《Swords, magic and villagers... I guess?》 Chapter 1 Inside a dark forest. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Fear. Shit loads of it. That is what I''m feeling right now. Why? Well, maybe because I am a simple villager being chased by a pack of ugly and smelly goblins. So, why am I in a forest being chased by these angry green fuckers? The thing is my friend, female by the way, is sick and needs some oregan herbs. Of course, I wanted to look cool and dependable so I volunteered to get the herbs in the nearby forest. Things are relatively easy at first actually, I found the herbs easily because they are not so rare. But my adventurous side kicked off and I tried to go a little deeper in the forest. Which obviously did not go too well. "FUUUCK!!!" My feet hurt like a bitch. I have gashes on my face, legs, and forearms due to running past thorny bushes. I turned my head and saw that the ugly greenskins are still hot on my tail, screaming and waving their nasty looking improvised weapons around. And I also learned that running in a forest without looking at where you are going is a very stupid idea. I fucking tripped on a tree root and face planted myself on the ground. I spit out the dirt and leaves in my mouth and tried to stand up but I felt a stinging pain on my left foot. I think I sprained my ankle. Well shit, the goblins are almost here. I hastily assessed my situation. All I have on me is the pouch where I put the oregon grass and a strip of jerky which I brought to snack on. In other words, I''m seriously fucked, no weapon and I''ve sprained an ankle. I frantically looked around to find a makeshift weapon, luckily I found a sturdy looking fallen branch on the ground. Shit, the murderous midgets reached me. I hastily swiped the branch and whacked the nearest goblin on the side on the head. I heard a crack, not sure if it came from the goblin''s skull or my branch. Anyways the little fucker is down, three more to go. The remaining goblins looked enraged and they rushed at me at the same time. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. I could almost hear my own heartbeat when the adrenaline kicked in. I smashed my makeshift club to the goblin on my right. Its forehead caved in and it died immediately. I did not have time to celebrate my kill as the goblin on my left whacked my arm. I dropped my weapon because of the pain, but I grabbed the fucker''s throat and crushed its windpipe. It resulted in one dead goblin and nasty claw marks on my left hand. I dropped the dead goblin and eyed the remaining one. This one looks bigger and meaner, it also has a rusted hatchet. The others just used makeshift weapons, so I assume this is the boss and the dead ones are its lackeys. We just glared at each other for a few seconds, but then the goblin lost its patience and lunged at me. I frantically evaded the hatchet, but shit, my ankle is sprained. I was unable to move on time and the blade dug into my left thigh. "FUCKKK!!!" The blade dug halfway into my flesh, almost reaching the bone. And also, I noticed that all my injuries are on the left side of my body. Why the fuck is that? I gritted my teeth and slugged the green ugly in the face. It toppled backward, and I inhaled sharply as I removed the hatchet from my thigh. The goblin is trying to get up but I planted my uninjured foot on its chest and brought down the hatchet on its ugly face. A couple of times actually. I did not stop until its head became a mushy soup of blood and brains. "Fuuu..." I exhaled loudly feeling very lightheaded. I tried to adjust my posture but my knees gave out and I fell on my back. I just stared at the faint sunlight slipping through the gaps of the forest canopy as I lose consciousness. Chapter 2 "Ughhh..." I slowly opened my eyes and scanned the area. "Wha-?" I slowly recalled what happened earlier. I was chased by some goblins, tripped then forced to defend myself. There are 4 corpses nearby and one of them is missing it''s head. I tried to get up but my body feels like rubber. Also there''s a nasty looking wound on my thigh. "I should get out of here, it''s getting dark and I''m badly injured." I mumbled to myself as I gave the corpses one final look and limped away. - I safely exited the forest and reached the clearing adjacent to our village. Well safely means I encountered a feral hound which made me almost shit my pants. Good thing it did not look hungry and left after sniffing me. I walked for a bit and reached the village gate guarded by two muscular men. "Harold!" I shouted and the old blonde guard looked at my tattered clothes soaked with my and the goblins'' blood. "Whatever that is holy happened to you Kanno?" Yep that''s me alright. I shrugged as he lent me a shoulder. "Just an afternoon stroll with some not so friendly goblins and feral hounds. Also I got some herbs." I grinned while I showed him my pouch. He just shook his head. "You''ll end up dead at some point due to your stupidity." He didn''t say anything after that and just silently led me to my house. I thanked him before I went inside. