best to make sure you''re at least strong enough to make this type of mistake and get away with it.¡±


    She dragged on his hand and he soon got up.


    ¡°I''ll try to take some heat off you, Agnes.¡± He whispered before getting up.


    She gently let him go as she watched him walk off.


    ¡°S-so you knew?¡± Agnes asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ruby answered as she lifted her up. ¡°Elizabeth wanted me to watch you. Honestly, I could have just locked you in a room with Tibaut and my job would have been done.¡± She said as she shook her head and held her hands out.


    ¡°Shut up you- you- you used condom of a woman!¡± Agnes exclaimed. Had the pair become great friends in a short time or was this how she talked to all women she felt comfortable with?


    ¡°You say that like getting laid is a bad thing. You should try it sometime.¡±


    She said as she squeezed her cheek. Agnes tried to take her fingers off but she could only struggle.


    <hr>


    After the impromptu training was over, Tibaut dragged himself back inside to see¡­


    (¡°Am I seeing this correctly?¡±) He thought.

 Chapter 363

    Tina was wearing a dress. Tina. That muscleheaded she-gorilla that wouldn''t know femininity if she was buried in it. Not only that. She was wearing some lipstick and had some makeup on her face.


    Tibaut had to rub his eyes several times trying to confirm the scene before his eyes. She wore a purple velvet dress with the sleeves going no further down than her elbow and the skirt going down no further than her knees. The dress placed ample emphasis on her bosom, though he wasn''t sure if it was intended or due to their larger-than-average size.


    ¡°Stop gawking, it''s creepy.¡± She stated.


    ¡°It really is you. What''s the occasion?¡± He asked.


    She blushed slightly. ¡°T-that''s all?¡± She said somewhat disappointed. (¡°I was sure he''d say something stupid like ¡°I didn''t know you could fit in a dress!¡±¡±)


    ¡°No, it''s nothing. (I guess it isn''t too out of the ordinary for even her to wear a dress. Now that I think about it¡­ ever since I came to this country she''s probably the first person I''ve seen wear a proper dress.) So are you going somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Before that, I should get this out the way¡­¡± She took a deep sigh. ¡°Thanks for giving me those ideas the other day.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what are talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don''t act dumb dipshit, you know, from when we were at that rapist''s estate.¡±


    ¡°Hu- oh that.¡± He looked away and scratched his head.


    <hr>


    Several weeks ago.


    The two stood in front of each other with Tibaut speaking with a passion in his eyes.


    ¡°(I wonder if she could use her magic like Misaka?) Have you ever tried to use your magnetism for more than recovering your spear?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked confused by his enthusiasm. She just tried to take her anger out on him, isn''t he mad?


    ¡°Like, I can tell you don''t do spear thrusts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s because the spear''s too heavy. Its weight makes it far too heavy to do some of those thrusts. It causes too much friction against my hand. I even tried a glove once but it wore through it in two training sessions.¡±


    ¡°Then why don''t, you know, levitate it when you thrust.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Come on that''d be nowhere near worth the mana for a trick like that.¡± She immediately answered.


    ¡°Really? I guess overestimated your magic slightly.¡±


    ¡°What was that!?¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Oh, so my stupid ideas actually helped?¡± He meekly answered, remembering that time. (¡°I know I was trying to cheer her up but I still cringe knowing I talked to her like I knew her magic better.¡±)


    ¡°Yes, at least one of them so far. The technique proved useful. So... thank you, Tibaut.¡±


    Tibaut felt his throat dry at her sincerity.


    (¡°She really is cute when she isn''t being a pain in the ass¡­¡±)


    ¡°Oh, what''s this I see?¡± Lily asked as she walked next to Tina in a similar dress, albeit this one was green. For having such a meagre chest, it looked quite nice on her. ¡°Hehe, showing him the goods? Don''t worry, I''ll cheer for you too, if you feel like going for him, Vanessa needs to realise how urgent this is.¡±


    Tina softly hammered her head and scoffed. ¡°This pervert was just asking me why I was dressed like this. I was just about to punish him for staring at my chest.¡±


    (¡°She noticed me!?¡±) He wondered as he picked himself off the floor and leaned against a nearby wall.


    Another woman appeared as Tibaut noticed someone coming down the stairs. ¡°Ugh, do we really have to go drinking in the town? We can just mooch off your booze can''t we Lily?¡±


    It was a woman who wore a blue dress, with a thick pair of glasses. She had chestnut hair that went to her shoulders.


    ¡°Screw off, if I''m gonna have to deal with your magic, we might as well make it other people''s problem as well.¡±


    ¡°Hmm!?¡± Tibaut worriedly wondered.


    ¡°Sigh, don''t mind them. And if you''re wondering, we are going to have some fun tonight and reminisce about Ezekiel. Lily said it''s a girl''s night out or whatever.¡±


    ¡°O-oh. Don''t let me slow you down.¡±


    Tibaut began hobbling out of there. ¡°Aren''t you curious about the dress dude?¡± Lily asked. ¡°It''s not every day you see her in something like that.¡±


    Tina sighed before opening her mouth. ¡°Let''s just get this out of the way before we leave. I don''t regularly wear a dress. None of us do. However, Ezekiel bought us some dresses to wear but we never got to wear them before the house burned down. So we decided to buy a new set. Hopefully, that bastard is getting a good laugh in heaven.¡±


    Tibaut remained silent for a few moments. ¡°Would he really be laughing at you guys?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Why wouldn''t he? I can''t see any other reason that guy would give them to us.¡± She harshly stated.


    ¡°I mean, he took care of you guys, right? Maybe it was like the same way a dad gives a daughter a present. He just wanted to give you something to look pretty in.¡±


    ¡°....¡± Tina remained silent.


    ¡°Huh. You know things were always a bit tight. Maybe he just felt like being generous.¡± Lily stated as she lifted the dress slightly off her chest.


    ¡°Sorry if I said something I shouldn''t have,¡± Tibaut said as he clasped his hands. ¡°But, uh, I think he''s probably just plain old smiling.¡±


    Tibaut quickly walked off and made his way upstairs.


    ¡°Hey,¡­ do you two mind if we get Elizabeth to draw us in these tomorrow?¡± Tina asked.


    Both nodded their heads.

 Chapter 364

    Two men stood together in an empty room. One towered over the other but based on his posture and demeanour, the larger didn''t seem to be in charge.


    ¡°This has been quite the process, boy.¡± The shorter man remarked.


    ¡°You''re telling me. You know how hard it was to plant that letter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it must have been quite the ordeal. Did you see any riches among their possessions?¡±


    ¡°Not really. The bastard must have hidden them somewhere. Either that or we really did wring him dry.¡±


    ¡°What a shame.¡±


    ¡°So you got the body ready?¡± The other man asked as he trailed his finger against a dusty table.


    ¡°Give me a few more minutes to prepare. It was quite hard to work on it with the anxiety that took over this place. I just need to give a few more bones the appropriate amount of damage.¡± He remarked as he tapped the leg of the body he was working on with a small hammer.


    ¡°Does it really matter? All bodies look the same burnt.¡±


    The shorter man shook his head in disappointment. ¡°That wishy-washy attitude would end up being our undoing, especially around that woman. Why do you think I''ve withheld the body from her for further scrutiny? I can only hope the embers of this fire reduce it to cinders.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, old man, I get ya. But isn''t having my men watching her house plus that woman you hired, sure enough, insurance to escape cleanly?¡±


    ¡°We can never be too careful. After all, we don''t want her to suspect our survival after all of this. Even if we do escape it''d be meaningless if she finds out the truth.¡±


    The taller man nodded his head in agreement.


    ¡°By the way, I want you to walk around town. Let yourself be seen by low-ranking adventurers and common folk. That way, it won''t seem out of the blue when they question people about suspicious figures.¡±


    ¡°...if you say so, just finish up by the time I come back.¡±


    ¡°You can''t rush good workmanship boy.¡±


    The night was dark and the taller man slipped outside of the room through a door that appeared to lead outside.


    <hr>


    The women soon exited the mansion.


    They were walking through the forest and a discussion soon emerged.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to town, right?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°Eh? Why not a local village? It''d probably have a more intimate feel.¡± Bailey answered.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Oh come on, if we wanted it to be intimate we could have just stayed home. Ugh, speaking of home, is Elizabeth okay with us staying at her place for the future?¡± Lily asked.


    Tina turned to her with an eye raised. ¡°What do you mean about that? Of course, we''re gonna leave, you can''t expect us to stay there forever. Besides, you two should be decent enough that we can make somewhat of a living if we moved parishes.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Pinky can''t we just lean on Elizabeth''s shoulder and work under he-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She quickly responded. ¡°You don''t expect to work under my rival.¡±


    ¡°Oh for the love of-¡±


    ¡°Uh, can this wait? We''re gonna enjoy ourselves tonight, right?¡± Bailey asked.


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    The two women mouthed, annoyed.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°So we''re going into town right?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Of course we are, I''m not going to some backwater to be ogled at by some losers who can''t even use magic.¡±


    Bailey only sighed as they walked away ignoring her.


    <hr>


    The girls soon reached town.


    ¡°Where to first?¡± Bailey asked.


    ¡°The pub obviously!¡± Lily answered, wrapping her arm around her neck.


    ¡°Ugh, I guess we did say we''d go drinking,¡± Tina remarked.


    ¡°What''s with the reaction, Tina? You should learn to enjoy life more, it''s too short to be turning your nose to booze.¡±


    The group began walking to their destination.


    ¡°Pft, I''m sorry but most of the people I know who love drinking aren''t the most respectable. You included.¡±


    ¡°Watch yourself Pinky, you can disrespect me all you want but don''t you dare talk shit about Vanessa.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    The group continued their walking but Lily stopped them. ¡°We''re here.¡±


    The pair looked forward and Bailey sighed. It was a white stone building with a frosted glass door. It had a wooden menu on the left side, half of which consisted of various spirits the pair hadn''t heard of.


    ¡°H-here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Is it a problem?¡± Tina asked, not well versed in pubs.


    ¡°Is it? I''m not sure we''ll be able to go inside without selling off all we''re worth.¡± The chestnut-haired woman answered with a serious expression.


    ¡°It''s fine Bailey, Elizabeth gave me some spending money.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    Lily pulled a heavy-looking sack filled to the brim with gold. She pulled out a coin and it was labelled with a 50 on the side with the head of some beast on the other side.


    ¡°A bag of fifties that big!?¡± Bailey exclaimed before covering her mouth.


    ¡°Yeah, apparently she said her master would be coming back soon enough, so she could afford to give us the rest of her spending money.¡±


    Tina grabbed the bag from Lily and took a closer look.


    ¡°Hmm, for a princess I''d expect more.¡±


    ¡°It''s enough to have a good time and that''s all that matters. Also stop saying that so casually, I feel a chill up my spine whenever you mention it.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know why you guys think she''s a princess. She could be a duchess or something.¡± Bailey interjected.


    ¡°They might as well all be the same things. They''re rich and they have connections.¡± Lily remarked.


    The girls entered the building and were surprised to find they had their own room. It was quite spacious at that, it was about half the size of the Branch building''s reception area.

 Chapter 365

    The three women were gathered around a table made of a superb piece of wood. Even to their untrained eyes, they could tell it was expensive. The moment they entered, a bottle of white wine was already at the table in addition to several wine glasses. In the middle of the table was a basket of various breads that adorned the room with its scents.


    ¡°Who the hell is this even for anyway?¡± Tina asked as she sat down.


    ¡°Rich people,¡± Lily answered as she poured herself some wine. She nearly filled the glass.


    ¡°Ugh, is this really worth it? We could probably have just as good of a time somewhere less expensive.¡± Bailey added as she reached for a piece of bread. Her face softened after she took a bite.


    ¡°Shut up, we¡¯re here for a good time and the more money you spend on something, the better it''s going to be!¡±


    She drank the wine out of the glass like she was drinking water and left it about halfway empty.


    Tina looked around the room and saw a couch and a chest further away. She got up and stepped closer.


    ¡°Rich people eh? I can''t imagine many of those coming here.¡±


    ¡°You''d be surprised. The parish doesn''t a have city, so towns like these are places you go when you wanna get stuff done or have fun. If it weren''t for the cultists this place would probably be filled.¡± Lily answered as she took another gulp. She reached for a piece of bread and nodded her head in satisfaction after taking a bite.


    Tina reached the chest and opened it to find¡­ ¡°A chess board? Dice? Are these cards?¡±


    ¡°I guess it''s in case we get bored or something.¡±


    ¡°Is this really a pub?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°Well, it sells booze, so that''s all I care about.¡±


    A man knocked before entering the room and the girls made their orders.


    ¡°Shit, the good wine and bread was free?¡± Lily stated.


    ¡°Free my behind, we have to pay these exorbitant prices to even get access to them,¡± Bailey said as finished another piece of bread from the basket.


    Tina sat at the table impatiently waiting for her meal. With nothing better to do, she grabbed a wine glass and poured herself some wine.


    ¡°It''s not even white, it''s clear,¡± Tina stated.


    ¡°Eh, they''re basically the same thing.¡±


    The most Tina''s alcohol consumption went to was drinking the occasional tavern beer.


    She sniffed the glass and-


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°It''s strong.¡±


    She placed her finger near it and shocked it with her finger and within a few moments, it caught on fire, leaving Tina with her eyes wide open.


    ¡°Damn, this must be some really good shit!¡± Lily stated at the sight. ¡°It''s not even¡­ uh what''s it called? Right vodka! It''s not even that and it''s catching on fire.¡±


    ¡°Is it supposed to catch on fire?¡± Tina worriedly asked.


    ¡°Hmm, if it''s strong enough,¡± Bailey answered.


    Lily smirked before opening her mouth. ¡°Come on, drink it!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why would I-¡±


    ¡°Don''t tell me you''re too much of a pussy to do it? Come on Tina we''re here to have fun.¡±


    Tina looked at the flaming glass in contemplation. ¡°(N-no this just isn''t a good idea. This doesn''t prove anything.) Come on Bailey, talk some sense into her.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t recommend it, but your body should be strong enough that doing it shouldn''t pose any risk.¡±


    ¡°Haha, see, even Bailey¡¯s calling you a wuss.¡± Lily laughed as she took a sip of her glass.


    Tina looked at the glass for a few moments before downing the whole thing and gently wiping off a small flame that formed on her lip.


    She shook her head and puckered her lips before on the table.


    ¡°How the *cough* hell does anyone enjoy that stuff?¡± She asked as she coughed. Surprisingly the alcohol itself was far worse of an experience than the flame. She barely even noticed it.


    ¡°Ay!¡± Lily said before clapping for hands. Bailey joined in as well, gently clapping her hands.


    ¡°Stop that, it''s annoying.¡± She said as she took some deep breaths trying to recover from the alcohol.


    Bailey reached for the bottle and poured some herself. She swished the glass before taking a sip.


    ¡°Wow, it''s nice.¡± She said with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Right? It''s sure as better than whatever piss water Tina usually drinks.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry I want to enjoy my drink instead of downing it like juice. But¡­ it wasn''t so bad. Give me the bottle back Bailey I''m sure I could take a few more sips.¡±


    ¡°Finally, just let loose Tina.¡±


    ¡°Don''t think I''m gonna make a fool of myself like you do.¡±


    Bailey handed her back the bottle and she poured herself some more white wine.


    ¡°I can''t imagine, Ezekiel would be thrilled about this,¡± Tina said as she took another sip.


    ¡°Ah, screw him, he treats us like kids too much, we can have a drink,¡± Lily responded.


    ¡°I don''t mind it. At least he was here for me, unlike that guy who calls himself my father.¡± Bailey added.


    ¡°Oh, so you''re a daddy''s girl.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What''s that?¡±


    ¡°I''m pretty sure it''s being doted on by your dad right?¡± Tina stated. ¡°Hmph, I can''t imagine there are many of those with men nowadays.¡±


    ¡°I mean, if we''re talking about Ezekiel¡­ I didn''t mind his doting that much. It''s weird, he was just as much a father as he was a friend.¡± Bailey said.


    ¡°Eh, for me he was more like an older brother. He was annoying sometimes but he always looked out for us.¡±


    Lily remained silent and quietly nibbled on some bread.


    ¡°What''d you see him as Lily?¡± Tina asked.


    ¡°Uh, a brother, right a big brother.¡±


    The two other women there looked at her with suspicion.


    ¡°Really?¡± Bailey asked.


    ¡°Oh screw off, you guys already know!¡±


    ¡°Come on, we''re talking about a dead guy, we shouldn''t hide any secrets,¡± Tina said.

 Chapter 366

    ¡°He was a¡­¡± Lily sighed. ¡°He was a hero to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Bailey remarked with interest. Tina also paid more attention to her, with intrigue present on her face.


    ¡°Don''t you guys feel the same way?¡± She asked. ¡°He let us stay with him, no charge other than being a part of his guild.¡±


    ¡°So the guy let us stay with him and suddenly he''s a hero? It was give and take. We help him out and we have a roof over our head.¡± Tina said, somewhat perturbed by the idea of calling him a hero.


    Lily leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms with some cracking being heard. The alcohol clearly left her feeling more limber.


    ¡°Come on Tina, we barely do anything in this parish. How many other guys would let us stay with them essentially free of charge, hunt food for us and even cook us without wanting anything weird or gross out of us?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I guess you''re right about that. But I''d hesitate to call him a hero, he was just a weirdo.¡±


    ¡°Weirdo? Weren''t you the one who called that weirdo your older brother?¡±


    ¡°Who says he can''t be both? He was a brother but I just couldn''t get what was going through that dumbass¡¯s head sometimes.¡±


    ¡°C-come on he wasn''t that bad,¡± Lily argued.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Both other women responded.


    ¡°Don''t you remember the time he mud wrestled with Tina?¡± Bailey asked.


    ¡°Wha- Come on we were both hot and wanted to spar! There was nothing weird about that! What about the time he was testing some of those poisons you were synthesising?¡± Tina said, defending the decision.


    ¡°I needed a human test subject and he was sturdy enough, plus, we had a few curing potions at the time so it wasn''t like he was trying to kill himself!¡± She clapped back with blushed cheeks.


    Lily groaned, the memories coming back to her. He leaned back forward and wore a straight face.


    ¡°Even then, so what? He''s a hero to me damnit!¡± She said with tears forming in her eyes. She brought her head down to the table and started sniffling.


    The other two piped down and brought their chairs closer to Lily.


    ¡°I-I-I miss him.¡± Lily cried while being comforted by her sisters.


    ¡°Fuck, stop getting all sappy,¡± Tina responded with tears in her eyes, patting Lily''s back. ¡°Bastard''s probably laughing at us from heaven.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Then let him laugh!¡± Bailey responded as she hugged the both of them.


    <hr>


    As Tibaut rested in his room, he stank of sweat. He could have showered but he honestly didn''t have the energy to do anything other than rest.


    As he stared at his ceiling slowly fading away his mind pictured a certain pink-haired woman.


    ¡°Hmm. I hope she''s having fun.¡± As his eyes started to close he heard a knock at the door. He contemplated opening it but there was another knock.


    ¡°Shit,¡± He said as he rolled out of bed. He fell to the floor and quickly got up. ¡°It might be Elizabe-¡±


    As he opened the door he saw that it wasn''t Elizabeth but Vanessa standing with some light armour in her hands. Very familiar light armour at that. Worryingly familiar.


    She threw it at him and ducked down with the grace of a world heavyweight champion before delivering a blow to his knee, sending him to the floor. For a woman of her size, she hit surprisingly hard.


    ¡°Ow, what¡­¡± Ah, that''s where he recognised this armour. It was his.


    Uh-oh.


    He held his hands up and tried bargaining with her. ¡°Come, Vanessa, you have to trust this time it wasn''t my fau-¡±


    Vanessa grabbed his arm and got a good look at it. Her scowl softened and she moved his armour out of the way before jumping a few feet into the air and landing on his lap.


    (¡°Lord, please give me strength!¡±) Tibaut begged internally, praying a certain part of him wouldn''t get any funny ideas from her soft derriere resting against him.


    ¡°You impotent or something, Mr. Medium-Sized? (Phew, I can still do stuff like this without feeling too awkward.)¡± She asked.


    ¡°Medium!? (Shit don''t tell me this is considered medium in this world. You''ve got to be shitting me! I was pretty proud of it in the last world, too¡­)¡± He exclaimed in disbelief.


    ¡°Or maybe I should call you Mister Small? That''d be fitting for a guy that''s too stupid to wear the armour, his wonderful¡­ friend gave him.¡±


    (¡°Why''d she pause for a second there?¡±)


    Noticing his gaze she grinded against his lap to try and shift the topic.


    ¡°Gah, what the!?¡±


    ¡°But you''re doing well.¡± She said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tibaut looked at his arms and flexed them for a moment. ¡°Huh, was I this big before I came back from Lochmull?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah, you were.¡± She felt his arm and nodded her head. ¡°Given what happened to you guys I''m surprised you came back looking better than you left. Also, you seem like a real playboy.¡± She said before she started grinding against him again.


    ¡°I give, I give Vanessa get off me!¡± He begged.


    Seeing his desperate face, she relented and got off him. She realised her desire to prove she could do these sorts of interactions with him may have caused her to go too far in the opposite direction.


    ¡°(D-Did I really just do that? I mean I tapped his dick a few times but, no, Vanessa this is just friendly teasing, it doesn''t show you what you want to do with him.) So you''ve now sunk your flesh into demons. Yet little old me was a step too far. Am I too short for you? Maybe too old?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nothing of the sort happened, they just thought it was fun to mess with me, just like you. It was no different.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so they were just messing with ya. Wait, are you calling me a demon?¡±


    ¡°A succubus at that.¡± He bluntly stated.


    ¡°Hoh, well then I better deliver," she said as she reached for his pants.


    She reached for it but he didn''t react. She slowly looked to his face, to see him glaring right back at her.

 Chapter 367

    ¡°Do it, pussy.¡± He goaded.


    She tapped his crotch and he leaned forward in mild but prominent pain.


    ¡°I don''t have the hardware to work on such small equipment. Oh, right I have something to give you.¡±


    She got up and went outside. He picked himself up and scratched his head.


    (¡°I know we¡¯re just fucking around but I can''t get over how used to this I am. If the old me saw he''d assume I''m some scumbag playboy or a manslut.¡±)


    She entered back into the room with a pair of gauntlets. They extended to the elbow and looked wicked. They each had a trio of short tilted blades, like a certain caped crusader¡¯s gloves and had a nice dark finish. The ends of the fingers were pointed like claws as well. Its polish in addition to the darkness made it look as though someone ripped the lower arms off a demon.


    ¡°Damn, you don''t disappoint.¡± He said as held his hands out, wanting to try them out. She handed them over, though her face did have some disappointment on it.


    ¡°Why gauntlets anyway? A sword would have been way more fitting if you asked me. Hell, you could even use a sword with those.¡± She adamantly questioned.


    He shook his head and began putting them on. ¡°I mostly use hand-to-hand combat and although I know a few tricks with swords, I''d pretty much be handicapping myself if I fought with one.¡±


    ¡°Can''t you ask Elizabeth to sharpen your skills up?¡±


    ¡°Are gauntlets so surprising?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I haven''t heard of a single person using those as their main weapon.¡±


    Tibaut moved his hands around for a few moments, blocking and throwing several punches.


    ¡°How''s it? I was worried you''d still be a bit light, so I was contemplating making it tighter.¡± She grabbed his arm. She looked to see if there was a gap between his arm and the gauntlet.


    ¡°It''s good. It is not too heavy, and it doesn''t seem like it''ll tire me out any quicker than regular. It''s snug as a glove honestly, so it probably doesn''t need any modifications in that sense. I wish I could have gotten this in my spar with Elizabeth earlier.¡±


    ¡°Would you have won?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, but, it''d probably leave her hands sore enough to give me an extra day to rest. Ugh, I can''t believe I''m back to training with her every day.¡± He said.


    ¡°Really? Would you like to put that idea to the test?¡±


    Vanessa and Tibaut blankly stared at each other before turning to the door. At it was Elizabeth with a letter in her hand.


    Tibaut cleared his throat and started rubbing his hands together while Vanessa quickly made her way to her side.


    ¡°(You traitor!) Oh hey, Elizabeth, me and Vanessa were running some ideas by each other, she was really confident this armour could even the gap between us.¡±


    ¡°(Don''t drag me into this asshole!) I think he''s mistaken. I never said anything of the sort~¡± She said in a gentle tone.


    ¡°This is important, so could you two stop playing around?¡± She said in a firm tone.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Got it.¡± They responded.


    ¡°I have a letter to deliver to Mr. Bentley. I''d rather him receive it tonight as I''d like to discuss it with him and any more information Agnes can recall during tomorrow.¡± She handed it to Tibaut.


    ¡°Then why not give it tomorrow?¡± He asked as he stared at the outstretched letter.


    She sighed.


    ¡°Because I''d like for this information to make it to him as soon as possible. Though I can deliver it myself if you feel like it. (I just hope you¡¯ll enjoy the extra special training course tomorrow.)¡±


    ¡°Nah, I can do it.¡± He looked down at his gauntlets. ¡°I wanna see if there''s anything in the forest I can test these on.¡±


    ¡°Please do so after you deliver the letter. Unless you feel like rewriting everything that was on that paper if you get blood on it.¡±


    ¡°C-can I look at first?¡±


    She thought about it for a moment and grabbed Vanessa''s hand. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Vanessa tried to struggle out of it. ¡°H-hey, what gives!?¡±


    ¡°This letter is not for your eyes.¡±


    As Vanessa struggled in Elizabeth''s grasp, Tibaut noticed the letter wasn''t even sealed and easily opened it.


    First was the letter the priest wrote.


    ¡°Why''s this in there?¡±


    ¡°I feel it''d be better to have it in his possession.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok-¡± Tibaut paused as he looked at the letter. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, it''s-¡±


    ¡°If there''s something on your mind, there is no harm in saying what it is,¡± Elizabeth said as she approached him and took a look at the letter herself with Vanessa still in her grasp, looking dissatisfied.


    ¡°Well¡­ the light in the dungeon was pretty dim so I''m not sure if that''s why I overlooked it but...


    ...


    ....


    ....."


    Elizabeth turned to him, wondering what he was thinking.


    "I''m pretty sure this handwriting is different.¡±


    ¡°Repeat!?¡± Elizabeth said, her voice raised.


    ¡°Sorry it''s probably just-¡±


    ¡°No, I need to hear the logic behind this. Why do you think that Tibaut!?¡± She asked with both of her hands on his shoulder. She looked frantic.


    ¡°Well, listen I''m not sure but I read through the priest''s lab report and his handwriting didn''t look like this. Maybe he just had a scribe write it for hi-¡±


    Elizabeth could feel the goosebumps starting to slowly creep up her neck. A fake letter? Who would need to create such a thing-


    ¡°And you''re sure the handwriting was different!?¡± She exclaimed. Even Vanessa was starting to look worried based on her reaction.


    ¡°Pretty sure but like I said, I''m sure he probably had a scribe-¡± Elizabeth grabbed his hand and began walking. She moved with haste and the three of them soon reached the stairway.


    ¡°We need to go to Mr. Bentley as soon as possible. Shit, I shouldn''t have had Ruby leave so soon! No, we should still have a few days left before they act.¡±


    ¡°Woah, wait you aren''t implying that-¡±


    ¡°What''s going on you two? I feel like I''m out of the loop here.¡±


    ¡°The man in black is likely still in this parish. This letter is a fake one he planted!¡±


    ¡°But when could he have done that?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°You say those with the powder can ignore the women right? Then it''s likely he saw this as adequate time to hide himself, preparing for a final blow.¡±


    They soon reached the bottom of the stairs.


    ¡°So he''s at least a priest like that short blonde guy?¡±


    ¡°I would bet on it. Darn, do you remember any other papers in that space the priest kept as his own?¡±


    A cold sweat ran down his forehead. ¡°I think I saw one or two more on the floor when I first entered but I didn''t really pay them any attention, they just looked like scrap paper.¡±


    ¡°Yet that was the only piece of paper we could find that directly addressed themselves as the priest.¡±

 Chapter 368

    As they approached the doorway of the mansion, the turning of the knob could be heard. The trio stopped with Vanessa throwing Tibaut his armour before making her way towards the basement.


    ¡°(Phew, at least she knows it''s dangerous.)¡± Tibaut thought as he rushed to put on his armour.


    He supposed his opportunity to put his gauntlets to use came early and readied himself


    It was quite some time into the night and Elizabeth had taken the time to dim some of the lights, leaving the room darkened compared to earlier. Whether this would be to their detriment or their foes would have to be seen.


    (¡°Tsk, all I have on me is this wooden sword!¡±) Elizabeth complained as she reached for her side. There was no reality her sword would have been repaired in a single day, and to give herself a challenge she assaulted trained with Tibaut using a wooden sword.


    She was also far more bare than Tibaut. She had just returned from a shower and wore only a long flowy skirt with a pair of tights underneath and a sleeveless shirt.


    The door soon opened and Tibaut readied various fireballs.


    They both braced themselves for the man in black but the figure who opened the door didn''t seem to be him or any of his minions.


    It was a woman, just barely shorter than Elizabeth. She wore a hooded cloak that looked to be a part of her shirt. Based on the seams that were visible around her chest and went to her back it seemed she either made the modification herself or paid for such a shoddy job.


    The hood didn''t obscure her face, though. He could tell she had purple hair that was somewhat messy.


    Now that Tibaut got a better look, her shirt was almost like a dress. It extended to her knees with the skirt section splitting into two parts. Combined with the fact it was sleeveless, it almost reminded him of one of those China dresses that he saw in a lot of ecch- certain mangas.


    Under it, she wore a dark pair of pants with a few tears. Whether they were added for fashion or scars of battle was to be seen.


    In her hands were two-


    (¡°What the fuck are those things?¡±) Tibaut thought. She held two massive tonfas. Both were as long as her arm. Not forearms, her entire arm. If that wasn''t enough, they were barely thicker than his flexed biceps. Even assuming it was hollow, those things would still be ridiculously heavy to dual-wield. Elizabeth could probably do it, he could too if it wasn''t a tricky opponent like the priest or the man in black, but who the hell did this woman think she was showing up before them with those massive things?


    Speaking of massive, she also had a sizable ches-


    ¡°Like what you see?¡± She asked as she noticed Tibaut¡¯s gaze.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Based on her reaction it seemed she was expecting them.


    ¡°I''ve seen bigger and better.¡± He responded.


    The woman gave a small chuckle.


    ¡°(Gah, did I really just say something like that?) So who the hell are you?¡±


    Standing in the open doorway, she turned her head to Elizabeth. They coldly stared at each other, with Tibaut serving as no more than an observer, as far as they were concerned.


    ¡°Hey, come on, you can''t just come into our house and give us the silent treatment.¡± He complained. The tension was killing him. He just wanted to fire off his balls and get it over with.


    ¡°Chill out, redhead. This isn''t about you.¡± She answered. ¡°I assume you''re the Elizabeth he mentioned? Ha, I thought you looked delicate but that''s a mean look you have in your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I''ll have to educate you on not judging a book by its cover.¡± She coldly stated. ¡°And who is this "he" you mentioned?¡±


    She stretched her arms out, like she was getting ready to exercise and started moving her head as she thought about something.


    ¡°I guess I can tell you this much. He doesn''t want you going anywhere tonight, little girl. Ah man, I thought this was going to be easy since you seemed like you were going to stay here all night. Tch, and the bastard cheaped out saying there''s a high chance I do nothing but recon.¡± She mumbled to herself.


    ¡°Uh, are you supposed to complain about your employer?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Who gives a shit? He gave me a job and as long as I do it, the bastard will be happy. Now can we please stay like this until, uh, you got a clock? I''m pretty sure I told him I''d only work from midday today to midnight.¡±


    ¡°You''re not here to kill us?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Please don''t mention killing, I''m not getting anywhere the amount of money to be doing something like that tonight.¡± She answered as she slumped her shoulders.


    ¡°You''re here to stall us? Tibaut, go on ahead, I''ll distract her.¡± Elizabeth said as she inched closer to the other woman.


    ¡°Wha- are you serious? What about you? Wouldn''t it be better to take her on toge-¡±


    ¡°Tibaut!¡± She raised her voice. ¡°Whatever that bastard is planning seems to be time-sensitive. I can handle her, just get going!¡±


    She closed the gap between them and her punch was blocked by one of the tonfas. Based on the ring it made and the lack of dent, it appeared the metal was an inch or two thick.


    The hired goon tried to sweep Elizabeth''s legs but she backed away quick enough, to counter her by stomping on one of her own feet. Unfortunately, Elizabeth could tell she was wearing a metal boot, so the stomp did jack diddly.


    The woman quickly brought her torso downwards, twisting unnaturally to avoid a fireball. It did however hit a nearby wall and created a big cloud of dust. Before either Tibaut or Elizabeth could capitalise, the dust suddenly fell, in less than a moment. Elizabeth blocked the tonfas swung her way and an unnerving sound came from both of her arms.


    Tibaut landed a punch on the woman and managed to back away before she landed a counter kick from throwing herself back unnaturally. She flipped away a few meters and soon stood back on her feet.


    Tibaut opened the door and nodded at Elizabeth before leaving.


    The woman looked at Tibaut from a nearby window and turned back to Elizabeth.


    ¡°You don''t seem very competent at your job,¡± Elizabeth said as she felt heat sear through her arms.


    ¡°Who said anything about stopping him? That cheapskate only paid for you. Sigh And I can see why.¡± She whispered under her breath.

 Chapter 3(69)

    Several hours earlier.


    ¡°Aw, where''d he go?¡± Agnes asked as she tried to walk into the forest. Ruby grabbed her shoulder and Agnes looked towards her with annoyed eyes.


    ¡°Do you feel like dying?¡± Ruby asked.


    ¡°Oh, shut up, you don''t scare me,¡± Agnes responded as she tried to shrug off Ruby''s grip. Ruby gripped tighter on her shoulder and left the girl on her knees, quivering in pain.


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow! Let go of me you walking toil- OW, I''m sorry let me go!!!¡± The woman pleaded as Ruby''s grip got tighter. Tears started to form around her eyes and Ruby let go.


    ¡°You sure do have a mouth on ya, don''t cha?¡± Ruby asked as she talked down to her. She held onto her cheeks and brought her back to her feet.


    ¡°Do hoo thifk tis is funi (Do you think this is funny!?)¡± Agnes said as she got her cheeks stretched. (Despite the chapter number, I am referring to the cheeks on her face.)


    She reached her arms out to grab at Ruby and somehow ended up at her chest. Ruby gave a small giggle and let go of her cheeks. She rubbed her head and spoke thus ¡°My, look at you. I''m sure you''ve been wanting to know what a real chest feels, so go right ahead?.¡±


    Agnes gritted her teeth and immediately went for her nipples, squeezing them like she was trying to rip them off. There wasn''t so much as a jump from Ruby as Agnes looked up.


    ¡°Is that all? (Damn, Nigel¡¯s always a bit too rough but that didn''t feel half bad. Maybe I should give some weaker guys a shot.)¡± She asked, straight-faced.


    Agnes could only look up in awe. ¡°Wha- what do you do to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Heh, it''s just my body, sweetie. If you had my blood it''d take a bit more than a regular woman to cause me to feel anything. In terms of pain anyway.¡± She said, lifting up Agnes.


    ¡°Woah, what gives? I wanna go find that wolf. Ah, he''ll be a great addition to me and Tibaut. Imagine, it''ll just be us in the countryside with the kids playing with it.¡±


    ¡°And people call me shameless.¡± She said as she gave her a light tap on the butt.


    ¡°Please don''t do that.¡± Agnes snarled with a look of disgust.


    ¡°I see you don''t have many friends.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think I''d call anyone that handsy a friend. Except Tibaut. No, he''d be more than a fri-¡±


    ¡°Ugh, Tibaut this, Tibaut that. I want a taste of him too, but you''re kinda creepy about it, dear. You''ll only run him away if you keep acting like that.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to hear it from a woman like you. Even from the way you dress, I can tell you can''t even remember how many lovers you''ve had. Besides, it''s not like I overdo it around him, I''ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think about 53? Oh wait, there was that time with the mercenaries that came to the village, so I guess 58 or was it 59? But that''s just counting the men. Eh, if it''s between women it doesn''t count.¡± She muttered to herself as she walked back.


    ¡°...I think remembering how many you''ve had is far worse. Why are you such a slut?¡± Agnes asked.


    ¡°Aw, stop it, you''re reminding me of home with that sort of talk. (Ugh.) God, I think I was the one saying it back then. Then my sister was the one calling me that¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are you from anyway? It sounds like a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Can you not tell from my skin? Or my blessed height? Men do like them about my size after all. I remember the taller girls always complaining about guys running away. I mean they would also try to kidnap them, but I think height also mattered.¡±


    ¡°Were you also forced into a cu-?¡± Agnes offhandedly asked, before clearing her throat to change topics. ¡°I mean, I think I''m good. No wonder you''re like this.¡±


    ¡°Really? I''m pretty sure you could guess what I am in three attempts at most, dearie.¡±


    Ruby set Agnes down and she looked to see the mansion before them.


    ¡°Then what''s your excuse? By your logic, you''re far more of a nasty little pervert than I, wouldn''t you say?¡±


    ¡°Wha- I am not! Can''t a woman express her love?¡±


    ¡°But what about the lovely tools we talked about earlier?¡±


    ¡°Humph, I learnt of them through research. Speaking of research¡­¡± Agnes glanced at her chest before looking away.


    A small smirk appeared on her face and she slowly pushed her chest into Agnes¡¯s face.


    ¡°Want to make them bigger?¡± She softly whispered in her ears.


    Agnes entertained the idea and looked to Ruby with a concerning amount of desperation present in her eyes. She looked away but couldn''t bring herself to drop the subject.


    ¡°I know some books sorta joke about it¡­ but is it true massaging your chest helps with growth?¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hmm, I''m not sure, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°...24,¡± Agnes answered, her voice barely above a whisper.


    ¡°R-really?¡± Ruby said surprised.


    Agnes looked away like a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar. ¡°I hate you. It''s twenty-six.¡±


    Ruby gently wrapped her hands around for her. ¡°Dear, I''m surprised. You look quite well for your age other than the bags. Look at you aiming for a man almost ten years your junior.¡±


    ¡°You say that but I''m sure I''ll bury myself in a hole if you''re younger than me.¡± She said as she accepted her hug.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''m in my fifties now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    Agnes moved her head away from her chest and looked straight into her. She ran a hand through the hair of the woman who towered over her. Not a single grey hair. Not a single wrinkle.


    ¡°No-not bad granny,¡± Agnes answered in awe.


    ¡°Why thank you.¡± She hugged her slightly higher and released her. ¡°But you should still be young enough that massaging should have an effort on you. Want to give it a go?¡±


    As Agnes contemplated the question, Ruby moved her hands under her shirt and moved them up her chest.


    ¡°Is that a yes or no?¡± She asked as she began moving her fingers.


    ¡°Does he like big breasts?¡±


    ¡°He couldn''t take his eyes off mine.¡±


    Agnes sighed before taking her own shirt off.


    <hr>


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°It''s just other women here, right? P-p-plus I don''t mind if he sees my chest.¡± Agnes stuttered with a blush on her face.


    Ruby got a glance at her modest bosom and nodded her head looking over her shoulder.


    ¡°It''s not bad but it could use some work.¡±


    She stopped running her fingers over her chest and started softly squeezing them.


    Agnes quickly covered her mouth to stop a moan from coming out and looked at Ruby.


    ¡°Actually I think I can do it mysel- ohhhhhh~¡± Agnes said as she loosened up in the grip of Ruby.


    ¡°Trust me, you need nice strong arms if you want to see any results.¡± Ruby softly answered, her fingers digging deeper into Agnes.


    She took another glance at her chest and giggled. Agnes slowly exhaled before asking ¡°what''s so funny?¡± sounding exhausted.


    ¡°Look at them, those bits around your nipple are so pale, I can barely see them.¡± She said before flicking a nipple.


    ¡°Hey, what gives?¡± Agnes aggressively answered. She started struggling but Ruby reassured her.


    ¡°Easy now, you wouldn''t want to leave your nipples behind, now do you? If I don''t give them some care as well, it''ll put your chest out of proportion. Who knows what that boy would think if your nipples were the size of a child''s with a chest the size of mine, hmm?¡±


    She began slowly squeezing a nipple while playing with a breast in her other hand.


    Agnes sighed and let it happen.


    ¡°Do- do you think I could get him to do it?¡± she asked, letting herself drown in the pleasant sensations coming from her chest.


    ¡°Hmm, he might need some convincing. You need to work on your subtlety. I might be able to land him but a woman like you lacking in some parts might need to play it innocent.¡±


    ¡°I''m not lacking!¡±


    Ruby squeezed tighter on her chest and began alternating between her breasts and nipples as she messaged them. Agnes let out a meek cry but didn''t tell Ruby to stop.


    ¡°Then why are my hands on your chest, dear?¡± Ruby said with a smirk.


    Agnes'' breathing grew more aggressive and she did her best to appear calm.


    ¡°I guess you have a point, you two-legged cow,¡± Agnes answered as sweat started to form on her brow. ¡°So how long am I supposed to be doing this anyway? The thing about needing strong arms would be a pain if it''s for more than a week.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe a month?¡± Ruby answered unsure.


    ¡°A month of this? Ugh, you''re the cow, I don''t see why I''m the one getting my udders touched so much.¡± Agnes answered as she tried to turn around. Ruby allowed her and the girl aimed for the towering woman''s chest instead.


    ¡°How nice of you, but I like mine this size.¡± She answered. They were now facing each other with their hands on each other''s chest, though Ruby was still wearing a top.


    ¡°Shut up, if I have to go through this humiliation so do you.¡± She coldly answered and tried to crush her chest. They had a nice springy texture to them.


    Unfortunately, those mounds of flesh had been handled by men far stronger and way less careful. It was like having her chest kneaded by a cat.


    But nonetheless, Agnes could feel the centres of her breasts harden.


    ¡°Hehehe how''d you like that you overgro-¡±


    Agnes noticed Ruby quicken her pace and she could no longer hold on to her chest. Her hands fell to her side and she began quivering.


    ¡°Wa-wait, hold on, you''re, uh, ohhhh, you''re overdoing it!¡± Agnes pleaded as she began grabbing at Ruby''s hands.


    ¡°I''m just returning the favour, dear.¡± She responded with a slight blush on her face. It seemed she wasn''t a fan of being teased herself.


    Agnes soon buckled to her knees and began panting on the floor as Ruby went to town. Each new motion left her with a new perspective on what her breasts were meant for. Unlike the springy texture of Ruby, Agnes¡¯s were far softer despite their size. They truly did feel like mounds of fat and nothing more. Her pale chest and even paler areolas, along with regular nipples left her breasts looking like a dartboard. And Ruby was going for consecutive bullseyes.


    ¡°I can''t¡­¡± Agnes began tensing up. She had played with her chest before but she never got anywhere near this close without a hand further south.


    It was like her breasts were being injected with the strongest stimulant known to man. They existed to do nothing more than give her pleasure. How could she have been so blind to this pleasure? How could her body hide such a thing away from her?


    Ruby let go of her and Agnes was left a dishevelled mess.


    ¡°My bad runt, I got a bit too into it. (It''d probably be a bit too far making her cum, I am just messing with her after all.)¡± Ruby said as she wiped her hands off. Enough sweat had formed on her hands and Agnes¡¯s chest to leave them clammy.


    Agnes breathed heavily on the floor and only nodded her head, as she wiped off the sweat that formed on her body.


    <hr>


    Ruby later told her that breasts growing from massages was a joke.


    Agnes would not leave her room for the following week.

 Chapter 370

    Back to the main story.


    The three sat at a table with their meals before them. They decided to go through a full course and were now onto their main course.


    ¡°So they made a sauce out of potatoes? How gross.¡± Tina stated as she got a look at Lily''s dish. ¡°It''s not even mashed anymore, why would they do that?¡±


    ¡°It''s called Potato Aligat, and it''s fucking delicious,¡± Lily answered as she had another spoonful.


    It was a sizable bowl with a white paste inside. It had a creamy texture with a few pieces of some green herb sprinkled in, that popped against the white food.


    Her cheeks were flushed and her gaze was weak. And even from across the table, she reeked of alcohol. ¡°That guy wasn''t kidding, eh, holy shit, he''s right, this doesn''t need meat or anything else with it.¡± She shovelled away at the bowl like she was in an eating contest.


    ¡°It''s pronounced Aligot.¡± Bailey chimed.


    ¡°All I know is it''s fucking delicious!¡± In between them, the basket of bread was replaced with a basket of steak fries. Lily grabbed a handful and ran through it through the Aligot before shoving it down her gullet. ¡°At least I''m not eating like a cave dweller.¡± She said as she turned to Tina''s dish.


    It was a meat patty of some kind that appeared to be seared on both sides. In the middle however, it was clearly raw.


    ¡°Tch, I thought the bastard was screwing with me.¡± She sliced off a part it with her fork and gave it a sample.


    She saw the words ¡°Lamb Tartare¡± and assumed it''d be some lamb dish she never heard of. And she was right in a sense. The poor waiter nearly soiled his pants when he set the plate down before her.


    She chewed it for a few seconds and nodded her head.


    ¡°You''re seriously eating that?¡± Bailey asked as she took another sip of wine. This time, it was red wine. There were three bottles on the floor and the fourth one was opened on the table.


    One was white wine, one was champagne and the last, a braggot, served as a nice break from the heavier spirits.


    ¡°And you''re seriously drinking that?¡± Tina responded. ¡°Let''s get more of that braggot, that wine is no good.¡±


    ¡°You have the palate of a child,¡± Bailey answered, taking a more exaggerated sip from the glass.


    She took another bite of the raw meat and continued at it.


    Bailey sighed.


    ¡°I don''t know why you two didn''t just stick to what you know.¡± She said as she took a bite of the breaded leg. On her plate was a breaded and deep-fried rabbit, along with some cooked wheat berries. The wheat did have some rabbit meat in it as well, along with some herbs and spices, but it was definitely the most plain meal among them.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°You know they can probably afford a flour mill, right Bailey,¡± Tina said as she eyed her meal down.


    ¡°And you do know they can afford to cook that, right?¡±


    <hr>


    After an enjoyable meal, the girls decided to relax with some cards. At least that was the plan until the alcohol truly hit Lily.


    ¡°Come on, girls, let''s skip the cards and go have some fun. There''s a strip club a few on the other side of town I''ve been eyeing.¡± She said in a slurred tone.


    Tina eyed her suspiciously.


    ¡°I, uh, think she''s talking about a place where men strip. I''ve heard there''s a few in town. I haven''t been to one but I''ve heard about a few of the adventurers working there for extra cash.¡± Bailey quickly added.


    ¡°I knew the men in this parish were no good. With Ezekiel dying, we lost the last good one.¡± She said as she clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Oh come on, you guys want to touch guy''s bodies don''t cha? We still have some cash left, let''s get going.¡± Lily said as she got up and left the room.


    Tina grimaced and clicked her tongue.


    They had already left their bill on the table.


    The pair got up and ran after her.


    ¡°Get back here you undersized alcoholic!¡±


    ¡°W-wait up, Lily, don''t go spending all that by yourself!¡±


    The pair caught up to her a few metres outside and Tina could only sigh as they pleaded with her.


    ¡°Come on, I know you''d want to go there too,¡± Lily said.


    ¡°I-it''d be fun wouldn''t it?¡± Bailey asked as she looked away.


    She grabbed both by their dresses and began walking. ¡°We had our fun, it''s time to go home!¡±


    ¡°Come on, you big bitch!¡± Lily cursed.


    ¡°Please, I''m curious too. Can''t we vote on this?¡±


    They both had flushed cheeks, so Tina didn''t consider a single word that came out of their mouths.


    As she walked away¡­


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She saw a man in all black quickly go into an alleyway.


    ¡°There''s no way.¡±


    She ran over and saw them exit the other side of the alley.


    (¡°He''s the right height and he''s wearing that cape. No, it''s just the alcohol affecting my vision. Tch, I should have waited until we got home to drink something. They probably gave us some weird shit, I knew that red wine didn''t taste right.¡±)


    She wanted to turn around and chalk it up to her being drunk but¡­


    Her mind was quickly left spinning its wheels when she saw Tibaut run past.


    ¡°Huh!?¡± Tina exclaimed.


    ¡°Was that?¡±


    ¡°It''s Vanessa''s hubby.¡± Lily slurred as she looked.


    All three of them saw the same thing so she knew that was real, at least.


    She had already lost sight of him but that didn''t mean she wasn''t going to get to the bottom of this.


    ¡°Can you two move properly?¡±


    ¡°I need some water,¡± Bailey asked.


    ¡°I can move my head into my crotch!¡± Lily cheerily stated and then proceeded to do just that. ¡°Hehe, I''m so bendy~~~¡±


    (¡°It just had to happen with these two pieces of deadweight with me.¡±)

 Chapter 371

    Nearly an hour earlier.


    Tibaut looked down at his fist and started opening and closing his gauntlet. He produced a flame to get a better look at it.


    It was spotless.


    (¡°Not a drop of blood on it. I know, I didn''t get a clean hit but this is still some solid metal. Elizabeth might have some trouble against her.¡±)


    He was currently still in the forest that surrounded Elizabeth''s property on his way to town. Whether he''d know where it was taking place or not in time was another matter.


    (¡°Elizabeth mentioned that Mr. Bentley guy, maybe he''d know what they¡¯d be planning to do tonight. Shit, I hope he''s still there otherwise this would be an unnecessary time waste.¡±)


    As he saw the end of the forest he noticed an ever so slight noise coming from above him. Given what happened he decided it was better to play it safe and stop himself. A knife flew in front of him, the thrower likely expecting him to have kept a consistent pace.


    He formed a fire lance and looked to the trees. He saw the leaves shake but before he could fire, an arrow nicked his arm.


    He noticed it in time and managed to dodge but he immediately felt the effects of something.


    ¡°What the?¡±


    He stumbled to his knees.


    He heard someone mumbling in the forest as he knelt down.


    ¡°You fucking idiot, which poison did you use!?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know! They were just lying around! It''s not like you guys labelled them!¡±


    Tibaut slowly brought a hand to his chest and an unnoticeable green glowed over it as his enemies argued for some reason. Were they on orders not to kill him? Thinking back, it seemed the hired woman didn''t want to kill Elizabeth either. What was the point of this?


    He decided to see what this was about and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes, ready to spring up if it sounded like the enemy wouldn''t be too perturbed with killing him. He laid face up to get a better view of them.


    The moment he fell down to the floor, two people came to the forest floor and ran towards him. They stopped a few feet away and began groaning. They were likely men and more importantly, they both wore all black just like the men that infiltrated the mansion.


    ¡°You fucking idiot we weren''t supposed to kill anyone! Doesn''t he like this guy as well!?¡± One complained as they stared at Tibaut. He was doing his best to make it seem like his breathing was laboured and made sure to weakly turn his head towards him.


    ¡°Shut up you idiot, he''s still alive. He''s just a bit¡­ tired is all.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Give me those arrows dipshit, and take these.¡± He handed the other man his knives and rested a palm against his head. ¡°Sigh, let''s just pray this isn''t to-¡±


    Tibaut got to his knees and began crawling towards him while he pretended he choked. It looked like a dying man trying to get one last hurrah on his attackers.


    One of them looked at Tibaut and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°You really fucked up man, let''s just hope we can leave the parish before he finds out. If we''re smart we ca-¡±


    He stopped paying attention to Tibaut. And for that, he''d pay dearly. With his new gauntlets, Tibaut decided to test something out.


    He brought his arm back and quickly brought it forward.


    The man¡¯s leg shattered like a twig.


    ¡°Arfh!?¡± He squealed before falling to the floor. ¡°My leg, he got my fucki-¡±


    Tibaut quickly got up and pounced on the other man. He brought up his hand, likely hoping to conjure some magic but Tibaut¡¯s fist was far faster and he punched at him.


    (¡°Oh right the gauntlets, it''d probably kill him if I punched him in the face.)


    Worrying he might kill him, he moved his fist past his head. The man was completely still, already accepting his apparent death as he closed his eyes. He grabbed his neck before pulling him closer to land a softer-than-average punch to his torso.


    The man fell with the whites of his eyes showing.


    (¡°Were these guys always this weak? I guess it is two instead, what was it, seven? last time.¡±)


    ¡°Gah, damnit, how''d we let this-¡±


    Crack


    A sickening sound echoed through the forest that silenced the man. He looked over to Tibaut, to see him with his fist slammed into his comrade¡¯s leg.


    (¡°I can''t have them running off, so this should be fine. I can''t imagine them running far without their legs.¡±)


    He positioned himself over their other leg and smashed another one of the unconscious man''s legs.


    He soon turned to the other man, who was crawling away at the floor.


    But it was a laughable pace. He just had to walk over to him.


    ¡°NO LEAVE ME ALONE YOU SON OF BITCH, WE WEREN''T EVEN GONNA KILL YOU, HE''S THE ONE WHO FUCKED UP, NOT ME, FUCK THAT BASTARD UP!¡± He pleaded as he could only watch as Tibaut got closer.


    Tibaut lightly stepped on the broken leg and began digging his heel into it, as the man tried to claw his way through the dirt.


    ¡°FFFUUCCKKKK!!¡±


    ¡°Listen, if you don''t want the other leg broken-¡±


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHFFDDDD¡±


    Tibaut took his leg off and the man began panting, covered in an unnaturally viscous sweat that had formed. He breathed heavily as he turned to Tibaut.


    ¡°Like I was saying, you guys are planning something tonight, right?¡±


    The man in black began vigorously nodding his head. ¡°(RIGHT, HE CAN DEAL WITH HIM!!!!!!) THE PARISH GUILD, THEY''RE GONNA BURN IT DOWN WITH THE OLD MAN INSIDE, PLEASE JUST LET ME GO!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°(Wow, I didn''t even give him my terms yet.)¡± He brought his hands down to his neck and quickly choked him out.


    He lifted up his hand and¡­.


    ¡°Nice, he still has a pulse. Should I break the other leg? Nah, at his current pace, he''ll likely be stuck in the forest all night. He shouldn''t be too hard to find after this is all done.¡±


    Tibaut immediately began his sprint back to town.


    (¡°Wait, burn the building down? Are they planning on killing the old guy!? Then why leave us alive? Tch, this doesn''t matter right now, I have to reach there before they manage to kill him.¡±)

 Chapter 372

    After making his way to the outskirts of town he noticed two new figures following him.


    (¡°Tch, I don''t have time for this, I have to reach there before they kill him!¡±)


    He made his way into town and ran towards the building at full speed. He was going to throw some fireballs behind to slow them down, but they disappeared.


    (¡°I hope that bastard sent his henchmen to do this. I can imagine protecting the old man from all of them would be easy. Wait a second, adventurers have moved to town, right? Maybe I could drop him off with them.¡±)


    After a few minutes of running, he made his way to the branch building. And it was as bad as it could be.


    That burnt cape, that towering height. It was him at the front door of the building, making his way inside.


    Tibaut quickly threw a fireball at him, the man ducking inside with the door somehow managing to withstand the blast, if barely.


    Tibaut kicked the door down to find Mr. Bentley covering something before running upstairs.


    ¡°It''s you!¡± Tibaut shouted as he threw another fireball.


    The man in black was getting up and easily dodged it, before throwing a chair at Tibaut. Tibaut grabbed it mid-air and spun around to throw it back.


    The man in black grabbed it as well but Tibaut immediately shot off a fireball after the throw.


    The man in black brought the chair down and sat on it as the fireball passed overhead.


    They stared at each other before the man in black noticed the light of the flame getting brighter behind him. He brought out his stiletto knife and stabbed behind without looking, using only the magic¡¯s heat to guide his knife.


    ¡°It really is you, you son of bitch!¡± Tibaut snarled.


    The man in the chair sighed as he looked up at Tibaut. ¡°Did you really have to show up, now of all times? Did you miss me that much, Tibaut?¡± He said in a playful tone. He wiped the soot off his blade with his gloves.


    Tibaut looked ready to throw another fireball and formed several of them behind him.


    (¡°Hoh, this isn''t so bad. Hell, maybe he can be the reason for the fire. Sorry Tibaut but after tonight, you won''t be seeing that old man anymore. But what the hell was he thinking going upstairs? Does he want me to jump from rooftop to rooftop with him on my shoulders?¡±)


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    <hr>


    As Tina contemplated what to do she saw a figure jump over the rooftops between the alley.


    ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake, who the hell is chasing him?¡± She said as she let go of her inebriated friends.


    She kicked between the walls until she reached the rooftop. There she saw them several rooftops away and counting.


    She quickly chased after them, though as soon as they noticed her, they jumped to the ground trying to lose her.


    ¡°The red head and now that bitch? Did that son of bitch give himself away?¡± The man said as he escaped her.


    He ran straight into a gentlemen''s club as he noticed her jump down.


    As soon as he entered the entrance way, he took off his dark cloak and black jacket before feeling an arm grab his shoulder.


    ¡°Screw off dude, I''m just talking off the heavy¡­¡±


    He turned around expecting a bouncer but it was a woman in a velvet dress, with hot pink hair.


    ¡°Why were you chasing Tibaut?¡± She asked.


    The black clothing on the floor didn''t exactly have her thinking rationally.


    He broke out into a sweat trying to think of an explanation. (¡°Of the people to run into it had to be her! I have a knife but she''d probably break like a cheap piece of wood if I pulled it out.¡±)


    As he contemplated relinquishing his shirt to run away he noticed someone walking by. It must have been the bouncer.


    He walked up to the two, looking annoyed.


    ¡°Uh, sir, is that your girlfriend or some other worker? I''m sorry but we don''t-¡±


    He grabbed him and dragged him into him with a knife to his throat. He tried to struggle but gave up when the knife drew blood. Tina''s hand still remained on his shirt.


    ¡°If you don''t let me go I''ll slit the-¡± Both he and the man he grabbed were tased when Tina placed her hand on his neck.


    <hr>


    ¡°You''re back,¡± Bailey said.


    After talking to the owner of the restaurant, she managed to get him to let them conduct their business there. After the cultist scare, the owner was more than happy to make space for them.


    ¡°I ran around the rooftops for a bit, but I didn''t see Tibaut anywhere. Dammit, where the hell did he go?¡±


    ¡°It''s not like we''d all see the same thing drunk,¡± Bailey answered. ¡°Should we go back to the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Let''s decide after we question this guy first.¡±


    The trio was in the lounge area of the restaurant. It was quite nice honestly. There was a leather couch to wait at if you were waiting for another party to finish up. Which Lily was taking full advantage of. She was out cold, which wasn''t surprising given she drank the most alcohol.


    Bailey however only had a full glass of alcohol if all the spirits they drank were counted, half of which was the braggot, due to its lesser alcohol content.


    Tina had half as much as Lily.


    Sitting tied up in a chair, was the man Tina chased. He had no alcohol but was just as unconscious as Lily.

 Chapter 373

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Tina said as she examined the unconscious man''s face.


    Bailey walked from her side and bent down to get a closer look at his face.


    ¡°He''s familiar, isn''t he?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Wha- are you saying that I know this guy? What the hell are you trying to-¡± She complained before being interrupted.


    ¡°Shhhh, I recognize him too. I just don''t remember where.¡± She answered, as she rubbed her forehead trying to recall. ¡°Are you sure we can''t just call some other adventurers to come help? There are probably still a lot still left in town.¡±


    ¡°Tch, if it''s someone Tibaut would struggle with then those fuckers are worthless. And if it isn''t he''ll deal with them before those bastards are any help. (Besides it looked like that guy with the black cloak, ran in a different direction, so he should be fine.)¡± She replied in a dismissive tone.


    ¡°I guess if he isn¡¯t even here it wouldn''t be too useful,¡± Bailey said, trying to reassure herself this wasn''t a bad move. ¡°But seriously where is this guy from? I feel like it''s on the back of my tongue. Was he a student at the university?¡±


    ¡°University?¡± Tina asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°(It can''t be that if we both recognise him. Wait a minute, who''d be a person we''d both recognise?) Is he a farmer?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, wait a second, did you even come with us when were doing commissions?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I think?¡± She said unsure.


    ¡°This is getting nowhere, let''s just wait until the fucker wakes up.¡± She said as she sat down next to Lily, pushing her away to get more space. This startled the little Lily and she jerked away before falling off the couch. Tina chuckled before greeting her.


    ¡°Enjoy the nap, princess?¡± She asked before softly kicking her back.


    ¡°Ugh, why the hell are we still here?¡±


    Tina pointed in front of her and Lily''s gaze turned to the man in the chair. Lily blankly stared at him for a few moments and scratched her head.


    ¡°Oh, it''s him. What''s he doing here?¡± Lily asked.


    Bailey ran over and Tina grabbed her under her shoulders and turned her around. With both women in her face they loudly asked:


    ¡°You know this guy!?¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Lily looked taken aback, with her eyes shot open and meekly answered.


    ¡°Geez, what''d he do? Don¡¯t you recognise him he''s¡­¡±


    She paused before looking back at him. ¡°What the hell? How''s he still alive?¡±


    ¡°Lily,¡± Bailey said somewhat pleadingly.


    ¡°Oh right, that''s Maffew. He was Agatha¡¯s boyfriend but he went missing when the cultist attacks happened. I think we all just assumed he died¡­ What the hell is he doing here? Don''t tell me this guy was playing hooky all this time.¡± Lily said as she examined him more. ¡°Wait so, why''d you guys tie him up if you didn''t know him?¡±


    Tina sighed before beginning to explain the situation. But before she could she noticed something by the door. If it weren''t for their hand, she wouldn''t have noticed. They looked to have opened the door ever so slightly and used a mirror to peer inside.


    ¡°Alright both of you, don''t make any sudden movements but I see another one outside.¡± She silently said.


    ¡°Another wha-¡± Lily paused herself. ¡°Oh, whatever, I''ll follow your leads since you guys know what''s going on,¡± Lily said as she tried to fight off the aftereffects of the alcohol.


    ¡°What do think he''s trying to do?¡± Bailey asked.


    ¡°Probably trying to rescue their buddy. Actually¡­¡±


    <hr>


    After watching them for over five minutes it looked like that big pink-haired annoyance had gone to another room to discuss something with the manager of the establishment. She always did think she was cut out to be a leader for whatever reason. What did Ezekiel see in such a crass woman? After four more minutes, the one with glasses grew more uncomfortable as the little one slowly dozed off. It seemed she couldn''t take it anymore and began looking around, holding her skirt while slightly crouched over. The observer knew the feeling, after one too many drinks on a Saturday, she''d be praying she could find a restroom in time.


    After looking around for another minute, with her footsteps becoming more frantic, the girl in glasses seemed to have swallowed her pride and picked up a wine glass before running into a nearby room.


    The observer applauded her bravery and quick thinking, though she was fond of back alleys since you''d have to hide the evidence anyway.


    ¡°But now¡­¡± She looked into the room with bated breath.


    All that was between her and ensuring that idiot didn''t spill the beans was the sleeping beauty in the lobby.


    (¡°This may be my only opportunity to get him outside. God, of all the people you had to run into, it just had to be Tina. At least do this shit when he''s around!¡±)


    She took a deep breath in and opened the door before making her way towards Maffew as silently as possible. She thanked the owner for having a tile floor instead of a creaky wooden floor or else she felt she would buckle under the pressure.


    Just as she reached him she felt her knees give out and lost her sense of balance. ¡°This is- shit it''s a trap.¡±


    She tried to turn around to run away but she instead tripped over her own legs and fell to the floor. She resorted to crawling but quickly felt a weight on her back.


    ¡°It sucks, doesn''t it? Her magic always disorientates anyone in her radius, including us. Ugfh... I feel like I''m gonna puke.¡±


    They desperately tried to fight Lily off her back and as soon the magic wore off, she tried to run away with the little gremlin on her back. But this initial distraction was enough for something important.


    She felt a blow to her side and buckled to her knees. Lily got off her back and she looked up to see Tina.


    Tina pulped her mask off and¡­

 Chapter 374

    ¡°Karin?¡± Lily asked.


    ¡°Oh, another one now?¡± Tina asked. She grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up.


    ¡°Did we get him?¡± Bailey asked as she exited a nearby room. ¡°Oh, it''s a wom- Karin!?¡±


    The woman didn''t even have the strength left to fight back against Tina. It also didn''t help that the punch was somewhat electrified.


    ¡°Since that asshole isn''t gonna wake up, what don''t you explain what''s going on?¡±


    <hr>


    The man in black sat in the chair, quietly observing Tibaut. The fireballs behind him soon began to shrink in size. Did he realise the man in black could escape if he blew a large enough hole? He wasn''t going to escape but he wasn''t going to scoff at such a gift.


    ¡°You fucking bastard. Haven''t you had enough of messing with us!? Huh!? Answer you son of a bitch, I''ll give you some last words before I turn you into a pile of charcoal!¡± He snarled. He closed the door when he entered and out of sheer spite, he moved his hand to the knob, keeping an eye on the man and began using his magic to melt it. This was going to end tonight, whether it was his death or the man before him.


    The man in black chuckled. ¡°Aw man, that sucks. It''s not like I have any windows I can jump out of.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think your fat ass can fit through any of the ones here,¡± Tibaut said as he crept closer. His eyes showed no warmth, it looked like he was looking at a piece of shit rather than a person.


    ¡°Really? I remember a pretty big one upstairs.¡±


    Tibaut fired off his barrage of fireballs and the man in black quickly exited the chair, breaking the glass of the receptionist area and ducking down to dodge all of the fireballs headed his way. Tibaut had lost half of them turning them towards him but the other half peppered the receptionist area. As he approached it, more fireballs behind him, a handful of rubble was thrown at him.


    He instinctively threw a fireball, before quickly backing away. He realised the purpose of the rubble. The fireball exploded a few feet in front of him and he quickly got rid of the other fireballs to spare himself from unnecessary damage.


    The blast sent him back a few feet, though he remained on his feet no worse for wear. (¡°That didn''t sting as much as I thought. Oh right, the armour.¡±) He thought with a cold-looking face. (¡°I''ll have to thank Vanessa after this. Now I can show this little bitch a real fight.¡±)


    The man in black jumped over the counter. ¡°If you''re not careful you''re the one getting turned into charcoal Tibaut. Honestly, that''s some volatile magic, not sure I''d be a fan of it-¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Tibaut closed the distance and threw a punch. The man in black parried but wasn''t unscathed. (¡°Tch, this armour seems like a hassle.¡±) He thought. The blades on the gauntlets ran against his skin, cutting him deeper than he expected.


    He attempted to stab into his torso but Tibaut simply swatted it away like a fly, showing no fear of the blade and delivered another clubbing blow. He landed in his torso, though he felt the resistance of armour.


    The man black moved to headbutt him but Tibaut moved fast enough to counter with a headbutt of his own, the two backing up after having their skulls smashed into one another.


    Blood started to flow from Tibaut''s forehead while the man in black looked on.


    ¡°(He''s adjusted to this style. What a monster.) It seems like I have the harder head.¡±


    He quickly moved his head out of the way of a fire spear.


    ¡°Shut up and die,¡± Tibaut stated as he launched another barrage of fireballs. This barrage was far slower than the last but he didn''t notice their presence which made them more valuable to him.


    As the man in black dodged and stabbed at them, Tibaut closed the distance between them and aimed a punch straight for his jaw. The man in black narrowly avoided it through some miracle, though it did glance at him, cutting some skin.


    He countered with a head butt, fully connecting with the centre of Tibaut¡¯s face. But he wasn''t out. He moved his hand to the back of the man¡¯s head, pulling him forward and started biting into his face.


    ¡°Are you an animal or something!?¡± The man in black asked as he pushed Tibaut off him.


    He had a visible bite mark on the upper left part of his face, now revealed. In the mouth of Tibaut was a piece of black cloth.


    ¡°I can tell you''re an ugly bastard but don''t worry, I''ll leave you even uglier when I''m finished.¡±


    He spat it out and ran towards him. They were done feeling each other out. It was time to kill.


    The gauntlets made defence a game of agility for the man in black, which made it quite a ball ache as the boy had managed to get quicker since their last meeting.


    (¡°I swear, kids improve in the time it takes to blink these days.¡±)


    He was forced to back away as Tibaut peppered his area of attack with blows. After another blow, Tibaut felt something odd happen and noticed he was closer than he realised. The man tried to stab at his liver but the hard and smooth surface of the leather under his metal chest plate managed to skid the blade off him as he turned to dodge it.


    Tibaut had his legs swept but he showed the man in black why that was a bad idea by punching his lower leg with the gauntlets. He didn''t show the pain but he quickly backed away.


    Tibaut got to his knees and was greeted by a kick that nearly rang his bell. He managed to block it but even with his gauntlets on, it was like he took a punch to the face.


    He could feel the man in black moving his leg for another kick and instead threw his leg upwards. The man in black took it in stride, doing a backflip and then landing on both feet before thrusting the knife at Tibaut as he approached him. Tibaut managed to stop it just before his face and used his other hand to try and push it away as the man in black committed to using both of his hands to overpower Tibaut.

 Chapter 375

    Through the exposed part of the mask, Tibaut could see his emotions more clearly. He wasn''t desperate to get the knife in Tibaut but rather thrilled by the current battle.


    ¡°Is this it, kid? I haven''t even gone all out yet!¡±


    He noticed a source of heat behind him and quickly struggled. He managed to turn himself sideways but this only showed Tibaut that he couldn''t get away.


    ¡°Then don''t force yourself,¡± Tibaut said before firing off the fireball. He then felt an almost unnatural force starting to pull on the man before he left his grasp and avoided the fireball.


    The man in black then gave Tibaut a bow. ¡°Then I shall oblige.¡±


    Tibaut had closed the distance almost instantly and brought his hand down like a hammer to his head. Yet, he barely missed. He ended up grazing his head, tearing some of the fabric on the man''s head off, revealing short-cut hair.


    Was the low light of the building throwing him off?


    The man in black responded by grabbing his arm and attempting to stab him in the shoulder, with both men now bent down lower than they''d like. Tibaut wildly swung with his other hand from this awkward position and the man in black delivered another headbutt.


    As Tibaut reeled back from the blow, he dragged the man in black''s arm with a grip that''d leave experienced mountain climbers swooning and dragged him onto the floor as well.


    The man in black stabbed into the floor, glancing Tibaut with the blade and Tibaut responded by delivering a blow to his stomach, his unnatural positioning making the blow more wimpy than he''d like. But it still had the man in black trying his best to get back to his feet. After trying and failing to get back up, he did a handstand and brought his knee down with all the force he could muster to Tibaut¡¯s head. Tibaut smirked before trying to create a fireball in his hand that had grabbed onto the man in black.


    The man in black could feel the building mana and again an almost uncanny force began pulling him away before the fireball could.


    (¡°Does this fucker have a rinnegan!? How the hell is he doing this!!¡±)


    He threw the fireball and even with a change in direction, it was far off his target. He couldn''t take this bastard. This fucker treated this whole thing as some game. Ezekiel and the other people he killed likely had to suffer a similar fate as they fought him. What an unnecessarily cruel end for them. He''d have to make his end tens or hundreds of times more cruel if he hoped to give them reprieve in the afterlife.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    He formed various fire spears around himself and shot them off as soon as that bastard thought he could open his mouth.


    He began dodging them and soon grabbed a nearby table to stop them. The fire spears would take chunks of wood off the table but he didn''t imagine the man in black was in any danger. Tibaut immediately changed to a fireball and the instant he did the table was flung at a frankly ridiculous speed at him before he fired it off. He punched the table, splitting it in half and immediately brought his hands together as a kick greeted him from behind it. He pushed him off and attempted to launch the fireball until the man in black threw a piece of wood at him. Based on the char it was likely a piece that came from the table. Instead of faltering, he sent the fireball with full force, creating an explosion between them.


    The blast damaged both of them, though Tibaut took more of it than the man in black. However, his resistance to his own magic allowed him to shake it off far more easily than his opponent and he threw another punch into the dust cloud that had formed. But his hand touched only air and he was forced to back away after he felt a blade graze his arm.


