《Gold Coin Tower (paused)》 Chapter 0: Prolog (1) The world of Vanion. A world full of magic and different races. A world with many chances, but also with many dangers. At the most northwestern point of the continent called Patreus was the small village called Originem. In the middle of the village stood a house with the nameplate Mirai Family". At the side was an open window to get fresh air in the heat of summer. One could hear an old voice through the opening that talked to someone. Inside, an old man was sitting opposite a little boy at a wooden table. The boy seemed to be about 15 years old. While he sat there with his hands under his chin and tried not to fall asleep, his short black with dark blue mixed hair wobbled in the wind that blew through the window. The old man sitting opposite him had pale wrinkled skin and gray medium-length hair. This made him look about 70 years old. His eyes, which were blue and a little cloudy, were on the young man in front of him. When he saw that the boy''s light blue eyes would soon close, he got up from his chair and went to a bookshelf that was behind him against the wall. After a moment of searching, he took a small pile of papers back to the table. As he sat down, he showed the little boy the papers and said: "Vanroc, before you fall asleep through my talk, read this out loud." The boy, who was almost asleep, suddenly seemed to be excited when he heard his grandfather''s words. He stretched out his right hand to take the small bundle of paper. Looking at the papers, he saw two small notches on the top of the bundle that somehow held the papers together. He didn''t know how it worked, but he was always fascinated when he saw it. When he asked his grandfather how the paper held together, he said he should focus on the contents and not on the paper itself. Most people living in the countryside could read and write from little to no. When Vanroc was eight years old, his grandfather taught him how to read and write correctly. In this way, he wanted to create a basis on which he could teach his grandchild how to collect knowledge. About two years ago, at the age of thirteen, his grandfather began to give Vanroc papers or books to read and discuss together. Although there were many parts of the content that he did not understand even after talking to his grandfather, Vanroc enjoyed reading and discussing with him. After turning over the cover page entitled "Gods and Religions", Vanroc began to read the contents of the handwritten papers: Dear reader, thank you very much for your interest in my work. This book is a summary of my 40 years of research on the gods and churches of humanity. As we all know, there are four gods and goddesses in our world. First of all Sanctor, the god of war, who is worshipped by warriors, thieves , and general fighters. Secondly Pyxitos, the god of fortune, who is worshipped above all by merchants. Third Teneceps, the goddess of darkness. It is unknown who worship her mostly, but often they are part of sects or groups with dark rituals. Fourth, Luxida, the goddess of life, is worshipped by people who want to help others.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. In this world, humans were the weakest race of all. About 1300 to 1600 years ago ma humanity was on the verge of extinction due to a war with other races. In the darkest hours of humanity, each of the Gods decides to give ten of their hardest believers a special kind of power and opportunity to use it. From that moment on these people would be called "Godly Chosen". With their new powers, they could fight back their enemies. The churches had almost no believer and no power until this miracle happened. From then on more and more people began to believe in gods. The churches, together with the Godly Chosen, carried out a ritual of awakening in which the believers would be able to receive powers from their God. The only difference between the powers of the Chosen and the people who receive their power through the ritual is the strength of the power. The powers of the elect are at least twice as strong as those of the people who receive their powers through awakening. Today we call these powers "divine magic" or simply "magic" and the way they are used, "divine tongue" or "chanting". After a long battle with the other races, humans could conquer a piece of land without any other race being alive than humans. On this land, they founded a land called Patreus. In this new land, people could find protection from other races. After many years the land of Patreus had conquered the whole continent and was then called Imperium Patreus. The empire existed for about 150 years. At that time the four churches founded the "Alliance of Gods" to build more control and power to rule this continent. They agreed that the empire should be divided into four parts and that each part should be ruled by a different church. To honor the holy raid of the country of Patreus against the other races for the sake of humanity, the entire continent is called "Patreus the sanctuary of humanity". That is all I was able to research about the gods and churches even after so many years. It is difficult to find reliable facts that do not only come from the Church. Even after such a long time there are so many questions that I cannot answer. Why did the gods give power to these forty people? The church told me that they gave power to these people because these forty had absolute faith in the gods. This answer really does not satisfy me. Why did they not give them before? What does a God gain from giving people these powers? It makes absolutely no sense that they would give away power just because some people believe in them. What do these gods look like? As far as I know, no one has ever seen or met a God directly. Are they hiding? Why? That also makes absolutely no sense. Maybe gods are just another race with a long life span. But anyway, why are they hiding? Would they not be worshipped even more if they showed themselves and ruled? Can the chosen ones communicate with the gods? Well, the Church has denied it, but there are some sticky rumors about it. However, I cannot answer this question with certainty. Are other races able to get these powers? Do other races have gods like us? I have asked some slaves about it because it is quite difficult to find other races on this continent without being one. Well, at least I tried, but didn''t get a real answer. Some said they didn''t know. Some said they don''t believe in anything. And others said they believe in the strongest of their race, their absolute ruler. In the end I''m still not sure because every race can have its own beliefs. A research report by C.G. When Vanroc had finished reading the report, he put the papers back on the table in front of him. His grandfather looked at him with an expectant look. "What do you think is missing in these papers?" When Vanroc saw the expectant look of his grandfather, he replied with a somewhat uncertain but clear voice: "There are no answers to the questions at the end"? When he heard this answer from his grandchild, the expectant gaze disappeared and turned in disbelief. He sighed and spoke in an instructive tone: "That was not what I hoped for, but yes, in the end there were no real answers to these questions. I meant, what is different from most of the books you have read with me so far?" The old man saw the questioning look of the boy in front of him, telling him that the boy did not understand what he wanted to hear from him. After a deep breath, he continued: "The difference is that there is no evidence and no sources for the statements. It could be a story the author made up." Chapter 0: Prolog (2) When he heard the explanation from his grandfather Vanroc, he understood its meaning. He had never thought about such a thing and always considered the information in the papers to be completely true. When Vanroc thought about it, he remembered his grandfather''s words. He knew that this lesson would be very important because he now saw the other books and papers he had read so far in a different light. Vanroc began to question himself. Was the knowledge he had acquired in the past real? His thoughts were interrupted by his grandfather''s voice: "Do you have any questions about the content?" While thinking through the content he had just read, a question came to his mind: "In the papers, there was something about the ''Awakening Ritual''. Did you and Dad have one? When will I have mine?" The old man was silent for a moment. That was a subject he usually tried to avoid for a special reason. With an unrecognizable facial expression, he replied in a calm tone: "First you have to know that not everyone gets an awakening ritual. There are several conditions that must be met. First, you must be at least fifteen, but not more than fifty years old. Second, you must have a certain amount of magic in your body. Third, you need a large amount of money for the participation fee. Because of the three conditions, seventy percent of all people on this continent are unable to use magic. They live a normal life without magic. Those who want to become adventurers learn to fight with normal weapons." The old man breathed deeply. He seemed hesitant to continue. One minute of silence filled the room, then he began to speak again: "Back when I was fifteen, I had my ritual. The ritual was successful and I could learn how to use magic. Because of my abilities, I was advised to join the army. I did that six years later. After many years in the army, I quit because of an injury. Since then I no longer use magic. That is also the reason why you have never seen me use magic. Back when your father was sixteen years old, he received his awakening ritual. It was as successful as mine. After he had learned how to use magic, he.... " Before the old man could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a knocking sound. Both Vanroc and his grandfather could hear the sound of a horse through the open window. The sound and the knocking seemed to come from the front door. Vanroc knew a guest would come to meet his grandfather today, but from his point of view, he came at the worst possible time. He really wanted to hear the full answer because his grandfather had always avoided such a subject. The old man stood up from the table and said: "It seems that my guest arrived a little earlier than expected. We''ll talk later." Vanroc nodded and followed him to the front door to open it and let the guest in. When he opened the door, a middle-aged man with short brown hair stood in front of them. He was wearing an army uniform.