《The Second Hero》 Prologue Prologue The sun shined in Jerry¡¯s eyes and blinded him temporarily as he covered his face from the sun with his hands. He walks down the hallway and into his bathroom for his morning shower. As he undresses, he looks into the mirror. ¡®Today¡¯s the day¡¯ he thinks to himself. Turning on the shower and looked into the mirror to see himself. He waits a little more for the shower to reach a temperature he¡¯s comfortable with and then hops in. Today is the day he¡¯s to meet with an old friend that would practice sword fighting with him. He moved away 5 years ago and this is the first time they¡¯ve seen each other since then. Jerry turns the shower off and drys himself as he exits the shower. He moves to the mirror and does his hair. ¡°A little more to the side and¡­¡± he says as he sways his hair the right to fit his image he¡¯s always had. ¡°Perfect¡± Jerry looks into the mirror with a big smile as he checks himself out. After he¡¯s done, he gets dressed and moves downstairs. He¡¯s dressed in casual clothes as he grabs his keys and exits his house. As he locks his door, he hears a familiar voice. ¡°Jerry, you bastard. Where¡¯ve you been?¡± The voice seemed all but too familiar as he turned around. ¡°Ah, Kreig, I was just leaving. Why¡¯re you here?¡± Jerry asked as he looked at his old friend, Kreig. ¡°You were taking too long. So, I came to see you. Knowing you, you probably overslept¡± ¡°Kreig, it¡¯s 9 AM. You said to meet you at 10 AM¡± ¡°What?¡± Kreig takes out his phone and looks at the time. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s 11 AM now.¡± ¡°Did you forget to change the time to compensate for time zone differences?¡± Kreig looked at Jerry silently. ¡°Fuck¡± Kreig said ¡°Dumbass. Well, since you¡¯re here. Wanna go now?¡± Jerry said, gesturing to his garage. ¡°I already ate, though¡± ¡°No worries, I can just go to McDonald and grab something to eat.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine then.¡± Jerry gets into the driver side while Kreig gets into the passenger side.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°So, what¡¯ve you been up to?¡± Kreig said. ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just the usual¡± ¡°Really? No jobs come up lately?¡± ¡°Look man, just cause I¡¯m a mercenary, doesn''t mean jobs spill in¡± ¡°Right, what about the government? Aren¡¯t you some sort of Spec-Ops guy?¡± ¡°That was a one-time thing man. And just FYI, I totally kicked all their asses¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°No, I got completely fucked man. They did some fuckin Spec-Ops, Tacticool hot breach with flashbangs, breaching charges, tear gas and roundhouse kicks¡± ¡°Really¡± ¡°No fucking lie dude, they were operator as fuck. We were going over the recordings, you know? Like, we were the training dummies, might as well watch it too since it was there.¡± Jerry then put his shirt up to his mouth, covering it and look at Kreig. ¡°Krrk, Epsilon Eleven, this is Echo Four, we¡¯re in position and on standby. Over.¡± Jerry then looked to the other side. ¡°Kingpin, this is Epsilon Eleven All callsigns are in position and are ready to breach. Over¡± Jerry looked at Kreig again who was looking at him with a smug face. ¡°All callsigns, this is Kingpin. Burn ¡¯em¡± Jerry then focused on driving, looking down the road. ¡°And then all the explosions, flashbangs and dropkicks landed on me and everyone else in that room. After that, everyone talked a bit, and I learned a few things from them. Even got to do a couple drills and sims with them¡± Jerry said as he returned to driving ¡°Sounded fun. Oh, hey, McDonald''s up ahead. It¡¯s on me. What do you need?¡± ¡°Really? Well then, Kreig. I would like some pancakes with a nice cup of overheated coffee, please.¡± ¡°Asshat¡± Kreig said as he exited the car. Jerry took his phone out of his pocket. 9:15 A.M Jerry tapped and held his finger on the phone screen, for 3 seconds. Please Enter ID Jerry typed in his ID as he looked around to see no one else was looking ID: 98041491 Password:********* Processing As he entered his ID, he looked around to see if anyone was nearby. Scanning the area like a hawk, he could see no one nearby. He looked at his phone to be greeted with the basic welcome message. Welcome, Foxtrot Nine-One ¡®I also landed a job with them¡¯ Jerry thought to himself. He swiped a couple times on his phone, looking for jobs that were occasionally posted on the application he was given. Nothing too interesting. Security details, drop-offs, assassinations. Nothing too interesting with the price tags that were on them. He quit looking for jobs and browsed some other information on the application. Seemed to be that there were guides on survival, and manufacturing. As he was looking at guides, he spotted Kreig come out of McDonald''s, with a bag, and a coffee in both hands. He got out the car and helped Kreig out by taking the bag that had his pancakes and hopped back into the driver seat. ¡°We¡¯re going to the park next. We¡¯re gonna hit each other with long metal sticks next¡± Kreig said. ¡°Sword fighting?¡± ¡°Yea. You got the swords, right?¡± ¡°Yea, I dulled the blades and covered the edges with the safety. Still hurts though¡± As they reached the park, Jerry had finished his pancakes while driving as was just finishing his coffee. He took out his phone as he exited his car to check the time. 10:03 A.M Kreig got out the car while Jerry went to his trunk and opened it. Inside were 2 swords with a cover on them. He picked them up and finished his coffee. He put the paper cup into the trashcan, closed his trunk, and headed over to Kreig. Each sword weighed about 3 pounds each. ¡°Ready?¡± Jerry asked ¡°As I ever will be¡± Kreig said smugly. Jerry decided to go for a stabbing attack into Kreig¡¯s stomach. However, it was easily deflected and was followed up by Kreig with a stab toward¡¯s Jerry¡¯s head. Jerry braced for the hit, but it never came. ¡°Bit rusty there man. What happened while I was gone?¡± Kreig asked jokingly ¡°Ah well you see, I use guns more than swords. I¡¯m not gonna use a sword a lot, so why should I?¡± ¡°You never know. Now, again!¡± Jerry got into a fighting stance, put his sword in front of him to act as a ward. Kreig went for a stabbing motion just like Jerry had. Jerry, using his sword, pushed Kreig¡¯s blade to the side and did a quick dash toward¡¯s Kreig''s neck. ¡°Nice, is it coming back to you?¡± ¡°A bit. Let¡¯s do it again¡± Jerry put the pommel of his blade on his hip, and pointed the sword down, towards the ground. ¡°Okay then, play like that.¡± Kreig said as he did a quick overhead strike. Jerry quickly brought the pommel up towards the sky, keeping the blade towards the ground causing Kreig¡¯s blade to slide off Jerry¡¯s sword as he brings it down, exposing him. Jerry took advantage of that and twisted his wrists, striking Kreig. ¡°Ow, you bastard. Good hit¡± Kreig said ¡°That¡¯s what you get for underestimating me. Come, let¡¯s do it again.¡± Jerry said. ¡°You¡¯re on¡± Kreig said, getting into a fighting stance. They both continued to spar for the next few hours until the sunset. ¡°Hooh, that was fun¡± Kreig said with a hearty laugh. ¡°Indeed it was. Where are you staying? I¡¯ll drop you off.¡± ¡°Ahh, nah man, that¡¯s fine. I need to do a little walk anyway.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Yes, Jerry. I¡¯m sure¡± Kreig said as he tossed Jerry the sword ¡°Okay man¡± Jerry said, catching the sword by the blade, where the guard was. Jerry got into his car and put the swords in the back seat and drove home. As he got home, he got undressed, took a shower, and slipped into his sleepwear. Some short pants, and a t-shirt reading ¡°Grunt Work¡±. He checked his phone for a while before falling asleep, with his phone still in his hands. When he awoke, he was in another world. Chapter 1: Transfer Chapter 1: Transfer Jerry awoke with a cold sweat, looking around to see an unfamiliar scenery, smell, and feel. For one, he¡¯s not on a bed anymore but was instead greeted with a cold, hard floor. It also smelled bad. A mix of incense, a bit smoky, and a bit like coins in milk. Jerry looked around to find that he was on a stone floor. Something very different as he had wooden floors, and no one used stone as floors. He looked around some more to find he was in some satanic circle. He looked up to find multiple men dressed in dark robes with one holding a knife. ¡°What the fuck!¡± Jerry said as a natural reaction. As he shot straight up. ¡°Relax¡± The man with the knife said. ¡°You¡¯re fine¡± Said a robed man ¡°In fact, we¡¯d like to say, welcome!¡± Another robed man said Jerry looked around a bit panicked but calmed down a bit. He was still alert, however. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s think a bit. What the fuck is happening, how am I here, why am I here, and why is he holding a knife¡¯ Jerry thought. ¡°Care to explain what¡¯s happening?¡± Jerry asked ¡°Ahh, yes. We¡¯ve summoned you.¡± The man with the knife saidEnjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Look man, I¡¯m not interested in being a human sacrifice.¡± Jerry said. ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re gonna be a human sacrifice?¡± The man asked as he looked around. ¡°Oh¡± The robed man said. ¡°Rest assured, you¡¯re not gonna be a human sacrifice¡± The robed man said. Then, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Is it done yet, Likro?¡± A feminine voice asked ¡°Yes, Your Highness¡± The robed man with the knife said. The door was soon opened and came in a girl with long pink haired, short, flat-chested, and very cheerful. ¡°Welcome, Hero!¡± She said ¡°Hero?¡± Jerry asked confused ¡°That¡¯s right! Hero!¡± She said with a large smile. ¡°Hero.¡± Jerry said ¡°Yes. Heeeee rooooooo¡± She said, soon pouting. ¡°Right. Who¡¯s the little girl?¡± Jerry asked. The girl¡¯s face quickly turned furious. ¡°Little girl?¡± She asked. ¡°Your Highness, P-Please calm down¡± The robed man with the knife said. ¡°You¡¯re right. He must not come from a world that has a monarch¡± She said as her face lightens up. ¡°No, I do¡± Jerry said. The girl¡¯s face quickly darkened. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you know what to call me!¡± She screamed. ¡°Cause monarchy fell out of favor hundreds of years ago and mostly, I don¡¯t care¡± Jerry said ¡°I-I see.¡± She said while trying to regain her composure. ¡°A-Anyway, welcome to the Royal Palace. We hope you serve us well.¡± The girl said. ¡°Serve?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll be serving us! Got a problem with that?¡± She said. Almost screaming. The robed man with the knife stepped in. ¡°Ehh, We summoned you here to defeat the Demon Lord that has been ravaging the Empire¡¯s land for decades now. When the mission is completed, you will be awarded many rewards and may marry the princess here¡± The robed man with the knife said ¡°Uhh, I¡¯ll take more rewards, and less marrying,¡± Jerry said ¡°Is there something wrong with me?¡± She asked. Looking at Jerry confused. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a crime from where I come from to marry a child.¡± The robed man with the knife just sighed and before the girl could open her mouth, the door busted open. A man entered the room seeming panicked ¡°Good news, Your Highness!¡± The man said. ¡°What is it?¡± She said ¡°We just received word that the King has sworn in the Hero!¡± Immediately, everyone in the room started to whisper to each other. The man said as he looked up. His face immediately darkened as his eyes laid upon Jerry, who was still in his sleepwear. ¡°I-Impossible! He¡¯s right here!¡± She said. The man stayed silent. ¡°Likro, fetch us and the Hero a carriage. We set out soon¡± She said ¡°As you wish, Your Highness¡± The robed man with the knife said. ¡°You, follow me. We need to get you dressed. You can¡¯t show up to the Royal Palace like¡­ that¡± She said as she looked at Jerry. Chapter 2: Arrival Chapter 2: Arrival ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have anything more comfortable?¡± Jerry said. He was wearing green chest clothes with leather shoes. However, it was very tight and a bit difficult to move around in. ¡°This is the best we can do. Anymore comfortable and I don¡¯t think I can show you in the Royal Palace.¡± The girl said as she got into a carriage. ¡°Hurry up, It¡¯s only a few hours out. We need to get to the Royal Palace quickly.¡± She said, waving him in. ¡°Yea, yea. I¡¯m coming¡± Jerry said as he got in. An hour into the ride and Jerry was sweating. ¡°Hot?¡± The girl asked. ¡°Very¡± Jerry said back as he pulls his collar out to get some air into his shirt. ¡°Here.¡± The girl said as she waved her hands around. All of a sudden, Jerry felt significantly cooler than before. It almost seemed a bit too cold now. ¡°What the hell?¡± Jerry said confusedly ¡°What? You guys don¡¯t have magic like you guys don¡¯t have a monarch?¡± She asked laughing a bit. Jerry sighed before she spoke again. ¡°My name is Emile Kerrington the Fourth¡± She said ¡°And I¡¯m the Princess of the Empire. The man in the robe was Likro. He¡¯s my mage.¡± Jerry looked at her with a smug look. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡± Emile asked. ¡°No ma¡¯am¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Just a way of referring to a female¡± Jerry and Emile sat in silence for a while. Jerry thought of killing time, so, he thought of things to kill time. He first thought of a joke Record Scratch, Freeze Frame. Hey, that¡¯s me. And you might be wondering how I ended up in this situation. Well, lemme tell you. Jerry first thought. ¡°And, what¡¯s your name?¡± Emile asked looking annoyed ¡°Oh, sorry. My name is Jerry.¡± He said ¡°Jerry, what?¡± Emile asked ¡°Jerry Ask Later¡± Emile sighed and then looked out the window while Jerry thought of more jokes.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. After a while of making terrible jokes, the finally arrived at the Royal Palace. As they disembarked, they were approached by guards that seemed to be Royal Guards judging from their gold-lined armor. ¡°Your Highness! Welcome! You must be here to meet the Hero! Please, com-¡± The Royal Guard stopped mid-sentence as he laid his eyes on Jerry. ¡°Your Highness, may I ask who is this man here?¡± The Royal Guard asked. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. Where¡¯s my father?¡± Emile asked. ¡°R-Right. He should be in the Throne room now.¡± The Royal Guard said. ¡°Thank you. Come now, Jerry.¡± ¡°Right¡± As they entered the Throne Room, they were greeted by a loud laugh that was from a man on a throne followed by another laugh that was from another man with Golden Armor, a bit thick on the shoulders, chest, and a little on the leg. He had blond hair, was taller than Jerry, and had better looks than him. ¡°Ahh, Emile. Welcome. Say hello to your future husband!¡± the man on the throne said. Before the king could laugh even more, he looked at Jerry ¡°Who¡¯s this, Emile? Don¡¯t say you¡¯ve gotten a husband without my approval.¡± the King said while looking at Jerry with murderous intent. ¡°No father, this is another Hero that was summoned.¡± Emile said, doing a curtsy ¡°Another Hero? Fantastic! Now we have a higher chance of sending the Demon Lord to where he came from!¡± the King said laughing. The other Hero approached Jerry with his right hand out. ¡°Hello there, fellow hero! Nice to meet you, my name is Larmen¡± The other Hero said, holding his hands out. Jerry shook his hand ¡°Hello, my name is Jerry. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Since Larmen here has already been announced to the public as the hero, you will have to tag along. Had you both been here at the same time, I would¡¯ve had you both announced to the public as heroes. I apologize.¡± the King said. The King stood up ¡°But don¡¯t worry about it. You will be treated with the equal amount of respect and hospitality. Now, let¡¯s have a royal feast tonight, shall we?¡± ¡°Of course¡± Larmen said. ¡°But, before that. We must grasp your ability. Larmen, can you bring him to the testing room? We must test him.¡± The King said. ¡°Of course Your Majesty¡± Larmen said as he bowed his head to the King. ¡°Come now, Jerry. We must take you!¡± Jerry followed Larmen out of the room and down the halls of the Royal Palace. They then came to a door which Larmen opened. Jerry entered the room to be greeted by talk from the people above. The room Jerry was standing in had seatings elevated to the front, left, and right side of the room. In the middle was an crystal orb that sat upon a pedestal. There were still some people in the seating areas above talking. ¡°Larmen¡¯s magical abilities were spectacular!¡± ¡°Jenny, you must marry him¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Larmen stepped into the room after Jerry and looked into the seating area. ¡°Everyone, this is Jerry. Another hero from another world that has been summoned here. He is here to take the magical ability test.¡± ¡®Magical ability?¡¯ ¡°Jerry, if you could place your hand on the ball on the pedestal.¡± Larmen said. Jerry walked forward, and looked at the crystal ball. It was fairly small and was about the size of a baseball. He wrapped the crystal ball with his hands, waiting for something to happen. He waited. 5 seconds, nothing happened. 10 seconds, nothing happened. 15 seconds, nothing happened. Eventually, 30 seconds elapsed and nothing had happened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°He can¡¯t use magic?¡± Laughter erupted from the seating area. ¡°What kind of pitiful hero can¡¯t even use magic?¡± Jerry let go of the ball, and walked towards the exit, where Larmen stood. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go back to the King¡± ¡°Yea¡± Jerry and Lermen exited the room, and hurried back to the Throne Room. As they entered, the King stood up. ¡°Ah, you have returned. How did the tests go?¡± The King asked. ¡°Nothing happened¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bring you to your room! Let¡¯s have you settle in before anything else. The King clapped his hands twice and a butler came into the room ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The Butler said. ¡°Can you show our guest here his room? It should be the same as the Hero.¡± the King said ¡°I apologize, all of the royal rooms have been taken by Royal Guests.¡± the Butler said. ¡°Then remove one of them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just find me a room, and get me something comfortable to wear that is acceptable to be at the feast, and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jerry insisted. He did not want to cause any trouble with the Royal Guests. ¡°What a noble deed! Taking the short stick to not disturb the other guests!¡± Larmen exclaimed. ¡°Yea, sure.¡± Jerry replied, looking a little ticked off. The King nodded to the butler and he stood up. ¡°As you wish, follow me¡± The Butler said. The Butler led Jerry down a series of corridors. The doors passing by ranged from golden ivory, silver, and even a mix of all three. However, Jerry got the short end of the stick. He was placed in a room with a stone door. Jerry looked at the butler with a face that said ¡®Really?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is the best we could do. All the other rooms have been taken as the feast was a thing planned for months with a large advertisement campaign behind it. If there were any other open rooms, I would¡¯ve wanted you to stay in them¡± The Butler said apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been to worse rooms¡± Jerry said scratching his head. ¡°Ah, I can however get you more comfortable clothing for the feast. I will fetch them for you.¡± The Butler said. ¡°Yea, just leave it somewhere in the room. I¡¯m a bit tired, so I¡¯m gonna sleep a bit. Wake me up before the feast starts though, yea?¡± Jerry said. ¡°Of course¡± The Butler said, as he bowed. Jerry entered his room to be greeted with a queen bed with curtains in the northern most part of the room with windows on the left and right side of the bed. To the western most part of the room was what seemed to be a makeup table, and to the left of the door was a table and a chair and to the right laid a chest. Jerry fell onto the bed and undid his clothing a little and quickly fell asleep. Chapter 3 : The Feast Chapter 3: The Feast Jerry awoke to someone shaking him. ¡°Hero. Hero, please wake up. The feast is starting soon.¡± The Butler said, shaking Jerry from his slumber. ¡°Wha-What¡¯s happening?¡± Jerry said, tired. ¡°The Feast. It¡¯s starting soon. Please get dressed.¡± The Butler said. ¡°Got it. Wait for me outside.¡± Jerry said. The Butler exited the room and left Jerry alone after that. Jerry got up and looked at the clothes he was provided. It seemed less stuffed compared to his current clothes and was softer than it as well. He quickly swapped clothes and noticed an extra bit of clothing. Jerry picked up the mask that was provided. It was made of metal, covered in a thin layer of leather, sewn together. It was decorated with a little bit of gold that spread out like a tree¡¯s root. ¡®Ugly¡¯ Jerry thought to himself, but wore anyway. He remembered that he still had his phone, even through all that¡¯s happened today. He took his phone off the other pair of pants and put it put it in the palms of his hands. Jerry turned on his phone to see what time it was 10:43 A.M ¡®Fuck. I need to set the time.¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry looked outside to find it was dark out. Jerry put the phone away, and left the room. As he exited the door, he was greeted by The Butler and was promptly escorted to the Feast. The doors to the Feast opened and Jerry was greeted to the smell of food, the sound of music, laughter and a sight to behold.There was food upon food lined at the tables, various people dressed in dresses, and fancy clothing all of various sizes and heights. ¡°Enjoy¡± The Butler said as he closed the door. ¡°Thank you¡± Jerry muttered under his breath Jerry looked around to see what he could do. Putting on his mask, he walked around the room that was very spacious. There was probably about 100 people in the room, and there was still a fair bit of room remaining. There was a dancing floor in the center, and at the most northern part of the room was a staircase was T shaped. On the east and west side, there were tables that had food on them. On the southern side, is an entrance to the room Jerry came in from. However, Jerry took out his phone, some earbuds, and listened to some music to kill the time. He put one ear bud in, and left the other one out. He didn¡¯t care for such festivities.He didn¡¯t really like to be here as he felt out of place. As he was walking around, he found Larmen talking to different women that have decided to cater to him. He decided it would be best not to disturb him and moved to find somewhere quiet.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As he was walking around, Jerry overheard some talk about him from the Royal Guests. ¡°Who¡¯s that man?¡± ¡°I heard from the King that he¡¯s another summoned hero!¡± ¡°I heard he took a stone room. Fitting for a lowly creature that can¡¯t even use magic.¡± ¡°Really? A hero that¡¯s been summoned that can¡¯t even use magic? Pitiful.¡± ¡°Honestly, what a joke of an excuse of a hero he is.¡± ¡°Everyone should be able to use basic magic. Even peasants can use magic if they so desired.¡± ¡°If he goes with the Hero, he might jeopardize his chances of defeating the Demon King.¡± Jerry heard these remarks and ignored them. Looking over the Larmen, he could see that he was enjoying himself there. Shaking hands with noblemen, and entertaining the noblewomen and children. Jerry found himself a nice little corner, and decided to take out his phone. Please enter ID Jerry inputted his ID to be greeted with a different screen. Welcome, Foxtrot Nine-One. Would you like to request a Survival Drop? Survival Tier 1 Drop Your Name: Jerry Harren Age: 21 Tier: 1 Callsign: Foxtrot Nine-One Contents: ?Fabricator ?Access to Survival Guide ?Tier 1 Survival Equipment ?CER-M6C:S (9 x 39mm) (Combat Enhanced Rifle - Model Six Configuration: Survival) ? 500 Rounds of 9 x 39mm AP-F (Armor-Piercing Fragmentation) ?1000 Rounds of 9 x 39mm JHP (Jacketed Hollow-Point) ? 3000 Rounds of 9 x 39mm Ball (General Purpose) ? 7 Magazines for CER-M6C:S (30 Rounds. Double Stacked) ?KlakTac FB-M9 (Foregrip Bipod Model 9) ? CMore Spector Sight ?Strap for CER-M6C:S ?Colt .45 UT1 (Updated materials and improvements. Made for Tier 1 Personnel) ?300 Rounds of .45 ACP AP (Armor-Piercing) ? 300 Rounds of .45 ACP HP (Hollow-Point ?400 Rounds of .45 ACP Ball (General Purpose) ? 7 Magazines for the Colt .45 UT1 (8 Rounds. Single Stack) ?Standard Tier 1 Equipment ?KlakTac Plate Carrier, Tactical Vest Combo ?KlakTac Optical HUD Helmet ?KlakTac Headset ? KlakTac Thigh Strap (3 Pouches for Pistol Sized Magazines ? KlakTac Pistol Holster (Colt .45 UT1) ?KlakTac Flashlight ?Klaktac Night Vision Goggles ?RadTad All Purpose Combat Fatigues (Made for extended use and can be slept in) ? Cakl D¡¯ox K¡¯lo Backpack ? One Main storage ?Two Secondary Storages ? One Minor Sized Storages ?One Weapon Holder for Rifles ?Standard Issue MultiTool (Can Opener, Philip and Flat Head, 2 Inch Blade, Flint and Steel, and Scissors) ? Zippo Lighter ?ComGat Pulse Scanner ?Tier 1 Medical Equipment ?5 Fast Acting Morphine ? 10 Bandages (20 ft x .5 ft) ? 1 Gallon of Liquid Disinfectant ? 5 Shots of Medical Nano-Bots ? OD-M1 (Observation Drone - Mk 1) ?30 24-Hour Rations (Type S) ?Yes ?No Jerry was confused. He had not heard of these weapons, or companies. ¡®KlakTac? Caki? What the hell is this?¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry thought for a moment. He had no idea what any of this was, and having no idea what it means, he was slightly interested. Jerry decided to pressed Yes as to see what would happen and if it would even come. Thank You for your input. Your drop will be landing in 30 minutes. Please be at an open area to ensure that no damage is made as the drop will land close to your location. Thank You ¡¯30 minutes?¡¯ Jerry thought. ¡°What the fuck did I just do¡± Jerry muttered under his breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know, what did you do¡± Jerry looked up to see no one, but caught a small glimpse of pink hair. He put his phone down to reveal Emile. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t see you there¡± Jerry said putting his phone away. ¡°What was that?¡± Emile said, pointing to his pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Quick question, are there any flat lands nearby?¡± ¡°Yea, why?¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Outside into the garden. Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. See ya¡± Jerry said as he took off. ¡°W-Wait!¡± Emile said before Jerry went into the halls. Chapter 4 : Drop Chapter 4: Drop Jerry walked down the hall, confused at where he went. One moment, the hall is full of ivory decorated doors, then gold decorated doors, then back to ivory. He soon came to the realization that he was lost in the Royal Palace. Jerry sighed and took out his phone. It seemed to have been an eternity roaming the Royal Palace halls. ¡°This place is way too fucking big¡± Jerry muttered. He turned on his phone to be greeted with a grim message. You have 10 minutes and 13 seconds before your drop will arrive. Jerry broke into a cold sweat. If the drop hits the Royal Palace, how will he explain to the King and every other guest what the drop is. They¡¯ll take him for a madman! Being able to drop boxes full of unknown items. Besides. He didn¡¯t exactly want to explain what to share his drop either. Just then, a butler came out from the corner down the hall. He looked oddly familiar to Jerry. Until he realized that it was the same butler that had escorted him to his room and to the feast.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Oh, Jerry! Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at the feast with all the Royal Guests?¡± The Butler asked. ¡°Uhh, I wanted to¡­¡± Jerry was thinking of a way to weasel his way out of this one since he didn¡¯t want to tell him that a drop will be coming for him and he needed to find it. ¡°You wanted to?¡± The Butler asked. ¡°I wanted to¡­ catch some fresh air! Parties have never really been my thing you see.¡± Jerry said. He wasn¡¯t lying. Being in these halls for so long made him want to walk through a wall and to his destination. ¡°I see. Would you like to visit the garden? It¡¯s a nice place to be in when you would like some fresh air.¡± The Butler said. ¡®Well, that¡¯s convenient.¡¯ Jerry thought to himself. ¡°Please, do take me.¡± ¡°As you wish. Please follow me.¡± The Butler said The Butler led Jerry down a series of halls. Through ivory decorated doors, gold decorated doors, and down hallways filled with what could be assumed to be butlers and maids. ¡°Say, I never caught your name.¡± Jerry said wanting to break the silence. ¡°Ah, my name is Klien Harren the Third¡± ¡°The Third?¡± ¡°Yes, the Third. My predecessors were also butlers of the Royal Palace.¡± ¡°I see.¡± After the conversation, they both soon ended up in the gardens of the Royal Palace. It was fairly large. There was a lot of open space, grass, and was beautiful under the moonlight. ¡°Here we are. Is there something I can get you while I¡¯m here?¡± Klein asked. ¡°Hmm¡± Jerry thought to himself. He needed Klein away from the drop. So, he thought of something that would take time for him to get. ¡°I would like some tea. I would like to try an assortment of tea from this world, you see¡± Jerry said. ¡°Tea?¡± Klein said in confusion. ¡°Really? Just get me some drinks then. I want to try some of the drinks that you have in this world.¡± Jerry said. He knew the drop was coming soon. He didn¡¯t have time to ask questions. ¡°R-Right. As you wish¡± Klien said. He quickly left the garden. Jerry took out his phone to find out how much time left was until the drop. Until he found a very grim message. Your drop has been delivered. Please use the tracker to find the package. It has been delivered 3 minutes 5 seconds ago. ¡°You gotta be kidding me¡± Chapter 5 : Drinks Chapter 5: Drinks Jerry was looking for the package. The tracker provided was a circle with a point to it, and a number that got smaller as he went towards where it was pointing. Problem is, it¡¯s pointing towards the Royal Palace. He¡¯s been looking for the past 30 minutes since Klein had left. ¡°Jerry, there you are! I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡± Jerry heard a voice from behind and quickly put his phone away. ¡°Klein! Sorry, I was wandering about, admiring the beauty of this place.¡± Jerry said, making it up on the spot. ¡°Come, come. I have your drinks. It is waiting for you¡± Klein said. He looked proud at what he had said. Jerry thought that it was maybe because he had prepared the drinks and was quite proud of them. Jerry followed Klein to a small opening with seats, a chair, and a roof over them both. ¡°Please, have a seat. I prepared them for you to try. Please, tell me what you think about them.¡± Klein said, gesturing to a seat. Jerry took a seat to find 5 different types of drink played out in front of him. The first drink was drink was clear, It had nothing in it. Entirely clear. The second drink was a bit more complicated. It was pink, opaque, and seemed to have ice in it. It also had a lemon slice on the rim of the cup. The third drink was in a smaller cup. It was filled only a third way up, a transparent brown, and a single ice block in it. It was likely alcohol. The fourth cup held something unusual. It seemed that there was a jello like substance in there, in a green liquid. So, it was like jello in a green liquid. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The final drink was of red color and seemed fancy. It was held in a cup that resembled a shot glass. Jerry picked up the first drink, expecting it to be water and he was right. He looked at Klein confused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s to pair with the other drinks. In case you do not enjoy them.¡± Jerry put down the cup and moved his hand toward the second drink. ¡°I see¡± Jerry said. Jerry took a sip from the second one and was immediately overwhelmed by the bitter taste it had. It was almost like taking a bitter pill. Jerry immediately took large gulps of water from the first drink, trying to drown out the taste of the second. ¡°Not to your liking?¡± Klein asked ¡°Bitter. Way too bitter.¡± Jerry replied, wiping his chin. ¡°I see¡± Klein said as he pulled the second drink away from Jerry. Jerry looked at the third drink. Fearing the worse, he grabbed it and quickly downed the drink. He was greeted by a welcome taste of alcohol. Just as he had expected. He put the cup down and looked at Klein. ¡°Was this also not to your liking?¡± Klein asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s a nice taste. I would enjoy it again.¡± Jerry said back. ¡°I see¡± Klein said. Jerry looked at the fourth drink. It looked weird. Because of this, he didn¡¯t know what to expect. He held the fourth drink in his hand, looking at the jello like substance. He took a sip of the green liquid first to be met with a slightly sweet taste that he didn¡¯t mind. He looked at the jello like substance before drinking it along with the rest of the drink. He chewed on the substance for a bit only to find that it paired with the drink fairly well. ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± Klein asked. ¡°Very much so.¡± Jerry said with a slight smile. Jerry looked at the fifth and final drink. ¡®Fuck it¡¯ Jerry said and downed it like he would any other shot. He was met with a very strong urge to puke. ¡°Ah, Jerry! You were supposed to drink that slowly!¡± Klein said as he rubbed Jerry¡¯s back. ¡°Could¡¯ve told me that before, Klein.¡± Jerry said whilst also trying not to puke. ¡°My apologies. I¡¯ll tell you next time. Here, have some water.¡± Klein said, offering Jerry some water. Jerry drank water and laid back in his chair. As he was drinking, he was met by another voice. A voice he knew too well as it annoyed him a bit. ¡°That¡¯s where you are!¡± The voice said. Jerry turned to his right to find Emile. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you all over the palace for you! You¡¯re needed at the feast!¡± Emile exclaimed. ¡°For what? Larmen can take care of it.¡± Jerry responded. After taking the fifth drink, Jerry really couldn¡¯t care anymore. ¡°Care to explain why you¡¯re here, Jerry?¡± Emile asked. ¡°Well, I wanted some fresh air. And to get away from you.¡± Jerry said sarcastically. ¡°How rude! I¡¯ll have you know, I am Emile Kerrington the Fourth, the next in line to inherit the Empire!¡± Emile said. ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯m Jerry. And I¡¯m very tired right now as you can see.¡± Jerry said. Emile sighed. ¡°That¡¯s cause you¡¯re playing the Empire¡¯s drinking game.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Jerry looked at Emile with a confused look. ¡°You¡¯re doing the Empire¡¯s drinking game. It¡¯s usually played by foreigners from other countries to test their might. You take four drinks. The first usually lulling the person into a false sense of security before the other drinks get them.¡± Emile explained Jerry looked at Klein who was looking the other way, attempting to not make eye contact with Jerry. ¡°Anyway, come with me. You are needed at the Feast.¡± Emile said. Jerry got up from his seat and followed Emile. At this point, the drop can wait. Chapter 6 : Unexpected Events Chapter 6: Unexpected Events As Jerry entered the room where the Feast was held, he was greeted by mutterings ¡°Is that him?¡± ¡°He ran like the coward he is.¡± ¡°Running because he knows he¡¯s going to be crushed by the Hero¡± ¡°He knew this was coming. Can¡¯t delay the inevitable.¡± Jerry was confused at the remarks everyone was making. Running? Coward? Fight? What¡¯s happening? ¡°You were to duel Larmen. See who¡¯s stronger.¡± Emile said. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t informed.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re not supposed to.¡± Emile said. Emile led Jerry up the northern most staircase to a dressing room. ¡°Here¡¯s where you well dress for the fight. It¡¯s normally a dressing room for the Royal Family, but today is an exception. Put on what you want, take what you want, do your best.¡± Emile said, exiting the room. Jerry looked around the room, in utter shock and awe. It wasn¡¯t because of how good the armor there was, or how good the swords were. It was how bad they were. The armor being provided looks like it came out of an MMORPG. Usually, they¡¯re big, and bulky, or over exposing. For real life, they would normally cover the entire body and were a little hard to move in. Nothing bulky, and heavy as seen here. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡®Is this some kind of joke?¡¯ Jerry looked at the weapons. The sword was large, and bulky as well. It almost weighed close to 10 pounds! Who made this? An idiot? He decided to put on the lightest armor he could find. Even then, it was fairly heavy. He looked for weapons and a helmet. He only put on a chest piece as he didn¡¯t feel like putting on legs, and arms. He did find a padded coif luckily. He eventually found something. It was something close to a sword he could use. It was thinner than all the other swords and was fairly light compared to the rest. Was still heavier than what he was used to, but it was usable. He found a small shield, resembling a buckler shield. Small, but was light. He would have to be more on the offense, than defense if he wanted this shield as he would have to play reactively. Because of this, he decided to fin a light helmet, that he can see a lot in. He had 3 choices that he could find. A kettle helm, that just covered the head, and was fairly angled. He had a nasal helm, which had a large point on the head, and was made to deflect blows, or a Helm, mask combo, hybrid thing. He looked at his options and decided to choose a nasal helm. He put it on and got ready. The chest piece he had was a bit heavy. It was noticeable and it was pointed towards the center. He put on his coif, then the nasal helm. He put his sword in his right hand, and shield on his left. Jerry opened the door, to find Emile. ¡°Oh you¡¯re do-¡± Emile stopped mid-sentence as she saw Jerry. ¡°What the hell are you wearing?¡± Emile asked. ¡°Armor that you provided.¡± Jerry replied ¡°No no no no no no no. You¡¯re not going to fight Larmen in¡­ that¡± ¡°Why not? Everything else in there was trash.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Do you not understand what¡¯s in there? That was crafted by the Royal Smith!¡± ¡°Fire him¡± ¡°You look like trash! I sent you into an armory, not some poor armory in the circus!¡± ¡°There¡¯s armor worse than this?¡± Emile sighed as she looked at Jerry with defeat. ¡°What ever, follow me.¡± Emile said. Jerry followed Emile outside of the Royal Palace. Just a short walk and the chest piece was already taking a toll on him. He felt like dropping the chest piece but decided not to. It¡¯s the only thing protecting him, and his vital organs. They both eventually made their way to a colosseum arena type building. Jerry whistled as they approached the building. ¡°This is the Arena. You come here to duel people to settle quells, money, or for fun¡± Emile explained. ¡°Really? What¡¯re the rules?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Depends on the fight. The battle here is to get the other here to submit. So, no killing, and no putting the other one at risk of dying by inflicted wounds. No matter what.¡± Emile responded. When they approached, the two guards at the gates went into attention and saluted Emile. ¡°Welcome, Your Highness¡± A guard said ¡°You¡¯re expected in the battlements. Color Blue¡± The guard said, looking at Jerry. ¡°Thank you. As you were.¡± Emile said. ¡°Yes¡± The guards said. As Jerry and Emile went into the arena, Jerry could hear a bit of laughter coming from the guards. Emile led Jerry into a room with a blue flag above it. It was a bit cramped. With a table in the corner of the room along with a chair. ¡°Alright, here you are. Stand there, and wait until the gates rise. When they do, walk out, and give your best face out there.¡± Emile said as she left the room. Jerry now left alone to his thoughts, checked his phone. It was midnight now, and he set his phone aside on the table. So, he decided to take a small nap. Chapter 7 : Duel Chapter 7: Duel ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Arena!¡± Jerry was awoken by a loud noise coming from the gates. He got up from the chair he was sleeping on. He checked his phone to find that about 45 minutes has passed. He looked at the gates to find that it was brightly illuminated. A closer look found that it came from white glowing orbs that floated in the sky. ¡°This is a battle between the two Heroes! To find out who is stronger, they will both fight! They will fight until one of the submits to the other, or have been rendered unable to fight!¡± The loud voice said. Just then, the crowd erupted into cheers. ¡°On the Red Team, we have, Larmen! The Handsome Hero!¡± The announcer said. The crowd erupted into cheers. It was almost deafening to Jerry¡¯s ears. He could even hear people talk about him. ¡°That¡¯s the hero that will deliver us from the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°I love you, Larmen!¡± ¡°What broad shoulders he has!¡± ¡°Look at how handsome he is! Jenny, you must get that man for the family.¡± ¡°Have my children, Larmen!¡± Larmen walked out of his gate, and waved to the crowd, giving his brightest smile. ¡°On the Blue Team! We have, Jerry! The uhh, other hero that was summoned a bit later than Larmen.¡± ¡®Really! That¡¯s the best you could think of! I would¡¯ve taken the anything! A Follower! But no! Other Hero? Really!¡¯ Jerry was furious, but quickly calmed down ¡®Whatever, I¡¯ll earn my name later¡¯ Jerry thought. The gates opened, and he took his step forward. However, instead of being met with cheers from the crowd, he was met with laughter. ¡°Really? That¡¯s who¡¯s dueling Larmen?¡± ¡°What a joke.¡± ¡°I wasted my bet. Karmi, I withdraw my bet¡± ¡°What is he wearing? Children¡¯s armor?¡± ¡°What a disgrace.¡± ¡°Jenny, don¡¯t associate with him¡± Jerry sighed as he hard this. ¡°Are you ready?!¡± The Announcer said. Cheering from the crowd erupted. ¡°Ready!¡± Jerry looked around the Arena. The Arena¡¯s battleground seemed to be 50 meters in diameter, and a very large seating area was seen around the edges of the battleground. The walls seemed to be 5 meters in height, and could probably hold thousands of people. It was almost like an Olympic stadium for running, but less green, more brown, and more swords. ¡°No hard feelings, yea?¡± Larmen said as he got into his fighting stance, putting his sword to his hip, facing out, and up. Larmen wore what seemed to be heavy, black armor. Lined with a bit of gold. His sword, large, and a gold center decorated it. This bias that was shown here was very noticable. However, Larmen did not wear a helmet thus leaving his head exposed. ¡°Yea¡± Jerry responded. He got into his fighting stance. He held his left hand out to act as a ward, and let the sword rest on his right shoulder. He put his left foot out, pointing forward, and his right foot behind him, pointing out to the right. ¡°Fight!¡± And with that, Larmen dashed towards Jerry with incredible speed. However, there was a problem. Right before the strike lands, he can see where he was. Larmen was coming in with an overhead strike, that was clear to Jerry. Seeing that his defense had been penetrated, he dashed to the right and brought himself to his fighting stance.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. After he had done that, he noticed something. There was a lot of dust. Lots of it. As the dust cleared and settled, he noticed a hole in the ground. Enough to be counted as a trench at this point. ¡°What a strike from Larmen the Handsome Hero! But, Jerry dodged his attack! Is Larmen holding back here?¡± ¡°Good dodge, Jerry¡± Larmen said, as he looked at Jerry, giving him a large smile, and a thumbs up. ¡°Are you serious? That would¡¯ve killed me!¡± Jerry exclaimed. ¡°But it didn¡¯t! I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re complaining. Besides, that was my best strike!¡± Larmen said confusedly. ¡®He¡¯s fucking cheating! If that strike connected, I would¡¯ve actually died! Why isn¡¯t the announcer calling him out on it!¡¯ ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s continue the fight.¡± Larmen said, as he got into his fighting position. The crowd erupted into cheers. ¡°Kick his ass, Larmen!¡± ¡°Come on Larmen! What¡¯re you waiting for? Kick his ass!