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Ow... I really should patch myself up. Then give Amy the herbs..." I took of my tattered clothes, wiped myself clean, cleaned my wounds and bandaged them afterwards. Then more boring stuff until I left my home and headed to Amy''s house. - "What?" I couldn''t process what I heard and just stood there looking stupid. I reached Amy''s house and was about to give her the herbs I collected but I saw her sitting in their living room looking as healthy as ever. "You heard me Kanno. Lark already gave me some herbs and I''m feeling fine now. What took you so long anyways? I thought I could depend on you. Tsk tsk tsk." Amy said while smirking. Fuckkk! Then what''s the pvoint of me going to the forest? Lark! If I remember correctly his mother is a herbalist. Shit shit shit! "Glad you''re fine then." I said dryly before going home dejectedly. Stupid girls and stupid romance. No one appreciates effort these days. Fuck. I''ll just stay single then. I arrived at my house in a grumpy mood and sat down. "So what should I do with these? It''s a waste to just throw them away. They might not be rare but oregan herbs still have value. I can sell these for a few silvers. The problem is where should I sell them. Nobody in the village will be interested in buying them, well maybe except Lark''s mother. But I wont sell it to her, I dont like her son. The nearest trading point is a city called Virea, located south from here. Not that I know which way is north or south anyways. "Well I''ll just leave it for tomorrow. Dinner first then I''ll go sleep. Man, I''m soreee." I raided the kitchen and found a piece of hard bread and a small block of cheese. I devoured the makeshift sandwich like a straving beggar then I plopped into my bed and slept. Chapter 3 "What a loser..." I watched his back as he left my house. Gods, Kanno really sucks. All he had to do is get some stupid herbs in the forest, it''s not like he''s gonna put his life on the line. So lame, unlike Lark. He''s so handsome and dependable. Kanno, meh. He''s just average. Black eyes and hair, his face is kinda okay buttt, he is a shorty. I''m almost taller than him, who would date a midget like that. His only saving grace is that he is a funny guy. "Well, at least he tried to help. I should have at least accepted the herbs. Whatever, knowing Kanno he will probably sell them haha." I smiled a bit as I entered my house. - The first thing I did after waking up is to piss, obviously, then I opened an old chest and retrieved a thick book. The paper used is from the fibers of pairus tree and the cover is made of thick leather. I began scribbling on it, recalling everything I did yesterday. Yes this is my gods damned diary. Even though my hobby is a bit on the girlish side, I''m still proud of it. Perks of being literate I say, also I feel inteligent just by writing random shit down. After I finished writing I placed it back on the chest and ate breakfast. You guessed it, bread and cheese again. Man I fucking love cheese. I sat for a while, waiting for my meal to settle down. I napped there for a bit, like an hour or so. I''m not sure though because I dont own a watch or clock. My wounds feel a bit itchy so I decided to take a bath then change my bandages. I took a set of fresh clothes and some strips of clean cloth then I left my house. -Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Kanno, how''s it going." The weather today is nice, I feel like going on a picnic. I hummed and nodded to myself. "Hey Kanno!" Maybe I can go back to the forest to collect more herbs? But I wont go deep this time, I''m still sore all over and also my left leg is not functioning properly. "HEY MAN!" But still, I need to go to the nearest trading city if I want to sell my herbs. I almost lost my life to mere goblins. I cant imagine going on a trip by myself. Yep, absolutely impossible. "KANNO! YOU LIMP MOTHERFU-" "WHADIDJASAYHUH!?" I turned abruptly and smacked the offender right on his face. "Ooops! Sorry Kevin I did not see you there." Kevin, my oh so annoying childhood friend glared at me as he rubbed his now swollen cheeks. "Fuck you Kanno, I was literally next to you! Did not see my ass!" He snapped at me. "Easy there Kevs, you wont be popular with girls if you let a bit of playfulness get to you." I told him as I sported a look of pity. As far as I know, Kevin never mentioned having a lover before. "Fuck you Kanno, as if you have it better compared to me. So what happened to you anyways, you