《Enchant Gunner: Bullets and Magic》 Volume 1 Prologue: Second Lieutenant Schmidt Prologue *BOOM!* ¡°Run!!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t make it!¡± ¡°Just run!!¡± Right after they heard the loud explosion just a few miles away, the soldiers ran towards the opposite direction as fast as they could. They forced their feet move even beyond their limit. A soldier heard a crack in his ankle but never cared about it and still ran as fast as he could. ¡°Ack!!¡± The other one¡¯s feet gave in and trip face flat on the ground but forced his arms to crawl as far as he could. He scraped his hands from the sharp rocks along the hot asphalt. The soldier felt it was the end. The instinct to survive is the only thing that makes him move. [I don¡¯t want to die¡­!] All the soldiers at the site screamed that one line inside their head for over a hundred times already. They literally ran for their lives. *Bang!* *Bang!* ¡°Urk!¡± One soldier felt an excruciating pain in his back through his abdomen and held the part while running. A zapping pain throbbed as he touched the area and felt a warm liquid coming out from it. ¡°W-wha¡­?¡± Slowly, the soldier¡¯s knee fell out and drop to the ground. He was shot by an enemy soldier while they were running. They are being chased by the Russian army as of the moment. The soldier who shot him is now nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he thought the soldier already died and went for his next target. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± But that may be the next thing that will happen for the fallen soldier. A lot of blood already flowed out of him as he felt his eyes already blurring. His feet felt a lot cold compared to when he ran out of fear from the enemy soldiers. All sorts of thoughts starting to surface from deep within his minds and reminded him of all the good memories he had before coming to the battlefield.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Am I dying¡­?¡± Even without asking that question, he already knew the answer. He doesn¡¯t have much longer to stay in this world and fight for his dear country. He loved the country next to his family. ¡°*pant* this one¡¯s still alive!!¡± While enduring the pain as he curls up on the ground, he heard a loud voice just above his head. He thought he would die from blood loss and die a silent death but life for him is not that sweet. Until the end he was met by the shadow that haunts them. ¡°D-damn it¡­!¡± The soldier standing holds his gun while panting heavily. He was tired from running around and chasing the escaping soldiers. But in the eyes of the fallen soldier. It was a huge dark shadow holding its scythe preparing for his execution. It was death himself. Delirious, hallucinating, he felt he will end up being mad before he died. He forced his brain to remember the smiles of his family, his wife and daughter. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of ammo! I¡¯ll just stab this trash to death!¡± The fallen soldier closed his eyes as he was preparing for his end while all that remains in his mind are the smiles of his beloved. ¡°Martha¡­ Leila¡­¡± The soldier prepares his knife and aims for his throat. ¡°My love¡­ I¡¯m coming for you two¡­¡± *Bang!* ¡°Gah-!¡± A loud piercing sound of a gun reverberate around the premise. The next thing is a thud just beside the fallen soldier. ¡°K-kuh¡­¡± ¡°Soldier! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°W-who¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Sergeant Schmidt! I¡¯m here for reinforcement! Stay with me!¡± ¡°N-no¡­ It¡¯s too late¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ last¡­¡± The fallen soldier cough up a huge amount of blood. His pale face was obvious even in the dark surrounding with only spreading fire laminating the now destroyed city. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Sergeant¡­ d-did I¡­ serve my purpose right¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a soldier¡¯s purpose to serve the country and lay his life for the people who lives within it. But that doesn¡¯t mean dying for the country is everything. But for a soldier, it is the greatest honor to live and die for their own country. It was without a doubt, that the fallen soldier splendidly performed his duty as a soldier and protected the people of his country. Schmidt paused for a while and looked straight to the eyes of the fallen soldier. ¡°You did more than enough, soldier!¡± ¡°I¡­ see¡­¡± The soldier raised his hands to the heavens attempting to reach something and after a short while, it dropped lifeless to the ground. He is dead. ¡°May your soul rest in peace.¡± At his final moments, it was definitely a fulfilling end. It is apparent with the expression of the now passed away soldier. ¡°I won¡¯t forget that expression, soldier!¡± Schmidt ran towards the battlefield and prepared his resolve once more to fight for his country. ¡­ Five years later¡­ ¡°I welcome you again, Second Lieutenant Schmidt.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Prologue End Chapter 1: The Commander and His Squad ¡°The food¡¯s ready, you guys!¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± Out from the kitchen was the young commander of the squad, Second Lieutenant, Hans Schmidt. The young man with his light blond hair and stunningly light blue eyes greeted the members with a huge smile on his face. One wouldn¡¯t see the rough environment he went through in his face as it is still like those of young men who never went to something harsh such as a war. He lifted the pot with ease with his well-built but slender arms in addition to his slim but firm frame. ¡°It¡¯s here! It¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Chill out, Will. The foods not going anywhere.¡± ¡°How can you say that, Johannes?! It¡¯s the commander¡¯s cooking for goodness sake!¡± ¡°Well, I know how you feel¡­ but relax.¡± Everyone inside the camp aside from one who prefers calm atmospheres cheered from the top of their lungs as their most awaited meal has come. One can even say that it¡¯s their only oasis after draining day in the field. After a harsh training during the day and after all the energy from their body is exhausted by the intensity of their commander, it is the only thing to look forward to the end of the day. ¡°It¡¯s Commander Schmidt¡¯s meal, sirs!¡± ¡°I told you, chill out, will ya, Will?¡± ¡°¡­ Is that supposed to be a pun?¡± ¡°*whistle~?* Who knows?¡± Almost all of them shouted in unison while getting ready for the meal. Some went and arranged the utensils to be used by everyone. The other organized the chairs and the table while the other helped their commander give each and everyone¡¯s portion. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you guys. It¡¯s a celebration today so we can eat with all our heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°Woooooohh!!¡± They all raised their fists in the air for a cheer. ¡°Aaaaah~ After that long day in training¡­!¡± One soldier massaged his shoulders while remembering the harsh training they just had during the day. ¡°Gahahaha! The day just won¡¯t end without this!¡± ¡°You¡¯re heavy¡­¡± The other let out a hearty laugh as he wrapped his arms around the shoulder of the other soldier. ¡°So the dish for our celebration is this¡­!¡± Schmidt opened the lid of the pot to reveal the hidden treasure inside. For the whole squad, it¡¯s definitely not an exaggeration to call the food inside the pot a treasure and the pot is the treasure box. No one can wait to have wait awaits them in their mouth and savor every bit of the taste. That is how Schmidt¡¯s cooking affects everyone in the camp. ¡°Beef Stew!¡± Beef Stew. A dish that is considerably comforting. It is simple yet every flavors blends in perfectly forming a harmonious result. It is usually made by simmering beef in liquid until it becomes tender. This is a process to make the meat tender all the while releasing all the natural flavors. The liquid can be water, beef stock or broth, or even wine. The vegetables in it does not only make it more nutritional, it also adds flavor and aroma, which accentuate the flavor all the more. ¡°Ahh¡­ Just hearing the word beef stew makes me feel nostalgic, sirs.¡± ¡°Yeah. Even the smell reminds me of home¡­¡± ¡°Gahahaha! Now that¡¯s Commander¡¯s cooking for ya! Even drawing out the inner memories of the person even from just the smell!¡± Right after announcing the name of the said dish, everyone who is eagerly waiting around the table savored the smell either gulped or began reminiscing. The aroma of the stew wafted around the camp. No one in the known vicinity can resist the scent and reject the idea of rummaging around the site just to find the source of the smell. ¡°We got the precious beef from Pola here. It was sent by her mother as thanks.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Let¡¯s all enjoy it together!¡± A young woman who only has a few years remaining until she passes the age of teens stood up from her seat, straightening her back and faced everyone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us that, Recruit! Gahahaha!¡± ¡°Yeah~ this calls for beer~¡± ¡°Relax, and sit down.¡± The soldier who is called Pola stood up and made a salutation in front of everyone in the camp. The vigor of the young soldier was found unwinding by the other soldiers. ¡°My mother would be happy to hear that.¡± Yes. Soldier Pola is the new recruit in the squad who just joined a two weeks prior. She joined the military to get the funds for her sister who is currently hospitalized due to a disease. Her mother was greatly against the idea of her daughter joining the military much more because of the current situation of the world right now. ¡°Even with our current situation, we still need to enjoy this small stuff from time to time and be grateful to those who supports us.¡± The Commander folded his arms and spoke with his eyes closed as if to remember the face of those who gave them their help even with the little things. Everyone did the same and closed their eyes as if praying for those people that appears in their minds. ¡°Yeah!¡± The situation can never be worse at any moment and it¡¯s all because of the current world war, which is known by the general public, The Great World War. It is the greatest war that is said to bring the whole world to its demise. The 10 major countries are fighting for the plummeting resources and it caused devastation to almost all the neighboring countries. Resulting to the loss of more resources and of course, the plummeting population. Even at a tender age, may it be a boy or a girl, they are already trained with the basics of military combat. Still with some country being abundant with men, they don¡¯t actually require all those youth to join the army. But Pola didn¡¯t have a choice to begin with. The pay in the military sums enough for her to pay the hospital bill of her little sister. Even with the warning of her mother, she still couldn¡¯t just sit still and let her sister suffer from agony brought by her disease. ¡°That is why! I prepared it the best way I can to not let her mother¡¯s wishes go to waste.¡± But now is not the time for that because for the soldiers at this moment has only the Beef Stew in their minds. They all can¡¯t wait for the moment where their tongues touch the tender meat and savor the flavor of the soup. ¡°You see guys¡­ First I let the beef simmer for a long period of time so that the meat will be at its most tender state to let its natural flavor blend perfectly with the stock and seasoned with the greatest condiments I can ever found! Then I placed the¡­-¡± ¡°Aaah~ it began. Commander¡¯s food talk. He won¡¯t stop this way.¡± The oldest of the squad spoke up immediately after their commander started his food talk. ¡°You can say that again, Dan. This will be long if left alone. Well, well. Let¡¯s see how this will end up, shall we~?¡± ¡°Now, don¡¯t just watch there now, Frank.¡± Another soldier of the squad, Frank, who spoke up next, folded his arms and crossed his feet while slashing a grin in his face. The soldier with a huge frame named Dan then stood up and went near one soldier by the side of the table who is looking at the scene bewildered. ¡°Hey recruit. Do something. Will, brief her.¡± ¡°Roger that, sir.¡± The senior soldier ordered the recruit for fun. They didn¡¯t do it out of malice. It is some sort of ritual for the new cadets to be ordered with absurd commands from time to time. It was William¡¯s turn before when he was still the new recruit and now it is Pola¡¯s turn. ¡°Listen up, Becker. It¡¯s the duty of the newbie to calm down that raging lion called ¡®Commander¡¯ from eating our meal time by making us listen to his unending food talk. That guy¡¯s a cooking idiot, you see.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ That was recorded, Will¡­¡± ¡°Shut it, Johannes!¡± Johannes brought out a small recorder used in missions with his usual expressionless face. This is the usual in their squad. And mostly, it¡¯s to decide who to stop their commander from talking non-stop with his food talks. ¡°S-sir yes sir!¡± ¡°Good luck, recruit. Gahahaha!¡± ¡°We wish for your safe return¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t die, Becker.¡± ¡°Now, now this is becoming interesting~¡± All sorts of encouragement was thrown at her but nonetheless it didn¡¯t make her any more comfortable. ¡°C-Commander!¡± ¡°Then put the lid for- huh? Yo! Pola. Want to hear more about how I made this beef stew awesome?¡± The recruit froze on the spot. She didn¡¯t know how to respond. Will she say yes and let the commander tell his tell tales and sacrifice herself while the others dig in with that super tasty beef stew? Or refuse and force her way out in this ordeal and grasp the victory that is the beef stew itself? [¡°Which should it be¡­?!¡±] The atmosphere around the place began to stiffen and only the voice of the Commander can only be heard. Though Pola now has cold sweat started pouring from her back, she curled up her fist and made a resolve inside her heart.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [¡°I¡­ I want¡­¡±] Raising up her head facing the Commander, she filled her lungs with large amount of air and¡­ ¡°Commander! Hurry up so I can eat your Beef Stew!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone who heard the roar of the recruit showed a blank expression. ¡°*pant* *pant* How¡¯s that¡­?¡± ¡°Hoho¡­ now that¡¯s surprising¡­¡± Dan¡¯s placed his hands on his chin while appraising the situation well. ¡°This time¡¯s recruit is promising. And will be interesting~¡± Frank followed up with his usual whims of looking for interesting stuff. ¡°Wha-?! I was better than her, ain¡¯t I Sir Dan?!¡± ¡°Now what are you talking about, Will?¡± The commander was a bit astounded with the sudden declaration of the new soldier. But he remembered the purpose of the feast so in the end, Pola¡¯s heartfelt confession of her desire brought the commander back to reality. ¡°Oh sorry about that. I almost spent the whole day explaining the dish.¡± [¡°Whole day¡­?¡±] Everyone who heard the commander said so in their mind in unison. ¡°Whole day¡­?¡± But one brave soul uttered it without a care in the world. ¡°She¡¯s done it! She¡¯s done it!¡± ¡°Gahahaha! What courageous young lady!¡± Yes. It was Pola. ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyways, without a further ado, let¡¯s all dig in!¡± ¡°ALRIIIIIGHT!!¡± After Schmidt¡¯s permission, everyone started to scarf down the beef stew without restrain. They ate like it¡¯s the end of the world. ¡°*slurp* *chew* *gulp* Ahhh¡­ This is heavenly, sirs¡­! The tenderness of the meat with each bite is to die for. Every time I bite down it¡¯s almost like it¡¯s already melting inside my mouth¡­¡± Almost swallowing the whole food together along with the spoon for every bite, William scarfed down the stew without a second thought. ¡°And the slight sweetness of the tomato¡­ It complements the sweetness of the beef and slowly spreads in my tongue¡­¡± ¡°Oooh~ the seasoning is perfect with a slight punch from the black pepper! Gahaha! This is good as expected!¡± One by one, the soldiers who were almost dead after their completed mission and training, expressed their own thoughts on the food. They scooped a large amount of the meal with their spoon and brought it to their mouth. At that time another explosion of flavors sweeps the dread of the day they had. ¡°Mmm! The carrots are perfectly cooked too¡­~¡± Pola also joined the critiquing. Even around the mainly male platoon, she never felt out of place but nevertheless, it is still apparent that she¡¯s a young lady with the way she eats. ¡°I see! It¡¯s good, huh! It¡¯s good right??¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just good, commander! It¡¯s the best, sir!¡± Everyone enjoyed the meal until nothing was left in the huge pot. The night has already fallen and only the cheers and the chirping crickets can only be heard around the area. After the meal, they went with some beer and enjoyed the night away. It¡¯s always the same every time they have a celebration. They will always have fun to their heart¡¯s content. A soldier¡¯s duty is to serve the country and protect the countrymen from incoming enemies or invaders. That is why it is not unexpected the one or two of them may not be with them the next time they will celebrate and have fun. So for the moment they are still with their trusted members, they will have the time of their lives with them. But amidst that, Pola went outside the tent to breathe in some fresh air. May it be the stuffing atmosphere of the guys, or the noisy cheers, Pola just wanted to have a quiet time for herself. ¡°Phew¡­¡± She didn¡¯t fail to do this every now and then. From time to time she will go out by herself and enjoy the tranquil time only to reminisce about the time she had with her family when she was still not in the military. It¡¯s her own precious time and the only thing that can make her heart feel at ease. The camp was positioned in a forest surrounded by the mountains but right outside the forest, is a view which can be so breathtaking especially at night. The night sky is flooded with the stars where one can almost feel it almost flowing down. Together with the tranquil atmosphere by being surrounded by lush green nature. And by the end of the forest lies a small lake with clear water reflecting the stars and make it look like sparkling crystal that flows unendingly. In the morning this is where the troop refreshes their weary body. But now it¡¯s so ephemeral that it makes one feel you¡¯ll get heavenly punishment if you bathe in it. Thinking about that, Pola sat down in a stump of a tree while ingraining the beautiful scenery in front of her. The cold breeze softly caresses her cheek and hair while Pola looks off at the distance. One wouldn¡¯t think that the current world in front of her is in a state of war. ¡°Yo. Pola.¡± Then all of a sudden, someone¡¯s voice was heard from just the opening of the forest. It was the voice she always hear in the battlefield which leads the troop to a successful victory. ¡°Commander¡­¡± ¡°I was wondering where you went, and here you are.¡± ¡°Sir! Do you need me for something?¡± She stood up from her seat and saluted towards her superior. ¡°At ease. Or like¡­ We¡¯re not on a mission or whatever. Just be casual.¡± Pola scratch here cheek in embarrassment. Having found in her alone time may be a bit embarrassing for a young girl her age. She joined the military when she was still 16 years old. She will be 18 this year. Within that three years all she had ever felt was the drive that makes her want to fulfil her promise with her little sister; that she will relieve her of her disease. She never had any other motives when joining aside from that. ¡°I just went out for fresh air.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t mean anything by that.¡± Pola thought she will be reprimanded by excusing herself from the feast so she thought up of a close to the real reason excuse and forced a smile. But Schmidt¡¯s reason for finding her was to check up on her. Being the only girl in the squad, he was worried about her feeling left out. So every now and then he would check up on Pola to see if she had already opened up to the other squad members. ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°How¡¯s your sister?¡± Pola wasn¡¯t surprised from the sudden question. The commander knows all the circumstances of his squad members for him to counter any kind of situation that may end up being a hindrance to the relationship of each members. ¡°She¡­¡± She picked up a small pebble and threw it in the lake before proceeding. She wanted to calm her emotions before answering. *bloop* Whenever Pola has to talk about her sister, she can¡¯t help but get stirred up. It is also one of the reason that is why she goes out from time to time to release the stress of when she worries about her sister. ¡°She¡¯s stable for now¡­ But the doctor said we may never know until when. She really needs to be transferred to a better facility he said.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The commander didn¡¯t know what to say. When it comes to the emotions of humans, or even to just comforting someone, all he ever knew was to just bottle it up until it goes away itself. No one comforted him whenever he had times like Pola¡¯s. It was just himself. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to give up. But you see¡­ sir¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Pola looked up in the sky with a slightly lonely smile. ¡°Whenever I visit her before joining the military, she¡¯s always laughing and smiling like nothing¡¯s wrong at all. Like she¡¯s never been hospitalized in the first place. Like she never had any disease at all¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I just realized the last time I visited her, I¡¯ve never heard her complain about her sickness. She still smiled even though deep inside she¡¯s hurting. I know, you know¡­ you conceited little sister¡­¡± She then directed her words to her little sister who is now probably sleeping inside the white room of the hospital. She curled her hands into a fist in an attempt to suppress her emotions. Guilt. Irritation. Pity. Love. But most of all, her hatred towards herself for not being able to be with her sister when she needed her the most. Pola placed her hand to her chest as if enduring a resurfacing emotion deep inside her. ¡°She never showed her weak side to me. And never once I heard her cry. I sometimes wonder if I am burden to her, making her be considerate of me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± The commander could not take his subordinates self-depreciating behavior anymore and spoke up. ¡°¡­ Commander?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the thought of being considerate to someone. But rather an expression of encouragement.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Schmidt closed his eyes as if to reminisce something. ¡°¡¯I can¡¯t do anything. I won¡¯t be able to do anything for them. I want to help them. But I¡¯m powerless.¡¯ Having those thoughts, the only thing they can do is to be as strong as they have to. To tell those who are important to them that they can at least ease their worry about them. Not out of consideration, but because they want to be at least of a help to them.¡± ¡°Commander¡­¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ Maybe your little sister smiles every time because you¡¯re there for her.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± *fwoosh* A strong gust of wind blew in between them as they stare at each other. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I really have to do my best for her.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Commander! I¡¯ll be a great soldier and be of use to you. Then I¡¯ll earn and earn a lot of money and send her to a hospital with better facility. Even if I have to sacrifice my life-¡± ¡°Stop that.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Pola was suddenly stopped by Schmidt¡¯s abrupt voice. She tried to review everything in her mind if she had said anything to be called out for to no avail. She did not understand the action of her commander. Perhaps it was because she still knew little of the commander. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say something like sacrificing your life.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m your commander I don¡¯t plan on letting anyone of you die. This is absolute.¡± ¡°Commander¡­¡± With the sudden declaration of the commander, she was astounded with how the commanded replied. It was not in her mind in the slightest to die a sudden death but knowing someone near her thinks like that, Pola felt a lot more secure. ¡°Even after all the missions, battle, or how many war we fight, we will all make it back home in one piece. So you can rest assured that you will see your sister get better.¡± Schmidt pats Pola¡¯s head with a smile. It was as if affirming everything that he just said. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you. I promise.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Another gush of wind blew between them as their hearts grew lighter. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll reflect then.¡± Pola smiled back at the commander. Now it was a smile that is without a doubt, not forced, and came from deep within her heart. ... ¡°He¡¯s a great commander.¡± ¡­ .. . A week after. *clang clang clang!* ¡°Wake up you guys!!¡± The voice of the commander rang out inside the room where the members of the squad sleeps marking the start of the day. Everyone without a moment to pass by rose from their bed and formed a line in the aisle with all their backs straight. Pola entered the room and joined the file and did the same thing. Pola¡¯s quarter was separated from the male members because of obvious reasons. But it was not definitely a special treatment. Schmidt also did the same thing in Pola¡¯s quarter and woke her up the same way he always wakes up the male squad members. ¡°Good morning, Commander!¡± ¡°Good morning. At ease!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± The members did as they are told and relaxed their straightened backs but the stern posture and expression is still there. It was already ingrained in their body, the discipline of a fine soldier. ¡°Today is another day for us¡­ According to the plan that was given to us for this past week by the HQ, today¡­¡± Every single one of them began to sweat profusely because of their past experiences. One could hear a huge gulp from one of the members while they are remembering the harsh training that was drilled in their bodies. For the whole week, they all did nothing but drills and training. Not to mention the way how their commander trains them with intensity of those who almost have past the level of humans. Expecting that today is another one of those days, every soldier in that room prepared for the worst. ¡°¡­ will be a rest day for all of us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you guys happy?¡± ¡°Yeeeaahh!!¡± ¡°Finally¡­~¡± ¡°Gahahaha! Now that¡¯s what you call a good news! Gahahahaha!¡± ¡°I can drink more beer, beer I said~¡± Leaving no one in the room, all of them had expressions of happiness and joy which is displayed without a doubt on their faces. ¡°A-Are you sure, sir?¡± ¡°Right. The mission we had 3 weeks ago made us more room for rest. Well that¡¯s what at least the HQ told me.¡± ¡°I see!¡± ¡°Then after that mission, we had another training¡­ Ugh¡­ I thought I¡¯ll die today for sure¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong Johannes?? You¡¯re not energetic!!¡± ¡°You just have too much energy, Will. I guess idiots have unlimited source of energy.¡± ¡°What did you say!?¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll prepare breakfast!¡± Schmidt smiled at the scene in front of him and turn towards the door. ¡°Another one of Commander¡¯s meal!! Yahoo! Today is a great day!¡± ¡°Uwa¡­ That was a fast change in mood¡­¡± ¡°Commander, let me help.¡± Out of the cheering squad members was Pola who went with a huge smile in her face. Even for her, it is impossible to hide the delight from the sudden good news. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone went and did their own stuff while some went out to organize the eating place. And after a short while¡­ ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Pola shouted for everyone to hear and called them in for the serving. ¡°Alright!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait¡­! I¡¯m already famished, sir!¡± ¡°Here you go!¡± The commander placed another huge pot in the middle of the table with the lid still covering it. Maybe it is one of his fun to let those who will eat his food anticipate what will be served. ¡°I wonder what it is¡­ *gulp*¡± ¡°Hey, hey, pray tell, Pola. What did you two cook?¡± One of the members asked Pola seemingly cannot wait for the food. Everyone¡¯s attention went to Pola as they waited eagerly for her answer. ¡°¡­ *smile*¡± Pola did not answer, instead, she just flashed a bright smile while bending her head to the side. ¡°Here is¡­¡± *gulp* ¡°¡­ Mushroom soup!¡± ¡°Wha-??¡± No one could not hide their disappointment with the announcement. ¡°Well, we spent all our ration yesterday¡­ so we can¡¯t be picky.¡± Pola followed it up with short words. But even she cannot deny her disappointment in their meal early in the morning. ¡°What are you guys saying? Mushroom soup also has its own good side to it! It¡¯s also nutritious and the taste of the mushroom that blends well with the cream-¡° ¡°Yeeeeees, sir! Wow! We will so love this mushroom soup!¡± Without waiting for the Commander¡¯s food talk, Pola intervened and served each members their portion. ¡°Hmm¡­ With just one attempt¡­ My, my¡­ she already matured.¡± ¡°Humans are creatures that learn¡­¡± ¡°Gahahahaha! What a courageous young lady!¡± After everyone have their own share of soup, they all look at the commander. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s eat!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± *beep beep beep beep beep* Right before their spoon reached their mouths, a loud ringing was heard from the commander¡¯s quarter. ¡°Receive!¡± Schmidt shouted the command and the beeping sound stopped and a voice was heard inside the camp. In a moment, a huge screen popped up just in front of the table. ¡°Second Lieutenant Schmidt.¡± ¡°Major General!¡± Everyone stood up from their seat in a hurry and positioned in front of the big screen with a salute. Including the Commander. ¡°At ease.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Displayed in the screen is an aged man who has an aura of a great lion who hunts every prey it finds. Just by looking at the man will send shivers down your spine. ¡°My apologies. It seems I disturbed your meal.¡± ¡°Not at all, sir!¡± ¡°Well then¡­ let¡¯s proceed to the main topic¡­¡± ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°There is a mission for you lot.¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 1 End Chapter 2: The Mission and Hamburg Steak ¡°Alright. Let me brief you all once again.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± It¡¯s near evening and the sun has started to set. The road is now painted with orange as the car¡¯s casts a long shadow at the opposite direction. Now Schmidt¡¯s squad is travelling their way to their target point. They are in their armored SUV, having all six soldiers including the Commander. Two days have passed after they received the contents of their mission. ¡°The mission¡¯s first target is to infiltrate the research facility that contains secret weapons that is being developed by the enemy, which is found underlying the forest just near the main city. The first stage is to seize the facility and find valuable information.¡± In this day and age, information is one of the greatest weapon you can use against others. The more you know about your foe, the more chances you have in overturning any dire situation. That is why their mission right now is one of those which cannot be failed. ¡°Then next comes the main dish. We will be sent as a re-enforcement for those who are trapped in the crossfire within City F and rescue them. That will be all.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s a bit harder than I thought it would be. I mean why are we sent with only one squad to seize the whole research facility? I bet the security would be tight if it¡¯s really a research facility of a secret weapon.¡± Pola¡¯s concern is without a doubt correct. Even with how one would look at things, it is definitely hard for one squad to seize a whole enemy research facility. Much more it is the main base. No matter how weak the enemy may be, with the squad¡¯s number of only 6, they may still be overwhelmed depending on the situation. ¡°Gaha! Recruit, you¡¯re still na?ve if you think that way.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Pola is almost seen with a question mark floating above her head as she tried to understand the hidden implications of Dan as he make a smug expression while looking at the road as he drives. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard anything from Ms. Devil Instructor?¡± ¡°D-Devil Instructor¡­ *shiver*¡± ¡°Gahahaha! With you reacting that way, it seems she has never changed.¡± ¡°Do you know her, Sir Dan?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s more like, we¡¯re stuck with each other for some reason since we¡¯re brats.¡± Dan smiled wryly while scratching his heard. ¡°We grew up together and later on she studied in the military and ended up being the Devil Instructor. While later then I joined the military only to find her as my instructor. Funny how fate works, eh?¡± ¡°Ohhh.¡± Dan let out another hearty laugh after remembering his past while Pola¡¯s looking at him surprised. ¡°But what¡¯s more amazing is the Commander!¡± ¡°Just leave it at that, Will.¡± ¡°Ah! My apologies, Commander.¡± ¡°Ehhhh? Tell me!¡± Everyone except for Pola who is a new recruit the circumstances within their squad and what kind of squad it really is. Pola was placed in Schmidt¡¯s squad without prior notice and proper explanation about what kind of squad she¡¯s now in. ¡°Hmm¡­ First of all, why do you think the Major General himself gave the order to us?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Pola taps her chin with her finger posing a thinking gesture. ¡°It¡¯s because of the Commander!¡± William, who could not wait for Pola¡¯s answer, answered the question himself. ¡°Is he that great?¡± ¡°Why do you think a 21 year old man would be a Commander of a squad that early?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Oh, you got it then, Becker?¡± ¡°He climbed up using the back door! Hmmm¡­ I smell corruption¡­¡± ¡°I did not, idiot.¡± *thud!* Schmidt who was seated in the front seat turn around and gave Pola a slight knock on her head with his fist. He did not put much force in it was it was just a little gesture of correcting his subordinate. ¡°Ow¡­¡± ¡°Well, just wait and see¡­¡± Johannes ended the conversation with a few words trying to make it as puzzling to Pola as possible. ¡°But wait¡­ Isn¡¯t it weird for a new recruit who is as young as Becker to join the squad?¡± ¡°Will¡­ you haven¡¯t heard about Recruit before?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Pola joined the conversation while rubbing her head where she was hit. ¡°And it seems the person herself doesn¡¯t know either. Gahaha!¡± Dan laughed it off and focused back on the road. ¡°Really now¡­¡± ¡­ .. . *screech* ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll make a camp here for tonight. We¡¯ll continue our travel the next day.¡± ¡°Uggh¡­! My butt hurt!¡± ¡°Will, don¡¯t just stand there and help us.¡± ¡°Roger¡­~¡± ¡°Dan, how¡¯s the tank?¡± ¡°No problem so far, Commander. Two more days won¡¯t be much of a problem.¡± The squad stopped by the side of the road in an abandoned city. The city is already deserted and no signs of activity can be seen without further inspection. The houses are either partly or fully destroyed to the ground and vines have started to grow and cover the entirety of each. The road is slowly crumbling into the asphalt and the poles which connect each line were either broken in half or have already fallen down. But in contrast to the destruction lies a better view of the night sky. It¡¯s illuminated enough even without the help of artificial lighting. ¡°Good. Johannes and Will, gather any kind of dried wood you can find by the park. There should be a lot of trees there. Dan and Frank, look for a suitable place for our temp camp and contact us if you find one. We¡¯ll make the rendezvous point here before proceeding to the found place.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Pola is coming with me to scout for possible enemy.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± All of them made a gesture of salute before each group began to proceed with their own task to do. Their relationship as their basis for their activity during their missions, their paring is the best way to group them is what was on the Commander¡¯s mind. Dan and Frank was once together in a squad before coming to Schmidt¡¯s, that is why they are already familiarized with each other¡¯s behavior. Johannes and William are the same age and are often seen together. While Pola is the new recruit who still needs to be supervised by the Commander. ¡­ *crumble* *crumble* ¡°But looking at this place¡­ it¡¯s really deserted, eh.¡± Not far from the rendezvous point, Pola and the Commander went inside a deserted house which looks like it will crumble at any moment. Holding their handgun with both hands preparing for possible sudden assault, they carefully surveyed the area. ¡°This was one of the bombed city during the first wave of the Russian¡¯s invasion. It¡¯s far more devastated than in other places.¡± ¡°Have you been here before, Commander?¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Here was the site of my first mission.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Pola almost went to reach for her mouth and cover it but rejected the idea since it will seem rude after hearing something personal about the Commander. Every soldier, moreover, an experienced one, have their own share of a past. It is a common thing for a soldier.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. When Pola heard that the place is where his first mission happened and adding the fact that it is now a deserted place, she came up to the conclusion that the fight was their loss. It is in fact indeed one of the commander¡¯s tragic past. ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t make that face. It¡¯s not that of a big deal. We only suffered a few casualties but still most of us came back alive.¡± Without noticing, Pola¡¯s face had already contorted into a frown and showed her feelings unintentionally. ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Pola breathe out a sigh of relief as she heard the Commander laugh it off as a simple memory. ¡°But this was the place where I experienced the harsh reality of being a soldier.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a short silence between them. Perhaps they just ended the conversation with that. Or maybe they just cannot think of something to say. But it was Pola who broke the silence and asked a question. ¡°If I may ask, Commander, you¡¯re 21 right now, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. What about it?¡± ¡°When did you¡¯re your first mission happened?¡± Schmidt paused for a few seconds and made Pola rethink of what she just said. She suddenly thought maybe it was too much of a personal thing to ask, but that the words have already left her mouth and now she can only wait for the Commander¡¯s answer. ¡°¡­ Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± She gulped what remains in her dry mouth. ¡°*sigh* nearly 10 years now.¡± ¡°¡­ T¡­ T-t-t-ten years¡­ so you mean¡­?¡± Pola counted with her fingers in her left hand while the gun is held by her right hand. ¡°I was 12 years old that time.¡± ¡°What did y- Mmmm!?¡± ¡°Shh! You may attract something troublesome!¡± The commander hurriedly covered her mouth with his hand, jumped around Pola and end up in a seating position to hide at the shadow of the wall inside the house. The Commander took a peek from the wall at the surrounding to confirm if someone noticed the noise while having his arms around Pola and covering her mouth. ¡°¡­!!¡± Pola was wrapped around the Commander¡¯s arm from her back. [¡°Wha? Wha? Wha? What just happened? When did he appear in my back? And why am I stuck close to Commander right now??¡±] ¡°Phew...¡± [¡°He¡¯s breath¡­ in my ear¡­!¡±] Pola¡¯s body squirmed involuntary because of the sudden stimulation and closed her eyes in an attempt to endure it. ¡°Mfmfm¡­¡± ¡°Seems like no one¡¯s really here¡­¡± ¡°Mmfhmfmmm¡­!¡± ¡°Ahh! Sorry about that. Did that hurt?¡± The Commander released his hands that is wrapped around Pola from behind. ¡°Puhaa¡­ N-no¡­¡± They stood up from their place and pat the dust away from their pants. They both look at the window for another confirmation. The place was brighten by the moon and gave the almost crumbling house a natural light. ¡°But seriously, you almost gave me a heart attack.¡± [¡°I¡¯m the one who almost had a heart attack!¡±] Thinking about that, Pola held her hands tight to her chest, calming the now fast beating heart of hers. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the problem, Pola?¡± ¡°N-Nothing¡­¡± Pola sighed heavily releasing the sudden burst of emotion inside her. ¡°Wait¡­ Your face is red¡­ Did you perhaps catch a cold??¡± ¡°W-w-w-w-what are you t-talking about, Commander? It¡¯s even dark in here! It¡¯s hot¡­ It¡¯s hot in here. Phew¡­ It¡¯s so hoooot~¡± She fanned herself using her hand while sweat started to appear on her forehead. [¡°But it¡¯s rather cold right now, most especially in this season¡­¡±] But Schmidt didn¡¯t voice out his concern in the moment out of consideration. There are thing he still doesn¡¯t know about girls that is why he thought it would be better to now pry any further. It was his inexperience with the opposite sex that led him to that conclusion. ¡°W-where were we?? Uhh¡­ Yes! S-so¡­ *sigh* you were still 12 when you had your first battle?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± She was without a doubt curious to how the Commander¡¯s life turned out to be like that. Even in this world where the young ones are trained to be in the military, it was still strange for a 12 year old to have his or her first battle. Normally, that age should be the years of their training then their first battle will not be before they turn 16. It must be an extraordinary reason for the Commander to have joined the military at such a young age. That is why Pola chose to just keep her curiosity to herself. ¡°We¡¯re clear.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± *bzzzt* ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve found a spot.¡± ¡°Copy. Good work. Tell the other two. We¡¯re on our way.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± After the communication from Dan ended, Schmidt and Pola headed out of the deserted house which was the last house they had entered. ¡­ .. . *crackle* ¡°Commander, the fire¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°Alright, Will. Tell the other¡¯s I¡¯ll be cooking something so they should finish what they are doing so we can have dinner.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Schmidt prepared all the ingredients on the table and placed the chopping board in front of him. He wore the apron without a moment of unnecessary movement, much expected from a professional chef. ¡°But first¡­¡± He brought out a knife from a small suite case which one would consider something special to him from the first glance of the case and the cover inside. It was carefully placed with the edge facing downwards. ¡°Sherry¡­~¡± The knife was brought to his hands, caressed its side softly and brought it upwards where it reflected the blue reflection of the night sky. ¡°Kufufu¡­~ You¡¯re shining brightly today as always¡­~¡± Schmidt, while grinning, blushed creepily as he laid his knife alongside the ingredients. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care now too. Let¡¯s make another dish that will knock ¡®em off¡­~¡± ¡°He¡¯s at it again¡­¡± Pola who just arrived at the fireplace saw a glimpse of her Commander creepily enjoying his time with his knife. ¡°What¡¯s up with the Commander, Becker?¡± ¡°Will... It¡¯s nothing¡­ Or rather, he¡¯s usually like that before he cooks. With her lover, Sherry, his chef¡¯s knife.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that¡­?¡± ¡°Kufufu¡­ Here we go!¡± Schmidt held Sherry firmly as he proceeded to cut the ingredients with finesse. Everything was done in a flash and without a moment of delay the dinner is prepared. ¡°We¡¯ve been eating his food while he¡¯s like that when he cooked it¡­?¡± ¡°Gahaha! As long as it¡¯s good!¡± ¡°More beer! Aha~¡± ¡°Too close, drunkard¡­¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Alright! Here¡¯s the dinner! It¡¯s¡­¡± Schmidt brought the sizzling dish onto the table. All the while the aroma of the dish spread throughout the place with the vapor that comes along with it. ¡°Yahoo! It¡¯s another one of Commander¡¯s meal!¡± ¡°Gahaha! No matter how many times I¡¯ve eaten it, I still can¡¯t wait patiently every time he brings it!¡± ¡°Dan was far longer in Commander¡¯s squad than most of us here, right?¡± ¡°Right!¡± ¡°But I still can¡¯t seem to remove the image in my mind before he started cooking¡­¡± William held both his arms and rubbed them while shivering slightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, then I¡¯ll eat it!¡± Pola tried to reach for his spoon and fork. ¡°Waha~! The food¡¯s so delicious! Hmmm~! Yummy!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t started eating yet, idiot¡­¡± ¡°¡­ This! Tofu Hamburg Steak!¡± ¡°Oooooh!¡± Hamburg Steak. It is a dish made from minced meat, usually beef, mixed together with onions, grated carrots, eggs, and others. Formed to a flattened, thick circular shape and is served along with a sauce. But this time, the commander used minced tofu instead of meat. The appearance is the same with a normal Hamburg Steak glazed with the Commander¡¯s original brown sauce. ¡°Of course it¡¯s hard to procure meat nowadays so I thought of an idea to have some from our usual ration, which is tofu, into making it a bit more special. Tofu is rich in protein so it will be healthy for all of us. To the point it¡¯s also called the meat of the farm!¡± ¡°It looks exactly like a Hamburg Steak though¡­ Is this not really meat¡­?¡± Johannes tried poking the dish with his fork and the juice from the steak started too ooze out from the inside. Another explosion of aroma of onion and pepper began to enter their noses. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Man¡­ You really did this¡­¡± ¡°Of course. A soldier has to stuff his stomach before going to battle. Then why not making it more special? This is the least thing I can do for you all.¡± ¡°Commander¡­ Sir¡­!!¡± William looked at his commander with teary eyes while curling his hands into a fist. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you forever!¡± ¡°Hahahaha.¡± The other¡¯s followed with a laughter at the display of William¡¯s emotional outburst. Everyone thought of the same thing while they heard the Commander¡¯s words. It¡¯s not simply because he is their superior anymore at this point. The bond that was created within them made them understand in their selves that the squad they are in right now is definitely where they belong and where they want to stay from here on out. ¡°Without further ado¡­ Let¡¯s eat!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Everyone began to cut their own steak into small bite size pieces and brought it in their mouths using the fork. ¡°¡­! It tastes like meat¡­¡± ¡°I-Idiot!¡± Suddenly remembering about the Commander¡¯s usual food talks, Pola called out William because of what he just said. ¡°I see, you noticed that as well¡­ That is because!¡± ¡°Aah¡­ it began¡­¡± ¡°*sigh*¡± Pola heaved an exasperated sigh while having her own meal. ¡°Remember the beef Pola brought before? The truth is, I separated some of the stock and reserved it for next time. And here I used the stock to boil the tofu before crushing it to make¡­¡± ¡°Oh well¡­¡± Letting their commander have his way with his food talks, they continued to eat. ¡°The sauce is one thing too¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ The sweetness of it too but the subtle taste of garlic blends perfectly with the meat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not meat though. Haha.¡± ¡°The more I chew the more I want to bite to eat! The texture of the tofu with the slight taste of egg is irresistible!¡± They enjoyed another meal of the Commander with smile on their faces ¡­ ¡°And then I mixed the rest of the condiments together with the¡­¡± ¡­ while their Commander is still in his food talks. ¡­ .. . ¡°What are you reading, Commander?¡± ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s a comic book.¡± After dinner, everyone began to rest for tomorrow but just outside the camp, there sits on a chair was the Commander of the squad reading a book. Pola went out with her usual alone time when she found Schmidt just right before she went back to sleep in her own tent. ¡°Comic book?¡± ¡°Yeah. These were very popular in the olden days before the war happened. Along with these, games and books are my best friend when I was a child after all.¡± ¡°Hmm~ what¡¯s it about?¡± Pola was quite sleepy because of the long travel they had during the day. But curiosity got her this time and before she knew it, she was already asking the Commander. ¡°It¡¯s a story set in a fantasy setting. Well basically, it¡¯s the story of the protagonist who is a commoner in their kingdom and went to save the princess from the demon lord and came back as a hero.¡± ¡°Is it interesting?¡± ¡°It sure is. This is already my 8th time reading it.¡± ¡°Heee¡­ So Commander must love reading then?¡± ¡°I do, actually. Every now and then whenever I have my free time, I would read. From novels, comic books, and the likes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Pola glanced at the figure of the Commander while he reads. A stern face while his eyes continue to follow the letters in each pages. Slight sweep of air slowly moved his hair but is still unperturbed with his reading. It was another side of the Commander which Pola has never seen before. [¡°His eyelashes are long¡­¡±] The longer she started, the more she noticed the small details in her Commander¡¯s facial structure. ¡°Sir, can I read some too?¡± ¡°Sure. Here¡¯s the first volume.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Pola sat by the side of the commander where she opened the book ever so slightly and began to read it. The protagonist of the story is just a simple commoner who was born and raised in a normal household in a small village. Their kingdom is in a crisis of the invading Demon Lord and then their village was targeted next. ¡°It¡¯s like it¡¯s the same with our circumstances, right Commander?¡± But the commander didn¡¯t reply as he was focused with the story he was reading. Pola smiled wryly and continued reading the comic book. All of the main protagonist family and friends we¡¯re killed during the attack and he was the only survivor. He swore revenge to the Demon Lord to defeat him. He trained himself to the bone until he became the strongest knight in the whole kingdom. One day, due to his great exploits during his quests from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, he was called to the palace by the king. He was granted the title of the Guardian Knight, a personal title for those who serves under the direct command of the king. There, he met the first princess who is in the line for succession and they instantly fell in love with each other. They treasured each other and everyone in the kingdom blessed their relationship. It was almost decided that they would end up together and eventually get married. But before the day of their wedding, the Demon Lord invaded the kingdom and wreaked havoc inside. Picking up his sword and shield, the knight rose to fight the demon lord. ¡°Pola?¡± Schmidt felt a light weight on his shoulder from beside him where Pola was seated. ¡°¡­ Hrmm¡­¡± ¡°Haha. She fell asleep, huh.¡± ¡°Mr. Knight¡­ no¡­¡± ¡°She even dreams of it. It seems like she quite liked it too.¡± The sleeping Pola who is now leaned on Schmidt¡¯s shoulder talked in her sleep about the story she was just reading. Schmidt left her to sleep for a while before carrying her to her own tent. ¡°This story is quite tragic at the end though¡­¡± During the attack of the demon lord, everything was going well until the demon lord was on the verge of defeat. But because of an unforeseen circumstances, the demon lord attacked the princess. Protecting his beloved, the knight used his own body to take the attack. In the end, the knight suffered fatal wounds and died after saving the whole kingdom from the demon lord. He was reigned as the greatest hero because of that. ¡°If I were in his shoes¡­ would I do the same¡­?¡± Schmidt closed the book and stopped from reading and let that thought sink in to him. The cold breeze of the night blew both Pola and Schmidt¡¯s hair while directly bathing in the light of the stars with the fireplace their only light. Who would ever thought that the place they are in right now is in the verge of collapsing because of the war? With this beautiful and serene scene pictured in the commander¡¯s eyes, he also followed Pola to the land of dreams. ¡­ .. . Chapter 2 End Chapter 3: The Moon and The Goddess and Lunaria Cafe A day somewhere that Hans Schmidt would not even dare to imagine existing. It is the middle of the afternoon. The place is surrounded with lush green trees and all sorts of plants that grow around them. Different kinds of sounds can be heard throughout. From the chirping of the birds, cry of different animals and the gushing of the wind that passes through the leaves of the humongous trees. The trees stretches to the sky from the ground, estimated to be 15 meters each, letting only some portion of the sunlight to pass through. Creating a scenery of raining rays from the sun. A lone figure is seen silently hiding from the bushes while waiting in lie for something that close resembles a wild boar. *swoosh!* A wide net suddenly expanded from the ground where the animal walked on and captured the unknowing prey. With a loud cry, it flailed around as it attempts to break free from the net to no avail. The trap was perfectly set to capture it with its size, strength, and weight considered. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± The figure went for the struggling animal and stabbed it right where its heart is located ending its life. The blood flowed from the carcass as it was carried and put inside a large leather bag. ¡°I guess this will do for today.¡± Standing up from place is followed by the figure¡¯s smooth, black hair tied into a ponytail that flows straightly like an unending river as it shines from the few sunlight that passes through the trees. She flips her front hair leftwards which now flows downward evenly just above her eyes while fixing the moon shaped clip that fixes her right bangs to the side. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Heaving a sigh of relief after a long day in the forest, she wiped the unsheathed dagger, removing the blood of the animal and returned it to its scabbard. She then pats her leather-made chest cover and pants to remove some of the dust which accumulated from hiding in the bushes. ¡°Ceres! Are you done~?¡± Just not far from the site, a woman¡¯s voice was heard calling the young woman, who is called Ceres. ¡°Anya. Yes. I just placed the body of [Horned Boar] in that bag.¡± Ceres saw Anya pattering towards her while holding a leather bag containing a bunch of herb overflowing from it. Her long, fluffy, and wavy hair danced along the wind as she stopped to take a breath after a short jog. She held her hand to her ample chest as it moves upward and downward from her heavy breathing. ¡°I see! Phew~ I¡¯m also done collecting herbs. Let¡¯s all bring them back to the cart!¡± She wiped her forehead with the back of her hands causing her hair to be disheveled. ¡°*sigh*¡± ¡°Hm~?¡± Ceres reached for Anya¡¯s hair to arrange it neatly and pats it gently before withdrawing her hand. ¡°Fufu~ Thank you~ It¡¯s like you¡¯re a big sister.¡± ¡°What big sister¡­ You¡¯re three years older. I¡¯m only turning 21 this year.¡± ¡°Gee! It¡¯s like you¡¯re saying I¡¯m an old lady already!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Ceeereees!¡± The two young woman who are called Ceres and Anya went with their usual banter as they walked their way to the cart which was parked just by the opening of the forest. *thud* And with a loud thud, the bag containing the body of the Horned Boar was place in the cart altogether with the other hunted animals. ¡°See you next time, [Traveler¡¯s Forest]~¡± Anya paid her respects towards the forest they just went out from. ¡°Is there really a need to do that?¡± ¡°Geez, Ceres¡­ If you pay your respect toward the forest, you don¡¯t know maybe it will give us a lot more the next time!¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind the small details! Let¡¯s go~!¡± Anya bubbly raised her right hand to the air as signal for the start of their departure followed by the motion of her bountiful chest. ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Ceres whipped the roped that is connected to the horse from the cart. The horse began to walk and went their way back to the town. [Floresia Town]. A town located in the far south of [Estelanta Kingdom] that will take a month by foot and around two weeks to travel by horse. It is one of the neighboring town near the Traveler¡¯s Forest which is the known for safest possible route for travelers, hence its name. It is known for its beautiful scenery and relaxing atmosphere. Surrounded by different kinds of flowers that are found from almost everywhere in the continent. It is said that a witch who loved flowers came to the village a long time ago and casted her original spell as thanks to the residents and made it how the way it is right now. At the north-central part of the town is a circular plaza with a fountain in the middle. It branches to four ways, to north, east, south, with the west as its exit and lead towards the Traveler¡¯s Forest. It consists of a river bank that crosses the southern part of the town crossing from west to east that flows from the huge lake in the Traveler¡¯s Forest which flows to nearby towns as well. Along the river are the houses and buildings made from bricks and wood that even now gives off a medieval atmosphere. The pavement are arranged with crafted cobblestones that stretches from the gate to the inner part of the town. Different kinds of people are also seen happily walking alongside the pavement. There are those buying from the stalls and markets. Others are resting on a bench beside the relatively huge fountain in the plaza. Children playing while their mothers are watching them peacefully. From the [Beast-Eared] race, [Elves], [Dwarves] and [Humans], all sorts of colors are harmoniously going here and there inside the town. It has now became a tourist spot for those who are on their way to Estelanta Kindom. It is a perfect stop for those who are exhausted from their travels. Inns, restaurants, bakeries, pubs, armory, public market, and all sorts of department can be found in the town as well. One of those is the [Lunaria Caf¨¦], located just by the east street of the town from the plaza. One of the famous establishments that had its roots way back after the end of the [Cursed Age] which is around two centuries ago. The number of renovations it had before today is apparent from the outside. It is designed with reddish-brown slate roof tiles and bricks for the wall supported by wooden pillars with four corners. *clang clang* ¡°We¡¯re back~¡± The sun has already started to set when they arrived, but there are still more things to do before calling it a day for them. The moment they entered the door, there they found a person cleaning. The person¡¯s frilly skirt waved from left to right while wiping off the tables. ¡°Oh, welcome back! How was your day in the forest?¡± Turning their back from the table to face the two women, the one that welcomed them greeted them with an angelic smile befitting of their race.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°It went well, look~!¡± ¡°Wow. So many!¡± Along with the elated gesture of the person while holding their fists near their chest, their elongated and pointy ears slightly perked expressing their delight. ¡°Ehe~ Sofie~ you really are cute as always¡­~¡± Anya placed both his hands on the person, called Sofie, and pinched it softly. It¡¯s a gesture that can be said the usual every time Ceres and Anya come back from their hunt. ¡°I said, it is Sofiel¡­! How many times should I tell you¡­?¡± Teary eyed, he protested his name to be corrected while flailing his arms around. Sofiel closed his eyes while his cheeks are being massaged teasingly by Anya. ¡°But look how cute you are~¡± ¡°Ermm¡­ But I am still a boy¡­¡± Yes. While being biologically male, Sofiel¡¯ facial features are that of a cute girl. Elves are a different race from Humans and lives usually in an abundant forest but a number of them venture to Human settlements with various personal reasons. They are also known for their unparalleled beauty and some of them cannot even be distinguished whether they are a boy or a girl. ¡°But that waitress dress fit you perfectly~¡± ¡°¡­ I like cute things, that¡¯s why. But I¡¯m still a boy at heart! So stop calling me Sofie! But I admit it sounds cute though¡­¡± ¡°I understand¡­ Then I¡¯ll call you Sofie~¡± ¡°Were you even listening?? Geez!¡± ¡°Anya. Stop fooling around. We have to prepare for tomorrow.¡± ¡°I am sorry, Chef Ceres!!¡± ¡°Oh my, we got scolded by Ceres~¡± Noticing the sharp glare, that if left alone could kill someone, Sofiel immediately bowed his head deeply as a form of apology. If one would look closely, Sofiel can even be seen slightly trembling from his shoulders. Sofiel have been working ever since the last owner of Lunaria. He was doing well with the last owner and feels indebt to her that is why even though he is considerably scared of Ceres, he still stayed to work with them. ¡°I got it already. If you¡¯re done there, you can go home.¡± ¡°I-I-I understand!¡± ¡°Really¡­ Ceres¡­ You should relax your shoulders a little more.¡± Anya softly sighed while bringing the herbs she gathered during the day to the kitchen. She is already used to Ceres¡¯ strict personality to the point where it does not even reach her. ¡°A waste of time is a waste of time.¡± ¡°*sigh*¡± Anya winked at the direction of Sofiel while signaling she can leave it to her. Sofiel then in return bowed and went his way to the changing room. ¡°Say, Ceres. Do you hate me?¡± ¡°Wha- what are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just answer.¡± Ceres was a little bit surprised because of Anya¡¯s change in tone. She stopped her hands from chopping the ingredients and lowered her head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then do you love me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°I-I do.¡± Ceres answered as soft as it was almost a whisper in which one will not hear it unless they strain their ears. Her face became flushed up to her ears and hot that her head almost emitted steam. ¡°I see~! Thank you~ I love you too~¡± ¡°¡­~!!¡± Out of embarrassment, Ceres hid her face with both her hands from the sudden words of Anya. ¡°Then¡­ Do you hate your job?¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± ¡°What about Lunaria?¡± ¡°That would be impossible!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anya was not at least surprised by the abrupt voice of Ceres. Even with the continuous questions she asks Ceres, she already knew the answer from the start, or at least that is what she wanted to believe. ¡°Aunt Anastasia took in even someone like me. This place is where she brought me up together with you. I would not dare hate this place¡­¡± ¡°Ceres¡­¡± ¡°¡­ This place is one of my treasures¡­¡± Anya reached out to Ceres¡¯ hair and patted her head with a smile on her face as of that of an older sister to her little sister. ¡°Mom used to say that I should study cooking more since I would definitely take up the ownership of this place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But what I thought that time was, ¡®Ceres would be perfect to be Lunaria¡¯s owner.¡¯¡± ¡°Even now I still can¡¯t believe the reason you did that¡­¡± ¡°But even now I still think so.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Moooom!¡± ¡°What is it, Anya? Oh together with Ceres? Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°You see, you see! I want Ceres to be the next owner!¡± ¡°A-Anya?? What are you saying?? This is different from what we talked about! Madam Anastasia, it¡¯s not! I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that!¡± Anastasia smiled and patted her daughter¡¯s head. ¡°And why do you think so, Anya?¡± ¡°Anya!¡± Ceres was fuming as she was confused by the sudden declaration of her best friend which is different from what they have talked about. Anya said to Ceres that she should just leave everything to her and that she will make Ceres more happy to make up for the time she was not. But unknown to Ceres, Anya was already thinking ahead of her future, with her happiness also in account. ¡°Because whenever I see Ceres cook, I like her smile the most then! She should do what she loved the most!¡± ¡°¡­ Anya¡­¡± ¡°Said my cute daughter, Ceres. What do you think?¡± Anastasia smiled gently at Ceres along with the question. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Fufu~ I remember you running out of the house then because you couldn¡¯t take it~¡± ¡°That was entirely you fault. *sigh*¡± ¡°Eeeeh~? I don¡¯t think so~¡± Anya¡¯s smile almost produced light because of its brightness as she continued to converse with her beloved little sister. They may be unrelated by blood, but for Anya, she is already a family and a sister; an irreplaceable person in her life. *chop* *chop* *chop* The night has fallen and only the sound of the chopping board and the boiling water can be heard throughout the caf¨¦. The night in Floresia Town is usually quiet and almost only the cry of the insects can be heard. It is calm and nobody would dare to disrupt that peace. ¡°I mean it, even now.¡± ¡°Hm? What is?¡± ¡°That I love the smile you have every time you cook. That¡¯s why I want to let the others too how you love cooking.¡± ¡°Anya¡­¡± ¡°Well, everything¡¯s done and all so, want to take a bath together~? Like before~?¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± ¡°Yippee~! A bath with Ceres~¡± They placed everything that should freeze overnight inside the refrigerator which is powered by ice magic and cleaned the kitchen before proceeding upstairs where their living quarter is. But unbeknownst to them that they have forgotten something important. ¡­ ¡°I did not get to go out in time¡­¡± Sofiel, who could not find the right timing to go out, was still inside the changing room. ¡­ .. . ¡°Welcome! A seat for two, I presume?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Then this way.¡± Another busy day for the staff of Lunaria when all of a sudden¡­ *clang* ¡°I can¡¯t take it!! Why are you always like that?! Have I ever done something to you?!¡± One of the cook thrown the stainless bowl on the floor without any restraint. Her face is already painted with red expressing her anger and veins almost popping from her head. ¡°I¡¯m only pointing your mistakes. If you can¡¯t even figure that out, perhaps I was mistaken about your capabilities.¡± ¡°That does it! I quit! I¡¯ll never come back here!¡± ¡°No one¡¯s even holding you here. If you want to go, then go.¡± ¡°Then I gladly will!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The store¡¯s atmosphere suddenly plummeted where it seems cold air have flowed inside at the blink of an eye. ¡°W-We¡¯re sorry for the inconvenience. As an apology, everything will be on the house. So please, enjoy your meal.¡± Anya flashed a smile to all the costumers inside the store and without a moment of delay the now cold atmosphere turned warm and fluffy. It is one in the secret menu in Lunaria Caf¨¦ in which if by chance someone saw Anya¡¯s smile, would equal the happiness they will feel for the whole day. ¡°Ahh¡­ I feel cozy just looking at Anya¡¯s smile¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ She¡¯s so cute¡­ So this happiness¡­¡± *glare* ¡°Hiii!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­? Did you feel that??¡± ¡°It came from the kitchen¡­ right¡­?¡± ¡°Ceres! Sofie? Watch the store for the moment!¡± ¡°Yes, l-leave it to me!¡± Sofiel bowed and continued to serve the costumers. Anya pulled on Ceres¡¯ hands and brought her upstairs. ¡°Well? What happened there?¡± ¡°She kept making mistakes so I told her off.¡± Ceres is now sitting on the floor while looking proudly looking at Anya. ¡°¡¯So I told her off.¡¯ Or not! Why did you do that?? We¡¯re already even short on people and now another one left!¡± ¡°But-¡° ¡°No buts!¡± Hearing Anya bursting out in anger, which is a rare case even with just the two of them, Ceres flinched in her place. Anya¡¯s personality is one of the reason why she is rarely seen angry. But whenever it comes to Lunaria and her little sister, Ceres, it becomes a different matter. There was once a time during their childhood, where Ceres accidentally hurt herself from the knife but still continued to help in the kitchen. Anya got so mad and locked Ceres inside her room the whole day to prevent her from hurting herself again. It took some time and pleading to ease her anger, and also a handmade cookies from Ceres herself. ¡°She didn¡¯t do what I told her, and¡­ kept making mistakes because of that¡­¡± ¡°And then??¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t like it¡­¡± One can almost see Ceres¡¯ figure started to shrink. ¡°That¡¯s not how you solve anything¡­ *sigh*¡± ¡°¡­ ange¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It would change the taste of Madam Anastasia¡¯s food, so I didn¡¯t like it!¡± ¡°Ceres¡­¡± ¡°I would never forgive anyone if even just by little, would they cause this store to close down.¡± A sudden constricting sensation surfaced inside Anya after hearing Ceres¡¯ reason but it was not unpleasant at all. Moreover, it was a warm sensation. She felt greatly happy because even with Ceres¡¯ reasoning, she knew that Ceres¡¯ really loves Lunaria. ¡°Phew¡­ Ceres. I understand your distrust of others¡­ I know. But there are more than one ways to resolve the issue, am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°*sigh* If you understand that then, I¡¯ll let it go. I¡¯ll apologize to Fiana later. Let¡¯s go back before more costumers come~ Here~¡± Anya reached her hands and pulled Ceres from her postion. ¡°¡­ Anya.¡± Ceres whispered softly while rubbing her left arm. She always rubs her arm whenever she contemplates about something. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Fufu~ I think you¡¯re saying it to the wrong person, but oh well. Apology accepted~ I¡¯ll tell that to Fiana too.¡± ¡°¡­ Mm.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Good work everyone~! Well it¡¯s just Ceres and Sofie now.¡± ¡°Ahahaha¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± It¡¯s now evening and Lunaria is in its closing time. Sofiel and Anya began wiping the tables and remove all the left dishes on it, while Ceres is cleaning the kitchen. ¡°*sigh* If this goes on, this shop won¡¯t last.¡± *shatter!* ¡°N-No way¡­¡± Ceres was wiping the dishes that was just washed and after she heard Anya, it accidentally slipped of her hands due to her surprise. While sweating profusely, she looked at Anya for confirmation. ¡°Why are YOU surprised, Ceres?¡± ¡°¡­ Uuu.¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­¡± Sofiel raised his hands while still wiping the tables. ¡°Sofie~?¡± He stopped his hands and brought them near his chest. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t quit whatever happens so don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°¡­ Sofie¡­¡± All of a sudden, Anya¡¯s mood turned positive in an instant with stars and sparkles popping out from her. ¡°Sofie~! I¡¯m so happy~!¡± ¡°Uwaa~ S-stoooop!¡± Anya threw herself to Sofiel and hugged him. His face was buried in Anya¡¯s ample bosom because of their height difference. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°I-I got! I-I got it already! I can¡¯t b-breathe! L-Let go¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Ceres flipped the sign hanged on the door to ¡°close¡± and return to what she was doing. And with that, another day in Lunaria caf¨¦ has come to an end. ¡­ .. . Chapter 3 End Chapter 4: Operation Start and The Recruit Chapter 4 [23:54 PM] ¡°The dummy is now set, Commander. Awaiting further orders.¡± ¡°Good work, Viper. Now rendezvous with Owl and aid them with the infiltration.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°Do not kill the figures that look like researchers. They will still be valuable to gather more information.¡± Dan and frank left the human shaped dummy holding a detonate bomb and proceeded to the next designated target point where Pola, William, and Johannes are assigned. ¡°Well then¡­ Shall we start the party?¡± The air around the Commander suddenly changed and the once gentle eyes now turned that of an animal after its prey. If one would look at him, they would not recognize the usual commander anymore. While hiding silently in a bush just by the side of the entrance to the facility, the commander flashed a sinister grin. ¡­ .. . [22:12 PM] Less than two hours before the operation starts. Three days have passed after they have departed from the temp camp. ¡°Let¡¯s have an overview of the plan.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± They are getting near the target facility when the Commander decided to brief them once again. It¡¯s almost midnight and everything around is quiet except for the sound of the engine from inside the armored car. ¡°Dan and Frank, or will be called Viper, will sneak in near the entrance of the facility. Here is the map of the said facility. The entrance is pointed towards the direction of the sunrise. We will stop the car after going around until the opposite of that point.¡± Coming from the western side of their target point, they will have to leave the car at the opposite side and the squad must go around the site unnoticed, which means they have to go through the forest that surrounds the facility by foot to reach the entrance part. They will have to leave the car at the opposite side. ¡°I will follow you partway but you will do the rest afterwards. Intel have said that there will be two squads guarding the place.¡± Everyone except for Dan focused on the map as he was focusing on the road. Whether it is the tension of their yet another dangerous mission or the silence inside the vehicle, no one spoke a word and listened intently to the Commander. ¡°Viper will set up the dummy with a detonate bomb attached to it. That¡¯s what we will use to as a decoy to get their attention. Are we clear?¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°William, Pola, and Johannes, or Owl. You will be tasked to infiltrate the power generator of the facility after the detonation of the bomb. The bomb will draw the attention of the guards inside the facility too but expect there will be more that will stay inside to act as security for those inside. The explosion will be your signal to begin the infiltration. Got it?¡± ¡°Roger.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re inside, proceed to the main room of their power generator and destroy it. That will remove their eyes for a moment. Here¡¯s the floor plan of the facility. Review it.¡± Then Pola raised her hands gingerly. ¡°What about the Commander?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll move alone. Don¡¯t mind me and focus on your assigned task.¡± ¡°R-Roger!¡± Pola instinctively stuttered at the display of seriousness by the Commander. Every time it is the time for their mission, the air around their Commander suddenly changes to that of someone different. Usually he is just a carefree and easy going but when it comes to missions, no one can miss the feeling of the tension he emits in the air. ¡°Well then, report every time you finish your assigned task. Focus and we will soon be arriving.¡± ¡­ .. . [00:00 AM] Operation Start. *boom!!* ¡°Wha-?!¡± ¡°What was that?! It came from the direction of the entrance!¡± ¡°Enemy raid!! Enemy raid!! All combat personnel come to the entrance of the facility to retaliate!¡± After the large explosion that was just heard inside the facility, the non-combatant was in state of panic where the guards immediately went after the site of the explosion. The first squad that was tasked by guarding the inside of the facility and reorganized the place. As expected from a well trained soldiers. ¡°Boss! What was that??¡± ¡°Someone bombed the entrance of the facility. Some of you stay here to guard the place for possible intruders.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡°The rest, follow me!¡± One-fourth of the guards stayed for the lookout and the rest followed their leader. Just seconds after their action, all the lights and computers shut down at the same time. Blinded by the darkness the panic arises more. ¡°Boss! A lone figure spotted!¡± A shadow of a small figure appeared coming from the hallway directly to the back exit. ¡°Keh. Someone¡¯s getting ahead of themselves, eh? All arms, ready! Aim and wait for my signal!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡°Now let¡¯s see what kind of an idiot we would get this time¡­¡± ¡­ [00:12 AM] ¡°Ugh-!¡± The sound of a body falling flat to the floor was heard everywhere inside. Followed by gunshots which was fired aimlessly attempting to dispel their fear. ¡°Ack-!¡± After some time, the lights turned back on and the researchers was shown a scene of catastrophe where in a span of a minute every combat capable person now lies on the ground with their blood spilling forming a pool. ¡°Phew. We¡¯re done here then. Will, Johannes, tie everyone who are still alive.¡± ¡°What the¡­ we didn¡¯t even do anything¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reason why Pola is in our squad in her age¡­¡± ¡°Really now¡­ She¡¯s like the Commander in combat mode.¡± ¡°Agree.¡± Pola at that time, was looking for other possible survivor around the facility. ¡°As expected, you lot are already done. Gahaha! Good!¡± ¡°Heya~ Good work guys~¡± Dan entered the room followed by Frank walking leisurely as they check the premise. ¡°I guess another kind of monster just joined our squad, eh¡­¡± ¡°Viper! We¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°Good work, Recruit.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the commander, by the way?¡± ¡°Called for me?¡± ¡°Eek!¡± All of a sudden, the Commander appeared just behind Pola and greeted them with a smile surprising her making her squeal. ¡°C-commander! Since when? I mean, where are the other guards??¡± ¡°¡¯Eek!¡¯ she said¡­¡± ¡°¡¯That¡¯s kinda cute, sirs.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°That would go well with a glass of beer~¡± ¡°There! Shut it!¡± Pola pointed towards her teammates with a glare. ¡°About the other guards, you don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡± ¡°As expected of our commander! Gahaha!¡± ¡°Eh? Eh? Those guards¡­ Along with their leader, they numbered over thirty, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just how our commander is¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡­ .. . [00:02 AM] 10 minutes prior to the Commander entering the facility to rendezvous with his squad. Running towards the site at full speed, the second batch guards that were tasked with protecting the outer side of the facility, together with their leader were greeted by an immense amount of smoke.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Spread out! Don¡¯t stay in one group and don¡¯t let the enemy detect your position! This is smoke is not from the explosion! And stay silent as much as possible!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Determining the true identity of the smoke, the leader of the guards judged that the smoke was intended to blind them. ¡°Now¡­ What will come out from this¡­?¡± He surveyed the surrounding by straining his ears. The night sky was not helping at all and the smoke thickens by the minute because of the smoke grenade draining its content. ¡°Leader, there¡¯s a figure near the entrance of the forest.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The leader aimed his assault rifle towards the figure. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to do anything then we will!¡± He opened fire at the figure but it did not budge an inch. ¡°What the?! Wait¡­ What¡¯s that¡­?¡± Approximately ten meters from him, he heard a small foot step that is coming towards him. He then pointed his gun towards the noise only to find it fading. ¡°Where¡¯d it go¡­?¡± The next moment, it¡¯s now heard from the opposite position another ten meters from his place. ¡°Guha-!?¡± ¡°Kuh¡­ what the hell??¡± Not far away from the leader¡¯s position, a sound of pierced flesh was clearly heard followed by someone¡¯s grunt. Someone was definitely killed. He aimed his gone towards the direction of the sound but once again, it disappeard. ¡°Gah-!¡± ¡°Kuh-!¡± ¡°Urk-!¡± Then one by one, everyone fell on the ground as if in a synchrony. Coming from all direction, the leader became frozen in his feet, unable to do anything. ¡°Wh-wh-what the hell¡­?¡± His feet began to tremble. Without eyes in their current situation, no one know what exactly is happening. Humans are afraid of what is unknown to them. It is like saying they fear the dark but it¡¯s just that they are only afraid of what is in it. They are drawn to conclusions as to what will be done to them by the unknown. ¡°Now¡­¡± Coming close to him, a gentle voice poured out from the figure. ¡°You¡¯re the only one.¡± Out of fear, the guard leader pointed his gun to the figure but seeing the true identity of their attackers, he was petrified in his position and felt his teeth gritting. He forced his mouth to move nevertheless and asked the figure. ¡°Y-you¡­ What are you doing here!?¡± ¡°Oh. Perhaps you recognize me? ¡°B-Blond hair¡­ B-b-b-lue eyes¡­ Y-y-you are that¡­!!¡± All sorts of scenario have begun to play inside the head of the guard¡¯s leader. But they all in end the same; he will be killed. ¡°G-Golden Death God!!¡± ¡°Ahahaha! I wonder how I got that name. They just began calling me that out of nowhere.¡± The figure called Golden Death God just laughed because of the name. But in the perspective of the guard leader, he was hearing the laugh of the demon who will take away his life in a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°N-No¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hate me for this, though. It¡¯s just give and take.¡± ¡°N-n-no! S-s-s-stop! P-p-plea-¡° *bang!* ¡°Hmph.¡± The body of the guard leader dropped lifelessly to the ground from being shot straight to the forehead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy? I removed the silencer just for you. So that your death will be heard by the others.¡± The smoke cleared and a figure with light blonde hair appeared while holding his handgun still pointed to the body of the guard leader. ¡°¡­ They¡¯re already dead, though.¡± ¡­ .. . Dawn has begun to break and the squad are patiently waiting for the HQ¡¯s decision about what to do with the facility. Either they will leave them as it is or wait for the back up and leave it to them. But for now they are in charge of the place for the time being. ¡°Commander, every place is clear.¡± ¡°Good work. Leave the rest to me and take your rest. Tell the others to do so.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Dan immediately called for the others and told them to set up the camp just outside the facility. ¡°Will and Johannes, you now go and set the tent that we will use. Prepare two, for Pola.¡± ¡°Ah, Sir Dan, I¡¯m good. I¡¯m still not sleepy. I¡¯ll join the Commander after this anyways.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s nice being young eh? Gahaha!¡± ¡°Wha-?! What do you mean, sir?!¡± Pola got flustered because of the sudden words of Dan. ¡°Huh? I just meant you¡¯re still energetic even after a long night.¡± ¡°Ah- eh? Th-that¡¯s it? Phew¡­ I thought you meant¡­¡± ¡°What else would I have meant by that- Ah¡­ Ahhh! I see! I see! It IS nice to be young! Gahahaha!¡± ¡°Stop it!! I just wanted to help!¡± Pola, with her flushed face and steaming head, she ran away towards the direction of the Commander. ¡°What¡¯s with Becker, sirs?¡± ¡°Nah. Just a proof she¡¯s still a maiden inside. Gahahaha!¡± ¡°Hm? What does that mean?¡± ¡°So slow, Will¡­ Guess it can¡¯t be helped with that brain of yours¡­¡± ¡°Everything that comes out of that mouth is always, and always, and always! Johannes!!!¡± ¡­ .. . [¡°Geez¡­ I just wanted to help Commander¡­ Hrm¡­¡±] Walking past inside the entrance of the facility, Pola ran into Schmidt writing a report about the incident just after he interrogated the researchers. They are tied by a rope in a circle with all their backs together. Getting caught by the enemy, they had no choice but to follow if they value their own lives. ¡°Hm? Pola? Shouldn¡¯t you be resting now?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I-I-I thought I should go and look if I can h-help you with something¡­¡± [¡°Goooosh! That was weird! I so stuttered all through that! Because of what Sir Dan said, now I¡¯m overly conscious of the Commander¡­!¡±] ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯re sweating a lot too.¡± ¡°O-Okay! I¡¯m so okay! Don¡¯t worry! Aha¡­ Ahahaha¡­¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The Commander put down his pen and stood up. He went to Pola¡¯s direction while looking directly at her eyes and¡­ ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡­ reached his hand and placed it on her forehead. ¡°¡­~~!!¡± ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s not a fever, huh.¡± ¡°Aa¡­ Ah¡­-¡± ¡°Your face is flushed and sweating a lot. The other day too, your face was also red.¡± ¡°I¡­ I-I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Just in case, you should rest. I¡¯m almost done here anyway. ¡° ¡°B-But¡­¡± ¡°This is an order.¡± ¡°¡­ Roger¡­¡± Pola¡¯s shoulder instantly drooped as she was shunned by the Commander as he returned to his sit and continue writing the report. But one thing boggled her mind. [¡°Why did I feel disappointed¡­?¡±] In her mind, everything is just to help his superior. For a soldier, no, even for someone who works under someone, one who is devoted to his work will feel the desire to be of help to someone, especially to their superiors. That should be all to it. If they did not need any help then one should just go to the next person to help. [¡°Did I want to help the Commander that much?¡±] In a way, Pola has that side to her. When her family became just her, her sister, and her mother, the desire to help her family grew even more and is now reflected with her actions. But until now, she never felt disappointed from her help being rejected. Moreover, it was because of the Commander¡¯s concern for her health. [¡°If not¡­ Then why, I wonder?¡±] Lost in thought, Pola went her way to were the tent are set to rest. But without her knowing one of the tied researchers was holding something and was grinning sinisterly. ¡°*sigh*¡± She failed to notice the creepy chuckle of the now untied researcher as she walked the way to the exit. ¡°Kukuku! Even if I¡¯m caught here¡­ I¡¯ll at least bring one of you down with us¡­¡± The researcher slowly stood up without anyone noticing and brought out a small knife from his pocket. ¡°Good thing I¡¯m always prepared¡­ Kukuku¡­¡± He stared at Pola with cursing eyes as he planned the scenario in his head again and again. But he could not wait any longer and dashed towards Pola with the blade in his hands. ¡°Kuhahaha!