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Vanroc recognized this man. He had seen him a few years ago when his father was home for a few days. At that time this man was under the command of his father and accompanied him. This was necessary because the village is surrounded by forest and mountains with bandits and monsters. Usually, when someone wants to leave the village, they wait for a caravan of merchants, patrolling soldiers or adventurers to pass by. So they don''t have to be afraid of being hurt or robbed. Due to the fact that Vanroc''s father was a high-ranking military, it was not surprising that he had someone by his side to take care of his safety. The middle-aged man had a smile on his lips when he was the first to say something while looking at both of them: "It''s been a while since we last met." When Vanroc heard his voice, he was surprised that his deep voice did not match his appearance and memory. From his appearance, one would expect a slightly deeper voice, but not so deep. Thinking about it, Vanroc heard the voice of his grandfather standing behind him: "You are a little earlier than expected, Mister Herwand". Vanroc heard this name and remembered how his father introduced him to this soldier. His full name was Gwydo Herwand, who was a subordinate of his father during his lifetime. "Well, I had a good horse", said Gwydo as he scratched the back of his head and laughed. Then he turned his eyes to the boy in front of him and said, "You''ve really grown since we last met. You were at least one head smaller back then." When he heard that, Vanroc began to smile, although he didn''t know why he was doing so. He was thinking about a good answer, but before he could choose one, he heard his grandfather''s voice again: "Come and let''s go to the kitchen and have a cup of tea." Then he led the middle-aged soldier to the kitchen, started boiling the water and asked him to wait a moment. Then he went into the living room into which Vanroc went before, after he had closed the front door. When he took out a small leather pouch, he asked: "Vanroc, can you please buy some meat for dinner? Vanroc took the pouch, went to the door and answered, "Okay, I''ll be back soon." After Vanroc closed the front door, the old man returned to the kitchen where his guest was waiting for him. Arriving in the kitchen, he prepared tea for himself and his guest and asked him: "How was your trip? When he replied while accepting his cup of hot tea, he replied: "The trip went very well, I didn''t meet or hear any monsters, it seems the area isn''t as dangerous as it was a few years ago". "It''s just your imagination, it''s still as dangerous as it was in the years before, you just got lucky this time." After the old man took a sip of tea from his cup, he continued: "You should know why I asked you to come here, right? Do you still have it?" Based on his expression, Gwydo didn''t seem surprised by his words: "Yes, of course! Why do you ask, are you sick or something?" The old man looked at the man opposite with a serious look in his eyes. "I feel my old wounds getting worse again. I think I can hold out for a few more years. It would be too early to leave him alone." "These wounds are probably from that time. It is still hard to believe that the man with the holy title "The magical butcher of the will, Imodi Mirai" fights against time like we normal people. Your achievements are still known to many soldiers. Does the little boy know about your past?" When he heard his old title, he began to smile slightly. He was torn between pride and shame when he heard the man talk about his past achievements. In his years of military service he had helped many people, but had also taken far too many lives. He despised himself for it. That was one of the reasons why he hadn''t used magic since his retirement. He had used this power to harm others. So that he could find his inner peace, he had decided to leave magic behind with his time in the army. "No, he knows nothing about my past. I would prefer if it stays that way. That is also one reason why I asked him to go shopping. It is better for him if he knows nothing about my past and his mother''s background. Since my son entrusted it to you for safekeeping, I assume you know about the whole situation, don''t you? Gwydo shook his head slightly and replied: "No, I don''t know the whole story. He just told me that if something happened to him and you weren''t there anymore, I should give it to his son. I should not discuss it with anyone but you or even mention it, otherwise I would endanger his son. Based on how the church reacted after his death, it doesn''t surprise me. Without your help, it would probably have turned out badly." Chapter 0: Prolog (3) When Vanroc''s father died, the Church had sent an unexpectedly large number of its troops to the barracks of the local military to take his things with them. Then they wanted to take Vanroc with them. This could be prevented by the intervention of his grandfather, who was still highly regarded in the military after his retirement. He and the Church made an agreement that they would leave his grandson alone. Part of the deal was that Vanroc would never know about the deal. After remembering the difficulties with the Church, Imodi said, "There are things Vanroc needs to know, but I still don''t know how to tell him. Things about my past, things that will affect his future. It''s just..." He stopped and wandered deep into his thoughts. Gwydo, sitting across from him, emptied his cup of tea, looked at the old man in front of him and began to speak with a sincere voice: "I really wouldn''t want to be in your or Vanroc''s position. It''s a situation you wouldn''t wish anyone to be in... Back then the commander saved my life more than once.... I wish I could somehow pay him back by helping you and his son, but there is nothing I can do. That is so frustrating! I will keep it safe until that day comes, as the commander asked me to." When the old man heard this speech, he came back from his thoughts and looked at the soldier: "Thank you, I trust that you will keep your promise. I think that due to our agreement, the Church will not take action when I am no more. It would be fantastic if Vanroc would stay in this village after my death. He knows the people who live here and they know him. That should already be a real safety net for him. If he does not move on the continent, they can even forget his existence. That would be safer for him." Both continued chatting for a while. --- At the same time Vanroc was on his way to buy the meat his grandfather had asked for. Although the village of Originem had only 183 inhabitants, the area was as large as a village of 400 inhabitants. This was because the houses were quite far apart. Between some houses there were even fields where vegetables were grown. These fields would normally be on the edge of the village. However, the owners were too afraid of wild monsters and moved some of their fields into the village. As Vanroc walked down the street, he met several of his immediate neighbors, whom he greeted and spoke to for a moment. That was normal behavior in the village. Whenever you meet, you talk for a moment.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. After a while he stood in front of a house that was twice the size of most houses in the village. It was the only food store in the whole village. The walls were made of simple wooden panels. In front were two windows through which Vanroc could already see the first goods. When Vanroc entered the shop, he saw the shopkeeper sitting at the checkout opposite the entrance. He was a muscular middle-aged man with short brown hair and simple everyday clothes. The shopkeeper heard the sound of the door opening and looked up to see who was coming into his shop. When he saw Vanroc walking through the door, he greeted him with a smile: "Hey, little Roc, are you going shopping today?" "Hello, Uncle Garlly. Yes, grandfather has a guest, so I have to get the food for today. Do you have good meat for me?", Vanroc replied. The shopkeeper''s name was Garlly Pratt. Vanroc often played with his son Xander Pratt when they were about 7 to 8 years old. Garlly Pratt told him then that he could call him uncle if he wanted, because they felt like a family. This feeling arose because Vanroc and his son always played and ate together in his house or in the house of Vanroc''s grandfather. The moment Garlly Pratt heard Vanroc call him uncle, he was particularly happy. That was because his son was recruited by the military and he hadn''t seen him in three years. Since Vanroc was like a second son to him, he was of