look like a bear mauled you." Kevin said as he eyed my injuries. "Stupid, you think I will survive after a bear attack? I told you yesterday that Amy needs some herbs right? I went to the forest to gather some but got attacked by goblins after I went too deep. I killed all 4 of them but as what you can see they also fucked me up badly." I explained to him. "Shit, that''s scary. But you managed to kill them right? You should go to a city to get an appraisal. Anyways, where are you going exactly? And what happened to the herbs you collected?" He asked me while looking at my baggage. "I''m going to take a bath in the river. Dont you dare take a peek you perverted deviant." I snapped at him while I did my best ''covering-yourself-up-after-someone-accidentally-stumbled-into-you-while-bathing'' impression. "Maybe I should just drown you in the river..." Kevin said as he looked at me with his dead fish eyes. Man he really cant take a joke. Poor Kevin. Chapter 4 "So what happened to the herbs? You did not answer earlier." We are currently hanging out in my house. An hour already passed and Kevin really did try to drown me in the river. Fucking psychopath. "She said she did not need it. Lark already gave her some, probably while I''m still literally betting my life just to snag a few in the forest." I spat out venomously. Stupid Amy, stupid Lark. "Man that sucks. What will you do to those herbs now? You know that those at least costs around 10 silvers per pound right?" Kevin asked me as he eyed my pouch. "Well, I plan on getting a few more sacks worth at the forest. And you''re going with me. After that we will go to Virea to sell or trade them. Maybe if there is a temple I''ll get an appraisal." Kevin appeared to be deep in thought so I just waited for him to say something. After a full minute he stared at me and asked, "When do we leave?" I chuckled and replied, "Tomorrow. Let''s go look for herbs first, let me remind you though, we are not going too deep." Though the soreness already receded, my left leg is still badly injured. I think if I get chased by a bunch of smelly green nightmares again I''ll probably die for real. "Of course we''re not. I still kinda like being alive just so you know. I''ll head home first, I will look for bags or sacks. Wait for me." He said as he left. I noticed that he is very excited with this. I do understand him though, life in the village is very mundane and repetitive. My entries on my diary are almost the same. From waking up, doing village stuff, hanging out with Kevin, and more boring stuff. Well except today. Yesterday was the only time when I felt trully alive. - "Sooo, we already collected 5 sacks of these herbs. You think this is enough?" Kevin asked as he lifted 2 of the sacks filled with oregan herbs. "Yeah I think so. Besides it''s getting dark now, we should return." I took out a rope and tied it to one sack to make a makeshift backpack. Then I lifted the remaining 2 with each hand. "Let''s get out of here." We walked for about 15 minutes and abruptly stopped when we heard something moving on the thickets. "Kannooo? Did you hear that?" Kevin asked me nervously. "Yeah..." We stared at the thickets warily and all of a sudden something furry burst out. "Aaaah!!!" Kevin screamed like a little girl, and I just frowned. "Kevin shut up! It''s just a fox, what the hell." Kevin is still shaking, so I got irritated and kicked him. Stupid Kevin.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Kanno I hate dogs!" Kevin protested and hid behind me. I looked at the little animal before us. I think it''s a red fox, though it looks very young. Red foxes are rare and lives deep in the forest. "Kanno! Let''s leave!" Kevin protested. I just shook my head at Kevin, a grown man scared of a little dog. Poor Kevin. The fox just stared at us, not moving a muscle. To be honest, it looked kinda cute. I wanna fucking pet it. I took a step forward carefully, the fox did not budge and just tilted it''s head. Seeing that it''s not scared, I walked forward and stopped a meter away from it. I took out a slice of cheese. Do foxes even eat cheese? The fox sniffed it a little and carefully took it from my hand. Shit, that made me smile a bit. "Hey man, stop fucking around. We should leave." Kevin reminded me. He looked a bit calmer now but he still looked at Lugh warily. "Yeah yeah. Why are you so scared of Lugh anyways? He looks harmless." I asked him while petting Lugh. "Lugh? You fucking gave it a name? Gods... Whatever, if you''re keeping that fox just dont let it near me." Kevin just grumbled and walked away. I just chuckled and followed after him. "Come on Lugh!" I called out to my new pet and Lugh ran after me. - "Kanno. Feeling better already? And what''s up with that red fox, is that yours?" Harold asked me as we reached