《The Warrior on the Bridge》 Prologue and Chapter 1: Guard The Warrior on the Bridge Once again. I am here. Every day of my life was and is going to be spent here. Guarding the bridge to the castle of the Princess. . . . Bandit Boss: "Hoi!!! Hurry up! They say mountains of treasures are hidden there!" Bandit: "Right away boss!" A group of bandits was climbing up a mountain path. At the end of this path, is a bridge and once they''ve crossed that, legends have promised them unimaginable riches. Bandit: "To think it was just right here, boss!" Bandit Boss: "Hehehe... Now, time to get rich!" Mountains have surrounded this area, and there were no other paths aside from the one the bandits have taken. Once they came out of the mountain path filled with trees, they could see a massive castle beyond a bridge. And at the end of the bridge. There was a guard. He was just one. He was huge. He was like 10-ft tall, Guard: "Go back now. You''ll be spared." Bandit Boss: "Are you kidding me, big guy?" Bandits: "Ahahahah!" Bandit Boss: "Check this guy out! He thinks he can take all of us out by himself!" The bandit group was made up of 20 men. They were all veteran bandits. They defeated rare monsters and legions of soldiers before. Bandit Boss: "You think you''re so tough, huh!? Charge!!!!" They charge all at once. Five men were ahead. Guard: "As always, you people give me no choice." The guard took out his weapon. It was a greatsword. He had no shield, but he was wearing armor that covered his entire body and a full helm that covered his face. He readied his sword and once the enemies got in range. Bandit Boss: "Hah! You think we''re stupid!" The bandit leader threw something at the guard. It was a grenade. It exploded near the guard''s face. Smoke covered his vision. But He already swung his greatsword even while he took the explosion. Bandits: "UGHHHH!!!" The sword hit the group of five with one swing. Throwing the enemies over the bridge and into the fast-moving river. Whether they died or not didn''t matter, the bandits won''t rise from a river that brutal. It was a river going straight down to a waterfall. The current was powerful. Bandit: "This bastard!" Bandit Boss: "Use ranged attacks on him!" ! ! They aimed at the space on the helm for the eyes, but the guard won''t let them have their way. He moved his gauntlet to block the arrows that were about to hit his face. His armor was so durable that this kind of attack isn''t going to do any damage. Bandit: "Arghh!!!" The 15 bandits left was now standing still, staying away from the guard. Bandit Boss: "Use spells!" ! ! The spells were like rain on rock. It did not affect the guard. Guard: "Feel like surrendering now?" Bandit Boss: "Grrr!!! Let''s do it the old fashion way, boys! Smash this guy to pieces!" The bandit group now continued their charge, not thinking about their safety anymore. They knew not all of them were going to come back alive, but at least they helped defeat the guards. One guy was intentionally put in front to lure the attack of the guard. He makes strong attacks, but it was slow. Guard: "Hmmm..." Once the guy in front gets in range. The swing from the greatsword came. The bandit in front tried to block it with a magic shield of his, but he was blown away. Bandit Boss: "Now! Move!" Now that the guard was supposed to get ready for his next attack, the bandits tried to rush their way to him. Bandit Boss: "Once we cross the bridge, let''s surround him and kill him!" But- Guard: "Who told you I only make slow attacks?" The next second after the first bandit was taken out, the guard drew back his greatsword so quick that it looked like it disappeared. He was already making his second swing. The following group, which consisted of 4 men, was hit altogether. 4 of them was cut down and thrown away into the river. Bandit Boss: "Shit!" But the ten bandits had close the distance after the second attack. They jumped at the guard to try and take him out. They slashed and smash at the armor, but they were not doing any damage. Guard: "You see... This armor, can''t be damaged by your weak attacks." The guard roared while he took out every one of the bandits near him. The bandit leader could not do anything but watch the rest of his group get destroyed. Bandit: "Boss! Let''s get out of here!" After one of the bandits said that, the guard suddenly appeared in front of the two. Guard: "You two are the last one left. Any last words or letters to give to your love ones? I can send them for you." The guard was sincere. Bandit Boss: "This bastard!" The leader lost all his fear and nervousness. He was just filled with anger. He leaped at the guard and tried to bury his enchanted daggers into the neck of the guard. These daggers were called the Poisoner''s Teeth. It has high penetration, and once it hits the skin of the victim, the deadly poison will spread over the body almost instantaneously. Unfortunately... Clink! The daggers broke. The guard grabbed two of them in the necks. Guard: "You greedy men have been warned but refused to flee. Death is the reward for your transgressions!" He smashed the two remaining bandits to the ground. There was a strong shockwave, and the bodies were unrecognizable. There were no cracks in the bridge since the materials used were ancient magical items. There was no known weapon or spell that existed in this time to destroy these materials.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Guard: "Once again... Lives lost because of greed." It was just not greed, though. Countless people lost their lives here while they were chasing fame, power, treasures and the princess that resides in the castle. For five years... I have guarded this bridge. And all of those years, different warriors from different countries try to defeat me. I don''t know how or why but rumors of treasures and hidden powers were being spread around everywhere about this place. The only thing here was just the Princess. I haven''t met her before. She was thirteen when I started guarding this bridge. That was the time when the King decided to take all of his soldiers out for a campaign. None of them came back. We weren''t a vast country in the first place. Nearly all the villagers were part of that campaign, and because none of them came back, only a few servants of the princess remained. Still, there''s no assurance that they were dead. As long as I live, I will guard this bridge because that is the order of my King! He said to me... King: "Atup. You shall guard this bridge with your life. You will guard it until we return." Atup: "Yes, Your Majesty!" I could still see his red cape dancing in the air while he rode on his horse and leading the army through this bridge. That was five years ago. . . . Chapter 1: Guard Knight: "Die, you villain! I will take the Princess and be a hero!" A gallant knight charges at me and stabs me with a lance. Knight: "You have imprisoned the Princess for too long, you monster! Time to die!" While I was impaled, he was preparing a spell in his shield arm. It was going to be the spell that will kill me. Knight: "DIE!!!" NO! Atup: "Hahhh.... hah..." I woke up from my nightmare. That knight... How long has it been since I fought him? He was the one who put me on the verge of death. He had this terrifying fervour that prevented him from feeling pain and feeling fear. No matter how strong the hits I made back then, it was not a problem for him. What was his name? Ah... He never gave it to me. He thought I was some kind of monster incapable of human speech. I look around. I''m still sitting in front of the bridge. To my right side, on the riverbank, countless swords and helmets were planted on the ground. It was the same on the left side. This equipment belonged to the intruders that I have defeated. I tried to look for the gallant knight''s spot. You could see it quickly. There was a shining helm hanging on a pure white lance. His armor was not there because it''s the one I''m wearing right now. It gives you 25 % resistance to all elements except for dark element which was the counter for this armor. I looked at another spot; there was a helm planted on the ground. There was no weapon in that spot because I wielded it right now. He was a giant with a greatsword. He was a stupid opponent, but he packed a lot of power. I used the strength of his attacks against him and killed him with a spear counterattack which impaled him. As for my helm... This helmet is my own. I liked it because it covers my whole face. It''s a helmet which has small holes for me to breathe out and a little space for my eyes to see. There was no one to see it, but I don''t want to keep my face exposed. It was ugly. Filled with battle wounds and burns from hundreds of battles. Sometimes enemies would use fire spells, and the heat would go through my armor and burn my skin. My face was that of a monster. Atup: "It''s a good thing that the Princess doesn''t come anywhere near here." I said that while lying on the ground gazing at the clouds. Princess: "Why?" I was surprised. A girl''s voice suddenly answered me. I quickly grabbed my greatsword and got ready for battle. Once I turned around, there was nothing. Princess: "Hey!" Then I looked down. Atup: "Ah!" The Princess was there. Princess: "That''s rude! Getting all surprised." "I-i''m sorry, Princess." This is bad. I haven''t talked to anyone in years! I mean, how do you even speak to someone? All I do for talking is repeating a threat to intruders which I memorized. How would I not remember something I''ve said for hundreds of times. Princess: "So... What''s so bad around here that I''m not allowed to go here?" Atup: "Umm... You see, there''s Ummm... ah... Monsters and bandits that might attack... You might get caught in the battle." Princess: "I see but wouldn''t be okay if there''s no battle?" Atup: "Hmm... You wouldn''t really know when a battle is going to happen. Sometimes they come in the morning and sometimes at night using the cover of darkness." Princess: "Okay, I understand. Why don''t you come to the castle?" Atup: "There would be no one to guard the bridge then, Princess." Princess: "Hmm..." The princess looked annoyed, and her cheeks were puffed. Then some distance away from us, I saw old man Ric running, out of breath. Ric: "Your M-majesty! Huff. Let''s go back! It''s dangerous around here." Atup: "Yes, you should go back to Mr.Ric" Ric was the butler of the Princess. He also takes care of me by giving me food from the castle now and then¡ªsome vegetables and bread. I have my plants here and some trees, but I don''t know how to make bread or any good stuff to eat. I roast beasts sometimes. Ric: "Oh, Sir Atup. Thank you for taking care of the Princess. We''ll take our leave now." Princess: "Bye." The Princess waved her hand slightly. Her blue hair was dancing in the wind. She was the most beautiful thing in the castle. I mean in the whole area. There aren''t any other pretty things here, so I''m not sure about my tastes. Atup: "Take care." Then they left. Atup: "It''s time to go back to work then..." Once I looked behind, I could see a man pulling a cart. He was going to come here. He looked like an old man carrying heavy stuff. It looked like it was some tools and materials. What is he? Some kind of new warrior? Hmm... We could never be too careful. I fought old men before. Some of them were mighty wizards. I had a hard time fighting them, especially before I got this armor. I ready my weapon and take my stance. Wait for it... Wait for it... What? He was still having a hard time pulling the cart. Sure it was a long bridge but 10 minutes have already passed! What''s his deal? I take a closer look at him... then he fell. You could see him massaging his legs. He looks like he''s in pain. Is he a normal, old man? Oh... I walked to him slowly because it might be a trap. Then when I got close... Carpenter: "Oh, hello there. Sir Knight, can you help me carry all this stuff? I''m a carpenter, and I would like to work for your kingdom." A carpenter? I circled him checking for any hidden weapons. There was none. Atup: "Hmm... How would you know about this place? We''re not even a kingdom. We won''t even pass for a village. There''s barely around 15 people here." Carpenter: "That''s better! I never wanted a place with a lot of people. Once I heard about this place from my acquaintances, I began my journey right away!" I saw his body; It was full of scratches and bruises. He was lucky he did not encounter the bandits or any monsters in the area. Carpenter: "It was a long, long... journey, but now I''m here, it feels worth it already. This bridge was the most beautiful structure I have ever seen in my life." It sure was pretty. Strong too. It was the kingdom''s most valuable treasure. Atup: "Okay, old man. I''ll let you in and help you, but you''ll only work for me first. I have to ask the castle if they would need a carpenter. For security