    (¡°Why is he so quick? And what the hell was up with that magic he used earlier? I feel like I''m going insane, it''s not his feet moving but his entire body¡­ fuck off is trying to get me to think he has Ezekiel¡¯s magic. I swear when I get my hands on you!¡±) His magic obviously wasn''t Ezekiel¡¯s given the fact Tibaut hadn''t been moved but this bastard seemed to be going out of his way to insinuate such a thing.


    Tibaut had gotten sick of this. He was tired of trying to whittle one another down. So he started summoning an ever-growing fireball above his head. Which was quickly neutralised after the man in black threw a piece of wood at it.


    ¡°Come on kid, I''m not going down with you. Only lovers die together, thank you very much.¡± He stated as he crouched down, eyeing Tibaut. He seemed to be waiting for him to make another move. The blast between them had revealed even more of his face but he couldn''t care less. In fact, he felt it fitting for such a man to die a faceless bastard.


    ¡°Your face.¡±


    The man in black tensed up and got to his feet.


    ¡°I''ll start with that. I wonder if you''ll be able to keep fighting with most of your face cooked.¡±


    He smirked before covering his gauntlets in flames.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The man wondered as he looked. Tibaut could see the confusion on his face with about 30% of his mask now gone. Good. Be confused. Because when the next hit lands, that confusion will become understanding and then, more importantly, fear.


    As the man in black watched he couldn''t help but be a bit concerned with this choice of action.


    ¡°You do realise you''ll end up burning yourself if you keep standing there, right?¡± He asked.


    The seconds slowly ticked by and a minute soon passed.

 Chapter 376

    (¡°Hmm, I guess he can take his own heat. I can''t afford to delay this any longer, if Tina, Bailey and Lily start searching they might find me. Or worse they head back to Elizabeth and then come here.¡±)


    Like a lit stick of dynamite reaching the end of its fuse, he exploded forward and brought the knife straight to Tibaut¡¯s chest. Tibaut used both hands to block it, and the flames quickly faltered before disappearing.


    ¡°What a waste of time.¡± He said before pulling the blade back. Tibaut threw a punch towards his face and yet again, he narrowly dodged it, Tibaut''s fist just scraping against his face as he tripped Tibaut¡¯s legs before attempting to stomp on his face.


    As Tibaut grabbed his feet he noticed something odd. He began to hear a sizzling sound and quickly jumped away before Tibaut could grab one of his legs.


    His shoe was still in Tibaut¡¯s hand and the boy kipped up and threw the shoe to the side.


    ¡°Ah,¡± The man in black said in realisation. His gauntlets were still hot. Very hot in fact. Not red hot but hot enough for him to feel the heat through his shoe.


    Tibaut ran towards him and the moment he did so, a chair slammed into his side.


    ¡°!?¡±


    The man in black finally got him and stabbed him in the upper arm with the stiletto knife. Tibaut quickly tried to grab him and the man in black backed away.


    Tibaut clicked his tongue and pressed the finger of one of his gauntlets into the wound, the blood reacting how you''d expect it by sizzling, with his skin seemingly showing no difference after having hot metal on it.


    (¡°So he didn''t burn himself. It''s just not hot enough to bother him. Fire magic, eh, some bastards get all the luck.¡±)


    He thought as he swung around with the grace of an Olympic Hammer thrower. In his hand was a chair that soon went sailing into the air. Tibaut grabbed it and swung around keeping its momentum launching back at him.


    The man in black grabbed it again and spun around like a spinning top.


    ¡°What the? Is he even moving his feet?¡±


    Tibaut quickly launched a fireball but the chair slammed into it only after it flew half a metre.


    The boy was left covered in soot and if not for his armour he''d likely be wearing the burnt remainder of his shirt.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Is this a joke to you?¡± Tibaut coldly asked.


    ¡°Nah, I''m just waiting for the poison to take effect.¡± He answered.


    Tibaut felt the wound on his arm and noticed it was a feeling more numb than he''d like.


    He gave the man in black a look of disgust and brought a hand to his chest.


    ¡°Woah, now. You can try to cure it, but trust me on this, this isn''t something your backwater magic can handle. Just enjoy the rest of this while I deal with that old man. (I know he knows curing magic but it shouldn''t be anything more than a last resort than any sort of insurance. Though a few more jabs couldn''t hurt.)¡± As he was preoccupied with his thoughts, he realised Tibaut had silently made his way over half the distance. Noticing he was spotted, he kicked off the floor and threw himself into the air, aiming both gauntlets for the man''s face.


    He moved to the side and grabbed his leg. He pulled him back before delivering a stab in the stomach of Tibaut. But he managed to move a hand to his stomach in time and swiped another hand at his face. The man let go and he witnessed with his own eyes as he moved away without moving his legs.


    The claw-like finger of the gauntlet still caught his face and ended up tearing the rest of his mask off.


    As Tibaut fell to the floor and quickly got back up he noticed the man trying to hide his face. He quickly tried to jump on the opportunity but he felt himself being pushed back by some unknown force.


    ¡°Ah, screw it. Elizabeth was gonna find out anyway, it doesn''t hurt revealing it now.¡±


    The man said, sounding frustrated. ¡°I just can''t hold back against you anymore. What the hell happened to you? You used to be much more manageable.¡±


    (¡°This bastard, who the fuck does he think he is-¡±)


    Tibaut looked on in silence. He quickly started releasing mana and found he could move forward. His teeth were pushing against each other with the force of a hydraulic press and he looked like it was going to explode.


    ¡°YOU BASTARD, WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE WEARING HIS FAC-¡±


    ¡°The sheep.¡± He responded.


    ¡°SHUT UP YOU BASTAR-¡±


    ¡°Remember when I took you out to go watch some sheep and I told you about how Elizabeth got that mutt of hers. Or the time we survived a horde of kobolds?


    And before you ask me to prove it, you and I are probably the only ones who remember the blonde woman we saved. Right, you never heard Elizabeth or anyone else talk about her, did you?¡±


    ¡°...(It can''t be)¡±.


    The anger slowly disappeared from Tibaut''s face and he looked on in shock.


    (¡°Come on do something, you bastard. Try to sneak attack me, ask me to walk over and hug you, do you something you fake!¡±)


    He thought as he breathed more heavily. The man in black pulled a chair over and sat down.


    ¡°Listen, just let me and the old man leave, we don''t need to waste any more time here.¡±


    ¡°So you are a fak-¡±


    ¡°Giving up already?¡± A voice asked.

 Chapter 377

    Tibaut turned behind to see Mr. Bentley at the top of the stairs, looking down at them.


    ¡°Mr. Bentley!? What are you doing here?¡± He turned back to the seated man who looked like Ezekiel. ¡°I should be finished with him in-¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel, what''s taking so long? Don''t tell me you''re feeling hesitation. And I was thinking we had the same idea.¡±


    Mr. Bentley said as he walked down the stairs, with a cane in hand.


    Tibaut turned to him.


    He looked calm, almost too calm for what was currently happening. Combined with his words, Tibaut wasn''t sure what was going on. He gave himself a small pinch to confirm he wasn''t dreaming.


    Tibaut immediately turned back and looked back at Ezekiel with uncertainty. Ezekiel sheepishly turned away and sighed.


    ¡°Come on old man, I was just planning to knock him out. I even stabbed him with some poison, the kid should be out before we have to worry about anything major happening.¡± Ezekiel answered.


    ¡°If you have the ability to stab him, I don''t see why he isn''t at your feet right now. Don''t dilly dally with this, we can afford a death or two if we want a smooth exit.¡±


    Tibaut had to hold his head and did his best to keep himself on his feet. He felt like he was going to pass out and it wasn''t from the poison he cured himself of. Had he slipped into a portal to an alternate dimension? Had Funny Valentine placed him in a dimension similar yet distinct to his own? Maybe he suffered immense brain damage in his fight and he could no longer accurately interpret the English language.


    ¡°Now quickly-¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?¡± Tibaut shouted, looking manic.


    Mr. Bentley yawned with disinterest before turning around. ¡°Kill him, Ezekiel, we don''t have time to waste.¡± He made his way up the stairs, his footsteps echoing throughout the now-silent building.


    Tibaut tried to follow him but his momentary distraction cost him. Ezekiel appeared behind and placed the knife to his throat.


    Tibaut''s teeth clattered as he tried to look around.


    ¡°Is it, is it really you?¡± He nervously asked.


    ¡°In the flesh.¡± He answered. He took the knife from his throat and turned Tibaut around.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°If I''m gonna kill you of all people, I''d at least like you to go down fighti-¡±


    Tibaut slowly walked over and gave him a hug, his eyes dull. ¡°You really are alive.¡± Although Tibaut wanted to show joy he knew this wasn''t the time for that.


    ¡°Woah, get off me. What makes you think I wanna hug a guy? I''d rather Vanessa or even Ruby hug me.¡± He sighed as he hugged Tibaut back.


    He patted him on the back before Tibaut moved off, his eyes cold. He wanted to bring himself to say he was glad, but, if he was the man in black, then¡­


    ¡°So you killed all those people.¡± He asked.


    ¡°(Does he know!? Shit does Elizabeth do too?) Killed? Who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The other adventurers that went missing.¡±


    Ezekiel stroked his chin and looked upwards. ¡°(What am I thinking, he didn''t even know it was me until now.) Ah, them. Nah, they''re currently working for me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Life reappeared in his eyes. Maybe he wouldn''t have to kill him after all. ¡°Wait a second then... why''d Mr. Bentley talk about killing me? What did you guys do that''d require getting rid of me?¡±


    He sighed and pulled out his knife, his demeanour clearly changing. His face was cold and he only had a few more words for Tibaut.


    ¡°Put up a good fight.¡±


    He rushed towards him and Tibaut scrambled to ready himself. He fainted a punch from just outside Tibaut¡¯s range and flipped forward into an axe kick.


    ¡°Huh? Gah, wait a second, time out, Ezekiel can''t we talk this out-¡±


    Tibaut quickly backed away, from the knife being stabbed at him. He felt a chair slammed into his side and parried the knife, before being slammed by a knee to the gut. He grabbed Ezekiel by his waist and flung him into a nearby wall, throwing the chair at him as well. Ezekiel managed to kick off the wall, but the chair intercepted his bound off the wall. He had to parry it before stabbing into a smaller-than-average fireball being thrown his way.


    ¡°Stop being such a stubborn prickling and tell me why the hell you have to do this!¡± Tibaut shouted.


    Ezekiel showed no reaction to his words and ran straight towards him. Tibaut gritted his teeth and accepted his challenge head-on.


    The two formed a whirlwind of blows with both narrowly blocked and dodging the strikes of the other. They even had their feet involved, both trying to strike and trip the other when they saw the chance.


    Ezekiel fainted with a headbutt and grazed Tibaut¡¯s neck with the stiletto. Tibaut tried to back away but Ezekiel kept persistent and kicked himself towards him. Tibaut masterfully countered by lowering his body, catching his body and throwing him several feet away with a fallaway slam.


    Ezekiel scoffed as he landed on his feet with the deftness of a cat, wondering if Tibaut was trying to slam him into the floor but the fire spear that landed on his shoulder told him otherwise.


    (¡°He prepared it as soon as he backed away¡­. It truly is unfortunate you came here tonight, Tibaut. You have a decent future ahead of you. Better than mine was, anyway.¡±)


    Tibaut was still hesitant and kept a vigilant watch on him. (¡°He didn''t react to it, so I guess it should be fine to use those.¡±)


    He summoned more of them behind himself and awaited Ezekiel¡¯s next move.

 Chapter 378

    The two women eyed each other down in the dimly lit mansion. One with blonde hair in a simple blouse and skirt, and the other with purple hair holding two giant tonfas with armour interspersed over her.


    ¡°Hey, blondie, can''t we-¡±


    She raised her tonfa up and blocked a kick from Elizabeth that left her weapon ringing like a gong.


    ¡°(Did she really just kick it that hard? Eww, I''m sure my leg would sting for a week after tha-) Hmm!?¡± She mouthed in amazement.


    Elizabeth wasn''t finished and used a "no-inch kick", to catch the woman off guard.


    She brought the leg up, hoping to score a strike into her face but the woman ducked before slamming a tonfa into her leg again.


    (¡°Are her feet made of iron? Or is it her magic? Dammit that bastard told me I only had to watch out for her strength!¡±)


    After slamming her tonfa into Elizabeth again, it felt like she had just hit a metal pole which stung a bit.


    Elizabeth didn''t back down and positioned herself to stomp down on her chest, with the hired woman dodging by springing forward.


    ¡°What the hell''s a woman like you doing in a backwater?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I thought you knew considering what you said about killing me.¡± She said as she moved her leg, checking it was still usable.


    ¡°What''s that supposed to mean? Now that I think about it, my intelligence did say something about ¡°it should be fine as long as you aren''t killing her.¡± Whatever that meant. You some local lord or something?¡± She asked, rubbing her arm.


    ¡°Hmm. (Could I resolve this if I tell her who I am? No, she doesn''t seem like the type to care about politics if she''s asking.) Aren''t you careless? What if I was a part of the royal guard?¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah, I would have been told way in advance if that was the case. Phew, it''s nice to rest li-¡±


    Elizabeth threw a nearby vase at her. The woman easily shattered it and sent some shards flying her way. Elizabeth swiftly grabbed one out of the air and threw it back, the woman parrying again before Elizabeth reached her.


    She swung the long side of her tonfa out with one acting as a shield of sorts and this one acting as a regular blunt weapon.


    She swung down at Elizabeth catching her blouse''s chest and tearing it open slightly but she responded with a kick to the stomach, sending her back slightly. She blocked another blow coming her way with her guarding tonfa and thrust the other like a sword, with Elizabeth jumping over, though not enough as it caught her skirt, ripping it slightly and dragging her back down.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    (¡°I had to have worn such inconvenient clothing!¡±)


    She thought as she brought her arm down.


    The woman swung the other tonfa around but was forced on the defensive instead when she noticed what was in Elizabeth''s hand. It was another shard of the vase.


    Elizabeth could only reach her shoulder, and the woman couldn''t move her other hand due to it being stuck in Elizabeth''s skirt.


    She narrowly managed to block it with Elizabeth feeling something odd before being thrown into the air. She noticed she went abnormally high for such a throw, and soon felt her descent become quicker as she fell to the ground.


    She quickly backed into the woman waiting behind and grabbed one of her arms to throw her over her shoulder.


    (¡°N-no, no way. So easily!?¡±) The woman thought as an expensive-sounding thud slammed against Elizabeth''s marble flooring. The area where both her tonfas landed left noticeable cracks in the floor.


    Both of them were half her weight each, at least it felt like it, so how did this woman throw her so easily?


    She quickly rolled away when Elizabeth nearly stomped her head and quickly got back to her feet.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Elizabeth asked.


    ¡°Do what?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°Get heavier, I could feel it when I threw you over my shoulder. (Based on that reaction, her magic had something to do with it.)¡±


    The woman couldn''t hide her shock and cleared her throat. (¡°Shit, she noticed.¡±)


    Another reason she was surprised Elizabeth could throw her was the fact her weight suddenly increased. Anyone would be thrown off if something they were lifting suddenly became twice as heavy.


    ¡°Ow man, this is such a rip-off, why''d I ev-¡±


    As she complained Elizabeth closed the gap between and delivered another blow, stopped by her tonfa. Elizabeth tried to snake her arm past it but ended up getting her hand slammed by another tonfa.


    But the subsequent tonfa still didn''t stop her and she managed to grab the woman''s face.


    She tried to slam her head into the floor but the woman retaliated with two strikes to her side, one being blocked and the other slamming against her ribs.


    (¡°Legs are one thing, but I can tell you that breaking a rib hurts. Now let go you-¡±)


    She had the back of her head slammed into the floor. She managed to counter Elizabeth with a monkey-flip and sent her flying away again, this time with much higher air time.


    (¡°So her magic is the cause of this.¡±)


    She was in the air for a few seconds and the moment she got back to the floor she saw the woman standing on wobbly feet.


    ¡°Go fuck yourself.¡± She bitterly stated as she felt the back of her head. She saw blood on her hand, but she could tell it wasn''t a serious injury.


    Elizabeth was in a rush so she was not in the mood for chivalry. As she reached halfway, the woman asked her a question.


    ¡°Ever heard of runes?¡± She asked as she aimed the tonfa at Elizabeth. Her eyes were bloodshot and she no longer had an issue killing Elizabeth.

 Chapter 379

    Elizabeth wondered what she could have meant and tried to get a better observation of her weapon.


    (¡°Is that why her weapons are so heavy? No, then why could she eff-¡±)


    While wondering what the runes could have been used for, she quickly blocked as a loud explosion echoed throughout the mansion.


    Whatever it was had slammed into her arms like a raging bull, leaving a massive welt and damaged bones. Her hands were left shaking and both were rendered numb briefly. Even someone as experienced in pain as Elizabeth had to let out a groan voicing her displeasure.


    In the hand of the woman several feet away was the tonfa, but for some reason, the end of it was smoking.


    (¡°So there was a reason for it being hollow, other than weight.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she looked on. She tried to hide her pain and put her fists up.


    It revealed a hollow opening in the tonfa, the covering for it was a piece of paper or maybe a thin piece of metal to help draw away suspicion from a hole. The hole was about three fingers thick and based on what Elizabeth saw, it was a cannon that flung balls of that size at nearly unreactable speeds.


    ¡°Tch, I fucked up.¡± The woman simply stated and she brought another tonfa up.


    Elizabeth quickly ran over and ducked solely on instinct when the next shot flew her way. It left a solid hole in her hair, even dragging a few follicles as a souvenir.


    Elizabeth¡¯s face was calm but that was only due to the fact she had dodged it.


    (¡°She misfired the first time.¡±) She thought as she dodged the big metal tonfas directed at her body...


    She parried one and landed another kick to the stomach of the assailant. It seemed her rage had dulled her skills.


    Is what Elizabeth thought but she noticed a tonfa aimed at her stomach. She quickly parried and the cannonball rubbed against her arm, ripping a sizable amount of her skin off.


    She headbutted the assassin and grabbed her in a bear hug trying to squeeze the woman to death.


    The woman found it laughable until she started to have difficulty breathing. She struggled against Elizabeth, even attempting a headbutt of her while biting at her face. It took her aiming at the feet of Elizabeth with her tonfas for Elizabeth to let go, with a few bite marks now on her face.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Elizabeth landed a solid blow to the woman''s face after pushing her off but she landed a blow to her stomach as well.


    They landed a few consecutive hits before backing off and observing each other.


    Elizabeth rubbed her ribs, acknowledging that it wasn''t a maybe that they might be broken, but a case of how many were still intact.


    Again she couldn''t decide whether to praise her Sainthood or damn it for making what would be a simple battle, an exercise in patience.


    As the woman watched Elizabeth she spat up some blood and took a tooth out of her mouth, looking at Elizabeth like a scorned lover.


    (¡°I can tell the cannonball I accidentally used my magic on weakened her but, those hits weren''t pleasant by any meaning of the word. Fuck, should I leave? I''m not getting paid anywhere near enough for this. And those fuckers at the Association told me this would be ¡°somewhat difficult¡±. My fat ass, this bitch is easily one of the strongest people I''ve fought!¡±)


    The strike with the weakened cannonball had slowed down Elizabeth''s arms and made her blows lighter, but for this woman with the tonfas, it made her no less of a world-class opponent.


    ¡°Listen here you stupid bitch, I''ll let you live if you just stay ther- stay the fuck still, you whore!¡±


    The woman shouted as she aimed the tonfa at Elizabeth. Elizabeth continued walking, none too concerned.


    ¡°Please fire already, I can tell you''re hesitant to fire it based on the fact you didn''t do it after we backed away from each other. Do you have limited ammo? If not then fire.¡± Elizabeth answered as she started running.


    The woman would not oblige Elizabeth and felt her current state was enough to even the playing field.


    She swung both her tonfas around and aimed both at Elizabeth hoping to frighten her into backing away. Elizabeth met her head-on and rushed into her, striking at the woman''s arms instead of the tonfas, now that she could no longer abuse her arms as she felt.


    This way of combat left her waiting for opportunities, which led to more blocking, dodging and parrying.


    Finally, the woman slipped up and Elizabeth managed to land an uppercut. It sent her to the air but the air time she got from it was ridiculous and based on the contact with Elizabeth, she likely jumped into the air herself.


    (¡°Holy shit that nearly got me, alright I''ll just rest up here for a mo-¡±)


    She felt a hand grab her leg and she was promptly slammed back into the ground. She floated nearly 16 ft in the air yet Elizabeth managed to jump that high and catch her.


    Her entire body cried out in pain after Elizabeth slammed her against the floor and was momentarily dazed. Elizabeth moved to knock her out unconscious but another firing of the tonfa cannon in her hand fired her across the room, like a firework.


    She regained her consciousness in the time Elizabeth chased after her and threw one of her weapons at the approaching Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth caught it and blocked the blow heading her way.


    They both struggled against each other with the woman being the one pushed back.


    (¡°How!? How is she overpowering me with the full weight of one of the kannatuns?¡±)


    She thought as she gritted her teeth trying to push Elizabeth back.

 Chapter 380

    It was no good and she reached for the vulnerable part of her arm, grabbing onto the tonfa when Elizabeth blocked and threw herself over her. As Elizabeth moved to respond she felt the mass of the weapon increase ever so slightly.


    (¡°Is this her magi-¡±)


    The tonfa fired. She spun around and nearly got sent off her feet as she tried to correct herself. She managed to turn around in time to see the woman coming down like a sack of bricks, quickly blocking with the tonfa.


    The blow was forceful; it left both women dropping their weapons, with Elizabeth immediately following up with a kick and the woman blocking with both hands. She reached her foot to one of the tonfas and kicked it up like it weighed nothing.


    ¡°Elizabeth!¡± Someone shouted. This distracted Elizabeth briefly, giving the woman an opportunity.


    The woman had no time for distractions and kicked back Elizabeth before firing.


    But the moment she fired she noticed something new in Elizabeth''s hand. It was a sword and it was sturdy enough to withstand a blast from her cannonball. At least one, anyway.


    The sword snapped in half after enduring that blast, with the cannonball ricocheted off to the ceiling.


    Elizabeth threw it at the woman, and the woman was forced to block.


    She grabbed a sword flung into the air and charged the woman.


    ¡°Where the fuck did she?¡± She looked off to the side and saw a short dark-skinned woman with a multitude of weapons around and in her hands.


    ¡°Oh fuck off, die you piece of shit!!¡± She shouted as she swung the tonfa down, like a jackhammer.


    Elizabeth beautifully parried it, though not without the sword having an unsightly bend in it.


    She slammed her other hand in her face, slapping her like she was a misbehaving child.


    As she brought the sword up, the woman aimed both tonfas at Elizabeth. But she was forced to block when a sword was flung at her head.


    She smacked it away with the Tonfa and managed to have a sword shoved into the other.


    ¡°Let''s see what happens when you fire, don''t we?¡± Elizabeth said as she let it go and backed away to grab another sword Vanessa had thrown.


    And she did so with a new cannonball fired and alongside the sword. Elizabeth managed to block both and thankfully her current sword was up to the task before shattering, with some fragments of it embedding itself in her chest.


    She dissipated most of the force but the blade''s blunt side did slam into her stomach, leaving a visible bruise on her through her torn shirt.


    She dodged to the side as the woman slammed down her weapon again, after jumping in the air, absolutely destroying the floor beneath.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Elizabeth grabbed another sword, got as close as she could to her, and began harassing her with her swordplay. The swords Vanessa had previously thrown at her weren''t her type but this one would do finely.


    The woman suddenly found herself forced on the defensive as Elizabeth slashed at her with a torrent of blows, ripping her shirt and bits of her skin to shreds as she blocked.


    (¡°She''s too fast!¡±) She complained as she tried to overpower Elizabeth. Or at the very least break her blade.


    Her skills weren''t enough. No matter how much she thought she saw an opening Elizabeth would punish her with another nick on her arm or face.


    She quickly tried to back away but Elizabeth was relentless like a swarm of hornets. She found herself going up the stairs and the unfamiliar footing caused her to be slashed even more as they went up, with some wounds going as deep as a centimetre.


    And she soon jumped over Elizabeth with increased height. And Elizabeth quickly grabbed her leg, pulling her back down and she attempted to aim at Elizabeth.


    She fired off a shot aimed at the floor and sent both women flying a few feet, both losing their footing as they fell down the stairs, grabbing the other woman as they went down, Elizabeth stabbing into her leg and the woman responding with a tonfa to the face with an especially solid sounding blow.


    The moment both of them hit the floor, the woman got up and started running towards the door.


    Elizabeth got up and chased her.


    The door was closed and the woman managed to run up it, kick herself off it and backflip into aiming both her tonfas at Elizabeth.


    She managed to escape death but it was a tight squeeze. Both tonfas were aimed with Elizabeth dodging either direction in mind. And Elizabeth predicted their trajectories and stayed still instead. Each cannonball ripped a small amount of flesh from both her sides and tore her shirt further.


    The woman fell to the ground as light as a father, with sweat pooling all over her.


    Elizabeth looked to move but the woman raised her hand.


    ¡°I''ll leave alright.¡± She said as she backed away to the door.


    ¡°Do you think I''ll take the word of a woman who works with a cultist so easily?¡±


    Elizabeth said as she walked over.


    ¡°Cultists?¡± the woman responded as she pointed the tonfa at her. ¡°Fuck off, that old man was clean, he''s one of you.¡± She quickly covered her mouth and broke the door down with one of the tonfas.


    ¡°One of us? Get back here and explain that!¡± Elizabeth shouted.


    ¡°Screw off, I''m going home, I''ve worked as much as that bastard''s pay is worth.¡± She said before turning around and running off with a noticeable limp.


    Elizabeth tried to chase after her but the adrenaline of battle had quickly worn off. She fell to a knee and clutched her head as she watched the woman rub off.


    She looked to see blood in her hand and sighed.


    (¡°I can''t help but feel leaving such a woman alive will only cause us problems in the future.¡±) Elizabeth thought as she tried to maintain consciousness.


    She could feel her vision blurring and her arms losing strength.


    Vanessa ran over and lifted her over her shoulder.


    ¡°Liz! You okay?¡± She asked as she ran towards the stairs.


    ¡°I''ll live. Now let me go, I have to go back up T-¡± She started breathing heavily and started to notice her vision darken.


    ¡°Come on Liz, answer me!¡±


    ¡°I''m fine. Tch, I suppose I''ll need some first aid before I go to town. Stay with both of us in the meantime Vanessa, I''m not sure if she''ll come back.¡±


    ¡°Dumbass, I''m not leaving your side until Merrill patches you up!¡± Vanessa responded as she quickly ran up the stairs.

 Chapter 381

    The two stood, several feet apart, carefully observing the opposing man.


    ¡°Ezekiel, is there really no other way to get through to you?¡± Tibaut asked as he aimed his fire spears at Ezekiel.


    Ezekiel responded by showing no restraint. He dragged Tibaut towards him with his magic.


    Tibaut didn''t have any problem with this and shot off all his lances at him, Ezekiel moving himself to dodge them. Tibaut was wondering what the point of this was until he was slammed into a wall.


    Combined with his own running, Ezekiel closed the gap between them within an instant and tried to stab Tibaut near his liver. Tibaut managed to slap it off course and felt like he had been hit with the world''s nastiest punch.


    It had punctured above and thankfully into nothing important. But the speed Ezekiel moved ensured the knife fully went through the leather that protected Tibaut¡¯s body.


    Tibaut pulled the blade himself out, forcing Ezekiel off as he seemed ready to twist the blade around in the wound for further damage.


    And although he pushed him off he didn''t let go. He formed a few more fire lances in their struggle and began firing them off into his body. Each one that rocked Ezekiel¡¯s body felt like a punch that left an uncomfortable sting. He felt like he was fighting a man that had multiple arms instead of a measly two. He soon moved both of them away from the wall and began spinning himself into a human centrifuge, eventually flinging Tibaut off into the air.


    Tibaut slammed his back into the ceiling but it was a far better fate than being stabbed. He fell to the floor and immediately began releasing his mana to neutralise Ezekiel¡¯s magic.


    (¡°Fucking hell, I was hoping to conserve some mana since I trained with Elizabeth earlier, but it seems like I can''t be too picky.¡±)


    He thought as he watched Ezekiel zoom towards him like a speedster. He created a fireball within his hand and Ezekiel looked ready to dodge. It slammed into the floor in front of him and created a small dust cloud.


    He circled around the dust like a string was above his head controlling his movements.


    But the moment he circled in, he soon realised that light wasn''t tricking his eyes but Tibaut had disappeared. But how? He could-


    He quickly backed away from a punch that exited the smoke and tried to dodge a lunging Tibaut. Tibaut grabbed a finger and managed to break it as he backed away.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ezekiel knew this sneak attack meant nothing and quickly moved back over to swing himself into a roundhouse.


    Tibaut managed to block it but both men were reeling from this move. Tibaut was confident the only reason Ezekiel hadn''t kicked his head off was that there was an initial spin clockwise. If Ezekiel had gone for a stab or a punch, Tibaut was sure he would have died.


    The kick sent him flying a few metres to the side into a few chairs and tables. He struggled to get up, with the chairs impeding his recovery. Thankful, Ezekiel couldn''t respond as quickly as he''d like.


    Ezekiel had backed away, as he felt his leg sear with pain. A direct kick to those metal gauntlets had left his leg throbbing.


    He bit his lip and fought through the pain, taking a few moments to adjust himself.


    (¡°Something''s broken but I''m not sure what. Dammit, I probably could have broken his arms instead if he didn''t have those things. Couldn''t you have just cheaped out and worn some fucking leather!?¡±)


    Ezekiel complained to himself as he moved towards Tibaut.


    At first glance, Tibaut jumped off a nearby chair and sent himself into the air.


    In his hands were two fireballs he directed towards the dead man walking.


    Ezekiel brought two chairs towards him and tossed them into the air as they soared at him.


    They caused an explosion that was a bit too close for comfort and he realised that wasn''t all. He felt several fire lances slam into his body and jumped up into Tibaut.


    They struggled into the air before Tibaut positioned himself on top, with Ezekiel¡¯s back landing on a knocked-over chair. Unfortunately for him, these were made of quite sturdy wood and also took the wind out of him. As Tibaut readied a blow aimed at his face, hoping to end it, a chair slammed into his back and a table into his face, throwing him off.


    Ezekiel slapped his injured leg and shouted a guttural shout, trying to ignore the pain and amping himself up.


    He kipped up to his feet and immediately threw himself towards Tibaut. Tibaut warily tried to stand back on his feet and was hit with a whirlwind of blows.


    Ezekiel lowered his fists so he could increase the speed of his punches with his magic. It was quite an unorthodox style and Tibaut was having a hard time adjusting.


    You wouldn''t usually try to stop a knife with your hand but he had no such issues. The problem was that he had to focus with both his hands to stop the knife while he decided to allow Ezekiel''s punches to land.


    He''d move his head every so often when he noticed the fist coming his way but for Ezekiel, body blows were free as dirt.


    Tibaut was forced to grit his teeth and endure the blows as he waited for an opportunity.


    (¡°Had Ezekiel always been capable of this!?¡±) Tibaut lamented as another blow struck his side. He tried to grab the knife several times but its blades combined with the speed Ezekiel stabbed made that an impossibility.


    He couldn''t even lash at Ezekiel, as when he tried a head butt, Ezekiel backed away with his magic and left a scar on his face with the knife, with a solid punch rocking his face as well.


    Given the design of Tibaut¡¯s gauntlets, it had scraped the hand that held the knife, but nothing serious. His other hand meanwhile looked as pristine as a maiden going to a ball.

 Chapter 382

    (¡°Damnit can I only stop his magic from affecting me?¡±)


    Tibaut thought as he felt his sides sear with pain. Even with the leather protecting him, his punches weren''t, by any definition, pleasant.


    (¡°I''m not sure how much further I can continue like this, but if he really is giving his all to kill me, then I won''t hold anything back anymore!¡±)


    He was emitting enough mana only to ensure he would be affected by Ezekiel¡¯s magic but surely it''d benefit him if he exuded more, right? Otherwise, it''d be trickier to escape this checkmate Ezekiel had in him.


    After he did so, Ezekiel''s next punch almost seemed pathetically slow. He could tell by Ezekiel¡¯s own eyes that he didn''t expect this.


    And he couldn''t help but have a small smirk on his face as he countered.


    A single punch to the cheek. That was all it took to shift the tides. His face distorted like it was played with by a master modeller, with a face no more than clay.


    Tibaut could tell he had gotten a clean impact on the man and felt relief wash over him as he soared through the air and slammed into the back of a chair.


    Tibaut''s punches were no joke but combined with the fact his arms were in very hard pieces of metal, it wasn''t surprising to see why Tibaut believed it was over.


    He fell to the ground and his eyes were shut.


    He was out.


    He slowly walked over, ready to get Ezekiel to spill whatever the hell was going up, but he seemed to have forgotten something about being knocked unconscious. It could last minutes but it could also last mere seconds.


    Ezekiel got back to his hands and knees with his mouth open.


    ¡°Feel like talking now?¡±


    Tibaut noticed something wrong with Ezekiel¡¯s mouth and soon realised what was wrong after he placed his hand on his jaw. It was dislocated. And with no hesitation, Ezekiel pushed his jaw back into place and-


    ¡°GARAFAHGFAFA!¡±


    He shouted as it slipped back in.


    Before Tibaut could begin negotiating with him, he felt a table slam into his side.


    ¡°Huh!?¡± He exclaimed.


    Didn''t his circling himself in mana stop his magic? It took him dodging a chair coming from his front to understand what happened.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    The chair would lose speed about half a metre from Tibaut, but it would continue to move.


    (¡°They keep their momentum?¡±) He wondered as he kicked another chair aside before being forced to jump over a table.


    The moment he looked back in Ezekiel''s direction, he was gone.


    He turned back to catch his knife using both hands, with the struggle being broken by a chair slammed into his side.


    Tibaut tried to back away but another chair slammed into his back, breaking like it was a cheap piece of balsa.


    Ezekiel landed another stab, this time just shy of his oesophagus. It left a worrying wound on his neck but nothing important looked to have been stabbed.


    Tibaut swept his legs and tried to stomp him. Tried being the keyword here. Ezekiel was long enough that he could use his magic on himself while floored and partially outside of Tibaut¡¯s radius of mana.


    Ezekiel pushed himself to the other side of the room with Tibaut desperately chasing after, having to dodge and getting hit by various pieces of furniture.


    But as he chased, Ezekiel realised Tibaut had gotten quite used to them.


    (¡°He''s starting to dodge the one''s coming from behind now..¡±)


    Then the answer was obvious, he only had to use more! He didn''t care if he couldn''t use his magic after this fight was over, this had to be dealt with now.


    The moment Tibaut reached his range, the chairs and tables were now coming at him like it was a storm.


    He was forced to dodge and take the hits as he now had Ezekiel to deal with.


    He was landing blows like they were going out of style and even managed a few stabs to his midsection before Tibaut finally managed to get rid of the greatest threat. Or rather Ezekiel got overconfident in the quality of his blade.


    Ezekiel had managed to get his knife arm outside of Tibaut¡¯s range of nullification and swung into it faster than either could react. But Tibaut had seen that attack enough to know where he was going. It was only a guess but he proved to be right.


    He slammed right into Tibaut¡¯s Liver and was met with Tibaut¡¯s gauntlet. Even then, that blow left Tibaut somewhat dizzy, though what it did to Ezekiel was far worse.


    His face wrinkled and his eyes stared a hole through what remained in his hand.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He shouted before taking a blow from Tibaut. It landed in the same exact place he had been trying to stab Tibaut before. The liver.


    From the hilt up, the knife¡¯s blade had broken.


    The darkness of the room didn''t give him the best conditions to find the blade itself and worse during a fight.


    But he was not finished, far from it!


    He coughed up some blood before attempting another blow. But this time was different. He had been in such a rush he had never tried this.


    Tibaut blocked but a chair slammed into his back. There was nothing unusual about this until he noticed Ezekiel striking at the same time as the chair landed on his back.


    (¡°Is he timing them now?¡±)


    Tibaut wondered as he blocked another blow and another chair struck his back, barely avoiding it from hitting his spine.


    Tibaut decided this was good enough and instead tried to fight through the onslaught. These chairs were far better than taking blows from him.


    He tried to punch, seeing an opening and a table slammed into his back, throwing him into a punch of Ezekiel. He knew it was a table approaching based¡­ on the sound it made but he hesitated, knowing Ezekiel would do something if he tried to dodge.

 Chapter 383

    Tibaut could usually tell when Ezekiel was going to drag a table nearby due to subtle movements he''d make or even the man being bare-faced enough to take a step back, (Though he''d usually suffer a nick somewhere on his body for dodging the table regardless) but it now seemed, his lack of speed had given him a better idea. Screw being careful, get Tibaut with everything left in the tank. Even worse was now the furniture was being flung at faster speeds than before.


    But after the punch, Tibaut got close enough to him to land a counter hit, though the table punch combo did leave his punch with a lot more oomph to be desired.


    Ezekiel however, wasn''t going to take a step back. He smashed Tibaut''s face with another blow and dragged a chair behind him.


    (¡°You think the same tricks gonna work twice you fucker?¡±) Tibaut thought as he heard another piece of furniture move from behind. They usually moved quietly thanks to Ezekiel¡¯s magic but now that Tibaut''s range had expanded, there was a solid meter or so he could hear it rub against the wooden floor.


    He quickly twisted to the side but it wasn''t enough, the back of the chair hit part of his back, and as a result, it spun the chair around with the legs slamming into Ezekiel.


    He tried to stop it with his magic out of instinct before realising his mistake. He looked up into another lighter-than-usual punch from Tibaut. It seemed the battle had already taken its toll on the boy.


    While this was a battle for survival, Tibaut couldn''t help but instinctively hold back against Ezekiel. If it were any other opponent he''d be killing himself, consequences be damned, trying to kill them. But how¡­how could he bring himself to fight with that same vigour against a man he had been trying to avenge for several months now? One of the very first persons he met in his new life.


    (¡°Fuck!¡±) He cursed in his mind as he felt his wounds slowly take hold of him. He never realised how much his hatred of his opponent had mattered in keeping him in a fight.


    The two men had gotten back into neutral positions and were throwing blows at each other with Tibaut overpowering Ezekiel, yet he knew in the back of his mind this wouldn''t last for long. He soon heard a chair get into his range and readied himself to avoid it but it never came and all he got was Ezekiel''s fist burying itself deep into his side.


    He managed to block the following attack aimed for his head but-


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You asshole! (How''d he hit exactly where I got stabbed?)¡± Tibaut shouted with gritted teeth. It was a miracle they were all still in one piece after he had been forced to bite down on them so many times before.


    He heard another piece of furniture behind, this time a table. He guessed Ezekiel was putting them inside the range but not actually hitting Tibaut. How was he going to¡­


    He noticed something strange. Was it really the sound of the furniture that gave away any piece of furniture that was going to hit him? And how did he intuit so fast that Ezekiel had thrown a chair at him? Also, for all of Ezekiel¡¯s punches, while they did hit, it wasn''t as if they caught Tibaut off guard, he was prepared for each one. What was going on? Was he imagining it?


    He trusted his instincts and jumped over the table, turning it into a jump kick off Ezekiel.


    And he was right, Ezekiel blocked the high kick, but the table caught him off guard. With such a prime opportunity, Tibaut got somewhat greedy and formed a fire lance, and he realised something. It was created much faster than usual. He shot it off, leaving a new burn mark on Ezekiel¡¯s torso. But he also realised he couldn''t anticipate a chair coming from behind, that stuck him at max speed.


    (¡°What''s going on?¡±) He wondered as Ezekiel moved closer. The moment he attacked, he felt as if he could intuit the path of Ezekiel¡¯s punch without seeing it directly, again with that strange feeling coming back.


    (¡°Seriously, what''s going on!?¡±) He wondered. This was strange. He wondered if this was the ki Elizabeth talked about but this wasn''t anything like he could recall.


    He could also tell there was a table coming to sandwich him from behind and threaded the needle, jumping between it and Ezekiel¡¯s fist, with another table slamming into the man dressed in black before him.


    He tried to form a smaller-than-average fireball and it was created faster than expected but before he could launch it, a counterkick from Ezekiel caught him unaware.


    (¡°I-is¡­ is it my mana doing this!?¡±)


    The bastard Ezekiel landed a roundhouse that nearly sent Tibaut to the floor and he had to throw the fireball to the floor as a smokescreen.


    Ezekiel thought nothing of it and threw a few more chairs at him before throwing an axe kick into the smoke that was countered with a strike to his exposed crotch.


    (¡°It is!¡±)


    For some reason, when Tibaut surrounded himself in his mana, he could, for lack of a better word, feel when things were being touched by his mana. Plus, now that he thought about it, it made sense he could create a fireball quicker. He was taking advantage of his already expended mana to do so. Was this always the case or did he stumble upon this? Regardless this was no time to make use of this fact. Being able to ¡°feel¡± around him was far more important against Ezekiel than his magic.


    Ezekiel shrugged off the assault on his prized gems, though he was screaming in pain internally, and brought out a table from behind that Tibaut managed to dodge by rolling over it.

 Chapter 384

    (¡°And here I thought I could ease off the gas.¡±) Ezekiel thought. He subconsciously slowed down due to the boy''s apparent weakness.


    Tibaut had renewed vigour from his discovery but that wouldn''t help for long.


    He soon felt several chairs coming from behind and was forced to jump over them. He wasn''t quick to avoid Ezekiel¡¯s hand, who also jumped over the chairs, spinning around in the air with the boy before slamming straight through an innocent table.


    Tibaut immediately kicked his hand forcing him to let go, but he couldn''t help but take a few seconds to rest on the floor.


    (¡°He got me good.¡±) Tibaut thought as he focused to try and feel out the approaching Ezekiel. But the bastard never came.


    He soon looked up to see Ezekiel on the other side of the room searching along the floor.


    What could he be looking for that he''d be-


    Tibaut immediately forced himself up and ran over. He brought his leg down for an axe kick but Ezekiel stabbed it with his newfound weapon. Well, new was being generous. It was the blade of the stiletto.


    Tibaut brought his foot back and limped on the stabbed leg before Ezekiel got up and threw another punch. He sent two turned-over chairs at Tibaut and jumped into the air.


    As Tibaut staggered back the chairs tripped him and Ezekiel landed with both feet slamming into Tibaut¡¯s chest.


    A wet and unpleasant sound was heard and Ezekiel looked down in surprise to see Tibaut managing to block the two-footed stomp.


    Tibaut narrowly avoided having his chest caved by placing his arms up in time. But then, what was the sound heard?


    Tibaut grabbed Ezekiel¡¯s leg and, showing almost inhuman force, threw him to the side and chased after him.


    Ezekiel managed to get back to his feet and saw what he had done. One of Tibaut¡¯s arms was now limp. Those gauntlets only went up to the elbow, and it was easy for anyone to see that Tibaut had his elbow dislocated.


    How wonderful, the battle was now settled-


    Tibaut sent him falling to the floor with a well-placed punch. How had he cleared that distance so quickly!?


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    (¡°Finally, it seems like the adrenaline is flowing.¡±) Tibaut thought as he immediately kneed Ezekiel upwards.


    Tibaut could now, for the next minute, fight as if he was at full stamina. While it may not have been as effective as when he fought against a foe he despised, it would still even the odds.


    Before he could land the final strike he dodged another table aimed at him and was greeted by another table from his front he was forced to block.


    (¡°That bastard! He used his airtime so he wouldn''t have to worry about that one hitting him.¡±)


    As Ezekiel fell back to his feet, he truly did decide to use everything.


    Over ten of the chairs flew directly towards Tibaut with more speed than anything previously had and he was forced to jump over them. If there was one thing Tibqut was thankful for, it was the fact the objects he moved couldn''t leave the ground.


    This was why it came as a shock when Ezekiel also jumped into the air, he dragged several chairs up into the air with him.


    What Tibaut seemed to have forgotten about Ezekiel¡¯s magic was he said it could control things under his waist in height. He never said how far under his waist.


    Though the only reason he could do this was because Tibaut had backed away far enough that he could competently use his magic without fearing a hit from the chairs.


    He threw one directly at Tibaut, and they had more than enough force to fly at him.


    They caused him a rocky landing and sent him tumbling into more furniture, getting a particularly nasty landing on his side against one of them.


    Ezekiel had closed the distance between them and tried to finally end it. Although he landed on his side, he also had his neck resting on a chair. If he could step on his head, he would get a clean snap of the neck.


    He got within range of the dazed Tibaut and brought his foot down. But from Tibaut''s own perspective, he couldn''t believe that farce worked on a man this skilled. He simply played dead. Was it honourable? No. Did it stop Mr. Furniture hear from throwing more shit at him? Absolutely.


    Thanks to his mana he could feel Ezekiel¡¯s foot coming down, moving his head out of the way and delivering another wicked blow to Ezekiel¡¯s leg. Ezekiel had to back away and this was bad for him.


    Both of his legs were now heavily injured.


    He could no longer afford to jump or even back away.


    As Tibaut got back to his feet, he saw Ezekiel with his arms raised in a fighting stance, readying himself for Tibaut.


    Tibaut raised an eyebrow until he saw the way Ezekiel¡¯s legs shook.


    (¡°So my punches did do something.¡±)


    He slowly walked over and readied himself. No more running. From here on out, they were going to deliver nothing but punishment for the man standing in front of them.


    Tibaut tried to relocate back his elbow and the moment he did so, another chair was aimed at his back. He dodged it, with a little hop and aimed a kick straight for Ezekiel¡¯s face. Ezekiel blocked and brought a table back under him to give him unstable footing.

 Chapter 385

    Tibaut landed on the table and tripped backwards from the sudden momentum of the table.


    He turned himself in mid-air quickly enough to land back on his feet and blocked a roundhouse kick of Ezekiel with a jumping knee.


    Ezekiel¡¯s face twisted in pain but with Tibaut airborne again, he brought over another chair, catching Tibaut¡¯s leg and sending face first downward. Tibaut blocked with both arms but Ezekiel wasn''t aiming for his face.


    He delivered a cannon-like strike to the centre of Tibaut¡¯s body. He could tell something had been broken by that move but thankfully it didn''t seem too important, so maybe it was just a single rib.


    Tibaut moved his hands down at the moment of the blow and shot a fireball directly at the floor, destroying the wooden floor and exposing the dirt underneath.


    Given the chair caught on his leg and Ezekiel¡¯s fist, it gave him clearance from the floor and initial explosion, while the explosion sent shockwaves through Ezekiel¡¯s already weakened feet, along with some wood splinters that decided to sheathe themselves in Ezekiel¡¯s lower legs.


    Tibaut fell to the floor, kicked the chair off his leg and pushed himself off the smouldering floor, using his shoulders to slam into Ezekiel¡¯s legs, sending the already reeling man to the floor.


    Both men scurried to their feet, with a speedy chair to the back delaying Tibaut somewhat.


    They both got back to their feet and the furniture approached Tibaut like a horde of hungry animals.


    He jumped onto a chair coming from behind and attempted another knee strike. But his weight slowed the chair down faster than he imagined and Ezekiel slammed his leg into the edge of the chair¡¯s seat the moment before Tibaut jumped off.


    Ezekiel sent him flying towards him, back first upside down and landed a brutal-sounding lariat that knocked all the wind out of him.


    (¡°I''ve gotten sloppy, I was aiming for a straight punch for his spine.¡±)


    He thought he grabbed at Tibaut¡¯s shirt.


    He felt himself being dragged forward by the force of Tibaut and noticed Tibaut swung his momentum around in his grip and turned around to land another kick.


    He let the boy go and the kick missed, the bottom of Tibaut¡¯s shoe roughly scraping against Ezekiel¡¯s arm.


    Another chair came behind Tibaut and his lowered body sent the chair flying as if he tripped a person.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Ezekiel batted the chair away with an arm and blocked another blow from Tibaut that left his arms in agony.


    Another chair came from behind and Tibaut jumped over it while protecting himself from any counterattacks from Ezekiel.


    The two had now reached a stalemate where Tibaut was by most physical metrics superior but Ezekiel''s magic was enough to even the gap.


    Tibaut was forced to constantly dodge the wood being thrown at him, straining his brain and body trying to find an ample opportunity to strike.


    (¡°Even with the gauntlets, one or two more punches isn''t going to be enough.¡±)


    He thought as he ducked a punch and shifted to the side to avoid a chair, with Ezekiel shifting away as well, though in a different direction.


    He attempted another punch but he parried with his knee, with another table coming that Tibaut quickly ducked under.


    (¡°Should I use a fireball? Nah, I won''t have any time to form, plus the bastard might try to throw a chair at it. What can I use to even the odds? That fire veil is no good either.¡±)


    He continued dodging and trying to find opportunities when they came but he just didn''t have the speed to do so. He felt like he was forced to do the fighting of two people. Worse was the fact, he could feel himself slowing. Dammit, were his injuries this draining?


    A chair clipped his gauntlet and he dodged another blow headed this way.


    (¡°Wait a second. This should protect my hands, right? So that means I get a bit more rough with them, right?¡±)


    But even still, would a point-blank fireball even work? Ezekiel seems to be adjusting to Tibaut now and has even begun parrying certain moves. If he missed he couldn''t imagine Ezekiel saying screw it and leaving it unpunished.


    But what else could he do to make use of these gauntlets?


    A chair slammed into his back but he quickly recovered by blocking a heavy sounding blow with his gauntlets.


    He dodged another and the top of it caught his pocket dragging him ever so slightly forward into another blow from Ezekiel.


    He headbutted the punch aimed for his head and reeled back himself, Ezekiel¡¯s fist feeling more like a block of cement than a hand made of bone and flesh.


    (¡°Wait a second!¡±)


    He thought as he and Ezekiel approached closer to meet each other. Another table was aimed at his back. And the space between Ezekiel and the table was far too small to dodge, he had to be hit by one of them. A light soon formed not behind Ezekiel but instead behind Tibaut and his mind went into overdrive trying to figure out a solution.


    Ezekiel put every last ounce of strength he still possessed into this blow, believing his own punch combined with the force of the table would be enough to mortally wound Tibaut. His bleeding also seemed to have increased, with his lower half painted in the blood of his torso. He probably wasn''t long for this world either way, but the sooner the better.


    (¡°I got it. That time I condensed the fireball. Why if I unevenly condense it and make my punch go faster?¡±)


    Tibaut¡¯s brain was using as little power as it took to try and visualise his idea.


    As he required a simple image, a rocket was the first thing that came to mind. What if he turned his fist into a rocket? Rockets are fast so his fist should go quicker, plus rockets hit things very hard.


    So that''s what he tried to make his arm. A rocket. He formed a fireball behind his arm, at the very back of his gauntlet, hoping to reduce damage and began condensing it.

 Chapter 386

    He could feel the table touch his back and Ezekiel¡¯s fist wasn''t very far either. His fist was brought back as far as possible to give it some time to build speed. He couldn''t afford to have this leave the job half-finished.


    Doubt started to creep into his mind.


    (¡°Is this even going to work? What if I fuck up and break my arm? Shit, this is the elbow I dislocated, isn''t it? Dammit should I just-¡±)


    He threw his thoughts to the wayside and focused only on this punch. He could feel the table dig into his back and could now feel that Ezekiel¡¯s fist was about to land.


    He continued condensing the fireball to the point of failure, making sure to leave one part weaker than the rest.


    Ezekiel¡¯s fist touched his shirt and it finally happened. The fireball exploded but this was no regular explosion. It was a (somewhat) controlled explosion that shot out from behind the part of his gauntlet in contact with his elbow.


    Tibaut may have overdone. Neither he nor Ezekiel could see where his fist went and if it wasn''t for Tibaut¡¯s battle-hardened body, his lower arm would have flown off into the distance, maybe even punching a hole or two on its flight.


    It was only through instinct that Tibaut even aimed it at Ezekiel. And it was a blessing for Ezekiel he didn''t aim it at his intended target of Ezekiel¡¯s face.


    It produced a whistling sound as it went through the air, though this was something Tibaut would realise after the fact, given time to fully process what happened.


    Just as Tibaut imagined it, his fist flew towards Ezekiel like a rocket. And the impact was immense. Ezekiel wore a piece of leather armour to protect his torso. If it weren''t for that piece of cowhide he would have had a new hole in his stomach.


    A giant boom echoed throughout the building and Ezekiel flew away with the speed of a falcon into a wooden wall.


    He broke the thick wooden wall and was left floored in the alley outside.


    His torso revealed a bare area of his stomach where no cloth or armour remained. Just an area of exposed muscle in the shape of a fist imprint.


    Tibaut wasn''t even sure what had happened until he looked down at his fist.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The upper part of his gauntlet was steaming and he couldn''t move his arm. The force likely dislocated it again. He tried to put it back in place again but it stung even to touch, so it could wait for now.


    He fell to his knees from the impact with the table. Seeing the hole in the wall and Ezekiel outside, he sighed observing him for a few moments.


    (¡°He¡¯s¡­ he''s still alive. Thank god, I thought I overdid it.¡±)


    He got lower on the floor, now just sitting on the floor and took a moment for himself.


    He looked at his arm and sighed.


    (¡°What the hell was I thinking?¡±) He thought as he rested his good arm against his forehead.


    ¡°I''m a fucking idiot. What if it didn''t connect? What if I broke my hand and he withstood? What if¡­ oh screw it, I''m not gonna pretend. That so fucking cool!¡± He said with a smirk. ¡°Hehe, I''m a combat genius! Damn, what else can I do with explosions?¡±


    As the high of his success wore off, his mind went back to his initial thoughts.


    ¡°Rockets, huh?¡± He said as he picked himself off the floor. He began to slowly walk over towards Ezekiel. Other than his breathing, there wasn''t so much as a twitch out of him.


    ¡°(I really got him, huh?) This seems like an incredibly powerful move. A final gambit with high reward. Well, maybe not a final gambit, I do have two arms after all. Other than those point-blank fireballs I do, I think this is the strongest attack in my moveset. Moveset? Heh, what am I an action-game character? I can''t wait for the double jump.¡±


    He joked as he walked through the hole in the wall.


    ¡°So what should I call it? Oh right! What''s the name of the rocket that went to the moon? Apollo, I think? There was some number after it, but I think that should work. Right, apollo. A punch that''ll send you straight to the moon.¡±


    He approached the feet of Ezekiel and looked at his face. His eyes were closed and he looked to be in discomfort.


    ¡°Pretty decent name, right Ezekiel?¡± He said with a sly smirk, before crouching down.


    His body was pretty knackered so the most he could afford to do at this point was drag Ezekiel back inside.


    As he did so, he heard the footsteps of someone heading down the stairs.


    He looked up to see Mr. Bentley and the man himself looked down in shock.


    ¡°I-i-impossible!¡± He shouted as he quickly came down the stairs. Tibaut breathed heavily as he watched Mr. Bentley approach.


    He let go of Ezekiel¡¯s foot and approached him.


    ¡°Hey old man, I want some answers and fas-¡±


    The old man tripped into him and Tibaut quickly grabbed something in his hand. It looked to be the knife Ezekiel used before he¡­ died? Disappeared? Faked his death? Well, whatever the case was, it was his old knife and the old man tried to stab him with it.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡± He felt the next of the old man''s arms move and turned around to see him throw something.


    It looked to be a small throwing knife of some kind and it landed directly where Tibaut had punched him.

 Chapter 387

    Tibaut immediately pushed the old man back and grabbed him by his collar.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!? Isn''t he your son!?¡± Tibaut shouted at the man before pushing him aside to run over to Ezekiel.


    He quickly pulled the knife out of him but¡­ he noticed Ezekiel suddenly start coughing. He moved a hand down, trying to use a piece of his cloak to cover his new wound.


    ¡°Get up, boy, you''re not finished yet. My Lord, I can''t believe you haven''t gotten rid of this welp yet. Just use the powder and don''t hold back this time.¡± The man sternly stated, somewhat anxious.


    ¡°What are you-?¡± Before Tibaut could ask what the old man was talking about he felt himself be pushed away by Ezekiel¡¯s magic. As he was pushed away he saw there was a substance on the blade that wasn''t red.


    His heart began racing and he quickly backed away as far as he could, hoping to exit the range of Ezekiel¡¯s magic.


    (¡°Are you shitting me!? Was there some some healing bullshit on it!?¡±)


    No, but it seemed the blade carried a strong stimulant on its edge that promptly woke up the unconscious Ezekiel. Mr. Bently quickly ran to his son''s side.


    ¡°You worried me for a moment there sonny, now get up and get this over with. It seems this old man will have to be the one to kill the boy. You''ve dirtied your hands enough for this lifetime.¡±


    Mr. Bentley stated as he pulled out another knife.


    Ezekiel began coughing and gave a small chuckle. ¡°That''s rich coming from a man who can''t even get it up anymore, much less fight.¡±


    ¡°If you have time to tell jokes, you have time to get to your feet.¡± Mr. Bentley responded, unamused.


    Ezekiel continued coughing as he looked at the ceiling.


    As he did so, Tibaut began heavily weighing his options. Now that he knew the man in black was Ezekiel, was there any more need to fight this fruitless battle? Other than scepticism from Elizabeth, what was stopping him from turning around and leaving? His arm was dislocated and his entire body ached. He heated up one of his hands and used his gauntlet to close up the wounds he got from Ezekiel¡¯s knife.


    He prepared himself for retreat, but it seemed he wouldn''t need to.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± Ezekiel stated.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    They both turned to him with confusion in their eyes. ¡°Old man¡­ I don''t think I can move.¡±


    The old man got to his knees and moved to Ezekiel¡¯s face. Worry became apparent on his face even as he tried to hide it from his voice.


    ¡°What do you mean? This isn''t the time for jokes boy, that welp looks like he''s going to escape!¡± He said in a raised voice, sounding almost choked up from his nerves taking hold of him.


    ¡°I''m not kidding, old man. This kid, he gave me a good hit. It fucking hurts!¡± He complained as he stared at the ceiling. ¡°I don''t think I''ve taken anything as bad as that shit before. If I''m telling the truth I can barely breathe right now.¡±


    Tibaut decided to risk it and started walking over.


    ¡°Stay back from him!¡± Mr. Bentley shouted. He knew it wasn''t in their favour but he didn''t know their situation was this dire.


    ¡°Chill it old man, he''s not gonna do anything.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, he''s going to finish you off.¡± The old responded as he held the knife forward. ¡°Stay back boy, it won''t be a good look if anyone else comes across this scene!¡±


    The old man was jittering like a frightened rabbit as he stared down Tibaut. Even with one hand, he was likely more than enough for the old man. Tibaut stopped and sighed.


    ¡°Ezekiel, could you tell me what''s going on here? I can''t imagine it''s nothing, considering you faked your death.¡±


    ¡°That''s none of your business, you twerp!¡± The old man shouted, with shaky legs.


    Ezekiel sighed, trying to lift his head and failing. As his head came back to the floor he opened his mouth. ¡°It''s over, old man. I fucked us over.¡± He said. ¡°It was stupid of me to think I could see them again.¡±


    ¡°Can it, boy. If we''re leaving, you should be able to see them happy before you go. Blame me for thinking it''d go smoothly. At least that woman stalled Elizabeth, so maybe if I¡­¡±


    ¡°Old man¡­¡± Ezekiel said as he heard his father try to scheme his way out of this.


    ¡°Damn, to think it''d end like this!¡± He said, sounding almost pained by the reality of their situation.


    Tibaut could only sigh and started looking around the room. ¡°I swear I''m sounding like a broken record.¡± He walked over to Ezekiel and the old man got in his way again.


    ¡°I''ll get to your explanation Tibaut, just let me have a moment with my Pa, here.¡±


    Tibaut rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. Just explain what''s going on. Were you trying to get us to take the cult more seriously or something? Its kinda shitty but I''m sure we could convince Elizabeth to let you off wit-¡±


    The door to the building soon opened. The two men turned to it to see a singular figure standing at the door. It was a tall woman with tan skin and pink hair. And she was currently wearing a velvet dress.


    She was breathing heavily, her chest moving in and out. Given how dirty her shoes were it seemed she rushed over.


    (¡°Are they a part of this too?¡±) Tibaut thought as he turned around.


    He readied himself, only able to bring up one hand and waited for her first move.


    Mr. Bentley fell to his knees and almost started crying. He wasn''t a religious man but the moment he saw her, he started thanking every one of the four gods of this world.

 Chapter 388

    She slowly walked inside and her eyes turned to Ezekiel.


    ¡°I know you''re not gonna believe me but trust me he''s the one who tried to kill me and it was necessa-¡±


    Tina walked past Tibaut, sparing him a glance before she made her way over to Ezekiel.


    ¡°Thank goodness you''re here, sweet young lady, that ruffian suddenly pounced on us, I think he might be apart of the cultis-¡±


    She got on her knees and looked into the grounded Ezekiel¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± She asked.


    Mr. Bentley started shivering in distress like an abused animal and quickly turned to her.


    ¡°Is it really true you worked with the cultists?¡± Tina asked.


    Tibaut turned to her, almost in disbelief at the words that came out of her mouth.


    ¡°What the hell are you saying!?¡± Tibaut shouted. ¡°Ezekiel would never do anything like-¡±


    She raised her hand and turned to him. ¡°Tibaut, let him answer.¡±


    They both turned back to Ezekiel and the man could only sigh. In a sense, it was relieving, almost liberating to not hide it any longer.


    ¡°Yes, we did work with them.¡±


    The old man placed a hand on his face and groaned for a few seconds. ¡°I can''t imagine our fates will be pretty.¡± Mr. Bentley added.


    ¡°Sorry old man. Hopefully, you croak before the trials are over.¡±


    ¡°You shitty boy of mine, what kind of son wishes death on his father?¡±


    Tibaut couldn''t help but stare in disbelief, while it seemed Tina had accepted this information far more easily.


    Ezekiel looked up into Tina''s eyes and turned his head to his father.


    ¡°Actually old man, I feel this is more important. Could you go upstairs, I don''t think I want the kid seeing me get all sappy.¡±


    ¡°Well, if this truly is the end, then there''s no point trying to fight it off¡­¡± the old man said, defeat present in his voice. He turned around like a whipped dog and headed for the stairs.


    ¡°You wanted an explanation, correct boy? Then I''ll do my best to inform you of what happened.¡± He slowly put the knife back in his pocket and signalled for the boy to follow him.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Tibaut hesitated and couldn''t take his attention off the pair of Tina and Ezekiel. Was this a trap or¡­


    ¡°Tibaut¡­¡± Tina softly said. ¡°Don''t worry, he''s not going anywhere.¡±


    He wasn''t sure why, but he felt an almost unnerving sincerity in her voice. Even if Ezekiel escaped he could rest assured it''d have nothing to do with her.


    ¡°Alright. Take all the time you need with him¡­ actually, I think the both of us could use some tlc, are there any healers in town?¡±


    ¡°Tlc (Did I mishear him)? No, but I think Bailey should spread the word around and come here soon. There are a few people in town who should know how to treat some wounds. So until that, put some dirt in it and wait.¡±


    Tibaut nodded his head and followed Mr. Bentley upstairs.


    ¡°So how''d you find out?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°You work with a bunch of loudmouths. Especially that woman you work with. Gave her a few shocks and she started yapping like her life depended on it.¡±


    ¡°That so? She did always like to gossip so I guess it isn''t surprising for-¡±


    ¡°Why''d you do it!?¡± Tina asked, trying to keep her voice from cracking. ¡°Why the hell did you work with those monsters, huh, Ezekiel!?¡± She asked as she raised her voice. Tears started to form in her eyes and she did her best to fight them off.


    <hr>


    ¡°So the cult¡­ what the hell did you guys do?¡± Tibaut asked as he sat down before the desk. They were in his office with the moonlight shining through the window before Mr. Bentley.


    He opened a drawer and pulled a cigar out. It looked hand-rolled and was somewhat crude looking.


    He held it out to Tibaut.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Light it. I might as well have a good smoke while I''m still a free man, I can''t imagine Elizabeth would do the same for me.¡±


    Tibaut produced a flame with his hand and lit it up before getting up and opening the window.


    ¡°Sorry, but I''m no fan of smoke.¡± He said.


    ¡°Do as you please, this will no longer be my building.¡± The old man responded.


    Tibaut sat back down in his chair.


    ¡°I suppose I should shed some light on our history.¡± Mr. Bentley said before taking a puff. He blew it forward and watched as it moved back into his face and exited through the open window.


    ¡°Do you know that boy used to be a killer?¡±


    ¡°Killer? Like a serial killer?¡± He asked with raised ears.


    ¡°Well, I suppose they''re similar but no.¡± He blew another puff of the crudely made cigar. ¡°A contract killer.¡±


    <hr>


    Over a decade ago in the same building.


    ¡°It''s a crock of shit I tell you!¡± Mr. Bentley shouted.


    Ezekiel sat at a table with short hair, his feet kicked up at a table. He was listening to Mr. Bentley.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°Those bastards are trying to wring out more and more! I''m barely making a profit in this shit hole of a parish! Why the hell do we even have a fucking parish building here in the first place if no one is even adventuring here? And that bastard had the gall to call this an opportunity. An opportunity to grow more damned grey hairs!¡±


    Ezekiel nodded his head while looking at the ceiling.


    ¡°How many did you lose to other parishes this week?¡± Ezekiel asked, seemingly disinterested.


    ¡°Twenty of the bastards. I hardly blame them, in a parish like this they''d be fools to stay here. We can barely keep people healed, much less offer competent services.¡±

 Chapter 389

    Several months ago, Mr. Bentley had been approached by one of his friends with an intriguing offer. And by intriguing, it meant there was a chance of relatively easy cash.


    Before this, Mr. Bentley had been living in the forest, with Ezekiel giving him a bit of cash every now and again when he returned from his work.


    In his home parish of Eater¡¯s Mound, there was a free position open for a manager of the branch building.


    Mr. Bentley had been retired from adventuring for some time now, but he couldn''t help but jump at the proposition. It seemed like the perfect retirement gig. He knew there weren''t many interested as those qualified for it would likely see it as some sort of demotion but in his old age, he didn''t mind the extra change.


    What he wasn''t prepared for was how greedy the organisation was. Being a former adventurer himself, he assumed being a manager was some cushy position, those good-for-nothings that weren''t decent adventurers themselves shot for. How mistaken he was.


    The Adventurer''s Guild had always seemed pretty friendly with the government, so he believed it no different than a government job with guaranteed pay as long as he showed up every day. This was not the case.


    New to him was the fact there were a certain amount of quotas and objectives he was to hit by certain parts of the year.


    I.e. A specified amount of gold made in commissions, adventurers recruited and a vague one called ¡°Impact on the parish and its people.¡±


    And another thing was the fact, that based on how well these objectives were managed it would affect the budget of the branch guild.


    He didn''t have any idea that was going to happen until his second month after accepting the position and a particularly nasty letter, from his perspective, was sent to him, informing him that due to certain quotas not being met, ten per cent of his budget would be reallocated to other branches more needing of the funds.


    ¡°I swear that bastard screwed me over! I thought in my old age he''d grow out of making people''s lives more hard than it ought to be but I was a fool to think he''d change.¡± The old man complained as he kicked a nearby chair.


    ¡°Are you talking about Uncle Cyril?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it have been?¡± Mr. Bentley asked with a nasty look in his eyes.


    ¡°Why don''t you just quit then?¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Mr. Bentley sighed before pulling out a chair next to the boy and sitting on it backwards, with his arms and head rested on its back.


    ¡°You want to know how much this place lost in revenue before I came here? I was bitching to one of the few workers we have left and he told me the bastard somehow managed to half the budget on a monthly basis.¡±


    Ezekiel gave a small chuckle before covering his mouth.


    ¡°Damn, you serious? Was he building himself a mansion or something?¡±


    ¡°Boy, never underestimate some people''s incompetence.¡±


    Mr. Bentley hung his head down and looked around the empty building. It was closed for the night, so it wasn''t too indicative of their current scenario.


    ¡°Yet, I can''t bring myself to let it be someone else''s problem, you know boyo? I can''t say I have pride for this parish, but I used to be one of the hottest prospects in the adventuring world when I was younger. But I never panned out.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying it like it''s your fault, old man,¡± Ezekiel answered.


    ¡°Whether it''s my fault or not, I had a middling career and won''t even be remembered by anyone other than you and that bastard in the capital after I die. But here¡­¡± he gently sighed before continuing. ¡°Here maybe I can find a talent or two that can surpass the potential I had. This old man feels almost embarrassed to say it but, I don''t think I''ll be satisfied retiring until I find someone as good or even better than a younger version of me. At least then, I feel like this place would have a fair shake before those bastards in the capital try to get rid of it. Not many people work here but the few that do, deserve to have a proper job without having to leave the parish and possibly their family.¡±


    ¡°Were you always this sappy, old man?¡±


    ¡°Shut it, boy. Sigh I don''t even know why I even expect a proper response from you sometimes.¡±


    <hr>


    A month passed and the two men sat in the same lobby, though the decor was a bit different.


    The tables were covered in black cloth and there were a few empty plates on some of the tables. There was a large drawing of a man on a wall with a lectern in front of it.


    ¡°I think this is the first time I''ve seen a funeral in one of these.¡± Mr. Bentley lamented as he looked around.


    ¡°Is it uncommon?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Is it? In my times as adventurers, only the biggest and most well-known could have funerals directly in a branch building. Yet because of our numbers, the first death we have in months is automatically done here.¡± Mr. Bentley answered.


    ¡°You saying the guy didn''t deserve one here?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Of course not. He was a good kid, if not a bit too eager to work. I should''ve known a ¡°small¡± kobold gathering was too good to be true. We had to spend half of the commission money to even fund his funeral.¡±


    ¡°So people can just lie about commissions?¡±


    ¡°Well, with the information they relayed, we''d be shit out of luck trying to get those bastards in the capital to do something. They might make exceptions for their money makers, but they likely wouldn''t see the point in such a small branch.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ezekiel could only listen to the old man''s laments.

 Chapter 390

    ¡°The worst part of it as well, is the fact I was doing it so we could secure our potions.¡±


    ¡°Secure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just like cash, things like ropes, S.O.S. stones and potions are also based on how many quotas we achieve for the month. I''m not saying we couldn''t have gotten the money through other means but, it''s better to get those sorts of things out the way. You wanna know why the boy died?¡±


    ¡°He was wounded by the Kobolds right?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    Mr. Bentley shook his head. ¡°Blood lost. They even had enough time to bring him here but we don''t exactly have doctors or healers here. They were hoping for a potion but we ran out for the current month. I don''t think I''ve ever seen a man so readily give up on life.


    ¡°Fuc- Damn, what a way to go.¡±


    The two sat in silence as they stared at the dead man''s drawing, pitying him.


    <hr>


    Half a year later.


    Mr. Bentley and various other men dressed similarly seemed to be discussing something in the lounge area of the branch building.


    Ezekiel watched them from above. Some of the men looked to be in tears while the others seemed to be more irritated than anything and left the building before he could even finish what he had to say. The few men that did remain, either hugged or shook his hand before leaving.


    ¡°Well, I suppose that''s the end of that.¡± Mr. Bently said as he walked up the stairs.


    ¡°What''s the occasion?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Ah, there you are, boy.¡± Mr. Bentley said as he looked up. ¡°Well, I''ve just informed most of my lovely staff that their services will no longer be needed. Our budget is going to be reduced even further.¡±


    ¡°How much more can it keep going down?¡± Ezekiel asked, more out of curiosity than surprise.


