《Magic Swordsman, King Slayer.》 Chapter 1: Ezel, the peasant. Town of Artes, alley. 26th day of February 1467 AD. ... The towns of Artes is not a preeminent town among the many others in the Raven Kingdom, but it also isn''t a decadent place. It is just another town in another place in this gigantic world called earth that is the center of our universe... actually, they proved it isn''t a few years ago, but for peasants like me, why care what spins around what? But we have things to talk about that are more important right now than planets and towns. I think like every story, I have to first introduce the main character. My name is Ezel, and as a peasant, I have no surname. I have never met my parents, nor do I care to meet them, they were the ones that brought me into this world where there is only suffering. They were both peasants I am sure, otherwise, I wouldn''t be laying in this alley starving as I am now. Here, we adopt a system called feudalism. Nobles have land, we farm the land, they rob us of the food we have farmed and leave us with a few grains so we don''t die. But as someone that was born in a city and without a craft, I can only do odd jobs for craftsmen in the guilds so I can keep myself alive. I am in this alley because it is surprisingly the safest place I know, it is not deep enough into the alley network to be home of bandits, but also not superficial enough for people to walk by. It is also the most secluded alley in the town... at least of those I''ve been through. The alley is surrounded by the walls that were made of hard rock, as this alley was part of the wall defense of the city, and they were covered with moss and dirt to the point grass grew on it. I have no idea how walls work, but I am pretty sure this is not a well-maintained wall, but that is just to be expected. I felt cold in this place, my whole body shivered and I rubbed my hands against each other so I could feel a little more warmth. I think its just about time I get out of here to look for some human warmth. I place my hand on the wall and struggle to get up, my legs felt weak by the lack of nutrition, but I could still stand as I have done way too much physical work to be used to move around even with the pain in my body. Overcoming the weakness of my limbs is something I have learned since long ago, to the point that I can carry tens of sacks of grain after fasting for two days. I get up and walk towards the right, a weak wind was blowing from that direction, and feeling the wind is something crucial to navigating through the alleys as it points towards an exit. My senses are sharper after having to watch out for thugs in these alleys. After living in here for a while, these alleys became my own dysfunctional home. They taught me many things that helped me survive in this jungle called society, where nobles do as they want and peasants do what they must. But I still don''t see them fondly, and would rather live in an actual house. After getting out of the alleys I see myself in a great street.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. It wasn''t a bustling street, and it could even be called deserted, as this town basically only had craftsmen guilds and the craftsmen houses. I could see a dozen people after looking both sides, but they were either people that did odd jobs like me or thieves, maybe one of them was a craftsman heading for the marketplace but I don''t think so, as those types are easy to recognize. I walk a one or two miles towards a craftsman house. I walked for a long time on the streets, but fortunately the sun was covered by clouds, otherwise, it would have been difficult. The sun around here is scorching most of the times, so this could be called a good day. I hope so... After walking for a long while, I reach the workshop. It is a smithy, one of the dozens of smithies they have here. The wars that are happening mean that more of them will appear, even though we aren''t a border town. Mercenaries and Knights are the third and second most reliable troops respectively, as for the first, I would rather not talk about them, nor on how ''reliable'' they are. The smithy was basically a veranda with a storehouse for the tools and materials. The owner liked to keep it simple, so he only had one chair that he used when he was too tired to hammer the iron. The place was made of rock like any proper smithy, and the owner is the second son of a noble family, it can be noticed because he has a surname. The owner was a grumpy middle-aged man, he had black hair and beard, as well as bright almond eyes. He was stocky like a blacksmith should be and he had the arrogant attitude of a noble. He wasn''t a good guy inside as well, he was a rotten noble that spent his nights on the brothels and raped young women on alleys. He is the kind of rotten noble you see everywhere. His name is Abral, and his surname is Dove. He is the second master of the Dove family of Arte town. It is not a great family, as they are just on the rank of barons, and no one besides the head of the house has a title. Even still, even compared to the lowest knight, a peasant like me is trash that deserves nothing. That is just how things work. I was just going to greet Abral when I noticed a man standing by his side. It was a tall man, he was standing with a firm posture whilst talking to Abral. He was not bulky, but his fit body had a ferocious aura to it. He was covered in dirt and grime, yet his figure didn''t lose its sense of slenderness. I couldn''t see his face, still, I could feel his wrath. And it was such that even the noble blacksmith''s legs were shaking. I approached and heard their argument. "These repairs are minor. It makes no sense to charge twelve silver pieces for it! It is worth three silvers at most!"The man didn''t shout, but his voice was deep and his words were steady. His speech gave the ones around him a feeling of suppression. "B-but this is what I charge for repairing a greatsword every time! It''s not dependant on the damage, this is the base cost for repair!"Abral told him an obvious lie, as he always tries to cheat mercenaries out of their money because they don''t know basic arithmetics. I only know that because I''ve learned arithmetics after seeing Abral conducting business every day. At least now I know he isn''t a knight. I was doubting his identity not only because he stood up against Abral, but also because he was using a part-body metal armor that covered key parts of his body. Which is the casual wear of a knight, but also was the war-gear of a top-notch mercenary. The man was still angry, but he didn''t press on the matter. He took thirteen silver pieces from a pouch on his waist and put it on the corner of a working desk. He then made a ceremonial bow as he said solemnly."I am sorry for the misunderstanding my lord, it was my mistake." It was obvious for any peasant that he only apologized because the other party was noble. But Abral plastered a smug look on his face as he said."It''s okay peasant. You not knowing such things is just proper. Now, you may leave." The man bowed again, the body armor clanked on his chest as he put his hand on it, and left. But as soon as he turned... I saw his face... The face of the man that would change my life. Chapter 2: Aval, the mercenary. Is that even a human?! This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Chapter 3: Heaven-Sent Gift! Town of Artes, alley. 