¡± ¡°Eek!?¡± [¡°Since when?! I won¡¯t be able to dodge¡±] ¡°Graaaaaah! Die you cursed soldier!!!¡± Without any choice, Pola just closed her eyes and raised both her arms in an attempt to block the blade. *stab* Drop¡­ Drop¡­ The sound of droplets of a liquid was heard from inside the room. ¡°¡­? I¡¯m¡­ alive¡­?¡± Pola slowly opened her eyes noticing that nothing happened to her body and does not feel any pain at all. But what greets her is the back of someone she knew ever since she joined the military. It was a reliable and reassuring back. In an instant she felt calm just by looking at it. ¡°You okay, Pola?¡± ¡°C-Commander¡­¡± ¡°Curses!!¡± But the next thing that caught the eye of Pola made her almost faint. ¡°C-C-Comander¡­ Th-that¡­ What¡­¡± ¡°Kuhh!! I was close!! Why¡¯d you interfere!!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re even saying that¡­ You imbecile¡­¡± The anger was apparent on the Commander¡¯s face. If a glare could kill, the researcher may already be lying lifelessly on the ground. Pola¡¯s head could not keep up from the situation and her head started to get confused. [¡°B-Blood¡­ From Commander¡¯s sh-shoulder¡­ knife¡­¡±] ¡°Graaaaaaaaaaahhh!!¡± The crazed researcher released his every ounce of strength that was left and remove the knife from the shoulder of the Commander and once again swing it to Pola¡¯s direction. ¡°N-no¡­!¡± *smack!* Almost in a flash, Schmidt aimed his fist to the researcher¡¯s abdomen and punched it with his whole strength. ¡°Gufu-!¡± The crazed researcher threw up saliva from the huge blow and instantly lost consciousness. ¡°You dared hurt my subordinate. Be grateful I haven¡¯t killed you yet.¡± Once again, his eyes turned that of a beast without a hint of mercy to its prey. Only to kill. Only a thin line of thread allows him to maintain his calmness and it was because it was included in their mission to leave them all alive. *thud* The body fell down to the ground along with the knife that was once stabbed the Commander¡¯s soldier. ¡°Are you uninjured, Pola?¡± Then in an instant, the Commander¡¯s expression returned to the usual. A gentle smile that showed only kindness towards his subordinate. ¡°I¡­ I should be asking you!! Your shoulder!¡± ¡°Ah. It will heal. It won¡¯t kill me at least. Ahaha.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a laughing matter!!¡± Pola¡¯s eyes moistened while gripping the arms of her Commander. ¡°Why did you do that?! It could¡¯ve hit somewhere dangerous! What¡­ *sniff* What would you do if that happens?!¡± Like a dam that was destroyed, all of Pola¡¯s emotion suddenly rushed out along with tears that ran down her cheeks. She was hitting the Commander with her hands as she bawled her eyes out. ¡°*sniffle Why d-did you save me even though you could¡¯ve died¡­ *sob*¡± ¡°Pola¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that again¡­ If you died¡­ I¡­¡± While Pola¡¯s face was buried to the Commander¡¯s chest, her hands didn¡¯t let up and continued to hit him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Schmidt calmed her down by embracing her tightly. He held her for until she stopped crying while patting her head. ¡°Commander?! What happened?!¡± ¡°Blood, sirs?!¡± ¡°Researcher~?¡± ¡°Hug¡­¡± ¡°Wah!¡± Pola immediately pulled away from the Commader¡¯s arms after hearing the voices of the other squad members, especially the last comment. Hurryingly wiping her face and fixing her hair. ¡°That importantly! Sir Frank! Commander¡¯s injured!¡± ¡°I got it. Leave it to me~¡± ¡°What the heck happened here¡­?¡± ¡°Actually-¡° ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Schmidt was interrupted by Pola as he was about to explain the story. ¡°Tell us what happened Recruit.¡± Pola then told the wholes story to the other squad members while Frank was treating the Commander¡¯s wounds. The researcher had a knife from his pocket and kept it until he found a chance to attack. He cut the rope and waited for the right timing. When coincidentally Pola walked past by him, he could not wait anymore and attacked her on the spot. ¡°So he was untied all this time, eh. What a despicable bastard.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Good thing, Commander was there¡­¡± ¡°Just thinking about it, if he waited until the night¡­ Ugh¡­ Gives me the shivers, sirs¡­ Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Right. Well it end with just a wound in my shoulder. It¡¯s better than anything.¡± ¡°Commander!!¡± Pola immediately shushed the commander after seeing him taking the incident nonchalantly. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Everyone except for the Commander and Pola widened their eyes at the display. ¡°That Commander¡­¡± ¡°The recruit made him shut up with just a call¡­¡± ¡°Gahahah! What a courageous young lady.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, come here for a sit.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes¡­¡± Night has come and those who will maintain the facility have yet to come. At the moment, they decided to have a look out while the others are resting and the Commander insisted that he will do the role. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Pola sat beside the Commander, who is reading, on the bench they always bring whenever they have a mission that used every time they have to stop from travelling and make a temp camp. Pola could not sleep because of the incident and went to join her Commander for the look out. ¡°U-Uhm¡­¡± But it was hard for her to strike a conversation. Being reminded of how she acted was enough to halt every function in her brain. It was extremely embarrassing. ¡°R-Right! Uhm¡­ How¡¯s your wound?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ It just stings a little. It¡¯ll probably heal soon.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Another silence. A painful silence. For Pola, that is. ¡°¡­ What are you reading?¡± Unable to endure the silence, Pola asked a simple question. ¡°It¡¯s like the same from the one before. A story set in a fantasy world.¡± ¡°H-Hmm¡­ You must like those kinds of story then¡­¡± ¡°You can say that again. Whether the difference in this world and the world in the story or the fun of having to use magic and spells, it¡¯s a really fun world to me.¡± ¡°I see¡­ If you can use magic and stuff, you can do all kinds of things with it too. It¡¯ll be fun if I can use it too.¡± ¡°Right?? Haha. I knew you¡¯d understand.¡± Schmidt laugh with the book in his hands as he continues to read. ¡°Say Commander, what if¡­ what if you get to live in a world like that, what would you do?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Interesting¡­ I¡¯ll have fun as much as possible. I¡¯ll explore it and look for all sorts of recipes to cook, study magic, and fight monsters. I¡¯d live my life to the fullest I guess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In this world¡­ You just can¡¯t do that anymore.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Right.¡± A lonely atmosphere fell around them with only the sound of crackling firewood in front of them. The world they live in once was a peaceful utopia that anyone can live in without the fear of the loud gunshots and explosions. Everyone can laugh and enjoy their lives. Of course, there are some places where war are also widespread. But life was easier to live in than it is now. Everywhere you travel, there will be deaths, starvation, destruction, and tears. Everyone was warned of the consequences, but they still persisted with their wrongdoings and the result is the Great World War. A world where even a future with a smile on one¡¯s face is but only a dream. Dreaming won¡¯t start a person, hard work won¡¯t get him anywhere, a harsh yet boring world. ¡°But Commander! It¡¯s not all that bad¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Pola placed her hands atop her fast beating chest. ¡°There is a commander who will cook you delicious food.¡± ¡°Pola¡­¡± ¡°A commander who will encourage you, a commander who will support you, a commander who would protect you¡­¡± The Commander¡¯s focus was no longer on the book and is now onto the girl beside her who is slightly trembling with her head lowered. They were heartfelt words. They did, without a doubt, reached Schmidt. ¡°A-A-And also teammates who would laugh together with you! Aha¡­ Ahahaha¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± For an instant, the Commander did not know what to do. It was a new experience for him. ¡°S-So¡­ Commander.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier¡­¡± ¡°Haha. That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the appropriate words to say there.¡± The commander smiled and look at the bewildered Pola. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Thank you, Commander.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Pola.¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 4 End Chapter 5: The Golden Death God and Death *boom!* *bang!* *bang!* ¡°Viper! Do you read??¡± ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Good! Then proceed to point A to rescue the survivors! Owl! Follow me until point C then proceed to rescuing the remaining survivor¡¯s there!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡°Based on the information we got, the remaining survivors aren¡¯t only soldiers but also civilians. They are trapped just right after the enemy began to attack. Make sure every one of them gets out unhurt!¡± Altogether they answered in unison as they rushed to their assigned task. Dan and Frank ran all the way along the street of the destroyed City F where the enemy fire is almost everywhere. The fire that burns everything in its sight is illuminating the whole battlefield as explosions and gunshots reverberate all around the site. It was no time to appreciate the night sky which is as usual flooded with stars with the moon as its main actor. Even with all the heavy armaments they are bringing, it did not hinder their feet as they run towards the building where the civilians are supposed to have hidden from the invaders. And this has become a battle of time as the enemy advances with every step they take. No one could ever know if they have already gotten where the civilians are and already massacred all of them. But for Dan and Frank, it was not the time to doubt over little things. Even with the slightest hope of arriving with the civilians and soldiers still safe, they will continue to run. Although, the invaders does not have a plan to make it easy for them. ¡°Darn it! This guys won¡¯t let up!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drink my fair share of beer after this mission!¡± ¡°Hey Frank! It¡¯s a race until Point A! The winner will receive free beer from the loser!¡± ¡°I¡¯m in! Prepare your wallet, Dan!¡± The two dashed while engaging in open fire. ¡°Eat this you scum bastards!¡± ¡°Beer!!¡± ¡­ ¡°Commander! Rescue target spotted! Permission to proceed!¡± ¡°Granted! Now Owl, go, go, go!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Owl, or Pola, William, and Johannes, while engaging with the incoming fire from the enemy, sprinted with all their might towards the screaming survivors hidden inside a crumbling house. ¡°Tsk. This is worse than it can get.¡± The Commander clicks his tongue as a protest to their current dire situation. The night have taken away their sight with only the spreading fire from one house to another their only light. The relentless fire from the invaders like they have unlimited ammunitions is also one of the reason they are having a hard time. There are still other soldiers that have been here since the crossfire has started but one by one, they are getting tired and a number of them are already killed. If they do not act faster, this will be the end of everyone in the site. ¡°Viper, Owl, act using your own judgement after you sent the survivors to a safe place. I¡¯ll take a look inside this hell thoroughly.¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± ¡°Commander¡­ please be safe¡­¡± Pola whispered under her breath while helping the survivors run towards the gate leading to the exit of the city where a transport lies await. ¡­ .. . ¡°*pant* ¡­ You really make us do the impossible, Major General. Hup!¡± Jumping down the rubles of the collapsed building, Schmidt charged towards the direction of the real objective of their mission which is only sent to him, the ace of their country¡¯s whole military. Hans Schmidt entered the military when he was just 11 years old. Everyone noticed the innate talent of the youth and was sent to his first battle just a year after. He grew up alongside the smell of gunpowder and blood. Honed by the harsh environment of the war and made him the way he is now. ¡°They expect too much of me- Here!¡± He threw a grenade near the site of where the enemy soldiers are opening fire to the allied soldiers. *boom!* Until the time he was known all throughout the war. A young blond soldier reaping the souls of everyone he comes to meet face to face. After his utter defeat from his first battle, he pushed his body harder than any humans can do and later on, every time he is assigned in a battle, that battle is already considered to be a win for their side. Resulting to that is now man called Hans Schmidt. The commander of the Gold Forger Squad. ¡°Good.¡± A beast in human¡¯s hide. ¡°Now next¡­¡± [¡°Annihilate every enemy soldier in the vicinity.¡±] ¡°*sigh* Can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s do this.¡± Schmidt dropped his automatic rifle and changed to his handgun. With the sound of slicking, the handgun is now loaded with ammo and is ready to be fired at any time. With a knife in his left hand, he dropped everything that may weigh him down leaving only his weapons and grenades. ¡°*inhale* *exhale* Fuuuu¡­¡± The once light blue, droopy eyes of Schmidt, which one would think anyone would forgive him with whatever he do because of them, now becomes sharp like an eagle aiming for its prey. Once again, the atmosphere around him changed from that of a gentle young man to a soldier that is only made to kill. ¡°Hmph!¡± In a blink of an eye, he disappeared from his place and ran towards the next point where the enemy soldiers are stationed. ¡­ ¡°Go! Go! Kill all of them! Leave no one alive!¡± ¡°Diiiieeee!!!¡± The enemy soldiers continue firing without rest. ¡°Excuse me.¡± But without noticing, in an instant Schmidt is already behind one of them and¡­ ¡°What the?!¡± *bang* ¡°Guha-?!¡± ¡­ Proceeding to the next one like a storm. Like a flash of lightning, leaving only the trails of the light in his eyes, he runs as if he is disappearing from his place. ¡°Who goes there!?¡± *stab* ¡°Urk-!¡± ¡°Kirov! Damn!¡± *bang!* *bang!* ¡°You can¡¯t hit me without aiming properly.¡± Schmidt once again swiftly appeared behind another scared soldier. He pointed the blade of the knife on to the soldier¡¯s neck and locked his arms around the soldier¡¯s head. ¡°Whaaa-!??¡± *stab* ¡°Done here. Next.¡± The actions of Schmidt continued until the numbers of the enemy soldier dwindled significantly. ¡°¡­¡± His wound slowed him a bit but not to the point where it hinders his movements. Disappearing like a wind and running like an electric current passing through a conductive water killing everyone in its path. Some of the soldiers do not even know what happened to them and was killed off instantly. ¡°I¡¯ll be passing through.¡± ¡°N-No!!!¡± *bang* *rumble* *rumble* Not far from where he is, an armored truck carrying more soldiers appeared from the opposite side of the city. ¡°My, my. More corpses to pile up?¡± ¡°Gkh-!¡± ¡°I-I know him¡­ Th-That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What are you on about soldier?!¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the Golden Death God¡­ We¡¯re all dead¡­ Every time he appears in a battlefield, n-no one escapes alive¡­! Run! I don¡¯t want to die!!¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Thanks for the swift explanation. I guess I¡¯m really popular, huh? ¡°Tsk! Surround him! Don¡¯t let him get away from here! Aim! Aim!!¡± Every single one of the soldiers aimed at Schmidt with the intention of killing him without mercy. They are already fighting against death himself. It is no wonder that they would want to run away from him. *bang* *bang* *bang* ¡°Hmph. Where are you aiming?¡± Once again, he appeared from their behinds and one by one they fall to the ground. ¡°D-Damn it¡­ Curse you demon¡­¡± The last soldier who is on the ground gathered all his remaining strength and threw curses at the devil incarnate in front of him. ¡°Now, now¡­ Weren¡¯t I a death god?¡± ¡°D-Damn you¡­.!!¡± *bang* More than half of the soldiers that they fought was killed by him alone within a short period of time. If one end up having to witness him or even just accidentally met him face to face, they would never think that the one in front of them is a human like them, living up to his nickname Golden Death God. No enemy has yet to live to tell the tale of their encounter with the death god. ¡°Done. But it¡¯s not mission accomplished until we send all the survivors back home and also us.¡± *bzzt* ¡°Viper, how¡¯s the evacuation?¡± *bzzt* ¡°It¡¯s going well, Commander. Too well, to be honest. Well that¡¯s to be expected of you.¡± ¡°Tell me the ET of evacuation.¡± ¡°30 minutes and we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Copy. I¡¯ll be on my way there.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Schmidt ran towards their rendezvous point and arrived in no time. Almost all of the rescued civilians and injured soldiers are now in the transport and any minute now will be the time for departure. The smile and relieved faces of the evacuees are clearly expressed. The happy faces of the rescued are one of the rewards of a soldier whenever they have a mission that concerns rescuing. ¡°Thank you very much¡­!¡± One of the evacuees is a mother holding her daughter in her arms while expressing her gratitude towards the squad of Schmidt. All of the enemy soldiers were subdued by either killing them or tied up to prevent further resistance. Other soldier have started to put out the flames and others have proceeded to scout the whole area. The only remaining soldiers have only counted from 200 when they started to 23 including the squad of Schmidt. Considering the amount of their loss, it is hard for them to call it a complete victory even if they defeated all of the invaders. But that is a different matter. For now, the smiles of the rescued are what is most important and rewarding for them. It meant that the deaths of their comrades were certainly not in vain. ¡°You¡¯re most welcome, mam.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Soldier!¡± ¡°We thought that it will be the end of us¡­ Thank goodness you arrived. If not for you¡­¡± ¡°Not at all mam. We were just doing our jobs.¡± Pola smiled brightly while humbly denying the praise of the mother. ¡°I see. You know, nearly ten years ago my husband was also in the military but unfortunately¡­ I was pregnant with this child when he was sent to the frontlines¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°But now I know that everything he have done until now wasn¡¯t in vain. Just like how you saved us, I¡¯m sure he had also saved other¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m certain of that.¡± They all smiled back and waved as they went their way. ¡°This is nice, isn¡¯t it Commander?¡± ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t agree enough.¡± Pola smiled once again at the response of her Commander. ¡°This calls for a celebration! Gahahaha!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have beer!¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving~~!¡± ¡°Hey you guys. The mission¡¯s not yet done until we get home.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± They all responded in unison. It was a mission that is almost, no, that is definitely impossible for a single squad. But they went through with it. Working together and defeating the enemy. The skills they got from their harsh training, the bond they have within each other, and the will to be a hope for those who have despaired. Every one of the soldiers in the place right now has become a hero in the hearts of those who are rescued. And that hope will continue to live in their hearts. As long as they know that they are protected and safe from the enemies, they will hold the light dearly and wait patiently until the time they can go out to the fields and smile without the fear of death coming at them. The life in a peaceful country. ¡°Phew¡­¡± But life is not that sweet and na?ve. *BOOM!* ¡°Wha-?!¡± ¡°Th-The transport vehicle¡­¡± ¡°It was bombed!!¡± ¡°Damn it! Re-enforcements! All men, ready your positions! We have enemy re-enforcements! Proceed with a team and intercept!!¡± Schmidt called out a battle cry and boosted the morale of the soldiers. ¡°Th-The mother¡­ a-a-and the child¡­¡± ¡°Pola?¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± ¡°Pola! Snap out of it!¡± The Commander shook Pola¡¯s shoulders to no avail. ¡°Daaaaamn yoooouu!!!¡± Pola rushed by herself and dashed on to the enemy while opening fire. It was too late for the other soldiers to hold her down. Even the commander could not hold her down from her sudden outburst. ¡°Raaaaaaaaahhhhh!!! Diiiiieeeeee!!!¡± ¡°Pola!! Come back here!¡± ¡°Recruit!! Tsk, damn it! Follow her!!¡± Then near the explosion where the transport is, Pola was met with a devastating scene. The body of the mother together with her daughter lying on the ground unrecognizable. Not just them, but everyone in the transport. Severed arms, limbs, hands, the bodies of the evacuees are scattered everywhere. ¡°N-No¡­ way¡­¡± The light from her eyes have disappeared and her mind turned blank. Only the face of the mother and her daughter surfaced in her mind. [¡°Mom¡­¡±] Was it the moment when ones death is in front of them, where they are shown the memories they had? The moment when one¡¯s life flashes before their eyes? She remembers her mother and her little sister in her hometown. Pola was born and grew up in a normal household in the country side together with her mother and father. The town was one of the most protected places from the war as it was the hometown of one of the prominent figures in the military. [¡±Pina¡­¡±] When her little sister was just born, her father was sent to the war and never came back ever since. At first she believed that her father was still alive will never break his promise of playing with her little sister after he comes back. But he did not come back at all. She accepted the truth like swallowing a bitter pill and focused on taking care of her little sister. Her little sister was sickly and could not get to play much outside like a normal child. But nevertheless she did not give up and did her best for both her mother and little sister. ¡°Foolish soldier!!¡± But slowly, her mother¡¯s health deteriorated and lost the strength to work for two growing children and her little sister was sent to the hospital, to make matter worse. It was the hardest moment of her life. That is when she decided to join the military and let her mother rest. *clack* The sound of the gun brought her back to reality and Pola froze in her place after noticing the incoming troops. ¡°Avenge!!¡± She wanted to move but her shivering hands and trembling feet would not obey her at all. [¡°I¡¯m dying here¡­? Because of my foolishness¡­?¡±] She tried her best to move her body but it was too late. The enemy¡¯s gun was already aimed at her head and all she can do now is wait for her inevitable death. [¡°As long as I¡¯m your commander I don¡¯t plan on letting anyone of you die.¡±] The commander¡¯s words rang in her head as the soldier¡¯s finger slowly reached for the trigger. The gentle smile of the Commander flashed before her eyes and¡­ [¡°Commander Hans!¡±] ¡°POLAAAAA!!¡± Like a rushing wind, the Commander dashed through and passed by Pola towards the enemy soldiers. Using every kind of experience he had and every techniques he was taught, he fought of the majority of the soldiers that are aiming for Pola all by himself. ¡°You!¡± *bang!* ¡°Ack-!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t!¡± *stab* ¡°Argh-!¡± ¡°Lay!¡± *stab* ¡°Urk-!¡± ¡°A finger!¡± *bang!* ¡°Gah-!¡± ¡°On her!!¡± *BANG!* Some of the soldiers followed and fought the rest of the re-enforcements but the focus was all in the Commander. It seemed they know his identity and planned to remove him from the picture first. ¡°Commander!!¡± ¡°Kuh-!¡± But even the Golden Death God can¡¯t handle the number of the re-enforcement all by himself in an open battlefield. Moreover, the wound on his shoulder opened up because of the abrupt movements he had to make to save Pola. Pola flopped down to the ground after witnessing the scene. ¡°Gah-!¡± Some of the shots went through him and hit him from all directions. ¡°No¡­!¡± ¡°Urk!¡± His legs. ¡°Ack-!¡± His shoulder. ¡°Kuh!¡± His abdomen. ¡°Gack-!¡± His lower back. The scene was already beyond the human standards. One soldier facing up against a group of solider all by himself. Showered by endless bullets all over his body, but still he continued to fight. He can dodge most of the bullets because of his unbelievable agility which is above human standards. But it was still too much for the Commander. Everyone who witnessed the scene fell in despair at the same time, hope. Hope that he will push through it all and win just like always. ¡°You loooooot!! Don¡¯t just stand there!! We¡¯re backing him up!!¡± Dan shouted from the top of his lungs and stomped his feet from agitation. Everyone followed through and backed the commander up. Pola stood up from her place and joined the fray. Only a few minutes have passed but for the soldiers who are fighting, it seemed like an eternity. ¡­ .. . They continued to fight as long as they have breath. And in the end¡­ ¡°Damn it! Finally they¡¯re all gone!¡± One of the soldiers shouted as a victory cry. But no one followed back. It was never a victory in the first place. It was their total defeat. That is why no one dared to celebrate in this case. ¡°Commander!! Please! Pull yourself together!¡± Pola cried while carrying the Commander¡¯s upper body and trying to communicate with him. ¡°*cough!* Ahh¡­¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± From all over his body, the blood is flowing out non-stop. It is not an exaggeration that it is already miracle that he still alive in his state. Only his ragged breathing can be observed from him. He could not move even a bit. ¡°Sirs! What should we do!? There are a lot of blood!! Can¡¯t we do anything?! The medic!? Where are they?!¡± William cried with teary eyes. Gripping his gun is the only thing he can do. ¡°¡­ Will.¡± ¡°Johannes¡­¡± Johannes placed his hand on William¡¯s shoulder as a comfort. Everyone in the place knew that everything is too late for the Commander. ¡°Damn¡­ Damn it all¡­¡± All the while, Pola, never giving up, shakes the Commander in an attempt to wake him up. Huge amount of tears are flowing relentlessly from her eyes down to her cheeks and eventually falls down to Schmidt¡¯s face. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± The commander grunts expressing the excruciating pain all over his body. ¡°Commander!!¡± ¡°P-Pola¡­ huh¡­? *cough*¡± Schmidt coughed up another unbelievable amount of blood. No one would ever think that in his state, he will still survive. ¡°Yes¡­! It¡¯s me! I¡¯m sorry¡­ Sorry, Commander¡­! It¡¯s all my fault¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ Urk¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ be stupid¡­ I¡­ *cough* saved you¡­ because¡­ I want¡­ to¡­¡± ¡°Commander¡­!!¡± Pola gripped the Commander¡¯s hand and a huge amount of blood painted hers. But the safety of the Commander is the only thing in Pola¡¯s mind. ¡°And¡­ I told¡­ you¡­ Urk¡­ That I won¡¯t let you get killed¡­ I will¡­ send you¡­ home¡­ in once¡­ piece¡­ *cough*!¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why¡­! Even ending up like this¡­ No¡­ I don¡¯t want this¡­! Please¡­ Commander¡­!¡± Pola could not look at Schmidt¡¯s face properly anymore as her tears and now swollen eyes get in the way. The pain in her heart is unbearable it almost made her want to throw up. It is getting harder and harder for her to breathe between her sobs. The fact that one of the most special person is dying in front of her. It was just too unbearable. ¡°P-Pola¡­¡± ¡°Commander!¡± ¡°I¡­ I leave¡­ the squad to you¡­¡± ¡°No! You won¡¯t! You will make it! You¡¯ll still be our commander!¡± Deep inside Pola¡¯s mind, she already knew that the Commander has no more time left. Subconsciously, she knows that it is the end. But one thing betrays her and keeps on telling her that she could not let the Commander die. She does not want to. ¡°¡­ Haha¡­ I wanted to¡­ cook more¡­ and read¡­ more¡­¡± A distorted smile formed in Schmidt¡¯s face. ¡°You can! You will still do!! Please¡­!¡± Pola closed her eyes and prayed. Prayed to the god that have been silent all this time. She prayed and prayed until she could no longer think. That¡­ [¡°Please¡­ Someone¡­ If someone¡¯s there¡­ I don¡¯t care whatever happens¡­ just let the commander live¡­!¡±] ¡°Ahh¡­¡± The once held hand by Pola falls down to the ground lifelessly as if the string that controls him was suddenly cut. ¡°Commander¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But there was no response¡­ ¡°Stop joking¡­ You still haven¡¯t made me read the rest of the books you have¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Recruit¡­¡± ¡°¡­ *sniffle* I still want to¡­ *sob* eat you meals¡­¡± Still, there was no response. ¡°¡­ Hey¡­ Commander¡­ please¡­ *sob* Let me hear your voice¡­ *sniffle* please¡­¡± ¡°Becker¡­¡± ¡°No! Commander! Please wake up! What are you guys doing?! Call for the medic!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± But once again, there was no response. ¡°¡­ No¡­ *sob* Commander¡­ I¡¯m *hic* Sorry¡­ *sob* Waaaaaaaaaahh!!!¡± Her emotions burst out and cried her heart out. The Commander is no longer with them. ¡°Waaaaaaa!! *sob* Wh-Why¡­!! *hic* Tell *hic* me!! Waaaaahh!! *sob*¡± The once lively and carefree Commander who cooked for them, took care of them, who trained them to the bones. The Commander who supported her dream, who encouraged her, who promised to protect her is now no longer alive. The body is slowly becoming heavy in Pola¡¯s arms as she cried and cried. But no matter how much she cried¡­ ¡°Waaaaaaaaahhh!!¡± The commander will never come back. *ting* Then all of a sudden, the Commander¡¯s body glowed faintly and is slowly fading away. ¡°Eh¡­? What is happening¡­? Commander¡­?¡± ¡°What the heck¡­?¡± Everyone was bewildered of the spectacle. Schmidt¡¯s body has now became so transparent that you can see the ground through it and glows more brightly than before. ¡°Wh-What¡­? Then slowly, the weight in Pola¡¯s arms lighten until she no longer feels anything. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ Disappearing¡­?¡± Then in a matter of minutes, the body of the once dead commander who fought nonstop for his men¡­ *flash* ¡­ is nowhere to be found. ¡­ .. . ¡°Wah!?¡± Hans Schmidt abruptly woke up from the ground. If someone saw him, it would make them think that he just woke up from a nightmare. ¡°Where¡­?¡± With sweat dripping from his face, he looked around the surroundings. The place was covered in trees reaching around fifteen meters tall covering almost the ground from the passing sunlight. The ground is covered in lush green grass and the cries of the summer cicadas are heard all around. ¡°Wait! Didn¡¯t I just die?!¡± ¡­ And that is how the Second Lieutenant Hans Schmidt was brought to the Other World. This is the tale of a soldier who travelled across worlds and finds himself faced with the all kinds of extraordinary. ¡­ .. . ¡°I just died, right?!¡± Chapter 5 End Chapter 6: The Other World and Hans ¡°Where¡­ is this place¡­?¡± Hans Schmidt stands somewhere unknown. ¡°It¡¯s so bright¡­¡± He squinted his eyes to protect them from the unbearable light. Everything in the place is surrounded in white. Wherever he looks at, he will find a blank white. There is no end in sight. Only a white space. ¡°Oh¡­ Right¡­ Maybe this is the heaven¡­¡± Remembering the happenings right before he woke up in his place, it made sense to him that where he is right now is where the souls depart to and stay for the rest of their life. ¡°I did die¡­ didn¡¯t I?¡± A heavy feeling weighed his heart as he recalled what happened. Pola rushed in onto the enemies firing range in the spur of the moment. He was too late in stopping her. Even with her age, she was definitely strong and was obvious with how she could dashed fast enough for everyone to not be able to stop her. In just a second, Pola was already out of Schmidt¡¯s reach. ¡°But¡­¡± He was able to protect her. He was able to fulfil his promise to her. That alone is enough for him. Even if it cost him his life, he was able to let Pola return home in a single piece. ¡°Haha¡­ I can¡¯t tell her off now, can I? I just did what I told her she shouldn¡¯t do.¡± He remembered the time when he swore her his promise to protect her. When Pola declared that she will earn money for her sister even if it cost her her life, Schmidt rejected the idea and that was how he promised her to protect her. ¡°But really¡­ Is there really nothing here?¡± Schmidt moved his feet and tried to investigate the place. But no matter how much he walk, it seemed he never moved from his place. It was like he is walking in a treadmill. He thought he would see other souls or other people who died but up until now he was all alone. If this is heaven, there should be at least a few other souls departing from the world towards some gate of some sort. But none of that is happening. ¡°Well of course, this is not heaven, [Hans Alius Schmidt].¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Finally a voice was heard near him and spoke to him with a nonchalant voice. But his voice was not like those of a normal person. It sounded like a lot of static was interfering while he speaks. But all the while, he hears it clear. ¡°Whoa, wait. I¡¯m not an enemy so stop with that pose.¡± Schmidt was trained in the military and everything that was taught to him is engraved in his body. Whenever there is a possibility of an unknown enemy appearing before him, he would be on guard to respond whenever the need arises. He tried to reach for a weapon from his clothes to no avail. The combat knife that should be in its scabbard is nowhere to be found. He gave up and just posed a combat stance while facing the unknown entity. ¡°Who are you?¡± He is already in combat mode as he stared at the figure of the voice. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s obvious you would be on guard though. Seeing ¡®something¡¯ inside this empty space.¡± What Schmidt was seeing is a figure of a person. It is all white and based on the voice, ¡®it¡¯ was probably a male. He is as tall as him and his build is that of a young man. ¡°*sigh* Okay, okay. I know all too well that you¡¯re a great soldier.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ God?¡± ¡°God? Hmm¡­ Well to you probably I am but no, I am not.¡± Schmidt relaxes his body as he continued conversing with the entity before him. After speaking a few words with him, his body did not alert him anymore. He judge the entity to be harmless. [¡°But let¡¯s still be cautious, just in case¡±] ¡°Can I ask some questions?¡± ¡°Right. You¡¯re maybe confused to why you are here. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Where is this place?¡± ¡°This is not heaven like how you thought it is.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± The white figure crossed its arms in attempt to strike a thinking gesture. ¡°Basically, it¡¯s an empty space I created.¡± ¡°Created?¡± Schmidt began rummaging around his brain to find an explanation to the words he just heard. Even in the modern times he lives in, there have been no human being or an organization that could create a huge space like it while it not being noticed by the general public. Even the appearance of the figure baffles him. Moreover, his death. He was just dead before coming to the white space but now he is standing and no wounds could be found in his body. Even the holes that should be in his clothes are gone. [¡°Am I dreaming? Or¡­ was I just dreaming earlier? If so¡­¡±] ¡°This is not a dream, you know?¡± ¡°Wha?¡± ¡°How did I read what you were thinking? Simple. I just do.¡± ¡°What do you¡­ mean?¡± His body shivered and all the hair in his body stood up. It was like his body was warning him from a danger. Something that he should not mess up with. His mind is being read, his actions are seen, it is like everything is seen through by him. [¡°I perhaps met someone I shouldn¡¯t meet¡­¡±] ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It was me who brought you here. I have my reasons but I can assure you that it¡¯s not something that will cause you danger. It¡¯s more like¡­ I was asked? Or I just can¡¯t help but do something about it with how they asked. I was moved you know¡­¡± Schmidt¡¯s tense shoulder relaxes as he heave an exasperated sigh. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Chill. I told you. I¡¯m not your enemy.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± ¡°Okay, now to business.¡± ¡°You told me you created this space.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°For what reason?¡± ¡°To get you here.¡± The surprise in Schmidt¡¯s face cannot be hidden as he widens his eyes to the sudden revelation. ¡°So I haven¡¯t died yet¡­?¡± ¡°Nope. You definitely died right there. With all the holes punched through your body. Even I would be surprised if you still survived that.¡± ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Once again, his heart felt heavy from the news he heard. He is dead. That is now a fact that cannot be changed. ¡°Do you still have more questions?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes. Who are you? And why do you know my name?¡± ¡°Oh you noticed I called you with your full name which to even your subordinates you haven¡¯t told yet?¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡± ¡°I just told you earlier, but I definitely am not a god. Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s say¡­ I¡¯m just a normal guy who loves stories like you.¡± ¡°What¡­ do you mean? How come you¡¯re normal with that appearance? You read minds and you act like you¡¯ve known me before.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I know you since birth. I¡¯ve watched you ever since you¡¯ve arrived in your world. Your interactions, your family, your friends, your life as a soldier.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s with that disgusted look?¡± ¡°¡­ Stalker?¡± ¡°Wha!? Don¡¯t be ridiculous! Why will I stalk a dude?! Turn into a cute girl first and come back! Geez¡­¡± Schmidt is dumbfounded by what he just heard. [¡°This guy¡­ He¡¯s dangerous¡­¡±] ¡°¡­ You¡¯re being rude, you know?¡± ¡°Then what do you mean by knowing me since birth?¡± ¡°Never mind the small details. You won¡¯t get popular if you pry too much. Well, you already have that one girl in your squad, huh¡­ Tch.¡± ¡°You even know Pola?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Schmidt gave up trying to figure out the entity. He thought perhaps that there are just things that should be left unknown. ¡°Anymore question?¡± The figure straightened his back and Schmidt followed. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°I presume this will be the last question?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why did you bring me here? You said you created this space for me. For what reason? I¡¯m already dead. What do you need from a dead person?¡± The figure, even with his eyes not visible, looked at Schmidt straightly and¡­ ¡°Hahaha! You don¡¯t have to mind it too much!¡± ¡­ laughed. ¡°Wha-?¡± ¡°Anyways, that is it. You are dead right now.¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡± ¡°Yup. Right now.¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± The figure showed a disappointed expression even with his lack of face. ¡°You¡¯re kinda slow, huh¡­ Well that makes things more interesting.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Schmidt almost released a huge question mark out of his head. ¡°I told you that you are dead right now. But I can change that.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°Surprised, huh? Hahaha~¡± His eyes widen more than before from the sudden news. No one would believe it if someone said that they could revive them but for some reason, but Schmidt did not doubt the figure even the slightest. ¡°I can be revived?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ Not exactly.¡± ¡°Then how?!¡± Schmidt felt rushed because of the news. He has found a way to return and be with his squad members but the anxiety of not being able to grasp the true intention of the white figure is making him irritated all the more. ¡°Whoa¡­ Relax.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ My bad.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Hans released his tension and felt his fingers that are almost digging to his palm after clutching it more than he could. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had that side. Hm¡­ Is that an addition to your traits?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Nah. Don¡¯t mind me. Talking to myself.¡± ¡°So about what you said?¡± ¡°Ah right. I can¡¯t revive you as it is. That would be impossible even for me. It would destroy the balance in your world. Someone who died already can¡¯t be revived anymore. That¡¯s a fact in all worlds. Moreover, even if by some chance I revived you, you will still have the wounds you had before dying and die again. It will be an endless loop.¡± ¡°I see. Then what will you do?¡± ¡°Good for you to ask!! Now this is the interesting part. I can¡¯t revive you as it is but there is one way for you. Ah, before that I¡¯ll give you something you will like later, here~¡± The figure pointed his fingers towards Schmidt and a blinding light came out from it. The ball of light entered Schmidt¡¯s body and light covered his whole body after disappearing like nothing happened. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll understand later. Fufu.¡± The figure produced a mischievous laugh like he had just done something fun. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯ll explain to you what will happen to you from now on. Schmidt braced himself for the words that will come out for the figure. It is a chance that may never come. But on the other hand, it may be something terrible that could cost him his sanity. Anyways, he will not know unless he hears it from the figure. The tension in his body grew as he waited for the voice of the figure. ¡°I will transfer you to [another world].¡± ¡°Another world?¡± Another question mark floated above his head as he was baffled by the words of the figure. First he was reminded of the world in the stories he was reading. A fantasy place where magic and monsters exist. But it was just based in an imagination, a fiction. So he put the idea at the back of his mind. ¡°It¡¯s a different world from mine?¡± ¡°A fantasy world. I¡¯m sure even you know about it.¡± ¡°Fantasy¡­¡± The idea resurfaced from the back of his mind. A fantasy world. A world that is usually depicted in the books he had read. A place that is not contained in common sense. ¡±Ahhh, forget it, too lazy. Showing you will be easier. Hup~¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Then all of a sudden, a huge gap in the floor opened and in an instant, Schmidt fell through it. ¡°Good luck there!!¡± The figure waved at him with huge smile flashed by his invisible face while he is falling down. ¡°WHAAAT THE HEEEEEECK?!?!?!!??¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°And that happened¡­ So I¡¯m alive now?¡± Schmidt while seated on the grass touched his body checking for wounds he got from the guns fired by the enemy soldiers. But no matter how much he searched his body, not even a slight wound can be found and he¡¯s definitely breathing and alive. Even the moment he fell to the ground, the only thing he remembered was the falling itself. He didn¡¯t feel the moment of the impact. ¡°There we go-! Hup!¡± He stood up from place with vigor to test his body¡¯s state. Except for the now hole-filled uniform he wears, nothing of worth mentioning can be felt. It is like the time he fought the enemy soldiers and died was all but just a dream. ¡°I¡¯m really alive, huh¡­¡± All sorts of emotion swirled inside him. From the relief he feels that the fact that he is still now standing and breathing to the feeling of loss that he left those important people back in the former world. A complicated emotion. ¡°That is if I really did get transferred to another world¡­¡± What is happening right now is still unbelievable for him. The place or the world he just thought he would see in his comic books is now in front of him. Ever since he was a child, those books are what accompanies him most of his time before he learned cooking. He did not play as much as the normal kids due to the starting war. That is also why most parents would not let their children go out to interact with other kids their age. For other children it was troublesome but for Hans, it was the best thing he could ask for. He can indulge in his own fantasy world without getting interrupted except for the times he had to help his mother with the chores. And now those fantasies are becoming reality. One would question it the whole time but it is different for Hans. ¡°Ufufu¡­ Another world? Fantasy world? Bring it on! I¡¯ll enjoy it to the fullest!!¡± Of course, his heart was not only feeling the excitement alone. The fact the he probably would not be able to meet his members in his squad ever again is a huge blow to his stomach. Even a burly guy who spent his life in the battlefield will feel the loss if he knew that he will not be able to meet his trusted and bonded comrades. ¡°Pola¡­ Everyone.¡± He recalled the faces of the people who helped him reach the peak of his life and made him to what he is now. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we will ever meet again. But I pray you guys will always be safe.¡± Now determined, Schmidt looked up to the sky. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you sent me to this world, but I¡¯ll see to it that this experience won¡¯t be wasted!¡± For now, what is in front of him is what he should be focusing. Instead of regretting what is lost, he should move forward and think of what to from now on. That is what Hans Schmidt have done all his life. Even if he was abandoned by the world, he will still push forward until he witness the end of it. ¡°Alright! But first¡­¡± Yes. A fundamental question¡­ ¡°Where am I?¡± The place he was dropped to is a forest filled with trees all over that reaches up to approximately 15 meters in height. The trees protruded from the ground straight up with the branches only at the top like an umbrella. The leaves are almost covering the whole forest and only a few ray of sunlight could pass through them. The ground is covered in grass and bushes here and there. ¡°And ever since I came here I feel so warm and kind of cold at the same time¡­¡± A chill ran through his body along with a tingling sensation. ¡°It¡¯s not the wind¡­ But it feels like it is¡­ Ugh¡­ Forget it.¡± Hans set aside the matter and start looking around the place. ¡°But¡­ Now that I¡¯ve taken a good look, this is a great place.¡± The air is crisp and the atmosphere is serene. While listening to the chirps of the birds and the cry of the cicadas, he walked around the forest for a while. ¡­ .. . ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡± For almost 2 hours, he went all around the forest and investigated the place. This is all he have gathered so far:
  1. After walking aimlessly, he still have not found the exit to the forest. Which means it must be huge enough to fill a whole city. Or much larger, even.
  2. No one lives inside the forest as after he walked around for two hours, he has not yet ran across a single person or even just a house.
  3. The sun is now directly above his head. If the time here is the same as it is in his former world, it means that it is the noon right now and he arrived at around 10 in the morning.
  4. Different kinds of herbs and mushrooms grow with every tree. Which he never dared to try since it might be poisonous.
[¡°Better be careful or 9 lives won¡¯t be enough.¡±]
  1. Different types of insects ranging from small flying ones to large crawling ones up to the size of a cat. Imagine finding a rhinoceros beetle with the size of a cat.
  2. There are animals that roam the forest from time to time. Those which he has never seen before.
[¡°Good thing it was sleeping. Even I know it is dangerous to face it alone.¡±] Most of the animals just leave him alone when he passed by them. That is why so far he just walked leisurely without meeting dangerous animals that could have attacked him except for the black wolf.
  1. And lastly and most importantly, his body became so light that even after 2 hours of walking, he did not feel tired and could still continue for more hours.
All in all, the things he saw was more than enough to convince of the fact that the world he is in right now is different from the one he had lived in all his life. ¡°I guess that was all after the long walk¡­ I was surprised at first from the animals but some of them can be quite cute. But really, I wonder why my body is so light?¡± He tried punching a tree nearby with all his might to test his body. *Bam!* ¡°¡­ Eh?¡± *creak* *creak* A huge hole was formed in the trunk of the tree that should be as thick as 7 electrical poles. The tree creaked as it bended towards the opposite side and snapped. ¡°This is¡­¡± Hans could not believe the spectacle that just happened in front of him, much more as it was done by him. After he entered the military, he was trained by the instructor like there was no tomorrow. To be expected, he grew stronger than an average person. Moreover, because of his latent skills and techniques, he was deemed as a genius soldier by the officers and was praised by his comrades. Later on, he became strong enough to take on a whole army all by himself. ¡°Did I just do that¡­?¡± But not to the point where he can destroy a tree with his bare hands. ¡°Ah¡­¡± [¡°Ah before that I¡¯ll give you something you will like later, here~¡±] Hans remembered the words of the white figure before he dropped him. ¡°Is this what he meant by that?¡± His blood suddenly rushed as his excitement ran throughout his body. He never thought that he would be given a power from the get-go. ¡°But this is like cheating, isn¡¯t it.¡± Yes. The stories he read had the main character working his hardest to achieve a greater power to save the people he cherishes. But for him, he instantly acquired them. ¡°Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t honestly be happy, but¡­ Oh well.¡± It certainly is a cheat ability. But for him, it is something to use to make his experience in the new world a more fun one. ¡°Alright, I should get going, but¡­¡± From time to time he hears a bouncing sound from somewhere like balloon filled with water that is usually played like a toy by children. [¡°I wonder what that is¡­¡±] Thinking that, he heard it once more. But this time, it is much closer than it was before. ¡°It¡¯s near¡­¡± *rustle* He readied his combat knife from its scabbard that was safely attached in his pants. Before wandering around investigating, he first checked to see if he had any weapon to use in case of emergency and he only found the combat knife. That has to be expected since the only thing he had before he died was his clothes together with the knife. He really was just transferred to another world as is without the wounds. Forming a combat stance, he observed his surroundings while breathing as silently as possible. *rustle* *boing!* ¡°Wha-!?¡± All of a sudden a slime like creature(?) jumped out from the bushes and shoot out to Hans. Using his combat knife, he sliced the incoming creature(?) and successfully evaded the attack. ¡°What the heck¡­?¡± *boing* *boing* But it was too early for Hans to relax as the creature(?) that was just sliced up regenerated and returned to its original form. ¡°It¡¯s still alive, huh.¡± Now Hans tried to scan for information in his head from the stories and books he have read. He realized that the books he read and games he played may help him understand the other world as many of the aspects in it matches with the books. All sorts of fantasy creatures are described and was actually either fought our caught by the main protagonists. ¡°A slime¡­ Wow. I never thought I would see a slime in reality. So it¡¯s like this? Gooey and creepy. It¡¯s not cute like those in my comic books¡­¡± The slime slithered in the ground. It looks like a slime toy that can be created with simple materials, except from the eerie glow it produces and nerve like strings that are spreading inside its body. ¡°It¡¯s like a slime ball but it¡¯s like all kinds of garbage are in it. Tch. It¡¯s a little disappointing. Hmm¡­ Looking at it again, in most stories I¡¯ve read said that they don¡¯t have nervous systems¡­ then what is that, I wonder?¡± Then once more, it slithered as it speeds up to attack Hans. *boing!* ¡°The same move won¡¯t work twice! Ha-!¡± Hans sliced the spherical object inside the slime and after it dropped to the ground, it melted lifelessly like a liquid without a trace. ¡°I see. So that¡¯s their weak point.¡± Another point to take note. ¡°It didn¡¯t drop anything¡­ In my books, they drop items or even gold. Meh¡­¡± Disappointed as he recalled the stories in his books, he proceeded to investigating the area once again. ¡­ .. . After walking for some time, Hans has now faced by a huge hurdle that even he could not take lightly. ¡°This is a problem¡­¡± *gurgle* ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Hunger. One of the basic desires of the human body. On the other side of the note, it is one of the problems faced in his former world, much more because of the spreading war. A lion hunting other animals for their meat. Street children rummaging around the trash bin. An old man begging for money. A baby crying for milk. All put an effort to satisfy that desire. Hunger. An organism just cannot simply ignore the fact that they are hungry. The brain will send signals telling the body that it needs nourishments to replenish the energy that was lost and will make the person do anything just to satisfy its hunger. A mother will cook for her children. A salary man will buy from the convenience store. A college student will go to the cafeteria. A baby will cry for milk. Hans Schmidt now faces a dire situation. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He is hungry. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything here but my combat knife. I can hunt¡­ But I don¡¯t know which is which here.¡± The animals around him may serve as a source of meat for him. But there is a problem concerning if they are edible or not. Animals that survives in the wild usually have developed a defense mechanism that will make the predators choose to not mess with them. One example of that is poison. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die again right after I¡¯m revived. There¡¯s an option of eating herbs or plants but¡­¡± He tried to recall the smell of the herbs from his former world and match it with the herbs with the ones in the forest. ¡°They may smell and taste the same but who know what kinds of substance they contain. I can¡¯t risk it before I gain knowledge about the herbs here.¡± It is an otherworld. Which means there should be at least something edible for the people who lived in it. But the lack of knowledge for him is a great hindrance to find which should be eaten and which should be not. ¡°But then again¡­ Just thinking about the dish I can cook with them¡­ Ehehehe¡­ *slurp*¡± Hans began drooling with his hands trembling as he imagined the possible recipes he can cook with the new ingredients that is not from his world. ¡°Oops¡­ I almost went to another world right there. Oh right, I already did. Hahaha! Haha¡­ Ha¡­ *sigh* I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± ¡­ .. . Hans walked around again in attempt to find the exit but failed. The forest is not something to be entered by newcomers as they will definitely get lost in it. ¡°I guess it¡¯s around 3pm¡­ *sigh* I¡¯ve already been here for 5 hours without eating at all. I don¡¯t know if it had an effect but before the mission, I¡¯ve only eaten a small meal to make my body lighter. And my throat is also parched¡­ And I¡¯m talking by myself like an idiot¡­¡± It is definitely a dire situation. *boing!* ¡°Another one, huh¡­ *sigh* and here I am tormented by hunger¡­¡± Hans have encountered a number of slime like creatures during his investigation around the forest. It was the only kind of creature that constantly attacked him from time to time. ¡°Hup-!¡± He threw the combat knife and it stabbed through the weakness of the slime. It died instantly short after that. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to dealing with these.¡± It is not something worth celebrating for as his mind is only focused on what to do about his hunger. ¡°No choice¡­ I¡¯ll just hunt those rabbits with spikes¡­ at least they¡¯re the easiest to catch and most likely to be safe to eat. But the problem is¡­ they¡¯re cuteness¡­¡± The moment Hans came across one of those animals, he instantly tried to reach for it to pet it. Hans is weak to cuteness. Then just around the corner, a spiked rabbit is eating a grass. ¡°But then again, eating grass like that doesn¡¯t suit it¡­ It¡¯s more like a goat that way. Eat a carrot, for goodness sake.¡± Hans¡¯ mind have started to be disrupted by his hunger and turned to vent his frustrations to the poor rabbit that have not done anything to him. He was even calling it cute earlier and now he wants to eat it. The poor little rabbit. ¡°Hm? I feel like I¡¯m irritated all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Alright. Rabbit¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but be a replenishment for me. I¡¯ll just pet one of your kind someday.¡± He went to combat mode and cleared his minds of all unnecessary thoughts. He contracted every single strand of his muscle and gripped the combat knife. *swoosh* Without making a sound, he jumped above the unknowing rabbit and spins his body to bring the force to the knife. He then threw the knife downwards and it stabbed directly to the body of the animal. ¡°Kyuu-!¡± Or it should have been. The knife missed the rabbit just a few centimeters from its position. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Hans could not carry on to killing the animal. He loved animals ever since he was a child. There was even a time where he cried for days after he read a book about a dog dying for his master. Even when he cooks meat, he always made sure to say his thanks to the animal. ¡°Kyu kyu!¡± The rabbit ran at full speed after sensing the danger it was in. ¡°*sigh* Now what to do¡­¡± *gurgle* Hans placed his hands on his stomach trying to suppress his hunger. ¡°Ugh¡­ Hm¡­ *sniff* Hm?! A nice smell¡­ Something being cooked¡­!¡± A sweet and rich aroma of something being cooked wafted around the place. It reached Hans¡¯ nose as he immediately tried to follow the trail of the smell. ¡°It¡¯s right around here¡­¡± *gurgle* *gurgle* Every step he takes the more the smell gets stronger and the more his stomach protests from its predicament. Then not long after, smoke that has risen to the top of the trees can been seen not far from his place. ¡°It¡¯s right there!¡± Hans who could not wait any longer, ran towards the direction of the smell and¡­ ¡°Who goes there?!¡± A young woman with smooth flowing black hair abruptly stood up from her place when he heard the footsteps of Hans. ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Because of the sudden meeting with another person, Hans froze in his place as he tries to analyze the situation even with the lack of sugar in his brain. ¡°You are¡­¡± The young woman, holding two dagger from both hands glared at him. *gurgle* ¡°Huh?¡± But he could not think enough about the situation and¡­ ¡°¡­ Can I have some of your food¡­?¡± ¡­ were the only words he could utter. ¡­ .. . Chapter 6 End Chapter 7: The First Contact and Curry Rice ¡°Can I have some of your food¡­?¡± *gurgle~* ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Arriving at the source of the mouthwatering smell and stumbling upon someone who was cooking, Hans Schmidt immediately followed his cravings and gave in to his desires. The young woman who was asked by the sudden question was dumbfounded with her mind freezing a bit at the spectacle. That has to be expected on her part. A figure of a young man wearing a type of clothes unknown to her and having the hair color of a high class noble but is greased with dirt, suddenly appearing while she was resting after a hunt. Before Hans came in contact with her, Ceres was waiting for Anya who went to fetch a bucket of water from the lake. And while waiting, comes their current situation. ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not someone suspicious.¡± [¡°In this cases, I should let the other party know that I¡¯m not someone suspicious and calm her down. This is the basic of basics.¡±] Is what Hans was thinking but¡­ [¡°No matter where I look, only the word ¡®suspicious¡¯ comes to mind¡­¡±] Is what Ceres thought at Hans¡¯ first remark. ¡°¡­¡± Ceres remained at guard while staring intently at Hans. ¡°Ahem¡­ Let me introduce myself first. I¡¯m Hans Schmidt.¡± ¡°Shimids¡­?¡± ¡°Schmidt.¡± ¡°Shumits?¡± ¡°Schmidt.¡± ¡°Shamdits?¡± ¡°That¡¯s so far from it! Schmidt! And why does it sounds like I¡¯ll be stealing away your belongings!!¡± ¡°What a hard name to say. You¡¯re suspicious.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge by how hard my name is to say for you! I told you I¡¯m not suspicious!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ I¡¯m the one who will judge whether you are or not.¡± ¡°*sigh* Right.¡± [¡°Wait¡­¡±] After retorting to the words of the young woman, Hans suddenly noticed something unbelievable. ¡°Uhm¡­ Do you understand my words?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to not understand? Just as I thought so¡­ You¡¯re planning something. You¡¯re suspicious.¡± ¡°Stop with that thinking! Goodness¡­ So you understand me¡­¡± Hans was bewildered by what he just learned. He spoke to the young woman and the first person after hours of being lost without thinking so he forgot about something fundamental. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Now that I think about it, I¡¯m not speaking the language of my former world¡­¡± Yes. The moment he came to this world. Hans was already speaking the general language of the world he came to. Normally, another world means another culture, traditions, civilizations, people, and of course, language. Just like how different countries have different culture and language that was brought to them by their history. A native tribe growing in population and creating their own community maintaining their culture and language. A country that was colonized by other countries will either have both their original language and the language of the invading country or just one of the other. A community where different dialects mixed together by two different group of people becoming one new language. A country following the worldwide policy and using the universal language. That is how the world works when it comes to languages and that is, without saying, also applied to other worlds. With the history of this world considering into account, it is also safe to say that this world have also different language. But Hans did not have any difficulty in understanding the words of the young woman in front of him. Moreover, he noticed that the movement of his mouth when he speaks is different from the ones he was using up until coming to this world. Which means, he is already using the language of this world. ¡°I see¡­ Maybe this is one of the gift that white figure was talking about. Way to give me a boost at start. Though I won¡¯t be surprised anymore after that inhuman strength.¡± ¡°What have you been mumbling since earlier? You¡¯re really becoming more and more suspicious. I will have you go the other way. I won¡¯t give you anything.¡± ¡°I was just thinking.¡± Now that Hans have calmed down and began thinking, all sorts of information flowed in his head as he thinks of a way to persuade her in giving the delicious-looking food, beautifully plated beside the young woman. This has now become a battle for Hans. A battle if not won, he will die of hunger. One wrong response and it will cost him the delectable food in front of him. The food. Not the young woman, of course. ¡°I just want some food.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have someone with you? Like a butler.¡± An obvious question. No one would travel to a forest by themselves. Even the safest of forests may harbor hidden dangers that are not yet discovered. It would be suicide to travel by oneself even if it is just a walk for a fresh air. ¡°Butler? But, no, I don¡¯t. I haven¡¯t eaten since this morning.¡± ¡°How would I know if you are just pretending to be hungry and then attack us all of a sudden? I can see you have some sort of a weapon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hans could not think of something to respond to that. He cannot just say he had it when he was transferred to this world. And because a person who is armed with a knife is someone to be wary of, he must think of a way to make an excuse somehow. *gurgle* ¡°If you¡¯re a bandit, then you¡¯re wasting your time. I recommend you choose your target carefully. I don¡¯t know how to hold back to people like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you cooking right now?¡± He changed the topic. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question yet.¡± ¡°It smells delicious.¡± ¡°Answer my question.¡± ¡°I want to try it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± They both stared at each other blankly. ¡°Can I have some of your food?¡± ¡°*sigh* This is a waste of time. Get lost.¡± Hans is in a pinch. Maybe he got the choices wrong but it went to a bad end, with him not having any dinner. ¡°Oh my~ A visitor?¡± ¡°Anya.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Then another young woman appeared from the woods with a bucket of full water. ¡°There we¡­ go! Phew¡­ This is heavy¡­¡± ¡°I told you, I should¡¯ve gone instead.¡± ¡°No big deal~ But hey mister visitor!¡± ¡°Hello. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Hans Schmidt.¡± ¡°Shimits?¡± ¡°Schmidt. Is my name that hard to say?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ A little bit. But it¡¯s okay~¡± ¡°I see. Then can I have some of your food?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ceres glared at Hans with killing intent. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Anya??¡± ¡°Nice! I haven¡¯t eaten since this morning!¡± ¡°Ceres. Look at him~ He¡¯s so battered and looks so tired. We should help him~!¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you suspicious of him?? He looks like he will attack us any second now.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Saying so, Ceres flashed another glare at Hans. ¡°I won¡¯t!!¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Not at all~¡± ¡°Wha¡­ If you say so. *sigh*¡± When Anya said so, Ceres did not have the will to argue anymore. ¡°Your intuition is always right. I know I can trust you in this. Still¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Ceres~¡± The problem was resolved and now Hans can eat his food. But the glare from Ceres¡¯ eyes towards Hans have not yet to disappear. ¡°Even if Anya trusts you, I don¡¯t. I¡¯m ready to slice your throat in a second if you tried doing something funny.¡± ¡°*sigh* Right, right. Just let me eat¡­¡± They all sat down on the wooden bench that was brought by Anya and Ceres for today. Lunaria Caf¨¦ was closed for the day as they have dedicated it for gathering ingredients. Anya went to gather herbs and edible plants as usual while Ceres hunted for animals. They brought things that are necessary for them to stay in the forest for the whole day. A tent was built in the open area where the sunlight passes through freely. Anya casted a magic barrier before going the lake to fetch a bucket of water covering the whole area to protect them from wild monsters that may roam the area. Near the cart was a campfire that was installed with a cooking pot and a frying pan. ¡°Ah! But the food is only enough for two¡­¡± ¡°Then no food for this guy.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± Hans¡¯ shoulder slumped. ¡°Oh, but we still have the gathered ingredients. Let¡¯s just use those~!¡± ¡°But Anya-¡° ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Wait a minute, Hans. I¡¯ll prepare it for you.¡± Anya was about to prepare the cooking tools when¡­ ¡°Ah. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll cook.¡± ¡°Eh~?¡± ¡°Just leave it to me. But tell me what the ingredients are first. Ah, can I wash my hands using the water here?¡± ¡°S-Sure¡­~¡± Hans folded his sleeves up to his elbows and proceeded to wash his hands thoroughly using the water in the bucket. ¡°Can you even cook?¡± Ceres stared at him with a doubtful look. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°You plan to poison us, do you?! Tch. I knew it!¡± *shing* Ceres unsheathed on of her daggers with Anya behind her and aimed her dagger to Hans. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll be eating it. No sane man would poison his own food.¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ Are you maybe an airhead, Ceres?¡± ¡°Wha-?! How did you- Ah. From Anya¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Hahaha. You really are a bit of an airhead, huh? That¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°H-Huah?! C-C-Cute?!¡± Droplets of sweat formed on Ceres¡¯ forehead with her face flushed. Her eyes darts all around the place but her trembling finger is directly pointed at Hans. Compliments! These are words used to give positive comments about someone. It can be a comment about one¡¯s looks, personality, or even actions. This is done with a huge amount of courage for those giving it but it can also be taxing for those receiving it. With proper choice of words and proper intentions, complimenting someone will lead to a positive feedback from the receiving side. But¡­ ¡°Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden?! Don¡¯t fool around! Y-You¡¯re trying to make me let my guard down aren¡¯t you?!¡± Yes! Ceres in inexperienced with the opposite sex. The only close interaction she had with a man is with Sofiel. But Sofiel is not really considered as a man with his looks. The rest are with some costumers praising her for her cooking. She is not used to receiving compliments from the opposite sex about her looks in particular. Her whole life, after the incident in her childhood, revolved only around Anya and Anya¡¯s mother. Having a new entity called Hans Schmidt praising her is a whole new experience for her and now, her brain circuits began wiring and her mind could not catch up with the sudden compliment. She did not know how to respond, that is why¡­ ¡°C-Ceres¡­?¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry, Anya! I-I¡¯ll protect you from this depraved man!¡± Her mind went the opposite direction. ¡°Calm down, I said.¡± Without caring for the aimed weapon at him, Hans proceeded to check the cooking tools he will be using. A pot, frying pan, chopping board, chef knife, butcher knife, spatula, and lastly, a ladle. ¡°With these, it¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°What are you going to cook~?¡± ¡°Anya!¡± Anya went from behind Ceres to where Hans is and looked curiously at what he is doing. ¡°I still don¡¯t know. Let me look at the ingredients first. And kindly explain them, please. I don¡¯t know much about these.¡± ¡°Okay~ First are the herbs and plants~ Here is a [Garlunc].¡± They ignored Ceres who is now growling like a small cat. [Garlunc]. A bulb like plant growing under the soil. It has a strong smell and is most often used in basic cooking. It is covered in brown thin layers of skin covering the cloves inside. ¡°Garlunc, huh? It¡¯s like a garlic. Wait, it IS a garlic. The difference is just the color.¡± ¡°Garlic? But it is called Garlunc~¡± [¡°Garlunc, huh? What¡¯s with the author¡¯s naming sense¡­?¡±] *bonk!* ¡°Ow-!¡± ¡°Hans? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I felt like something hit my head. I may be just imagining it. Please continue with the explanations.¡± ¡­ ¡°Okay~ Here is a [Ponion]~¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m guessing this is an onion.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s called Ponion¡­ Hans, you¡¯re kinda weird. Fufu.¡± ¡°Urk¡­¡± [Ponion]. Another bulb like plant that is grown underground. Its layers are changing from a color red to yellow the more it is peeled. If left alone, it will evolve into a monster and will roam the forest so be careful. ¡°But these ones are safe~¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± [¡°I¡¯m worried they will suddenly attacked me while cooking them¡­¡±] ¡°Next is this [Polelo]~¡± ¡°I won¡¯t try and guess it anymore.¡± [Polelo]. A root crop that is a staple harvest for the people. It can be found almost anywhere in the forest. Covered with brown skin and a light-yellowish color on the inside. It is delicious when baked. ¡°But wait. Why are you gathering them here instead of just growing them in the farm?¡± Hans asked while holding the polelo in his hands and checking it around. ¡°Eh?¡± Hearing the words that came out from Hans¡¯ lips, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at him bewildered. ¡°You¡­ In what part of the world did you come from?¡± ¡°What? Did I say something strange?¡± Both of the girls stared at Hans with disbelief. ¡°*sigh* it seems you really don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll tell you then. These things can¡¯t be grown in other places other than in forests and dungeons.¡± ¡°Dungeons!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hans¡¯ eyes sparkled like a kid at the word ¡®dungeon¡¯ when it came out of Ceres¡¯ mouth. ¡°Anyways. They can only be procured here and can¡¯t be in towns.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Let me explain too~!¡± Anya bubbly raised her hands as flowers started popping around her. ¡°That¡¯s because of the flow of the [Mana]~¡± ¡°Mana!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Once again, Hans¡¯ eyes sparkled when he heard the word and puts Ceres off her rhythm. ¡°[Mana] is a very important factor for these kinds of crop to grow. Only a certain type of mana flows in forests and dungeons which is needed for their growth~¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I see. So that type of mana is not flowing in residential areas, so the crops can¡¯t grow there, is what you mean?¡± ¡°Correct~¡± ¡°I see. I have more questions but I¡¯m really hungry right now so I¡¯ll leave those for another time.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ You¡­ Do you plan to follow us around even after this¡­??¡± Ceres could not hide her vexation but Hans turned to pick up other ingredients and examined them carefully. Hans had the habit of analyzing things in his head and coming up with different kinds of applications that can be brought up from the gathered information. That was how he usually fare in his missions. But he also has that kind of thinking process when cooking. ¡°I¡¯ll answer them next time if you want~ And the magic barrier won¡¯t last long if we take our time here~¡± ¡°Magic Barrier!¡± ¡°*sigh* Can you not shout out of nowhere every now and then?¡± ¡°Fufu~ Hans is so weird~¡± ¡°Urk¡­ Sorry. I¡¯ll ask later then.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± ¡°Anya, aren¡¯t you too generous with this guy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a nice guy, Ceres.¡± ¡°Haha. Thank you, Anya. You¡¯re really nice too.¡± ¡°Ehehe~ I was praised~¡± ¡°Hrm¡­¡± A groaning Ceres, who is conflicted because she cannot refute to what Anya says since she trusts her but cannot trust the man that just suddenly appeared before them. ¡­ .. . Anya explained the rest of the ingredients then Hans proceeded to cooking them. Anya and Ceres were surprised by how Hans was used to the cooking tools as if he was doing it for years. He swiftly cooked the ingredients in a flash and finished the dish. ¡°That¡¯s it, I guess. Here you go! Curry rice!¡± ¡°Curry¡­ rice?¡± ¡°*gulp*¡± A gulp was heard when the strong smell of the dish wafted around the place. ¡°Yeah. I saw you have cooked rice so I just cooked the rest.¡± [¡°Rice is still called rice here, huh?¡±] ¡°What kind of dish is this¡­?¡± ¡°I never saw a dish like this¡­ It has a strong smell and it tickles my nose¡­ It smells good¡­~¡± ¡°Right. I saw a leaf that is the same as the leaves of the curry tree back in my worl- Uhh¡­ I mean, country. I didn¡¯t have the time to naturally dry it so I used high heat to turn it into a powder and well, the creation is a secret for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the main ingredient of this Curry Rice¡­? We just use it for garnishing¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the main ingredient to make the taste. I used a part of the Horned Boar that you gave me for the meat and added some chopped polelos, [garrots], and a slice of [napple]. I also mashed the polelos and used it to thicken the soup.¡± [¡°But really, these names are sort of¡­ off. But hearing them, it¡¯s easy to guess what they are. And they look almost the same.¡±] ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how it is cooked later. Let¡¯s eat for now. My stomach won¡¯t stop complaining.¡± The urge of wanting to talk all day about his dish was overwritten by his hunger. ¡°Hmph. I never said I wanted to know the recipe.¡± ¡°Yay! Let¡¯s try it already~ It really looks so delicious! Let¡¯s also have the smoked meat of the Horned Boar~!¡± ¡°You just had this two pieces of meat¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°N-Nothing.¡± ¡°These will be used for the restaurant so we just used a little. Then you came. Tch.¡± ¡°Ceres! Don¡¯t mind it already! Look, we could eat such a delicious food because of Hans!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°A-Ahaha¡­ Well then. Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Yes~¡± All of them scooped a portion of the curry together with the rice with a spoon. And all together, they put it inside their mouths. ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­Hmmmmm~~~~!! My sheeks are melhing¡­~~¡± ¡°Yup. Tastes like curry. Guess I wasn¡¯t wrong about the ingredients.¡± ¡°What are you saying so nonchalantly?! This is far from just having the ingredients correct!!¡± ¡°C-Ceres?¡± For the first time since Hans saw Ceres with her killing glare, her face now shines with a smile like a small child receiving a new present on her birthday. ¡°The polelos and garrots have a perfect combination! The carrots gives it a slight sweetness after the spiciness! But¡­ I don¡¯t see the napple¡­¡± ¡°I grated the napple and mixed it with the soup. It will balance the flavor and make it milder after the spiciness.¡± ¡°Iiii¡¯mmmm meeeeltiiiing~~ The meat is so tender~~ It springs back a bit when you bite it down but after that is feels like it just melted inside my mouth~~ Then a mellow flavor spreads in my tongue~~¡± ¡°That is, I used honey to slightly marinate the Horned Boar¡¯s meat since it seemed to have a strong smell and it will help tenderize the meat. It mellows down the spiciness of the curry too!¡± ¡°Eh? You could use the honey from the [Leaf Bee] that way?¡± ¡°Yes. Honey has a substance that can break down the protein of the meat and helps tenderized the meat even if you just simmer it for a few minutes.¡± ¡°I see~! We just use it for our drinks but you can use it that way~ Is Hans maybe a scholar? You know some hard words~¡± ¡°Hard words? Well, I was a bit worried it could be used the same way as I usually do though. But it seems it¡¯s the same with the one in my country.¡± ¡°You said that before¡­ But where did you come from? It¡¯s just weird for someone to wander in the forest alone lest they will surely be attacked by monsters.¡± ¡°Monsters!¡± ¡°*sigh*¡± ¡°Hmmmm~~~!!¡± ¡°I thought they were just wild animals.¡± ¡°Then you were attacked??¡± ¡°Yeah. A slime like thingy. It was easy enough to kill though.¡± *cling* ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong? You dropped your spoon.¡± Ceres¡¯ face froze after hearing Han¡¯s words. Even Anya who was enjoying her food gleefully, dropped her spoon after hearing what Hans just said. ¡°J-Just now¡­¡± ¡°Anya¡­ Wait¡­ We may be just mishearing things¡­¡± A question mark popped up above Hans¡¯ head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong you two? Ah! Did I put weird things in your food?!¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s delicious!!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Phew¡­ That surprised me.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the one who¡¯re surprised!¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°You said you were attacked, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And what is it?¡± ¡°It looked like a slime.¡± ¡°And you said you just killed it easily¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­ Just who in the world are you?¡± *shing* ¡°Eeeeh? Are we coming back to this again?? Put away your dagger!¡± Ceres¡¯ eyes glowed sharp green while glaring at Hans who was holding his spoon to his mouth. She covers Anya behind her and aimed the dagger to Hans throat. ¡°C-Ceres! Wait! Let¡¯s hear him first!¡± ¡°Anya¡­ Hmph. Then talk.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Talk¡­ Talk what?¡± ¡°How were you able to kill the [Slimes]!?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with uh¡­ slimes?¡± ¡°Those are vile creatures here in the Traveler¡¯s Forest!¡± ¡°Oh so this is called the Traveler¡¯s Forest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the main point!¡± Anya gripped Ceres¡¯ hands attempting to stop her. ¡°It¡¯s okay Ceres. I¡¯ll explain it to him.¡± ¡°Anya?¡± ¡°You see Hans~? [Slimes] are the form of defiled mana that once flowed in the forest. When too much negative mana fused together, it transforms into a creature that viciously attacks anyone in sight. It can kill anyone even if it only slightly touches them. Many have already perished by just a single slime. If you met one, it is suggested you run away in full speed~¡± ¡°So you mean¡­ It was a rather dangerous monster?¡± ¡°Not just rather. It is different from the animal monsters like Horned Boars and [Spike Rabbits]. It is one of the most dangerous monsters in this forest. The other one is the [Chaos Wolf] which governs this forest. Ah, Anya don¡¯t just continue eating.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same level as that¡­ I really felt that wolf spells danger.¡± ¡°Yeah. And you just said that you killed it easily. Just who are you?¡± Now Hans have come to a crucial situation. How would he explain his circumstances to other people he met in this world? If he said that he came from a different world, he may be out casted by the people here and makes his life more difficult. Or much worse, he may be labeled as the same with the monsters and kill him instantly. Based from his experience, Ceres is strong. She can do it in an instant if Hans lowered his guard. [¡±How should I answer this one¡­?¡±] ¡­ .. . Chapter 7 End Chapter 8: Answer and Twin Moon Festival ¡°And you just said that you killed it easily. Just who are you?¡± ¡°I am¡­¡± Anya stopped her hands and waited for the words of Hans while Ceres readied her dagger in case something unexpected happens. Ceres along with Anya is now waiting for Hans answer after Ceres¡¯ interrogation. Their surprise about how Hans could defeat the known dangerous monster, which is called Slime, had them question the real identity of the man in front of them. Unlike how Hans perceived the Slime to be the weakest monster in a fantasy world because of his books and games, it turned out it was quite a dangerous monster to the point where people are advised to run away from it as soon as they encounter it. And now comes Hans¡¯ answer. ¡°You are¡­?¡± ¡°*gulp*¡± *gurgle* ¡°Ah. Ehehehe~ I¡¯m still hungry~~ Tee-hee.¡± ¡°A-Anya??¡± The tension immediately disappeared after they heard the complaining stomach of Anya. ¡°Ahaha¡­ Let¡¯s just eat for now. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± ¡°Okay~!¡± ¡°*sigh* Alright¡­¡± They went back to their meal setting aside the issue at hand. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if you will believe me or not.¡± ¡°Waimf ish daft?¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯d you say?¡± Ceres chews with her mouth filled like a squirrel forming a big bulge on her cheeks. ¡°*gulp* Why is that?¡± ¡°Haha. What a cute way of eating.¡± ¡°Nah-!? Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden?! Again with that c-c-c-cute!¡± ¡°Hm? I just said what I thought.¡± ¡°Mufufufu¡­~ Is that youth coming to Ceres¡­~?¡± ¡°Anya¡­??¡± Ceres was smiling all the while but a strong dark aura was emitting from her as she looks at Anya. ¡°(^.^)¡± ¡°F-Forget about that c-c-cute thing. S-so? Why are you saying we won¡¯t believe it? Ahm¡­ *munch* *chew*¡± She forced the subject to go back to the previous one and hid her emotions by continuing her meal. But glancing towards the direction of Hans, he saw a lonely face as he stared towards the distance. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± ¡°¡­ Hmph. Do what you want.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hmmm~~!! Delish~~¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Hans~¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. And thanks for the smoked meat. It¡¯s quite delicious. You know how to season it well. And the heat regulation is perfect to not burn it. And the sauce! Where did you get the sauce? I need to know here you got it! ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± ¡°And of course the slight crisp of the outer layer is something not to be ignored. It hides the soft and tender meet inside making a surprising contrast! Then the juicy and sweet fat inside the meat that flows out after the first bite is¡­ Awesome! It makes you want to leave the crispy skin while enjoying it as it lasts!¡± ¡°H-Hans¡­~?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this would be perfect if it was sliced so you can enjoy the parts of the meat thoroughly. But the sense of eating it in a stick also has its own points. If this is cooked with proper equipment, I wonder how much more deli-¡° ¡°Stop!! How long will you be spouting nonsense!?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Sorry. Almost spent the day explaining how it¡¯s good.¡± [¡°Almost spent¡­~¡±] [¡°The day¡­?¡±] ¡°A-Anyways~ I¡¯ll put away the dishes~¡± ¡°Ah. Let me help, Anya.¡± ¡°No. You will tell me your reason why you were here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± Anya stood up from her place while bringing the plates and other cooking tools, tidying up everything. She trusts Ceres enough to leave the issue to her. ¡°So? Why were you wandering the forest alone?¡± ¡°¡­ Let me first tell you who I am before coming here.¡± Hans straightened his back and looked at Ceres with a straight face. Ceres sensing it will be something serious, she did the same and started to listen intently. Hans began explaining who he was. A soldier who fought for his country with his squad members. Their country was on the verge of collapsing because of the invading enemy and that his job was to prevent that from happening. He was trained in the battlefield and that was how most of his life went by. ¡°¡­¡± Ceres listened without changing her expression. Hans did not think she would receive the story like that since some part of his story may not match up with how war is received in this world. But Hans continued his story until the part where his last mission started. He and his squad was almost on their way home when the enemy soldier sent re-enforcements and killed off all those they have just rescued. Moreover, one of her squad members rushed in towards the enemy range because of the unpardonable occurrence. He had to help his subordinate but more importantly because he promised to that person that he will protect her and will send her home safely. But he could not handle the number of the enemies and perished. ¡°¡­ Then why are you here? Aren¡¯t you dead?