    ¡°The good thing is not much. The bad thing is there is still some equipment they can take away if it does go lower. They''ve already got rid of our loan weapons and we''ve had to resort to asking some of our own to do security for local smiths in exchange for weapons. Honestly, I had to choose between our staff or the potions but that choice may not even matter in the long run.¡± He warily stated as he headed up the stairs and reached the second floor. He began walking towards his office, signalling for the boy to follow him


    ¡°Potions? Aren''t those important? They wouldn''t be that cruel, would they?¡± Ezekiel asked as they followed.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°You''re right, they wouldn''t. Which is why they''d give half of what the potions are worth and tell us to form relationships with doctors of the parish instead.¡±


    ¡°Do they really think doctors can replace a potion?¡±


    ¡°No, but it''s what we''d be forced to do. My lord, I do think it''s time to bring this to an end.¡± He warily stated.


    Ezekiel hadn''t seen as many grey hairs take over a person''s head in a short amount of time as much as his old man, but at the same time¡­.


    ¡°So you think it''s time to call it quits, eh?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Well, there''s not much of an option for us, is there?¡± Bentley replied as he opened the door to his office.


    As the two men entered the room, Ezekiel tapped his father''s shoulder.


    ¡°Really? I''m sure I could at least help out enough to keep the potions.¡±


    Mr. Bentley walked to his desk and shook his head before sitting down.


    ¡°Boy, I helped you get your current work solely because of your abilities. I know you''re a man that keeps to himself so that makes you far more suited to being a problem solver than an adventurer.¡±


    ¡°You mean, assassin?¡±


    ¡°Don''t say that word boy, it''s uncouth, you know. Besides, it is like saying that you''ll kill anyone for money which isn''t true. Stick to it and let me worry about this.¡±


    ¡°That''s not what I''m saying¡­¡± Ezekiel as he cleared his throat.


    Mr. Bentley changed his gaze and began scrutinising the boy.


    ¡°So what are you saying, Ezekiel?¡± He sternly asked.


    ¡°I''m just saying¡­ if this place is struggling I could fork over some of the money I make from this to help keep it afloat.¡±


    Mr. Bentley looked unamused by this answer. ¡°Are you seriously suggesting I have you as a sponsor?¡±


    ¡°Come on don''t make it sound so official~~ I''m just suggesting I use some of the money I got from it to help you out when you need it.¡±


    ¡°That''s a slippery road you''re speaking of, Ezekiel. With the type of funds we need, you won''t always find bad enough people to kill.¡±


    ¡°Come on old man, I got like 100,000 gold saved up, it should keep you guys going for a while.¡± He suggested as he unknowingly moved forward in the chair.


    ¡°And again I''ll have to reject it. Trust me Ezekiel, it''s better if you don''t get a need for gold while working with human lives.¡±


    Ezekiel shrugged his shoulders and looked away. ¡°If you say so, old man. But don''t hesitate to lean on me, alright? I''ve gotten my fair share of support from a man that wasn''t even related to me so it''s time to give-¡±


    Mr. Bentley raised his hand. ¡°Relations have nothing to do with us. You are my son, as I am your father, there''s no need to downplay our relationship. And as your father, I won''t have you suffer for my matters, understood?¡±


    ¡°Old man, I can tell you love doing this shit as much as you complain.¡±


    Mr. Bentley scoffed.


    ¡°So let me help you out so you can continue doing it.¡±


    ¡°And my final answer is no. Buy yourself a house or even buy a gift for a lover. You''re young, I won''t even mind if you make more reckless purchases as long as you learn from them. I''m not accepting a coin of yours for the branch building.¡±

 Chapter 391

    Several months passed and Mr. Bentley kept his word. He held firmly in the belief that Ezekiel wasn''t to spend a single coin on the branch building. But fate wouldn''t allow it to end at just that.


    The sound of furniture being thrown was disturbing the silence of the night. The perpetrator was none other than Mr. Bentley with a chair in both hands tossing it around the room, breathing heavily.


    He was covered in a mask of worry as he looked around the room and dropped the chair from his hands.


    ¡°Damn it, damn it all to hell!¡±


    They were doing especially poorly this week. He''d managed for these past months to keep the quota stable so, at minimum, it wouldn''t go down any further. Yet this proved that even if you do everything right, life could decide it isn''t enough and take it away from you.


    Firstly, this month saw the departure of their top guild for more worthwhile opportunities elsewhere in the country. And the second-best guild. And their fourth. The only guild remaining was from an Amazon woman who cared more about the men of the parish than getting any sort of work done, so he didn''t even consider them.


    Next were the injuries. With their top guilds gone, it wasn''t surprising injuries would be more common. He, however, was surprised by the sheer volume of them. He believed at worst, injuries would double when they in fact quadrupled. It seemed those top guilds did a lot more to keep the others safe than he realised. Which made him feel like he was sticking a knife into the back of the few adventurers left, as he accepted offerings on more shady commissions. They still needed quotas to meet after all.


    Which leads to today.


    Several hours earlier.


    ¡°Trust dude, we got this.¡± One man said. He wore grey hair and in terms of physical appearance was nothing special. With the departure of the top guilds in the parish, by process of elimination, his guild was now on top.


    They sat in Mr. Bentley''s office, with the old man constantly patting sweat off of his head.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked. ¡°Even by our standards, this seems especially, um...


    well, how do I put this?¡±


    ¡°Come on man, the pay day''s sweet right? I''ve been thinking about making us a new cabin, so I could really use this.¡±


    ¡°Boss, a cabin? Can''t get a farm or something? We could use a side hustle or two.¡± A woman standing beside him said. She too was quite unremarkable, other than a scar or two on her face. She looked to be at the edge of her thirties.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That''s the mindset of a loser, Lana!¡±


    He moved his hand over and patted her hip. She could only sigh and roll her eyes.


    ¡°Don''t touch me unless you plan on getting me in bed, boy.¡±


    ¡°S-seriously?¡± He cleared his throat and turned to her.


    She smirked and winked his way.


    (¡°Ah, youth¡­ I wonder if any of my old flings are still alive, sigh. Well, excluding her.¡±) Mr. Bentley thought as he watched them.


    The man in front of him blushed when he noticed Mr. Bentley¡¯s gaze and quickly got up. ¡°We¡¯ll have it finished by the end of the day. It''s just a few bandits bothering some farmers right? Damn, I sorta feel like I''m stealing from those villagers for accepting this much.¡±


    He gave Mr. Bentley a thumbs up before leaving with his woman friend.


    (¡°I''m not sure I would even stop him if I could. We need the money if we still want to be able to afford our potions, no that isn''t right, earn our potions.¡±) He thought with a grimace on his face.


    Mr. Bentley thought nothing of it and waited for the good news. Even if the commission was shady, he was sure he could take on a few bandits in his old age, so a group of young adventurers were fine even if it was larger than the ten stated in the commission.


    <hr>


    They returned a few hours later and Mr. Bentley could already tell there was something wrong based on the shouting and rushed footsteps he heard. He was sitting in the lounge, reviewing a few documents until he noticed the adventurers returning.


    The woman entered first and her clothes were tattered with a few new scars across her. She looked worried and the reason why soon came in from behind her.


    Two other men held in their arms a man, with a bloody bandage over his eyes and a leg missing.


    Mr. Bentley could only sigh as he looked on.


    ¡°Please, we have to-¡± the woman desperately asked.


    ¡°Just a moment, I''ll get the potions ready.¡±


    He stated before quickly making his way towards the storage room. The woman breathed a sigh of relief before hearing a very loud-


    ¡°Damn it all!¡±


    He quickly rushed to the room to see Mr. Bentley kicking a nearby box.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°We''re out of potions! Get that boy to a doctor as quickly as you can manage!¡± He shouted.


    She immediately turned around and took the men outside with her. In the end, he ended up losing his leg and his vision completely. While his leg was questionable, if a few potions were still here they might have saved his vision.


    He was informed what happened a few minutes later and he felt like his blood was going to boil. The bandits¡­ were far greater in numbers than imagined. They were a wanted group deeper in the country that was trying to lie low in the countryside. And they were 50 men strong. Not only did the village lie about the amount of bandits that were present, they also lied about the amount of money they had to spare. It was less than a tenth of the agreed-upon amount.


    Not only did he have his current best adventurer crippled, excluding the Amazon, but he also did so for an amount he could have earned in three days normally.

 Chapter 392

    A person slowly opened the door and Mr. Bentley tried to straighten himself out before he turned to them.


    ¡°Sorry, we closed right now, though I can come out to meet with you short- Oh, it''s you Ezekiel.¡± He said, almost disappointed.


    ¡°Whoa, what''s with that reaction old man?¡± He asked as he looked inside. ¡°Don''t tell those pricks were getting rowdy with you?¡± He asked as he surveyed the inside.


    ¡°Don''t worry about that, it was a warranted reaction from them.¡± The old man lied. He sat down in a nearby chair and signalled for the boy to come over. ¡°Have you heard about today?¡± He stated, sounding tired.


    Ezekiel raised an eyebrow and approached him.


    <hr>


    ¡°What a load of crap, can''t you force them to hand it over?¡± Ezekiel, his face seeped in anger. The old man was struggling enough, who the fuck did these pricks think they were hitting him with this shit?


    He got up out of his chair and the old man had to grab his hand. ¡°Hold on, you''ll only cause more damage!¡± He said.


    ¡°If the bastards think this is a charity they have another thing coming to them. Don''t worry old man, I''ll get those bastards to give you what you''re due.¡±


    ¡°Ease yourself up boy, we can''t act like thugs, the support of the people is all we have!¡±


    ¡°Support? You call getting screwed over support?¡±


    Mr. Bentley sighed before continuing. ¡°They had a reason for lying. It seems like our parish¡¯s lord had been dragging his foot when it came to the matter. They even told our friends afterwards to send him the bill.¡±


    ¡°So did you?¡± He asked as he sat back down, looking back into his father''s eyes.


    ¡°Of course not, it''d be laughable to do so. It was between us, not me and the Lord. That''d be another matter entirely. People assume the world works far more simply than it actually does.¡±


    ¡°Then let me go over there and convince them!¡± He begged.


    ¡°Nowadays we depend on so many of the things we can''t get from the guild. Rations for explorations, weapons, armour, hell even clothing since we run through that quickly.¡± He gritted his teeth and rubbed his head. ¡°Goodwill isn''t something you can throw away so easily¡­ we can''t afford to lose the support of even one of those bastards because we felt like getting what we were due. Honestly¡­¡± He hesitated as he continued. ¡°I think it''s time to end it. There isn''t much more we can-¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Ezekiel gripped his Father''s shoulder tightly. ¡°Old man quit being so fucking stubborn and let me help you out!¡± He shouted.


    Mr. Bentley looked taken aback and Ezekiel looked away somewhat embarrassed. ¡°How much is it? How much more do you need to be able to keep supporting this place, I''ll go give you it out with my own money!¡± He shouted.


    The old man opened his mouth but shook his hand. ¡°Just let it end, Ezekiel, it wasn''t meant to be. If and when they send a letter taking back our potions, I''ll inform them I''m stepping down from this position and would suggest they close this branch down for the foreseeable future. I could use the time off anyway.¡±


    He stated before getting up. He gave Ezekiel a pat on the shoulder.


    ¡°I understand wanting to help, but I''d prefer it used for something permanent. Not for a hobby of this old man here.¡± He stated before heading towards the stairs.


    Ezekiel could only look towards him with defiance, watching as he made his way up the stairs.


    <hr>


    The day had finally come. A letter had been sent to the capital addressed to the branch building. The supplies would come the following week but he could already guess what the letter stated. But he held hope and prayed with crossed fingers, that those bastards in the capital would take mercy upon them and give them a chance to meet the quota next month. Because if not, this was the death of adventuring in this parish.


    He opened the letter and¡­.


    He breathed a sigh of relief and fell to his knees on the floor.


    It would go on for at least one more month. This miserable branch building would go on for at least one more month! He didn''t know why he felt so relieved. Anyone could see his hair greyed far quicker the moment he took the job. Even then, he couldn''t help but smile at seeing the news.


    He picked himself up and decided to read the letter in his office, knowing it would still be his.


    <hr>


    As he sat at his table, the joy he experienced earlier was replaced with confusion. He looked at how well the guild did with quotas and they nearly smashed their goal. It was easily 50% more than the Guild HQ was expecting.


    ¡°An accounting error?¡± He said as he looked through this section. He moved a hand over his body in a cross formation and clasped his hands.


    ¡°I can only pray this stays. Still, for them to make such an egregious error. Well¡­ right the potions! I better give that young man a few. Even if we do lose them next month I have to ensure all people get them! I know we couldn''t keep his legs preserved, but if we give him half then we should be able to restore his vision, I don''t think the damage was that severe. He deserves as much for what he went through.¡±


    He immediately began drafting a letter to them, telling them to get ready for healing potions in the coming days.


    His son soon knocked on the door and came inside.


    ¡°Hold old man, you ready to say goodbye to this¡­ woah what''s up with the expression?¡±


    ¡°It seems the gods have blessed me on this day.¡± The old man responded.

 Chapter 393

    A year had now passed and to Mr. Bentley¡¯s surprise, he was still running this place. He was once again in his office reading through the letter the Adventurer''s Guild had sent him.


    ¡°Once again, we haven''t sent enough money yet here it says we comfortably performed within expectations¡­¡±


    His mind had considered various possibilities but frankly, he didn''t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Without whoever or whatever had done this, this building would have been bought out by a local business.


    (¡°I already sent a letter to that elf bastard in the capital but it seems he has no idea what this is about either.¡±)


    He looked at the letter again and could tell it hadn''t been altered in any way. Plus it wasn''t as if they''d continued sending him potions if they didn''t think he was doing worthwhile work.


    Ezekiel soon entered his room, in black robes. To the untrained eye, they might not have seen it, but Me. Bentley could tell he had a few spots on his attire that were darker than usual thanks to blood.


    ¡°Couldn''t you have changed before you came in?¡± The old man asked.


    ¡°Well, it''s not like-¡±


    Mr. Bentley raised his hand as Ezekiel moved to his chair.


    ¡°Change if you''re going to sit down. I don''t want blood staining another one of my chairs.¡±


    Ezekiel scratched his head and took his dark cloak off, flinging it to the floor.


    ¡°No you fo-¡±


    It fell to the floor.


    ¡°What wrong old man?¡±


    ¡°Pick it up and see for yourself.¡±


    Ezekiel walked over and picked it up. It revealed a sizable stain on the wooden floor.


    ¡°Eww, was there that much blood on me? I thought it would have dried off by now."


    Mr. Bentley sighed. He knew exactly who was helping the branch building to stay afloat. He didn''t know in his old age that he could still turn a blind eye to such things. He assumed with old age he''d have a lot less to lose and could go ¡°Hey I know you''re the one helping me out, knock it off you brat!¡±. The ironic part of that was unlike his other colleagues, he now felt he had more things important to him in his life now than he was when he was younger. How many more important things or people could he have had if not for his mulling and misery caused by his injuries?


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    He simply sighed as he considered it.


    ¡°So who''d you kill to get fresh blood on my floor?¡± the old man asked.


    ¡°Huh? Oh you know this parish has a bunch of people who need to be killed so it''s not that hard to pick them off whenever I need a quick payday. Honestly, some people are pretty blatant with it, I found this guy in a bar and all I had to do was lure him out back. Didn''t even have magic either. I wonder what a guy like that did to get a bounty that high.¡± He said as he sat down.


    ¡°Taking money that didn''t belong to him would be a good guess.¡± Mr. Bentley absentmindedly answered.


    Ezekiel flinched at what he said and started shaking his head. ¡°N-no way, the guy was probably a rapist or something. I wouldn''t go after guys like that, old man, you know I pick the worst of the worst. In fact, power to the guys that steal cash from crime bosses, those guys are the worst of the worst.¡± He said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself of something.


    ¡°(Just ignore it. This building is doing good for this parish. Besides all he''s doing is killing scum anyway, it''s not like he''ll ever have to kill someone like that boy that lost his leg.) I see, with the Lord taking his sweet time dispatching the gua- Sorry police, that''s what they''re called nowadays right? With the lord of the parish being as useless as he is, I suppose a need for death becoming more popular isn''t too surprising. Just make sure to take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, none of these bastards have a thing on me!¡±


    <hr>


    Six years later.


    ¡°I don''t wrong you.¡± Mr. Bentley answered as he walked down the town street. Beside was Ezekiel, who for some reason was wearing dreadlocks.


    ¡°Yeah, as soon as I took in Tina and found out about it¡­ I just don''t know I have what it takes anymore.¡±


    ¡°You''ve been a real help lad. I suppose it''s about time I gave this place up. How many people have been killed to make sure I walk into here another day, I wonder?¡± He asked. He looked forward to the guild building in front of him.


    In the following years, Ezekiel joined the guild to see what being an adventurer was about and honestly, he didn''t hate the lifestyle. And soon, for his own reasons, he decided to stop his other life and live only as an adventurer, as boring as that might seem for this parish.


    But what they weren''t expecting after this conversation, was a group of men in generic clothing to be inside the building. Tens of them. Bentley quickly glanced around and didn''t recognise a single one.


    ¡°Friends of yours?¡± He asked.


    Ezekiel shook his head and reached for a knife at his side.


    ¡°Hold on, we''re just men looking for business partners.¡± One shouted from the back. The man slowly emerged from a group of taller men surrounding and the duo had to look that down to make sure what they were seeing was real.


    ¡°A child?¡± Mr. Bentley wondered.


    ¡°Hmm? I suppose I do look like that, so I can''t exactly blame you.¡± He answered.


    He had blonde hair and eyes that carried judgment and disdain for whatever they met with.

 Chapter 394

    Based on his tone alone, Mr. Bentley could immediately tell he wasn''t a child.


    He quickly covered his mouth as if he had made a faux pas and used it as an opportunity to whisper to Ezekiel.


    ¡°Have any clue who these guys are? Oh dear, I''m sorry for the assumption lad.¡±


    Unoriginally Ezekiel did the same thing as Mr. Bentley and tried to whisper to him.


    ¡°No idea. Damn, you could have used more milk growing up.¡±


    The priest shrugged his shoulders as he walked.


    ¡°I personally find this height agreeable, though being a man your size I can see that viewpoint.¡±


    He was surprisingly understanding.


    ¡°But what I don''t find agreeable is you whispering something to that old man there. I have no idea who you are but if you give this gentleman the wrong idea about my being here, I might have to show you why kids like you should keep your mouth shut.¡± He said in a casual tone.


    ¡°(Ugh, one of these guys.) My bad, boss.¡± Ezekiel responded.


    It wasn''t hard to imagine who this guy was. In the years following Mr. Bentley being in charge of this place, he turned a blind eye to certain "businesses". With how non-existent the police were in this parish, he was essentially the law (for this region anyway) and so he was the man to bribe if you wanted to do something illegal but not too illegal. Sure you could make drugs and he''d inform any adventurers to keep away from the area but something like human trafficking was a big no-no. It''d definitely attract the wrong kind of attention if word got out.


    Given the man didn''t recognise Ezekiel, Bentley breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Oh, it''s just some business. Sorry we''re not too used to this type of greeting, you know how it is, right sir?¡± He said as he dragged a chair over.


    ¡°Oh, of course. My men here were just a bit overzealous to show off their muscles. We are in a foreign land after all, so it doesn''t hurt to make a strong first impression.¡±


    His men pulled a table and chair over for the two while others locked the door behind Ezekiel.


    Based on their looks, he wasn''t too worried, but he made his way to Bentley¡¯s side in case they were planning to do something to him.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Ah, foreigners, yes we''ve seen a few of you lately. Another man interested in drugs? I have to say, I don''t care what happens between you all but make sure production is the only thing going on in this parish, please. Though-¡±


    The blonde boy sitting across the table raised his hand to stop the blathering old man.


    ¡°Hmm, while we are going to produce something, it isn''t exactly a substance you may call a drug nor is it someone meant for consumption by the masses.¡±


    ¡°I see. I''m not quite sure I get what you''re hinting at, Sir. If that truly is the case you don''t need to meet with me to do your business.¡± He remarked, wearing his disinterest.


    ¡°Oh, no, it is something that lawbringers of this country would find disagreeable. After it involves, how do I say this¡­ people.¡±


    Mr. Bentley rolled his eyes and loosened his shirt.


    ¡°Tch, you gotta be shitting me.¡± He remarked as he brought his feet up to the table. The men inside the tavern began murmuring with some stepping forward.


    ¡°If any of you so much as touch him, I''ll have Saito taking his time ripping your heads off when we return.¡± He said with the banality of a man choosing his order at a restaurant.


    The men immediately tensed with some hiding among the crowd.


    ¡°Now Mr. Bentley, that''s an understandable reaction but-¡±


    A chair was thrown in his face and much to Ezekiel and Mr. Bentley¡¯s surprise, the chair was stopped just above the table, inches from his face.


    Daniel could only sigh at this sneak attack.


    (¡°Damn, this guy actually seems like a pain in the ass. Even the usual bastards that show up here wouldn''t be able to react to that.¡±) Ezekiel thought as he pulled out his knife.


    ¡°While I don''t mind convincing you to work with me, I don''t exactly want to use violence either. After all, the moment you think you have a chance at victory, you might try something stupid.¡±


    He said before dropping the chair onto the centre of the table.


    ¡°I see you''re not the usual scum that shows up every so often, that''s for sure. Who the hell are you guys anyway?¡± Mr. Bentley asked.


    ¡°Just a few religious folks hoping to plant our roots in the parish.¡± He stated with a sly smile.


    ¡°Well, you certainly look the part but I can''t say the same for your men.¡± Mr. Bentley commented.


    ¡°There are those among our clergy that like a nice uniform, I however believe it''s unnecessary. Is our god any less likely to love us if we don''t wear garments made by the hand of man?¡± He answered.


    ¡°I see.¡± He sighed. (¡°Who the hell are these guys? And why the hell would a religion care about trafficking? Wait a second, I think I did hear rumours about-¡±)


    His thoughts were interrupted when the boy tapped the table.


    ¡°Now to the most important matter. I will kill the people of this parish.¡± He coldly stated.


    Mr. Bentley raised an eyebrow and scoffed at him. ¡°You a warmonger or something? Trying to claim the parish for your religion? Cause if you start making waves, even if I''m not the one to kill you, someone more important will.¡± He bluntly stated.


    ¡°Now, let me explain myself. I''m not trying to do anything of that sort. Consider it like this. Every few months or so we''ll need human lives. We''ll also be hiding in this parish no matter what sort of reaction we get from you today.¡±


    ¡°As if you could-¡±


    ¡°Even if you kill us, our homeland will quickly recuperate the losses and replace us within months.¡±

 Chapter 395

    ¡°Homeland?¡±


    ¡°You don''t need to know that information. Now let me summarise the main points. No matter what you do, how you do it, who does it and even why you do it, people within this parish are going to die. Now I feel this will be quite a messy affair if your people and my people were to get into altercations with each other.¡±


    ¡°Just get out with it, what are you trying to suggest?¡± Mr. Bentley asked impatiently.


    ¡°I suggest we work together.¡±


    ¡°I know that part idiot.¡±


    ¡°Let me finish. Old men like us shouldn''t be so impatient, after all, we''ve had a whole lifetime to learn some patience. What I''m suggesting is, we coordinate and select the best times for us to¡­ farm a few pigs. You make sure your men aren''t anywhere near us and we carry out our business.¡±


    ¡°And why the hell would I do that?¡±


    The priest snapped his finger and a follower of his with a mane approached with a large sack. He pushed the chair off and dropped it on the table, with the poor thing sounding like it was begging not to be broken.


    Mr. Bentley pulled it towards him and looked inside. He wore a masterful poker face as he inspected it. The same could not be said for Ezekiel, he looked like he was going to have a heart attack.


    Mr. Bentley quickly punched his shin and turned back to the young-looking boy.


    ¡°You know we aren''t a business you can purchase, correct? While guaranteed money is nice, flowing money is what builds a relationship.¡±


    The priest couldn''t help but giggle at that response. ¡°My superiors are well aware of how much working in tandem with local figures of authority can make this process substantially easier. Which is why that is just a sample.¡±


    ¡°Sample?¡±


    ¡°Correct, I was planning on negotiating but I didn''t think it''d be this easy. You will receive that amount quarterly if you work with us.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Neither Bentley nor Ezekiel could hide their shock.


    (¡°Shit, with that much money¡­ We could afford a lot more supplies. What is it? I believe we are allowed four potions a month, currently. With this, we could easily double or triple the amount we receive. Forget barely staying afloat, we could actually afford to give out supplies to the guilds.¡±)


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    He quickly shook the dollar signs from his eyes and looked at the priest straight-faced.


    ¡°What purpose exactly do these people''s deaths serve? I mean no disrespect to the dear people of our parish but-¡± He cut himself as thought immediately flew into his head. ¡°How many do you plan on killing exactly?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that''s a good one. I''d say, about a village or so every quarter of the year should be fine.¡±


    ¡°I need a number, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Let''s say about thirty to fifty people every quarter of the year.¡±


    With that amount of money, even if it was a few farm workers it didn''t make too much sense.


    ¡°There has to be something more to this.¡±


    ¡°That depends on your answer.¡± The priest immediately retorted.


    ¡°Hmm. Give me a moment.¡± He asked the short man.


    (¡°Given what Ezekiel told me a moment ago, we''d lose him as a source of income. Even with the support of the parish, that doesn''t exactly translate to a solid source of gold. This parish isn''t exactly known for wealth. And this money is very much appreciated. However, how long would this last? This relationship is as volatile as a barrel of gasoline. Damn, I just don''t have enough information to make a choice.¡±)


    ¡°Just to clarify, you did this is something you''d do regardless, correct?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we need these bodies one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, do you have anything else other than cash? I''d like some sort of proof to see if your word is true. About the fact you could be easily replaced, specifically.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, fine. I know I''m not going to show this under regular circumstances but I feel this is a very lucrative deal.¡±


    He pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to Mr. Bentley. It was an insignia of some kind. It appeared to show two worlds.


    ¡°Please test it with your mana.¡±


    Mr. Bentley immediately broke out into a cold sweat upon seeing it. He quickly grabbed it and ran some mana through it.


    It was made of a certain alloy only royalty could get a hold off. By itself, it suggested either he was connected to or was someone important like a diplomat. But the insignia of the country he represented was an unusual one.


    ¡°What!? I thought that nation had no known survivors!?¡±


    ¡°Haha, it''s funny how people assumed we all died simply because we no longer allowed outsiders in our nation.¡±


    ¡°Is that what that was?¡±


    ¡°Enough with the questions old man. Is it a yes to complying with us or not? Do you know I wouldn''t have told you that information if I wasn''t confident I could have you all dead with little effort on my part?¡±


    Mr. Bentley still looked somewhat unconvinced.


    ¡°But what about-¡±


    The two engaged in further discussions and it soon went into the night. Fortunately or rather worryingly, the few adventurers that did stop by were somewhat used to this type of situation and quickly left.


    <hr>


    Finally, after several more hours of talking, the two came to an agreement.


    ¡°You certainly are skilled with your mouth, Mr. Bentley.¡± The priest stated as he reached his hand out.


    ¡°How else would I live this long working with people like you?¡± He answered before shaking his hand.


    ¡°I hope you can have a fruitful relationship with The Marrow of Lucifer.¡±

 Chapter 396

    A month soon passed after they agreed to work with each other and the time for the men who called themselves the Marrow of Lucifer to get their due quickly came.


    Mr. Bentley had given them a specific day to commit the deed and decided to visit when the time came.


    ¡°Hmm? What are you doing here?¡± The priest asked as he witnessed the old man slowly approach, with two of his own men following behind. ¡°And who the hell are those two, do you fancy yourself a comedian you old fart, because I''m not finding this funny.¡± He asked as he slowly got up. His men were busy piling bodies but turned their attention to him as soon as the priest raised his voice.


    ¡°Calm down, boy, I''m just making a few trusted associates of mine aware of what''s going on.¡±


    The priest rolled his eyes at such a lame reasoning.


    ¡°What for? Isn''t telling them enough?¡± He quickly answered, slowly walking over towards them.


    ¡°Of course not, I just want to make them aware of the shit we''ll be in if they don''t do their jobs and keep the rest of their allies away. Understand lads?¡± He asked the two of them.


    ¡°O-of course, but uh, what about the bodies? They''ll find them eventually right?¡± One man asked.


    ¡°You don''t have to worry about that. This village had caught the ire of a bandits group a few years ago and I hear they''ve been making a bit of a resurgence lately.¡± He said, almost sounding smug.


    ¡°Ah, is that why this was the first village?¡± Father Daniel asked as he waved off his men, signalling them to continue working.


    ¡°Indeed. However, I''m not too sure about this whole leaving bodies business.¡±


    ¡°Aren''t you the one who said you''d keep the adventurers away?¡±


    ¡°To a point. I can''t keep them away forever.¡±


    The priest brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. ¡°This parish of yours is nearly the size of some states, do you really think it would be a negative to us in any way if these bodies were left out after we finished what we needed? So what a band of killers is roaming the countryside? With our frequency and your help, that shouldn''t matter, we''ll loot a few things so it seems like the work of that group you mentioned.¡± He answered.


    ¡°I know but there is a reason I brought these fine gentlemen out here.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    With those words, the men behind him looked at each other wondering where he was going with this.


    ¡°Which is why these two will help to hide the bodies in a nearby forest.¡± He answered.


    The two men groaned as they saw the pile of bodies growing just a few metres away.


    ¡°I can''t imagine the smell of so much rotting flesh would be easy to ignore.¡± The priest answered. ¡°It seems like wasted effort to me. With a mass of bodies this large, no matter what you do to get rid of them, it''s going to be noticeable. May as well do what you should and leave as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but if hiding them delays the news by even a day, it''d be well worth it, don''t you agree?¡±


    The priest sighed and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Do whatever makes you comfortable.¡±


    Mr. Bentley told the two men to wait nearby and walked towards the bodies.


    It was repugnant. The faces of various men and women of various ages screaming out for help, begging for a god to intervene stuck on their faces would be enough to bring most men to their knees. It was like these people were no more than boars being culled. It seemed their deaths weren''t pretty either. Some had bruises all over their bodies, while others were missing singular limbs, the likely scenario being they had an arm or leg chopped off and died of blood loss.


    ¡°Really? The children as well?¡± Mr. Bentley asked as he stared into the pile.


    ¡°Are you suggesting children are any different from regular people?¡± Father Daniel coldly asked.


    ¡°(Whatever, as long as you pay me.) No, actually the last time I came upon a scene of this magnitude, a child was spared. I think it may have given me the wrong impression.¡±


    ¡°But I must say, you''re doing quite well for witnessing a scene like this. Even some of our men during the initial attack couldn''t hold onto their stomach when all was said and done.¡±


    ¡°You were going to kill people, weren''t you? Instead of three villages suffering massive losses while we play cat and mouse with you, we can ensure only one is forced to go through this. Like we discussed the last time we met, it''s quite an agreeable arrangement, as long as you are strong enough we can''t kill you in a single go.¡±


    ¡°While that''s true, many people don''t have the brain to do something logical especially if it isn''t pretty. Honestly, I was expecting you to betray me after witnessing what happened today. (Thankfully I won''t have to blackmail him.)¡±


    ¡°Compared to the alternative, it''s a far prettier option for those in this parish.¡±


    The priest walked over to the pile of bodies. His men had placed the final one some time ago as he spoke with the old man.


    ¡°Ah, right, I suppose I''ll show what we want to your own eyes.¡±


    He walked over to them and opened the mouth of a child on top of the bodies. She wore a garland around her chest that had been stained by blood. As he opened it, he turned back to Mr. Bentley, with only mild discomfort present on his face.


    The priest gave a soft smirk and bit his index finger, drawing blood. He drew a few symbols in her mouth and within the next few moments, a few crystals started forming in her mouth, a ridiculous amount at that. They filled her mouth and the priest had to bring her head forward and squeeze her cheeks to push them out.

 Chapter 397

    ¡°...¡± Mr. Bentley silently looked on.


    (¡°I don''t know what that material is, but even if the only thing they have are their looks, I can easily imagine there are some people in high places that would find them desirable simply based on the fact they require a human life to create.¡±) He mused as he looked at them.


    Father Daniel picked up the crystals and nodded to himself in satisfaction as looked at them. ¡°Just as the Bishop had shown.¡± He whispered to himself before noticing Mr. Bentley¡¯s gaze. ¡°Ah, a bountiful harvest for our lord. Have fun playing with these bodies, old man.¡±


    He waved before making his leave, not sparing the pile of bodies a second glance.


    <hr>


    Nearly a year had passed since he began working with that group but so far it had been smooth sailing. He could increase the budget of the guild and so far, thanks to his efforts, no one had realised the killings were all made by the same group.


    Granted, increasing the budget while not arousing suspicion certainly took effort but the amounts of the money they could use definitely helped. But this wouldn''t last for long¡­


    (¡°Dear lord, she''s here.¡±) He thought as he looked down to the lounge area of the branch building.


    There she was. The thing that would likely ruin him. If he had known she was around he wouldn''t have taken the deal in the first place.


    Now she referred to herself as simply Elizabeth, but everyone who ran a branch office knew exactly which Elizabeth it was.


    She was Elizabeth Ventus Validus Stermass IV. The youngest princess of the royal family.


    Now he wasn''t sure why, but she had been going around the parish shopping around for some fool to take her offer of gold to accept her into her guild. It seemed her father, the King Of Anglia, forbade her from becoming an adventurer. Well, he heard as much anyway, there wasn''t anything official on the matter. But that rumour alone was enough to scare any self-respecting guild branch off her. She likely went through every parish¡¯s branch building before she came here.


    Standing next to the blonde girl with green eyes on the first floor, was a sight to behold. Mr. Bentley was convinced it was a tamed beast that wore armour rather than any man.


    To say she towered over the princess was an understatement. She looked like a child compared to the standing armour. Their armour was pitch black with horns on top. They looked sort of like a demon.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    As he walked down the stairs and approached them, he realised just how ridiculous this was as the princess obviously towered over him. She seemed barely shorter than Ezekiel. Which meant that standing armour beside her was all the more frightening. When it turned to him, he realised he had to accept that something living was under that armour.


    ¡°How can I hel-¡±


    The girl immediately threw a bag of gold at him. He quickly dodged out of the way and turned back to stare at it.


    ¡°I want to create my own guild.¡± She coldly stated.


    ¡°Sigh (I can already tell this is going to be an ordeal¡­) Can we please move this discussion to my office?¡±


    She nodded and followed him up the stairs after he picked up the bag of gold.


    (¡°I can already imagine the king has who knows how many people observing her. Combined with the fact she''ll likely get more eyes on my dealing with that group and she''s already a pain in the ass, even if she doesn''t do anything other than live in this parish!¡±)


    He looked behind and noticed that guard? Golem? Protector of hers had remained still.


    ¡°Is he not coming?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, these stairs aren''t sturdy enough to support my master''s weight. He¡¯ll wait down there in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Ma-master? Is that not a bodyguard of yours!?¡±


    She raised an eyebrow and pushed him up the stairs.


    ¡°I don''t know what sort of rumour you''ve heard, Branch manager, but that person right there is my master and benefactor. The only reason I''m here is for my own growth and she is helping me in that area.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Mr. Bentley led the way to his office and both of them sat down and began their discussions.


    ¡°No.¡± He simply stated before pushing the bag of gold back in her direction.


    She immediately pushed it back towards him.


    ¡°I''ve heard you''ve made dealings with certain individuals in the parish. So why is my money suddenly off the table?¡± She asked as she pushed it into his lap.


    The old man sighed and lifted the sack out of his lap.


    ¡°Well, let''s just say that you''re far more of a detriment to me and my operations than those other men.¡±


    ¡°Just officially recognise my guild and my business is finished with you.¡±


    ¡°(Based on the way she talks, she likely doesn''t know about the murders¡­) Are you sure a delicate little girl like yourself can handle my test?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was just a test you were concerned with. By all means, go ahead.¡± The tense expression he wore when she entered the room suddenly faded.


    ¡°(Hmm? What''s with the sudden confidence?) Girl, you are aware, in addition to the money, I want you to pass this test correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''m ready whenever you are. (Finally, I''ve been waiting for this. Who knew it''d take such a greedy man to give me what I want.)¡±

 Chapter 398

    After some further discussion and even heading down to the first floor of the building, Mr. Bentley still couldn''t help but approach her with apprehension.


    ¡°Are you sure your father won''t mind?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I can assure you, my father is no one important and he especially wouldn''t give a rat''s ass about what I''m doing currently.¡±


    ¡°Don''t play dumb girl, you don''t expect me to believe that man won''t have me hanged if my tests end up injuring you!¡± He said in a raised voice before lowering his tone. ("While embarrassing her would get her to leave me alone, there''s no chance in hell I''d be able to live for more than a month if I did something like that.")


    She shook her head and sighed.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell my father that nobody is important? Has my master''s generosity led you to believe there''s something more at play here?¡±


    ¡°You can say whatever you want girl, but I''m no fool. You''ll take no part in my tests!¡±


    Elizabeth sighed before pulling out her blade.


    ¡°Watch yourself miss, I may be old but- Dear God what are you doing!?¡± the old man shouted as he lunged towards her.


    Elizabeth wasn''t wearing any armour. Just a plain shirt and dress.


    Her behemoth of a master looked on as she pulled out her blade and didn''t look too bothered.


    After taking it out of her scabbard, she sliced her side open. She gritted her teeth as blood flowed from her new wound while Mr. Bentley was assured he didn''t have much time left on this planet.


    ¡°You dumb bitch, what are you doing!?¡± He shouted at the top of his voice. ¡°I''ve gotten to this old age through sheer luck and won''t allow you to get me killed for such a foolish reason! And you imbecilic bodyguard what are you doing watching her cut herself, you fucking fool, do want both of our heads being displayed to the public!?¡± The old man shouted as he desperately struggled to remove the blade from her hands.


    Elizabeth easily shrugged him off and sheathed her blade.


    The tall black pillar of armour simply yawned at the sight.


    ¡°She''s fine, something like that wouldn''t kill her.¡± They responded, with no discernable concern in their voice. ¡°Elizabeth, are you sure you couldn''t have just waited him out? I don''t think he could have resisted the gold you were showing him.¡± They asked, sounding almost tired.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°I''m not going to wait any longer. Besides, I''ll show him he''s wrong in his assumptions, which can help with any problems that arise in the future.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Mr. Bentley meanwhile was trapped in his own mind, imagining all the ways the king would end his poor life if this information got out, before Elizabeth tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°I''m going to say I got this injury from bandits. If I truly am who you believe I am, then my father would be quick to act and bring me home, wouldn''t that be correct?¡±


    ¡°Get away from me, if they find your blood on me I''m finished!¡± The old man stated before retreating upstairs.


    Elizabeth sighed and soon left the building with her Master in tow.


    <hr>


    About two weeks passed as Mr. Bently feared for his life. He had heard the rumour the girl had spread about her injury and even worse it sounded like she had been walking around town with an obvious wrap around her new wound and a few new scars and bruises on her face.


    The news obviously spread to other parishes and it seemed even that bastard elf in the capital had even heard mumbling of it.


    He was done for. There was no use running. He could try to go to the ends of the earth but he was not someone that could outwit the king or his court. He kept this news from Ezekiel and prayed his son would be spared. He bided his time and waited for his assassins to appear.


    But¡­ no one came. As far he could tell the girl still pranced around the parish showing off her wounds to anyone who would pay attention.


    Another week would pass and again nothing. In fact, the news had died down quite a bit. The only notable thing about her was that there was a new rumour about the girl saying she was some good-for-nothing noble who was hoping to gain fame through adventuring. It seemed her tall friend combined with her boasting of injuries had misled some people about her.


    <hr>


    It was the crack of dawn and Mr. Bentley was heading to the branch office. Outside his building, he noticed two people. An armoured being of some kind that was nearly twice his height and the blonde girl, no longer with a gauze wrapped at her side.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Bentley.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Oh, it''s you.¡± He said with a hint of annoyance. He stopped in his tracks and contemplated turning around. (¡°No, I suppose she has proven at the minimum, she isn''t someone too important. She does match the description of the second princess, is she perhaps a relative that the king isn''t fond of? Maybe a child born out of wedlock?¡±)


    ¡°As you can see, I''m still here and-¡± She lifted her shirt up slightly showing off her healed wound. ¡°I didn''t have the privilege of being provided a healing potion. What do you say now, Mr. Bentley, will you finally give me your test so we can get this over with?¡±


    ¡°(A potion? Ah that''s right, the King likely gets the highest quality potions handed to him like bills to the average man.) I see. I can at the very least see you''re a fool that can take injuries.¡± He said before rubbing his head. ¡°(But still, there must be some reason I heard the king was displeased with this woman. I''ll fail her and might even have Ezekiel frighten her a bit while that large master of hers isn''t around, to get her to leave the parish.) Alright, we''ll do the test today. If you pass it, along with handing over the gold you showed last time, you can be a dignified member of the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±

 Chapter 399

    ¡°Mr. Bentley, I sincerely hope you won''t beat around the bush any longer, I only have so much patience.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, there''ll be no such thing. Follow me, though that ¡°master¡± of yours won''t get violent if he sees his student fail, correct?¡±


    He looked up towards them. Their gaze was focused on a nearby sparrow that was picking through the dirt road.


    ¡°Hmm? Were you saying something?¡± They asked.


    ¡°Trust me, he''d rather stay at home than watch me go through your tests.¡±


    The giant tilted their head slightly as they looked at Elizabeth.


    ¡°I wouldn''t mind but if you say so Elizabeth.¡± He turned around and walked off.


    ¡°(With an exchange like that, I''d believe she is the master rather than that giant¡­)¡± Mr. Bentley thought as he felt the ground shake slightly with each footstep she took.


    ¡°Lead the way please, I have many things to do after I create my guild.¡±


    Mr. Bentley began walking and the girl quickly began to follow.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ah, this will make a good first test.¡± Mr Bentley thought as he observed a tree.


    He felt the green wood and nodded his head.


    ¡°What do you want me to do with that sapling?¡± She asked.


    It was a tree sapling the height of Elizabeth and a stem the thickness of her arm. There were several of them in the area scattered about.


    ¡°(My Lord, I haven''t really looked for one of these since I was a young man.) This is your first test. Slice through six of these with only a single strike. In a row, might I add.¡±


    She walked up to the sapling and swung her blade down. It only went halfway in before getting stuck. Her eyes widened after witnessing this and she slowly pulled her blade and touched the blade.


    (¡°Heh, good luck child. These trees secrete a certain sap to discourage predators when they''re younger. It''s sticky as they come and it has a particularly easy time sticking to the flat side of a blade. The finesse required to go through it isn''t someth-¡±)


    On her second attempt, she sliced clean through the sapling.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I see, you have put less force than you might initially believe. It''s much more about skill than force.¡± She muttered to herself as she went cleanly through another.


    ¡°(...Not bad.)¡±


    It took her a few minutes but she eventually got it down to a tee and went through six trees in a row.


    <hr>


    ¡°(I suppose that last test was a bit of a one-trick pony. The type of people who''d struggle on that are the ones that have a hard time adjusting their style.) Done.¡±


    He finished tying some stones on her.


    ¡°Are you sure this is fine? I can hold a lot more of them.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, this will get you cursing when you realise what you have to do.¡±


    He got up and looked around in the forest. He kept his feet together and moved one in front of the other until he reached a nearby tree and left a mark on it. He did several more times, finally leaving a mark in six total trees.


    ¡°You''re going to cut all these trees with those stones attached to your.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out an hourglass.


    ¡°You''re going to run back to the first tree after slicing the final one. You have to complete 20 rounds before this hourglass is finished. If not, you failed no matter how close you got. (¡°Everyone thinks they''re bundles of energy until they try this.¡±) In addition, the slashes should, at least,¡± he looked at his hand and folded every finger of his except his thumb. ¡°Be deeper than my thumbnail.¡±


    Elizabeth stroked her chin while looking at the trees in the area. ¡°How long is that hourglass used to measure?¡±


    He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I''m not sure, I guess we''ll just have to find out.¡±


    She clicked her tongue and pulled out her sword. ¡°Tell me when to start.¡±


    ¡°3, 2, 1¡­¡±


    She looked at him expectantly.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, I''ve already turned it upside down.¡±


    She quickly ran off. (¡°Weren''t going to say, ¡°Go!¡± You old bastard!?¡±)


    <hr>


    Again she exceeded the old man''s expectations. Within five tries, she completed it, which amazed him, since if you never got it on the first three tries you''d have a rest for an hour or so before trying again.


    ¡°How many more of these do I have to do, Mr. Bentley?¡± She asked as wiped the sweat from her brow. She took the rocks off and sighed when she felt how sticky and wet her shirt had gotten.


    ¡°Relax, I''m putting you through some legitimate tests and besides you only have one left.¡±


    Mr. Bentley had really started to take a shine to her. He expected her to be some stuck-up noble who did only the bare minimum, but her blood alone wouldn''t have given her the skill to do what she did.


    ¡°Now, the last thing left to do is this.¡±


    He walked to a nearby tree. It seemed especially old and sturdy compared to the others in the area.


    He gave it a single blow and a few leaves fell. He sighed and flicked his fist. (¡°Sigh, I only count 6. Father time truly does come for us all¡­¡±)


    ¡°Are you alright, old man? Injuries don''t heal as fast as they used to at your age.¡±


    ¡°I''m fine, thank you. For your final test to join the adventurer¡¯s guild, you''re going to land 300 consecutive blows on this tree and slice or grab every leaf that falls from the tree.¡±

 Chapter 400

    Mr. Bentley had his head laid down and sat at his desk with Ezekiel in front of him.


    ¡°Boy, be honest¡­ is this old man a fool?¡± He warily asked.


    Ezekiel brought a finger to his chin and thought about it for a moment.


    ¡°Hmm, if she is who we think she is¡­ then yeah, I can''t really argue against you being an idiot, old man.¡± He bluntly answered.


    The old man groaned as he remembered what he did yesterday.


    <hr>


    One day earlier.


    (¡°Amazing, most of the brats nowadays are too soft to complete something like this.¡±) He thought as watched Elizabeth.


    She was heavily breathing with her fists and knees bruised. She quickly figured out on her first try that she couldn''t afford to use only her fist. The old bastard would stop her for what felt like an imperceivable amount of time she spent using her other hand to slice the leaves.


    She was forced to use her knees against the trees and even then, it took until dusk until she finally got it down. What torturous training this old bastard had put her through. Though it paled in comparison to what her master had her doing back home.


    She had spent the last five minutes catching her breath.


    ¡°Anymore tests you feel like remembering old ma-¡± As she took a glance her way, it completely side-swiped seeing him. Her face was covered in a small amount of discomfort as she watched him.


    ¡°Mr. Bentley, are you alright?¡± She asked.


    The old man was in tears and seemed to have started to cry. (¡°Damnit¡±) He thought to himself as he noticed her gaze. (¡°I really was able to do all that¡­ Now look at me. Where did all that potential go!?¡±)


    He hadn''t created this training on the fly to appease a sick sense of sadism. All of what Elizabeth did today was a part of his weekly menu of training when he was younger. Seeing the girl nearly his age back then, struggle and pass the hardships he set for himself tugged at a heartstrings he didn''t know existed.


    (¡°She''s better than me.¡±) He admitted internally as his tears flowed down his face. Elizabeth seemed quite uncomfortable at the current situation and started patting his back in a futile attempt to comfort him.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The whole point of choosing his training for her to conquer was so he could laugh at her for being softer and weaker than he was back then. But what did it mean if she passed it? This was training he took months to do as well as her. Yet on her first day, she could easily match him.


    What was meant as a stroke of his ego ended up showing he wasn''t as special as he once thought was back then.


    But it was another factor that turned his defeat into anguish.


    (¡°Why, why of people did it have to be a woman who looked exactly like her!?¡±)


    He bawled for a few minutes before composing himself. He told her she was accepted into the adventurer¡¯s guild, before solemnly leaving without another word leaving his mouth.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hmm? Do you mean that old girlfriend of yours that visite-¡±


    Mr. Bentley raised his hand. ¡°Boy, she simply reminded me of my youth, anything further is simply untrue.¡± He answered with a bitter expression.


    ¡°If you so say.¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe I''ve done such a thing. What was I thinking, letting her join.¡±


    He held his head and looked down at his desk, the embarrassment of what he did still leaving his face somewhat pink.


    ¡°Come on, you said to yourself, you''d want to leave a kid with decent potential here before you retire, right? Although you already have me.¡±


    ¡°Boy when we were her age, you were far weaker and I was slightly weaker as well. She has us both outmatched in potential.¡± He sternly answered.


    ¡°Ugh, don''t say that. Besides, you were way stronger when you were in your prime, right?¡±


    ¡°Please boy, let''s stop this. She''s better than me. Plain and simple. By the time she reached the age I was at during my prime, she¡¯d have far surpassed me. Maybe if my circumstances were different, I''d still be in my prime but it''s no use thinking of that.¡±


    The room grew silent and Ezekiel couldn''t help but stare at his father absentmindedly.


    ¡°Well, don''t worry old man. Even if she''s stronger than I was when I was her age, that doesn''t mean she''s stronger than me now. I''ll keep her in check while we do our dealings. Though, we''re probably gonna need some more ¡°friends¡±.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He removed his head from his hands and looked up to him. ¡°Oh, you mean our informants.¡±


    While most of the guilds didn''t seem to mind Mr. Bentley¡¯s business deals, it didn''t hurt to be sure. He''d convince certain members of the more important guilds to report to him and help him keep guilds out of specific areas and other miscellaneous tasks whenever he needed it.


    ¡°Right, I think we''ll need a separate group that''s okay with the murders. Now that we have her taking my focus, I feel we''ll need more people to watch the other guilds so they don''t encounter our friends doing their work.¡±


    Mr. Bentley sighed before opening a drawer with gold filled inside.


    ¡°Well, at least I know what I''ll put the gold she gave me towards.¡±

 Chapter 401

    With Elizabeth officially joining those in the parish, Mr. Bentley decided to ease up on the use of funds, as, to put it simply, she was a nosy little asshole. And with the lessening of the funds, they returned to the state the guild was in before he met the cultists. Which wasn''t terrible but it certainly put a halt to some plans he had to bring the branch to greater heights. It was also around this time that those ¡°Marrow of Lucifer¡± fellows were making noise around the country and parts of the continent as a group of ravenous cultists.


    ¡°All this gold and nothing to use it on.¡± The old man sighed.


    Ezekiel was in front of him with a shovel in hand.


    The pair were both in the middle of a dense forest. It was about midday and Mr. Bentley was sitting on a log, watching Ezekiel dig a hole, with a sack of gold in his lap.


    ¡°Shit, am I even digging in the right place? Oh, there it is. Old man, toss the bag over.¡±


    He obliged and flung it over. Ezekiel caught it before dropping it inside.


    ¡°Any more and we''re either gonna need another hole or a deeper one.¡± He said as he started shovelling the dirt back in.


    ¡°Have any idea when the girl is leaving? She seems quite disappointed with the parish.¡± Mr. Bentley asked.


    ¡°I honestly don''t see her leaving unless our branch closes down. She seems like she is already getting friendly with the locals.¡±


    ¡°What a conundrum. We wanted the funds to improve the guild yet as long as she remains we''ll probably never be able to use them. Sigh.¡±


    Ezekiel started filling back the hole and Mr. Bentley continued to watch him until it was time to leave.


    As they made their way back to town, they noticed more rumbling than they''d like. And the further they walked into town, the more people they witnessed until they made their way to the branch building.


    ¡°Boy, I feel we should lay low. This might be some sort of investigation.¡± Mr. Bentley said as they approached.


    ¡°Don''t worry I overheard some people talking, it sounds like Elizabeth dragged some bandit or something through town and came here.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I thought she''d overlook my other associates. Maybe it''d be better to try and transfer her to an adjacent branch.¡±


    The pair made their way inside, where they witnessed a bloody Elizabeth. She sat in a chair, holding onto the shirt of an unconscious man who looked to have been brutalised. His face was bloated and unrecognisable from her punishment and Elizabeth had slit the tendons in both his hands based on what they could see. She had an inhuman look in her eyes while she held him.


    ¡°Finally, you''re back. Where are the healing potions? I have to get this worm to talk.¡± She said as she wiped some blood off her face.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Now Elizabeth, what could that man have done to warrant this? I''m not even sure he''s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Please just get the potions. He has to speak on his actions, I can''t let him escape my questioning that easily.¡± She coldly stated as she stared into his eyes.


    ¡°And why should I waste potions on this gentleman?¡±


    ¡°This monster needs to speak up for his actions!¡± She shouted. ¡°Do you know what this walking sack of human shit did?¡± Elizabeth asked him. ¡°He and his friends annihilated a village I was going to help deliver some wheat to town. All of them. The men. The women. The elderly and the children. They killed all of them!¡± She said at the top of her voice. She seemed to be holding in her anger the best she could, though she littered in some fury as she spoke.


    ¡°(Oh shit!) Wha- he did what!?¡±


    ¡°For the time being please, I have to know what his goal is. Please bring some potions.¡± She asked as she tried to calm herself down.


    Ezekiel then ran the gossiping crowd away while Mr. Bentley took as much time as he could, to find the potions. He ended up giving only one and pretended they had run out. He had Ezekiel console Elizabeth after and soon sent her on her way home.


    ¡°Here, she said she picked this up from one of their bodies.¡±


    Ezekiel soon pulled a pouch out of his pocket. Mr. Bentley quickly opened it and looked inside. It was the blue crystals he''d seen the priest create. He placed it into his pocket and turned around, signalling for Ezekiel to follow.


    ¡°At least we have something we can use to help mend our bridge with him. For the time being, get half of the gold out we''ve received from them, it won''t return his men but we should be prepared to end things on an amicable note if it comes to it.¡±


    <hr>


    A day passed and as Mr. Bentley worked in his office, he heard strange noises coming from downstairs. A knock was soon heard at his door and a new receptionist he hired had entered.


    ¡°Mr. Bentley there are some men downstairs saying they want to discuss something with you.¡±


    He brought his head up and stared at her blankly for a moment.


    ¡°(Already? Damn, Ezekiel hasn''t even dug the gold up yet) I-is that so? Thanks for telling me and by the way, you''re off for the day.¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck ye-¡± She covered her mouth. ¡°I mean heck yeah! Thanks for the time off, boss.¡± She said before wasting no time leaving.


    Another knock was heard from the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The priest entered through the door, looking somewhat peachy alongside a pale-skinned woman with long flowing black hair. While their beauty was one thing, they had a certain aura to them, that had Mr. Bentley on edge.


    The duo pulled out seats for themselves and sat in front of Mr. Bentley¡¯s desk.


    Before the old man could say anything, the priest opened his mouth.


    ¡°I suppose it was a bit too idyllic to expect no deaths. But you''ve certainly raised a monster, haven''t you, you old bag of bones.¡±


    ¡°I can assure that-¡±


    The priest cut him off. ¡°Frankly, I''m not too bothered by their deaths. Apparently, some of my men decided that the village was a nice place to ransack every so often for food. They didn''t officially file a commission with you, correct?¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°One of my men liked to rest in the village when he could and was even quite friendly with some of them. He informed his brothers to inform me that the villagers were planning to get an adventurer to help them with something, as an excuse for protection.¡±

 Chapter 402

    ¡°Unfortunately, those fools he was running with didn''t see it fit to inform me of this. They somehow believed your adventurers were privy to our little dealings and would simply turn a blind eye. Tsk.¡± The priest looked more and more irritated as he spoke. Mr. Bentley seriously wondered if the boy was going to kill him.


    ¡°Those imbeciles¡­. Which is why I''d like an amendment to our deal.¡±


    Mr. Bentley tried to keep calm as he listened to him.


    ¡°And what would that be, Father Daniel?¡± He softly asked, like a bomb operator relaying the instructions to his partner.


    ¡°Still make sure to keep me updated on your commissions and available villages. But I''d like to tell my men the deal is off. After all, no hard feelings if any of our men do meet each other and one side is more lucky than the other.¡±


    ¡°Hu-HUH!?¡± Mr. Bentley exclaimed. He grabbed his desk and stood up, leaning towards the priest. ¡°Are you serious!? That''s it?¡±


    The priest moved his eyes upwards and moved his head in thought. ¡°Yes, I''m certain this arrangement is fine. Do you want something more harsh?¡±


    ¡°Oh course not, I''m just- shocked is the word I''m looking for.¡±


    ¡°(Honestly the lot that died were a bunch of good for nothings. They were a week behind and the moment I mentioned it, they suddenly remembered they had a village to get rid of. Absolute trash. Besides, the risk of harm might make these assholes put in some effort. We''ve been having a lot more people escaping our collections ever since our religion¡¯s presence in this nation became a talking point. At least I got something useful out of it. Being able to kill off the less-than-desirable members based on his information is well worth leaving my men blind to my dealings.) Don''t worry, I''m a Priest after all. This instant could be considered a mistake on both of our parts. Just ensure any mistakes you make aren''t yours and yours alone.¡± He said with a plastic smirk.


    Mr. Bentley could tell there was something suspicious lurking in Father Daniel''s gaze as he looked into his eyes but couldn''t determine what it was.


    ¡°(Shit, is trying to make me owe a favour. Tsk, I suppose it is better than having to hand over half the money back. Though I suppose it''d be dependent on the favour¡­) Glad to have such a reasonable partner. Not many in this business after all.¡±


    ¡°And just to ensure, if that girl that did kill my men ends up getting killed, we won''t have any problems right? In your little letter, you made her out to sound quite important, so I just want to make sure we''re clear.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you do catch her, you can do whatever you want. (The fool doesn''t know who she is. Even if you do manage to kill her, a far greater beast will emerge from her death, looking for her killers. The brat will be killed before he can even utter my name as a collaborator.)¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Mr. Bentley soon sat back down.


    ¡°Now that we''ve gotten this out of the way, who is that woman you have beside you?¡± Mr. Bentley.


    The silky-haired eye candy chuckled for a few moments before looking at Father Daniel.


    ¡°What are you looking at me for? You can speak, can''t you?¡±


    ¡°Was something I said strange?¡± Mr Bentley asked as he turned to the woman.


    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± He said in a gentle voice. While it was pleasant it certainly wasn''t one you''d hear out of the average woman.


    ¡°Ah, a man. So what is he?¡± Mr. Bentley asked.


    ¡°Oww, that''s way lamer of a reaction I was expecting. Couldn''t you have shouted or something old man.¡± The young man who looked quite beautiful asked the old man.


    ¡°I''ve seen enough of your type, I thought only assassins were into cosmetics.¡±


    ¡°Cosmetics?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I assume you''re wearing some sort of skin mask to hide your true appearance. I''m surprised you didn''t use a different, more natural voice with that face before revealing your true voic-¡±


    Father Daniel shook his head. ¡°The boy''s no assassin.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± They said as they lifted their crop top upwards. A flat chest, with no sign of anything related to womanhood in sight.


    ¡°A man? In an outfit like that?¡±


    ¡°Screw off you geezer, why can''t a guy show some skin off?


    He was wearing a sleeveless tank top that showed off a healthy amount of his flat and hairless stomach.


    Both the priest and Father Daniel sighed at what he said.


    (¡°Children nowadays.¡±) They both thought.


    ¡°So what''s the point of bringing me here? I thought we already agreed on a deal.¡± The young man, who dressed quite absurdly, asked.


    ¡°Yes, we have but I''d like an understanding between us.¡± Father Daniel responded.


    ¡°So, just who is this¡­man before me?¡± Mr. Bentley asked.


    ¡°You''re looking at the new Lord for the parish of Eater¡¯s Mound. I''m Albus Bradley.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Mr. Bentley nearly choked on his spit and turned his face towards the priest.


    ¡°Quite a friend you''ve made.¡± He turned back to the boy in the chair. ¡°If I recall, you got too friendly with one of your maids, didn''t you? I''m surprised you got a title out of that.¡±


    (¡°Is that what the rumour is? Does that fat bastard think he''s funny?¡±) Albus thought with a sour expression on his face.


    ¡°Ah, I''m sorry, I mean those are the nasty rumou-¡±


    ¡°Forget about it, I live here now. Well, close enough anyway. Can you please say what you have to, you midget priest?¡±


    ¡°You''re the one with it.¡±


    The black-haired man pulled out a piece of wood out of his pocket and threw it towards the old man. Mr. Bentley quickly caught it and glanced at it. It was a stencil. Instead of a symbol or a family crest on it, it was writing.

 Chapter 403

    ¡°I sure do love how handy my maids can be.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mr Bentley asked.


    ¡°It''s a stencil with his signature on it. I''ve discussed this with him, and the current scenario of your adventurers being the driving force and major source of protection is far more convenient to all of us. And to ensure that stays the case, you''ll be doing his paperwork for him. He''ll send you his documents. You just use that tool to put a signature on them.¡±


    ¡°Why? Can he not do it himself?¡±


    ¡°(Of course he can, he just wanted to push the workload onto someone else.) No, we have to make sure, he doesn''t suddenly change his mind and decide to increase police presence in the parish.¡±


    ¡°Oh don''t mind me, I''m not listening to a thing,¡± Albus stated as he placed his hands on his ears while pretending not to listen. (¡°Sorry old man, but this job seems like a pain in the ass. I have enough on my plate helping that fat bastard. Hmm, I wonder if I could just give it to Avis instead? Nah, she''d probably force me to do it myself.¡±)


    ¡°I-if you say so. So about the revenue of the par-¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s still mine. But you can look the other way when it comes to your taxes or any of your friends¡¯. Or maybe even pocket some of the money on some public project you approve, who knows.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. I''ll keep that in mind.¡± He nodded his head before putting the wooden trace away.


    The men continued talking about other topics, however the main topic of the discussion ended here.


    <hr>


    Several days after Tibaut joined Elizabeth.


    ¡°Lay low?¡± Mr. Bentley asked.


    He, Ezekiel and Father Daniel were deep within a forest. Based on the foliage around them, it looked to be close to Ezekiel¡¯s cabin.


    ¡°That''s correct, I''ve heard of squads assembled across the parish, with the sole intention of hunting us down. It seems we''ve gathered too much in the short time we''ve been in this nation.¡±


    ¡°And how do you propose that?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡°Simple, if the people in your parish believe we''ve been vanquished by your adventurers, and we hide our faces for a year at least, we should be able to go back to business as usual.¡±


    ¡°You don''t think your hunters will still be looking for you then?¡± Mr. Bentley asked.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Oh, I''m sure they''ll have far more important things to worry about in a year''s time.¡± The priest answered.


    This answer wasn''t exactly what either the father or the son wanted to hear but both took it in stride before they discussed their plan.


    <hr>


    ¡°Here.¡± Father Daniel stated as he pointed to a nearby hole.


    The pair had been travelling for a few hours and the journey wasn''t as miserable as you''d think. The pair were quite chummy with each other at this point in time.


    ¡°You guys hid in a hole? What are you, moles?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, just follow me.¡±


    He stepped on the stairs, leading the way. A few seconds passed as they walked, and the size of the hole started to dawn on Ezekiel.


    ¡°You''re shitting me when you said you made this, right?¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Father Daniel responded. ¡°Like I said, we had time to create many bases and hideouts, though we no longer have a need for them. It will serve as a nice space for your little adventure, though, isn''t that right?¡±


    They soon reached the bottom of the stairs and Ezekiel soon got cold feet. ¡°You''re shitting me. Isn''t something this deep supposed to have like wooden beams or something!?


    ¡°Don''t worry about it, my magic is holding it up.¡±


    Father Daniel said as he walked forward. ¡°I''ll show you where you''re supposed to go. We don''t want you getting lost now do we?¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Did you guys also put kobolds in here?¡±


    Ezekiel asked as they stood in a large room. It seemed to be a makeshift auditorium.


    By his feet were two dead kobolds. It seemed a few of them had decided to make the place their home.


    ¡°No¡­ but it shall give it a more authentic feel. The average person can''t handle those right?¡±


    ¡°I guess, two of them are probably enough to overwhelm the average farmer.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°So where''s that scroll you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, search through the dungeon when you next come here. By then there should be a dead woman with it on her body.¡±


    ¡°That''s kinda grim.¡±


    ¡°Would you rather our ¡°location¡± just suspiciously be lying on the floor? You did say you''re bringing someone here to take some of the girl''s suspicion off of you correct? Or would you rather half-ass it?¡±


    ¡°Fine, we''ll do it your way, I just hope you aren''t sending me on a goose chase.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, these monsters are very deep into this place. With my commands, she won''t die in some random room.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    The two turned around and soon left the underground hideout.


    <hr>


    Several days later...


    ¡°So this Saito¡­ he doesn''t seem to match the description of anyone Father Daniel gave us, wouldn''t you agree, boy?¡±


    Ezekiel and Mr. Bentley stood in front of the corpse of the demonic-looking Saito.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He responded with gritted teeth. He was getting pissed off just looking at Saito, much less remembering what happened.

 Chapter 404

    ¡°Hey dad, you know what I think?¡± Ezekiel said as he delivered a blow to the gut of the demonic-looking man on the table.


    ¡°What do you think, boy?¡±


    ¡°I think that son of bitch was trying to screw us over.¡±


    ¡°Hoh, really, what makes you say that?¡± Mr. Bentley remarked in faux shock, with his hands on his cheeks.


    ¡°Hmph. You know with the cultists being such a problem it''s quite convenient that this group dedicated to killing them suddenly did enough to make waves for only him to hear about. You''d think the king and his court would all be praising them publicly if that was the case.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the King''s just a modest man, who knows, perhaps he enjoys keeping his achievements to himself, like any good politician.¡± Mr. Bentley chuckled while answering.


    ¡°So have you heard anything from him? This was something we both planned together, so you''d think he''d send a letter or something to confirm if we did everything correctly.¡±


    ¡°Not a peep.¡± Mr. Bentley said as he got out of his seat. ¡°Let''s stop fooling around and prepare ourselves.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Our exit.¡±


    Ezekiel tensed up at the suggestion and hastily walked towards the old man.


    ¡°Woah, woah, don''t you think you''re being a bit too cautious here? Can''t we just kill the asshole and call it a day?¡±


    ¡°Ezekiel, with the amount of money we have saved up, you could throw a dart at any parish on a map and we could comfortably live there. Don''t worry about my dreams or any of those, seeing a girl like Elizabeth has left me more than satisfied with the future of adventuring in this parish.¡±


    ¡°But what about the girls? Besides, wouldn''t it be better to kill him and act like nothing happened?¡±


    Mr. Bentley shook his head and tapped Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder, almost sympathetic.


    ¡°Boy, as long as we remain here, Elizabeth will always have the chance of finding out about our misdeeds. Her nose is far too sharp to leave something like this to chance. And besides, we''ll have to kill the priest to ensure he doesn''t tell our comrades of anything they ought not to know.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Ezekiel looked to the floor, thinking of something.


    ¡°No matter what you think of, there''s no chance of us bringing them with us.¡±


    Ezekiel clicked his tongue and looked back to Mr. Bentley.


    ¡°Is leaving really the only way?¡± He asked as he began tapping his foot impatiently.


    ¡°Boy, for the love off- who says you can''t come back to visit them?¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    ¡°If they don''t figure out what happened after you leave, in say a year, you can always pull the old twin sibling trick.¡±


    ¡°Trick? Oh, I''ve heard that, you mean the thing where some assassins pretend they had an identical brother to reconnect with their family? I mean¡­ shit I guess it''d be worth a shot.¡± Ezekiel was looking for the smallest shot of him interacting with the girls again and this was more than enough to give him some reprieve. After all, a year was nothing compared to never seeing someone again.


    ¡°Good, good, now let''s discuss this subject further upstairs. We need to move quickly before that priest has any more plans.¡± He said before rushing towards his office.


    <hr>


    Sitting at the other end of the desk was Ezekiel with his face planted into the table.


    Mr. Bentley looked somewhat concerned but tried to keep a cheery expression on his face, his stressed smile looking like it''d crack at a moment''s notice.


    ¡°No-now, now, boy I''m sure they''ll be able to get over it quickly. Trust me, you''ve brought them up stronger than that, right?¡±


    ¡°Ughhhhhhhh.¡± His displeasure was on display for anyone to see. What had left him in such a state?


    ¡°Can''t we at least leave my death a bit ambiguous? It seems kinda cruel to leave my body there. Even if they''re tough, I''d probably cry like a baby if I saw your body.¡± He begged. He slowly lifted his head and turned to his father.


    ¡°Well, knowing Elizabeth, maybe you can at the very least be rest assured she takes care of them, right? She probably won''t let them take part in the violence. I don''t imagine they''d stand much of a chance against the priest so them sitting it out would be for the better.¡±


    <hr>


    Their discussions continued and he pouted like a child as he listened to Mr. Bentley.


    ¡°Old man¡­ can''t you be the one to fake your death?¡±


    ¡°Oh for the love of- it''d take far too much time, boy! The only reason we''re even faking your death first is because we found a body a similar size to yours with long hair.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Ezekiel responded before kicking his feet up on Mr. Bentley¡¯s desk.


    ¡°And will you take the wig off, I''ll be fixing his hair to look like that mop you wear on your head, I need it as a reference¡­ no one knows that''s a wig, correct?¡±


    Ezekiel reluctantly began pulling on his dreads, revealing them to be a cap and handed them over to the old man, like a punished child handing a toy to their father.


    ¡°Tch, of course. I''m surprised no one ever questioned me on how I kept it so clean. Hair¡¯s a hell of a lot easier to take care of when you can take it off to wash it.¡±


    It initially started as a way to make his regular appearance far too different from his appearance as an assassin to be considered a suspect but he soon grew fond of it in his earlier years and continued wearing it. He liked the way it flowed in combat and the wild look it gave him, though he''d keep this fact to the grave if he could.

 Chapter 405

    And now, a collection of moments from Ezekiel¡¯s perspective.


    Just before the fire that burned down his cabin.


    With the girls now soundly sleeping or at least preoccupied, Ezekiel filled the lovely cabin he and the girls had built together with lantern fluid.


    ¡°Ugh, I can''t believe what I''m doing.¡± He said, with a voice that was far too casual for an act of arson.


    In his hand was a bottle he drizzled onto the floor of the kitchen and behind him was a body covered in lots of the liquid.


    ¡°No one would suspect a random glass bottle in a fire right? Just to be sure¡­¡± He finished emptying the bottle and placed the glass bottle in a cupboard, out of sight and out of mind.


    He looked at the figure on the floor and sighed. He crouched down and observed his face.


    ¡°Hmm, maybe I should start with his face.¡±


    He pulled out a match stick and struck it against the floor. He held it against the body''s face for a few seconds before the flame finally took on.


    ¡°I suppose it''s better if it takes a while instead of instantly engulfing the place.¡± He got up and stretched his arms out while looking towards the stairway.


    ¡°I think they''d be able to escape, but just to be sure, I''ll wake them up and give them our last sparring session for a while.¡±


    He turned back and waited until the flame had charred his double''s face beyond recognition. He slammed the wall while stomping his feet against the floor a few times, doing his best to make it sound like a fight was happening. After doing it for a minute or so, he became somewhat worried until he saw Tina come down the stairs.


    <hr>


    At Elizabeth''s mansion.


    One of Ezekiel¡¯s men came towards him and began whispering in his ear.


    ¡°What''s this about?¡± He whispered as he watched the pair.


    ¡°Ezekiel, don''t you think it''d be better to keep quiet around Elizabeth?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I mean, listen, dude, based on the way you speak it''s not too far out of a guess to think it''s you.¡±


    While Ezekiel was doing his best to mask his voice, some of his mannerisms were obvious if you knew what to look for. Fortunately, Elizabeth wasn''t looking for them.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Ezekiel gave it a second of thought and sighed, before straightening his face.


    ¡°Tch, fine. (I suppose I should keep my time around Elizabeth to a minimum. Shit, now that I think about it, she might even be able to recognise this fighting style I''m using. I mean, I don''t know if she''s seen me use it without my magic, but just in case, we should leave as soon as possible. I guess I''ll just leave her to them.)¡±


    <hr>


    After Tibaut and Elizabeth finished their respective battles, Ezekiel was nowhere on the property to be seen.


    He was currently hiding in a bit of brush, watching a group of people dressed in indistinct clothing.