purposes, I need you to stay in my sight for the next three days. Are we clear?" Carpenter: "Clear as the summer sky." Atup: "Good. Now get on your cart." Carpenter: "What?" I put him on top of the cart and carried it to our side of the bridge. I took him to my house. It was a huge cave with a bed made of hay. Ric could not find a house big enough for me, so I just stay in this cave. "This is where I live. You can place your belongings anywhere you want. You can begin your work anytime you want too." Carpenter: "Hmm, This ain''t a house! It''s a cave!" I know, old man. Carpenter: "I''ll make you a house! As payment for letting me in, let the great Nai create a masterpiece for you!" Atup: "Eherm. We haven''t introduced ourselves yet." Nai: "Oh yeah! Sorry about that, Sir Knight. I''m Nai. I came from a craftsman village near the foot of this mountain." Atup: "I am Sir Atup. I''ll tell you our circumstances since you''re already a part of us. I am the only knight here, and everyone else asides from us are the Princess and her attendants." They have gardeners and cooks but no fighters. Nai: "Oh... That''s why there aren''t any other guards. Is it okay? I mean, you''re the only guard here." Atup: "Of course, I''ll guard this place until the king comes back." I look at the sky. It was clear. No clouds or anything. Just the blazing sun. Nai: "First! For the house, I need huge trees! Sir Atup, can you do this for me?" You just came here, and now you''re giving me orders? (Sigh)... Atup: "Okay... If you really want to make one, I''ll help you out." A house, huh? That would be good... . . . Huff...Hah... This construction thing is hard work! Old man Nai taught me how to be a carpenter. He needed help to make a house big enough for me so. I was like 9ft. or 10ft. So the house needs to be at least 15 o 20 ft to be comfortable. My strength was one of the things I''m proud of, but this work wears me out. Nai: "Oi! Your hands are getting slower!" Atup: "Sorry, Sir!" Before I knew it, I was his apprentice. This was only a for a few hours because I still need to guard the bridge. I glance at the bridge from time to time so that no one would get past unnoticed. My cave was not far from the bridge so I can still see it. Hmmm... It seems clear... Oh! The usual trolls. Trolls lived around here. Our kingdom was in the mountains, so we expect a lot of monster neighbours. Atup: "Old Man! I''ll take a short break. Trolls are coming from the other side of the bridge." Nai: "Okay!" Nai was still doing his work without any worries. I took my greatsword that was resting near the tree and went to the bridge. Atup: "Oi, you! Go away!" Sometimes, if the trolls are still young, they would run away. But these looked like they were old enough to fight. Troll: "Augh! Grah!" They would always try to talk first. I wished I knew how to speak to Trolls. Even though I said that they fight with me, I wouldn''t kill them. They just come here from time to time to fight with me. Once one of them gets defeated or all of them, they would run away. "Let''s start, shall we?" There were 3 of them. One went in front. He was the first challenger. It dropped his usual troll club, and I put my greatsword behind me. We would do it as always. With our fists. The troll there a straight at me, I didn''t even guard. I countered him. Trolls have enormous strength, but it''s not enough for me! I took the hit but was also able to land mine. Troll: "Ughhh..." It fell down. Troll 2: "Ahhhhuuu!!! Agggg!" They would sometimes look like they were laughing when one of them gets beaten like this. The other two went at me with the same tactics, but they were beaten too. Atup: "Heh..." After a few minutes, they would wake up and run. They got knocked out by my punches. I get back to my cave to continue my carpenter work. But suddenly I could hear something from behind. One of them was awake already. It was trying to say something. It was kneeling. Troll: "Aguhububu. Arbu. Arhu!" Atup: "Uhh.. Okay." Troll: "Aguuuu!" After that weird conversation, he carried his friends away from here. Probably back to their home. I wonder what was that about? When I got back, Old Man Nai was still working, and he had a lot of work waiting for me. . . . Nai: "It''s finished! Hooo!" Master Nai was contented at the work he did. Even though most of the physical labour was me, the design and the way do make the house came from him. Atup: "It looks brilliant. I never thought I''d see a house like this. Now I won''t have to be cold in winter!" Nai: "What? Really? You''ve stayed in that cave until now?" Atup: "Yep, five whole years." Hmm... I never felt bad about it. No matter how cold it got or how much Mr Rick asks me to stay in the castle, I chose this cave. It''s near the bridge, and I still need to do my job. If even one got past the bridge, hunting him down would be a huge pain. There was a large field before the castle, some small forests too. Nai: "You''re amazing!" Atup: "What? No, sir. I merely guard this bridge. There''s nothing special about that. It''s something I must do." Nai shakes his head. Nai: "No, Sir Atup! Any other knight would''ve given up after that!" We''ll never know because I''m the only knight here. Atup: "Anyways, let''s check the inside." Nai: "Of course!" I mostly did the work for the walls and foundations of the house. The roof too but Master Nai was the one who made the furniture. He said those things need skills to build. When we got inside, I was shocked. To others, it might seem a simple room with a chair, table and a bed made from wood and hay BUT! This place was the right size for me. Atup: "Thanks, Master Nai!" Nai: "You don''t need to thank me! It''s a payment! I''ll be this kingdom''s carpenter, okay?" Atup: "We''re still not sure about the castle people, but you certainly got my approval!" Nai: "Hehe!" He stuck his thumb out and smiled wide. I never realized it, but... It''s been a long time since I was happy. Before... days... months would pass by with me sitting in front of the bridge. It would rain, it would storm, sometimes blizzards come too. Mages even made other disasters, so it was much harsher. They would try to put me in a harsh environment, thinking I would give up. I''d always prove the intruders otherwise. Yeah, maybe... this thing isn''t so bad. Just Mr Nai would be an excellent addition to the kingdom. While I thought that, a person was on the bridge. Kid: "OI!!! Can you help me out here!?" There was a kid on the bridge, carrying cooking tools. Oh... What!? Another one!? Chapter 2: A cook? Chapter 2: A cook? I approached the kid. Atup: "Hey, this is no camping site! Go away!" Kid: "Huh? I''m a cook! I want to apply here!" What? What''s this? Is someone out there giving out flyers for our kingdom? The castle has enough cooks already. Atup: "Sorry kid. We have enough cooks already." Kid: "Then, I''ll be your cook instead!" He was taking something from his bag. Maybe its a trap! Didn''t he say he would cook me? Or was it cook for me? I instantly put on my fighting stance. I tried to get a fire-resistant potion from my pouch. It might be a huge fire spell! He took out, a stew, a deer stew. Kid: "Taste this, Sir Knight! If you like it, I''ll cook it every day for you!" He put it in my hands, and I was bewildered that I was not able to say anything. Could this be poison? Kid: "Well, I can also cook other things." What? Kid: "Hellooooo!? Sir Knight? Does this mean I can go in!? Yipee!" He ran past me and left his tools. Kid: "Please carry them for me! Thanks!" Oi oi oi! STOP!! STOP!!!! I quickly jumped ahead of him and stopped him in his tracks. Atup: "Wawawaitt!!!!" Kid: "What!? You didn''t say no." Atup: "What? I mean...." I didn''t know what to say. I still had the stew in my hand. I ate it before I do anything else. If it''s poison, then it would be okay since I''ve developed poison resistance already¡ªGod damn plant monsters. Atup: "Hmm. It''s good." Kid: "Right!?" But- Atup: "But... I''m still not sure if it''s allowed." Kid: "What!? Come on, Sir Knight! Pleeeeaseee?" Master Nai saw the commotion and went to us. Nai: "Oh... Is he a new recruit?" Atup: "No.. Master Na-" Atab: "Yes, I''m a new recruit! I''m a cook! My name is Atab! Nice to meet you, Master Na!" Nai: "It''s Nai, kiddo. Come on. Let''s get you sorted out. I might build you a shed of your own if you help me." Atab: "Yep! Right away!" There they go... I''d better talk to Mr.Rick soon. I was about to get the cooking materials when someone suddenly appeared. It was a person in black clothing. Is it a ninja? I''ve fought a few of them in the past. This one might be looking for revenge. I look at the riverbank, and there was a Huuma Shuriken planted in the ground. It''s one of the Masters I''ve killed. My greatsword was ready for any sudden attacks, but he was just there staring at me. After a few minutes, he left. What is that? Is it some kind of scouting mission? A whole army of ninjas might be on their way here. Can I hold out this time? Because of this event, I stayed there watching the bridge all day, all night for the next three days. Atab had to get his cooking tools on his own. He kept on shouting at me, but it was like I couldn''t hear it. I was already in battle mode. I got to stay focused. These kinds of enemies like to dish out surprise attacks. In battles, they would always attack when I blinked my eyes. They were that fast. Hmm. . . . (Nai POV) Atab: "Hey... it''s been a week now. He hasn''t even eaten anything yet." Nai: "Don''t worry, Atab. I''ve already called Lord Rick from the castle." A few moments later, Ric, the butler came. Ric: "Hm. Ah. I know this behaviour. You see, ..."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Ric told them about enemies that would try to catch him off-guard non-stop. Every day they would launch a surprise attack. Sir Atup developed a skill which is called . Ric: "This skill puts him in alert for any enemies. He is currently checking everything, The wind, the sounds, and even the beat of our hearts. Once he notices an intruder, he would go hunt them down in their hiding positions. He hunts them as quickly as he can because he can''t leave the bridge unattended for too long." Nai: "I see. Umm, Lord Rick. How long does it last?" Atab was cooking something while I talked to Lord Rick. Ric: "It lasts for at least three days to one week at most. You said that he''s like that for a week, he''s about to stop anytime now." Ric looks concerned. The battles that required Sir Atup to use this skill were battles that injured him severely. High-level enemies would be the only ones capable of doing this, and even if Sir Atup was strong, he''s not invincible. Ric: "Now... Who are you, people? It seems Sir Atup let you in because nobody just gets in here easily. Actually, there was nobody in the last five years who was able to get here." Nai: "Sorry about that, Lord Ric. My name is Nai. I helped Sir Atup build his house in exchange for letting me in. I came here to apply as a carpenter!" Ric: "Oh... That would be great! I mean, Nobody among us here was good at fixing things. We''re glad to have you aboard!" He brightened up when I mentioned I could fix things. Nai: "Thanks, Lord Ric! I shall inspect the castle for the repairs right away!" Ric: "Ah, yes. You don''t need to call me Lord Rick anymore. I am but a humble servant here. The people you need to respect is Sir Atup and Princess Gibail." Nai: "Understood!" Ric: "And you little kid?" I called Atab to have him speak with Mr.Rick. Atab: "I''m a cook! I applied as Sir Atup''s cook since he never seems to get good food!" Ric: "Eherm. Yes, that would be nice. Actually, we''re having a hard time cooking food for Sir Atup. His share is almost as huge as the whole castle staff''s share. So we rarely cook for him because it uses a lot of our resources." Nai: "So he hunts monsters and eat on his own?" Ric: "Yes." Atab: "That''s sad. But it''s a good thing I''m here! Suddenly, Sir Atup stood up. Atup: "Ahhh... It seems they didn''t plan to attack... Huh?" He was surprised to see Mr. Ric. He hasn''t gotten permission himself yet and was nervous right now. Atup: "Uhh.... oh, Mr. Ric. I-" Ric: "Don''t worry, Sir Atup. These men are going to be useful to our kingdom. I already accepted them." Atup: "Oh, really? Thanks, Mr. Ric!" Sir Atup raised Mr. Ric and hugged him. Ric: "(Cough)" That sure looked painful. Nai: "Anyways, Mr. Ric!" Ric: "Eherm.Yes?" He was still trying to catch his breath when Sir Atup put him down. Nai: "What''s the name of your kingdom? Sir Atup never mentioned it to me?" Ric: "The kingdom is called "The Bridge Kingdom". The name never really gets outside the country, so almost nobody has an idea of our nation. Most people that come up here were thinking that this was some kind of treasure trove. A hidden kingdom or something like that." Nai: "Oh... I see. How about trade and stuff?" Ric: "We don''t get