course very happy whenever he met him. "Of course I have good meat for you! About four hours ago I received a delivery of fresh meat. This time it''s meat from a group of Faleleon. Their meat is extremely juicy!", Garlly replied with a somewhat proud voice. From the tone of his voice and the expression he wore on his face, he seemed really proud of himself to get meat of such good quality. Since Vanroc had never heard of anything like a Faleleon, he asked cluelessly: "Is Faleleon something good? I''ve never heard of it before." When Garlly heard what the boy before him said, the proud look on his face disappeared. He felt a little depressed that his attempt to look cool in front of Vanroc failed because of his lack of knowledge. He decided to try again by telling him, "Faleleon are bird-like monsters that you rarely find in the forest next to our village. They are about 2 meters long and weigh about 6 1/2 kilograms. They have a short neck, a slightly longer beak and grey feathers. It is difficult to get the meat of these birds, not only because they are rare to find in the forest, but also because it is popular with all who have tried the meat." This time Garlly got the result he wanted to achieve when Vanroc responded to his explanation in a praising and amazed tone: "You really have to be a good trader to get something special in such quantities that you can sell it". When he saw the boy''s sparkling eyes in front of him, Garlly was satisfied and happy. He replied: "Of course I am a good trader! Don''t worry about the price, I''ll give you a good family discount. Two portions should be enough, right? I''ll go and get it. Wait here a moment." When Vanroc heard that he would get a good discount, he was happy. Previously, he had thought about the price because his grandfather only gave him enough money to buy 4 normal portions of Rabbon''s meat. Rabbon meat was the most common meat the villagers would normally get. Due to the high population of Rabbon''s, the meat was available in large quantities and was usually sold in Garlly Pratt''s shop. Rabbon''s are rabbit-like monsters. Their body height is about 58 cm and weighs about 2 1/2 to 4 kilograms. Their fur is white with a brown stain pattern. Normally they are not a threat to humans, but if attacked, they can threaten humans with their 10 cm long and sharp fangs. This is especially the case as Rabbon''s live in packs. After a short while Garlly came back with a wooden box from the back room. The box had the measures: length = 30 cm, width = 30 cm and height = 10 cm. It was common in the village to use a wooden box to transport the meat they had bought. Normally a deposit is deposited in the shop, which the customer would get back when returning the clean wooden box. Due to the close relationship between Vanroc and the Pratt family, Vanroc did not have to pay the deposit. After Vanroc received the wooden crate from Garlly, he paid for the meat, said goodbye and went home. Chapter 1: Feeling of emptiness (1) It was the 642nd year of the White Tiger era. A few miles north of the small village of Intium, near a small and slowly flowing river, a young man was sitting on a flat rock. This young man, who looked about 17 to 19 years old, had short black with dark blue mixed hair and wore some simple brown, worn old clothes. The sun was shining on his sandy skin. His pale blue eyes, with a blank look, seemed to watch the flowing water carry some leaves from nearby trees. He thought of the things that had happened in the last twenty days. He was in his grandfather''s room then. His grandfather lay on his bed and looked extremely weak. The old man started talking, "Cough, Vanroc, it seems I''m not lucky enough to stay by your side longer." With a trembling voice, Vanroc could only answer: "Grandfather!" The old man started to smile and said, "Do not be sad, little Roc, that I have been able to stay by your side for so long was the best thing that could happen to me. Having been injured during my time in the army, I had no purpose in my life. When your father came back from his adventure and brought your pregnant mother, I could feel hope again. I did not expect him to come home again because he traveled to different continents, which are very dangerous for humans. Seeing my son alive was a real miracle, but knowing that our family would grow was the blessing of Heaven. I knew I would be needed again. That filled my empty heart with hope for the future. Cough, cough, cough " The old man gasped. It''s been a while since he spoke so much. It was exhausting especially for him in his weak condition. Knowing that he would not see the sun the next morning, he ignored the condition of his body. He looked up at the young man named Vanroc and continued, "One year after your birth your mother had to go. She said that if she did not go, our family and especially you, her son, would be in grave danger. She would not be able to protect any of us. At that time, I was shocked that your father did not even try to stop her. He just smiled at her. They promised that they would meet again in the future. "If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The old man stopped to take a breath. Vanroc looked incredulously at his grandfather. His grandfather and his father never talked about his mother, even when he had asked several times. They just said that she really loves him and he could be proud of his mother. When Vanroc heard this now, he wanted to ask his grandfather further, but his grandfather seemed to have seen his thoughts and continued. "Do not even try to ask. I will not tell you where your mother is right now, nor about her background. If you happen to meet your mother in the future, you''ll understand why I do that. " When Vanroc heard his grandfather''s words, he stopped thinking about it and kept listening. "When you grew up, your dad wanted to make money to buy a house in a better place for us. To earn the money, he joined the military. Since he died, we both stayed behind. I hoped to stay by your side for a few more years and teach you more about my knowledge. Cough, cough" Vanroc reached out to hold his grandfather''s hand. Tears flowed unstoppable, sobbing, he held the old and weak hand, "Grandfather, thank you. Thank you for everything. Your love and care let me grow up happy. I had a wonderful childhood. Playing with you, learning and living with my dad and this village was really my luck. " When he saw through his tears, he could see the smile of his grandfather. Vanroc came to his senses again and heard the sound of the small river in front of him. He had closed his eyes as he remembered the past. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw a silhouette through the sunlight as he looked at the sun. In front of him stood a young woman in a knee-length, light blue summer dress with a belt around her waist. It emphasized her normal figure in the right places. Her honey-colored skin shone in the sun. She looked about 20 years old. While her long orange hair flowed in the wind, she looked at him with a friendly smile. As he looked at her, Vanroc could feel a noble aura of hers. That made him look a second time. He felt that she was different from the nobles he had seen with that aura when he was in the larger neighboring town of Agri with his grandfather two years ago. At his second look, he found out what caused that feeling. Her hips and waist are wider than those of the nobles he had seen before. Usually, they had an extremely thin waist, so it looked like they were breaking in a gust of wind. Vanroc always wondered where these women had their organs. Did they trade them for the status of a noble? After a brief stupor as he looked at this young woman, Vanroc was at his senses again. He looked up in her brown, deep eyes and asked, "Can I help you?" Chapter 1: Feeling of emptiness (2) The young woman looked back at his face and said with a smile on her lips: "It looked like you might need help. You sat here so lonely with flowing tears. " After hearing her words, Vanroc blushed slightly. He had not expected anyone to be near this place, so he had let his emotions run out of control. She saw that and asked him with a warm smile, "Would you like to tell me what happened?" Before Vanroc could answer her, she sat down on a rock beside him. Then she looked at him expectantly, she said nothing more. Vanroc hesitated for a moment. The young woman was a stranger to him, could he really tell her about the last twenty days? Precisely because she was an unknown and did not seem to come from the surrounding area, he could tell her. Vanroc took a deep breath and started talking about his grandfather''s death. As she listened to his story, the smile disappeared from the young woman''s face and was replaced by a concentrated and complex look. She was focused on listening to Vanroc''s words. After talking about the evening his grandfather had died, he paused for a moment. The young woman could see that the sad look he had been making as he talked declined a bit. Vanroc needed a moment to readjust his emotions before he could continue. Then he began to tell what happened in the following days, "After he died, I organized a good funeral for him. At that time, I noticed no change in the villagers. Four days after the funeral, I went to the only food store in the village. On my way there, I could feel the strange looks of the other villagers. These are all people I have known since I can think. I thought it was because they feel sorry for me or something since I''m alone now. When I entered the store, the owner, who stood at the entrance, looked at me and said in a harsh tone, ¡®Get out, you''re just bringing death to our village.