    ¡°Hmmm, it seems like some of them are heading back. Guess I can head back home and start preparing.¡±


    He had already followed the cultists back to their base earlier this week, during their routine deal with the lord. He knew they were in bed with the lord in some business but he could never have imagined it was selling the people.


    ¡°Heh, like I can talk, he''s probably ruined fewer lives than I have,¡± Ezekiel commented to himself as he slowly backed away.


    As he left, his mind couldn''t help but run on Tibaut. He soon shook his head. (¡°That weirdo''s magic didn''t seem too strong so it should be a rinse from Tibaut as soon as he finds him. Though I can imagine the maids are gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with since there are so many. I can''t imagine that brat would fight one on one.¡±)


    <hr>


    In the fifth floor of the dungeon


    He kept himself hidden in a room close to the entrance. Only he would think it''d be a worthwhile idea to hide near the entrance to the abode of a man so dangerous. And for the most part, it was rather successful. Not once did the priest suspect another person down here with him, though Ezekiel felt he''d need a change of pants after one of the horned women found him in the darkness of the dungeon.


    ¡°(Shit!) Uh, Hi?¡± He said before they slashed at his face.


    ...


    ..


    .


    12 hours later


    (¡°I don''t know what the hell that asshole was doing but I fucking hate it!!!¡±) Ezekiel thought as he turned his attention to the stairway. He didn''t know why, but after consuming some of the powder, the woman lost interest and walked away, like she had forgotten an errand.


    If he hadn''t put his finger into the bag of powder the priest had given him, he likely would have become 105kg of mincemeat and bonemeal.


    He didn''t even care that he was now safe, if another one was coming down the stairs, he was out of there!


    As he prepared to leave he heard discussion. But the voice wasn''t of the priest. It wasn''t even one voice but two. One of a man and one of a woman.


    The pair quickly came down and immediately started running.


    If his eyes didn''t trick him, it looked like Tibaut alongside some unknown woman.


    (¡°Are they here already?¡±) He wondered as he silently followed.


    With all the noise, along with their footsteps in the strange dust down here, they made running, it wasn''t hard to track them down.


    He crouched down to examine a footprint while looking ahead.


    (¡°Ah, they''re just up ahead in that room. Well, I suppose it doesn''t hurt watching them for now.¡±)


    He knew if he went any closer, even with how carefully he was walking, they''d be bound to hear him approach.


    After several minutes had passed, he heard their footsteps coming closer and quickly sneaked away while keeping his distance from them.

 Chapter 406

    Tibaut slammed his fist on the old man''s desk.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? The only reason those bastards were killing so many people and the reason we just now were going after them was because you protected them!?¡± Tibaut shouted at Mr. Bentley.


    Initially, Tibaut was listening to the old man since he seemed near scared to death. He looked like he''d have a heart attack at any moment and given that he talked about Ezekiel and himself, he assumed it was an old man recounting his life with Tibaut as the audience. But the more he spoke, the more Tibaut had to sit in disbelief of what he did. Tibaut began praying to himself, hoping the old man would have a heart attack at some point in the recounting. Why? Because if he didn''t he was sure he''d kill the old piece of shit himself.


    He got up from his chair and reached for Mr. Bentley''s collar. The old man was now drenched in sweat and shivered as he had just been subjected to subzero temperatures. His teeth clattered as Tibaut lifted him up and he could only weakly look into his eyes.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Kill me already.¡± He said, unrepentant.


    ¡°IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF!?¡± Tibaut shouted with a guttural roar that sounded rough on the throat.


    ¡°What? E-expecting more? Well, I''m sorry to say but it was a smart decision. Would you watch as five people die and fight their killer or watch two people and get compensated?¡±


    ¡°Don''t give me that bullshit!¡± Tibaut said before throwing his fist towards him.


    The old man closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. But nothing happened. He felt a breeze blow against his face and opened his eyes a few moments later to see Tibaut¡¯s face taking up most of his vision.


    ¡°You ruined countless lives for your own self-gain. You can tell yourself this was the better option but what the fuck is the point of people like us if not getting rid of bastards like those? To pick daisies while people die? Huh!? Answer me, you bastard!¡± Tibaut said before throwing Mr. Bentley back into his chair.


    Mr. Bentley was nearly toppled over in his chair and quickly leaned back forward, stopping himself from falling over.


    ¡°I have no words for you. I did what I believed was right for a group of people as worthless as the adventurers in this parish. Now kill me already, I want to get this over with.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You old stubborn bastard, are you just going ignore what I say!?¡±


    The old man didn''t respond and simply opened up a drawer.


    Tibaut quickly fired a fire lance at his arm, sending the old man to the floor, writhing in pain.


    ¡°Argh! It seems you''ve finally made up your mind, you brat!¡± The old man whimpered as he held onto his shattered wrist.


    (¡°Tch, I thought that a bastard as evil as you would be able to take a hit better.¡±)


    Tibaut thought as he walked towards the old man. It was obvious, he was afraid of the consequences if it was found out he worked with the cultists, but frankly Tibaut didn''t care. If what happened to Albus was anything to go by, the moment people hear about his affiliation with the cultists or the Marrow of Lucifer, as he called them, some people who hadn''t been seen or heard of until now will come for him and do all sorts of unspeakable things. Things Tibaut probably couldn''t even begin to process or imagine doing himself. And what fate was better for such a man than that?


    (¡°The people he allowed to die aren''t ever going to come back and nothing going to change that¡­ but it wouldn''t hurt for him to experience the same terror, dread and misery as the people he let get murdered and their family. I hope whatever prison or torture chamber you get thrown in doesn''t disappoint when it comes to pain, you bastard.¡±)


    Tibaut looked down at the old man coldly and saw something in his hand, with the old man''s head turned to the side. He quickly grabbed his head and pulled him up to see a bottle in his mouth. In the brief moments he took to walk towards him, Mr. Bentley had managed to finish it.


    Tibaut slapped the bottle out of his mouth and threw him onto the table.


    The old man had a smirk on his face with uneasy eyes. The terror of being found out had been washed away with the relief from finishing the bottle without being noticed. He looked like a man basking in the afterglow of an immaculate lover.


    Tibaut grabbed his leg and a green glow emitted from it.


    The old man looked down and struggled to free himself.


    ¡°Young man, it''s over, with this poison there''s no chance of saving me. You may as well get your licks in now.¡± The old man confidently stated as he kicked at Tibaut¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Really, how long does it take to kick in?¡± Tibaut asked before he pulled the old man off the desk and into the floor.


    ¡°Gah,¡± Mr. Bentley groaned as he tried to pick himself up. Then a thought soon crept into his head. He had seen this poison in action and how quickly it worked¡­ so why was he still alive?


    ¡°You¡­¡± Mr. Bentley''s face was paler than a ghost as he looked upwards at Tibaut. And it wasn''t from the poison.


    ¡°I can cure most poisons. Now what was that about getting my licks in?¡± Tibaut asked if he cracked his knuckles.

 Chapter 407

    Mr. Bentley''s lips quivered as he realised what happened. He did recall hearing about the boy having a mild curing spell but¡­ this isn''t mild. That wasn''t mild at all!


    (¡°Impossible, I saw it with my own eyes. I gave a wolf a drop of this liquid and its fur shedded immensely before running off. It stressed its body to the point of-¡±)


    Mr. Bentley seemed to have misinterpreted something from his test. While it is logical to assume it was poison based on that test, he had conducted the test during the winter. Wolves are known to grow their coats out for the winter with the decrease in temperature.


    Before Tibaut could throw a punch he noticed something strange happen to Mr. Bentley.


    His grey hair had gained colour. There was the faintest hint of orange in it.


    Tibaut could only watch in confusion as he watched the old man''s body change.


    (¡°Shit, was the poison too strong?¡±) He thought as he watched what unfolded.


    He quickly backed away and watched as Mr. Bentley metamorphized. He could hear Mr. Bentley¡¯s bones crack as his body expanded on the floor.


    Tibaut could only watch in discomfort as the old man met his cruel fate.


    Now that he listened further, he could swear he could hear the muscle fibres in Mr. Bentley''s body tearing. Just what kind of nasty potion had the man decided to drink?


    Another true thing is the fact that wolves have less hair at the hotter times of the year.


    But the strangest thing about it was his struggle. Mr. Bentley was writhing on the floor in pain as the pain got worse and worse, but it also seemed with each passing moment he moved with more energy and his screams of agony got louder.


    Was the pain getting worse or was he in his death throes before he finally collapsed?


    His fight with Ezekiel had left him pretty weak and he found no pleasure in watching this man die. He turned around and headed for the exit, now realising how weak that battle had left him.


    (¡°Tch, Ezekiel sure wasn''t holding back¡­¡±)


    He leaned against the exit¡¯s doorway, resting his gauntlet against his head as he tried to keep conscious. Mr. Bentley¡¯s words had stirred him up to the point he forgot about his injuries.


    And the moment he opened the door¡­ Mr. Bentley stopped screaming.


    Tibaut sighed as he walked down the hallway, but the sound of footsteps had him quickly turning around, the hairs on the back of his neck raised.


    So what if, instead of being a poison, the concoction the wolf drank had instead brought the wolf back a few months in time? What if the wolf was forced into the body it had several months ago? Then the loss of fur wouldn''t be too surprising.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Standing at the desk wasn''t the old man, but a man about his height, with orange hair. He looked at his arms and opened and closed them, with amazement on his face at what he was looking at.


    The obvious immediately came to Tibaut¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You''re shitting me.¡± He mumbled as he brought his hand upwards, doing his best to get into a fighting stance with only one of his hands.


    ¡°He was serious.¡± The young man in front of him commented as he looked at his body, taking it all in. ¡°It restored my youth, just as he said¡­ Perhaps I was hasty to throw you aside, Daniel.¡± The man said as he turned his attention to Tibaut.


    ¡°Surely you don''t intend to fight me?¡± He asked more offended than concerned for Tibaut¡¯s wellbeing.


    Tibaut grabbed his dislocated arm and bit down against the leather strap of his chest plate as he forced it back into place.


    Mr. Bentley could only sigh as he watched this.


    In the corner of his eye, Tibaut saw the old man summon a flame with a pleased look in his eyes as he manipulated it.


    Unlike Tibaut, the man was forming it like clay, into various shapes and structures.


    ¡°Heh, I still got it.¡±


    ¡°AARRRRRGGGGGGAGAGAGAG!!¡± Tibaut shouted as he fixed his elbow back into place. He breathed heavily in a thick layer of sweat as he watched the man before him.


    ¡°Come on you, bastard, I don''t care how much younger you get, I''ll still kick your ass. After all, now that you''re young you shouldn''t die after a single hit, right, Mr. Bentley?¡± Tibaut said in a ragged breath.


    He could only pray the old man wasn''t anything special back in the day.


    ¡°Please, none of that Mr. Bentley nonsense. I''m far too young a man for you to address me like that.¡±


    His hair was now a bright orange, almost as if they were made of flames themselves. His musculature was far more refined than Tibaut¡¯s, like that of a beginner bodybuilder than the athlete-like physique of Tibaut, though it wasn''t anywhere at the level of size of Ezekiel. His brown jacket, his undercoat and his brown pants all fit to the tee as if it was tailored to this size instead of his initial height, which Tibaut towered over. His skin radiated the same youth as Tibaut¡¯s which meant he was in his mid-twenties at maximum.


    He dusted off his jacket and stretched his arms a few times.


    ¡°With my body in the state that it is in now, hmmm, yes you can call me Ash¡­¡± He said with a nod.


    ¡°I don''t care what you''re called, you''re getting your ass kicked in.¡±


    Tibaut jumped forward and the old man jumped outside, using the opened windows for his escape.


    (¡°He''s quick.¡±) Tibaut thought.


    Tibaut quickly jumped out the window as well and fell to the street behind the branch building. There, a few metres away, Ash was stretching his legs and even started doing a few jumping jacks.


    ¡°I do hope you''ll forgive me, bo- Tibaut, but I haven''t used this body in quite a while. I''m a little rusty, so you might suffer unnecessarily because of it.¡±


    Tibaut began walking towards him.


    ¡°Oh come on, at least respond. Don''t you want to know why you''ll suffer?¡±


    Tibaut was now in his face and threw a roundhouse kick to his face. Ash easily dodged it and managed to grab the hair at the back of his head.


    Tibaut quickly burned it and put some distance between them.


    He turned back to him to see the burnt hair still in his hand.


    ¡°With the strength I possess, my victory is guaranteed. That''s why you''ll suffer. The most you will be capable of is prolonging the inevitable. What I am now is similar to giving a sharp axe to a rookie executioner. It may kill but it won''t be a pretty sight. So forgive me, Tibaut.¡±


    He couldn''t help but have a smirk as he witnessed the look of defiance on Tibaut.

 Chapter 408

    Ash dropped the burnt hair out of his hand and produced a flame.


    He held his hand out and pointed it towards Tibaut.


    (¡°Is gonna try and hit me with a fireball? What a cock-¡±) Tibaut thought before quickly blocking. Instead of a fireball, it was a torrent of flames that slammed into him.


    From his hand, Ash created a pillar of fire that caught Tibaut off guard. It tossed Tibaut off balance, but thankfully it seemed he didn''t get any major burns.


    (¡°It looks like my fire resistance is going to be heavy lifting for me tonight.¡±)


    He flicked his gauntlets after dealing with that, with both making a hissing sound likely from the heat.


    (¡°What the hell was that?¡±) Tibaut thought as he noticed an approaching Ash. By the time he steadied himself, a blow landed in the same spot that Ezekiel had stabbed him earlier.


    The effects of the battle with Ezekiel were already showing. He was positive, no, certain he would have blocked that punch if he was fresher. But his body was not moving the way he wanted it to.


    Another blow rocked his face, with Ash, wearing gentle smirks as he felt his blows connect with Tibaut.


    (¡°Ah, what a joy it is to be young again. Oh, Daniel you bastard, this certainly isn''t the last of the bottles you created, is it? I''ll have to go to that bastard''s hideout immediately after I finish with this boy.¡±)


    His punches continued to land on Tibaut, with the boy almost helpless to stop it. But with each subsequent blow, he could feel his blood boiling even hotter, and now he had an opponent he didn''t care for, he could fight without worrying about their life.


    He blocked a blow with his gauntlets and the now young man in front of him didn''t so much as react, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward into a headbutt.


    The pair both headbutted each other, with neither man backing down. Then a second time, with Tibaut gritting his teeth, hoping he had a thick enough skull to smash the bastard''s head in.


    Their heads returned for a third blow, and immediately after, with Ash''s smirk turning into a smile and Tibaut¡¯s face looking like a beast''s, Ash went for a clothesline while Tibaut turned himself around and went for a reverse elbow.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ash was obviously the quicker and sent Tibaut flying, nearly flipping him 360 from the force of his blow.


    Tibaut landed on the floor and Ash couldn''t help but audibly start laughing.


    ¡°HAHA, that''s it, boy, more! I haven''t felt this alive in years! I can''t believe I''ve forgotten the joys of inflicting pain and receiving it. Now get up and test this body more, boy!¡± Mr. Bentley said, playfully jumping up and down as he looked towards Tibaut. His smile was child-like in how joyful it was, which made him all the more unnerving as an opponent. He didn''t see this as a battle to the death, but rather, as regaining something he didn''t know he had lost.


    Tibaut was floored, struggling to get up off the floor as he turned his head to the man called Ash. He felt one of his lips and saw it was bleeding. His forehead was now painted a deep red from his headbutting, while the only blood on Ash''s forehead was Tibaut¡¯s.


    He slammed his fist into the dirt ground and forced himself on his feet. During the initial encounter with the old man, he noticed the arm that he had dislocated twice, was moving much slower and in far more pain than the other. Who would have thought?


    The only thing he could reliably count on it for was blocking. The moment he stood back up, Mr. Bentley was already back in his face and threw down a heavy blow towards Tibaut¡¯s head. He managed to block with the weakened arm but even with the gauntlets on, the pain had him hesitate for a moment.


    His next fist collided with Ash''s, with the old man not in the mood to back off. He quickly opened his fist and grabbed Tibaut¡¯s hand, throwing him upwards.


    Tibaut managed to land, though the landing wasn''t the best and he fell to his knees. As he tried to stand back up he felt a foot on his back.


    He turned around to see the orange-haired bastard, grinning.


    He had his arms crossed with an almost disgusting amount of giddy on his face.


    ¡°Why don''t you call this here, boy? I can''t imagine it''d be pleasant to deal with Elizabeth if I dealt with you here, so I think it''d be mutually beneficial. After all, nobody would blame you for retreating from a foe far stronger than yourself, right?¡± Mr. Bentley stated as he rubbed his foot into Tibaut¡¯s back. He was surprised the boy was so docile until Tibaut immediately grabbed the leg he placed against and he felt a heat building.


    He quickly dragged his foot away and ended up having his shoe dragged off.


    Regardless of his sneak attack failing, Tibaut created a fireball and shot it off at him.


    The old man dodged it and narrowly missed a gauntlet aimed at his face. It left a cut on his cheek and the old man was almost casual in his counter.


    Even Tibaut didn''t realise what had happened until he fell back to his knees. Mr. Bentley had again struck the area of Ezekiel stabbed and looked ready to smash Tibaut''s face in with another punch.


    Tibaut quickly threw a fireball at the floor between them and ended up kicking up some dust. He used the lack of visibility to quickly dodge and trip Ash before escaping the dust. He used this brief time to catch his breath and waited for the counterattack the old man likely had prepared.


    When the dust settled, it revealed Ash doing pushups, seemingly ignorant of Tibaut.

 Chapter 409

    ¡°I don''t think I''ve done more than 20 of these at a time for the past decade.¡± He commented as he continued. ¡°Old age truly is a curse. To think people dream of living in such a miserable sta-¡±


    He quickly rolled away when Tibaut tried to stomp on his head. He spun around the floor and used the momentum of his spinning body to get back to his feet.


    He parried an incoming blow and Tibaut pushed his body into the old man to grab him. He could immediately feel Tibaut trying to dig into his back with his gauntlets and grabbed his knees before leaning forward and slamming him into the floor.


    Combined with his injuries, this knocked the air out of Tibaut and his grip loosened enough for Ash to escape his clutches.


    He brought his hand down like he was trying to cut the air and the flame projectile soon shot off. It had a curve to it but it was no boomerang.


    It slammed into Tibaut, completely burning the front of his shirt and leaving a minor burn across his body. He groaned with pain. Unlike his magic, no explosion occurred and it instead felt like someone had placed a hot whip on him.


    Tibaut used his good hand and pushed himself off the ground to kick at Mr. Bentley¡¯s head but Ash blocked it, before grabbing his leg and throwing him further down the street.


    Tibaut rolled across the floor and heard Mr. Bentley footsteps come even closer.


    He managed to get onto his knee and tackled Mr. Bentley from his crouched position.


    He dug his gauntlets into his sides, providing the first visible sign of damage Mr. Bentley had received in the fight and created two smaller fireballs to blow his sides open. Mr. Bentley boxed Tibaut¡¯s ears with both hands leaving him deaf for a few moments, and more importantly, disorientated.


    He delivered a flurry of blows to his body and face for daring to sully his new and improved body. He would never allow for another injury to ruin his youth.


    Each blow Tibaut received felt like it was delivered by a block of concrete and his face, after much resistance, soon became a bloody mess.


    Not only were the punches painful, but he could swear they took more and more energy out of him as they hit. He was convinced he was going to black out, but the very instant he considered such a thing happening, he flared up like fireworks and began trying to parry the blows.


    After the 30th consecutive hit, he managed to successfully parry one. Then 31st and 32nd soon made a landing on his face and stomach and he fell to his knees like a sack of potatoes.


    (¡°Sigh, and I didn''t even get to truly test my magic. I suppose with what he went through with my boy, he did the best he could.¡±)


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As Tibaut fell to the floor and had his body become limp, Mr. Bentley brought his foot over his head, ready to crush it. The look in his eyes was far more sinister as he brought it down.


    (¡°Don''t think I''ve forgotten what you did to my boy, you whelp. While I won''t kill you, Elizabeth will certainly have a hard time ever making you useful after I''m finished.¡±)


    The moment his shoe made contact with Tibaut¡¯s head and he began pressing his foot down, he noticed a pale blue tinge takeover the boy''s body.


    (¡°Hmm?¡±)


    He quickly backed away and observantly watched what was going on.


    (¡°Is that? My god, I haven''t seen this in ages. Who knew he was capable of such a thing?¡±) Mr. Bentley thought as he watched Tibaut get up.


    As Tibaut got up, he felt unnaturally fine. He felt what he would consider as great, even. There was no pain in his body and his tiredness was no longer noticeable or even present.


    (¡°Hmm, it seems you''re conscious of it this time.¡±) He heard a voice mumble.


    The blue aura flared up and Tibaut rubbed his head.


    (¡°You bitch, what did you!?¡±) He snarled at the voice now present in his head.


    (¡°Oh me? Nothing, I just heard something interesting and wanted to see what you were doing. Quite the pickle you''ve gotten yourself in.¡±)


    (¡°Bullshit, this weird blue thing has you written all over!¡±)


    He thought as he eyed the now cautious Ash.


    (¡°It was an inevitability. With how easy you took the last battle, it isn''t surprising it''s only happening now.¡±) The voice responded.


    Surprisingly she was telling the truth. It seems as Mr. Bentley pressed his foot down on Tibaut, it caused an immense feeling of hatred and defiance to run throughout Tibaut¡¯s body. While not on the level of emotions and desperation as his previous times entering it, those two previous times were more than enough to open the proverbial floodgates. Smash them even.


    Frankly, if not for Kevin''s presence in the last battle he likely would have entered this state in his battle with the priest.


    ¡°Ki eh? I can''t say I''m pleased but... I can''t say it won''t be fun either.¡± Mr. Bentley Ash stated as he stepped forward.


    ¡°So that''s what this is,¡± Tibaut commented.


    (¡°Well, I''d consider a start but it''s nothing like the last two times.¡±)


    Tibaut ignored the voice in his head but another problem was soon apparent as Mr. Bentley approached.


    (¡°How do I use this?¡±)


    As Mr. Bentley approached, he noticed the wounds starting to heal and he gave an exaggerated sigh.


    ¡°I swear¡­ boy it''s a bit mean to keep something like this hidden until the last moment.¡±


    He cricked his neck and paid very close attention to Tibaut.


    ¡°I can''t believe your forte is actually Ki. You even had Ezekiel fooled with your magic.¡±


    Tibaut couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow at that comment.

 Chapter 410

    Tina sat down next to the floored Ezekiel, her head looking downwards to his face.


    ¡°C-could you not stare at me like that Tina? I''m not even sure the muscles in my neck can even move.¡± He said as he was forced to stare at her.


    ¡°So it is true¡­¡± she softly remarked before wiping her eyes and shaking her head soon after. She looked like she had more to say but her eyes quickly became glassy.


    ¡°Come on ya big oaf, are you really crying over some dead assholes you don''t even know about? I thought you were tougher than that.¡± He cockily stated.


    She could only bring herself to sigh as she held her hands to her face. Ezekiel could feel the tears hit his face as she tried to muffle her cries.


    (¡°What are you waiting for, get angry at me or something! I''m right here, you can throw a punch without me fighting back!¡±)


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    (¡°Is this¡­ punishment?¡±) He contemplated as he watched her. He couldn''t help but curse his own weakness as he watched her cry. This wouldn''t have happened if he killed Tib¡­


    (¡°What the hell am I thinking? Reasoning like that is the reason I''m watching her cry in the first place.¡±) He scoffed to himself as he watched.


    He saw this as a far worse fate than any torture any being on this planet could deliver.


    He closed his eyes, but the wetness of her tears and the soft sounds of her cries had him cursing his own existence.


    It was a uniquely bitter experience that left him at a loss. Other than Mr. Bentley, this girl and the two others were the ones closest to him. There was never a time he''d seen her cry in all the time he knew her. The fact he was the reason for the first time he''d seen tears come out of her eyes made him wish he could move his hands to his throat and end himself here.


    As he watched her cry his mind couldn''t help but wonder back to the reason she was even living with him in the first place.


    <hr>


    It was around five years after Mr. Bentley became branch manager and Ezekiel decided to help him out, in his own way. He stood outside the adventurer''s branch building and looked somewhat tired. He leaned against the wall of the building.


    (¡°When''s the old man gonna finish up? I thought he said he''d finish early today.¡±) He thought as he watched the street. It was a Sunday evening and the dirt streets of the town were especially empty. He couldn''t even distract himself with some people watching to bide his time.


    He could feel himself drifting off and his eyes soon closed. Before he could use the building¡¯s wall as his own bed, he heard the footsteps of an approaching person but paid it no mind. When they grabbed his shirt, he decided they were worth attention.


    He jerked awake and looked at the person in front of him. He instinctively backed into the wall with a look of disbelief followed by relief.


    ¡°(Holy shi-) Phew¡­ Kid, what''s your deal?¡± Ezekiel said as he caught his breath. It seemed she caught him off guard.


    It was a young girl in the clothing of a man. Now, how could I instantly tell she was a woman? She had a modest chest, long hair and a soft face.


    And that soft face was currently scowling at him. Based on what he was seeing, he was almost in disbelief. She couldn''t be more than 15 or 16 yet¡­ she was huge. She was taller than half the guys he knew. He felt somewhat relieved by his own height or else he might have been looked down upon by this overgrown child. Or maybe she just had a baby face?


    He tried to take her hand off his shirt but she wouldn''t let go.


    She had long bubblegum pink hair, divided into twin tails. And she looked really pissed off about something. Did she get dumped by her boyfriend or something?


    ¡°You''re Ezekiel, right?¡± She asked in a husky tone. Was she trying to deepen her voice? It''d be cute if this wasn''t going where Ezekiel thought it was going.


    ¡°Yeah, that''d be me. Have a problem? Listen I''m sorry if I let your sheep get away but those bastards can get going quicker than you''d think, honest.¡± He said with an awkward laugh following.


    He said as he grabbed her hand. He tried to push her back but, he was amazed by her strength.


    He was pushing her back but he really had to put some power into it.


    (¡°Hoh, isn''t this something? The old man said he wanted strong adventurers right, I wonder-¡±)


    ¡°Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? What are you, fucking dreaming? What kind of adventurer talks about watching sheep!?¡± She said before pulling her hand back, pulling him towards her.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    They bumped chests, and Ezekiel was very impressed she was still standing on her feet after bumping into her. He looked down into her face, with a small smirk.


    ¡°Well, there''s no work here kiddo. Hones- Hmm?¡± He looked into her face and noticed a small bruise on her cheek.


    ¡°Hehe, I see. Have your parents been setting you straight? Listen kid taking your anger out on me won''t sol-¡±


    He ducked a punch and tried to pull her pants down.


    (¡°Maybe this will send her on her way.¡±) He thought as he grabbed her pants¡¯ waist. While it wasn''t the most moral thing to do, it''d teach her a good lesson. She should thank whatever God she worships, that today''s relatively empty or else the colour and design of her underwear would be the talk of the town. But what if she isn''t wearing any?


    ¡­¡­Eh, he was already crouched down, he might as well commit to it.


    How he thought he could convince her to become an adventurer after doing something like this was an enigma that''d remain in his mind and his mind alone.


    She noticed where he grabbed her and quickly tried to knee him. He pulled her pants to the side and had the knee just gently graze his cheek.


    She kneeled down as he began pulling on his pants and headbutted on the top of his head.


    The two now crouched stepped back both rubbing their heads from the collision.


    ¡°I knew the adventurers in this parish were worthless but you''re the worst of the worse!¡± She shouted as she rubbed her head.


    ¡°Last I remember I''m number one here, so I''m actually the creme de la creme.¡± He said with a wag of his finger. He was already back to his feet and brought his face close to the girl''s. She tried to stand up but Ezekiel had a foot on her hair that was now touching the ground. It jerked her head before she pulled her hair out from under his leg and backed away.


    She held her arms up and looked at him with disgust. ¡°Once I beat you, I''m going to tear that old bitch a new one.¡±


    Ezekiel raised an eyebrow. Sounds like she really did get whooped by a parent. Given her strength and appearance though, especially with her tanned skin standing out, who could it-


    ¡°Wait, does Ruby have a kid?¡± He said aloud.


    She scoffed before throwing herself at him. (¡°She does!? I mean I know she had a lot of boyfriends, but I thought those Amazon ladies could-¡±)


    He dodged a kick aimed at his head and entertained the young woman for the next few minutes.


    <hr>


    After sending her to dreamland and adding a few noticeable bruises to her face, he slung her over his shoulder and began walking around town. It didn''t take long for him to find his person of interest.


    He saw her walking in a nearby building and shouted to her. She quickly came down.


    She was wearing nothing but an open vest and a pair of shorts that lived up to their namesake. She had yellow eyes and noticeably messy hair.


    ¡°My, so that''s where she went. And here I thought I wasn''t your type, you should have just told me you liked them younger, Zekkie.¡± She said as she walked up to him and gave the girl on his shoulder a gentle tap on the bum.


    ¡°Eh, bit much, Ruby. So I''m guessing she''s yours.¡± He soon tossed her body towards the woman comfortably taller than him.


    Ruby grabbed her with one hand and held her like she was a bag. ¡°Something like that. What do you think of her? Apparently, she went on a spree beating up a few adventurers before she came across you. I counted two before I found you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Ugh, are you telling me the guys here can''t even beat a little¡­ medium¡­ Actually, she''s a pretty big girl, but she''s still a girl!¡±


    ¡°So it was easy for you? Ah, I remembered the first time a guy managed to overpower me, you better stay low for a while or if you want I can take it before she tries to.¡±


    ¡°...what are you talking about?¡±


    Ruby tried to put her hand against his chest and Ezekiel backed with his eyes practically spelling out ¡°DANGER!!!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t say it was easy but she''s definitely filled with energy but uh, I have something to do or something else anyway bye!¡± The words came out of his mouth like a machine gun and he began running as quickly as he could.


    Ruby chuckled and noticed the groaning of Tina who was slowly regaining consciousness.


    ¡°Heh, how does a man his age end up being so meek?¡±


    She said as she turned around and headed home.


    <hr>


    It was a lovely day. His last job had given an especially big payday, and for the first week in a while, his hands were blood-free. The sun was out but the heat was far from unbearable. It was surprisingly pleasant.


    The day was so lovely in fact, he found a nice patch of grass and laid himself down. He put his hands to the back of his head and closed his eyes. Being an assassin was surprisingly exhausting, so having a rest whenever he could get them didn''t hurt.


    A foot came down towards his head and he quickly pushed it out of the way.


    ¡°You know, if you were wearing a skirt, I''d be seeing something a lot more pleasant right now,¡± Ezekiel stated as he stared in between the legs of his attacker. ¡°(Shit maybe I shouldn''t have said that, if she''s anything like Ruby she might take that as an invitation.) By the way, I''m a married man, so if you''re looking for anything like that, you can crawl back home and make do with your hand.¡±


    He heard her tongue click and rolled away when she tried to stomp him again.


    ¡°I swear, why are all the men in this parish bastards!? Hey you!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°If I kick your ass, then I''m the strongest in the parish right? You can even give that old whore a bad time right?¡±


    ¡°(Where''s this coming from?) I suppose? We haven''t really fought seriously but I guess I could take her down if it came to it.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck kinda answer is that? Are you really the strongest adventurer in the parish, Dirty Dreads? A real man would say he can beat that bitch any day of the week and anyone else that steps to him, are you a pussy or something?¡±


    ¡°Dirty Drea- screw you, I probably wash my hair more than you do.¡± He complained while shaking his fist at her. It seemed this comment really touched a nerve.


    She shook her head. ¡°I can''t believe a man thinks saying that isn''t embarrassing. What''s next, gonna talk about how you love getting pedicures, maybe even gush about a massage? Forget it, I was tired out last time, this time I''ll show you how the strong are supposed to act.¡±

 Chapter 411

    She fell to her knees in front of the man who stood before her. She didn''t know how, but she kept missing her punches by inches or less and he''d always hit his, without so much as a twitch from his legs. It was like he was moving without actually moving.


    She wiped her face and Ezekiel shook his head as he watched her try to stand.


    ¡°Would you give this up already? It''s bad enough you''re related to Ruby, but I can''t imagine how much she''d get on my ass if I broke something in you. Listen for a kid your age¡­¡±


    She reached out her hand towards him. He raised an eyebrow and his mouth opened slightly from the gesture.


    ¡°(Well, I guess I did beat her. It''s nice to see that this kid isn''t too unreasonable.) It''s nice to have some strong principles in a girl your-¡±


    His hand touched hers and he felt a strange sensation run through his hand and soon his body. He quickly slugged her head with his fist, with the skin on her face taking a moment to catch up to her skull and the girl with pink hair fell to the ground unconscious.


    He quickly flicked his hand and got a look at it. There were strange marks on his hand and arm. Based on the smell it appeared she burned him, though thankfully the damage wasn''t too deep.


    ¡°Gah, fuck!¡± He exclaimed as he held his arm. He quickly turned back to her and placed his hands on his head as he contemplated what to do. He crouched down and grabbed her hand, checking for a pulse. Thankfully it seemed she was alive at the very least, who knew how badly that could end if he accidentally killed her? But he wasn''t out of the clear yet. That punch he hit her with was nasty, even by his standards. He couldn''t imagine he''d be in for a pleasant experience if he brought her back to Ruby with a fractured skull.


    He quickly picked her up and ran back into his house.


    <hr>


    Tina groaned, bringing a hand to her. She felt something soft under her and opened her eyes to see what it was. She was greeted by a room unfamiliar to her on a bed just as unfamiliar. She was covered in a blanket and quickly pulled it off. She still had her clothes on, so that was a good start.


    She noticed a door opening and tried her best to get the hell out of there. Unfortunately, when she looked none of the windows could be opened. Just as she was about to break a window, the door became fully opened.


    Ezekiel saw her and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°So it''s not serious, phew.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nothing, just be grateful the woman that birthed you gave you a body as tough as hers. And don''t you dare break one of those windows, this is the old man''s house, not mine!¡± He said as he ran over.


    She seemed ready to defend herself but it looked like his only concern was the window. He ran past her and stood between her and it.


    ¡°You can leave if you''d like, but please don''t break anything or else your mom is getting the bill.¡±


    ¡°My mom!? Don''t you dare call that whore my mom, you gross old bastard!¡± She threw another punch and Ezekiel had no problem catching it. He quickly pushed her back with his magic.


    ¡°(It isn''t surprising a woman like her would have a problem or two with her kid but why does this have to be my problem?) Listen, kid, just get out of here, I''m not a babysitter.¡±


    She scoffed after she was pushed back and looked around the room.


    ¡°So that''s it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean that''s it? I don''t want you here any longer, so yes, that is it.¡±


    Tina kept her gaze on him and watched him as she backed out of the room.


    (¡°I-is that really it? That old bag made losing to him sound a lot more terrifying.¡±) She thought while inching away.


    Footsteps were heard pattering quickly through the house and Ezekiel looked out of the window to see her run off.


    (¡°Learn to control your daughter, Ruby this is getting ridiculous. I know how the old man was loose with me but I didn''t go around fighting people¡­ on purpose anyway.¡±)


    <hr>


    The next day came and he waved off Mr. Bentley. As soon as the old man was no longer in sight, he heard some movement out of the bushes and the same girl from yesterday appeared.


    But she carried herself in a different manner this time. Before he could talk she began rambling.


    ¡°I now see why you''re considered the strongest in the parish.¡± She bluntly stated. ¡°However the gap between isn''t as great as I imagined. I suppose in a parish like this, that''s to be expected.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    (¡°Where is she going with this?¡±) He thought as he walked off.


    ¡°Stay right there or I''ll break one of your windows to get in your house!¡±


    He quickly stopped in his steps and turned back to her. (¡°I don''t know if this is better or worse than dealing with Ruby. Sigh, if she has another daughter I''m pretty sure I''ll have grey hair by my next birthday.¡±)


    ¡°My name is Tina and by the end of this month, I will defeat you.¡±


    ¡°Well, Tina, I''d be happy to train you but if you''re gonna just keep showing back up like this¡­¡± He stretched. ¡°I might have to show you people have limits to how much bullshit they can take.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you''re strong but you sure as hell don''t act like it. And that''s something that divides the both of us. I have the ability and determination to fight to the death while you''ll take your enemies lightly.¡±


    She soon kicked up off the ground and ran towards him.


    <hr>


    In retrospect, Ezekiel really was full of hot air. A full week had passed since she made her declaration to defeat him in a month and Ezekiel was no closer to using drastic measures to get rid. He contemplated breaking her arm or any other limb but he felt it far too cruel for what she was doing.


    ¡°So aren''t you gonna take a bath or something?¡± He asked. They stood in an open stretch of grass near the old man''s house. He threw her a bar of soap and she swatted it out of the air like a fly.


    Her hair was now noticeably dirty and her clothes had a few scratches and tears on them.


    ¡°Isn''t Ruby concerned with you showing home like that?¡±


    This would be the eighth time they fought. It seemed she was less eager in a sense, as each time she anticipated her defeat, she''d immediately run away.


    ¡°Stop talking like she''d care,¡± Tina answered.


    (¡°I''m no counsellor so I guess I''ll leave it at that. Man, it''s not like I had a great impression of Ruby but each day this kid shows up, I feel like my respect for her gets even lower.¡±) Ezekiel thought as he readied himself.


    The girl closed the distance between them and before her first punch landed-


    GRUMBLE~~~~~~~~


    Ezekiel looked taken aback and the girl stopped her punch. She turned around and cleared her throat.


    ¡°I had a light breakfast.¡± She commented as she headed back to the forest.


    ¡°Woah, hold on where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I''ll come back after lunch, I can''t expect to beat you on a breakfast of berries and herbs.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second!¡± He grabbed her arm and turned her around. He thought she was looking leaner than usual but he couldn''t have been more mistaken. Her eyes were sunken in and it was easy to see she had lost a few pounds of weight, both fat and muscle. She didn''t look like she was in danger of starving, but she was very clearly worse than he saw her over a week ago.


    She tried to fight him off and he had none of it. He dragged her inside his home, (and worryingly for her, quite easily) and handed her a loaf of bread.


    ¡°What are you-¡±


    ¡°Eat it.¡±


    ¡°Hu- Why would I eat this? You think I''d trust a piece of bread from a guy like¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine it''s your choice but don''t be surprised if you don''t see me here tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Wha- screw you, you wouldn''t run away from a girl you called a child, would you?¡±


    ¡°Want to test it?¡±


    ¡°(Tch, if this guy runs I''d probably be forced to train with the hag. And the only time I''d train with her is when I can make sure I can kick her ass.) Fine, whatever.¡±


    She quickly took a bite of the bread, eyeing the exit if she needed a quick escape. And she took a bite and another. Within a minute she''d finished the whole loaf. And wasting no time she grabbed another loaf from the basket on the table and scarfed it down. Next to it was some dried meat she had no problem taking as well.


    She went through one more loaf of bread before she decided that was enough.


    She dusted off her hands and headed for the entrance.


    ¡°I''ll be back later.¡± She coldly stated before leaving.


    (¡°Thankfully she isn''t gonna starve, so that''s a plus...hmm¡±)


    Now that he looked at the table she''d finished all the bread he made.


    GROWL~~~~


    It seemed he was just as hungry as the girl that came in.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, I didn''t eat breakfast this morning. Tsk, It''s gonna take another hour at least to bake another loaf, maybe I''ll just settle for some boiled wheat berries.¡±


    <hr>


    As the days passed, Tina got more and more brazen with entering his house. Like a street cat shown the fact it could enter your house, she began treating the place as if it were her home.


    ¡°Uh, Tina?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She asked as she rested on his couch. The sweat on her head indicated she finished some sort of strenuous activity but her clothes were as dry as could be. In fact, she was in a familiar-looking shirt and pants.


    ¡°(Did she go into my room?) Ruby does know you''re here, right?¡±


    ¡°Where else would I be?¡±


    ¡°Just checking¡­ (Sigh, I never was good with dealing with women, but I never knew I was damned to women her age as well. Aren''t they supposed to be more skittish?)¡±


    She soon got off the couch and began doing some push-ups, using the couch to keep her legs in the air.


    ¡°I''m supposed to do it like this right?¡± She asked, presenting her form to him.


    ¡°Just like that. And remember, if you''re going to exercise as much as you are, you have to eat more than you normally would.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I''m surprised you''re so willingly giving tips to your rival, but I guess it''s better to have me surpass you now with your help than later without.¡±


    She began doing some push-ups and Ezekiel headed towards the door, opening it so her sweat wouldn''t stink up the place like the day prior.


    As he opened it, he noticed someone outside.


    (¡°Finally she''s here.¡±)


    He made sure not to show relief in his actions and walked outside as calmly as he could, using hand signals to point to a spot outside the view of the open door.

 Chapter 412

    Outside the view of Tina, Ezekiel quickly walked over to the woman approaching and he breathed a sigh.


    ¡°Finally, you''re here. What kind of parent leaves her kid with a guy she''s trying to beat up? You''re lucky she doesn''t have a broken rib.¡± He sarcastically remarked.


    Ruby rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You won''t hear me complaining if you give her one, two or even a few. That girl is strong enough to realise she can hurt most people but she doesn''t realise ¡°most people¡± are pretty weak. She could use some humbling from someone who isn''t ¡°most people¡± like you, especially involving a bit of pain.¡±


    (¡°Phew, mother of the decade right here.¡±) He thought to himself before Ruby walked up and leaned against his back.


    He bared it for a single moment before pushing her off. She scoffed at his deflection.


    ¡°Don''t tell me you fell to her whims?¡± She said with a hand pressed on her head. ¡°I can''t believe she''d be such a hypocrite, but I suppose her blood would help nature take its course eventually.¡± She said with a hint of glee in her voice.


    ¡°You know, for a mother, you''re, uh, how do I put this?¡± The playful smirk on Ruby''s face soon faded as she listened to Ezekiel. ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be fighting tooth and nail to keep her chastity? I know you''re an Amazon but are they usually this-¡±


    Ruby wore a very unenthused expression on her face. Ezekiel could physically feel the annoyance radiating off her face but she quickly fixed her expression when she noticed his shock.


    ¡°Ahahah, sorry, she''s just sigh¡­¡± There was a silence between the pair before Ruby prepared the right words. ¡°She''s not my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Because we''re both big and it''s obvious she''s related to me in everything except personality, I never usually make a big fuss whenever people come to that answer. But she isn''t my daughter. In fact¡­ actually, I''m getting off topic.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, she isn''t? Then who is she, and why does she live with you? I mean, first of all, is it really okay for her to stay with me? Her parents aren''t like you right, cause an Amazon and a man strong enough to give her a kid sounds like a terrible combo. She''s kinda been hanging around here the last few days or so, so I honestly wouldn''t mind if you took her back.¡±


    ¡°So I guess this is a bust then? Damn.¡±


    Ruby''s words left Ezekiel even more confused than he already was.


    ¡°B-bust?¡±


    Ruby grabbed his hand and started walking.


    ¡°Woah, easy there Ruby, what are you do-¡±


    ¡°Tch, ease up, I just want to you in the shade. I used to think Amazons didn''t have to worry about the sun until it left my skin looking as dark as tree bark one day.¡±


    They both walked into a nearby tree and Ruby was the first to rest her behind on the grassy ground.


    She tapped beside her and Ezekiel soon got down to the floor as well, sitting next to her.


    They both watched as the branches of trees and grass of the surrounding area swayed back and forth due to the cool breeze blowing the area.


    ¡°Honestly, I was thinking of leaving her with you.¡±


    Ezekiel shook his head and she continued staring at them. He could tell by her tone she wasn''t joking around.


    ¡°That so? Is taking care of her expensive? She eats whatever I give her, so that doesn''t seem like too much of a problem.¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with that. It''s just¡­ we just don''t see eye to eye.¡±


    ¡°If that''s such a problem why don''t you send her back to her parents? Seems pretty out of the norm for you to accept being a babysitter. Did they want her to train to be an adventurer?¡±


    Ruby rubbed her eyes and Ezekiel could tell something seemed to have pulled at her heartstrings by the time he finished his sentence.


    ¡°They''re dead. Her parents died about two summers ago.¡± Ruby answered.


    Only the sound of the wind blowing was audible.


    ¡°Oh, that''s what happened,¡± Ezekiel answered. ¡°Then you are her mother now.¡±


    Ruby couldn''t help but chuckle at his comment. ¡°I know you were adopted yourself Ezekiel but it''s not that simple. She was thirteen when I got her, practically an adult at that point.¡±


    ¡°But you are taking care of her, right? It''s understandable if she doesn''t see you as a replacement for her parents, but there must be some closeness between you two, right?¡±


    ¡°Haha, oh man, I must have really screwed up then. I''m sorry to say but she fucking hates me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, why else would she return home then?¡±


    ¡°...what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°She''d head back to your place after she comes by here, right? She wouldn''t do that for no reason, would she?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Ruby placed her hand on Ezekiel¡¯s shoulder and turned to him, staring directly into his eyes.


    ¡°Zekkie, I haven''t seen her in a month. The only reason I knew she was still alive, is because of you. If I didn''t hear Mr. Bentley talk about how much you can''t decide whether dote or complain about Tina, I''d have no idea where she is right now.¡±


    ¡°That bad, huh?¡± He simply answered.


    ¡°That bad. Honestly, I was hoping you could take care of her, the fact she''s staying with you is sign enough she trusts you.¡±


    ¡°That still seems like a bit of a big step. I could find her a place but I''m not sure about living with me.¡±


    ¡°Listen Ezekiel¡­ She hates me. I don''t hate her, I''ll never hate her, she''s my sister''s daughter¡­¡±


    (¡°So that''s the relation.¡±)


    ¡°But, it''s not hard to tell staying with me isn''t going to do her any good. She hates me, and honestly, I''m not sure how''d I face my sister if she ended up in some ditch somewhere because of that hatred for me. So¡­¡±


    She got on her knees and tried to bow to Ezekiel. Ezekiel quickly grabbed her arm and responded.


    ¡°Easy, I''ll do it. I just thought it''d be better for you two to sort things out but if you like this then I guess that ship has sailed.¡±


    ¡°I swear, there''s not an ounce of drive in you. Most men would love it if a woman like me got on their hands and knees for them. You didn''t even let me offer my body yet.¡±


    ¡°W-were you really?¡± He stuttered.


    ¡°So there was a chance!¡±


    ¡°What, no, I just, surprised you know, it had nothing to do with s- s-¡±


    She leaned into his ear and whispered a single word. ¡°Sex?¡±


    After feeling her warm breath assault his outer ear, he gently pushed her off.


    ¡°But did her mother also have pink hair?¡±


    The smile on Ruby''s face was immediately wiped away and her her eyes slanted. She soon leaned against the tree, staring off into the distance.


    Ezekiel couldn''t help but tense up and brought a hand closer to his side, trying to calm down and not let his shaky hands show. He knew he likely had her beat in a fight but he couldn''t stop himself from being intimidated from how abruptly the mood shifted.


    ¡°You''ve heard about it, haven''t you?¡± She coldly asked.


    He blinked blankly before responding. ¡°Yeah, I heard about an Amazon with pink being lured into a forest and killed a few years ago. Sounded like she needed a whole army to be taken out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She simply responded. She picked herself up and gave Ezekiel a peck on the forehead. ¡°I''ll be heading home now, take of care of Tina for me.¡±


    For words with such a warm intent, her delivery of them was painfully cold. She soon walked off, without another word said.


    <hr>


    And here lies the reason the image of a crying Tina, brought Ezekiel back this time.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± He said to himself as he leaned against a nearby tree. ¡°I knew she looked familiar!¡± He shouted.


    <hr>


    In all his time as an Assassin, Ezekiel never had many problems with getting the job done. It was almost boring how much good money you could make by killing a bunch of bums no one has heard of. It was almost too easy for him that he couldn''t help but wonder what it would be like to be challenged during a job.


    And he decided to take a risk. There was an opening for a job that was far too little for the higher-ups to earn but more than manageable for them. But incredibly lucrative and near suicidal for the rest.


    He had gotten on the job a bit late but he couldn''t help but want to experience a challenge.


    ¡°Midnight Hunter aka Ezekiel Prescott, correct?¡±


    Two men sat in a tent with Ezekiel being one of them.


    ¡°Correct.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Sample of blood and index fingerprint please?¡±


    The man handed him a needle and he pricked himself before pressing his finger onto a piece of paper on the table.


    ¡°That should be that. Please meet with the group outside.¡±


    He nodded his head and left the tent soon after.


    There were nearly one hundred men outside the tent, preparing themselves whether by sharpening their weapons or getting a last few minutes of sparring to get the blood flowing.


    As Ezekiel walked to the gathering, a dark-skinned man, an inch or so taller than him, approached. He had straight, short-cut hair that looked like it had been recently cut due to some leftover hair on his shoulder.


    ¡°It is you, Ezekiel.¡± The man said.


    ¡°Ey, it''s my main man, Caster!¡± He said as he grabbed the tall man''s cheeks and tried his best to form it in a smile.


    ¡°(I knew I shouldn''t have called to him.) You work for me, we''re not friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on man, just cause I report my work to you doesn''t mean we can''t be-¡±


    The pair instantly froze up and quickly turned around. They pushed off each other and a body flew between them at an incomprehensible speed.


    ¡°Where is he, you bastards?¡± The woman asked.


    She had short-cut pink hair and a litany of small and medium-sized scars across her body. Her body had no defined muscles so she wasn''t going to be winning Mr. Olympias anytime soon but the sheer size of her muscles told them what they needed to know about her strength. Her hands were coated in blood and it was fresh enough it was still dripping.


    A man walked out from the collective as Ezekiel''s caster watched and performed a simple action.


    He threw a corpse to her feet and ran towards her. He swung his sword down and she quickly grabbed his throat while he was still in the air.


    A crackling sound emanated from his body, electricity running through him before his charred corpse fell to the ground.


    She didn''t say a single word but as tears ran down her face, her appearance mimicked an angered beast. No, comparing her to a beast was too kind, she was a monster with no comparison. Everyone gathered together knew one fact, as she quickly approached.


    Their death was now imminent.


    <hr>


    Corpses covered the forest. The trees, grass and even some dirt were now covered in bloodshed. The forest stank of blood and its inhabitants were not shy in taking a bite or two of the various viscera scattered about.


    ¡°Where is his body?¡± The woman asked. She lost an arm and had a sword lodged in his skull. Her eyes were gouged out and her clothing was nothing more than tattered rags that couldn''t even hide her chest anymore, yet, Ezekiel felt as though the pressure alone was going to kill him.


    ¡°You probably turned his body into mulch in our battle.¡± Ezekiel tiredly answered. Of the nearly hundred that started this battle, only six remained. But of the six only Ezekiel was foolish enough to approach her.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her body stopped moving then and there. He didn''t even witness her final breath.


    He fell to his back and looked up to the sky.


    (¡°It¡¯s over.¡±)


    <hr>


    ("Did she cry just like she is now after her mother died?") Ezekiel wondered on the wooden floor.

 Chapter 413

    (¡°I''ll throw you a bone here. Healing yourself with Ki isn''t something the average warrior can do.¡±)


    (¡°Aren''t I lucky?¡±) Tibaut sarcastically remarked. (¡°Still, I feel pretty great¡­ and if I remember correctly, I didn''t do anything crazy like a kamehameha the last time I was like this right? It should just affect my punches and kicks right?¡±)


    Although he couldn''t see them, he could feel them shrugging their shoulders in disinterest. (¡°I suppose so.¡±)


    He scoffed at their reaction and brought his attention to Ash, who seemed to be surveying him with an almost sickly sweet smile plastered on his face.


    ¡°You really are bringing this old man back to better times boy! I haven''t fought a proper martial artist in ages!¡± He said, his voice almost cracking from the anticipation.


    (¡°So it seems like this ki is just a general power boost, unlike mana. Based on how Elizabeth described it, it should be more than enough to even the odds. My arms were starting to feel sore so I guess I ease off the magic for now.¡±)


    Both men closely watched the other and as if a starter pistol was fired they both ran towards the other, with Tibaut clearing a greater distance.


    (¡°Woah!¡±) He said as his own speed caught him off guard.


    Ash swiftly dodged the boy heading towards him like a freight train with Tibaut struggling to stop himself. By the time he had dug his feet deep enough into the ground to stop himself, he narrowly parried a punch aimed at the back of his head. Ash quickly opened his parried hand and created another torrent of flame, albeit smaller this time, that blasted Tibaut in the face. Tibaut quickly backed into him and sent the man flying back a few feet.


    He gave a dry cough before laughing.


    ¡°What''s wrong boy, can''t control it!?¡± He shouted before uppercutting a stone thrown his way. Why did he hit it instead of dodging it? Why wouldn''t he, with each bit of pain this body experienced he was reminded of his newfound youth.


    Tibaut quickly closed the distance with a dropkick that followed the thrown stone. Mr. Bentley again dodged to the side but Tibaut, by opening his arms and catching him with a unique-looking clothesline that caught the young man''s side. The gauntlet on his hands made the blow feel like he had been struck with a hammer.


    The blow sent Ash spinning before falling to his knees, while Tibaut flew a few more metres, landing on the ground and quickly getting back up. He made Ash his first priority, ripping dirt off the floor with every step he took. Ash narrowly managed to jump between the feet of Tibaut as he approached, grabbing one of his legs and tripping him.


    (¡°I see. He has potential but he seems like quite a novice when it comes to using it. It makes sense I suppose, using an untested power against Ezekiel may have been a death sentence.¡±)


    He thought as he burned the air and placed a flame on the boy''s leg before backing away.


    Tibaut pushed himself off the ground and got some considerable time in the air before landing on his feet.


    (¡°Damnit!¡±)


    (¡°Having a hard time? I suppose it''s not-¡±)


    (¡°Shut up you asshole!¡±)


    Tibaut said as he slowly approached Ash. Each time he had tried to run him, he''d somehow end up overshooting, or have a weak deceleration. He decided the best course with his current body was to walk towards him.


    Ash simply shook him and sighed.


    ¡°Wrong choice boy.¡±


    He blasted him with another flame using both his hands clasped together. The flames roared like an untamed beast and Tibaut pushed through with no problem until his gauntlets burned uncomfortably hot. He didn''t care anymore and jumped as high as he could, trying to land anywhere in the vicinity of Ash.


    When he was airborne he saw his gauntlets were red hot at the front and felt as if they moved differently. Closing his fingers definitely felt like it required a bit more force.


    (¡°That bastard, was he staring to melt them!?¡±)


    But as he fell, he realised another part of him was burning. The leg of his pants.


    Ash quickly backed away and Tibaut immediately tried to put out the flame on his leg with a few kicks but it didn''t seem to be working. It was now starting to leave serious burns on Tibaut¡¯s leg and he tried to take his pants leg, only to realise that part of his pants was burnt off ages ago. But it wasn''t useless, he did grab something but it wasn''t part of his pants but the flame itself. He quickly tossed it aside and he used both gauntlets to block an uppercut that was aimed for his face.


    With the gauntlets still quite hot, they hadn''t yet regained their hardness and Ash''s fist left an almost perfect imprint of it on one of them.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The two were now in close quarters and in the corner of his eye, Tibaut noticed the flame on the floor had disappeared.


    (¡°How did he do that?¡±)


    (¡°What, surprised he wasn''t throwing those paltry fireballs you love? You have the same magic but you don''t possibly think it can develop the same do you?¡±)


    Tibaut and Mr. Bentley were locked into a blow of fists but after the first two blows, it was clear who had the advantage.


    The pair had thrown punches, with Bentley landing one on Tibaut¡¯s side and Tibaut¡¯s fist rubbing against his side but Ash quickly went on the defence after feeling that first blow.


    Although the blow hadn''t connected cleanly, the force of it was more than enough to tear pieces of cloth from both the jacket and the shirt he wore and even ripped a portion of skin off.


    Ash was forced to block and parry his punches with each punch he parried taking more and more of the skin on his off or at the very least shaving a small layer of him.


    Another parry got his arm sliced by the blades on Tibaut¡¯s gauntlets and he quickly threw himself into Tibaut slapping both of the boy''s sides.


    The two headbutted and Tibaut attempted an almost telegraphed uppercut. But even with such an obvious attack, Ash was forced to use every muscle in his back to avoid the punch. If he hadn''t been dodging the instant the headbutt ended and his head would have flown high enough to reach the clouds. It scraped against his chin and he breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the Gods that was it.


    The force of the blow was too much for Tibaut to handle and he inadvertently threw himself into the air like Ryu throwing a shoryuken giving Ash some time to back away and catch his breath.


    But even as he backed away, he felt himself stumble to his knee slightly and his head ache slightly.


    (¡°Impossible, that punch caused this much damage with a graze!? Haha, Tibaut you''re amazing! I thought Elizabeth might have been a worthy opponent but you, YOU are a perfect opponent for Ash to make his resurrection as a warrior. To think the world would pick out such a perfect opponent for me to test this body and bring it to its limits.¡±)


    Tibaut threw himself towards Ash, using all fours after falling on the ground. The boy had his attention briefly taken away by something and Ash landed a blow directly to the face of Tibaut, sending him flat onto the floor.


    (¡°Gah, it''s these flames again!¡±)


    The flames on the side of his body that Ash placed on him had now heated up to an unbearable temperature, even for him. He pulled them off and threw them back at him as Ash threw another punch at the grounded Tibaut. They dissipated as soon as his fist descended on Tibaut. A second or two passed without the fist slamming into his gauntlets and he soon felt an indescribably painful blow strike his crotch.


    ¡°GAFFGGFHH¡± He shouted in pain with glazed-over eyes.


    (¡°You do know he has body parts other than his fists right?¡±)


    Ash backed away as Tibaut gritted his teeth, got back up and threw what looked like a curved blade of flame. Tibaut dodged it but it wasn''t just one Ash threw. He continued to dodge the onslaught until one caught him and wrapped around his arm.


    (¡°Huh? Is this?¡±)


    (¡°It seems he''s combining his earlier attack with a that, hmm, yes let''s call them sticky flames.¡±) The voice chimed.


    He immediately tried to pull it off but it was far more difficult to take off compared to the earlier flames.


    He ducked a punch from Ash, who had silently made his way over and was forced to block and dodge Ash''s rock-hard fists.


    He was focused on the flame as he knew how hot it could get if he left it there for long enough. It might even burn his arm off if he wasn''t careful.


    But that didn''t mean he didn''t try to attack. He parried a blow and pushed himself forward to land an elbow strike on Ash''s jaw.


    The young man pushed it aside almost too casually, smirking all the way before landing a blow on his face.


    (¡°Ah, yes. F.Y.I. the elbow you used to do that little trick earlier isn''t fully healed so it still moves a little sluggish compared to the rest of you. It''s the reason you missed that uppercut you tried to land earlier as well.¡±)


    (¡°And you''re just now telling me!?¡±)


    (¡°Of course, you can''t expect me to fight your fights for you.¡±)


    Tibaut tried to throw a punch at Ash''s face but he used too much force and ended up flinging himself over his shoulder.


    Ash briefly let his guard down and had Tibaut¡¯s knee greet his face. He managed to block it but both of his arms screamed out in pain based on their cracking and the force of the blow, even if he did block it, left him somewhat dazed for a moment.


    Tibaut was left with his stomach resting on Ash''s shoulders and used the brief moment to rip the flame off his arm, as it had now gotten unbearable and slapped it onto Ash''s, with the sound of sizzling instantly being heard.


    Ash soon threw him upward slightly and landed a blow to his nether regions with his fist this time. Ash''s strength allowed him to keep Tibaut in the air in such a position with only his fist.


    Ash''s fist was conveniently about the same height as his neck and Tibaut showed no restraint with his counterattack, bringing a knee to his face.


    Both fell to the ground, with both breathing heavily and clutching the parts that experienced immense.


    (¡°Is my jaw broken?¡±) Ash wondered as he felt his jaw and moved it from side to side.


    (¡°Well it wasn''t as if you were going to be using them anytime soon.¡±) The drake commented.


    Tibaut could only whimper in pain as he picked himself up. Mr. Bentley quickly got up as soon as he saw Tibaut do so and placed one of those flames in his face. Tibaut headbutted him and pulled the flame off before slapping it on his face.


    It dissipated but the brief moment he was blinded by it gave Tibaut enough time to land a punch in the face.


    It was with the weakened arm but you wouldn''t have been able to tell. The punch sent Mr. Bentley flying a whole ten feet backwards.


    Thankfully, his blows to Tibaut¡¯s royal jewels were the only reason he had a face left to begin with.


    He placed a finger on one side of his nose and blew the blood out. He sat up and looked at Tibaut who was quickly approaching, his battered face no longer showing amusement.


    (¡°He''s tougher than I expected. It seems this new body alone isn''t going to be enough to snuff out his flame.¡±)

 Chapter 414

    He blocked a kick to his chest with both arms that sent him flying backwards, managing to roll back to his feet.


    (¡°My arms!¡±) Ash lamented while flicking them. He had no time to survey their damage as he quickly rolled forward to dodge an axe kick by Tibaut, only to be caught by a back kick. He was already rolling away so the blow had been lessened, but it wasn''t as it did nothing.


    He quickly sprang to his feet, jumping away as far as he could and he thankfully could only hear an audible scoff exit Tibaut¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°(Heh, that''s right, isn''t it? He can''t control himself, so he fears-) Guhuahk!?¡±


    He had jumped about eight feet into the air so it came as a bit of a surprise he felt something slam into his back. He was forcefully turned around by the impact and witnessed as Tibaut flew past him, narrowly blocking the kick he attempted.


    (¡°Damnit, I shouldn''t have taken my eyes off him!¡±)


    Both of them fell to the floor with Ash falling face first and Tibaut landing on his feet, quickly recovering, making his way back to Mr. Bentley.


    The exhaustion of the battle was starting to catch up with him, and he couldn''t help but gasp for air as Tibaut approached. Sweat droplets started to form on his head and the sight of one of the burns on Tibaut¡¯s healing almost-


    (¡°That''s right. The boy can heal from my attacks, no wonder he isn''t slowing¡­ then I''ll simply have to end it in one strike.¡±)


    He blocked a kick aimed at his head and it felt as though one of his arms was going to shatter into a million pieces. Like the last blow, the strength Tibaut assaulted him with was more than enough to throw him back to his feet.


    ¡°Hey, old bastard, if you give up now, I won''t kill you. How does that sound?¡± Tibaut said as he watched both of the man''s arms shake from that last blow. Even with all the evil Mr. Bentley had committed, he still wasn''t going to kill until absolutely necessary. However, the fact he was Ezekiel¡¯s father probably had more of a factor than any sort of mercy Tibaut possessed.


    Ash laughed at the spare time he was given by the boy and started forming a few flames around him.


    ¡°I see.¡± Tibaut kicked some dirt up, before rushing him down as carefully as he could.


    Ash was quick to cover his eyes with an arm but as soon as he removed it, he had to throw himself into Tibaut to avoid a blow aimed at his face.


    (¡°You really should stop using that arm.¡±)


    (¡°Shut up, it should be quick enough even if it''s injured.¡±)


    (¡°Well swinging it around certainly isn''t doing it any favours.¡±)


    (¡°Okay so how long would it take to heal if I started using it?¡±)


    (¡°About six minutes or so. You can fight that long with one arm, right?¡±)


    He scoffed at the suggestion and tried to grab Ash in a bear hug from his close proximity.


    He managed it but soon let go when Ash placed two sticky flames on his back. His shirt was already burnt off, leaving the flames in direct contact with his skin. He tried to kick at him and reach for the flames on his back in motion but was only successful in the latter.


    Ash was now starting to get a read on Tibaut¡¯s movements, though admittedly, the kick he tried to hit him with was very sloppy.


    He soon saw light sources around the dirt road they were fighting and wondered if they gathered attention.


    (¡°Shit, if the other people show up, who knows what this bastard might try to do to escape!¡±)


    He looked around but quickly realised he was mistaken. The lights weren''t the torches of people but rather, flames Ash had created that were getting brighter.


    (¡°This might not be the end but it should buy dime time to go get it.¡±) As they stood opposite of each other, he breathed a sigh and wiped some sweat off his forehead. (¡°It''s coming back to me. This battle has been an ordeal, but I suppose without a challenge on this scale, I wouldn''t have knocked the rust from my bones.¡±)


    ¡°Young man, you talked about my surrender, correct?¡±


    As Tibaut kept Ash in view, he noticed the surroundings were getting increasingly hot. Not only that, but the flames that were in his vision were glowing even brighter, lighting up the streets as well as an LED street light.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°I think I could say the same for you right now.¡±


    (¡°I hate I''m using so much mana so soon but, I do still have access to that if it comes down to it, so mana shouldn''t be too much of a worry.¡±)


    The worrying thing about these flames, so close to Ash, was the fact that even with ten feet of distance between them, their heat was this prominent.


    The breathing was visibly heavy, so it seemed this technique took a lot out of him.


    (¡°It''s quite interesting how differently you two approach your magic. You''re more inclined on firepower and destructive force, while the geezer seems more focused on the heat itself¡­ okay that was a lie, teehee, I couldn''t care less about-¡±)


    The only reason Tibaut hadn''t flung himself into Ash was those deadly flames but¡­ if waited any longer he knew those flames would be hot enough to cause him major damage.


    He gritted his teeth and quickly jogged over. But even a jog in his current form would seem like a sprint to anyone else.


    And Ash brought the four flames he gathered forward.


    They weren''t very quick but from the first contact of their reignited combat, Tibaut could tell they were going to be a nuisance.


    After the first punch, he had to bring his back arm to make sure it didn''t touch him. At this distance, he could feel the level of heat radiating from the flame.


    ¡°I welcome you Tibaut¡­ to Death Valley. (Ah, how long has it been since I¡¯ve said this? Almost forty years I believe.)¡± He said.


    As they blocked and threw punches at each other, Tibaut immediately realised why this was such a danger. Maybe it was because he was a user of fire himself that it came to him instantaneously.


    It was similar to that flame veil he used, in the sense that heat alone would sap the strength of any poor soul that tried to get some close-range combat in. He couldn''t imagine how brutal this would be if you didn''t resist flames, as even his skin was starting to hurt.


    As they continued their brawl, Tibaut would have to duck and dodge at unexpected points due to the flames. Every time he thought he had a clear hit on Ash''s skull, he would have to sidestep at the last moment to avoid a flame being dragged his way.


    The other, more nefarious part of this technique was the moving flames. While they were slow, they weren''t something that could be ignored by a regular person. Every time you threw a punch, you would question yourself if it was or wasn''t a faint. It causes hesitation on every punch. Because if it was, he''d likely get you with a flame and burn you straight to the bone.


    But even for someone like Tibaut who could withstand more than the average person and showed no hesitation, the movement of the flames alone was more than enough to throw off his rhythm.


    The obvious move for anyone not like Tibaut was to run away but considering the techniques Ash showed earlier, he may have wanted this for opponents who relied on close-quarters combat.


    He tried to bat one away and it only went back a few feet before leaving that part of his gauntlet red hot.


    He managed to dodge a blow from Ash and attempted to grab his arm, but a flame that touched his side had him dropping that idea.


    The pair continued to toil away at each other with neither man having a clear advantage, until Tibaut stepped into a blow of Ash.


    The blow was bad enough, but its force pushed him into two of the flames, and it was then that Tibaut realised the flame hadn''t truly touched him yet. He heard his skin sizzle from the heat and heard a pop from the dead skin, sweat and somewhat moist dirt gathered on his skin.


    He quickly pushed them off, but his lack of concern for Ash, made him easy pickings. Another blow slammed his head and another his jaw. He tried to dig his fingers into the side of him but Ash parried before kicking his face with another blow.


    (¡°Maybe his regeneration wasn''t as bad as I thought, maybe I might actually-¡±)


    He let his guard down. He thought his victory was sealed and within a moment, Tibaut used all the force he could muster. Ash tried to dodge but it was no punch or strike. He grabbed his throat. The flames were currently touching him, but he showed no care for them.


    With the force he flung his hand, it might well have been a punch from the pain it left his neck in. A thumb was all that connected with his neck initially, but that was all he needed to give him a good grip on him.


    (¡°So you really did think, you could defeat him without killing him? By the way, those burns you receive have gone to muscle. Just a fun fact from your guardian angel showing you what being merciful gets you.¡±)


    (¡°I''ll tone it down, and if he lives, he lives, if he doesn''t, well that''s the end of that.¡±) He thought as he began forming a fireball, his rage somewhat dulling his mind.


    (¡°I can''t believe you''d ignore me!¡±) They said in a bashful tone.


    The flames continued to press into him, going deeper into him and his grip on Ash grew tighter.


    But Ash quickly punched his arm away, freeing himself and Tibaut quickly backed away, having had enough of the flames.


    Ash wondered why he didn''t kill him but quickly remembered a factoid about a fight of his from Elizabeth.


    (¡°I''m alive for such a stupid reason!?¡±) The old man thought as he turned around and began running. Given his age and how infrequently he used ki, he might not have known of the reason it failed.


    As Tibaut watched him run back towards the Branch Building, he couldn''t help but wonder one thing. (¡°Why didn''t my magic come out?¡±)


    (¡°Ah, would you like an explanation? You see, magic and ki are considered opposing forces traditionally. Would you want to hazard a guess why?¡±)


    Tibaut got to his feet and started chasing after Ash. He didn''t have time for this.


    (¡°It''s a funny thing really. Whenever you''re using ki, to make a long explanation short, you can''t make use of your mana. It''s why that Elizabeth girl you know hasn''t switched over to it in the time she''s lost access to her magic. It''d be a waste to learn something like that after she had refined her own magic so greatly.¡±)


    (¡°I hate you.¡±) Tibaut simply thought as he jumped up to the window of the branch building, pulling himself up to the ledge.

 Chapter 415

    (¡°Why the hell did you even come back anyway?¡±) Tibaut thought as he looked around the room before jumping inside.


    (¡°What, isn''t it because I obviously missed you? You''re my favourite fool, you know.¡±)


    The old man wasn''t anywhere on site on a cursory glance and worst, the door was open. What was bastard planning to do with-


    Ash quickly kicked him back outside as he looked around and Tibaut managed to land flush on his feet. The old man hid to the side of the window and used his surprise attack to get Tibaut outside. Perhaps he wasn''t comfortable fighting in such a small space?


    He quickly jumped back outside with a weapon in hand.


    (¡°So that''s where it was¡­¡±) Tibaut thought to himself as he observed the weapon in Ash''s hands.


    ¡°It''s been a while since I''ve used this.¡±


    Tibaut quickly closed in and all Ash had to do was trip him. He flipped over and went back first into the branch building.


    (¡°It''s nice to know that whenever he goes quicker than I can react, he can''t control his movement.¡±)


    Tibaut could move at a similar speed to Mr. Bentley but whenever he tried to go beyond he''d end up having either too little traction on the ground or reacting too slowly to stop himself.


    Ash continued as Tibaut got up and approached him at a more reasonable pace.


    ¡°I''ll have you know I haven''t always used this sword, and nor did I have it at my current age.¡±


    He answered as he blocked a blow from Tibaut with the greatsword. In his hand was the same greatsword Ezekiel used the first time he met him. It was a thick sword with a wide point at its tip. It looked more like something you used to smash someone''s bones than cleanly cut a hand off. But Tibaut could clearly tell the blade had been honed.


    Tibaut tried to push the sword out of the way and get a clean hit in but the old man flicked the sword around as if it was no heavier than a feather and blocked his strike again.


    ¡°It was a gift from a friend of mine in my later years. I''m not sure why he gave such a lovely weapon to me-¡± Tibaut swept his legs and the old man attempted to slash with the blade. Tibaut blocked the attack and kicked him.


    Ash somehow dodged the kick and placed a leg of his over Tibaut''s as the kick was still going, which threw his leg with enough force sending his lower half upwards.


    Tibaut blocked another slash with his gauntlets, as he used this momentum to try another attack on Tibaut. He soon landed on his feet facing Tibaut.