traders anymore. I believe some news got to them that our kingdom got destroyed and this was just a monster''s den." Well, it does look like a hidden kingdom. The way they handle guests can really turn them away. The hardest part is getting here, and there''s no sign or anything! The vine and brushes cover the paths. Its almost impossible for anyone to get here. About that. How did Atab get here? Nai: "I get it now... but Atab?" Atab: "Yes?" Nai: "How did you even get here?" Atab: "Me? I paid a ninja to escort me here." Sir Atup suddenly speak up. Atup: "WHAT!?" . . . (Atup POV) Atup: "WHAT!?" He''s the one who led that person here? But... he said he was escorted. They know our location already. I wasn''t that surprised since one of their masters died here. They must''ve sent a scout to check this place out and decided to retreat once they saw their up against. Atab: "Why?" Atup: "The ninjas bear hatred against us. One of their groups tried to trespass here, and I killed them. Surely, one of these days they''ll come back for revenge." Atab: "Oh? I''m sorry, but the ninja person was nice. She protected me from wild monsters!" Atup: "Still!" Before I could continue my sentence... I could feel a presence suddenly appear behind me. This one''s quite good. I turned around quickly to see who it is. It was the ninja. She was just kneeling there. I don''t know what kind trick is she trying to pull, but I took out my greatsword and buffed myself up. I even used which slows time for everyone but me. The only ones that could frequently move during my buff are the ones with the same speed as the buffed me, or they might be faster than me. Atup: "Yarrghh!" I quickly make a slash to cut her down. I could see leaves slowly falling while I made the attack. But... I know she''s going to dodge it, so I cut the attack halfway and sent a quick backfist attack behind me. She was not there! I looked up, the next possible angle for her attack but she wasn''t there too. I panicked. Is she concealed? How can I defend from such a person!? My eyes kept darting around the place, but after a minute, I calmed down. I looked in front of me. She was still there, kneeling. The buff lost its effect after a minute. Atup: "What are you doing here, ninja? Are you here for revenge?" Ninja Mercenary?: "No, sir. I am not a ninja. Not anymore. I am a mercenary. I want to work in your kingdom." Atup: "Don''t try to fool me!" I thrust my greatsword in front of her. I stopped just before the tip hits her body. Atup: "Your kind uses all kinds of tricks to make an attack. I know you don''t value honor. If its a battle... you will do anything to win." She looked down. Ninja Mercenary: "I know. I left because I could not stand it anymore. In exchange for hiring me, I could provide you with information on the ninja clan." The first reason was not valid for me, but the second one is. It might be a deal worth taking and even though risky, getting information can lessen that risk. I could make this work... As long as I don''t let her stab me from the back. Atup: "Okay... You! I accept your deal." Ninja Mercenary: "Thank you." I don''t know why, but I''ve been accepting a lot of people recently. Is it the influence of Nai? Or sensible people are starting to come here and not just greedy and misinformed warriors. She looked up at me with her masked face. You could only see her pale white skin through a small space where her slit eyes are located. How can she even see through them? Her hair was long and black. It was beautiful. No matter how much they spend their time fighting and training, it seems that she still finds time to take care of her hair. Atup: "But!!!" I gave out my conditions. I won''t let the ninja run around here. Atup: "You will be chained to me for at least a month. I don''t trust you yet, and this is a way for you to get my trust. Your opinions, and what you prefer will be ignored." She seemed a bit shocked, but she still listened. Atup: "You will eat the same things I eat. Sleep in the same place I sleep. And if you try to hurt anyone in this kingdom..." I tried to intimidate her with a stare. Atup: "You shall be cut down immediately." She gulped but after a few seconds of thought. Ninja Mercenary: "I accept!" Atup: "It''s a deal." I shook her hands. Ric: "My, my." Nai: "How bold! Sir Atup!" Atab: "You''re a pervert, Sir Atup!" What? What nonsense are they blabbering about... I took a chain from the collection of weapons and equipment on the riverbank. This chain was an enchanted one. Standard armaments can''t break it. Only magic weapons can damage it. After ignoring the weird protests of Nai and Atab, I put the chain on both of us. Ninja Mercenary: "Am I allowed to speak my mind?" Atup: "Of course. If you decided that you can''t continue, you could always talk to me." Ninja Mercenary: "I understand." Atup: "What is your name? We can''t have a mercenary that doesn''t have a name." Anget: "It''s Anget. It is what I am called." Atup: "Why? what is your real name?" Anget: "Umm...." She was fidgeting. Why was that? Anget: "AH! Sir Atup, you monster." Atup: "What is it this time!?" Anget looked at me, nervously. Anget: "Are you forcing me to marry you?" Atup: "WHAT!?" Atab: "Tsk tsk." Master Nai filled me on the details about ninjas. It seems that female ninjas only give their real name to close family or their husbands. It''s a tradition. Atup: "Eherm!!! Ah. I''m sorry. Let me just welcome you. I mean... Ah. It''s nice to meet you." Anget: "Okay, thanks for taking me in." She was still embarrassed. I don''t know what just happened. I tried to intimidate Anget all this time, but instead, she came out happy from the deal. Atab: "You all must be hungry! Old man Nai and I got some wild deers just outside the bridge. Let''s dig in on my specialty! Deer stew!" Atab cooked the deer meat with spices and vegetables he got from the castle''s gardeners. He asked Mr Ric''s help for that one. Then we all ate together. Even Mr. Ric ate some. It was good! Rick brought some home for the princess. I ended the day by sleeping in the house. I always put on some handmade traps to wake me up when someone''s there. As for Anget. She was sleeping on the huge chair. We got some more hay outside to make an improvised bed for her. Master Nai said he''ll make a new bed for her tomorrow. She looks happy, sleeping there. She ate a lot earlier. It surprised us, but she must not have eaten anything asides from fruits in the mountain. I waited for a few hours before going into sleep. Slitting my throat is undoubtedly an option for her, but somehow... I didn''t feel worried. Maybe because it doesn''t matter anymore, if I died, it will mean that I made the wrong decision. I slept with these disturbing thoughts in my head. Chapter 3: The Demon Chapter 3: The Demon Atup: Arit: "Guh!!!" A fire spell hit me. Its fire was so hot, and it was melting parts of my armor. Demon: "How''s that? HAHAHAHAHA!" The demon in front of me was laughing. I was not prepared for this one. It was the first week since the king left, I can''t fail here! Demon: "DIEEEE!!!" It flies towards me, wielding a fiery lance. If I get hit by that, I''m dead. Atup: "YAHHHH!!!!" I put all my might into one attack. But- Atup: "UGHHHHH!" It withstood my attack and impaled me with its spear. Atup: "No... not this way..." I can''t die! Not here! Demon: "MUAHAHAHA!" It prepares another spell while laughing. NOOOOO!!!!! Atup: "Hah, hah, hah." I woke up from a nightmare. The nightmare was about my very first fight on the bridge. It was one of the hardest, but it was also one of the battles that gave me more power. Defeating a demon when I was still weak gave me a lot of rewards. How did I beat it anyways? I think it got taken by the river? I must have pushed it, or it might have flown by itself into the river. That magical river is a beast itself. Well, enough thinking about the past. Atup: "Umm... what?" On the chair was Anget sleeping. A few parts of her body were visible because the blanket was out of place. She did have snow-white skin, but there were countless scars over the body. Mostly in the back. They must''ve trained a lot in receiving surprise attacks too. The scars could have been from when she escaped also. Atup: "Oi, wake up." Anget: "Huh?? Ah!" She quickly fixed the blanket. Anget: "Don''t look! I''ll put on my outfit now!" Atup: "Okay." I never really was attracted to those kinds of things. I felt I was too huge for things like romance. It took Anget a few seconds to get her ninja suit on, and we went out of the house.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Well, there really is no other things for her to do. I''m just guarding the bridge, and she was there tied to me. I looked at her from time to time to check if she was bored or anything. She just stands there silently. Ninjas can wait for days standing still. Atab: "Oi!!! I''ve brought food!" Atab runs over to us with some newly-cooked food. I ate with Anget in the field near the bridge. Anget: "Umm... Sir Atup." Oh, she finally said something. Atup: "Yes?" Anget: "I want to take a bath later. It''s been days, and the smell must''ve been bothering you." Not really. I, for one, haven''t taken a bath for a month now? Maybe it''s a good thing to take one later. Atup: "Okay, we''ll go for a bath later." Anget: "What!? Together!?" Atup: "Yes, What else can we do?" She was fidgeting again. Her reactions are peculiar to me. Atup: "What is it?" Anget: "We can''t do that yet! We aren''t married!" What? (Sigh) Atup: "Don''t worry. The chain is long enough for us to take a bath with distance from each other. You''ll go far enough to hide behind a rock. As for me, I really won''t try to do anything. So, don''t worry too much." Anget: "If you say so..." She looked relieved and somewhat disappointed too. But I think that''s just in my imagination. . . . I brought her to a natural spring behind my old cave house. This place is where I took baths and wash my armor and weapons. I also take my drinking water from the source. Of course, I take care not to contaminate the water. I go to the spring only for getting drinking water, and Mr.Ric provided me a clean tool for that. And, he said it was probably okay to take baths because the spring is magical and it can clean itself. Atup: "We''re here." It''s a great place. There were birds and trees around. The water was always cold, though. Anget: "Okay... I go over there behind that rock!" She pointed to a rock a few meters from me. Anget: "I''m going to change now." Atup: "Okay." I turned around. She''s too shy about that kind of thing. Or maybe she''s hiding a weapon to attack me! I quickly turn around to check what she was doing. My height helped me check out what''s behind the rock. Anget: "AH!" Ah. Anget caught me. She was currently undressing. Atup: "Sorry, I just checked if your hiding any weapons." Anget: "Uuuuu... hmpf!" She got angry. I did say I won''t try anything. Oh well. . . . It was supposed to be another quiet day at the bridge except for a certain someone''s shouting. Stranger: "You demon!" Atup: "Eh?" I was sitting in front of the bridge while talking to Anget when suddenly someone shouted. Atup: "Uh, yes. How may I help you today?" Stranger: "Don''t give me that shit! You killed my father! Now you''re going to pay!" Atup: "Who is your father?" Orut Wizard: "He''s the Head Wizard of the Kingdom of Orut." Orut? Head Wizard? Who was that again? Atup: "Head Wizard... Head Wizard. Oh! The flame guy with a long robe! He had a long white beard, right?" Orut Wizard: "Yes, that''s him, and I''m here to avenge him! You murdered my innocent father!" Atup: "Innocent? Well, maybe before when you were with him, but he wasn''t so innocent when he demanded our surrender and finally opened fire when he lost his patience." Orut Wizard: "You! How could you not accept the kindness of our kingdom! We offered you our support if you came under us!" Atup: "Kindness? Stop it, kid. You don''t know anything about real life. Go home to your mom and tell her you''re sorry." Orut Wizard: "Grrr.... Ha!" Atup: "What is that spell? Secret Magic or Family Magic?" A huge red spell circle appeared in front of the "son" of the Head Wizard. Two flame pillars came out roaring like twin dragons. It went straight for me. Atup: "Take cover, Anget." Anget: "Okay." Walls made from earth blocked the raging flames, but it was gradually breaking down. Orut Wizard: "Hah! That mud wall of yours can''t beat our family''s Inherited Flame Magic!" . Behind the Earth Wall, I made a blue spell circle. Atup: "You should take cover too, kid. If you die here, I will bury you alongside your father." Orut Wizard: "What!?" The Earth Wall was destroyed moments after that, but the spell circle that I planted was released. A blizzard of came out and defeated the flame pillars. Orut Wizard: "No! This can''t be!" ! Flames covered the body of the kid in the form of a sphere-like