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play with your food, Larmen!¡± ¡°Larmen, kiss me after you¡¯ve wiped the floor with this maggot!¡± ¡°Larmen, I think they want you to murder me at this point.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Nonsense! They are fellow humans! They are only expressing their faith in me winning!¡± Larmen replied. ¡®Really?¡¯ Larmen soon got into a fighting stance, the same as last time. This time, Jerry got ready for an overhead strike. Jerry raised his shield above him, and let his sword rest on his right shoulder. If he went for a stab, Jerry would deflect it, and strike at the head. Anywhere else, he¡¯d have to dodge. ¡°Here I come!¡± Larmen exclaimed. He dashed towards Jerry, but he came again with another overhead strike. ¡®Fuck it¡¯ Jerry thought as he dashed to the left. As he did, he attempted to strike Larmen with an overhead cut. It made contact with Larmen¡¯s armor, that covered him, neck down. Jerry¡¯s sword bounced off harmlessly, like a wooden stick striking metal. After Larmen¡¯s overhead attack, he quickly followed the attack up with an undercut with his sword. However, Jerry was easily able to dodge it, by dashing back. ¡®What the hell do I do here?¡¯ Jerry thought. As Jerry was deep in thought, Jerry heard Larmen speak. ¡°Not bad. Also with that counter-attack was magnificent. It truly is a fair match.¡± Larmen said. ¡®Fair? This seems fair? My attacks can¡¯t even get through you! You have armor that looks and is badass! But here I am, with this shitty fucking armor! Fair my ass you damn cheater! You¡¯re not even holding back! You admitted to it yourself!¡¯ Jerry was furious at this point. Larmen then held his hands out, pointing towards Jerry. ¡°Lightning Bolt!¡± Larmen said. Soon, lightning soon came out of his hands, and towards Jerry. ¡®What the fuck is that!¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry was then quickly hit with the lightning bolt. A surge of electricity surged throughout his body, causing immeasurable pain to violently surge throughout his body. Jerry screamed in pain before Larmen quickly closed the distance and did an underhand strike with his fists. The strike connected with his chest plate and sent Jerry flying back 10 meters. Jerry laid on the ground facing the sky, thinking about how he would beat Larmen. But before he could think anymore, Larmen appeared above Jerry, seeming as if he was about to bring his sword down into Jerry¡¯s chest. Jerry quickly rolled over with his sword, barely dodging Larmen¡¯s strike. ¡°Coward! Don¡¯t dodge his attacks!¡± Someone from the crowd said. ¡°Yea! Just take the strike!¡± ¡®Shit! Shit! Shit!¡¯ Jerry quickly got up, and bashed Larmen in the side of his chest with his shield, staggering Larmen. ¡°Good blow!¡± Larmen said as he recovered. ¡®Bastard is taking this as a joke!¡¯ Larmen then held one of his hands out and pointed it towards Jerry. ¡°Fiery Blaze!¡± Soon, fire spewed out of Larmen¡¯s hand, towards Jerry. Jerry quickly turned tails and ran as he believed that there was nothing he had could block Larmen¡¯s attack. ¡®Damn it Larmen! We¡¯re here to duel! Not kill me with magic!¡¯ Jerry, however, tripped and dropped his shield by accident and it was caught in Larmen¡¯s magic attack. When Jerry recovered, he could only find a heap of liquid metal on the ground. ¡®Are you serious!?¡¯ Jerry¡¯s chest plate could finally be felt weighing on him. He struggled standing straight as the chest plate was bringing him down. They both stood at the ready after Larmen had recovered. Jerry decided to drop his armor. It was deadweight here. It would not stand against a single blow from Larmen. Jerry took his sword, towards a strap of his armor, and with a swift cut, it came loose. The useless armor fell down with a thud as dust rose from the impact. ¡°Wha-What¡¯s this? Jerry is letting loose his armor! What an unthinkable move!¡± Muttering could be heard from the crowd, but nothing could make it to Jerry¡¯s ears. ¡°Brave move! However, I will not hold back. Even if you abandon your protection. I will end this now! I will use the rest of my mana to deal a swift, and quick decisive blow that will end this duel!¡± Larmen said. Jerry got ready for the attack, holding the sword in his right hand, resting it on his shoulder while keeping his left hand in front in case Larmen gets close. ¡°Here I come!¡± Larmen screamed Larmen then went for a dashing, stabbing attack. Jerry side-stepped to the left, and grabbed Larmen¡¯s collar with his right hand and pulled. The inertia from Larmen caused Jerry to dislocate his left shoulder, causing Jerry to scream in pain. Jerry quickly recovered as the fear of Larmen doing a follow-up attack was greater than the pain. He then realized that Larmen had depleted all his mana in that attack. Jerry needed to go on the offensive this time. It was his turn to attack, and Larmen to defend. He dashed towards Larmen. If Jerry waited any longer, he might lose to Larmen¡¯s next barrage of attacks. ¡°It¡¯s my time to attack Larmen. You¡¯ve depleted your mana, now I will strike you down for announcing your status.¡± Jerry said, pointing his sword at Larmen. He decided to humor him, and the crowd watching. ¡°I am ready for your attack, Jerry. Come!¡± Larmen screamed. As Larmen got ready for Jerry¡¯s strike, Jerry dashed towards Larmen. Jerry feigned an attack on the right side of Larmen. Bringing his sword up towards the sky, with a fairly easily readable move. As Larmen moved his sword to come into contact with Jerry¡¯s sword, Jerry dashed to the left, and then struck Larmen in his forehead with the pommel of his sword. Larmen fell down with a thud. Jerry looked at the crowd, raising both his hands up, expecting cheers. However, they never came. Instead, he was greeted with boos. ¡°You fucking cheater!¡± ¡°You almost killed him!¡± ¡°Oh my god, Jenny, prepare yourself. I will have my connections have you nurse him. This is your chance. This also shows that the other man is abusive!¡± ¡°Oh my god, is Larmen okay?¡± ¡°Larmen, no!¡± ¡°Contestant Jerry has been disqualified! Get the mages on the scene quickly! Make sure he is not dead! Apprehend Jerry as well!¡± ¡®You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me.¡¯ Chapter 8 : No Hard Feelings Chapter 8: No Hard Feelings Jerry was put into a cell in the Arena. After he was put into his cell, he sat down next to the wall and kicked his legs out. Not every day you get thrown into a cell for winning a bias and rigged matched. They detained Jerry by inflicting magical attacks on him. He was quickly knocked out before he could do anything. ¡®This is stupid¡¯ Jerry thought to himself. Just then, he heard a familiar voice. ¡°What were you thinking!¡± Jerry looked up to find Emile standing there. ¡°Fighting¡± Jerry said as he looked back down ¡°No, you struck him in the head! That¡¯s not fighting, you almost killed him!¡± Emile exclaimed. ¡°What about the times he tried to kill me? That didn¡¯t get called out. None of the armor or weapons I was provided were gonna get through his armor. So, I struck his head with the pommel of the sword. The most non-lethal area of the sword¡± Jerry said. Emile stood there for a little bit, thinking about what he had said. ¡°That doesn''t matter. You still struck him in the head, almost killing him.¡± Emile said. ¡°Are you sure? Because if he dies from that, he is a weak human.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Strikes to the head can still be lethal! No matter how weak it is!¡± Emile said. ¡°True. But that was the only way to win. If I half-sworded it, I might¡¯ve actually killed him.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Half-Swording?¡± Emile asked.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Jerry sighed. ¡°Never mind. Paint me as the villain if you want. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°H-hey! Don¡¯t you dare sleep! I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m Emile Kerrington the Fourth! Next in line to inherit the Empire!¡± Emile exclaimed. ¡°And?¡± Jerry asked as he closed his eyes to sleep ¡°A-And I will be the one that watches over your work when I take over!¡± Jerry sighed. ¡°Kid, how old are you?¡± ¡°How rude! You must address me as ¡®Your Highness¡¯! And for your information, I¡¯m 18!¡± ¡°And how old is your dad?¡± ¡°He¡¯s 40. Why?¡± ¡°Have any older siblings?¡± ¡°No, just me.¡± ¡°Sad. You¡¯ll be watching over me in about¡­ 30 more years if he dies of old age. Maybe even less if he¡¯s assassinated. And that¡¯s if you don¡¯t get married off, has a son or I die before then.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak of him like that!¡± ¡°Yea? Then prove me wrong.¡± Emile seemed to be on the verge of tears at this point. After hearing what Jerry had said. Jerry never really intended for this. He just wanted to sleep in peace. A crying child is an exact opposite of what he wants right now. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, I¡¯m kidding. He¡¯ll hand it down like all the other kings when they retire.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Emile said, sniffing as she tries to hold her tears back. ¡°Yes, really.¡± Jerry was lying. He truly believed in what he said the first time. Emile seemed to calm down after that. ¡¯16 and acting 10¡¯ Jerry thought. Just then, Larmen came into the room ¡°Hahaha, magnificent fight! Truly a magnificent fight! As I thought, it truly was a fair fight!¡± Larmen laughed. ¡®Really? Are you sure about that?¡¯ ¡°Come now, we must go to the Royal Palace. A feast awaits us in my honor of winning!¡± ¡°What about your injuries?¡± ¡°No matter! There was a concussion! There was someone that was embarrassed when she was told that it was just a concussion. She brought in expensive medical items! I believe her name was Jenny?¡± Jerry sighed ¡°Whatever. Just get me out of this cell and somewhere to sleep.¡± ¡°Sleep? We must have an award ceremony!¡± Larmen then inserted the key into the keyhole and opened the cell door. ¡°Whatever¡± Jerry said. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Larmen exclaimed Jerry got up from his legs. His eyes felt like it was about to shut at any time. His legs felt like support beams with too much to support. Larmen escorted both Emile and Jerry down the hall, towards the carriage that will take them to the Royal Palace. ¡°Well then, Your Highness, I dedicate this win to you! All the injuries I¡¯ve endured were all for you!¡± Larmen said. ¡°Really? Why, thank you, Larmen. I will pay you back one day¡± Emile said. She almost looked like she was blushing. ¡®Really? I kicked his ass. He dedicates it to you. And you¡¯re blushing to that? That¡¯s really fucking dumb.¡¯ Jerry thought. ¡°Do not worry Your Highness. Seeing your smile is enough as a repayment!¡± Larmen said. ¡°Oh, stop it you.¡± Jerry had already had enough today. He wanted to get the feast done, and so he could sleep. ¡°Hey, you two. Cut it.¡± ¡°Huh? How dare you be rude to me. If you don¡¯t like it, just plug your ears.¡± Emile said. ¡°Will do¡± As Jerry shoves his hands into his right pocket, he breaks into a cold sweat. ¡®Where is it.¡¯ ¡°Hey, Emile. Can you bring me back to the Blue Room, thing? I forgot something there.¡± ¡°What? This?¡± Emile then brought Jerry¡¯s phone out of her pockets. ¡°Yes, that. Hand it over.¡± ¡°Why? You treat me with no respect. You¡¯re a cheater and a coward. Why would I hand it to you?¡± ¡°Emile, I¡¯m not in the mood for your games. Hand it over.¡± ¡°No. Beg for it¡± Jerry sighed. He was not in the mood for it today. ¡°Your Highness, can I please receive that item in your hand back.¡± ¡°Of course you can, Jerry.¡± Emile handed Jerry his phone back with a playful smile. All three of them were nearing the carriage now. As they mounted the carriage, they were quickly off on their way. At the same time, Jerry quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the magic inflicted on him. Chapter 9 : The Drop Chapter 9: The Drop Jerry was awoken to Larmen shaking him. ¡°Hey, wake up. We¡¯re here.¡± Larmen said. Jerry yawned and got up from his seat, as Larmen was disembarking the carnage. ¡°Your Highness¡± Larmen said as he offered his hands towards Emile. ¡°Thank you¡± Emile said, giggling. Emile and Larmen quickly went towards the gates of the Royal Palace, leaving Jerry alone. ¡°Hey, Jerry.¡± Jerry heard a voice coming from the front of the carriage. It was the carriage driver. A man in his mid-50s, gray hair. ¡°What¡± Jerry said, rubbing his eyes. ¡°Good fight out there. If it were up to me, you¡¯d be the winner. Larmen did two, large strikes that would¡¯ve killed you if they connected. But, you move and strike him in the head with a quick, swift strike. Honestly. He should¡¯ve been disqualified. Not you.¡± The driver said. ¡°See, you understand. But I gotta deal with all this nonsense.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Some of us know the truth. Not blinded by the bias shown. Believe me. We¡¯re not all blind like the rest of them. Some very influential people know as well.¡± ¡°Thanks man. Best thing I¡¯ve heard all day. Well. I gotta go. Catch ya later¡± Jerry said as he disembarked. ¡°Oh, Jerry.¡± Jerry stopped at the door, about to jump off. ¡°Yea?¡± ¡°This is as far as civilian carriages are allowed to the Palace. No exceptions. Even if it¡¯s royalty. Some culture stuff. Just follow this road for a bit, and you¡¯ll be there in no time.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Got it. Thanks.¡± As he got off, the carriage backed up, turned around, and left. Leaving him alone on a pathway to the Palace. As he was walking down the path, he had a vibration coming from his phone. Jerry pulled out his phone and checked what was happening. The number in the circle read 200 and the arrow was pointing to his right. Jerry turned to where the point was facing and walked off the trail. After a while, using his flashlight on his phone, he found a large box with his name on it. Upon closer examination, it read as follows Tier 1 Survival Drop Name: Jerry Harren He tried to pull on it, and it budged very little. ¡®Well, let¡¯s crack it open then¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry looked around the box to find some sort of way to open it to find a keypad. Just then, his phone vibrated. Jerry pulled up his phone and read the message. Your PIN is: 3525 ¡®Well, that¡¯s neat¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry input the PIN into the keypad to be greeted with a nice, soothing hiss as white smoke poured out. Inside, was neatly arranged gear that was very compact. Using the moonlight, he was able to navigate through the box. Jerry picked up the chest piece that was provided and put it down quickly. ¡®Heavy¡¯ Jerry thought. This would be a problem because Jerry was exhausted from the Arena and being knocked out by magic. It would be nearly impossible to wear this now and not want to collapse. But at the same time, he wanted to take something with him. He decided to take the pistol that was given to him. He looked around to find a pistol on the lid of the box that was in padded foam resembling the Colt 1911 from back home. However, it looked and felt a bit different. As he held it up, it felt a bit lighter. The slide had vent holes on it, and the standard sights were replaced with a night sight with a glowing material on them. He decided on the pistol since brining the rifle would be too large and it didn¡¯t have a holster for it. He took the thigh straps and holster in the box along with the flashlights. He put on the thigh straps and put the flashlight in his pocket. Taking 3 magazines, they weighed the same as a pen before taking out a box of .45 ACP Ball, each having 50 rounds per box. It was the size where it would barely fit in his pocket, so he took the ammo out, and put it in his pocket. While he was there, he decided to load the 4 magazines he would need. One in the pistol, and the other 3 on the thigh strap. The thigh strap had a smaller pouch that could be used. On the pouch were 3 slots for the pistol magazines. He took handfuls of loose ammunition to load into the magazines. After a bit, he had all 4 magazines full. He took around and placed it into the chamber of the pistol, and cocked the gun before inserting a full magazine, making the gun hold 8 rounds plus 1. Jerry closed the box before returning back onto the path, holstering the pistol. The holster was fairly comfortable and was easily concealable with the pants he was provided by the Palace. The main downside was that he would feel it every time he would sit down. The Thigh strap he was provided was placed on his ankle, under the pants since he wanted to be discreet about it. Not comfortable as it was intended, but works as it stays in place. ¡®Can''t win¡¯em all I guess¡¯ Jerry thought. As Jerry was on the road, Larmen was seen running down the path towards Jerry. ¡°Jerry! Where¡¯ve you been? We were waiting for you at the gate. Why are you so late?¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. Got lost a bit¡± ¡°Ah, it happens to the best of us. Well, come now! I heard the King is handing out awards to us!¡± Larmen exclaimed while slapping Jerry¡¯s back. ¡®Annoying.¡¯ Jerry thought. ¡®The King, huh. Well, let¡¯s just get it done with. I wanna sleep and get this day over with.¡¯ As Larmen and Jerry approached the gates, Emile could be seen and heard running towards Larmen. ¡°Larmen! I¡¯ve been waiting for you to return from your noble deed!¡± Emile said, jumping into Larmen¡¯s arms. ¡°I have returned Your Highness!¡± Larmen said, laughing. ¡°Look you two lovebirds. Do that inside your own rooms. Okay?¡± Jerry said with I''m done with this crap¡¯ attitude. ¡°Hey! Pay me respect! I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m-¡± ¡°Emile Kerrington the Fourth, next to inherit the Empire. Yes, I know, I don¡¯t care and I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Jerry said, signaling towards the gate. Emile pouted at this moment. Mostly telling Larmen to do something but Larmen could only laugh awkwardly and shrug. ¡°He¡¯s right. We should do this when it¡¯s just between the two of us, and not in the open.¡± Larmen said, thinking it would help Jerry out. ¡°Thank you¡± Jerry said, yawning. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go. I¡¯d this done within the next 2 hours.¡± Jerry walked passed the gate, and into the Royal Palace. Chapter 10: Medals Chapter 10: Medals ¡°When you¡¯re ready, Your Highness¡± Jerry said sarcastically. ¡°Don¡¯t mock me.¡± Emile responded. ¡°Now now, don¡¯t fight. We¡¯re here to fight the Demon Lord. Not each other.¡± Larmen said. The trio stood outside the Throne Room with Emile in the front, Jerry to the right, and Larmen to the left. Jerry still felt tired from when he was knocked unconscious from the Arena. His eyes felt heavy, his legs felt like they were about to collapse at any moment, like a long game of Jenga. Jerry looked over towards Larmen. He was still in his armor, with no helmet. Smiling, and standing tall like a hero from a children¡¯s tale. ¡®What a monster¡¯ Jerry thought. Emile sighed as she put her hands on the door to the Throne Room. ¡°Ready?¡± Emile asked. ¡°As I ever will be, Your Highness.¡± Larmen said giving a bright smile, and a thumbs up. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± Jerry said while rubbing the back of his neck. Emile pushed the doors to the Throne Room open to find Royal Guards lined against a red carpet that led to the throne where the King sat. As the doors opened, the Royal Guards held flags high, and the converged above, and in the center of the red carpet. Jerry was stunned at the display. Never in his life had he seen this before other than in movies, and TV shows. Emile took the first steps forward down the carpet and was soon followed by Larmen. Jerry was still in a slight daze before he caught on and walked down the carpet with the other two. ¡°Well fought you two. It is my honor to assign both of your roles in the party that will be formed to fight the Demon Lord.¡± The King said as he rose from his throne. Emile and Larmen quickly kneeled to the King, leaving Jerry stood up. Jerry thought about kneeling but decided against it. He didn¡¯t want to kneel to no one and besides, he didn¡¯t know how to. ¡°Jerry, why do you not kneel before me?¡± The King asked. As the words exited the King¡¯s mouth, Emile and Larmen quickly looked at Jerry. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡®Get down!¡¯ Emile could be seen mouthing these words to Jerry. Jerry looked at Emile with the tired he had and then looked back at the King. Jerry thought about what to say for a moment as his actions at this very moment could change how people view him. ¡°I only kneel before true warriors.¡± Jerry said as he looked into the King¡¯s eyes. As Jerry said these words, he could hear some of the guards whispering. ¡°Bastard! What does he think he¡¯s doing in front of the king! I¡¯ll kill this bastard myself when I get the chance.¡± ¡°Relax! You¡¯re in the presence of the king!¡± ¡°Why is that? Does it involve where you come from? Your previous world?¡± The King asked. ¡°Yes. I only show respect to those that were on equal footing as I am, or better.¡± Jerry said. It was slightly a lie. He would usually respect people equally back home but he didn¡¯t feel like it in this world. He has dealt with many things coming here, mostly things that pissed Jerry off. ¡°I see. Well, I don¡¯t mind too much. Now, raise your heads.¡± The King said. As the King said these words, Emile and Larmen rose. Emile stared at Jerry with a dazed and confused look. ¡°Now, for winning the duel, I will assign you as the leader of the party. Larmen, please step forward.¡± The King said, gesturing Larmen to come towards the King. Larmen stood in front of Emile and kneeled before the King, just before the stairs acceded to the throne. As the King came down the stairs slowly he was handed a decorated sword by one of the Royal Guards. It was decorated with gold and gems on the guard, handle, and pommel while the blade was engraved in hypnotizing patterns. The pommel was made of engraved gold and had the shape of an arrow point, and had a gem in the center of it. The handle was made of smooth gold and had 4 gems on each side. Going down, the gem¡¯s colors were red, green, blue, and gold. The sword seemed to need two hands to use properly. The guard was made of engraved gold and went out about 3 inches to the side, facing up. The King, now standing in front of Larmen held the sword in front of his face, brought it down to Larmen¡¯s right shoulder. ¡°Do you, Larmen Jarek, swear to defeat the Empire¡¯s enemies, and deliver justice to the Demon Lord.¡± The King said ¡°I swear to defeat the Empire¡¯s enemy and bring justice to the Demon Lord.¡± Larmen said. The King then brought the sword up and brought it to Larmen¡¯s left shoulder now. ¡°Do you, Larmen Jarek, swear to protect the weak and innocent with your dying breath?¡± The King asked. ¡°I swear to protect the weak and innocent until my dying breath.¡± Larmen said. ¡°Then I, as King of the Empire, recognize you as the Hero of the Empire. Please serve us well, and defeat the enemy.¡± The King said. The King then brought the sword up, back to his face. Larmen then soon rose from a kneeling position to standing up straight. The King then brought the sword down on its side in his palms and held it out towards Larmen. ¡°As the Hero of the Empire, this will be your sword to defeat the Empire¡¯s enemies and bring peace and prosperity to the land. You will hold it in your right hand when using it.¡± The King said. The King then gestured to a Royal Guard and then the Royal Guard then brought a decorated shield. The Royal Guard kneeled before Larmen and held the shield out before Larmen. ¡°This will be the shield used to protect the weak and innocent. It will protect you and those that you choose to protect.¡± The King said. Larmen put the shield on with his left hand. The shield that was given to Larmen looked very nice, Jerry admitted. The shield was made of steel and had a picture of a fire-breathing lion in the center while jewels decorate the edge of the lion and the shield. The King smiled at Larmen ¡°Now, you are truly the Hero of the Empire! When you return from defeating the Demon Lord, I will allow you to marry Emile. Please, return safely¡± The King said. ¡°I will, Your Majesty¡± Larmen said. Larmen then returned to his previous spot, placing the sword in front of him, and the shield to his left before kneeling again before the King. ¡°Jerry, please come forth.¡± The King said. Jerry then took several steps forward towards the King. Now being several steps away from the King, the King held his hands out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what had happened. However, by the rules, you have been disqualified. I acknowledge you as the winner, but everyone else does not.¡± The King said in a low voice. ¡°I pray that you will still fight for the Empire, and will appoint you as the Knight of the Empire. You will fight for the Empire, defeating our enemies while also helping the weak and innocent.¡± The King said and held one of his hands out toward Jerry for a handshake. ¡°You will be with the Hero of the Empire, and fight alongside him. You will defeat the enemies of the Empire with him, and protect the weak and innocent alongside him.¡± The King said. Jerry thought about it for a moment. Weighing his options, he decided to go along with it. He clasped the King¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°I will¡± Jerry said. ¡°Please, look after him¡± the King whispered. Jerry then returned to where he had previously stood. ¡°Now, please rest. Tomorrow, we have a big day tomorrow¡± The King said while laughing Chapter 11 : The Day After Chapter 11 : The Day After Jerry slept like a rock for the next few hours. As soon as he entered his room, he collapsed onto his bed, and slept for what seemed to be minutes, but in reality had been hours. There was a knock on his door that awoke Jerry from his slumber. ¡°What?¡± Jerry asked with his face still buried in his pillow. ¡°It is time to wake up now. It¡¯s 10 AM¡± The voice behind the door said. ¡°Really?¡± The door opened and in came a familiar butler. ¡°Yes, Jerry. I have brought new clothing and have been told to tell you the schedule for today.¡± Jerry got up from his bed, and looked towards the butler. It was Klein Harren. The butler that had escorted him to his room from before, and made him participate in a drinking game without his consent. ¡°Yea? Lay the clothes on the table, and tell me the schedule for today when I leave the room.¡± Jerry said. ¡°As you wish.¡± Klein put the new clothing on the table that was near the door, and left the room. Jerry got up from his bed and yawned. 10 AM is it? Jerry took out his phone and set the time. ¡®This¡¯ll be useful¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry went towards the table to find fancy clothing on the table in front of him. He quickly undressed, taking off the holster, but left the thigh strap that was strapped to his ankle alone and looked at the clothing he was provided. It was made of wool, and had a golden color to it. He quickly got dressed and found it surprising comfortable. He quickly put the holster on and headed towards the door. As he exited, he as greeted by Klein. ¡°I see that you are dressed. Is it to you liking?¡± Klein asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite comfortable. So, what¡¯s the plan for today?¡± ¡°The plan today is to have you both meet with different party members that will accompany you both on the trip to defeat the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°Sounds fun¡± ¡°Indeed it will be. Be aware however, all of them are women.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡®Am I in some shitty harem anime? Is Larmen supposed to be the protagonist and I¡¯m just a companion?¡¯ ¡°Yes, they come from the Elven Faction, Imperial Kingdom, and The Dark Elf Forest¡± Klein explained. Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°N-No, just surprised me. But, let me guess. The Empire and Imperial Kingdom hate each other, and the Dark Elves and the Elven Faction also hate each other?¡± ¡°Precisely so. How do you know this?¡± ¡°Just a hunch. Well, let¡¯s go. Can¡¯t keep them waiting.¡± ¡°As you wish. Please follow me to the Throne Room¡± Jerry sighed. As Jerry and Klein walked down the halls, Klein broke the silence first. ¡°Why¡¯d you hit Larmen in the head?¡± Klein asked. Jerry sighed again. ¡°It was the only choice I had.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I fight to win. That or to entertain myself. If that battle had been drawn out, I might¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°What do you mean? It was a duel to find who was stronger. Not to kill each other! If a threat was found they would¡¯ve disqualified the other.¡± ¡°Sure, a magical move that could turn steel into a liquid in a matter of seconds isn¡¯t lethal but a strike to the head with a pommel is lethal¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve made him tired or maybe pin him down¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t make that man tired if I even tried. That man is a beast. He¡¯s human for sure, but he has limitless stamina. If I tried to pin him down, he¡¯d just strike me and he¡¯d be up on his feet. Come, tell me what you would¡¯ve done¡± ¡°I-I would¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡°See, you can¡¯t think of anything.¡± Klein sighed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Anyway, we¡¯re near the Throne Room. Make yourself look sharp.¡± ¡°I¡¯m as sharp as I care about meeting these new people.¡± As they arrived outside the Throne Room, Klein stood straight. ¡°Ready?¡± Klein asked. ¡°As I care to be¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Klein put his hand on the knob on the door, and twisted it. As Klein opened the door, a scene was developing. ¡°You¡¯re so big, Larmen¡± A seductive voice could be heard saying. A female with sharp ears, and tan skin could be seen mounting Larmen that was on the floor in the armor that he wore in the Arena. She wore skimpy clothing that exposed her large cleavage, legs, arms, and belly. It had a thick black lining and a dark purple color on the inside. She had a large chest, sharp golden eyes, and short gray hair. In her right hand seemed to hold a staff while her left hand was inching closer to Larmen¡¯s crotch ¡°No fair! You can¡¯t make moves on him this early! We just met!¡± A more innocent voice could be heard saying. The voice can be seen coming from someone standing over the tan skinned female. She had a modest chest size and acted somewhat like a child. She wore less revealing clothing consisting of a green shirt, and pants. Her pants went down to her knees, and her sleeves went down to her elbow. The clothing was skin tight, making her chest size known to any observer. She had long blond hair that fell behind her stomach, and blue eyes. A bow can be seen in her left hand, and a quiver full of arrows could be seen dangling from the right side of her hip. ¡®The whole harem set up is here! We¡¯re just missing the tsundere, and we¡¯ll be set.¡¯ ¡°H-How indecent!¡± An embarrassed voice could be heard standing 3 feet away from what was unfolding. She wore armor that covered a bit of her body. Her chest piece covered her chest, but not her stomach. Under her chest piece was a white shirt that were sleeveless. Her gauntlets covered her hands, and went up to her elbows. She wore feet, and shinguards and had a skirt. By her right side, she had a sword in a sheath that seemed to be two-handed. She had long red hair that fell down to her hip, and a small chest size. ¡®There she is. Now, let¡¯s see what we have. The god complex princess. The seductive dark-elf, Maybe large chested klutz elf? And a tsundere knight. I¡¯m gonna enjoy my time here am I?¡¯ ¡°J-Jerry, help me out here please.¡± Larmen pleaded. Jerry sighed and looked at Klein who was looking away in shame. The King soon rose from his throne. ¡°Now, we have all gathered. Klein, you can resume your previous duties.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡± Klein bowed, then left the room. The tanned skinned woman then dismounted Larmen and allowed Larmen to stand up. ¡°Everyone, please reintroduce yourselves to each other just to make sure everyone knows who¡¯s who.¡± The King said. The tanned woman was the first to break the silence. ¡°Of course, my name is Scharla Jakel. I hail from Halef Forest, or known the everyone else, the Dark Elf Forest. I am 233 years old, and single¡± She said as she eyed Larmen seductively. Larmen could only laugh nervously. The next to speak was the other elf. ¡°M-My name is Janice Kalet. I come from the Elven Nation and I¡¯m 184.¡± She said nervously. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet all of you¡± Janice said as she bowed. Janice then raised her head and looked around nervously. The next to introduce themselves would be the knight. ¡°I am Elizabeth Grey, 20 years old and it is nice to meet everyone here. I am a knight of the Imperial Kingdom. I hope that we can set aside our hostilities for now, and work together to defeat the Demon Lord.¡± She said proudly. She then turned and faced Larmen. ¡°A-And after we defeat the Demon Lord, y-you and I will duel and the loser will do whatever the winner wants!¡± Elizabeth declared as she was pointing at Larmen. The next one to introduce themselves was Larmen. ¡°I am Larmen, Hero of the Empire. I was summoned from my home world known as Alpoe. It is similar to this world here, and I wish to adjust quickly to this new world to defeat the Demon Lord. I am 24 years old¡± ¡°So young!¡± Scharla exclaimed ¡°Really?¡± Janice asked ¡°A little older than I am¡± Elizabeth could be heard whispering. ¡°Really? I¡¯m young?¡± Larmen asked. ¡°Yes! Very young!¡± Janice replied. The four of them soon quickly went into a conversation, leaving Jerry out. Jerry looked at the King who nodded and stood up. ¡°I believe we still have one more to introduce.¡± The King said. The four broke apart from their little conversation and looked at Jerry. ¡°Do we really have to?¡± Scharla asked. ¡°I do not wish to know the name of a coward that breaks rules!¡± Declared Elizabeth. Janice looked away from Jerry. ¡°But you must. It is vital for the party of hero to know each other so to reduce the chances any infighting¡± The King said. ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick¡± Jerry said as he straightened himself ¡°My name is Jerry. If you find me with these in my ears,¡± Jerry then held out his headphones ¡°It means I¡¯m not listening and if you would like to talk, just tap me, or scream really really loud. Maybe I¡¯ll be around.¡± Jerry then put his headphones away, and looked at the King. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s that. We must quickly send you to the frontlines. We cannot delay any longer than we have. The Deomn Lord¡¯s army has taken a large portion of our and other¡¯s as well land and will soon reach us. We would request for support, but the other three nations are doing their best as well.¡± The King said as he looked over the party until he examined Jerry closer. ¡°Jerry, where is your equipment?¡± The King asked. ¡°Hmm?¡± Jerry then looked at himself. But then remembered about the drop. ¡°It¡¯s in the forest around the Royal Palace pathway somewhere. I forgot¡± Jerry replied. ¡°What? We must quickly fetch it. I¡¯ll organize a search party¡± The King said. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I can find it again.¡± Jerry insisted. ¡°No, we have no time delay, we must find it quickly!¡± Jerry didn¡¯t want the King to know about the drop as it would cause more problems for Jerry being him having to explain it, and stuff like that. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s on the pathway out. I can find it again.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Besides, if you find it, you have to bring it here which will consume more time than me just going to it and continuing our journey to the frontlines.¡± Jerry said. The King stood there for a while, thinking about what to do. ¡°F-Fine. You may go now. Please, stay safe.¡± He then pointed to one of the Royal Guards ¡°You, escort the Hero¡¯s party out of the Palace, and through the residential district. Make sure they have a nice exit.¡± The King said. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The Royal Guard then fell out of formation and stood at the door. ¡°If you all will follow me, I can escort you to the residential district of the Empire.¡± All of them except Jerry nodded and they would soon follow the Guard down the dirt pathway that Jerry took last night. Jerry took out his phone to find the number 300, and the arrow pointing between the left, and in front of him. ¡°Ah, can you guys wait here, my equipment is nearby¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Yea, just make it quick. I don¡¯t want to wait for you.¡± Scharla said. ¡°Yea yea, just give me time.¡± Jerry then went off the path, and followed the tracker back to where the drop was. It took him about five minutes to get here, so he should hurry up. He looked around with the sun shining down on the forest. Eventually, he found a box with strings and large bits of red cloth attached to them on each corner of the box. He put the PIN into the keypad, and opened it up. Inside, were neatly organized equipment that had been requested, On the top were black combat fatigues . On the interior roof of the drop, was the rifle in a foam padded slot with magazines also in slot and an empty pistol slot where he took the 1911 from. There was also 3 pistol magazine slots empty from where he had taken them. He quickly swapped out of the clothes he currently had, and put on the fatigues. He took the thigh strap on his ankle, and put it in it¡¯s proper place, his right thigh. It seemed to be made of a soft, flexible, and durable material, the fatigues that was in the drop. Under the fatigues, was the tactical plate carrier hybrid. He picked up the tactical vest he was provided. The vest was black, and had a front, and back plate holder. There were a magazine pouch on the sides of the vest, two double stack magazine pouches in the front. It was a little bit heavy, maybe 35 pounds with the plates in. He adjusted the vest, and then placed the empty rifle magazines in the slots, and then put the other thigh strap on his left thigh, and put the rest of the empty pistol magazines in there. Jerry then picked up the helmet. It was covered with metal, save for the visor that was made of what seemed to be ballistic glass, and was fairly light. The mouth area came off, and seemed to act as a gas mask when needed. The design of the helmet seemed futuristic and was black. The visor seemed to be an inch thick, tinted red, and covered 1/4th of the helmet and was placed where the eyes would be. The mouth piece wrapped the chin, and the mouth and could come loose when a latch was released. It locked the helmet on the users head, and acted as a gas mask but had the option to allow unrestricted airflow into the helmet for an easier time breathing. Jerry put the helmet on to be greeted with a message from the helmet. Identifying¡­ Identification: Jerry Harren Welcome, Foxtrot Nine-One Calibrating¡­ Calibration Complete Loading Vital Signs Loading Sonar Map Syncing with Weapons Complete Soon, Jerry could see a circle with a compass with three smaller circles around it. There was a line bridging North and South, and West and East. Jerry then took out the rifle. It weighed about 6 pounds in his estimate. CER-M6C:S EMPTY Jerry was surprised at what he was seeing. The helmet would be very handy as it will help him make calls. The rifle had a bullpup design and took the magazine at the rear of the rifle. It also had a scope that had the ability to cycle through a reflex sight, and a 4x magnified sight, and everything in-between on top of the rifle. The cocking handle was in the front of the gun along with the fore-grip bipod. There was a strap that connected to the barrel, and at the buttstock and rotated freely. Jerry then looked back into the drop to find nothing else other than a black backpack. took the backpack out of the drop, and it was very heavy. Maybe about 150 pounds in his estimate. Jerry looked at it, and it was fairly large. There it went from his hip, and extended 2 inches above his head. It was wider than him by 6 inches as well! He looked around inside and took out a box of 9x39mm Ball, and then looked at the backpack some more. It said that it had a rifle holder, so he looked at the sides of the backpack. On the left side, there was a black metal circle. When he put his rifle on it, it immediately latched on, and turned it. The gun was facing down towards the ground, and the stock was facing up. After looking around inside the backpack for a while, he found what he could assume was the pulse scanner. It seemed to attach to the wrist of Jerry as it was swapped like a watch and had two buttons on the side of it. He put it on his right hand, and adjusted it. He pressed both buttons once, and it seemed to activate as a virtual orange line seemed to move away from Jerry. No Hostiles Detected Jerry looked into the backpack to find 9x39mm Ball that had 50 each box. He opened the box of 9x39mm Ball and started to load the extra magazine. It took him one minute to fill the magazine, and found that 20 more rounds were left in the box. He took out six more boxes and put two in his pockets, one in each. Taking the loose .45 ACP ammo in one of his thigh pockets and putting them in what ever free room was left in his pockets, he tucked the two more 9x39mm boxes in the thigh straps, one each. He then tucked the last four in his shirt¡¯s sleeves. He put on the backpack, and started to walk back to the party, while also loading his empty magazines. Chapter 12: Bandits Chapter 12 : Bandits Jerry around the forest, still filling his magazines. He had just completed his 5th one and was moving on the final 6th one. As he was loading, a ping popped up on his map. Soon, there were 2, then 3, then 4, then 5. The amount of pings steadied at 5 and as he finished up his 6th magazine and inserted it into the last magazine pouch, he used his left hand and grabbed the front of his rifle, and brought it out and then held the grip with his right hand in one swift and fluid motion. CER-M6C:S 30 Rounds Jerry used his pulse scanner and saw the orange line move away from him. As it passed through the forest, red outlines could be seen hiding behind trees. 5 Hostiles Detected. Weapons: 2x 2 Foot Sword, 2x 2 meter spear, 1x 1 meter Longsword Just then, all 5 of them stepped out of cover. They seemed to be about 50 meters away. ¡°That¡¯s some nice looking gear you got there. If you leave it now, along with your purse, we might let you live.¡± The one with the Longsword said. ¡°Really? You¡¯re gonna mug a guy that has weapons and armor you¡¯ve never seen before. Is this really the smartest move you can think of?¡± Jerry asked ¡°Hey, it looks like good money. We don¡¯t cower at the sight of the unknown. Now, what¡¯s it gonna be. Your belongings, or your life?¡± He asked. Jerry looked at his gun, then at the bandit. ¡°When you¡¯re ready¡± Jerry said as he readied his gun, pointing it towards the bandit with the longsword. ¡°You asked for it, get¡¯em boys¡± The bandit said. After that, all 5 of them charged at Jerry. Jerry took a deep breath before taking aim at the target before firing. As he pulled the trigger, the one with the long sword fell after a bullet entered his head, and out the other side. He fell with a thud. By now, the other four were in a confused state, and slowed down their charge. Jerry capitalized on their mistake and took fire at another one. ¡°Gah!¡± One of them with the spears yelled as he collapsed on his stomach. Jerry then quickly snapped onto another one. ¡°W-Wait!¡± He begged. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I yield! I-I yield!¡± He said ¡°Do you now?¡± Jerry said. ¡°Yes! I do!¡± ¡°Sweet, drop your purse, and get out of here.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± The bandit reached into his pocket and dropped his purse and started to turn tails. However, the other two kept charging. ¡°Coward! We¡¯ll kill you after we¡¯re done with this one!¡± one of them yelled. Jerry quickly ended the lives of the other two with two quick trigger pulls. ¡®Well, that was interesting.