    ¡°But the instant I received it, I had a thought. What if I had this weapon back in my youth? What if a young bundle of energy had time to grow and move forward with this weapon instead of a man past his prime who wasted his youth in misery? What if this version of me had such a weapon!?¡±


    He said, with the long-gone smile suddenly returning to his face.


    (¡°He''s changed up his style with the sword¡­¡±) Tibaut thought as he watched the old man continue to prattle. He couldn''t care less about what that old man had to say.


    (¡°Really?¡±)


    ¡°I swear if that boy had learned to use the sword in my own style then-¡±


    (¡°What the hell?¡±) He thought as he listened.


    (¡°Now that''s not nice now, is it? You should respect the elderly.¡±)


    The voice in his head had somehow forced him to listen to the old man''s prattling. His aura flared from the audacity of this act and he made his way towards Ash like a raging bull.


    (¡°He''s moving faster than me but he''s nowhere the speeds he ran at me earlier.¡±)


    Ash summoned two flames next to him before running towards him.


    The two clashed with their weapons, both men feeling its sting. Mr. Bentley¡¯s sword was pushed away to the side and Tibaut tried to crush his head with a gauntlet. Ash used the momentum of his parried sword for a kick and both men missed due to the other man''s wary.


    He continued spinning himself and came back around with his sword. Tibaut stopped it with the forearm of his gauntlet and it felt like he had tried to stop a hammer. He was sure if the gauntlet didn''t absorb some of the impact, he would have broken his forearm.


    He was in a lowered position and Ash quickly backed away, moving back as soon as a punch landed on his hip.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Even then the punch nearly sent him onto his knees. He managed to use the momentum instead and spun around.


    (¡°This boy, if that punch had landed cleanly, it might leave my hip in worse shape than when I was an old man!¡±)


    (¡°He seems to be using the weight of the blade to fling himself around. It¡¯s a lot more loose of a fighting style than the one he was using earlier.¡±)


    The old man soon threw his sword towards him like a hammer throw. The unexpected attack had Tibaut quickly batting the blade towards the air, as soon as he was within arm''s length of it. But afterwards, he didn''t see Ash anywhere until he quickly looked up and dodged to the side, before blocking again.


    The old man jumped into the air after throwing the sword and planned to stomp on Tibaut. But with the boy so generously giving his weapon back, he may as well use it and slam it down. Tibaut blocked the follow-up attack as he rushed towards him.


    For now, he decided to observe the style and make note of any weaknesses but¡­


    (¡°Already!?¡±)


    (¡°Already!? Says the man who wasted time with this nonsense. You should have gone all out when you had the chance.¡±)


    The flames that followed Ash were now hot enough to be felt. And they glowed a glow bright enough to blind Tibaut if one was thrown in his face.


    Like a student who didn''t study as much as they should with a test paper in their face, he decided he waited long enough and went into the thick of it.


    And found himself confused when Ash touched one of them with his blade, completely getting rid of it.


    He sliced upwards, throwing himself backwards with a flip and Tibaut stepped forward before quickly stepping back.


    (¡°Didn''t he just!?¡±)


    The brief distraction allowed Ash to swipe at his chest with the blade. The leather straps that held it must have been weakened by the heat of the flames when they touched his skin earlier because the force of the sword ripped the chest plate off one side of him. Although it had some straps remaining, its dangling did him more harm than good.


    He backed away and ripped it off, before spinning himself around as Ash approached. He threw the chest plate at the man like a discus and slid across the ground.


    He blocked the chest plate but noticed Tibaut too late. He caught his legs with his own and tripped the orange-haired bastard.


    He quickly moved his legs trying to smash his throat with a kick but Ash was quick enough to raise his sword to block. He blocked with the blade and was unpleasantly surprised when Tibaut¡¯s leg survived it and the blade an inch or so from his neck.


    Tibaut wore a metal plate on his leg that now had a massive gash, but it was better the armour be damaged than his own leg.


    Ash pushed his leg off and Tibaut quickly rolled to the side when one of the flames approached him. He got back to his feet and approached the now-standing Ash as well but quickly jumped up and kicked off his chest to back away when he felt the heat build by his legs.


    He saw a bright flame now where his feet used to be.


    (¡°What the hell is doing? Is he making them appear and disappear? Can you do that, I thought it took time to build their heat up.¡±)


    (¡°Hmm, you got a C for getting the end result. If you defend it for another minute I might tell you how it works.¡±)


    (¡°Could you please shut up, each time you say you know something that puts my life in danger and say nothing until it happens, all I can think about is finding a cactus and shoving it so far up your ass you can taste the shit covered thorns when it comes out of your mout-¡±)


    He blocked the blade, but it seemed he swung himself with enough force he could attempt an axe kick that landed solidly on Tibaut¡¯s shoulder. It sent him to a knee and Ash tried to end with a final slam of the sword.


    Tibaut pushed it aside and quickly stepped on the blade of the sword, jerking Ash downwards and lifting a foot to kick his head off. But as soon as his foot was about to hit, he noticed one of the flames approaching. Where was it? Did he manage to make it disappear at some point?


    He connected with Ash''s head and sent the young man tumbling back but he was the one that was left scrambling. Unlike the last flames, that bastard had somehow managed to make these ones sticky as well. It connected to the metal plate he wore on his leg and he was forced to rip it off. It had somehow managed to char the leather straps on it, which made removal easy but he couldn''t help but gasp at what happened to it. It felt solid when he took it off but, by the time it reached the floor, all that was left was some red-hot liquid metal with an almost white flame on top of it.


    He ducked a slash from Ash that took some more hair off his head and he quickly remembered he still had a fight left to finish.


    He blocked and parried the movements of Ash but every time he thought he had an opportunity those damn flames would get into his way. Instead of catching him by surprise, it looked like Ash was back to his old strategy of moving them to annoy and restrict his movements.


    Tibaut managed to find an opening. He parried his sword into a flame, getting rid of it and used his fist on that side to land a punch.


    (¡°He was probably just trying to fuck with me. If I saw it disappear normally I''d be way more suspicious.¡±)


    And as his fist flew closer and closer, the young couldn''t help but wear a smile on his face.


    The flame reappeared and Tibaut kept his fist sailing.


    He connected with Ash''s face and a sizzling sound was heard as the man was sent to the ground a few feet away.


    ¡°Ah! F-fuck!¡± Tibaut whimpered in pain. He took the gauntlet off and threw it to the floor. The fingers of it were completely melted, though the rest remained, with a warm red glow taking it over.


    His hand was covered in burns and the skin was even peeling, sliding off at some parts.


    As he clutched his hand and looked towards Ash, he could only curse under his breath. It wasn''t enough.


    (¡°I should have let it heal when I was observing him!¡±) He said to himself.


    He now had a burn on the side of his face, with a now vacant expression, but the man still managed to get back to his feet.


    (¡°I should have known one punch wasn''t going to be enough.¡±)

 Chapter 416

    Ash managed to stumble back to his feet and felt the side of his face. The flame that stuck onto Tibaut¡¯s gauntlet quickly left the pool of metal it sat in and returned back to his side. He took a moment to catch his breath and watched as Tibaut glared at him while clutching that, now, nasty-looking hand of his.


    He rubbed the side of his face that had been burnt and winced before pulling his hand away. Thankfully it didn''t seem to be anywhere in the same category of damage as Tibaut¡¯s fist.


    He stumbled backwards and quickly used his sword as a cane to keep himself on his feet.


    (¡°Bloody hell, I don''t think I''ve felt a punch that miserable before. She was quite skilled with her magic so her strength wasn''t anything to write home about and that short bastard would always hold back when we trained.¡±)


    He looked to Tibaut, as if pleading with him to let this go. If this fight went on any further it wasn''t likely either man would survive the aftermath. So please, young man, give up already and let this re-youthed man go to the furthest reaches of the world and fade into obscurity. It''s foolish to continue any further-


    Tibaut coldly stared at him before bringing up his only good hand. He signalled for him to bring it on and stood his ground.


    (¡°You''re not gonna get away with this shit you old bastard. I nearly lost people I''ve grown to love to your bullshit. I won''t be happy until your face looks like mincemeat.¡±)


    (¡°Do think suddenly mentioning love is gonna give you some boo-¡±)


    (¡°Oh screw it.¡±) Ash tiredly thought. He had this battle in the bag with what he had in his pocket. It wouldn''t hurt to go further with this whole thing and see how far he could bring Tibaut into ruin without using it.


    His knees were uncontrollably shaking from his damage and he slapped them in an attempt to pump himself up. He looked at Tibaut with a smirk that slowly faded to a more serious glare.


    He sent the flames towards Tibaut. It wasn''t until they were within range of fists that Tibaut jumped over them and ran towards Ash.


    Ash lifted up his sword and stood his ground. Tibaut held his hand behind him to keep it out of harm''s way as it was fragile enough currently and missed a flying kick aimed at Ash.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    (¡°Hmm?¡±) He thought as he observed. In addition to other differences, he could tell Tibaut¡¯s burnt hand was forming skin over it.


    (¡°That bastard, was he stalling for time? I thought you had a backbone, you teething brat!¡±)


    He quickly swung his sword and slammed his fist into his head after Tibaut blocked the sword. Now that Tibaut was no longer using his other hand, Ash no longer worried about being grabbed or worse if he attacked with his free hand.


    Tibaut missed with a kick as he backed away and dodged a sword slash that aimed to cut everything below his knee off.


    Ash exploited his momentum and tried to close in on Tibaut with a punch that was blocked by a jumping knee from Tibaut. Ash pulled his fist back, as his body no longer was able to take these blows like nothing. Tibaut grabbed his head hoping to smash his head with a knee strike but quickly let go when he noticed the two flames quickly approaching.


    Ash managed to slash his chin with a quick slice but its width was far greater than its depth and, to be frank, it was the least serious injury he gave Tibaut. Tibaut parried it with his one hand and tripped Ash before pushing him backwards with an absurd amount of force.


    He moved his flames upwards and landed back on his feet.


    (¡°Trust me, boy, burning me with my own flames is a fluke that I won''t allow to happen again.¡±)


    He dodged a jumping back kick from Tibaut and attempted to cut him in half the moment he landed, from the bottom up.


    Tibaut punched down the sword and both landed glancing blows with another kick from Tibaut and a punch from Ash respectively.


    Tibaut quickly rolled forward to dodge the flames coming down and the old man watched in contemplation.


    (¡°He''s lost a hand yet he doesn''t feel any more manageable¡­¡±)


    He soon witnessed Tibaut take his shoes off and fling them at him. He batted them away and could only shake his head at such a pathetic display.


    (¡°And I thought we were taking this seriously.¡±) He thought as he looked back to the guild building.


    (¡°That girl better make sure to keep to herself. I''m in no mood to deal with her after this boy. Tch, I should have known better to let that boy get close with people like her with the dealings we usually ma-¡±)


    His eyes soon turned back to the shoes on the floor. He noticed they had various holes where the toes were supposed to be.


    And within a moment, Tibaut cleared the distance. He sighed thinking the boy had just thrown himself into another wall but he nearly had his heart fly out of his throat when he realised Tibaut quickly stopped himself and landed a blow to his stomach. He had only held his sword over his stomach by chance. If it weren''t there, he was sure the fight would have ended here.


    He quickly tried to reach into his pocket but it was like the boy had gotten a second wind. With only a single fist, he was overwhelmed. He even dodged the flames and continued to overwhelm the old man.


    (¡°What chang-¡±)

 Chapter 417

    He quickly looked to the ground and noticed the shape of his footprints had changed. From what he could see, it looked like the boy had trouble gripping the floor, and with the removal of his shoes, was now using different parts of his feet as an anchor. It looked like his shoes were holding him back.


    And it did, with his shoes on, combined with his strength it was like he was fighting on a floor that was covered in soapy water. He could feel his toenails scream at him each time he dug his toes into the dirt but the fight was far more manageable now.


    Also, if you were wondering why Ash was so preoccupied with the floor, he was sent to it about 10 seconds into his clash with Tibaut.


    He tried again to reach for his pocket and had the hand he used kicked like a football. He clutched his hand and screamed in pain as Tibaut looked on.


    He dodged the flames coming from behind and Tibaut had had enough of those. He grabbed his sword out of his hands before slicing through them and sticking the sword in the ground.


    (¡°I also assume you knew my shoes weren''t doing me any favours?¡±) He asked.


    (¡°Just because I know a lot of things, why do you think I''m in any way shape or form indebted to tell you?¡±)


    He turned back to Ash, grabbing his collar before lifting him off the floor. He felt the heat reappear behind him. He quickly slammed Ash into them and he got rid of them in an instant.


    They burnt the front of his shirt and his jacket, revealing a burnt chest underneath.


    He began fanning the air and Ash sighed before being slammed into the dirt.


    ¡°You''ve figured it out.¡± He said as he struggled to take Tibaut¡¯s hand off him. All that energy he had earlier was gone and he now moved like, funnily enough, like a feeble old man.


    ¡°Somewhat. You''re manipulating the mana left from your dispersed magic, correct?¡±


    (¡°Wow, I didn''t think you''d solve it so quickly.¡±)


    (¡°Well that''s how I form my fireballs. I release the mana and even move it if I have to. Like with those fireballs I try to hit from behind. So with those if you know where your mana is and you''re close enough you can create your magic again, right?¡±)


    (¡°Correct but give the old man his props. It isn''t something you''ll be capable of for a while, if ever.¡±)


    (¡°Why not?¡±)


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    (¡°...¡±)


    (¡°Whatever you bastard.¡±)


    Ash again tried to reach into his pocket and Tibaut stomped his arm.


    ¡°What are you trying to reach for anyway?¡±


    The young man on the floor tried to rake Tibaut¡¯s face with his other hand but he quickly dodged and grabbed it. He held it up and twisted it around before using his healed arm to slam it at the elbow and turn it from a straight angle to a reflex angle.


    Ash whimpered in pain, trying to choke it down and looked into the face of Tibaut.


    ¡°Haven''t I l-lost alr-ready young man?¡± He asked. The sweat pooled on his forehead and he looked like he was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°You heard what I said, didn''t you?¡±


    Ash''s face paled.


    ¡°Now that you''re a young man, you should be able to take more than a beating, shouldn''t you be an old man?¡±


    He tried again to reach into his pocket and Tibaut slapped his bloodied hand aside and took the sack out of his pocket.


    He released Ash and stomped on his leg before looking inside.


    (¡°A dark powder¡­ it isn''t!?¡±)


    (¡°It is.¡±)


    He closed the drawstring sack and sighed before being forced to block a sword blow from Ash. It seemed the old man wasn''t as totally out of it as he appeared.


    The old man grabbed the sack with his bloodied hand and before he could open it, Tibaut slammed his gauntlet into Ash¡¯s head, caving it in.


    He quickly turned him on his back and listened to his chest. His heart still beat, and he felt a bit of relief. Mr. Bentley was a deplorable human being but it''d likely rub the others the wrong way if he killed him before they could learn the truth from his own mouth. If was quick he could return back to the mansion and-


    The sack in the man''s hand caught his attention. While his life was important, getting rid of that sack was more so. He quickly pulled it out of his bloody hand and¡­


    (¡°That''s strange. It feels sorta lighter¡±)


    He lifted it up and noticed the bottom of it had a small cut. But it wasn''t anywhere near a size for all the powder to spill out before he or Ash noticed.


    (¡°It must have been when he threw the sword at me and I dropped it.¡±)


    He looked back to the area he stopped the sword but there wasn''t so much as a drop of dark powder on the ground. Maybe the darkness of the night was making it hard to see.


    As he turned around he noticed something different about Ash''s bloody hand. It was covered in a dark black liquid.


    He grabbed it to get a better look and it quickly seeped into his wounds.


    He could only blankly stare at the now bloodless hand.


    (¡°Is¡­is that bad?¡±)


    He''d always heard about it being bad if it got in their mouth, so what was going to happen if it got in his hand?


    (¡°¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥¡±)


    Deciding not to chance it, he quickly laid himself on Ash''s chest and began his ground and pound.


    But after the first hit, he felt a hand reach under his thigh and throw him off, a few feet to the side.

 Chapter 418

    Tibaut quickly rolled back to his feet and cursed under his breath when he saw what was a few feet away.


    Ash rolled and got up to his feet as well, breathing a sigh when he felt the top of his head. His finger didn''t go as far into his head as Tibaut expected so he may have had his skull healed.


    Most of the burn that covered part of his face was gone though a few small spots remained, the only evidence he was even burned in the first place. His dislocated arm was now back in place, though given his face when he moved it, it may not have been fully healed.


    He created a whip of fire in his hand and dragged his sword over. Tibaut tried to hit him with a surprise attack but the old man dodged the punch, with it instead ripping a few strands of hair from his head when he ducked. He tried to land a counter punch but Tibaut kicked his fist at his lowered stance and backed away the moment he swung his sword.


    The sword caught his leg but the metal plate he wore only left him feeling like he had been hit by a bat instead of losing a leg.


    Ash raised himself while observing the changes in his body.


    (¡°My strength has increased but I''d say it''s only evened the gap between us. I''m not sure I can even take an onslaught of blows from him in this state. But I suppose that isn''t the true purpose of this.¡±)


    He summoned five flames around himself that instantly lit up the dark dirt road they both used.


    (¡°Amazing. Truth be told, even if I managed to last another minute or so with the boy, my mana would have run out. I can''t imagine what he would have done to me then.¡±)


    But he noticed something strange as he summoned his flames. He''d usually feel the heat they put off when they got this hot, but right now, he couldn''t.


    He raised an eyebrow and brought them closer until they were less than an inch from his skin and he finally felt something.


    (¡°Does this powder increase your natural resistances as well!?¡±) He thought, bringing closer to his skin.


    (¡°What the hell is he doing!¡±) Tibaut wondered as he watched him. Given what he heard from Elizabeth, the best course of action with him looking like this was to buy as much time as possible. But it looked like this orange-haired¡­ Now that the light he was providing was so bright, he noticed something strange about Ash''s hair.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    (¡°Huh? Is it just me or does his hair look weird?¡±)


    (¡°Idiot, what happened to the boy you killed in the dungeon?¡±)


    (¡°But his hair looks more dirty than it does black.¡±)


    Ash''s hair had a dirty look to it. It was like he rubbed some charcoal in his. There was a noticeable dark hue in it and he now had black highlights, but his hair was clearly orange no matter where you looked at him from. It seemed this was the most it affected person''s appearance outside of the dungeon.


    (¡°But anyway, it looks like he''s trying to get himself killed with that new power.¡±)


    But when the flame touched his skin, and he removed it, the light made it easy to see there was no discernable burn.


    Tibaut looked on in awe before closing his mouth and readying himself to run away. (¡°Oh fuck off, it was hard enough when both of us were being careful about those flames.¡±) He thought as he looked at his gauntlet on the floor. The thought of defending himself against those flames with one hand was enough to throw away his pride and start looking for ways to stall out this conflict as long as possible. Maybe if he ran away and followed him from a distance until this ran out then maybe he wouldn''t have to deal with this-


    As he thought about when this black powder would run its course on Ash, a similar thought popped into his mind for him.


    (¡°How long do I have left in this an-¡±)


    As he looked at his arm-


    (¡°Hold on a second!¡±) He thought as he observed his hand. What happened to him? The fight had taken so much of his focus that he hadn''t realised what happened to his body.


    He looked at more parts of his body and grew concerned. ¡°What''s happening to me!?¡±


    (¡°Hmm? Is that boy now just realising? And I was here wondering why he hadn''t attacked me yet. He probably hasn''t had to fight an opponent this long while using ki. And here I thought a single, decisive blow was what I needed but perhaps, all I needed to do was-¡±)


    Ash turned around and started booking it outta there. Within no less than ten metres he felt an arm on his shoulder. Given the burns on his clothing, the shoulder of his jacket easily pulled and he swung himself around like a top, trying to swipe at the side of Tibaut. Tibaut parried with the gauntlet but was parried himself by Ash''s other hand before Ash was slammed by the still burnt and rather unsightly-looking hand of Tibaut. Ash was sent to the floor but instantly backed away when he sent the flames towards him.


    After running for how long, the flames finally stopped when he had put over 15 metres between himself and Ash. He could clear that distance in seconds, so it wasn''t an issue for him, what was, was his body. His body as a whole looked like it had the life drained out of it. He looked like he hadn''t eaten in days and even that punch he landed on Ash didn''t feel as impactful as earlier.


    (¡°Fun fact. You have five minutes left with this ki.¡±)


    (¡°But what happened to my body-¡±)


    (¡°You have under two minutes left, if you don''t want to use your organs and even blood as fuel to maintain your ki. But if you want to turn into a Sokushinbutsu that''s your decision.¡±)

 Chapter 419

    He quickly ran back to Ash, his desperation present with every step he took.


    His aura flared up, with a bright blue aura instead of the pale blue hue he wore earlier.


    But it seemed this might not have been a good thing.


    (¡°Oh, you''re really going all out now, you have about thirty seconds left before you start eating into your body.¡±)


    Tibaut reacted to his sentence and his eyes went directly onto the body of Ash, completely ignoring the flames chasing behind him.


    He couldn''t even comprehend how he''d defeat Ash in those five minutes, much less thirty goddammit seconds!


    (¡°How am I supposed to kill him, he''s a tricky bastard with all sorts of tricks left up his sleeve, and why the hell did I get this stupid horse shit anyway, who the hell discovered a power that can kil¡­. Ash Bentley.)


    It seemed the stress of the situation caused Tibaut to regress from a man to a beast. He completely ridded himself of his thoughts and focused on a single objective. Killing Ash.


    Ash quickly removed his flames as Tibaut approached and formed three into his hand. He blocked a kick from Tibaut and the force of it sent him three buildings back.


    ¡°A final gambit, eh!? Bring it on lad, your sloppy attempt isn''t going to-¡±


    His ribs were broken. He noticed it after he caught his breath. He took another punch to his face that set him flying backwards. He quickly formed the flames around his hand into a glove and kept two other flames behind to follow him. Although they burnt his hand, it''d be a while before they caused any serious damage and with Tibaut in the state he was, he didn''t imagine he''d have to bear it long.


    He blocked with the flaming fist and left Tibaut¡¯s fist charred. It broke his hand and he took another blow from Tibaut, this time a kick into a punch from the gauntlet. He placed both of the flames on Tibaut¡¯s gauntlet, melting it in mere moments. He flicked his hand forward splashing the face of Ash with liquid metal and something odd.


    It was Tibaut¡¯s hand. It had been reduced to an exterior of charcoal and an interior of almost gooey and soft cooked flesh. The flames still stuck to the hand, slowly turning it to charcoal but Ash had higher concerns.


    Tibaut smashed his face again with his charred nub that used to carry a hand and got him on the floor. Ash tried his best to fight him off with the hand of flame and sword. The sword was stopped with Tibaut¡¯s arms, leaving a massive gash and showing the bone of an upper arm and a forearm, using both bones to block it. It was apparent ki reinforced his body and likewise, he intuited his bones were stronger as well.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    He grabbed his sword and threw it aside.


    Ash brought his other hand to the side of Tibaut and dug into his side, managing to burn a sizable hole in him revealing his abdominal cavity. Before he could push his hand any further and burn any of the multitude of internal organs shown to him, Tibaut slammed his hand down and pinned his arm to the ground with his foot. He quickly released the flames from his hand and placed them on Tibaut¡¯s leg. They attached to a metal plate he wore and the flames stuck to the liquid as it poured onto the ground.


    Tibaut slammed his face one more and stomped on his arm, before hitting him with another punch. Ash''s eyes were glazed over and he stopped moving.


    Tibaut tried to hit another punch but his aura completely disappeared when it connected with Ash¡¯s face. Tibaut fell onto him, drained in both mind and spirit. And rolled off him.


    He took several deep breaths as tried to regain his breath and looked at the unconscious Ash. He dragged himself back towards him, confirming the man was unconscious and placed a hand on his neck. As he contemplated what to do, Ash''s eyes opened and he attempted to move until he felt a heat forming at his throat.


    ¡°Move and I''ll kill you,¡± Tibaut stated.


    The priest''s body limped on the floor and he looked up to Tibaut.


    ¡°Sparing me?¡±


    ¡°It''s better than losing my other hand.¡± He stated as he gripped Ash''s neck tighter. He was trying to choke him, but the divine powder combined with his current strength left that laughable. All the muscle he had worked to build back was gone and he was now in an even more dire state than he had ever been in. He felt like his stomach was going to start digesting itself and he hadn''t drank water in days.


    In truth, he was barely keeping himself awake and if he fell asleep now, he might never wake up.


    (¡°Wh-what the hell?¡±) He thought to himself as he noticed how miserable his body was feeling. He looked at Ash''s arms he had stomped on and quickly brought his head towards it.


    It was broken with a few wounds created on it. It oozed dark red blood and Tibaut couldn''t help himself when he saw it.


    He was reminded of a certain experience in his travels.


    <hr>


    Several years ago, he journeyed to a volcano range and hadn''t thought much about getting water. "No big deal," he thought, he''d likely clear it in a day...


    By the third day he travelled across it, there wasn''t a single source he found and he knew if he backtracked he wouldn''t find a source of water in time. But there were animals around, deer-like creatures that feasted on certain minerals in the area. He had heard survivors in the desert killing bats and drinking their blood to survive. With his mind in turmoil, he killed one with a fireball and confirmed it had blood. He ripped open its throat with his fingernails, as the thirst clawed at his mind and drank some of its blood. He soon followed the other ones to a nearby spring he missed.


    <hr>


    Which made it quite a shame for Ash.


    After all, there wasn''t any water nearby.

 Chapter 420

    He felt like his stomach was collapsing into itself and a pain that hadn''t rocked his body in nearly a year, was ravaging him.


    He could only breath heavily as he looked towards Ash''s arm. Only feral sounds exited his mouth as he fought off his instincts.


    (¡°Is it just a side effect of the ki? Oh dammit, I don''t know! Ahhhhhh, fuck WHY THE HELL AM I HUNGRY!?!?!!!!¡±) His thought as the hunger pounded through his body. He felt like if he ripped his stomach out he''d be able to fix his impulses and briefly considered it.


    (¡°What are you doing? You''ll die if don''t eat up.¡±)


    (¡°SHUT Up I''m Not gOnnA eat-¡±)


    His mouth was already chewing on the injured arm of Ash.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing young man!?¡± Ash shouted as he tried to struggle against Tibaut. He felt a heat building in his throat and decided to bear with it for now.


    His mouth was so weak that he couldn''t even bite into the now tough flesh of Ash. He was forced to suck all he could of his blood from his wound, showing no restraint in it. His teeth couldn''t pierce his flesh but they were more than good enough to squeeze the blood out of his exposed meat.


    He continued sucking away and lapping up any of the blood he saw until a soft blue hue started to envelope, similar to a flame and his eyes grew bloodshot. It soon vanished but he managed to bite a mouthful of flesh off his arm before the blue hue vanished.


    Ash tried to grab his head but Tibaut fired a ball no larger than a golf ball against his throat, which had him rethinking his struggle. The blast had him clutching his throat in agony as Tibaut chewed away at the flesh in his mouth. As he chewed it a pale blue hue returned and he managed to bite through it properly. He began swallowing it and his aura flared up once again.


    With Ash''s throat damaged in the blast, he couldn''t even tell him to stop anymore. His screams were wet and he sounded like he was being choked.


    ¡°SHUT THE HELL UP YOU BASTARD, YOU CAN SPARE A PIECE OR TWO CAN''T YOU!?¡± Tibaut shouted as he dug right back into his arm. His aura disappeared before it flared again as he consumed his flesh.


    As Ash could only watch as the boy ate away at him like a wild animal, thrashing his head to rip a large portion of his skin off, he noticed wounds he inflicted on him were starting to heal, especially the hole in his side he created, with the bones he burnt through starting to heal.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    (¡°Isn''t that interesting¡­¡±) The drake thought to themselves, and only themselves. (¡°I thought he would have died of hunger before he could do anything. And here I was hoping to torment him about the fact he was reduced to nothing more than a mere animal in his final moments. It''s impressive he can start converting food to ki without going too far and consuming his own organs. I''m not sure anything I did to his body would make that an easy task.¡±)


    He continued feasting on his arm with the aura dying and becoming almost imperceptible as he dined away at his arm before completely fading. Blood covered his mouth and he backed away from Ash as he caught his breath.


    By the time he stopped his feast, he had devoured in total all the flesh on Ash''s forearm, leaving only bone and tendons, the occasional piece of flesh still stuck to the bone. He had devoured about half of his upper arm before he stopped himself, with most of the skin gone.


    He slowly breathed as he wiped the blood off his mouth and stared at the devoured arm. His body was still malnourished and looked pitiful but it seemed the paler blue aura allowed him to digest his food quicker than normal and gave him the escape from hunger he needed. The moisture of Ash''s meat also gave him a brief solution to his thirst.


    (¡°What happened to me?¡±) He wondered. (¡°Did the ki-¡±)


    (¡°Hehe, yeah, right. That wasn''t the ki¡¯s fault Tibaut. That was all you.¡±)


    He clicked his teeth. And got back to his feet. (¡°Whatever, I''m still alive, so I guess¡­ it wasn''t so bad.¡±) He thought, trying to dismiss his worries.


    He had no time to worry about this, he had to get Ash back to Elizabeth or else¡­


    Ash was standing before him, back on his feet. His teeth clattering as he stared at Tibaut but he managed to stop himself when he noticed the boy''s gaze. He had several flames surrounding him and stumbled as he walked away before falling on his ass.


    He was afraid. Throughout all his life, he had never encountered such an opponent. He met stronger opponents than Tibaut and he had met opponents far more skilled than the boy as well, but he wasn''t sure he''d ever fought a man or woman as desperate for survival as Tibaut. In a moment where other men would have wavered, Tibaut immediately took what he saw as the correct choice.


    He slowly pushed himself away as Tibaut.


    (¡°No, stay back! Get away from me you demon!!¡±) He thought as he pushed himself away.


    As Tibaut walked towards him and witnessed the fear he wore on his face, he couldn''t help but wonder how this was going to end. Ash still had access to his magic and based on his hair, the power still seemed to be effective. While he was barely recovering from starving. He had magic but with his body in the way it was, in addition to losing his ki, did he really have a chance of defeating him anymore?


    ¡°I''ve seen enough.¡±


    Both men looked at each other and turned their heads to the side when they realised it wasn''t either man who said those words.

 Chapter 421

    Based on the fact he was the only person around, he was likely the one who said it.


    ¡°What a quintessential display of humanity. Having the willingness to do anything to survive the next day. No wonder you''ve been alive for this long.¡± They stated. They had a deep voice and wore a suit of armour. It was an armour as deep black as a bottomless abyss, yet had a gloss that wouldn''t be out of place on a sports car. It was a sleek armour that made him look like a futuristic robot rather than a person. The sabatons'' ends and his gauntlets'' fingers were honed like claws.


    His helmet completely covered his face, with a strange red glowing material covering where his eyes were supposed to be. The top of his helmet had a small protruding part. From it came something that looked like black hair that was tied into a ponytail, going to his hips. Whether this was a decorative part of his helmet or his actual hair could not be ascertained.


    He had a sword by his hip that was currently sheathed. The sheath and handle of the blade looked clean, though some blood could be seen staining one of his hands.


    He stood calmly, observing the two with his arms held together. And given what the two put themselves through, both of them couldn''t help but feel unnerved.


    ¡°You''re that Bentley man aren''t you?¡±


    He asked as he turned to Ash.


    He looked confused before he continued. ¡°You worked with Daniel before getting into some conflict with him, correct? I''d heard one of my men say he was experimenting with certain resources but I must say, I didn''t think this would be the result of it. You were given something by him weren''t you?¡±


    It seemed that his words had snapped Ash out of his fear and he immediately got to his feet. He forced something out of his throat, with his face now pooling in sweat.


    He tried to say something but his voice wouldn''t cooperate. But even then, Tibaut knew. Because he had the same idea.


    This man was dangerous. For the time being, let''s work together and take him out.


    Tibaut created a fireball in his hand and aimed it at the man. He scoffed at it. ¡°And you, the young child of the Agirow family, I''m surprised to see you''ve made a home in this nation. I always assumed you starved to death in some forest.¡±


    Tibaut¡¯s eyes widened at his words and he immediately responded. ¡°You know who I am? W-who the hell are you?¡± He tiredly asked.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I suppose you left before you saw my presence so it isn''t too surprising you don''t know who I am. Let me put it this way¡­ you''re father and mother put far too much of a struggle. They''ve left me with innumerable scars that I have to hide with this armour. Though you can surmise what happened given I''m the one standing before you and not them.¡±


    Tibaut bit down on his teeth, cracking a few in his mouth as he took in all his features and burned them directly into his skull. He clenched his fist to the point he drew his blood and tears formed in his eyes. His body was weak but he didn''t care. He ran towards him and threw a fireball at him. He had to kill this fucker.


    ¡°YOU BASTARD!!!!¡±


    He shouted at the top of his voice. He screamed with such force it left his throat a bloody mess.


    The man in the black armour swatted the fireball and it disappeared like it was a mere afterthought.


    Tibaut stood in front of him and threw another one at his feet.


    The man kicked it and tripped Tibaut¡¯s legs in one motion. Tibaut fell to the floor and grabbed his leg, desperately trying to form his magic against it. The heat started to build but the man showed no reaction.


    The armoured man flicked him off his foot. After doing so, he felt a heat on his back and swatted at it. It was Ash''s flame. He kept his flame close but made sure it didn''t touch to ensure they didn''t disperse.


    Within less than a moment he closed the distance between them and planted a fist in his torso. Ash fell limp into his arms and he threw him over his shoulders.


    ¡°Make no mistake, I was simply observing the boy.¡± He calmly told the unconscious Ash.


    He stepped to the side and a fireball impacted the back of his helmet. If he didn''t move the fireball would have ended up hitting Ash directly. Was he hoping to catch him off guard with the resulting blast?


    ¡°For the child of such an honourable family, you have such a savage style. Then again, if your parents adopted such a style, I wouldn''t be standing before you. I commend you, we should learn from the mistakes of our forefathers after all.¡±


    He turned around and saw Tibaut had created a giant fireball above himself. He slowly looked up at it and started walking towards Tibaut. He took his time as he made his way over.


    (¡°Is planning to hit me with that?¡±) He wondered as he approached closer.


    Tibaut quickly threw it down and the man showed no reaction. What he did react to was the fireball unravelling and surrounding them in a veil of sorts.


    ¡°How novel.¡± He commented.


    ¡°YOU SAY SOMETHING YOU BASTARD!? THIS IS YOUR GRAVE!¡± Tibaut tried to shout, with a throat that had given up.


    He raised a hand above his head and formed a fireball of his own. It was the size of the one created by Tibaut but formed within a fraction of a second. Unlike Tibaut¡¯s, this flame was a bright blue, and just like Ash''s flames, he could feel the heat several feet away from the mass of flames.

 Chapter 422

    Several minutes earlier.


    (¡°I can''t tell her.¡±) He thought as he watched her cry. (¡°Not now anyway. Maybe on some day near or the day of my execution maybe, but¡­¡±) Tears started to well up in his eyes. (¡°I don''t think I can ever forgive myself I''d I ever make her cry a second more. I''m sorry Tina. I''m sorry that you had to be taken care of by such a bastard. And sorry Ruby. If I never took care of her, she probably wouldn''t think twice about killing me. I''m sure you¡¯d rest easy if your niece killed your sister''s killer. This never would have happened if I never took care of her¡­¡±) He thought as his eyes slowly closed. The battle with Tibaut had left his body in a miserable state, and it was only thanks to a drug Mr. Bentley had on hand that he was conscious. He wasn''t sure if being conscious now was a blessing or a curse. He wouldn''t have to see Tina cry, but none of the girls visiting him in whatever jail cell he would be thrown into and it slowly dawning they heard of sins would pain him equally.


    The sound of glass breaking was heard coming from upstairs, startling the fading Ezekiel. He tried to pick himself off the ground but the damage done was too severe. He was able to lean himself up, using his arms to support himself and turned to the crying Tina, who briefly stopped to turn to the noise.


    ¡°D-damnit. Tina, please, could you convince Tibaut to spare the old man!¡± He begged with a weak voice.


    Tina blankly looked upstairs and wiped the tears off her face. ¡°I don''t care anymore¡­¡± she commented before turning around.


    ¡°T-tina hold on! Listen, I know I''ve messed up but, please¡­(Oh what am I saying, the old man''s probably dead now. It sounded like they were arguing before the glass broke.)¡± He sighed and his expression softened. ¡°At least kill me if you''re going to let the old man get killed. After all, you can''t let your (No, Tina''s strong. She didn''t tell me much about her, but the way Ruby talked about the two, it really seemed like they were close. Well, if she doesn''t kill me then¡­ I''ll probably just hide away somewhere and kill myself.)¡±


    With it being likely his father had been killed, Ezekiel felt a strange resolve surge through him. His father didn''t get to choose how he died, but he could. At this moment in time, he felt as though the only thing he could do to redeem himself for making the girl in front of him cry, was ensuring she was the one who was killing him.


    Yet his lips quivered as he attempted to get the words out and she walked towards the exit, no hesitation in her step, as if the man who had taken care of her for years no longer existed.


    But they both had their attention taken away when they heard a blast from outside the building.


    ¡°Huh? What the hell is Tibaut doing?¡± He wondered as he tried to stand up. Another blast was heard and Tina quickly ran up the stairs. A few moments passed and she came down the stairs, running to a nearby storage room.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    She gave him no answer and spent a few moments in the storage room, running out with a spear in hand.


    ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± She said to herself as she ran back up the stairs.


    Her attention was drawn away when the door opened and she quickly tried to wipe the tears off her face.


    ¡°Took you guys long enoug-¡±


    It wasn''t any of her comrades who stood by the door but rather¡­ a strange person in black armour. The black armour combined with the red eyes of the helmet unnerved the pair as they looked at him.


    He looked at the man on the ground and walked towards him. Tina slowly approached as well, standing between him and Ezekiel.


    ¡°This guy your friend, Ezekiel?¡± She coldly asked.


    He held her spear up and got into a fighting pose.


    ¡°So that is Ezekiel.¡± The man stated. ¡°You and that boss of yours have been quite a thorn recently.¡± He stated.


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you, huh, you ugly piece of shit. I bet that''s why you''re not showing your face.¡± Tina anxiously stated. The night had not been kind to her and she looked to be a hairpin¡¯s trigger away from bludgeoning this fool with her spear.


    ¡°I''ll assume the woman speaks for you. But I''m surprised Daniel never mentioned me at any point during your intentional contact with each other. Regardless¡­¡± He looked around the room and noticed a body lying on a table at the far end of the room.


    They were covered in blankets and had a blonde head of hair.


    ¡°(So he is dead. You never know with that man.) I can''t exactly let this slide given I''ve come all the way here.¡± He slowly approached Tina but stopped.


    ¡°Ah, right, an introduction. Given our change in direction and infamy, there''s no need to hide my identity. I''m the Bishop of this country.¡±


    ¡°Bishop? Yeah, right, what church has a bastard like you in it?¡± Tina answered.


    ¡°The Marrow of Lucifer. Now out of my way, he wasn''t the best supply of essence but he was easily my most consistent.¡±


    ¡°Marrow of what?¡± Tina wondered.


    ¡°He''s a high-ranking cultist, Tina, get out of here!¡± Ezekiel now managed to get onto his feet and placed a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Screw off!¡± She said as she shrugged his hand off her shoulder. She ran towards the man in armour and felt herself get pulled back and behind Ezekiel. She wanted to complain but the sight in front of her made her drop to her knees.


    The ¡°Bishop¡± had closed the distance between them and the lower arm of his gauntlet was now inside Ezekiel. He had lifted him into the air and stared into his face, as he tried to push himself off his arm.


    ¡°Is she special to you?¡± He asked, staring into Ezekiel''s face.


    He didn''t answer. Her breath began to turn ragged as she looked at what happened.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I have no business with her. I could have easily killed her when you pulled her back.¡±


    Ezekiel stopped resisting and his arms fell limply. ¡°Thank you. Can I say one last thing to her?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

 Chapter 423

    (¡°I-I have to tell her. I can''t let this information die with me!¡±) He thought as he considered his final words. ¡°I know you probably hate me right now, but I have to get this off my chest, Tina. I helped kill your mother.¡±


    ¡°H-huh? What¡­ What the hell are you talking ab-¡±


    The man in black armour pushed him off his arm and onto the floor. He coughed up blood as soon as he fell to the ground and it looked like he no longer had the energy to speak. Before life could fully fade from his eyes, Tina knelt beside him and grabbed his arm.


    ¡°What do you mean by that Ezekiel!? Answer me, why did you just talk about my mother? Answer me!! Don''t you dare die until you answer, you bastard!¡±


    (¡°Ah, she hates me now¡­ But if there''s anyone she should hate, it should be me.¡±)


    A sword was stabbed into his throat and his body went limp. The man in black armour pulled his sword out and flicked the blood off before sheathing it.


    ¡°Now for that old man.¡± He said as he walked off. Tina grabbed his shoulder and he quickly slammed her torso with his elbow. She fell to her knees and vomited up all the nice food she had eaten with her sisters earlier.


    ¡°Phew, quite the drinker, aren''t you?¡± He said, commenting on the smell of it. ¡°Touch me again and I''ll send you to him, you won''t get a second warning.¡±


    He walked his way towards the stairs. Tina could only watch as he walked away and didn''t even have the strength to get back to her feet. He had assuredly broken something in her. But was it something physical or something less tangible?


    She quickly turned around with tears in her eyes and picked Ezekiel off the ground.


    (¡°Elizabeth¡­ Elizabeth can save him!¡±)


    He leaned him against her shoulder and ran, or at least tried her best to, outside. As she ran down the dirt street, she tripped over Ezekiel, sending them both to the floor. Her face looked straight into his cold eyes and her head shook, trying to snap herself out of anything negative.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    (¡°Yeah, right, he can live from this, I know he isn''t this weak.¡±) She told herself as she tried to pick him up.


    The limpness of his body left a nauseating feeling in her stomach and she¡­ couldn''t hold it anymore.


    She dropped him and brought her face into his chest. The moment she wrapped her arms around him, she felt the blood of the massive wound in his centre and started crying into his shirt.


    ¡°GET UP, YOU BASTARD,¡± She screamed with tears in her eyes. ¡°Get up, please I''m begging you, just¡­ please just get up¡­¡±


    On the roof of the branch building, the Bishop watched in interest as the two men who wielded fire battled it out.


    <hr>


    ¡°I certainly see the logic in this attack. I have to give you credit, I don''t think I would have had the creativity to come up with a technique. But don''t you think it''d best be used on a foe close to defeat?¡±


    The fireball he held above his head started shrinking instead of growing but it was starting to get so hot that it physically hurt Tibaut to stand where he did.


    The fireball soon started growing again but it no longer looked like a ball of flames but a blue sun. It was so bright that Tibaut couldn''t even look at it directly.


    He threw towards Tibaut and his mind froze. His body briefly gave off a blue flare but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. His mind couldn''t think of anything to turn the tides.


    (¡°You''re not dead yet, Miguel.¡±) The drake said.


    As his life flashed before his eyes, he quickly snapped out of it and realised that that fireball, just like his, was unravelling. It touched the flames of Tibaut¡¯s veil and quickly dispersed them, replacing the orange-red veil with a bright blue wall that surrounded them.


    The heat already had Tibaut on his knees, struggling to keep himself conscious and the Bishop watched how he reacted.


    ¡°Get up, I''m not done with you yet.¡± The Bishop stated as he watched Tibaut struggle.


    He gnashed his teeth like a wild wolf and stood back up. He walked towards the Bishop, the sweat evaporating off his body before it could even form. He looked like he was wading through a bog as he made his way towards him. He took step, step and then another step before slowing down.


    He passed out at the tenth step.


    (¡°Sigh, if only you learnt your true magic¡­ Now Mr. Cultist, what''s your plan with the boy?¡±) The drake wondered. (¡°If their name truly is what he stated, and given his position and the people he currently knows now¡­ it would be a nuisance to lose Migu- Tibaut at this point.¡±)

 Chapter 424

    With Ash still over his shoulder, the Bishop took the single step remaining between them and crouched down.


    He grabbed the burnt ends of his hair and lifted him up, observing his body.


    ¡°What a cruel art you''ve learnt.¡±


    He looked emaciated and had various wounds and burns across his body. One would think he was a corpse left behind in a raided village rather than an adventurer.


    ¡°But I suppose, with this, I''ll have completely eradicated the Agirow family. (Though there was one body I wasn''t able to account for¡­ Tch, if I''m being realistic, one of those bastards must have taken it for themselves.)¡± He thought as he examined the body of Tibaut.


    He lifted his hand and brought it back. He soon aimed at Tibaut¡¯s neck.


    ¡°(One thrust is all I need to end this¡­)


    I wonder if his bounty is still valid, it was a decent chunk of change after all. More importantly, I imagine the king will be quite pleased with this. He''s likely the last person alive who could possibly turn our nation''s people against the king.¡±


    As he prepared to impale Tibaut he noticed an odd sound whistle through the wind. He moved his head and moved Tibaut farther forward. Something imperceptible to the naked eye pierced through the veil and the shot passed the space between Tibaut and the Bishop. The Bishop quickly dispersed the veil to get a better look at his enemy and the wind dragged by whatever shot passed, instantly blew all the hot air away, followed by an earth-shattering boom.


    The sound immediately woke Tibaut up and he struggled to release the Bishop''s grasp on him.


    He shot a fireball at the priest and managed to have it contact his hair. It seemed his hair was solid to give resistance to the fireball as a moment later it blew, creating an explosion at the back of his head.


    Tibaut began struggling to escape his grasp and finally escaped. Or more accurately, the priest let go.


    (¡°The little bastard, is this a friend of his?¡±)


    He thought as another of the supersonic projectiles scraped against his helmet, causing a spark and leaving a gash in it.


    (¡°It marred my helmet and went through my flames¡­ that''s no simple alloy of Disiponium. And to use them for arrows of all things¡­¡±)


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The wind of the arrows blew away the smoke that obscured his vision and the figure that attacked soon came into view.


    Approximately a kilometre away on a white horse was a man with a bow in hand. The bow was simple and made of what looked like birch wood. Its power however was otherworldly.


    (¡°Based on what my eyes are seeing, I thankfully didn''t jump the gun.¡±)


    The animal beneath him wasn''t any old average stable horse. At its shoulder, it was taller than the average man, its body was comparable to a bull with legs as thick as its neck.


    The beast cleared distance better than anything in the modern world and the rider stood on the horse''s back, trying to aim at the man in the black armour.


    The man watched as the rider on the horse rapidly approached, entering the town.


    (¡°It takes about twenty seconds for the horse to clear a kilometre by my estimations. Arrows of an expensive alloy and a horse that moves at those speeds. Who is this? This can''t be anyone this boy would know. Was I tracked?¡±)


    He thought as he awaited the approach of the rider. To pass the time he dodged the fireballs of Tibaut while staying on his guard. The fireball he had been hit with earlier had done nothing to him other than briefly hinder his sight and burn the hair that may or may not have been his exiting his helmet.


    With a few more seconds, the rider of the horse shot an arrow at the Bishop, only a few metres away and the Bishop pulled out his sword.


    It took on a white light and the arrow he shot at the priest instantly evaporated. Both the metal and the wood were reduced to vapours simply by touching the sword.


    (¡°You''re not the only one with a fancy alloy.¡±)


    The Bishop thought as the man jumped off his horse. He pulled three arrows from his quiver and shot them upwards far quicker than he did his other arrows. The moment the Bishop approached his strike zone, he pulled out a short sword and tried to trade blows with the Bishop. But narrowly avoided the other''s blade and the man with the short sword stabbed into a sack on his side.


    (¡°Poison I assume?¡±) The Bishop thought as they closed the distance again.


    All Tibaut could do was watch as the two fought, well aware of how out of his depth he was. With those first strikes he couldn''t make heads or tails of the blades they used or how far or close their blades were from each other. The worst part was that Tibaut knew what they were doing.


    They were feeling each other out. And he couldn''t even tell what they were doing. It was almost laughable how much this bastard was holding back against him.


    He fell to his back, exhaustion from the heat still present in his body.


    (¡°N-no¡­ NO I HAVE TO KILL HIM!¡±) He thought as he tried to force his body to get up.


    With Bishop having the advantage with the sword that vaporised anything it touched, the man with the bow whistled, and an arrow came down from the sky. The reason Tibaut could tell this happened was due to the arrow now on the floor. He didn''t see nor hear a sound from it yet the Bishop dodged it so naturally, that he briefly thought the arrow was there from the beginning.

 Chapter 425 (Volume One Finale)

    But with the light of his sword, he noticed a part of the Bishop''s armour took on a whitish colour.


    ¡°You''re that roaming swordsman I''ve heard of.¡± The bowman said as they dodged, stabbed and slashed at each other, Tibaut barely being able to keep up with their bodies anymore.


    ¡°Expecting me?¡±


    ¡°I was travelling prepared.¡± He answered as he landed a blow on the white part of his armour.


    It broke like glass and the bowman had to pay the price with the sword slashing into his own, evaporating most of it and melting the rest, including the pommel in his hand. He flicked his hand to get it off, leaving a burn and kicked the Bishop forward.


    He took it with no problem, creating some distance between them, noticing himself slow down.


    The bowman whistled again and another arrow struck the top of his helmet, not piercing it, but instead turning it white. As he backed up he noticed the horse waiting and it kicked at his head, breaking the top of his helmet, leaving only his face shielded.


    It showed his hair formed in a long black ponytail and also revealed some pale skin.


    (¡°The poison on the blade, I couldn''t have imagined it''d be so potent as a gas.¡±)


    If he had evaporated all of the blade with his sword, he likely would have destroyed whatever toxin the bowman used. But the parts of the sword that got turned to liquid experienced a ¡°gentle¡± enough heat that it simply turned the poison into a gas.


    He managed a slice with the tip of his sabaton on the horse and then neighed in defiance, rushing at him.


    (¡°How''d he know Milky''s breed is temperamental?¡±) The Bowman wondered as he blocked the swing of his bright sword.


    He parried the hand-holding sword to the side and whistled down a final arrow. The arrow aimed for his head.


    (¡°Well, it''s not meant for this but it should kill just fin-¡±)


    He blocked a kick and the Bishop brought his face to the path of the arrow, turning his black mask, a glassy white, with the red material used for his eyes unaffected.


    He used the force of the bowman''s parry to swing his sword quicker into the enemy behind him. This was my goal from the start.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    (¡°With this horse out of the way, I should be able to escape. Based on the way he fights I have a good idea who he is¡­ But killing him isn''t something I''m not properly prepared for yet.¡±)


    The very very tip of the sword brushed against the skin of the horse¡¯s two legs, leaving both charred and the horse falling to the ground. Both men dodged and the Bishop quickly ducked into an alley as the bowman faltered seeing his horse neigh in pain.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± He shouted. (¡°Not only were we equal, he was using one hand to carry that man on his shoulder. To think there was a man that could match me one-handed¡­ I should have gone all out from the start!¡±)


    He didn''t even bother chasing, he knew an opponent of that calibre was impossible to catch up to if your focus slipped for a moment.


    He knelt to his horse and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the burns only went as far as the two front legs he connected with.


    ¡°Phew, it''s not too serious. It should heal within a week.¡±


    The horse neighed defiantly and tried to get back to its feet.


    ¡°Calm down Milky, we should be glad we got intel on that guy without any more damage.¡±


    The horse tried to slam its head against him but the bowman quickly dodged.


    ¡°If you''re going to be like that, then I''ll just leave you to yourself, you miserable little girl. Your mother wasn''t anywhere near as hard to deal with.¡±


    They neighed again and he walked off.


    As he surveyed the scene, he noticed Tibaut on the floor with his eyes barely open. He was breathing heavily trying to stay awake.


    ¡°Can you talk?¡± The bowman asked. Tibaut could only look at him and groaned. The instant he saw the man in black armour disappear, he could no longer keep himself awake. He soon passed out and the man above him shook his head and crouched down. He placed a hand over him and a green glow emitted from his hand. Tibaut''s wounds began healing but also left quite noticeable scars. The parts of his ribs still showing quickly got covered up with skin and one of the burns on his back fully healed with the scar tissue the only sign it happened.


    He got up and waited for a moment but the boy didn''t wake up.


    ¡°I¡­ was too late.¡±


    He bent down again and listened to his heartbeat.


    .......................Beat


    He could hear the beating of his heart.


    ¡°Or maybe I was just being pessimistic? Was the guy playing around with him before I showed up? Poor guy. I should ask around about what happened, I can''t see why this guy would be so interesting to him. Wait a second, there was a redhead on his shoulder. W-was that his brother? Uh, uh-no how could I have?¡± he held his hand against his head and started leaning forward, distraught taking over his face.


    ¡°T-Tibaut? Tibaut!¡± A woman shouted, running over. She had pink hair and tear marks under her eyes.


    ¡°Huh? Is he your friend? (Did I respond to the letter too late? Damn! I didn''t think they''d run through the place, what''s even worth destroying in a place like this?)¡±

 Chapter 426 (Volume One Epilogue)

    Tibaut woke up in a strange place that was now starting to become familiar. It was an endless void that encompassed him in all directions and stretched on forever. At least he believed so. The void was so dark he couldn''t tell if it stretched ten feet or ten million. But the oddest thing about this level of darkness surrounding him was the fact he could clearly make out his body. It was like a light was being shone on him and only him.


    He laid on his back¡­ or was he standing? Or maybe he was floating while stationary? Regardless, his body was straight with his hands and arms stretched out and he couldn''t move a muscle.


    The silence, like last time, made the only sounds he could hear, the moving of blood in his body, the beating of his heart and the movements of other internal organs inside. He didn''t think he was ever going to get used to hearing bodily fluid move about inside him.


    He remained there for several minutes, not really thinking about much as he bided his time. His mind needed some rest and this wasn''t a bad place to catch up on it.


    Until he fell down and landed on his back.


    ¡°Ow, what the hell was-¡±


    He looked around and there was no floor beneath him. But that wasn''t what caught his attention. He heard footsteps approaching.


    ¡°Tch, I forgot who usually brought me here. Finally feel like showing yourself you old bit-¡±


    He got up to his feet and scratched his head while looking around.


    ¡°You can control how this place looks right? Can''t you like to bring me back to my old apartment or something? This place is really screwing with my eyes¡­¡±


    He sighed as their footsteps continued to linger in the silent air. ¡°I swear, it''s like you don''t know how to shut up sometimes yet as soon as I ask you about something it''s like you''re a mut-¡±


    He turned around to face them, with his arms crossed and felt his jaw go slack as he looked at her.


    ¡°Louise?¡± He said.


    He looked into her eyes and felt his heart race. The hair, the skin and the face, it was all right. Even the smug expression that she''d wear whenever she pissed him off, it was all right. He ran towards her and grabbed her in his arms. He hugged her and gently patted her back as tears started forming in his eyes.


    ¡°I missed you.¡± He stated softly. ¡°I know you probably only see me as your ex-boyfriend¡¯s little brother but I lo-¡±


    He stopped what he was saying and gave a soft sigh. Although this person before him had a few things in common with Louise, there were a few glaring differences. First of all, if he was hugging her they''d be face to face, even at his current height. This person was so short their face was in his chest without even bending.


    He slowly looked down and it became more obvious this person wasn''t them. Their hair was different. It was a short cut and flared out at all sides.


    Their eyes were bright red, similar to a gemstone.


    And there was a massive grin on their faces as Tibaut surveyed their bodies.


    This¡­ this was too fucking far. This bitch had already crossed the line. And she was now creating even more lines for the express purpose of crossing.


    ¡°How do you like it?¡± They asked with a smirk. They walked forward and brought Tibaut into a hug of their own. The veins on Tibaut¡¯s forehead were at a very high risk of bursting from how large they had grown. His eyes were now bloodshot and his fists were closed so hard their clenching was audible to the both of them.


    They placed their hands over their ears as soon as Tibaut opened his mouth.


    ¡°AARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHJH¡± Tibaut shouted like a wild beast.


    He pushed them off him and they got a well-deserved punch on their cheek. They were sent to the floor and he quickly jumped on them, grabbing them by the collar of their shirt.


    ¡°WASN''T I GOOD ENOUGH!?¡± Tibaut shouted. ¡°DIDN¡¯T YOU HAVE ENOUGH FUN FUCKING WITH ME!? HUH!? ANSWER ME YOU MOTHERFUCKER? YOU DARE INSULT THE ONLY WOMAN I''VE LOVED, YOU WALKING PIECE OF FESTERING SHIT!?¡± He said as his voice cracked.


    They rubbed their jaw and glared at Tibaut. ¡°I come to visit you and this is the thanks I get, you limped dick asshole. I didn''t know you were a fan of domestic violence but just know I''m not afraid to hit back.¡± She said in a cold tone.


    He jumped off her and helped her up. ¡°What a second, is it really you? (Maybe she got reincarnated into this world as well!). I''m sorry it''s just that there''s this asshole that''s been screwing with me recently and-¡±


    They started giggling¡­ and a more ambiguous-sounding voice left their mouth. It wasn''t any more masculine than Louise''s voice but it was a different voice entirely.


    ¡°Hehee, sorry but I won''t be bringing her here anytime soon.¡± They responded.


    Tibaut punched them again but this time they didn''t budge. They slowly pulled his fist off. Tibaut punched their other cheek. They pointed to the free cheek.


    ¡°See? No scratches or bruises.¡±


    He removed his hand from their grip and punched her again. And again and again.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    After seeing it did nothing, he began biting at them and tried gouging their eyes. He tried ripping their hair, he tried stripping them bare to embarrass them, he tried punching at their reproductive areas, he tried biting again, he lifted them up and slammed them head first into the ground, he threw them to the ground and continuously stomped at their head, he continuously stomped on their mouth when they began speaking, he tried to break their limbs, he tried dislocating various joints, he began biting at the softer parts of their body like the earlobes and eyes hoping something would come off, he headbutted her until his forehead grew bloody, he tried to bit her again this time clenching his teeth as hard as he could on a certain part of her, then began threshing his head around like a shark, he tried to¡­.


    After 28 hours of continuous attempts, trying to find the chink in the defences of the woman in front of him, Tibaut lay on the floor, unsuccessful. He breathed in and out slowly and lifted his upper body, sitting on the floor. He turned away from the woman, sulking like a child.


    ¡°Hmm, I thought you''d like this body¡­ was I wrong?¡±


    Tibaut sighed and stared out into the abyss. ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh, you''re just shy, how cute. So you do love it, I suppose I''ll have to keep this as my permanent form then.¡±


    ¡°Any reason you look like a version of Louise that puberty skipped? Oh, I see, maybe you can''t increase their size.¡± He bitterly responded as he looked away.


    In addition to being shorter, their body lacked all the curves that Louise possessed.


    They bent down and hugged him from behind.


    ¡°Actually, I just didn''t feel like turning my body female just to annoy you, so this will have to do.¡± He said before yawning into the back of his head.


    Tibaut raised an eyebrow and turned to them. He felt their chest, firmly grasping it before slowly pushing them off his back.


    ¡°So I guess it''s just the height you can''t change.¡± He said before turning back around.


    He walked around to face him and wagged his fingers. ¡°I can but realistically there isn''t any difference between this and your height.¡± They soon disappeared and Tibaut for the time since entering this place could breathe in peace.


    ¡°After all, from my perspective, this is the difference between big and small. The difference between my height and yours might as well be rounding errors.¡± He said out of sight.


    Tibaut looked around trying to figure out where he was hiding until he looked down.


    Below him was a wet red floor, with black at its centre. Before he could stand up to get a better look at it, he was slammed from the sides by higher elevated floors. It wasn''t until the floor below him started shrinking that he realised what it was. After ten seconds or so, they returned back to their regular height.


    ¡°A few feet doesn''t seem significant now, does it?¡± They asked.


    ¡°So why have you brought me here? More importantly, why the hell are you back.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that. I was having so much fun I nearly forgot.¡±


    Tibaut rolled his eyes and got up.


    The boy continued talking and the two began walking further into the void. ¡°It seems that the lazy bastard I planned to use, lived a truly boring life. So much so, that he only knows about the cultists as much as the average person. And more importantly, he has never encountered them, even with some leading from me to places you battled them at. However, what I thought was a simple run-in seems to have intertwined your fate with theirs.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point already, I wasted a lot of energy on you, so I''m ready to go to sleep any moment.¡±


    ¡°Oh don''t worry, as long as you''re here you''ll never feel the need to go to sleep nor injure yourself. Aren''t you curious why your broken knuckles and bloody forehead suddenly don''t hurt anymore?¡±


    ¡°I assumed as much, but get onto the important point.¡±


    He rubbed his chin for a few moments as they walked. ¡°I suppose there''s no need to drag it out. You''re going to help me find my sibling.¡±


    ¡°I feel sorry for whatever mother gave birth to you.¡±


    ¡°And I feel sorry you don''t have either mother anymore.¡±


    Tibaut roundhoused the back of his head, to little effect, and they continued walking.


    ¡°Based on the name of the cultists they seem to be involved.¡±


    ¡°What were they called again?¡±


    ¡°Marrow of Lucifer. It seems my older half has decided humanity has its uses and created a religion. Sigh how far you''ve fallen sister.¡±


    ¡°Lucifer? Like the Devil?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sure, I supposed she was called that at one point. Though based on the information in your head, you''d likely call me the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why''s that?¡± He questioned as they continued into the endless.


    ¡°I suppose I should tell you since I gave you a second chance at life.¡± He turned to Tibaut and reached out a hand. ¡°I am Satan. Former Archangel, currently one of six almighty gods that rule this world.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sweat began forming on the head of Tibaut as he stared down at the figure beside him.


    ¡°Hmm, what''s wrong?¡±


    (¡°Satan¡­ that satan!?¡±)


    ¡°I suppose I would be the counterpart of the one in your world, so it depends on what you mean by ¡°that Satan.¡±¡± They answered.


    ¡°Stop reading my thoughts! Damn, no wonder you''re an asshole!¡±


    He tilted his head at him. ¡°I''m surprised you reacted so calmly.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? You could be the big flying spaghetti monster for all I care, you''re still some all-powerful God that''s an asshole. Your name changes nothing.¡± Tibaut said as he calmed his heart. ¡°But wait a second, aren''t Lucifer and Satan the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Human, you''ve read the Wikipedia pages for both of these figures, how can you be this ignorant?¡±


    ¡°I did?¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you''re only job is-¡±


    ¡°Aren''t you going to explain it?¡±


    ¡°No, now as I was saying,¡±


    Tibaut scoffed as he continued.


    ¡°Your goal is to investigate this Marrow of Lucifer and find my sister.¡±


    ¡°And if I don''t?¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure you have a choice in this matter, even if I don''t force your hand. Honestly, this was the point of your resurrection, and you seem to be doing a fine job, unlike the other three. Just don''t be surprised if I have an order for you every now and again. You owe me as much for reviving you after all. (And I think don''t it''s in the Saint of Gabriel¡¯s personality to let them go unpunished.)¡±


    Tibaut clicked his tongue before walking off into the endless darkness that surrounded them. It was far more preferable than staying next to that thing.

 Memories of a Distant World 9-10

    In the rather nice apartment, the sound of a TV was heard throughout. Its audio was constantly changing and noticeably switching between channels as the holder of the remote looked on in boredom.


    The pair, a man and woman, looked on at the TV with both staying at both ends of the couch as they watched it, though this was mostly a concerted effort on the man''s part.


    ¡°On today''s forecas-¡±


    ¡°You killed me brother you basta-¡±


    ¡°Samantha you can''t leave me for Roberto-¡±


    ¡°And right here, we''ve got ourselves a mighty fine-¡±


    The woman with dark hair and pale skin, wearing only dark clothing, gritted her teeth and threw down the remote on the nearby coffee table. Which left Miguel praying the worst didn''t happen, as he wasn''t a fan of the sound the glass made when the remote slammed the table.


    ¡°Can''t you afford any better channels? Like half of the things are locked and I''m pretty sure most of these are just local channels anyway.¡± She said as she tried to keep down her annoyance.


    ¡°Uh, I just pay for t-the Internet¡­ the cable just comes included¡­¡± He weakly muttered, trying not to look her way.


    She sighed and picked up the remote before turning off the TV.


    ¡°And was hoping to catch the unification match coming up. How the hell are you paying less for cable than a broke bitch like me? Unless¡­¡±


    She quickly turned the TV back on and looked through the premium channels.


    ¡°Shit, I could have sworn you would be the type to pay for those porn channels.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can watch porn on cable!?¡± He said with a blushed face.


    ¡°If you pay for it.¡± As she looked at him and his reaction she couldn''t help but sigh. ¡°(I thought talking to him a few nights ago would have helped to remind who I am, but it really does seem the bastard forgot who he hung out the most with, second to his brother.) But what''s up with you Miguel?¡±


    ¡°What''s up with me? You''re the one talking about porn!¡± He answered.


    ¡°So? We all watch it, there''s no point in acting like a nun about it.¡±


    An awkward silence took over the room as Miguel contemplated his next words.


    ¡°But that''s not the sorta thing two¡­ friends who haven''t seen each other in a while would talk about, would they?¡± He answered in the most diplomatic tone he could muster.


    ¡°Fuck off dude, back in high-school you used to tell me you had a thing for thighs and wished you could get a thigh job from one of my friends, there''s no point being a prude around me.¡±


    ¡°(I DID!?) Is, uh, is that so?¡±


    Louise scooched over on the couch and placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Dude, you''ve been so fucking annoying these past few days.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorr-¡±


    ¡°Don''t apologise, dumbass, it''s a personal thing. Like do you seriously not remember me, you and your brother hanging out back in those days?¡±


    ¡°Don''t say it like, you''re making it sound like a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Miguel, that was 12 years ago.¡±


    He could only sigh as she delivered a cruel blow to the man who thought he was still in his youth.


    ¡°God, 12 years ago?¡± He sighed


    ¡°Anyway, like, you know, stop being so stiff around me, it feels like I''m holding you hostage.¡±


    She moved her hand to his back and patted him.


    ¡°You say that, but, uh-¡±


    ¡°Speak up Miguel, give me what''s on your mind. I don''t want you pussyfooting around this.¡±


    ¡°Pussyfoot? Are you in your sixties?¡± He offhandedly commented. He looked like he swallowed a capsule after realising what he said and quickly turned around.


    ¡°See, like that! You used to be pretty funny back in the day, so it''s nice to see you haven''t lost that aspect of yourself.¡± She answered with a smile.


    She got up and began looking around the room.


    ¡°He-hey what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Chill out, I''m just looking for something to lighten the mood.¡±


    She began searching around the living room before quickly making her way to the kitchen.


    She returned a minute or so later disappointed by her lack of discovery. ¡°Where''s the booze?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Booze? What does it have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°I wanted some shots to lighten the mood? So what¡¯s a rich boy like you have around the place? Cognac, champagne, shit, I''ll even settle for some budweiser.¡±


    ¡°I don''t have any.¡± He responded as he looked behind his couch towards her.


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Miguel, if you don''t want me drinking your hooch, I can buy my own. Don''t try to fucking-¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    As she looked at his face and the ensuing dread taking over his face instead of insult or defiance, she realised he wasn''t lying.


    ¡°You''re kidding me? How old are you now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Twenty-six¡­¡±


    She walked around and sat back beside him, closer than she had earlier. (He felt pathetic having his heart rate shoot up so drastically. He knew he didn''t interact with women much after college but this was just pathetic.)


    ¡°Twenty-six and you haven''t gotten your gills wet?¡±


    She saw the embarrassment building on his face quickly and quickly back-tracked.


    ¡°(What am I thinking? After his parents died, he probably didn''t leave this place much after. Honestly not being fond of booze is probably best after something like that.) Ah, forget it Miguel. There''s a first time for everything. Do you have any, uh, alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, I just sai-¡±


    She shook her head and continued. ¡°Not like ¡°alcohol¡± alcohol, like the shit they use in labs. You''re a scientist right? You loved that shit back in high-school and heard you graduated college.¡±


    She reached her fist out towards him.


    ¡°Congrats by the way.¡±


    He slowly reached his fist out and fist-bumped her.


    ¡°Thanks?¡± He said unsure. ¡°I wouldn''t say I''m a scientist per se, I just have a bachelor''s in botany.¡±


    ¡°You bragging or something?¡±


    ¡°No, I-¡±


    ¡°I don''t mind man, just keep it humble. What even is botany?¡±


    ¡°It''s studying plants, to put it simply.¡± He sheepishly answered.


    ¡°Oh, so like biology for plants.¡±


    ¡°Sure. (Sigh, not exactly but it should get the idea across.) But what does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°So you must have some solvents lying around right?¡±


    ¡°...(How do you know what the word solvent is but not botany?) Maybe?¡±


    ¡°So bring out the eth- ether? ethus?¡±


    ¡°Ethanol?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that one. It was on my tongue. So you should have some ethanol lying around right? Bring it out.¡±


    She said as she got back up and brought him up to his feet.


    ¡°You can''t be serious.¡±


    ¡°Come on, what''s wrong with it? I''ve had plenty of friends tell me the lab stuff is good enough to drink.¡±


    ¡°(I mean, they don¡¯t usually put nasty chemicals in ethanol nowadays.) Yeah but, just ethanol? I''m pretty sure most of that stuff is like 40-80 ABV.¡±


    ¡°ABV?¡± She asked.


    Being a man who didn''t drink, most of his information regarding spirits came from the good ole internet. And considering ABV made more logical sense to him than either proof measurement, he preferred using that.


    ¡°(I should have just said percent¡­) Alcohol by volume. I think it''d be around the 80 to 160 proof range if you''re talking about drinking alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Don''t worry lightweight, I''ll water down yours.¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah, who said I''m gonna drink it?¡± He said with a raised voice.


    Louise had begun walking but it didn''t seem she had a destination in mind as they ended up right back in the kitchen.


    ¡°Come on, isn''t drinking alcohol supposed to be flavoured?¡±


    ¡°Eh, it''ll pretty much be a stronger vodka, nothing too out of the ordinary.¡±


    ¡°That''s all vodka is?¡± Miguel said, surprised.


    ¡°Yup, just water and alcohol. Now where''d you put that alcohol?¡±


    ¡°I''m not even sure if I moved here with that stuff. Pretty sure I used it for a chromatography project in my second year but¡­ have I used it since?¡± He wondered.


    ¡°Come on science guy, you must have an inkling of where it might be, right?¡±


    She asked as she looked around.


    ¡°Of course not, do you remember where most of the stuff you used in school is?¡±


    ¡°Come, it wasn''t that long ago was it?¡±


    ¡°I graduated like 6 years ago and even then, I don''t think I even touched any of the shit I bought for my courses in at least 7.¡±


    ¡°So no lab booze?¡±


    ¡°No. No lab booze.¡±


    She sighed and let go of his hand. (And as much as it pained him to admit, he didn''t mind the warmth of her hand.)


    ¡°And here I was hoping to have your first drink be something to remember. I guess a beer will have to do. Wait here I''ll get us some.¡±


    He grabbed her as she walked off.


    ¡°Y-you don''t have to.¡±


    She turned back to him. ¡°Come on Miguel, this shit¡¯s a rite of manhood, don''t you want to know why so many people can''t put that stuff down?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...Okay, maybe alcoholics aren''t the best thing to associate with it. But best trust me, dude, take some sips with me and we''ll be back in high-school by the end of the night.¡±


    Miguel looked unconvinced by her words but let her go. She looked back at him and begrudgingly shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Jeez, alright, here''s what I''ll do. I''ll buy some booze and put it in the fridge. If you ever feel like drinking some with me, just hit me up.¡± She said as she walked off.


    ¡°A-are you sure? I mean, like, if you want I can take a few sip-¡±


    ¡°It''s good Miguel, I''m not gonna force you into anything. The booze would probably taste disgustingly bitter if I was forcing you to drink with me.¡± She said before she walked off.


    ¡°By the way, do you have a spare key?¡± she asked as she turned around.