shield. The were all burned up. Orut Wizard: "Huff... huf...." And it seems his energy is used up too. Atup: "Give up. You don''t need to die a useless death. Your father was a much stronger man. You have no chance the way you are now." Orut Wizard: "But!... Huff.... I...." Atup: "Here." I threw his father''s belongings at him. It was a staff and a legendary robe. Atup: "Go home." Orut: "I''ll... I''ll be back, you hear me! Hah. huff..." He ran away. Good thing too, I don''t want needless killings. Anget seemed to be excited about the battle. Anget: "Great job, Sir Atup!" Atup: "It''s a normal thing around here. You get comfy there because you''ll spend a long time with me." Anget: "That''s Gre- I mean... It''s okay..." Hmm? Is she hiding her cheerful self? Head Wizard Ep, huh? (flashback) ! Unholy flames come out of many spell circles. They were burning even on top of the river waters. The magical river tried its best to help me out, but it has reached its limit. Trees, grass, and everything green turned into black. I hope no one was watching from the castle. This battle is terrible. ! ! Foooosshhhh!!! The flames of hell mercilessly attacked my shield. The Ice spell that I used is barely holding out against him. Head Wizard Ep: "HAHAHA! SURRENDER YOU BEAST. YOU KILLED MY ARMY BUT I''M MUCH MORE POWERFUL WITH THEIR SOULS!" His army souls were used to awaken a demon inside of him. This fight might be it. Atup: "This is the last attack that I''ve got!" Head Wizard Ep: "BRING IT ON!" His image was very intimidating. His beard and hair were engulfed with flames. His robe was bloody red. He was releasing powerful fire spells with every breath. The king forbids me from using this spell because of its terrible power. But I have to do this. I just wished she was sleeping right now. <******> Dark clouds suddenly formed above us. Lightning. Black Lightning was coming down on the battlefield. Head Wizard Ep: "WHAT IS THIS!??" Two bolts hit him, and his arm fell off. Head Wizard Ep: "WAHHH!!! WHAT??? WH-!" A great shadow consumed the bridge for a day. No one knew what happened that day except for me. Chapter 4: Chibi Alchemist and the Long-haired Man Chapter 4: Chibi Alchemist and Long-haired Man Small girl: "Halo, halo... I''m an Alchemist-desu! Naisu to meetchu!" It was a small girl wearing green robes with black short bob hair and "- -" as her eyes. Atup: "Hi... Ah. I am Sir Atup. How may I help you, Alchemist, miss?" Its a chibi, right? Its small, fat, and quite cute. She''s definitely a chibi. Atup: "Are those two circles...?" Foam? Or clothes rolled into circles? Chibi: "They''re boobs-desu! Alright! They''re not anything else!" What??? Those two small things. Wahhh. Atup: "Anyways... How may I help you again?" Chibi: "I want to establish a store here-desu! My very first one-desu! I want to work on my own-desu! Please-desu." Desu? Okay fine. Another weirdo. Atup: "Hmm... You''re not planning anything bad, right?" Chibi: "Me? No-desuu!!!! I''m a good person-desu!" This bridge is extraordinary, and it also has a handy ability. It can distinguish from black-hearted people to kind-hearted ones. It looks like its made of diamonds in its normal state, but it turns to stone once an enemy comes near. Chibi: "This bridge is cool-desu!!! It''s pretty like me!" Atup: "Ah... Yes, yes." Chibi: "Help me carry my bags-desu!" Oh.. Bags. It must be just a few if she''s the one carrying it- When did we become a tourist spot? Atup: "WOAH!" There was quite a lot of baggage. How did she pull this up here? It was on a cart but still- Chibi: "I don''t look like it since I''m a girl, but I am pretty strong-desu!" It''s four times taller than her. Okay, then let''s not mess with her. Atup: "Right this way, please, Ma''am." Chibi: "Who is that girl chained to you? Is that your fetish-desu?" Atup: "Wha? No! She''s a prisoner! Proving her loyalty to us before we can hire her!" How does she even know that word? Is she a child or not? Anget bowed down to greet her. Chibi: "Oh, noes. Are you going to do the same for me-desu!? Ohmooooo. I am too young to be chained!" Atup: "Calm down, Ma''am, uhh..." Milu: "My name is Milu! And I''m against these chains!" Atup: "Again... Just go, please. you can set up anywhere you want. Ask Mr.Nai inside to build you a house." "Oh! I like that thanks! (Humming)" What a headache. I need to get permission from Mr.Ric. Ric: "Oh, Sir Atup. I saw a little girl walk inside. Is she a new tenant?" Atup: "Wh-what!?" Ric: "I thought you must be asking around for help outside our kingdom since you... You''ve been doing it all by yourself." Atup: "It''s not like that, Mr. Ric! I can do it on my own, but They seem like they don''t have anywhere to go. I wanted to ask permission from you again..." Ric: "Don''t worry, Sir Atup. Starting now, You can decide if someone is okay or not okay to live in our kingdom. You''re our guardian, anyways." Atup: "Thank you very much, Mr. Ric! I''ll do my best to keep protecting this kingdom!" At least that''s a load off my mind. If it''s okay with them, it''s okay with me. . . . I went to the "Residential Area" to check things out and bring Milu''s baggage. Nai: "Oh! Sir Atup, good timing! Can you carry those logs over here?" Atup: "Yes, sir. Of course, sir." It feels like I became a slave overnight. (Sigh). Heave Ho!!! Agnet helped out a lot too. Nai: "Good job! Now go here..." And in the end, instead of just delivering Milu''s things, I had built her house in the process. Atup: "Ms. Milu, here are your things." Milu: "Oh! Thanks very much-desu!" Atup: "It''s no problem, Ma''am, but... Can I ask a personal question before we all get comfy around here?" Milu: "Of course-desu!" Atup: "Where did you come from? and if it''s not too long, can you tell me your story?"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Milu: "Oh, are you coming on to me? Sir!?" Atup: "Definitely not!" Milu: "Okay... First, I was just a cute baby..." Atup: "Not that far in the beginning... At least what were you doing this past month?" Milu: "Hmm. There was a legend in this forest. In this mountain, it is said that all the Evil lords and monsters came into this forest and disappeared! When I heard of this castle in the area, I thought that I could get some news around here!" Atup: "What... That story is lame and by the way. You came just for that?" Milu: "Yes-desu! I''m kind of a fan of whoever was vanquishing those evil beings! He''s a true hero in disguise-desu!" Atup: "Hero, huh? Well, I''ll tell you first if I saw a glimpse of this hero." Milu: "Thanks-desu!!!" She set up her shop in the evening. We did an excellent job building her house in one day, though. It looks like it will be a unique shop for the castle. We don''t have any doctors around here or alchemists. She can help us with that. Mr. Ric can take more rest since he was the acting doctor for these past few years. Hmm. Evil beings being vanquished in this mountain? That sounds familiar or rather feels familiar. Oh well, I don''t know him, and I don''t intend to get to know him. It''s time to get back to work! . . . Oh. I just woke up. What''s this on my chest? Atup: "A-anget!?" Anget: "Hmm... Hmmmmm..." She looks comfortable there, but she''s showing some sensitive parts again with her pajamas. Atup: "Hey... Hey. Wake up. Oi!" Anget: "Wha-whwahahwawa!?" She''s blinking her eyes hard. It took her a few seconds to get what was happening. Anget: "Kyahh!!!! What are you going to do to me, Sir Atup!?" Atup: "You idiot." I hit her on the head. Atup: "You were on top of me when you woke up. I''m the one who''s supposed to be asking questions here." Anget: "Oh... I''m sorry. Sir Atup. I messed up again..." Atup: "It''s okay. Come on, get dressed." We went out to check the residential area first before I go to the bridge. The traps were intact, so nobody came last night. Hmmm? What if someone innocent comes by at night? Well, a good person does not come late at night, you know. Not around here at the least. Atup: "How are you guys doing?" Atab: "We''re doing pretty good here! Here''s your breakfast, Sir Atup, and Anget!" Atup: "Thanks, Atab." I devoured the food and got some more. Atup: "Mr. Nai?" Nai: "Oh, don''t mind me. I''m just measuring the area for the housing of future tenants." Future tenants? Haha... Milu: "Sir Atup!!!!! I need your help-desu!!!" Milu was running towards me and fell on her face. She''s covered with dirt now. Milu: "Oh, nooooo... I need to take a bath again. By the way-desu! I need you to get something for me!" Atup: "No." Milu: "Wahhh!!!! Why-desu!?" Atup: "If it''s on the other side of the bridge, I can''t." Milu: "Nooooo...... How can I get it-desuuuu? Pleaseeeee... Purisuuu-desuuuu...." Atup: "What?" She''s climbing all over me now and kept purring like a cat. Atup: "Hey! Stop that..." Milu: "Puuuriiisuuuuu-desuuuuuu!!!!!!" Atup: "Okay, okay! Fine! If it''s not too far, I''ll go!" Milu: "Yipeee!!! It''s just some meters away from the bridge. I saw a Healberry bush! I could use it to create lots and lots of potions-desu!" Atup: "Okay... (Sigh)" I need to make this quick then. I think I remember where that bush was. I also put a trap there before just in case. We went to the Healberry bush after our breakfast. . . . Stranger: "Help... Hah. helppppp...." Atup: "What is this?" Above the Healberry bush, there was a long-haired man caught in a trap. It was my trap. The man was inside a net hanging on a tree. Atup: "What are you doing there?" Long-haired man: "I''m a... I''m lost! I wanted to eat. I saw this bush, and I got caught. Help me out here, would ya?" Hmm. I looked around first. This guy looked like a bandit, so it can also be a trap. Atup: "Anget, can you sense anyone in the area?" Anget: "No, Sir Atup." Atup: "Hmmm..." Is it not a trap? Atup: "Are you telling me you can''t get out of that trap? You can even bite the net off. And that sword..." He had a long sword with him. It was a katana. Long-haired man: "I can''t use this, man... It''s my father''s, and the lock can''t be removed without him." Atup: "Lock, huh." I looked at him and decided not to bother. Atup: "Let''s get the berries quickly, Anget." Anget: "Yes." Long-haired man: "W-wait! Believe me! Here! Check it!" He dropped the sword from where he was, and it landed on the ground. I picked it up. I tried taking out the sword from the sheath. Click. Atup: "Hmm... It''s tough." Long-haired man: "See!" Cluck! I took the sword out. Long-haired man: "W-WHAT!?" Atup: "Lock, huh? Let''s hurry it up, Anget." Long-haired man: "Wh-who are you? That sword was sealed ever since I was a baby, and you took it out like it was nothing." Atup: "It was a tiny seal anyways. I think it was meant for you to break, but your father did not expect you to be weak until now, I guess." Long-haired man: "Is... that true?" Atup: "Most likely." Long-haired man: "That means... I''ve failed Father." Atup: "What is your name, mister?" Tap Sa: "It''s Tap Sa." Atup: "Take your sword. Redeem yourself, or else you''ve really failed your father." Tap Sa: "But... How?" Atup: "I don''t know." Tap Sa: "Please, teach me!" He kneeled and begged. I threw his sword at his feet . Atup: "Tap Sa." Tap Sa: "Y-yes?" Atup: "If you want my help... Go kill a wild bear and bring it back to me. The bears roam around these parts, and it makes the area dangerous." Tap Sa: "I... I will do it!" Atup: "I''ll wait for you at the beautiful bridge south of here. On top of the mountain." Tap Sa" "Yes. Please wait for me there!" He ran. Anget: "Don''t you think it''s too much for him, Sir Atup?" Atup: "If it is... It means his resolve wasn''t that great anyway. Let''s go." Anget: "Right..." I know she feels sorry for the man, but he needs to help himself first before I can help him. . . . (Tap Sa POV) Bear. Bear. Where are you? I''m breathing hard right now while searching for the wild bear. I''ve never fought one before. I don''t know how to fight it, but If I don''t, I won''t move forward anymore. The warrior told me... To redeem myself, so I will. Wild Bear: "ROOOOOARRRRRRRR!!!!" A large bear suddenly popped out of a bush! I froze from fear. My hands gripping the sword was shaking so you could hear the steel clattering. It attacked first. It was swinging its large claws at me. Tap Sa: "Wah!" I dodge frantically. My side roll saved me from certain death. My breathing is getting heavier. I can''t... breathe...! Tap Sa: "Focus." Huh? Who''s that? It was a voice that calmed me down. Is it you, Father? ???: "Take your stance; hold your sword properly." Tap Sa: "Yes!" Wild Bear: "ROARRRR!!!!" The bear was opening its mouth wide, looking to end it with a huge bite. ???: "Aim right, and your strike shall be true." Tap Sa: "Yes!" Just before its jaws close to biting me, but I made a front slash. The bear was cut in half. Blood was all over me. Tap Sa: "I did it! Father-" I turned around, but he wasn''t there. Is it his spirit? I''m not sure, but I