¡¯ Jerry checked the remaining ammunition in his magazine CER-M6C:S 20 Rounds Jerry quickly replaced his old magazine, replacing it with a new one on his vest. He put the gun back into the holster that the backpack provided and decided to loot a bit. Jerry set down his backpack, and drop the empty ammo boxes back in, leaving him with one more full one. He put that box into his pocket and checked the pockets of the dead bandits and found a total of 5 purses in total, including the runner. He emptied all the coins into one bag and pocketed it without giving it much thought. He returned onto the original path and refilled the used magazine. He eventually found his way back onto the road and met up with the Larmen and the rest of the party. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± Scharla asked. ¡°Aww, you forgot about me already? That¡¯s mean Scharla.¡± Jerry replied sarcastically. ¡°Jerry? Where were you? And what¡¯s with that equipment? I¡¯ve seen nothing like it.¡± ¡°Well, I ran into some bandits, and don¡¯t worry about it.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Bandits? What¡¯d you do with them?¡± ¡°Well, I shot four and let the other one go.¡± ¡°You let one go? Why? He¡¯ll only return to a life of banditry!¡± ¡°Yea, but what¡¯s one lowly bandit going to do?¡± ¡°Tsk, I guess you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s continue our journey¡± The group followed the path down to find a large gate guarded by 2 soldiers on duty. ¡°Stop, can I see some Identif-¡± The guard stopped mid sentence as he saw Larmen. ¡°Larmen! Please forgive my rudeness. Please, come through.¡± The guard said as he welcomed him. ¡°Thank you¡± Larmen replied. As they passed through the gates, they were greeted by a busy street filled with food stands, shops, and peddlers. As Jerry walked down the street, his stomach growled. ¡°Ha, you haven¡¯t even eaten yet? Poor poor you. Guess you¡¯ll have to starve.¡± Scharla said. ¡°Maybe I will have to¡± Jerry replied. As he was walking down the street, a food stand caught his eye. It was beef on a stick. It looked good, and when he loosened the helmet, it definitely smelled good. He approached the stand and looked at the stand owner. ¡°How much are each stick?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°5 Copper Coins each.¡± Jerry took out the purse he took from the bandits and looked around inside. He could find 2 Silver Coins, and 5 Copper Coins. He took a Silver Coin out and handed it to the owner, having a hunch that it was 10 Copper for 1 Silver. The Stand Owner than handed Jerry two sticks of beef. His hunch was correct, and it had paid off. ¡°Thank you for your purchase. Please come again¡± He said unenthusiastically. Jerry returned to the group that was a bit more ahead than they were previously. Jerry taking a bite of the beef stick caught Scharla¡¯s attention. ¡°How¡¯d you get that?¡± She asked ¡°I bought it¡± Jerry responded. ¡°How? You have no money.¡± ¡°Yes I do. I nabbed it off the bandits¡± ¡°Resorting to looting the dead now are we?¡± ¡°Looting the dead is normal as long as they¡¯re not in a grave.¡± Scharla looked at Jerry with utter disgust at what he had done as he ate his beefsticks. ¡°Now now, leave him alone. It¡¯s his food, don¡¯t bother him. He hasn¡¯t ate since this morning while we had a large breakfast did we not?¡± Larmen said. ¡°Yea, listen to Larmen¡± Jerry said. As they approached the city¡¯s entrance, there was a large carriage near the entrance. Then, the Royal Guard that was escorting the party turned around and faced Larmen. ¡°This is as far as I can take you. Take the carriage, and it will take you to the frontlines. There, you will be given an army to command. Good luck, and god bless you all.¡± The Royal Guard then proceeded to walk back to the Royal Palace, leaving Larmen and the party alone. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get in the carriage shall we?¡± Jerry said, walking towards the carriage. Jerry opened the door to the carriage, tossing I his backpack and then sitting in the front seat. The seats were big enough to fit 4 people per row, and that¡¯s what happened. As the other 4 got into the carriage, they sat on the adjacent seat next to Jerry. Jerry took off his helmet and put on his earbuds and listened to some music, zoning in and out of reality as time passed. Larmen and the others had a lively conversation between each other, not even batting an eye towards Jerry. Jerry laid down on his seat and closed his eyes, trying to drown out the conversation by turning the music louder and louder than before. All of a sudden, the carriage stopped along with the conversation. Jerry took out his headphones for the first time, and sat up. Before Larmen could stand up, Jerry gestured towards Larmen to stop. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out. You sit here and enjoy yourself.¡± Jerry said as he stepped out. Jerry walked towards the driver of the carriage to see 10 bandits on the road. ¡°So, this the problem?¡± Jerry asked the driver. ¡°Quite so. Can you deal with it?¡± The driver asked. ¡°Yea, get inside the carriage though.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± The driver then got off the driver seat and got inside the carriage. Jerry walked forward and took his rifle out, analyzing his opponents and each breath he took was labored. He was nervous as this could be dangerous with 10 people instead of the 5 that he had dispatched earlier. CER:M6C:S 30 + 1 Rounds ¡°Ha! You guys are a fool for traveling in a carriage like that with no guard! Now, leave your belongings and scram, or we¡¯ll kill ya!¡± The bandit screamed. ¡°Sorry for deceving you, but I am the guard¡± Jerry said wittingly. ¡°Then we¡¯ll break ya!¡± Jerry activated his pulse scanner with his left hand. Watching the orange line pass through the bandits, marking them in a red outline, he found that there were some in the forest as well. 15 Hostiles Detected 5x Bow and Arrow, 3x 1 ft Dagger, 2x 1 meter Long Sword, 5x 2 meter Spears. Jerry saw two red outline in trees to his left, and 3 more in trees to his right. Jerry quickly ran to the forest to his left. Before the bandits could follow Jerry, the leader could be heard. ¡°Ignore him! Attack the carriage and take everyone inside!¡± As they ran towards the carriage, Jerry took aim at the approaching bandits that were grouped together, and emptied his entire magazine into them, dropping all 10 of them. A surge of adrenaline coursed through Jerry¡¯s body at that point. Jerry quickly swapped out his used magazine for a new one and moved to find the two bandits in his side of the forest. He quickly found them thanks to the red outline, and quickly dispatched of them with 3 shots each. He looked at the other side of the forest to see one of them running towards the carriage with a knife. Jerry left his forest to intercept the one running towards the carriage only to be met with an arrow that struck his helmet, and deflected off. Jerry ran to the carriage and opened the door, and readied his gun, training it at the other door. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Scharla asked ¡°Have the bandits been dispatched yet?¡± The driver asked. ¡°Ah, Jerry, what¡¯re you doing?¡± Larmen asked. Just then, the other door opened and Jerry made eye contact with the other bandit before squeezing the trigger, dumping 5 rounds into his chest. ¡°Close the door¡± Jerry said as he shut his side of the door. Jerry could not find the remaining hostiles and tried to pulse scan again. Error: Not enough energy Try again in 60 seconds ¡®Really?¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry ran into the other side of the forest where the bandit that ran towards the carriage originally came from, and waited behind a tree. As he waited, he could hear footsteps rumbling through grass, coming closer towards him. He readied his gun and peeked to find a familiar bandit. It was the bandit from before in the original 5 that tried to mug him. ¡°Hey¡± Jerry said The bandit turned and faced Jerry to be met with 2 shots in the chest, then 1 in the head. Jerry tried to pulse scan again to be met with an orange line moving out away from him. 1 Enemy Detected Weapon: Bow Jerry looked around to find the red outline running towards the carriage driver seat and was mounting it. Jerry set up on the forest¡¯s tree line and took aim with his pistol as his rifle had the chance to overshoot and hit someone inside. Colt .45 UT1 As the bandit got seated, Jerry pulled the trigger and hit the bandit in the chest, immobilizing him. Jerry reloaded his pistol and walked towards the remaining bandit. ¡°D-Damn you!¡± The bandit said, struggling to stay alive. Jerry looked at the bandit for a moment. In his eyes, he could see fear and hatred. Jerry then went to the carriage and opened the door. ¡°The deed is done. The bandits have been disposed of. Be careful, theres a body on the driver seat and on the road ahead. ¡°I understand.¡± The driver then got off and got onto the driver seat while Jerry mounted the carriage. ¡°What was that?¡± Larmen asked. ¡°It was me.¡± Jerry responded. ¡°No you dimwit, what were the loud bangs!¡± Scharla snapped. ¡°The sounds of bandits dying¡± Jerry said as he laid back down on his seat. Jerry took off his helmet and laid it beside him and took out the box of ammo from his put in his earbuds and played some music. Jerry could hear muffled voices however, and could not drown them out enough. ¡°Hey! Are you listening to me¡± Scharla snapped. ¡°Now now, calm down.¡± Larmen said in an attempt to calm Scharla. ¡°The way his weapon worked, seemed ranged. It¡¯s nice to have another ranged person other than me¡± said a cheerful voice. ¡°He seemed to be able to dispatch those bandits with quick ease. Good for when we¡¯re on the frontlines. At least he¡¯ll be useful to us.¡± Elizabeth said. After that, they four seemed to then go back into their conversation and Jerry went back and tried to fall asleep. However, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He tossed and turned while the image of the bandit¡¯s eyes of fear and hatred filled his mind. The next several days on the trip, nothing eventful happened. Bandits didn¡¯t appear, and the party kept chatting, leaving Jerry alone. Jerry soon was awoken by a kick from someone. Jerry opened his eyes and looked up to see Scharla¡¯s feet on his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re here¡± She said as she disembarked the carriage, leaving Jerry alone. Jerry had arrived to the frontlines however, leaving Jerry with no time to sleep. Jerry check his phone to find that it was 10 P.M. He quickly put his backpack on and put on his helmet, as it wrapped against his head. He then left the carriage with a thud as his feet touched the ground from jumping out. On his way out, the carriage called out to him. ¡°Thanks for the guard, Jerry. I¡¯ll see you when you defeat the Demon Lord.¡± The driver said. Jerry looked at the driver to find that it was the same driver that took him outside the Royal Palace. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s you!¡± Jerry said. ¡°Rude, I have a name. It¡¯s Alfred Jual. Nice to see you again.¡± The driver said. ¡°Nice to see you as well.¡± ¡°Well, I must go now. Can¡¯t keep you waiting too long. Do your best!¡± The driver said as he turned the carriage around and left Jerry alone. He looked around the front line to find tents of different shapes and sizes with a flag of a fire-breathing lion on top of them. ¡°Jerry! Over here!¡± Larmen could be heard and seen gesturing to Jerry to come over while Larmen stood in front of a what seemed to be a command tent. ¡®Yea yea.¡¯ Jerry thought as he walked over to Larmen. Chapter 13: Conditions Chapter 13: Conditions Jerry entered the command tent with the rest of the party, or what was left of it. The command tent was a mess with books unorganized, scrolls scatter about, paper on the floor, and the map laid out on the table with many things on it. There were only 2 people manning the command tent from what Jerry could see. The first one was what seemed to be a very young man with round glasses. He carried around documents, books, and scrolls in his hands He was short, and seemed to be in good shape, but with no outstanding features. He seemed about an average build while not being super fat, nor super buff and had short hair. The second man was a large, hulking mass of man with heavy armor. He was a bit tan, with black hair, and a refined face. He was lurched over a table with a map on it. ¡°Falk, we have guests. Look sharp¡± The man in armor said. ¡°Y-Yes, Commander Reeves¡± The young man with glasses said. ¡°Welcome to our humble tent As you can see, it¡¯s not in the¡­ best of conditions but it¡¯s what we have now.¡± The man in armor said. ¡°It is fine, Commander¡± Larmen said, as he took several steps forward. ¡°Is it you Larmen? A messenger told me of your arrival yesterday. We couldn¡¯t do anything about the mess. But please, don¡¯t call me Commander. Please, call me Reeves. And that man over there is Falk.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Reeves, Falk.¡± Jerry and the others stayed silent throughout the conversation. However, Jerry could catch glimpses of Reeve¡¯s eyes looking at him. It was kinda creepy in Jerry¡¯s opinion on how Reeve¡¯s eyes shot at him. Jerry decided to step up after Larmen greeted the both of them. ¡°What¡¯s the situation here?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Not good¡± Reeves said. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to find cattle in the forests anymore¡± Jerry thought about what Reeves said. ¡®Cattle? Forest? No one is supplying them?¡¯ ¡°By that, do you mean you are hunting animals in the forest?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°That is right. These forests are usually have a large amount of animals that we can hunt and eat¡± Reeves replied. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there is no other way¡± ¡°Do you have salt?¡± ¡°Yes? Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get to that later. How many men do we have?¡± ¡°Not much. We have 2000 Infantry, 500 Archers, 300 Cavalry and 100 Mages ready to fight. We also have 700 wounded.¡± ¡°What are we up against?¡± ¡°We¡¯re mostly against Infantry but the occasional arrow barrage, horses, and magic do get sent flying at us.¡± ¡°How often?¡± ¡°Every few battles I guess¡± ¡°Any problems between the men?¡± ¡°The swords are getting dulled, and armor is getting more scarce. The supplies should be coming soon¡± ¡°How¡¯re their morale?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty low. Talks of desertion have been heard but no one has done it yet¡± ¡°Are they volunteers?¡± ¡°All of them are¡± ¡°Good. Get me some pen and paper¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to send a letter to the king to deliver you from your food shortage, morale, and equipment problems¡± ¡°As if you could. What would you tell the king?¡± ¡°Words. Now, pen and paper¡± Reeves sighed before handing Jerry the pen and paper. Jerry took the pen and paper and laid it out on the table, thinking about what he was going to write. ¡°So, nothing other than armor is being sent up here?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Nothing else¡± Reeves replied. ¡°How not to wage a war¡± Jerry mumbled under his breath. Jerry wrote down the things that he needed and how to do it. Food, medical supples, reinforcements, everything. Jerry needed to make things happen if he wanted to turn this war around. Jerry finished the letter and handed it to Reeves. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Send someone to get it to the Royal Kingdom. Let the king know it¡¯s from Jerry.¡± Jerry said while handing it to Reeves. ¡°I understand. This better work or my trust will have betrayed me. Please wait here.¡± Reeves said. Reeves soon left the tent and Jerry bent his back, stretching. ¡°W-What was that?¡± A voice said. Jerry looked to his left to see Falk. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. You¡¯ll see when it comes¡± Jerry said. Jerry decided to check the men out and their equipment. He put his backpack down in the command tent and walked towards the exit but as he was about to walk out, he was stopped by Scharla. ¡°Where are you going? He said to wait here.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m going outside¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not. You¡¯re waiting here.¡± ¡°Yes I am, and you can fuck off¡± Jerry said as he continued to walk outside Jerry left the tent, feeling Scharla¡¯s sharp gaze following him as he left. He looked around, looking for someone to talk to and found some people by a tent doing nothing other than a thousand yard stare. He approached them, and tried to ask them questions. ¡°Hey there guys, I got a few questions to ask¡± Jerry said. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± The man said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! Now, what are you guys? Infantry, Archers, or Cavalry? A man in armor that covered his entire chest stood up and looked at Jerry. After an awkward silence, he sighed then spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Infantry¡± He said. He then pointed to a man with leather armor. ¡°He¡¯s an Archer¡± He then pointed to a man with armor that covered his chest, and legs. ¡°He¡¯s Cavalry¡± He said before crossing his arms. ¡°I see. Can you guys show me your equipment? I¡¯d like to assess the situation¡± Jerry said. ¡°Look, we did something you asked, now do what I asked. Who are you?¡± The Infantryman said. ¡°My name is Jerry, I¡¯ve been sent by the King to help you all.¡± ¡°The King? Ha, that¡¯s the first time in 3 years since he came and help us. Alright, fine, I¡¯ll bite and show you what we have.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s in, I might as well do it as well¡± Said the Archer as he stood up. ¡°Same here¡± The Cavalryman said as he also stood up. ¡°Splendid. After you¡± Jerry said. The men then went into the tent they stood outside of and then came out 30 seconds later, in their gear. ¡°Follow us¡± The infantryman said. As they were walking, The Infantryman spoke to Jerry. ¡°Like I said before, I¡¯m an Infantryman. I have a steel chest piece, and helmet. Anything else, and it¡¯s a waste. I have a sword and shield like all my other brothers.¡± The Infantryman said. ¡°I on the other hand, wear leather armor since I stay in the back lines usually. So, no armor needed. I got a bow like others like me.¡± The Archer said. ¡°I however ride with a bit more armor than the others. I have a noble horse that will take me into battle and strike my enemies. I have a lance, sword, and a shield.¡± The Cavalryman said. ¡°I see¡± Jerry said. Soon, they arrived on the outskirts of the camp. ¡°I will fetch my horse. These other two will show you their moves.¡± The Cavalryman said. As the Cavalryman left, the Infantryman looked at Jerry. ¡°Ready?¡± He asked ¡°Yep¡± Jerry replied The Infantryman walked to a dummy and got into a fighting stance, shield flat in front, and sword at the ready to his left, pointing up. He raised his sword above his head, brought his shield down and brought it down, striking the dummy¡¯s head. He then reverted back into his fighting stance. He then backed up a bit and then did a similar strike but did a diagonal cut. He then went back into his fighting stance and brought his shield down and stabbed repeatedly, then stopped. ¡°That¡¯s what I can do¡± He said before backing away for the dummy. Jerry nodded and looked at the archer. ¡°Umm, I¡¯m able to shoot things straight and in the air. That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t do much other than support¡± He said. ¡°Oh. How accurate are you?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Pretty accurate. I guess.¡± The Archer said ¡°Does everyone else have the same accuracy?¡± ¡°Just about yea. I¡¯m above average.¡± Just then, the Cavalryman came back. ¡°I have returned with my horse. I am ready to demonstrate my skills.¡± He said. ¡°Is every Cavalryman like this?¡± He asked the Infantryman. ¡°Just about¡± He said. ¡°What?¡± The Cavalryman asked. ¡°Nothing. Please demonstrate your skills¡± Jerry said as he gestured to the dummy. ¡°With pleasure¡± The Cavalryman took his sword out from his sheath and then charged towards the dummy and then readied his sword by holding it behind him. As he got towards the dummy, he did an underhand strike, striking the dummy in the head. He then turned his horse around, sheathed his sword, and took his spear out from the pouch on the saddle. He then brought it to a couched position and charged at the dummy. When it struck the dummy, a audible thump could be heard. ¡°That is what I can do.¡± He said. Just then, Reeve¡¯s voice can be heard behind Jerry. ¡°I thought I told you to stay in the command tent, Jerry¡± Reeves said. The three men then went into attention, standing straight. ¡°Well, I wanted more information. What can I say? Staying in a tent won¡¯t give me information.¡± Jerry said as he turned around to face Reeves. Reeves sighed. ¡°I sent the messenger. He should arrive at the palace in 3 days¡± Reeves said ¡°Excellent. We can expect the supplies in 20 days.¡± ¡°Come with me back to the command tent. We need to discuss things¡± They both walked back to the command tent where the rest of the party was waiting. ¡°Now, I need help with managing this army. I¡¯m too exhausted to keep on going.¡± Reeves said. ¡®We just met him and he¡¯s gonna retire? This could be my chance to make a name for myself¡¯ ¡°I volunteer¡± Jerry said immediately ¡°What? Do you know what this means? The responsibilities that ent-¡± ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ve done it before¡± Jerry said. He was half-lying. He did lead troops on Earth before. He was an okay leader usually keeping his men alive while keeping them alive. However, this was medieval type combat. It was very different from what he was used to. Reeves sighed. ¡°Alright, Jerry. It¡¯s all yours. Larmen, any objections¡± Reeves said. ¡°None here¡± Larmen responded. ¡°Great. I will now take my leave. I will be back in uhh. 60 days.¡± Reeves said. ¡°60 Days? Are you nuts?¡± Jerry screamed. ¡°You said you¡¯d take care of it. So, take care of it¡± Jerry¡¯s expectations of Reeves were let down. He expected more from the commander. ¡°We will make an announcement of the change now. Please get ready¡± Reeves said as he left the tent. ¡°Good job at the promotion, Jerry.¡± Jerry sighed. ¡°Larmen. You any good at riding horses?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Fantastic actually. I can ride them with my eyes closed!¡± Larmen bragged. ¡°Scharla, you good at magic?¡± ¡°What? You think this staff is for show?¡± ¡°Elizabeth, you good at a sword?¡± ¡°O-Of course you coward!¡± ¡°Janice, you good at archery?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡± ¡°Fantastic! I have roles assigned to everyone!¡± ¡°What? You think you¡¯re going to command me?¡± Scharla said. ¡°You know Scharla, stop being a bitch for once. The only thing I¡¯ve heard come from your mouth is a complaint. What¡¯s your problem hmm? We¡¯re at war now. Tell me your problems now, or forever hold your peace yea?¡± Jerry snapped. He had enough of Scharla¡¯s ridicules and broke. ¡°I-It¡¯s that you¡¯re a lowly creature that can¡¯t use magic! You¡¯re a coward that cheated at the Arena and I don¡¯t understand why they would let someone like you commander!¡± Scharla fired back. ¡°Well Scharla, for one, my magic capabilities are irrelevant as I wiped that bandit ambush at the road without the use of magic. Second, it was a light tap to the head that for some reason Larmen could not handle¡± ¡°Hey! It was a bit harder than you think okay?¡± Larmen interrupted. ¡°Sure. And Third, I don¡¯t need magic to command an army.¡± Scharla sighed ¡°Fine, I guess I¡¯ll follow to your commands for now while we¡¯re still here¡± Scharla said ¡°Great. Any other complaints from anyone else?¡± Jerry said as he looked around the party. No one raised their hands however. ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s start. For one, you all are going to command a brach of this army. Larmen, you will take the cavalry forces. Scharla, the mages. Janice, the Archers. And Elizabeth, the Infantry. During this time, you will bond with your troops, and train them. Any questions so far?¡± Elizabeth raised her hand ¡°Yes?¡± Jerry said ¡°What will we teach them?¡± Elizabeth asked. ¡°Anything and everything. How to strike properly, techniques, tips, and all the sort. Things that¡¯ll keep them alive¡± ¡°I understand¡± ¡°Good. Now, to address the morale problems, I have to ask of you girls to do your best. Larmen, you¡¯re fine¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Larmen asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Larmen, wait outside for now. I need to talk to the girls here¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Larmen said as he left the room. ¡°Okay, I need you guys to be seductive in a nutshell¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Scharla asked. ¡°These guy¡¯s morales are at rock bottom. Give them something to fight for.¡± ¡°W-What do I do?¡± Janice asked. ¡°I want to be useful¡± She added. ¡°Just tell the men about yourselves and add the words ¡®Please do your best to see you outside this war¡¯ or something like that¡± Jerry said. ¡°I-I see¡± ¡°Bastard, what¡¯re you trying to make her do?!¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to make the morale raise. Elizabeth, drop the hard act. I need you to do it as well. You have the bulk of the army.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Why do I have to lead the Infantry?!¡± Elizabeth asked ¡°Stop shouting and to answer your question, you¡¯re a swordswoman, and they¡¯re a swordsman. Try to make their swords raise to pledge to you?¡± Jerry said sarcastically. ¡°Bastard, that¡¯s not even funny!¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°I¡¯m here to entertain myself. Not you¡± ¡°Any other complaints? Scharla?¡± ¡°No problem here. I did say I¡¯d follow you. Besides, this can be a good way to show off to Larmen¡± She said. Just then, the two other women looked at Jerry sharply and in sync said the words ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±. Jerry took note before dismissing them ¡°Do your best¡± Jerry said as they left. Jerry then turned around to look at Falk. ¡°So, tell me. What tactics did they use to attack us?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°U-Uh, they just rush us¡± Falk said timidly ¡°Aww, don¡¯t act so timid. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°R-Right¡± ¡°Alright, catch ya later.¡± Jerry said as he left the tent. ¡°Jerry, come here.¡± Reeves said as Jerry was leaving the tent. ¡°What?¡± Jerry asked, walking towards Reeves. ¡°When I call your name, walk onto the stage and give a good speech okay?¡± ¡°Right, well, hurry up¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll sound the horn now¡± Reeves stepped into the open area with what seemed to be a horn on a pole and blew into it. A loud and audible horn can then be heard and men¡¯s armor rattling as they head towards the sound. Reeves then got onto stage, and started his department speech. Jerry went towards the party that was standing outside near the command post. ¡°When I call your name, walk up the stage, and introduce yourself. Larmen, act noble and proud. Show everything off but find a thin line between asshole and humble.¡± ¡°What?¡± Larmen asked. ¡°Just show off, but not too much¡± ¡°Oh¡± ¡°Elizabeth, just be happy and not an asshole on these guys. You can change the tide of the war¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Just follow my orders.¡± ¡°Whatever¡± Jerry walked away from the party and towards the stage. ¡°And I would like to introduce my replacement, Commander Jerry¡± Reeves said as he gestured towards Jerry. Jerry then stepped onto the stage, and faced the men. Chapter 14: Something Worth Fighting For Chapter 14 : Something Worth Fighting For ¡°Attention men. I will be your new commander for the following few weeks. I am Jerry and I have come from the Royal Palace from another world. In this world, I have commanded men before. But, I will be assigning leaders to each type of unit.¡± Jerry said. The men looked amongst each other with confused looks and whispers could be heard among the men. ¡°Is he really our commander?¡± ¡°Leaders? Can¡¯t he just tell us the order himself?¡± Jerry cleared his throat. ¡°What I mean by leaders is that these will be the ones making split second decisions, and be the role model of each unit. They make my lives easier as they will be your representative and your trainer. So, let¡¯s introduce your representatives¡± Jerry then gestured to Scharla. ¡°For the mages, we have Scharla Jakel. She is from the Dark Elf Forest and is proficient at magic.¡± Scharla stepped onto the stage and faced towards the men. ¡°Hello, my name is Scharla. I¡¯m 233 years old and come from Halef Forest. Nice to meet you all.¡± She said in a seductive manner whilst striking a subtle pose towards the men. Jerry looked around the men to find many soldiers looking red as if their hearts have been stolen. Scharla quickly stepped off the stage allowing Jerry to take the stage. ¡°Next on the list, we have Janice Kalet for the archers¡± Jerry said as he waved a hand towards Janice. Janice timidly walked onto stage before facing the men with her hands clasped together. ¡°M-My name is Janice Kalet. I-I come from the E-Elven Nation. Nice to meet you all!¡± She said as she took a bow. Jerry could hear the men giggling like little girls as their hearts warmed. Janice quickly stepped down the stage and seemed very embarrassed, leaving Jerry on the stage. ¡°Next in line is Elizabeth Gray for the infantry!¡± Elizabeth stepped on the stage very professionally before looking at the men. ¡°My name is Elizabeth Gray from the Imperial Nation. I hope we can get along and defeat the Demon Lord¡± She said stoically. The men looked confused and unimpressed. Since Infantry was the bulk of the army, Jerry needed to do something to keep the Infantry in line and active. Jerry edged towards her ear and whispered some words. ¡°Remember, Larmen is watching. Don¡¯t you want to impress him?¡± Elizabeth quickly blushed and turned away embarrassed. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that!¡± She said in a very cute manor The men were mesmerized by the face Elizabeth was making. To them, they would die happily to protect that face. Elizabeth quickly and embarrassedly stepped off stage, leaving a Jerry with a sadistic smile on stage. Jerry quickly calmed down and began to introduce Larmen. ¡°Lastly, for the cavalry. Sorry, but you guys don¡¯t get a girl like the rest of the army¡± ¡°Why are they even here!¡± could be heard shouted from the cavalry group. ¡°Instead, you get Larmen, a heroic figure with honor.¡± Jerry said as he gestured to Larmen who stepped on stage with so much pride and honor, you can feel it emitting from him. ¡°Nice to meet you everyone! I am Larmen, the hero summoned from another world like Jerry! I hope you all treat me well!¡± Larmen said. The cavalry division could be seen going into a attention stance before screaming ¡°Yes Sir!¡±. Jerry smiled a bit before quickly suppressing it. ¡®All according to plan¡¯ he thought. Larmen stepped off stage, leaving Jerry on stage. ¡°Now that you all are introduced to your representatives, I have a few words of my own.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Men, we will hold this line for twenty days. When those twenty days have elapsed, reinforcements, new equipment, and supplies will have arrived.¡± Jerry said. Jerry could hear the men cheer as they hear the good news. ¡°You all will receive medals to signify that you have been here since the start and will act as role models for the new arrivals. But, we will soon have to strike the Demon Lord directly¡± Jerry said. The men then went silent Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°We have been blessed with 4 heroes from different nations holding on barely and need these guys. We have to use this opportunity and strike at the heart of the Demon Lord and finally end this war, and go home. We must hold on for if we fail, the rest of the world will collapse.¡± The men seemed confident with solemn faces looking at Jerry. ¡°We will finish this finish what they started and strike fear into the hearts of our enemy!¡± Jerry screamed The men cheered back. ¡°We will protect the people of the Empire and slay all those that dare to oppose them!¡± The men cheered more audibly now. ¡°Now, tell me that you are ready to fight for the next 3 months and end this war¡± The men then cheered significantly more loudly. Jerry waited for the cheering to end before he could close his speech. ¡°I won¡¯t lie, the next few months will be the hardest you¡¯ve ever fought. After this, you can retire, continue fighting for the people, or even open a business if you so desired, but for now, I need everyone working as hard as they can. Protect yourselves, but more importantly, protect your brothers-in-arms. Dismissed¡± Jerry said as he went into attention. ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The men said before they started to disperse. Reeves went towards Jerry who was still on the stage but at ease. ¡°Good speech¡± Reeves said. ¡°Please, I made all of that on the spot. I¡¯m sure you could¡¯ve made a better one¡± Jerry said. ¡°Well, either way it got the men riled up. It doesn¡¯t matter. But now, I take my leave. Be safe.¡± Reeves said as he left. ¡®Bastard¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry looked to the party to see that they¡¯re off in their conversation so he decided to leave them alone and go to the command tent. As he entered, Falk was waiting for him. ¡°Nice speech¡± He said. ¡°Can it. It was bad¡± Jerry said. ¡°As you wish¡± ¡°Tell me what the men used as formations and bring me the world map¡± Falk quickly sprung into action, brining out what seemed to be chess pieces and a large scroll. He laid the map out before placing the pieces on the table. ¡°What would you like to see first? The map or the formations¡± Falk asked. ¡°Your choice¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Alright, formations first then.¡± Falk quickly placed what seemed to be horse pieces in front, and shield pieces behind them, then bow pieces, then wand pieces behind one another. ¡°This is the most common formation. He would have the cavalry and infantry charge towards the enemy while the archers and mages provide support.¡± Falk said. Jerry looked at the pieces with a cold stare before faking a puke. ¡°A-Are you okay Commander?¡± Falk said ¡°No, these formations are so hor-¡± Jerry cut himself off before faking a gag ¡°I¡¯ll get a mage here right away!¡± ¡°No wait! It¡¯s a joke!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, Falk. I¡¯m fine I was playing around¡± ¡°I-I see¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a horrible formation. We need to innovate and redesign¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We will have Cavalry at the side, Infantry in the front, and 50% of Mages and Archers in the infantry line shooting directly at the enemy while the other 50% provide support by indirect fire. The Cavalry will pick off anyone that separates from the main group and not fight directly by running into the main army. When the enemy draws close to the infantry, they will fire one last shot before falling back a little towards their division and provide Indirect Fire until a signal is given and they start splitting and moving to the sides and firing directly into the enemy sides. Sound good?¡± ¡°Sounds better than running into them¡± Falk said. ¡°Great. Now the map¡± ¡°Yes¡± Falk quickly removed the pieces from the table and rolled open the large scroll. It showed a large island with the four edges having the names of the Empire, Imperial Nation, Elven Kingdom, and the Dark Elf Forest. In the center, it was labeled Demon King¡¯s Land. ¡°This is it. To the left of us, We have the Imperial Nation, and to the right, the Elven Kingdom and across us is the Dark Elf Forest. Any questions¡± Falk said. ¡°I see. Where are their capitals?¡± ¡°Their capitals are usually at the edge of their nation, towards the center near the sea.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks for the info. Where are we now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re right in the center of the Empire, closest to the Demon Lord¡¯s Land.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it then. What about a more local map?¡± ¡°Okay then¡± Falk then went and brought a more local map with a more detailed landscape. ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s just flatland for days?¡± ¡°Not really, theres this large hill here on the way to the Demon Lord¡± ¡°Oh, how convenient. We¡¯ll use this eventually. I think. Just tell me as the march happens any place with large height advantages or concealment chances. I don¡¯t feel like memorizing this.¡± ¡°Y-Yes Sir¡± ¡°You only need to memorize the first few and them memorize them as we continue. Take a few breaks in-between mkay? Don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern¡± ¡°Now, is there a place where I sleep or do I just¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Let me show you to our quarters¡± ¡°Our?¡± ¡°Ah yes. The intelligence officer and commander sleep in the same tent for being vital parts. It¡¯s just outside, to the left, first tent. Follow me¡± Falk said. As they left, the party could be seen waiting for Jerry. ¡°So, where do we sleep, Commander?¡± Scharla said sarcastically. ¡°Uhh, Falk?¡± jerry asked, looking towards Falk ¡°Soldiers are to sleep in the barrack tents.¡± Falk said. ¡°Well, you heard the man, in a barrack tent¡± Jerry said. ¡°Are you insane? You dare put us in the same category as grunts?¡± Scharla said. Jerry sighed. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll find you a tent. Wait in the command tent. Falk, change of plans. How much stuff did you bring?¡± ¡°Nothing too much. Just some books and such¡± ¡°Good, pack it. We¡¯re gonna sleep in the Command Tent¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Cause of Dipshit over here. Now, pack your things¡± Falk sighed and looked at Scharla who only provided a grin and shrugged acting innocent before Falk went inside the living quarters and packed his things. ¡°S-Sorry for the trouble!¡± Janice said. ¡°Hmph, like the coward you are¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°Sorry man¡± Larmen said. ¡°Can it. Enjoy your haram or something. Leave me out of it.¡± Jerry whispered to Larmen. Falk soon left with a backpack and went into the command tent quietly. ¡°Now, enjoy your living space. Push the two beds or however many are in there together, and keep the noise down.¡± Jerry said, barely keeping the hostility in him out before turning and entering the command tent. ¡°How do you deal with that?¡± Falk asked as he was unpacking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°That. The way you¡¯re treated, I would¡¯ve left by then.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I just go with the flow man. Why go through trouble when you can just shut up and follow? Besides, what else is there to do?¡± ¡°Maybe, leave them?¡± ¡°Ah, then who will lead the army?¡± ¡°Larmen? Reeves?¡± ¡°But what if they fail?¡± ¡°T-Then¡­¡± ¡°See, I like to see things through. In my old world, I was a mercenary. I worked for money, and did the job properly. I soon learned that if I wanted a job done properly, I had to do it myself. My co-workers kept screwing up the jobs I gave them¡± Jerry said. ¡°I-I see¡± Falk ¡°Besides, when I¡¯m done, I get paid with the good cash¡± Jerry said before letting out a small chuckle. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re in it for? Money?¡± Falk asked. ¡°And the freedom of wandering. I do plan on leaving. Question is when. When I do, I want to be able to wander around the world, without the threat of a Demon Lord breathing down my neck. Selfish ain¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yea, but it makes sense. I understand where you¡¯re coming from¡± Jerry looked around the room, looking for something they both could sleep on. ¡°So, what do you plan on doing after this war¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Oh, I plan on maybe rising the ranks of the Empire and become a Royal Spymaster or something like that.¡± Falk responded. ¡°Oh? Big ambitions I see¡± ¡°Yea, it¡¯s childish ain¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a nice goal. I could help you teach you how to spy if you¡¯d like. It¡¯s not a clean job, just a warning.¡± ¡°No thanks. I¡¯d like to learn it myself¡± ¡°Alright¡± Jerry figured out how Falk was going to sleep. He went over to the command table, and took the maps, pieces, and loose documents off the table, and put them on another table that was filled with them. ¡°Alright, heres where you sleep¡± Jerry said. ¡°What about you?¡± Falk asked. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions. I¡¯ll figure it out.¡± ¡°R-Right¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Go to sleep first.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Promise me you¡¯ll get some sleep?¡± ¡°What are you? A child? Go to sleep¡± Jerry said before he took his backpack and went outside, towards the forest. A nice and quiet area. He planned to take inventory of what he had outside of open view and where people won¡¯t ask him questions. Chapter 15: Check Chapter 15: Check Jerry soon found himself a nice quite spot near the edge of the forest. The camp was still in sight, it was just a fair distance off. He took off his backpack and started to take an inventory check to see what he had to work with. He took his helmet off, and casted it to the side. He unzipped the main pouch and started to neatly organize things. He expected the main storage to be filled with ammo, food, and equipment but as he took it out, he was shocked. It was mostly just a large metal box with lines on it. He took it out of his bag, removing the extra ammo that was placed on top of it and placed it on the ground. He examined the box for a bit before pressing the button that was on it¡¯s side and it opened up. It looked like a 3D printer but there was a large opening being what can be assumed something was made in. It was fairly large overall, being able to compare to the average American bathroom sink. There was a panel that had a display near the bottom of the fabricator and had a sign-in screen. Assigned to Foxtrot Nine-One Jerry tapped the screen and was presented with a selection of items ranging from grenades, bullets, armor, swords, shields, and bows but there were no firearms. Jerry chose a European Longsword in the selection before being greeted with the noise of a large slot opening and a message saying: Please insert materials for: Blade Jerry looked around and found nothing. Jerry sighed before pressing cancel and then looked around the display for a turn-off function. He eventually found it and pressed it causing the legs that made the fabricator tall start to retract itself and then folding back up, thus putting it back into it¡¯s compact state. Jerry left it alone for the time being and looked in the other slots. Next, he brought out a ration. It was fairly small but seemed like a normal modern MRE. He was a bit hungry and decided to open one. Out came some tablets, a metal can, and a spork. Jerry sighed as he looked at what came out of the bag and looked around his backpack for something to open the can up with and brought out the multitool. He found the can opener, but it was an old WW2 style opener small, but sharp. He did it the old fashion way, poking a hole, then cutting the lid out slowly but surely each cut making an audible scraping noise. After he finished, and used his spork to take a bite, it was a bit creamy, bitter, and a bit delicious. It had an aftertaste being that of dark chocolate but quickly subsided. He soon finished the can before tossing it making an audible ting as it hit a tree. He decided to look around his backpack some more. He pulled out a small flashlight, and a Night Vision Goggle. The flashlight had a silver hole in it and seemed to be a magnet. He rubbed it all over his chest, hoping to find a match but to no avail before trying his helmet that did work. It attached to the right side of his helmet, and was fairly solid. He then found that the Night Vision Goggles covered 4 different angles and attached to the front of his helmet. When he pulled it down, the lenses turned green. Thinking it meant it was on, Jerry quickly put it up, this turning it off. Jerry then pulled out a small drone. It was a quad roster drone with a solar panel on the top, USB ports at the bottom, along with a camera. ¡®Quite Handy¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry put on his helmet and turned the drone on. Syncing¡­ Synced Please select option Recon Surveillance Overwatch Jerry chose Recon by thinking about it. The drone then went live and rose a about 50 meters up and traveled a bit, circling the camp before returning to Jerry who was then provided with images of interest. It seemed that Larmen was having a fun time as their tent had collapsed and the Falk was awake, dealing with it by setting up their tent again with some other Infantrymen. Jerry took the USB port and found a charger for his phone. He then turned off the drone, and placed it back into the bag along with his phone to charge. He opened the other secondary slot to find large amounts of ammo. He quickly closed it as it was precious and was finite. He opened the last, and final side slot to find large amounts of medical equipment and cigarettes. He took a cigarette out and looked for a lighter somewhere in the pack and found a Zippo Lighter that had his name on it, and a cool engraving of a fox on it. He quickly lit it up, and started to repack his things. The cigarette felt calming, smooth, even seductive if he wasn¡¯t careful. Something about it just made him feel calm. When he was done, he looked into the starry, dark sky, puffing on his cigarette. Something about this moment, with the cigarette burning away in his hand, and him not doing anything made him just wish that he could stay like this forever. Then, he heard a twig snap. Jerry quickly dropped the cigarette, and drew his pistol and pointed it towards where the sound was made.