the village gate. Lugh is sticking close to me, what a good boy. "Yep, me and Kevin went to the forest to collect more herbs. We decided to sell them on Virea. We found the fox on the way out." Harold looked at Lugh and fell deep in thought. He placed a hand on his chin and pursed his lips. If a lady did that it would look cute but Harold is the one doing it, so pass. After a minute he spoke up again. "About that fox, you should get it a collar and a tag at least. And about your trip to Virea, let me go with you. I have to collect a package there. So when will you guys leave?" He asked. "Tomorrow morning. With you traveling with us the trip should be safe. Thanks Harold." I glanced at Kevin who is at least 5 meters away from me. Stupid Kevin, he is still afraid of Lugh. He mentioned something earlier about Lugh eating his face. As if my buddy Lugh will do something like that. "Hey Kevs! Meet me at my house tomorrow morning. Dont be late asshole!" I shouted at him. "Yeah, fuck you too." He shouted back. "So yeah, Harold. See you tomorrow. We will meet you here at the village gate. Thanks again. Come on Lugh, let''s go home." I waved my hand at Harold and left. Chapter 5 I woke up early. I emptied my bladder, petted Lugh and took out my diary. I thought for a bit and finally opened the diaty to write the entry for today. - Entry 753 I went to the forest with Kevin and found a lot of herbs. No goblin attack today. We spent the whole day foraging. On the way out we found a young red fox. Kevin became a bit pissy because he is scared of dogs. Poor Kevin. I named it Lugh and decided to keep it. By the way, Harold the guard will be accompanying us today to Virea. He said he will collect a package. My leg still hurt like a bitch but the journey will be safe, I hope. - I put down my pen and reread the entry I wrote on my diary. Should I call it journal? Yep, journal does not sound gay to me. I''m done eating my usual breakfast, I shared the rest with Lugh. He seem to like cheese a lot, I wonder why. I stared at Lugh, which is now napping below my chair. I placed a leather belt on his neck yesterday as a temporary collar. "Hey Kanno! Good morning." Ah, my dear friend Kevin. He is obviously excited about our trip because I can see a huge fucking bag strapped on his back. He is also carrying the 2 sacks he collected yesterday, I wonder how the hell did he manage to carry all that stuff. "What the fuck is in that huge ass bag Kevs. Dont tell me you took all your stuff. Idiot." I stared at him as he dropped the sacks and the bag he is carrying. He started to open the bag for me to see what is inside. "Camping tools, clothes, food and other... stuff." He told me with a grin. I just massaged my forehead at his display. "Fuck, fine. But you will carry all that shit by yourself. I bet if you can disassemble your house you will take it too." I said. "Ugh... Well actually, I did try to. But I thought it would be too heavy." This lunatic actually tried to take his house. Why the fuck am I friends with this idiot again? Oh I remember, because I am as crazy as him. I took out my biggest backpack and shoved all my stuff that is either not too heavy to carry or was not nailed in place. Clothes, food, trinkets, books. Everything that can fit in my bag. I almost took a painting on the wall but left it after I realized that it does not have any practical use on our trip. I stopped when my house is almost empty except the furnitures. Lastly I dragged the old chest outside. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Gods... And you called me an idiot earlier... Hahahahaha!" I just shrugged at Kevin''s comment and tried to lift the bag which is almost bigger than me. I managed to lift it, I also picked up the sacks of herbs and tied it on the bag. "Come Lugh! We are leaving!" Lugh looked at my bag first, then at me. He tilted his head in confusion, probably at the thought that I am carrying something huge on my back. "Hey Kanno are you sure you can carry all that? I can carry the chest for you if you want." Kevin looked concerned but I just shook my head. "I''m fine. I''m feeling good actually, it''s like I''m doing exercise." I picked up the chest and started to walk towards the town gate. - "Are you two planning to migrate or something? What''s up with those packs?" Harold asked us while looking confused. I just laughed at his expression. He is currently sorting out his stuff. A few days worth of rations, a waterskin, a knife and some herbs grinded into paste. Obviously for first aid. His short sword is sheathed on his hip. After stuffing his stuff in a bag he stood up. "Before we go, let me ask you guys first. Did you bring any weapons for self defense?" Kevin tapped the knife strapped on his bag. "Only this." Then they both turned to me. "Just two