¡¯ When I heard that, I was completely confused. Why should he say that? We have known each other for so long. I even played with his son and he always treated me as his second son.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. After a moment of numbness, I heard a voice from the left. There stood a young woman, who is about 30 years old. Her house is near the store and I have talked to her recently. She came to me and said, ''You have heard him! And if you do not go now, you get in trouble! " After that, I left the store and went home without buying anything. Normally I had a relaxed and safe feeling as I walked in through the front door, but since the funeral, it felt weird to step into this empty house. After lunch, I considered what to do next. I only had some money left. It would be enough to buy food for a few days, but without income, it would be problematic in the future. When I remembered how the shopkeeper reacted earlier, I knew it would not work to ask him for help. So I decided to travel to the next bigger city to earn some money. We used to live on the money my grandfather got from the military and on savings from my father. I never thought about why my grandfather was still getting money from the military. Usually, you do not get any money after leaving the army. Now I''m curious. I had a plan to rent or sell our house to someone and earn money to help me start a new life in a larger city. I had a mixed feeling about leaving the village where I grew up, but it did not stop me from packing a bag of the most important things I needed. While packing, I heard someone knocking on the door. I went to the door and saw Gwydo, an old friend of my father. He apologized for my loss and fetched a letter from his horse''s saddlebag. At the delivery of the letter, he told me that my father asked him to hand over this letter if he and my grandfather had died. Then he got back on his horse and started to ride. A bit baffled about his quick departure, I decided not to think about it. I went back to the house and looked at the letter. It was sealed and my name was on it. I remembered that this handwriting came from my father. As I opened the seal and took out the contents, a ring with a small green jade stone fell into my hand. When I read the contents of the letter, I was surprised, shocked and happy, even though there were only four lines: "My beloved son, if you read this I already died. Your mother and I always love you. This is a ring your mother left for you. If you are lucky enough to meet her, she will notice this ring. " When I looked at the ring more closely, I saw an engraving in the jade stone. It looked like two roses. I was sad that the letter was so brief. I mean, why did not he wrote more? It felt so good to read his written words. At the same time, I was really happy. I was not sure if my mother was alive. Although my father and grandfather told me she was still alive, I had never seen anything of her and now at least have a ring that belongs to her. At that moment, I swore never to part with it until I found my mother. " Chapter 1: Feeling of emptiness (3) When he saw the young woman looking at his hands, he raised his left hand and showed the ring on his ring finger. Vanroc smiled slightly and continued, "I put the letter aside. After I finished packing, I brought the bag to the door that led into the garden. I planned to travel in three to five days, hoping to find someone to rent or buy the house. By this time it was already dark outside, so I went to the kitchen and made myself something to eat. As I thought about where to put the things of myself and my grandfather, when I rented or sold the house, I smelled something. With the feeling that the temperature was rising and the air was getting thicker, I left the kitchen. I saw flames in the front part of the house and went straight to the back door, took my bag and fled into the garden. I ran about ten yards into the garden before looking around. When I saw six of my neighbors coming over, I was relieved. No matter what, we would help each other out in such situations. At least that''s what I thought. After seeing the three of them in advance, I saw that they carried pitchforks and big hammers. At the same time, the other three in the background began to throw burning torches at my house. Now I understood that they had not come to help me. Shocked and confused, I started to run. I fled under the protection of the night. " He looked at the young woman in front of him. As he told her his story from the last twenty days, he could tell by the look on her face that she felt everything as if she''d had his experiences. She looked at Vanroc, her eyes seemed much softer than before. An unknown period of time has passed. They just looked at each other. She had a thoughtful look while he had a questioning look on his face. The young woman broke the silence and began to speak, "That''s really terrible. Why did they do it? " Vanroc shrugged and with a thoughtful look into the distance said, "I really do not know. I wish I knew the reason. " When she saw that Vanroc did not seem to know why, she changed the subject, "And what do you want to do from now on?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. That was a good question. That was why he was sitting here by the river. Vanroc smiled crookedly as he answered the question, "I''m not sure. I do not know why they burned down my house. I do not know why the villagers have changed. I do not know what to do now. " The young woman could clearly hear the helplessness in the voice of this young man. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "I think you should go to the bigger city, as you planned earlier, and try your luck there. If you are out of luck there, you can come to my home country. It is a bit far from here but has many friendly people. Do you have something to write with you?" When he heard her words, he did not know if her suggestion would help him. He did not know her and did not know to what extent he could trust her if even the people with whom he spent his entire life suddenly wanted to get rid of him. Did she just want to fool him? Should he give her something to write? Since Vanroc could think, everyone in the village was always friendly and helpful like her. And now they wanted to burn him overnight with his home! When he thought about it, he realized he would not find an answer if he did not try. As Vanroc drifted away with his thoughts, the young lady waited with a smile on her lips. It seemed that she had a strong sense of confidence as if she already knew what Vanroc would do. When Vanroc came to his senses, he decided to give her a paper and a paintbrush. Inside, he wanted to trust someone, in spite of or because of what had happened. He turned to his bag, rummaged in it, took out the paper and brush, and handed it to the young lady. She accepted both and started writing something on it. Then she folded the paper once and gave both back. After Vanroc had taken the items back, he wanted to thank her when he realized he did not know her name. "We have not introduced ourselves yet, I''m Vanroc Mirai." When she heard Vanroc''s introduction, she answered with a sassy and teasing smile, "Hello Vanroc, if we meet again, I''ll tell you my name.It looks like I have to go now. " As she spoke the last sentence, her gaze wandered to her right side. When Vanroc followed her gaze, he saw someone in the distance. There was a man wearing armor. The young woman turned her face back to Vanroc, "Good luck! I hope to see you again in the future. " When she had finished her sentence, she went to the armored man. Before Vanroc could say anything, the young lady and the man in armor were out of sight. What remained was a surprised and confused man sitting on a stone beside a river. He was not sure what he should think of the sudden departure of his conversation partner. He remembered the note he still held in his hand. He opened the note and was surprised that there were the names of a continent, a country and a city of which he had never heard before. Chapter 2: Hunger (1) Vanroc sat on the stone by the river for a while. He had decided to travel to a larger city. He took a map from his bag, which came from his grandfather''s possession. With a purposeful look, he scanned the map and considered which city should be his destination and which route he would have to take for it. Nearby there were four big cities. To the west was the city of Tene with about 1000 inhabitants. East of it was the town of Agri with about 7000 inhabitants. Further east of Agri was the town of Calagri, which also had about 3500 inhabitants. Finally, there was the city of Umbradigum, which was located southeast of Agri with over 15000 inhabitants. Vanroc thought for a long time and decided that his goal would be Umbradigum. His grandfather had once told him that Umbradigum was the trade center in the northeast. It was also the largest city in the nearby region, so he had a better chance of finding a job. After he set his destination, he thought about the best travel rod. Vanroc decided that it would make the most sense to travel first to the town of Agri and then to Umbradigum. To get to Agri, Vanroc had two options. Either he travels to the west-east to take the streets where merchants normally transport their goods. It would take a few days longer, but it would be a safer road for his journey. Or Vanroc would run the risk of traveling through the woods between Originem and Agri. It would shorten travel time, but it would also be riskier and more dangerous. Although both routes were not really safe, the route that traders normally use would be a bit safer in terms of monster attacks. Vanroc thought for a while whether the risk would be worth it. He thought about his situation. He barely had any food or money. On the way, he could be lucky and meet a traveling merchant, who could sell him something to eat for a small price. But if he is not lucky, it would be difficult to cover the longer way. If he chose the path through the forest, he could catch some monsters for roasting. Well, in the end, both would depend on his luck. Eventually, Vanroc decided to take the risk of traveling through the forest. The sooner he arrived at Agri, the sooner he could start his new life in Umbradigum. Since Vanroc was so absorbed in his thoughts, he had not noticed that it was already evening when he made that decision. So he decided to spend the night near the river, so he could set out on his journey through the forest at dawn.