dragged the dead bear with difficulty to the bridge south of here. . . . (Atup POV) Oh. Tap Sa did it. I can see from a distance; He was dragging a bear that got cut in half. Atup: "Oi, Atab! We have bear meat today!" Atab: "Okay, bring it to my place, and I''ll cook it up for everyone!" I approached Tap Sa to help him. Atup: "You did it." Tap Sa: "I did... Thanks for giving me a chance." Atup: "It was your choice anyways, so give yourself more credit." Tap Sa: "Ya.... (crying) Father....! I''m finally moving forward! I''m not your failure son anymore." He joined us afterward. I''m sure his father is proud. I looked at the graves of my previous battles. His father''s grave was there. He was a strong warrior who was looking for someone to beat him until I did. I won''t say anything, but if he asked me, I would tell him all about it. His father must have really loved him, though. The seal on the sword was strong, and he could only break that if he was at least half my strength. I guess it must be his father''s attempt to persuade his son not to use the sword until he was strong enough. . . . Atup: "Oi!!! Milu! We got your Healberries!" Milu: "Oooohhh!!! Thank you-desuu!!!!!!!" Atup: "Plant some so that we won''t have to search the forests anymore." Milu: "Yep, yep! Actually-desu... We have planted various things in the field!" I looked at the field. There were wheat and rice plants now. Is that Atab''s? There were also different herbs and materials for alchemy planted in the areas. Atab: "Oh! Sir Atup, you''re here. Did you saw our plants? Hehe! I want my ingredients to be fresh as it can be so that the food will be more delicious!" Atup: "It''s a good thing. Thanks, Atab." Atab: "No problem, hehe." The place is slowly turning into a lively one. I don''t show it much, but I''m pleased that these guys are part of the kingdom now. Atab: "All we need now is livestock! The castle had some, but it''s not enough if we''re going to have more people!" Atup: "I''ll leave that to you then, Atab." Atab: "Yes, yes!" Chapter 5: Training Day Chapter 5: Training Day Atup: "Anget, let''s spar today." Anget: "Spar?" Atup: "Yes, we''ll go one on one without magic. I just want to gauge everyone''s strength." Anget: "Okay..." We take our positions in a field near the bridge. Atup: "I''m ready anytime, come at-" Anget was already charging before I could finish my sentence. The movement of her chains gave me a heads up. Is hit an attack from above or below? She was faking an attack. Anget: "Hiyah!" She kicked me from the side, hitting my mid-body. It was an excellent move. I held her legs and was about to throw her away when she suddenly let out a scream. Anget: "Kyah!" Atup: "What?" She blushed and quickly broke away from grasp. Anget: "I''m sorry. Sir Atup." Atup: "Hmmm...? It''s fine anyway, let''s stop. I got a general idea of your strengths and weaknesses already." Anget: "Ah... okay." Atup: "Watch from the sidelines for a while, okay?" Anget: "Got it..." She hits fast and is unpredictable. The most glaring weakness that she has is power. She compensates for that with weapons, tools, and deadly poisons. Atup: "Tap Sa! It''s your turn!" Tap Sa: "Finally! My first spar with Master!" Atup: "Hey, it''s not Master, okay? I''m just a knight, so call me Sir or just Atup." Tap Sa: "Okay, Sir Atup!" Atup: "Try to take me down with your strongest attack." Tap Sa: "Here I go..... Hmm...." Was he focusing? It''s the same pattern as before. He steadied himself and was adjusting his stance to counter my attack. Let''s try it. I send a jab towards him. Shinnnggggg!!!The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Before my fast jab lands on his face, my arm was pushed away by a strong slash. Tap Sa: "Wah?? You used your bare hands!?" Atup: "Yeah." The slash would''ve cut my arm if I didn''t strengthen it with a buff. and combine made it tougher than usual. Atup: "I''ve got enough. Good job, Tap Sa." Tap Sa: "It''s an honor to spar with you." You really couldn''t call it a spar, you know. Anyways, the current power rankings of the newcomers are- Milu: "Hey-desu!!!!" Atup: "What is it, Milu?" Milu: "You forgot about me-desu! I want to spar too!" Then I remembered her luggage. Yeah, she can fight too. Atup: "I''m ready. Let''s do it!" Milu: "I''m coming-desu!!!" She''s attacking me barehanded. Her fists are lightning quick. I use my shoulders and huge arms to block multiple attacks. She knows how to fight! I tried to counter-attack with a full swing of my fist, which she dodged. She sent a huge punch to my face as a counter. . I knew I had to use that skill. Boooooommmm!!! Her punch pushed me a few steps away from where I was standing. Even with my skill! Atup: "Wow... Let''s stop here for now." Milu: "Hehee! You surrender-desu?" Atup: "Yeah, yeah. I surrender." So the power rankings have changed. 1 - Milu 2 - Tap Sa 3 - Anget Milu''s strength is quite alarming, but I sense no malice from her. I''ll let her be for now. I could rely on them to some extent to help me out with guard duty. It''s a welcome change of pace. Maybe I don''t have to do everything myself anymore. . . . Oof! I got hit by an attack from Mythril Golem Lord that I summoned. Was I getting rusty, or has it always been that strong? I wanted to know how I fare against strong opponents these days since it been a long time I fought one. ! My most basic defensive spell blocked the next punch of the Golem. It indeed was one of my first-ever skills. Even though its weak, years of using it made it more powerful. I once used it to block ancient magic, and I survived, barely. Its fist was forced backward from the force returned by my defense. Now, for the attack. ! I was wielding a dual-greatsword that I got from a Warlord. He had a favorite skill for this sword, and I kind of picked it off from him since he kept using it against me. But just before my attack landed, it launches a counter by using a spell. . A considerable number of Mythril swords suddenly appeared from magic circles that formed below me. It was trying to take me down with him. Cheeky bastard. Even though he''s just a summon. Atup: "Can''t have you embarrassing me like that." . I used two stat-boosting buffs. My speed increased mid-air, and I could land my attack before the graveyard of swords reached me. It''s head cracked, and it fell. All its limbs fell at the same time, turning into Mythril debris. Even though it could have been a huge Mythril material cheat, materials made from summoning disappear after some time. Now. How about my magic? This spell was on the "Book" that I got from a great summoner. Of course, I had to kill him first. Unfortunately, I can''t turn the high-level summons against me. So, I just have to get satisfied in making them participate in target practice. They''re the targets. This Golem is strong because of its high resistance to all kinds of damage. Its only weakness is Soul and Mana damage because it runs on mana and is controlled by a soul. Atup: "Stand. Go on full defensive." The Golem raised its arms to assume a defensive position. . Their specialty, a defensive spell that lets a golem reach its peak defensive capability. It also returns damage if possible. Hmmph... ! A quick high-level spell came out my hand. The lightning was so fast that you couldn''t see it travel. It made contact with Agnat in second. It reflected the spell. Atup: "Woah." I needed to dodge it because it would be a real pain if that hit me. My magic seems to be on the same level as before, and my summons is still strong. Why do I feel like that I''ll get weak suddenly? Or maybe my strength won''t be enough one day. Well. How about this one. Its one of the most reliable lightning spells I possess, This should break its guard. The lightning came from a spell circle that suddenly appeared above Agnat. It needed to look up to guard the attack. Four lightning bolts. Those large bolts hit the defense of Agnat, breaking its fists to pieces. Lightning is the worst element to use against golems, but beating the Lord of Golems with lightning means I''m still in good condition. It was kneeling now. It can''t return an attack to me since I was its Master, but I could feel its anger leaking from its emotionless face. I don''t have a use for you yet, so back to the collection you go. My books of spells are responsible for keeping this high-level summons. You can''t just summon them with mana alone. You need their existence sealed in a scroll or a book to call them and put them under your control. This means you need to hunt strong monsters if you want them to be your summon. Chapter 6: Demon Lord Chapter 6: Demon Lord (Demon Lord POV) What??? Do I have to do this???? Demon Noble: "Yes, I heard what you were thinking, Tero. You need to do this, or we would lose reputation as demons!" Demon Noble 2: "If only your father weren''t such a wimp! Ahhh! Someone save us from this embarrassment." My father was the previous Demon Lord, and an unknown warrior killed him. My job is to retrieve his weapon and replace him as the Demon Lord. Demon Noble: "Since your the son, only you could do this. Go on, get going!" Tero: "Y-yes." Tero was sent to the human world through a portal. The location was where his demon scouts last spotted the Demon Lord. I never wanted any of this, though. I''m not even strong! My brothers should be the ones doing this, but they are currently "busy," so they told me to take care of the title for a while. Sigh. I wish I weren''t born a demon. Those Demon Elders kept bothering me about it, so I decided to take on the mission. Standing in front of the stone bridge where Father died makes me shake in terror. I''m supposed to be the Demon Lord, but how can you stay calm? My father was the strongest demon, and he fought with the different high-ranking Demons to take his rightful place. Who or what could''ve taken him down? Tero(Demon Lord''s Son): "Umm... maybe..." Atup: "Hey!" Suddenly a colossal warrior drop in front of me. He must''ve jumped really high since the earth shook when he landed. Tero: "Wah!" Atup: "You... You have the Mark of the Demon Lord. That familiar aura... You can''t hide it from me." Ah. My birthmark, which distinguishes me from other demons. I wished I didn''t have it now. Tero: "P-please, listen to me first!" Atup: "Hiyah!" He attacked me with a battleaxe. Tero: "Ah!" I jumped out of the way in a hurry. That axe! Tero: "That axe!" Atup: "Yes... It''s from one of your kind... From a Demon Lord!" The flaming axe had our mark on it. It''s the legitimate weapon of my deceased father. It will burn the body and soul if the victims are slow enough to dodge it. Breaking common materials like steel and iron is a cinch for it too. He made another swing at me. I needed to use blink magic to dodge it. Tero: "Please stop first!" His attacks are getting faster. Tero: "W-what!?" He''s preparing a huge-scale holy spell. I don''t know if that''s ancient or secret magic, but I don''t want to get toast by that. Tero: "I surrender! Please! I''ll do anything you want!"This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I quickly dropped on the ground and threw my weapon, an axe on the ground. It looks like I can''t avenge my father, after all. Not a wimp like me, no no no. Atup: "Your father gave me such a hard time by constantly burning the surroundings, and now you want me to believe your surrender!?" Tero: "Please spare me... I don''t even want to do this anymore... (Sigh)" Suddenly the stone bridge under me become something beautiful beyond description. Was the bridge always this beautiful? The huge warrior suddenly stopped his spell. Atup: "Hmm... It looks like the bridge believes you, demon. I''ll give you two options. You said that you don''t want to remain a demon, right?" Tero: "R-right." Atup: "You want to die or you want to work for me." What!? Tero: "The second one, please. The second." Atup: "Good. I''ll have you swear an oath. This will be a spell that will seal an explosive holy spell inside your body, and it will explode when you break your oath." Tero: "I...