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. There was no one there. But, it felt wrong. He quickly did a pulse scan, but nothing was seen. Not even the line. Then he realized, he needed the helmet on to see what was detected. He bent over and grabbed the helmet to only be met with an impact to his chest, sending him a few meters away. When he landed, his pistol flew from his hand, landing a few inches away from his hand. ¡°Well well well. What do we have here? A wolf separated from it¡¯s pack?¡± An invisible voice said. It was feminine, but had a commanding voice to it. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool man, how¡¯d you do that?¡± Jerry said as he looked around. All of a sudden, a female appeared in front of him, bending over and picking up his gun. ¡°Hey hey hey, don¡¯t touch that¡± Jerry said as he went towards the female. ¡°Or else what?¡± She said ¡°You could get hurt¡± Jerry said. ¡°This little thing? Hurt me? Oh, surely you jest¡± She said, laughing. Her body was a slim figure, with her armor being a line of a greenish black metal covering the bare minimum of her body that being her crotch, and the nipples of her boobs. Her armor went down her arms and had a scalelike glove. She had a curvy body, and had fairly large breasts. Her skin seemed smooth and she had fair white skin that seemed very soft. ¡®Ugh, this is trouble¡¯ Jerry thought. ¡°You¡¯re right, this is trouble¡± She said with a giggle. ¡®Stop reading my mind please¡¯ ¡°No, I quite enjoy this.¡± ¡®But, let¡¯s use the same communication yes?¡¯ Jerry heard a voice in his head that belonged to the female. ¡°Okay¡± Jerry said. ¡°Great¡± ¡®What do we do now¡¯ Jerry thought ¡®This is the part where we fight¡¯ ¡°Really?¡± Jerry said ¡°Really¡± ¡®Wow¡¯ Jerry thought ¡®Stop that¡¯ ¡°Stop what?¡± Jerry said ¡°Stop changing the way we communicate¡± ¡®Or else what?¡¯ Jerry thought ¡°Or I¡¯ll kill you outright.¡± The female said ¡°Okay okay, I¡¯m jokin¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Good, now prepare-¡± ¡°I need the thing¡± ¡°This?¡± The female asked as she held the gun up, but towards the ground ¡°Yes, that¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Here¡± She said as she tossed it to Jerry who caught it with two hands ¡°Be glad that someone like me has returned your things. See? I¡¯m a nice lady right?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± The female looked at Jerry with confusion. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been living under a rock. Please, tell me¡± Jerry said. ¡°I will have you know, I am part of the 10 Demon Commanders¡± ¡°Oooo, Ima have to stop you there¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The one you want is inside the camp. I¡¯m just a follower¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yea, but we can still fight¡± ¡°Then we will do just that¡± The female then lashed towards Jerry who promptly just shot the female in the lower torso. She then fell like a sack of potatoes who then slid harmlessly, landing at Jerry¡¯s feet. ¡°Yea, this thing hurts. You okay?¡± Jerry asked. The female was still in shock, as blood left her stomach. Jerry sighed and went to his backpack and brought it over to the female¡¯s body. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll cut you a deal. You defect, and I¡¯ll help you¡± The female looked at Jerry with teary eyes. ¡°It¡¯s your choice. If you wanna die, you¡¯re welcome to¡± ¡°H-hel¡­¡± The female could be heard struggling to whisper. ¡°Blink once to accept the deal, twice if you decline.¡± Jerry said. The female promptly blinked once. ¡°Alright, this might hurt a bit¡± Jerry flipped the female on her back and found the bullet wound immediately. It was a clean hole, and no penetration was made. Jerry took out the multi took and took the scissors out and started to poke around the female¡¯s bullet wound, looking for the bullet. The female was screaming wildly in pain but Jerry kept digging. He eventually found it, and pulled it out slowly as to not cause any extra damage and then put the bullet in his hands. He took a bandage and some alcohol from his bag, and doused the bandage in a little bit of alcohol before bandaging up the female¡¯s wound all while she was screaming in pain. He then took out the nanobot injector and looked around it. It seemed like a small box, the size of his fist and had a green liquid in a glass container and had a lever on the side of it the box. On the glass container, it read, ¡°For general purpose use. For diseases and wounds with left overs. Will exit through bodily waste. Inject into thigh¡± Jerry then looked at the female and then the injector. She was starting to calm down before she looked at Jerry. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It should recover soon. As long as nothing big is in me, I can recover.¡± She said. Jerry put the injector away along with the bullet recovered from the wound and then sat next to the female. ¡°So, how¡¯s your day been¡± Jerry asked. ¡°What do you think? I just got shot by whatever you shot at me and it hurts¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯cha get. So, about the defect thing.¡± ¡°What? You want me to call you master?¡± ¡°Well, am I?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°Good, give me your armor¡± ¡°W-What?¡± She looked at Jerry with a red blush ¡°We¡¯re doing it this early?¡± She asked ¡°No you fucking idiot, I¡¯m gonna repurpose your armor. It¡¯s horrible¡± ¡°H-How rude! I made this armor myself with rare and exotic materials¡± ¡°Yea, did a lot didn¡¯t it¡± ¡°We don¡¯t gotta do it now, but we can do it later¡± ¡°W-What? So we are doing it this early?¡± ¡°I will take the bandage off and stick my thumb in there¡± ¡°No wait, it¡¯s a joke¡± ¡°Right¡± Jerry then looked into the starry moonlight as he laid down next to the female. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name¡± Jerry asked. ¡°My name?¡± She said. ¡°Yes, your name¡± ¡°I have no name now. You will have to name me¡± ¡°Shit¡± ¡°What? Am I not fitting to your desires?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just really bad at naming things.¡± ¡°Then, what about Kasune?¡± ¡°Reminds me of home a little. Kasune it is¡± ¡°As you wish, Master¡± ¡°Call me Jerry please¡± ¡°But that would be rude, you own m-¡± Kasume was cut off before she could continue. ¡°Shhhhhhhhh. Shut your mouth. We¡¯re friends. That¡¯s this relationship. Not servant and master¡± Jerry said. Kasune seemed a bit hesitant at first but soon spoke again. ¡°As you wish, Ma-¡± Kasune cut herself off. ¡°Jerry¡± She said. ¡°There we go¡± Jerry said. Jerry then thought of a good gift that he recently enjoyed. He went into his backpack and brought out two cigarettes and the zippo lighter. ¡°Put this in your mouth¡± Jerry said, offering a cigarette to a Kasune looking into the sky. ¡°W-What you said we wouldn¡¯t be doing th-¡± Kasune cut herself off once again once she saw the cigarette. ¡°What¡¯s that¡± She asked. ¡°It¡¯s a cigarette. Now put one in your mouth.¡± Jerry said. She took it and put it in her mouth¡­ A bit too deep as she put 85% of the cigarette in her mouth. ¡°No no, just the edge¡± Jerry said She then took the cigarette out her mouth and held it only with her lips, on the edge of the cigarette. ¡°You can have a little bit more in your mouth damn it. Just a little¡± Jerry said. She then put the cigarette in her mouth properly but there was a problem. It was on the wrong side. Jerry, now fed up a little took the cigarette from her mouth. ¡°Say ¡®ahh¡¯¡± Jerry said. Kasune opened her mouth and produced an ¡°ahh¡± noise while doing so. Jerry put his hands on Kasune¡¯s chin to stabilize her head and put the cigarette in her mouth properly. ¡°Now close your mouth but don¡¯t bite on it too hard¡± Jerry said. Kasune closed her mouth and Jerry put his cigarette in and lit theirs together with a single light before Jerry¡¯s back fell down on the ground again. ¡°You inhale with your mouth, take your index and middle finger and grab the cigarette lightly, and hold it in your hands, taking it out and then exhale, and repeat¡± Jerry said as he took his first puff. Kasune took her first puff and started to cough violently and sat up. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s normal. First time doing it. Take your time¡± Jerry said. ¡°R-Really?¡± Kasune said as she recovered. ¡°Yep¡± Jerry said as he took another puff. Kasune then laid back down, but onto Jerry this time. She then took another puff, but now started to enjoy the relaxing feeling of the cigarette. ¡®I think this is weed¡¯ Jerry thought. ¡°What¡¯s weed?¡± Kasune asked ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Right. As you wish, Jerry¡± For a while, Jerry felt at peace with himself. He had someone who he could call a friend ever since coming to this world, and finally took a break. Jerry¡¯s eyes grew heavy as the night grew old, and they soon shut, causing Jerry to sleep for the night. Chapter 16: Contact Chapter 16: Contact Jerry stretched and yawned as he awoke. He looked around to find himself alone near the tree line of the forest surrounding the camp. He took out his phone to check the time while his tired eyes awoke. 11:34 AM Jerry got up, did a couple stretches, jumping jacks, and various other warmups for today. As he finished and put on his backpack, Kasune appeared from the forest and kneeled before Jerry. ¡°Welcome back. Where¡¯ve you been?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Scouting the area, Jerry¡± She said. Jerry bent over and picked up his helmet, brushing off the grass and dirt that was on it. ¡°And, what¡¯d you find?¡± ¡°A large force is coming this way from the north totaling at about 4000 men¡± Jerry was shocked initially by this but quickly calmed down. ¡°Their composition?¡± ¡°3500 Infantry, 200 Cavalry, 300 Archers¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot¡± ¡°Indeed¡± ¡°Where¡¯s North by curiosity?¡± ¡°Follow me¡± Kasune then stood up and walked through the forest walking for what seemed to be a short while towards a large open field. ¡°This is where they¡¯ll be coming from¡± She said. Jerry looked around for anything he could use. The opening was mostly short grass and had nothing in sight. He was standing on the outskirts of the forest and was facing the large open field. There was very little cover and terrain advantage and it seemed that it would be just an open field battle. But, this is not what Jerry wanted. Jerry needed to make this battle a one-sided slaughter to show that he was a competent leader. ¡°Take me to their army. I need to see what they have¡± Jerry said. ¡°What? What would you want to see from them?¡± Kasune asked. ¡°Armor, weapons, movement and stuff like that¡± ¡°What would you like to know? I can tell you here¡± ¡°What are they? Skeletons, Humans, Zombies, or something else?¡± ¡°This army is mostly an undead army raised from captured graveyards. They should have the skill of a peasant farmer or so¡± ¡°Their armor?¡± ¡°Mostly leather. Some have shields and steel armor.¡± ¡°Weapons?¡± ¡°Basic iron swords. Archers have short bows and cavalry have spears and that¡¯s it¡± Jerry thought for a bit. ¡°What are the skills of these men here?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°I would say one infantryman could take out 5 of them one by one. All at once however, and he will be taken down¡± Kasune said. ¡°Formation?¡± ¡°Cavalry is in the front, Infantry behind them and Archers are in the back¡± Kasune said. ¡°Great!¡± Jerry then had the problem of how he was going to introduce Kasune to the others. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I can conceal myself. Besides, I don¡¯t want to introduce myself to them¡± Kasune said. Jerry had a shiver sent down his back. He still had to get used to someone reading his mind. ¡°Alright then, I will notify the troops and get them ready. In the meantime, you can do what you were doing before as the 10 Demon Commander thing. Just tell me things that happen within the group.¡± Jerry said. ¡°As you wish¡± Kasune said as she quickly disappeared from Jerry¡¯s vision. Jerry looked at the open field one last time before he put on his helmet and turned around and went back to the camp _ As Jerry entered the camp, he was immediately approached by Falk. ¡°Where the hell were you?¡± He asked.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Looking at the scenery. Was quite nice¡± Jerry responded. ¡°What? You think this is a joke?¡± ¡°Look, has something happened?¡± ¡°N-No¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t bother me with this. Anyway, get the men. We¡¯re preparing for a battle up north. Get them into formation and ready near the northern entrance of the camp.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Look, Falk, if you want to serve me, don¡¯t ask questions and just do it. I¡¯ll tell you later¡­ Maybe.¡± Falk looked at Jerry with confusion and a bit of hate but quickly followed his orders. ¡°As you wish¡± Falk said before he turned around. Jerry looked at Falk as he walked away before he quickly turned and set his backpack down in the command tent. He opened the backpack up, and grabbed a box of 9 x 39mm Ball ammo and emptied the boxes and placing the loose rounds in his pockets. He picked up his rifle and looked at it. It had a strap on it, connected by the barrel and stock. It¡¯s magazine catch system acted very similarly to the AK-47 the he was used to at home, but was cocking system was near the front of the gun, and acted similarly to the P90. He put his strap on and quickly left and went towards the tent that held the party. As he entered, he was greeted with a scene straight out of a show. Everyone was asleep in one tiny bed with Scharla in Larmen¡¯s left arm wrapped around her, Janice onto of Larmen face down, and Elizabeth with Larmen¡¯s right arm wrapped around her. Jerry sighed and left the tent. He didn¡¯t want to deal with the shitstorm that would come with waking them. He walked towards the northern side of the camp and was greeted with the men in formation and going into attention as they saw Jerry walking near. As he stood in front of the men with Falk to the right of him. He took off his helmet and held it between his arm and torso and he went into commander mode. ¡°Attention!¡± Jerry shouted. The men quickly saluted Jerry. ¡°We have a 4000 strong Demon Lord army coming here¡± Jerry said. Jerry could see the fear in the men as he said that through the visors of the helms his men wore. ¡°Although they may be strong in number, they are weak. Way too weak. They bring leather armor, short bows, and very few have steel equipment. The Demon Lord is underestimating us!¡± Jerry said. Whispering broke out among the men mostly speaking about what this meant. ¡°This means that he thinks he can conquer us with ease! We will show them what it means to underestimate us! We will make an example of this army that he has sent to crush us. We will crush them like ants beneath our feet! Now, tell me that you¡¯re ready to fight!¡± Jerry said. ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The men shouted. ¡°Are you ready to fight!¡± Jerry shouted ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The men shouted ¡°Are you ready to protect the Empire!¡± Jerry screamed. ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The men screamed. ¡°Forward March!¡± Jerry shouted as it then was followed by the men marching north. Falk quickly fell out and went towards the camp. ¡°Falk where you going?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°To fetch us some horses¡± Falk said. ¡°Uhh, I can¡¯t ride a horse¡± ¡°Why not? A condition?¡± ¡°Yea, a condition called I don¡¯t know how to¡± Falk looked at Jerry for a moment before continuing back into the camp. Jerry put on his helmet and marched forward alongside the men, near the front. They quickly approached the opening that Kasune told Jerry was where the enemy force was coming from. ¡°Halt! Infantry, get ready here. Cavalry, be on the outer edges of the infantry. Archers and mages, get onto the trees and give yourself a line of sight of the field.¡± Jerry shouted. Quickly, the men got into position. The sound of metal boots could be heard along with the rustling of leaves on the trees. Jerry went to a mage that was still climbing a tree. They looked like they were struggling. ¡°Hey, mage on the tree¡± Jerry said ¡°Y-Yes?¡± the mage said. ¡°What are your abilities?¡± ¡°I can shoot fireballs and cast a firewall¡± He said. ¡°Firewall?¡± ¡°I just bring up a small wall of fire. It¡¯s mostly used for defense¡± ¡°What would happen if a human passed through it?¡± ¡°They¡¯d be burned¡± ¡°I see¡± ¡°I-Is that all, Sir?¡± ¡°Yea. Need help?¡± ¡°A little¡± Jerry climbed the tree quickly, grabbing onto beaches and pulling himself up using his arms. It was a bit difficult with the heavy gear weighing him down but eventually made it. He offered his hands to the mage that was struggling and pulled him up. ¡°Thank you, Sir¡± The mage said. ¡°No problem¡± Jerry said as he hopped down the tree. As his feet touched the ground with an audible thud, the mage called out to him. ¡°Uh, Sir¡± The mage said. ¡°Yes?¡± Jerry responded as he turned around to look at the mage. ¡°Are we really gonna make it out of this alive?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡± ¡°I see¡± The mage said before he leaned back into his tree. Jerry went towards the infantrymen who had shields and swords and were waiting in formation. ¡°Hey, you all can rest for now. Just get ready to fight. When I give the signal, run into the enemy and bash them with your shield. After that, play defensively. Cavalry, stand by. But same thing applies with resting.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Yes Sir¡± The men said. Minutes turned into hours and hours then turned into a sunset before anything happened. Jerry was resting, looking into the horizon before figures could be made out. Jerry squinted before he could determine who they were. ¡°Contact!¡± Jerry screamed. ¡°Archers! Draw your bows and get ready to send a volley. Mages, hold fire! Infantry, get ready! Cavalry, mount!¡± Jerry screamed. Everyone quickly moved. The sounds of bows being drawn could be heard, along with the clanking of metals and saddles being mounted. The figures draw closer and Jerry could see their glowing blue eyes. They seemed malnourished as they seemed to be a thin layer of skin being stretched over their bodies. Eventually, as they drew closer, the men could be heard getting nervous. It was natural and understandable. Jerry could also feel goosebumps appear throughout his body. ¡°Fire at will!¡± Jerry shouted. The sounds of arrows being let loose could be heard and the sound of impact could also be heard. It sounded very satisfying as the arrows hit their targets and the undead falling down as their blue eyes faded from existence whilst also being accompanied by a dying last breath by the undead as they fell. Jerry got his rifle out and took aim and opened fire. Undead after undead fell to Jerry¡¯s bullets as they let out a horrible screech as they fell down. He quickly went through 3 magazines thus leaving him with 4 extra magazines. Jerry did a quick pulse scan to scan his surroundings. 2895 Enemies Detected! x300 Bows x134 Spears x2361 Swords ¡°Infantry, Charge!¡± Jerry shouted. Soon, screams could be heard as the infantry shouted as they charged into the undead, and audible thunks could be heard as the shields made contact with the undead. Screams from the undead could be heard along with battlecrys from the soldiers could be heard as they charge. ¡°Mages! Open fire! If you can make a wall of any element, place them in front of the shields. Infantry, play defensively and finish them quickly as they come!¡± Jerry screamed. Soon, a wall of various elements could be seen made appearing a few feet in front of the shield line and the undead running into them, causing them to be damaged significantly. Jerry looked around him. They were winning, but not fast enough. Arrows were being traded on both side and the enemy cavalry was practically gone since they stood out the most and were in the front. If he wanted this to be a one-sided slaughter, he needed to do something quick. Jerry did another pulse scan. 1935 Enemies Detected! x243 Bows x53 Spears X1639 Swords. ¡°Cavalry! It¡¯s your time to finish them. Flank them from the right and left side and bring wrath to their exposed archers and the back of the infantry!¡± Jerry shouted. Soon, the sounds of horses galloping were heard as the moved to the left and right of Jerry. ¡°Mages! Let down your walls and rest. Archers, stop and save your arrows! Infantry, start pushing them back!¡± Soon, the walls went down, the barrage of arrows stopped and the infantry started to push forward. The sounds of screams of the undead could be heard for the next half-hour accompanied by the men¡¯s grunts as they brought their swords down. Eventually, the fighting stopped. Groans and moans from the wounded men could be heard, but very few. ¡°Archers, mages, get down and help the wounded. Infantry, help them out as well. Cavalry, start to scout the area for any runners or any other army. We can loot later.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Yes Sir!¡± Could be heard from those nearby. Jerry looked around as he refilled a magazine with the bullets he brought along. He looked over an undead that was killed by the men. He had a large vertical slash coming down his chest and had dead black eyes. He looked around him, searching for something worthwhile. He found nothing and walked away. After the wounded were taken care of, the men scavenged the battlefield for anything that could be used. Some picked up armor, or weapons the undead had. The arrows were taken from the undead archers to replenish the reserves. Pockets of the undead were searched by some of the men and were let down. What could you expect? These men were risen from graveyards. ¡°We¡¯re heading back to the command post. Hurry up and finish looting your bodies and get into formation.¡± Jerry said. ¡°Yes sir¡± Could be heard as they resumed looting the bodies. Soon, all the men were in formation, heading back towards the command tent. As they arrived, Falk approached from Jerry¡¯s right. ¡°Nice battle¡± He said. ¡°Thank you¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Want to get on?¡± ¡°I want you to think what it would show to the men if the commander wasn¡¯t riding a horse but instead mounting one as a passenger¡± ¡°No need to be rude¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a habit¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± After that quick exchange of dialogue, they both stayed silent for the rest of the march. They soon arrived to the camp and the men quickly dispersed as they headed into the camp. Jerry and Falk walked towards to the command tent to be met with the party standing in confusion. ¡°Where were you guys?¡± Larmen asked. ¡°Killing a 4000 strong army. Why?¡± Jerry replied. ¡°The camp was deserted when we woke up. Now you¡¯re telling me you went to fight? How many men did you get killed?¡± Scharla retorted. Before Jerry could respond, Falk spoke for him. ¡°Actually, no one died. Some were injured, but overall, there was a 20% wound rate. If it had been our usual tactics, many more would¡¯ve been wounded or possibly been killed¡± Falk said. ¡°See, I did good without y¡¯all¡± Jerry said as he put his arms around Falk and leaned on him. ¡°Please don¡¯t lean on me¡± Falk said. Jerry quickly got off Falk and stood straight. ¡°Right, sorry¡± Jerry said. ¡°Anyway, you guys weren¡¯t needed. Go do what you want. If I heard the men properly, I think it¡¯s lunch time. Go get some chow.¡± Jerry said as he entered the command tent. Chapter 17: Reinforcements Chapter 17: Reinforcements Scan Manual Input The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.[]Back Scan Manual Input History Chapter 18: Faded Chapter 18: Faded Chapter 19: Break Chapter 19: Break When Jerry awoke, he was immediately greeted with a damp, rotten smell. He could hear water dripping one by one as he stayed down on the floor, analyzing his situation. The room was dark, but there was still light from the torch outside. This ain¡¯t no place for no hero. This ain¡¯t no place no better man. How long is this fucking hallway? Chapter 20: Demon Lord Chapter 20: Demon Lord Chapter 21: Night Chapter 21: Night Chapter 22: Returning Chapter 21: Returning Jerry woke up to an unfamiliar scenery as he sat up. It was a dark throne room with a dark silhouette sitting on the throne. It looked very similar to the one Jerry was recently in but was stripped of all decorations leaving nothing other than the dark material that made the room. ¡°So, you¡¯re the new guy?¡± The man said. Jerry stayed silent, getting into a ready stance and placed his hands at where his pistol would be to find it not there. ¡°Good try but there¡¯s no weapons here¡± ¡®Shit¡¯ Jerry thought. ¡°Anyway, you must be curious on why you¡¯re here. In a nutshell, you have been given my powers. At least, a part of it¡± The man said before he stood up, rising from his throne ¡°I really don¡¯t care about what you do with it, as long as it entertains me and doesn¡¯t bore me. Like how the previous Demon Lord had a harem and tried to take over the world. That was interesting while it lasted before you came. So, without further ado, let¡¯s get you something¡± Quickly, Jerry¡¯s scenery changed to a large room with towering statues that were giants. At the feet of each statue laid a pillar with an orb floating on it, all of various colors. In front of each pillar had a stone pedestal with engravings on each one. ¡°Here we are, the power room. Choose one and I¡¯ll tell you what it does.¡± The man said. Jerry walked down the hall, examining each color and statue carefully. He eventually found an purple orb with a shadowy like look in it as the mist inside moved around slowly, covering each other with every passing second. The statue showed a man with a mask obscuring the face while a cape covered most of his body. ¡°The Orb of Shadows. Used to evade detection with a blink spell. With this power, you get a Demon Lord Tier Blink spell, Silent Step, Eagle Eye, and increased agility. Your presence can only be detected if you wish it to be or someone with better detection skill is near. You also get the basic kit that every orb has. Basic Detection, Stamina, and all those base stats.¡± The man said as he looked into the orb. Jerry continued to walk down the hall, examining each orb and having the man tell him of each of the powers the orbs contained. When he was done examining the orbs, he was able to narrow it down to three orbs. It would be the Orb of Shadows, Orb of Explosive Touch, or the Orb of Blitz. The Orb of Explosive Touch would allow Jerry to explode anything he¡¯s touched within the last 30 seconds while the Orb of Blitz allowed Jerry to be faster in general while also allowing him to comprehend everything around him as it happened. ¡°What do you think I should get?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°I would recommend something that would be useful in the long term¡± The man said. Jerry decided to eliminate the Orb of Blitz since he would not need to be moving fast soon thus narrowing it down to the Orb of Shadows or Explosive Touch. ¡°Hey, choose a number, one or two¡± Jerry asked the man. ¡°Two¡± The man quickly replied. ¡°Alright, Orb of Shadows it is¡± ¡°Okay¡± The man said before he snapped his fingers. Soon, Jerry was soon hit with a feeling that he felt throughout his body. It felt as if it was pressing on his body and it was even worse on his head as it felt like it could burst with any time. At the same time, a dark smoke covered Jerry as it slowly rose and covered Jerry. The feeling continued for a while before it quickly fade and Jerry was able to catch a breath. ¡°Congrats, you have the Orb of Shadows. Try it out¡± The man said. The scenery soon changed to a stone corridor that resembled a stone medieval tower with a wooden support beam that ran down the hall. Jerry found himself dressed in leather armor with a knife on his chest piece in it¡¯s holster. He could hear the clanking of metal and a light coming down the hall. Jerry knew he had to do something and started thinking. There was a feeling in Jerry¡¯s head and decided to act on it by focusing on the roof of the hall and found himself dangling from the wooden support beam. The source of the light and metal clanking could be seen walking down the hall. It was a guard in metal armor patrolling the halls with a torch. As it passed, Jerry let go of the beam, making no noise as his feet hit the ground. Jerry ran down the hall with incredible speed that wasn¡¯t possible before silently due to the new skills he had obtained. As he traversed the halls, more guards were coming and Jerry responded in kind by dangling off the wooden support beam. Soon, the scenery changed to find himself back in the black throne room and the dark silhouette was back on the throne. ¡°Feel good?¡± The man asked. ¡°Yes I do¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Great, now fuck off and wake up¡± The man said before Jerry awoke to Alice shaking Jerry. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Huh? Yea, I¡¯m fine¡± Jerry said as he rolled over. He found himself tucking his hands under his pillow only to realize something was wrong. ¡°Alice, what happened last night?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°You refused to sleep on the floor and I eventually relented and let you sleep on the bed with a border¡± Alice said as she got off the bed. ¡°Nothing else?¡± ¡°Nothing else. What? You wanted something to happen?¡± Alice asked as she stretched her arms. ¡°No. Anyway, we¡¯re going to the Empire. Get ready.¡± ¡°Huh? Why the Empire?¡± ¡°I gotta do some things. Besides, your sister is there as well¡± Jerry soon got up with his dark clothing and went to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll come back soon. Just get ready before I get back¡± Jerry said as he left. He walked down the hall, to the laundry room to find his clothing and equipment on the clothes line. He quickly got changed, swapping out the comfortable dark clothing for his combat fatigues before putting his vest on before sliding his helmet on. Jerry walked to the throne room to re-obtained his backpack and offer a prayer to the fallen but first dropped by Falk¡¯s room. Jerry opened the room to find Falk still sleeping in his bed. ¡°Hey, Falk! We¡¯re moving. Get dressed man¡± Falk slowly woke up before responding to Jerry. ¡°I¡¯m a girl, Jerry¡± Falk said. ¡°With what chest?¡± Jerry responded.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°I have concealment magic!¡± ¡°Bet, show me¡± Falk whispered something and Falk was covered in light before revealing a feminine form with long hair. Most of Falk¡¯s body was covered by the blanket thus concealing Falk¡¯s body. ¡°Fuck. Just get ready to go¡± Jerry said before closing the door and proceeding down to the throne room. As he arrived, the 10 Commanders appeared behind Jerry. ¡°Good Morning, My Lord¡± They said as they bowed. Jerry looked at the 10 Demon Commanders and found that most of them either had wings, horns, or animal ears that sticked out. ¡°Good Morning. We¡¯re gonna go to the Empire to report this so, don¡¯t look like Demons.¡± Jerry said. ¡°But what about breakfast?¡± Juliet said. ¡°Uhh, pack food for the way. I¡¯m also bringing a servant from the castle. Prepare them food as well. We¡¯ll wait at the front gate.¡± ¡°As you wish¡± They all said before quickly disappearing from Jerry¡¯s sight. Jerry put his backpack on before giving the soldiers in the throne room a quick prayer. He then quickly went back down to Falk¡¯s room to find her waiting outside the door in her male form. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go pick another one up¡± Jerry said as he passed Falk. As they walked down the hall, Jerry felt awkward. ¡°So, you¡¯re originally a male or female?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°I was originally a female, Sir¡± Falk responded before reverting back to the female form. She had long black hair, with a body that fit her age being 18. Not too tall, but not too short as well.\ ¡°Ah¡± Jerry said. They eventually arrived at Alice¡¯s room where Jerry gave a knock on the door. ¡°You done?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Yea, hold on¡± Alice replied. They both waited outside with Jerry¡¯s back on the wall with one of his foot propped on the wall. Jerry took out a cigarette and lighted it up, calming Jerry down from all the stress he had been through lately. Soon, Alice exited the door and looked at Jerry. She wore a black frilly dress and it seemed to fit her well. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Cigarette. Lead us to the front gate, Alice!¡± Jerry said with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Yea yea, follow me¡± She said before Alice took the lead. As they walked down the hall and eventually arriving at the front gate, they found the 10 Demon Commanders in their human forms, concealing their horns and obvious features that screamed Demon. The Commanders held leather bags presumably filled with food for the travel. There were 12 black horses waiting for them by the front gate. Each horse had a saddle that had small pouches on the side of them. The Demon Commanders petted what was assumed their horses as each commander called the horses by name. ¡°So, which one is mine?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Do you know how to ride a horse?¡± One of the commanders said. Jerry looked at where the voice came from to find a white haired female with a solemn face wearing a light white dress. She seemed fairly petite and skinny with the dress on her. ¡°No¡± The female sighed before walking to Jerry and placing her hand on Jerry¡¯s face. Her hand felt soft, but ice cold and at the same time felt soothing. ¡°There, now you do¡± She said before she returned back to her horse. ¡°Thanks uh¡± ¡°Halen. My name is Halen¡± ¡°Thanks, Halen¡± Juliet then came with two horses with leashes on each hand. ¡°My Lord¡± Juliet said before handing Jerry the leash. Juliet then went to Falk and handed her a leash as well. ¡°Where am I sitting?¡± Alice asked. Jerry looked around as he placed his backpack on the back of his horse. The 10 Commanders looked away or started talking amongst themselves and Falk was mounting her horse. ¡°You can sit with me¡± Jerry said. At that moment, the 10 Demon Commanders looked at Jerry and started volunteering to have Alice mount their horses. ¡°Please, mount my horse, Alice¡± Kasune said with a nervous look on her face. ¡°No, Alice, mount mine¡± Juliet said with a dignified voice. ¡°If you¡¯d like, you can mount my horse¡± Harlen said stoically. The rest of the commanders offered Alice multiple times, causing them all to turn into a loud mess where no body could be heard. ¡°Enough, she¡¯s mounting my horse since you all seem to be unable to reach an agreement. Is that clear?¡± Jerry said having enough. ¡°Yes, My Lord¡± The commanders said sadly. ¡°Alright, everyone ready?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°We¡¯re ready, My Lord¡± The Demon Commanders said with a bow. ¡°Yep¡± Falk said. ¡°When you¡¯re ready¡± Alice said. ¡°Right, let¡¯s a go¡± Jerry said, imitating Mario. All 13 of them set out of the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, towards the Empire now with Jerry¡¯s intent of reporting what had happened. ¡®Shit, I should¡¯ve taken a way of identification¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve brought the Demon Lord¡¯s helmet¡¯ Kasune said through Jerry¡¯s mind. ¡®Thanks. Keep it on you for now¡¯ Jerry said. ¡®As you wish, Jerry¡¯ Kasune replied Jerry could then feel the gaze of the commander¡¯s gaze on his back, but continued to ignore it for fear of doing something that would get him killed. It felt like time flied as Jerry rode his horse, staring off into the distance. Night soon came and the party decided to take a break in a clearing in the forest that surrounded the road to the Empire. Jerry set his equipment down as the party started to set up for the night. Roles were quickly decided as they were assigned according to skill. Jerry and Alice went into the woods to help gather firewood for the party while the Commanders went to hunt and Falk set the camp up. ¡°Are you okay with me calling you just Jerry?¡± Alice asked out of the blue. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Like, the rest of the commanders call you ¡®My Lord¡¯ while I just call you Jerry. Is that fine?¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t care and it¡¯d be a bit weird if you started calling me ¡®My Lord¡¯ now¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t hate it when you call me Jerry. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t mind if you call me either¡± ¡°Then, can I call you Jerry?¡± ¡°You can call me a faggot for all I care¡± Alice giggled a little bit as she collected firewood. ¡°Okay then, Jerry. Riddle me this. How did you get the commanders to accept you so easily? I was here before the Demon Lord came. When he came to power and took the commanders in, they were very resistant to him¡± Alice asked. ¡°Well Alice, riddle me this. How old are you and why do you know the commanders first and the Demon Lord second?¡± Jerry replied. ¡°I was taken when I was 8 years old by the commanders. I got lost in a forest when they came to save me. After that, I just stuck with them¡± ¡°I see¡± ¡°Now answer my question, you cheat¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not nice!¡± Jerry said sarcastically before giving a small laugh. ¡°You said I could call you anything, My Lord¡± ¡°Hiss, stop that!¡± Alice laughed a little before silence broke in. ¡°Well, how did you?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Well, the previous Demon Lord was a creep. And I¡¯m not a creep. So, yea¡± Jerry said. ¡°But they usually serve those that are better?¡± ¡°Makes sense. I shot them¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I beat them quickly¡± ¡°Yea right¡± ¡°Up to you to believe me. Anyway, I think this is enough firewood¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s head back now¡± They both soon headed back to the campsite talking about things and telling jokes, all around having a good time. When they arrived, they found the gazes of Falk and the commander¡¯s resting on them. ¡°Welcome back, My Lord¡± Kasune said as she set down a deer corpse. Alice quickly fell silent and started to work on the fire. ¡°Hey there, Kasune. Anything happening?¡± Jerry said. ¡°Nothing much, My Lord. Someone told me that you let Alice call you whatever?¡± ¡°Um, Yea, who told you that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, My Lord¡± Kasune said before resuming her work. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just eat the rations that we packed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for when we¡¯re going. We¡¯re taking a rest now, so we should hunt since the rations won¡¯t spoil for a while¡± Alice said. ¡°Precisely¡± Juliet said. ¡°Since you two didn¡¯t help, you can eat the rations we give you¡± Harlen said with a stoic voice. ¡°R-Right¡± Soon, dinner was prepared and the food was handed out. Jerry was handed a ration by Kasune who insisted that she made more than she wanted. Falk received a ration from Juliet who made enough for two. Alice however, received no rations from anyone. Jerry, feeling a bit guilty decided to split his ration to Alice. To do so, Jerry would hide his bowl with some soup left and wake Alice during the night. Jerry ate very little that night, saving a good portion for Alice. He said that he was finished his food and went to dump it and as he left, hid it behind a tree. As the tents were settled, there was only 12 tents in total. ¡®Who¡¯s taking Jerry?¡¯ Could be heard in his head. ¡®I¡¯m sorry?¡¯ ¡®N-Nothing, My Lord¡¯ Kasune said in his head. ¡®Right¡¯ Jerry went towards Alice to tell her about the plan. ¡°Share a tent with me?¡± Jerry whispered into Alice¡¯s ear. ¡°W-What?¡± She said with a surprised tone. ¡°Shh. Keep it down. Do you want to share a tent with me¡± ¡°I-If you want to¡± ¡°Great. Come¡± Jerry went into a tent before being followed by Alice. It was fairly tight, causing Jerry¡¯s face to be very close to Alice¡¯s. With a closer look with Alice, Jerry noticed that she had clear skin and had purple eyes. Jerry could feel Alice¡¯s chest press up against his, causing him to be a bit embarrassed. ¡°Hey! What are you two doing?¡± Falk said. ¡°Sleeping. Now go away, Falk¡± Jerry said as he turned away. Falk could be heard groaning along with the other commanders as they went away to their tents. Alice could then be heard turning around, thus having their backs touch each other. Jerry couldn¡¯t sleep and could hear Alice¡¯s heartbeat fairly loudly. It wasn¡¯t easy for Jerry neither as his heart also beated hard and he couldn¡¯t sleep. Hours seemed to pass as Jerry waited there, feeling Alice¡¯s heavy heartbeat. ¡°You awake?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°How could I sleep? Your heartbeat is keeping me awake!¡± Alice said. ¡°Your heart is beating hard as well!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not important. What do you want?¡± ¡°Follow me¡± Jerry said as he exited the tent. Alice soon exited the tent and stood up. Jerry did a small stretch before heading towards the tree where he left the stew. They soon arrived and Jerry picked up the bowl and handed it to Alice. ¡°I had some, but there¡¯s still a good bit left you can have¡± Jerry said. ¡°But didn¡¯t you also take a si-¡± Alice got cut off. ¡°Take it or leave it¡± Alice looked at the bowl before taking it from Jerry. ¡°Thank you¡± Alice could be heard saying under her breath. ¡°I¡¯m gonna sleep outside. You can have the tent by yourself¡± Jerry said. ¡°W-What?¡± Ignoring Alice, Jerry blinked away using his new powers on top of a tree where he kicked his leg up and slept the night away, feeling better now that he was away from Alice. Jerry looked into the sky to find that the sky was a lot more¡­ clearer. It was clear before, but now, it seemed more calming. More blue, more light, more stars. Jerry stared off into the sky before he closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep. Chapter 23: Return Chapter 23: Return Jerry awoke at night to a growling in his stomach from the lack of food he¡¯s been getting. Jerry had remembered that the backpack had rations inside of them, so he hopped down from the tree and made a soft thud as he hit the ground. He slowly approached the camp, towards the camp, he looked around for his backpack to find it near the now extinguished fire camp. Jerry used his blink skill to get to the bag and looked around the bag for his rations. He found one quickly and blinked away from the campsite and went back to the same tree that he was in before. He cracked the ration open and quickly ate it. It wasn¡¯t very filling, but it should last him the night. Jerry tossed his tin off into the distance before crossing his arms and legs with a tired yawn before his consciousness faded for the night. ¡°My Lord, wake up¡± A voice brought Jerry¡¯s consciousness back into him as Jerry opened his eyes to find a woman with blond hair and eyes with dog ears. The woman backed away as Jerry awoke and stretched his arms out with a yawn. ¡°I¡¯m up. Anything you¡¯d like?