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Fortunately, despite all the problems, Vanroc did not have to worry about drinking water. At the river he stayed, he had already filled his supply, since the water was extremely clear and clean. This would last for a while. The next morning Vanroc made his way into the forest and oriented himself to the sun''s position to go in the right direction. Last night he had calculated that the way through the forest would take about 15 to 17 days. After three days of his journey, Vanroc was fortunate to find fruits that grew in the forest. This enabled him to save his rations, which would make the journey easier. Vanroc encountered no monsters or other dangers until the tenth day of his journey. This was not too surprising, as it was not the Black Forest or the Dark Forest where strong and dangerous monsters were at home. Vanroc decided to catch some monsters for their meat, as his rations were almost empty. Several years ago, he and his grandfather read a book about catching monsters with home-made traps. At that time, his grandfather took him to the garden and built a small trap to try in reality. Vanroc remembered the way they had made the trap. First, he broke off a branch from a tree with a diameter of 2 cm and a length of 90 cm. Then Vanroc broke this branch in two places, not completely through, so he got a horseshoe shape. He sharpened both ends with the help of a sharp-edged stone. After that Vanroc was looking for a young, flexible tree. Not far from this tree he struck the horseshoe stick with its pointed ends in the ground. Since he had no hammer with him, he used a larger stone for it. Then Vanroc searched for a branch as thick as the branch of the shaped horseshoe. This branch got hammered a bit away from the horseshoe into the ground. As the last main material, Vanroc took a rope out of the backpack and knotted it so that a variable sling was made. Next, he fastened a short thinner branch over the noose. The end of the rope without sling was then attached to the bendable tree. Finally, he attached the rope to the structure by wrapping the short branch, which had been fastened over the sling, halfway around the horseshoe. It was placed so that the short branch with the rope does not come off again. To do this, he stretched another branch between the short branch and the branch opposite the horseshoe he had fastened there before. To lure monsters, Vanroc put one of his last rations at the sling as bait. As soon as a monster with one foot got caught in the noose and bumped against the branch Vanroc had placed between the other two, the monster''s leg would get caught in the noose. Satisfied with his work, Vanroc sought a good place to hide. Waiting for a monster to fall into his trap, he remembered asking his grandfather why he had taught him that. His grandfather laughed heartily and had answered, "Little Roc, why are you asking? Such things may be helpful in your future. You never know what you will experience in your life. Besides, why do you ask that only on this topic, which you can even use in practice and not on any other topic I would otherwise teach you? There are a variety of topics, some without context or direct applications, but you question this? " When Vanroc thought about it, he himself did not know why he had asked his grandfather about it. Chapter 2: Hunger (2) Suddenly he remembered something important. He now had a working trap, but he did not have a knife or anything to kill and dismantle the monster if he caught one. When Vanroc thought about using the sharp-edged stone, he heard the bushes rustling behind him. He turned slowly and tried to see what was in the bushes. Since it was already evening, it was not easy to see in the forest. After a moment, Vanroc saw several silhouettes running from the bushes. When one of them stepped into a spot with more light, Vanroc could see a pig-like body with a long, blunt snout, small ears, and long, sharp tusks. The entire body was purple and had an erect mane that stretched the entire length of the body. Vanroc did not know what kind of monster it was, but he knew there were too many of them for his trap and him to deal with. It would be dangerous if they discovered him. To avoid that, he tried not to move an inch and slowed his breath. As Vanroc watched the monsters, he thought about a way out. He could stay there and continue to hide. However, this would be too dangerous, as he already had enough luck that they did not run through his bush. Vanroc did not want to take this risk any longer, as the return path of the monsters was still approaching and other monsters could be lured to this place by his bait. Another option would be climbing a tree to avoid the tusks, but then he would be stuck there. Before he could think about another solution, he noticed that one of the monsters was moving in his direction. Vanroc prepared to run and reached for his bag. At that moment, he remembered that he had more rations inside. It seemed the monster that came to him smelled it. Without wasting a second longer, Vanroc started to run. The moment he left his hiding place, the monster that was walking toward him startled and screamed. This alerted the other monsters that were near the trap. At the outcry, one of the monsters knocked the stick out of the holder and activated the trap.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Two of the monsters were hanged in the air with one leg in the sling. They started screaming. A moment later, the thin, pliant tree gave way under the weight of two monsters, freeing them from the trap. When Vanroc heard this, he started to run faster, although he was already reaching his speed limit. A moment later he heard the footsteps of the group of monsters that started to pursue him. Vanroc ran and ran as fast as he could. He did not know which direction he was running, nor did he realize what was around him. He had only one thought: run! To lose his pursuers and prevent them from catching up, he zigzagged through narrow passages between trees. Despite his attempts to get rid of them, they began to catch up after some time. In front of Vanroc suddenly appeared a high shrubbery, which he wanted to avoid because he could not see what is behind. He tried to change direction to the left. Just before he could, one of the monsters caught up with him and brought him down. Due to the speed, he had built up during the race, he stumbled a few meters forward, straight through the tall and closely interlaced shrubs. Behind the bushes was a deep, sloping slope that Vanroc rolled down. When he hit something, he was unconscious. After an indefinite time, Vanroc woke up. He felt his whole body aching as he tried to get up. After a while, he managed to get to his feet and looked around. Behind him were a big, thick tree, against which he was pitched and unconscious. In front of him, Vanroc could see the slope he had rolled down. Based on the depth of the slope, several trees, as well as sharp branches and stones on the slope, Vanroc knew he had been very lucky to have survived this fall without serious injury. In fact, he had suffered only a few scratches and bruises, as far as he could tell at first glance. After Vanroc realized that he had rolled down the slope, he remembered that he was being followed by the monsters. He looked and heard if he could detect any nearby monsters. Fortunately for him, they did not seem to have followed him to the end of the slope, otherwise he would probably have lost his life while unconscious. Relieved that he was in no immediate danger, he began searching for his bag in his vicinity. Vanroc remembered that he still had it in his hand as he fell down the slope. This was especially memorable as he let go of it to better protect his face. After some time, he found his bag a few meters from where he hit the tree. The bag lay on a shrubbery. When picking up the bag, Vanroc noticed that it had a big tear and some of his belongings were missing. He continued to search the area but found nothing. Chapter 2: Hunger (3) Vanroc sat down next to the shrubbery where he had found his bag and took stock of what he still had with him: - The ring of his mother, which he still wore on his hand. - The bag with a big hole. - Some paper. (Included the address the young lady wrote down.) - The map he used to determine his destination. - His ration of water in a water bottle. - A pair of stones with fire magic to make a campfire. Of all the things Vanroc had lost, the food rations were the worst, especially after he had no rope to build a new trap. However, he was also sure he would not try to catch anything after the previous