(Swallows spit)" Atup: "So you pick the first option instead?" Tero: "No! Please no... I... I accept." Atup: "Good." He muttered a language I didn''t understand, and I felt a surge of energy go inside my body. It must be the holy-element bomb. What is this? I got myself in deep trouble again. . . . (Atup POV) Once I was finished with the spell, I got him to say the oath. Tero: "I will serve the kingdom and will not betray you in any way!" Atup: "Good." This spell was used by Demon hunters that I''ve met before. They would interrogate demons and threaten to blow them up from inside if they don''t spill the beans. Now. I got a Demon Lord(?) on our side. Good grief. The axe in my hand was shaking. The previous Demon Lord''s energy is still present in this weapon, so sometimes he pops up to spout nonsense. Demon Lord: "Hey! Thanks for taking in my son." Atup: "Son?" Demon Lord: "Hehehe. Those old geezers won''t be able to use my son for their whims now." Atup: "Could you go back before you say weird things again?" Demon: "Of course, hahaha!" It always annoying because he would constantly try to take over your mind and use your body as his vessel. His weapon is cursed like that, and sometimes when I hit someone with that weapon, they turn into rabid demons. That''s the reason I don''t use this weapon much. Hmmm. Atup: "Since you''ll be staying here from now on... Let me just say... Welcome, I''m Sir Atup. You will be receiving orders from me from now on." Tero: "Yes, sir. I am Tero." Atup: "Tero? Now get inside and find Nai. He''ll make you a house. You''ll need one to rest or for some personal time, at least, right?" Tero: "I''m forever grateful for your generosity." Atup: "Think of it as a good investment. Hahaha! Now, get inside." It''s a good thing the son wasn''t as wild as the father. . . . (Demon Lord POV) I don''t think my situation changed that much. Crazy superiors were asking me to do the impossible. (Sigh). Tero: "Hello..?" I came to a place where "Nai" is written on a signboard with an illustration of a hammer. Nai: "Oh! A new tenant! Welcome, welcome! What house would you like?" Tero: "A small one is enough. Thank you very much, Sir." Nai: "No problem! Just go for a short stroll, and when you come back, your house is already here!" Tero: "What!? It''s that quick!?" Nai: "Just go. Hehehe. Check out the places here; You''ll love it!" Tero: "D-don''t mind if I do..." Woah. The kingdom even has more great people here. I walked for an hour and stumbled upon a spring. I looked at my reflection. I saw my face. It looks exactly like a human''s except for the two long demon horns. My black hair covered my blood-red eyes. My skin was slightly reddish from the time I spent in inferno-like places. Very different from my father''s terrifying face, which could make an ogre cry. Waiting there wasn''t so bad. Then, I heard a splash. ???: "Oh, mo... Who''s there!?" It was a woman''s voice. She must''ve noticed my presence. Tero: "I-i''m sorry!!!" I quickly run away with my spell. Whooo. It''s a good thing to have this ever-handy spell! The place where I blinked was in front of Nai''s house. I thought I was dreaming, but I can see Nai doing the finishing touches for a small house. Tero: "Is that mine?" Nai: "Oh, you''re here, Mr. Tero! I''m sorry I was an hour late in finishing your house." Hour late? You could''ve finished it even quicker than that!? Nai: "Sir Atup was too busy to help out this time, hehehe. Anyways, here you go!" He gave me a key to the house. Nai: "Make your self at home and... Welcome to the Kingdom. Looking forward to working with you." Tero: "M-me too!" I shook hands with him and parted. This place might not be that bad, after all. . . . (Sir Atup POV) I was taking a bath when suddenly a small child came out of nowhere. Milu: "SIIIIIRRRR!!!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING!?-desu." An angry Milu came out from nowhere. Atup: "What?" Milu: "What do you mean, WHAT!? You were peeking on me, weren''t you!?-desu!" I looked at her from head to toe. Atup: "Nononono... I didn''t even leave this place for a while now. That can''t be me." Milu: "Ooooommmmmmm!!!!! THEN WHO IS IT-DESU!?" Atup: "Dunno." She was stomping her feet in anger. Why was she that angry anyway? Atup: "It must be the new guy." I wasn''t sure that it was but- Oh, well. Milu: "OOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! DEMONLORDSUUU!!!!!!!" She ran, screaming from the top of her lungs. Poor Demon Lord. Anget: "Sir Atup. Suspicious persons were spotted outside." Atup: "Really?" Anget was in full ninja gear because she wasn''t taking a bath this time. You can still see the bridge from here, that''s why she can keep watch. Atup: "How are they suspicious?" Anget: "I don''t know to describe them. You have to see it for yourself." Atup: "Okay, okay..." When I went to the bridge to check- Atup: "How is this suspicious." It was sheep¡ªlots of them. Chapter 7: Sheep? and Festival! Chapter 7: Sheep? and Festival There were hundreds of sheep on the other side of the bridge. Atup: "Why are they all here?" ???: "Oh! Hello!" In the middle of the sea of sheep, someone was calling out to me. Atup: "Oh, how do you do? ...Ehhhh! I mean, what are you doing there?" ???: "I''m sorry about this, but I can''t control them yet, can we stay here for a while?" Atup: "How did you end up with that idea!?" ???: "Well, from what I see... This bridge is the only way to get across. I could push them all inside there and practice being a shepherd!" Atup: "Practice being a shepherd? What the heck are you then!?" ???: "Oh, I am one of the druids of this forest." Atup: "I understand. No. How do sheep and druids go together?" ???: "Hmmm... You see..." He told me that his parents were both druids. His father taught him everything he needed to be a druid. He is taught to protect the forest and all the things that live in it because it''s their source power. If a forest gets destroyed, its magic power will go down a lot. ???: "But I wanted to be different!" Being a shepherd was his dream. I don''t know how he got that dream. He said it has always been his dream since he was a child. He would always sneak out of the forest at night to look at sheep from farms nearby. Atup: "I see... But why do you think I''ll let you in? We''ve had enough weird people here, and you can go somewhere else." ???: "Ehh... How about I give you some of my sheep? I''ve been trying to check if you have sheep inside this place, but I can''t find any." Atup: "How do you even do that?" ???: "With my ! I developed this extraordinary spell to find missing sheep!" Atup: "(Sigh)" Mr.Ric: "What''s going on, Sir Atup?" Mr.Ric was walking around and seemed to have spotted us. Mr. Ric: "Oh... That''s a lot of sheep!" Atup: "Yes, it is." Mr. Ric: "Are you taking that shepherd in too? We would really appreciate the addition of sheep to our livestock!" Atup: "Uh- well..." ???: "Hehehe! Of course, they are as good as yours! I''ll also take care of them for you!" Mr.Ric: "Welcome aboard, Mr...?" Gnak: "It''s Gnak Gnok. Nice to meet you." Mr.Ric: "I''m Ric, and this is Sir Atup. Welcome to our Mountain Kingdom. Please follow me; I will guide you to our farms." Oh boy. Gnak forced his sheep to go across the bridge and follow him with a spell. Gnak: "!" He''s abusing his control over animals. Well (sigh). But maybe I can also rely on his skills as a druid. I just hope he keeps his animals from running around. Atup: "Nai!" I call Nai from his house nearby. Nai: "Yes, Sir Atup?" Atup: "Can you go with Mr. Rick? They might need someone to build some animal pens."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Nai: "Very well." Atup: "Thank you." Now that''s out of the way... Time to get back to guard duty... Atup: "Anget." Anget:"..." Atup: "Anget." Anget: "Hm-- Uh.Yeah!?" Atup: "What is wrong with you?" Anget: "It''s just that... those sheep... they''re..." Atup: "Are they a dangerous kind of sheep? Something with poisoned meat, perhaps?" Anget: "THEY''RE CUTE!!!! TOO CUTE!" Ah. What the hell. She''s screaming. She caught one of the sheep passing by and started hugging it. Sheep: "Meeeee....." Atup: "Hey, stop that." Gnak: "Hehehe... I''ll let her keep that one!" Gnak. She started putting a leash on it and making it her pet. . . . The residential area was bustling. Something was happening. Nai and Atab were placing tables in the gathering square in the middle. Atab was also cooking a wide variety of food. There stews, steaks, and soups. There were also some salads from the palace kitchen. Atup: "Uhh..." Atab: "Oh, Sir, Atup!" Atab saw me looking curious and decided to approach me. Atab: "Do you want to help out too?" Atup: "What are you guys even doing?" Atab: "We''re having a festival!" Atup: "Festival... Festival..." What does that word mean again? "?" Atab went back to cooking when he saw Nai waving at him. Was it some kind of celebration? But for who? Tero was passing by and saw me. Tero: "Oh, Sir, Atup. Nice place you''ve got here. I have to thank you again for letting me in here." Atup: "No problem. As long as you don''t hurt anyone here, you can stay for as long as you like." Tero: "Really? Thanks! By the way, I really love festivals! Before, I just look at them from afar. And demon festivals are really boring, you know..." Atup: "Ah... Is that so?" Tero: "Yeah, See ya later!" He went on his way. If something weird was happening, I could always ask Rick. He''s the most reliable person here. I put some alert traps on the bridge before I left it. Anget was still behind me- Riding her pet sheep, Meee Ro. Anget: "Ohhh... Hmmm!" She was smothering her face on its fluffy body. I saw Ric while I was walking towards the castle. He was in the residential area, too, for some reason. Atup: "Mr.Ric, what is happening here? Is there some kind of celebration happening?" Mr.Ric: "Oh, Sir, Atup. You see..." He told me that the Princess was getting bored in the castle. Whenever he sees her, she always looks tired, and that''s because she has nothing to do but read books. I think she might have gone through all of the books in the royal library already. Atup: "I see, I see. This might be a really good idea. I''ll help out." Mr.Ric: "Okay! That''s great! What you need to do is..." He told me how the festival would proceed, and it would also start at night. . . . Atup: "Princess! You need to see what''s happening outside." Princess Gibail: "Oh, Sir Atup. What''s the matter?" Atup: "Please cover your eyes with this cloth too. We need to make sure your are safe." Gibail: "O-okay." She blindfolded herself. Atup: "I would now guide you there. Please be careful." I can''t believe that I''m part of this scheme. Atup: "Here we are." Gibail: "What is it... Oh! Wow..." Bright lights were coming from the unique lanterns that Milu made. The streets of the residential area were also filled with stalls. Food, drinks, and games were present. The castle staff also joined in the festival preparations. Gibail: "Woah... Is this... a festival?" Atup: "Yes it is, Princess Gibail." Gibail: "I''ve only imagined them from stories I read! Let''s go there!" She immediately ran towards the stalls. I talked to Ric, who was nearby and was monitoring a booth of his own. Atup: "Bread and cookies, huh?" Mr.Ric: "Hehehe, I''ve always loved baking. If the princess asks for snacks, I usually bake them myself." Atup: "I see... I think this idea was a success. How did you come up with it?" Mr.Ric: "Oh, I didn''t. Atab and the others thought of it when I talked to them about cheering the Princess up." Atup: "Is that so?" They were really helpful this time. I wouldn''t be able to think of this if Mr.Ric asked me. Mr.Ric: "Please escort the Princess for the rest of the night." Atup: "Gladly." I left Anget with Nai since this is a special occasion. I quickly catch up with the princess. Gibail: "Hmmm. Hey, Atup?" Atup: "Yes, Princess." Gibail: "I told you to call me Gibail, right?" Atup: "Uh- Yes, Gibail!" Gibail: "What do you think will look better on me? That blue hat or the red one?" We were at the stall of one of the castle staff. Her specialty was making clothing and hats. Atup: "Hohoho. Take your time Princess." Gibail: "Thanks." I don''t really know what looks good and bad on a girl anyways. I''ll just go with my favorite color. Atup: "Red looks good." Gibail: "Okay. Please give me the red one!" Atup: "Sure, here you go, Princess Gibail." She put on the hat and continue to roam the stalls. She looks pleased. Next, we went to a potion stall by Milu. Milu: "Hehehehehe... If you want to look pretty like me, take this potion-desu!" Gibail: "What does it do?" Milu: "Princessu, just drink one, and the effects will be seen already. It will make you look slightly younger!" Gibail: "Eh... I don''t think I want to look like a child." Milu: "Whattttt-desuuuu? Looking young is the best! I will make someone test it! Nai-san!" Nai, who was eating at a stall nearby, came closer. Milu: "Drink this potion-su! I want the princess to see the effects-desu!" Nai: "Okay, okay... Youngsters these days are pushy." A few seconds pass after Nai drinks the potion. Nai: "What... WHAT!!!" Nai became a child again like Atab''s age. Atup: "Hahahaha!" I can''t stop myself from laughing, and the Princess was giggling too. Milu: "See? It''s a perfect potion-desu!" Atup: "We''ll pass!" Milu: "You can come back anytime if you change your mind-desu!" We moved to another stall nearby. It was the... sheep stall. Gnak: "Everything you need to take care of sheep! Every product here is also made from sheep!" He had clothing and some sheep dishes. Unsurprisingly, Anget was here. She was buying sheep clothing. Maybe she wants to look like a sheep too. Gibail: "I''ll take one of those coats, mister." The Princess tried on the Wool