¡± *shing* Ceres began unsheathing her dagger again as she suspects Hans to be lying. ¡°Let me finish.¡± ¡°¡­ Hmph.¡± All the while, Anya listened to Hans while tidying up. ¡°I was transferred to this world.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Both Ceres and Anya widened their eyes as they heard the unbelievable from Hans¡¯ mouth. ¡°I was transferred to this world.¡± ¡°No, I heard it right. So you were [summoned], you mean?¡± ¡°Summon? Is that possible?¡± ¡°If you are a great magician with an unparalleled amount of mana, it is.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ But no. I wasn¡¯t. I told you, I died before coming here. But aren¡¯t you surprised by knowing I¡¯m from a different world?¡± ¡°Well, a bit. It¡¯s my first time seeing someone from the other world.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s still something that happens here?¡± ¡°Yeah. There are [Great Magicians] that will summon something from the other world to make them their familiar. It is said that those familiars comes from a different world than ours.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hans crossed his arms while processing the information in his head. ¡°But you are saying that you aren¡¯t summoned. How did you end up here then?¡± ¡°Right. I think I should ask first, do you guys know a white human figure that sends souls to another world?¡± ¡°White figure?¡± Ceres and Anya looked at each other and shook their heads. ¡°What did that white figure do?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the one responsible for transferring me here. But I see. So you guys don¡¯t know him either. I thought maybe he was a god in this world.¡± Hans thought of an idea to find the whereabouts of the white figure who sent him to the other world. He thinks that maybe there will be a chance for him to return to his previous world using another way. He may be transferred to a fantasy world which is a dream like situation for him, the former world where he came from is still where his friends are. It will never hurt to find a way to return to his former world. ¡°So is he a magician then?¡± ¡°No. He is not. I was sent to an unknown space and then after talking for a while, he said he will transfer me to another world and dropped me to this forest. Even I don¡¯t know what kind of world I would end up.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Then here we are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really that unbelievable at some points. But there are some things that doesn¡¯t explain much.¡± ¡°I see. But that¡¯s what really happened. All I can ask from you is to believe me.¡± ¡°Ceres~ I think he¡¯s telling the truth.¡± Anya joined the conversation after she was done with the cleaning. She sat down the bench she was using.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Hm¡­ If Anya says so.¡± ¡°You really believe Anya instantly when she says something. Is that what they say the bond of sisters?¡± ¡°Hehe~ Ceres, Hans said we¡¯re sisters~ I¡¯m so happy~¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Oh. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay~ we¡¯re like sisters anyways~ Or more like, I already consider her as my little sister~¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re really close then.¡± Hans smiled while looking at them. ¡°Anya has a special ability to sense the emotion of a person. So if she says that you¡¯re not lying then you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°Special ability?¡± ¡°A [Gift].¡± ¡°Ehehe~¡± [Gift]. An ability gained by a person the moment he or she is born. A rare talent given by the goddesses to chosen children. They can go as to being a special skill in specific tasks, or special powers like special healing, or powerful magic. Only a few person have this and is considered as something powerful that it must be concealed for the purpose of not attracting those who plans to use them for their own evil deeds. ¡°So it¡¯s like you can read minds?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ I just feel it, like, ding~! Then I already know what you feel and what your intentions are or even what kind of a person you are~¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That really is a powerful ability. By the way, do Ceres have one? A Gift.¡± ¡°Yeah. I won¡¯t tell you though.¡± ¡°Eh~ But you told mine~!¡± ¡°You trust this guy, right? Well, I still don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Muu¡­~ Oh but¡­ Hans. Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°Most of the general public are scared of those who have Gifts.¡± ¡°Yes~¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Well it¡¯s powerful enough to know what you are feeling and what kind of person you are and such. I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Knowing someone who could understand you like the back of their hand can be a good quality of someone, more especially if it¡¯s about a friend. But it has its own bad side to it. Since even without the consent of the person, their inner emotions will be read. Everyone has a fa?ade that they use every now and then. Something to protect their true self from the harsh society. But with the ability of Anya, it¡¯s easily broken like a piece of paper. ¡°For them, it¡¯s like breaking in to your own personal space¡­~¡± ¡°Right. I can see that.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re scared of Anya too?¡± ¡°No. Why would I be? If it were not for Anya¡¯s ability, I may have been already cut down by that dagger of yours.¡± ¡°Fufu. Thank you, Hans. You really are weird.¡± ¡°Huh? I said something good, right? But then I¡¯m weird??¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Oh~ Right~! You haven¡¯t told us how you defeated the Slime~¡± ¡°Oh right. What a blunder. I forgot about that. You being a soldier doesn¡¯t add up to that point.¡± After their meal, they went another round in the forest to gather more ingredients for their restaurant. Ceres will hunt the animals they stumble upon while Anya gathers the herbs and edible plants she finds. Hans insisted to follow them and help since he had nothing better to do for the time being. ¡°Hm? I just cut the spherical structure inside it.¡± ¡°Spherical structure?¡± *boing* ¡°Oh. It¡¯s easier to show you than explain it. Wha¡­ That warm yet cold sensation again¡­ Do you guys feel that?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?! There¡¯s something we should worry about more!¡± ¡°A slime, huh. But really, don¡¯t you feel that? Like a water or air flowing¡­¡± ¡°Wh-Why is it here¡­~?? I thought they are far more deeper in the forest~!¡± Hans and company are now around the edge of the forest where the light passes more brightly than it is deep inside. Less monster roam around this place since the mana that the monsters absorb are flowing lesser than it is deep inside. That is why the monster only gathers inside. Even the track that the travelers use is around the edge of the forest to avoid the monsters. It is definitely rare for a monster to appear aside from the deepest part of the forest. ¡°Stand back, Anya!¡± ¡°O-Okay!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Hans was confounded by Ceres and Anya¡¯s reaction towards the slime. *shing* ¡°Oh well. Here let me show what I was talking about.¡± He brought out his combat knife. ¡°Y-You! You plan to fight it?!¡± ¡°L-L-Let¡¯s run away¡­!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hans stiffened his body into a stance, bending his body forward while holding his knife with his left hand and foot in front. *boing!* The slime launched itself towards Hans, using the speed of that of a bullet. [¡°It¡¯s much faster this time, huh?¡±] ¡°Ha!¡± *slice!* *bloop* The monster¡¯s remains dropped to the ground and disappeared without a trace. Like those he defeated before meeting Anya and Ceres, he sliced the sphere like object inside the slime and it instantly without further resistance. ¡°Phew¡­ See? It¡¯s easy, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Heeeeey? Earth to Ceres and Anya? Oh, this is not Earth anymore. Hahahaha.¡± Ceres and Anya stood like solid statue in front of Hans with the lights in their eyes gone. ¡°Ah! Are you inflicted with some kind of poison by other monsters?! Are you okay?! Answer me you two! How will I be able eat more of those smoked meat if something happened to you two?!¡± ¡°Is that what you¡¯re worried about, moron?!¡± *bonk!* ¡°Ow! That hurts¡­ I see, you¡¯re okay¡­ Phew¡­ Don¡¯t scare me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line?! How did you kill it like some insect??¡± Ceres, while sweating profusely, shouted her confusion with Anya grasping her arm in fear from the slime they encountered. ¡°I told you, just attack its weakness. That sphere like object inside it.¡± ¡°You make it sound so easy¡­ I even used my Gift and couldn¡¯t do that¡­¡± Ceres placed her palm on her forehead in disbelief and heaved and exasperated sigh. ¡°What kind of Gift?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling. *sigh* I felt like an idiot for getting scared. Just who in the world are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a soldier from anoth-¡° ¡°We know that already.¡± Shaking her head while heaving another sigh, Ceres shook the still frozen Anya to wake her up from the shock. ¡°Ah! Is this heaven~?! Geez¡­! Waaaaahh~!! I told you we should¡¯ve ruuuun~!¡± Anya flails her hand with her eyes moistened from tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Anya. This guy dealt with the slime.¡± ¡°Hans did~? So we¡¯re not dead, yet¡­~?¡± ¡°Fortunately.¡± ¡°Haha, you guys are funny.¡± Hans laughed while putting back the combat knife in its sheath. ¡°You¡¯re just weird.¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± ¡°Yep~ You are~¡± ¡°Ehhh?!¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°So Hans~? What are you going to do from now on~?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hans and co. are now out of the forest with the surrounding scenery is now painted with orange from the setting sun. They are on their way to Floresia Town with the cart full of loots pulled by a horse in tow. ¡°For now I should find an Inn.¡± ¡°I see~¡± ¡°But do you have money~?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± A fundamental question if you want to survive in any world. Money. Everywhere you find a civilization, whether it is the other world, money is one of the basic needs for one to survive. Food. Clothes. Shelter. One can only attain them if they have a sufficient amount of money. Of course one could just go to the forest and gather some edible plants for food and just look for leaves to weave into a clothing. Anywhere is fine to sleep in as long as it is safe. But the convenience of having proper food and clothing along with a comfortable bed is much better and satisfying than living like a cave man. Unfortunately, the wallet was in his bag before he came this world. But even if he did have it, the currency of this world is, of course, different than that of his former world. ¡°You don¡¯t, huh?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Just sleep in a stable then. You can ask someone with one.¡± ¡°I guess I should¡­*sigh*¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, Hans~! You can¡¯t sleep properly inside a stable~!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try the forest then¡­¡± Hans shoulder dropped as he was about to turn around towards the forest. ¡°Sheesh! I¡¯m telling you we¡¯ll let you stay in our place~ How does that sound~?¡± ¡°Anya?!¡± ¡°Huh?! I-Is that okay¡­?¡± ¡°Of course~!¡± In the eyes of Hans, a bright light surrounded Anya and¡­ ¡°A¡­ A goddess has descended¡­!¡± ¡­ is what he thought. ¡°I won¡¯t accept it!!¡± ¡°Geez¡­ Ceres, stop being stubborn~¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being stubborn! I¡¯m just being cautious of this guy!¡± ¡°I told you¡­~ He¡¯s not a bad person~¡± ¡°But¡­¡± After some time of walking, they are now nearing the town when Ceres could not restrain her irritation anymore. The orange sky is now replaced by deep dark blue and is filled with countless stars. Anya is holding the reigns that are tied to the horse while walking and Hans walking beside her. Ceres is on the other side and is walking while almost like stomping her feet. ¡°Uhm¡­ Did I do something¡­?¡± ¡°Who knows what you WILL do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hans~ She¡¯s been like this ever since she was young~¡± ¡°I-I see¡­ By the way. I know it¡¯s weird for me to ask this but, has there always been two moons¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah¡­ Yes~ It¡¯s not like that in your world~?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. It¡¯s just one. And it¡¯s usually color yellow, not bluish like these.¡± ¡°Hmmm~ That¡¯s interesting~ You see, I love the moons~¡± Ceres looked up above and stared at the twin moons shining brightly in the night sky. Hans followed with a look of satisfaction and awe in his eyes. ¡°I understand. I sometimes spend my night before a mission staring at it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here~ And speaking of moons, look~¡± What met them is the bright atmosphere of the town, evident in the huge gate that is embellished with all sorts of orb like lights. Beating drums and instruments echoes throughout the town and can be heard even in the gate. The town shines brightly from the torches and lights from the post lamps that are powered by magic. All the while, Ceres silently followed behind them for the reason of observing Hans¡¯ every action. ¡°Ohh¡­ Is there some sort of a festival?¡± ¡°Yup~! It¡¯s the [Twin Moon Festival]!¡± They entered the gate and encountered the rowdy atmosphere that is brought by the fun and laughter from the townspeople. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s straightforward I don¡¯t even have to ask what¡¯s it about.¡± ¡°Ehe~ Twin Moon Festival is celebrated in Floresia during the middle of the month of Seres when the twin moons shine completely. This day is the only night they fully shine~¡± ¡°N-New words¡­ The months are named differently¡­?¡± ¡°Should I explain~?¡± ¡°That will be greatly appreciated.¡± There are exactly twelve months in a year with 30 days in each without a leap like in Hans¡¯ world. The first month is [Oliel], second is [Toraste], third is [Theis], fourth is [Fovien], fifth is, [Faisten], sixth is [Sielma], seventh is [Seres], eight is [Estra], ninth is [Noires], tenth is [Till], eleventh is [Efolga], and lastly, the twelfth is [Tehalia]. All in order they form the [12 goddesses] that was once reigning the whole universe. ¡°I see. It¡¯s almost the same us ours except for the days. Is there a ¡®week¡¯ system in between the months?¡± ¡°Week~? Nope. The days in the years are just separated by months and is counted by ten. Maybe that thing you are calling a week is that every ten days~¡± ¡°Oho~ I see. I now understand. So it¡¯s the middle of Seres today then?¡± ¡°Yup~! It¡¯s the 15th of Seres and it¡¯s none other than¡­ Ceres¡¯ birthday!!¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± Ceres who was eagerly watching Han¡¯s every move is shocked by the sudden words of Anya. And Hans on the other hand looks at Ceres with astonishment. ¡°Eh?? Why didn¡¯t you tell so! Ceres, Happy Birthday.¡± ¡°It got nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ceres! Even though he went his way to congratulate you!¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Ceres folded her arms and turned her head towards the selling stalls. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. She¡¯s just embarrassed~¡± ¡°E-Embarrassed, eh¡­?¡± After leaving the collected materials and ingredients inside the restaurant, they went off to return the horse and cart to the rental house. ¡°Come on, Ceres. Let¡¯s go~ Hans too~¡± ¡°Huh? Where?¡± ¡°Walk around the festival of course!¡± ¡­ .. . Ceres, Anya, and Hans altogether walked along the selling stalls that are set in in the market place where all sorts of merchants showcase their own merchandise. From clothes that are crafted by a famous artisan to armories that are made by master blacksmiths. Food stall are also found around the plaza where a huge fountain is located. Lightings that are made by magic and torches are distributed equally illuminating the place into a tranquil atmosphere. Even with the loud beating of the drums, there are no signs of disturbance in the air. In the middle of the plaza lies a small tower reaching approximately 2 meters which is made of wood and metal that has someone on top. ¡°Wooooow~ She¡¯s so beautiful~¡± The person on top is a girl and is dressed in a layered cloth that resembles that of a princess. A see-through veil slightly covers her face as she dances elegantly and is directly bathe in the light of the moon. A sight to behold indeed. ¡°Every year, the town chooses a young girl to dance for the festival~ She represents the goddess in the legend who sacrificed her life to protect the world from the worst disaster. And then the chosen girl will dance like that in a way as a prayer to the goddess to thank her for saving the whole world~ Ah! This festival is done only in some parts of the world though~¡± ¡°Seres¡­¡± Hans muttered softly as he gazes upon the mysterious yet elegant figure of the dancing goddess atop the small tower. ¡°¡­ What¡­?¡± Ceres hesitantly responded to him after being called by her name. ¡°Ah-¡­ No. I just wondered if maybe the month is called Seres because it was the month when the goddess saved this world.¡± ¡°Actually~ They just chose the perfect date that would fit the descriptions in the legend. It is said that after saving the world, she turned into a moon and joined the other. That is why they became twin moons~ But some believes that it¡¯s not a mere legend and that¡¯s why some places holds this festival.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Me~? I believe in it~ Fufu~¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ What about Ceres?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a reason to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­ I see you believe in it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put words into my mouth, stultus.¡± ¡°S-Stultus?¡± ¡°It means fool in a long lost language~¡± ¡°Ehh~ I¡¯m impressed. You even know other languages. That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Hmph. It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Hans flashed a huge smile. ¡°Idiot¡­ *sigh*¡± ¡°Fufu~¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Say, what about this one? You should change that hair pin already~¡± After watching the performance they proceeded back to the stalls after Anya insisted on buying something for Ceres as a birthday gift. They are on a stall that is selling different kinds of accessories. ¡°I don¡¯t need a new one. This will do.¡± ¡°Geez¡­ It¡¯s quite old, you know~?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Ceres! What about this one? It looks like a gem.¡± Hans was bringing a small hair pin that has a small bead like gem attached to it and showed it to Ceres. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything you recommend.¡± ¡°I see you don¡¯t like it¡­ I¡¯ll find a better one then.¡± ¡°Do whatever you like.¡± He placed back the accessory to where it was and returned to looking at the accessories. ¡°As expected of the other world¡­ The accessories here aren¡¯t on par with ours. They¡¯re¡­ otherworldly¡­¡± Hans held his chin and carefully browsing the wares while being impressed at them at the same time. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any like that in your world~?¡± ¡°Yeah. And moreover, the accessories aren¡¯t that much popular since the world is already plague with war. If one would want something to create and sell, he better make a gun or something that will be used in the war.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­ That¡¯s seems awful¡­~¡± ¡°Well, you get used to it. I don¡¯t know about the girls there though. Ah! This one! Ceres! I have confidence you will like this one. Ta-dah~¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Or rather I just don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°I see¡­ It seems I should look for another me.¡± Hans placed his hands once again on his chin and thought to himself with a serious expression. ¡°Hans¡­ That would be impossible.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ceres stopped at a stall where they also sell accessories. She is intently staring at a certain accessory with eyes like those of a small child. The accessory was a blue gem crafted into the shape of a crescent moon. The surface of the gem is smooth to the point it reflects beautiful lights like the stars that surrounds the twin moons. A perfect accessory to sell in the day of the Twin Moon Fesitval. ¡°You like that? It will look good on you. It matches the color of your eyes.¡± ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t like it anymore.¡± Ceres turned her head and went her way to the next stall. Hans once again took a glance at the accessory. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ After much deliberation, they went on their way and went home. ¡°It¡¯s hard to look for a good present¡­~¡± ¡°Anya. I told you it¡¯s okay already. We¡¯re not kids anymore.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Anyways we¡¯re here already. Come on.¡± ¡°Ah, right~! Hans~ This is the place~¡± ¡°Oohh¡­¡± ¡°Lunaria Caf¨¦!¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 8 End Chapter 9: Sibling Fight and Dire Situation *clang clang* ¡°Welcome to our Lunaria~!¡± ¡°I¡¯m welcomed!¡± ¡°¡­ *sigh*¡± Night has fell and the company just arrived at Lunaria Caf¨¦. Ignoring the sulking Ceres who is now tidying up for the next day, Anya welcomed Hans inside the restaurant while showing him around. The beautifully arranged tables with two chairs on opposite sides greeted him accentuated by the relaxing atmosphere brought upon the wooden color of the wall. The 100 square meter two story house¡¯s ground floor was made into a restaurant fixed with a small kitchen that can fit two to three person and an open area where the customers are served; a fairly small sized restaurant. ¡°But looking at it, it¡¯s really nice. I can imagine how the people will want to come back here again and again.¡± ¡°Really~?¡± The smile in Anya¡¯s face cannot be denied by Hans¡¯ comment about her mother¡¯s restaurant, which is now her and Ceres¡¯. ¡°Yeah. Not just the atmosphere brought by the design. The arrangement of the furniture, the decoration, even the color is relaxing and makes you all warm inside. The person who designed this must really love cooking for people.¡± ¡°Fufu~ That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°Ceres¡­¡± The chopping sound stopped after Ceres voiced her opinion. ¡°How can you let someone, much more a man, into our house like nothing? We just met this man this afternoon. We barely know anything about him!¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t just let him sleep outside¡­¡± ¡°And we can¡¯t just simply let him in is what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°H-Hey¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you. So shut it.¡± Even before Hans could have said what he wanted to say, he was interrupted by the words of Ceres fuming with anger. ¡°I understand your intentions of helping, but isn¡¯t this too much??¡± ¡°But he¡¯s not a bad person! I just know!¡± Ceres placed down the knife she was holding on the chopping board and faced Anya. The atmosphere tenses the more they speak. ¡°I know you do because of your Gift. But you¡¯re trusting him way too soon! No one knows what kind of thoughts are running in that man right now!¡± ¡°¡­ Are¡­ Are you saying you can¡¯t trust me¡­?¡± Anya lowered her head due to the welling emotion inside her. ¡°I-I did not say such thing!¡± Ceres slightly trembled at her feet after hearing Anya¡¯s words. The slight change in her non-blood related sister¡¯s tone is enough for her to understand Anya¡¯s feelings. But for Ceres to come in terms to her own feelings is a different matter. ¡°Then what do you mean??¡± Anya, who is now being rubbed off Ceres¡¯ anger, unconsciously raised her voice towards her sister. And now, like adding another wood to a dying flame, Ceres is reminded of the time of her childhood. ¡°That humans are trash! You can¡¯t trust every single one of them! The moment you let your guard down, that¡¯s when they will attack you without you knowing! The moment you show them kindness, they will betray you like it¡¯s nothing!! Why can¡¯t you understand that?! I¡¯m just protecting you!!¡± And the long forgotten burn started to ache as flashes of episodes flow back in her mind. ¡°They only think for themselves! Showing you a front like a perfect human just to achieve what they want! Then behind their smiles are trash plotting to take advantage of you!¡± Like a destroyed dam, tears in Ceres eyes began flowing down without stop. ¡°I know¡­ I just know! Kindness and such¡­ never exist!!¡± ¡°¡­ C-Ceres¡­¡± ¡°Everyone just leaves me all alone¡­!¡± Ceres saying that, it is then followed by the tears falling down Anya¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Ah-¡­¡± Ceres mind froze at the sight in front of her. Unable to handle the situation, Ceres threw her apron away and ran towards the door directly outside. ¡°Ceres!¡± Anya was about to follow her when¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°It seems something happened to her before, I presume¡­¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to tell me. Anyways, I¡¯ll apologize to her and tell her I¡¯ll decline your offer.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I already died once. I won¡¯t die with just sleeping outside. Haha.¡± Hans patted Anya¡¯s head reassuring her. He then dashed towards the door but after opening it and surveyed the surroundings, Ceres was already nowhere to be found. ¡°Ceres¡­¡± ¡°Anya. Do you know a place where she could¡¯ve gone to?¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ Whenever she wants to be alone, she will go to the bell tower at the northern part of the town¡­¡± ¡°Bell tower¡­ Is that it?¡± Hans pointed towards a protruding infrastructure just north of the plaza. It is tall and visible enough for anyone to see it during the day but can be quite hidden at night because of its color. ¡°You can see it from here even when it¡¯s night?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t mind it for now. The priority is finding Ceres as soon as possible. A girl alone in the dark only spells trouble.¡± ¡°C-Ceres¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring her back, I promise. It can be my way of thanks for the food.¡± ¡°Hans¡­ I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± The two of them ventured the night in search for Ceres. ¡°I hope this will just end up being a peaceful night.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°¡­ *sigh* Why did I do that¡­ It¡¯s not even Anya¡¯s fault¡­¡± Ceres stands while leaning on the railings of the bell tower. The whole town spreads in her eyes, casted by the shadow of the night sky and is illuminated by the twin moons. The smaller moon with a tint of blue revolves around the bigger moon with a white color. [¡°Thinking back¡­ I just lashed out at her. It¡¯s my own problem and all, yet what I did is just¡­¡±] ¡°*sigh* I should apologize tomorrow¡­ To begin with, it¡¯s that guy¡¯s fault! He appeared out of nowhere and barged in like who¡¯s great!¡± A surge of irritating feeling filled Ceres heart as she recalled the face of the man who they just met this afternoon, hitting the railing with her fist. ¡°I know it¡¯s bad to let that guy sleep outside¡­ But who knows what that guy¡¯s thinking¡­ He may be planning to rob us or worse kill us¡­¡± Inside Ceres¡¯ mind plays a number of simulations where they are attacked by Hans. Approaching them like a real gentleman and acting like he¡¯s the kindest person in the vicinity then in their backs, he¡¯ll come charging at them with a knife. Just like that, she just can¡¯t find in herself to trust someone. Much less a person who they have just met. ¡°Old habits just won¡¯t die¡­¡± Ceres was reminded of the time in her past. ¡°But even I am trying¡­¡± Like a trauma engraved in her heart. ¡°I just can¡¯t trust someone that easily¡­¡± *step* ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± In the shadow of the bell comes a black figure who is wearing a robe with it covering their face. ¡°Hey¡­~ Nice to meet you. Or should I say¡­ Long time no see¡­?¡± ¡°Y-You¡­ You¡¯re that¡­!!¡± ¡°Fall in the night of Slumber¡­ Sleep.¡± The man chants a [spell] and it instantly affected Ceres without giving her time to retaliate. ¡°Wha-?! Ah¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have you struggling now, can we? Kekeke¡­ Don¡¯t make my job even more troublesome.¡± ¡°D-Darn¡­ you¡­¡± *thud* Ceres body fell to the ground, then soft breathing sounds slips out and can be heard from her mouth. ¡°Well then¡­ I should get you outta here before someone sees me.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°So. This is the bell tower?¡± The remnants of the festival was still on their place and only the lights were removed. The town that was bustling with activity just earlier is now so silent like the festivals was only just a dream. They both arrived at the bell tower where Ceres is thought to be. ¡°Yes~ *pant* *pant* you¡¯re still energetic after running that far¡­? *pant*¡± ¡°Yeah. This is nothing compared to what I was doing in my world.¡± ¡°*pant* phew¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They climb up using the stairs inside the bell tower that is usually used for the person in charge of ringing the bell. It was silent enough where one can even hear his or her own breathing. Only the sounds of their footsteps are heard inside. Tap. Tap. Tap. Until they reached the upper most level of the tower. They were already expecting Ceres to be there only to find no one. ¡°This is the place right?¡± ¡°It should be¡­¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Does this mean she might have gone to a different place?¡± ¡°M-Maybe¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes anxiously darts all around the place. ¡°I feel uneasy¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°My ability you see¡­ I can feel the emotion and intention of a person through the mana around. A person releases and absorbs mana around them so the trails in those are what I gather to identify their emotions and intensions.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ There¡¯s an evil intention lingering in the flowing mana around here¡­ It was so strong I can still feel it tingling¡­¡± Anya rubbed her arms in an attempt to calm herself down to no avail. Only negative thoughts run inside her head. ¡°Also¡­ Fear¡­¡± A chill ran down the back of Anya as she felt the unbelievable fear she received from the surrounding mana. Cold sweat began appearing on her forehead and dripped down her face. ¡°Fear?¡± ¡°I can feel a large amount of fear around the place¡­ It makes me feel afraid too. I remember this feeling before¡­ It was when I met Ceres for the first time. But this time it¡¯s greater¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Wait, that is¡­?¡± Calming Anya, Hans found something sparkling, lying on the floor. ¡°¡­! That¡¯s Ceres¡¯!¡± ¡°She was here then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all¡­ That hair pin¡­ She haven¡¯t let gone of that ever since I gave it to her. Did she throw it¡­?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not it. Look more closely. If you think she threw it, won¡¯t it make sense if she threw it outside? It¡¯s weird if she will throw it on the ground where she can just pick it up again.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Something has happened.¡± ¡°Ceres!!¡± Anya abruptly turned around towards the stairs to run look for Ceres. ¡°Wait! Where are you going??¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her! This is my fault! It¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t thinking of her feelings!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even in their dire situation, Hans could not help but smile. ¡°You two are just so¡­¡± [¡°She didn¡¯t even think that it is my fault. Instead, she¡¯s blaming herself. She¡¯s too kind at fault. Even what Ceres wanted to make Anya realize is for Anya¡¯s sake.¡±] ¡°Hans¡­?¡± ¡°I told you, right? I¡¯ll bring her back. I won¡¯t go back down on my promise.¡± ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°Now go look for places where she could¡¯ve gone just in case. I¡¯ll look around if there¡¯s a chance someone kidnapped her.¡± ¡°Kidnapped?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking at the bigger picture. We don¡¯t have much time if that¡¯s the case. They haven¡¯t gone that far, I think. And another thing, try asking for someone who can help you.¡± ¡°G-Got it! ¡­ Hans¡­¡± Anya was about to go down the stairs but turned around and faced Hans. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave my sister to you.¡± Hans was surprised by the sudden expression of Anya. It was different than that he was seeing throughout the day. It was an expression of great resolve and trust. ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°R-Rog¡­ Roger?¡± ¡°Never mind that. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± They both climb down the stairs with vigor. Every second for them is important and cannot be wasted. It may cause the best or the worst possible scenario. And now with only Ceres on their minds, they both went their separate ways to fulfill each of their own objectives. ¡­ .. . *knock* *knock* *knock* ¡°S-Sofiel? Are you there??¡± The door opened and a person with a cuteness not losing to those of a high class lady greeted Anya. ¡°*yawn* Anya¡­? Why are you here in this hour?¡± ¡°No time to explain! Just come with me! Bring your weapon! Hurry!¡± ¡°Eh? EH?? What do you mean?? Wait! Weapon?! Are we fighting something??¡± Sofiel immediately wore his sandals and got his mace from his room. Confused and dazed about the current situation, Sofiel forgot he was still in his sleepwear, a blue nightgown paired with a short. His nightcap still on his head, they went out from his apartment. ¡°Wh-Wh-Where are we going, Anya??¡± ¡°Just help me look for Ceres!¡± ¡°Look, you say¡­¡± ¡°Ceres disappeared!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Now then¡­ How will I search for Ceres¡­¡± Hans stands just besides the tower after seeing Anya off to go look for help. With his arms folded, he thinks of a way to search for Ceres without wasting too much time. He began digging through the information in his head to find something that may help his search. ¡°Right¡­ Anya said something about a flowing mana¡­¡± [¡°Then it means it¡¯s everywhere¡­¡±] Mana. It is one of the fundamentals in this world. One of the most abundant and renewable resources. Where it came from and how it came to be is still unknown to the residents of this world. But the only thing they know is they can harness it and convert it to energy, using it to supply magic. It can be harnessed everywhere but the kinds and types of it is different in divergent areas. ¡°If she uses the mana to sense the intentions in the place¡­¡± Then it means that the mana of a person is flowing in and out of him or her. ¡°Mana¡­¡± [¡°There it is again¡­ If I try to concentrate on the surroundings¡­ I feel it a lot stronger¡­ That warm and cold feeling.¡±] ¡°If I take the plunge and guess that this is that mana¡­¡± Hans focused his every fiber to the sensation we was feeling and without a moment¡¯s delay, the wind started swirling around him and dispersed like a small explosion. ¡°Whoa¡­ That was¡­¡± Then all of a sudden a voice was heard inside Hans¡¯ head along with a sharp bell sound. ¡°[Mana Detect] skill¡­¡± Thump thump¡­ His heart started beating like crazy from the surfacing emotion he is having. ¡°¡­ AWSOME!¡± Hans, even in a dire situation, could not hide his excitement about his new discovery. When Hans was a child together with his mother and father, along with books as his only playmate, games was also one of his favorite pass time. After finishing a book and waiting for the new release, he will spend his time playing adventure games with a role playing genre. In role playing games, the players acquire skills that will make them stronger and help them complete quests to finish the game. ¡°Not only is it like those what I read in my books but also the games¡­ No, it¡¯s definitely like a game¡­¡± His heart began beating faster as he reminisce the memories of his childhood, the only memory he was fond of when he was a child. ¡°Mana Detect¡­ So it really is mana. Alright, I can use this¡­!¡± Once again, Hans focused his mind in search for something. ¡°A mana that was around the tower¡­¡± He closed his eyes and focused his mind to the flowing mana that is surrounding him. [¡°That¡¯s it! It creates a pattern and it leads to the Caf¨¦. Maybe this is Ceres mana. If I followed it¡­¡±] Hans began running after the direction of the traces of mana. ¡­ At the end of the trace, he found himself in an abandoned mansion located at the farthest corner of the town in the south. ¡°It really gives off a vibe of being a hideout. Way to give me a huge hint.¡± He focused his mind again to use Mana Detect for more clues. ¡°I¡¯m slowly getting used to this skill.¡± Hans have repeated using the skill for a number of times to follow the traces. The more he gets away from the starting point, the more Ceres¡¯ mana thins down, making it harder for Hans to follow it continuously. ¡°But then again, this is really something¡­ It¡¯s like I have a built in radar.¡± Getting used to the skill he acquired, Hans uses it like the ones he uses in his missions to infiltrate a target location. ¡°Detecting Ceres¡¯ mana is one thing¡­ But this other one is¡­¡± Not only Ceres¡¯ mana was detected by Hans. A huge cluster of mana also follows the traces of Ceres¡¯ without thinning down. ¡°It¡¯s clear that this is the one who¡¯s behind this. Darn it.¡± Now that he looked at the mansion while sensing the huge amount of mana, it is without a doubt that the mansion is the place. The mansion was a two story building that is clearly displays a wealthy impression, except for the fact that it is worn down and the vines of all sorts have started growing on its surface covering it whole. *creak* The gate is almost torn off and with only a single push, will give it its final job. The twin moons have already hidden in the clouds and the night became much darker. With only his naked eyes and his ears as his guide, Hans entered the gate as silent as possible. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want them catching me before saving Ceres.¡± *step* ¡°My, my¡­ What do have we here?¡± ¡°Ah-¡± He was caught. ¡­ .. . ¡°A-Anya¡­! *pant* What do you¡­. *pant* mean Ceres disappeared?? *pant¡± ¡°*pant* I don¡¯t know¡­! Hans came¡­ *pant* and Ceres and I had a fight¡­ *fight* and she disappeared!¡± ¡°W-Wait!! I do not understand a thing! *pant*¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have much time! *pant*¡± ¡°Phew¡­ But searching around aimless is not helping either! We should first think about how we should move from here!¡± Panting heavily from the continuous running, Anya and Sofiel stopped on their tracks with their hands on their chests. ¡°First of all, who is this Hans?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ I¡¯ll introduce you later! Let¡¯s think of a way to find Ceres first! This is my fault¡­¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡­! I see you had a fight with Ceres, like usual. Is something different today?¡± ¡°She went outside towards the bell tower she frequents to¡­¡± ¡°Did you find her there?¡± ¡°No¡­ All we found was the hair pin that I gave her when we were kids¡­¡± Anya held both her hands in her chest as if to suppress her tears from flowing out. ¡°Anya¡­ I got it. First let us go to the place she will most likely go.¡± ¡°O-Okay! Next to the bell tower¡­ She will sometimes go to the plaza. I always find her there sitting on one of the benches during.¡± ¡°Then that is our first location then.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s during the afternoon. I doubt she will go there at night much less at this hour.¡± ¡°But we have no other clues. Let us go there for now.¡± ¡°Got it¡­¡± Sofiel and Anya proceeded on their way to the plaza placed in the center of the town. The water in the fountain is not flowing right now as it is turned off for the day. Expecting that somehow Ceres is there seating like nothing have happened, Anya found no one there. Only the cry of the cicadas are heard and only the shadows of benches and a few cats sleeping can be seen. ¡°She is not here.¡± ¡°Ceres¡­ Please¡­ Where are you¡­?¡± ¡°Anya, calm down. Did you not tell me that that Hans you mentioned is also helping? You are not alone in here.¡± ¡°R-Right¡­ Let¡¯s go to the next one.¡± ¡°That is the spirit!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Let¡¯s try going back to Lunaria. There may be chance she already came back¡­ I hope.¡± ¡°Okay. Let is go.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Ahaha. I was caught.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve placed a barrier that will let me know when an intruder gets in. I don¡¯t know why you are here but don¡¯t think you will get away in one piece. Kekeke!¡± ¡°Nooooo¡­ Help meeeee¡­¡± Hans said so while doing his best to sound natural. The kidnapper went his way outside the room where Hans is now locked in. It is a small room inside the mansion without a speck of light in it. Everything is covered in dust with only the broken window the only ventilation. [¡°Just as planned¡­ Or I would like to say. I did¡¯t think I would get caught even before I can get to enter the gat. But this is a good start.¡±] Looking around the place there are two people that are locked inside the room. One of them is Ceres. ¡°Hng¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­ She¡¯s safe. But what about the other one?¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ Were you kidnapped too?¡± The small girl asked in a timid voice. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Uhm¡­¡± She thought for a while before opening her mouth again to speak. ¡°¡­ Tia¡­ I¡¯m Tia. What about you m-mister¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Hans. Nice to meet you, Tia.¡± The girl is wearing a battered, one-piece dress that is made from leather, cloth and animal fur. She is wearing a hat that covers her head which only shows her long, golden hair that drops downward and is visibly shining even with the darkness. Her green eyes glisten even in the dark as she timidly look at Hans. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, nice to meet you too.¡± Hans who is locked with both his feet and hands tied introduced himself to the little girl who was also kidnapped. ¡°Mister Hans looks so calm¡­ A-Are you not afraid¡­?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Not really. I¡¯m used to situations like this. And Hans will do. I don¡¯t really like formality.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re always kidnapped¡­??¡± ¡°¡­ No. Anyways, this means you were kidnapped by that person too?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes¡­¡± The girl who is as young as an elementary student shivered after recalling what happened. Droplets of tears began flowing down from her eyes. ¡°No need to worry. Big brother here will help you out.¡± Hans showed his hands and the rope that was supposed to be tied around his wrists. ¡°Wha? H-How did you do that??¡± ¡°Well. This kind of tying is only a piece of cake compared to what we used.¡± ¡°C-Cake¡­? So we can just eat them¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ N-No¡­ It¡¯s just a figure of speech¡­¡± ¡°F-Figure¡­?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Nevermind.¡± Hans patted Tia¡¯s head with a wry smile on his face. [¡°Maybe the figure of speech here are different from that in my world. Or this kid haven¡¯t started school yet. Anyways first we should wake Ceres up and get out of here.¡±] ¡°Tia. Is there anything in particular that you saw when you were brought here?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Ah. The man casted a magic barrier that prevents anyone to go outside¡­¡± ¡°I see. So we don¡¯t have any means to get out of here.¡± [¡°I guess, I¡¯ll just have to wait for that robed man and see things from there.¡±] ¡°Hng¡­ Hn?¡± ¡°Oh. Ceres is waking up. Ah. *giggle*¡­ Shhh¡­¡± ¡°Hans¡­?¡± Hans placed his finger on his lips with one of his eyes closed. ¡°Wh-Where¡­?¡± ¡°Good morning, Ceres.¡± Ceres rose to sit on the floor while still being tied. Her face contorts from the sudden pain that she felt in her head. ¡°Wh-who are you¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?! Amnesia?!¡± ¡°No. I just don¡¯t want to remember you¡­¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Are you two a-acquaintances?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ceres¡­ *sniffle*¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­¡± Tia smiled wryly while looking at them. ¡°Don¡¯t mind that. Where are we?¡± ¡°Right. This is an abandoned mansion just by the corner of the town.¡± ¡°Where are we, little girl?¡± Without glancing at Hans¡¯ direction, Ceres turned to Tia and asked the same question for the second time. ¡°I just explained it, right?? I answered your question, right??¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ It¡¯s just as Hans said¡­¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°You clicked your tongue right now, didn¡¯t you??¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡± ¡°¡­ Wah~ finally! You responded~! I¡¯m so happy~¡± ¡°Hans¡­ That¡¯s not where you should be happy¡­¡± Ceres heaved an exasperated sigh and turned her head to Hans unwillingly. Her expression tells it all that she does not want to have anything to do with him. ¡°Then why are we here?¡± ¡°Anya and I were looking for you after you went out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Recalling the events that happened earlier, Ceres looked down with a crestfallen face. ¡°Then when we arrived at the bell tower you frequently go, we only found your hair pin.¡± ¡°Hair pin?! Where is it?! Is it okay?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s here in my pocket. But I can¡¯t reach it. My hands are tied.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I see. If you have it destroyed, I¡¯ll definitely kill you.¡± ¡°Urk¡­ What a fearsome killing intent¡­¡± ¡°Mister Hans¡­ But earlier your hand-¡° ¡°*blink* *blink* *blink*¡± ¡°A-Ahh¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing with your eye? Have you finally snapped and gone crazy? You¡¯re really creepy right now.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t hold back with your insults, do you Ceres¡­? *sigh*¡± ¡°But why are you here? Deducing from the fact that you were looking for me, aren¡¯t you supposed to be out saving me?¡± ¡°I was caught. Teehee~¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ceres could not hold back her thoughts and it showed on her face. ¡°Stop looking at me like you¡¯re looking at some trash!! Sheesh¡­ Ceres¡­ You¡¯re mean. I¡¯m just trying to get along with you¡­¡± ¡°Then what are you doing getting caught, you moron?¡± ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t have any excuse for that!¡± ¡°Hans¡­¡± All the while, Tia was watching both of them with a lighthearted feeling. Even in this complicated situation, seeing Hans being calm and making the mood light helped relieve the anxiety Tia was feeling. *sigh* Oh well. Now what should we do?¡± ¡°You mean?¡± ¡°We¡¯re kidnapped. Now how should we get out from here? ¡­!!?¡± *click* ¡°Oho~ you¡¯re all getting along well~¡± The door knob clicked open and a robed man with a cloak covering his face entered the room. A smirk can be seen just under his hood giving off a sinister atmosphere around him. ¡°Not really. This one here keeps insulting me like I¡¯m worse than an insect. Right, Ceres?¡± ¡°¡­ A-Aaah¡­ Ahhhh¡­.¡± ¡°Ceres? Are you okay? You¡¯re getting pale?¡± ¡°Oho~? You two know each other? Kekekeke. I see you were trying to save her. But your luck ran out! Kekekeke!¡± ¡°Kuh¡­ Ceres, what¡¯s wrong? Look at me! Get yourself together!¡± Hans while still acting like his hands are tied, bumped Ceres with his shoulder. It was initially his plan to hide it from Ceres so when the robed man comes, there will not be any raising of suspicion from anyone. It was not like because he did not trust Ceres, but it was because of how Ceres treats him as of the moment. It may end up in something troublesome otherwise. But what occurred right now is out of Hans¡¯ jurisdiction. ¡°N-No¡­ Don¡¯t come near me¡­ Please¡­ M-Mama¡­ P-Papa¡­¡± ¡°Hans¡­ What happened to Ceres¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry~ Keke. It¡¯s just that she missed me a lot and she¡¯s reacting to our reunion¡­~ Keeeekekekeke!¡± ¡°Tch. Ceres!¡± ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t come any closer¡­!¡± ¡°You guy with the noble hair. You see, before I kill you, let me tell you a shooooort story.¡± ¡°M-Mama¡­ P-Papa¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°This girl¡­ No. She¡¯s a full-fledged woman right now, huh¡­¡± The robed man used his fingers to run through Ceres¡¯ face wiping off her tears while licking his own lips. ¡°¡­ Eek¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°Hans!!¡± ¡°Tch¡­¡± Tia called out to Hans expecting him to save Ceres. But Hans is still not moving only watching while gritting his teeth. [¡°If I move now¡­¡±] ¡°Whoa there¡­ I recommend you don¡¯t do anything funny now, guy with the noble hair. One wrong step and all their limbs will go kaboom~! Kekekeke!¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need them to be in one piece. We just need to extract something from them actually~ Keke. If you dare to move now I can¡¯t guarantee they¡¯ll go out here walking!¡± ¡°Hans! Don¡¯t mind me! Just save Ceres!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± But Hans is not all but calm in the situation. There was the promise with Anya that he will bring back Ceres safely. But not only that, the sole desire to save Ceres overwhelms him but is conflicted with the current situation. [¡°I can move right now, I can attack. But after that, what? I only have my knife here. The enemy knows magic with his huge amount of mana. Worst case, he can easily deflect my attack.¡±] A grim situation have come for Hans. The robed man has unknown power that Hans have yet to understand. He is confident with his ability as a soldier, but that fails in comparison when it comes to the unknown. One wrong move can lead to the worst case scenario. [¡°Think, Hans! I¡¯ve overcome more wars than this!¡±] The new factor, magic, have left Hans thinking for himself anew. A new possibility that was just a work of fiction back in his world. One wrong move and he¡¯s done. ¡­ .. . Chapter 9 End Chapter 10: The Hidden Trauma and The Little Faunalian Girl ¡°This story was waaaaay before this woman here is still a girl. Keke.¡± Ceres and Tia are still tied and locked at their place when the robed man started to talk. Hans on the other hand could not move an inch because of the robed man¡¯s threat of harming the two. If Hans was alone, he could have done something about it already, but for them to get out of this dire situation in one piece, Hans must be careful with every inch of movement in his body. ¡°M-Mama¡­ P-Papa¡­¡± ¡°Tch¡­¡± ¡°Ceres¡­¡± ¡°Once upon a time¡­¡± The robed man stood straight and assume a pose of that a person telling a story with his finger twirling in the air. Ceres face was pale and her body was trembling one will think she has already been burning with fever. ¡°There waaaas this family who lived in the Kingdom. A fairly well off family with a mother, a father, and a daughter.¡± The man continued to tell his story, enjoying himself with their reactions. ¡°But one day, I KILLED the mother and the father!! The end~¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tch, boring¡­ But well, well. Keke! I was tasked by our organization to kidnap the daughter. Why? Do you know why?¡± ¡°¡­ Help¡­¡± The robed man grabbed Ceres¡¯ head messing up her hair in the process. ¡°This bastard¡­¡± Slowly, Hans¡¯ anger is accumulating and nearly cannot contain it. But the problem still lies with him not knowing more about his enemy. ¡°For this girl¡¯s Gift¡­! It¡¯s one of the rarest Gift¡­! A [Reinforcement Gift]!!¡± ¡°Reinforcement¡­ Gift¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s riiiiight! A kind of Gift that makes the user a hundred, no¡­ Even a THOUSAND-FOLD stronger!!¡± Hans looked at Ceres who is still trembling from fear. [¡°A Reinforcement Gift¡­ But with her like this¡­ Kuh¡­ I guess, it¡¯s really up to me.¡±] ¡°Keeeeeekekekeke! Along with that little girl there~! Kekeke! Today is my lucky day~! I stumbled upon this girl while I was searching for this one!¡± ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°¡­ Kekeke¡­ Resuretia¡­ HAIL RESURETIA!! [Resuretia] will gather all kinds of Gifts in this world¡­ and then¡­ Kekeke! AND THEN!!¡± [¡°Resuretia¡­?¡±] Hans strained his ears at the word. [¡°Is that a person? Or not¡­ It seems like he¡¯s working for that ¡®Resuretia¡¯ so¡­ Maybe it¡¯s an organization. Tch¡­ Then this is not just a simple kidnapping. Darn it, it¡¯s getting more disturbing.¡±] The man removed his hood and glared at Tia. His face revealed a man¡¯s face full of scar plastered with a creepy smirk. ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°This brat¡¯s Gift is amazing you see¡­~ I¡¯m really blessed with luck today. Kekekeke.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tia then glared at the robed man with an intent of rebuke. But ignoring her, the man then licked the blade of his dagger that appeared out of nowhere. ¡°You see, I have a Gift~ But this ability is useless unless there are other people with Gift. Do you want to know what kind of Gift it is?? You want right??¡± ¡°¡­ *sniffle*¡± ¡°I guess you do! I can detect other people with Gifts! And I can TELL what kind of Gitft they are!! Kekeke! I¡¯m awesome, aren¡¯t I?! With this Gift of mine¡­ our dream will not be but just a dream¡­!! KEEEEEKEKEKE!!¡± The man continued to laugh like a mad man with his hands grabbed onto Ceres¡¯ head. ¡°Kekeke! Oh well, forget about the story! I¡¯ll just enjoy playing with this thing! I didn¡¯t get to eat this one before since I¡¯m not into little kids, but¡­ Kekekeke~ You look so delicious now¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ M-Mama¡­ P-Papa¡­¡± Ceres fell limp like a doll with its string cut. The life in her eyes is now lost with only tears flowing endlessly. ¡°Kekeke! Here I go~ Kekekeke!¡± ¡°Hans!!¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve had enough.¡± ¡°Ke?¡± A loud cracking sound was heard throughout the room. ¡°Enough!!¡± *crack* *bam!* ¡°¡­ BUFOHAAAA-!¡± *blag!* Hans jumped at the man at a lightning speed and punch him with power incomparable to that of a human. In that moment, Ceres light came back to her and is greeted by the spectacle that happened before her eyes. The loud sound that came from Hans¡¯ hit and the crashing sound was enough to bring her back to reality. ¡°Arghh!! Y-You!! How dare you!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ¡®How dare you¡¯ me. That¡¯s my line.¡± ¡°Hans¡­?¡± Hans face is now almost unrecognizable for those who have not seen him in a combat. He is now in full combat mode carrying an uncontainable anger inside him. One can almost see his eyes gleaming in the dark which is only aimed at its target. ¡°Seemed like you were getting full of yourself, you stupid bastard. Here I am just waiting for the moment you just go away. But thanks to your stupidity I found my chance to beat the hell out of you.¡± Because of the robed man¡¯s carelessness of getting carried away with what¡¯s in fron of him, Hans got his chance to attack with the robed man¡¯s attention was only directed at Ceres. Hans judged it to be an opportunity and released his anger towards the stupid bastard all at once. ¡°D-Do you know who I am?!¡± The man pointed his trembling finger to Hans while holding his almost broken jaw with his other. ¡°I don¡¯t, stupid.¡± *blag* ¡°Guha-!¡± His fist met the man¡¯s abdomen with a huge impact seemingly destroying his body. A satisfying crunching sound reverberate inside the room. Even the wooden floor where the man was lying created a huge crater from the impact. ¡°Y-You¡­! *cough*¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite sturdy, huh?¡± *swiiish* At the tip of the man¡¯s finger shines a magic circle that is slowly forming as he chants. ¡°Swim in the lake of fire, Hell Flar- Guho-!¡± *bam!* ¡°Like I¡¯d let you.¡± Blood has started to seep out from Hans fist along with the blood from the robed man¡¯s abdomen. ¡°H-Hans?¡± [¡°His eyes¡­ Unlike before, they were gentle and kind, they will make you feel relaxed¡­ But now, I can only see bloodlust. Is he the same Hans earlier¡­?¡±] Thinking that, Tia could only watch the scene in front of her with disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tia. I won¡¯t let this crap lay another finger on you two.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah¡­¡± Hans smiled gently at her reassuring her of her safety. But it betrayed the aura he is emitting while looking at the robed man who is now lying while crouching on the floor. *thump* Tia held her hands close to her chest while feverishly looking at Hans face. ¡°W-Waaaah!!¡± The man attempted to run away towards the door but Hans¡¯ feet stopped him. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Don¡¯t think it will end just like that.¡± A slight grin formed on Hans¡¯ face. ¡°Ceres. What should we do with this guy?¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± ¡°Ceres?¡± Ceres stood up from her place while her feet still trembling. Her eyes full of anger and determination. She curled up her fist and inserted all force in her arm. ¡°¡­ Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡± *blam!* ¡°Gufu-!¡± A punch directly to the man¡¯s face. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s¡­ for my mother¡­!¡± And once again, her eyes that is now moistened with tears, still full of anger locked onto the body of the robed man. She gritted her teeth and once again¡­ ¡°¡­ Yaaaaaaaaah!!¡± *bam!* ¡°Gufu-!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for¡­ *sniffle* my father!! *sob*¡± Her hips gave in and flopped down on the flooe. ¡°Ceres¡­ It¡¯s okay. Leave it to me. Hm. Tia.¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Leave her to me!¡± Tia supported sobbing Ceres and not within a moment, she passed out. ¡°Now then. How should I deal with you?¡± ¡°E-Eeeeek!! N-No, please! I¡¯ll give you money! Our organization will give you lots of gold!!¡± ¡°I heard that again, organization. What is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you, so plea-¡° The man stopped in mid-sentence and abruptly held his mouth with his both hands. ¡°C-Crap¡­! Gack! Ack- Aaagh¡­ arggh¡­.!?¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± The man began writhing in pain and rolled on the floor with something like a dark matter flowing out from his mouth. ¡°Gahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!¡± *BAM!* Without a single trace, the man¡¯s body incinerated and burned leaving not even a speck of ash behind. ¡°What¡­ was that¡­?¡± ¡°Th-That was a [Curse spell]¡­ It will activate if the person casted with it, did something the caster forbids him to.¡± ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­ Thank you very much, Hans. Ceres is safe too.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I see. We should get out of here. Let me carry her.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Hans?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°N-Nothing¡­¡± Tia was about to ask Hans about his change earlier but held back her thought. His atmosphere is now back to usual and the situation is now safe. That should be enough for now is what Tia was thinking. Hans carried Ceres in his arms and went their way out of the mansion with Ceres sleeping peacefully almost like nothing happened at all. ¡­ .. . ¡°This is not good¡­¡± ¡°Ceres¡­ Even Hans isn¡¯t coming back¡­¡± *clang* *clang* ¡°I¡¯ll get some coffee. Wait here and take a rest, Anya.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°I know this is not the time but, can you tell me more about that Hans?¡± Anya sat down in one of the chairs in the restaurant while Sofiel is grinding the coffee beans. His slender hand is gently rotating the grinder while glancing to Anya¡¯s direction. He still have not yet grasp the whole situation completely but the worry he has for Anya is starting to build up. Anya¡¯s face have begun to turn pale and she¡¯s already covered in sweat. One of the reason he can remain calm is his intuition. Elves have lived longer than humans have ever had. Their wisdom and intellect are honed by their experiences, which is why their judgement surpasses that of an adult human. Especially Sofiel. Ever since he was a child, his clan always praises him for his great intuition as it always hit the mark. But not that far as of those with Gifts like it. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes. We met Hans in the forest earlier in the afternoon while resting.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Sofiel is trying to distract Anya from the situation. Some may say that it is only a waste of time but for them to blindly search for a person in a relatively large town by themselves is asking for too much. [¡°I have not yet met this Hans person, but the only option is to leave this to him.¡±] ¡°He¡¯s a nice guy. I know so because of my Gift¡­ I wanted to return the favor for the delicious dish he made for us. But Ceres didn¡¯t want to¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry. I think things will be fine.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. But then again, Sofie, there are some times you look and sound so mature~¡± ¡°Wh-What are you saying? I AM mature already. I am way older than you two!¡± ¡°Fufu¡­ Sofie~¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You are most welcome. You can approach me like I am your father, you know?¡± ¡°Eh¡­~ You¡¯re more fitting to be a little sister~¡± ¡°Not even a mother, at least?!¡± *clang* *clang* ¡°We¡¯re back~¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± The bell that was hanging by the door rang followed by a familiar voice. ¡°¡­ Hans? Ceres!!¡± ¡°Whoa¡­ Relax. She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just sleeping.¡± ¡°¡­ *breathe*¡± ¡°¡­ Ahh¡­ Th-Thank goodness¡­!! *sniffle* R-Really¡­ Thank-¡­ waaaahh¡­ *sob* waaaaaahhh!!!¡± Anya¡¯s hips gave in from the tension leaving her body and fell down to the wooden floor. ¡°Haha. I promised, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°*sob* You did! Thank *hic* you!! Waaaaaaah!!!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Excuse me, miss. Can I have a chair to let Ceres lie down?¡± Hans glanced further back where the kitchen is located and asked the person he saw. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Miss, you say¡­ But I am a boy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Without a sound coming from his mouth, his eyes widen out of shock but his minds have begun calculating the information inside his head. [¡°Ears, cute, long hair, cute, slim, small stature, small face, round eyes, long eyelashes, long ears, cute, and a boy. BOY?!¡±] ¡°*sniffle* Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m used to it.¡± A droplet of tear formed in Sofiel¡¯s eye while aligning the chairs vertical like a couch. ¡°I want to talk with you more later. I¡¯m Hans by the way.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. I¡¯m Sofiel. Just lay her here.¡± ¡°Uhm. Hans, are you sure I can enter here?¡± Tia appeared gingerly from Hans¡¯ back while holding down his brown woolen hat as her eyes dart around the place. ¡°*sniffle* Right¡­ Who is the girl you¡¯re with~?¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ I am Tia¡­¡± She timidly placed her right hand on her chest and slightly bowed down. [¡°Hm¡­? Is it just me or her aura changed from before all of a sudden? I thought she¡¯s more of a strong-willed girl but¡­¡±] ¡°She was one of the kidnapped, together with Ceres.¡± ¡°Woooow~ She¡¯s so cute~!! *sniffle* I see. Nice to meet you, Tia. I¡¯m Anya, wait- EH?! Kidnapped?!¡± ¡°Wow, took you long to let that sink in.¡± ¡°B-But¡­!¡± Anya is almost jumping up and down on her place while panicking. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it some other day. I have a favor to ask. Anya, can you at least let Tia stay here? I¡¯ll look myself a place to sleep.¡± ¡°Hans??¡± ¡°Like I explained to you earlier, Tia, it was because of this talk we went through this mess. Well, it¡¯s not all that bad since I got to save you in the process. So I don¡¯t mind sleeping outside but I won¡¯t let a young girl sleep outside.¡± ¡°Fufu~¡± Anya, while wiping her tears of, chuckled. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t mistaken~¡± ¡°What do you mean? More importantly, will you let Tia stay?¡± ¡°What are you saying? Of course I¡¯ll let her stay here~ I can tell, too. That she¡¯s a really good girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tia looked down while gripping her dress. If one could judge her expression, it is one of guilt. ¡°Oh. And that goes for you as well, Hans. You¡¯re NOT staying anywhere outside~¡± ¡°Huh? Do you want Ceres to run away again?¡± ¡°Just leave it to me. After all you¡¯re the one who saved her~ I won¡¯t have her rejecting you again.¡± ¡°Anya. Ceres is waking up.¡± ¡°Hn¡­?¡± ¡°Ceres??¡± Anya¡¯s eyes glistened with tears after seeing Ceres eyes open up and hearing her voice even if it was a small grunt. ¡°Ceres¡­ *sniffle* You¡¯re awake!¡± Anya immediately jumped to hug Ceres. ¡°Haha, she¡¯s crying again.¡± Hans could not help but comment at the heartwarming scene that is happening before their eyes. ¡°Ceres! Ceres! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m very sorry!¡± The tears that once stopped began flowing again. Seeing her beloved sister safe and sound, Anya could not contain her emotions that was pent up earlier and flowed out all at once. ¡°A-Anya¡­? Why¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­! *hic* *sob* It¡¯s my fault! I didn¡¯t consider your feelings! *sniffle*¡± ¡°Anya¡­ It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sorry too. I lashed out at you. I know it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s that guy¡¯s.¡± Saying that, Ceres glared at Hans while rubbing Anya¡¯s back. ¡°U-Uhm¡­¡± ¡°*sniffle* Hehe¡­ *sniffle* We¡¯re even then~¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re even.¡± Ceres and Anya met each other¡¯s foreheads with a huge smile on their faces. The tears that is flowing from Anya¡¯s eyes is now that of happiness. ¡°So are we agreeing on not having that guy over here?¡± ¡°Okay~¡± ¡°Wha-?! What about the ¡®That goes for you as well¡¯ earlier?! Anya??¡± ¡°Hehe~ I¡¯m just kidding.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ Well¡­¡± ¡°Ceres?¡± Ceres stood up from the chairs that was lined up and turned to Hans while looking down. ¡°What I want to say is¡­ *mumble* *mumble*¡± ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t catch that.¡± ¡°L-Like I said! Th-Than¡­¡± Ceres rubs her left arm with her face flushed while searching for the courage she needs. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°HMPH!¡± She punched Hans in the stomach. *bam!* ¡°Guh-! Wha¡­ What are you doing all of a sudden¡­?¡± Hans fell to his knees after receiving the blow. ¡°Something like that¡­ Just think about it for yourself! Hmph.¡± ¡°Geez¡­ Ceres.¡± ¡°Awawa¡­ Hans! A-Are you okay??¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee~ Eh? Wh-What happened here?¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Say, is it really okay for me to stay here? With Tia as an exception.¡± Sophiel has gone home and now Anya, Ceres, Tia, and Hans is on the first floor where the living quarters is. ¡°What are you saying~? You¡¯re the one who saved Ceres. Of course there¡¯s no problem letting her savior in~¡± ¡°Still¡­ I¡¯m basically a stranger, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°If Hans is saying that¡­ What about me?¡± Tia timidly spoke her own opinion in regards to what they were talking about while fiddling with her fingers. Ceres on the other hand is drying Tia¡¯s hair as they were just inside the bathroom. They are now wearing their pajamas while Tia wearing Ceres¡¯. ¡°Wh-Wha¡­¡± Forgetting his concern in an instant, Hans widen his eyes while their locked on Tia. ¡°H-Hans?¡± ¡°C-C-Cu-¡­¡± ¡°Cu? Ah. Thank you very much, Ceres.¡± Ceres went to dry her own hair as she proceeded to sit on the couch in the living room. ¡°CUTE!! What is this cute creature?!¡± ¡°Wawa~??¡± Hans is circling around Tia with his fingers placed on his chin and eyeing Tia. In Hans¡¯ eyes, Tia is sparkling and letting out an aura of a cute small animal. Anyone would want to hug her the moment they see her is what Hans is feeling right now. ¡°The large pajama that definitely exceeds her size covering her arms and feet¡­ The ruffled golden silky hair¡­ The ginger look in her face with a slight blush! And lastly¡­ THESE ANIMAL EARS AND TAIL!!! CUTE!! Hey! Can I take her home?!¡± ¡°Relax, idiot.¡± *bam* ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Hmm~? Is Hans actually a dangerous person~?¡± ¡°Anya¡­ I told you so. This guy is up to no good.¡± ¡°Awawa¡­¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about?! Are you implying that I¡¯m a lolicon(pedophile)?!¡± ¡°lolico- what?¡± ¡°Lolicon! I read it in one of my books before. Those are abnormal people who likes small children sexually.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re a lolicon.¡± ¡°Wha-!? Ceres¡­ Tsk tsk tsk¡­ You don¡¯t get it¡­¡± ¡°Wh-What are you on¡­?¡± Hans straightened his back and folded his arms with his eyes closed. Ceres then stiffened by the sudden proclamation of Hans that seemed belittling to her. All the while, Anya cuddled Tia and had her sit on her lap while warmly watching Hans and Ceres starting their own debate. ¡°Listen here. Liking small children and liking a cute child are two whole different things!¡± ¡°They¡¯re the same, doofus.¡± ¡°*sigh* see? You don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Anya. Can I punch this guy?¡± ¡°Wait! Wait! Listen first!¡± ¡°Then talk.¡± ¡°Hm. Liking small children is definitely a problem.¡± ¡°Oh, you knew?¡± ¡°Of course! But what I find appealing in Tia¡¯s case is her appearance! It¡¯s cute! The vibe she gives off with her attire and aura is what is likeable! Not her per se!¡± ¡°Hau¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tia~ You¡¯re really cute, too~¡± ¡°Th-Thank you, Anya¡­¡± ¡°So? What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°What I like are appealing things! Those that give you warm and fuzzy feeling! Like you¡¯ll want to hug them! Or even eat them!!¡± ¡°Uwa¡­ this guy spells danger¡­¡± Ceres eyes turned to look like she is looking at a trash. ¡°Wh-Wha?! You still don¡¯t get it?! Oh. When I said eat them, I meant the things I cook. Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference? You took a liking to Tia so that means you¡¯re already a lo- uh.. lopicon.¡± ¡°Lolicon. And I am not.¡± ¡°How is it different, then??¡± ¡°Small animals¡­ Drawings¡­ Landscapes¡­ Food¡­ Cooking¡­! Those kinds of things give me warm feelings!¡± ¡°Then how did you find Tia¡¯s appearance the same with those?¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t want to say cute children because it would make me sound like a lolicon.¡± Hans said so with a serious expression. ¡°¡­ So you¡¯re aware of it.¡± Ceres placed her palm on her forehead and heaved an irritated sigh while shaking her head from side to side. At the same time, Hans have his eyes as serious as it can ever be. ¡°Really, what a real idiot¡­ *sigh*¡± ¡°Heh. Those who call others idiots are the real idiots.¡± ¡°What are you, a kid?¡± ¡°*sigh* Oh well. Forget it. I let my guard down and showed my inner thoughts. That¡¯s my fault. But trust me in this. I don¡¯t like Tia romantically. It¡¯s like uh¡­ A grandfather wanting to spoil his grandchildren?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ Will you not ask anything about me¡­? I mean¡­ I just appeared out of nowhere and you¡¯re already letting me in¡­¡± Tia timidly asked. ¡°That goes for me as well, but¡­ Right¡­ I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. I¡¯ve been curious about it for a while. I really can¡¯t deny this feeling that I¡¯ve got since earlier.¡± Hans closed his eyes while clutching his fist. ¡°Tia¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­?¡± Tia stiffened with her head hanged down. Hans on the other hand stared at her with serious eyes and asked¡­ ¡°¡­ Why are you so cute?¡± *bam* He was hit by Ceres in the head. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°N-No¡­ Not that¡­ B-But thank you very much. Ehe¡­¡± Tia flashed a bashful smile and it seemed that flower started blooming all around her. ¡°See?! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± *bam* ¡°Stop hitting me¡­! *sniffle*¡± ¡°Tia¡­~ Are you worried about being a [Faunalian]~?¡± ¡°Faunalian¡­?¡± Hans uttered while rubbing the swollen part on his head. ¡°Right~ A Faunalia~ This cute little ears and tail is the proof of being a Faunalia~¡± ¡°Uu¡­¡± Tia held her hands together while fidgeting after hearing the explanation of her own race. ¡°Fufu~ Faunalia is a race that has its kingdom located in the east and have been there for their whole history~ They are known for their feral traits like unparalleled strength, agility, and most of all their tenacity. Moreover, they are always in sync with the nature so they can interact with the spirits. They¡¯re a peaceful race~¡± [¡°Spirits¡­?¡±] ¡°Oho¡­~ Hm? Then why is Tia worried? Can I touch your ears?¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± ¡°Stop it, pervert.¡± *bam* ¡°Ow-! Eh?? Why??¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ I-I d-don¡¯t mind¡­ Ehe¡­ I was just a surprised.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hans looked at them with a question mark floating above his head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something about touching the ear of a Faunalian?¡± *bam* ¡°Ow-!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°Ceres¡­ Do you hate me¡­?¡± Hans rubbed his almost visible swollen head with teary eyes as she looked at Ceres apologetically. ¡°I despise you.¡± ¡°Urk-!¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯ll go ahead to bed.¡± Ceres then left them and proceeded to the bedroom leaving Hans having a sulking. ¡°U-Uhm¡­ Hans! I will let you t-touch my ears so¡­ Cheer up!¡± ¡°Tia¡­ *sniffle*¡± He then touched her ears without a second thought while Tia holds down her shirt to suppress her embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m being healed¡­~¡± ¡°Being so far away here, a little girl of the Faunalian race is sort of weird if you ask me~ Hence her worry, I guess~?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ But¡­ Are you not worried about who I am¡­?¡± ¡°The most important thing is your fine~¡± ¡°I feel like the treatment of Ceres is different with me but I agree with Anya.¡± Tia¡¯s lips formed into a refreshing smile after hearing their reassurance. It seemed like all the burden in her shoulders is now lifted off. ¡°Th-Thank you very much!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Tia~¡± ¡°Oh right. It seems like you¡¯re the only resident in this house. I¡¯m assuming you only have one room?¡± Hans changed the subject and bring back the topic of how they will be staying in the restaurant for the time being. ¡°That¡¯s right~¡± The restaurant¡¯s ground floor is completely designed for accepting costumers with the kitchen taking up a small portion of it. The first floor is comprised of a living room, a dining room together with the kitchen, one bedroom, and a bathroom. The bedroom has two beds which are used by Anya and Ceres separately. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be using this couch then. As expected, I can¡¯t be sleeping in the same room as you guys.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­~ That¡¯s true. Will that be okay with you, though?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Okay~ Tia will be sleeping in my bed~¡± ¡°Ah. Yes! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything weird while we¡¯re sleeping. I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not that rotten of a person to betray the people who is kind enough to let me stay in their house. Wait¡­ Didn¡¯t you go to sleep already?¡± Ceres poked her head out of the door from the bedroom. ¡°So you admit you¡¯re rotten?¡± ¡°*whistle~*¡± ¡°*sigh* What an idiot¡­¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Ceres¡­~? Are you awake?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I was just wondering what happened earlier¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I haven¡¯t told you yet, huh.¡± Anya and Ceres is now on their separate beds. Tia is soundly sleeping beside Anya. Anya who could not sleep because of the filling up worry in her chest just after the incident, asked Ceres while carefully rubbing Tia¡¯s head. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Their life have been completely peaceful up until now. The business in their restaurant is stable without any worries except for the dwindling staff. They get along together without any problems. They have reliable friends who will help them in their need. But it is the first time that a big incident like kidnapping happened to them. Especially to Anya, who have been sheltered just as a normal girl ever since she was born, it brought a great impact to her. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Ceres has thought that if she told Anya what happened, she will just worry unnecessarily. In Ceres¡¯ case before, every time something happened to her, she sees to it that if she can handle it by herself, she will hide it from anyone and carry on. It was something instilled to her when she was a child. ¡°Will you tell me?¡± But when she met Anya and lived together with her, she learned to trust her and to be more open to her. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ceres then told Anya the whole story from the time she encountered the robed man at the bell tower up until Hans came to save her. Of course including the fact that Hans was also caught. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­ And that robed man¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ The same one as before¡­¡± Ceres held her arm and can be seen shivering with her face contorted to a face of discomfort. ¡°¡­ I¡­ I see¡­ Ceres, are you okay¡­?¡± ¡°Hm¡­? Ah¡­¡± Anya rose from her bed and went to Ceres side. She then hugged her tightly while rubbing her head. ¡°Anya¡­¡± ¡°Fufu~ I know. You don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Ceres did not resist and hugged Anya back with her face on Anya¡¯s chest. ¡°Were you scared?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get to help you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be¡­ It¡¯s my fault anyways.¡± ¡°So then that robed man¡­ is he gone now?¡± ¡°Mm¡­ That guy did it.¡± ¡°Fufu~ So Hans is now your life¡¯s savior~¡± ¡°Wha-?? I-It¡¯s true he saved me but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll let him do whatever he wants.¡± ¡°Ehh~ But Ceres. Why do you hate Hans so much~?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I just hate him. His face irritates me so much. And the way he never listens to what I am saying is annoying. And he saw my embarrassing side earlier¡­¡± ¡°Embarrassing side¡­?¡± ¡°My¡­ My trauma came back to me and¡­ You know the rest.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see~ Fufu~ Isn¡¯t that fine, though? Ceres in that state is kind of cute~¡± ¡°Wha-?? What are you saying Anya?? I only look so helpless¡­ Aaah¡­ Just remembering it makes me want to punch myself¡­!¡± ¡° Fufu~ Let¡¯s sleep?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s. Uhm¡­ Anya¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ceres buried her face in Anya¡¯s ample bosom while hiding her embarrassment and Anya hugs her back more tightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome~ And say that properly to Hans next time, okay?¡± ¡°¡­ *snore*¡± ¡°¡­ Ceeeereeees¡­???¡± ¡°¡­ I got it, I got it¡­¡± ¡°Very good. Good night.¡± ¡°¡­ Good night.¡± The two fell into the world of slumber with their hearts as light as a feather. Furthermore, the bond between them grew all the more after the incident. The clouds are slowly clearing and once again, the twin moon reigns in the night sky shining brightly, peeking so gently from the drifting clouds and showering them with moonlight through the window, as if blessing them with a good night sleep. ¡­ .. . Chapter 10 End Chapter 11: The Observer and Florensia Town ¡°Hng¡­¡± A bright light peered my eyes open as I slowly open them. Then I tried to use my eyes to shield them from the unbearable light but it continued to blind my sight for a short while. ¡°Ya~¡± ¡°¡­ Who?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot already¡­? You¡¯re making me lonely¡­¡± A voice that sounds familiar or not, resounded in the place where I am in. It echoes slightly along with that of a static kind of sound like those you hear in a [Communal] I use to communicate with my squad members. I opened my eyes completely and what greets me is the figure which I just saw a day before. The white figure who is responsible for transferring me to another world. ¡°Y-You¡­ I¡¯m here again?¡± ¡°Yep~¡± The figure answered nonchalantly which is something to be expected as it may seem for me. I don¡¯t know but that¡¯s just how I know this guy should be. ¡°So? Why am I here again? Did I die again? *gasp* No way?? Did Ceres kill me while I was asleep?!¡± ¡°¡­ Ahaha¡­ Well I can¡¯t blame you for thinking that. But, nope. She¡¯s not that heartless, you know. Well, lately.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I see. Hm? Lately? I don¡¯t think so. I also don¡¯t think she¡¯s heartless in the first place.¡± ¡°That so?¡± The figure turned his back to me and walked towards some sort of a table with two chairs that are aligned perfectly. Just where the heck is this place? ¡°Well, I told you this is the space I created.¡± ¡°Stop peeking through a person¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°Mufu~ I¡¯m awesome, right?¡± ¡°Nah. Just plain creepy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seriously, you can¡¯t even compare this guy to Anya who just feel your emotions and even do something about it to help. This guy¡¯s just peeking without even a care for the world. ¡°A-Anyways¡­ Sit for a while.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± I followed his instruction and sat across him. Then all of a sudden a light shined in his heands and two cups and a teapot appeared on the table. ¡­ So bright¡­ ¡°You really like lighting up things, huh?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make me like, cool?¡± He poured somewhat like a tea into the two small tea cups and gave me the other one. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not poisoned.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I took a sip from the tea and it tasted like those my mother prepared for me when I was a child. That tea is hardly available even back in my world when the war began. ¡°Surprised? I like tea too.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you start explaining why I¡¯m here again now?¡± After sipping more, I place the tea cup down and faced the white figure in front of me who is also drinking his share of tea. ¡°Hmmm¡­ How is it?¡± ¡°What is?¡± He placed down the tea cup down on to the table and stared at me straightly. The figure has no face but it is clear to me that he is looking straight at me. ¡°The other world.¡± ¡°¡­ Honestly, it¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°I know right?!¡± The figure jumped from his chair and slammed his hands on the table expressing his delight. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like those in the books that I read and games that I played when I was young.¡± ¡°Right. I actually read those too.¡± ¡°Really now?¡± It¡¯s somehow unexpected. Or like, how would he even read in a place like this or how would he even get them? The white figure sat down after calming down. ¡°Ah¡­ Stop that ¡®white figure¡¯.¡± ¡°Then what should I call you?¡± I¡¯m kinda getting used to it now. This guy peering inside other people¡¯s head. Damn. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Then without me noticing, the tables and chairs have disappeared and I found myself standing. The white figure is now almost three meters away from me and is like floating. ¡°I am¡­¡± The ground began shaking but I didn¡¯t feel it in my feet. It was like I feel the tremor in my body but I don¡¯t feel the shaking itself. The explosions, the running footsteps of the soldiers, the wheels of the artilleries and tanks, I¡¯ve felt them like it was the normal thing to feel for me. I¡¯ve felt this sensation a lot when I was still a soldier. Back when I was still fighting other countries soldier¡¯s. And right. ¡°was¡±. I¡¯m no longer a soldier like I was back in my world. I died. The soldier called Second Lieutenant Hans Schmidt is no longer alive. I may be reincarnated with my memories still intact but in that world where I was raised, gained experience, laughed, cried, fought, the ¡°me¡± there is long gone. I may be thinking this but I don¡¯t feel anything about it. Is it because this realm is not real? My body here doesn¡¯t feel anything? Or have I accepted the fact that things that are lost won¡¯t come back anymore? Then as the tremor gets stronger and stronger, I once again heard the voice of the white figure. ¡°I am¡­ [The Observer].¡± ¡°Obserever¡­¡± ¡°I observe. I watch. I gaze. I know. I learn. I understand. ¡­ I am a knowledge.¡± The Observer slowly drifts upward as he speaks. ¡°The events that happens everywhere, I observe. I watch. I gaze. I¡¯ve seen many lives. Experiences. Emotions. Happiness¡­ Sadness¡­ Anger¡­ Despair¡­ Love¡­ Hate¡­ I¡¯ve seen them. Watched them. Gazed at them. I have observed and still observes. From the moment of birth. And to their last breath. I observe. Life as a whole is what I observe.¡± The observer¡¯s voice reverberate throughout the place. It created a lot stronger tremor that shakes my inner core as he speaks. But all the while I didn¡¯t feel any fear. Then with a light flash of brightness comes a number of pictures, no, they¡¯re more like videos that are playing repeatedly all around the place circling us. They¡¯re people I haven¡¯t met or known. I can see their smiles, their tears, the laughter, their anger, their sadness, their loneliness. All kinds of lives are portrayed in each screen. Perhaps these are the people the observer have watched. ¡°I¡¯ve learned. I¡¯ve felt. I¡¯ve experienced. I¡¯ve understood. I knew. I knew too much. But the likes of me are greedy. I can¡¯t stop knowing. I can¡¯t stop understanding. Too much learning¡­ Feeling¡­ Experiencing¡­ Understanding¡­ Destroys. But I still observe. And now I¡¯ve learned.¡± I¡­ I can somehow understand. ¡­ I can get where he is going. Too much knowledge and understanding in something will only bring you to your demise. Understanding something will only give you the choice of not choosing anymore. In the end you won¡¯t have a choice to do. You¡¯ll only end up accepting. Accept and let the world do whatever it wants with you. I was once like that. ¡°And so¡­ It¡¯s your turn.