《God Blade (Hiatus)》


 Prologue + Chapter 1

    Prologue: Promise Of ADream

    On the ground, a man lay. The man raised his arm in a vain attempt to reach the sky. Unable to, he instead reached for the boy that was crying beside his body. His dry lips that were full of cut, twitched, trying his hardest to open it.

    "Come.... here."

    All around him was a burning and dying forest. Pale withered trees spanned as far as the eyes can see. The blazing flame lit the sky. Anyone would have mistaken it for the break of dawn.

    The golden armor he wore was full of dent and scratches. A huge hole in his armor revealed an open wound that stretched from his left upper thigh up to his right shoulder.On his left hand, a decorated golden shield began to crumble. The shield that bears witness to countless battle fell apart along with its master.

    His dull golden eyes shimmered one last time like a candle blown by a storm.

    His right hand abandoned a glowing golden hammer on the ground to wipe tears off the boy''s cheek and gently pulled his head.

    In a last gesture of denial, the boy resisted his pull.

    "It''s....alright. Everything...is..going to be ..alright."

    The man word shattered the boy resolve. The boy cried waterfall as he placed his ears on the man''s mouth.

    "Promise me.." The man whispered to the boy''s ear with a sound that could only be heard by him. "Promise me.."

    The boy took the man hand and grip it as tight as his trembling hand could. "I promise.... I won''t let you down." With a nod and a voice full of confidence, the boy replied.

    The boy lets go of the man hand and stood. He ran into the forest with all the might he could muster, leaving the dying man alone.Seeing the boy live and watching as he passed his legacy, relief appeared on the man face.

    With a smile, he let out a warm breath out off his cold body.

    Chapter 1: The Dream of Adventure

    A pair of shining brown eyes emerged from the bushes on a small cliff. The eyes darted from one end the other, observing its surroundings and waiting for the right time. 3 meters below the bushes was a stone road. One of the few in the kingdom that connects the capital with the border directly. It was rarely used, however, for it ran through the infamous bandit pass. No sane person would risk getting ambushed by a group of bandit unless they really had to.

    His ears perked at the sound of hooves and carriage wheels.

    A smile appeared on his face, hidden among the leaves. He had been waiting for this moment for the last two days.

    He reviewed the plan inside his head. When the carriage passed below him he would jump and use his [Monster beheading] skill on the driver. The guard next to the driver will be surprised and he would have an easy kill by slashing the neck. After the carriage stopped, he would have to fight another 4 kidnappers. Then he saves the princess, returns her to the king, and get his rightful reward.

    He grinned thinking how the princess would react once he saved her. He ran multiple simulations in his head of how he would act cool and heroic in front of the princess. Maybe even make the princess fall in love with him.

    "HEHE. Okay, time to do it." He unsheathed his sword and walked to the cliff edge, but then he realized. In the time he took thinking how in the future he became a king after saving the princess, the carriage carrying the princess had already passed him.

    "He-HEY! WAIT!" He shouted in panic.

    The kidnapper noticed his presence. "Oy! Someone chased us!" One of the kidnappers spoke to the carriage driver.

    The carriage driver took the rein and quickened their pace. The guard on the horse followed suit.

    "Oh fuck ME!" The young man cursed his carelessness.He ran along the cliff side trying his best to catch up with the carriage, but between him and a carriage pulled by a horse, there was no competition in term of speed.

    He was faster of course.

    He leaped from the cliff to the carriage with his sword held high above his head. "[Monster Beheading]!" With some unknown force, he accelerated his fall and slammed his sword into the driver''s head. The brute force shattered the driver''s iron helm and split his head two right in the middle. The blade didn''t stop until it reached the driver''s chest.

    Before the guard next to the driver could react, the young man slashed his throat, killing him instantly. He then took the loaded crossbow from the guard belt and shot it at one of the kidnappers before he could stop his horse. The arrow went through one of his eyes. The young man quickly turned his body 180 degrees and deflected an incoming arrow.

    "Impossible!" The man who shot him remarked in surprise. The young man took the rein of the carriage''s horse and slammed the carriage to the side, hitting one of the guards and stopping the carriage.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "Three more to go."

    The young man stepped down from the carriage and was immediately greeted by another one on a horse charging at him. He sidestepped and slashed the guard before he could do the same to him.

    "Two more."

    The carriage door swung open and from it, a huge man in a black cloak came out. The cloak covered most of his body save for his shining bald head and iron gauntlet. "Who the fuck did this?!" The man spoke with a strange accent.

    ''Foreigner. Nordling, from the accent.'' The young man thought.

    "He kid! You did this?" The man took the sword from his back while at the same time threw aside his cloak, revealing a full plated armor beneath. "CARL!"

    Another cloaked man, the guard that fell from his horse before appeared. "Y-yes Hjal."

    "The fuck you doing back there?! Come here and kill this brat!" The man named Carl approached the young man from his left while Hjal attacked from the right. Before they could surround him, he chose to charge at Carl who looked much weaker than Hjal.

    Their sword met, but with the sheer force of his swing, carl lost his balance. His sword pierced the body of the stumbling man.

    He pulled his sword off Carl''s body and did a whirlwind move, thinking that Hjal would take the chance and attack him from behind.

    He was surprised to see that Hjal hasn''t moved an inch from where he stood.

    "Brat, you think I''m stupid enough to fall for that bait?"

    "I think your mustache is stupid."

    Hjal took a stance, but he didn''t move. Theo watched his movement. He knew that he mustn''t take his enemy lightly. Even if his enemy is lower leveled than him, his old age meant that he''s more experienced.

    "Come on Brat! Show me what you got." A very defensive stance.

    Theo moved closer, carefully measuring his distance with Hjal. He wanted to make sure how much Hjal was going to move from his original position.

    Hjal swung his sword from his right to his left. Theo only leaned his body back a bit to dodge it. Hjal then raised his sword and brought it down on Theo.

    ''What a strength.'' Theo thought.

    Theo struggled to hold back Hjal sword. Hjal was bigger, taller, and much more muscular than he was, but even then his strength was unnatural even for a man of his stature. If Theo keeps testing his strength against Hjal he would definitely lose. However, that wasn''t what he intended to do. He held out until Hjal used too much force then he backed up.

    When Theo backed up, Hjal lunged forward. His excessive force threw him off balance.

    Theo took the chance and slashed Hjal side, on a gap in his armor, but due to Hjal thick armor and his aura covered body, his sword only made a small wound on his body.

    Hjal turned his whole body and regained his balance. Theo already charged at him when he resumed his stance. He didn''t have enough time to defend himself.

    "[Serene Slash]" Theo''s sword became as thin as a drop of water.

    With a swift fluid movement like a water flowing down a river, Theo''s sword went through Hjal right bracelet and cleanly cut his arm. A feat not possible without a special skill.

    Hjal screamed in pain before his body was kicked to the ground by the young man before him.

    When he opened his eyes, the sword''s point was at his neck."Mind telling me why you kidnapped the princess?"

    "Hehehe...... Why would I tell you?" There was still a look of defiance on his face despite his condition.

    "Kidnapping a princess for money alone is suicidal. You must either have a larger plan or you''re just part of it."

    Hjal let out a small chuckle. "I''ll tell you, but answer me first. Why do you want to save the princess?"

    "Why does it matter?"

    "Saving a princess alone from a group of kidnappers is suicidal. Someone like you should have known that playing a hero is a foolish errand." Hjal mimicked his speaking pattern from before. Theo would have taken it as the last insult the dying old man gave him if not for the old man serious gaze. He gave a gaze of someone curious.

    "I''m not trying to be a hero. Being a hero is stupid and too much work. I have a dream, three in fact. The first step of all three is getting prestige, and what better way to get it than saving a princess?"

    "Hehehe. Brat, You''re not as noble as you look. If only I was like you when I was younger, i would have a better life than chasing a foolish dream of being a hero. Mind telling me your dream?"

    "Your reasoning first."

    "Answer me first." Theo stabbed Hjal tight. He grunted in pain. "i.... won''t answer even if you torture me brat... kill me if you want.. I have nothing left..."

    "Fine." Theo raised his sword. Hjal resigns his fate to the young man and closed his eyes, but the sword never came down. "I have many things that I wanted since a child. I have many dreams, but those dreams never stick. Until a few years back, when I found it." Theo sat next to Hjal but kept his sword pointed at his neck. "I want to be strong. I have seen many strong people and creature since I was a child, I''ve read the stories of warriors of the past and their power, I want to be stronger than any of them. To be the strongest person, no, the strongest living creature that ever walked the continent and beyond."

    "Hehehe. Admirable. There are a lot of thing in this world that you can''t comprehend brat. Things that are strong beyond reason. I would say that is a foolish dream." Hjal commented after witnessing the young man skill and power first hand.

    "Second, I wanted to travel all over the world. Seeing the wonder of this world with my own eyes. The Grand Arena of The Holy Empire. The lush forest Girantine. The peak of mount Teredas. To name a few."

    "And the third one?"

    "You first."

    Hjal took a deep breath. He wanted to know more about the man before him for he had piqued his interest. He closed his eyes and reminisced about what he had wasted his life for. Fighting for a country that didn''t appreciate him, marrying a woman that didn''t love him, and raising a kid that hated him.

    "One month ago. A mysterious man came to my mercenary''s base...... Hideout. We were already bankrupt from not getting any job and we have resorted to stealing and pillaging."

    "No different from bandit then."

    "You could say so. The man offered us a job that wasboth very risky and very rewarding. He paid each of us 100 gold coin upfront and he promised 10 times more after our job is done. We just have to do what he told us to do. We just have to escort the carriage carrying the princess until it reached its destination. Think about it, we just have to stave off any pursuer be it a soldier or anything and we''ll be able to live rich for the rest of our life."

    "So you''re working for someone else. Who?"

    "I don''t know. The man was most likely only an agent of an agent."

    "Where do you plan to meet?"

    "A tavern just before the bandit pass. We hand them the princess and they hand us our money. After that we''re going to the bandit pass, move to another country and live the rest of our life a happy men."

    "You carry the gold with you?"

    "My right pouch. My mates also have it in their pouches. Feel free to take it after you kill me, but first tell me your third dream."

    "Why are you so obsessed with my dream?"

    "You''re a young man with a great talent. I''ve seen many talented men who wasted their talent on some ridiculous trivial thing."

    "Then I will tell you." Theo stood. A confident smile appeared on his face like a ray of sunlight. "I want to have the biggest harem in the world."

 Chapter 2: Daily Life

    A few weeks before the kidnapping of the princess.

    In a bedroom, a young man slept. The bed and the room he slept in were simple and modest, a stark contrast to the man sleeping in it. The man was devilishly handsome and charming. It was like he was taken straight out from the tale of princes or heroes of yore.

    "Theo! Wake UP!" The voice of a young woman calling him and the banging sound of his bedroom door woke the young man from his sleep. He opened the door, yawned, and rubbed his eyes. He wasn''t sleepy or anything, but to look normal, he had to make those gestures after waking up.

    A young woman stood in front of the door. Her long and braided brown hair flowed down her back. She was pretty, with her brown eyes and some freckles on her face. But she was nothing special. Not when compared to the handsome man standing before her.

    He grabbed the woman''s head and pulled her lips to meet his own. The woman was surprised and struggled at first, but soon, she enjoyed the moment. "Morning Mary." He greeted her with a smile seeing the blushed woman.

    "Morning... Theo." She answered with a soft voice........ Then smacked his head with the broom in her hand. "DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE TIME FOR A MORNING KISS WHEN YOU''RE THIS LATE?!!"

    Her voice could be heard from across the street. Theo ran to the lower floor, fearing what Mary would do if he tried to delay any longer.

    He could see it through the window that the street was crowded. ''Damn, I''m so late.''

    He rushed to the back door and drew water from the well to wash his body and face. He rarely washed in the morning, but since it was a special occasion, he might as well look his best. After a cold and refreshing wash, he ran back to his room. He closed the door and, without minding Mary who was still cleaning his room, began undressing.

    "He-Hey! There''s a lady in here." She shouted with her flushed face.

    "Why are you still embarrassed seeing me naked? You''ve seen me like this many times already." He answered while putting the best attire he could find in his wardrobe. He looked himself in the mirror." Something is missing." He mumbled to himself. He tried his best to remember what he forgot.

    "Your sword." Said Mary.

    "Oh yeah." He took his prized sword along with its sheath and buckled it on his belt. "Perfect."

    He gave Mary a kiss on the cheek before dashing out. Mary called him at the last moment. "Theo, don''t come home too late. I don''t mind if you visit Cynthia or Miki or if you pick up some girls in the tavern, just make sure you return before midnight."

    "Okay! Love you Mary." he replied from the front door.

    He headed towards the inner ward of the city where the celebration was being held.

    The sound of his foot drowned the morning bird''s song. He maneuvered around the crowd of people who were busy with their own problem in the morning, bumping with some along the way.

    Shops and stores lined in his right and his left. Bookstore, Bar, Inn, Alchemy shop, Magic shop, Weapon shop, and many others. Normally, he would greet each and every one of those store owners as his daily routine, but that was simply not possible that day. Even as he ran as fast as he could in that situation, the gate to the inner ward was still far away. Even after that, he still has to get to the castle courtyard which was some distance from the inner ward gate.

    The closer he got near the inner ward, the less crowded the street became and the more expensive looking the shops and houses that lined on the street side. He has arrived at the area where the rich commoner live.

    Finally, he got to the gate, but he was stopped by two guards guarding it. The guard crossed their spear to prevent him going any further. "Do you have any permit? A commoner may not enter without a permit!" One of the guards warned him.

    "Wait a minute." He searched all of his pockets and pouches but found nothing. "Could you please let me pass? I have an urgent business."

    "No permit, no enter." The situation was strange. He was famous among the city guards for eliminating almost every bandit near the city and could pass the gate every day, even without his permit."Don''t you know who I am? Ask that guy!" Theo pointed at one of the guards guarding atop the wall.

    "Sorry, but the rule is the rule."

    "What do we have here?" A rough and familiar voice came from inside the gate. A stern looking man walked to the two guards from behind. His armor was similar to that of the two guards albeit with more decorations and a cape.

    "Commander Sir!" The two guards saluted. Their bodies tensed.

    "Be at ease." He ordered the guards. "Let this man through. He is the student of the knight academy."

    "But Sir..." The two guards appeared to be surprised and turned to Theo. "Y-you''re Sir Theo?"

    "I am."

    The two guards'' body stiffened as they realized their mistake. "A-apologies Sir!"

    The commander walked to Theo. "Sorry Lad. These two are new guys, they have never seen you before."

    "Don''t worry commander. I''m happy that they do their job." He was pissed. How could they didn''t know who he was? But fussing about such a trivial thing wouldn''t do good for his reputation.

    "Good luck with your ceremony." The commander patted his back as he passed him.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Thank you."

    Suddenly, the Commander pulled his shoulder. "Take this." He gave Theo a letter and whispered in his ears."You''re late. Normally, you will be blocked from entering the ceremony, but show this to the guards and they will let you in."

    He was surprised by the Commander''s action, but he accepted it nonetheless.

    He walked from there. Running in the inner ward would only annoy the noble and cause him to be caught and kicked out from the inner ward. Unlike the outer ward, the road in the inner ward was almost empty. Barely anyone walked as most Noble used their own carriage, and Noble rarely get out of their house this late in the morning.

    Huge mansions with an appropriately huge courtyard filled the side of the street. Personal guards stood watch in front of each gate. Wearing an armor with a symbol of the house they guarded.

    After walking for a good twenty minute, he reached the innermost ward gate where the Duke''s castle resided. The Castle area was enclosed by a huge wall and guarded by elite guards every hour of the day.

    There was another young man stood in front of the gate. He was another student from the Knight Academy. Despite being a student of the Knight Academy, he has no physical trait of a warrior or knight. Not only was he short, his body was slim and thin.

    He was a dwarf, the illness, not the race. While most people who have dwarfism look like an adult in a small body, the same can''t be said for that man. Despite being only a year younger than Theo, he looked like a 12 or 13 years old boy. If it was up to Theo to describe him, he could be described using one word. Shota.

    He was complaining to the guards after they barred him entry for coming late. Those who weren''t familiar with him would have mistaken him for a lost child. Theo grabbed the man''s shoulder.

    "Ed, you''re late too?" Theo asked the short man named Edmund Lion.

    "Theo! Yeah, mom insisted that I use my best clothes for this occasion. I ended up taking hours trying to find something that she''s satisfied with. And these guards won''t let me in."

    Theo took a glance at what Ed wore. It was a super expensive looking clothes, with gold and jewel decorating some part. Though Theo must give credit to Ed''s mom because it was fitting for him, especially with his short blue hair. "That looks expensive as hell."

    "I''m really sorry Lord Lion, but your father specifically instructed that we mustn''t let you in if you came late." Said the guard.

    "Then what about this?" Theo handed the letter the Commander gave him.

    Surprise appeared on their faces when they read the letter. They looked at each other before returning their gaze toward Theo and Ed. "Apologies Lord Theo. You and Lord Lion may enter." They stood upright.

    "Please, just call me Theo. And I''m not a lord." Theo replied. He wasn''t all that popular among the elite guards, they only knew him as the only commoner in history to ever attend the Aeston Knight Academy.

    The courtyard was already full of Knight Academy graduates. The graduates lined facing the Duke who was giving a speech. When they joined the line, the Duke had just finished giving his speech and started to call the graduate according to their graduation score.

    "Well, at least we don''t have to hear the Duke''s boring speech," Theo whispered in Edmund''s ear.

    They waited in the back of the line until their name was called. Which quite possibly the last since they were always at the bottom of their classes. Though in Theo''s case, it was because he was the only commoner there.

    ----------

    "Cheers to the worst and second worst graduate in the history of knight academy." Edmund raised the glass in his hand.

    "Cheers." Theo also raised his glass. He patted Edmund back. "Don''t think too much about it. You always said to me that you never cared about your score or becoming a knight or that sort of thing. You entered the knight academy only because your father told you to, that you prefer being a mage and scholar than a knight. Why care about it now?"

    "Easy for you to say that when you don''t have the burden of a family name!" He replied. He banged his head on the table multiple time. "Father is going to disown me!"

    "Then what''s the problem?"

    "What''s the problem you ask?! Of course............" He stopped before finishing his sentence.

    "Didn''t you save all that money all these years for when you want to run from home. Didn''t you learn magic in secret for this very moment? It''s better this way, don''t you think? You don''t have to worry about your mother or sister missing you. Or your father and brother searching for you."

    "Still... Now that it happens.... I don''t think I''m ready yet."

    "What level are you?" Theo asked, trying to change the subject.

    "4, why? Want to mock me for being that low leveled even after all this year training?"

    "No. I mean level 4 is pretty high. That is the level you need to join the army. And you''re already higher leveled than what, 70% of Amaryn''s human population." Theo method backfired and irritate Ed even more. "Okay, look, why don''t we go to the dungeon you''ve always asked me to go to?"

    Edmund body shot straight up and his eyes dazzled at Theo offer. "For Real?!"

    "Yeah, yeah. Now that we have graduated." Theo put his drink down. "Sober yourself up and meet me outside the city after sundown. Don''t forget to bring a torch and some food."

    ----------

    Theo walked the field outside the city gate. Farmland and village spanned as far as the eye can see. The evening breeze that blew his face and the feeling of the grass tickling his hand as he hovered over them, made him remember his childhood.

    He had changed his fine clothes for a steel armor that he always wear for such occasions. His prized sword hung from his belt along with a small bag. Six pouches were tied to his belt. Five of those pouches were filled with battle consumables that were essentials for experienced adventurers. The other one was something special.

    He went around a big rock that was covered with overgrown bushes and trees. From the main road, the rock didn''t have anything special going on with it, but there was a cave on the other side. In front of the cave opening was a carved statue of an angel. Ed leaned on the statue waiting for him. "You''re fast," Theo said, seeing Ed waiting for him.

    Ed wore a finely made leather armor under a blue cloak. "So what do we do now?" Ed asked.

    "Place your hand on the statue and close your eyes. " Ed did as he was instructed. A message appeared in his mind.

    [Ancient Tomb]

    [Recommended level: 3-5]

    [First time cleared: KY 803]

    "It''s already over a thousand years since it''s first completed. You sure there is still something to gain from here?" Ed asked.

    "What are you talking about?" Theo asked back.

    "I mean, if it was completed long ago doesn''t it mean that everything inside was already looted? Leaving nothing for us."

    "That''s not how dungeon work. No matter how many times you completed it, everything will return to its original state after a week."

    "But that doesn''t make sense! Like how can the enemy you killed live again? Are the golds inside magically reappear when you enter again?"

    "Why do you ask me? I''m not a scholar."

    Dungeon was one of the greatest enigmas in the world and was a hot topic for scholars for thousands of years. Even then, many things about it remained unexplained. "Doesn''t that mean you could endlessly go to a dungeon to gain experience and gold?"

    "No. Anything you loot not from the reward chest will turn to dust when you exit the dungeon, and the more you repeat a dungeon, the less rewarding the chest become and the less EXP you get." Theo placed his hand on the statue.

    [Form a party?]

    A message popped up in Ed''s head when Theo placed his hand. "What should I do?" He asked, not knowing what to do.

    "Say no in your head. We go inside together, but you better not form a party with me."

    "Why?"

    "I''m over-leveled. If you make a party with me, you''re going to get an experience and reward penalty."

    "Wait, how high is your level?" he asked. He knew that Theo level was higher than him, but he never told him the exact number. Every time he asked Theo how high his level was, he always answered with the same phrase.

    "It doesn''t matter" Theo replied. "Let''s go inside." Theo lead the way and went inside the cave while Ed followed closely from behind.

 Chapter 3: Ancient Tomb

    Deeper inside the cave was an iron double door. Even from a distance, Ed could feel the powerful enchantment covering the door. The only possible reason an iron door that ancient wouldn''t have any rust on it was magic. There were carvings and symbols along the cave wall up to the door. He would love to study these ancient symbols someday.

    "Light your torch!" Theo told him as he opened the door.

    "[Candle Flame]." A small fire appeared in Ed''s hand and used it to light his torch.

    The double creaked open, creating a scary sound that sent chills down Ed''s spine. Cold air and ominous feeling began to pour out from the tomb. It was the sense of dread and death.

    "Let''s go." Theo led the way to a spiral staircase leading downward.

    Skulls littered the wall along with spider webs and eggs. Decayed wood and rusted iron jutted out from the wall. "This place gives me the chill, but seeing you walk-in without any hesitation like that kind of break the mood," Ed commented. His hand was visibly shaking no matter how hard he tried to hold it back.

    "Well, I''ve completed this dungeon three times already. The first time I went in I was also hesitant.... Just kidding. I''m not a pussy like you Ed. I''ve killed a few ghosts before, no reason for me to get scared."

    "Thanks."

    When they reached the bottom of the staircase, they were greeted with a large open hall. The ceiling was curved with a chandelier hanging from it. In the middle of the room, a stone dining table surrounded by stone chairs."Walk there. I stay here." Theo said.

    Ed nodded and walked toward the table. Plates and tankards were placed neatly on the table as if the owner of the place was still expecting a guest.

    ''Why is there a dining room in a tomb?'' Ed asked inside his head. As soon as he touched one of the plates, bones that were scattered on the floor began to rumble and moved to one point. The bones stuck together and coalesced into a full skeleton.

    "[Fire Arrow]!" An arrow of fire shot out from his hand and hit the skeleton chest, but it did nothing. The skeleton jumped from the table and scratched him, but he easily moved out of the way.

    "Remember what a skeleton resistant to? Elemental magic. Weak to? Pure magic." Theo said as he watched Ed getting trouble from a level 1 skeleton.

    "[Arcane bolt]!" Ed extended his arm and a bolt of pure magic formed in his hand. It flew and slammed the skeleton, shattering its fragile bone. After the first one had been dealt with, the other two skeletons on the far end of the room began to move. He dispatched them without much effort with his magic bolts.

    "That.. Was surprisingly easy," Ed said.

    Theo walked near Ed from the back of the room. "That is a level one skeleton. What are you expecting? Let''s go to the next room." Theo observed Ed. His hand wasn''t shaking as furiously as before.

    The door at the end of the room led to a long but narrow hallway. Five coffins lined on the wall. Theo knocked on the nearest coffin. "This one is going to open when we walk over the third one. The fifth and the second will open after we dealt with the first, then after that the third and the fourth." He took a step back. "I let you deal with all of them."

    Just like Theo said, when he walked past the third coffin, the first one flung open and a skeleton came out of it. He dealt with the first, second and the fifth just like before, but the third and the fourth didn''t come out. "Theo, what happened?" He asked with an undercurrent of fear in his voice. He was afraid if the dungeon somehow changed since Theo last visited.

    Theo burst into laughter. "God! Your scared face is funny!" He slapped his own tight. "Don''t rely too much on me. Where is the fun in that?"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "You....bastard!" Ed let out a sigh of relief after he said that. Being pranked by Theo was much better than something unexpected happening.

    "I am."

    They breezed through the next two rooms as it was more or less filled with the same level one and two skeletons. In the room after that, a level five skeleton appeared. Ed dealt with it without that much trouble, but a few of his spells missed its mark, and his magic bolt hit the stone wall behind it, revealing another cave.

    "Should we go there?" Ed asked, but a notification popped up in his head before Theo could answer.

    [Hidden Ancient Tomb Discovered]

    [Dungeon status changed to uncleared]

    [New World Quest: Discover the secret of the hidden tomb]

    [Recommended level: 7-15]

    [Recommended Party Size: 3]

    "Hey Theo, do you get that?" Ed asked once more.

    "Get what?"

    "A notification about a quest and a newly discovered tomb. It just kind of popped in my head."

    A broad smile appeared on Theo''s face. "A world quest."

    "World quest?" Ed asked. He knew the name, but he couldn''t place it.

    "Normally a quest is given by a quest giver to someone. But if a particular person or creature does something, the one above will provide us with a quest directly. World quest is very rare and very important. It''s also very rewarding."

    "The one above? I recall you never believe in God."

    "I do believe in higher power, but not the one that they teach you at the church of Ketu." He walked to the newly made hole in the wall. "We can save the discussion of theology for later. I''m more interested in exploring this place."

    "You''ve never seen this before?"

    "No. What is the new quest that you get?" Ed tried to summon the notification in his head again. After a few second of concentration, the same notification from before appeared.

    "Discover the secret of the hidden tomb. Level seven to fifteen."

    Theo unsheathed his sword. "Stay behind me and cover my back. It''s not a quest you could complete at your level. We''ll finish it together."

    Excitement filled Theo''s heart. It had been a long time since he was given the opportunity to explore a new dungeon, not to mention his best friend got a world quest, something that no normal person would ever get in their life. He couldn''t help but show his wide grin.

    Ed himself, however, didn''t feel all that too excited. As easy as dealing with those skeletons looked, it still used a lot of his stamina and mana, especially since he was still not used to using magic. He wanted to take a quick rest, but seeing Theo''s excited face made him feel bad for wanting to rest.They crouched down and crawled on all four to continue the dungeon, and it was worse for him since he has to carry a torch. After a seemingly eternity, a light came from their front.

    Their hard work of crawling paid off after seeing the marvel in front of them. Huge cave lined with light emitting crystal.

    The light coming from the crystal was reflected by an underground lake, giving it a beautiful, otherworldly sparkle. The thick and repulsive air of the tomb was no more, replaced by a cold and refreshing air.

    "Wow!" They both lost their word at such wonder. "We.. can rest here for a while." Said Theo without averting his gaze from the lake. "You must be tired after fighting all those skeletons."

    "That''s a good idea." Ed nodded his head.

    They sat on one of the bigger rocks there. They ate and drank while enjoying the view. After Ed finished his meal, he walked to the edge of the water to drink it. It wasn''t as if he need to drink from the lake, he was just curious how the water would taste. The water was freezing, colder than river water or well water during winter. He coughed out the water, not expecting it to be that cold.

    Not even ten seconds after he drank the water, he saw a shadow in the lake creeping over to him.

    The water sprouted as something leaped out of the water at him. The creature was bigger than him with scale covering its body and lizard-like feature.

    Ed fell on his back, surprised by the lizard. He reflexively covered his face with both arms crossed in front of him. Before the lizard could take a bite, Theo kicked it right in the gut before strangling it from behind and pinning the lizard to the ground.

    "What are you waiting for?! Kill it!" Theo shouted.

    "[Fire Arrow]!" A fire arrow shot from Ed''s hand and burned the lizard head.

    The lizard screeched in agony and struggled hard to escape from Theo pinning, but it was futile. A second fire arrow scorched its face before the third one killed it.

    Theo let go of the lifeless lizard body after confirming that it was completely dead. "Why didn''t you just kill it?" Ed asked, unsure why Theo had to pin it down.

    "If I kill it by myself you won''t get EXP, which would defeat our purpose coming here in the first place."

    Ed stood up and inspected the lizard body. Its head was completely scorched along with whatever inside it. He knew his spell was still weak, but three arrows straight to the head before dying, how high was that lizard-men level for it to be that strong?

    The lizard left a deep claw mark on the stone as it struggled to escape. If Theo had been late even for a second, who know what would happen to him, even an iron armor wouldn''t help him in that situation.

    "Just like a rose, beauty hiding a thorn. Let''s go, I rather not wait for another of that creature to show up." Theo spoke while offering his hand. Unlike Ed, there wasn''t even a hint of panic and fear in his face, but a broad smile full of excitement.

 Chapter 4: The Prophecy

    They walked further inside the cave, arriving at another tomb similar to the first one. The air was even thicker and more ominous than the first tomb. The tomb was big and grandeur, signifying the importance of the person buried inside.

    The ground shook as they approached the middle of a room. They both knew what would happen in that room, seeing the number of bones littering the floor.

    Their back met each other''s as countless skeleton formed all around them. The skeletons were all Lv.1, but their number was far too great to count. "Sorry Ed, guess I have to steal some experience from you." Said Theo. He unsheathed his long sword. "Don''t move too much."

    Theo charged forward at the horde of skeletons. With each swing of his sword, at least three skeletons perished while another three were being pushed back. Ed, not wanting Theo to hog all the fun, began to shoot multiple bolts of magic at the skeleton.

    The skeleton retaliated back and began marching on them, but their sheer number and small space made their movement slow, some even tripped on each other. After destroying several skeletons, a message popped up in Ed mind. Power surged inside Ed''s body. His fatigue washed away as he felt his stamina and mana restored to maximum.

    [Edmund Lion Level Up to Lv.5]

    [Intelligence, Attunement +2. All other attributes +1]

    [Level five reached. Unique magic gained: Dragon Breath: Fire]

    The knowledge of a spell appeared inside his mind. He couldn''t describe it, he just knew. Excitement and curiosity took over him. The situation of him being surrounded by skeleton was the perfect opportunity to test his new skill. "Theo!" He called his friend who was wiping the floor with skeletons. Theo turned his head to face him. "Move!"

    Theo didn''t know what Ed was planning, but he trusted him and moved out of the way. Ed opened his mouth wide and fire spewed forth from it. The fire spread wider than he thought, covering a large area and consuming countless skeleton caught in its path.

    He didn''t expect it to do anything, knowing that skeleton has a high fire resistance, but his new unique magic surprised him. The fire burned with such intensity and at such high temperature that the skeleton that caught in it turned to ashes and those that stood near had their bone charred and weakened. He turned his head while still activating his magic, setting the remaining skeletons on fire.

    He stopped his magic and shut his mouth. His head light and his knee weak. He would have fallen to the ground if not for Theo caught him in his fall. "What the hell was that?" Theo asked in amazement.

    "My.. Unique magic." He answered.

    "Your unique magic?.......AT LEVEL 5?!!!" Theo shouted. He shook Ed''s shoulder. "You know what that means right?! Right?! You''re a Class 5 mage! CLASS 5 MAGE FOR FUCK SAKE!! You were never meant to be a knight or warrior or whatever you damned father wanted you to be, ED! You were meant to be a mage!"

    "Don''t shout too loud... I''m tired....." Ed lost consciousness after spending all of his mana on the dragon breath.

    Theo slowly laid Ed down before checking the skeleton that was now ashes. Even the stone melted when hit by Ed''s flame.

    "Turning bone to ashes and melting enchanted stone, only Dragon fire can do something like this in such a short amount of time." He took a look at the sleeping Edmund. "Just when I think I''m the best one around here........The world always finds a way to surprise you."

    ''Dragon fire.'' He thought. No human should be able to replicate it. Except maybe a Class 5 mage. As far as Theo knew, there was only ever 20 [Class 5 mage] in the history of the continent. Well, 21 now.

    ------

    Theo sat next to the campfire he made, waiting for Ed to wake up. Ed body jolted up. Theo saw Ed turned his head left and right as if in a panic. "Welcome back. Have fun in the dreamland?" Theo asked.

    "How long did I sleep?"

    "Quite some time, but not too long." Theo stood up. "I scouted ahead and by the look of it, the next room is the boss room. Let''s go! I rather spend the night in my bed with Mary or some other girls than here."

    "Yeah, let''s..." Ed tried to stand up, but wasn''t strong enough yet.

    "Here princess." Theo grabbed his arm and helped him stand.

    The next room was huge. The ceiling was so tall that it was hard for them to see it. Four statues of an ancient warrior stood in each corner of the room facing the sarcophagus in the middle. Theo tried to open the sarcophagus to no avail, the cover was heavy and sealed with magic. "We must do something first." Theo said. Hoping that Ed would ask him what to do.

    Contrary to Theo''s expectation, Ed instead, approached the wall on the opposite side of the entrance. He slid his hand across it while reading the carving of an incomprehensible ancient language. "You could read that?" Theo asked. Ed ignored him, or maybe he didn''t hear him.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    When Ed reached the end of the carving, light filled the room for a second. A huge sound of an explosion echoed as the cover of sarcophagus shot up high into the air. A huge man came out of it. His pale white skin sticks to his bone as if there was no muscle or meat below it. Jewels and Gems hung in his neck by a necklace.

    Miasmas of death poured out from the sarcophagus. The air thickened, making it hard for Ed to breath.

    [Ragnar, Revenant Priest Lv.17]

    Ed body froze in fear as his eyes met the Revenant''s deep blue eyes. It felt like staring at an endless ocean. Ragnar opened his skeletal jaw and a ghastly eerie voice came out of it. The ground turned to ice the moment his feet touched it and the air froze as a pure white mist came out of his mouth.

    Sweat broke out all over Ed''s body. The priest was far too powerful for him to do anything. At level 17, even a group of guard and soldier won''t be able to take it down.

    "The Final Age has arrived. The end is coming. The world will converge. Giant rose from their slumber as dragon returned from time immem-"

    A fist flew directly to the Revenant helmet and threw his body into the wall.

    Before he could even stand up again, Theo grabbed his head and bashed it multiple times against the wall. "AW! AW! AW!" The Revenant screamed in pain each time his head met the wall. "Stop! Stop! Stop! It hurt!"

    "Don''t be stupid! You think I let you do what you want?" Theo asked.

    ---------

    "Sorry!" Ragnar prostrated in front of Theo and Ed with a shaking body. Ed was surprised by the turn of the event. Seeing this, a level seventeen undead prostrated in front of him. It was just too ridiculous for anyone to accept, especially since he was spouting some strange prophecy before. "Please let me finish the prophecy I carry. Then you can kill me!" He begged Theo.

    "Idiot!" Theo kicked Ragnar''s head. Even though that kick wasn''t meant to hurt Ragnar, he still held his head as if he was in pain. Theo sat down and took out a paper and a quill. "Who can remember such a strange prophecy when you spoke it that fast. Speak slowly!"

    "I''m sorry." Ragnar sat straight. "Giant rose from their slum-"

    "Start again from the beginning you stupid ass Revenant!" Theo swung his sword.

    "A-apologize" Ragnar coughed to clear his non-existent throat. "The Final Age has arrived. The end is coming. The world will converge. Giant rose from their slumber as dragon returned from time immemorial. Monster will rise and civilization will fall. Fire will scorch the sky and fire will burn the earth. The great gate will fall and the demon breaks loose. The great gate will fall and the demon breaks loose!"

    "Is the last part supposed to repeat?" Theo asked while pointing his quill.

    "Yes." Ragnar nodded his head rapidly. "My master said the last part have to be repeated for extra dramatic effect. I didn''t understand what he meant though."

    "O..kay!" Theo finished writing and fold the paper. He stood up. "Now it''s time to finish this dungeon."

    Ragnar also stood up. "But I won''t go without a fight!" Ragnar pulled out two daggers from his belt and cast a frost spell on it.

    "[Serene slash]"

    Before Ragnar could even swing his dagger, both of his hands flew off. Theo skill cut both of his hands without him even noticing the slash. "Impressive. Cutting through enchanted iron like a butter." Ragnar complimented him.

    Theo pointed his sword directly at Ragnar''s neck. "Tell me, old revenant. This is a unique dungeon right?"

    "Indeed. I won''t return after this. The sarcophagus will remain empty."

    Theo pulled and sheathed his sword. He walked to Ed and tapped his shoulder. "I leave this to you."

    "Master Mage, I watched you from before. If I have any right to demand, at least let me die in a Dragon fire. Such a glorious end is not worthy of me, but still, I hope for it."

    Ed hesitated to end the Revenant. He had killed numerous skeletons and animals before, but this is the first time he is going to kill something close to a human. No, he was a human. Even with his undead appearance, he was still human inside. There was a human consciousness inside the skull.

    He gritted his teeth and steeled his will. Sparing the old Revenant won''t save him. "May you rest in peace old Revenant." Said Ed.

    He opened his mouth and the dragon fire consumed Ragnar. There was no scream, a painless and quick death.

    A message appeared in Ed mind.

    [Unique Dungeon Boss Ragnar the Revenant Priest defeated][Reward: 100 silver coin. Necklace of Revenant Priest Ragnar]

    [Low-level bonus added][Reward: 10 silver coin. Ring of the Revenant Priest ]

    [Small party bonus added][Reward: 10 silver coin]

    [Hidden Ancient Tomb Dungeon cleared][Reward: Bone dust]

    [Low-level bonus added]

    [First-time clear bonus added]

    [Discover The Ancient Tomb Secret Quest Completed]

    [Low-level bonus added]

    Two chests appeared out of thin air in front of them. One large in front of Ed and one small in front of Theo. Theo promptly opened the small one. "Only 1 silver coin? The high-level penalty is really harsh." Theo said to himself as he took out a single silver coin from it before the chest disappeared into thin air. "What are you waiting? Open yours."

    Ed took a step and open the chest in front of him. He already knew what was inside and took it all. Two gained his interest, the necklace, and the ring.

    [Necklace of the Revenant priest Ragnar][Unique magical item][Increase magic resistance by 10%]

    [Ring of the Revenant Priest] [Rare magical item] [Increase frost damage by 5%]

    While the bonus from the item might look small, the one from the necklace was pretty high. Enchanting an item with a general magic resistance of any form was difficult, but enchanting a necklace cranked the difficulties up to eleven. A necklace that could increase magic resistance by 10% in the market could cost hundreds of gold coin. If not thousands.

    "Some pretty neat item you got there!" Theo looked at Ed''s item.

    "I wonder why the coin didn''t devalue so much if Coin magically appears in dungeons."

    "Didn''t you know that all the coins that we use today as money all originated inside a dungeon?"

    "Didn''t you mine those gold, silver, and copper?"

    "As far as I know they''re different. The one that appears in dungeons have a unique property and are not replicable even with today''s magic, though this fact is rather not well known. And I tell you before right? With each subsequent dungeon run, you get less reward. Not to mention the high-level penalty."

    "You can take the coin." Ed tossed his coin pouch. "Just take it as a payment for guarding me."

    "More like babysitting." Theo opened the pouch and counted the coin inside. "You sure you don''t need it? I mean, right now, you won''t need it, but later when you decide to leave home..."

    "Nah. I would have died if not for you. It''s only fair."

 Chapter 5: Departure I

    The moon hung high in the sky, but the tavern was getting louder and louder as the night progressed. Guards, Merchant, Hunter, Peddler, adventurer, all joined in the tavern that night to drink themselves and forget their daily problems.

    Two people sat in the corner of the tavern, they are one of the few inside who haven''t completely wasted themselves. One was an incredibly handsome young man with a short brown hair and another one was a blue haired....... kid? young man? Wearing an expensive leather armor.

    "So have you decided what you are going to do now?" Theo asked.

    "I''ll stay here until Autumn comes, disowned or not. But after that... I go south to Lethrand to study magic. If I''m a Class 5 Mage like you said I am, I probably won''t be there for long. How about you? Tomorrow?"

    "The day after tomorrow. Still have some work to do, giving the prophecy letter to the adventurer guild and the church, getting my sword from Andre, and saying goodbye to everyone."

    "Your women, huh? How many in this city alone?''

    "9."

    "Must be good for you. I never even kiss a girl."

    "Well, aside from Mary, Miki, and Cynthia, the others don''t really care. They''re just sex friends, fuck buddies, friends with benefits, you call them that. But really? I bet the third son of Edward Lion, Lord of the Riverside, would have girl throwing themselves at his feet." Theo mentioned Ed''s father''s title with a mocking tone.

    "Some noble tried to marry their daughter to me, but father never liked any of them, so he rejected them all." Ed took a drink. "Continuing our previous subject, where do you plan to go?"

    "South, to the capital. Get a slave there, see the capital with my own two eyes. Funny enough, I have seen the north shore and south shore of the continent, but I''ve never even visited my own kingdom''s capital."

    "Ah, slavery. Never realize that thing is still allowed."

    "Well thDukeke don''t like it and forbids its practice in the duchy, but the King never forbids its practice in the kingdom." Theo turned his body so that he could see the whole tavern. "After that, I''ll go north to the Ketu Theocracy then to the Eternal City, get some money and fame there, and try getting some girl along the way, the usual. After that. Who know where life would take me."

    "You know if you''re free tomorrow, why don''t we go to the church?"

    "To hear the old man''s preaching?"

    "No. I want to check my talent and skill, and I want to know yours too. Old man Thoros is the only one capable of a high tier scanning and appraising spell."

    "Okay. Maybe after getting my sword from Andre." Theo put down the tankard in his hand. "Ed, see that girl?" Theo pointed his finger towards the barmaid serving drinks for the customer. She was an attractive woman with long black hair and pretty face.

    Ed nodded. "Yeah, why?"

    "I saved her from a bandit camp a year ago. Do you think she likes me?"

    Ed observed her. "Uhh.... I don''t know."

    "That was a rhetorical question, Ed. Of course, she likes me."

    "And how do you know that?"

    Theo turned to face Ed. "Listen, Ed. When a someone you''re not close with likes you, they won''t just suddenly approach you and say I like you, or say Let''s fuck. No, that won''t happen....except maybe some special case, but that''s extremely rare. Anyway, most people like to drop hints. And that girl has been dropping hints at me like crazy for the past few weeks. Can you see them?"

    Ed took his time trying to get anything from the barmaid, but he just wasn''t able to pick up any hints. "No."

    "The glance Ed. You know how much she glanced at me when I''m not looking directly at her? A lot. Sometimes she almost spills the drinks or foods she holds because she was distracted by me. Next, the neckline."

    "The neckline?" After Theo said it to him, Ed began focusing on her neckline. Ed realized that she was wearing a revealing outfit with a low neckline. He could clearly see her cleavage. "But isn''t that a normal barmaid''s outfit to attract male customers?"

    "Now that''s the problem, Ed. That girl there, she was a timid, shy girl, almost no confidence at all with her body. I''ve been asking the regular customers about her. They said that she never wears a revealing outfit like that if I don''t come here. On normal days, she wears a normal outfit, but if I showed up.....well."

    Ed nodded his head. "Ohhhhh."

    Theo stood up and patted Ed on the shoulder. "You should go home, Ed. Adult things will happen tonight and the kid better stays at home."

    "Hey, I''m not a kid."

    "Yes, you are. Yes, you are." Theo said as he walked towards the barmaid they talked about before.

    ---------

    Theo enjoyed walking through the city in the night time. The star, the huge shining moon, and the empty street. Lanterns and torches of the guards appeared as a dots on top of the wall in the otherwise dark city.

    He smelled his hand. The girl scent and perfume from before still lingered on his hand. She was a cute and attractive young woman, but she lacked experience, not that he disliked it.

    His home was a book shop. It wasn''t his, he just lived there since he knew the previous owner and befriend the previous owner''s daughter, who was now the owner. Well, befriend was not the correct word to describe their relationship. "Mary I''m home!" He shouted as he opened the door. Normally he would enter without making any sound when he came back this late, but seeing that the light was still on, he decided to call her.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    She didn''t answer.

    He had checked all the bedrooms before realizing that the lamp in the kitchen was still lit. Mary sat in the dining room with her head hung low. She didn''t answer his call.

    "Is something wrong?" He asked after noticing water dripping from her chin.

    "When... are you leaving?" She asked. From her voice, it was obvious that she was trying to hold back her tear to no result.

    "The day after tomorrow. Well, technically its tomorrow since it''s past midnight now." He wrapped his hand around her shoulder and pulled her to his chest.

    "Please..*Hic*... Don''t go."

    "I''m sorry Mary, I must."

    "Just live with me here in this city! I don''t care if you sleep with Cynthia, Miki or the others, but don''t leave me." She pleaded him. Tears that she was trying so hard to hold back burst out like a broken dam.

    "I''m sorry Mary. I can''t do that. Just as you have this shop you promised your father to run and can''t go with me. I have a promise I made to Dad that made me can''t stay here." She cried as loud as she could. He gently stroke her hair trying to calm her down and kissed her.

    ----------

    The sound of morning birds chirping outside the window woke Theo up. He looked at Mary who was sleeping soundly next to him and gave her a kiss on her freckles-filled cheek. When they first met, he never liked those freckles, but after a while, he realized how much it made her cuter and grew fond of it.

    The sound of the front door being knocked multiple times echoed throughout the shop and to the second floor where he resided. He put on his clothes and covered Mary''s body with a blanket before going down to answer the front door.

    When he opened the door, a male tiger beast-kin was waiting, Fergus.

    His appearearance was mostly the same as a human, but with some feature of a tiger. There was a pair of tiger ear on his head, tail, whiskers, and black-orange stripe on his hair and some part of his face.

    "Morning Mar... oh.. it''s you, Theo." Disappointment visible in his face, it wasn''t as if he tried to hide it either. "Where''s Mary?"

    "Sleeping. Naked. In my bed." Said Theo with a smug smile.

    Fergus smiled, deliberately showing a row of sharp fang. He shook his head and let out a small forced laugh. "Well, I come here for business. NOT for a personal reason." His voice full of enmity. "What Mary does with her life is not my concern. Not anymore." He walked to the wagon behind him. Stacks of books could be seen inside. "I''ve got some new items after my travel around the Continent. Girantine, Lethrand, Haken empire, Kingdom of Mosk, Holy Empire. Even got some books from Nippon and the Ulster Isle." His voice became more relaxed and friendly as he talked about his wares.

    Theo smiled at his change of attitude. It seemed that some years on the road as a merchant had changed him for the better. "Bet Mary already ordered some books."

    "Yes, she has paid in advance. I''ll carry it inside later. If you want to browse some book-"

    "I do actually." Theo walked to his wagon and looked for some books while Fergus carried the books that Mary ordered. Theo was amazed at Fergus'' collection. Most of what he sold were books that he never saw or even heard before. Theo himself wasn''t much of a book enthusiast, but helping someone run a bookstore did make him knew a lot about books. Moreover, there were a lot of strange and bizarre collection of items inside his wagon. Idols, trinkets, dolls.

    After looking for a while, two books caught his attention. Shonen Duck and Old Ace, both were collections of manga. A book full of pictures like that was only possible to be made because of Lethrand''s advanced magic technologies, including something called a printing machine. It was a shame that only Lethrand could produce a magical machine like that. He wondered how much better the world would be if every country has a printing machine.

    "How much is this?" Theo asked.

    "30.. no.. 50 silver each."

    "That much?"

    "Special price for you," Fergus replied with a satisfied smile, hoping that the price would deter him.

    "Okay." Theo went inside.

    "......." Fergus was left dumbfounded, he didn''t expect him to just accept the price. It was obviously overpriced, and Theo, who lived in a book shop should have known that. "Well, whatever, extra money is extra money."

    Not long after Theo went inside, he came back with a gold coin in his hand. Mary was following him from behind. "Fergus!" Mary jumped in the place, seeing Fergus in front of the door.

    "Mary!" The fake and forced smile in Fergus''s was replaced by a genuine one.

    "My god! It feels like ages, how long have it been?"

    "Three years. Can''t believe how time flies."

    Theo stood back and watched as Fergus and Mary talked about the past three years since they last met. Seeing the smile on Mary''s face, he decided it was the best to leave the two friends on their own to reminisce their childhood memories.

    "Mary. I''m going now. I have something to do." Theo said.

    "Don''t come back too late. I have something to give to you before you left." Theo raised his thumb as he walked away.

    He greeted people as he walked pass them. It was necessary to imprint the image of a nice guy to everyone''s mind. He also called their name, which was a hassle, but he had to do it. His father told him that remembering names was important to give the impression of closeness and the likes.

    Three years he lived in Aeston, but he could still feel the stare and the look of women as he passed by them, or the red on their face as he greeted them and gave them a smile. Young girls, maid, female adventurer, none could resist his charm. Hell, even the wives and some older women couldn''t help but stare at his face.

    Theo walked toward the first intersection near his home. A building with a huge sign sat on the corner of the intersection. It was a crude stone building with a huge chimney on its roof spouting smoke nonstop. The sound of a hammer tempering an iron could be heard from across the street. The smell of burning coal was evident as he approached the open workshop.

    "Andre. How is my sword going?" Theo asked as he entered the forge area.

    "Morning Lad!" Andre paused his work to greet his loyal customer. "Wait a minute won''t ye? Let me finish this beauty real quick!"

    Andre continued his work. The room lit up each time he brought his hammer down. Theo could feel the massive amount of aura Andre put into the sword he made, proving his dedication and love for each of his creation. After finishing the sword, Andre stood up and cleaned his huge body with a towel. Then he went into the backroom. He came back with a shrouded sword and a paper in his hand. Andre scratched his head after giving both to Theo. "Me ashamed to say this lad, but Me was unable to complete the beauty."

    "What? How can you not make it? You''re one of the best in the kingdom." Theo asked in surprise.

    "Don''t know where ye find that diagram lad, but the technique used to make that beauty is not something me, a Class 3 blacksmith could learn." He rubbed his chin. "Me able to make it, the most beautiful one Me ever made. The thing is, the next part about reforging, enchanting, couldn''t do that. Ye have to search for some Class 4 blacksmith for that."

    "And where can I find one?"

    "One in the capital, but the wench the King''s personal blacksmith, she didn''t make for others. Though ye can try. She''s the closest one and ye have plan for the capital. One in Haken Empire and one in Nippon. Also, there''s a rumor of Class 5 blacksmith in Ulster isle, but Me think it''s just a rumor."

    Theo grabbed a pouch and was about to hand it when he was stopped by Andre. "No need to pay lad. Think of it as a gift from me. Seeing something Me not able to craft fully in me old age is already a great payment."

    Theo opened the shroud and took a look at his sword. It was one of the finest swords he ever saw, and he had seen many. "Thanks, Andre. What is its name?"

    Andre rubbed his chin again, thinking. "It''s yer sword lad, ye gave it its name."

    "Hmmm. What would dad name it?...... Panes." He looked at Andre after saying the sword''s name. A message appeared on Theo''s head.

    [Panes, Blade of Theo]

    [Epic Longsword]

    [Strength: B+ Dexterity: B+]

    "An epic longsword with B+ scaling in both Strength and Dexterity. Thanks again Andre."

    "Nice to be of service to ye lad." Andre watched him as he left his workshop. "Ye become more and more like yer dad, lad."

    When Theo walked outside the sun was already shining brightly. He remembered his promise to Ed about going to the church after visiting Andre.

 Chapter 6: Edmund Lion

    It was the night after Theo and Ed returned from the dungeon. It was almost midnight and the air was freezing cold. Ed opened the front gate of his house and walked through the front yard. Though calling it mansion would be a more appropriate term. Two guards stood in front of the gate. They should have greeted and opened the gate for him, but he told them not to.

    He slid his hand and rubbed the bushes and flowers as he passed them. The different kind of flower, their color, their shape, their growth, it always fascinated him. The gardener did an amazing job at keeping the garden beautiful, and he loved it. He would love to help them take care of the garden if not for his father forbidding him.

    He opened the great door of his family mansion. It was heavy and he should have asked the guards to help him, but if he couldn''t even move the door, what would happen once he leaves his home?

    "Welcome back young master!" A butler and six maids lined up on the side of the entrance. They bowed their heads and spoke in unison.

    Ed sighed. There should only be a butler and two maids inside the mansion since it was not that huge. The increase in number made him remember that his whole family was in the city. His small adventure had made him forget. "I''m home." He said with a dispirited voice.

    "Young master, your father is waiting on the upper floor. If you want anything after speaking with your father, please tell me now. I will prepare it for you." Said the butler. His white hair and face full of wrinkles clearly showed his age

    "It''s fine Barnie. I don''t want anything right now. Thank you." He replied with a smile.

    "My pleasure young master." Ed sighed again after hearing Barnie spoke in a very strict and formal fashion. Ed regarded Barnie as a grandfather figure and they were very close. They spoke in a casual manner when there was only him in the mansion. It depressed him.

    He walked towards the stair at the end of the hall. He swore that he could hear his heart beating when he reached the top of the staircase. A long table with twelve chairs was the first thing he saw as he reached the second floor. Sitting on a chair on the opposite end was another old man.

    He has an air of undeniable gravitas. An air of authority that made it hard for Ed to breathe. The old man wasn''t that huge, but he was imposing. Even as he sat quietly, it seemed like a giant was staring at Ed from his position. He was Lord Edward Lion, Ed''s father, one of the great lords of Amaryn kingdom, and the owner of the mansion he was currently in.

    A tankard was on his right hand. It was a rather simple looking tankard, unfitting of a man of his status. From the way he drank the liquid inside, one would think that it was alcohol, but Ed knew his father better. He hated any form of alcohol as it ''robs him of his mind''. It was most likely a juice or a milk that he drank.

    "Sit." It was a quick and precise command. Ed''s sat on the nearest chairs. It was only then that Ed realized that there was a paper in front of his father. His father picked it up. His gaze wandered on the paper for a second, then he put it down again. "Disgraceful."

    His word stabbed Ed''s heart like a sword of ice. It was a cold and harsh word, but can''t be truer. He had no love for the knight education he got, but it was still an education given to him. At the very least, he must not disappoint his father. To which he failed, miserably.

    Lord Edward stood up from his chair. The sound of his footsteps coming near Ed was unbearable. Ed wanted to run away, but before he realized it, Lord Edward put the paper in front of him. "Your brother is the best graduate in the academy''s history. Your second brother, the best of his generation. And you, what are you?"

    Ed didn''t dare take a look at his father''s face. Still, he could feel the icy cold stare of his. "The third Son of Edward Lion is, the worst graduate! In the entirety of the history of Aeston Knight Academy!"

    Ed wanted to interject his father by saying that he wasn''t the worst graduate. The title belongs to Theo technically. But everyone knew that the only reason Theo got the last place was because he was a commoner inside a nobility-only Academy. "Anything to say?" Lord Edward asked.

    He shook his head. "N-no. Father."

    "So how do you explain this... Numbers?!" Lord Edward slammed his hand on the paper. Lord Edward sat next to Ed. This made Ed drop his head looking down, for he didn''t want to see his father''s face. "Let me tell you what your instructor said. And I quote, ''Edmund is a brilliant child with his mind, not so much so with his body.'' See the problem?"

    "Y-yes father."

    "Have you been training every day?"

    "Ye-No, father." He almost lied. One thing his father hated more than a failure was a liar. He almost dug his own grave, deeper.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "And what have you been spending your times with, Hmmm?"

    "I-"

    "Spending time with your friends, the Gladium boy? Hoping to become ''adventurer'' like him? NO! You are Edmund Lion, the third son of mine! I won''t let you be some nobody adventurer. You will be a proper knight! You will serve the country like I did in my youth! Then you will return to the East Port and be the Lord there after my passing! You will marry a nice noble girl and have a good family! Are we clear?"

    Ed didn''t move nor did he answer.

    "You will stop meeting with that Gladium boy from now on. He has been a bad influence on you. A man whore-"

    "Father!!" Ed stood from his seat and slammed his hand. Lord Edward raised his brows. It was the first time Ed spoke against his father. "T-Theo is a good man! A-And a very skilled warrior, better even than brother! I didn''t spend my time with him. I-I spent my time in the library, reading books and learning magic." Ed sat back again. "I-I''m sorry father."

    "Books and magics. What are you, trying to be a scholar?" Ed shook his head. "Then what are you trying to be, hmm?"

    "I-I want to be a mage father."

    "A mage?" His father chuckled. "Amaryn is a kingdom of knight and warrior. Even the court mages, those who possess Class 3 or Class 4 magic talent, are only a symbol and are not appreciated. I will not let you be a joke like them!"

    "I will not be a joke. Theo said I have a Class 5 magic talent."

    Lord Edward raised his brows once more. He laughed out loud. He abruptly stopped and showed an angry expression. "Preposterous! You think you can fool me?!"

    "I-It''s tru-"

    "Are you taking me for a fool son?!" Lord Edward stood up. "There have only been 20 Class 5 Mages in the whole history of the continent. Only twenty! One only appears every 500 years. Are you saying that despite the existence of another Class 5 Mage in Lethrand right now, another one appears right here in front of me, in the form of a disappointment, that is my third son?!"

    "Fa-fath-"

    "I don''t want to hear this joke any longer! There will be no more discussion! No more arguing! You will do what I told you to do and you will not be a disgrace to the family any longer!!"

    Lord Edward left the room, leaving Ed alone. His body was trembling and his eyes teary.

    Disappointment. Disappointment. Disappointment. Since he was a child, he was always a disappointment to his father. Weak, small, fragile, childlike. No matter how hard he trained his body, it was never meant for physical activities. No matter how hard he trained his muscle it never grew big. No matter how hard he tried to grow taller or to grow like a man, he couldn''t.

    "Brother?" A voice came from behind him. It was a voice of an angel, one that always made him happy no matter what his condition was. He wiped the tears from his eyes and turned toward the sound. There was a head, her body not visible to him due to the stairs.

    "Elie." He said with a wavering voice. His little sister. Her long wavy hair was blue like him and their mother. Her cheek red and plump. She was a cute little girl.

    ''Oh right,'' Ed thought. He massaged his forehead. She was no longer his cute little sister. She was 18 now and was a beautiful and attractive woman, ready to be shipped to the house of some other noble son for marriage. She was a tall woman, to Ed at least. She was actually normal if compared to girls of her age. The little girl that Ed used to pat her head all the time has grown into someone who could pat his head without looking awkward.

    Elie sat next to him on the table. "What happened, brother?" She asked full of concern.

    "No, it''s nothing, Elie. I just have some argument with father." He smiled to reduce her worry. "You know, earlier today I go with Theo to a dungeon. It was so cool."

    Elie''s eyes sparkled. A sparkle that Ed knew well. "Ohh! How is big brother Theo doing?"

    ''God dammit Theo! I won''t let you get your dirty hand on my little sister!'' He thought after hearing her sister request.

    He told him about everything that had happened in the last few days, especially about Theo. Elie was infatuated with Theo, just like many other girls. Her calling Theo big brother while having a feeling for him made Ed cringed a little bit.

    ----

    Ed woke up just after the sun rose from the horizon. He had trained himself to wake up early for the past few months. He had a promise with Theo to go to the cathedral to check his talents, but he has to get out from his own house before his father wake up, or he wouldn''t be able to.

    He went to the bathroom without making any sound. There were five bathrooms in the house. Each was quite large on its own and was designed to look good. Inside were a sink, a tub, and a shower. Just like the lamp outside, the bathroom furniture was magical. The sink, the tub, and the shower each could produce up to 50 liters of water every day. Some were hot water.

    Since the day he learned about magic, he had wondered, would the water it magically produces vanished and dissipated one day, or would it last forever? If it vanished one day, when? What would happen if it vanishes when it was inside someone''s body? And if they did last forever, what long term effect would they have on the world? Something like that would have an effect on the world''s cycle of water.

    Ed dismissed his shower thought. While it might be a nice subject for him to research one day, it was hardly the right time to think about something like that. After he finished his quick shower, he returned to his room and wore a casual shirt he bought using the money he earned. While the quality couldn''t be compared to the clothes his parent bought him, using something he bought using his hard earned money gave him a strange sense of pride.

    He looked around before opening the front door to make sure that no one saw him. So far it seemed no one had caught him, not his family, not the servants.

    "Where are you going?"

    The question sent shivers down Ed''s body. His excited face replaced by a scared expression. It was his father. ''What is he doing, waking up so early in the morning?'' Ed thought, questioning his father''s behavior. His father was a great lord of a great noble house. He could sleep all day and no one would complain.

    "I''m going with Theo to the cathedral to meet with old man Thoros. I want to prove it to you! That I have a Class 5 magic talent."

    "Go," Lord Edward said promptly.

    ''What?'' Ed almost said it out loud.

    "I don''t want to see your face here." His father continued. "Go. Before I changed my mind."

    Ed opened the door and closed it without looking back at his father. "Thank you, Father."

 Chapter 7: The Dragon Protagonist

    "You''re late," Ed said, seeing Theo walking toward him.

    "I forgot the permit again." He let out a small chuckle hoping that Ed would also laugh, but he didn''t. Ed seemed much more serious than usual. Something must have happened with his family.

    "You don''t have much time right?" They both entered the cathedral through the massive door.

    The cathedral was grandeur and huge, second only to the Duke''s castle in Aeston. It was only fitting. After all, the church of Ketu was the largest religion not only in the Amaryn Kingdom but also on the whole continent, with over 50 percent of the population worshiped God Ketu.

    Hundreds of rows of empty bench greeted them as they entered. The priests and the priestesses who were minding their own business turned their head toward the visitor. It was strange for someone to visit so early in the morning. More so if the visitors were a famous non-believer and a noble. The visitor, however, didn''t mind being the center of attention. There was only one reason for their visit, the old man kneeling at the altar.

    Unlike the other clergymen who wore formal church uniform, the man only wore a rag and didn''t even wear a footwear. The man gave the impression of a humble and simple man, dedicating his life to his God. He stood when he heard footsteps coming his way.

    "Lord Lion, and Master Gladium. To what matter you came to this humble servant of God? You''re not here to confess your sin do you?" The old man asked before even turning to see them.

    "How do you know we will come here?" Ed asked, curious to how he knew it was them before seeing.

    "Last night, God Ketu gave me a dream. A prophecy, a mission, an insight that two great men will come seeking aid from me." He turned his body to face them. "As to how I know it is you two. There are two mirrors next to me." He pointed to the mirror to his left and right.

    "Ohh riiight." Ed was embarrassed at his mistake. "We come here seeking your appraisal. Since you''re the highest level appraiser in the city."

    "Normally I won''t do it to someone not believing in Lord Ketu, but the Lord himself told me to do it. Come with me."

    Appraising and scanning skill were highly valuable assets. Knowing the strength and the weakness of your enemy before a fight, knowing a person''s talent before it manifested, and knowing one''s condition without medical check up. Those were just a few of many applications of appraising skill.

    The skill, however, was extremely rare. To use the skill, one must have at least Class 4 divination talent or a Class 2 appraising talent, both were extremely rare. So why did a man who possessed a Class 3 appraising talent placed himself on a cathedral when he could be in the court of a king? Because he was a lunatic who have no need for position or wealth, or at least that was what he claimed to be. In actuality, being the Archbishop in a duchy gave him significant political power, influence over the masses, and wealth, without the responsibility of a government official. Though whether he was a lunatic who have no need for things of the world or a power hungry man pretending to be a lunatic or a combination of both, was known only to him.

    Old man Thoros brought them back to his personal chamber. A rather small and modest chamber considering his position. Thoros walked toward the purple crystal ball in the middle of the room. He placed one of his hands on the ball. "Placed your hand on the ball. Master Gladium first."

    Cloud formed inside the crystal the instant Theo placed his hand on the ball. The cloud swirled and rippled. Light filled the room as Thoros closed his eyes. "I..I...Impressive." Thoros hand trembled. "j-j-just as Lord Ketu had shown me."

    A message appeared in the air above the ball. Theo smiled when he saw it.

    [Theo Gladium, Adventurer, Lv.29]

    [AvailableTitle: [First Son of Akimoto Ryo]; [Adventurer]; [Explorer], [Master Swordsman]; [Philanderer].]

    [Natural Talent: Sword Class 4; Charm Class 4; Barehanded Class 2.]

    [Unique skill: Monster Beheading Lv.1; Serene Slash Lv.3; Unconditional Affection Lv.3; Devil''s Charm Lv.1]

    [Fighting Skill: Knight Academy Sword Style Lv.10; Knight Academy Martial Art Lv.4; Advanced Kenjutsu Lv.4; Advanced Holy Knight Sword Style Lv.5]

    [Vigor:30]

    [Resilience:30]

    [Endurance:30]The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    [Strength:62]

    [Agility:62]

    [Intelligence:15]

    [Faith:7]

    "Oh..My. How.... can someone as young as you be level 29? Most people would have reached their level cap before reaching that level." Thoros face showed how unbelievable that was. "And two Class 4 talents, sword and .... hmmm. Charm. Now that explains your illicit behavior with women, but well, men are men, who am I to judge?" I''m really curious about what other talents you might have master Gladium, but I''m only able to appraise Class 2 talent or higher."

    "Theo! You''re level 29?!" Ed shouted from behind. "How?!"

    "I told before right. Before I came to this city I have traveled all around the world with my father." Level 29 was an incredibly high level for a human. Even the elite soldiers of the kingdom army were lower leveled than him. Theo chuckled as he saw the screen.

    "What is wrong Master Gladium?" Thoros asked.

    "It''s funny how every stats represent you except intelligence and faith. Intelligence stats have nothing to do with how intelligent someone is, and faith doesn''t represent how faithful a person is."

    Something clicked inside Thoros'' mind. He raised both of his arms. "Speaking of which. Do both of you know the difference between classes of Natural Talent? Of course, you don''t know yet."

    "Oh fuck no!" Theo cursed himself for being careless. The worst thing about speaking with Thoros was this. If someone mentioned a subject he loved, he would preach and shout about that subject like there was no tomorrow. And there was almost no way to stop him once he did that.

    "Luckily I am here...... " Ed and Theo both ignored him. But what he said can be summarized.

    [Class 0 Talents]: You can''t do it. 50% skill effectiveness and 50% Learning Speed compared to the majority.

    [Class 1 Talents]: You can do it. 100% skill effectiveness and 100% Learning Speed compared to the majority.

    [Class 2 Talents]: You''re skilled. You will be known because of your talent. 200% skill effectiveness and 150% Learning Speed compared to the majority.

    [Class 3 Talents]: You''re talented. Will be recognized far and wide because of your talent. 300% skill effectiveness and 200% Learning Speed compared to the majority.

    [Class 4 Talents]: You''re a master. Will go down in history books because of your talent. 400% skill effectiveness and 250% Learning Speed compared to the majority.

    [Class 5 Talents]: You''re a legend. Will change the balance of the world because of your talent. 500% skill effectiveness and 300% Learning Speed compared to the majority.

    "Theo, why is he like this?" Ed asked Theo about the bizarre habit of Thoros.

    "Why do you expect me to know?"

    "Then what did your father said about him?"

    "Hmmm ... wait a minute." Theo rubbed his chin and racked his mind for his father''s quote about Thoros. "Ah, my father said He''s an info dump. A tool for the one true God to explain the world or something. Up till now I still don''t understand what he meant."

    After waiting for a few more minutes, Thoros finally snapped out of his trance-like preaching. He coughed. "It''s your turn now Lord Lion. I hope I would be as surprised as with Master Gladium''s case."

    "Just see Thoros. You will be even more surprised." Theo took a glance at Ed''s face before Ed placed his hand on the ball.

    [Edmund Lion, Third Son of Edward Lion, Lv.6]

    [Available Title: [Third son of Edward Lion].]

    [Natural Talent: Magic Class 5; Archeology Class 3]

    [Unique skill: Dragon Breath: Fire Lv.1]

    [Fighting Skill: Knight Academy Sword style Lv.2; Knight Academy Martial Art Lv.1]

    [Magic skill: Candle flame Lv.2; Combustion Lv.2; Fire Bolt Lv.1; Fire Arrow Lv.1; Magic bolt Lv.2]

    [Vigor:7]

    [Resilience:8]

    [Endurance:8]

    [Strength:7]

    [Agility:7]

    [Intelligence:22]

    [Faith:6]

    Thoros mouth was agape and his eyes almost poped out from its socket. "E-Even in the long history of the continent. There have only ever been 20 tier 5 mage." Thoros prostrated on the floor. "To think I would be in the presence of the 21." He raised his head. "Wait.... wait...wait a minute. There is something more. Something hidden. Lord Lion, can you please put some mana into the ball?"

    "Of course." Ed put some of his mana inside the ball. Just a tiny amount.

    "W-W-What is this?!" Thoros shouted. "I-I''ve never seen anything like this before."

    The message on the screen changed.

    [Available Title: [Third son of Edward Lion]; [Protagonist]; [The Dragon].]

    The crystal ball cracked. Then exploded in a brilliant show light.

    Ed didn''t even flinch. Theo was pushed a step back and Thoros was thrown to the side of the room. Luckily, he was not hurt and stood up in almost an instant. He kneeled before Ed, defeating the purpose of getting up in the first place. There was a crazy look on his face. It wasn''t as if he didn''t have the look in the first place, it was that the expression was crazier than anyone had seen from him.

    ----

    The situation was awkward. Thoros began preaching again and claiming that Ed was the savior he saw in his dream. He told them that in the past few weeks he always had the same dream over and over again, about a great fire that will burn down cities, kingdom, and civilization. From the fire will rise a dragon, a dragon in human form. The dragon will consume the fire and save the world from complete destruction. After appraising Ed, he was 100 percent sure that Ed was the dragon in human form he saw in his dream.

    He would have preached for hours if not for Ed stopping him."Hahaha. Sorry for my action." Thoros apologized. His jubilant mad face turned to serious in a second. "I believe you carry something of great importance. A prophecy I believe."

    "How did you know?" Ed asked.

    "Lord Ketu showed me a vision." He said with a great reverence in his voice.

    "I have expected that you will know." Theo took out a paper from one of his pouches and gave it to Thoros. "I made multiple copies."

    "Thank you, master Gladium. I''ll send it to the pontiff as soon as I can. A storm is coming, and humanity must brace together to face it."

    "Not just humanity. Every race." Theo interjected.

    Thoros prostrated once more before Ed. "Lord Edmund. I am Thoros, by the decree of Lord Ketu and his angels, from this day until my last day, I pledge all my life and all of my possession to you and your cause. Just give me the order, any order, and I will do it with utmost vigilance."

    There was no reaction from Ed or Theo. This made Thoros curious. He slowly raised his head.

    Ed and Theo were gone. They were unable to cope with the strangeness of Thoros action and left without making a sound.

 Chapter 8: The Promiscuous Man

    Theo was smiling all the way outside, happy that his prediction about Ed was true. No, his prediction was exceeded. For Thoros to prostrate and swore his life for Ed, Ed must be something special. "Ed, what does the [Protagonist] and the [The Dragon] Titles do?" He asked Ed, but Ed looked confused by his question. "Close your eyes and think about those two titles in your mind."

    Ed closed his eyes and a message popped up in his head.

    [Protagonist]

    [Equipped Effect: Increase all EXP gain by 100% and increase The charm hidden stats by 50%]

    [Passive Effect: Level Up restore health and mana completely.]

    [The Dragon]

    [Equipped Effect: Reduce all magical and elemental damage by 50% after every other damage reduction.]

    [Passive Effect: Increase all EXP gain by 50% and learning speed by 50%]

    "Holy shit, that is insane." Theo commented once Ed told him about it.

    "How do I change my title?"

    "Return back to Thoros. Only those having a divining skill or appraising skill can change your title. But I recommend you search for someone else, you don''t want him prostrating all the time don''t you?"

    Ed laughed. "So Theo, what is the difference between a unique skill and normal skill?"

    "Well, It''s unique."

    "I mean other than that!"

    "Unlike normal skill, you can''t level it by training, it''s automatically leveled up each time you level up by 5 level."

    "Wait, that mean someone with low-level cap might not be able to level up their unique skill at all?"

    "Yeah, but it''s rare for someone with tier 4 or 5 talent to have a low-level cap. And it''s not only that. Unique skill can''t be taught or learned. You must have felt it too. The knowledge just, popped up inside your mind."

    "Oh, and I''m also curious about your charming talent and your unique skill. What does that do?"

    "It just means that I''m proven objectively to be charming. The devil''s charm increases my charm secret stat when I''m speaking with females. Strangely, that also affect animals. The unconditional love mean that most women who love me will have no trouble with me having another woman. The perfect skill for my harem plan." He let out a prideful laugh. "Even the world and the Gods are supporting my dream of a harem." Theo stopped and thought for a second. "So, you''re not disowned?"

    "No. Not yet at least, last night I argued with my father. Just a matter of time if I keep pursuing my dream."

    "HAHAHA. I''m glad I''m not a noble."

    "So where are we going now?" Ed asked.

    "I don''t know about you Ed, but I''m going to Cynthia. After that, I''ll go to the adventurer guild to give the boss the prophecy, and to say hi to Miki."

    "I have no plan for today and I certainly don''t want to go back home yet, now that father is there. I guess I go with you."

    There was a certain magic shop in the inner ward where the noble family lives. It was rather small compared to other magic shops, but like every other shop in the inner ward, it was the best of its kind in Aeston. It was still closed, but Theo has the key to enter it.

    A tall red-haired woman was walking around, checking her shop while reading a magic book that hovered in the air. She was attractive and radiate an air of eroticism. Her lips and eyes were the same crimson colored as her hair. She wore the usual long robe of a Mage, but there was something sexy about it when she wore it. Something that couldn''t be put into word.

    Her long and pointy ears, a distinct feature of her kind, perked up as she realized who the customer was this time. She walked toward her customer. Theo walked to her and they make out on the spot. It lasted for a good few second. Ed, who was not used to seeing those sort of activities, was red-faced. This incited a mischievous feeling inside Theo which made him want to do it again with Cynthia. She also seemed to enjoy seeing Ed''s reaction and went along with him. They kissed again. And again. and again.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ed, who was not used to seeing those sort of activities, was red-faced. This incited a mischievous feeling inside Theo which made him want to do it again with Cynthia. She also seemed to enjoy seeing Ed''s reaction and went along with him. They kissed again. And again. And again.

    "Could both of you please stop! I know what both of you are thinking!" Ed shouted. His face was lit like a lamp.

    "Oh. Look, the virgin boy got angry." Said Cynthia with a smile.

    "I-I''m waiting outside."

    Theo grabbed his arm and laughed. "Ed, we''re just joking okay." Theo let go of Ed''s arm and grabbed Cynthia''s butt. "Joking like this."

    "I''M OUT!!"

    Theo and Cynthia laughed as they saw Ed with his sun-like head walked out from the shop. They turned toward each other after Ed was out. Theo grabbed Cynthia''s waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck."What a shame though. How can someone as cute as him not married yet? I mean, I know a lot of noble women and daughters who would like him." Cynthia said.

    "It''s his father. You know, noble family stuff"

    "The kiss from before, you have practiced a lot."

    "I did my homework. Living with Mary isn''t that boring. She was easy to get into the mood."

    "Ah, Mary. She made me jealous, why didn''t I thought to ask you to live with me before?"

    "We did remember? We tried living together for a week. We didn''t get anything done outside the bed that week."

    Cynthia chuckled. "So how is living with her? Other than the bed part I mean."

    "Perfect. She is the best kind of woman a man can get if one ever wanted a wife. She''s good at cooking, house chores, e-"

    Cynthia placed her finger on Theo''s lips to stop him talking any further. "Don''t make me more jealous of her."

    "You want me to compare her to you?"

    "No....yes. but tell me about what is better in me."

    Theo squeezed her butt, which made her yelped. "Obviously. You''re better in action. Far better. And you also like women and are open to three way with other women. A great plus point for me."

    She chuckled. She then looked around. "The customer can wait. Want to have a quick go in the back? I haven''t showered yet."

    "I think I pass. Have a lot of things to do to prepare for tomorrow."

    "That is precisely why. This is going to be our last in, how long?"

    "few months, six is the fastest."

    "In six moths. And that is the fastest. You could be away for a year or two."

    Theo rolled his eyes and grinned. "Only one round."

    ----

    Theo put his clothes back on. Cynthia was still washing her body in the bath. She held a glass of wine in her hand. She played with the water. "Sure you don''t want to come in again? The water is still warm."

    "No thanks. Ed has waited for me long enough."

    "That trick used to work on you every time."

    "That was back then when I was still new to this stuff. Now I know when the time is not right and when is right."

    "And when is the right time?"

    "Any time I''m not busy is the right time." He smiled.

    "You really did your homework. You got some new technique. Mary doesn''t strike me as an adventurous girl."

    "It''s Miki who likes experimenting."

    "Ah yes, that girl, she''s a feisty and adventurous one." She took a sip. "Too bad she''s as straight as a pole. I always wanted to try things with someone like her. Speaking of which, The Duke''s wife was searching for you yesterday."

    "Tia?"

    "Yes. She wanted to give you a gift before you leave, but since you were nowhere to be found yesterday, she gave it to me."

    "Did she say anything, like wanting to see me before I leave?"

    "No, I don''t think so. The gift is there." Cynthia pointed toward a cupboard filled with herbs and potion. On the very top rack was a bag.

    "What''s inside?"

    "I don''t know, didn''t look."

    Theo looked at her and flashed a smile. "I know you did, you can''t help yourself. You never can."

    She giggled. "You know me. It''s the usual thing. Some jewelry, trinkets, coins."

    Theo sighed. "I told her not to give those gifts to me. It makes me feels like a gigolo."

    "Well, you kind of are."

    "No, I''m not. I didn''t aim at her status or wealth. She just that, beautiful and attractive and sexy. She''s also still very young ."

    "She''s ten years older than you Theo. She''s in her early thirties."

    "Very young when compared to the Duke."

    She laughed. "Everyone in this city is very young if you compare them to the Duke. Almost."

    Theo walked to her and took her hand. "I know who doesn''t."

    "That is not a compliment Theo."

    "They say with age come wisdom." He kissed her hand. "And you chose your man, very wisely." He walked away from her. "The Duke never loved her anyway. They stopped talking with each other after the birth of their son. If not me, she will do it with some other knight in shining armor really. Better me than them."

    "Does the Duke know about your relationship with her?"

    "What do you think?"

    "Hmph. Of course no-."

    "He knows."

    "What?" Her eyes opened wide. "You''re not joking right?"

    "He caught us once. It''s not like we''re trying to hide it from him anyway. Not a bit of worry in his face, not even a surprise. Just-" He waved his hand in front of his face." Disinterested expression. Tia in the first place only dares came to me after collecting evidence about the Duke''s own affairs and numerous bastards. So even if we caught, he couldn''t do anything without having his secret leaked. He really doesn''t want anyone to know. He also knows that I have no interest in his position so he didn''t do anything so far."

    "Oh, really?" She asked in a joking manner, but Theo took it seriously.

    "If I wanted wealth and power, I would have assassinated the Duke and their son when I first met Tia. Then I would have staged some incident so that I can get knighted and get a position of Lords. Then I just have to marry the widowed Tia."

    "Calm down Theo. I''m just joking okay, but you did have those plans at first, right?"

    "Yes, but I scrap it."

    "Why?" She took a long sip. Curiosity was apparent in her eyes. Being in a position of Duke was a great position and the dream of many people. While it seems like he was joking, she knew that he was serious when he said things like that. Why did her man abandon such a good plan?

    "Because being a Duke is too low for me." Cynthia laughed, almost spilling her drink. One of the things that she loved about him was that he was an ambitious man with an unusual ambition. She should have expected his answer. She should have, but she didn''t.

    "So what does my great Theo wants?"

    "The king''s own daughter...s."

 Chapter 9: Departure II

    Theo always needs a second opinion. In his mind, every plan and every scheme he made were as perfect and as natural as it can be. There was nothing absurd, nothing too strange, nothing to laugh about. The only way he could know how absurd his plans were, was by telling it to other people. But, of course, he couldn''t just tell anyone about an assassination, kidnapping, or blackmailing plan. This was where Cynthia came in. Cynthia was the place he could tell anything and everything that he couldn''t tell anyone else.

    If she laughed when he told her his plan, that mean it was absurd. However, that didn''t mean he needed to change them. After all, no matter how crazy his plan was, it was a well-thought plan in the end, and Cynthia knew it. Even if she laughed, even when she knew that it was absurd, she believes that her man will be able to accomplish it. Because he was that kind of a man.

    "So do you want Tia to be a member of your harem, or is she just that woman that you slept with on some occasion?"

    "Well, I can''t make her a member of my harem can I? She has a husband after all. Maybe after the duke''s death."

    "How about that barmaid?"

    "She''s nice.....how do you know?"

    "Oh I know Theo, you mustn''t underestimate how fast gossip spreads." She stood up and went out of the bath. "And how can I manage your harem if I don''t know what girl would come in next? What do you think about that barmaid girl?"

    "She''s good, but the problem is me. I''m going away tomorrow, and we don''t know each other that much yet. You know what, you talk to her. Ask her about her feeling about me and the usual stuff."

    "Do you not worry about Fergus? I mean you know how much he loved Mary."

    "No, remember about my father''s rambling I told you? I must not worry about my girl being stolen because the God loved his story. But you got a good point, who know what Fergus might try to do. I leave that you."

    When Theo got outside, Ed was furious at him for taking too long inside. With one question, he silenced him. "What do you think we were doing inside, hmm?" He asked with a sly smile on his face.

    Ed, who was able to regain his composure, lost it when faced with that question. He knew what they were doing, but he couldn''t possibly say it out loud. He was red-faced again. "O-Okay, I won''t complain anymore, let''s just go to our next destination."

    They both walked toward the outer ward after their brief exchange. The serene and quiet air turned into a crowded one as soon as they passed the inner ward gate. Usually, the area just before the inner ward gate was inhabited by the richer population of the commoner and was neatly organized. But the gate they came out from was not the normal place. It was the business district.

    As soon as they came out from the gate, rows upon rows of stalls and small shop greeted them on the street. It was not supposed to be that way. The shops and stalls were supposed to be lined on the street''s side, but the guard had given up long ago on trying to organize the place. Among the stalls and shop-filled street, one building stood above the rest. It was made like the rest, part wood, part stone, part bricks, but the size can''t be compared. It towered over the other buildings and was even taller than the wall guarding the inner ward.

    It was the Adventurer guild. A place full of wonder and opportunity. A place where common people could be well known and famous because of their power. Where anyone could be heroes, remembered for all ages for killing a legendary monster, or forgotten, eaten by some random monster in some random back alley.

    Even though they named themselves adventurer, adventuring was not part of their job. Monster Hunter was the correct term when describing them because that was what most of their job entailed. While they were also hired to do some other things like escorting a Noble, collecting ingredient in a dangerous area, and surveying a newly found tomb, most of their job revolved around their ability to kill and hunt monsters.

    Theo took a small metal plate from one of his pouches. He observed it, then hung it around his neck. It was made of some variation of steel that made it hard and strong, but also brittle. There was a carving of a beast with the heads of a lion and a goat, and its tail a snake, Chimera. On the other side of the plate were his name and his adventurer identification number. Every adventurer has one of those plates. It was their Id card along with a show of their ranks as an Adventurer which they had their pride on.

    Wolf, Tiger, Wraith, Chimera, Hydra, Demon, Giant, and Dragon. Those were the ranks of an adventurer with each higher ranked than the previous one. A Dragon-ranked adventurer was extremely rare in Amaryn kingdom, with only three parties or only 17 people were an active dragon-ranked adventurer. They were also said to be as powerful as the royal guard, the finest fighter in all the kingdom.

    If looking at Theo''s battle prowess alone, he would be placed as a giant or dragon ranked adventurer, but due to personal issues, he was still on chimera rank.

    By the masses, adventurers were seen as heroes and savior, a really expensive savior, but it''s better to pay them half a city wealth rather than having the whole city burned to the ground by a monster.

    Yet, in the eyes of the noble and the government, they were in a strange position. They were more akin to mercenaries because they were a standing military power that the kingdom couldn''t fully control and will fight for the highest bidder. This made them hated by the noble and the Kingdom, but at the same time, their power was needed to hunt and control monsters that couldn''t be handled by the armies and city guards. To solve this, all active adventurers must not take a side during a political dispute, or risk losing their plate. Though sometimes, the temptation of wealth and position was too much to resist.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Theo entered the building, followed by Ed behind him. The place was like usual. On the left and right of the entrance was dozens of tables surrounded by four chairs for each. Adventurers were already gathering here in the morning. There were also those who had just returned from a night quest.

    The atmosphere there was like a tavern, people drank and ate and told their friend stories, some boasted their achievement, some showed off the new plate they got after promotion. It was a rather happy and cheerful place considering how dangerous their job was. Or maybe, it was because they survived their dangerous jobs that they could be so happy and cheerful there.

    But Theo''s destination was not the dining room. He walked straight forward from the entrance and was met with a counter. It was a repurposed bar stand from the looks of it. To the left and right of the counter was a board covered with posters and papers. Those were a quest paper. Adventurers who wanted to get a quest or mission would look at the board and search for a quest that fit their rank. Then they take the paper and present it to the staff at the counter.

    The board was relatively empty when Theo got there, but in a city as big as Aeston, there was no shortage of quest and mission. One just needs to wait for a few hours for the board to be filled again.

    Theo approached one of the female staff. "Morning."

    "Morning." The staff was busy with her papers and didn''t notice it was Theo. "Put the quest paper on the table so I can register it, sir."

    "I''m not looking for a quest. I''m looking for Miki."

    The staff raised her head after hearing his strange request. Her body jumped, and her face turned red. "A-Ah, I-It''s you Theo."

    "Hi." He smiled and waved. "So is Miki here?"

    The staff frantically searched her paper. "I-It''s seems Miki is away on a quest today."

    "Well, that''s too bad."

    "WHO IS SEARCHING FOR MIKI?!" A shout came from the second floor. Then it was followed by a loud slamming of a wooden door and a running sound. A shadow blitzed from the upper floor and jumped down, landing on one of the tables.

    It was a man in his forties, with a spiky hair and one eye covered with an eye patch. His skin was covered with scars, and his right arm was made of metal. He was the leader of Aeston''s adventurer guild, and everyone there called him boss. Except for Theo.

    "Yo, father. Good to know you''re healthy."

    The man pointed his metal finger at Theo. "DON''T EVER DARE CALL ME FATHER!"

    Theo rubbed his hair. "My bad. Future father!"

    The boss made an exaggerated pose. "NOOOO!!!" He jumped down from the table and grabbed Theo shoulder. He was a huge man with more than two meters in height and a bulky muscular body.

    "My precious Miki! What did you do to make her like that?"

    "You realize that Miki is the one who approached me first right, father?"

    "NOOOO!! There is no way my Miki is like that! You must have changed her!"

    "Boss, boss, calm down boss!" The other adventurers began trying to separate Theo from the boss. After a while they did it.

    "So what did you come here for?" One of the staff asked after the situation was normal again.

    "Since this is my last day here, I''m going to see Miki to say my goodbye, but I guess I can''t do that now." Theo took something from his bag and gave it to the staff. "Give it to her, please. As a gift from me. Also, tell her that I will send letter whenever I could, and I will try to return here as soon as possible." Theo turned toward the Boss and gave him a paper. "A prophecy I found during a quest. For the adventurer guild. Read it and inform it to the adventurer guild headquarter."

    -----

    "Mary, I''m home!" Theo said as soon as he opened the door to his house, Mary''s house.

    The first thing he realized when he returned home was that Fergus'' wagon was still parked outside their house. And when he opened the door, Mary and Fergus was still chatting on the table. "Welcome home Theo!" Said Mary. Her eyes opened wide when she realized who was following Theo and she bowed her body. "L-Lord Lion. I-I didn''t know you are coming."

    "Relax Mary." It was Theo who answered her, not Ed. "He''s here to buy some book."

    "Hey, who-" Theo hit Ed with his leg before Ed could protest.

    "Right?"

    "A-Ah yes, that is right."

    "W-Well, then please browse to your heart content my lord, but I don''t think my collection could be compared to the book shop in the inner ward."

    "Don''t worry about that Mary. I told him that you have some nice unique collection. Not to mention Fergus''." Theo said.

    "I-I''ll be looking then." Said Ed.

    He pulled Theo to look at the book that was sold there. "Why are you pulling me?" Theo asked.

    "It''s your fault for forcing me."

    "Believe me, Ed. Mary has some unique book collection that you won''t find anywhere else."

    "Okay okay. I get it. I''ll take a look."

    Only a minute after Ed take a look at what was sold there, he was completely immersed in looking. His eyes were wide and crystal clear all the time. "See?" Theo asked with a smug grin on his face, but Ed didn''t answer him. He was too focused on the matter at hand.

    Ed thought that Theo was lying, but he wasn''t. There were so many books there that Ed had never seen before. Some of the author he never even heard before. This was mindboggling for him. He always thought himself as a book enthusiast, and he was. He already read countless books from his mansion library, public library, the bookstore in the inner ward, but this was something else. So many books, and so little that he knew.

    "You really like book, huh?" Theo asked again.

    "Like? They fascinated me!" He said with great enthusiasm in his voice. "I''m not good with a sword, but books, books are something else entirely. A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone. If it''s to keep its edge."

    "Hey, that''s not your quote."

    "No, I''m quoting it from a book that I read. A Symphony of Frost and Flame series by the author Meorge R.R. Gartin. You should read it if you''ve got the time, it''s an excellent book."

    "Well, I''m gonna leave you with your books." Theo left Ed with his books. He sat on the table where Mary and Fergus were. It was evident from their eyes that they had fun with their reunion, and from Fergus'' eyes, Theo could conclude that he wasn''t welcome there, by Fergus at least.

    "So Fergus, I''m surprised to see you''re still here. The last time you were here, you left without a word for three years."

    "And why do you think I left?" Fergus asked while barring his teeth. Theo was about to answer him when he talked. "Sorry to disappoint you Theo, but I''m staying in the golden inn for a few months. Traveling for three years almost without stop has made me really miss home."

    "Good. I hope you can protect Mary while I leave then."

    "What?" Fergus was dumbfounded. He didn''t think Theo, his rival, would ask him to do something like that.

    "Cynthia will watch you, of course. Oh yeah, I haven''t told you yet. I''m going to go far away for a few months starting tomorrow."

    "O-o-oh. I, I didn''t know that."

    "Of course you don''t know, where were the last three years?"

    "Speaking of traveling Theo," Mary said, fidgeting her finger. "I have something to give to you as my parting gift."

 Chapter 10: Parting Gift

    Mary looked at Fergus. "Fergus, may I talk to Theo, just the two of us privately?"

    "S-Sure, by all means. I also need to go to the inn to unpack my baggage." He stood up. "I want to speak with you first Theo. I don''t think I will be able to catch you next morning, so it''s better to say it now. It''s important."

    Theo glanced at Mary, who gave him a nod. "Of course."

    Theo and Fergus moved to one side of the shop while Mary waited on the table. When they were sure Mary couldn''t see or hear them, they stopped. Fergus looked down and scratched his head. "I...have to thank you." He said.

    "You''re welcome. Still, don''t understand what you''re thanking me for though."

    "For allowing me to see Mary and speak to her. If I were in your position, I probably wouldn''t let you get near Mary. Much less speak to her."

    "Let me ask first. You won''t let me see her because you''re an asshole or because of your beast-kin instinct?"

    "A bit of both."

    "Let me get this straight Fergus. You are Mary''s best friend. If you think I will cast you out of her life just because of our dispute in the past, you''re wrong. You are part of her life....... And honestly, you''re not a threat to me Fergus. You need to be like, a thousand times more handsome and a hundred times nicer to be a threat to me."

    "Thanks, I guess?" His face turned serious. He grabbed Theo''s arm and glared at him. "Also let me get this straight to you, Theo. I''m not like you. I won''t resort to cheap and dirty tricks, and I won''t steal someone else''s mate. That is why I will stay here and protect her while you are away, but don''t go for too long. Mary will be sad, and I can''t replace you in her life. I''ll kill you if you make her cry or suffer. I''ll kill you even if Mary forgives you."

    Theo could feel Fergus'' claw starting to show up and dig into his skin. It stung a bit, but it would have hurt a lot more if Fergus meant it. Theo returned his glare with a cold, icy stare. "If you think I''m just playing with Mary, you''re wrong Fergus. I love her. From the bottom of my heart." Theo grabbed Fergus'' arm with the same arm that he held. "And I say to you the same thing. If you make her cry, if you make her suffer, or if you try to take her away from me. I''ll kill you, Fergus. I''ll kill you. Even if Mary forgives you."

    "Good." They both let go of each other''s arm.

    They returned to Mary, without any hint of the intense killing intent and hostility that they emitted just a few moments before. Fergus then grabbed his bag from the table and walked towards the exit. "See you tomorrow Mary," Fergus said before he left the shop.

    "See you tomorrow Fergus." She waved at him, and he waved back.

    "Do I need to send Ed back home too?" Theo asked.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Yes please, if you can. Although the young lord seemed to enjoy my shop a little bit too much." She chuckled.

    "I said it to him, and he didn''t believe me that your shop is fantastic."

    "Please tell him Theo, and while you do that, I''ll go get my gift." Theo stood and approached Ed, who was still preoccupied with looking at books. He already had three in his bag, and he was still searching for more.

    "Finish looking? The shop''s about to close."

    "Wait a minute."

    "Ed, you can go here again tomorrow."

    "Wait a minute."

    "Ed."

    "Wait a minute for god sake...." His eyes moved towards Theo. "Sorry. I get too absorbed when I find something new like this."

    "You''re going to buy those books?" Theo asked while pointing at the book Ed carried.

    "Yes, all of them."

    "Books are not cheap you know."

    "What is my family name again, Theo?" They both laughed after Ed''s question.

    "30 silver each. Four so that''s-"

    "1 gold and twenty silver." Ed said as he handed Theo the exact amount.

    "Right.... Come again every day Ed, Mary will be rich in just a month like this."

    "You bet I will Theo, and I haven''t even looked at Fergus'' collection yet." Theo helped Ed pack his book in his bag. It was funny looking at Ed''s small body carrying that many books. It was like sending children to school and watching as they walked toward the gate.

    Mary returned from the second floor at the same times as Ed left the shop. She was holding something in her hand and was gripping it tightly as if she will never let it go. Her face was flushed red. Theo approached her and smiled. "Why are you so embarrassed?"

    She pulled her hand near her face to hide it. "I just realize, that this is my first gift to you in our three years of relationship."

    Theo hugged her. "I don''t need any gift from you. Your love is a good enough gift for me."

    Her face turned redder. "You''re lying."

    "No, I''m not. What is a better gift for me than the love of my number one girl?" He caressed her head.

    "To how many girls do you say that?"

    "Only you."

    "Liar." She said while wiping the tears from her eyes with his shirt.

    He grabbed her shoulder and made her stare at his eyes. "Look at my eyes. Do you see any lies in there?"

    She smiled. "You always said that I can''t see through your lies. What would make me able to do it now?"

    "Because there is no lie in there." She hugged her again, tighter this time. "You are my number one girl, and you will always be. Even if the most beautiful woman or the richest woman or the most powerful woman in the world become my woman, none of them, none of them, can replace you. You are the only woman who almost made me settle down and forget my dream. You will be my first wife. I will not marry anyone before I marry you. That''s my promise to you and my gift to you."

    "And how can I be sure that you will keep your promise?"

    "Because you will give me a gift that will always remind me. You''re going to give me that necklace right. With our names carved on it. The necklace that you''ve been working on for the past month."

    "H-How did you know?"

    "I know Mary, I just know." He kissed her forehead and let her go from his embrace. She opened her palm and revealed a necklace that she was holding in her hand. She placed around Theo''s neck, a perfect fit. It was a normal necklace with a silver pendant hanging from it, and on the back of the pendant, a carving of his and Mary''s name."It''s nice."

    She wiped the tears from her eyes. "It''s nothing. Nothing when you compared to what Tia usually give to you."

    "Why are you comparing yourself to Tia? She didn''t give me a roof to rest when I need one. She didn''t cook me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And most importantly, she didn''t clean my bedroom." Theo answered Mary with a joke. "But if you still feel that you''re inadequate. I have something to ask you."

    "Anything for you."

    "I want to sleep together. On your bed. No drinking, no drunk sex, no angry sex, no sad sex prior. Nothing before it. I want us both to lay down on the same bed with a tired smile on our face."

    "Like husband and wife?"

    "Like husband and wife."

 Chapter 11: Road To The Capital

    Two days have passed since Theo left Aeston. It wasn''t that hard for him to leave Aeston. He had said his goodbyes, and he had done everything he needed to do in Aeston. Even without giving Miki a proper farewell, nothing burdens him down. He had a little bit of doubt in his heart about his decision to leave Mary, but his conversation with her the night before cemented his resolve.

    He always thought of leaving his dream and settle down with her, but he had chosen his path. Whatever the path he chose entails, there was no going back now. The bridge has been burned. Not really. He could still go back, but that wouldn''t be interesting wouldn''t it?

    Back in the Adventurer guild, Theo saw some quest offering those who could guard them during their trip to the capital with quite the amount of gold. The road between the capital and Aeston wasn''t known for its safety, so a quest like that wasn''t rare, but Theo didn''t take it. He wanted to be alone. At least during his travel to the capital. It had been a long time since he was out in the wilderness without a quest or time limit. He chose to go into the forest to cut the travel time and to train his senses again.

    The night was already late. Theo rested his bodies at the foot of a tree in the forest. In front of him was a shoddy campfire that he made. It was not a pretty campfire by any means, but it worked. It kept him warm and illuminated his surrounding.

    On his right, Panes rest on his shoulder. On the ground next to him lies his chest and leg armor. If he wanted to train his senses, he has to place himself in danger, there was no point otherwise.

    He closed his eyes and took a deep relaxing breath.

    He could feel the wind dancing around him. The air already turned cold. Soon autumn will come, then the winter. He hoped to arrive in the Eternal City before winter. The sound of insect singing in the forest was clear to his ears. The sound of animal walking and the grass being stomped. The sound of leaf rustling, water flowing...... and the breath of a stalking predator.

    Stalking and watching him from the shadow.

    Theo chuckled. A pack of wolves might be a fine practice. A jungle panther or two also fine, or maybe he wanted a Chimera. He couldn''t decide. Though a chimera wasn''t a realistic choice since he wasn''t that far from the main road. Whatever it was, it better comes fast.

    ---

    Now!

    Theo jumped from his position, turned his body midair, grabbed the sword and unsheathed it at the same times. Then a perfect landing, he could do a pose too if he wanted.

    Theo clicked his tongue to show his disappointment. His eyes still closed. The beast stalked him for an hour in the shadow. It circled him again and again without attacking. It made Theo impatient.

    A cracking sound was followed by a loud thump, enough to send the birds flying. It was the tree that Theo leaned his body on before. If the beast was strong enough to destroy a tree trunk in one hit, it was a chimera. "Heh," Theo said.

    There was an urge to open his eyes, but he fought those urges. A chimera was not a high enough threat to demand his vision. He readied his sword and held it in two hands. He made sure his feet were light and his arm flexible, ready to move at any moment.

    A roar erupted. The beast was taunting him.

    He didn''t move, not a finger.

    The hissing of a snake, the roar of a lion, and .... what sound did goat make? Baa..ed?

    The beast jumped with its hind legs and swiped the air with its claw.

    He sidestepped it while slashing at the beast direction. He felt the resistance when a blade cut through flesh. It was only a slight resistance, the blade didn''t cut deep.

    Theo jumped back as he sensed the hissing of the snake coming to his right. The fast flowing air in front of his face confirmed his suspicion. The snake part was coming to bite him. And just like before, he retaliated.

    A swift upward strike sent the snake part flying.

    Theo smiled when he barely felt any resistance. It was just like Andre said, the most beautiful among the beauty that he has ever made. While the sword was far from the best among all the sword Theo had ever wielded. It was by far the best sword that he owned.Stolen story; please report.

    The blade length, the shape, the edges, the sharpness, the grip, the guards, comfort, center of mass, balance, everything was perfect for him. Including the pommel, in case he needed to end his enemies rightly.

    He ducked the sweeping claws, sidestepped the closing jaw, and blocked the coming horn with his sword.

    This time, instead of attacking back, Theo ran straight to a tree with his eyes closed. But He was not without a plan. The beast was chasing him by his tail.

    Before his body hit the tree, he jumped upward, high enough to reach the branches. He let the beast crashed into the tree headfirst. And just as the tree was about to fall, he jumped again. This time on the beast''s head.

    ''[Monster beheading]'' He screamed inside his mind. With a mighty shout and a thundering thump, he brought the blade down.

    The goat head was split, splattered to a pulp of blood and flesh. This left only the lion head. The sound of the beast struggling in pain was as clear to his ears as a shout. It hesitated, now realizing who''s the prey and who''s the predator.

    The beast took a step back.

    Theo took two steps forward.

    It roared and lashed out, it won''t give up. But a half-hearted attack like that won''t work. Theo ran his blade through the beast''s skull, killing where it stood.

    Theo slowly opened his eyes and looked at the beast''s corpse. That was a good exercise. He was fighting the urges to open his eyes the whole time, and it paid off, he succeeded.

    He approached the corpse and inspected it. It was strange to see a chimera this close to the main road, something must be happening inside the forest. Something bad enough to drove a mighty Chimera near the main road. Theo wondered whether it has something to do with the prophecy he got from the unique dungeon. It did say something about the monsters will rise. He has to report it to the Adventurer guild once he reached the capital so that they could dispatch a party to investigate it. It would be disastrous if a beast like a chimera attacked Aeston.

    He used a knife to cut the lion head and take it as a trophy he could exchange later at the adventurer guild. Then he took a crumpled paper from one of his pouches and opened it. There were symbols and runes written on it. It was a magic paper, used by adventurers who can''t cast magic to use magic, but its effectiveness was very limited, and it was pretty expensive. Even a tier one spell could cost tens of silver.

    The paper vanished, consumed by a fire that did not emit any heat. A normal person who saw it would have jumped as it was so sudden, but Theo had seen it numerous times. He used the magic to slow down the decay of the head. The higher the quality of the trophy, the more he could earn from it.

    After cleaning the mess, which includes dumping the massive chimera''s body somewhere, he returned to his destroyed campfire. His things were scattered all over the place because of the chimera. He collected his things, remade his campfire, and prepared to rest for the night. There shouldn''t be any beast or monster that brave enough to attack him now that he was carrying a severed head of a chimera. Unless that monster or beast was stronger than a chimera.

    ----

    Three days passed without anything eventful happened. Some desperate wolves attacked him, but it was nothing. Most beast and monster stayed away from him because of the chimera''s head he carried. In those uneventful days, he was able to confirm his suspicion. Something happened in the forest between Aeston and the capital, something bad enough to drive many monsters and beast near the main road. Despite this, Theo still took the forest road to cut travel time, it''s not like any monster was a threat to him anyway.

    Two more days and he will arrive at the capital of Amaryn kingdom, Redmound. That was, of course, if everything went well. Just like every night before, Theo sat at the foot of a tree facing his shoddily made campfire. He closed his eyes and rest his armorless body, but his mind was wide-awake.

    His eyes jolted open. There was a presence in the forest, not too far from him. It wasn''t a monster, it was a humanoid.

    ''Two? No, Three.'' He thought. What were they doing there? Adventurers maybe, but it was rare for an adventurer to have only a party of three.

    He stood up and went to where they were to investigate. He watched his feet to not make any sound since he wasn''t sure who those people were. They could be friendly, or they could be hostile.

    Soon he reached a clearing in the forest. He hid in the bushes and watched as three people stepped out from the shadow of the forest into the clearing. They were all dressed in a long black robe that covered every detail about their appearance. Another person appeared from the opposite direction of the first three. He or she, or whatever it was, also wore the same long black robe.

    He could feel the tense air between the first three and the new person. He watched and listened as they talked. He strained his ears so that he didn''t miss a single detail of what they were discussing. Not long after they started talking, they left. The three returned from where they came, and the single person also returned from the direction which it came.

    Theo smiled.

    He put his hand over his mouth so that his laugh didn''t come out. He was happy, elated, the feeling was indescribable. He could only thank those up above for what happened that night.

    His original plan was to create an accident that would involve the princesses. He would arrive as their savior so that he could win their favor and be seen as heroes by the populace. Now he didn''t need to do that. Someone else was trying to kidnap the princess, and he heard every detail of their plan.

    He could thwart their plan by informing the royal guard, but why would he do that? Preventing a disaster from happening is much less appreciated than saving someone from the disaster or stopping the disaster once it happened, and he wanted to be appreciated.

 Chapter 12: A Promise

    Two figures flashed through the night forest. Faster and swifter than the wind, they nimbly ran without hitting a tree or even touching a stray branch. One of them looked back. Her eyes emerald green and were shining under the moonlight. There were many red dots all around, closing in and chasing them. Torch.

    "Sister, they''re closing in."

    The other figure clicked her tongue and bit her thumb. "How can they found us so fast?"

    The first figure stopped and turned her body facing the fire. "Let me kill them."

    The sister grabbed the first figure arm and stopped her before she could do anything. "Stop it Lyana! You''ve promised me!"

    "But sister!"

    "No buts! We came here not to make enemies."

    "But they treat us as an enemy regardless!" Her teeth grinding against each other was audible to her sister. "We never did anything wrong! yet-yet they treat us like a monster, they blame us for a crime we never commit! Who is the true monster?!"

    The sound of an arrow embedding itself on a nearby tree distract them from their heated argument. "There!" A man in a standard soldier armor shouted as soon as he saw them.

    "Damn!" Lyana cursed herself for stopping their attempt at fleeing.

    Fires erupted from her hand and formed a ball. It was small at first but rapidly expanded until it could swallow half of her body. She arched her body back preparing to throw it, but her sister grabbed her hand to stop her. "Lyana!" Her sister shouted. "Stop it."

    "Fuck!" She threw the ball to the ground, causing the trees around her to catch fire. The blaze spread like crazy. In a matter of seconds, the fire became too big for their pursuer to pass through without hurting themselves.

    Lyana and her sister vanished. Their tracks covered by the burning trees and smoke.

    ----

    Theo walked through the forest during the night. Since no monster dares to attack him and since he didn''t need that much sleep anyway, it was better for him to keep moving during the night. If his calculation was correct and he never took a wrong direction, capital should be around 10 hours of walking ahead of him.

    The sky was clear that night with no cloud covering any significant part of it. The sea of stars was visible to Theo who walked under it. It always amazed him no matter how many times he saw it. But something was ruining the view for him. There was a smoke, a huge cloud of smoke rising in the distance.

    "Forest fire?" he asked himself. Out of nowhere, two people appeared from the shadow of the forest and ran past him. One to his left and one to his right.They vanished into the shadow of the forest as abrupt as they appeared. He could still hear their movement and feel their presence, but they were gone from his vision.

    Although he only saw them for a brief moment and didn''t have the chance to get any detail of their appearance, he was sure that both were women. His instinct about things like that had never been wrong before. He dismissed them just as an adventurer in hurry, or a bandit. ''Wait.'' He realized something. If they were bandit, then that mean that he was robbed just now. He hastily checked all his belonging. He sighed in relief, nothing was gone.

    He kept on walking without thinking much about the passing shadow. Coincidentally, the source of the smoke was in the same direction as the capital.

    ----

    Soldiers were running around with a bucket of water in their hand. From a single glance, Theo could see that their number exceeded 30. 50 was his highest estimates. They were all too busy putting out the forest fire using water from a nearby river, that barely anyone noticed Theo walking among their number. It was only after the fire was reduced to a manageable size that they realized there was an adventurer looking at them all along.

    Their captain, evident from his better gear, approached Theo. His eyes wandered for a second to the plate that was hanging from Theo''s neck before he opened his mouth. "Adventurer. You want a job?" He asked, straight to the point like any good soldier.

    "The one who caused this fire?"

    "Yes."

    "Maybe, have to consider the pay first."

    "20 gold coin."

    "30" It was Adventurer''s habit to haggle the price of a sudden job even before they knew what kind of job it was. But if someone approached an adventurer with a job, most of the time, it was exterminating monster. That''s whythey usually took the job without asking the detail first.

    "25"

    "27"

    "Fine." The captain gave up.

    "Details?"

    "We talk while we walk. I don''t want to waste time."

    ---

    Theo walked beside the captain with the rest of the soldiers following behind them. They were heading to the direction Theo came from. While Theo didn''t want to backtrack and hunt with other people, especially men, the pay was too good to pass. 27 gold was very high considering his chimera rank. "What is our target?"

    "We don''t know what they are actually, but I can tell you their appearance." The captain took a deep breath before continuing. "Our targets are two women. Not human, not a beast-kin, not lizard-kin. They have mostly the appearance of human women, but they have two horn coming from their temples. And a tail. "

    "Hmm." Theo racked his mind for something that matches the captain''s explanation. There was something on the back of his mind that fit with the captain description. He just couldn''t get to it for some reason. "They could be a monster girl."

    "Monster girl?"

    "They are a subspecies of monster. They appear like a humanoid female, but some part of their body are that of monster. Although other than harpies and some aquatic monster girls, it is rare to see them this far south in Amaryn. Most of them live in the jungle of Girantine or the far land to the north." The captain didn''t seem to understand what Theo said, but he was a smart man. He let professionals do what professionals do without asking too much.

    "That is not a monster girl I tell ya!" A man in a hunter garb spoke. He was a local hunter who was employed by the captain to track their target. "They are demons. Two horn and sharp tail."

    "Stop spouting that nonsense." The captain replied. "The Tesla line still stood without any problem to this second. If even a demon managed to get through, the whole country will be looking for it."

    "I tell ya it''s a demon. I saw it with me own eyes. I''ve seen them before during the great war, when both of you were still sucking on your mum''s tits."

    "Shut up old man. We pay you to track them, not to bleed our ears with your war story."

    ''Ah.'' Theo got it what he was unable to reach before. Those two were indeed demons, but if he takes back his explanation, he would appear to be incompetent to the captain. Whatever, most demons were level 20, not a problem for him.

    "If you are so short on time, why bother putting out the fire?" Theo asked.

    "There''s a village nearby. Quite a big village that depends on the forest for their living. Our job is to protect the people. If we chose to chase a future threat and ignore a present threat, then we have failed our job."

    "Those...two. Let''s just call them that since we don''t really know what they are. You sure you can catch them slowly like this?"

    "They are fast yes. But they are also easy to tire. That''s why we can follow their trail for this long."

    "You''ve been following their trail for long?"

    "Three days and two nights. This is the closest we''ve ever get them."

    "What is it that they did that made this much soldiers hunting them?" Theo questioned the guard reasoning.

    Some monster, like a chimera, hydra, or the undead, were dangerous and have to be eliminated on sight. Monster girl, however, wasn''t known to attack the populace unless threatened. But if the two are truly demons, that was another case entirely. Demon saw human as nothing more than play thing or livestock. Most of them wouldn''t mind killing human for fun. There was of course exception, but most demons were like that.Stolen novel; please report.

    "Five local villagers have been found dead, some live stocks were slaughtered, and some of the villagers'' homes were robbed and plundered. And then this, burning of the forest that could cause a widespread destruction and loss."

    Something was off. If the two were truly demon who think human as no more than play thing, there should have been more killing, raping, and plundering. Also, why did they bother burning the forest down instead of just killing their pursuer? "Are you sure that the two that we''re chasing are the cause of it?"

    "All the evidence and eyewitnesses pointed at the two figure we''re chasing."

    -------

    After walking for a while and following the trail they got a glimpse of their target. It was the two women that ran past him before he met the soldiers.

    "It''s them!" One of the soldiers shouted. The soldiers quickened their pace, some even began to run. They drew their sword and bows. Those with bows aimed toward the sky and nocked their arrow. But before they could get close or even let loose of those arrows, their target began to move.

    "Stupid. Why are you shouting?" Theo asked. "They didn''t know about us yet until you shouted."

    "It''s your job adventurer." The captain said. Theo and the soldiers with sword began sprinting. Arrows whistled as it flew past above them. The leaf rustled and the wood knocked as the arrow hit them. Then, a scream. One of the arrows hit their target. It seemed that they weren''t able to run fast enough.

    The same place was then showered with a volley of arrows. Another scream erupted, followed by a cry.

    -----

    Lyana sat on the ground next to a tree. It was foolish. Most foolish indeed. resting when you were being chased by people that wanted to kill you for no reason was foolish, but not doing so was even more foolish.

    Despite her best effort, her sister''s hand became colder by the second. It was almost freezing. Even the thick blanket she made didn''t help to slow it down. "Lyana." Her sister said. It was a trembling and small voice that made her heart sank each time she heard it.

    "Shush. You have to rest. I handle it if things get ugly." Lyana tried to comfort her sister.

    "Lyana!" Her voice regained its spirit. Even if only for a second. "Promise me, promise me Lyana!"

    "Why sister, why? Why are you so protective of them? They-they did nothing good for us. They hate us. Why?"

    She held Lana''s cheek with her cold hand."You will understand one day." She smiled. "Promise me?"

    "I-"

    "It''s them!" Their pursuer shouted. Sweat broke out from every pore on her body. Her mind went into an overdrive, but no solution came from a panicked head. She slapped her own cheek to calm herself down. She immediately helped her sister stood up. There was a pool of blood on the ground where her sister was sitting. "Shit."

    Sweat broke out from every pore on her body. Her mind went into an overdrive, but no solution came from a panicked head. She slapped her own cheek to calm herself down. She immediately helped her sister stood up. There was a pool of blood on the ground where her sister was sitting. "Shit."

    Lyana turned her body and cast a magical barrier between them and their pursuer. She was almost out of mana and she was not proficient at casting defensive spells, but It should be enough to stop some arrows.

    "Lyana. Leave me."

    "No!" She pulled her sister and they began limping. Her sister was heavier than she thought.

    "I''ve promised mother and father that I''ll protect you. Just leave me here. Survive. Survive until you reach Big sister." She tried to let go of her hand, but Lyana pulled her arm and held it ever tighter.

    "No! You will be fine! We will tell Big sister together and sh- She - She''ll make us our favorite soup. You-" What came next was swallowed by the scream of her sister.

    The barrier already shattered behind them. She saw it on the edges of her vision, an arrow stuck on her sister''s back. Her shaking hand was unable to hold both of them and they fell to the ground. Blood seeped out from her mouth when she opened them. "Lyana. Promise me."

    "Shush! We''ll talk about it later."

    "Lyana!" Her sister pushed her body, flattening it to the ground.

    Lyana groaned in pain as an arrow stuck her feet. The pain vanished the moment she opened her eyes.

    An invisible rope choked her neck, tightening with each breath she took. Words flooded her minds and her heart, yet all were stuck in her throat.

    Despite the million arrows on her back, a radiant smile appeared on her sister''s face. Just like their mother''s. Just like her in her last moment. "Lyana. will you promise me?"

    Before Lyana could answer, the warm hand on her cheek fell to the ground. Lifeless.

    No word came out from her mouth and no tear came out from her eyes. Just the invisible rope tightening on her neck and the shattering of her heart.

    And the shattering of his heart. He opened his mouth, but no voice. He opened his eyes, but no vision. His skin numb and his ears deaf.

    When his vision returned, it was not a woman crying over her sister''s death. It was a boy. A boy crying over his father''s death. Surrounded by withering white trees and forest ablaze. When his feeling returned it was not the cold air of autumn midnight or the cold steel of his prized sword. It was the coldness of his father''s hand and the heat from the burning forest. What he heard was not the crying of a woman nor the shouting of soldiers. It was a voice of a dying man. A voice that haunted him, that shaped him, that guided his every decision in life.

    "Promise me. Promise me."

    Theo screamed. A scream of a madman who cursed his own minds, his own memories, and those who caused it all.

    He swung his sword not at the demon, but at the hunter. The hunter''s head rolled on the ground before he could understand what had happened. Before Theo himself could understand what he was doing.

    The captain shouted, horrified by the turn of event, by the adventurer''s betrayal. That was before his throat got cut open. Confusion and panic spread among the soldiers. Confusion and panic spread through Theo''s mind. What the fuck was he doing?

    "S-Stand down!" One of the soldiers pointed his crossbow at Theo.

    All of the soldiers stood guard with their weapon unsheathed, with their bow and crossbow pointed at Theo. "He-hey. T-this is a mistake. I-I I was-... " Theo thought about an excuse but there wasn''t anything would work. He couldn''t weasel out from this situation by words alone.

    "Stand down!" the soldiers shouted. Theo complied, he put down his sword on the ground and raised his arms above his head while slowly crouching down.

    He fucked up, real bad. He got caught by his emotion that he didn''t realize what was happening. But what done is done. He needed to fix things up and clean up his mistake, but giving himself up to the guard wasn''t the way. If he let himself be caught, he will either be in jail for life or his head will roll. Both were not the outcome he wanted.

    One of the soldiers slowly approached him to take his weapon. He got closer and closer and crouched down to pick Theo''s sword from the ground.

    Theo kicked the soldier, picked his sword, and slit the guard''s throat.

    Bolts and arrows were loosed. Theo grabbed the soldier''s body and use it as a meat shield, but his body was small, and some of the arrow and bolts struck Theo.

    Luckily, he was wearing a full plate armor that was enchanted to further strengthen it.

    He sighed. This was not the outcome that he wanted. This was not what he had planned. But he has to see it through. After all, this wasn''t the first time he silenced a group of people to clean up his mistake, and certainly, this won''t be the last.

    -----

    Theo stood up amidst the mound of corpses. He struggled to get up, supporting his own body with Panes between his arm. His eyes bloodshot and his body soaked in blood that was not his.

    36 soldiers lay dead. And one survivor was scrambling in panic, trying his hardest to get away from him. His leg''s tendon was already cut by the mad adventurer, he couldn''t stand anymore. But he must return to his family. After this, he will quit and retire. Enough being soldiers, farm life with his wife and three little sons was much safer.

    But the mad adventurer caught him. "NOO! Please! PLEASE! SPARE ME! I won''t tell anyone! Please!" He pleaded.

    Theo sighed. "Calm down. Calm down. I will spare you if you tell me what I want to know. Okay?"

    "Y-YES! I-I''ll do anything!"

    "Is anyone watching from afar?"

    "N-no. Not as far as I know."

    "Has anyone escape? The body count is 36 including the hunter."

    "N-no. There''s 37 of us including t-the hunter."

    "Will anyone be missing or searching these dead guys?"

    "N-no. A-a hunting mission like this will u-usually take a week if not more. Th-The last time we report is one day ago. W-We have no obligation t-to give a report for the next 5 days."

    "Does anyone might know I kill these guys other than you?"

    "N-No. And I-I-I swears I won''t tell anyone. I swear!"

    "Good. I will keep my word. I will not kill you." Theo walked away from the guard. The guard cried in relief as he walked away, but then, Theo crouched down and picked up a paper from one of his pouches. The fire burned in his hand and from the ashes a figure of flame appeared. It was a level ten fire elemental. "Kill him. And burn all the bodies, but be careful not to burn the forest." Theo gave a command to the fire elemental.

    The fire elemental approached the unsuspecting surviving guard and killed him before he even realizes it coming. The fire elemental then burned all the bodies without burning the forest. This way, the corpse will not attract a group of beast and ghoul, which in turn will not attract adventurer and more soldiers to exterminate them. Those who are going to search for the missing soldiers will have a hard time searching them in the middle of nowhere like this.

    The reason Theo told him not to burn the forest was because while it would make their death look more natural, it would also attract the attention of many people. And he didn''t want anyone to know it. He could also bury their bodies, but it would take too much effort.

    Theo looked over his shoulder where the female demon was still crying over her dead companion. Regret washed all over him, but why? He couldn''t understand his own feeling. He had seen countless tragedies like hers. On some, he even took the aggressor role, but he never felt quite something like this.

    He also couldn''t understand why he attacked the hunter and the captain in the first place. Even if he wanted to help the girl, even if she was undoubtedly beautiful, it was too much of a risk. There was still too much variable he didn''t yet know at that time. It was a blinding rage that he hadn''t felt in a long time. Never since.....the death of his own father.

    That was it. That was why he did that. What happened to her was an exact mirror to what happened to him six years prior. The burning forest. The dying body.....and the promise her companion uttered before she died. That was why he killed the hunter. In the spur of the moment, he blamed them for his father''s death and the rage took him.

    "Heh." He cursed his own sentimentality. Who would have thought? After six years and a lot of distraction, he still couldn''t get over his father''s death. And the emotion resurfaced at the worst time possible. But there was no point in thinking about it now. What done is done and he needed to adapt his plan accordingly. He stood up and approached the girl.

    The safest course of action was to just kill the girl too and also burn their bodies. But his heart told him not to. He couldn''t understand why. Maybe it was because he saw his younger self inside her.

    His hand was about to touch the girl''s shoulder when it stopped. Why did he stop, why did he hesitate? He wondered about it in his mind. He touched her shoulder after some consideration. "I''m sorry, but it''s not safe here. We have to move. Before-"

    "Get........Get away from me!" She turned. Her eyes were like glass, watery without any coming out.

    His chest felt like a burning iron was piercing it. When he looked down, the girl''s hand was glowing bright red with magic and was melting his chest armor.

    "[Greater Combustion]" Great fire erupted from his chest. His body flew with an incredible speed before stopping abruptly after hitting a tree. His head jerked backward and hit the tree trunk. The force was enough to crack and fell the tree. His vision blurred as blood flowed down the back of his head.

    The last thing he saw before blacking out was the girl killing his summoned elemental, then walking to him, with a fireball armed in her hand.

 Chapter 13: A fools dream

    Theo struggled to open his eyes, they were heavy and rock-stiff. His chest felt like a huge dog was sitting on it. Even breathing made it feel like his lungs would rip itself apart any second. His head rang like a bell, foggy. He couldn''t make a single thought before feeling it would shatter to a thousand pieces.

    "Are you awake?" The voice of a girl woke him up. It was a soothing and beautiful voice. A calming sensation washed over him as he opened his eyes, but a blinding light forced him to close it again.

    He used all of his strength to push his body to a sitting position. Then he rested his body on a tree trunk behind him. He needed to, he was unsure if his broken body could withstand its own weight. A slight touch or nudge aginst the grass or the rough tree bark sent pain all over his body. The pain was unbearable, hell, even that was an understatement.

    He felt his own body. Magic-weaved fabric covered his chest and his head. It was soaked wet with his blood. "I.....I''m sorry for doing that to you. I was so consumed, so blinded by anger that I didn''t realize that you''re trying to help me." She said with a small voice. There was an undercurrent of guilt and regret in her voice.

    He realized who she was. It was the demon-kin girl. Though he didn''t think help was a right word considering what happened to her companion because of him.

    He opened his eyes again. This time he forced himself to see through the blinding light. When his eyes adapted, he could see a green haired girl sitting next to a campfire. A campfire that was better than his. Far better.

    The scenery changed around him. He was still inside the forest and it was still night, but no corpse could be seen around. The girl stayed silent as she knew that he was unable to speak. Not without suffering a great pain. The silence lingered for an hour more. Though in truth, Theo was silent not only because of the pain but also because he was thinking what to say and what to do. Looking at his condition now, he was at the mercy of the demon girl. One wrong word or one wrong movement could be the end of his life.

    "Why? Why did you help me? Why did you choose a demon-kin instead of your own kind?"She stopped and stared at him." What kind of irrational thought lead you to believe that helping me, what your kind called a monster, is a better choice?"

    Theo sighed and chuckled. The pain was visible on his face. "Cause..... you''re cute." Said Theo with a smile and a hoarse voice. "And I... am the ally of every cute and beautiful female."

    The girl stared at him curiously. "I can''t tell if you''re joking or not, but.... Thank you."

    "I''m not....joking." The silence returned as Theo waited for his pain to subside before speaking. "I.... never had any plan to save you. I met the soldiers during my travel and they told me that they were hunting a monster. I wanted to make some quick coin and..... didn''t ask much. So when I see you and your..."

    "...Sister..." Her voice was heavy.

    Theo realized from what she said before that she saw all human as a demon-hating monster. Which wasn''t far from the truth. If he wanted to survive this ordeal, however, he needed to appeal to that side of her. "Your sister...... I realized that you''re not a monster. You''re not so different than us."

    "Even the horn and all of that?"

    Theo chuckled. "Have you ever met a lizard-kin or beast kin?"

    "A non-demon beast-kin and lizard-kin? No."

    "They are...... vastly different than a human. Yet...... we still treat them as friend and family, even..... lover and spouse. But I..... can understand....... the mentality of those people. The scar.... and horror..... the demon-kin inflict upon the rest of the continent during the great war....... is still fresh on everyone''s mind..... And those who saw...... the horror, tell the story to those who didn''t see the horror." His speaking was stammered because of the pain.

    "So why? if you understand the hate and..... Why did you help me?"

    "Just.. because you understand something, doesn''t.. mean it''s the right thing. You can... understand the reasoning behind a killer or bandit, and at the same time, think that what they do is wrong. Just because.... you know a lion is hungry and want to attack people, doesn''t..... mean that you will it happen."

    "But you took too much risk. They are the soldiers of.... whatever country we''re in. And they number aren''t small."

    "37 grunts is nothing for me." Theo fixed his sitting position. The pain was still excruciating but was much better than before. " When I saw you crying over your sister." He sighed." It.... It reminded me of my younger self when I.... experienced something similar.It''s just blind rage and everything blacked out."

    She turned and stared at the fire. "Sorry for asking."

    "I should be the one to apologize. If I act sooner..... I might be able to save your sister." The silence returned. "Thanks," Theo said.

    She turned her head toward him. "For what?"

    "For..... not killing me, or letting me bleed to death. For saving me and patching me up with this magic."

    "Honestly, I don''t want to. Not at first, but you helped me. My sister died protecting me. If I let myself die, it would have made her death a vain death. And I want to uphold her last word and the last promise we made." She took a deep breath. Her face was red from trying too hard holding her tear. "My sister always believed that one day, every race on the continent can live peacefully. It''s a foolish dream, a fool''s hope. And now I''m trying to believe it...... Starting from you."

    "Thanks again then. Funny, my father also had a dream like that."

    Lyana chuckled while still crying. "But my sister is stupid. A fool. She''s a true pacifist who believes that nothing will be solved by using violence. She rejected the idea that sometimes we must fight to maintain peace. She only sees violence as senseless, she couldn''t accept that sometimes violence isnecessary." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I...am a fool. For not warning her about it. A fool, for going by her whim and wishes."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "You mustn''t blame yourself. The thing that happened to your sister was not your fault."