kitchen knives and a sling..." I answered. Harold contemplated for a bit and said, "Well that''s better than nothing. Let''s go." And so, 3 men and a fox headed to Virea. Chapter 6 The first 6 hours of the trip is relatively peaceful. No monster attacks, no bandits. We finally decided to rest a bit. Harold scouted and found a brook a few dozen meters from the road. I put down my pack and drank water from my waterskin, I was about to give Lugh some but he is already drinking on the brook. I scanned the area and saw Kevin lighting a campfire. "Hey Kevs, what will you cook?" I asked as I walked towards him. He glanced at me and resumed his chore. "Soup. Go get some clean water. I have some mushrooms on my bag. Ask Harold if he have some beef jerky." He said without even looking at me. This jerk suddenly becomes a respectable human being when he is cooking something. Also the food he makes is very delicious. "Aye chef." I replied after giving a mock salute. Harold is at the brook, sticking his arm in the water. "Harold, what are you doing there?" Even Lugh is looking at him. "Catching freshwater prawns and hopefully crabs. Very tasty if I must say." He replied as his arm abruptly shoot into the water. "Haha! Got one!" He grinned as he showed me a prawn almost as big as a small plate. It does look delicious, maybe I can ask Kevin to put it on the soup. "By the way Harold, Kevin asked if you have beef jerky. He is making soup, we can also put the prawn in it." He just shook his head and said "No I only have bread and dried fruits unfortunately. But we can put the prawns in the soup though." He smiled and showed me 2 more prawns a bit larger than the first one. We headed to Kevin and gave him the prawns. He just nodded and snapped the prawns'' heads then dropped them in the slightly boiling soup. After a few minutes the soup was ready so I took out 3 bowls and some spoons. The food tasted great as usual. His cooking is Kevin''s one and only redeeming feature. I also fed Lugh some bread and cheese, also some lefot over soup. After resting for about an hour we continued our trip. - "Wait, I hear something." Harold made us stop and we carefully listened for any noise. He unsheathed his sword, and Kevin took out his knife. Then all of a sudden 4 dirty men burst out of the bushes and glared at us. "Travelers, give us all your stuff and no one gets hurt. But if you resist we-" a loud snapping sound cut him off as a small rock hit his right eye. He screamed and dropped his rusty sword. They did not even notice me taking out and loading my sling, what a bunch of morons. Dont they know that talking too much during a fight will get you killed?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Harold and Kevin did not stay idle though, they immediately rushed the remaining bandits. Kevin dropped his bag and ran to the nearest bandit, he swung his arm widely and cut the bandit''s arm. His attack is sloppy but it managed to injure the shocked bandit and made him drop his weapon. While Harold on the other hand stabbed his sword into blinded bandit''s belly and gutted him. Blood and innards spilled out as the poor guy tried to put back his guts inside is body. The remaining bandit turned to flee but I am already swinging my sling. With a snap a fist sized rock hit the fleeing idiot in the head. The rock embeded itself on the back of his head and he died just like that. Kevin looked at my direction and flashed a thumbs up on me. I returned the gesture and faced Harold. He just nodded in approval as he approached the injured bandit remaining, the one Kevin attacked. "Please dont kill me!" Smelly bandit pleaded with obvious fear on his eyes. Harold just looked at him coldly and said, "Kill him Kevin, he''s yours." Kevin looked at the man, and closed his eyes. After opening his eyes he stabbed the man in the chest. "N-no! Aghhh!!! Help!" The bandit struggled but Kevin stabbed him like 7 more times until he died. After a full minute Kevin dropped on his knees and almost threw up his lunch. "I killed a person... I... Shit!" Kevin cursed. "Man up Kevin. They are not good people. They rob and kill travelers, did you forget how they threathened us earlier. Remember that if you hesitate too much you''ll end up dead. Kill or be killed." Harold lectured him. Kevin is still shaking. "But I''m just a simple villager. I''m no soldier or mercenary... How about you Kanno?" Kevin and Harold looked at me. "Though it is the first time I killed a person, I''m not that shaken. I mean, I told you that I killed 4 goblins in the forest. They look a bit like humans except shorter, angrier, and smellier. Also green. But you get the point right? Also Harold is right, they are criminals. And let me ask you will you let yourself get killed just because you are against taking other