Coat that Gnak made. It looks good, and it''s getting chilly nowadays too. Anget saw the two of us and glared at me. After that, she rode her pet Meee Ro towards the gathering square. I set her free for a moment since this is a special time for the princess. The most important part of the event is at the gathering square, so we went there after the princess tried a few more stalls. Everyone: "Welcome! Princess Gibail!" Everyone was gathered there. Atab: "We would like to thank you for letting us live here." Everyone: "Thank you for accepting us!" Everyone was giving their thanks to the Princess. Indeed it was still her kingdom, so everyone needs permission from her first. Gibail: "You''re welcome, everyone, but you don''t really need to thank me so much." She steps on the stage Nai made earlier. Gibail: "I am glad to have you all here. It makes me happy to see new faces too. And..." She starts to tear up a bit. Gibail: "I haven''t had so much fun in a long time... Thanks, everyone!" It''s her first festival in years. She''s got to be really happy. Mr.Ric: "Start the feast!" Atab: "Wohooo!!!" Everyone started eating. They were laughing and joking around. Even the Princess joined in. Ric approached me. Mr.Ric: "Thank you for helping us, Sir Atup. We haven''t seen this side of the Princess in a long time..." Atup: "You''re welcome, Mr. Ric." Mr.Ric: "I have a request..." He looks very serious this time. Mr.Ric: "This is about the future of our kingdom..." Atup: "What is it? I''ll do anything if it''s for the kingdom." Mr.Ric: "We need more residents. Of course, we can''t just recruit anyone." Atup: "Right." Mr.Ric: "I want you to keep doing what you were doing. Convince outstanding individuals to work for us. They have been a great help, and we need more like them." Atup: "You''re saying that we should accept travelers and migrants to our kingdom?" Mr.Ric: "Yes, and you will be the one deciding if they are worthy of being part of our kingdom." Atup: "I understand. I will do what you say and will keep a lookout for people like them." I don''t entirely approve of this idea, but he''s right. We can''t just rely on ourselves anymore. I also felt it; sometimes, I get so tired that even a day of relief is a blessing. We also can''t be too sure of our enemies. I might have fought off groups and small armies before, but that doesn''t mean I''m the strongest person. Tero & Atab: "Hahahaha!" On the stage were Tero and Atab playing some sort of punishment game. They were doing weird dances and making funny poses. Atup: "Hahaha..." I decided to forget my worries for the future that night. I celebrated and had fun with everyone. Chapter 8: A request of help Chapter 8: A request for help A week after a festival, things were back to normal. I was back to guarding the bridge and the residents were tending to their own business. It''s a good thing Nai built a house for Ange''s pet sheep Mee Ro. It''ll be weird to see her riding it all the time. She changes into a cheerful girl when she''s with Me Roo but I prefer her to be in "quiet" mode. "Good to see you! Here''s our food for today!" Atab is going around giving everyone the lunch for the day. He added some sheep dishes to his menu thanks to Gnak''s sheep. Atab then gave me my share. One whole pot. "Thanks as always." "Your welcome!" "I think it''s quite obvious that you won''t see new dishes or ingredients here anytime soon. Are you still going to stay?" "I don''t think that''s the case, Sir Atup. Actually, Mr. Rick told me some stories about strange beasts that you''ve put down while guarding the bridge. I might be able to make some new, experimental dishes from those exotic meat!" "Ah...I see." I really don''t want to see a Troll stew anytime soon. Atab was going back to the residential area when suddenly... "Help us!" "Help!" There was a group of villagers on the other side of the bridge. They are wearing peasant clothes. Farmers? "Help!" A few seconds later some bandits with bows and arrows came out from the woods. "Ange. Go take them out." "Understood." Ange threw exactly 15 knives and hit every bandit the came out of the woods. "Let''s go!" Another wave was coming so I decided to put Ange on my shoulder and jump to the side of the villagers. "Woah!" "Ahh..." "Ahhh!" Some of them were terrified of me. Of course, I was a giant compared to them. "You guys go cross the bridge now." I decided to let them through since they all seemed to be normal villagers. Even though some of them had swords and shields, they were too worn out to be useful in battle. I don''t think you could even kill a deer with that. "Y-yes." "Let''s go guys!" While they were crossing the bridge, 30 bandits came out from the woods. "Hmmm. Turn back now." "What the heck are you talking about you dumb ogre?" "Hahaha! Get him!" 10 was charging at me at the same time. ! Ange jumped off me when I swung my sword. The skill cleaving shockwave when I make a slash. It cut down all 10 of them. "Tsk. It''s a strong one. Fall back!" As Ange was falling down from her jump, she threw 10 knives on the fleeing bandits. "Guhhuuu!!" "Arghhh!!" Even if they were already out of sight, their screams could still be heard. Ange was definitely good at throwing those knives since she was able hit them even when they''re inside woods. "Good work." "I''m sorry, I think at least 10 of them escaped." "Don''t worry. I doubt they''ll be coming back anytime soon." We went back to the our side of the bridge. The villagers were resting there. It looks like they have been running for a long time. "Atab, get these people something to drink and eat." "Yes, Sir!" Atab hurriedly went to get his tools. Tap Sa was praticing his swordmanship nearby and also helped by bringing drinking water. "In behalf of all of us... Please accept this. Thank you very much, Sir." They gave some kind of treasure. A gold bracelet? "Some of the bandits that we fought off dropped that. It is the only valuable we have." "It''s all right. I''ll take this as payment... But who are you people? I don''t remember a village near these forests or even near the mountain." It was a year ago the last time I checked. I quickly scanned the area around the mountain for enemies when I was facing an orc warband. "We are just poor villagers from a village east of these mountains. There were a lot of warnings and taboos about this mountain but it was the only place we could go to." "Why? What is happening in the east?" "It''s war. As always, our town would get pillaged by the enemy army. Our army won''t spare any to defend us so we decide to flee instead." 30. There was only 30 from their group. "This must not be the whole group. Are you their chief?" "Yes, I am. Since the death of our chief when we entered these woods. The others were... also taken down by bandits." "I see." Mr. Rick gave me the authority to accept people in our kingdom. Even though their just villagers, I believe increasing our working people would help us a lot. "Mr. Chief, what is your name?" "I am Lon." "Very well. Lon, you can join our kingdom if you want. It''s dangerous in these mountains and the bandits are not the only ones living here." "We gratefully accept your offer. We know nothing about fighting but we are farmers and lumberjacks. We will help you with tasks that we can do."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "That''s good enough." "If... I may ask you a favor... Sir." "It''s Sir Atup by the way. So, what is this favor that you''re asking for?" "Some of us are still alive... They are being kept hostage by the bandits... my wife is with them. Please, help them." Hmm... I can''t leave the bridge. Not even for an hour. "I''m sorry, I am not allowed to leave this bridge." "Then I will help them." "Tap Sa?" "Yes, Sir Atup. I have trained hard lately and eager to try out my skills." "I see. But you will not go alone. Ange." "Yes?" It''s not a month yet but I already trust Ange. She can do this. "You are now free to go. But you need to help Tap Sa on this task." "Thank you very much! I won''t fail you!" "Let''s go!" Tap Sa and Ange quickly left to search for the survivors. "But... Sir Atup... Do they know where the bandits are located?" "Don''t worry. One of them is a ninja. They can find them on their own." "I just hope they get to them in time." I might look cruel to them now but if by some freak chance a monster appeared and tried to attack the kingdom, I won''t be able to protect the bridge if I''m not there. "Nai, you should make them some temporary shelter while you build the houses." "Yes, Sir." Atab also arrived with the food. They were eating vigorously. It must have been a brutal climb. Lon looks really worried. I''m sorry but we need to trust Tap Sa and Ange. . . . (Tap Sa POV) Finally, I would be able to test out my new skills. Sir Atup has been training me when he''s free and as long as it''s near the bridge. Ange is leading the way since she''s quite familliar with these woods. I grasp the sword in my hand. Please let me use it, Father. "I could sense a group of them heading north." "Let''s go." After following the group for 15 minutes, we arrive at their camp. There was a lot of tents and makeshift houses. There was also a cave where the hostages are tied up. "Why would they even take hostages? They''re just villagers." "Look there." Ange pointed to the middle of the camp where there was a huge fire burning. There were some people being burned on stakes. It was a ritual. "These are not just bandits. They''re cultists. We need to take them out before they summon their demon master." "Okay." There were about 50 of them in the camp. 5 were guarding the entrance. "Try to take them out as quiet as you can." "Understood." Anget killed 3. She did it by killing one with a knife to the head and killing the other two by throwing a knife left and right. I tried to unsheathe my sword but it still won''t budge. A new seal suddenly appeared when I was training with Sir Atup one day, he said I should be the one to break it this time. I tried but wasn''t successful. I used a sword that I got from Mr. Rick instead. "Die." "Wha-" I dropped in the middle of the two and made a quick slash to the right and the left. Cutting their necks open. "Good work." "Let''s go in." We jumped to the other side of the gate but something weird happened. "What the..." They were already aiming their bows at us and the other bandits were also ready to fight. "HAHAHAHA! Fools! You think you could sneak by our god''s watchful eye!? Nek the Bloodlord is all powerful!" "All powerful!" The cultists starts to laugh hysterically. Ange whispers to me... "I''ll throw a smoke grenade and use that to close in the distance. Try to kill as much as you can while the smoke is there." "Okay." Ange throws the smoke grenade. "Wha-!" Clouds of smoke covered the area. ! A circle made by a thin line surrounds me. Even though I can''t see my enemy, as long as their inside the circle, I can hit them. I jumped inside the smoke. "Guhhhh!!!" "Ahhh!!" Slash, Slash, Slash... One by one, the cultists fell to my blade. "Take this!" ! ! Spells were flying from all directions but they did not hit me. Some of them even hit one of their own. "Stop that!" "Don''t use spells idiots!" A few minutes later, the smoke was gone. 30 cultist were lying dead on the ground. "What!? You fools! How could you lose to these lower lifeforms!?" "Time to die." I remove the blood from my blade by slashing the air. "HAHAHAHA! GRRAAAA!!!" Ange threw 5 of her knives to the shouting cultist. He must be the leader since the remaining cultist gathered around him. "Guuhhhh..." "Aggghh!!!" The other cultist caught all of Ange''s knives. "Let''s finish him!" "Yeah!" Ange and I make a dash towards him and something unexpected happen. "Wha!?" "Take cover." The bodies of the dead cultists, the sacrificed villagers all floated to the cultist leader and exploded in a torrent of blood. "GUHAHAHAHA! I AM HERE ONCE AGAIN! That dumb giant... I''ll get him back! Get out of my way!" Ange planted her knives on the face of the demon but it was deflected. "Tsk." "Grahhh!!!" It''s a good thing Ange was quick to react and was able to dodge a counter from the demon. "So you''re Nek the Bloodlord, huh? Take this!" While he was busy trying to catch Ange, I made a slash towards his side. Clink!!! "I-impossible." The sword broke in two. It was a very good sword in my opinion and I was even able to cut rocks with that. For his skin to break it... He''s not even armored. "Hahaha! Take this worm!" "Ahhhh!!!" I took a direct hit from his tail. The demon covered in blood was floating with his wings made of blood. "You are no match to me. Offer up your blood and be part of my awesome power!" "You disgusting filth!" Ange was ticked off. She throw some weird looking daggers at him. She threw 20 in quick successions. "Grr..." He made a blood shield to defend himself. The knives exploded and was able to break through the