    "But it IS my fault. If only I was more...more..more decisive. She would be still alive. She would hate me for what I did, but at least she will still be alive.... sorry, but I need some time."

    Theo laid his body down. He was exhausted and his body needed rest. The demon girl didn''t speak anymore.

    Theo didn''t sleep immediately. He was curious and interested in the demon girl. After all, meeting a demon that didn''t want to kill you on sight was not a normal event. She was also beautiful, but he wasn''t sure if trying to make her his, was a good idea. Bringing a demon everywhere was a recipe for disaster and could throw a wrench into his well-laid plan.

    Thinking again, he also couldn''t leave her alone like this. Her eyes, while trying to be tough, was filled with despair. It was a familiar eye for Theo. It was the eyes of someone who has their soul ripped forcefully. Someone who has their world turned upside down. The eyes of someone who witnessed the death of the most important person in their life. It was the kind of eyes he saw countless times in the mirror before he met Mary.

    If he let her alone, she would surely follow the path of self-destruction that he also walked in the past. A path of self-destruction that would not only hurt herself but everyone around her. Even those who only pass by her.

    He hasn''t decided what to do with the girl, but for the time being, he will stick with the girl. Until he recovers from his injuries at the very least. Or maybe he would ask her to join him in his journey and try to make her his girl. Who knows? He let his future self decide it.

    ------

    The moment Theo opened his eyes, the sky was already blue. Bird chipped and insect filled the forest with their song.

    He sat up and looked around. The demon girl was sleeping on a tree bark not too far from her original position. Their campfire was extinguished and his belonging was placed near his body by the demon-girl.

    He couldn''t believe how the girl could fell asleep after what happened to her. Or maybe it was because what happened to her, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep even when she didn''t want to.

    He stood up. The pain has lessened but it was still painful. He grabbed his forehead. "Varah, grant me your light." A divine light shone from his hand to his forehead. The pain was reduced, but that was it. It was not a healing miracle, only a pain-reducing one.

    He walked toward the forest to hunt for something for breakfast.

    He tapped the girl''s shoulder lightly, trying to wake her without surprising her. Not everything went as planned. She jerked up awake and in her panic, pointed her fingerthat was armed with magic toward Theo''s neck.

    "Easy. Easy." He said trying to calm the girl. He offered the girl the rabbit he had just cooked.

    "Why didn''t you leave me?" She asked. "You have all the chance and all the reason to leave me alone here."

    "Why would I?" He asked back. The girl went silent and began eating the rabbit meat.

    "You sucks at cooking." The girl commented while chewing on the hard overcooked rabbit meat.

    "Well, I think I have Class zero for cooking. It took me half a year before I could tell whether a meat was overcooked or undercooked. And to this day I''m still unable to do cook a good food."

    They rested for a while after their breakfast. They just sat and not speak to each other. It didn''t feel awkward for Theo, he had used to it. Sometimes what a girl need is silence and a time alone with her own thought.

    Suddenly she opened up a conversation. "You said that you have experienced something similar before, Who?"

    "My father." He chuckled. "I can''t believe how similar it is. That night it was also in the forest, a burning forest. We were being chased also."

    "Are they-"

    "Soldiers."

    "What happened?" She asked. There was a curious look in her eyes.

    "We bit more than we can chew. My father is not a normal paladin. He was a champion among champions, a hero among heroes. Wielder of the Lightbringer. But there were only two of us against an army. I was still weak back then. If it was my father alone, he would have survived, But... that night, I insisted that I go with him. He died protecting me. Even to this day I still regret it. Why did I even come with him that night? Why am I being so insistent."

    Her eyes opened wide. "Wait! Your father is the Lightbringer?!" She asked, full of enthusiasm. It caught Theo by surprise. There was no more animosity or worry in her voice. He never thought that bringing up his father during a conversation was the best choices of action.

    "Uh...yes."

    She laid back on a tree and exhaled air. She then looked at Theo like no girl ever looked at him.It was a mix of curiosity, fear, anticipation, excitement, and seriousness. "Your father, what is his name?"

    "Theo Gladium."

    "And are you saying that you are his son?!"

    "Yes."

    "Wow." There was a look of astonishment on her face. "I can''t believe it. The first human I know isthe son of Theo Gladium. Holy shit. Is, is this fate playing with me?"

    "You...you seemed to know him." Theo was confused. Utterly confused. Was it a normal reaction for a demon-kin or was she just bonkers deep inside?

    "Me? Every, single, demon that can read know him." She opened her mouth, but no voice came out. She made a strange gesture with her hand that he couldn''t understand. Did she lose her voice from excitement, or was it because of something else. She grabbed her own chest, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. After a few repetition of deep controlled breathings, she opened her eyes. "The light of destruction, the white death. That''s what we called him. We have many other names for him, but, even twenty years after the great hunt, his names are still is a taboo for us to say." Her body trembled, from excitement or fear he didn''t know.

    She was bonkers. There was no way a sane person could speak with so much excitement after a significant part of their life was taken from them just a few days prior. Or maybe, it was her mind playing tricks on her. She was grieving deep inside, that much was sure, but her mind denied her sister''s death. Maybe this was also part of a subconscious denial. She tried to bury all that grief deep inside her and cover it with forced joy and excitement.

    "You seems excited."

    "Excited? Of course, I am. I mean Theo Gladium, the human who killed Demon King Racar. The one who stopped the great hunt. His son... sitting in front of me, and I almost killed him the day before."

    Theo laughed. So hard, that water came out from his eyes. So hard that his whole body hurt. The girl stared at him with an annoyed and angry look. "Is it funny, laughing at someone excitement?" She asked with an irritated tone.

    Theo still couldn''t hold his laugh despite him wanting to. He didn''t want for the girl to get the wrong idea."Sorry, sorry. I don''t mean to laugh at your excitement. I''m laughing after realizing something."

    "Ohh?" she asked with a mocking tone, not buying his excuse.

    "I''m saying the truth. I''m laughing because it''s really ironic, how my father is more appreciated by his enemy than his own kin."

    "What do you mean?" She asked, confused by what Theo said.

    "Ask...anyone outside the demon realm. Ask them about the Lightbringer. Few would have known, even fewer know about my father. Here, he is not the hero that you think he is."

    "Wait, how is that even possible? He basically saved the rest of the continent from the demon invasion."

    "Um...you...uh, we haven''t introduced ourselves have we?"

    "Oh yeah, we haven''t introduced each other. I''m Lyana."

    "Lyana. Lyana what?"

    "Just Lyana. Demons rarely have more than one word for a name. We rarely have surename."

    "Okay, I want to ask something, but let''s save it for later. I''m Theo. Theo Gladium. Nice to know you Lyana."

    "You have the exact same name as your father?" She asked. It was obvious on her face how ridiculous it sounded.

    "Not originally. It''s a long a story. Anyway, so here''s the thing Lyana. How much do you know about the great war?"

    "Quite a lot. We learned it at school."

    "You have school?" Theo asked, but before Lyana could answer him, he stopped her. "Sorry, that''s rude of me. We always think demon as cultureless uneducated savages. I know that is not true, but old habit die hard."

    "It''s fine. We view human as livestock or toys after all."

    "Fair enough. So let''s see, what did they teach demon at school about the great war?"

    "Okay, where do I start....."

 Chapter 14: Lyana

    "So even demon spread propaganda huh?" Theo asked after hearing Lyana''s explanation.

    Her explanation was filled with so much passion. Theo was glad. Even if only temporary, a distraction was needed when you were grieving. He was glad he could provide her with a good distraction. While it was important to face the reality of grief, acceptance will come later naturally. What important was to not lost our way before acceptance come.

    From her explanation, he could also conclude that she was an absolute history geek. A side of her he could use during their conversation to obtain her interest. "I always know that what they taught you at school is not one hundred percent accurate, but I never know the extent of the lie."

    "First thing first, humanity wasn''t on the brink of extinction. We are losing, but it was not dire enough that some country actually still wage war against each other."

    "That is... stupid."

    "Of course! Everyone realize that, except some stupid government official and some nobility. Anyway, some of the soldiers, knight, and mages realized that we couldn''t possibly win unless we fight together. They met secretly and with the help of some more reasonable higher ups, they formed a party of 24 people. My father and mother were part of that party."

    "Ohh! That team is the one who stormed the demon king castle and killed King Racar right?"

    "Yes, but it was a suicide mission. Only my father, mother, and two others returned with their lives. Even then, they were forever changed and scarred by the experience. You see the problem now?"

    "No one knows who killed the Demon King because the team was made in secret."

    "Exactly!" Theo smiled. "They are not a hero because no one knows what they did."

    "That''s, kind of tragic." Her expression turned somber for a second."You tell it like you saw the war yourself, but you don''t look that much older than me."

    "Well, I heard the stories from my father and mother. Killing the Demon King is not something you don''t brag about every chance you get. Even the chosen one of the world, only three out of thousands of them ever killed a demon king."

    "So how old are you really?"

    "23."

    "Wow, you''re not that older than me."

    "How old are yo-....... do female demon have a problem with anyone asking their age?" He asked.

    "No. I''m 20, still very young. Do human have a problem?"

    "Yes. Female human, lizard-kin, and beast-kin usually have a problem when someone asks about their age."

    "Why though? We demon are proud with our age. I mean isn''t it cool being more experienced?"

    "I think the difference is the way our race age. Human reaches their peak around age 20-35....... I think. I remember my father saying something like that. After that, we get uglier and weaker the more we age. On the contrary, demons stay relatively the same once you age. You get stronger and more experienced with barely any loss as you age."

    "Oh wow. Now I understand why."

    Theo noticed how comfortable she became after they talked about history and about his father. Maybe he could push for a less comfortable question. "You know, something been nagging on my mind. The soldiers that I killed yesterday, or was it yesterday? Anyway, they said that you killed five people, slaughtered their livestock, and plundered their homes. What really happen?"

    "I''..... don''t know. Except for those five people. They.... learned about my true identity and attacked me, so I killed them. That was why we were chased in the first place. The livestock slaughtering and home plundering were not our doing."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "Someone else''s or some monster used the opportunity it seemed." There was another question nagging on his mind. "I think this is time for the real question. How can you come this far to the mainland? How can you move past the Tesla Line? If other demons can do the same I..... war could happen again."

    "I don''t think others can do it. We came here by accident, we used a teleportation magic, but it went awry during the process."

    "Wait isn''t it impossible to-"

    "Yes, it should be impossible to teleport in and out of the demon realm because of the purple miasma. However, at that time we were on the edge of the demon realm where the miasma wasn''t as dense. The miasma that day was also strangely very thin, but in the end, we still messed up."

    "Why teleport out? to a place where the inhabitant will kill you the moment they see you?"

    "Escape." She answered quickly. She was hesitant to continue answering for some reason, but he had to know. If something bad happened in the demon realm that could cause a war with the outside world, he has to know it.

    "Escape from what?"

    "Other faction." Again, she was hesitant to give him a more concrete answer and instead chose a vague answer.

    "Other faction?" He pushed for more answer. He was confident that she was comfortable enough with him. Comfortable enough to share some of the more unpleasant things.

    She curled up her body and buried her mouth in the embrace of her own arm. "The previous demon king was a very powerful demon. His retainers loyalty to him was without question. He was a perfect king and a perfect leader for the demons, but he had one flaw." She paused. "He had many children.... many daughters to be exact, but he never chose one to be his heir. Everyone always thought that the perfect heir was his eldest daughter. Her power, beauty, wisdom, knowledge, and leadership power was..... second to none. Every girl and woman envied her. She had the potential to be even better than her own father. But one day, one of his daughter that was exiled, his only daughter that he ever exiled, returned to the demon castle."

    "He chose her as the heir, and no one accepted it." Theo added after she finished speaking.

    "Yes." She seemed pleasantly surprised that Theo knew her story.

    "I''ve read stories like that a few times. Never thought it would happen in real life."

    "This created a discord and chaos in the rank of the demon lords. What more unacceptable is, his eldest daughter, the one everyone wanted to be his successor, accepted her father decision without even a complaint."

    "So the demon lord created faction between them?"

    "Not at first. No one dared to defy the demon king in the open. After the war, however, the demon king died but the exiled daughter hasn''t yet get accustomed to her new power. She was basically a kid with too much power she couldn''t control. This was a perfect opportunity for the other to rebel and usurp the throne. There''s a civil war raging between five factions in the demon realm now."

    "And what faction are you?"

    "None. Me and my sister want to live peacefully, but the civil war made it impossible for us. The fate of young girls during an unrest is.... uncertain. We''re the main target for slavery and rape. I mean, even without the civil war, demon raped and enslaved each other, but with the civil war it becomes even worse."

    "And you think the human realm is a good option? That''s kind of strange."

    "I told you our teleportation was botched." She answered with irritation in her voice.

    Theo raised both of his hand. "Okay-okay. Calm down now. Where were you planning to teleport originally?"

    "We have no plan. We thought that anywhere is fine other than the demon realm. I guess we were wrong."

    "Do you have any plan right now, like where do you want to go or is there someone you know somewhere. Family maybe?"

    "No. Well, I still have another sister. Not related by blood, but still, a sister. She is in deep shit, however, and I don''t think I can meet her anytime soon nor can she help me even if we met."

    Theo wanted to ask her about her other sister, but it seemed unpleasant to her. He already asked a few unpleasant question, it would be bad to push his luck any further. "So you have no plan?"

    "No."

    "Why don''t you come with me on my adventure? I can protect you, to some extent, and with some disguising magic, there shouldn''t be any problem whatsoever. We could, I don''t know, explore the continent maybe. Learn some history of the world along the way."

    While it might seem rushed asking her so early, it was a calculated question. Theo had already known quite a lot of thing about her. She was alone, trapped in a realm where most of its inhabitant wanted to kill her for no reason. He knew she was a history enthusiast and she was quite excited about exploring and discovering new places. He could give her about everything that she needed and wanted. He could give her protection from the human, he could guide her through the land, and he knows quite a lot about history and exploration. Her not having a plan was a great boost to his confidence that she will accept the offer.

    Lyana looked at him. She opened her mouth but closed it again a second later. She looked at the ground, thinking, pondering, considering his offer.

    "I understand it''s not an easy thing to answer. We''ve only known each other for.... a day or two at most" Theo moved his body and lied down on the ground. He positioned himself as comfortable as he could without hurting his body." Take your time, don''t have to answer it today. Or tomorrow for that matter." He yawned and rolled his body so that he was facing away from her. While he was somewhat healed on the outside, most of his injury was internal. He still needed a lot of rest before his body recovers fully.

 Chapter 15: Father

    Theo woke up from his slumber, noticing that the sun was already high in the sky. The magic fabric no longer covered his head and his chest. They no longer hurt, as bad. The campfire was extinguished and Lyana''s items nowhere to be seen.

    "Guess she decided to run away huh?" He woke up to a sitting position and rubbed his now healed head. "Shame, she''s a cutie."

    "Who''s running away?" Lyana voice made his body jump.

    She appeared from the bushes behind him with her bag on her back. Her long green hair was lustrous wet, and so was her face. She wore an enchanted black cloak that emitted a magical aura.

    ''Does she hear me calling hear cutie? Or is she pretending not to hear?'' He asked inside his mind. "Oh, where have you been?"

    "Washing my body. There''s a river nearby if you want to."

    ''Damn. If only I wake up sooner.''

    "Might as well. The last few days was a pretty rough day for me." Theo answered with a smile that hid his disappointment.

    Theo stood up and looked around. "Where are my armor and sword?"

    Lyana pointed behind him. "That''s your armor. And here.." She took his sword from inside her cloak. "Is your sword."

    "You hid it? Well, of course, you hid it. That''s the only sensible course of action."

    "Glad you understand." She smiled.

    "So, do you have your answer now?"

    "I think I''ll follow you."

    "Why do you accept my offer?"

    "Why? I''m lost in this land. Not knowing anything or anyone, surrounded by people who want to kill me. Following you is the best option, and you seems like a decent person."

    He smirked. "Decent person? You''re going to be horribly disappointed."

    She chuckled. "I hope not."

    Lyana seemed more cheerful than the day before. Did his distraction method worked, or did she still bury her grief with a fake cheerful attitude? Though her smile appeared genuine.

    Tho stopped thinking about it and grabbed his armor. He froze. There was a big hole in the center of it. He could hear Lyana had a wry laugh behind him. "Hehehe. I''m sorry." She tried to act innocent.

    ''No. You''re not.'' He said it inside his heart. Theo moved again. "You know what, It''s fine. I''m going to buy new armor anyway." Theo looked at his armor again and rub his finger on the hole.

    "The metal melted. How did you do this?"

    "I use a fire spell, I think. I''m so angry that time I don''t realize what am I doing. Is it that incredible?"

    "Incredible? No. This is something more." Theo took his chest armor and showed it to Lyana. "This here is made from Elven steel. Very light, but weaker than a normal steel. It was enchanted with a very powerful anti-elemental enchantment. It shouldn''t have melted. Not from a tier 3 spell or lower." He put the armor away. "What is your level and talent Lyana?"

    "I''m level 26. Pretty low, but I''m still young."

    Theo looked at her agape. "Pretty low?! Are you kiddi-....." Theo closed his eyes with his hand. "Sorry about that. Demon, human, different. You know, the more I see you, the more I speak to you, the less I see our difference.......As a race I mean." Theo opened his eyes again. "Please continue."

    "I have a Magic Class 4 talent. Pretty impressive don''t you think?" She had a smug smile on her face.

    Betraying her expectation, Theo wasn''t impressed at all. Not in the slightest. He had a more impressive friend after all. "Okay. But do you know a tier 4 spell?"

    "No. I can learn it, but I don''t have the chance. I left all my spell and magic books back home."

    Theo eyes went wide open when he realized something. "Wait. You''re not the demon queen right. The exiled child?"

    Lyana looked at him with a ridiculed look on her face. Her brow was raised to the maximum. "Excuse me? What made you get to that conclusion?"

    "Maybe you ran away from the demon realm because you''re being hunted by the other demon lords." Lyana was about to interrupt Theo, but Theo raised a finger to stop her. "My father said that it would be interesting if someday I would meet and befriend the demon queen. My father often said something random like that. Yet often enough, strangely, those random things he spoke become true. So..."

    "I''m not the demon queen. I know her, but I''m not her. And even if I am her, what make you think I would tell the truth to you?"

    Theo stood up. "Nothing, just asking. If you ''ARE'' the demon queen, that could explain your sudden increase in power. Well, I''m going to wash. You''re free to join me if you want to." Theo left for the river.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    After Theo was out of sight, Lyana spoke. "Join, me? What?"

    ------

    The water was freezing cold, but he washed his body anyway. It wasn''t as bad as the water from well during a winter night. He cleaned all the dirt and the dried blood from his body, sword and even his broken armor. He had taken a hobby of cleaning his equipment. The shine he saw every time he wiped the dirt from his sword always brought a smile to his face, especially since it was a new sword.

    Not a dent, not a scratch. Perfect. The sword was as good as Andre said. When he washed his body, he realized that the necklace given to him by Mary was nowhere to be found.

    "Fuck! Did I dropped it during the fight?"

    Panic filled his mind and sweat broke all over his body. Mary fury will be worse than hell if she knew he lost it just a few days after she gave it to him.

    "Calm down Theo! Calm down! I can still ask Lyana. Maybe she hid it." After cleaning himself and his equipment, he returned to his camp. Lyana was combing her hair next to the now extinguished campfire with her back facing him. Her hair was green, straight, reaching her waist, and lustrous even when dry. It was beautiful.

    He leaned on a tree watching her partially revealed neck. Her fair white skin captivated him, it gave contrast to her pitch black cloak. It stood out as one of the most beautiful skin Theo have ever seen and coming from him, that said a lot. "Lyana, have you seen a necklace with a silver pendant hanging from it?"

    "With the word Theo and Mary inscribed on it?"

    "Yes! How did you.... you hid it? W-where did you find it?"

    "No. I''m safe keeping it. But here you go. " Lyana threw it at him. He caught it and wore it around his neck. "Who''s Mary?"

    "My woman."

    "Tia?"

    "My woman. And before you ask, yes Cynthia and Miki is also my women. You see what inside my bag don''t you? you know it''s rude to see other person''s belonging without their permission."

    She looked confused and surprised. "You''re not trying to hide the fact or anything?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "You''re a.. a.. what do you human call them? a person who have a lot of lovers? There was a strange look in her eyes, angry, maybe hateful look. The look that was directed at him. She seemed to have problems with men, men with a lot of lovers in particular. "You know what. I won''t judge you for what you are. Maybe you are... different than most men I know. Maybe..... you are nice with your woman..women I mean." She sighed. She was obviously stressed. "Let''s forget this thing. Tell me about the country we''re in."

    "Well, We''re in the Amaryn Kingdom. A kingdom so proud in its knight and warrior, they rarely use magic and doesn''t appreciate mage. Which might be good for you, since very few will be abe to see through you magic disguise. But the kingdom does produce the best knights in the Continent. Discounting the demon realm of course since I don''t know much about their knight."

    Theo observed Lyana''s body language. She was uncomfortable. Something about the fact that he has many lovers disturbed her, and not just on a mental level. She seemed to be disturbed by it on a more personal and emotional level. Theo looked around. "I''m going to hunt for some rabbit for our lunch. Stay here okay?"

    "O-Okay."

    After Theo left, Lyana body went limp and she fell on her knees. "What is wrong with you Lyana? Why are you so weak to honeyed words?" She leaned on a tree trunk.

    "So you like him?"

    "Ye-THEO!" She shouted when she realized he was behind the tree. "D-did you hear what I''m saying?"

    "I''ve been here all along. Don''t worry, you''re not the first to feel like that toward me."

    Lyana sighed. "Only a blind baboon won''t be interested in you the first time seeing you." She stood up. "But don''t get me wrong. I won''t be one of your women." She sat back again.

    "Some women said the same thing to me. Their conviction didn''t last long. You know Lyana, act as if I''m not here. What is wrong with the fact that I have more than one lover? I mean of course most women won''t like a guy who has many other women already, but the fact seemed to disturb you on a more personal level. You can tell me if something wrong." She, of course, didn''t reply to him. "Lyana, what if we made a deal?" There was a movement from Lyana''s side, but she still didn''t say anything. "If you tell me about your problem. I will try to help you fix it if I can. Better yet, if you tell me your problem, I won''t make any advancement toward you. No flirting, no sweet words, nothing."

    "Swear?"

    "I swear."

    Lyana took a deep breath. She didn''t know why she trusted him this much. She shouldn''t, but she did. "It was my father. Though I don''t want to call him father. In the demon realm, It''s literally the rule of the strong. The strong rule and set the law, but most of the time, the strong one are the craziest one. He is one of those crazy and crazy strong demons. He''s also ancient, I don''t know the exact number, but he is around a thousand or two thousand years old.."

    "Two thousand years old? Was he alive during Alexander''s age?" Theo realized that he interrupted Lyana heartfelt story. "Sorry to interrupt you. Just ignore me. Go on."

    "He was... Very twisted. Everything is just an object, a possession to him. Including his wives, daughters, sons. Our life is like a livestock raised on a farm. His sons, my brothers and half-brothers, are raised to be warrior slave. When they are old enough, he chained them and sold them to whoever needs a warrior slave. His daughter....his daughter are raised to be concubines and sex slave. The one he didn''t like, he sold them and the one he liked, he took them as his own concubines to ''expand the farm'' and ''increase production''. Even my mother was the daughter of his daughter''s daughter. And I was one of the daughters that he liked. But because of that, I was given education and proper living by him."

    "So you?"

    "No. My mother helped me and my sister escape his clutch before we are of age. Before he forced himself on us. Because of what she did, she was......" She swallowed the spit in her mouth. "publicly executed after being humiliated."

    "Sorry. That must be painful to you."

    "How about your father Theo? How is the light-bringer in his daily life?"

    "My father is..... I don''t know about him before the war, but from what I heard, he was an exemplary person, and Idol of goodness and morality, a religious person bordering of fanatics. But the father I know is very different than that. His experience fighting in the demon realm and fighting the demon king changed him drastically. He threw away his belief for God Ketu and adopt a very bizarre god to belief. He threw away his vow of celibacy. he became...... amoral, and from the view of normal person could be considered evil. He is, however, a good father to me. He taught me many things. Almost everything that I am now can be credited to him. Even having the greatest harem is a promise I made to him before he died."

    "What?" Lyana asked in disbelief. "Are you saying that all those women, it''s because your father told you to?"

    "He said, continue my dream. And one of those dreams is having the greatest harem in the world. I only felt obligated at first, but come to like the Idea later on."

    "Unbelieveable." Lyana said. "This strange god, is it the ''Varah'' you pray to before?"

    "No. That is my own strange god. My father thinks that this world is just a story. Created by some horny young adult trying to well, write. Don''t ask me how he comes to believe that, even I don''t know."

 Chapter 16: The Capital

    After two days of traveling, they finally reached the capital outskirt. They enjoyed each other companies more than they ever expected. They always had something to say and they have a lot of common interest.

    As soon as the Capital City, Redmound was in sight, Lyana eyes sparkled. It was indeed a majestic sight. A huge walled city stood in the distance. And in the center of it all, stood an even taller structure, The Redmound Castle, where the King and the Royal Families live. Farmland and wheat field greeted them as they came out from the forest road. Carriages of both noble and merchant passed them as they walked toward the huge walled city in the distance.

    Unlike in Aeston where Human dominated the population. Even outside the wall of the capital, it was evident that the population was very diverse compared to the rest of the kingdom. Beast-kin, Lizard-kin, Dwarf, Halfling, Human, Even elf, who rarely get out from their home forest, could be seen there. Some of them were slave, laborer, merchant, soldier, some even wore noble clothes and have a noble sigil of their own. Human still dominated the nobility, though the capital was much better than the rest of the kingdom.

    Lyana had worn a black cloak over her head to hide her face. That, combined with her magic that concealed her horn and tail should prevent any trouble in the near future. Despite only knowing a low tier disguise spell, there was almost no risk of her getting found out. Amaryn was, after all, a kingdom of knight and warrior, a place where magic was underappreciated. There should be no Mage that scans the street. As long as they stayed clear from the mages guild building, there should be no problem.

    They decided to stay at the inn outside the city rather than inside the city to save money. The difference between the rents price of an inn inside and outside the city was quite unreasonable. And the distance to the city gate wasn''t even that far.

    Theo rented a single room with two beds. Lyana protested at first, but Theo held all their money, and by extension, all the economic power of their small group. She had previously tried to steal some money from him, but he was extremely alert about his surrounding, even during his sleep. She had no choices but to agree to his decision. It was two beds anyway, what could be the problem right? It wasn''t like Theo going to sneak up on her at night. He already swore to her.

    The realization came too late to Lyana. Theo was a promiscuous man and she wasn''t his girl. Theo would search for a girl and bring her to his room at night to satisfy his lust. But their rooms were one and the same. Lyana tried to calm herself down. Surely Theo wouldn''t be so thoughtless, would he? And even if he bring a girl to the inn, would the girl wanted to do the act when there was another girl already? There was no way for it to happen.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    "Finally, a bed!" She shouted as she laid on the bed. She hugged the pillow and rolled around in the bed a few times before stopping. She sighed. "And away from the prying eyes of humans." She said with a somber tone.

    "I''m a human too you know."

    Lyana waved her hand."Nah, you''re different. You''re more rotten than any human I''ve ever met."

    "Thank you. You yourself were pretty good at handling those humans. I mean, despite the trouble you made for me, at least you didn''t kill anyone."

    Lyana sat on her bed."You don''t know how itchy my hand was, wanting to smash that lecher''s head. And those troubles wouldn''t have appeared if you didn''t force me to speak to him."

    "I was trying to rehabilitate you. One day you will need to blend in with human, and by extension men, when I''m not around, better start now than later. Though I must admit I chose the worst person for you to talk to."

    "So, what''s our plan now?" She asked.

    "We rest for now. After that..." He turned to look at Lyana. "I''m going to buy a slave." He smiled and stopped talking, expecting Lyana to object. He prepared his own counter-argument in his mind if Lyana tried to stop him, but much to his disappointment, she didn''t.

    "Oh" She replied without an ounce of interest or anything in her voice. "Not that, I mean our plan in the capital. You never tell me why you want to go to the capital."

    "I have a plan for later, a grand plan......You''re not going to stop me from buying a slave?"

    "No. It''s not like you can stop slavery by not buying a slave. If you want to buy one, then buy one. But promise me you will treat her well."

    "I promise."

    "I won''t complain as long as you don''t mistreat her."

    "So you want to come and see?"

    She laid on her back. "Right now?" She asked.

    "Why not. You don''t look like so tired." She stared at him annoyed. Her eyes saying that she wanted to rest.

    "But you said we''re resting for now."

    "Well It''s up to you, but maybe I will be away for a long time and maybe, just maybe, I''ll be out until after dinner. Isn''t it bad for a young woman like you to skip dinner?"

    "Fineeee" She got out of the bed with an irritated look on her face.

    Her irritated look was fine too, she was cute. But what truly made Theo happy was how cheerful she has been after they started their adventure. And it was not the forced cheerful attitude like before. It was genuine.

    "C''mon Theo!" She called him from the door. "Let''s do this fast and return fast. I''m tired, okay."

    "Relax Princess and enjoy the city." He answered with a smile.

 Chapter 17: Bad Omen

    From the inn, they headed toward the city gate. Guards and soldier guarded the gate and checked every wagon that passed it without any mistake. Theo and Lyana, since they didn''t come with a wagon, could enter the gate with minimal checking. Despite it being the capital city, there was no magic checking, just like Theo had expected.

    Lyana was intrigued the moment she entered the city gate. She wanted to explore the city, but Theo dragged her to the Slaver guild. He forced her with one question. "We must be quick, don''t we? Because you''re tired."

    When they walked the street, they became the center of attention. Most men couldn''t keep their eyes off Lyana, even when she covered her head with a hood. And most women, if not all, couldn''t help but be charmed by Theo. Lyana hated the experience. Theo walked next to her, hoping that it would somehow calm her down.

    They passed a huge marketplace, a square, guard barrack, and Adventurer guild building. They went to a few place before going to the slaver guild. First was the adventurer guild to exchange the chimera''s and Hydra''s remain. Lucky for him, the one in charge of exchange was a woman. With a little bit of charm, flirt, and persuasion, Theo was able to get a nice price.

    Next, Theo visited the local armorer to order a special armor. He spent a good time there choosing the material, model, and enchantment for the armor.

    The slaver guild was located on a huge square. It was a complex of at least a dozen huge tent and a huge stone building for auction. It was a very organized and clean place. The front side at least.

    The guild that day was pretty crowded, with some noble and rich citizen went in and out of the tent. Theo approached one particular beast-men who wore noble clothes and grabbed his shoulder from behind. The beast-men turned and his eyes widen in surprise, pleasant surprise.

    "Theo!" He stretched his arm out.

    "Jackal!" They both hugged and tapped each other''s back.

    "My God! You have grown! What bring you to the capital?"

    "Always the same."

    "Ah! Blood on your sword and woman on your cock!" He laughed jovially and looked at Lyana behind Theo before returning his gaze to him. "So what you''re here for? You already have a bed warmer there."

    Lyana almost snapped hearing Jackal''s rude remark, but Theo tapped her shoulder to remind her. He was the kind of people Lyana hated the most, the one who think other people as just a tool or object.

    "What do you think?" Theo asked back.

    Jackal nodded with a smile on his face. "Another bed warmer." He turned to face one of the tents. "Come with me. I show you some of our wares."

    Jackal walked inside, Theo and Lyana followed behind. She caught up to him and whispered. "You know that man?"

    "No. That''s why I know his name and he knew me." He answered sarcastically. She looked at him with a confused look, not getting his sarcasm."I know him. I worked as his guard when I was a mercenary. I also sold some slave to him. One of the most successful slavers in all of Amaryn kingdom and also one of its richest inhabitant. He''s vulgar and his mouth isn''t known to be restrained, but he''s kind...as long as you''re not on the wrong end of the chain. It''s pretty ironic how the most successful slavers is a beast-kin."

    Hundreds of cages greeted them as they entered the first tent. Exotic, rare, dangerous creature stared at them as they passed their cages. White tiger, Dire wolf, Southrend Thunderbird, Multi-tailed fox, those are a few of the many creatures caged in that tent. Unlike humanoid slave who wore slave collar, animals are marked with magic that prevented them from attacking their master. If they tried to, an electric shock will run through their body. It''s not a foolproof method, if the beast has a pain resistance skill, the shock wouldn''t stop it. But it still better than nothing.

    "Wow. I''ve never seen so many rare creatures in one place before." Said Lyana in amazement, already forgetting her hatred toward Jackal.

    "Demon realm doesn''t have anything like this?" Theo whispered. Aware of beast-men extraordinary hearing, he was careful to not reveal Lyana identity.

    "Slaver in demon realm have no interest in animals. Not that there are much variety of animals there."

    Lyana stopped walking. There was something strange in the air, chill crept down her spine. There was a trace of magic not from the slavers. powerful yet very subtle. subtle enough that she couldn''t trace back the source or who it was directed towards. She was about to warn Theo about it, but Jackal spoke first.

    "Any preference? Category to help us search the ideal for you."

    "Must be beautiful. Not too old. Not too young of course. Like my father said, I don''t want this story to be reported. Virgin would be a plus, untrained in pleasuring but trained in the discipline. If there''s any."

    "The tent on the right is for pleasure slave, and on the left is for servant slave. You''re probably going to find it on the left."

    Theo looked behind Jackal and noticed an opening to another tent. It was dark and covered. He knew that it wasn''t meant to be entered, but it made him even more curious. "What about the one back there?"

    Jack turned to see what Theo meant. "Oh, that? That''s where the failed and dangerous slave located. I don''t recommend going there, but well, you''re not the person who I can say no to." He walked to the opening and opened the cover.Stolen novel; please report.

    Lyana caught Theo''s hand before he followed Jackal. "Theo, be careful. There''s something strange going on here. There''s a strange magic in the air."

    Theo smiled. "Relax, Lyana. Maybe you mistook the slaver''s magic."

    "No! I''m telling you, It''s not the slaver''s magic."

    "Alright, alright, I''ll be careful." Theo said. He shrugged. "But really, what''s the worst that could happen to me?"

    Theo and Lyana followed behind. He didn''t know why, but something from that tent just drew him there, like something was calling him from inside. Whispering his name, in a seductive way.

    The tent was full of cages. A mess of a place and was dirty. Some filled with a crazy looking slave, but a few aren''t. One particular woman caught his attention, she was weeping on the cage floor, naked with her clothes torn to pieces all around her. Her long black hair was covered with all kind of dirt.

    "What''s wrong with her?" Theo asked while slowly approaching the woman.

    "Be careful to not put your hand inside the cage."

    "Please.... Help me...." The woman wept, pleading for Theo to help her.

    Theo stood just outside the cage. He just stood there with his hand on his side not touching the cage.

    "Please...." The weep turned to cry, but soon enough, the cry turned to laugh. Hysteric, Maniac laugh. "You''re not stupid aren''t you?" Her body transformed. she grew thrice her original size, black fur sprouted on her skin, and her face turned to that of a wolf.

    "You sell an enraged werewolf?" Theo asked Jackal.

    She charged at the cage''s metal bar where Theo stood, but her body fell before she touched it. An electric shock ran through her body as she cried in anguish, this time the cry was real. "I RIP YOU APART!" She screamed with a scary voice.

    "I''m sorry for such a display, but she was a tough nut. We already lost two trainers to her." Jackal apologized. "If she doesn''t mellow down by next month, I''m afraid I have to sell her to a ''special'' customer." Jackal stood next to the cage and stared down the woman. "Shame. A werewolf beauty is rare."

    Not her. There was something, someone else here that drew Theo to the tent. Theo turned to face away from the werewolf and immediately, something caught his eyes. Glistening violet eyes stared at him from the dark. Their gaze met and his heart told him to approach the eyes.

    He slowly walked to the dark corner. A lone cage sat there, no other cage or any crate was placed near it. On it, a girl in her teens, 15 at most, stood staring at him. Though if his experience had something to say, she was older than she appeared, 18 or 19.

    She had a deep violet hair that touched the ground. She stood only as tall as his chest with bright white skin showing from her almost transparent apparel, not that it covered much in the first place. She had a cute petite body that went well with her innocent face. But not enough to be called Loli. She actually looked pretty mature despite her small body.

    "Master...Buy me please." She said with hypnotizing voice. He shuddered when he heard it. Her voice remained in his head for a while.

    "How about her?" Theo asked Jackal without averting his gaze from the girl.

    "Oh, that girl. It''s a shame really, she has a beautiful face, exotic eye, and hair color. She also got Class 3 magic as a talent, but she''s a bad omen. Two nobles that bought her, hang themselves, and three trainers died in a bizarre way while handling her."

    "No. How much for her?"

    "Didn''t you hear my explanation, Theo? She''s not for sale, she''s too dangerous." Jackal turned to face him, but Theo eyes still fixated on the girl.

    "I don''t care. I don''t believe in bad omen."

    "No!"

    "Jackal."

    Jackal stepped between Theo and the girl. "I won''t let a friend die. And even if you''re not my friend I won''t let you, if you die the blame will be put on slaver''s guild."

    "I''ll sign a non-involvement paper. That should be enough right?"

    "For Ketu Sake Theo! You''re not going to back down aren''t you?" He started to raise his voice to almost on an angry level.

    "No. You know me." He answered with a calm and composed voice.

    "Okay! How much are you willing to pay?" Jackal asked this time he was angry. He knew Theo wasn''t that rich, as long as he doesn''t pay too much he will reject it.

    "400 gold and 100 gold for you as a gift," Theo answered without a thought as if saying that amount of gold didn''t worth much.

    Jackal was flabbergasted. That amount of money wasn''t something someone like Theo have lying around. "With that kind of money, I can give you two of the best slave girl here." Jackal offered him, but Theo ignored his offer. Seeing that Theo didn''t heed his warning nor did he accept his generous offer, Jackal slammed the book he held in his hand on the ground. "FUCK IT!"

    If the amount of money offered was that much it wasn''t a matter if he rejects it or not anymore. Even if he reject it, another slaver of his status could sell the girl to him.

    Lyana grabbed Theo from behind. "Theo! Are you out of your mind?"

    He turned toward her. "What?"

    "Think about it again!"

    He averted his gaze from Lyana to the slave girl "What is there to think again?"

    "Come with me!" Jackal yelled as he left the tent.

    Theo followed him behind and went to manage all the document needed for a risky purchase. He signed a non-involvement paper to prove that whatever happened to him regarding his slave purchase, the slaver''s guild has no involvement in it whatsoever.

    Lyana realized something wrong was going on. Theo was not necessarily a frugal person, but this was too much. What even more shocking to her was the fact that Theo rejected Jackal''s generous offer of two women.

    Theo and Jackal returned to the tent after a few minutes. Lyana and the girl Theo bought were chatting. Lyana suspected that the girl cast a mind magic on Theo, but she couldn''t feel any magic from her and thus have no proof of it, which was strange. She was confident in her magic detecting abilities, yet the girl magic was far too subtle.

    Jackal released her from the cage and gave the collar key to Theo before leaving the tent. Anger still evident in the way he walked. Theo didn''t mind him and instead focused on his new slave.

    "Tell me your name." He said with a smile.

    "My name is Vivien." She gave him a perfect courteous bow, strange for a slave."But now that I''m your slave you can call me anything, master and please take good care of me."

    No slave would be that nice to a new master, even if the new master was someone as charming as Theo. Not unless she was trained, and she was not.

    "I''ll call you Vivi. And call me Theo-Sama."

    "Theo..Sama." She asked confused about the ''Sama'' part.

    "That''s what Nippon people call their master."

    "Amazing Theo-sama!" She looked at him with wonder in her eyes. "As expected of my master. Theo-Sama knows a lot." She sounded excited.

    "Of course I know a lot. I''m Theo-Sama! The one who will become the greatest adventurer and the man who will have the greatest harem in this world!" He pounded his chest.

    "Theo. We should return to the inn." Lyana said reminding Theo that was so absorbed by the girl.

    "Vivi, this is Lyana, my adventuring companion. And my future girlfriend."

    "I''m not your girlfriend!" She replied.

    "Not yet," Theo added with a small laugh.

    "You wish!"

    "Yes, I wish. Anyway, how old are you Vivi?"

    "I''m 18 Theo-Sama! I just turned 18 last month. Though most people say I look younger than my age."

    Theo smiled "Now let''s go buy some clothes for you, Vivi." Theo pulled Vivi near his body and walked out of the tent.

    Lyana watched both of them as they walked out from the tent. Theo had been acting strangely. It was the girl, but Lyana had no way to prove it to Theo, and even if she did prove it, what would Theo do? If she truly controlled Theo''s mind, then telling him would be more dangerous for herself.

    She has to stop this, but she has to do it using her own power.

 Chapter 18: Night Trouble

    The sun had already gone down, but the street of Capital was as crowded as it ever is. Theo, Lyana, and Vivi had finished with their shopping and was about to return to the inn where they stay.

    Vivi skipped and hummed as she walked, happy with her new clothes. A blue tunic that she wore over a shirt. It was simple but much better than her previous clothing.

    Seeing her happy brought a smile to Theo face, who kept his eyes fixed on her since they left the slaver''s guild. Much to Lyana annoyance, he hasn''t even taken a glance or spoke to her since Vivi was there.

    ''What''s wrong with him? He''s all nice to me before. Now that he got.....WAIT! Why the heck does I want his attention? WAAA! WHAT''S WRONG WITH ME?'' She embarrassed herself with her own thought. ''No.No. That''s not right. I''m keeping my eyes on him to make sure that Vivi doesn''t do anything nefarious.''

    "We''re here," Theo said as he opened the room door. Lyana was so absorbed in her own thought, she didn''t realize they have arrived at the inn.

    "BED!" Vivi jumped to the bed as soon as she saw it. Theo laughed at Vivi action. "So which is Theo Sama''s bed?"

    "The right one" He answered. Vivi immediately jumped over to his bed and hugged the pillow.

    "Finally something soft." She said happily.

    "Wha? Why are you sleeping there?!" Lyana shouted.

    "Why? Theo sama bought me for night service isn''t he?"

    "Of co��mmmmm" Before Theo could answer, Lyana covered his mouth with her hand.

    "NO! He bought you because he felt sorry for you." Lyana brought her mouth near his ear and whispered. "Don''t even try to sleep with her, you man whore." Lyana pulled back her head.

    "You sleep with me, Vivi." She said with a fake smile.

    "WHY? I don''t want to sleep with you!" Vivi pouted. "I want to sleep with Theo-sama." She trashed around his bed.

    Lyana gave Theo a death stare, enough for Theo to break a sweat. He then approached Vivi and rubbed her hair. "Follow Lyana''s order okay?"

    She sighed. "Okay..." She answered with a disappointed tone. She got down from his bed and walked to Lyana bed.

    ''Good. One problem solved. For now.'' Lyana said in her mind.

    After that, they went to a tavern to have a dinner. Everyone there stared at them because of Vivi''s hair and eye color. Some stared at them with fear of the bad omen Vivi brought. Some stared in astonishment at Vivi unique appearance. Some were dumbfounded of Lyana''s beauty. And the women, they stared at Theo with red on their face.

    They themselves didn''t think much about other people stare. As long as they didn''t disturb them. Except for Lyana, who hated being the center of attention, especially from humans. What more, those men stared at her with a lustful stare."Theo, can we get out from this place.....please?" Lyana pleaded to him. Discomfort was clear on her eyes, she didn''t want to spend even a second more inside the tavern.

    "Nope. It''s a training for you." Theo smiled wickedly. "Just ignore them Lyana. Pretend as if they aren''t there."

    After dinner, they returned to their room. Vivi was already yawning since they left the tavern. Theo also felt exhausted for some reason. Lyana already felt tired since before, but the exhaustion she felt was not natural. She felt worn out, something that almost never happened before.

    ''It must be Vivi.'' She thought. She observed Vivi as they returned back to the inn, but all she saw was a childish innocent girl.

    "Vivi you''re sleeping with Lyana okay?" He said when they returned to the inn. That was not what he wanted to do, but Lyana''s death glare told him everything.

    "Okay." She answered promptly.

    Lyana watched her every action since they left the tavern. She was sure she had an ill intent, yet she did nothing suspicious so far. ''Maybe she was on guard. Did she noticed me watching her?''

    Lyana laid on her own bed and Vivi laid next to her. Vivi fell asleep first while Lyana watched her.

    "Not sleepy yet Lyana?" He asked.

    "No." She took a book from her bag. In truth, she was dead tired, but she has to make sure that whatever Vivi planned don''t come to fruition.

    Theo lied on his bed and soon fell asleep, unable to fight his own drowsiness.

    After making sure that Theo had fallen asleep, Lyana put down the book. "Stop pretending, I know it''s you." She said to Vivi.

    A giggle came from the seemingly sleeping Vivi. "Well, well, someone is smart."

    Vivi turned toward Lyana. Her ominous violet eyes stared at her, it was as if she stared directly at her soul. "What are you planning?" Lyana asked. She prepared a bolt of magic just in case.

    "Stupid are you? Demon." Lyana jumped into action. How could she saw through her disguise? No, it doesn''t matter. What important was that she stopped Vivi. She brought her arm forward, ready to shoot Vivi with the magic bolt.

    "Sleep." Vivi touched her head before she could move a finger.

    Lyana''s consciousness faded.

    ---------

    Theo woke up in the middle of the night. His head hazy, his vision blurred, and his chest burning. His crotch also felt uncomfortable.Something wriggled inside his mouth, something soft, something wet, something hot, something good.

    He forcefully opened his eyes and was met with a pair of deep violet eyes. ''Ah, Vi....Vivi...Vivi?'' His mind snapped awake.

    Theo pushed Vivi off his body and into the bed.

    She was naked without a piece of clothes on her, showing her glistening body soaked by sweat. Her face red and her mouth opened with drool coming out from it. He realized that he was also naked.

    There was a strange feeling of arousal inside of him, like a boiling pot of water ready to burst. Vivi''s body wasn''t that great. Her breast was small and so was her ass. Even though her face was top-class, it shouldn''t be enough to make him that excited.

    She moaned. "Ahhh~ Theo-Sama finally awake~" Theo pinned her body on the bed and tied both of her hand to the bed frame using the clothes that she discarded. "Theo-Sama~ please don''t be too rough."

    Contrary to her expectation, Theo jumped off the bed. He examined his surrounding. Lyana was in a deep sleep in her own bed. "What a useless companion," Theo complained. Theo put on his shirt again, covered Vivi naked body with a blanket and sat on Lyana bed facing Vivi.

    "Theo-Sama~ please come back here." She wriggled her body and pleaded seductively.

    "Do you think I''m stupid?" Theo asked with a serious voice. "Do you think I don''t realize your mind magic? Cancel all your magic, that''s an order!"

    Magic poured out from the collar around Vivi''s neck, but before Vivi could react or do anything to answer his word, Lyana woke up. She observed the room. Her eyes shot open as she saw what had happened. She punched Theo in the face with her magic reinforced hand, nearly knocking him out cold.

    "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Theo yelled back after he recovered from the punch.

    "What was that for? For you trying to bed an innocent girl of course!"

    "What kind of innocent girl rape a guy in his sleep?!"

    "HAHAHAHAAH!" Vivi burst in laughter seeing them arguing.

    Theo and Lyana turned to face Vivi who was tied to the bed. "Oh yeah, I forget that she cast a magic on you," Lyana said.

    "Yeah. See that I''m not the one who is wrong?" Theo sat again on Lyana''s bed while grabbing the place where Lyana punched him before. It was not too bad, he was able to protect himself using aura right before Lyana hit her. "So Vivi, if that is your real name. Why do you do that? Controlling me with your mind magic? Also..you''re not from this world aren''t you?"

    Vivi''s eyes widen as she heard his question. "H-H-How did you know? Don''t tell me you''re also.."

    "No, but I''ve met someone, a friend, like you before. You people have... a strange aura around you. Unique aura."

    Vivi looked the wall as if staring at something in the distance. Her eyes solemn with a tint of sadness."You''re right. I''m not from this world. Unlike the summoned heroes who are summoned to this world because of a ritual, I was dragged to this world for some reason I don''t even know." She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "I was reborn as a baby. My memories didn''t come back to me until I was five, and it didn''t come back all at once."

    "You have a Magic Class 3 talent, how can someone like you get captured?" Theo asked, unconcerned about the sadness on her face.

    Vivi face returned to normal after hearing Theo''s cold voice. "You''re not as nice as I think you are, Theo-Sama."

    "Hah! If I can''t see through women''s acting like that I won''t have that many women." He answered full of pride.

    She giggled. "As expected of Theo-Sama. You''re right, I didn''t miss my old life. It was a pure mess." Vivi turned her face to Theo. "I''m more curious to why Theo-Sama just goes along with my trick," Vivi replied.

    "Theo, you realize she''s controlling you?" Lyana cut, she was surprised.

    "You think? I already have a mind control resistance.When I entered the tent, I felt a mind magic on me. A very subtle yet strong one, and most importantly, one that I never felt before, a unique magic. I decided to investigate it. When I found out the source to be you, I thought that I might as well play the fool to check how far is the extent of your power. You are much more powerful than I expected. What are you planning on doing after doing it with me? Controlling me to release you? Kill me?"

    "No. I just want to service Theo-Sama."

    "Say the truth. That''s an order." He said with a serious tone. Magic poured out from Vivi''s slave collar, but it did nothing, proving that she didn''t lie.

    "It''s the truth! The first time I saw you, Theo-Sama, my heart is already yours. It''s a love at the first sight! You''re so handsome and charming. In my previous life, no one can even get close to you. You''re like the peak of handsomeness! When I saw you I want to be yours! I thought that you won''t be interested in this small body of mine, so I did all that!" She spoke earnestly without an ounce of lie or trickery.

    Theo laughed hard. "That''s the first time I''m on the receiving end of that kind of compliment, but what kind of reason is that? That''s like, super convenient for me. And I quote my father, ''Do you think the readers are going to just accept that?"

    "Uhh, what are you talking about Theo?" Lyana said. She and Vivi were confused by his question.

    "Neither do I, but that''s what my father always said when something super convenient happened." Theo clapped his hand to change the subject. "Anyway, the trainer and those who bought you before, you killed them?"

    "Bleh." She opened her mouth and let her tongue out in disgust. "They''re disgusting old men who have a thing for young girls. They deserve to die! Though I must say that It''s fun controlling a person." She said seriously. "Anyway, I''m sorry for doing that to you Theo Sama, please don''t sell me again."

    Theo walked to his own bed. "Why would I sell you? You''re cute and you''re talented." He untied Vivi from the bed and caressed her cheek. "If you want to, you just have to ask me. Nicely."

    Vivi blushed, red all the way to her cheek. "Then.. I-I-I want you, Theo Sama."

    "Are you kidding me?!" Lyana yelled. "She tricked you and instead of punishing her, you give her what she wants?!"

    He turned toward Lyana. "It''s not like I don''t want it in the first place." She looked at Vivi again. "You are correct Vivi, I bought you for the night service. There''s a lot of things I want to ask you, but that''s for tomorrow. Tonight, let''s get to know each other better."

    Theo removed the blanket that covered Vivi''s body and kissed her deep. Lyana watched them in disbelief.

    That night, Lyana didn''t get any sleep because of the rocking bed and the moan.

 Chapter 19: Mind Control

    Lyana woke up with a bad mood. The next bed only calmed down after midnight and even then, she still couldn''t get any sleep. The sound and the image when she tried to take a peek haunted her the whole night. It wasn''t as if she was oblivious to these sort of things. She knew about it, but seeing it for herself was a strange experience.

    She turned her body to face Theo''s bed.Theo and Vivi still slept, naked and hugging each other. They didn''t even have enough decency to cover themselves with a blanket. It made Lyana even more furious. How could they be so intimate after what happened the night before?

    Seeing Theo''s naked body, Lyana gaze unconsciously move down toward his exposed crotch."Oh, so that''s why she moaned so hard last night." Lyana face turned red the instant she realized what she said. She stood up still with her red face and poked Theo''s face with her feet. "Wake up you man whore!" She yelled. Theo woke up along with Vivi.

    Vivi rubbed her own eyes and kissed Theo cheek. "Good morning Theo-Sama, last night was so amazing."

    Theo smiled and pulled her head for a deep kiss. "Of course. I''m the best. Let''s do it again tonight. Actually, just say it when you want to, I''m ready anytime."

    "Yes." She replied with an innocent smile.

    Seeing them act like a couple and ignoring her, irritated Lyana even more. She pulled Theo and made him get out from the bed."Wear your clothes and wash!"

    "Wear my clothes? Don''t you want to marvel at my prized possession more?"

    Lyana''s face twitched. Theo was a vulgar and perverted man who doesn''t know a single thing about decency. He was the kind of man who peeks at a girl when she was washing her body and didn''t stop even after being notice by the girl. This, however, was too far.

    She kicked his ''prized possession'', but his reflex was fast, more so when defending his ''prized possession''. He moved his body and blocked her feet with an arm. "Hohoho. Don''t think I won''t see that coming." He taunted her.

    "You, Vivi come with me!" She pulled Vivi off the bed.

    "No! I want to wash with Theo Sama." She pulled back.

    Theo rubbed her hair. "Vivi, you go wash with Lyana in the inn''s bathroom, I''m going to the nearest river. I don''t want your body to be seen by anyone other than me. So go with her okay?" Vivi nodded hesitantly. "Good."

    ---------

    The Inn''s bathroom was better than they thought. It wasn''t big by any mean, but it was clean and they have their privacy.

    "You''re really loud last night you know, I can''t sleep. Next time please keep it down." Lyana said while washing her body.

    Vivi giggled hearing her complain. "Sorry Lyana, but I can''t help it Theo Sama is just really incredible."

    "Is this, uh, your first time?"

    "No, I mean with this body, yes, but in my previous life I have done it with a few different men, but none can even come close to Theo-sama. God, he''s just so..."

    "Is he really that Amazing?"

    "Absolutely! Most men when they do it, they only focused on their own pleasure without thinking about the girl, but Theo-Sama is different. He knows how to make me feel amazing, he knew where to touch, he knew when to slow down and when to go faster. He didn''t stop until I''m satisfied. And his size did nothing but help it." There was a sparkle in her eyes when she said that.

    "Did he...uh..." Lyana became embarrassed when she imagined what Theo and Vivi did last night. "Release it inside?"

    "Yes."

    "Aren''t you afraid of becoming pregnant?"

    "I''m worried at first, but he told me about the only magic he ever learned. Contraceptive magic. Think about it Lyana, he told me he has a load of women that he slept with every night. If he doesn''t have a measure to prevent pregnancy, how many children would he have?"

    "I guess you''re right."

    She looked over her shoulder at Lyana. "Lyana, have you ever done it before?"

    "Never, and I''m not planning to do it anytime soon....or ever." She said with a cold voice.

    "Why?"

    "Don''t get me wrong, what you did with Theo is perfectly normal. It''s just.... I have a trauma with men and relationship." Lyana looked around and cast a spell to make sure that no one was eavesdropping. "Back where I come from, the demon realm. The relationship is not like you here. There, It''s animalistic. The strong get a lot of mates and the weak get none. If a weak tried to defy the strong, they are raped or killed, or sold. I have seen my share of horror when my own father forced himself on mother."

    "Isn''t that just an abusive relationship?"

    "You don''t get it. My mother is also his, great.....grand daughter."

    "What?"

    "I have no love for him, nor did my mother. My mother is just one of his concubine. His sons were raised to be a slave-soldier and his daughters were raised to be his concubine. If he got bored, he sold them."

    "That''s... fucked up. Like, really. I have seen some fucked up things people have done, but that is something else. It''s like a.... farm."

    "Yes.......Wait! Why am I opening up to you?" Lyana stood up and turned toward Vivi. "I''m supposed to be angry at you for what you did yesterday!"

    "Teehee." Vivi flashed a mischievous smile.

    "Undo your mind magic at once!"

    "Already did." She giggled.

    "Fuck you, Vivi, I thought that we can be friends."

    "We can. If you didn''t realize I''m manipulating you with my mind magic. Believe me, I have no ill intention toward Theo-Sama future girlfriend."

    "I''m not going to be his girlfriend. Ever." Lyana calmed down. "Also, How can you see through my disguise?"

    "Oh please Lyana. Your disguise is a trash, and I''m not sorry for saying that, It''s the truth."

    "Ohh. Okay." Lyana sighed in disappointment. She wasn''t good at disguise magic, but being called a trash was still too much for her. She racked her mind for a change of subject."Why still use the ''Sama'' part? You don''t have to play innocent anymore."

    "He''s my master, and he ordered me to do it, so I have to do it." Vivi pointed at her collar. "This thing forced me to. Even of it didn''t, I''ll still do it, It''s fun playing as a slave."

    "What is your goal?" Lyana asked.

    "Hmm?"

    "Do you think I will believe that you have no other plan after all that you did yesterday? After all that manipulating."

    "No. I have no plan. And even if I did, why would I tell you? Think before you ask Lyana. You''re smarter than this."

    -------

    Theo returned to his room where Lyana and Vivi waited for him. Theo sat on his bed, opposite to Vivi. Lyana observed them from the side while combing her hair."You know Theo, You should forbid her from using her mind magic to both of us. She used that on me earlier."

    "What are you talking about? I already forbid her last night."

    Lyana eyes widen at the realization. She turned toward Vivi who was giggling at her. "You shouldn''t be too trusty Lyana." Said Vivi.

    Theo clapped his hand to gain their attention. "Vivi, let me tell you first. I will not harm you and I will do my best to make you happy, AS LONG, as you follow my order and bring no harm to me, my women, and my friends. If you harm them or disobey my order without any good reason, I will punish you. And believe me, that punishment is not the fun and sexy kind of punishment. Are we clear?"

    "Yes." She answered promptly with a clear and serious voice.

    "Good. Now tell me all about your power. No lie."

    "Okay, I have the ability to manipulate a person mind, or animal, or anything with mind really. There is two way I can manipulate it. The first way is to mind control them directly. It''s a magic that I haven''t been able to train properly. It is very mana consuming and left me vulnerable, It''s also easy to be noticed by other people. But even after all that bad thing, I can only make them do a simple task. So I''m sorry Theo-Sama, I can''t mind control a woman to have sex with you."

    "It''s fine. I''ve tried it once, It''s not that fun. Continue."

    "The second way is to inject a suggestion to someone''s mind. The effect varies from person to person, but it is very subtle. Once I inject a suggestion It''s almost impossible to trace who the caster is. That''s what I did to you yesterday Theo-Sama. I inject all kind of dirty thought about me into your mind." She has an innocent smile on her face, a contrast to what she just said.

    "Too bad my mind is already filled with things like that." Theo laughed. "How many person or thing you can control at once?"

    "If it''s direct mind control I can only do one mind at a time. For injecting a suggestion, the amount varied depends on how resistant a mind is. For example, the effort I have to do to inject a suggestion to a human mind is roughly equal to injecting the same suggestion to 7 rats at once. There''s another weakness of suggestion. The more complicated the suggestion, the less likely it''s going to work. The owner of the mind would just dismiss it as a random thought. It''s also very hard to inject a suggestion that goes against the owner''s nature. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I can read mind, but it''s a very limited skill. If a person has a lot going inside his mind, I can only get a random thought."

    "Explain to me how you can kill the noble that bought you."

    "The first noble that bought me has a very weak mind. And he loved to watch the city from the roof of his house. I just mind controlled him to walk off the edge when he was drunk."

    "You said that you can''t control a person to do complicated things."

    "I only controlled him to walk, It''s not that hard. If let''s say, I control him to hang himself, I won''t be able to."Vivi Explained."The second noble has 4 wives and load and loads of mistress. His wives know nothing about the mistress, and his mistress knows nothing about his wives. Not to mention his household was already in a mess. I just inject a suggestion that it would be a good idea to introduce his mistress to his wives. Which for some reason, he already have that line of thinking inside his mind. His wives left him and he killed himself because of depression. Easy."

    "How about the trainers?"

    "I just make the other slave they trained to go berzerk. The rest was history."

    Theo rubbed his own chin, thinking. His serious face turned into an elated face. There was a wicked smile on his face. He stood up. "I have a plan for you Vivi, but I have to check the extent of your power. Try reading my mind."

    It was a trick order. In truth, he used his mind magic resistance skill to prevent her from reading any of his thought. He was confident that she wouldn''t be able to read his mind.

    Vivi rubbed her hand together, corrected her sitting position, and exhaled her breath. She put her hand to the side and stared at him. After a while, she spoke.

    "Your mind is very resistant Theo-Sama, I can only get a vague image."

    Theo was intrigued. How much did she get from that? "Tell me."

    "Princess....es."

    Theo clapped his hand. "Very good. I didn''t expect you to be able to read my mind like that. Now try reading Lyana."

    Theo glanced at Lyana, hoping for her to be agitated by his word. he expected her to try to stop Vivi from reading her mind, but she didn''t. She stood there without a pinch of worry. She either has nothing to hide or was confident in her mind magic resistance. Considering how she believed she was controlled by Vivi earlier, the former was more plausible.

    Theo returned his gaze toward Vivi, who stare him back with a disappointed look. "Magic, History, and magic. There''s nothing inside her mind but magic and history. There might be another thought deep inside, but I''m not able to reach it."

    "Hmm." Theo sank deep into his thought again. Lyana had a triumphant look and a smug smile on her face. She was about to gloat to Vivi when Theo opened his eyes.

    Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. Theo stood up and looked outside. Soldiers and guards were in a panic. "Lyana. How many days have passed since we first met?"

    "Six or Seven. Why?"

    Theo put a pouch full of coin on the table. "Get along well with Vivi. I''m going away for a few days. Vivi, follow Lyana''s order, that''s an order."

    He grabbed his adventuring equipment. He rushed outside before Lyana or Vivi could even understand what he said. "Wait, Theo! Where are you going?!"

    "Saving the princess!"

 Intermission: Saving The princess

    It was right after Theo killed Hjal. His severed neck still pouring out blood like a fountain and spraying it all over the place.

    Theo walked toward the opened carriage after he collected all the coins from Hjal''s men. The carriage was big and extravagant, and it was covered with decoration. Too bad the carriage was damaged during the chase.

    Inside, a beautiful young woman in an ornate dress, fitting of a royalty, was sitting in the corner. Her body and hand shivered, but her brown eyes that stared back at him was fiery and full of spirit.

    "Princess." He entered the carriage with a charming smile on his face.

    "W-Who are you?" She asked with a trembling voice. He could see the scared woman behind her strong facade, but he admired such courage. He kneeled sword in front of him.

    "My princess. I''m Theo, an adventurer. When I heard about your kidnapping, I rushed to find you."

    "And where is your proof? How can I know if you''re not another accomplice of the people who kidnapped me? How can you find me when even the best knight in the kingdom haven''t saved me yet?"

    She was smarter and braver than he thought. "I..... Don''t have any proof other than the six dead bodies outside, Your Highness."

    "S-Show me then." She stuttered a bit, unsure if she wanted to saw it.

    "Your Highness, you shouldn''t-" He tried to stop her.

    "As your princess, I order you to move out of the way!" She ordered him. He had no choice but to follow her order and moved from the door.

    Her eyes widen as she stepped outside to see the dead bodies lying around on the ground. It was evident that she was disgusted and shaken by the dead bodies. Her hand was trembling.

    "I have, no other proof, Your highness." He said while lowering his head.

    She turned toward him. "Theo isn''t it?"

    "Yes, My Princess."

    "Take me back to the capital. Father will surely reward you for saving me."

    "PRINCESS!" Someone shouted.

    The shout and horses hooves interrupted them. A huge black mare arrived at the location. A knight with a black steel plate armor and golden pauldron rode it. A sigil of two black wings decorated his breastplate. Two swords with glittering golden hilt rest on his side.

    He dismounted from his horse and walked to the princess. Theo recognized the golden pauldron and the sigil the moment he saw it. Sir Roderyk Blackwing of the Royal Guard.

    The Royal Guards, like the name suggested, was the guards of the royal family. They consisted of five of the best knight in the kingdom. Their battle prowess and achievements were legendary. One such person was in front of him.

    Not only that, Sir Roderyk in particular, was famous for winning numerous tourney all over the continent. While he might not be the best when it come to real combat. When it come to duel and jousting, no one in the kingdom could match him.

    Sir Roderyk kneeled in front of the princess while Theo watched from the side. "My deepest apologies princess!" He raised his head to look at Theo. "And my deepest gratitude adventurer."

    "It''s fine Sir Roderyk. Stand up." She ordered him and he stood up. She turned to face Theo. "Theo. I''m sorry, but I will go with Sir Roderyk. Come to the capital and I will assure that you are properly rewarded by my father."

    Well damn, Roderyk''s timing couldn''t be any worse. Theo lost his chance to escort the princess to the capital personally. Not only that, he lost the chance to get to know her along the way.

    Theo nodded his head. "Thank you, My Princess." Theo looked as the princess walked toward Sir Roderyk who waited next to his horse.

    Theo''s heart beat hard all a sudden. It was his instinct, he had experienced this a few times in his life. When his instinct realized that something was wrong but not his brain, his heart would beat hard and crazy.

    There was one skill Theo took pride more than his swordsmanship or his ability at making love, his danger detecting abilities. A danger was close by, but for reason unknown, he wasn''t able to detect it.

    ''Ah!'' He realized.

    The sun. The sun was in the wrong position. No, he knew the sun position couldn''t be wrong. It was Sir Roderyk that came from the wrong direction.

    He came from the north, from the bandit pass.

 Chapter 20: Blackwing

    Theo had taken the fastest route through the forest to pursue the princess, one which not many know. Even with his huge black horse, there was no way Sir Roderyk could arrive faster than him, not from the north. That left him with the last possibility. Sir Roderyk had waited for the princess in the bandit pass. Since there was no way that news travels faster than the wind, Sir Roderyk knew that the kidnapper would come here even before the kidnapping happened.

    Just as Theo collected his thought he felt a slight bloodlust coming from Roderyk''s direction. It was only a tingling feeling on his skin, almost unnoticeable, even Theo wouldn''t have noticed it if not for his previous thought. Theo looked at Roderyk. There was a slight move of his arm toward the sword on his belt.

    Theo drew his sword and dashed toward the princess'' position. He pushed her to the side just as Sir Roderyk''s sword slashed the air where she previously stood.

    Theo raised his leg and kicked Roderyk face, but he blocked it by crossing his arm. The kick, however, was covered by his aura and was strong enough to push back Roderyk even with it being blocked.

    "I''m sorry for my rough action Princess, but Roderyk is trying to kill you." He said to the princess who fell to the ground.

    "Don''t listen to him, Princess! He''s trying to kill you, that''s why I draw my sword." Roderyk shouted trying to win the princess''s trust.

    "Then explain why I pushed her to the side if I wanted to kill her?" Theo yelled back.

    Theo took a quick glance at the princess. She was shaken by the sudden turn of event, but it was understandable. His action, however, proved to be a mistake.

    Roderyk dashed and attacked Theo, noticing that he was distracted.

    Theo raised his sword in a hurry, blocking it in the nick of time.

    He fell to the ground, unable to block the force of the attack.

    Before Roderyk could slam his weapon down on him, he swept his leg and made his enemy lose his balance.

    Roderyk jumped back to regain his balance while Theo raised his body to a standing position.

    "Princess! Get away from here!" Theo yelled. This time he learned his mistake and didn''t take his eyes off Roderyk.

    He waited until he couldn''t hear the princess'' footsteps anymore. "You''re too smart, boy," Roderyk said. He stood in a neutral stance and didn''t emit any killing intent. "You know, I don''t want to do this, but I have to. What if you walk away from here. Forget everything you see and no blood will be shed. Except for the princess''."

    "Afraid to die, Sir?" He asked with a mocking tone.

    Sir Roderyk Blackwing. The knight handbook from the academy mentioned that he was a level 37 Class 3 Swordsman and he already hit his level cap a few years before. Theo also had learned about Roderyk''s twin sword technique after watching him during the tourney three years prior.

    His mastery over sword was not something he could take lightly. Not to mention Roderyk wore a full high-quality plate armor while he only wore a thin gambeson under a mail armor.

    ''Damn it Lyana.''

    Theo grabbed a crumpled paper from one of his pouches and opened it. There was a yellow, slimy, liquid inside. He smeared it all over his sword.

    His sword glowed and electricity jumped out from it.

    He "Lightning buff, smart." Roderyk once again complimented him.

    It was a hollow compliment and Theo knew that. A royal guard''s armor almost definitely had a [high elemental resistance] enchantment. Even if Theo added a lighting element to his attack, it won''t be effective. It was better than nothing though.

    "Tell me, Sir. No. Tell me Roderyk. You swore an oath to protect the royal family. Why do you abandon it? For money? Or do you have another agenda?"

    "Boy, what is honor, oath, and duty, compared to one''s lover?" He asked. Theo was confused by his question, unable to grasp its meaning. Roderyk sighed. "A shame. You''re a handsome and-" He glanced at the corpses of the Hjal''s group. "Very talented young man. What a waste. [Flash stab]."

    Roderyk moved like a flash. In an instant, he thrust the sword in his right hand.

    Theo parried Roderyk attack and riposted.

    Roderyk expected Theo to parry and riposted his attack. He counter-parried Theo''s attack with his second sword and counter-riposte with his main.

    It was an excellent move that caught Theo off guard. He had never seen it before during the tourney.

    Theo jumped back. The slash cut his gambeson. It wasn''t deep enough to reach his skin.

    Roderyk continued the barrage of attack with both of his sword. Even with the knowledge about Roderyk''s technique and a higher talent, Roderyk''s sheer speed and two swords eliminate any advantage Theo had over him.

    Their weapon clashed and they traded blow multiple times. Theo was able to land a few slash and a few hit, which only scratch Roderyk''s armor. He also received a few slash, some of which cut his skin. He was lucky some of the slashes didn''t cut deeper.

    Theo disadvantage because of his lack of armor became more apparent. If he wore his full armor, he could get close and perform a Mordhau or a Half-swording stance, which could potentially deal meaningful damages to Roderyk. If he tried to get close without his plate armor, he would be skewered by Roderyk two blade.

    If normal attack and normal skill didn''t work, he has no choice but to use his unique skill. He knew that it was impossible to win without it, but he didn''t expect to use it this early in the fight.

    "[Serene Slash]" Theo''s sword glowed as his aura poured into the edge''s of his sword. It turned as slim as a drop of water.

    "[Black Talon]" Two light flashed from Roderyk''s side forming a cross slash. It parried Theo''s [Serene Slash].

    Theo stumbled back but was able to regain his balance before falling to the ground.

    It was without a doubt Roderyk''s unique skill. Since he has a Class 3 [Sword] talent and a level of 37, he should have two. The same number as Theo.

    "Give up!" Roderyk said from inside his helmet.

    "And what? Serve you my head on a silver plate?" Theo kicked the ground, sending dirt and rock flying toward Roderyk''s face. The tactic works, a little bit. The dust and rock distracted Roderyk for a second, but most of it bounces off his helmet. "[Serene Slash]" Theo''s sword glowed once again and like water, slashed at Roderyk head, but his blade met another blade.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    If it were a normal steel sword or even an enchanted one, Roderyk head would have flown off. But Roderyk swords wasn''t a normal sword. Talon and Claw they were called, one black and one red. Both were made by the finest blacksmith from the finest steel and enchanted by the best enchanter in the kingdom. Two swords of [Unique] Tier.

    Theo could feel the adrenaline flowing inside his blood. It was the first in a long time Theo had met a match. He was happy with that and with the fact that his sword technique was on par with a royal guard. Making him on par with one of the kingdom''s greatest swordsman.

    While he wanted to fight longer and preserve the thrill, he realized that he was being pushed back more and more. What more, he has to save the princess, there was no time fooling around.

    Theo retreated to the trees, but Roderyk won''t let him. Just a second after Theo ran to the forest, Roderyk already caught up to him and swung his sword. Roderyk was faster in every way. He was, after all, an agilty-focused person.

    Theo jumped to a tree, evading Talon by a hair''s breadth. He jumped again, positioning his falling bodies above Roderyk''s head.

    It would have been a fool''s errand. A falling swordsman can''t evade attack from another swordsman who stood on the ground below him.

    "[Monster beheading]" Theo fell at an unnatural speed, faster than he should be. It caused Roderyk''s attack to be off timing and missed.

    Roderyk, unable to attack or blocked the attack before Theo''s sword hit him, decided to dodge, but even so, the sword struck his shoulder, bringing an immense force down with it.

    His leg, unable to handle the force, crouched down.

    His enchanted shoulder plate shattered and his shoulder was cut by Theo''s sword. Despite that, the shoulder plate did its job well enough. The cut on his shoulder wasn''t that deep.

    Roderyk roared, but not from pain. It was a battle cry.

    Roderyk sword flashed red as he made a cross in the air with his sword. Theo blocked the attack, but like before, his barrage of slashed didn''t end there.

    "A handsome young man and a [Class 4 swordsman] like you. Shame you have to die today! You could have a bright future, a family, but you choose to fight me!" Roderyk shouted as he raised both of his swords.

    Roderyk attacked, but This time it was different.

    It became twice as fast and just as strong as before. With the first swing, he pushed Theo back a step. With the second, he pushed two.

    Sweat broke out all over Theo''s body. Fatigue and exhaustion from pursuing the carriage and fighting Hjal''s gang started to kick in.

    He couldn''t understand how Roderyk became stronger and faster after he was injured. The opposite was supposed to happen. Was it his second unique skill? Was he a berzerker?

    He struggled even just to keep Roderyk at bay. He could run, but Talon and Claw would skewer him from the back. He could have tried monster beheading, but he doubted Roderyk would fall into the same trap twice.

    The ground was covered with grass and roots, kicking it like before would be hard.

    His hand throbbed as less and less energy he could muster. His finger numbed. His feet hurt. More and more of Roderyk''s attack reached him. And more of those attack cut deep.

    The aura around his body and sword dwindled and weakened after receiving many blows from his enemy. Roderyk on the other hand, didn''t seem to slow down even a bit. His attack even got fiercer.

    "[Black Talon]" Two flashes formed a cross slash. Theo''s blade was flung upward, leaving him in an awkward position and without defense.

    "[Flash Stab]" Roderyk aimed his sword toward Theo''s abdomen.

    Theo jumped back in desperation, but roderyk didn''t change the blade course.

    Blood spurted out as Talon pierced through Theo''s thigh and came out from the other side.

    Theo grabbed Talon, not letting roderyk pull it out. Roderyk, however, still has Claw in his other hand.

    He was ready to strike Theo down, but a rock struck his helmet first. A small rock, no larger than a little girl palm, but it hit right at the opening of Roderyk helmet.

    His aura covered eye wasn''t hurt by the rock, but the rock did provide an opportunity, one that Theo wouldn''t waste in a desperate time.

    Theo knows not who threw it, or why. He thanked that person in his heart, whoever it was. He yanked out [Talon] from Roderyk''s grip and from his thigh. The pain was unbearable, but he ignored it.

    While roderyk was still dazed, he swung it at Roderyk other hands.

    It was not enough to cut through the gauntlet, but it was enough to throw [Claw] off his hand.

    A message popped up in Theo''s head.

    [Knight Academy Sword Style lv.10 changed to Advanced Knight Academy Sword Style Lv.1][Reward: 2000xp]

    [Theo Gladium level up to level 30]

    [Serene Slash lv.3 level up to Lv.4]

    [monster beheading Lv.1 level up to Lv.2]

    [Unconditional Affection Lv.3 level up to Lv.4]

    [Devil''s Charm Lv.1 level up to Lv.2]

    [Gained unique skill: Vaporizing Slash]

    [Stats increased]

    Theo was intrigued by his new unique skill, but there was no time to check.

    HIs leg was too hurt to form a proper [Serene Slash] stance, [Monster Beheading] needed him on higher ground. He gambled on his new skill to finish Roderyk.

    [Vaporizing Slash]

    The blood bursting out from his thigh slowed down. A leaf falling from a tree almost stopped completely. The whole world slowed down, or to be exact, his perception of time changed. He could look around but not move.

    It felt like he was swimming inside a very viscous slime.

    A sharp pain assaulted his right arm as it began to move on its own, sapping what remained of his Aura into the sword.

    Horizontal Slash from left to right.

    Diagonal strike from lower right to upper left.

    Vertical slash from up to down.

    Diagonal slash from lower left to upper right.

    His arm moved on its own and performed 4 successive slashes in almost an instant. His aura blazed around the sword like fire, vaporizing anything it touched, hence the name.

    The skill cut Roderyk''s enchanted plate to eight pieces, revealing his bare defenseless body.

    Excruciating pain attacked Theo''s right arm like never before. As if all the muscle in his right arm ripped itself to accomplish the skill. It was much worse than almost any pain he ever felt.

    His body was going unconscious and fall from the pain.

    But he couldn''t give up. No yet.

    He lunged at the still dazed Roderyk, ignoring the unworldly pain rampaging throughout his body.

    With one stab through the heart, Blackwing of the Royal Guard was no more.

    Theo body fell backward to the ground. Exhausted and in pain.

    His vision turned black.

    -------

    "Are you...alright?" The beautiful voice of a woman woke him up. As he opened his eyes, a blond-haired beauty looked at his body with a worry in her eyes.

    "Princess!" He raised his body to a sitting position. Because of his sudden movement, his whole body ached.

    "Please just rest Sir Theo." She replied. "Are you alright?"

    "I am. Just a little bit dizzy." He looked the dying body of Roderyk in front of him. "Are you the one who threw the rock Princess?"

    "Y-yes after watching you struggle and hearing your conversation with him, I know who is lying. And please don''t be so formal, it''s a bit awkward for you calling me princess every time. Just.... Ana." Ana blushed. Somehow, deep inside her heart, the bloodied beaten Theo was charming. Very much so.

    Theo turned to look at his thigh. It was covered with a makeshift bandage. It was unexpected from a supposedly sheltered princess. "Thanks...Ana."

    "I-It''s fine."

    "Do you know why Roderyk tried to kill you? He''s from the royal guard isn''t he?"

    "It''s my sister, Princess Aria. She is my older sister from father, but she was born from his mistress. Because of that, she was removed from the line of succession. From quite some time ago Aria has been trying to kill me to get the throne for herself, but I can''t believe Sir Roderyk..... Why did he side with her?" Anger apparent in her eyes. She must have trusted Roderyk before.

    "Roderyk talked about a lover. Did he has any relationship with your older sister?"

    "No. Not to my knowledge."

    "If that is the case, aren''t you in danger back at the capital?"

    "Aria wouldn''t dare assassinate me in the capital. If she wants to remove me she has to make it like an accident... or kidnapping. It''s not easy doing that in the capital since I have a lot of personal guards."

    "Well, we should get there quick then. There''s no telling if your sister has more backup plan other than Roderyk." Theo stood up. The pain in his thigh resurfaced.

    "T-Theo, are you alright?" She asked.

    "Yes....No, actually. I don''t think I can stand up on my own."

    Ana stood up and offered him her hand. She helped Theo standing up.

    ''My. My. What a soft and delicate hand.'' he thought as he felt her hand. "Sorry, Ana for causing you trouble."

    "What are you talking about? It''s me who should apologize. You got hurt because of me."

    "You shouldn''t, Princess. It''s my duty and my pleasure to protect you."

    Too focused in the heat of battle before, Theo had overlooked one new unique skill he got from his charm talent. A strange skill that wouldn''t be much of help to another person, potentially disastrous even.

    But for Theo who possessed tremendous luck....

    [Gained Unique Skill: Heartbeat: Deus Ex Machina]

    [Type: Random activation skill][Chance: Extremely Unlikely (<0.01%)]

    [Cooldown: 4months]

    [A skill that activated on chances and used only to propel the plot and add some comedy. DEUS EX MACHINA!!!. Make a random person fall in love with the owner of the skill. Any person falls in love because of this skill is affected by unconditional love skill.]

 Chapter 21: The Succession War

    Theo searched Roderyk''s body. He took off what left of his armor and picked up Talon and Claw from the ground. He also took anything Roderyk carried before burying his body."You shouldn''t loot his body. It''s disrespectful of the dead." Said Ana. She was uncomfortable looking at Roderyk''s dead body and looked away.

    "Sorry, Ana. You may think that this is disrespectful, but if I left his body this way, then bandits will come to loot it. By taking it now, I can return his belonging to his family later." Theo didn''t have any intention to do that. Why would he give away perfectly good swords and armor.

    "Can''t we bring his body?"

    "We could, but that will double our travel time. I''m afraid the body would have started decomposing when we reach the capital."

    "De-decomposing." His words gave her quite a shock. "H-how far is the capital?"

    "Two days walking at the fastest. Faster if we''re on a horse. Luckily, Roderyk brings his black mare here, we can use that."

    "You can ride a horse?" She asked.

    "Not just horses. I have a pretty high general riding skill." He said with pride. ''There is one type of ''riding'' I''m very good at though.'' He laughed inside his heart.

    Theo looked at Ana and realized that she was staring at him all the time with a blushed face. She looked away when he noticed her.

    They rode Roderyk black horse back to the Capital. It was a pretty fun ride for them. They talked during the ride and get to know each other better. She also hugged him tight from behind. For the first time that day, he was glad he didn''t have his plate armor, or else, he wouldn''t feel anything.

    Theo remembered that Princess Anastasia was called the jewel of the kingdom. Before, he was so focused on the fight that he didn''t realize, but the ride made him remember. Not only she had an attractive face, she also had a very curvaceous body. She has one of the biggest breasts Theo had ever seen on a human chest. That combined with her below average height, made it even more clear.

    He took the ride slowly, even as the rest of the kingdom was in a panic over her disappearance.

    The next morning, an army that supposed to rescue the princess, stopped them. Theo counted at least 500 hundred soldiers in that army.

    The army moved out of the way as a woman in full steel armor walked toward their horses. Her blue hair stood out from the crowd of metal wearing soldier. It was long and tied behind her head to not hinder her movement. A glasses sat in front of her eyes adding some cuteness on top of her serious looking face.

    "Please unhand the princess." The woman spoke with a serious tone. The warrior and knight around her pointed their weapon at Theo.

    "Emilia. Don''t be rude to my savior." The princess yelled from behind.

    "Who is she?" Theo whispered.

    "Emilia, The general of pe..Blue army. She is a close friend of mine. We can trust her."

    "I''m sorry, Princess. But before our mage confirmed that you are not under any sort of mind control, I must remain at full guard. Especially since you both are riding on Sir Roderyk''s Horse.... Mage!"

    A mage appeared from the crowd. He cast an appraising and scanning spell on both Theo and Princess Ana. This came as a surprise for Theo, he didn''t expect any of the army to use a mage. Though the blue army might be a specialized army. After a few moment of checking, the mage finished his spell and reported to Emilia.

    She bowed her body almost ninety degrees. The whole army behind lowered their weapon and followed her action. "We are sorry for doubting you, adventurer, our princess'' savior. Please accept our deepest apology."

    "It''s okay. You''re only following the procedure of your work."

    "Princess, may I ask you what happened to Sir Roderyk?" Emilia asked.

    "Dead." Theo answered.

    "W-what happened?" The news came as a shock to Emilia.

    "It''s sister." The princess answered.

    "A-are you sure princess?" She asked not believing it.

    "I''m sure of it. I don''t know what kind of trick she used to make Sir Roderyk follow her order."

    Emilia raised her body straight up. "Then please let us escort you back to the capital, as an extra measure. We don''t know what kind of scheme Aria is playing."

    "Please do." Theo replied.

    --------

    The sound of steel boots stomping the marble floor echoed throughout the hall. The pace was quick and rapid. "Princess!" The door to the room slammed open.

    An old man in gold colored armor, a royal guard, entered the room in a hurry. The little amount of hair he had left in his head were all salt colored and his face was full of wrinkl. He looked older than anyone Theo had ever seen. Despite all that, the way he walked, the way he stood, the aura oozing out from his body, and the glimmer in his eyes showed that he never left his prime condition.

    "Are you alright? Are you hurt, Princess?" He asked full of worry.

    "I''m fine Sir Arslan. This man here, Theo, he saved me from my kidnapper."

    He bowed. "I''m so sorry, Princess. I was unable to come to your side. You have my deepest gratitude, Sir Theo." He placed his hand forward, offering a handshake. Theo hand was trembling as he shook Sir Arslan hand. "I, myself will personally assure that you will be rewarded."

    "N-No. I-It''s fine. I....I...uh...I did it for the princess, not for any reward or anything." Theo stuttered.

    "Please. That''s the least the kingdom can do for your ."

    "W-Well. If-If you insist."

    "Sir Arslan where is father?" Ana asked.

    There was a look of pity in his eyes before he answered. "I''m afraid to say that the king still locks himself inside his chamber like usual. Even when we told him about your return he hasn''t come out from the chamber yet."

    "Is that so." There was an undercurrent of sadness and disappointment in her voice. For all Theo knew, there was nothing wrong with the king. Something must have happened recently that made him lock himself up.

    "Princess, please tell me what happened back there. Everything. The full event." Sir Arslan stared at the princess in her eyes. "Please."

    The princess was unsure. She looked around the room. She gazed at the wall, the bookcase, everything, before returning her gaze to Sir Arslan''s eyes. "The driver of my carriage betray me. A group of bandit attacked and slaughter all my guards. Sir Roderyk tried to save me but died in action. Luckily, Sir Theo here, heard about the event of my kidnapping and come to save me. We buried Sir Roderyk body where he fell because we were unsure if carrying his body here is a wise idea. That is the ''story''."

    Sir Arslan nodded, understanding what the princess meant. "I see. That is the ''story''." He sighed. "If you excuse me, Princess, I have more matter to attend to. I will call Emilia if you want." Sir Arslan placed his hand on Theo''s shoulder, making his body jump a little bit. "Theo isn''t it? Once again, thank you for saving the princess. I will call the chamberlain to discuss your reward. There''s also some matter I want to discuss with you later"

    "Thank you Sir Arslan, and please do call Emilia here." The Princess said. Sir Arslan bowed and left the room. As he left the room, Theo fell to the floor. His body shaking, his eyes opened wide, and his jaw trembling. "Theo are you alright?" Ana immediately approached him.

    "Yes. Yes, I''m fine. I''m just so... overwhelmed. Is that truly, truly Sir Arslan Hartman?" Ana replied by nodding her head. "Oh my god!"

    "You have a history with him?" Ana asked, confused by Theo reaction.

    "No, but as someone who wields sword since very early age-... no, I think anyone who is aiming to be a great swordsman knows who he is. The red dancer, the finest swordsman in the continent, fire beard." Theo took a deep breath, unable to contain his excitement.

    Ana laughed. "You''re cute when you''re like that."

    "Thank you, princess, for your flattery."

    Ana froze, realizing what she said. Her whole head turned red. She didn''t mean to say it out loud. She was screaming inside, unable to cope with the embarrassment. "Y-you know, you shouldn''t call him fire beard. He''s sensitive about his latest title even though he''s most famous because of it."

    "Yeah, I shouldn''t. Being known for your beard catching fire when you''re defending a castle isn''t something you can be proud about. But I think that''s what the great part about that title really. Even as his beard and hair caught on fire, he stood. He fought against the endless horde of the demon army, slashing and cutting through them."

    "You really admire him don''t you?"

    "Admire? I idolized him. He''s a living legend. Even my father, who is well, let''s just say he''s not the most proper person. Even he held him in such a high respect. I still remember what my father told me about him. Every night, he told me a story about how Sir Arslan fight during the great war." Theo took a deep breath again. He controlled his breath. "Sorry princess if I speak improperly with you. I''m...I''m overwhelmed."

    "It''s fine. I may not know how much you admired Sir Arslan, but I know the feeling." The Princess blushed. "If we''re alone like this please don''t be too formal with me. Please call me Ana like before."

    A knock came from the door. "Princess. This is Emilia, may I come in?"

    "Theo stand up!" Ana whispered. Theo immediately stood up. "You may come in."

    Emilia opened the door. "You called me princess?"

    "Yes. Please close the door and make this room secure."

    Emilia closed the door and cast a magic. A magic circle appeared above her opened palm and after a while dissipated into thin air. "It''s done. Is it about Princess Aria?"

    "Yes. There is something that Theo wanted to ask you."

    "What is exactly the situation here? This succession war, I get the general idea, but I can''t help you if I don''t know the whole thing." Said Theo. He approached a wall and touched it, he felt the magic that covered the entire room. "Also is this magic necessary? There''s no one here beside us."

    "It is necessary. Inside the castle, even the walls have eyes and ears. Anything we say and we do, will be known to someone else if we don''t take extra precaution." Emilia answered."To answer your question let me tell you about the source of the problem first. This is a secret, I hope that you won''t spread it around."

    "I won''t."

    "Around 17 years ago, just two years after King Alonon VI coronation, he suddenly fell to an affliction that targets the mind. We never tell it to the public to not cause a panic or incite any rebellion. Those who are familiar with the kingdom history call it the king''s curse. Every king, since King Raoul II, fell ill to the same affliction the day the previous king died. The king fell into despair, he became distant with his family, and everyone. Every day, he locks himself in his chamber, staring at the distance while uttering ''Nothing matter. Nothing matter''."

    "No one ever tried to search for the cure?"

    "Of course we have. We have called doctors, healing mages, voodoo doctors, curse specialists, and more. Most of the time, the king doesn''t want to and sent them away. Even when we were able to check his condition, none were able to come to a conclusion."

    "So the king became unable to rule the country is that what you mean?" Theo asked to make sure.

    "Yes, but at the same time, he didn''t step down from the throne. And because of that, his work are mostly done by the council. That''s where the problem lies. Most of the member of the council are not neutral. Most, want Princess Ana to succeed the king, but a few wants Princess Aria to become the queen. Only Sir Arslan was neutral. "

    "Wait, wait! You say that every king was afflicted, why would anyone want to rule?"

    "Because only princes are affected by the curse. If a princess claims the throne, they never got the curse." Emilia coughed. "Continuing where I left. The princess Aria felt that she has the most claim to the throne since she was older"

    "But she was born from the mistress right? And the noble doesn''t support her claim. What''s the problem?"

    "The problem is, she basically already control half the kingdom. While she doesn''t have support from the majority, the few that support her are loyal and have the most important role in the kingdom. Two of the five, now four, royal guards are fiercely loyal to her. The general of the hawk army, Alex Red, is more loyal to her than to the kingdom. Minister of the trade, her supporter. House Fenix, the richest and the most powerful noble house in the kingdom also support her. The only good thing is that she hasn''t been able to get her hand on the spy corps or the secret police."

    "Well, that complicates the problem." Theo sat on the chair behind him. "Roderyk. The way you say it, he wasn''t supposed to support the Princess Aria is he?"

    "No. Like Sir Arslan, he used to stay neutral. That''s why I was unable to believe he cooperated with the Princess Aria on an assassination mission."

    A knock came from the door." This is the chamberlain. Sir Arslan told me to come here."

    Emilia looked at the door and dispelled her magic. She whispered to Theo. "Sir Theo, we will discuss this matter on another time. "

 Chapter 22: Hero

    A huge group of bandits, consisted of 30 elite brigands, kidnapped the princess. They worked together with the princess'' carriage driver to kidnap her. Sir Roderyk and the guards were able to chase them but were ultimately killed in the end. Luckily, a wandering adventurer heard about the kidnapping and come to her rescue.

    That is how the official report that was later known by the public. Only a few knew the truth and fewer cares.

    "Is it alright?" Theo asked as he swung his arm around while looking at the mirror. The man in the mirror wore a black formal clothing given to him by the Chamberlain. It was an expensive clothing usually wore by the noble. He couldn''t fathom why the noble would think such clothing was elegant, he thought it was trash. There were so many useless decorations on it that made movement hard.

    "You look good in it," Ana said.

    "Really? The chest part is a bit tight and so is the arm." Theo tried to adjust his clothing but was unable to. "I''m never going to wear something like this again."

    Ana giggled a like a child. "I was hoping that you would accept the knighthood. I mean, they even offered you Sir Roderyk position."

    "I''m sorry Ana, but being a knight isn''t what I want to be. Being a knight is a hassle, sure there are a lot of benefits, but you have a duty to the kingdom and I don''t want that."

    "And what do you want?"

    Theo put on a huge smile on his face. ''You'' He said inside his mind. "To be free doing whatever I want to. Travel all around the world. Seeing and uncovering the mysteries of this world with my own two eyes. Exploring dungeon, fighting untold monster and horror. Fighting great knight and warrior" He answered. "Well. Having a medal of honor and being rewarded with gold and sword is enough for now."

    "Then I will see you during the ceremony." She made a courteous bow before leaving the room.

    ------

    A huge audience filled the Grand Hall. High nobility and those with great importance in the capital attend the ceremony. They all wore a fancy expensive clothing that even the one who is going to be celebrated won''t be able to buy it. Most of them didn''t care about the ceremony in the least. They came only to boast and show off their newest clothing and jewelry to other noble.

    Whispers came among the crowd. Discussing and mocking the commoner who turned down an offer of knighthood and the offer of the royal guard position. It was always like this. If Theo accepted the position they would complain how can a commoner be allowed to be a knight. If he didn''t, they would complain about how insolent a commoner for turning down such offer. They would always find a way to insult someone, especially a commoner.

    As the huge double door opened all eyes were fixed on the young man. The whispering and talking were silenced.

    Eyes were shot open and mouth agape as the charming young man entered the grand hall. His face, his hair, his clothing, the way he walked, and the way he presented himself to the audience, no trace of a commoner could be seen. It was as if a prince or a hero came straight out from children''s book and walked before them.

    The girl and young women couldn''t help but stare with their reddened cheek as he passed them. The noble daughter whispered to each other asking if they knew who he was. Even the lady of big houses couldn''t help but stare at him.

    Yet his gaze, he didn''t give it to anyone.

    From the moment he stepped inside the room his eyes were focused on the throne in front of him and those around it. The marble covered floor and pillar, the luxurious red carpet he walked on, the flag and banner hanging on the wall showing the crest of great houses, all didn''t avert his gaze.

    On the throne, a white-haired man with blank stare, sat. His hair, beard, and clothing were a mess. He even sat without any care about his dignity or anything, with his crown almost fell from his head. Yet even then, there was an air of undeniable gravitas and charisma around him.

    On his left, a tall lean woman with beautiful face and ample bust, the first princess, Princess Aria. On her left, Princess Ana. And on her left again, a tall fat teenager with a smug smile and punchable face, Prince Alvaro. He had the weakest claim to the throne, being born from a mistress and being the youngest. He was known to be stupid, weak, and arrogant. Bragging about his status and wealth every chance he got. Theo was glad he didn''t have to speak with him, he''s the kind of nobility he hated the most.

    On the king''s right, Sir Arslan along with the rest of the royal guard stood watch. Fearsome in their gold colored armor.

    Theo was careful with his step, remembering the etiquette the Chamberlain taught him all morning. He stood in front of the king and genuflected. "Theo Gladium, for the great service you have done to the kingdom. For protecting and saving the princess. And for defeating a band of brigade where even a royal guard was unable to. Therefore, I bestow upon thee the medal of the highest honor."

    "And I shall accept it with the greatest honor." The King stood from his throne. On his hand a golden medal bearing the symbol of the kingdom. The King put it around Theo''s neck. Princess Ana and Sir Arslan were the first one to clap, then followed by the rest. Except for the prince, who looked annoyed.

    ------

    After the ceremony, Theo planned to go straight back to the inn. he had left Lyana and Vivi without any news for far too long. Although they probably already knew what happened to him. Before he could get outside the castle, Emilia stopped him and asked to speak in private.

    Like before, Emilia cast a spell to prevent any spying and eavesdropping on them. But unlike before, Emilia''s face was dead serious. She pointed an armed spell at Theo.

    "Who are you ?" She asked.

    "What do you mean? You already know who I am." He said. He knew what she meant. He had barely told anything about himself to her and the princess, but he pretended to not know.

    "I did some background check about you, asked some people from the spy corps. Even they didn''t know much about you. Six years ago you just popped out of nowhere in Aeston. For three years you worked in Garuda''s Mercenary in the free cities. Then you somehow able to enroll in Aeston''s Knight Academy despite being a commoner. Earlier than that, there is no record of your existence."

    "That''s too bad. The kingdom should search for a more competent person to employ." He answered in a mocking manner.

    Emilia pushed his body and pinned him to the wall. "I don''t have time for your jest! The princess is in danger, and she means the world to me!"

    Theo had underestimated how serious she was. If he knew she was this serious he wouldn''t have made a comment like that. "Stop with the threat, you''re not stupid, killing me right here won''t end well for both of you and the princess." Emilia disarmed her magic but still pinned him on the wall. "What do you want to ask exactly?" Theo asked.

    "Why did you save the princess?" She stared him in the eyes. From her eye movement, Theo could tell that she was reading him, trying to find any lies. She was pretty skilled. Guess there''s no point in trying to hide it.

    "Because I like her."

    "And you think you have a chance of trying to get a princess when you''re nothing more than an adventurer, a commoner?"

    "I do, and please correct it, I''m not a mere commoner. I''m the hero who saved the princess you know."

    "How did you know where the kidnapper are going? How did you find her location?"

    "It''s pretty easy actually. The kidnapper used a carriage, meaning the forest road are out of question. A kidnapping of high profile individual usually are done to destabilize a nation. The only possible place to keep her is in another country. The fastest way? Through the bandit pass. Once you know where they are going you just have to wait there. I used the forest road which few know to get faster than the kidnapper."

    "Do you have any involvement in the kidnapping?"

    "With the exception of saving her, no."

    Emilia backed down and turned away from him. "You didn''t lie, but I still didn''t trust you. You''re too mysterious and your appearance is too sudden for it to be a coincidence. The princess is interested in you, but you''re a fool if you think I will just let you get near her. Especially since you have... a horrible record with women."

    "Great record" He corrected."Is there any way for me to change your mind?"

    She turned to face him again. "You''re going to meet the Princess Aria tomorrow, I have already arranged that. Find a way to gain her trust, convince her to make you her subordinate, then work as a double agent for us."

    "You think the first princess wouldn''t notice? From what I heard she''s really, really smart."

    "That''s for you to handle. You have no political power, no significant wealth. If you want to help the princess, that''s the only thing you can do."

    Theo grabbed Emilia by the shoulder and pushed her to the wall. "The only thing I can do? Or the thing that only I can do?"

    "Aria is a very cautious woman. She won''t be fooled easily and she won''t trust a person easily. We need someone who is...... specialized in getting close to a woman."

    "You''re saying I should use my charm and flirting skill on Aria so that you let me get close to Princess Ana?"

    "Yes." She answered.

    Theo rubbed her cheek and her chin with his right hand before placing his mouth next to her ears. "And what if I fail. What if she knew that I spied on her?" He whispered.

    "you...have to improvise." She stuttered.

    "Hmm, you say you didn''t trust me, why risk it? What if I betray you and tell Aria about everything?"

    "You..won''t do that. You say it yourself, you like the princess. This is the best chance you''ve got."

    "Is that so.... You know what? You''re smart, and I like that."

    Emilia blushed and pushed Theo away. "I''m sorry, but I already have someone in my heart. " She canceled the magic that covered the room and headed out.

    "Is it Ana? The way you look at her when she''s not looking. That''s not how you look at a friend or family."

    She stopped after hearing his question and looked over her shoulder. Her stare was ice cold. "What inside of my heart is none of your concern. And a relationship of the same gender is forbidden by the church."

    Theo lips curved into a smile as she left the room. "Don''t worry, I have nothing against Lesbian." He said with a loud enough voice so that she could hear it, but not any other person. She didn''t deny it, but she also blushed and didn''t look disgusted at his advance. If she did swing both ways, It made everything much more interesting for him.

    "Lady Emilia." Before she could get far, a guard called her. "The king called Sir Theo to his chamber."

    Emilia looked at Theo with a confused look. "What did you do?"

    "Nothing. Why?" He replied, as confused as Emilia.

    "The king have never called anyone to his chamber since..." Emilia rolled her eyes trying to remember when the last time the king called someone to his chamber. "Ever."

 Chapter 23: The King

    Theo walked down the hallway, limping to be precise. The wound on his thigh has not yet healed and will take a week or two for it to heal.Beside him was Sir Arslan, the head of the Royal Guard, the acting leader of the ruling council, and the King personal guard. He said that he was the king personal guard in name only because the king never needed any guard.

    They both were heading to the king personal chamber. Theo excitement was through the roof, but years of practice to look nice and normal has many benefits. He was able to contain his excitement, to an extent. "So you are the son of Theo Gladium?" Sir Arslan asked.

    "Yes. And before you ask, yes, I have the same name as my father." He was so used to that question. He ended up answering before he was even asked.

    Sir Arslan laughed. "I can''t believe that man survived the suicide mission. As far as I know, no one survived that mission. I did hear some rumor, but most of them arejustthat, a rumor. So how did he finally rest?"

    "Justlike he lived, in his own way, on his own term. That reminded me, Sir, my father always told me stories about you. Didyou work together during the great war?"

    "For a time. We met when the first demon army came to Amaryn. Hewas sent bythe church of Ketu as an envoy. An amazing one at the battlefield. The way he showered the demon army with miracle and lightning bolt was like no other."

    "But he said that you are the star of the battlefield, Sir. The way your blade cut through the rank of demons without any resistance was mesmerizing. Also, that slap you gave my father during your duel with him. He could still felt it on his cheek when he told me."

    Sir Arslan laughed. "Hahaha! Ah yes, that duel, that was a fine backhand slap I gave him. Your father wasreallygood at being humble, I''m nothing but a simple swordsman."

    "The best, Sir."

    "I mightbe, during my prime. But I''m well past my prime now. My age has not been nice to me, and there are many young swordsmen who are going to exceed me in a few years, including you." He complimented him. It was the first time Theo''s heart flutter from a man''s word.

    "In a few years? And I thought you are trying to be humble Sir." They both laughed. "I always wondered Sir, how my father looked like before the war?"

    There was a curious look on Sir Arslan face. "What happened to your father after the war?"

    "I heard some stories about him, how honorable he was. How he was a person of great moral. A man of principle. But The father I know is very much different than those stories. He abandoned his faith and started to believe in some random god. He was a man depraved of moral. He was still a very principled man, but his principle is very twisted."

    "Well, I wouldn''t blame him, after what happened during the war. I stayed here in Amaryn and I saw horrors that haunted me years after. I don''t know what he saw in the demon realm, but that must have changed him."

    They arrived at the King''s chamber. There was nothing special about it from the outside. With the exception that there was no guard in sight.

    "Theo. Let me tell you something first. The King is..... rather strange these past few years."

    "I know Sir, Emilia told me about the King''s curse."

    "Well, it is good if you know, but still. How do I tell you this, the King is.... a very nihilistic man. I apologize in advance if the King made you depressed by his idea and thought."

    "It''s fine Sir."

    Sir Arslan knocked on the door. "Your Grace, Sir Theo is here."

    "Let him in." A deep voice unlike the one Theo heard during his ceremony answered him from inside.

    --------

    A pair of eye stared into the distance, into the cloud that blocked the setting sun. The glimmer in his eyes hadbeen lostfor many years. The undying, unbroken spirit he had when he was a soldier could notbe foundanymore.

    His sight was still excellent,however.Even from his chamber up above, he could see children playing in the street of his city, merchant trading goods. Even past the towering wall, he could see farmers sitting on the porch of their home after a long day of work. A smile couldbe seenon his people face, but the same smile hasn''t been on his face for years.

    His throat dry and his hair smelled foul. He hasn''t eaten in days, hebarelydrinks, and he hasn''t taken a bath for god know how long. Yet he felt no hunger, no thirst, no disgust, no discomfort. The bed in his room untouched, never used for anything. He never slept or lay down on it. No one ever lay on it. The comfort of women and the pleasure of flesh no longer pleased him. The joy of having a family no longer within him.

    Bottle of wine and various alcohol lined on the table. He found that even they couldn''t help him regain it, something that he lost many many years ago.

    The death of his wife in the past didn''t sadden him, the kidnapping of his daughter didn''t worry him, and her return didn''t bring him any joy. He knew about his first daughter plan of taking over and it didn''t make him mad. He felt nothing, nothing at all.

    "Your grace, Sir Theo is here." Sir Arslan said from outside the door.

    "Let him in!" He said. He turned from the window to face the door.

    When Theo entered the room, what he saw was a decrepit old man. In the throne room before, he was at least wore a proper clothing, but now, there wastrulyno sign of dignity.

    "You call me your grace?" He asked.

    "Yes. Don''t speak soformallywith me, it''s obvious that you''re not fond of doing it." His voice was devoid of any emotion. to the point of it being creepy.

    "Okay." He answeredquickly, already dropping his manner.

    "You''re a brash man aren''t you? Most people would still keep some respect when speaking to the King."

    "You told me to speaknormally, and here I am"

    "When and where were you born?"

    "I was born somewhere in Nippon. Twenty-three years ago."

    "Your father and mother?"

    "Father is Theo Gladium, and mother is Akimoto Ryo. They never marry so I''m a bastard. And before you ask yes, my name is the same as my father."

    "You have a successful life despite being a bastard."

    "One of the good thing being a commoner with no family name, nobody cares if you''re a bastard, unlike a nobility."

    The King smiled,slightly, but still smiled, for the first time in many years. King Alonon stroke his dirty beard. "Theo Gladium and Ryo akimoto..hmmm.. so that''s why you''re familiar. Your father, is he a paladin and is your mother a kunoichi?"

    "Yes. You know them?"

    "They work under me during the great war." He turned to the window again. "You''re dismissed."

    "Then I take my leave." Theo left without even giving the King a bow. Theo was a bit confused to why the King called him there. His question didn''t even give a hint of what the King true intention was.

    The King stared for a long time at the setting sun. There was nothing in his eyes. "So he''s Aki''s child. Maybe he could...." He looked his hand that was still strong even after not eating for days. "No....It doesn''t matter. Nothing matter."

    "So you''ve returned. Oh, noble hero, savior of the princess." Lyana said in a mocking manner as Theo entered the room. She was lying on the bed reading a book. There was a huge stack of book on the table next to her bed.

    "Envious?" He asked.

    "If you define boredom and anger as envy, then yes I''m Envious." She replied then continue reading the book in her hand.

    "So what did you two do when I was gone?" he asked. "And how much money I gave youis left?"

    "Zero. We spent it all since you were not here." Lyana answered.

    "What?" He couldn''t believe it. "That was 100 gold coin! and you spent it in like, what, Four days."

    Lyana slammed the book she held. "It''s your fault for leaving us like that!"

    Theo sighed. "Okay, I''m sorry. It was my fault for not telling you everything." Theo looked at Vivi who was sitting on his bed facing away from him. "Vivi, you didn''t mind control Lyana right?" There was no answer from her. "Lyana, what happened to her?" He asked.

    "Oh, I don''t know." She knew.

    Theo approached Vivi, but she turned so that he couldn''t look at her face. Theo smiled and tackled Vivi to the bed. He then kissed her, but instead ofbeing replied bya kiss, hewas metwith a good cold slap on his right cheek.

    "Ohohoho. that''s a nice slap there."

    "Humph!" Vivi pouted. Theo could believe how cute she was when she was pouting. Hereallywanted to do her at the moment, but doing that wouldn''t fix her mood. Theo kissed her on the cheek.

    "I. Am. Sorry. And I will make amend. I will give you my best tonight until you are completely satisfied. how about that?"

    Vivi couldn''t hold her pouting expression and it turned to a smile. "MaybeI will forgive you. If you are good enough that is."

    Lyana pulled Vivi and separated the two. "NO! I won''t be able to sleep tonight. You lover should rent another room for that!" She yelled. "Also Vivi, I thought that we already agree to this. We''re not going to give in to his demand."

    Vivi giggled. "Sorry, Lyana." She rubbed Theo''s cheek. "But I can''t resist him." She then grabbed his crotch. "And I can''t resist the big guy here."

    "Why notjustjoin us?" He asked.

    "LIKE HELL I WOULD!" She coughed and regain her composure. "Anyway, what''s our plan right now?I believesaving the princess and getting a medal changed something."

    "Yes. But first, let me tell you something." Theo sat on the bed with Vivi next to him. He told them everything that happened and about the succession war. "Our long plan still doesn''t change, during the turning of the season, we''re going to the eternal city.I believethere''s enough time to wrap things up here."

    "You expect to solve a succession war in a month?" Vivi asked unsure if she heard him right.

    "Solve?No, that would take years, but I have a plan to make sure that neither princesses killed each other while we''re away from here. But that is for later. For now, I have something to give both of you, as an apology for leaving you two here." Theo took out threemagicallycarved wood from his pouch. "There''s a show tonight in the city theater. It''s a quite famous folklore in Amaryn Kingdom, good for both of you to know more about the culture of this kingdom."

    Lyana and Vivi took the carved wood from his hand. "Thank you Theo-Sama!"

    "Whether I accept your apology depend on how good the show is." Said Lyana as she examined the wooden carving. It was a normal block of wood with a carving of stone and glass. There''s a small trace of unique magic on it to make sure that most people can''t fake the ticket.

    Theo laughed. "Don''t worry it''s good, and even if you don''t like it I''ll bring both of you to a good place to eat. You''ll forgive me,justsee."

    "I want another roomjustfor myself. Only then I will forgive you." Lyana said.

    "Also, you didn''t make any trouble did you?" Theo asked both Lyana and Vivi.

    "Nope." Said Lyana quick.

    "Actually..." Vivi said. But before she could complete her sentence, Lyana interjected. "VIVI! I thought we agree to not tell him."

    "Vivi, tell me. That''s an order."

    "Yesterday when we went to the public library, Lyanawas teased bya man. Judging from his look, he''s a noble. We ignored him at first, but he was overconfident and grabbed Lyana''s hand. So she punched him in the face. He ran away while crying and said that we will pay for it."

    Theo stood up. "You what?"

    "He''s lucky I didn''t kill him there. He''s disgusting." Said Lyana.

    "Well, thabks for not killing him. Do you know that hitting a noble is a criminal act for a commoner?"

    "What? what kind of law is that? that''s ridiculous!" Lyana said.

    "A corrupt feudal law. Ever heard of it?" Theo massaged his head and sighed. "If this was Aeston, I could talk with...This is not Aeston. Forget it. You will get your own room Lyana but if someone knocks on your door, let me handle it."

 Chapter 24: The Man of Singing Stone

    After the sundown,Lyana, Theo, and Viviwent to the city theater. Unlike the theater inside the city, the theater they went to was a place where everyone could see the performance for free. With a small fee, however, you could reserve a special place. It was an outdoor theater next to a grass field. The stage and the spectator benches were carved from a stone formation that was already there. The place was older than the capital city itself and was used for pagan ritual in the past.

    The first play wasn''t interestingfor Theo. The same couldn''t be said for Lyana and Vivi though. They watched the show with full attention, even ignoring the food they had in their hand. The play itself was good with very skilled actors, but the story about a hero saving the damsel in distress from a dragon didn''t catch his attention.

    The same for the second and third play. But the fourth play, that was the reason he brought Lyana and Vivi there. It was a popular story that his father often told him.

    -----

    In the past, there was a young man, a rich merchant who was betrothed to a beautiful woman from a great noble family. He was but a commoner, the son of a farmer. From very early age he was very fond of studying and he loved seeing people trade in the market. He learned there and learned from the passing merchant.

    When he came of age, he left home to pursue the career of a merchant. And soon enough he amassed enough wealth and status to be seen by the noble as more than just a simple merchant.

    A man, a high noble saw him as a great candidate for his daughter. He was very happy with his soon to be wife, and she was very happy with him, they loved each other. But when everything is going to be alright, a disaster happened. Due to some unfortunate accident, the young man lost almost all his wealth, his power, and his influence. He was also framed for a crime he didn''t commit, destroying his reputation and honor.

    The father of his fiancee didn''t want him, since he was not rich anymore. The father canceled the engagement and banished him. He and his fiancee, however, were still in love with each other.

    Desperate after losing everything and accused of a false crime, the man searched for a way out, the only way out.

    There was but a rumor he heard on a tavern, tales of children''s story, gossip he heard from maids. A fleeting rumor about The Man of The Singing Stone, the man of the full moon. It was nothing but a story, but most stories have its roots in reality. And this story might as well be his only salvation.

    It is said that there was a crossroad in the middle of nowhere. There, lies a huge stone. Nothing special about the stone, but every time it was full moon, the stone sang. And people around there saw a man sitting on it.

    It is said that you mustn''t approach the man lest a terrible fate befalls upon you. Yet it also said that the man could grant a wish for those who dare approach him, and those desperate enough to seek him.

    The young man, desperate with no way out, seek these tales. The only clue he had an inn called the Black Cat inn that resided next to the stone. For three days and three night, he searched for every bit of clue. No matter how small, no matter how insignificant, but he was unable to. He was caught by the guard for the false crime and sentenced to life imprisonment, or beheading.

    In his cell, he cried. He cried and he cried endlessly. He missed the love of his life, he missed his family, he was afraid of the fate about to befall on him. He cried and looked up into the sky, where he saw...the full moon.

    He saw it through the roof of his cell. On a day where there wasn''t supposed to be a full moon, where the sky filled with clouds.

    Then the floor, the wall, the cell, the ground, and the rock around him began to sing. A man appeared next to him inside his cell. The man appeared nice and jovial, with a big smile on his face. He asked the young man. "Do you want something?"

    The young man, realizing he was the person he sought, answered "Yes!"

    The mysterious man smile broaden. "What are you willing to sacrifice for it?"

    "My body. My soul. Everything!" He shouted. His mind wasn''t right anymore, he was desperate.

    "Then what do you want?" The man asked with a smile so large it touched both of his ears, but before the young man could answer, he gave him a warning. "But beware. I will grant you what you wish, but not what you want. Think about what you wish for it might not be what you want. Be careful of what you wish, for a wish is full of twist And think highly of your soul, you only have one and only one."

    "I don''t care! I want my life back. I want to meet with my wife again, I want her, I want to be with her!" He paused to wipe the tears of his eyes. "Forever."

    The mysterious man clapped his hand once and a thunder struck the building where he resided. When the flash and the sound of the thunder was gone, The Man of Singing Stone also gone. His cell door was open. The guards, maids, and everyone there was gone but him.

    The door to the treasury was open, filled with a mountain of gold. On the guard''s table was a pardon, with his name on it. He took everything and place all the treasure inside a wagon that mysteriously appeared outside.

    The next day everything returned to normal as if nothing ever happened at all. He was pardoned, he regained his wealth and status, and he regained his fiancee, his wife, the love of his life and he happily lives ever after... or so he thought.

    Alas, he didn''t heed the warning. He was so desperate at the time he forgot to think first and did not specify how they were meant to be together.

    Just half a year after he regained everything, his wife got sick, and two months after that, she died in the most horrible way. Her death wasn''t a painless one. For the two-month that she was sick, he had to watch as she screamed in pain and agony.

    After the death of his wife the world turned. He still had his wealth, his status, his power, but none of that matter to him. Food taste like ashes in his mouth, the wine didn''t help him, he didn''t get sleepy. He began to despair and lost his mind.

    He vented his anger at those around him, thinking that they were responsible for his wife death. None were allowed to get into his home where he placed his dead wife on their bed instead of burying her. He believed that she could still be saved, and because of that, he would do anything to bring her back.

    He expended all his wealth to search for someone who could bring her back. Calling necromancer and spiritual specialist from all across the world, but none succeeded. Those who failed got their head beheaded by him.

    The local lord heard about this and ordered his capture. After sending his whole troop they were finally able to catch him. Seeing his madness, the local lord decided that there will be no trial for him. Instead, he chose to execute him the day they caught him.

    When his head was on the block, sanity returned to him. It was relief he felt when he saw the blade pointed at his neck. He will not hurt another soul anymore and he will reunite with his wife in the afterlife.

    Yet the full moon beckoned.

    A laughter came from the crowd. No one but him heard the laughter. The laughter then turned into a song.

    Foolish men foolish prince

    Blinded by ambition

    By greed and glutton

    By Desire and Passion

    The child have sung, the wench have spoken

    Never wish during the full moon

    Lest You fell and be broken

    For the devil''s tongue is sweet And his deal even more

    Yet a deal is deal And the price must be paid

    The man face became pale as snow. The Man of Singing Stone appeared before him and spoke to him.

    "I''ve told you to be wary. Yet you didn''t heed me. A deal is set.....it haven''t been forever yet." He wanted to scream, but the blade fell on his neck before a voice could come out.

    The next day, his decapitated body disappeared, along with the corpse of his wife. It was said that even to this day, he still roamed the land, searching for a way to resurrect his wife.

    ------

    "Well, that''s a downer," Lyana said. "Didn''t expect they would play such a dark story. I mean there''s children here."

    "I like a dark story like this." Said Vivi.

    Theo wrapped his hand around Vivi and pulled her closer to his body and laughed. "Of course. I know our taste is similar." He turned his head to Lyana. "Well, there''s a lot of message in this story. I don''t think those message will be sent if you change the story into a more kid friendly one."

    "Maybe, but I just... something about this story disturbs me. It felt... real."

    "Because it is real," Theo answered.

    "And how do you know it''s real?"

    "I just know. Well, I don''t know the whether the whole story is true, but I know The Man of the Singing Stone is real."Lyana looked at him as if asking the same question as before. "During the travel with my father, I went as far as Girantine in the north and Mosk in the south. In every country we''re in, there''s a version of The Man of Singing Stone. I even saw a mural of ancient civilization depicting The Man of Singing Stone. So it must be true right?" Theo looked at her.

    ---------

    It was midnight when Theo had just finished cleaning up after his usual activities with Vivi. Like he promised, he gave his best that night and Vivi was out cold on the bed. A knock came from his room door. Theo sighed. He knew they would come sooner or later. The problem now was whether they were the corrupt kind or the genuine kind. But the possibility of meeting the genuine kind was very low. He opened the door.

    Two people were standing in front of his room. Both of them were neatly attired and wore a rather stylish clothing. There was a badge on the men on he right''s chest which reflected the light from the magic lamp. Standing behind them were the city guards, in the case of something bad happened. Or in case something bad needed to happen.

    "Sir Theo Gladium?" The man on the right asked.

    "Yes, that''s me."

    "I''m Armin Ruedi, an investigator and this is Royle Tucker, the commander of the city guard. Yesterday we heard a report-"

    Theo interrupted. "Can we move to a more..... private location that is not my room. Your office, maybe?"

    Investigators were, like the name suggest, investigator of crime. The previous king came up with the idea to assign a person to collect evidence of a crime so that a person can''t be judged without proof. This was to limit the noble control over the justice system. The plan backfired. Most investigators were corrupt. Noble used them behind the scene to turn crime toward their favor. They created fake evidence to put people into jail or to free someone their client wanted.

    Armin and Royle glanced at each other. There was a strange look in their eyes, as if asking each other what should they do. Of course, they were confused. Their targets were usually intimidated when they appeared in front of the door. But by law, if the suspect wanted to talk in the investigator''s office, they have no choices but to follow the request.

    Their gaze returned to Theo and they smiled. It was a horrible fake smile that does not resemble the real thing at all. "Sure."

    ----------

    Theo sat on a small chair inside the investigator''s office. In front of him were Armin and Royle, they were separated by a small table.

    "I trust that you, Sir Theo, know that hitting a noble without any reason is against the law. The report that I received shows that your traveling companion has violated the law. I wish to....investigate on this matter." Armin said. There was a wicked smile on his face, showing his true nature, a leech. He expected Theo to argue that Lyana wasn''t the one who attacked first.

    "Sure. I will substitute for her." Theo said without an ounce of fear.

    There was a surprised look on Armin''s and Royle''s face. Their intimidation technique didn''t work at all. Theo knew how this would play out. Arguing would count as hindering the work of a Kingdom''s officer. It would only complicate the problem.

    "Still, What proof does the noble have?" Theo asked.

    "We have an eye witness, three actually. They all reported that your companion punched the man''s face and mocked him in the middle of the street." Armin answered. "And the noble who reported the crime is a trusted person. He never lied, he''s nice, and he has never created any problem before. A true model citizen!"

    "True. True." Royle nodded excessively.

    They were baiting him to argue again. "Well, that''s just like the Lyana I know."

    There was another look of surprise on their face. Who the hell, would admit being guilty when they clearly know they aren''t? "S-So, you admit that your companion attacked a noble without any provocation?" He stuttered, his confidence cracked.

    Theo has no time for this, he needed to speed thing up. "Yes, but you know, I am the hero who saved the princess....as a public servant, you two must also know the situation right? I need to maintain my image. A case like this must not get out to the public."

    There was a strange look on Armin''s eye. A little bit of surprise and a little bit confused. "I''m sorry, but I........need to go to the toilet first." He stood up and left the room, leaving Theo and Royle.

    Royle stood up too, but he stood on the place. He made himself look big in front of Theo and looked down on him. If abuse of authority and baiting did not intimidate Theo, then physical superiority would do it, right? Too bad Royle forgot that Theo saved the princess, even though he said it a few seconds earlier.

    Theo closed his eyes and focused his hearing. What Royle did, did not interest him, but what Armin did, that was important. He could hear a conversation between Armin and another person from the other room. But since they were quite far, Theo couldn''t hear the full conversation.

    "Count Cobra......." The word that Armin said was the most important thing. It seemed this Count Cobra was their client.

    Suddenly, the door to the office flung open and Armin returned inside. "Sorry for taking your time." He sat on his chair, followed by Royle. "Well, Sir Theo, luckily for you, the noble who sued you is a very very nice person. He understands your circumstance and is willing to go easy on you. With a compensation for the damage, of course. Keeping our mouth shut would also incur an extra cost." Theo looked at Armin, asking how much. "Let''s see. 100 gold for compensation and 50 gold to keep our mouth shut."

    "Wait a minute Armin." Royle interrupted. "Since we also have made some document and paper regarding the case....We might forget it somehow. If you, somehow, also forget another 50 gold on the table."

    "Ah, Yes. that is true Royle."

    It was ludicrous. 200 gold was not the usual bribing cost. But since they were brave enough extort money from someone close to the princess, their client must have planned it all. This....Count Cobra, must have prepared everything through and through to not let his subordinate get caught.

    Theo took a pouch from inside his pouch and filled it with exactly 200 gold. He put it on the table. "Please do not remind me about this...pouch that I lost somewhere."

    Armin took it. "Of course. Pleasure talking with you Sir Theo."

    Royle put all the document of the case on the table. After making sure that no document was left behind, Theo left the office.

    Once outside, Theo couldn''t contain his laughter any longer. Corruption, bribing, and extorting money was not an uncommon practice in the kingdom. In fact, with each passing years, the corruption in the kingdom became worse and worse. Yet, this was the first time a corrupt noble was on the opposing side of him. It was quite the thrilling new experience for him. Not that it reduce his frustration or anger.

    As much as he wanted to bash Royle''s and Armin''s head, it wouldn''t do anything. The true problem was this Count Cobra.

 Chapter 25: Draken Steel

    "Must I use this again?" Theo asked while holding the clothes he wore during the ceremony. The Chamberlain had given it to him as a gift. At first, he thought that it would be the best to sell it for extra money. But after thinking again, in the future, he might need it for some official business.

    "Yes, you have to. You''re going to meet the princess." Vivi said. She seemed lated after she woke up. It was most likely because of the night before. It was rare for him to put so much effort into pleasuring a woman, but a promise was a promise, and he had to make amend. And he enjoyed it too, it was a win-win situation."I''ll help you with it Theo-Sama, don''t worry."

    He looked at Lyana, who also seemed happy. Of course, she would be happy. Theo gave her money so that she could rent her own room.

    He let out a disappointed sigh as he wore the uncomfortable attire. He gave Vivi and Lyana a little bit of gold because he suspected that he''s only going to return at night. If not in the morning.

    Before meeting the princess, Theo has something to do first.

    One of the rewards he asked the Chamberlain was a sword made by the royal blacksmith, which apparently was a woman. Though he didn''t know for sure. Everyone called the blacksmith ''her'' so he also called her ''her''. In truth, she always wore a thick uniform that covered her whole body from head to toe. Her voice didn''t help either. Her voice was deep and since her helmet distorted her voice, it became unclear. Not that it matter to him. He didn''t expect a blacksmith to have a decent look.

    He had given her the diagram and Panes a few days prior, and now he wanted to check her progress.

    He easily passed the guard to the castle. They were already instructed to let him in. His destination, however, wasn''t the castle but a small workshop next to it.

    Before he even reached the workshop, something caught his attention. Next to the workshop was an anvil. Surrounding it was the blacksmith he searched and three mages, one of which was the court mage.

    "Three! Two! One!" The mages yelled together. As they counted to one, the air filled with magical blue light. Even Theo, who wasn''t that sensitive to mana could feel the dense mana in the air because of the three mages'' magic.

    The blacksmith hammered the sword on the anvil as soon as the air turned blue. She hammered it with such force that it sent a shockwave that Theo could felt. Even as he stood quite a distance away. It was the same feeling he felt when he saw Andre on the anvil. It was the feeling of true passion of craftsmanship.

    Soon after, the blue light disappeared and the blacksmith stopped hammering. She raised the sword and dipped it in a pool of oil she prepared next to her. The moment the sword touched the oil, a great blue flame blazed the sky. The three mages took a step back from such a huge flame, but she didn''t even move. Her arm still holding the blade even as it was consumed by the majestic blue flame. Only after the blue flame died down, she took the blade out.

    The approached her. "What was that?" He asked. He startled the three mages by his question, they were too focused on the blue flame, they failed to notice him.

    "Your sword, Panes." She answered. "Take a look." She held Panes in front of his eyes.

    The steel itself have changed. The original was a normal albeit a very high-quality steel, but the blade she held before him, was different. The steel has a pattern of banding and mottling like that of a flowing water. "Draken steel." Said Theo in awe.

    "So you know it," She said. To many people that name meant nothing. Most people on the continent wouldn''t even know what that was. But for aspiring blacksmith and those interested in swords, that name meant a lot of things.

    The sharpest, strongest, and most durable weapon made by people in the continent were all made using Draken steel. It was originally a dwarven creation that was later shared to other races. It was their best effort at replicating a Dragon-made material. "I thought no one is capable of making it anymore."

    "True, but the same can''t be said for reworking it. The Kingdom have a few Draken steel bars lying around. Rather than putting it on display, it''s better to put it to good use. With a little bit of crafty work, I made your sword a Draken Steel." She said. "Where do you find that diagram?"

    "My father gave it to me, why?" Theo asked, his eyes still fixed on Panes.

    "It''s an ancient diagram, not made by human or any known race as far as I know. The diagram showed a steel similar to Draken steel for the fourth part. Since I don''t know what that steel is, I substitute it using Draken steel. And it is only the fourth of five part. I don''t think it can be completed by anyone, maybe unless a Class 5 Blacksmith."

    His eyes moved from the blade toward the blacksmith. "Any Idea where I could find one?"