people''s lives?" I explained to him as I put the sling back into my bag. "I understand but maybe we could have just captured them or something? Or just injure them until they cant fight anymore..." Kevin protested. Harold answered this time. "Then after recovering they will just return to robbing and stealing." Kevin did not say anything this time and just nodded. "Yeah you''re right. Maybe I''m just being too soft." I patted his back Chapter 7 The rest of the trip was peaceful and Kevin was already back to his usual self. It took us another 3 hours before we finally reached oudr destination. Virea''s walls are a bit high and thick. I was unable to see the roofs of the buildings inside at all. And on top of the high walls, guards holding crossbows are stationed. "We need to get inspected before we can enter the gate. Also we need to pay 10 silvers each, toll." Harold told us while fishing out silvers out of his pouch. Though I felt bad about giving the guards my precious coins, I still put up with it. Because I wont be able to get in otherwise. After the 3 of us paid the toll and was inspected, the guard let us pass. The guard noticed Lugh and asked "Is this your pet?" I nodded and said "Yes, is there an issue about taking him inside?" The guard contemplated for a bit before finally saying. "Such pets are allowed inside. Just be careful because it''s your responsibility to make sure they behave and not cause trouble." I just nodded and picked up Lugh. "Anyways, welcome to Virea." The guard said then he turned to face the other people waiting in the line outside.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. - "Should we head to the trading guild now?" I asked Harold. Kevin was busy looking around like an idiot. This friend of mine, really... "Hmm, we should probably find an inn first. It''s almost dusk and it would be hard to find lodging if we postpone it. After finding a suitable inn, we will separate. I will go to the smithy and you guys go to the trading guild. We will just meet at the inn we will choose." I thought for a bit and agreed. It''s rather late so I don''t think it''s safe to go back to the village. Ehhh, we''ll just return tomorrow. After a few minutes of looking around we finally found a decent looking inn. We booked a large room and left our stuff inside. The only thing we brought with us were the herbs we are supposed to sell. "So, I guess we''ll go to the trading guild then. See you later Harold." Kevin said as we walked the opposite direction Harold was taking. "Don''t get lost you two." he said while giving us a small wave. "So now Kevs, it''s just you me and Lugh. Heh. Where was the building located again?" Kevin just shrugged as if to say that he have no freaking idea where. This useless... After thinking for a bit I finally remembered. "Ohhh, I remember now. Just across the adventurers guild. If I''m correct it''s just a couple of minutes walk from this inn." We made our way to the guild without getting lost or getting in trouble, fortunately. Well, aside from Kevin oogling pretty gals and getting smacked in return. I think I should just ditch this bastard. Really. Chapter 8 The trading guild is currently quiet, since there are no people inside aside from the lanky man on the counter. His slick black hair is neatly brushed backwards and he have a fancy looking goatie. Oh I''d like to have one of those! He is wearing a monocle and is currently inspecting a shiny gold coin. After looking at the coin for a solid 5 minutes, he nodded to himself and put it in a drawer, before finally looking to us. "So, what brings you here, lads?" He asked us in a somewhat baritone voice. Eh, it made me feel like it suits his looks. I imagine him sorting out all the items and something-somethings being traded here while carefully inspecting each and every one of them while nodding to him as if to approve of the quality. Weird. I was pulled from my daydreaming after Kevin promptly smacked me on the head. "Oh, did I space out? Oh right. We would like to turn in these Oregan herbs please. There are 5 sacks here." I said while pointing to the sacks Kevin and I are carrying. The man nodded (he seem to like to nod a lot, I wonder why) and he motioned for us to follow him to the back of the building, presumably the warehouse. The warehouse is a bit spacious with some shelves aligned near the walls together with crates containing unknown stuff. The man cleared his throat and swept his hand, as if to ask us to unpack the herbs. With a shrug we dumped the herbs on a table provided. "Hmmm..." The man meticulously scanned the herbs. It took about whatever minutes for him to check the herbs. Hey, it''s not my fault that I don''t have any way to track the time okay!? The point is it took a long time for him to check it, geez. The man nodded again (man I really dont get the nodding part about this guy) and faced us. "They are in good condition I see, so let me proceed to weigh them and calculate the total amount. Please excuse me." He walked away and spoke to a laborer who is busy stacking stuff on the shelves. After discussing for a while the laborer dashed away and came back with a weighing scale and handed it to his boss. The man then returned to the table and proceeded to weigh the herbs.