¡± The figure pointed his finger to me. ¡°What story will you give me? I¡¯ll observe. I¡¯ll watch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I unconsciously gulped as I saw him directly speaking to me. ¡°The time is nigh. Lead your own story from here on out. What knowledge will you bring me?¡± ¡°¡­ Leave it to me.¡± I formed a fist and placed it in my chest with vigor. ¡°H-Hans¡­¡± As I was resolving my heart, I heard a soft voice calling for my name. It rang like a gentle bell and caresses like a soft melody. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The surrounding place began darkening like my eyes are closing. ¡°Hans¡­!¡± ¡°Hng¡­?¡± Then all at once, my body felt heavy and I remembered everything that happened. I wake up. ¡°Hans? A-Are you awake¡­?¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­ Tia, huh? *yawn*¡± ¡°Ah~ G-Good morning, Hans.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± The moment I opened my eyes, I see Tia by the side of the couch where I was sleeping kneeling with her hands placed on my arms. It seems like she was shaking me to wake me up. The birds have already started chirping and sunlight is already bathing the room with a refreshing tint of white. I haven¡¯t got how the seasons work here but the morning is warm like it is back in my world. I was brought to this world around the third week of December therefore it¡¯s quite cold there. Right now here, it is the month of Seres, which is the equivalent of July in my world. I guess this means it¡¯s still summer here. It¡¯s just my guess, though. In the end, what was that guy, the observer wanted from me? ¡°A-Anya told me to wake you up.¡± ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s admirable.¡± I pat her head as my expression of praising her. I also didn¡¯t let the chance to pass and touch her ears. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s soft.¡± ¡°Awawa¡­ I-It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± I stand up from the couch and stretch my stiffing back muscles to refresh my mind. I look around the house to once again picture it inside my mind. Yesterday night wasn¡¯t the time to look around comfortably. The stairs that go down to the ground floor is located in the rear left corner of the house if the entrance is the front. That is also where the living room is fixed. On the opposite side of it was the bedroom with the door facing the kitchen and dining. The bathroom is inside the bedroom. ¡°Ara~ You¡¯re awake now, Hans. Good morning~¡± ¡°Yeah. Good morning. I¡¯ll borrow your bathroom.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Okay~ Ah. Can you go wake up Ceres on the way~?¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Is what I proudly said but, I can only imagine her beating me to a pulp. I entered the bedroom and went directly to the bathroom, did my business, wash my face and gargled. I have to buy my own toothbrush. If there is one here, that is. ¡°Phew¡­¡± I got out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and was thinking about how to wake Ceres up. I went towards her bed and see her lying wearing only sleeveless shirt and shorts. I think my guess is right it being summer right now. She sleeps like a log, curled up like a cat with the blanket covering some parts of her body. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Now what should I do? How can I get out of this predicament without being killed? ¡°Hnn¡­¡± Oh? She¡¯s waking up. Then I guess I won¡¯t have any problems anymore. ¡°Good morning, Ceres. Today is a good day.¡± ¡°¡­ Hn¡­?¡± She seems to be still half asleep as she rose up to a sitting position while rubbing her eyes as she stares at me with them half closed. But on a second thought¡­ ¡°G-Good morning, Ceres. Isn¡¯t today a great day?¡± ¡°Hn¡­¡± She continues to stare at me while slowly closing and opening her eyes. This is really bad¡­ What in the world is Anya thinking making me wake up Ceres when she¡¯s this so defenseless in the morning? Aren¡¯t you worried about me attacking her? ¡­ Not that I will though. One of the sleeves of her shirt slides down her shoulder almost exposing more than should be and her hair ruffled maybe because of her sleeping habits. I-It¡¯s kind of erotic¡­ ¡°A-Ahem¡­ You should wake up already.¡± I once again spoke to wake her up. As expected I can¡¯t touch her and shake her up with her still being half asleep. I¡¯m confident enough in her hate for me, where I know that that will be my one way ticket to the afterworld if I did that. But I can¡¯t deny that this is a sight for sore eyes. Her rubbing her eyes, and the slight nodding with her mouth slightly open. I am truly a guy. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Then slowly her eyes widen¡­ ¡°¡­ Y-You¡­¡± ¡­and face became flushed in an instant. I¡¯m dead. ¡°Alright. Sit down there and I¡¯ll kill you.¡± She grabbed the dagger that was placed beside the bed atop the small closet. Why does she even have her dagger even in her sleep?? ¡°W-Wait a second! A-A-Anya did¡­!¡± Her shoulders are trembling while she fixes her shirt with her head hanged down, maybe suppressing her anger. I have to think fast! ¡°No more excuses!!¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°It hurts¡­¡± I used the spoon to scoop for rice and placed it in my mouth. We¡¯re eating breakfast as of the moment. Seated in the dining table just besides the kitchen, Tia sits next to me with Anya across me and Ceres next to her. Ceres is eating silently but it¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s irritated with her contorted eyebrows as she chews away her breakfast. The breakfast consists of egg, and a meat that is sliced like a pork belly, and a bread toast. This pork belly looks like a bacon. Hm¡­ ¡°Hans¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­~¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not Anya¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Anya. Even if you did ask this guy, he should have enough delicacy to not leer at someone while their sleeping.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t leering.¡± Just a little bit. Yeah. ¡°Then what were you doing then¡­??¡± Ceres heaved an irritated sigh with her eyes closed while stabbing the pork belly that looks like a bacon with the fork, like she¡¯s taking away its life. The poor bacon. Tia gingerly eats her breakfast while gripping her fork and knife that seemed large enough to fit her hands. Her cheeks is stuffed and looked like a squirrel. I¡¯m being healed. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t have any excuses for that.¡± Right. Even though I was asked I should¡¯ve thought about the one being waken up. I should be honest and apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just mesmerized when I looked at you.¡± ¡°Pfffftt-!!! *cough* *cough*¡± Ceres suddenly spew out her coffee that she was just drinking after I apologized. ¡°*cough* Wh-What are you suddenly talking about!!¡± ¡°Eh? I was apologizing. I admit it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°N-Not that!¡± ¡°Mesmerized when I looked at you?¡± ¡°¡­~!! S-Stop that! Idiot! Don¡¯t talk! Don¡¯t look! Don¡¯t breathe!¡± ¡°Huh?! I will die!¡± She flailed around while covering her face and body with both her hands. ¡°Awawa~ Y-You two¡­ Stop fighting¡­!¡± Ceres is pointing the bread knife at me while flailing wildly. Beside me is Tia trying to calm her down. What¡¯s wrong with her, though? I just apologized¡­ ¡°Hans~ Is that calculated~?¡± ¡°Calculated? I just apologized and said what I thought.¡± ¡°Ara~ So it¡¯s natural~ Fufu~ Hear that, Ceres~?¡± ¡°H-Hmph! I don¡¯t care what an idiot has to say!¡± Ceres then stuffed her mouth with her breakfast in one go. ¡°Ah.¡± Now I see. ¡°Hans¡­?¡± ¡°I see. You got embarrassed, eh~?¡± ¡°¡­~~!!!!! Wh-Wh-Who¡¯s getting e-e-embarrassed by your mere words?! H-Hmph!! Thank you for the food!¡± ¡°Haha. She can be so cute at times.¡± ¡°I know right~¡± ¡°A-Ahaha¡­¡± ¡°Ah. Ceres~ wait a second.¡± Ceres was about to go her way downstairs when Anya called out to her and gestured with her hand to lend her an ear. ¡°*whisper* *whisper*¡± ¡°H-Huh?? Why should I do that?!¡± Now she¡¯s got the heck of a face there. You can¡¯t show it to children or she¡¯ll make them cry. ¡°Ceeeereees¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ Grr¡­ Hey you. After breakfast. Come with me. And Tia too.¡± ¡°E-Eh? Me too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Just shut up and follow, blockhead.¡± ¡°Got it. Wait for me.¡± I finished what remains in my breakfast and stood up from my sit. The breakfast was actually really delicious, it reminded me of my mother¡¯s cooking. I can¡¯t help but feel nostalgic about eating it. ¡°Thanks, Anya.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome~¡± ¡°Awawa¡­ W-Wait for me, Hans¡­!¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Ceres¡­? Where are we going?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ Yeah. We¡¯ll be buying some stuff, Tia.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­~¡± ¡°Do you need me for that?¡± We are on our way to the market place after we¡¯re told by Anya to buy some stuff. I took a bath at least but all I have to wear is this torn and hole-filled military uniform. Well I washed it so there¡¯s not much of a problem. Tia is also wearing her clothes yesterday. I can already guess what our objective for today will be. ¡°I won¡¯t need you for anything but Anya insists.¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯re weak with Anya¡¯s words, eh?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± ¡°What are you being shy for? It just means you really care for her.¡± I said ¡®shy¡¯ but all I can see on her face is pure irritation. ¡°C-Ceres! What are going to buy¡­?¡± ¡°Clothes for you. We can¡¯t have you wear the same clothes every day, right?¡± But whenever she speaks with Tia, it turns a complete 180 and even smiles at her sometimes. Maybe she loves children too? ¡­ Not in a weird way, of course. ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Anya told me to show this guy around. You told us yesterday night that you¡¯re already accustomed to this town right?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°Oh right. Now that you mention it, aside from the time we went to the festival and the time when I searched for you, those were the only times I saw the town. I wasn¡¯t even looking at the places much that time. Haha.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why Anya told me to show you around. Tch.¡± She¡¯s clearly displeased about it. And she¡¯s not even trying to hide it from me. ¡°I see. Thank you, Ceres.¡± Ceres is walking by my side with Tia on hers and I turned her way to thank her. ¡°¡­ I was just asked by Anya.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re the one here so let me at least thank you.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± She turned her faced the other way like a snob. Well I can¡¯t help it. She really does hate me after all. ¡°Come on, come one! This one¡¯s cheap! You can buy one and take one as a freebie!¡± ¡°Hey there, this one¡¯s made by a famous artisan. Want to check it out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too expensive! Make it a copper cheaper!¡± We arrived at the vicinity where all kinds of merchant lay their merchandise. Different kinds of people gather in the area and all sorts of techniques are being displayed by merchants to attract them The clothes that we saw yesterday is nowhere to be seen and are replaced by normal ones. Well, normal I think, for the people around here. I scan through the people walking around from the Lunaria up to here and saw the difference in their outfits and get up. If you compare their dress to my world, it would look exactly the western design during the medieval period. Mainly crafted from cloth and is designed with some leather and fur of feral animals. But from time to time I encounter some people wearing a high-class dress that is without a doubt those of a nobleman. Good thing I also read history books. It¡¯s not a problem for me to classify these things. Still, that is if they are the same with my world. Worst, if it was the other way around. ¡°Good day to you.¡± Nah. That would make it strange however you look at it. Even the way they move and act is elegant from wherever you look at them. There also those having some traits that are none with humans. Like the ears and tails of the Faunalians. But other than them, I also spot those that have long ears and silver hair like Sofiel¡¯s. Though I can still count the numbers with my hands when I spot an elf(?). Oh right. I forgot to have a conversation with Sofiel. I¡¯m really intrigued by his looks and more especially, his race. But then again, that can wait. I saw a lot more different things from my world, in which it¡¯s like this world is saying ¡°It¡¯s the other world!¡± to my very face. But one thing I find peculiar is the way how people look at me. I guess my clothes are really out of this place. ¡°Ceres, Hans. C-Can I have look around¡­?¡± ¡°Sure. Pick whatever you like.¡± Tia flashed a huge smile after she was told to choose her own dress. In the end, Tia is still a girl. No girl would want to have only one pair of clothes for the rest of their lives, moreover a plain and dull one. ¡°Isn¡¯t she adorable~¡± ¡°Yeah. But I don¡¯t want to agree with you so shut up.¡± ¡°Yep, yep. I know right?¡± ¡°*sigh*¡± I¡¯m surprised at myself how I¡¯m getting used to talking with Ceres. Every time I talk to her, it¡¯s just either she¡¯s angry or ignoring me. It¡¯s only my second day with them so it can¡¯t be helped. I just don¡¯t get why she¡¯s so cautious around me and why she hates me so much. ¡°You go look for yours too.¡± ¡°Me? Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you. I will look for one.¡± After giving me enough money, I then left Ceres while she¡¯s looking out for Tia who is browsing through the dresses that are meant for children. I found a stall that sells simple clothes for men and started browsing for myself. They are only simple with their design but a lot of types. There is shirt that has long sleeves that is made from cloth paired with a denim pants. I guess this world¡¯s craftsman knows how to manufacture denims. I thought for sure that this world is incomparable with my world in terms of technology. To the point where it¡¯s almost like I was sent to the past. But denim in a medieval setting world, huh¡­ Talk about strange. There is this one buttoned shirt that has long sleeves with a collar. The color is a bit to my liking with it being black. It seems to be made from a different cloth from my world. ¡°Hey, pops. How much¡¯s this one?¡± ¡°Did it catch your eye, I presume? You have good eyes, master. This one is made from the specially farmed thread from a dungeon near here.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see, wait, ¡¯master¡¯?¡± This merchant is using the polite way of talking to me like I¡¯m some important person. Well, it¡¯s not that important anyways so let¡¯s leave it at that. ¡°30 coppers for you, master.¡± ¡°30 coppers¡­ Isn¡¯t that a bit pricey?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s the usual price nowadays. The supply of cloth is decreasing for the past month because of the diminishing numbers of the hunters who dive in dungeons to gather materials.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Before going out, I was taught about the basic things about buying things by Anya. The currencies in this world is divided by [copper], [silver], [gold] where the highest amount is the gold. A hundred copper is equivalent to 1 silver and 100 silver is equivalent to 1 gold. Simple as that. I can buy a basic meal for around 8 coppers and one night at the inn would cost at around 20 coppers. That also depends with the facility of the inn, it can be expensive and can go around 50 coppers per night. But that¡¯s only applicable for noblemen who have it easy with money. Ceres gave me 1 silver to buy my clothes. So I can fairly guess that their on the average class. The minimum wage in this town is 5 silvers a month and I think it¡¯s enough for a single person. But I can¡¯t be too sure since I haven¡¯t studied the economy of this world yet. Well maybe this town is on the average side too and the pricing in other places is different than how it is here so I wouldn¡¯t know. But 30 coppers for a single plain shirt is asking for too much. I can already buy almost 4 meals for that. ¡°Ehh. 20 coppers?¡± ¡°28 copper, sir.¡± Kuh. This guy¡¯s tough. ¡°25 coppers?¡± ¡°*sigh* Okay then, sir.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After the fierce haggling with the merchant, I bought the black, buttoned shirt and tried it on. I was scared for a minute if it would fit me or not but it was perfectly my size. I folded the sleeves up to my arm and buttoned it up to my collar bones. Oh it has a white thread design running through the edges. It¡¯s not that apparent from afar but it really gives off a cool vibe. Now for the bottom, that grayish denim pants will do. But I learned this time and tried it on first. It was bit too tight for me. ¡°Ah¡­ that one is for Faunalians. They have smaller stature so it would not fit you, master. I recommend this one. It has the same design but a fit for Humans.¡± ¡°I see. So Faunalians have smaller statures. Maybe that¡¯s why Tia is so small.¡± ¡°Will you buy it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After a bit of another fierce haggling, I bought the pants and another pair of the same design but with different colors. I¡¯m not that picky with what I wear so I just went with the same design. But at least I need to have a few more pairs. The boots is still fine and is in good condition so I just went with it. I just fold up the pants in a way that it won¡¯t obstruct the boots. ¡°Ceres. I¡¯m done with mine.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°You look like a proper human being now.¡± ¡°What did I look before to you?!¡± ¡°Waaaah~ Hans! You look so cool in your clothes~¡± ¡°Hmhm~¡± I spread out my arms to my side and faced Ceres with a proud face. ¡°Don¡¯t expect something from me, slime.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m a slime now. I feel like I ranked down in your eyes.¡± ¡°Yeah. Slime is much better for you than idiot, slime. Slime doesn¡¯t have a brain you see. So it fits you. How¡¯s that?¡± Ceres displayed a smug face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­¡± Tia who became worried tried to break the worsening atmosphere. ¡°Well, thank you, Tia. You look so cute too with yours.¡± I pat her head to reassure her of what I just said. She is wearing a white, long sleeved, one piece dress that is tied in the waist by a leather belt that is attached with a small bag. The top has yellow colored vest that fits with the skirt and belts design. It seems she is worried about her ears and bought a wide brim hat that comes along with the dress. Out from it is her hair tied into a braid with a small ribbon at the end. Now that I have a good look around, all Faunalians wears hat or whatever that can cover their heads. Maybe there¡¯s some kind of custom surrounding their ears? ¡°Th-Thank you very much, Hans!¡± Tia slightly jumped from her feet as she expressed her gratitude. ¡°Ceres. Here¡¯s the change.¡± ¡°Hm? You did not use them all?¡± ¡°Yeah. I haggled too so I got some of them cheaper than they should be.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ You know your stuff.¡± ¡°Is that a compliment?¡± ¡°Of course not, you slime.¡± After looking around for a while more, we proceeded to the destinations that Ceres would show me around in. Ceres gave me a small piece of map to guide me while looking around. There is the canal that flows from west to east just south of the plaza. Ceres said that the lake from the Traveler¡¯s forest flows down here exiting the east part of the town making it a great supply of fresh water. Of course the water is still filtered before it is distributed to different houses. ¡°Say, Isn¡¯t the mana concentration higher for these kinds of water?¡± ¡°Hm? How did you know?¡± ¡°Nah. It¡¯s just my speculation. I guess I wasn¡¯t far off then.¡± ¡°Yeah. Water have higher conductive properties for mana so you have to filter the mana first to make it safe for consumption.¡± So mana can be like electricity. But instead of passing through it, it stays where it is. ¡°Thought so. Besides, it¡¯s water from a forest. You told me yesterday that the flow of mana in forests and dungeons are different than it is in residential areas.¡± The western part of the town consists of mostly residential on the guard post. There are a lot of stationed guards with swords hanging on their waists and some holding spears. Those on the gate are armored with heavy metals that you can see in museums. I can see how the security is strict in this town. ¡°Here is the trademark of the town. It is called the [Fountain of the Beginning].¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ That name¡¯s a bit grandiose.¡± ¡°Yeah. It was built by the founder of the town only by himself. Then the next generations improved it to how it is now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± We are in the center of the plaza which is also located in the very center of the town which branches in four ways. The north street, east street, west street, and south street are accessible from here. This part of the town has the most flowers that spreads from all around the edge. The pavement is of course made from crafted cobblestones but there are a lot of fences that separates the pavement from the growing flowers and plants. ¡°It¡¯s not called Floresia Town for nothing, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. It had no name until a witch grown the flowers here as present and then the towns people agreed to name it Floresia. It means flower and is also the name of the witch.¡± ¡°Oho~ I see. You¡¯re knowledgeable about it.¡± ¡°I just like reading, that¡¯s all.¡± I guess this town has a lot of history to it. ¡°Then lastly here is the [Guild]. It is also the station for the mayor. The mayor is usually the [Guild Master]. This will be the last place.¡± ¡°Guild¡­that does the guild do, by the way?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s troublesome to explain so I¡¯ll let the receptionist do it.¡± We entered the huge swing door and found ourselves among the different kinds of people. ¡°These guys are adventurers?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± There is a person who is holding a huge axe from his shoulders expected from his build. Others are clad in robes while holding either a staff or wand. There is also one wearing a skimpy wear with a small dagger hanging by her waist. Some are armored heavily with a huge sword attached to their backs. In other words, this place is awesome. It tickles my childish heart. ¡°C-Ceres. This place is cool.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ Hans.¡± Tia pulled me by my shirt while fidgeting with her little hand on her chest. Her eyes darts around the area painted with an anxious face. ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°I-I am not. Do not worry¡­¡± She¡¯s showing a strong front for a change. That¡¯s cute. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just hold my shirt and don¡¯t leave my side, okay?¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± We then went our way to the receptionist who is the far back of the place. We were greeted by a beautiful young woman who smiles warmly at us. She has wavy and fluffy hair that is tied in a ponytail and gentle eyes and is blessed with bountiful chest. She looks exactly like Anya as I remember her cooking with her hair tied in a ponytail too. ¡°Welcome, you three~¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Even her way of talking is exactly the same as Anya¡¯s. Haha, it¡¯s such a small world. ¡°How¡¯s the tour, Hans~?¡± ¡°I had fun, thank you.¡± ¡°I see~¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ It was actually Anya herself. ¡­ .. . Chapter 11 End Chapter 12: The Guild and First Dungeon ¡°Anya??¡± ¡°Yes~ I¡¯m Anya~¡± We entered the Guild house with the direction of Ceres only to find Anya in the reception. ¡°You¡¯re working here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right~¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ So you¡¯re not working in the restaurant?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m also working there. But whenever I have a day off there, I work here part time. Fufu~¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s admirable.¡± ¡°Thank you~¡± It¡¯s the usual Anya like she is when I first met her and how she is at home. ¡°Now that you mention it, it¡¯s a day off in your restaurant?¡± ¡°Yup~ Because of the celebration of the Twin Moon Festival, we took a three days off and today¡¯s the last. Some of the shops are still closed for the next 4 days~¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why you made us tour the town. I was thinking of helping in the restaurant at least.¡± ¡°Eh?? Really~?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes glistened accompanied by a bright smile. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s one way of saying thanks for the lodging.¡± ¡°I see~~! Your food was also delicious too~! Remembering the taste makes me drool¡­~ *slurp*¡± ¡°Haha.¡± This kind of smiles. These are the smiles I always wanted to see whenever I cook. I can even proudly say that I cook to see this kind of smiles. ¡°Eh? Hans can cook¡­?¡± Tia placed her finger on her lips while asking us with a curious look on her face. It¡¯s cute. ¡°Yup~! When we met him, he cooked for us a Rice Cu¡­ Cur¡­¡± ¡°Curry. And it was Curry Rice. Oh well.¡± I continued the word to remind her the name of the dish. ¡°C-Curry Rice¡­ I haven¡¯t heard that kind of dish in my whole life¡­¡± ¡°Of course~! It¡¯s a food from his wor- Mm~?¡± I hurriedly covered her mouth with my finger as gentle as possible to prevent her from spilling the beans. My heart almost jumped out of my chest when she was about to say the word. Good thing I remained composed while covering her mouth. I placed my other hand on my waist to look more natural. Be more natural and don¡¯t let Tia catch on. Natural. ¡°H-Huh¡­? Hans?¡± ¡°A-A-A-A-A-Anya¡­? Wh-Wh-What are you trying to talk a-a-a-about? Yep. Natural. ¡°*sigh* You¡¯re really a slime¡­ Tia, it was a food from his hometown. An original dish that was only made there.¡± ¡°I-I see! I want to try it¡­!¡± ¡°Ph-Phew¡­ S-Sure. I will cook it for you when I have the chance.¡± ¡°Really¡­?? Th-thank you very much!¡± ¡°*Thanks for the follow up, Ceres.*¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Mhmm~~~~¡± ¡°Ah. Sorry.¡± I forgot my fingers was still on Anya¡¯s lips. ¡°Puah¡­ S-Sorry about that~ Ehehe~ I almost forgot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± I laughed wryly at the sight of the apologetic Anya. I told them to keep it a secret as much as possible to prevent unnecessary suspicion or attention. They said that it¡¯s not really impossible for a person or thing from the otherworld to be summoned here, but I just want to be as cautious as possible until I gather enough information about this world. ¡°So what can I do for you, Sir Hans~?¡± ¡°I told him to let the receptionist explain what the Guild does.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in your hands.¡± Anya then explained the activities of the Guild and the concern about its establishment. ¡°Every town that have prospered enough have built or created a Guild to help its community. The first Guild was built in the Kingdom under the rule of the first king after the Cursed Age. The secondary reason is to prevent the same problem that caused the struggle of the Humans to fight back the [Demon Lord¡¯s Army]. But the main problem was the appearance of the monsters.¡± [¡°There are a lot of terms I still don¡¯t understand. And I wonder when did Anya wear glasses and brought out a board and pointer all of a sudden?¡±] ¡°The Guild¡¯s job then is to hire and train soldiers to be strong enough to fight off any signs of invasion that may lead to another Cursed Age. But for the past three centuries, the world was at peace aside from the monsters that continue to appear. Therefore, the need to train soldiers plummeted. Aside from the usual extermination squad sortied by the Kingdom, there was no need to risk oneself to train and be a soldier anymore. Have you followed so far~?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± [¡°Except for the unheard words. Well I won¡¯t say that of course.¡±] But, I see. So the main problem, which are the monsters are dealt by the main force from the Kingdom. Therefore, even after the Cursed Age, there was no need to hire people for the war problem, neither for the monster extermination. ¡°But after that, there came the rise in demands for materials for manufacturing and industrialization. As you also know, some of the materials can only be gathered from dangerous areas where monsters roam. Also, after some time, there came the problem of growing number in population of monsters that causes problems here and there. The Guild then proposed to have the soldiers to hunt and gather materials for the mass and after some time. Those soldiers are now called [adventurers]~¡± ¡°So you mean, the adventurers¡¯ job is to hunt monsters and gather materials?¡± ¡°Yup~ But it¡¯s not that simple. There are monsters that are so dangerous we need to form a raid party to exterminate it.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I see. Are those like that Chaos Wolf in the forest?¡± ¡°Yes~ But those kinds are only protecting their territory, so if you don¡¯t provoke them they won¡¯t cause any problems~¡± So there are types that cause problems and need to be exterminated. And that¡¯s when the adventurers shine. So they¡¯re like the patrol unit that cull monsters. I see. ¡°Say, what about the material gathering? Can¡¯t the one selling them be the ones to get them? Like what you two do.¡± ¡°Ceres is quite strong so we don¡¯t need to hire an adventurer so we gather them by ourselves~ But there are places that are far worse in terms of danger so some merchants hire adventurers to help them with the gathering~¡± ¡°I see.¡± It would not also cost them too much if they gather them themselves instead of buying from the market. Anya also said that most people just buy from the market since hiring an adventurer is way much expensive than just actually buying them. ¡°They post [Quests] in the bulletin board right there~ The adventurers then will accept the quests. They will have register the quest here and they will be officially rewarded after they completed it.¡± ¡°I get it. Thank you for explaining, Teacher Anya.¡± ¡°Umu~ Very good~¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Y-You¡¯re really in character, Anya¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it. Fufu~ Do you want to try, Tia~?¡± ¡°S-Some other day.¡± Anya returned her glasses in its case and pushed the board to where it won¡¯t be a hindrance. Perhaps there are some new comers who are taught like this if they want to become adventurers, that¡¯s why she came so prepared with teaching me about the basic knowledge in the Guild. ¡°We¡¯ll be returning then, Anya.¡± ¡°Ah, Ceres. Wait a minute. Do you have something planned for today?¡± ¡°None. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°There¡¯re some things I want to ask you to get in the dungeon. Is that okay with you~?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask.¡± ¡°Thank you~¡± Dungeon? ¡°Say, what do you mean? Will she gather in the dungeon?¡± ¡°Yup~¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± I say with the most serious face I ever had. ¡°What are you talking about, you slime? You don¡¯t even know what a dungeon is.¡± ¡°Can I leave Ceres to you then~?¡± ¡°Leave her to me.¡± ¡°Wha-? Anya??¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine~? Hans is strong. He may be able to help you~¡± ¡°But¡­ Being together with this guy¡­ Tsk.¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m really hated~¡± But I guess her being like that is not that bad. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m enjoying it. I¡¯m normal. But her being honest like that makes me a little bit happy. ¡°¡­ I-I¡¯m going too!¡± ¡°You are not, missus~¡± ¡°Ehh¡­? *sad*¡± Tia was clearly dejected after Anya told her off. She¡¯s already like a mother to Tia now. Well Anya¡¯s fit for the role so it¡¯s quite good, actually. ¡°Right, Tia. It¡¯ll be dangerous. So leave it to me and Ceres, okay?¡± I pat her head to cheer her up. ¡°Let¡¯s go, slime.¡± ¡°Roger. Hey, is that my nickname now? Hm¡­ I should think of a nickname for you then. I¡¯ll think of a cute one.¡± ¡°Shut it, slime.¡± ¡°Do you have suggestions?¡± We went off our way outside the guild ¡­ ¡°I wanted to go with Hans¡­ Really¡­ Anya.¡± ¡°Fufu~ You really like Hans, huh Tia~?¡± ¡°¡­~~!!!¡± ¡­ .. . *rustle* ¡°So this is the dungeon¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just don¡¯t make my work troublesome.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± We are past the exit of Florensia in the east and after taking a carriage that leads adventurers to the mouth of the dungeon, we finally arrived. There are a few other than us that are here and are readying themselves to enter. Now that I take a closer look at them, they may be a party. There is a person who is instructing them and commanding them about their plans. He looks younger than me and have a face of a pretty young man. He has a long sword hanging on his waste that he keeps holding all the while as he instructs his party members. The other is a small boy with a large bag bigger than his whole body on his back, then a robed woman who has a huge staff, a man who is clad in leather armor with a dagger on his hand, and lastly another robed woman who holds a mace. ¡°We will enter the dungeon for gathering.¡± ¡°Right-o. Please write your name here and the payment.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Ceres gave a small pouch containing a few coins. So there¡¯s a payment for these kinds of places. ¡°Is this still a part of Florensia?¡± ¡°Yeah. So the payment here goes directly to the funds of the town.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s nice. Wait, write¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Now this, I¡¯m in a small pinch. So far, I know I can speak their language well and I can understand what they are saying. But I haven¡¯t tried reading and writing so I can¡¯t say for sure. The signs in the town are mostly pictures or drawings so I haven¡¯t tested my reading skills, yet. Even when Anya was discussing the activities of the Guild, the board has only pictures. Maybe it¡¯s safe to assume that the literacy rate in this world is different than that in my world? Learning a language comes in steps. First you have to get accustomed to it by listening. It¡¯s the exposure that makes you get used to it. Second is speaking. After listening to the language, then comes the application. Third is the reading. Getting used to the letters or characters is one of the basics of understanding a language. And lastly, the writing. After recognizing each letters comes the application or in other words the writing itself. These are the four basic skills in learning a language. It differs but that¡¯s how a person can learn a language.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. But for me, I instantly learned it. I can speak and listen. ¡°Hey, you slime. What are you waiting for? Aren¡¯t you going to write?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Yep. I can¡¯t understand a single letter. ¡°Sorry, Ceres. It seems I can¡¯t read and write.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll write it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Hmm¡­ It¡¯s kinda unexpected. I was sure she would take it and use it to insult me all the more. I guess she¡¯s not all just thorns to me then. I saw her writing and it turns out she really have a cute handwriting. Oh¡­ So that¡¯s how you write ¡®Ceres¡¯¡­ ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve received the payment and the signatures. But let me warn you first. The dungeon¡¯s monsters are growing fierce recently so I suggest you be more careful.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Thanks, pops.¡± ¡°Good luck down there.¡± The man who is probably on the middle age and wears an armor like those of the guards back in Floresia took off his hat and waved at us. The adventurers with us followed after doing what we did earlier. But after a while they took a different path than us. ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to gather?¡± ¡°Those are probably here to hunt monsters. You heard the man earlier. Maybe they accepted a quest to exterminate some of them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Upon entering the dungeon, Ceres lit up a torch to lighten up the place. The dungeon is like a cave after entering and continues to branch the further we go inside. There are no lights inside and the more you go inside the more it darkens. Even the silence is deafening, only our footsteps can be heard inside. ¡°So this is a dungeon, huh¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already said that. And don¡¯t think of doing something funny in the dark. I¡¯ll kill you instantly.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I already died so I know the pain.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± In an instant, a face of regret showed up on Ceres face and turned back to the former after a while. I guess she¡¯s concerned about my death at least. These kinds of small details in her makes it all the more apparent to me that she¡¯s a good person at heart. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t actually think more of it than an experience, anyways.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯re nice.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Ceres hasten her waling pace maybe in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. This cute side of hers is foul play. I followed her and catch up to her pace. ¡°It¡¯s just different than it is outside.¡± ¡°The outside part was constructed as a measure to prevent the monsters inside from leaking out.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The entrance to the cave is like a mountain that has a huge gate made of metal attached to it. Two guards are guarding the gate and a post is built right beside the gate where more guards are stationed. ¡°So what are going to gather?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Mushrooms.¡± ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t there mushrooms in the forest?¡± ¡°Those are different types. These ones are special ones that we also use in one of our dishes. They¡¯re only found here.¡± ¡°Oho~ I see. Any else?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ [Danberries].¡± ¡°Danberries?¡± Another unheard term. I instantly learned the language here but I guess that only goes around the parts that are the same with my world. If the thing doesn¡¯t exist in my world then of course there¡¯s no way I would know about it. ¡°It¡¯s a type of berries that only grows in the dungeon.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ There are a lot of things that grows only in the dungeons, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We found ourselves in the first wide room in the dungeon. It¡¯s most likely 10 meters wide and 15 meters in length. There are a bunch of bushes and plants that grows along the side. ¡°We will gather the mushrooms here. I will do it for now. You go and watch out for monsters.¡± ¡°Got it. ¡­ What kind of monsters by the way?¡± ¡°They¡¯re [Murburrows]. They have strong claws so be careful.¡± Ceres then went on to gather the mushrooms that are growing in the roots that crawls on the wall. ¡°No, I mean, how do they look?¡± ¡°*sigh* Do your best.¡± ¡°Umu. Leave it to me.¡± Guess it¡¯s up to me then. I brought out my combat knife and stiffened my muscles to ready myself whenever. [¡°Oh right, I have the Mana Detect skill.¡±] I focused my mind in my eyes and all of a sudden my eyes saw something incredible. The surrounding place is overflowing with mana that comes in different colors. So now I can see the mana itself rather than detecting it. I guess it got stronger after using it a bunch of times when I was searching for Ceres. Mana looks like beads of light producing pale lights. They are floating about in the air like fireflies. It¡¯s quite a sight if I say so myself. I found myself in awe after being presented with the great spectacle. But this isn¡¯t the time to be touched. I have to be prepared if a Murborrow appeared. I have to protect Ceres. When I looked at Ceres I can see her mana flowing in and out of her, forming a cluster. The blue tint of her mana reflects in my eyes as I follow her with them. But all of a sudden another cluster of mana inside the wall appeared. It¡¯s actually inside the wall and it¡¯s relatively small compared to the size of a human being but it has a shape of a mole. Darn it, this is not the time to analyze things! ¡°Ceres!¡± I jumped at her and pulled her in my back when suddenly the wall cracked open and a furry monster with huge claws attacked us. ¡°Grrrraaaargh!¡± ¡°Kya-!¡± The attacking Murburrow swung its huge claws so I hurriedly used my knife to cut it down in swift. ¡°Ha!¡± The blade passed through its skin killing it instantly. Its body dropped down to ground lifelessly and after a while, the body dissolves and disappeared and left a small bead which contains a swirling color. I picked it up and took a good look at it but it seems like it was just a normal bead at first look. ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it, I guess?¡± For now, I¡¯ll just place it inside my pocket. ¡°Wha¡­ What¡­?¡± ¡°Ceres? Are you okay? Did you get injured?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I¡¯m okay. Th-Thank you.¡± I guess Ceres is weak with surprises as I find her dumbfounded about the situation that just happened. She even thanked me. Thanked ME of all people. That¡¯s certainly weird. ¡°No problem. Can you stand?¡± I reached my hands but she just stood up by herself ignoring my gesture. Yep. This is certainly Ceres. ¡°More importantly, how did you know that there¡¯s a Murborrow that will attack right there? You didn¡¯t even waste a single second to attack so it means you knew the position of the Murburrow.¡± C-Crap. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m hiding the skills that I have but if there¡¯s a chance that this skill is something unknown here, I don¡¯t know what would Ceres do to me. ¡°U-Uh¡­ I heard the sound.¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t hear anything though.¡± ¡°I felt the tremor in my feet.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel it.¡± ¡°The goddesses whispered to my ear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± My excuses are getting more horrible by the minute. ¡°Why are you lying?¡± ¡°¡­ *sigh* Okay. I¡¯ll tell you. I just can¡¯t win against you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ceres was silent all the while but I can directly feel the bloodlust that she¡¯s emitting against me. Even the mana that is surrounding her is slightly moving in and out of her faster than they usually do. ¡°I have a skill.¡± ¡°¡­ Skill? Even though you¡¯re not an adventurer?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hm? So adventurers can acquire skills? Anyways, I should just be honest here. I don¡¯t want to lie to them after being so kind to me and letting me lodge in their house for free. ¡°Mana Detect. I can detect the flowing mana around a certain perimeter. That¡¯s how I saw the incoming monster even inside the wall.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that your Gift?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m not from this world, after all. I can¡¯t have a Gift that only exists in this world.¡± ¡°¡­ Then how did you get it¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The bloodlust got stronger and is even tingling my skin as she placed her hand on the hilt of her dagger. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now. But I will later. Even I don¡¯t know much about it myself. But I promise I will tell you about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ceres glared at me with intensity that I almost thought that any minute now, I will be attacked. ¡°*sigh* I got it. I won¡¯t ask anymore.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m now keeping my eye on you more. I won¡¯t let an unknown entity roaming around Anya.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Thus the curtain to her interrogation falls and she continued to gather the remaining mushrooms. After seeing her returning back to normal and gathering the mushrooms I remembered something. ¡°Oh right¡­¡± ¡°What, slime?¡± ¡°You squealed, ¡®Kya-!¡¯ earlier, didn¡¯t you? It was a cute squeal.¡± ¡°¡­!! ¡­ No.¡± I saw Ceres¡¯ shoulder perked and she froze in her place. ¡°Hmm~ But I clearly heard it when the monster suddenly appeared~¡± ¡°¡­ I did not. Stop your delusions. There¡¯s no way I will do that.¡± ¡°Hmmm~~ Really now~~~?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ceres turned my way and glared way much more frightening than she did earlier. ¡°Ah. I didn¡¯t hear anything. Yep. I didn¡¯t. Phew¡­ I must be tired.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Hahaha¡­ I just can¡¯t win against Ceres. ¡­ .. . After spending some time inside the dungeon. We stopped midway and took a rest in an open area much like the last one where we gather mushrooms. Ceres brought out a box made from woven of some sort of wood made into a thick thread. It looks like a basket with a cover. ¡°Anya made this before going to her part time work and told me to share it with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering if Anya didn¡¯t tell you to share it with me, you won¡¯t give me anything for me to eat.¡± ¡°That goes without saying.¡± ¡°¡­ I must thank the Goddess later.¡± I took a mental note of that in my heart. Ceres opened the basket and what greeted us are a kind of sandwiches perfectly arranged to fit inside equally. ¡°Ohh¡­!¡± ¡°As expected of Anya.¡± Ceres formed a smug face and looked at me. ¡°Why are you the one being proud of it?¡± ¡°Hmph. Shut up, slime. You can only have one.¡± ¡°Hey!! I can¡¯t let that slide!! How can you just give me one of these godly sandwiches?!¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Alright. It seems you understand your place. I¡¯ll give you two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll give you half of them. Tsk. This, slime.¡± ¡°Awright! Thanks, Ceres!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Just get whatever you want.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± [Sandwiches. A simple snack made with a slice of loaf filled with vegetables and meat, joined together with either a pre-made cream or mayonnaise. It is a staple snack that can be eaten outside without the worry of having a mess around the place. If one will be having a pick-nick our lunch out, it goes without saying that sandwiches are the basic.] I looked at the marvelous sandwiches once again and I thought I can see them sparkling in my eyes. The sliced loaf are carefully cut in perfect eyes removing the bread ears without cutting too much. The filling consist of crispy green leafy vegetables that looks like a lettuce, a red stuff that is sliced thinly that is almost the same as a tomato, and a meat that has a brown sauce covering it. There is one filling that instead of the meat, it has flakes of fish meat that is mix with some kind of a white cream. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s mayonnaise or actual cream. [¡°What healing powers¡­ I¡¯m just looking but I¡¯m already being healed¡­ What a fearsome cooking!¡±] ¡°*munch* *munch* Aren¡¯t you gonna eat?¡± ¡°Ahh! You¡¯ve eaten almost half already! You glutton!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault for being slow.¡± I took one and bite a huge portion of it in one go. ¡°¡­!¡± And in that instant¡­ I saw heaven. ¡°¡­¡± Well, not really. ¡°Gah! I was almost taken by angels. Damn it¡­ This tastes awesome¡­!!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Angels don¡¯t take people. They¡¯re living peacefully in the highest mountain in the world.¡± ¡°Eh?! They¡¯re not in heaven?! Or not. What I was talking about is this sandwich! How can you eat it like nothing??¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say. But my taste buds have already gotten accustomed to Anya¡¯s cooking.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m not jealous about how you can eat this everyday¡­ Kuh¡­¡± Ceres eats peacefully while munching the sandwich in her hand away like a hamster eating a sunflower. ¡°The bread is of course good but the moment I bite at the crispy lettuce-¡° ¡°Settuce.¡± ¡°¡­. It gives a wonderful contrast from the soft bread! Then the slight sourness of the sliced tomato-¡° ¡°Fomapo.¡± ¡°¡­ Provides perfect balance with the sweet taste of the settuce! And lastly! The meat! What kind of meat is this??¡± ¡°It¡¯s made from the meat of the Horned Boar we caught yesterday.¡± ¡°So it was the same with that smoked meat! Phew! This is definitely a perfect food to eat outside! How I wish I can eat it while being bathe by the warm sun and seating in a plain of grass!¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re character changes every time you eat, don¡¯t you. Rather, from time to time.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Ignoring Ceres comment I hurriedly picked up the other one and brought it into my mouth. ¡°¡­ Kuh¡­ Anya is trying to kill me with deliciousness¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Slime¡­¡± I clutch my left hand into a fist trying to suppress my surging emotion from eating the godly sandwich. We continue to eat peacefully while I keep getting a surprise attack from the deliciousness of Anya¡¯s sandwiches. ¡­ .. . We resumed our dungeon exploring after resting for around thirty minutes including the time we were eating. We encountered some monsters, mostly Murburrows, along the way but Ceres mostly took care of them. She really is not trusted with gathering by Anya for nothing. She can handle some monsters all by herself even without my help. All I did was just hold the torch for her. After she¡¯s done, she will get it back and continue our way. It¡¯s really clear that she¡¯s already accustomed around this dungeon. No unnecessary movements can be seen from her and it¡¯s like she¡¯s just replaying a playthrough of a game. ¡°How many times have you been here, Ceres?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Ah no. I was just thinking of striking up a conversation.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Well, I was also curious by how you look so used to dealing with the monsters here.¡± ¡°Hm. I make sure to go here thrice a month to replenish our stock.¡± ¡°Ohh. I see.¡± And the conversation halted once again. I just can¡¯t seem to have a decent conversation with her now that I¡¯m alone with her. Every time I try to speak up to start a conversation, she mostly only responds with ¡°Yeah¡± or ¡°Hm.¡± I can feel how she really doesn¡¯t care much about me. Well, I don¡¯t really mind since it¡¯s not like she¡¯s killing me or anything. But I¡¯m staying at their place for free and they even help a penniless person like me, giving me food to eat, so I at least want to get closer to her. ¡°Stop staring at someone¡¯s face so seriously. I¡¯ll poke your eyes out.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± And just like that, her guard¡¯s always up whenever she¡¯s with me. She won¡¯t even let me get close to her less than two meters. I accidentally tripped earlier and entered that two meter zone and I got a punch in the stomach I almost felt my consciousness fading. Ceres is stronger than she looks. That made me realize it more. But that did not make me stop thinking how I want to get closer to her. The more I try to get along with her, the mysterious she sounds to me. Why does she distrust me that much? Why does she hate me that much? Did I do something wrong? Or maybe she was done something wrong? To the point where she stopped trusting other people anymore. I sometimes see her having a grim expression painted on her face whenever a guy gets near her. The more I look at her the more I want to know more about her. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!¡± Then while I was lost in my own world, a loud shrilling voice was heard from somewhere inside the dungeon. ¡°Is that a scream of a person?¡± ¡°Seems like it. Come on.¡± Ceres ran towards the direction of scream so I followed. Based from the volume of the sound, it wasn¡¯t that far from us and after a minute or two of running, we arrived at the source of the voice. ¡°H-Heeeelp!!!¡± *crack* ¡°AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± ¡°Maya! Tsk!¡± ¡°Leader?! What are we gonna do!?¡± ¡°Blessings of the goddess, Curea!!¡± We entered a large room and found a number of people inside. They were the party we encountered before entering the dungeon. The leader of the party is looking at the spider grudgingly followed by the young man with a large bag and the guy wearing a leather armor with a dagger in his hands. The girl who I assumed a magician have her arms locked in the mouth a monster. A three meter tall spider with spikes all over its body and a huge scissor like pincers that it uses to grab the magician. The spider crunched the arm of the magician causing her to scream in a shrilling voice. I¡¯ve heard a lot of screams when I was in the battlefield but this one is on a different league. The scream is accompanied by the feeling of fear and pain making a lot worse. The other member casted a spell to heal the wounds of the magician but the spider is still isn¡¯t letting her go. This is a grave situation. ¡°AAAAAHHH!!! Heeeeelp!!¡± The expression of the girl is no longer of that of someone scared. She already fearing death. ¡°Maya!! Damn it! Let her go!!¡± *cling!* The leader used his sword to attack one of its huge legs to no avail. It seems like it¡¯s harder than it looks. ¡°Tsk.¡± Then by my side, Ceres disappeared as I found her already running towards the huge spider. I promised Anya to protect her so I can¡¯t let her go alone so I put all the energy in my feet and kicked the ground to give me a boost. Ceres brought out her dual dagger and with a lightning speed, she cut off one of the spider¡¯s legs but it wasn¡¯t enough for it to let the magician go. Is she using that Reinforcement Gift the robed man talked about? The hard exoskeleton of the spider was sliced like a tofu with Ceres dagger¡­ ¡°Tch.¡± She positioned herself again in a stance before jumping again towards the spider. I brought out my combat knife and once again jumped from the ground with full force towards the head of the spider. This reminded me about the power I got from the Observer as I find my body so light. Then I raised the dagger high and used the strength in both of my hands to stab the head of the monster like smashing a nail. I heard a loud cracking sound as its blood sprouted everywhere from the spot that I just stabbed. The magician was freed from its pincers and fell down to ground. The leader of the party caught her in time and found her unconscious. The monster continued to rampage so Ceres dealt the finishing blow and cut all its legs. The spider fell to the ground after letting out a screeching cry and after a short while, it died. Now this confirmed it. That Ceres is very strong. ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it, I guess.¡± [¡°[Crush Impact]? Another skill, huh¡­¡±] Was it from the attack I did earlier? ¡°Hmph.¡± Ceres got a towel from her bag and wiped the blood from her face and hand. The spectacle was too surreal for me. Her pale face was covered with blood and she was there wiping it expressionless. No¡­ It¡¯s more like her eyes are dead while wiping it. It¡¯s the first time I saw her like that I almost felt calling out to her. ¡°M-Maya!! Tch¡­ Sonia! Use [Curea]!!¡± ¡°Curea isn¡¯t working!!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± I heard the cry of the party. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I hurriedly went to their place and asked what¡¯s happening. ¡°Maya¡¯s not breathing!! I¡¯ve been using Curea and all her wounds are already healed. I don¡¯t know other healing spells aside from Curea and Heal! And they both aren¡¯t working either!!¡± The healer girl was in a complete mess as she told me the situation. ¡°Are you sure she doesn¡¯t have any wounds?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°Th-Thank you for helping but wh-who are you two?¡± ¡°Save that for later. We need to do something about your friend first.¡± I leaned close to her nose to listen for breathing sounds but heard none, I hurriedly held her wrist to check her pulse then listened to her heartbeat on her chest. It seems that her heart is in a state of ventricular fibrillation from the sudden surge of pain. ¡°She¡¯s having a problem with her heart because of the shock. I¡¯m going to conduct a CPR. Ceres ask the healer for more healing spells or any other spells..¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± I immediately conducted a CPR and pump air with artificial ventilation through her mouth. Then I continued the chest compressions to have her blood flow for the time being. When I was trained in the military, CPR is one of the basic first aids we have to learn. But still this is just the first aid, I need to think fast. ¡°H-Hey¡­ What are you doing??¡± ¡°You healer there, is your only spells [Heal] and Curea?¡± ¡°I-I know some attack spells.¡± ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°F-Fire b-bolt¡­ W-Water bolt¡­ And l¨Clightning bolt¡­¡± I continued the CPR while Ceres continued to ask the healer. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ It¡­ Ceres¡­ *inhale* *blow*¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The spell lightning bolt. Healer. Can you control it using the lowest output possible? *inhale* *blow*¡± ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know!!¡± ¡°Then try it. Hurry!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!!¡± ¡°Wh-What in the world is happening???¡± The man that was holding a dagger held his head while crying in confusion. The healer proceed to use the spell repeatedly releasing the lowest output of the electricity. And after a short while, she produced enough electricity that can be used. ¡°Alright. I want you to cast the spell using that output directly on the upper left and lower right side from her heart¡¯s position.¡± ¡°O-O-Okay!¡± She placed her fingers separately on the points I told her. ¡°When I say, ¡®cast¡¯, go ahead and cast them in an instant at the same time, got it?¡± ¡°G-Got it! Spear of the heavens¡­¡± A yellow magic circle then appeared on her hands making it look like it is casted directly on the magician¡¯s body. ¡°Let¡¯s start. One, two, cast!¡± ¡°Lightning Bolt!¡± ¡°*thump*¡± Alright, it¡¯s working. I continued the CPR and asked the healer to repeat the sequence. ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Yes!! Spear of the heavens¡­¡± ¡°¡­ One, two, cast!¡± ¡°Lightning Bolt!¡± ¡°*inhale!!!*¡± The magician breathe in air with vigor. I checked her pulse and it returned close to normal. Her breathing is still a bit ragged but she should be fine for now. ¡°Maya!!¡± ¡°She¡¯s breathing!!¡± ¡°Uwaaaaa!!!!¡± ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it, I guess. Healer, just in case, cast another healing spell.¡± I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I watched them celebrating. ¡°You, slime¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I saw Ceres astounded by what just happened so I raised a letter V with my fingers and smile at her. The magician girl who was almost paling from her lack of oxygen and blood flow began regaining her color. She slowly opens her eyes to be greeted by their crying and smiling party members. It seems like the person herself is confused about the ordeal. ¡°That was close, isn¡¯t it, Ceres?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ceres is looking at the party who are still celebrating the safety of their friend, especially the magician. I can see a hint of bafflement in her eyes. It¡¯s like she¡¯s seen something she can¡¯t believe. ¡°Ceres?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡± I was once again drawn to her expression. Just what in the world goes through her mind? ¡­ .. . Chapter 12 End Chapter 13: Blood-stained Hands and Recognition and The Power to Protect ¡°Thank you very much. You guys really saved us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Thank Ceres here. She¡¯s the one who rushed in to help.¡± ¡°I see. Ms. Ceres. Thank you very much.¡± The party leader placed his right hand on his chest and slightly bowed down. It looks like that¡¯s how they express their gratitude and express respect in this world. The situation have calmed down and the magician is peacefully sleeping. The stress in her body accumulated so fast that after waking up earlier, she fell unconscious again. It was a bit hectic to reassure the safety of the magician to the other members but it still ended up well. As for me and Ceres, we¡¯re now staying with them in the wide room for a while. We tried to go ahead but we were stopped by the party, insisting on thanking us properly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Eh?¡± ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s shy around people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t explain things as you please, slime. Hmp!¡± ¡°Ack-!¡± Ceres kicked my feet with all her strength. She really just can¡¯t take a joke. On the other hand, the party leader is kind of bewildered by our exchange but recomposed himself and faced me again. ¡°Still. I want to thank you both. Mr. Slime. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot. Slime!¡± ¡°Mr. Slime. Thank you.¡± ¡°U-Uhm! Thank you very much, Mr. Slime!¡± ¡°¡­ Look at what you¡¯ve done, Ceres.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± They all started calling me ¡°slime¡± because of how Ceres was referring me. ¡°Ah¡­ You guys. My name is actually Hans.¡± ¡°I see. I apologize for that. I am Edgar. Edgar Randhound. This is our thief, Lark.¡± ¡°Yo!¡± ¡°This one here is our healer as you¡¯ve already known, Cecilia.¡± ¡°N-Nice to meet you! You were awesome earlier!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. Thank you. You did a good job too.¡± I smiled at her childish expression and pat her head out of habit with Tia. ¡°Ah¡­ Eh¡­ Yes¡­ *blush*¡± ¡°This one here is our merchant, Tardis.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I may look small like this, but I¡¯m a genuine 20 year old young man.¡± ¡°For real¡­?¡± My eyes widen from what I¡¯ve heard. ¡°Yes.¡± I was surpised by his remark because no matter where and how I look at him, he only looks like a child to me. ¡°I¡¯m a Faunalian, you see.¡± ¡°Faunalian?¡± ¡°Yes. Here.¡± Tardis removed his hat and revealed an animal ear protruding from his head. So that means Faunalians are small by nature? Hm¡­ What about Tia? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s actually very old¡­ Ugh¡­ I felt shivers run down my spine. But still, I can¡¯t ask her. Age is a delicate topic for girls, after all. ¡°Excuse me, I want to ask something to Mr. Hans.¡± ¡°Hans will do. Go ahead, Edgar.¡± I can already guess what he¡¯s going to ask but I still let him word it. ¡°What did you do earlier? Is that some form of Gift?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not.¡± I then explained to them how I conducted the CPR. They listened to me intently without voicing a single word or question. Even Ceres who has her eyes closed listened. ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s a form of first aid in your country.¡± I just went with that as my excuse. ¡°Right. It is used when the heart started beating irregularly or if the breathing stopped. But that¡¯s just the first aid. The use of electricity is actually what did things.¡± ¡°I see. For you to do that, you must be a doctor. But even doctors only use operations and healing magic when dealing with patients¡­ And not just that. You two defeated the [Queen Ground Arachnia] in just a matter of minutes¡­ Who in the world are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a free lodger at Ceres¡¯ house.¡± I answered casually to prevent anymore suspicion, implying to them to restrain from prying more. They somehow bought my excuse and stopped asking about me furthermore. ¡°By the way, what happened here before we arrived?¡± ¡°Right. We were actually in a quest to exterminate the [Ground Arachnias] that have been nesting around here. Their population have increased to the point of overflowing outside the dungeon.¡± ¡°You mean they go out using that gate?¡± ¡°No. Ground Arachnias can dig through the dirt and find their way outside the dungeon even without exiting through the gate. It has been a problem for the villages around Florensia.¡± ¡°Hm. And after exterminating a number of them, comes the queen, is that what happened?¡± ¡°Yeah. We were ambushed by the queen that is nesting above this room and without a moment¡¯s notice, it grabbed Maya and that¡¯s where you came in.¡± I looked up and saw the ceiling full of webs stretching from a huge ball of web. Maybe that¡¯s where the Queen Ground Arachnia was nesting. It¡¯s quite dark here even with the light from the glowing crystal that are scattered from here and there. Ceres told me earlier that they are the formation of mana fusing with rock crystals and are called Glow Crystals. What a straightforward naming. ¡°What about you two? Did you come here on a quest, too? Speaking of which, we saw you entering the dungeon before us earlier.¡± ¡°Yeah. But we are just here to gather materials. But we¡¯re almost done. And that¡¯s when we heard your friend¡¯s scream.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for Maya here to wake up before returning to the surface. And we still have to take care of the nest. Oh right. What are you going to do about the [Monster Crystal]?¡± ¡°Monster Crystal?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the spherical object that the monster drops inside dungeons.¡± ¡°Oh you mean these?¡± I showed them a pouch of the beads I was collecting along the way. So these are called Monster Crystal¡­ ¡°What about it? Wow¡­ This one¡¯s huge.¡± I picked up the Monster Crystal that was lying on the floor where the carcass of the Queen Ground Arachnia dissolved. It is the same size with a basketball. The ones I¡¯ve been picking up is only the size of a marble. ¡°You can exchange it for money in the Guild. These can also be the proof that you defeated the target monster in a quest.¡± ¡°I see. Then shouldn¡¯t you take it then?¡± ¡°No. It was you guys who defeated it. You should be the one receiving it.¡± ¡°What do you think Ceres?¡± ¡°¡­ Do what you want.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Perhaps it¡¯s their way of thanking us so rejecting their offer may only come off as rude instead. I guess I should just honestly accept it. ¡°Got it. I will take it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be taking our leave here then. Let¡¯s meet again sometime.¡± ¡°Yes. Gladly.¡± Ceres and I went on our way to gather the rest of the mushrooms and danberries we need and not long after, we took the route out of the dungeon. Ceres was quite all the while and since I didn¡¯t have something to say anyways, I also stayed quiet for the rest of our way. ¡­ .. . We passed by the Guild and meet up with Anya before going home. ¡°Did you get the ingredients~?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°¡­? Ceres?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll be going first.¡± Ceres turned around and went on her way without looking back. ¡°Did something happened~?¡± ¡°Well, there was a bit of an accident.¡± ¡°Accident?!? Did something happened to Ceres?!¡± ¡°R-Relax¡­ It¡¯s not her.¡± Anya stood up from her seat in the reception desk and was about to grab my collar in the process. I held her shoulder and push her down back to her sit as I reassure her. ¡°We met a party inside the dungeon. They encountered a Queen Ground Arachnia so we helped them. Then after that she became silent all the way here.¡± ¡°I see¡­~ I¡¯ll ask her later then~¡± Anya had a sullen expression on her face but instantly reverted back to her usual refreshing smile. ¡°Okay. By the way, where¡¯s Tia?¡± ¡°Here she is~¡± Anya pointed to her side. The reception desk has a seat long enough to look like a bench. And there I saw Tia sleeping like a log with her head on Anya¡¯s lap. Her hand is tightly gripping Anya¡¯s hand with the other on her chest. What a cute creature she really is. ¡°She was anxious about meeting different people until she fell asleep like this~ I feel like I got a new little sister I¡¯m so happy~¡± Anya rubs Tia¡¯s golden hair as softly and gently. In my perspective though, they already look a lot like a mother and daughter. ¡°What are you going to do now, Hans~?¡± ¡°Hm. For now I¡¯ll go around the town. I¡¯ll look for something to do then.¡± ¡°Okay~ Take care~¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave Tia to you.¡± ¡°Yup~¡± I left Anya and Tia in the reception and went out of the Guild. Without any objective in mind, I went to the plaza for the time being. I sit on one of the benches as I see the place have started to get painted with orange. The first stars have appeared and the breeze have gone from warm to cool. One old woman have started closing her store with a satisfied look on her face. The children playing by the fountain are now being called by their mother for dinner. The little boy held the hands of the little girl and ran towards the mother. Maybe they¡¯re siblings. I released the tension in my shoulders as I relax in the bench. I recalled the happenings inside the dungeon. We fought a giant monster called the Queen Ground Arachnia. I wasn¡¯t aware of it that time because of the urgency of the situation. But seeing that monster made me register the fact that I¡¯m really in another world. The monster that I¡¯ve encountered so far wasn¡¯t violent enough to cause the horrifying sight that I was used to seeing before coming here. Along with the monster attacking a person who I personally saw where her arm is being crunched by its pincers, I remembered my former comrades who also experienced the same fate caused by the explosions. I was once again reminded by the cruel fate I had when I was a soldier in my former world where I didn¡¯t have a choice but to only fight in the battlefield.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°*sigh*¡± I closed my eyes and digested the experience inside my head. As far as I can see the things that are around me, I can only see peace. The lives of Anya and Ceres as I perceive them right now is one of the most peaceful interaction I¡¯ve seen ever since I was a child. Even the people that are walking about the plaza are people who are assured that they are on safe hands. No. It¡¯s just that peace have long prospered in these lands that people have already forgotten the fear of chaos. I heard from the explanation of Anya that there was once the invasion of a Demon Lord that caused great destruction all over the lands of the humans. Ultimately, it was called the Cursed Age. But three centuries have already passed ever since the Cursed Age. If I think about it, it¡¯s already the third generation of the people that lived that that time. It¡¯s not impossible that the people nowadays have already forgotten about it, or some maybe, haven¡¯t heard about it their whole life. Hence, their security of peace. ¡°But¡­¡± But I lived in a world of war. A world where if you don¡¯t fight, you¡¯ll get killed. Eat or be eaten. It was a survival of the strongest. All the soldiers I knew would have never dared to imagine a place like this where people go in and out without a fear of what¡¯sgoingto happen to them next. The only tomorrow we¡¯re waiting for is the next battlefield we¡¯ll be joining to fight for something we don¡¯t know we could achieve in the first place. But deep inside, this may be the seen we¡¯ve desired for the longest of time. ¡°¡­ Still.¡± Am I deserving enough to witness this peace¡­? I¡¯ve already killed. Stained my hands with blood. Destroyed dreams. I can go and try to sugar coat what I did but in the end, all I did was steal the dreams the other person had. A child waiting for her father. A mother expecting her child. A wife praying for her husband. Those people who are waiting for their loved ones. The ones who dreamed of meeting them again, embracing them again, and holding them again in their arms¡­ I did¡­ With these hands¡­ ¡°Hey, slime.¡± ¡°¡­ C-Ceres?¡± ¡°Anya is already calling for you for dinner.¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­ Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm.¡± I stood up from the bench and reset my mind to act as natural as possible. I dug deep inside my mind too much and it suddenly crushed my mood and I kind of let it out in my face but I can¡¯t let the others feel burdened by my own problems. Ceres is looking at me with peering eyes and turned around towards the direction of Lunaria. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of person you are. And what goes in your head, but¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°But Anya will be saddened if you suddenly disappeared. And¡­ I sort of know now that you¡¯re not a bad person¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Ceres¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll recognize you staying at our house.¡± ¡°Huh?? Then what did you think while I slept in your house yesterday night?¡± ¡°A bug was sleeping on the couch.¡± ¡°Urk¡­ Haha¡­¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± I don¡¯t know if she saw me sulking or just wanted to tell me her thoughts. Did she want to cheer me up or just wanted to get rid of something in her mind? I didn¡¯t have a way to find out at that time. But the mere fact that she already accepted my stay in their house cheered me up for a bit. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Tah-dah~ Here¡¯s a mattress for you, Hans~¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Short after Ceres and I got home, I was waiting for the dinner she will be cooking and sat on the living room. Anya said she and Ceres take turns in cooking dinner. ¡°You can use this one instead of the couch~ I thought you¡¯ll be having trouble sleeping in the couch from now on~¡± ¡°Wait. I¡¯m only staying here until I find a new place. You don¡¯t have to mind me.¡± Anya brought out a huge mattress thick enough to probably give a good night sleep to anyone who sleeps in it. I¡¯m happy with her gesture, but as I¡¯ve said earlier, I will only stay here until I find another place to stay. ¡°Muuu¡­~ Why do you say that~? I¡¯ve already decided that you can stay here as long as you want~!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why until I find another place to¡­¡± ¡°Forget about it, slime. If Anya decided on something. She won¡¯t give in no matter what you say.¡± Ceres entered the living room from the kitchen while removing her apron and placing it in one of the chairs. ¡°But aren¡¯t you worried a guy living with you?¡± ¡°I lived with my father when he was still alive, though~?¡± I didn¡¯t see any hint of sadness in her eyes but only a refreshing smile. She suddenly said something personal so I was a bit frozen in my place but I guess I didn¡¯t have to worry about it in the first place. ¡°A father and an unrelated man is different on a whole lot level.¡± ¡°Even Tia is saying she wants you to stay here~¡± ¡°Tia?¡± I saw Tia clinging on Anya¡¯s back with a timid look. It looks like it¡¯s just her personality with her being shy and reserved. ¡°I-I also want to¡­ I want Hans to s-stay here¡­¡± ¡°Of course, Ceres too~¡± ¡°Wha-!? I didn¡¯t say anything of that sort!¡± ¡°Geez¡­ You don¡¯t have to be shy, you know~? You¡¯ve been saying earlier that you- Mmmffm??¡± ¡°Shut up for a while, Anya.¡± Ceres covered Anya¡¯s mouth using both her hands. I didn¡¯t hear quite clearly what Anya was talking about but it must be something Ceres doesn¡¯t want me to know so I didn¡¯t pry any further. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll be in your care?¡± ¡°R-Really¡­?¡± ¡°Yippe~! Isn¡¯t that good, Ceres~?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± I end up giving in from their offer. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t want to reject it in the first place but I wanted to make sure since up until now, Anya mentioned before when I returned with Ceres in my arms that after she lost her mother six years ago, they¡¯re the only one in this house. I was worried of suddenly breaking in their peace just because of my own problems. ¡°Oh right~ You¡¯re done cooking~?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s have dinner.¡± Tia have already blended in their circle as she happily hugs Anya while they walk towards the dining table. ¡°Ohhh¡­ So Ceres cooked this¡­¡± ¡°What? You have a problem with it?¡± The table is presented with different kinds of dishes. From the main dish down to the side dishes and rice. They are prepared with utmost care and most importantly, the fragrance of each dish is exquisite. They all stimulate my appetite. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I just thought as expected of the head chef in this restaurant.¡± ¡°Head chef, you say. But this one is more of a small diner than a restaurant so it¡¯s not big of a deal.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ There¡¯re are garrots in the stew¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like carro- I mean garrots, Tia?¡± I saw Tia flashing a sour face when she looked at the stew that is in front of her. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat your vegetables, you won¡¯t grow, Tia.¡± Ceres pats Tia¡¯s head while encouraging her to eat the garrots. Now that I¡¯ve taken a good look at Ceres now, it¡¯s like she¡¯s different than she was when I first met hear until this morning. She¡¯s like she¡¯s always on guard and have a stern expression. But now she even smiles brightly at Tia which surprised me the most. ¡°¡­ *giggle*¡± So she can smile like that¡­ I never thought I would see her smile because she¡¯s always so thorny every time I¡¯m with her. Perhaps, she¡®s let her guard down around me. I don¡¯t really know when and why but it really makes me happy anyways. ¡°If you eat your garrots, I¡¯ll make you a pudding tomorrow.¡± She picked up the garrots using the fork and brought it to Tia offering it to eat her. ¡°Here, open wide.¡± ¡°Muu¡­ A-Aaaahhm¡­ ~~~!!¡± Tia shivered while chewing the garrots with an uncomfortable face. I kept looking at Ceres face while she feeds Tia her greatest enemy. Her face is now relaxed not like it is when she looks at me. She lightly giggled at the expression of Tia and brought her hands to her mouth to hide it. Now that I took a closer look at her, she really is cute. ¡°Hm~? Hans~? Is there anything you want from Ceres~?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°You kept looking at her~¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ceres heard Anya and looked at our direction. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just¡­ looking at her.¡± ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t look at someone¡¯s face without a reason.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Sorry about that.¡± Ceres glared at me but it¡¯s somehow different. I can¡¯t explain it well but it¡¯s like she is now relaxed around me. I now can¡¯t feel the tension in the air whenever I talk with her. I joined in the conversation while stuffing my mouth with Ceres¡¯ cooking. It was a nice and peaceful dinner that I had long forgotten ever since I became I soldier. ¡­ .. . I lay down on the mattress Anya gave me. It has a soft and warm feeling as it already starts inviting me to sleep. I had the windows open so that the cool breeze of the summer wind enter. The light from the twin moons peeked through it making it illuminated enough to see without any lights on. As I close my eyes, I recalled the happenings during the day. Ceres, Tia, and I toured the town and bought stuff for our daily necessities, like things for hygiene, clothes, and stuff that we will be needing for the days coming. Then Ceres showed me around the town where I found out about the Guild. The Guild is governed by the Guild Master but is also the mayor of this town. I recalled the activities of the Guild where adventurers are hired to do tasks that are requested by the people or merchants. Later on, we entered the dungeon to gather some materials for Anya that they will be using for the restaurant. We encountered the party that met partway and helped them in defeating the Queen Ground Arachnia. After defeating it, I acquired a new skill, Crush Strike. I haven¡¯t tried it yet but it seems like it¡¯s an offensive skill. After that, they gave us the Monster Crystal of the monster as thanks. Wait¡­ Monster Crystal? ¡°Oh right! I forgot about the monster crystals!¡± I hurriedly stood up from my feet and rummaged around my bag that I bought before going to the dungeon. There is the huge monster crystal the size of a basketball and a number of small ones the size of marbles. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t exchange them for money in this time¡­¡± I was thinking about what to do about them when something out of the ordinary happened. ¡°¡± ¡°Wha¡­?¡± A woman¡¯s voice that I¡¯ve heard before echoes inside my head while I hold the monster crystal in my hands. It¡¯s the same as the one with the time when I acquired the Mana Detect and Crush Strike skill. It asks me if I wish to absorb them¡­ What does absorbing them means anyway? What in the world will happen if I absorb them? What will happen if I don¡¯t? All sorts of questions popped up inside my head as I try to analyze the situation. I tried putting down the monster crystal and nothing happened. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡­ Nothing happened. I guess it only activates when I hold a monster crystal in my hands. But why did nothing happen earlier in the dungeon when I picked these up? There are still a lot of questions to be asked regarding this but¡­ ¡°This one is the monster crystal from the Queen Ground Arachnia¡­¡± I picked it up once again and as expected, I heard the voice once again. ¡°¡± ¡°¡­¡± But if I don¡¯t do anything, nothing will happen. It¡¯s the otherworld, for goodness sake. It¡¯s a chance I will never have the next time. Therefore, I will take this opportunity. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡± After the confirmation of the voice inside my head, the monster crystal glowed in my hands as it slowly fades. The light that it became entered my chest and I feel a warm sensation spreading inside my body. ¡°¡­¡± The light dissipated and the sensation disappeared like nothing happened. I wait patiently for the voice in my head. ¡°¡± ¡°Crystals?¡± ¡°¡± Status? Is it the same with the games that I played before? I guess the only way to find out is opening it. ¡°Yes.¡± *beep* ¡°Whoa.¡± A screen suddenly appeared in front of me and it follows my every movement. It¡¯s really like those in the games that I¡¯ve played when I was a child. It¡¯s a bit nostalgic. The screen displayed a lot of figures and letters but the language is still the language that I use in my former world.
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[Status]
Strength: 206/9999
Agility 82/9999
Intelligence 75/9999
Defense 15/9999
[Skills]
Mana Detect Lv. 6/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 1/10
Crystal Points: 10
That sums up the information that the status screen displays. If I compare it with games, it looks a lot less than it should be. No matter how I operate it, I didn¡¯t find any information about a level or something. I guess in this case, I¡¯m not leveling up like in those role playing games. ¡°But then how am I going to grow?¡± ¡°¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ It answered my question.¡± Let me try to ask another question. ¡°What about levels?¡± ¡°¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see. So this crystal points are what I need to make myself stronger if I want to. And the only way to get them is to defeat monsters and absorb their monster crystals.¡± ¡°¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I once again go through the new information that I got. First, I now have the ability to open my status. It displays my level of strength, agility, intelligence, and defense. It also displays the skills that I currently have and their levels and the crystal points that I have. Second, I can click the arrows corresponding each status when I try to use my crystal points to increase it. But for now, I didn¡¯t use them yet. Lastly, I can gather monster crystals and absorb them to gain crystal points to increase my status from monsters. If I think about it, I can make myself stronger by going to the dungeon every day to gather monster crystals. But there¡¯s also the problem if I want to make money. If I absorb the monster crystals that I gathered, that goes without saying that I can¡¯t exchange them for money anymore. They disappear, after all. ¡°Hm¡­¡± I picked up another monster crystal from my bag. It was one from the Murborrows. ¡°¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Once again, the monster crystal shines in my hands and started to fade into a light. Then it enters my body followed by the warm sensation that spreads throughout. ¡°Monster Crystal absorbed. You gained 1 crystal points>¡± ¡°Only one?¡± I see. The size of the monster crystal is one of the factors that affects the amount of crystal points I gain from these. Or maybe the monster itself is the factor. Since the monster crystal of the Queen Ground Arachnia is bigger than the Murburrows¡¯ and is obvious that the Queen Ground Arachnia is stronger than them, the stronger the monster is the larger monster crystal it gives, is what I can guess. ¡°If I were to try making myself stronger, this is will be a long journey for me.¡± One round trip inside the dungeon only gave me 16 Murborrow monster crystals and 1 Queen Ground Arachnia monster crystal. In total, I only gained 26 crystal points if I absorbed all these. Excluding those that I will need to exchange for money. I can¡¯t let myself be jobless forever. I don¡¯t want to burden Ceres and Anya any more than this. ¡°But then again¡­¡± I feel another surge of excitement from my core as I ponder what I have just got. Maybe this was the power the Observer was talking about all along. Looking again at my stats, the Strength shows a number of 206. It¡¯s not that strong compared to the maximum status points that I can get but it is clearly way above the other status. That explains the punch that destroyed the tree in one hit and the lightness of my body because of my 82 Agility. This is awesome. At least I, for now, know what I want to do. I want to get stronger first. This new ability of mine can help me protect those who are dear to me. If I ever meet that Observer again, I should thank him. I absorbed 4 more monster crystal and set aside the rest to exchange them tomorrow. I don¡¯t know how to explain the monster crystal of the Queen Ground Arachnia to Ceres but at least I can exchange the ones from the Murborrows. With 11 monster crystal still left, I closed my bag and went to lie on my mattress. I closed my eyes feeling satisfied as I plan things out about what I will do tomorrow onwards. Earlier, I really felt down by being reminded of my blood stained hands¡­ But now I gained the power to protect. I don¡¯t want to use this hands anymore to kill¡­ I want to use them to protect. I recalled the faces of Pola, Dan, Frank, William, and Johannes. ¡°I wonder what they¡¯re doing now¡­¡± I pray in my heart for their safety once again. And now what floats inside my mind are the faces of Ceres, Tia, and Anya. The people I want to protect. I closed my eyes as I felt the drowsiness leading me to slumber. The surrounding place darkens and another day in my stay in another world have passed. ¡­ .. .