    "The last Class 5 Blacksmith Died 32 years ago in Nippon. If the trend stays true, the next one will appear in 78 years. Though the world has become strange in the recent years. There is a rumor about one in Ulster Isle, but I think it''s just a rumor. There''s nothing wrong with checking though." She pulled the sword back. "Just wait a few more minute for the finishing and it will be ready"

    ------------

    Theo marveled the sword he held in his hand. The shape, the sharpness, the pattern. The blade Andre made was already near perfect in his eyes, and she improved it by a lot. He could only imagine what kind of sword it would be if it was ever completed to the fifth part.

    [Panes, Blade of Theo]

    [Unique longsword]

    [Strength: A+ Dexterity: A+]

    ''The rarity raised to unique and the scaling improved by a lot.'' He thought as a message popped up in his head.

    "Try it." The blacksmith said. She prepared a log of hardwood in front of Theo. A normal steel sword won''t even be able to cut it halfway.

    "My pleasure." Theo brought down Panes and cleaved the log in two.

    "Nice, that may be my best creation yet. Even better than Claw and Talon, shame both of it disappeared after Roderyk''s death."

    Theo giggled at her remark, remembering that both Claw and Talon sat inside the wardrobe in his room at the inn. "Thank you uhh..." Theo stopped, not knowing her name. Now that he think about it, it was awkward speaking with someone who wore a full helmet that covered her entire face.

    "Melin." She answered.

    "Thank you, Melin." Theo sheathed his sword. She even gave him a new sheath.

    "I''m only doing my job. Seeing such an ancient diagram and creating a magnificent sword is always a pleasure. Say, who made that sword before?"

    "Andre, a blacksmith in Aeston."

    "Ahh, that old man. How is he doing?"

    "He''s fine. Still hammering and speaking with his strange accent." He answered with a little laugh. "Melin. If compared to other unique swords, how do my sword fare?"

    "Hmmm. It would outclass most of them, with the exception of.... probably, Forlorn and Blood Rite if you only compared it to the one in this country."

    "Forlorn and Blood Rite huh? That''s impressive. Well, I''m going now, don''t want the princess to wait."

    As Theo walked to the castle, he walked with a skip in every few step, he couldn''t hide his happiness. On his side was an improved Panes, a sword that according to Melin, was equal to Sir Arslan''s sword.

    As soon as he reached the castle, he returned to his normal cool attitude, he didn''t want to be caught acting like a child. He headed toward Princess Aria''s chamber, where she should already be waiting.

 Chapter 26: Aria Alexandra Amaryn

    Theo entered the luxurious room after the princess let her. It was a huge room located on the top of one of the castle towers. Gold and expensive decoration filled the walls. There was a big open balcony overlooking the entire city.

    "Please Sir Theo, enjoy yourself looking at my room." Princess Aria said when she noticed Theo looking all over her room.

    "Thank you Princess, and please, I''m not a sir."

    "But you are a hero, Sir Theo."

    Theo proceeded to look at all the decoration in the room, but one thing caught his attention more than the other. There was a cage in one corner of the room, and the small lizard thingy sleeping inside it.

    He couldn''t believe it at first. He thought that it was only a statue. But upon closer inspection, he could see the yellow scales on its chest moving up and down. He inspected it as close as he could without disturbing its sleep. "Is that truly..."

    "Yes." The princess answered before he could finish his question. She joined Theo at looking at the little thingy. "She''s only a newborn. I got the egg from a trader from the Free Cities who said he got it from a merchant from Westrend. I bought it for only 200 gold. Ff only that merchant knew what was inside that egg, maybe the merchant thought it was just a very good replica. She''s a cute one isn''t she?"

    "Yes.. she is. A wonder." Theo said. He was lost for words. Theo couldn''t believe what had happened that day. Before, he was getting one of the best swords in the kingdom. Then, he saw one of the wonders of the world. Wonders that had gone extinct since before the first human ever set foot on the continent.

    Many scholars have speculated about the dragon race, but it was all speculation. Many claimed to have seen a dragon or a sighting of one, but no real expedition ever found a dragon or even any dragon egg. So the creature in front of him is probably the only one of its kind left. Not counting Ed that was. "Princess, do you know what this could mean to the intellectual world? This..... This could change everything we know about dragons."

    "I know, that''s why I never told anyone, but a few friends, and you." She replied with a smile. "He is the kingdom''s national treasure. If anyone hears about this, there''s no doubt many will try to get him. Forcefully or not. I hope you won''t tell anyone after this."

    "I won''t."

    "Let''s sit and talk business shall we?" They both walked away from the cage and sat on the chair in that room opposite to each other. Theo''s eyes gazed her thoroughly. Now that he was able to look at her without any distraction, he realized her face was attractive. Not only that, she also She had a nice appeal. While her body proportion couldn''t match Ana, when it come to the face, she fit more with his preference.

    "Okay." Theo rubbed his hand together. "I come here to.."

    "To ask me about te succession war am I correct?" She said before he could finish his sentence. Theo was a bit shocked to hear it. "What? Do you think I don''t know that you know?"

    ''Did she already know that I sided with Ana?'' Theo Thought. His heart beat faster as he thought about it.

    "I hope your recent encounter with Sir Roderyk didn''t give you the wrong impression about me. I know what he had done and what he''s trying to accomplish and I''m not proud of it. He acted on his own without my command, trying to solve the succession war in a bloody way." She took a long breath.

    "Then why? Why are you so insistent about taking the throne?"

    "Believe me Sir Theo, if I could, I don''t even want this succession war. I don''t want this already crumbling family to be ripped apart even more, but I have to. After father fell to despair, corruption ran wild in the kingdom. The noble house acted like they wanted the best for the kingdom but they only work for their own agenda. They are the leech of this kingdom. If I let this going on I could only see this kingdom in ashes in the near future. What we need is a reform to limit the nobility power and control. I believe you haveseend such corruption first hand."

    "Yes. But why didn''t you let your sister take the throne then? That would also solve the problem and you could take the position of her advisor." Theo suggested.

    Princess Aria made a small smile and stared at the floor. "Sir Theo. After what happened these past few days I believe you have gotten pretty close with sister right?"

    "Yes."

    "Then according to her, what kind of person am I?" She asked with a bitter voice. "I believe she doesn''t think highly of me. Who do you think supported her in the council, Sir Theo?"

    "Emilia, other than that I don''t know."

    "Yes Emilia the general of Penguin corps, or known as the blue corps. She''s a good and smart person, but she and sister are backed by the house of nobility of the council. Which as I said before are the leech of this country. They gave Emilia and sister false rumor about me, hoping to make us hate each other, and they have succeeded. Not only that, they planted their conservative idea in sister''s mind. They made Sister and Emilia think that a reform will only destabilize the country. While it might be true for short term. In the long run, a reform that reduces the nobility control will surely make this country better." She bowed her head. "Please Sir Theo, I need your help to fix this country. This country, need your help."

    "Wait-wait a moment, I need to think this through." Theo grabbed his forehead.

    Princess Aria stood and sat next to Theo. "It''s fine. I know it''s hard for you, thinking you trust someone then the next moment you know that person is lying to you, but that''s politic." She placed her hand on Theo''s shoulder. "And I know my offer is nothing compared to my sister''s. If she became the queen, you might as well be her husband. She''s infatuated with you, and I''m afraid I can''t offer you more than that. But hear me, Sir Theo." She placed her hand on his cheek and pulled his head so their eyes met. "I know about your relationship with many women, I don''t think that''s wrong. A strong, handsome men like you deserve more than one woman. If you marry sister and become the royal consort, you have to keep a good image, you won''t be able to have other women. Even if sister let you have your way, the public and the nobility won''t. But if I become the queen... I can arrange a few... things." Her hand slowly moved down from his shoulder to his chest then lower and lower. She bit her lower lips. "Even I..." Her face turned red. She stood up and walked away. "I''m sorry, I-I get carried away."

    "N-No-No it''s fine." He stuttered. "But well, you do have some point. While I don''t know much about the political situation, I have seen the decline in trade and the increase in criminality and corruption in the past few years. And well, your offer is tempting." He stood up. "But I still need time to get my mind right."

    "Please take your time. You can come here anytime you want, Sir Theo" She replied with a smile.

    Theo walked closer to her and took out Roderyk badge from his pouch. "This." He gave it to the princess "He is a precious subordinate to you isn''t he?"

    The princess took it. She looked at it with sadness in her eyes. "Thank you. Sir Theo."

    "I''m going to leave now princess. If I may ask, IF I decided to support you, what would you want me to do?" He said emphasizing on the ''if'' part.

    "You''re not going to be here for long, right? A man like you, your name will be known far and wide sooner or later. A true hero. So go out there, seek your dream and when the time come give me your support. By that time the whole population will follow their hero." She said with a big smile on her face.

    "Then I take my leave princess." He bowed and left the room. Theo''s face turned red a little. It was rare for him to be embarrassed after all that he had ever done, but it was different. The charisma the princess has was on another level than anyone he ever met. Her smile, her stare, something felt different about her. He suspected the princess to have a charisma talent class 4 if not class 5.

    As Theo headed outside, Emilia was already waiting for him. Unlike before, They didn''t head to a room but walked to the castle courtyard. "Is it okay like this?" Theo asked unsure whether it''s safe or not to speak.

    "It''s fine. It''s harder to spy on someone on the courtyard and I already have taken some measure." She said.

    Theo found no lie in Aria''s word. While she might only telling him half-truth, it did shake his resolve quite a bit. Not only her offer was tempting, if what she said about the corrupt noble supporting Ana was true, then supporting her might be more beneficial in the long run. He did not care about Amaryn political state or the corrupt noble that run it. But if he could, he wanted to make Amaryn better for his women in Aeston.

    --------

    Unable to hold back her laughter, Princess Aria finally lets it all out.

    "Princess." A green haired mature woman, Natalie, came out from the side room. She was Aria''s most trusted advisor, her closest aide, and her head maid.

    "What a fool! What a fool! HAHAHAHHAH" her laughter became louder and louder. "I hope you see his eyes, Nat. It was priceless, he believed me. What a fool! Men like him are soo easy to manipulate. Either you bring out the cry or the seduction, and they attach themselves to the string."

    "I hope you don''t underestimate him, Princess. He''s someone who killed Roderyk after all."

    "I know Nat, I know. I''ll play along with him a little bit more. He could still be useful to us." Aria handed Natalie Roderyk''s badge. "Unlike certain someone."

    "What do you want me to do with Roderyk''s lover?"

    "Oh yeah, I remember that''s the reason we''re able to use that person. What a shameful display for a royal guard. Not only did he take a lover despite his vow, he chose boys over girls. His lover is just a commoner, kill him. We don''t need him anymore now that Roderyk is dead."

    "At once your highness." She bowed and left the room.

    The princess sat back on the chair and stared at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and recalled Theo blushing face. She laughed again and placed her hand on her eyes. "What a joke. He''s a womanizer yet fall to a woman''s lies all the same." She glanced at the opened balcony. "Subaru! Kanae!" She called.

    Two women appeared on her balcony the moment she called. They both wore a black cloak that covered all, leaving only their eyes uncovered. ""You called us Princess?"" They spoke in unison.

    While Aria did not have control over the spy corps or the secret police, some of Amaryn spies are loyal to her more than to the kingdom. The two were her most trusted spies.

    "Yes. I need something." She said. As she stood up. They both immediately kneeled. "Are you sure that he is the manipulator we believe? He didn''t seem like it."

    "I''m sure, princess. Maybe it is exactly because he''s so good at seducing women that he couldn''t tell if a woman truly interested in him or not. Not to mention your Class 4 acting talent, Princess."

    "So you are saying that because he never failed, he does not think that I might be tricking him?"

    "Exactly, Princess."

    Aria poured a glass of wine and drank it. "Subaru you''re going to follow that man. Take caution and don''t let yourself be noticed."

    "Yes, Princess."

    "Kanae, you''re going to Aeston and gain information about that man lover. He should have many, choose one that he is closest to or most vulnerable. Her daily routine, her job, her friend, everything about her that we could use against that man. And prepare to kidnap her the moment I give the message."

    "Yes, Princess."

    "Dismissed."

    The two women disappeared. Aria walked to the now empty balcony and looked down at the courtyard, where Theo and Emilia were walking together. She let out a disappointed sigh. "What a disappointment. I thought you''re going to be more interesting than this."

 Chapter 27: The Dinner

    After his visit to Aria''s chamber, Ana invited Theo to a dinner party. It was held by the noble who supported Ana to celebrate her return and to celebrate the hero that saved her.Theo, being invited like that, has no reason to decline. While he didn''t like that kind of events, it was a perfect opportunity to get to know the noble of the capital city and to get closer to Ana.

    This was also an opportunity to prove whether Aria''s word about Ana''s supporter was true or not. While he found no lie in her words, he remembered his father''s quote, that politicians were snakes. No matter how convincing one looked or one said, he must try to confirm their words using his own way.

    The party was held at a hall owned by one of the noble. He didn''t know who, but looking at the building size and lavish decoration, the person must be very rich and loved to boast his or her wealth.

    He arrived together with Ana while Emilia would arrive later. He was wearing a brand new suit that Ana gave to him for this special occasion. It was better than the previous one and much more comfortable to wear. He couldn''t thank Ana enough for it.

    He observed Ana while walking toward the entrance. She wore a beautiful and extravagant gown that, on purpose or not, emphasized her bust and make it appear bigger than it already was. He noticed that she was moving her head around as if looking for something. "Nervous, Princess?"

    Her body jolted and her face turned red. "Y-Ye, ah, N-No. I-It''s fine." She was not fine at all.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Y-yes." She looked forward. "L-look we have arrived."

    When they entered the building, they were greeted by numerous nobles who supported her. He was thanked and congratulated by them. He would have thought of it as a mere bullshit pleasantry, if not for the lust-filled stare of some noble women. They were enthralled by his look and charm. But with Ana being there, he couldn''t spend his time chatting with some random noble women. He devoted his whole attention for Ana that night.

    After chatting for a while with some random noble, Ana introduced him to the host of the party. He was a tall lean man with unhealthy pale white skin. Under his eyes were black wrinkles, a sign of lack of sleep. Contrasting his gloomy unhealthy face was his choices of clothes. It was shiny with white fabric and gold decoration.

    "Theo let me introduce you to the generous noble who held this party. Count Cobra."

    ''Oh,'' He thought. He knew he would bump into that man someday, but he would never think of it to be this day. He put on a convincing smile. "Nice to met you Count Cobra. This is a nice and extravagant party you have here."

    "Hahaha. Sir Theo, you made me feel honored. But this party, this is only a small thing I could do to repay you for what you have done for our princess."

    ''Small thing.'' that word alone conveyed his wealth and his love for spectacle.

    After exchanging a few more pleasantry and knowing the name of a few more important noble while eating his dinner, Theo could conclude that Aria did not lie. Ana''s supporters were mostly corrupt nobles. Two of them, in particular, were a big figure in Amaryn''s criminal underground.

    The first one was a short fat old man named Lord Rovan. He was bald and wore a monocle, giving him a fancy look. His secret businesses were smuggling illegal goods across the border and illegal slave trade. Jackal also told him that Lord Rovan bought a new slave girl legally at least once a week.

    The second one was a lady with the name of Milde. She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties. Despite her age, her appearance was stunning and could contest with younger women. Her light purple hair was tied in a bun behind her head.

    She was the owner of the biggest and arguably the best whorehouse in the kingdom. But her legal business served as a curtain to cover another less legal whorehouse reserved for rich people with questionable or outright illegal fetishes.

    For how Theo knew who they truly were, was for another time.

    Sir Arslan told him that Ana was a naive girl that trust people far too easily. She was not suited for politic, but he never imagined it to this extent. If she was this easily manipulated, he believed he could convince her to run away with him in just a month or two. Just as an example.

    When Emilia finally arrived, Theo wanted to speak with her in private. They went out to the balcony to speak. "Emilia, why didn''t you tell me?"

    "Tell you what?" She asked.

    "These people. These nobles that supported Ana."

    "What? What wrong with them?"

    "The spy corps did not tell you?"

    "Tell me what?"

    Theo averted his gaze from Emilia toward the nobles inside the hall. "Nothing. Forget it." He left her and head inside.

    There were two possibilities. She was either did not know or was in cahoots with the corrupt noble and trying to bait him. But looking at her eyes and genuine confused looks, the former was more plausible.

    "Wait, Theo! Tell me what''s going on." She called him, but he vanished among the guest inside the hall.

    Theo realized it now. One of the nobles here must have the spy corps and the secret police inside their pocket. It might be Lord Cobra since he also has control over the investigator and over the city guard.

    Theo was surprised. With this much support backing Ana and Emilia, how could Aria hasn''t lost yet? Was it because they purposely prolong the conflict for their own gain, or was it because of Aria''s and her supporter''s competence?

    "Sir Theo." Lord Cobra called him. "Can we speak in private?"

    Theo looked at him, careful to not let his suspicion surfaced on his face. "Sure."

    Lord Cobra lead him to one of the side room. "I...heard that yesterday you''ve been falsely accused by an investigator."

    "Yes."

    He sighed. "Sadly, that''s the state of this kingdom right now. Ridden with corruption. If only I know sooner, I might be of help to you. Do you remember their name?"

    Theo did not know what Lord Cobra intended to do with asking him this question. Was it a trap or... "Armin Ruedi and Royle Tucker."

    "Royle Tucker? That''s the commander of the city guard! How could he?!" He was pretty good at acting surprised, but not good enough to fool Theo. He sighed. "I will take care of this. I promise. You see, I heard that Armin Ruedi and Royle Tucker work with Princess Aria behind the scene. This is the kind of future this kingdom have if Aria took the throne. We must never let it happen, Sir Theo."

    Now Theo understood his plan. He made sure that Theo felt the corruption first hand. Then blame it at Aria, pretty clever.

    -------

    When it turned midnight, Ana returned back to the castle because Sir Arslan forbid her to be outside after midnight. She went back with Emilia, leaving Theo with two-faced nobles. Though the party was almost finished, so it wasn''t that bad for him.

    Co��nt Cobra appeared again from behind, along with Lady Milde. "Sir Theo. I believe you have acquainted with Lady Milde."

    "Yes, of course." He answered while kissing her hand.

    "Sir Theo, do you have someone waiting for you back where you stay?" She asked.

    Theo smiled. "No. Not really."

    Her lipstick covered lips curved into a smile. "Count Cobra said that we have to give you a gift as a symbol of our appreciation. I hope you don''t mind."

    With corrupt and prideful nobles like these, Theo didn''t have to act all nice and proper. He could just accept the gift. "Sure, why not."

    "Then will you follow me, Sir Theo?" Theo followed her outside to her carriage.

    ---------

    Like he expected, she brought him to her brothel. "I hope you have no problem with the gift I''m about to give you. I heard a rumor that you are a rather....... playful man, but somehow almost never visit a brothel before."

    "I''m not against it or anything. I just have a pride in getting a lot of sex without having to pay for it. But if someone gives it to me for free, I''m not going to decline it."

    "Then it settled." Her assistant opened the carriage door and they come out.

    "I heard that this place is one of the best in the kingdom." Theo said as they entered the luxurious brothel.

    "Not one of the best, it is the best. For a lot of reason. Unlike some other brothel, we give our customers the best possible service for almost every kind of pleasure. We maintain a clean and healthy environment for both our customer and our worker. And by using magic, not only we enhance the feeling of pleasure, we also prevent pregnancy and prevent the spread of disease."

    She bought Theo to a special luxurious room with an extra large bed. Around the room were tools to satisfy the customers'' wide range of preferences.

    "Girls." Lady Milde called. Three naked young women entered the room. They were stunning with their beautiful face and fair white skin. Their busts and hips were also pretty large. "I heard that you prefer these type of bodies, correct me if I''m wrong."

    "I appreciate all kind of bodies. As long as they are not too large or too small, I like them all."

    "Well, these three are our best girl. Feel free to chose and ask them anything you want." She sat on a chair in the back of the room. "Please don''t mind me, I have a hobby of.. watching."

    Theo chuckled, he could see the lust in her eyes, like a boiling pot of water ready to overflow. Either she will join later, or she was really good at controlling it. He turned toward the three women who started undressing him. "Well. If I have to choose. Then I choose.... All of you."

 Chapter 28: The Miracle

    Theo returned to his room. He was elated. The previous night was one of the best night he ever had. It was rare enough to sleep with more than one women at the same time, but four? That was another thing entirely.

    Theo laid his body next to the sleeping Vivi, rubbed her cheek, and kissed her. She woke up. "Ur... Sorry. Didn''t mean to wake you up." He said.

    She replied his kiss. "It''s fine. You have fun last night Theo-Sama?"

    "Of course. I won''t miss a night with you unless I have fun."

    She hugged him and played with the necklace on his neck. She took the pendant. "Theo-Sama. Please tell me about your other woman. Especially this...."She looked at the name on the necklace. "Mary."

    It was early in the morning, he has a lot of time. He told her about his women. He talked a lot about those in Aeston in great detail, especially Mary. "So what is so special about this Mary?" She asked.

    "I.....don''t know honestly. But that is love, isn''t it? When someone is so special to you, so important to you, yet you don''t even know why."

    "What about me? What is unique and special about me?" She asked.

    "Well, you looked cute and innocent, on the outside." He answered. "But deep inside... "He ran his finger from her chin down to space between her breast. "Is an animal."

    "Between all of us, who is your favorite?"

    "No one. It''s my policy not to take favorite."

    ''Liar.'' She thought, but she didn''t say it.

    "Now that I have told you about myself, tell me about you, Vivi. The world you used to live in before this one, how is it like?"

    Vivi put a finger on her chin to act cute."It was a lame world compared to this one. There''s no magic there, only technologies. My everyday activities were very monotonous. I woke up in the morning, worked in the office until night, returned to my apartment, then watched TV in my homes or played some games until I fell asleep. No families, no friends, no lover."

    "I don''t know what apartment, TV, or computer is, but I get your point."

    "Until one day, something called VMMORPG was invented in my world. I won''t tell you what it was, explaining it would take ages. It was the only fun thing in my life for years. Until the server crashed and instead of logging out, I was sent to this world. Which somehow, make my life a lot more entertaining." She then grabbed her own breast. "Except for this. In this new world, it becomes small."

    Theo grabbed her hand and moved it from her breast. "Why? it''s perfect for you. Also, aside from magic and me. What make this world more interesting for you?"

    "Hmm." She took her time thinking. "I guess, Lyana. She''s a more complex and sophisticated person than I thought. She has a lot of thing going on in her life lately. Also, the inhabitant of this world. Compared to my previous world, the standard of beauty here is really high. Even the average people here can be considered attractive in my original world."

    "Well, that is a boring world indeed."

    "Speaking of Lyana, are you really won''t try to make any advance toward her Theo-Sama?"

    "I won''t make any advance, I''m true to my word. But that doesn''t mean I''ve given up on her. It''s a reverse trick. I was nice to her at first, then when she said she won''t be my girl, I became an ass to her. Then you come, which I showered with praise, approval, and everything I once gave her. Consciously or not, she will try to seek my attention and my approval. Usually it won''t work because the woman could just get away from me, but in this case, she couldn''t."

    "Hoo. That is a nice trick you have there Theo-Sama."

    "Well, being charming and handsome alone is not good enough to have a harem of women with diverse personality."

    Vivi took his hand and placed it on her collar. "Won''t you take this off already Theo-Sama?"

    "No. Not yet."

    She sat up, abandoning her previous cute act. "Why?!" She shouted. "Are you still don''t trust me?"

    Theo averted his gaze from Vivi toward the ceiling. "Hmm. How do I say this? It''s not that I don''t trust you. It''s just...... the recent event makes me doubt my judgment."

    Noticing his troubled face, Vivi laid her body back next to him. "Is something wrong?"

    "It''s Aria, the princess.....have you ever met someone that truly impress you, Vivi?"

    "Yes. You."

    Theo chuckled. "Of course, I shouldn''t have asked. But for me, it''s rare, aside from the obvious Sir Arslan who is my life-long idol. After meeting so many people, I rarely get impressed by someone on our first meeting, but Aria....... She''s different. They way she spoke, the way she acted, her body language, everything about her seems out of this world. My mind, my body, and my heart told me that I can trust her. I found no lie in her words and I have double checked it. But deep inside, somewhere deep in my heart, something feels....off and I can''t put it into word. It''s strange, I never felt like this before."

    --------

    In the afternoon, Theo wanted to show Vivi his work, the adventurer guild. They didn''t need any money. They still have a lot from the reward of saving the princess. Since they didn''t have anything productive to do and Theo has no plan with the princesses, they might as well finish some quest.

    Lyana didn''t follow them to the adventurer guild because there was a chance some adventurers could see through Lyana disguising magic. They couldn''t take the risk.

    Theo and Vivi entered the adventurer guild. The building was more grandeur than the one in Aeston, but it was expected. The capital offers more opportunity for stronger people after all.

    The lounge area was crowded, it was lunch time after all. The foods and drinks sold inside were quite cheap and they weren''t that bad. Unlike most occasions, however, Theo and Vivi wasn''t the center of attention. There was only one possibility, someone really famous was there.

    Theo was correct. There was a group of really famous people there. A group consisted of 3 people, women, beautiful, and very, very powerful. They were the members of ''Miracle'', a dragon-ranked adventurer party. One of the only three in the kingdom.

    Dragon ranked adventurers were considered to be among the most powerful people in the continent. They were also considered as heroes and celebrities by the masses in the continent. They received only the most dangerous and important mission and quest. Because of that, they usually went away for a few month to complete a single quest, then spent another few months lazing around without any quest fitting of their power. The payment they got was astronomical. Completing a dragon-ranked quest was enough to pay enough nice meal for the rest of each member''s life. It was quite the sight seeing them hanging around in the guild.

    "You''re aiming for them too Theo-Sama?" Vivi asked after noticing Theo looking at them.

    "What? O-Oh, n-no no. Not now at least. After their last male member left them, they became super protective if anyone tries to get close. I need a plan if want to get close to them and right now, my hands are full because of the succession war. Now, let''s get a quest and get out from here. Fast."

    A voice interrupted him. "Please, the people need help. Please, this is for the better of the city." A female guard was trying to get the attention adventurers, but none heed her.

    She looked tomboyish with her short hair and because of that, no one cared about her. But not Theo. Theo could imagine how she would look like if her hair was long, she could be cute. Her body wasn''t that bad either. She got a nice muscle tone and she wasn''t overly muscular. Despite wearing men''s uniforms, there was still some feminine side about her.

    Theo approached her. "Hey."

    She was startled by Theo. "W-What?"

    "Sorry to surprise you but you said something about helping the people."

    "A-Ah yes It-" She stopped speaking. Her gaze moved from the paper in her hand to Theo''s face. She jumped and saluted. "S-Sir Theo! I''m sorry I didn''t realize it was you."

    "Relax. Speaking of which, you know my name but I don''t know yours."

    "A-Ah yes. forgive my rudeness. I''m Cissy Dilon, Sir."

    "Nice to meet you Cissy, and stop with the formal manner. I''m not so different than you Cissy, I can call you that right? I''m a commoner who just so happen to be at the right place at the right time."

    "A-ah. Okay, Si.... okay uh... Theo." Her face turned red from embarrassment.

    "Wait, aren''t you a Redmound Keep''s guard. Yes, I saw you during my ceremony."

    "Y-You notice me Si-...Theo?"

    "Of course, there''s no way I wouldn''t notice a cute girl like you."

    She went silent and her face turned serious. "I am not a cute girl! I''m a proud guard of the Redmound Keep and a soldier of the Royal Army! A soldier must not be cute!" She shouted. There was a strong emotion akin to anger behind her voice. After a few moment of silence and staring, she realized that she was inside a building full of people. She quickly bowed her head. "I-I''m sorry fo-"

    "Anyway!" Theo interrupted her. "You said that you have a quest. I want to hear it."

    "Y-Yes!" She stood up straight again and handed Theo the paper in her hand.

    It was a request to kill some monster in the Sewer below the city. Their number had been increasing these past few months and they began attacking those who live near the Sewer entrance. It was a normal quest paper, but looking a the difficulties of the quest and the reward, he understood why no one bothered with it. The quest was under-rewarded. It has a chimera-rank difficulty but only a reward of tiger-rank. "It''s very low reward," Theo said.

    Cissy sighed and looked down in disappointment. "I''m sorry to bother yo-" Theo grabbed her shoulder before she could walk away.

    "No, that''s not what I mean. Who requested this quest?"

    She looked around, embarrassed. "Me. That''s why the reward is so low. I....I''m using my own money."

    "I''m in." he said promptly.

    She opened her eyes in surprise. Theo could see the hope inside her eyes. "R-Really?"

    "Yes. Yes, I''m in. " Theo looked around "Now, now, let''s talk about the detail outside, okay? We need to get out from here fast."

    --------

    In the lounge area, three women sat around a table. Around them, adventurers of all rank were watching them, some even walked to them and asked an autograph. They thought it was a good idea to have a lunch inside the adventurer guild. Oh, how wrong they were.

    "I''m really starting to lose my appetite." One of them said. She was a Nipponese woman a long black hair that tied in a ponytail.

    A man approached them out of nowhere. "Hey, I''m your biggest fan! Can I get an-"

    Before he could finish his sentence, one of the three, a woman wearing a red cloak and a red hood, faced the man. "FUCK OFF! WE''RE HAVING A LUNCH IN HERE YOU TWAT!" And screamed right in front of his face. The man back off and the red-hooded woman sat back on her chair. "I agree with Tomoe. Vex, we should get out from here. These, self-proclaimed weak adventurers have no manner." She said to the last of the three while throwing her food off the table.

    The last of the three, however, was staring at the crowd and moved her head in a strange way. She was looking for someone. "Vex, what are you looking at?"`The Nipponese woman named Tomoe asked.

    "A person. Someone I know."

    "Someone you know in this heap of trash? You must be joking Vex." The red-hooded woman replied.

    "No, there''s no way I''ve mistaken him for someone else. His face is... how do I say it? Special."

    Tomoe raised her head. "Him? One of your ex, Vex?"

    "No. He''s a friend, a very special friend."

    "But if he''s your friend, won''t he approach you?"

    "Well, he''s been avoiding me for the last few years."

    "Why?"

    "Because.... I hurt his pride, I guess. He thought he was so good in bed that no women could dominate him. I proved him wrong. I proved him to be very wrong." She said with pride behind her voice.

 Chapter 29: Sewer

    [Gained New Adventurer Quest: Monster Cleaning]

    [recommended level: 10+]

    [Recommended party: 5+]

    [Crawlers appeared near the exit of the sewer. Eliminate them and destroy their nest]

    [Reward: 100 silver]

    Cissy, Theo, and Vivi left the guild after discussing their quest. Subaru, the spy Aria ordered to follow Theo, was watching them from afar, taking note of their every move and following them.

    They returned to the inn first to pick up Lyana before going to the sewer.

    Cissy walked in the front and acted as a guide for them. "Did you fail Theo-Sama?" Vivi whispered to Theo as they walked. "You try to hit on Cissy, but she got angry instead."

    "Ah, no. I didn''t fail. I have predicted it and it was a temporary setback. I will get her later." He began explaining his technique. "Before I approached her, I watched her from afar. She''s a woman but wears a male uniform and cut her hair short like a guy, why?" Vivi shook her head. "There''s two reasons. One, she''s comfortable like that and is a tomboy. Or two, she wanted to be recognized and appreciated by the other guards. She''s the later." Theo then explained his reasoning "90% of the guards and soldiers in Amaryn is a male. Imagine you are a female in a male-dominated workplace. Not only you will be looked down, maybe you will even be mocked or abused. One way to be recognized as an equal is to dress and act like a male, to put yourself on an equal footing. If she''s only a tomboy, she won''t be that angry when I called her cute. The fact is, when I called her cute, she rejected it so strongly, that showed how she hate to be seen as a woman. I might be wrong, but then she said ''A soldier must not be cute''. That mean that she herself doesn''t mind being called cute, but her soldier side doesn''t want to be called cute."

    "Ohh." Vivi was amazed by Theo analysis. Lyana was eavesdropping on their conversation. She wanted to know what kind of technique Theo used to entrance woman so that he couldn''t use it on her.

    "But just like what happened before, wouldn''t a wrong word cause her to be angry?" Vivi asked.

    "Why did she come to the adventurer guild in the first place? For a quest. I didn''t ask her about the quest immediately after I approached her , why? So I can have a backup plan. If I say something wrong that make her mad or something similar, I can distract her by changing the subject. She wouldn''t be able to stop me from changing the subject because the subject I brought up is something more important than the one that made her mad. There''s also a chance that she might not forget what I said that made her mad, but let''s talk again later."

    "Ohh." Vivi''s eyes sparkled again.

    They finally arrived at the sewer''s entrance. The reason the quest was a chimera difficulty wasn''t because of the task , but because of the location. Like every city, even the great and majestic capital have its dark side. Hidden beneath the stone road and great building, the Sewer sprawled for hundreds of meters.

    The Sewer, like the name suggest, was a dark, damp, and dirty place. Homeless people, abandoned children, criminal, and black market dealer make their home in the endless branches and loop of the sewer. It was worse than a normal slum because no soldier or guards ever go there at all. With only occasional adventurers come there to do some monster cleaning.

    "Why do you even bother helping a place like this?" Lyana asked as they entered the sewer.

    "I was born and grew up in the slum near here, so this place is already like a home to me. The people around are also pretty nice, like a family. Most noble doesn''t care about the people in the slum. They think of them as nothing more than a trash or criminals, but that is not true. They are people who need help. And I have to start somewhere."

    Theo noticed how she spoke about the people of the sewer with affection. It was a side he could use to get close to her. "Not only that," Theo added. "Most of the slum people that becomes a criminal does it because they were never given the chance. They were rejected and cast out by society. They have no choices but to become a criminal." He said it out loud to make sure everyone could hear him, including Cissy.

    "You seems to know a lot." Lyana said.

    "During my time as a mercenary, I visited a lot of cities. Every city has the same problem with their slum." He smiled at Cissy. "It''s rare to find someone like you who cared about them."

    "Thanks." Cissy replied and smiled.

    "Do we really have to go there Theo sama? It stinks." Vivi said while closing her nose with her hand.

    "Don''t you have any spell that could help?" Theo asked Lyana.

    "No. I''m a combat mage, not a support one."

    "Well, close your nose as long as we''re not in combat. Oh, and yeah let''s make a party. Since we''re not inside a dungeon, there''s no high-level penalty."

    A message appeared in Lyana''s, VIvi''s, and Cissy''s mind.

    [Accept Party Invitation from Theo Gladium?]

    "I have to warn you all. If we see some criminal activities down there, please ignore it." Cissy said.

    "Oh. Where do your caring side of you go?" Lyana asked.

    "It''s not like I don''t want to help them, but if we help them it''s only going to complicate the problem. The Sewer is a criminal den, and in Amaryn, the leader of the criminal underworld is a group called the Greed Kings. They got their hand on the city guards, the justice system, spy corps, secret police, and a lot more. If we try to do anything to stop them, we will be caught and branded as a criminal instead."

    "Do you have any idea who is the member of this Greed Kings?" Theo asked.

    "Only rumor, but I think Count Cobra is one of them. He''s the one controlling the spy corps and secret police."

    ------

    They went deeper into the sewer. Theo brought out his torch and Lyana cast a candlelight spell to light the way. They passed several people along the way, but heed them no mind.

    Soon enough they find the monster they have been searching. A group of five crawlers, a creature that looked like a hideous crossbreed between human and spider.

    "Wait! Don''t do anything yet." Theo ordered. The Crawler haven''t noticed them. Theo took out a scroll from his bag. The scroll burned in his hand and an information flooded his mind.

    [Crawler Lv 3][Crawler Lv. 5]

    "Their level aren''t that high. Vivi, can you mind control them?"

    Vivi closed her eyes. She opened her eyes again. "No. It''s not like I''m not good enough, someone or something was already controlling their mind."

    Cissy heard their conversation and shouted. "What? Someone is controlling them to attack the slum?"

    "No," Theo answered quick. "Crawler is a hive mind creature. What controlling them is most likely their queen."

    "It''s time for you to show what you have learned." He patted Vivi''s shoulder. He was told that during his time saving the princess, Lyana taught Vivi some offensive spell. "Lyana, you and Cissy scout the area and search for more monster." Lyana and Cissy nodded.

    "[Fire bolt]"

    A bolt of fire shot out from Vivi''s hand and hit the nearest crawler, burning it. But since the magic was still low level, the damage wasn''t that high even with Crawler weakness to fire. The group of Crawler noticed them and, like their name, crawled to them with their eight legs.

    "Keep firing. I''ll push any that get too close."

    Vivi continuously fired fire bolt from her hand at the same target. It fell to the ground after four shot, but the rest was still moving toward them

    "Wait Theo Sama don''t push them yet, I have something I want to test. " Vivi waited and waved her hand in front of her body. "[Combustion]!"

    A great fire exploded out from Vivi''s hand. It was a powerful spell albeit with its near melee range. The fire burned and incapacitate three of the four remaining Crawler, but Vivi messed up. Instead of exploding forward, the fire exploded to every direction, including to herself.

    Theo pulled Vivi before the fire could harm her.

    He smacked her head lightly. "Are you stupid?! You almost hurt yourself!"

    "Hehe. Sorry, Theo Sama. It''s a tier 2 fire spell I read it from one of Lyana''s book. She told me not to learn it yet, but I''m bored without you."

    Theo sighed. "Tell me first before you''re going to experiment like that. What if you hurt yourself? Remember that you are mine, any damage you do to yourself, you need to pay it to me."

    "OK!" Vivi acts all cute while answering.

    Theo pushed back the Crawler that got too close and let Vivi kill it., but he pushed too hard that he broke its neck.

    "Um, my bad." He apologized. Vivi went and finished the rest of the incapacitated Crawler.

    ------

    They regrouped with lyana and Cissy who were also fighting a few more Crawlers. He observed how Cissy fought. Most guards were trained to use spear in combat, but since the sewer was a narrow place, using spear was stupid. She compensated this by using a short sword. From the look of it, she was quite skilled. Nowhere near Theo, but still, skilled.

    After following the Crawlers, they reached a huge vertical room with water flooding the lower part. Crawler''s eggs fille the wall, most still unhatched.

    The hole they entered was located on top of the room where there was a platform. Theo looked over the edge. "Damn, that''s deep." He said looking down at the ten meters long drop. "This is definitely their nest."

    "Any idea how can we clear this all?" Lyana asked after looking down. Vivi and Cissy then followed them by looking down the hole.

    "Well, it''s your and Vivi''s job."

    Lyana let out a disappointed sigh seeing that Theo had no plan whatsoever. "Fine, but buy me a book after this." Lyana stood near the edge and raised both of her hand.

    "[Raise Magic], [Haste]!" She cast two buff magic. Normally such magic would only affect her. But if someone used a buff magic while in party, the rest of the party were also affected, but with reduced effectiveness.

    ''

    "I''ll burn the egg. Vivi, you kill any Crawler trying to get up. Theo and Cissy, both of you cover our flank if someone or something popped out from behind."

    "Right." Cissy said. She and Theo stood guard behind the rest and watched the entrance from where they came in.

    "If there''s any problem, call me." Said Theo.

    "[Greater Fireball]" Fireball hovered on both of her hand. It gradually grew bigger until it was bigger than her head.

    She threw it toward the egg-covered walls.

    [Greater Fireball], while it didn''t look as impressive as other Tier 3 fire spell, it was one of the most effective. Without using that much mana, one could throw a fireball that grew larger the further it flew while still retaining its destructive capability. Even getting as large as a human body. Not to mention that after the spell hit its target, the fire would spew everywhere. Perfect for targeting grouped enemy.

    The fire scorched the wall, burning most of the eggs near it.

    The ground and wall trembled. Countless crawler appeared from the bottom and climbed the wall with haste.

    "Vivi take care of them! I need time to prepare my next spell." Lyana said while raising her arm again.

    She looked over her shoulder to check on Theo and Cissy. "[Higher Block],[Higher Counter], [Higher Parry]" He said while taking a stance. Like she had expected, the Crawlers also appeared from the tunnel behind them.

    Vivi began casting [Firebolt] and [Fire arrow] to kill or slow down the crawler that climbed the wall. But their number were too many for her to handle alone.

    Lyana brought her hand together and close her eyes. When she separated her hand, an electrical current jumped from one hand to the other. At first, only one bolt of electricity jumped, then two, three, until it became a continuous stream of electricity jumping from one hand to the other.

    "Move!" She shouted and Vivi stepped back. "[Double Chain lighting]"

    From each of her hand, a lighting bolt shot out, seeking the nearest Crawler. After it hit its target, it jumped to next Crawler, and again, and again. Each jump reduced the damage by 25% of its current power. It will continue jumping until there was no available target left or until it doesn''t have enough power left to jump.

    From the first until the third target, Lyana''s lighting bolt still had enough power to kill its target. From the fourth until the seventh it destroyed some of their limbs. And from the eight until the final target, the bolt paralyzed them, sending them down from the wall to their death.

    Chain lighting was a perfect spell to use when there was a crowd of enemies in a line. It was a very inefficient use of mana, however, as jumping between target use a lot of mana.

    Lyana chest heaved wildly. Using two double tier 3 spell took almost all her mana, but it was already an amazing feat. Most mage at her level wouldn''t be able to even cast a tier 3 spell with such mastery.

    The ground shook again. This time much stronger, like an earthquake.

    Lyana, who stood on the edge, was caught unprepared and lost her balance. Vivi caught her hand, but her small body couldn''t handle Lyana''s weight.

    They both fell down the hole and screamed.

    "Lyana! Vivi!" Theo shouted as he heard their scream. He turned toward Cissy who still struggling with Crawlers on her side. She was pretty skilled with her short sword, but The Crawlers was simply too numerous.

    He took a spell-paper from one of his pouches. Flame erupted and burned crawlers all around him.

    He then jumped toward Cissy and helped her finish all the rest. "Cissy, do you bring a rope?"

    "Yes, exploring the sewer without one is suicide."

    "Find something strong to tie it. And throw it down that hole when I call you." He said while pointing at the hole Lyana and Vivi fell to. "It''s long enough, right?"

    "Yes, it is. Wait, Theo, you don''t mean to..."

    He stood on the edge and looked down. Below, Vivi and Lyana were standing in front of a massive crawler. "Shit. The Queen."

    Crawler Queen was a rare and dangerous creature. Its danger level was the same as a Hydra. While not possessing Hydra''s regenerative abilities, Crawler Queen has an intelligent rivaling humans or beast-kin. It should be intelligent enough to have a conversation with Lyana and Vivi. But considering what they did to its eggs, Theo wasn''t sure it wanted to have a chat.

    The good thing was, the Queen was in a perfect position for a 10-meter drop [Monster Beheading].

 Chapter 30: The Crawler Queen

    "[Slow Fall]" Lyana shouted in panic. She was hugging Vivi tight in her embrace. Their fall slowed down because of the magic, but it still wasn''t enough. "[Wind Ascend]" Gust of wind appeared and pushed them upward. Normally, one would use such magic to help them jump higher and further, but she used it to slow their fall.

    Lyana and Vivi crashed against the floor. It was a painful fall, but at least not a fatal one. The shallow water also helped reduce the damage to some extent.

    Lyana pushed herself off the ground. Her head ringing and her vision hazy, but she knew that the crawlers were getting close.

    She stretched both of her arms out. "[Double Combustion]"

    She could hear the piercing shriek of dying crawlers. When her head stopped ringing, she noticed that they were completely surrounded. Crawler filled every corner of her eyes, numbering in the hundreds. They even covered the ceiling, but they didn''t move. They sat still, observing them from a distance.

    Cold sweats broke from her skin. If those crawlers began attacking them, they would die. She was out of mana, and Vivi barely knew any offensive magic.

    "Who dare kill my children?" A loud voice resounded in the room.

    Eight glowing red circles hovered in the darkness of that room, slowly moving near Lyana and Vivi. A huge Crawler, towering three times the height of Lyana appeared from the darkness. The Queen.

    Unlike the rest of her swarm, the queen was a sapient creature, but most of the time, it didn''t even bother to speak with other sapient race. And one such creature stood before her.

    After reading some books about monsters, Lyana expected a more majestic creature to be the queen instead of some oversized crawler. But the aura of power oozing from her body couldn''t be mistaken for a normal crawler.

    "For what reason did you come here, demon?" The Crawler Queen asked. Her voice that of a woman. "And a human, interesting choices of companion I must say."

    Lyana hand trembled. She knew that fighting would only result in their demise. Even from her aura alone, she knew that the queen was too powerful. She must be at early level 40. And even if she and Vivi could kill the queen, what about the hundreds of crawler all around them.

    Lyana opened her mouth, but she couldn''t find the right answer. A wrong answer would lead to the same conclusion. Death.

    "Forgive us for the intrusion o great Crawler queen." Vivi suddenly said. She stood up and bowed at the Queen. "We were simply attacked by your minion. Please forgive us."

    ''What are you doing VIVI? Like hell that would work!'' Lyana shouted inside her mind, she didn''t dare say it out loud.

    "I believe you, but that doesn''t explain why do you attack my nest."

    ''That worked?!'' Lyana shouted in her mind. She looked at Vivi, she gave her a wink. ''Ohh right. She can affect the mind of the queen.''

    "We were simply defending ourselves, My Queen, but the Sewer is not a place for a human. The ground is wet and slippery, we fell down here."

    "If you promise to leave us without doing any harm, then I will give you a safe passage." The Queen said.

    "We promise." Vivi said while giving her a slight bow.

    "Then i''ll wi-" "[Monster Beheading]!"

    Theo fell from above, cutting the Queen''s neck clean. It was the first time Theo used [Monster Beheading] for an actual beheading.

    "FUUCK!! MY LEG!" He crouched down and hugged his legs. He has a skill that minimizes the damage from a fall, but 10 meters was still too high. Not to mention the wound that Roderyk caused haven''t healed fully.

    "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!!!" Lyana screamed at Theo sudden appearance. Everything was going so well until he showed up.

    He stood up. "Saving both of you." He said, not yet realizing his error.

    "Vivi, tell him." She said and looked at Vivi. Vivi''s hand was covering her eyes. Perplexed, she didn''t even bother to answer him "Look around you!" Lyana yelled.

    Theo gave her a strange look and turned his body. His face turned sour as he faced the hundreds and hundreds of crawler who saw their queen killed. "Oh fuck!.....Any... idea?"

    "Fucking really?" She shouted. "You came here, mess all this up, and push the responsibility to me?!"

    "No...uh....hahaha, i...share the responsibility." He smiled awkwardly.

    "Then protect us and fight any that come too close!" Lyana touched the ground. "[Rock Spike]" Multiple spikes of rock jutted out from the ground, big enough to impale a man. It encompassed her and Vivi, but not Theo.

    Theo readied his stance and applied fire buff on his sword. The wound on his leg still hurt after the fall. Because of that, he couldn''t make a proper stance. "Fuck! The wound opened up again." He then took a potion and threw it at Lyana. "That''s a [Mana Regeneration potion]. You''ll need it." She immediately drank it.

    The Crawler screeched and shrieked. They didn''t move. After losing the control and command of their queen, they didn''t know what to do, they were not given any order.

    After a few seconds of intense screeching and staring, one crawler crawled forward. He dispatched it . But that incited the others to also move forward and attacked them.

    Theo braced for impact. If he had his plate armor, the fight might appear more feasible, but with only mail, it was hardly possible. He, however, had faced many hardly possible moment in his life, he will survive. The problem was protecting Lyana and Vivi.

    He could only hold the wave from one side, and even then, he couldn''t stop them all with his leg like that. He scoured his mind for anything that could help him protect Vivi and Lyana, but found none.

    "Fuck! Must I use this here?" His hand moved toward his back pouches. Inside it was some items that could help him handle any kind of situation. Though he prefer not using them if he could.

    "[Mass Hysteria]" Vivi eyed sparkled with an ominous violet light.

    The Crawler''s screech and shriek became erratic. They were confused and disoriented. Some ran away, some charged at Theo, but most began fighting each other.

    Vivi body fell to the ground. The spell put an immense burden on her body and mind. "Vivi!" Lyana called in a panic.

    "Lyana!" Theo called her. "Focus on the enemy! She gives us a chance, don''t waste it."

    Theo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He focused all his aura to protect his body. He has no need to enhance his attack. His blade sharpness and his skill were enough to deal with the horde.

    He remembered about a sword style that his father once told him, one that focused on fighting numerous monster at once. "[Dance of Wolf]" He whispered.

    Theo jumped at the crowd of crawler while spinning his body and stretching his sword out. The [Dance of Wolf] practitioner employed a much faster and much agiler movement. Wearing a light armor to not impede their body. They would dodge and pirouetted almost excessively to not get hit by the enemy, then counter with fast and precise strikes directed at the opponent weak spot. But such movement was not possible with the open wound on his leg. His movement was clumsy and slow.

    Lyana observed the Crawler surrounding them. The spike stopped some of them and Vivi''s [Mass Hysteria] sent some of them running to the spike, but it won''t last long. They will find a way to get past the spike, or the spike will crumble, whichever came first.

    Her mana still not enough to cast another area spell, but she doesn''t have to. You don''t have to fight quantity with quality.

    She began drawing an intricate symbol in the air and after she was done, a fire elemental jumped out from it. She pointed her finger, covered with a green magic circle at the spawned elemental.

    "I bound you to my will." The elemental eyes turned green. "Now go and kill all the crawler."

    Normally, one does not need to bind a summoned elemental if the summoned was lower-leveled than the summoner. But in this case, Lyana was about to send the elemental to a certain death. She has to maintain some form of control over all her spawned Elementals. Or else, they will return to their realm, or worse, attack their summoner. She repeated the process three times, each time harder than the previous.

    She immediately sat down in meditation after sending all the elemental to battle. She closed her eyes and focused on recovering her mana. The potion Theo gave her was effective, it increased her mana regeneration by 100% for a short amount of time.

    The elementals she summoned was [Lesser Fire Elemental]. The weakest and most basic of fire elemental, being only level 5, but it was enough to fight with a lesser monster like crawler. Or at least keep them at bay while she regenerates her mana.

    She didn''t have enough mana to summon a higher elemental nor would she summon one even if she had. She wasn''t well versed on the subject of summoning magic and wouldn''t take the risk.

    -----

    Theo kneeled on the floor, exhausted and relieved. Vivi''s [Mass Hysteria] had driven almost all the Crawler into killing each other or running. He himself had lost count about how much he had killed, around fifty was his best guess.

    He looked behind him. Vivi still out cold on the floor and Lyana was exhausted, safe but exhausted.

    He took a glance at Panes. No dent, no scratch, no damage at all. His mail armor and gambeson, on the other hand, was broken. He even has some nasty bite and claw wound on his skin. Thankfully, none of them was a deep wound. Except for the wound in his leg that become worse after the fight.

    He took a fabric and made a makeshift bandage to cover the wound. He looked up. "Cissy! We''re done here!" He shouted.

    "Okay!" She threw a rope down the hole.

    Theo got a message in his mind.

    [Dance of Wolf level up to Lv.5]

    [Theo Gladium Level up to Level 31]

    [Vigor, Resilience +1. Strength, Agility +2.]

    Theo tied the unconscious Vivi to his back with another rope.

    He observed the room now there was no more threat. The wall was filled with tunnel holes, probably where the Crawler came in the first place. Among the mound of Crawler corpse, there was a corpse of a black cloaked man in the corner of the room.

    Theo approached it carefully. While he was sure that it was just a corpse, he got nothing to lose by being careful. It was just a dead skeleton.

    Its robe was ripped apart and the skeleton wasn''t complete either, meaning that the person died while being ripped apart by crawlers or their queen.

    Anything the skeleton carried was missing, except one thing. On the robe, a badge stuck. A black badge with a carving of an angel on it. While he didn''t recognize the angel, he knew about the black badge. It''s triangular shape and the metal it was made of signified only one thing. "What the hell a priest of The Black doing here?" He asked himself.

    "Theo, you coming or not?" Lyana asked while climbing the rope. She was exhausted and climbed the rope at a snail pace.

    "I''ll be right behind you."

    Suddenly, he heard a sound, a commotion, coming from one of the holes in the wall. It was not crawler''s sound, it was a human. No, not ''a'' human, a lot of them. "Lyana, I have something to investigate first. It won''t be long."

    "Be careful Theo, you''re carrying Vivi behind you."

    Theo entered the hole he believed to be the source of the sound. It was not a long hole, after half a minute of walking, he could see the other side. The sound was coming from another room similar to the previous one.

    Theo was couldn''t believe what he saw. Instead of being infested by crawlers or rodents, it was filled with people. They were all armed and looked battle-hardened. They were equipped with expensive gears like an army.

    "What the hell?"

 Chapter 31: Friend

    Theo and Cissy walked along the city road in the middle of the night. Theo carried the head of Crawler Queen on his belt and was heading to the adventurer guild. He told Lyana, who was carrying an unconscious Vivi, to head back to the inn first.

    Occasionally he could see strumpet on the street trying to get a customer. He smiled looking at those trying to seduce him despite him being covered with blood and filth.

    "Cissy, you wait outside okay?"

    "Okay."

    Theo entered the adventurer guild. "I want to meet with the branches'' master." Theo said as soon as he reached the adventurer guild counter.

    "I''m sorry sir, but unless there''s an appointment I ca-" Before the officer can answer, Theo brought the severed Crawler Queen''s head on the table.

    "Is that a.."

    "Yes it''s a Crawler Queen''s head, And if that doesn''t mean anything to you, you don''t deserve to work in the adventurer guild. Call the guild master!"

    "I-I''m sorry sir, but the master is out right now." He answered promptly.

    "I can substitute for him." A female voice came from the second floor. Theo and the officer turned their head to see the source.

    Theo froze in place. Sweat broke out from all over his body. On the second floor, a blue haired woman stood. From her neck, hung a necklace with the carving of a dragon.

    "V-V-Vex. Long time no see." Theo said. He faked a calm attitude, but that didn''t work.

    "Meet me at the master room.... Theo." Vex flashed a smile before walking away.

    Theo came to the master''s room a minute after that. It was a meeting room with a huge table in the center. Twenty chairs were placed around it, all were empty. A woman in her late twenties sat on of the table holding a few papers in her hand.

    She has an attractive face complemented by her light blue hair that reached her neck. Her body was fit and well toned, while still being feminine and sensual.

    She wore a golden colored armor that covered only her breast, her small part of her leg, and her shoulder. It was another enigma of this world. How did female armor worked despite only covering small part of their skin?

    "Theo Gladium. Mmm. Mm. How long has it been?" She asked.

    "F-four years" he stuttered.

    She looked at her paper. "Level 30"

    "31." He corrected.

    "Making you one of the highest level adventurers on the continent, but somehow still a Chimera rank.... hmm, well, well, often get a personal guard and escort request from noble women. I wonder what kind of service they told you to do. Recently given the medal of highest honor by the kingdom after saving Princess Anastasia." She put down the paper. "Pretty impressive. So what business do you have here?"

    "So I take a quest this afternoon. A normal Crawler cleaning quest. Moderate difficulty, sub-moderate pay, usual, but then this showed up." He raised The Crawler Queen''s head.

    "Crawler Queen. That''s an ultra rare monster."

    "And this." He brought out a bulging sack. It was made of leather and was water proof, but the red color of the blood could be seen even from outside. "136 pairs of Crawler''s ear. You can recount it later."

    "We could reward you a silver coin for each ear and ten gold coin for the Queen''s head."

    "And a promotion to a Hydra rank." He said with sour voice.

    She raised her brows. "It''s rare for you to not haggle. especially with women."

    "I''m fucking tired Vex. Please."

    "Deal." She answered promptly.

    Theo put the head and the sack on the table. "I''ll return for the reward tomorrow." He turned toward the exit.

    Before he could exit the room, Vex spoke. "Not going to flirt with me like usual? Or is there another woman waiting for you outside? Maybe in an inn?" She asked. Theo stopped his feet but didn''t speak. "Are you still afraid of me Theo, after I completely and utterly dominated you in bed? Did I hurt your pride so much that you leave me alone for four years? Be a man Theo. C''mon, accept your loss and accept the fact that there''s someone better than you."

    "You laughed at me Vex. And I told you that I left not because of the sex. I-"

    "For Ketu sake Theo. I laugh every time I have sex with any men or women. That''s just me." Theo opened the door. "Okay, I''m sorry okay?" She apologized.

    "I''m tired Vex. I''ll return here tomorrow. We''ll talk again later." Theo exited the room.

    "What a child." Vex chuckled once Theo left the room.

    As Theo walked outside the adventurer''s guild, Cissy approached him. "How is it going?"

    "It''s fine. I''m able to get a nice price for the trophy." Theo took the 100 silver he got from the job and gave it to Cissy. "Here."

    "E-Eh? But It''s meant for you, for helping me. I can''t accept it."

    "Honestly Cissy, I don''t need the money. I already have a lot. I took the job to help the small people. I know how bad their living condition is." He said with a smile. He was lying, of course, he did it because he has nothing else to do.

    Cissy took it and gripped it tight. There was a look of admiration in her eyes, admiration toward him. She bowed her body. "Thank you so much! And I"m sorry for being angry at you this morning! I thought you are just another adventurer who only cares about themselves and about women. I''m sorry! If there''s anything I can do to fix my mistake. I will do it."

    He smiled. Her prediction was on the spot. "It''s fine Cissy. I''m used to be seen like that, especially when you look at my adventuring companion." She was still bowing. "But if you feel the need to make amend, why don''t we go have a drink or two. After I wash my body in the river of course."

    --------

    Theo and Cissy sat on a table in a tavern. Theo had washed his body in the river and Cissy had clean her body back home. There was two empty bottle on their table, and two more unopened.

    The tavern there was bigger but more crowded than the one in Aeston. There were more wenches and prostitutes taking advantage of the situation. The bards were also richer here.

    Cissy was slightly drunk while Theo was still far from it despite drinking twice the amount as Cissy. He was waiting for this moment before asking Cissy a more personal question. "Cissy, why do you act like men and dress like men."

    Cissy looked at him with somber eyes. She drank another glass of alcohol beverages. "The men from my workplace, the guards, and the soldiers. It was because of them, those shitty men, very different than you Sir Theo."

    Theo raised his brows. "How so?"

    She drank another glass. "They look down at me and mocked me for being a weak woman. They told me to go back to the kitchen or to go back to bed and spread my leg. So I prove it to them I can also be men like them, and I can do it better!"

    "But by doing so you lose to them you know."

    She stared at him. "WHAT?! How can that be? I prove to them that I''m better than them."

    "By becoming them, by trying to become men. You should have been yourself. Accept your femininity and used it as your strength. Take examples of Greci Hartman of the royal guards and....well, Vex from the Miracle. They embraced their feminine side and they are among the best of the Kingdom''s knight."

    "But they cut their hair short."

    "Only at shoulder''s length. And for the ease of combat, not to look like men."

    She looked down. "So what I did all this time was wrong?"

    "It''s not too late to change."

    "But how?"

    "I don''t know how, but I can teach you the advantage of being a woman. Teach you a thing or two."

    -------

    The next morning he sat on the Guild master''s room inside the adventurer guild. Vex was sitting opposite of him. "Here. Theo, you''re now a Hydra-rank adventurer." She handed him his plate.

    "Okay. Now here''s your payment for all the monster body part you collected." She handed him a pouch full of coin

    He took the pouch and opened it. The reward should be 10 gold coin and 272 silver coins, or the equivalent of 12 gold coin and 72 silver coin. He counted it all and it was exactly 12 gold and 72 silver coin.

    Theo was uncomfortable. Vex has been acting strange and super formal to him. Was it because of their conversation the day before? "What are you trying to do Vex?"

    "What? Is it so strange to you that I''m trying to do my job?"

    "Without flirting? Yes."

    "Oh. So if I''m not flirting with you, It''s strange, but if you don''t flirt it''s okay." She sighed. "Look Theo. If you want us to return like before, you should also apologize. You left me for four years without a letter or even a word. You can''t just dump a woman and expect everything to return to normal the next time you met."

    "I''m not dumping you Vex, there''s no ''US'' We''re only a friend."

    "Who have sex almost every night. If not the morning also."

    Theo tapped his finger on the table. "Okay. I''m sorry." He said earnestly.

    "Good. Apology accepted." She smiled. There was no longer any trace of anger from before. "Since you have apologized, I give you a reward."

    "If it sex I have to decline."

    "No. It''s information about a very fine woman. Greci Hartman. Your Idol''s daughter."She said with a smug smile.

    His eyes opened wide. "Sir Arslan''s daughter, you know her?"

    "I''m a friend of her."

    "Friend, or ''friend''?"

    She sighed, disappointed. "Too bad we''re just a normal friend. In case you want to get near her, don''t even try to mention Sir Arslan. never. She hated her father''s fame."

    "Why?"

    "Why? I mean you''re a strong and hardworking person, but everything you do is eclipsed by your father''s fame. No matter how hard you try, your father still eclipsed you at everything. Won''t you be angry or hate your father if it''s like that? Not to mention her father is nonexistent in her childhood. There''s still a lot more reason why Greci hate her father, but that''s for another time."

    "Well, thank you Vex." Theo stood.

    "Not a kiss or anything? Really?"

    He smirked. "No. My women are waiting for me."

    "Theo." She called him before he left. Theo turned. "Care for a drink tonight? You know, for old times'' sake. Talk about what we missed from each other these past 4 years."

    "Sure. Why not. For old times'' sake."

 Side Story: Mary

    Mary woke up a little before the sun rose in summer, or at the same hour during other seasons. While she never liked waking up that early, living and managing a store alone forced her to do so. And after three years of doing the same thing, she had grown accustomed to it. She has Theo of course, but he was away. Even if he was home, he almost never did the house chore.

    She came down, washed her body, and have a quick breakfast. After washing the dishes, she picked up a broom and started cleaning the house. She started from the attic, then to her room, then to Theo''s ro... It was empty.

    She stared at the empty room. It had only been three weeks since Theo left Aeston, but she already missed him. And the fastest he would return was in six months, it was unbearable. He did send some letter and she replied it whenever she could, but it only gave her a temporary relief.

    She entered the room and began cleaning it. Since no one was using the room, it wasn''t that dirty. She always hated the messy room that Theo never bothered to clean, or the smell of other woman''s perfume sticking to his clothes and the bed sheet. But now.......

    She shook her head.

    No. She mustn''t let herself drown in the sadness. She has a lot of things to do that wouldn''t be done if she let herself cry.

    After she finished cleaning the house, she walked toward the market. She needed to buy some ingredient for lunch and dinner. "Good morning, Mary." Said a plump old woman who ran a market stall.

    "Morning, Miss Carley." She answered with a bright smile. She was Miss Carley. She had occupied the exact same market stalls since Mary could remember. And Mary lived her whole life in Aeston.

    It was still early, some shops and market stalls haven''t yet opened. But if you want to buy good and cheap ingredients, you have to buy it early. First thing first, she bought some cheap rye bread. It was not meant for herself, it was for other.

    She looked around. "There you are." She said after seeing some children waiting for her behind the corner. They stared at her with a hopeful stare.

    Their bodies were small, their skin dirty, and their clothes ragged. They were the orphans of Aeston whose number increase each winter. There used to be an orphanage in Aeston, but it was destroyed during The Great War and never rebuilt.

    After the orphanage was gone, the orphans were forced to make their own community and feed each other. They lived in abandoned buildings. The older one worked as labor while the younger one beggared in the street. Mary caught them stealing once and scolded them. After that, they somehow stopped stealing.

    One young child with orange short hair approached her. "Jack. this is for you."

    "Thank you, Mary." He took the bread and returned to where his friends stood.

    She called them by names one by one before calling the oldest one and gave her a bag full of bread. "This is for the rest."

    "Thank you Mary!" they said in unison. Their faces were beaming with smiles.

    "Don''t forget to share with the other, okay?" She returned their warm smile.

    Since the nobles never cared for them, the local people of the market had taken the habit of giving them food, clothe, or medicine. Though most people couldn''t help much since they were also struggling with life.

    After buying everything she needed and greeting everyone in the market, she returned home to open her shop. She was met with a surprise when she arrived. "Lord Edmund, Cynthia." She said when she saw the two people waiting for her shop to open. "I-I''m really sorry to make you wait. I did not expect for both of you to come so early."

    "It''s okay, Mary." Ed answered.

    "It''s fine, hon." Cynthia replied.

    Mary put down the bag in her hand and hurriedly open the door for her two customers. "I''m really, really sorry. I haven''t prepared anything. Do you want some tea?"

    "You don''t have to, I''m just going to get some books quick." Ed replied.

    "You heard him."

    "It''s rare to see you here Cynthia. Did something happened?" Mary asked while putting her groceries.

    "No. Usually, Theo brought me some books so I don''t have to come here. But he''s not here now."

    After Ed and Cynthia finished buying their books, silence returned to the shop. But not for long. A knock came from the door and Miss Carley entered the shop with a face full of sweat. "Mary! It''s bad! It''s bad! W-where is Theo?"

    Mary was surprised by her expression. "H-he''s left the city three weeks ago. What happened?"

    "By Lord Ketu! That''s why they returned! It''s the street gang, Mary. They resurface again and started harassing the orphans and people in the market."

    Images of the young orphan children flashed in her mind. That was the hour where the older orphaned started to work. "W-what? What about the guard?"

    "The guards turn a blind eye as usual. They don''t even bother trying to help when they saw the street gang carrying weapons."

    "Adventurers?"

    "You know how they are. They won''t do charity work. If Theo''s not here, what do we do?"

    " I-...." She hesitated. She didn''t want to burden him, but if this was the case. "I will search for Fergus. Please stay here, Miss Carley. At least until I can make sure the market is safe."

    She dashed out from her shop and headed toward the inn where Fergus stayed. The street was already crowded at that hour, making it hard for her to run. The distance between her shop and the inn was quite far. That, combined with the sun that already shining brightly, sapped her energy.

    "Excuse me, Sir. Where is Fergus?" She asked the innkeeper with ragged breath.

    The innkeeper''s eyes went wide as he saw her. "Ah! You must be Mary."

    "Please, Sir. It''s an emergency."

    "Oh, Sorry." Said the innkeeper. He failed to notice her panicked expression. "Uh, let me see..... Fergus left this morning, saying he will search something in the forest. He said he will return at noon.

    Mary ran from the desk, heading outside. She stopped abruptly before exiting the building. She turned and bowed her head. "Thank you, Sir!" She then exited the building.

    She headed to the market. She didn''t know what else to do. Reporting to the guard wouldn''t do any good. She could try asking Mikki or Cynthia, but Mikki wasn''t always in the city, and Cynthia was in the inner ward. She was too far away.

    She herself didn''t know if being there would do any good. But she will do anything she could to help.

    When she arrived there, the situation was a mess. Some people closed their shop and stalls. Some hiding in alleys. And some couldn''t run away because of the street gang caught them first.

    Ten people stood in the center of the market. They brought a weapon in their arm and threaten anyone who got close. Their leader, the biggest guy of the pack, was holding a child by his neck.

    The child struggled to get away from the huge man''s hand. But his short feet couldn''t even touch the man''s body. "C''mon brat! just give us the money!"

    "No! I don''t have any!"

    The huge man slapped the kid''s cheek, leaving it red. "Do you think we''re stupid? You stole from one of my men!"

    Tears began forming on the edge of the kid''s eye. "T-Theo, Theo gonna beat you up!"

    The street gang laughed. "You stupid brat! Don''t you know, Theo left you all three weeks ago. He''s not gonna-"

    "Jack!" Mary called and ran to the child. The gang was surprised by the sudden shout. She pulled Jack away from the gang and told him to run.

    The Leader was enraged by Mary''s action and raised his hand to slap her. When Mary turned toward the gang, she was surprised and scared. She fell to the ground on sitting position.

    "No! Don''t hit her!" A voice of an old man rang out from behind her. A one-eyed old man came out of nowhere and held the Leader''s hand. "Get away, Old man!" The leader lashed out and pushed the old man away, causing him to fall to the ground.

    The Leader turned toward Mary again. "You, Bitc-" Another hand closed his mouth. It was a hairy, no, a fur-covered hand.

    "You want some money?" Fergus let go of the leader''s mouth. "Here take this and leave." He handed them 100 gold coin.

    He laughed. "Hehehe, fine! Let''s return boys." The leader spat on the ground and left with the rest of the gang. "Pussycat!" He sneered.

    "Are you alright?" Fergus asked while helping her stand.

    She wiped the dust from her clothes. "I''m okay, thanks. But you, your gold.."

    "It''s only a hundred gold."

    "Only a hundred gold? Do you know how many people have that much money, Fergus? People around here would work for years before getting that much money!"

    "Look around Mary. Look around. The peace and the people here worth a lot more than that."

    "But they will come again, and they will probably come to you. I don''t want to see you get hurt."

    Fergus smiled when he heard she was worried about him. He grabbed her shoulders. "I''ll talk with Damien okay? I will talk with him and make sure the city guard will do something. Okay?"

    She smiled. "Okay."

    "But treat me for breakfast for tomorrow."

    "Okay." Mary then looked around for the mysterious old man that helped her. She has to thank him at the very least.

    She spotted him trying to get away to an alley. She followed him, but the closer she got, the faster the old man move. "Excuse me, Sir." She called.

    "G-get away from me. Please!" The old man cried. It was a clear fear in his voice.

    Mary was confused by his reaction."I only want to thank you."

    "Don''t get close to me! Get away! If you wanted to thank me, then just leave me alone!" He started to run.

    Mary was curious what drove the old man who saved her to be scared like that. While she wanted to know, she knew that chasing him would make him even more scared. Not to mention that the old man was actually fast, faster than her at her best.

    She stopped chasing him. Maybe, if she approached him some other time, he won''t be that scared and she could thank him properly.

    "Mary." The voice of a child called her. She turned and saw Jacked behind her with his head hung low. He fidgeted his finger. "T-thank you. And...and ...s-sorry. You got yourself in trouble because of me."

    She smiled and approached her. She squatted so their faces were of equal height, but Jack avoided her gaze. She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her face. "Jack. Did you stole from those guys?"

    Jack didn''t answer for a few second. "Y-yes. And I''m sorry. I''m really sorry."

    "Why?" She asked. There was no anger or the sort in her voice.

    "M-My sister is sick. She overworked herself and didn''t get enough rest. She needs a medicine and I-I wanted to help her."

    "How many times must I tell you, Jack? Stealing is not the right way."

    "B-but they are bad guys! Theo told me It''s okay to do bad things to bad guys!"

    Mary sighed. How much of bad influence was her boyfriend to the younger generation? "Jack. Doing bad things to bad guys doesn''t make it right. There''s a reason we have the justice system and the court. Understand?" Jack nodded his head. "Why didn''t just asked for my help? I can buy her a medicine."

    "Y-you have helped us so many times, Mary. you gave us breakfast every morning and you gave us clothes. I...feel bad asking you."

    Mary smiled and patted his head. "If it''s an emergency, there''s no shame for asking other''s help. Don''t ever steal again okay? You see how much trouble you cause for everyone?"

    Jack nodded. "I''m sorry."

    "I''m not the only one you troubled. You should apologize to everyone. "

    Jack nodded again. "W-will those bad guys return Mary?"

    "No. Fergus said he will take care of it."

    --------

    The moon hung high above Aeston. In the slum, Fergus walked with two healing potions on his belt and a few healing scrolls. He was heading toward a particular house. A gambling house where the street gang from before made their base.

    He knocked on the broken wooden door and a man opens it. "Who the fuck are you, kitty?" the man asked with a half-drunk voice.

    Fergus remembered him from the market earlier. "Can I get in?"

    "Freak half cat like you are not allowed here. Fuck off!" There was no friendliness in his voice.

    Fergus was not deterred."I need to speak with your boss."

    "The boss have nothing to with you! FUCK! OFF!"

    Fergus scratched his own head. "It seems I have to rephrase my words. Could you please kindly?"

    The man walked toward Fergus and began poking his head. "Don''t you hear what I say, you freak! Fuck! O-"

    The man''s body flew to the other side of the room, crashing against the bar counter and destroying it. Everyone inside immediately stood up and drew their weapon.

    Fergus walked inside and looked around. The were exactly ten men inside, not counting the dozen prostitute they hired. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I need to speak with your boss."

    "Who the fuck are you?" One of them yelled at him.

    From the now broken counter, the leader stood up and looked at Fergus. "You''re the kitty cat from before."

    Fergus smiled. "Yes, I am."

    "What? You want your money back? Too late, motherfucker! We''ve spent it all today."

    "No, I don''t want to get my money back. I just want to ask a few question." He walked toward the center of the room, placing himself in the center of nine armed men that wanted to kill him. "You are all not from here are you?"

    "What the fuck does that has anything to do with you?"

    "Nothing, just asking, and I count that as a yes. Why do you think there are no street gangs or rampant criminal in Aeston since three years ago?"

    "It''s the Theo boy they are all talking about." One of the prostitutes answered. "People said he''s the most handsome man in here, and the most powerful. And they said he''s so good, he can fuck ten women at once and still want more." They giggled.

    "Shut up, you slut!" the leader yelled at them.

    Fergus chuckled. "As much as I hate praising him, that rumor is true, ladies. Except for the last part, I can''t confirm that." He averted his gaze. "Do you think he just beat the criminal out? Beat the street gang? No way. He set an example that makes everyone afraid of him. Then he set a rule. An unwritten rule that...... as much as I hate agreeing with him, is a good one. An excellent one."

    The gang member started to be scared seeing his nonchalant attitude and his unbroken confidence. Fergus raised a finger to make a point. His calm face turned angry and aura poured out from his body, making even the toughest and biggest man there shaking in his boots. Even the wooden furniture began creaking in reaction to his violent Aura. "Anyone. ANYONE! Who even dare to try to hurt MY MARY! DESERVE TO DIE!!"

    ------

    Fergus sat on a chair facing the wall. In front of him was a table with a bottle of expensive booze on it. "So you spent 100 gold for expensive booze and whore? Not too bad, but you could try better." He turned around.

    The gambling house was destroyed. Six dead bodies were laying around the building. One had his skull crushed on the wall. One had her eyes gouged out and tongue ripped. One had a huge hole where his heart supposed to be. The other three was a mess of decapitated limbs.

    Four other men were sitting in front of him, bloodied but still alive. They were trembling and pissing in their pants. The leader was one of them. "You are all lucky, that I''m the one here. Not Theo. Or even worse, Wrynn." He pointed at one. "Do you have a family?"

    The man looked at Fergus with fear in his eyes. "I-I-I have a mum and sister." He kneeled. "Please! Please don''t do anything to them! I will do whatever you tell me to!"

    "Relax! I''m not Theo. I think that a man''s sin should not be blamed to his family. Do you remember the old man who tried to stop you this noon?" They nodded. "He''s the previous boss of a local criminal syndicate. Until he tried to drown Mary''s shop in debt. Theo captured his whole family, tied them to a stake, and burned them alive in front of the man. Then he gouged out one eye and gave it to the old man as a reminder. That, anyone that tries to hurt Mary, deserve to die, or worse."

    Fergus drank the alcohol in his hand. "But, me? I''m not as cruel as him. I might be a man-eating mass murderer once, but I don''t torture my victim. Seeing them scream or plead doesn''t please me. Only the red of their innards pleases me.... or the pink of their brain." Fergus threw a knife in front of the four people. "I will let only one of you walk away and I''ll let you all decide who. Please, have a nice discussion."

    Fergus watched as the four men killed one another, with a nice expensive booze in hand.

    The next day, there was no trace of the massacre ever happened. 9 people disappeared overnight, and one person was traumatized for life, refusing to ever talk about what happened that night. The whores also didn''t know as they escaped before anyone got killed.

    But the criminals and the guards knew what happened, though no one dare say anything.

 Chapter 32: The Calm Before Storm

    "Hoo. Get your new girl, Cissy?" Lyana asked the moment Theo returned to the inn. "You didn''t even return here last night."

    "You should be grateful Lyana, I didn''t bring her here."He answered. "Now that I got the money, Let''s go shopping. what do you want?" He asked

    "Anything Theo-sama bought for me!" She jumped happily.

    "You promised me a book, but after what happened yesterday I also want a tome and a scroll." She looked away from him."Humph! And a new cloak, potion, and a few magic item."

    "We can spend quite a lot since we''re not going to have another chance once we hit the road anyway." He answered.

    He still has the 800 gold from the reward of saving the princess, 600 gold he took from Hjal''s men, around 100 gold from his saving, plus 20 gold for selling his broken armor and from the quest. making him pretty wealthy for an adventurer standard.

    Since he still have a lot of money, he intended to spend at least half of it before leaving the capital. They went to the noble district to buy high-quality items.

    First, they went to Drag Steel shop to pick up his new custom-made armor.

    [Dark Steel Set]

    [Epic Quality]

    [Medium Armor Set]

    [Enchantment: [Lighten I] [Bludgeon Resist II] [Magic Resist II] [Element Resist II] [Dirt Resist] [Stain Resist]]

    "Dirt Resist and Stain resist. Nice, I don''t have to clean it up that often." He said as he donned his new armor.

    The armor didn''t have that many decorations, but still look good, especially the helmet. It offers excellent protection while still being not heavy since it was made from Dark Steel. The enchantment [Lighten I] Reduce the weight by 10%, making the already light armor even lighter.

    [Bludgeon Resist II], [Elemental Resist II] and [Magic Resist II] reduce blunt, Elemental, and magic damage 20% respectively. However, unlike trinket enchantment, the enchantment only affect a damage received by the armor. So if an attack hit an exposed body part, the damage won''t be reduced.

    The armor doesn''t have any slashing and piercing resist, but since Plate armor already has a high slash and pierce resist, he couldn''t complain.

    "Hmmm. Why is every female armor like this?" Vivi asked when after looking at the armor on display.

    The female armors on display covered only small amount of skin. The chest piece only covered the breast. The leg armor only covered some part of the thigh. Overall, it shouldn''t have worked because of how much skin it exposed.

    "Don''t female armor in you original world work like this Vivi?" Theo asked.

    She shook her head. "No. There''s no difference between female armor or male armor unless it''s specially made. And at the age where I lived, people don''t make armor using mostly metal like this."

    "Well, In this world, this is how it worked. Unlike male armor, female armor reduces damage even when the attack hit the exposed skin. Making female armor that covered less skin is more profitable for armorers since the material required is fewer but the result is the same. That''s why most female armors were designed like that."

    Vivi nodded. "So even the physics of female armor in game applied in this world." Vivi said to herself.

    Next, they went to a magic shop. Of course, the one in the noble quarter has a complete collection. They even sell Tier 3 Tomes and Tier 4 Scroll that couldn''t be found anywhere in the common quarter.

    It was strange how even a magic shop doesn''t have a magical scanning spell. But it was good for them because if it did have one, Lyana wouldn''t be able to enter it.

    First, Theo introduced Vivi and Lyana to his trusted [Spatial pouch]. Six of such pouches were hanging from his belt. The pouch was no larger than the palm of his hand, but with spatial magic, it could carry up to ten times its apparent size. It was a norm for adventurers to at least have one of these.

    "Theo, can I buy this? Please!" Lyana said energetically when she saw an ultra rare mana regeneration ring. It was a simple ring with a silver line on the center.

    "How much?"

    "100 gold." She said.

    "100-...." He was baffled, but he stopped before finishing his sentence. 100 gold for a single ring is absurd no matter how he thinks about it. "How much is the increase?"

    "90%. That almost double my regeneration Please, Theo! Just this one and I won''t buy anything else, I promise!" She put her hand together and looked at him with a puppy eyes, pleading.

    ''God damn it! she''s so cute like that.'' He thought. This was the first time she ever so earnestly pleaded him.

    After some more thinking about how Lyana was the only one who could easily fight a group of enemy and thinking about how fast she spent her mana in battle, he gave in to her pleading. "Fine."

    "Yeah!" She jumped out of joy. She then stopped, think a little bit and looked at Theo with a red face. "B-But you know, since I have to teach Vivi magic you have to buy the tomes and the scroll for her, and maybe just maybe, she might need a tier 3 tomes and tier 4 scrolls." She said, not even trying to hide her true intention.

    ''This-This bitc-Demon. She doesn''t even try to hide her true intention...... well she IS a demon.'' Theo thought after hearing Lyana''s shameless request.

    He glanced at Vivi who immersed herself looking at the magic item. "Vivi what do you think?" She asked her opinion.

    "huh? I''m sorry Theo-sama what were you saying?" She asked, not paying attention to him before.

    Theo shook his head. "Forget it. Anything you want to buy?"

    "Nothing really....a magic tome and scroll for me maybe." She answered innocently, giving the win to Lyana.

    "Yes!" Lyana said when she heard Vivi''s answer. A voice of triumph that could be heard by everyone in that room.

    He gave Lyana an annoyed glance."You win Demon." Theo went silent for a few second, but then a smile dawned on his face. "But with one condition."

    "What is it?" Lyana asked.

    "After I buy the ring, I will be the one who placed it on you. And you must use it on your left ring finger."

    "W-What is that?! That like saying we''re engaged."

    "Well, you''re going to be my woman one day. No point in delaying the ring."

    "I''m not going to be your woman, ever!"

    Theo smirked. "Sure, sure, but do you want the ring or not?"

    Her gaze moved toward the ring, then to Theo with his smirk, then to the ring again. It repeated for a while until.."Fine! But this doesn''t mean anything!"

    "I never said it meant anything. You''re the one that assumed it meant something." Theo replied triumphantly.

    ------

    While Lyana and Vivi were looking for a new set of clothes to buy, Theo went to the Redmound castle to meet with the princesses and to tell Sir Arslan about the army he saw in the sewer. Like the usual, Princess Ana was cheerful and Princess Aria was calm and composed, but their affection towards him seemed to have deepened to some degree.

    Sir Arslan was surprised to hear what Theo saw. While the sewer was a den of criminal, an army was never heard of. He said he will look into it and will inform Theo about anything he finds. He also told Theo to prepare in case of something bad happened. An army in the sewer could mean an organization or a group of terrorists was trying to usurp the throne. Or even a coup or rebel.

    -------

    The combination of books, Magic tomes, One-time Scroll, Potion, and magical equipment cost them around 300 gold. In total, they spent around 500 gold that day, an amount of gold that could support a moderate family for years. He didn''t feel bad about it though. He was not a frugal person in the first place and they might not have a chance to spend more money until they reached the Eternal City.

    Lyana hummed energetically as they walked back to their inn. Her straight long green hair waved left and right with each step she took. Her mood was at an all time high and she didn''t hide it. Occasionally, she raised her new ring that she put on her left ring finger near her face and rubbed it. She had completely forgotten about the embarrassing thing she did to get that ring.

    Theo walked with Vivi behind Lyana. Vivi hugged his right arm as she walked. She was smiling like an innocent little girl, happy with her new stuff.

    He suddenly remembered something important. "Vivi, the spell you used yesterday, what was that?" He asked after remembering the powerful mind magic that caused the crawlers to fight each other.

    "Oh. It''s my unique skill Theo-Sama. [Mass Hysteria] level 3. I implanted fear, distrust, and panic to every mind around me, but I can control it so that it doesn''t affect allies. The area is around 50 meter, excellent for fighting against groups. The only problem is its mana cost. It uses 90% of my current mana."

    "Oh. So it''s the last option...." Theo stopped walking. Something was wrong, really wrong. He racked his mind searching for it. "Wait! You say level 3? What level are you?" Theo asked.

    "When I used it I was level 14, but now I''m 16." She answered with a smile. Theo was struck dumbfounded.

    ''Impossible...did she lie? No, she has no reason to. She has a Class 4 [mind magic] talent, which meant she got [Mass Hysteria] when she was level 10. Unique skill only level up once every 5 level. It was impossible for her unique skill to have level three.'' Theo thought.

    His heart pounded fast as realized that maybe Vivi had found a way to increase unique skill outside from just leveling. He grabbed her hand and immediately run, almost making her fall. He also caught Lyana hand and pulled her. He wanted to go back to the inn as soon as possible.

    ------

    "Mind explaining to me how you do that?" He asked after they''ve returned to the inn. The sky outside was orange with the sun almost touching the horizon.

    "Do what?" Vivi asked not knowing what he meant.

    "You said you have a unique skill level 3 when you''re only level 16. That shouldn''t be possible."

    She looked at him strangely and then laugh. "Oh, it''s that thing. I thought you''re talking about something else Theo-sama. Isn''t it obvious? I used my skill point to level my unique skill. It''s expensive though, just one level take 10 or more skill points." She answered oblivious to the fact that Theo didn''t know anything about it.

    "Skill..points?" He asked.

    Vivi''s eyes widen. "Wait, don''t tell me you don''t know about skill points Theo-sama."

    "No.." He answered.

    "Skill points. Attribute points. Nothing?"

    "No." He turned his face to Lyana. "Lyana?" She shook her head.

    Vivi held her own head. "Really?! In this world, no one knows about skill points?" She put her hand to the side and took a deep breath. "Okay how do I start?...right, so every time I level up, I get a certain amount of skill point. Most of the time one, but sometimes two or three. There''s also achievements that grant you extra skill points. Using these points you can increase the level of your skill and magic without having to train them. You can also increase your stats, though I don''t think It''s worth it."

    "So how do I do it, increase my skill level and all that?"

    "Well, you just think about it."

    "Think about it?" He tilted his head.

    Vivi nodded. She walked behind Theo and closed his eyes with her hand. "Yes, just close your eyes and imagine a skill screen in front of you."

    "Skill Screen? What?" He was confused by what Vivi said.

    She stopped and think how to describe it to him. "Remember the message in your head when you got a new unique skill?"

    "Yeah." He answered without any confidence in his voice. While he remembered them, he wasn''t confident about the detail.

    "Close your eyes and recreate those message in your mind." She closed his eyes again.

    Seeing no progress in Theo, Lyana decided to read the tomes and scroll that she bought.......that Theo bought for her. She read it so fast like usual, almost as if she only took a glance at the words.

    Theo tried Vivi''s method for hours to no result. He stopped for that day, but he hasn''t given up yet. The prospect of raising his skill and technique without training and leveling was too good to pass up.

 Chapter 33: Wrath

    "So, what have you been up to these past 4 years?" Theo asked.

    He was sitting inside the most expensive bar in town. In front of him was Vex, along with a bottle of expensive wine on the table. He didn''t want to get a drink there, but since Vex was the one paying, he couldn''t refuse.

    Vex sipped the wine. "What do you expect a dragon-ranked adventurer to do? What you do is more interesting. One of the leaders of Garuda Mercenary suddenly quit, to live a normal life in Aeston. I mean, back then, you already have everything you wanted. Women, money, strong adversaries you have to face every day, and by being mercenary, you travel all around the free cities. Why? Not complaining though, you''ve changed for the better."

    "Change for the better, really?"

    "Yeah. I don''t know how to describe what have changed within you. But, I just know."

    "Well.." Theo then told Vex about everything in Aeston, especially about Mary.

    "So, how many women do you get from these past 4 years?"

    "23, though I will only count 3 as my lover. How about you, Vex? how many men did you humiliate these past 4 years?"

    Vex chuckled, then took a sip. "Plenty."

    After talking and drinking some more, Theo asked about something that he really wanted to ask since they met. "I heard that you and the ''Miracle'' are searching for something. Legendary item."

    Vex sighed. She put down the glass of wine in her hand and drank it from the bottle. "Okay, let me tell you the truth. I''ve hit my level cap, Theo."

    Theo raised his brows. "What?! But you''re still level, what? 29?"

    "Yes, I know. It''s vexing to kn-" Theo laughed, interrupting her. "What?!" She asked with anger in her voice.

    "Oh..Vex. Do you forget that you mustn''t use that forbidden word? Vex..Vexing. Vexed Vex." He said with a smirk on his face.

    Vex stared at him with an annoyed look. "I take my word back. You haven''t changed a little bit." She took another gulp. "ANYWAY! It''s really frustrating that I can''t level up anymore! Understand?!" Theo nodded. She took another gulp. "NO, you don''t! I have to do pushups for months now before I can raise my strength!"

    "So the last few years, you''ve been searching for a way to increase your level cap. Is there really a way?"

    She sighed, then took another gulp. Her face started to become red, the sign of her being drunk. "I heard a rumor. There''s a legendary item that could increase your level cap. OR this one ritual to increase your level cap."

    She put the bottle on her lips again, but Theo took the bottle from her hand before she could drink it. "Enough. You''re drunk, and It''s bad if you are drunk."

    "I''m not drunk!" She slammed her hand on the table. She went silent as she observed Theo''s face. Then smiled. "Hey, remember that one time we got totally wasted?"

    "No, Vex, no. Enough."

    Vex stood up and walked behind him, then whispered in his ears. "Remember how amazing that night was?"

    Shivers ran through his body. Many people didn''t know, despite her Class 3 Swordsmanship talent, the scariest thing about Vex wasn''t her battle capabilities. She possessed a Class 4 Sexual Technique talent. A talent that put even the best prostitute to shame. A talent that she used to humiliate countless men, including Theo.

    -------

    On the tree outside the inn, a pair of brown eye shimmered in the dark. Subaru, the spy Princess Aria sent to watch Theo, sat on a tree branch, observing her target.

    She had been following him since the moment his foot touched outside the central district after he met Aria. Not for a single second had she took her eyes off him and his companion. With the exception when they entered the hell hole named Crawler''s nest. but even then, she cast a tracking magic to monitor their movement.

    She had used all of her skill and knowledge to follow her princess'' order. Hiding in the shadow, blending with the crowd, disguising herself as a commoner, all for the sake of monitoring her target activity. Even during the night, when her target was having fun, she didn''t take a second of rest.

    That night, however, was different.

    The moon hung high revealing the cloudless sea of stars. Princess Aria looked at the capital city one last time before going to bed. It was a great beautiful city if not for the criminal underworld and corrupt noble than run it.

    A shadow appeared behind her. She was not surprised nor was she scared of it. She knew who it was. "Princess. I''m here to report." Subaru said. "It seemed Theo had stumbled into Wrath''s base. He hasn''t done anything yet that could threaten our plan, but he has reported it to Sir Arslan."

    Aria turned toward Subaru. "WHAT?!!" She yelled.

    Natalie burst into the room after hearing her scream. "Princess, is something wrong?"

    "Natalie, call Alex and tell him to prepare the dungeon. Also, tell Kanae to kidnap Theo''s lover and bring her here."

    "At once your highness." She bowed deeply.

    ----

    Beneath The majestic Redmound Keep lies a sprawling dungeon. Used in the past to held political and important prisoners.

    In the empty and silent dungeon, one cell was lit, and from it a scream of a woman. Her hair was blue and so was her eyes. Her pure white skin was covered with bruises and cut wound. Her legs and arms were chained to the ceiling. The one who inflicted such wound was standing in front of her, Aria. On her right arm was a whip and on her left was a torture knife.

    She turned from the slave woman she had just bought toward the three people behind. She sat on the chair that had been prepared for her.

    The first one was Natalie, her closest Aide, who was taking note of her command with paper in her hand. She was the only one of the three to also sit like the princess.

    The second was Alex Red, the general of the Hawk Army of the Amaryn Kingdom and also one of its best knight. He stood tall like a metal rod more than 2 meters in height. He wore a full plate armor that covered everything save for his shining red eyes. The armor was a combination of silver and red color, making it stood out even among the army. On his back, an extremely long red sword hung, Forlorn, one of the Kingdom''s greatest treasure. It was almost as long as he was tall, made from unusual metal that glowed red.

    The third one was Subaru. She kneeled and her head hung low, ready to receive any command her princess ordered her to.

    The woman from before was screaming and crying from the pain. Her tongue was cut so she couldn''t cry for help, only scream. "She''s annoying. Alex, clean her up." Alex walked to the woman without any word. One swing from his massive sword, and she was freed from the suffering of this world. He then disposed of her remain and clean up the blood.

    While Alex was cleaning the mess, Aria looked at Subaru. "Keep your eyes on Theo. Find his weakness and bring him here. Conscious or not."

    Subaru nodded, stood up and left the room without one more word. "Nat, call Wrath here."

    Before Natalie could even move a finger, another person showed up at the cell. He was a huge man, taller and bigger even than Alex with bulging muscles that seemed like it could explode any second. He was bald with tattoos covering all his skin. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

    Aria looked at him, unsurprised with his sudden appearance. "Good. There''s a change of plan. We will start tonight."

    "Tonight? What''s the rush Princess? Surely you don''t want to throw our well-laid plan to a mess don''t you?"

    "Your base were discovered, and soon enough, Sir Arslan will come knocking on your door. You said no one should be able to find It!"

    "Who?"

    "Just some rand-" "It''s Theo Gladium." Natalie answered him before Aria could. "He found out your base."

    "The father or the son?" He asked. "Wait, no. The father is dead. So it is the son." Wrath chuckled. "You should consider yourself lucky Princess. Out of the seven deadly sins, only I and Pride would want something to do with Theo Gladium the younger. And if you ordered Envy to kill him, you will be massacred on the spot, instead."

    Aria clenched her hand. "He is nothing. I see nothing in his eyes. He is nothing special!"

    "Do you want me to take care of him? I have some personal problem with him."

    "No. I will personally take care of him."

    "Mark my word, Princess. Do not take him lightly."

    "Just do your job!" Aria shouted. Natalie gave Wrath a paper. He read it. "That is your assassination list. You must take care of all them within a month."

    Wrath read it all the way to the bottom, where he stopped. "Lord Edward Lion and his family? I thought he was an anti-conservative. He will surely help you in the reform to come."

    "Just do your job and you will get your Half a million gold. I don''t need your opinion here, Wrath."

    "And I will do it. Everything will be done in a month or less." He walked away from the cell and vanished into the darkness.

    After making sure that wrath was away, Natalie spoke. "Is it alright Princess? To work with a criminal like him?"

    "We can''t catch two rabbits at the same time, Nat. I will use the criminal to make my reform and clean this kingdom of its deep-rooted corruption. Then after that, I will start to hunt the criminal. It will be a hard and long process, but we have to start somewhere."

    "What about Lord Lion. surely-"

    "Lord Lion is a great man, sure, but what we need right now is an army to handle the eventual revolt of noble. House Fenix hold the largest army among the nobility. And Lord Alistar Fenix hates Lord Edward."

    She bowed. "Sorry, Princess, for doubting you." She then raised her head. "What are we going to do with Theo, Princess?" Natalie asked.

    "Just leave it to Subaru. I want him alive. We can still use him." Aria let out a long sigh. She turned toward Natalie who looked at her with a strange look. "Anything to say, Nat?"

    "You should be careful Princess. Wrath spoke of him in such a high regard. Someone that even the Deadly Sins spoke in such a high regard is not a normal person."

    "Yes. Yes, you are right Nat. I underestimate him too much."

    "Usually you know the true worth of a man in a single look Princess. It''s rare for you to underestimate a person."

    Aria looked at the ceiling and think about what she said. "I don''t know it either. When I looked into his eyes I saw nothing. So my arrogance gets the better of me."

    "Shouldn''t you be happy, Princess? You always wished to have an opponent who can match you. Someone who you can''t measure his or her true worth with one glance."

    "I guess you''re right. But something you wish and something you want is sometimes different. You will never be satisfied with something you got, even if you have wished it for all your life. But that doesn''t matter now. The moment Kanae bring his lover to the capital, I have already won."

 Chapter 34: Two Path

    A lone guard walked on the street of the noble district of The Capital City. He was a young man and only been a guard for 2 months. He always got the night shift because that''s what new recruit are for. He didn''t complain though, he liked the night scenery of the capital city.

    He inhaled the fresh air of the night. Everything was normal, just like usual. But a scream changed all. He ran toward the source of the scream. It was from one of the noble house.

    Their private guards were busy trying to get inside, but the house was locked tight. The young man tried to help them, but it was still useless. The shouted from the outside, calling the owner of the house or their servant. None answered.

    They decided to break down the door. "One, two, three." They all smashed their bodies to the door, but it was a huge wooden door designed to resist such charge.

    The young guard looked around. "I''ll break in through the window." He said before jumping to the window.

    The pieces of broken window scratched his skin, but it was nothing major. He stood up and head toward the front door. From a glance, there was nothing wrong with the house or its inhabitant. Except that there was no sign of activity.

    After he opened the front door, the guards searched the house. But no matter how hard the scoured the house, the couldn''t find anyone. Not the owner, not the family, not even the servants.

    ----------

    It was a morning, two days after his evening with Vex, and his hip was still hurt after what happened that night. Despite having to pay for breaking everything inside the inn room, he couldn''t complain. Vex was too hungover in the morning to ridicule or laugh at him.

    He walked down down the busy street of Redmound. He was alone since his destination was the Redmound Castle. On the edge of his vision, he could see the spy woman who has been following him the past few days. She was disguising herself as a commoner.

    He already realized that she was following him and that it was Aria who sent her. Of course, there''s no way he wouldn''t recognize a beautiful woman following him all day and night. Even if she used a disguise and such.

    At first, he was going to confront Aria about it, but after some thinking, he decided to not do that. If Aria controlled some spies, then confronting her would be a bad decision. Not only will it endanger Lyana and Vivi, it could also endanger his women in Aeston.

    He was a little bit disappointed and angry when he found out Aria wasn''t the person he thought she was. And he became even more disappointed and angry when Sir Arslan told him everything about Aria. How she was a master manipulator. A manipulator that was even better than himself, even the affection was all acting. Though it was a thrilling new experience for him to meet someone who could manipulate him.

    He was going to the Redmound Castle to meet with Sir Arslan. He talked with him the day before, but he was still on the investigation about the army. Theo suspected that the army had something to do with Aria trying to get the throne. After all, killing Ana wouldn''t be enough to grant her the crown and the reform that she wanted. That was, of course, if the talk about reform and making the country better was actually what she wanted.

    That was the reason why Theo hasn''t left the capital yet. He won''t leave until he could ensure the safety of Ana.

    When he reached the castle gate, he saw someone he knew, Cissy. It was a pleasant surprise since she had started to change herself. She wore a female guard uniform instead of male.

    "Sir Theo!" She saluted. Her face was flushed red the moment she saw him, but as an excellent guard, such thing did not distract her from her work.

    "Cissy!" He called and approached her. "You''re starting to change. For the good."

    "Yes, sir. It''s all thank to you. I realize how foolish I was before. I will try to become myself now, become someone worthy of you, Sir."

    Theo smiled and patted her head. "I will be waiting when the day come."

    Theo entered the castle after a quick check by the guard. He walked to Sir Arslan''s personal chamber where he was waiting for him. It was a large room as it doubles as the royal guards meeting room. "Sir Theo, right on time."

    "Sir Arslan." After meeting him so many times already, Theo was able to contain his excitement. But it was still overwhelming. "You have something for me?"

    "I do. Please sit." Theo sat opposite to him. "I''m unable to get anything about this army in the sewers that you said. The spy corps simply didn''t get anything. But using my personal network, I''m able to gather some things. There''s a movement from an underworld figure. A mysterious man named Wrath seems to mobilize his men and move his resource around the capital. This Wrath also has some conflict with the Greed Kings henchmen."

    "Wrath? If we''re speaking about the same ''Wrath'' then maybe I can help with it." Sir Arslan looked at Theo, signaling him to continue. "In the criminal underworld of Free Cities, there are seven figures that stood out from the rest because of how good they are at certain things. People call them the seven deadly sins, and Wrath is one of them. He is very good at large-scale operation, nation-wide, or even international. If he is moving his men, something big will happen soon. Something really big."

    Sir Arslan moved from the table. "Then the situation is direr than we think."

    "Do you think Aria is the one behind the scene, sir?"

    "She might be, but there''s no proof."

    "But we could move to prove it."

    Sir Arslan went silent. "Tell me Sir Theo, why do you think I stay neutral all these years?" That was a good question from Sir Arslan. Any faction Sir Arslan sided with would have won by a landslide. And it wasn''t only because he was an important political figure.

    Sir Arslan was a level 75 Class 4 Swordman with more than 50 years of experience as a soldier and 35 years of experience as general. Theo once read in the Knight Academy book that the Kingdom military might was divided into 3. They were the armies of noble houses, the Royal Armies, and lastly, Sir Arslan.

    "I don''t know Sir."

    "Pick one reason."

    "Maybe you find neither Ana nor Aria as a good candidate."

    Sir Arslan looked at the table with a blank stare. "I was a simple soldier in the past. Getting angry at the noble or at the king for their strange and seemingly stupid order. But after the war, after the king fell into despair, I was placed at the head of the council. From there I started to learn some politics. Still never good at it to this day." He chuckled. "What I have now is two path. The first one will lead to a slow destruction from the inside. The second is the path of revolution and reform that have the chance to save this country. If I''m only a politician, I will choose the later, but I''m a soldier. I know how many life will be lost if I chose the later. Not to mention it will split and weaken the Kingdom for months if not years. The Kingdom of Mosk, our nemesis, will not waste an opportunity like that. They will strike, and they will strike hard when we are at our weakest." He looked at Theo. " Tell me Sir Theo, what am I supposed to do?"

    Theo has no answer, it was a dilemma. If Ana wins, then the corrupt noble would have all the power in the kingdom to suck the life out of it. If Aria wins, the kingdom will be thrown into chaos, even a civil war. "I don''t know Sir."

    "Princess Aria''s plan is better for the kingdom, but her radicality and arrogance could lead it to ruin. The Royal Army is about the same size as the Nobles'' armies, A civil war will be unavoidable. While Princess Ana could be a good queen, she is too easy to be manipulated. This is where you come, Sir Theo."

    Theo was surprised by Sir Arslan''s word. "What do you mean Sir?"

    "You are close to both Princess Ana and Aria. You are the wild card in this game. Although I think Aria is pretending to be close to you for her own gain. I reckon you already realize that?"

    Theo chuckled. "You are absolutely right Sir."

    "I know I''m asking much to you, Sir Theo and know that I will not harbor you ill feeling if you decided to walk away from this. Even I hope I could walk way from this Succession War. I hope that you can give Aria some lesson in humility, to defeat her in her own game. In this plan that she''s about to execute."

    "But if I lose or make some mistake along the way?"

    "Lose or win, there''s a high possibility that you will be her enemy. If Aria has connections within the criminal underworld, not only you will be in danger but your loved one also."

    The image of Mary flashed in his mind the moment Sir Arslan said his loved one. He did not worry about Cynthia and Mikki because he trusted their power "I...am sorry Sir. If it''s only me then I have no problem at all even if the whole continent become my enemy. I would be glad, that would actually be fun. But if my women were threatened, It is something I can''t risk, Sir."

    "I understand." Sir Arslan answered with a solemn voice.

    Looking at him like this broke Theo''s heart. Sir Arslan was his idol, his hero. In his mind, he was nothing but perfect, but the truth was very different. Sir Arslan was an old man who was given responsibility much greater than he capable of handling. Like he said, he was a soldier, not a politician, not a ruler.

    Theo swallowed the spit in his mouth. Would he risk his loved ones to help his life-long Hero? "Sir, do you have a friend in Aeston? someone you can depend and trust."

    "I know someone."

    "There is a woman named Mary who own a bookshop on Aeston first road, the eleventh house if you count from the outer gate. If you can assure her safety, then there will be no problem."

    "Well, I can ask him, but there''s no guarantee that he could do anything. Maybe from a clear physical threat, he could, but a criminal we''re facing is not a clear threat. They could come in many forms, not just physical."

    "It''s fine, Sir. Anything that can increase her safety is enough. No matter how small."

    Theo realized that it was not a choice to begin with. If Ana won, then the life of average people will be worse, including Mary''s. If Aria won, then there will be a war that could threatens Mary. Both were not the result Theo wanted. The best course of action was to maintain the status quo, at least until they could find a better solution.

    Theo also has another backup plan ready. Once he returned to his room, he will send messages to some of his connection. Some of them ought to be able to protect Mary. He will also send a letter to Fergus to warn him and to ask him to keep his eyes on Mary.

    A knock came from the door. "Come in." Sir Arslan answered. A guard entered the room but stood near the door.

    "Sir Arslan, there''s an emergency situation. Three noble families have been found missing this morning."

    Theo looked at Sir Arslan. "Is this the start of her game?" He asked.

    "I and Sir Theo will personally look into it. Bring us to the location." Sir Arslan said to the guard.

    -----------

    In Aeston, Kanae sat inside an abandoned building. A few hours prior, she received a message from her princess. Her mission was almost completed.

    For a week, she had observed her target without mistake. She knew her target daily routine and habit, who her friend was, who she talked to. The only problem would be the tiger beast-kin who always on guard whenever he was near her. But even the beast-kin could only protect her during the day. During the night, she was defenseless. Her target didn''t even lock the window of her room, which make her job all the easier.

    Kanae reviewed her plan once again. Her target was small and light, there should be no problem kidnapping her on foot. She could bring her to the capital in three days, or two days if she didn''t take rest during the night.

    She looked toward the horizon. The sun was about to set.

 Chapter 35: The Plan

    Theo and Sir Arslan walked around the house of the third missing noble. It was the house of Lord Cobra, a criminal underworld figure and a main supporter of Ana. And someone Theo hated.

    They checked around, the guard might be missing some clue. But inside the house, there was nothing at all. All the furniture was where they supposed to be and there was no sign of violence or struggle.Even the investigator who was sent there couldn''t find anything. There was no way the investigator would lie. After all, Lord Cobra signed his paycheck.

    "Sir, can we talk for a bit?" Theo asked Sir Arslan.

    "Sure." They walked to the garden, where no one else was around.

    "I think this is the start of Aria''s plan, Sir. No one would be stupid enough to attack or kidnap Count Cobra from his own home. Since he controls the spy corps and the secret police. It must be Wrath''s men doing. " Theo whispered.

    "Yes. Lord Cobra is a supporter of Princess Ana, but how do they accomplish this?"

    "Is there any trap door or the like leading to the sewer? If the army I saw in the sewer is Wrath''s men, then that''s a good explanation."

    "No. Even the investigator does not find anything like that."

    Theo looked around the garden and noticed something strange. There was a fountain with no water there. Cobra was an extravagant man with an excessive wealth. More than almost anyone in this city, he liked to boast his wealth and power. There was no way he has a waterless fountain in his garden, it was simply not good enough.

    Theo approached the fountain. "Has the investigator looked at this fountain?"

    Sir Arslan knew what Theo meant. "Investigator!" He called them.

    Like Theo suspected, some part of the fountain could be moved to reveal a trap door. A trap door leading to The Sewer underneath. "Place some guards here and tell them to watch over this hole!" Sir Arslan ordered.

    Theo approached him. "What do we do now Sir?"

    "I will return back to the castle and assign some men to investigate this matter. Please come to the Castle tonight, the castle is filled with Aria''s subordinate, we will need all the help we can get."

    "Of course, Sir."

    Sir Arslan grabbed Theo before he left. "And one more thing, be careful. There''s a chance you might be another target."

    ------------

    It was the night of the same day. Theo walked toward Redmound Palace as Sir Arslan requested.

    He has made all the preparation beforehand. He left Vivi and Lyana at the inn with some golds and some foods. He explained everything that happened and told them to be on guard in case something happened.He had sent magic letters to everyone he think could be of help to keep Mary safe. He couldn''t risk using a physical letter in case it was intercepted. A magical letter could be intercepted too, but it was much harder.

    The street of Redmound crowded even during the night. He has been careful after what Sir Arslan said about him being another target, but if the street condition was like that, he couldn''t do much.He wore his full plate armor except for his helmet, which was hanging on his back. The guards prohibited the use of full face helmet inside the city so he had no choices.

    Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. The presence was strange, it was not a normal person. It was hostile.

    He turned. There was no one.

    He turned again toward Redmound Castle. It was then, he realized, a dagger was coming toward him from the crowd.

    It was the spy woman who has been following him the past few days. She wore a brown cloak that blended perfectly with the crowds.

    Theo caught the dagger with both hands and stopped it before it could reach his neck. The dagger was covered with slimy substance, poison.

    Another dagger came from her other hand. He let go one of his hand and caught the second dagger.

    Unable to move her hands, the spy woman headbutted his face before letting of both of her daggers go and running off to the crowd. She vanished among the people.

    Her headbutt did not hurt that much, but he realized something. A dart was sticking on his neck. "That''s what she aimed for." He pulled the dart.

    The dart didn''t get too deep, but it was enough to inject the poison into his bloodstream. Looking only at the dart, it wasn''t enough for him to determine what kind of poison it was, and he didn''t have the luxury to find out. It would be too late if he waited until he found out what kind of poison it was.

    He put the dart in one of his pouches and took out a small green vial. It was a magical potion that could neutralize a weak poison or reduce the effectiveness of a strong one. It was a staple antidote used by experienced adventurers. Since it was impossible to prepare every kind of antidote for every kind of poison there was in the wild, the magical antidote was popular despite its cost. He has a few of those vials in one of his pouches.

    He pulled the cap without minding his surrounding.

    Another dart flew toward him, hitting the vial and knocking it off his hand.

    His eyes darted toward the source of the dart. It was the spy woman, standing on the corner leading to a small alley. She ran toward the alley as soon as Theo saw her. He followed her, assassin usually holds the antidote to their own poison for safety reason.

    But as soon as he turned to face the alley, she was gone. There was no trace of her. Even the dust covered ground leave none of her footprints. That left him with only one option, up.

    Just as he looked up, another dart flew toward his face. He dodged it and let it bounced off his armor.

    The spy woman clicked her tongue and ran away again. This time, Theo won''t let her get away. He used all the strength his leg could muster to catch the agile spy woman. He ran through the alley, ignoring the people he shoved and pushed aside. He followed her until they reached a part of the city he was unfamiliar with.

    He stopped moving. He crouched down and held his forehead, then grunted and grimaced. His breath became rapid and his face showed incredible pain. He looked around.

    The spy woman was nowhere to be seen. But just because he couldn''t see her, it didn''t mean she was not near. It would be bad if he tried to drink another potion without checking his surrounding.

    There was a wooden building next to him that seemed abandoned with the door opened. It was suspicious, but he didn''t have the luxury to think about it.

    He entered it, and after briefly checking his surrounding, he opened another vial of potion. He didn''t have time to check every nook and cranny of the building.

    There was a sound of a rope being pulled and metal chain rattling. Before he knew it, a metal chain ensnared his right leg and pulled it upward.

    The world turned upside down for him as he hung with his leg upward. He was able to hold to the vial in his hand, but the liquid poured out. A dagger flew out of nowhere and cut his belt, causing his sword and all of his trusty pouches to fell to the floor.

    He struggled and flailed his arm wildly, trying to get his sword back. It was useless. He was hung low enough that he could touch the sword with the tip of his finger, but not low enough for him to pick it up. "FUUCK!!!"

    From the shadow, the spy woman appeared. Her stare was cold and serious, there was no room for personal emotion there. A trained assassin.

    Theo swung his body, hoping to reach the spy woman. In desperation, he tried to grab her that stood just outside his reach. "Give me! FUCK! Give...me! The antidote! Give me!" His movement became erratic. "Give..."

    His whole body went limp as his eyes rolled back. "Don''t worry. It''s only a sleeping poison." Said the spy woman. She looked around to confirm that no one followed them before closing the door. She returned her gaze to her target. She hit his head with her elbow just to make sure.

    Her target didn''t move nor did he reacted.

    He was wearing a full plate armor that would be too heavy for her to carry with him. She sighed and began removing his armor. First his gauntlet, his helmet, then his chest plate. There was a few strange thing she realized when she took off his armor. There were three hidden daggers on his clothes, a few hidden vials of strong poison, and their respective antidote. It was strange because her target was a swordsman, but the hidden dagger and various poison reminded her of herself. A spy, an assassin. Though a warrior who utilized dirty tricks and poison wasn''t unheard o-

    Her head jerked forward.

    No. Theo''s hand was pulling it toward his body. The next thing she saw was his knee planting itself on her face.

    Before she could recover from the surprise attack, he returned her elbow smash and headbutt. She fell to the ground, dazed, unconscious, and with a broken nose.

    ---------

    "Wake up!" Theo said while tapping the spy woman''s cheek.

    He had reversed their position and hung the spy woman using the same chain that hung him before. But this time, he hung her upright with the chain tied to her arm.

    She didn''t respond. He grabbed her broken nose and forcefully fixed it. "Well, that didn''t wake her up." He took a step backward and started reattaching all the items that fell to the floor.

    "How?" She asked. Theo turned to face the spy woman who had just regained her consciousness. "How can you not lose consciousness?"

    Theo smiled. "How many vials of that potion do you think I bring with me?" He pointed his finger to the empty vial on the floor. "10. Not just one or two, ten. Back then when I saw you running to the alley, I knew that was my only chance. So I opened two vials and take a drink. The rest I just need to trick you by acting like the poison actually worked."

    Her eyes opened wide. "Impossible! You started to grab your head the exact moment the poison should begin to act. That mean you know what kind of poison I used."

    "Yes, I do."

    "How?!!"

    Theo chuckled. "Do you think I would just tell you? Give you some monologue exposition about my past and backstory? No. No, I won''t." He walked near her. "Now give me the antidote. That potion I drank before only reduce the poison effectiveness, not cure it."

    She smirked. "I don''t bring it with me. And even if I did, do you think I will give it to you?"

    Contrary to her expectation, he smiled. "Good. I was expecting that answer." He grabbed the cloak that covered her body and ripped it open along with whatever piece of clothing was underneath it. He ran his finger over her snow white skin. "If you''re not going to give me the antidote, then I''m going to perform some........thorough searching."

 Chapter 36: The Plan II

    Inside Redmound Keep there was a special room used for a meeting between the council members that ran the Kingdom. It was aptly named The Council Room.

    Inside, Sir Arslan sat alone. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Every day was frustrating and stressful for him with the two factions bickering. But today was even more so.

    There were a lot of things in his mind already, but the sudden disappearance of 5 noble families made everything even worse. Not to mention that all those families were in the same faction. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up. It was not the right time to contemplate on those things, there was a more urgent matter that needed his attention.

    He walked towards the weapon rack next to the exit door. It was forbidden to bring any kind of weapon inside the council room, even for a Royal Guard. He has to put his weapon there every time there was a meeting.

    He walked past the weapon rack and extended his arm without looking. It was an everyday activity that already became a reflex for him. But today, his hand did not touch any sword in the weapon rack. He stopped and turned towards it. The rack was empty.

    He looked around, there was no one beside him inside that room. He scratched his balding head, wondering. Did he put it somewhere? Did he forget to bring it there? Did his squire pick it up to clean it without his permission? Did his old age make him forgetful?

    "Whatever." He said. He said it without any worry, even though his sword was one of the great treasures of the kingdom. He had lost that sword countless times during his time as a soldier, but it always found its ways back home. One way or another.

    He walked down the main hall of the castle, heading to his chamber. After walking for a while, he realized something was wrong. Even during the night, there should be some servants, but there was none. Even the usual guard was nowhere to be seen.

    His sharpened his sense. There was a few people hiding behind the corner of the hall, some hiding behind the pillars. Normally, he would expect it as a prank by the servants, but it was nowhere near his birthday nor was there any special event happening that has something to do with him.

    He changed his course to the kitchen. The kitchen must have some servant all the times no matter what happened. And the head chef was a close friend of his. He could ask them some question.

    They were following him. They wore full armor, carried many kinds of weapons, and they emitted a strong killing intent. That was what Sir Arslan could gather after walking towards the kitchen and observing his stalkers.

    He was amused and did not know how to react. He expected many people to be targeted by Aria, but him? No way. Trying to kill him using less than the whole Royal Armies was going to be futile. What were his stalkers trying to accomplish?

    He entered the kitchen, but no one was there. The food, however, was still on the table, he couldn''t ask for more. He picked up a few fruits and chomped it down his throat.

    His stalkers were ready outside with their weapon unsheathed. He could attack them from behind the wall, but that would damage it and he didn''t want that. He picked up a dinner knife. The door suddenly opened and five people entered the kitchen. He did not expect that. "Sir. Princess Aria is calling you."

    "Is something wrong?"

    They were heavily armored soldiers. They wore an almost perfect replica of the castle guard''s armor. But an ''almost perfect'' couldn''t fool Sir Arslan. "Just come with us, Sir."

    "Sure." As soon as he walked near them, they swung their sword at him. Their movement was fast and precise, much more refined than mostsoldier''s.

    Sir Arslan sighed. The five people that attacked him fell to the ground with their throat cut open. They couldn''t even see the attack coming.

    Then, he realized his mistake. Aria was smart, there was no way she would try to kill him. Not with this kind of people at least. That meant the attack was only a distraction. "Princess Ana."

    He took one of the attacker swords and ran outside. He moved so fast and so swift, that the attackers waiting outside the kitchen did not know he was gone until they looked inside.

    "Princess!" He slammed the door to her chamber open.

    The princess jumped in surprise at the sudden loud noise. "S-Sir Arslan." She asked.

    Sir Arslan''s gaze moved from her to the woman next to her. She was a lean woman with short brown hair. On her body was a similar armor to his. "Greci." He said. There was guilt and regret behind his voice.

    "Sir Arslan." She replied. "If you worried about Ana being attacked by Aria''s men, I have taken care of that."

    "''Princess'' Ana. You are on duty, Greci. You must realize your position as her guard." He corrected her.

    "We''re in a bad time like this, and that is the first thing you notice about me?" She turned her face away from him. "At least you believe I''m not on Aria''s side."

    "About that, I believe you."

    She sighed. "Forget it. Sir, you are the King''s personal guard. Shouldn''t you worry about the King''s safety before all else?" She said without looking at his face.

    "Yes." Sir Arslan nodded. "Yes, you are right. I''m sorry to scare you, princess." He closed the door and walked away.

    Sir Arslan walked slowly, his feet heavy with guilt and regret. It was the first conversation he had with his daughter in the last few months outside of the Royal Guard meeting. And the first thing he did was reprimanding her.

    "Sir Arslan." A voice called him. It was a familiar voice that raised his spirit and refocused his attention.

    He looked towards the source and smiled. "Sir Theo."

    --------

    Theo and Sir Arslan strolled toward the King''s personal chamber. They had caught Sir Arslan attackers and checked Aria''s and Alvaro''s safety. As unlikely as it might be, there was still a chance that the attack has nothing to do with Aria, and Sir Arslan has to check it.

    despite the graveness of the situation, Sir Arslan urged him to stay calm. He said nothing bad will happen to the king, nothing worse than his current condition. "So you were attacked by Aria''s spy?" Sir Arslan asked.

    "Yes, Sir. I''m able to defeat her and hold her in my room. She''s under the supervision of my friends right now. I ran here as fast as I could after that." Theo looked at Sir Arslan sword. "Sir, that is not Blood Rite, right?"

    "No. Someone hid it, or stole it." He said it as if it was a normal thing.

    Theo''s eyes went wide. "WHAT? Ho-how?"

    "Relax, Sir Theo. Unlike your Panes or Alex''s Forlorn, Blood Rite is my sword, my flesh, my bone, and my blood. He will return to me. One way or another."

    Theo heard the story once. Unlike many Unique Tier swords, Blood Rite was originally a simple common steel sword. But after being used to kill thousands of demon in the Great War by Sir Arslan, the sword evolved and developed a sentience of its own. It was said that no matter how far apart they were separated, they will reunite not long after.

    A scream erupted from the King''s chamber, but the scream was not his. Sir Arslan opened the door slowly.

    It was bizarre. The room was covered with blood. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, and all the furniture was covered in blood. And there were some ashes on the floor.

    The King was sitting in his usual chair with another man kneeling before him. The kneeling man was not the guard or anyone that should be there, it was the attacker. He was kneeling with blood pouring out from his mouth and tears flowing non-stop from his eyes. His mouth trembled. "Please. Please. No more. Spare me."

    "It doesn''t matter." The King spoke. The King grabbed the man''s neck.

    The man''s eyes glowed bright like a torch.

    Sir Arslan pushed Theo out of the room and slammed the door shut. A splattering sound followed soon after.

    "Arslan!" The King called.

    "Yes, Your Majesty." He opened the door again. The man from before disappeared, leaving only a pile of ashes behind.

    "Clean this all up." The King stood up from his chair and turned towards the door, towards Theo. Swords, lances, and knives, stabbed his body from all angle. Some even directly stabbed his heart.

    He pulled them all out one by one. Blood spurted out for a few second before stopping completely as if there was never a wound to begin with. The King himself showed no sign of pain or displeasure. "Foolish men, foolish Prince. Blinded by...fuck, Why did I sing that?" The King mumbled.

    Sir Arslan closed the door again. "Sorry Theo, for you to see such an unpleasant thing. That''s the reason I said The King doesn''t need a guard."

    Theo stood up and chuckled. "If that''s the definition of strange for you Sir Arslan, I have seen much worse. Much, much worse."

    ---------

    Somewhere in the Kingdom, there was a small room. It was a secret room that only a few people in the Kingdom knew about, and fewer had access to. Inside the room was a round stone table. Six chairs surrounded the table, but only five were filled. One was empty.

    The five people were arguing, almost fighting, over what to do about the disappearance of the sixth person. They were the Greed Kings, the leaders of Amaryn''s criminal underground. Count Cobra, one of them, has been missing for a few days. Not only him, his families and right-hand man were also missing. And without them, there was no one checking the spy corps and the secret police activities.

    Suddenly, the main door flung open. The steel lock was bent and broken by force even though it was designed to be impossible to break. From it, a huge man appeared. He was bald and muscular with tattoos covering most of his skin. The Greed Kings stood up in surprise. They didn''t know who that man was, only that he wasn''t supposed to be there. "Guards!" One of them called, but no one answered.

    "Do not bother." The huge man said while signalling them to sit down. "My men have taken care of your guards. No matter how hard you scream or shout for help here, no one is going to help you." He took Count Cobra''s seat and sat on it. "I''m Wrath. I come here to give you an offer, a very generous offer."

    "fool. Do you think you can barge in here?" One of them shouted and grabbed the person behind him. "Kill that man!"

    Standing behind each Greed King were three people, one of them being their personal guard. They approached the huge man with their weapon drawn.

    They were strong and battle-hardened. They have protected their boss from many dangers for many years. Even the weakest of them has a Class 3 talent and a level of 25. But they were not stupid to let their arrogance get the better of them. Their enemy was able to get inside the room after all.

    The room was small, there was not much room for a fight. Only two of them could engage with the huge man at once. Two of them attacked Wrath at once from each side. Wrath only moved his body a little to dodge their weapon.

    He grabbed the head of both his attackers and slammed them to the stone table, causing it to crack. Then he twisted their head, breaking their neck and killing them instantly.

    The other guards hesitated to move. Wrath killed two of them at once. "Stand down. That is your last warning." Wrath gave another warning.The guards stand down and returned to their original position behind their boss. "Good."

    Wrath raised one of his hand and signaled his men outside to come in. The eyes of the people inside the room went wide open as they saw who entered it. It was a lean man with sickly pale skin. His whole body was shaking and sweating profusely. On his hand was a bloody bag.

    Wrath stood up and let the man sat on his chair. The man shook his head at first, but with a gentle tap on the shoulder, the man yelped and followed his order.

    "I believe you all know who this is." Of course, everybody there knew. He was Count Cobra''s right-hand man, Harv. "From today, dear Harv will take over Count Cobra''s business and work under me. You will all work under me."

    "What?!" One of the Greed King stood up and slammed his hand on the table.

    Wrath raised a finger, telling him to sit down. His other hand rested on Harv''s shoulder, causing him to tremble like crazy. "Show them."

    Harv put the bag on the table and opened it. The severed head of Count Cobra rolled out, everyone gasped in surprise.

    "A few days ago, my men kidnapped Count Cobra and his whole family along with Harv and his. Stupid, for someone like you to have a family and loved ones. "He patted Harv''s head. "I gave Harv a knife and gave him an option. He must kill Cobra''s family or he will witness Cobra kill his family." Wrath extended his arm outward. "Now I will give you a more generous offer. You will join me, or those people behind you, your trusted beloved underling, will slit your throat and take over your business. Your call."

 Eds Departure

    Ed woke up from his dream. In the last few days, he had been having a strange dream. A dream about a massive blue dragon chained in a pure white world. It was an empty world, there''s no floor, no ground, no sky, no horizon. Only him and the dragon.

    They talked about a lot of things. Magic, history, even historical and philosophical discussion. But when he woke up, he forgot almost everything about the conversation. He couldn''t even remember the name of the dragon. It frustrated him, but it was only a dream...... right?

    He looked right to the window. The world was still dark and there was no sign of the sun going up anytime soon. It was good for him, the earlier he got up, the less likely his father, or anyone to stop him from running away.He jumped from his bed and opened the wardrobe. A small bag befitting of his body sat inside. Even though it was small, it has a spatial magic, allowing it to carry ten times its apparent size.

    He opened it and checked if everything he needed was inside. Books, scrolls, golds, foods, adventuring equipment, and everything Theo told him to buy. He headed outside his room after everything was ready.

    The hallway was still dark, signifying that the servants haven''t woken up yet. Before he walked outside, there was one more room he has to visit. His little sister''s.

    She was sleeping soundly when he entered the room. The hardest part about running away was imagining his sister''s reaction when she found out. Will she be angry, will she be disappointed, or will she cry? He left a piece of a letter on the table next to her bed, explaining everything to her. Hoping that it would make it easier for her. He then kissed her little sister on the forehead.

    When Ed walked down the hallway heading to the exit, he saw a shadow of a man in front of him. His body froze and cold sweats broke out all over his body.He turned without making any sound, hoping that the man wouldn''t notice him. "Lord Edmund?" His heart skipped a beat, that was before he realized whose voice that was.

    "Gramps?" He turned toward the shadow. It was Barnie''s voice, the head butler.

    "So is it the time you ran away from home?" He asked, there was an undercurrent of sadness in his voice.

    "Don''t stop me, gramps. Please."

    "I won''t stop you, Lord Ed. You are free to choose your own path, just like your father once did." Barnie slowly moved toward Ed.

    When he got close, Ed was able to see him more clearly. And he could see his blood soaked hand. "G-Gramps. What happened to your hand?"

    Barnie was surprised to hear Ed''s question and looked at his own hand. "Ah, this? I woke up with a bit of a headache and crashed one of the magic lamps. When I try to pick the shards up, I cut my wrist. It''s okay now, but I forgot to wash my hand."

    Ed sighed. "Geez, Gramps. Don''t make me worry. Can I move now?"

    "Sure. But don''t use this hallway. There are still some shards that I haven''t picked up yet."

    "Well, I just use the other." He said as he walked away from Barnie. "Goodbye, gramps." He waved.

    "Goodbye, Lord Edmund." He replied with a sad smile. Barnie sighed as he watched Ed disappeared into the darkness. His heartbeat normalize. He was afraid if the young master found out what he was doing.

    He turned toward the hallway he originally came. Five dead assassins were lying on the floor. "Oh, dear. I guess I''m not used to restraining my strength."

    Ed carefully navigated through his mansion. Mindful to not make any sound. He was happy when he finally arrived at the front door without anyone noticing him other than Barnie, or so he thought.