    ¡°N-no. I gave it to my brother.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you''re telling me that piece of shit can just pop by whenever he wants?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. (I guess she still holds a grudge against him. Bro, if you try to make a move on her, I''ll be sure to bury you next Mom and Dad so you''re not lonely in the afterlife.)¡±


    He thought as she walked off to the front door.


    With the first time he had to himself in three days, he sat on a stool in the kitchen and tried to catch his breath.


    ¡°I''m living with a woman and she''s not even my girlfriend.¡± He said as he sighed. ¡°I don''t know my apartment''s policy on this sorta thing so maybe I should call the front desk.¡±


    He pulled out his phone and looked through for a number. He found the front desks and moved his finger closer. After all, he didn''t want to get kicked out just because he was letting Louise stay over.


    Maybe they could even get rid of he-


    As he thought about it, he put the phone away. She didn''t have anywhere to stay for the moment and he didn''t mind having her stay here that much longer. Besides, maybe this was the chance for him to finally get a girlfriend¡­


    He facepalmed as the obvious thoughts entered his head. He wasn''t going to lie to himself. The entirety of her stay so far, he couldn''t help but have thoughts at the far reaches of his mind, hoping for some sort of ecchi-like encounter happening between the two. Whether catching a glimpse of her exiting the shower or maybe even having her come on to him as he tried and failed to resist her temptations. A part of him wanted something like that to happen.


    But this was real life and other than sleeping on the same bed as her, nothing of the sort was going to take place.


    ¡°A man can hope, can''t he?¡± He thought to himself as he got back up and headed back to his room. He wasn''t sure how long she''d take but he wasn''t gonna let this opportunity slide without doing the five-knuckle shuffle.

 Memories of a Distant World 11-12

    As Louise flipped through the channels while laying on the couch she couldn''t help but catch Miguel¡¯s attention as he walked by. A day or so had passed and it was now the middle of the week. And the only things she had left for, were food and liquor.


    Which left him with a burning question on his mind. But knowing her personality he wasn''t anywhere stupid enough to ask her about. So he walked back to his room and decided the most pedestrian game he could think of to pass the time.


    (¡°Sigh And I just dropped like $80 on a bunch of ero games last week. I guess I''ll have to wait until she leaves until I''m clear to play those.¡±)


    But just as he was about to sit down an email came up on his phone. He picked it up and glanced at it. He quickly got up and rushed to the front door as fast as humanly possible.


    Louise noticed him zoom by and looked on in mild interest. Whatever he was doing was probably better than watching the schizos on her TV talk about Jesus being an alien.


    He opened the door and a man stood outside, covered in sweat with a big box that went up to his hip in height, beside him.


    ¡°Are you, huff phew, the fuc- guy that ordered this?¡± He asked as he caught his breath.


    ¡°Uh, yeah? Aren''t you supposed to leave downstairs in the lobby?¡± He asked as he walked towards the box.


    ¡°Hey, asshole, the least you can do is give me a thank you for bringing this shit up here. No, I don''t care about that, just give me a tip.¡±


    The ragged-looking man asked as he leaned against a nearby wall.


    ¡°A tip for a delivery?¡± He said as he started pulling the box inside.


    ¡°Sir, please I can barely afford rent as is, and you know, not just anyone lives here. Is a tip so much to ask for?¡± He asked as he got closer.


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Miguel hesitantly responded. He wasn''t against going for his wallet but it seemed he was too slow to answer.


    ¡°You can''t be fucking serious dude. I bring this shit up here and you''re gonna stiff me?¡± The man said in a raised tone.


    ¡°No, no, I was just-¡± Tibaut held his arms up trying to defuse the situation but the man had no problems escalating further.


    The man grabbed his collar. ¡°Listen here rich boy, I''m too broke to worry about a lawsuit if you get my drift, so if you don''t want me kicking what''s in that big ass box, your ass betta give me a tip.¡± The man said as he dragged Tibaut outside.


    Before it could go any further Louise went behind the man and tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The belligerent man turned around. ¡°Fuck you want, bit-¡±


    She grabbed his arm and twisted it around, sending him to the floor.


    ¡°Aghh, damn what''s your problem?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I''m off duty and I have to deal with guys like you trying to throw your weight around.¡±


    ¡°Off duty? Shit, are you a cop?¡±


    ¡°Nah, just security. But if you don''t leave soon, I''ll be sure to call them.¡±


    She let go of his hand and the man quickly ran without so much as a word leaving his mouth.


    ¡°You good?¡± She asked Miguel.


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡± He responded as he tried to calm himself down. While he was ready to swing, getting into a fight with some random person he wasn''t sure had a knife or not wasn''t something he was thrilled about.


    ¡°The fuck was that guy''s problem?¡± He said he sat on the box.


    ¡°People nowadays are ready to risk it all over nothing,¡± Louise responded, shaking her head.


    With his blood still pumping from the most dangerous encounter he''d had in a year he walked over to her, gave her a hug and patted her back.


    ¡°Thanks for that.¡± He said as he slowly cooled.


    ¡°Were you scared?¡±


    ¡°I mean, he just suddenly got up in my face and-¡±


    He quickly pushed her off and cleared his throat. He wasn''t usually one to care about appearances but rushing into the arms of someone after an encounter of that level, made him feel like¡­ kind of a¡­ you know¡­ he felt like a pussy. He was no Macho Man but even he realised how badly this made him seem.


    ¡°Obviously not!¡± He responded. ¡°If that dude tried something, I would hit him with the left, right, goodnight you know? He should honestly thank you otherwise I would have-¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    With that soft giggle, he felt remnants of an ego he didn''t know he had left, shatter like tempered glass.


    She continued giggling at his bravado and started pushing his box inside. ¡°Come on man, don''t look like that.¡± She said as she tried to stop herself.


    He walked to the box but she didn''t look to be having any problems pushing it inside and got it into the living with no effort.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He closed the door behind them and sighed as he walked over.


    ¡°You think a guy would feel good having a chick bail him out?¡± He said as he looked around the room for something.


    ¡°Chill out, you''re not a fighter. There''s no shame in being a pussy pacifist sometimes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He remained silent as he searched the room and she walked over and placed her hands over his eyes.


    ¡°Stop acting like you''re twelve. Not everything can be solved with a fight. I''m sure if you remained calm, the guy would have fucked off eventually, I just sped up the process.¡±


    ¡°I''m not sulking. I''m just¡­ listen thanks for helping me out back there but¡­¡±


    ¡°Miguel, I''m your friend, you don''t gotta act like I''m some nameless witness. Did you think I''d laugh at you or something?¡±


    ¡°You did though¡­¡±


    He continued walking around the room with Louise unsure of his reason. Was he trying to hide from her?


    ¡°Because you were acting tough. That''s the only part I was laughing about, bro.¡±


    His face softened and he pulled something out of a drawer in a nearby cabinet. It was a box cutter.


    ¡°Whatever, I was acting cringe-¡±


    ¡°Cringe?¡±


    (¡°Did I just say that unironically!? God, I don''t care, please just strike down, I don''t want to live in this world anymore!!!!¡±)


    She wore a cruel-looking smile on her face after hearing that and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I actually think, low-key, you weren''t that bad.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°See, I can use some slang too.¡± She said with a smug expression.


    ¡°You''re only two years older than me so it''s kinda impressive.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°With one sentence, you managed to sound twice my age.¡±


    She punched his shoulder and the two headed back to the box.


    <hr>


    ¡°So what''s in the box?¡± She asked.


    As he opened it up with a box cutter, he looked towards her.


    ¡°Oh, uh, a mattress.¡±


    ¡°Why a mattress?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Currently we both sleep on the same bed.¡± He bluntly answered.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I mean, a day or two is fine but¡­¡±


    ¡°It''s a big ass bed, besides I''m not gonna stay here permanently.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What, you like spending money on women or something?¡± She sarcastically asked.


    ¡°S-screw off, it doesn''t hurt to have a mattress in that spare room. Stop acting like it''s weird for me to want to sleep on my own dam- dang bed.¡±


    ¡°(He''s finally warming up to me.) Whatever, most guys would kill to have a bad bitch like me sleep next to them.¡± She pulled up one of the legs of her black jeans all the way up and stroked her thigh. It was pale white with no blemishes or scars in sight and it had a pleasant amount of weight on it.


    ¡°I even have some nice thighs for ya,¡±


    Miguel blushed slightly and pulled the mattress tightly sealed in plastic out of the box.


    ¡°Come on, you have to admit it''s pretty weird.¡± He softly answered.


    ¡°What''s weird about sleeping with Big Sis?¡±


    Like a flashbang, both of them recoiled after she said. Not from any sort of embarrassment, but from the rush of nostalgia that took over both of them.


    ¡°I did call you that back then, didn''t I? I remember thinking you and Micheal would get marr-¡±


    She placed a finger over his mouth.


    ¡°There''s no need to talk about that. But man that really took me back for a moment. Aw, you used to be so cute back then despite the mouth you had on you¡­¡±


    She looked at him more closely as he held the wrapped mattress and nodded her head.


    ¡°(Actually he still looks kinda cute even now. I thought he''d grow some shitty facial hair like his brother but I guess he wasn''t blessed or rather cursed with anything like that.) But you''re a grown man, so I guess I shouldn''t expect that sorta stuff anymore. (26? He doesn''t look more than 20).¡±


    For being a shut-in, his skin was surprisingly healthy other than the bags under his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah I guess calling you big sis would be a bit much¡­ (I-is she where I got my love of big sisters from? N-no there''s enough of that stuff in anime that it''s probably coincidental.)¡±


    She crouched beside him and lifted up part of the mattress.


    ¡°Anyway, it seems pretty small.¡±


    ¡°It''s supposed to expand when you take it out.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She ripped the plastic with her bare hands and the mattress expanded on top of Tibaut.


    With the mattress on top of him, he blankly looked towards her.


    ¡°Damn, you learn something new every day.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to open it in the room¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop bitching, it''s not that hard to drag it there.¡±


    <hr>


    With his room back in possession, he could finally sleep when he wanted without feeling like a pervert for watching Louise as he tried to fall asleep. And he quickly fell back into old habits, waking at around six o''clock.


    P.M.


    As he got up, he noticed his door was left open.


    (¡°I must have been so tired I forgot to lock the door.¡±) He thought as he left his room looking for breakfast.


    Just like the past two days, the TV was blaring, so that meant she was probably up.


    She heard the footsteps and quickly turned around.


    ¡°So you''re still alive.¡± She bluntly stated.


    ¡°Did you poison me or something?¡± He answered as he shook off his grogginess.


    She smirked. ¡°Killing you with a pillow would be way easier. I''ve been on a few benders before but I don''t think I''ve ever seen someone wake up at these times, much less without some hard liquor.¡±


    Turned around on the couch, he realised she wasn''t wearing her jacket.


    ¡°Have you adjusted to the AC?¡± He asked as he walked over, stretching his arms out.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh no, I just took it off to put it in the wash. Actually, I was wondering if you had any spares.¡±


    She got out from the couch and the smell of liquor nearly knocked him to the floor. But what he saw kept him standing.


    It seemed the jacket wasn''t the only thing she put in the wash.


    She walked towards in only two pieces of clothing as Tibaut forced his eyes to keep to her face.


    She looked down and smirked. ¡°You like it?¡±

 Memories of a Distant World 13-14

    She used both her hands to point towards her crotch and smirked, seeing the man in front of her struggling to keep his eyes focused on hers.


    ¡°It''s a good thing I shaved, right Tibaut?¡± She said as she looked down. ¡°Or maybe you like ¡®em more hairy? I''ll let it grow out if you tell me.¡±


    She answered as Tibaut¡¯s face became a subtle pink and got more and more intense until his face had the same tone as a tomato.


    (¡°Haha, damn, I gotta admit, there''s something entertaining about a guy that acts meek about these sorts of things instead of saying something corny like ¡°Can I unwrap that present?¡±) She thought as she remembered a previous experience. (¡°Maybe I should wear one of the sexy ones next time.¡±)


    She was standing before Miguel in nothing more than a sleeveless top tank and her panty. The area was clean-shaven, considering how much of the skin around it was exposed and Miguel held his head in his hands as he tried sus out why she did this.


    (¡°It''s gonna happen, it''s gonna happen, it''s gonna happen!¡±) He thought as he wondered if his dreams had been willed into reality.


    ¡°Stop overreacting man.¡± She said as she got closer and grabbed him. She trapped his head and gave him a noogie with a smile.


    ¡°O-ow, I''m sorry for looking!¡± He quickly apologised.


    She let him go and pushed him off.


    ¡°I''m just teasing ya. But I forgot to bring a change of clothes so I''m just bearing in this until my shit finishes washing.¡±


    She said as she stretched out, exposing the faintest outline of muscle underneath her stomach.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He said disappointed.


    ¡°You''re the one worried about appearances. I''d walk around all the time like this if you were cool with it.¡± She said as she continued her stretches, lifting her knees up to her chest.


    Miguel quickly responded. ¡°N-no, um it woul-¡±


    ¡°Your loss,¡± She said as she shrugged her shoulders.


    Not only was she the first woman he had seen in this level of clothing in his real life but he couldn''t believe he absolutely fumbled being able to see her at any point in time like this whenever he wanted¡­ Is what part of him said. But the more logical part of him knew he''d kinda be a creep for asking for something like that from someone who wasn''t his girlfriend.


    He shrugged his head as both parts of him argued which was the correct choice and continued.


    ¡°Want some pants at least?¡± He asked, almost as if praying she''d say no.


    She walked up to his side and pressed her almost bare hip against his own, comparing something.


    ¡°They seem like they''d be a bit big, wouldn''t they?¡±


    She then slapped her behind, which had Miguel wondering if his own hand would be doing the slapping one day, as she continued.


    ¡°And no offence, but your ass doesn''t look like it''s packing the same amount of meat I am. I''m not a fan of tight jeans so I''ll be rocking these girls for a little longer.¡± She said as she pulled on her panty before it snapped back. It took all the self-restraint Miguel possessed to not try and look into them.


    He quickly moved away and headed back to his room.


    ¡°Oh is that so, anyway I''m still feeling a bit tired so I''ll-¡±


    She grabbed his shoulder as he turned around. She had a smile on her face as she watched him try to escape and eventually, he stopped struggling.


    ¡°You''re enjoying this aren''t you?¡± He weakly asked as he stared at the floor.


    ¡°Can''t say I''m not having fun here.¡± She gleefully answered.


    <hr>


    As Miguel tried to adjust to her, she''d get more and more brazen trying to tease him. Sometimes she''d open her legs and other times she''d pull her panties enough to hide them between her cheeks as she lay down.


    He couldn''t take it anymore and got her a pair of sweatpants.


    After bottling it up, he finally decided to ask her a question.


    ¡°Hey, Louise, do you um¡­¡± He felt his heart flutter as he contemplated saying those words. Would she laugh at him or was he oblivious to her hints?


    ¡°What''s up, big guy?¡± She asked as she looked at the pants.


    ¡°What do you think of me?¡± Weren''t the words he wanted to ask her but he couldn''t bring himself to say the potentially mood-ruining words of ¡°Do you like me?¡±


    Her eyes opened a bit and her gaze turned to the TV. She quickly put the pants on and Miguel could feel his heart break.


    ¡°Sorry bout that Miguel, you know my friends don''t really care when I do shit like that. Like I''m not saying I meant anything by that, but uh, you probably shouldn''t take anything a girl like me does too seriously.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. I was¡­ making sure I wasn''t missing any signals. (Okay, I can recover from this. She thinks I was asking her if she was hitting on me. Not great but not as bad as thinking I want to date her.)¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Don''t worry. I wouldn''t do that to you. I wouldn''t want to drag a guy like you to my level.¡± She said in a sombre tone.


    ¡°Don''t say that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She mouthed as she turned to him.


    ¡°(Shit I spoke without thinking.) I mean, don''t talk yourself down like that.¡±


    She looked at him, moved herself lower and laid down in his lap. ¡°Listen Miguel, I know you''re being nice and all but you should avoid women like me at all costs, especially if they''re putting their fangs in you. You''re like a little brother to me and frankly, I know a woman like me wouldn''t treat you right.¡±


    (¡°A little brother huh¡­ that''s not so bad. I can work with that.¡±)


    He thought as he looked at her.


    ¡°Alright, I''ll be careful from now on.¡±


    ¡°Good. You''re a good kid and you should stay that way.¡±


    <hr>


    A few hours passed Louise had managed to get a conversation going.


    Both were sitting at a table with cards in front of them.


    ¡°Come on, we''re basically family, you can tell me your type of woman.¡±


    ¡°I don''t have a type, honest!¡± He answered.


    ¡°You must have a girl at work that¡­¡± She paused and looked to be thinking about something. ¡°How often do you leave this place anyway?¡± She asked. She knew he had an inheritance so large it could support at least five of her but did he have a day job?


    ¡°Twice a week?¡± He lied.


    ¡°Really? Where to?¡±


    He tried to think of somewhere plausible but tens of seconds had already passed when he opened his mouth.


    ¡°What a nice life.¡± She thought as she stretched forward on the table. ¡°Can''t I get some of that cash Miguel? Shit, I wouldn''t mind being Mrs. Ray if I didn''t have to work another day. You got wealth to spare right Miggy?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    She gave him a cold stare.


    ¡°If I can''t find someone by the time I''m 30, I''ll keep you in mind.¡± He answered in a jovial tone.


    She smirked. ¡°If you''re still single by then, I guess I''ll have no choice but to step up.¡± She said as she looked at her cards.


    ¡°Oh right!¡± Miguel said as he tried to steer away from a topic he couldn''t tell was a joke or not. ¡°You''ve been here for quite some time now and only leave for a few hours. I''ve never had a job before, so what''s it like?¡±


    ¡°Some people have all the luc- (You idiot, keep out of that!)¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess some people do.¡± He softly commented. ¡°I can only imagine how much my mom and dad would be yelling at me for staying at home and doing nothing all day.¡± He said with a soft smile. ¡°But can you really blame me for not wanting a 9 to 5 with all the money I''ll ever need?¡± He asked, with hands held out.


    ¡°(He took that surprisingly well¡­) Gah, of course. It sure beats having to work on a construction or an office.¡±


    ¡°You did construction work?¡±


    She grabbed the table with one hand and handily lifted it a few inches off the ground before placing it back down.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the pay was shit and some of the guys were too sleazy for my tastes. I swear, I couldn''t go a week without some asshole trying to get a handful of my ass and call it an accident.¡±


    ¡°How awful. So what do you do now?¡±


    ¡°I''m jobless.¡±


    ¡°...?(Huh? She can''t be, then how does she provide for herself?)¡±


    He told her all she needed to know and she responded. ¡°Yeah, I guess having a broke girl over at your house isn''t the most-¡±


    ¡°So were you jobless before you came here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°How''d you survive without a job?¡± He asked.


    ¡°(Oh that''s what he was confused about.) It''s not hard when you''re sharing an apartment and didn''t go to college. The only debts I have are at random dive bars.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I guess I overestimated how hard life would be without a job.¡±


    ¡°Don''t say that, I''ll be broke if I don''t find something decent in a month''s time. Wait a second, can''t you hook me up with something?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Oh, you mean one of the chip factories? You''d have to ask my brother about something like that.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, never mind.¡±


    <hr>


    As Tibaut looked at the monitor, he threw his controller aside and slapped his forehead.


    ¡°Fucking dogshit, this game is the biggest sack of horseshit I''ve ever bought.¡± He said as he reached to turn off his console.


    ¡°Was that a bad word I heard, Miguel?¡± A voice said outside his room. They opened the door and let themselves in. Miguel quickly turned off his monitor, though nothing too out of the ordinary was on his screen. It was practically a muscle memory of his earlier years living with his family.


    ¡°What''s got a guy like you so pissed you''re dropping f-bombs?¡± She asked as she pulled his chair towards his bed.


    ¡°Can''t a guy say fuck?¡± He weakly added.


    ¡°No, but we''re cool right?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we are, you said I''m like a brother right?¡±


    ¡°Right, so why are you so¡­ polite around me?¡± She asked. ¡°Wouldn''t hurt to call me a bitch sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Wha, why would I do that.¡±


    She reached her hand for his chest and squeezed it


    ¡°Aw, the fuck was that for?¡± He snapped.


    ¡°See, that''s far more casual. That''s the way we used to talk back in the day, you know.¡±


    As he rubbed his chest, he briefly considered doing the same to her and quickly threw that idea in the bin.


    ¡°But it''s kinda harsh sounding isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Miguel, how would you talk to a friend?¡±


    ¡°I mean I''d¡­Oh God is that really how I talked to you back then?¡±


    ¡°You once told me that I sucked more dicks than I had money in my wallet. There wasn''t anything in it but you sneaked a hundred dollar bill in while I wasn''t looking, you little shit.¡± She said with a giggle.


    ¡°Heh,¡± He giggled as well at it and cleared his throat. ¡°Oh I didn''t know we were that close, I thought you just caught me saying something dumb to me brother.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell your brother about the thighjob thing?¡±


    ¡°I-I, uh, might have considering how I was back then.¡±


    ¡°Knowing that piece of shit, he probably still has that bitch''s number.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°You might not know but he cheated on me with that whore I used to call a friend. You definitely seemed into her back then, so I guess your taste in women might be genetic.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, why would I want to date a woman that was with my brother?¡±

 Memories of a Distant World 15-16

    ¡°Damn right you shouldn''t, they''re probably all looser than a pair of sweatpants without its drawstring.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He unconsciously responded. Realising that Louise was also a former girlfriend of his brother, he backpedalled hard before she realised the subtle dig. ¡°I mean, um, I guess it''d depend, you know, maybe there are a few others out there he cheated-¡±


    She pulled the sweatpants forward and looked down into it. ¡°I''m no exception, Tibaut. This old girl''s more worn out than a dull knife.¡± She said with an almost unnervingly straight face.


    Which was why Tibaut was doing his best to hold back his laughter. He did his best to hide his smile with his hand and tried to look at her straight on.


    (¡°No, no she''s being serious I shouldn''t-¡±)


    ¡°Other girls are pink and tight while I''m just a sad and loose grey.¡±


    He bit down on his lips and did his best to keep his face straight as she continued.


    (¡°Stop it Miguel, she''s obviously very-¡±)


    ¡°You could probably fit two up there, maybe three.¡±


    He held his head down and turned around, in a desperate attempt to preserve her dignity. She leaned over his shoulder and whispered softly into his ears as he hunched over.


    ¡°Yeah, three fists sound about right.¡±


    Miguel fell to the floor and couldn''t contain himself anymore.


    ¡°HAHAHAHA, LOUISE, WAIT NO I DIDN''T-¡± He tried to explain himself but his laughter overshadowed the few words he managed to get out as he lay on his hands and knees trying to get up.


    ¡°Shut up limp dick, at least I get laid.¡± She threw out, awaiting his response.


    ¡°The fuck did I do? You were doing that on purpose.¡± He answered as he caught his breath.


    He stood back up and took a few breaths in.


    ¡°Maybe I did or maybe a girl was just expressing her vulnerability to you. I should have known you were as scummy as your brother.¡±


    Miguel quieted and looked at her more staunchly. (¡°Shit, did I?¡±)


    Noticing the concern on his face she pushed his gut and ran a hand through his hair when he brought his face down.


    ¡°(Maybe I overdid it.) It''s a rib man, relax. You''re supposed to continue the banter, you know?¡±


    But she was satisfied with the progress she had made in a few days with him. He''d avoid her like the plague for the first few days she was here, and now he was comfortable enough to laugh at her jokes.


    (¡°Excusing all those fake bitches I used to fuck with back then, I''d probably say¡­ he was my best friend, even excluding my whole thing with Micheal. Sigh I''ve missed this guy. I''m honestly glad I can finally see that version of him again. I''ve been dealing with far too many assholes for far too long, so maybe he''ll be different. No, I know he''s different.¡±) She thought as she put him in a headlock.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey, limpdick?¡± She asked as she entered this room.


    He sighed and turned to her.


    ¡°Is that my name now?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Until proof otherwise, yes.¡± She answered. ¡°We''re out of food.¡±


    While Miguel was fully capable of making himself a meal, it was far easier and far more time-efficient to buy a bunch of ready-made meals you just had to put in the oven.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He pulled out his phone and pulled up a number.


    ¡°So aren''t we heading to the supermarket?¡± She asked, walking closer.


    ¡°Nah, I can get it delivered.¡±


    ¡°For how much?¡±


    ¡°Like $6, I think?¡±


    ¡°Miguel, it''s down the street, we can just go there.¡±


    ¡°Come on, what''s wrong with convenience?¡± He asked as he looked ready to order stuff online.


    ¡°When was the last time you left this place huh? You''re probably in here cooped up playing World of warcraft all day, touch some grass dude.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, I don''t fuc- pla- (Nah, I can curse around her.) fuck with multiplayer games, I don''t need that sort of toxicity in my life.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then what are you playing?¡±


    ¡°You know single-player games¡­¡±


    She grabbed his phone and took a look through it.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing!¡± He shouted as he tried to pry it from her hands.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°!¡±


    She looked into his messaging app and even she wasn''t prepared for what she saw. She checked everything, even his discord and there wasn''t a single message he had made to anyone within the past year.


    She handed the phone back and kept quiet.


    He took back the phone but the lack of reaction worried him. He looked through the opened apps but didn''t see anything too horrendous.


    (¡°Has he¡­ Has he been like this since his parents died?¡±) She wondered as she looked at him. She knew it took a toll on him but most guys like him usually had some friends hiding on some obscure site somewhere.


    ¡°So, what''d you see?¡± He asked as he put extra effort in going into and deleting his browser history as he awaited her response. ¡°Don''t tell me some skimpy drawings have you acting like this.¡± He said as he looked through his gallery for any images he shouldn''t have downloaded.


    She shook her head. ¡°N-no, it''s just¡­ I saw a pic of your parents and I was just reminded about them.¡± She asked, hoping to segue into his personal life.


    ¡°Oh, I guessed you must have talked to them a few times back then.¡±


    ¡°So are you good?¡± She awkwardly asked.


    She wasn''t too good with stuff like this but if she was going to stay here for the next few days, she might as well see if she could help out someone she used and still did consider a brother.


    ¡°Come on, that happened like five years ago, I''m pretty sure anyone could get over anything in that amount of time.¡± He answered as he breathed a sigh internally, thankful that was all she saw.


    ¡°So you still talk to your friends?¡± She asked.


    He placed a finger on his chin and thought for a moment. ¡°Well, the thing is¡­ I''d say I''m pretty independent from the real world.¡±


    She pulled his gaming chair a few feet and let it go close to his bed before she sat down.


    ¡°Independent? What, you hate society or something? Gonna send people pipe bombs in their mail?¡± She asked in a light tone.


    ¡°Please, I quite enjoy the modern conveniences of civilization. What I mean is, I have enough money so I don''t really worry about the real world.¡±


    She still looked a little lost.


    ¡°While I don''t have to worry about the real world, my friends do. They all have jobs, or getting doctorates or even starting families. At this point in our lives, we don''t really hate each other, but all I do when I live here is play games or worry about what the next biggest gaming release is going to be. While they''re worrying about what they''re gonna have to do to keep making money or provide for their families. The last time I asked any of them about anything interesting, their discussion just turned into them complaining about bills or how little time they have compared to me. Honestly, each time I talk to them, I wonder if I''m rubbing in the fact I don''t have to worry about anything anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡± She said, trying to grasp his agony. ¡°That sounds rough. But don''t worry about them, why should you care if they get miserable whenever they talk to you?¡±


    ¡°I mean, they''re my friends. It kinda stings seeing them like that.¡±


    (¡°Ah shit, I just made it worse. Fuck it time to bust out the big guns.¡±) She wasn''t sure how she''d alleviate his concerns but if she could give him some momentary reprieve then maybe stepping on the conversational landmine wouldn''t have been in vain.


    She moved into him and gave him a snug hug while patting his back.


    ¡°(It''s pretty cheap but dudes love this shit.) Miguel, what do you think about this whole thing? Do you still want to be their friend?¡±


    He let himself sink into her arms and sighed. ¡°Of course I do. But I think life has other plans. While they''ve matured through life¡¯s hardships I''ve kinda just remained the same me I''ve been since I finished college. I feel like we''re just too different.¡±


    ¡°(...)¡± She thought about her next words carefully. ¡°Then reach out dude, why are you agonising over this by yourself? And hell, if those bastards decide it''s time to part ways, you can always make more friends. You even have a friend right here.¡± She said as squeezed him tighter.


    As she did so he couldn''t help but feel disgusted with himself as he enjoyed the embrace of her hug.


    (¡°She''s just a friend¡­ sigh I wish I could tell myself that. She''s the only woman that''s treated me like this forever. Maybe there''s a¡­ No Miguel, she''s just a friend. Get that through your fucking skull and leave her be.)


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He said as she drank in this experience for all it was worth.


    ¡°...So how many women have you been hugged by? You''ve been taking some strong sniffs of a woman who hasn''t worn perfume in a few days.¡± She quickly asked.


    ¡°Are you implying something?¡± He bitterly responded.


    With the dour mood extinguished, she pinched his side and the man showed a certain finger to her.


    ¡°You know you could have just let go.¡±


    ¡°Where''d the fun be in¡­¡±


    <hr>


    The pair sat on the couch, but this wasn''t TV they were watching.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± Someone who wasn''t Miguel shouted.


    ¡°Do you even play games, Louise?¡± Miguel asked as he watched her.


    He wasn''t cruel enough to pop in a fighting game against something who likely had touched a console since the early 2000s and luckily for him, one of his games had couch co-op.


    Unfortunately, it was a platformer that was regarded as ¡°pretty fucking hard¡± by most people who didn''t play platformers much.


    ¡°Of course, I do, dumbass, I used to pop by your house and beat that sore bitch of a brother you have, whenever I could spare the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± He said as he watched her fall down another hole.


    She audibly gritted her teeth and looked ready to throw the controller onto the coffee table.


    He quickly placed both his arms to stop the swing and barely managed to save the controller and the table.


    ¡°Chill out, that table''s expensive.¡±


    ¡°I''m pretty sure a cheap one would have worked just as well!¡± She shouted as she set her feet on it.


    ¡°Don''t blame me, my brother said it matched the place¡¯s aesthetic well. Said I''m supposed to keep the place looking like it was owed by someone with a few mill in his bank account.¡±


    ¡°Of course that bastard suggested it, he''s always so concerned about appearances, that''s why he''s always saying we should break up, months before I found out he was cheating.¡± She commented as she gave the table a few well-placed kicks, nearly stopping Miguel''s heart. ¡°We smoked together, drank together but apparently as soon people know you''re smoking the fucker¡­¡±


    ¡°Help me out here Louise, you still have a bubble.¡±


    She quickly picked up the controller back up and tried to redeem herself.


    (¡°Hmm? She suddenly got really good at it.¡±) He thought as he watched her.


    They cleared the level and she dropped the controller looking unamused.


    ¡°You locked in at the end there.¡± He said.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± She said, sounding nowhere near as proud of herself as she should. ¡°But a few mill. Miguel, be straight with me, what kinda money are you sitting on.¡±


    (¡°Ah, that''s what got her attention. Wait, could she be? Nah, what am I saying.¡±)

 Memories of a Distant World 17-18

    ¡°Enough.¡± He answered dismissively.


    ¡°Miguel, in some parts of the whole $10,000 is enough to live your life in comfort¡­ Actually Miggy, could you buy me a place in Indonesia and give me a small loan? That sort of life doesn''t sound half bad.¡± She said as she moved her body into his and gave a hug that gave him ample contact with her chest.


    He blushed as he tried to push her off and resisted the temptations in his head telling him otherwise. ¡°Can you even speak the language?¡± He asked.


    ¡°There''s a little thing called Google Translate, Miguel, now give your good friend a good life already!¡± She said, hugging him tight enough Miguel could confidently tell she wasn''t wearing a bra.


    ¡°I''m not giving you shit!¡± He responded flustered.


    She looked at him in awe and Miguel wondered if he sounded a bit too harsh. After all, it was only just a couple tho-


    She leaned him forward on the couch and tapped his back.


    ¡°It''s nice to see you have a backbone.¡± She commented before slapping his back.


    He quickly grabbed his back and started rubbing it. ¡°Are you trying to break my spine or something She-hulk?¡± He commented. ¡°(Ugh, I really shouldn''t take anything she says seriously.) But it''s not like I couldn''t do it.¡±


    ¡°Miguel, do you think telling me you could give me a better life and choose not to do it is something good to add? I don''t think even Satan would do something that cruel.¡± She said as she pinched his cheek and pulled it out.


    ¡°Just find a job, you slacker. Ow, ow, ow, ow, I''m sorry let go!¡± He begged as she pulled down on his cheek for her own amusement.


    ¡°But seriously, what kind of money is a guy like you rocking?¡± She asked in a more inquisitive tone. ¡°This area isn''t super expensive so I was thinking it could be my new place if that bitch doesn''t leave soon. So, I looked for an apartment in this place since it seemed nice and all but GOD Damn, 10k a month!? For an apartment!?¡± She said as she looked at him in shock.


    ¡°(I mean, my rent''s more like 6 to 7k-ish a month depending on the time of year but I get what she''s saying.) I know what you''re saying but trust me, I could live here for like a hundred years with no trouble.¡±


    ¡°Damn, so you''re rich rich.¡± She said as she looked around the apartment.


    ¡°I wouldn''t say that. It''s not like I''m going to be buying any bugattis anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°So you could buy them.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    Her jaw dropped at his response.


    ¡°Come on, Louise, you''re over-exaggerating it.¡±


    ¡°Where''d this type of money even come from, I knew you were rich, but, but not like this!¡±


    ¡°Potato chips make a lot more money than you''d think.¡± He answered bluntly.


    ¡°L-like¡­¡± She looked around and whispered. ¡°Seven figures rich?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Eight figures rich plus half the company stocks my parents had, which should add up to about mid-eight figures.¡± He whispered back.


    She eased off him and straightened his shirt. She even started fixing up his hair and sat a respectable distance away from him.


    ¡°(About fifty million or even more¡­) I wasn''t aware, Sir.¡± She said in the most respectful tone she could muster.


    ¡°Come on, don''t be like that!¡±


    She looked deep in contemplation as she held her hand on her chin. ¡°Are you sure you''re waiting till 30 for a wife?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, damn, I''ll walk around the house in only a maid apron if you want. Shit, I''d walk around the town like that if you wanted.¡± She said as she got closer to him.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You can even have a few side chicks on the side if you get tired of me. Shit, I''ll be the side chick for a dude with that much.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± He asked, knowing the answer to this question could potentially change his life.


    She pinched his nose and looked deep into his eyes.


    ¡°Only partly.¡± She said as she laid down on the couch and rested her legs in his lap.


    Miguel wasn''t sure he would have been able to resist if she said yes and counted his blessings.


    <hr>


    Miguel woke up to find himself face-to-face with Louise. They blankly stared at each other until Louise gave him a kiss on the nose that had him quickly turning around on his bed and rolling away red-faced.


    ¡°Have a good rest?¡± She asked.


    (¡°Calm down dude, it''s just a kiss on the nose!¡±) He tried to reassure himself. ¡°I''d prefer if some *sniff* *sniff* ugh, is that you? I''d prefer it if I didn''t get kissed by a woman that smelled like a cigarette.¡± He commented as he wafted the air. ¡°You didn''t do that here, did you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I''m not an asshole.¡± She answered as she sniffed her jacket. ¡°That smell sticks to everything. Ugh.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Why are you disgusted, don''t you smoke the stuff?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Alright Miguel, let me put it like this, you like¡­ bacon right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Would you like it if your apartment smelled like bacon for a whole month no matter how much you tried to get rid of the smell?¡± She answered coldly as if reliving a traumatic experience as she spoke.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I thought so.¡±


    ¡°Can''t you wear some cologne at least?¡±


    She scoffed, took off her jacket and threw it to the side of the room, leaving her in her tank top.


    ¡°*sniff* I guess that''s better. So why were you watching me as I slept, Louise? Am I that interesting?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, I saw you thrashing around and wanted to fuck with ya. I didn''t think you''d wake up this quickly.¡± She said as she discreetly moved the marker in her hand back into her pocket.


    ¡°Okay, follow-up, why are you in my room?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    She pulled out her phone and showed him a message. And it was from his brother.


    ¡°Wake him up please, I''ve been trying to get his phone for the past hour.¡±


    The message was sent just fifteen minutes ago.


    ¡°Ugh, is this serious?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, ask him.¡± She said as she walked to the other side of the room and picked up her jacket. ¡°Call me when you''re finished whatever you''re doing with him.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I''m heading out, till he''s finished with you.¡±


    ¡°Louise I have a good idea what it is so you can stay here if you''d like.¡±


    ¡°I''m good, the less of that man I see the better.¡± She answered as she walked through his door and made a swift exit.


    As he looked down at his phone, he saw a message from an unknown number reading. ¡°Here''s my number dummy >:3.¡±


    <hr>


    Within the hour, his brother arrived in an absolutely horrendous suit. It was a plaid patterned jacket with a shirt of inverted colour underneath. His hair was slicked back with more hair gel than an average pharmacy, and he had a moustache on his face that looked like it had recently been trimmed and cleaned up.


    She held a suit similar to his own in his hands and pushed it towards Miguel.


    ¡°Was there a yard sale or something?¡±


    ¡°Both sets were 8 grand, each.¡±


    He took the suit out of his hands and sighed. ¡°I don''t have to keep this, do I?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, maybe you''ll be begging to keep it at the end of the day.¡±


    Miguel simply sighed at his brother''s words and headed to his bedroom to get changed.


    ¡°You showered, right?¡± Micheal asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I smell enough cologne on this thing to hide the smell of a landfill. What''s the occasion this time?¡±


    ¡°Some company heads want to discuss what to do with our stocks in the company.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I said you were gonna deal with that stuff?¡±


    ¡°I did, but apparently they''re considering selling off the company, so they''d like to see your face. Don''t worry I''ll do the talking, just don''t do anything stupid.¡±


    Miguel got in his room and got dressed, before hurrying to the almost obnoxiously out-of-place limousine that was parked outside the apartment.


    <hr>


    ¡°I hate rich people,¡± Miguel stated at the dinner table. His face was lying on the table as he reached for the fry and placed it in his mouth.


    The brothers were in a restaurant with a French name with a menu that reflected it. Both in the names of dishes and the prices.


    The floor was a continuous marble flooring with the walls made out of dark stained wood.


    ¡°Business isn''t going to be discussed in thirty minutes, Miguel.¡± His brother answered as she dug into his steak.


    ¡°Three hours! Three hours and what did they say? That they were thinking about finding someone to buy the company? And what the hell was the point of that other guy they brought!?¡±


    ¡°That was their lawyer making sure they didn''t say anything stupid while seeing if I''d say anything stupid he could pounce on. I bet those hyenas are already plotting how to screw me over.¡± He commented as he dug his fork into a steak fry and dipped it into some au jus left on the side.


    ¡°But enough about that shit, how are you enjoying your new roommate?¡± He asked with a grin.


    He lifted his head up and looked at him. ¡°I nearly forgot to thank you for that.¡±


    He showed him a middle finger with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Bro, what are you planning?¡± He asked as she brought his hand down. ¡°You have a girlfriend right now, don''t you? Don''t you think doing stuff like this-¡±


    ¡°Woah, easy there hombre, this isn''t for me, this is for you!¡±


    Miguel could tell the answer would irritate him but he decided to ask anyway.


    ¡°So why is it, that you sent the first woman you''ve cheated on to my apartment, Michael?¡± He asked in the sternest tone he could manage.


    ¡°Stop that, I feel I''m being questioned by Dad for coming home late. But to answer your question, do you seriously not remember her? You guys used to be close back then (I even had some suspicions), I thought it''d cheer you up to have someone like her show up out of the blue. Like finding a pet you thought was long dead.¡±


    ¡°Were we really? All I recall about that time were you two and what happened after you decided to go after her blonde friend.¡±


    He said as he looked at his leftovers on the table.


    ¡°(It was 10 years ago. Maybe I was overblowing how much they hung out back then¡­) Shut up man, you should be glad I got a woman to show up at your apartment, it''s the only way it would have happened otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Couldn''t you have gotten me a woman that likes anime at least? I don''t there''s a single thing in common with us.¡±


    ¡°Never heard the saying opposites attract? Just like magnets and soon enough you''ll have her south stick to your north if you know what I mean.¡±


    Miguel rolled his eyes and called over a waiter for the bill.


    ¡°Excuse me sir, but you''ve ordered dessert haven''t you? Give us a few more minutes to get that ready before we hand the bill.¡±


    Miguel turned back to his brother.


    ¡°Come on Miguel, thank your brother a bit for giving you a hook-up. You''re even trying to run away to get back to her side. Even a chewed-up ball of gum would be sweet to someone that hasn''t tried a fresh piece before.¡± He said as he laughed to himself.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Micheal, can you shit on her in your own time? If I wanted to hear you complain, I¡¯d ask how the heads of the company are treating you.¡± He said, annoyed.


    His brother cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Chill out bro, it''s just a little joke. But it''s good to have someone to talk to sometimes isn''t it? And who knows maybe a little bit of this and a little bit of that can happen between you two. Don''t let me stop you.¡±


    Miguel sighed. ¡°Whatever man.¡±

 Memories of a Distant World 19-20

    ¡°Come on man, don''t be sour!¡± The brother said as he tapped Miguel''s shoulder. ¡°I was a bit worried about you all, having a close friend come back into your life isn''t something to react like this about.¡±


    The two brothers were in a stopped limousine outside Miguel''s apartment.


    ¡°Micheal, having a woman sent to my apartment isn''t exactly what I''d call a pleasant surprise.¡± He answered as he looked outside.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°(He really does think about nothing but women. This is the type of thing he''d want and he just assumed I''d want it as well. I swear when it comes to stuff other than business, where''s your head at bro?)¡±


    ¡°Tch, damn, I guess she''s still bitter and taking it out on you. Want me to call some guys to get her remo-¡±


    ¡°Woah, wait a second bro, what are you talking about?¡± Miguel quickly added as he heard something very worrying exit his brother''s mouth.


    ¡°I mean, I can imagine her acting like she runs the place and bossing you around. She''s at least a pain right?¡±


    ¡°Not really, she knows when to back off on certain stuff and honestly for someone that smokes and drinks she doesn''t really make the place feel any worse by leaving stuff around like you used at your old pl-¡±


    He quickly placed a finger over his brother''s mouth and began whispering.


    ¡°Easy Miguel, I don''t want my driver to hear this. Besides, we were both a bit rough after what happened to mom and dad, don''t act like I still live like that.¡± He said in a very defensive tone.


    Miguel honestly couldn''t blame him. By the time he got his act back together, he had to sell it off as the ingrained smell of tobacco and weed alone made it unsalvageable for any sane person.


    He removed his finger and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Then why the hell were you giving me shit for it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Michael, like, at least give me a heads up before you send someone to my apartment.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s what you''re pissy about.¡±


    ¡°Would you like it if I sent some random woman to your place?¡±


    ¡°As long as Victoria¡¯s not around.¡±


    Miguel shook his head and gave him a light punch on the shoulder before leaving.


    ¡°Stay safe little bro!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you too.¡±


    <hr>


    Miguel rested alone in his apartment in nothing more than his undies. He lay on his couch with a phone in hand and placed it back on his coffee. On its screen was the text he received from Louise before he left.


    (¡°Worried? What does that have to do with sending a woman I haven''t in ten years to my place?¡±)


    He thought.


    (¡°It''s night now and she hasn''t come back. Maybe I should just¡­ not call her. I mean if she doesn''t return then maybe she doesn''t need to freeload me anymore. Like, why the hell am I even entertaining her? Why don''t you just go back to your parent''s house or something? I mean she''s¡­ she''s fine I guess but I''m no charity. What if she just invites her friends over to stay with me, or worse a boyfriend? I don''t want her to think this place is just a free out for her to stay whenever she wants.


    And my brother''s another one. Worried about me? Do you think sending a random woman to my place is any way to express any concern you dickhead? What the fuck is this concern even about? I''ve been fine for the past few months on my own, I don''t get what the fucks changed for him to get this concerned. Even Louise has given me some odd looks on occasion. Do you guys think I''m a freak or something? Maybe it''s because people like you wouldn''t know normal if-¡±)


    He calmed himself down and rubbed his head for a few moments. He sighed and picked up his phone.


    (¡°Why am I assuming the worst in her? Forget it, I''m mad at my brother, not her. Besides, she needed a temporary place, it''s not like she''s gonna stay here forever.¡±)


    (¡°But would that be so bad?¡±)


    A thought at the far reaches of mind wondered. He quickly brushed it aside and texted her to come back.


    As he waited for a reply, he noticed a call from the same number he texted.


    He answered it and ¡°Hello?¡± He asked. He heard nothing on the other end and wondered if she butt-dialled him, but it couldn''t have been accidental. There was absolutely nothing heard on the other end. No talking, no background sounds of the city, not even the sound of walking.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    He heard something but it sounded off. He spoke again and realised what it was. His own voice.


    He quickly turned around and had a hand placed over his mouth.


    (¡°Shitshitshitshitsshitshitshjt!¡±)


    Before he could struggle and scream for help, a hand slid down his chest and grabbed one of his pecs with a bit of force.


    ¡°Hmm, could use a bit of work don''t you think?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He turned in his phone''s flashlight and pointed it to the miscreant. It was Lousie with a smug look on her face.


    ¡°How did you?¡±


    ¡°You left the door unlocked.¡±


    Living in a safe community had its drawbacks, he supposed.


    (¡°Thank fuck I kept my thoughts to myself.¡±) He thought as he tried to bite one of her hands.


    ¡°Behave, boy, my hand isn''t a treat.¡±


    ¡°Well I''m not a cow either, but the way you held my chest made it seem like you were trying to get some milk.¡± He commented as he rubbed the now sore pectoral.


    As he looked down he realised he was still. in. his. underwear.


    He pursed his lips before quickly trying to cover himself with his arms.


    She tilted her head before taking a better look at his body.


    ¡°What''s wrong, got a tattoo or something?¡± She asked.


    ¡°C-could you turn around for a moment?¡±


    She looked down at his crotch but it didn''t seem to be acting up. Why was he acting so sh-


    ¡°Oh come on dude, you''re basically in swimwear, what''s the point in being embarrassed about that?¡±


    ¡°I don''t go to the beach for that exact reason!¡± He answered as he tried to get off the couch.


    ¡°Huh, you are kinda pale.¡±


    As he scrambled to the ground to try and pick up the suit he discarded on the floor, she shook her hand.


    ¡°Dude, I''ll just go get your clothes. They''re still in your room.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, thanks.¡±


    After getting his t-shirt and sweatpants back, she made a sly comment before walking off.


    ¡°Well, at least I won''t have to worry about it hurting if I ever become your wife.¡±


    It took a few seconds for Miguel to realise what she was talking about.


    <hr>


    ¡°Miguel¡­¡­.¡± A voice akin to nails on a chalkboard asked.


    Miguel took his headset off and looked at his bed to see her lying on it with her upper half hanging off it.


    ¡°No, it doesn''t have a funny smell, can you stop asking that now?¡±


    ¡°It''s not about you nutting on your bed, Miguel,¡±


    He rolled his eyes and continued listening.


    ¡°Make me something.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? Like a boat?¡±


    ¡°Can you make a boat?¡±


    ¡°No,¡±


    She slumped off the bed and slithered towards him like a boa stalking a gazelle.


    ¡°Make me food Miguel, I''m tired of eating the same old shit. It''s nothing but cereal, wings and pizza with you.¡±


    ¡°I also have some salads in the fridge.¡±


    ¡°I don''t care about that shit! I want a home-cooked meal.¡±


    He looked at her suspiciously. ¡°And why would I be cooking?¡±


    ¡°Don''t act dumb you bastard, I remember you cooking whenever I headed over to your house back then.¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you cook for me? You treat the place like you live here, it would do you good to do something nice for your landlord every now and again.¡±


    ¡°(Ah, he''s well and truly comfortable with me if that mouth of his has got its venom back.) Fuck off telling a woman to get in the kitchen, what is this, the 1940s?¡±


    Miguel got off his chair and crouched down to the floor and started poking her cheek like she was an animal lying on the roadside.


    ¡°Don''t give me that, you''d beat the shit out of me if you felt offended.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, just make me a meal. I''m tired of putting shit in your oven.¡±


    ¡°What would you even suggest, huh? The only things that don''t go in the oven or microwave I have are rice, bread and other ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Bread¡­ why don''t you make some bread pudding.¡±


    ¡°Bread pudding, I thought you said you wanted a meal?¡±


    ¡°Make me something, man, I don''t care what.¡± She said as she blew in his face.


    Miguel looked unamused and helped to lift her up.


    ¡°Fuck, what are you eating to make you so heavy?¡±


    She flexed her tricep, which was more toned than Miguel imagined, before turning to him. ¡°It''s all muscle baby, now make me some bread pudding.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, Do I even have the ingredients for that?¡±


    ¡°Isn''t it just bread and milk?¡±


    ¡°If you''re eating like a 12th-century peasant, maybe but if you want it to taste good, it''ll take some more stuff I don''t think we have.¡±


    As much as he dragged his feet, Louise forced him into the kitchen and scoured through the fridge and pantry for ingredients he shockingly did have available.


    ¡°Butter, eggs, cinnamon, icing sugar, peanuts and some walnuts I forgot about, yeah this can work.¡± He said as he looked over the ingredients.


    ¡°Chop, chop, now get to it.¡± She commanded.


    ¡°Just know if you don''t help me, I''ll take it for myself.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine I''ll help you.¡±


    (¡°You''re the one who asked for this you bitch.¡±)


    It honestly wasn''t something difficult and within fifteen minutes they had something in the oven.


    ¡°That easy?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You wouldn''t believe the amount of stuff you could bake if you took a quick look in your pantry.¡± He answered like a knowledgeable housemaid.


    As they headed back to the living room, a question came to Miguel that left him somewhat antsy as he silently bided his time beside her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked. ¡°You''re shaking like a stripper''s ass.¡± She unnecessarily added.


    ¡°Oh, uh, I was just..¡±


    ¡°You''re wondering how long I''m gonna stay right?¡±


    He nodded. Even if they were ¡°cool¡± now, they were certain questions he knew he had to approach with caution. The tension made it a bit hard for him to speak.


    ¡°Don''t worry, if my apartment isn''t clear by the end of the month, you can kick me out whenever.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Come on, you know I wouldn''t do that.¡±


    ¡°Who knows, maybe tomorrow some blonde babe comes to your door and says she is going to marry you. What then?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I''m good with one random woman coming to my door, thank you. Honestly, I don''t think I could have taken this if it was anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Any other woman would have snatched you for themselves if they heard what you said about your bank account. Be glad money alone doesn''t sway my thoughts or I''d be riding you like it was a full-time job.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡± He responded, red-cheeked. He quickly got up. ¡°Why don''t I go check the pudding, I think It''ll soon be ready.¡±


    He quickly escaped to the kitchen to hide his embarrassment.


    She had a faint smile as she watched him walk off. (¡°Maybe¡­ maybe he won''t disappoint me.¡±)

 Memories of a Distant World 21-22

    As Miguel and Louise sat on a couch to watch a movie, they heard a knock at the door.


    Miguel unconsciously gulped and placed a hand on Louise''s shoulder before turning to her.


    ¡°Now, Louise.¡±


    She turned to him and raised an eyebrow.


    (¡°Why does he sound like he''s trying to calm down a wild animal?¡±) She wondered as she looked to the door.


    ¡°I want you to make sure when you see him not to-¡±


    She sighed before getting up.


    ¡°I''m not dealing with that shithead, knock on my door when he leaves.¡± She answered before getting off the couch.


    She quickly made her exit and Miguel wondered what could be the occasion for his brother showing up, now of all times. It wasn¡¯t like he was busy, but he''d at least shoot him a text to say he was coming over.


    He quickly approached the door and opened it to find someone that wasn''t his brother.


    Not only that but as he looked at them, he was struggling to take his eyes off them. They had silky blonde hair that shone with an almost heavenly radiance, giving a golden sheen. No, that wouldn''t do it justice. Her hair wasn''t just gold, it felt as though it reflected the light of heaven, leaving Miguel a purer being for witnessing it. A fragrance that could only be described as pleasant, engulfed their body. It was indescribable yet he knew it was a scent he would have cried if he hadn''t experienced. And her face was beautiful. Heart-wrenchingly so. She was easily the most beautiful woman he had seen without a question, she was the cutest woman he had seen without question and it wasn''t even worth a thought that she was the sexiest being he had ever laid eyes on. Every second that passed with Miguel staring at them had him more and more grateful to have been alive on this day. She wore a long flowy dress with ruffled sleeves that went to her wrist. It was a white so pure, it wouldn''t be surprising if the world itself had gone through liberties to ensure not a stain would besmirch her dress. The chest seemed to be struggling on her, based on her size, but he couldn''t help but feel awe looking at it. It wasn''t an object of lust but something more akin to seeing Michelangelo¡¯s David. It was something in any other context that would evoke lust, but in its current state was a magnificent piece of art.


    ¡°Ah, so she''s here.¡± The woman staring at his face, softly said. He looked into her eyes, and a blue purer than the ocean looked back at, with no suspicion or judgement behind them. And her voice washed away all the troubles of the world as they entered Miguel''s ears.


    He could only manage to blankly stare at her as she looked at him.


    ¡°Oh, dear me, I apologise. I''m Lucy and¡­¡±


    *Pause*


    Tibaut turned to Satan, standing in the space of his memories just behind the woman. He walked to her and began thoroughly examining her features, taking it all in.


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°You just heard her, she said her name¡¯s Lucy,¡± Satan answered.


    Tibaut placed his hands at her waist and lifted her up, before placing her down.


    (¡°For someone nearly my height, she''s pretty hefty.¡±)


    ¡°Okay, so why am I just now remembering this Lucy?¡± He asked as he lifted her dress¡¯s skirt up, with her thighs possessing a pleasant plumpness only a fool would call fat. He quickly let her skirt go, with red cheeks and pondered the ethics of creeping on a woman that existed solely within his mind.


    Having nothing better to do, the pair had reached an unspoken agreement to watch his memories until he (hopefully) regained consciousness, with Satan coming and going as he pleased. He didn''t mind reliving the past and Satan didn''t mind showing him his most pathetic moments.


    ¡°It''s not my fault you have a bad memory,¡± Satan said as he walked closer to her as well.


    ¡°There''s no way I''d forget a woman that''d look like this. I love Louise but I''m not sure love could blind me to an objective beauty like this.¡± He stated as he lifted up her skirt again, getting a better look underneath. And much to his shock there was something underneath, and not blank space.


    Satan turned his face at the comment, which Tibaut made sure to take note of, even as he took in the details of this woman he didn''t see in his previous life.


    ¡°Ah, who cares at this point? Listen well, T-¡± He sighed as he watched Tibaut pull the chest of the woman''s dress forward getting a good look inside.


    ¡°I''m humbled you would go to such lengths to see these.¡± The woman commented with a snicker, looking down at Tibaut¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tibaut screeched as he backed away into Miguel standing at the door. ¡°I''m sorry I didn''t know you were rea-¡± She became motionless once again and Tibaut turned his face to Satan with an annoyed expression.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I hope you die alone and miserable.¡± He stated as he walked back to her.


    ¡°It''s not his fault he''s that way. But perhaps it''s his fault he''s still that way.¡± The blonde woman answered as she looked behind herself, to Satan.


    ¡°Hold on are you¡­¡± Shock filled Satan''s face after she answered. They looked at each other for a moment, before he shook his head. Even Tibaut was left curious by this.


    ¡°No, I should have expected as much from a being like her.¡± He said as he shook his head.


    ¡°Y-you didn''t do that?¡± Tibaut asked as he looked back at her.


    ¡°He did not. And if you''re curious about my body, feel free to peruse it at your pleasure. It''d be quite selfish to leave this body to myself.¡± She answered.


    Tibaut looked to Satan, hoping for some sort of answer.


    ¡°Say hello, to the one and only, Lucifer.¡± He said before posing towards her with both his hands.


    ¡°H-uh? You mean she''s just right here!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. This thing standing before us is nothing more than a vestigial ego her strong presence has left behind.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let''s go with that.¡± The blonde woman stated cheerily.


    ¡°That woman is nothing like the current Lucifer, as much as it pains me to admit.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Haven''t you got quite the mouth, my adorable little brother?¡± She said as she walked over and hugged him, much to Satan''s dismay.


    ¡°So she''s the one I have to find¡­ wait a second, is she why you revived me!?¡±


    Satan shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°She''s not entirely without blame. I saw her close interactions with you and assumed there was something more. But your memories have shown that to be a total and utter mistake.¡±


    ¡°So you brought me here just because she talked to me once?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know I tried my best, but it somewhat stings hearing you say that.¡± The blonde apparition? answered.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Get used to her, that isn''t the only memory of yours she''s in. For some reason whether shyness or her own amusement, she did her best to ensure you''d never remember her. It wasn''t too hard but accessing that memory from earlier required some effort on my part.¡± Satan answered as he pushed himself out of a hug that went on for far too long.


    ¡°Well, it''s only fair that the loser steps aside for the winner.¡± She answered.


    ¡°I-I don''t believe it. I knew Lucifer?¡± He muttered to himself while holding his head.


    Lucifer went behind him and leaned her head against his shoulder.


    ¡°So what should it be? Want to take a break or would you love to relive the past with your beloved Louise.¡± She whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Ugh, well-¡±


    ¡°Silence woman, we''ll continue with his memory before talking to you.¡±


    ¡°...(She doesn''t seem so bad. She seems quite friendly actually. I wonder if it''s even her controlling the cult, maybe someone else is pulling the strings)¡±


    Satan continued the memory.


    <hr>


    ¡°...looking for my friend Louise. Have you seen her?¡± She asked softly.


    Miguel was stumbling over his words for a response. The blonde woman in front of him quickly grabbed his hand and his face took on a shade of pink.


    ¡°Oh dear, I''m terribly sorry, this is the wrong apartment isn''t it? I''m sorry for wasting your time.¡± She said before bowing and attempting to walk off.


    He grabbed her shoulder and she quickly turned around. ¡°Um, Sir, have I offended you in some way?¡± She asked.


    ¡°N-no!¡± He finally managed to get out in a shout. She jolted back, her discomfort growing.


    ¡°L-lucy was it? You said you have a friend named Louise right, she''s in here.¡±


    The discomfort on her face soon grew to fear and she began looking around.


    ¡°No, no, no, I''m not trying to lure you in, she''s really in he- (Oh shit, that sounds so bad.)¡±


    ¡°Please Mister, you''re holding my shoulder too tight.¡± She said, her voice fragile as she tried to take his hand off her.


    He drew his hand back so fast it cracked like a whip and he began apologising profusely.


    ¡°I''m sorry but she''s really here I didn''t want you to walk off without seeing her, but I was a bit too forceful, a man shouldn''t be grabbing a random woman like she knows me, no not even when she knows it''s not justif-¡±


    He felt a hand on his own and looked into her to see tears forming in her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry for overreacting, but you f-frightened me quite a bit.¡± She said as she wiped her face. ¡°I''m not used to being in a place like but even a weak girl like me could help but try to find my friend. Is Louise truly in there?¡± She asked as he could feel her shake through their connected hands. She looked like she was about to faint and took a few steps forward before falling into him.


    Before Miguel could shout for help, he felt her trying to stand herself up.


    ¡°I''m sorry but could I bother you for a moment? I just need somewhere to sit down, I do believe I''ve worn myself out.¡± She said as her attempt to pick herself up turned into an embrace.


    <hr>


    Miguel quickly brought her inside and rested her on the couch but before he could run off to Louise, he felt something drag on his shirt.


    It was the blonde woman, and she was looking quite tired.


    ¡°Sir, may I get your name?¡± Shs asked as she tried to sit properly on the couch.


    ¡°It''s Miguel.¡±


    ¡°Miguel¡­ Ah, so you''re that Miguel, I didn''t know you two were still friends. How wonderful.¡± She answered.


    ¡°You know about me?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She said with a nod. Her face was looking cheerful which left Miguel with butterflies in his stomach.


    ¡°She said she considered you the second best man in her life, only to her father. It seemed like it stung her to no end, what your brother did.¡± She said with sorrowful eyes. ¡°However, I''m glad she''s found the time to reconnect with you. Truthfully all the men she has hung around of late have been quite worrying.¡±

 Memories of a Distant World 23-24

    ¡°Really?¡± He said, not even trying to hide his curiosity.


    ¡°Yes, frankly¡­¡± She looked hesitant to continue.


    ¡°It''s okay,¡± Miguel answered. ¡°That''s her business, you don''t need to tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it''s¡­ I''m glad of all the places she could have retired to, here was her choice.¡± The blonde woman answered. ¡°I fear I might have fainted if you were one of those men. They''re very dangerous men, and each time she chooses to keep their company¡­¡± The woman began tearing up. ¡°Each time¡­¡± She tried to contain herself as she spoke and managed to get her final words out. ¡°I fear I may not even see her again!!¡± She cried before moving into Miguel and embracing him.


    (¡°What the? What kind of guys is she involved with!?¡±) He wondered as he slowly became overwhelmed by the woman''s aura and did his best to give her a comforting hug.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you for making sure she stayed out of harm.¡± The woman said, her voice cracking.


    ¡°Um, uh, I uh,¡± He wasn''t sure what to say to a woman as distressed as herself and tried his best to force some words, to little success.


    She backed off his chest and slowly looked up to his face. ¡°Forgive me.¡± The woman said before clearing her throat. ¡°I-I apologise for intruding but, are you her lover?¡±


    ¡°Wha- No!¡± He quickly responded.


    ¡°Oh dear, is she intruding upon you? Have you perhaps lost the feelings you once possessed for her?¡±


    ¡°Woah, hold on, it isn''t anything like that, we''re just friends!¡± He answered with his hands placed on her shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, dear me forgive me,¡± Lucy responded. Her cheeks quickly became flushed as she realised her folly. ¡°I''m sorry, it''s just¡­ she praised you heavily and I feel I have misinterpreted.¡± She said as she looked down in shame.


    ¡°No, it''s okay, a woman crashing at a man''s place would have all sorts of people believing the obvious.¡± He answered, trying to relieve her worries.


    ¡°I-I hope you two stay friends.¡± She said, ¡°I feel I''m overstepping my boundaries by saying this but, she needs to have interactions with the opposite sex that don''t involve love.¡±


    Miguel slumped his head after hearing that.


    ¡°That so¡­¡± The pain on his face was visible.


    ¡°Unless, it is a healthy relationship, which I feel you may be able to provide!¡± She quickly added. ¡°Honestly, maybe having you as an object of admiration will result in her leaving these shady men.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine Lucy, it''d be weird anyhow considering she says I''m like a brother to her and she did date my brother¡­ Uh, Lucy could keep this between us?¡± He begged.


    ¡°I would never dream of exposing a man''s admiration, Miguel, especially one so dear to a friend of mine.¡± She answered. ¡°But, after hearing her speak so highly of you, I¡­¡± Her voice tapered until she was silent and Miguel wondered what it could have been.


    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Heavens no!¡± Lucy exclaimed. ¡°I wouldn''t dare to look down on a man as fine as yourself.¡± She added before turning her face away.


    ¡°Fine?¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°*Sigh* Yes, fine. Hearing my other half talk about you made me wonder what sort of man you may be and I built a rather unrealistic expectation of you¡­ But, if I speak with t-t-t-t¡± She began stuttering over her words and even her face turned away, he could see the faintest blush forming. ¡°TOtal honesty! From the way you look to the way you act, it''s just how I envisioned you.¡± She said before slowly looking back at him. ¡°You''re a wonderful man. And frankly hearing Louise talk about so fondly left me somewhat jealous. How nice it would be to have a man so lovely by my side.¡± She softly added as she looked into his eyes. He could tell she felt embarrassed saying this but he felt an inexplicable feeling take over his chest as he looked at her.


    ¡°W-what I''m meaning to say is, I think I''ve built an unhealthy idea of you. I''m sorry if this comes off as odd!¡±


    ¡°No, it''s okay. I, uh, honestly I don''t think I''ve been complimented like this before.¡±


    ¡°But Louise is your friend, is she not? Has she not had kind words for you?¡±


    ¡°Not to this extent besides that not how our friendship is, it''d feel weird to complement each other all the time you know?¡± He answered as he got increasingly red-faced.


    ¡°Did my comments make you uncomfortable, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡±


    Lucy moved her face closer to his.


    ¡°Then¡­ did you like them?¡± She asked as she went into his personal space.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He responded trying not to sound choked up. He knew this was fishy but he had no defences against a woman. He was nervous but somewhat excited as well.


    ¡°Then, can I be your lover?¡± She boldly stated.


    He nearly choked on his spit and tried his best to remain calm. He didn''t give her an answer and she brought her lips closer to his. He didn''t know what to do with himself. Each moment her lips came closer, his brain went through a cycle of berating himself and wondering what God he pleased for such a woman to love him.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Before her lips reached his lips he felt a hand on his shoulder before being pulled up and over the couch he sat on. He felt himself get dragged back to the wall at the end of the living room and was struggling to see what had caught him. He looked up to see Louise holding him by the shirt. She looked quite suspicious as well. Her face was covered in sweat and she was breathing heavily as she looked towards Lucy sitting down on the couch.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?¡± She shouted with Miguel being held in her hand like a bag of groceries.


    ¡°Ah, Louise, I''ve found you. I didn''t know where you went after you moved out, it''s a miracle I found you at this lovely man''s apartment.¡±


    As the blonde woman spoke, her face quickly turned from shock to anger.


    ¡°You godforsaken-¡±


    ¡°Watch your language, Louise, I know you have certain thoughts about me but can we not have him included in this? Set him aside and we''ll talk this out like adults.¡±


    Louise looked like a trapped animal as she looked down at Miguel. He didn''t know what was going on but this was the first time he could ever recall seeing Louise this worked. What could strike fear into the heart of a woman who laughed off sexaul assault and bloodied those who annoyed her?


    Miguel would never find out as he felt an almost unnatural drowsiness take over his body before he went limp. Louise gently set him down, leaning against the wall and walked over to the blonde woman.


    <hr>


    ¡°What do you mean that''s it!?¡± Tibaut shouted.


    ¡°Like I said, you went unconscious and your memory of events ended here.¡±


    In a bid to change the scenery somewhat, Satan had moulded Tibaut¡¯s mind to his needs and created a replica of his old apartment. Outside his windows was nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see but otherwise, it was an exact replica of the place he called home for over five years.


    Sitting on his couch was himself, Satan and Lucifer, who seemed to be quite cheery as she leaned against him.


    ¡°Damn- wait a second.¡± He turned to Lucy and she perked up. ¡°What were you talking about?¡± He asked her.


    She placed a finger on her lips and thought about it for a moment. ¡°It''s a secret?¡±


    ¡°Please, give me a hint or something, like, she knew who you were right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she wouldn''t forget her friend Lucifer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right, you two were friends.¡± He answered, unconvinced.


    ¡°It''s true!¡± The woman answered, pouting at him. ¡°But¡­ Louise could be a bit cold to me sometimes. I always tried to be nothing but a good friend to her and she''d take my actions the wrong way.¡± She said as she caressed Tibaut.


    He felt uncomfortable and looked to Satan for guidance. ¡°You worried about this being some sort of intimacy, correct?¡±


    ¡°Bastard, I know you can read my mind just give me the answer!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, this is no more intimacy than, say, looking at a photo of a beautiful woman. This thing isn''t real, it''s just an annoying by-product of viewing your memories.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°So you can enjoy her in the same vain you do as those dreams of yours. In fact, she likely possesses no answers to your questions. She is just being coy for the sake of it.¡±


    ¡°How hurtful Satan. How can I not be real if I am capable of this?¡± She said as she scooched on the couch onto Tibaut¡¯s lap before dragging Satan towards her and putting him in her lap to pinch away at his cheeks.


    ¡°Why must you try to annoy me so, woman¡­¡± He said as his face was stretched out.


    ¡°What else are siblings good at, brother?¡± She answered.


    After hearing Satan''s words, Tibaut just sat back and enjoyed the experience he could only get in his mind.


    ¡°Man, if only I could go into this place at will. Then I wouldn''t have to worry about you watching these sorts of things.¡± He said as the woman began shuffling as she played with Satan, on his lap.


    ¡°Are you not ashamed right now?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°If she isn''t real, then it''s only us in here and frankly I could care less about what you think of me. I deserve some reward for putting up with your bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we should make up for the lost time. I wasn''t lying about what I said in that memory, Tibaut.¡± Lucy added.


    His cheeks once again gained a pink hue.


    ¡°M-maybe later. (She''s not even real and I''m basically powerless against her¡­ sigh this is a new low.)¡±


    He cleared his throat and tried his best to deepen his tone.


    ¡°Alright, enough fucking around. I got some questions for both of you.¡±


    ¡°Please, feel free to relay them to us,¡± Lucy answered.


    ¡°What is it, Experiment?¡±


    While he enjoyed the weight of the soft behind on his lap, he couldn''t take them seriously like this. He lifted her off of him and placed her beside him.


    They looked like a doting mother and her child, which definitely felt out of place considering their names.


    ¡°Alright just to confirm, you''re Lucifer, correct?¡±


    ¡°That she is.¡±


    ¡°Please feel free to call me Lucy, Tibaut, you''re as much of a friend to me as Louise.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so why are you friends with Louise?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Hmm? I suppose it just happened one day.¡±


    ¡°Happened!? How does becoming friends with the Devil happen?¡±


    Satan turned to watch her reaction and she kept her smile.


    ¡°Tibaut, are you saying you wouldn''t become my friend in that world?¡± She asked.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I knew it.¡± She said in a tone that lost the bubbliness of earlier. ¡°I suppose it is true the only thing I have are my looks.¡± The woman said as she turned her head down.


    Satan rolled his eyes.


    ¡°No, no, of course I''d be your friend, it''s just with your name, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ah, how lovely. Would you consider being my lover as well?¡±


    ¡°Can we move past this nonsense?¡± Satan asked.


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Tibaut hesitated for a moment. ¡°Maybe if I met you before Louise but-¡±


    Both beings clicked their tongue at this answer, though for different reasons. ¡°You think you can reject an archangel human? I ought to show your body the pain of being perpetually struck by lightning.¡± Satan answered.


    ¡°I thought it wouldn''t hurt to ask.¡± She answered, sounding depressed.

 Memories of a Distant World 25-26

    ¡°Uh, Lucy? (Wasn''t she just teasing me?)¡± He wondered.


    ¡°Don''t worry, that answer isn''t enough for me to give up.¡± She responded as she slumped on the couch.


    ¡°What a nasty habit you have. This boy would mean nothing to you if not for Louise.¡± Satan answered as he rubbed the back of his head and hair in her face.


    She pushed him off and looked ready to say something but kept her mouth shut.


    ¡°Satan, please don''t tease me, who knows what sort of unpleasant things might escape my mouth in embarrassment.¡± She softly stated as she lifted him up and turned him around to face her.


    Satan allowed himself to lift up like a child and swayed back and forth until Lucy gently set him back on the floor.


    ¡°Alright, Lucy could ask another question?¡±


    ¡°Ask as many as you''d like Tibaut.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything worthwhile?¡±


    The woman couldn''t help but twitch at such a comment, while a small smirk appeared on Satan''s lips.


    ¡°I feel this troublemaker has rubbed off a bit too much on you, Tibaut.¡±


    ¡°No disrespect, but you''re not real. So I kinda care about getting answers at the moment, rather than being polite.¡± He bluntly answered. He couldn''t help but feel a bit cruel watching her listen to his words. Even if she wasn''t real she certainly seemed it.


    ¡°I- I understand. And yes, I can provide some useful information.¡± She said as if she''d been shot.


    ¡°Like where you are right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She plainly answered.


    ¡°Really, then where are you?¡±


    She turned away from him and rested her head on the couch¡¯s armrest.