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[STATUS]
Strength: 206/9999
Agility 82/9999
Intelligence 75/9999
Defense 15/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 6/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 1/10
Crystal Points: 15
Chapter 14: Helping in the Restaurant and Danberry Pie *chirp* *chirp* I slowly open my eyes and wake up to the sound of birds chirping. It¡¯s still a little bit dark outside, nonetheless the sun have started to rise so I stood up from my mattress and tidied it up. It seems like everyone is still asleep. I really can¡¯t go my way and enter the bedroom for a while so I went downstairs and used the sink to wash my face. If I used the kitchen¡¯s sink, I might make a noise so I gave up the thought. ¡°Good thing I placed my toothbrush here.¡± Before going to bed yesterday, I prepared everything that I will be needing to live here. I had the thought of waking up before them passed through my mind, so I¡¯ve decided to put the things that I will use in the bathroom here in the kitchen. While I¡¯m brushing my teeth I noticed a door just beside the entrance to the kitchen just beside the stairs. And when I opened it, it turns out to be¡­ ¡°Another restroom, huh¡­ Haha. That¡¯s to be expected for a diner, yet I wonder why I didn¡¯t thought of going here in the first place?¡± Maybe someone forgot to write that there was a restroom right here. *bonk* ¡°Ow-¡­ Wha¡­?¡± I felt someone or something hit my head lightly. Oh well, it must have been my imagination. ¡°That¡¯s it, I guess.¡± I fixed my hair and I¡¯m now done brushing my teeth so I¡¯m all prepared for the day. ¡°But it¡¯s still early so I don¡¯t have anything much to do.¡± I asked Anya some time when I first came here. Since I was troubled as I don¡¯t have anything to tell me what time it is, she told me that clocks are too expensive so they didn¡¯t have one. Clocks here are rare and the only one most people can use freely is in the bell tower where it rings every 3 hours of the day. Of course it won¡¯t ring at night as it would cause many problems for people sleeping. Only nobles who are well off can afford to buy a clock since they are hard to manufacture because of the scarcity of the materials used to making one. They said that the clocks here uses a special type of magic crystal that follows the alignment of heavenly bodies and therefore provides the specific time. I¡¯m not pretty sure, but maybe because of the existence of magic here in this world, technology that can be made using only with normal materials may have been skipped out from the picture. But in reality, a clock can be easily made using the right materials. I don¡¯t know how it is made myself but one of my senior in the military once had a hobby of making them so I watched him making them from time to time. Perhaps, technology and magic in this world are two different things and is only recently that they began integrating them to create more things. On the other hand, having the ability to use magic is surely convenient as it can be used for all sorts of things. If I can get the chance to use one, I definitely would take it. How cool it would be if I can use it in my command. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just clean the restaurant for the time being.¡± While imagining myself using some of the magic that I saw since coming here like the Lightning Bolt of the healer, I then cleaned the whole restaurant to kill as much time as I wait for the others to wake up. It¡¯s not really that of a chore since it is already clean in the first place. So after a while, I¡¯m already done. The place is now sparkling clean compared to before I started. ¡°Phew. That¡¯s satisfying.¡± I can almost see my reflection from the tables after wiping them with something I don¡¯t know what. I guess it is a cleaner of some sort. But since I can¡¯t read the letters here, I just used the cleaners based on my instinct. In the end, I guess I¡¯m not off the mark. ¡°Slime? What are you doing here?¡± Right when it¡¯s getting a lot brighter outside, I heard Ceres coming down from the stairs with clothes I haven¡¯t seen. ¡°Ah. Ceres. I was just done cleaning. Good morning. Is that your work uniform?¡± ¡°Hm? Yeah.¡± ¡°I see. You look good in it.¡± I genuinely stated what was on my mind as I saw her tying up her hair into a ponytail. ¡°Hmph.¡± She went directly to the kitchen without turning my way. Hmm¡­ I guess she didn¡¯t like getting compliments. But I can¡¯t lie! If something is beautiful or cute, I will say it! Even if it cost me my life! ¡°Wha-?! How is it so sparkling clean in here??¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything to do, so I guess I got into it a little bit? Teehee~¡± ¡°¡¯Teehee~¡¯ doesn¡¯t explain that¡­ But, hmm¡­¡± Ceres then brushed the surface of the kitchen wall with her fingers to check for dirt. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re good. I should point that out at least.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s the least I can do to help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ceres proceeded to get the materials from the fridge and began cutting some ingredients. ¡°Oh right. You¡¯ll open the restaurant staring today, huh?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± She didn¡¯t reply much and is again focused on what she is doing. I then continued cleaning the windows which are the last thing that needs to be cleaned. The surrounding place is quiet with only the chirps of the bird and the chopping sounds coming from the kitchen are heard. The silence spreads through out inside the restaurant but it¡¯s not an awkward silence, rather, it¡¯s a pleasing one. I feel comfortable as my heart became lighter and lighter as the moments pass. ¡°¡­¡± I took a glance at Ceres without stopping my hands. She accepted the fact that I will be staying here but I still can¡¯t feel that I got closer to her because of that. It¡¯s like she just gave up and let Anya do what she pleases, which is letting me stay. Well, it¡¯s only still my third day in this world. I still have a lot of chances to get along with her. ¡°Hm? This is¡­¡± Just when I was done cleaning the windows and next would be the door, I saw some strange carvings in the wooden pillar, the one by the door. There are some writings along with lines following them that are carved in succession. I vaguely remember one of the word as I just saw it yesterday; it says ¡®Ceres.¡¯ The letters that form ¡®Ceres¡¯ followed by a line have another word just above it also followed by a line. Is that it, I wonder? Maybe she was measuring her height before like other kids? I remember doing it too when I was 6. I usually have my mother measure it but when I found out I didn¡¯t grow after a week, I will have my mother buy me a carton of milk and stretch while reading some books. If that¡¯s so, the other one is definitely Anya¡¯s. The measuring just stopped somewhere just above my waist so maybe they stopped measuring when they got at a certain age, but I see. The last measurement was from Ceres so I guess she was taller than Anya before then. But it is clear that Anya is tad taller than Ceres right now. I guess that¡¯s where puberty kicked in and gave Anya a huge boost. Of course, I¡¯m talking about their height and nothing else. ¡°Ceres. This here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ceres?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The instant I saw Ceres was something I didn¡¯t think would make how I see her a whole lot different. ¡°A smile¡­¡± Not just a regular smile. It was a smile that will make you look back when you pass by her. A smile that is as natural as it can be. An expression I never thought she would make. I already saw her smiling when she¡¯s talking with Tia but this can¡¯t be on par with it. I can almost feel her emotion through her smile; she¡¯s having a lot of fun. ¡°¡­¡± I wanted to call out to her but my mouth couldn¡¯t move one bit as my mind was only focused on looking at her. Is it because something good happened? Or maybe someone gave her a present? Maybe Anya bought a good set of hair pin for her. I don¡¯t have any idea for her having that lovely smile but¡­ ¡°Good thing I woke up early.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Sofiel! I want to place and order!¡± ¡°I want a second serving!¡± ¡°Hey, can I have a glass water?¡± I was relaxing by the window from the living room when I heard the restaurant suddenly getting a lot rowdy. Peeking through the stairs, I saw a lot of costumers with Sofiel flailing around taking their orders. I can already feel him getting flustered from the bombardment of orders coming for them. I went down to check on the kitchen finding the same chaotic scene with only Anya and Ceres cooking. The heat from the summer days is one thing, of course. But the temperature is rising all the more because of the burner and boiling of water, making the place sultrier every minute. ¡°I already know the answer but¡­ How are you guys doing?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you already see?! Just shut it and go away! I don¡¯t have any more leniency to waste on you!¡± [¡°Haha¡­ That¡¯s harsh¡­¡±] Ceres was almost at her wits end when I asked them. Anya didn¡¯t answer but I can already get that she¡¯s also having a hard time. Considering the fact that they¡¯re in this mini hell because of the heat and the never-dwindling number of customers, it¡¯s to be expected. I surveyed around the kitchen without bothering them. When I wasn¡¯t doing anything earlier, I checked on Ceres while she prepares and I can already say that I have already memorized almost all of the ingredients they are using. Like how they are used and how they prepare them. ¡°Hm¡­¡± I calculated in my mind how they can finish each dish while being shorthanded. ¡°It¡¯s a bit tight, huh?¡± First, incoming used plates keep piling up while the clean ones are already disappearing at a fast rate. Even Sofiel is having a hard time with placing the orders and cleaning the tables at the same time. I can almost see his eyes getting teary. Second is the incoming orders piles up without Ceres and Anya can even finish a single dish. I can guess the reason being it¡¯s the first day after the long holiday so the people are eager to try eating here again. And it¡¯s the middle of noon. No wonder there would be a lot of customers coming. It seems like this restaurant/diner is quite favored by the townspeople. That¡¯s a good thing. Anya helps with the cooking while also tending the piling up plates. And lastly, I was told I can¡¯t help. Even Tia volunteered to help but I can understand why they would refuse Tia¡¯s offer. However, mine¡¯s a different case. I was told I¡¯m a guest so I should just relax. Anya¡¯s too good for this world. But I can¡¯t just stand and idle away while I know they¡¯re having a hard time. ¡°Anya. I¡¯ll help. I recommend you help Sofiel on the floor.¡± ¡°Eh?? B-But¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Come on now, go, go.¡± ¡°Uuu¡­ O-Okay!¡± Anya can help at a lot of things but her hands are on the slower side so she can¡¯t handle the pressure from all these orders. I put on her apron and folded my sleeves just before my ellbows. The handkerchief that I bought from the market is what I used to cover my head. ¡°Ceres. Let me have a look at the recipes.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Huh?? What are you doing??¡± ¡°Come on. We don¡¯t have time to argue.¡± ¡°Tch¡­ Here!¡± She returns to cooking as I browse all through the pages as swiftly as possible. I tried to memorize all of them in one go. I¡¯m confident in my memory since I¡¯m used to books ever since I was a child. But one there¡¯s one more problem. A huge problem. ¡°Ceres. I forgot I couldn¡¯t read.¡± ¡°YOU SLIIIIIIME!! JUST GET OUT OF HERE!!!¡± But I can¡¯t really go out leaving them. So I resort to helping her prepare the ingredients while she focuses on making the dish. ¡°Mushrooms, mushrooms¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± ¡°¡­ A-Ah¡­ Okay.¡± I gave her the already cut mushrooms. ¡°Here is the ponion and meat.¡± Along the sound of hasty cutting and the bubbling of water from the pot, I continued to do whatever I could that can help Ceres without pulling back her leg. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± The heat from the stove is harsher than I thought when Ceres is cooking some sort of like a fried rice. I prepared every ingredients that she needs while she cooks them and then proceeds to preparing another batch of pre-prepared ingredients. ¡°The water should be ready, I¡¯ll add the spices.¡± ¡°A-Alright. Do you know the amount?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you do it.¡± ¡­ ¡°The rice is done. Check it out.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll cut up the fish for the next dish.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡­ ¡°Garrots are almost gone.¡± ¡°There¡¯re more in the fridge.¡± ¡­ ¡°Cut up the beef.¡± ¡°Got it. (There¡¯re cows here?)¡± ¡­ ¡°Sofiel, here¡¯s the next order for table 4.¡± ¡°G-Got it!¡± Every time a dish is done, Ceres always made sure to taste it. I don¡¯t know why when she¡¯s already been doing it for years. And just like that I continued doing my part as she does hers. Her hands did not stop even a slight while so I followed her up by doing the parts that needs to be done primarily. That way, she can do her stuff without going back to scratch whenever she has to cook another dish. ¡°Here¡¯re the new plates.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± While there are no ingredients to prepare for me, I went to washing the dishes. Along with the sound of boiling water and the chopping on the board, our hands moved endlessly as the customers slowly leave one by one. After the small battle we¡¯ve done, I can almost say that I¡¯ve already memorized all of their menus in their restaurant except for those that aren¡¯t ordered for the day. Some dish are ordered a number of times but there are also dishes that haven¡¯t seen the light for today. I guess it¡¯s not popular for the customers. Anya did well in helping Sofiel in the floor for the time being and is apparent on his face. ¡­ ¡°Good woooork~¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it, I guess.¡± ¡°¡­ Huf¡­¡± ¡°Good work you two.¡± We¡¯re done for the most part and the restaurant is now empty. They said that was the usual time it really gets busy but today is a lot more since it¡¯s the day after the festival. Anya and Sofiel came inside the kitchen while wiping their sweat off from their foreheads. ¡°But I was surprised. Chef Ceres and Hans were in perfect sync. The rest of the orders were prepared in a swift after I just left the note.¡± After putting down the tray from his hands, Sofiel put his hands on his chest and showed an expression of awe as she-, I mean, as he points out what happened earlier. ¡°Right~¡± ¡°Why is Anya agreeing to that¡­? Chef Ceres. Did you hire Hans to cook starting today?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t. This slime just did it without asking.¡± ¡°Slime¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my nickname. It¡¯s cute right? I¡¯m thinking up for a cute nickname for Ceres too. Any suggestions?¡± ¡°¡­ A-Ahaha¡­¡± Sofiel let out a wry laugh at my remark. ¡°But really~ How did you do that, Ceres~? It¡¯s like me getting out from the kitchen made things easier for you¡­ Am I useless now¡­?¡± *bonk* ¡°Idiot, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Fufu~ I was hit by Ceres~¡± These two really get along well. I just can¡¯t follow how Anya thinks around Ceres, though. ¡°I hate to admit it but¡­ Kuh¡­¡± Ceres grit her teeth and clutch her hands into a fist. ¡°I really¡­ Really¡­ hate to admit it¡­ But this guy¡­ Tch¡­ was a big¡­ help. *cough*¡± Then she coughed up a small amount of blood from her mouth. ¡°Just how much do you hate me helping?!¡± I couldn¡¯t control myself and retort. *sigh* She really hate my guts. Well, it¡¯s nothing new anyways. ¡°I told you, I despise you. *wipe*¡± ¡°*sigh* Okay, okay. You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Ceres turned her head in a snob as she remove her apron and untied her hair. ¡°But really~ How did you do that, Hans~? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve been cooking here for years~!¡± ¡°I also thought so. Or rather¡­ I haven¡¯t asked where you two have met Hans¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah. I haven¡¯t properly explained to Sofiel, huh.¡± The day when Ceres was kidnapped, Sofiel was also there to welcome us back. I shortly introduced myself and he did the same but that was all. I guess neither Ceres nor Anya have explained my circumstances to him. ¡°I was a traveler. Jumping from country to country. When I found myself starving and lost in the middle of the forest. That forest turned out to be the Traveler¡¯s Forest and that was where I met Ceres and Anya.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± ¡°During the time I was a traveler *glance*¡± I glanced at Anya and blinked hoping she would get that I meant soldier when I was saying traveler. ¡°*thumbs up*¡± I guess that did it. ¡°I was also studying all kinds of recipes. I was the one who always have to cook for my companions that time so I¡¯m used to cooking. Well, not to the point that I can be called a chef. It was just my hobby, you see.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­~ So that¡¯s why you were so swift with your hands when you were helping Ceres~ It was the first time I saw Ceres cooking during a rush hour with a smile.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­~¡± ¡°Wha- Anya!!¡± ¡°Fufu~¡± Anya cutely stuck her tongue out like a child. ¡°Hoho~ So I really helped you this time, eh? THANK ME, peasant.¡± I flashed a triumphant grin towards Ceres who is fuming with anger and embarrassment. It¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed for though. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just really like cooking, that¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t really feel like you helped me. Make sure to remember that.¡± ¡°Really now¡­~?¡± I tried to take it furthermore and tease her. ¡°Did you say something? *glare*¡± ¡°Anya, Sofiel! We really have a beautiful weather today, isn¡¯t it?¡± I pointed towards the window where the sunlight is brightly passing through. ¡°He changed the topic~!¡± ¡°A-Ahaha¡­ Hans is sort of an interesting person.¡± ¡°*sigh* I¡¯ll call Tia upstairs. Let¡¯s have lunch. Sofiel and Anya, I¡¯ll leave the floor to you. Slime, just stay there. I sweated a lot so I¡¯ll also be taking a short shower.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Leave it to us~¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Ceres then went upstairs while sighing exasperatedly. ¡°Oh right. Do we still have the danberries we got yesterday?¡± ¡°You mean the one I asked you to get in the dungeon~? Yup~¡± ¡°Can I have some of them?¡± ¡°Sure, but, what will you do~?¡± ¡°Look forward to it. Let¡¯s make this one of the dish for our lunch. Tia will like it too for sure.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­??¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I wink mischievously as I fold my sleeves once again. Then I check the available ingredients in the kitchen. ¡°Yep. I can make it with these. Wait for a while.¡± I¡¯ve already gotten used to the difference in the ingredients here in this world with my former world so I can already plan the food that I can make in my head. When I tried the danberries yesterday, I learned they were something more common that I thought they should be. Well, from my world that is. ¡­ After some time. ¡°That¡¯s it, I guess. Here you go, Danberry Pie.¡± They were blueberries. [Danberry Pie. It is a kind of pie with a sweetened danberry as a filling. Danberry pie is mostly know by the public as one of the easiest pies to make. The reason for being know that was is that it does not require pitting or peeling of danberry. Most of the preparation for the pie has its crust at the top and also at the bottom but preparation may vary.] ¡°Woooow~!¡± ¡°Wh-What is this! This smells so good!¡± ¡°H-Hans¡­! Can we eat it now¡­??¡± Tia got impatient and readied her knife and fork in her hands. I can see her eyes already sparkling while she eagerly looks at the pie. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Ceres first.¡± And just when I said that, Ceres came down from the stairs drying her hair with a towel. ¡°You¡¯re just right in time.¡± ¡°What is it, slime?¡± ¡°Look, Ceres~ It¡¯s Danberry Pie he said~! It¡¯s the first time I saw it!¡± ¡°¡­ *gulp*¡± ¡°Ah. You thought it looked delicious, did you Ceres?¡± ¡°Shut it, slime.¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t there pies here?¡± ¡°Nuh-uh~ It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of a dish.¡± ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s a dessert, though.¡± I guess when it comes to desserts and the likes, this world is still clueless. ¡°Alright! Help yourself~¡± I sliced the pie into five equal parts and distributed it to them. ¡°Ohh¡­ So the danberries are inside¡­¡± ¡°Look, Sofie~ It¡¯s so soft~!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ Hans! Can I eat it now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Tia, who couldn¡¯t wait any longer, sliced a small bit sized portion from the pie using her knife and brought it into her mouth. Her way of eating is so elegant and with finesse that you wouldn¡¯t think a child could do. ¡°¡­!!¡± Tia showed a melting expression while she chews on the pie with her hand on her cheeks. Everyone who saw that expression followed her example and took a bit from their share. ¡°Mmmmhhh¡­~~~~!!¡± ¡°Soooo sweeeeet! Delicious!¡± ¡°¡­ *munch*¡± ¡°I see. Good thing you like it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just like it~! I love it~! The hard outer layer of the danberry pie is perfect for the sweet filling inside!¡± ¡°Right! The sweetness comes out with every bite¡­ And it spreads in my tongue like it is meant to be eaten like this¡­ I never thought that danberries can be this sweet¡­!¡± ¡°H-Hans¡­ This is sho goood~~ Makhe ih aheeen~~¡± Tia¡¯s words became almost incomprehensible as she expresses her delight while enjoying the pie. ¡°How is it, Ceres?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± But she can¡¯t hide the fact that the corner of her lips are twitching into a smile as she trembles on her sit. ¡°You like it, huh. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about me liking it. Don¡¯t put words into my mouth.¡± ¡°Say Hans~ Can we add this in the menu~?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell you the recipe later.¡± ¡­ .. . We finished eating and now we came back to work. Tia went upstairs and continued reading some books Ceres lent her. I don¡¯t really know, but I can see her in the backyard from time to time. Ignoring that for a while, I continued helping Ceres throughout the day with Anya and Sofiel serving the customers on the floor. ¡°Slime, the omelet?¡± ¡°Here.¡± ¡°One Sweet and Sour Fried Heltar for table number 5.¡± ¡°On it.¡± ¡°Extra salad for table number 2~¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°You take care of the salad. I¡¯ll do the Fried Heltar.¡± ¡°Roger, Chef Ceres.¡± But Fried Heltar, huh¡­ That¡¯s one of the weirdest one I heard for today. Based from the looks of it, it looks like chicken meat but, this is the other world. I really can¡¯t be too sure. And just like that the day for Lunaria Caf¨¦ had passed. We are now resting after the last rush hour which is dinner time. The night has come and only the lightbulbs from the ceiling our only source of light. Even the street in front of the store is now quitter than it is during the day. ¡°I think this is a bit sudden but, do you want to work here, Hans~?¡± ¡°Wha-?! Anya??¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s sudden.¡± ¡°Ah. That is nice. Anya being able to go out on the floor really helps a lot too.¡± While I was sitting in one of the tables sipping coffee, Anya sat down in front of me along with Sofiel. Ceres heard her and hurriedly followed them. ¡°What are you saying, Anya?? We can¡¯t let this guy work in here!¡± ¡°Ehh~? Why~?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to work with him.¡± ¡°Ahaha~ I¡¯m really hated~¡± I drink another sip from my coffee. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting too used to being hated, Hans?¡± ¡°Yeah. Want to try to it too, Sofiel? You¡¯ll always here Ceres¡¯ angry voice even in your head.¡± ¡°N-No thanks¡­ I¡¯d rather do my job well.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯ll train your mental fortitude, you know?¡± While getting used to her hating me, I really feel her being honest with me and it¡¯s nice knowing that. ¡°But what about Hans~? Do you want to work here~?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I want to if I have the chance. I just can¡¯t sit around and do nothing while I see you all working hard.¡± ¡°See~? We really need more hands~! First of all, it¡¯s Ceres fault we¡¯re having a hard time¡­~¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ceres slightly flinched on her feet. Did something happened before? ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You see, Ceres before-¡° ¡°I got it! I just have to hire him, right?? *sigh*¡± ¡°Yay~¡± ¡°It felt like it¡¯s a bit coerced but, oh well.¡± Ceres looked at me and heaved an exasperated sigh. ¡°Hey. Can you stop looking at people and heave a sigh afterwards?¡± It makes me lose my self-esteem. ¡°So? Do you want to work here?¡± ¡°Ehh¡­ I wonder what should I do?¡± I tried teasing her a bit. ¡°Then you don¡¯t want to? Okay. That¡¯s how it is Anya.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait! I¡¯ll work here! Please let me work!¡± ¡°Good.¡± I really can¡¯t win against Ceres¡­ ¡­ .. . Next day. I began working in Ceres and Anya¡¯s restaurant as a cook. Anya went from cooking to working on the floor but it seems like she¡¯s been doing it from time to time that¡¯s why she¡¯s already used to it. Even the customer¡¯s like her for her pleasing aura. Ceres is the head chef so my work only revolves around helping her with her cooking like preparing the ingredients, washing the dishes, and rarely do I help her in the cooking process. Sofiel continued working as a waitress¡­ I mean waiter. Hmm¡­ No one can blame me, right? I mean, he¡¯s wearing a customized waitress uniform. No matter where you look at him, he¡¯s properly a girl, even his face is of that of a girl. We¡¯ve only met a few times but he¡¯s already used to talking to me. I guess he¡¯s mature in that aspect even though he looks exactly like a teenage girl. Wait¡­ I haven¡¯t really asked but, with his long ears and silver hair which I haven¡¯t seen from anyone but him, he¡¯s an elf perhaps. I¡¯ve always encountered them when I read fantasy books and in some books they¡¯re always the one who end up being held captives by orcs and- ¡°Ahem¡­¡± ¡­ What was I thinking¡­? Anyways. I won¡¯t know if I don¡¯t ask him. I guess I¡¯ll find a chance to talk with him later after work. I¡¯m quite interested by these races other than humans. I want to know about them more. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Even if we only have few costumers right now, you don¡¯t have the right to slack. Get moving!¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± And just like that, we continued our work for the whole day. Our work days consists of 9 days by the start of the month with the 10th our day off. They don¡¯t a have a week system in this world but Anya once told me that the month is usually divided by 3 having ten days each division. And it is made regular that the tenth day will be a day off for all workers. Then what about the schools? I haven¡¯t asked yet anyone in that department so I still don¡¯t have a clue. At least a civilization like this won¡¯t grow without an education system so I¡¯m pretty sure this world has schools too. Having only three days off each month is something to consider too. Well, being a soldier every day who fights in the battlefield without rest is a lot worse than this, I guess. Then night fell and we¡¯re almost done for the day. ¡°I will be going now. Good day.¡± ¡°Ah. You¡¯re in a hurry today, Sofiel. Is something up?¡± I was cleaning on the floor when I saw Sofiel going his way towards the door. ¡°Yes. I have been hired by a party to explore a dungeon.¡± ¡°Dungeon??¡± The word resounded in my heart no matter how many times I hear it. And if I enter a dungeon, I can test the skills that I got and gather monster crystals to increase my status points. I really need to get my way there! ¡°Y-Yes¡­ Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Can I join too??¡± ¡°Th-That is fine by me but¡­ From the looks of it, you still are not a [Registered Adventurer]¡­¡± ¡°¡­! What¡­ in¡­ the world¡­ I¡¯m can¡¯t be an adventurer¡­?¡± A sudden shock¡­ ¡°It is not like that! You still have to register as an adventurer. But I¡¯m kind of wondering how you became a traveler without registering yourself as an adventurer¡­ Good thing you survived.¡± ¡°So you mean if I just registered I can join in parties and explore dungeons too??¡± My dream like adventure! ¡°Yes. That is correct.¡± ¡°Alright!! Ah¡­ But I already have entered a dungeon before¡­¡± I had the experience of entering a dungeon when Anya asked me and Ceres to gather some ingredients in the nearest dungeon here if Florensia. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re with me that time, slime.¡± ¡°I heard the whole story~ You¡¯re registering as an adventure, Hans~?¡± Ceres and Anya got out from the kitchen after cleaning up a bit. ¡°Yeah! And what do you mean, Ceres?¡± ¡°You can only enter in a dungeon if you are a registered adventurer. Another way is if you are together with someone who is a registered adventurer.¡± Saying that, Ceres raised his arms and showed me her wrist wearing some sort of a bracelet. ¡°That is?¡± ¡°The proof of being an adventurer.¡± ¡°I have one too.¡± Sofiel pulled his sleeves and showed me his bracelet. They have the same design which has some sort of carvings on it. It looks like it¡¯s made from an iron metal and it¡¯s an inch wide that perfectly fits their wrists. If I register I will be able to get this. And I can enter the dungeon whenever I have my free time. Maybe this is the first step I will have to take in this world. So I think there¡¯s no point it thinking it over. ¡°So Hans? Want to register?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 14 End
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[STATUS]
Strength: 206/9999
Agility 82/9999
Intelligence 75/9999
Defense 15/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 6/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 1/10
Crystal Points: 15
Chapter 15: Registered Adventurer and Sofiel Fiulaera A few days have passed and today is an off for the restaurant. I didn¡¯t let the chance pass and planned to have myself registered in the Guild. I¡¯ve made an arrangement with Sofiel to help me with the registration. I heard he¡¯s been an adventurer for some years though he didn¡¯t tell me the specific date. I¡¯m now on my way to the Guild after helping a bit with the cleaning in the house. Anya told me to not mind them and go but I insisted. It¡¯s almost 1 in the afternoon based from the sound of the bell tower. It¡¯s still summer so the temperature has risen now that the sun is just past its peak but today has a lot of clouds forming in the sky so it¡¯s not that hot. Well, there¡¯s the chance of a summer storm so that explains this cloud formation. I checked my status once again while walking.
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[STATUS]
Strength: 206/9999
Agility 82/9999
Intelligence 75/9999
Defense 15/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 6/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 1/10
Crystal Points: 15
I haven¡¯t done anything to increase my status points since I¡¯ve already exchange the rest of the monster crystal in the Guild the other day so instead, I now have a few pocket money. I tried giving the money to Ceres but she didn¡¯t want it because she¡¯s not the one who hunted them, or so she said. She really can be stubborn at times. No¡­ All the time. My status points and skill levels are the same but that will change today. I¡¯ll be registering as an adventurer and hunt monsters in the dungeon! ¡°Heya, everyone!!¡± I forcefully opened the door and yelled out my greetings towards the people inside. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, that has to be expected. All of them have blanks stares like something unbelievable just entered. I can¡¯t help it, okay?? I¡¯m just excited, damn it! ¡°Oooohhh!!¡± Then cheers erupted all of a sudden after the silence. ¡°Someone has lot of guts, eh??¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite energetic, are you a traveler? I haven¡¯t seen your face!¡± Some of the adventurer¡¯s gathered around me. The other one have bulky build with a huge sword on his back and asked me while letting out a hearty laugh. He kinda resembles Dan. ¡°Yeah. I was a traveler before coming here. I¡¯m registering as an adventurer starting today.¡± ¡°There have been a few people registering as an adventurer so this is good!¡± ¡°Oho! A fresh meat!! Good luck, future comrade!¡± He patted my back with force that I almost felt my joints falling off while some others cheered up for me. I guess I did not end up being a weirdo in their perspective. That¡¯s good. After having a few casual conversations with the other adventurers, I went my way and look for Sofiel inside. ¡°This is the second time I came here but still it¡¯s a sight to behold for me¡­¡± While looking for him, I found other adventurers doing their businesses. I found some gathering in front of the bulletin board. I think that¡¯s where the quests are posted for the adventurers to be taken. There¡¯re also some having their meal just beside the reception. I see there¡¯s something like a cafeteria here as there are a few seats and tables that are arranged neatly where some are sitting on. There are also just standing in one side and based from their conversation, it seems like their talking about the quest they will be taking. There¡¯s the other one being recruited by a party and some are drinking beers. A lot of different kinds of people are gathered here, I can¡¯t imagine myself getting tired of observing them. Even some of them are Faunalians. They really are all small, huh¡­ ¡°Ah, Hans~~¡± ¡°Oh, Anya. Wait¡­ Did I just leave you guys cleaning¡­? And now you¡¯re already here¡­¡± ¡°Eh? That was already 2 hours ago¡­~¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I guess I enjoyed my conversation with the other adventurers and didn¡¯t notice the time. Hmm¡­ It¡¯s really inconvenient when you don¡¯t have a clock. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 2:31~¡± ¡°Huh? You know the exact time?¡± ¡°There is a clock there~ See? But aside from that, all receptionists here are given clocks when working. It¡¯s one of the necessities for work here~¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± ¡°We need to record the time of the adventurers that go on a quest. Of course that includes the time when they finish them. But there are also situations where a party of adventurers haven¡¯t come back yet even after the estimated time for the quest to be finished. That means, something must have happened and we the receptionists have to alert the other adventurers to issue a rescue party for them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Having a receptionist is also a big part of being an adventurer, huh.¡± ¡°Yup~ We assist the adventurers to the best that we can~ But I¡¯m just working here part time though. Fufu~¡± ¡°You still do your part even with only that. You help the adventurers in your free time. I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°Fufu~ You should only do that to Ceres, you know~¡± ¡°Hm? Why did Ceres¡¯ name pop out from there?¡± ¡°Nothing~¡± Anya is always smiling away but I can¡¯t seem to understand what she¡¯s thinking behind her smile. But one thing that I already know is she¡¯s doing everything to be of help to Ceres. She really does love her sister. Oh¡­ They¡¯re not related, aren¡¯t they? I sometimes forgot about that fact. Since they¡¯re really close enough for someone to mistake them for sisters. ¡°Hans! I finally found you. *pant* *pant*¡± Thinking that, I heard a girl¡¯s voice coming from behind. ¡°Sofiel? Isn¡¯t our date still later at three when the bell rings?¡± It was Sofiel. Though I understand that he¡¯s a guy, I really can¡¯t remove the doubt I have in my head. If some hadn¡¯t looked at the source of the voice, I can say without hesitation that they will think it was a girl calling for them. ¡°Ehehe¡­ I just thought I¡¯ll come earlier. I got a bit excited. And it¡¯s not a date!¡± He pouted while contorting his brows into a frown. Even his gestures and expression is that of a girl. Though I think no one can blame me for thinking so, since he normally wears a dress. A long shirt reaching down above her knee and is layered with a brown short sleeved leather jacket vested for his top. The brown boots reaching just below his calf complements his knee length denim pants that fits him perfectly. ¡°Why not? You really look cute with your outfit today.¡± ¡°Really¡­? Ehehe¡­~¡± He then flashed a bashful smile while fixing his hair. ¡°¡­ For goodness sake, let¡¯s make it into a date.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself but say my inner thoughts. ¡°Eh?? Two men can¡¯t go for a date!¡± ¡°Hans~! That¡¯s no good~!¡± ¡°Tell him too, Anya¡­!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make your date look for you~!¡± ¡°Anya!!!¡± ¡°I see. That was my bad, Sofiel. Let¡¯s go? For our date.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a date!! I¡¯m helping you register!!¡± Like so, my day with Sofiel has now begun. But really, it¡¯s fun teasing Sofiel. ¡­ We entered the inner most part of the Guild which is connected from the main lobby. I found myself in a room half the size of the lobby where a counter is fixed. I see a few people seating on the benches wearing simple clothing all different from the adventurers. ¡°They¡¯re also here to register.¡± Sofiel answered the question in my head. I guess I stared at them too much. ¡°So it¡¯s not just me, huh. Well, it¡¯s a rest day today for most.¡± ¡°That is right.¡± But even if I say there are others registering for today, there¡¯s only a few of us. There¡¯re actually only 5 of us so the process of the registration went by in swift. A lady in the counter smiled and told me to place my hand inside some sort of a machine. The machine then closed and locked my hands up past my wrist. The metal that seems like it¡¯s buzzing from its mechanism is cold to the touch. ¡°Can I have your name, please?¡± ¡°Hans Schmidt.¡± ¡°Your real name please. We have to confirm your credibility first by giving us your honest information. There were times when people registers with a fake identity and indulge themselves with the benefits from the Guild.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So the Guild devised a lie detector using the mana of the person to judge if the person is lying or not.¡± They¡¯re serious with the security too. That¡¯s great actually. ¡°Hans Alius Schmidt.¡± ¡°Confirmed.¡± The lady asked all sorts of information while writing them on a piece of clean paper with blanks. ¡°Sir, what class are you planning to take?¡± ¡°Class?¡± It showed up in my status display too. But it says ¡®None.¡¯ How should I go with this? ¡°It¡¯s the classification you want to be. There are, for starters: Swordsman, Rogue, Magius, Hunter, and Cleric. Swordsmen are users of different kinds of blade like short swords, long swords and broadswords. Rogue uses their dexterous hands to set and unlock traps and also uses their speed to attack. They also have the skill to open treasure boxes. Magius are masters of spells. They use different kinds of offensive spells to attack enemies. Hunters uses bows to strike the enemy from afar and like rogues, they can also have the skills to set traps. And lastly, the Cleric. They are the healers and can use supportive spells that are a must have when you go inside a dungeon.¡± ¡°I see.¡± They all have their own uses. A swordsman may serve as the one in front to protect those in the back. A rogue can be useful in a dungeon exploration as they are more likely the only one to move inside without triggering troublesome traps. Magius are great attackers from the rear, same with the Hunters. And the Clerics are a must have, more especially when facing a powerful monster, just like the time when Ceres and I met the party who encountered the Queen Ground Arachnia. If I think about it, they had a balanced party. ¡°If you rank enough up. You can change your class into a more powerful class and can learn stronger skills.¡± Skills. I guess it¡¯s really not just me who have the ability to use skills. ¡°How do you acquire skills?¡± ¡°You have to purchase them in the Guild from the receptionists. But only the skills of your class can be acquired so please think carefully.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± That being said, I don¡¯t have a class in my status display. I don¡¯t know if I can even use magic or healing spells. I can use knives that are a lot closer to daggers but¡­ It¡¯s not something I can call my specialty. And there¡¯s no way I can use a bow, of course. ¡°If you would like¡­¡± It seems the lady noticed my uncertainty and followed up an explanation. ¡°You can just leave it to the machine and judge your aptitude for a class.¡± ¡°Oh. I see. That way I can find which one is best suited for me.¡± ¡°Do you really have nothing you really want to be, Hans?¡± ¡°Yeah. If I think about it, I don¡¯t really know much about the classes here.¡± ¡°Hm? Is there any difference with your country?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Something like that.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I decided to go with the suggestion of the lady. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go with that.¡± ¡°Confirmed. Please wait for a while.¡± The lady pushed some buttons and after a while, the machine where my hand is inserted glowed and released a magic circle moving in an unpredictable directions. ¡°H-Huh¡­? This is weird¡­ It should not act like this¡­¡± ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I think.¡± ¡®I think¡¯¡­ So there MAY be a problem. Well, I don¡¯t feel anything so I¡¯ll just let the machine do its thing. ¡°It¡¯s done. You can remove your hand.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­¡± The moment I pulled my hand out, there¡¯s already a bracelet that is wrapped around my wrist perfectly. I thought it¡¯ll be the same with Ceres and Sofiel¡¯s but the feel and the thickness is different. Even the color is different. It¡¯s pitch black without any carvings on it. To put it simply, it¡¯s just like a black bangle you can get anywhere. ¡°Huh?! What does this mean¡­??¡± ¡°Hans?? Are you okay?? Do you feel any different?¡± I was a bit astounded by their sudden raise in voice. Their face shows an anxious and nervous expression while looking at my face and my bracelet back and forth. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t feel anything in particular¡­¡± ¡°Really??¡± ¡°Uhm. Sir? Do you really not feel anything? Especially around your wrist¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Do I have to feel anything with this¡­?¡± Just when I thought I had done something wrong¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ This is unprecedented¡­ Is the [Classifier] not working properly¡­?¡± ¡°Sofiel. Enlighten me, please.¡± I say so with a serious expression. ¡°O-Okay!¡± It seems like it gave a huge shock to the lady and she¡¯s frozen in her seat while muttering something in between her breaths. ¡°You see, when you start as an adventurer, you will receive a bracelet to identify you as one.¡± I see. So it¡¯s like an I.D¡­ ¡°But it¡¯s not just that. It also serves as your rank¡¯s symbol.¡± ¡°Symbol?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I apologize. It seems like I lost myself there. Let me do the rest of the explanation.¡± The lady woke up from her daze and proceeds to continue Sofiel¡¯s explanation. ¡°To make it fair for all the adventurers when it comes to taking quests and also to classify each adventurers, the Guild has implemented a ranking system. The lowest would be rank G, which should be your rank right now, making it 8 ranks in all.¡± Hmm¡­ That explains why this bracelet is so plain. It really looks like a 2 cm think metal wrapped around my wrist. ¡°The highest rank will be rank S, but only a few have reached that rank.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ By few, how many do you mean?¡± ¡°Only 5, for the whole Kingdom.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I haven¡¯t gotten a slightest clue about how big the Kingdom is and the ratio of the adventurers per rank so I can¡¯t really get the whole picture if that¡¯s really amazing or not. ¡°Each rank¡¯s bracelet are different. The simplest one is of course that of the rank F. it¡¯s called the Stone rank.¡± ¡°Stone¡­ Haha¡­ That¡¯s harsh.¡± ¡°Followed by Bronze rank or rank F, Iron rank or rank E, Steel rank or rank D, Silver rank or rank C, Gold rank or rank B, Platinum rank or rank A, and lastly the Palladium rank which is the rank S. All of them have distinct design along with different applications like when you reach Palladium rank, the bracelet can be used as teleportation device and can transport you everywhere there is a Guild house.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ Now that¡¯s convenient.¡± ¡°Now the problem is¡­¡± ¡°Problem¡­¡± The lady smiled wryly before continuing her explanation. ¡°That is¡­ Your bracelet is without a doubt the F rank¡¯s design. But¡­¡± ¡°But¡­?¡± I¡¯m having a bad feeling¡­ ¡°The color is different. In the whole history of the Guild is there has not been a single case where a bracelet¡¯s rank color is different. Yours should be a rough gray in color like a stone. But it reality, yours is pitch black¡­¡± Now that she¡¯s mention it, mine is nowhere near a stone¡¯s color it¡¯s not even a dark gray at the least. It¡¯s so pitch black it can almost suck in the light. ¡°Is there any chance that the Classifier is broken?¡± Sofiel asked so with a worried face. ¡°That is¡­ It is a new one so there is a zero possibility that it is broken. We have already used it twice before you without any problem.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Just in case, can you push the button on the bracelet?¡± I searched for a button in the bracelet with my fingers and pushed it. Doing that a screen appeared from it like a hologram. ¡°Wow. So it has a feature like this.¡± ¡°Yes. That is the [Bracelet Terminal]. You can check your identifications there and other information that is associated with being an adventurer.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s really high-tech for this world¡­¡± Really¡­ I don¡¯t really get if this world¡¯s technology is outdated or advanced¡­ ¡°High¡­ tech¡­?¡± ¡°Just talking to myself.¡± I then looked at the display screen from my bracelet.
[Name]: Hans Alius Schmidt [Class]: None
[Sex]: Male [Level]: 1
[Race]: Human [Rank]: G
[Title]
None
[Quest/s]
(None)
[Party Members/Raid Members]
(None)
It¡¯s a lot different than my status screen because of the lack of status numbers. At the top portion, it only shows my name, sex, race, class, level, and rank. So there¡¯s a level system? Ms. Information said there¡¯s no level system. So I guess it¡¯s just in my case? By the way, Ms. Information is what I call the voice that tells me things. Below those is another box section that has the word ¡®Title¡¯ in it followed by ¡®None.¡¯ At the bottom part is a section that says, ¡®Quest¡¯. Then lastly on the bottom most part is a section that says, ¡®Party Members/Raid Members.¡¯ Wait¡­ I can read it¡­? Or rather¡­ It¡¯s the same language with the one in my former world¡­! I read it like usual so it didn¡¯t occur to me at first but¡­ How did this happen? ¡°Uhm¡­ Is there any more problem?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Not really but, is there any specifications with the language used in the display?¡± ¡°Yes. It uses your native tongue as the basis.¡± So that¡¯s why¡­ I mustn¡¯t let the others see this or I will raise suspicion. The class is¡­ ¡°Still ¡®None¡¯, huh¡­?¡± Is there a class called ¡®None¡¯ that I haven¡¯t just heard? ¡°Is that true?? Even with the Classifier¡­ Just what in the world went wrong¡­¡± ¡°Anyways. With this, I¡¯m already registered adventurer, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yes, that would be correct, but¡­ Is that okay with you? I mean your bracelet.¡± ¡°It does its thing and there¡¯s no problem so far so, I¡¯ve no problem with it.¡± ¡°I see. But I will have to report it to the higher ups, is that okay?¡± Well, it is her job so there¡¯s no reason for me to stop her. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Well then, Congratulations, Sir Hans. You are now a registered adventurer. I wish you good travels and explorations. If you wish to know the rules and regulations of the Guild, you can look it up on your bracelet terminal.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, isn¡¯t Hans?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I¡¯m now an official adventurer. I nearly can¡¯t contain my excitement about this development. ¡°Sofiel! Let¡¯s go to a dungeon!!¡± ¡°¡­ Eh?¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Suddenly dragging me here¡­ So? what are we going to do here?¡± ¡°Continuation of our date of course.¡± We¡¯ve arrived at the entrance of the dungeon. It¡¯s the same dungeon with the one Ceres and I went to. As usual and unchanging, we are faced with the huge iron gate that is sealing the monsters and preventing them from leaking out. I dragged Sofiel here like he just said to accompany me for a dungeon exploring. It may be a bit forced but he didn¡¯t resist much as I thought he would be. ¡°We are not having any dates, and we¡¯re not continuing any. I will go home if you say that again.¡± Even with his words, I don¡¯t see any anger or irritation from his face. Seems like he already gave up when we arrived. ¡°Haha. Now don¡¯t say that.¡± We proceeded with the necessary applications and stuff while leaving the writing to Sofiel then entered the dungeon. It was all the same when I entered with Ceres but now Sofiel is with me. ¡°Oh right, what¡¯s your class, Sofiel?¡± I thought of asking Sofiel his class just in case we would need to fight a powerful monster. In my case, now that I know that I can¡¯t seem to get a class myself, I have to rely on him. We continue to walk while having this conversation at the same time being alert for monsters. We took the route where monsters are usually gathering. That has to be it since my purpose of coming here is to collect monster crystals. Enjoying my new earned title of an adventurer is second to it. ¡°I¡¯m a Cleric. I¡¯ve already gotten all the skills for it too since I¡¯ve been one for a long time.¡± ¡°I see. A healer class, huh. Hm?¡± For a long time? Based from his looks, I can only guess he¡¯s just around 18 years old. ¡°For a long time, by how many years do you mean?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯ll be 56 years this year, I think?¡± ¡°*pbff!!* 56 years?! U-Uh¡­ If I may¡­ May I ask your age¡­?¡± ¡°113 years old. Turning 114 this year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hans?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°H-Hellooo? Hans?¡± ¡°Ah! That was close¡­ My soul almost travelled the whole universe.¡± My mind couldn¡¯t follow with the sudden revelation and it seemed like my mind wandered outside this world for a moment. ¡°Sorry about that¡­ I was just a bit shocked¡­ I mean, by how you look and all.¡± ¡°Really? I am fairly young within the elven race if I say so myself. But they always say I look much younger than my age, is that why you are surprised?¡± ¡°Y-Young¡­¡± So he¡¯s really one of the elves. Now I confirmed it from him, I guess it¡¯s not that hard to take it in. But the age¡­! ¡°Do all elves look young?¡± ¡°Hm? Not really. We stop aging after reaching a certain age then continue to age for the last years of our lives.¡± ¡°And that age is¡­?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Usually in our tribe¡­ It is around 700 years old I think?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡­ See¡­¡± I give up. If I use common logic in this world, I¡¯ll lose my mind even before I can fully enjoy it. ¡°Why are you getting surprised though? This is just common knowledge.¡± And it¡¯s common knowledge. Ugh¡­ As expected from another world¡­ so many¡­ unexpected things. ¡°Ah¡­ I just forgot after travelling for a long time. Aha¡­ Ahahaha¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡± We tracked the dungeon without resting while encountering Ground Arachnias on the way. It seems like even after exterminating a nest just a few days ago, they would still strive to survive. After defeating a monster, I collect the monster crystals that are the same size with those of the Murborrows. We planned to split the gathered amount in half after we got out of here. ¡°Blessings of light¡­ Guard!¡± Sofiel uses Astre type skills of a Cleric. Astre is one of the elements in this world that can be manifested by mana manipulation. Cleric skills are all comprised of Astre element that are focused in supporting, healing, and/or reinforcing a person¡¯s abilities. And Sofiel can use all of them. He¡¯s been using reinforced magic and healing magic to me from time to time, supporting my every battles. ¡°That¡¯s it, I guess.¡± ¡°Hans. You are quite strong, huh?¡± ¡°Hm? I don¡¯t really know myself. I just do what I think I could do.¡± ¡°But still, you can fight the Ground Arachnias without breaking a sweat! Usually you have to gather a party of level 1 Rank F¡¯s if you want to exterminate them just like you do. I feel like you will do just fine without me here.¡± ¡°Not really. You¡¯re helping me here with your support skills. It makes moving easier.¡± ¡°I-I see. Hehe¡­ Thank you.¡± He grips his mace and placed it on his chest while showing a bashful expression. ¡°¡­ On a second thought, let¡¯s make this one a date, shall we?¡± ¡°Geez! Stop teasing me already!¡± ¡°Haha¡­ By the way, you mentioned level 1 Rank F¡¯s. What¡¯s with the levels?¡± I remember my status doesn¡¯t show anything like levels in it. ¡°Ah. You see a level section in your bracelet terminal right?¡± I pressed the button once again and the hologram like display popped up. It showed Level 1 Rank G. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the level you are currently in while being in your rank. If you leveled it up to level 50, you can then achieve the next rank. You can level it up by finishing quests and by hunting monsters. Your bracelet will calculate it automatically and convert it to experience points. After filling it up, you will gain 1 level.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ I get it now.¡± So if I want to rank up, I just have to level up. That¡¯s sort of simple to follow. Or more like, I¡¯m already used to that system when I was a child with my games so it¡¯s like I¡¯m just recalling those times. ¡°So you mean these Ground Arachnias are usually strong as a level 1 Rank F adventurer?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m surprised how you can defeat them one by one so easily.¡± I guess it¡¯s because of my other status. But I can¡¯t tell him that of course. ¡°I can say the same thing to you. Even after going this far without rest, I haven¡¯t seen you getting tired.¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s because I¡¯m used to exploring dungeons.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I am always hired by some parties to go with them when they do not have a healer. Well, that is when I am off from the restaurant.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ You¡¯re quite popular then.¡± ¡°That will be the case, I guess? Ahaha¡­¡± He smiled wryly after my compliment. ¡°Hm? You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Hrmm¡­ Not that I do not like it. It is just, I am always worried if I am able to reach their expectations or not. I sometimes think maybe they are just keeping up with me. I am only a Level 10 Rank D too.¡± Rank D?! Ceres¡¯ bracelet had the same design with Sofiel¡¯s so Ceres is also rank D¡­? But hmm¡­ Even with his age and all, he said that he¡¯s still young from an elves perspective and now I can see why. He still worries and is conscious of other people¡¯s thoughts. He really is still young at heart. ¡°There are even some times when a strong party invites me, they have to slow their pace down just for me to keep up. Maybe they do not really like me in their party and they just do not have a choice so they invite me.¡± *flick!* ¡°Ow¡­ Ah¡­ Eh? Hans¡­?¡± I flicked his forehead using my finger. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a great Cleric, I¡¯ve seen it after spending 3 hours in this dungeon. You look at your surroundings closely and warns me whenever there is a monster coming, you heal me whenever I get injured, and even without me asking, you cast reinforcement skills on me to help me fight. That¡¯s enough of a proof that you¡¯re really doing great already.¡± ¡°Hans¡­¡± Sofiel is listening to me intently while looking to me with upturned eyes. I pat his head as if I was invited to do so by his expression. ¡°And you¡¯re really cute, too.¡± ¡°¡­~!! Do not say that so casually¡­ I¡¯ll get embarrassed¡­¡± Huh? ¡°¡­ O-Okay¡­¡± Damn it, damn it, damn it¡­ Huh? What was that expression?! I only said it from an objective view but¡­ She¡¯s so freaking cute!! I mean ¡®he¡¯!! Ah¡­ Ugh¡­ Right¡­ He¡¯s a guy, for goodness sake. What am I doing having my heart skip a beat from a guy. I¡¯m not that desperate to have a girlfriend even after living with the title of Age = No Girlfriendto the point I¡¯ll just go with a guy who looks cute. ¡°A-Anyway. Let¡¯s proceed! We¡¯ll be eradicating all of the monsters here!¡± ¡°Ehh?? A-All??¡± ¡­ .. . Like so, we ended up diving deeper inside the dungeon while killing the monsters on the way. But on the way something strange appeared in front of us. After killing one of the Ground Arachnias, I was about to collect it¡¯s monster crystal when instead of a monster crystal which looks like a purple shining bead, a rough crystal like object appeared. Its flaming red color is unmistakably outstanding from the rest of the monster crystal so I asked Sofiel about it as I point out to it. ¡°Ah. That is a [Mana Core].¡± ¡°Mana core¡­?¡± ¡°A mana core is like the heart of the monsters. In the first place, monsters are the manifestation of corrupted mana. If a corrupted mana condenses, it will crystallize and will transform into a monster. It will then become a mana core after some time inside it. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, how come it only dropped from this one? Is it a special monster?¡± ¡°That is not it. If the monster is still a new born when you defeated it, it will drop a monster crystal. But if after some time and it is still not defeated, the monster crystal will develop and when you defeat it, it will drop a mana core.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­! I see, I see. Wait¡­ So you mean, those we¡¯ve been killing since earlier are still newborns? And you were saying they¡¯re on the same level of a level 1 rank F adventurer too.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m surprised.¡± Hmm¡­ I learned a lot of things from Sofiel today. I guess being alive for a long time means a lot of time to learn all sorts of information. I picked up the mana core from the ground and hear a familiar voice. Oh? I can absorb mana cores too? I wonder what they do¡­ For now I¡¯ll just put it in my bag and try it later. So concluding from what Sofiel said, even if how many times we kill these monsters, if there¡¯re still corrupted mana around, they will continue to spawn. That answers one of my question since I was thinking, why not just eradicate them all at once. But I guess that will be impossible if they spawn out of mana that is abundant everywhere. ¡°Hm? Then where does corrupted mana come from?¡± ¡°Ah. That is, wait. Have you already heard of the story about the Cursed Age that happened three centuries ago?¡± ¡°I have heard about the name but I haven¡¯t heard the whole story yet.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll tell you about it on the way out.¡± We went our way outside since we¡¯ve already reached the end of the dungeon. Then Sofiel began telling me about the story that happened three centuries ago. ¡°Before the Cursed Age, all races have lived peacefully while cooperating with each other. Humans, Elves, Faunalians, Dwarves, and Demons. There is one race aside from those but stays autonomous and it is said that they just do not want to concern themselves with other races.¡± I continued to listen to him while walking. He speaks without resting but all I see is a smile on his face without a sign of exasperation. ¡°But one day, the Demon¡¯s king, the Demon Lord raised up an army and invaded the humans. The Demon Lord¡¯s plan was to conquer the world but because of the efforts of the joint cooperation of the rest of the races, the army was defeated and the demon race was pushed out of the continent. They now live in the now called Demon Continent where the corpse of the Demon Lord is said to be buried. But the result of the long war was the devastation of the whole continent, even the dwarves¡¯ population plummeted because of it so they¡¯re now a rare race to encounter.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ A lot really happened in the past, huh.¡± I¡¯m really curious about the dwarves since I haven¡¯t seen one after coming to this world. If I have a chance, I would like to meet one. ¡°Yes. But it said that the mana from the corpse of the demon lord is leaking out throughout the world and is corrupting the mana around.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s where the corrupted mana comes in.¡± ¡°That is correct. Because of that, after the war, monsters all over the world started appearing and that was the time that the kingdom established the Guild to counter the problem. At first, the number are few so a proper counterplan was not established. But the monster began growing numbers.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Now I get it.¡± ¡°I see~¡± ¡°Then we just have to dig up the corpse of the Demon Lord and burn it down.¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± I hate to have the monster disappear because I won¡¯t be able to enjoy exploring dungeons anymore, but being peaceful is the best. ¡°What are you suddenly saying?? You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°If a normal person other than the demon race got near it, the corrupted mana, or the miasma, will corrupt their mind and die from shock.¡± ¡°Uwa¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why no one dared to go there now.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± But if that is a known knowledge, does that mean someone tried to go near it? What a brave soul¡­ We got out of the dungeon and find ourselves met by the setting sun. I guess we took our time inside and didn¡¯t notice it was getting this late. We took the carriage that will bring us to Florensia Town and arrived right before the sun has completely set. The slow pace of the horse didn¡¯t take much of our time travelling and we arrived without any problems, but it seems like Sofiel got tired and is now sleeping with his head resting on my shoulder. ¡°Sofiel. We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Hn¡­ Hn?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± He rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned while still leaned on me. I don¡¯t have a reason to push him away so I just let him. It¡¯s not because I find it really cute or anything. Really, it¡¯s not like that. ¡°¡­ Phew¡­ Hans?¡± He looked up and met me face to face. ¡°Good morning. Though it¡¯s evening now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± He blinked a few times while what I presume him analyzing the situation. ¡°Good morning.¡± I greeted him once again to wake him up completely. ¡°Wah?! S-S-S-S-Sorry! I-I am so s-sorry!! I did not notice I dozed off! And on top of that I fell asleep while leaning on your¡­ Waaaah!! I¡¯m sorry!!¡± He flailed inside the carriage after all the other passengers left. It¡¯s just us now so I enjoy the scene by myself. ¡°Haha. I don¡¯t mind. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uuu¡­¡± We got off the carriage with his face still red from the embarrassment. I lend him my hand while he got off, supporting him all the while. ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Right, it¡¯s already dark. I¡¯ll walk you home.¡± I already told Anya that I will be late so I find no problem in doing so. And I can¡¯t leave someone alone when I know I can do something for them at least. ¡°Eh?! I-It is fine¡­ I do not want to bother you anymore¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bothered the least.¡± ¡°¡­ O-Okay¡­¡± We walk side by side as he guide the way to his home. ¡°*whisper* I think being treated like a girl is not that bad¡­*whisper*¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°N-Nothing!¡± ¡­ I think I¡¯ve raised up a flag without knowing it¡­ ¡­ .. . Chapter 15 End ¡­
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[STATUS]
Strength: 206/9999
Agility 82/9999
Intelligence 75/9999
Defense 15/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 9/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 8/10
Crystal Points: 15
Chapter 16: Ms. Information and The Little Princess and The Chaos Wolf Chapter 16 ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Welcome back~ How was the dungeon exploring~?¡± Anya greeted me with a smile when I got upstairs after I escorted Sofiel home. It was a nice day out and being greeted by the time I arrive feels a lot better than just going straight to a hard sleeping bag without anyone there to welcome me. ¡°It was exhilarating!¡± I let down the bag that was full of monster crystals half of which Sofiel and I got earlier. He wanted to split it in half but I asked him to have the mana core in exchange of some monster crystals. Still he gave me the half even though he told me to have the mana core for myself. He¡¯s really a good guy. ¡°I see~ That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it~? Here~ Let me have it~¡± I was wearing a leather jacket on top of my usual long sleeved buttoned shirt so Anya removed it for me for it to be hanged properly. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Just wait for a while, okay~? Dinner will be done soon~¡± ¡°Oho~ What¡¯s for tonight¡¯s dinner? Is there anything I can help with?¡± I went to her side to look at what she¡¯s been cooking in a pot. ¡°It¡¯s a cream stew~!¡± ¡°Nice! I¡¯ll be having a lot so I hope you got that prepared. Can I have a taste¡­?¡± ¡°Noooope~ You have to wait. Okay~? And don¡¯t worry~ I¡¯ve prepared a lot knowing you¡¯ll be tired tonight~ Fufu~¡± ¡°That¡¯s Anya for you.¡± We smiled at each other at our usual banter. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s with this newly-wed couple like scene¡­¡± ¡°Awawa¡­ Hans and Anya got m-married¡­??¡± Ceres and Tia appeared from the bedroom as they went and seat on the chairs in the dining table. ¡°Oh, Ceres and Tia. I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°W-Welcome home, Hans¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked at Ceres with sparkling eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not getting any from me with those eyes of yours. And stop it because they¡¯re annoying.¡± She looked the other way while having her chin supported by her hand on the table. ¡°Getting embarrassed~ Geez. Ceres is shy.¡± ¡°Shut it, slime. Stop talking. Like rather, what was that earlier? Are you seducing my Anya? I¡¯ll kill you.¡± She then pointed the bread knife to me. ¡°Here¡¯s the Cream Stew~ And it¡¯s not like that, Ceres. You worrywart~ I won¡¯t be marrying until you do, you know?¡± Anya sat down after placing the pot on the table with her using mittens. She really fits the role of a housewife with her perfect attire complemented by the apron. Only idiots would pass up a perfect wife in front of them. Well, we¡¯re just friends though and she has a hardcore sister complex to begin with. ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s good then.¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t be able to take it if you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be marrying, so¡­ Ufu¡­ Ufufu¡­¡± Then looking at Ceres, Anya flashed a sinister grin while softly giggling within her breaths. ¡°Awawa¡­ Anya, you¡¯re getting scary¡­!¡± ¡°What are you showing the kids, Anya! Ceres, stop her!¡± I hurriedly hugged Tia while rubbing her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Anya. Guys are just trash. There¡¯s no way for me to marry a garbage, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was really harsh. ¡°Y-You¡¯re right~ Fufu~ I lost a bit of my composure there~¡± [¡°A bit?¡±] [¡°A b-bit¡­?¡±] ¡°But earlier was just me remembering the time when Dad was still alive~¡± Anya then proceeded to pour the stew in each of our bowl as she tells a story. ¡°I remember Mom usually had that kind of conversation with Dad whenever he comes home from work, so I admired it a little bit~ Fufu~¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Well I¡¯m good whenever! You can make me into a husband whenever you want! Here!¡± I spread out my arms as I face Anya who¡¯s now seated on her chair. *bonk* ¡°Not happening.¡± ¡°Ara~ Ceres is getting jealous~¡± I rubbed the portion in my head where Ceres hit me. Ceres and jokes just don¡¯t really go well together. Never a time where she joined and enjoyed herself with our usual quips. ¡°Ah¡­ H-Hans, don¡¯t move okay¡­? Pain¡­ Pain¡­ go away~¡± Tia then rubbed my head while gesturing her hand throwing the pain away. ¡°Tia¡­¡± And my pain was thrown away. ¡°¡­ My heart almost stopped¡­~ But I¡¯m also being healed¡­~ A complicated feeling¡­~¡± ¡°You¡¯re being creepy, slime.¡± ¡°Fufu~ Tia¡¯s so cute~¡± ¡°Ah! If I¡¯m the husband and Anya is the wife¡­ Tia will be our daughter, then¡­¡± *bonk* ¡°Not happening, I said.¡± ¡°Awawa¡­ Pain¡­ Pain¡­ Go away~¡± ¡°Fufu~¡± ¡°*sigh*¡± ¡°Owow¡­ Don¡¯t worry, Ceres. I was about to give you the position of the dog¡­¡± *boff!* ¡°Gofu-!¡± I received a nearly lethal punch in my guts¡­ And just like that, our usual dinner have passed. Living together under the same roof for a few days got us a whole lot closer than we were before. During work and even off work, we¡¯re all together. To this point where we can joke around like this. I just don¡¯t really know about Ceres, though¡­ In my case, I really think I already got closer to her. I can say things without reservation but well, I still end up getting beaten up for it. But aside from that, she¡¯s still cold to me and ignores me most of the time. Then there¡¯re times when she¡¯ll just punch me in the gut for no reason at all¡­ I really don¡¯t get her. But it¡¯s not that I hate her. I¡¯m just really getting curious to what she¡¯s always thinking. I guess, I¡¯m a bit interested, if I say so myself. Well nonetheless, I guess that¡¯s to be expected after being together for only a few days. I still have a lot of chance to get closer. ¡­ .. . I sat down on my mattress with the monster crystals and one mana core in front of me. We finished dinner earlier and now they all have went to sleep. It¡¯s now time for me to do my business. ¡­
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[STATUS]
Strength: 206/9999
Agility 82/9999
Intelligence 75/9999
Defense 15/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 9/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 8/10
Crystal Points: 15
¡­ I opened my status display to check it once again. Nothing has change much ever since I absorbed some of the monster crystals that I got from the Murborrows when I went to the dungeon with Ceres. Hm? Mana Detect and Crush Strike leveled up. Mana Detect is now level 9 and Crush Strike leveled up to 8. I guess that¡¯s the result of using it a number of times earlier inside the dungeon. Now that I¡¯ve noticed it, I can now use Mana Detect more efficiently. I can detect a mana formation even without having to look at it. It¡¯s like sensing something even if it¡¯s still far away without having to actually look for it. A built in radar it is. Crush Strike, on the other hand, a skill where I use my knife to stab a monster in downward fashion, got stronger to the point of obliterating the body of a Ground Arachnia which is known for its impenetrable defense. But still¡­ After using it so many times, I haven¡¯t maxed their level yet, huh? Things won¡¯t be easier after all, as expected. Well, good thing they leveled up, at least. Just a little bit more and they¡¯re maxed anyways. [Crystal Points: 15] The crystal points are still the same. Of course, I haven¡¯t absorbed any ever since last time. But now, I really need to think about which status to increase first. I picked up the monster crystals one by one. ¡°Yes.¡± Then light engulfed the monster crystal and it got absorbed in my body. The warmth spread throughout and I felt relaxed in an instant. ¡­ I did the same thing over and over again until there¡¯s only 10 left. These will be enough to exchange for money at the Guild. All in all, I got 86 monster crystals and I absorbed 76 of them. They had the same size with the Murborrows so I only gained 1 crystal point from each. So now I have 91 crystal points that I can use to increase a status. As for the ones that will be exchanged, one monster crystal with this size costs 10 coppers. So times that to 10, I will be getting 1 silver coin. Hmm¡­ That¡¯s too few¡­ I guess, I¡¯ll just have to go and hunt more tomorrow. I got too absorbed in absorbing them. ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Absorbed in absorbing them¡­ ¡°Pfft¡­! Ah¡­ Ahem¡­¡± I almost looked like an idiot. Getting back, now for this mana core. Sofiel explained a while ago that these are the somewhat the hearts of the monsters and is formerly a concentration of corrupted mana. Absorbing a corrupted entity in my body is something to question about, but¡­ This is the other world. Using my common sense here will only drive me insane. ¡°¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. ¡°Yes.¡± It did the same thing with the monster crystals and it was absorbed inside my body followed by a surge of heat. ¡°Wha¡­¡± H-Hot¡­! What the heck¡­ It¡¯s not warm like it does when it¡¯s with the monster crystals, instead, it¡¯s hot. I kind of feel my body burning up! ¡°¡­!! *cough*¡± I¡¯m starting to think I did something I shouldn¡¯t do. ¡°Ack¡­ *pant* *pant* *gulp* ¡­ Phew¡­¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. It passed¡­ That was a bit of a surprise¡­ I never thought it would have that kind of effect. It didn¡¯t hurt me after it so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s not something bad. Wait, the announcement¡­ <[Harden] skill acquired> <[Damage Resistance] skill acquired> Hm? Is it just me or did Ms. Information waited for me to get my composure back before speaking? But these¡­ Harden and Damage Resistance. I got two skills from just absorbing a mana core from the Ground Arachnia. Maybe, absorbing mana core from a specific monster may give me skills based from its traits? ¡°Whoa¡­¡± What¡¯s this¡­? This is too awesome¡­ and is too over powered¡­ Well not really, but if I just hunt for the perfect monsters and absorb their mana core, it will make me even more powerful. ¡°Haha¡­ It¡¯s basically a cheat.¡± I opened up my status display and touch the words that spells the skill. Just based from how I battled with monsters, these skill will be a huge power up. My defense status right now is the lowest in all of my status so I can now compensate for it with these. And they¡¯re both still level 1. So for each mana core, I will gain 1 level for the skill, I think. If I leveled it up, it will get a lot stronger for sure. ¡°¡­¡± I feel my body tremble with excitement. It¡¯s always the same whenever I gain something new. I can¡¯t wait to test it and I can¡¯t wait to level it up to make it stronger. I guess, I¡¯m making up for the childhood which I lost because of the war. I don¡¯t really know why but I¡¯m really enjoying myself right now. ¡°Now for the distribution of crystal points¡­¡± For now, I¡¯ve gotten a great deal from the skills I just earned to compensate for my defense, so that will be left as is for a while. My strength is the highest right now followed by agility and next is intelligence. Still¡­ ¡°What are the effects of these in my skills¡­?¡± ¡°Uwa¡­ Don¡¯t speak suddenly out of nowhere¡­ That scared me¡­¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± ¡°Huh?? Wait?? Wait, wait!! You¡¯re responding to me??¡± I replied back normally because of the sudden response but¡­ ¡°F-For real? I thought you¡¯re just like a system announcement¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I know I¡¯m the one who named that but¡­ Why call yourself Ms. Information?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Okay¡­ *sigh* It¡¯s surprises after surprises ever since I got to this world and you didn¡¯t fail to be one. Anyways, my inquiry earlier.¡± Is this how the Observer set this power before he gave it to me? Or is it something I made? If I did¡­ This just makes me like some lonely guy¡­ ¡°I see. Agility and Defense is how I thought it should be.¡± But Strength makes my physical attacks stronger regardless if I¡¯m using a skill or not. So I guess even the mere swing of my arm can be affected by this? Like the time when I punched the tree and bore a hole through it? And Intelligence on the other hand, makes my magical attacks stronger? Wait¡­ So I can use magic? ¡°¡­ Uhehehe~¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that too! Now I¡¯m embarrassed by myself!¡± Is she copying me? ¡°¡­ I guess you¡¯re always there, huh. I don¡¯t know where though. But were you listening to me all day?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I see. I guess I have a new objective now. ¡°But still¡­¡± There¡¯s a chance for me to use magic, huh~ Now I can¡¯t wait to learn it! But first I have to find someone who can teach me. It¡¯s not like I can use it out of the blue without properly learning it. I asked Anya and Sofiel some time ago during our break how to learn magic, or in other words, mana manipulation. They said that I have someone teach it to me first before I can use it. Even a magician starts from another magician teaching them the way of using mana manipulation. It is a prerequisite of an aspiring magician before he or she can learn a skill from the Guild. If a magician can¡¯t do a mana manipulation then the Guild won¡¯t grant them the option to choose the Magician class. Though, if I can find a mana core that can grant me a magic skill, then maybe there¡¯s a possibility of me using them without being taught. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll put all my crystal points to my Intelligence.¡± Uhehe¡­ With this¡­ My magic power will increase¡­~ I lay down on my mattress after doing everything that needs to be done for my status and now I close my eyes after basking with the night light enjoying the bliss I am feeling from all these developments. ¡­ .. . ¡°Hans~ May I ask a favor~?¡± I was fixing my mattress and placing it in the corner of the living room which is my bedroom for now, when Anya called out to me while cooking. ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s an off today, do you have something planned for today~?¡± I didn¡¯t plan anything in particular but if I had to say something, it will be just me going to the dungeon to continue collecting monster crystals. 10 days have passed since I got to go to the dungeon with Sofiel and today is another day off at work. It¡¯s really hard to count the days without the week system, so I just made the three partition of the month into weeks for my own convenience. A month will have three weeks and each week contains ten days. Yeah, that really will be better. So, for the whole week, I worked relentlessly at the restaurant and helping Ceres and Anya out whenever I had the chance. It was always busy but nevertheless fun since I love cooking originally. By this time, I¡¯m already used around the kitchen where I can move around even with my eyes closed. And in my free time, I would go around the town just wandering and enjoying the scenery. But today, it seems like Anya have something planned for me. ¡°We have to restock again, so may I ask you to gather the supplies~?¡± ¡°Sure, let me do it then. Do you have something on for today? What about Ceres?¡± ¡°Yep~ It¡¯s work at the Guild. Actually, that one time when Ceres and I met you, I personally asked the Guild to let me have an off to gather supplies~ Ceres had some business to attend to day.¡± ¡°I see. If that¡¯s so then, consider it done. Leave it to me.¡± I don¡¯t have any reason to refuse her and I can just go to the dungeon next time since I¡¯m not specially in a hurry. And I want to do anything that I can to help them. It¡¯s the least I can do for them who let me in, a total stranger before. ¡°Really~? Hear that, Tia~?¡± ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°U-Uhm¡­ I want to¡­ go too!¡± ¡°And~ Be careful around the Chaos Wolf, okay~? I heard it¡¯s now attacking random travelers¡­¡± And so, it became a day out with Tia in tow. ¡­ ¡°*figet* *fidget* ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tia?¡± Tia and I are on our way to Traveler¡¯s Forest to gather some supplies that will be used as ingredients for the restaurant. It was actually an hour travel by foot from Florensia so we¡¯re just walking for a while now. Anya insisted we use the usually rented cart for this kind of errands but I told her the sacks will do. I also wanted to test the Strength status and whether to which extent I can use it. I plan to carry the luggage using my hands. ¡°Ah! Nuh-uh¡­ *fidget* I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°Just¡­?¡± Tia holds her hand on her chest while slightly fidgeting. I almost asked her if she wants to go to the toilet but Tia is also a girl. Being asked by a guy would be embarrassing for her. ¡°I¡¯m just so excited¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her innocent remark. She flashed a smile like a child having the day of her life as her eyes then wander around everywhere. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get to go out much before?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Now that I think about it¡­ I don¡¯t really know much about Tia. It¡¯s like she was just normally around us before we knew it. I met her when I went to save Ceres and found Tia kidnapped along with her. The kidnapper had a Gift that can make him spot Gift users just by looking at them. Then the kidnapper said that time that he was lucky to stumble upon her, which means she¡¯s also a Gift user, right? ¡°Tia.¡± ¡°Hmhmhm~~ ? Hm¡­? Wh-What is it, Hans?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± But when I saw her pure smile, the cat got my tongue. I couldn¡¯t just go ahead and remind her of a frightful experience just because I got curious. If I¡¯m not mistaken, then Tia should be just a young girl. I haven¡¯t really actually asked her age but from the times I¡¯ve spend with her, it¡¯s just as obvious, I think. Initially, when I met her, it all looked like she¡¯s a strong-willed girl. Even after all that happened, she was still unyielding and remained silent all throughout the ordeal. She was too calm for a child who is in such environment. But after that, it seemed it was just my first impression and nothing at all. She was a timid and shy girl who reserved from everyone around her. But¡­ Impressions cannot be trusted, I guess. ¡°Hans?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It seems like I was spacing out for a while and Tia noticed that and called out to me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just remembering the time when I first met you.¡± ¡°E-Eh?? Wh-What do you mean¡­?¡± Hm? Why is she being flustered from that? ¡°I just thought you were a lot different from that time.¡± ¡°H-Hmm¡­ I-I see¡­¡± ¡°But I guess it was just my first impression on you playing a part on me.¡± ¡°Aha-Ahahaha¡­¡± I brought out the list that Anya gave us before going out. She said these will be all the things we will be needing. ¡°Let¡¯s first go through the vegetables and herbs.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°So we will need¡­ Ah¡­ Tia¡­ Can you read them for me? I still can¡¯t read, you see.¡± ¡°Really??¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I really need to study how to read sooner or later¡­¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re really weird, Hans¡­¡± Tia received the piece of paper from me and open it. She then looked at me with curious eyes. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I-I mean¡­ You can cook¡­ You¡¯re great at cooking actually¡­ And you know a l-lot of things¡­ Then the n-next thing¡­ You don¡¯t know something¡­ or like now.¡± ¡°¡¯Ahh¡­¡± She¡¯s sharp¡­ ¡°It looks like you¡¯re really looking at me then.¡± ¡°¡­~!!¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m just kidding. But¡­¡± Her face became flushed from cheeks to ear and almost had the paper in her hand crumpled while gripping her dress tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ If Tia told me her secret, I will too.¡± ¡°!!¡± She froze in her feet after my sudden remark like something unexpected met her face to face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± She continued to keep quite while having her head hanged down. I patiently waited for her to speak but¡­ ¡°¡­ W-What are you suddenly talking about, H-Hans¡­?¡± She looked up at me while wearing a wry smile. ¡°¡­ Hm. Haha. Don¡¯t mind it. I was just fooling around.¡± There¡¯s no reason for me to force her to tell me anything. And I don¡¯t think anything will change even if did or not. She¡¯s Tia. A little girl I saved. That¡¯s all I know and that will always be the case inside me. If she herself doesn¡¯t want to tell me, then I don¡¯t mind. ¡°Right, the list?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Y-Yes¡­ Uhm¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really k-kind¡­¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Ponion, garlunc, polelo, fomapo, settuce, garrot, and¡­ what was it again?¡± ¡°Remon.¡± ¡°Right, remon.¡± Remon is simply lemon. I¡¯m really starting to doubt someone¡¯s naming sense here. We¡¯re already inside the forest and now we¡¯re on our little hunt for the vegetables and herbs. At first I thought it will only just end up with us pulling them out from the ground or cutting some of the part from a plant or something, but it turns out that¡­ ¡°Tia! It went there!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!!¡± ¡­ we have to catch them first. Tia and I are now trying to capture the ponion. ¡°Ugh¡­ Why does onions here have to make it hard to harvest them??¡± ¡°O-Onions¡­?¡± ¡°Alright! Tia don¡¯t move from there! Tia is standing in front of the ponion which is now standing with its to feet while pitter pattering looking for a way out. I slowly walked towards it trying to be as silent as possible. ¡°Just¡­ a little¡­ more¡­ ¡°Awawa¡­¡± I readied the capture net that was prepared for cases like this in my hand. Hah. This ponion¡­ It doesn¡¯t know who it is challenging. I¡¯m the Golden Death God, I swiftly reaps lives. In terms of speed, no soldier can match me¡­ Heh. ¡°¡­¡± But thinking about that name again now¡­ It¡¯s kind of embarrassing¡­ ¡°N-Now, Hans!¡± ¡°Here!¡± I hammered down the capture net where the ponion was and successfully captured it. ¡°You did, Hans!¡± Tia jumped up and down from the excitement. I can¡¯t help but feel elated from the sense of achievement. ¡°Yeah! All thanks to you. You can really run around, eh Tia?¡± ¡°Hehe~ We F-Faunalians are just good with moving our bodies.¡± I got the ponion and cut of the feet from its bottom. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I kinda feel bad for it¡­ But this is the wild¡­ It¡¯s to eat or be eaten. I¡¯m sorry little ponion. I will make you into nutrients to make the human body healthier. ¡°Your death won¡¯t be in vain¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ Hans¡­? Ahaha¡­¡± ¡°But then again, they¡¯re mostly grown in the Traveler¡¯s Forest, huh?¡± I look around the orest and saw most of the vegetables that we need are found almost everywhere. And from what I¡¯ve heard, it seems like too much hunting and gathering is not a problem here since they spawn at a fast rate. ¡°Yes¡­ I heard from Anya that Ceres wanted to create more recipes but the easily procured ingredients can only be gathered from the nearest forest.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± You can easily buy them from the market if you want to but the cost are higher the more they are procured from a far location. Well, considering the cost from the transport and other stuff, it will really up its price. Ceres usually doesn¡¯t want to waste even a single penny from something she couldn¡¯t get so she¡¯s the one who go out of her way to gather the ingredients. But this time, it seems like she has some business to take care of. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We went our way deeper inside the forest where some of the plants are located. We will also be gathering meat on the way so there really as a need to go deep. The problem is, the more you go deep inside the forest, the fiercer the monster will be. Even the Slimes are found there. But the most fearsome monster to be aware of hear is the Chaos Wolf. ¡°Tia. Have you heard anything about the Chaos Wolf here?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes. A little. They were talking about it in the Guild whenever I go there with Anya.¡± It seems like she got used to being around Anya and even joining her when she¡¯s working. She¡¯s gaining a little bit of popularity from other adventurer¡¯s too. The little princess, or they always call her. ¡°They say¡­ it made the forest its territory and won¡¯t let any other monster or person to go inside it¡­ It appeared a hundred years ago and it became a fearsome existence for the adventurers as there are some of them that fell victim to it and lost their lives¡­¡± Saying that, Tia had a crestfallen face. ¡°I see.¡± I pat her head to comfort her. Whoever she is, even without the Gift of Anya, even I can judge that Tia is a gentle girl who cares for the lives of others. ¡°Ehe~¡± ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°I¡­ I really liked getting my heat pat by Hans. It makes me feel really calm¡­¡± She placed her hand where my hand was just placed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep patting your head whenever you want to.¡± ¡°Really??¡± ¡°Of course. But for now¡­¡± I held her hand and pulled her to my back. ¡°We have to deal with this guy, first.¡± This whole time, I have Mana Detect activated to search for incoming monsters. And here I thought I would only be receiving signals from regular monsters. But¡­ ¡°A Ch-Chaos Wolf?!¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°Grrrowl¡­!¡± It was the boss who appeared. A huge wolf reaching almost a fourth of the 15 meter tall trees that surrounds us. It¡¯s noticeably larger than the Queen Ground Arachnia. Its pitch black fur that covers its whole body shines from the slightly passing sunlight. Not only it is shiny, it looks like it¡¯s hard as a metal from the way it spikes out from its skin. There is a horn that is protruding from its forehead that looks sharp with the addition of huge claws from its feet. But the most sinister of it all is the dark aura that is already visible coming out from it. ¡°Now this has become a pinch.¡± ¡°*stomp* *stomp* Groooooooooooooooowl!!!¡± I think of scenarios that may happen from here on out. If we escape from it, I think we won¡¯t be able to outrun it and can catch up to us in mere seconds because of its size and its legs that look like they went to the gym only for leg day. If we fight, I will have to fight while protecting Tia. I know she¡¯s a Faunalian that are known best with their physical abilities. But I still don¡¯t know if she can really fight. And our opponent is one of the dangerous monsters that is known in the Guild. I can¡¯t have her fight even if she could. Calling for help is of course, out of the question. There are no Communals here to use to call others. I don¡¯t know any magic that can be use with the same purpose. First of all I don¡¯t know how to use magic. To sum it up¡­ ¡°¡­ This will be a hard battle.¡± ¡°¡­ Hans.¡± But all of a sudden, Tia went from behind me to my front facing the huge Chaos Wolf which is now growling with anger releasing steam from its mouth. ¡°Tia? What are you doing?¡± ¡°This is my fault. It was my idea to bring you here and asked Anya to let me go with you here.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± She glared at the Chaos Wolf with her hands curled into a fist. I can see her expression all different from the usual Tia. No¡­ It¡¯s like it¡¯s more natural for her to look like it¡­ ¡°Tia¡­?¡± ¡°I wanted to test you. I want to observe you the fight monsters to gauge your battle prowess but I didn¡¯t think the Chaos Wolf itself would show up¡­ It¡¯s a miss on my part.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I stared at her silently while patiently waiting for her next explanation. But it was suddenly interrupted by the fast swing of the Chaos Wolf¡¯s claw so I grabbed Tia from her waist and jumped towards the opposite direction. ¡°Hup¡­! Phew¡­ That was close¡­¡± The place where we were standing now has a huge crater formed on it. One single attack from the Chaos Wolf created that large destruction. I shivered from the thought of receiving that attack imagining we couldn¡¯t made it in time to dodge. ¡°Wh-Wha-?? Hans?? What are you doing?? Let me down!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ My bad.¡± The huge monster had its claws stuck from the ground and is not stuck to its place. If we are looking for a chance to escape then this is definitely the perfect one. ¡°Tia, let¡¯s g-¡° ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It will just catch up to us. I also heard from the adventurer¡¯s that once it locks onto a pray, it will chase it until the exit of the forest.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Tia really has a different feel now. The timid and shy, reserved Tia is nowhere to be found and only a mature and brave girl is in front of me. Or¡­ Is this her true self¡­? ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I was ready for any attacks and is now on my combat mode. ¡°You see, I¡¯m very happy that I met you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything further.¡± I can already guess what she will be saying so I stopped her from doing so. ¡°At first. I just wanted to use you. I needed someone strong for my own convenience. To fulfil my objectives.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I think I won¡¯t be doing that anymore. I¡¯m sorry, Hans. Forgive me.¡± ¡°¡­ There¡¯re no sorry and no forgiving here. You haven¡¯t done something that cost you that to me and I don¡¯t have anything held against you to grant you forgiveness.¡± ¡°But Hans! I just wanted to use you so I approached you!! I was deceiving you!¡± ¡°¡­ *sigh*¡± ¡°That¡¯s why please¡­ I¡¯ll create a chance for you to escape. I told you, Faunalians can be quite strong so you don¡¯t have to mind me. Hehe¡­¡± She flashed me a forced smile but I know what really is behind it. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°*sigh* What an idiot. Is Ceres¡¯ attitude affecting you already? Is stubbornness a contagious disease now?¡± ¡°¡­ Eh¡­?¡± I reached my hands to her head and pat her. ¡°I told you. If you want to have your head pat, I¡¯ll do it whenever.¡± ¡°H-Hans¡­¡± She looked at me with tears flowing down her cheeks. ¡°And that also goes when you want help. If you want my help, just say so. I¡¯ll run towards you to save you.¡± ¡°But¡­ But¡­!¡± ¡°No buts.¡± *bonk* I hit her head lightly as punishment. It seems like she really just won¡¯t listen even after saying that much then all I can do now is show her. I pull her back behind me once again and brought out my combat knife. ¡°You see. I have a disease that if I don¡¯t save the people that¡¯re important to me, I¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Pft¡­ Wh-What is that¡­?¡± ¡°You finally laughed. A cute girl like you shouldn¡¯t cry. A smile is the best for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I said something cool but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that this will be a hard battle. Honestly I don¡¯t think I can finish this without losing a limb or two. I recalled my status and skills in my head. I can only rely on my Strength and my only offensive skill, Crush Strike. I still can¡¯t use magic so I can¡¯t put Intelligence to good use here. Ugh¡­ If I knew this would happen, I should¡¯ve put my crystal points in my Strength or Defense. But it¡¯s no use crying over spilt milk. I have to do this. ¡°Hans.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will get you out of here safe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I glance behind me and I saw her having a determined look on her face. It looks like she¡¯s now given up and decided to leave it to me. ¡°Form a contract with me.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 16 End ¡­
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[STATUS]
Strength: 206/9999
Agility 82/9999
Intelligence 171/9999
Defense 15/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 9/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 8/10 Harden Lv. 1/10
Damage Resistance Lv. 1/10
Crystal Points: 0
Chapter 17: The Contract and Tias True Identity ¡°Form a contract with me.¡± ¡°¡­ Contract?¡± Tia, who is now gripping my arm, told me so. We are currently faced with a dangerous situation. Having encountered the infamous monster that have already killed a number of adventurers. The king inside the Traveler¡¯s Forest, a powerful beast that is said to be able to bring ruin to a city in one night. The Chaos Wolf. Having no options left for us other than to fight it, I¡¯m now on my wits end thinking how I could fight it without letting it harm Tia. ¡°Yes¡­ I could explain it here and now, but we wouldn¡¯t want it attacking us once again during it.¡± ¡°¡­ Is it perhaps your Gift?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s one of the hidden abilities of the Faunalian race.¡± Hidden abilities¡­? Tia¡¯s face was already painted with determination. It seems like she¡¯s already decided and will go through it no matter what. ¡°¡­¡± But that contract¡­ I don¡¯t really know what kind of contract it will be. I haven¡¯t heard anything about a hidden ability of the Faunalians, on top of that. ¡­ But all I can do now is trust Tia. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s form that contract of yours.¡± ¡°Hans¡­! Okay, the result will depend on your feelings about me¡­ So focus your mind only to me.¡± ¡°Got it. What should I do then?¡± ¡°I will need a small amount of your blood.¡± ¡°Alright. Will this do?¡± *cut* I used my combat knife to open a wound on my palm and blood started to gush out from it. It pricked a little but I felt nothing more than that. Or it¡¯s more like, I¡¯m already used to getting wounds, that¡¯s why I feel pain a lot less than that of a normal human being. ¡°Yes. Well then¡­ Please empty your mind and focus only on me¡­¡± Before I followed her instruction, I saw her face flushed from ear to ear and she then went to hold my wand which is now dripping with my blood. I closed my eyes and recalled everything and all the time that I¡¯ve spent together with Tia. From the first time we met, the moment I saved her and Ceres. [¡°W-Were you kidnapped too?¡±] The time when I asked Anya to let her in in their home, the moment she first bought her own dress. [¡°How do I look, Hans¡­?¡±] The time when I baked them danberry pie, her delightful expression when she ate it. [¡°Mmm¡­~~~!!!¡±] When she sleeps like a log on Anyas lap. Her troubled expression. Her frown. Her tears. Her face when I pat her head. Her smile. ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m¡­ going to lick it¡­ okay?¡± After hearing her slightly trembling voice, I felt a soft and wet sensation on my hands as it drag along and around my wound. ¡°*slurp* ¡­ *gulp* ¡­ Haaaa¡­ You can now open your eyes.¡± It happened in a flash and now I stand dumbfounded when I opened my eyes seeing Tia in front of me with blood dripping down from her lips. From wherever you look at her, she¡¯s still just a child as she looks, but the expression on her face is that of a mature and a composed woman. Like being enlighten from everything. She turned her head to look at me. ¡°Hans.¡± Followed by her voice saying my name, a huge magic circle appeared beneath us and a fierce gust of wind enveloped the surroundings. Even the Chaos Wolf couldn¡¯t help but guard itself from the sudden burst of wind. The light from the magic circle illuminated the place and made the rest a place of darkness. It was like we were transported to our own small world. ¡°¡­ Wilt thou, with all thine own heart, accept this pact¡­ and be my contracted one?¡± Her atmosphere changed once again¡­ Like an empty doll that can only do what she¡¯s told to¡­ She looked at me with almost blank eyes. It¡¯s different from the usual Tia. It¡¯s like she¡¯s a whole different person. But all this time, I still remained calm and looked back at her as gentle as I can. ¡°I accept.¡± She closed her eyes and after a short while, she let go of my hand and raised her head. ¡°¡­ Phew¡­ Hans¡­ *smile* Thank you!¡± Then she reverted back to her cheerful self but is now full of confidence and thanked me. I don¡¯t even know why she thanked me but I couldn¡¯t help but smile back at her. A surge of mana erupted from our place that even without using Mana Detect, I could feel it tingling and caressing my skin. The light from the magic circle brighten up more than earlier and my heart felt like it¡¯s being pulled outside my chest. But it isn¡¯t an unpleasant feeling. It feels warm on the contrary and I haven¡¯t felt calmer than ever. ¡°Link.¡± A word slip out from Tia¡¯s lips and a light from my chest appeared hovering towards Tia who also has an orb of light coming out from her chest directing towards me. The two orbs then merged together as one and all the light dispersed in all direction. ¡°Contract complete! Hans! We¡¯re now a contracted partner! And more importantly, it turned out to be a [Parallel Contract]!¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I see.¡± I don¡¯t have the slightest of clue about what she just said but if she¡¯s happy about it, then it¡¯s fine. ¡°¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t know you also felt that way about me¡­ *blush*¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She held her blushing cheeks with her hands as she wriggled in her place. I pat her head again in response. But our happy atmosphere was crushed by the loud howl from the Chaos Wolf. ¡°Geez, can¡¯t you read the mood?? I¡¯ll explain it in details later, first just listen to what I have to say.¡± It really looks like even her personality changed but now is not the time to be thinking about that. ¡°Roger.¡± I took a stance with the combat knife in my hand, Tia also did the same while facing the Chaos wolf. ¡°Grrrrrrr¡­ Roar!!¡± ¡°Tch¡­¡± From what I thought as only a roar, came a huge ball of concentrated mana that blasted from its mouth towards our direction. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me Hans! Go the other direction!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± I followed her instruction and jumped towards the side to dodge the incoming beam. I felt it a little strange. It¡¯s like I can trust everything Tia says. There was not a single doubt and a place to consider when she instructed me earlier. ¡°Uwoa¡­!¡± But what bewilders me the most is the strength that welled up inside me as I leaped. My body was as light as a feather but the impact from where I jumped from, left a huge crater. ¡°What the¡­¡± I hurriedly opened the status display and look out for changes. ¡­
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
Agility 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 9/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 8/10 Harden Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 0
From below the Class, a new section have appeared which is the Title. It¡¯s like the one from my bracelet terminal. It says, Contracted One. Did I get this title when I formed the contract with Tia? In my status on the other hand, aside from the usual numbers from my status, all of them have a number next to them. They¡¯re the same number with the plus sign beside them. I guess it means that the number is added to my original status. Based from that, I can see that my status have doubled. Then lastly, a new active and passive skill. [Beast Soul Activation] and [Beast Soul Link] Ms. Information didn¡¯t announce it so I didn¡¯t think I would get another skill. But if I were to conclude that I got all these from having the contract with Tia, then it all makes sense. I tapped over the passive skill Beast Soul Link and a summary of the skill appeared. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look out!¡± ¡°Kuh¡­!!¡± ¡°Grrrraaaaaarrrghhh!!¡± I spaced out for just a moment and the Chaos wolf hammered down its claw so I used my combat knife to shield from it but it was easily broken into pieces. Fortunately, I got away with only a slash on my side. ¡°Hans! You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re bleeding!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°More importantly, don¡¯t mind me and focus on the enemy.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay!¡± I got her to focus on what¡¯s in front of us but this is definitely something. The wound is deeper than I thought and my strength is slowly being drained away by the blood loss. This is bad. But on the good side of the note, the Chaos Wolf is huge and powerful and its attacks leave a huge impact, but it lacks in agility. Every time it attacks it will take time to prepare another one. But that doesn¡¯t mean that it attacks would be easier to dodge and all. ¡°Mana Detect.¡± I used Mana Detect to understand how its flow of mana works inside his body. When he attacks, the concentration of mana goes towards the part it will use. I think that explains the powerful impact of its attack even though it¡¯s still slow. ¡°Alright. Tia! Stay there! I¡¯ll try attacking it first to know its abilities!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tia stayed on guard per my instruction. I went ahead and leaped in the direction of the hind legs of the Chaos Wolf and used the skill Crush Strike to attack it. ¡°Crush Strike!¡± I didn¡¯t have my combat knife anymore so I used my bare hands and punch it with all my strength. *clank* ¡°Grraaar!!¡± But it didn¡¯t leave any mark or even a scratch to it, moreover, it countered using its hind legs and forcefully stomped on the ground, the site then became a wide explosion of rocks, hitting me all over my body. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± If I didn¡¯t have the effect of the skill Harden and Damage Reduction, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of that in one piece. ¡°Hans!! Grr¡­ How dare you¡­!¡± ¡°Wait, Tia!! It will follow up an attack!!¡± Tsk, she couldn¡¯t hear me! I immediately arranged my posture in the air and use Crush Strike again to propel me downwards to hit the body of the Chaos Wolf in an attempt to distract it from Tia¡¯s attention. ¡°Haaaaaaaahh!! I¡¯m your opponent!!¡± ¡°Hiyaa!¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. *Bang!* We hit the same time but just as before, it didn¡¯t damage it but, I did get its attention from Tia. As a result, it turned its attack towards me and all I could do is used my arm to guard myself from the huge incoming claws. ¡°GRrrr!!¡± ¡°UGH!!¡± A direct hit as I felt my whole body get paralyzed from the impact. I was blown away and hit a nearby tree. ¡°HANS!!!!¡± Tia ran to where I am and helped me get up. ¡°Kuh¡­ I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­¡± Really, I¡¯m being surprised myself¡­ My skills really do wonders. I need to level them up. ¡­ Hm. I guess it¡¯s no use attacking it aimlessly. ¡°¡­ Tia.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you know about the Beast Soul Activation?¡± ¡°¡­! H-How did you know that¡­??¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later too. Just tell me what it does.¡± I don¡¯t have the time to spare so I felt a little bit rushed. ¡°Alright. Having you do it first hand is better than explaining it. Place your hand on my back.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± She has undone her dress and displayed her bare back to me. Then what meets my eyes was a large symbol and markings spread out on her back. The red tint draws a magic circle that contains a star like design and a soul like emblem is centered in it. ¡°That¡¯s the symbol of our contract.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s mine?¡± ¡°In your palm.¡± When I look at it, the wound is now gone and is replaced by an emblem of a soul that resembles that of Tia¡¯s. ¡°Place it directly on the symbol and generate all your mana around your hand.¡± I did as instructed as I close my eyes. I thought I would need a lot of concentration but all I needed to do is activate it like how I did with my other skills like the Mana Detect. After getting used to using skills, it¡¯s just like pressing a button inside my head and it will do its part. ¡°Soul Beast Activation.¡± I chant the skill and the symbol on Tia¡¯s back glowed. Another surge of wind from where Tia is standing erupted. Then her whole body was covered in light. ¡°Tia??¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Hans.¡± When I heard her voice, my mind was expecting the cute little voice of a girl which I got used to hearing when talk with her, but what I heard is of that of a young woman¡¯s voice. The small back where my hand is place, moved upwards as I see her whole body grow into that from a child into an adult. The light dissipated and what¡¯s left is a young woman around the same age as me. The dress that Tia was wearing is worn by the young woman but is now torn to a shred. ¡°Phew. It¡¯s a success.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Tia?¡± ¡°Hm? Yes?¡± ¡°¡­¡± My eyes couldn¡¯t help but gravitated downwards, from her face to her chest. The ones flat as a board chest is now replaced with a bountiful mountain. It¡¯s not as big as Anya¡¯s but they¡¯re not losing in terms of shape. The hips that was just a little curved straight from her waist is now wider and voluptuous. Wait¡­ Why am I calmly analyzing her body like a pervert!? ¡­ ¡­ Hm. Just a little bit more glance. ¡°Eh¡­? Ah¡­! K-Kyaaaa!! Stop looking!!¡± ¡°Gufo-!!!¡± *boff!* I received a resounding punch from Tia(?) and I was blown away towards the nearest tree and it broke in half after the impact. But surprisingly I didn¡¯t feel any pain. I know I¡¯m a little bit tolerant with pain but it¡¯s almost like I was just pushed towards the tree¡¯s direction. And I can¡¯t feel any damage in my gut. ¡°Awawa! Sorry about that!¡± Yup. That way of being flustered. She¡¯s definitely Tia. But another power up¡­ I opened my status display to check again for changes.