    He wanted to use the backdoor. It would be much safer and much more discreet, but he didn''t have the key to open it. And trying to get the key from the servants is not discreet at all.

    He looked around at the hallway leading to the front door. There were many paintings of him and his family hanging on the wall. The painting of his brothers, him, and his sister when they were a child. A painting of his whole family. And a painting of him as a toddler, holding the hand of his father and his mother, walking in a field. It was the last painting of him before he became ''a disappointment''. There was a smile on his father''s face, a smile he never sees anymore.

    It was two years after that painting was made, his father sent him to Aeston to receive a formal education. His academics scores were stellar, but his physical....

    He remembered about every summer after that year, when he returned to his family home in Riverside. He would spend the day playing with his sister, helping his mother. Summer was a happy time for him, but every time he saw his father''s face, that happiness vanished into thin air. It was right around then he started to have an interest in magic. Though he never tried to truly learn magic until he met Theo years after that.

    At first, magic was nothing more than a way to escape his insecurities, escape from the burden his father placed upon him. But after learning much about it and realizing that there were still a lot of things yet to be discovered, it turned into a passion.

    He unlocked the front door and slowly opened it. The door creaked, giving his heart a good jump. After he opened it-

    "Edmund Lion." Ed''s heart stopped beating and his blood ran cold. Fear, anger, disappointment, and a lot more emotion mixed up in his heart. Why the hell does one of the Great Lords of Amaryn. The head of House Lion, the Lord of Riverside, The owner of the biggest port in Amaryn, woke up so early in the morning?

    Ed steeled his heart and his will. No matter what his father said, he will not change his mind. "You can''t stop me now, father. It''s already too late." He said, not looking at his father. He took one step outside.

    "If you take another step, Edmund Lion. You will be a Lion no longer." His father gave him a warning. His voice was cold and harsh like always.

    Ed turned his head and smiled at his soon-no-longer father. "Then I give you my deepest gratitude father. For bearing with me, a disappointment, and taking care of me these past 22 years. And please give my thanks to mother and brother and sister....." He took a deep breath and took another step. " Goodbye, Lord Edward Lion. I wish your family a happy and prosperous life."

 Chapter 37: The Perfect Storm

    Theo looked outside through the window. A storm had been raging outside since morning and it showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. His plan of walking the fields outside the capital while searching for monsters was shattered to pieces. Even his astronomical luck couldn''t prevent one of these unfortunate days.

    He looked inside the room. Vivi was busy trying the spell Lyana taught her earlier but still wasn''t able to. Lyana was lying on the bed with stacks of books beside her. The more he watched her, the scarier Lyana''s reading speed became.

    He himself had nothing to do. He had trained to unlock the skill screen Vivi told him about, but still to no success. lyana did not seem interested in such thing and focused on learning a tier 4 magic.

    He looked outside again. It had been two days since the castle incident. Since then, the number of disappearing nobles only increased. Any team Sir Arslan sent to investigate the sewer either return with nothing or never return at all.

    The men they captured in the castle were Wrath''s men, but even after some torturing session, they didn''t give any connection to Aria. Theo handed the spy woman to the Spy Corps since it was impossible to hold her in his room for so long. Since the Spy Corps was on Ana''s side, there should be no problem, or so he thought. She escaped the night Theo handed her.

    Sir Arslan told him that the only way to stop Aria might only be to confront her directly. Only Theo could do that, though he was still preparing for that.

    He knew that there was a secret dungeon beneath the castle that leads to the Sewer. It was a perfect escape route for Aria. Yet, there was one problem, he only found one entrance and one exit to the dungeon. If there were more than one entrance and exit, his plan would fail.

    Sir Arslan said that he would help him, but not directly. His hands were tied behind his back when it came to matter regarding Aria.

    A lighting struck a forest some distance away, averting him from his thought.

    "One...two...three..four.... five....six...seven" He heard the rumble. ''About two and a half kilometer''. He thought after calculating it in his mind.

    His eyes wandered until it went down to a hooded kid walking down the cobbled main road. What was the kid doing walking outside in a storm like this? Even an adult wouldn''t dare.

    He stood in surprise when he noticed the kid has a distinct blue hair. "Ed?" He turned his body. "Vivi, Lyana, I''m going out for a while." He shouted.

    He stormed outside and ran after Ed without waiting for Vivi''s and Lyana''s replies. "Ed!" He shouted as soon as he stepped outside the inn. His voice was muffled by the raging storm.

    Ed, who wore a huge cloak, turned after hearing his voice. "Theo?"

    Both of them smiled. Looking at each other in the middle of the downpour was hard. They could barely see anything with the dense rain droplet, but they have no doubt about it, they were both smiling.

    "Ed, what are you doing here?" Theo said full of energy. Ed destination was the Kingdom of Magic, Lethrand. While heading to Redmound was not the wrong way, there were lots of more direct route he could take.

    Ed''s face turned grim. The smile on his face disappeared and his eyes turned dark. "Theo.... Actually, I come here to tell you a bad news."

    -----

    Princess Aria sat on the sofa inside her chamber, a glass of wine on her hand. With no magic lamp on, her room was dark, the storm outside didn''t help either. She put down the glass and stood up, heading for her bedroom.

    The moment she stepped into her bedroom, she could hear the full sound of the storm outside. She could feel the gale of wind coming from her right. From the window she remembered closing just a few minutes prior. She looked to her right.

    A thunder flashed behind a man who sat on the window frame.

    The man wore a brown cloak that covered almost everything save for his eyes. His eyes were....familiar for the princess. "Hello there, Princess." Even his voice was familiar, but the sound of storm prevented her from accurately remembering who.

    "How can you get in here?" There was no fear in her voice. Spies and assassins were usual business for people of her status. Especially after what her faction had done.

    "Climbing of course. The tower is tall, but not the tallest I''ve ever climbed. The guards are easy to pass, most of them didn''t even bother patrolling in a storm this big."

    His answer piqued her interest. The tower walls were designed to be hard if not impossible to climb, and the rain should make it even harder to climb. Yet the man still made it. His climbing skill must be equal to Subaru if not better.

    "It''s amazing how impeccable your timing are, turning your head towards me when a thunder strike behind me." Said the man. He got down from the window and opened the hood.

    Aria couldn''t hide her surprise, even with her acting skills. Though her face returned to normal just a few second after. "Sir Theo, what a surprise. What brings you here?"

    "You said I can come anytime, so here I am." His reply was a joke, yet his face showed the opposite. He threw a sack at Aria''s feet. "Open it. A gift from my friend in Aeston."

    She opened the sack.

    Her eyes widen as she saw what was inside. For the second time, she couldn''t hide her surprise. She couldn''t smell the foul odor because of the strong wind coming from the window, but if she could, it wouldn''t be pleasant at all.

    Now she knew why there was no report from Kanae. Her severed head lay inside the sack and her blood pooled inside it. Her neck wasn''t cut cleanly, it was as if a tiger bit her head off. She grimaced for a second before returning to her stoic mask.

    Theo pointed his sword at her. "You tried to hurt my Mary!" Theo shouted in anger. "This is not about the succession war anymore, this is not about getting you or your sister anymore. No, this is personal."

    Theo took a step forward, but he stopped. Aria showed no sign of fear or distress.

    Time slowed down to an extreme degree. His body shuddered and his heart pounded hard. An unexplainable fear and dread surfaced in his heart.

    A cracking of stone could be heard from his left, followed by an actual crack on the stone wall.Theo jumped back with all his might. Yet even as his senses were forced to the limit, his body stayed the same. His muscle could only move so fast.

    The stone wall exploded as a massive glowing red sword came out from it.

    Time returned to normal as he jumped out of the way of the sword. He grabbed the window frame at the last moment, stopping his backward movement and preventing himself from falling 50 meters to his death.

    A tall man with a blood red plate armor emerged from the blown out wall with an unusually long sword in hand. A pair of red point stared at Theo from behind the red helmet, as if there was no eye in there.The feeling of dread and doom filled Theo''s heart the longer he stared the man''s eyes. His gaze moved to Aria, who smirked behind the tall man.

    Theo climbed outside to the roof. Aria could wait later, for all he knew, his life was in danger.

    The storm brewed harder when he reached the roof. Thunder struck the mountain range in the distance many times. Theo swore he could hear an epic theme song playing in the background.

    The man from before jumped to the roof following him. Red aura oozed out from every opening of his armor. The moment a raindrop touched the aura, it vaporized into a blood-red mist.

    Theo took a step back and looked behind. The difference in height between the tower roof and the main castle roof was about 12 meters. He jumped down. He had no chances against his enemy on such a small roof.Theo braced for impact. He focused all his aura on his feet to dampen the impact. "[Soften fall]"

    Theo touched the roof at a staggering speed and immediately rolled afterward. The impact ran through his feet and up to his spine. Even after being lessened by the aura and by his skill, the impact was still significant enough to hurt him.

    He looked up to the tower, where the man stood and stared down at him. The red aura and red mist swirled around him. Theo''s hair stood on ends when he saw what was behind that man.

    His aura formed a figure. A giant red skull with a horn from both side of his head. "Avatar." Theo said with both fear and astonishment in his voice.

    When a person mastered the control of their aura, it took a distinct form when released in full power. It could have taken any form, from a God to just a critter.No normal human could have an avatar. Even those who are skilled and talented in aura control have trouble learning it. And one such person stood before him.

    Theo gritted his teeth. He knew who that man was. Alex Red, The Red Devil of Amaryn. One of its strongest knight, second only to Sir Arslan.

 Chapter 38: Alex, The Red Devil of Amaryn

    Alex jumped from the tower and brandished his weapon in the air.

    A wave of energy surged as he slammed into the roof, sending a strong gale to every direction. Below him, the roof cracked and caved in.

    Alex stood up without any hint of pain in the way he moved. He didn''t seem to use any fall-slowing or impact-reducing skill. The fall that hurt even Theo after he used a skill, Alex took it without flinching.

    Theo took out a small bottle from his pouch, opened it, and poured the content to his weapon. The weapon let out a dim blue hue after he finished.

    It was a magic buff potion. Once applied, it gave the weapon a temporary magic power if it doesn''t have one, or increase the existing power. He preferred using a fire buff or lighting buff over magic, but using a lighting buff in rain is suicidal and a fire buff wouldn''t have any effect in a huge rain.

    "[Strength boost][Agility Boost]" Theo said as he used his buff skill.

    Theo knew that he had no chance against Alex in a normal fight. Alex was a level 50 Class 4 swordsman. He was 19 level higher than Theo while possessing the same talent. He was also Sir Arslan number one disciple and his exploit in the Fourth Amaryn-Mosk War was well known. He has to find another way of beating him.

    Theo couldn''t keep his smile down. Despite all the odds stacking against him in this battle, he couldn''t help but be happy with the fact that he was fighting the second best swordsman in amaryn after Sir Arslan. It would be a fun, exhilarating, and hard fought battle, but he was confident he would triumph. He still got a lot up on his sleeve that Alex didn''t know while most of Alex''s skill was already recorded in military and history book.

    Alex observed Theo with a cold lifeless stare. He only moved once Theo had assumed a battle stance. He pointed his sword downward and slashed it up with a blinding speed.

    A wave of pure red energy traveled in the air towards Theo.

    ''Flying slash.'' Theo thought. It was one of the skills a swordsman could use against a ranged enemy. Usually, the power was lacking when compared to a direct contact, but he was wrong.

    Theo was pushed back as he blocked the energy. His feet dragged the roof tile, leaving a two-meter long mark. It felt like he was trying to block the charge of a bull.

    Before he could regain his balance, Alex appeared before his eyes in a flash. His massive sword moved from left to right. Due to its size, dodging backward was not a possible choice.

    "[Instant dodge]" Theo''s leg and stomach muscle cramped as it forced his body to duck. Against any other enemy, he would have blocked it. But considering how powerful Alex''s [Flying Slash] was, he wasn''t confident his muscle and bone could hold it.

    Theo launched a counter-attack. "[Serene Slash]"

    Alex''s arm jerked sideway, parrying Theo''s slash. The strength his sword carried was immense. It almost threw Panes from his hand.

    "[Recovery]" Theo''s leg moved on its own to maintain his balance. "[Vaporizing Slash]!"

    Time slowed down. Theo could see each individual raindrop''s shape. he could feel the slight movement of air. He could slightly see the formation of a thunder.

    His sword caught on fire. A cold fire that would vaporized his enemy.

    Horizontal Slash from the right �C Blocked.

    Vertical slashed from above

    Spinning attack �C Blocked

    Diagonal slash from the bottom right.

    ''Impossible''. Due to the sheer speed of the slashes, [Vaporizing Slash] should be impossible to block without a prior knowledge of the skill. Yet, only two of his four attacks hit. Not only that, the slashes that destroyed Roderyk''s enchanted armor did nothing on Alex. It only made two long scratches on Alex''s armor.

    ''What the heck are those armor made of?'' He shouted in his mind. Pain assaulted his right hand, but he ignored it. He mustn''t show any weakness or opening.

    "So you''re Class 4 Swordsman too....but you''re weak. If you think you can threaten Princess with that power level of yours, then you''re gravely mistaken."

    For the first time, Theo heard Alex''s voice. It was a high-pitched voice quite unfitting of his tall body, but Theo didn''t have the luxury to think about a trivial fact like that. One second loss of focus could mean life and death.

    "I''ll show you. What a true Class 4 Swordsman mean." Alex said. In fact, as unfitting his voice was, it sent shivers down Theo''s body.

    Theo smiled. "Good, Show me!"

    Alex charged towards Theo witha tremendous speed. He raised his sword and launched an overhead slash.

    Theo dodged to the side, but the slash was a feint. Before the sword touched the floor, it changed direction to where Theo stood.

    Theo was unable to dodge it. The attack was too low to be ducked, and if Alex was able to change the course of the sword mid-slash, then jumping was not an option.

    Theo blocked it. The force traveled from his hand to his torso then to the rest of his body. The force was so great that even after blocking, his body was thrown into the air. He somersaulted in the air and landed on his two feet.

    His whole body was trembling and aching. The muscle all over his body screamed, telling him to rest, telling him to give up. Their difference in strength was astronomical. It didn''t feel like he was blocking a slash. It felt like blocking a Giant''s punch. There was no way he could block another slash without breaking a bone or two.

    There was also the problem of his leg wound. It had been mostly healed, but because of the crawlers, some parts opened up again. Even the best magic doctor in Redmound couldn''t heal that big of a wound completely.

    Theo refocused his gaze at Alex, who charged towards him again.

    His 2 meters long Forlorn gave him a significant range advantage compared to Theo''s 1.4 meters long Panes. Not to mention Theo didn''t have his armor since he has to climb the tower. Climbing a 50 meters tall tower in the middle of a thunderstorm while using a heavy armor was simply not possible.

    Fighting him head-on was not an option and since dodging and blocking were useless, his only option was to run. Theo ran, heading towards one of the castle towers. Alex followed behind.

    Theo was running slower than he wanted to. His feet were slippery from the rain. The rush of water flowing down the roof was like a stream, the water was dragging him to the edge. Even as he enhanced the grip of his foot using aura, he would have fallen if he wasn''t careful. Luckily, Alex was having the same problem as him.

    Theo ran up to the wall and kicked it. Like the roof, the wall was slippery. He wasn''t able to gain as much height as he wanted to.

    He positioned his falling bodies above Alex. "[Monster Beheading]" Theo fell at an accelerated rate, much faster than he normally would.

    Alex raised his sword to block Theo''s attack.

    Their sword clashed. Alex grunted as he received the full force of Theo''s [Monster beheading]. Alex''s legs trembled and the roof beneath him cracked, creating a small crater. But Alex stood still.

    ''Impossible'' Theo shouted in his mind. Even from only three meters, his [Monster Beheading] has the same force of a falling bear. Yet, Alex was able to stand after blocking his attack. He only bent his knee and elbow a little.

    Before Theo''s feet touched the ground, Alex kicked him and slammed his body into the tower wall. The kick was more powerful than the ram of a chimera. Blood came out from his mouth.

    Alex slashed Theo who still stuck on the wall. "[Instant Dodge]"

    Theo dodged down, but Alex''s next slash already came from above.

    Theo rolled away at the nick of time. The slash struck his previous position, sending debris and chunk of roof tiles into the air.

    He turned his body and slashed Alex, hoping that Alex wouldn''t have time to dodge or block it. "[Serene Slash]"

    He was right. Alex put too much strength into his last attack, slowing his recovery. Even an [Instant Recovery] or [Instant Dodge] would save Alex from his attack.

    "[Red Flash]" A red horizontal flash struck Panes and threw it from his hand.

    Panes flew at a staggering speed. It hit the roof tiles, creating a distinct sound before bounding off again. It didn''t stop until it reached the other side of the rooftop, 25 meters away from Theo.

    Theo''s fingers were hurt and trembling, some even cracked. If he held Panes just a little bit tighter before, the impact would have broken all his fingers. If not his hand and arm also.

    Theo took a spell-paper from his pouch and activated it. "[Combustion]"

    The fire spread from it and consumed Alex. It was smaller because of the rain, but it was still a big fire. Alex emerged unscathed, neither flinched nor distracted by the show of fire.

    Alex raised his sword to a high guard. The wind swirled around Forlorn and a massive red beam of light soared to the heaven. The dark cloud above was pierced by the beam, the sky itself was split.

    Theo body froze. The feeling of fear and dread returned to him. It was his instinct that caused him to feel fear, even though Theo was confident with his plan and secret item.

    He knew what that beam was. [Red Death]. It was Alex''s unique and signature skill. During the Fourth Mosk-Amaryn War, Alex slaughtered 800 men with one slash using that skill.

    "Are you fucking serious, Alex? You''ll destroy the city with that!" Theo shouted, trying to stall Alex while trying to get up. Despite having full confidence in countering the attack, his legs refused to move. The sheer pressure from Alex''s skill was enough to paralyze him.

    "I''ll slaughter the entirety of this Kingdom if it''s for my Princess." Alex brought down his sword. "[Red Death]"

    Theo grabbed an item from his back pouch, from his special pouch. Before he could use it, the beam was redirected to the sky by another sword.

    Sir Arslan appeared before Theo in his full glory, with his shining golden armor and fluttering white cape.

 Chapter 39: The Eye Of The Storm

    "Move, Sir Arslan. That man tried to assault Princess Aria." Alex answered with a cold voice.

    "No. This man is trying to stop Princess Aria from destroying this Kingdom." Sir Arslan looked behind him. "Sir Theo, There''s a secret entrance behind a bookcase in Aria''s chamber. It leads down to the castle dungeon. She should be there. Stop her before she runs away to the Sewer."

    Theo took a deep breath and gathered his strength. He then stood up and picking his sword, 25 meters away.

    "You''re dooming the person you sworn to protect, Sir Arslan. He is a criminal, and you know that."

    "Perhaps. But Sir Theo is not such a person. He might not be as kind or as noble as he appeared, but he isn''t an unreasonable person. I believe he will do what is best."

    Alex''s eyes wandered toward Sir Arslan''s sword that redirected his [Red Death]. He was surprised to see that the sword he held was not Blood Rite. It wasn''t even a proper battle sword, it was a dull iron sword used for training. "Sir Arslan, your sword..."

    "Blood Rite is having a vacation somewhere. And I don''t have time to get a new sword when I heard the commotion up here."

    "Are you mocking me, Sir Arslan?" Alex''s voice turned cold. There was a hint of anger behind it.

    Sir Arslan chuckled, then his face turned serious. "Even with my old age, I could beat you ten times over with a butter knife, Alex. With a hand behind my back."

    -------

    Theo moved every bookcase in Aria''s chamber until he found the one Sir Arslan mentioned. Behind that one was a long spiral staircase leading down. Theo ran down the stairs until he reached a long hallway. On his left and right were unused prison cells. The place was dark and dirty. In front of him, the path diverged. One leads to the left and one to the right.

    Theo smiled when he heard another footstep echoing from the left path. "Princess." He called. His sound echoed back.

    After his fight with Alex, his anger has subsided to some degree. It was still like a boiling pot of water, however. Before, he was trying to crush Aria''s head. Now, he wanted to give her punishment. An exceedingly thorough punishment.

    After running some more time, he arrived at a massive room. Hundreds of chains dangled from the ceiling and touched the floor. The chains and the lack of candle made the room even darker than the previous hallway. A chain rattled a few meters in front of Theo. He couldn''t see well because of the darkness, but the sound helped him.

    There was another footstep, but it was heavy. Far too heavy for it to be Aria. "Thank you, Theo. But the princess is in another castle!" A familiar voice came from behind him. It was Wrath''s voice.

    The moment Theo turned, a fist planted itself on his cheek. Theo was unprepared and couldn''t defend his cheek with Aura fast enough. He felt like he was smashed with a huge stone. It was amazing how his teeth didn''t fall off. Another punch came from below and hit his chin. This time, however, Theo had enough time to defend from the attack.

    Theo opened his eyes and assumed a battle stance, but Wrath was gone. He looked around, but the darkness and the chain worked against him, limiting his vision.

    "Long time no see, Theo. How many years has it been?" Wrath''s voice came from above.

    Theo jumped back before Wrath''s elbow crush his head from above. "Wrath." He called back. "Move! Give me the princess, and I will let you go with your life."

    Wrath laughed. "Let me go? You don''t know the position you''re in don''t you? Anyway, how''s Envy?" Wrath asked. Theo couldn''t see his expression because of the darkness, but he was sure he heard anger in his voice.

    Theo drew his sword and swung it at Wrath''s head. While the chains were not durable enough to stop a Draken Steel blade, it was enough to slow it down for Wrath to catch his hand. Theo clicked his tongue when the realization kicked in. The room was a trap set up by Wrath. The chains made him unable to use a sword properly.

    Theo used all his strength to move the sword, but his strength was nothing when compared to Wrath''s. "You still angry about Envy?" Theo asked. His left hand let go of the sword and punched Wrath in the face.

    Wrath caught his fist. "I''m Wrath. If I''m not angry, then what am I?" Wrath tightened his grip on Theo''s fist, causing an immense pain and making him scream. Wrath squeezed the bone that was already cracked because of Alex.

    Wrath used Theo''s own fist to hit Theo''s face. "Stop!" He hit again. "Hitting!" He hit again. "Yourself!" Wrath said.

    Wrath kicked Theo in the gut while holding tight to his sword. Theo body was flung backward while his sword stayed in Wrath''s hand.

    Theo stood up. "You''re fucking funny you know, Wrath."

    Wrath averted his gaze from Theo to Panes. He observed it. "Draken Steel. How much money do you think I will get if I sell this?"

    "None. Because you will die before you could." Theo charged toward Wrath.

    Wrath''s gaze returned to Theo. He threw Panes behind him and launched a lightning-quick jab. But Theo saw it and ducked below his hand. Due to Wrath''s height, it was easy to dodge his punch by ducking. Theo planted his feet on the ground and moved his center of mass forward. He landed an uppercut right to Wrath''s jaw.

    Before Wrath could recover, Theo landed another punch to his chest. And another one. And another one. He wanted to punch his face, but due to their height difference, it was not practical. Theo moved his body backward and launched a kick aimed towards Wrath''s crotch.

    Wrath caught Theo''s ankle before his feet touched him. Without any effort, he lifted Theo upside down "You take Envy from me." Before Wrath slammed Theo down to the floor, he took a spell-paper.

    "[Lighting Spear]" A spear of electricity stabbed the arm that held his ankle.

    Wrath screamed and let Theo go in reflex. Theo spun his body so that he landed on his two feet. He jumped back before Wrath could kick his face.

    Theo took two spell-paper. "[Greater Combustion!]" The paper exploded in front of Wrath. The explosion sent a wave that moved every chain in that room, creating an unpleasant loud sound.

    The smoke from the explosion blocked his vision. [Greater Combustion] was the most powerful spell in his arsenal. There was no way an armorless Wrath could take that without being injured, no matter how powerful his aura was.

    "You still have that habit, calling the spell you''re about to use out loud." Theo''s eyes shot open, Wrath emerged from the smoke, unhurt. "Envy had broken many rules among the seven sins. Just a few more, and I would have the permission to hunt her down, to break that fragile spine of her. But you came and changed her. She became...passive, and didn''t break any more rule." Wrath clasped his hands.

    ''Fortress.'' Theo thought. It was a defensive skill used by martial artists to defend from a spell or weapon. It increased all their resistance by a massive amount, for a fifth of a second. They have to activate the skill just a moment before the enemy attack hit their body or the skill would be wasted. "Good, that means she follows my order."

    The more skilled the user, the longer the duration of [Fortress]. But even the most experienced user could only stretch that time to half a second. Theo could use [Fortress], but his duration was only one-tenth of a second. It also wasn''t that effective, he wasn''t good enough to use it to block a sharp object.

    Wrath and Theo stared at each other, waiting for the other to show an opening.

    Theo took another spell-paper with lightning-quick movement and aimed it at Wrath, but Wrath moved his hand to the side and grabbed Theo by the neck. Theo had expected that. "[Shock]" Theo shocked his own body, and Wrath by extension.

    "You fucking madman!" Wrath screamed. He was hurt by the shock, it didn''t seem to have much effect though.

    He kicked Theo''s leg and slammed him to the stone floor. "[Fort-]" Theo hit the floor before he could.

    The floor cracked, and Theo screamed in pain. His aura and damage resistance was good enough for the slam to not be fatal. But not enough to save him the pain. Theo''s scream became even louder as Wrath placed his foot on top of Theo''s leg. Right on top the large wound that hasn''t yet healed. "ARRRGGHHHHH!!"

    "As much as I want to kill you right now for what you did to Envy. I was paid to capture you alive. ten thousand gold, can you imagine that amount of money?" Theo''s hand desperately moved toward his back pouch. "Do you think I won''t notice that?" Wrath asked.

    Wrath let go of his ankle and jumped 2 meters into the air, then landed right on Theo''s hand and back.

    "[Fortr-]" Blood spurted out from Theo''s mouth.

    It felt like all his internal organs ruptured and were about to come out from his mouth. It felt like his spine was ground to dust.

    "You have grown weak since you leave the free cities." Wrath took his back pouch. "Three years I prepared myself to face you. I am disappointed, Theo."

    "You are out of shape. You lack your previous discipline And most importantly, you lack the ruthlessness and cunningness you once had. Wrath walked away from Theo. "What do you think will happen when the Princess get her hand on ''Your Mary''?"

    Theo stopped grunting and turned his head to face Wrath. Wrath looked back at Theo with a ridiculed look. "Do you think I will let the Princess do whatever she wants? Sending only one spy to kidnap Your Mary? The princess is stupid."

    Theo wiped the blood from his mouth and pushed his body up. "Wrath, don''t you fucking dare!"

    "What? I only told my men to get her alive, no matter the cost. Why so angry?" He mocked Theo.

    "Fuck you!" Theo charged toward Wrath and launched a barrage of punches. He put all his strength and all his weight on each punch, hitting the weak spots of the human body.

    Wrath didn''t move nor flinch. His flesh was steel, his muscle was iron, his skin hard as rocks. The only damage Theo done was to his own fist.

    Wrath caught both of Theo''s fist. Like before, Theo tried to pull his hand, but Wrath was stronger. Theo banged his head on Wrath''s body to no effect. "Good, give in to the anger. Feel the wrath in your vein. Abandoned your rational mind that provides you with the only advantage you have over me."

    Wrath returned the headbutt. Theo''s body was like a jello compared to Wrath''s. He picked Theo''s body from the floor and raised it above his head. Theo grunted and struggled, trying to get away from his grasp, but it was futile. He couldn''t do anything.

    Wrath slammed Theo body with all his might while raising his knee.

    "Fortre-AARRRRGGGHHHH" Theo screamed all his lung.

    [Pain resistance level up]

    "FUCCKK YOUU!!" He screamed. It was not aimed at Wrath, but to whoever was up above for showing him that message. The pain reduction was so small he couldn''t even notice the difference.

    Wrath observed Theo''s back pouch that he took. Magical runes filled every part of it, making it impossible to be opened other than by Theo. And also made it virtually impossible to be destroyed. "I wonder, what important items you keep in here?"

    Theo tried his best to crawl away from Wrath. But what he did was more wriggling like a worm rather than crawling. Wrath watched his futile effort to get away. "Maybe, we''ll give your Mary your usual treatment,Burning."

    Theo grabbed the nearest chain. He ignored the pain ravaging through his body and raised his body with the help of the chain. "I''m going to kill you, Wrath!"

    "Please, by all mean if you could." Wrath kicked Theo''s feet lightly. It was more of a nudge than a kick, but it was enough to send Theo body to the floor. "Or maybe, we whore her out in front of you. I don''t know, ten silver would be enough don''t you think?" Theo went silent, and his body stopped moving. "What, unconscious already?"

    Theo stabbed Wrath''s leg using the knife that he hid in his pants. Wrath grunted "You motherfucker!" Theo shouted.

    Wrath kicked Theo''s head and pulled the knife from his leg. He then threw it far away so that Theo couldn''t possibly reach it in his state. "You literal motherfucker!" Said Wrath.

    Wrath picked Theo''s body up by the head. Then smashed his face with a headbutt. Blood traced down from his nose. "You know Theo, I would love to snap your neck right here and right now. but-"

    Theo took another hidden dagger and embedded it in Wrath''s right eye. Wrath did not have enough time to use [Fortress].

    Wrath screamed out his lung, but his hands were still holding Theo by the neck.

    While moving the dagger to make sure Wrath felt the agony, Theo''s other hand picked up a spell-paper from his pouches. Theo put the paper on Wrath face "[Greater Shock]." The paper burned in a flash of light and electricity ran through Wrath''s body. He finally let go of Theo''s neck, causing his body to fall to the floor.

    Theo watched as Wrath pulled out the knife from his right eye socket, along with his right eyeball that stuckto the knife. Wrath screamed as blood fountained from his now empty eye socket.

    "RAAAAAHHHH!!!" Wrath screamed. His muscle bulged, and his blood vessel popped out. Violent aura poured out from his skin like a raging thunderstorm causing all the chains in that room to rattle.

    He pulled the nearest chain and wrapped it around Theo''s neck. "I almost want to throw away ten thousand gold to kill you right now." Wrath pulled both ends.

    Theo scratched his own neck, trying to get the chain off. "It''s futile Theo Gladium!" Wrath shouted.

    Theo smiled. He took his last hidden dagger, turned his body, and stabbed Wrath in the stomach. Wrath grunted and tightened the chain around Theo''s neck.

    Theo gasped for air, but he was ready for this. He knew that he couldn''t get the chain off. He dragged the knife to the side, widening the wound on Wrath''s stomach.

    Wrath screamed, he let go of the chain and elbowed Theo. Theo pulled out the dagger and rolled to the side, dodging Wrath elbow by a hair''s breadth. He took out a spell-paper. "[Combustion]"

    Wrath activated [Fortress], but what came out from the paper was not a single explosion, but a continuous stream of fire. It was not [Combustion], it was [Flame thrower]. Theo purposely shouted out every spell to trick Wrath. The fire burned Wrath''s crotch.

    Wrath kicked Theo''s face. Theo dodged to the side and stabbed Wrath''s thigh. Wrath movement became sloppy. Theo took another spell-paper and aimed it at Wrath''s face. "[Flame arrow]!"

    Wrath moved his head out of the way. Like before, what came out wasn''t what Theo shouted. It was [Greater Combustion].

    Wrath''s body was thrown back because of the explosion. He caught the nearest chain, preventing him from falling to the ground.

    The flesh around Wrath right eye socket turned blue. The wound looked festered despite being a fresh wound. Wrath stood still, his body swayed, and his eye blinked rapidly. He took a few step back to regain his balance and composure. His vision blurred.

    "The effect is starting, huh?" Theo asked.

    Wrath glared Theo. "What did you do to me?!" He noticed that Theo was standing upright. "What? Impossible! I broke your back!"

    Theo chuckled. "Do you really know me, Wrath? Trickery is my game. I can use fortress too, you know, but damn! It''s fucking exhausting!"

    Wrath eyes opened wide when he realized what Theo meant. All that scream and writhing on the ground was only an acting to make him lower his guard. Theo successfully used [Fortress], but he shouted it out late to make it seemed like he missed the timing.

    Theo grabbed his hip, his bone cracked. "GOD DAMN! GRAH! Fuck! My [Fortress] is not that strong, however."

    Wrath muscles bulged even more. He crossed his arm in front of him and charged towards Theo. Theo stood still. He knew.

    Wrath stumbled and fell to the ground. His mouth bubbled and his body convulsed. His left eye shot open and turned red.

    Theo didn''t walk near Wrath. There was still a possibility that Wrath could attack him, even in that state. "Hydra venom." Theo said. "All three daggers are coated in Hydra venom. It''s fucking expensive and hard to get, but deadly and fast-acting. It targets the brain, and the symptoms will start to show around twenty minutes in, but if I stabbed you in the head....."

    Wrath tried to move his body, but his muscles contracted involuntarily. The few that didn''t move were stiff as a rock."Hydra venom also becomes very acidic when you electrocute it, that''s why I used shock many times even though that spell is weak as fuck."

    Wrath seizure became more intense. "Don''t worry, in ten minutes you will be dead, but until then..... enjoy."

    Wrath screamed his lung out. Unimaginable pain wrecked throughout his body. His heartbeat was audible even to Theo who stood a few meters from him. Theo walked away from the screaming Wrath. His anger hasn''t been quenched, not until he got his hand on Aria.

    Those who tried to hurt his Mary will die a horrible death, or experience the worst imaginable pain.

 Chapter 40: Storms End

    Lyana and Ed walked down a long dark hallway. There was barely any light illuminating their way, and they didn''t use any spell to make it any brighter. "I can''t believe it, that Vivi!" Lyana complained.

    "Well, I wouldn''t blame her. We have to pass through the Sewer to get here, and you told me she almost died during her last visit there. No wonder she doesn''t want to go." Ed replied.

    Lyana stomped her feet on the rock floor. "I almost died too! And we''re here to help her boyfriend. We''re here because of Theo told us to." She observed Ed''s hand, it was shaking. "And look, you''re scared, but you still come here."

    "I-I''m not scared!"

    "Yes, you are!" Sheput her hand on her waist.

    Their conversation was cut short when they reached a metal door. "Is this the entrance to the secret dungeon?" Lyana asked.

    Ed took out a map that Theo gave him. "It should be here. Though the map is rather....unclear." Ed pushed the door, and like Theo told him, it was unlocked. They were greeted with rows of empty cell to their left and right. "Yes. This is the place."

    Suddenly, the sound of a person running reached their ears. It was followed soon by the appearance of a woman running towards them. The woman froze when she saw them.

    "That''s the Princess, right?" Lyana asked Ed.

    "I think so.....wait, yeah! I met her once before."

    "So we just need to catch her?"

    Aria turned when she realized that Lyana and Ed were not on her side. A man and a woman appeared from the hallway which she came from. They were armored and armed.

    Seeing their huge stature and their weapon, Ed was shaking in his boots. "Just wait if you''re scared." Lyana said. She cupped her hand and fire erupted from it.

    "N-no way! I come here to help Theo, there''s no point if I chicken out now."

    "Then d-" Lyana was interrupted by the twang of a crossbow string. She flicked her hand, causing the bolt to explode in the air. "Do something!"

    Spear of lighting formed in Lyana''s left hand and fire in her right. She threw the lighting at the man who charged toward them.

    The man took the lighting spear head-on. He didn''t flinch nor did he slow down his charging. "What the heck are you doing?" Ed shouted. "Steel Armor is a conductor, the lightning will flow to the ground without damaging its wearer!"

    "SHUT UP!" Lyana yelled. "Help me before complaining!" Lyana threw the fire in his right arm to the same man. The man raised his shield and blocked the fire without slowing down.

    The man swung his sword at her. She barely dodged it. She then extended her arm towards the man''s face. "[Greater Combustion]" Fire exploded from her hand, and the man flew into the wall, cracking it.

    A bolt flew to Ed''s face. With another flick of her wrist, the bolt exploded. "Don''t just stand there!" She shouted at Ed who only stood back and watched.

    "O-okay!" Ed took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. His body was still shaking. "[Dragon Aura]" Blue colored air came out from Ed''s mouth and whirled around his body, creating a layer of air around it. The layer was like armor.

    The man from before moved again, ready to slash Lyana. But Ed''s fist struck him first, sending his body into the wall again. And again, and again, and again, until the steel plate on his chest bent inward.

    "What the hell?" Lyana asked herself.

    Ed was a mage and looking at his small body, it was obvious he was weak. She flicked her wrist, blocking another bolt.

    Ed''s fist was bloodied. He held his hand together. "Auuu~" He crouched down in pain. Lyana could see tears forming on the edge of his eyes.

    Lyana moved her gaze to the woman who kept shooting crossbow bolts at her. Lyana countered with a powerful lighting spear. The spear was too fast for the woman to dodge.

    The woman screamed before her body fell to the floor.

    "What the hell was that?" She asked Ed, who was still crouching down from the pain he inflicted on himself. He didn''t answer. Lyana tilted her head."Are you crying?"

    Ed turned his face. "O-of course not! I''m a man!" Tears were clearly forming in his eyes.

    Lyana rested her hand on her waist. "Okay, then what the hell was that?"

    Ed wiped the tears. "It''s my unique skill. For ten minutes I can''t use magic, but all my stats are doubled, and all my resistances are increased." He held his hand again. "But my pain and physical resistance are shit to begin with."

    The man Ed pounded moved again and swung his sword at Ed''s neck, who was facing away from him. Lyana swiftly shot an ice spike, aimed towards the slit of his helmet. The ice stabbed him deep in the eye, killing him.

    Ed slowly turned his head to look at the man.

    He jumped away from the dead man. He was horrified, disgusted, and shocked. His body trembled when he saw the ice pierced the man''s head.

    Lyana was confused seeing Ed''s reaction. "W-w-why? W-why do you have to kill him?" Ed asked. He was trembling.

    "He was trying to kill you, and he''s an enemy. What''s wrong?"

    "You are the wrong!" Ed shouted. "Y-you don''t have to kill him." Ed covered his trembling mouth. His other hand grabbed his stomach.

    Lyana''s eyebrows twitched. She had just saved his life, and instead of being thanked, she was being shouted at. "Oh yeah?! Then try to save your life next time you''re in danger!"

    "I-I''m grateful you saved me, b-but this..this is.... Y-you can just scare him away, or knock him out!"

    "What did you say?!" She yelled. She positioned her body in such a way that her shadow covered him. It was a posture to intimidate.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Instead of pursuing Aria, they ended up arguing over whether it was correct to kill your enemies. On top of some other thing.

    --------

    Alex lay on the roof. The rain still poured as hard as before. The raindrop hit his armor and created a strangely relaxing sound to his ears.

    Sir Arslan sat on his chest, holding Forlorn and the iron training sword he brought. "10 years, and I still don''t know how you can use Forlorn. Using a sword as massive as this isn''t about strength anymore, it throws your center of mass around, how can you keep your balance?"

    Sir Arslan turned toward Alex. The two red dots in his helmet slit were not moving, staring directly at the storm cloud. "20 years ago, It was pouring just like this."

    Sir Arslan looked at the storm above. "The day you were saved by Aria?" There was no answer from Alex. "Why didn''t you advise her against this plan. You know what will happen if she succeeds, you know how many lives will be lost."

    "I''m just a sword. A sword doesn''t question its master."

    "Actually, BloodRite question my every decision, but anyway, you''re a sword, huh? A tool that will be thrown away when it became dull."

    "If The Princess wishes it, then so be it."

    "Is that what you really want, Alex, to be thrown away when the Princess deemed you unnecessary?"

    Alex shook his head. It was a slight movement that would be unnoticeable to most people. But Sir Arslan was not most people. "It doesn''t matter even if you stop me now, Sir. The Princess plan can''t be stopped now, It''s too late."

    "Of course. The thing that has happened, the disappearance of some noble families can''t be undone, and there will be effects and repercussions. But I can still prevent a more major incident from happening."

    Alex chuckled. "Even the best team you could gather can''t get into Wrath''s base in the sewer."

    "Well, but that wasn''t my best team yet."

    ---------

    "Is everything ready?" A huge man asked. He wore a full jet black military uniform with a black cape fluttering behind him. A huge mustache covered his lower face. He was Barnabas Yoss, the General of the Ape Army of Amaryn and the Supreme Commander of the Royal Armies. And Amaryn strongest hand-to-hand combatant.

    In front of him were four other people. The first one was a lean man named Ander Larson, Amaryn best archer. He was muscular, but not bulky. On his back was a small light bow and a quiver full of arrows.

    The second, a woman with the name of Lune Peregrine, the general of Turtle Army and Amaryn best defender. Her body was tall, huge, and imposing, a contrast to her kind and mother-like face. Her thick Titan Steel armor made her bulky body even more space consuming.

    The Third and the fourth were Emilia and Alvin Dryden, the Court Mage. Despite the lack of recognition for Mages in Amaryn, those two were considered to be on par with the Royal Guards in term of battle prowess.

    "Yes, the designated enemy base is around here." Ander answered. He circled his finger on the map laid in front of him.

    "Okay. Lune you will be our vanguard. Emilia, you set up a detection field around us. Alvin, you prepare for reactive spells. Remember, don''t use fire, we''re in the Sewer, and the last thing we wanted is for you to choke us to death. Ander, you will be our main attacker. And I will cover our flank." He clapped his hand together. "Okay, Sir Arslan personally asked u to do this job. That alone speak the difficulties of this mission. Don''t let your guard down even for a second. Let''s move."

    ---------

    Aria ran through the hallway with Natalie beside her. Sweat soaked her nightgown. Her heart beat rapidly, and her head was hot. ''FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!'' She cursed Theo inside her mind and her heart. If only that man didn''t intervene, if only that man didn''t come to Redmound, if only that man didn''t exist, her 15 years of hard work wouldn''t have gone to waste. All that learning politic, economy, learning how to lie, how to manipulate people since she was still an 11 years old girl.

    Fuck that man, fuck him and his whole existence.

    She almost grasped her dream to put those piece of shit Nobles in their place. To take revenge on those Nobles who hurt her. To make them pay for what they did to her and her mother.

    Natalie raised an arm, signaling her to stop. She checked the corner, it was her job to make sure every corner was safe. Before she could, however, a fist slammed into her stomach.

    Her body crashed the nearby wall, then it fell, unconscious.

    Aria turned back and started running, but she tripped and fell. No, a hand grabbed her leg and caused her to fall. She turned her head. Theo was standing behind her. "Helo there, Princess."

    She gritted her teeth. "Fuck y-AHHHHH!" She screamed when Theo pulled her hair.

    Theo looked left and right, ignoring the screaming Aria behind him. He dragged her by the hair until theyreached a particular cell. Theo grabbed Aria''s neck and raised her. She slapped, punched, spat, and kicked him. There was no effect of course.

    Theo chained her until she was hovering in the air by the chain on both of her hand. "FUCK YOU!" She thrashed around, but the chain held her in place. Theo punched her in the gut, hard enough that she coughed blood, but not enough to make her faint. It silenced her.

    Theo grabbed her nightgown and ripped it apart. "You...Mother Fucker! So is this what you want, raping me? You trade this country future for this?!"

    Theo slapped her, again and again until both of her cheeks were red. Then he forcefully kissed her and sucked the blood in her mouth. "Sweet, sweet blood." He said. He held her cheek to force her eyes meet his. "I really, really, want to kidnap you out from this country. Make you my personal slave so I can torture and rape you every single day and night!" He punched her stomach, causing her to cough more blood. "You threaten My Mary! You sent assassin and spy to kidnap her!You told Wrath to get her! Now his men are going to knock on her door and make her life worse! BECAUSE OF YOU!!" He punched her gut again.

    He walked around and examined the room. "I just want to rip you apart, turn you inside out. Maybe take some part to make a souvenir for Fergus. He loves tender meat like yours." He took a whip from one of the racks inside the cell. "But Sir Arslan saved me earlier today. It made me remember why I''m fighting you in the first place. You should thank Sir Arslan after you escape from this dungeon. So for the sake of yourself and for the future of this country." He whipped the air, creating a crackling sound. "Scream your lungs out, princess. It might alleviate some of my anger."

    -------

    Lyana ran through the hallway of the secret dungeon. There were many branching paths, and she took the wrong turn three times already. She met a few enemies along the way but dispatched them without much effort.

    She looked at Ed behind her. He was disgusted, terrified, shocked after seeing her killed some people. Though it was a typical reaction for someone who has never killed before. It was actually pretty amazing he didn''t throw up and didn''t give up mid-way, considering how brutal some of the death he saw.

    They were met with another branching path, one to the left and one continue forward. "Damn it!" She had wasted so much of their time when she picked the wrong turn. Add that with the time she spent arguing with Ed, The Princess might have escaped right now.

    A scream came from her left. She instantly ran to the source of the sound.

    A woman was lying on the ground, with a cracked wall behind her. A line of blood flowed down from her mouth and the back of her head. Another scream erupted from a cell not too far from there. Lyana ran there and turned to see what was inside the cell. She was baffled by what she saw.

    Whip marks covered the Princess'' body. There wasn''t a single spot on her body that wasn''t red. There were traces of blood near her mouth and between her legs, bruises on her stomach, red cheeks, and tears flowing down both of her eyes. Aside from a few small cuts, there were no open external injuries, though god knows how many internal injuries she has. She was weeping, but her voice was too small to be heard clearly. Even as her enemy, Lyana felt sorry for her.

    "Ed, don''t come here. Just, wait there!" She prevented Ed from seeing what was happening inside. It was better for him to not see. "Theo, I think that is enough."

    Theo turned his face towards Lyana. It was red, still brimming with anger. He nodded and took a deep breath to normalize his breathing.

    He punched Aria in the stomach three more times before giving her a hard backhand slap. "You fucking cunt!" He would have punched her more if not for Lyana stopping him.

    "Theo, enough! You''ll kill her!" She yelled.

    He walked away from the now unconscious princess and threw the whip in his hand to the floor. "There''s a change of plan. Pack your things. We''re going to Ketu Theocracy as soon as we can."

    Lyana didn''t reply, it was not the right time to ask about his reasoning. "What about the Princess?"

    "Fuck the Princess! Fuck the kingdom! Fuck the succession war! My Mary is in danger. I need to meet someone in Ketu Theocracy as soon as possible." He pointed at Natalie. "That person there, she will wake up in half an hour or an hour. Right now, we need to get out from here."

 Chapter 41: True Feeling

    A small point of light, a tint of red surrounded by a vast expanse of dark forest. It was a campfire, and four people sat surrounding it. The location was roughly halfway between Redmound and The Bandit Pass.

    Lyana sat on one side. She was munching a piece of meat without manner, yet it didn''t reduce her beauty in the slightest. On the other side was Ed. With short deep blue hair and azure blue eyes that glimmered in the dark. Opposite to that Ed was Theo, with Vivi sitting directly next to him. Vivi was feeding Theo like they were a newly-wed. He wrapped his arm around her. Vivi''s soft pink lips were smiling when she saw Theo also smiling.

    "So why do we have to go through bandit pass exactly?" Ed asked.

    Theo''s mouth was still full. He gulped it all down before answering. "It''s the fastest route. We can''t afford to waste any time." He answered. The smile on his face was gone when he remembered about his problem.

    It was not the fastest route. It was, however, the fastest way that Theo confident would be safe for everyone. If he were alone, he would have taken another, faster, and more dangerous route.

    "Speaking of which, how is your training?" Theo asked.

    "Pretty good. I''m level 12 now. I ran through the dungeon two more times and went hunting in the nearby forest. Oh yeah, also this." Ed opened his robe and revealed a plate with wolf carving on it. "I''m officially an adventurer now."

    Ed spoke as if it was normal for a person to increase his level from 6 to 12 in a month. But considering Ed''s Class 5 Magic talent, Dragon title, and being a system protagonist, something that should be impossible would be possible for him.

    "Also learned quite a lot of new spell. Even a Tier-3 one." He added innocently.

    Lyana''s food burst out of her mouth the moment she heard that. Without cleaning her now stained robe, she stood and confronted Ed. "What did you just say?!" Her voice thundered in the quiet forest.

    Her normally friendly face was now frowning, and her eyes flashed green, making Ed surprised and scared. Her disguise was also dropped, revealing her horn that came from her temple and the tail between her legs. While Theo already told Ed about that fact, seeing it with his own two eyes was different.

    "I-i...uhhh...i-" He lost his word in fear. Sweat broke out all over his body.

    "Relax Lyana." Theo interrupted.

    Lyana redirected her deathly gaze to Theo. "What did you say?"

    Theo understood Lyana''s feeling to some degree. She was an extremely talented and skilled individual who could use a Tier-3 Spell back when she was still level 15, something that should have been impossible, and she was proud of that fact. Now, Ed suddenly appeared in front of her, breaking her record and her pride. "I haven''t told you much about Ed right?"

    Lyana calmed down and sat again. She looked away. "Heh! I can''t accept a coward like him." She glared at Ed who was hiding behind a tree, shivering in fear.

    Vivi who was still busy eating had no comment and sat silently, observing them. "Well, Lyana, the reason is that Ed has a Class 5 Magic talent. That''s why he can learn a Tier-3 spell so early."

    "Oh, a class 5.........WHAT?!" She turned to Ed again, making his body jolt in surprise.

    "He''s also the Dragon..so, yeah." Theo added.

    "Dragon what?!"

    "Oh yeah, He also has the title of protagonist."

    "Protagonist?!" She asked while glaring at Ed.

    "Calm down, Lyana." He said in a normal tone, completely disregarding her agitation.

    "Calm down?" She stood up and approached Theo. "You expect me to calm down when you just said something like that?" She pointed her finger towards Ed. "Him! A Class 5 Mage and a Protagonist? Are fucking you kidding me?"

    Theo raised both of his hand, trying to calm her down. "I know, I know. There shouldn''t be another-"

    "Yeah! There shouldn''t be any other Class 5 Mage other than Lord DeadEye." Lyana shouted, interrupting Theo.

    Theo frowned. "Uh..Who is DeadEye."

    Lyana raised her brows. "What? How can you not........forget it." She looked away; her cheek was red.

    "Ohohoho. Misspoke." Theo smirked.

    "No, I didn''t." She answered, fast and quick.

    Theo chuckled. "As far as I know. Ticy Phelinx from Lethrand is the current generation Class 5 Mages. You know, Lyana, there''s nothing wrong with admitting that you''re wrong." He said with a smug smile on his face.

    "GAH!" She turned away from him. "Don''t follow me!"

    Lyana walked away to the woods. Her face was red from embarrassment. She forgot that Demon Lord DeadEye was 4000 years old, and was not the current generation Class 5 Mages. To be fair though, Demon Realm''s books and news rarely covered outside events.

    She couldn''t believe that Ed has the title of Dragon and Protagonist. She didn''t know what The Dragon title meant, but if Theo was telling the truth about Ed''s Protagonist title, that mean he was the nemesis of her race. Every high ranking demon was given the title of Antagonist. Because of the ridiculous benefit and effects it gave, it was a coveted and sought out title. Only a few demon were able to get that though.

    The reason she walked away from them wasn''t just because of her embarrassment and irritation, It was also because of Theo. The Theo she saw in the dungeon wasn''t the Theo that she knew. And after that, he has been acting strange. The worst thing was, he didn''t share it with anyone. Not Vivi, not Ed, not her.

    She walked absent-mindedly. She walked, and walked, and walked until she arrived at a small pond inside the forest. God knows how long she would have walked if she didn''t stumble upon that pond.

    The pond was clear with some lily pads on it and small fishes swimming around. There was a small stream coming in and out from the pond. Lyana sat on the edge of the pond, dipping her legs in the water, it was cold. She sighed.

    "So who''s DeadEye?"

    "DeadEye is-" She was surprised and looked over her shoulder.

    "Hey, I''m here you know." She turned her head again. Theo was sitting on the edge of the pond, opposite to her.

    "H-how did you get there?" Lyana asked. Her mouth was opened wide.

    "You''re spacing out." Theo said and splashed some water on her face. "You see, Ed thinks that he''s the reason you walked away, and he feels bad right now because of that. He''s an innocent kid, you shouldn''t be too hard on him."

    "He''ll kill you for calling him a kid." Lyana said. Theo chuckled. "Tell him that I didn''t walk away because of him. I mean, yes, I''m annoyed because of him, but I''m not THAT mad."

    Theo laid his body on the ground. "So why? You''ve been acting strange."

    "Strange? That''s the question I wanted to ask you since that dungeon." Lyana replied with concern in her voice. Theo''s face turned sour. "What''s the problem, Theo? Since we left Redmound, you haven''t been yourself, and you didn''t tell anybody about your problems."

    Theo sighed. He covered his eyes with an arm. "I''m angry. At myself. I thought that after Fergus killed the spy woman, there wouldn''t be any more problem. I was fucking naive and stupid. I didn''t take any extra precaution."

    "But you sent those letters."

    "Those are normal measure. I mean, I''m just sending letters, I didn''t.....Fuck!" He shouted and slammed his hand on the ground. "Now hundreds of men and women are trying to make Mary''s life worse. What a sick fucking joke."

    "Then why don''t we, you know, go back to her, protect her from those people?"

    His face was red from anger. "Because I know how they work. If they can''t hurt her physically, there are many other ways to make her life worse. Driving monster from the forest near the city, attacking merchants, causing local crops failure, a lot of other things. Us being there won''t change anything. That''s why we''re going to meet someone right now and make a deal with her."

    Lyana raised her brows. "Her? Another woman of yours?"

    Theo sat up. "Fucking no. She''s a devil. There''s no way I would ever touch her." His head dropped, he stared at the clear water of the pond.

    There was no voice after that, only silence. Lyana let Theo organize his emotion. She only knew him for a little over a month, but she knew that Theo wasn''t a person who usually showed raw emotion like that

    After a few minutes of silence, Theo raised his head. His gaze moved towards Lyana''s hand. The Magic regeneration ring that he bought for her was still sitting on her left ring finger. He smiled. "Lyana, you still follow my order?"

    Lyana was confused by his question, but then she realized where his gaze was directed at. "Oh, the ring. Well, you told me to wear it here, so-"

    "But I didn''t tell you to continue wearing it there. It was only a formality for me to buy it for you."

    "What do you-" Her eyes opened wide when she realized what he meant. She instantly grabbed the ring and pulled it off, but Theo grabbed her hand and stopped her.

    Theo laughed. "If you have fallen in love with me Lyana, just tell me."

    Her face turned red. "W-wait! Y-you have promised not to make any advancement towards me!"

    "I''m not making any advances, I''m sexually harassing you." He replied with a smug grin.

    Lyana struggled to get Theo''s hand off hers, but he was too strong. She kicked him in the feet. It wouldn''t have done anything if he wasn''t standing in a knee-deep pool of water. His feet slipped.

    Every rule of physic in this world or the other said that Theo should have fallen to the side or to his back, into the pool. But because of some divine intervention, he fell forward to Lyana. He extended his arm to hold his body before he flattened her. She also fell to her back.

    Their stares fixed on each other. Theo noticed how lustrous Lyana''s hair was, how clear her emerald eyes were, how pretty her pair of horns were, and how soft-looking her pink lips were. "You are.....stunning." He said.

    Lyana''s cheek turned red. "Get away from me." She averted her gaze. Her voice doesn''t have the usual fiery tone in it.

    Theo''s moved closer. Lyana closed her eyes, her face became redder. She didn''t reject him, not anymore. In fact, she didn''t avert her face. Her lips moved, anticipating something.

    Theo......laugh inside his heart. ''Are you fucking serious.'' He thought. He was lucky Lyana had closed her eyes. Because if not, she would have seen a strange expression of Theo trying his best to hold back his laughter.

    He was only teasing her, and she got in the mood. So much for not becoming his woman or not falling for his trick and manipulation. But to be fair, it was an expected outcome.

    He only knew Lyana for a little more than one month, but most women would have fallen over Theo in a shorter amount of time than that. And in that one month, he has been careful with what he showed and didn''t show to Lyana. He didn''t purposefully do that, but after so many manipulations, it became his second nature.

    Since the first time they met, Lyana wasn''t hiding the facts that Theo was interesting for her. He was charming, handsome, strong, smart, and caring, to select people. He had shown himself to be the best male specimen, causing her female instinct to go into overdrive.

    They shared a lot of interest, and they had similar views of the world. In that short one month, they have shown each others'' weakness and strength, their high and low, their good and bad. It was to be expected for Lyana to feel a bond, a connection with him, a pretty strong one. Not to mention that just a few moments before this, Theo was opening his more vulnerable and emotional side to her. She was caught up in the moment, affected by her own sentiment.

    If he kissed her now, it would seal the deal. Whatever left of her resolve would crumble. She would be his...... but why would he do that?It was more fun this way, teasing her. And even if he didn''t kiss her now, nothing would change. It would only delay the inevitable. She would still follow him anywhere, she would still be stuck with him, she would still be in love with him.

    Theo stood up and get out from the pond. He made a loud sound while doing so to make sure Lyana knew what was going on.

    Lyana''s eyes shot open, and she woke to a sitting position. She looked towards him with a disappointed look in her face. "What do you expect me to do? No advance, remember?" He asked with a smirk.

    "I-I didn''t expect you to do anything!" She yelled, her face was burning red like a fire.

    He shrugged. "You know Lyana, you should just confess your love to me if you can''t hold it back anymore." He walked away from the pond, heading back to their camp.

    "Like Hell!" She smashed her fist on the ground.

    There was also another reason why Theo didn''t kiss her there. Out of over 50 women Theo currently has a relationship with, only three of them confessed their love first. Most of the time, it was Theo who confessed his love first. It felt much more satisfying being confessed at than to be the one confessing. It would also be interesting to see how long her conviction would stand, blocking her true feeling, before it all broke out like a dam.

 Chapter 42: The Bandit Pass

    "CAN YOU TWO PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN A LITTLE?! WE''RE IN A MIDDLE OF A FOREST FOR GOD SAKE!" Ed Screamed as he woke up in the middle of the night. Of course, it was Vivi''s moans that prevented him from sleeping. "I can''t comprehend how you can sleep in the same room as them." He said while looking at the sleeping Lyana. He couldn''t sleep until the moaning stopped.

    The next day they resumed their travel to the bandit pass. the road gradually slanted up as they got nearer to their destination.

    A massive mountain range stood before them. It''s ice-covered peaks rose above the cloud, hidden from sight. The Golden Range it was named. It spanned hundreds of kilometer, covering the whole northern border of Amaryn.

    The only reason Amaryn and The Holy Kingdom have never waged war on each other for a thousand years was due to how impassable Golden Range was. The mountains were largely unpopulated by normal citizens, but bandits, brigands, and The Mountain Tribes made their home there, making it a treacherous path for travelers and adventurers alike.

    There were only three paths anyone could take to go through the golden range. The Alonon pass, The Bandit pass, and the Devil pass. The Alonon pass was where most people would choose when they wanted to go north. It was a safe and secure road protected by the Kingdom with patrols and checkpoints placed along the way.

    The second was the bandit pass, it was faster to go through the bandit pass than Alonon pass, but the risk of being attacked and raided by bandits was also much higher since there was no guard placed there. The Kingdom couldn''t secure the Bandit pass because it was far away from any major city, unlike Alonon pass which was next to Aeston.

    The third and the last was the Demon pass. It was a series of tunnels dug through one of the mountains. It was the fastest and shortest path. During an attempt to widen the tunnel, the workers came across a cave system full of high-level monster. The tunnels were then infested by high-level monsters and were never used again aside for foolish adventurer seeking hidden treasure inside, though rarely, if ever, they returned.

    "Pay attention to your left and right. Bandits, monsters and the mountain clans could ambush us anytime." Theo said as he walked in front of everyone. They have to remain wary for the next 40 kilometers.

    The air became colder and thinner the further they went to the pass. The mist descended from the mountain, making it hard for them to see their surrounding. Luckily, there was no sighting of anyone other than them, at least until they reached the halfway point.

    A caravan was stuck on the road. One of its wheels was broken and the people around it, who wore mail armors, was trying to fix it. A blonde haired beauty who wore a better clothing than the rest was sitting on top of a box, watching.

    "Wait." Theo whispered when Ed was about to approach them. Theo held Ed back, he wasn''t sure of what he saw because of the mist.

    "Why are you stopping me?" Ed asked.

    "Are you stupid? This is the bandit pass. Those people are also bandits, dressed as merchants to trick." He whispered, careful to not let the bandit know about their location. "If we help them, they will act nice at first until we let our guard down. Then they will call their friend and ambushed us from all side."

    "How can you be so sure? What if they are actually people in need?"

    Theo grabbed Ed''s head and pointed to one of the crevices on the cliff side. "Look."

    The head of a bandit could be seen. He was hiding behind a rock though not that successful. "What if the bandit is waiting because they are afraid of the guards there?" Ed asked.

    "You really think that?....well I can''t blame you, you''ve never seen a bandit raid before. No, they are not going to be afraid of the guard unless the guards outnumbered them and were very well equipped, which right now is not the case."

    "You know if you''re wrong, you''re condemning innocent people to die."

    "Innocent people die every day, Ed, but rarely on the sight of the privileged." Theo replied coldly. He looked at the cliff next to them and took off his sabatons and gauntlets. "Hold this for me, and prepare for battle when I give a signal."

    He climbed the cliff wall. Theo stopped and grunted. He looked at his hand, it was covered with bandages. His cracked bone wasn''t a big problem, but it was still hurt.

    Lyana, Vivi, and Ed watched as Theo disappeared among the rocks. It was amazing how fast he climbed considering most of his armor still on his body. They observed the caravan again. Theo''s word was proven when they realized that those people didn''t actually try to fix the wheel, but only moved a box from one place to another and so forth.

    They were taken by surprise when the earth rumbled. A huge boulder tumbled down the slope and crashed the Caravan, killing two out of six people.

    The ''Guards'' panicked and drew their weapon. The blonde haired woman stood in surprise and took out a dagger hidden beneath her skirt. The rest of the bandit, ten in total, appeared from the crevice and approached the now destroyed caravan.

    They all looked to the source of the boulder. A handsome man stood there with a huge smug smile on his face and sword on his hand. "NOW!" Theo shouted, signaling the other to attack.

    Theo rushed down the slope at a staggering speed. Those who saw how fast he was would not believe that he wasn''t wearing any footwear on those rocky surface.

    "[Mind Spike]"

    "[Lighting bolt]"

    "[Fire arrow]"

    Three voice rang from behind a rock. One of the bandit''s eye shot open, his body convulsed and fell to the ground. A bolt of electricity hit another bandit, paralyzing him. Then a fire arrow hit a fur-armored bandit, catching it on fire and causing the bandit to panic.

    The rest of bandit fell into a panic and lost their formation. In all their years of being a bandit, they have never once been the one under attack. They have always been the one who attacked. This lack of experience and the sudden appearance of unseen enemies made their focus falter. They all ran away.

    "I will make you pay for this!" The blonde haired bandit, their leader, screamed as she ran away with her tail between her legs. Not literally of course, she was a human.

    "Is it okay to let them get away?" Lyana asked.

    "It''s not like they could do anything." He answered. He turned to Ed. "See?"

    "Y-yes." Ed answered. He stared blankly at the corpse of the bandit. The bandit he attacked was dead, lying on the ground with his face burned.

    Ed''s chest was burning and his breath became shallow as he closely inspected the corpses. The corpse''s eyes were opened as if staring back at him. Their mouth wasn''t closed and fresh blood poured out from their wound. Some were crushed beneath rocks, one was electrocuted to death, one had her mind.....cut off? He wasn''t sure what Vivi had done.

    These bandits, they did this thing because they have mouths to feed. They needed the money because they have families. Now they lay dead on the ground. What will their wives, their children do when they know their husband, their father, their brother, their loved one, would not come back home. Would they cry? Weep? How would they find the money? Find food to feed themselves? What if their children were still small? Not knowing about anything and finding that their father or mother will not come home.

    He pondered it over and over and over again in his head while staring at their cold dead body. Guilt began to eat at his conscience. In his mind, he knew that those bandits have done something much worse than just killing and looting. And they would have done much worse if he didn''t kill them. They deserve it, but his heart couldn''t agree with his mind.

    Theo and Lyana noticed Ed strange behavior. Lyana covered her face with her palm. "Not again."

    Theo patted Ed''s shoulder. Ed turned his head . "Don''t think too much about it Ed. What you did is not wrong. You''ve saved a lot of life because of it. Don''t worry too much about their family, those who live in these mountains are not people who will die just because of....this."

    Ed nodded "Thank you, Theo....." He said that, but his heart wasn''t all that affected by his word.

    They were still in the bandit pass when the sun set. They set up a camp in a safe spot where they could only be attacked from one side. They still have around four days of more walking before reaching Ketu Theocracy.

    Ed stared blankly at the bonfire, stew untouched in his hand. He was still thinking about what happened earlier. The face of those he killed still lingered in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to get it out. Because of that, he hasn''t been talking all that much to others.

    Theo watched him from the side. Lyana had told him what happened with Ed. This time was much worse though, since it was him who killed a person instead of just watching people die.

    "Ed. You want to talk about it?" He asked with a soft voice. Theo wrapped his arm around Ed''s shoulder. From the perspective of Lyana and Vivi, the scene was like a father hearing his son''s problem.

    Ed didn''t turn his head. " No. But thank you for your co-"

    "ED!" Lyana shouted. "Speak!"

    Ed and Theo were surprised by Lyana sudden outburst. They stared at her for a good few second. Ed let out a sigh and smiled seeing the concern in his companions'' eyes.

    "I...have killed many animals. Monster too. Skeleton, zombies, human-like monster.. all that sort of things." He grabbed his burning chest. "But I''ve never killed another person. When I saw their face, their dead face, my chest burns and it didn''t get any better. The image won''t get out of my head no matter how hard I tried." Ed said with teary eyes.

    "I think you shouldn''t try so hard to get it off your head. The harder you try, the longer it will stay in your head." Theo said.

    "Speaking from my experience, I say that you have to focus on something else. You need something to take your mind away from those images." Lyana added.

    "I agree with Lyana. Though in my case I never feel guilty because I hate the person I killed." Vivi continued.

    Ed''s mouth curved slightly to a smile despite his still sour face. "Thank you..... If I may ask, who is the first person you all killed...or just kill anyone that makes you guilty?"

    "For me, it was when I was bought by some old pervert. He gave his slave a really poor living condition, and his sexual fetishes are as strange as it can be, it just so disgusting. So I killed him. I didn''t feel any guilt about that, he deserved it." Vivi answered.

    "For me, it was during a famine in the demon realm. A raiding party of demon tried to kidnap my sister and me when we were out playing. I fought and killed a few. During the fight, I felt nothing, but after the fight, the guilt and trauma hit me. It lasted a few days, but seeing that my sister is safe after that remove some of my guilt." Lyana''s eyes was a bit teary. She reminisced about the happy time she had with her sister. She wiped tears off the edges of her eyes. "And after burying myself in books for a few days, the guilt was gone."

    "My first kill was when I was four..... or was it three? I don''t really remember." Theo said calmly, drawing the attention of others. "When I was a child, I was raised to be a killer by my mom. Back then there were some intruders that got caught, and as a way to train me to kill, I was told to execute them. So I did."

    "And what did you feel?" Ed asked.

    "Honestly, nothing. Maybe amused seeing their lifeless body fell to the ground, but other than that, nothing really. Sorry there, can''t help you." Theo then let out a loud laugh.

    The way Theo said that he didn''t feel anything when killing and that his first kill was when he was four, brought a strange feeling to everyone, including Vivi, who normally never react no matter how strange Theo seemed. Ed let out a wry laugh.

    "It''s okay." Three years of knowing him, and there was still some loose screw that he didn''t know.

    The somber expression returned to Ed''s face after a while. Seeing that he didn''t succeed at first, he tried again. Theo rubbed his own chin while thinking. If it was a woman, he knew a thousand ways to distract her mind, but Ed was a man.

    Seeing Theo''s troubled face, Vivi remember about what they had been trying in the past few days. "Theo-sama why don''t you ask him about skill points? Since he''s a System Protagonist, he might know about it."

    Theo expression lightened up after he heard Vivi''s suggestion. It might take Ed''s mind off his guilt, and he might learn something about the skill point. Killing two birds with one stone.

    "Ed, do you know anything about Skill point?" He asked.

    Ed raised his eyebrows. "Skill points?"

    "Yes-" Theo proceed to tell everything he knew about skill point with Vivi adding some more information along the explanation.

    "OHH! You mean that. Of course, I know. Though unlike Vivi, I can only do it when I sleep." He answered as if that was normal.

    "So can you teach me how to do it?"

    "Eh?" Ed asked. If a question mark could appear in the air, then it would have appeared above Ed''s head. "Can''t everyone do it?" he asked, oblivious to the fact.

    "Hah?" Theo pulled Ed''s head and smacked it lightly. "If I can do it why the heck am I asking you?"

    Vivi''s eyes shot open when she saw Ed''s and Theo''s friendly banter. There was a creepy delight on her face when she took out a notebook and a pen. She began to write something on it.

    -------

    Theo sat on a rock, facing the only path bandits could take to attack them. Behind him, Ed, Vivi, and Lyana already fell asleep next to an extinguished campfire.

    In front of him were Panes, Claw, and Talon. He had just finished cleaning them. Even though the three will not dull and will not rust, occasional dust cleaning was still needed to keep their pristine shape.

    "Theo-Sama, you haven''t sleep, yet?" Vivi woke up and sat next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

    "No, not that I need one." He wrapped his hand around her.

    "Please rest, I''ll take it from here." She said. "Everyone needs sleep."

    He smiled. "Yeah, but I don''t need normal sleep. I can enter a lethargic state where I''m half conscious and my body stopped moving, but part of my mind is still awake and aware of surrounding. It''s not as good as normal sleep, but it keeps me safe in the wilderness."

    "Then go get a ''normal'' sleep, I will watch here. I''m used to waking up all night in my previous life." She said with a smile.

    Theo smiled back. His gaze moved towards the collar on her neck. It was a symbol of his distrust. She was his slave, and although he treated her very nicely, she was a little bit too nice for him to not be suspicious of her true intention. Although her every action didn''t seem to suggest she was going to betray him, who knows what might she do when he took off her collar.

    He sighed. It might be because of his recent encounter with Aria that made him unable to completely trust Vivi. Theo felt a little bad about it. She was a nice woman, most likely, she didn''t have any ill intent. But Theo couldn''t take the risk, he knew how powerful Vivi''s mind magic was.

    But even if he didn''t trust her completely, she deserved some reward after everything she had done. "Vivi." He called.

    "Hmm." She answered, still clinging to his arm.

    He turned his head to look at her. "You can just call me Theo from now on. You can ditch the ''sama'' part."

    Her eyes opened wide, and her cheeks reddened. An innocent smile crept across her face, and she hugged his body tightly. "No. I''ll still call you Theo-Sama."

    Theo raised his brows, confused. "Why?"

    "Because I''m used to that." She kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Theo-Sama. And don''t worry about the collar, I know you''re still torn." Before Theo could ask a question, Vivi answered. "I can read mind, remember?" She sat back next to him. "Lately your mind has been filled with nothing but worry, I can read your mind like looking through a window. And you never forbid me from reading your mind."

    Theo kissed her deeply on the lips. Her words made him feel even more bad for doubting her. When his hand started to rub her breast, she stopped him. "I''m on that time of the month, remember?"

    "Ah, yes." His gaze moved towards her butt. "Wanna try the back door?"

    Vivi chuckled. "No. I''m not in the mood. Let''s save that for a special occasion."

    Theo smiled and kissed her again. "Okay, I think kiss is enough for tonight." He stood up from his position and picked up the three swords in front of him. "If anything remotely suspicious happens, wake me up immediately."

    Theo laid his body on his portable bed. Before he closed his eyes, he saw the notebook Vivi spent the whole evening writing on. He took it without getting permission from her. Since it was hers, it was his by extension. He opened the book and read the first page.

    Two Best Friend.

    An adult BL fiction of Theo-Sama and Edmund.

    Written by Vivi.

    "BL?" He didn''t know that word.

    Since the title has his and Ed''s name, he was curious to open the next page. But somewhere, deep inside his heart, he knew that opening the next page would scar his eyes and brain. Trusting his instinct, he closed the book and let his body rest.

 Chapter 43: The Holy City

    Magnificent, Wondrous, Holy.

    Those are the words that adventurers and travelers, or anyone, would say when they set their eyes upon the wonder that unfurled before them. The Holy City of Ketu.

    Calling it a city was rather controversial and debated. It was a City while also being a country of Ketu Theocracy. Though its appearance was more akin to a complex of cathedrals and temples as it was located inside another country. Yet, saying that it was only a complex of cathedrals won''t do it justice.

    Pure white marble of the highest quality covered every wall and pillar and floor of every single building. The wide road that ran through the center of the city, the pathwaysand even the small alleys between buildings were all cobbled, making every road perfect for carriage use. Statues of heroes, angels, and even God Ketu himself were filling the roof and walls of cathedrals as if standing guard against any invader. All of that was a true testament to the power the Ketu Theocracy held.

    Priests, priestesses, and the Holy City guards walked the huge road leading to the heart of the city. It seemed excessive, having a huge road that could fit 4 chariot side by side when chariot and wagon rarely, if ever, trotted down that road. However, a huge event that was about to unfold in that marvelous city demanded that Bishops and High Priests from all over the continent to converge in this city, making the road crowdedby people and carriage alike. Even some high-ranking adventurers, nobles, and politicians could be seen walking the road.

    A massive cathedral, exceeding the size of even the Redmound Palace of Amaryn kingdom, stood in the heart of the city. It was the biggest religious building in the continent and maybe the whole world. It was where the Pontiff and the six High Priest and Priestess resided. It was the holiest of holy place for the follower of KT Church.

    Saint Sieg Cathedral. Named after the Saint that appeared many times in ancient scriptures and scrolls. Famous for slaying the great black dragon that once terrorized the whole continent, Hansel.

    The cathedral was the center of everyone''s attention. For that night was a very special night for everyone, be it for a follower of Ketu Church or not. For that night, the new Chosen One, The Guardian Hero Of The World was going to be blessed by the Pontiff.

    ---------

    Since the dawn of mankind and other humanoid races, the world has seen its fair share of dark time and turmoil. A demon invasion, an undead uprising, a reign of a cruel tyrant, or an appearance of a dark lord. Heroic tales began sprouting and appearing like weeds during these dark time. But among countless tales and story from different cultures and civilizations, one stood out from the rest.

    The Chosen One.

    A hero blessed by God Ketu himself. Wielding legendary weapon and traveling the world with their legendary companions. Tasked with protecting the world and all its inhabitant from evil and dark forces.

    One such person existed 100 years before Theo''s time, but after her death, no one was there to replace her, no one was blessed, no one was chosen. Not even during the Great War 40 years prior. Until now.

    -----

    Theo strolled the main road with Ed and Vivi beside him. Lyana waited in an inn on the next nearest city. Bringing her to the Holy City where each entrance was warded with detection magic was not an option no matter how good one disguise was. Not only will she be instantly smitten by everyone there, Theo and the rest would also be arrested for conspiring with a demon. Which would result in their death soon after.

    Even then it was hard to enter the city, especially since a huge event was going to take place soon. If Theo didn''t have the letter from his acquaintance, he wouldn''t be able to enter the city. A priest with blue vestment greeted them halfway through the city. He seemed to be already waiting for them for quite some time. He was a lizard-kin with reddish green scales that covered his whole body. A huge scar running from above his left eye to his chin.

    One of the major points of KT church that made it the biggest religion on the continent was because there was no racism or sexism in the Holy Book of Ketu, unlike many other religions. Human, Beast-kin, Lizard-kin, men, women, all were considered equal in the eyes of the Holy Book and thus could attain a high rank in the order of the church. With the only exception being the Demon race, who was considered to be inherently evil and was the enemy of the God.

    Of course, even if there was no racism or sexism inside the Holy Book, the same couldn''t be said for the people who actually controlled the order of the church. Because of this, male human was still most dominant among the high ranking members of the order.

    Theo looked Ed, who was looking around with his mouth wide open and eyes filled with amazement. The sadness and guilt Ed felt were already gone, washed away by his curious nature. Theo remembered that the first time he saw the Holy City, he also had the same kind of look on his face.

    "Sir Theo, Lord Edmund, and Lady Vivi." He bowed his head in respect. "High Priestess Sara is waiting for your arrival in her chamber. Please follow me." The lizardman turned his back and started walking slowly with his arm behind his back.

    Theo noticed that the way he walked was not that of a normal priest. It was the movement of a trained soldier. Precise, controlled, and without any wasted movement. If he was a Paladin or a Combat priest, it would have made sense, but he was not. His vestment suggested that he was only a simple priest.

    They followed behind him to the Saint Sieg Cathedral.

    As they walked the main road, they could feel the stare of everyone around them. Unlike in the previous city they visited, those stares were not because of Theo''s charm or Vivi''s ominuous hair and eye color. Their stares were full of contempt and prejudice.

    Ed grew restless and uncomfortable as he noticed those stares. Theo, who was the center of attention, didn''t mind as much as Ed did. He didn''t mind at all actually because he knew why everyone stared at him, it was because of Vivi''s slave collar.

    The KT Church deemed every person no matter the race and gender to be equal. Thus slavery, that placed one person as an object to another, was a grave sin and forbidden within Ketu Theocracy. However, the fact that Theo was allowed to enter the city in the first place, meant that he was given special permission. Those people around him could only stare at him with disgust in their eyes.

    "Theo Sama, who is this High Priestess Sara?" Vivi asked as they walked. While Theo didn''t feel anything, Vivi wanted to averts his attention.

    "She''s an old friend. More like an acquaintance really, she''s my father''s friend who I know."

    Vivi touched his shoulder, instructing him to lend her his ears. Theo tilted his body so that his ears were at the same height as Vivi''s mouth. "Is she your....woman?" she whispered, careful so that other people couldn''t hear.

    Theo chuckled. "Haha. No, High Priest and High Priestess sworn to celibacy. Though even if she wasn''t sworn, I wouldn''t take her. She''s a fucking devil." He whispered.

    A great hall in the shape of a massive dome greeted them as they entered the front door of Saint Sieg Cathedral. Ed and Vivi''s eyes widened in surprise as they saw what was inside. Thousands of benches were laid in that room. The ceiling was filled with painting and depiction of God, angels, saints, and heroes. It was as bright as a day inside thanks to the thousand of light emitting miracle on the wall and the ceiling.

    Aside from the entrance, there were many other doors and doorways, but seven of them stood out from the rest. Three massive decorated doors were located each on the left side and right side of the entrance. Each led to a specific wing of the cathedral. Each wing represented one of the six High Priests and Priestesses of the KT Church. The last door was opposite of the entrance. Even from a distance, Theo could still see the door clearly. It led to the inner sanctum of the cathedral, a place where only high-ranking members of The KT Church were permitted to enter. It was also the Pontiff''s private chamber.

    They walked to the second huge door on the left. As he approached it, the once shut tight door opened itself, drawing the amazement of Vivi and Ed. And after they passed the door, it closed on itself.

    "High Priestess. Sir Theo, Lady Vivi, and Lord Edmund are here." The priest said after he knocked the door to the high priestess personal chamber.

    "Ah yes, thank you, Arwin, please let them in." A soft voice of a young woman could be heard from inside. Arwin, the lizardmen priest that guided them, opened the door and closed it after they went in.

    It was a pretty spacious room with a moderate looking furniture. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with numerous different versions of the Holy Book and other books regarding the matter of Theology. If compared to the room of other High Priests and Priestesses, it was lacking. But considering how most priest and priestess chamber looked like, it was a pretty luxurious room by comparison.

    In the center of the room was a wooden table with a flower vase on it and four chairs surrounding it. On one of the chair, a brown haired halfling beauty sat with a very dignified manner.

    Her beauty wasn''t all that special, but what made her appearance truly striking was her soft sincere smile that could melt even the coldest of heart. She also has a holy aura that she radiated from her body. The only thing that differentiate her from the depiction of angels in many paintings was her lack of wings.

    "Welcome. Children of the God." Her voice was alluring like a music to the ears. It was a soft voice that calmed the heart. "I''m High Priestess Sara, High Priestess of the Seraph Rafaela."

    Ed and Vivi were completely baffled. If she wasn''t an angel then they don''t know what angel was. Vivi wondered how Theo could think her as a devil.Theo looked at their face and his lips turned to a smile, a devilish smug smile. "Look like you fooled them, bitch." He said to Sara.

    Sara smiled. "Child. Please refrain your tongue. You are inside the house of God."

    Theo chuckled. "Bullshit. There''s just four of us here. There are no other clergymen and Believe me-" Theo raised a finger and pointed it towards both Ed and Vivi. "They won''t tell anyone."

    Sara sighed. "Well, I guess I don''t have to maintain this attitude, Child." She cracked her neck. Her sincere angelic smile turned to a devilish grin not so different than Theo''s. She clicked her tongue. "Ahh, you fucking heathen."

 Chapter 44: High Priestess Sara

    "WHAT?!" That was what Ed and Vivi thought the moment she said that. Their voice almost came out, but they were able to hold it back. Her voice was that of an angel yet her words... the word that came out from her mouth was foul.

    She glanced at them with the devilish grin still on her face. "Good. You both know some restraint." She faced Theo again. "I thought I could give some good impression to the legendary Class 5 Mage that shouldn''t have been. But as always you ruin fucking everything." Sara continued. She let out a fake and exaggerated sigh.

    "Hey, I only said that you fooled them. I didn''t tell them you like to lie."

    "Lie? I never fucking lie-"

    "Heyyy~" Theo pointed his finger at her.

    "Fucking hell, all right. I RARELY lie. It just a proper etiquette to speak normally to people. A lust driven whore like you won''t understand." She turned to Ed and Vivi where her face returned to that of an angel. "Please take a seat." And turned to a devil again the moment she saw Theo.

    She was scary, Ed thought. Little did he know that what made her truly scary stretched far beyond just her changing face.

    Theo sat opposite of her while Ed and Vivi chose to not sit at all. The situation was bizarre and they didn''t want to sit near Sara. "I know you''re itching to have a good long conversation with me, but I don''t have time for that. So let''s speak business-"

    "Not yet, motherfucker." Sara interrupted. Her voice was not playful. "This my fucking house, you play by my fucking rule. I believe you have something, a badge or emblem. It''s radiating magic so I know."

    "Okay." Theo took out a black badge from one of his pouches and put it on the table. He didn''t want to waste time, but just like Sara said, it was her house and he was the one asking for help, he has to go by her rule. "Tell me about this."

    Sara inspected it from up close. "It''s the sigil of the bitch of the Black. From the look of it, one of the priests working under him." By Bitch she meant High Priest.

    "WOW! I didn''t know that!" Theo said sarcastically, inviting the annoyed face of Sara.

    "No Shit! Do you fucking know that this was from ten years ago? Before the previous bitch of the Black vanish when he was traveling to Nippon. Where did you find it?"

    "In the sewer."

    "Yeah of fucking course." She rolled her eyes.

    "THE Sewer." Theo said, correcting his statement.

    Sara squinted her eyes. "Go on." There was a look of curiosity in her eyes.

    "It was stuck on the body.... skeleton of a priest of the black inside a Crawler Nest."

    Sara rubbed her chin. "Hmm. Ten years ago, there''s a conflict between Amaryn kingdom and the Ketu Theocracy. I don''t know the details since I''m not a High Priestess back then. From the looks of it, either the Pontiff himself or the Bitch of the Black decided to use Crawlers to cause chaos in the kingdom. Unlucky for them, it went fucking awry."

    "Any chance they will attempt such thing again?" Theo asked. Amaryn political condition was already a mess, but if the Theocracy added to that mess, then there will be no future for that Kingdom.

    "The problem was solved 4 years ago. By me, so no."

    "P-pardon High Priestess. What is this uh.. the High Priest of the Black, both of you mentioned him often, but I, we, don''t know what that means." Ed asked, doubt and fear evident in his voice.

    Her gaze moved to him. Her smile was of an angel. "Please just call me Sara. How many different colors of vestment did you notice when you came here?"

    "Eh?" Ed was taken aback with her question. His gaze wandered as his brain tried to count and remember. "Uh..Six, I guess?"

    "Correct. There''s actually seven, but you won''t see a priest of the black outside in the open. Each color represents which branch they are serving, which High Priest or Priestess they are under, which in turn represents which Seraph''s duty they assumed. The High Priest of the Black and those under him assumed the duty of Seraph Azraela in punishing the heathen and destroying those who oppose the God. They are the assassins or spy of the church, you could say that, and also its special squad specialize in dealing with something that won''t be written down in history."

    "They do the dirty job basically." Theo added. "Among the church''s military forces, those working under the High Priestess of the Black are considered to be the strongest, and that says a lot considering how powerful the church''s military forces are."

    "Okay, I want to talk business now." Theo said after finishing his explanation.

    "Sure." Sara said. her gaze moved towards Vivi and Ed. "You want both of them to get out?"

    Theo turned toward them. Dealing with Sara would, without a doubt, turned rough. His dark past and all the thing he had done would affect it, and he didn''t want Vivi and Ed to know that. "Please." Vivi and Ed immediately get out of the room. In fact, they seemed to be happy about it.

    Before Theo could speak, Sara raised a hand to stop him. She stood from her chair and faced one of the bookshelves. "A favor, I assume?"

    "Yes. I want to ask you a favor."

    "Yet I owe you not a fucking shit."

    Theo drank the spit in his mouth, he really didn''t want to do this if there was any other way. Owing Sara was the last the last thing he wanted, but for the sake of Mary and his women on Amaryn ... "Then I will owe you one after this."

    "Do you really want to owe me a favor, Motherfucker? You know how fucking bad that shit can be." Theo chuckled inside his heart, even Sara acknowledge that owing her a favor was a stupid thing to do.

    "To be frank-"

    "But you''re Theo, not Frank." Sara smirked and glanced at Theo, before looking back at the wall. "Go on."

    Theo sighed. "I really don''t want to owe you anything. I will try any other way.....but I don''t see any other way right now."

    "Why don''t you just suck it up your ass and bring Mary with you? That would solve the fucking problem. Genius!"

    "So you already know the problem?" Theo said. He was not surprised at all. Sara was one of the most resourceful people on the Continent. She had one of the biggest information networks, eclipsing even some Kingdom''s spy master. That and combined with the Church spy network, made her know almost about anything happening on the Continent.

    Sara clicked her tongue. "Theo, Theo, Theo. You know how I am. Your fucking problem with that bitch Aria and Wrath...... What the fuck do you think will happen when you make them your enemy huh? You expect them to just send one assassin to attack your women? Hell no."

    "I promised Mary...I promised her father that I will not involve her in any trouble that I make. And I want to keep that promise."

    "Oh so noble of you Theo." She turned her body to face him. "Fine. I will guarantee the safety of all your women in Aeston from Wrath''s and Aria''s men. But I have two conditions."

    Theo squinted his eyes. "We agree only to one favor for one favor."

    "I''m actually doing you a favor right now."

    "Really?" Theo''s heart skipped a beat. Sara often exploited loopholes and usedunderhanded tricks when dealing with people to get as much advantage as she could. He was careful with her, but the way she said it ...

    "Stand up." Theo followed her order. "Do you know why the church hate demon, Theo?" She asked.

    Theo grew suspicious. "Because it''s in the Holy Book. Demons are the enemy of God Ketu." What was Sara thinking? Suddenly asking that out of nowhere.

    "Correct." She smirked. Her smile was more sinister than ever before, a bad news for Theo. "And do you know what will the church do to a demon?........and a conspirator of a demon?"

    Theo''s face turned serious. "You don''t mean-"

    "Room three on the second floor. Her green hair is really nice." She puckered her lips. "Lustrous."

    He slammed her into the bookcase causing the whole room shake.

    "Don''t you dare touch her, Sara!" he shouted in her ears.

    "Burned at the stake. Just like you like it. Roasted meat." Theo wasn''t amused by her words and tightened his grip on her neck. She grimaced due to how hard it was to breathe in her position. But despite her position, she still smirked. "Kill me, Theo. Snap my neck. Send me to my God. I know you can, I know you want it."

    He tightened his grip again. She almost couldn''t speak anymore, yet the smirk on her face wasn''t going anywhere.

    "Mary, Tia, Cynthia, Miki, Milli Dam, Minni Dam, Cissy Dilon, Cissy Duke, Ivy, Vivi, Ariel, Lizzie, Caesia, Pompeia-"

    Theo let her go. He punched the bookshelf next to Sara. And punch it again. And again, and again. And again until it broke to pieces.

    Sara sat up. "I can.....specify...their...favorite food if you... want me to." She grabbed her neck. There was a red mark on it. She leaned her body on another still intact bookshelf. She chuckled. "Wise choice...... If.... you kill me...."She took a deep breath. "Those women and twenty more.... will be accused of conspiring with a demon and will be burned at the stake. By the end of this week."

    "TELL ME WHAT YOU FUCKING WANT!!" He stomped his feet, causing the marble floor to crack.

    If not for the sound proof magic surrounding the room, the whole wing of the cathedral would have heard him.

    She laughed. "Relax Theo. I told you before, right now I am doing you a favor. No one knows your beautiful and lovely Lyana is a demon. But decline my generous offer.."She gave him a sinister look. "Burned at the stake."

    "Then te-"

    "Be my Champion."

    Theo looked at her with a confused and surprised look. "Wha-" The door was knocked. Arwin''s voice could be heard from outside.

    "High Priestess. The Pontiff called you. The ritual for the blessing is about to commence."

    "Thank you Arwin. Please, just a moment." She answered with her angelic voice. She stood up and walked to the door. "We''ll talk again tomorrow."

    "Wai-" Theo tried to grab her arm but stopped at the last moment. He had no power over her right now.

    "Good. Realize your own powerlessness first." She stopped before opening the door. "Don''t make a scene, don''t make a trouble, don''t do anything that will make attention come to you. Until tomorrow at least." She smirked again. "Adieu."

    Theo was left alone inside that room. He was standing still, thinking. It was precisely because of this reason he has avoided Sara for many years; She knew too much, far too much for one person. And now, he was at her mercy.

 Chapter 45: The Chosen One

    The huge double door to the secret chamber trembled open, as both the short and long hand of the clock turned upward. Exactly six hours after they started the blessing ceremony, it was completed.

    The great cathedral that was dead silent a second before became noisy. Those who were praying stopped their prayer and stood to witness the new Chosen One that came out from the door.

    Theo watched from the second-floor balcony with Vivi and Ed by his side. He told Vivi about everything that happened with Sara, but he only told Ed not to make a scene. He didn''t want Ed to worry about him.

    The sound of metal boots stomping the floor silenced the entire hall. Everyone''s jaw dropped as soon as they saw the Chosen One.

    An extremely handsome and charming young man emerged from the door. His hair crimson ablaze and his eyes ultramarine. His wide smile caused 8 out of 10 women to blush. While everyone expected the Chosen One to be charming and handsome, they didn''t think he would be THAT charming.

    He wore a combination of heavy and light armor, making him look tough and protected while also still being cool and stylish. His shoulder, lower arm, lower legs, and waist were covered with steel plate while the rest was covered with Hard leather armor. Nothing covered his upper arms, to show off his bicep.

    In his right hand a crimson red spear two and a half meters in length. It appeared like a normal spear to normal people, but for those with trained eyes, the spear was breathtaking.

    A Legendary weapon. One of only known five in the continent.

    "Who is he?"

    "People call him ''The Hound''. Though he hate it when people call him that." A voice came from Theo''s left. Although he asked, he only meant it for himself and didn''t expect any answer.

    Theo looked to the source of the voice. A middle-aged man stood on another balcony while leaning on the railing. "He''s an adventurer from Ulster Isle. He got that nickname after killing a massive guard dog when he was still a child. A promising young man, but I never thought that he would be the chosen one. Not if you know his...personality and temperament."

    "Who are you?" Theo asked.

    The man turned his head to Theo and offered a handshake. "I''m Nox. A military officer from the Kingdom of Mosk. Nice to meet you."

    "I''m Theo." He answered without shaking Nox''s hand. Nox retracted his hand and let out a disappointed sigh.

    "I know you, Theo. Word spread fast about how you save Princess Ana from a bandit raid. Shame." He clicked his tongue. "If she died that day, it would destabilize the kingdom enough for Mosk to invade. Like really, why do you have to be there that day?"

    "Why are you telling me this?" Theo asked. He showed no interest in his voice.

    "Why, you asked? Because I''m a swordsman." He pointed his thumb at the two swords behind his back. One was a Mosk longsword and one was a Nihon Katana. It was a strange combination of weapon. "War gives me....opportunity to test my skill in real battle against famous knights. Call me a warmonger, whatever, but what swordsman want to pass the chance to test their blade against Roderyk, The Black Wing. Against Alex, The Red Devil. Maybe even against Sir Arslan."

    Theo didn''t budge, he still wasn''t interested in the conversation. Nox sighed again. "You don''t have to answer if you think this is rude, but what is your level?" Nox asked.

    "31."

    Nox raised his eyebrows. "31? Roderyk is 37 or something. " He moved his face away from Theo, but his eyes were still fixated on him. "How can you kill him?"

    Theo''s eyes wandered to Nox. When their gaze met, Nox averted his and began whistling. "I think you misheard the news. I never fought against Roderyk. He died when he tried to save the princess. A shame."

    Nox chuckled. "Ohh. Is that so? What a shame, I won''t be able to have a rematch with him when we invade Amaryn."

    The front door of the Cathedral flung opened, three people entered from it. Everyone turned their head at the sudden interruption and clear a path between them and the Chosen One.

    One was a woman in her mid-twenties wearing heavy armor, a sword and shield hanging on her back. The second was a girl in her late teens wearing a light armor with bow and dagger. The third was a man wearing a priest uniform and a staff.

    The three of them walked to the chosen one and kneeled in unison. The Chosen One turned his face to see behind him. Two High Priestesses, four High Priests, and the Pontiff were following him from behind. "Who are they?" He asked the pontiff. There was no respect or reverence in the way he asked.

    The pontiff wrinkled face showed a forced smile. "They are the group of people that we have carefully selected to accompany you on your journey. They will give their lives and their all to help you during your journey, Chosen One."

    The chosen one observed the three people kneeling before him. "Why is there a man here?" He asked the pontiff.

    The pontiff was puzzled. "Pardon me, is there any trouble?"

    "Of course there''s a problem." The chosen one made an ''X'' with his arm. "I won''t accept any men in my party. Only women, and only beautiful and cute and sexy women."

    "I''m sorry chosen one, but there aren''t any combat priest more competent than him." The pontiff answered while lowering his head.

    "No problem. As long as the combat priest is a beautiful, cute, or sexy women, I don''t care even if she''s not that competent. She can train during our journey." He then proceeds to argue with anyone that tried to reason with him.

    "Look like you got a rival there Theo." Ed teased Theo.

    "Rival huh? Hmm... having the chosen one as a rival is not that bad. The problem is he''s not in the same class as me. He''s still a newbie." Theo replied with a smile brimming with confidence. "What do you think, Vivi?"

    Vivi didn''t answer him. Her hand clenched hard on the railing and her whole body trembled.

    "Hey, Vivi." Theo waved his hand in front of her eyes, but she didn''t respond.

    "Cu...." A voice escaped from her mouth. A faint voice filled with longing.

    "CUUUU!!!!" She shouted her lungs out.

    It was a thundering call, but as powerful as it was, the noise of thousand excited people drowned it. Realizing her voice couldn''t reach its target no matter how hard she tried, she bit her lips.

    "Vivi.," Theo said softly. It was the first time he saw Vivi acted like that. His hand approached her..... but she ran away.

    The moment Theo blinked Vivi had disappeared from his sight into the sea of people. He rushed into the crowd, searching for her.

    Theo searched around, trying to look for her, but her short body made it impossible to find. Theo looked behind him, at the Chosen One.

    She shouted ''Cu''. It was almost impossible to notice anyone individually in that huge crowd. Did she call the chosen one? Or was it one of his companion? Theo wondered.

    Even though Theo wasn''t sure yet who was the one that she called, he was certain where she was heading to. He wasn''t all that concerned with Vivi''s relation with this ''Cu'' person. She was his. He wasn''t going to let her ran away, even if this ''Cu'' person was her family or someone that she knew from her past life.

    What he feared, however, was her running around with a slave collar on her neck while yelling a person name. That would attract attention towards her and him, something that he mustn''t let happen.

    Theo''s gaze moved from the Chosen One to Sara.

    Theo''s body frozen, his blood ran cold, and his hair stood on ends.

    Sara was looking directly at Theo with a devilish grin on her face. Her finger moved to her lips, telling him to stay low. Or else...

    Theo tightened his grip on the stone railing, causing it to crack. Was this part of her plan? Was this what she was aiming for all along?

    He turned his face away from Sara to the crowds. There was no time to think what Sara''s plan was. "Vivi!" He called with all histh. But like Vivi''s voice before, his voice was drowned by the crowd.

 Chapter 46: The Hound Of Ulster

    Vivi ran through the sea of people, pushing away anyone that blocked her and slipping through the space between their legs. Her hand was hurt and bruised after bumping into other, bigger people along the way. Her lung screamed for air. She was unable to get much air no matter how hard she inhaled, but that doesn''t matter to her right now, what she just saw was much more important.

    She wasn''t sure if what she saw was right, but his crimson blazing hair was a rare sight even in this strange world, making the chance of her mistaking him for another person small. Whether what she saw was right or not she has to confirms it by her own two eyes.

    "Cu..cu..cu." She kept muttering the same word as she ran. Her voice was small and filled with sadness.

    At last, she came out from the crowd and arrived at her destination. The Chosen One stood, facing away from her. Both his arm wrapped around the shoulder of his two new companions. Even without looking at their face Vivi knew that their faces were flushed red up to their ear, while a huge laugh escaped from the Chosen One''s mouth.

    "CUUUUUUU."

    The crowd was silenced and all eyes moved toward her. The sudden appearance of a violet haired girl who shouted would definitely be the center of attention.

    Vivi''s eyes widen in realization. Blood drained from her face, making her white skin even paler. She realized her grave mistake and the problem she has created for Theo. Her running through the crowd already drew some attention to herself. If she approached the chosen one, then shouted his name, it would draw a lot more attention. It wasn''t as if she didn''t care about the problem she would create, she just didn''t have time to think about it. Her heart was racing and her head fuzzy with the lack of air in her lung.

    The Chosen One and his companion turned to face Vivi. His expression was flat and filled with question. His lips curved into a smile.

    "What''s the matter, girl? Are you searching for someone?" The Chosen One asked.

    Her mouth opened wide and trembled. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She stumbled backward.

    ''He-He doesn''t recognize me?.....Of course he doesn''t! What am I thinking?! STUPID! STUPID! My body has changed. Now he''s going to think I''m running away from Theo and seeking help from him, what do I do now?''

    She was so absorbed in her own thought that she didn''t hear the Chosen One asking whether she was a girl or a young lady who have the appearance of a girl. The footsteps pulled her back to the present. The Chosen One was walking slowly to her with his hand extended. He was confused why she looked so scared.

    Vivi gasped and scrambled backward.

    "Is something wrong girl?" The Chosen One asked, full of concern.

    "VIVI!" Someone shouted from the crowd.

    "T-Theo?" Vivi replied. She looked behind her and saw Theo coming from the crowd. "W-why? Why do you come here?"

    Theo hid his distressed expression to not make Vivi worry. It was already too late to hide his involvement in all of this. "Where have you been? I''ve been looking for you." Theo asked.

    Theo grabbed Vivi''s arm, but before he could pull her back into the crowd, his wrist was also grabbed. Without looking, Theo knew who grabbed his wrist, of course, who else would it be other than the Chosen One.

    "Hands off. Can''t you see she''s scared stiff?"

    "Oh, is she? If my eyes don''t deceive me, she was scared the moment she saw you." Theo replied. He didn''t want to be in that position, but he couldn''t just leave Vivi alone.

    The situation turned tense. No one was brave enough to say anything, no one could say anything. The hostility of the two men poured out into the hall like a flood. Even those who weren''t sensitive to killing intent would find their hair stood on ends. To those who were used to sensing killing intent, it was like watching two wild monsters staring at each other.

    They both released their grip and stared at each other.

    "The collar around her neck... Is she your slave?"

    "Slave? She''s my woman."

    "Your woman? Is that what you forced her to say?" The Chosen One took a peek at Vivi, who was frozen stiff on the floor next to him. "Release her. She came to me seeking help from you. I don''t know what kind of thing you did to her, but I know it''s not something good."

    "Oh yeah? Why don''t we just ask her? Instead of blaming me for your fault."

    "Are you taking me for a fool? A slave can be forced to speak what their master wants them to speak. Nothing will come out from her mouth unless it something that you allowed. She couldn''t speak right now is probably also your doing right? Silencing her so that she couldn''t ask for help or blabber about your secret."

    The air was thick. Vivi felt like she was inside a gel substance, unable to raise even a finger. Sweat rolled down her body. This was a problem she made. She has to resolve the misunderstanding, but she couldn''t open her mouth much less speak.

    A clap resounded in the silent hall. Everyone turned to see who was the one brave enough to break the silence.

    Sara, with a smile of an angel, walked to the two arguing men. "Pardon my intrusion, but I believe arguing like these will bore no fruit. So I sugge-"

    "YEAH, good idea!" The chosen one suddenly yelled. He pointed his finger to Theo. "Whoever you are, I challenge you to Duel of Fate!"

    ---------

    In the continent, there was an ancient tradition that dated back from the first human, long before the existence of the Church of Ketu or any current standing government.

    When two people have a heated argument that couldn''t be resolved by words alone, the two of them could propose to the village chief or some form of authority to allow a duel of fate. The duel will only commence if both parties agreed and the figure of authority allowed it. They would fight with something on the line. It was rarely a duel to the death, but exceptions do exist. Now, such duel was about to begin.

    Vivi, the ''prize'', sat on the side of the courtyard where two handsome and charming men were fighting over her. If there was no misunderstanding, and there was no risk of one killing the other, she would be very happy right now. It would be a dream come true, a maiden''s wet dream.

    She had tried to prevent the duel many times, but it was futile no matter what she said. Either she was ignored or anything she said only further the misunderstanding that Theo was forcing her to say that. She wanted to shout and tell the two to stop, but she knew that they wouldn''t accept it. After all, those two that were fighting for her were much more similar than they wanted to admit. Not to mention that Sara appeared to like the idea of them fighting.

    Theo stood on one end of the courtyard while the Chosen One stood on the other. They were staring at each other, like wild beasts.

    The duel has been going for about three minutes and in just that three minute, the audiences have witnessed something incredible, something most people couldn''t even dream of doing.

    Both of them were still relaxed even after such an intense trade of blows. At first glance, both of them appeared to be equal, but an experienced fighter who saw the fight would praise Theo.

    Theo was fighting against spear using a sword, putting him in a disadvantaged position in terms of reach and versatility. Their level difference wasn''t that big, Theo at level 31 and The chosen one at level 30, not enough to give Theo a significant advantage. Their talent was equal, both possessing Class 4 with their respective weapon.

    What made Theo considered to be amazing though, was the fact that The Chosen One''s blessing of the God increased his mana, health, and stamina regeneration by a huge amount.

    A shallow cut and light wound would heal in under one minute. The chosen one could recover from fatigue much faster than Theo, allowing him to launch a barrage of attack when Theo was still recovering. This was apparent with the fact that Theo''s breath was rapid with sweat soaking his armor while the Chosen One didn''t look all that tired.

    Considering how all the odds were stacked against him, it was amazing how Theo not only fight on equal term but gained the upper hand in their duel. "You''re strong. Never faced someone as strong as you before." The Chosen One praised Theo. "But how long will you last?"

    "Heh! I never like flattery, especially from men." Theo wiped the sweat off from his forehead. It was past midnight and the air was freezing. It was a tough fight, similar to when he fought Roderyk.

    "Then we''re the same in that aspect then."

    "Trying to praise yourself?" Theo made a smug grin.

    The chosen one let out a sigh and stood upright.

    "I''m trying to praise you, you know. But I guess a nut brain can''t differentiate between a praise and a mockery."

    "Big word for a lust driven Hound."

    ''You have no right to say that word'' Vivi thought.

    The chosen one brows and ears twitched. His head trembled. "What did you say?" A voice filled with anger came out from the chosen one''s mouth.

    ''Seems like I ticked him off'' Theo thought after hearing his reply. "What''s the matter? Can''t deny it....Hound?"

    "That''s it!" He shouted. The Chosen One raised his hand towards the sky.

    Something tore through the sky, fast. A red flash traveled the air, creating a thunder-like pattern as it moved.

    It was his Legendary spear. The spear flew on its own to his hand.

    "Enough!" The chosen one shouted. "Not only you enslaved a young beautiful woman and tainted this holy city with your presence, now you mock me?! One more a-"

    "Hound." Theo mocked. He was undeterred by the Chosen One''s threat.

    The Chosen One eyes shot open, glaring. He bent his knee, assuming a low thrusting stance. It was a strange stance to take.

    Theo took a defensive stance. He didn''t know what the chosen one was doing, but it was bad. The distance between them wasn''t that large, he could still hit Theo.

    The air raged and the spear glowed red, the air around him glowed red, the sky glowed red. An intense pressure, a killing intent poured out like a tsunami, freezing everyone.

    Theo took out a small medallion from his back pouch. "Do it." Theo taunted.

    "As you fucking wish!" He pointed the end of the spear at Theo''s chest.

    "STOP! PLEASE! STOP!" Vivi shouted from the side, but the air pressure was far too intense for anyone to hear her. She has a hunch, just a hunch, a feeling in her heart, that if no one stop their next blow one of them is going to die. The Chosen One was going to die.

    The chosen one took a deep breath "Gae-"

    The whole world turned red. That was the power of a Legendary weapon, the most powerful class of item. The spear pointed at Theo was so powerful that it could twist fate and space-time itself. The moment The Chosen One finished activating the spear, his fate was sealed, and only death awaited him.

    That was of course if Theo didn''t have the medallion in his hand.

    "Bul-"

    "STOP!!!!!!" Vivi screamed.

    Theo''s and the chosen one''s body stopped like the time itself stopped them. Their face blank like both of them had just seen something absolutely horrifying. Their head rocked forward and backward before they vomited their dinner.

    The spectator were all shocked and disgusted by the sudden turn of event, all except Vivi.

    She took the opportunity to get away from her position and get to the courtyard. When her guard realize that she was gone, it was too late.

    "STOP IT!" She shouted. Her voice snapped Theo and the chosen one back to reality. "THIS IS ALL MISUNDERSTANDING!"

    "Is that what he forced you to say?" The chosen one asked.

    Vivi face brimmed with anger. She gritted her teeth and slapped the Chosen One. "This is all your fault! Why do you have to act like you know everything?!" She took her slave collar off and threw it at his face. "See, I''m not a slave. Theo is my lover! He just wanted a slave play. Now you ruin everything!"

    Theo and the chosen one both dropped their jaw. The Chosen One for hearing that he misunderstood. And Theo for seeing Vivi took her slave collar on her own. She walked to Theo and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief that she got from somewhere. "It''s your fault too. Stupid! Why did you accept his challenge?!" She hugged him. "I''m worried!"

    Theo hugged her back and smiled. "Sorry" He put his mouth near her ears and whispered. "How the hell can you take the slave collar?"

    She smiled. "A woman has many secrets."

    A burst of laughter came from the Chosen One who fell to the ground. He covered his eyes with his hand. "OH man! That is a laughable mistake for a Chosen One." he kipped up to a standing position. "But still, I can''t just let you insult slide."

    "Yeah." Theo moved Vivi''s to the side. "Please wait on the side. I''m going to finish this duel."

    Vivi''s eyes went wide open. "Wha-Why?!"

    "Because I''m going to show that idiot who is the better between the two of us."

    "Don''t worry girl. I''m not going to kill your boyfriend. Just put him near the death door." The Chosen One added.

    They stared at each other and readied their weapon......they stopped.

    Their body froze again, this time not because of Vivi, but because of the message in their mind. Not only them, Vivi and many others in the audience also froze as they saw the message that popped up in their head.

    [World Quest: Stop Calamity]

    [Difficulty: Extremely hard (Level>50)]

    [Time Limit: Unknown]

    [Disaster has come. A portal to the realm of fire appeared on the peak of Mount Etna. A great invasion of Fire elemental is about to begin. Stop them before they could muster their full force, or risk the extinction of all race on the continent.]

 Chapter 47: Devil and Angel

    It was three in the morning. The sudden world quest halted the duel of fate and sent everyone into a panic. The Pontiff called the High Priestess and Priest to an emergency meeting inside the inner chamber to discuss the action that they should take.

    For two hours Theo waited for them outside the door leading to the inner chamber. He was anxious, unable to calm down and unable to sleep. But unlike every other person there, Theo wasn''t concerned with the world quest, he was concerned what Sara would do after all that he did before. He hoped that the world quest would distract Sara enough for him to get the upper hand in their deal.

    The massive double door creaked open. The Pontiff, four High Priests, and a High Priestess walked out from the inner chamber. Sara was not among them. They all had a troubled expression on their face. Of course, who wouldn''t get troubled when the God they believed in told them that the world was about to end if they didn''t act quickly.

    The High Priestess approached Theo and told him that Sara was waiting inside. In a normal situation, no one was allowed inside other than high-ranking clergymen, but the Pontiff has given his permission.Theo thanked the old High Priestess. Then he entered the inner chamber. The door shut itself the moment Theo walked in. The room was pretty dim, with only a few light miracles and a few candles illuminating it.

    The inner chamber was a massive meeting chamber with a long table in it. It was lavishly decorated with statues and gemstones. The chairs and table inside were also covered in gold. On the other side of the entrance was a massive golden statue of God Ketu. Sara waited for Theo in front of it.

    "You don''t appear to be concerned by the fire realm invasion." Theo said when he noticed Sara calm attitude, unlike the rest.

    "Why would I? Mount Etna is located between Amaryn, Holy Empire, and the Free Cities. Amaryn has Arslan and Barnabas. Holy Empire has Caesar and Antonius. Free Cities have.. well, a lot. Not to mention the Theocracy will help them. We have The Chosen One, The Weapons of The Church, and the fanatical devotion of millions of people. Why should I be afraid? And if the worst comes to the worst, we can call Hannibal, Mercurius, or even Thomas Dawn."

    Theo looked around the room. "So much for modesty being a virtue."

    Sara rubbed the statue with her hand. She caressed it slowly and with great care. "This statue was not commissioned by the Church. It was a gift from a famous goldsmith." Sara took a deep breath. "Leave us."

    Shadows moved from every corner of the room. Swiftly moving out without making a sound and without any disturbance in the air. Theo counted ten, but they moved so fast that he didn''t have time to see them all. "Shadow magic, neat."

    "The Asshole has become fucking paranoid in the last few years. He has these damned visions and dreams that no one could decipher and understand." By Asshole, she meant the Pontiff.

    "He probably got senile cause of his age."

    "Maybe. Not to mention the strange happening all around the damned fucking continent. Anyway, that was a fucking good show."

    "What?" Theo asked.

    "Sending your slut running to the Chosen One and then defending her. That was a good play."

    "Wha-" Theo was even more confused.

    Sara turned her body towards Theo. "Wait, you don''t mean that was not a fucking act?"

    "Why the hell would I do that?" Theo stopped. His eyes widen when he realized it. "The warning you made about not drawing attention to myself, that''s a reverse psychology." Sara nodded. The anxiousness he had all this time was for no reason at all. "What makes you believe I would risk my women?"

    Sara squinted his eyes. "Strange. The Theo I knew would definitely do that. It seems like this Mary of yours has truly changed you, Theo. Inside and out."

    "Do you mean the ''me'' before doesn''t care about his women?" He asked. "Are you saying that......You know what? Let''s just talk business. I ask you a favor, two favors. Speak yours. You said about making me your champion or something."

    "I changed my mind. I remember something much more important. I ask you only one favor. One. Tell me where the Light Bringer is."

    Theo raised his brows. "I don''t know."

    "Bullshit."

    This was another reason why Theo hate dealing with Sara. She suspected that he hid the Legendary weapon, Light Bringer. Even though Theo didn''t know where his father hid it. "I don''t know. Even if I know, what makes you think I will tell you? My father owns the Light Bringer. He IS the Light Bringer."

    "The Light Bringer is a Legendary weapon owned by The Church. Your father is a fucking paladin, was. We lent it to him. When he retired, he should have returned it, but he stole it and hid it somewhere even I don''t fucking know. Now tell me, where did he fucking hid it?"

    "I said I don''t know."

    "BULLSHIT!!" Sara''s voice thundered in the chamber. It was rare for her to lose her temper. She took a deep breath. "Kneel Theo."

    "No. Let me-"

    "Kneel!" Sara shouted. "Realize your fucking position, then bargain! don''t overplay your damned cards. Remember that the life of your demon and the safety of your Mary still lies in my hand."

    Theo clicked his tongue then he relented. He kneeled before her and before the statue of her God. He didn''t have any bargaining power over her since he didn''t know where the Light Bringer was. "Put your hands on the fucking floor." Sara ordered. Theo did what he was told.

    The floor underneath him glowed yellow as a magic circle formed on it. Theo grunted. his whole body was shackled, making even breathing painful. But he didn''t complain, he didn''t scream.

    "A Tier 7 miracle to keep you from moving. Even breathing should be hard for you right now, bitch. It''s amazing what a faith to God Ketu can give you. Even Sir Arslan shouldn''t be able to break the shackle."

    Sara walked next to him. She then walked in circle around him. The silence was unsettling. What did Sara plan to do? Theo asked inside his mind.

    The silence lasted for a few minutes before Sara spoke. "How is it, Theo? The feeling of powerlessness. Is it the same powerlessness, the same lack of control that you felt when you were seven years old?" She stopped behind him. "When you witnessed the death of your mother and the massacre of your entire village? When you stood still while they burned and scream for your help." Theo wanted to say something. He wanted to shut her up, but he held it all back.

    Sara raised a finger. He grunted, the chain and shackle around him tightened.

    "Or is it the same feeling you felt when you saw your father died in your arms? when his body turned cold. When all you can do is cry for help." She sat behind him on a chair. "Of course. After both of that incident, you have coveted power and control more than anything. Though unlike most people, you don''t covet power and control in the traditional sense. You don''t necessarily want pure power, wealth, or political position. No. You covet power in your everyday life, in a more subtle way."

    "You kill because it gives you the feeling of control over someone''s life, over someone''s fate. You steal because it gives you the feeling of power over someone''s possession. And that''s why you kill even though you don''t have to, and you steal whenever you can."

    Sara paused for a few seconds. "And that''s why you manipulate and collect women. That''s why you want a harem of women. Your father''s last will? All he said is continue my dream. Having a harem is your own interpretation. Those women''s happiness depends on you? Bullshit! Those women can fall in love again like everyone else. Love? Is love leaving them for months while you fuck other women? No. Whatever reason you might have or whatever excuse come out from your mouth. I know the truth. Because it gives you control over their life. It gives you the feeling of power and control over their feelings, their bodies, their possession, their......everything."

    Theo gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He denied it all. He loved his women from the bottom of his heart. There was no other explanation.

    "That''s also the reason why you are afraid of me. that''s why you avoid Vex. That''s why you hate Aria. Because Vex stole the feeling of power when you have sex with her. She utterly dominates and controls the flow of the act. Because I know a lot of things that you didn''t know. I stole the feeling of control you have over a situation when we have a conversation. Because Aria was able to control you and lie to your face. She stole the feeling of control you have over the truth and facts, and the power you have over a woman''s feeling......"

    "That''s why I expect you to use your women to your own gain. Because the Theo I knew would sacrifice his own women for his gain........ But you have changed. That Mary girl of yours, she changed you. You actually love and care for your women now. But that also become your weakness. Before, I can''t bargain with you because you don''t care about the safety of your women. You can just search for more if one or two die. They were nothing more than your objects, items, toys for you to play with."

    "For whatever it is worth....... This Mary, how important is she to you? Is she more important to you than your father? Your mother?"

    Theo tried to break the binding miracle, but he couldn''t. No matter how hard he struggled, no matter how much power he mustered, he couldn''t. Not with physical strength. Theo remembered his father''s word about the basic principle of miracles and its greatest weakness. He closed his eyes and prayed to his God, Varah, from the bottom of his heart.

    The chain broke. The shackle came off.

    Theo stood up, catching Sara off guard and surprising her. He slammed her body to the golden statue of God Ketu. "Impossible..." She exclaimed.

    "The fundamental aspect of a miracle is faith. It doesn''t matter whether you believe in God Ketu or some random Gods. I have faith in my God."

    "A pagan God."

    "Which overpower a tier 7 miracle from your God." Theo smiled.

    The most basic things of manipulating other people were knowing their desire and their ego. The hardest thing about dealing with Sara was that she didn''t seems have any attachment to the world. She wasn''t afraid for her life, her position or her belonging. She wasn''t offended if she was mocked or underestimated. But there was one thing that Theo knew would get on Sara''s nerve. It was mocking her God.

    Sara squinted her eyes. "Let''s save the theological discussion for another time, shall we?"

    Theo let her go. "Then let''s talk business."

    "Alright." She stood up and held her neck "Let''s talk business. Where is the Light Bringer?"

    Theo looked at her. He was surprised that she didn''t believe him already. "I said I don''t know."

    They stared at each other for a good few minutes without saying anything to each other. They both were trying to read each other thought. "Seems like you really don''t know, huh? Whatever, I can search it myself." She turned her body to face the golden statue. "Well, if that''s the case then I want two favors from you." She raised a finger. "I want to have a long conversation with your Lyana. I won''t hurt her, you can watch and observe if you want." She raised another finger. "Like I told you before, be my champion."

    Theo crossed his arms. "What do you mean by that and why? Why me? why not the Chosen One?"

    Sara chuckled. "The Chosen One? What I need is a person who can act like a saint in front of the masses but is willing to have his hands get dirty when it needs to. Not a lust-driven hound who can''t help but act childish and selfish in front of thousands of people." She turned towards Theo again. "Champion in the sense that I officially support your action. Whatever you do, my name will be with you. If you succeed, I succeed. If you fuck up, I get fucked up."

    Theo laughed. "Why? You know I hate you and want to kill you. Why put your chance to become the next Pontiff in someone who wants to drag your name in the dirt? Especially after your show of power and you threaten me."

    "Because you''re my best chance. you''re the perfect man for the role. And it''s precisely because I threaten you that you won''t fuck it up. You drag my name to the dust, you bury your women. Easy and simple. Of course, I won''t shackle you too much. You''re free to do what you want to do, as long as the eyes of the public see you as their hero. It''s a mutual relationship really."

    Theo smiled. Sara made mistake. The biggest weapon in a bargain is to pretend that you don''t need the other party. That you have ten thousand other options to choose from. By saying that Theo was her best chance and the best person for the job, Sara made a mistake. It gave Theo a bargaining power.

    "Okay, I''ll be your champion. And I will let you speak to Lyana under my observation. But promise that from this second onward you will protect my women, not just Mary."

    "Already fucking did." Sara said with a smug smile. "Your bitch Aria already sent five assassins to kill your women. Foiled them all." Sara walked near Theo. "Then as my new champion, you have to stop this ''Fire Invasion''. Remember that you have to be the one that stopped it, not just participating. You have to be the hero that saves the world from ending. Not just a side character who helps."

    Theo nodded. He was doubtful. Was that all Sara wanted? She didn''t abuse her position and advantage like she normally did.

    They stared at each other again for a few minutes. "You said in the past that you have....a friend. An elemental friend. You already know about this invasion, right? That''s why you''re so fucking calm right now." Sara asked.

    "I do. He told me that they are preparing for an invasion, though he doesn''t know when. Or who will lead the invasion. But I know now, who the enemy leader is."

    "Ohhh. Tell me every detail that you know. Every, single, fucking, thing-"

    Suddenly, the door to the inner chamber went wide open. The pontiff walked in. "Ahh, Sara, Theo." He nodded his head. "I''m sorry to interrupt your discussion. But I have an urgent matter to do. Can you please..."

    Sara bowed and smiled like an angel. "Of course, your Highness."

    Theo bowed too. "Of course."

    Once they were outside the inner chamber, Theo looked all around them. The ceiling, the corner, the wall. "Don''t worry, no one will spy on us." Sara said, knowing what Theo was doing,

    Theo looked at her. "You know what is inside his personal chamber, right?"

    "A mistress, some sex slaves, and a secret drug storage." Sara said in a serious tone. She was not joking. "He was not like that before. Only in the last 5 years had he walked away from the path of the God."

    "Any plan to overthrow him?"

    "Yes. But first I need to secure my seat as his next successor. That''s why I championed you. His health started to fail him in the past few years. I hope you can bring me result before he dies."

    "As long as you keep your side of the deal."

    "I''m a woman of my words Theo. You know that. I won''t bail out from a deal unless it is absolutely necessary."

    They reached a forked path and went their own way. Each to their own chamber. "Theo." Sara called him once again. "I''m sorry."

    Theo looked at her, confused at her sudden change of attitude. "For what?"

    "We started on the wrong footing here. Let''s just say that our last meeting three years ago have....given me the wrong impression about you. If I know how you are right now, I wouldn''t resort to threatening you with your women. So I''m sorry. What I want is a mutual and beneficial relationship for both of us. Not this.. power dynamic between two people."

    Theo didn''t answer. This was another reason why Theo hate her. Sometimes she was the devil, sometimes an angel, and he didn''t know which was the ''real'' her or whether there was a ''real'' her at all. Of course, he wasn''t all swayed by her words. She has threatened him with his women, he won''t forget it.

    Never.

    "Oh and one more." Sara said. "There''s a priestess named Mia in the library. She has committed adultery a few times before. Since she hasn''t confessed her sins, I don''t think she would mind if she does it a few more times. She''s quite the beauty you know."

 Chapter 48: Preparation

    Messengers were immediately sent to the Eternal City, Redmound, and the nearest Free City of Furem to warn them of the incoming invasion. It wasn''t like they needed any warning. They already knew about the incoming invasion, the messengers were simply a formality.

    While the Theocracy was ridden with panic and uproar of the of world quest, Theo was relaxing on his own bed in the personal chamber that Sara gave to him. Ed got his own chamber while Vivi slept next Theo. There was also the priestess that Sara mentioned, but it was only a quickie.

    Theo grabbed a few strands of Vivi''s deep violet hair and brought it near his face. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the sensation. The fragrance she used, filled his lung. Her breath hitting his bare chest and her small breast pushing against his body. It was quite a blissful morning for him, especially after the clusterfuck of a night it was before. He looked at her. There was no longer a collar on her neck. He didn''t need it anymore, nor would it do anything. Though she also told him that he shouldn''t throw it away. In case she wanted to have a kinky play.

    Suddenly, her face turned towards him. Her violet eyes were opened, albeit still dazed after a short sleep. She pulled her body so that her face was in front of Theo''s, and lightly kissed him."Good morning Theo-Sama." She said with a smile.

    "Morning Vivi." He replied. A smile also appeared on his face. Her face was really cute that morning and her eyes were especially charming for some reason. "You''re not charming me using your magic are you?"

    She looked surprised at first and tilted her head, but then returned the smile. "You''re the one who charmed me Theo-Sama." She kissed him again, deeply this time.

    Theo hugged her. "There''s something I want to ask you, Vivi. It''s about last night, about the Chosen One."

    Her eyes went wide open. "Oh. I guess after all that I did last night, you deserve some explanation."

    "Is there something you''re hiding from me?"

    "No. It''s just......... It''s something that I forgot to tell you."

    "Let me guess. It has something to do with your previous life?"

    "Yes."

    "Tell me."

    "It''s going to be a little bit hard to explain."

    "I''m all ears. And we still have until noon before we leave anyway."

    "Hmm.... Where do I start? Remember about the game that I played before I came here?"

    "The one that you... Crashed or something. Yeah."

    "Well, Inside that game, I have a friend, a guy. We''re close."

    "He''s The Chosen One." Theo guessed.

    "Well, yeah. But not exactly. The appearance of the character he played as, is the exact same as the Chosen One. But considering my appearance right now has no resemblance to my original look or my character appearance. I doubt that The Chosen One is him. It''s not impossible though."

    He caressed her hair. "Do you miss him?"

    "Not really... I mean, It''s a bit complicated. I want to meet him, talk about this crazy world and the crazy power that I got and about you. But at the same time I don''t really want to meet him."She clicked her tongue. "Well, It''s complicated."

    "Well-" A knock interrupted him.

    "Theo, it''s me." Ed said from outside the door.

    "Are you alone?" Theo asked.

    "Yes."

    "Come in, it''s not locked." A mischievous smile appeared on Theo''s face.

    Ed opened the door. He froze the moment he saw Theo''s and Vivi''s naked bodies. 1...2...3...4...5... His mind worked again and his face flashed red. He slammed the door shut. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN THE MORNING?!"

    "Something that you''ll never do anytime soon." Theo answered in a mocking manner. He then laughed hard.

    "A-Anyway. High Priestess Sara called you to her chamber, Alone. Do-don''t take too long."

    Theo looked at Vivi. "I have to go now."

    Vivi kissed his cheek. "We can start doing it again tonight."

    Theo smiled and kissed her back. "Can''t wait."

    ---------

    He knocked the door. "Sara, it''s me, Theo."

    "Oh yes, do come in."

    When Theo opened the door. The view was like what he had expected. An angelic figure sat on a chair next to the table in the center of her room. Even though Theo knew about Sara personality, he couldn''t help but be fooled every time he saw her like that. The impression only lasted a moment.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    He sat opposite to her on the table. On his side of the table was a glass, filled with milk. He stared at it with a disdainful stare. When he looked at Sara again, the face of the devil has been revealed.

    "The milk, what are you trying to say?"

    Annoyed look dawned on her face. "Motherfucker, why are you always assume I''m up to something? You should drink milk sometimes, it''s good for your health you ungrateful bastard.... Now drink it bitch."

    Theo sighed and picked up the glass of milk. He brought it near his lips, but hesitated. He took a deep breath, then drink all of the milk in one gulp. His stomach lurched and he coughed hard, almost vomiting the milk he had just drank. Sara clapped her hand in a mocking manner. "Good boy, finally you learn to hear a piece of advice."

    Theo wiped his mouth, but the sudden urge to vomit still made his breath chaotic. "What did you put in that milk?"

    "Nothing, just plain milk that you have always~ loved. Seriously though, what the fuck are you expecting drinking a glass of milk like that in one fucking gulp?" She tilted her head. "I thought years of ramming your cock down on girl''s throat is going to teach you a thing or two about gag reflex, I guess I overestimated your learning capability."

    "Why did you call me?"

    "Do I fucking need to have something in mind for calling you here? Can''t I just call my handsome and beloved champion?"

    Theo''s shoulder slumped down and he let out a defeated sigh. "You know I don''t have much time. I have to-"

    "Pick up Lyana, I know. Since God Ketu himself told everyone that this invasion is dangerous, the Asshole and bitches decided to send envoys to each military garrison."