shield. "Guhaaaa!!!" "Hmmf." "You..!!!" ! Ange tried to dodge but the wave was too large. "Tsk." A shadow saved her from the and she came out at the top of a tree. "Hahh..." She was clearly exhausted. It must be a very costly spell. "Stay there. I''ll take care of this." "Hahaha! Trying to be a hero huh!?" ! "Let''s do this your way, Swordsman!" "Giyaa!!!" I used my father''s sheathed sword. Deflecting his blows was not easy and when I was able to land my own hits, they weren''t doing much damage. Clink! Clank!!! Booomm!!! A strong swing from his Blood Sword threw me a few meters away. "Gahh.... Gahhh..." "Weak. You can''t even be a good warm up for my real battle." "Damn it..." "Oh... looks like my food there is getting tired of waiting." Some of the villagers was freed of their binds and was trying to free the others. "Come here!!!" "Wahhh!!! No!" The villagers screamed. Time stopped for me. No.... NOOOO!!!! A voice can be heard from my head. "As long as you draw your sword for others. I will give it to you." The chains keeping my sword sheathed was shattered. My speed rose greatly, everything was slow motion to me. "Die!!!" I chased the demon Nek who was on his way to massacre the fleeing villagers and slashed him from behind. "What?? GUHAAA!!!!" "YAARRRGHHHH!!!" He was cut in two. "GRAAAHHHH!!! YOU FOOL! YOU WANT TO DIE FIRST? THEN I''LL KILL YOU!" Time went back to normal. I was able to cut him in two but he manipulated his blood to get himself back in one piece. "Ah..." This is the end... His Blood Sword was on its way to decapitate me. "Sorry, Father." "DIEEE!!!" "..." "..." "... hmm?" I opened my eyes to see what was happening. The demon was being sucked into a black hole. "GUHAAAAA!!! NOT AGAIN!!! CURSE YOU!!! TRAITOR!" Tero was there. He must have teleported here. With a wave of his hands, the demon Nek was gone. "Hmmf. Low-class demons should know their place." "Thank you... Mr. Tero..." "Tero is fine. Sir Atup told me to help you guys with this since we felt some demon aura coming from here." "I see." "By the way... That sword is impressive. To be able to cut Nek-chan''s body like that... You have a bright future." "Ahh..." I fainted. . . . (Sir Atup POV) "Thank you for bringing them back." "No problem." Tero brought back Ange and Tap Sa with his skill. "That''s a very useful skill you have there." "Yeah, it''s royalty stuff." "I see." "Can I go back to reading now?" "Sure." Tero was trying to find out more about humans and how can they get so strong with time. Ange was weakened and Tap Sa was unconscious. I cast on them to heal their wounds. "Thank you..." Ange also fainted after being healed. It must''ve been a hard battle. The villagers were also taken back along with them. "Nila? Nila!" "Lon!" Lon finally got to see his wife. He was worried sick all this time. "Thank you... thank you..." He was crying. "Don''t thank me. Thank these two later when they wake up. I believe they did their best and that''s why the others are still alive." "Still, thank you for everything!" He bowed deeply. "You are welcome." "I haven''t told you before... but I am actually was bron with a special skill." "Oh?" "It''s the passive skill ." The skill made him knowledgeable about plants and makes the plants grow faster and grow more abundantly. He can also learn spells more easily. This skill''s most important trait is that he can plant unique plants. "I see. You are very much needed here. I hope you stay here with us." "Of course! I will do my best to repay this debt with my life!" Good. "Woah! Unique plants!?" Atab suddenly came from nowhere. "Can you tell me more!?" "Sure!" It seems like the two would get along well. Nila approached me before they went back. "Thank you dear sir. My husband is a great person and I hope you take care of us. We will do our best to serve." "No need for that. I''ll make sure everyone in this kingdom is safe." She bowed one more time and finally left. There''s something weird with her. She''s hiding her aura for some reason. It''s a good thing that the aura isn''t malicious. Nai approached me a few minutes later. "The houses are finished!" "I see. Amazing as always." "Human houses are the easiest ones to build. Bring us some weird creatures next time! I want to build different houses." "Oh..... okay." (Sigh) "Meeee...." Mee Ro was trying to wake up Ange. The two are still lying down here near the bridge. "Wahh!!!" Tap Sa woke up. Chapter 9: The Bounty Hunter Chapter 9: The Bounty Hunter (Atup POV) Ahhh... A drink after hours sitting in this scorching sun is one of the best feelings. "Wooo... It''s hotter than usual." It''s just me this time since the others have their own things to attend to. As for Anget... I let her go out for an errand. She said it''s something very important. Let''s see here... Maybe I could sneak to Atab''s house for a take-out meal. As I was standing up... "You! Halt!" Oh boy. "What is it that you want?" "Hahaha! Just surrender your life to me and I''ll make your death quick and painless!" "Why would you even want that? What''s in it for you?" "Ha! Targets these days... You don''t even know you have a bounty on your head? It''s quite large. "Is that so... Your a bounty hunter, I assume?" "Indeed I am! Roz the undefeated!" "Undefeated huh?" It looks like we are quite similar to each other huh? "Then let''s get this fight started. I''m getting hungry you know." "That''s what I like to hear!" He rushes towards me. Throwing poisoned daggers in quick intervals. Clink. Clink. Clink. I didn''t bother to block since they didn''t even pierce my armor. I thought he would aim at my neck but he didn''t. Is he trying to look weak so that I''ll be complacent? "Hiyahh!!!" He took out his battle axe and made a downwards swing. A frontal attack? I decided to grab the axe when it hits me and then make a counter attack but... He spun in mid air, changing the direction where the axe was coming from. Now the axe was going to hit my side, I won''t be able to block it. "Hrmm... Gah!... Huh?" It hit me and then it fell. "Aww.... Ouch..." "What is this?" There was force from the axe but I didn''t feel any pain. It even it my undefended body.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Was the axe dull? "Aww.... I think I broke my arm..." "Hmm..." I think I know what happened here. "Get up, Roz." "Eh..." "Undefeated my face, why do want to throw your life like that? I almost took you seriously." "It''s true! Aw.... Ouch... I am undefeated! This is my very first battle!" "Ah... please no. You can''t mean..." "I just become a bounty hunter! I needed money badly so I chose one of the biggest targets!" "You could have paid with your life you know?" I shook my head. "Anyways, go home now." "Really? You''ll spare me?" "Yeah, go go. You actually have some potential in you. That Battle Art that you used on me... It''s unique." Even I can''t make a spin that fast. Especially in mid-air. "You like that? Hehehe... I trained really hard to get that skill." "Wait a minute..." Maybe I do need a bounty hunter. Maybe just a hunter. "Roz, won''t you work for me? As a hunter?" "Hunter? Like animals?" "Yeah. I can pay you for the animals you take back." "That sounds good... Actually I wasn''t really sure if I could kill a person and bring back his head... Maybe being a hunter is best... I''ll accept your offer!" "Good. And you have to teach me that skill." "Hahaha! Sure." We trained near the bridge for a whole day. It wasn''t easy but I was able to learn how to use . "How do you do it in mid-air?" "When you use it mid-air, you will be able to step on air once and then make a spin. It''s the most amazing part of the skill. You can even spin while lying down." "Great. This is enough for your payment. Actually, I already made arrangements for you in your new house." "What? A house already!? That''s one of my dreams!" "Yeah, go ahead. Nai please guide him there." "Sure thing, Sir Atup." After introducing ourselves to each other, Nai guided him to the residential area. Once I made up my mind to recruit him, I sent a shout to Nai and he already knew what to do. Another one added to the kingdom. I need to get more. I have this feeling that something big will happen. or come. Kingdom''s Recruits! Nai - Master Carpenter Atab - Child Cook Anget - Female Ninja Milu - Chibi Alchemist Tap Sa - Samurai who can''t use his sword all the time Tero - Demon Lord''s kid or the Demon Prince Gnak Gnok - Sheperd Druid Meee Ro - Anget''s pet sheep Lon - The Gardener Nila - Wife of Lon The escaped villagers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short stories inside the Kingdom! (Milu POV) I''m still looking for that pervert. Ohh... I knew he saw my perfect body! I can''t let him get away with that! I''ve been asking everyone who they think would be the culprit and now I have my list. 1. Atab 2. Nai 3. Tero I''m going to ask them one by one! "Atab!" "Yes, Milu-san?" "You... pervert-desu! You were the one who peeked on me bathing right?" "Wah!? No! I won''t do that. I was just cooking all day. I mean... I do that everyday. Sometimes I look for ingredients. "Grr... Fine. I''ll let you go but if I find out that you were lying, I''ll turn you into a potion you hear me!?" "Y-yes!" He bowed again and again before running away. Maybe I did it wrong... Telling the pervert that he''s a pervent will definitely force him to lie. Ohh..!!! (Sigh) I''ll do it right next time. I''ll go to Nai next. "Nai." "Yes, Ms. Milu?" "I just wanted to ask a question." "Sure, is this about your house or your shop?" "No, no... I just wanted to ask if you ever went to the bath 2 days ago?" "2 days ago..." "You can''t remember?" "Wait... Oh yeah! I haven''t taken a bath for a week! Thanks for reminding me!" And off he goes. "(Sigh)." "I''m sure it''s not him. He can''t even remember when to take a bath. All he cares about is his houses." It''s got to be Tero! . . . (Tero POV) There is a lot of amusing things here in this kingdom. I saw humans planting trees and vegetables to support themselves. They also grow animals and eat them when they get big. Wicked! I spent my time going around asking for stories, sometimes reading books. I was about to check out Gnak''s sheep farm when suddenly I was blocked by a small woman. "Tero!" "What do you want woman?" "You peeked on me! I''m sure of it." Ah... She finally found out. I just have to be honest so that she will know that I didn''t mean it. "Yes, I did saw you accidentally but don''t worry, I''m not into humans. Especially the small ones." "..." She''s quiet... I think she''s embarassed, maybe she thought I like her? "YOU!!! SO WHAT IF I''M SMALL!? COME HERE!" ! ! "Ahhh!!!" I used my short-range blink multiple times to avoid annihilation. "I''m sorry!!!" "Come back here!" From that point going forward, I never told small girls that they were small. And decided that one of the scariest things in this world is Milu. Chapter 10: Wandering Monk Chapter 10: The Wandering Monk (Atup POV) I was eating Atab''s new dish, sheep steak when something weird was on the bridge again. It was a bald old man. He was wearing the clothes of a priest. What religion was that again... I forgot what it was but I read it in one of the Princess'' books. "Good day to you, good sir." "Good day. How may I help you? Are lost by any chance?" "No, I am not lost young one. I actually came here to guide people who have lost their path." "It looks to me that you are the one that is lost because you are wandering." "Ah... The body is wandering but my mind is at peace. That is what I mean." "I see. I think I get what you mean but... I don''t think we need this kind of thing." "You are looking for fighters, yes?" "I am." "I will show you how one fights with a peaceful mind." "If you really want to... we can fight." I never felt comfortable fighting old men. Especially if its a blow for blow fight. I don''t think this old man is a wizard. "I am ready." "You have no weapon, my friend. Would you like me to lend you one." "My body is the weapon. Would you not like to test it now?" "I undestand. Then I will fight with my fists as well." "I admire your kind heart. Now, let us go!" He must''ve sensed that I was hesitant in fight him, that is why he moved first. A punch was coming straight to my body. I moved my hands to block it. "Guhh!!!" It was heavy! The force went through my arms and the thick armor. It was like the blow was not blocked by anything at all. "..." What was that... It''s my turn. ! I attacked him with 3 consecutive punches from different directions. He calmly blocked all of them. "You are strong. But your mind is not at ease." "What?" He then made a gesture of pushing. A wave of force pushed me back a few steps. After I blinked from that, I could not see the old man anymore. "Wher-" An uppercut. "Guuhhhh!!!" It was another heavy strike. I was higher than him, he must''ve jumped to make that attack. How could it be that strong? I can''t lose.