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "How much do you think we will make, Kanno?" Kevin asked me while looking at the man weigh the herbs. By the way, the idiot is standing like a meter away from me. He is still afraid of Lugh, whom I am stroking on my chest. Should I try to throw Lugh to him? Heh. "I don''t know, but let''s say that there are 15 pounds of herbs per sack that we are carrying, and a pound of herb is 10 silvers, then we should get... 1 thousand silvers?" Kevin crossed his arms and looked to the ceiling. "Uhh I think it should be just around 700 silvers..." he said as he scratched his head. The man finally finished weighing the herbs and proceeded to calculate the total amount. "Since the quality of the herbs are above average I will buy them at 11 silvers per pound. You brought 69 pounds of herbs so the total is 759 silvers. I will be giving you 7 gold and 59 silvers instead, so you dont need to carry a whole sack of coins hohohoho." The man laughed as he handed me the coins. You should be laughing because my guess was so off, well excuse me I''m bad at calculations! I accepted the gold coins and carefully put them in my pouch. "Thanks!" I said as I offered the man a handshake. "The pleasure is mine, and the name is Dominic." he said as he took my hand and shook it. "I''m Kanno this is Kevin and this fox is Lugh. We''ll be back if we have any more stuff to sell." I said with a smile. Well, our business here is done. Where to next? Chapter 9 "Heh, that went well," Kevin said as we walked out of the building. I''m jiggling thw coins in my pouch as I ponder about our next agenda. After walking aimlessly for a while I hit my open palm with a fist. "Oh I almost forgot. I need to go to a temple to get an appraisal. Hey Kevs, you wanna get appraised too? For just a gold coin we could get our status plates. What do you think?" Kevin thought for a bit before agreeing. "Yeah, I wanna get appraised too." - We walked around for a bit, while asking people for directions. After a while we finally found a white building near the residential district. We walked inside and were greeted by the temple''s priest and scribe. "Good evening, I am Simon and this is Audrey. What can we do for you, young lads?" the priest named Simon asked while smiling. "We would like to get an appraisal please!" I replied enthusiastically. Who wouldn''t get excited by getting their own status plates? With this, you can see your own status. Though you need it to be updated once in a while because it can only record your current stats. It doesn''t update itself. "Very well, please follow us." Audrey said and we followed behind them. We were led to a small room used specifically for appraisals. "Who would go first?" Audrey asked as he pulled out an enchanted parchment from a drawer. "I''d like to go first. Kevs, hold Lugh for a while. Why are you making that face? I''ll kick you." Geez, Kevin is still afraid of Lugh. He held Lugh, though reluctantly, as I raised my shirt and faced my back to Simon.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "I''m ready Sir Simon." I said and Simon proceeded to chant. White light burst from his open palms and seeped into my back. I felt a slight stinging sensation, but nothing unbearable. Runes began to glow around me and floated as they danced around. "Audrey, if you may." Simon said as he stepped aside and made room for Audrey to do his thing. Audrey chanted and pressed the enchanted parchment into my back. The runes spun and shook, and after a few moments, flew towards the parchment. The white light gradually dimmed and finally faded. I relaxed my tense body and let out a sigh of relief. Hooo! That felt, magical. Heh. After fixing my shirt I faced Simon and thanked him. Audrey handed me my status sheet and gestured for Kevin to sit down too. "Finally my turn, here Kanno, take your pet before it eats my face." Stupid Kevin, you wouldn''t do that right, Lugh? Instead of checking my status, I waited patiently for Kevin to get appraised so that we can check our status together. After repeating the same process, Kevin finally got his status sheet. I paid the 2 gold and thanked Simon and Audrey before gping out of the room. We sat on the benches inside the temple as we checked our status sheets. "Here goes Kevin, let''s see what our status looks like."