    "I go with you, right?" Sara nodded. "So are you going to help Amaryn, Empire, or the Free Cities?"

    "I''m going to help the kingdom." Sara raised her hand before Theo could interrupt her. "I know what you''re going to say. No, princess Aria hasn''t given an arrest order for you. You don''t have to worry going to the kingdom''s military camp. They are still going to consider you as the hero who saved princess Ana, and now you''re going to be the hero who stopped the fire realm invasion."

    "Why? Why doesn''t she tell the people what I did to her?"

    "What do you expect her to say? ''Oh! The Hero that saved my sister assaulted me and foiled my plan to overthrow my father! He also killed the crime boss that I work with!'' No fucking way. She has too much pride to even admit that she underestimated you. And after Wrath''s death, the Justice system is once again controlled by Ana''s faction, so Aria couldn''t just manipulate it to her desire." Sara tapped the table. "Anyway. You said something about knowing the leader of the Fire Invasion."

    "I have no concrete proof, but I have a few hints. The World Quest''s name is ''stop Calamity'' while in the description, instead of using calamity, it used disaster. Meaning that Calamity is not used as the synonym for disaster, but refer to a name. Coincidentally, or not, there''s a Fire Lord, one of the leaders of Fire Elemental that have the name of Calamity."

    "And what do you know about this ''Calamity'' dude?"

    "Girl." Theo corrected. Sara raised her brows and let Theo explain. "I don''t know much. But I know that she''s one of the most powerful Elemental out there. Her level is 150 or 160 or something."

    Sara''s eyes went wide open. Even she didn''t expect that level of power. "150? Roughly 4 times stronger than Arslan." She mumbled. "The fact that you haven''t run away from all of this means that you have some way to deal with her, right?" Sara asked.

    "Of course. I don''t want to use it since it''s a memento of my father." He shrugged. "But what can I do?" Theo picked up something from his special back pouch and put it on the table. "Here it is."

    It was a miniature hammer.

    Sara picked it up and observed it closely. It was made of pure gold, but the accumulated dust has made the color dull. There was a strong magic contained inside, but not enough to defeat a level 150 Fire Lord. "And what the fuck are you going to with this?"

    "It''s a trade secret. Believe me, you better not know what it does."

    Sara stared at Theo, annoyed. "Fuck, whatever, as long as you stop the invasion."

    Theo looked at Sara in surprise. It was rare for her not to push for an answer."You know. I''m curious why you act so calm and composed. You have a backup plan?"

    A mischievous grin appeared on Sara''s face. "No."

    He took the miniature hammer back from Sara''s hand and put it back. He didn''t have any problem telling anyone how his trump card work since he was the only one who could use it anyway, but Sara had him on a leash. If he told Sara how it works and she realizes how powerful it was, she might manipulate him to use it for something else. For now, he preferred to not tell Sara anything.

    "Well, I have to go now." He turned.

    "Wait." Sara stopped him. "There''s something else you want to say?"

    "Yes. It''s about Ed. Thoros said he has a dream, a prophecy. About a great fire that threatens to consume the world. And a dragon that stopped it. Ed is THE dragon, he is a Protagonist just like The Chosen One. Now a great fire threatens to consume the world. All of this.... Coming here with Ed, The appearance of World Quest when we are here. Is this all truly...... A coincidence?"

    Sara raised a brow. "I don''t remember you being someone who believes in prophecy and destiny."

    "You said Mary changed me. Maybe this is one of the changes."

    "Maybe, God Ketu works in a mysterious way." Sara squinted her eyes, realizing what Theo truly meant. "Don''t worry about it. You and Ed are one party and you''re the party leader. Even if it''s Ed that stopped the Fire Invasion, you''ll still get a lot of credit since he''s still a rookie and looks like a kid."

    Theo sighed in relief. The last thing he wanted was to compete with Ed. "Well, I have to go now."

    -------

    Theo walked through the Saint Sieg courtyard, followed by Ed and Vivi behind him with their short legs. Their feet were rapid. They had packed everything and were ready to leave the city, if not for one little disturbance.

    "THEO GLADIUM!" Someone shouted his name out loud.

    The source of the sound was a devilish charming young man with blazing crimson hair and ultramarine eyes. Behind that man, four attractive women were standing.

    "Uh...Who are you again?" He asked.

    The man raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Good jokes Theo Gladium. You know how to get on my nerve." The man turned to look at the four women behind him. Theo was not joking, however. He didn''t know the Chosen One name and calling him ''The Chosen One'' every time was impractical.

    The Chosen One rubbed his chin. "I mean, who could forget this handsome face, right?" He tapped his own chest and pointed his finger at Theo. His playful face turned serious. "Theo Gladium! I, Setanta! Declare you as my sworn rival, in any and all aspects! May the best between us be the one to stop the fire invasion."

    His word carried heavy weight and charisma that those around them stopped moving and began clapping. Even Ed was clapping and Vivi''s eyes were filled with amazement, much to Theo''s confusion. ''Why the hell is everyone so amazed at that lame ass declaration. Even Ed?''

    "Whatever." Theo answered. He turned and walked away. He didn''t have time for his little rivalry.

 Chapter 49: Mount Etna

    In the middle of a plain that separated the Amaryn Kingdom, The Holy Empire, and the Free Cities alliance, stood a massive lone volcano, Mount Etna. The three countries had agreed to never place their military power on the plain and the mountain in the past. And the agreement was never broken Until now.

    Three garrisons surrounded the base of Mount Etna. The one from the Empire covered the northwest of the mountain, the Kingdom''s was located in the southwest, while The free City Alliance made theirs in the western area.

    Not a week has passed since the message popped up in everyone''s head. It was amazing how fast the three governments could muster their forces and built a strong garrison to hold back the waves of Fire Elemental descending the mountain, considering how slow usually they reacted to such threat.

    A huge tent stood out among the thousand tents set by the Kingdom. It was a special tent for the Commander of the Kingdom''s army. The war meeting room of that tent was dominated by a wooden table. On it, a huge map detailing the surrounding area along with stacks of scrolls, parchments, and books.

    Surrounding the table were six people. The first one was a woman over two meters in height. She wore a massive plate armor that hid her bulky muscular body. She was the General of the Turtle Army and the second in command of the forces sent by the Kingdom of Amaryn. Lune Peregrin.

    Next to Lune was a long haired man with glasses. Unlike the others in that room, He wore clothes befitting of a noble. He was the Emissary of the nobles that gave their support to the operation. His official job was to act as an emissary for the kingdom in case they need to contact the Empire''s or the Free city''s forces. But everyone there knew that his real job was as a symbol of Noble participation in defending the kingdom and to make sure that the Nobles gained something out of this disaster.

    Then there was a woman with short light blue hair with a plate with a carving of a dragon hanging from her neck. Out of four Dragon ranked parties in Amaryn, only her party was available at the time. She was ''Miracle'' Vex, the leader of ''Miracle'' adventuring party. Her job was to coordinate and lead other adventurer parties that were lower ranked than them.

    The fourth was an old man with a monocle on his right eye. His wizened face and his long white beard showed just how old he was. He wore a bright colored eccentric robe that didn''t match his age. He was the representative of the Kingdom''s Magician guild and also one of its strongest members, Warwyn The Wizened.

    The fifth was High priestess Sara, the representative and the leader of the forces sent by Ketu Theocracy to aid the Kingdom. Ketu Theocracy was unique in this matter because they didn''t set their own garrison. Instead, they split their forces into three and sent them to each garrison to aid in the war effort. The influence of the Church of Ketu in each country made it impossible for them to reject the help, even if the leader of each army was wary about the true intention to why Ketu Theocracy sent their help.

    The sixth and the last was Theo, another envoy of the church and a hero of the Kingdom.

    At first, Theo was unsure whether to approach the Kingdom''s encampment even after Sara told him not to worry. She also told that Aria was still recovering from whatever Theo was doing to her, and probably won''t be able to return to her normal life for the next month or two. However, when he approached them, no one seemed to know him other than the fact that he was the Hero who saved princess Ana. Because of his reputation as a hero, he was invited to the war council.

    They all stood in silence. The council hasn''t started yet because they were still waiting for the last person, which coincidentally was the Commander-in-chief of the whole operation.

    The tent door suddenly flung open as an old man in a gold colored armor entered the tent. His white hair barely covered his head and his face was full of wrinkles, but the way he carried himself showed that he has no intention of retiring anytime soon. Theo clenched his fist to calm himself down. He felt guilty about leaving Sir Arslan with all that mess that he left.

    Even though many nobles protested about appointing Sir Arslan as the leader, the King was adamant about his decision, it was the first time the King involved himself in a governing matter since his fall into despair. His decision was partly because the Nobles only suggested a person which could further their own agenda instead of suggesting a competent and experienced commander.

    "Pardon my lateness. Without further ado, let us begin the council." He placed both of his hands on the table. He glanced to his second in command. "Lune. Please explain everything. Some of us haven''t got a clear idea of the situation."

    "Yes. As we all know we came here because of the world quest we received. A portal to the Fire Realm have opened inside the crater on top of Mount Etna and Fire Elemental forces have been pouring out of it ever since. On the first day, only lesser fire elemental descended from the mountain and their number was small, but with each passing day those waves become stronger and stronger and increased in number."

    "Speaking of holding the position. How is the other army?" Vex asked.

    Lune went to the map on the table and began pointing. "A legion of the Empire covers the north west of the mountain. That''s roughly 6000 infantry lead by Marcus Lepidus. Plus 1000 adventurers from adventurer guild, 300 Mages from their mages guild and around 200 priests and healer." Her finger moved to the east of the mountain. "3000 ''Iron Axe'' mercenary along with 1000 private sword was employed by the free city to defend their position. 2000 adventurers, around 1000 mages and 300 priests." She moved her finger to where the kingdom camp was. "8000 infantry from the Royal Army plus 2000 Duke''s men. However, compared to other, We only have around 400 adventurers, 200 priests, and only 50 mages. Of course, that was before the arrival of the church force."

    "How much did you bring High Priestess?" Sir Arslan asked Sara.

    "The pope has been very kind for giving me command of 100 combat priests and 200 Church Guard. Unfortunately, I don''t know what the other team brought to the other army. However, I do know that the new Chosen One is residing at the Imperial garrison."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Everyone raised their eyebrows when they heard that. "Hmm, the new Chosen One. As much as I want to meet him, we can''t just rely on him for this kind of problem." Sir Arslan replied.

    "Any attempt to make an alliance with the Empire or the Free Cities?" Vex asked.

    Sir Arslan answered by pointing at the noble emissary. Everybody there understood, making a formal alliance with the other army will have an impact on the political situation and the nobles didn''t allow it. There was, however, an informal, unwritten alliance between the Leader of each military garrison. Seeing the dissatisfaction in everyone''s eyes the emissary interjected. "I believe it is not fair for you to say that. Condition like this doesn''t only bring problems for the soldier and common people, but also the Noble houses and the government."

    They ignored him. arguing with a Noble emissary who saw commoner as nothing more than a fodder wouldn''t get them anywhere. "Now that we all know the condition. Any question?" Sir Arslan asked.

    "How much do we know about the enemy forces? While the one that attacks us from the mountain are low-level fire elementals. The one who summoned them and its guard must be pretty high leveled." Warwyn asked.

    "That, we do not know. Any spy we sent near the crater never comes back. Which could mean that there is indeed a high-level fire elemental up there. Maybe even a Flame-Born Knight." Sir Arslan chuckled. But no one there was amused. "Sorry, that was in poor taste."

    Flame-Born Knight was the strongest kind of Fire Elemental, not counting the Ancients, the Fire Lords, and the Fire King. Each one of them was roughly as strong as an army of 10000 men. If there were more than ten Flame-Born Knights up there already summoned, then the whole operation was doomed from the start.

    Sir Arslan pointed at the map. "Here''s the path leading to the summit. After the army set up a decent fortification down here. We can slowly move up along the way. Since the path is not that big, the main army will move slowly. Not to mention the occasional attack and the defense, they have prepared for us which will further slow us down." He proceeded to explain where they planned to make their second camp, the role of the Mages Guild, the role of the Adventurers, and the rest of their strategies.

    A magical clock rang shortly after Sir Arslan finished explaining. "Look like it''s the time." Sir Arslan mumbled. Everyone wanted to ask what he meant, but the scream and shout from outside answered their question. "The second wave of today is coming.

    "I and my team will come too," Vex said.

    "Any help is very much appreciated." Sir Arslan answered. "Sir Theo, I want to speak with you later in private."

    Sir Arslan hurried outside and Vex followed suit. Then the Emissary left the room, unlike the pace of the two before him, he walked gracefully. That left Sara, Lune, Theo, and Warwyn.

    Sara glanced at Theo.

    "Sir Theo, I have something to discuss in private too concerning a matter of the Church. I hope you will spare some of your time for me." She bowed her head. "Then excuse me, everyone, I have some matter to attend to. May Lord Ketu blessing be upon all of you." She bowed once more before leaving the tent. When she passed Theo, she whispered to him. "Don''t forget to bring all of your companion, including ''her''."

    Silence returned. Lune was organizing the scroll, parchment, and book on the table. Theo observed her. Her face wasn''t that bad, though her skin looked rough, that was to be expected from those who fight in the front line. Her body, however, was scary. It was huge and Theo could almost see the muscle bulging from under her thick armor. He can''t say anything else because her armor covered most of her body.

    "I''ll help the defender too." He then left the room.

    Just as he left the tent, a soldier bumped into him. He didn''t apologize to Theo nor did Theo minds it. The soldier appeared to be in a hurry, carrying a lot of arrows in his arm. He followed the soldier from behind to the front line.

    He could see from far away, the sheer number of lesser Fire Elementals that came down from the mountain.

    Among their ranks, there was also some Fire Elementals and higher variation of them. Even one or two greater Fire Elementals. Their number was nothing compared to the defending army, but it was still an amazing sight to see them in such a huge number.

    Shouts of battle came from the soldier on the front line as they raised their shield and countered the Fire Elemental. While Fire Elemental and normal Fire Elemental have a ranged attack, most of the time it wasn''t that powerful, it could warm up the soldier''s shield and that was it. Nothing more, especially if the soldier was buffed with fire and heat resistance by the priests and mages behind the line.

    The problem arose from their number. Even a candle flame could kill a man if he were to sleep on top of a thousand of it. If five or more of them focused their attack on just one man they might be able to damage, or even destroy the shield, but alas, their attack wasn''t organized. Another problem was the higher and greater Fire Elementals. Their attack was strong enough to break a shield formation. Though such problem was easily solved by mages and archers who killed them before they could attack the front line.

    A great fireball rained from the sky and crashed on the magical shield set by the mages, causing it to crack. Everyone could see that one more of those fireballs and the shield would shatter to pieces, leaving the infantries vulnerable to aerial attack.

    "Fire Lizard!" One of the mages shouted.

    "I handle it." The voice came from Theo''s left, where a strikingly attractive woman stood.

    Theo knew her. She was Kanetsugu Tomoe, one of the members of ''Miracle'' and the subordinate of Vex. She looked like a normal city girl, but the plate hanging from her neck that bore the image of a dragon meant that she stood among the pinnacle of human capabilities.

    Her appearance was the definition of oriental women, which often found in Nippon, fair white skin, thin lips, small butt and breast. Things which would make them appear less attractive to most people on the continent, but not for Theo. Theo didn''t care much about how big woman''s butt and breast is, he cared about their body proportion and their face. After all, what he sought in them wasn''t just their body.

    To Theo, Tomoe''s face complemented her perfectly proportional body. Her lustrous black hair tied in a ponytail behind her head. Her healthy pink lips were flat, not showing any emotion. Her black pupil gleamed when she stared at the mountain slopes, searching for her target.

    ''Well, well, seems Vex has some nice friends here.''

    She took the massive Warbow from her back. "I can''t see them... yet." She said as she scanned the mountain "I have to wait for the next attack." The mage nodded and ordered his subordinate to set up an extra layer of shields to protect them from air attack.

    A fire rose in the distance, only a small red dot, almost imperceptible to the human''s eyes. That was all she needed.

    She pulled the string of her Warbow to maximum, infusing it and the arrow to the brim with her aura, causing it to glow blue. Though her arms were slender, the act of pulling such massive a Warbow without much effort goes to show that you can''t judge someone from their appearance.

    She let loose of the arrow and a massive ''twang'' came from it. Theo, who stood near her could almost feel a shockwave. Whether or not her bow released a shockwave, he couldn''t be so sure.

    The arrow whistled as it pierced the sky at a staggering speed, such that it was impossible to be followed by the eye. Another fire rose to the sky from another position. She repeated her action three more times before putting her bow back. Each shot never aimed at the same place as the one before.

    She then left with a graceful manner without as much as a word and without even confirming that her shot was on point She was. After she shot them, there was no more fireball raining from the sky. It was more staggering considering that Fire Lizard could spew their fireball from more than one kilometer away, and they tend to fire from maximum range to protect their relatively fragile bodies.

    After the fire lizard was dealt with, the army has no trouble anymore, at least for that afternoon.

 Chapter 50: Blood of Demon

    Theo returned to his tent on the edges of the camp. On the opposite side of where the mages camp to reduce the chance of them discovering Lyana''s true identity. When he returned, he was greeted by an excited Vivi, who threw herself at him, a bored Lyana who sat on her bed with a stack of books on the table next to her, and a missing Ed.

    "Where''s Ed?" He asked Vivi as he hugged her. Vivi buried her face in his chest, effectively ignoring him. He turned to ask Lyana.

    "He takes a walk around the encampment because you take too long to return. What the hell are you doing, Chasing some girls?"

    "Well, that''s not entirely wrong." He answered. "Anyway, once Ed returns we''re going to meet with Sara. The High Priestess that I mentioned before."

    Vivi pulled her head back in surprise. "I don''t want to meet that devil, she''s scary. I rather sit here alone."

    "Sorry Vivi, but we have to." Vivi let go of him, crossed her arm, and pouted before returning to her bed in a bad mood. Theo chuckled, seeing her childish reaction.

    Lyana sighed. Her eyes wandered around and she looked away from him. "Promise me...you''ll be next to me."

    "I promise. I won''t let her do anything more than talk to you."

    Lyana glared at him. "You said it like you have the power to decide that. When in fact, you don''t have that power over this... Priestess."

    Theo walked next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I''ll protect you. I promise."

    Ed suddenly entered the tent with a surprised and confused face."Oh. Did I... miss something?"

    -----

    Sara sat on a chair next to a table in her tent. Theo stood with Vivi and Ed beside him. Lyana stood behind him since there was no other chair. Surprisingly, there was no guard, priest or mage inside or outside her tent. The only resemblance of guards were some Church''s Guards located in other tents.

    "Welcome to my humble abode." Sara greeted them. Her gaze was directed at Lyana, who shivered behind Theo. Theo moved his body so that it covered most of Lyana.

    "Oh come fucking on Theo. I just want to see your new adorable girlfriend." She said it with full of certainty, but her devilish grin made it unconvincing.

    "Enough Sara. Get to the point." Said Theo.

    Sara lowered her eyebrows "Okay, I want to speak to your demon girl. Come forward, girl." He turned his head to look at Lyana behind him. She was still shivering and trembling, with one hand clinging to his arm. While he understood why Lyana would be afraid of Sara, he didn''t understand why she was scared of her to that degree.

    "Lyana?"

    She opened her trembling jaw. "I-I-I-"

    "You don''t have to force yourself." He said.

    "I''m not asking. You have no choices in this matter." Sara interjected with a cold voice.

    Lyana''s gaze moved to Theo. There was still fear in her eyes, but there was also an adamant will saying that she will do it. "D-don''t you dare to move Theo."

    "Okay. Can you undo your disguise?" Sara asked. Lyana nodded slowly and did what she was told. Two horns appeared from her temple, both pointed upward. Sara seemed surprised that Lyana didn''t transform into a hideous monster."Hmm, a humanoid demon, interesting. Were you born a demon or were you made a demon?"

    "B-Born."

    "Why did you come to the human realm?"

    Lyana then told everything to Sara. How and why she came outside the demon realm, about the civil war raging in the demon realm, how she met Theo, and how Theo convinced her to follow him. "So what faction are you from?" Sara asked.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "I fled from the demon realm because I don''t support any faction." After talking to Sara a few times, she appeared to be more relaxed, still afraid, but better than before. Her hand didn''t clench Theo''s arm as tight as before. At least it didn''t feel like she was about to rip his arm off.

    "Well, that''s about it." Sara said with a smirk.. "Good to know you Lyana." She looked at the clock. "Well, Theo, don''t forget about the council tonight. You all can leave."

    Without any question, Lyana, Vivi, and Ed took a step towards the exit. The moment they got out of the tent, the air seemed lighter, like a great weight had been lifted off their shoulder. Sweat broke out from the three of them, it was a sweat of relief.

    Theo, who was still inside the tent nodded his head. "Something else to say?" Sara asked after seeing Theo still there.

    "When you said you know my women''s favorite food. How do you know it?" Theo asked.

    Theo knew that Sara has a personal information network. One so extensive and so large that it would put even the best spymaster and information broker to shame, and her reach wasn''t limited to only the Continent. That was why she knew almost anything about anyone. But even with such an extensive network, it was hard to know a person''s favorite food unless Sara assigned a spy to specifically follow his women around.

    "I don''t, that was a fucking bluff."

    "What?!" Theo yelled.

    "You''re choking me, Theo. I almost suffocated, what do you expect me to do?" She asked. "I do know some, but not all of theirs. Why the fuck does it matter now?"

    "Motherfucker...... No, it doesn''t matter now." Theo turned and walked out.

    "May the blessing of Ketu be with you, Theo." Her voice had returned to its dignified and angelic version.

    When Theo stepped outside, Ed, Vivi, and Lyana were waiting for him. Their fear and anxiousness were evident in their eyes. Like before, he didn''t understand why they were so afraid of her. "Sorry for bringing you all there. But what is with the overreaction?"

    "OVERREACTION?!" They yelled at the same time.

    "It''s you who''s strange Theo." Lyana said. "H-how can you stay calm in there?! How can you not feel anything at all?" Lyana pointed her trembling finger at Sara''s tent" There''s...There''s something very sinister about her...I..I..I can''t even begin to describe it. Something is very wrong about her, Theo."

    "Really?" Theo asked. Ed and Vivi nodded their head in agreement to Lyana. "I''m sorry."

    "Let''s just get away from here." Lyana walked away, returning to their tent.

    Vivi followed her, then Ed, then Theo. Theo took one last look of Sara''s tent before leaving. He wondered about what Lyana said. Was there something malicious and sinister about Sara more than she already was?

    "Hey, Theo." Ed whispered when they were already quite far away from Sara''s tent. "What did Sara mean when she asked whether Lyana was born or made a Demon? Can Demon be made?"

    Theo looked at Ed. "Short answer, yes. But you have to know about the social structure of Demon society before I can explain more in detail."

    Ed looked around. "We still have time." Ed looked again at Theo. His curiosity washed away all the fear he felt before.

    Demon''s and monster''s social structure and culture were a taboo subject for most scholars, as most people saw Demon and monster as cultureless savages no different than animals. It was rare to find a book that touched that subject. Even if there was a book that touched that subject, it would be written by Adventurers. And most of the time it was mostly just speculation. Theo, however, was more knowledgeable about monsters and demons than most.

    Theo crossed his arms. "Demons, like Elementals, have a King standing on top of their social structure. There can only be one King. Under the King, there are the Lords. In the case of Demon, Demon Lords. There is a limit to how many Lords there are. For example, There can only be 30 Demon Lords at the same time. For Fire Lord, there can only be four at the same time. Under the Lords are Apostles, then under them are normal Demons."

    "O..kay. What does that have to do with making a Demon?"

    "Making a Demon and becoming a Demon is easy....in theory. You just have to inject the blood of an Apostle into your bloodstream and let it circulate through your entire body and that''s it."

    "What, that''s it?"

    "If the blood you injected is that of Demon Lords, then you become an Apostle. If it''s the blood of the Demon King and the number of Demon Lords is fewer than 30, then you become a Demon Lord. If the number is already 30, you become an Apostle."

    Ed stopped and stood in front of Theo "Wait wait wait! If that''s the case, then why didn''t Apostle or Demon Lords or the Demon King just mass produce demon? I mean, they can force their enemy to become a Demon if that''s the case."

    "There''s a tradeoff. You need to sacrifice your own EXP to make a new Demon. The stronger the person or the animal that you want to transform is, the more EXP you need, maybe even sacrificing a dozen of your own levels. So they only make a new Demon when they are absolutely sure about it."

    "Ohh.....wait... So you can make a Demon Lord weak by stealing his blood, then injecting it into someone or something?"

    Theo looked at Ed and raised his brows. "In theory, yes. Though ''stealing'' a Demon Lord''s blood is impossible in practice. An Apostle is easier, but even the average Apostle is extremely strong."

    After talking to Ed about the blood of Demon Lord, Theo remembered about Vex and her desperate quest to increase her Level Cap. Becoming a Demon not only made a person''s lifespan unlimited, it also doubled the original Level Cap, with the price of reduced empathy and increased aggression. Though as desperate as Vex was, there was no way she wanted to be a Demon....... Or at least that was what Theo thought. Leveling up was like taking a drug. The sudden increase of strength, agility, intelligence, and the overall increase of power was an unforgettablefeeling for most people.

 Chapter 51: Third Wave

    The absence of city or village near mount Etna would normally make the place dark during the night. Yet that night, the plain was as bright as day. Fire streaked the sky and Fire Elementals, numbering in the thousands, marched down the mountain.

    It was the third wave of the day and it caught the defender by surprise. Since the first day of the invasion, the enemy only sent two waves each day, so a sudden third wave caught them unprepared. Not to mention that the Fire Elementals were higher leveled than before and more organized.

    If the last few days they appeared and went wild, the third wave that day was like fighting an army. Their attacks were coordinated. The physically strong were placed in the front. Sword, shield, spear, and pike, all made of fire, were held in their arms. They formed a line not too different than that of the Kingdom''s battle formation.Fire Elementals specialized in dealing ranged damage filled the second line. They also cast buff and healing spell to their brethren in the front line.

    Up on the mountain, the Fire Lizards were placed in a more strategic location than before. They hid in crevice and cracks in the mountain and were guarded by two or three Fire Elemental that specialized in shielding. They bombarded the army from far away with their greater fire ball.

    It was chaos. The Kingdom army was unable to form an adequate defensive line on time. Some of them, especially the new recruits, looked tired and unprepared. Some part of the garrison was damaged by fire. The adventurers, mages, and resting soldiers were forced to help strengthen the defensive line. Even the commander such as Lune and Warwyn took the field.

    The only exception being Sir Arslan, who wanted to help but was stopped by others. Their argument was if Sir Arslan went to the battlefield, the enemy would know how strong the opposition was and would send out all their forces. Maybe even sending their commander to the front line. While it could be a good thing to draw out the enemy commander, the lack of information about the enemy commander power could bring disaster if they didn''t tread cautiously.

    Adventurers began taking the battle and the tide began to turn. Instead of defending the position, they chose to attack the enemy formation from the side since most of them weren''t equipped to fight a defensive battle. While their numbers were low, Adventurer were stronger than an average soldier.

    Vex and her party stormed straight to the center of the enemy formation. Looking at them fighting, ''battle'' wasn''t a good word to describe it, massacre was a more appropriate word. She cleaved them like a cake while Tomoe rained arrow at the distant Fire Lizard.

    Theo, Ed, Vivi, and Lyana also joined the fray. Unlike the Miracle who attacked wherever they wanted, Theo''s party focused on attacking Fire Elementals who broke through the defensive line.

    Ed and Lyana attacked the Fire Elemental with their arsenal of water and ice magic. Vivi spread the seed of doubt and confusion to the Fire Elementals. Theo mostly watched instead of fighting because he wanted to see how the tide of battle was changing. He did this to gauge the difference in strength and tactic used by the two armies. He only attacked those who stood in his way.

    It was obvious now that he observed the two armies. The Kingdom''s army regrouped and became more coordinated as time goes while the Fire Realm''s army became disorganized as time passed.

    A high-level Fire Elemental was giving them a direct command. But in the heat of battle, most Fire Elementals ignored the command, their primal and feral side got the better of them.

    ''The commander isn''t too high in level....or just have bad talent with commanding armies.'' Theo predicted.

    The important questions were, who and where the commander was. A commander couldn''t stay too far from the battlefield or their command became ineffective. But that could be mitigated by using long range communication spell which made the search much more difficult.

    Suddenly, out of nowhere, a loud screech waved over the battlefield.

    A pair of giant flaming wings crackled the sky. The wings were connected to a giant body of a massive bat-like creature. "Lava Gargoyle." Theo mumbled.

    The wings were ablaze, leaving a trail of smoke each time it flapped. The gale from the flapping of wings was enough to move the cloud up above and to be felt by soldiers down below.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Its skin was like a volcanic stone, with cracks and occasional holes revealing a river of flowing molten lava underneath the skin. Fire spat out from its nose each time it breath and lava spilled out like a drool from the mouth. It was a terrifying sight.

    Lava Gargoyle was a high-level Fire Elemental usually found in the range of level 30-40, though the one flying above Theo should be higher leveled than that, maybe level 50 or even higher. The aura and pressure from the Gargoyle was enough to instill fear in the army that was composed of mostly level 5 or lower human soldier.

    The Fire Elemental army formation broke and their battle tactic disappeared without a trace. The fact confirmed Theo''s prediction. Lava Gargoyle, while intelligent, wasn''t known for its commanding capabilities. For them to command such a huge armies meant that they must remain behind the line. Now that it appeared on the battlefield, showed that it chose to fight and abandoned the commander position.

    It raised its right arm. Fires erupted and swirled like a storm, slowly coming together and coalesced into a humongous fire spear, one longer than its own body.

    Everyone down on the ground froze in their place, be it soldiers or Elementals. The sheer amount of power the spear radiated was a good enough indication how powerful it was. If the spear hit the ground, then the whole garrison would turn to ashes.

    With one swift movement, the arm holding the spear was brought down.

    The fire spear dived to the center of the Kingdom''s garrison, faster than even the fastest bird. Lune rushed to the place the spear was headed and raised her shield above her head. "[SIX POINTED STAR]!"

    Just like the name suggested, a six-pointed star appeared in front of the shield and quickly expanded, reaching a staggering size. The star covered the whole garrison.

    Six-pointed Star. The most powerful group defensive skill Lune had in her arsenal. She created a translucent barrier in the form of a six-pointed star where her shield was pointed. It was a six layered barrier with each layer possessing the strength equal to the wall of Redmound Keep. By sacrificing one layer, she could increase the coverage of the skill. And to cover the entire encampment, she needed to sacrifice four layers, leaving her with only two.

    The star and the spear clashed. A magnificent show of light, which could be seen from kilometers away, lit up the night sky like the break of dawn. Upon impact, the first layer cracked, then shattered into millions of pieces like a glass. The spear also broke... But it didn''t stop there.

    The broken spear imploded to a single point, robbing the night of its magnificent light. The sky went dark again.

    The point stirred in the air. Then trembled. The two armies went silent. Everyone could only watch as the dreaded moment of silence passed. They all knew it wouldn''t last long.

    The point expanded rapidly, sending fire and molten rocks in every direction. It boiled the air and cracked the second layer of the star. The heat felt by the soldiers was like standing too close to a bonfire. They could feel their skin burning.

    Lune pulled her shield back when the explosion stopped. The star dissipated into thin air just like the fire it blocked.

    The explosion was over, but the battle was not.

    A screech rang out again. The Lava Gargoyle was visibly mad. Its strongest attack was blocked without even a single casualty from the enemy. Its deep red eyes focused only on one person, the one that blocked its attack.

    Lune observed as the monster''s wing bent. With a great screech and an unbelievable speed, it dived down to where she was, in the center of her troops. Bright red claw slashed the wind as it moved, leaving a trail of blazing smoke like a falling star. The size of each claw alone would guarantee anyone that touched it would die.

    Be it friend or foe, the descending doom did not care. It would grant an equal death to anyone caught in its path.

    Lune looked at her men around her. She imagined what would happen when the claw touched them. They would die, it was that simple. They would turn into a formless lump of flesh after that.

    Even Lune couldn''t help but felt powerless and despaired. She will survive, no doubt about that. She even doubted that she will take any damage, but her troops, men, and women who fight with her all these years.

    Screams erupted as the men in the front line were ripped apart. Their shields and armors were useless, It was torn asunder and even melt when the burning claw touched them. When the monster raised its tree-sized claw, countless body parts were thrown to the back line. Blood rained down upon them. The blood of their fellow soldiers.

    Panic and confusion began spreading among the men. The captains ordered them to stand their ground, yet some were already running away in fear for their life.

    Lune watched as the troops in the front line were massacred. Cut down like a grass, a bloody grass. She couldn''t do anything to save her troops. She wasn''t powerful enough. The six-pointed star was a taxing skill, one that could be used only once per day. Her other skill was meant for herself and not for protecting a huge amount of people. She couldn''t run to direct the monster attack, she wasn''t fast enough.

    "Commander!" A soldier called her. His voice was devoid of fear.

    They raised their weapon, hoping that when they die, at least, at the very least, they would scratch the monster. They would wound it so their brethren could finish it off. A foolish hope, they all knew that, but at least it was glorious.

    Yes, Lune can''t give up now.Not when her soldiers haven''t given up yet.

    Lune raised her shield and marched forward, hoping that she would take the blunt force. Hoping that it would stop the monster in its track. Hoping that what she did will spare her men. If not all, at least those behind her will be spared.

    They all shouted as the monster rushed ever closer, as death advanced ever near.

 Chapter 52: Third Wave II

    A loud booming sound rang out in the battlefield, but it wasn''t the Gargoyle charge towards the army. Lune lowered her shield in surprise. Nothing came crashing down on her, not the claw, not the body of the monster, not the gut of her ripped comrade. Nothing but the cold breeze of the night.

    The monster was lying on the ground, holding its chest with a pained expression, but where he fell was not on the kingdom''s side. He fell on the fire elemental''s side, crushing flat those under him.

    Before she could ask what happened, a voice answered her."Weakling."

    A red hooded woman descended from the sky slowly. The wind raged like a storm around her yet it did not touch her and did not harm her. The wind that could rip limbs apart, danced around her like an armor. From her exposed face, Lune could see her long, slender ear and her dark brown suntanned skin.

    ''Dark elf'' Lune thought.

    On her chest was a metal plate with the carving of a dragon. Lune knew who she was. She was a member of ''Miracle'' adventurer party. Alesi Valera Sanna, that was her name. A red hood covered her pale white hair. Red cape fluttered behind her. A scale armor made from hydra''s scale, adorned with fine jewelry protected her body. Twin daggers sheathed on her hips.

    ----

    Theo watched from the side as the Gargoyle swooped down. He was in no danger and felt no obligation to stop it, nor could he stop the charge of a monster ten times taller than himself even if he wanted to.

    The same couldn''t be said for Ed though. The moment he saw it, he rushed to where the Gargoyle was heading, trying to stop it.

    Theo grabbed and stopped him from rushing to an early death. He struggled and screamed for a time, but Theo was much stronger than him. "Let me go, Theo! I must stop it!"

    "What can you do Ed?!"

    "I''ll figure it out somehow, but If I don''t do anything many will die."

    "And if you go there, then the only thing going to change is an increase in the number of death. Your death." Ed struggled again, but he stopped.

    Ed watched in horror as the front line was massacred, as the battlefield was rained down with the severed limbs and blood. Ed''s legs trembled and he fell on his knees. Theo let him go now that he didn''t rush to his death anymore.

    Suddenly, a screech came from the monster. Ed looked the monster again with his teary eyes, half expecting for another sight of a massacre. But there was no massacre.

    The monster''s body was pushed, no, thrown back by a massive ball of wind. In the center of it all was a red hooded girl hovering in the air.

    Theo stared in surprise at the sudden turn of event. Ed stood up and ran towards the Gargoyle. Theo broke out from his dumb stare and followed Ed while killing any Fire Elementals along the way. Lyana and Vivi, who then realized where Theo went, followed him from behind and covered his flank.

    The monster rose up, its arm raised once again, preparing its most powerful skill. Fire erupted and swirled around its arm. Its eyes focused solely on the red hooded woman.

    The sky turned red. The ground shook. Both armies froze on the spot, seeing its immense power. The woman yawned, not impressed.

    The monster went into a raging frenzy after the woman display of mockery. Now it didn''t care anymore whether his attack hit friends or foe. He was hell bent to kill the girl.

    The monster canceled the skill and ducked. An arrow grazed its head and destroyed one of its horns. If it was late at dodging the arrow even if just for a moment, his head would have been pierced if not blown by the arrow.

    A black haired oriental woman held a massive Warbow behind the defensive line. She gritted her teeth and clicked her tongue, disappointed when the monster dodged her attack. The monster charged and swiped its claw wildly. His raging blood made him lose all sense of rationality.

    It stumbled on something. Its left foot was stuck and its right was hit by something, hard. The massive burning body crashed to the ground, creating a localized earthquake and a small eruption of fire around it.

    The monster looked at its own feet. The left was tangled by a huge thorned vine and on its right was a full plated knight with a massive shield and massive Warhammer. The Gargoyle recognized the knight, it was the same knight who blocked its most powerful attack before. She swung her Warhammer at the monster''s feet once more, grinding the bone to dust.

    The monster screamed in pain, but that''s not all. The vines on the left leg grew and crept up, slowly entangling the Gargoyle more and more, until its whole body was entangled and punctured by the thorns.

    The Gargoyle opened its mouth in pain and fire gushed forth. When it calmed down enough to see what was in front of it, it screamed. Then the scream stopped.

    A slim straight sword stabbed its forehead and through its thick skull, snuffing out the flame that was its life. In the end, it was Vex, who finished the monster. She made a wry smile thinking about how her friends would protest her for stealing the kill.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    She pulled the sword and turned her back away. Three women were already waiting for her with the annoyed face behind her.

    She let out a laugh. "Hahaha. Sorry, sorry."

    "Vex that''s not fair!" Tomoe pouted. "I would have had it."

    "What are you talking about Tomoe? Captain stole it from me." Said a woman next to Tomoe. She was Brylia Mjevon, also one of the members of Miracle. Her gold hair was let loose and touched her thigh. She was tall, not as tall as Lune, but still taller than most men and women. Aside from her fair skin, she boasted a beautiful face and an excellent bust size.

    Her silk white clothes covered her front and her back, but revealed her side and some part of her breast, making it look sexy. Who knew why did she wear that kind of revealing clothes, but most that looked at her didn''t care. In her hand was a white staff with intricate carving on it. It glowed with an otherworldly light, illuminating those around it. The wood that it was made of looked ancient and magical in origin.

    "Did you all forget who stopped it in the first place?" Said Valera. She rolled her eyes and sighed, then walked away. "I''m going back to camp first."

    "Lady Valera!" Lune suddenly called her.

    Valera stopped her feet and turned toward the voice. Lune was kneeling with her hammer on the ground. "Thank you! Words can''t describe my feeling, but thank you. Thank you for saving my men. If you hadn''t come I don''t know what would have happened."

    "I didn''t do it to save your men."

    "Still, in the end, you save them. I can''t think how to repay you."

    "I don''t need anything from you. Just told your men that weaklings must stand by the side and just watch."

    "Hey hey, Valera. Don''t you think that you''re being too rude?" Vex asked.

    "Tell me, Vex, am I wrong?" Before Vex could answer she continued speaking. "Don''t get me wrong. Weaklings are useful when fighting cockroaches, but when the strong one arrived, they just stood there in fear. They become nothing more than an obstacle." She looked at Lune again. "Next time a monster like that appears, tell your men to move out of the way. I''m not going to be so nice next time, if they stood in my way, I''ll kill them just like I kill my enemy."

    Valera walked away again.

    Vex tapped Lune''s shoulder. "Don''t take her words to the heart. She may appear like that, but that''s because she has to look tough. She can''t afford to look soft in front of others."

    Vex looked behind her. The fire elementals were running for their lives after their commander was defeated. The army was pursuing them.

    The battle was over..... or so she thought.

    Sweat broke from her skin. The air suddenly turned hot like she was standing next to a burning stove. A similar screech rang through the battlefield.

    The Gargoyle corpse was lit once more with a renewed flame. All of its wound gone like it was never wounded in the first place.

    "What?" She was so shocked that she couldn''t react in time to the burning claw that was coming right at her head.

    -----

    Theo and Ed watched from afar as the Gargoyle fell to the earth once more. Its body was so massive that they could feel the earth shake the moment it touched the ground.

    They stopped for a moment.

    Relief washed over Ed as he watched as Vex drove her blade through the monster''s skull. A smile appeared on his face, but not on Theo''s. Theo grimaced as he saw Vex and her team celebrate their early victories.

    "Ed. What is your most powerful Ice or water spell?" Theo asked.

    "My ice dragon breath, why?"

    "Prepare it. The Gargoyle isn''t dead yet."

    "What? But she stabbed its brain. There''s no way it''s still alive."

    "Lava Gargoyle, especially a higher leveled one could revive themselves once. I don''t know why a Dragon ranked Adventurers like them doesn''t know it, but then again, Lava Gargoyle is one of the rarest monsters there is." He grabbed Ed and looked behind him at Vivi and Lyana.

    "Don''t stop yet! We must go on!" Just as Theo started to run, the Gargoyle wound began to heal.

    "Ed, can you hit it from this range?"

    "No, we must get closer."

    "Then I''ll go first." Theo let go of Ed. His feet muscle bulged as he used all his might to propel his body forward.

    He ran as swift as the wind. Using his superhuman senses so that he didn''t crash into anyone or anything. He put his sword on his hips and assumed an Iai stance.

    The fire inside the Gargoyle body was reignited as all of its wounds regenerated. "[Serene Slash]!"

    The drew his sword and swiftly cut the hand. It was not covered with Aura or magic, he cut it without much trouble.

    The Gargoyle screamed. "Vex! Snap out of it." Theo shouted. Vex shook her head and immediately assumed a battle stance. Tomoe drew her bow and Bry raised her staff. Valera turned to look at the commotion, but chose not to move from her position.

    The Gargoyle, now with its right hand removed, opened its mouth. Inside was a great fire ready to be released.

    "ED!"

    Ed took a deep breath. His cheek puffed along with his chest and throat, it made him look somewhat like a doll. "[Ice Dragon Breath]!"

    A mighty roar rang out. Cold icy wind swept over the Gargoyle body. Anything it touched crystallized and froze instantly. Not even the fire and lava was spared from the cold merciless death. The ice wasn''t normal, not by any means.

    Everyone who saw it, except Theo, had their eyes and mouth opened in shock. No one there had ever seen something like that. Magic like that was beyond the scope of mortals Stopping fire? Sure. Cooling Lava into a rock? Normal. But freezing fire and lava while they retained their color and shape? That shouldn''t be possible.

    Ed body stumbled backward and he fell to the ground. Sweat covered his skin like he was just taking a bath. After fighting the fire elementals, his mana was barely enough for him to use [Dragon''s breath] without blacking out. Even then he struggled to retain his consciousness.

    Theo slowly walked to Ed to congratulate him.

    Out of nowhere a red hood fell on Ed. Valera grabbed Ed''s by the neck and pulled him near his face. Her face was brimming red.

    "What did you do?!" Ed was exhausted and unable to answer. "Who are you?! How can you do something like that?!" She yelled in front of his face.

    Theo ran to Ed side, but Valera raised her arm and a strong gale pushed Theo back. Vex then rushed to Valera, trying to stop her.

    "Valera, what are you doing?" She pulled Valera off Ed''s body, but she brushed her hand. Seeing that Ed couldn''t answer her question, she turned to Theo.

    "What is he?!" She pointed at Ed.

    "Theo!" Lyana called him. She and Vivi had just caught up with him. They were also visibly exhausted, not as much as Ed though.

    Valera observed Lyana and Vivi. Her eyes wide open much to Vex surprise, she had never seen Valera reacted like that. "Y-Y-You!" Val shouted.

    "What''s wrong Val?" Vex asked. She was intrigued by Theo and his party that could make even the stoic cold Valera show so much emotion.

    "She''s a D-" Theo shivered. He had forgotten, Val was a mage, and a powerful one no less. Of course, she could see through Lyana''s disguise.

    ''Fuck this is bad'' He screwed up so bad. There was no way to cover that up if her identity was revealed.

    Valera glanced at Ed, then at Theo. Her eyes were full of confusion and question. "N-nothing." Valera continued.

    ''What?'' That was what Theo thought. He was thoroughly puzzled. He couldn''t grasp the situation. What did Valera think? What was going on in her mind? Theo was relieved, of course, but he couldn''t find any reason for Valera to not reveal Lyana''s identity.

    "Still." Valera glared Theo after realizing that he was the party leader. "You! Come to my tent at once!"

 Chapter 53: Vex

    Vex giggled. "Hohoho. Looks like you stole another heart, Theo."

    "Wait.." Val turned to Vex, unamused by her joke. "You know him, Vex?"

    Vex nodded. "I know him." She then glanced Theo. "Very well." She licked her lips, causing Theo to shiver.

    "Good, that will make everything go smoothly." Val said, ignoring her innuendo.

    Vex sighed. "Fine, fine. Let''s return to our tent."

    Theo, Vivi, and Lyana entered the Miracle member''s tent. Ed returned first to his own tent to rest after the battle. He was exhausted and on the brink of collapsing. Even Val didn''t want to push him much further than that.

    The Miracle''s tent was, of course, much bigger and much better looking than other tents, including Theo''s. Inside were two other members of Miracle that doesn''t participate in the battle.

    One was a ninja, who covered all her skin with a black cloth except the eyes. She was standing next to a table with a map on it. Her blue pupils moved toward Theo and his group as he entered the tent. It was a cold eye without any emotion, as expected from an assassin.

    The other member was sleeping on the bed. She was a harpy, which was surprising. Her kind was considered to be a monster and for the most part, that was true. While appearing mostly human, her kind often lacked the intelligence that made them different from mere monsters, but exception did exist.

    Her face and torso were that of a human, but her hair was blue feather with yellow on its base, not too dissimilar to that of exotic birds found in the Northern land. A pair of wing sprouted from her back, and instead of human legs, she had talons. There was also some feather growing from the back of her ears.

    Seeing her made Theo wonder how would the feather feels like when they were having sex. Would it feel like a beast-kin fur, a blanket, or would it feel different from any of that? He made a note in his mind, but he couldn''t make a plan yet because he lacked information about Harpy relationship.

    They sat on a table with Vex and her teams on the opposite side. While Theo and Vex knew each other, their team barely knew the other team.

    "Okay Theo, to begin, let us formally introduce our team. I am Vex the leader of the Miracle." Said Vex. "This is Kanetsugu Tomoe, but you can call her Tomoe." Tomoe bowed her head as Vex introduced her. She didn''t raise her head after that for some reason. "There''s Alesi Valera Sanna or Val for short. Then there is Brylia Mjevon, you can call her Bry." A smile appeared on Bry''s face and she made a small wave with her hand. "The ninja is Alina Gisele. You can call her anything you want." She looked at the sleeping member. "She''s Sistina."

    Theo smiled with the most charming smile he got. "Nice to meet you all. I''m Theo. This is Lyana, this is Vivi, and my friends that aren''t here is Edmund, or Ed for short."

    "So Val. What do you want to talk with him about?" Vex asked.

    "I want to talk with him in private. Just the two of us. The rest of you should wait outside the tent."

    "Oh. And why is that?" Vex was still trying to tease her.

    Valera stared at her with cold eyes, showing that there was no compromise in her terms. Vex sighed and nodded before walking to Sistina and carried the sleeping Harpy outside. Sistina herself didn''t seem to be bothered or disturbed at all and slept all the way. "Well, Theo, I''m going out first." She smirked again. "Have fun."

    The rest of her party followed suit. Vivi and Lyana looked at Theo. Theo gave a nod in agreement. They left the tent, leaving only Theo and Val inside.

    When Lyana and Vivi came out, Vex was already waiting for them with a smirk on her face. The rest of the Miracle was nowhere to be seen. "So, you''re Theo''s newest addition to his harem?" She asked.

    Vivi nodded while Lyana shook her head. "I''m not his woman."

    Vex''s gaze moved to Lyana and she walked to her. Her lewd smile looked awfully similar to Theo''s. "How can that be? I don''t think Theo will waste someone as beautiful as you." The closer Vex walked, the more intimidating she seemed, causing Lyana to take a step back.

    Vex pushed Lyana to a wooden pole and leaned over her. "Do you... maybe, prefer women?" Vex asked while rubbing Lyana''s cheek.

    "N-no I, I prefer men over women." Lyana answered.

    "Oh. But you don''t say you don''t like women." Vex leaned closer.

    "I-I''m straight."

    Vex placed her face right in front of Lyana, almost touching her. "I too once was a straight woman. Women are..... An acquired taste." Lyana turned her face away from Vex and closed her eyes.

    "HAHAHAHA!"A laugh erupted from Vex''s mouth. When Lyana opened her eyes again, Vex was already walking away from her while laughing. "God damn! Now I know why Theo hasn''t claimed you yet." Vex said. She looked at Vivi. "How about you girl? Want to have some fun with me?"

    Vivi chuckled. "Thanks. But no, thanks. I don''t swing that way."

    Vex raised her brows. "Really? What a shame."

    "Y-you!" Lyana called her. "What is your relation with Theo?"

    Vex turned and looked at Lyana, then she smirked. "Jealous?"

    "No! It''s just..." Lyana gaze wandered. The thing Vex did was the exact same trick Theo used on her when they were in the forest.

    Vex sighed. She has seen the expression on Lyana ''s face countless time on countless other women. She knew that telling her to be honest with her feeling wouldn''t do any good. "I met with Theo six years ago." Vex said. She sat on the ground and signaled Lyana and Vivi to sit too. "Back then, I was a mercenary wandering around the Free Cities near the forbidden forest to the north."

    Lyana and Vivi sat in front of Vex. Theo always avoided telling stories about his mercenary years, so hearing about it was something they wouldn''t want to miss.

    "I was camping alone next to the woods after a job. It was....during the night, I think. I don''t really remember the detail. Theo suddenly appeared from the forbidden forest. He was limping to my camp. His whole body full of wounds, his armor was full of holes, and his eyes were blank, he had lost his will to live. He was a really different person than He is now." Vex smiled. "Part of it is because of me, of course. No need to thank."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Vex looked to the sky and to Mount Etna. "Yeah, that was during the night. Starless night, just like this one. With a streak of red in the distance that I even mistook for the dawn. Anyway, he passed out when he reached my camp. I don''t have any obligation to help him, but he is handsome as hell and his dick is huge." Vex chuckled. "So I saved his life. But... like I said before, he already lost his will to live. When he woke up, he just sat there in silence. He didn''t eat, he didn''t speak. He didn''t answer any question. But I am a stubborn person. I force fed him and I ask him questions, even when he''s not answering. Until I hit the right question. ''Where is your family? Your mother? Your father?''. He cried after that. God, his face is so cute that time. After that, he started speaking to me, he started answering my question. I thought that the problem was solved. But it was not. He tried to kill himself a few days after that."

    "Wait, if you are someone so important in his life. How come he never tells anyone about you?" Lyana asked.

    Vex''s eyes went wide. "What?! He never tells anyone?"

    "No. As far as I know."

    Vex stood up. "That ungrateful bastard! I will fucking punish him."

    Lyana grabbed her. "Wait! What happened next?"

    Vex looked at her and sat down again. "Well, I stopped him. Then he tried again. I stopped him again. I asked him, why? He said that he has no reason to live anymore, he has no purpose. He has his father last will, but after thinking for some time, he couldn''t understand what his father last will was. And even if he did understand, what good would it do? His mother was dead, his father too, and he has no friend that was still alive. The only thing he has left was a little sister. Far away and better without him."

    "Wait, what?" Lyana and Vivi asked at the same time. "He has a little sister?"

    "He never told you?" Vex asked. "Wow... Yes, he has a little sister, but he rarely talked about her except that he missed her, and that he thought she would be better without him in her life. So, after he told me that I gave him a new.... Things to enjoy in life. I gave him the taste of ... me."

    "You''re his first?" Vivi asked.

    "First? No. But he was not the sex maniac before he met me. After doing it with me a few times, he got addicted to it. So yeah, I gave him a new goal in life. Women, power, and some other things" Her face turned solemn. "I thought that it was what he wanted, what he needed, but it wasn''t. It was only a distraction so that he didn''t kill himself. At the same time, I sent him on a path that leads to many troubles. "Vex looked down." I''m glad that he finally found a new purpose in the Mary girl. He truly has changed, for the better." She sighed and looked at Lyana and Vivi. "I don''t know why I''m telling you all this. I never tell it to anyone."

    Vex stood up and cleaned her legs. "Well, I still have to punish him for not telling about me to anyone."

    "Wait." Lyana stopped her once more. "Do you-" She looked away, her cheek red. "uh...Love him?"

    "Love?" Vex chuckled. "I don''t know. I definitely care for him and I see him as more than just a friend. But love? I don''t know." Vex walked to her tent. "Val! Stop kissing him, I''m coming in!"

    ---------

    A few minutes earlier.

    "And what do you want with me, Val?" He asked. He didn''t expect for any sudden development to happen, but if she somehow confesses her love with him then there was no complain. He laughed internally at the impossible thought.

    "Don''t act all familiar with me. What are you?"

    Theo raised his brows. "What am I? I''m a human."

    She stood up and slammed her fist on the table. "Bullshit! There''s no way a normal human could have those kinds of people in his party."

    "Isn''t Vex a human?"

    She climbed on the table and pointed her finger at him. "Don''t try to change the subject! What does she have to do with anything?"

    "She has a dark elf, a rare species on the continent. Then she has an intelligent harpy in her team. What makes her so different than me?"

    She grabbed his collar and put her face right in front of him. "What so different?! Are you stupid or blind? A demon! A human from another world! And a fucking Dragon! Dark Elf and Harpy can''t be compared to that!"

    "I''m a human. Nothing more, and that dragon is not A dragon. He''s a human, though he is THE Dragon." Theo said, purposefully making his answer confusing.

    Valera gritted her teeth, hard. Such that Theo could hear it grinding against each other. "Are taking me for a fool?!"

    "He has the Blood of Dragon."

    "B-blood of what?!"

    "Dragon blood. A human born with the power of Dragon, and he also has a class 5 [Magic]."

    Look of confusion became more apparent on Valera''s face. It was a face of disbelief and denial. "I-Impossible! A human body couldn''t possibly contain a dragon power, even the owner of Class 5 [magic]. If someone like that exists, I would have known it!"

    No matter how hard Theo tried to make it easier for her to understand, the fact was, it was not easy to understand. More so considering how experienced and knowledgeable she seemed. She denied and refused to believe anything Theo said that didn''t match up with what she knew.

    ''Damn elf. Why won''t you believe anything I said?''

    "Could you calm down for a second?!" Theo had run out of patience.

    "No Way! Not until you explain everything t-" A message interrupted Val.

    [Heartbeat: Deus Ex Machina]

    Her eyes opened wide in shock. Her heart stopped beating, then in the next second, it beated so hard and rapid that it almost exploded. Every drop of blood in her veins flowed upward to her face, causing it to light like a stove.

    While her head was boiling, her mind froze. ''What is happening?'' That thought appeared in her mind a hundred thousand times.

    Theo was surprised when Val stopped moving. He didn''t know what was happening. "Val, are you alright?" He asked.

    Theo''s voice brought Val back to reality. A reality, so much different than the previous one. The man sitting in front of her, who she thought was annoying and untrustworthy, has changed so much.

    His eyes, his nose, his cheekbone, his hair, his lips, his face, his body, his worried expression. Everything was too much for Val''s heart to bear.

    The gear on Val''s head moved again. She jumped back, trying to get away from Theo. But she miscalculated her jump and fell to the floor. She bit her thumb, trying to make her mind clear. While it worked, all the blood rushing to her brain made it clouded and fuzzy.

    There was only one explanation for all the symptoms she was having. She was hit with charm spell, or a miracle, or a curse that worked like.

    "W-what should I do?!" She shouted. She was panicking. The entirety of her mind was filled with Theo and everything good about him, leaving no room for her to think. "A-A-Ah, S- [Check Status]" She cast it on herself, hoping to find the cause of her strange condition. Yet, there was nothing strange. She couldn''t find anything wrong with herself. She wasn''t charmed, or tricked, or cursed. She was perfectly fine.

    "Val!" Theo shouted while he approached her.

    Val panicked again. While she didn''t know what caused it, she knew that it has something to do with Theo. "N-no! G-get aw-...." She stopped the moment Theo came into her field of vision. Despite her mind telling her that she should get away from him, her heart told her the opposite. She didn''t want him to go. She wanted to look him, admire his whole being.

    Drool started to drip from the edge of her opened mouth, blood from her nose, and tears from her eyes.

    She covered her gaping mouth. ''So handsome~'' She thought. She knew that her mind wasn''t right. She was scared. In her long life, she has never felt anything like this before.

    "Val." Theo called and reached his hand out. His voice was heavenly for her. A calm and soothing voice that washed away all doubt and fear from her heart.

    The moment Theo''s finger touched her skin, a shock of electricity ran from her skin to her brain. It was a blissful feeling she has never felt before in her life, an ecstasy.

    It was the last push needed to push her over the edge. Her eyes rolled back and her mind went dark. She fainted.

    "What the fuck?!" Theo said when Val''s body fell to the ground.

    He stood up and rubbed his chin. He recognized the look in Val''s eyes, it was the look of a maiden mad in love. Though the circumstance was too bizarre for him to just accept it. He was happy of course, but she turned from annoyed to madly in love in just a three seconds. How and why?

    Theo remembered about his new Charm skill. One that randomly made someone fall in love with him. When he first saw it, He thought the process would be gradual and slow, but the truth was different. The skill was so sudden and explosive. No wonder Val fainted.

    Theo looked at the unconscious Val. She has a pretty face with her dark brown skin. Not to mention that her white hair gave a nice contrast to her skin. His gaze moved towards her body. Her breast was small, and her butt and hips weren''t anything special.

    ''Not bad.'' Theo thought. Even though her appearance wasn''t special, her power was another matter entirely. She was the strongest member of the Miracle and was many considered her to be among top 20 strongest mages on the continent.

    Theo smiled a lecherous smile.

 Chapter 54: The Night

    "Val! Stop kissing him, I''m coming in!"

    Theo removed the lecherous grin off his face and turned towards the tent entrance. It was not a problem if Vex saw him like that, but if the rest of Miracle saw him like that, he wouldn''t have any chance to get them.

    When Vex entered the tent, she was confused. Theo was standing alone, Val nowhere to be seen. "Vex." Theo said.

    Vex walked next to him and saw Val who passed out on the floor with drool coming from her mouth and blood from her nose. "What the hell did you do to her?"

    "Nothing. I literally did nothing."

    Vex observed Theo''s face, checking whether he was lying or not. She looked annoyed by the fact that Theo was not lying. "Well, I don''t know what happened that can make her like that but..." Vex crouched and picked Val from the floor. "She needs to rest."

    "If there''s nothing else, I''m going now."

    "Sure." Said Vex while she put Val on her bed. "Don''t forget that Sir Arslan is looking for you."

    "Yea, yea. See you tomorrow Vex."

    Theo approached Vivi once he got out. Vivi and Lyana were sitting on the ground. From the looks of her face, Lyana was thinking about something, and she was thinking it deeply that she didn''t notice his presence. He tapped her shoulder. "HO!!"

    Lyana''s body jumped. "W-what?!" She turned. when she realized it was Theo, she stopped. Her eyes widen, there was a troubled look in it.

    "Let''s return to our tent. It''s already late at night."

    "O-oh...yeah." She answered without the usual fire in her voice, and Theo noticed that.

    "Vivi, how undetectable is your magic?" Theo asked when they walked back.

    "Pretty hard to detect. If I want to continuously alter someone''s mind, it''s easy to detect and trace, but if I only inject some images or give a suggestion like I did with you the first time we met, it''s almost undetectable, unless that person has a high mind magic resistance." She answered.

    "Lyana, return to our tent first, I have something I want to talk with Vivi." Lyana didn''t object, she seemed to be consumed by the trouble she had in her mind.

    After making sure that no one was eavesdropping, Theo crouched and whispered to Vivi. "Tomorrow morning we''re going to go scouting with the member of ''Miracle''. I want you to inject an image of me to the mind of every member of ''Miracle'' except Vex and Valera. Be careful to not get noticed."

    "O-kay. What is this all about?"

    "If you suddenly think about someone for no reason at all, what would you do?" He asked with an evil grin on his face. Theo then answered it for Vivi. "If you have experienced in this kind of things, you will know that either you like someone, or you''re interested in that someone. If you are oblivious to these sort of things, you will be confused. You will ask your friend about it because you don''t understand the meaning of it and they will tell you that you''re interested in someone."

    "Ohhh!" Vivi eyes were sparkling "So that''s how you planned to get them."

    "Originally I wanted to do it the slow way, but I got you right, Vivi?"

    Vivi looked away for a second. "But will it work? If you went for all of them, Theo-Sama, it''s likely you will have a problem later."

    "I have another plan for that." Theo answered, confident with his plan. He turned to face the Miracle''s tent. "That is, of course, if some of them haven''t fallen for me in the first place."

    --------

    "Why the red face Val?" Vex asked. She was sitting on the table with the rest of her team except Sistina, who was sleeping on the bed.

    "S-S-S-Shut up! It''s because of that........ MONSTER!!" Val answered. She gulped down the beer in front of her. She gripped the beer bottle and looked at a few other empty ones next to it. It was the first time in her life that she consumed so much alcohol in one sitting, yet even that didn''t solve her problem. Her head was still boiling and her chest aching.

    "You mean, Theo?" Vex asked.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Val''s body shuddered. The moment she heard his name, he filled her mind. His handsome face like no other in the world. His smile as bright as the sunshine. His deep eyes. His sharp nose. His perfect body. His cool armor. Anything about him seemed so perfect in her eyes. Blood started running from her nose again. "So~ Perfect~" She said it unconsciously.

    "Val....." Vex said. She waved her hand in front of Val''s eyes, but she was as unresponsive as a rock.

    After a few seconds lost in a trance, Val returned to the real world. She slapped her own cheek until it was red, and not because of her emotion. "NO! NO! NO! IMPOSSIBLE!"

    "What? For you to fall in love again after a hundred years?" Vex asked.

    Val glared at her. "I am not! IN LOVE!" She looked at her own hand. "This.. this... is charm curse. There''s no way I would have such a strong explosive reaction if this is not a curse! There''s no way for this to be natural!"

    Vex agreed that her reaction was not natural and all symptoms pointed out that Val was charmed by either a curse or a spell, but there was no direct proof. Val was one of the best appraisers in the continent if not the best. If even she couldn''t detect what was wrong with her own body, then there wasn''t anything wrong with it. And her symptoms didn''t exactly match with any charm spell of curse that they knew of.

    Vex smiled. She didn''t know what Theo did to Val, or if he even did anything, but he was grateful. Looking at Val''s flustered face or any of her emotional face was a treat.

    Vex turned to Tomoe, who still hid her face. She grabbed her face and pulled it up, revealing the also red face of her. "Oh, and what we got here?" Tomoe brushed Vex''s hand and covered her face again. "Hooo. Look at this Bry, we''ve got another lovestruck member. And to the same man."

    ""W-W-Who is love struck?!!"" Tomoe and Val shouted together.

    "Oh my, oh my. Are we finally going to see a rivalry of love here?" Bry caressed her own cheek.

    "I-I''m going to get some fresh air!!" Val stormed out the tent and flew away, disappearing into the night sky.

    "Oh dear. It seems we teased her too much." Said Bry.

    "It''s fine. It''s not often we see her worked up like that. It''s a nice change of pace." Vex looked at Tomoe and wrapped her arms around her. "Now tell me about him. What of him that could make our honorable and duty-bound Tomoe fall in love at first sight? And don''t just tell me he''s handsome, even a blind goblin could see that from miles away."

    Tomoe slowly revealed her face. "I-I don''t know." She placed her hand on her own chest and inhaled. Her face now stoic. "He''s handsome, charming......I don''t know! My heart felt like it''s going to explode when I saw him."

    "C''mon Tomoe. Search inside that heart of yours. What made it flutter?"

    "I-I don''t know. I mean, he looks strong. And from his armor and sword, he...he looks rich."

    "You could say that. He''s also a hero, so he got some influence."

    "I-I guess so."

    Vex pulled Tomoe head near her chest. "Don''t ''i guess so'' me. Forget about your family name, riches, power, influence, and legacy and all that things for a moment and think about your happiness."

    Tomoe frowned. She pulled her body away from Vex'' "Sorry Vex, I can''t. For my family and for my little brother. I can''t abandon it for something as selfish as my own happiness."

    Vex sighed. What was with her party? Every time she tried to tease one of them, they always take everything far too seriously.

    ------

    "Sir Theo, I assume that you already know what we''re going to talk about?" Sir Arslan asked.

    "Yes, Sir. But I don''t regret anything, and I''m not sorry for anything." Theo answered with unshakable resolve in his voice.

    "Actually, I''m here to thank you." Theo raised his brows hearing Sir Arslan answer. "If I were you, I would have killed Aria for threatening someone I hold dear. I thank you for.... leaving her alive."

    "So how is it, the condition?"

    "A mess. I must say that the condition in Amaryn is not getting any better. It could have been much worse though. There''s an uproar among the noble houses after Aria and Wrath killed some of them. They don''t know exactly who''s responsible, but they suspect it must be the Royal Family and they demand a.." Sir Arslan averted his gaze to the side. "Compensation of some sort, but the King ignored them as always, Aria was too hurt to do anything, Ana was too inexperienced in matters like this, and Alvaro.. let''s not speak anything about him. Funnily enough, Alvaro excessive partying and his good relation with the Noble daughters and sons was one of the reasons the nobles haven''t declare an open rebellion." Sir Arslan chuckled.

    "What about the criminal underworld? The death of Wrath should stir it up."

    "I lack information in that department but considering there''s a vacuum of power right now. The medium fish are all going to try to get big. It will be a bloodbath." Sir Arslan sighed. "Well, that''s a problem for another day. We have a more pressing matter right now." He fixed his sitting position. "I hope you can help the Miracle in organizing other adventurer parties. There''s no doubt that the enemy has set up some defense for us up on the mountain. I hope you can dismantle most of it before the army begin marching."

    "I will try my best, Sir."

    Sir Arslan observed Theo''s face. "You''re not hiding something are you?"

    Theo squinted his eyes. "I''m sorry, sir."

    "Nothing." Sir Arslan stood up. "I''m sorry, Sir, but I need some privacy."

    "Oh yes." Theo stood. "Of course."

    Theo left Sir Arslan tent while thinking about what he said. He should have shared some of the things he knew to help the effort, but he couldn''t risk it. He has to keep all advantage to himself if he wished to complete his side of ''deal'' with Sara.

    "Hmm." Theo stopped to think.

    He couldn''t understand Sara at all. She lost nothing if she pushed her advantage over him, if she kept blackmailing and threatening him. Yet she did not push more than necessary. As if she wanted to have a good partnership with him. Then why did she threaten him in the first place? Did she have another secret agenda? Did she truly mean what she said when she told him about her wrong impression about him? He wasn''t sure. But he knew that he has to be careful when dealing with her and that he has to make a plan to protect his women in case Sara tried to use them against him again.

    A loud boom interrupted him. When Theo looked at the source of the sound, he caught a glimpse of a red cloaked person running away from him.

 The Crater

    The crater on top of Mount Etna was a lake of molten rocks, at least 100 meters in diameter. Fire, lava, burning rocks, and ashes spewed out from the Earth''s bowels, reaching the sky before falling down again to the lake and disappearing below the surface.

    Hovering above it was a portal. One that was as large as a small house and grew larger for each passing second. A day before, it was smaller, and the day before it, even smaller.

    On the other side of the portal was another world. A world of fire and destruction that made even the lake of bubbling molten rock looked like a cool bath. From it, fire elemental marched and flooded out. Their number was simply, countless.

    Standing before the portal on the Fire Realm side was a special Fire Elemental. She was small compared to others of her kind, yet her bearing and the power she radiated was second to none.

    A colossal power resided within her small body. Any material no matter how hard or fire resistant, would melt and vaporize if she demanded. Comparing her power to the Lava Gargoyle''s is like comparing an erupting volcano to a torch.

    Six wings of fire sprouted from her back, each as big as her main body. Translucent veil covered her face and a royal dress of holy golden fire protected her body from anything that tried to harm her. The dress was long and dragged behind her when she walked.

    Behind her was a rank of Fire Elementals, Flame-Born Knights. 50 of them, all kneeling in the presence of their mistress. Their form was perfect and they mirrored each other without any flaw.

    Though they appear like a human knight in a full plate armor, there was nothing inside. To be more precise, they were the armor itself. Living fire in the form of armor with executing the will of their lords and mistress being their sole purpose of life.

    When a Fire Elemental reached level 50, they have a few choices. They could retain their form, they could transform into a Flame or Lava monster, like the Lava Gargoyle, or they could become a Flame-Born Knight and served their master with all their life. They were the elite of the elites of the Fire Realm''s army. Each was strong enough to decimate an entire army. And there were 50 of them.

    "So Gir is dead?" Calamity asked.

    She didn''t point the question at someone in particular, but her retainer knew who she was asking that question to. One of the flame-born knight on the front line raised its head.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    "Yes, my Lady."

    "Useless." She turned to face her retainer. "Do you know how much time and magic it takes to transport him to that wretched world?"

    "I''m sorry my Lady for my lack of knowledge."

    "I don''t expect you to know. Simply put, half as much as one of you." Her pupil moved to one particular Knight. It was a small movement, impossible to be noticed, but not for them.

    The Knight she eyed, stood and the Knight before kneeled once more. "Yes, My Lady."

    "Remind me to revive Gir once we win this war. I''m going to kill him myself."

    "I will not forget it, my lady."

    "Good." She turned and faced the portal.

    On the other side of the portal was a wretched world filled with green, blue, and the occasional red and brown. A world filled with wretched worms who can''t even bathe in flame. But that fact will soon become history. When she stepped her foot there, she will burn all the green and blue to red. And when everything was set ablaze, when every stalk, every leaf, every blade of grass has turned to ashes, she will give it to her father, the King.

    Then she will finally be recognized by him. He will congratulate her for her success. He will give her all the recognition and respect that was due.

    She clenched her palm tight, fighting the wave of excitement as she imagined what the future holds. She reminded herself not to rush.

    "Summoner." She said to the summoner on the other side of the portal.

    "Yes, My Lady?" The golden robed Fire Elemental replied.

    The summoner was a special breed of Fire Elemental with six arms and numerous extra limbs. Even among millions of Fire Elemental, there were only a few capable of being a summoner. And she was the only one under Calamity, failure was not an option.

    "Summon three Flame-Born Knights."

    The summoner was surprised. "B-but why?"

    When summoning normal Fire Elementals, she could widen the portal at the same time, which in turn would make the summoning process faster. But when she tried to summon a powerful Elemental like a Lava Gargoyle or a Flame Born-Knight, she has to use all of her focus on the summoning, meaning that during the process, she could neither widen the portal nor summon any other Elemental.

    "Assign all currently summoned Elementals to fortify our defense and hold the attack until one Knight is summoned." Calamity continued.

    "Yes... My lady." The summoner bowed. The summoner trusted her mistress. She surely has a plan that would win them the war easily.

    "I will leave the rest to you, Tars. I have to rest."

    Calamity walked away from the portal, and in her place, two Flame-Born Knight stepped up. One substitute for her as the commander, and one preparing himself to be summoned.

    "Begin." Tars, the Flame-born Knight who took Calamity''s place as the commander, spoke.

    The summoner moved all her six arms in a dance-like movement. Elegant, erratic, and mystical, leaving a faint trail of smoke behind. The moment she did that, the portal stopped growing and the army of Fire Elemental stopped pouring out.

    The body of Flame-Born Knight began to dissipate slowly, reforming on the other side of the portal. It would be a long and arduous process, requiring at least 12 hours of continuous chanting and casting. Not that the summoner needed any rest at all.

 Chapter 55: The Mission

    Theo donned his armor with the help of Vivi. He fastened his belt, tied his pouch, and placed his sword on its sheath. One of good things having a Draken Steel sword was that the blade never dull, chipped, and would never rust unless there was a special condition. That reduced the maintenance time and cost from cleaning, oiling, and sharpening, to only cleaning. Even then, there was nothing much to clean.

    Ed and Lyana were also preparing for their mission, equipping their gear and readying their potion and scroll in the case of emergency. Lyana closed her eyes to check on her mana. She smiled and rubbed the ring on her finger that Theo gave her. She then renewed her disguise magic.

    She has strived to improve it ever since Theo told her about the Eternal City, its shopping district, its historical wonder, and all its magical ward that would detect her true self the moment she entered the city. And her training paid off. Thoigh not perfect, it was good enough. Theo believed that in the Encampment, only Val could see through her disguise, but they still avoided any mage to be safe.

    They went out their tent. The cold breeze of autumn greeted them, sending shivers down their bodies. The season has turned and the sun hasn''t warmed the air. That was a good sign, they didn''t oversleep.

    All the Kingdom adventurer gathered on the plain just outside the garrison. There was a few Giant-ranked adventurers that became the center of attention. But the true center of attention was The Miracle and Theo, who as always, caught the eyes of many women.

    Bry and Tomoe were surrounded by some Adventurers that were trying to hit on them. Tomoe''s face was stoic, She ignored the men around her and gave a cold stare to those who were persistent. Bry, on the other hand, didn''t seem to know how to handle the situation. If not for Tomoe by her side, the men wouldn''t have backed down.

    Alina was nowhere to be seen, as expected from a ninja. Sistina was sleeping on Vex''s back, and everyone was avoiding Val who had an angry expression on her usually emotionless face. When Theo approached the camp, Val and Tomoe began acting strange. Val even flew somewhere before he could get near her.

    ''So she''s able to handle it to some degree.'' Theo thought after Val didn''t freeze after seeing him anymore.

    Vex was briefing the captain of other parties about the mission. She told them about a few hidden paths and caves along the mountain to help the Adventurers. She also gave them a [Scroll of Return]. It was an item that when used would teleport the user and those around back to the camp. It was only a one use item, however, and was short in supply, forcing them to use it only in an emergency.

    After the short briefing, everyone chose their own route. If Theo chooses the same route as the Miracle from the start, Tomoe and Val would reject the idea. But Theo was familiar with Mount Etna and he knew which path the Miracle took. He could take another route that would lead him to ''accidentally'' meet with the Miracle halfway through. Combined with Vivi''s effort of injecting suggestions to their mind, it would further his plan quite well. That was assuming the Miracle didn''t blast their way to the top of the mountain.

    One by one, each party went to the mountain under the cover of darkness. They were all sure that their enemy also observed their movement. They have to be as discreet as possible to get the best result.

    Theo''s party ran out to the field. Vivi''s and Ed''s short legs would hinder their movement so Theo and Lyana decided to carry them on their back. There was quite some distance from the camp to the base of the mountain. The ground charred black and covered with ashes after the battle the previous night.

    They headed towards the cave system they knew. The cave was connected to another cave that would take them around halfway up to the mountain.

    "From now on it will only get harder. We don''t know what is inside the cave, so be careful." Theo said from the cave entrance.

    Theo looked at Vivi and nodded his head. She created a ball of light on her palm. She was not good at learning offensive magic other than her own mind magic and decided to learn support magic instead.

    Ed caught Theo''s hand before Theo entered. "Wa-wait. Let me rest a second." Ed was crouching down. He hasn''t fully recovered from the fatigue.

    "...One. Done, let''s go." Theo said.

    "Theo, please!" He begged. He fell on his back and brushed the sweat off his brows. It seemed that the side effect of using [Dragon Breath] was greater than Theo thought.

    Theo sat on a flat rock in the cave. "Don''t rest too long."

    Theo didn''t have much time to spare. He has to ''meet'' with the Miracle, but after some considering, the safety of his own team was much more important than his plan. He still has some time and even if he missed his chance, there were still plenty of other opportunities.

    Ed sighed in relief. He took a deep breath and controlled it. He has to use the time Theo gave him as best as he could.

    Vivi and Lyana looked around the cave wall and entrance. "I think I''ll go scouting ahead." Said Lyana as she walked deeper inside.

    "No." Theo stopped her. "We don''t know what''s ahead. Remember that we have to reach the top first else we have to face Sara. We must stick together."

    Her body shuddered as Theo reminded her about Sara. "Y-yeah you''re right."

    While they waited, Theo thought about what Vex said to him during the briefing. They talked about party composition, what was good what was bad. What was too much and what was not enough.

    His party composition was not optimal. It wasn''t as if his party would last. Ed would go to Lethrand after this world quest and Theo would stop playing Adventurers while he was in the eternal city. But as long as he was still an adventurer, he needed to think about his party. Especially since this mission was of utmost importance.

    He was a single target melee damage dealer. Ed was a single target ranged damage dealer. Lyana, group ranged damage dealer, and Vivi was a hybrid of support and damage dealer. His party was composed of only damage dealer, no tanks, no healer, no full-time support. While he could take the role of tanks in some situations, he wouldn''t be able to tank anything when things truly count.

    They waited around 5 minutes until Ed stood up. He recovered quicker than Theo predicted.

    Theo stood up and entered the cave. They walked in line with Theo in the front, Vivi second, Ed third, and Lyana last. If someone ambushed them from the front, there shouldn''t be any problem. If the enemy attacked from behind, Lyana should be able to hold them with her body enhancing magic. He wasn''t so sure what would happen if Vivi or Ed was the one who got attacked first though.

    The cave became bigger, the air hotter, and the ground steeper as they got further inside. The terrain became harder to pass, but Theo was relieved to know that the air was not hard to breathe in. He remembered about his painful past experience when he explored a cave with his father. The further he was inside the cave, the harder it was for him to breathe the air. The air made him nauseous like it was toxic.

    A hissing sound deeper inside stopped his thought. It was the sound of fire being extinguished by pouring a water on it.

    Theo raised his arm, signaling the other to be more careful.

    They advanced slowly until they reached a large open cave. The cave ceiling stretched far with stalactites jutting out from it. On the cavern floor was a pool and river of molten rocks. It was an intersection of caves, holes leading to other caves filled the wall.

    A 10-meter tall lava giant stood inside the pool of molten rock. Its body was charcoal colored with lava and fire seeping out from its pore. The appearance was not so different to the lava gargoyle with the main difference being that it was humanoid.

    Two groups of Demon-ranked Adventurer were fighting the giant. Theo observed them as they fought the giant. There was no woman... There were a few women there, but none caught his fancy.

    Their coordination was excellent and from the brief observation, he could say that they were pretty high level, equipped with high-quality gears. Most of them were probably in the range of level 20-25 with some a little bit higher. Though most of them seemed to have no talent higher than Class 2.

    Their party composition was also perfect. Two main tanks, one off Tank, three healers, and the rest was a combination of ranged and melee damage dealers. They should be able to win the fight. They should ...

    Just like the Gargoyle, Lava Giant was an Ultra-Rare Creature, almost impossible to be found on the Continent. It was unlikely that those Adventurers has faced one before or knew the secret skill the Giant has.

    He didn''t want to help them, not yet at least. Even though he didn''t want to, he has to help them, because of Ed. He looked at Ed behind him. Theo knew Ed was ready to jump into the frying pan without any plan at all. Despite shaking in his boots after looking at the monstrous Lava Giant, Ed''s face showed his resolve to help the Adventurers.

    "Ed." Theo called.

    Ed''s body jumped and he frantically turned his head towards Theo. "Y-ye-..uh... W-what?"

    "Other than your Ice [Dragon Breath], do you have any powerful ice or water spell?"

    Ed shook his head. "I know some Rank 2 spell, It''s not that powerful. I... can create an ice barrier though."

    "Good. Do you have any spell that could push a group of people?" Theo asked, but Ed shook his head again. "Lyana?"

    "I have some air magic that could push people 5 meters or so. Do you plan to push those people into the lava?"

    Theo thought that she was joking, but her face showed that she was serious. He didn''t know what she was thinking. Even if he planned to kill them, he wouldn''t do it in front of Ed.

    "No. Lava Giant, when near death, will crack and shed its outer shell with a flash of explosion. Most people don''t know that." he turned to face the Lava Giant. "When I give the signal, Lyana, you used the magic you just mentioned to push those people away from the explosion. Ed, cast your ice barrier around five meters in front of those people. I don''t think it''s strong enough to stop the explosion, but it should be able to lessen the damage."

    "Then let''s go now." Ed stood and walked forward, but Theo grabbed his arm.

    "Wait! We''ll wait here until just before the explosion." He said quick.

    "What do you mean we wait?!" He pointed at the adventurers. "You know those people are in danger and you say that we wait so that we can be a Hero?!"

    "What could we do to help them?" Theo asked back with a cold voice.

    "Of course we-" Theo interrupted Ed before he could reply.

    "They are doing fine. They can beat the Giant without our help. The problem is they don''t know about the Giant''s dying skill. If we enter the fight now, we also have to take care of ourselves. Lyana has to push not only them, but also us. Your barrier not only has to protect 16 peoplebut twenty, can you do that? I won''t take that chance."

    Ed pulled his arm, his eyes glared downward. He closed his lips tight, almost biting it.

    "I''m not saying that we shouldn''t help them." Theo continued. "But we have to take care of ourselves first. We can''t help people if we die. Sometimes you must let those people get hurt so that they don''t die. If you haven''t realized it Ed, getting hurt is much better than dying. Trying to stop people from getting hurt and end up making them die needlessly is as selfish as you can be."

    Ed backed down. He made a fist with his hand. "I... don''t like this."

    Theo grabbed Ed''s shoulder. "Then be strong. Strong enough so you can be as selfish as you possibly can."

    The Giant roared. "Prepare now. It will explode soon." Theo said.

 Chapter 56: Meeting

    One of the Adventurers threw a spear using a Unique Skill. The spear penetrated the Giant''s rocky skin and shattered it.

    The giant fell to its knees and the adventurer''s cheered at their apparent success. But The Giant slowly raised its head and opened its mouth. "Now!" Theo shouted.

    A gale threw the cheering Adventurers off their feet away from the giant. A thick wall of ice erupted from the ground, separating them from it.

    The Giant exploded and the whole cave trembled

    Shrapnel of rock flew to every direction, the lava pool underneath flooded out, and the stalactites fell down from the ceiling like a rain of spears.

    The ice wall shattered before the explosion was over, but it gave the Adventurers just enough time to set their own defensive skill.

    The husk of the Lava giant fell. Its fire of life extinguished.

    After they saved the groups of adventurers, they talked with them a little bit. The leader thanked Theo''s party intervention and shared the some of the loot from the Giant. Some people of their group seemed to hate Theo for taking all the spotlight and taking some of their treasure without doing anything. That was understandable, but Theo couldn''t care less. After that, the adventurers left to a different cave system.

    After they left, Lyana inspected the corpse of the giant, or what was left of it after the explosion. "Is ... Every Fire Elemental this devoted to their cause?"

    "What do you mean?" Theo asked back.

    "This Giant, the Gargoyle, and every Fire Elemental that we fought are fighting to their death with abandon. They are too eager to die. As if they fight with the intention to die from the start. And do you know who fights with the intention to die? Religious fanatics."

    Theo raised his brows. "Does your kind never write anything about Elemental?"

    "Rarely. Books that mention Elemental are rare enough. The one that explains them is almost non-existent. We de- ... Most of us only interested in ourselves and the Human race." She has to be careful when speaking about her true identity. Who knew who would eavesdrop on their conversation.

    Theo crossed his arms and looked upward. "Hmm. The real process is actually very complicated but ... let''s just say that Fire Elemental can''t really die in this world."

    "What do you mean?" Lyana asked along with Ed who asked out of nowhere.

    "It''s the racial skill of Elemental. When they are killed, their soul doesn''t go to the afterlife or wherever soul goes after they die. For Fire Elemental, they return to Fire Realm into a place called The Great Forge where they will slowly reform their body. But the process is slow and could take from hours to decades. Unless they are killed in the Fire Realm, then they will permanently die."

    "So ... The force we''re facing right now ... they will never run out?"

    "If the war raged for decades? Yes. Otherwise, no."

    "?nd how do you know all of this? No one other than you seems to know this."

    "I have a ... friend. A Fire Elemental friend, a powerful one. Though he''s more a friend of my father that know me."

    "I don''t like the sound of that." Ed said. "That''s exactly how you described Sara before we met her."

    ''Theo smiled. "Don''t worry, he''s not as bad as Sara though he''s more sporadic. And the chance of you meeting him is extremely low."

    Theo examined the Giant''s corpse. The Lava Giant seemed to be a sentry without any way to communicate with their leader as there was no reinforcement from the Fire Realm.

    "If there''s nothing else, let''s move."

    Theo and the rest walked to one of the caves. Soon, the ground became so steep it was impossible to walk without an adhesive magic on their feet. One slip and they would slide all the way down to the previous cave. To prevent this from happening, Theo had all of them tied a rope around their waist and connected them.

    After around an hour of more walking-cum-climbing, the end of the cavern was visible. A bright light flooded the cave as they got near the opening, the sun had risen in the distance.

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    As soon as they came out of the cave, it was clear what they had missed during their two hour time inside the cave. The Army had begun their march towards the top, though their movement was slow. Strangely, there was almost no opposition from the Elemental side. The wave of attack that usually came an hour after the break of dawn couldn''t be seen. Was this a trap.

    Theo looked all around him, trying to find Vex and her team. They should be around there if everything went well.

    A loud explosion came from behind a rock near them. A giant fireball rose to the sky, a Fire Lizard. "There!" Theo shouted.

    It appeared that they learned their lesson after Tomoe''s show of archery prowess, and chose to hide the lizard behind a rock with almost no clear line of sight.

    There was a look of shock on the Fire Lizard''s and the five higher Fire Elemental''s faces when Theo showed up out of nowhere. They were confident that no one would be able to find them, not without them noticing it at least.

    They were unable to react in time.

    Two higher Fire Elemental were beheaded and one more was struck by a bolt of lighting before the rest could even put up a defense.

    The fire lizard tried to run away. It knew that it was useless in close battle and would only hinder if it stayed there. Of course, Theo won''t let it.

    "Ed!"

    Ed knew what had to be done. An ice lance, three ice lances, shot out from Ed''s hand into the fire lizard''s rocky body. The ice was strong enough to penetrate its exoskeleton, but not enough to finish it off.

    Theo killed another higher Fire Elemental by running his sword through its fiery heart. Another one was finished by Vivi. She made it confused and led it to fall off a cliff.

    Ed shot a ball of water and Lyana a bolt of lightning. The wounded fire lizard nimbly evaded both, which was surprising considering its huge and heavy body. It curved its body into a ball and rolled down the side of the mountain.

    "Don''t let it get away."

    Everyone knew that, but that side of the mountain was steep, too steep for them to follow. Just one second after it rolled down and it already outside the range of most spells.

    A loud thumping erupted from where the fire lizard was.

    A huge, no, massive sword of ice fell down from the sky and impaled the fire lizard. The lizard was big, bigger than most human, but it was dwarfed by the sword by a huge margin. Even the tip was enough to split the lizard open. Saying that it was an overkill would be an understatement. The sword would be enough to kill the Lava giant from before, in one hit, without letting it explode.

    Who could use such a powerful spell? The person was flying above the sword, with her signature red hood over her head.

    At the same as times as she landed, the sword of ice shattered before the pieces vaporized into thin air. It was a magnificent view, but the creator herself wasn''t impressed because she had seen it countless times before.

    She landed and observed the area around her. She didn''t notice Theo and his group yet as she didn''t react. Theo was about to surprise her when he remembered that she was a monster. Period.

    Like most Elven kind, her appearance can be deceiving. She might look like she was still a young woman, but she might be the oldest person in Amaryn. She had vast experience with life and was extremely knowledgeable. That was also the reason why she didn''t believe Theo when he explained things to her. Unknown was a word that had been erased from her dictionary a long time ago. Among the member of the miracle, she was also the strongest and most flexible. Possessing both Class 4 Magic and Class 4 Spy talent. She boasted an unprecedented high level of level 62, second only to Sir Arslan in the Kingdom. The only reason she hadn''t leveled up any further was that she had hit her level cap more than a hundred years prior.

    If Theo tried to surprise her and she reacted violently, it would be the end of him. Theo chuckled. He decided to call her normally and hope that she wouldn''t overreact.

 Chapter 57 : Tina

    "Val!" Before Theo could call her, Vex appeared and call her first.

    The Miracle soon gathered around Val. "What happened here?" Vex asked.

    "Some stupid idiot tries to take on a fire lizard, but they fucked up and let the lizard get away." Val spat on the ground. "Trash who can''t clean up their own mess should just sit back at the camp. They only make it harder for everyone else."

    Vex patted her back, but she brushed her hand off. "You shouldn''t be too hard on them, Val. No one here is as strong as you." Vex placed her mouth near Val''s ear to whisper. "If you stay cold like that, no guy will try to approach you."

    Val gave her a cold stare. "I don''t need a guy who is weaker than me. He''s only going to make my life harder than it already is."

    "Ohh. Is it like that? Then what about Theo that made you angry for a whole night?"

    Val''s ears turned red, bright red. She pulled down her hood so it covered half of her face. Then she pointed at Vex. "W-what D-Don''t say that name again Vex! I don''t want to remember that ... that ... W-what does he has to do with anything?!!"

    "Oh my, oh my! Our little Val is embarrassed." Bry added.

    "I-I''m Not! Not! Embarrassed!" Val shouted, but her face betrayed her words.

    "Vex!" Theo finally called her.

    His shout took the attention of everyone. Val''s body froze, and her mind too. Her face became even redder. Luckily for her, she was facing away from him, allowing her to retain her rational mind.

    She was about to fly away when Vex caught her hand and forced her to stay. "Where are you going, Val?"

    "L-Let me go Vex!" She yelled.

    "Hey, we''re on a mission here!" Val stopped freaking out after Vex reminded her about their current mission. She was still trying to get as far away from Theo, however.

    After making sure that Val won''t run away, Vex moved her sight to Theo, who was walking toward them with his team behind him. She waved her hand. "Theo! What a ''coincidence''." Vex smirked, knowing that Theo had planned this meeting.

    Theo laughed. "Haha. Yeah, who would have thought we would meet here. How''s your team doing?"Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Theo''s eyes wandered, observing the ''Miracle''. Val was facing away from him. Sistina was circling above them, occasionally she looked down to check on things, but she wasn''t interested with Theo, much to his disappointment. Tomoe was avoiding eye contact and Bry was looking at Theo with an unsettling smile on her face. Definitely not the smile of someone who was interested in him romantically. The smile was almost malevolent.

    Did his plan of using Vivi''s power work? Did Bry figure that out? There was not enough evidence to back that up yet.

    Suddenly, Sistina landed on Theo. She sat on his shoulder, placing his head between her thighs. She then sniffed his hair and looked at the sky as if wondering something.

    "I like you. Let''s mate." She said with a neutral tone and without any expression. Even her eyes were blank, it didn''t show any enthusiasm.

    This was unexpected, for Theo, Vex, and everyone else. It was too fast, but then again, no one there has any idea how a harpy relationship works.

    "What?!!" Lyana, Tomoe, Val, and Vivi shouted the same question. They looked at each other. But Val still facing away from him.

    "Tina, get away from that ... Monster!" Val shouted without even looking at them.

    "Don''t worry Val, I''m not going to steal him from you." Sistina sniffed his hair again. She had an ecstatic expression on her face when she did that, which surprised even Vex who never seen her make an expression like that. "Once I''m done with him, you can have him."

    "S-Steal? Y-You know what, do whatever you want! But don''t blame me if that ... monster do something to you."

    "Val. You do realize that I want him to do something to me, right?" Sistina asked calmly. Her question made Val quiet. Realizing her own mistake made Val more embarrassed and red-faced than she already was.

    "Well. I take them as a compliment. Can you get down from there please?" Theo asked while smiling.

    He actually enjoyed the feeling of her sitting on his shoulder. Since her thigh was still that of a human, he could feel her soft and plump thigh pushing against the side of his head. It was like a warm pillow that he wanted to hug.

    "No." Sistina replied with a quick answer. She clung tighter to his head and sniffed again."I like this position."

    ''Yes!'' He shouted inside his mind. "It can''t be helped then."

    "What do you mean can''t be helped?" Lyana asked. She rammed her elbow into his side, but he was using an armor and all that she did was hurting herself. Lyana crouched down and blow air to her elbow to reduce the pain.

    "Sorry, Theo. I hope you don''t mind." Vex apologized to him. "She''s always like that. She does whatever she wants."

    "I don''t mind Vex, she''s not heavy. Though did she ever done something like this before?"

    "I don''t think so.....if you discounted me, that''s it."

    "Ohh. So you-"

    A cough interrupted their conversation. A very fake and deliberate cough. "Ehm! We''re on a mission here." Bry said.

    "Oh yeah, sorry Bry." She looked at Theo again. "Hey, why don''t we work together? We ought to accomplish more like that."

    "Sure why no-"

    "No fucking way!!!!" Val screamed. Still facing away from Theo. "If you all think that I will stay with him for even one more second, you''re all wrong!!!"

    Vex rubbed Val''s head. "Snap out of it Val, you''re not a kid." She sighed. "Theo, can you lead the way?" He nodded. It took a lot of effort with Sistina clinging to his head. "Val, you can guard and watch the rear."

 Chapter 58: Little Sister

    Theo watched from a ridge as the main army set up their second camp. They were able to make a significant progress marching to the top. Part of it was because of adventurers and mages from Mages Guild that helped in removing the defense along the mountain. Another reason was that there were no waves today. Theo still anticipated a trap, though in what form, he didn''t know.

    The sky started to turn dark, not that it was bright in the first place. The ashes and smoke rising from Mount Etna prevented much of the sunlight from touching the ground.

    He turned away from the cliff. A small camp was set up by Miracle and his party, they didn''t want the Fire Elemental to attack them during the night. A small campfire was burning between three tents, surrounded by six people. The missing few were, Tina who already slept, Alina who went scouting somewhere, and Val who refused to get anywhere near him. Or anywhere she could see him in fact.

    Despite six people surrounding it, the campfire was silent. They were eating their dinner and none of them have any interest in a conversation. Vivi signaled Theo to sit next to her, and he did. Like usual, she fed him.

    "Hey, Theo." Lyana called, remembering her conversation with Vex the day before. "Why haven''t you told me about your little sister?"

    Theo looked at her and raised his brows. "Who told you about her?" His gaze fell on Vex, the only person Lyana had interacted with that knew about his little sister. Vex smirked in return.

    "Wait, you have a sister?" Ed suddenly shouted. He was quiet while enjoying his dinner before, but the moment he heard about it, his ears immediately perked up. "How can I not know this?" He stared at Theo.

    "Well?" Lyana pushed him for answer by joining Ed in staring Theo down.

    "I ... prefer not to talk about her." Theo answered.

    "I want to know." Vivi added.

    Theo turned towards Vivi and smiled. He then kissed her. "Okay."

    "Oh, so she can hear it but I can''t?" Lyana asked, irritated.

    "Well, you didn''t suck his dick." Vex replied, drawing attention to herself. She then coughed. "Ahem! I mean, you''re not even feeding him or I don''t know, massaging him when he''s tired."

    "Okay, okay, I just tell everyone." Theo interrupted.

    "Aren''t you the only child?" Ed asked.

    "I am, but she was adopted ... by me."

    "What?" Vivi, Ed, and Lyana asked. Bry and Tomoe were feigning disinterest.

    "Kind of, in a sense. My father never wants another child, especially a daughter, but when we were traveling through Girantine, I found a little girl, 5 years younger than me, unconscious on the street. Back then I was still ten, still innocent when compared to how I am right now, but a damn evil kid compared to other children my age. But when I ... when I saw her face, she reminded me of a childhood friend and reminded me of myself when I left the village and started exploring the world with my father. So I picked her up and brought her to where I stayed."

    Theo chuckled when he reminisced about his childhood memories. "My father became furious when I told him that I''m going to take care of her, that I want her as my little sister. It was the angriest he has ever been with me. And he gave me a good beating, but I still wasn''t deterred by it. He warned me that he will have nothing to do with Her, that if I want to take care of her, I have to do it all on my own. He kept his promise. Six years we live together and never, not even once, father said a word to her. He also never gives her a coin, or food, or clothes. Everything that she needs, I have to take care of it."

    "So you''re close?" Vivi asked.

    "Very, but adventuring and exploring are not her types. Magic, Science, Philosophy, and History were her calling. If only father would talk to her, they would have a great long discussion about Theology and Philosophy. So I decided to send her to Lethrand, the Kingdom Of Magic so that she can hone her talent and use it for ... whatever she wants to use it for. I saved money for her, I stole money from father, I took Jobs whenever I could, but we have a falling out because of my decision."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "She wanted to stay with me more than she wanted to study, but she was a pure academic. She barely learned combat magic and she didn''t have any talent for that. There were a lot of situations in which I couldn''t protect her and father couldn''t care less about her well being. So despite what we both want, I decided to force her to attend the Magical school of Lethrand. She was mad at me and refused to speak with me ever since. I sent her a letter every few months, but she never answered."

    "Do you think It''s the best for her?" Ed asked. He understood Theo''s feeling to some extent. But he also understood his little sister''s feeling, being forced to a school and away from family.

    "No. I believe there are many better ways, but I don''t regret it. Considering what happened and what I did a few years after she left, sending her away from me was the right choice."

    "Do you want to meet with her again?" Lyana asked.

    "Of course, but I don''t think that would be for the best. And since she never sends me a letter back, I don''t think she wants to meet me."

    "And you think that she will eventually forgive you if you never meet her?" Lyana asked again.

    "AHHHH!" Vex yelled. "What the hell is with this grim atmosphere?! Save your sad story and deep thought when you are alone! I don''t want my mood to turn sour!" She looked at Lyana and Ed. "You think this is some normal familial love? This is Theo you''re speaking with."

    "W-wait, you don''t mean-" Lyana said.

    "Of course," Vex answered. "His love for his little sister is not a love an older brother has for his little sister." Her gaze turned to Theo. "You incestuous bastard."

    Ed covered his face. "I should have seen it coming."

    Theo raised his hand to prevent any incoming protest. "First, let me explain it. We''re not related by blood, and she is never formally my little sister. That is not incest."

    "But you still consider her your little sister, so my point still stands." Vex replied.

    "Okay, but as a bisexual Vex, you have no right to judge me. And must I remind you that your justification of ''I can''t choose who I like'' also applies to me? And biologically, Incest makes a lot more sense than gay or lesbian. At least incest can still produce a child." He then turned to Lyana, but he stopped before he argued.

    Lyana didn''t complain or judge him for being incestuous, despite being the only person there who has all the right to judge him. She was the result of millennia of incest, and she was raised to be another concubine of her father. She has all the right to hate him if she wanted to, but she only smiled at him a little.

    "I don''t care about it, Theo-Sama." Vivi said while hugging him. "I love you even with all your twisted and fucked up side."

    Theo smiled and hugged her back. "Thanks, I love you to- Did you just said all my twisted and fucked up side?"

    Vivi nodded. "Mhm."

    Theo grabbed her chin and raised her face, then kissed her. "Well, I''m not all twisted and fucked up." His gaze moved slightly to look at Tomoe and Bry, they didn''t appear to be bothered with the reveal of his incestuous nature. Maybe it was because of the difference in cultural taboo in Nihon and wherever Bry originally came from.

    He turned to Vivi again. "Since we''re going to be busy tomorrow and we need a lot of rest, why don''t we start early tonight?" Theo asked while running his hand on her breast.

    She took his hand and moved it away. "I''m sorry, Theo-Sama, but I''m not in the mood today."

    "Not in the mood?" Theo asked. She was never, not in the mood before, so it was the first.

    "No one has a libido as high as you, Theo-Sama." She smiled innocently.

    ''Damn'' He couldn''t hold his lust back when she smiled like that.

    ''There is someone, though.'' His eyes glanced over Vex who sat opposite of him. A chill ran down his spine when he realized that Vex was staring back at him with a hungry look, like a predator stalking her prey.

    He immediately looked away to Vivi. He smiled and kissed her. "A kiss is enough for tonight then."

    "Good." Vex suddenly shouted. She stood up, approached Theo, and grabbed his hand. "I''m going to borrow him for tonight. It''s okay, right?" She asked.

    "I don''t mind." Vivi smiled. "Have fun, Theo-Sama."

    "And how about you?" Vex asked Lyana.

    "What? Why do you need my permission?" Lyana asked. There was a tint of red on her cheek, but she tried her best to hide it.

    Vex smirked. "I''m just asking." She pulled Theo. "Come here, I''m going to cure you of that Incestuous nature of yours."

    "Wait, wait, wait. I haven''t given my consent yet." He said that, but he didn''t resist her pull.

    "You will when I start." She brought him to her tent and pushed him down on the fur sleeping bed. "Just lay down."

    Theo followed her order and laid his body. She unbuckled his belt and placed her head between his legs. "I''m wondering, does Vivi ever give you the head?"

    "Well, since her body is small, her mouth is also ... O-ohh ... God." He closed his eyes and tensed his body. "F-fuuck, D-don''t start off so ... God -R-Rough." Theo took a deep breath, trying his hardest to slow down his breathing and heart rate.

    It went on for a few minutes, but just before Theo was about to release it, Vex stopped. "W-what?" He looked at her.

    Vex stood. She took off her clothes "I''m already a bit wet so, tit for tat. Or what is the fancy way to say it?"

    "Quid Pro Quo"

    "Yes." She sat on his face. "Whatever that actually means."

 Chapter 59: The Night Camp

    A few minutes after Theo and Vex entered the tent, a moan came out. But unlike usual, the moan came from Theo along with him pleading Vex to slow down.

    Ed and Tomoe''s faces turned red as they heard that. "E-excuse me." Tomoe bowed before heading to her tent. Bry followed her without uttering a single word.

    "I-I''m also going to get some sleep." Ed stood up and left the campfire with both hands covering his ears.

    They already agreed that Lyana and Alina would be on guard duty for the night. Lyana couldn''t sleep to save herself from hearing Theo''s moan, and she mustn''t wander too far either.

    Vivi was about to walk away when Lyana caught her hand. "Please, stay here with me. I ... want to talk." Lyana said.

    "Sure." Vivi sat next to Lyana.

    "How can you-"

    "Vex, God! S-slow down a little." A voice rang out, interrupting Lyana.

    Lyana sighed. "Bear with that? How can you accept this whole harem thing? Him fucking other women?"

    "The question is not how I can bear with it. It''s how can you bear with it?"

    "What?" Lyana looked at Vivi with a curious look.

    "I can just say that I''m not bothered that he sleeps with other women. Of course, the truth is more complicated than that. I want him to love me only, I NEED him to love me only, but I believe that love is about letting the needs of the person you love over your own needs and wants. And despite what I''ve been doing with him all this time, I know that a relationship is more than just physical and sexual contact, we also have to satisfy each other''s emotional needs. And I can satisfy him neither."

    "Really?" Lyana raised her brows, surprised. "He always looks pretty happy after he done it with you."

    Vivi turned towards her and smirked. "Oh, so you were observing us? Ck, Ck, Ck. Naughty, naughty, Lyana."

    When Lyana realized what she had just said, she turned her red face away. "I-It''s a one time only, w-when I can''t sleep."

    "You''re pretty amazing, you know." Vivi waited until Lyana peeked at her direction again before continuing what she was going to say. "To be able to sleep in the same room as us." She laughed.

    "Well, I ... find a way." Lyana''s cheeks turned bright red when she remembered all those nights she spent in the same room as them. All the noise, the rocking bed, the moan, and the name calling.

    "And there''s also my detached emotion." Vivi said.

    "Detached emotion?"

    Vivi''s violet gaze wandered from side to side, then it rested on Lyana. "It''s a secret. I never told this to anyone, not even to Theo, so can you please keep this a secret? I don''t want him to worry."

    "Y-yeah, sure."

    "Have you ever read a mediocre fiction book, Lyana?"

    Lyana raised her brows. "I have read some, why?"

    "How do you feel when there''s a sad scene or happy scene when you read those mediocre books?"

    "It depends. There are mediocre books that really hit hard when it comes to the emotional part but fail at everything else. But I understand your analogy."

    "I feel that way in this world. I can feel emotion like all you do. Fear, happiness, jealousy, but the extent and the scale never really hit the same point as my previous life. There are a few exceptions, however, the fear when I fell down to the Crawler nest was unlike anything I''ve ever felt before."

    "So when you see Theo with other women, you don''t feel THAT jealous?"

    "No. Which is kind of good, I don''t know how I can bear with my own feelings if my jealousy isn''t reduced."

    "But, your happiness ..."

    Vivi smiled. "It''s fine. I''m used to a mundane life anyway." She stood. "And I think that''s why I also love Theo, I''ve never felt that kind of happiness and love before." She stood right in front of Lyana and smiled. "Now I''ve told you my reasoning, why don''t you tell me yours? Why are you still with Theo?"

    Lyana pupil moved to her right."I ... I mean I''m a, you know what I am, stuck on this side the realm."

    "Stop with that." Vivi interrupted, her violet eyes locking gaze with Lyana. "You''re not weak Lyana, and you''re most definitely not stupid. You''re not dependent on Theo and you know it. Right now you know how most human society works, and how most human relationship works. And your disguise magic while not perfect, would be enough to live normally among human for however long you want. So why do you stay with him?"

    Lyana stayed silent for a few moment while looking at Vivi''s eyes. She then sighed. "You know why, Vivi, I don''t have to tell you."

    "Then just be honest with your feelings. It''s useless to reject your it."

    "This is not about telling him my feelings. I know that he knows my feelings, but I can''t accept it. I can''t accept this whole harem thingy and this whole sharing with other women things. I ... just can''t! It reminded me too much of my father! Of home, and all the suffering and the bad memory I have there."

    "But Theo is not your father, he is not as bad as him. I mean yes, Theo is not the best man out there in this world, but at least he cares for his women."

    "I know, I know that, but I ... I-"

    "Do you hate it when you see me together with Theo? Do you hate it when we are doing it?"

    Lyana looked away. "I- Don''t ... know." Vivi grabbed her cheek.

    "Look at my eyes. Do you hate it when I was doing it with him?"

    Lyana was unable to stare at Vivi''s eyes. Vivi''s gaze was unshakable while Lyana''s was wavering. "Ye-N- ... I don''t know. At first, I hate it, Detest it. I even hate you and hate him ... But I don''t know anymore. My mind knows that I should hate it, but there''s no hate in my heart."

    "So you get used to it?" Vivi smiled and her gaze softened, but Lyana was still unable to look at her directly.

    "I-I guess so."

    "Then you should be able to get used to his other women." Vivi smiled innocently and then turned away from her. "I''m not telling you what you should do or what you should feel, but if you have anything you want to say to him then it would be better to say it to him directly rather than just speaking to me."

    Lyana smiled. "Thank you."

    "You''re welcome. You know, I''m here not just to be with Theo, I''m also here to help and support you. You can talk to me anytime you want."

    "Thank you." Lyana chuckled. "But if I tell him if he wants to do it with other women, do it in private. He would storm my room at night and do it on my bed just to look at my reaction."

    Vivi laughed. "Hahaha. Yeah, he would probably do that."

    -----

    Theo stared at the ceiling of the tent, still basking in the afterglow. He was naked with Vex next to him. "Well, that''s a first."

    "What first?" Vex asked, she was looking away from him.

    "You didn''t force me until I faint, or blue-balled me the whole night." Theo answered, his breathing still rough. "That was the most normal sex we ever had."

    "Variation is necessary to spice things up."

    Theo looked at her. "Is there a problem, problems?"

    "None of your concern." Her answer was followed by silence.

    Theo looked at her back. He remembered what Sara said to him about avoiding Vex and why he feared her. He wanted Sara to be wrong, he wanted to prove her wrong, but what she said was the truth.

    The more he thought about it, the more guilty he felt. The reason he was still alive was partly because of her. The man he was now, was partly influenced by her. All the things she had done to him, all the good things, the bad things, and then he left her without a word. He disappeared from her life for four years without any communication. If he only left her but still communicates with her, he wouldn''t feel that bad. But that was not the case.

    "Vex, I''m sorry."

    "Huh?" Vex turned her body so she faced him.

    "I''m sorry. For leaving you, for ... everything."

    Vex raised her brows. A smile crept on her face before she laughed her ass off. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" She sat up and tried her best to stop her laughter, but she failed. "GOD! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!"

    Theo waited until Vex stopped laughing, which amazingly took a few minutes. "Do you think I''m still angry at you for leaving me?" She asked.

    "Maybe. You''re an unpredictable woman." Theo answered.

    Vex smiled. "Thank for your concern, but my problem is not you. But ..." Vex looked at the tent entrance. "Yesterday, I talked with your women. They asked me about our history together and how we met." Vex chuckled." Strange, I never talked about us to anyone before. And it made feel guilty for sending you down that path." She looked at him. "I''m sorry too. for making you like that. Now you have a lot of trouble with criminals from the Free Cities."

    Theo took her hand, which surprised her. "But you gave me more than just trouble. You gave me a lot of things. Good things, bad things." He took and kissed her hand. "So can you tell me your trouble? Other than your obsession with increasing your level cap."

    Vex glared at him, took his hand and bit it. "That''s for making fun of my level cap." She sighed. "The Miracle is ... breaking up."

    "What?" He was surprised, there was no indication of the Miracle going to disband. "Is there a problem between the members?"

    "No." She answered quick. "But each member has a problem on their own, including me. Theo, do you know how the Miracle is before it becomes an all-women party?"

    Theo shook his head. He was never interested in Miracle before it became an all-women Adventurer Party. "Before, The Miracle was an excellent party, with all its members having a common goal and common passion. It has a substance that keeps it together. But then, Kai, our previous leader, died during a mission, then the mantle of leadership falls down to me for some reason, despite being the weakest member."

    "Well, you''re a good leader, and you have experience leading an army during your time as mercenary."

    "No, I''m a good commander, not a good leader. During battles, yes, I''m good at it. But keeping people together for a common cause? No. Our three last male members left after I took leadership."

    "Well, I have to agree that you''re shit at understanding men''s emotion." Theo laughed.

    Vex hit Theo''s gut with her elbow. "Well, I''m shit at understanding women too. The only reason it hasn''t broken up yet is because each member still has use of the party."

    "Do you care about the Miracle?"

    "Honestly, yes. I care about the Miracle and its members, all of them, former and current. Val, Bry, Tomoe, Tina, Alina, Kai, Leo, John, Simon. The Miracle is one of the few things in my life I can truly care about. One of the few things I can get attached to emotionally." There was a hint of sadness in her voice. It was rare for Vex to show any sadness.

    "Do you want the Miracle to stay intact?"

    "Of course."

    "So, can you tell me what their problems are?"

    "W-" Vex stopped and stare at Theo. "Are you going to use their problems to get close to them?"

    "You always told me to take an opportunity whenever it presented itself. If the Miracle is going to break up no matter what, why not reform it in my harem? You get to keep the Miracle intact, and I get some more women. It''s a win-win situation."

    Vex smirked, then giggled, then chuckled, then it turned to a full blown all out laughter. "You sick bastard. But that means I''m part of your harem."

    Theo sat then hug her from behind. Funnily enough, that was the first time he hugged her outside of sex. "Why not? You know, I''ve been thinking about us."

    "Us?" Vex asked. "I thought you said there''s no us."

    "There''s no us, yet." He kissed her neck, prompting her to giggle.

    "Stop that." She pushed his head away from her neck. "Don''t try to be romantic. But what about our open relationship agreement?"

    "I give you an exception, of course. You''re free to do it with anyone you want, but I just want you to know that if something happens or if you have a problem, I''m there for you."

    Vex turned and locked her gaze with him. "What''s with you?"

    Her question reminded him again about what Sara said. Mary has changed him in more than one way, but there was still a lot of past mistakes he hasn''t fixed yet. He didn''t care about all the killing he did, or the stealing, or blackmailing, or whatever, but he also did some bad things to his women. He couldn''t just turn his eyes away from them, they were important to him after all. "I want to fix things, my past mistakes."

    Vex smiled softly, not her usual smirk or predatory smile. She then pushed Theo back and kissed him. But before she could get any action, Theo stopped her and flipped her body so he was the one on top. He then kissed her. "Vex, if the Miracle disband, do you want to join me?"

    Vex rubbed his cheek. "Of course."

 Chapter 60: The Climb

    Lyana held her head and covered her ears. Her eyes were wide open and bloodshot. Her chest moved up and down like something was weighing it down. That was the condition of Lyana when Vivi found her sitting next to the extinguished campfire. "Lyana, what happened?" Vivi asked. Lyana''s gaze was blank and unfocused.

    "H-h-how can they?" The sound of horror was deeply ingrained to her mind. And even when she covered her ears, her mind repeated the sound for her.

    "How can they what?" Vivi asked back. Vivi touched her head and used mind magic to reduce the shock Lyana was in.

    Lyana''s head snapped and she looked at Vivi. Her gaze has returned to its normal state. "Six hours."

    "Six hours?"

    Lyana turned towards Vex tent. "Six hours and they still haven''t shown any sign of slowing down." Lyana grabbed Vivi''s arms. "How is that even possible?!"

    "W-what?" Vivi strained her hearing and printed her ear towards Vex''s tent. And there it was, a small voice and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. "WHAT?! How can they?"

    "Exactly! Did they take drugs? Medicine? Who the fuck have sex for six hours straight?!"

    "They do, it seems." Vivi answered. "Are you sure they don''t rest and only started again in the morning?"

    "I''m on guards duty, remember? And the night is silent except for their noise." She had tried to get away during the night, she had tried walking around and scouting around, yet the sound haunted her no matter where she went. Lyana covered her face and sighed "To hell with getting used." Her talk with Vivi the night before had calmed her down and toughened her resolve. It gave her enough hope to bear with all Theo''s action. Then this happened.

    Vivi chuckled. "But we have to remind them you know, we''re on a mission after all."

    The idea of getting closer to Vex''s tent was terrible enough. for Lyana. To try and convince them to stop was unthinkable. "You''re free to try."

    "Ohh, but you''re the one on guard duty." Vivi smirked, trying to push back the responsibility.

    Lyana looked at her. "L-let''s do it together then." Vivi answered without a word. Her face asking why should she help her. " You said you are here to help me, not just here for Theo."

    Vivi sighed after hearing her word used against herself. "Okay, but I''m only following from behind, you''re the one that speaks to him and Vex."

    "F-fine."

    Lyana stood up and slowly walked towards Vex''s tent, followed behind by Vivi. The closer she got, the louder and clearer she could hear the noise. It wasn''t as loud as the previous night, of course. After six hours, they would have at least got tired ... right?

    Lyana unconsciously began to think all the kinky stuff and all the position they did it in that six hours. Her imagination was quite clear and detailed since she knew how Theo''s body looked like, and Vex even with her armor, barely leave anything to the imagination. Her face started to turn red. Those previous six hours she listened to them only brought her annoyance and not even a pint of arousal. Yet somehow, now she was imagining wild things.

    "Lyana." Vivi called and tapped her shoulder.

    "W-what?" Her body jumped and she shuddered.

    "You''re spacing out... ohh." Vivi smiled. "You are imagining them."

    "N-no I''m not!" She walked closer to Vex''s tent. "T-Theo! V-Vex! It''s already morning! Stop doing whatever you''re doing and come out!"

    There was no answer. "Doing whatever you''re doing? You have to be bold, Lyana." Vivi teased her. She never took a liking to teasing Lyana, but after witnessing Theo and Vex did just that, it was actually quite fun.

    Lyana looked at her with her red cheek. "S-stop FUCKING EACH OTHER!" She shouted. Vivi was taken aback, she didn''t think that Lyana would actually shout that out.

    Yet even with her effort, there was no answer from inside the tent. "I ... think we should get in." Vivi suggested.

    "I-in? There''s no way I can go in there!"

    "Well, we ... we have to."

    "Then you should be the one to go in. You have seen him naked countless times and you have ..." Her face turned even redder. "Done it with him. There''s shouldn''t be any problem for you."

    "No problem for me?" Vivi asked back. "You''re the one who secretly watched us having sex countless times, you should have no problem seeing him having sex with another woman!"

    Neither of them wanted to go in and see whatever Theo and Vex were doing inside. Their back and forth trying to convince each other to be the one that entered the tent went on for quite some time. But Vivi had the advantage from the start. Using her magic, she subtly changed Lyana''s mindset little by little.

    Lyana gulped down the spit in her mouth. "Fine, I''ll go." She grabbed the opening of the tent and slowly opened it. She closed her eyes and prayed, hoping that they would have finished when she opened her eyes. But before she could do anything, a liquid splashed on her face.

    "Bullseye." Vex said while grabbing Theo''s manhood in her hand. Lyana touched the liquid that hit her face. It was white and sticky.

    ---------

    Theo was leading the party with Vex as they climbed further up the mountain. Like the day before, there was no wave of Fire Elemental. He was still sure that all of this was a trap. Looking at the army far below them, they were marching uninterrupted.

    He walked up the mountain with no vigor. He didn''t get any sleep the previous night. That and all the fighting he did the previous day, sapped him of all his strength and stamina. He was dead tired.

    Vex suddenly touched his shoulder, causing him to shudder. He felt her warm breath on his neck, causing cheek reddened. "W-what do you want Vex?" He asked the person who prevented him from sleeping.

    "Nothing." She kissed his cheek. "It''s just that your face is really cute, more so when you''re blushing like that." She smirked. "Shame that it''s rare to see you blushing like that." She laughed after that.

    "Really, what do you want?" Theo knew Vex wouldn''t talk like that if she didn''t want something.

    She hugged his arm. "Ohh, remember that we''re officially a lover now. Have you forgotten it already?"

    Theo snickered. "I already regret my decision."

    "Aww~ don''t be like that." She placed her hand on his cheek and turned his head towards her. Her eyes, however, wasn''t focused on him, it was on the women following them from behind. She wondered how their expression would look like if she were to act all lovey dovey with him.

    "G-Go to hell!" Val mumbled under her breath. She immediately took off to the sky. She was pretty successful in learning how to control herself around Theo. She didn''t lose her mind anymore, and her head didn''t boil like before, but she wasn''t ready to see him with Vex.

    Lyana was still angry. Her face was red, brimming with both anger and embarrassment after remembering the sticky substance that hit her face. She refused to talk with anyone after that. She really wanted to punch them both in the face, twice, with a huge boulder.

    Vivi had no reaction. She was both too deep in thought to care and she knew what Vex was aiming for. She knew her, she won''t fell for her bait. In her heart, she was a little bit jealous seeing Theo walking and embracing another woman instead of with her, but there was no helping it when she fell in love with a man who has a harem.

    "You''ve promised me to not bully Lyana or Vivi, and wow! you broke that promise a few hours later, really nice of you, Vex." Theo said. "Thank you."

    "But I think the pleasure is enough for a sorry."

    Theo couldn''t deny that though. The previous night was one of the best night he ever had. "I don''t think I''m going to have any more sex for this week."

    Vex chuckled and hit Theo''s side with her elbow. "Yeah, how many times have you said that in the past only for you to take back your own words the same night?"

    "Today won''t be the day." Vex smiled and leaned to kiss him. Theo tried to push her away, but she forced her lips on his.

    ''Damn'' Theo cursed Vex. She has a unique skill which made anyone she kissed became aroused, no matter who. The fact that he had just finished a six hours marathon with her a few hours earlier didn''t reduce the effectiveness of her unique skill.

    "Really?" She asked, knowing that her unique skill had affected Theo.

    "I stopped giving my consent half way through last night. So that''s technically a rape, half of the time." Theo said.

    "Never taken you as someone who''s bothered with rape." Vex chuckled. "And who''s the one who said that It''s not a rape if their pupils turned into hearts?"

    "L-let''s just go." Theo walked away from her. It had been a long time since he had felt such an embarrassment and humiliation.

    Out of nowhere, Tina landed on Theo''s shoulder and sat on it. "Don''t mind me Vex." She said with her usual monotonous voice. She then moved around his shoulder, trying to find a comfortable position. "You don''t mind, do you?" Tina asked Theo.

    "No." He was happy, her thigh was soft like a pillow. And her presence there might prevent Vex from teasing him too much.

    The rest of the day went without much going on. The combined might of Theo''s party and the Miracle made little work of any resistance and defensive position the Elemental prepared. And they encountered no special Elemental whatsoever.

    When the sun began to sink on the horizon, a great fire blazed the sky. A wave of Fire Elemental marched down the mountain once again. Their number was far larger and the quality of their soldier had been improved. Lesser Elementals became a rare sight, replaced by their higher and greater counterpart. There was a lot more Fire Lizards on the mountain despite the Adventurer''s effort to reduce their number. Theo wondered what kind of trap were they preparing for it to be worth not sending any Fire Elemental for two days.

    Theo and the rest set up another camp away from the wave of Fire Elemental. Even if they were confident in their strength, it was foolish to challenge that huge number of Elemental. They watched from their camp as the two armies clashed.

    The Kingdom''s army still held the advantage, though not as much anymore. Not only was their formation imperfect because of the rocky terrain, they have to fight from a lower ground. And like every strategist and commander in history knew, fighting from a lower ground was not a good thing.

    "Shouldn''t we return and help them, Theo-Sama?" Vivi asked while embracing Theo''s arm.

    She was happy. Throughout the day, Vex was trying to milk out the jealousy within her, but Vex gave up when she realized that she won''t take the bait. And when Vex had given up, Vivi didn''t waste a time and took her rightful place next to Theo.

    She had accustomed to Sistina, who still sat on Theo''s shoulder. Fighting with Sistina on his shoulder was surprisingly not as hard as Theo thought. She knew when to get off and when to stay. Sometimes she flapped her wings to lighten his load and blow some cool air on his face. Which helped him a lot since fighting Fire Elemental often would entail getting hit by fire or other hot objects.

    "Yeah, I''m worried too." Ed added from the side, worry and impatience in his voice. Ed woke up the last in the morning, so he was spared from all the drama, and all the strange happening during that time.

    "You''re always worried, Ed." Theo pulled Vivi closer to his body. He wanted to kiss her, but it was not possible because of Sistina''s leg getting in the way. "No, there is no point. The army can hold this wave and we still have the job to go to the summit. If we return back to the main camp now, all that we have done will be useless."

    "Is it really?" Vivi asked. She flashed a mischievous smile to Theo before moving her gaze toward the member of the Miracle.

    Theo smiled. "Well, maybe not everything."

    Sistina yawned. Her sharp and focused eyes dropped down to a drowsy unenergetic state. Vex approached her from behind and tried to move her from Theo''s shoulder, but her thigh grip on his head was still tight. "C''mon now. Isn''t it time for you to sleep?" Vex asked.

    Sistina shook her head. "No. I wanna stay with him like this."

    Vex patted her head like she was a kid. "Suit yourself, Tina. If you can stay awake that is."

    Vex smiled, looking at Tina trying her hardest to open her eyes. Though her effort was useless. Tina''s instinct to sleep was too strong for her to resist. Her head bobbed up and down as she was on the edge of dreamland.

    "Tina." Theo called her. Tina''s eyes jolted open, then it closed halfway a moment later. Theo rubbed her thigh that was next to his head. "You can sleep you know. It''s not like I''m going to leave you just because you fall asleep."

    After Theo comforted her, her body slumped forward, where she fell to Vex''s arm that was ready to catch her. "How did you do that?" She asked.

    "Do what?" He asked back. He had an idea what Vex was asking, but he asked anyway to be sure.

    "This is the first time I see Tina trying so hard to stay awake."

    "I don''t know. She just loves me that much." He laughed. He didn''t know why Tina clung to him so much, but he couldn''t complain.

    Vex put her hand on his thigh. "So how does my skill worked?" She flashed a predatory smile. Theo knew what she wanted.

    "No, Vex, I had enough." Theo said, trying to turn down Vex. The effect of Vex''s unique skill only grew stronger with each passing hour. Now He wanted it again, but he knew accepting it wouldn''t do him any good.

    "Really?" Vex blew some air into his ear, causing him to shudder. "Little Theo down there doesn''t seem to agree with you." She licked the back of his ear.

    Theo grimaced. "Y-you devil." His face turned slightly red. whether it was from embarrassment, excitement, or something else, he didn''t know anymore. "Suit yourself then."

    "Then we should ''scout'' around a bit. Just the two of us for ... safety reason." Theo didn''t answer. Vex chuckled a little, no matter how much Theo had grown, how experienced he became or how confident he was, in front of her, he was still the 17 years old boy who didn''t know anything about women. "You can''t say no to that, can you? Wait a minute here, I''ll go put Tina somewhere safe first." Vex stood up, leaving Theo behind, who was torn between his lust and his desire to get a good night sleep.

    Vex placed Sistina on Bry''s care. "Where are you going, Vex?" Bry asked.

    "I''m going with Theo to scout ahead. Just a little bit. We won''t be away for long." Vex smiled a mischievous smile.

    "NO!" Bry stood and yelled.

    "What?" Vex was surprised with her action. Bry rarely disapproved anything she did.

    "I won''t let you go around with that man."

    Vex smirked. "Jealous? Didn''t you druid have no need for." Vex made a fake cough. "Earthly pleasure or whatever you call it."

    "This is not about that man! It''s about you, Vex, you changed ever since that man appeared."

    Vex crossed her arms. "You have hots for me? You should just say that, you know I''m open."

    "No-" Bry covered her own face. How the hell did Vex came to that conclusion. "You''re too focused on that man alone, Vex. You''re trying to make everyone around him jealous of your relationship with him. You even try to make Val and Tomoe jealous, you risk the integrity of the Miracle. That''s not you, Vex."

    Vex shook her head and chuckled. "I mean ... Val and Tomoe know I''m just joking. They are used to it."

    "They are used to you teasing them, but how many times in the past have you tried to make them jealous? And you know how sensitive Val is about the man that she likes. You DON''T joke and tease Val when it comes to the man that she likes." Val has a pretty rough past, especially about man and love. The last person she loved changed her so much and shaped so much of the current Val.

    Vex sighed. "I think you''re just overreacting, Bry."

    "Of course you are." A deep and malicious sounding voice interjected. An overpowering hostile aura erupted out, turning the air heavy and hot. It was hard to breathe and hard to move like they were inside a viscous liquid.

    Everyone jumped in surprise. Even Tina woke up from her slumber when she felt the overpowering hostile intent in the air. Everyone broke out in sweat.

    There wasn''t supposed to be anyone there beside them. And even if there was someone, one of them ought to realize his presence.

    They all reacted too late.A fire halberd ran through Vex''s abdomen. It didn''t create any open wound on the outside, but the fire seared her organ.

    Blood spurted out from Vex''s mouth and she collapsed on the spot without even knowing who attacked her.

 Chapter 61: Flame-Born Knight

    Vex collapsed. Behind her, not one, not two, but three Flame-Born Knights, each could defeat an entire army alone. Three of such powerful beings ambushed them.