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)(+412)/9999
Agility 82(+82)(+164)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)/9999
Defense 15(+15)(+30)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 9/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 8/10 Harden Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 (Activated) Damage Resistance Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Link. Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 0
I see. Because of the Beast Soul Activation, my current status along with the addition to the bonus status from the contract, my Strenth, Agility, and Defense have doubled once again. For some reason, the Intelligence stayed the same. But still¡­ I¡¯m really becoming more and more of a cheat character¡­ Haha¡­ Well I can¡¯t say this is not what I need right now because it exactly is. The Chaos Wolf became agitated and attacked Tia from behind. ¡°Tia! From your back!¡± ¡°Kuh!¡± I almost thought I was dreaming since what occurred before me is she blocking the claw attack of the Chaos Wolf with her bare hands. I couldn¡¯t let her do it by herself so I stood up from my place and leaped towards the Chaos Wolf and use my fist to reflect its claw from Tia. ¡°You okay, Tia?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I see. Use this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you very much.¡± She wore my leather jacket that I always wear whenever I go out of town. But now that I¡¯ve taken a closer look at our situation, it seems like after activation the Beast Soul Activation, Tia and I powered up. In Tia¡¯s case, even her body structure changed from that of a normal Faunalian to that of the size of a Human. Her golden hair flowed vibrantly and is now much longer than before. Her ears and tail is still there so there goes the possibility of her transforming into a Human. Maybe this was the thing she was talking about the hidden ability of Faunalians. ¡°I got the picture. Now shall we do this?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± My strength returned even with the wound on my side. No. It¡¯s definitely more than before. I feel the mana inside me beating like crazy protesting to be released. Alright. ¡°Tia. We¡¯ll be doing this swiftly.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Buy me some time and create me an opening while I do something.¡± ¡°Got it. I can only do it once, so be careful.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Tia ran towards the Chaos Wolf and attacked it by using her bare hands to punch it all around its body. Because of its huge body, it couldn¡¯t keep up by the speed of the powered up Tia. One single punch leaves a visible dent on the hard fur of the Chaos Wolf while creating a deafening sound with each impact. The Chaos Wolf attacks her but she just easily guards it using her arms and counter it using her feet. Her kick hits directly on the head of the Chaos Wolf and stunned it in the process. It¡¯s my chance. ¡°Hans!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± It wasn¡¯t like I was just watching her fight ever since I asked her to buy me time. I tried to apply what I learned from the Chaos Wolf and was preparing it while Tia was buying me time. I noticed the mana inside me increased in an unbelievable level so I thought of concentrating it all in my fist. All the mana inside my body is now continuously flowing in my right arm as I hold it with my other, trying to suppress the surging energy from it. My body is trembling and cold sweat have started pouring from my back and forehead. Even with my pain tolerance, this is extremely painful. It¡¯s like my hand is already bursting. ¡°Here¡­ I¡­ GO!!¡± I leaped towards the huge monster who is swaying left and right from being stunned. I jumped upwards where the Chaos Wolf is now directly right below me. I then raised my hand like an arrow being pulled in the string of a bow, exerted all my force towards my muscles as I tightly grip my fist and let the gravity pull me downwards helping me accelerate even more. ¡°HAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡± My fist met the body of the large wolf and all the mana that was concentrated in one point bursts out from my fist, and like a gun propelled by an innumerable amount of gunpowder, the impact was enough to bring an explosion that covered the whole vicinity. *boom!* The impact blown me away together with some of the trees that were uprooted because of the torrent of the explosion. After a few seconds of being blown away, my body stopped rolling on the ground. I was expecting a huge injury from the explosion but surprisingly, I was fine all over. There are smoke from all over and the dust made it more blinding inside the forest. Ooh. I learned a new skill from that attack earlier. I see. So that means there are three ways for me to learn a new skill. First will be how I can learn a skill by accomplishing a certain task, like using an extraordinary attack to defeat a monster. Second is from absorbing mana core. Then lastly is learning them through others. I¡¯m not really sure how the last one works. Should I be taught by others? Or just make a contract with them to acquire a skill? I have to hear Tia¡¯s explanation first to confirm this. ¡°Ah! Tia!!¡± I remembered Tia who was also around then. ¡°*cough* *cough* I¡¯m¡­ *cough* fine.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Thank goodness.¡± Well considering I got out alive from it even with my low Defense, it¡¯s no wonder she would be fine with her having a power up and all. ¡°Really¡­ Hans¡­ *cough* What was that??¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I don¡¯t know. Teehee.¡± I stuck my tongue out cutely. ¡°*sigh* I guess I wasn¡¯t mistaken about you being strong but¡­ to this extent¡­¡± The smoke cleared up and the place where I released all that mana showed a huge creater where the dismembered body of the Chaos Wolf lies lifeless on the ground. The light from the sun is now illuminating the place since the trees around are blown away. ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it, I guess.¡± ¡°You really did it, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The body of the monster hardened and crumbled leaving a huge object in its place and a pitch black fur that now looks like a huge thick metal plate. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I went towards it and found a huge mana core and a monster crystal the size of 5 truck wheel. ¡°Ohh! A mana core and mana crystal!! And it drop a part too! That can sell for a good price!¡± ¡°So monster drops parts too?¡± ¡°Yes. But those only goes for strong monsters like this. For the weaker ones, you have to use a certain skill to retain its body and harvest its parts¡­ What are you going to do with it¡­?¡± I see. From what I heard from Anya, monsters and animal monsters are two different things. Monsters are from the formation of corrupted mana and will disappear after defeating it. They¡¯re mostly found in dungeons. But animal monsters are animals that absorbed mana in the wild making them monsters. Those are the ones that can be harvested without using the skill Tia was talking about. But this time, it dropped a monster crystal and a monster crystal. It just means that the Chaos wolf was really one dangerous monster. ¡°Hmm¡­ I want to absorb it.¡± ¡°A-Absorb¡­?¡± Tia showed a curious face with a question mark floating above her head. ¡°But before that, Tia. Care to explain everything now?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Right¡­ Ah¡­¡± Since earlier, her feet is trembling and now it seems she¡¯s on her limit. ¡°Tia?¡± Then all of a sudden, Tia fell to the ground but fortunately, I made it in time to catch her. ¡°Tia!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m okay¡­¡± *poof!* Like a smoke bomb, Tia¡¯s body released a huge amount of smoke and in an instant, she returned to her original form, to a little Faunalian. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think I used up all my mana from the Activation¡­ Ehehe¡­¡± ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s okay. You can just explain it to me when you feel better. You can rest for now.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Tia closed her eyes and I feel the weight coming to my arms as I carry her. It seems like she fell asleep. ¡°Well then¡­ What should I do about this huge mana core?¡± I opened the status display and saw the numbers reverted back to before I activated the Beast Soul Activation. And the word (Activated) beside the skill is now gone. I guess it can only be used for a certain period of time. I sat down whilst holding Tia and touched the surface of the mana core. ¡°No.¡± There is a rule in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. If you happen to get a mana core from a monster, you should report it first to the Guild and have it examined. Back when I got a mana core from the Ground Arachnia, I had to go to the Guild late at night to report it. It was soon returned to me immediately because of its size. But for this size, I think it will take some time for the Guild to give me the rights to its possession. There are two options when handling a mana core. First, one can leave it to the Guild and they will pay for it, equal to its value. Second, one can take it but will have to sign a contract that will have the owner be held liable whatever happens afterwards. It is said that if the mana core is examined to be dangerous, it will be automatically go to the Guild¡¯s hands but if it¡¯s otherwise, they can choose. A mana core can be used with different kinds of magical experiments and Magicians usually choose the option of having it. But for me, it¡¯s a different matter. ¡°Alright, first I have to think of a way how to carry these.¡± The huge metal-like plate that the Chaos Wolf dropped from its fur is just tad smaller than the mana core. Along with the huge monster crystal, it will be a big load for a single person, and I¡¯ve to carry Tia too in my arms. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± *rumble* *rumble* *rumble* ¡°Hm?¡± From a little bit far from my position, I hear a rumbling sound that is getting louder and louder with each second. It seems like the source of the sound is getting near. ¡°*sigh* This is bad if it¡¯s another dangerous monster.¡± I¡¯m already really exhausted from the battle and the wound on my side is still open. I can feel my energy being drained by the minute. But what appeared from the shadow swept away all my worries. ¡°Heeeeeey!! Are you guys okay?!?!¡± A group of adventurers coming at us at full speed. Some are running with foot and there¡¯s a carriage that is pulled by a horse. Looking closely at the carriage, it was Ceres and Anya who is on it. ¡°Haaaaans~!! Tiaaaaaa~!!¡± ¡°Phew¡­ We¡¯re saved¡­¡± All the tension in my body instantly left and now the drowsiness, pain and exhaustion attacked me all at once as I feel my eyelids get heavy. I don¡¯t remember what happened after that¡­ ¡­ .. . ¡°Hn¡­?¡± My body feels heavy and I feel something warm that is stuck to my side as I got aware of my surroundings. I¡¯m lying on some sort of a bed as I hold my head to suppress the surging pain in it. ¡°Hans!!¡± ¡°Hnn¡­? Tia?¡± I found Tia clinging to me with tears flowing down her cheeks. ¡°Hans!! You¡¯re awake!!¡± ¡°Ooooooohhh!! The hero¡¯s awake!!¡± ¡°Whooooo! It seems like he¡¯s just fine!!¡± ¡°Hey, hey! Tell us how you did it!!¡± ¡°I want to hear about that too!!¡± The moment I wake up, a loud cheer erupted from all direction and I was afraid it will destroy my eardrums. Makes matter worse, it only got my headache a lot worse. ¡°Be quiet, you all!! Can¡¯t you see Hans is still recovering?!¡± ¡°L-Little Tia¡­ She sure is different today, don¡¯t you guys think¡­? She¡¯s braver or how would you call this¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± The adventurers clamped up after hearing Tia¡¯s loud scolding. ¡°Hn¡­ Urk.¡± I tried to sit up straight but I felt an excruciating pain from my side and in my right arm, and well, all over my body. My body is wrapped in bandage without wearing anything for my top. I¡¯m in a large room where a lot of adventurers are gathered around us while talking loudly with each other. ¡°Hans! You should lie down for a while¡­!¡± ¡°What¡­ What happened¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember~?¡± I heard Anya¡¯s voice from afar and turning my head towards it, there also stands a serious Ceres leaning on the wall. Anya wears her uniform as a receptionist so she must¡¯ve been here since ealier. ¡°Ah¡­ No. I remember.¡± After some time, all the memories from the fight and how Tia and I defeated the Chaos Wolf came back all at once. ¡°It¡¯s a great feat, Hans~ defeating the Chaos Wolf~¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!! I didn¡¯t think you would be so strong, young man with a noble hair!!¡± ¡°Having a gentle face doesn¡¯t definitely suit you!¡± ¡°Reminds me of the story of the sheep wearing a wolf skin to kill the wolves for revenge!¡± Other adventurers continue to cheer and I can¡¯t help but smile wryly at their honest praise. ¡°Tell us how you defeated the Chaos Wolf!!¡± ¡°We heard from the Guild that the mana core found was the genuine one of that of the Chaos Wolf itself!¡± ¡°Right, right. After a century of terror from it when traveler¡¯s go through that forest, you finally defeated it. You were just a newbie adventurer, right?? Just how strong of a newbie you are???¡± It seems like they¡¯re not doubting the fact that I¡¯m one of the people who defeated it. I guess it¡¯s the power of the innocence of Tia(or is what they know so far) as Tia went ahead and told them the story while I lie on the bed. I reached out to pat Tia¡¯s head while she¡¯s doing her best to explain the whole story. But she¡¯s forgetting one important thing. ¡°Nah. It¡¯s all because of Tia, actually.¡± ¡°AH!! Hans!!!¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong Tia? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°Shhh!!!¡± She placed her finger on her lips and shushed me. Oh. I see. It was a hidden ability, after all. I guess she doesn¡¯t want me to reveal her race¡¯s secret like that. ¡°Because of Tia?¡± ¡°Yeah. Her being there with me gave me the strength I needed. Yeah.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! What¡¯s that???¡± The crowd burst out with laughter with Tia blushing afterwards. ¡°Alright, alright. You all can now go out. This is the infirmary for goodness sake.¡± Someone who is dressed like nurse(?), I¡¯m not sure but it looks like it so maybe she really is a nurse, entered the room and had the adventurer¡¯s go out leaving only me, Tia, Ceres, and Anya. Tia is still clinging to me while sniffling probably because she was just crying. But I¡¯m already fine so I just reach out my hands and pat her head to reassure her and since it¡¯s the only part of my body which I can move. Her lips curled up into a smile after I did so and I thought so to myself, [¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t fail to protect this smile¡­¡±] ¡°So will you tell us now what happened~?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you all, then.¡± The nurse read the atmosphere and went outside the room after checking my body for more injuries. ¡°I remember asking you to gather some ingredients for the restaurant with the request of Tia¡­ But I didn¡¯t think it would end up being a big incident¡­¡± Anya couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible about what happened it seems. ¡°We heard a loud explosion in the direction of the forest and I thought maybe you¡¯re in danger and you really were¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Good thing there were adventurers that we could gather in time.¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not Anya¡¯s fault.¡± Ceres and Anya sat down by the side of the bed where I¡¯m lying down. But even before I tried to open my mouth to speak, Tia stood up from her place while gripping the new clothes that¡¯s probably given to her by Ceres or Anya since the previous one is torn to shreds. ¡°Anya, Ceres, and Hans¡­ I have to tell you something¡­¡± Tia¡¯s serious atmosphere got us focusing to her while waiting for the next words she is about to say. But now that I noticed, Ceres has only her arms folded with her eyes closed. ¡°I am¡­¡± ¡°You are~?¡± This was what I¡¯m waiting for. Ever since the day that I¡¯ve met her, I¡¯ve always thought that there¡¯s something strange about her deep inside my mind. I never entertained the thought since all I wanted to believe is simple, she¡¯s Tia that I saved. A shy little girl who got along with us. But from time to time, I will see expression change from that of an innocent young child into that of a mature young woman. Her composure at times of distress is also noticeable when I was with her in the room where we were locked together with Ceres. And not to mention¡­ Her change earlier. Her personality was a lot different, all different from the pure and shy Tia. Moreover, her ability to transform after activating the skill that I got after forming a contract with her. I have a lot of question in my minds right now that I couldn¡¯t almost wait for her to speak but I repress the words that are forming in my mouth and patiently wait for her explanation. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tia¡­~?¡± But it seems like she¡¯s having a hard time to do so. I don¡¯t know what she feels right now, and I don¡¯t have the ability to know like Anya. So all I can do is trust her in this¡­ ¡°Tia.¡± ¡­ and give her a little push. ¡°Hans¡­?¡± ¡°Tia is Tia. Our Tia. That fact alone won¡¯t change no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­! Hans¡­!¡± An unbelievable amount of tears dropped from her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Like a broken damn, her emotions forced their way out from deep inside her. ¡°He¡¯s right, you know¡­~? Tia will always be our Tia.¡± Anya hugged her small and delicate frame as it trembles from her crying. ¡°Come on, Ceres~ Say something~¡± ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that something obvious?¡± Ceres turned her head away, but I saw her in a glimpse that her face was a bit flushed. I guess she¡¯s embarrassed about saying her own feelings. ¡°Ceres getting embarrassed! A rare expression¡­! Must record this!¡± I stood up from my by forgetting all about the pain that was running all around my body. Did my body get more recipient of pain again like before¡­? ¡°Shut it!¡± *bonk* ¡°Ow! What are you doing to an ill person??¡± ¡°You look more energetic to me than ever.¡± ¡°Well, I am though.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°¡­ You finally laughed, Tia.¡± I saw her smile a bit with tears all over her cheeks. It seems our usual banter did the trick. ¡°Hear me, Anya, Ceres, Hans.¡± ¡°We¡¯re listening.¡± I sat down again and turned our way to her to listen to whatever she will say. She wiped her tears off and faced us with full determination in her eyes. ¡°I am¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am the Faunalian Kingdom, Terratrasca Kingdom¡¯s Princess! Frederica Siestia Faunalia!¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 17 End
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
Agility 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 9/10 Harden Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 1/10
Mana Burst Lv. 1/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 0
Chapter 18: Frederica Siestia Faunalia and The Black Sheep ¡°I am the Faunalian Kingdom, Terratrasca Kingdom¡¯s Princess! Frederica Siestia Faunalia!¡± Tia uttered loudly while proudly placing her right hand on her chest. I¡¯m now sitting on the bed like a hospitalized patient. My whole body is aching because of the fight with the Chaos Wolf but nonetheless, I feel a lot better after getting my sleep when I fell unconscious. Ceres is seated on a bench beside my bed with Anya. And in front of us is Tia who boldly reintroduced herself. ¡°Oh, so Faunalia is from the surname Faunalia of the Faunalian royal family in the Faunalian Kingdom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right~ That¡¯s a lot of ¡®Faunalia¡¯ though~¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡± Waiting for her next words, I turned my eyes to Tia, who¡¯s now wearing a strange face. ¡°H-Huh?? Did I say that wrong¡­? I¡¯m the princess of¡­ the Terratrasca Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. We heard that right.¡± ¡°Yup~¡± ¡°THEN HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM??? And the first thing you had ask was about my surname, Hans?!¡± Tia seemed to have lost it and shook me from my shoulder. She can really now say everything she wants, huh. And along with Ceres, what are you doing to an injured person, hitting me in the head and now shaking my whole body¡­? *sigh* ¡°Well, I just concluded something along those lines. That you¡¯re not just some normal Faunalian.¡± ¡°¡­ Muu¡­ It is kind of like you are saying I have something wrong with me¡­¡± And there was something I¡¯ve come to learn about a few days ago. If I think back about it, people keep being polite towards me, mostly merchants and clerks. Even some of the townspeople treat me with respect whenever I speak to them. But after asking some of the adventurers, I¡¯ve now realized why some people treat me differently from others. It was because of my hair. Other people, mostly the adventurers call me a guy with a noble hair on top of that. I asked about it and they told me that this blond hair of mine is a proof of me being a nobility or a royalty. And so they thought I¡¯m a noble or something. Only royalties and nobles have golden hair like mine and Tia. And I¡¯ve confirmed that when I loitered and wondered around the town. Only people with blond hair have flashy attires and is always followed by what seemed like a butler or a maid. They looked exactly like those in my comic books and novels so I can¡¯t be mistaken. Or I hope so. It seems like that¡¯s the case for the Faunalians when I asked one. Tia seemed to be concerned about her hair ever since I met her and certainly didn¡¯t want to flaunt it outside. She always made sure to tie it, making it less visible from others. Another thing, even for an ordinary noble or royalty, having no one following them around or them being sneaky around people, anyone would think something is off. ¡°Yup~ I thought so too, from the start for a fact. Fufu~ I mean, I¡¯ve felt you were hiding something big when you first stayed in our home too~¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ Yeah. Thinking back, she was worried about us suspecting her for who she is, right? But after Anya accepting you, that was that, so I thought it¡¯s nothing to be wary of. Even Ceres would have noticed something about it before, right?¡± ¡°Eh?! Ah¡­ Yeah! I¡­ I¡¯ve thought about it, too. Yes.¡± Oh¡­ She was definitely surprised by the sudden news. ¡°Wh-What are you looking at, slime?? Remove that grin off of your face!¡± She then covered her face with her hand as she flailed on her seat, trying to make remove my line of sight from her. ¡°Nothing. I just thought Ceres can be extremely cute at times.¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± ¡°I know right~?¡± ¡°Anya too?!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Tia hanged her head down while taking a glance at Ceres from time to time. It seems like she must really feel guilty about hiding the fact about her background and who she really is. All the more, now that Ceres here is a bit shocked about it. Let me rephrase that, greatly shocked about it. ¡°¡­ Raise your head, Tia. A royalty shouldn¡¯t bow her head to someone so casually.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Surely, I was a bit surprised but¡­¡± A bit, eh¡­ ¡°Hm?? Do you have something to say, slime??¡± ¡°Nothing at all, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°¡­ Hmph. ¡­ But like they said, Tia is Tia. The one who joined us for dinner and was with us for the past days. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re your friends. No matter who you are.¡± ¡°Ceres¡­~ You¡¯ve grown so much¡­ *sniffle* Big sister is so happy~¡± ¡°¡­ H-Hmph!¡± My lips formed into a smile without me noticing it at how Ceres can be really honest. I hear from time to time that Ceres is really having a hard time with trusting other people because of her past¡­ ¡­ I guess, it was something concerned with what the robed man told us, huh¡­ Ever since then, I tried to forget about it, but it kept bugging me all this time. ¡°Thank you very much, Ceres!¡± Tia then jumped to Ceres for a hug. Good thing, this time it seems like she opened up to Tia without any problems. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t? Her innocence and child-like expressions, it¡¯s like a soothing spell for others. Wait¡­ ¡°Then, Siestia¡­¡± ¡°Awawa! Stop that!¡± ¡°What should I stop, Frederica Siestia?¡± ¡°N-Nooo!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Frederica Siestia Faunalia?¡± ¡°You are doing it in purpose, are you not, Hans?!¡± She stomped her feet while pouting making her cheeks rounder. Though her face is flushed for sure, it¡¯s definitely not from anger but from embarrassment. ¡°Ahahaha~ What are you possibly talking about, young lady~?¡± It¡¯s fun teasing Tia too. Teasing Sofiel, Tia, and Ceres became my recent fun. I guess when I¡¯m asked what my hobby is, I will then answer ¡®teasing girls is my hobby.¡¯ ¡­ Hmm¡­ Wait, huh? That seems perverted¡­ I¡­ I probably shouldn¡¯t say that no matter what. I can already imagine what Ceres would do to me if that ever happens. And Sofiel isn¡¯t even a girl to begin with. ¡°Hmph~! I¡¯m not a young lady! Now the cat¡¯s out of the bag, I will tell you. I¡¯m already 20 years old!¡± ¡°¡­ Ahaha! You and your jokes.¡± So she can joke like that too. Haha. I learn a lot of new sides of Tia today. ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡± ¡°¡­ Ahaha! It¡¯s really funny.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not joking, Hans~ Fufu~ Is it that surprising? The Faunalia race have naturally small stature so it¡¯s not something new~¡± ¡°¡­ Ahaha~ Anya, too~¡± H-Huh¡­? ¡°Relax, slime. Stop averting your eyes from the truth.¡± *bonk* ¡°Ow- ¡­ Eh? S-So you mean¡­ I¡¯ve been h-hugging and patting and rubbing myself to someone who¡¯s just a year y-younger than me¡­?¡± I abruptly stood up from my bed from the sudden grave revelation. ¡°Yeah, pervert.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Darn. I can¡¯t deny it¡­ Kuh¡­ ¡°So after all these years¡­ I was a pervert all along¡­?! Curses¡­ Why!! Whyy!!¡± *thud* My feet gave in and I can¡¯t help but kneel down while cursing my own ignorance. ¡°Your character¡¯s changing, Hans~¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry, Hans! I don¡¯t really mind!! After all¡­ We¡­ We¡¯ve already done it¡­ *blush*¡± ¡°EH?!¡± ¡°Done¡­ it¡­ Done ¡®it¡¯?? ¡­~~!!! Slime?!¡± ¡°Haaans~~ Care to explain~~? Done it?! Done what?! Ah! Did she mean the contract?! Did it have some kind of meaning behind that in their kingdom¡¯s culture?! Either way, I¡¯m dead if I don¡¯t clear this up!! Put that dagger away, Ceres!! And Anya, milady! You¡¯re smiling but your eyes are scary! ¡°W-Wait! It¡¯s not like that!! H-Hear me out first!! ¡°No can dooo~~¡± ¡°Grit your teeth, you irredeemable perverted slime¡­!!¡± ¡°Awawa¡­ H-Hans!!!¡± ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!¡± And Hans was beaten up, way much worse than his fight with the Chaos Wolf. ¡­ .. . The End ¡°Don¡¯t end it as you please!! I¡¯m still alive!¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°*inhale* Pheeew~ It¡¯s a good day today too, isn¡¯t it?¡± Today is another day and we¡¯re now preparing for today¡¯s work. Two days have passed since the time I formed a contract with Tia and defeated the Chaos Wolf. I can now freely move but I¡¯m still wrapped with bandages just to be sure. I¡¯m getting a bit scared at how this body of mine turned out. We¡¯re down in the restaurant floor and I¡¯m cleaning while waiting for the restaurant¡¯s opening. The warm sunlight that passes through the windows as I wipe them, the songs of the bird that echoes in the place, the smiles in the people¡¯s faces as they pass through the restaurant. It¡¯s a perfect day to have! ¡°Or¡­ It should be¡­¡± ¡°Fufu~¡± ¡°It¡¯s the perfect day¡­ Yes¡­¡± It is a perfect day¡­ But¡­ ¡°Why are you all so far away from me¡­?? And could you two stop covering Tia?? I¡¯m just cleaning the windows! Really¡­ I already feel like crying¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Awawa¡­ Ceres, Anya. It¡¯s fine already¡­!¡± ¡°Tia¡¯s even saying that, see? And I¡¯ve already explained it that day, right??¡± ¡°¡­ Just to make sure.¡± ¡°Yup~¡± ¡°Urk¡­ I didn¡¯t anything though¡­ *sniffle*¡± After I successfully explained and cleared up the misunderstanding, Ceres and Anya got home first to prepare and finish up the precooking that will be needed in the restaurant. I had to stay for another day, resting and also for further inspections. Another is because, one of the receptionists had to talk to me about the loots that Tia and I got from the Chaos Wolf. Thus, I had to sleep over at the Guild¡¯s infirmary. Anya insisted to have Tia go home with them but she pouted so they let her stay for a while before picking her up. It¡¯s to be expected since it¡¯s already late in the evening and we can¡¯t have Tia go home by herself that late at night.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. During that time, I had Tia explain everything including the things that she didn¡¯t want Ceres and Anya to hear about. First, the contract. In the Faunalia race, after reaching the coming of age, they will be taking part in a ceremony and that will be the time they will be considered an adult. It¡¯s like a coming-of-the-age ceremony for their race. That ceremony will have them be blessed by the Faunalian Goddess and will be given the power to connect with other people. And by the way, that Faunalian Goddess is also one of the 12 Goddess in the legend that is the most known in this world. I was surprised to hear it that there is still an active one among the goddesses that are thought to have mysteriously disappeared after the Cursed Age. The power to connect with other people differs from Faunalian to another. Some are given the power to befriend their Contracted One no matter how vicious it is. Those kinds usually have contracts with powerful monsters that can help them with anything, supporting them as they become [Beast Masters]. Good thing they didn¡¯t use ¡®tamer¡¯ there since Faunalians are also considered as beastmen. That would be really weird. There are those that are given with powers to communicate with animals and monsters. There are those who can communicate with the spirits and have contract with them, harnessing their powers and sharing it between them. A normal Faunalian can interact with spirits and see them but not to the point of communicating with them and understanding them. And lastly, those who can make themselves a number of times powerful together with their Contracted One. Only royalty receives that kind of blessing and that explains the contract that I had with Tia. They call it¡­ [Beast Soul Link] It increases the abilities of the user and the Contracted One to a certain degree. I remember Tia saying something about it depending on how I think of her. So I asked about it and she got sulky all of a sudden¡­ [¡°You didn¡¯t know?? I¡­ I thought you felt the same way as me, that¡¯s why it became a perfect link¡­¡±] Felt the same way¡­ I remember her talking about a Parallel Contract. So from that, maybe there could have been other forms of the contract depending on how we think of each other. Hmm¡­ Maybe she was referring about how we were able to sync our emotions during the time of the forming of contract. I guess, she must have also then recalled the time we spent together. Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything. I already understand, Tia. [He did not understand anything at all.] Second is the Beast Soul Activation skill that I got after the forming of contract. Tia was surprised when I told her about it and it turns out that it¡¯s something only the royal family have knowledge about. I made an excuse saying it appeared in my head that time all of a sudden so somehow I got to know the name. Good thing she bought it saying, ¡°That must mean were linked so perfectly with each other! Fufun~.¡± Well, she looked so happy so I didn¡¯t say anything further. Beast Soul Activation. A skill only a contracted Faunalian can use. The Contracted one will pour his mana using the medium, which is the symbol that appeared on our skin, and link our mana to create a sharing effect between the users. The more powerful the Contracted one is the more powerful the effect will be. The result will be the increase in physical abilities of both parties. That explains why my Intelligence status was the only one that didn¡¯t increase that time. But there are downside when it comes to forming contract as well. When Tia arrived in that explanation, her expression darkened all of a sudden and what I heard after that is something even I could not take in easily. ¡°Hans!¡± ¡°¡­ Hm? Tia?¡± It seems like I spaced out for a while. ¡°Are you okay? You have a complicated expression. I¡¯ve been calling you for a while now.¡± ¡°Ah, my bad. I was just remembering something¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Were you think about that again¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She hit the bull¡¯s-eye so cat got my tongue. ¡°Geez! I already told you! You can take it easy with it! And I would not blame you for whatever your decision will be. So please¡­ Do not make that face when you are thinking about me¡­¡± ¡°Tia¡­¡± She tugged on my sleeve while having her head lowered so I could not see her face. ¡°A-And yes! Of course, it is me we are talking about! The very princess of the Faunalian Kingdom! H-Haha! O-Of course you will be worried! Aha! Ahahaha¡­!¡± She placed her hands on her waist while puffing out her chest. She¡¯s expressing her authority as a princess now that it¡¯s out of the bag. Kuh¡­ What¡¯s the heck is with that¡­ that¡¯s too cute, darn it. ¡°Of course I will be worried, my dear little princess.¡± ¡°¡­~!!!¡± So I tried to tease her with it. Yes. That is the true self of Tia, Frederica Siestia Faunalia. She was grown as a splendid princess and as one of the successor to the throne. So it seems like the air of authority was ingrained in her personality and she can get proud when she let her guard down. I remember her saying, [¡°Fufun~ I¡¯m admirable, aren¡¯t I?¡±] ¡­ when she told me all about her. She hid her true self to us to repel suspicions and unnecessary attention towards her. She was also saying that if you want to fool your enemies, you have to fool your friends first, hence her reason for change her personality. Though the guilt on her face didn¡¯t go for some time until yesterday. But in the end, she still likes being spoiled as usual. She still hides it every now and then because of her circumstances but she couldn¡¯t help it now that we know about it. At least, she now feels at ease if she can be like that with us. If I think about it like that, I find it great to have made that contract with her. ¡°¡­ Muu¡­¡± She also explained how, why, and in what way she tried to use me. ¡°Haha. Are you not used to being treated like a princess?¡± Back when Ceres was kidnapped, Tia deliberately caught the attention of the kidnapper who she happens to overhear when he was planning to attack Ceres. The reason is she had actually seen me with Ceres and Anya fighting the Slime. Judging me to be quite strong, just the person she was looking for, she paved her way in to make contact with me. She¡¯s quite the tactician, if I say so myself. But every time a word is released from her lips when she told me the story, I can tell from her expression that only pain and guilt was the only thing she felt. [¡°Don¡¯t worry about it anymore. I don¡¯t mind the least and now I actually feel happy about it. Since I got to know you because of that.¡±] [¡°¡­! Haaaans¡­! *sniffle*¡±] ¡°A-Anyway! Uhm¡­ Wh-Whaat are going to do today, Hans?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to the dungeon. But first, I want to get a quest.¡± We are now on our way to the Guild. I asked Anya to let me have today as an off and I got an okay in an instant. It seems like she was still worried about my injuries and another reason is that today, we won¡¯t be having many customers because of an event. And it looked like Ceres and Anya were also preparing for it. So for today, I will be using it to test everything I acquired up until today and record them. Ever since coming to this world, I haven¡¯t really tested my abilities so I don¡¯t have a fair grasp of what I can do and what I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to repeat the same thing with the Chaos Wolf where having insufficient information about the monster and more importantly, about my own abilities and have caused distressing blunders here and there. One mistake and it could¡¯ve resulted to Tia getting injured in the process. That¡¯s why today, I plan to get a quest on the way and enter a dungeon to test everything. And there¡¯s still this case with the Guild Master wanting to meet me. I wonder what it is about? ¡°Do you need me there, too?¡± ¡°Yeah. You see, I wanted to test the Beast Soul Link. May I?¡± ¡°Umu. I allow it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful, princess.¡± ¡°U-Umu¡­¡± She blushes from ear to ear because of my change in treatment. ¡­ .. . ¡°Will you be accepting this Quest, sir?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Alright. You will be having the whole day to complete this quest. If failed to comply, make sure to report immediately to the Guild.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°Okay then. Please have a safe trip.¡± We¡¯ve received the quest from the receptionist in the Guild. The contents indicates that we must gather Glow Stone that naturally grows in the Ground Dungeon. By the way, Ground Dungeon was the name of the dungeon that I went with Ceres and Sofiel before. I¡¯m not really sure if it got its name from the habitants like the Ground Arachnia or vice versa, the Ground Arachnia got the name from the dungeon. But it¡¯s easy to remember so it¡¯s pretty convenient for me. The target materials that we will be gathering in this quests is requested by a magician who just arrived in this town some time ago. It is written in the paper that they will be using the Glow Stone for their experiments and that it can only be gathered in the Ground Dungeon. I remember seeing them before. They were the ones responsible for lighting up the interior of the dungeon even without a torch or something to light it up. They glow in a pale bluish color. It¡¯s not that bright to cover up the whole place but they¡¯re really beautiful and are like the starlight in the night sky. ¡°So we just have to gather 20 of them, huh?¡± ¡°That will be easy!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be too sure¡­¡± Saying that, I displayed a frightened expression while slowly turning my head to Tia¡¯s direction. ¡°¡­ Eh?¡± ¡°You see¡­ There was once a time when I went there¡­ Ceres and I encountered a huge monster¡­¡± ¡°E-Ehhh¡­ H-Hmp! I¡¯ve already f-fought with the Chaos Wolf! A h-huge monster is nothing¡­¡± ¡°BUT! That¡¯s not all, Tia¡­ It grows 8 legs from its body¡­ with 6 red eyes on its head that follows your every movement¡­ It crawls creepily in the darkness and then¡­¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Then I went Tia¡¯s behind in a swift and¡­ ¡°It will gobble you up from behind! Gyargarga!!¡± ¡°EEEKKK!!!!!¡± *bonk!* ¡°Ow-!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bully our little Tia too much, you moron.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah. Ms. Lucia.¡± ¡°Just Lucia will do. You¡¯re making me sound a single old lady with that. Well, I¡¯m single though¡­ *sigh*¡± Lucia Hartlet. She¡¯s the one who talked to me yesterday, concerning about the loot that we got from the Chaos Wolf. Along with the uniform of the receptionist, she wears a bottom framed glasses that matches her smart and mature appeal, with her brown hair tied into a messy bun. Her appearance is that of a gorgeous adult with a great figure but just as she said, she¡¯s still single. I tried to ask her age in a roundabout way but I got hit by the record book she¡¯s always holding instead. It¡¯s a delicate question for her, or so it seems. Let¡¯s not pry more in regards to that. ¡°They just don¡¯t have good eyes to miss your beauty, Lucia.¡± *bonk!* ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re a hundred years too early to hit on me.¡± ¡°I was just saying the truth.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to be with this guy, Tia? He even teases you like that. Don¡¯t you want to go home with me?¡± ¡°Ah. Eh¡­ I-I¡¯ll have to decline. He teases me a lot, but Hans is really kind.¡± ¡°¡­ Heh.¡± I showed her a triumphant pose. ¡°*snap* I¡¯ll sell the monster crystal, mana core, and the Chaos Metal and buy myself a new house.¡± ¡°I WENT OVERBOARD, PLEASE FORGIVE ME LADY LUCIA!¡± I bowed deeply to show my remorse. It wouldn¡¯t do any good make her angrier than this. ¡°Oh?? Isn¡¯t that the Black Sheep???¡± ¡°Eh? Where, where??¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! It is the Black Sheep!¡± The adventurers around cheered while looking in our direction. It seems like someone famous entered the Guild and attracted their attention. I looked towards the huge door behind us expecting some flashy adventurer entering but there was none. ¡°His face looks gentle at first but you shouldn¡¯t be fooled by that!¡± ¡°Kyaaa! He looks so cool! I want to form a party with him at least once!!¡± Oh? He really is famous to attract their attention regardless of gender. Now I¡¯m starting to get curious with who this Black Sheep person is. So I began to scan through the place where that person might be. ¡°I heard he joined the Guild just recently.¡± ¡°I heard so too. And he¡¯s still a Level 1 Rank G adventurer, they said.¡± Hmm¡­ Now that is one charismatic adventurer to get that popular even having just joined recently. ¡°But to defeat the Chaos Wolf all by himself¡­ You just can¡¯t judge the book by its cover! He maybe not that far to be a rank A!¡± Eh¡­ ¡°You¡¯re quite famous now, eh Hans?¡± ¡°Lucia¡­? Who?¡± ¡°You.¡± She pointed at my direction so I looked behind me. ¡°There¡¯s no one there.¡± ¡°EH?! Uh¡­ ME?! Uh¡­ Black Sheep!?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide the disbelief in my face from what I¡¯ve just heard. And now that I look carefully with my eyes squinted, they really ARE looking at me. ¡°Yep. You. You¡¯re Black Sheep. The one day hero of an adventurer who defeated the Chaos Wolf by himself.¡± ¡°Fufun~ As expected of my Hans!¡± ¡°Eh? Tia? ¡®Your¡¯ Hans? Hey, Hans. Just what did you do to this little girl??¡± ¡°I did nothing! And wait! Why and how did this happen??¡± ¡°I just heard it also from one of your receptionist fan.¡± Fan¡­? ¡°It seems like they¡¯ve noticed your bracelet being different. You see, being it pitch black and all.¡± ¡°¡­ I get the black part but why sheep?¡± ¡°Well, they based it on your face. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware, but your face doesn¡¯t really match you and you¡¯re actions. At first glance, it¡¯s like you¡¯re deprived of the world¡¯s malice. A pure soul who just can¡¯t hurt a single ant.¡± ¡°H-Huh¡­¡± ¡°But it turns out, it¡¯s quite the opposite. And it was because of the story of the Sheep and the Wolf.¡± Sheep and the Wolf¡­ I heard it once when I woke up the other day from the adventurers. ¡°What story was it about?¡± ¡°Hm. Well follow me first. I¡¯ll tell you on the way.¡± We then proceed to enter a door that leads to the main office of the Guild. I¡¯m presuming this will be about the items that I got from the Chaos Wolf since Lucia told me the Master will be meeting me because of it. ¡°There was once a sheep that has a family.¡± While walking along the hallway that connects to the main office, Lucia began to tell us the story. It seems like the sun doesn¡¯t pass through here and only the sound of tapping shoes and her voice was heard inside the dimly lit place. ¡°But one day, the wolf wreaked havoc in their house and ate his father, his mother, his brothers, and sisters. Only he was left just because the Wolf already ate enough. Finding the right timing, the sheep ran away from the place to escape.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that a children story?¡± ¡°Yes. It is.¡± It¡¯s quite gory for a children story though. But then again, it¡¯s not that all different from the ones in my world, like the story of Red Riding Hood where the wolf ate the grandmother. ¡°He swore revenge towards the Wolf. And after some time, he grew horns and his body became sturdier. The following day, he found a dead body of a wolf. He thought of a plan to attack the Wolf and exact his revenge. He skinned the dead body and wore it as a hide.¡± It gets even gorier every minute¡­ ¡°He silently joined the pack of the Wolf and when they¡¯ve lowered their guard down, he attacked everyone using the large horns, crushing the body of every wolf in their pack. Of course that includes the Wolf who ate his family. And¡­ The end.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I felt a tugging from my shirt and found Tia holding the hem of it with a frightened expression. I pat her head as if to comfort her and held her close to my side. She then buried her head onto my shirt. ¡°I see. The fact that I defeated the Chaos Wolf like that in the story, hence the ¡®Sheep¡¯, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± But to think I would receive a nickname here too. I was known as the Golden Death God by the enemy soldiers and honestly, whenever I think about it now, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing to be called like that. Well, having a nickname because of what you do IS sort of embarrassing in the first place. I did not do it to be called like it too. Well, at least this time, it¡¯s a bit on the simpler side than my previous one. ¡°I¡¯ll explain Titles later, too. We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Hm? Alright.¡± I then remember the Title section that was below my personal information. It¡¯s says ¡®None¡¯ before. *knock* *knock* Lucia knocked on the wooden door that has an intricate design, plastered with the emblem of the Guild on the center. ¡°Guild Master, I¡¯ve brought him.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°?¡± That¡¯s weird¡­ From what I heard beyond the door is a voice of a young girl. Perhaps, the Guild Master has hired an attendant and acts like a secretary. But what about Lucia then? I heard from her that she works under the direct command of the Guild Master too. *thud* *click* Lucia carefully locked the door as we head towards the desk with a huge chair facing the opposite direction from ours. I surveyed around the relatively large room with a lot of furniture that, without a doubt, are expensive. From bookshelves that are fixed in the corner filled with a lot of thick books, weapons that are neatly aligned on a rack, a statue of somewhat that looks like a goddess, to the huge desk filled with stack of papers on the side in front of us. The ornaments looks old and antique, but is polished in which one wouldn¡¯t think they¡¯ve aged with time. The room is lighten by a chandelier fixed on the ceiling and glows a bright white. But the back of the huge chair in front of us is what¡¯s caught my attention. Before we went in, there was a voice of a small girl but no one was inside when we came in. But as expected of a Guild Master, I already get chills just from the presence beyond the chair. ¡°Guild Master, this here is Hans Shimid-, ¡­ Shimit-, ¡­ Shmidit-¡° ¡°Schmidt.¡± Lucia kept stuttering from saying my name so I said it on her behalf. Perhaps, because she made a blunder in front of a higher authority, I saw her face flush faintly. ¡°And this one here, is Tia.¡± ¡°Guild Master, It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± I placed my right hand to my chest and slightly bowed. I¡¯ve gotten used to this greeting already. Tia did the same. ¡°I see, I see. Raise your head, you young¡¯uns.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I was expecting a hoarse and rumbling voice from beyond that chair but what I heard instead is that of a¡­ *creak* ¡°As the Guild Master of Florensia Town, I welcome you, Hans. Or should I say, Black Sheep?¡± ¡­ a young girl. ¡­ .. . Chapter 18 End
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One, Black Sheep
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
Agility 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)(+500)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 9/10 Harden Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 1/10
Mana Burst Lv. 1/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 0
Chapter 19: The Guild Master and Resuretia Chapter 19 ¡°As the Guild Master of Florensia Town, I welcome you, Hans. Or should I say, Black Sheep?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, young¡¯un? Is there some problem, eh?¡± ¡°Ahem. Hans.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± My mind froze from the unexpected information that just passed through my brain circuits. I returned to reality after I felt a tap on my shoulder from Lucia. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Forgive my rudeness, Guild Master.¡± I immediately bowed once again to express my apology. But still¡­ To think that this is the Guild Master¡­ The person in front of me is a little girl, dressed in a frilly dress, designed with black motif with violet laces tied into a ribbon from here and there. She wears a really small hat like a hair accessory with laces and frills on its edges. Her hair, along with her bangs are pulled behind securely with two big violet ribbons, tied partway into a twin-tail. Though her hair is black and dark as it may seem, the rolls from her twin-tails shine from the lights around the room. And all the while she holds a folded elegant fan with her right hand as she seats with her legs crossed. The slightly dim white light from the chandelier reflects her pale snow-like skin. If she didn¡¯t talk to me just earlier, I would¡¯ve thought she was just a doll, matching the antique atmosphere inside the Guild Master¡¯s office. ¡°No harm taken, young¡¯un. Raise your head.¡± Her way of talking is so mellow and soft like an aged woman but still like as lascivious voice as a mature lady. Yet her face is only that of a child, like an innocent student just entering middle school. Not just her face but also her body that seems to only know light workout, her petit body fails in comparison to Lucia¡¯s womanly proportions. Her lips that is now curled up into a smile, painted in a deep red, betrays the innocence of her body structure. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I know my place here and I¡¯ve already calculated everything in my head so I could stay composed even after this sudden reveal. I always make sure to stay compose at every sudden occurrence most importantly in a battlefield. That way, I can assess everything in an organized manner that may help me in coming up with a better solution. After arriving to this world, surprises became the norm for me and getting used to them takes a lot of energy in me. New information like magic and stuff catch me off guard from time to time but this time, even with this kind of surprise, I¡¯m confident in myself that I could take it easily. Though I can¡¯t deny that my mind froze for a bit. I hope there¡¯s a skill out there that may help me with this kinds of situations. ¡°*whisper* I know what you¡¯re thinking, Hans. But please, this is the Guild Master, I hope you would be more careful with speaking with her.¡± ¡°*thumbs up* Don¡¯t worry, Lucia.¡± ¡°*whisper* ¡­ I¡¯m getting worried¡­ *sigh*¡± After showing my reassuring thumbs up to Lucia, I once again face the Guild Master. But then again, no matter how much I look at her, she¡¯s really a Goth loli. But no. I¡¯m done with the surprises of this world. If I just talk with her without thinking much, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be surprised anymore by what she will do or say. Alright. Don¡¯t think, feel! Come on! Come whenever you want! ¡°Young¡¯un.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Want to have sex with me~?¡± ¡°YES!¡± ¡°*face palm* *sigh* ¡­ Just after I told him to be more careful¡­¡± Not good, not good. It seems like got into it too much. I forgot to analyze the Guild Master¡¯s words first before replying. ¡°Oh~ Is that so. I see, I see. Do you want to look for another place? Or do you want to do it here with the others watching? You are quite risky, eh young¡¯un?¡±¡± Saying that, she placed her pinky finger on her lips seductively. ¡°Ah. Forgive my rudeness, Guild Master. I didn¡¯t mean what I just said.¡± Right. I was just told by Lucia to be more careful. I wasn¡¯t expecting her to come at me that way, but I ought to be more observant from now on. There¡¯s a possibility that she is just testing me right now. I cannot be too lenient about this. ¡°Hm, is that so~? That is too bad, then.¡± Her face showed that of a lonely expression. So I didn¡¯t let up the chance and followed up¡­ ¡°But if you can wait until you grow up, Guild Master. I may consider it.¡± ¡°*sigh* It¡¯s over¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Hm? What¡¯s happening? Ms. Lucia, what are they talking about?¡± Looking back and forth between me, Lucia, and the Guild Master, Tia seems to be confused with the situation. But Lucia, on the other hand didn¡¯t notice Tia¡¯s inquiry, it seems. ¡°Oho~ I see I see, what an honest young¡¯un we have here, eh? So you are saying that my body is too small to consider, eh?¡± ¡°Honestly, yes.¡± ¡°You are really honest, young¡¯un~ Well, well. Now, I kind of taking a liking to this one. A rare find, eh? Don¡¯t you think so, eh Lucia dear? Most adventurers just stuck up when they see me or others just plainly freeze at my mere sight. I have been lonely, you see~¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Lucia can¡¯t help to show her distress about the situation. But still having working under the Guild Master, she just agreed anyway with a wry smile. ¡°Nuhaha~ Alright, Black Sheep. Let us first set aside the jest.¡± ¡°Got it, Guild Master.¡± [¡°They were joking?¡±] [¡°Hm? What were they joking about¡­?¡±] ¡°Hmm¡­ Guild Master is too formal don¡¯t you think, eh Black Sheep~?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what Lucia is calling you so¡­¡± ¡°Lucia is just too stiff with everything. That is one of the reason she cannot get herself a man. And she just had to make something else stiff, too.¡± ¡°Urk¡­ Guild Master¡­~?¡± With that said, I saw Lucia jerked slightly. I guess it hit her hard where it hurts. ¡°I don¡¯t recall being stiff and doing my job being the same, Guild Master.¡± Whoa¡­ Lucia tries to hide her anger but it¡¯s not successful. What a scary way to look at a person. She is smiling but veins are almost popping on her forehead from anger. ¡°Hoho~ That is what I am talking about, my dear. But do not fret. I have not yet found myself a man either. I am also a virgin.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm? Also?¡± I repeat the word that caught my attention but it seems like it hit another nerve in Lucia. ¡°¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­ I AM still a virgin¡­ YEAH. Do you have a problem with that, HUH?!¡± Hmm¡­ Now this is bad. Atop of her flushed face like a tomato, her eyes are now moistened from tears, definitely because of embarrassment. Her shoulder is already trembling while she clutches her hands into a fist. But more importantly, finding that gap in her personality where she can be quite the shy person even though she appears to be a mature woman, it just makes her look cuter. She just doesn¡¯t understand¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯ll have to tell her¡­! ¡°What are you saying, Lucia?! Isn¡¯t that better?! A mature adult still not having any experience¡­ THE GAP IS JUST WAY TOO CUTE!¡± ¡°Eh? Ehh?¡± I grabbed her shoulders and express my burning passion with a serious face. ¡°He is right, Lucia my dear.¡± ¡°But on the other hand, Guild Master. If you¡¯re a virgin, don¡¯t offer someone to have sex with you. Lucia wins in that regards. *thumbs up*¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say with those thumbs¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry, young¡¯un. I have asked that only to you.¡± Uh¡­ Should I be happy with that or what¡­? But if she grow up a little bit more then that statement would definitely made me elated. ¡°I cannot keep up with this conversation¡­ Uhm, Hans? What is v-viiirg-gin? And sex?¡± ¡°Oh right! There¡¯s an underage here, Guild Master! What are you suddenly saying in front of our innocent, Tia?? Lucia! Couldn¡¯t you have done something like a censorship?? Where¡¯s the ¡®beep!¡¯ or ¡®bzzt¡¯ sound??¡± ¡°What in the world are you talking about, Hans¡­? You¡¯re character really changes from time to time you know that?¡± ¡°Nuhaha~ Right. I forgot. Forgive me, Princess Frederica Siestia Faunalia.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I hurriedly pulled Tia behind me. The atmosphere instantly tensed as I intently stared at the Guild Master. It¡¯s like the light banter we just had earlier was just a simple lie, I try to emit bloodlust to warn someone that I will do anything if they plan to harm Tia. ¡°¡­ Guild Master.¡± She knows about Tia¡¯s true identity? Or did Tia say anything about her true self to the Guild Master before coming here? No. From the looks of it, even Tia is shocked from the words of the Guild Master. Can I already conclude this to be a dangerous situation? ¡°Be at ease, young¡¯un. Nuhaha~ I recommend you not underestimate the power and connections of a Guild Master.¡± ¡°¡­ Did you already know about this, Lucia?¡± Lucia became serious as well even just after what happened earlier. There¡¯s no hint of embarrassment now. Just a face of business. I guess this is what the Guild Master said about being stiff when it comes to her work. Though outside she¡¯s just a normal woman who you can approach anytime. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the right hand and secretary of the Guild Master. It¡¯s not weird for me to know what the Guild Master knows.¡± ¡°I see. I think asking wouldn¡¯t hurt but¡­ Are we in danger?¡± ¡°No. I can guarantee you that.¡± ¡°I see. Anya told me that you¡¯re a very reliable person so I¡¯ll trust you, Lucia.¡± ¡°What a good thing to say, that Anya. I¡¯ll treat her to lunch some time.¡± Her lips formed into a smile while she fixes her eyeglass. I let go of Tia who is wary of her surrounding even now. Her eyes turned into that of a tiger that cautiously looked at the Guild Master. She still holds the hem of my shirt as she does so. ¡°It¡¯s okay Tia. Let¡¯s hear the Guild Master first.¡± ¡°Nuhaha~ Young¡¯un. Just refer to me by my name.¡± ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Florensia.¡± ¡°Florensia? That¡¯s the same with the town¡¯s name, huh.¡± ¡°Of course. It is named after me, after all.¡± ¡°Right, right. I see. That makes sense. Wait¡­ What?!¡± ¡°Nuhaha~ I see, you are surprised.¡± ¡­ It seems like convincing myself to get used to surprises in this world is just na?ve thinking on my part. Then if what she¡¯s saying is true¡­ ¡°Then, are you the witch who casted the spell and turned the town into a flower garden?¡± ¡°That is correct, is it not beautiful, if I say so myself?¡± Who would¡¯ve known¡­? To think that the Guild Master/Mayor of Florensia Town who turned out to be the witch from the story that I¡¯ve been hearing is right in front of me. From what I¡¯ve heard so far from Ceres and Anya, there was a witch who casted an original spell to have all the flowers bloom in this town. Before that time, the town didn¡¯t have a name and the mayor then was great friends with the witch. They got along so well that they treated each other as sisters. Anya liked the story since it resembles her relationship with Ceres. When the mayor was about to die, the Witch casted her original spell as thanks for everything the mayor has done for her. But I didn¡¯t think that the witch would then succeed the position of the Mayor, and now the Guild Master. ¡°Yeah. It is. But I just couldn¡¯t believe that you were that witch from the story that I¡¯ve heard before. That was centuries ago.¡± ¡°Is that so? Are you not curious about my age then, young¡¯un~?¡± ¡°Well I can vaguely tell already. A lady¡¯s age is an important matter, right?¡± ¡°Nuhahaha~ I am impressed. You¡¯re reactions are interesting and that straightforwardness of yours¡­ Fufu¡­ Your face does not really match your personality, eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡± ¡°And this lad even called me a lady, eh Lucia? Certainly, you are different from the past adventurers that I have met. You can be at ease with me. I personally permit you to do so.¡± ¡°I see. That would greatly help, then.¡± I stopped being formal at her request but I still find it with for her to be like that with me. Am I really that interesting to begin with? Well, all I do is be just honest with my desires. She¡¯s a great witch from what I¡¯ve heard and she¡¯s probably wiser than any person in this town much more because of her age. But for her to take up the role of the Mayor and Guild Master of this town, she must be quite the skilled and capable person in the history of Florensia Town. I really must not get careless and underestimate her just because of her appearance. ¡°Well then, you two young¡¯uns. You are wondering why I know the real identity of the little one there, are you not~?¡± Tia remained alarmed while staring at the grinning Guild Master. Because of her circumstances, she really need to hide her identity from anyone, much more to an influential person like the Guild Master. ¡°Nuhahaha~ I will appreciate it if you do not look at me like that, dear. But it cannot be helped when the throne is at risk, eh?¡± ¡°¡­ You even know that much. Hans¡­ We should get out of here.¡± ¡°Wait, Tia. We have to hear her reasons. We can¡¯t leave without getting the whole picture.¡± I pat her head for reassurance but it didn¡¯t wash away her anxiety from our current situation. ¡°Do not be alarmed, my dear. I do not want any trouble occur in my town, after all. I swear to you with my name at stake, I will not tell a soul about this. Happy~?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Tia relaxed her gripped on my shirt after hearing the promise of the Guild Master. But it seems like she¡¯s still bothered by it as she did not let go of my shirt even now. ¡°As the authority who governs this place, I must know all the people who goes in and out here, you see. Even that little rascal who kidnapped your friend. If I did not notice you taking some actions I would have done something about it personally. Since it may be something¡­ troublesome, indeed.¡± ¡°I see. If you know that much. I can guess, you must have called me other than the issue with the loot from the Chaos Wolf. Am I correct?¡± ¡°Nuhahaha~ I like men with brains. That is exactly right.¡± She laughs as she spread the fan on her hand and hid her lips afterwards. Then the tension got bit more heavier than it was before. She looked straight at me with peering eyes. The curled lips that was there before is now gone when she folded the fan right away. I felt a shiver ran down my spine when her aura suddenly changed. ¡°I¡¯m proud of my intel when it comes to people who enters my town. But¡­¡± She then pointed the fan towards my direction. ¡°I could not get a single information about you, dear Black Sheep. Who¡­ in the world are you¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I see. So it has come to this. I¡¯ve sort of figured it out after talking with her for a while that she¡¯s knowledgeable about her residents. And of course, that goes the same for me who just recently entered her territory. ¡°The ¡®Classifier¡¯, which never had a problem before, failed to make a normal bracelet. Yours is pitch black. It could not even classify your¡­ class. You are strong enough to take on Ground Arachnias and their Queen for a newcomer. And lastly, powerful enough to kill a Chaos Wolf.¡± ¡°Hm. I see. I¡¯ve been watched this entire time, huh.¡± ¡°That goes without saying, young¡¯un. You are one of my residents now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± So I guess she¡¯s not that hostile towards me? ¡°I have been releasing bloodlust towards you ever since you entered my premise as a form of a test, but¡­ You do not seem to be bothered by it at least. A normal adventurer would have definitely fell unconscious with their mouth foaming.¡± ¡°So that was the shiver I¡¯ve been feeling¡­¡± ¡°Shiver? Just a shiver, you say eh? Even with the help of the little one there, it is still impossible for a single person to defeat a Chaos Wolf. Now, enlighten me, young¡¯un. Who are you?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Should I tell them? My life here is at stake, I can somehow tell that even if she calls me her resident. An unknown entity that barged in to your territory is something to be wary off. That is a normal response. But now¡­ ¡°I am¡­¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°I am a chef in Lunaria Caf¨¦ and a G rank adventurer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Saying that, followed blank faces from everyone inside the room. Of course that goes the same for Tia as well. It seems like they were expecting something from me but I just really can¡¯t tell the reason how I got here. Ceres and Anya are different. But in this case with the Guild Master who is a figure of authority, I cannot freely disclose my identity to her. ¡°Nuhahahaha! I see, I see! You, young¡¯un is a chef and an adventurer, eh? Is that so~ Well, I will not pry in too much. It was just a whim of mine. Forgive me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. No harm was done.¡± ¡°An open minded lad as well, I see. That is making me like you all the more~¡± She licks her lips while leering at me with her large, round squinty eyes. I have to change the topic before anything worse happens. ¡°Then? What is the reason you got us here?¡± ¡°Fufu. Took us long enough, eh?¡± And whose fault is that? Is what I wanted to say but the conversation won¡¯t move along so I just swallowed my words. ¡°There is a hidden activity that is happening recently in the shadows of the town.¡± As if she could not wait any longer, Lucia¡¯s the one who proceeded to explain the matters in Florensia¡¯s stead. ¡°Hidden activity?¡± ¡°That is right, young¡¯un. You know I have a full grasp of every movements in my town. But this time, those rodents are doing something to prevent me from peering inside. I have told you that my connection is something not to be underestimated but this time¡­ They have done it and I am not pleased¡­¡± It¡¯s obvious that she didn¡¯t take the news pleasantly as her expression turns into that of irritation. ¡°It happened just right after the day when you rescued Ceres. We¡¯ve sent people to investigate the site and found a small letter from the room.¡± They¡¯ve got great intel and even people to investigate. In that short span of time, they¡¯ve already located the place where we were locked and even got found an important piece of information. The only thing I got in my mind that time was to get Cers and Tia out of there so I just left it as is. But from the words of the robed man¡­ ¡°¡­ Resuretia.¡± ¡°Oh my? You have already heard about it?¡± ¡°No. I heard the man who kidnapped Ceres and Tia say that. From what he have said, it seems like he¡¯s working under an organization of some sort. That was the time I judged that it was not just simply a kidnapping incident but a plan that is being executed.¡± ¡°¡­ Nuhahahaha~! Impressive, young¡¯un~! I¡¯m very impressed! It seems like I did not have to worry about this if you have already thought about that that far.¡± ¡°It was just me putting small pieces together. I still haven¡¯t grasped the whole situation.¡± Saying that, Lucia hands me over a small piece of paper, battered and folded. I opened it up and an insignia was perfectly drawn inside. ¡°That is the insignia of the Resuretia. An underground organization with the goal of resurrecting the Goddess of Disorder, Tehalia.¡± ¡°Goddess of Disorder¡­ From her name, it seems like they¡¯re resurrecting one of the 12 goddesses.¡± I still haven¡¯t yet heard anything about the 12 goddesses. My information about them is first, about their names being used for the months, second is a goddess named Seres who saved the world a long time ago, and lastly is that one of the goddesses, a Faunalian goddess who is still active for her race. ¡°Right. Let me brief you aout the twelve goddesses first. There are twelve goddesses that governed the whole universe. The first seven goddess are those who are responsible for and created the residents of this world. Oliel is the goddess of the humans and she¡¯s the one responsible for creating the human race. The Faunalian goddess, Toraste; the Demon goddess, Theis; The Dwarver goddess, Fovien; the Angel goddess, Faisten; and the Elven goddess, Sielma.¡± ¡°I see. Being that Faunalian goddess, Toraste, still active and uses her blessings for her kin, does that mean that the others are still active as a goddess?¡± There seems to be no reason to hide things from Florensia so I used the information that I¡¯ve gathered so far to inquire more. ¡°As far as I know, humans, faunalians, elves, and angels have their goddesses bless their creations even now and uses their powers to make them prosper. On the other hand, the goddess of the Dwarves is still missing and the Demon goddess, is now gone.¡± ¡°Gone? Did she die or something?¡± ¡°Yes. She was also the Demon Lord who got defeated during the Cursed Age and is now buried at the demon continent.¡± ¡°Hm. Using the information you gave me so far, does that mean that the goddesses can interfere with the people and the world?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But goddess move on a whim so they can be quite unpredictable.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I¡¯d like to meet one. ¡°Contuining. The Moon goddess, Seres; the Earth goddess, Estra; the Sky goddess, Noires; the Water goddess, Till; the goddess of Harmony, Efolga; and lastly the goddess of disorder, Tehalia.¡± From what I¡¯ve heard from Anya, earth in this world means the ground and what grows from it. It¡¯s different from the one in my world which is the actual name of the planet. This world here, on the other hand, is named Vaniflan. When I first heard it, I suddenly craved for something sweet. I listened carefully at Lucia¡¯s words and made a mental note of them inside my mind as I do so. These should help me better understand the way and logic of this world. ¡°The twelve goddess worked together harmoniously with their head goddess, Elfoga. Everything went well and all the races joined together as one. But because of Tehalia¡¯s nature as the goddess of disorder, she wreaked havoc around the world and ended up making all the other goddesses her enemy. After a long hard fight, the goddess of disorder was defeated and is now sealed in an ancient artifact and is considered dead. And later that ancient artifact became known as the Staff of Oblivion.¡± Staff of Oblivion¡­ So the goddess was sealed in a weapon, huh. ¡°But a few years ago, that Staff of Oblivion disappeared from the hands of the Kingdom and that single piece of paper was the only thing that was left.¡± ¡°Resuretia¡­¡± So after procuring the Staff of Oblivion where the goddess of disorder was sealed, they now plan to resurrect her. ¡°Their goals after the resurrection is still unknown, but their movements have become more and more apparent every time an incident will happen. It seems like they have made a base around the town and are planning something that concerns this place. They may cause a scene that will be quite troublesome if not stopped.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm¡­¡± Honestly, I¡¯ve already gotten the whole picture. And that this will become something big-scale. An underground organization, more like a cult, is trying to resurrect their hailed goddess and will plan to conquer the world. I¡¯ve read enough fantasy books where similar cases happens and the main character will go and fight them to prevent the incoming disaster. Using the power they¡¯ve got to defeat the evil and bring peace to the world afterwards. But I¡¯m no main character of a story. This is reality right now. ¡°So? What do you plan to do after telling me all this?¡± ¡°Young¡¯un. ¡­ Will you help us when the time comes?¡± Florensia leaned forward while supporting herself with her elbow on the desk and asked me in a straightforward manner. ¡°Hmm¡­ Couldn¡¯t you do something about it when that time comes?¡± ¡°¡­ You are right. For hidden reason, I cannot leave here in this room.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave? You mean you¡¯ve stayed here ever since you¡¯ve become the mayor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s awful¡­ Not being able to go out and appreciate the things the outside world can bring. ¡°I see.¡± Honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m not the perfect person to leave the role to. There are other adventurers that are far more stronger than me and ranks higher than me. Just the thought of leaving a huge mission to a Rank G adventurer like me is pushing it too much. Wait¡­ Leaving it to¡­ me¡­? ¡°Florensia. Does this case concerns me, by other chance?¡± ¡°Heeeh~ As expected of the Black Sheep. Quick on the pickup, eh~? That is right. This does concern you.¡± Just as I thought. This person in front of me is not someone who would move just because of what interest her, well maybe, but I just know that when it comes to her town, she will do what is best for the current situation. That¡¯s what I get from talking with her. ¡°The girl in your restaurant. Ceres, is their target, young¡¯un.¡± ¡°Wha-? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ My dear Black Sheep. I think I am in no position to tell you the story. You have to hear it from the missus if you want.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± It seems like a delicate matter. But if I connect the dots from here. I can already guess what this will be all about. ¡°So I want you to keep an eye on her every now and then.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡°Well! That is that for the stiff talk~ Now, there is something to confirm with the little one there.¡± ¡°Me¡­?¡± ¡°That is right. I want to tell you¡­ As long as you are here in my town, you do not have to worry about anything. I will act independently but I will not let anyone touch you in here. Remember that, you got me?¡± ¡°¡­! Guild Master¡­!¡± ¡°Let me see, come here.¡± Saying that, Florensia patted her lap as she signal Tia to come. ¡°Okay!¡± Tia then went directly to sit on Florensia¡¯s lap. ¡°Umu. Now this is what I call bliss. Nuhahaha~¡± Tia now, who is now sat on the Guild Master¡¯s, is having her head pat by the Guild Master. At first I thought it would be weird for two small girls to do but it seems like it¡¯s not that bad. In terms of height, Florensia is much taller than Tia, reaching that of a second year middle schooler. But for Tia, who is even for her race and age is considered small, she just fit perfectly on Florensia¡¯s lap. ¡°I¡¯m being healed¡­~ Don¡¯t you think so too, Lucia?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ *slurp*¡± ¡°L-Lucia¡­?¡± I looked at Lucia and found her intently staring at them while moving her fingers in a creepy way. She even drools while doing so. Well, I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s feeling. Seeing this splendid spectacle is sight for sore eyes indeed. ¡­ .. . ¡°Heya, Ms. Receptionist.¡± ¡°Kyaaa! It¡¯s the Black Sheep!! He¡¯s talking to me!! What should I do?? How should I respond¡­? *blush*¡± First, ask me why I came to the reception corner. The receptionist wriggles on her sit while holding her blushing cheeks. Even the receptionists are like this. I guess there¡¯s no longer a way to prevent this kind of treatment. I just have to get used to it. ¡°I came to purchase a skill.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. I understand, please wait for a while.¡± Wow. What a quick switchover. She was just wriggling and swaying from left to write and now her face is that of a serious receptionist with her usual business smile. But that¡¯s really admirable. These people in the reception corner really does their best when it comes to their job. ¡°You¡¯ve really become famous, huh Hans? Are you going to pat their heads too??¡± ¡°Well, well, now don¡¯t sulk.¡± ¡°Pui. I¡¯m not sulking.¡± Ah¡­~ She¡¯s cute too when she¡¯s getting jealous. I want to poke those round cheeks. But what does she mean by me patting their heads¡­? ¡°In what class, Sir Black Sheep?¡± So she won¡¯t stop calling me that, huh¡­ ¡°That is¡­ Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a class as of the moment. But I already registered.¡± ¡°Is that so. Well then, there are skills for those who have not yet decided on what class they want. Do you wish to check them out?¡± ¡°That would help. Is there a skill that can make you communicate with a person without having to meet them?¡± Right. I came here to look for a skill that lets me communicate even from a distance. The case that Florensia was talking about, being Ceres their target, I can¡¯t just seat around waiting and do nothing. Florensia mentioned that they are still keeping an eye for those suspicious movements in the shadows and it seems like they won¡¯t be moving any time soon. But I still have to prepare just in case. I can¡¯t let something happen just because of my leniency. ¡°If that is the case, there is the skill, ¡®[Telepathy].¡¯¡± ¡°Hm. Alright. How much will it cost by the way?¡± ¡°That will be 230 gold.¡± ¡°*cough* t¡­ 230 gold¡­ Ah. Can I just exchange the monster crystal from the Chaos Wolf?¡± ¡°Yes, it is possible. Will that be okay?¡± ¡°Sure. Please do.¡± I didn¡¯t think a skill would cost this much. ¡°Are skills really this expensive?¡± ¡°That is not the case with every skills. Telepathy is an exception because it is a special skill that concerns the psychology of the user. Another factor is it being a dangerous skill that can be used by those with evil intentions.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That makes sense. The receptionist then brought out something that looks like the Classifier that I used when I went to register as an adventurer and began typing something on the hologram that looks like a keyboard. High-tech¡­ Lucia granted me the possession of the monster crystal, mana core, and the Chaos Metal after the talk with Florensia. The monster crystal was big enough to take up a huge carriage and they had to roll it around to bring it to town, so I just planned to exchange it for money. I first thought of absorbing it but they may suspect something if something of that size suddenly disappeared and begin asking me where I put it. That would be the last thing I would want. But the crystal points that I may get from that are truly something to regret for¡­ I wonder just how much crystal points I will get from that¡­ I told them that I will be having the mana core and made an excuse like giving it to a magician friend of mine who wants it. Well, in this case, I won¡¯t mind about the monster crystal anymore. But the mana core is a different matter. That is the only way for me to gain a skill at the moment. I can¡¯t let the chance pass. The Chaos Metal is the fur of the Chaos Wolf that hardened like a metal. I had them keep the Chaos Metal for now. I plan to have it made into an armor or a weapon but I still don¡¯t have a class and I don¡¯t know what to make it into so that will be held off for now. ¡°Well then, please place your bracelet here.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I inserted my hand into the machine that is now glowing. ¡°It will now read your bracelet and load the skill in it. The bracelet then will ingrain the skill in your body using the mana inside you.¡± I see. So that¡¯s why I feel like something is being sucked out from my core. ¡°Alright. Skill learning complete. You may now remove your hand. (Kyaa!! I touched Black Sheep¡¯s hand!!!)¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Muu¡­¡± I pat Tia¡¯s head is now pouting even more. I have to make up to her for this later. ¡°Well then, I will be explaining the skill. Please open your bracelet terminal.¡± ¡°Got it.¡±
[Name]: Hans Alius Schmidt [Class]: None
[Sex]: Male [Level]: 50
[Race]: Human [Rank]: G
[TITLE]
Black Sheep
[SKILLS]
[Active Skill] [Passive Skills]
[Quest/s]
I need Glow Stones! Gather me some! Contents: I want you to get me 20 Glow Stones from the Ground Dungeon near Florensia Town. Really need it for my experiment, ya hear me?? This is an easy quest, if you fail I¡¯ll come and find you and use your bodies for my experiment! Got it?! Just look out so that you won¡¯t be arachnia feed! I¡¯ll give you one week to finish this quest! Reward: 2 silver coins Status: Ongoing
[Party Members/Raid Members]
(None)
I browsed at my bracelet terminal and noticed a new section in it. The Skill section. It¡¯s much closer now to my status display but the status numbers are still nowhere to be found. And the skills that I get from normal means like the skills I got from the mana core and from the contract with Tia were not displayed here. That should mean that only skills that I got from the Guild will show here, huh? That¡¯s convenient for me if ever I needed to show this to someone. Hm. So it¡¯s just level 1, huh. And because of how I defeated the Chaos Wolf, even without the proper assessment of a quest or the likes, the Guild granted my level up and now I instantly got into level 50 which is the maximum level for rank G. And now I¡¯ve got a title in my bracelet terminal on top of that. ¡°The skill Telepathy is used to communicate with certain person of the user¡¯s choice. The user can register a person they want to communicate with and the registered person can call the user back anytime they want. But the registered person can only call the user and no one else.¡± I see. If they could use it like the user too then there would be no need to buy it. You can just ask someone with the skill and register you as a recipient of the skill and use it for yourself. If this skill is made by a person, they really know their stuff. ¡°How can I register someone then?¡± ¡°Just think of the person and say the word Telepathy in your mind, it will immediately connect you to that person.¡± What convenience. This is much better than a cellphone.¡± ¡°But be careful. A registered person can have it removed if they wanted to in the Guild or cut the Telepathy itself. Please use it accordingly.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Somehow I now got worried about using it to contact Ceres¡­ ¡°Let me try it.¡± I tried to imagine her face in my mind and¡­ Telepathy *click* A weird clicking sound rang inside my head. ¡°Huh? Telepathy? Who?¡± The I heard Ceres voice from inside my head like there¡¯s a speaker inside. ¡°Heya! Ceres! It¡¯s me.¡± *bzzt* ¡°¡­ It got cut off¡­¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± ¡°Sir Black Sheep, how will you be using the rest of your money?¡± ¡°Ah. Yeah. How much do I still have?¡± ¡°You still have 270 gold.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± I got a little bit rich in that instant¡­ ¡­ .. . Chapter 19 End
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One, Black Sheep
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
Agility 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)(+500)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 9/10 Harden Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 1/10
Mana Burst Lv. 1/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Telepathy Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 0
Chapter 20: Skills and Abilities ¡°Tia! We¡¯re going to use Beast Soul Activation!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I placed my palm which has the symbol of a magic circle with a soul drawn on it on Tia¡¯s back. Then followed by an illuminating huge magic circle on our ground and a powerful surge of wind, blowing away the swarm of monsters that are coming straight at us. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The skill is activated and now the casting is complete. Tia, who¡¯s been known for her small and cute stature, now stands proudly with her young adult form that gives off an aura of dignity. Much like a real princess. But¡­ ¡°¡­!! Kyaaaaa!!¡± ¡°Hm¡­ We really need to do something about your clothes ripping when your transform, huh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just casually stare at me with that serious expression! Look away!¡± ¡°Oops, my bad. My eyes were gravitated. I didn¡¯t had full control over that. You were just appealing and all.¡± ¡°W-Well¡­ I-It¡¯s not like I mind¡­ Ehe¡­¡± Saying that she held her cheeks while still covering her chest and uses her fluffy tail to cover her crotch. ¡°Here.¡± I gave her my leather jacket and let her use it for a while. I really need to think about how we could use the Beast Soul Activation without ripping her clothes to shreds. ¡°We¡¯re going in, Tia!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Hm. It seems like she¡¯s picking up things from me now. Does she even know what that means? We¡¯ve been inside the dungeon for about 3 hours now with a rest of 1 hour while having lunch, so maybe she¡¯s been hearing such things from me and tried to use them. ¡°Hah!¡± Mana Burst! *boom!* I used my fist to attack the incoming swarm of Ground Arachnia. Channeling my mana to my fist was a lot of hurdle than I thought and adjusting the output drains a lot of my energy. I¡¯ve been trying to use the skills since we¡¯ve entered the Ground Dungeon to test its capabilities and use it perfectly without exerting much effort than when I first used it. Mana Burst uses my mana as an input and the effect of its damage depends on how much mana I use. The less mana I use, the less effort I have to give whenever I use it. I can just punch something using a pinch of mana but the effect is just above my usual strength. On the other hand, when I apply too much mana, my fist gets heavier than a 3 Rocket Propelled Grenade, like all those are weighing just on that hand alone. But the impact of it is much larger a hundred times my usual strength. To the point it creates an explosion. ¡°Hans! Look out!¡± ¡°¡­ Hm.¡° ¡°Hiya!!¡± *fwoosh!!* An incoming Unique Ground Monster came attacking me from behind so Tia rushed to my side and block the attack, returning a counter that obliterated it in an instant. I know I could trust Tia with it so I didn¡¯t feel the need to act. Whenever we got the chance, Tia and I use the Beast Soul Activation to test where it can get us to. From what I¡¯ve gathered so far,
  • Tia¡¯s physical abilities triples from her original strength and adds half of my physical abilities to hers. Which means, half of my status points are shared with her. If she tried to punch a rock with her usual strength, she can leave a visible crack in it. But when she¡¯s in Beast Soul mode, she can make the rock crumble into small pieces. Aside from the Activation, I got a good grasp of her real strength now that I¡¯ve seen it personally. She¡¯s strong for her small body.