26th day of February 1467 AD. ... As that Aval looked at me, I could feel my heart thump. Not only because of the increasing amount of adrenaline in my bloodstream, but also because of a weird sensation I was feeling. It was as if I wanted to hug him and never let go like he was the only thing I''ve ever needed. I knew it was not only admiration and closeness, it was something even beyond that. How... he is a man... how can I feel such things when I''m close to him?! He was not only the man that would pave my way... He was also one of the two people I''ve ever truly loved to that extent. And someone I hold dear in my heart to this day. As he smiled at me, I could feel his thankfulness. At least by the looks of it, he would not win if I hadn''t interfered. I kind of saved his life that day, and he was surely grateful. But what he said took me by surprise. "Let''s have a meal buddy, I''ll pay."He said as he gestured for me to follow him. He turned around and followed the path that leads to the exit, he seemed to know how to navigate through the alleys as much as I do. I just followed him mechanically, I couldn''t even think as I followed him. Looking at his back, I felt I could trust him. As if his back would cover a barrage of arrows to protect me. But I just shook those feelings away, as I loathed the idea of depending on someone to defend myself. But I still couldn''t shake that weird feeling, I felt I could only stay close to him for the rest of my life. He took me to a tavern, it was not a good one, it only served porridge and beer. But to me, that could only eat hard bread at most, porridge was an unbelievable luxury, as one bowl would cost at least thirty coppers. I barely made ten coppers after working for five days on the smithy, so I would die of starvation before affording porridge. We sat on the counter and he tapped on the hardwood surface to call the boss. There were no waiters, so the boss would take some time to come. While he didn''t, Aval looked at him and tried to break the ice. "So... you worked for that smithy didn''t you. You even helped me, do you think you will get into trouble?"He asked with a worried face, he was sincere, as I had helped him, and I could feel his aura of care surrounding me. It was a comfortable feeling, but when he mentioned that. I noticed my mistake.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Those bodyguards definitely saw my face, there is no way they wouldn''t mention me in their report. Not to mention I won''t be able to work for Abral, if I stay alive until tomorrow it will already be a miracle. Even if Abral is just a second son, killing and finding a peasant is easy for him. Aval noticed my shocked face, and he laughed for an unknown reason. Then he made a proposal that would save me, whilst keeping that caring smile on his face. "It is okay my friend. I have quite some power actually, I may not be noble, but nobles wouldn''t infuriate me for no reason. That Smith will probably scold his bodyguards for attacking me even though they knew who I was. You may have that sickly body of yours, but with some good food and training, you have the potential to become a good warrior! Did you see how you fought?! You might have shitty combat skills, but your instinct was there for the show! Do you know how long it takes to hone that fast thinking? Some people don''t get to that level through their whole lives! So... What about joining the Moon Wolf Band? You are good enough to be a captain and I will provide your equipment. The pay is three silvers a month."He said as such as taking a sip of the porridge that had just arrived. I looked at my porridge as well and took a sip. It was hot, which was good as I had no idea how much time has passed since I last ate something hot. I was doubting his words because I had no idea how could I become a captain. I looked at myself, I had thin arms and legs, but they were fit from all the work I did, the hunger made my muscles be almost non-existent though. My skin was tanned because of the work under the sun, even though it was previously white, I now had a bronze-like skin. If anything about me is worthy of a captain at all, is my white hair, that is a rare hair color and very popular among nobles. I also have green eyes that look beautiful on anyone. If I weren''t a peasant, I would be rather beautiful. "Are you sure I could be a captain? I am rather weak you know?"I ask him with an aspect of doubt. "Yeah, you can. You can get stronger later, your instincts are enough to become a captain. One of my captains is even a woman! If a woman can do it, why can''t you? Hahahaha!" He said with a hearty laugh. "A woman?! Can they even become mercenaries? I thought they just knew how to sew and have babies! Hehehe!"I say with a light laugh. (Warning! This work is inspired in the middle ages. The view on women of the protagonist doesn''t reflect the author''s!) He laughed as well, and we chatted for a long time. We shared stories about our lives and became closer in the process. The sun was about to appear when we were almost finished chatting. After we shook hands to seal the deal of our partnership, and he paid the boss. We got up to go to the camp. But before, he turned around and looked at me, who was following behind him. "Hey, Ezel... Why did you save me? You could have your life ruined, or even die, you know?"He asked me with a grave face. As saving someone without benefits is a foreign idea in this place. I thought about it for a while and decided on the best way to express the feeling I felt at the time. "Your aura... I could feel an Aura of Care coming from you, which is something I''ve never seen before in my life... I thought that someone like you deserved to live, even if it cost my life."I said while putting my hand over my heart. I thought that all the feelings I''ve felt for him could be briefed into that phrase. What I said put a look of shock on his face, he then said loudly. "Y-you... you are a Heaven-Born?! That explains everything! Hahahahahahaha!"He said while putting his hands over my shoulders and laughing hysterically. I didn''t know what a Heaven-Born was at the time... But I could feel that it could get me closer to that man... So I think it really is a heaven-sent gift... Chapter 4: Heaven-Borns. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Announcement This novel will be interrupted as I rewrite and continue my main project. It was mainly made for practice, and will not continue until the first arc of the main project is finished. If you have any curiosity about what the main project is, check out Scarlet Ascension, here on Royal Road. Now i will fill the blank with a line of Puppies. Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies Puppies PuppiesThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.