Name Kanno
Level 3
Strength 6
Agility 7
Inteligence 4
Name Kevin
Level 2
Strength 6
Agility 4
Inteligence 4
Chapter 10 We stared at our status sheets for a brief period of time, trying to digest the information recorded. I finally got bored and pocketed my status sheet. Kevin grunted and said "I cant read any of these." Oh Kevin, you poor bastard. I forgot this idiot is illierate. I snatched his status sheet and inspected it. Hmm. Okay? "Well, I can see the numbers. Seems like you''re strong. But the thing is you''re also slow and stupid. Heh, what did you expect?" The idiot tried to strangle me but alas, I''m too quick! Eat my dust Kevs. So this is what 7 agility does. Hehehehehe. "What about you then, I bet your status looks pathetic." Kevin said with a frown. Oh Kevin, poor poor Kevin. "Duh, except inteligence, I''m better than you in all aspects." I clicked my tongue when I realized that I may be just as stupid as Kevin is. What''s up with this 4 inteligence. So being able to read and write doesn''t have anything to do with inteligence? What? I scratched my head and let out a sigh. "You know what, let''s go back to the inn. I''m tired and I just want to lay down." We left the temple and returned to the inn. - "So, how did it go? The selling of herbs I mean." Harold asked while inspecting the parcel he ordered. It turns out that the thing he picked up is a new set of armor and a bastard sword. Ohhh! That looks so cool! Maybe one day I will be able to wear one of those. Maybe. "Well it was so so. We sold them for a couple of shiny coins. Maybe we can buy supplies before we go back tomorrow." I said as I flipped a shiny silver coin. "Also, we went to the temple to get out status sheets! There was lights and wiggly somethings and some more bright lights." Kevin said as he fished out his status sheet while grinning. What, are you a kid? "Ohhh, interesting. Let me take a look at your statuses." Harold said as he carefully set down the armor he''s inspecting. Kevin eagerly gave him his status sheet. "Oho, quite good. A human''s average status is 10 so looking at your status, it''s quite good." Harold said as he returned Kevin''s status sheet. He then looked at me expectantly. I handed him mine of course, I also want to be evaluated. "Oh! How unexpected. You have higher statuses Kanno. This is almost as good as an average guard''s status. Just a few more levels and you''ll be able to apply for a guard post. That''s a neat upgrade from being a villager. All you need to do now is to learn how to use a basic weapon." Harold explained while handing back my status sheet. I thought for a bit. A guard eh. Pretty decent but I''ll pass.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "How about me, what can I become?" Kevin asked while fidgeting. Seeing a grown man fidgeting is a bit disgusting just so you know. "Hmm. Well you can be a guard too Kevin. You just need a few more levels and a bit of training. You can do it." Harold said. Look. This idiot named Kevin actually made a guts pose. What are you, a kid? I suddenly remembered my 4 inteligence and asked Harold. "Uhhh, I have a question. What are statuses anyway? I know that they represent like, your abilities in numbers but... Can you explain more?" I asked. Harold looked thoughtful for a moment. Kevin and I just waited for him to answer. "Well, you are correct in regards to how the statuses are numeric representation of one''s capabilities. Hmm. Let me just explain each status to you, okay? Strength represents your physical power. You can think of it like strength is equal to brute force. It also represents your endurance or stamina. Agility, it represents speed in general. Or how quick your movements are, or how dexterous your hands are. Inteligence, hmmm. It represents your arcane talent. It shows how compatible you are with mana. But it does not have anything to do with being wise or smart. Some people tend to have this misunderstanding." Harold explained while playing with his beard. So that explains it! I''m not as dumb as Kevin, I just have a low compatibility with arcane arts. I smiled to myself, feeling a bit relieved. How terrible it is if ever I learn that I''m at Kevin''s level of stupidity. It gave me the shivers! "Hey you asshole, you''re slandering me again aren''t you!" Kevin fumed. Tsk. Why is this idiot so sharp whenever it comes to this things? Well, I learned so much information today thanks to Harold. Which reminds me, why does he know so much? "Hey Harold, why is it that you''re very knowledgeable when it comes to statuses?" I asked in genuine curiosity. Even Kevin is listening intently, clearly intrigued. Harold scratched his head and said "Well, I already told you that I was once a mercenary but I retired because of an injury on my shoulder. So that''s why I have a fair share of knowledge about how statuses work. Since we always have to check and improve our statuses. Knowing your own capabilities will help in combat. You might get yourself injured or killed if you overextend yourself by getting into fights you cannot win." Harold had a look of reminiscence. Maybe his shoulder injury is because of that, overexsomething? I wonder. Unable to bear the gloomy mood in the room, I asked. "Hey can we see your status sheet Harold? It''s a bit unfair that you get to see or status but we cannot see yours? Hehe." He smiled and took an old looking parchment from his bag. "Here, it''s very outdated. This is my status when I was still active. It goes back from 6 years ago." Harold said while grinning. I took the status sheet and...
Name Harold
Level 16
Strength 27
Agility 22
Inteligence 13