  • We can use it for about 10 minutes at a time. After using it, she will revert back into her original form and will turn sluggish for about 5 minutes because of the strain. We have to rest for a while before continuing. When she recovers from it, we can use it again for another 10 minutes. It seems like its energy input is my mana. As long as I have mana, the only problem is waiting for her sluggish state to cease. Though I just can¡¯t let her be that way all the time so I do it in moderation.
  • In my case, it doubles my original Strength, Agility, and Defense, aside from the permanent buff that I received from the contract. With that, I gain triple of my original status whenever we use Beast Soul Activation. Other than that, I don¡¯t feel anything like whenever she goes into a sluggish state.
¡°Did you see that, Hans?! Haha~! When I get serious, that¡¯s just a walk in the park! Hehe!¡±
  • Lastly, whenever Tia goes into her transformed state. Her personality turns a complete 180. From the innocent and pure, but sometimes a little bit flamboyant, now becomes completely flamboyant, befitting her title as a princess. Though, her smile is much brighter when she¡¯s like that. I guess, that¡¯s her real identity. Along with her golden fur covered wrist and ankles, her adult appeal is very discernible.
And that¡¯s mostly for the Beast Soul Activation. I¡¯ve also tested a lot of things besides the power that I got from the contract when we entered the dungeon. First my Strength. I¡¯m going to use the example with Tia¡¯s. When I punch a boulder with my bare hands, I can destroy it leaving it in crumbles without any problems. Just like the time when I bore a whole through a tree without any effort, I can use it without breaking a sweat. But when I use Mana Burst with its maximum capacity with my current abilities, I can leave the boulder disintegrated, leaving nothing behind along with the huge crater on the ground. But my arm would hella lot hurt after it though. When I use the Activation and punch the boulder, I can somehow achieve nearly the same result when I use Mana Burst. Though, I haven¡¯t tried using it with its full capacity when we¡¯re in Beast Soul mode. Up until this time, I only use a small amount of mana when I use it. Now my Agility. I can somehow run a lot faster than a regular athlete without any problems. I was fleet with my feet when I was a soldier and can do it when I put my hips on it. But this time, I can do that easily. But casting a skill is different with nimbleness and I still have a hard time making it fast enough to follow my speed. As for my Intelligence. I didn¡¯t get to test it for obvious reason. I still don¡¯t have any magic skills or the likes. I¡¯m starting to get discouraged if I certainly used the crystal points correctly, putting it all in my intelligence. It seems like Mana Burst is based on my intelligence, but without properly increasing it to test it out, I can¡¯t be all too sure. In my Defense¡¯s case. The more I look at it the more I get depressed¡­ Why is it only 15 when I started?? Is it because I was not from this world and was born a fragile and weak human?? It doubled from the contract but it¡¯s still 30 if you add it up! It¡¯s my weakest status! Though when I tried it, it seems its good enough, maybe it¡¯s the Damage Resistance and Harden skills doing their part. But I still feel the impact and the attack from the monster still damages me. I can¡¯t say it got me sturdy enough, but I can¡¯t also say that I¡¯m still weak where I can be killed by bullets just like back when I died. Though I doubt it won¡¯t still hurt a lot. Whenever a Ground Arachnia uses its leg to strike a piercing attack, the leg will still pierce my skin but it stops after a centimeter or two. And those attacks can pierce a wall too to top it off. So it¡¯s in between the degree of weak and strong. ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it, I guess?¡± *poof!* ¡°Y-Yeeesh¡­¡± ¡°Whoa there.¡± Tia sluggishly fell down so I catch her with my arms. It seems like the 10 minute limit have passed and now she¡¯s back to her original form. So now she¡¯s in her sluggish state. ¡°Good work out there.¡± ¡°Ehehe~ Pat me~¡± And selfish state. A state where she liked to be spoiled rotten. More than usual. Normally she really likes being spoiled by Anya. But now when she¡¯s like this, she does it even to me. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± I pat her head as per her demand and she flashed a delightful expression, contorting her brows to the middle with a huge trembling smile on her lips. ¡°Ehehe¡­ I¡¯m praised by Hans¡­~¡± Kuh¡­ What¡¯s with this adorable creature¡­ I want to take her home¡­! Though we live together! ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while. We¡¯ll continue after you recovered your strength. But with me saying that, I think we need to return now. It will be late if we take more time here.¡± ¡°Oookaaay¡­ Ehehe~ Pat my head more¡­~¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± She snuggles on my chest as she urge me for another head pat. Geez. This selfish Faunalian really is demanding when she¡¯s like this¡­ Ehe¡­ I¡¯m being healed¡­~ While resting, I took the opportunity to check up on my bracelet terminal and status display. First my bracelet terminal,
[Name]: Hans Alius Schmidt [Class]: None
[Sex]: Male [Level]: 12
[Race]: Human [Rank]: F
[TITLE]
Black Sheep
[SKILLS]
[Active Skill] [Passive Skills]
[QUEST/S]
I need Glow Stones! Gather me some! Contents: I want you to get me 20 Glow Stones from the Ground Dungeon near Florensia Town. Really need it for my experiment, ya hear me?? This is an easy quest, if you fail I¡¯ll come and find you and use your body for my experiment! Got it?! Just look out so that you won¡¯t be Arachnia feed! Reward: 2 silver coins Status: Ongoing
[Party Members/Raid Members]
(None)
No matter how I look at it, the contents of our quest is really bothering me. It¡¯s an easy task for me even without having to form a party but I just wonder if this quest was taken by other adventurers unknowingly what the contents are. But based from the contents, the client must be a magician then? Anyway, after achieving the maximum rank of Rank G which is level 50, I got the approval of raising my rank to the next and now I¡¯m a Level 12 Rank F. Usually there would be a test to qualify an adventurer to raise their rank, but they instantly approved mine since me defeating the Chaos Wolf is proof enough that I¡¯m already qualified, or is what they said, no, it was what Florensia said. Though I insisted on taking the exam, I just got kicked out of the room and took the necessary procedures. For 3 hours now, we¡¯ve been killing monsters and gathering their monster crystals and some mana core that drops. And somehow because of that, my level now became what it is now. For level F, I have to level up to 100 to raise my rank once again. It¡¯s still far away now since I kind of feel like the leveling is starting to slow down after killing these many Ground Arachnias. And from what I¡¯ve heard from Lucia, it seems like the level has an actual effect on the adventurer. The higher the level, the stronger the effect. With each level, the bracelet uses a technology that enhances the wearer¡¯s abilities depending on the class. For example, if a swordsman raises his level, his strength and defense increase with each level. For magician, their intelligence and magic affinity raises with each level. The Bracelet gathers the exceptional mana for the wearer¡¯s class and purifies it to fit their bodily functions, amplifying their abilities as they level. An adventurer can purchase a [Terminal Append] to add the information about the wearer¡¯s abilities, or status to be more precise. But it can cost quite an amount so not many adventurers buy it. On the other hand, the difference with mine is, they can¡¯t freely choose which status to increase and what to not. I was starting to wonder what was the difference of it with mine, so I was a bit baffled by why I even had the status display in the first place. But I guess it was a needless worry. And because of how an adventurer can raise his or her strength by leveling up, I began to wonder how strong those in the Rank S¡¯s are. I want to meet one.
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One, Black Sheep
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
AgilityUnauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)(+500)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 10/10 Harden Lv. 1/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 1/10
Mana Burst Lv. 3/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Telepathy Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 0
As for my status display, it seems like the title I got was also registered in it. I¡¯ve already gathered a number of monster crystal to absorb and some mana core for me to level up Harden and Damage Resistance skills. I¡¯ve got enough money so I plan to absorb everything. Lucia explained to me how titles work before we go out for our quest. A Title is a form of second name that are acquired after getting recognition from many people. If a community unanimously agree and recognize the strength and authority of that person and somehow a nickname was brought out from those people, it will be registered by the bracelet as a Title. But if it¡¯s something just to mock a person because of a negative impression, the bracelet can read it and won¡¯t register it then. That way, the possible conflicts inside the Guild will be lessen. Really high-tech if you ask me¡­ It¡¯s somehow something like a mysterious phenomenon is what Lucia said to me. It was already occurring even before the invention of bracelets. So there¡¯s still not enough explanation about it. I got a bit worried if my Title turned out to be lame¡­ Good thing Black Sheep is a bit on the normal side, is what my heartfelt thoughts then. It is still not proven but some say that Titles makes an adventurer stronger. And I can actually testify to that if I just use my status display as a basis. It turned out, after receiving the title, it gave me additional 500 status points in my intelligence. To prove it, I then placed my finger tip on the display where the title is. Yep. It is the one responsible for that additional 500 points. But that relentless planning and deception¡­ It makes me look like a bad guy here. ¡°Hans¡­? What are you doing?¡± IT seems like she noticed my wry smile and went to ask. ¡°Hm? I¡¯m just making a mental record of my adventures.¡± ¡°*giggle* What¡¯s with that?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Just rest for a while.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± She closed her eyes while I still continue to rub her hair. Mana Burst. It looks like I¡¯ve reached its maximum and it¡¯s no wonder since its range got a lot wider. Now I can detect mana even with the town¡¯s perimeter. That was huge power up if I say so myself. Crush Strike is also now at level 10 where I can use it to just strike the ground for an area damage. And the power is not something to belittle even if it does not hit the target itself. As for my passive skill, I haven¡¯t leveled them up since I haven¡¯t absorbed the mana cores that I¡¯ve got. I¡¯ll have to carefully do them later. ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it for now, I guess.¡± After organizing the information that I¡¯ve got in my head, I then relaxed my whole body and mind. Oh right, I should contact Ceres. ¡°¡­¡± Telepathy. I asked a detailed explanation how Telepathy works from the receptionist. Registering someone only needs the user to think of the target receiver while recalling their name, face, and personality for specifications. It will then connect after chanting the word ¡®Telepathy.¡¯ The user can¡¯t register someone who he or she doesn¡¯t personally know or is acquainted with. On the other hand, if the receiver doesn¡¯t want to connect with the user anymore, he or she can go to the guild for it to be removed and blocked until he or she no longer want to. They say it¡¯s made like that for security and privacy purposes. There¡¯s also how the receiver can use it to communicate with the user. But he or she can only use it to the user. Just like how it is used by the user, he or she just have to recall the requirements and chant the word. To cut the Telepathy, just think of an imaginary button and click it with the intention of cutting the call. ¡°What it is, slime¡­?¡± I then heard Ceres voice loud and clear inside my head. When I left, Ceres and Anya were preparing for work so I thought they would still be working right now. But seems like she¡¯s nowhere near tired based on her voice. Though I can¡¯t deny the irritated tone in it. ¡°Nah, I was just wondering how you are doing right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Is that all?¡± ¡°Well, it is but accompany me here for a while.¡± I tried to prolong the conversation. I can¡¯t remove the worry in my head after hearing the news from Florensia. I just can¡¯t seem to calm down now that I know Ceres may be in danger any time. ¡°*sigh* Isn¡¯t Tia with you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sleeping right now. We¡¯re resting for a while.¡± ¡°Hm. Don¡¯t you push her too hard, you hear me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I keep that in check.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Are there no customers?¡± ¡°Yeah. I closed the store for a short while. I had Anya rest. It seems like the fatigue is catching up to her.¡± She¡¯d even go that far, closing the restaurant, for Anya, huh. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you too push yourself too hard with, okay?¡± ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t you hear me? There are no customers as of the moment.¡± ¡°Haha. Right. But still.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Well¡­ Thank you. I make sure I won¡¯t. But it¡¯s not because you said so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Is it because we¡¯re not talking personally? Or is it because my concern got across? It really feels nice hearing her say those words¡­ ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And by the way, why did you use Telepathy on me?¡± ¡°¡­ I just wanted to. Did I do something unnecessary, perhaps?¡± ¡°Totally.¡± ¡°Urk¡­ It¡¯s just me being concerned, you know¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Mm. I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°¡­ Y-Yeah. I¡¯ll be hanging up now. I¡¯ll come home soon.¡± ¡°Sure. Bye.¡± What in the world was that¡­? First, she¡¯s all thorny to me and just a little more, she¡¯ll want me dead. But then the next, she becomes honest all of a sudden. I just can¡¯t see her real intentions. ¡­ But there is something that I want her to know in spite of that. ¡°Ceres!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I just wanted to make something sure to you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely keep you safe. I promise.¡± ¡°*cough!* Wha¡­ What are you saying out of the blue¡­??¡± I said so without a shred of lie. When I make up my mind with something, I will make sure to see through it until the end. And that goes the same with my promise with Anya to keep Ceres safe. And bring her back if something happens. Though nothing happening is still the best outcome that can happen. ¡°Haha. I just wanted to tell you that.¡± ¡°H-Hm¡­ I-I see¡­ I¡¯m not expecting from the likes of you, but¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll be cutting it off now. Bye!¡± ¡°Bye.¡± And the Telepathy was cut off. But¡­ Was it because we¡¯re using Telepathy and not talking personally, so she could act like that? But if I use that as a conclusion¡­ Is there a problem with how I look? That¡¯s just the possible explanation I can think up for now. ¡­ .. . We¡¯ve gathered all the necessary Glow Stone and now, we¡¯re right in front of the reception desk. I place the bag of Glow Stones in the desk so the receptionist proceeded to check for the quantity. Before coming here, I took Tia home since she¡¯s all exhausted and could no longer stay awake because of the strain. I told myself that I would careful about that but it seems I pushed her too hard. I have to apologize to her later. ¡°We have received the requested materials certainly. We appreciate your good work.¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s no problem.¡± The receptionist bows and shows her gratitude. ¡°The reward of 2 silver coins will be sent to your bank, will that be okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Since I didn¡¯t have anything in particular to buy in a moment¡¯s notice, I just followed her advice. In the Guild, an adventurer can make an account for a bank and leave all his or her money there. I¡¯ve gotten myself a bit of wealth from exchanging the monster crystal from the Chaos Wolf so I was given an option to choose. As expected, I can¡¯t just bring out those 270 gold with me. Florensia Town is a fairly safe and secure town but no one knows what could happened outside and a little bit of precaution would never hurt. ¡°Hey, you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now I¡¯m done with my quest and have tested my skills and abilities, I can say I have my free time from now on. But I would still take my time from my day off to gather monster crystals to increase my status. ¡°Hey, I said.¡± Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t exchanged my monster crystals since I¡¯ve already earned a lot so I will definitely be using them to increase my status. I better be careful which to use them though. I can¡¯t have another case with the Chaos Wolf where I could not made use of the Intelligence at all. ¡°¡­ Grr¡­ You keep ignoring me. Hey, I said!¡± It¡¯s still past 4 in the afternoon so¡­ ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just help in the restaurant.¡± ¡°HEY, I SAID!!!¡± ¡°Uwah??¡± ¡°Finally!! *sigh!* Why did you keep ignoring me?? Do you have a problem with me, huh??¡± ¡°Uh¡­ My bad. It seems like I was spacing out.¡± ¡°Hmph! Forget it.¡± A woman wearing a red cloak, covering her whole body, suddenly appeared in front of me. I was a bit in a daze, maybe because of exhaustion but it seems like I didn¡¯t notice her calling out to me. She flipped her long and straight hair, which reminds me of Sofiel¡¯s because of its color. At first I thought she may be an elf because of her silver hair and only elves have that hair color. But the thought was thrown out of the box. As for the reason, after combing her hair with her finger to place it behind her ear, that ear is that of a human¡¯s. Her sharp stare from her slanted eyes gives off a courageous vibe. ¡°So, can I help you with something?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re the one who took my quest right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the quest to gather Glow Stones, yeah.¡± ¡°Is that so? Did you finish it already? Or have you given up already??¡± ¡°Nah. I¡¯m already done with it.¡± ¡°Heeeh¡­ In just less than a day? You¡¯re party members are strong then?¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re talking about my one member, she¡¯s quite strong. But I got into killing the Ground Arachnias so it got a bit late. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°¡­?? You¡¯re done with it with only just two person?? And you already took your time with that??¡± ¡°Y-Yeah? That¡¯s right, but¡­? Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°*mumble mumble* But I heard the Ground Arachnia¡¯s are getting violent recently and they¡¯ve grown in number, and they¡¯re all becoming Unique too on top of that¡­ I purposely chose this day since the Glow Stone¡¯s concentration will be much denser because of the monster¡¯s growth in population so I marked the quest to be a party recommended quest. At least, this should be quest for a party of Level 50 Rank F¡¯s for it to be done within a day, and less than half a day on top of that. A party at least should have a member of five persons but¡­ *mumble* But this guy just did it with just the two of them. Well there may be a possibility that this guy is strong and that person he¡¯s with is strong. But still¡­ No¡­ That can¡¯t be¡­ But if¡­. *mumble mumble*¡± ¡­ This person¡¯s weird. ¡°Hm? Did you just think of me as weird?¡± ¡°N-Not at all.¡± She¡¯s sharp. ¡°Hey, you.¡± ¡°Hans. You can call me Hans.¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m not asking your name.¡± Urk¡­ I wonder why¡­ She really reminds me of a certain someone. ¡°Well, Hans. What is your level and rank?¡± ¡°Hm. As of the moment¡­¡± I checked my bracelet terminal and it turns out¡­ ¡°Level 13 Rank F.¡± ¡­ I leveled just 1 more time on the way out, huh. ¡°¡­ Are you taking me for a fool?¡± ¡°Why would I? I just answered your question.¡± ¡°¡­ Do you think a Level 13 Rank F could finish that quest with only one party member in just a span of hours??¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the truth.¡± I don¡¯t get her since I just did them as I was testing my skills and abilities. ¡°¡­ Hmph. We¡¯ll meet again.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Saying that, she turned around while flipping her hair backwards and went directly towards the reception desk. ¡°That¡¯s one weird girl.¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°I¡¯m home~¡± ¡°Welcome home, Hans~¡± ¡°Just Anya?¡± ¡°Yep~ Ceres had some business to attend to~ And Tia is already asleep~¡± I found Anya folding the clothes in the living room and went directly to the refrigerator to have a nice, cold juice. It really hits the spot after a long tiring day out. It¡¯s already 8 in the evening and the restaurant is already closed for the day. Ceres is nowhere to be found and as Anya said, Tia is already sleeping. I really have pushed her too hard, I think. Well for now, I¡¯ll just help Anya with the clothes. She¡¯s the one who handles the laundry, even mine. This is the least I can do to help. I¡¯m really grateful to her. After talking with the weird girl at the Guild, Lucia called me to the Guild¡¯s office and got trapped by Florensia. I spent hours just to give her company, saying she¡¯s lonely all by herself or always wanted to be with me and other stuff just to make me stay. I told Anya that I will be late anyways, but I had planned just to use my time to help in the restaurant though. But I shouldn¡¯t cry over spilt milk. ¡°Thinking about it, Ceres is always out for that business. Is something up?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­~¡± Anya paused for a while and placed her finger in her chin as she thinks. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her I told you, okay~?¡± ¡°Hm? Is it something I shouldn¡¯t hear about? Then I don¡¯t mind not hearing about it.¡± Thinking about how Ceres is around my presence, it can¡¯t be helped that she wants to hide something from me. Hm¡­ Or am I just getting TOO used to being hated now¡­? ¡°It¡¯s not like that. She doesn¡¯t want me to tell you anything, but¡­~ I¡¯m always getting worried in when this season comes¡­¡± ¡°Is there something special going to happen?¡± ¡°Special¡­ Or like, it¡¯s her parents¡¯ death anniversary. 10 days from now, actually.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± ¡°She¡¯s been gathering the flowers her parents really love. But they¡¯re all in dangerous places so I always get worried whenever.¡± I¡¯ve already heard about her parents (in a worst possible way though), that they¡¯re not already in this world. And their way of passing is not pleasing to hear at all. They were killed by the robed man who kidnapped Ceres just recently and that it was done because of the killer¡¯s whim. ¡°Anya.¡± ¡°Hm~?¡± ¡°May I ask when did Ceres lose her parents?¡± ¡°¡­ I also don¡¯t know much about what happened but¡­ We found her when she¡¯s already 9 years old. But it seemed like she was wandering around the Kingdom for at least 4 years.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It looks like it¡¯s not a fun story to talk about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­~ Fufu~ It¡¯s all in the past now~ And I really think Ceres recently have become cheereful.¡± ¡°Really now¡­?¡± I¡¯ve recalled every encounter I had with her. ¡­ They¡¯re mostly all cold glares and punches¡­ ¡°Yup~ And that recently is when Hans arrived~¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You see¡­ I can¡¯t tell you anything from my mouth but¡­ Ceres went through a lot. Like¡­ a lot. So, she closed her heart whenever she meets, no¡­ to anyone she meets. It¡¯s like she¡¯s had enough of people around her. So whenever someone tries to enter her life¡­ You know the rest. Hehe¡­¡± Anya then flashed a wry smile. ¡°That¡¯s why, Hans¡­ I hope you don¡¯t get tired of approaching her. Please, don¡¯t hate her.¡± Saying that, she gripped the hem of her skirt like she¡¯s trying her best to suppress something inside her. ¡°If it¡¯s you, I think you¡¯ll be able to change something in her. That¡¯s because, she recently have begun having fun besides cooking¡­~ I now see her smile even when she¡¯s not in the kitchen. Something that I¡¯ve been trying to do for her my whole life¡­ I¡¯ve tried my best to see her smile but¡­ It seems like something¡¯s still missing. Something that bore a gap in her heart. I sometimes feel like she¡¯s still looking or waiting for that something. Was it because of her parents death, is what I don¡¯t know¡­ I couldn¡¯t give her that ¡®something¡¯ even until now.¡± She could not hide anymore her painfully and lonely expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit off, coming from you, her sister?¡± ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t really think I¡¯m doing anything, I just want to get closer to her. That¡¯s all. But you Anya¡­¡± I then placed my hand over her head and pat her. ¡°You¡¯ve been by her side her whole life. Giving it your all just to keep that smile you were hoping you can give her. Out of all the person that she¡¯s been with, I think you, out of them, should know best that you¡¯re the one who gave her that best smile she could ever have up until now.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, if you¡¯re thinking that she¡¯s having fun now or she can smile a lot more now, isn¡¯t that because you¡¯re still here for her all throughout this time?¡± ¡°¡­ Hans¡­¡± I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s felt all this time, or how she has been even before I arrived and entered their life. What Ceres have gone through, what Anya had to go through after meeting Ceres, and what they feel now that they support each other as sisters. But all I know is that they¡¯ve come this far because they¡¯re¡­ ¡°You¡¯re always thinking about each other, huh?¡± ¡°¡­ Of course~! She¡¯s my beloved sister, after all~¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? Haha.¡± ¡°But¡­ Hans.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Even before I noticed, I already found her face closing in to mine. ¡°*kiss*¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ Ehehe¡­ My sign of gratitude¡­~¡± ¡°That was unfair. Kissing me on the cheek all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Fufu~ *whisper* Then that¡¯s my revenge for making my heart beat faster¡­~ *whisper*¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing~¡± She then playfully stuck her tongue out and went to bring all the laundry to their bedroom. ¡°That was a great surprise attack and revenge, even for an ace soldier like me.¡± I then placed my hand on my chest as I try to calm the now fast beating heart of mine. ¡­ .. . ¡°Phew¡­ This will do.¡± Placing the freshly picked Lirica Flowers in container that preserves organic materials, she then wiped her forehead off from sweating profusely. The young woman who wanted to give the best possible gift, or a souvenir perhaps, the most loved flowers by her parents, stood up from the ground and carried the large bag where the container is placed, on her back. ¡°I have to go home soon or Anya will get worried.¡± The young woman tracked the mountain, where she have just gathered the flower, down leading to her home. A carriage is waiting for her at the bottom of the mountain which she also used to reach the place right after she closed her restaurant. It has already been 15 years. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been so long yet so short. I still feel like it was just yesterday.¡± The cry of her mother, the pleading of her father, the fear of her own. Like it was just the day before today, the terror, sadness, loneliness, anger, regret, hatred, and despair still lies on her chest like a thorn stuck deep inside. She have tried to forget the pain, focus on only her passion, cooking, into loving her non-blood-related sister, reaching the expectation of the sister¡¯s mother. But her wretched story is still ingrained in her body and mind, the tragic past that she knows, will never be gone for the rest of her life. ¡°Mama¡­ Papa¡­¡± The faces of her most beloved ones. She was just 5 years old but the warmth of their embrace, the sweetness of their kisses, and the enveloping love they had for her is still in her memory. ¡°¡­¡± And the dreadful results that lead from their death. Remembering those times made the tears trickle down her face. Like having lump of something being stuck in her throat, the constricting pain on her chest, and hot like boiling water, the tears continue to drip down relentlessly. This always happens whenever she remembers her past, whenever she thinks of her parents. Whenever she realizes once again that¡­ ¡°*sob* They¡¯re¡­ *sob* no longer here¡­ *sniffle*¡± [¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡±] ¡°¡­ Ah¡­¡± A voice she have long forgotten. A voice of a child she believed in once. A voice that was once her only salvation. ¡°¡­¡± And it was also the voice who betrayed her. She wiped her face but not because of sweat but of tears, recomposing her mind. From her weak self, covering the truth with lies. The mind that won¡¯t bend no matter what. The heart that won¡¯t sway no matter what. To the Ceres that she made as a front. To herself that she made to protect. Protecting her scarred and broken heart. ¡°¡­ Hmph.¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 20 End
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One, Black Sheep
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
Agility 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)(+500)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 10/10 Harden Lv. 8/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 8/10
Mana Burst Lv. 4/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Telepathy Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 327
Volume 1 Epilogue: Let me tell you a little story Epilogue ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°Hn¡­¡± What¡­? Something feels heavy¡­ ¡°Haaans¡­¡± And somehow, I hear someone calling my name. But it feels so nice to the ear, like a sweet melodic lullaby. I don¡¯t want to wake up¡­ ¡°Haaaaans¡­¡± But that ¡®something¡¯ keeps shaking my body. The weight is one thing, but I feel I two small hands on top of my chest that keeps pushing me to the ground. Am I still dreaming? I feel like I¡¯m already awake though¡­ ¡°Hn¡­?¡± I tried to slowly open my eyes and peer through my heavy eyelids. ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°Really¡­ Hans is hard to wake up.¡± ¡°My bad¡­ I was a bit exhausted yesterday. *yawn* What¡¯s up? Can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t respond to my question as she hanged her head while sitting on top of me. ¡°That is¡­ not it.¡± ¡°Hm? Toilet?¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t treat me like a kid! I¡­ I can already go by m-myself! I think¡­¡± She¡¯s still scared, huh. I stood up from my mattress so I made Tia sit beside me. Based from the position of the moons, it¡¯s still middle of the night. The bright moonlight peeks through the window, illuminating the corners of the living room. We both lean on the wall while seated, as I wait for Tia to speak. ¡°¡­¡± Hm. It seems like it¡¯s something hard for her to tell me. Alright¡­ ¡°Tia. Let me tell you a little story.¡± ¡°Hm¡­?¡± Seems bewildered by my sudden words, Tia looked at me as if a question mark floats above her head. ¡°You see¡­ There was once a boy who lives peacefully, together with his mother and father. He always had fun every day. Reading books, playing games, eating dinner, and being loved by his parents was his everyday life.¡± ¡°Is he your friend?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I continued the story as she hugged her knees while burying her face in it. ¡°But one day, his father was called by someone. His father said, ¡®Son, I have to go and protect our country. Just remember that I am doing this for you and your mother.¡¯ The boy was smart. He had already read several books and because of those, he already gained the knowledge which far surpasses that of a child. Just from those simple words, he already understood what his father meant. He was going to war.¡± ¡°Ehh? Is the father okay after the war??¡± ¡°Well¡­ That is, the war didn¡¯t end. And the father didn¡¯t come back at all.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­¡± ¡°The boy grew up with his loving mother. The boy thought that if he has his mother by his side, everything will be all right. But¡­ It was not the same for his mother. His mother missed his father so much and forced herself to work. Maybe, trying to forget the loss of his husband. And because of that¡­ The boy¡¯s mother got ill and passed away soon after that.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°When her mother was already on her deathbed, he told the boy, ¡®My son... I am so sorry... This is something inevitable. Getting separated with your father was the last string to be cut off.¡¯ Even though the boy was smart, this time, he didn¡¯t understand the words of her mother. He was only left with a small crystal pendant. Her mother died shortly after giving it to him.¡± ¡°Now he lost his mother¡­¡± ¡°The boy became alone. He had no one by his side anymore. But one day, a letter from his father was sent to him, brought by unknown strangers. He was brought into a strange place with only white walls and some unknown machines. After some time, he was trained to fight their enemies even though he was still a child. Then years passed and he became a grown man.¡± I feel Tia leaning on me. Is she getting sleepy now? ¡°What happened to him¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ He became a soldier himself. Fighting at an early age.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Then he became a commander of a squad. A secret military squad to be used for secret missions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t know if Tia still understands what I¡¯m saying, but I continue to tell the story nevertheless. ¡°But one day, during a mission. One of his subordinates rushed towards the enemy. So to save her, he had to fight all the enemies by himself. In the end¡­ He perished.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tragic story¡­¡± ¡°If you think about it, yeah. Kind of.¡± ¡°It is. He lost his father, then his mother, then he had to fight enemies even though he was still just a young boy. Then in the end, he even died¡­¡± ¡°But he died saving someone. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± ¡°I think so too¡­ But¡­ It¡¯s just sad for the boy¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile by Tia¡¯s innocent remark. Tia can be quite mature, well, of course she would be because of her age. She¡¯s already 20. But that being so¡­ I heard from her that she was raised as a proper princess and I think because of that, she haven¡¯t had the time of her life. ¡°But it¡¯s not that bad after he died, you know?¡± ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°He was revived to another world.¡± ¡°Ehh??? Really?? What happened?¡± Tia abruptly stood up from her place because of her surprise. Perhaps, because of the term ¡®another world¡¯, which caught her attention. Even though it¡¯s not something impossible, being summoned from another world or to another world is still something that happens, though quite rare and legendary. So just by hearing it, people would usually get interested. Or at least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard from other adventurers. ¡°Do you want to know?¡± ¡°I do, I dooo!¡± Tia jumped from left to right with each foot, placing her clutch fists on top of her chest. Her eyes brimmed with excitement as she waited for me to continue the story. ¡°He saved a head chef and a little girl from a dangerous man, fought a huge wolf, and formed a contract with a cute Faunalian.¡± I said so with a smile. ¡°¡­ Eh?¡± Tia stopped from jumping and looked at me with a surprised expression. ¡°Tia?¡± ¡°EHH????¡± ¡°Tia. You¡¯re being loud. You will wake up Ceres and Anya.¡± ¡°Mmp!¡± She then hurriedly covered her mouth as she resumed her jumping from a while ago. Then while hushing her voice into a whisper¡­ ¡°Then! Then! You are that boy¡­??¡± ¡°Yep. I told you that I will tell you my secret too, right?¡± ¡°*nod *nod*¡± ¡°Well? Think you could sleep now?¡± ¡°How could I after hearing that! Tell me more about it!!¡± ¡°Haha. Some other day. You have to sleep for now.¡± ¡°Eehh¡­¡± Tia puffed her cheeks in protest. Darn, I want to poke those. ¡°But¡­ Hans. Before I sleep then.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Tia changed her tone into a serious one so I listen to her intently. ¡°I want¡­ I want to thank you!¡± ¡°For what?¡± I already know what she is talking about. But to help her with what she wanted to say, I intendedly acted like I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about. ¡°For being my contract partner¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I also feel like I forced you to form it with me. And I feel bad about the things I placed on your shoulder because of it¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Tia gripped the hem of her shirt, perhaps due to her surging emotions. So I pat her head as a comfort and reassurance. ¡°You told me not to think about it, right? Isn¡¯t it weird if you¡¯re the one minding it after saying that?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Tia.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you before we formed the contract. I saved you because I want to. I helped you because I want to. I didn¡¯t think about what will happen or what will not. At that moment, I just wanted to save you, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Hans¡­¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what I feel even now. If you¡¯re crying, I will make you smile. If you want to be spoiled, I will spoil you rotten. If you want your head to be pat, just tell me and I will do so.¡± Saying that, I once again reached for her head for a pat. ¡°If Tia needs help, I will come running.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just me. Anya and of course, Ceres. They both want to help you and be there for you. That¡¯s why, you don¡¯t have to mind it. A princess should be puff her chest out and be proud all the time.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Okay¡­! I will do that then!¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s the spirit.¡± ¡°¡­ Ehehe¡­ Hans. Really¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Do you think you can sleep now?¡± ¡°Mm! Thank you. That is why¡­ Hans.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Without any warning, Tia closed her distance to mine and¡­ ¡°*kiss*¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ehehe¡­~ Good night!¡± After bidding me her good night, she ran towards the bedroom¡¯s direction pitter pattering while holding her cheeks. And after seeing her silhouette off, I ran my finger to the spot where she landed her kiss. ¡°Is kissing on the cheeks a sign of gratitude in this world¡­?¡± Recalling the sensation of her lips on my cheeks, I lie down on my mattress with a lighthearted mood. Bathe with the moonlight, I close my eyes, looking forward to what will happen from here onwards. ¡­ .. . Epilogue End Volume 2 Prologue: Hes a good person... isnt he? He just¡­ saved the magician. ¡°That was close isn¡¯t, Ceres?¡± He once saved Tia. ¡°Ceres?¡± And he once saved me. ¡°I-It¡¯s n-nothing.¡± I stuttered with my words. Not being able to comprehend what just happened. I still can¡¯t keep up with what is happening. I don¡¯t understand I can¡¯t understand. Why is he doing that? How can he do it just like that? What drives him? What kind of ulterior motives does he have? ¡­ I just¡­ can¡¯t believe that he¡¯ll do it for nothing. ¡­ ¡°Anya. I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Welcome home~ Hm? Is Hans not with you~?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t respond. After helping the party in the dungeon, I wandered around town after giving the mushrooms and danberries to Anya at the Guild. It was just a normal day for me. The usual sky, the usual fountain, the usual houses, the usual children playing, the usual benches, the usual flowers, they¡¯re all the same as always. But¡­ I was thinking about him. I wandered around the town until late thinking about him. It¡¯s complicating my mind. It¡¯s clouding up my mind. Because¡­ He¡¯s doing something that I didn¡¯t think anyone could and would. I know there¡¯s Anya and Aunt Anastasia. They¡¯re very good people. Accepting someone like me. Sofiel is reliable. Even though I¡¯m being strict with him, he still does his job perfectly. Even though it¡¯s only his way of appreciation to Aunt Anastasia, I¡¯m still grateful to him. And there¡¯s Tia who is just so adorable.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. It¡¯s just¡­ whenever I see that guy¡­ ¡­ [¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll be okay. Because I¡¯m here with you.¡±] It reminds me of that boy. And I hate it so much. ¡°Ceres~? Are you okay¡­~?¡± Now Anya and I are inside the bedroom, sitting on our own beds across each other. And¡­ I don¡¯t know why. But his actions are still stuck in my head like foil wrapped around my head and is left to bake in an oven. It¡¯s overheating¡­ ¡°Say¡­ Anya.¡± Let¡¯s ask Anya. ¡°What do you think of that guy?¡± ¡°That guy¡­ you mean, Hans~?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­~ He¡¯s a good person~¡± ¡°¡­¡± He is¡­ isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s a good person? How? He saved me. He saved Tia. He saved that magician. ¡°Why is he a good person?¡± ¡°¡­ Ceres¡­~¡± I felt Anya¡¯s embrace. Whenever I feel down, she always does this to me. It makes me feel calm. I love it. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to trust someone~ I know. You can¡¯t help it. That¡¯s just how hard you had to go through in the past.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I just listened to her. ¡°But¡­ Ceres. I¡¯m telling you because I know. There are just people out there that are simply kind just because they are. They will be kind to you without wanting for any compensations. This world isn¡¯t that bad¡­ If you look carefully. Well, I know I¡¯m not convincing after all you had to go through¡­~¡± ¡°Nope¡­ You are¡­ Because Anya is one of those people.¡± ¡°Ceres¡­~¡± I hug her back. Anya is someone who accepted me for who I am. Even though I was broken, she still accepted me like it¡¯s something natural. She¡¯s become my real sister. I love her. That¡¯s why¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll recognize him staying with us.¡± ¡°Ceres~!¡± ¡°B-But that¡¯s all¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m starting to see him in a good light or something¡­!¡± ¡°Ufufu¡­ I see~¡± ¡°¡­ Muu¡­¡± ¡°Ceres. I¡¯ll prepare dinner now~ So will you call Hans now~? I think he said he will be around the town~¡± ¡°Why me¡­?¡± ¡°Because Ceres see him as a kind person now~ Ufufu~¡± ¡°Wha-?? I-I do not!¡± ¡­ So he¡¯s at the fountain¡­ Muu¡­ What should I say to him¡­? ¡®Hey. Let¡¯s go home.¡¯ Or not¡­ That¡¯s embarrassing¡­ ¡®Follow me.¡¯ To where?? ¡®Want to stay with me?¡¯ He will be staying at our house!! Not with me!! Calm down, me!! Ah, geez! Whatever!! Just why do I have to bother myself with this slime?? Whatever happens happen!! I¡¯ll just drag him by his collar!! ¡°¡­ *sigh*¡± ¡­ Eh? What¡¯s with that expression¡­ It¡¯s¡­ The same¡­ With mine¡­ in the past, when I look at myself in the mirror. Painful¡­ Lonely¡­ Regret¡­ Loss¡­ Is he¡­ ¡°Hey, slime.¡± ¡°¡­ C-Ceres?¡± ¡°Anya is already calling you for dinner.¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­ Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm.¡± ¡­ .. . Prologue End Chapter 21: Ceres Astel and The Travel towards the Past [Part 1] ¡°Wake the goddamn up, you useless piece of trash!!¡± ¡°Eeeek!!¡± This is¡­? ¡°Mina¡­ When will this end¡­?¡± The cell¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Why am I back here¡­? ¡°Mama¡­¡± Papa¡­ Save me¡­ ¡°Papa¡­¡± Mama¡­ Help me¡­ Please¡­ ¡°¡­ I think I¡¯ll be going first¡­ *sniffle* Bye bye¡­¡± Mina¡­ Don¡¯t take her¡­ ¡°Now stay still¡­ This is smoldering hot. If you want to end it quick then shut the hell up.¡± D-Don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want painful things¡­ ¡°P-Please¡­ S-Stop¡­¡± ¡°Here we go¡­ Ghehehe¡­¡± ¡°STOOP!!¡± ¡­ [¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡±] Y-You are¡­ [¡°¡­ Because, I¡¯m here with you.¡±] D-Don¡¯t leave¡­ [¡°¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡±] Don¡¯t leave me alone¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­! [¡°¡­ It¡¯ll be okay.¡±] ¡°Don¡¯t go!!¡± [¡°I¡¯ll definitely keep you safe. I promise.¡±] ¡°¡­ Huh¡­?¡± ¡­ ¡°Gasp! ¡­ *pant* ¡­ Eh¡­? *pant*¡± I found myself sitting on the bed with the blanket covering my feet. I¡¯m sweating all over my body, even my sleeveless shirt is now drenched from my sweat pouring along my back. But even though I¡¯m sweating and all, my hands are cold, along with my feet. Even the blanket isn¡¯t helping with warming my body. Anya is still sleeping soundly beside my bed together with Tia. The night is still young and the light from the twin moons rains down through the windows. It seems otherworldly, all the more after the dream I just had. Making the dream seems just¡­ a lie. ¡°¡­ That¡­ Dream again¡­¡± But it is not. Ever since I¡¯ve been saved from my dreadful past, the trauma that was instilled in me isn¡¯t going away. Every night, I still dream of it like it was just yesterday. I can still feel the physical pain, the emotional strain. The voice, the sounds, the heat, the cold. Everything is still vivid. ¡°*sigh* ¡­ Is it because today¡¯s Mom and Dad¡¯s death anniversary¡­?¡± I think so. Whenever this season comes, the dreams gets frequent, they almost appear every night. On the other hand, I think it started appearing again after the kidnapping incident¡­ But¡­ At the end of my dream before I wake up¡­ ¡°¡­ Why did I hear that guy¡¯s voice all of a sudden¡­??¡± Geez¡­ Now it¡¯s like I¡¯m feeling elated by what he said¡­ Hmph. I¡¯m not at all, of course! ¡°¡­ *sigh* I¡¯m drenched¡­¡± I removed my shirt to replace it with a new one. ¡°¡­¡± I found myself looking at myself through the mirror. My hair that sticks to my face because of the sweat and my body that is drench from it. Because of the dream, my back started aching once again. The prickling and resurfacing sensation that I thought I have already forgotten, again, runs along my back. I don¡¯t want to look at it. I¡¯ll just get another shirt to wear and sleep back in. I still have time before the sun starts to rise. The necessary preparation for tomorrow is already done so I¡¯ll just have to take a bath and depart. I just hope there won¡¯t be any problems that will happen later. ¡°Good night.¡± I bid Anya and Tia good night once more even knowing they can¡¯t hear me, and also to myself. I closed my eyes and let the slumber sink in as I lay down in my bed. ¡­ .. . ¡°Do you have all you need~?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What about water~? Did you bring extra towels~? Don¡¯t forget the bug repellant~¡± ¡°Alright, alright, big sis. Don¡¯t you worry, I have all of those.¡± ¡°Very good~ Ufufu~¡± It¡¯s 5 in the morning and I¡¯m now preparing to leave. Summer is nearly ending but the sun have already started rising early in the morning so it¡¯s already a little bit bright outside. Anya woke up at the same time to help me fix my things. *sigh* Still, when it comes to things like this, Anya just can¡¯t stop worrying about needless things. Every time I had to go out by myself, she would not let me go unless I have her rest assured. If not, I would have to stay forever just with the convincing. Sheesh¡­ She¡¯s such a worrywart¡­ But¡­ I really like it. It makes me feel precious to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry~ My junior at the Guild got sick and I had to replace her shift¡­~¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± ¡°But¡­~ What if you hate me because of this¡­~¡± ¡°I would not.¡± ¡°Ehehe~ I love Ceres too~¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Hm~~~?¡± ¡°Uu¡­ I¡­ I love you too¡­¡± ¡°Ehehe~¡± Aaah! Geez! No matter how many times I¡¯ve already said it, it¡¯s still embarrassing! I know it¡¯s familial love and all, but¡­ Embarrassing things are embarrassing¡­ ¡°Ceres~¡± Playfully calling my name, she then came in for a hug. I personally like being hugged like this by Anya and won¡¯t let the chance pass to enjoy it. The warmth that I feel every time she embraces me makes me forget all the bad things. ¡°You¡¯re close as usual, eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°And harsh as usual, eh¡­¡± Just when I feel like I¡¯m trying to forget the bad things¡­ This guy had to show up. ¡°Hmph.¡± It¡¯s already been almost a month since this guy came and barged in in our home. At first I really loathe the idea of having him over but Anya insisted. I just can¡¯t win against Anya for some reason. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Something on my face?¡± He saved me once. I vaguely remember that incident since I was asleep most of the time. And my trauma resurfaced so perhaps my memory is trying its best to erase it. But¡­ He really saved me once. Meeting my parents¡¯ killer once again. The fear of being held inside a dark room¡­ Everything resurfaced like they were just something recent. My body couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of all those and¡­ ¡°*sigh*¡± ¡°Hey, hey¡­ Don¡¯t just sigh after looking at someone else¡¯s face¡­¡± He even saw my embarrassing side¡­ I definitely lost it there, I know it¡¯s my fault. But¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ceres~? Trembling like that¡­~¡± Even with Anya still hugging me, I can¡¯t remove this feeling of embarrassment towards that guy. It¡¯s like he just peered through my mind and I can¡¯t really forget about it! If I just didn¡¯t get to face that killer¡­ ¡­ Right¡­ No matter how I turn it upside down, it¡¯s because of him that I¡¯m free from that killer, that I¡¯m still able to feel Anya¡¯s embrace right now. It¡¯s because of him I¡¯m saved. He tried to save¡­ No, he saved a complete stranger who he just met the same day, where I, on the other hand, just kept pushing him away. I¡¯m being unreasonable¡­ I know¡­ He did it knowing that there will be nothing in it for him. I also know that. I¡¯m made to know, rather. When I saw him saved the magician¡­ ¡­ Aaah! Geez! ¡°Anya. Can I punch that guy¡­?¡± ¡°Ehh~? What should I do¡­ Hans~?¡± ¡°For now, please refuse, Anya.¡± No matter what¡­ What¡¯s done is done. I already thanked him too. Of course. Just as expected of me. [She did not. Refer to Chapter 10.] ¡­ .. . ¡°We¡¯ll be departing! Anyone who still haven¡¯t gotten in, please get in now!¡± I got on the carriage that will lead me to the base of the mountain where my first destination will be. The travel will be close to 7 days not including the gathering time. I still have 9 days until Mom and Dad¡¯s death anniversary so I have the time to gather the rest of the flowers that they really love. I really love them too since they always got them for me as a present whenever they got home from an expedition. They¡¯re really pretty when they¡¯re made into a bouquet. They are flowers from different places and Dad used to give them to Mom when they¡¯re having their wedding anniversary, saying it was also how Dad proposed to Mom for marriage when they were young. Ever since then, Dad made sure to get them before the designated date. I really thought, how nice that is¡­ I also want to be proposed like that too if I were to have a chance. That, I really want to. But guys are just¡­ Trash. They can¡¯t be trusted the least. They can¡¯t even keep their promise and then be gone like nothing happened. Right¡­ Men are just¡­ I hate them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, having a complicated face?¡± Yes¡­ I really hate them. ¡°Do you have motion sickness? Want to drink a medicine?¡± ¡­ *sigh* ¡°Why are you here¡­?¡± ¡°Why you say¡­ I just want to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking why you left Anya and Tia all by themselves at the restaurant and following me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Anya told me that she will be closing the store when I said I wanted to follow you. I also asked Sofiel to be with them, just in case.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­¡± *sigh* Whenever I¡¯m with this guys¡­ It really gets me off of my rhythm. Suddenly appearing out nowhere. Then acts like nothing¡¯s wrong or even making it like it¡¯s something natural. I really don¡¯t get this guy¡­ ¡°Well, that goes for me as well if you say it like that.¡± ¡°Wha-?? Stop reading my mind!¡± ¡°I did not.¡± Did I say that out loud?? ¡°Urk¡­¡± What a blunder¡­ That was a bit embarrassing¡­ Yeah. Just a bit. ¡°Say, you two.¡± Hm? One of the passengers seems to be calling out to us. A lady who¡¯s carrying a baby. Waa¡­ The baby looks so cute¡­ ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Oh. Pardon us for being loud. Ceres, don¡¯t bother the other passengers.¡± This guy¡­ Can I punch him real quick¡­? ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s not like that. Fufu. It¡¯s just seeing you two reminds me of my younger days. Are you going for a vacation?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite young yourself, if you ask me. And, yes.¡± ¡°Oh my. Fufu. You¡¯re good with words, aren¡¯t you? Thank you.¡± Hmm¡­ So he likes older girls. Thinking about it, he and Anya have been getting along well recently, too. Wait¡­ What¡­? Why am I seriously pondering about this¡­? I don¡¯t even care what this guy¡¯s preference at all, even the least. And how old is this guy, anyway? ¡°Fufu. But you shouldn¡¯t say that. It¡¯ll cause misunderstandings, you know? Of course, even if when you are with her or not, praising other woman when you¡¯re with your wife is not good.¡± ¡°*cough!* Wha¡­ Wha??¡± ¡°I see. You are completely right. I¡¯ll be careful from now on.¡± ¡°H-Hey?? Why are you agreeing like it¡¯s nothing??¡± Deny it, will you?? ¡°Hm? Ceres, Are you okay now?¡± ¡°Huh?? What are you talking about??¡± ¡°Oh, is something wrong, Mr. Husband?¡± Husband?! I¡¯m no one¡¯s wife!! ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. But I think she¡¯s getting dizzy from the ride.¡± I¡¯m not! ¡°My my. That won¡¯t do. You should be more careful, more so if that¡¯s morning sickness.¡± ¡°Morning sick-?! *cough!* *cough!*¡± ¡°There now, Ceres¡­ Stop moving too much.¡± Even if you rub my back like that, you¡¯re not helping, slime¡­! And is she misunderstanding it making her think that I¡¯m pregnant?? I¡¯m not even getting dizzy at all¡­ It¡¯s just this guy¡¯s own delusions, for goodness sake! ¡°And I see. You may be right.¡± ¡°Slime!?¡± ¡°Here, I have a medicine for morning sickness here. I carry it with me still, you see. Fufu.¡± ¡°Ah. That will really help. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°I-I-I-It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s not m-m-morning sickness!!¡± ¡°You sure? You don¡¯t have to feel reserved, you know?¡± ¡°I-I-It¡¯s okay¡­! Please, don¡¯t mind me¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ If you say so. But please tell me if it gets worse, okay?¡± She¡¯s the type that does not listen¡­! ¡°¡­ Pfft.¡± Did this guy¡­ just laugh¡­? Does that mean, he was just fooling around all this time¡­?? ¡°Hm.¡± I gestured with my hands signaling him to lend me his ear. So with the most horrifying way as possible¡­ ¡°*whisper* I¡¯ll get you later for this. *whisper*¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ahem¡­ What are you saying, Ceres? That was just a playful joke to get along with you more. Aha¡­ Ahahaha¡­¡± ¡°My my. You¡¯re really getting along well. Fufu.¡± *sigh* Whatever¡­ I give up. ¡°¡­ So? what are you doing now, slime? Do you plan to jump off a cliff after this ride?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s forget you clicking your tongue for now. But just as I originally planned, I¡¯ll just follow you wherever you go, for now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the slightest intention of hiding your disgust, huh. That¡¯s the expression of looking at trash.¡± Of course. It IS disgusting. To be with this guy for 9 whole days. Just the thought makes me want to hurl¡­ ¡°Hm? Are you okay? On a second thought, want to drink the medicine for morning sickness?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Whatever. I¡¯ll just pretend he¡¯s a malignant wind flowing in the air. ¡°Where¡¯s your first destination, by the way?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I hope there will be interesting things on the way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Horses can be quite fast, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s like this, we¡¯ll be on our destination in no time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What about our food, by the way?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, will we be going to another town? Want to try their delicacies?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m kind of excited since it¡¯s my first time out of town.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too, Ceres?¡± ¡°WE¡¯RE NOT ON A PICNIC, SLIME!!¡± Aaaahh!! Why do I have to be with this guy?!?!? ¡­ .. . ¡°So this is our first destination?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t follow me, slime.¡± The carriage stopped at the base of the mountain and dropped those who will be going here. But it seems like it¡¯s just us that will be dropped here as usual. I bowed my head to the lady that was accompanying us throughout the ride as thanks and she did the same with a smile. I wanted to smile as well but¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel tense when I do it intentionally, usually ending up with an awkward smile. So I just forget the thought of doing so. I then started to walk towards the direction where the grass and bushes aren¡¯t growing, leading us to where one of the flowers that I planned to pick up are found. The mountain has a forest covering it, trees that range from big ones like those in the Traveler¡¯s Forest to small ones that can be climbed even by children. The leaves that protrudes even from the trunk, covering it whole seems like a pillar that is designed by a great architect. Though that doesn¡¯t mean that this place is safe for them to play in. The plants can be dangerously poisonous and can have inflict different ailments if touched. However, the place is beautiful in my opinion. This kind of places relax me the most. Monsters do roam around from time to time and must be dealt with, but I¡¯ve been doing this every year so I¡¯m already used to it. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be the same this year. ¡°Say, Ceres. What are we going to do here? Except this time, I¡¯m with a monster. A slime. ¡°Is this the cemetery already?¡± Eh? ¡°Slime. Why do you know we¡¯re going to the cemetery?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that ¡®ah¡¯ right now? ¡­ Well, I can already guess how, though¡­ *sigh* That Anya¡­¡± ¡°There, there. Don¡¯t blame her. It¡¯s me who asked what you were doing recently. I was curious since you were coming home late.¡± ¡°Hmph. It does not concern you, just how many times should I tell you?¡± ¡°It does concern me. I don¡¯t care how bad you think of me, but I consider Ceres as an important person.¡± ¡°H-Hmph¡­¡± What¡¯s with that, what¡¯s with that, what¡¯s with that¡­?? Geez¡­ How can someone say that with a serious face¡­? *sigh* ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Recently, I found something weird that is happening to me. Ever since the time I saw this slime save the magician from the brink of death and made me rethink about my perception of him, every time he says something out of his character¡­ it disrupts my composure all of a sudden. Even with all the insult, ignoring, and pushing away that I do to him, he still comes back like nothing happened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-Nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± It¡¯s the same when he calls me cute all of a sudden. I know he¡¯s just fooling around and he doesn¡¯t mean anything with it, but I can¡¯t help but react to it. Is it because I hate him? ¡°Ceres look. I¡¯m a Faunalian.¡± Saying that, he puts two mushrooms on his head wearing a serious expression. ¡°Yeah. That must be it.¡± ¡°What must be it?¡± ¡°Something that doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± ¡­ It took almost half an hour to reach the peak where the flowers are growing. The peak is an open area with only grass growing and with only one big tree growing at the center. The sun shines brightly at the horizon bathing us with its warm light. No matter how many times I come here, I still find this place amazing. ¡°Hey, slime.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for a flower called Reflectan. Help me pick them.¡± ¡°Reflectan?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Right. You¡¯re from another world, aren¡¯t you? I sometimes forget.¡± ¡°That just means you¡¯re getting used to me being here. I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡± ¡°Mm. Just look for a flower with 4 four white triangular petals with a yellow center. It¡¯s fairly the size of a small plant with its stem measuring at least 10 centimeters. Their distinguishing trait is its ability to reflect light. It¡¯s very pretty when the sun shines on it. I personally like it.¡± I then proceed to look one for myself readying the container that will hold the flowers fresh until the day I will be using them. I just need a few of them but looking for a particularly pretty one can be quite a task. ¡°¡­ Ceres. Do you like flowers?¡± ¡°Do you have a problem with it?¡± ¡°Nah. I didn¡¯t mean it that way. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re smile is beautiful when you talk about flowers. Just like when you¡¯re cooking.¡± ¡°¡­!! Y-You¡­!¡± I can feel my lips contort so I hurriedly covered it using my hand. Suddenly saying something like that again¡­ I bet he just says that to any woman he meets! Though knowing that, I still can¡¯t help but react to it. Am I an idiot or what? Am I becoming one?? ¡°S-Saying things like that¡­ I bet you make a lot of women fall for your tricks, don¡¯t you??¡± ¡°Huh? I can only count with my one hand the times I¡¯ve met a woman in my whole life, or rather, before I came here. Though that¡¯s kinda sad if I think about it¡­¡± ¡°H-Hmm¡­ I see.¡± So he¡¯s not that used to women¡­ Hmm¡­ ¡°Ah. I found one. Look, Ceres. Is this it?¡± ¡°Hm? Yeah¡­ But where did you find this? It¡¯s way more beautiful than the usual ones that I¡¯ve got¡­¡± The sparkle is much more visible and the petals are much more larger than an average Reflectan. If you compare them side by side, the difference is something that can¡¯t pass even an amateur eye. ¡°I think these flowers uses mana for their growth too. So I used Mana Detect to find the ones with a much stronger concentration of mana.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s convenient.¡± ¡°Yeah. So how many should I pick up?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ 10 more pieces will do.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°R-Roger? I¡¯ve been hearing that quite a lot from you. Hmm¡­ What does that mean?¡± Every time someone asks him of something or orders him, I always hear him saying that as a reply. Is it a word from his former world? ¡°Right. It means that the message or command is received. Back in my world, being a soldier comes with different kinds of difficulties when it comes to communication. So the military came up with a word to convey when the message is received or not. The ¡®R¡¯, a letter from our world, from the ¡®Roger¡¯ means ¡®Received.¡¯ Meaning that the receiving end have acknowledged the command.¡± ¡°Hm. There are some words that I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Those are words from my world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I already know from the start and there¡¯s no more room for doubt that he¡¯s from another world. But hearing things like this from him really makes me all the more realize that he¡¯s not someone of this world. ¡°There are others too, like ¡®Wilco¡¯. It means, ¡®Will comply¡¯ after receiving the order.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°But then again. This is the first time you¡¯ve asked something about me. I¡¯m quite happy to know that you¡¯re gaining interest about me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Is that how it seems? But thinking about it, it DOES looks like that. It is the first time that I asked him something about him. I particularly didn¡¯t care anything about him before and I didn¡¯t find the need to do so. Am I really getting interested about him now? ¡°Just ask if you want to know more.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t, anymore.¡± But I can¡¯t have him know that I do. It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing. ¡­ .. . ¡°¡­ *sigh* I completely forgot¡­¡± ¡°I am very sorry about this. The reservation is also completely booked and I cannot open another room as of the moment.¡± ¡°I see. So Ceres and I will be sleeping the same room.¡± ¡°You go sleep outside, slime.¡± ¡°No way!¡± I completely forgot that the reservation that I booked for today is only a single bed room! What should I do with this¡­?? Before leaving for this travel with the cemetery as my destination, I made sure to make a reservation for the inns that I will be staying at. But all I rented was a single room with a single bed. Of course, that¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know this guy will be coming as well! Thinking that, I tried to rent another room, but they said they¡¯re all booked because of a festival. And on top of that, all other inns are also completely booked according to this person¡­! It took us half of the day to travel from the mountain to this town so it¡¯s already nighttime. As expected, I can¡¯t go around and ask for another inn to let us in being it this late. Having done with the gathering of Reflectan, one more flower to be collected and I will be done. It will take me 6 days to reach the cemetery by horse so I have to gather the flower by tomorrow and start departing right after it. I have to properly rest tonight or else the rest of the travel will be bad¡­ But this¡­! ¡°I wonder if there¡¯re soft blankets here.¡± ¡°Of course, dear customer.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°What are you nonchalantly thinking about trivial things?! Aren¡¯t you bothered by it?? We only have a single room! A single bed to top it off!¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t do anything about it, right? Why not just enjoy it?¡± ¡°E-E-E-Enjoy?! What are you planning to do to me when I¡¯m asleep?!¡± ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re reasoning really gets disrupted and can¡¯t think properly when you¡¯re at your wits end, huh Ceres?¡± ¡°I-I-I-Idiot!!¡± ¡°¡­ Ah¡­¡± Glancing at him, I saw tears falling down his cheeks. H-Huh? Did I say something too far¡­? ¡°Dear customer! Are you okay??¡± ¡°N-No¡­ *sniffle* It¡¯s just¡­¡± He continued to wipe his tears and now I can¡¯t remove this guilt surfacing in my chest. Did I really say something to offend him¡­? ¡°It¡¯s the first time in a long time that Ceres called me an ¡®Idiot¡¯¡­¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s it?!¡± ¡°D-Dear customer¡­??¡± Look! Even the receptionist is bewildered! ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be happy?? I ranked up from a slime to an idiot! That means I¡¯m now a seen by Ceres a lot better than before! From being a monster, I¡¯m now a human!¡± ¡°¡­ Slime¡­¡± ¡°Urk! I ranked down again¡­ *sniffle* Ceres¡­ Did you come to hate me again¡­?¡± He then hanged his head while wearing a sullen face. ¡°I never liked you in the first place. And I told you already that I despise you.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Thank goodness. Wait¡­ I¡­ I wonder what¡¯s this complicated feeling¡­ I¡¯m relieved at the same time complicated. It feels a lot more normal to hear Ceres hating me than thinking that she¡¯s come to like me.¡± [¡°These customers are weird¡­¡±] ¡­ ¡°So this is the room, huh¡­¡± We didn¡¯t have any choice but to stay in the reserved room. It was a simple room you can see anywhere. Not expensive looking and not cheap looking. It¡¯s a four by three meter room with only the bed a small closet inside. The window is covered by a siple white cloth serving as a curtain. There¡¯s also a second door that leads to the bathroom. It¡¯s all wooden so every time I took a step, a slight creak can be heard below my feet. But on the side note¡­ *sigh* This day is tiring¡­ I feel like my mood is also being affected by the turning of the events¡­ ¡°Listen here, slime.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Do something funny and I¡¯ll cut you down without a second thought.¡± ¡°Roger that. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to resurrect if I died again so I¡¯m not taking risk. Dying can be scary if you think about it. Haha.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± That¡¯s right¡­ He already died once. ¡­ Muu¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­ But this mouth of mine just. *sigh* ¡­ But what¡¯s with him? Mentioning his death again. I didn¡¯t meant it like that too and I¡¯m not serious about killing him. I know he already experienced death¡­ I can¡¯t imagine just what kind of feelings he had when he died. If he talks about it like that, I will kind of feel bad. ¡°Hm. I told you don¡¯t have to mind it.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go out for walk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going too. Let¡¯s look around the stalls. I heard there¡¯s a festival here, too.¡± ¡°¡­ Do what you want.¡± I got out of the room and walked out directly, making my way out of the inn. I don¡¯t know if that slime did follow me as my mind is now occupied with one thing. No¡­ It feels like I¡¯m just running away from him after our talk¡­ I know how it feels and he knows how it actually is¡­ Making me feel bad all the more. Death¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ve already felt like dying for I don¡¯t know how many times. I¡¯ve faced death like it was the natural thing for me to do. Every day was just me surviving for the next day. I¡¯ve wandered the streets for whatever reason I thought of. Just trying to run away from whatever that wants my death. Who knows when a knife was already pointed in my throat that time when I sleep? If Anya and Aunt Anastasia didn¡¯t pick me up that time¡­ I wonder if I¡¯m still here walking along these stalls right now¡­? The busy street where all kinds of sellers have gathered because of some festival here. I haven¡¯t heard what the festival is all about, since this is the first time I tried to stay in a town before going to the cemetery. But now I just want to leisurely take my time to sink in my thoughts for a while. I placed my hands in the pocket of my leather jacket. The night can still be a lot cold even if it¡¯s summer season. ¡°*sigh*¡± For some reason, I feel a lot more down recently. Maybe because my parents¡¯ death anniversary is coming, I really feel on the edge lately. Like all of those fears may come back all at once. Those that I once have already left behind may haunt me again. Thinking that, I can¡¯t help but feel scared¡­ I don¡¯t want to experience those anymore¡­ ¡°Candied Napple! Just for a cheap price! If you buy 5 you can have 1 more!¡± The bright orange lights from the bulbs in every stalls and stores, making the place fill with orbs floating all around the place. Small children running around while holding to their parents¡¯ hands, reminds of the time I had with Mom and Dad. Couples, while linking arms, are enjoying the atmosphere. Merchants calling around for customers. I walk aimlessly around while dreamily watching the smiles and laughter of the town¡¯s people that fills the air, making me wonder if it¡¯s okay for me to be here¡­ Am I really allowed to be in such a place? Me who have once lost my place? Me who have lost everything? The time of my innocence is now just like a fleeting dream, a moment where I was just happily drowned in my parents love. The moment where I can just go outside a play, have fun, and laugh with them¡­ But¡­ For me who have done a lot of terrible things¡­ Have been done a lot of bad things¡­ For these hands that are soaked in blood. Am I really allowed to- ¡°Ceres.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Ah?¡± ¡°Let me see your hands.¡± I saw him hiding something from his back while smiling towards me. I¡¯m still at a loss while thinking so I could not sort out what he was just saying. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Without even waiting for me to give him my hand, he pulled my right hand out from my pocket and¡­ ¡°I was thinking this would look good on you.¡± ¡­ he fit a small ring on my ring finger. It¡¯s just a simple silver ring with a small pale bluish crystal like stone at the middle. But I was dumbstruck. I look at him and the ring on my finger back and forth like a lost little child. ¡°See? I watch you cook every time back home and I really think that your hands are beautiful, so I thought they would be perfect.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah¡­¡± Taking another look at my finger where the finger is on, my eyes slowly blurred and I can¡¯t make anything in front of me even as I look at his face. Along with the lights surrounding us, it all feels like a dream. I couldn¡¯t processed what just happened but¡­ I felt my face became so hot¡­ and like there¡¯s a lump stuck in my throat¡­ I¡­ ¡°C-Ceres? Y-You¡¯re crying?? You don¡¯t like it to the point of crying...?¡± ¡°¡­ Eh¡­ Crying¡­? Me?¡± ¡­ I touched my cheeks that are now damped from the dripping tears. As I felt the tears running down, the finger that has now a ring worn on it caught my eye¡­ I carefully looked at the back of my hand now adorn with the ring. The bustling crowd now seems so far away, it¡¯s like I entered a small world where it¡¯s just me and him. The ring shines perfectly from the lights around us, as they seem to dance from the beating drums of the festival. It fits exactly on my finger like a gentle reflection, embracing me with its warmth. I¡¯m at a loss for words as I try to look at it along with my fingers that I once thought are just cold blooded tools that knows no gentleness. It¡¯s just a thin ring¡­ but it feels so warm¡­ Just thinking about how he really thought this would fit my fingers¡­ And¡­ I really think¡­ it¡¯s really pretty¡­ ¡°H-Huh? I AM crying¡­ What¡¯s with this¡­?¡± ¡°D-Did you not like it?? Should I remove it??¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­ Uhm¡­¡± ¡°Ceres?¡± Even I was bewildered by my action. When he tried to remove the ring I immediately pulled my hand away. It¡¯s like I didn¡¯t want to have it removed from my finger. And the more I think about it, the more I feel my tears fall down from my eyes. My head hanged downwards as I try to suppress my emotions while I bring my hands to my chest. ¡°¡­ Are you okay?¡± Saying that, he brought his hands towards my face and used his sleeves to wipe my tears away from my cheeks. I thought I wouldn¡¯t like it and I never thought he will do something like it but¡­ For some reason. It¡¯s not unpleasant at all¡­ ¡°¡­ *sniffle* Mm¡­¡± He brought my face to look up and perhaps, from wearing it for a long time, I can feel his warmth through his sleeves along with the direct touch of his hands. He used his fingers to wipe the tears from below my eye making me close it unconsciously. ¡°There, there.¡± His face only has worry in his eyes, a gentle gaze that shows only kindness. I can even see his eyebrows contort towards the center, his lips that are slightly frowned. I¡¯ve felt like I¡¯ve seen them before but¡­ For now, I really feel secure, surprising even for myself. ¡°¡­ Han-¡° ¡°Mama. Look. There¡¯s a couple!¡± ¡°Oh right. They look so cute together, isn¡¯t it? But Mama and Papa won¡¯t lose to them though. *giggle*¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± I immediately distanced myself away from him and hid my hands on my back. ¡°Ceres?¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t look¡­¡± I can¡¯t¡­ My face is so hot right now. I¡¯m sure my face is all red and I certainly don¡¯t want to show it to him. I CAN¡¯T show it to him. What happened??!?! What was that earlier!? Wait¡­ Let¡¯s carefully analyze what happened first. I was walking right¡­?? I was just walking around the stalls¡­ and then, and then¡­ Uhm¡­ He gave me a ring and¡­ My rings are beautiful he said¡­ Ah! No¡­! My hands?? Yeah¡­ My hands¡­ and his hands¡­ on my cheek¡­ ¡°¡­~~!!!¡± ¡°Are you okay, Ceres? You¡¯re jumping up and down there¡­ you were crying earlier but¡­ Are you really okay, now?¡± ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯m okay¡­ just¡­ please¡­ Leave me alone for now¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I can¡¯t leave you alone in that state in this late at night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, so please¡­¡± ¡°No can do.¡± ¡°¡­ Geez!! Just leave me alone for now!!¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°¡­ Slime¡­ Are you awake?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We¡¯re now inside the room and is now lying in the bed. I placed a barrier of things between us just to make sure. I really can¡¯t just sleep beside him, after all. That would be the last thing I want. But¡­ this doesn¡¯t really help since I can still feel his presence behind me¡­ I can¡¯t really calm down and sleep. And there¡¯s still that thing earlier¡­ ¡°¡­ I want to ask something¡­¡± The night sky is covered with clouds like it¡¯s about to rain, so it is quite dark outside. Our only source of light is the dim light from the lamp besides the bed. The silence is making me all the more conscious of him beside me, so I am at least trying to have a small talk with him to lessen my tension. But why is he perfectly fine with this¡­? Does he not care about a woman besides him while he sleeps? Not like I care about that but, does he not just simply see me as a woman?? That is in itself makes me irritated for some reason. ¡°Sure go ahead.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you really not forget what happened earlier no matter what?¡± ¡°I absolutely refuse.¡± ¡°WHY??¡± I rise from the bed and looked at him who¡¯s now lying with his back facing me. ¡°It¡¯s such a precious memory of a cute Ceres. Why would I go out of my way to forget it?¡± ¡°¡­!! Geez! Forget about it!!¡± ¡°I absolutely refuse!¡± ¡°*sigh* Aaah¡­ Idiot¡­¡± I returned to lie on the bed exasperated. Why does this guy always get stubborn at the weirdest stuff¡­? Moreover¡­ I really think I¡¯m not myself recently. Is it because of stress? I think I¡¯m not that tired or overworked. If I come up with a reason, I can only think about my parents¡¯ death anniversary. Every year, I tend to remember all sorts of memories from my past whether I like it or not. But this time¡¯s a lot different¡­ Is it because I¡¯m with this guy¡­? ¡°Hey¡­ Slime.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°¡­ What did you¡­ Ah. On a second thought, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that. You just made me curious about it.¡± I felt the bed creaked and moved, maybe because of him sitting up from the bed. I covered my face with my hands and¡­ ¡°What¡­ What did you feel when you died¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ I told you not to mind it too much. I, myself don¡¯t think about it that much anymore.¡± ¡°Just answer it¡­ Just think of it like telling me a bed time story.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t reply immediately. I ran my fingers across the ring finger where the ring was just on earlier. I returned the ring after that. As expected, I can¡¯t accept that kind of gesture from this guy. I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to. But¡­ There¡¯s a tad of regret that I can¡¯t erase no matter what. And being aware of it once again, like a water splashed on me and waking me up, what happened earlier is just so embarrassing. If there¡¯s a hole nearby I would want to burry myself there this instant. Crying in front of him¡­ Uu¡­ The greatest blunder of my life¡­ ¡°Hm¡­¡± *creak* And with another creak from the bed, I can feel him lie down on the bed once again. ¡°It was¡­ It was full of regret and¡­ I felt like everything just ended. I was scared.¡± ¡°¡­ Even you who killed a Chaos Wolf by himself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a human too, in case you forgot. I can feel fear like a normal person.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Just like being reminded of the feeling, I can feel a constricting sensation in my chest so I placed my hand over it to suppress it. ¡°Of course, it was painful. I was a little bit tolerant of pain than an average person but¡­ The bullets that entered my body were hot as hell, the blood continued to pour out even if I tried to contract my muscles, I couldn¡¯t breathe because of the blood clotting in my throat, I couldn¡¯t move at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I can¡¯t imagine how that felt. But being in front of death¡¯s door, I can somehow relate. Though the pain he¡¯s talking about may be far from what I can think of. I felt pain like no other myself and even if I tried to forget about them, it¡¯s no use¡­ ¡°Even Pola was trying to call out to me that time and was shaking me. But I couldn¡¯t hear much because of the continuous fire from the guns. My eyes were failing me, my ears were failing me. It was a horrific experience.¡± ¡°¡­? Pola?¡± ¡°My subordinate. I¡¯m not blaming her at all but she¡¯s the one I got to save from the enemy soldiers.¡± ¡°Oh. The one you told us about when we first met you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡®Her¡¯¡­ means she¡¯s a girl. ¡°But the pain was nothing compared to the mental damage. The darkening of the surroundings, the regret of having not done what you could have done more, the feeling of not seeing your comrades anymore¡­ Just¡­ disappearing like that. Though, I think it¡¯s one of the instincts of a human to fear death. But still¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°But, here I am. Beside you. It was one hell of an experience but¡­ It¡¯s not all that bad if I think about what I became or where I am now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Not about what happened¡­ But what he became after all that. It¡¯s not about the pain¡­ but about what I gained after that¡­ If I think about it like that¡­ Hm¡­ He says some good things once in a blue moon. But¡­ I wonder why. I feel so light right now. My heart feels so light. It¡¯s been a while since I felt like this. It¡¯s like I can just forget about everything and sleep without any worries. I don¡¯t want to think that it¡¯s because of him so¡­ ¡°¡­ Hey, Slime¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­ I really hate you after all. *giggle*¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter 21 End