    ¡°Uh, Lucy, can I get an answer?¡±


    ¡°Humph.¡± She muttered as she ignored him.


    ¡°It seems the picture has gotten offended,¡± Satan said as he walked to Tibaut and sat beside him on the armrest.


    ¡°Satan, are you sure she isn''t real?¡± He gently asked.


    ¡°I can guarantee what you''re seeing is not the true form of Lucifer.¡±


    ¡°Then what''s this weight on my heart¡­¡± Tibaut asked as an unpleasant aura surrounded him. He turned back to her and clasped his hands, ¡°Please Lucy, it''s really important!¡±


    She continued giving him the silent treatment, for another minute or so before she spoke.


    ¡°Hug me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Hug me and you''ll be forgiven.¡± The woman stated.


    Tibaut shrugged his shoulders before leaning against her and hugging her.


    ¡°Tighter.¡± She commanded, though her voice made it sound like a plea.


    She lifted herself up as Tibaut squeezed tighter and the woman soon hugged him with far more force than he would have expected.


    ¡°I''m in- Terra Luciferi?¡± She asked as she looked at Satan.


    ¡°That name will suffice for now. But this was information we already knew about, Tibaut.¡±


    ¡°We did?¡±


    ¡°Do you not remember what that blue-haired girl told you?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I had so little sleep thanks to a certain asshole, the only thing I remember before waking up next to her in the dungeon was her talking to a horse. Okay, next question-¡±


    ¡°Tell me you love me if you want it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It''s okay if you lie.¡± She pathetically added.


    ¡°I-I love you.¡± He said. Although it was two words he managed to sound more artificial than a robot as he said it.


    ¡°Ask it.¡±


    ¡°Are you leading the cult?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think so. After what I''ve been through I can''t imagine falling back to my old ways.¡±


    ¡°I''ll withhold my own judgment until I have further data,¡± Satan added.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± Tibaut stated. ¡°Why are you so-¡±


    ¡°Is there a feature of me you''re unsatisfied with?¡± She softly asked.


    ¡°No, no it''s just¡­ when I heard the name Lucifer I was expecting something a lot more scary. It''s honestly scary how nice you''ve been. You''re honestly more of an angel than the devil.¡±


    She simply smiled at his statement and left it at that.


    ¡°But, uh, man, why are they even trying to revive you in the first place then?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Perhaps they wish to take my power? It may not be a simple revival as they may wish to divide my power and take it amongst themselves.¡±


    ¡°You just had to go there didn''t you?¡± Satan added with a hint of venom in his tone.


    She turned to him and stuck her tongue out before looking back at Tibaut.


    ¡°My power stretched to be divided one hundred times would be enough power to take over the country in the right hands. Divided ten ways and they''d have the power to end all life on this planet with a concerted effort.¡±


    ¡°Shit, that''s the type of power they want?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe she''s lying to you to hide her embarrassment of attempting world conquest yet again,¡± Satan answered. ¡°Miss Photo, I''ll have to ask you to pipe down on the chattiness unless you''re speaking facts.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, he''s the only one I care about believing in me.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Ugh, I''m not sure how to process all this. Can we continue with the memories, I want to see if there were any obvious tells from Louise about something being up.¡±


    ¡°Luckily for you, you can witness their relationship first-hand from this next memory. It seems it''s another one she put under lock.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lucy said in surprise. ¡°No, this one should be fine for his viewing.¡± She whispered to herself.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing Tibaut, feel free to think as long as you''d like while this memory plays.¡±


    <hr>


    Miguel woke up on his couch with two women above him. Did he die and go to heaven? Or was this a Muslim heaven where being a good person had rewarded him with countless virgins?


    ¡°Like I said, he''s not my boyfriend, so leave him out of your shit!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, my friend, I''m simply testing him as I have the others.¡±


    His eyes opened to get a better look at them.


    ¡°Shut up, he''s awake,¡± Louise stated.


    ¡°This could have been avoided if not for your overreaction. You really should treat a treasured man with more care.¡±


    ¡°H-huh? Who are you?¡± Tibaut asked with his eyes now glued to the blonde woman.


    ¡°She''s Lucy. Remember, you met her at the door before you passed out. Gosh, imagine passing out over a woman, are you that hungry Miguel?¡±


    ¡°What, I''d never!¡± He shouted. ¡°I''m not that down bad, I probably just uh-¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry Miguel, Louise was pacing around the room with a pale expression until you woke up,¡± Lucy added.


    Louise tried to punch her shoulder and Lucy swiftly dodged.


    ¡°Uh, right, you said you were looking for her. Um, nice to meet you?¡± He asked as he held out his hand while taking in her body.


    ¡°Nice to meet you? You know this slu- woman.¡± Louise answered.


    ¡°I do?¡±


    Louise moved in close to his ear and whispered slightly. ¡°She''s that girl in high-school that you wanted a thigh job from.¡±


    Miguel quickly tried to cover her mouth but he was no match for her unrivalled strength.


    ¡°She''s also the woman your brother cheated on me with!¡± She said far more aggressively.


    The woman looked remorseful as Miguel looked at her.


    ¡°It''s true.¡± She said ashamed. ¡°He told me had separated from Louise in secret but I couldn''t have been more misled. Nonetheless, it was my fault for not asking Louise about it first. She has every right to hate me.¡± The blonde woman stated. Tears had started to form on her face.


    ¡°I-is that true?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Mostly,¡± Louise answered.


    ¡°I''m¡­ I''m so sorry for betraying such a friend.¡± Lucy stated as she burst into tears.


    ¡°Oh for the love of- cut this shit out.¡±


    ¡°Don''t you think you''re a bit harsh Louise?¡± Miguel commented.


    ¡°Wha- Nevermind.¡± She answered, irritation plastered over her face.


    Lucy moved herself into Miguel''s arms and gave him a hug that took the man off guard.


    ¡°Hopefully a kind man like you can get rid of Louise''s more unkind ways,¡± Lucy said.


    Getting hugged by a random person wasn''t Miguel would normally be too fond of, but with a woman like her, he just couldn''t bring himself to resist and tried his best to hide a smile that approached his face.


    ¡°I thought you didn''t want to date people your brother dated, Miguel.¡± Louise coldly stated as she forcefully dragged the blonde off, nearly pulling him off the couch.


    His mind was disorientated from being forced into this and tried his best to put some coherent thoughts together.


    ¡°This anger doesn''t befit you, Louise, would you like to discuss more in private so the boy doesn''t have to hear?¡±


    ¡°You dumb bitch, stop saying weird shit like that!¡±


    ¡°Like what? Is the fact that you''re a-¡±


    Louise grabbed the woman''s mouth and slammed her into the floor, leaving a permanent crack on his tiling. Tibaut looked at them in disbelief and nearly had his jaw drop as the blonde woman seemed comfortable and capable of speaking after such a barbaric display of strength.


    She reached her hand towards Louise and slowly managed to push her hand off her mouth.


    ¡°Please calm yourself Louise, I''m not sure the boy would survive one of our scuffles.¡±


    ¡°God be damned, why did you say that? Now we really are gonna have to fudge with his memory!¡±


    (¡°Did you not think it necessary after slamming my head into the floor?¡±)


    ¡°Louise, what''s going on!?¡± Miguel asked in concern. ¡°I know you''re one thing but for a minute there I thought you killed her.¡±


    She turned to him with a bitter expression on her face. She slowly walked up to him and clenched his hand. She felt his heartbeat rise from such a simple action and wore a smile as he slowly blacked out.


    <hr>


    Miguel woke up in his bed in a cold sweat. He remembered something happening earlier that shocked him but he wasn''t sure what it was. It involved Louise he was assured but what extraordinary feat could she possibly have in her sleeve that he hadn''t seen yet?


    Someone gave his door a few knocks and before he could they barged in.


    ¡°Oh, you''re awake now?¡± Louise said. ¡°Dude, how did you manage to black out as soon as I turned off the A/C?¡±


    ¡°Why would you turn off the A/C?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Uh, to cut down on the power bill. But I guess you''ve been taking it easy for too long for too long in this place.¡± She said as she made her way over. She sat beside him on the bed and texted something on her phone before turning her attention back to him.


    ¡°Seriously though, are you alright? What do you remember before passing out?¡±


    ¡°I''m fine but, huh.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what?¡±


    ¡°No, I just felt I was talking to you before I blacked out but¡­¡±


    ¡°Talking to me? I saw you in your chair sprawled out.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I guess it was just a dream.¡±


    ¡°A dream? What kind of dream are you having about me anyway?¡±


    ¡°Well this wasn''t so bad-¡± He stopped himself. And a smirk grew on the lips of Louise.


    ¡°Wasn''t so bad? Miguel, what kind of dreams are you having about me?¡±


    He turned away as thought of an answer.


    ¡°Pst, I guess being here all day is taking its toll on you. Maybe I should- (Sigh, I shouldn''t bother talking like that anymore. Now that bitch has her eyes on him¡­ it''s not like I had those feelings for him anyway.) Find you a girlfriend or something.¡±


    ¡°Screw off, I see you a lot, why wouldn''t I dream about you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah right, I just hope you''ll dream about proper women one day. (I''ll be fine if she manages to get you to dislike me but Miguel, please have the strength to resist her).¡±

 Memories of a Distant World 27-28

    As they left his room, he heard a knock on his door.


    ¡°Oh, that''s probably my brother. You wanna-¡±


    Before he could ask her if she wanted to stay outside or not, she walked to the door by herself and opened it.


    Standing outside was a beautiful blonde woman Tibaut had no recollection of.


    ¡°Couldn''t you have heard the good news and gone home?¡± Louise asked as she rubbed her forehead.


    ¡°Don''t be sour, Louise. A friend of yours is a friend of mine after all. Why wouldn''t I visit to make sure he''s healthy?¡± The woman kindly asked.


    Louise rolled her eyes and stepped back. ¡°Do what you want, I can''t stop you anyway. Just don''t be disappointed when it''s not what you thought it was.¡±


    ¡°Is she a Jehovah¡¯s Witness?¡± Tibaut asked as she let in this blonde woman he had never met before. She was incredibly beautiful, easily the best woman he''d lay eyes on. Which left him surprised at how calm he was with a woman like her entering his apartment.


    ¡°Wait a second¡­ you seem sorta familiar.¡± He said as he walked over.


    ¡°Of course she''s familiar, she was a chick I used to hang out with back in high-school.¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡± Miguel answered.


    Vague memories of that time soon flooded back into Miguel''s mind and although he couldn''t recall her name, he quickly realized she was a woman he had a crush on until she graduated.


    He walked up to her and shook her hand.


    ¡°Oh, ple-pleasure to meet you, I''m Miguel.¡±


    ¡°Miguel, please, there is no need for the formalities. I''m Lucy and please treat me like you would your friend over there.¡± She answered with a smile.


    ¡°R-right. Could you excuse me for a moment? I have to talk to Louise about something.¡±


    ¡°My, well, I wasn''t aware you two were so close.¡±


    ¡°Stop putting words in his mouth you dirty bitch.¡± Louise threatened.


    ¡°Woah, woah, Louise don''t you think that''s a bit harsh?¡±


    ¡°Shut up Miguel, do you think she''s not used to this? Don''t tell me cause she''s acting all prim and proper you don''t think she can get nasty when she feels like it. Do you think a person who''s friends with me wouldn''t have a bit of a sharp tongue?¡±


    ¡°Louise¡­¡± The woman whined in a soft tone that Miguel couldn''t help but find endearing. Her face was clearly blushed. ¡°That''s how I speak around you. It''s frankly a bit embarrassing talking like that around someone I haven''t met in years. You know what I''m talking about, right Miguel?¡±


    She asked before turning to him and grabbing his hands.


    ¡°You know what I speak of, right Miguel?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, guess? Like I speak to Louise a certain way but I don''t think I''d feel all that great speaking to you like that.¡±


    ¡°See Louise? It''s unreasonable to expect that level of comfort on our first meeting.¡±


    Louise simply shrugged. ¡°You always find an excuse for everything.¡± She whispered under her breath. ¡°But aren''t you curious why she''s here Miguel? I mean that''s what you were worried about right? I tell you this woman just barged in, not taking no for an answer.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn''t say she could come in and yet she thought she could waltz right as soon as she saw me. You''re the man of this place, Miguel, tell her how it is and if she can even stay here or not.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°(It''d be unsightly to refute something he wasn''t present for.) She tells the truth, Miguel, I was so worried about her. She hadn''t contacted me in ages ever since she left her apartment. Would you not feel some level of concern if that happened to a friend of yours Miguel?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. (Why are they dragging me into their argument?)¡±


    ¡°I knew you were reasonable. One would have to be quite reasonable to have her as a friend. I jest of course.¡± She added as she rubbed her cheek against Louise''s as she approached. ¡°But do let me know if I have overstepped my bounds as a guest.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°No, it''s fine. You''re not gonna stay here too, right?¡±


    ¡°I''d never think of doing such a thoughtless action by asking for your permission. Who knows what sort of trouble you would have with any potential significant others.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Was I mistaken? Are you not currently-¡±


    Louise placed a hand over her shoulder and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°Cut out this pickup line dogshit. If you fucking want him, then go for him, I don''t care.¡± She bitterly whispered.


    Lucy stopped to think for a moment and continued.


    ¡°(I should observe their relationship more to see which path would be more appropriate.) Oh, thank you for telling me that Louise. I nearly said something that would leave the mood dour.¡±


    ¡°What''d you tell her?¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°Don''t worry Miguel, Louise was worried for your dignity.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± He shouted.


    ¡°Miguel, can we talk while sitting down?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes that''d be wonderful, my legs are a bit sore from walking here.¡±


    ¡°Did you not take a cab?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Oh no, I wasn''t sure which apartment she was in so I had to walk around a few buildings asking around for her. But these four hours were well spent if I could find her safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°Really? Damn let go for a stool real quick¡± He said before bolting off.


    Left alone, the two women didn''t mince words. Well, Louise didn''t mince words, Lucy was mincing them so fine they turned into a thick paste.


    ¡°Lucy, just leave him alone. I don''t want him turning out like his brother.¡±


    ¡°Louise, your words are hurtful.¡± The woman pouted. ¡°I didn''t cause that man to cheat. He told me himself that you two had split up.¡±


    ¡°After you hung around him non-stop.¡±


    ¡°Is being a friend of the opposite sex a crime?¡± The woman dejectedly answered.


    ¡°Don''t bullshit me. Making people reject-¡±


    *Pause*


    The woman scrambled to pinch the side of Satan and began whispering.


    ¡°Naughty boy, were you accessing the information I still have on me?¡± The visage asked.


    ¡°Hmm, hide it from him all you want, I personally don''t find your method too bad. Maybe if I had¡­¡± He went back to his thoughts.


    ¡°You dated my brother?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you''re Lucifer, how did you not know he was cheating on you?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it started with Louise asking if he was faithful and one thing led to another. I accepted his advances and immediately told Louise what happened, but it seemed she didn''t think I was looking out for her because of my name. Sigh It''s not my fault humanity associates their punisher with evil. Miguel, do you think I was wrong for doing so?¡±


    ¡°No way. If he fell for you that piece of cra- I mean my brother would eventually have cheated on her anyway.¡±


    Tibaut truly did love his brother but thinking about the things he would try to get away with involving the women he supposedly loved always did leave a bit of a stain on the memories of him. But other than that he was a great brother.


    She leaned against his shoulder and nodded her head as if she had finally been vindicated for her actions.


    ¡°I believed the same after it happened but Louise held a grudge against me regardless. Is a friend supposed to sit back and watch as a friend is trampled on by someone who cares little for them?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not but¡­ I guess I can see Louise''s side of things as well. I mean it was just that one time right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I felt far too, well, disgusted with myself to ever do something like that again.¡±


    ¡°You really are an angel.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to see my wings?¡± She suggested as she pulled her dress down.


    As she started to pull on it and Tibaut watched on with hungry eyes, a very important question popped into his mind.


    ¡°Hey Satan, you reincarnated because of my interactions with Lucy right?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn''t you revive my brother?¡±


    ¡°Your brother''s not dead.¡±


    ¡°So do you have plans to?¡± He asked with a more serious expression.


    ¡°Why would I? That interaction happened long before she met and befriended you. I found it more amusing than anything.¡±


    ¡°Brother of the year right here.¡±


    ¡°She deserves as much for mingling with a human.¡± He answered.


    A wing slapped him in the face and much to Tibaut¡¯s disappointment the blonde woman wore an average-looking white bra.


    ¡°Only two?¡± Tibaut asked as he looked at the black wings on her back.


    ¡°Ah, so you know. I can create the other six but it would be quite inconvenient on the couch.¡±


    Satan bit her wing and the fallen angel sat still, showing no reaction to it. He thought she couldn''t feel pain but the next set of wings that sprouted from her back and slapped him in tandem with the previous ones told otherwise.


    ¡°(Serves you right you little bastard.) Do you also have a halo?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, I have not been given it back.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Pft.¡± Satan went. There appeared to be a halo above his head. ¡°There, there, Lucifer, maybe if you work hard enough you''ll earn it back.¡±


    She grabbed it and tried her hardest to snap it, the almost Olympian-level muscles on her arm seeming to appear out of nowhere as she strained herself to no avail. After failing she simply took it off and placed it above her own head.


    It promptly shattered.


    She moved back into Tibaut¡¯s chest for comfort.

 Memories of a Distant World 29-35

    ¡°I can''t believe it¡­¡± Miguel thought to himself.


    (¡°I have two women in my apartment. Me. The diamond hermit*¡­¡±)


    *The title the few friends he had remaining referred to him as.


    He pinched himself to make sure he wasn''t dreaming and watched as the two women talked to each other.


    (¡°This is supposed to be a great moment isn''t it?¡±) He thought to himself. (¡°Then why?¡±)


    He was a few feet away on the floor clutching his chest, as he gasped for air.


    (¡°Why the hell is the atmosphere so thick!?¡±)


    He thought as he struggled to pull himself up. The women noticed the pathetic man on the ground and decided to ease off their intimidation of the other.


    ¡°What''s wrong Miggy, having a hard time with two women in your house?¡± She asked as she pulled him up back to his feet.


    ¡°Shut up, I don''t want Lucy thinking the stupid shit you say has any merit!¡± He said as he landed flat on his feet. He quickly turned around to the other woman. ¡°Oh, don''t worry Lucy, we''re just joking around.¡±


    ¡°I feel your plight, Miguel, I don''t I''d feel at ease with two men in my abode.¡±


    ¡°I think you''d feel uncomfortable for a different reason than I am.¡± He then whispered the next part to Louise. ¡°Though with how strong you are, maybe I should be afraid for that reason.¡±


    She pinched his side. ¡°If you don''t shut your mouth I''ll open up Google and tell the shadiest escort I can find about you. You''ll have a real reason to fear that happening to you then, rich boy.¡± She answered with a dark chuckle.


    ¡°My, what are you two talking about?¡± Lucy asked as she pretended to be unaware of what they said.


    ¡°Nothing important Lucy.¡± She answered.


    Miguel breathed a sigh of relief she didn''t hear that and Louise continued. ¡°So you found her, what now?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The woman thought. She placed a finger against her lips and really seemed to be thinking about her next course of action.


    Miguel leaned over to Louise and began whispering. ¡°Hey, is she like an airhead? She kinda has that oblivious aura to her, you know? No disrespect.¡±


    ¡°She''s many things but stupid isn''t one of them,¡± Louise answered. (¡°I just hope she isn''t plotting anything too annoying.¡±)


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take this time to deepen our respective friendships?¡± She answered after considerable thought. ¡°After all¡­ I hope you won''t take my words in the wrong context but I''d love to get to know you more Miguel.¡± She said with a smile. To Miguel, it was one of an angel. To Louise, it was more artificial than red 40.


    ¡°O-of course not. I''ve just met you after all.¡± He said as his mind was already creating fantasies of her. ¡°How do you suppose we get closer?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I''d love to play a board game with you two.¡±


    Louise slowly walked over and whispered something in her ear. ¡°If you choose twister I swear to God I''ll {redacted for the sake of brevity and common decency}¡±


    Even the carefree Lucy had to look at her with caution after a comment like that. ¡°My, I had no idea you were into those sorts of things Louise, but I''m not sure the boy would approve if you did something like that here.¡±


    ¡°He''ll just have to settle with a new fetish,¡± she said as she placed a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Miguel, do you have a twister? I''ve never played it before but Louise said it''d make for an excellent bonding experience.¡± The woman said with an unapologetic vigour in her voice.


    Miguel looked at Louise with a glare and the woman played along.


    ¡°Don''t look at me like that. If you have a box, you''ve been waiting for a day like this to happen even since you bought it.¡± She tapped Lucy back a few times, with the taps sounding more like slaps from Miguel''s ears.


    Miguel clicked his teeth at the comment and looked at them with mild discomfort. ¡°Do you guys seriously want to play Twister?¡±


    ¡°You actually bought it?¡± Louise asked. She was just joking around earlier, what the hell would a guy like him need it for? Well he was rich, so it wasn''t unthinkable he''d hire a bunch of hot women to-


    ¡°Wipe that look off your face, please. My brother gifted it to me during a Christmas and I couldn''t be bothered to throw it away.¡± He walked over to a nearby drawer and pulled it out. It was as fresh as could be and even had plastic wrap on it.


    ¡°I can guess what he said when he gave you it. ¡°Hopefully, you can find enough women to play it with.¡±¡± She said in a voice similar to Micheal''s.


    ¡°Here''s hoping you can find enough women to play it with¡­¡± He said, recanting his brother¡¯s exact words. Miguel''s eyes lost their warmth and he slowly placed the box back, embarrassed of the person who gave him it.


    ¡°So what do you want to play actually, Lucy?¡± Miguel asked.


    ¡°Is Twister truly not on the table? The way Louise described made it sound quite fun.¡±


    ¡°He''ll probably die of a heart attack if one of these touches him.¡± Louise soon had a hand placed under one of Lucy''s breasts like she was holding up a basketball. ¡°Want a feel Miggy? I don''t think she''s picky.¡±


    He blushed before turning around and looking for the first game he could get his hands on.


    <hr>


    He soon returned with the game but both women were disappointed with what he brought back. They were all gathered around a table with Miguel taking his seat.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lucy said with a hint of disappointment.


    ¡°Can''t we just roll some dice?¡±


    ¡°You guys said a game and this is one right?¡±


    In Miguel''s hand was a familiar box of colourful cards labelled one to nine.


    ¡°Yeah but¡­¡± Lucy said as she dragged with her speech. ¡°(While this game is quite well adjusted for infuriating other players, I need something with more substance to figure out how they truly feel about each other.) Can we add a penalty for losing?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I mean, I don''t see why not but I''m surprised, you didn''t seem like the competitive type.¡± Tibaut answered. He began shuffling the cards and gave the parties their hands.


    ¡°Careful, your real face is slipping,¡± Louise whispered to her, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°(I can''t suggest stripping now, can I? I do think it''d be interesting to see who he''d have laid bare first but it''s far too soon for something like that¡­ Maybe something more innocent, like a date or even that king''s game I heard of? No even that seems extreme for a man like this. What would show his feelings regarding her without- Ah ha.) Being around someone as strong and spirited as her benefitted me in some ways.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°Do you accept, Miguel?¡±


    ¡°Sure I accept, (I mean it''s not Louise is suggested it. Knowing her she¡¯d probably have the losers run around the building naked or something.) What are we betting?¡± He asked.


    ¡°The losers will have to say what they think of the winner. (I won''t use my powers but reading an expression with the current topic will make deciphering his feelings a simple task.) I believe that is a nice way for us to pass the time and learn from each other better.¡±


    ¡°I guess that''s okay. I personally don''t like that sort of stuff but with only three people, I suppose it isn''t so bad.¡± Miguel answered.


    Louise immediately sniffed out what Lucy was planning and was going to make sure it never came to pass.


    ¡°So are house rules fine with you two?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I feel it''s too pedestrian for me, normally.¡±


    ¡°The more chaotic the better,¡± Louise answered.


    He shrugged his shoulders and the game began.


    They played rock paper scissors and Miguel went first.


    (¡°She''s obviously going to try and get me to win.¡±) Louise thought. (¡°Now I''m¡­ not sure about Miguel honestly, I can''t tell if he''s just starstruck with the first woman he''s seen in a while or actually considers me in those ways but regardless, if he has something regarding me that''s serious, then she''s gonna know how he feels about me.¡±)


    Louise hadn''t been seriously trying to figure this out for her own reasons but she absolutely could not allow Lucy to obtain this information. She hoped it wasn''t the case but if it was that Miguel liked her then¡­


    (¡°Ah, I can find what I want so easily if I asked him directly but where''d the fun be in that? Joking aside, I''d like to get this done as safely as possible. It hasn''t happened yet but he might see through my intentions if I immediately asked him if he loved Louise. I asked something similar before but I was so focused on taking him, that I wasn''t paying attention to his reactions.¡±)


    Miguel played his first card and Lucy placed hers down second.


    (¡°However there is a flaw with this whole situation.¡±) Louise thought. (¡°I have to win for any of that to happen. But that bitch already knows this.¡±)


    Louise moved to draw a card but Lucy grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Louise, why are you drawing a card when you already have the number?¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you get a glimpse of Louise? You''re not supposed to let out something like that outright.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, my apologies, I wanted to keep it quiet but she made a strange move.¡±


    ¡°Well, wait a sec, are you trying to sandbag Louise? Why would you-¡±


    ¡°She likely feels embarrassed at how I would talk about her and would rather avoid it.¡±


    (¡°Tch, you bitch, she probably figured it out from the reflection of my eyeball. You don''t like using your true power for stuff like this but that body''s always been fair game. It might even be more ridiculous than mine.¡±) Louise thought as she grabbed the cards.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°She already knows my cards so why not reshuffle the deck? By the way, wanna add a new house rule?¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°If someone¡¯s sandbagging then they lose automatically and the other two win. (Well if you lose then I don''t have to worry about you trying to read Miguel.)¡±


    ¡°And how would we do that without messing up the game?¡±


    ¡°Simple, we just keep our cards face up. We''re just playing for fun after all.¡± Lucy answered.


    ¡°(This bitch! I was hoping we could kill the game entirely) Come on Miguel, this is stupid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± He looked at her and smirked. ¡°If you''re so afraid about what she has to say, I''m kinda curious what it is, let''s do it.¡±


    ¡°(You little ass!) Whatever, it''s not even that interesting.¡±


    The cards were reshuffled and placed again.


    But Miguel wasn''t convinced. ¡°Hey Lucy, could you reshuffle those?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What the hell are you talking about, I already shuffled them!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°She might have done something shady, correct?¡± Lucy added.


    ¡°Do you gamble Louise?¡±


    ¡°I mean sometimes but it''s not a comm- Are you saying I''m cheating? Fine then have that blonde bitch shuffle it since you don''t trust me. I''ll win this game and I won''t go easy on you when you''re talking about me. You probably think I''m a crackwhore or something.¡±


    Miguel shot her a look of ¡°Could you tone it down, I don''t feel comfortable talking like that with her around.¡±


    The deck was then handed to Lucy.


    She carefully watched as Lucy shuffled them but to show how trustworthy she was, she aimed the front of the cards towards the ground while she stood and shuffled them for an extended period before handing them to Miguel for the final shuffle.


    (¡°Whatever, if it''s not your set it''s pretty hard to cheat with these sorts of cards.¡±)


    Miguel placed his and Lucy placed hers. With nowhere to run, Louise placed down hers as well. And the turns slowly ticked on by and¡­


    <hr>


    (¡°H-how did she?¡±)


    In Lucy''s hands were thirteen cards. Miguel had three and Louise had five.


    ¡°Lady luck doesn''t seem to be treating you well today, Lucy.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, and I had high hopes as well.¡±


    (¡°Her sandbagging is one thing but how did she get me a winning hand?¡±)


    Soon she only had two cards in her hand and both her cards were the exact same. A skip-turn card.


    With Miguel skipped, Lucy was guaranteed to get her to play the card.


    (¡°I''ll have to play it in when my turn comes around.¡±)


    She sighed as it came to her and placed one of the cards down. She could only hope when Miguel spoke of her, he considered her only as a friend and nothing more.


    (¡°Now, I can finally figure out how to go about dealing with him. He obviously means a lot to her and she''s quite protective, but in what way is he important?¡±)


    As she hesitated to place the second card, Miguel said ¡°You didn''t say Uno.¡±


    <h2>Chapter 31</h2>


    ¡°Damn, you''re right!¡± Louise snarled as she picked up the cards.


    She picked up a card and Miguel raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°It''s supposed to be two cards.¡±


    ¡°Well, you said house rules and the rules I play with is to pick one.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, which rules do you play with Lucy, I don''t feel like arguing with Louise over this.¡±


    ¡°Come on Miguel, this is a pain in the ass!¡±


    ¡°Shush you, I''m waiting for her to respond,¡± Miguel responded, preparing to show her a middle finger but quickly aborted as he looked back to Lucy.


    ¡°Well, since I usually play with Lucy¡­¡±


    Miguel¡¯s face lost any sort of joy as she talked.


    (¡°This isn''t good, she is trying to annoy him into quitting the game before any of us win. While it would be beneficial for me to side with her, if she continues doing this then he might just throw out the game and try to move onto something else. Damn you Louise, are you trying to get me in a position to access every rule that benefits you?¡±)


    Lucy thought as she changed course. ¡°I''d suggest that rule as well, but it''s your home, and I feel we should be playing with your rules.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Pick the two cards up bitc- Louise.¡± He said with a smirk.


    She did her best to seem miserable as she picked them up and thought about her next move.


    (¡°I don''t like her winning either but all she''ll get is empty words from me and a bit of meaningless ogling from Mr. Newton over there.¡±)


    She breathed a sigh as her next two cards weren''t in any way or form similar.


    (¡°But how is that bitch Lucy doing that?¡±) She wondered as she looked at the cards.


    The next turn came and went and Louise played another card with Miguel playing one as well.


    She watched her more closely this time and noticed she''d pull a card from the pile very strangely. She put her finger on the top and used her finger to either pick out the third or fourth card on top of the pile. When she pulled a card that wasn''t from the top out she''d usually scoff and quickly pull it out as if she made a mistake. This was done fast enough not to draw any attention to it.


    (¡°Did she somehow mark the deck? No, she''d have to done while we were watching the shuffle to pull that off, but how the hell did she-¡±)


    Louise quickly looked on the floor and began cursing all sorts of things in her mind.


    She looked into it and saw her own reflection off the tiled floor. That bitch memorised the deck of the floor''s reflection and kept that order in mind before Miguel shuffled them. It might sound a bit much for the average human but with her, it wouldn''t be all that shocking.


    (¡°As long as it¡¯s within human capabilities that bitch will do whatever and say she''s not cheating.¡±)


    Louise looked into her hand and smirked before throwing down her card and reaching out her hand.


    ¡°Come on Tibaut, hand your cards over.¡±


    ¡°We''re playing sevens as well? I guess you did say something about chaos.¡±


    (¡°Won''t you at least ask me if I agree?¡±) Lucy wondered. Being the third person only mattered when two people argued.


    She got Miguel¡¯s arguably better hand and he was left with two of the same colour, which was pretty much guaranteed he would draw a few cards based on the current one laid down.


    After realising sevens were being played, Lucy quickly swapped hands with Miguel as her deck was chock-full of them.


    (¡°Tch, I forgot about that variant. I never expected the boy would agree so easily to it as well.¡±)


    It didn''t matter too much, she knew the cards well and could play around it.


    <hr>


    The game went on for twenty more minutes and Miguel sat in agony as he pulled out two more cards. He had five, Louise eight and Lucy twenty-three.


    ¡°God damnit, can somebody just win this game already!?¡± Miguel yelled.


    ¡°The sevens have made the game more time-consuming, can we exclude it for the time being?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°Oh, do you have to go somewhere soon?¡± He asked.


    ¡°No, not especially, but a game like this dragging on for far too long can drag down the mood.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ So how do you feel about this Louise?¡±


    ¡°We can stop right if you''d like, and play rock paper scissors to decide the winner.¡±


    He turned back to the blonde woman.


    ¡°(I''m surprised she didn''t try to worm her way out of it.) Are you good with that Lucy? I''m good either way.¡±


    ¡°(Her reaction times are similar to mine in our bodies so it would be a fifty per cent chance either of us succeed¡­ I''ll take the guaranteed win.) N-no, I''ve come this far, I still have a chance to win.¡±


    ¡°That''s the mentality Lucy, let''s go all out.¡±


    She said as she picked a card from the pile. But this time was odd. She used a trick similar to Lucy.


    (¡°How did she¡­ So she has started keeping track as well.¡±)


    Around a few minutes ago the draw pile was getting thin, so they decided to reshuffle the deck with Miguel being the one to do so using the discard pile. With only ten cards left, it was easy for Louise to avoid the unseen cards when they topped the pile.


    (¡°She knows all but ten cards, but as the game goes on she''ll know all of them.¡±)


    The best Lucy could hope for was thinning out the pile fast enough to thin the draw pile out for her to reshuffle. But when would be enough? As long as she could shuffle out of the eyes of Lucy she had this game won lost.


    She reached her hands out but Louise stopped her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Louise asked.


    ¡°I thought it would be an appropriate time to reshuffle the deck¡­¡± She innocently murmured.


    Louise held her hand and looked at Miguel.


    ¡°Hmm, it can stay for now. Let''s wait until it reaches, like, ten cards or something.¡± Miguel answered as he placed down a card.


    Lucy slowly pulled back through her hand and bided.


    (¡°Phew, now that¡¯s over. I''ll just have to wait until the card deck¡¯s low and grab it.¡±)


    The turns passed by and on the fourth round, Louise quickly had an idea of Lucy''s newest plan.


    (¡°The bitch!¡±)


    She did her best to ensure when the pile reached ten it''d be her turn. Louise knew this as she''d position Miguel to either play or not play cards on a certain round, while also drawing or playing based on what Louise did. If she played regularly, the deck was going to be in her hands soon.


    She scoffed this off and attempted to grab the cards but Miguel slapped her hand.


    ¡°I said ten cards, chill out.¡± He said as he observed the cards on display again. ¡°I don''t know what''s going on but was there something that happened in your last game that makes you guys antsy about reshuffling?¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡± Lucy answered unconvincingly.


    Miguel sighed and picked the cards up, shuffling them with anyone''s permission.


    ¡°Since you guys are acting weird, I''ll be the one to shuffle them from now on.¡±


    (¡°This is going to take a while.¡±)


    (¡°But I''ll figure out how to make that bitch win!¡±)


    Louise had to skip a turn and picked a card without thinking. Then Miguel placed down two cards and leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Both women wondered. ¡°Why''d you put down two cards Miguel?¡±


    ¡°I wonder the same¡­ Ah, Miguel, that isn''t nice.¡± The blonde woman pouted before resting her head on the table.


    ¡°What, you guys didn''t know jump-in was allowed?¡± He confidently stated.


    ¡°Oh screw off, I don''t allow those in my rules!¡± Louise said as the stress of this game left her body.


    ¡°Well, as Lucy said, earlier it''s my house and my rules.¡±


    ¡°I did say that, didn''t I?¡± Lucy mused on the cold surface of the table.


    ¡°You could have told us asshole!¡±


    ¡°I didn''t know it was gonna take me this long to use it!¡±


    He responded. ¡°But since I won, I''d like to know what you two think of m-me.¡± As he proudly proclaimed that he suddenly realised why this wasn''t the reward he thought it was.


    (¡°Ugh, Lucy might be kind but I''m sorta scared of what Louise has to say. She might call me a small dicked pervert. That wouldn''t be so bad but with Lucy here I''d rather not have her say anything like that!¡±)


    ¡°Uh, guys, how about you gals just uh, buy me a game or so-¡±


    Lucy began first. ¡°Miguel you seem like a wonderful person and I have no shame in saying I¡¯d love to have you as a friend going forward. Louise always described you as a brother and I have no problems considering you one as well.¡±


    She said while watching his reactions.


    ¡°Uh, t-thanks.¡± He said with a light blush on his face.


    (¡°Tch look at him, you give the guy a small compliment and he''s swooning over a chick he met today.¡±) Louise thought. She soon opened her mouth and Miguel prepared himself for what was about to come.


    ¡°Seriously, are you a puppy or something? Hoping for me to give you a reward? Well, all I have are words for ya. You''re a decent kid but I just wish you''d stop looking at every woman that comes your way.¡±


    ¡°Wha- easy I don''t do that!¡±


    ¡°Yes you d-¡±


    She stopped as she watched his face. She saw it and Lucy saw it too. They were experts at reading the emotions of people if they needed to. What was written on his face was as clear as day.


    It was mostly embarrassment from such a saying being uttered in front of an unfamiliar person but¡­


    (¡°I can see it. With me, he tried to hide his lust and found mild happiness in my comment about him. But with her, as soon as those words exited her mouth he let it show. A pang of sadness hit his face.¡±)


    Louise had a slight blush hit her and she continued, no longer caring about what Lucy wanted.


    ¡°What, are you saying Lucy''s no good?¡±


    ¡°N-no, no I''m not saying that but¡­¡±


    (¡°I can see it. I can see the discomfort you feel trying to hide your feelings.¡±)


    ¡°I just think I''d have to know a person more for something like that, you know?¡± He said as he twisted his hair while looking away.


    ¡°G-g-good, don''t fall p-p-prey to woman''s looks, it hides more than you''d think,¡± Louise answered.


    They silently sat together for the next few moments until Miguel got up.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    He got up and walked presumably to the bathroom.


    Louise blushed and tried to hide her face.


    ¡°Aren''t you glad I came?¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°Shut up you man-stealing whore.¡± She said as she hid her face with the table. Lucy got closer to her and whispered in her ear.


    ¡°But maybe he''ll be the one. Maybe he''ll be the one who won''t leave you. Isn''t that what you want, Louise?¡±


    ¡°S-shut up, I''m far above him, I don''t need someone like him. Besides, you''ll probably do what you always do.¡± The woman commented, sounding defeated.


    ¡°There, there.¡± She began patting her back.


    ¡°Stop acting like you''re not the one that causes it.¡± She responded like a whipped dog.


    <h2>Chapter 33</h2>


    Tibaut woke up in his bed, unsure what had taken place a few hours prior.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He mumbled as he tried to recall. He knew it was a game involving Louise but he could have sworn someone else was there.


    ¡°Am I going insane or something?¡± He said as he tried harder to remember what happened. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t remember what occurred yesterday.


    ¡°Fuck man, it''s not like I play football or box in my spare time. How the hell am I forgetting shit like this?¡±


    He said as he slumped off the bed. He looked at his phone and it read 4:09 am.


    ¡°Louise is probably still sleeping, so I guess I''ll stay for the meantime.¡±


    He got up out of his bed and headed for his desk. He flipped between wanting to play something or finishing an anime he didn''t particularly care for.


    ¡°I mean, I''m already 63 episodes in. Might as well get it over, it''s not like I have to worry about wasting time.¡± He softly chuckled before pulling it up.


    As he watched the glorified background audio his mind went back to Louise. He really did try to focus on what was playing on his screen but it wasn''t anywhere near engaging to his mind off this topic.


    (¡°Is she using me?¡±) He wondered to himself. (¡°I don''t know why but recently I''ve started to wonder about the sort of friends a woman like her keeps. Okay, that sounds more harsh than I meant but she constantly drinks and smokes. Also, she''s pretty violent so it wouldn''t surprise if she hangs around shady people.¡±)


    It wouldn''t surprise Miguel if she kept him in mind as a plan B in case she suffered some sort of heartbreak.


    (¡°I mean, sigh, I don''t want to think anymore man. Of course, I''m happy! I finally have someone to talk to, not just that, a woman too! I haven''t talked to one in ages. But nothing that good comes for free. I know how people are. I had to cut off a few of my friends when I got my inheritance.¡±)


    As he sat in front of his desk tormenting himself through his thoughts, he heard a knock on the door.


    He got up and slowly approached it. The person behind opened it to reveal themselves. It was Louise and she was looking well-rested.


    ¡°Uh, I''m not used to you being up this early. Or have you not slept since yesterday?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Dumbass, didn''t you remember us going to bed early yesterday?¡± She said.


    He thought about it for a moment. ¡°Oh right.¡± He said unconvincingly.


    ¡°You good?¡± She asked. (¡°At least she kept her word.¡±)


    ¡°That obvious? Did you hit over the head or something last night cause I can''t recall shit.¡±


    ¡°Phew, isn''t that good? I had a friend over and I don''t know what happened but sheesh, you ran her off before I came back.¡±


    Miguel stared at her, cringing at her words. ¡°T-t-that''s a joke right?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Anyway-¡±


    ¡°Don''t you dare brush that off!¡±


    ¡°I''ll be leaving today.¡±


    Miguel felt his heart drop. He did the best he could to hide the pain making its way to his face and tried to keep his cool.


    ¡°Oh, finally, is your place free from that bitch?¡± He asked. (¡°Why?¡±)


    ¡°Yup, got a call about it last night, so I thought I''d let you know before I head out.¡±


    ¡°(Please don''t, not yet at least! Do you know how miserable it''s been just wallowing in my thoughts before you came here!?) I see. Well, see you soon I guess, if ever. (Why now? Couldn''t I have at least had some time to prepare? Is she even going to talk to me anymore now she doesn''t need an apartment to stay at?)¡±


    His mind was being flooded with regret as he talked to her. He knew how things would play out at this point. This time he spent with her was a once-in-a-lifetime moment and it''d never happen again. She wouldn''t come back to visit and at most, they''d occasionally text each other until one day, she''d no reply to the words of the sad little boy living independently of her reality. He was to lose the only friend he had gained in the past five years and he''d do nothing to stop it. He always was a pushover. There were times he should have been more firm about something yet remained all too accepting. Louise moving in with him, allowing his brother to cheat without so much as a word to his lovers and not being insistent enough on his parents not leaving that night. If only he managed to put them off driving another day maybe they wouldn''t have-


    ¡°Are you crying, Miguel?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± He wiped his eyes but thankfully he only seemed a bit glassy-eyed. Who knows the amount of shit she''d give him if he started crying.


    ¡°You are crying, you bastard.¡± She said as she became teary eyes herself. ¡°Wh-Why else would I be getting all sappy like this.¡± She struggled to maintain her expression and her lips quivered as she looked at him.


    It seemed Miguel wasn''t the only one getting emotional about leaving.


    ¡°Pft, I''m just mad about the A/C don''t look at me like that.¡± She said as she tried to wipe her face.


    Miguel couldn''t hold it back any longer and started crying as he walked into her arms.


    ¡°I''ll miss you.¡± He said while sniffling from his crying.


    ¡°S-shut up, I''m not gonna die or anything.¡° She said as she held him tightly. ¡°This whole thing is stupid, why am I getting like this over you.¡± She whispered as she pressed her face into his shoulder. (¡°Lucy you fucking whore, if it wasn''t for you I could stayed here for a few months!¡±)


    <h2>Chapter 35</h2>


    Tibaut had tears in his eyes and Satan was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°It''s s-so stupid. It''s not like she was leaving to go somewhere far away.¡± Tibaut commented as he rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°There, there Tibaut, it''s alright to feel that way when you''re separated from a friend.¡± Lucy softly said. She was leaning against his shoulder and began patting his back in an attempt to comfort him. ¡°Even if your love for her wasn''t romantic, don''t let anyone, including that rude brother of mine, try to make you feel lesser for it.¡± She began stroking his head.


    ¡°But that begs the question.¡± Satan appeared in Tibaut¡¯s lap. ¡°If she can talk to you in such a way.¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± She said with a finger on her lip.


    Tibaut didn''t get to hear most of what the pair of Louise and Lucy were discussing, especially their thoughts, while Satan, through his own methods, was able to.


    ¡°What exactly is she? I have no records of a being of your standing with her appearance.¡±


    Lucifer looked at him for a moment and sighed.


    ¡°Of course, she isn''t from this world. She''s from Tibaut¡¯s or rather Miguel''s.¡±


    ¡°Is she the Lucifer of that world?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but you won''t find me telling you her name.¡±


    ¡°Her name starts with L¡­ Lilith?¡± Satan asked.


    She turned her face away.


    ¡°But aren''t you calm boy, it''s quite a discovery the woman you loved was a demon of hell, isn''t it? Perhaps she desired your life in some way, or maybe she''s a being that has a taste for the flesh of men.¡±


    Tibaut ignored Satan and turned to face Lucy, hugging her side. ¡°Hey Lucy, c-can Louise do the same thing as you? Ca-can she show up in my memories? I don''t care if it''s just a fragment or vestige or vintage or whatever, can she-¡±


    Lucy sighed before rubbing her cheek against his own and caressing the other with her hand. ¡°I''m sorry Tibaut, I fear she may not possess the strength necessary for something like this. If we were in your world, it might be possible but in a world so far away, you''ll have to give up on that dream.¡±


    He glared at Satan before resting his face back on Lucy''s shoulder.


    ¡°What a shame,¡± Satan said. ¡°But I''ve grown quite tired of you sister. I''ll punish your body when I find it but I have no use speaking to a being like you.¡±


    ¡°Screw off you bastard,¡± Tibaut mumbled as he brought his face to her bosom. ¡°Then leave, you asshole! I''ll stay here with her until I wake up.¡± He said like a child throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°Do as you please,¡± Satan said before disappearing. (¡°I still need him for my goals and given it''s her, if I leave them together for too long she might leave his mind in an irreparable state.¡±)


    Tibaut picked his face back up and positioned himself to lay his head in her lap.


    ¡°I''d ask if you mind but there''s not really much you could do if said no, is there?¡± He asked as he laid his head down.


    ¡°Do you like a woman that can do nothing, Tibaut?¡± She said as she rubbed his head.


    ¡°Stop making it sound weird, you''re nothing more than the memories of an old friend. At least if I do anything weird to you¡­ wait you''re fully independent of Lucifer right?¡± He asked. ¡°I''d kinda feel like a scumbag if anything I did here translated to her.¡±


    ¡°Really? Didn''t you see how Louise reacted to her in your memories? It didn''t seem we had the best relationship.¡±


    ¡°You sure? I thought you said you two were friends?¡±


    ¡°And you believed me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Louise just looked annoyed but she never looked ready to kill you or anything. I mean since you share that supernatural thing in common, she''s probably closer to you than me.¡±


    ¡°...¡± The smile on her face slowly faded and she sighed.


    ¡°Tibaut, let me amend your answer.¡± She turned his face to hers and continued. ¡°I knew her essentially since the moment I came into your world and we may have argued and had our disagreements but the simple fact of our beings being so¡­ complimentary, made us far more forgiving to each other than we probably should have been. However¡­ by the time the end of your life came, I don''t think there was ever doubt as to who she loved most in your world.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Can I ask Lucy something?¡±


    ¡°What can I answer for you, Tibaut?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how she reacted when I died?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Her face remained static. ¡°Maybe another time.¡±


    ¡°W-what''s with that reaction?¡±


    ¡°Haha, actually I think I had left your world at that point, I only heard bits and pieces about what happened and I don''t think I''d provide much useful information.¡± She lifted him up and placed him in her lap. ¡°Besides you talked about my body, yes? What might that be about, I recall saying you''d be free to use it in whatever way-¡±


    ¡°Did something happen to her!?¡± He shouted.


    She remained tight-lipped. In fact, she stopped momentarily.


    ¡°Lucy, come on, answer me, what happened!?¡± He shouted while shaking her.


    She remained motionless for a few more moments until finally regaining movement.


    ¡°Dear me, what did you do Tibaut? I was really struggling to maintain my existence for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I am but a by-product of viewing Lucifer in your memories after all, so do be gentle. Did I infuriate you before you retaliated?¡±


    ¡°(It seems like I''ll have to ask her in person.) It''s fine, I just asked a weird question and you froze up.¡±


    ¡°What could have been so strange to cause that?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about it.¡±

 Memories of a Distant Past 6-7

    <h2>Distant World 6</h2>


    The two even eventually came to the topic of Louise and Satan had had enough of their prattling.


    He snapped his fingers and the blonde woman disappeared without so much as a goodbye.


    ¡°You bastard, what the hell was that for!?¡± Tibaut shouted at him.


    ¡°Throw your tantrum another time, I''m sick of seeing that woman. I thought she changed but perhaps she was always a disappointment.¡± Satan said as he walked over.


    Tibaut got up and ran at him, hoping to relieve his anger rather than cause any sort of damage to the God that brought him into this world until he noticed the surroundings changing.


    ¡°I can tell you''re in better shape thanks to those around you, so it''d be best if you focused on the present rather than the past before you woke up.¡±


    The tile floor slowly changed to wood and the technology disappeared, being replaced by fine wooden furniture, pottery and books.


    ¡°Is this?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    Tibaut would recognise this place no matter how old he got. Not Miguel, only Tibaut.


    ¡°My old home¡­¡± He walked to a chair and rubbed his hand against the furniture. He felt a pang of nostalgia hit as he soaked in the surroundings.


    His eyes lost the warmth they had from earlier and he tried his best to calm himself down.


    ¡°How easily can that fragment of Lucifer be brought back?¡±


    ¡°Whenever we view your past life''s memories.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He clenched his teeth as he slowly bit down on his teeth. ¡°She doesn''t need to see me like this.¡±


    ¡°So we''ve essentially confirmed the cultists came from your home country.¡±


    ¡°They did?¡± He asked with a voice drenched in anger.


    ¡°Sigh It seems that Bishop did quite a number on your listening skills.¡±


    He slammed a nearby bookcase. ¡°That fucking bastard, when I get my hands on him-¡±


    ¡°You''ll do absolutely nothing. You''re far too weak for a confrontation with him.¡±


    ¡°The hell I am! Are you telling me I can''t beat him if I enter that state when I had the first time I used Ki? I was just tired when he showed up, the next time I see that tin can motherfucker, I''ll shove a-¡±


    ¡°Easily, in fact, let me replicate his strength for you.¡±


    Satan slowly faded into the floor, forming a dark spot. The worked-up Tibaut watched him, wondering what he was planning until a shadow emerged from the floor. It wore black armour and Tibaut lost himself the moment he saw it. He ran towards them and prepared as many fireballs as he could. And almost instantly felt several fingers stab into his throat. He looked down to see the armour pushing its hand down into his throat, eventually reaching its elbow it¡¯s elbow. He felt it all. Each inch the arm went into him made him beg to pass out already.


    Their positions were reset and the armour shook its head. ¡°I knew there was a gap but this is just pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Satan you bastard, is this your idea of a joke!?¡± He snarled at the armour.


    ¡°It is but it''d also be helpful.¡±


    Tibaut glared at him and formed a fireball in his hand.


    ¡°What''s helpful about you cosplaying as that bastard?¡±


    ¡°Based on your brief encounter I''ve created a near perfect replication of his strength and magic. Even the way he fights. It''s not perfect but I''d consider it being around 80% of his full potential.¡± He responded using the Bishop''s voice. ¡°And as I have shown you moments ago, you can''t kill him.¡±


    ¡°Tch, so is my body accurate?¡± He asked as the number of fireballs increased in number behind him.


    ¡°Of course it is. Though compared to your real body, this is at its physical peak. The ki has once again left you emaciated.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you shouldn''t have,¡± Tibaut answered with venom. ¡°I''ll have some fun testing out this bastard.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I''m surprised you''re so energetic considering the pain of your first death to him.¡±


    ¡°First and only,¡± Tibaut responded.


    He fired a barrage of fireballs at him and destroyed a part of his childhood home.


    The smoke slowly dispersed and the armour stood in place completely unaffected. ¡°I''m ready to start when you are.¡±


    ¡°You''re screwing with me, I know the guy got hurt by that.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Not as much as you might imagine.¡± The armour flicked its finger and Tibaut immediately felt pain through his body.


    ¡°You can''t be serious.¡±


    He felt pain but he also felt a massive disappointment. He felt his body sting but with such a display of force, he was hoping for more than feeling like he had been slammed against the floor.


    ¡°No¡­No! Bring Elizabeth out!¡± He shouted at the armour.


    <h2>Distant World 7</h2>


    They shrugged their shoulders before a black mist covered them. Before he revealed the body of Elizabeth he brought a hand out of the mist with the index finger pointed upwards. He seemed to be telling Tibaut to give him a moment.


    Meanwhile, Tibaut has convinced this bastard among bastards was trying to mess with him.


    (¡°I guarantee that bastard''s gonna try the same shit with Elizabeth.¡±) He thought as he slowed down his breathing. He slapped his face trying to pull himself together and sat on the floor awaiting Satan''s return.


    (¡°So he''s the one that did it.¡±) Tibaut thought. His mind went back to the fateful night his life changed in this world. Seeing the corpses of his parents on the front of their mansion before he was forced to run away.


    (¡°I don''t know what your name is or even who you are, but just know, I''m coming for you.¡±)


    The black mist dispersed and Satan emerged with the appearance of Elizabeth.


    She shook her hips a bit, doing some sort of dance and Tibaut couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Testing out this body. She''s quite limber.¡±


    ¡°Also, what were you doing in there?¡±


    ¡°I just asked a friend to help make her as true to life as possible. From every mole to even the amount of wrinkles on her ass-¡±


    Tibaut raised his hand. ¡°Please don''t continue that sentence. Besides, I just wanted to test something out with magic.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you sure you don''t want to get an exclusive look and feel on a body 99.999999% similar to hers?¡± He said before grabbing the hem of her skirt and lifting it slightly. It exposed more of her thighs than Tibaut had seen before.


    He shot a barrage of fireballs at her, with a disinterested gaze. (¡°I wouldn''t mind but¡­ this just feels a step too far. A dream is one thing but having a God replicate her body feels kinda weird.¡±)


    The smoke soon cleared and instead of Elizabeth standing tall from his blast all that was left was a corpse with only half the face of Elizabeth, the other part unrecognisable. The body was charred with bits of fresh flesh poking out every so often.


    ¡°H-how could you, T-t-¡± The body stopped talking and ceased its movements.


    ¡°Get up you asshole I know you''re trying to mess with me,¡± Tibaut remarked unamused.


    The corpse got up and quickly healed. ¡°Couldn''t you have shown a bit more reaction to killing your friend?¡± Satan asked as she dusted the soot off themselves.


    ¡°Fight me at full force now, just like the real thing would.¡± He took up a pose and the sword materialised in her hand as she ran towards him.


    <hr>


    After three fights against this pseudo-Elizabeth, he was convinced of Satan''s words. The three fights followed thus, a spar, a battle and a fight to the death and it was almost terrifying how many of the tells and usual movements of Elizabeth transferred over to this one. The most realistic thing about it was the fact he lost every time.


    He sat on the floor of his childhood home with a sword in his abdomen and a smashed head.


    He quickly regained his original body and got back up.


    ¡°I guess she isn''t going to take chances with me anymore after our first fight¡­¡±


    (¡°Tch, I thought he would have had a far more harrowing experience being killed repeatedly, but I suppose dying once may have removed said fear. Why must you ruin my fun human? No matter, getting to kill him, even if imaginary, proved relieving.¡±) Satan thought as he stretched in the body of Elizabeth. ¡°So will you take my offer human?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I''m thinking here.¡±


    (¡°Yes human, consider it. The moment you say yes, I''ll make sure to keep this experience and implant it in that Saint the moment Gabriel lets her guard down. Let''s hope you aren''t too rough.¡±)


    ¡°Stop making such a creepy face with Elizabeth.¡±


    They quickly hid their glee and waited for Tibaut to answer.


    Tibaut himself held a hand to his head and gave a deep sigh. ¡°So that bastard really is that tough¡­ damn it. Hey, Satan, could you remove their armour?¡±


    Elizabeth sighed before she turned into the armoured man once again. The armour exploded, shooting off in all directions and revealing Tibaut.


    ¡°What the hell are you playing at?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Even with my skills, I never got a clear scope of their bodily features as specific as a face. So yours will have to do, currently.¡±


    Now that Tibaut got a better look at them, their body was a bit different from his.


    ¡°Okay now stay still.¡± He asked as a barrage of fireballs formed behind him. He let them loose on the man and after a minute or so of bombardment, the man remained, bruises across his body.


    ¡°That''s¡­ that''s all it did?¡± He asked. Anger had left him and he was now completely in shock. ¡°Hey Satan could you uh,¡±


    <hr>


    He quickly began his testing of what it would take to kill this man. He removed his armour and fought him with his gauntlets, he put the bishop¡¯s armour on himself and fought the man armourless, he removed his arm from him and fought him using both the armour and sword he possessed on that night and yet still every scenario resulted in a crushing defeat.


    ¡°Alright, so this time try Elizabeth at full power, with the use of her magic helping me, also wearing his armour against him fully nude!¡± Tibaut demanded


    Satan snapped his finger and Elizabeth appeared behind him before putting on the bishop''s helmet. They both rushed the bishop and he weathered through Elizabeth¡¯s magic and killed her in about five minutes. With the use of no weapons or armour.


    Tibaut was killed about a minute in.


    <hr>


    Tibaut looked up at the ceiling. He had to admit it now. That guy was strong. Absurdly strong.


    (¡°This revenge is going to be harder than I thought¡­¡±) His eyes were dull as he looked at the ceiling. He was forced to accept reality after his 2359th attempt against him failed just as miserably as the others. The only times he could reliably beat him was taking away his magic and three limbs.


    (¡°Ah, it was all worth it just to see him like this.¡±) Satan mused with a smile on his face.


    Tibaut limply moved his head in Satan''s direction. ¡°...¡± His eyes still had no life in them.


    ¡°Regardless, since the cult originates from your home country, be sure to observe your memories to the best of your abilities. After all, it may give some clues to the current state of the country.¡±


    Tibaut blankly stared at him before he felt his eyes grow heavy. Soon the world became nothing but black.

 Memories of a Distant Past 8-9

    ¡°..baut.¡±


    Tibaut slowly opened his eyes to the thing bothering his sleep.


    ¡°Tibaut!¡±


    He jolted up to see a purple-haired woman by his bedside. She wore a pair of glasses that were as boring as could be with a maid dress that was as formal and serious as a funeral.


    ¡°Little master, why was it so hard for you to wake up today?¡±


    The little Tibaut held his held arms open and the maid wasted no time hugging him and picking him off the bed. ¡°My, what''s gotten into you today, Little master? You''re never dependent on me.¡±


    He yawned as she walked out of his room. ¡°Read me a book please Cillia¡­¡± The boy tiredly commented.


    ¡°Now, now young master, don''t you want breakfast first?¡±


    ¡°Can''t I eat during it?¡± He asked, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°That''s a bad habit, Little master.¡±


    As she walked down the hallway, she walked into the head of the household.


    ¡°Ah, there you are Cillia. Can we talk for a moment? It''s somewhat serious.¡±


    The maid nodded her head and followed him into a nearby room. Magnus closed the door behind him and breathed a sigh.


    ¡°I do hope this isn''t a case of infidelity you''re trying to hide.¡±


    Magnus looked at the boy in her arms. ¡°Is he awake?¡± He asked.


    She looked into his face. ¡°He''s fallen back asleep. But it must be something far more serious than I gave credit for if you brushed off my comment.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± The man responded. ¡°My lovely wife has decided that the moment the boy turns 12 he''s to learn her magic or when he shows competence in any sort of magic. She hopes not to rush him and instead learn when his abilities allow it.¡±


    ¡°Any reason for the age of twelve?¡±


    ¡°She says that''s the earliest she''d feel comfortable having him somewhere out of her sight. She wants to have him train among her family for a year or so to hammer fundamentals in him so she can train him easier.¡±


    ¡°And what does this have to do with me, Magnus?¡± The maid asked, setting down Tibaut in a nearby chair.


    ¡°She said she wanted to train him immediately if he could learn an uninherited magic and I suggested curing as it might be useful for a merchant.¡±


    ¡°Magnus stop drawing it out.¡±


    ¡°I''m your master woman, stop calling me by my first name!¡±


    She rolled her eyes, the only reaction to his raised voice.


    ¡°Magnus, the only men I''ll show that face to in this household are your sons.¡± She coldly responded. ¡°If you want a woman to call you master, ask your wife in the bedroom next time.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Couldn''t you have just been a bodyguard or something then?¡± Magnus asked. ¡°At least try to keep it up, who knows how much of a bother a guest might be if you used that tone around me? They''d ask for you to be lashed or some other nonsense.¡±


    ¡°For two people stronger than me? Don''t be ridiculous. Don''t worry I''m not sloppy enough for something like that to happen. And would you get to the point already?¡±


    Magnus turned around and looked out of the room through the window.


    ¡°I need you to ensure that the boy''s magic isn''t impressive to his mother.¡±


    ¡°You expect me to betray Tomoe?¡± The maid asked.


    ¡°I''m not asking, Cillia, I''m ordering you as the head of the household and the bastion of this nation to ensure that boy''s curing magic remains stagnant and unremarkable.¡± He said. He turned to look into her eyes and the woman begrudgingly submitted.


    ¡°If Tomoe finds out, I won''t hesitate to relay these words to her. You won''t have a problem with that, correct?¡±


    ¡°Correct. Just give me enough time to convince her the boy will not need any sort of offensive magic in his life.¡±


    Cillia looked at the sleeping Tibaut. ¡°As you wish master, when would you like me to start this farce?¡±


    ¡°As soon as Tomoe grows impatient or asks for it.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Cilly, did my hubby tell you what to do yet or is he still dragging his feet?¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She opened the door and spoke with a glee only a mother could have for their child.


    Both Cillia and Tibaut were in the room with Tibaut sitting on her lap as she read him a story.


    It didn''t take long for Tomoe to come to Cillia.


    She closed the book she was reading to him and turned to her friend. ¡°What''s this about now?¡± She asked.


    Tomoe then gave a brief run down to her.


    ¡°You always were good at teaching Cilli, so don''t hold back with my boy!¡± She said with a pat on the back. The black-haired woman was almost infectiously positive. She picked her son up from Cillia''s arms and began throwing up and down in the air, trying to contain her joy.


    ¡°Hey, Tibaut, do you know you''re gonna learn Mama''s magic soon!¡±


    The boy was busy having fun going up and down in the air, he paid no attention to his mother''s words.


    <h2>Distant World 9</h2>


    The maid carefully used a pipette to pull up a purple liquid. She carefully placed it in a clear vase of water before putting a drop inside, with no change occurring to the liquid¡¯s appearance.


    She was outside the mansion, in the back of the property with a table laid out and Tibaut playing in the grass nearby.


    (¡°What in the grass is so entertaining?¡±) She wondered before she picked out a flower in another vase on the table. She placed it in the water and walked over to the young boy.


    ¡°Would you like me to read another story to you, young master?¡± She asked before picking him up. She quickly slapped the bug he seemed to be playing with his hands and wore a stern expression.


    ¡°Please leave those things on the floor, Tibaut¡­¡± She weakly asked him.


    ¡°(Is she afraid of them?) Okay, Cillia! Can we play tag instead of reading, please? (Ugh, that last book was a bit of a doozy, I think I could use some exercise before listening to more of that)¡±


    ¡°As you wish little master, would you like to be ¡®it¡¯ or would love your wonderful maid to do the job?¡±


    Tibaut looked up to the air. ¡°(She always pretends to be slower than she is so¡­ chasing should be more fun. I can never outrun her for more than a minute.) Get running hag.¡±


    She softly pinched his cheek before setting him down. ¡°I''ll have to have a word with your brother later.¡±


    She quickly set off, her steps as delicate as a cat''s as she pranced along the grass.


    (¡°Heh, that''s what you get for making a commotion about me using magic.¡±) The little boy smirked as he chased after the woman.


    <hr>


    After 15 minutes of fruitlessly chasing his maid around, she carried him back in her arms to the table.


    ¡°Today we will be learning something very special, Tibaut. So please pay attention.¡±


    She placed Tibaut on the table to sit down and he eyed the bottle with the purple liquid on the table.


    (¡°How weird.¡±) Before he even realised it, he moved a hand towards it and attempted to push it off.


    Cillia grabbed it the moment it fell off the table and placed it gently on the floor.


    ¡°I''m glad you didn''t try to drink it, little master.¡±


    She soon took the now wilted and dark-looking flower out of the vase.


    ¡°(Of course I wasn''t gonna drink that, that shade of purple in this period of time isn''t something to screw with!) It looked shady. It''d make my tummy hurt. (Sigh, I know it''d sound weird for a child to speak the way I am in my mind but it does feel a bit jarring to have my words come out differently from my mind¡­)¡±


    ¡°Little master, that bottle would give you far more than a tummy ache. If I allowed it to fall on the floor, it''s likely that spot would never grow another blade of grass in my or your lifetime.¡±


    She positioned the flower in front of him and the boy tried to grab it. She pulled it back.


    ¡°Not yet, little master, now pay attention.¡±


    Cillia quickly engulfed the flower in a green glow emitting from her hand and the wilted floor quickly regained volume and colour as well.


    The child started clapping for his maid and she smiled before handing him the flower. She picked another from the vase on the table and placed it in the tainted vase.


    ¡°This is the magic your parents have decided you should be learning for the time being. Do good and you can learn magic like your brother.¡± She said as she lifted him off the table and spun him around.


    ¡°Really? Can I make fireballs like Pyrus!?¡±


    ¡°Indeed you can (If anyone can take a mile from an inch, it''d be your mother¡­) you just have to pass my tests first.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± The boy excitedly responded. However, this excitement had more to do with him being spun around than any sort of information regarding the magic.


    (¡°I mean, we''re rich so I could basically hire some bodyguards to protect me when I''m older. We seem pretty important so it wouldn''t be too big of a problem when I''m older to ask my dad for money to live by myself. Fighting seems like a pain in the ass no matter how cool making a fireball would be.¡±) He thought as he was spun by her faster and faster.


    <hr>


    Realising she was having as much fun as the boy, she placed him down and cleared her throat.


    (¡°What am I doing wasting time like this? By the time I finish teaching him how to do this, the flower will be completely dead. But¡­ I just can''t help it, why did you have to make a such cute child, Tomoe?¡±) She thought while trying to contain herself. She''d likely never have a child, she just didn''t see the point in one but remembering Pyrus¡¯s youth and seeing the current Tibaut had her questioning herself.


    (¡°I fear if that cheery fool doesn''t have another child I might succumb to this yearning in my heart.¡±)


    She tried her best to kill this desire and crouched down before grabbing Tibaut¡¯s arm.


    ¡°(I suppose we better try with this first before other methods.) Alright Tibaut, feel my hand as I use it and try your best to replicate.¡±


    She used her magic the best he could and he felt her curing magic on his hand. He opened his mouth, surprised it even had a sensation.


    (¡°There''s no need to confuse him with terms like inherited or uninherited, for now, I should try some subtler ways of getting him to use his mana.¡±)


    ¡°Just remember, it''s a similar feeling to your fire, just make sure to-¡±


    His hand started to emit a green glow.


    ¡°...¡±


    He looked up to her face, unsure of what he was creating.


    ¡°Like this?¡± He asked.


    She felt the glow in his hand and sighed.


    (¡°Magnus¡­ I think your request is somewhat unreasonable.¡±)

 Vol. 1 AI Summary (With notes from the author) 1/4

    Summary of Chapters 1-3


    Tibaut Agirow, a fugitive from Akumia, arrives at a silent village, hoping to find food and information about his location. However, he soon discovers that the village is abandoned, with a massive pile of mutilated corpses in the center. While investigating, he encounters a young boy (not sure if ai got this wrong or I just changed their gender when I posted it) who throws flour in his face and runs. As Tibaut follows the boy''s trail, he hears a scream and rushes to find the source.


    Inside a house filled with dead men, he sees a blonde woman with blood on her sword standing over a young girl with a slit throat. She coldly asks if he is "one of them," and before Tibaut can answer, she attacks.


    The ensuing battle is fierce. Tibaut, who can wield fire magic, struggles against the incredibly skilled woman. He initially pretends to be weaker than he is, enduring her attacks to land a devastating counterstrike. However, despite his best efforts, she proves to be a monster in combat. Even after sustaining burns and heavy injuries, she quickly adapts and overwhelms him. When Tibaut attempts a final deceptive move, she reads his intent and fatally stabs him in the chest.


    Before he dies, he manages to land a desperate explosion, severing the woman¡¯s arm. With his last strength, he pins her down and unleashes a barrage of fireballs, reducing her to ashes. As he fades into unconsciousness, he questions the purpose of his reincarnation. However, to his horror, he sees the woman regenerate completely, emerging unscathed before he loses consciousness.


    To his surprise, Tibaut wakes up fully healed and restrained. The blonde woman, now revealed as Elizabeth, tells him she spared him because he is her only lead on a mysterious cult. Tibaut, still believing she is his enemy, refuses to cooperate. She stabs him in the leg, continuing her interrogation. Before their conflict escalates, the young girl he saw earlier enters and thanks Elizabeth for saving her.


    Realizing his massive mistake, Tibaut becomes mentally exhausted. Elizabeth, meanwhile, struggles with something internally before finally drawing her sword again, preparing to strike him.


    (Chapters 4-7)


    Tibaut is unexpectedly freed from his bindings, but Elizabeth immediately asserts control, forcing him into servitude. She proves her dominance by threatening to maim him if he resists, but also heals his leg to ensure a smoother journey. As they travel, Elizabeth¡¯s extreme stamina wears Tibaut out, and her disgust for his odor leads to a humorous break (If AI thinks I''m ¡®humourous¡¯ then I must be the unfunniest fucker to walk this earth). He learns that they are in Anglia, far from his home, which deepens the mystery of how he got there. Eventually, they arrive at a secluded mansion, Elizabeth¡¯s base of operations.


    As Tibaut processes his situation, Elizabeth reflects on a divine encounter during their battle. She had an out-of-body experience where she met Gabriel, a celestial being who revealed that Tibaut was connected to someone troublesome yet potentially useful to Elizabeth¡¯s ambitions. Gabriel discouraged Elizabeth from getting too involved with him but hinted that he could help with her guild¡¯s struggles. This prompts Elizabeth to take him in rather than kill him.


    At the mansion, Tibaut is ordered to clean, which proves unexpectedly exhausting. During his work, he meets Vanessa, a flirtatious and bold blacksmith who immediately teases and flusters him. Elizabeth interrupts, demonstrating her authority over both Vanessa and Tibaut. Later, Elizabeth drags him to the town''s adventurers'' guild, where she effortlessly registers him under her recommendation, skipping the usual trials.


    Tibaut questions the ease of his registration, but Elizabeth dismisses his concerns. She then announces that they must assess his combat ability, teasing him with a "special" opponent. She retrieves a mysterious box from another guild member, Merill, who is known for avoiding unnecessary social interactions. As Tibaut prepares for the challenge, he senses a sudden surge of bloodlust from Elizabeth, signaling imminent danger. (It forgot the part where the box didn''t work. That''s why Elizabeth was radiating bloodlust.)


    Key Developments & Themes


    [Elizabeth¡¯s Strength & Authority ¨C She dominates Tibaut both physically and mentally, forcing him into her guild while showing disdain for weakness.


    Gabriel¡¯s Revelation ¨C Elizabeth is a Saint under Gabriel, who warns her about Tibaut but acknowledges his potential usefulness.


    Tibaut¡¯s Mystery ¨C His sudden displacement from Akumia, his lack of awareness about Anglia, and his unknown connection to someone important raise questions about his past.


    New Characters ¨C Vanessa, a playful but skilled blacksmith, and Merill, a mysterious guild member.


    Tibaut¡¯s Forced Integration ¨C He is thrust into guild life without choice, first cleaning, then being registered, and now being tested for combat ability.


    The story is gradually setting up a larger mystery around Tibaut while fleshing out the guild''s dynamics.]<-----(I have no idea why the AI did this then immediately stopped it. I''ll remove any further versions of this so don''t worry.)


    Chapter 8:


    Elizabeth challenges Tibaut to test his abilities but is dismayed when he reveals his offensive magic is limited to basic fireballs. She discovers he possesses a martial arts tome but hasn''t learned to use ki, which deeply frustrates her¡ªespecially given that she was once defeated by him. After an emotional outburst, she gives him three books to study: Mastering Your Element, Fundamentals of Defensive Magic, and the martial arts tome. Tibaut finds Mastering Your Element intriguing and learns that magical talent is specialized¡ªhis affinity for fire weakens his abilities with water. He begins experimenting with his fire magic, attempting to reshape his fireballs, but loses control and causes an explosion.