    That was their traps. The trap Calamity set up by sacrificing two days worth of Fire Elemental.

    But something bothered Theo. Excluding the Lords and the Ancients, Flame-Born Knight was their strongest soldier. They were given the most important and most dangerous task, like protecting the summoner and the portal. So why did they send three Flame-Born Knights to defeat his party and the Miracle?

    Did they perceive his party and the Miracle as a large enough threat to their overall plan, that they deserve such a powerful retaliation? Or was it because they had too much power that they could send a powerful force like that on a whim. The former was preferable to the later, but still a problem nonetheless.

    If the latter was true, then this mission was doomed from the start. It was unlikely, however. If they had such a power at disposal, why didn''t they send it to attack the army base camp? It didn''t matter. What matters was they were ambushed by three Super Powers and Vex was already taken down.

    Theo took a glance a quick glance at Vex. Taking his eyes off his enemy was a grave mistake, but he couldn''t help but worry.

    She was still breathing, albeit with great difficulty.

    They were all shocked by the sudden turn of event and by the revelation of their foes. But they were not some mere adventurers. A gale swirled around the feet of one Flame-Born Knight. The next second, he was thrown high into the sky, quickly followed by a battle ready Val.

    "[Serene Slash]" Theo slashed at the second knight, but a flame halberd stopped it in its track. The [Serene slash] that could cut steel armor clean, didn''t even chip the knight''s weapon.

    The third knight swung his halberd at Theo while he was busy with the second Knight.

    A thick vegetation spurted out from the ground and blocked the third knight''s weapon. It only served to slow the blade down as it burned through it. It, however, gave Theo enough time to move out of the way.

    But That was still not enough. The Knights were faster than Theo and he was surrounded by two of them. One second he was out of harm''s way and the next second, two halberds came towards him from his front and back. And he could only block one.

    Tina jumped and stood behind him, facing the Knight who attacked Theo from behind. Her feathers turned silver, and lighting ran wild on it, showing that her skill activated.

    She blocked the Knight''s halberd with her wings. She rushed into the Knight to push him away from Theo while Bry cast a buff on her.

    Tina slammed her body into the Knight. A force enough to fall a Lava Gargoyle or Lava giant, the Knight took it head on. He didn''t show any sign of serious damage.

    Tina, on the other hand, was dazed because of her own skill. It was a powerful skill that used the user''s own body as a weapon. But it was as powerful as it was risky.

    The Knight slashed Tina. But an arrow struck his right hand and threw his halberd away before he could. It was an arrow containing enough power to kill a Higher Elemental from a distance of one kilometer, yet the arrow barely penetrates through the knight''s gauntlet.

    The Knight punched Tina, throwing her body to a nearby rock and shattering it in the process. Despite Tina''s high defense and defensive buff from Bry, that punch was enough to crack a few ribs.

    "And Tars think that we should be careful with these insects, laughable." That was the second time they heard the deep malicious voice. Everyone shuddered, hearing the voice. It was seemingly enhanced by magic, or maybe, it was their mortal instinct telling them to run.

    A few meters from the third Knight, Theo was exchanging blow with his opponent. Lyana, Vivi, and Ed showered the Knight with spells. Ed with his ice spell, Vivi with mind magic, and Lyana with her lightning spell. But all that effort had little to no effect. The knight ignored those spells as most of them bounced off his armor, with a few leaving a scratch mark or two.

    Theo was trying to hit the knight from all side. He moved, he dashed, he circled the knight, but all his attacks were either parried or blocked. What more frustrating was the knight hadn''t even moved a step from where he stood.

    The knight could have moved and dodged Theo attack, but why would he. His enemy was nothing more than a human. What difference could a human make more than an ant could make? Nothing.

    "[Serene Slash]" Panes turned as thin as a drop of water and moved towards the knight''s neck.

    To mock Theo''s effort even more, the knight didn''t move nor did he block. He took the slash head on, the slash that could cut any enchanted steel or enchanted rock. The slash cut through ... his skin. It cut through his armor and whatever was inside, but then it stopped, unable to cut deeper than his skin.

    The knight kicked Theo right on his chest. His armor did protect him, but a kick was a blunt attack. The armor couldn''t block all the force of the kick.

    Theo crashed into a rock and fell to the ground. He could feel one or two of his ribs broken.

    The knight ran his halberd right through Theo''s skull before he could even react, killing him instantly. Or that what would have happened if the knight wasn''t so consumed in pride. The knight didn''t move from his spot. He didn''t take the chance to kill his enemy. Instead, he waited for Theo to get up.

    Theo stood up, his legs shaking after the impact. [Serene Slash] was a skill focused on cutting power, If that didn''t work, It was time for brute force, [Monster Beheading] and [Vaporizing Slash].

    Theo took two papers from his pouch. One froze his blade solid and the other burned without leaving any mark and without immediate effect.

    Theo walked to the knight, stopping just outside the Knight''s range. He grabbed Panes with both hands.

    He dashed forward. "[Vaporizing Slash]" Four consecutive, near instant slashes came from four directions.

    The knight was not impressed, he could see them coming. It was a fast attack, but not even close to the fastest attack the knight have ever seen. The knight didn''t put up any resistance.

    A big mistake.

    The Draken Steel, combined with the vaporizing flame, cut through the knight''s armor. Through his skin. Through the flaming flesh beneath it.

    Molten lava spilled out from the wound.

    Theo smiled. The thrill and excitement facing and wounding such a mighty foe. And the prospect of defeating said foe was a little bit too much for Theo. But he also realized the danger. He mustn''t let his enjoyment of the fight made him careless.

    Theo launched the second slash. But the Knight grabbed his neck. He lifted Theo''s body. Then stabbed his chest.

    "So this one is a rodent, not an insect."

    "Theo!" Vivi, Lyana, and Ed screamed when blood fountained out from his mouth.

    Confusion replaced the dread they felt when blue blood came out from his mouth. Theo''s skin turned blue, his whole body turned blue. It was not the work of the knight. He was as confused as them.

    A blade came from above, aimed at the knight head.

    Despite the surprise and confusion, the Knight''s speed and reflex allowed him to block the coming blade.

    The knight gauntlet shattered and broke after clashing with Theo''s sword.

    Theo smile became wider after he tricked the knight and destroyed his gauntlet. There was a chance, there was a real chance of them defeating a Flame-Born Knight. There was no need to use the item from his special pouch. Or so he thought.

    The Knight''s anger boiled to its limit. Molten rock came out from three spots on his body. It was his lava. His precious lava. And a mere rodent dared to spill his lava.

    That was it. Playtime over. It was time to turn serious.

    The Knight moved from his spot and caught the rodent by the neck before he could reach the ground. He slammed him into a rock with enough force to crack it open.

    He threw the Theo around, not giving him a chance to attack or to defend or to run away. And Theo couldn''t do anything.

    With a precise and trained movement, he disarmed Theo and threw the Draken steel sword off his hand. And without any delay, the Knight stabbed his gut like he did with the woman before.

    "Gahh!" Theo screamed. The Halberd went through his armor without damaging it. He could feel his body burning from inside out.

    Like Vex before him, he fell when the knight pulled the Halberd out of him.

    The knight raised his halberd, ready to end him. A violent aura exploded once more. The Knight released the full might of his aura to intimidate his enemies. The heavy air turned even heavier.

    Vivi and Lyana could only watch. None of their attacks were effective. The gap between their power was too great. Even Theo couldn''t do anything when the Knight was serious.

    They could only hope that this was another trick by Theo, another Trick he used. They wanted to help him, but their bodies froze in fear. It was hard to move before, but now, they could hardly breathe.

    Ed too froze in fear. The oppressive aura shackled his body, pinning him in place. His sweat-soaked clothes, his trembling legs, his wet pants from pee, he hated all that. But he hated his own powerlessness even more.

    He knew he was weak. He was weaker than Theo, than Lyana, than Vivi. The only thing good about him was his [Dragon Breath] and that too has a high cost of using all his mana, causing him to faint after one use.

    But he couldn''t stand and watch when his friend was about the be executed. He knew he couldn''t defeat the knight, but if he bought him some time, that would be enough.

    Ed tried his hardest to move. He summoned all the might his small body could muster. He has to move. He must move. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He wanted to, but he couldn''t even do that.

    ''AHHHHHHH!!!! MOVE!! MOVE!!'' Ed shouted inside his heart. he wanted to shout it out loud, but even moving his lips was impossible.

    Suddenly, a surge of power entered his body. A power he never felt before filled him. His blood veins lit up, visible even from outside. His blue eyes shone with bright blue light.

    He could move. The oppressive aura shackled him no longer.

    He touched Vivi and Lyana beside him, freeing them from the freezing fear that froze them.

    A blade of pure magic formed in Ed''s right hand. He didn''t know how he knew that. The knowledge just popped in his head.

    He enhanced his jump with magic and swung the blade at the knight''s head.

    But the Knight moved his head and slammed it at Ed, hitting Ed with the back of his helmet. That alone was enough to throw Ed and cause some serious damage. A pain that Ed never felt before ran through his body.

    The knight brought his halberd down. Theo grabbed the halberd before it cut his chest.

    Their strength difference was massive. Theo couldn''t even hold for one second before his arm cramped.

    The heat from the flame halberd burned and scorched his hands. His brain told him to give up. But he held still. Losing both hands was better than losing his life.

    Ed has no choices. None of his attacks worked on the Knight. He has to use his [Dragon Breath]. It would drain his mana completely and make him faint, but he had no other choices if he wanted to save Theo.

    "[Ice Dragon Breath]"

    Wind of unparalleled cold came out from his mouth. Mana shot out like a jet. The water in the air froze and crystallized. the frozen white air sucked every bit of heat from its surrounding, turning even the hottest of flame cold.

    The knight jumped away, realizing how dangerous the breath was. He knew it wasn''t a normal spell, it wasn''t a mortal spell. It was a spell existing in the realm of myth. Not even the strongest of ice Elementals could conjure a cold like that.

    The bane of fire. The bane of his race. He has to kill the dragonling before he became stronger. Before he became a threat to his lady.

    The Knight hopped to a rock and raised an arm. He conjured a spear of golden flame, ready to throw it at the dragonling and end his life.

    But a bolt of lightning struck his hand, strong enough to stun him for a moment. On the edge of his vision, he could see the demon girl shot the lightning bolt.

    That was strange, the Knight thought. The demon girl had previously attacked him with only tier 2 and 3 spells, which his armor easily deflected. But the bolt that attacked him was a tier 4 spell. Why didn''t the demon girl used it earlier, he wondered.

    Lyana stood with her arms extended out. She had cast her first tier 4 spell, something that should have caused her to be overflowing with joy, but she didn''t. It wasn''t because of her own effort she was able to cast the spell. It was the strange power Ed gave her, that made her able to cast it.

    Vivi ran to Theo. She helped him sat up and opened his helmet only to saw him slowly losing consciousness.

    She took a bottle of healing potion and forced him to drink it. She then used her magic to reduce the pain he was experiencing.

    "Vivi?" He asked after Vivi treated him.

    Vivi smiled at his question. Only for a kick to land on her face a second after.

    Her body rolled on the ground three times before stopping. Fresh blood trickled down from her hair, painting it red.

    "You bastard!" Theo yelled at the Knight. The Knight kicked him too.

    The Knight conjured another spear and stabbed it on Theo''s stomach. Theo''s scream rang out. But only the Knight heard it.

    "You are all an exemplary specimen." The Knight said. "Our Lady Calamity wants to preserve some excellent specimen such as you. Rejoice that you will be spared. And your women there and there." The Knight pointed at Vivi and Lyana, who was in the same condition as Vivi. Unconscious, and on the ground with blood on her head.

    "But not him." The Knight turned towards Ed.

    Ed body hovered above the ground. A lance of golden fire pierced his heart. His head hung low.

    His blue eyes wide open.

    Blank.

    Theo''s eyes went wide. "E-Ed? ED!" But there was no answer. "ED!" Theo refused what he saw. That was not possible.

    "Don''t bother." The Knight pulled the lance from Ed. His body fell to the ground. "The Dragonling is dead."

    Theo grabbed the spear on his stomach, only for his hand to pass through it like it was a normal flame. But when he tried to stand up, it held his body in place like a normal spear.

    The Knight looked at Lyana. "Demon and human. An unusual pair." The Knight then turned his head towards the sky, where a battle between his brother and Val was raging.

    From his back, a pair of flaming wings sprouted out. He bent his knee and prepared himself to jump.

    With a flap of his wings, the Knight shot to the sky. But a hand caught his foot.A small hand, no larger than a child''s, stopped him from flying.

    Scales covered the child''s hand.Dragon scales.

 Chapter 62: The Dragon Flame

    The Knight looked over his shoulder, behind his golden holy wings, to the owner of the hand that grabbed him. The dragon hand that stopped his fly.

    It was the Dragonling.

    ''Impossible!'' the Knight exclaimed in his heart. The Dragonling''s heart should be charcoal after his fire burned it. Yet there he was, stopping his fly with more power than ever, though he was ... different.

    The Dragonling''s eyes burned brighter and most of his skin was covered with scales. Runes of ancient language appeared on his skin. Even the Knight who had lived for two thousand years wasn''t sure what ancient language that was.

    "Finally, you take it out from my chest." It was a deep voice coming from the Dragonling, a stark contrast to his small body. Though The Dragonling didn''t open his mouth, the Knight was sure the voice came from him.

    "First time I wake up in millennia, and instead of giving me women, golds, and drinks, he gives me an enemy, a Flame-Born Knight nonetheless. What a troublesome host." The Dragonling sighed, "Whatever. The knight is the enemy and the other three is not."

    The Knight swung his halberd, and the Dragonling released his foot to dodge. Ed examined his own body with a confused and surprised look. "A child? What the hell?"

    The Knight watched Ed in confusion. The body was the same, yet what inside was different. He was not the same Dragonling that he killed.

    The burning blue eyes of Ed focused on the Knight once more. The stare alone was enough to strike fear in the heart of The Knight. The same Knight who never felt fear other than from his Lady.

    Magical runes appeared around Ed''s hand, hovering above his opened palm.

    The ground rumbled and from beneath the Knight, the earth shot upward, sending the Knight high into the sky. It didn''t damage him but it took him by surprise even with his inhuman reaction and reflexes.

    Ed smiled and grew a pair of wings. But unlike the Knight''s wing, it was not magical. A pair of Dragon wings literally grew from his back. He shot up to the sky chasing the knight.

    The Knight created and threw a spear. Ed''s azure blue scales protected him from getting stabbed too deep. Ed clawed the Knight. His nails, his claws tore through the Knight armor like a paper.

    "Impossible!" His armor was made from the Sacred Flame and was forged in the heart of the Fire Realm. It was a sacred armor that bore the Flame of his Lady and his King. The strongest of fire armor. It was already damaged by the rodent, but for it to be torn apart by bare hands was too ridiculous to be true.

    He punched the dragonling in the gut with all his might and blood poured out from his mouth. "Ouch! that hurt." Yet his face betrayed his words. The smile on Ed''s face was so wide it touched both of his ears. "I''m not used to this new body."

    The Knight threw another punch, but this time, Ed caught it.

    Ed closed his grip. The Knight''s gauntlet cracked under the force of his hand. And it shattered.

    Preposterous. Impossible. Not even a Flame-Born Knight had enough strength to crush their gauntlet without using any weapon. With one hand.

    The Knight, burned with anger, jabbed Ed''s face. The punch was blinding quick, faster than any the Knight had ever launched. Even the Knight had a hard time seeing his own movement.

    Yet Ed caught it all the same.

    Ed spread The Knight''s arms as far out as his small body allowed. The Knight twisted his body and pulled his arms, but only his armor rattled. He couldn''t move.

    "Tell me, Knight. Do you think your flame is hot?" Ed asked. "Your kind always prides yourself in your flame and your lava and your molten rocks."

    The question dimmed the Knight''s flame. Shivers ran down his body, traveling from his outer limbs towards his torso, not leaving out a single square of his skin.

    "You pride yourself with your golden sacred flame and your great forge with its unparalleled heat ... but do you know what true heat is, Knight?"

    The Knight was not stupid. He knew what question like that would entail. But that was impossible. There was nothing hotter than their flame. They were born from fire, forged in fire, and were made from fire. They were immune to fire and heat. Had the Dragonling gone mad?

    But deep inside the Knight''s heart, he doubted the common knowledge. Deep inside his heart, he feared the Dragonling''s words. He feared the Dragonling.

    He feared the Dragon Fire.

    Ed positioned himself slightly below the Knight. "I show you what hot is."

    Ed opened his mouth wide to the brim. A hiss rang out deep inside his throat, followed by a bright blue light that quickly flooded his mouth.

    With a roar that deafened the earth and shook the sky, the Knight felt the heat for the first time in his long life. It was only a passing moment, like a distant dream that the Knight would forget once he woke up. But it wasn''t a dream. And the Knight wouldn''t forget it no matter how many times he died. No matter how many times he resurrected. He wouldn''t forget that feeling of heat.

    And it was over. The beam of pure destruction left not even the smallest trace of the Knight''s existence in its wake.

    The beam didn''t stop. It split the night sky open and burned through anything unlucky to be in its path. Birds, flying monsters, and mountains tall enough to obstruct its path. It gave equal and indiscriminate destruction upon all. And the beam still went on, lighting half of the world night with its blue radiant like a falling star.

    [Theo Gladium Level up to Lv.32]

    Theo held his breath. He was too baffled by what he saw he couldn''t care less of his increase in level. It all happened in a flash, too fast for his mind to truly grasp.

    A refreshing wind blew past him, and the fire spear on his stomach vanished along with it. He lifted his body to sitting position, but his stomach was already burnt, the damage had been done. Blood coughed out from his throat. He ignored it. There was no telling how badly injured Vivi and Lyana were, he had to check them first.

    He sighed in relief after making sure that Lyana and Vivi were not in critical condition. And after moving their body to a safer place, he turned his eyes to the Dragon that killed the Flame-Born Knight

    Ed, or whoever was inside his body, descended back to the ground with his wings spread out like angel descending from heaven. There was a satisfied smile on his face.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Theo''s eyes fell upon the blue-eyed Ed. "Ed, is that you?"

    "Ed? So that is this boy name?" Ed opened his palm and observed his body.

    His clothes were torn apart making him practically naked save for a few tattered fabric clinging to his body and stuck on his scale. He pulled those fabrics and threw it away, showing his scaled child body for all the world to see.

    Scales returned to skin and the wings retracted back inside his back. The blue line of his veins died down, but his eyes retained its bright blue shine.

    "Who are you?" Theo asked. His throat was burning and he felt like fainting, but he fought those urge.

    "Ah yes, I forgot to introduce myself." Ed bowed. "I am Zarathustra, the right hand of our great God King Ahura Mazda!," He said with a big smile and prideful voice, though that smile quickly faded away. " Though my title means nothing now that my race is extinct."

    Theo swore that he knew that name, Zarathustra and God King Ahura Mazda. He heard it somewhere, or read it, but he couldn''t remember where or when. "Is ... Is Ed still inside that body?"

    Zarathustra raised his brows and then smiled after hearing the worry in the question. "Oh yes, of course. His consciousness is sleeping inside and resting." He rubbed the burnt wound on his chest. "You''re his friend right? Please tell Ed to take care of his body and try not to rely on me. Even a Class 5 mages like him is still a human. Using my power too often would destroy him from the inside ... And who are you human?"

    "Theo, Theo Gladium."

    "Then Theo Gladium. Let''s hope we meet again in a less..... dangerous occasion."

    The light from Ed''s eyes died down and his body fell lost all of its power. Theo caught him before he hit the ground. He was unconscious but still breathing. "Fucking hell Ed. Don''t you dare make me worry about another man again."

    The sound of fighting woke Theo from the illusion that this battle was over. It was far from over. There were still two Knights, and although he was confident Val could take care of one Knight, he couldn''t say the same for the Miracle.

    Theo laid Ed next to Vivi and Lyana, and after covering them with a blanket, he stood up and approached the source of the sound.

    The Miracle was still fighting the Flame-Born Knight. Vex had woken up and joined the fight again. They were all heavily injured, exhausted, and could collapse at any time.

    Unlike Theo, however, they were winning the fight. Theo smiled and chuckled. They were a Dragon-ranked adventurer party for a reason. They knew each other''s weaknesses and strengths perfectly. Even without Vex giving them a direct command, their coordination and teamwork were flawless.

    Tina took the vanguard. She had abandoned offense and focused on tanking attack. She was battered, bloodied, and bruised. Her armor and her feathers were almost all burned down. She had the most injury compared to the rest of her team. It was amazing she hadn''t succumbed to it.

    Vex danced around Tina, acting as an off tank. She exploited any opening the Knight made, no matter how small. And She interrupted the Knight whenever he tried to cast a spell, locking him from using his more powerful skill and spell.

    Bry stood in the middle, casting buff and healing spell back to back without ever stopping. She also cast barrier to stop some of the Knight''s magical attack. On her feet were four bottles of High Mana Regeneration potion. She was the least injured, though she was the most exhausted.

    Tomoe and Alina stood in the back. Tomoe launched a barrage of magical arrow since her physical arrows were all used. Her hand was bleeding from drawing her bow too much and too fast.

    Alina jumped around, throwing distraction and whatever throwable she could get her hand on. Her attack had almost no effect on the Knight, but she timed her attack perfectly to interrupt any action the Knight was doing.

    The knight was overwhelmed. His power and skill were far above any of his enemies, yet his enemies acted as one, multiplying their power instead of just adding it.

    His armor broken, his helmet pierced, and his flame started to wane. With each passing second, the Knight inched closer to his end, until a powerful shot from Tomoe blew its head off.

    The armor fell to the ground. Then vanished into thin air, leaving only a burning red stone.

    Relief washed over them all. It was over, finally over.

    Tina lost her consciousness the moment she relaxed her mind, but Vex caught her body. Vex opened a bottle and forced the liquid inside down Tina''s throat.

    All that left was Val. Theo looked at Val, up high above his head. The cloud swirled and raged like a storm was brewing. Red of fire and the blue of ice clashed inside the cloud, visible even from down below. Theo couldn''t see it, but he was sure, Val and the Flame-born Knight was fighting inside that cloud.

    ------

    Val flashed inside the cloud, flying faster and swifter than the wind with six lances of ice around her in an arc. Her enemy was nowhere to be seen.

    Volcanic ashes and smoke blocked her vision. The rumbling gale and thunder blocked her hearing. The massive beam of blue light Val witnessed a few moments before was too far to clear up the ashes and smoke. Only the magic barrier she had set up before the fight provided her with any kind of information. While it might appear like she was at a disadvantage, her enemy had the exact same problem as her.

    Her signature red cloak was still in perfect shape except for the dust and smoke dirtying it. Her dark brown skin was devoid of any wound. She was exhausted but was completely unharmed.

    Her barrier screamed. The Knight entered her range.

    The knight appeared behind her, with two wings of golden flame behind him and his blazing halberd mid-swing. There was no time to dodge, even with her wind boosted movement, the Knight was too fast for Val.

    She pulled her arms near her chest. The air around her and all the particle inside it slowed down to a stop. A huge block of solid ice encased her body.

    The ice vibrated and rang like a bell when the flaming halberd hit it. The halberd that could cut through most things bounced off the solid ice without leaving a scratch.

    The Knight, realizing the danger, backed up with everything he had in store. But he was too late.

    With another rang, the ice encasing Val shattered to million of pieces, creating a silvery transparent cloud of sharp microscopic ice.

    When her hand moved, the cloud moved along with her command.

    The cloud turned to a jet stream, drowning any sound with the noise it made. It flew with speed rivaling that of sound, nearly breaking that.

    The Knight knew that trying to outrun the stream was a fool''s errand. He expelled his aura and mana, turning every bit of energy inside his body to heat. The air boiled as every dust particles in the wind melted, along with any ice that came close to the Knight.

    Anything, in fact, that got near it simply turned to vapor. It was one of the Knight''s greatest defensive skill. But the Knight couldn''t move while it was active, he couldn''t even turn his head to see around. He maintained the zone as long as he could, he would be skewered by million of ice shrapnel if he deactivated the zone for even a second.

    The jet stream slowly lose its intensity, until it stopped completely,

    The Knight stopped the zone and turned to face Val, but he had miscalculated the power of his enemt]y. Val hadn''t even used a quarter of the cloud she made. And all the ice that vaporized because of him simply crystallized again around her.

    Val sent the cloud again. The Knight reactivated the zone, but he was too slow. The cloud hit him square in the chest and shred his armor by the time the zone effect kicked in. Yet, even the zone couldn''t help him.

    Val smiled. She knew that she could only finish the Knight using her big spells, but her big spells were slow and took a long time to cast. The Knight could easily evade or outrun her spell. She needed to make the knight stop moving. And he had stopped moving.

    A massive spear of ice formed above Val. It was 4 meters in diameter and 50 meters long with the tip of the blade made as sharp as a Draken Steel. It was far too massive for the Knight to vaporize with his zone. And even if he was able to destroy it, it would cost him too much that he might as well die.

    Val took her sweet time creating the spear, meticulously crafting the detail and carving the ornament of the massive spear. She was never the type to relish on the suffering of her enemy, yet there was a strange sense of fulfillment when she saw the Knight torn between his two options. Maintain the zone and wait until the massive spear split his body open, or deactivate the zone and let himself be torn apart by the stream of cloud.

    With a wave of her arm, the spear moved.

    The Knight held on to his skill until the last moment before the spear tore him. With all his might he flew away, but the stream of cloud took him below the waist. He ignored his lack of lower body and ran away.

    Val was pleasantly surprised. Though the Knight''s fate was already sealed. The massive spear shattered into the same cloud that took the Knight''s leg.

    Before long, the cloud surrounded the knight from all side. It entered every crevice of his armor and every opening in his body and tore him apart inside out. The sound of millions of microscopic crystals of ice grinding against each other drowned the scream and the sound of a body being ripped apart.

    Val exhaled the air in her lung. Their power difference wasn''t that great, but she was smarter than her opponent. It wasn''t a hard fight for her, more like an exhausting endurance test. As long as she didn''t lose her focus, the knight possessed no threat to her whatsoever. The knight was very resilient, however, and the environment was far from ideal for fighting. It was stressful.

    And it was only the beginning of her stress.

 Chapter 63: Aftermath

    Theo sat on a bed, a makeshift straw bed that was more comfortable than it looked, but still not comfortable enough for his taste. He watched Lyana, Vivi, and Ed, all three were unconscious. Bloodsoaked bandages covered Vivi''s and Lyana''s head and body, though their injuries were not life-threatening.

    Theo himself had bandages covering his left arm, his chest, and his stomach. The Knight dealt more damage to him than he had expected, and much more than the pain he felt. Broken left arm, dislocated shoulder, two broken ribs, and burned intestines. The doctor had patched him up and healed his burned innards, though a complete recovery would take a long time and a long rest.

    He had no time. The longer he waited, the smaller the chance of him closing the portal.

    He turned towards Ed. Ed was fine except for the charcoal black wound on his chest. How he survived that, or how Zarathustra saved him from that wound, Theo didn''t know, but the wound was not a problem for Ed. The true problem was his severe lack of mana.

    Every living creature consumes mana to maintain their body function, whether they realized it or not. For most creatures, their body generated just enough mana for their daily consumption. Some creature, however, could generate or absorb more mana than they needed and store it inside their body for later use, allowing them to use magic. But this came with a risk. If they spent their whole mana, their body might not have enough to maintain its normal function and the user could die. Most of the time, they would lose consciousness before their mana ran out. But some other time ...

    Theo stood up. He shouldn''t think about that, the doctors had assured Ed''s safety and they were monitoring his condition closely in case something unexpected happened. He should leave it to the professional.

    He left the room and let them rest.

    The other room was where the Miracle was recovering. Vex, Tomoe, Bry, Tina, and Alina were all resting there, but Val was nowhere to be found. Val had brought them all there with her wind, including him. He should thank her and apologize to her, but she was furious at him and blamed him for this mess. And Vex had warned him over and over and over again to never make Val angry. Approaching her was not a wise thing to do, but one that he must.

    Vex''s body was bandaged, but she was okay and awake, though the doctor forbade her to walk out from the bed. She smiled and waved a hand at Theo, with a great difficulty that clear on her face. Theo replied her smile, though his was a bitter smile that faded away soon after.

    Bry only received minor injuries, but she was completely spent like Ed. Tina received the worst wound out of anyone. Her feathers were burnt, her skin charred, her bones broken, her skull fractured, and other injuries that would take too long to list.

    The news of their condition was kept hidden to not cause an uproar. If anyone heard that one of the strongest adventurer party in Amaryn was reduced to a sorry state after fighting two Flame-Born Knights, it would demoralize the troops and adventurers and cause them to desert. No one wanted that.

    Sir Arslan entered the tent. He was still in his armor despite it was late at night, showing how much he took pride in his position and how wary he was for an ambush. "Ah! Sir Theo, can you please come with me?" Theo nodded and followed Sir Arslan out of the tent, and into another, smaller tent.

    The outside was cold with ashes from the erupting mountain falling down like a rain, along with an actual rain of water. Even though the camp was set up somewhere up the mountain, the ground wasn''t rocky as he thought. The ashes covered ground was wet and muddy and made a sloshing sound with each step he took. And the trickling rain made it even worse.

    The moment he stepped into that tent, a sudden chill struck his bones. His breath turned white, and his body shivered uncontrollably. It was not a normal cold, there was fury in it, and hate.

    Soon Theo knew why. Val was waiting inside that tent, sitting in a wooden chair that shrunk and creaked due to the cold. But compared to the cold, the glare she gave him was far deadlier. The love and affection she had in her eyes for the past few days were gone, only anger was left.

    Theo sat opposite to Val while Sir Arslan took another seat. It was not a nice position to be in. The chairs below them were freezing cold like a solid ice, but Sir Arslan didn''t utter a word. So too he didn''t.

    "Do you think there are more Flame-Born Knights up there?" Sir Arslan asked to the pont, breaking the silence.

    "I ..." The word caught in his throat. The pressure and killing intent flooding over him from Val was overwhelming, to say the least. She really would kill him if he uttered the wrong word.

    "Lady Valera, please," Sir Arslan said. "We''re trying to address the problem here and search for a solution."

    The killing intent subsided, but it was not gone. It still raged like a storm, but she gave him enough leeway to speak. " I... doubt there are more when we were attacked. But there might be more now."

    Val''s eyes opened wide when she realized what Theo said. She was so consumed by anger that she didn''t think about it earlier. The enmity she had was gone, she redirected it somewhere else.

    The cold disappeared and she abruptly stood up, knocking off her chair. She then stormed out of the tent. "Lady Val!" Sir Arslan called, but she ignored him.

    Theo followed Val and caught her arm before she could get too far. "Val, wait!" She turned and glared at him. "Where are you going?"

    "To the summit. I''m going to end this all now before there''s more Flame-born Knight." She yanked her hand back.

    Theo grabbed her again. Ice crept on his hand from where he touched her. He could even see his hand turning pale, but he ignored the growing numbness, there was a more pressing matter at the moment. "What if there are more Flame-Born Knights up there?"

    "Then I''ll kill them all!" she yelled.

    "Lady Val, please calm down, we mustn''t rush," said Sir Arslan from behind.

    "Mustn''t rush?!" The air turned cold once more. Ice even formed on her feet. "Are you both kidding me? Yesterday we faced three Flame-Born Knights, not just one, three! That means the portal is big enough that summoning a Flame-Born Knight is not a big deal! Do you want to wait until whoever the hell their leader is, come and step into this world? Because I don''t! If we wait for a plan, even one more day, who knows how many Knights will be up there when we attack that place."

    Theo could feel the rapid increase in mana density in the air as it poured out from her body. The wind raged around them, and the trickle of rain turned into a full blown storm. Theo didn''t know whether that was her or a coincidence, but he knew that pissing her off any further was a bad idea. But letting her go like that was an even worse one.

    Theo swallowed the spit in his mouth, "Can you defeat three? What if there are four? Five?" He was careful with the tone and the way he asked.

    Val stare intensified, but she didn''t say anything. He was right, she might able to defeat one, but what if two or three of them attacked her at once. Her gaze moved to Sir Arslan. "Arslan, come with me!" Her tone was both familiar and commanding. "We both are strong enough to defeat five or six of them at once."

    "I can''t," Sir Arslan answered quick. "And I won''t."

    She turned and stared him. "You can''t, you won''t? Are you scared, Arslan? Have your old age makes you a coward, kid? Does your old age made your bladder weak?" Sir Arslan raised his brows and opened his mouth, but Val continued before he could utter a word. "HAH! Does being called a kid makes you angry, kid? Bet no one ever calls you that again, KID! You may think that you''re experienced now, you''re old now, the best swordsman in the world, but not to me. You''re still the same kid whose shit I wiped every morning when your mother was too busy with work."

    There was a sorry look in Sir Arslan''s eyes, but it was also stern. He had no time for discussing personal matters and past grudges. "I have my order, Lady Val. To lead this army and protect this point."

    Val walked to Sir Arslan. She stomped her feet with each step, freezing the wet ground solid and making sure everyone heard it. "Order? Order?! Oh! So noble of you, Arslan! So full of honor!" She punched his armor. The metal dented and turned blue where she punched it. But Sir Arslan didn''t move nor flinch, her punch was powerful but not meant to hurt him. She stared at the ground and stopped speaking.

    Sir Arslan didn''t speak, and Theo didn''t want to interrupt them. There was something more between them than the current problem, something deeper more personal that he didn''t know and shouldn''t get in the way. Val had been in Amaryn for the last century or so and Sir Arslan was one of the oldest living human on the continent, it wasn''t strange for them to have past problem. or problems.

    Val chuckled. "Honor and duty, huh? Very funny." She stared at Sir Arslan eyes with the stare of ice, but he wasn''t intimidated, he had seen those stare a thousand times since he was a kid. She was clearly referring to a specific event when she said that.

    Sir Arslan looked at the ground. "I am not an honorable man, yes. I have done many things that stained my honor and brought shame to my family, yes." Sir Arslan turned his head to look around the camp. "But these soldiers are my men, my responsibility. I won''t let them die for nothing," Sir Arslan replied. "What if when we attack the summit, they attacked our camp? It will be decimated. Thousands of soldiers will die without having the chance to even fight back."

    "I don''t give a damn about your men! Millions will die if we don''t stop them now!"

    "What about your friend?" Sir Arslan asked. He was calm and composed despite all the baiting.

    Val''s red ears perked up. She didn''t think of the relation between the two. "What do you mean?!"

    "You are not reckless, Lady Val. And you don''t actually give a crap about those millions that will die, I know that. You only care about your friend and your family and those close to you. You can give me a thousand different reasons to attack the summit, from the most selfish to the most selfless reasons. But deep inside, you want revenge. You want to avenge your friend." Val growled, but she didn''t deny it. Sir Arslan knew Val better than probably anyone alive in Amaryn. He knew her reasoning and motivation and her ways of thinking.

    "If we attack the summit and they attack us, there will be no one to protect your friend. They could barely move right now. Some, not even conscious. Lune will stay here, and Warwyn too, but I know you didn''t trust the power of either of them."

    Again, she couldn''t deny Sir Arslan''s logic and reasoning, she couldn''t argue against it. She understood it on a mental level, but it didn''t sway and it didn''t touch her heart. Which boiled her anger and frustration even more.

    She turned and walked away from the two men, her red cloak fluttered along with her movement "Then I will go alone." The frost melted and the strong wind calmed when she walked away.

    "Val," Theo called. He might anger her even more with what he was going to say, but he had to say it. For himself, for his promise with Sara, for Mary. "Take me with you." Val''s long pointy ear twitched when she heard his request. It was an absurd request, asking the person that was furious at you to carry you without any good reason. "I can be a help, even if it''s a little."

    She turned again, her sharp glare stabbed him and froze his body. A strong wind struck him square on the chest and knocked him down to the once again frozen solid ground. The hardness and the coldness of the ice were unnatural. It was as hard a steel and the cold reached his bone.

    "HELP?!" Her voice thundered with magic. Even a sentry at the farthest edge of the camp could hear her voice. "You are the reason all this happened! When you showed up, everyone began acting strangely. Vex, Tomoe, Tina, all of them!" Her chest heaved heavily. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and raised his bigger heavier body like it was a feather. "We are a Dragon-ranked party not in name only. There is no way for an enemy to sneak up on us without us detecting, without ME detecting it."

    Val tightened the grip on Theo''s collar. The cold crawled on his neck as his shirt collar began to freeze. "But you ... You and that Violet alien girl of yours think only about yourself. Do you think I won''t realize the cheap mind magic that she cast on us." Theo remembered about his order to Vivi to cast mind magic on the Miracle to further his plan to get them. "Everyone is too distracted by you, no one is able to focus on the matter at hand, on the threat coming for us! Even ..."There were hesitation and embarrassment in her voice. " ... me."

    "If," The cold reached his throat, and it felt like his windpipe froze. "if you think I''m the one responsible for this, then-" His throat was numb because of the cold. It was hard to breathe, and near impossible to speak. "-let me fix this, let me help you fix this."

    "Fix?" Val slammed Theo body to the ground, causing the incredibly hard ice to crack. "After all you had done to us, to me! After you cast that damned charm curse on me that I couldn''t dispell! After all the embarrassment you put me through! Do you think you can just FIX things?!" Val''s hands turned even colder. "No... No.... you can''t just fix things and hope everything will be back to normal after all that you have done. After you so casually played and toyed with everyone''s feeling, everyone''s heart. My heart!"

    "Lady Val!" Sir Arslan shouted and unsheathed his sword when he realized her intention. But a thick wall of ice soared high to the sky, barring him from Theo and Val.

    An enormous killing intent and aura exploded out from Val''s body. The temperature plummeted and the cold bite Theo''s body like a hungry rabid dog. Theo thrashed around for a while, but it was useless.

    When the cold settled within his body, his consciousness faded away, slowly, but surely. Yet the cold was unlike what he had expected. It burned his body, sharp and intense nothing he ever felt, unlike even the fire spear that stabbed his gut and burned his innards. But that was only for a moment. Then the cold became soft and welcoming and embracing, and it sapped him of his strength and his will to fight back. The cold was as warm as a mother''s embrace, shushing and singing him to sleep.

    Sir Arslan crushed the wall of ice with ease, but it formed back as fast as he destroyed them. With his Bloodrite he could absorb the magic from the ice and prevent it from reforming, but Bloodrite was far away, taking holiday in some distant land.

    "Lady Val!" He shouted once again, hoping to knock some sense into the head of the dark elf.

    Sir Arslan knew why she acted that way, toying with her heart, no, anyone''s heart was a dangerous thing to do that anyone in the Continent should have known and should have avoided. But killing one of your allies because of emotion during a time of crisis was either foolish or childish. And he knew that Val was the latter and not the former.

    And there was no stopping Val when she was in one of her tantrums. The only way Sir Arslan knew, was to make himself an object of greater hate than Theo. "Lady Val, stop it! How will Jack think about you if you kill Theo?!"

    "ARSLAAANN!" She released Theo from her grasp and turned towards Sir Arslan. Her gaze was ice cold and unforgiving, filled with unbridled rage, yet it was also filled with a tint of sadness. The wall of ice around her came tumbling down and crashed into a million pieces.

    "If he was still alive right now and see you like that, how would he react? What would he say to you?"

    "Shut up!" Val''s head dropped down. "You have no right to say his name, you have no right to carry the same last name as him!" Val stared the ground with an intense glare, she could have killed someone with that stare. The memories of the past came rushing back to her mind, and tears trickled down from her chin.

    "Lady Val." Sir Arslan approached her cautiously and place a hand on her shoulder. Even through his gauntlet her body was unnaturally cold. "Please don''t rush to attack the summit. He wouldn''t want that, he would have advised you against it."

    "Not fair! It''s not fair for you to use his name." But what Sir Arslan said was true. Jack would have scolded her, and Jack would have advised her against it, and Jack would have been angry. Sir Arslan was his flesh and blood after all, he would know how Jack would think even though he never met him.

    Val turned and walked away, this time, however, she was heading back to her tent. She stopped her feet before she went too far. "Sunrise. I will postpone my attack until sunrise. If you change your mind then I will wait. If not, then I will attack there alone." She glared Theo one last time. "But not you." Her step echoed once more.

    "Val," Theo called her again. His voice was hoarse and roughed, and his body was still freezing cold. "I will attack the summit whether you want me or not. And if you refuse to carry me with your wind then I will find my own way."

    "Suit yourself. But don''t show your face to me again or I will kill you ... and Arslan won''t be able to help you next time."

    ------

    Theo sat cross-legged inside his personal tent, meditating in the dark. Panes, his armor, and all his pouches laid in front of him. He had taken off all the bandage hindering his movement, even though he hasn''t recovered yet. And the cold Val inflicted on him still hasn''t left his body either. But it was not the time to rest and recover.

    He also thrown away all the thought about Val and how to get her and all his curiosity about Val and Sir Arslan relation and their problems. For now, he focused on the task at hand.

    He took his special pouch and poured the content out. A rock, two rings, one miniature hammer, two vials, a few crumpled scrolls, and a small mirror. There were a few items there that appeared like a normal trinket, the rest appeared like useless junks. But those items were not what they seemed. All the items there was very powerful if one knew how to use them and knew the risk of their usage.

    During the fight with the Flame-Born Knight, Theo tried to grab one of those items but failed. He thought it was because the Knight gave him no chance. But after some thinking, that might not be entirely true.

    Ever since his father passed six years prior, he hadn''t even used one of those items. He almost used a few, but never actually used them in the end. Not only was he never in a situation where it was truly necessary to use those items, but there was also a slight hesitation deep inside his heart to use them. The items there was all a memento of his father, and most of it was a one use item that would destroy itself in the process.

    Theo knew how much he clung to the memories of his father, of how his death shaped him and haunted him still. He was subconsciously avoiding to use those items. But by trying to preserve the past, he sacrificed the present. By trying to preserve the relic of his father, he risked the life of his friend and his women.

    He took a deep breath and resolved his will. The same mistake would not happen again. He took one of the scattered items, one of the rings. An ancient ring with a big pale gray diamond encrusted on the top and carvings of wolves and werewolves along its curve. The ring was ridden with scratches and claw marks and the carving had lost some of its sharpness, but the image was still quite clear.

    It was the ring of the Wolf God. A ring his father stumbled upon inside a dungeon somewhere in the lush tropical forest of Girantine. Once worn, itwould transform the wearer into werewolf regardless of condition or time or the fact that the wearer had not yet contracted a Lycanthropy. And to reverse it, the wearer simply need to remove it.Along with the transformation came strength and agility that continuously grow the longer the wearer stay transformed. But it also brought with it brutality and feral rage that consumed the wearer''s sanity and intelligence. And if the ring were to break while the wearer was a werewolf, or if it was worn for too long, the wearer would turn to a wolf and there would be no return.Though the full effect of the ring and the maximum time were never truly tested. His father had only ever worn it for 10 minutes the longest. And the unfortunate people he tested it on took a varying amount of time to turn into a full wolf and lose all sanity.

    Then he took another item, a small vial bottle of thick viscous blue liquid. He forgot what was the name of that item, but he would not forget its effect. It had to be drank all at once to receive the desired effect, doubling every stat for a day, with the price of unable to move and a great excruciating pain for a week after the effect ran out.

    Those two items were perfect for his current situation. There was no telling how many enemies he had to fight to reach the summit, but he knew it would take a long time. He had to exercise great caution with using any or both of the items. The first one could transform him into a wolf if he was too engrossed in his fight, and the second one could make him a cripple in the middle of a fight if he drank it too early.

    He observed the rest of the scattered items. There was no other item with long-lasting effect. The rest only had instant or short-term effect.

    There was also the golden miniature hammer that he planned to use if Calamity had stepped into this world before he could close the portal. It was one of the most powerful items at his disposal, summoning his friend, an ancient Elemental strong enough to take care of Calamity and her Flame-Born Knights when it comes to fighting. But it would take him five minutes of nonstop chanting and praying to use the item. and his Friend could only stay in this world for ten minutes, at best, and after that, the hammer would be useless.

    He rearranged all the items in his pouches so he could access the ring and the vial more easily. And after some more preparations, he walked out. Val wouldn''t carry him with her wind, and he mustn''t let her be the one to stop the invasion. He had to start now, four hours before Val started if he wished to win this race. A race that he neverthought would turn this way.

 Chapter 64: Dreams

    "How do you come here?" A girl asked a boy. The girl was squatting on top of a huge rock, watching the boy from above. They were of the same age, not older than eight years old.

    "Well, I''m lost. " The boy''s face was beaming with a smile, not showing any emotion often associated with being lost. His clothing was dirty from the dirt and the mud, making it look ugly, not that it was nice in the first place. "Mom and dad told me to follow the trail."

    "Trail?" The girl asked. She looked around, there was no sign of trail or anything of the sort there. All she could see was the thick vegetation, bushes, undergrowth, and the massive tree that touched the heaven. There were some mountains in the distance, but no trail. "Aren''t you afraid? There are monsters here, have you heard of them?"

    The boy nodded, though there was no fear on his expression. "I heard about the story of monster here, and I was scared at first, but Mom and Dad told me there''s a mountain of candy in here, so I''m not afraid anymore."

    "Mountain of candy? I never heard of that." The girl jumped from the rock and landed next to the boy. The boy watched in awe at her feats of athletic, not even adult could jump from that height without getting hurt. "And I have lived here for a long time now. I would have known if there''s one."

    The girl observed the boy. He had short black hair, red plump cheek, dirty pink skin, and all the feature of a young boy. Her eyes opened wide when she looked at his ears. She grabbed it. "D-did your parent cut your ears?" The girl asked with fear in her voice.

    "What? No." The boy grabbed his own ears. There was nothing wrong there, it was still sticking to the side of his head. "It''s normal."

    "But it''s so short. I''ve never seen an ear that short."

    "Short?" The boy was confused. He moved the girl''s long hair that covered her ears. And hidden behind her white hair was a long pointy ear like the one he heard in children''s tale.

    "You''re an elf?" The boy shouted and jumped in place. He was happy beyond happy. To see an elf had been his dreams since his mom first told him about them. His mom and dad told him that they were nothing but myth and only existed in tales. He didn''t believe them, and he was right, elf was real.

    The girl was surprised by his sudden burst of joy. "Y-yes, I am. Wait!" The girl realized something. "A-are you a human?"

    The boy nodded his head joyously. A wide smile crept on the girl''s faceLordand she joined him in their jump of happiness. "I-I can''t believe it! a Human in the forest?!"

    After a while, they were exhausted from their excessive jumping. They sat next to each other on the foot of the huge rock. "I am Jack, Jack Hartman, and you are?" The boy asked after he had eaten a fruit from the nearby tree.

    "Valera. Alesi Valera Sanna, you can call me Val." She had a warm smile on her tanned-brown face, and she still had the fruit she picked for them on her hands.

    "Val, let''s look for it together."

    "Look for what?"

    "The mountain of candy. My mom and dad said I''m not allowed to go home before I found it." The boy stood and cleaned the dirt from his laps. He extended his arms towards Val.

    Val looked at his hands, her face turned red all over. It was the first time someone ever asked her nicely. The first time someone didn''t shout at her when they wanted her to do something. She smiled. "Sure."

    Val took his arm and followed him wherever he went. They walked around the forest, mostly in a circle since Jack couldn''t tell the difference between one tree and another, or one bush from another. So they were lost ... he was lost, she was not. She knew the forest like the back of her hand. But they were lost together, and they were both happy.

    "Where''s your mom and dad?" Jack asked. They sat on the foot of the huge rock again after re-encountering it five times. Val had tried to tell him that they were walking in a circle, but Jack was confident in his navigating skill. She had no complain though, being together with him was a joyful time.

    "They told me to wait here. They said they will come to get me later."

    "When will they come?"

    "I don''t know. I''ve been waiting for a long long time. Maybe they are busy, my father is the village chief after all." Val extended her arms to emphasize the ''long long time'' part.

    Jack gave her a curious look. "Then shouldn''t we wait here? What if your mom and dad come to get you when you''re not here. When we are searching for the candy."

    Val smiled. "It''s fine. The wind whispers to my ears. I will know it when they come to get me."

    "You can hear the wind?" His face was once again beaming with a smile. "Is- Is it some kind of magic?"

    "Yes."

    "COOL!" Jack shouted. "Show me! Show me!" He jumped in place again. Being able to see an elf and to see magic in the same day was a dream come true for him.

    Val was surprised, she couldn''t understand what was so special with magic that made Jack so happy, everyone in her village can use magic, and she assumed that anyone anywhere can use magic. It appeared that she was mistaken.

    Val was more than happy to show Jack her magic. She opened her palm and the wind danced around it, creating a small swirling wind over her opened palm. when she put a leaf in it, the leaf was shredded into a thousand tiny pieces that scattered all over the place.

    "WOW!" Jack shouted. He stood and flailed his arms around, trying to catch all the flying pieces. "I''ve never seen anything like this before."

    Val blushed again. "T-thank you. This is the first time someone like my magic."

    Jack turned towards her with his brows raised."What? How can anyone not like this? This is the most beautiful thing in the world."

    Val hugged her legs, there was sadness on her face. "My mother said that I can''t control it, that I have hurt a lot of people with it. She''s always angry when I tried to use it."

    "Then why don''t you just learn how to control it?" Jack asked innocently.

    Val was surprised. "I-I have tried that before, but ... I still can not control it."

    Jack walked to Val, ignoring all the flying pieces whistling around him. "Don''t worry. I also have that same problem." Val looked up at his face. "My dad and mom always tried to teach me how to count. But I''m not smart." He laughed. "But my older brother always help me. Even why I don''t think I can do it, he always told me to go on and to always keep trying." Jack sat next to her again. "Let''s do it together. We will learn how to control your power together."

    Val looked at his eyes with a hopeful stare and red face. This was the first time someone was so nice to her. The first time someone offered her help. She couldn''t believe it. "R-really? Y-you promise?"

    "I promise." Jack smile that time was ingrained into her mind, burned in the deepest part of her memories. It was the brightest, warmest smile she had ever seen in her life, and was the second brightest and warmest smile she will ever see in her long life.

    The scene changed abruptly. The world shifted and the sky turned. When everything was normal again, Jack and Val stood on the edge of a cliff, staring at the sea, both have aged significantly.

    "You see there Val, to the south?" Jack pointed his finger to a landmass in the distance, on the edge of the horizon, almost fading. "People call that The Continent, that''s where human came from before we arrive here."

    Instead of looking where Jack was pointing, Val watched his back, she was too focused on it that she didn''t hear him telling the history of how human came to the Northern Land. His back was broad and manly, he was no more the child she met in the forest. He was a man now, and she was a woman. Looking at his back made her heart pound hard and her face red. His gray armor, his red fluttering cape, and his broad sword hanging on his back only added to the manly figure in front of her.

    She eyed his hand and moved her hand closer to his, hoping that she could grab it without him noticing, hoping that they could hold hand without him saying anything, without him looking at her.

    "So, how about it?" Jack suddenly turned.

    Val''s body jumped and she pulled her hand back. She stared at him with her bright red face."W-what?" She cursed him inside her mind. Why did he turn with that timing?

    "How about we cross the Mid Sea and sail to the Continent? I heard that there are Elves there, though their skin is pure white unlike the one here." Jack laughed, ignoring Val''s red face and strange behavior.

    Val looked one more time at distant landmass and smiled. "Sure, why not. It should be fun."

    The world shifted again and the vista changed. A few images flashed for a brief moment. Val and Jack arriving at the northern coast of the Continent. Their first encounter with Elven race other than Dark Elf, and learning the difference of custom and culture. An image of their house in Amaryn, a small beautiful and comfortable house in the countryside with tended flower and garden. Jack being knighted and later raised to a position of a lower Lord for his service to the crown. Them kissing together inside their new manor. Their marriage. The birth of their first son. Their son and two daughters playing around on the river banks with them. Then ... War.

    The First Mosk-Amaryn War, two hundred years before the Fire Invasion on Mount Etna.

    Amaryn and Mosk had been around for three hundred years when the first war broke out. The relation between the two kingdoms was never a good one, they were enemies, nemesis even. But a war was simply not possible because of the massive mountain range separating them, a nameless mountain range that would later be called the Dawn Range. But a major incident and the ever increasing pressure from the noble houses of Mosk forced the Tsar of Mosk to declare war on Amaryn.

    And for Mosk to declare war on Amaryn, there was only one way they could take, one passage big enough for an army to march from Mosk straight to Amaryn through the Dawn Range. Through a rocky wasteland that would later be known as the Field of Dawn because of what was transpired there during that war.

    Val observed the field from above, flying among the white freezing cloud of winter. Most creatures would have froze to death in her condition, but the cold never bothered her in the slightest, it was comfortable for her.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Far below her was Lord Auburn Fenix, his vassal lords, and his army of ten thousand men. Knights, sellswords, adventurers, but mostly conscripted peasants dragged from their warm home to fight in this frozen wasteland.

    Among those vassal lords was Jack, and among those conscripted peasants were people living in his land. Farmers, hunters, miners, masons, woodcutters, fathers, and brothers, and sons. He didn''t want to drag them to this war, but his duty, his loyalty to the crown, and his honor forced him to. And even if he refused to conscript them, the higher lord could still do it.

    Val descended down until she was next to Jack. He sat on his brown destrier, draped with warm fur cloak while the rest of his soldiers shivered in the cold. Amaryn soldier and Knight were not trained nor equipped for winter, their metal armor and weapon robbed their body of heat if they didn''t use any thick clothing underneath. The knight could afford fur to keep them warm, while the peasant had to improvise.

    Jack had aged considerably, turning forty-five next summer. His face had some wrinkles on it and his neat short beard was turning white. The rest of his hair that still retained its color was painted with snow and frost, making him looked much older.

    "Can''t see anything. The damned fog and snow are blocking my vision. Even magic doesn''t help that much," Val complained.

    Jack turned his head towards Val, who hadn''t aged a little bit since she reached twenty-five. Still as beautiful, as youthful, as alluring as the painting hung on the walls of their manor. Even their son looked older than her. "We can''t know for sure about our enemy then."

    "You sure they gonna attack here?"

    "This is the only spot to attack if they planned to attack with an army. They could mount a smaller attack from the mountains, but then it becomes the job for the other armies to handle."

    "Can they even attack during winter?" Val questioned their enemy''s decision to attack during winter. Amaryn was already cold as it was, Mosk to the south was even colder. And the winter that year was the coldest in decades.

    "Anyone who tries to wage war in winter is a fool." A handsome youth on a horse appeared next to them and answered Val''s question. He was Lord Auburn Fenix, the oldest son of Lord Rayne Fenix, the richest man in Amaryn. He commanded his house''s armies in his father''s stead as his father was too weak and fragile to fight in a war.

    Lord Auburn coughed to clear his throat of the biting cold. "That''s what I would like to say, but our enemy is the Kingdom of Mosk, or Tsardom of Mosk to be more precise. They are the only army in the continent that can use their full power in winter. When their enemies freeze to death, they only shiver. Winter is their weapon. The colder the air, the greater their advantages." The young lord looked at Val, who only wore thin clothing. "You''re not cold, My Lady?"

    "Of course not, my lord" She grabbed the white scarf coiling her neck. "How can I feel cold with a gift from my husband keeping me warm?"

    Lord Auburn and Jack laughed together. It was almost twenty years since their marriage but Val still acted like they were newly wed. While it seemed like fun, it introduced some strange problems to their marriage life such as how active she was in bed despite her age, which Jack was unable to keep up with his aging body. Though that might just be what Elf was like.

    But their laughs were cut short by a shadow in the distance. A small dark shadow blurred by the fog and the falling snow. Jack squinted his eyes to a near close, but it was no help. "Val, can you use that?"

    Val enhanced her vision with magic and molded mana into a lens in front of her eyes to further enhance it. "I can''t see a thing. The enemy is too far or using magic to obscure my vision."

    Jack turned his horse to face Lord Auburn. "What is your command, my lord?"

    The young lord closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had commanded and won a few battle before, but never with a size like this.

    "Lady Val, use your magic to remove the snow so we can see the enemy better."

    "But it would be dangerous without knowing the enemy position."

    The young lord had considered that. removing the snow not only meant he could see the enemy, but the enemy could also see him. There was a risk involved, but considering that the plain was a flat ground with tall mountains to their left and right, it was almost impossible to flank or ambush their position. Destroying his enemy as fast as possible before his army succumbs to the cold was his decision.

    "Do it once the horn is blown." Lord Auburn tapped Jack''s shoulder. "Prepare formation!"

    Jack turned and galloped his horse in front of the army. His raised his sword high and gave the command. "MEN! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

    The sound of horn washed over the battlefield, and the soldiers quickly assumed a battle formation. Their weapons drawn and their armors clattered. It was not perfect by any mean, but it was good enough.

    Val created a small ball of swirling air on her hand. When she removed her hand from it, the ball expanded rapidly, covering the entire battlefield and sweeping away the fog and the falling snow.

    Their enemy stood directly in front of them, four kilometers away.

    Lord Auburn''s, Jack''s, his troops'', and Val''s jaw dropped. They couldn''t believe what they saw. Was the Kingdom of Mosk making fun of them? Did they fake an attack so Amaryn wasted resource on defending a feint?

    A single man. A single naked man without even a piece of fabric on his body, stood in the middle of a frozen wasteland. His skin was snow white and covered with scars from his neck to the sole of his feet. His snow white long beard, long hair, and long mustache were fluttering in the strong wind like a flag. If not for the raging wind, all three would have touched the ground.

    The man stroked his beard. There was no rush in his movement, no panic, no fear, he took his time well. He was calm. Far too calm.

    Back then, that man was no one. A monk, a hermit, a mad man that spent his whole life on the southernmost peak of the Continent. He was nothing but a crazy man with no talent for magic or aura, and with a questionable allegiance. He only sided with Mosk because its capital was the closest to his home on the mountain.

    But that man would later have many titles and many names. He was Thomas Dawn.

    Dawn vanished, leaving a huge crack on the ice where he originally stood.

    For ten seconds, everyone was confused, not knowing what to do or how to react. Then Dawn reappeared right in front of the army, in front of its General. Right in front of Lord Auburn''s horse.

    He punched the horse with his right fist, yet his hand didn''t quite reach the horse. With his arm fully extended, he needed one more steps before touching.

    Val was filled with horror when she realized, she was the only one able to follow Dawn''s movement.

    And the fact that even sound, lagged behind him.

    A large booming sound similar to an explosion resounded in the battlefield, enough to deafen everyone in the army. Some had their eardrums ruptured. Some even fell unconscious from the sound alone.

    A hole appeared on the horse body, large enough for a grown man to put his arm inside it. And Lord Auburn''s head exploded without a trace, dyeing the snow around him with the color of red.

    All because of one punch.

    Dawn vanished once more. And when he reappeared, men and horses were thrown into the air like pebbles. Their armor torn, their weapon broken, their shield shattered, and their life taken.

    The battle was over in a flash. Six thousand people were massacred that day, and the rest flee in a rout. It was a decisive victory for the Kingdom of Mosk. A victory that would change the course of history, and people, forever.

    If only Dawn was willing to fight more than once in that war, the victory of Mosk would have been assured. But alas, Dawn was an eccentric man, and history had already been set in stone.

    Among those 6000 bodies lying around the frozen battlefield, two were still alive, with one crying over the other. "Jack, Hold on!" Val shouted while trying her best to hold back her tears and heal him.

    Jack''s body was in shambles. His left arm torn off and his internal organs ruptured. He didn''t die, at least not yet. He was stronger than Lord Auburn, and Dawn only hit his left side. "Val ..."

    "NO! Don''t speak! I''m healing you, you''re going to be okay." She focused her healing spell on his torn arm, closing the wound almost instantly. She raised his body from the ground with her wind and created a hovering fire to keep him warm.

    "It''s ... useless, Val. I ... have lost too much blood ... already." His right arm slowly rubbed her chin. "Leave me here with my men, and run." He mustered what left of his voice in his throat. "Live ... for our children."

    "NO! NO! NO! You''re coming home with me, Jack. You''re-..." The word caught in her throat, unable to leave, unable to go out. She knew what she did was useless. Her healing spell could regenerate broken tissue and organ, but she couldn''t regenerate his blood. He would die of blood loss.

    "Val. LISTEN!" He yelled.

    "NO!" Her vision blurred by her tears. "Little ..." The word stuck in her throat again. "Li-little Jean is waiting for her father back home, Jack. Y ... You know how much she loves when you carry her on your back. You ... You know how much she is waiting for her tenth birthday with her father." She couldn''t think. She couldn''t imagine how to tell their son, their two daughters. The sadness on their face. Their cries. "And George ... George ..."

    Jack wiped her eyes. "Val I ... I ... I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. I can''t grow old with you. I ... I ... can''t carry little Jean on my back anymore. I''m sorry. I ... can''t be there when George ... when George marry his beautiful wife. I can''t be there ... to ... to see our grand children ... I ..."

    Val stopped her useless struggling, reluctantly accepting the fate that had befallen her beloved, her childhood friend, her man. She would use his last moment to listen to all that he has left to say.

    "Val I-" A fist, appeared on Val''s left, followed by a huge booming sound.

    And Jack''s body exploded into a torrent of blood right in front of her eyes.

    Val''s mind went blank as Jack''s blood showered her body, touching her freezing dark skin and painting her white scarf and white cloak blood red. Her mouth opened wide, but nothing came out of it. Her eyes opened wide, but no tears come flowing down. She couldn''t see anything.

    Nothing at all.

    When the light came back, she had returned to the present day, inside her tent on Mount Etna. Her body was drenched with sweat and tears pooled under her body. She hid her face behind her hands and cried, the hardest cry she ever had in two centuries.

    Why? Why? Why must she remember those painful memories again? Why must she remember Jack two centuries after his death? Why must she remember the detail of his death?

    The last time she had that nightmare was a century ago. The combination of magic, potion, and the passing of time locked that nightmare away in the deepest part of her consciousness. What caused its return?

    An image of Theo flashed inside her minds. But it gave her no reprieve from her suffering. It instead, made her suffer even more.

    She hated that man. She blamed him for hurting her friend. For playing with their feeling. For playing with her feeling. Yet she also loved him. Not the way she loved her children, or grandchildren, or her descendant. Not the way she loved her friends, the Miracle. No, she loved him the way she loved Jack. A love she never felt anymore since his death.

    But why him, why must God be so cruel to her, why did she love again, why must she love a mortal, a human, again? A weaker man than her. A man whose life couldn''t outlast her. A man that she will surely saw his passing, be it on a battlefield like Jack, or on a bed with his wrinkled face and whitened hair.

    Val was filled with dread when she remembered, the dark burnt wound on his stomach when he carried him, his friend, and the Miracle back to the camp. The mark that barely missed his heart. He almost died. The Flame Born Knight almost killed him or sparred him for some reasons unknown.

    And she was filled with regret and guilt when she remembered his pale bluish face when she almost freezes him. When she almost killed him just a few hours earlier. Why? Why did she do that, why did she almost kill him, why did she wants to kill him? She couldn''t understand her own emotion anymore.

    She placed her hand over her pounding heart. She pumped her body full of mana, filling every blood vessel and every magic vessel inside her body until she could hold it no longer. The mana moved around her body, circulating when she commanded it to, accelerating when she wanted it to.

    Val grimaced and gritted her teeth. The mana inside her body was creating a vortex and moving at a dangerous speed. She was purging her body from any residual magic, or miracle, or curses that could plague her mind or her heart. Though the method she did was, extreme, to put it mildly. If she made even the smallest mistake, she could burst her blood vessel and broke her magic vessel, killing herself. But she had steeled her will to do it.

    She wanted to confirm one last time whether the feeling she felt for Theo was a genuine one or a trick of some sort.

    She went on and on for a half an hour, not stopping or slowing down her mana in the slightest. Then she released it all, cleaning her body of any residual magic no matter how powerful or sticky it might be.

    And she still felt it, her affection, her love towards that man. "So it is real?" She asked herself. After she did all that, there was no use in denying it anymore.

    There was a strange sense of relief washing over her when she finally accepted her feeling like a shackle finally opened. She didn''t know why. It was like she wanted to accept that feeling for a long time, her heart wanted her to, yet she kept denying it, her mind kept denying it.

    She rested her head on the warm sweat-soaked pillow once she made peace with her own feeling. Her body never felt lighter, nor did her heart. The bed never felt softer and her mind was never more at peace.

    She smiled to herself. The first time in many many years.

    She was about to close her eyes and rest when her mind reminded her about the one thing that robbed her from a peace of mind, the word Theo uttered. He would attack the mountain, the summit on his own if she didn''t want his help.

    The bed creaked when she jumped from it so suddenly. She picked her daggers and all her usual gears and placed her blood-red cloak over her naked sweat-covered body.

    Her mind began playing tricks on her and played out the worst possible outcome. What if just hours after she felt love again, after she made peace with her feeling, she would lose the man that invoked that powerful emotion within her. What if after finally wanting to love again, she would lose that love in the same night?

    The cold wind that whistled past her face brought her back to reality. She abandoned all negative thought and focused on the real world. There was no way she would let the worst outcome to happen.

 Chapter 65: Assault

    Theo stood on the edge of the encampment. The freezing night breeze whistling around his body was strangely pleasant. It was both freezing and warm at the same time. No matter how cold the wind turned, it was warmer than Val''s ice, and it helped him regain his body heat and his focus.

    The night was silent. There was no wave of Fire Elemental, and most of the soldiers had gone to rest save for those on guard duty and those who chose to drink themselves till they faint. The few that chose to drink and have fun that night were far away from him. Their voice nothing more than a distant chatter.

    He sighed. He would love to waste himself away with cheap liquor the soldiers have. He refocused himself and observed the peak.

    The condition on the summit still hadn''t changed. Ashes still smoked out from the caldera like a burning chimney in winter, only bigger, much bigger. Even if Val somehow changed her mind and decided that she wanted his help, she couldn''t carry him to the peak or he will die due to the extreme heat. Not to mention that the peak should be heavily protected. Flying there was suicidal.

    "Theo." A whisper blew past his ears. The voice was so soft and small that he almost dismissed it as his imagination. He didn''t recognize whose voice that was, only he knew that it was a woman''s.

    Theo turned his head to see. When he realized who that was, he turned his head away instantly. "Why are you here?" He asked, his voice tinged with fear.

    "I-" The sound of Val swallowing the saliva in her mouth was audible even to Theo who stood quite a distance away. "Decided to help you- I mean! decided that you can help me if ... you apologize first. I still haven''t forgiven you for what you did." Val wasn''t lying. She was still angry at Theo, and just because she accepted her feeling, didn''t mean she had forgiven him.

    "I''m sorry," Said Theo immediately. His voice was sincere and honest, though he didn''t feel sorry. His [Heartbeat: Deus Ex Machina] was not for him to control, and there were so many factors contributing to the attack of the Flame-Born Knight that it wasn''t fair to put the blame on him alone. "I''m sorry."

    "What the hell is that? that''s a pathetic apology." Her voice was cold, causing Theo to shiver hearing that. "If you are truly sorry then show me that you do, instead of just ... saying it."

    "So, may I show you my face?" Val raised her brows, confused. "You said you''d kill me if I show you my face."

    "No," Val answered shortly. "No, you may not. You''re not allowed to show your face, or I will kill you." Her words were threatening but her voice was soft and comforting, almost to the point of teasing and joking.

    "Okay," Theo turned his head to see Val. He wasn''t sure whether Val was joking or teasing or ... not. He knew that Val was joking, but the fear in his heart wouldn''t let go of the possibility that she was not, and that he would die because of it.

    Theo''s blood turned cold. His mind and body froze when he turned and saw Val''s frozen hand almost touching him. "Are you deaf?" Val asked. "Or stupid? Both? I told you, you can''t show your face." Val pulled back her hand. "Don''t push your luck, and don''t push my patience."

    Theo''s blood was drained from his face. "I''m sorry." This time, he was sincere. "I won''t do that again." He turned his face away from Val and made a mental note not to mess with Val.

    Val stared at the back of his head when he turned. There was still some anger, some hate in her eyes, but this time, it also came with affection and longing she didn''t have before. And it wasn''t the strong forced reaction from his skill either. It was calmer and more ... normal.

    "If you want to help me, we do it MY way," Val said.

    "Okay, anything I should know about ''your way''?"

    Val smiled, then shot up to the sky, leaving Theo behind.

    Theo was left dumbfounded, he didn''t know what had just happened. What was the meaning of her action? Did she change the term from killing him literally to killing his hope?

    "What the ..." Before Theo say anything, the wind hissed around his feet, grabbing it tighter than any hand could. Then the wind rose, cladding his body and creating a ball of raging wind.

    The ball soared into the sky, bringing Theo with it. The movement was so sudden and so fast that Theo screamed in surprise, and it made his head light. The ball kept moving, keeping a steady speed until it touched the cloud, where Val waited for it and for him. Then it stopped as suddenly as it moved. Again, making his head light.

    Theo grabbed his heart that was about to burst. He took a deep breath. "Warn me first, goddammit!" He yelled with all his breath. He flailed his arms around, but there was nothing to grab, only the winds.

    "I can dispell the ball right now if you want." Val smiled innocently at him. He still couldn''t get the feeling out from his head that she would actually do that.

    Theo looked below his feet, his heart jumped. They were so high in the sky that the encampment looked so tiny and that any men were practically invisible to him. He wasn''t afraid of height, but this was another thing entirely. If he was the one in control of the flight or if he had something to hold on to, he might not be as afraid, but he was stripped of both. "P-please don''t."

    Val smirked. "Then, we do it MY way." She and the ball soared through the cloud just like before, explosive and sudden. Experiencing it one time before was not enough to make Theo ready for it again.

    They flew for a good five minutes without any trouble, but like Theo had predicted before, it was impossible to go to the summit without anyone or anything noticing them.

    The ground was littered with countless red dots. They were bombarded with [Greater Fireball], hundreds of it if not thousands, and the number kept getting bigger and bigger the closer they got to their destination.

    While Theo worried that one of the fireballs would hit them, Val didn''t even bat an eye to the rain of fire around them.

    Val wasn''t sure who shot those fireballs, but no matter who shot it, it was not a problem for her. Be it hundreds, or thousand, or hundreds of thousands, a tier 3 spell simply wasn''t powerful enough to pose a threat to her.

    She masterfully flew between the massive fireball, dodging without reducing her flying speed in the slightest. The few that she couldn''t dodge was simply blocked or flicked away by the raging wind around her and Theo. That was until they reached four-fifth of the way to the summit.

    A black shadow approached from the distance, hidden behind the thick column of ashes. So large that it made Theo and Val looked like an ant compared to it.

    The creature''s gargantuan wing whipped and crackled each time it moved. Its breath was fire and its blood lava. And with a single roar, the cloud of smoke and ashes were pushed away from it.

    A lava gargoyle. Twice as big as the previous one, and much scarier looking. But it bothered Val no more than the rain of fireball.

    A spear of ice formed next to her body. It was long and shaped like a normal spear ... if looked from one side. The spear was so thin, it was invisible if seen from the right angle.

    Winds roared, and the spear tore the gargoyle''s brain faster than the speed of sound.

    The ground trembled and the sky shook when the massive body of the lava gargoyle crashed to the ground, flattening any unlucky elementals who didn''t watch their head.

    Val watched the dead gargoyle. Strange, she rarely felt any sense of accomplishment when she defeated a weak foe, but killing the gargoyle brought a smile to her face. Maybe she counted every enemy slain as a form of revenge for hurting her friend, or maybe it was something else entirely.

    "VAL!"

    Val turned her head. But before she could even see him, she knew why.

    Val slammed her head on her own shoulder. A spear of fire whistled past her head, grazing her cheek. One moment too late and she would have lost her head.

    She dove down like an eagle about to catch a rabbit. The ball followed close behind her, including the person inside it.

    Far below them, a lone Flame-Born Knight stood tall. He was not different than the previous three knights they encountered before. If there was any difference to their appearance, only they could notice it.

    While the difference in their appearance might seem trivial, it was not the case for Val. Her blood boiled when she saw the Knight. She would love to rush headlong and crush the knight in one attack, channeling all her rage and once more avenging her friends. But the burn on her cheek taught her something, she will die if she was careless.

    Another spear of fire formed in the Knight''s hand. He was about to throw it when Val launched a much faster ice spear.

    The knight jumped back, letting the ice spear hit the ground in front of it. The hole it created spoke of the power the spear carried. It was big enough for a grown man to lie down with room to spare. And it wasn''t just that, the ground it hit was frozen solid despite the boiling air and the lava flowing near it.

    Countless spears formed all around Val and rained down on the Knight. For each spear missing its target, two more appeared next to her body.

    The knight dodged at first but soon found that the sheer number left no room to dodge. He created a shield of golden fire and hid behind it. The shield shook and trembled each time a spear hit it, but the knight stood firm and held his ground.

    Val didn''t stop her assault. She knew that her ice spears were not strong enough to penetrate the shield, and even though she couldn''t cast another spell while she did that, she kept bombarding the knight without stop. She must keep the Knight busy for a safe landing. She didn''t worry about her safety, she could handle any attack the Knight threw at her, but she couldn''t say the same for the man behind her.

    The moment Val touched the ground, another Knight showed up from her right. He rushed at her with a halberd in hand.

    Val created a wall of ice between them, but the wall was nothing for the Knight, he melted it with his flame halberd. But it did gave her enough time to divide the bombardment of spears into two. And like the first Knight, the second one dodged at first but then resorted to his shield.

    "Val, I think I can be a good enough distraction," Theo said. He knew how powerful Val was, he experienced her power firsthand. But her enemies were two Flame-Born Knight. He was worried she might not be able to fight both at once.

    Val''s ear twitched when she heard his suggestion, did she heard him right. "What?"

    "I know I''m not strong enough. My blade barely cut through their armor, and my armor is useless against their flame-forged weapon, but I know the area. I think I can use it to my advantage. I think I can help you."

    "WHAT?" Val shouted on his ears. She couldn''t believe what he said, but when she saw his face, she knew he was serious with his idea.

    She turned away from him, facing the two knights. She clenched her fist. The enemies in front of her weren''t something that a level 30, Class 4 Swordsman could defeat. Why didn''t he understand his position? Why didn''t he understand her feeling?

    She searched her head for an excuse to stop Theo from engaging this fight, or any fight at all. If it was possible, she didn''t want him to fight at all. This Fire Invasion was something far above his power level. And when a dog tries to fight a lion, everyone knows how that would end.

    "You must be joking! You? trying to distract him? You''ll only get in my way!" Val chose that answer. She was, after all, the one with power and authority here. He came here because of her help and because she allowed him to. She could use that to her own advantage. "If you want to help, take ten steps back and just ... stand there and watch!"

    Theo raised his brows, but he didn''t say anything. He did what he was told. She got a point, if she fought while trying to protect him from dying, she couldn''t fight using her full power.

    Knowing that Theo followed the order and that he was at a safe distance, Val''s gaze returned to the Knights. She dispelled the rain of spear. Val took a deep breath. Her eyes shimmered and mana exploded outward.

    The temperature fell, far below the freezing point of water. The ground in a fifty meters radius turned to solid ice, not excluding the fire and molten rock within that area. The wind of winter blew in every direction. Snow and ice fell from the sky, and the moisture in the air slowly crystallized.

    Theo watched with awe at the sudden change of environment. That was [Eternal winter], one of Val''s many unique skills. The spell drastically changed the area around Val to a frozen wasteland with her as the center. The area followed her wherever she goes, freezing anything caught within its radius except when Val specifically told it not to, such as Theo. Inside that area, Val''s and her allies'' magical power were increased a significant amount. Not to mention the cold and the wind constantly haunted her enemies and drain them of their strength.

    It was one of the most powerful spells in her arsenal, and one of the most powerful spells ever cast in the history of the Continent. She could create an area with the radius of more than one kilometer if she wanted to, but that was not necessary. And she rather not use the spell if possible. The effect of the spell reminded her clearly of the Field of Dawn and the horror that transpired there.

    The spell was classified as a tier 7 spell, making it one of the few known tier 7 spells. And making her one of the very few people capable of using a tier 7 of ... anything. Tier 7 spells, skills, and miracles were considered to be in the realm of myth, beyond what mortals were capable of using. Though from times to times, an individual, or some individuals, appeared to defy that common logic.

    The knights appeared from behind their shield with a fire sword on their other hand. Wings of fire were ablaze on their back, smaller and weaker than usual.

    The knights realized the danger of the cold. They must kill the dark elf as soon as possible.

    The flame inside their body started to wane, and the stole heat from their skin. And every attempt to increase the temperature of their body or surrounding ended up in a failure. The temperature kept dropping and dropping without any hint of stopping. The cold was unnatural, like a gaping pit that swallowed any form of heat and never let go.

    The two knight charged with their wings spread out. The frozen rock and the frigid wind was not enough to slow them down. Theo could only stand back and watch as the two monsters tried their best to end the life of Val. And Val trying her best to end the two.

    Among the sound of howling wind, of blazing flame, of cracking ice, Theo heard a distinct sound clattering metal in the distance. Two metals clashing against each other and a few other sounds that were too faint for him to hear.

    While he was mesmerized by Val fight, the falling snow and the amount of water vapor created from their fight hindered his vision. He was curious about the sound, but he was worried of a trap.

    Theo observed and scouted the area around him, careful to not get caught in the battle of three monsters. The area was filled with huge rocks. Some, rose more than five meters to the sky. Molten lava flowed through the crack and crevice, and ashes spew out from every hole in the ground. Other than the two knights, there was no other fire elemental around there. None that he could spot.

    He slowly walked towards the source of the foreign sound, while watching his surrounding for any sign of enemy.

    Then he saw, not too far from where Val was fighting, another fight. On one side, a Flame-Born Knight, and on the other side, a party of eight people.

    But not just any party, it was the group of Setanta, the new Chosen One.

    Theo wondered what kind of coincidence it was to meet the Chosen One again there. With the Chosen One''s personality, Theo didn''t expect he would get that far. Though he was the Chosen One in the end, maybe it was fate or destiny or whatever that guided him there.

    Setanta himself was leading the party with his legendary crimson spear. He was wounded all over his body, though the smile on his face showed that he enjoyed the fight.Around Setanta were six women, his women most likely. One was holding a massive shield and acting as a tank, though her shield barely blocked the attack from their enemy. One acted as a melee damage dealer using a sword. Two acted as a ranged damage dealer with a bow and a staff. The last two took the role of healer and support.

    Theo couldn''t say that their teamwork was any good, but at least they had teamwork. And each one of them was powerful on their own and was equipped with powerful gears from the church that even the Miracle would have a hard time getting their hands on.

    The Knight was pretty overwhelmed. It was obvious he was going to lose if he didn''t run or if he didn''t get any help. But he didn''t run or get any help. If he turned his back from Setanta, he would be skewered by his crimson spear.

    Theo took one step closer to get a better look. His blood ran cold. His heart about to pop and his mind went into overdrive. Theo jumped back as far as he could.

    "Impressive." A voice came from behind a rock, it was another Flame-Born Knight. "Most impressive. No one should be able to detect me, but you did."

    Theo''s body shivered. He shook his head and steeled his will. Why was he afraid? He was prepared for this.

    The knight stood, watching Theo. Theo couldn''t see the Knight''s eyes, but he was sure the Knight was eyeing him up and down, Observing him.

    "Ahh, even more impressive. You''re the same party who defeated three knights yesterday, right?" The knight asked. There was no enmity or hostility in his voice. Neither was the proud and arrogance tone of the Flame-Born Knight he faced before.

    The Knight bowed. "I hope that your previous encounter didn''t ruin your image of us. We were trained to be an honorable fighter, a ... Royal Guard in mortal terms. But sometimes our pride and arrogance, and the pressure of duty got the better of us. Some of us paid the price dearly." He raised his body. Spear appeared and he gripped it with both hands. "I will not make the same mistake as my brothers." The Knight dropped to a stance. "Come! Raise your weapon and fight me!"

    Fiery aura erupted from the knight''s body, it was tremendous. The ground shook and Theo felt his skin burning from the heat alone.

    Theo couldn''t stop his legs from shaking. It was the same terror and dread he felt when he faced the Knight from the day before. The same preservation instinct running wild just like the day before.

    Theo took the special potion he had prepared and put the vial on his lips. He gulped it down in one go without thinking. He didn''t give the chance for his mind to doubt itself.

    The potion was thick and viscous, almost sticking to his throat. The smell was horrible and the taste was even more so. His stomach churned, but he held it all in. He held the overpowering feeling of wanting to vomit for a few minutes until it was gone. And when it was gone, he felt it.

    The power. Energy radiated from his stomach, filling his muscle and organs and every fiber of his being. His muscles bulged, his skin hardened, his mind cleared. Every joint in his body became more flexible. His mind had never been in more clarity. His heart had never been at more ease. And all the pain he felt was nothing but memories.

    He felt he could do anything right now. He felt he could take on the world alone. But he knew that was not true. He doubted he could defeat the Knight in front of him at this state. He needed more.

    He took the ring of the Wolf God and put it on his left pinky finger.

    The moment he put it on, the ring turned red. Theo roared and growled as a foreign substance entered his body from the ring and spread throughout his body. His chest turned hot, his whole body turned hot.

    Fur grew on every opening of his skin. His nails and finger grew longer and larger and sharper. His legs deformed and reformed with a weird proportion. His teeth all turned to fangs and his jaw elongated to the front.

    He took off his armor before he grew too big and made his own armor a death trap. It wasn''t like the armor could block the attack from a Flame-Born Knight anyway. Their fire can go through any armor that was not inherently magical or extensively enchanted. When the transformation finally over, Theo stood twice as big as before with fur covering ever part of his body. Panes was really short when compared to his body, making it looked like a shortsword.

    The power he got from his werewolf transformation added on top of the potion was overwhelming. His aura was overflowing, rivaling even that of the Knight. He was confident he could take on the Knight, though he chose to stay careful and not take an uneccesary risk.

    But a voice whispered in his mind, telling him that he was powerful enough to take on the Knight alone. That he could crush the Knight with one hand behind his back. Theo dismissed the voice. It was obvious that it wasn''t his own voice but the voice from the ring.

    "Done?" The Knight asked after waiting through his transformation. The Knight could have killed Theo during the transformation, but he didn''t. Whether it was the ''honor'' the Knight spoke about, or his self-confidence, Theo didn''t care.

    "Done. Sorry to make you wait."

    Theo rushed towards the Knight. His body disappeared for a moment and reappeared in front of the Knight with Panes in the middle of a swing.

    The Knight blocked it with his spear. But his reaction showed that he didn''t expect an attack at such speed, Theo was elated.Too focused on the sword, the Knight didn''t see Theo''s leg coming.

    The Knight was thrown back, and his body didn''t stop moving until it crashed against a rock, just like the way Theo was thrown by the Knight from the day before.

    Theo smiled and chuckled. He never felt this way. This overpowering feeling of strength.

    He could get used to it.

 Chapter 66: Assault II

    Sir Arslan read the letter in his hand with a grim face and furrowed brows. He threw it aside with a sigh and massaged his nape. The letter came just after the break of dawn, brought by a half-alive, half-burned rider from the free cities encampment. From his condition, Sir Arslan knew that something bad happened, but he never expected it to be this bad.

    The free cities military garrison was overrun by Fire Elemental, crushed by the sudden appearance of an army twenty thousand strong. Now Sir Arslan knew why Amaryn garrison wasn''t attacked all that much the last few days. But that wasn''t the only bad news the rider brought.

    The Fire Elemental army that destroyed the free cities garrison was marching to their position from the east while another army was descending from the north. Both expected to arrive at noon with each numbering above twenty thousand strong. With Val attacking the summit and the rest of the Miracle not in a condition to fight, it would be a tough fight. Not to mention the special elemental the army brought with them. Hell, maybe even Flame-Born Knights.

    Sir Arslan already ordered his men to fortify the encampment and sent a message to Redmound asking for a reinforcement, but both won''t be ready in time.

    He stood up from the fine wooden chair beneath him and picked up the sword on the table. The blade was gleaming under the sunlight, showing the excellent craftsmanship went into making it. It was an excellent sword, one of the best in Amaryn, yet everything about it was inferior compared to his BloodRite, except maybe the fact that it didn''t talk and complain to him.

    He turned and gazed the peak of Mount Etna from the opening of his tent. He had a bad feeling that he couldn''t shake off from his heart. High Priestess Sara had told him about the enemy leader, Calamity, one of the Fire Lords with an ungodly high level of one hundred and fifty, higher than any non-demon humanoid ever recorded in history, and twice as high as his own. He hoped that Val and Theo succeeded in closing the portal before Calamity set a foot in this world, or god knows what would happen.

    He closed his eyes and stood still, clearing his mind and focusing inward. He was old and the years hadn''t been kind to him. While his daily training and practice had kept him from dropping a level, the fight with Alex showed him that he was not his younger self. His joint wasn''t as flexible, his movement wasn''t as smooth, his strike wasn''t as strong or precise as he once had been. And discounting his fight with Alex, it had been ten years since he had a true fight. He worried that he might ...

    ''Boom''

    Sir Arslan turned his head to the sound. If his hearing hadn''t betrayed him, it came from the edge of the camp. He rushed out his tent, running to the sound faster than the wind.

    Lune was there, standing under the sun with her massive black armor, shield, and warhammer that she somehow able to swing with one hand. Her full body armor hid any injuries she had on her body, yet her dwindling aura was for all to see.

    A Flame-Born Knight stood in front of her with wings spread out and a fire blade on one hand. His other hand was a jumbled and mangled mess of fire after trying to block Lune''s swing. But now he knew better, and he was winning.

    The Knight spread his wings and flew back after realizing a powerful foe coming his way. But he wasn''t fast enough nor flew far enough.

    A blade of sacred flame clashed with an aura-covered steel blade.

    The fire blade split in two. Boiling red molten rock gushed out from the wound on the Knight''s chest.

    The knight stopped his retreat. His blade reformed in his hand and he aimed it at his enemy''s heart. But a parry came from his right and his sacred flame only stabbed the old man''s left shoulder.

    Sir Arslan grunted. Even the enchanted Royal Guard armor wasn''t enough to block the sacred flame of their weapon. He endured the pain. It was nothing.

    Sir Arslan ran his blade through the Knight''s chest. He stabbed him on the fiery core that was his heart, yet the Knight did not vanish, or die, or even despaired when met with his death.

    The knight smiled.

    Fire Elemental didn''t have any face that a human would recognize as a face. And a Flame-Born Knight added a layer into that, hiding their indiscernible face behind a thick helmet, but he knew the Knight was smiling, without a doubt. The Knight knew since the first time he sensed Sir Arslan that he had no chance fighting him alone, but his brothers might have a chance if he injured him enough.

    The Knight took hold of Sir Arslan arm and held it with the last vestiges of his strength. The Knight body lit up with bright red light that scorched the ground.

    Sir Arslan watched the Knight with wide eyes. He knew what the knight was trying to do. He pulled his right hand back to no avail. His sword was stuck inside the Knight''s body and his right arm was held tighter than he ever been held before.

    He turned his face away from the Knight and closed his eyes shut. His aura moved and formed a thick layer of protective barrier on the side of his body facing the Knight.

    "SIR!!"

    Lune''s voice was the last thing Sir Arslan heard before the world turned silent, before his body went numb, and his head rung like a bell.

    When he opened his eyes, the world was pure white. He was not dead, he knew that. The afterlife wasn''t like that. He panted and grimaced, minutes passed before his vision returned to him. He was laying on the ground with Lune towering near him. But she wasn''t looking at him, she was in a fighting stance, holding a horde of Fire Elemental from reaching him.

    Sir Arslan jumped to a standing position. His head was still ringing, his vision blurred, and his hearing hadn''t returned. But he got a grasp of what was happening.

    The sound of battle raging all around him, the shout, the sound of metals meeting metals, the sound of fire, and the scream filled his ears as his hearing came back to him. Armies of fire elemental surrounded the encampment from all side and his soldiers were fighting a losing battle.

    His head stopped ringing and his mind cleared, and the numbness was gone too, except for his right arm. Sir Arslan sighed. He knew it from the pain, before even looking at the burnt stump his right arm had become.

    He ignored the fact that his sword arm was gone. While it was a nightmare for any swordsman to lose their sword arm or hand, the situation did not allow him to grieve. And a clumsy left arm was better than no arm at all.

    He searched the ground around him for his sword but found nothing, He realized it afterward that an explosion that could take his aura-protected arm would have destroyed his sword.

    He took a dagger he always had on his belt and killed a few fire elementals foolish enough to think they could take on an unarmed one-handed old man. He turned towards the camp, trying to remember where the spare swords were kept. But before he could even take one step, a ring of fire formed around him.

    Sir Arslan stopped and observed his surroundings. One, no, two, no, three ... four.

    Sir Arslan ducked right when a fire halberd slashed where his head was. He jumped back when a fire arrow struck the ground where he had been. He rolled to the right then parried a blow coming from his left. All of that happened in a fraction of a second.

    "Impressive, Blood Dancer!" A deep voice rang out. "As expected from the so-called ''strongest living swordsman''." Four Flame-Born knights descended from the sky. One in front of him, one behind him, and each on his left and right.

    "So you know me?" Sir Arslan was in a bad position. Four Flame-Born Knight after one had almost killed him.

    "Of course, do you think we''re so careless that we do not scout our enemy''s strength and weakness?" The one with golden flame for wings answered. He appears to be their leader. "Arslan Hartman, the Blood Dancer, the strongest living swordsman on the continent." He took one step forward and extended his hand. "Our lady is fond of strong and special specimens, and she planned to keep some of you human alive. Only the best of you, of course. Kneel and throw down your weapon! You should know better that you''re outmatched. You can''t possibly hope to face the four of us in that condition."

    Sir Arslan smiled and nodded his head. "I''m honored that you know me, but how much do you know about me? Do you know why people here called me the Blood Dancer?"

    Sir Arslan wanted to know how could they know about him when they were on a different dimension. And based on their information sources, he could determine how much they knew about him and his power. His two most popular nicknames were the Blood Dancer and Fire Beard, and while there were many popular variations of tales and story of how he got those two nicknames, very few actually knew the true reason why.

    "Why does that matter?" The knight took another step and formed a sword in his hand. His tone became more threatening. "During your great war with the demon race, you massacred ten thousand demons on your own and washed the field near Redmound with the red of blood." He raised his fire sword and pointed it at Sir Arslan. "Kneel! That your last chance."

    The smiled disappeared from Sir Arslan''s face. He didn''t know where or how they got their information from, but that was the most popular variation of the story. And the wrong one.

    He spun the dagger in his hand into a reverse grip and stabbed what was left of his right arm. Smile reappeared on his face as adrenaline flooded his blood. The fact that he might not survive this fight brought a strange kind of joy. The kind that he hadn''t felt in twenty years since his unresolved fight with Demon Lord Anvar. The joy of a swordsman facing a challenge.Stolen novel; please report.

    Blood came out from the wound when he pulled the dagger out, but the blood did not fell to the ground nor did it sprouted out into the air. His blood formed a long blade, turning his dagger into a sword.

    "Come!" Sir Arslan shouted with certainty and pride in his voice.

    -----

    A shadow moved from one tent to the other unnoticed amidst the commotion of the raging battle. The attack of the fire elemental and the chaos of the whole situation made its job far easier. The guards were not posted on their post, soldiers, adventurers, and mages were in too much panic to notice an intruder walking among their rank. And the few people that it was afraid of, was too busy trying to defend the encampment.

    The shadow stopped when it reached its destination, an emergency medical tent near the center of the encampment. The target was inside there.

    The shadow had scouted and collected information before doing this mission, and it knew that one of the strongest adventurer party, the miracle, was recovering inside the same tent as the target. It had to be careful to complete the mission. Facing the miracle in a combat was not an option no matter how injured they were.

    The shadow opened a vial and threw it under the tent wall. The vial rolled and hit a hard object to a stop. The cap opened and a powerful magical sleeping gas was released. After throwing a few more vials under the tent and checking the movement of the people inside, the shadow entered the tent.

    The miracle was fast asleep on their bed. Even Alina, one of the most feared assassins in Amaryn was unconscious. The best assassin would have precautions against poison at all time, and they would have a pretty high resistance against it. For her to lose her consciousness was suspicious, deemed the shadow.

    The shadow checked her condition, it would be bad if she was faking it and waiting for the right moment to attack. But she wasn''t. The shadow couldn''t hide his grin. Pathetic, anyone could kill her when she was like that, and the shadow was tempted to do just that. But the shadow refrained his will, the order was clear, no unnecessary killing and no unnecessary attention.

    The target was just a boy, or so he appeared. Small, blue-haired, cute, and baby-faced just like a little kid. Yet inside that small body was an ancient unimaginable power capable of destroying or saving the world. If the world knows about his power, war would be waged over it. And the shadow was there to make sure the master got it before anyone does.

    "S ... Stop!"

    The shadow turned to see a green haired woman leaning against a bed. The woman was sweating profusely, her grimacing face, shaking hands, and limping body showed that she was not okay.

    ''How?'' The shadow asked without a voice. There was no way for a human to resist the sleeping poison without prior knowledge. And there was no way for anyone to know about the poison except if the master betrayed it.

    The shadow''s slitted eyes opened a little when it noticed a layer of magic surrounding the woman. An illusion, a glamour, a powerful disguising magic was wrapping around the woman''s body like a jacket or armor. The spell was well-made and intricate and complex, like a carefully woven thread. Not many could cast a glamour as high level as that, and fewer could dispell it, but for the shadow, it was only a child''s play. With a wave of a hand, the illusion was undone.

    Two slightly curved horn appeared on the woman''s head, pointing towards the sky. It was black and lustrous as a wet obsidian. A sharp tail showed itself between her legs like a wriggling snake without scales.

    The shadow couldn''t hide the surprise seeing her true form. What was a demon doing there, fighting alongside human? Both races hated each other and were natural enemies.

    The shadow''s arm reached for the daggers on its back. Its mission was to get the dragon without anyone noticing. But if someone were to notice then ...

    Lyana dropped her head down and three unseen magic daggers tore through the tent wall behind her. Her mind was foggy from the strange gas that filled the air and her lungs. And even though her demon blood resisted the effect, she was not immune to it.

    She channeled mana to the palm of her hand, trying to create a lightning bolt. Yet the spell fizzled when she couldn''t maintain her concentration. She was in no condition to cast magic.

    Another dagger moved towards her head, this time the shadow came with it. Lyana moved her head back, but the shadow grabbed her by the horn and pulled her near his dagger.

    She raised both hands to her face. The steel edge bit her skin and flesh to the bone. The blade was small yet cut sharply and deeply. She could see the tiny tip of the dagger coming out from the back of her right hand. The pain was unbearable, but it brought some needed clarity to her foggy mind.

    Electricity jumped from her bloody hand to the other and back, increasing in intensity and frequency with each jump. From appearance, it was just like any other of her spell, but she knew it wasn''t like any lighting she ever cast before. She vividly remembered the feeling when Ed''s eyes turned blue. The air thickened with mana so much that it was suffocating. Her body was glowing and overflowing with mana and all the magic path in her body opened wide, many that she didn''t even know existed before. It was what made her able to cast a tier-4 magic, the tier that was often considered to separate a common magic user from a true one.

    The shadow pulled back the dagger, but Lyana gripped it with her bloody fist, making her wound deeper and wider. The dagger was slippery because of her blood, so she gripped it tighter yet. She had to do it or she afraid she would miss her mark.

    The shadow abandoned the dagger and jumped back, but it was too late. The shadow roared as lighting ran through its thin body from the hand to the arm to the chest, then down to the waist and the leg and exited through its feet.

    Lyana fell to her knees. She was still recovering from her wound and she was forced into another fight. Her whole body ached, her head ringing, and her hand hurt like hell. She never felt a pain like this before, she wanted to cry.

    "BITCH!"

    Lyana raised her face to the sound and saw the tip of the dagger coming right at her.

    It stopped.

    The dagger stopped before her eyes. Her body still wouldn''t move from the shock and the pain, but the shadow also refused to move. The shadow was grunting in pain, his body was scarred with the forked path the lightning took, and its eyes were red and bleeding.

    She fought the pain and the ache and the urge to lay down, and stood to her feet. She grabbed the dagger that was soaked with her blood. Even grabbing the handle caused an intense pain that ran along her arms to the spine. She wanted to drop it, but she couldn''t, she mustn''t.

    She put the edge of the dagger on the shadow''s throat, or the part that seemed like its windpipe.

    "No." Lyana looked back. Vivi was standing there with her hands extended forward. Lyana understood, she was the one who stopped the dagger with her mind magic. Vivi''s condition was no better than her. Vivi was sweating like crazy and the bandages covering her head was leaking blood. "We ..." She could hardly speak. "Capture him. To ... question later."

    Vivi body wobbled left and right, she was about to pass out. The shadow would move again if Vivi were to lose consciousness.

    Lyana threw the dagger in her hand and grabbed the shadow''s head. The shadow screamed as electricity ran through its body once more. The shadow crashed to the floor, unconscious, followed by Vivi and Lyana soon after.

    As the world grew fuzzy, Lyana realized, she could see her own curved horn. Her disguise magic was undone and she hadn''t cast it again. Anyone that came inside the tent would see her true form, a demon that other races hated so much. She raised her finger and ... she lost consciousness. The wound, the pain, and the sleeping gas worked together to rob her of her chance.

    ------

    "Where are you, punny one?!" The voice roared on the rocky terrain.

    A werewolf prowled the area on his four legs, sniffing and tasting and searching for its prey. His body was massive, four times bigger than a normal adult male with two red shining eyes on his face.His form was closer to a wolf rather than a man. And he grew closer to become a wolf with each passing second.

    Not too far from his position were sword and armor and clothing and pouches and a necklace, all unfit for his size and laying on the ground. And not too far from the items were a Flame-Born Knight, hiding behind a rising rock. His flame armor was in pieces, his weapon broken, and the left side of his torso was nonexistent.

    The fight started out normally, with the wolf and the knight fighting on par. The wolf was faster and stronger, but the knight was more skilled and his weapon and magic more varied. But the fight gradually changed. The wolf became stronger, faster, more resilient. Any wound the knight inflicted was healed in a matter of minutes, and later in seconds. The wolf fighting style became feral and reckless, he often charged and swung his sword in a wild abandon. The wolf even threw away his sword after some time, preferring his diamond-hard claw and fangs that were as big as a man''s foot.

    "Puny oneee~" Shivers ran down the knight''s fiery spine. He jumped away from the rock as it exploded into a thousand pieces just from the wolf punch.

    The wolf grabbed the knight''s legs and put it in his jaw. His sharp fang tore the Knight''s legs, and the wolf feasted the legs with a delighted howl.

    The Knight had expected it. The fight started out honorably like a fight between two warriors should, but the wolf slowly went mad and turned the fight into a feast. And since the knight couldn''t kill the wolf in the normal way, he might as well be the best food the wolf ever tasted, and the most explosive.

    The werewolf''s eyes opened wide along with his mouth. Fire sprayed out from his throat, scorching his inner mouth black. His gut bloated like a bubble before popping like one. Blood and inner organs flew everywhere, painting the surface of every rock around to red. The wolf upper torso flew high into the sky while his waist down disappeared completely.

    Fire spear formed in the knight''s hand. He knew the explosion alone was not enough. As long as the brain was intact and as long as the ring still stuck in his finger, the wolf would endure. Strangely, the ring endured any beating and despite the madness, the wolf was careful so that the ring was not cut off from his body.

    The knight leaped and stabbed the wolf''s falling torso, aiming for the brain.

    But his spear was stopped.

    The wolf grabbed the spear and spun around in the air. Before the knight knew, his head already went down the wolf''s throat. But without a stomach to hold it, the knight''s head rolled out and fell to the ground where it finally vanished.

    The wolf fell following the Knight. With his ribcage broken and curved outward, his unprotected dangling heart exploded during the impact with the ground.

    The wolf lay on the ground with eyes rolled back. His body could not support life anymore, yet the ring on his finger survived all that damage and explosion. Somehow.

    The wolf eyes shot open as his heart reformed from the bloody clump it was. He howled and roared and grunted as his body regenerated and reformed. After three minutes, the wolf stood again, taller and bigger and stronger than before.

    [Theo Gladium level-up to level 33]

    He watched the remains of the Knight and laughed. He killed his enemy, he killed the Knight, he killed a powerful foe that hurt him, his friend, and his women ... his friend? His women? White light danced around in his mind. ''My slave, my pets!''

    He held his head as pain wrecked it, something wasn''t right. There was no more enemy yet the anger, the bloodlust wasn''t going anywhere. There was no more object of hate, yet the hatred and the thirst for vengeance still boiled strong within his heart.

    He needed more, he needed more enemy. Yes, that was it. He was angry because he doesn''t have anything to be angry about. He hated because he doesn''t have anything to hate.

    He turned his head towards the sound of footsteps coming near him. "It''s here, I''m sure the sound came from here!" A man said with child-like joy. Theo knew whose voice was that, but he didn''t care, not for men.

    "Wait, Set! At least let us treat your injuries."

    Theo''s wolf face made the vilest smile. A woman, no, women, he thought. He understood the tone of the woman''s voice, it was care and love. But all women were his property, his pets, all for him to take, to fuck, and to enjoy to the fullest, the beautiful one especially. He wouldn''t let anyone have them. He will kill that man and reclaim what was his by right.

    From their footsteps, he could determine their location, their party composition, and their order in which they walked. The man was running ahead of his group enthusiastically. Theo dropped down on all fours and waited for the man to finally take the turn and enter his vision. Once he saw the man, he would pounce him and rip his body apart.

    There was no use giving the man the chance to fight back.

 Chapter 67: A Moment of Respite

    Val hovered ten meters above the ground with sweat covering her brown-skinned face. Her chest heaved up and down with each breath she took. On her hand were a few burnt marks, along with two on her cheeks. The end of her white hair was charcoal and it crumbled to ashes when wind blew past her face.

    The storm and hail had died down around her, leaving nothing but warm and gentle air. The frozen ground had thawed, the fire and molten rock resumed their usual business, unfrozen.

    The two Flame-Born Knights lay dead, their remains vanished like an extinguished fire after Val tore their chest open with her ice.

    The fight was harder than she had predicted, and much harder than facing just one of them. She had to remain vigilant and aware of her surrounding in case one of them tried to sneak up on her. They actually came pretty close to killing her a few times, but alas, she was stronger and luck was on her side.

    A grin crept on her face like the smile of a madman. She never felt that kind of satisfaction in her long life, the satisfaction of revenge. It was sweet but not long-lasting. The realization that threats still loomed like a mountain took her joy away. And she felt empty in her heart, the place where anger resided once was hollow.

    An explosion yanked her out of her mind and her heart. She turned around and realized that Theo was not there. He was not where she told him to stay, nor near her, nor anywhere she could see him.

    Fear and dread filled her once more as her mind played out the worst possible outcome, the image of him dying in her arms just like Jack. Her heart raced, and no matter how hard she tried to put the thought away, it kept coming back to her, more gruesome and tragic than the last.

    She flew towards the source of the sound faster than she had ever flown. But she stopped as soon as she flew.

    "No." The word escaped her mouth along with tears out of her eyes.

    "No. No!" Her flight spell disappeared and she fell to her knees. Her body felt so weak she could barely stand after that.

    "NO!" She screamed out after seeing Theo''s equipment scattered around, but he was nowhere to be found. His sword, breastplate, torn shirt and trouser, six pouches that she noticed he never took off, and a pendant bearing the name of him and a woman, Mary.

    Val let out a maddened screech like that of a banshee. The air froze around her and her icy glare fell upon a massive werewolf not too far from where she stood.

    Consumed by fury and despair, she failed to realize that Theo''s equipment didn''t show any sign of harm or damage, and she failed to realize that the werewolf wore the same ring that Theo carried around.

    The werewolf was facing away from her, crawling and waiting for something or someone. Val didn''t care what it was doing or who it was waiting for.

    She didn''t care about anything anymore in that moment.

    Spire of ice appeared from the ground and pierced the werewolf in the stomach. A lesser creature would have their body split in two, but the a was no lesser creature. The spire raised his body to the sky and hung him there.

    The werewolf howled in pain. He thrashed around, but the ice rendered him unable to move. His wound froze and the ice spread all across his body. His flesh, bone, blood, and cell crystalized by Val''s cold fury.

    Realizing his powerlessness and possible death, he ceased his struggle. Instead, he turned his head towards Val and reached his hand out.

    "V-val, h-help me!" His voice was rough and his tone dripping with malice, yet Val couldn''t have mistaken that voice for someone''s else.

    "T-theo?" She gasped when the realization hit her hard. No, impossible, there was no way he could turn into a werewolf. The last time she checked, he didn''t have any lycanthropy or anything similar to that, so how ...

    "Val!" He groaned in pain as most of his body turned to ice. "The ... ring." He raised his left pinky finger, showing her the cursed ring. "Destroy it! Cut it off!"

    "A-ah. Just wait!" The spire of ice below him shattered and he crashed to the ground. His flesh returned to flesh and his blood flowed again.

    Val rushed to him with all her might, but when she got close, he lashed out and swung his arms wildly.

    His claw scratched her cheek. "Don''t ... Come near! I can''t control it!" He screamed out. "Cut it ... cut it from afar!"

    Theo struggled to resist his own body. His beastly desire and bloodlust had reached its peak. He bit his own arm, tore his own limbs, and stabbed himself with his own claw to calm his bloodlust.

    Val''s body and mind froze, she didn''t know what to do. Even with all her experience as an adventurer and her long life, she hasn''t seen anything like this before. The massive hole in his stomach regenerated in a matter of second. All the wound he inflicted on himself disappeared after a moment, like it never existed to begin with.

    "Cut it, Val!" Theo screamed. His voice turned more beastly and his form more monstrous by the second. He wanted to cut off the finger or even the arm where he put the ring on if he could, but the will of the ring didn''t allow him to. He needed her help.

    Val hesitated. She knew the ring was the one that gave him his regeneration and werewolf form, and cutting it would most probably return him to his original form. She could cut it easily with him restraining his own body. But what would happen if she cut it when there was a fatal wound on his body. Would it heal before he returns human, or would the regeneration cease the moment she cut the ring off?

    "Val! cutlrhgrtjebjdjjr." His speech became incoherent. No, more precisely, he already lost his ability to form human speech. The madness and bloodlust began to overtake the last of his sane mind.

    "Aghhh!" Theo screamed, a human scream.

    Val was taken aback. She was confused, but that last scream was definitely a human scream.

    A red flash appeared for an instant and Theo''s body fell to the ground with a loud thump. He transformed back to his human form, though the transformation was not a painless one. He screamed his lung out, loud enough to be heard from far away.

    Val was about to take a step towards him when an arm wrapped around her shoulder. When she turned her head, she saw a devilishly handsome man with a blazing crimson hair and ultramarine eyes.

    All the emotion whirling in her heart and all the confusion plaguing her mind affected her so much that she didn''t notice the man coming. It would be a fatal mistake if this was a battlefield or if the man was an enemy. Luckily for her, the man was not.

    The man''s face - one that rivaled Theo - combined with his gallant figure could make any woman''s heart flutter, yet Val''s heart didn''t even budge. Maybe it was the confusion that affected her, maybe it was something else.

    She ignored the man and ran towards Theo. His body was unmoving on the ground, battered and bloodied from his self-inflicted wounds. Like Val had expected, his regeneration power vanished the moment he transformed back to human.

    "Oy, oy, not going to give me a kiss for my help?" Val ignored the complaint from the man. "Not even a thanks?"

    Val turned Theo''s body so that his face was positioned upward. His breathing and heartbeat were getting weaker with each beat.

    "Hang on! I won''t let you die here." Val put her hands on his chest and cast her strongest healing spell.

    His wounds began to close, though not as quick as she hoped it would.

    She gritted her teeth. The scene before her was almost the exact replica of Jack''s death. The thought frustrates her endlessly. She wouldn''t let him die, not like she let Jack die.

    But she was lacking. She was not a specialist in healing other and her affinity with it was really bad, both contributed to her weak and slow healing spell. This fact brought her frustration to a new height, so much so that it began to make her lose her focus.

    "Calm down." A woman''s voice came from somewhere near. Val didn''t even bother to look at her, she needed to focus.

    "I am calm!" She yelled with all her anger and frustration in her voice.

    "You are not calm at all."

    Val gritted her teeth and stared at the source. "How the hell do you expect me to calm do-" She swallowed her voice mid-sentence when she saw a priestess helping her heal Theo.

    "The effectiveness of a healing spell is tied to the caster''s emotion, you won''t be able to heal him like that." The priestess said with a calm yet serious tone. She wasn''t in a rush, yet wasn''t relaxed either.

    As much as Val wanted to retort to that statement, she was in no position to do so. The priestess was correct.

    Val observed the priestess'' healing miracle. It was very different than Val''s own. It was complex and delicate, like fixing a hole in a shirt by knitting, whereas Val''s magic was akin to fixing a wall by dumping rocks on it.

    By the time Theo''s wounds were healed, he already lost quite the amount of blood. Not too much to make it lethal, but still enough to render him unconscious.

    Val let out a sigh of relief after he assured his survival. There was a lot of things she wanted to complain and be angry about, but the fact that Theo survived washed it all away with relief. First thing first, however, "Thank you ... " She looked at the priestess that helped her.

    The priestess was drenched in sweat. Her looks showed how tired and weary she was. It took a good chunk of her mana to heal Theo. "No problem, my job is to help people." She said with a smile.

    Val replied her smile then looked around. Without her noticing there were now four women around her, not including the priestess. The man from before was nowhere to be found. "Anyway, you are?" She asked the priestess. She wasn''t bothered by the other women since the priestess wasn''t bothered by it.

    "Elicia, I''m one of the Chosen One''s ''companion''," She answered with a light hint of blush on her cheeks.

    "The Chosen One?" She realized something. "Wait, are you saying that the man from before is the Chosen One?" Val had heard some rumors about the Chosen One from quite a while back, about how handsome and powerful he was, and how he acted around women, though she paid no heed to such vague rumor.

    Elicia nodded her head before turning it towards another woman with neck-length purple hair. "Elizabeth, where''s Setanta?"

    Elizabeth grabbed her own forehead and sighed. "What do you think? Just count how many of us are here."

    "Ohh." The priestess'' cheek grew even redder. Val believed the rumor now. Though no matter what kind of a man the Chosen One was, she was thankful and indebted to him.

    She took Theo''s left hand, specifically looking at his severed pinky finger where the ring had been. The Chosen One cut Theo''s finger when Val couldn''t do anything, when she was too afraid to do anything. If the Chosen didn''t cut the ring in time, who knows what would have happened to Theo.

    Theo''s severed finger was still bleeding, the wound never fully closed no matter how hard Val tried to heal it. It was cut by the legendary cursed spear. Any wound caused by it would never heal for at least sixty days and sixty night.

    "Is he your husband?" Elicia asked.

    Her sudden question threw Val off guard, she didn''t expect that. "N-no." She stuttered.

    "Lover then?" Val answered with a shook of her head. "Really? The way you look at him, I was sure that you are more than just companion."

    Val made a bitter smile, then cast her eyes downward. "I ... wouldn''t even call us that," she said with a hint of self-derision. "Hell, I almost kill him just yesterday, without thinking, without hesitating. I hated him, but now, I don''t know anymore." She didn''t know why she told this to Elicia. It was an embarrassing thing to admit and definitely not the kind of thing she would have said if she was the same person as she was the day before. But she felt that Elicia, no, those women around her, they could understand her feeling. "I was angry at him for many many things and I swore that if he creates more problem for me or my friends, I would kill him with my own hand. But when I saw him getting hurt, I ..." This talk, the way she poured out her feeling through words, it made her feels like a girl again, troubled by her own feeling.

    Elizabeth sat next to Val and grabbed her shoulder. "Yeah, I know that feeling." She sighed in resignation. "Looks like we''re stuck with the worst kind of man in the world."

    "So it is true what the rumor said, that you are all the Chosen One''s-"

    "Women?" Elizabeth cut Val''s word. "Yes. I bet your man too have many women around him, no?"

    "I won''t deny that."

    Elizabeth sighed once again, for the third time already. "Well, you''re in a hell full of jealousy and envy," She leaned her body to Val. "and there''s no escaping it now. No matter what you do, no matter how hard you convince yourself or how much other people try to convince you or how hard you try to hate him or try to leave him behind, you can never unlove him; you can never walk away from him. Our feeling, it''s a curse really." She chuckled a little bit at the end.

    Val stared at her. The way she spoke it, she wasn''t just spouting nonsense or something that she thought would happen, she experienced it firsthand.

    Elizabeth smiled bitterly, knowing what Val was thinking by her looks alone. "I''ve been with Setanta longer than anyone," She glanced the women around her. "and probably longer than any woman your man has. By now I''m pretty sure that my feeling for him is not normal, and I mean it in a bad way. It''s more akin to magic, or curse, or a forced fate."

    "If you''re so conscious of it, why don''t you leave him or do something about it?"

    Elizabeth sighed, again. "What kind of curse could be broken just by realizing you are afflicted by it? And do you think I''ve never tried getting away from him, or do something with my feeling?"

    Val realized that Elizabeth feeling for Setanta was the same way she felt about Theo the last few days. It did feel like a curse or magic, and in no way resemble a natural feeling. Though her exact experience might differ, Val could understand her.

    Before Elizabeth could continue her story, Theo jolted awake.

    He looked bewildered, confused, and panicked with sweat trickling down his white skin. He looked around, surprised at the sudden appearance of five women other than Val.

    "Theo," Val called with a soft voice, barely perceptible even to her own ears. Though her voice was soft, her eyes were fierce with anger.

    Val jumped on him, sitting on his chest while her face hovered above his. "You damned, reckless, weak, moronic, womanizer!" She grabbed the collar of his armor and brought his face near her. "Why didn''t you follow my order, why do you have to fight that knight alone? Why did you think that wearing that cursed ring is a good idea? You-you almost died!" Fear, sadness, and, anger rushed out from her like a flood.

    Val raised her fist but stopped it before it hit his face. Her arms might look slender, but the strength behind her punch could easily kill Theo in his condition.

    "I''m sorry." His voice was still small, showing just how little he had recovered.

    "I don''t need your sorry. I ... I-" She took a deep breath. "I want your promise, I want you to swear that you won''t do something reckless like that again. Not later when we storm our way to the summit, not when we close the portal, not ever again!"

    "I can''t promise you that"

    "Why?! Why are you so eager to die, why are you so eager to take unnecessary risks?"

    "You don''t know Calamity." He said with a hint of fear in his voice, one that never existed before when he mentioned Calamity.

    Before this, Theo never had any fear of the threat of Calamity. He used to have a full confidence with the special item he carried, that he could overcome any obstacle with those items. He used to think that even if Calamity stepped into this world, he could just use the golden hammer to summon his friend and defeat her. But being controlled by the will of the ring made him realize one major flaw in his plan; he never took the drawback of those items seriously.

    Just like with the ring, which he underestimates the power of its will, he underestimated the time to activate the golden hammer. Five minutes might not seem like a long time, but most fights didn''t last five minutes. And in the face of Calamity''s overwhelming power, he didn''t have any means to stall her that long. He has to be reckless, to take risk, to-

    "I don''t care!" Val yelled at him like a child. "I don''t care how powerful you think our enemy is, I''m going to wipe the floor with her and claim all the glory for myself!" She `poked him between the eyes. "So you just wait behind me, don''t move, don''t get in my way, don''t engage any enemy, just ... watch. Do you hear me?"

    The ground rumbled as fire column rose from the caldera and ripped the sky apart like the claw of some giant monster.

    Everyone held their breath as they watched the unnatural phenomenon unfolded before them. The fire was not normal, and the change in the air signaled something ominous was coming, and soon.

    Theo moved Val from his chest and stood up. She didn''t resist his push. "Let''s go, we don''t have that much time left."

    Theo stood up, equipped his armor, equipment, and his sword, but stopped a moment before he touched it. He noticed something was different with his left hand and realized that he was missing a finger, though he was not surprised by it. He at least had expected this when he couldn''t control the beastly bloodlust within him.

    "Val, where''s my ring?"

    Val stared at him with a dumbfounded look on her face. She didn''t understand why the hell Theo wanted to do anything with the ring after all of that. "I''m keeping it. There''s no way in seven hell I''ll return it to you after all that shitshow."

    Theo smiled lightly. "Just make sure you keep that thing safe for me, it''s important."

    Setanta suddenly showed up behind with a woman beside him. "Hey, planning to leave me behind?" He asked no one in particular. He then looked at Theo. "Theo Gladium, remember me, Your one and only true rival?"

    Theo stare turned towards Setanta. He knew that he was THE Chosen One, but to still have a nonchalant attitude without any tension in his voice at a time like this only made Setanta looks like an idiot. "Sorry, I don''t remember a man''s face and name well."

    Setanta burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh my god!" He still couldn''t stop his laughter. "You''re really good, Theo Gladium." He patted Theo on the shoulder. "As expected from my rival."

    Theo ignored Set endless laughing and chuckling and his other ridiculous antics and walked to the front of the group. "Anyway, Let''s go."

    ------

    Up above the mountain on the Fire Realm side of the open portal, Calamity stood quietly as always, watching the world she was about to conquer with her blazing ruby eyes.

    She watched as the summoner on the other side of the portal danced his dance and sung his song and chanted his chant. His move was enchanting and elegant, almost divine, but she wasn''t impressed. His voice was heavenly and the verse that he chanted was poetic and filled with reverence and respect for her, but she wasn''t interested in the least.

    In her heart burned only one desire, a singular purpose that outshined and outweighed anything she had. A desire that blinded her since the day she became a Fire Lord, a chance to prove to the Fire King that she was worthy of her title. A chance to prove that she could accomplish something without the Fire King helping her, without his name following her everywhere. Everything else was of secondary importance.

    She sighed. It was the first thing she did other than just staring at the other world ever since the portal first opened.

    She was never a patient woman, her moods shifted like the flaps of fly''s wings. But for this occasion only, she endured. She had prepared years for this invasion and had waited days since the portal first opened. Her patience was at its limit. The time was nigh to make her entrance to the other world, Only a few hours more.

    She reached out to the portal and her arms went through it, but that was it. The rest of her body still stuck in the Fire Realm.

    She closed her eyes and let the feeling in her arms overwhelm her. It was a strange and wondrous world indeed. The air wasn''t boiling. It was cold in fact, very, very cold. A world not suited for her kin.

    A smile appeared on her face, a sight rarely seen even by her closest servants. "Prepare for battle!"

    A rumbling cheer and warcry of hundreds of thousand fire elementals shook the heaven and earth following her declaration.

 Chapter 68: The Final Push

    "Hey, hey. How long are we going to walk? It''s getting boring," Setanta asked. They had been walking for an hour through an underground tunnel. Val chose that route to avoid enemies, but Setanta wasn''t pleased by the ''no enemy'' part.

    Irritated was not enough to describe Theo''s and Val''s feeling. Setanta had been asking questions since they entered the tunnel. After around ten minutes of answering pointless questions, Theo and Val decided to ignore him. But that didn''t stop him from messing with them.

    Elizabeth had been apologizing for his behavior. She also pleaded him to stop acting like a spoiled child, sometimes reprimanding him and even yelling at him, though it all fell on deaf ears.

    "For such a powerful weapon to fall to the hand of an idiot. What is happening to this world," Val said to herself.

    Theo looked at her with a smile on his face. He felt something has changed within Val, though he didn''t know the exact thing that has changed.

    After looking at Val''s face for some time, he noticed that there were some cuts and traces of blood on her cheek that she hasn''t cleaned yet. Without her permission, he rubbed her cheek and cleaned the blood off it. Her body jumped. She almost flicked his hand away, but stopped herself at the last moment and let him finish.

    "What was that for?" she asked after he was done.

    "There''s a cut on your cheek." Theo tried to clean it again, but Val moved away.

    Val rubbed her cheek and noticed there were a few cuts there that she hasn''t healed yet. "I can clean it myself ... hell, I can heal it."

    With a simpled hand gesture, the cuts disappeared like it never existed to begin with.

    Theo noticed a few more open cut on her skin. "There''s another one there." He pointed his finger and Val healed it. "How can you not realize you''re wounded?"

    She looked away. Theo noticed her dark skin turned red a little bit. "I rarely got injured, and my pain resistance is too high to notice the pain of a small cut."

    "Hmm. When was the last time you got injured in battle? You know, before all this Fire Invasion."

    "Let''s see ... Two years ago, I think." She stopped talking, seemingly deep in thought. "We were fighting the legendary golden scaled hydra-" Theo was surprised, he didn''t ask her for the detail, but she kept on telling the whole story. "-So that''s it. The item that the legend says can raise your level turn out to be fake. We still get a thousand gold for it, though."

    "Say, Val, you also have reached your level caps right? Why aren''t you as desperate as Vex?"

    "It''s just a phase, Theo. Everyone who reached their caps will go through that phase. I went mine a hundre-" She coughed. "a long time ago. Though I must say that Vex'' phase is a little bit longer than normal. Four years and she''s still as desperate as the day she found out she will never level up again."

    Val looked away. She didn''t understand why she stopped, why she fake a cough. She was never bothered by her true age before, so why was she too embarrassed to admit it to him?

    They kept walking and walking until they reached a sharp turn. And after that, a bright red light assaulted their vision from a distance.

    "Hohoho. Finally." Setanta Said with a child-like glee. "Hey, Theo, let''s have a race." Theo ignored him. "Let''s see who can close the portal first. Hmm, what do you say?"

    "Right now, we''re a team, Set. There''s no ''who close it first''. We all do it together."

    Set walked in front of Theo and gave him an irritable smirk. "Really? Where''s the fun in that?" His gaze moved to Val, who didn''t give him the slightest of attention. "You know what? The winner will have the right to Lady Val''s love."

    Val''s eyes shot open. "W-What the hell was that?"

    "Ignore him, Val," Theo said. Contrary to Val, he was not bothered by Set''s challenge. After all the childish thing he had done, it was hard to take Set seriously.

    "You can''t ignore me if I close it first!" Setanta turned his body and dashed toward the bright red light at the end of the tunnel. Theo and Elizabeth tried to grab his arm and stop his stupidity, but he was too fast for them.

    "SET!" Elizabeth shouted and started running to follow him. The rest of his women followed suit. "SET! Wait!" They called, though he ignored them.

    Val buried her face in her palm. "Why the hell is he the Chosen One?" She and Theo then ran, following them to the bright light.

    "Val," Theo called. "Don''t worry, I won''t lose to that man."

    "W-W-W-W-W-WHAT?!" She yelled. If not for the bright red light washing her face red, the blush on her cheek would make it so.

    They ran to the bright light and it swallowed them. Theo and Val closed their eyes due to the sudden change of brightness. When their eyes finally adjusted, a massive portal stood before them. Even Set stopped to look at the humongous marvel.

    The portal was 40 meters in diameter and hovered 10 meters above a pool of Lava. Its edge was red and hazy like a circular mist while the portal part that connected two worlds was like a dirty mirror.

    On the other side of the portal was a world of fire and molten lava and boiling air. An innumerable legion of fire elementals and Flame-Born Knights lined up on the other side along with their leader, Calamity. And as Theo could see them through the portal, they too could see the intruders trying to stop the summoning ritual.

    In front of the portal were three fire elementals. One was moving his hand erratically and jumping around like a wildcat. Upon each of its six hands were a different colored fire that left a trail of smoke as they moved through the air. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The other two were Flame-Born Knights, though one of them was different from any Knights Theo or Val had seen before. He was taller, more imposing, his weapon bigger and his armor was golden along with an extra part of his helmet.

    He was their captain.

    "Mirst, defensive position." The captain commanded. The two Flame-Born Knight bent their knees, lowered their stance, raised their shield and pointed their weapon towards the intruder.

    "Summon me faster!" Calamity''s voice resounded in the caldera.

    "Y-yes, my lady!"

    Along with her voice was an air of gravitas. One that made everyone shiver, including her own subordinates and even Val. In that moment, everyone realized the extent of Calamity''s power, and how minuscule they were compared to it.

    While the other was frozen in fear, Theo was ... happy. Calamity hasn''t been summoned to this world yet. There was still a chance that he didn''t have to use his the secret item. " WAKE UP! We can still stop the summoning," Theo shouted as he drew Panes from the sheath.

    His voice woke the rest from their stupor. "Right-right. There''s no way I will lose to you, Theo Gladium," Said Setanta with a big grin on his face.

    Theo felt a tug on his armor from behind. "Remember your promise," He heard an unusually meek voice of Val, "Don''t die and don''t get close to dying, or else I won''t be able to focus on the fight."

    Theo looked over his shoulder at Val and smiled. He wanted to say that he didn''t make any promise, but knew that it would be futile. "Sure."

    The support began casting buff. Val flew to the sky and chanted an incantation of powerful magic. Theo and Set charged towards the summoner along with Elizabeth who served as their tank.

    Tars and Mirst stood in their way, but a massive spear of ice rained down from the sky. Then followed by a shower of magic-imbued arrows.

    As much as Theo hate to admit it, Set''s party was excellent. their composition, combination, and coordination were comparable to high-ranking adventurer party.

    Theo and Set attacked Mirst while Elizabeth held back Tars. "Theo Gladium, distract him while I prepare my spear." He stood back and took a thrusting stance.

    Red aura erupted from the tip of Setanta''s lance as the metal vibrated like crazy.

    Theo took out two spell papers and a bottle from his pouch. He activated both at once and threw the bottle at his enemy.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The first one was a torrent of water. Mirst activated a defensive spell and evaporated the huge amount of water like it was nothing.

    There was no room for underestimating his opponent. Before all the water evaporated, lightning came out from the second paper and hit the water.

    The spell was not enough to hurt Mirst, but it was enough to distract him for Theo to come near. "[Vaporizing Slash]"

    Usually, it would be suicidal to charge towards a Flame-Born Knight in his condition, but Val and Setanta''s women were showering Mirst with spell and arrows.

    Mirst blocked two out of four slashes. If not for him having to defend against Val''s spell that came from the other direction, he could have blocked all four.

    The two that slashed dealt a significant damage to his armor, creating holes on it.

    Theo then followed it by a [Serene Slash], which Mirst blocked.

    Theo didn''t have to fear for any counter attack. Val''s spell had made sure of it.

    "Move!"

    Theo moved out of the way. Setanta jumped high into the air in an awkward position. Though the sheer overpowering pressure radiated by his spear was enough that no one noticed his ridiculous jumping posture.

    Setanta released his spear as a blazing red ray.

    A thunderous crackle drowned every other sound. The spear was too fast to be seen by naked eyes. Even Val with her magical vision only caught a glimpse of it.

    Mirst crossed his arm in reflex. He couldn''t see it coming, but a spear throw has a linear trajectory at that range. Even from before Setanta launched his spear he could predict where it would hit.

    He let Val''s attack hit him. Her spell was less damaging than a full frontal unblocked hit from Gae Bulg. Far less damaging.