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[TITLE/S]
Contracted One, Black Sheep
[STATUS]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
Agility 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 171(+171)(+500)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[SKILLS]
Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 10/10 Harden Lv. 8/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 8/10
Mana Burst Lv. 4/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Telepathy Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 327
Chapter 22: Ceres Aster and The Travel Towards the Past [Part 2] ¡°Mama~! Here~! Look! I made you cookies! Papa too, have a taste~!¡± Ah¡­ I remember this place. It¡¯s our house back in the kingdom. Our family is quite on the above average class and sort of well-off as well. Mama usually buys me a lot of dresses and shoes. ¡°Oho. Now these are lots of fine chocolate cookies!¡± Geez¡­ Papa. Those are not chocolate cookies. I just burnt them a little. Haha. ¡°Honey, they¡¯re not chocolate cookies.¡± ¡°Uu¡­ They should be ordinary cookies¡­ but¡­ I baked them too much¡­¡± ¡°A-Ahaha! Don¡¯t worry, Ceres! Everyone makes mistakes! Just make another one next time. But of course, I¡¯ll eat these.¡± Aaah¡­ You¡¯ll hurt your stomach, Papa. Mama, you should stop him, too! ¡°Eh? It¡¯s okay, Papa. They will not be good¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying, you child?? It¡¯s my daughter¡¯s precious cookies!! How can I not eat them??¡± ¡°I am that daughter though¡­¡± Haha, Papa is so weird. ¡°Fufu. Papa can be weird at times, isn¡¯t it Ceres?¡± ¡°*giggle* Un! But I love Papa and Mama!¡± ¡°¡­ Huhu. Is this happiness¡­? It is, right Honey?¡± ¡°It is dear. It is our happiness indeed.¡± It is my happiness too, Mama, Papa. ¡°Hug!!¡± ¡°You spoiled child. Come here.¡± ¡°Fufu. Let me in too.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Of course, dear!¡± ¡°Mama. Papa. I love you!¡± ¡­ .. . ¡°Hn¡­? Mor¡­ ning? Hnnn~~ *yawn*¡± Oh right. I¡¯m staying at an inn right now. The light from the rising sun is now already passing through a small space between the closed curtains. I didn¡¯t notice I fell asleep while thinking about things. At any rate¡­ It is the first time that I¡¯ve dreamt about Mom and Dad in a joyous situation¡­ I feel so happy, it makes my heart flutter. It¡¯s so warm. I wonder why? Most usually, I dream of horrifying things but now¡­ All I saw was smiles and laughter. It¡¯s the time when I can still smile widely like that. ¡°Hnng¡­! Haa¡­¡± I stretched my body which is now light as a feather, hugging the pillow beside me. I want to sleep more with this feeling. I want to dream more of Mom and Dad again and enjoy my time together with them once more. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake now?¡± It feels so warm too, even my pillow feels warm. Did I bring a pillow this large before coming here with that guy? ¡°Good morning. *smile*¡± With this guy who¡¯s smiling in front of me. More like, inches away from my face. ¡°Are you still half asleep? Closing and opening your eyes like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just like that in an instant, all the memories came back all at once and how it woke me up¡­ ¡°Uhm¡­ Uhm¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I found myself clinging to him with my arms and feet as I use his right arm as a pillow. I feel his hands on my head, probably preventing it from falling. My body is so stuck to him that even my chest and legs are, without any reserved, touching his body. ¡°~~!!!¡± I felt all the blood rushed upwards towards my head as I realize that this is something embarrassing. No¡­ something so embarrassing I could die¡­ ¡°Uhm¡­ Th-This is¡­! Ah- I¡­ I¡­¡± I slowly distance myself away from him on the bed as I get the blanket to cover up my body. And moreover¡­ My shirt¡¯s all messed up it almost showed more than it should¡­! So I tried to fix it even for a bit, combing it with my fingers. ¡°Are you okay, Ceres?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe it¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ No¡­ I don¡¯t want to believe it¡­! For me to cling to him while I was asleep¡­ Where is the barrier that I placed?? ¡­ It¡¯s gone¡­ And if I take a good look, it really looks like I did break it and entered his space¡­ I can¡¯t say anything to blame him¡­! Though I know it¡¯s all my fault for doing so, still! It¡¯s still embarrassing¡­!! And why isn¡¯t he even bothered or even at least embarrassed by it?? Is my body that not appealing to him?? ¡°Phew. It looks like you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Do you want to take the bath first?¡± I fix my hair while still holding the blanket that is covering my body. I look at him bewildered by his reaction but it would be wise to just forget all about it. Hmp. It seems like he¡¯s not even bothered by it at least. Sorry for having a boring body. ¡°Y-Yeah. I will then.¡± ¡°The personnel arrived earlier and told us that there will be a breakfast prepared for us later. They prepared two even though it should only be one. You found a really good place.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ D-Do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Th-That personnel s-s-saw¡­¡± ¡°Saw what?¡± ¡°Saw me clinging to you!!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah. With a huge grin on her face. Haha.¡± ¡°¡­!!!! ¡®Haha¡¯ won¡¯t sum that up¡­!!¡± Aaaaaahhh¡­!! I¡¯m dead¡­! I¡¯m dying¡­! Please someone kill me¡­! ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll be leaving here later anyways.¡± ¡°¡­ I really can¡¯t accept it even if you say it like that, though¡­ *sigh*¡± First thing in the morning and this¡­ I thought it would be a great day since I¡¯ve dreamt of a good dream for the first time in a long while but¡­ It was a na?ve thinking¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside. I¡¯ll take a bath after you.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± ¡­ .. . [Hans¡¯ POV] ¡°*inhale* ¡­¡± I¡­ ¡°*SIGH!!* Goodness gracious¡­!!¡± What in the world just happened¡­?? It was just a whim on my side, or half-joking about it but I didn¡¯t think she would let me sleep on the bed! ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯m now standing just in front of the door as I just got out of the room, contemplating about the happenings just this night, no, just earlier this morning. I almost couldn¡¯t sleep at all. It was fine at first, yeah. I thought I would calm down eventually after talking with her. But it just got worse when she fell asleep. ¡­ She was so defenseless. Her loose shirt¡­ Her slightly, pulled down shorts¡­ (I saw a bit of her underwear¡­) Her chest that¡¯s moving upward and downward from her soft breathing¡­ Her slightly opened lips¡­ And her disheveled hair that runs across her face¡­ If I were not a great gentleman, I would¡¯ve done something already. Yep. Of course, I am a gentleman. I absolutely didn¡¯t ogle at her while I had the chance. And moreover! Her sleeping posture is too much for me to handle! Just recalling the times where I had to recite the numbers of pi in my head just to remove my thoughts from what¡¯s beside me. Though I don¡¯t know past .1415. So had to resort to multiplication table. ¡°*sigh* And to think she would end up clinging to me throughout the night.¡± She was meekly sleeping for the first few minutes but after that, she kept moving and tossing around in bed, making the barrier that she put up useless. But what happened after that is¡­ [¡°Mama¡­ Papa¡­ Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±] ¡°She was crying¡­¡± I was at my wits end. But when I saw her crying, all unnecessary thoughts were instantly blown away. While I feel her hands that are clutched on my clothes trembling, I was brought back to my reason. No¡­ I couldn¡¯t think about anything at all. At the least, I just held her cold hands to calm her down, but I don¡¯t know if it helped. Everything that ran inside my head had vanished and I found myself patting her head as she used my arm as a pillow. I think it helped, or is what I¡¯d like to believe. But¡­ There really is a lot that happened to her before, huh¡­ And there was last night¡¯s too. I thought it was because she couldn¡¯t take how I forcefully put a ring on her finger and cried because of disgust but, it looks like that¡¯s not it. When I tried to get the ring off of her finger, she pulled her hand back, wearing a face of disappointment. Then followed by another flow of tears. Is she reminded of something because of it? Or did she liked it to the point of crying? Whatever the case, it hits hard when I saw her in that vulnerable state. I didn¡¯t think she could make an expression like that, while crying on top of it. ¡­ I want to ask her about it. ¡­ ¡°¡­ *sigh* Let¡¯s just have the personnel get the breakfast ready.¡± I was told that they would prepare the breakfast for us and deliver it when we are ready. I just have to call for her downstairs where the lobby and the reception desk is located. The place we stayed in is a fairly small inn compared to what I saw before going here, but the customer service is great. The people are nice, most especially the owner, who is actually the mother of the personnel who assisted us. She runs the inn with her husband and two teenage daughters who serves in the eatery here which also turns into a pub in the evening. I¡¯d like to try their drinks someday. Too bad we have to go early today. This town is called Atleir Town. It¡¯s just a day travel from Florensia Town by a carriage pulled by a horse. It¡¯s a lot smaller than Florensia Town but it doesn¡¯t fall behind with its beauty and prosperity. The scenery of the mountain range that surrounds the two towns is visible from here. Making it a great spot for artists who are looking for inspirations. This town is also known for their beers which they brew using an ancient method that is passed through its generations. I bet that Frank would love to come to this place. I also heard that the range is full of mountains that contains dungeons and dangerous forests. It is one of the most famous spot for hunting for some adventurers who loves thrill. So most of their visitors here are adventurers that are on their way to the mountain range to hunt. And because of that, this inn is always bustling with crowd even early in the morning. Just like this. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Arriving where the eatery is, I found the two daughters working hard, serving the customers. I tried to call out to them to let them know that we would like to have our breakfast but it seems like they¡¯re still busy and didn¡¯t notice me. So I went inside the kitchen, hoping for the owner would be there. Well I found her there but she¡¯s also busy together with her husband and I can¡¯t seem to disturb them at the moment. I¡¯ll just come back later. ¡°Oh? Mister with the golden hair! Did you have a good night sleep with your wife?¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. Thanks to you.¡± Perhaps, noticing me loitering around the place, the owner called out to me with a vigorous voice, befitting her healthy physique. She continued to move her hands while being helped by her husband, making it really easy to see that she¡¯s really used to her work. I really notice those kinds of things when it comes to people who cook. And it seems like she misunderstood us to be a married couple but I don¡¯t mind it either way, so I¡¯ll just let her believe what she thinks. ¡°Uh. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Hm?? Ahh. Of course, we¡¯re okay! It¡¯s the usual rush hour in the morning. Our daughters are doing their best so we just could let out pride as parents down, now can we?? Haha!¡± *clang* *clink* *clang* ¡°I see.¡± *chop* *chop* She¡¯s really lively even with all her intense work. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I could help. I¡¯m a chef.¡± ¡°Really? But we can¡¯t let our dear customer to have him help!¡± ¡°Ah. No. Let me rephrase that. Let me help, please.¡± ¡°¡­ Haha! Alright, here¡¯s the apron, have your way!¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± I put on the apron that was given to me and used a handkerchief that I make sure to bring with me every time. Ever since I started cooking in this world and at Ceres and Anya¡¯s restaurant, I make sure to use this handkerchief that I bought whenever I cook. It¡¯s just a simple white cloth that has black broidery on the edges. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Getting used to helping Ceres cook back home, it didn¡¯t take much time to get used here this time. It¡¯s much more busier than it is in our restaurant, nonetheless, cooking is fun so I didn¡¯t have the slightest of complain. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The way they cut the ingredients, the way they heat the meat, the way they boil the soup, it¡¯s almost the same with how Ceres did them. Perhaps it is just their culture reflecting on their cooking. But¡­ ¡°It¡¯s really different¡­¡± I really find this all different from how I cook. Or rather, from my world¡¯s cooking. Well, I¡¯m not saying that it is bad or it makes the food inedible. Yes, the ingredients are a bit different from my world, from the appearance and shape, and how they are procured and harvested. But the taste is not that different from the ones that I know. Here, some of the ingredients are cooked together. Where in my world, there should be steps and procedures or in other words, the order of cooking them. Even the heat of the flame, the cutting of the ingredients, and how they actually cook them is a bit lacking in terms of perfection. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s just how they cook it ever since. But compared to how I used to cook them, I really think I can still make this dishes better. But I¡¯m just a guest here. I shouldn¡¯t do anything unnecessary. ¡°An order of the Fomapo-Settuce Salad, here you go!¡± I relayed the dish from the kitchen right after I made it, placing it on the counter for the customer to receive it. ¡°Thank you very much, Mister!¡± One of the sisters placed the dish on a tray with a huge smile on her face. She must really love her job to still feel like that even with how busy they are right now. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really used to this, aren¡¯t you Mister?¡± ¡°To some degree, yeah.¡± ¡°Hm. It¡¯s really a big help.¡± This time, it¡¯s the husband that thanked me. It really feels better to see them smile like this even though it¡¯s different from what I¡¯m used to. The first thing that encouraged me to cook was to see a smile. There was once a time when I watched a T.V series where the main character is a cook. He cooks for everyone that comes to his shop. Whatever kind of cooking they demanded, he made sure to give them the best of flavors that will melt their taste buds and cheeks, making them smile as they eat his dishes. All of his customers went home with a huge smile plastered on their faces every episode. I really thought how I would like to cook for my mother that time and make her smile.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Because she lost hers when my father died. ¡°Oh, Ceres? You done taking a bath?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She got down from upstairs, wearing her usual getup of long-sleeved white shirt that has a wide opening, revealing her shoulders and leather shorts that measures down just above her knee. Usually she wears a leather chest cover above her shirt but maybe because we¡¯re just having breakfast right now, she¡¯s not wearing it. As usual, her right bangs is fixed to the back of her ear with her silver moon shaped hair clip. Her wet hair that sticks on her neck and face, and the slowly dripping water droplet seem so alluring to me. Probably because of what just happened. Still, I tried to be as cool as possible. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Staring at me like that.¡± ¡°Ah. No. It¡¯s nothing. And¡­ Hm. Good. It looks like she¡¯s back to her usual self. I was thinking that it¡¯ll be hard for her to just forget about it, there¡¯s also last night¡¯s happening too. Aside from her slightly flushed cheeks, her face is back to the usual stern Ceres. I¡¯ll just make sure to forget about it for now. But the way it bothers me can¡¯t be simply removed just like that, it seems. ¡°What are you doing there cooking like it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world?¡± ¡°It looks like they were having a hard time. I couldn¡¯t just sit and do nothing.¡± ¡°*sigh* I feel like I¡¯m getting used to you being so nosy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m great, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not praising you. Ms. Owner? Can I have an apron?¡± ¡°My? Even Mrs. Wife wants to help? What¡¯s this, today is a good day!¡± ¡°Wi-?! ¡­ Ah. *sigh* Whatever.¡± She then tied her hair into a ponytail like she always does whenever she cooks. Ceres then wore the white apron that matches her black glistening hair. She proceeds to do whatever she¡¯s told to and cook as she¡¯s instructed. It¡¯s like we¡¯re back in our own restaurant and our hands moved like they used to, forgetting almost everything and focused on what our hands do. ¡°Slime, is the stock ready?¡± ¡°In about 2 minutes.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be cutting up the fish so get on with the filling.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± ¡°Ah. Mrs. Wife, are the settuce ready?¡± ¡°Yes, here they are.¡± ¡°Oh my! Already this much!¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t Ceres awesome?? Hehe~¡± *bonk* ¡°Ow-¡° ¡°Why are you the one being proud of it? Hmph.¡± ¡°Haha! You two are very close, eh? Now that¡¯s a married couple for you!¡± ¡°Hm. We¡¯re also a married couple, dear.¡± Perhaps listening for a while now, the husband joined the conversation. ¡°Hahaha! Now that you mention it!¡± ¡°Dear¡­!!¡± ¡°¡­ *sigh*¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to deny it, Ceres?¡± ¡°I gave up.¡± After a while, the customers have left one by one and slowly the eatery became empty as if the rush hour earlier was just a lie. It became quiet all of a sudden with only the chopping on the board can be heard. ¡°¡­¡± Taking a glance at her direction and having laid my eyes on her face, I saw the smile she usually has whenever she cooks. Maybe she just doesn¡¯t care anymore or like what she said, she just gave up on denying it, but¡­ I still feel happy that she doesn¡¯t mind it that much since yesterday. I mean, if it was like before, she¡¯ll be denying it with every fiber of her being. Now even with them misunderstanding us, she can still smile like she¡¯s having fun. Can I take this as a sign that I got closer to her than before? If so¡­ It¡¯s really worth coming with her on this travel. ¡°But to think you two would be this capable of cooks!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Right, Ceres?¡± ¡°Yes. We just did what we could and helped.¡± ¡°I see, I see!¡± ¡°Maica and I are taking a peek from time to time and thought you two were really awesome!¡± Now the two daughters entered the kitchen while we¡¯re cleaning up. The dishes piled up without us noticing. So going out of our way, we just considered it as the continuation of our help and washed the dishes together with them. ¡°Yes. I also think you two are amazing.¡± ¡°See?? Even Maica is saying that! My twin sister can be quite stoic at things so if she praised you it¡¯s really heartfelt!¡± Laica said so with her energetic voice even making hand gestures as she does so. They¡¯re like two peas in a pod if you look at them. With only the way their hair is fixed different, but their personalities are the complete opposite of each other. If they think well of us like this, then it would be rude to just deny it more than this. ¡°I see. Thank you. You two also did your best, you know? Serving the customers, running around holding a huge tray. It¡¯s quite admirable.¡± I wiped my hands with the apron then pat their head as a reassurance of what I just said. ¡°¡­ Hehe. I¡¯m praised.¡± ¡°Yaaay! Hehehe~ Too bad Hans already has a wife. I wanted to volunteer too!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Well, well. You¡¯ll find someone better in no time. Right, Ceres?¡± ¡°Hmp.¡± *stomp!* ¡°Ow-! My foot!!¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my! It seems like Mrs. Wife got jealous. I¡¯m sorry for my daughter, she just couldn¡¯t get herself a boyfriend, that¡¯s why she¡¯s like this.¡± ¡°J-Jeal-?!¡± ¡°Hey, Mom! It¡¯s like you¡¯re saying I¡¯m just a desperate girl!¡± ¡°Haha! Aren¡¯t you not, dear??¡± ¡°Please, Mrs. Owner! I-I am not! Please don¡¯t misunderstand! I wanted to correct it this earlier but I just gave up. We¡¯re not married or anything! This guy¡¯s just my co-worker, or like, my subordinate! Hey, you! Say something too!¡± ¡°Nah. This looks interesting so I¡¯ll just watch.¡± ¡°What are saying like it¡¯s none of your business?!¡± Well, it IS interesting seeing Ceres flustered. She¡¯s cute as she tries her best explaining things. It¡¯s just fun teasing her. ¡°Eh? But you rented a single room though? Are you serious you¡¯re not going out at least?¡± Putting her pointy finger on her lips, Laica asked with an innocent face. ¡°We¡¯re not!¡± ¡°Eeehhh~ I see, I see! Then I now have a chance then, Sir Hans??¡± ¡°Hm¡­ If you grow up after at least 5 years, I¡¯ll consider it then.¡± ¡°Muu¡­ 5 years is too long!!¡± ¡°Hng!!¡± *stomp!* ¡°Ow-!! Why did you step on my foot again, Ceres??¡± Even for me, her stomp is like being hit with a baton by a muscular man. ¡°¡­ Are these two really not going out¡­?¡± Maica, who¡¯s washing the dishes expressionless, said so. ¡­ .. . ¡°Are you two going to Estelanta Kingdom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. We are going to the cemetery.¡± ¡°Estelanta Cemetery, huh? We can drop you somewhere near it, if you want.¡± ¡°That will do. Thank you.¡± We got on the carriage that is departing for a travel directly towards the Estelanta Kingdom. After helping at the inn, we got our breakfast and lunch for free as a payment for helping them. They even included some packed meals for us that will stay fresh for three days so it¡¯s really worth helping them. Though I didn¡¯t have that kind of ulterior motives when I helped them, I still feel lucky after receiving this much. Ceres¡¯ bag is full so I¡¯m now carrying the rest. 3 hours ago, while Ceres was readying her stuff, I went ahead and went a round at the town. Memorizing the field in my head as I try to enjoy the scenery. I also looked around some stores to find something useful even for me. I bought a book to serve as my practice material while studying their writing system. Before coming here, whenever I got a break from work or even just for a second I¡¯m free, I will have either Anya or Tia teach me since Ceres was so against in getting close to me. But Anya and even Tia did a great help and now I can read most of the letters, though it was quite just simple since I can already speak the language itself. I bought two books. One is a history book, History Documentation, which explains in detail what happened before in this world. The other is a like a geological book that discuss about different places that are recorded in the history. Thinking about it, I¡¯ve only got the slightest of clue to what kind of world I was sent to. I really ought to study them now that I have the chance to do so. I like reading so it¡¯s really not that of chore reading this, anyways. But I want to read a novel some time. I wonder what kind of novels they have here. ¡°This will be a 7 day travel but if you¡¯re going to the cemetery, you will arrive after 6 days.¡± ¡°Alright. Just as planned.¡± ¡°Did you prepare a medicine for motion sickness this time, Ceres?¡± *bonk* ¡°Ow-!¡± We are now on our way to the cemetery where Ceres¡¯ parents lie in peace. But the carriage that we got on, which is actually a part of a caravan, is directly going to Estelanta Kingdom. Good thing the driver went his way and will drop us somewhere near the cemetery. Estelanta Kingdom is the largest kingdom in the human continent which thrones the King and his Queen who reigns the whole continent. There are other kingdoms that spreads all over the human continent but are fairly small and is only ruled by nobles from the branch family of the royalty. It¡¯s like they¡¯re small connections from the Kingdom. ¡°And dear passengers. I should warn you first now that we¡¯ve come here.¡± ¡°Hm? Is there some sort of a problem?¡± Wondering, I asked the driver first. ¡°Not really a problem because we¡¯re already in a safe hands. I know you have already heard, there are sightings of pride of [Dire Ligers] from around the spot where we will be camping for tonight. But I assure you that the adventurers we hired will definitely keep us safe. Should something happen, the adventurers will do something about it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Our point of destination, which is the Estelanta Cemetery, is also governed by the kingdom and is a day travel from there so we will be arriving our destination earlier than the people with us who are on their way to the kingdom. There¡¯s a map scribed on 2 pages of the book that centers around the Estelanta Kingdom. It says here that from our point now, we are heading towards north-east. Therefore¡­ We will be camping around a plain that has large boulders scattered everywhere. If ever those Dire Ligers attacked, we can use those boulders as an advantage for us. Though I still won¡¯t know unless I see the actual site. Nice. The book already had its use. Then after a while. ¡°Ceres? Are you sleepy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Although saying that, I can see her eyelids closing slowly as her head nods slightly and straighten up again when she notice it. ¡°Did you not get enough sleep?¡± ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s mine? Though from what I remember, you slept like a log.¡± ¡°¡­!! You¡­ How did you know that?? Does that mean you¡¯re awake all the time??¡± Oh no. It slipped. Hm. Oh well. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t? I mean, sleeping beside a cute girl my age will definitely have me awake the whole night. I got nervous I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Well, even a slight nap will be no problem for me. I¡¯m used to night raids back in my world, so going for days without sleep is an ordinary tasks for¡­ me¡­ Ceres? Why is your face so red?¡± ¡°Wh-?? N-No! Don¡¯t look! I-It¡¯s not¡­!¡± ¡°Really? If you feel under the weather, just tell me. The owner gave me some medicine that may help us on our travel.¡± ¡°I said, it¡¯s not!¡± [¡°S-So¡­ He WAS conscious of me that night¡­ Now that I think about it¡­ What¡¯s this¡­? It¡¯s embarrassing yet, I¡¯m relieved, at the same time. But why should I be relieved in the first place¡­?? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m happy having him seen me as a woman¡­¡±] She¡¯s just covering her face now for a while but¡­ ¡°Hm¡­ If you say so. But still I¡¯m getting worried if you¡¯re like that.¡± ¡°I got it, I got it! I¡¯ll tell you, I just have to tell you, right?? But I¡¯m really fine right, now so leave me alone¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright, then.¡± Along with the rattling of the carriage wheels, I¡¯ll just enjoy the scenery of the plains where we are tracking for now. This will be a long travel so I must find a way to spend the time while being inside this carriage. The carriage we are in is like those in olden times. A large wooden cart that has big wooden wheels installed, with a cover at the top preventing the sun, or possibly the rain from bathing us. It has enough space for 8 people and we¡¯re one of those, who are either sleeping or just like me, enjoying the scenery outside. We are now travelling on a plain that is simply a grassland with few trees sprouting from here and there. Though the mountain range is still visible, it¡¯s not the same now from when we are at the village. That¡¯s to be expected since it¡¯s already been 3 hours since our departure. We left the town at about 2 in the afternoon so I¡¯m guessing we will be camping if we won¡¯t make it to the next town, but¡­ The driver just said that there won¡¯t be towns that we will be stopping at. So this will be one continuous travel straight to the cemetery. Thinking that, not after a while, I felt a slight weight from my shoulder and noticed that Ceres has fallen asleep. The moment she fell asleep, she just went ahead and latched herself to me and got herself a good night sleep. But I guess she really couldn¡¯t sleep much yesterday night before that. I¡¯ll just let her sleep until we reached our first camp site. I look out from the carriage and leaned my left arm to it as I hold my chin, enjoying the new scenery with my eyes as the wind slightly blows, making our hairs flutter in response. ¡­ .. . Night has fell and now we¡¯re preparing for today¡¯s slumber. The carriages surrounds the camp and forms a circle around, acting as a barrier for sudden dangers like the possible attack of the Dire Ligers. Some brought out their own sleeping bags, others set up a large tent that can contain 5 people at a time. Ceres and I bought a sleeping bag from Atleir Town before leaving so we won¡¯t have any problem sleeping here. Each group joined together and lit up a campfire to fight the cold and some have already started cooking their dinner. While we already have our own dinner for today that we got from the owner of the inn, the others still shared some with us. Bathe by the starlight and lighten up by the campfire, one brought out an instrument that resembles a guitar and began singing the night away. We all sat on stones and some on wooden chairs that circles the fire, eating, drinking, and singing. Everyone had fun altogether and I see no harm in it as I actually found myself enjoying the jolly atmosphere. But on the other hand¡­ ¡°Are you going to sleep already?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I see. Just hop in your sleeping bag, I¡¯ll take care of our things. Though you still got sleepy after sleeping that much in the ride?¡± ¡°L-Leave me alone.¡± Perhaps remembering the time when she fell asleep while leaning on my shoulder, I can see a faint blush on her cheek illuminated by orange from the campfire. ¡°Alright, alright. Good night, Ceres.¡± ¡°Mm. G¡¯night.¡± I saw her lie down in her sleeping bag but I noticed that she didn¡¯t fully closed it. I guess she just wanted some time alone. For now I¡¯ll just arrange our things and call it a day myself. ¡°D-DIRE LIGERS!!¡± Wha?? ¡°Where are our hired adventurers????¡± ¡°They fell asleep after drinking!!¡± Goodness¡­ They knew that will be having a guard duty then why drink. Maybe they got a bit lax after enjoying the atmosphere. In any case this is a dire situation because of the Dire Ligers. Pfft¡­ Dire situation and Dire Ligers¡­ ¡°What are you creepily snickering there, Slime?¡± ¡°Ah. You¡¯re couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not after the screaming of everyone.¡± ¡°Hm. Alright, time to move.¡± ¡°Where are you going, slime?¡± ¡°You already know! I¡¯ll go and be a little bit nosy!¡± I ran towards the caravan leader who is using a monocular to look out, leaving Ceres together with the non-combatant civilians. As expected of this caravan that is known for its safety, even with the trouble of losing their guards, they still manage to secure the place in an orderly manner. ¡°Mr. Mirchel.¡± Mr. Mirchel is the leader of the caravan. He¡¯s a well-built, gentle looking, gray bearded old man who wears a high class suit, befitting of a noble merchant. Even in this situation, he kept calm as he instructed other adventurers to secure the civilians to a safe place. The site has now become a bit rowdy from the building of barriers and other tools that may help us prevent the Dire Ligers to get to the civilians. A huge bonfire was lit around where we adventurers are to draw the monsters attention here. ¡°Oh, are you one of the passengers? I suggest you take shelter behind the caravans before the Dire Ligers come. I¡¯ll gather some of the combat capable people to do something about this.¡± ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m also an adventurer. Let me help.¡± ¡°Really? That would be great.¡± He then proceeds to pat my shoulder wearing a relieved expression. Maybe the situation is quite sever that even if having just one more people would make him feel like this. ¡°If I left you alone and die, Anya will get sad when I go back.¡± ¡°Ceres?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°Ceres¡­ Uu¡­ You¡¯re making me cry¡­! *sniffle*¡± ¡°*sigh* Alright, alright. You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°So your wife will be helping too? Is she an adventurer too?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not his wife. But sure. I¡¯m helping.¡± ¡°Now this will be more reassuring. May I ask your ranks, just in case?¡± I answered first before Ceres. ¡°I¡¯m a Level 13 Rank G.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Rank C.¡± ¡­ C?? Wasn¡¯t it just recent that she¡¯s still Rank D?? Just what in the world is Ceres doing on her free time¡­? ¡°Rank C! I see. That¡¯s favorable for us.¡± Uhm. What about mine? Is Rank G not favorable for you guys? ¡°They¡¯re here, Sir Mirchel! Approximately 5 minutes until contact!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Mr. Mirchel then stood up in a stool and looked everyone in their eyes. The eyes of resolution and courage. Even with only us 24 combat capable people here including me and Ceres, which is greatly outnumbered by the incoming hungry Dire Ligers, everyone believes that they will get through here alive because of his display of bravery. ¡°Everyone!! Prepare for a brutal fight against the Dire Ligers! The sighted Dire Ligers around her prowls the night to hunt. They will viciously attack everyone in sight! However! If we work together, we will definitely pass through this peril! Are you all ready?!?!¡± ¡°OOHHH!!!¡± Everyone in the place shouted a cry of resolve. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡± Now, now. Why not do this with a bang? Once in a while, I should let all out without caring about surroundings from time to time, right? This could also serve as a test for my strength. ¡°Hm.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Even in this dangerous situation, I can¡¯t contain my excitement. ¡°H-Hey, you with the noble hair, where are you going all by yourself?¡± I walk directly towards the direction of the incoming Dire Ligers, while cracking my finger. ¡°Well, let me try doing something. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ceres looked like she wanted to say something but¡­ Let me just act cool sometimes. I went into full combat mode as I now circulate every mana inside my body, spreading it throughout out my skin. I slowly squint my eyes as I look towards the pride of the ferocious Dire Ligers running at us at full speed. A new skill. Nice. This would be perfect. Thanks Ms. Information. I activated the skill in my mind and the surrounding place went brighter in an instant. It¡¯s still a bit dark around my field of vision but my line of sight is bright like I¡¯m seeing during the day. It¡¯s a weird feeling. I was expecting it to be like a sight in an NVD. ¡°Ceres.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°¡­ *sigh* Acting cool like that¡­ Take care.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°H-Hey. Don¡¯t you need to stop him?? He¡¯s just a Rank G! Facing a pride of Dire Ligers is just plain suicide.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ That guy¡¯s just not normal, you see.¡± My bad, everyone. After getting pumped up like that. But if I have the chance to not let everyone here get hurt, specially Ceres, I can¡¯t just fight idly in the back while I see her getting hurt just because she¡¯s on a higher rank than me. Anya would definitely kill me if I let something happen to her dear sister. I promised to protect her, didn¡¯t I? ¡°Alright¡­!! Come!¡± The ground has started shaking from the rumbling running steps of the Dire Ligers. Everyone has brought out their weapons, swords, axes, maces, daggers, bows, and others. As for me¡­ ¡°My fist will do for now.¡± I gathered the mana around the place around me and poured them in my right hand. I¡¯ve gotten pretty well with manipulating the mana in the air as I practiced doing it when I went to the dungeon with Tia. The air got stronger, and the ground below me began shaking even more, not from because of the incoming monsters, but from the intense mana concentration in my place. This will be the first time I will use this skill to its maximum output after placing all my crystal points into my Intelligence. Slowly¡­ Slowly¡­ The mana gathered around my fist to the point it manifested even without the help of Mana Detect. Sparks and something like an electric current began appearing from where I stand. ¡°Wh-What the¡­ What is that guy doing¡­?? What is this powerful surge of mana???¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m not a magician, I can see the mana concentration and actually feel it!¡± ¡°I-I think I¡¯ve seen him before¡­¡± ¡°Alright! Everyone, stand back!¡± Everyone did so as per my instruction and hid behind a huge boulder where the caravan and the civilians are hiding. The light has become so bright, I had to deactivate the Night Vision skill. It¡¯s ready. ¡°RAWR! GRRRRAR!!¡± The pride is now greatly agitated maybe because of the mana gathering in one place. Now, now¡­ Just be patient¡­ *inhale* ¡­ And¡­! ¡°¡­ MANA BURST!!¡± With every fiber of my muscles in my right arm contracted and pulled, I swing my right arm pulling it backwards. Forcing the concentrated mana in one point, I then strike my fist forward with unbelievable velocity towards the direction of the Dire Ligers. And like a click from a pulled trigger¡­ *BOOM!!!¡± All of the mana that I gathered in my fist instantly bursts out from one point creating a pressured bluish ray, obliterating everything it passes through. The burst blew away almost everything from where I stand, even some small boulders couldn¡¯t take the abrupt force. Also because of the sudden burst of light, it made it seem like daytime for the surroundings. Like a continuous and non-stopping lighting, the burst expands from its from its linear direction. If I just let my guard down even for a second, I would probably be blown away from the reaction and recoil. ¡°Wh-Whaaaa??!¡± ¡°Sir¡­! Mirchel¡­!! What is happening?!?!¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ Let¡¯s just believe in him for now. That man¡­ He¡¯s something. Even after all the years being an adventurer. He¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve seen who could pull something like that with a mana.¡± The Mana Burst lasted for at least 10 seconds. Seeing the explosion from the mountain that it hit far away from our place, the pressure from my hand is now disappearing and I can feel the sensation in my arm again. Every time I use Mana Burst, I can feel my arm go numb during the activation. Rocks are scattered everywhere and falling around. The dust and steam from the heat covered the place and made it all the more harder to see. But the light from the sky is enough to make it at least visible for us. After a short while, what greeted us is a scorched ground, creating a magma, without any sign of life on it. ¡°He¡­ did it¡­¡± ¡°All by himself¡­¡± ¡°With just one attack¡­¡± Even I¡¯m surprised from its firepower. Mana burst uses my Intelligence, I guess. I was expecting a normal kind of Mana Burst that I usually use during my ability testing because of my Strength. But after pouring all my crystal points in my Intelligence, it really got stronger to the point of scorching even the land from its wake. ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s it, I guess. Ceres! How¡¯s that?¡± I hit my palms together a number of times, removing the dust that accumulated on it. ¡°¡­ Really¡­ You never cease to surprise me. *sigh*¡± ¡°Hehe. Nah, it¡¯s nothing much.¡± Being praised by Ceres isn¡¯t bad. ¡°Hm. Welcome back.¡± ¡°Haha. Thanks.¡± ¡­ .. . Chapter End 22
Name: Hans Alius Schmidt
Race: Human
Class: None
[Title/s]
Contracted One, Black Sheep
[Status]
Strength: 206(+206)/9999
Agility 82(+82)/9999
Intelligence 498(+498)(+500)/9999
Defense 15(+15)/9999
[Skills]
Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Status Lv. 1/1
Crush Strike Lv. 10/10 Harden Lv. 8/10
Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Damage Resistance Lv. 8/10
Mana Burst Lv. 6/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1
Telepathy Lv. 1/1
Crystal Points: 0
[Name]: Hans Alius Schmidt [Class]: None
[Sex]: Male [Level]: 36
[Race]: Human [Rank]: F
[Title]
Black Sheep
[Skills]
[Active Skill] [Passive Skills]
[Quest/s]
(None)
[Party Members/Raid Members]
(None)
Chapter 23: The Burial Place of Her Beginning and The Warmth of Her New Beginning "MANA BURST!!" I found myself dumbfounded by the spectacle in front of me as I was hiding behind a huge boulder, together with other passengers of the caravan. A loud bang coming from the source of the bright flash of seemingly unending light was heard throughout the starlight showered plains. He told us to stand back and brace for impact, but¡­ "To think he could to something like this¡­ Just¡­" Just who really is that slime, after all? He cleaned up the incoming monsters with just one swift of an attack. The scene made me think about him once more. All I know is that he came from the other world. A soldier who said to fight for his country and defend its citizen. He died saving one of his subordinate and for some reason, he said that a white figure sent him to this world. I had no clue what he was talking about a white figure nor how he met it just to be transferred to this world. "Phew¡­ That''s it, I guess. Ceres! How''s that?" But he joined us to eat at the forest, made us food called Curry Rice. It was pretty delicious too. He intruded in our house, and he saved me from my killer. He brought us Tia, who I really think is cute. He cooked for us and helped us with work in the restaurant. He became an adventurer and used Telepathy just to tell me that he will protect me at all cost. He followed me until here and now this¡­ "*sigh* You never cease to surprise me." The once I thought an evil existence. Something that will disrupt our peace, someone that will definitely betray me, he who I thought would definitely hurt me like the others, is now in front of me¡­ "Hehe. Nah. It''s nothing much. ¡­ Smiling because of a simple word coming from me. "Welcome back." He really is full of wonder. But¡­ Now I''m convinced. "You''re different than them, aren''t you?" "Hm? You said something?" "It''s nothing. Iiiidiot." He looked at me with bewildered expression. Of course, that''s because I called him an idiot instead of slime. Hmp. I just recognized him a bit. There''s no way I''d treat him like a normal person. He''s still an idiot to me. "AWWRIIIGHHTTT!!!!! HE DID IT!! HE JUST DID IT!!!" Everyone around us erupted in cheer after the event. *sigh* They must be pretty excited about how that guy saved the day and how he did it. He could''ve just let us do our part too and help him. Why did he even go all out of his way just to do it by himself? Is he an idiot, or what? I think he is. "Say, say! What was that skill?! Can you tell us more about it?!?!" "Did you get that skill from the guild!?!? What''s it called!?!?" "Hey, you''re so cool! Do you have a girlfriend!?" Hrm¡­?? What''s that girl talking about¡­?? Of course he doesn''t. There''s no way for him to have one. Wait¡­ Why do I have to be bothered by that?? "Hm. Your name is, Hans, am I right?" "Ah. Mr. Mirchel. Yes. That''s right." When Mr. Mirchel arrived to talk with the idiot this time, all of the mobs dispersed in mere seconds. [A.N: That''s harsh Ceres¡­ Calling them mobs.] That''s no wonder because Mr. Mirchel is a well-respected even outside of Florensia Town and Atleir Town. He was once a Rank A adventurer who achieved a lot of feat during his time. But now that he''s aged, he retired and became a merchant instead. He now leads a caravan that escorts people when travelling to the Kingdom. It is said that he is hired by the King Himself to be his right hand but he refused. "I was flabbergasted by what you did. On behalf of all these people here, let me thank you from the bottom of my heart. You really saved us here." "No problem. I just did what I could." "Don''t be humble. If you didn''t move yourself, we could have unnecessary casualties in our hands after the assault." He is right. Dire Ligers are very dangerous, especially when they are in a group. The ones that attacked us numbered around 200, estimated by the lookout. If we faced them head on with just us here, we wouldn''t last. In that point, I really recognize how strong that idiot is. But¡­ Nothing more. "Dire Liger''s appearance here is even a mystery even for the higher ups. They are vicious to begin with, but now they attack everything in sight. It really caused a problem for the travelers. I''m also here to investigate that fact, but it would be hard when our hired adventurers there lies like dead bodies from drinking." Mr. Mirchel then sighed tiredly. "It''s everything that everyone is safe, Mr. Mirchel. Well, actually I just wanted Ceres to be safe so I acted on my own accord." "Bfft!! *cough!*" Wh-What did he just say?? "Hoho. So it''s for your lover, eh? Must be nice being young. I remember the time when I was adventuring with my wife. Hahaha!" Just when he thinks I''m not listening¡­ that idiot¡­!! "Well, for now let''s rest. We will force those useless punks awake to be our watch for the rest of the night. You can now sleep quietly." "Right. Thank you very much, Mr. Mirchel." "That should be my word. Thank you, Hans." "You''re welcome." ¡­ .. . 6 days have passed and nothing major happened aside from the attack of the Dire Ligers. We travelled smoothly along the plains, rivers, and forests and now that idiot and I have arrived in the foot of the mountain where the cemetery is located. The last flower should also be around here so it would be easy to pick it up while we are on our way to the cemetery. "Well then, Mr. Mirchel. We will be going here." "Right. I wish you safe and good travel." "You too." "*bow*" I just bow my head towards Mr. Mirchel as I don''t know what to say. I just don''t have anything to say. "Take care of your wife." "¡­ A-Ahaha¡­ I¡­ I will." ¡­ Remember this. We went our way after seeing off the caravan. It''s already the 3 in the afternoon when I looked at the watch. I bought it using the money I got from exterminating monsters for quests. It''s just a simple watch that tells me the hour but not the exact minute. It just tells if an hour or half an hour have passed so it''s fairly cheap. At any rate, we need to hurry. The weather was just fine this morning but the clouds now are telling us otherwise. If it rains, I wouldn''t be able to take my time with my parents so we really need to climb the mountain now. "We''ll be going." "I''m following. What does the flower look like?" "It''s called Teracai. It originated from the Faunalian Kingdom. But for some reason, they''re now also found in the Human continent. They have yellow, round petals with a pinkish spherical center, lying on top like a decoration. It''s around the same size as the Reflectan." "Copy." We then look out for the flower as we climb up the mountain. Oh right¡­ "Didn''t you use that skill of yours when you searched for the Reflectan? Can''t you use it now?" "I''m trying to. But it seems like the plants here don''t use mana for growth. They''re just normal plants that feeds from earth nutrients." "I see¡­ No choice then." "¡­ Hm? There''s a house there." Looking at somewhere not far from where we are, a small abandoned house lies quietly. It looks very old judging from how it''s already run down and covered with moss. "You''re right. But there''s not time to check it out. Come on, let''s go." "Roger that." One by one, we picked up the flowers that we found but with moderation. Yep. We don''t want to lose these pretty flowers after all. And they''re on of the lovely flowers that my parent''s love. I don''t want to see them gone¡­ Gone¡­ "Come on. We''re done. Let''s go up now." I felt a hand on the top of my ahead after his words. "Ah¡­ D-Don''t order me around. I know already. Hmp." Did he do that on purpose¡­? ¡­ After climbing and trekking the mountain, we finally reached the top which is flattened to serve as a cemetery. With trees that has small spikes on their trunks and star shaped leaves along the way, the road is also flattened forming a straight pavement, directing towards the cemetery gate. But it being a mountain and all, the steepness can be harsh for those who climb it for the first time. But it seems like that idiot''s fine. Hmph. It''s not like I''m worried or anything anyways. I just don''t want to drag him along when he''s all exhausted. "So this is the cemetery, huh¡­" It''s named after the Estelanta Kingdom, Estelanta Cemetery, because it''s where the first royalty was buried. But they opened it for public use some time ago. I''ve been coming here ever since my parents were buried here so it''s a greatly familiar scenery. The lone trees from here and there, and the tombstones are neatly and perfectly aligned along the grassy ground. The road is still ongoing farther until the end of the cemetery. The place is wide enough to drain your energy if you wish to explore all its corners. Looking at his direction, I see his eyes swim around while muttering something. "The place looks like it came out from a fantasy books that I''ve read ever since I was a child. The contrast of the dark clouds fits perfectly in the atmosphere of the cemetery. The old tombstones that are already stained with time covers the whole wide area, making an organized file and column. It''s not a gloomy and dark place at all, but because of the incoming rain, I still feel a bit heavy inside." "¡­ What¡­ are you muttering all by yourself there¡­? Did you bump your head on our way here?" "It''s my monologue. Don''t mind me. It just slipped out of my mind." "We should hurry before the rain comes." "Roger." We walked almost 50 meters from the gate. I didn''t know why but¡­ My heart feels heavy all the while. Maybe the darkening weather because of the rain clouds has an effect on my mood but, I feel like I''m just dragging my feet all the while. I feel like I''m about to remember things again. The memories I hate the most. It''s been years already but I still can''t feel like I''m already free from my past. Like a chain entangled on my feet, dragging me back to where I should be. I rubbed my left arm to comfort myself. It was the arm where the chains had latched into me in the past. Whenever I feel uncomfortable or uneasy, I feel like I''m going to recall the sensation on my left arm. That''s why I try to suppress it by holding onto it. I''m coming back here after a year. I should be happy meeting my parents again. But the thorns that kept pricking my heart never goes away. No matter how I''ve grown or turn into an adult, I still feel like a lost child who doesn''t know what''s left and right. ¡­ But I still find my way to my parents'' burial place. "We''re here." "Hm." Everything was in silence. It should be windy because of the incoming rain, but there''s not even a single breeze at all. As I was staring at the tombstone in front of me, I saw him on my peripheral view. Placing his right hand on his chest while bowing his head as he close his eyes. It''s like he''s praying. "¡­" I brought out the flowers from my large bag where the container that contains the flowers is. They are still fresh because of the mechanism inside the container. Kneeling in front of my parent''s tombstone, I arranged the beautiful flowers. The flowers that my parents loved. Binding all of them together to make a bouquet. They''re very pretty. Reminding me of the delightful times I had with them. Of course. The flowers that I leave here every year disappears. They''re just material things, after all. They won''t reach them wherever they are no matter what. Maybe a caretaker cleans them away, or the wind scatters them all over. That may be how it is¡­ However¡­ My feelings will always be here. It maybe something just to ease my feelings, or something to pacify my selfishness. But¡­ "¡­ Uu¡­" But the love they had for me¡­ "Mama¡­" The love I have for them¡­ "Papa¡­" The memories I had with them¡­ Are still inside my heart and will always be. Until the day I die. ["We will always love you, our little moon princess, Ceres."] "*sob* ¡­ *hic* ¡­" My hands went unconsciously to my chest and gripped my clothes. As usual¡­ I can''t breathe. It hurts. ¡­ It''s lonely without them. ¡­ I wanted to be with them longer. ¡­ I wanted to grow old with them by my side. ¡­ I wanted to be an adult, with them guiding me. I¡­ *drip* I felt a cold droplet on my nape. It dripped down my back like a tear from the sky. Followed by the rumble of a thunder. It''ll rain soon. We should get going. I wipe my tears away and stood up from my place. Let''s just forget it. If I take my time here, I''ll just end up remembering all sorts of bad memories. It''s the usual. Every year. Like a cycle I can''t seem to escape. I''ll just have to stand up from here again and face another year, entangled by the chains of my past. "Let''s go." "¡­ Take your time." "¡­?" "It''s your time with your parents. Don''t you have more things to talk to them about?" What is this guy saying? I just did that... "¡­ Like what¡­?" "What did Anya cook for you last week? How''s the restaurant? Did you sleep well yesterday? What did you eat? Is it delicious? How are you doing right now? What do you feel? Do you like your life right now? Is it fun? Just tell them. Have a small talk. Tell them what you feel. They''re your parents. They would surely love to listen to all of your stories." "¡­!" "It''s your time with them, after all." I didn''t think... about that¡­ All I did was remember all the memories I had with them. The fun times, the sad times, all of them. To satisfy my loneliness and longing for them. I never once told them how I am doing right now. "... I..." Did I became too selfish? I know they won''t come back no matter how I recall those memories. But¡­ If maybe. If maybe they''re somewhere. Just waiting for me to tell them¡­ That''s¡­ Right. I haven''t told them a thing. That''s why¡­ "¡­" Mama¡­ Papa¡­ You see. I''m an adult now¡­ And I''m now a head chef at the Lunaria Caf¨¦. I hope you''re now proud of me. ¡­ I couldn''t help but smile as I tell them. The me who I became, after I found my second home. And it''s... "Mama, Papa... Are you watching over me?" ...The first time I felt lighthearted in front of them. ¡­ .. . "Phew¡­! It really poured down!" "Mm." Just when we were about to go back, the rain began pouring down and in just an instant, it''s already a heavy fall. I heard the weather changes frequently in the mountain but I didn''t think it would be this fast. It''s usually clear when I come here before, so why now¡­? *sigh* My clothes are drenched, it feels so icky on my skin. Even my underwear''s drenched. "*sigh* This is why I don''t like the rain¡­ It''s uncomfortable¡­ Uu¡­" We''re now taking shelter at the nearby house that we found earlier before we reached the cemetery. It''s an old and barren house with no one leaving in it. The wood is already rotting and spider webs have started to gather in all corners of the house. It is dark inside without a proper lighting except for the dim light outside which is also darken by the heavy rainfall. I wiped the rain water off my bangs as I comb my hair forward to squeeze it dry. "¡­ What are you looking at¡­?" "A rare moment of an erotic Ceres." "¡­!!! Just WHERE do you think you''re looking, you idiot!!!" I swing my fist straight to his face but¡­ "Not happening. I won''t fall for the same tricks over and over again. Heh." He just easily dodged it. "¡­ Grr¡­ Don''t dodge it! And stop looking already!" "I absolutely refuse!" "Geez!! Just look away!!" "Haha. I see. You seem fine now. Good." "Stop loo-¡­ Eh?" "Nothing. I''ll go and look for a usable towel or something. Uwa¡­ Oh no no. Even my clothes in my bag are wet." That again¡­ Why is it that he always catch me off guard¡­? Did he purposely act goofy just to cheer me up? Or am I just reading too much on it? Muu¡­ It kind of irritates me knowing he had to go out of his way to be considerate of me. I know I got a little emotional earlier but¡­ I can''t help it, okay? It''s been so long since I let out all my thoughts about my parents. It''s just¡­ Why is he being like that to me¡­? I don''t understand him¡­ at all. Forget it. I''ll just look for some clothes that can still be used from the bags. Uwa¡­ They''re all drenched¡­ If I wear this, they would just make it worse. If I knew this would happen I should''ve bought some a container for the clothes too. Ugh¡­ It''s so cold¡­ Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more."Ceres. I found a blanket. It should be clean since it was folded. And I checked it just in case. You can use it." "Mm. Hm? It''s only one? You aren''t going to use one?" "It''s okay. I''m used to this kind of things. A little bit cold weather won''t hurt me." Acting cool like that¡­ "¡­ Then you use it. I''m not cold either." "You were just shivering when I gave you the blanket though." "Th-That''s¡­ I''m just¡­ sh-shivering from excitement." "Just what are you excited about¡­? *sigh* Come on. Don''t be stubborn and just use it." He pushed back my reached out hand which holds the blanket to me. He then folds his hands together as he rubs them together. See. You''re just as cold as well. Muu¡­ He''s at it again¡­ Why is he being like that? Even though there''s only inconvenience for him. What are his reasons? Does he want something from me? Did I do something to him to cause him to be like this to me? But it''s more like I was just being all mean to him ever since I met him¡­ Then why¡­? "You''re shivering as well. You go ahead and use it." "Don''t mind me. Anya will be worried. If Anya heard you caught a cold because of me, I won''t hear the end of it. Haha." Eh¡­? So¡­ you''re just doing it because of Anya? You''re being like that because you think of Anya? So you''re saying that because all this time¡­ "Then I''ll take it! You slime! Hmph! Just shiver there to death!" "Huh? I became a slime again? Uh... Did you come to hate me again?" ¡­ Just what is it with this idiot¡­ Do you want me to hate you or what¡­?? Tch... I felt like something snapped inside me. I couldn''t take it. "Yes. That''s right¡­ I hate you. I really, really hate you¡­ I also remember telling you that I despise you¡­" "¡­ Ceres?" Never minding his bewildered expression, my emotion reached its peak and I could no longer hold it in. "¡­ I hate every fiber of your being. You just came in our lives like nothing. I hate your hair. It reminds me of those scum nobles who belittled my family. I hate your eyes. They look gentle and like those bastards who made me think they''re my allies but then after they get what they wanted, they just then betrayed me. I hate your smile. It reminds me of those who I thought my friends but in my back, they were all talking against me. I hate your looks, you remind me of the boy who betrayed me¡­" ¡­ Just what am I saying¡­? Why am I saying all of these to him¡­? "¡­ I hate how you''re not backing off even if I insult you or ignore you. You just come back smiling like nothing happened. I hate it when you''re still being kind to me even though all I do is act cold towards you. I hate it when you still come to my help. I hate everything about you. And now you''re enduring the cold just for me¡­ Even though I hate you. All you do is¡­ all you do is¡­!!" "Ceres, I¡­" "I hate you!! But still, WHY are you being so NICE to me?!?! You don''t even know anything about me!! Who I am or who I even was!!" "¡­" Aah¡­ I lost it¡­ I totally lost it now¡­ I pretty sure I''m glaring at him right now¡­ But even more than so, all I feel in my heart is this gaping emptiness and a crushing guilt. "Why aren''t you like the others that betrayed me?!?! They just act kind towards be then they''ll just abandon me like some trash!! Why aren''t you doing that?!?! I''m telling you to go away! I''m calling¡­ *sniffle* you names! *sob* I''m always telling you that¡­ *sniffle* that I hate you! But why aren''t you leaving me!??! Why are you still with me¡­!!!??? *sob*" I couldn''t take it anymore. The tears from remembering my parents earlier that have already dried off, have flowed once again¡­ My cheeks that have dried off of the rain, is now dripping with tears instead. I already thrown away the blanket that should be warming up my body now. All because¡­ ¡­ Eh¡­? Why¡­? Why am I even like this? Why am I feeling like this? When I heard him say that just he just doesn''t want to worry Anya¡­ "Ceres." "Why¡­? Just because Anya told you to do so¡­?? Did I gave you something?? Please¡­ Tell me¡­" ¡­ I was once betrayed. I was abandoned. A promise that was broken. I couldn''t count how many times that happened already in my past. They''re all the same. No matter where I go. Before I entered Aunt Anastasia''s home, it was kill or to be killed. No one was my ally. I couldn''t trust anyone. Because they will surely kill me if I did¡­ I was really scared all the time¡­ But why is this guy different¡­?? All of them just acted kind in front of me, when they want something from me. But¡­ "*sob* Why are you still being so nice to me¡­? *hic* *sniffle* Even though I push you away¡­?" "¡­ Because¡­" My head was hanged down all this time. I couldn''t bear to look at him after saying all those hurtful things. I kept asking him¡­ Did I want to confirm something? Did I want to test something? Somewhere deep within my mind, I want him to hate me. If he hated me like the others, I will be able to accept it like always. It''s the same like then. What would be new? I''ll just have to walk away like nothing happened. I''ll just forget about him like how I''m used to doing. But somehow¡­ I didn''t want that. I want to know what he is thinking. I want to know his reasons. Even though I already know the answer from the start if I think about my past, I want to hear it from him. I still¡­ want to confirm it with him¡­ Why is he being nice to me? To someone like me? Me, who does nothing but do bad things to him. "Because I want to." "¡­ Eh¡­?" Then I felt a warm touch on my cheek as it dragged along and brushed my hair to the back of my ear, letting me see what''s in front of me. See¡­ "Because I want to be nice to you, Ceres." ¡­ him, who smiles gently and looks at me with only kindness and kindness alone. It''s not like the eyes of those who betrayed me, who abandoned me. Just like the night of the festival, they''re eyes of who only thinks of nothing but warmth. "I know. It''s true that I don''t know much about you before I met you. I don''t have the slightest of clue to what you have been. What you felt and what you did. There''s no way I''ll understand your pain." "¡­ *sniffle*" "But you see, Ceres." "¡­?" "I know a lot more about you than you think." "¡­ Eh¡­?" "The Ceres that I know is a bit clumsy but is straightforward. When you eat, you somehow forget that you''re chewing a lot and when I take a peek, you''re like a small animal with your stuffed cheeks. I find it so cute. When I tease you, the way you blush instantly is so cute, so I unconsciously want to tease you more. The way how you''re expression changes from one to another, I don''t get bored just looking at how you react. No. I can even watch you for the whole day and I won''t mind. That''s how much I enjoy being with you. You care for Tia even though she hid something from us. You made sure Tia would eat her carro-, garrots and thought of ways where she wouldn''t notice them when she eats. Like changing a recipe just to make it easier for her to eat. Even though Sofiel makes a lot of mistakes, you still cover up for him all the time without tiring. And most of all, you care for your sister, Anya, more than anyone else." "W-Wait¡­ Wait, I said¡­!" Eh? Ehh¡­?? What does he mean by all these?? S-So¡­ Does that mean, he''s been looking at me all this time?? "Want more? Even now, I know now that you go through such lengths to make your parents happy wherever they are right now. A kind and hardworking woman. A gentle heart who loves to see the smiles of her customers. I know. Because that''s what I also feel when I cook." "¡­!" "The smile you have when you cook. There''s no other reason for that other than to see your customers'' smile. The cooking itself is fun, but the reward of seeing the smiles of those who eat it is priceless. Whenever I look at that smile of yours, I couldn''t help but be mesmerized." That''s¡­ true¡­ ["Mama! Look, I baked cookies for you!"] ["Oh my, dear. Let''s call Papa and eat them together."] ["How is it?? How is it??"] ["Hmmm!! It''s delicious!! This is the best cookies I ever had! Mama and I are so proud of having a good cook of a daughter!"] Even though it was burned¡­ They were eating it crazy with a huge smile in their face. When I saw that, my heart was elated. I want to make them smile and smile with it. That''s why ever since that time, I practiced and practiced. I want them to make them happy through what I cook for them. "I can state a lot more if you want to?" "¡­ Mm. *sniffle* But¡­ *sob*" "You''re starting to cry again¡­ Ceres. You''ve already become someone who I want to treasure. Who I want to protect for the rest of my life." "¡­!!" "I wouldn''t leave you just because of that." "Uu¡­ *sob* Just because of that, you say¡­ *hic* But I''ve always said hurtful things to you¡­!! *sniffle*" "You were worried about that? Haha." "*sob* Of course¡­ I would¡­! *hic* Stop laughing, iriot¡­!" "H-Hey¡­ You''re crying again. *sigh* What am I gonna do with you? There, there." A pat in my head. It''s just a simple gesture. But it feels so warm, my heart is filled with it in an instant. "Stop¡­ *sob* being nice to meee¡­!" "No can do. You''re a precious person to me as I''ve already told you. I will and will always be nice to you." "¡­ Uu¡­ *sob* Just why¡­??? I only do bad things to you¡­!" "Because I want to. It''s okay if you''re like that. You''re fine the way you are." "¡­ Morooon¡­! *sob*" Aahh¡­ ¡­ Is it okay for me to be this happy¡­? As I let out everything that I''ve been pent up until now. My longing for my parents, my regrets, my tragic past, my pain, of course they won''t be erased just like that. They are greatly engraved in my heart and I don''t think I can ever forget them overnight. But¡­ Now, I feel like the chains that have been dragging me, which I''ve been dragging along, are slowly eroding away. Just knowing that I''m treasured by someone other than Anya. "¡­ *sob* Waaaaaahh¡­!" ¡­ I thought Anya would be enough for me. I thought I''m all okay because of her, now that I''m with her. But it seems like it''s not that easy. Of course, if it was that simple I wouldn''t be troubled by all of those at all. Anya being there for me is, without a doubt, a salvation in itself. I can''t put in words how I want to thank her. But on the other hand, this guy in front of me. He, who made me realize things. Saying that I''m fine just the way I am. That I''m an important person to him even after all. It felt like slowly and slightly, I''m removed from the shackles that binds me and pulls me back to my past. ¡­ .. . "Have you calmed down?" "¡­ Mm. *sniffle* Sorry." "Don''t mind it." I felt the blanket cover my back as I wipe my tears away while sitting on the dry floor. My eyes are probably swollen no from crying¡­ Uu¡­ Even my nose is clogged¡­ "What about you?" "Told you, I''m fine without one." "¡­ But you''re shivering." "I''m¡­ I''m just shivering from excitement." "Don''t copy me. *sniffle*" We''re not going anywhere from this¡­ It''s crystal clear that he''s just enduring the cold. Muu¡­ "¡­" There''s no other choice¡­ "Hey¡­ Mm." I spread the blanket making a space by my side as I try not to look straight at him. Because reasons¡­ I can''t show how red I probably am right now. Moreover my eyes¡­ "You sure? You don''t mind?" "¡­ Mm¡­" "¡­ Alright then. I''ll take up on your offer." After him saying that, I heard a rustle of clothes. He''s taking off his clothes?? "Wh-Wh-What are you doing all of a sudden?? Why are you taking of your clothes??" "Huh? It''ll probably feel cold so I thought I should remove them." "B-But¡­" Then he will be sitting beside me without a shirt¡­! How can he be okay with that¡­?? "Well then, excuse me." ¡­ Stop, heart! No, don''t stop. But, relax! "Phew¡­ This IS warm¡­ Thanks, Ceres." "M-Mm¡­" His bare shoulders and firm arm touched my left shoulder as he fit himself in the tight space that I gave him. I can directly feel the slightly cold rain water dripping from his body followed by the heat of his skin. Most of the water dried after staying here for quite a while and now all I can feel is the warmth that comes from him and mostly from my own. "¡­" He''s so close to me¡­ My heart beats louder and louder as the seconds pass, I''m already wondering if he can already hear it. Or does he already hear it but just doesn''t say anything? Aaah¡­ Geez¡­ The blood is rushing to my head and I can''t think straightly¡­! I should really calm down now. I don''t know why but because of what happened earlier, I''ve become more conscious of him¡­ I''ve been crying for minute and he waited for me until I''ve clamed down. Just remembering it makes me embarrassed all the more¡­!! "Ceres. I want to ask something." "H-Huh? Wh-What is it?" "Hm¡­ Something serious, may I?" What is he going to ask seriously in this situation??? "¡­ Sure." "Hm¡­" *thump* *thump* *thump* Be at ease, my heart! "Can you tell me what happened when your parents died?" "¡­ Eh?" "Uh¡­ I don''t know if I should put it like this but¡­ I want to know more about you. And first, I thought I should know about your past." "¡­" I see. What was I thinking? "¡­ Of course, if you don''t want to, then it''s okay." "¡­ No. It''s okay. I''ll tell you." "Really?" "Mm¡­" There''s no harm to tell him about it after all that I''ve said and done. He''s seen me more of my pathetic side already. And¡­ I feel like it''s okay to tell him. No¡­ If it''s him, it''s okay. "You see, I was named after the moon goddess, which is also known as the moon princess. I was born at the day of the twin moon festival so that''s maybe why. I grew up in a well off family, a small one with only my mother and father. They''re both adventurers that time so they''re not at home much. But whenever they''re with me, those were the happiest days of my life." I''ll tell him all about me. I want to. "But when I was 7 years old, after my parents died, I had to escape from the killer¡­ And I wandered the streets all by myself for 4 years." "Wait¡­ I heard from Anya that you were found by them when you were 9 years old." "Anya told you?" "Not all. I asked her but she told me that if I want to know more, it had to come from you." "I see¡­ I was keeping it from them, but I think Aunt Anastasia knew about it already. I told them I was 9 years old when they found me. But in truth, I was already 11 that time. But it seems like Anya didn''t notice it. *giggle* Maybe because I was a bit smaller than most children that time." "So¡­ You''re saying¡­" "Hm?" He then raised his fingers and counted for some reason. "You''re actually 22 now and you''re older than me? I thought you were a year younger than me¡­" "That''s right. How''s that? Hehe~" Somehow I feel proud about that. *giggle* "It''s just one year." "So you''re 21 now?" "Yeah." "Hmmm¡­" A year¡­ huh? It''s just one year. Hm? Wait¡­ Why am I seriously getting concerned about that?? "You were saying. What happened then?" "Ah. Mm¡­ A lot happened. But you see, after wandering the streets for about half a year¡­" ... Uu... "¡­" ¡­ This feels a lot harder than I thought¡­ Muu¡­ But¡­ I''ve decided that I will tell him. Because I want to. "I¡­" "Yeah?" "¡­ I¡­ I was enslaved." ¡­ .. . Chapter 23 End Name: Hans Alius Schmidt Race: Human Class: None [Title/s] Contracted One, Black Sheep [Status] Strength: 206(+206)/9999 Agility: 82(+82)/9999 Intelligence: 498(+498)(+500)/9999 Defense: 15(+15)/9999 [Skills] Mana Detect Lv. 10/10 Crush Strike Lv. 10/10 Beast Soul Activation Lv. 1/1 Mana Burst Lv. 6/10 Telepathy Lv. 1/1 Night Vision Lv. 1/1 Status Lv. 1/1 Harden Lv. 8/10 Damage Resistance Lv. 8/10 Beast Soul Link Lv. 1/1 [Crystal Points: 0] [Name]: Hans Alius Schmidt [Class]: None [Sex]: Male [Level]: 36 [Race]: Human [Rank]: F [Title] Black Sheep [Skills] [Active Skill] [Passive Skills] [Quest/s] (None) [Party Members/Raid Members] (None)