events. To find his position, Vanroc had opened the map, but he could not tell where he was currently. Fortunately, he could roughly determine which way was southeast, since the morning sun was already visible in the sky through the treetops. So he packed up the map again, took his belongings with him, and hoped to get out of the woods before starving. Vanroc walked through the forest for seven days until he finally arrived at the edge of the forest. In the last few days, he was unlucky that he found hardly anything edible like berries to satisfy his hunger. His water rations were already used up the day before, which made him even weaker since he already had to make do without food. Vanroc was on the verge of eating grass several times to quench his hunger, but he knew it would not really help him. Therefore, he tried to use the time to leave the forest as soon as possible. When he stood at the edge of the forest, Vanroc was visibly relieved. He finally made it. Vanroc kept walking forward until he found a field of vegetables. From afar, he could see a person who was apparently working on the field. Vanroc was glad to finally see another person after so many days in the forest. He moved toward the field with the person. As he got closer, he could see a young girl, that looked about 15 years old, who was weeding. She wore a white bandanna and an ankle-length blue peasant dress. Under her bandanna, a few dark-blond strands of hair stuck out, blowing in the wind. Her body was average-slim and apart from a small snub nose, she had average facial features.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. As she heard footsteps behind her, the girl turned in the direction Vanroc came from. When she saw the young man in front of her, she was shocked. It was no wonder, considering that Vanroc was covered in scratches and bruises and his clothes had suffered badly from the fall from the slope. With a worried expression, she got up and asked Vanroc, "Are you alright?" Before he could answer the girl, his eyes turned black, and he collapsed. Vanroc had pulled himself together and held on with all his might until then. Now when he heard the girl in the blue farmer''s dress talking, he couldn''t help but relax and give in to the feeling of helplessness. If it had been a few days earlier, before his journey through the forest, he probably would not have given himself to the feeling of helplessness in front of a stranger, because the distrust that had built up through the betrayal of the people in the village would have been too strong. However, after the last days without food and water, the urge to survive and give in to exhaustion was so strong that he decided to ignore any mistrust. He just wanted to survive. In his inner being, he already knew that not every person he would meet would want to cheat or deceive him in his future. The expression on the girl''s face, standing right in front of him waiting for his answer, turned into a panic expression when Vanroc collapsed unconscious. His body fell forward towards the girl. Her first intuition was to avoid the falling body. However, she decided against it so that the boy in front of her would not hit the ground with his head. Some time later Vanroc woke up. He felt all the injuries his body had suffered from his journey through the forest. Hunger and thirst, which he had suppressed the last days with all his might, now came to light. Vanroc realized only after a short moment that he was not lying on a hard floor like the last nights during which he had slept in the forest. He lay on something soft, like a bed. At that moment his memories came back. He remembered the young girl he had seen in a field. Slowly Vanroc opened his eyes and saw that he was in a room. Just as he was about to look around, he heard a female voice. "Oh, you''re already awake! How are you?" When Vanroc heard this voice, he saw the young girl in the blue farmer''s dress coming towards him. With a faint smile he replied, "Yes, thanks to your help I feel better already. Thank you very much!" When she arrived at the bed, Vanroc had already set himself up and looked up at her. "Here, have a drink, you look like you haven''t drunk for ages," said the girl in front of him. She had already prepared the glass as she had seen his dried lips before and suspected that he was dehydrated due to his collapse. Only now did Vanroc notice that the young lady held a glass of water in her hand and handed it to him. Thankfully he accepted this and drank the glass in one sip. The feeling as the water ran down his dry throat was indescribably pleasant for Vanroc. He had never before valued water to drink as much as he did at that moment. The worried expression on the girl''s face in the farmer''s dress watching him drinking relaxed as he thanked and drank the water. She took the glass that Vanroc had emptied and said, "I''ll get you some more water, I''ll be right back." Then she left the room. Chapter 2: Hunger (4) While the girl was fetching some water, Vanroc tried to get up. But this was more difficult than he had expected as his trembling legs quickly gave in, and he sat on the edge of the bed again. A little later the girl with the dark blond hair came back. She held the glass and a jug full of water in her hands. When the girl wanted to fill the glass in the kitchen, she thought that she could take an entire jug with her, which she did. She put both on a small table next to the bed and poured water from the jug into the glass and gave it over to Vanroc, who thankfully accepted it. They repeated this a few times until Vanroc had drunk enough and the jug was three quarters empty. The only conversation that took place during this time was that she offered him the glass, and he accepted it gratefully. After his thirst was satisfied for the time being and Vanroc could finally think clearly again, he realized that he hadn''t even introduced himself to his savior yet. With a grateful look and a smile on his lips, he said to her, "Thank you for your help, again! I am Vanroc Mirai, may I ask what my saviour''s name is?" The girl sitting opposite him answered in a friendly tone, "You don''t have to thank me. For me, it is natural to help someone, especially when his life is in danger!" She took a quick breath and continued with a smile, "My name is Shaia Pellellane." --- The next morning Vanroc was awakened by an intense shaking. When he opened his eyes, he saw a young girl with shoulder-length dark blond hair in front of him. The moment he saw her, he remembered that he had spent the night at the Pellellane family house. Yesterday, after waking up from his powerlessness and thanking his rescuer, they had a little chat. Shaia asked Vanroc how he got into this state and he told her about his journey through the forest. After they had talked for a while, her father came home, who wasn''t really happy that his daughter had brought a stranger home and cared for him there. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Shaia tried for a while to persuade her father that Vanroc could rest at their house and had half a success. He allowed it, but only if Vanroc would help on the farm from the next morning. Vanroc was very grateful to the father and daughter of the Pellellane family and accepted their offer. It didn''t bother him to get up at 5 o''clock to help in the yard as he got a bed, drink, food and a roof over his head. Without this chance, he would not know when he would have had such an opportunity next. Especially when he looked at his condition, he knew that this was probably the best situation he could get into. After getting up Vanroc washed his face with cold water, which Shaia had prepared for him. When he came into contact with the cold water, his tiredness was as good as washed away. Afterwards Vanroc and Shaia ate some breakfast. Meanwhile, Vanroc asked:"Shaia, where is your father? Doesn''t he have breakfast with us?" She answered with a shake of her head, "Father has always breakfast an hour before me, because he starts work an hour earlier." After his question was answered, Vanroc had some small talk with Shaia until they had finished breakfast. Then they washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. Afterward both went outside and looked for Shaia''s father. When Vanroc came outside, he was surprised how big the farm was, as he hadn''t seen it yet. After Shaia brought him unconscious into the house and placed him on the bed, he had only been inside. Shaia led Vanroc to a shed next to the house. When they entered the shed, Vanroc could already hear clinkering and other noises. The source of the sounds was in a corner of the shed behind a stack of bales of hay. "Father, we are ready.", Shaia said in the direction from where the sounds came before. Not much later a man appeared who pushed a wooden wheelbarrow in front of him and said with a deep voice: "You can continue with the work you were supposed to do yesterday." The man seemed to be in his mid-thirties. He had a robust muscular build, was one head taller than Vanroc, and wore simple work clothes. His short hair was even darker than his daughter''s dark blonde hair. Vanroc felt a little intimidated when he saw him. The man had a grim look on his face, just like when they first met the evening before. Even though his full beard covered parts of his features, the cold gaze of his dark brown eyes and his body stature were enough to make Vanroc feel that way. Chapter 3: Work in exchange for accommodation (1) He went on to say to Vanroc, "You''re coming with me!" Then, without another word, he pushed the wheelbarrow, on which there were various