¡± Jerry said with a sleepy voice. ¡°We¡¯re going to resume out journey, My Lord. Please prepare for the ride¡± She said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Kamme¡± ¡°Got it. Well, Kamme, how¡¯d you find me?¡± ¡°I traced your smell from your bag to here¡± ¡°You can track people?¡± ¡°As long as they leave some sort of trail, yes¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice to know¡± Jerry said before he dropped down to the ground. Jerry approached the camp to find the rest of the commanders including Falk and Alice rummaging through his backpack. ¡°Then I had to strip down to my bare skin and get scanned! It must be some sort of magic that captured my body as he then came back with armor that fitted me too well¡± Kasune said. ¡°What else happened?¡± A commander said. ¡°He soon left me alone with the armor and went back to the camp. I think he peeped on me while I changed into my new armor¡± ¡°This thing can do all that? But it¡¯s so small!¡± Jerry ignored them and approached them to take away his backpack. As he approached, Kasune along with everyone else backed up from his backpack and looked awkwardly at each other as Jerry packed his stuff up. ¡°We all ready?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Yes, My Lord¡± Juliet said. ¡°Good, let¡¯s move out¡± Jerry then went to his horse and slung the backpack on it¡¯s back and mounted it. Alice soon mounted the horse before the rest of the party mounted their horses as well and rode forward. The next few days continued with nothing eventful happening. Alice got her own stew rations from then on and Jerry kept sleeping in trees, being woken up by Kamme. They soon arrived at the Empire¡¯s outskirts when Jerry turned around to face the commanders. ¡°You 10 will hide your Demonic ears or what ever and keep your mouth shut, give a good smile, a don¡¯t draw attention¡± Jerry said. ¡°Yes, My Lord¡± The Demon Commanders said. ¡°Falk, just go along with what I say. Alice, just don¡¯t draw attention¡± ¡°Yes, Sir¡± ¡°Got it¡± As they approached the gate, there were two guards that stood out front with spears in one hand. As they spotted Jerry¡¯s party, they nodded at each other before one of them went towards the party who slowed down. They both soon met and the party was at a halt. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± The guard asked. Jerry slid off his helmet before facing the guard. ¡°What? Don¡¯t remember me?¡± Jerry said with a devilish grin. ¡°Tch. Come in¡± The guard said as he walked away and signaled the other guard. The gates soon started to raise and Jerry put his helmet back on and the party started to enter the Empire. Jerry¡¯s party entered the Empire and Alice looked around the buildings with a smile on her face. Jerry decided to roll straight into the Royal Palace so the party can put their horses down and explore the town afterwords while Jerry could finish some things up with the Empire and be free. He had been thinking about what he should do but the first thing he decided on was that he would use a different alias for when he split off from Larmen¡¯s party. As Jerry approached the Royal Palace¡¯s gates, there were Royal Guards that upon spotting Jerry¡¯s party let them in. ¡°Good day¡± Jerry said as he passed the Royal Guard. ¡°Good Day, Jerry¡± The Royal Guard said. It was weird since Jerry never really exposed his identity behind the mask but shrugged it off as he continued towards the Royal Palace. As he passed the garden, he found Larmen¡¯s party playing around the grass. Emile, Elizabeth, along with everyone else were chasing Larmen around who wore a suit. Jerry looked behind him to face Alice. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s your sister. Go say hi. I¡¯ll take the rest from here¡± Jerry said.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Where?¡± Alice asked as she looked around. ¡°In the garden. The one with the red hair¡± Jerry said as he pointed to Elizabeth. ¡°Oh my god, that really is her!¡± Alice said as she quickly dismounted the horse and ran towards her sister. ¡°Elizabeth!¡± Alice screamed as she ran. ¡°Alice? Is that you?¡± Jerry then looked forward and continued to ride towards the Royal Palace with the rest of the party. ¡°Jerry? Is that you?¡± A familiar voice that Jerry hadn¡¯t heard in a while sounded. ¡°Klein?¡± ¡°My god, it is you! It¡¯s been a while since you last sent anything. Who are these people?¡± Jerry looked behind him to look at the commanders, thinking of something to say. The commanders just smiled and waved at Jerry. ¡°They¡¯re umm. Friends I met on my travels¡± Jerry said as he smiled at Klein. ¡°What about the rest of the men? Where have they gone?¡± ¡°Most of them died on the attack mounted on the Demon Lord. The rest scattered and ran¡± ¡°Such a shame. Anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°Yea. Can you take the ladies horses somewhere and show them around town?¡± ¡°Of course¡± ¡°Jerry, take this if you¡¯re going ahead¡± Kasune said as she took out the Demon Lord¡¯s helmet. ¡°Thanks¡± Jerry said as Kasune came towards Jerry to hand off the helmet. ¡°Stay safe¡± Kasune said as she handed Jerry the helmet. Klein then went to the commanders and Jerry continued to ride towards the Royal Palace alone now with Falk by his side. Falk looked at Jerry who stared blankly through his helmet forward. ¡°Hey Falk¡± Jerry said. ¡°Yes, Jerry?¡± ¡°Do you want to leave here?¡± ¡°Not in particular¡± ¡°I see¡± Jerry went silent after that as they arrived at the Royal Palace. As they dismounted their horses, there were Royal Guards stood at attention at the door to the Royal Palace. Jerry took his backpack off the horse and put it on before facing the guards. ¡°Gentlemen¡± Jerry said. The Royal Guards nodded at each other as one of them took the horses away and the other led the two of them into the Royal Palace. As they approached the Throne Room, Jerry wanted to just leave right then and there, just drop the helmet and go. But he wanted to rub it in their faces. Tell them to ¡®Fuck themselves¡¯. ¡°Stay here¡± The Royal Guard said as he entered the Throne Room. Jerry placed his backpack down and leaned against a wall. ¡°You okay?¡± Falk asked. ¡°Hmm? Yea. I¡¯m fine¡± Jerry said with a sigh. Jerry decided to take a cigarette out and light it up in the hallway. As he took a puff, a calm, soothing feeling fell over him. ¡®I¡¯m fine¡¯ The Royal Guard then came out of the Throne Room and faced Jerry. ¡°The King will see you now¡± The Royal Guard said as he went down where they both came from. Jerry sighed and took one last big puff before tossing the cigarette out and entering the Throne Room. ¡°Jerry, so nice to see you again. Where have you been?¡± Jerry brought the helmet in front of him from where held the Demon Lord¡¯s helmet in his left hand before tossing it towards the King. ¡°It¡¯s done. Now, my reward¡± The King sat there silently before he stood. ¡°As much as you earned it, I cannot allow you to marry Emile¡± ¡°Huh? No, I just want cash¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s what you did this for?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the best thing you can give me¡± ¡°Not a life in a villa, relaxing, with women at your disposal?¡± ¡°Fuck no! That¡¯s not my style¡± ¡°Then what is your style? I assure you, I can find you what you want¡± ¡°Look, I just want my cash and I¡¯ll fuck off¡± The King looked at Jerry. Jerry couldn¡¯t make out the King¡¯s face as the large stained glass behind the King blinded Jerry and blackened the King¡¯s face. There was silence for a while before the King broke the silence. ¡°We don¡¯t have the cash to pay you¡± The King said. ¡°Then what did you intend to pay me with? Straws?¡± ¡°We had hoped that you would take the offer with the villa. But it is apparent that you don¡¯t wish to take our deal¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take the helmet back. I¡¯ll also take a chunk of land the Demon Lord stole¡± The King quickly looked startled and nervous. That could be apparent from the dark silhouette that Jerry could see. ¡°W-Wait, maybe we can reach an agreement! You can take the helmet, but we need the land back!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like some metals¡± ¡°What kind?¡± ¡°Good ones. Don¡¯t scam me. I¡¯ll know¡± ¡°If that is what you request, that can be arranged¡± ¡°Can afford precious metal but not pay me? How strange.¡± ¡°We bought a lot of metal from neighboring countries. That¡¯s why we¡¯re broke¡± The King sat back down on his throne with his hands on his forehead. ¡°Are you willing to st-¡± ¡°For the night? Sure. Forever? No.¡± Jerry said as he went over to pick the helmet back up. ¡°M-Maybe we can re-¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve decided that awhile ago when you left me for dead¡± The King stayed silent. ¡°Anything else? No? I¡¯ll be taking my leave now¡± Jerry then left the Throne Room, leaving Falk alone in there. He went back to his old room that was assigned to him a while ago when he first came to this world. As he entered, he set his stuff down. He took his helmet off and took out the fabricator. He wanted a new helmet that would allow him to live a new alias but keep the same functionality and use of the old one. As he turned on the Fabricator, he scrolled through the menus, looking for something. He eventually found something interesting that he could use Convert Optical HUD Helmet into KlakTak Optical Helmet Visor (Compatible with KlakTak Headset) Luckily, the fabricator included pictures. It was significantly different than the helmet he has now. It was significantly more open. The helmet only covered Jerry¡¯s head but left the face and neck exposed. It said it allowed the use of the headsets that amplified hearing. The helmet also had straps and the visor was able to be lowered and raised but was thinner and covered more than the original. The visor worked the same as the original helmet, providing a HUD and protected and concealed Jerry¡¯s face with a dark tint. Although it was more exposed, it was exactly what Jerry needed. Jerry wanted a helmet that was very hard to describe since most information is given through mouth and this world didn¡¯t know much of hat Jerry knew. Because of his face, Jerry would have to keep his face hidden. To do this, he¡¯d make a mask of some sort. He might just rip some cloth and cover his face or something. Either way, it would keep his face hidden for a while. As he selected it, it asked for the helmet which Jerry gladly tossed in before tossing in the Demon Lord¡¯s helmet in. New material detected. Analyzing¡­ Completed. Overall Tier 1 Rating 9.3/10 Jerry had no idea what it meant but it was easy to understand that it was good. Replacing Old Material The Fabricator started to make noises while it started doing something with it. Jerry looked around the room, looking for something to act as his mask. Jerry looked everywhere for something for a mask. He looked at the bed, drawers, the fabricator but found nothing. He decided that he might just forever operate in the shadow or just wait till his face is lost to time. Then an idea hit him like a baseball bat. He¡¯d just give himself peasant clothing and dirty up his face. This way, he would just look like another face in the crowd. It was an excellent idea, Jerry thought. Problem was, how was he gonna get his hands on peasant clothing? Jerry was deep in thought before he decided to test the headset. Jerry scavenged around his backpack and eventually found the Headset under all the other stuff. He put the headset on and found an immediate difference. The Fabricator was more silent than before. He decided to do a test by walking around. He took his headset off and set it on the desk and started out slow before pacing his speed up. Initially, his footsteps were drowned out by the Fabricator but as he picked the pace up, it was barely heard. He then put the headset on before doing the test again. His initial reaction was amazement when he started to walk around. The footsteps were heard immediately as he took his first steps. He then started to sprint and that was even louder. The difference was night and day and as he was sprinting in circles around his rooms, the Fabricator stopped making noises and out came the helmet. It looked really nice. The helmet was all black and was fairly thick. It exposed the ears and the face visor had a button lock on the side where it would release the visor when it was in it¡¯s locked state that was the visor down. He put the helmet on as it fit snugly on his head before putting the straps on. The helmet reminded Jerry of a Ops Core helmets that he used when he was a mercenary back when he was back home. Welcome, Jerry Harren. Initializing The visor then cleared up soon and showed a heartbeat monitor on the top right and Jerry¡¯s BPM under it. Jerry took the helmet off and set it on the desk before retiring to bed. Jerry took his phone out and found that it was 8 PM. He set an alarm to wake him at 12AM, took his shoes off, and slept. Leaving his fatigues, vest, and headset on. Chapter 24: Going Chapter 24: Going The alarm sounded in Jerry¡¯s ears as he tugged and pulled at his sheets. It was now 12 AM, the time he set the alarm for a few hours ago. Jerry picked up his phone before shutting the alarm off. He decided he could wait five more minutes before he did something productive. Then, five minutes became ten, and ten turned into a knock on his door. ¡°Jerry, breakfast has been prepared. Would you like to join?¡± Klein asked. ¡®Fuck¡¯ ¡°Yea, I¡¯ll be out in a minute¡± Jerry responded. ¡°We also have your old clothing. Would you like that as well?¡± ¡°Yes please¡± ¡°I will leave it on your desk¡± Klein then entered the room and set down the clothing Jerry came into this world with on the desk before quickly leaving the room. Jerry rubbed his eyes before sitting up on his bed, stretching his arms out. He got on his two feet before taking his vest off by ripping the Velcro that was on the chest. He started by raising a layer that held the magazines before ripping the right strap off before taking it off by lifting it above his head and propping it against the wall. Jerry took the headset off and put it down on the table and then left the room. He looked around before remembering a slight problem. He had no idea where the dining hall was. Jerry wandered the halls before stumbling upon Klein again. ¡°Hey, Klein. Can you lead me to the dining hall?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Follow me¡± He said before walking down the hall with Jerry following. ¡°How do you remember this large place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. The second floor, the one we¡¯re on has lodging for guests is a large square in the center while the other rooms such as the Throne Room, Kitchen, Dining Hall, and entrance have a hallway on each side. The ball room is on the third floor along with dressing rooms. The first floor has guards and an armory. ¡°Got it. Thanks¡± They soon approached a turn down another hallway. ¡°Down this hall and you¡¯ll find the Dining Hall. I have other matters I must attend to¡± Klein said. ¡°Thanks. See you soon¡± Jerry said as he walked down the hall, giving Klein a wave. He soon arrived to a long wooden table with maids and butlers standing near the perimeter of the room while the King, Emile, Larmen, and all the others sat at the table. Everyone was having a nice conversation, laughing and joking with each other. However, Jerry didn¡¯t feel like he fit in. It felt like they were part of Larmen¡¯s party, not his. Jerry sat on the opposite end and beckoned a servant over. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like, Hero Jerry?¡± The servant asked. ¡°Can I get a sandwich?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡®Wait, this is a medieval fantasy. Do they even have sliced bread?¡¯ ¡°Do you have sliced bread?¡± ¡°We have sliced loafs of bread, if that is what you¡¯re asking¡± Jerry sighed before burying his face into his hands. ¡°Just take me to the kitchen¡± Jerry said, his voice muffled through his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can make it if you tell us what to do¡± The servant replied. ¡°It¡¯s easier if I made it. Now, take me to the promised land¡± ¡°As you wish. Follow me¡± Jerry sat up from his chair and followed the servant down the halls to to kitchen. The kitchen seemed to be fairly now that it was breakfast and there were guests. A round man then approached Jerry and took his hat off as he came closer. ¡°H-Hero Jerry! Why are you here?¡± The man asked. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± Jerry replied. ¡°I¡¯m Head Chef Poel. I run this kitchen¡± ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m making my own food¡± ¡°We can make it for you, I¡¯m sure¡± ¡°It¡¯s something you don¡¯t know how to make. Besides, I¡¯m not into this, fancy breakfast you guys will probably make¡± ¡°A-As you wish. Is there anything you would like to help you?¡± ¡°Yea. A loaf of bread, knife, egg, ham, butter a stove and cheese¡± ¡°I will prepare it immediately. You can take the stove right there¡± The chef then pointed to an unlit stove. ¡°Thank you¡± Jerry then approached the stove and looked around for a pan. He found an assortment of pans of all shapes and sizes ranging from big and small lined on the wall. He found a spatula that he could use for the eggs. Chef Poel then came and gave Jerry the ingredients, laying them out on a table next to the stove. ¡°Poel, can you light the stove for me?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Poel then opened the stove and took out a flint and steel before striking it multiple times, sparking a flame under the stove. ¡°Thanks¡± ¡°No problem¡± Jerry then took a small pan, the size of the bread and placed it on the stove. He took the butter and cut a piece off before putting it in the pan and waited for it to start sizzling. When it did, Jerry moved the pan around, causing the butter to coat the surface of the pan in a shiny, slippery layer of oil. When he had finished, the butter was no more and he cracked the egg and placed it in a bowl. He scrambled the raw egg, causing the egg¡¯s yolk to be distributed. He then poured the bowl out onto the pan, causing the egg to start sizzling and cook. As he waited, Jerry took the loaf of bread and cut it on it¡¯s side, splitting the bread a bit, giving Jerry two long, thin slices of bread instead of two short and thick ones.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Jerry thought about what he was gonna do with the ham since he didn¡¯t think that it would pair well with the egg and cheese. ¡°Fuck it¡± Jerry muttered under his breath as he flipped the egg over, now cooking the other side and exposing a golden yellow now face up. He took a plate and placed the bread on it before laying the ham down on the bread. He took some cheese and distributed along the center of the egg before wrapping the cheese with the egg that was above and below it, making a rectangle shaped egg. He took the spatula and placed it on the ham, making it a ham, egg, cheese hoagie or something. He then took the plate and went to the Dining Hall, walking down the hallway with food in hand. As he arrived, he noticed that the rest of them had already finished their breakfast and were discussing things. He sat down where he originally say and ate silently throughout his meal. Each bite had the taste of ham, cheese, and egg that didn¡¯t quite mix well as the flavors of ham and egg were too strong and the cheese leaving a horrible aftertaste. Jerry was only able to eat half of it before he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°Ah, Jerry. Your reward is waiting for you in your room¡± the King said across the room. ¡°Thank you. I take my leave now¡± Jerry said as he stood up. ¡°I will come with you as well¡± Kasune said as she also stood up. ¡°Then so will I!¡± A commander said. Soon, all the commanders, Alice and Falk stood up. Jerry looked at them, before sighing. ¡°You guys enjoy your time here. I¡¯ll be fine¡± Falk looked at Jerry, with a worried look on her face. Falk decided to speak up about it. ¡°Jerry, are you ok-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Falk. If you excuse me, I will take my leave¡± Jerry promptly left the room, causing everyone that was standing up, to sit down. He could hear Larmen¡¯s party whispering as he left but ignored it as he went to his room. He entered his room, he found a stack of 6 bars of a green metal on his desk. Jerry took a bar and approached the fabricator and decided to tinker around with it. He flipped through the menus to find things he could use, or find to hold the bars. Storage Fabricate Test Materials Jerry found this while tinkering around, finding a function tab. He selected Test Materials and tossed the bar in. Element Known. Orichalcum Weight Class: Light Durability: 7/10 Characteristics: -Easy to forge with -Hard when cold -Soft when heated -Green tint -Hard to dull if in a blade -Resistant to kinetic energy Jerry looked over the information before closing the fabricator and taking the Orichalcum out and placing it back on the stack. Jerry opened his backpack and looked for room so he could put the metal in but found little. He then remembered the storage function the Fabricator had and decided to use that. As he selected the option, he put the bars of metal into the Fabricator and found it worked nicely. A knock on his door sounded and Jerry answered it. ¡°Please come with me. We will be announcing the death of the Demon Lord and having a ceremony¡± Klein said. Jerry nodded and followed Klein down the halls, to the third floor. When Jerry arrived, he found everyone there, sitting in chairs while a stage in front of them. On the stage, there was the King sitting on a gold decorated chair with another empty one next to him. ¡°Have a seat please¡± Klein said. Jerry took a seat near the front right side while everyone else sat to the left side, chatting to each other. Jerry closed his eyes for a moment to find the faces of the men he was entrusted with. He remembers the Demon Lord¡¯s Throne Room littered with the corpses of his men and the undead¡¯s. Jerry opened his eyes quickly, giving a thousand yard stare at the ground. Soon, nobles filled the room, many trying to sit next to Larmen¡¯s party but as the room filled, the seats got filled. The King then rose from his seat and faced the crowd. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank each and everyone of you all for attending an important mark on history. Recently, Larmen¡¯s party had returned from their trip to the frontlines, in attempt to defeat the Demon Lord.¡± The King said. ¡®I¡¯m sorry?¡¯ ¡°With the help of everyone, we were able to slay the Demon Lord, brining peace and prosperity to our lands. Now, I would like to congratulate one man in particular for their valiant efforts to the cause.¡± The King continued. ¡®Yes, Yes¡¯ ¡°That would be¡± ¡®Yes! Yes! Yes!¡¯ ¡°Larmen¡± ¡®Excuse me, what the fuck?¡¯ Larmen then stood up and got on stage, taking a seat next to the King while the nobles clapped. ¡°Larmen, what do you have to say on your adventures to the frontline to defeat the Demon Lord?¡± The King asked. ¡°It was difficult. But, with Emile in my heart and the Empire by my side, I was able to slay the Demon Lord¡± Larmen said. Jerry stood up and faced the crowd. ¡°I apologize, I must see myself out¡± Jerry said as he left. Jerry quickly moved out of the room, with silent footsteps as the ceremony continued. Jerry soon arrived to his room, finding things scattered about the room. He packed up his things and put his equipment back on. He slipped into his vest and put the strap back on under the flap that held the magazines and then put his headset on. He picked up his helmet and put it on, before sliding the visor down into a locked position. He was gonna leave the Royal Palace today and set out into an adventure that he could call his own, leaving everyone behind. Really, he was gonna get a job or something that involved things that were dangerous. ¡°Where¡¯re you going?¡± A voice asked. Jerry turned behind him to find Klein standing at the door. ¡°Away. From here¡± Jerry said as he put his backpack on. ¡°Anywhere specific?¡± Klein asked. ¡°Nope. Just, somewhere. Out there¡± ¡°Are you angry about something?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not angry Klein? What makes you say that? It¡¯s not like thousands of soldiers died because of the Demon Lord in a battle he didn¡¯t join, that I did all the work for. What makes you think I¡¯m angry?¡± Jerry said sarcastically. ¡°Look, the King said can¡¯t have you as the Hero. No one in the Empire likes you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m leaving. So they don¡¯t have to like me¡± Klein looked at Jerry. Jerry stared back, through the visor and into Klein. ¡°Look, is there som-¡± Klein was cut off. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you need to do. I¡¯m off now. Goodbye, Klein¡± ¡°Goodbye, Jerry¡± Jerry then went to the window and blinked himself into the Royal Gardens, then the Royal Palace¡¯s wall, and then into the streets of the Empire. He listened closely to what he was hearing. ¡°Travel to the Imperial Kingdom!¡± ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Guild now taking recruits!¡± ¡°You hear about news about the Demon Lord being slayed?¡± ¡°Anyone wanna do some dirty work?¡± Jerry walked down the streets, towards the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡® This is a good way to start something, right?¡¯ The Adventurer¡¯s Guild had a picture of two swords crossing each other in front of a shield outside. Jerry entered the door and as he entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, he found that it was full of people. Some were looking at job boards, at the reception offices turning in quests or taking quests. Jerry went towards a open reception office to ask questions about how the Adventurer¡¯s Guild worked. As he got to the reception, he was greeted with a cheery voice. ¡°Welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild! How can I help?¡± She asked. ¡°Can you tell me how the Guild works?¡± ¡°Of course! We work everywhere. Empire, Imperial, Elf, Dark Elf, and more! We operate independently from the governments and we have out own rules but once you apply, you can work with the rest of the Guilds from all over. You can do jobs and complete them for rewards but harder ones require a minimum rank¡± ¡®Just like I expected¡¯ ¡°Great, I¡¯d like to apply¡± The receptionist then took a piece of paper from under the desk and placed it on her desk. ¡°Name?¡± She asked. Jerry thought of a name but nothing came to mind. ¡°Can it be a nickname?¡± ¡°Later. Right now, I need your first name¡± ¡°Uhh, Larry¡± ¡°Okay, Larry. Your nickname?¡± ¡°Foxtrot¡± ¡°Weird. But okay¡± The receptionist then wrote the information on the paper she brought out before putting casting it away to the side. ¡°I also need to see your face¡± She said. ¡°No thanks¡± Jerry responded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to what?¡± ¡°I need to see your face¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Identification purposes¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± ¡°How will we identify you?¡± ¡°My helmet works¡± The receptionist looked at Jerry¡¯s helmet before nodding. ¡°Fair enough¡± She then took out a paper document that resembled a passport. It was somewhat thick, maybe an inch thick but had somewhat thick paper. ¡°Here is your identification paper. The Guild imbued it with magic so it is bound to you¡± She said ¡°So, you didn¡¯t need to see my face?¡± ¡°No, I was just curious¡± Jerry sighed before taking the paper document. ¡°Anything else?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°If you want to take a job, take the paper off the board and bring it to the receptionist. If it has a red star, that means you just ask the receptionist about it instead of taking it since they¡¯re open quests¡± She said. Jerry then walked towards the Job Board and looked for something interesting. -Slay 20 Goblins -Bring Alkin Herbs -Help Clean-up efforts -Help the Dark Elves rebuild (Ride provided to the Dark Elf Forest) -Help the Elves rebuild(Ride provided to the Elven Nation) -Help the Imperial Kingdom rebuild (Ride provided to the Imperial Kingdom) -Help the Empire rebuild -Slay demon remnants There was nothing that Jerry wanted to do so he went outside to look for the person that was selling rides to the Imperial Kingdom. Jerry quickly found him and payed the two silver toll and off they went, to the Imperial Nation. Chapter 25: Gone Chapter 25: Gone ¡°Hey! We¡¯re here¡± A voice broke Jerry from his slumber. He awoke to the driver of the carriage waking him up outside a large wall. He had arrived at the Imperial Kingdom and now stood outside it¡¯s walls that stood grand and mighty should any invaders come. Jerry dropped down from the carriage and onto the ground with a thump. ¡°Just go to the guard there to check in and go in. I already checked in so I¡¯m going ahead. Thank you for your business¡± The driver said before he drove off into the Kingdom. Jerry did a quick stretch, moving his arms, body, and legs before cracking his neck. ¡®What do I do now¡¯ Jerry thought. Jerry approached the city gates and was approached by a guard in minimalistic armor, covering the head, chest, and shoulders. ¡°Identification¡± The guard said. Jerry took out the paper document provided by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and handed it to the guard who took the paper and examined it. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The guard asked. ¡°My name is Je- Larry¡± Jerry quickly corrected himself, still waking up. ¡°Je?¡± ¡°Slip of tongue. Sorry¡± ¡°Right. Well, you¡¯re free to go. I don¡¯t get paid enough to ask questions¡± The guard handed Jerry his paper back and allowed Jerry into the Kingdom. Jerry walked forward, massaging the back of his neck and entered the Kingdom. When he entered, he was met with the sight of large amounts of armored individuals wearing assortments of armors walking around the streets. Some were wearing blinding gold armor while others wore leather or just plain clothing. It seemed like almost everyone had a job that involved something dangerous. He walked around the crowded streets, finding more people wearing more strange armor with some wearing bone or engraved armor. Jerry then stood outside the Adventurer¡¯s Guild building which could be distinguished by it¡¯s sign outside with the similar symbol as the one in the Empire. This building was however, was much more grander and larger than the other one. It had 3 stories to the building and seemed to be in significantly better condition with it¡¯s clean exterior and decoration that lined the building. He entered the building to find that it was much more crowded than the Empire one with more receptionists, adventurers, and job boards. Jerry looked around for something to do. Maybe a job, or gather some information about things in the Kingdom. Jerry approached the Job Board and looked through the current jobs. Most were herb collections, delivery quests or something that was simple that involved no risk. Move something there, get this, go there, nothing fun. Jerry looked at some of the harder ones, some that were definitely above his rank and found a nice bounty. Eliminate Blackridge Bandits Rank: B+ Recommended People: 5 B+ Ranked Adventurers Reward: 50 Gold Pieces This job offer piqued Jerry¡¯s interest as it was well paying and seemed to be a challenge. The problem was that it was well above his rank as he was currently a rank E and they could only do simple tasks. Jerry decided to press his luck and took the job offering off the wall and went towards the receptionist¡¯s desk that was really just a wall with an open slot. ¡°Hey, I¡¯d like to do this quest¡± Jerry said as he put the paper on the desk. ¡°Great! Can I see your Adventurer Card?¡± The receptionist asked. Jerry took his paper out and placed it on the table ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a rank E?¡± ¡°Yea¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we cannot allow you to take the quest from us¡± ¡°May I ask why?¡± ¡°The Adventurer¡¯s Guild does let rookies take life endangering quests. If you¡¯d like, you can take an easier quest or prove that you can take it safely¡± ¡°How do I prove myself?¡± ¡°Just meet the requirements. If you¡¯d like, you can take a magic test¡± ¡°Is there another test I can take?¡± ¡°You can duel the guild master but there is a fee if you fail¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it¡± ¡°You do realize what the fee is, right? ¡°Nope, don¡¯t care¡± ¡°No life endangering attacks¡± ¡°Yea yea, I got it¡± ¡°Please wait here¡± The receptionist then went to the back of his booth and left. Jerry waited for a while before a loud voice came above him. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we have a rank E that wishes to duel me!¡± The voice said. It was loud, manly, and had the weight of a commander in an army. The room then burst into laughter as the voice subsided. ¡°What fucking idiot is gonna do that?¡± ¡°Rank E? Who¡¯s the dead fuck?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the dumbass?¡± ¡°Lord have mercy on his soul¡± ¡°Such a short career¡± Jerry then realized what he just did. It was going to be like an arena style fight like he did with Larmen. ¡°His name seems to be Larry! But he likes the name Foxtrot! Larry, come and show yourself¡± The voice said. Jerry then raised his hand as he walked into the view of the voice. Jerry looked up to find a man in medium-ish golden armor with his hands on the railing with the receptionist by his side. ¡°Is that you Larry? I heard you disregarded the fee!¡± ¡°Yea, I don¡¯t care. I wanna do a fun quest, but I need a rank for it. So, eh¡± Jerry said with a shrug. ¡°Very well, come outside and we can duel. Do you have your own weapons for this duel?¡± ¡°Not for this duel, no¡± ¡°Then we will provide you with one¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can find one real quick¡± ¡°Are you sure? I can get you a wea-¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I need to find a room anyways. Where do we meet?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I can provide you a guild room but come quickly. After 3 hours, the duel is forfeit for you and you must pay the fee. Bring what weapons you like. Concealed or not, it won¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the fee, out of curiosity?¡± ¡°20 years of hard manual labor¡± Jerry laughed silently before quickly regathering his composure. ¡°Take me to the room¡± The man nodded before signaling to the receptionist. The receptionist then hopped the banister before landing in front of Jerry with a silent woosh. ¡°Follow me, Larry¡± the receptionist said before walking to a door that was on the right side of the hall. The room led to another room, similar to the one before, but had a smaller interior and was less crowded but more grander. The room before was decorated with stone and wood while this room seemed to be decorated with gold, marble, and red cloth. The door they entered had a red carpet that led to the receptionist office while there were 3 golden pillars on each side of the carpet that supported the roof. There were adventurers talking amongst each other silently at golden desks or by the edges of the room. The receptionist office was a bunker shaped and had stairs that surrounded it that led to a second floor. They soon arrived at the receptionist office, the receptionist that escorted Jerry turned around and faced him. ¡°You will be provided temporary lodging for the duration of the duel. You can place your stuff there and then go to the field with your weapons¡± The receptionist then turned around and faced the one at the desk and spoke with them before turning and walking up the stairs. ¡°Follow me, Jerry¡± the receptionist said. Jerry followed obediently with his backpack on, weighing on him. They walked down a marble floor with golden walls and red drapes that decorated the hall. Both of them then stood outside the door room number ¡®501¡¯ and the receptionist then opened the door. ¡°This is your room. Please hurry and come back. I will be waiting in the lobby of the Residential Wing¡± The receptionist said as they walked away. Jerry entered the room and set his backpack down, releasing Jerry of a large stress that he had been carrying. However, Jerry had no time to rest and went to work. He took the fabricator out and opened it. Jerry had to think of a weapon he could use since lethal blows weren¡¯t allowed. Then he remembered, that this isn¡¯t Larmen and he was wearing medium gold armor. Jerry quickly decided to make a mace and a police baton. He could use the mace as a initial striker to bring heavy strikes to his armor and then switch to the baton once the man got used to the mace and developed a counter. It took a while before it came out. During this time, Jerry dumped extra weight. He kept the plate carrier on, fastened the strap on his helmet and removed the magazines from his pouch. He put the baton in the side of his pants, having the waistband hold the baton, concealing it between his pants and shirt. He then made a shield while he practiced with the mace. The mace was about arm¡¯s length and had a good weight. The weapons had the upside of being made entirely of the metal given to him, but that also was it¡¯s downfall. Jerry didn¡¯t know much about the metal. If anything, the thing might just shatter in his hands as he made the first strike. Who knows? Maybe it¡¯s gonna be good for him, maybe bad. Jerry took the shield and left the room, down the hall, into the residential hall. ¡°Are you ready?¡± The receptionist asked. ¡°Ready¡± Jerry responded. ¡°What are you bringing?¡± ¡°This mace, a shield, and a baton in my pants¡± The receptionist then went through the door they came from and then to the left side of the hall. As they walked past the hall, many of the adventurers were placing bets, or even just fantasizing about Jerry¡¯s defeat. As they entered the door, Jerry found it led to the outside and was very spacious and designed like a training hall. There was a small elevation in the center and covered a sizable portion of the area. It was about 20 meters by 20 meters. The entire area seemed to be 40 meters by 40 meters with a 2 meter wall that surrounded the area with weapons and training dummies scattered around the area. On the elevation stood the man in full armor, top to bottom with gold. His armor covered a large part of his body as it covered his outer arms, his entire chest, and legs. There were however openings on the joints of the armor. Jerry stepped on the elevation on the opposite side of the man. ¡°Larry! I thought you ran for a moment¡± The man said. ¡°Could¡¯ve. Chose not to¡± ¡°Ha! Well, I guess it is rude for me not to introduce myself. I am Kopes, the Kingdom¡¯s Guild Master for this area¡± ¡°My name is Larry, Rank E adventurer for now¡± ¡°Ha! I like your attitude. Now, let¡¯s fight!¡± The guild master said as he put on a golden helmet and got into a fighting stance. ¡°As you wish¡± The receptionist then got onto the elevation between the two of them and raised their hands. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we have a duel between Guild Master Kopes and Adventurer Larry! Guild Master Kopes will be using his prized longsword and armor Divine Gold while Larry will use a Orchalium Mace, Shield, and small baton in his pants!¡± The receptionist said. The crowd let out an ¡®ooh¡¯ and small snickers as the receptionist said that. ¡°Let the fight begin!¡± Jerry sighed and got into a fighting stance, angling his shield in front of him to bounce any surprise attacks and held his mace to his side. Jerry held his shield in his left hand in front of him and held the mace in a position that could strike from the bottom, top, or side. The guild master held his sword in front of him, with two hands, but there was a problem with his stance. The sword was too close to himself to serve as any protection and held no way for an attack with his sword. There was about 10 meters between him and Jerry and they both started to move towards each other. ¡°Fireball!¡± The guild master shouted. A small ball of flame approached Jerry causing him to side step to the left. The guild master however took that and ran towards Jerry, with a mighty leap into the air, putting him at a position to bring the sword down into Jerry¡¯s skull. Jerry followed his natural instinct and jumped to the side, barely avoiding death as dust rose as the guild master¡¯s strike connected with the ground. ¡°Ha! That too much for you?¡± The guild master taunted. ¡°Almost. Ready for my turn?¡± Jerry asked as he recovered his stance. The guild master snorted as he got into the same position. ¡°When you¡¯re ready¡± Jerry took several steps forward, now giving about 5 foot between the two as Jerry formulated his plans. He tossed the mace towards the Jerry¡¯s left side to the guild master, causing the guild master to strike at the mace, breaking it but leaving him very open. With this opportunity, Jerry struck the guild master in the helmet with his shield, causing him to recoil from the strike. Jerry then grabbed the baton in the side of his pants, bringing it out into view before slipping to the guild master¡¯s side and striking his back knee, causing him to collapse down to that knee. Jerry quickly smashed his baton to the guild master¡¯s back, causing him to fall on his face, giving Jerry an opportunity to end it. Jerry pressed on the attack, going for the end by pressing his knees on the guild master¡¯s shoulder and pressing the baton to the back of the guild master¡¯s helmet, pinning him down. Grunts could be heard from the guild master as he struggled getting Jerry off. There were times he were close but were quickly subdued as Jerry would strike the back of the guild master¡¯s helmet by bringing his baton up and violently bringing it down. ¡°Gah, I give. You have gotten the best of me, Larry¡± The guild master said. Whispers quickly broke out amongst the spectators. Jerry got off the guild master and quickly collected the major pieces of the broken mace. ¡°Sorry about your mace. Surprised me¡± The guild master said as he took his helmet off, recovering from the strikes. ¡°Sorry about pinning you down that violently. You got a lot of resistance¡± Jerry said as he put the pieces in the magazine pouches. ¡°Ha, I might be old, but I¡¯m not weak¡± The guild master said as he gave a chuckle. ¡°Guess so. Good fight, Guild Master Kopes¡± ¡°Good fight to you, Larry. I have to ask you something Larry. Who are you?¡± Jerry picked up the last major piece and examined the damage. ¡°What do you ever mean, Guild Master Kopes?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way someone like you would go unnoticed. Who are you?¡± Kopes asked. ¡°I¡¯m Larry. That¡¯s all you need to know, Guild Master Kopes¡± Jerry said as he put the last piece away. Kopes gave up after he said that. ¡°Guess you¡¯re someone up there. Besides, it¡¯s not in my authority to pry into someone¡¯s past. Especially since you won and many people join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to run from their past as well¡± ¡°Spot on¡± Jerry said as he extended his hands to Kopes. Kopes shook Jerry¡¯s hand with a nice firm grip. ¡°Keep the room. It¡¯s on me till you die of old age¡± Kopes said with a smile. ¡°Thank you. I recommend resting for a while until that concussion wears off¡± ¡°I appreciate your consideration, but I must prepare for the Hero¡¯s arrival¡± ¡°The Hero?¡± ¡°Yes! The slayer of the Demon Lord is coming! Speaking of which, would you like to meet him?¡± ¡°Wait, he slayed the Demon Lord?¡± Jerry asked with concern. ¡°Yep! He even took back some beautiful babes who also confirmed that he killed him as well! They were part of the 10 Demon Commanders, so it¡¯s gotta be valid info¡± ¡®Bastards¡¯ ¡°I see! Unfortunately, I won¡¯t be here since I need to complete that quest¡± Jerry said with a large smile. Although Kopes couldn¡¯t see Jerry¡¯s face, he could hear it from the tone of his voice. ¡°Ah! Yes! As of now, Larry, you have been promoted to Rank A+. You are pretty much better than majority of the people here¡± ¡°That was easy. Are you sure that this is all it takes?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Believe me, most of these chumps couldn¡¯t defeat me in 30 years. I¡¯m officially rank A but with the time you took to defeat me, I can assure you, you are a rank A+¡± ¡°Thanks I guess. Also, how secure is the residential area of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°In out 500 year history, the only time someone broke into our building was when the legendary thief Popeye was active. He was soon caught¡± Kopes said with a smile. ¡°Then I leave my items in your care. How far are the Blackridge Bandits?