    He concentrated all of his power on his arm. A thick shield of golden flame formed.

    "[Shield of Calamity]" It was his most powerful form of defense, his most prized possession.

    The two power clashed.

    The spear wasn''t able to pierce the shield. But it didn''t stop there. Gae Bulg was a Legendary Cursed spear not without reason.

    The spear still moved, still trying to pierce the shield, still trying to hit its target. For Mirst, it felt like the spear was still being pushed by its owner.

    The struggle didn''t end there. While the spear refused to be stopped, Mirst''s shield refused to be pierced.

    There seemed to be no end in their show of power. The struggle between the two was almost instantaneous, but time was stretched to its limit for those who witnessed it.

    Yet, between a spear that had been released from its owner''s hand and a shield whose owner still held it tightly.

    The winner was clear.

    The spear stopped, but not before shattering the shield in a massive shockwave that split the heaven and shook the earth.

    Mirst stood still like a statue, yet his mind and heart was in a great turmoil. His whole being was unable to believe what happened. He rejected it, rejected reality.

    He was only slightly injured, but the shield, the unbreakable shield that Calamity, his goddess, gave to him was shattered before his eyes.

    "I-I-I Impossible."He stared blankly at what left of the shield. He lost focus on anything other than that.

    Gae Bulg hovered in the air, suspended on the exact same spot it was stopped. Gravity had no effect on it.

    Setanta, still in the air from his previous jump, reached his arm out and commanded his spear to return. And obey it did. Gae Bulg returned to his hand in an instant.

    With a smile on his face, Setanta arched his body backward and assumed another throwing stance.

    Red aura raged and whirled around the spear once more and Gae Bulg was released for the second time that night.

    "Mirst!" Tars called his fellow knight, realizing his impending doom.

    Mirst woke up with the call of his captain and caught the spear with both hands just before the tip impaled his throat.

    Just like before, Gae Bulg refused to be stopped and still tried to pierce his throat.

    The spear wasn''t as powerful as the first one, but it was still a force to be reckoned with. His arm was shaking even after he used all his strength.

    "AHHHHHH!" Mirst let out a battle cry as he pushed the spear away, but it still didn''t budge.

    It was the same as before, their power was equal. Something has to disrupt the balance of power if one wished to triumph over the other.

    "[Serene Slash]" A blade struck Mirst neck. The cutting power contained within the edge of that blade was mind-boggling, but it only served to destroy Mirst''s neck armor. It was unable to go any deepe- "[Vaporizing Slash]"

    Four slashes assaulted his neck in an instant and Mirst''s head flew off from his body then dissipating into a puff of smoke.

    "MIRST!" Tars shouted and charged towards Theo, but that was a fatal mistake.

    Rain of ice showered him from above while spire of ice impaled him from below and pinned him in place.

    "Theo, now!" Val shouted.

    Theo nodded. He looked over his shoulder for a moment to look at Setanta. He was gasping on the ground, exhausted and in pain after overusing his legendary spear.

    Theo refocused his gaze on the summoner, who was desperate to summon Calamity. But Theo knew that summoning Calamity was not an easy and quick process. There shouldn''t be enough time to complete it.

    "Ignore him!" Calamity shouted from the other side.

    Theo was confused. He hesitated for a second. What was Calamity planning? Was this a trap? There was no way for the summoner to summon her in time. "THEO!" Val shouted.

    ''Right.'' He thought. There was no time. He has to kill the summoner before Tars moved again. "[Vaporizing Slash]"

    Four consecutive slashes ripped the summoner''s body to shred, or so it should have. A barrier of fire stood between him and the summoner. A barrier that was never there before.

    His gaze moved to the portal. Calamity was more than halfway through and already able to cast a spell on this side of the portal.

    "Shit!"

    Calamity erected the barrier that stood in his way. She also threw a few spell at him, but Val and Elizabeth took care of that.

    "[Vaporizing Slash]" It felt like thunder was running inside his arms. "[Vaporizing Slash]" He felt his muscle torn. "[Vaporizing Slash]"

    Again, and again, and again he used it. Even if it broke his hand and destroyed his body, [Vaporizing Slash] was his strongest skill. He had no choices but to use it if he wanted to stop the summoning.

    "Vapo- aghh!" He screamed. His hand felt like it was cut off.

    He looked at his hand. He couldn''t feel anything, but it was still there and he could move it. He swallowed the pain. "[Vaporizing Slash]"

    Theo screamed in agony. "[Vaporizing Slash]"

    The shield shattered.

    Theo jumped forward.

    "[Vaporizing Slash]" The summoner body was shredded, cut into four different pieces.

    "NOO!!" Calamity screamed and extended her hand out.

    With the last vestiges of his fire, the summoner reached toward her hand, trying to grab it.

    "My....Lady." But his hand flew off before he could touch her. Theo wouldn''t let it happened. Who knows what kind of tricks they have up their sleeves.

    "NOOO!!!" Calamity screamed again.

    The portal went in reverse. Instead of spewing things out, it began to suck things in as it closed. Air, lava, rocks, fire, people, fire elemental, anything and everything else in its vicinity was pulled to the portal.

    Theo, who stood closest to the portal, felt the strongest pull. He could barely stand being pulled, not to mention the wind pushing him into the portal.

    He pulled a bottle of potion from his pouch and threw it to his feet, breaking it open. The liquid inside condensed, creating a gel-like material that glued his feet to the ground. To be sure, he stabbed Panes to the ground and held it tight.

    The portal already shrunk to half of its original size, and it kept shrinking without any sign of slowing down. Calamity effort to maintain the portal was fruitless. As the portal grew smaller, the suction was getting stronger. If not for Panes, Theo would have flown into the portal. He was safe.

    Or so he thought.

    The ground beneath him cracked. Pieces of the ground started flying to the portal. It was not long after that the entire chunk of rock beneath Theo flew to the portal, bringing him along with it.

    Theo tried to jump off, but the gel-like substance kept him from doing so.

    A chain of ice coiled around his right arm, stopping him right before his feet entered the portal. The rock under him crumbled and vanished as it entered the fiery world.

    "Hold tight!" Vals shouted. It was her who created the ice chain. She and Setanta''s women were trying their best to pull the chain.

    "Theo Gladium," Setanta threw his legendary spear. "catch it!" Theo caught his spear with his other arm that didn''t hold Panes.

    "Hold tight!" Setanta extended his hand. "Gae Bulg, come back!"

    Gae Bulg hovered mid-air and started to move towards Setanta, bringing Theo along with it albeit with great difficulty.

    Theo''s body was wracked by pain. Not only was he pulled by two powerful and opposing forces, the temperature difference of the ice coiling around his arm and the rest of his body was extreme. Despite the pain, he gripped both the chain and Gae Bulg with what left of his might. It was after all, his literal lifeline.

    "Aghh!" Theo screamed. He could endure the pain before, but something was hurting him even more now.

    The skin on his legs melted. Even though he was farther away to the portal than he was before, it was much hotter. His whole body was burning like smothered by fire.

    Even without looking, Theo knew who it was. "Pull me, mortal!" Calamity yelled as she pulled his legs.

    Now, the force pulling him to the portal was stronger. His body slowly moved towards the portal.

    "Theo, Hold on! The portal is about to close." Val shouted.

    The portal was about to close. What left was slightly larger than Calamity herself.

    "Calamity! Are you insane? You can''t stop a portal closing! Not even you can!" Theo shouted.

    "Then pull me to your world!" calamity''s ruby eyes were filled with rage and determination. Theo kicked Calamity''s head, but only hurt himself.

    The portal imploded.

    For a brief moment, the suction became so powerful that Val''s chain broke and his hand slipped off Gae Bulg.

    The portal already closed, but it didn''t mean he was not in danger. Without anything holding him, Theo fell towards the pool of Lava below him.

    Val quickly flew and caught him before he touched the lava. The heat was unbearable, especially for an ice mage like Val. She carried Theo with a princess carry and flew him to a safe place.

    Val laid Theo''s body on the ground, resting his head on a small rock. Theo was exhausted, everyone was. The ground was hot, not ideal for sleeping or doing anything, but he couldn''t complain. "Thanks, Val."

    Val slapped Theo. "You lie," tears fell from her eyes. "You ... you almost died."

    Theo felt his cheek with his hand."Ouch, you almost kill me with that slap, Val." He chuckled a little. "Guess, we''re even now."

    Val smiled through her tears. "You owe me a big one. You''ll do whatever I ask you after this."

    Theo smiled. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever."

    Val moved to his legs and healed the wound Calamity caused. Not only his skin melted, his flesh was boiled, and his bones charred just because Calamity grabbed on to it.

    "Holy shit, Theo Gladium." Setanta approached Theo with his woman on each side, though this time it was to help him walk. "You looks horrible."

    "You look like shit."

    Setanta smiled. "I guess it is my loss then." He then laughed. "Hahaha, you know, this is the first time I lose to someone unwillingly."

    "NOOOO!!" A voice rang out. "MY LADYYY!!!" Tars struggled to get on his feet. Val''s ice still pinned him to the ground, but it broke one by one.

    He reached his arms out towards where the portal used to be. He was trying to reach what was not there, denying that Calamity had failed. He gripped the air, but there was nothing to be gripped.

    "It''s over. It''s over." Theo said.

    "NO!" Tars broke all the ice pinning him down and stood up. "I''ll kill you! I''ll kill all of you!"

    Val stood between Theo and Tars, followed by Setanta and his women. "Try it."

    "ENOUGH!" A woman''s voice rang out all across the mountain

    A pillar of fire rose hundreds of meters into the heaven, painting the world red. A shadow emerged from the fire.

    "Ahh ... M-My ... Lady ... " Tars cried out a voice of relief.

 Chapter 69: Calamity

    The cavern was shaking, the ground was trembling, the whole mountain was quaking. Calamity hovered above the pool with a rising pillar of fire behind her.

    Her body from hips down was gone, severed when the portal closed on her. Seven wings of golden flame sprouted from her back and a halo of fire hung above making her look like an angel of fire that came down to cleanse this world.

    Theo ground his teeth so hard it was audible. After all he had done, forcing his own body over the limit to stop Calamity from entering this world, he still failed.

    He forced his broken body to stand and took out the golden miniature hammer from his pouch. "Val, I know I''m asking much, but please hold her for a few minutes." Theo moved into a kneeling position and held the hammer in front of his face like he was about to pray.

    It was then Theo realized that Val was standing still, frozen in place. "Val." He called, but there was no answer.

    "Val!" He shouted.

    "VAL!"

    [Calamity, Fire Lord, Lv.150]

    Val fell to the ground. Her whole body was shaking without control and her eyes shot open. She was frozen stiff from sheer terror.

    Theo grabbed her shoulder. "Val-"

    Val suddenly turned and stared him right in the eyes. "Theo, run, flee, save your life, I''ll-I''ll hold her," Her jaw was trembling, it was hard to form coherent words with her condition.

    Her stare was filled with terror, though beyond that wall of terror, he could see that she was worried sick about his condition.

    Tears formed in her eyes. "Please," She started crying. "Please, Theo!" Water burst from her eyes.

    "Please for all the gods in heaven, please save yourself!" She buried her face in his chest. "Please! Please! Just run away, I can''t watch you get hurt anymore, I can''t bear to watch you die! I- .." The rest of her sentences was blurred by her cry and sob.

    Theo embraced her and stroked her white hair. He didn''t expect Calamity''s power to shook her this much, even Setanta was frozen in shock when faced with Calamity. Though in Val''s case, she was more worried about his well being than her own. Which he thought was really sweet of her.

    Theo was the strange one for not being affected too much. He had met some ungodly powerful beings in the past during his travel with his father and the experience had made him somewhat resistant to their aural intimidation.

    Theo observed Calamity. She was tending and talking with Tars and ignoring them instead of vaporizing them there and then. Theo swore he would make her regret that decision.

    He returned his gaze to Val. "Val, I can''t, I won''t, I''m not going to run away. I''m not going to leave you behind."

    "Why?" She squeezed him within her embrace so hard he almost felt she was threatening him. "Why are you so stubborn? Why are you so reckless? Why do you want to die so much?"

    Theo put his hand on her cheek and raised her face from his chest so that their eyes met. How long has it been since the last time she cried her heart out? Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face wet with tears.

    "I''m not going to die," He assured her with the calmest voice he could muster. "And I won''t let you die. There''s no meaning in stopping Calamity without you on my side."

    Val''s eyes went wide open and her mouth too. Her cheek reddened to the roots of her ears and not because of crying. "You ... you goddamned womanizer." she pulled his head and kissed him.

    How many women have Theo said that exact same words? How many women have had the same exact reaction as her? Strangely, Val didn''t care.

    Be it curse or fate; charm or magic, nothing else mattered for Val but that kiss they shared in that moment. All her problems, her fears, her doubts, all of it, gone from her hearts.

    Val smiled as they lips parted. "I love you," she said softly.

    Theo smiled back and chuckled. "But you see, that means nothing unless we stop Calamity now."

    "And how do you plan to do that?" She still smiled. The terror she felt before was nowhere to be found in her heart."I don''t think I can defeat her."

    "I have a plan. I know I''m asking much, but I need a few minutes without any interruption."

    Val stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "You''re going to owe me a lot, a whole lot."

    "Yeah, just don''t die."

    "You too."

    Val turned to see Calamity, who still busy with Tars and didn''t show any sign she would notice her coming. But when Val took a step, her ruby eyes shot a glare at her. The stare that would freeze her in terror now had no effect. Her heart was at ease and nothing would change that.

    Val weaved a thick ice barrier around Theo. It was the finest and most powerful wall of ice she had ever created - though calling it a dome would be more apt - carefully woven to ensure that it could withstand even Calamity. She also put little tricks there just in case.

    Val raised her face and soared into the sky like an eagle.

    Theo smiled. He closed his eyes and grasped the miniature hammer within his palm. "Lord of fire, Lord of flame-" and began a chant similar to a prayer.

    Calamity patted Tars'' helmet, who was kneeling before her. "You''ve done well, rest now, leave everything to me," Calamity said with care and gentleness in her voice like that of a mother to her son, a contrast to the destructive aura pouring out from every part of her body.

    Tars bowed his head deeply. "I''m-I- I d-don''t deserve it. My powerlessness resulted in your imperfect summoning." The shame and regret he carried hung heavily in the tone of his voice.

    Calamity chuckled and turned her body away from Tars and towards Val in the sky. Her expression turned dark and grim at the sight of her enemies. "Then watch as I crush these mortals with this ''imperfect'' power that you have put your life on the line to summon.

    Whatever you''re going to do, it''s useless." Calamity said. She raised both of her arms. The molten rock from the pool behind her hovered and formed a massive fist. "Tars, I order you again, rest. Let me handle things from now on."

    "Y-yes. My lady." Tars stood up and hesitantly jumped into the pool of fire beneath Calamity.

    "Now intruders," Calamity said, the mother-like tone of her voice was replaced by a hostile and rage-filled tone. "die!"

    The fist of fire shot to the sky like a comet.

    Val dodged the incoming lava and retaliated with attacks of her own.

    However, the spears of ice that ripped Flame-Born Knights apart could not even get close to her new enemy. The ice melted and vaporized and turned into plasma just by touching Calamity''s violent aura that wrapped her like a blanket.

    The difference in their power was as clear as day and night. Calamity might have half of her body cut off by the portal, but Val had been fighting almost without rest for a day. She was exhausted both mentally and physically.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Val dodged to the side as molten rocks showered her from above. The lava that Calamity threw at her had cool down in the sky and fell like a rain.

    Elizabeth raised her shield and erected a barrier that encompassed Setanta and her other companions behind her. The rain of molten rocks bombarded her hard, but she held her ground.

    Val couldn''t fight the rising urge within her heart to look below and check on Theo. The wall of ice she created to protect him was smoking and sweating, but not damaged in any meaningful way.

    She let out all her pent up worry with a sigh.

    "Where are you looking at?"

    Val almost let out a cry of shock.

    When she raised her face to look at the sound that felt so close, she saw Calamity taking almost all her field of vision.

    ''When did she come? How could she close the distance so fast?'' Those kinds of question flew around Val''s mind as she tried to take in what was happening. She was high in the sky, even at her top speed, she would take at least half a minute to reach that height. Yet Calamity closed that distant in the instant she took her eyes off her.

    Val crossed her arms in front of her face and conjured a wall of ice to protect herself from whatever Calamity was about to unleash upon her.

    Or at least she tried to.

    In the presence of Calamity, Val''s ice magic was useless. The moment she formed an ice, Calamity turned it back to water and vapor in the next instant.

    Val was unable to do anything.

    Calamity smashed Val''s stomach with a bone-shattering punch.

    Val''s clothes vaporized along with her skin, her flesh and organs melted, and her spine cracked with that single punch.

    In the moment before her body was hurled towards a wall of rock, Val realized her error, though no one would blame her for that mistake.

    Since the first time Val took a look at the form of Calamity on the other side of the portal, she knew she was facing a spellcaster. The array of spells Calamity used to protect the portal and the mastery when she used it only cemented that line of thinking. And because of that, Val never made any backup plan in case she was attacked from close range, not to mention with bare hands.

    But the power of punch she received and the perfect martial art form Calamity took when she launched her fist proved Val wrong. Calamity might be able to cast many powerful spells, but the difference of power between her spell and her punch made Val realize that she was, first and foremost, a close-ranged fighter that specialized using her fist.

    And her previous assumption spelled doom for her.

    Val crashed into a wall of rock with enough force to completely demolished the wall and made her lost consciousness there and then.

    With just one punch, Calamity knocked the most powerful of her enemies out of the fight.

    Still maintaining her posture, Calamity waved her left hand and deflected a red flash coming right towards her face.

    The red cursed spear spun in the air a few times before flying back to the hand of its owner.

    Calamity glared at the remaining enemies far below with her burning ruby eyes, including the one hiding behind a thick wall of ice, or dome of ice. The one hiding seemed to be preparing a spell of some sort, an ace up their sleeve maybe, though it bothered her no more than the unconscious dark elf.

    No matter what they do now, she was confident they wouldn''t be able to defeat her.

    The wings of fire behind her formed two dragons of fire. One flew towards the dome of ice and the other towards Setanta. Calamity shot both without much effort, but the power of each of those dragons was equal to the power of a tier 5 spell. A spell that could only be cast by a very few select people on the Continent.

    Elizabeth placed herself in front of Setanta, raised her shield, and activated her most powerful defensive skill.

    Her star-shaped shield started flashing rapidly, the gem in the center of it to be more exact. A transparent barrier exploded out from the gem and enveloped her, Setanta, and the rest of the group.

    Her skill was just enough to handle the fire dragon, though the heavy toll that skill had on her body was clearly apparent. Her breathing became much rougher and she kneeled on the ground, her feet had no strength left to hold her body.

    Calamity sent another fire dragon. Set and his group was not enough threat to justify the use her fist.

    Elizabeth could only watch as the fire dragon come ever closer. HEr body was still paralyzed and even if she could move, she wasn''t confident she could defend anyone but herself.

    A hand rest on her shoulder. She knew who it belongs to. The size, the roughness of the skin, and the way he gripped her, she knew it too well.

    "Don''t worry, Liz."

    A red flash shot out from Set''s hand and flew through the dragon. Normally, doing something like that was not enough to stop a spell of that level, but Set''s spear was not normal and it did the job well enough.

    However, the spear didn''t stop there. Setanta had another plan when he threw it. He threw it at a certain angle that if the spear didn''t stop after hitting the fire, it would continue towards Calamity.

    A satisfied smile appeared on his face before his body fell to the ground. Blood gushed out from his mouth.

    Elizabeth forced her body to crawl to him. "Set, why?" He was overusing Gae Bulg and he knew it better than anyone. His limit was releasing Gae Bulg three times in a day, and even that already put a serious burden on his body. Releasing it five times a day was unthinkable and obviously would break his body.

    "Why?" He asked back. His voice was small and soft but full of confidence. "I''m The Chosen One. The Guardian Hero of The World. It''s my task, my duty." He let out a chuckle. "And because it''s the right thing to do."

    Calamity stopped herself from trying to deflect the spear. She realized that it was a bad idea trying to deflect a released Gae Bulg with just her hand.

    Calamity folded all her seven wings forward to act as a shield. The following sight was just like with Mirst before, but Calamity was stronger than Mirts, far stronger.

    Calamity grimaced as she put more and more of her power into it. Gae Bulg push was stronger than she thought. The more she resisted, the stronger it pushed. But in the end, the difference in power was just too great.

    -However, Just when she was about to completely stop it, a massive spear of ice struck her fire wings, destroying all.

    Calamity glared at Val, who barely able to remain conscious. But Calamity quickly returned her gaze to Gae Bulg. it was a legendary weapon not just in name.

    She caught it with both hands and stopped it. It was much harder to stop it than she thought.

    She threw Gae Bulg away over her shoulder with a frustrated sigh, where the red spear fell into the pool of lava behind her.

    She raised a finger and pointed it at Val. She knew what was going to happen, but was too powerless to even set up a basic wall of ice.

    A red beam pierced through her chest, missing her heart just barely.

    Calamity averted her gaze away from her after that without checking whether Val had died or not. Because she didn''t care.

    With the last vestiges of her consciousness, Val froze her wound to prevent further blood loss. That was the last thing she could do to keep his promise with Theo. She would not die.

    Calamity then turned to Set and his women, all who tried their best to defend and heal him and Elizabeth while slowing down Calamity.

    Calamity turned into a blur.

    Then reappeared in front of the group.

    Elizabeth used all her strength to raise her shield. the rest of Setanta''s women supported her.

    It was useless.

    Elizabeth shield shattered and exploded. Her fist ignored all the defense they set up and hurtled them to the cave wall.

    Calamity massaged the part of her head similar to a human forehead and wondered why she didn''t use her fist in the first place. Her pride caused herself a lot of annoyance and nuisance. She shelved that self-evaluating thought for later.

    Now with all the nuisance gone, she turned towards Theo and observed him. He was kneeling and grasping an amulet in his palm.

    "Praying to your god?" Mana was not gathering around him and neither was aura, prayer was the only conclusion Calamity came into.

    She observed him closely. "You''re a fine specimen for a human. Beg to me, pray to me, worship me and I might just spare you."

    Calamity extended her hand. Even before coming, she had plans to preserve some select original species of this world and make some kind of strange zoo with them. But to do that, she has to carefully select the fine specimens for each species.

    To why she thought Theo was a fine specimen was due to his charm. Theo''s charm talent was unique from other''s in that it passes through species barrier. Meaning that even Calamity was affected by it, though only to a far lesser degree than a human would. And there was the fact that she was only able to come to this world because she held on to his legs. While she didn''t feel grateful for him, it would be more fitting to spare him than anyone else.

    But Theo didn''t answer. He still focused all his attention on his prayer.

    Calamity wondered that maybe her voice didn''t reach him with the thick wall of ice surrounding him, but dismissed that thought. She was sure he heard him.

    "Surrender, and I will let you and all your loved to live!" She renewed her terms.

    But he still ignored her.

    Calamity sighed. "Then so be it."

    She smashed the wall of ice with all the might in her fist and it erupted in a fiery blaze.

    The ice wall shattered, melted, and vaporized in the same instant, though after all the vapor blocking her vision was swept away ... another wall still stood strong in her way.

    Calamity observed the still standing wall of ice with a look of confusion. With the power of her fist compared to the structural strength of the wall, even if there were ten layers of such wall, one full-power punch from her would be enough to destroy it all. Yet in practice, only one out of seven layers the dark elf erected had fallen.

    Did she put some trick in there? She wondered. But it mattered not, uncovering Val''s trick could be done at a later time.

    Calamity then demolished every layer of ice with her fist, one by one until nothing left was standing between her and Theo.

    When the wall of ice that blurred her vision no longer exist, Calamity finally saw Theo truly as he is. And realized what he was actually doing.

    What Theo held in his palm was not just a simple charm of prayer, it was a legendary item capable of instant summoning. What Theo was doing wasn''t praying to his god, it was a chant to activate the item.

    Calamity wondered for a moment. What or who was he trying to summon that he was confident he could beat her. No, there was no time for thinking. Even if it just a bluff, she''ll kill him before he could accomplish whatever he was planning to do.

    Until the sound of his chant reached her ears.

    Realizing that Calamity was listening to him, Theo smirked and opened his eyes. "....And the ember to fire. And fire to ashes. And ashes to ember-"

    Her body shuddered. The chant was familiar to her, no, familiar was an understatement.

    "Lord of fire, Lord of flame, by your blaze purge this world aflame!"

    Taken aback by her surprise, she was unable to stop him in time.

 Chapter 70: Apocalypse

    It was a day that would be remembered for a long time. A day that would be recorded in every future history book and passed down through legend and tales. A day that would baffle scholars for generations to come. And no one would be able to tell why.

    For in that day, every flame, every molten rock, every source of heat on the Continent, turned cold for a few minutes. Lifes that should have been extinguished by fires were saved. Lifes that depended on heat were extinguished.

    Many would theorize it to be the work of a forbidden magic. Many theorized it to be the act of God. Many theorized that it was the result of colliding dimension, or planetary phenomenon, and many other theories. The phenomenon, however, was not a direct cause of magic, it was only a side effect.

    Summoning, teleporting, and other forms of magic require energy. Whether it was the most basic spell or the most powerful. Whether forbidden or legendary. Whether it took a millennia or instantaneous. All magic required an energy, most of the time, in the form of mana.

    Normal summoning spell slowly collected the required energy during the long and arduous summoning ritual. But an instant summoning spell collects all that energy in an instant. And since the amount of energy required was proportional to how powerful the thing summoned, it took energy from every source of heat on the whole continent to satisfy the energy requirement of the instant summoning spell Theo cast. But even though his spell sucked the energy out of every source of heat, those sources retained their form. Fire was still blazing like fire, lava didn''t cool down to rock, and so on.

    The ground trembled furiously. Unlike the shaking that Calamity caused when she appeared, it was an actual earthquake felt by people hundreds of kilometer away from Mount Etna.

    The cloud above swirled into a tornado that descended upon Mount Etna. The sky turned red like the break of dawn and the air turned hot like it was the high of noon.

    The miniature hammer hovered in the air between Calamity and Theo, creating a small ball of fire that rapidly grew bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger.

    Calamity, realizing who Theo was summoning, couldn''t help but freeze in fear and fall to her knees.

    "W-who are you?!" She yelled at Theo who was sitting on the ground. Though Theo''s face wasn''t that of a victor, his face was filled with doubt and fear like he wasn''t sure what he had done.

    When the figure was fully summoned, fires erupted into the sky, dwarfing the one Calamity made by a huge margin. The red streak was visible even as far as Redmound, hundreds of kilometer away.

    The ground quaked again, more violently than ever.

    A being made of pure fire, magma, and plasma stood 40 meters tall before Theo and Calamity. His whole body was bright orange like the sun, with some brown and red spots here and there made of solid volcanic rock.

    Theo would describe his appearance akin to a snowman, if a snowman was made from pure destruction. His lower half was a swirling mass of magma like an upside-down whirlpool. His torso, shoulders, and head were perfect ball shape with a rabbit ear sticking out from each of his temples, or at least where temples should be located in human''s head. His eyes were two perfect circles of black basalt rock while his mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth made from magma.

    It was his preferred form for he could assume any form if he wished, not that he ever wished for any other form. And even calling him ''he'' was not correct, but he always referred himself as a male.

    "F-F-Father." Calamity immediately fixed her posture and genuflected. "Y-your Absolute Fiery Highne-Majesty." Her voice was small and almost inaudible, the shock almost made her forgets her manners and the title of the being before her.

    [Apocalypse, King of Fire, Lv.200]

    The being Theo summoned was Apocalypse, the absolute King of Fire Realm and all fire elemental and all fire.

    "WHO DARE SUMMON ME?" Apocalypse yelled. His voice shook the sky.

    He squinted his eyes or to be more precise, the upper half of the basalt rocks that acted as his eyes went under the molten surface of his skin, giving the impression of a squinted eyes.

    He grabbed the tiny human that summoned him. Each of his finger alone was bigger than Theo. And threw him into the sky.

    Theo screamed his lung out as he reached the cloud at an unprecedented speed, before gravity pulled him back down from the heavens.

    Far below him, Apocalypse stretched his arms wide.

    When Theo fell into him, he closed his arms and pulled Theo into his fiery embrace of destruction.

    Though this ''fiery embrace of destruction'' was soft like a pillow and warm instead of melting hot and destructive.

    "BY MY FIRE AND BRIMSTONE. YOU HAVE GROWN SO BIG, THEO." He twirled around with Theo in his arm before letting finally letting him go.

    Theo collapsed after Apocalypse let him go. He suffered no physical injuries, but the shock of being thrown into the sky and forcibly spun around in the embrace of a forty meters embodiment of fire and destruction was just too much.

    "WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE MET, HUH? LAST TIME YOU WERE JUST TWO THIRD OF MY FINGER, NOW YOU''RE AS BIG AS MY FINGER."

    Theo pushed the ground so he faced upward and raised seven of his fingers. He wanted to speak but realized that trying to do so while the ground was trembling and making loud noise would be futile.

    "SEVEN YEARS? THAT''S JUST YESTERDAY YET IT ALSO FELT LIKE A LONG LONG TIME AGO."

    The rumbling of earth stopped, then Theo and Apocalypse had a quick nice little chat.

    "SO, WHAT DID YOU CALL ME FOR? TRYING TO INVADE A COUNTRY? OR JUST PURE FUN OF GENOCIDE? LOVE PROBLEM, MAYBE?"

    "Actually ..." Theo pointed his finger at Calamity. So far Calamity had been maintaining her position, she was too confused and surprised by what was happening to do anything else. Even if her mind was calm enough for her to take action, doing anything in the presence of His Absolute Fiery Majesty without his permission was a sacrilege, though that also depends on his mood and temperament.

    "CALAMITY." Apocalypse turned his head around in a confused manner. "DID YOU FOLLOW ME WHEN THEO SUMMONED ME?"

    "No." Theo interrupted. "She invaded this world, or at least she planned to."

    "INVADE?" Apocalypse rubbed his nonexistent chin. His eyes went wide open as he realized something. "INVADE?!" He turned his body and faced Calamity. "WERE YOU TRYING TO INVADE THIS WORLD, CALAMITY?!" Apocalypse''s voice was always booming, making him sound like he was always screaming and angry, but this time his tone was truly filled with anger.

    Calamity pushed her head to the ground. "F-Fath-Your Absolute Fiery Majesty, I-I do this to prove my worth to you! I do this for you!" It was a hassle saying his full title every time, but it was much preferable than an instantaneous destruction if his mood was bad.

    "SILENCE!" He yelled. "DO IT FOR ME? ARE YOU SAYING THAT I''M INCAPABLE OF TAKING THIS WORLD IF I WANTED TO?"

    Calamity''s shook uncontrollably, visible even to Theo. Liquid rock wet the ground from her eyes. "N-no, that''s not wha-"

    "SILENCE!" He formed a hammer proportional to his body size and slammed it to the ground next to her. That alone was enough to cause another earthquake. "ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU WILL TAKE THE JOY OF CONQUEST AND DESTRUCTION FROM ME? AREN''T YOU OVERSTEPPING YOUR BOUNDARY AS A MERE FIRE LORD?"

    Calamity couldn''t answer her father. She knew better than anyone -well, almost anyone- how much her father loved waging war and causing destruction with his own hand. She never intended to overstep her boundary, she just wanted to prove that she could be a useful daughter and not just a mere underling. She wanted him to look at her differently than his other minion.

    Tars suddenly jumped out from the pool of lava and kneeled in front of Calamity, towards Apocalypse of course. "Your Absolute Fiery Majesty. Please, this invasion is not My Lady''s fault."

    "Tars, No!" Calamity shouted. She was in a panic that she raised her head without His Absolute Fiery Majesty permission.

    "AND YOU ARE?!" If he had a brow, it would have twitched right now. He was not in a good mood and this mere Knight dare to move in his presence without asking for permission first.

    "I''m Tars, Your Absolute Fiery Majesty. I''m the captain of Lady Calamity guard and the one who suggested her to invade in the first place."

    "TA-" Calamity was about to shout out Tars name, but no voice came out. It was not out of fear or anything, it was because Apocalypse took away her ability to speak with a single move of his finger.

    "TARS YOU DARE LIE TO ME, YOUR GOD?"

    "I-I did not lie, Your Absolute Fiery Majesty!" Tars shouted back without any waver or fear in his voice. One little mistake could result in his eternal damnation, yet if it meant saving Calamity, then he would not mind in the slightest. "It was me who first suggested her to invade!"

    "THE FIRE THAT BURNED IN YOUR BODY WAS ONCE MINE! DO YOU THINK I WOULDN''T KNOW IF I MYSELF IS LYING, OR TELLING HALF TRUTH? YOU DARE DOUBT MY POWER?"

    There was no actual lie in what Tars said before if one takes the literal meaning of what he said, though if one looks at the context, that was another thing. It was true that he was the first one to suggest, but it was merely in the passing and almost as a joke. He was not the one that caused or convinced Calamity to invade.

    "N-no, Your Absolute Fiery Majesty, I didn''t me-"

    "BUT, YOU LIED TO PROTECT MY DAUGHTER, COMMENDABLE." The tone of his voice changed 180 degrees. He was praising Tars with a calm and gentle tone.

    This sudden and unpredictable change caused Tars and Calamity to raise their head and stare in shock. Their action didn''t get his permission, but since he was now in a good mood, there was no problem.

    Theo sighed. Unless in special circumstances or when speaking with particular people, Apocalypse was truly unpredictable. Theo could even say that his mood and temperament was as volatile as his power and could change every second.

    "Y-your praise is too much, Your Absolute Fiery Majesty." Tars and Calamity lowered their head again.

    "BUT THAT RAISE A QUESTION. WHERE DOES YOUR LOYALTY BELONG?"

    Tars and Calamity raised their head again, they were baffled by that question.

    "TO PROTECT HER YOU LIED TO ME! WHO DO YOU TRULY SERVE, TARS?"

    Theo knew Apocalypse mood had turned sour once again. Or maybe the previous calm attitude and praise was just his cruel joke to instill a false sense of peace in Calamity and Tars'' heart, Theo thought.

    He turned his gaze towards Calamity and relish in her suffering as she tried to warn Tars but unable to. After all he had gone through to stop Calamity, it was quite a sweet sight to behold, though he was far from satisfied. He still wanted to make her suffer for all the pain she - directly or not - inflicted upon Ed, Lyana, Vivi, Vex, Val, and the others.

    Luckily for him, Apocalypse was known for his cruelty even towards his subordinate and minion. He loved to torture his victim both mentally, emotionally, and physically.

    From her expression and the way she moved, Theo assumed Calamity was trying to tell Tars to abandon his loyalty to her and sworn his loyalty to Apocalypse.

    -But Tars was stubbornly honorable and loyal to a fault. And that knowledge only tortured Calamity even more.

    If Tars had a mouth he would smile proudly right now. "I serve Calamity with all my being and all my fire!" Tars said with a voice full of pride and certainty. There was no fear in his voice, no wavering, no doubt, no dishonesty.

    "GOOD! YOU''RE A LOYAL SERVANT!" Apocalypse praised him once more.

    He gave Calamity her voice back.

    "BUT NOT TO ME!!"

    He obliterated Tars.

    "TARRRSSS!!!" Calamity voice returned, but it was too late.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Ahhhh, her scream of despair, the best kind of music for Theo right now.

    "You''re cruel you know?" Theo said with a smile on his face. "You''re going to kill him no matter what he answered right? If he chose to swear loyalty to you, you''re going to kill him because he''s not loyal to the duty he was given."

    Apocalypse laughed, so hard it caused a localized earthquake. "HAHAHAHA! YOU KNOW ME, THEO."

    "How dare you?! How dare you!" Calamity yelled and raised her body. Her anger reached the limit and eclipsed her fear of Apocalypse. Her anger was mostly directed at Theo.

    "She''s fiery, like you." Theo said while glancing at Apocalypse.

    "SHE''S MY DAUGHTER AFTER ALL. HAHAHAHHA-" His laughter stopped abruptly as he sensed hostility coming from Calamity.

    He stopped and think. This was the first time Calamity had ever let out her true emotion other than fear in front of him. He was happy that his daughter finally grew some balls to defy him. Finally, he saw something in her that he could be proud of.

    But still-

    "TIME FOR YOUR PUNISHMENT."

    He flicked a finger, causing Calamity to hover in the air. She struggled and thrashed around, but it was useless. Apocalypse held absolute control over any and all fire elemental. Apocalypse was a literal god for fire elementals.

    He snapped his finger.

    Calamity''s eyes and mouth opened wide as she screamed in agony. A beam of light shone from every hole in her body. Fire and lava flowed out from every crevice of her body and moved toward Apocalypse.

    The process lasted only ten seconds, yet felt like an eternity for Calamity. After which, her fire dimmed and she collapsed to the ground, gasping and barely conscious.

    [Calamity, Daughter of Apocalypse, Lv.1]

    "F-father ... w-w-what ... have you done to me?" She asked while reaching her arms out. There was no energy or power in her voice. She was too weak to even feel fear or to care about title and honorary.

    Her brilliance that rivaled the sun before was gone, replaced by a dim ember-like flame, almost fading out.

    "NOW! YOU''RE GROUNDED!" He raised an arm and opened a small portal above him. A portal to the Fire Realm. "500 HUNDRED YEARS IN YOUR BEDROOM!"

    Calamity reached her arm out again, but even raising an arm caused her to lose her breath "N-no, f-father ... p-please ... a-anything but ... that."

    "NO!! MY SENTENCES ARE ABSOLUT-" "Wait!Wait! Wait!" Theo interrupted before Apocalypse could send Calamity back to the Fire Realm. "WHAT IS IT?!" The anger in his voice was nonexistent when he addressed Theo.

    Theo was still laying on his back after he collapsed. He was still recovering and his injury prevented him to do much, but his voice had regained its vigor back.

    "I have a better idea." He looked at Calamity. She was struggling through hell just to raise her body to a sitting position "Beneficial for all of us."

    Apocalypse squinted his eyes. "I''M LISTENING."

    Theos let out a vile smirk. "Make her my soul slave. I will teach her and train her, make her a better person ... well, elemental. Make her a better general and better lord for your army and realm. I make her a better leader if one day somehow you died and need a successor. At most, I will live for another 100 years, shorter punishment for her and I get a soul slave. Mutually beneficial for all parties involved."

    "W-what?" Calamity let out a lifeless yell. "NO! NO......there''s no way my father woul-"

    "GOOD IDEA!" He snapped a finger in agreement. "BUT I DON''T KNOW YOU HAVE INTEREST IN ELEMENTAL." He glanced at her. "I MEAN HER OVERALL SHAPE IS HUMANOID BUT-"

    "F-father!" Calamity yelled, but Theo and Apocalypse ignored her.

    "Well, change her appearance to that of a beautiful human woman. Easy with your authority."

    Apocalypse chuckled. "OH YEAH, WHY DIDN''T I THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE?" He flicked another finger and Calamity hovered in the air again.

    "No ... No, father! Please, NO! I''m your own fire and magma, you personally made me, you forged me with your own hammer at the great forge, how ... how could you do this to me?" Like before, Theo and Apocalypse ignored her tearful pleading.

    She screamed when the fire that made up her body moved from one part to another, rearranging itself and changing her appearance. The scream didn''t stop until the process was over. She still hovered in the air, but now, she was a human woman, save for the red-orange color of her skin and the dim light that she radiated.

    "Her boobs should be bigger and her ass too."

    "REALLY?" Theo nodded. Calamity screamed again, but only for a short time. Her breasts and ass have grown "GOOD ENOUGH?"

    "Bring her near me." Theo moved his hand to signal Apocalypse. "Make her hair longer." Calamity screamed. "I think her leg should be longer and her thigh ... bigger, a little bit-" Theo then spent the next minute detailing how her appearance should be.

    Telling Apocalypse what the appearance of his ideal woman is made him remember his time in the Free Cities as mercenary and slaver, before he met with Mary and before she changed him. Back then he saw people -women especially- as nothing but tools to gain what he wants or object for him to use. He hoped that this ordeal with changing Calamity appearance didn''t make him lapse back to that version of him and undo all the good changes Mary had brought him.

    In the end, Calamity became a woman whose appearance was in line with his preferences. She has a mature looking face, and she became a little bit taller than Theo. Her body was voluptuous without making any part of her overly big or overly lean. Her arms and legs were slender and long while still being proportional to her body. It was not perfect, but she was beautiful, very much so.

    "SATISFIED?"

    "Excellent. Improving her any further would need a whole day of describing things I want." Theo said with a satisfied smile while looking at her bare body.

    "YOU HAVE A RATHER DIFFERENT TASTE COMPARED TO YOUR FATHER."

    "Well, I''m not my father." Theo chuckled. "I have my own preferences."

    "NOW THEO, PREPARE FOR THE LINK."

    Calamity screamed again, harder and louder than before. A fiery chain formed in the air with one end coming out from her chest. The other end slowly moved towards Theo''s chest.

    "Oh god, this''s going to hurt- ARGGHHHHH!!!" Theo screamed when the chain went through his chest.

    It burned, like a sword of fire that pierced his chest, his heart, and his soul. The chain bound him and link his soul to Calamity.

    Theo gasped with the expression that he almost died.

    The chain became invisible, but he now felt the link between him and Calamity. Even from that distance, Theo could feel her heartbeat, her breathing, the rage, fear, and disappointment in her heart. It could be a problem if too much of her emotion flowed into him, but since he was the master of this link, he could make it so her emotion didn''t flow to him.

    Calamity, exhausted and shocked because of the pain, lost her consciousness.

    After making sure she wouldn''t wake up anytime soon, Theo finally could talk to Apocalypse without having to worry about anyone hearing him.

    "Hey, can you help me?"

    "HMM, THAT''S RARE." He said with delight in his voice.

    "You see a dark elf up there, stuck somewhere on the cliff? Can you please bring her here." Theo pointed his finger towards the cliff wall where he last saw Val crashed into it.

    "A NEW WOMAN OF YOURS?"

    "The newest ... well, if you exclude Calamity."

    Apocalypse took Val with his hand and laid him next to Theo. He examined the extent of her injuries and then used his spell paper, potion, and all of his limited medical knowledge to treat Val''s wound all the while Apocalypse inquired about her. After he finished, He laid his body again on the ground.

    "Are you sure it''s okay like this? She''s your daughter. Your flesh and blood, or in your terms, your fire and magma." Theo changed the topic of discussion from Val back to Calamity.

    "HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU THINK I HAVE?"

    "Thousands? Millions? Hell, any non-ancient fire elemental can be considered a child of yours."

    "HOW MANY OF THEM DO YOU THINK I KILLED WITH MY OWN HAND? WHAT MAKE YOU THINKS SHE''S SPECIAL?"

    Theo didn''t answer because the answer was countless. As almost every fire elemental was more or less created from his fire, Apocalypse claimed that he has the right to their soul. And so he exercised that right almost excessively.

    "SPEAKING OF WHICH," He moved his gaze from Theo to Calamity. "I''VE BEEN LONGING FOR GRANDCHILDREN, TRUE BORN GRANDCHILDREN."

    "Can human and fire elemental even reproduce?" Ignoring all other obvious problems, this was the first thing Theo asked. He didn''t even consider he could refuse him because that was not a request.

    "I SHAPED HER REPRODUCTIVE ORGAN TO THAT OF HUMAN, SHOULDN''T BE A PROBLEM." He rubbed his chin again, thinking whether that would actually work. Even if the shape was exactly the same, even Apocalypse wasn''t sure whether it was functional. "EVEN IF YOU CAN''T, YOU CAN LATER COME TO FIRE REALM TO FORGE YOUR OWN BABIES."

    Theo smiled. "Yeah sure."

    Fire elementals didn''t reproduce like human or animal, they don''t even have anything remotely similar to a sexual organ. Most fire elementals were born, or as they say ''forged'' in the hearts of fire realm. When a pair of fire elemental wanted to have a child, they went to to the Great Forge, took a piece of fire from their body, and mixed it. Then they forged their child from that mix of two flames.

    Apocalypse stopped and realized the second most obvious problems. "HOW CAN YOU MAKE HER WILLING TO BEAR YOUR CHILD?"

    The smiled disappeared from Theo''s face. His line of thought traced back to his time as mercenary and slaver, when turning people into obedient slaves and dolls without a will of their own was part of his daily life. He called it training and he was quite good at it too.

    However, that was not what Theo wanted Calamity to be. And with his future adventure and traveling with Ed, Lyana, Vivi, and possibly Val, there was no way he could train her. Not to mention he preferred if he didn''t have to go back to his previous self. If Mary ever knew what he did before he met her, he couldn''t even bear to imagine her reaction.

    "That''s ... a bit problematic, though I will manage somehow. But I need to know what she fears, what she likes, etc."

    Apocalypse stroked his chin, searching his mind for what Theo requested. "WATER ... SHE''S AFRAID OF WATER."

    "Aren''t fire elemental in general afraid of water?" It was only logical that a race made of fire would fear water.

    "NO, MOST FIRE ELEMENTALS HATED WATER, BUT DOESN''T FEAR IT."

    "So, anything she particularly likes?"

    Apocalypse shrugged, telling Theo that he didn''t know. though in truth, if he wanted to know he could do it with his absolute authority. So if he said he didn''t know that meant he didn''t want to give him answer or didn''t want to use his power for such trivial matters. Theo didn''t push for an answer. If Apocalypse didn''t want to tell him then so be it.

    "Anything else you can add to help me maybe?"

    "I''LL RETURN HER POWER ONCE I SEE MY FIRST GRANDCHILD."

    "W-what?" Theo''s eyes opened wide.

    He never expected Apocalypse to return her power even if he asked. If this was the case then pacifying Calamity and making her his woman wasn''t just adding another member to his harem and adding fire elemental to the list of species he ever put his dick in. If Calamity reclaims her power, she literally has the power to destroy a country.

    Theo shook his head. While imagining what the future might hold for him, there was another more pressing matter at the moment.

    "Then it''s going to take some time, a year maybe a few, unless something big happened and we''re both tangled in it." What Theo meant by that was if fate put them in a life-threatening situation that forced them to fight together, that could potentially reduce Calamity''s hostility towards him. He himself doubted that though.

    "IF SHE''S WITH YOU, THEN SOMETHING BIG WILL HAPPEN NEXT WEEK." Apocalypse knew full well how event and accident was part of Theo''s daily life, nay, it was in his blood. His father before him was also a disaster magnet, and a more powerful one even.

    Apocalypse suddenly glanced downward. His expression, while most of the time unreadable, was without a doubt showing hints of sadness, regret, and pent-up anger.

    He recalled something.

    "THEO! ... how did he die?" Apocalypse asked. Theo was surprised by his question but was even more shocked because of his soft voice. In the whole history, at least that he knew of, Apocalypse never spoke with a soft voice like that, not even once.

    Though considering the subject of this conversation, it was nothing strange.

    Theo knew who Apocalypse was referring to. The only reason Theo knew about Apocalypse and became his friend was due to his father. Though calling Theo as Apocalypse friend didn''t deliver the whole truth. If using human relationship terms, then Theo would be most correctly described as Apocalypse''s stepson.

    Theo never wanted to touch this topic of discussion nor remember it because it reached the realm beyond strange. His father and Apocalypse were engaged in the most bizarre platonic gay relationship that has ever existed ... maybe. Between a male human and the incarnation of fire and destruction.

    Theo even remembered his father telling him that they were married. His father and Apocalypse once invaded the realm of nature spirit and cut one of the branches of the world tree Yggdrasil, then used the wood from that branch to make their wedding ring. Of course, Apocalypse''s ring burned to ashes once he put it on his finger, but it was only a symbol in the first place.

    And that was the reason Apocalypse was nice towards Theo.

    Theo sighed after remembering all that strange nonsense. To think that his father left his mom for Apocalypse. Though technically his father never married his mom in the first place.

    After sorting all the mess in his mind, Theo finally managed to answer Apocalypse. "With his own way, on his own term. He died protecting me."

    Theo sighed. He had told this thing countless of times to countless other people, yet telling it to someone who knew his father had a different feeling brought with it.

    "Who killed him?" the tone of his voice was not filled with anger or killing intent, but with even more sadness and regret.

    Theo shook his head, denying that he knew.

    But Apocalypse wasn''t fooled, he pressed on. "Theo, I know you know who killed him. Who?"

    Like Apocalypse expected, Theo actually knew but he never disclosed it to anyone. Why he did it, he didn''t know either. Maybe it was a glimmer of rage within him telling him he should be the one to avenge his father, and by not telling anyone, no one would cut him to the chase. Or maybe it was another reason entirely.

    But Apocalypse ... Apocalypse had as much right as Theo to know who killed their loved one.

    "Kyrie," Theo answered hesitantly.

    Apocalypse gave him an inquisitive look.

    "There''s only one Kyrie that you know," Theo answered.

    One of the thirty demon lords, Kyrie. Just like Lyana told him a while back, most demons only had one name and no surname or family name. This resulted in hundreds or even thousands of demon with the name of Kyrie, though there was only one Kyrie with enough fame and importance for the king of fire to have heard of.

    "To think that ..." The fire of anger within his voice was reignited, but Apocalypse put a lid on it before it went out of control. "But before that."

    Apocalypse plunged his hand into his own molten chest, then pulled out the miniature golden hammer inside him.

    He threw it and Theo grabbed it, it was not hot. It had lost all of its magical power, making it only a simple memento of his late father.

    "My time here is almost up," Apocalypse said as his body started to turn transparent. The hammer magic was a temporary summon, meaning anything Theo summoned with the hammer could only stay in this world for a set amount of time before returning. His earlier prediction was five minutes, but Apocalypse managed to stay for a little bit more than ten.

    "THEO!" Apocalypse called him with his usual booming voice.

    "I SWEAR UPON MY FIRE, I WILL AVENGE HIM!"

    "SHE CAN RUN BUT SHE CAN NEVER HIDE FROM ME!"

    "THE MIGHT OF THE FIRE REALM WILL CHASE HER NO MATTER WHERE, AND WHEN I FOUND HER, I BRING RAGNAROK WITH ME!"

    With that roaring declaration, the last visage of Apocalypse vanished as he returned to his realm of fire.

    Ragnarok, that word resounded in his mind. It was an old prophecy from Ulster Isle that foretold the end of the world. Theo hoped that he only brought Ragnarok upon Kyrie and not upon the whole world. Though that may be a wishful thinking from his side.

    If Apocalypse truly set his eyes on killing Kyrie, their battle would most likely, no, will definitely happen in this world instead of the Fire Realm. If that happened and Apocalypse brought with him the full might of the fire army, the resulting chaos would engulf the Continent if not all the known landmasses or even beyond that.

    Theo contemplated whether his decision to tell Apocalypse about Kyrie would result in the end of the world.

    He chuckled. ''Theo Gladium, Harbinger of the End of the World'' might not be a bad name to be remembered as ... If there was someone to remember him after Ragnarok.

    Anyway, he put that line of thought into the deep dark recess of his mind and focused on the problem in his hand.

    He looked around. Val lay on the ground next to him with a relieved smile on her sleeping face. Set and his women were scattered around. Calamity was lying naked next to his feet, shivering and in pain.

    He stood up, opened his armor and opened his shirt. He then covered Calamity with his shirt. She had been stripped of her power completely. Returning back to level 1 after hundreds if not thousands of years being one of the most powerful beings would have an adverse effect on her body. The chilling wind alone could make her catch a cold, if she could catch a cold that was.

    Theo then scratched his head. He couldn''t possibly carry them all back to base. He took a step-

    -then fell down to his knees.

    His whole body was aching and his head ringing like it was about to split.

    He forced a pained laugh out from his mouth. The effect of adrenaline has ended. The pain and strain his body felt from using Vaporizing Slash multiple times in succession dawned on him. Not to mention all the injuries he had even before that.

    "Damn, should have asked him to heal me." He complained under his ragged breathing. But he smiled. "Well, at least this is over."

 Chapter 71: The Tales

    A new legend, a heroic tale, a bard''s song appeared the day Theo defeated Calamity at Mount Etna. As no one knew what happened then, it spun out of control.

    Some said he beat her with his sword and wits, some claimed he beat her using legendary weapons, another said he punched the shit out of her and close the portal with his bare hands, other said he was secretly a legendary sage that knew how to turn fire cold hence the bizarre phenomenon, still other speculated that he wooed Calamity to surrender. Of course, they mentioned Val, Setanta, and his women. Setanta was, surprisingly for Theo and Val, a very honest man. He didn''t take more credit than he deserved and admitted his defeat at the hand of Calamity. He also took part in exaggerating Theo''s and Val''s accomplishment when he told the story to others.

    The tales wouldn''t travel half as far or half as fast if not for someone spreading it on purpose. And who would gain more from his fame than himself and those who supported him, someone who championed him a few weeks prior. His success meant her credibility, and her credibility meant her chance to become the next Pontiff. It was a simple calculation really.

    The tales brought joy and happiness to the common people. His friends and his women scattered across the Continent showed their prideful smile and let out a relieved sigh as they heard his tales from wandering bards, traveling adventurers, and gossiping maids.

    <div>Of course, exaggerated tales also brought negative impacts as the tales reached his enemies. Those who hated him, their hatred burned even wilder. Those envious and jealous, became even more caught up in their envy and jealousy. Those that wanted him dead would stop at nothing to see him buried beneath their feet.

    <div>

    The newest rumor said this new hero targeted the Holy Empire capital city as his next destination. If it was true, then he would welcome him with open arms and treat him with hospitality second to none before his brothers or sister could offer the same thing. Luckily for him, the rumor told him about the hero''s love for women and sex that rivaled even a satyr.

    But the prince was not hasty. There was no preparation for an extravagant party or a reservation of a high-class brothel. Because unlike his brothers and sisters, he had to use every single coin of gold from his own treasury. And even if he could spend his money without reservation, he did not know what the hero had in plan when he came to the capital city. The time of his arrival was also still unknown. If everything went as smooth as a baby''s bottom, it would take at least a week before he arrived. That still had not put into consideration the time needed to recover from his injuries and time taken for detour or problem during travel. He needed to know many unknown factors before making any big preparation.

    The prince was not the only one who took an interest in Theo though. The idea of taking him under their command came to another man from across the small sea in Nihon.

    Nihon was stricken with a civil war since thirty years ago. Clans and noble families waged war against one another, trying to expand their territories and increase their own power. Problems first arose with the Emperor''s declining political power and influence. Now, the Emperor of Nihon was nothing, but a glorified symbol, a remnant of ancient tradition; an ancient tradition many was happy to see fade away.

    Even during the civil war, there were many clans and families who fought among themselves for the position of Family head. And during a civil war, many family heads didn''t live to old age.

    <div>

    After the death of his father, a dispute rose over who should lead them next. The man should have been the next head by birthright, but many of his retainers rejected his claim and chose his younger brother instead, causing his family to split into two.

    Many regarded him as a man ignorant of politics, economy, and war. Many saw him spending his time fooling and playing around.

    Though the truth was very much different.

    No one could understand him. No one could comprehend the depth of his mind. No one was able to match him in strength and prowess. His tactics and policies were unorthodox and radical, but in no way foolish and ineffective. But most people, most of his retainers, were too absorbed by their own delusion of knowledge, too absorbed in their crumbling ways of old, too absorbed in their own pride that they were unwilling to change and adapt. They never even considered his strategy and policy when they labeled him as The Fool.

    "Toki!" The man called from his room. Unlike on the Continent where two milennia ago Alexander the Greatest unified its language after his conquest, Nihon retained their distinct language as their land was spared from his conquest by the small sea.

    A woman in men''s clothing entered the room. "Y-yes, my lord." She had been waiting just outside his room in case he needed her or someone wanted to meet him.

    The young lord smiled when she entered the room. She was a mere commoner, a son of a farmer with no blood relation to any lord or any knight for as far as seven generations past. A common soldier with a little above average abilities, yet the young lord kept her close as his guard and sandal-bearer. It was not due to his affection towards her, one look and you knew she was only average in almost every aspect.

    Yet, his gut told him otherwise. The woman was the furthest from normal, though the specific still eluded the young lord. It was uncharacteristic for the young lord to trust his gut with no tangible proof, but the feeling he had never went away no matter how much he dismissed it.

    He wanted to test her.

    "Search for this Theo Gladium. And make him come to my side, whatever the cost." The young lord was not a man of pleasantries, so he cut to the chase.

    Her jaw dropped. "E-E-EHHHH!! But that man is on the Continent!" She thrashed her arm around, panicking. Since the moment she was born, she had never left the province she was currently in, and now her lord told her to cross the small sea to search for this new hero whose whereabouts was only known through a vague and exaggerated rumor.

    "TOKI!" He shouted with a tone that would shame a lion.

    Her body stiffened. "Y-YES!" There was no room for rebuttal or rejection. Once her lord had made his mind even storm and waves could not sway him.

    "You may not return to Nihon without him." He showed her the stick should she fail. He realized how tall and unreasonable it was to tell her that, but he believed she could and would accomplish it. If not ... then his gut must be wrong and there was no reason to keep her close to him.

    ''B-but-'' She complained within her heart, his gaze froze her lips from uttering those complaints. Dread and uneasiness filled her bosom, unlike anything she ever felt before. The young lord was merciless both to his enemy and retainer, however, she felt this order was unfair and cruel even for him. She had no experience traveling, exploring, searching, hunting, or recruiting people. She even had problems communicating her thought to the people that she was familiar. Considering those facts, it seems like the young lord wanted to get rid of her on purpose.

    No, she reassured herself in her heart. The young lord wouldn''t do something this deliberate just to get rid of her. If he wanted to get rid of her, he wouldn''t do it in a roundabout way. That was not how the young lord operates and that was precisely why she chose his side instead of his brother.

    She knew he had something planned for her.

    "I''ll make you a commander when you return." Then he showed her the carrot. He knew how much she wanted to raise in status, how much she dreamt of being more than just a commoner footsoldier, and how much she coveted riches and money. Being a commander would give her all of that.

    Her eyes opened wide again. All uneasiness and doubt within her heart were blown away. And from the ashes of her doubt bloomed an excitement for future adventures and her future success. This task might take her years, but if she succeeds, and she promised herself she will, it would be a dream come true. "R-really?! I-I mean-" She bowed deeply. "At once!"

    "The preparation has been made and your ship will sail in a week time. If you have anything left you want to do or goodbye you want to give, better hurry." The young lord dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

    After she left, the young lord let out a sigh. It was a shame to lose such a fine companion and conversation partner, but this was a perfect chance to test all of her worth. In truth, this task was more of a test for her rather than him wanting to recruit this new hero. The hero was just a nice coincidence that gave him a powerful reason to give her a tall task. Even if he never appeared, then the young lord already had a few other plans to test her.

    <div>

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.With both hand clasped together, she prayed from the depth of her heart. There wasn''t anything covering her doll-like white skin, it glistened under the divine light. But her beautiful skin was immaterial when compared to the holy wings coming from her back.

    The wings sparkled with divine light, very much alike to the one coming from the ceiling. The feather was pure white with no flaw whatsoever. Otherworldly. Nothing in this world or the other could be that pure and without imperfection. One look at her wings and the darkest and hardest of heart would mellow and soften. One sniff at the fragrance wafting off her wings and the godless and heathen would turn into the most faithful of God''s servant. One touch of the soft feather and even the most sinful and evil would kneel and beg for forgiveness.

    "Rafaela ... or should I call you Sara?" A voice came from nowhere, anywhere, and everywhere. It was the voice of divinity, bringing with it a pure and weighing power unlike anything of this world. It was the most beautiful voice the world had ever heard. Hearing the voice alone would turn most creation to madness if not outright obliterate them.

    Her jaw hung low and her eyes opened wide with tears flowing like a flood. Her cheeks turned red, her eyes sparkled, her breath quickened. She refrained herself from thinking about the owner''s form, or even the celibate High Priestess would wet herself.

    "M-my Lord ... y-you contacted me." She couldn''t hold back the rush of emotion. Relief, joy, surprise, and many more emotions intermingled within her heart, it was far too much to be expressed. "It has been far too long ... far, far too long without your presence, my Lord."

    "Do you regret your choice Rafaela, coming to this world and pretending to be its inhabitant?" The voice asked with a soft and melodious tone.

    "No," She said firmly with no hesitation or lie. "I''ve never regretted my decision, not even once! When you chose me as a player, I felt the greatest joy that your creation could ever hope to feel. But still ... every second without looking at your magnificent figure, without hearing your divine voice, without your holy presence touching my skin, every moment is an eternity for me."

    "Your words flattered me, Sara. Thank you."

    ''Thank you'' The words filled Sara''s mind. In that moment the world around her turned blank as nothing else mattered. Her heart pounded and almost exploded. She couldn''t contain her happiness that it maddened her. "N-no." Tears couldn''t stop flowing from her eyes. "You''re too kind, my Lord."

    <div>

    "N-no I-I-MY LORD!" She hugged herself. Her body shuddered uncontrollably. She had never felt such a strong rush of emotion since she descended to this world and assumed a mortal form. She truly had left the realm of sanity, that praise pushed her over the edge.

    "Sara," The voice reminded her he was not done speaking with her, and her current state of mind hindered it from continuing. "Give me your report and assessment of the situation"

    After regaining her composure and nodded, she reported all major events since their last communication. She was happy and delighted to be of use, though she was afraid that even her discipline could not keep her overflowing emotion. She was afraid it would inconvenience him.

    Her Lord, while power was insurmountable and unimaginable for her and any creation, was not omnipotent nor omniscient. He could do anything to this world. But because of this ''Free for All'' scenario, he made a self-restricting rule to let everyone in the world have their way without his direct interference. He also could see anything and everything in the world if he wanted to, but again, imposed a self-restricting rule on himself. That was where she came in, to act as an observer, player, and pseudo-gamemaster. Her task was to monitor and prevent the scenario from getting too out of control too fast while also keeping the scenario from becoming stale and boring. Though it was easier said than done considering her divine power was forbidden, only her hard-earned mortal power.

    "How many Rule Breakers are there?" the voice asked after they done discussing the Rule Breakers.

    "Quite a few. With your lack of direct control, My Lord, there are more and more of Rule Breakers with each age. I''m ashamed to say I don''t have the knowledge of their exact number. But I know about the time travelers."

    "How many are they, and your assessment?"

    "There are two that I know. The one in the Eternal City is troublesome, but in no way a threat to the scenario, but the one in Lethrand ... I''m sorry." Her head dropped in shame. Her knees went weak, and she slumped to the floor. She was a failure, a shame, a thorn in her Lord''s side. Her Lord had given her a lot of trusts and a lot of responsibilities, one she couldn''t imagine getting any, one she didn''t deserve. Yet despite her Lord limitless kindness, she failed him. She betrayed his trust. She was not worthy.

    "Rafaela." The voice reprimanded her. It was easy for her to enter a cycle of self-blaming and self-deprecation when she talked about the Rule Breakers.

    Sara wiped the tears from her eyes and continue giving her report. "He has lived there for forty years now, and his activity has caused a great ripple to the current scenario, creating many abnormalities and glitches and big events that are outside even my prediction. I have tried to the best of my abilities to remove him, but he was cunning and strong beyond any foe I have ever faced. This servant begs your forgiveness, My Lord."

    <div>

    <div>

    "I believe he knows about it, about the existence of the Pantheon and about you, My Lord. But from my observation, he has no intention to do anything about it, nor does he despaired or become crazy from his knowledge. He has no intention of getting in our way. His goal, while unknown to me, seems more personal and selfish than most Rule Breaker I''ve ever encountered."

    "Continue observing him, but let him be for now. He might be a fine addition to this scenario. A wild card, a glitch that not even the gamemaster knows ... hahaha," The voice giggled. "What a nice twist. And good work, Rafaela. The Fire invasion has proven to be quite an entertaining event. I hope you can serve me even better entertainments in the future."

    Sara bowed her head. The tears coming from her eyes had been replaced by tears of happiness. "Thank you, My Lord. You''re too kind."

    The light from the ceiling vanished. Sara clasped her hands together and started a long and deep prayer. A true pray to the true God, her God. She was thankful for her Lord''s limitless mercy and compassion, his unquestionable understanding, his unmatched grace and majesty. She lost her word to describe her Lord. She knew that it was foolish and disgraceful for trying to describe Him with words created by mortals, it was simply an impossible task.

    After many hours of deep and silent prayer, she stood up and walked to her usual chamber with a little skip in each step she took. Within her eyes, the determination to please her Lord and entertain the great Pantheon burned ever brighter.

    She would sow the seeds of chaos and conflict all over the world so her Lord would never run out of entertainment. She would create the greatest play this world has ever seen, the greatest, grandest grand opera of all time. Of course, she had done just that since the moment she stepped into this world. Yet, it was different now, she had a burst of imagination and motivation. Her Lord visit had rejuvenated and renewed her will and gave her untold amount of inspiration for her next plan.

    She smiled and shuddered at the thought of accomplishing such a thing, to carry out what her sisters had never done, what they couldn''t do. But what made her happy was the thought of the praises she would get, the love she would get from her Lord once she accomplished such a feat.

    She shook her head. It was not the time for delusion and dreams. If she wanted her wishes to come true, she must work hard for it, and she have to start from this very second. She mustn''t waste even a single moment.

    She brought out the checkerboard within her mind, reviewing every plans she put on hold and all the pawn and pieces she had all around the world. Not every piece was under her complete control, but it did not matter to her. For as long as she was able to point out the direction they were going, everything should be going according to her plan and prediction.

    A ripple of spacetime.

    Faint and hidden, but not gone.

    The third time travelers had just arrived that very second.

    Shivers ran down Sara''s spine. She loved chaos and discord, but not when it concerned her plan. This sudden addition threw a wrench to her well laid out plan, and adjusting it to take into account this new variable would be a pain in the ass ... but ... everything might still work out well for her in the end, considering who that was.

    She smiled and turned her body towards the source of the ripple. She could pinpoint the source somewhere in the Haken Empire. What business does that person have in that pile of trash of an empire, she did not know.

    "Looks like Demon Lord Theo Gladium from the future has some businesses in the present."

 Past, Present, Future

    lHey there, Ketu here. This is not a chapter MUAHAHAHAHAHAHHA ... er, just wanna talk about a few things about this story (More like the process of me writing it instead of the actual story itself). As you can guess from the title of this non-chapter, which honestly kind of clickbaity, I''m going to talk about this story past present and future along with all my problems when writing it. (I won''t actually talk about it in chronological order).

    So first thing first, Last year I took three months of unannounced break from writing this story. I didn''t just stop uploading, I stop writing this story completely during that time. The main reason being, writing this story has become a chore and pretty stressful for me (Wait there, don''t be angry, I haven''t quit writing this story). I also didn''t lie when I told you that I''ve been busy, but if I''m enjoying writing, then no matter how busy I am I''ll probably have some time to write.

    So, why did this story become a chore and stressful to write? tl;dr, this story has strayed a lot from what I first envisioned, and trying to correct it only makes me stressed.

    (Skip this part and scroll down if you just want to know the whole point of this non-chapter)

    Long story:

    Let''s go back a little bit to two years ago (i think, I don''t really remember). Back then I''ve never read any novel, AT ALL, I don''t like it, too many words, too few images. I only read mangas and watch animes/movies/little bit of TV series and play games, lot and lot of games. until my computer got deep fried by a lightning and I was left computer-less. Having too much free time without games made me search for something to fill it.

    Then my friend told me about this site and a few other amateur novel sites.

    Then I started reading, only the amateur one though and short one, still don''t like long novels (I didn''t read the top ranking back then since you know, long). After reading a bit, I started writing, trying to create my own story. In the end, it went badly since my only references were amateur novel with not so good quality.

    Then my friend introduces me to FSN and Overlord, which is the first two professional works that I read. I was utterly impressed by the difference in quality (duh!)

    So I started over and write another story, which turns out to be a carbon copy of FSN. Doesn''t go so well, not to mention that kind of battle royale story have been done to the death which I don''t know back then.

    Then this story, God Blade, come to be. My third story. When I first wrote this story my list of references only increase by a few from this site Top ranking and top most popular (This was during the time Arcane Emperor first comes out), the list of professional works I''ve read haven''t increased. And I haven''t read any blog, tips to write, writing forum, or anything like that. So while I put some though into writing this, I still don''t have any preparation. I didn''t have an outline, didn''t write down any of my idea, didn''t prepare that much in terms of story. I just write whatever I want with whatever appears in my head. But still, since I actually put some thought into it, I have some of my pride behind it.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Back then when I first post this story I know I shouldn''t expect much, but then It exceeded my expectation. Got a lot of readers, lot of comments, even getting into the trending list and fourth pages of top popular list which is insane. This makes me care about number of followers, rating, traction, etc, eventhough I knew that caring about those is kind of a pitfall for writer in this site or any site.

    Then the first complaint and review came out. Back then I''ve never got any complain or review at all so I don''t know how to handle those things. Instead of taking the complaints and reviews with a grain of salt (Or a mountain of it), I tried to please people. With more and more time passes I tried to please more and more people before someone actually told me that I mustn''t try to please the complainer, but then It was kind of too late.

    By the mid of the Fire Invasion Arc, I realized that this story has gotten quite far from what I originally envisioned. Theo actually becomes kind of a good guy compared to what I originally planned, the demon races played too little part, some characters were left out, Lyana''s past wasn''t explained properly, and so on and so on. So I tried to correct the course of this story to correct its path, but it only stressed me out.

    Then after looking around, I got the idea to rewrite this story. Luckily for me, I actually look around a little bit more before doing that and abandoning this version of the story and realized that trying to rewrite this story at this stage is actually kind of a bad idea.

    So I got stuck and stressed out, and my busy schedule gives me a perfect excuse to disappear. I never actually intended to return, I want to let this story be among many stories in this site that suddenly went on a hiatus, never to resume

    But then I met a group of people, a group of writer IRL. I talk with them, write a few stories with them, and discuss my problems with them. Then I read some more professional novel, LN, and VN.

    And I came back.

    But the problem with wanting to rewrite this story and the feeling of dissatisfaction of how this story turned out, still lingered in my mind. Which lead me to write this non-chapter (not really).

    I have three choices:

    1. To just abandon this version of story and rewrite (This is no longer a choice really since I''ll probably lose interest mid-way)

    2. To write both this version and the new Rewrite version.

    3. To continue this story until I can''t take it anymore, then and only then, rewrite it.

    After talking with my friends, I decided to go with number three, though I occasionally write some ideas for the rewrite version.

    So what is the point of this non-chapter?

    Nothing.

    Just want to share some of my thoughts and to thank you all for reading this story that I myself can''t bear to reread without wanting to smash my head into the wall.

    Also from this point on, some chapters will follow different POV character and some chapter will have a little bit more LORE to compensate me forgetting to tell them in earlier chapters. Also, some problems will suddenly come out like the Spanish Inquisition, unexpected and without proper set-up, because I forget to set up those problems in earlier chapters. I will try to not make them too jarring or too sudden, but just want to let you know.

    Thank you for reading this story.

    P.S. If any of you have any question at all, just ask me in the comments or through PM, I''ll try my best to answer

    P.P.S. I''m surprised that some of you are surprised enough by the ''future Demon Lord Theo Gladium'' part to comment about it, not complaining though, just didn''t expect you to be that surprised.

 Chapter 72: Last Will

    Inside a forest in Amaryn between Aeston and Redmound, a group of people stood around, searching and scanning their surrounding. Horn of many sizes, colors, and curvatures fashioned their head. Some had wings on their back, some had tails that came out from area just above their butt, others had both. They were demons of humanoid variants, all women.

    In front of the group, a demon with veil over her face was extending her arms out. Her hair was ashen color and reached down until her thighs. Her robe was black, big, and loose, hiding her figure under it. Yet even without showing her face and body, alluring aura oozed out from her body. Any who touched it was instantly entranced and charmed, no matter the gender, no matters the preference, no matter the race. As if the rule of reality itself dictated that everything should be attracted towards her. Worms and ants wriggled on the ground around her feet. Birds, bees, and insects circled her, abandoning their job and duties. Even plants seemingly leaned towards her direction, disregarding wind and sunlight.

    "Found her." The woman said while pointing her finger. She had kept her silence for quite some time, her unexpected voice caused everyone there to blush. She herself was not bothered by it or by the animals circling around her. It had been like that since the moment she was born, a power that she couldn''t control, a curse. "Dig her up."

    Two demons dug the ground where she was pointing. Collars coiled their neck as a mark of their status. Their eyes were covered with thick black blindfold while their ears were plugged, yet it didn''t stop them from hearing the command of their master nor does it prevented them from blushing.

    "Kyrie!" A clink rang out when a massive female demon approached her. Cassandra stood more than two meters tall with equally massive curved sword hanging on her back. Armor covered her from the tip of the horns to her toe without any visible opening, even for her eyes there were no holes. The armor and warhammer were made from titan steel, a metal only found in Demon Realm and only forgeable by a demon smith. It was as strong as the strongest of man-made metal yet was twice as light as the lightest.

    Demon race smithing technique and technology were leap and bound beyond any other race. Even the famous smithers race of dwarves couldn''t compete with them in term of smithing. though unlike the dwarves, demons only interested in smithery works that have something to do with war like weapons and armors.

    "Why the hell are we wasting time here for, we paid you not to loiter around in this ... godforsaken forest!" Her voice was pregnant with enmity even though she was just as charmed and allured as the two slaves. This was not a mere brave front or acting, attraction and hostility were not mutually exclusive. And Cassandra was never accustomed to act polite or hide her hostility, a brute through and through. She had no need for politeness outside of speaking to her father.

    The two slaves snapped their head around. Their glare went through Cassandra even with their eyes blindfolded. They wouldn''t ignore a hostile intent directed at their master.

    But before they could raise their body, Kyrie raised a hand, and the slave returned to their task.

    Cassandra was undeterred by the stares and grabbed Kyrie by the shoulder. Most demon lord would not take kindly if a lowly demon touched them, but Kyrie let her do as she pleased. "I''m asking you. What the hell ar-"

    Her words got cut off when the stench of rotting flesh suffocated her throat and nasal cavity. The slave had reached arms deep into the ground, revealing a grave and a corpse. Everyone grimaced and stuffed their noses at the overpowering smell, except Kyrie. The corpse had been buried for almost four months now, but due to the dry soil and cold air, still retained most of its flesh and some of its feature.

    She was a woman with green hair. The horn coming from her temple indicated that she was a demon just like them.

    With a flick of a hand, Kyrie sent the slaves to their original position before kneeling beside the shallow grave. She extended her arms out and pulled the rotting corpse to her chest. She embraced it. She stroked its head. And kiss the forehead while shedding a single tear.

    She couldn''t mistake her. She wouldn''t mistake her for someone else. Even if most of her feature had already gone, even if she was just a bone, no way she wouldn''t recognize her.

    "M-my lady, you shouldn''t do that, it''s dirty." One of her slaves said.

    Kyrie glare caused the slaves to tremble and lose the color from their face. Their body reeled back and fell to the ground, but they quickly assumed a kneeling position.

    Seeing her slaves trembling in fear, she sighed and closed her eyes. "Sorry." It was not within her intention to scare them. Her glare was more of a reflexive reaction after hearing someone she held dear being called dirty. The two didn''t deserve such scare, they had served her well for the last century. Helping her with her every need and every want, anywhere, anytime with utmost impeccability. They had never given her any dissatisfaction with their service and she had no reason to complain, much less glare and get mad. She could tell how shocked they were.

    The slave''s face turned completely bright red and bowed. "N-no, I should be the one to apologize. I-I''ve spoken out of my place, my lady."

    Kyrie smiled. The dark veil covering her face should have make it impossible to be discerned, but such small obstruction proved useless. The swarm of birds and insects around her went into a frenzy and crashed into nearby trees. People around her, even those that didn''t have her inside their vision, held their breath without even realizing it.

    She quickly took a poker face, ceasing this strange phenomenon.

    She turned her gaze to the corpse in her arms. "Yes, she is dirty." She then muttered a spell under her breath, resulting in the disappearance of the stench and sign of further decomposition.

    She walked to one of her slaves. "Varin, return to the demon realm. Clean her and give her a proper burial. Be careful on the way, there''s no need to rush, the preservation spell will last for months." She said as she handed the corpse with careful and gentle movement.

    Varin bowed and was about to say something when Cass interrupted her. "Hey, hey, hey, that''s not within our agreement!" She put herself between the slave and her master, which incited a hateful glare from the former. "She''s our property, Papa''s property, what happened to her body should be ours to decide, not you!" She stared down at Kyrie without any fear of retaliation. She knew full well that Kyrie was not the kind to act based on her emotion but based on cold calculation.

    "Her body is already too decomposed. Even with your family''s advanced magic, there can be no use left for her ... Unless of course, your ''Papa'' have a liking to decomposed corpse. I''m not going to judge." She put her emphasis on the ''Papa'' part to mock Cass while her hidden face showed no sign of emotion.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Cass growled at her mockery. Her left hand balled into a fist and her right was itchy, wanting to grab the sword on her back. But she held her rampant impulse back. She was not known for holding back and had never needed to do so. It surprised even herself that she was able to rein her emotion.

    "Hahahaha, is that your argument?" Cass forced herself to smile even though she knew no one could see it behind her faceless helmet. "Yes, her body is no use to us, so what? Papa still own her body!" She calmed herself and turned her head, then pointed at one of her companions. "You, come here!"

    The woman Cass called had a pale skin that stuck to her bone and long black unkempt hair that covered her eyes. She had small withered horns and small withered wings. While she could be called sickly, she was far from ugly. Actually, everyone in their group could be called beautiful to some degree.

    "You call me, captain?" Her voice had no will behind it, reflecting her appearance. Black robes covered her body while a necklace of demon skulls hung loosely from her neck.

    "Call her soul, right now! I want to know everything. Hopefully, she knew something useful." Cass ordered her without taking Kyrie presence into account. She was confident Kyrie wouldn''t do something even in this condition as it would do her more harm than good.

    This time, however, she was off the mark.

    "AGHHH!" Cass screamed and fell to her knees while holding her now half of a left arm. The part from elbow below was cut clean through her titan steel armor, resting on Kyrie''s left hand.

    Kyrie raised her right index finger and pointed it at the pale woman. Invisible sword of magic extended out from the tip of her finger. "Move, and it''s your head." The pale woman didn''t say anything and backed down.

    "I''ll tell Papa! I''ll tell Papa!" Cass cried out as she held the stump of her left arm "He''ll kill you! He won''t forget this! He won''t let this slide!"

    "We both know that even he stands no chance." There was no intimidation nor hostility coming from her voice, yet still, it felt sharp.

    With her ragged breath Cass lashed out, unwilling to admit someone was stronger than her papa. "You bastard! Is this how you operate, Is this how you handle a business contract?"

    Kyrie chuckled inside her heart. It was funny how she always disregard the contract until she needed it. Though she realized pointing it out wouldn''t do anything but agitate Cass even more. "Your Papa paid me to bring you to the human realm and help you in your search for the runaways. There''s no agreement about what I''ll do if we find the runaways, neither is there any agreement about me helping you capture them."

    Cass tightened her lips. "Fuck you!"

    Kyrie pointed her finger at Cass'' neck and glared at the rest of the group. "Don''t move, or you''ll lose your dear captain." She turned her head and nodded at Varin. She nodded back and sprinted away with the corpse in arms. Her movement was swift and soundless. She ducked hanging branches and jumped over exposed roots, went through bushes and avoiding rock like she had known this forest all her life.

    Kyrie waited until Varin was out of sight and out of range before retracting her finger. She walked near Cass, bringing her severed arms with it. "Don''t move." She held Cass'' arm and with a little bit of magic, returned it to its original condition. There was no leftover wound nor any pain left, even the armor was fixed.

    "What the fuck are you trying to do?" Her question sounded like a howl. She never trusted Kyrie one bit ever since she heard about her, and she lost more and more will to do so with each passing second. What she was thinking and her true intention was hidden behind that veiled expressionless face. But now she was even more puzzled and her trust went to the negatives.

    Kyrie ignored Cass'' anger-filled puzzled face and opted to observe the sky. The moon was up even though the sun hasn''t drowned in the horizon yet. Though the most striking object in the sky was the deep blue line stretched from horizon to horizon similar to the tail of a comet. It first appeared a little over a week past, yet the mark it left on the heavens haven''t dulled in the slightest. Sometimes even, it seemed to brighten for a few moments. Along with its appearance was the increase of mana density in the air. A slight increase, but without a doubt she felt it, both in the demon realm and human realm.

    She had read many ancient manuscripts, heard many prophecies, and remembered old legends and myths. Many foretold the coming of a big change or a major disaster through the sign of comet, though none ever mentioned such deep blue comet with tail that long. Was it a sign of change, or a disaster, or maybe the return of something ancient, she wondered.

    "Night is coming." She muttered.

    "Of course it is!" Cass swung her left arm around with disbelief plastered on her face. The recovery was too perfect, it even felt like her arm was stronger the before.

    She almost ordered her companion to set up a tent when she remembered something. She glared at Kyrie and the insects, worms, and little animals converging around her feet. "Don''t come near our camp. I don''t want animals stalking us with their erect cock at night."

    "You don''t have to worry." She turned her head, her gaze focused somewhere out of sight. "I know a place." She walked away from Cass and her group with her slave tailing behind.

    After walking for some time, Kyrie glanced over her shoulder to make sure neither Cass nor her underling followed her. She stopped her feet and cupped her hands. A small portal, a hole in the space opened up above her hand. She reached inside and pulled out a letter.

    Dear Kyrie

    How are you? Sorry for not sending you any letter the last few months. The situation back home has turned for the worse. Papa is becoming more and more paranoid, he monitors all communication to the outside world. I have to smuggle my letters out if I wanted to send one to you, but I rather not risk it.

    This is only me guessing, but I think Papa''s paranoia stems from the coming ceremony. Papa finally deemed my little sister mature enough to become his next head wife. I told you about her before, right? She is Lyana, remember? She has grown into a fine woman, even more beautiful than me. Haha, you don''t expect to see me write that, do you?

    Anyway, Lyana is my sister, and I love her more than anything. I wished for her happiness and safety, but she is born with normal feeling. She doesn''t have this mad love for Papa like I do and the others do. No matter how much Papa tried to make her, she only feels disgusted by the thought of marrying him. I love her and cared for her more than anything in this world. I love her more than I love Papa. Surprising coming from me, I know.

    I don''t know what else to write here. Just know that you don''t have to write anything back, I won''t be home to accept it. By the time you got this letter, I probably have already run away with my sister, so don''t bother trying to help. We decided to run to the human realm. I know, it''s crazy and it''s basically a suicide but there''s nowhere in the demon realm that''s out from his reach. Every demon lords want his support in the civil war, and I know you do too. I don''t want to burden you anymore, you have a war to fight after all.

    Gosh this letter turned out so long. So yeah, this is a farewell. Thank you and sorry for everything, I will miss you.

    Love,

    Sarah

    Kyrie crushed the letter in her hands. Her heart was wailing and aching, yet her face showed none of it. The images of Sarah rotting body was fresh in her mind, and it would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.

    She was furious, not towards Cass or her Papa, but at herself. She was a fool, always failed to notice the problems of her loved ones, and always failed to protect them. She was never there when they needed her the most. Now all she had left was regret, and their last will.

    It was hard. It made her suffer, but their will was the last thing she had of them. She was forced to work with those that made Sarah suffer. She loathed them, wanted to kill them. She could have, easily, but working with them was the best way to fulfill her father''s last wish.

    She raised her head and looked over the horizon. "Sarah ... I swear to all the Gods, old and new, true and false, good and evil. I swear to all of you-" She uttered this exact same sentences after she heard her father''s dying wish.

    "-I will find -" the name of Sarah little sister floated in her mind.

    "Lyana, little sister of Sarah, and if she turned out alive-" She didn''t want to think the possibility of Lyana being dead, but she had to if she wanted to complete the vow.

    "Then I will protect her with all my life. I will devote my life to ensure that I die before she does lest the worst of curse and worst of fate befall upon me and all my blood." The Vow did nothing, nor does she need it to. It was a mere lip service to cement her new resolution.

    She would find her. And she would stop at nothing.

 Chapter 73: Change

    A week had passed since Theo''s victory at Mount Etna, yet the victor himself was still bed-ridden. His condition was much worse than anyone thought. The external and internal wound he received wasn''t that severe, but the shock and stress and exhaustion his body held back were too much for someone of his level. The fact that he overused [Vaporizing Slash] did not help either. His body was burning, his throat sore and dry, and his lips cracked. It was not something healing magic or medicine capable of healing, only rest and time could help him. It was quite a miracle he didn''t suffer any long-term damage, not counting his finger of course.

    He had burnt his left little finger to forcibly stop the blood flow and prevent festering. Gae Bulg curse was no joke. A wound that never close was prone to infection, festering, and rotting. There was the option to completely cut his finger. A wound not caused by Gae Bulg should eventually heal. While it seemed like a loophole in the curse, there was no guarantee it would work. He didn''t want to gamble his finger on some fine-print loopholes.

    Ed, Lyana, Vivi, Val, and the Miracle had recovered earlier than Theo. Sir Aslan assigned a few servants to take care of him when he couldn''t move, with Vivi and Ed helping. Lyana and Val sometimes came to help too, but they were bad at taking care of other people they usually make it harder for the servants.

    Calamity had also recovered from her shock and injuries, she was starting to cope with her loss of power and her new body. He didn''t tell anyone the truth, except for Ed, Lyana, and Vivi, with Val realizing the truth on her own. There was no need for other people to know she was the former Fire Lord who planned to kill them.

    Her appearance made her look like a human, but Theo didn''t expect Apocalypse to also change her body function to exactly as a human. She needs to eat, drinks, sleep, urinate, and defecate. Drinking and urinating was especially difficult considering how afraid she was of water.

    He knew that she was afraid of water, but didn''t realize how absolutely terrified she was of it.

    Before she lost her power, she could vaporize any body of water whenever she saw one. But now, she froze whenever she got close to a water and cried when she felt it touching her skin. And crying made this into a deadly cycle that always ended up with her losing consciousness. Which meant urinating always ended up making her faint. And the only way she could drink water was during her sleep, and it took a lot of effort and magic to safely put water into her stomach.

    It was only after four days of experimenting and tweaking with her control screen, a screen Theo got after making her his soul slave, that she could function more like a normal human. She didn''t faint as often after that, but doing anything that has to do with water was still an unimaginably cruel torture for her that stressed her mind to its limit.

    During the week he was bed-ridden, Calamity - who he now called Cally - had tried to kill him more than a hundred times. Thankfully, she only targeted her anger and hatred at him and was fine with other humans. Despite that, and despite the fact that he had almost absolute control over his soul slave with the control screen, he only restricted her free will a little bit. It was annoying at times, but he liked it that way. She was fiery and full of energy, prideful and unbreakable, yet his slave nonetheless.

    When Theo opened his eyes after a long sleep, Calamity was straddling his body with her fingers coiling his neck. She had level up twice after doing some training of her own, but she still wasn''t strong enough to choke him. There were a lot of ways to suffocate someone easily, but she seemed to only know choking by hand.

    He grabbed her neck and pulled her close. "This is how you choke." He tightened his grip just enough to make it hard to breathe without closing her windpipe completely. She scratched and punched and kicked, but was too powerless to do anything.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Theo looked the inside of his tent and felt the presence around. Like he had expected, no one was there beside him and Cally. Of course, if there was someone else besides them, she wouldn''t be able to come close much less choke him.

    But this also presented a golden opportunity for Theo. While he had plans to make her submit to his will in the future, he was not in a rush. He could make her submit anytime with just changing a few sliders and pushing a few buttons, but he didn''t want to do it. He would savor every single moment of slowly disciplining and training her, of breaking and stripping away her pride.

    He couldn''t do as he pleased with other people around, however. He was limited to normal disciplining and training method when other people were watching. He didn''t want his image to be tarnished, and while he didn''t know how Vivi or Val would react, Lyana and Ed would be disgusted and repulsed at the sight of such act.

    Theo picked the water-filled mug next to his bed with one hand and raised it above her face. "Beg for mercy, beg me for your life." Calamity stopped struggling and stared him right in the eyes. Her eyes were stiff with terror yet filled with unyielding spirit. Her voice was unnecessary.

    A sadistic grin crept on Theo''s face. His face was filled with joy and delight and excitement. It filled her with even more dread than the threat of water. "Good, good, that''s the spirit. Just keep resisting, keep fighting, keep struggling ... please. It wouldn''t be fun otherwise."

    He slowly poured the water, making sure she felt every, single, drop.

    Her eyes opened wide. Her muscle stiffened. And she started hyperventilating. Her stoic defiant expression was gone, replaced by a face frozen with terror. Any thought of defying, any thought about her dignity or pride were washed away by the water flowing down her red hair.

    Theo released her neck and put down the mug. Her body fell on top of him, powerless like a puppet without string.

    He stroked her wet hair "See? In the end you''re the one suffering from your own pride. For me, it just feels ... wonderful."

    He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her next to his body. Normally, she would retaliate whenever he touched her even with a soft touch. But now his embrace was rough, yet she didn''t move a finger. Her body was unresponsive, her face frozen, and her gaze blank. He knew she was still there, still watching the world, still hearing sounds, still smelling, and tasting, and feeling, and thinking.

    He maintained that position for a few minutes to make sure she felt just how much water was on her body.

    After a while, he positioned her to a sitting position and stripped her wet clothing. He watched her face and admired her body. Her big breast and pristine skin. Her wide hip, firm thigh, and beautiful feet. Her soft palm and slender fingers. Her Mature charming face and long flowing crimson hair. Her ruby eyes and red shapely lips. Pasion and lust were ignited within his heart like never before. She was beautiful like a statue or a doll especially made for him.

    He picked up a dry cloth and wiped the water from her hair and body. He was careful and left no drop unwiped, left no part undried. His touch was soft and caring this time with no apparent ill intent. Then replaced her wet clothing with a new and dry one.

    He laid her body on his bed and lay next to her. He hugged her tight and enjoyed the feeling of her warm body. She was slightly warmer than human, perfect for hugging and cuddling in the coming winter.

    He put his lips close to her ears and whispered with a gentle voice. "See? If only you listen to me, you don''t have to feel the cold wet water on your skin. You don''t have to be afraid of anything. You just rest on my warm and dry embrace and I''ll take good care of you."

    He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, before making her sleep using the control screen. He followed her to the dreamland soon after. He was still tired and haven''t recovered enough. The doctor said he needed a week more of rest, but he thought he only needed two.

    A long-repressed desire woke deep within him as he slept. It was not a simple carnal desire, but a complex desire to conquer and possess the woman he embraced. It wasn''t as mundane as wanting to own her heart and body. He wanted everything about her. Her soul, her mind, her past, her future, her destiny, her everything.

    Something changed within his heart when he gazed at her bare body. Something about her appearance made him revert. Something about her flipped his switch. It was a small change, but a change nonetheless. If he realized this he would have stopped the act. It wasn''t a change he wanted, he loathed it. If this goes on, it would undo all the good Mary had done for him.

    But alas, he didn''t realize it.

 Chapter 74: Normality

    "O-o-open your mouth!" Lyana said with a red face. A bowl of rabbit stew sat on her laps while a spoon rested on her right hand. It was trembling, not from anxiousness nor from fear. And neither did it stemmed from her embarrassment.

    Theo touched the spoon with his lips. "It''s still too hot." He was lying.

    She growled and ground her teeth. "B-blow it by yourself."

    "Your hand is already shaking, look. You''ll drop it if I blow." He smirked. "Do it, haven''t you promised to feed me today? Or is your promise means nothing."

    She growled once more. She wasn''t the kind of person to fret over something like breaking a promise, especially something that she said without much thought. But if she broke her words with Theo, he would never stop mentioning it for the rest of his life. She shuddered thinking how much teasing she would get if that happened. So she swallowed her spit and blew the spoon.

    "Haah~" He made a disgustingly fake sigh while shrugging in an exaggerated manner. "You should check the temperature first before feeding someone." He shooked his irritating face. "You should at least know this much, Lyana."

    Her buried anger threatened to spill over just like the bowl of stew. She took a deep breath and touched the spoon with her lips. "It''s not hot." He accepted the spoon with an expression filled with teasing. She wanted to punch him so bad, or at least dumped the hot stew on his head.

    He chuckled, which only further irritated her. His injuries had been healed and his fatigue were all gone, but still, he acted as if he was sick. Everyone knew he had recovered, but they let him be. He deserved some leisure. And he wanted to be spoiled too sometimes. And having Vivi and Lyana fed him on rotation was a good way to do so.

    Life is good, he thought.

    He reminisced when he was sick two years ago in Aeston. Back when Mikki had just become his lover. Neither Mary nor Mikki had come to term with the whole harem stuff. A man having multiple wifes or lovers wasn''t uncommon in Amaryn, but still, it was strange for them to feel it first hand. They were good at hiding their feeling when he was around, but their argument and jealousy of each other erupted when they met by chance in the market or street. Neither his words nor speech could reconcile them.

    Then he got sick, deliberately. He got a potion from Cynthia to make himself looks sick. As a result, Mary and Mikki were forced to tolerate each other''s presence when they had to take care of him. It didn''t solve the problem on itself though, his act only gave them time to communicate their problems between themselves. They sorted it on their own. Well, that and one of his unique skills from charm talent did its job.

    The next spoonful of stew came and interrupted his memory. He accepted it without any more teasing. It was evident on Lyana''s face how much a surprise it was. She had braced against any potential teasing when it didn''t come. A mistake.

    "What''s with that look? Are you disappointed I didn''t tease you?" He clicked his tongue. "Should have just asked."

    Blood vessels popped out on her forehead. Her finger crushed the wooden spoon into a dozen pieces.

    She almost stormed out the tent in that moment, but stopped herself. She moved the bowl from her lap to his, stood up, handed him the broken spoon, then walked away.

    Theo grabbed her wrist. She yanked her hand back without a word, but he held tight.

    He pulled her arms and grabbed her cheek and planted a kiss on her forehead.

    "Sorry, that was too much ... and thank you." He let go of her the same time she pushed him away. He had no reason to draw her ire any further.

    Her face reddened, but not from anger this time. Realizing Theo was looking, she frantically wiped her forehead. "Y-you think this will be enough to forgive you?!"

    He smirked. "Of course." He told himself to stop teasing her, but he couldn''t help it; it was too much fun. " And ''will be enough''? You''re implying you''re happy with the kiss."

    "Like hell I am!" She blasted out from the tent, hiding the smile she had until she was out of his vision.

    "Yes, you are." He chuckled. "Yes, you are." He took the bowl of stew and ate it with what left of the spoon. He glanced at his side, Vivi was sleeping next to him in the same bed. He told her to sleep there to spark the jealousy within Lyana and made her uncomfortable. Though admittedly, he sometimes took his teasing too far. When they were alone, Lyana was delighted to spoon-feed him. She denied it of course.

    While all that was happening, Ed was busy reading a book by the table on his lonesome. He was so absorbed by the books he didn''t even realize what happened around him. Because if he did he would make a fuss.

    The cover read ''On the Nature of Magic: Fire, Heat, and the Cause''. Written by lord Mercurius Mars, one of the magic lords of Lethrand.

    Theo was never a book enthusiast, but he knew quite a lot about books and have read some too. He mostly read about military and strategy, and a few on history. But even with his limited knowledge, the name Mercurius Mars wasn''t foreign to his ears or eyes. There were literally hundreds of books written by him, every single one was about magic. Every magician - on the human realm at least - knew about him and his works. Many also claimed he was the strongest magician to ever live, though the man himself rejected the claim.

    Ed was no different. He was especially drawn to a book written by that author. Ed idolized him and swore he had read at least a hundred different title written by him.

    Talking to Ed when he was immersed in his book was a fruitless labor. Knowing that, Theo turned his gaze to another corner of the tent.

    Cally sat crosslegged in one corner of the tent, meditating. Cheap tunic covered her body. He had no reason to give her any better and she didn''t mind. Clothing for her was an armor against water and cold air, nothing more. She was a fire elemental so had the common sense and decency of fire elemental. She didn''t have the feeling of shame or the sexual awareness a human had. Walking around naked was nothing more but a small inconvenience for her.

    After her punishment a few days ago, she had reduced the number of attempts on his life. Though ''reduced'' meant at least once a day. Of course, her slave training still progressed irrelevant to how rebellious she was. So far the training result wasn''t that great. Theo didn''t know much about her and the source of her ego, and since she didn''t feel much shame or disgust, his option was limited. Though he was able to teach her some manners and rules.

    Though that wasn''t his foremost concern regarding Cally.

    Theo''s first impression of Cally was far from accurate. He thought of her as a spoiled daughter who fed and grew using the name and title of her father. An incompetent sheltered princess.

    How wrong he was.

    Cally was a warrior through and through, in body, mind, and spirit. She was a truer warrior than him and most people he ever met. It only took a few days for her to accept her loss of power and do something about it. Most people would grieve and despair and lose any interest in getting back on their feet should her case befall upon their life.

    But not her.

    She accepted her condition and moved on as if her loss of power never mattered. Push up, sit up, squat, and other muscle training when she was bound inside the tent. Sword and martial arts training whenever she could go outside. Meditating and training her control of mana and aura when Theo forbid her from physical activity. Learning language and writing whenever she could. She even read from Ed''s and Lyana''s collection of books sometimes.

    Her willingness to learn and train from human was staggering, considering she saw human in no higher regards than mere insect. She swallowed her pride and sparred with the soldier and even asked them to train her whenever she had the chance. Most soldiers wouldn''t refuse a beauty like her, and since they didn''t know about her true identity, they weren''t concerned in the slightest.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He was concerned, however. Her growth rate was insane and she wasn''t going to stop until she kills him. Yet ...

    Somehow he was elated. To think someone would learn from insect, live with insect, and work with insect, all just to kill him. To think that her hatred wasn''t directed towards humanity, but towards him and only him. He felt special.

    "Theo!" Lyana called him from outside, interrupting his thought. He wondered what she called him for, but the answer came in her next word. "Uh ... High Priestess Sara wishes to speak with you. Alone."

    Sara? He heard news she had returned to the Theocracy after the battle was over. Her work must be piling up after all of that, so why did she come back here? There were lots of ways to communicate without meeting him face-to-face, and Sara wasn''t the type to waste time. What was she planning?

    He preferred speaking with her in his tent, at least he knew there was no trap there. But with Vivi sleeping, Ed reading, and Cally meditating, asking them to leave wasn''t a feasible option. Did she already know about this and chose this exact time to lure him out of his tent? Unlikely, but it was Sara he was thinking about. Even the most remote of possibilities should be considered before facing her.

    "Tell her I''ll go out in a minute." He quickly finished the bowl of stew and stood from his bed. He changed his clothes into a more appropriate one before heading out. He brought Panes and his trusty pouches with him.

    Sara was waiting for him outside, accompanied by a church guard on either side. Lyana had disappeared somewhere, unsurprising. "Good morning, Champion of Rafaela." She made a curt bow as she addressed him. Her smile was angelic, hiding a devilish face underneath.

    "Spare me the pleasantry, you want to talk?" He wanted to speak with her the least. And if he has to, better be done with it as quick as he can.

    "Then let''s return to my tent, dear Champion." Her tone and expression were sincere, but her eyes were mocking him.

    Her tent was the same as before the Fire Invasion. It was big and white, untouched by the rain of ashes unlike every other tent there. The two guards waited outside while Theo and Sara entered. They sat facing each other, separated by a small wooden table filled with paperwork.

    Sara adopted a sitting position befitting a High Priestess. "So, how are your injuries?" That was the first thing she asked.

    He glared. "Get to the point. You''re the last person I want to meet today." There was no need for pleasantry, or fake politeness, or forced confidence with her. She knew him too well to trick her.

    "Fucking hell, relax Theo. I''m not going to blackmail or threaten you again." She smirked. He couldn''t read the meaning behind her word nor predict her true intention. The more he spoke with her, the scarier she became. "You have done your part of the deal so I will do mine. From now on, let''s be a business partner with good relation. Just like your father before you."

    "Yeah, you sent Inquisitors and Church Executors at him." It was when he was twelve and exploring the mountain in Kingdom of Mosk when a group of black robbed people attacked them. His father killed them easily and he even killed one of them, though it was far from a pleasant memory.

    "That was the Bitch of The Black. I was simply bound by duty to give information regarding your father." She squinted her eyes. "Remember that he''s a wanted man, who runs away with Church''s artifacts ... Anyway, since you have done your job stellarly, I want to give you some ... additional rewards."

    "If you want to be my woman, I pass."

    Sara chuckled and the atmosphere lightened. "I''m going to give you some information. But first, let me ask you. After Eternal City, where do you planned to go?" She smiled like an innocent child.

    "None of your business. Sooner or later you will know anyway."

    Sara frowned. "Bitch, do you even understand what partnership is based on? Trust, motherfucker."

    "You think I''m going to trust you after you threatened my women?" He would not forget, he would not forgive.

    Sara sighed. "Fine. I''m sorry. You have all the right to be angry at me and all the right to distrust me. But believe me, this relation will benefit the both of us. You know I won''t fake a deal and if you agree, I will let you tap into the world biggest information network. How''s that?" Her smile turned wicked. Somehow Theo trusted her more with that devilish smile rather than the innocent or angelic one.

    Theo pondered Sara''s offer, not that he has any option though. Being Sara''s partner was definitely much better than constantly being threatened by her. And of course, having access to her network of spies would help him greatly in the future.

    "I don''t know. I don''t have any plan after Eternal City. Probably return to Aeston to get Mary, Cynthia, and Miki to move with me to Eternal City. Safer there than Aeston. Amaryn is doomed anyway, not a good place to start a family."

    Sara''s eyes opened wide. Her eyebrows were raised as high as the sky. She started giggling, then chuckling, and when she couldn''t hold it any longer, laugh like a maniac.

    "Settle down? Settle down ... HAHAHHAHAHAAHA." She laughed so hard he saw her stomach cramped. "HA ... HAHAHAHAHHA ... ahhh." She wiped tears from her eyes. "Settle down and start a family, really?"

    "Not now, but eventually. Just want to have a safe place for my women. Meeting you makes me realize just how vulnerable my women really are, I can''t protect them if I''m not there, and I can''t be all over the Continent at once. It''d be nice to have them reside in one place, or at least in the same region."

    "That got me thinking, why didn''t you just do that in the first place?"

    "Do you really need to ask that?"

    She smirked. "Even you can''t do anything about women''s jealousy. Well, that''s going to take a long long time considering how many women you have."

    "Get to the point!"

    "Well, If you have nothing else to do, I say go to Nihon. Right now it''s a perfect place for you. Civil war, chaos, bloodshed, a chance to rise in power as long as you open your eyes. You know Nihon political weather right? And I reckon your harem lacks a true oriental beauty. Who knows what kind of women you get there, princess maybe ... There''re also a lot of strong people there that might pique your interest."

    "Such as?" Theo asked, doubting her. She was very specific to recommend Nihon. He wondered what would she get if he goes to Nihon. If there was not many for him to gain, it''d be better for him not to go.

    "Mori Motonari, Dokuganryu Masamune, Oda Nobunaga, and the list goes on and on and on. There''s a strange influx in the birth of talented people in Nihon in the last forty years and those people I mentioned have at least a Class 4 talent. But most interesting of all, Miyamoto Musashi, this generation Class 5 swordsman." Theo turned his head in an instant when he heard it. There was no way he wouldn''t be interested. "His existence is a strange one, similar to our dear friend, Ed. A class 5 Swordsman is not supposed to be born in another sixty years or so, but there he is, wandering as a masterless warrior."

    "What are you suggesting?" Theo asked. He now considered the prospect of going to Nihon more seriously, but he still had doubts regarding her intention.

    "Choose a house and serve under them, help them conquer Nihon. There''re already quite a lot of people who heard of your heroic deeds and swordsmanship prowess. I also include your history of leading an army. Many are interested in taking you under them. Good soldiers that are also good commanders are rare these days."

    He rubbed his chin. "Strange, Nihonese are usually reserved and hostile towards foreigner ... I''ll think about it." If what Sara told him was true, then Nihon would be a great place for him. Though right now, he has to find a nice home in the Holy Empire for his women.

    Sara cleared her throat and picked up a paper. "So, what do you think about your new fame, o hero?"

    Theo grabbed his chin. His gaze wandered around. "Not bad to be honest, not good either. There''re many girls who are more than eager to ''familiarize'' themselves with me, but now I have almost no peace. Whenever I go out, soldiers and adventurers gather on me like ants."

    "That''s to be expected. I even heard someone uttered your name as ''The Chosen One''. People begin to doubt whether The Pontiff chose the wrong person."

    His gaze returned to her. "So everything went like you wanted?"

    "More or less, the voice of doubt is still in the minority. We need to work harder if we want to depose the current Pontiff."

    "We?" While he agreed to be her partner, getting rid of the current Pontiff wasn''t in the agreements.

    "Yes, we. You and me. Well, your job is only to do whatever you want and don''t fuck up too hard. Not a hard job, really. Just make yourself more famous and more heroic in the eyes of the people."

    Sara stood up. "Well, I have some urgent business. So may I ask you to leave?" She placed a badge on the table. It was metallic blue with round shape, making it look more like a coin than a badge. A figure of a woman in the image of the arch-angel Rafaela was carved into the badge along with lines of prayer. "If you ever need anything, come to any church and present this to the priest or priestess of Rafaela. They''ll help you in some way. Just don''t expect too much from the lowly clergymen."

    Without a single more word, he stood up and headed for outside. His shoulder relaxed like a heavy burden was lifted.

    "Theo," but Sara called him. "don''t turn, just listen to me. There''s something I''ve been wondering about. Does Mary have any exceptional talent?" Theo stayed silent. He didn''t want to give her anything about Mary. "Think about this. An unrepentant mercenary who sees other as nothing more than a tool for him to use. A mass-murderer that eats his victims bone-and-all without care. And a sorceress that experimented on necromancy and forbidden arts. She turned the first one into a loving and caring boyfriend with some empathy towards those around him. She transformed the second one into an honest merchant focused on traveling around the world and collecting odd stuff. She changed the last one into a more-or-less ethical scholar and even become a candidate for the next Magic Lords of Lethrand."

    Silence enveloped the tent.

    They both didn''t move from where they stood. Sara was maintaining her innocent angelic smile while Theo''s face was gloomy.

    He turned his head, "You''re thinking too much." and left the tent.

    Theo didn''t want to admit anything in front of Sara, but he had to admit it in his heart, it was queer. It wasn''t Mary alone, but also how he and other people perceived Mary. If he thinks about it now, it was so obvious, yet for some reason he never realized it before or even think about it. And he never heard of anyone talking or mentioning it before Sara.

    He just hoped it was a mere coincidence, however unlikely it was. He didn''t want her to be tangled in problems outside her control. He didn''t want her to be involved in the complicated and cruel politics. He didn''t want her to encounter the supernatural and inhuman. He wanted her to be his beacon of normality. He wanted her to be his anchor in humanity.

 Chapter 75: Two sides

    Before Theo knew, he had arrived in front of his tent. He shook his head and put the thought away, it was useless to think about it now. All it does was stressing him and making him doubts his reality. He convinced his heart to not bring it up anytime soon. Or at all.

    "Theo-sama!" As he stepped into his tent, a loud voice called him. Followed by someone lunging and wrapping her arms around his neck. He almost fell, but caught himself in time.

    "H-hey Vivi, calm down." He caressed her back.

    Vivi inflated her cheek and pouted. "Theo-sama told Vivi to sleep with you, but Theo-sama isn''t there when I woke up. Huuuu~ " Her depressed tone was awfully fake. "Humph! Theo-sama is a betrayer! Liar! Pervert! Womanize! Vivi hate you! hate you!"

    He chuckled. She was unbelievably cute by acting childish and calling herself in third-person, but her actions and words were theatrical and overexaggerated, something she only did when she wanted something. Though after looking inside the tent, he knew why she did that.

    Val was inside, standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a casual and rather feminine clothing, something she seldom wears. She brings no weapon and no armor, and even her signature red hood wasn''t there, an even stranger happening. Her white hair was combed and oiled and a perfume fragrance drifted off from her body.

    There was a caravan of trader not too far from the encampment, he promised Val to a date there. He expected her to come as her usual self with daggers strapped to her waist, in full armor, and her signature red hood over her head. But it seemed she took it much more seriously than he did.

    Val frowned and tapped her foot on the ground. Theo immediately released Vivi from his embrace, but Vivi hung tight. She stuck to him like a glue. "Vivi." He felt Val''s ice cold gaze piercing Vivi''s back and hitting his chest.

    Vivi tightened her embrace, almost to the point of choking him. "Vivi followed Theo-sama''s plot and trickery faithfully to the letter. Instead of rewarding Vivi, Theo-sama abandon me for that stupid dark elf hag! Hmph! Vivi won''t help you in your trick anymore! Ever!" She declared her resolve with such resolve it might as well be true.

    Theo made a wry smile. He put his lips close to her ears and whispered something. He pulled her violet hair to obstruct Val''s gaze. It would be a disaster if she read his lips movement and realized what he said. Vivi''s face turned redder and redder with each word coming out from his mouth. By the time he finished what he had to say, Vivi''s face was bright as the sun. "How about that?"

    Her expression turned blank for a moment. She opened her mouth wide and inhaled a large amount of air with it. "V-V-Vivi take back everything Vivi said!" She showered his cheek with kisses before letting him go.

    He ignored Vivi who slumped to the ground as he walked towards Val. Even without much preparation, his looks was dashing and stunning. He extended his hand and offered it to Val. She took it with a little blush. He led her outside with a smile. Today, he would devote himself to her. Or at least he would try to.

    Theo expected Val to ask what he said to Vivi, or chastise him for making a promise to a girl in the presence of another woman. But to his surprise, she never brought it up again.

    Merchant caravan with wagons numbering in the hundreds came from the free cities a few days past. They brought varied goods and wares with them. Clothes, jewelry, foods, and drinks were everywhere. Though just like anywhere where a large number of military personnel were stationed, alcohol and whores were the most sought out commodities.

    In a normal condition, foreign traders wouldn''t be allowed anywhere near Amaryn military garrison for many reasons. But it had been a rough month for the soldier stationed there, fighting waves after waves after waves of fire elemental day and night. Sir Arslan didn''t want to be too strict on his troops. He let the merchant had their business with small taxes as long as they don''t interfere too much and don''t cause a ruckus.

    Every time Theo and Val passed a group of soldier or adventurer, eyes were drawn towards them. People knew Theo and Val as the heroes who defeated Calamity, but even before that, Val was famous as the strongest member of the Miracle and Theo was famous as the adventurer who saved princess Ana. Them drawing attention was a pretty normal thing to happen.

    Theo was used to this attention so he wasn''t bothered in the slightest, but the same can''t be said for Val. She was fidgeting and blushing all the way. "T-theo." She called him with a whisper so quiet it was almost inaudible. "Everyone is staring at me. Is there something wrong with me? Do I look strange?"

    Theo turned around and smiled. He moved his eyes left and right to look around and chuckled. The stare people gave her was the kind of stare they gave when they see a beautiful lady. Most ladies probably was used to that kind of attention, but Val rarely showed up in public as a ''beautiful woman''.

    Her usual appearance and attitude were cold and unapproachable. She glared and growled anyone that dare approached her so she never received that kind of look. But Val was a beautiful woman and an elf at that. Elves was rare enough in Amaryn, but pure-blooded dark elf had almost never been seen on the Continent. So when she removed her cold outer shell, no wonder both men and women not only glanced at her, but outright stared her.

    "D-do I look that strange?" Val panicked when she saw Theo chuckling. "I knew it! I shouldn''t have listened to Vex-"

    Theo pulled her close and interrupted her monologue. His right hand rested on her chin while his thumb playfully touched her lower lips. "You''re pretty. There''s not a single trace of strangeness about you."

    He leaned in closer, prompting her to freeze. He didn''t stop until their lips touched.

    It was only a light kiss, but she felt her heart was going to explode.

    "Don''t mind other people gaze and opinion. Mine is the only one you should be concerned about." Ignoring her dazed expression, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along while she was still trying to make sense what had just happened.

    They spent their morning, noon, and evening together, walking around that caravan of traders. That place was so large that even after a day walking around they barely covered half of it.

    They bought a traditional toy from a trader from the Free City of Argos, which claimed their tradition and culture were the oldest and most sophisticated in the world. They ate in a place owned by a man from the Free City of Kali, which claimed their spices and delicacy were the most delicious in the world. They purchased wine from the Free City of Bylos, which claimed their grape and wine as the finest in the world. Most of their claim was sales pitch, but they were also based on some truth and weren''t completely unfounded.

    Their date wasn''t as smooth as he wanted. There were a lot of soldiers and adventurers interrupting them, asking for a handshake and all that. Val''s awkwardness didn''t help either. She didn''t talk much unless he talked or asked first, and sometimes he felt she was staring him too hard. There was also Vex being mischievous, deliberately following them during the date and even offering to buy him a whore as a joke.

    But at the end of the day, they both had fun. And that was all that matter.

    Fire flower bloomed in the night sky, painting it with the color of red, green, yellow, and orange while Theo and Val watched it from a distance away on top of a small hill.

    "I can''t believe someone can make that without magic." Her eyes sparkled as she saw the beautiful explosion lighting the sky.

    "I heard it''s called fireworks or something. Though isn''t it a waste of effort? Magic can easily replicate something like that and even make something better." Theo had seen some very explosive magic battles before, and while fireworks were beautiful, it paled in comparison to those.

    "That''s true." She glanced at him and smiled. "But think about this, Theo. In a country like Amaryn where magic is not as developed, do you think anyone can do something like that with magic. And not to mention a magician capable of making such complex and beautiful explosion isn''t likely to bother using it as an entertainment."

    He smiled back. "You have a point there."

    Theo stood up after the fire-show was over and offered his hand. He pulled her back into the crowd of people and take her to look around one last time. That was what he told her. In truth, he was thinking what gift to buy. He was thinking of buying jewelry or accessory for her, but she wasn''t the type to wear jewelry without any magical effect. Not to mention Val probably have many more expensive and luxurious jewelry and accessories than what he could afford. He also thought of giving her a flower or something similar, but flower wouldn''t last long. He knew she will be happy with anything he gave her, but he didn''t want to give her a mere gift. He wanted a special gift that would remind them of their first date whenever they look at it.

    "Ah! Theo Gladium!" A group of adventurers called his name when he passed them. There were five of them, each with a bottle of beer or ale in their hand. "Come, come! Sit here, sit here!" He knocked his fist on the bench next to him.

    Theo only smiled and shook his head. He didn''t stop his leg.

    The man on the far end of the table stood up and approached him. The plate bearing the image of hydra hung from his neck and swayed left and right. His face was flushed and his legs unsteady. From his equipment and the way he addressed others, he was obviously the leader of their party.

    He grabbed his shoulder to prevent him from going anywhere. "Everyone! This is Theo Gladium! The Hero of Mount Etna and the Bane of Fire Elemental!" He shouted all that and laughed afterward. Cheers erupted all around them. "Come sit with us, the drink is on me all night." Theo gave the man a wry smile and removed his hand. While drinking all night on free beers seemed like a nice idea, he still had something to do.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Theo broke out in sweat.

    His instinct screamed as he sensed danger coming from behind.

    He turned. A knife. A knife was coming at his chest.

    "This is for Wrath!" A woman in a long robe said as she thrust her knife.

    Theo raised his arms but didn''t have enough time. He was careless.

    Crack! The knife stopped short of stabbing his side. A dark-skinned hand stopped the woman''s arm.

    The woman cried in pain as her wrist broke. She yanked her arm back and released the knife she held so tightly before. She turned and ran away. But not far.

    A spire of ice erupted from the ground and impaled the woman through her abdomen. Blood burst from the wound and from her mouth, washing the ice and the ground in red.

    Val hovered and grabbed the woman''s neck before taking off to the sky. She froze the woman''s gaping stomach, not letting her lose consciousness.

    "Who are you?! Why did you do that?!" Val''s gaze was colder than ice and sharper than a knife.

    The woman refused to open her mouth and spat blood on Val''s face. But Val froze it before it leaves her mouth.

    "Why did you try to kill him?! Who do you work for?!" Val froze the woman''s limb, causing unimaginable pain.

    The woman''s opened her mouth. Her jaw was trembling, but her eyes showed no fear. "Die!"

    Val gritted her teeth. "Then I have no use for you." And dropped her from the clouds.

    Dread filled the woman''s eyes and she screamed her lungs out as she fell to her doom. She didn''t even have time to close her eyes before the ground caught up to her.

    But Val grabbed her before she hit the ground and put her down ''rather'' gently. Adventurers and soldier rushed to the location while merchants looked from afar. Val ordered them to arrest the woman and they obeyed her without question.

    She turned to Theo and the man that grabbed him before. His face lost color and his mind sobered when Val approached with killing gaze. The ground froze and the air turned frigid. The man dropped to his knees and prostrated on the ground. "I-I-I-I''m sorry, lady Val! I''m sorry! S-spare me. Spare me, please!"

    "So you ARE working with her." Her words carried killing intent the man had never experience before. Her footsteps felt like an executioner was coming to behead him.

    "I-I-I-I didn''t know what she''s going to do, I-I promise! I swear!"

    "Speak!" He felt she was asking him his last word. Tears were dripping from his cheek, and froze the moment it touched the ground.

    "S-S-She paid me to call Th- Sir Theo if I see him. S-She said she wanted to meet him but didn''t know his face." He frantically pulled out a pouch of coins and poured the content to the ground. "I-I won''t accept it if I knew! I didn''t mean him any harm, I swear! I swear!" He slammed his face on the frozen ground. "Please!"

    "I don''t need your money."

    Val turned her head around, scaring everyone and caused them to back away. She grabbed Theo''s hand and pulled him away from the crowd, wary that danger might still be lurking amongst the crowd. She didn''t stop until they returned to the military camps. Even then she still observed her surrounding warily and glared anyone that dared to approach.

    She let go of his hand and turned. Her face went pale.

    Theo smiled and let out a forced chuckle out of his mouth. The fear he tried to hide probably showed on his face, causing her to realize he was afraid of her too. It couldn''t be helped though. The memory of Val almost freezing him to death and the memory of her threatening to drop him from the sky were still fresh in his mind. Funny how much she changed in just a few weeks.

    "Sorry." Val turned around. Her back shivered and trembled. "I''ve ruined out date."

    Theo sighed and hugged her from behind. He said next to her ears. "Thank you."

    "Sorry." She turned her face. Her tanned-brown cheeks wet with tear and her eyes red. "I''m sorry." She faced him and broke down crying.

    Theo rubbed the back of her head, letting her calm down and cry out all the problem in her heart. "I was so worried. I was so scared. I was scared she might hurt you. I was afraid you might die. I-I-I-" The word got caught in her throat. "-I was afraid I might lose you!"

    "Remember our promise before we fight Calamity? I won''t die, Val. I won''t leave you behind in this world. I''ll be there for you for the rest of our life." It''s not ''your'' life or ''my'' life, but our. "I''ll be with you."

    Val stopped crying and looked at his face. They both leaned closer until their lips met, then it parted. Her brown-skinned cheeks were tinted with red while her pink lips were glossy. They gazed each other''s eyes for a while.

    Then she grabbed his head. "More." and pulled him in.

    Their lips glued to each other. Their tongue intertwined. Their hand went wild feeling each other''s body. Passion burned hot in their chest as they wanted more and more.

    Val stopped before they went too far. She grabbed his hand. "Let''s not ... get too far for now." Their faces were flushed, their breathing shallow and rough, and their hearts pound hard and fast. He wasn''t satisfied by just that, of course, so he leaned in again. But Val stopped him. "Let''s ..." She took a deep breath. Her chest heaved heavily. "Let''s take it slowly, I don''t think my heart can take it yet."

    Theo smiled, hiding his dissatisfaction. "Okay, let''s not rush." He hugged her. When he let her go, her worry and fear had all been gone. "Good night." They settled for one more kiss.

    They parted ways after that, each to their own tent.

    Indeed, they were not in a rush. Val had decided to join Theo on his journey and leave Amaryn. He had plenty of time to slowly build their relationship. This also meant that The Miracle have to be disbanded, but she already discussed it with the rest of the party. Everyone supported her decision.

    But still, while his heart was satisfied with today''s date, his body wasn''t.

    When Theo entered his tent, he was greeted by two things. The violet-haired Vivi in her undergarment. And the fiery slash of a flaming sword.

    He grabbed the hand holding the sword with ease using his right hand. All the while he replied Vivi''s hug with a pat on the head using his left.

    He twisted and disarmed Cally. She stopped. He gave her a rule saying she was allowed to attack him once a day. More than that and he''d retaliate and she will receive a ''special'' training on top of her daily routine. Ever since he gave her that rule, she broke it every single day, but it seemed she finally learned her lesson.

    Or not.

    She punched him.

    It was a punch with perfect form. Putting her weight forward without sacrificing her balance too much, she didn''t extend her arm fully as it would leave her open. Knowing she couldn''t take him down with a single punch and expected a retaliation, she didn''t fully commit on the attack.

    With her still at low level, her strength and agility were pathetic, but Theo dodged the punch nonetheless. He didn''t want to give her some satisfaction.

    He punched her back.

    She bent her knees and crouched down and grabbed his arm. Utilizing her shoulder as the fulcrum and exploiting the momentum of his punch, she lifted and slammed his body to the ground.

    But her slam was too slow for him.

    He repositioned his legs and stopped his body before it crashed against the hard ground. He turned around, then held her arms that was holding his. Using pure strength he lifted her up and slammed her to the ground. His movement was unrefined and rough, but much faster and more powerful than her.

    By the time she realized what happened, she was laying on the ground with her back aching and hurting.

    He laughed. "Pathetic, is that how you slam someone?" He attacked her warrior''s pride.

    He looked around and make sure there were only the three of them here. Ed had returned to his personal tent, and so too Lyana. "Stay there and watch." He opened the control screen and forced her to watch him.

    He picked up the waiting and impatient Vivi, kissed her and threw her to bed roughly. He threw away all his clothes and did the same to her. But before he did anything, he whispered in her ears.

    Vivi giggled. Her violet eyes shimmered and her hand moved around making patterns in the air.

    Cally''s head rung. A splitting headache hit her like a hammer as she wriggled on the ground like worms, unable to take off her eyes from Theo and Vivi. "W-what did you do to me?!"

    Theo smiled. "Just observe and watch. This is part of your punishment."

    He turned his gaze to Vivi and gave her lustful and playful kisses. On the lips at first, then her chin, and neck, and breast, and down and down and down. Sweet moan and scream of pleasure filled the tent until midnight.

    Theo sat on his bed. He was still completely naked. Vivi slept behind him, exhausted and satisfied with a blanket over her body. The night was cold but both were wet with sweat.

    All the while Cally watched and observed with equal confusion and intrigue. She still hadn''t understood what they had done. She didn''t get why he categorized watching them doing it as punishment, except for the inconvenience it brings and the strange burning curiosity in the back of her mind.

    Realization struck her. She had seen him doing similar activities a few times, but it never piqued her interest like this. She had never observed him so closely before, but still, even that shouldn''t make her this curious. As if ... something was interfering with her mind.

    "You! So this is what she did to me." She had met a few people with mind magic before, but never this strong. Though the loss of her power might play a big factor.

    Theo let out a devilish grin and chuckled. "Curious? I can teach you a few thing about your new body." He stood up, approached her, and offered her his hand.

    "There''s no way I''m accepting your offer." She didn''t understand what he did to Vivi or what he was going to do to her. From her observation it wasn''t something inherently bad, she had a feeling it was something good even. But for him to consider it as a punishment, he must have a nefarious plan hidden somewhere. And she didn''t plan to dance to his tune.

    She fought the mind magic, trying her hardest to dispell the burning curiosity, but stopped just a second later. She grabbed her forehead as the headache returned twofold. Then she tried resisting again, only for the headache to grow worse the harder she fought.

    "Is that so?" His smile became increasingly sinister and disturbing. He picked up a tankard and filled it with water from a nearby barrel of water. "So you prefer the usual treatment?"

    Fear and dread gripped her heart. Her whole body shivered and trembled as she unwillingly remembers all the thing he did. It had only been a few times, yet his punishment had ingrained itself into her body.

    One might expect her to slowly get used to water after repeated exposure. And they were correct to some extent. She didn''t faint nor freeze for an hour anymore. Yet, if he was the one to do it, it felt ... different.

    Someway, somehow, the way he handled the punishment, the way he spoke during it, and the way he played with her fear of water, there was something sinister about it. The way he dropped and poured water over her, the way he threatened her, and the way he gently wiped the water and dried her body after she gave in, she couldn''t get used to it. She couldn''t stop herself from fearing it.

    Before her was his stretched out hand.

    For a moment she considers taking his offer. She considered how much easy and how less frightening her life would be should she just accepted all his offer.

    NO! She was ashamed of herself. Was she that weak to even consider such thing. She gritted her teeth and balled her fist. She steeled her will and burned her resolve. She reassured herself of her true and real identity.

    She was Calamity, the daughter of Apocalypse and harbinger of Ragnarok. She was the strongest of Fire Lord. She wouldn''t give in to the devious mortal in front of her. She wouldn''t let him do as she pleased. She rather drowns in the water she feared so much than play his game any longer. She would rath-

    -Splash!

    Theo casually splashed some water on her face. He noticed how severe her face was and how tense her body became.

    Unimaginable terror struck her soul, mind, and body.

    "W-what?" She couldn''t believe her own eyes. By the time her mind recovered from the sudden shock, she had grabbed his hand. "N-no!" Her heart cried out yet her lips didn''t move.

    Her resolve crumbled. Her own body, her own instinct, her own subconsciousness had betrayed her. She didn''t want to, but her body moved on its own. It was always like this.

    Theo laughed in triumph. He was filled with inexplicable delight watching her face of despair. "Now look at the good girl." He pulled her up and stripped her clothes, slowly. He enjoyed every moment of it. Her slowly revealed red-ish skin drove his mind and lust crazy.

    He leaned forward and she took a step back, but she didn''t back out any further. It was too late. Strength escaped her body. She no longer had the mean to resist him. And her body wouldn''t listen even if she did.

    She balled her fingers and closed her eyes. She felt a soft and warm touch on her lips. "Don''t worry. You''ll enjoy this."

 Chapter 76: Loose Ends

    Blue line ran across the sky from east to west, as if splitting the heavens itself in two. It was dark blue unlike the light blue of sky and bright even when the sun was up. Even as raincloud hung above, the line was still visible, though dimmed. Three weeks ago, the tail''s end still hovered above mount Etna, but now it didn''t have an end.

    Many were concerned by this. It was without a doubt magical in nature, and due to strange phenomenon where fire became cold two weeks prior, wild speculation ran rampant. It did not help that most people in Amaryn were either superstitious or religious, and took the appearance of the blue line as a herald of some world-ending events. But even Theo who knew the truth sometimes felt some doubt it was made by Ed, or more precisely Zarathustra the Dragon.