objects, in front of him and left the shed. Shaia and Vanroc followed him outside, where Shaia said goodbye and entered another shed which was next to the one mentioned before. After she disappeared into the shed, Vanroc heard the deep voice of Shaia''s father next to him: "Boy, take the wheelbarrow and follow me." The man turned around and started walking. Vanroc took the wheelbarrow and followed him as ordered. They walked silently next to each other for a while. Vanroc didn''t know how to start a conversation with him. It was surprising to him that father and daughter were the complete opposite in their behaviour and accessibility. He could start a conversation with Shaia without any problems, into which she entered with interest. Vanroc had tried to get into a conversation with him the evening before, which was not easy due to the short answers and the perceived lack of interest in a conversation on the part of Shaia''s father. The intimidating aura he had on Vanroc was not very helpful. Unexpectedly, Shaia''s father first broke the silence and asked in a relaxed tone, "Your name is Vanroc, right? Vanroc was surprised that he started the conversation so relaxed. Based on the impression he had from their brief contacts the day before, Vanroc would have expected him to be more aggressive in a conversation. A little relieved, he replied: "That''s right, my name is Vanroc Mirai. I haven''t had the opportunity to ask you how to address you, Mr Pellellane? Apparently a little annoyed by the counter-question, the man walking next to Vanroc sighed and answered after a short moment: "Just call me by my first name, Reg. It''s more annoying to talk too formally than to be addressed by a young boy like you by my first name." Positively surprised by the answer, Vanroc remembered a conversation he had had with Shaia the day before. He had asked her how he could more easily get into a conversation with her father after he had failed before. She had told him it was as easy as talking to her. Vanroc doubted Shaia''s testimony, but after that answer it seemed that he could have a conversation with him this time.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Vanroc wanted to thank Reg Pellellane for his help and his daughter for his previous attempt. He knew he was lucky that Reg didn''t just chase him away. Now he dared another attempt: "I want to thank you. Had it not been for you and Shaia, I wouldn''t know if I was still alive today". Reg had heard about Vanroc from his daughter the day before when he came home. She had told him how she had met him and how he had collapsed. She also repeated the story of how Vanroc traveled through the forest and came into contact with monsters. As reason for his trip Vanroc had told Shaia that he had no relatives after his grandfather''s death and that he wanted to go to town to find work. "You should only thank Shaia if she hadn''t asked, I would have sent you away with some water after waking up. Even if you haven''t recovered yet, you have to work for your meals to stay here. But before that I want to know from you why you are here and when you will leave again? Even though Reg Pellellane had already heard the story of his daughter, he wanted to hear it from Vanroc himself. It wasn''t that he didn''t believe his daughter''s statement, but she was only 15 years old and hasn''t yet learned to see through lies and tricks. How could he sleep peacefully if he didn''t even check it himself? After all, Vanroc was a strange young man whose motives he did not know for sure. This was also the reason why Reg Pellellane spent the last night awake, making sure Vanroc stayed in his room. Vanroc nodded and replied: "I owe her one. Should Shaia ever need my help, I will help her as much as I can". He knew that Reg already implied with his question that he could only stay temporary. He didn''t blame him for not wanting him on the farm for too long. Previously Shaia had told him that her father worked so hard to get them both enough food during the winter. It was clear to him that a helping hand would ease the situation for father and daughter, but only if the person already had experience. Training him would be an additional burden for them. He continued with his answer: "I am on my way to Umbradigum to look for work. I have yet to figure out how to get there after I have lost some of my belongings in the forest, including my money". When Reg Pellellane heard his answer, he was relieved because the young man did not make any effort to stay much longer. He didn''t seem to be lying either, as he answered without hesitation and looked into his eyes. Nor were there any physical signs that he was not telling the truth. After a short silence, Reg came up with an idea: "Soon a merchant comes along. He regularly picks up our harvests and other products. As far as I know he comes from Umbradigum. Then he drives to Agri and afterwards to Calagri. Since our farm is located in the northern outskirts of Calagri, he is willing to trade with us. If you really don''t know how to get to Umbradigum, you should ask him for help. He will come in the next few days, you can stay here until then. Of course you have to work in the meantime! Everything else is up to you." Chapter 3: Work in exchange for accommodation (2) Surprised by the offer of the man with the cold appearance, Vanroc replied with relief: "I will work hard! Thank you very much. He didn''t expect his problems to be solved so easily for the time being. He seemed to have completely misjudged Reg, as he didn''t make it unnecessarily difficult for him, but possibly helped to solve his problems. If he had met Shaia and Reg under normal circumstances before or at the beginning of his journey through the forest, he would have completely distrusted them. The scars of the villagers'' sudden betrayal were still too fresh for that. Even though Vanroc had told his story to the young lady at the river, he only did so because he had lost himself. The cold nature of Reg and his demand for food and a bed in exchange for work made it easier for Vanroc not to distrust him with every word. In one trade, one did not owe the other anything. So it was easier to accept a deal than to remain a friendly and unconditional invitation. Vanroc was aware of this. However, he rejected this logic when it came to Shaia. Shaia had saved his life without demanding anything from him, yet he was not suspicious of her. However, this had nothing to do with the fact that he developed feelings for her, but with her past. During her conversations Vanroc had asked if she lived alone on the farm with her father. There he had learned that her mother and her older brother had been killed in an attack by monsters. Since then she has been helping anyone who needed her help. She didn''t want to see anyone die in front of her eyes again. This was also the reason why, without hesitation, she helped Vanroc. Furthermore, it was also the reason why Reg accepted his daughter''s request. Since that day she was often sad, but when she helped others she had the smile back which he missed so much. He wanted his daughter to be happy. Before, when Shaia helped others, it were mostly children who had hurt themselves running around. But Vanroc was the first one she brought to the farm to help him. After Vanroc had thanked Reg for the offer, he asked him: "What should I help with? And why do we need the tools on the wheelbarrow?If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Vanroc had suspected that based on their conversation, it would now be easier to talk to Reg. This assumption was quickly refuted by Reg''s answer: "Build a fence." Even though it was a short answer, it contained the information he had asked for. The remaining way, as before, they walked silently. After a while they came to a field that was 15 meters wide and 30 meters long. The field was recognizable by the loosened earth and the grass that bordered the field. On the field lay wooden bars and poles stacked on top of each other. As they reached the field, Vanroc heard the voice of Reg again: "We are building a fence around the field to keep monsters away." Vanroc was then to follow him to one of the corners of the field where he had already set up a few meters of fence. There Reg showed Vanroc how to set up the fence on his own, so that they could both set up the fence in the opposite direction. Vanroc became curious as he explained how the fence should be built. He had always loved to learn new things from his grandfather. Even though he was distrustful towards others, he did not want to do without acquiring knowledge. The special thing about this fence was that the wooden planks were not simply nailed to a fence pole from the side. First, the poles were dug into the ground at a certain distance and depth. The poles were angular and had a wide diameter. At fixed heights there were three holes pierced through the poles. These holes fit exactly with the wooden planks so that they could be pushed through the holes. To build the fence, the poles were connected by pushing the wooden planks into the holes. In both wooden poles were the ends of the wooden planks inside the holes. These were fastened there from the outside with a nail. After Vanroc had understood how the building system worked, they began to build the fence around the field. It took several hours to finish. As they looked at their finished work, Vanroc asked: "What monsters is the fence supposed to stop? Is a simple wooden fence even capable of doing so?" After asking the questions, Vanroc thought he had seen something like a light smile for a short moment under Reg''s beard. Since there