¡± ¡°Are you planning on taking them by yourself?¡± ¡°Yea¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to have someone else?¡± ¡°Mhmm¡± ¡°Well, it is recommended, not required. They¡¯re about 20 miles out east. I can show you off. I¡¯ll even provide you a horse if you¡¯d like¡± Kopes said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on your offer then. But first, I must get something from my room.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wait for you in the Reception Hall. Don¡¯t take too long though!¡± Kopes said as Jerry walked away. As Jerry left, the crowd of spectators quickly dispersed back into what they were doing. Some went back to training while others also went back into the Reception Hall. Chapter 26: Blackridge Bandits Chapter 26: Blackridge Bandits Jerry rode down the dirt path towards the Blackridge Bandit¡¯s hideout on a borrowed horse. Jerry carried his rifle, pistol, a makeshift bag with some rations in it,a knife, and his armor. Jerry planned on not only exterminating them, but doing some casual looting whilst he was there. The bag was about the size of a drawstring bag that he wore on his back. It was made of a random bag and rope he could find lying around the street. This did cause the bag to be in a very poor condition, but it was only temporary. Jerry soon arrived at the location. Jerry looked around to find the location to be surprisingly not a ridge. Instead, it was a small cave that was a couple hundred meters away from the dirt path Jerry took. He had disembarked his horse and readied his rifle as he headed off the road, into the forest and approached the cave, treading slowly and taking slow deep breaths. He soon stood near the edge of the forest with a direct line of sight outside the cave. Outside the cave stood two guards wearing metal armor and held spears in their hands. The armor they wore were mix-matched suggesting that they scavenged their gear from somewhere. But, it didn¡¯t matter. An inch of metal can¡¯t stop Jerry¡¯s bullets. Jerry took the time on how he could tackle the situation. He could go loud, running into the cave guns blazing or he could go sneaky beaky like. Jerry thought for a moment before checking the chamber of his rifle. He then let go of the charging hammer and changing positions. He moved to an angle from where the guards lined up, making them easy pickings for Jerry. Jerry steadied his breath and pulled the trigger, dropping both of the guards quickly. Jerry moved in quickly, gun drawn as he entered the cave. He triggered a pulse scan, causing the orange lines to emit from his watch, searching every crevasse of the cave. Hostiles Detected: 28 Steel Armor Class: D Steel Swords x 18 Spears x 6 Bows x 4 Red outlines appeared on Jerry¡¯s visor each of them getting up looking towards the entrance grabbing their weapons. They moved cautiously down the cave¡¯s tunnels while Jerry walked down. Just then, a circle appeared on the top left of his visor, presumably a map that the pulse scan created. Jerry stood at where three paths intersected and led outside. The hallways very dark, save for the light that peered into the cave system from outside. The red outlines inched closer and closer, causing Jerry to have to make a move. Luckily, the odds were in Jerry¡¯s favor since the paths leading to Jerry¡¯s position were a long, thin corridor. Jerry pointed his gun down the corridor, where 5 outlines were and pulled the trigger. What followed was a long, uninterrupted line of fire until a click was heard, signaling that the gun was empty. Jerry took a magazine from his vest with his index and middle finger and took it out of it¡¯s slot. He then wrapped the current magazine with his palm, pinkie and ring finger and released the magazine with his thumb, freeing the magazine from his slot. He put the new magazine in, slapping it for added measure and placed the old magazine in the open slot, face up. The red outlines then ran down the hall now, sprinting towards Jerry like a raging bull. Jerry could do something smart like shooting back, but he wanted to have some fun. Jerry ran down the hall where the 5 bandits he shot came down, deeper into the cave. Jerry sprinted down the hall and found himself at a fork path and where the map cut off. Looking around, he found that the path split left, right, and center, each with different noises coming from each. Listening closely, he could hear a plead for help with screaming, chatting, and the sound of wood cracking constantly. Each path was brightly illuminated with what seemed to be floating light orbs. Jerry decided to walk towards the cry for help as it seemed of most important value of this time. Jerry knew that the other bandits were coming, the problem now was when since the red outlines had just worn off. Jerry walked down the left side path, each step bringing him closer to the cry for help. He was soon face to face with a wooden door, crudely built together. Jerry placed his ear on the wall to listen in on what was happening. ¡°Well then, pretty? Wanna sacrifice yourself and play hero? Let your other friends go even?¡± A sadistic voice said followed by a laugh ¡°Sarah! Don¡¯t listen to him! We¡¯re a team!¡± Cried a male voice. ¡°We can endure this together! The Adventurer¡¯s Guild will send help and they¡¯ll come busting through that door any moment now!¡± A laugh could be heard from the sadistic voice. ¡°Help? You¡¯re really grasping at straws here girl! But first, I¡¯ll break you¡± The sadistic voice said. Jerry examined at the door to find that the door didn¡¯t have a lock and would flung open freely. He could hear the sound of metal clanking down the hall now, so he had to move quick. Jerry cocked his gun before he kicked the door causing it to fling open violently and cause a audible crash as the door hit the stone wall. ¡°FBI! OPEN UP!¡± Jerry shouted as he kicked the door. The sadistic voice could be seen belonging to a skinny man dropping his voice, staring at Jerry in awe. Jerry quickly shot the man once in the chest, hopeful that the bullet didn¡¯t over penetrate and hit anyone else. The man stood up and looked at his chest as it turned red from his blood gushing out. ¡°W-What?!¡± The man said, backing up from the bizarre situation he was in. Jerry walked forward towards the man before placing his hands on his shoulder and throwing him down onto the floor face first and executing him by pulling the trigger in the back of his head. Jerry turned around to face the adventurer¡¯s who were terrified at the scene. Their faces were full of fear but it was understandable. It was like being held captive by a dragon only to have that dragon be eaten by another dragon who now stared at you in the eye, emotionless.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Everyone okay? Sarah? You?¡± Jerry asked. He used the name he heard to try to get the group of adventurer¡¯s to calm down but seemed to be of little use. The group of adventurer¡¯s stared at Jerry with fear. ¡°T-Thank you, Sir!¡± A man said. Jerry turned to look at the voice to find a short blond haired man, chained to the wall by shackles fixed to the wall. ¡°See, this guy has some manners¡± Jerry said sarcastically. Jerry could hear the men even closer now. It would be a matter of seconds before they were at the door. The room was fairly small. The adventurers chained to the wall and even then it was fairly cramped. He had to make sure that the adventurer¡¯s weren¡¯t hurt since it was a moral obligation but at the same time, he had to clear the Bandits. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back¡± Jerry said before he walked towards the door. Jerry stepped out the room and pointed his gun down the hall. He used a pulse scanner and watched as his heartrate went up as the orange line emitted from his watch. Hostiles Detected: 10 Armor Class: D Steel Swords x 10 Jerry pulled the trigger and let the bullets fly down the corridor to find that only three people dropped. They must¡¯ve absorbed all the shots that Jerry put down range but didn¡¯t complain as he reloaded the magazine. As he finished reloading, a blade came out of nowhere in a overhead strike. Jerry dodged it by jumping back into the room with the adventurers but now on his back. As the Bandits entered the door way, Jerry fired into them with short bursts, dropping two as they came in. This brought the Bandit count to five but he couldn''t be too sure. Jerry cautiously got up, keeping his gun trained on the door. ¡°Give up, Bandits!¡± Jerry shouted. ¡°Throw down your weapon, and we¡¯ll let you live!¡± A bandit shouted back. ¡°I don¡¯t intend on dying here today, Bandit! Can you say the same for yourself!¡± ¡°Ha! There¡¯s five of us, and one of you!¡± ¡°I took five of you out before! What makes you say I can¡¯t do it again?¡± There was silence at that moment. Jerry used this opportunity and pulled out his pistol, training it on the door. He put his rifle down and with his left hand, searched the sadistic man for a key of some sort. He found it in the shape of an old rusted key that the body only had. He went towards the blond haired man and opened one of his locks before handing him the key. At this moment, a Bandit appeared at the door which Jerry quickly dispatched with a shot to the chest causing him to impact the floor as he fell. Jerry nodded at the man before picking his rifle up again, and walking slowly towards the door. The sounds of rattling locks and shackles hitting the wall could be heard as the blond haired man moved quickly to free his friends. As the chains were being unlocked, another Bandit peeked the door and Jerry shot him with a bullet into the face before pushing out to wipe the rest up. He made quick work of them as he peeked to find the last two bandits in shock of Jerry¡¯s reckless push. All three of them dropped like a sack of potatoes when Jerry had finished. Jerry looked at the adventurers who had just been released rubbing their wrists. ¡°Everyone okay?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Yea¡± The blond haired man said as he looked at the corpses. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions¡± Jerry said as he reloaded his guns. Jerry started to check the corpses for anything he could sell or use. Cash, jewels, rings, or keys by checking their pockets, giving them pat downs and examining the weapons as the adventurer¡¯s stared at him. ¡°What?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you leave the dead alone?¡± An adventurer asked. He had black hair, wore a cape, and had glasses. ¡°I¡¯m tight on cash. Besides, not like they deserve any respect¡± Jerry said as he checked the corpses. The group stared at Jerry silently, not knowing what to do. Jerry sighed before he looked at the group. ¡°You can either A, go on your journey to the Imperial Kingdom, or B, Help me loot these bandits¡± Jerry said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to help you loot, but we don¡¯t have a way back. No rations, no nothing¡± The blond haired man said. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s all around you. You just gotta look¡± Jerry said as he signaled to the corpses and the tunnel. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you food. This is MY food for a reason¡± Jerry said as he continued to loot. Jerry then finished with the batch of corpses. So far, he had one key, 10 purses, and a helmet. ¡°Oh, you guys might wanna stick with me. It¡¯s quite confusing here. But, you guys¡¯ll have to help me loot a bit. Just chests and holding rations if you will¡± Jerry said. The group nodded to Jerry as he walked down the path towards the fork path. Jerry knew that these guys had more loot. Problem was, where was it? Jerry then stood where the fork path split and started to walk down the center path. As he came to the door he got his gun ready and opened it, he was greeted with a overhead strike. Jerry used the gun to deflect the blow by brining the gun up and angled it to the left. As the sword was safely disposed of, Jerry used the but of the gun to strike the attacker in the face, causing him to recoil back before being killed by Jerry with two shots in the chest and one in the head. Jerry looked around the room to find an assortment of rations ranging from stew, bread, dried beef and more. Jerry looked at the adventurers who seemed to be in a trance. ¡°You guys sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°It¡¯s been a week since we had any decent food. Let us eat please?¡± A feminine voice asked. Jerry looked at the voice to find a girl with pink hair clasping her hands together, begging Jerry. ¡°You do you. Save some for the trip. I¡¯ll be waiting at the fork path or in the last path. One of the two¡± Jerry said as he left the area. Jerry quickly arrived at the fork path and went down the final third path towards the now silent room. Jerry pushed the door open to find most of it empty, save for a few chest and a group of 8 men with a well built man in the center. ¡°Well well well, what do we have here?¡± The built man said. ¡°A scared rabbit I see!¡± A man said. Jerry simply raised his gun and magazine dumped them all. However, there were two that remained and panicked since he was expecting all of them to die. Jerry dropped his gun which was suspended from straps on his shoulder and drew his pistol out and fired blindly into them injuring one. The last man came at Jerry who drew his knife now. The bandit let out a lunge which Jerry stepped out the way of allowing Jerry to get a cut in the bandit¡¯s lower torso. Jerry picked his rifle up and ran around the room while he dropped it¡¯s magazine before inserting a new one. While doing this, Jerry was able to get a loaded gun. The bandits noticed this and lunged at Jerry at once but was quickly put down as Jerry shot them. Jerry then noticed that his heartrate was off the charts as he slouched over, taking large deep breaths. He soon recovered and picked up his magazine as he looked around for something valuable. He looked around chests that had some locked, some not, and corpses, looking for something. He finished up his looting with the built man and found a key made of metal. He tried it with all the chests and found one that it did click to. As he opened it, he found a bulging sack of cloth which contained a large amount of clinking as he rattled it around. Jerry placed that in his bag before rummaging through it more, finding various gems, jewels, and assortment of things. After he finished, he decided to take an inventory of what he got. Overall, he had a bulging sack of cloth with coin with smaller bags of coin, two rings, a helmet, a gold necklace, a small diamond, and a small red and blue gem. Jerry thought it was a good haul as he left to meet the adventurer¡¯s group. He soon arrived to the sight of them filling their mouths with bread,dried meat, and some sweets. ¡°Jeez, like rabid animals¡± Jerry said sarcastically. ¡°Hey, you try eating shitty meals for a week¡± The pink haired adventurer said. ¡°Can¡¯t argue there. Anyway, you guys ready?¡± ¡°Yes Sir¡± The blond haired man said with a salute. Jerry sighed and walked down to the exit. ¡°Follow me¡± He said as he massaged the back of his neck. Chapter 27: Rewards Chapter 27: Rewards ¡°Thank you very much!¡± The four adventurers said as they bowed their heads. It was nighttime when they had arrived outside the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°And thank you¡± Jerry responded. He readjusted his bag as it was filled with some goodies that he looted from the Bandits. The five of them stood outside of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and Jerry was quite eager to get it over with. The ride home wasn¡¯t quite pleasant as the four of them had to travel on foot, making the travel significantly slower. Jerry entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, separate from the adventurers who went off to do whatever they pleased, leaving Jerry alone. Jerry walked towards the receptionist while the bag made noise with each step Jerry took. ¡°Welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. How can I help?¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯d like to turn in the Blackridge Bandit extermination quest?¡± ¡°Ah, you must be Larry. I heard about your duel with the Guild Master. Please wait while I get your reward¡± The receptionist said as she got up and walked to the back. The receptionist quickly came back with a cloth bag full of coins and and a letter. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Jerry asked the receptionist as he held the letter up. ¡°That¡¯s a letter you got while you were gone, two days ago. It¡¯s got a royal seal so it must be important¡± The receptionist said. Jerry set the letter aside and took his bag off his back. ¡°So, I wanna sell these. Does the guild buy them?¡± Jerry asked ¡°The guild will buy anything and everything as long as it isn¡¯t trash¡± The receptionist replied. ¡°I¡¯d like to sell the bag and it¡¯s contents. I¡¯ll collect payment tomorrow?¡± ¡°Very well. Come back tomorrow and you will have your payment¡± ¡°Great! Have a nice day¡± Jerry left the receptionist and went to the residential wing of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and into his room. Jerry opened the letter and read it¡¯s contents. You are invited to the Royal Empire¡¯s Tour Party to officially celebrate the defeat of the Demon Lord, Larry! Please come dressed in appropriate attire and come well groomed. A mask will be provided, but you are able to bring your own should you desire.You have been selected due to a recommendation from Guild Master Palo! You have 5 days to prepare for the party that will take place in the Imperial Kingdom¡¯s Palace. It will take place at Nightfall, and lamps will be lit to signify the party is going on. Jerry thought for a moment, debating if he should go or not to this Party or not. Jerry closed his eyes and took out his lighter, flipping it open then closing it repeatedly before striking a flame. Jerry opened his eyes and held the letter in front of him, right above the flames. He closed his lighter and set the letter down on the table and placed his lighter back in his pocket before he dropped down onto his bed, drifting into a slumber. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª 5 Days Ago ¡°W-What is this Magic Power!?¡± Jepal said as she backed away from Larmen. ¡°Impressed? This is what the true hero of the Empire can do. The cowardly hero that is Jerry has none¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°I-I apologize for my rudeness, My Lord¡± Jepal said as she bowed down. The others soon followed, save for Kasune. ¡°Why are you calling him Lord? What about Jerry?¡± Kasune asked. ¡°If that was what Jerry could do without magic, imagine what he could do without it!¡± Jepal scolded. Kasune recoiled a bit before thinking. ¡®She¡¯s right¡¯ She thought before regretfully bowing before Larmen. ¡°W-What¡¯s this? Why is everyone bowing?¡± Larmen asked. ¡°Lord Larmen, we are here to serve all your desires. We will deal with everything, even if it¡¯s your lust¡± Jepal said. ¡°N-No! I don¡¯t need that to happen!¡± Larmen said, waving his hands in denial. ¡°Is it that we are not of use? If so, we will leave our shameful faces around¡± ¡°W-Wait. I¡¯m sure I have a use for you. Just, not that!¡± ¡°Then we give you our oath that we will serve you to our best abilities¡± The King then entered the room just then seeming very cheerful about some news. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be touring the world and will be holding a party at every capital! Ours will be last so we will first go to the Imperial Nation, then the Elven Nation, then the Dark Elf forest and finally, here. You all will go forward and become the shield of the world!¡± The King said. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty¡± Larmen said as he bowed to the King. ¡°Now go, you must quickly set off. Now, you 10 must vouch for Larmen in him slaying the Demon Lord. Jerry has ran off like the coward he is. The carriages are outside waiting for you!¡± the King said with disgust. The room quickly emptied as the party went to the carrages outside, set for the Imperial Nation, leaving the King alone. The King sighed before taking a seat. ¡°God, what am I to do? Jerry¡¯s run off, leaving me to force the credit onto Larmen.¡± The King said, with a wrinkled brow as he stresses out.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Jerry woke up in his bed. He then felt very uncomfortable since he fell asleep in his full gear, thus having him feel the hard plate on his back instead of the soft mattress the bed had. Jerry got up, cracked his neck, did a couple stretches and got up from his bed. Jerry reloaded his magazines that he had used to fight the Blackridge Bandits. He was soon done as he inserted the last magazine into it¡¯s slot face down. He exited his room, went down the stairs and went into the Guild Hall. ¡°Larry, I have the rewards for the items you sold to the Guild!¡± The receptionist shouted to Jerry as he left the residential wing. Jerry looked to where the voice to find the receptionist that he usually went to had a line of people to deal with. ¡°I¡¯ll get it later¡± Jerry replied. Jerry wandered the town, looking for something interesting to do. He walked down the food market, finding different scents he hadn¡¯t smelled before. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Jerry asked as he came upon a food stall that piqued his interests ¡°It¡¯s Fire Fox meat on a stick. 5 bronze per stick¡± The stall owner said. Jerry thought about it. He was interested, but was it worth the 5 bronze? ¡°I¡¯ll take 2¡± Jerry said as he looked around his purse. Jerry looked around the many purses he nabbed from the bandits, each purse making a chink noise as Jerry moved them. He was able to find a silver coin soon and handed it over to the stall owner. ¡°Thank you for your business¡± The stall owner said. Jerry took a bite of the meat as he walked away and found it to be quite pleasant. The taste of salt and pepper was a nice touch to the meat that was juicy, soft, and tender. He looked around for something to do as he ate his food. He found gambling dens, shops, and smiths but noting piqued his interests. Jerry wandered endlessly around the Kingdom, looking for something interesting to do. He might just go to the next country if nothing happens. Then an idea came to him. He could just do another job from the adventurer¡¯s guild! Jerry quickly went back to the adventurer¡¯s guild and looked for jobs of his level. Clear out Bandit Infestation at Klopm Village Clear out Bandit Hideout at Jeis Ruins Rescue Jessica Jakel from Bandits in Klopm Village Eliminate Thorned Bandits The jobs were about Jerry¡¯s level and payed well, each ranging from 25 gold coins to 100. The best part was Jessica Jakel was a relative of Scharla Jakel judging from the last names. Jerry took down the four posters and went to the receptionist and got in line to start them. ¡°Ah, Larry. Would you like to claim your reward now?¡± The receptionist asked. ¡°Yea, and I would like to do these quests¡± Jerry then placed the sheets of paper on the table. ¡°4 quests? Quite a lot. Especially since they¡¯re all for B and A ranked parties¡± The receptionist said as she placed a cloth bag on the table. Jerry took the bag and placed it in his pockets. ¡°I wanna have a little fun, you know? Being stuck here don¡¯t got a lot to do¡± Jerry responded. ¡°What about the party? Hero Larmen is to receive an Imperial Might medal¡± ¡°Imperial Might?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty much the best medal the Imperial Kingdom can give. The Empire will give the Golden Heart, the Elves will give Great Oak, and the Dark Elves will give the Sorcerers Stone¡± Jerry sighed. ¡°Yea, I don¡¯t like dressing up in formal clothing, acting nice and all that. I prefer to do jobs and get paid¡± ¡°Fair enough. Anyway, give me your card and I can approve the quests¡± Jerry handed the receptionist the Guild Card and the receptionist placed four stamps on it, then the paper. ¡°Here you are. Good luck and stay safe¡± The receptionist said. Jerry stepped out of line and went to the Residential Wing to gear up for the next quests. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Now ¡°We have arrived at the Imperial Nation!¡± Elizabeth said, disembarking the carriage. ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s a really different change in scenery¡± Larmen said. The others gasped in amazement as they disembarked. The people that came were the 10 Demon Commanders, Alice, Elizabeth, Scharla, Janice, and Larmen. ¡°Welcome to the Imperial Nation! Where Alice and I grew up!¡± Elizabeth said with a smile. Larmen and the others stood outside of the Nation¡¯s walls. The wall was made of stone and towered over them. ¡°The Imperial Nation¡¯s Walls are made from stone and magic created by the Great Mage Kalmis! The walls stand well over 500 years now!¡± Elizabeth said. The party gave a small round of applause as they all then headed towards the gate to the city. ¡°P-Princess Elizabeth!¡± The guard said as he straightened his posture. ¡°Hello there, Guard! Let us in¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°At once¡± The guard then gave the signal to the gatekeeper which caused the gate to raise. The party entered the Imperial Nation, taking in it¡¯s sights. The different and strange assortments of armor almost made Larmen feel like he fit in as opposed to the Empire where everyone wore a uniform. They walked down the road, towards the Imperial Nation¡¯s Palace while Elizabeth and Alice caught up with each other. ¡°Aha, Sleeping Mare¡¯s Tavern! My favorite place¡± Alice said. ¡°Sleeping Mare? Oh! The place with Old Man Harold! Wanna go? I¡¯m sure he would be delighted to see you after so long¡± Elizabeth said with a smile to Alice. ¡°Of course!¡± The party was then led into the tavern by Alice and Elizabeth. ¡°Elizabeth, welcome ba-¡± The tavern keep cut himself off once he laid his eyes on Alice. ¡°Alice? Is that you?¡± He asked. ¡°Old Man Harold! It¡¯s been ages!¡± Alice said with a smile and wave. ¡°My god! How much you have grown! And you brought Hero Larmen into my establishment! Such an honor!¡± The man exclaimed. ¡°Haha, Sorry about that¡± Alice apologized. ¡°No no, As a matter of fact, drinks are free for you and your party! Take it as my treat and a welcome back gift¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I guess we¡¯ll take you up on your offer¡± Elizabeth said. The party then took a seat and the tavern keeper went into the back. Elizabeth and Alice sat next to each other and started to talk to each other. ¡°So, there¡¯s a guy named Jerry I met. He took me to you¡± Alice said. ¡°Don¡¯t speak of his name. It brings bad luck!¡± Elizabeth said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Larmen and Jerry dueled each other. Jerry cheated and caused a fatal blow to the head. Luckily, the Empire¡¯s mages were able to heal Larmen and get him fixed. No one dares to speak of the name of a coward. He doesn¡¯t even have magic!¡± Elizbeth whispered to Alice. ¡°That¡¯s not true! The Jerry I know is a kind person who gave me food!¡± Alice whispered back. ¡°You sure that¡¯s the Jerry we know? The Jerry we know would loot bodies from the dead after a fight!¡± Elizabeth whispered. ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Falk told me so!¡± ¡°N-No way!¡± ¡°So, promise me that you¡¯ll never speak of his name¡± ¡°I promise. I never knew Jerry could be so cruel!¡± Just then, a wooden mug touched the table where the party sat around. ¡°Here are your drinks!¡± The tavern keeper said. The drinks were then distributed among the party as they all took a sip from their mugs. Everyone seemed to have a good time including Kasune and Alice. They all laughed and The Demon Commanders told stories of their heroic tales of the battlefield while the Hero¡¯s party sat and listened. ¡°We must make a cheer to something on this special occasion¡± Larmen said. ¡°Indeed we must¡± Jepal said. ¡°To the future of the world!¡± Larmen said as he raised his cup. ¡°To the future of the world!¡± They all repeated before taking a large sip from their cups. They soon resumed talking to each other and discussed topics that piqued their interest until the Tavern closed. The party left, most drunk, but some still barely managing to stay sober as they walked down the road to the Imperial Nation¡¯s Palace, led by Elizabeth who was struggling to walk. As the party walked down the road while everyone was drunkenly talking to each other having a good time, a person caught Kasune¡¯s attention and turned Alice¡¯s head. A man with a black visor and helmet with a weird item that covered his ears walked down the road. It had a sense of nostalgia, the way the man conducted himself and the equipment he wore triggered that. He had a familiar vest, backpack albeit more flatter made them remember someone. Although they noticed him, it seemed that he did not. They turned their heads to look at the man that walked passed them. However, that moment was short as the man soon blended in with the crowd, never to be seen again. For the rest of the night, it soured the mood of them both as the night grew old. Chapter 28: Klopm Village Chapter 28: Klopm Village Chapter 28.5 Chapter 28.5: Under the Rug ¡®What am I going to do?¡¯ The king asked himself. There was a problem with the current state of affairs. Larmen and his party never killed the Demon Lord. The other hero, Jerry did. Problem is, the population beleives that Larmen did and Jerry could expose this lie, putting the Empire in a pinch. ¡®What if I bribed him?¡¯ The king thought. But, the king realized that he didn¡¯t have any means of contacting Jerry since he left. He also remembered that Jerry was last seen leaving the reward ceremony in the Empire furiously.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Shit shit shit, what do I do?¡¯ The king sat in thought over his throne with a wrinkled brow. ¡°Is there something wrong, Your Majesty?¡± A sly voice asked. ¡°Ah, Spymaster, you startled me¡± The King responded. ¡°I am always here. Now, what is on your mind, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°The other hero, Jerry. He is a nuisance and could ruin our facade at anytime!¡± ¡°Maybe I could make him¡­ Disappear¡± The Spymaster said with a grin. ¡®Disappear¡­ Disappear! Dead men can¡¯t speak, I just need to assassinate Jerry!¡¯ ¡°Spymaster¡± The King said. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± The Spymaster responded ¡°Assassinate Jerry, the cowardly hero¡± ¡°Your wish, is my command¡± The Spymaster said, as he slipped into the shadows. ¡®All my problems are gone, and Jerry¡¯s name will be erased, gone, disappeared like a ghost¡¯ The King then smiled. ¡°Swept under the rug¡± The King said. Chapter 29: Ruins Chapter 29: Ruins Jerry rode along the road slowly, removing the bullets from the magazine in his hand and then repacking it. There was no need for a rush at this current time, and Jerry could do with some experience handling his magazines. Click. Click. Click. The bullet made a noise as it slowly clicked into place in the magazine. Soon, he unloaded them as he slid the bullet out of it¡¯s slot. After a while, he put the magazine back into the gun before starting reloading drills. He took a magazine out of his vest and replaced the magazine in his gun, before putting it back into his vest. He repeated the process for the next few hours as he rode down the path. The sun eventually set and Jerry decided to settle down for the night. Jerry opened a MRE from his backpack and ate it¡¯s contents and placed the tablets in his pocket. He then scaled a tree and found a suitable branch to hold Jerry and his belongings. He would arrive soon at the ruins and he would need to clear them out. Jerry let his eyelids collapse as he fell asleep, falling still as the night passed. Jerry opened his eyes and took a deep breath in. He stretched his arms and back as he awoke to the new day before hopping off his tree. His feet landed on the ground with a thud. Jerry looked into the sky, finding it still dark out. Jerry got on his horse and quickly set off on his horse to the ruins. He soon arrived at the ruins. There was a stone tower in the center that over looked the land that surrounded the ruins and there was a collapsed section of the wall that was guarded by bandits. Jerry didn¡¯t exactly want to wait, but he could never be too careful and brought out the recon drone. As it flew into the air, Jerry could get a grasp of what was inside. Around center, bandits slept in the center and off to the side was a canteen which can be told by the assortments of pots and pans near it. HVTs or anything important were likely inside the stone tower in the center. Jerry grinned as he recalled the recon drone as he thought of the loot that he could get from this. Jerry wanted to release the frustrations he had on Larmen¡¯s group by screwing them over once or twice but this will have to do. Jerry looked around him, figuring out a plan. The ruins stood atop a hill, giving the bandit¡¯s the height advantage that could prove dangerous if they are able to get archers out quickly. However, Jerry did have his blink ability that could assist him. He didn¡¯t want to sneak around, so he decided to do the next best thing and the blink as an offensive tool. Jerry examined the walls and determined that they were too high to blink atop of. There was also a lot of open ground between where he stood to the hole to run, so Jerry just decided to just shoot them from where he stood. Jerry got off his horse and tied the horse to a tree. He should probably feed it soon as he hadn¡¯t fed it in the last few days. Jerry patted the horse a couple times before moving away from the horse to not scare it as bad when he fires. He looked for somewhere that he could have a good line of sight, but have good concealment. He found himself a nice little bush that wasn¡¯t the tallest, but hid his body if he crossed his legs. Jerry sat down and looked down his sight. This was the first time that Jerry really used the C-More sight that came with the rifle. The sight had a thick housing and was long. The sight¡¯s outer casing had 3 dials with two on each side and one on the top for tuning the sight. Jerry tinkered with the sight to find that when he rotated the dial on the left side, the sight would be magnified while the other two were used to zero the sight in. Jerry looked into the sight to find a cross with a stadiametric range finder on the bottom left and the zeroed distance on the top right. Jerry found there was little to no wind and started to zero in his sight. Using the rangefinder, he was able to roughly estimate that they were about 250 meters away and zeroed that in with the help of the sight. Jerry lined up his shot and pulled the trigger, feeling the recoil hit back on his right shoulder. He quickly relined his shot with the other guard before shooting again as the first guard¡¯s head recoiled back as he fell down. Jerry then moved to the right a bit before laying down on his belly and then watched the walls and hole in the wall and waited. Another guard came out of the opening only to be put down by Jerry as he fired his rifle. Another guard peeked the opening but Jerry missed his shot causing the guard to hide himself with the wall. Jerry quickly reloaded before starting to run down the field towards the opening with his weapon up. Occasionally, Jerry would out a burst of bullets to suppress the guard and stop him from peeking. Jerry then realized that it was a pointless idea as he is in a medieval setting and they likely only had swords and bows and stopped suppressing them and reloaded a new magazine. As he started sprinting towards the opening, what seemed to be an archer gets onto the wall along with 3 others start taking aim. Jerry kept sprinting but fired in the general direction of the archers causing them to flinch and miss their shots. He soon arrived at the opening and did a quick pulse scan. 45 Hostiles Detected! Hostile Classification: 25x Grunts 5x Brutes 10x Archers 5x Mages Red outlines started to appear on his visor and easily recognizable icons appeared over them. There were circles above what seemed to be mages as there were five of them. Arrows appeared over archers, brutes had shields over their heads and grunts had nothing over them. There was an outline waiting on the opening lying in waiting for Jerry to come through to ambush him. Jerry turned the corner, already firing his weapon and causing the outline to fall on the ground. As he did this, many of the bandits awoke as the shots echoed throughout the ruins. Jerry quickly turned to them and started to fire in small controlled bursts at the bandits as they grabbed their swords. Jerry soon ran out of ammo and reloaded a magazine while looking around. Jerry currently stood at the south east of the ruins where the opening was. The ruins was a square shaped area and because of this, to his left had a staircase that led to the top of the walls where the archers were. To his right, there was a wooden door that led to the inside of the walls of the ruins that had the possibility to be a good choice, but also a bad choice. However, there was another opening that Jerry spotted on the north western side of the ruins.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The magazine slid into the rifle with a click and Jerry pulled back the charging handle to chamber the next bullet before taking more shots at the bandits. As his weapon ran dry, the bandits started to charge at Jerry with a war cry. Jerry turned around and ran out of the opening and turned left and ran down a bit before the next magazine was ready to be fired. As the next magazine was ready, Jerry turned around and found the bandits clumped up together and charging at him in a blob. Jerry unloaded into them causing a good chunk of them to collapse dead. As Jerry got ready to run down again, he heard more war cries but it came from behind him. The bandits had used the north western opening to flank Jerry and pinch him. There were still bandits in front of him that were still charging him, causing Jerry to have to run east into the open field. Jerry ran into the open field as he inserted the magazine into his gun and cocked it before turning around to open fire. Jerry found that the flanking groups had merged into one but they started to put spacing into their formation as they charged at Jerry. As Jerry took aim, a red fiery ball was launched towards him from the wall. Jerry jumped to the right and as his body hit the ground, started to unload into the bandits running at him, causing a decent chunk to collapse. Jerry looked at where it came from to find that the Mages and Archers were on the wall, taking aim at Jerry. He quickly got up and started to quickly reload his rifle, dropping the current magazine on the ground and inserting a new one. Jerry looked at the bandits, seeing that their eyes were filled with fear as they charged him. Jerry used his sight and shot towards the bandits on the walls being able to drop one mage before the rest ducked into cover. He looked at the bandits charging at him to find 8 bandits left. He took aim at one before taking a shot towards their head. He shot his rifle, one by one, watching each one fall down and felt the rifle kicking back on his shoulder. As the last one fell, Jerry picked up his dropped magazine and placed it back into it¡¯s slot and blinked towards the castle as he reloaded his rifle. He kept blinking, towards the opening but soon felt a heavy wave of fatigue fell upon him as he reached the wall of the ruins. ¡®Yea, thought this would happen¡¯ Jerry pushed his back against the wall as each second passes and the effects get worse. He felt dizzy as it felt like his head was imploding in itself. His ears started ringing and the effects kept getting worse and worse each second. Jerry let go of his rifle letting it drop to the grass that he stood on and sat down against the wall. His breathing started to be labored soon after but that was the least of his problems. He felt an impact on his helmet, causing the effects to get even worse. Jerry quickly drew his pistol and shot towards where he got hit from. He could see a silhouette fall to the ground and quickly reloaded but his movement started to be equivalent to a drunkard. It took him three tries to get the magazine seated as his vision started to blur. A silhouette then appeared emerging from the corner causing Jerry to shoot at it. The pistol kick up, more than usual due to his weakened body as the sound of the pistol was hard to hear as the ringing in his ears increased. Jerry¡¯s visor started to show his pulse being erratic as his BPM increased. The silhouette quickly ducked and pointed his hands towards him. Jerry quickly rolled out the way as his instinct told him nothing good would happen. An icy spike then impacted where Jerry once laid as he rolled away. Jerry shot at the chest of where the bandit stood and it was clear that he struck him as the bandit¡¯s shoulder recoiled backwards from the shot. ¡°Bastard!¡± The bandit shouted. Jerry let out a second shot, causing the silhouette to cover its neck as he fell on his knees. The effects that afflicted Jerry started to steady as Jerry looked around for his rifle. He did a quick Pulse Scan to find the remaining bandits. 14 Hostiles Detected! 9x Archers 4x Mages 1x Brute Jerry struggled to get onto his feet as his movements were sluggish and slow along with his rifle in hand. He used his rifle to prop himself up and was able to get on his feet with his back against the wall. Jerry remembered that he blinked five times before he started to feel the negatives from what can only be assumed to be the drawbacks of using too much magic. He looked up to find a large, bulky red outline about to turn the corner. Jerry could feel the adrenaline start to pump through his body as he raised his rifle and got ready to fire. As the large man turned the corner, Jerry unloaded into him, feeling the rifle kick back more than usual. He was unable to keep his stance and fell back down onto his back but causing the large man to do the same. Jerry took the magazine out and held one side of the magazine towards the edge to get a feel for how many bullets were left in it. Jerry estimated that it was closer to the top than he¡¯d like before putting it back in while he was on his side. Jerry looked around for the other outlines to find that they were waiting for Jerry to enter the opening as he found the outlines waiting to launch arrows and magic at him. Jerry got up, stumbling to his feet again before thinking of a plan. He looked at where they were positioned and it was almost perfect to start ¡°slicing the pie¡±. Jerry reloaded his rifle and walked towards the opening and readied his rifle. He stood outside the opening, taking deep breaths to prepare himself to do something stupid. He started to ¡°slice the pie¡± as he moved to the left. As a red outline approached his sights, Jerry got ready to fire his weapon. The red outline finally fell into his sight and a bang was heard as Jerry pulled the trigger. However, an arrow was let loose and it impacted Jerry¡¯s face mask, causing him to recoil backwards. As he recovered, from the impact on his helmet, Jerry saw the bandits slowly approaching the opening cautiously. Jerry decided to hurry up and wrap up this fight and loaded in the AP-F rounds that he had. Jerry continued to slice the pie, taking each step slowly as he peeked the opening. As the first bandit fell into Jerry¡¯s sights, he pulled the trigger causing the AP-F round to be launched into the bandit. The first thing that Jerry noticed was that there was a slightly larger entry wound than those that were found in regular rounds. But, the effects were easily seen as the bandit quickly fell down face first with a thud as he hit the ground. Jerry then picked up the pace as he continued to peek, finding another one in his sights. Jerry shot off a small burst into the next one and found the effects even more amplified as it made big holes in the bandit. Jerry¡¯s next bandit found a round to enter his mouth causing the jaw to be blown off and a mangled gargled noise to come from the bandit. As this was happening, the effects of the excessive use of magic started to increase again, making Jerry fall onto his knees. His stomach twisted and turned but the adrenaline flowing through his body kept going. Jerry got up and picked up the pace of slicing the pie even more. Each time a bandit fell into Jerry¡¯s sight, he would pull the trigger causing the bandit to drop dead. As Jerry¡¯s sight fell onto the last bandit, he was seen dropping his bow. ¡°W-Wait, I surrender!