    "Sir!" A soldier stood in front of him, coming out from a tent. "We''ve prepared the prisoner. We''ve chained him and taken some precaution against hidden magical attack, but please be careful, sir." The soldier had no obligation to call him ''sir'', but Theo''s fame did him wonder.

    "Good, you can leave now." The soldier left after he said so. "Vivi, you sure you want to do this?" He glanced at the small woman beside him with deep violet hair.

    Vivi glanced back at him with an innocent smile plastered on her face. "Of course, Theo-sama!" Her smile turned devious. "And it''s a good chance to test my new skill after leveling up."

    Without talking any further, they entered the tent. A pitch-black shadow in the shape of a man sat inside. His limbs were bound by steel chain while an anti-magic collar coiled around his neck. His mouth had a gag on it to prevent him from biting his own tongue and took the easy way out. The shadow had a strange magic with him, passive magic that made most onlooker to perceive him as mere shadow. Luckily, the magic lost its effectiveness to someone who knew about the nature of that magic.

    "You''re awake?"

    The shadow''s gaze snapped and locked into Theo. He had no emotion in his face, a calm unreadable mask. His body was relaxed with no tension whatsoever as if he was ignorant of what was to come, or was already used to what to come. As expected of a professional spy, Theo couldn''t read his face.

    Contrary to the shadow, anger filled Theo''s eyes. The shadow tried to do something to Ed and hurt his women in the process. His body was tense and his finger itching to gain the extract whatever the shadow had in his mind and heart.

    He didn''t have any intention to do anything to the shadow, but the assassination attempt on his life sparked his anger. He had no grudge or hatred or anger towards the woman that tried to kill him, but the shadow tried to hurt his friend and women. That made him furious.

    "Before we start this, do you have any intention to tell me what you know?" The shadow didn''t stir. "Once I start, I may not be able to stop even if you tell me what I want ... No?"

    He pulled out a small knife from under his shirt and a bottle from one of his pouch. The bottle was small, barely larger than his thumb. He dangled the bottle in front of the shadow. "You know what this is?" He opened the top and let the shadow smell the stench. The shadow tightened his body and stirred in his chains. It was involuntary and lasted only for the briefest of a second, but Theo wouldn''t miss something like that.

    Blue-scaled Hydra poison. Expensive, rare, hard to get, hard to produce, and most importantly, effective. Killing a hydra was hard enough, but killing it without destroying its poison sack was a once in a lifetime achievement. Extracting the poison without rupturing the sack was also a very delicate and precise task. Then they have to condense the solution using alchemy and magic in a process that could take weeks. Though the result was a very potent poison with many applications.

    Three drops were enough to kill a grown man in minutes. One drop won''t kill a healthy man, but it was enough to cause hours of torturous pain similar to being burned alive. Some people chose to take their own life rather than enduring the pain.

    Theo glanced at Vivi behind him and nodded. She walked around the chained shadow with skips and jump in her steps. She put her hands on the shadow''s temple and closed her eyes.

    Violet light shimmered in her palms.

    The shadow grunted and thrashed around. The chains around his arms and feet rattled. The chair under him creaked and cracked.

    Vivi frowned and stopped after five seconds. She walked back and opened her shimmering violet eyes. The shadow stopped and calmed down after the light in Vivi''s eyes died down.

    She shooked her head left and right. "His mental strength is too strong, Theo-sama. I can''t get a read on anything. And it seems there are a few layers of magic set up in his minds to prevent mind-interference magic."

    Theo massaged his own chin. "I guess it''s back to the original plan then." He let out a smug grin while putting a drop of poison on the tip of his knife.

    The chains rattled again as Theo pushed the tip of his knife to the shadow''s upper arm. He moved the knife with a slow movement, almost like a tease. He only made a small wound, but it was still a wound. It was enough for the poison to enter his body.

    Silence fell inside the tent. Theo wiped the knife while he waited. One minute, two minutes, thre-

    The screaming started.

    Chains rattled again as he used all his strength to move. The wooden chair broke and his body fell to the ground. Yet, he was denied the luxury of laying down. The chains were connected to metal rods, making him suspended in a kneeling position.

    "Well, see you in four hours so ... enjoy." Theo bowed his head a little before pulling Vivi out of the tent. He called a guard to stood watch in case something happened or if the screaming stopped.

    He turned and walked away, heading to the central command tent while holding Vivi''s hand. She was a little bummed out because her magic wasn''t good enough, but was also excited to see the shadow again after few hours to see what has changed.

    The camp was still filled with stationed soldiers. One would expect the camp to be taken apart and the soldier return home after the threat of Calamity. But an order came from the capital a few days back. The ruling council ordered the army to reinforce the camp and the soldiers to stay there. Since the Holy Empire haven''t pulled back their soldier from their camp in the north-eastern part of Mount Etna, Amaryn won''t pull back either. It became a stalemate where the two countries refused to be the first to pull back their armies.

    While the Empire''s aggressive expansion policy was concerning, most people agreed it was very unlikely. The Empire army stationed near mount Etna was just one legion, and one filled with fresh recruits. The Empire would need months of preparation if they wanted to invade Amaryn. Not to mention winter wasn''t too far on the horizon. The Empire''s legion wasn''t trained to fight in winter and neither was Amaryn''s army. Fighting in winter would only cause unnecessary death and casualties for all parties involved. Refusing to pull back the soldiers was most likely a mere show of power instead of a preparation for an actual war.

    Theo arrived at the central command tent. In normal situation the guard would give him and Vivi a thorough check, but they let him enter with no question asked. This not only caused by his fame and hero status, but Sir Arslan also allowed him to come inside freely.

    The central command tent was crowded and rowdy, despite its huge size. Vex and a few other adventurer were there as the representative of the Adventurer Guild. While Vex decided to retire from adventurer guild after the Miracle disbanded, she was still one of the most well-known adventurers in Amaryn. The guild asked her to be their representative, with significant payment without a doubt. Warwyn the Wizened as the Mage guild''s representative, Lune as the acting field commander, an emissary from the capital, and a few other people were also there. They were debating and arguing about the order from the Capital and all the ramification it brought with it.

    Theo stood in silence in one corner of the room, watching people that surrounded the table shouting and arguing in a very rage-fueled and uncivilized manner. They were shouting so loud and without regards to other people''s opinion, their discussion was incomprehensible from outsider''s perspective, and maybe even by themselves. He had no business with them but with Sir Arslan in the other room, but he didn''t want to interrupt them. Watching adults dressed in fine clothes and jewels arguing like a child was quite a fine entertainment. Vivi agreed with him, as she was trying her best to contain her smile and laugh.

    The pointless ''discussion'' went on for quite some time before one of them realized Theo''s presence. They stopped, coughed, and fixed their appearance. "I think it''s better for us to end the discussion here. Let''s take a rest and continue this tomorrow," said Warwyn, the oldest out of them all.

    One by one they left the tent, giving him an assortment of look as they passed him. Some gave him a little nod, some stared at him, other gave a disgusted look. When Vex passed by him with a rage-fueled expression, she whispered, "Meet me at the usual place later."

    Finally, Lune was the last one left. She gave an exhausted sigh before giving him a warm smile. "Ah, sir Theo, you have business with Sir Arslan?" He nodded and she pointed him the way. He already knew where Sir Arslan was, but he wanted to be courteous sometimes too.

    In the other room, Sir Arslan was sitting on a chair, writing something on a paper by the table. Around him were a few scribes and helpers. They were writing battle reports, documents, and administration works. Sir Arslan had a great difficulty writing with his left hand. His squire kept offering help, yet he stubbornly refused.

    His right arm was but a stump, lost during the fight with five Flame-Born Knights. His sword arm, his main arm, the arm that gave him the title of world strongest swordsman was but a memory now. As a swordsman himself and an admirer of Sir Arslan, Theo felt the sadness and sorrow when he saw it.

    When Sir Arslan noticed Theo, he stopped writing. "Please, leave us alone," he ordered his squire and scribes. After offering Theo a seat, he asked. "So, what brings you here, sir Theo?"

    Theo sat on one of the chairs and bowed his head. "I want to give you my thanks, sir, for helping my friends and women ... and for keeping Lyana''s secret."

    After the shadow tried to kidnap Ed and Lyana passed out in her true form, Sir Arslan was the first one to discover them. He was injured that time, barely surviving and winning his fight against the five Flame-Born knights, yet he prioritized on checking their condition to fulfill his promise with Theo and Val. He hid Lyana before sending doctors and soldiers to the tent.

    "Well, I think it''s the right thing to do. I might have fought them in the past, but I have no grudge against demon race in general. Just like humans and beast-kin, there''re many kinds of demon, some good, some bad, some just plain weird and unpredictable. But I believe a demon that follows you can''t be the bad kind." His eyes showed hints of nostalgia, old memories, and sadness as he told him. "Oh, and ... ah!" It was Sir Arslan''s turn to bow. "I also have to thank you, Sir Theo."

    Theo was a bit taken aback by the sudden turn of event. Aside from all the saving the world by stopping Calamity, he didn''t know what he did to deserve Sir Arslan thanks. And Sir Arslan had officially thanked him on the behalf of Amaryn regarding the stopping Calamity stuff, so this wasn''t related to that.

    Sir Arslan straightened his back and smiled. "Thank you for making lady Val happy. I''ve known her all my life, and she rarely smiles, but now ... she was smiling all the time like a love-struck maiden." He pulled out a small wooden chest from the table and opened it. Val''s signature red hood rest inside, neatly folded. "She gave me this a few days back, telling me she doesn''t need it anymore. She told me to bring it back to Hartman family''s ancestral house, and that she ..." He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, tears were welling in his eyes. It was tears of joy. "She allowed me to return there, that she had forgiven me, and that I can call myself a Hartman once more."

    "Ah ..." Realization struck Theo''s there and then. He knew Val and Sir Arslan had some old grudges, old wounds, but he never dug it too deep. He also knew that Val''s previous husband had Hartman as his last name, the same as Sir Arslan. He always thought the two were unrelated. Val''s choice to be an adventurer and her zero attachment to any place also made it harder to make the connection.

    "Please forgive this old man for showing something unsightly." Sir Arslan wiped the forming tears from his eyes. "I''m sorry in advance as this might makes it strange for you, but lady Val was like a mother for me. In my youth I ... brought dishonor to myself and to house Hartman. I thought that proving myself as a swordsman and a knight, as a commander and a royal guard would wash away my dishonor, and I was right ... and wrong at the same time. I reclaimed my honor and my family''s honor, but lady Val isn''t the type to care about chivalric code or a knight''s honor. So I grew old, prepared to die without her forgiving me."

    Sir Arslan smiled once more. His eyes and smile were still filled with regret and sadness, though it was apparent that some of his burdens had been lifted. He bowed, deeply this time. "My deepest gratitude, Sir Theo. If there''s anything I can help you with, please don''t hesitate to ask me."

    Theo didn''t know how to react to all this revelation. He knew dating with Val would have some serious implication, but not anything close to this. "Ah you see, Sir." Theo tried to change the subject. "Val and I are lovers now, but to be honest, I barely knew her personal life and preferences. What she likes and dislikes, I hope I can as-ugh!"

    Vivi elbowed Theo''s side with her full might. She had kept her silence all this time, choosing to listen and observe. Hearing about Val from Sir Arslan was fine, but not if it came from Theo. She sulked and let go of his hand, then turned her face away while grumbling about how Theo had the audacity to talk about another woman when she was next to him.

    He tried to console her and cheer her up, but it had the opposite effect. He sighed. "I''m sorry." He hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek. Even she couldn''t act all depressed when he did that.

    Theo chuckled. It was funny how much she was willing to help him get other women, but was bummed out when he actually got one.

    Sir Arslan laughed with genuine amusement. "It seems like you have your hands full, Sir Theo."

    Theo stood up. "About the previous thing that I asked, just forget it." He chuckled once more as his hand once again held Vivi''s. "I came here to tell that I''m going on my way tomorrow."

    "Ah yes," Sir Arslan stood up. "Knowing you have been a pleasure, sir Theo."

    "The feeling''s mutual, sir." Theo extended his right hand for a handshake.

    An awkward silence fell.

    Sir Arslan was about to shake his right hand when he switched it with his left. "My bad."

    Sir Arslan smiled and shook his hand. "I won''t deny that losing this hand hit me pretty hard. For seventy years have this right hand hold a sword and for sixty years have I called myself a swordsman due to my right hand. But maybe it''s the right time to retire from active duty. To relax and eat the fruit of my hard work. Good luck on your way, sir Theo."

    "And good luck to you too, sir."

    Theo looked at the Free City banner from outside the massive tent. It was the afternoon. He just had a lunch with Vivi and sent her to interrogate the shadow after that. He himself came to this place like Vex told him to.

    Vex hadn''t actually told him where she went, but considering Vex and how she said it was the usual place, then it could only be this place. A brothel. And not mere brothel, she always goes into the biggest and the most expensive one in the area. That was how she spent her free time and money, just what you expected from a nymphomaniac.

    The banner hung outside bore the insignia of the Free City of Babylon, the City of Sin. It was the oldest, biggest, and most powerful of all Free Cities with its gambling den and brothel famous throughout the Continent.

    Alexander the greatest built Babylon as the capital of his kingdom some two thousand years ago during his conquest. Theo read the city was originally named Las Vegas by Alexander, though later king changed the name to Babylon.

    Rumor and news about his love for sex and women had spread far and wide thanks to Sara, there was no need to hide the fact anymore. Everyone there had their eyes wide open when they saw him coming. It appeared everyone knew who he was. A woman wearing thin see-through silk dress approached him. "Hello there, handsome. Like what you''re seeing?" She said trying to seduce him.

    The way her body and dress moved as she walked showed how experienced she was in this type of business. Her sweet voice and pink succulent lips, the perfume that oozed from her body, her eyes that lead men''s gaze to where she wanted, and the way she teasingly caressed him with her soft finger, all showed how high-class she was. Normal men wouldn''t be able to resist, but Theo had many experiences dealing with someone like her thanks to Vex.

    He smiled. "I''m here for Vex."

    The woman''s eyes widened. "Ah ..." She grabbed his hand and pulled him. "Lady Vex had told me to pick you up."

    She pulled him to a big room inside the tent. Beds and wide chairs were placed in the open with barely anything obstructing the vision of passerby. Moan and scream filled his ears along with fake praise from the working prostitute. Perfume and incense were used to mask the smell of debauchery, though he could still smell it if he tried hard enough. Luckily it was only noon, there weren''t that many people there.

    Theo arrived at the back of the room, where raised curtains covered a bed from all sides. Vex had no shame showing her naked body to strangers, she even felt proud and good if someone watched her engaging in sexual activity. There must be a reason for her to want some privacy.

    "Excuse me." Theo lifted the curtain and entered.

    Vex half-sat on the king-sized bed, her back resting on a mound of red-colored pillows. Her legs were wide open with a woman servicing her between it. On her left was a woman kissing her neck and playing with her breast while on her right, another kissed and licked her lips with real burning passion.

    The sight alone would drive most men crazy. The women around her weren''t doing their job out of obligation or pay, they were servicing her with real passion and real lust. The praise they gave her wasn''t mere lip service but a true genuine admiration.

    Vex stopped kissing and shooed the woman on her right. The other stopped to look, but she ordered them to continue.

    "Ah, Theo, come here!" She patted the side of the bed now empty. "I''ll treat you for today." Theo wasn''t the type to hire prostitutes to relieve his sexual needs, but he also wasn''t the type to refuse a gift.

    "Then, excuse me." The woman that lead Theo raised the curtain and left.

    "Hey, you''re not going anywhere are you?" Vex asked. With her finger, she signaled her towards Theo. "Help my friend get out from that uncomfortable clothing."

    The woman turned her body and walked to Theo. She gave him a kiss while undressing and leading him to the bed.

    "So, what do you want to complain about?" He asked after sitting next to Vex. She was pissed off by the discussion from earlier and wanted to talk to him. With her finger, she ordered the women not servicing her to give him their specialty.

    "You know the order from the Capital right?" She gritted her teeth and pulled the head of the woman between her leg. "Faster." He told the woman. "The council must be out of their mind." She was speaking softly between her sweet moan, but anger and resentment were plain in her voice.

    Theo took some time to regain his focus. The whores of Babylon truly live up to their fame. Which made him wonder why Vex wanted to speak with him in a place like this when she knew they will have a hard time."What about it? It doesn''t concern you adventurers, right?"

    "That''s the problem!" She started to raise her voice. "We were paid half in advance for this job and they promised the rest after the job. Now they refused to pay us, ordering us to stay here too if we want our pay."

    Theo took a deep breath. With whores as expensive as these, it would be a waste not to enjoy himself. "What the hell are they thinking?"

    "Exactly! I know the nobles usually do some stupid shit, but it''s like they are picking a fight with the adventurer guild." There was a rule about monster hunter and adventurer about not involving themselves in political conflict. The council should have known that, no, they knew that already. So why did they still refuse to pay? Why did they give order that breaks the rule if not to piss off the adventurer guild and the adventurers?

    "Do you think the recent sucession war has anything to do with this? Like if Aria or a noble from someone''s side is actually the one giving the order."

    "That''s-" impossible, she wanted to say that but the word got caught in her throat. Vex leaned back. His question made her stop and think. "Unlikely, but not impossible. The letter is still sealed with wax and magic when it came. I don''t think any mage in Amaryn is good enough to perfectly fake that. Remember that the old mage is there when we opened it."

    "Then what about foreign mage or foreign force?" This was an abrupt suggestion and was very unlikely. Even Theo wouldn''t consider this if he didn''t receive a message from Sara earlier this morning telling him that a foreign power was planning to do something in Amaryn. This news alone might not seems threatening, but the fact that Sara knew so little about this foreign power made it terrifying.

    Vex gazed moved to Theo, it was sharp and filled with question. "Are you suggesting that someone stole the letter and change it to incite hostility between adventurers and the government?"

    "That, or the council has completely lost their mind. You know what would happen if the adventurer''s guild stopped taking monster hunting, cleaning, escort, and guard job, right?" Chaos was the answer. If adventurer stopped patrolling the road and clearing monsters that got too close to the main road, chaos would ensue as most troops and guards weren''t trained and equipped to fight wild monsters.

    "But if the adventurer guild sent a message to the council and ask them about the order, won''t the miscommunication be resolved? That way the saboteur''s plan will be thwarted."

    "Possibly." If this incident was orchestrated by the foreign power, surely they also had plans to make sure the miscommunication stay unresolved. But he chose not to tell Vex. There was a lot of ''if'' involved in this case and even if everything was true, telling Vex was unlikely to solve anything. It was better not to make her worry.

    "You know what? Let''s just forget about those stupid old farts in the Capital." She relaxed her body

    "Agreed." He also relaxed his body. "Speaking of which, it''s rare for you to not host an orgy after a big victory."

    Vex chuckled and looked at him. "Say who? You''re still too sick back then so I didn''t invite you. And do you really want people to see you like that? What about your women?"

    "I''m going to pass anyway. In a military camp like this, the number of men is too much for my taste." They both laughed.

    "Well, speaking of orgy and party. I have an idea."

    ------

    "Cheers!" Theo''s group and the Miracle around the table raised the drinks in their hands and shouted. Well, almost everyone. Tina only raised her drink while Aline didn''t even bother to do so. Cally wasn''t even there. She wasn''t invited and told everyone she wouldn''t come even if she was.

    The Miracle and Theo''s group were having their dinner outside under the starlit sky. Vex and Theo organized this dinner as a farewell party, inspired by their previous talk of orgies. Theo and his group were leaving the next day and the Miracle members were going on their own separate ways after their group disbanded. Vex was returning to Redmound, Val joining with Theo, Tomoe going back to Nihon, Tina to Girantine, Bry to Ulster isle, while Alina didn''t tell anyone where she wanted to go after this.

    Numerous exotic and premium cuisines were laid out on the grandly decorated table with many types of alcoholic drinks also available. Well-mannered and finely-dressed servants around them served their food and drinks and cleaned after them. While Theo and Vex planned to organize this dinner using the gold they earned after the Fire Invasion, they didn''t have to spend much. Most of the food and drinks and servants were given to them as a token of goodwill from the traders.

    But this dinner wasn''t all fun for everyone. During one of their meals, Theo noticed Lyana and Ed were fidgeting in their seat. They didn''t eat as much as everyone and didn''t drink like everyone, the festive atmosphere also didn''t stick with them all that much.

    "Ed, Lyana, can we talk for a bit," Theo asked them after the main course was over. Their seat was next to each other while Theo''s was between Val''s and Vivi''s.

    Ed and Lyana glanced at each other before nodding their head and followed Theo to a less crowded side of the camps. "Is there a problem?" Theo asked.

    "What do you mean?" It was Lyana who answered him. She didn''t appear t be bothered or hiding something, though Theo also didn''t check on her.

    "Y-yeah, w-what do you mean by problem?" Lyana sighed and massaged her forehead hearing Ed''s follow up question.

    Theo chuckled. "Well? Tell me."

    Ed fidgeted not knowing how to answer him. Even Lyana wasn''t able to put up a strong front. "The thing is Theo this ... this dinner ..." her voice trailed off.

    Theo sighed. It was clear they didn''t want to trouble him. "Ed, Lyana, you can tell me. I planned this dinner so we all can have fun, including you two. I want to know what troubled you, okay? I don''t want to make the same mistake next time." His voice was soft and caring. Ed and Lyana which planned to hide it can''t do so after hearing his troubled voice.

    "Well, you see, Theo. We-we''re grateful for the dinner but ..." Ed looked around. "B-but it reminds us too much of our past situation. You know our ... past family."

    Ah, so that''s how it is. The lavish dinner, the servants, the premium cuisines, the expensive decoration. For someone like Theo or Vex who didn''t come from wealthy family, having such an exquisite dinner was something they saw as celebration. But for someone like Ed and Lyana who came from wealthy family with high status, having this kind of dinner was normal for them. And considering their time with their family wasn''t exactly a nice part of their life, it was understandable it''d cause them some discomfort.

    "I-I''m sorry Theo, I-I think I''m going back to my tent." Ed turned his body and walked away.

    "Lyana?" Lyana opened her mouth with hesitation. But before any word could get out from her mouth, "I''ll sit next to you."

    Her eyes opened wide for a moment. She tried to hide her surprised face but was too late. She averted her gaze. "I was going to stay in the first place."

    He wanted to smirk and picked her on that, but he chose not to. He wanted her to stay. Though this also meant he had to face the wrath of both Vivi and Val later that night. And since he had used his pleasing technique on Vivi the night before, he didn''t think the same trick would work again.

    He sighed with a smile on his face. Having a harem sure is hard.

 Chapter 77: Worry

    Ed entered Theo tent. He lifted the curtain with care, enveloped his feet with magic, and retracted his aura. He hoped Cally wouldn''t realize his coming, or anyone for that matter. No one would mind if he entered Theo''s tent, but he didn''t want to be seen, or to be known.

    He turned his head left and right to observe the inside of the tent. Even with his night-vision magic, it was pitch black as no candle was lit and no magic lamp turned on. Normal tent wouldn''t be this dark even without a light source. But Theo requested his tent to be covered by sound-proof and light-proof barriers to prevent his night activity from troubling his neighboring tent. Which was good, just not for him right now.

    It was creepy, sneaking around in complete darkness. Who knew what might be lurking in the shadow. What if a ghost was hiding and waiting for him to come near? What if a ghost pops out and scream right in his face? What if when he walked next to Theo''s bed, a ghastly hand grabbed his leg and pulled him under? He could scream for help, but what if he''s killed before he could scream? Or what if the ghost covers his mouth so he couldn''t scream?

    Ed''s blood pressure rose. The hair on his body stood on ends while sweat flooded his forehead. His legs were shaking. His heart pounded hard. His breath shallow and ragged.

    He swallowed the spit in his mouth. And cursed how loud of a sound it made.

    He slapped himself. "Stupid, stupid Ed! Don''t think anything, don''t think anything, don''t imagine ghost." He walked from the entrance of the room to his destination on the other end while repeating the same word over and over again.

    He made a lot of sounds doing so, but he didn''t care anymore. He had to distract his own mind from thinking and imagining about ghosts.

    G-good job Ed, you''re not afraid. You''re a brave man. Don''t think about ghost. Don''t think about ghost! Don''t think ab-

    His heart stopped. His body froze.

    He almost screamed. He wanted to scream., but the sheer terror suffocated him and made him unable to let out even a groan.

    A pair of burning shining ruby eyes appeared right in front of him. Staring right into his eyes a few paces away.

    It took him almost a minute before his mind cooled down. And a minute more before regaining the control of his own body.

    He knew who it belongs to, but couldn''t help being scared and shocked. The gaze was so fierce it pierced his will and his heart, yet it contained neither malice nor hostile intent. Looking back at the gaze was like looking at a sword on display. You can see how sharp and how dangerous it was, and if you knew the history you might feel intimidated or scared by it, but no matter what, it couldn''t hurt you unless you touch the edge yourself. the knowledge didn''t help him calm down though.

    "What are you doing here, mage?"

    He summoned all his courage. "I-uh-I-" Even knowing she wouldn''t hurt him gave no comfort. The complete darkness, the unknown, the pair of blazing eye, it was nightmare come true. It wasn''t as bad as a ghost suddenly grabbing his leg and dragging him under the bed, but still a nightmare. "I-I-I''m here for the book."

    Cally went silent. She averted her burning yes away from him and took something from the nearby table. "Here." The darkness made it hard to see, but she was holding his book and giving it to him.

    Ed''s hand was shaking. Was this a trap? Why did she give the book by hand? Why didn''t she just pointed it out? Would she grabbed his hand and pulled him if he took the book? What then, would she kill him? Burn him alive? Or do some other horrible unimaginable thing?

    Many unrealistic scenarios where he ended up dead, disabled, or being tortured for a prolonged amount of time ran rampant in his mind. His imagination was wild.

    "Mage."

    "A-Ah, yes?" Her voice woke him up from the vicious hell his mind created for him.

    "The book."

    "Y-yes, o-of course." After much hesitation and self-convincing, Ed edged closer and took the book from her. "T-thank you."

    He walked back without turning his body. He kept his eyes on her. Who knew what nefarious plan she schemed behind his back.

    "You''re not like the other."

    "W-what?"

    "You don''t harbor any ill intent towards me. And even though you''re scared of me, you make no conscious effort to put a distance."

    "W-w-well." Ed scratched his head. His mind went blank as he didn''t expect to hear her speak that way. "I-I have my reason." He turned his body but stopped for a second. "A-and I''m not scared of you!"

    He kicked the ground with all his strength. His imagination ran wild about what would Cally do behind him. His breathing became shallower, his heart beat faster and harder with each step he took. His anxiousness and fear grew the closer he got to the exit. Would she attack when he exited for maximum terror value? Would she attack once he was outside to give him false hope? His heart was convinced she would attack him, though his rational mind knew she likely wouldn''t. But if there was something his heart and mind agreed on, it was he shouldn''t look back.

    Ed raised the curtain leading outside and tensed his back. He expected something to hit his back, or at least a scare. It was embarrassing to admit but he knew anyone could see he was scared shitless. And Cally without a doubt wouldn''t let such opportunity pass. He knew how much she hated Theo, and picking on his friend would likely give her some satisfaction that she never got since she lost her power. He could already see her laughing face and her snort. The eyes that looked him down and sneered him were clear in his mind. Just like everyone''s else.

    "Thanks."

    Ed tensed his back even more. Did Cally try to lower his guard with that thanks? Or was there some other tricks? Was she going to ridicule him if he replied that? But his curiosity overpowered his fear.

    He turned his head slowly towards her.

    Nothing happened.

    Her fiery gaze was still in that same corner of the tent, though it felt softer and calmer. She still meditated in that same spot and hadn''t moved an inch. He still suspected a trap or trick though. "The book is great, but like the author warned, you shouldn''t take the Fire Elemental part at face value. There''s a lot of misunderstanding and misconception there."

    Ed raised his brows and looked at the book he held. It was ''On the Nature of Magic: Fire, Heat, and the Cause'' by lord Mercurius Mars. "R-right." Ed didn''t know how to reply. He turned and walked away.

    He returned to his tent and put the book inside his already stuffed bag. All his stuff was already inside it, but it wasn''t because Theo was going tomorrow.

    He lied to Theo previously. He wasn''t troubled by the dinner but by something else, though he also believed Theo noticed it. It was the look, the queer strange look they gave him. The servants, the soldiers, the adventurers, even the Miracle member looked at him the same way.

    Freak

    It wasn''t so bad when they didn''t know his true age, they assumed he was a child lost in the camp. Or a genius child that followed Theo the hero. But now ...

    He had met other human with dwarfism before and he was grateful to retain a child-like face and normal body proportion. He was grateful to be born to house Lion and was a friend to Theo, else people won''t stop with just giving him a queer look. Still, it hurt his heart whenever he noticed their look.

    Only Theo, Lyana, and surprisingly, Cally gave him an indifferent look. Then there was Vivi, who only have two looks in her eyes. The look she gave Theo and the look she gave to everyone other than Theo. It creeped him out how drastic she changed whenever Theo wasn''t around. She regarded everything like a game, like everyone else was a lifeless doll or toy.

    He jumped on the bed and buried his face on it. He sighed.

    What is with Cally?

    Lord Mercurius Mars in his book wore that Elementals wasn''t likely to judge based on appearance and wasn''t prone to prejudice. He speculated this was most likely due to the nature of Elemental, that size didn''t determine their power, unlike most species. An elemental the size of a mountain might not have enough strength to lift their finger while one the size of ant might have the explosive power to destroy a country. A higher level elemental could even change their shape and appearance without a change to their power in the slightest.

    He never saw Cally in her true form. He had never seen her true power nor her overpowering presence the way Theo and Val described it. He knew next to nothing about her, and had almost no personal reason to fear her that much. But the enigma that was her circumstances, and the sheer amount of scary stories he heard about her.

    He felt bad for fearing her that much.

    He stood up from his bed and waited. And waited. And waited until the time was about midnight.

    He took out a book from his bag. The cover was thick, the paper white, the cut neat. it wasn''t a cheap book but a high-quality one. He opened the book and took out a letter already prepared inside, hidden between the pages.

    He felt terrible doing this again. It was no different than when he ran away from home. Following Theo in his journey was fun and exhilarating, he met a lot of people and experienced many things he would never imagine before, and would preferably not experience again. But he had things and dreams he wanted to pursue too and that dream didn''t lay in the direction Theo was heading.

    He put the letter on his bed and convinced himself this was the right choice, the right path, the right thing to do.

    He hauled his bag and with heavy heart, left the tent. The tent was loaned to him by the Church, so someone will take care of it after he left. One less thing to worry.

    He waited until midnight to make sure Theo didn''t know he was leaving. It was cowardly, sure, but he didn''t want to tell him directly. Imagining it was enough to burn his chest and cause a headache. Will he be disappointed? He didn''t think so. Theo will probably be happier without him following around. That way he could spend more time with his women. Though Ed wasn''t brave enough to test it.

    "Ed!"

    A jolt ran through Ed body. His back and face broke out in sweat while his joints petrified. With great effort he turned his head towards the source of the sound.

    Theo was sitting on a box next to his tent with a tired smile on his face. "T-theo, w-what are you doing here? How long have you been there?" His chest burned and his head rung. The gear of his brain tried to work but only got stuck on itself. He couldn''t think anything, not how to get away from this predicament, not even a cheap excuse.

    "Come with me." Theo stood and walked without confirming whether Ed followed him or not. He didn''t appear to be concerned by Ed''s strange behavior.

    Theo sauntered with short strides and slow pace. It eased Ed as he didn''t have to put much effort into his short leg, but it also frustrated him. It felt like Theo was walking slowly so he didn''t get left behind.

    Ed hid his woes and anger and kept his silence. Theo probably didn''t mean it, most likely he walked slowly because he wanted to, because he had no reason to rush.

    He followed Theo until they reached a small hill outside the encampment, where Theo finally stopped and sat on the foot of a withered tree. Gray ashes covered the ground, the grass, and the tree bark. He never realized it before, but ashes literally covered everything around Mount Etna.

    He sat next to Theo. "S-so, what are we doing here?"

    "Nothing ..." Theo seemed to have more to say, but he didn''t let it out.

    They both waited, neither one opened their mouth. But Theo was relaxed with no hint of tension or worry while Ed was the complete opposite. His heart was beating fast. Did Theo know his plan all along? If he did, what would he do? How does he feel about it?

    After a while, the strange calm atmosphere became unbearable for him. "You know it, didn''t you? You know I''m going to run away?"

    "Heh!" Theo smirked. "Everyone knows. You''re really shit at hiding things, Ed."

    Ed''s face turned red, both from anger and embarrassment. He stood up. "I''m still going! You''re not stopping me, Theo! I-I-I have my own dreams t-"

    "I know." Theo interrupted him. "I''m not going to stop you, Ed."

    Eh! He didn''t know how to react to that.

    "On the contrary," He stood up. "I''m here to help. I''m going with you until the Greywater."

    Ed bit his own lips. He planned to go south to the port city of Greywater then take a boat from there to Lethrand. How could Theo know his plan? His chosen route of travel? He wanted to rip his hair out for being so easily read.

    "Angry that you''re so easy to read?" He really wanted to smash his head on the tree right at that moment.

    "W-wait! Didn''t you plan to go to Eternal City? That''s what you''ve been telling everyone."

    "Well, I only said I PLANNED to go to the Eternal City, not I''m GOING to the Eternal City. I can do that after accompanying you to Greywater."

    "Why?" He ground his teeth and balled his fist. "WHY?!"

    He punched Theo in the stomach, but his arm strength was pathetic, which only further frustrate him. "I don''t need you to accompany me! I don''t need you to help me! I don''t ..."

    his jaw was trembling and his tongue tripped on itself. "I''m not a kid anymore! I''m not weak! I don''t need you to ... I don''t want you to babysit me!" He spat the word out.

    He knew he shouldn''t trust the prophecy, being ''The Dragon'' meant nothing, zero. He was pathetic, weak, cowardly, and no amount of prophecy is going to change that part of him.

    What did he do when everyone was fighting with all their might against the Fire Invasion? What did he do when Theo was fighting teeth and nails to stop Calamity? Nothing. Nothing but be a burden for everyone. He slowed everyone down with his small body, they took more rest because his weak constitution and low stamina.

    When they were ambushed by the Fire Elemental, what did he do? He tried acting hero and failed miserably, losing consciousness in the process and adding work for everyone. Though in the end Zarathustra helped them, it was not his power, but the power he borrowed from Zarathustra. What a man he was.

    He turned his body away from Theo. His cheek became wet against his will. "I-I-I- AUGH!"

    Ed held the back of his head, it hurt like hell. "W-what was that for?!" he yelled at Theo, the person responsible.

    "Oh, shut up, Ed. I don''t do this for you. I rather go to Eternal City than babysit you. So shut your crap, I will accompany you to Greywater whether you want it or not." Theo glared him, though it was a playful glare, not an intimidating one. "And stop with it with whatever you''re complaining. Don''t just complain, prove it. And stop crying, Ed. There''s a reason why people don''t see you as an adult, you know."

    Ed looked away, his face red in embarrassment. He wiped the tears from his eyes and sat on the foot of the tree. He took a deep breath and calmed his raging heart. He realized he was being childish there, taking his emotion and rage out to Theo who''s not at fault.

    Theo sat next to him. They kept their silence and enjoyed the cold night breeze. Though too long and Ed afraid he would catch a cold.

    "So, why? Why did you want to escort me?"

    "Escort? Babysit, Ed. Well, you''re ''The Dragon'' remember? And a class five mage at that. You''ll be famous in no time, and do you think Theo, the Hero is going to pass such easy opportunity to gain more fame? Hell no." He smiled like the devil and laughed. "Theo, the Hero and Ed, the Dragon doesn''t that sounds good?"

    "I ... guess so." He smiled and laughed a little. It was funny how Theo meant and didn''t mean what he said at the same time. At least that what Ed thinks.

    "Anyway, remember the shadow that tried to do something to you?" Theo''s voice tone became grave. "He was going to take your blood. Apparently, someone knows about your power and the dragon inside you."

    Ed raised his brows. "W-what? H-how? Who?" Very few people knew about Ed''s true power. Old man Thoros back in Aeston, Sara, Theo, Lyana, Vivi, his father, and his previous butler, Barney. Neither one was likely to spread the news around. And from the reaction of the merchants, soldiers, and adventurers, no one seemed to know about him and his power.

    "I don''t know. But I know whoever hired the shadow knows about your power and wants to do something with it. And Ed ..." Theo paused. He didn''t continue talking till Ed returned from his shock and paid full attention. "The order came from someone in Lethrand."

 Chapter 78: The Head Butler

    Servants were expected to wake up early in the morning. The had little time to prepare themselves in before taking care of the house they were assigned to and their master. For smaller household, only one or few servants were needed, thus each servant have multiple daily tasks. But for great house or mansion or even castle and fort, a larger number of servants were assigned, each with their own specific job. Some take care of cleaning and maintaining the house, some prepare food and refreshments for their master, other maintained the garden, some act guard, and so on.

    Like most job and occupations, there existed a hierarchy among servants of the household. Some servants ranked above others, they supervised those under them and report to those above them or to the master of the house. They also took care of the job if needed. The maids have head-maid, the cooks have a head cook or a chef, the gardeners have a head gardener, and so on. On top of the hierarchy stood the head servant, or head servants, one for each gender. Butler, head butler, housekeeper, majordomo, steward, estate manager, house manager. Each household had their own way of calling the head servants. And for house Lion, the term steward and head butler were used interchangeably.

    It fell upon the shoulder of Barney to serve as the head servant of house Lion. He had done so from when Lord Edward Lion was but a boy of ten, back when he was his only servant.

    He woke up long before dawn, and quite a time before other servants. He had a strict belief that the first thing a man should do when he woke up was to make his bed, and so he did. Not like he needed to tidy it much, his body seldom moved when he was asleep. After that, he tidied the rest of his room. As the head butler, his room was bigger than other servant''s and he occupied it alone. Despite that, his room was mostly empty and devoid of any personal belonging. There was a bed, a work table with a chair, a wardrobe, and two magic lamps that he never used. This eased his work as he didn''t have to clean it often, though it also gave a feeling of abandonment and lack of expression.

    After all that was done, he took a quick cold bath. Using magic, he could clean and remove odors from his body without the hassle of getting wet, but he preferred freezing water even in winter. It prepared him for the day works and it heightened his senses.

    The clothing he supposed to wear that day was still packaged on his table, imported from the Kingdom of Magic, Lethrand. Inside the package was a black double-breasted open-front tailcoat, black waistcoat, white shirt, black trouser, black necktie, white gloves, and a black shoes that he would later learn was called oxford shoes. The wholes set was called a morning suit, or at least that was what he heard lady Lion called it. It was not a good manner to remember something he overheard, but thing like this always stuck in his mind no matter how improper.

    Lethrand was known for its surge of new and arguably strange clothing in the last few years, this morning suit was among it. He heard most of the new clothes were made by the newest of Lethrand magic lords that called herself a ''fashion designer''.

    After wearing the suit, he checked himself in the mirror. What he saw was a man in his mid-fifties with white combed hair and trimmed mustache and beard. He let his beard and mustache grew a little unkempt as it gave him a wise and soothing grandfatherly look, it proved to be a good match for him. While he looked like that, it was not his true appearance in a sense. His natural hair was like the darkest of night and his true age was much older than what his appearance showed. He had maintained that appearance using magic ever since he first met Lord Edward and his magic had never faltered even once, until now.

    The mirror cracked the same time he noticed his blood-red right eye. It was not as simple as red when his eyes hurt, all the white and the black of his eye was filled with thick red of blood, threatening to spill out. He couldn''t let his appearance be. As the head butler of house Lion, he was one of the first to greet guest when they arrived, and first impression meant everything. He would not let people think light of house Lion because of his appearance.

    He recast his magic. Yet it lasted not a second.

    He had great confidence in his magic, though he rarely took pride in it. If his magic couldn''t conceal his appearance, then nothing easily accessible could. So he shut his right eye and think about an excuse to give. He didn''t think anyone would ask him about it, but he still has to prepare nonetheless.

    He sighed and gazed out the window. Be it day or night, clear or cloudy, the great blue scar shone across the sky as if god spilled a blue paint on the night sky. It appeared a few weeks past and haven''t dimmed even a little. And last week, the world suddenly turned cold for no apparent reason. Both were unprecedented happenings that stupefied wise men, puzzled magician, and sent everyone else into an unrest. Some thought the two was related, that the comet was a sign of the sudden otherworldly cold. Though if that was the case, then why didn''t the scar stopped shining after the cold went away.

    He believed the two were unrelated. The cold was one thing, but the sky scar was a sign of something else still yet to come. Something big. Something significant. He also believed the scar took part in making his magic went awry.

    He shook his head. This was not the time of baseless assumption and speculation. He was the head butler of house Lion, he had responsibility and work he had to do. And if he wanted to be the best of butlers, even a life-changing and world-turning event should not distract him from his job.

    He pulled a clock from his coat pocket. He read the clock hands and realized he still had some time before the servants woke up. It was another thing imported from Lethrand. He always finds it amazing how Lethrand so-called golden age of magic produced so many simple yet useful everyday object.

    A small clock that fitted into pocket might not seem amazing, but considering a non-magical clock could take an entire room or even building to operate, it was nothing short of amazing. There exist small non-magical clock that fit in the hand, but even the most precise could only tell the hour of the day. The ramification of everyone having a precise time-measuring machine in the palm of their hand might be even greater than that of the scar in the sky.

    He chuckled. It was hyperbolic of course, and even if such thing happened it would still be a long way off. The clock, the magical crystal used to run it, and other magical objects could only be produced in Lethrand. Other places lacked the necessary magical knowledge and expertise to reproduce it. Not to mention it was extremely expensive to make and import even for nobility standard. The one he had was given to him to celebrate the anniversary of his service.

    He shelved his idle thought and future predicting when he noticed the lady of this house woke up. It was not magic nor simple gut feeling. He had served house Lion for thirty-seven years and had taken care of this mansion for twenty of it. This mansion was his domain and nothing within it eluded his attention. Well, almost nothing.

    He walked straight to the kitchen to prepare refreshments for the lady. He didn''t prepare any food as It was still so early in the morning. He prepared a tea - not coffee, she most likely wanted to sleep more considering her condition - and gave it a few drops of lemon to freshen things up. He knew she''d like it. He put the porcelain tea sets on a tray and brought it to the lady''s room.

    This was the mansion owned by house Lion in Aeston, not their main residence, the castle they had in Eastport. It was big and cozy and not too hard for the servants to maintain as it wasn''t a castle or a fort. Lord and lady lion were visiting for some trade business with the duchess, and in a week time would go to Redmound for some business with the crown. As the lord hadn''t told him any of the details, he took it his involvement and concern were unneeded in this matters. And if he was unneeded, he wouldn''t pry into his master''s business.

    He lightly knocked the door, "My lady."

    "Barney?" Her voice was filled with surprise. She musn''t have expected anyone to notice. "O-oh yes, please do come in."

    When he entered, the candle was not lit and the magical lamp wasn''t turned on. The voice he heard answering through the door might be cheery, but he knew better, she was crying. "Tea with lemon, my lady?" He asked while turning on the lamp.

    She paused before answering. She must have realized it was useless hiding things from him. He seldom made her tea with lemon, only when she was in sour mood. "Thank you, Barney." She wiped the trace of tears before picking the cup of hot tea.

    He looked at her with pitying eyes but made sure she didn''t notice it.

    Lady Lisa Lion, previously lady Lisa Whitemont. Her appearance commanded disbelieve as she looked no older than a lady of twenty-five years, younger than her first son. Her bright blue hair that she inherited to all her three sons was healthy and never showed any sign of greying. Her face was smooth with no wrinkle whatsoever with healthy pink lips that seemed to never dry. Anyone who gazed upon her beauty would mistaken her as Lord Edward''s daughter, not his wife. And no one would expect her half a year older than her husband. And unlike Barney''s artificial appearance, hers was natural.

    But now, strands of her blue hair turned grey. Wrinkle and spots showed up under her eyes, and she often woke up in the middle of the night, crying in all her lonesome, refusing to call or speak to anyone. All began when young Edmund ran away from home and lord Edward disowned him. That night, the lady had the first big quarrel with her husband in their twenty-nine years of marriage. After more than a month, they still slept on different room and neither had softened their stance about the matter. It was not a pretty sight for someone who had watched them as young lovers.

    As a servant, he shouldn''t have butted in his master''s personal problem. But as the head butler, he wouldn''t let this pass. He was entrusted by the family to give counsel and advice when it was needed. And unlike other servants, lady Lisa could not refuse him or sent him away. She first met him when she was twelve and had been a second father figure for her ever since.

    "Nightmare again, my lady?" His body was straight and rigid. Strong and imposing like a proper butler should be.

    She held her forehead and let out a forced smile. "Yes, it''s been getting worse." He was the only one she told about her bad dreams. She refused to tell other servants to not make them worry, even to her lady''s maid, the one personally took care of her.

    "My lady, if I may?" He turned his body and extended his arm a little, more or less pointing at a nearby chair. She nodded.

    Barney pulled a chair from the nearby table. His posture became more relaxed. His back slouched a bit and his face showed a gentle and soothing little smile. He was neither straight nor soft, neither imposing nor weak, just enough in between. The man sitting in front of lady Lisa wasn''t Barney the head butler, but Barney the dependable old man from her teenage years.

    Tears burst out from her eyes without stopping. She tried to stop it, with her will, with her hands, yet none could stop a mother''s tears for her son. "Ed, my little Ed," she cried out. "I-I-I saw him, in-in a mountain." She took a deep breath, she couldn''t continue otherwise. "Fire, fire is everywhere and I-I-I-" She broke down, her body not strong enough to endure her emotion.

    She body leaned towards the floor, it had no strength left.

    She fell.

    But Barney caught her.

    "My lady, please rest."

    "No!" She grabbed his arms. "I''m ... fine!"

    He sighed. She was clearly pushing herself, but would anything be resolved if she kept everything to herself. Sharing her burden was the least he could do. He put one hand on her shoulder to support her body. His other hand took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. "Don''t worry, my lady. It''s just a nightmare, nothing more. Young Ed is not in any danger, I swear it." A mere nightmare wouldn''t reduce lady Lisa to this condition, but still he tried to soothe her.

    "It''s not just nightmare, Barney, it''s something much more. I ... I saw him, my little Ed." She had no strength left, but her voice and eyes were adamant. He put her head on his shoulder, where her tears wet his suit. "It''s not just a dream! It''s a vision! I saw him with own two eyes. Fire all around him, and ... and ... his chest. Sword of fire went through his chest! Fire ... fire went through my little son''s chest!"

    "Lisa." How many years had it been since she called her by name only, he didn''t remember. He stroked her head like she was but a kid. "You''re stressed, Lisa. You''re exhausted and sick, and you miss young Ed greatly. Your mind is playing tricks on you. I know how much you care about him and how much you miss him, I know it, I feel the same way as you. But believe me, your dream is just a dream. There''s no way you can see him from far away without magic or the like. And believe me, there''s no such magic at play here or I would have noticed, I swear."

    He waited until she calmed down before carrying her powerless body to bed. He covered her with blanket, and as her tears stopped, he wiped what was left from her cheek. Her skin was boiling with fever. Her face was relaxed a little bit after his reassurance, but worries still haunted her. "Still, my little Ed is far away from here, far away from me. What if he got lost, what if he got hungry, what if he''s sick?"

    He smiled a little. He wondered whether she remembered her third son was already twenty years old. She always spoiled and dotted all her children, but Ed was even more so.

    "Lisa, Ed is not a kid anymore. He is not weak, I''ve made sure of that myself. He''s a good mage with excellent potential, who knows how much he grew in short amount of time. And he''s a good person. He might have left this house alone, but he''ll make friends in no time." He rubbed her head once more. "So you don''t have to worry, just rest for now."

    Lisa was still worried sick, but what Barney said was true and worrying now wouldn''t do anything but making her condition worse. She nodded in agreement. "Then," He stood up. "Good night, Lisa."

    "Barney." before he could move, she called him again. "Can you stay here, until I''m asleep?" Her voice was weak. It was his duty to follow her order, though even if he wasn''t duty-bound, his heart wouldn''t let him leave her.

    He bowed and sat again.

    She pulled the blanket to her neck and closed her eyes. He didn''t lean his body back on the backrest. He sat with his back a little slumped, watching over the youthful-looking lady. A strong urge to sing a lullaby erupted in his heart, though he held it back, it was improper and impolite.

    "Lisa, if you still have something to say, it''s better to say it now so you can have some rest." He didn''t know what she wanted to do, but her body was restless. He saw her eyes moving even behind the closed lid.

    She opened her eyes and smiled. "There''s no fooling you, is there?" The embarrassment reddened her cheek on top of the fever. "I was wondering. You said you felt the same way about Ed as I do, so why did you let him leave? Why did you let Edward disown my son?"

    Barney sighed. "Lisa, have you ever heard the story of the little lion cub of Amaryn?" She looked at him with a confused look, little lion cub of Amaryn was a more fitting name for her third son than anyone else, but the way he said it suggested he was not referring to Ed. Barney gazed at the floor as he began his tale. "You see, a long time ago lived a little lion cub in the forest of Amaryn. His family was poor and weak and small, and even though they are a lion, they are toothless and clawless. Other animals looked down and ridiculed them. Despite that, the lion cub was cheerful and happy, life was good for him.

    "One day, the lion cub realized how wonderful magic is, and in a delightful turn of fate, was proficient and talented at it. He was fascinated and engrossed in magic, and trained in secret inside the forest. He knew how much magic was abhorred and hated in the forest of Amaryn, even his lion father and mother shared the same sentiment. He kept up with his prideful and proper lion appearance in front of his family and other animals, and deepened his love for magic in his private time.

    "But, one day, a deer saw him practicing magic in secret and soon enough, the whole forest knew about him and his filthy magic. His parents said straight to his face that he had embarrassed and disappointed them, that he was a great embarrassment to the pride of lion. The cub was shocked and afraid. His parents were always loving and caring, his friend always nice to him and respected him, his brother and sisters loved him. But from that day on, he was isolated from the rest of his pride, he was shamed and ostracized. He was a laughing stock, other animals and even his own brothers threw insults at him, they called him a witch and freak.

    "The cub couldn''t run anywhere, but stay here in Amaryn, where he was nothing more than a court fool. He didn''t know much of anything, he was pretty naive and oblivious to the hardship of life.

    "Then, he got sick of everything. He had only turned eleven when he ran away from home and leave everything behind, his father, mother, brothers, his pride, his nobility status and all the riches with it. He was more than glad to leave them behind, and the feeling was mutual. If there was one regret he had, it was he might never meet his beloved again, his betrothed, this beautiful blue-haired lioness that stole his heart from the moment he saw her.

    "Five years he disappeared, until one day the family he left became another victim of wars in the forest. His family never formally disowned him, he still had all the right to his father''s title, land, and riches. So he returned and took over, though he was a very different lion than when he left

    "In just two short years, he made this toothless, clawless pride of a lion into a fearsome one, all by himself. His kingdom in the forest was safe and peaceful, trades with other animals and harvest was bountiful in it, and his treasury was full always. He bought other parts of the forest and animals and armies from other desperate nobles, and made them his own. Some animals even pledge their allegiance willingly in exchange for security. He commanded fear and respect and admiration of equal degrees to other animals and his retainers. In just two short years after that, he regained and even amplify what was once his. He even got his beloved back. And she was as happy as he was.

    "After the war was over, the once lion cub had a family of his own. And he had this ... particular son that reminded him so much of himself. He had experienced so much hardship during his youth. He didn''t want his son to feel the same, he didn''t want his son to suffer the way he did, but the more he tried to stop him, the closer that son trod the same path he once made."

    He stopped his story after that, the lady wasn''t a fool to not get what he meant after all that. They kept their silence for a few minutes without doing anything else, then the lady turned her head. "You forget to mention the old man who helped him all the way."

    "The old man was but a lowly servant, the lion accomplish it all by himself."

    "But he wouldn''t become what he is now without the old man''s help."

    He showing a line of perfect white teeth and let out a chuckle. "That''s enough of story time, My lady. Please, rest now so you can be better." He then stood up.

    "Barney." She called once more.

    "Yes, my lady?"

    "What happened to your eyes?"

    He touched his closed right eye. Even though he forgot about it, he never opened nor relaxed his right eye even once. "Ah, this? Just a little itch when I woke up."

    Lady Lisa and Lord Edward knew about the nature of his appearance. His magic had never failed him even once during his service as the butler of house Lion. He didn''t want her to worry about his magic suddenly failing.

    "Don''t push yourself too hard, okay? It''s fine to rest sometimes."

    "I should be the one saying that to you, my lady." They both let out a giggle at his remarks.

    "The suit looks really good on you. Issue it as the standard uniform for all butler." She gave him a smile, an exhausted but honest smile. His heart finally eased seeing her returning to her usual self. It was truly a most beautiful sight.

    He nodded. "At once, my Lady." He returned the chair to its matching table. And by the time he turned his body, lady Lisa was fast asleep.

 Chapter 79: Barney

    Even after taking care of lady Lisa it still wasn''t the time for Barney to check on the other servants. He felt he had spent quite some time with her, but apparently not. A mere ten minutes had passed since he entered Lady Lisa''s room, he still had a bit more than half an hour. So he resumed his morning routine.

    He walked around the mansion in almost complete darkness. The darkness bothered him not and did nothing to hinder his vision, he didn''t need to light any candle or turn on any magic lamps. Doing so would just be a waste, something he wouldn''t let a servant do, including himself. He checked every inch of the house and monitored the surrounding neighboorhood. After the assassination attempt on Lord Edward''s and his family''s lives, a few months back, including this on his morning routine was a no-brainer.

    Thinking back, he could and should have noticed the group of assassins before they get anywhere near. Yet during that time, his mind was occupied, somewhere else on another matter. While he foiled their plan, he was partly responsible for letting them enter in the first place.

    There was no need to actually walk around. If he extended his aura outward or use his detection magic, he could do just as fine. But walking around helped him move his body and focused his mind. And his mind was easily distracted by unnecessary thought lately. Much to his own surprise.

    He walked around while observing the paintings and decorations hung on the wall and on the table. Lord Edward had no taste for luxury or decoration. If it was up to him then the walls and hall would be empty and bare save from hunting trophies and ceremonial weapons. He was thankful lady Lisa had a good taste in house decoration.

    He stopped his feet when he entered the main hall. He felt someone''s presence.

    He said before that this house was his domain, he knew everything that happened inside and around the house. Almost everything.

    As the head servant, he was expected to raise from bed first and went to bed the last. If the master of the house was still up, then it was inappropriate for him to sleep or rest. But if he were to do so, he would be sleepless for most nights. So he allowed himself some leisure and act ignorant of his master''s activity past midnight.

    He turned his body towards the blazing fireplace at the end of the main hall. The long table cast a massive shadow on the opposite wall, enveloping the whole of Barney''s body. Though the man sitting there cast an even bigger shadow.

    "Lord Edward." Barney bowed. "I''ll prepare a coffee." Lord Edward didn''t answer.

    Lord Edward was a man of little word and even fewer sleep. Even in his youth he rarely slept more than two hours every night. With age, his needs for rest lessened. And with the recent quarrel with his wife, he barely slept at all.

    Barney walked to the kitchen with quick paces and washed his hands. He picked up some amount of green coffee bean and clasped his hands around it, shielding the beans from outside elements. Within his palm he roasted the beans evenly using magic. It increased in size and change color to the rich dark brown it was commonly known. Using his fist, he crushed and grind the beans to a fine powder of uniform size. He put the powder in a fine porcelain cup and poured water into it, cold water not hot. He wrapped his fingers around the cup to heat the water almost to the point of boiling, without raising the temperature of the cup. He ensured the water never passed the boiling point as it would make the coffee bitter. After all that had been done, he removed the excess powder using magic and placed the cup on a plate.

    He smiled.

    Scarce were moments he didn''t regret knowing magic, and scarcer were moments when he glad he knew it.

    The coffee in his hand was the finest in Amaryn, nay, in the whole Continent. He was proud of it. He poured the utmost of his abilities into making that particular cup of coffee. There should be no equal.

    He put the cup in front of Lord Edward, next to the stacks of paper, scrolls, and parchments. Most were reports from the lower nobles about tax, security, economy, trades, and overall condition of the land they, and by extension him, ruled. Most nobles preferred socializing and partying and let their chamberlain handle the administration and paper works. Lord Edward chose the administration works and wished he could relegate the socializing part to someone else.

    Feasting with retainers, attending invitation, and appearing in a grand party might seem like a waste of time and money to most people, and served only to fulfill the ego of said noble. Barney was not a part of the nobility, but he knew occasional socializing and partying amongst nobles was needed to maintain power and control. Attending such social event was some form of powerplay. Even Lord Edward could not escape that.

    Lord Edward picked up the cup and sipped the coffee without averting his gaze from the pen and paper. The severe expression on his aged face lightened up until he put down the cup. Then his serious expression returned.

    Barney stood by his side like a good servant should do, observing his master without any sound, waiting to be called if he was needed.

    He gazed over his master''s shoulder, looking at the paper. Lord Edward was handling business deals and contracts with traders from Lethrand. The number of business offers was piling up, and he had to carefully choose his business partner. Trade was, after all, the lifeblood of his family.

    There was a magical and technological revolution in Lethrand, the so-called Golden Age of Magic. New and radical inventions appeared every year, and many of them increased the quality of life drastically. Even Amarynians, people and nobles that used to loathe magic, couldn''t help but be interested in getting some of those technologies. And with the increasing demand, came a flourishing trade.

    Amaryn had a peculiar condition, however. Land trade between Amaryn and Lethrand wasn''t feasible in large quantities. Roads that went through the mountain range between the two countries were small and unsafe and hard to traverse. Most trades happened through the three major rivers in southern Amaryn, and Lord Edward controlled all three. He could starve the whole country of its supply of magical items if he wanted to, but that''d be foolish. And Lord Edward was anything but foolish.

    "Sit." Lord Edward commanded, and Barney obeyed. "Report."

    He sat on the chair nearest to his master and tidy up all the paper. If his master had called him then his paperwork was done for now. He straightened his body and assumed a proper posture for speaking with his master "A raven came last night. The one been smugling magic crystals turns out to be one of our captains. He''s a mere henchman though and the real mastermind is still lurking somewhere."

    Lord Edward drank the coffee. For a great noble, his mannerism was rather rough and coarse. "Just give him the usual treatment. How''s about the other matter?"

    Barney raised a brow. "It''s finally done."

    "It is unusual for you to take almost three months."

    He bowed his head. "My apologies, my lord, but the culprit is rather masterful at hiding her tracks."

    "Her?"

    "Yes, the one who hires the assassins was but a proxy among countless proxies. The real perpetrator turns out to be Princess Aria. It appears the attempted coup in Redmound was also her doing." He observed Lord Edward''s face, it was unchanged by the fact.

    "Masterful? Careless I say. What good is hiding the proof when no one gives a shit about proof. One look at the attempt and you know it''s her."

    "It protects her on the court."

    "But not against rebellion and uprising."

    "Isn''t it ... time to choose side, my Lord?" Lord Edward had chosen to stay neutral during in this succession war unlike many nobles.

    "Tell me, Barney. Who should I side with?" Lord Edward gave him a stern look.

    "None." Aria, Ana, Alvaro, none would make a great ruler.

    No one wanted Alvaro. He cared not for politic, economy, or military. He was selfish, short-tempered, stubborn, and cared only for himself. He spent his time partying and whoring and spending countless of the Kingdom''s coins. If he became the king, the country would fall faster than he could finish his meal.

    Ana was a gullible, innocent, and a naive girl. She had good heart and good intention, yet was far too trusting. She surrounded herself with bad people that gave bad counsel and controlled her like a puppet and blinded her from the real problem. If she sat on the throne, then everyone will sit with her. If Lord Edward supported her, he could control her better than anyone. Though in that case, it''d be better for him to take the throne himself.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Aria was once a good choice. She had the vision, the confidence, and the competence, yet she lacked the patience. She rushed too much and rarely ever consider alternative method. She was also blind sighted by her hatred of some nobles that caused the death of her mother. And recently towards a particular hero of Amaryn. If Lord Edward supported, guided, and counseled her, she could become a great queen.

    Though that was no longer possible. The assassins prove she had made her choice. The wrong choice.

    Lion, Fenix, Jade, and Rose, the four great houses of Amaryn were never in a good relationship with each other. But house Fenix, the oldest, and most prideful of the houses, strongly opposed and was openly hostile to house Lion. They couldn''t accept that a young house was regarded in the same standing as them. While Lord Edward didn''t have anything against lord Alistar Fenix, he couldn''t ignore an open hostility.

    And it seemed Aria had chosen the support of house Fenix instead of house Lion. Lord Edward had no reason to support her anymore. "I suggest you take the throne yourself, my Lord." Barney continued.

    Back during the Great War with demon race. Back when most noble houses hunkered down in their castle and fort, waiting for the war to pass. Lord Edward took the fight to the demon army. He fought fiercely like a true lion. And he never lost a battle, not once in all of his campaign. His action brought a relative peace. Though his armies could reach only so far.

    The crown couldn''t ignore his achievement, and asked for his help. He wouldn''t do it for free, of course. Many would have asked the princess'' hand in marriage or a promise that his son would marry into the crown, but he didn''t. He asked for a complete dominion and ownership of the land south of River Avon, which granted him control over a fifth of Amaryn territory and gave him a monopoly of southern Amaryn trade routes. Back then, trades with Lethrand was small and unimportant. Whether he predicted the future was for everyone to debate.

    Lord Edward laughed. Then stopped abruptly. "You''re still spouting that nonsense, Barney?"

    Barney bowed his head once more. "Apologies, my lord, but it''s most fitting for you. There''s no better person." He might have his bias as a servant, but ...

    No person in Amaryn was half as smart, half as cunning, half as brilliant as him. He was strict but not cruel. Confident but not arrogant. Strong but flexible. He was the most brilliant strategist Amaryn had ever seen. He was the most successful merchant Amaryn had ever known. And the greatest ruler Amaryn had ever birthed. Barney couldn''t see anyone better than him.

    "How many would accept me as their king? Half of Amaryn would rise in rebellion."

    "A fourth of Amaryn''s noble is dead due to Aria''s attempted coup. Half of her supporter abandoned her side after she failed," Barney responded. "Half of the remaining wanted her dead. Civil war is inevitable, my Lord. The recent threat of fire invasion is the only thing keeping this fragile peace. But if anyone makes the slightest mistake ..."

    "War and death."

    "It''ll be a brutal war. When the dust settles, the loser will be decimated, losing most if not all of their armies and stripped of their power. Even the winner won''t have much left. While your armies, my Lord, are still fresh and strong. No one will have the strength to oppose you."

    "And then Mosk will invade, and we''ll all be dead." Lord Edward retorted.

    "Haken Empire might have fallen, but it will take some time before the situation there settles. Mosk won''t attack anytime soon." He smirked. " And there''re many ways to stop their invasion before it even begins... I know someone."

    Lord Edward gave him a questioning look. They both knew how frighteningly powerful Mosk military''s might were. Mosk could wage war on three fronts and still managed to achieve victories on all three, if a well-documented history was to be believed.

    Barney was no overconfident fool. If he said he had a way to delay or stop the invasion of Mosk, then he had a way. "My answer is still no. Let them kill and wage their bloody civil war. Let them rip each other apart and let the vulture feast on their corpses. I want no part in it. Don''t pursue this matter any further Barney, that''s an order."

    Barney bowed. "Yes, my Lord." He took out his pocket watch. "If you excuse me, My lord." he stood up and walked back to the servant''s quarter.

    By the time he arrived, the servants of the house had all stood in the hall, ready and prepared. He walked while inspecting each and every one of them. Servants of house Lion were expected to appear impeccably to not bring shame to their master, and it was his job to ensure that. He gave some servants a special task for today while the rest proceed with their daily work. Barney didn''t appear in the presence of Lord Edward again until evening.

    Barney knocked on the door leading to the master bedroom. He had waited outside for quite some time without knocking. He knew Lord Edward and lady Lisa was inside and he didn''t want to interrupt them. He didn''t want to interrupt their chance to reconcile, though he also believed they had already reconciled by the time he arrived. Still, he didn''t want to take unnecessary risk.

    He knocked.

    For the first time in many years, Barney prioritized his own agendas rather than the person he served. He felt guilty about it, shamed by it, but it was too late now.

    "Lord Edward, Lady Lisa, it''s me."

    "B-barney?" Lady Lisa yelled. "Come in." Her voice was cheery, with her usual energy.

    With great hesitation, he opened the door and walked inside.

    The weight on his chest and shoulder was lifted at that very moment. A wide smile appeared on his face. Lady Lisa lay next to Lord Edward on the bed. She rested her head on his chest while he stroked her blue hair and kissed her forehead. Lady Lisa''s face had regained her youthfulness and Lord Edward''s was relaxed and happy.

    The relief he felt in that moment was indescribable. To see the two reconcile was indeed something worth celebrating. But he didn''t have time to celebrate.

    "My apologies for interrupting, my Lord, my Lady."

    "It''s nothing." Lord Edward was the one who answered. His voice was gentler than usual, but still rough by normal definition. "Speak."

    "Honey!" Lady Lisa interrupted. "Be nicer to Barney."

    "It''s fine, my lady. I''m just here to-" He stuttered. He had never done this before. His heart thudded inside and uneasiness welled in his chest. "I-I want to ask for some t-" The word got caught in his throat like a bitter food. Sweat drenched his brows. He wanted to run away, but somehow said the word. "T-time off from work."

    He said it.

    The die has been cast.

    Lady Lisa''s and Lord Edward''s eyes were wide open and their expression froze. Barney hung his head low. He felt unbearable shame. He wanted to kill himself.

    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lord Edward laughter boomed throughout the manor. It was the first time anyone, even Barney and lady Lisa, had ever seen him laugh like that. "Thirty-seven years! Thirty-seven years of service without a single break or vacation." His rare smile was for everyone to see. "Tell me, Barney. How many time have I told you to take a few days off?"

    Barney didn''t answer immediately, he took his time to think. "A hundred and forty-seven times, my Lord. The last was ten years ago and never again since."

    Lord Edward raised his brows. "I learned it was a futile attempt, you''ve never listened before. Take as many days off as you want. You deserve it, Barney."

    Barney bowed deeply. "Then I''ll take some days off. I''ll return as fast as I can." He still retained his posture. His heart was a cauldron of relief, gratitude, and guilt of equal degree, all mixed up like a thick broth.

    Lady Lisa jumped from the bed and approached him with wide smile plastered on her face. "So, so, tell me, what can make the strict and duty-bound Barney take a break from his work?"

    He raised his body to look at the Lady. His masters told him in the past that he should never speak with them while lowering his head, and he intended to follow that to the very end. "I ... have a ... relative, you can call her that. I saw her as my niece but also someone I wished to serve under." It should be improper for a butler to admit he wished to serve under someone else, but they had discussed this a few times in the past.

    "And, why haven''t you?" Lady Lisa teased him. "Are you, maybe, actually a shy person, Barney?" He knew he had never mentioned his niece during his thirty-seven years of servitude. It wouldn''t be strange for Lord Edward and Lady Lisa to harbor some suspicion, but if they did, they didn''t show it. He was thankful to have an understanding master.

    Barney smiled. "I have offered her my service many times in the past, but she rejected it. She said she was unworthy of my loyalty and servitude."

    Lord Edward laughed again. "Hahahaha, did I hear that right? Someone refused your loyalty because she thinks she''s unworthy while you, the person himself think she deserves it better than anyone? She must be quite the person to refuse your service. Oh well, what are you waiting for? Go get her. You can tell us about her once you returned."

    Barney bowed once more. "My thanks, my lord, my lady." and left the room. He had relegated all his work to the other butlers and servants. There was no more burden in his chest, only anticipation.

    He changed his butler uniform with a simple shirt and tunic and put a robe over it. He wouldn''t dare to use the property of house Lion on a personal errand. He brought his pocket watch though, as it was personally given to him. After everything was done, he set out before the sundown.

    When still inside the city walls, he walked with a faster pace than normal, and an abnormally long gait. Once outside the city gate, out on the road and of the view of people, he vanished. He went into a full out sprint into the forest. He used magic to keep his appearance presentable. It would not do to meet his while drenched in sweat with messy hair and torn clothes.

    He arrived at his destination just as the sun was falling through the horizon. It was a tall and lean tower that dwarfed nearby trees. Green moss and creeping vines covered the stone exterior of the tower with crow''s nest littering the windows. The shadow cast over the forest, the caw of crows, and the dark and dust-filled interior made it look like a haunted or cursed place. The fact that it stood alone in the middle of a forest with no village or town anywhere nearby only further increase its creepiness.

    The rotten wooden door moved smoothly when he opened it, contrary to his expectation. Dirt and dust covered the inside. And rats, countless rats. The wooden furnitures were in shambles while the iron rusting. Cobwebs covered the ceiling and small holes littered the walls.

    What a mess.

    He checked his watch. He only had ten minutes before his guest arrived.

    He clasped his hand.

    Magic chant escaped his lips and reverberated throughout the tower. Rats and spiders and termites and others swarmed out like flood. Strong winds descended upon the tower, sending dust and dirt out the windows and opened door. With his big fancy magic done, it was time for some manual servant work.

    By the time his ten minutes were up, the tower was in a better condition. Not anywhere near perfect, but good enough to sleep in for the night. He knew his niece wouldn''t visit for long. Hell, he knew she wasn''t here for him and was only passing by. He also believed she didn''t expect him there.

    The rustles of leaves and undergrowth signaled her coming.

    He smiled. How long had it been since he last saw her, he wondered. The last time they communicated was twenty-three years ago when her father died, but with all his memories he couldn''t remember when was the last time they met face-to-face. Her face, however, was etched into his mind. Just as it was etched to the soul of every being who gazed on her.

    Ashen white hair, silver eyes, and veiled face. Charm that bent the universe around it. Beauty that defies the very rule of this world. Nothing living or dead, in this world or other could forget her face once they had gazed upon it.

    He bowed politely to her surprise. "Long time no see, lady Kyrie."

 Chapter 80 : Reunion

    Kyrie''s feet came to a complete stillness in that instant. She was walking slowly before, but the stop still look sudden and surprising. A normal person''s body would have swayed a little after they stopped walking, but she didn''t. As if time came to a stop and she became a statue.

    Her beautiful long eyelashes rose as her silvery eyes opened wide. Her soft pink lips trembled and opened slightly. Yet no word came out. Her tongue froze like a stone. "U-u-u-" that was all the sound she produced.

    Her feet moved again. Her stoic mask that she never takes off crumbled. "U-u-uncle." She closed the distance between them in an instant and hugged him. Her embrace carried the force of a battering ram, yet Barney''s body moved not a step from where he stood.

    He hugged her back and smiled. "Good to see you, Lady kyri-" he stopped and looked under him. His shirt was wet with her tears and the finger that dug into his back carried with it a pained desperation.

    "Here, my lady." Barney gave her a cup of hot tea. The tea and cup were brought by Kyrie''s slave as it was her favorite choice of drink, but Barney was the one who made it as requested by her. He didn''t claim to be the finest at making tea, unlike coffee, but he was still a fine tea-maker.

    "Thank you, Uncle Pluto." She took the cup and thanked him. Traces of tears were still clear on her cheek. She had told him all the burden, all the worry, and all the misery weighing her down. Before coming here, she was already burdened by the civil war in demon realm, and her concern about the safety and whereabouts of Myre, the next demon queen and one of the people she had sworn to protect. And now, she lost Sarah, one of her dearest friend, and one of the very few she could call a true friend. Then she burdened herself further by swearing to protect Lyanna, Sarah''s little sister.

    She cried all the way through. It was the culmination of all the stress and frustration building up inside her that she never let go even for a second. All that emotion, that stress, that sadness. Seeing her like that sliced his heart, but that was the burden she chose to carry and refused to share with another. Even with him. By lending his ears to her, he hoped he it would lessen her burden even for a little.

    "I go by the name Barney now, my Lady." He said with a smile. He sat on a stone chair that she conjured when they first come here.

    "Uncle Barney, that''ll need some time to get used to." She said with a smile. Her otherworldly beauty and charm were on full display now. She removed the veil that covered her face when she started telling her stories. If there were still animals inside this tower, no doubt they would swarm her without any regard to their safety or life, even crashing themselves to the tower walls if that''s what it takes to get even a little bit closer to her. This was also the reason her slave was not in the same room, her slave couldn''t handle it.

    "Then, my lady. You have a lot of things to do tomorrow and the coming days, you still have a long journey. Please rest and conserve your power." He took a handkerchief, wet it with magic and wiped the traces of tears on her cheek.

    She smiled. "Uncle, you remember that I''m a demon lord, right? I''m not a kid anymore, you said so yourself."

    Barney raised his brows, but his blood-red right eye was still closed shut. "Do I need to remind you again of the story of Demon Lord Lex Duracc, the Lord of Wrath?" Lex Duracc was a demon lord who lived during the Great Holy War some three thousand years ago. His death of exhaustion after fighting for thirty days and thirty nights without rest was one of the most famous legends in the Demon Realm. Though most scholars agreed the story shouldn''t be taken too literally.

    "Uncle, I came to this part of the world yesterday, there''s nothing to be worried about. And I still have some work I need to do. Speaking of resting, you should rest too, uncle. You must be tired after cleaning this huge tower."

    Barney and Kyrie stared at each other, their gaze fierce and unyielding. Neither one wanted to back down before the other agree to take a rest.

    Barney sighed. He knew how stubborn she can be when it comes to telling him to rest. "Fine, I will rest." A broad smile appeared on her face. No doubt it would drove most creature to insanity. But the smile disappeared once he raised a finger. "But only if you promised to rest too."

    Kyrie sighed and massaged her forehead. "Okay, fine. But I want to take a bath first." She finished her tea, stood up, and waved her hand. The solid stone chair under her moved and softened, transforming into a clay-like lump before hardening again into bathtub shape. Hot water poured from thin air and filled the bath to the brim.

    "Should I call Faryn?"

    "No, that wouldn''t be necessary." She unfastened her robe and let it slide to the ground. "I''d like you to help me, uncle, wash my hair just like when I was little."

    Her words brought back pleasant memories within him. A time where everything was simpler and more peaceful. A time during the height of her father''s rule, when all demon realm was united under one banner. When demon and other races don''t concern themselves with each other. "My lady, should I remind you that you are a lady. You shouldn''t reveal your bare body in the presence of men that''s not your husband."

    She chuckled. "Oh, uncle, but you''re not just some men. And don''t try to pretend that this is the first time you saw me naked, uncle." Kyrie took off the last of her clothing, showing him the flawlessness of her being. Her pure white skin, her shapely features, no words could even begin to describe what he saw. "And ... is that the culture in this side of the world, not showing your skin unless to your husband?"

    "I have to admit that residing here for forty years have slightly changed what I call normal and proper." He rubbed his chin. "I have to change my mindset a bit then. But still ..."

    He clasped his hand. Runes appeared on the floor, the walls, the ceiling. It moved and stretched, intertwining and binding with each other, then overlapping six times over. "Six-fold isolation." A sixth-tier spell, no less than this could contain Kyrie''s exuding charm. No less than this could protect anything in one-kilometer radius from being maddened with lust. "You should be careful, my lady, this is not your castle. The walls and floors aren''t warded with magic."

    "Tell me more about the custom and culture this part of the world, uncle." She dipped her toes into the water before soaking her whole body. Water that spilled out from the tub vanished into thin air while a constant stream of water made sure the tub was filled to the brim no matter what. She washed her body while playing around, sometimes submerging and re-emerging, sometimes spraying water all around, sometimes at him.

    Barney watched her from the side, eagerly telling her all the things he learned about human''s norm and culture. She was intrigued by human culture.

    Once he was done telling her, he moved behind her and helped with her hair. "You have a new scar." He didn''t realize it before. He was too distracted by her beauty to notice the long scar on her back.

    "Oh, yeah! It was a gift from lord Deadeye from ten years ago."

    "You didn''t heal it?" Higher healing spell wouldn''t leave a noticeable scar. The existence of the scar itself proved she wished to keep it for one reason or another.

    "Father always said to take pride in my own scar. It''s a proof of my struggle and hard work. Is it ugly?"

    "Only a complete decimation of your body could reduce your physical beauty in any meaningful way, my lady. Though that complete decimation would only immortalized your beauty in the beholder''s memories." That was an honest opinion of his and in no way exaggerated. He wholeheartedly believed anything would fit on her, even a scar. Even an untreated wound would heal beautifully on her body.

    "You and your flattery, uncle." She smiled and chuckled. "I''ve heard all kinds of compliment from all kinds of people, but yours is always a special one. Praising me while talking about the complete decimation of my physical body."

    He chuckled back. "Well, that''s who I am. Speaking of your fight, did old deadeye finally kicked the bucket?"

    "How I wish that to be the case. He forced me to retreat with his anti-life magic, but I also managed to destroy his main body. Depending on your perspective and definition of a fight, you can say I won or I lost. Though I chose to take it as inconclusive."

    "Hmm." Barney massaged his beard. "His anti-life magic sure is annoying."

    Kyrie looked over her shoulder. "You know about it, uncle?"

    "Yes, we fought many times in the past. But never even once was the fight ever resulted in something meaningful. If that was the case either I wouldn''t comb your hair now, or you won''t have that scar. Though in retrospect, your father strictly forbids serious fight between demon lords. So a fight with meaningful conclusion might actually be the worst possibility."

    "Let me guess, lord Deadeye always the one starting the fight? Saying that he''s the supreme magical being and that you are nothing but a feeble creature that merely borrowed magic?" Barney smiled, that was exactly the Deadeye that he knew.

    The went on with their little talk for some time. Reminiscing about the past and filling on each other of what they missed the last few decades. They also talked about all the interesting stuff they encountered as they lived apart.

    "Good night, Kyrie." He turned his body and walked towards the exit. Kyrie was laying on a stone bed with soft upper part. "And don''t just pretend to sleep, okay? And don''t wake up before 4 AM. I will know and if you do, I''ll wake up too." This was what they came up with after a lot of compromises.

    "Sheesh!" She inflated her cheek like a child.

    While walking out, he wondered. When was the last time she acted like this? When was the last time she express herself so freely? when was the last time she could be herself, the last time she was free of her self-imposed burden. He wondered whether Racar, her father, ever imagined that his decision to not name her as his heir would cause this much trouble for everyone.

    He exited the room and was greeted by Faryn, Kyrie''s slave, who bowed. "Thank you for taking care of my master."

    He placed his left hand on his chest and bowed in return. "I should be the one thanking you for being at her side all this time." He raised his face and examined her from top to bottom. She was a very beautiful woman on her own right. Though compared to Kyrie she was nothing, like everything else. "Forgive me if I''m wrong, but are you her apostle?"

    The slave''s cheek turned red. She shook her head with all her might to deny it. "N-no-no! T-that''s ..." She hung her head. Even though blindfold wrapped her eyes, her depressed face was clear for all to see. "I''m-I''m not. I-I''m just her servant."

    He walked next to her and tapped her shoulder. "You should be proud. Many wished to serve her, for one reason or another, yet she only allows a select few. Even I could not serve her as you do. You should take pride in your servitude, relish it, be grateful about it."

    "Yes." She nodded her head.

    He walked towards another room to fulfill his promise with his niece. He stopped.

    Chain coiled around his chest, strong enough to dig into his flesh. A blade of pure aura, condensed and compressed into a thickness invisible to the eyes, rested on his neck. Its sharpness and strength were out of this world, he could tell that much from seeing it. And the handler was an exceptionally talented person.

    "Who are you, really?" Faryn asked. Her left hand held the blade while her right pulled the chain. "You call yourself Lady Kyrie''s uncle, but I never knew Demon King Racar having any brother, by blood, in law, adopted, or else. And I''ve never heard nor seen any mention of you in any record she possessed, nor does she ever told me anything about you." She gritted her teeth, clenched her fist, and tightened the chain over his body. "And I''ve never seen Lady Kyrie behaving this ... this ... carefree. What kind of spell did you cast on her?"

    "Is it okay to doubt your own master that much? Kyrie, the strongest of demon lords, do you really think that such a spell can affect her? And if a spell can affect her, do you really think I would stop at making her relaxed?"

    "SILENCE!" She put more force on the blade, just the tiniest bit. Enough for the blade to push his skin but still not cut anything. "If it means my lady''s safety I ... I''m ready to face any punishment."

    Barney turned his head. His position, the blade, and the chain only allowed him to look from the edge of his vision, but it was enough to give him a good look at her. "You truly are an exemplary servant, worthy of her. But I think-"This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    The chain that bound him shattered like glass.

    This was not enough to surprise Faryn, but it was enough to delay her reaction, which gave him enough time to put his finger between the blade and his neck. He lightly pushed the blade away. "Let''s end this little farce here. I''m going to sleep to keep my promise with the lady, you''re free to follow me if you still have some questions."

    He walked away without minding the dumbfounded and flabbergasted slave. She fixed her appearance and followed him with great weight and uncertainty in each her step. "I still don''t trust you."

    "Good, that''s fine. I''d be disappointed if you don''t. I appeared out of nowhe-"

    "That''s not what I mean." She cut his words. "I don''t believe, can''t believe, and won''t believe someone can be unaffected by lady Kyrie''s charm and beauty."

    "Oh, but I do find her beautiful and charming."

    "Yet even after you saw her exposed face and b-bare body." Faryn took a deep breath. Talking about something usually entailed imagining it in your mind, the images of Kyrie''s naked body must have been a bit too much for her. "You act indifferently. And, forgive me for saying this, your body does not react at all."

    He chuckled after getting what she meant. "Well, there''s a possibility that someone has a sexual dysfunction."

    He felt her sharp gaze piercing his back. "Don''t try to fool me, old man."

    Barney chuckle turned into a laughter. He had no reason to fool her or answer her in a roundabout way. He also felt no need to test Kyrie''s chosen servant. He wanted to tease her a bit. He seldom did this to anyone, much less anyone he just knew. Was this the product of his jealousy? Envy? Or something else? He wondered.

    "You are correct, even a dysfunctional body or mind could not remain indifferent in her presence. Charm talent is truly a most terrifying talent. Do you know how many thousands of men and women died from her charm alone? I wonder how you can keep your sanity after all this time around her."

    Charm talent was indeed terrifying. It directly affects and rouses the soul, targeting areas related to pleasure, mating, and reproduction. Being around them is like constantly taking drugs that make people want them more and more. But charm is much more dangerous than drugs as the person affected couldn''t get desensitized to this type of arousal. The soul didn''t create immunities or resistance, unlike the body or mind. There are ways to block or reduce the effect, but it wouldn''t come naturally. And someone with Class 5 charm talent like Kyrie charmed both men and women and transcend any boundaries. Her charm affected anything including undead, automaton, or items for as long as they possessed a soul.

    And at level 200, her charm was like a maelstrom. So powerful and massive in scale, it bent and pulled everything towards it. Any that tries to resist the effect were crushed under its overwhelming might. And any who were too weak get swooped and met the same fate.

    Faryn opened her mouth, but Barney cut to her first. "But it''s another case if the problematic part is the soul." She closed her mouth. "I''m sure you realized there''s more than one type of love. Erotic love, familial love, self-love, to name a few. I can love her as her uncle, as her old friend, as someone who knows her, but not more. I can appreciate her beauty and charm, but no more than I can appreciate the beauty of a statue or the sunset. And my soul has no want to mate or reproduce or seek sexual pleasure. It''s all behind me now."

    He sat on one of the remaining intact chairs inside the tower and leaned his back on the backrest. Faryn stood next to him, staring and observing his every movement. "Is there something still bothering you?" He wasn''t disturbed by her presence. Even if she stared and observed him all night while he slept, it bothered him not.

    "No. I still don''t fully believe you. You''re not lying but I can''t be sure whether you''re hiding something from me or not. So I will observe you, for my lady''s sake."

    "Fine by me." He closed his eyes and relaxed his body. "But don''t forget to take some rest too. Your body and health aren''t yours, they''re Kyrie''s."

    "Here, my lady, mister Barney." Faryn offered a cup of coffee to both of them. He was planning to serve his best coffee to Kyrie and Faryn, but the latter forbade it. She said he wasn''t a servant but her relative and friend, he shouldn''t act like a servant. He relented.

    They sat on the balcony, overlooking the vast forest between Aeston and Redmound. The dawn painted the green leaves, grey sky, and snow-capped mountain with red and orange. The cold wind from the south rustled the leaves and woke up the birds from their slumber, which sung their morning song to the delight of his ears.

    "So, you are searching for this ''Lyana'', a demon girl that ran away?" They reminisced their past yesterday but today was time for work and business.

    "Yes, green hair, green eyes, here." Kyrie took out a paper from under her robe. On it was an almost perfect colored drawing of Lyana. "And she''s not just any demon girl that ran away from the civil war. She''s the daughter of Virgil, his prized daughter and his to be main wife. I''ve even heard she already received the engagement ring and had gone through the engagement ceremony, though the fact that she ran away proved she had no say in the matter."

    "To think Virgil''s next main wife could escape his Valhalla, who helped her?" The city fortress of Valhalla was impregnable, from outside and inside. For two thousand years since its first brick was laid down, no major break in or break out ever happened. There was no way someone from one side of its wall could get to the other without both sides'' effort.

    "That, I do not know. I never knew about Lyana until very recently when I got this job."

    "So you''re trying to get Virgil''s support by tracking her down? You remember what I and your father always said about that man don''t you?"

    Virgil was one of the oldest, smartest, richest, most cunning, and most powerful demon alive. Though despite all his achievements, he was most famous for marrying his own daughters and turning all his male descendants into eunuch slave-soldiers. Despite not being a demon lord, the influence and power he commanded rivaled and even exceeded some. Every faction had tried to gain his support through deals, promises, and sometimes even threat. Yet he chose to remain neutral, waiting and weighing until he could ascertain who would come on top before pledging his loyalty.

    "Yes, I must tread very carefully. But I already procured a contract with him, both verbal and written."

    He squinted his eyes. "There''s something you''re hiding from me, isn''t it?" Neither her speech nor her intonation was from her usual self. Her body language and movement weren''t deviating either. There was nothing that gave it away, but he had a hunch.

    Kyrie sighed. "There''s no hiding anything from you is it, Uncle?"

    "Do not take Virgil lightly, Kyrie. He might not be able to kill you, but he very well can assure you a mutual destruction. You might be able to kill him and all his daughters, but you''ll lose all your life''s hard work and all you hold dear in the process if you cross him."

    Kyrie averted her gaze downward. "It''s ... too late."

    "What did you do?" he didn''t want his voice to come out as reprimanding, but old habit dies hard. Which earned him a piercing stare from Faryn.

    "Virgil was ... very unstable when I met him. Lyana running away must''ve been a really big shock. After all, none of his daughters ever rejected his love before. While this makes talking to him very hard, it''s also a golden opportunity. He''s careless and desperate. I made some loopholes in the contract."

    He stroked his white beard. "Why? If he realized this-"

    "He won''t. He will only get more and more unstable as time goes without getting his prized daughter back. And he won''t. Not to mention he won''t break a contract he himself made, you told me that yourself."

    He raised his brows. "You don''t intend to give Lyana back to him?"

    "No. The contract is all about tracking her down. I have no obligation to bring her back. And I won''t, I''ve sworn to protect her. He might get furious when I come back without Lyana. But contract is contract."

    "Well ..." He knew how his niece was, trying to talk her out of it was not an option. He took a good look at the drawing of Lyana. "I''ve heard ... rumors and sighting of green-haired woman. The first is three or four months back, when a group of thirty guards and a hunter suddenly disappeared in the forest. Then in Redmound, a few traveling merchants saw a very beautiful green-haired woman residing in one of the inns."

    "But it''s just rumor and sighting right?"

    "Yes. But green-haired human is very rare. And have you heard about the recent invasion of fire elemental?" She nodded, though from her hesitant and slow movement he assumed she didn''t know much about the detail. "Well, the man who stopped this invasion has a companion, though many suspected their relationship to be much more than that. A green-haired woman by the name of Lyana. From the description of those who had seen her, she fits perfectly with this drawing."

    "Where''s she?" Her hand gripped the armrest tightly. Her impatience and worries started showing up on her face.

    "I can''t be so sure, but most likely still around Mount Etna, and will stay there for the next few weeks."

    He tapped the stone table in front of them. The table shook and tremble while the dust and dirt moved around in a wild swarm. Slowly but surely, the dust formed a detailed map of Amaryn with rivers, village, and small settlements all shown. It was a simple earth magic of moving dust and dirt, but the detail could only be produced by someone who had memorized the map of Amaryn with the highest level of detail.

    "We''re here." His finger showed where they were. "And mount Etna is here." His finger moved to the north-eastern edge of the map. "There''s a military encampment somewhere around here, Lyana should be there."

    "If not?"

    "You should head to the Eternal City, that where they are going next. That''s what the rumor said." He put down his finished tea on the table. "But there''s something you need to know, two things actually. First, she should be traveling with a man, blue-haired, blue-eyed, and with an appearance of a twelve or thirteen years old child. Do not try to discern his true nature, don''t try to gauge his power, do not appraise or scan him. And please, keep him from harm''s way."

    Kyrie had a look of confusion. It was no wonder, he had a very specific order and warning. Asking her to keep him safe was one thing and understandable. But telling her not to appraise or gauge his power was something unusual. "Someone important to you?"

    "Very. His name is Edmund, Ed for short. He''s like a grandson to me, the son of the man I served now. Though he ran away from home a few months back. I don''t want to see my niece''s crusade and oath rob him of his future."

    "Of course, I''ll keep that in mind. I won''t let Cass or the other harm him during this ordeal."

    He closed his eyes and smiled, relaxed. Then he opened his eyes again, only his left. His gaze was sharp and serious. "But here''s the second thing, the complication. The man I told you about, the one stopping the invasion, the one in relationship with Lyana, and the one Ed following around. His name is Theo Gladium." Her body tensed, her eyes sharpened, her grip tightened just by hearing his name. "He''s the son of that Theo Gladium, and Ryo Akimoto."

    "So he''s their son. I have no qualms with him, he shouldn''t pose a problem." She averted her gaze. She always did so when the topic of the conversation touched something she didn''t want to.

    "Is he? You did to him what his parent did to you. If even you became that vengeful after what they did, wouldn''t he felt the same way towards you? Hatred bred hatred, vengeance bred vengeance. You might not have anything against him, but what about him against you?"

    She gritted her teeth. It was an old wound, old hatred that she thought she already buried six years ago. But what goes around comes around. "Is he strong enough to challenge me? I doubt it. there should be no problem." The stone armrest broke under her grip.

    "Compared to you? no. But realize that you are searching him to look for Lyana in the first place. If they were lovers, think about the ramification of your action. Would he let you anywhere close to Lyana. And if you somehow ended up killing him, what would Lyana think of you. Even if they were not, she follows him for a reason, out of her own free will. Picking a fight with him would end up badly for you no matter the result."

    Kyrie leaned forward and massaged her temples. Faryn moved closer and offered her service, but she declined. "Why does this suddenly become so complicated?"

    "People say that the world is small, and also say that fate is a fickle mistress. Be careful, Kyrie and think how to solve this problem before you lead Cass to them."

    She quickly finished her tea and prepared for her departure, not like she brought much in the first place. Barney accompanied her to the outside of the tower, where she gave him a hug.

    "I hope we meet again not too far in the future." He hugged her in return. "Using human''s time reference, of course." They both laughed.

    But their laughter was cut short by the realization of their parting. They both had a longing expression on their face, their suffering written clearly. They had waited this reunion for decades now, and both wanted it to last forever. Yet reality was different, and it lasted less than a day. He had many more stories he wanted to tell, jokes to give, feats and items to show, games to play, and a whole lot more he wanted to do together with her beloved niece.

    Will they ever meet again after they parted, he didn''t know. Will they survive until their next meeting? He didn''t know. Will they even have the chance to meet again? He didn''t know. Half of demon realm wanted her dead. No matter how powerful she was, it was a war she couldn''t win alone. Would she be able to hold it until they meet again? He didn''t know. Would she stop her stubbornness and share her burden with others? He didn''t know.

    It was vexing. People around him always applaud and praise him for knowing so much. Yet he always felt he knew so little, so little of the things that actually matter.

    Her finger dug into his back."I don''t know when I''ll see you again, Uncle. But we needn''t say goodbye."

    "We don''t." He tightened his embrace.

    They stood unmoving for some time, embracing each other. They didn''t want to let go. But alas, the world didn''t wait for them.

    They released their embrace at the same time. Neither speak nor talk nor make any sound after that. She turned away, heading towards the forest and Cass'' camp. Her figure getting smaller and her diminishing footsteps saddened his heart greatly.

    If only ...

    If only she allow him to help, he could and would help her with all his might. And this parting wouldn''t feel so heavy on his heart. But ...

    But what ...

    What exactly stopping him ...

    "Lady Kyrie!" He shouted her name and went down on his knees.

    Her legs stopped and she turned around.

    He prostrated before her, slamming his head on the ground. "Please, let me help you. Let me atone for all my inaction. I''ll make everything right again. I will fulfill your every wish. I don''t care anymore even if you refuse the seat of demon king. I''ll accept your decision. But please let me help you!" He shouted out all the feeling weighing him down.

    He couldn''t see her, but her footsteps were getting louder. "Raise your head, uncle." He did as he was told. She crouched in front of him. "I''m happy that you want to help me, uncle. I''m sorry, but I can''t accept it. All this problem, all this suffering, and this war, all because of my own stubbornness and selfishness. You should not burden yourself with my mistake."

    "Why?" His gaze went to the ground. Anger and disappointment raged fiercely in his heart.

    "I should be the one asking you, uncle. Why? Why do you have to ask me first?" His eyes went wide open, but his right was still closed. He lowered his jaw, yet no sound came out of it. She grabbed his cheek and raised his gaze until it met hers. "You have more power than most, uncle. Yet since the very first time I know you, you''ve never serve yourself. You jump from person to person, serving them but never yourself. I know you had your reason, and a good one at that. But please, serve yourself from now on, don''t ask for permission, just do whatever you want. Please."

    She gave him a kiss on the forehead.

    He retained that position for a long time. Neither the wind nor sun moved him. Animals, insects, and monsters, none could wake him.

    Ah yes ...

    In the first place, there was nothing ...

    There was nothing stopping me but myself.

    And I never even realize it.

    When he finally raised his head, the sun was half set on the horizon. And Kyrie, long gone and far away. Neither her scent nor footprints were left.

    He stood up and cleaned his clothing. "Thank you, lady Kyrie." He opened both his eyes. For the first time in decades, determination to fulfill a goal filled his eyes. And not a goal for other, but for himself. For his own good. For his own selfishness and pride.

    He took a deep breath. It was refreshing. A great weight had been lifted from his soul and mind.

    "I''ll make you the next demon king."

 Chapter 81 : Resignation

    Barney observed the face of Lady Lisa and Lord Edward. The change in the contour, the slight frown, the hidden surprise, the involuntary muscle twitch, none escaped his observation. It wasn''t their fault, none could have expected this. The letter they were reading was something that came out of nowhere, completely out of their expectation.

    His resignation letter.

    Lord Edward gave him a questioning look after reading it. Barney knew the look far too well, there was no need for the actual question. He was asking him whether he was sure about the letter. "I''m sure, my lord."

    "This ... is very unexpected of you, Barney." It was Lady Lisa''s turn to speak. "Do you finally see how good it is to take break?"

    Lady Lisa was joking to lighten the mood, he knew that much, but this was not the time to respond to a joke. He gave both of his masters a good look, showing them his iron-clad resolve. "I''ve finally found something I truly want, my lord, my lady. I''m afraid if I don''t act now, I''ll lose this chance. My apolog-"

    "Do not apologize." Lord Edward cut in with a stern voice. "It''s good you finally have something you want for your own. To have your own goal in life."

    "Thank you, my lo-"

    "I''m not you lord anymore, Barney. From now on, act like we are equal." He had a stoic expression befitting of his voice. Though what lay under that stoic mask, what thought ran through his brilliant mind, what his heart was feeling, he could not ascertain.

    "Then I thank you ... Lord Edward. Pardon me, but I can''t drop your title."

    "There''s nothing to be thanked, Barney. In fact, I think this should be celebrated, no?" Lady Lisa answered.

    "I don''t think I deserve that." His resignation brought great inconvenience to house Lion. Long he may have served them, he didn''t think it was worth celebrating.

    "Bullshit!" Lord Edward slammed his fist on the table. Old he might be, Lord Edward was still a fine warrior. "You have served me and my family a great deal. I''ll hang anyone who says otherwise." He turned towards his wife. "Can you please tell the other servant, love?"

    Lady Lisa stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Of course, love." The way she moved, and walked, her gesture, even with some graying hair she had, without a doubt, regained her youthfulness.

    Barney and Lord Edward halted their conversation for a while after lady Lisa left the room. "What is it, Barney, that you want?"

    "I''m afraid I can''t tell you the detail. It will be distressing if I don''t tell you the whole story, and I don''t think we have the time for that."

    "Is it has some connection to your past ... occupation?" In this household, only lord Edward knew about Barney''s past and true nature. He believed lady Lisa also had some suspicion, but she was the type to know what matters should and shouldn''t be discussed. Truly a fine lady.

    "Yes." He put his hand on the table, his fingers interlocked. "I came to the human realm in search for purpose and goal in life, just as I had for as long as I can remember. I felt happiness and satisfaction when I serve you, Lord Edward. You are one of the best masters I have ever served. When I first met you when you were but a boy of twelve, seeing you grow into the man you are now, I felt joy I haven''t felt in a very very long time. I felt like a father once again. When I helped Lady Lisa deliver her labor, I felt an unknown joy. Witnessing the birth of grandchildren I never had. When I saw young Edmund overcoming his fear and anxiety and ran away from home, I saw my own grandson maturing. Yet ...

    "While I do feel joy and satisfaction, I still haven''t found my purpose in life. I thought that it would be fine as long as I serve you and your family, that I would be happy and fulfilled. While that was true, it was no different when I served my brother, god knows how long ago that was, when I served the many masters I served over the years. But now, I found something worth fighting for, worth risking my life for, and I don''t want to waste this. For I might never discover something like this, ever again."

    "Then it is truly worthy of a celebration, is it not?"

    "If you insist."

    Another butler soon entered the room with a jug of high-quality wine in his hands. He poured it into two cups, the proper way Barney had told him to pour back when he was but a trainee. He left the room after that, knowing where and when his presence was wanted or not. Just like Barney had trained him.

    "So, where are you going next? Home, across the mountain?"

    Barney stirred the wine a few times, took a lungful of the fragrance, and took a sip. "Not yet, there''s a lot of work I''ve to do in this half of the world. After that, more work on that half of the world. Never planning to take another rest anytime soon."

    A knock came from the door. "Love, everyone''s here."

    "Soon, love, just give us a little bit more time." They both stood from their chair. "Come here, Barney, I have something for you."

    He walked around the table. In lord Edward''s hand was ...

    A rapier.

    The rapier pierced his clothes and pushed his chest, right where his heart lies.

    But no blood came out. The tip stopped, the blade bent, and-

    Snap

    One part fell to the floor, the other flew and hit the wall.

    "Still can''t do it, it seems." Lord Edward complained.

    Barney had a smile on his face. This fiery and almost reckless behavior of Lord Edward, how nostalgic. "Didn''t you stop trying that twenty years ago? I told you it won''t work, even in my sleep."

    "Still, a man must make certain what is uncertain, you told me that yourself." Lord Edward extended his hand, in it was a badge with the sigil of house Lion on it. "Take it, as a gift. And know that if one day you decide to return here, you will be more than welcome."

    "And if one day you need my help, Lord Edward, I''ll be more willing to help." He took the badge and shook his hand. "May I give you some advice, some insight into the future, Lord Edward?" Lord Edward just gave him a strange look, neither refusing nor confirming nor giving him insight into what was going on inside that mind of his. "Tell your retainers to start training the peasants and preparing equipment. War is inevitable at this point. But don''t move your armies. Whatever happens, keep them in your territories and only engage in defensive battle."

    Lord Edward squinted his eyes. "Barney, what are you playing here?"

    "Many things, but it shouldn''t concern you much. Rest assured, Lord Edward, no harm should come to you or your family as long as you follow my advice, I will assure you that much ..." He bowed his head. "Forgive me if that came out very condescendingly, I never meant that."

    Lord Edwards sighed. "No intention to explain it then. Fine, I shan''t pry further."

    "Thank you for your understanding, Lord Edward. Shall we go?"

    Barney spent the rest of his morning giving farewell to all the servants. Most of them were his students, the rest his student''s students. Some applied to be the servant of the house, some he offered the job, some had never known anything but be a servant of house Lion. Some had a smile on their face, some cried, some begged him not to leave, they were all friends for him. A part of his family.

    Each gave him a parting gift for him to remember them by, lady Lisa even gave the butler suit, much to his and her delight. He had grown to like it. He would treasure every single one of them. Serving house Lion had been a better part of his long life, and he would remember it for the rest of his life.

    His heart was heavy when he left them, but he was determined.

    "Well now, I should find some roof over my head." He watched the sunset on top of a small hill near Aeston. The weather had been nice and mild the last few days, but that wasn''t a guarantee it would stay like that. Luckily for him, he had many acquaintances all over the world. "But first, a matter of business."

    He clapped his gloved hand. Black bubbly liquid leaked out from in-between, yet it neither stuck nor stained the flawless white glove. It was a drip at first, then a trickle, then it gushed out like a blood from open wound.

    The pooling black liquid between his legs coagulated and coalesced into many figures. Ravens, ten of them, each with only one eye. "Go." He gestured with his hand and the birds flew off, never in the same direction.

    One headed to Mosk, one to the North, two to the Free cities, one headed far east, one to the Forbidden Forest of Amaryn, four to the demon realm, and the last one flew to Redmound. It circled all five of Redmound castle sky-scrapping towers before perching on the open windows of the conference room.

    It took a good look of the inside, not missing a single spot. Then it sat waiting. Waiting for the next council meeting in two days.

    When the meeting finally come, its only eye turned blood red. And it started cawing, bringing along with it a whisper hidden in the winds. Stronger men wouldn''t be affected by it, but lesser men would hear it as their own voice, their inner voice, the demon and angel on their shoulder.

    By the time the meeting ends, few conclusions had been achieved. Two of which were the order for the garrison in Mount Etna and the refusal of payment for adventurers in that same mountain.

 Chapter 82 : The Two of Us

    It had been three days after Theo and his companions headed to Greywater port from Mount Etna. He expected it to take about four to five days but with all the thing that happened recently, everyone wanted to take things more slowly. Though not too slowly as Ed has a ship to catch. Miss it and he has to wait for another week before he could get another one.

    The sun was setting when they decided to take some rest beside the main road. Theo hunted the animals, Lyana collected herbs and berries, and Val took some water from the nearby river, leaving Ed, Vivi, and Cally to cook and prepare their camp.

    "A-aaaaa." Val offered him her food. He gazed her for a second then took a bite. "How is it?" She sat on his right. She was focused on eating by herself but then got an idea to feed him. "I-it''s not too hot right?"

    "It''s fine and it''s good." He smiled. It was actually charred on some part but was still delicious.

    "Of course it is. Vivi put lots of love when cooking it for you, Theo-sama!" Vivi thrust her chest out with pride. "There''s no way it wouldn''t feel good."

    "Do you want some too?" It was Theo''s turn to feed Val. He extended his hand and gave her his food. She hesitated at first, then blushed and fidgeted, but opened her mouth and accepted it in the end. "Is it good?"

    She nodded. Her mouth opened, but she quickly closed it again. Her face was burning red like the campfire in front of them. She opened her mouth again. "I-if it''s from you, anything is good." She spoke those word so quickly he almost didn''t catch it.

    She put her food away. He thought there was no way her face could be redder than it already is, but he was proven wrong. Her completely red face was visible even through the cover of her hands.

    He chuckled. Val was so cute when she tried to act more feminine or tried to flirt with him and ended up getting all worked up herself. Flirting after not doing so for more than a century must be really hard and embarrassing for her. But she had to get used to it sooner or later, and he was more than happy to help her.

    "If that''s the case, why don''t we feed each other for tonight. Because everything coming from you also feel better in my mouth."

    Val squirmed in place. Her embarrassment level had gone through the roof. She tried to take a peek from time to time but immediately hid back behind her hand once their gaze met. "H-how can you said something like that with a straight face?"

    "Because it''s the truth." He extended his hand again and put his food near her mouth. "Now, aaaa!"

    Val squirmed again and let out a strange shriek, trying to release all her embarrassment. She balled her hands and with great effort, moved it away from her face. She was sweating like crazy. She opened her trembling jaw again and accepted his food.

    "Ghh!" Theo cried out. Sharp pain struck his left abdomen. Without looking, he knew what happened and who did it.

    He extended his hand to his left, towards the pouting Vivi whose eyes were burning with anger. "Hmph!! Theo-sama doesn''t care about Vivi anymore. Everything''s about Val now. It''s Val this, Val that. You didn''t even thank Vivi for making your food. Vivi''s angry now!"

    She swatted his hand away, stood up, and sat again next to Lyana, opposite of him separated by fire.

    He sighed. How would he resolve this now. He had some experience with jealous and envious women before. Separating and splitting time for them usually did the trick, but it wasn''t possible in this case. There was no way he could separate Val and Vivi while the two are following him on his journey.

    "A-aaaa." He returned his attention towards Val when her food poked his cheek. She seemed to be oblivious to what happened with Vivi, too focused on her own embarrassment. Or chose to remain indifferent. Or maybe she didn''t care at all.

    Well, I guess I''ll focus on Val now. Run after two rabbits and you will catch none.

    He enjoyed himself in Val''s company while Vivi watched them with burning jealousy. Though that was not the end of it. After their dinner, Theo invited Val into a late-night stroll through the woods.

    They walked into the dark forest outskirt, holding hand while bathing in moonlight. They didn''t talk much. They don''t have much to talk to and they didn''t feel they need to. Just the company of each other and the warm feeling on their hand.

    He watched the dark forest, the shining eyes of nocturnal predators, the rustle of leaves and bushes, the sound of owl and night birds, of crickets and insects. It was soothing somehow. The forest there was unexplored and unmapped, but he had no fear. Not because of the confidence in his skill or swordsmanship, but his belief in Val''s overwhelming power.

    They picked up some berries, some mushrooms, some flowers, they sat on the riverside, telling stories and singing. Theo wasn''t good at it, but Val enjoyed it a lot. She smiled more than when everyone was around. But there was still a thin tense string behind her smile and relaxed attitude. She didn''t sleep well, didn''t rest that well, and she was over-protective of him.

    He understood the reasoning, he knew why she acted that way, her paranoia. It was his fault for being too careless, for being so reckless, for being so weak compared to her. He wanted her to relax, to stop being afraid, to enjoy herself without worrying too much about him. He wanted to make her happy.

    "Should we return?"

    When they returned to their camp, the fire was still burning but no one was there. Val tensed a little, her minds went wild with worst-case possibility, but Theo hugged her from behind before she could do anything rash. "I told everyone to walk around for some time. Tonight is for the two of us."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He hugged her tightly. Her skin started to turn red and warm. "I-is it really alright? I-I mean you''ve been ignoring Lyana the whole day, and Vivi looks pissed. I don''t, I don''t want to ruin-" Theo kissed her nape, her beautiful dark nape, forcing her to cut her word and let out a soft moan.

    "It''s fine." He kept assaulting her with kisses. "Don''t think about anyone else. Don''t think about anything else. Just me, just you, just the two of us."

    "W-why? I''m-" His left hand grabbed her breast while his right moved between her legs. She squirmed and shuddered. It had been so long since she felt this kind of stimulation, she had completely forgotten how it felt.

    "Don''t speak. Don''t think. Just feel it." He lightly bit her elongated ear with his lips, careful not to hurt her but making sure she felt it.

    "T-theo I-" She grabbed his neck and pulled him closer. "K-kiss me." She looked over her shoulder, her face completely flushed. He released her ear and took her wet lips. With one hand he undressed her while his other kept stimulating her body without stop.

    Once their clothes fell limp on the ground, Theo stopped for a moment. Their breathing ragged. Their bodies covered in sweat. Yet their gaze never broke off, locked on to each other. "T-theo ..." She was smiling, but there was still nervousness in her eyes. She still couldn''t relax. This much wasn''t nearly enough.

    He swept her up in his arms, carrying her like a princess. Val let out a gasp of surprise but it quickly turned into a warm smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and raised her body to kiss him.

    He laid her body on the ground next to the fire, putting himself on top of her. Theo stroked her stomach and breast, feeling her soft skin and her hard perked nipples. His eyes feasted on her beautiful visage. He wanted to take it as slowly as possible, but those shimmering dark skin burned his lust to its absolute limit. And he didn''t know himself to be someone capable of holding it back. She had a very beautiful body.

    But, but ... but there was something more striking about her. Her body showed so little of her suffering. She barely had any scar or mark, no calluses, her muscle was strong and her skin in pristine condition, exactly what you expected from someone as strong as her. But he could feel it, see it, in her eyes, in her body, in the way she carried herself and the way she smiled. She was afraid to love again, worried because she loved again. She was stressed.

    He could not even begin to imagine how hellish her husband death was for her. To still be affected by that terrible tragedy after such a long time. How heavy was the burden she had to carry for between then and now. Not even her closest friends know, not even her loved one knows. Was it a gift or a curse that she never fell in love after that tragedy and before she met him. He didn''t know. He could not answer that.

    She put strength on her arms and pulled him again for a kiss. Ever since she professed her love on the summit of Mount Etna, she had this strange emotion she hasn''t felt in a long time. She wanted him. In the camp when they had their first date, when they kissed before they parted, she wanted him. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly. She wanted him so badly right now.

    The kiss that was filled with hesitation and nervousness quickly turned hungry. She pulled him hard, making his hips ground against hers, her lips trying to claim his. She stopped holding back. Every emotion and feeling pent up all these years, she let it all out at once.

    Theo had intended to take thing slowly at first, considering Val might not even remember the experience, but he was completely mistaken. And he was more than glad to follow her wish. He sucked her tongue when she opened her mouth, as if trying to drain all the sadness from her. Val''s eyes fluttered open in surprise, but she quickly gave her tongue to do whatever he pleased. And when he slid his tongue between her lips, she sucked it like he did.

    They paused for a moment, trying to catch their breath, their eyes staring at each other. Her eyes that were always clouded with fear and worries were clear now, replaced by longing and burning passion. "Love ... I think I''m ready."

    Being called love, Theo''s lust burned like never before. "I love you, Val." His hands grabbed her firm legs and spread it apart.

    After waiting for so long, Theo thrust inside her. She was already drenched, it was easy to enter her, but still, he took it slowly. He wanted to feel every inch of her, and he wanted her to feel every inch of him. Val let out a gasp when their hips touched each other''s. Shivers ran through her body.

    They stopped moving, relishing the moment they connected for the first time. But it was only a moment later that her hips started grinding him, wanting him to continue.

    He followed her motion at first, enjoying the warm embrace of her tight pussy. Val was already moaning in pleasure, moving her head side to side, so he enjoyed watching her as he picked up his pace. Soon enough, he found the perfect thrusting rhythm, causing her to moan even louder.

    She raised her legs and locked it behind his hips, forcing him to move even faster and rougher. She craved him, desired him, lust after him. All those decades not feeling this pleasure, now she indulged it to her fullest.

    Val let out a scream, her walls tightened around him as she came. Her body went limp and still, drenched in sweat and catching her breath. He stayed inside her, feeling her squirming walls around him.

    "Love ..." She wrapped his hands around his neck and pulled him to kiss her. "I want ... I want more." The worries and tension within her were completely gone now. She was relaxed, fully immersed in the moment of passion and lust with her loved one.

    He thrust his hips once more, this time while kissing her. The pleasure built up more slowly and steadily this time around, but she appeared to like it better. Soft moan escaped her lips, suppressed by their kiss. Wet sound came out with each of his long and hard thrust.

    Her body began to tremble. She released his neck from her arms. Her hand reached out towards his. His hands let go of her body and interlaced his fingers with hers and held tight.

    With his help, Val started to move her hips. With her position under him, there was only so much space she could move, but still, she tried her best. She ground her hips up and down, going against his movement. He enjoyed the sensation, the sound of her gasp and moan as she quickly rediscovers what her body wanted and went after it.

    Though they both wanted to continue for the rest of the night, he could tell that she was getting exhausted. Has an experienced adventurer she had a high physical stamina and endurance, but going through all that feeling and emotion and rediscovering everything must be an exhausting experience for her.

    He started going faster and harder, causing her soft moan to turn into a scream of ecstasy. The slow and steady build-up of pleasure became a rough steep spike. Her mind quickly dissolved in the sea of pleasure, though her finger still held his hand tightly.

    With one last thrust, the insurmountable pleasure came crashing down upon them. Her trembling walls gripped him tightly as he released his seed inside of her.

    For a time, they both gasped for air. Their face red and covered in sweat. Theo lay down next to her, his left hand still holding hers. "I want to do it again but ... " She smiled with shyness behind it. "I don''t think I can."

    He pulled her hand and kissed it. "There''s still tomorrow, and all the nights to come. There''s a lot of time for the two of us."

    "Or tomorrow morning, or afternoon." She added with a chuckle. She turned her head to the sky, watching the glittering stars. "Thank you ... I never imagined, never dreamed I could feel something like this again. To love again ... to be loved again." She turned her head towards him." I love you, Theo."

    He stroked her shining white hair, and when his hand touched her cheek, she leaned in into his hand. He moved his face closer and kissed her. "I love you too, Val."

    Val smiled hearing his word. Her eyes slowly closed shut. The exhaustion finally overcame her.

 Chapter 83 : Ancient Forest

    "GHH!! How can you accept this, Lyana?!" Vivi shouted out her anger and frustration. Lyana raised her brows and gave the small woman an inquisitive look. "I mean he''s so invested in Val now he barely even look or talk to me these days."

    "Have you heard about Val''s past? It''s must be really hard for her now, suddenly falling in love again."

    Vivi gave her a fierce look. "Hmm, what''s this? Did you side with her now?"

    "I''m not siding with anyone. She barely slept the last few nights. She kept waking up at night, worrying about Theo''s safety or having nightmares about him." She sighed. "You can say that she''s paranoid. But that''s exactly why Theo is focusing so much of his attention towards her right now. She''s ... sick and stressed. He''s helping her relax. Once she becomes normal again, he should return to his usual self."

    "Hmm." Vivi''s gaze turned suspicious. "How can you be so sure?"

    "That''s because ..." Lyana''s word trailed off. She could point out that Theo acted like this towards Vivi when she first joined. He gave all his attention towards Vivi and barely talk or gave his attention to Lyana. but that might lead the conversation to a direction she didn''t want to.

    "Cause that''s the kind of person Theo is." Vivi and Lyana turned their head. Ed was the one answering. He kept his silence when he followed them earlier, feeling he doesn''t belong in their conversation. "He may not be the best person out there. He is ... capable of cruelty and his everyday attitude earn him the right to be called an asshole. But ... but when he cares for someone, he cares about them deeply. He will try his best to help them and make them happy. And Val needs help. I''m sure the both of you know this better than me."

    Lyana and Vivi looked at Ed for a while before turning their head forward again. Vivi wanted to tease Ed a little bit there, joking about how fierce he defended Theo. But his earnest expression and child-like face discouraged her. "Well, I guess I can wait a few more days." It didn''t stop her from making a sour face though.

    They walked again, silent this time. Theo told them to give him at least two hours alone with Val in their camp. Only one hour had passed, they still need to search for ways to spend the next hour without walking too deep into the forest.

    "Wait, speaking of things, has anyone see Cally?" Ed asked. Cally rarely took part in any conversation, she sat the furthest from everyone when it''s time to eat, and she preferred sleeping far away or not sleep at all during the night. It was easy to forget that she was even with them at all. If not for the encounter with her during his attempted escape, he might not even remember about her.

    "No, and I don''t care about her," Vivi answered without even a little bit of consideration. Ed had never seen Vivi talk or even bat an eye towards Cally, backing the sincerity of her words.

    "If I''m not wrong, Theo ordered her to patrol near the river."

    "River, huh? Isn''t she afraid of water?" That would be hellish for her. Ed knew fear better than most. His life was filled with fear. Admittedly, most his fears were irrational and the creation of his own mind and weak heart, but still, the point stood. He couldn''t imagine being forced to walk around somewhere he really afraid of and not being able to do anything about it. She was Theo''s soul slave, after all. His order was absolute for her.

    "She is. I think that''s exactly his reasoning for sending her there." Lyana answered.

    "Ah! Speaking of river, please wait here a minute." Lyana and Vivi stopped their feet and turned their heads. Ed''s disappeared into the bushes, leaving only the rustling the leaves and branches. The rustle and footsteps didn''t stop until pretty far away.

    "Where are you going?" Lyana asked. It was obvious what he was going to do, but she didn''t think he needed to go that far from their original place.

    "Uhh, I''ll go a little farther. It''s embarrassing."

    Lyana was confused by Ed''s embarrassment at first but then realized Ed was a normal person. It was normal for someone to be embarrassed when they were doing private things. Her standard for what''s normal and abnormal had been skewed by Theo who literally had no shame and decency. How many times had he approached her stark naked. Showing those bare flawless body ...

    Her cheek turned red and hot. She shook her head, embarrassed and disappointed by her own thought. "Don''t go too far!" She shouted.

    "I won''t!" Ed shouted back. The fact that her shout sounded faint to his ears and that he had to shout back proved that he might have gone too far. But he rather walked a bit too far than peeing somewhere near them. If they heard him, he''ll die of embarrassment.

    Ed realized something when he thinks about the sound of his pee. The forest at night was actually pretty loud. The sound of cicadas, insects, owls, and night birds filled his ears. He never realized it before, distracted by Lyana and Vivi''s conversation. Even if he didn''t walk that far, they wouldn''t be able to hear him ... probably.

    It was too late now, but he still regretted walking this far. It took a lot of effort and energy to muster this much courage in his heart. Walking into a thick, dark forest at night. Alone. Walking away from people. Away from a source of light.

    He shuddered. The forest at night was almost pitch black. Without his magic-enhanced eyesight, he wouldn''t be able to see anything.

    "Fuck!" He cursed himself for thinking that way. He had to finish his business as fast as possible. The quicker he finished it, the faster he''d return to safety ... But still ...

    The dark and swaying trees, ancient and looming. How old were they, he wondered. He heard from Barney that the old trees indicated an old forest. And the older the forest the more monstrous monster and scarier the horrors lurking deep inside.

    He shuddered again.

    He wasn''t afraid of monster ... that much. He could blast them with his spell, hit him with his fist, and melt them with his breath. But wraiths and ghost, incorporeal and intangible, he wouldn''t be able to do anything if they attacked. His spell would pass them. He had heard about people capable of fighting wraiths and spirits using special methods, but he didn''t have those special methods.

    His gaze moved towards his short legs and the grounds. What if they attacked him from under him? Dragged his feet into the ground like a quicksand before his voice could reach Lyana or Vivi. Or worse, what if they were already taken by the ghost.

    He looked over his shoulder. Left and right, up and down. Sweat drenched him and his hair all stood. His legs wobbled and his jaw trembled.

    His brain and heart told him to run to the safety of Lyana and Vivi''s. But his business wasn''t over yet. He drank so much water this afternoon that it went on and on without end. Not to mention his fear and panic made everything worse.

    "COME ON!" He shouted. The stream finally stopped. "Finally." A string of hope appeared amidst the darkness of despair. Self-made despair.

    He raised his gaze.

    A pair of shining eyes were staring at him. Not Cally. Not animal. Not a monster.

    Two curved horned sprouted from its hair-covered face. Rows of teeth lined behind the pale lips, followed by a ghastly shriek. Hooved feet took a step closer towards him. Crisp sound of crushed dry leaves entered his ears.

    For a brief moment, paralyzing fear overtook him. His hand refused to move. His feet refused to run. His mouth refused to open. And with each passing second, the shining claw edged closer and closer to his eyes.

    Blue light erupted from his eyes. His mind cleared and his body obeyed him once more.

    "Combustion!" Fire erupted from his fist, engulfing the monster in its blazing wrath. The thing in front of him wasn''t a ghost, the thing in front of him was only a monster. He convinced himself of that.

    But once the fire settled and the smoke disappeared, the monster vanished without a trace. There was no footsteps, no mark, no trace of it running. His spell shouldn''t be strong enough to kill, much less completely vaporized something as big as that.

    "G-g-ghost?" All of a sudden the forest became so dark, so scary. The tree seemed to lean towards him, blocking the sky and making everything darker. Everything became so quiet.

    He took a step back without turning his head. He didn''t believe there was nothing behind him. What if that thing showed up again and attacked him when he turned his back? He didn''t want to take that risk. The possibility of an attack didn''t scare him as much as the possibility of getting scared itself. Getting scared was indeed the scariest thing for Ed.

    Slowly but surely, he walked backward towards Lyana and Vivi. Not for one moment, he had the courage to look back.

    ----

    "Haa... What the hell was that?" A woman with hooves for feet and horn in the head complained. She was hiding among the trees, looking out for any possible threat. Her hands were burned. It was not severe, but it still hurt pretty bad. "That boy ... what the hell is he?"

    It happened so quickly and so abruptly, but she remembered it very well. She was searching the forest outskirt for some mushroom and alchemy ingredients when she caught a trace exceptional mana. She had lived for quite a long time and had met numerous individuals with extraordinary mana, but the boy was different. She never felt something even remotely close to that boy.

    The magic shield she put up when he lashed out should be able to take much stronger spells. Yet the boy''s magic ripped through her shield like fire burning dry leaves. Just remembering the sensation made her shudder. It was enough to forget the pain. "I should tell him."

    The woman jumped from the tree and went on all four. Her body transformed into that of a jungle panther, a form suited best in the forest environment. Her claws dug into the soil and she kicked the ground with her hind legs.

    She traveled swift as wind, running to the center of the forest, towards a massive tree three times as tall as the ones around it and four times as thick. The hill it stood on was barren. Not even wild grass grew on it, only the lone tree. The tree, however, was only a marker. She entered the opening on the foot of the tree, into a burrow hidden beneath the ground.

    She blazed through the long tunnels carved in the bedrock, descending down and down in spiraling shape until it expanded into a massive cave system. Glowing runes and symbols of ancient language filled the cavern walls. It was some form of ancient magic, used to protect and monitor one''s territory. Though the exact detail of the magic was lost along with the language it was written in.

    She stopped once she saw other of her kind. She transformed back to her original form, that of a succubus. There were many people there in the cave. Werewolves, vampires, succubuses, spriggans, fairies, and countless other people lived there. Well, sentient monsters if you ask human, but it was a matter of perspective and semantics.

    She walked towards the center of the cave, towards the roots of the great tree that pierced the cave. The closer she got, the more she felt people''s gazes probing her body. It would be an understatement to say that it was uncomfortable, but she didn''t blame them. Approaching the root was kind of taboo for them and was rarely done, but she had a good reason.

    Once she was twenty steps away from the roots, she kneeled. "Elder."

    Hidden within the massive roots was a humanoid skeleton. It was grey, old, and broken with part of the roots tangling and impaling it. The eye sockets were dark, there was no sign of life. It returned her greeting with silence.

    It had been years since the great elder woke up, and she couldn''t even remember when was the last time anyone spoke to him.

    She heard footsteps behind her. Not just one, many. Few were light, other were heavy. Few were fast, other slow and steady. She didn''t know who or for what purpose they approached her, but she could imagine. They most likely trying to stop her, telling her to quit trying to contact the elder.

    She opened her mouth, but a slight twitch of the skeleton''s bony finger stopped her. Dim red dot appeared on each eye socket, hovering in the darkness. "You''ve ..." His almost non-existent voice rang out in the silent cave. The footsteps stopped and no one made a noise. "met the ... prophesized ... boy ... where is he?" The bones rattled from hitting the roots that bound him.

    "He''s in the forest outskirt to the north, elder, near the river." She knew the forest like the back of her hand

    "The ... north ..." The skeleton stopped moving. The red dots disappeared, but only for a moment. Red lines, no bigger than his broken finger, appeared from inside and swam to the roots and up to the great trees.

    There was silence after that. No one there knew what was happening. Something like this never happened before.

    The red lines returned to the elder after a few seconds. The bones rattled, his jaw dropped, And a laughter boomed. "HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAH!HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAH!" The bony hand moved to cover his mouth. "Finally! After so many years, after waiting for so long!"

    The roots of the great tree that bound the skeleton for decades cracked and broke and fell limp to the ground. "Ahhh ... to move again ... after so long." He signaled the other monster to come near him. No one refused his order. No one said a word. "Prepare a capture team. Take the boy at all cost without hurting him. Halga, you''re the one who found him. You''ll lead the team and choose who''ll come with you."

    "Yes, Elder." The succubus stood. She was about to turn and address the other, but the elder''s next action intrigued her. He turned his body away then raised his hand and touched the great roots. Chant of unknown language filled the air. The voice that escaped his mouth carried such power that it caused the whole cave to tremble.

    The roots moved. It opened like a blossoming flower, revealing something hidden inside.

    A six-meters tall humanoid statue. Made from unknown silver-colored metals. Gears, plate, cranks, and other unknown and alien mechanical object filled its joint. Long hollow tube jutted out from many spots in its body while thin rod of metal protruded out. Its chest cavity was hollow and wide open.

    If it was a living being, it lacked something. Something very important.

    A heart. A core.

    "Elder, what ... what is that?" Confusion, amazement, awe. It was the same for everyone saw it. There was a sense of unbelonging to that thing. It was so bizarre and out of this world as if it broke the law of nature itself. That thing shouldn''t have existed in the first place.

    "A machine ... made by mortals ... to kill gods." There were words written on its opened chest plate. Written in the same ancient language that filled the wall. "Machinery of War, Heinrich Himmler Mk.III"

    A mecha.

 Hiatus (Not a chapter)

    Well, if the last four months of nothing haven''t been clear enough, I''m on a hiatus. Why do I suddenly talk about this and not keep my silence like the last four months? Well, because I want to tell that this story is still going to be in hiatus and probably won''t be continued in a while. Sorry to disappoint anyone hoping this announcement will start the chapter again. I won''t abandon this story, that''s for sure. Whether I will continue this in the future or rewrite it remains to be seen, but I won''t abandon this story.Stolen story; please report.

    Also, I''m writing another story that is kind of a rewrite of my first story here (Game of Spirit). Posting another story and not telling anyone the status of my previous work doesn''t sit well with me. That''s why I''m writing this just to let you know.

    Thank you and sorry for everyone who has followed God Blade this far. Next time I''ll continue (Or restart) this story, I hope I have become a better writer and I can deliver a much better story.