was no direct answer to his question, he also said: "While crossing the forest, I met a group of monsters. Based on my observations, they wouldn''t have a problem knocking down that fence." Vanroc wanted to explain with his statement why he doubted the effectiveness of the fence. Instead of answering his questions, Reg asked a counter question: "What monsters did you encounter in the forest?" Chapter 3: Work in exchange for accommodation (3) Vanroc described the monsters that had hunted him after trying to catch one with his trap. When Reg heard that the bodies of the monsters were purple, and they had an upright mane and tusks, a name immediately came to his mind. "Based on your description, I only know one monster that has these characteristics. You came across a group of Blood-Boar." Vanroc had intended to read books later or ask adventurers what monster he had encountered. Now Reg seemed to know which monsters he had met, so he asked: "Blood-Boar?" Reg seemed to be more talkative than before and replied: "Blood-Boar are monsters that live in groups. You can escape them individually, but as a group they are a problem even for some adventurers." He took a breath and continued in a more serious tone: "These beasts are the main problem here in the area. They are not afraid of humans and come to our fields to look for food. They are not picky about what they eat. As soon as they have been on a field, all that remains are some leftovers. That is why we farmers have to protect ourselves against them, otherwise we have no harvest." Vanroc became aware, through Reg''s words, how much luck he had in the forest and how stupid it was to go through it. Previously he had complained about the slope because he had lost some of his belongings there. Now he was glad that he had rolled down the slope, so that the Blood-Boar didn''t follow him any longer. Even though Reg said the fence was meant to stop the Blood-Boar, Vanroc found it unlikely that a simple wooden fence would withstand them. So he asked: "If the Blood-Boar are so dangerous, how is a simple wooden fence supposed to stop them?" "Very simple! By painting the fence with ''Field Protection''.", replied Reg to Vanrocs question. Since Vanroc had never heard of anything like Field Protection, he asked with interest: "What is Field Protection? Reg seemed to have forgotten his cold way of answering in only short sentences and answered in a teaching tone: "Field Protection is a substance that is applied to the fence once a year. It smells a little sweet to people, but many monsters don''t like it and stay away from it. This also includes the Blood-Boar! This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The substance came on the market for the first time a year ago. The merchant I mentioned earlier is the only supplier. Last year I tested it on another field. Since the effect was very good, I decided this year to also protect this field with it." Vanroc understood how important it was to protect the harvest, so he asked: "If the effect of the product is so good, why didn''t you buy the product for this field after a month or two of testing?" Reg was surprised that Vanroc asked him this question, as the answer, in his opinion, was so obvious. "Because the stuff has a ridiculously high price! I had to calculate last year''s profit, so I could pay for the stuff for the second field." When Vanroc heard the answer, he realized how meaningless his question was and wanted to distract from it by asking Reg: "Do I have to pay attention to anything when applying it?" "No, it''s applied as if you were painting the fence with a color." Reg got some paintbrushes and the liquid Field Protection from the wooden wheelbarrow and started applying it with Vanroc on the fence. --- The next morning Vanroc was woken up by Shaia again. He noticed that his body felt heavier than the day before, although his injuries had recovered somewhat. Vanroc could attribute this to the fact that the movements he had made on the field yesterday at work were movements he did not usually make. This made him aware that although he was not nonathletic, he should train his body more to avoid being so exhausted from such work. After getting up and washing, Vanroc had breakfast with Shaia, just like the day before. Meanwhile, Reg was already outside and had already been working for an hour. They then went back outside where Shaia said: "Dad said you should help me milk our herd of Steel-Cows today." Vanroc had read about Steel-Cow in a book of his grandfather some time ago. Therefore, he knew that Steel-Cow is a special kind of monster, which compared to other monsters can be easily held by humans. Furthermore, they are the only monster species that produce milk all year round if they are milked. Over the past 200 years, fewer and fewer steel cow have been seen in the wild. However, since there was neither a drawing nor a description of this monster in the book, Vanroc was interested in what they might look like. Shaia set off with Vanroc to get to the field where the steel cow herd is kept. On the way, Shaia told Vanorc that they only had one herd of 10 Steel-Cows, as they already take a lot of time to keep and look after. If they had more of them, her time would not be enough to do the tasks she otherwise had besides milking on the farm. After a while, they arrived at the field with the Steel-Cow herd. Chapter 4: Steel-Cow When Vanroc let his eyes wander over the surroundings, he recognized a little further away the field where he passed out two days ago. This field was a little further to the right of the Steel-Cow field and was not fenced. Vanroc wondered how Shaia had managed to transport him over that distance after fainting. So he turned to Shaia and asked her: "How did you manage to get me from here to the farm?" When she heard Vanroc''s question, she started smiling and tried to suppress a slight laugh while answering: "I had a wooden wheelbarrow with me to collect the weeds. After you passed out, I laid you on the ground, got the wheelbarrow, loaded you on the wheelbarrow and pushed you to the farm." When Shaia told him about the events, the pictures came back to her mind. After she had loaded Vanroc onto the wheelbarrow, she realized that the position was not quite optimal. He was lying head first on the wheelbarrow with his butt in the air. It looked like he was about to make a dive into the wheelbarrow. Shaia suppressed the urge to laugh and directed the conversation in a different direction as she opened the fence gate to the Steel-Cow field: "This field houses the Steel-Cows." Vanroc now took a closer look at the Steel-Cow field in front of him. It was fenced in with a fence, which resembled those he had built the day before. On the field he could see a watering place, a feeding place, a small wood shed and of course the 10 Steel-Cow. The Steel-Cow walked on four legs, had a dark gray skin, a thin tail and about 30 cm long horns. Under their belly hung an udder with two teats, which had the same color as the rest of the skin. Their bodies were about 1.70 high and about 1.80 meters long. Vanroc could almost feel how relaxed these monsters were as they walked around the large field. The Steel-Cows remained relaxed even though a stranger like him entered the field. He would have expected as a normal reaction that the monsters would at least show some excitement or basic interest in him. However, the Steel-Cows didn''t seem to care whether he was in their enclosure or not. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Since Vanroc couldn''t explain the lack of reaction, he asked Shaia: "How come they stay so calm when we enter the field? They seem to ignore us." Shaia was amused by Vanroc''s question and replied: "That''s because of their special qualities. Steel-Cows have a skin that is incredibly tough, so there are hardly any other monsters that can hurt them. The only places adventurers can hurt them, for example, are the eyes and inside the mouth. Since they can defend these places with their pointed horns, they have almost no need to worry about other creatures." Shaia and Vanroc continued to talk while taking care of the adjacent tasks. They replenished the water and food, checked if the fence was still intact everywhere and milked the Steel-Cows. Vanroc learned to milk them, they have to be cleaned first. When Vanroc first tried to milk a Steel-Cow, Shaia hadn''t told him yet. Before he even got to the udder, the Steel-Cow ran away from him. It didn''t matter how many times he tried, the result was the same. Meanwhile, Shaia leaned against the fence and watched the spectacle with a smile. After a series of failed attempts, Shaia showed him how to do it right. Shaia took a bucket of water and a cloth to clean a Steel-Cow. After she had completed it, she started milking. She explained to Vanroc that it was like an exchange of favors. They get the milk and in return the Steel-Cow gets the food and care. --- In the evening after a long working day Vanroc lay in his bed and was lost in thought. He wondered how to convince the merchant to take him with him even though he had no money. Suddenly Vanroc got up from his bed and went to his broken bag. After a short digging he found what he was looking for. He still had the pair of stones with fire magic, which he had completely forgotten. His grandfather had once said that these kinds of magical objects are rather rare and therefore relatively valuable. He would try to use them as a means of payment in the hope that the merchant would accept them. After he had made up a battle plan, he lay down again in bed and fell asleep after a short moment.