¡± The bandit said. Jerry looked at the silhouette that he could see, feeling the amplifying effects of excessive magic use. Jerry lowered his rifle and held it in his left hand by the foregrip. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m in your debt¡± The bandit said. Jerry looked at him before pulling out his pistol and shooting him. ¡°B-But¡± The bandit said as the blood from the bullet wound expanded throughout the robe. ¡°Can¡¯t take risks¡± Jerry said as he collapsed on the spot as his adrenaline faded away. Before his consciousness could slip, Jerry did a pulse scan. No Hostiles Detected Jerry let out a sigh of relief before his arms dropped to his sides and dropped his rifle. His consciousness slipped away into the void as he fell unconscious. Chapter 30: Thorned Bandits Chapter 30: Throned Bandits ¡°We¡¯re coming up on the Jeis Ruins, sir¡± A man said. He wore studded leather armor that wrapped around him tightly. ¡°Finally. Those bastards are gonna pay up, finally. They spent all their money on booze and jewels but never paid us back. We¡¯re gonna teach¡¯em a lesson, lads¡± A man in full metal armor said. He wore no helmet, to show the other man who was in charge and to keep his face in the air. He leaned against a tree with his arms crossed. ¡°Of course, sir. They will feel our fury!¡± Another man said before letting out a maniacal chuckle. Behind him stood 15 other men of various shapes and sizes wielding the weapon that suited them the most. They marched towards Jeis Ruins to collect the debt that their leader had collected over time. The leader let out a low chuckle before he got off the tree. ¡°Well, lets go¡± The leader said before they marched towards Jeis Ruins. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°Well, that¡¯s new¡± A voice said, breaking the void. Jerry sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. ¡°Ah, Dark Void Demon Man, is that you?¡± Jerry said, analyzing his surroundings. Jerry sat on a black surface that seemed to extend endlessly. The area he was in was entirely black with the exception of the chair that the man sat on. His chair seemed to be made of a cushions of the seat were made of red velvet on the seat and held the skeleton made of smooth metal. ¡°Yes, Jerry, tis is I, Dark Void Demon Man¡± The man said. ¡°Let¡¯s not¡± Jerry said as he looked at the man. ¡°I agree. Call me Void¡± The man said. ¡°Void? Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good at naming things, okay?¡± ¡°Yea yea. So, what do you want?¡± ¡°I wanted to reward you for your wonderful display at Jeis Ruins¡± Void said. ¡°What¡¯s that reward?¡± ¡°Another orb¡± ¡°Head pain included?¡± ¡°Nope. That¡¯s a one time thing. Now, got one on your mind?¡± ¡°Maybe the Orb of Explosion thing?¡± ¡°Orb of Explosive Touch?¡± ¡°Yea, that thing¡± ¡°Great. Learn with it¡± Void said before he snapped his finger. Jerry then found light to start warping towards Jerry emitting a blinding light causing him to cover his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in at a standing desk with various items laid in front of him with targets on the field that expanded in front of him. Jerry looked at the desk in front of him to find rocks, arrows, knives, and other various items in front of him. He picked up a knife, feeling it¡¯s weight before tossing it harmlessly into the field. He tried to find a trigger to blow it up, but to no avail. Void then appeared behind him with a black cloud. ¡°I also forgot to mention, you do need to put a trigger on the item before activating it¡± Void said. Jerry went over on the field and picked up the knife again before returning to his original spot. He looked at the knife and tried many times using his ability to put a trigger in it. He then felt something. Something that told him that he had done it causing him to throw the knife into the field. Jerry then tried to detonate the knife out in the field. It took a while, but he was able to detonate the knife in the field after a while. The shrapnel from the knife blew everywhere causing a piece to enter Jerry¡¯s brain. Jerry turned around and faced Void while pointing to the shrapnel sticking out of his head. ¡°Is this normal?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Yea, that¡¯s pretty normal. Here, let me take it out of you¡± Void said before he grabbed the shrapnel and pulled it out, revealing no blood to be on the shrapnel. ¡°See? Like nothing was ever there¡± Void said. Jerry placed his hand where the shrapnel once stuck out of to find that there was nothing there, not even a wound. ¡°You¡¯re just in a dream. But I¡¯m using my magic to keep you in the dream. Carry on¡± Void said as he laid down on air and watched Jerry. Jerry turned around and picked up the rock that was on the table. Jerry tossed it fairly far and blew it up mid air, watching the rock blow up into small and large chunks as it entered the ground. Jerry thought about what about breaching a wall or a door before he found himself in a hall. ¡°When you¡¯re ready¡± Void said. Jerry nodded before placing his hand on a door that was wooden with no distinguishing features. Jerry then leaned up against the wall and faced away from the door before triggering the explosion. The explosion caused a ringing in Jerry¡¯s ears before he started to simulate clearing the room. He pretended to raise his rifle and entered the room, sweeping the entire room. Jerry sighed before he placed his hands down to his sides and turned around to find Void looking at him as if he was studying him. ¡°Interesting¡± Void said. ¡°Don¡¯t study me, please¡± Jerry said. ¡°So, you done training?¡± Void asked. ¡°I got the grasp of it. I got a question though¡± ¡°Well, I got an answer¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°When I used the blink for a while, why¡¯d that thing happen?¡± ¡°Oh, mana fatigue. Yea, bad times. You got like, 250 mana I think. Blink costs 50 each but when you deplete it all, you should take a nap for a while. The more you¡¯re awake, the worse it gets. You can get it back awake if you haven¡¯t depleted it all, but I mean, it¡¯s slow as hell. Sleeping for 8 hours replenishes your mana entirely compared to staying awake for 24 hours to your mana entirely. Explosive Touch depends on the item. Stuff like rocks and knives I showed you cost 15 and walls or doors cost 25¡± Void explained. ¡°Got it, now wake me up. Gotta loot and scoot¡± ¡°As you wish¡± Void said before he snapped his finger. Jerry quickly sat up gasping for breath as he looked around him before calming down. Jerry looked at the corpse that sat near him, remembering what happened before feeling a wave of guilt go over him. Jerry patted down his backpack to find that he forgot to pack cigarettes before tossing it away from him before sitting down and burying his head in his hands, thinking about what he had done. He didn¡¯t know how long had passed before he raised his head again, returning to his normal state of mind. He needed to repack his magazines and set out for the thorned bandits. Jerry sat up, and picked up his backpack and searched around for extra bullets before remembering he didn¡¯t pack any extra bullets. ¡®Well, ain¡¯t that just great¡¯ Jerry picked up his backpack and went around to do some looting.Most of the bandits on the inside of the ruins had a few coins, nothing large on them other than some jewels and rings. Jerry quickly pocketed these and looked for keys or anything he could use. The bandits inside the walls of the ruins contained nothing that he could use so he started to move outside. Jerry¡¯s mind soon blanked as he looted the bodies as he soon developed a checklist that he would go through. He would first pat down the pockets before checking the shirt or hip for anything before moving onto the hands to look for rings. He would glance at the weapon as he did this to see if there was anything special about them that he could take. After he finished, he went back inside the ruins to preform an inventory check. So far, he had 10 gold, 3 silver, and 9 bronze coins. He had three keys and assortments of jewels and rings. Jerry ventured towards the cook area as his stomach roared from hunger. There was a metal pot over an extinguished fire and it contained soup and some traces of vegetables and meat. Jerry looked at it for a while before placing the lid back on it, deciding against eating it. He walked to the main tower in the center of the ruins and inserted a random key the corpses had. As he turned the key, it met heavy resistance showing that it wasn¡¯t the right key. Jerry tried another one, allowing the key to freely turn, opening the lock. He twisted the knob and pushed the door in, showing a pillar with stairs that lead up onto the top of the tower. The stairs twisted around the pillar in the center of the tower, seeming to be endless as Jerry climbed the stairs. Eventually, he reached the top of the ruins. It looked well organized, with a bookshelf on the wall, a made bed, and a desk by a window and a candle on it. There was a chest propped up against the bed with a lock on it and a wardrobe along the wall with a lock on it. Jerry unlocked the wardrobe first, failing the first time with the wrong key before successfully getting it the second time. He pulled the doors open to find a sword decorated in gold and jewels of different colors. The scabbard that covered the blade had a white material that covered the center while the edges of it were engraved while being decorated by gold. On each side of the guard was a red jewel that was inserted into it. The pommel was decorated gold and had a point on it and the guard was engraved and lined with gold and ivory. Jerry exposed the blade to find that the there were red, blue, gold, and a green gem lined along the center of the sword near the guard of the sword. Jerry let out a low whistle before he picked it up feeling it¡¯s hefty weight. Jerry swung it around a couple of times like a baseball player, impacting the wardrobe a couple of times before putting it back into the scabbard. Jerry placed it into his bag but it was too small to conceal it entirely causing the guard and handle to be exposed. Jerry then unlocked the chest with the key that didn¡¯t work on the wardrobe and the door and opened it. Inside, he found letters and a filled bag along with a filled bottle. Jerry placed the bag from the chest into his backpack bag and picked the letter and bottle up and sat down on the desk before opening up the letter and reading it. Look, fucko, I want my cash soon or I¡¯m gonna shove your head up your ass and string you along a horse riding down the most ridged path we can find. You have 5 days to find my cash, or you¡¯re dead. 500 gold coins, remember? -Thorned Bandits Jerry shook the bottle to find that it was partially empty before taking a sniff of it. It smelled like alcohol and was likely that. Jerry shook his head sarcastically before he tossed the bottle out the window. Jerry checked out the total amount of magazine for how many bullets left he had to spend to find that he had 15 AP-F rounds, 2 magazines of Ball ammo, and 1 magazine of AP. For his pistol, he had two full magazine and 5 bullets in his current one. Jerry then went back down the stairs and into the field. He found a man crouched over a body along with two others by his side. The man got up and looked at Jerry with a sword around his shoulder. Jerry replaced the AP-F round he had with Ball rounds. ¡°Hey there. Can I help you?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°This your doing?¡± The man asked. He had full plate armor but wore no helmet, exposing a scarred face with a stubble beard. He had little hair and bore a scar on his left eye. ¡°Yea. Why?¡± ¡°They owed us some cash. And we can¡¯t collect from dead men¡± ¡°500 Gold coins?¡± ¡°Yea, how¡¯d you know¡± ¡°Oh, there was a letter in the tower. This would mean that you¡¯re the Thorned Bandits, right?¡± ¡°Yea. Why?¡± Jerry raised his rifle and shot him in the chest before taking aim at his companions. Upon the man dying, the other two companions scattered, but the one on the right was unable to escape Jerry¡¯s sights and was quickly put down. ¡°You¡¯re mine!¡± The third companion screamed as he raised his weapon ready to strike Jerry¡¯s head. To counter this, Jerry blinked away before placing a few shots into the third companion. ¡°Huh, that was easy¡± Jerry said as he reloaded his weapon. ¡°Captain, are you okay?¡± A voice sounded outside the walls. ¡®Shit¡¯ Jerry quickly turned around and laid on his stomach, ready for people to enter the opening. ¡°Captain!¡± A man said as he made the unfortunate mistake of entering Jerry¡¯s sights before he was quickly shot and killed. Jerry blinked backwards, now placing him at 150 mana but was allowed to keep going for a bit before he had to stop using magic. Jerry picked up a random rock from the remains of the ruins and tossed it at the opening before detonating it. Multiple screams could be heard as the rock exploded. Jerry did a quick pulse scan to outline targets. 15 Hostiles Detected! 4x Archers 5x Brutes 2x Mages 4x Rogues Most of the outlines were clumped together, causing Jerry to pick up some large rocks and placing them into his pockets. He could only fit two in total but held one in his hands before going to the opening. Outside were 5 bandits that slowly walked towards the opening where Jerry was but while Jerry could see them, they could not see Jerry. Jerry tossed the rock towards them before detonating the rock causing their outlines to no longer exist as they fell victim to an exploding rock. Jerry then got onto the wall through the stairs to engage the next few bandits. The next set of bandits were 3 in total as they stood up as they heard the explosion. Jerry quickly peeked and sprayed them down with an entire magazine causing them to be riddled with hole as they fell down to the ground. After that, seven more bandits remained. Jerry put his rifle away and brought his pistol out ready to engage the next few targets. Jerry took out a rock from his pocket and held it in his right hand while the pistol was in his left. He then reached the next set of bandits that had six in a group. Jerry put away his pistol and held both rocks in his hands before tossing them over the walls towards the bandits. ¡°What the¡± The bandit said before he met his demise as an explosion went off, killing them off. Their outlines disappeared save for one causing Jerry to peek to finish him off. Jerry was then met with an arrow that bounced off his helmet, causing Jerry to change targets. Out in the distance was an archer that was getting ready for the next shot. Jerry shot his pistol towards the archer causing him to fall to the ground, but his outline still remaining. Jerry had gotten careless when he peeked and didn¡¯t check properly for any other targets. ¡®That¡¯s what I get¡¯ Jerry thought as he brought up his rifle to take aim.Jerry fired at the fallen archer to finish him off before taking aim at the wounded bandit below. However, his outline had already disappeared, signifying that he was dead. Jerry lowered his rifle to check the new bodies that had appeared as he walked down the steps. It had been three days since he had been out of the Imperial Nation still borrowing the horse from the guild. He should return soon before the horse starved to death and he would have to walk the entire way and explain to the guild why it died. Next time, he should pack rations for the horse as well Jerry thought before he crouched down next to the Thorned Bandit leader and patted his pockets. Chapter 31: Imperial Kingdom Chapter 31: Imperial Kingdom ¡°How the hell did you get this?¡± The receptionist asked. ¡°I found it in a wardrobe at the Ruins. Speaking of ruins, the Thorned Bandits are also there but I think they¡¯re dead¡± Jerry sarcastically responded. ¡°Seriously, do you know what this is?¡± ¡°No idea. I assume you¡¯re gonna enlighten me?¡± ¡°Larry, what you have handed to me can turn the tide of a war with just it¡¯s presence¡± ¡°Great. How much is it worth?¡± ¡°Do you not know what this means?¡± ¡°Yea. Don¡¯t care. How much is it worth?¡± ¡°5 thousand gold coins. My offer¡± ¡°How much are forts worth?¡± ¡°10 thousand on average depending on the castle¡¯s size¡± ¡°Do you see the problem here?¡± ¡°Fine, 20 thousand¡± ¡°Get the Guild Master¡± ¡°Wait, wait, I get it. I¡¯ll cut you a fair deal. 100 thousand by the Guild¡± ¡°What¡¯s that mean¡± ¡°We owe you 100 thousand gold coins. You can get things from us through connections and shops from our debt to you¡± ¡°Sounds like a scam¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t!¡± ¡°What about, 99 thousand in the Guild and 1 thousand up front, right here¡± ¡°Fine. Still works for me¡± The receptionist then took the sword cautiously and went to the back. Each receptionist area was its own station and the back led to what Jerry thought a main large back area where things happened. ¡°Where the hell did you get that! Quick, someone get a pillow and cloth!¡± A shout could be heard from the back followed by screams of shock. ¡®Ruh roh¡¯ Jerry thought in his head. The door then burst open showing a man with a monocle with a purple fur coat looking very shocked. ¡°You were the one that brought the Legendary King¡¯s Sword?¡± The man asked. ¡°If that¡¯s what the name of it is, then yea¡± ¡°May I ask where you found it?¡± ¡°The ruins that I took the job offer¡± ¡°Do you know the history behind the sword?¡± ¡°No. Keep it short¡± ¡°But the sword has such a vast history! I can-¡± ¡°Keep it short or I¡¯m taking it back¡± ¡°Yes! It was made by the Legendary Blacksmith H-¡± ¡°No names¡± ¡°It was made by great people and enchanted by a great mage! It was used by the Empire¡¯s King long ago and drove off wave after wave of attacks that seemed hopeless! When the King finally fell on the battlefield from the Imperial Kingdom¡¯s army and tried to be taken, organized bandits showed up and took it for themselves!¡± ¡°Cool. Now give me my cash¡± ¡°Do you not car-¡± ¡°Nope¡± The receptionist then came from the back with a bulging sack of cloth in her hand. ¡°Larry, here¡¯s your 1 thousand gold coins¡± She said holding it out towards Jerry. ¡°Can I also-¡± Jerry was about to request for another job before he was interrupted by a familiar voice. ¡°Larry! Where¡¯ve you been? The ceremony is today!¡± Jerry turned to the voice to find Kopes standing there in a black suit. The more Jerry thought, the more it made sense. It took a day to get to Klopm Village, another day to the ruins, a day of scavenging total and then two days to come back. ¡°I¡¯ve been hunting!¡± Jerry said. ¡°What¡¯ve you been hunting that is so important?¡± Jerry gestured to the receptionist and the man with a purple coat. ¡°The Legendary King¡¯s Sword¡± the man said. ¡°What a find! Now you have to come, Larry!¡± Kopes said followed by a laugh. ¡°I politely decline¡± ¡°You have no choice¡± ¡°I rudely decline¡± ¡°You still have no choice¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So you can receive recognition for your find¡± ¡°No thanks. I got my cash and I¡¯m happy with it¡± ¡°What have you got to lose? It¡¯s a Royal Party, you get some ladies by your side, you get a good meal, and you meet Larmen the Hero!¡± Jerry looked at Kopes through his visor for a moment thinking about what he said. ¡°My time¡± Jerry said before walking towards the Guild Lodging area. _________________________________________Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Elizabeth! Look! Look!¡± Alice said, pointing to a stand. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Elizabeth asked. ¡°It¡¯s model of Larmen!¡± ¡°Really? Let me see!¡± Elizabeth quickly went up to the stand that Alice was pointing to and looked over the wares with Alice. The shop had models of the Heroes that were sent to defeat the Demon Lord. Of course, they never really defeat the Demon Lord. In truth, Jerry was the one that killed him and he has been off the Empire¡¯s and Imperial Kingdom¡¯s grid. Elizabeth knew that, but had to keep it a secret and keep Larmen in line. Elizabeth had to meet with the others before the party, but she had enough time to stick with her sister for a while before the meeting. ¡°Look! It¡¯s you!¡± Alice said with a model of Elizabeth in her hand. ¡°Hero Elizabeth! What an honor it is to have you at my stand. Please, take one of each free of charge to show my gratitude to you for protecting my family¡± The stall owner said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°Not at all! After all, because of you, I still have my shop and my son who was conscripted came home alive. I am forever in your debt¡± ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll take you up on that offer¡± Elizabeth said with a smile before picking a model of each member up. Elizabeth quickly looked at Alice with a smile before she noticed someone behind her. She had to go to the meeting now. The person behind Alice was an Imperial Spy signaling that the meeting was soon. She nodded before looking at Alice. ¡°I gotta go to the palace, Alice. Political stuff you know? You can keep exploring the city and go about. Don¡¯t worry about getting lost or cash. There¡¯ll always be someone watching you¡± Elizabeth said as she handed her the models. ¡°W-What?¡± Alice asked but failed to get an answer from Elizabeth who was sprinting towards the palace. Alice looked at Elizabeth as she ran off into the distance, leaving the models with her. She had no idea what she meant by there¡¯s someone always watching her as she thought it was impossible for someone to watch over her at all times. ¡®Oh well¡¯ Alice thought as she started to wander the streets of the Imperial Nation that she her sister had lived in for many years. Alice wandered and wandered, looking through the wares of different stands but was unable to find anything that interested her. Now, she stood outside the adventurer¡¯s guild which had an angry person speaking to the guild master with a crowd of people nearby watching. ¡°The fuck you mean Larry won¡¯t go?¡± A man asked. He wore leather armor and had a worried look on his face. ¡°He refused stating that it¡¯s a waste of his time¡± A man in golden armor said. He had a refined face with a tired face painted over it. ¡°The finding of the Legendary King¡¯s Sword is immense! He can¡¯t just simply decline the invitation to the party as well!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already explained it to you. He doesn¡¯t wanna go, and we can¡¯t force him to either. Besides, he¡¯s new! Just a week in the guild at best. He¡¯s a rookie!¡± ¡°Yea, a rookie that beat you in a fight. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s just a rookie, Guild Master Kopes¡± Kopes sighed at this moment before looking the man in the eye. ¡°Look, he doesn¡¯t want to go. I have matters to attend to, so please return the message. Goodbye¡± And with that, Kopes turned around and headed inside. ¡°W-Wait!¡± ¡°Guild business only after that door! No political stuff please!¡± ¡°Bastard¡± the man whispered under his breath as he stormed back towards the palace. Alice now filled with interest stepped into the Guild Hall. The Legendary King¡¯s Sword was a story that Alice had heard when she was younger about a King that wielded it and fought off hordes of his enemies. The exact details of the story were hazy to Alice as she hadn¡¯t heard it since she was taken to the Demon Lord. The moment that Alice stepped into the hall, it felt like she entered another place entirely. It didn¡¯t feel like the Imperial Kingdom, the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, or the Empire. Instead, it felt like someplace that she had never been before with it¡¯s stone walls and wooden floor and furniture. It was also more active than the streets of the Imperial Nation which was a shock as the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was an independent group as compared to a nation it resided in. She looked around the hall, finding men with large armor and drinking while telling epic tales of their adventures while women laughed along with them. Alice wandered inside it a bit before she laid her eyes upon a man in all black and a familiar equipment scheme of a particular person that she knew. A strap of some cloth like material suspended a metal object from his neck while it dangled in the air and arms rested upon it. ¡®Jerry?¡¯ Alice thought as she walked closer towards him. She felt that she owed much to him, but hasn¡¯t been able to repay him yet. She wanted to set it right with Jerry so she didn¡¯t feel indebted to him but wondered what she could do. She now stood at his side now as he stared at a job offering board looking for something to do. ¡°J-Jerry?¡± Alice whimpered out. Jerry knew who the voice belonged to but kept his stare at the board to find something to keep him occupied. ¡°Alice¡± ¡°Is that you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my handsome doppleganger, Harry. I also go by Larry here. Not Jerry.¡± ¡°Sorry, Jerry¡± ¡°Larry¡± ¡°Sorry, Larry¡± Alice quickly corrected as she looked down towards the ground in shame. ¡°I¡¯m fuckin with ya. How¡¯re you?¡± Jerry asked as he turned to face her. Alice immediately looked up and faced Jerry in the eye through his opaque visor. ¡°Good! What about you?¡± ¡°Great. So, what do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Oh, just wanted to say hi¡± ¡°Well, Hi. Now that¡¯s done, anything else?¡± ¡°I uh¡± Alice wanted to keep talking to Jerry, but had nothing to say. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Want to walk around the Imperial Streets with me?¡± ¡°Hmm¡± Jerry thought for a moment before looking back at the board and remembers finding nothing of value other than quests far out or too simple. ¡°Sure. I got some cash¡± ¡°Great!¡± Alice¡¯s smile seemed to reach from ear to ear as she heard the answer. ¡°Quit that. Your smile¡¯s too big and scares me, man¡± ¡°Ah, Sorry¡± Jerry let out a small laugh. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Look, Alice. I¡¯m usually joking when there¡¯s nothing to do. Don¡¯t take things I say seriously and just have fun with it and say something witty back¡± Jerry said with a laid back attitude. ¡°Sorry, Elizabeth has been drilling me with keeping a maiden act when I¡¯m in public¡± Alice said with a sigh. ¡°Fuck that. Just be yourself. Not like people around here cares who you are¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Is that why the everyone hates you?¡± ¡°Too soon¡± Jerry said with a small laugh. ¡°Well, let¡¯s walk!¡± Alice said with a nice smile. ¡°Well, lead the way¡± __________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!¡± Elizabeth said, gasping for breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Besides, it¡¯s just between us¡± Scharla said. ¡°So, should we start the briefing?¡± Jepal said. ¡°Why are you in charge¡± Elizabeth asked. ¡°Because I made the plan that you desperately need¡± Jepal said with a sinister tone. ¡°Tch. Continue¡± Elizabeth replied as she took a seat around a table. The table contained the Demon Commanders, Scharla, Janice, and her. ¡°Alright, as you know, the Demon Lord is dead no thanks to Jerry. However, you all needed Larmen to kill him with the support of the four other nations to embed their names into history and keep the population in check for a very long time since they were getting restless. Nobles, Kings, Queens got screwed out of this because of him. Now, we have to talk about something that didn¡¯t even happen and sell it to the population and stop rumors of Jerry actually killing the Demon Lord from slipping out. If we can do that, we all can live comfy, easy lives with Larmen the Hero by our sides as we attempt to marry him. Any questions before we continue?¡± ¡°Why did you switch ships?¡± Elizabeth asked. ¡°Because Larmen is stronger than Jerry, and he¡¯s abandoned the task of being a Demon Lord leaving us jobless and on the wrong side. Anything else?¡± Jepal looked around the room to find no hands raised to ask questions. ¡°Good. Now, the plan is simple. We¡¯ll simply slip him some powder that the Empire is known for provided by our dear King. Then Rose will simply implant memories of fighting the Demon Lord and killing him, thus giving the memories, and us the easy life. We¡¯ll strike at the Imperial Party tonight!¡± Jepal said. ¡°Why are we going for an easy life? This isn¡¯t really fun is it?¡± Kasune asked. ¡°Girl, I¡¯m tired of serving different people and breaking my back. If you want to find a master, then go for it¡± Jepal said as she took a seat at a chair. ¡°Isn¡¯t this mean and illegal?¡± Janice squeaked. ¡°Yea. But at the same time, I don¡¯t care and nor do the others¡± Jepal said as she kicked her feet up. ¡°This isn¡¯t really fair! I¡¯ve been asking myself this for a while now, but why does Jerry get all the problems while we get all the credit? I was chosen to risk my life and everything I had to help slay the Demon Lord! Not sit at a table and talk about how we¡¯re gonna change the memories of the man I have to dedicate myself to!¡± Janice snapped. She had had enough of the talks of doing immoral things that she had been told not to do. Janice didn¡¯t really care about who killed the Demon Lord for her country was the one that suffered the most from the initial attacks from the Demon Lord. During the first attacks, she had seen many lost and fell timid because of it, still bearing the grief caused by it. No response came as Janice¡¯s eyes started to tear up from the memories surfacing. The silence seemed to last an eternity before she broke the silence by storming out the room and slamming the door shut behind her. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine¡± Jepal said. ¡®I hope¡¯ Chapter 32: Imperial Streets Chapter 32: Imperial Party ¡°Look! Look!¡± Alice shouted as she skipped down the street browsing and calling out things that caught her attention from the shop stands. ¡®Kill me now¡¯ Jerry was tired after walking around with Alice who made him buy everything with puppy eyes that she would do if Jerry showed any sign of not buying it. Of course, money wasn¡¯t a problem at the moment for Jerry as he¡¯s got a good bit to spare. He was thinking of doing something big with his cash like start a mercenary company or even making his own faction. Jerry still had no idea what he was going to do but knew that he wanted to do something big. Jerry sighed before looking where Alice was pointing out. It was a shop that sold cleaning equipment and had something on display that interested her. ¡°What?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°It¡¯s cleaning equipment!¡± ¡°Really? I would¡¯ve never guessed, Alice¡± Alice then pouted as she looked at Jerry. ¡°Don¡¯t need to be an ass¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. So, what¡¯re you gonna use it for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m clearly going to use it to make legendary armor with it¡± Alice said with a smug face. Jerry smiled a bit with a small laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t need to be an ass¡± Alice then broke her smug face and then looked back at the stall, before she picked up a thick piece of cloth. ¡°So, what are you actually gonna use it for?¡± ¡°Wash some dishes or armor for the Larmen¡¯s group and stuff¡± Jerry scratched his back when she finished what she was saying, thinking about Larmen. Alice put down the cloth before picking up a more larger but folded up cloth. ¡°Hey, Larry¡± Alice said with a smile. ¡°Yea, yea. Just take it¡± Jerry said as he took out a gold coin and handed it to the stall manager. ¡°Keep the change¡± Jerry said as the manager took out a sack of coins. ¡°Thank you for your business!¡± The manager said as Alice and Jerry walked down the street. ¡°So, how¡¯s Larmen doing?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°He¡¯s doing fine. He talks with the nobles and the girls and gets on their good sides and is a complete idiot¡± Alice said ¡°Whys that?¡± Alice sighed as they walked down the street. ¡°He walks into the women¡¯s showers by ¡®accident¡¯ and catches a glimpse of everyone naked. He also manages to trip on thin air and pins one on the ground like an idiot¡± Alice complained. ¡°Sound like you hate it¡± ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s not like I do with it being Larmen and all¡± Alice blushed. ¡°Weirdo¡± Jerry said as he yawned. ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°Never said it was. Just calling you a weirdo. Unless, it is like that?¡± ¡°I said it isn¡¯t you ass!¡± ¡°Mhmm. Keep making excuses¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Alice stopped and turned away from Jerry, crossing her arms. Jerry kept on walking, not stopping at all for Alice. ¡°Okay, see ya!¡± Jerry said. ¡°W-Wait!¡± Alice shouted as she started to run towards Jerry. Jerry turned around to face Alice but caught something else. There was a cloaked figure on the roof with a black hood with a bow drawn taking aim at him. He was behind Alice, but wasn¡¯t far from them and Jerry was an easy target for the cloaked figure as no one stood around him. ¡®Shit¡¯ Before Jerry could react, an arrow came loose and seemed to zip through the air like a bullet and into Jerry¡¯s shoulder. The arrow entered through Jerry¡¯s left shoulder and caused Jerry to collapse immediately. Unidentified Substance detected in bloodstream. Activating disposable nano-bots Substance detected Type: Bacteria Designation:T1-3214-B Danger Level - 6 of 10 Counteracting Reproduction Complete. Disabling nano-bots. Jerry¡¯s heartbeat could be heard through his chest as text appeared on his visor. An arrow stuck out of his left shoulder and he could feel the pain that it brought. The arrowhead stuck out of Jerry¡¯s shoulder as he laid on his sides screaming in pain. Jerry looked towards where the cloaked figure had stood to find that no one stood there anymore. ¡°Jerry! Are you okay?¡± Alice asked as she crouched above Jerry. ¡°No, Alice, I¡¯m fantastic! Arrows don¡¯t hurt at all!¡± Jerry shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll get some help¡± ¡°Please do!¡± Jerry could hear the people around him start to whisper and scream as blood started to leak from his arms. Jerry thought about his situation for a little. The wound was going to be a pain to remove, but he had to do something soon or he could bleed out soon. Jerry tell that his bones were broken but knew that magic existed and Kasune could fix it. Jerry decided to keep that in his mind to hold onto a hope so he had at least one idea that he could use.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Jerry tried to move himself but was met with a pain that immediately put him down. ¡°Fuck!¡± Jerry shouted. ¡°Move aside! I¡¯m a medic!¡± A man said as he pushed himself through the crowd that surrounded Jerry. ¡°Larry, stay with me. It¡¯s gonna hurt for a bit, but you¡¯ll be okay, yea?¡± The medic said. He had a calm voice that sounded young but sounded mature at the same time. The medic crouched over Jerry and started to worked quickly, snapping the shaft making it short before taking out a knife and cut off the splinters. The medic then pinched the arrowhead tightly and pulled it quickly, giving Jerry a very sharp pain. He then held his hands above the wound and emitted a light green light. Jerry felt the pain quickly go away but couldn¡¯t see the wound quickly close up right before the medic¡¯s eyes. The light greet light then soon disappeared, leaving Jerry with a patched wound and one less arrow in him. Jerry sat up, slowly but his shoulder still ached. ¡°Don¡¯t use that arm for a while. It¡¯s sore and painful¡± the medic said. ¡°Thanks. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Harold¡± ¡°Thanks, Harold. What do I owe you guild boys?¡± Jerry looked at the medic who wore a white shirt with a guild symbol on it. ¡°100 gold. But, more importantly, who¡¯d you piss off?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°These arrowheads here¡± The medic then picked the arrowhead up. ¡°These are used by assassins that want you dead, Larry. Who did you piss off?¡± Jerry looked at the arrowhead that the medic held. It had four points that split off into two different blades, making the arrow have eight small blades on it. It was even shaped in a way to where if you were to remove it by pulling it out, it would cause even more injuries. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, can I ask what group does these?¡± ¡°Dunno. These guys that use these arrows are shrouded in mystery. False rumors, some true, some not. Now, who¡¯d you piss off?¡± ¡°No clue¡± The medic let out an annoyed sigh. ¡°Whatever. Not my problem anymore. In total, 100 gold coins will be taken away from the debt, and you can deal with your problems of people wanting you dead. Good day, Larry¡± The medic then stood back up and walked away and tossed the arrowhead on the ground leaving Jerry alone. Jerry placed his hand where the wound once was to have a sore feeling followed by a slight pain after he moved it away. Jerry got up off the ground and saw the crowd start to disperse as the incident was over. ¡°Excuse me! Here! He¡¯s¡­ here¡± Alice¡¯s voice slowly trailed off when she saw Jerry standing up as if nothing ever happened. The only evidence that anything happened was a small pool of blood where Jerry once laid. ¡°Where¡¯s the injury?¡± Kasune asked as she looked at Jerry. ¡°No longer existent. Another medic got here faster than you¡± Jerry said. ¡°That voice. Je-¡± ¡°Larry is my name¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My name is Larry. Didn¡¯t Alice tell you?¡± Alice leaned towards Kasune and whispered into her ear. ¡°Ah! Larry, I apologize that I was late¡± ¡°No worries, Kasune. I appreciate your attempt to get here. Anything you want to do?¡± Kasune looked around the area and spotted a familiar arrowhead. She took several steps before picking it up. ¡°Ah, Blackhead Assassins want you dead¡± Kasune said as she turned around and showed the arrowhead to Jerry. ¡°Yea, the medic said something about someone wanting me dead. Question is, who?¡± ¡°No, the question is how are you still alive?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Blackhead Assassins always infect their tips. How are you alive?¡± ¡°I injected medical stuff into me. Don¡¯t worry about it¡± ¡°What medical stuff? Blackhead Assassins use potent poison¡± ¡°Stuff better than yours. Now, let¡¯s talk about this somewhere else?¡± ¡°As you wish¡± Jerry got on his feet quickly as a small lingering pain lingered on his left shoulder. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Any ideas?¡± ¡°Where have you been living for the past few days?¡± ¡°In the guild¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yea, really. Now stop judging my life choices and give me an idea¡± ¡°You buy a house¡± ¡°Fuck off. We¡¯ll just wander the streets¡± ¡°What about a tavern?¡± Alice suggested. ¡°Wonderful! Does it also include a drunken brawl?¡± Jerry sarcastically asked. ¡°Um. I don¡¯t think so?¡± ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go to a tavern. Alice, lead the way¡± Thus, the three walked down the street together looking for a tavern that hopefully didn¡¯t include a drunken bar fight. __________________________________________________________ Larmen was taking a bath in the Imperial Palace at this current moment. It had been a while since he had taken a bath since he had come to this world. Where he had come from, taking a bath was a common thing, but a bath like this was reserved for the upper class. Larmen was left alone in the bath. Nothing to do other than think about what had happened since he still hadn¡¯t fully adjusted to this new world. He thought about what was happening. Slaying the Demon Lord? Now that he had thought about it, he never really did slay the Demon Lord. He was even pulled out in the battlefield and was placed in the palace whilst Jerry was on the front lines. It stuck him odd but never really thought about it too much. After all, he just had to smile and wave like he had before. He owed Jerry an apology, but had no idea how to do so. Now, he has to attend multiple parties in his honor for something he didn¡¯t even do! It really pissed him off, but he was used to these kinds of parties. He was a member of the upper class after all. When he had been transported, he thought he could finally join the battlefield with soldiers, but was ultimately placed back into the palace, where politics were involved. He was always fascinated with heroes that would scour the battlefield with swords and have songs and heroics written about them rather than political warfare with other nations. Larmen sighed as he held his breath and sunk his head below the water. It was starting to get to him now. He knew what was happening with him being paraded around the content like a prized jewel so the Empire could be seen as the big dogs around here. It also have the secondary effect of keeping the population in check whilst also encouraging the Empire¡¯s people to join the military which is already happening. The door to the bath then clicked and slid open, revealing a female at the doorway. ¡°Larmen~¡± A cute voice broke the sound of water pouring into the bath where Larmen bathed. ¡°J-Juliet! Why are you here? It¡¯s my turn for the bath!¡± Larmen said as he panicked. ¡°I wanted to see you, my dear!¡± Juliet replied. ¡°I¡¯m to marry Emile!¡± Larmen said. He desperately wanted to be out of this situation he was placed in. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being a concubine¡± Juliet said with a seductive tone. With that, Juliet started to walk slowly toward Larmen. ¡°Juliet, why¡¯re you coming here?¡± ¡°To bathe with you of course!¡± The door to the bath then was filled with other silhouettes as Juliet came closer. ¡°No fair!¡± Scharla said. ¡°Yea! No fair! You can¡¯t get the jump like that!¡± Elizabeth followed. With that, everyone then entered the bathhouse to bathe alongside Larmen with the exception of those not in the Imperial Palace. ¡®Someone, get me out of here¡¯ Larmen pleaded within himself. ______________________________ Janice sat alone in a tavern that she wandered into with a cloak over her head. She had a small bit of cash that she had on her to spend on alcohol and chose a random tavern to spend it on. She needed time to reevaluate her life choices after the talk that went against her morals. She took a sip of her cup and when she brought it down, two large men sat at her table. ¡°Hey there, miss. Would you like to spend some time with us?¡± One said with a devilish grin with a scar that ran down his face. ¡°Yea! Why not spend some time with us? I can rent a room with just the three of us¡± The other said with a wide head. Janice sighed before standing up from her seat to leave the establishment before she was grabbed by the hand. ¡°Why are you leaving now? We¡¯ve just only met!¡± A man with a large scar said. ¡°We can have fun all night long, if you¡¯d like!¡± The man with the wide head said. Janice was slightly tipsy but could most defiantly still fight. She turned around and found the man with the large scar place a collar around her neck. It felt like her magic drained away, disabling her from just blowing the brigands away. Janice was a different person when she was either angry, or has alcohol in her system. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do this the hard way¡± She said. ¡°Huh? What¡¯re you going to do, elven girl?¡± The wide head brigand said. ¡°Come now, we¡¯re going to a room¡± The man with a large scar said as he reached towards Janice¡¯s hand. The brigand¡¯s hand started to move towards Janice with the intent of grabbing her hand. However, before they could grab onto her, Janice took a knife out and plunged it into his chest where the heart was, leaving the blade in him. The brigand took several steps back before staring at Janice with disbelief before collapsing onto his knees then onto the ground. The wide face brigand started to panic as Janice looked his way. The brigand turned around and booked it, running outside the door while onlookers just sighed. Janice looked at the barkeeper who just sighed before shrugging. It seemed to be a commonplace for brigands taking it too far to get hurt or sometimes even killed in the Imperial Kingdom. Janice took her seat again and sipped her drink before the door to the tavern opened with screaming and shouting of a particular brigand that left recently. ¡°Wait! Please! She¡¯ll kill me!¡± The brigand shouted. ¡°That¡¯s what you think¡± A man said with a black helmet. ¡®Who¡¯s that?¡¯ Janice quickly took one last gulp of her drink before placing five gold coins on the table and heading towards the door. ¡°Outside, with me¡± Janice said. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡± The man with the black helmet said. Chapter 33: Imperial Party Chapter 33: Imperial Party ¡°You get all that?¡± Janice asked. ¡°Uhh¡± Jerry then turned to look down an ally way to the wide headed brigand propped up against the wall. Alice and Kasune were hidden nearby with Kasune watching over Alice hidden from Janice. ¡°So, the people in the Palace want to drug Larmen, and implant him with fake memories. Correct?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°How is this my problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. I¡¯m asking you for help, Larry. I know you¡¯ve both have problems, but I¡¯m asking you for help. Not Larmen¡± Janice said. Jerry sighed before giving a response. ¡°And what do you expect me to do?¡± ¡°Find what they¡¯re going to drug Larmen with and take it then bring it to me¡± ¡°Right, and what do I get out of this?¡± ¡°My gratitude¡± ¡°What about some information?¡± ¡°What would you like to know?¡± ¡°I was almost assassinated recently. I think it¡¯s one of the four kingdoms and I need you to look into it for me¡± Janice thought about the proposition for a bit. It was a small price to pay for what she would gain. She would protect Larmen from being drugged, and it would be a powerful card against the Empire that could get Larmen to leave the Empire since the they¡¯re is known for their kidnapping techniques that involve poisons and drugs. She would be able to keep the Empire to bend to her will and keep Larmen safe for the Empire has much to lose if news leaked about an attempted drugging of their own renowned Hero, turning their biggest asset into their biggest problem. ¡°Alright, you got yourself a deal¡± Janice said. ¡°Great. Now, aren¡¯t you usually a bit more shy than you are now?¡± ¡°Yea, but when people piss me off or I get some drinks, I get like this¡± ¡°So, both are happening?¡± ¡°Yea¡± ¡°Do you ever regret it later when you¡¯re sober?¡± ¡°A lot. I¡¯m gonna be a tomato in the morning¡± ¡°I see. Well, whens it happening?¡± ¡°Soon. 3 hours at the very least¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t got a dress or anything¡± ¡°Then I know a place to get you dressed. Let¡¯s go. Also, for now, you¡¯re not Larry but you are Jerry for now¡± ¡°Damn it¡± Janice then grabbed Jerry¡¯s hand and ran down the streets as the sun started to set. Alice and Kasune watched as the two of them ran off down the street. ¡°Where are they going?¡± Alice asked as she exposed herself more attempting to catch a glimpse of where they were going. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re gonna get us caught!¡± Kasune whispered. ¡°Come on! We gotta follow them¡± Alice said as she started to run down the street. ¡°Wait!¡± Kasune said as she soon followed. _____________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°How much are we adding to his drink?¡± Elizabeth asked. She held a small paper packet, no larger than her hand that contained a powdery substance within it that was going to be used in the plan. ¡°Just add all of it. We gotta make sure that Larmen is effected or else it will be all for naught since we only have one shot at this¡± Jepal responded. ¡°Alright then¡± Elizabeth said before writing a note on a small slip of paper. The party was starting soon, and Elizabeth and the others wanted to be prepared when it started. ¡°Where¡¯s Larmen¡± Rose asked. She had a red dress, hair, and eyes as she stood by the door of the dressing room. Elizabeth cleared the room of any maids or butlers so the group could gather and prepare for the plan. ¡°Emile is fetching him now. He should be dressed by now and should be coming here. Now let¡¯s go to the party room and wait for Larmen. The cover is that Larmen went to get some fresh air and won¡¯t be coming back for a while¡± Jepal said. The girls nodded as they all started to leave the dressing room to the large party room where the nobles, renowned adventures, and important figures were. Jepal had contacted some nobles that had originally been in the plot of slaying the Demon Lord in a major battle to make them famous and were able to obtain the powder and some favors for the plan. The people that Jepal were able to contact included many high power figures through out the land and some were able to keep some sections off to others and help transport items that would help them on their plan. They entered the party room where everyone else were. A butler soon appeared before Elizabeth with a tray of blue drinks. ¡°Would you like a red rum, ma¡¯am?¡± The butler asked. He wore a black suit with a white mask and gloves as he spoke a code word to ask if everything is ready for the plan to be executed that Jepal had set up. Elizabeth tried to recall the code word for a positive answer and tossed it out the window. ¡°Yea, it¡¯s ready. Here¡¯s the powder and here¡¯s the instructions. Just pour it all into the drink¡± Elizabeth replied.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°As you wish¡± The butler said as he took the powder and note off Elizabeth, placing it into his pocket. _________________________________________________________________________________________ ¡°You know I fucking hate this type of clothing, Janice?¡± Jerry said. Jerry kept his face hidden for the time being to enter the Imperial Palace without being harassed by nobles and others by wearing a porcelain mask that Janice forced him to buy at a random shop that they entered. It was a simple design with a solid white mask that covered the upper section of his face and was attached with some string. His equipment was hidden outside the walls of the palace with a red cloth that Janice had. ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s apparently worse for the servants of the Palace, you know?¡± Janice said. The alcohol in Janice¡¯s system seemed to be wearing off as she became more reserved as time passed. They were in the Imperial Palace and the party started soon. ¡°How so?¡± Jerry asked? ¡°It¡¯s more tighter and you gotta wear these white gloves that are thick and tight and pockets are just enough to fit four fingers!¡± Janice exclaimed. ¡°Wow, so interesting¡± Jerry sarcastically said. ¡°Is that sarcasm?¡± Janice asked. Jerry didn¡¯t really feel like dealing with Janice a lot so he decided to take off now. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be off now. Looking for clues and stuff like that¡± Jerry said as he waved at Janice. ¡°Good luck!¡± Janice replied as Jerry slipped away to wander the palace. He wandered for a while, hearing the latest gossip about other nobles and the such. Apparently, a noble name James was accused of having an affair with his wife. Intriguing stuff Jerry thought. Jerry saw an interesting door that drew his attention as two maids with white masks stood at guard outside it. As Jerry approached the door, a maid stepped forward. ¡°Excuse me, but this area is off limits, sir¡± the maid said. ¡°Why is that?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to say, sir¡± Jerry looked at the door and then looked back at the maid. ¡°I understand. But, I¡¯ve seemed to lost my way. Can you guide me to the party, please?¡± Jerry asked. ¡°Of course. Please follow me¡± The maid said before she walked in front of Jerry. Jerry soon found himself in a room filled with what seemed to be important people in one large room. ¡°Here we are, sir. Please enjoy the party¡± The maid said before leaving. Jerry patted himself to double check what he had. He had his invitation in his right pocket. He also had concealed a knife in his pants on the left side and had his pistol on his right side. He kept two extra magazines in his left pockets, thus completing his quick pat down. A butler with a solid white mask approached him with a tray in hand with blue drinks. ¡°Excuse me sir, would you like some Red Life?¡± the butler asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, sir. It¡¯s a new drink that the Imperial Kingdom has created. Would you care to try?¡± He said as he held the tray in front of Jerry. ¡°Sure¡± Jerry said as he took a cup from the tray. The butler than quickly walked away after that, leaving Jerry with his Red Life drink. Jerry took a sip of the drink and it tasted a bitter, leaving a bad taste in Jerry¡¯s mouth. Jerry looked at the cup with a face of disgust and found a slip of paper on the ground where the butler once stood. Jerry looked around to confirm that no one was looking at him before bending over and picking it up and reading it. Make sure that ALL of it is poured into the drink. We got one shot, so don¡¯t screw it up. Jerry thought about this before remembering something. Butlers were required to wear white gloves, but not a white mask. Butlers were likely allowed to wear masks, but most people would find something with designs rather than something plain and boring. Jerry looked around to find a few servants wearing white masks while even fewer wore designed masks or none at all. Jerry then thought of something that would likely get him to be able to get some snippets of information that he could use. Jerry placed the note in his pocket and approached one of the servants. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am¡± Jerry said as he approached a servant that wore a white mask. ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like, sir?¡± She replied. ¡°Would you like some Red Life?¡± Jerry asked. He was going off the hunch that the words he were speaking was a code word for signaling and showing that you¡¯re in something. ¡°I would quite like Blue Ribbons instead¡± She responded. Jerry thought that was an affirmative and decided to continue bluffing his way. ¡°I forgot the plan¡± Jerry said. ¡°Really? It¡¯s quite simple¡± She responded. ¡°And what was that?¡± ¡°Keep watch and make sure it happens and eliminate anything that could threaten the safety of the plan¡± ¡°What¡¯s the goal¡± At this point, the servant grew suspicious. ¡°Excuse me, but could you tell me who briefed us with the plan?¡± Jerry let out a cold sweat as his head turned blank. ¡°Uhh¡± ¡°I knew it. Don¡¯t move¡± The servant whispered as she drew a blade from her sleeves and pointed it at him. ¡°You got it, ma¡¯am¡± Jerry said as he stood still. He could act, but it would draw attention to him and likely alert any others that they¡¯ve been compromised. ¡°Move forward¡± She said as she poked Jerry in the back, prompting Jerry to walk where the servant wanted. Jerry soon found himself to be led out of the party room, down the hall where Jerry came from, and in front of two maids with white masks guarding a door. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you again. Oh, you¡¯re a threat¡± The maid said stoically. ¡°Is that room full of people?¡± Jerry asked as the servant behind him still held a knife at his back. ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you get in¡± The maid said as she opened the door and the servant pressed the knife against Jerry¡¯s back, forcing him forward into the room. The servant kicked Jerry onto the ground and got atop Jerry, placing her knee on his chest and right shoulder while she held the knife against his throat. ¡°Who¡¯d you learn the plan from?¡± She asked. ¡°Wait wait, can I ask some questions first?¡± Jerry asked back. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Could you kindly get off my chest? It feels like my ribs are getting crushed and it¡¯s extremely uncomfortable¡± Jerry said with a smile. The servant placed her hand on Jerry¡¯s face and casted a magic before she got off Jerry¡¯s chest. The magic made Jerry fall into a state of paralysis making it hard to move for Jerry. Jerry was able to look around, but wished he couldn¡¯t as the room¡¯s walls were lined with weapons and armor. The servant went to a weapon rack and picked up a sword before moving back to Jerry and kicked him, snapping his state of paralysis and pointed the sword towards Jerry¡¯s neck. ¡°Now answer my question¡± The servant said. ¡°Why are you such a bad hostage holder¡± Jerry said as he pushed the sword to the right by pushing the sword away with his left hand and keeping it there and quickly sat up. Jerry then struck her stomach with his right hand, giving him enough time to fully stand up as the servant was recovering from the strike. Jerry then quickly went to a weapon rack and picked up a halberd. Jerry held the halberd with about a tight grip with some space at the butt of the halberd. ¡°My weapon¡¯s bigger than yours!¡± Jerry taunted. The servant then raised her right arm and muttered something. A flash of light appeared in Jerry¡¯s eyes and a black silhouette to appear to be doing an upwards jumping strike. Jerry¡¯s natural instinct kicked in and Jerry blinked forward. Problem was, Jerry wasn¡¯t able to control how much he blinked and his face smacked the wall. On the upside, he could see again. ¡°Mother fucker!¡± Jerry shouted as he turned around and found the servant dashing towards him trying to stab him with the sword. Jerry quickly regained his senses and got into a quick stance. As the servant started to extend her arm for the stab, Jerry pushed the sword to the side and pinned her neck between the axe and spear head and violently slammed her against the wall with it, leaving a small space for her neck. ¡°Any magic, and I¡¯ll stab your throat¡± Jerry said. The door then opened and the two maids stepped in. ¡°What¡¯s going on here!¡± One of them shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t move or she dies!¡± Jerry shouted. The maids then looked at what situation their comrades were in and stood still. ¡°Look, let her go¡± The maid said as she raised her hands. ¡°Answer my questions¡± Jerry responded. ¡°What is it you bastard¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°To poison Larmen. That¡¯s all I know¡± ¡°I know that! How are you doing it is what I want!¡± ¡°Through a drink from a butler. Who it is, I don¡¯t know¡± ¡°Great, now drop your weapons, and give me the keys to this room¡± The maid then reached towards her waist and grabbed the keys and tossed it towards Jerry. ¡°Great. Now three of you face the wall, close your eyes, get on your knee, plug your ears, and count to 100 loudly when I tell you¡± Jerry said as he released the servant¡¯s neck. The three of them glared at Jerry and got to the wall. Jerry picked up the keys and went to the door. ¡°Start counting now!¡± Jerry sarcastically said as he let out a small laugh and locked the door. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Jerry stood at the corner of the party, keeping an eye out for any white masked butlers doing anything suspicious with their drinks. Normally, Jerry would look for the butler that dropped the note. Problem was, all the damn butlers looked the same with the white masks. Jerry then noticed Janice standing next to Jerry, a bit shyly. ¡°Did you find any information about the thing?¡± Janice asked somewhat quietly. She also wore a mask to conceal her identity as a precaution and so that she would not draw attention from other guests. It was designed with small jewelries and red paint on it. ¡°White masked butlers are bad. Anyone slip a powder into a drink, it¡¯s them¡± Jerry responded. They both looked around the room, spotting white masked butlers around Larmen for any signs of suspicion. While searching, Jerry spotted Kopes who was talking with another group. Kopes also spotted Jerry and before quickly faced back to his group and ended it before started moving to Jerry. ¡®Oh fuck¡¯ ¡°Larry, is that you?¡± Kopes asked as he came to Jerry. ¡°Who else would it be, Kopes?¡± Jerry responded. ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t going to attend! Glad to know that you changed your mind, Larry!¡± Kopes exclaimed. ¡°Well, I had nothing else to do. Might as well check this place with a friend¡± Jerry said as he gestured to Janice. ¡°Ah, may I ask to know your name, milady?¡±Kopes said with a bow ¡°Uhh¡± Janice looked at Jerry with a bit of panic on her face which caused Jerry to let out a small laugh. ¡°Her name is Juliet. A friend of mine from the countryside¡± Jerry said. He made the lie up on the spot, but could easily cover for it as he could make it up as he goes. Jerry tried to look around Kopes, looking for suspicious butlers but couldn¡¯t see much with Kope¡¯s large figure blocking him. ¡°I guess so. Should I introduce you to some ladies to get you some more entertainment?¡± ¡°Ah, I must decline. I just wanted to just enjoy it here with my friend here¡± ¡°You will most certainly enjoy it more with more of the ladies here¡± Kopes said as he stepped aside to reveal a trio of ladies laughing and giggling while looking at Jerry¡¯s way. However, Jerry didn¡¯t pay any attention to them but instead saw a white masked butler standing still while hovering his hands over a drink with a crumpled fist. Jerry started to walk towards him with his right hand placed on his pistol on his waist. ¡°W-Wait, where are you going?¡± Janice said as Jerry moved towards the butler. ¡°Juliet, please entertain Kopes here for a bit. I need to do some things¡± Jerry said as he gave a nod to Janice. Janice stayed silent before she faced back to Kopes. She looked at him, still bowing before deciding that she cannot do it, and raise her head back to Jerry to find that he was gone. The ladies that were waiting for Jerry were seen staring into the crowd with a disgusted face. Jerry had pushed passed them and entered the crowd to get his way to intercept the butler to prevent Larmen from drinking it. Larmen sat at an elevated position and there was a line of females, some with the father to chat with Larmen who was surrounded by his party with the exception of Kasune and Alice who he sadly had to abandon and while Janice distracted Kopes. Jerry soon realized that he wasn¡¯t going to make it in time and the drink was going to get to Larmen first before he could if he kept hiding in the crowd. Jerry was right and the drinks made it there faster than Jerry could. He clicked his tongue and decided to stop hiding in the crowd. He placed his hands on his mask and tossed it aside before breaking from the crowd with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Larmen! So good to see ya, man¡± Jerry said with a sly smile. Jerry caught the butler handing the drink to Larmen which was an excellent position to be in. ¡°You! How dare you show your face here after you ran from the world!¡± Elizabeth said as she drew her sword. Jerry smiled while looking at Elizabeth. ¡°You¡¯re here to guard Larmen?¡± Jerry asked ¡°Of course! What else would I do?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re doing a really bad job of protecting. But, you do have a second motive after all¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about, Bastard!¡± ¡°Enough, Elizabeth. Jerry, what are you talking about?¡± Larmen calmly asked. Jerry then picked the cup from the butler¡¯s hand and held it in front of him. ¡°Larmen, you were just about to drink this were you not?¡± Jerry asked as he fiddled around with the cup. ¡°Yes? Is there something wrong with it?¡± ¡°Larmen, I don¡¯t know what world you come from, but never trust anything entirely unless you can tell for certain of it¡¯s outcome¡± ¡°What do you mean, Jerry? You¡¯re not making sense¡± Jerry sighed and let his shoulders down. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°What I¡¯m saying Larmen, is to never trust anyone. Not even yourself¡± Jerry said as he drank the entire cup in one go. ¡°I¡¯m taking this one for you. Don¡¯t expect it to happen again¡± Jerry said as he extended his hands to the side, waiting for something to happen. Minutes passed while the entire room started at Jerry. ¡°Is something supposed to happen?¡± Larmen asked. ¡°Huh, guess I¡¯m wro-¡± Jerry then felt a wave of dizziness hit him accompanied by fatigue. ¡°Never mind!¡± Jerry shouted with his remaining strength before his head smashed against the floor. Larmen¡¯s eyes then widen in surprise as Jerry hit the ground. He stared at Jerry for a few seconds in shock before coming to his senses. ¡°Someone get him to a doctor!¡± Larmen shouted. Quickly, the guests started to whisper amongst themselves while Larmen shook Jerry¡¯s body in an attempt to wake him up. ____________________________________________________________________________ Jerry¡¯s vision was blurred as he awoke to an unfamiliar roof that seemed more lavish than he was used to. Then again, he mostly slept outside most of the time and only slept in a building a couple of times. Jerry blinked a couple more times and gathered himself before looking around the room. The bed that Jerry laid on was surrounded by Larmen and a few others that he didn¡¯t recognize but seemed to be attendants as they wore matching uniforms. Although Jerry was awake, his body felt fatigued, tired, and very lazy. ¡°Jerry! You¡¯re awake!¡± Larmen said with a sigh a relief. Jerry yawned and blinked a few more times before staring at Larmen. ¡°Yep¡± Jerry simply said before he closed his eyes again. The bed was nice and warm which made him want to fall asleep even more. ¡°Hey! You okay?¡± ¡°Mhmm. Gimme an hour to sleep¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping for two days you know?¡± ¡°Make it three¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to offer my thanks¡± ¡°Do it tomorrow¡± ¡°But¡± ¡°Shhhhh. Just let me sleep¡± Larmen felt awkward after the conversation with Jerry and decided to leave the room to let Jerry rest. ¡°We¡¯ll watch over him¡± One of the medics said. Larmen nodded at them before he left the room. Larmen shut the door behind him and was greeted by Alice and Kasune. ¡°Is he awake?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Thankfully¡± Larmen responded. ¡°I¡¯d like to see him¡± Kasune said. ¡°Jerry said he¡¯d like to sleep for the rest of the day¡± ¡°I see¡± Kasune said. She seemed a bit sad but quickly cheered up. ¡°Well, thank you for watching over him. I have to go check on some things¡± Janice said as she walked off with Alice soon following suit. Larmen sighed before he decided to go to the garden to clear his mind. It was a bit chilly this time of night. The stars were out at this time of day Larmen thought about all that had been happening recently. He felt bad for Jerry as he was likely the one to slay the Demon Lord. However, the Empire told Larmen that Jerry was a traitor and led the army to their deaths. Larmen sighed as he sat forward on a wooden bench pondering what to do. Then, Jepal emerged from the background with her short stature with a stoic face. ¡°Hey¡± Jepal said with a wave and a smile. ¡°Hello¡± Larmen said with a confident smile with a wave back. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Fine like I said before¡± Jepal sighed before staring off into the stars with Larmen. ¡°I feel like that¡¯s a lie. You really look bad since Jerry collapsed¡± Jepal responded. Larmen was silent and Jepal took notice. She needed to know what Larmen was feeling so she can get closer with him so she could make him hers and so she can plan her next move. ¡°Look, we¡¯re comrades. Comrades need to rely on each other so we can do our best, right?¡± Jepal said as she placed her hand on Larmen¡¯s back. Larmen let out a breath of air through his nose and turned to face Jepal. He stared at her amber eyes before cracking. ¡°I feel like crap, Jepal. Everytime I go to these parties and claim false glory, I tell another lie. Eventually, those lies are gonna catch up through God¡¯s Divine Power and Jerry will likely be hurt by the Empire and can never get what he deserves. I might just confess my sins to the public now and avert this whole ordeal¡± Larmen quickly said. Larmen was nervous about the lies he was telling catching up to him. However, Larmen¡¯s morales were also being violated since Jerry was doing more work than he was but he was getting all the credit. Jepal knew that she had to make her move now before it gets worse. Rose was able to change memories, but they weren¡¯t perfect. The longer an emotion is associated with something, the more chances of that something completely undoing Rose¡¯s magic. It gets even worse since there is likely a rat among them and Janice the elven girl was likely the one to spill the plan to Jerry. If Larmen confesses, Jerry would likely follow suit and cause her and other commanders to be exiled and hunted down for as they live. Jepal nodded to Rose who was preparing a concoction that should be able to temporarily stun Larmen for just enough to change his memories. _________________________________________________________________ Falk sat behind a desk while surrounded by paper. By her side, was Commander Reeves who looked over her shoulder as she did paper work. ¡°Did he find out?¡± Reeves asked. ¡°Who¡¯s he, and find out what?¡± Falk asked. ¡°Oh you know, Jerry and you being a girl and all that¡± Falk looked at Reeves for a moment before resuming her work. ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, just wondering¡± Reeves said with a smug face. The door then came open with a messenger that was gasping for air at the door. Falk jumped in her seat with fear as the door made a large bang as it hit the wall. ¡°Report!¡± The messenger said as he slowly recovered. ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Falk sheepishly said. ¡°Hero Larmen¡± The messenger stopped there as he took rapid breaths. ¡°Hero Larmen had been poisoned!¡± The Messenger said. ¡°What? Is he okay?¡± Reeves shouted. ¡°H-Hero Larmen is fine. The heretic Jerry for some reason saved him¡± the messenger said as he finally regained his composure. ¡°How long was this ago?¡± ¡°3 days, Sir¡± ¡°Falk, gather your things. We have to quickly visit Larmen!¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡± Falk complained. ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡± Reeves shot back ¡°Jerry took the fall, and Larmen is fine! Why do I have to go as well?¡± ¡°Because you know how you are when you¡¯re alone without me! Now, pack your bags¡± Falk looked at her papers before looking at Reeves with a face that asked¡°Really?¡±. ¡°Now, Falk! Not three years!¡± Falk sighed as she got up and went to her room to pack up. _ The King was in panic at the moment. Larmen was almost poisoned, Jerry came and saved him, and the Nobel Court is in a state of confusion as Jerry was painted to be an evil character that cared for no one. This act of saving caused many nobles who favored Larmen to be confused while those that were working with the King and wanted to strike Jerry down were trying to limit the flow of information about the incident and paint a false narrative causing the clash of information to throw the Nobel Court into a state of confusion. If it ends badly, it could be the end of him and all of his contacts would either be executed or abandon him. He truly did a foolish move and was going to have to pay for it. He had to attempt to eliminate one of the Heroes since other nations would¡¯ve seen the Empire as a threat to them and would¡¯ve likely banded together to bring an end to the Empire. The Empire wouldn¡¯t even hold out a week since the only mages and battle hardened soldiers had been obliterated because of Jerry. Funds were too low to just buy another army since they were being stretched thin getting political power by flaunting Larmen around the world. The King cursed himself before venting his frustrations to the spymaster kneeling before the king in shame. ¡°I thought you said that he was dead!¡± The King yelled in frustration. ¡°W-We thought he was. The arrow hit true into his shoulder with the modified Horrigan Disease that plagued us 20 years ago¡± The Spymaster said. ¡°Then why is he alive?!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, your Majesty¡± ¡°Do you know what will happen if he finds out?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t, your Majesty. I can assure you that¡± ¡°Like you assured me that he was dead?¡± The Spymaster stayed silent as he lowered his head further. The King sighed before he calmed down and faced out the window. ¡°I apologize, Alex for my temper. It¡¯s just been¡­ stressful¡± ¡°Please, your Majesty. It is fine¡± ¡°Look, we need him exiled, or dead. We also can¡¯t have anything be traced back to us, understand?¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty¡± ¡°Good. You¡¯re dismissed¡± The Spymaster then raised his head and headed towards the door. As Alex¡¯s hand touched the handle, the King stopped him. ¡°Alex¡± The King said. ¡°Yes, your Majesty¡± There was a short pause between the two before The King spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck this up¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty¡± Alex responded as he pulled the door and exited the room. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 The sun shined in Jerry¡¯s eyes and blinded him temporarily as he covered his face from the sun with his hands, similar to how it was before at home. Except, instead of being in bed, he laid in a different world. ¡°How are you feeling, Jerry?¡± A voice asked. It was the voice of a middle-aged man that seemed to be somewhat curious but for all the wrong reasons. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, doc¡± Jerry responded as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. ¡°Excellent. The treatment worked well¡± The doctor responded. ¡°Treatment?¡± ¡°Well, if the poison was for Larmen, how do you think your frail body would handle it?¡± ¡°Right. What did you do for the treatment?¡± ¡°Some things here and there with a few cuts and some magic. Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re alive! Be happy about that. Most of my sub- I mean patients don¡¯t live¡± ¡°Should I be worried for any after effects?¡± ¡°Not that I know of¡± Jerry stared at the doctor for a moment thinking about what he just said. ¡°Doc¡± ¡°Jerry¡± ¡°Is there a possibility of a negative side effect?¡± ¡°Negative? More like positive, Jerry! Imagine having a third arm!¡± ¡°Doc, if I get a third arm, I will personally hunt you down¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking. There are no expected side effects. Besides, the treatment is done¡± ¡°Right. Where¡¯s my stuff?¡± ¡°In the corner there. Leaving soon?¡± The doctor then pointed to a desk where Jerry¡¯s formal clothing was and his pistol. ¡°I plan to, Doc. Thanks for your treatment, but I don¡¯t like being around people that work with the government or Larmen¡± ¡°Ha, I understand your circumstances and don¡¯t plan to stop you. But, if any side effects pop up, do contact me with a letter¡± The doctor said with a smile. ¡°Yea, where do I send it to?¡± ¡°Just ¡®The Doctor¡¯ as I am known in the Imperial Nation¡± ¡°Got it, Doc. Well, I guess I should be on my way then?¡± ¡°If you so desire, Jerry¡± As Jerry got off the bed, his stomach unleashed an unholy growl. The Doctor chuckled as he gave a soft smile to Jerry. ¡°Perhaps I can treat you to lunch first before you go?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, it would be a waste of the treatment if you starve to death as you leave, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to take you up on that offer, Doc¡± ¡°Excellent. Any specific types of food you would like?¡± ¡°What about, something filling like a meat dish¡± ¡°I think I can get something nice. In the meantime, please rest for a bit longer before I bring the food here. While I am away, the ladies here will take care of you¡± The Doctor then stepped to the side, revealing a duo of nurses who bowed in sync with each other with their tiny and petite stature. ¡°Nice to meet you¡± The both said in sync as well. ¡°You too¡±Jerry responded. With that, The Doctor left the room leaving Jerry and the nurses together. Jerry stared at the nurses for a moment as they stood there stoically staring back. ¡°So uh, how are you guys doing?¡± ¡°We are fine, Jerry¡± ¡°Right¡± Jerry just sat there as an awkward air started to fill the room as Jerry looked around for something to stare at but to no avail. Jerry decided that he wanted to do a bit of a stretch for his legs and make sure that they still function properly after not being used for 4 days. However, as Jerry tried to get out of bed, he was promptly pushed back into bed by the nurses. ¡°If there¡¯s something you would like, please ask one of us,¡± One of the nurses said. ¡°Uhh, what do I call you?¡± ¡°Just call us how you would like¡± ¡°Well, I would like to stretch my legs a bit. Is that okay?¡± The nurses looked at each other for a moment before nodding in harmony. Jerry placed his feet on the floor and rose with unstable legs. It would take a bit getting used to and get his legs working properly again so he did a few things to warm his legs up. First, he did some jumps with his legs, shrinking his profile by crouching down before extending it quickly, launching him into the air for a bit before landing on the ground. The nurses stared at Jerry while he was doing this, following with their head as he leaped into the air. It was quite embarrassing and awkward for Jerry, but he ignored it as best as he could. Then, Jerry walked around a bit, finally getting his legs to how they were before without a tingly sensation in his legs. His legs finally having proper blood flow again, for now, Jerry did a few stretches to get his body back. Jerry bent his back, arms, upper and lower chest before he went over to his pistol. He picked it up and started to operate on his pistol. Jerry pulled the pistol out and performed a reload and chambered a round before placing it back in his holster. ¡°Jerry, if I may ask, what was that?¡± One of the nurses asked prompting the other to tug at the other. ¡°It¡¯s my special thing that goes ¡®bang bang¡¯ and makes people sleep forever¡± Jerry responded as he climbed back to bed. ¡°I see¡± The nurse said with curing mixed in. ¡°Forgive her, Jerry. She has the curiosity like our master when it comes to outsiders¡± The other nurse said with a sincere bow.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°And what¡¯s her name?¡± Jerry said while he looked at the nurse currently bowing. ¡°Nadia¡± ¡°And yours?¡± ¡°Natalie¡± ¡°Well, Natalie. It¡¯s fine to ask questions. I¡¯m going to be gone soon anyway¡± As Jerry finished, the door was soon opened by a maid who held a tray of food with the Doctor soon following behind her. ¡°Keeper Nadia, Keeper Natalie¡± the Maid said as she did a small curtsy with the tray still in her hands. ¡°Maid¡± the Twins responded with a nod. ¡°Well, Jerry. Here¡¯s your meat dish made from beef and some herbs. It¡¯s something simple but you should eat slowly since you¡¯ve not eaten for a while¡± the Doctor said. ¡°Thanks, Doc¡± ¡°No worries. Get well soon. You can leave when you would like. Keep the clothes.¡± the Doctor said as he exited the room as the Maid handed the tray to Natalie and promptly left the room. Jerry looked down to find himself wearing simple comfortable clothing with no design. Jerry was confused to why Natalie was handed the tray but not him but that was soon answered. ¡°Say ¡®ahh¡¯, Jerry¡± Natalie said. The spoon poked Jerry¡¯s lips multiple times, making light impacts on Jerry¡¯s teeth as he stared at Natalie with a disappointed look. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t think he likes that¡± Nadia said as she stepped forward. ¡°I told you not to address me as ¡®sister¡¯ while we are working¡± Natalie responded as she kept trying. ¡°So strict, dear sister¡± At this point, Natalie placed the food down on the bed before turning to face Nadia. Jerry placed the tray on his lap and looked down to find it to be a beef patty with some herbs on top with some light sauce poured over it. Jerry picked up a spoon and was able to cut through the patty with relative ease and decided to eat it while watching the Twins fight each other. ¡°Nadia, for the last time, don¡¯t call me ¡®sister¡¯ when we¡¯re working¡± Natalie said. ¡°Why not, dear sister?¡± Nadia responded. ¡°It¡¯s unprofessional for me and you. So please address me as Natalie on duty¡± ¡°But you are my older sister, and I must address you as so¡± ¡°But not on duty¡± Jerry watched them bicker back and forth and enjoyed his meal bit by bit. However, it was sadly soon over when Nadia pointed out that Jerry was eating the meal and was almost done. ¡°Ah! Jerry! If you wanted to eat so badly, you should¡¯ve told me and I could¡¯ve fed you!¡± Natalie said. ¡°You take your job too seriously¡± Jerry responded as he finished off his meal. ¡°But if I don¡¯t, why else would I be here?¡± Jerry sighed before getting up. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want out of life, go for it. But now, Natalie, Nadia, I will take my leave¡± Jerry said as he opened the door. ¡°Come back soon¡± Nadia said. ¡°Mhmm¡± Jerry responded as he left the room. Jerry met two armed guards outside his door waiting for him. ¡°Jerry? Ready to go?¡± A guard asked. It was quite muffled as he wore full plate armor with a helmet that covered his entire head save for a small slit. ¡°Yea, take me away, guard¡± Jerry responded. ¡°Follow me¡± the guard said. The three of them walked down the hall and stopped outside a room. ¡°Here¡¯s a changing room. Please slip into something for outside wear¡± the Guard said. Jerry nodded and entered the room and found simple tunics and pants that Jerry would find regular people would wearing on the street. Jerry quickly changed into a simple brown shirt and pants and left the extra set of clothing on the floor. As Jerry exited, he found Natalie and Nadia Standing outside with Jerry¡¯s fancy clothing that he wore to the party and his knife laid on top. ¡°You left this¡± Natalie said as she extended her hands out to Jerry with the clothing. ¡°Thanks¡± Jerry said as he picked received the clothing and concealed the blade in his pants Jerry then nodded to the guards who then walked down the hall with Jerry following suit. ¡°Goodbye, Jerry¡± The Twins said. ¡°Bye¡± Jerry responded. Jerry walked down the hall silently with the guard and quickly found himself outside with fresh air. ¡°If you would like, you can wait for your friends¡± the Guard said. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. Tell Janice I said thanks though¡± Jerry responded as he walked down towards the streets. He walked down the streets admiring the view of adventurers setting off to adventures wearing their armor and the laughing emitting from taverns where adventurers were. However, that¡¯s not where Jerry wanted to be. Jerry wanted to be working without break so he couldn¡¯t be left alone with his thoughts. The more he thought, the more he felt like he was going to go insane. So, in whatever free time he had, he thought about improving himself to be better than before. It was that or empty his mind and admire the views that came by. This was so he would still work to some degree and not think about his future and beyond that. Jerry eventually came to where he needed to be and was at the marked alley. Jerry walked down it cautiously and found his stuff still where he touched it. As he bent over to pick it up, the sunlight that shined on him was then blocked out. Jerry looked up to find 3 men blocking his path and standing over him. ¡°Looks like me nose was right, boys. If we wait here, someone¡¯ll come back and pick it up and lead us to more gold!¡± The man in the front said with a built body. ¡°Yea, Boss!¡± The skinny man on the left said as he drew a dagger. ¡°When¡¯re you ever wrong, Boss¡± the man on the right side said. Jerry gave a sly smile thinking this would be a good time to get back into the groove of things. ¡°I think you¡¯re biting off more than you can chew¡± Jerry said as he rose from crouching down. The three bandits wore light, leather armor and while the men on the side held one-handed swords, the man in the middle held a longsword. ¡°Nonsense. Five of us, One of you¡± The built man said ¡®Five?¡¯ As Jerry finished that thought, the sound of a wood rubbing against each other could be heard from above. ¡°Five¡± Jerry whispered. Jerry then looked up to find two archers above him taking aim at him. They both parallel from each other making it harder for Jerry to escape. Jerry looked at the built man and tried to negotiate. ¡°Maybe we can come to an agreement? Leave now, save your lives?¡± ¡°Ha! You really are fucking dumb. You¡¯re gonna lead us to that royal treasure of yours and fuck off¡± The built man said as he pointed the clothing. ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± Jerry asked ¡°If you don¡¯t, I swear, I will leave your pathetic rotting corpse on the ground¡± ¡°That''s not nice¡± Jerry responded as he looked up and blinked behind one of the archers. The archers were confused at what they had just saw but one was unable to react Jerry plunged a blade into the back of his skull. ¡°What the fuck?¡± The other archer said to himself as he positioned himself to take aim at Jerry. However, he was too late as Jerry was no longer there. Instead, Jerry was behind the second archer already. Jerry put the second archer¡¯s head into a tight embrace before twisting it violently, ending the archer¡¯s life. Jerry then pushed the archer¡¯s corpse down below to the rest of the bandits. Multiple short screams could be heard from below as Jerry looked over. The final 3 bandits looked up to find Jerry staring down upon them. One of the bandits fell down and started to panic and tried to calm down by taking deep breaths. The leader of the bandits could be seen looking down at the archer¡¯s corpse while the final one could be seen running down the alley. ¡°You guys want to follow your friends or friends?¡± Jerry said as he squatted down. The panicking bandit, no longer able to calm himself down got up and followed the fleeing bandit, leaving the leader behind who drew his sword and pointed it towards Jerry. ¡°Fight me, you coward!¡± The bandit leader said. Jerry sighed and took his pistol out. Jerry racked the slide and retrieved a bullet and clenched it with his left fist and held his knife in his right hand. ¡°Your loss¡± Jerry said as he blinked down. The bandit leader then took an offensive stance, resting the blade on his shoulder. Jerry, however, adopted a stance used to counter-attack, placing his left hand in front and held his knife towards his hip, ready to stab. Jerry¡¯s left foot was in front and his right foot was ready to make an advance. Jerry waited for the bandit leader to make a move so he could work on his defensive play. The bandit leader then made his move, by clenching the handle of his sword with both of his hands, and brung a swing down towards Jerry. Jerry reacted quickly and blinked to the side of the bandit, and giving a quick stab into the side of the bandit. The knife penetrated through the leather armor and found that it was quite thin on the side. Jerry capitalized on this and plunged his left fist into the opening just made and released the bullet into him. The bandit leader then turned to face Jerry who quickly backed away. Unfortunately, because of the restricting space, Jerry jumped back into a wall. The bandit leader then quickly smacked Jerry with the pommel of his blade, launching Jerry towards the ground. ¡°Any last words, bastard?¡± The bandit leader said before spitting on Jerry¡¯s face. ¡°Abracadabra!¡± Jerry shouted with a twisted smile as he snapped his fingers. An explosion could be heard as the bandit¡¯s lower side was then blown into smaller chunks that splattered over the alley walls. ¡°W-What?¡± The bandit leader said in confusion as he dropped his longsword. ¡°Just shut up¡± Jerry said as he delivered a kick to the bandit¡¯s head. The bandit quickly fell down onto the ground with a thud with a blood pool that slowly spread. Jerry stared at the body for a small while before continuing down the alley to retrieve his equipment. Jerry found it the same way he left it and quickly got dressed. He placed his extra clothes in his makeshift backpack and placed it on his back as his rifle slung around his shoulder. Jerry held his helmet in his hand as he thought about his future. Did he want to continue to live a lie as Larry? Or did he want to live as himself and do what he pleased? What would be his end-goal? Life is dull without a goal after all. Jerry thought about it for a while. He wanted to do something that was impossible for him in his old world. Jerry wanted to take advantage of this new world that he was in, and spread his name around the world in a positive light with his name to be heard for centuries beyond. Jerry thought about what he wanted to do as he started to walk to the exit of the alley. Jerry eventually settled on something simple, yet difficult as he stood at the exit of the alley. He slid his helmet onto himself. It was a small while since he put it on, but it still fits snugly on his head with his headset. ¡®Let¡¯s be a legend¡¯ Jerry said as he stepped into the light and exited the alley.