    Chapter 9:


    Tibaut has a dream about his past, revealing that he was once lazy and regrets not taking magic and combat training more seriously. He wakes up crying but deflects Vanessa¡¯s concern with humor. Elizabeth scolds him for his reckless training after he accidentally broke three of his ribs. Later, Vanessa enlists Tibaut to heat weapons and armor in her forge, exhausting him completely. Their interactions continue to be filled with her teasing, though Tibaut has started becoming desensitized to it.


    Chapter 10:


    Despite being sore, Tibaut continues his magic training, attempting new applications of fire magic. He tries coating his body in flames but struggles with the heat. Eventually, he develops a new spell¡ªcreating a spear of fire¡ªbut is disappointed when it lacks piercing power. Elizabeth informs him that their guild, Wisteria, is participating in a yearly event showcasing top (local) guilds. As their guild is ranked second in the parish, Tibaut will represent them in a sparring match. He prepares for the event and seeks information about his opponent, Ezekiel, only to learn he wields a claymore but little else.


    Chapter 11:


    Tibaut arrives at the event, overwhelmed by the size of the crowd. His opponent, Ezekiel, is an experienced swordsman and immediately intimidates him with a taunt. As the fight begins, Tibaut realizes Ezekiel expects him to rely solely on magic. Taking advantage of this assumption, he uses his martial arts and lands a surprise liver blow. However, Ezekiel quickly adapts, pressuring Tibaut with fast sword swings. In the chaos, Tibaut notices something strange¡ªhe keeps getting pulled closer to Ezekiel against his will, causing him to take a hit. Confused, he starts looking for an explanation while Elizabeth and Vanessa casually watch the fight from the stands.


    Chapter 12 Summary


    Tibaut faces off against Ezekiel in a sparring match that quickly escalates in intensity. Tibaut, frustrated by his inability to land a clean hit, attempts to use magic but finds that his fireballs and other spells are being dodged or somehow avoided. The crowd, amused by his failure, only adds to his humiliation. Tibaut realizes that Ezekiel must be manipulating the outcome of his spells, but is still unable to fully grasp how. He continues to struggle, testing different approaches, and ultimately lands an unexpected hit on Ezekiel, discovering that Ezekiel''s magic seems to manipulate space, making him hard to hit. Despite this, Tibaut¡¯s persistence remains strong as he keeps adapting, frustrated by Ezekiel¡¯s skill but eager to find a way to win.


    Chapter 13 Summary


    Tibaut, realizing that Ezekiel''s swordsmanship is far superior, tries to adapt by parrying his strikes, but the bruises from the blows show just how difficult the fight is. Tibaut begins to enjoy the challenge, even though he¡¯s unsure of why he¡¯s fighting so hard. He continues to test Ezekiel¡¯s movements, eventually getting close to landing a clean blow. However, Tibaut misses, and Ezekiel uses his spatial magic to avoid Tibaut''s attack. Despite this setback, Tibaut manages to deduce that Ezekiel is somehow moving objects and people with his magic. Ezekiel finally reveals that he uses spatial magic, a type of magic that lets him manipulate movement within a certain range, and Tibaut¡¯s frustration grows as he tries to process this new information.


    Chapter 14 Summary


    Tibaut, nursing his injuries, reflects on the fight and tries to understand the magic Ezekiel used to defeat him. Ezekiel explains that his spatial magic allows him to move anything below his waist and manipulates objects like the knife that Tibaut was hit with. Tibaut is skeptical, but Ezekiel demonstrates the ability by pulling a rock toward him, proving it¡¯s not a lie. As Tibaut contemplates the magic world¡¯s limitations, Elizabeth interrupts and reveals that she knows how to counter Ezekiel''s magic. She shows Tibaut how filling a space with mana can stop spatial manipulation, demonstrating her own control over mana. This new discovery helps Tibaut understand that magic, while powerful, can be countered by someone with a different type of skill. Meanwhile, Ezekiel, who seems to have enjoyed the fight but doesn¡¯t take his swordsmanship too seriously, starts to open up about his past training and motivations.


    Chapter 15 Summary


    In a light-hearted moment after the intense fight, Tibaut¡¯s frustration with the entire situation peaks. While Elizabeth and Ezekiel banter, Tibaut reflects on the fight¡¯s lessons and his growing respect for his opponents, especially Ezekiel¡¯s unconventional approach to combat. Elizabeth teaches Tibaut the importance of mana manipulation, revealing the simplicity yet power behind it. Ezekiel, acknowledging Tibaut¡¯s strength, offers him a place in his guild, but Elizabeth quickly steps in, humorously (I cringe everytime the ai uses this word.) claiming Tibaut as her own recruit. As the group shares a moment of humor and camaraderie, Tibaut, feeling both frustrated and amused by the whole ordeal, leaves to cool off.


    [The chapter closes with a deeper understanding between the characters, setting the stage for future developments.] (Gptism example.)


    Chapter 16 Summary:


    Elizabeth and Tibaut share a rare, enjoyable tea break, (It was Vanessa and Elizabeth but this might just be first draft shenanigans) thanks to Tibaut''s recent earnings from a sparring event, which surprised him with its financial return. Elizabeth informs him that the earnings are modest, enough for a few meals. Tibaut, feeling disillusioned by the low payoff for his effort, gives back the money and walks away, questioning his value in a world where his hard work doesn''t match the reward. Meanwhile, Elizabeth reflects on Tibaut¡¯s crudeness while planning to buy some treats.


    Later, Elizabeth and Vanessa discuss Tibaut''s sparring performance, with Elizabeth expressing frustration at his lack of understanding about combat and magic. She also gives Vanessa a commission to sharpen Ezekiel¡¯s sword. Tibaut, outside, tries unsuccessfully to access exude his mana, but Elizabeth soon explains the basic technique: imagining a spell but not completing it. Tibaut finds the process unexpectedly simple, sparking a new sense of progress.


    Chapter 17 Summary:


    Tibaut wonders about Ezekiel¡¯s limited magic, feeling empathy for him despite his own newfound powers. He questions Elizabeth about how their swords can negate his magic, leading to a conversation about his lack of adventurer experience. Elizabeth is puzzled by Tibaut''s apparent lack of engagement with the guilds, and he admits that he¡¯s mostly lived in the wild. She questions his lack of formal training and speculates that he may have some mysterious potential. Tibaut, somewhat embarrassed, offers his healing spell, "Cure," before leaving her.


    Elizabeth, deep in thought, realizes Tibaut¡¯s potential and begins to believe that with proper training, he could be a great asset. Meanwhile, Tibaut is exhausted from his chores and faces yet another task handed to him by Elizabeth.


    Chapter 18 Summary:


    Tibaut is ready for his first commission, though he¡¯s frustrated (was he? I honestly can''t remember) to find that his partner is Ezekiel. The mission turns out to be a rather mundane one: protecting sheep from predators in a peaceful field. Tibaut grows irritated at the lack of action, while Ezekiel seems perfectly content with the slow pace. Just as Tibaut is about to give up, he spots a dire wolf, but rather than attacking, the wolf plays fetch with him. This surprises Tibaut, and he discovers that Ezekiel knows the wolf, Lucky, who had been thought dead. Ezekiel explains that he had told Elizabeth the wolf had died to help her move on. Tibaut, surprised, feels pity for Elizabeth, who had loved Lucky deeply.


    Chapter 19 Summary:


    In a flashback, Ezekiel recalls a time when Elizabeth, frustrated with the dullness of the local environment, had become impatient with their lack of adventuring opportunities. Despite her frustration, she had shown deep care for the sheep, and Ezekiel had tried to calm her down. A tragic encounter with a pack of passive wolves, whom Elizabeth mistakenly saw as threats, led to her murdering most of them. Ezekiel had lied to her about the wolves'' true nature to protect her, but the truth hit Elizabeth hard when she saw a surviving wolf pup. Overcome with guilt, Elizabeth broke down, clinging to the pup in a desperate moment of sorrow, realizing the gravity of her actions.


    Chapter 20 sees Tibaut interacting with Ezekiel, trying to understand Elizabeth''s relationship with her wolf, Lucky, and uncovering some unsettling secrets about Elizabeth''s past and immortality. Tibaut is confused by Ezekiel''s seemingly indifferent attitude toward Elizabeth''s wolf killing and the mysterious connection between Elizabeth and the massive armored figure he saw earlier. Elizabeth reveals that she''s only 19, despite appearing much older due to her immortality, which surprises Tibaut. The two share a tense moment before parting ways.


    In Chapter 21, Earmourl contemplates his life as an adventurer and his growing discontent with his current situation, feeling bored and disconnected from the excitement he had hoped for. He asks Elizabeth how long she expects him to serve her, and she agrees to let him go after one year, though she''s secretly uncertain about how much longer she will need him. Meanwhile, one of the guild members, a young adventurer, discovers the grim aftermath of a massacre in a nearby village, hinting at something darker unfolding.


    Chapter 22 introduces Tibaut feeling slightly more optimistic after negotiating his year of service, though he still struggles with loneliness. His interaction with Vanessa, who teases him mercilessly, takes a surprising turn when Tibaut, for the first time, asks her to be his friend. She laughs it off at first but eventually agrees, recognizing his genuine need for companionship. The chapter ends with a sudden urgency, as a new threat is revealed with the discovery of marauders attacking villages, forcing the guild into action.


    In Chapter 23, the guild members discuss the marauder threat, with tensions running high. Furor''s harsh accusations toward Jake, an adventurer who had been negligent in his duties, reveal internal conflicts within the group. Elizabeth, unimpressed, takes charge, leaving for the mansion to prepare for action. Tibaut is roped into more physical training, much to his dismay. Meanwhile, Vanessa observes Tibaut''s odd eating habits, eventually discovering that he''s been surviving on hard-tack alone, leading to an awkward confrontation. Elizabeth''s concern for Tibaut''s strange behavior grows as they prepare for the dangerous road ahead.


    [Each chapter deepens the complexity of relationships within the group while unveiling more layers of mystery and tension surrounding the dangerous world they inhabit.] (Alright, this is the last gptism I''ll leave in.)


    Chapter 24


    On a sunny day with mild heat, Tibaut is training with Elizabeth. He is covered in bruises and chained to a heavy weight as part of his grueling training. Despite the punishment, Elizabeth uses healing magic to restore him after each defeat. Tibaut complains about the intensity of the training, but Elizabeth assures him that it¡¯s for his growth. His attempts at defending himself against Elizabeth¡¯s overwhelming strength are futile, as her strikes send him reeling. Despite the brutal training, Tibaut finally lands a punch on her, but she remains unfazed. Elizabeth reveals that her master¡¯s training has made her extremely durable. Tibaut, exhausted, eventually agrees to continue enduring this painful regimen. As night falls, he encounters Vanessa, who gives him a letter from Sherry (What I originally called Lily) of Ezekiel''s guild. Tibaut¡¯s interaction with Elizabeth is brief and awkward, and he wonders if he''ll survive the relentless training.


    Chapter 25


    A different scene unfolds in a remote location where a group of individuals is praying under the leadership of Father Daniel. Their conversation reveals they are part of a secretive cult, and they are preparing to relocate before the adventurers find them. Father Daniel expresses confidence in his ability to evade capture. The scene then shifts to Tibaut, who, after a punishing day of training, is too exhausted to think straight. Elizabeth finally offers a reprieve, explaining that they¡¯ll continue their training on weekday afternoons. Tibaut is disheartened by the idea of endless torment. That night, Tibaut hears Elizabeth muttering in her room as she reads a letter, which she later discusses with him. She informs him of their next mission: marking suspicious areas to prevent wasting time if the cult is nearby.


    Chapter 26


    The following morning, Tibaut is thrown out of bed by Elizabeth to prepare for the next day¡¯s mission. They meet Ezekiel, who has a map with marked locations. Tibaut is puzzled by the presence of red X''s and learns that they will be searching these locations. Ezekiel explains the plan: the two red X''s are too dangerous for most others, and he¡¯ll be joining them on the search. Tibaut reluctantly agrees to join, though he¡¯s skeptical about finding anything useful. The group sets off, and after an intense run, they come across a strange hole in the wilderness with stairs leading underground. Tibaut and Ezekiel prepare to explore, though they¡¯re uncertain of what lies ahead.


    Chapter 27


    Tibaut and Ezekiel descend into the mysterious underground area. The place seems ancient and well-constructed, and Tibaut expresses surprise at the magic that likely helped preserve it. As they venture deeper, Tibaut grows frustrated by the lack of action, but Ezekiel remains calm, explaining the possibility of monsters being the cause of previous concerns. They continue down dark hallways, eventually finding themselves trapped as the exit crumbles behind them. Ezekiel suggests a few possibilities: either the magic failed, there¡¯s a defensive trap, or someone is already down there. Tibaut, annoyed, wonders if they¡¯ll find anything useful. Their exploration turns tense as they encounter a kobold, which Ezekiel swiftly kills. Tibaut questions whether the creature was sentient, and Ezekiel, with a dry response, continues their search.


    Summary:


    In Chapter 27, Tibaut and Ezekiel continue their journey through the darkness of the underground. Tibaut reflects on his previous life, recalling his days as a NEET, satisfied with his solitary existence, until an unexpected visit from his brother Miguel, who mocks his lifestyle but ultimately leaves him to his own devices. The chapter also reveals Tibaut''s growing nostalgia for his past, which is interrupted by the present danger as he continues on the quest.


    In Chapter 28, they navigate the dark corridors of the underground, where they encounter a group of kobolds. Ezekiel swiftly eliminates them with his sword, which causes Tibaut to question the wisdom of using such a weapon. Ezekiel explains that he enjoys using the sword because it allows him to focus on improving his skills, unlike his usual knife. As they continue, they narrowly avoid detection by a group of kobolds patrolling the area. Ezekiel''s greed leads him to search for valuable items in the dark, but they are soon forced to flee when they hear more kobold footsteps.


    In Chapter 29, the pair begins running to escape the massive horde of kobolds they realize they are up against. Tibaut grows frustrated with Ezekiel''s nonchalance, but they are forced to push forward when they spot a woman surrounded by kobolds. Ezekiel quickly dispatches the creatures, but the woman, while injured, is still alive. The trio''s escape is interrupted by the approaching kobolds, leading to an intense battle in Chapter 30. Ezekiel and Tibaut fight off the kobolds, but the numbers are overwhelming. Despite the challenge, Ezekiel seems to relish the opportunity for combat, while Tibaut focuses on protecting the unconscious woman. As the kobolds close in, the battle intensifies, with Tibaut launching fireballs and Ezekiel cutting through the swarm.


    Chapter 31 describes the intense battle between Ezekiel, Tibaut, and the kobolds. Ezekiel, drenched in blood and exhausted, fights relentlessly with his claymore, which has been worn down by the constant onslaught. Despite his magic running out, Ezekiel continues to fight, determined to protect his companions. Tibaut, carrying a woman and struggling with exhaustion, fights valiantly as well, using fireballs and kicks to fend off the kobolds. After an hour of brutal combat, the kobolds finally flee, leaving only the two adventurers and the woman. Tibaut, barely conscious, uses a weak healing (Any other mentions of Tibaut using a ¡®healing spell¡¯ is him using curing magic that can act as a disinfectant, medicine and an antidote for poison) spell, instructing Ezekiel to trust Elizabeth for proper healing. After Tibaut loses consciousness, Ezekiel, though badly injured, decides to carry Tibaut to Elizabeth for help.


    In Chapter 32, the kobolds, having suffered significant losses, retreat in a chaotic manner. The adventurers are left surrounded by the dead. Tibaut calls out for Ezekiel, who responds with irritation, revealing he is alive but exhausted. Tibaut attempts a healing spell, but it is weak, offering only temporary relief. After a short recovery, Ezekiel carries Tibaut toward Elizabeth.


    [As they make their way, they encounter a strange, silent void where Ezekiel briefly experiences an eerie encounter with a mysterious figure.] ¡û¡ª----- (This isn''t my notes being shitty, it just hallucinated the first encounter between Satan and Tibaut differently. What actually happened was Tibaut being trapped in a dark space as he was unconscious and meeting a strange being.)


    Chapter 33 sees Tibaut waking up in his bed, recovering from the battle but still in pain. He realizes Elizabeth has healed his wounds, though they were less than perfect due to her need to conceal her abilities. Elizabeth, now in the room, chastises Tibaut for revealing her healing magic to Ezekiel, expressing concern about how revealing her powers could draw unwanted attention. Despite her frustrations, Elizabeth agrees to help Tibaut properly heal. Tibaut reflects on her immortality and the challenges she faces, but the chapter ends on an awkward note as Elizabeth leaves him to recover alone, with Tibaut pondering her actions.


    Chapter 35:


    The chapter begins with Elizabeth expressing relief that Tibaut will be alright, and Ezekiel and Vanessa show their concern for his condition. Ezekiel, injured from a previous battle, finds himself in trouble when Elizabeth angrily confronts him about the dangerous mission he undertook. She scolds him for lacking preparation and for bringing Tibaut back in bad condition. Ezekiel tries to defend himself but quickly realizes the gravity of his mistake, particularly about kobolds, which Elizabeth explains are usually docile but can become aggressive under certain circumstances. As Elizabeth''s anger escalates, she delivers harsh punishment to Ezekiel, while Vanessa seems to enjoy the spectacle. Ezekiel is eventually healed by Elizabeth, though he remains clueless about the full extent of the punishment he endured.


    Chapter 36:


    After regaining consciousness, Ezekiel realizes that his injuries have been healed, though he is unaware of the physical abuse he endured during his unconscious state. Tibaut, still recovering in his room, reflects on his situation and attempts to practice magic, but experiences unexplained pain in his arm. Ezekiel visits him, and after a brief conversation, they discuss their experiences, with Ezekiel revealing the significance of the sword he wields. Tibaut is surprised to learn that the sword once belonged to a ¡°legendary¡± hero, Mr. Bentley, who could have been a top adventurer if not for a debilitating injury. The discussion turns to the nature of heroes, weapons, and the personal motivations behind their choices.


    Chapter 37:


    Tibaut inquires about the woman they rescued, and Ezekiel explains that she returned to her village to explore after hearing about it from an elder. Tibaut is left to reflect on his past, particularly the tragedy of losing his family and the ongoing search for those responsible. He expresses frustration over the uncertainty surrounding his family''s death and the difficulty of uncovering the truth. Meanwhile, Tibaut occupies himself by reading a martial arts manual that was given to him by a mysterious figure during his time in the wild.


    Chapter 38:


    Tibaut recalls an encounter with a mysterious, shirtless man who appeared in the forest. The man, despite being chained to heavy weights, overpowers Tibaut with ease, effortlessly blocking his attempts to escape. Tibaut tries to use his magic to create a fireball behind the man, and though the man seems unaware of the danger, Tibaut''s plan succeeds. However, the man shows no interest in attacking and simply throws Tibaut a book before walking off into the snow, disappearing without a trace. Tibaut, left bewildered, examines the book and realizes it contains various martial arts techniques, including styles he recognizes from his past life. Despite the strange circumstances, he decides to study the book and focus on improving his physical abilities, particularly by learning more about ki.


    Chapter 39 Summary:


    At the regional adventurers'' guild, the building is eerily quiet, with only a few people present. Mr. Bentley and a wounded Ezekiel stand over a bound woman, who was rescued by Tibaut and Ezekiel from a dungeon. Ezekiel threatens her to extract information about the cult, but the woman resists, causing Ezekiel to act menacingly. However, Mr. Bentley intervenes and offers a more diplomatic approach. The woman reveals that she has an important object and, after some negotiation, hands over a scroll, which Mr. Bentley collects. The woman is freed, and Mr. Bentley expresses a more measured approach to dealing with her, noting her wavering faith. Ezekiel, however, remains skeptical.


    Chapter 40 Summary:


    The scene shifts to Tibaut, who is recovering from his injuries at Elizabeth''s manor. While she trains outside, Tibaut struggles with boredom and frustration as he rests in bed. Elizabeth brings him food, and Tibaut, feeling desperate, tries to earn her healing through dramatic gestures, but Elizabeth heals him effortlessly. She informs him that he''s "needed" to clean the mansion, and Tibaut escapes out of the window, leading to an intense, but easy sparring session between him and Elizabeth in the woods. Their sparring results in both of them being bruised and battered, marking an unusual form of "training."


    Chapter 41 Summary:


    Tibaut spends his days cleaning the mansion, becoming increasingly disillusioned with the lack of action and the seemingly mundane life he''s leading. Vanessa, a fellow guild member, drags him to the basement, scolding him for not having armor. She points out that his survival is largely due to Ezekiel''s armor, and Tibaut is reminded of how reckless he¡¯s been. Vanessa proceeds to take his measurements for new armor, and Tibaut''s attempt to playfully pat her on the head backfires when she takes advantage of the situation, causing Tibaut considerable pain. She later offers him a weapon and reminds him to take his safety seriously, as Elizabeth would disapprove of him fighting without armor.


    Memories of a Distant Past 1:


    The chapter takes a deep dive into Tibaut¡¯s past life. He recalls the moment he was fatally stabbed and the emotional weight of it. Despite bleeding out, Tibaut accepts his impending death with surprising calm, feeling a sense of peace that his death could save someone else(his older brother). He reflects on his regrets, including not being able to drink with a friend named Louise. As he fades, Tibaut seems to accept his fate, only to later wake up in a completely different body, with no memory of how he survived. He realizes he''s been reincarnated, [likely in the past] ¡û (I''d put ¡°suspecting the past¡± here), with a new identity. As he struggles to understand his new situation, he realizes the people around him are speaking modern English, leading him to believe he¡¯s in the future. The chapter ends with an enigmatic exchange between characters that hints at supernatural occurrences surrounding his reincarnation.


    In "Memories of a Distant Past 2," Tibaut, now reincarnated and a toddler, reflects on his life and identity. He humorously considers his name, Tibaut, as unimpressive and laments that he is still someone''s younger brother. He is raised in a noble family, but his life feels somewhat mundane. He experiences the absurdity of being a baby, dealing with the confusing care of his mother, Tomoe, and maid, Cillia. His brother, Pyrus, also makes an appearance, showing a playful but reckless side, while Cillia proves to be a strong authority figure in the household.


    As he grows, Tibaut finds himself between the ages of three and four, struggling to recall his previous life, and facing the difficulties of being a toddler.


    During one day (after the flashback above was finished), Elizabeth, the powerful warrior, trains him, but Tibaut is terrified of her copying his martial arts moves, which would make their training deadly. Despite this, Elizabeth insists on sharpening her skills with him.


    Tibaut later spends time with Vanessa, a blacksmith, where they work on fixing Ezekiel¡¯s damaged claymore. Tibaut, who usually avoids hard labor, finds himself willing to help her. Meanwhile, Elizabeth continues her investigation into a cult that has been causing trouble. She receives a letter that brings hope for resolving the cult situation, and though she is frustrated by its interference in her training, she is determined to take action.


    In a parallel scene, Ezekiel and Lily bicker as they journey through a forest, hinting at their own struggles and humorous dynamics. The tension between them grows as they argue, but there¡¯s an undercurrent of trust and camaraderie as they continue their mission.


    Chapter 45


    Tibaut wakes up to strange sounds outside, suspecting a mob gathering. When he rushes to find Elizabeth, she pulls him back into his room and begins wrapping his legs in gauze. She explains that a group of adventurers from various guilds has arrived, but she doesn''t provide much detail. When Tibaut asks about joining her in a battle against cultists, Elizabeth tells him he''s staying behind due to his injuries. Despite his disappointment, Tibaut watches her leave with Ezekiel and others. The group is about to raid cultist hideouts in the forest.


    Chapter 46


    As they approach one of the cultist bases, the group of adventurers discusses their plan. Ezekiel admits he hasn''t counted the exact number of enemies, but they estimate 20-25 cultists. Elizabeth confidently remarks that she could handle that many by herself. As they prepare to breach the area, Ezekiel, ignoring their concerns, casually walks through a magical barrier, claiming it''s harmless. A few cultists charge at them, but Elizabeth easily dispatches them.


    Chapter 47


    The group tracks the remaining cultists, and after some minor skirmishes, they reach their main base. Ezekiel comments that the cultists were likely retreating, possibly relocating to avoid capture. Elizabeth and Ezekiel discuss the situation, with Elizabeth concerned that the cultists might kill others as they flee. They follow the blood trail leading to the main base, where they encounter Saito, a bald, muscular (It forget the part where he had a fat belly) cult leader.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Chapter 48


    Saito reveals himself as a priest and mocks the adventurers, specifically targeting Elizabeth. Despite his taunts, Elizabeth remains calm and engages him in a duel. After a brief exchange of blows, Elizabeth discovers that Saito''s strength comes from a magical coating of steel on his body. He continues to taunt her, but she manages to land a few hits, including a kick to his head. The battle escalates as Saito fights back with steel-covered fists. Meanwhile, Ezekiel prepares to assist his teammates, leaving Elizabeth to deal with Saito.


    In Chapter 49, the battle between Saito and Elizabeth intensifies. Saito initially believes he''s gaining the upper hand after a fierce exchange, but Elizabeth''s resilience proves otherwise. She manages to surprise him with a powerful strike, stabbing him with her sword. Saito reacts quickly, using his abilities to minimize the damage, but Elizabeth''s skill and endurance seem endless. After a series of exchanges, Saito underestimates her, and she exploits his weakness by delivering a devastating blow to his arm, effectively disabling it. Despite his attempts to maintain control, Elizabeth''s counterattacks begin to wear him down. Saito''s frustration grows as Elizabeth continues to evade and strike, even after suffering injuries herself.


    In Chapter 50, Saito faces the consequences of underestimating Elizabeth. Despite his best efforts, he is overwhelmed by her combat prowess and the pain from his injuries. As Saito''s arm is severely damaged and his defenses weaken, Elizabeth presses the attack with renewed ferocity. Her broken hand, no longer holding her back, becomes a formidable weapon, and Saito realizes too late that her strength has escalated. Saito''s attempts to regain control are futile, and Elizabeth delivers a final blow, stabbing him in the stomach with her sword. Saito''s disbelief turns to despair as he begins to understand the true danger of the woman he thought he could easily defeat. When he tries to retreat, he is caught off-guard by the dreadlocked man from earlier, who seemingly seals his fate.


    Chapter 51:


    Ezekiel and Elizabeth face off against a wounded Saito, with Ezekiel holding a knife to his neck. Saito, desperate, attempts to use black powder to create a dark aura, transforming into a powerful being with wings, horns, and enhanced abilities. Despite his transformation, Ezekiel and Elizabeth continue to fight him. Saito¡¯s new form proves incredibly tough, shrugging off most attacks and even dodging, but eventually, Ezekiel and Elizabeth push him back. Saito grows increasingly frustrated and attempts to use powerful dark magic, while Elizabeth focuses on waiting for an opportunity to strike. Saito, however, uses his new powers to fend them off, with Ezekiel struggling to land any meaningful hits.


    Chapter 52:


    Saito¡¯s transformation completes, granting him crow-like black wings, horns, and a pale, unnerving appearance. His new form heals his wounds, making him an even more formidable opponent. He tests his new power, firing dark beams, but Ezekiel and Elizabeth manage to dodge for now. Saito begins to show signs of arrogance and overconfidence, underestimating the pair. Elizabeth and Ezekiel take turns striking, but Saito¡¯s new powers and durability make him nearly invincible. His punches become more forceful, and his attitude grows increasingly dismissive. However, a surprising moment of strategy begins to form in Ezekiel¡¯s mind, aiming for a coordinated strike.


    Chapter 53:


    As the battle rages on, Ezekiel and Elizabeth adapt their strategies. Saito grows bored and begins using even stronger attacks, showing no signs of fatigue. Elizabeth manages to land a blow by surprising him with a leg sweep, and Saito, despite his superior strength, begins to take more risks. However, Saito still dominates the battle, and Ezekiel realizes they need to land a decisive blow, with Elizabeth waiting for her moment to strike. A moment of opportunity arises when Saito¡¯s focus shifts, but his growing arrogance might be his downfall. Ezekiel and Elizabeth realize that they may be the only ones (in their group) who can stop this powerful adversary.


    Chapter 54:


    Ezekiel¡¯s fear escalates as Saito closes in on him. His attacks are brutal and relentless, sending Ezekiel flying with every punch. Despite his best efforts, Ezekiel struggles to keep up with Saito¡¯s overwhelming power. He attempts a desperate move, but it only serves to frustrate Saito further. When Ezekiel seems on the verge of defeat, a surprise strike from Elizabeth gives him a glimmer of hope. However, Saito remains relentless, and even Elizabeth¡¯s attack only slightly damages him. Saito prepares to finish Ezekiel off, but just as he approaches, Lily, a guildmate, makes a desperate last stand. Elizabeth, though wounded, refuses to give up, leading to a tense moment where Saito contemplates his next move.


    In Chapter 55, Tibaut is lounging at Wisteria Manor, exhausted after helping Vanessa with Ezekiel''s sword. He is momentarily distracted by Vanessa, who teases him about being overly concerned for Elizabeth''s safety. Despite Tibaut''s insistence that he isn''t worried, Vanessa urges him to go outside and wait for Elizabeth''s return. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is revealed to have endured a battle, her body battered and bloodied, likely from an encounter with Saito. However, she remains alive, and her companions are puzzled by the situation surrounding Saito''s sudden death after using a mysterious divine powder.


    In Chapter 56, the story shifts to Saito''s perspective before his collapse. He struggles to understand why his transformation isn''t granting him the promised power, instead causing him intense pain. As he realizes that the divine powder may have been a fatal mistake, Saito succumbs to death. Ezekiel regains consciousness and learns from Elizabeth that Saito''s blood was strange and possibly poisonous, confirming that he died due to an overdose of the powder. Despite the confusion, the adventurers move on to handle the aftermath of the battle.


    Chapter 57 sees the aftermath of the battle, with Elizabeth and the others examining the bodies of their enemies. They discover that many of the fallen men had poisoned teeth, indicating they may have been victims of a toxic substance. [Ezekiel, frustrated by the situation, insists on carrying the corpse of the monster they defeated, only to be met with sarcastic comments from the others. The group leaves to head back to safety.] ¡û (This isn''t exactly what happened but its not egregious enough to correct.)


    In Chapter 58, Tibaut reflects on his progress with martial arts and magic, particularly his struggles with "ki" techniques. He decides to experiment with his own mana, but his attempts are largely unsuccessful. Elizabeth enters the scene, revealing that she had healed faster than expected and showing Tibaut that her powers were more complicated than he had imagined. She casually reveals that she had died once before but was resurrected, much to Tibaut''s shock. This raises more questions for him as he contemplates the true nature of Elizabeth''s abilities.


    In Chapter 59, Tibaut decides to explore a village, noticing a field of wheat and a disturbing trend of dead rabbits. Upon entering the village, he¡¯s quickly surrounded by curious villagers, particularly children who treat him as an important figure due to a misunderstanding that he¡¯s like Ezekiel. Tibaut learns that the rabbits are a massive pest problem, destroying crops, and the villagers are overwhelmed with constantly killing them. They ask him to help clear the fields for the day, offering him as many rabbits as he wants in return. Tibaut agrees, driven by the thought of free meat, and spends hours slaughtering rabbits with a disturbing intensity, collecting a massive amount of meat. He leaves the village, reflecting on the bizarre, somewhat horrifying nature of the situation, and begins preparing the rabbits for cooking.


    In Chapter 60, Tibaut struggles with the task of cleaning and skinning the rabbits. His frustration with the situation leads him to reminisce about a past experience. A flashback to his life as Miguel, before entering this world, shows him dealing with an awkward and somewhat absurd situation where his friend, Louise, unexpectedly visits him at midnight with ingredients for making pork cutlets. Despite his irritation with her, she convinces him to cook with her. The two bicker and work together to prepare a large meal, culminating in an awkward but somewhat warm moment as they bond over the cooking process.


    Here¡¯s a summary of Chapters 61 to 64:


    Chapter 61: Elizabeth wakes up to an unusual smell, initially thinking it''s burning flesh. She discovers Tibaut has been cooking an enormous amount of rabbit meat in the kitchen. He¡¯s built a massive contraption to smoke the rabbits, but after working tirelessly, he falls asleep from exhaustion. Elizabeth inspects his work, noting his bizarre behavior. Meanwhile, Ezekiel and Mr. Bentley are joined by a new, eccentric man in a lab coat who is fascinated by Saito¡¯s [decayed] ¡û(he is fascinated by it solely because it isn¡¯t decayed) body. They discuss its strange preservation and the black powder thought to be its cause, while Cornelius (the new man) eagerly anticipates studying it further.


    Chapter 62: Cornelius examines Saito¡¯s body, marveling at its preservation. He expresses interest in the black powder that may have caused this effect but lacks samples. After receiving a hefty bag of gold from Mr. Bentley, Cornelius leaves, and the two men reflect on the usefulness of [their] ¡û(Wrong the adventurer guild''s) research organization. Tibaut, meanwhile, wakes up to discover Elizabeth disposed of most of the rabbits he¡¯d smoked, but he¡¯s relieved when she shows him a ¡°chiller¡± ¡ª a magical device for preserving food.


    Chapter 63: Tibaut is shocked to learn that the chiller uses mana to create ice magic. Elizabeth explains its operation, and Tibaut is astounded by the amount of mana required to power it for just an hour. He questions why she doesn¡¯t use it for more practical purposes, such as storing fruit. Elizabeth hints at the cost, revealing that the chiller was a donation to its creators in hopes of a better version. Tibaut is amazed at her spending habits but remains focused on training. Later, he receives armor from Vanessa, which is a bit awkward but effective. The two share a moment of tension and understanding as they discuss their differences.


    Chapter 64: Tibaut, excited about his new armor, practices his poses in front of the mirror. However, Elizabeth brushes him off when he asks to train. Afterward, he visits Vanessa¡¯s basement and awkwardly asks about the missing codpiece for his armor. The conversation shifts to Vanessa¡¯s habits, including her drinking, which surprises Tibaut. Lily, a new character, teases Vanessa about her behavior, and Tibaut shows a surprisingly nonjudgmental attitude. Vanessa, struggling with her past, is touched by Tibaut¡¯s acceptance.


    Chapter 65: Tibaut, in his new armor, reflects on a training session with Elizabeth. After a painful but enlightening experience where Elizabeth punches him as hard as she can, Tibaut realizes the importance of using his magic and how Elizabeth is a formidable opponent. Their sparring session brings some balance to their abilities, though Elizabeth still holds the upper hand. Tibaut expresses frustration but satisfaction with his progress. Elizabeth hints that their cult-related tasks are done for now, and they might embark on new adventures. However, their conversation is interrupted by Ezekiel, who arrives with a strange, lethargic girl named Lily. Tibaut accompanies Ezekiel to his home, a cabin in the woods. There, Ezekiel introduces him to his guild, which consists of four members, including himself and the sickly Lily. After a humorous interaction with Ezekiel¡¯s "little sisters," Tibaut learns about Ezekiel¡¯s past and upbringing.


    Chapter 66: Tibaut enters Ezekiel¡¯s cabin and meets [two] (three) women who live with him. He is humorously taken aback by Ezekiel¡¯s age and the atmosphere of the cabin. They discuss their lives and backgrounds, with Tibaut learning that Ezekiel''s past is a painful one involving the death of his parents, which he struggles to remember. Despite his tragic backstory, Ezekiel reveals he was taken in by a man named Mr. Bentley after the incident. Tibaut, curious about Ezekiel''s past, listens intently but feels sympathy and discomfort at the same time. The chapter ends with a story from Ezekiel¡¯s past, which leaves Tibaut with more questions than answers.


    Chapter 67: Flashback to Ezekiel¡¯s childhood reveals a scene of him playing with his mother. This idyllic moment is abruptly interrupted by a visit from royal soldiers. The lord of the household, Ezekiel''s father, is told of an impending threat from the royal family. A massive knight in white armor arrives, demanding execution. The knight¡¯s overwhelming power is shown as she effortlessly withstands multiple magical attacks, killing several of the guards with terrifying ease. Despite being weighed down by gravity magic, the knight remains undeterred, revealing her formidable strength and unyielding determination. The scene shifts back to tension and dread as Ezekiel''s father and the remaining guards try to fight back against the unstoppable foe.


    Chapter 68 Summary


    Elijah Prescott, a former member of a faction that attempted to overthrow the king, faces a dangerous situation when the "white titan" (a powerful warrior) arrives to execute him for treason. Despite his attempts to use magic, he cannot stop her, and his wife Olivia tries to help him. However, the white titan kills her without hesitation and then finishes Elijah off after he pleads for his son''s safety. As the life leaves him, Elijah sees his son, Ezekiel, in the midst of the carnage. The white titan seems unconcerned by the death of Elijah and his wife, completing her mission coldly.


    Chapter 70 Summary


    Ezekiel''s story continues as an adventurer with a past that remains painful but not overwhelmingly traumatic for him. He casually recounts his experience of losing his parents at a young age and how he overcame it. Tibaut, who is listening, struggles with empathy for Ezekiel''s detachment. The two share a moment of reflection on the nature of adventuring and what motivates them, especially when Ezekiel talks about becoming an adventurer because it was "fun," a stark contrast to the monotony of his past as a hunter.


    Chapter 71 Summary


    Ezekiel''s backstory continues with a conversation about why he became an adventurer, highlighting his frustration with killing as a hunter. The chapter shows his change in perspective, valuing teamwork in adventuring over solitary, repetitive work. Tibaut also begins to understand the complexities of Ezekiel''s personality and the motivations behind his actions. The casual nature of the conversation, especially considering the horrors Ezekiel has witnessed, becomes a point of introspection for Tibaut. They bond over shared experiences and differences in how they view the world. (I don''t like this chapter''s summary but I can''t be arsed to change it.)


    Chapter 72 Summary


    The chapter focuses on a lighter moment between Tibaut and Ezekiel, with the two saying their goodbyes after spending time together. Tibaut is grateful for the help Ezekiel gave him and asks about learning ki, to which Ezekiel promises to send a letter to someone who might help. Tibaut also receives a pouch of payment for their past work, which surprises him. The chapter ends with a tense but humorous moment when Tibaut is once again injured by Elizabeth''s training regimen, and a discussion about magic ensues. Elizabeth explains the process of discovering one''s affinity for magic, noting how Ezekiel might have developed his powers, hinting at wind magic.


    Chapter 73 Summary:


    Tibaut experiences a strange dream-like scenario where he finds himself paralyzed in a black void. A mysterious, unseen voice criticizes him for his lack of exploration and reveals they can see everything he does. The voice hints at the possibility of reusing his soul for experiments if he proves unworthy. Tibaut tries to maintain his composure and seeks to understand what¡¯s happening. The figure eventually reveals that this space is in his subconscious and challenges him to prove his worth. When Tibaut wakes up, he rationalizes the experience as a normal stress-induced dream, trying to brush off its significance.


    Memories of a Distant Past 3 Summary:


    In his childhood, Tibaut is reluctant to go outside but is encouraged by his older brother Pyrus to play. The two brothers venture into a forest where they plan to catch bugs and make them fight. Tibaut''s curiosity grows as Pyrus talks about the history of a sword their father once used, and the two bond through a competitive but playful activity. Tibaut shows a keen sense of observation and inquisitiveness, but his younger self is more interested in reading than physical play.


    Memories of a Distant Past 4 Summary:


    Tibaut and Pyrus engage in a bug-fighting contest using insects they catch from the forest. Tibaut shows determination, hoping his bug will win against his brother¡¯s. However, after a long series of disappointments where the bugs don¡¯t fight, (eventually they get a pair of bugs that do fight but when Pyrus¡¯s bug starts losing) Pyrus uses subtle magic to cheat, secretly using fire magic to knock Tibaut¡¯s bug off the stump. Tibaut catches on and retaliates, using his own fire magic to blow Pyrus¡¯s crab off the stump. The realization that Tibaut can use magic surprises Pyrus, revealing a new layer of Tibaut''s abilities.


    In Chapter 74, Tibaut starts his day with his usual routine of cleaning, but when he hears noises from behind a locked door, he interacts with a mysterious voice, which turns out to be [Elizabeth] (pretty sure it was merrill), although she seems preoccupied. Afterward, Tibaut is relieved to find it''s the weekend, savoring his two days of freedom from his intense training with Elizabeth. He then decides to follow the wolf, Lucky, to see where it goes. After a couple of hours of aimless wandering, Lucky leads Tibaut to Ezekiel''s cabin, which has been burned down. Despite initial fears, there are no bodies at the scene. Tibaut assumes Ezekiel and the others are okay and continues searching for Lucky, who leads him to a distressed Lily in pajamas. She reveals that Ezekiel [and others were killed by the cult] ¡û(I do think I had them all killed in my notes but decided against it since I thought it''d be a bit lame to kill them.) Tibaut discovers Ezekiel¡¯s body and is overwhelmed by grief, but his priority is now to get the survivors to safety, including Lily, Tina, and others.


    In Chapter 75, as Tibaut tries to process the tragedy, Tina reveals more about the attack. The night before the fire, she had been cleaning her armor when a masked figure set the cabin ablaze. The man in black taunted her, and a brutal fight ensued. Tina was injured, but she managed to hold her own for a while. She fought with everything she had, though the man remained smug and mocking. Eventually, Tina was knocked back but continued to defend herself. During the battle, the girl Lily ran down to help, but the man in black incapacitated her. Tina fought on, even managing to injure the man briefly. When Lily returned with Ezekiel¡¯s knife, she accused the attacker of being responsible for Ezekiel¡¯s death, leading to a tense and emotionally charged standoff.


    Chapter 78: A man in black, using magic to control a spear, battles Tina, who attempts to strike him but is overpowered and thrown to the ground. As smoke fills the cabin due to a spreading fire, the man claims his job is done and attempts to escape, but he is confronted by a third girl. After an intense escape, Tina discovers Ezekiel''s severed, charred head, confirming his death. The group flees into the forest, where they are pursued. In the morning, they arrive at Elizabeth''s manor with Ezekiel''s body. Tibaut tells Elizabeth that Ezekiel is dead, and she is stunned. The group discusses next steps and begins preparing for what¡¯s to come.


    Chapter 79: Tibaut reflects on the recent events involving the mysterious cult. He takes the body of Ezekiel to Elizabeth, seeking answers. Elizabeth is unable to revive him but agrees to heal the girls. Tibaut expresses frustration over the lack of progress in dealing with the cult, and the group resolves to wait for more information. Meanwhile, in an unknown location, a man named Zama relays the details of the cult''s failure to Father Daniel, who seems dissatisfied with the outcome and plans future actions. Tibaut and Elizabeth continue their journey, determined to uncover more about their enemies.


    Chapter 80: Tibaut struggles with grief over Ezekiel¡¯s death while Elizabeth prepares food in the kitchen. She tries to make do with limited ingredients, frustrated by the lack of seasoning. She delivers food to the girls, including Tina, who is struggling with exhaustion. Elizabeth encourages her to train with them. Tibaut, now reluctantly helping with cleaning duties, contemplates the situation. As training begins, Elizabeth and Tina''s rivalry is evident, with Tina eager to learn how to defeat the man in black. Tibaut is caught in the middle of their tension, leading to awkward exchanges. He (thinks) [realizes] the gap between their skills is vast but resolves to try his best.


    Chapter 81: Tibaut cleans Tina¡¯s room, feeling embarrassed about the situation. Afterward, training begins, and Tina challenges Tibaut to a sparring match. Though initially hesitant, Tibaut manages to land a hit on Tina with his fire magic, leaving him stunned by the success. Tina, surprised but unhurt, continues the fight. Tibaut wonders if he stands a chance against her, realizing the stakes of their training and the road ahead.


    Chapter 82: Tibaut feels a rare surge of confidence during his fight with Tina, sensing that victory is within his reach. He eagerly charges at her, landing a solid blow that leaves her staggered, but she quickly retaliates with her spear. Tibaut is stunned when he realizes she¡¯s using electricity in her attacks. Despite suffering painful burns and feeling paralyzed from one strike, he continues to press on. Their fight is intense, with both showing resilience despite the damage they take. Eventually, Elizabeth steps in, [pretending to] heal Tina with an expensive potion, and the two warriors bicker about training and motives. Tibaut, exhausted, ends the chapter pondering his next move in the ongoing tension.


    Chapter 83: Tibaut and Tina are utterly exhausted after a brutal training session with Elizabeth, who reveals she seldom uses her sword in practice. As they return, Tina¡¯s exhaustion leads to her making awkward remarks about Tibaut, which only annoy him further. After some back-and-forth, Tibaut drags her to her room, where she protests and insults him. Tibaut is left contemplating whether to apologize but is too angry to do so. Later, unable to sleep, he hears a noise outside and pursues it, only to find a group of masked figures. They reveal themselves as part of a larger, dangerous group, and Tibaut suspects one of them to be the killer of Ezekiel.


    Chapter 84: Tibaut faces off against the masked men in black, summoning powerful fireballs to attack them. Despite a strong assault, the man he believes killed Ezekiel survives and taunts Tibaut. As the two battle, Tibaut¡¯s hand is injured, leaving him with limited strength. His attempts to strike the leader are thwarted, and Tibaut realizes he might not have enough stamina to win. Just as things seem bleak, Elizabeth arrives, ready to fight, and Tibaut is relieved to see her.


    Chapter 85: Elizabeth and Tibaut prepare to confront the masked figures. Tibaut is injured and mentally exhausted, but Elizabeth heals him discreetly, causing confusion among the enemy. They plan their strategy, but just as things take a turn for the worse, Tibaut is suddenly pulled in front of the leader. In a tense and fast-paced moment, Tibaut fights back with all his remaining strength, but the situation becomes increasingly dire as the leader continues to press his attack. Tibaut is forced to defend against a series of brutal moves, leaving him in a precarious position.


    In Chapter 86, Tibaut fights black-cloaked enemies alongside Elizabeth, who seems to be under some sort of spell, though she assures him it will wear off soon. During the battle, Tibaut narrowly escapes a deadly attack and manages to fend off the leader. However, the enemies retreat, and Elizabeth warns Tibaut that his stamina is a concern. The two discuss the cult''s tactics, with Elizabeth planning to rely on others, like Tina and Lily, for support. Tibaut, exhausted, falls asleep. The chapter ends with Elizabeth preparing for a mission, and Tibaut being told to remain vigilant while she¡¯s gone.


    In Chapter 87, Elizabeth encounters Mr. Bentley in the forest, who is coping with the loss of Ezekiel in his own way. They talk about the cult''s recent actions, and Elizabeth shares a sketch of a man in black to help gather information. Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Vanessa struggles to wake Tibaut up and teases him, leading to an awkward situation where Tibaut mistakenly thinks they did something more intimate. Vanessa laughs it off, but Tibaut is embarrassed. They soon learn that the adventurer guilds are taking precautions against the cult, with Mr. Bentley organizing a protective strategy involving relocating lower-ranked guilds.


    In Chapter 88, Tibaut and Vanessa share an awkward, light-hearted moment, though Tibaut is still upset about the situation. They briefly discuss their thoughts on Ezekiel''s death. Meanwhile, adventurers are gathering at the guild to discuss how to respond to the cult, and Mr. Bentley explains his plan to protect the weaker guilds by moving them to a village for safety.


    In Chapter 89, the guild discusses strategies to protect themselves from the cult. Mr. Bentley announces that lower-ranked guilds will move to the village, while the top four guilds will remain as bait to draw the cult''s attention. This controversial plan leads to frustration, especially from Furor, who is unhappy with the idea of being sacrificed. Elizabeth proposes using the weaker adventurers'' tracking skills to locate the cult, but tensions remain high as the group struggles to cope with Ezekiel''s loss and the threat of the cult.


    In Chapter 90, the group is gathered in a room, discussing their plans to confront a dangerous group of cultists. Furor, frustrated by the delay, insists on starting the attack plan, but Mr. Bentley explains the need for further coordination. Furor pressures the adventurers to take the threat seriously, and some rally, deciding to stay and fight. Tensions rise, but Mr. Bentley redirects the focus back to planning. Meanwhile, Tibaut, uncertain, hesitates outside Tina¡¯s room, eventually confronting her about her avoidance of training and the guilt she feels over her weakness after Ezekiel¡¯s death. They discuss their shared need for revenge, and Tina reluctantly agrees to train with Tibaut as equals.


    In Chapter 91, Tina reveals her struggle with feeling inadequate compared to Tibaut, especially after [Ezekiel¡¯s betrayal] (What? He''d never do something like that, they''re totally just talking about the man in black.), and her fear of being left behind. Despite Tibaut''s attempts to encourage her, she initially rejects his offer to work together. However, after reflecting on their conversation, Tina agrees to fight alongside Tibaut, realizing that facing Ezekiel¡¯s killer together offers her a chance for redemption. The chapter closes with her recalling an earlier moment when she was stopped by Elizabeth from joining the fight, a move that left her physically and emotionally defeated.


    In Chapter 92, Tibaut attempts to talk to Tina again, but she remains closed off, so he turns to Elizabeth. They discuss their next moves against the cult, with Elizabeth sharing her distaste for the upcoming noble investigations. Tibaut receives a letter from Ezekiel, only to discover it¡¯s a sarcastic tirade about his behavior. Amid the letter¡¯s ramblings, Tibaut finds ki manipulation tips, which reignite his determination to learn the technique and grow stronger.


    In Chapter 93, Tibaut, frustrated by the vagueness of the letter''s advice, contemplates its strange instructions. He decides to test the techniques, even if they seem impractical. The chapter ends with Tibaut engaging in a training session with Tina, determined to help her grow stronger, even though she initially resents being carried and treated like a child. Their training session begins with Tina aggressively attacking Tibaut, showing that she¡¯s not backing down, but Tibaut finds himself impressed by her persistence.


    Chapter 94-97 Summary:


    Chapter 94: A masked man in a secluded room reflects on his situation, hinting at a larger, unknown mission. He expresses disbelief at how smoothly things are going. Meanwhile, Tibaut and Tina continue their sparring sessions. Tibaut appears to be pushing his limits, trying to improve, while Tina is frustrated with her own progress. After a conversation with Elizabeth, Tibaut demonstrates unexpected strength but struggles to understand how he accessed this power.


    Chapter 95: Tibaut undergoes intense punishment from Elizabeth in an attempt to force him to access ki. Despite the brutal assault, Elizabeth stops when Tibaut''s breathing becomes faint. Tibaut, exhausted and broken, eventually releases a powerful aura that surprises Elizabeth, although it leaves him severely weakened. Elizabeth heals him, and they both discuss the unexpected event, with Tibaut barely understanding what occurred.


    Chapter 96: Tibaut wakes up in a weakened state and learns from Elizabeth that he had healed himself using ki, something he can''t remember doing. Elizabeth urges him to practice using this new ability, though Tibaut is still trying to process the experience. Later, Tina pushes Tibaut to train, frustrated that he''s not focusing on mastering the power he demonstrated earlier. Tibaut resists, but eventually agrees, although his efforts are unsuccessful.


    Chapter 97: Tibaut struggles to access the blue aura again, feeling defeated and frustrated. Tina mocks him for his failure and urges him to keep trying. Tibaut remains in a state of despair, feeling like a failure. Tina hints at a deeper connection between Tibaut''s powers and Elizabeth''s past training (did she? Maybe it misinterpreted me alluding to Elizabeth¡¯s sister using ki). Despite their differences, Tina continues to push Tibaut, even offering to substitute for Elizabeth in training. Tibaut reluctantly agrees and begins to focus more seriously on improving his abilities.


    Chapter 98-101 Summary:


    In Chapter 98, Tibaut has an awkward encounter with Jake, a man who claims to be the leader of the fourth strongest guild in the parish. Jake is upset that Tibaut doesn¡¯t recognize him, but the conversation takes a humorous turn when Tibaut inadvertently teases him about being weak. The conversation shifts to a mission to meet a noble, where Elizabeth explains that the team will travel together, despite Tibaut''s confusion. Meanwhile, Tibaut packs for the trip, bringing along a defensive magic book.


    Chapter 99 introduces a mysterious man named Lord Bradley, who is lounging in a bath surrounded by dead bodies. His sadistic behavior toward his hired adventurers raises concerns from his maid, Avis. Bradley seems uninterested in the deaths of the men, viewing them as expendable. He¡¯s also preparing for an upcoming delivery of packages. The scene ends with Avis leaving, and Bradley pondering the need for more guards.


    In Chapter 100, the group gathers for their trip, and Vanessa teasingly interacts with Jake, making him uncomfortable. Tibaut observes the situation with mild amusement. The group discusses rumors about Tibaut¡¯s past, with Jake revealing a ridiculous rumor involving Tibaut¡¯s performance in a brothel. Tibaut is taken aback by the gossip but moves on. As they prepare for their journey, they discuss the complications of leaving the parish, with Elizabeth reassuring Tibaut that they will have reinforcements.


    Finally, Chapter 101 shows the group preparing to leave, but Tibaut is surprised to learn they must run to town to catch the carriage, much to his frustration. The group sets off, and the dynamic between the characters remains playful and tense as they head toward their mission.


    Summary of Chapters 102¨C105:


    In Chapter 102, Tibaut and Jake rush to catch a carriage leaving town, throwing luggage into the back as they barely make it in time. Elizabeth, Tina, and Ezekiel are already inside. The group discusses their upcoming employer, a mysterious noble, and various rumors surrounding him. Tibaut complains about the uncomfortable carriage ride, but Elizabeth knocks him out when he makes an awkward comment. Later, Tibaut wakes up to discover they are nearing their destination, and Elizabeth explains their employer''s background.


    In Chapter 103, Tibaut wakes up to find the carriage stopped, and the group sets up camp. They encounter a creature, Bellus, a mythical beast, which has the body of a wolf, the horns of a bull, and the head of a rabbit. The creature is playful, but its origins remain mysterious. Tibaut is surprised by its abilities and learns about its classification as a mythical beast. The group continues their journey, and Tibaut¡¯s hunger becomes an ongoing issue.


    In Chapter 104, Tibaut sneaks away to a nearby town to get food, but after a tense encounter with some locals, he ends up fighting a group of thugs. After easily defeating them, he learns that they were seeking revenge on the noble he works for, accusing him of being connected to the disappearances of local women. Despite his initial lack of empathy, Tibaut feels some guilt over the situation.


    In Chapter 105, Tibaut continues to question the bartender about the attacks on the noble, learning that the thugs were part of a larger group blaming the noble for the missing girls. The bartender reveals that the noble has been hiring bodyguards for a year due to the threats. Tibaut finishes his meal, contemplating the complex situation and his role in it.


    In Chapter 106, Tibaut leaves a tavern and encounters Tina, who is in an unusually aggressive mood, even throwing a weapon at him. They have a brief confrontation, but Tibaut manages to dodge and escape, leading her through a rooftop chase. Eventually, they have a sparring match outside the town, which ends with Tibaut winning despite Tina¡¯s insistence on a rematch. Afterward, they try to locate a mansion that seems harder to find than expected, leading them to ask for directions from a reluctant bartender. They later discuss their work for a corrupt noble, with Tina expressing concerns about the treatment of women in the area.


    Chapter 107 sees Tibaut and Tina trudging through a forest toward the noble¡¯s property. They discover a hole in the fence and briefly consider sneaking in, but decide against it. They meet the head maid, Avis, who attacks them but is stopped by Tina¡¯s spear. After a tense exchange, Avis directs them to the main entrance, revealing that their task is to guard a noble with a questionable reputation. Tibaut reflects on the lack of work and financial issues surrounding their guild, but remains uncertain about their true mission. The chapter ends with the group preparing to enter the noble¡¯s mansion.


    In Chapter 108, Tibaut and Tina finally reach the mansion, where they encounter Elizabeth, who has been waiting for them. They briefly recount their encounter with Avis, and Tibaut learns that the maid was the one holding up their entry. Tibaut and Tina reflect on the situation, with Tibaut unsure of the noble''s intentions, but determined to learn more after completing the mission. They then head inside, where Tibaut is forced to carry most of the luggage. They explore [the mansion, which is more luxurious than expected for a former border fort] ¡û(I''m pretty sure I made this clear in the story but to reiterate, the estate, (including the mansion) was built in the same vicinity as the old border fort.) Tibaut starts to feel the weight of their task and the disparity between their roles and the noble''s wealth.


    Chapter 109 finds Tibaut unpacking in his room, feeling overwhelmed by a difficult magic book. He is interrupted by Tina, who challenges him to a sparring match in the building, which is in poor condition. The building¡¯s rundown state is a source of frustration for Tibaut, who had hoped to avoid more work. After some bickering and a brief fight, Elizabeth heals Tibaut''s injury and prevents the sparring from continuing. The chapter ends with a mix of frustration and resignation as Tibaut reflects on their situation in the mansion.


    In Chapter 110, Tibaut wakes up early and struggles with basic hygiene, including improvising by using salt to brush his teeth. After dressing, Elizabeth critiques his outfit, prompting Tibaut''s annoyance, and the group sets out to meet Albus Bradley in the main building. Upon meeting Albus, the group is taken aback by his unconventional behavior, including making inappropriate comments and embracing Tibaut. Tibaut tries to extract answers about the kidnappings and potential cult activity, but Albus deflects the questions, focusing instead on Tibaut''s appearance and suggesting he try on a maid outfit. Tibaut reluctantly agrees, enduring the embarrassment of being dressed in a maid outfit, much to Albus''s delight.


    Chapter 111 continues Tibaut''s humiliation as Albus compliments him in the maid outfit and pressures him to wear it longer. Tibaut reluctantly eats a cupcake provided by Albus, feeling even more frustrated. Tibaut then presses Albus about the group attacking him, learning that the attackers, known as the Lochmull (Independence Society), are from a territory that resented Albus''s rule. Albus reveals that the Lochmull group had been causing trouble and that their grievances were tied to the Anglia takeover. Tibaut continues to find Albus increasingly unsettling but tries to push for more information.


    In Chapter 112, Tibaut questions Albus about his relationship with his maid, Avis, suspecting that she may not be as innocent as she seems. Albus brushes off the concerns, claiming Avis is just a loyal servant, but Tibaut remains suspicious after an encounter with her. Tibaut recalls an incident where Avis stopped a fight between construction workers, revealing more about her ruthless nature. Despite his discomfort, Tibaut learns more about the dynamics between Albus, Avis, and the Lochmull (group), although he remains unsure of Albus''s true intentions.


    Chapter 113 sees Tibaut continuing to question Albus about Avis''s behavior, particularly her violent tendencies. Albus recounts the first "attack" from the Lochmull group, where Avis had to intervene to calm the men, further complicating Tibaut''s view of her. Tibaut grows more frustrated with Albus''s dismissive attitude and the overall situation, especially after Albus makes an inappropriate comment about Tibaut''s appearance in the maid outfit. The chapter ends with Albus teasing Tibaut while reflecting on his relationship with Avis and the tensions between the various factions in their world.


    Chapter 114: Albus discusses the aftermath of a violent attack near their cabin, where bodies were left in a gruesome pile. Avis, despite being covered in blood, insists on staying vigilant until workers arrive. Tibaut, [observing] ¡û(I''d put musing since he wasn''t there) the chaos and Albus''s behavior, reflects on how little the noble does to deserve such danger. The conversation shifts to a newly rebuilt mansion where a mob attacks, but Avis handles the situation, only to return battered and exhausted. The chapter ends with Avis collapsing after confirming that no one survived the attack.


    Chapter 115: Albus reflects on the continuous violence he faces, having recently hired more guards. Tibaut offers to help with the situation, but Albus dismisses it, finding humor in Tibaut¡¯s desire for justice. Tibaut is then approached by Grace, a maid with a cheerful attitude, and the two play a dice game. Tibaut wins repeatedly, and Grace, showing a different side, begins to open up. Tibaut and Grace share a brief moment of banter before Tibaut expresses his frustration with the situation, especially regarding the maid outfit antics and the dangers surrounding him.


    Chapter 116: The playful dice game continues with Tibaut teasing Grace, who seems determined to win. They spend time waiting for the others, and Tibaut, now annoyed by her persistence, threatens to leave if she wins one more round. The group eventually reunites, and Avis confronts Grace for neglecting her duties. Grace tries to justify her actions by blaming Tibaut for distracting her. Avis scolds her, and Grace is left to handle the consequences.


    Chapter 117: Tibaut begins his day by reading a defensive magic book but quickly realizes it¡¯s more about theory than practical use. Frustrated, he takes a break and notices the building has been cleaned, which seems odd given the previous state. He discovers Grace sleeping on the couch and Elizabeth cuts his hair after noticing it¡¯s become too long. Their usual banter continues, but Grace¡¯s presence signifies some [strange new level of cleanliness in the estate.] ¡û (she cleaned the cabin they were staying at, not sure what''s so strange about a maid doing her job.) Tibaut is left pondering the changes as the group¡¯s unpredictable nature persists


    In Chapter 118, Elizabeth asks Tina to teach Tibaut defensive magic, specifically how to create a shield. Tina demonstrates by forming a small blue barrier, which Tibaut tests by punching it and discovering it holds up well. However, Tina and Elizabeth explain that defensive magic like this is impractical for battle due to its fragility and the difficulty in maintaining it. Tibaut is curious about its limitations, and when he tries a fireball attack on the shield, it shatters easily. Elizabeth explains that defensive magic is tricky because it is weaker than regular magic and relies heavily on visualization. Tina reveals that moving her hands during the spell causes the barrier to fail.


    In Chapter 119, Tina''s confidence falters after her shield breaks, and she becomes frustrated. Grace laughs at her, and Tibaut asks why the magic was so weak. Elizabeth explains that defensive magic is weak against other magic unless the caster is a genius or particularly skilled. Tina reluctantly demonstrates the difficulty in using the magic, revealing that it takes months of practice to become proficient. Tibaut tries his hand at the magic but struggles, eventually forming a weak shield after hours of practice. Tina is impressed by his progress, though she notes that he won''t be able to fully control it for a while.

 Chapter 47 (II)

    Tibaut stood in the library, standing in a t-pose with his shirt taken off.


    He looked pretty indifferent to the whole thing and it was thanks to how indifferent these two were. He could already imagine the amount of bullshit he''d have to go through if Tina, Vanessa or Ruby was here.


    He had all sorts of circles scribbled on his body with annotations beside them, likely the methods used to discern between the various chemicals and rituals used on his body.


    Bailey wrote some notes down on a notepad and continued looking up at Tibaut. She had black rings on her eyes, so it seemed she hadn''t fully recovered from learning what Ezekiel did.


    ¡°Merrill, are you sure his skin isn''t having an adverse effect? It''s impossible to think nothing would show after so many tests. There would at least have been a false positive somewhere!¡±


    ¡°d-don''t talk yourself down bailey, you did everything right. it''s just that¡­ whatever was thrown on him can''t be tested through regular means.¡± She answered. ¡°um, are you okay being like this, Tibaut?¡± She softly asked.


    ¡°I''m half positive Elizabeth¡¯s gonna kick me out of the house until this stuff wears off. I''m more than okay being shirtless for a few hours if I can keep sleeping on my bed.¡± He answered. ¡°But no dice so far?¡±


    ¡°n-no, no dice to be found.¡±  She timidly answered.


    ¡°Gah, listen Tibaut, if this is a curse, this waste of my time, are you sure he threw a vial at you?¡± Bailey''s face twisted as she saw the amount of x''s she had made on the paper without a single tick.


    ¡°You can ask Tina if you don''t trust me.¡± He answered. He looked down at his body and sighed. (¡°At least they''re not giving me shit, like that bitch Tina. She''s one to talk, she''s never had any definition, just size. She''s burly if anything, just like I am now. I swear, when she gains back some weight, I''ll see how she-¡±)


    ¡°Well Tibaut, I can safely say, I don''t have a single idea what that bastard threw on you. Gah, I get brought out of my room, get told to do something routine and this happens. That man was a curse, he''s left me and the rest of them cursed!¡±


    She wagged her fist to nowhere in particular and Merrill tried to calm her down.


    <hr>


    ¡°I hate biology!¡± She exclaimed. The two of them had been discussing something for over an hour that Tibaut could only get bits and pieces of.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± He asked. There were more circles made on him and it started to look less like various circles and more like a unique pattern.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°um, the best guess we have is whatever was thrown at you altered your body slightly. making it so that you naturally produce a scent that attracts rabbits. but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± He asked.


    ¡°This doesn''t make sense. We did various tests for popular and more obscure compounds from the last hundred years or so that can attract rodents in general and not one was found on you.¡±


    (¡°I''m gonna assume the tests she did aren''t pedantic enough to differentiate between actual rodents and rabbits. I think I remember a zoology buddy of mine in college telling me it annoyed him when people thought rabbits were rodents.¡±) He thought as he listened to her.


    ¡°At least if we knew what it was, we''d have an idea of what to fix. Which is why I decided to test something.¡±


    She headed to the end of the library and pulled out a box. She placed it in Tibaut¡¯s hand and took off the top. It was a snow-white bunny, the same variety as the ones that were flooding the outside recently.


    She pulled a dropper out of her pocket and placed it on a beaker on a nearby table.


    She dropped some on her skin and grabbed the rabbit by its scruff before placing its mouth near her skin.


    It began licking and she groaned like she found out her favourite series was cancelled.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± She dropped the rabbit and Merrill quickly fell down to save the poor creature.


    ¡°I should have known it was going to be something stupid like this.¡±


    She kicked a table and slammed her fist against a bookshelf.


    ¡°Woah, you good? (You''re making it seem like you''re the one with this stuff rubbed all over you.)¡±


    ¡°No, I''m fucking miserable actually.¡± She took a deep breath before continuing.


    ¡°That compound was supposed to make the rabbit leave common sense behind and bite me. Yet it gave only a nibble. God damnit, are these things not actually rabbits? Merrill, the rabbits that have swept over Anglia recently, have heard any rumblings of their genetic testing?¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡± She answered.


    ¡°For fucks sake, we were probably testing for a rabbit that hasn''t been properly catalogued yet.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course it does! We were testing for breeds within the nation so we just assumed this was one of them. But if it''s a new breed, this is pointless. I bet those bastards in the capital already knew this but kept this locked away in one of their many repositories hoping for someone to pay for it. Fuck this, I quit.¡±


    She threw her hands up before walking to the exit.


    ¡°So, I''m stuck with this?¡± Tibaut asked.


    ¡°unfortunately, yes, it seems that way. bu-but don''t worry, we still have some investigation to do. if we find him then, he can give us the answers we need to help you.¡± Merrill did her best to seem optimistic.


    <hr>


    ¡°Merrill, this is fucking pointless, just have him sent up to the capital when Elizabeth can afford it.¡±


    ¡°b-b-but it''s impossible!¡± She said in disbelief.

 Chapter 47 (III)

    A few meters away in the grass, Tina made the brown grass beneath her into a makeshift bed. She snored away, having little care for the two ladies'' ideas and thoughts. The only reason she was out here was because Elizabeth insisted on it. And if she was seen napping away without keeping a single eye on Tibaut, she''d likely have to start digging her own grave.


    (¡°I guess removing a bunch of dead rabbits would tire anyone. Tch, she could have at least left a few before burying them. I hear electricity tenderizes the meat.¡±)


    Meanwhile, Tibaut was lightly jogging in a circle, with a horde of rabbits behind him. They were aggressive but they didn''t seem to be in any rush to crunch away at him.


    ¡°You two done!?¡± He shouted.


    All the ladies there had asked him to keep quite the distance so they could do their job.


    ¡°No!¡± Bailey shouted.


    Both women were examining the barrel the elf threw and the rabbit he transformed.


    ¡°Hoh, I guess he was right. Want to keep it Merrill?¡±


    Merrill sighed and placed the corpse in a bag she carried.


    ¡°there were signs of magic but for some reason, it can''t be traced with the standard or the¡­¡±


    Within the nation of Anglia, there were several means of tracking down a user of magic. One of these was a ritual so synonymous with organisations of authority within the country that it was simply called the "the standard¡±. The ritual wasn''t anything special which was why it made it convenient to use for tracking out in the middle of nowhere.


    All it required was inscribing a phrase from an ancient language into the object affected by magic and an area with passable mana density. It creates a trail based on how much mana is present in the area and leads to the magic¡¯s user. But it wasn''t infallible. For such a widespread method, if you were, in the know so to speak, you knew of methods to get around it.


    ¡°Can we go home Merrill? This is pointless, the barrel was a bust so I''m guessing the rabbit was too.¡±


    Bailey tried a similar ritual that involved DNA but the barrel had been touched by far too many parties to be useful. Meanwhile, Merrill had given up on the standard and tried other reliable rituals used for tracking but they all turned up rather disappointing results or none at all.


    ¡°...or the remy reagent or the tsar¡¯s bloodhound or the-¡±


    ¡°Merrill, I get it, none of them worked. It seems Elizabeth¡¯s gonna have to save up and¡± she put up some air quotes, ¡°Leave it to the professionals.¡± She rolled her eyes and said it with abject loathing.


    Merrill looked quite stumped as well and began pouting as she looked at the bag she placed the rabbit in.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± With nothing else to lose she called over Tibaut.


    ¡°c-could you release some mana? we''re running dry.¡± She asked.


    ¡°Oh sure thing, Merrill.¡± He did as he was asked and released his mana into the surrounding area.


    She took the rabbit back out of her bag and carved some unfamiliar-looking words into the stomach of the rabbit.


    ¡°What the? What method is that?¡± Bailey asked.


    ¡°i, uh, deciphered it from elizabeth¡¯s library recently.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Oh, right, that has all sorts of stuff from the royal library. I thought you said most of it was useless?¡±


    ¡°Royal Library?¡± Tibaut asked. ¡°That doesn''t sound cheap. Don''t tell me she shelled out a fortune on that too. How much has she spent on stuff like this?¡± He mused to himself.


    Merrill looked up to her eyes and placed a finger before her lips while shaking her head, with incredible vigour, like Bailey was trying to summon an ancient curse with that sentence.


    ¡°(Shit, I forgot that me and her are the only ones that know who she is.) Damn right, she did, I don''t have any idea how she gets the money for this sort of stuff.¡±


    ¡°She said her master right?¡±


    ¡°Right, that thing. I-I guess it makes sense.¡±


    They were both caught off by a squeal that wasn''t from a rabbit.


    Merrill wore a smirk on her face and presented the dead rabbit to Bailey.


    ¡°i-it worked!¡±


    Above the rabbit was an arrow made of the mana Tibaut released. He quickly set off after the rabbits came close.


    ¡°What does it do!?¡± He shouted.


    ¡°I''m curious as well Merrill, what''s the overreaction about?¡± Bailey asked.


    She turned it around and the arrow moved. She then walked in a circle and the arrow continued pointing to and from.


    ¡°Is it¡­ pointing to a set location somewhere?¡±


    Merrill nodded.


    ¡°So it''s pointing to where he is!?¡± She continued.


    And Merrill nodded with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Hehehe, is that so? Why don''t we pay that smart ass a visit?¡± Both women wore equally cruel grins on their faces as they imagined what they''d do to this bastard who dared challenge their intelligence.


    <hr>


    ¡°It was a good try Merrill¡­¡± Both women were crouched on the floor. In the same field. A few feet away. In the same patch of grass even. Right next to Tina.


    Bailey patted her on the back and Merrill was in disbelief.


    ¡°but that''s impossible! he should be here.¡±


    ¡°It''s an elf, Merrill. I can already imagine the bastard dedicating his 600+ year life to making a ritual that can make him undetectable. No wonder he''d come to a backwater like this if privacy was his concern.¡±


    ¡°ah¡± Merrill stepped a few paces forward to match the arrow but still nothing. Weirdly, the space the arrow occasionally pointed to would change.


    ¡°why does it move?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it required calibration, I bet the bastard who wrote it down forgot to include how. Bastards always forget important stuff like that.¡±


    Tina looked up at the two and chimed in.


    ¡°What if he''s underground?¡±