《Heroic Chronicles Volume 2: Dawn of the New Beginning》 [V1] Summary of the First Volume of Heroic Chronicles: A Hero Arises [EDIT 18/2/2018] Summary of the First Volume of Heroic Chronicles: A Hero Arises ¡°For as long as the sun rises, we shall not falter and there shall be peace for all!¡± That was the ethos that I lived by throughout my whole life. But I never thought of dying like this. As the tail of the beast pierce through my body, I could feel that my body lose all its strength. And my life force seemed to be suck of its existence. A painless death nonetheless, a regretful one.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Was it the end for me? As I looked towards to the two girls in front of me, I could not help but to apologize to them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± That was the only word I could manage to muster before I finally succumbed. Or so I thought. However, fate has another plan for me it seemed. When I woke up, things began to unfold at an amazing speed. From one adventure to another, I finally reached the peak and pinnacle of my youth. Facing the crowds of more than half a million people, I''m now kneeling. As the sword tapped on my shoulder, the regal face of the girl whom I saved back then, beamed with happiness and joy. With a beauty that could rival a goddess, I heard her voice, ¡°Arise, my hero¡± [V1] Chapter 00 Prologue: The Birth of the New Sun [EDIT 18/2/2018] Chapter 00 Prologue: The Birth of the New Sun It is during our darkest hour that the birth of a new beginning arises. - Lord Supreme Grand Master of the Brotherhood of the Sun, Lord Aldebaran. ***** When one¡¯s life began to fade, flashes of past events would run through his mind. I thought it was just a bullshit story told to me by those old people to take my life more seriously. I laughed at those thoughts that a dying man would have the time to reminisce of his life and regrets in his dying moments; yet now, when I¡¯m on the Death¡¯s door itself, the events of my life just flashed before me. I was just barely out of my 17 years of age, and here I am, thinking and feeling like I had lived for ages. I saw how my life had transpired before me and I could not help but to feel regret mostly. And then I saw the two girls lie before me, and I could not help it either as And when I saw the two girls lie before me, I shed my tears and cursed a little under my breath. This unknown creature had just pierced me through my body and I could feel that my life was beginning to seep out. A slow and painful death. Why did it have to happen to my dearest friend? Why did it even happen to me? Why can¡¯t I have a good break for once?!! And to answer my self-posed question, an event flashed into my mind. An event that happened yesterday. It was then, in the most boring class; Lore and History, I had ever attended, taught by the most boring of teachers that my fate and destinies were sealed and then delivered to the ever gleeful Death¡¯s embrace. ***** ¡°Cast your mind into millenniums ago.¡± ¡°To the age when the extinct ancient civilization once flourished; fueled by boundless energy and magic. The technologies existed during the age enabled men to fulfil their greatest desires. This was also the age when the dragons were free to roam the skies, the behemoths and the titan-like creatures trampled the earth and the sea was a roaring tempest, ready to swallow all land-kind beings.¡± ¡°This too was age when the Great War happened.¡± ¡°The Great War ¨C also known as the battle of Skylands ¨C was one of a kind battle. This was the only battle recorded in history that the all races of this land ¨C the humans, the elves, dwarves, halflings and other races no matter how minor they are, joined with the forces of heaven and hell in an allegiance ¨C a temporary truce perhaps, against a common enemy, The Unknown. It was to be believed that the numbers involved were big enough to cover the whole sky as far as the eye can see, perhaps numbering more than ten of millions.¡± ¡°Amidst the long and gruesome war, rose a single human man, to the top of his fallen allies and brethren. With him, he carried the cries of victory of those who felled and the banner of hope of those who survived. It was then that his famous battle cry, one that we now used as our Brotherhood¡¯s motto was first heard across the battlefield.¡± ¡°For as long as the sun rises, we shall not falter and there shall be peace for all!¡± ¡°That was how the Brotherhood of the Sun first came into existence. Saint Regulus Sirius became our founder and the First Lord Supreme Grand Master of the Brotherhood of the Sun, or also known as the Solaris Primus.¡± ¡°To this date, much of the remains and the reasons why the Great War started had been forgotten, or simply put, left unrecorded, saved for a few ancient inscriptions of the battle itself found in some ruins. However, true to any war, at any age, there were bound to be many outcomes, to friends or foes alike.¡± ¡°Most notably was the extinction of the Skyland race, or the Ancients as we would have called them. Many lands were laid to waste, Kingdoms left in ruins, with millions of people left to die or to live a miserable life.¡± ¡°However, the birth and the emergence of the Brotherhood of Sun took the pain significantly away of losing a race. War was no one¡¯s benefactor, yet the seed that was sown during the war continued to leave a lasting impression until today. As the saying goes, in light shall we see the shadows, and in shadows, shall we know lights.¡± ¡°And each and one of you today here, are that light. The light of the Sun, as our very first founder mentioned, that shines above all, even against the shadows and the darkness. To others, that is what we are known as. And for thousands of years, we have been true to our oath and our allegiance to the peace of the land. But to me and you, young ones, it is more than that. Much, much more than that.¡± ¡°To strive for victory, yes.¡± ¡°To become hope for others, yes.¡± ¡°To maintain peace, yes. But why the need for me to mention much, much more?¡± ¡°For all of you; upon hardship of training and learning new skills, burdens of missions and sense of accomplishments, and triviality of life and engagement of presence, that you will become a better person than you are today. For yourself, your family, your loved ones, your race, your country and to those who depend on you.¡± ¡°For as long as the sun rises, we shall be the one that carries the cries of the victors, become the beacon of hope to those who need us and maintain peace throughout the known land.¡± ¡°Remember that always.¡± ¡°Today, the Brotherhood served both as a symbol of reigning peace in the land and also the cultivation of the limitless strength and potential of its people whom the Brotherhood protects. You are now officially one of us. And the bond between us will continue for eternity.¡± ¡°Every two years, the Brotherhood would open its doors to acquire new initiates; the most prodigious of talents whom we, the Sun Masters, will travel the whole land in search of. You will stay and learn from us and our forefathers for as long as you need to.¡± ¡°Promotions and rises in ranks will depend on your skill levels in both the weapon mastery and magic mastery, understanding of the lore and histories, completion of your missions, recommendations of achievements of outstanding servitude true to our ethos and last but not least, completion of your core exams.¡± ¡°All of you are now initiates and I believe in not too far from the future, all of you will become an outstanding Sun Masters. Of course, except for one. The one that sticks out like a sore thumb in this class...¡± The old man sighed for a while before he spoke for the last time in today¡¯s class. ¡°And that concludes our classes for today, Initiates. Before I forgot, your next exam will be on the local bestiary around Elsevier. And, you ---¡° A finger was pointed a sole figure sitting way behind the class. ¡°The sore thumb I was talking about ¨C Hasty One. WAKE UP!!!!¡± The class erupted into a laughter. I was the one Sun Master mentioned. The sore thumb. Well, why wouldn¡¯t I? All around me, I can see teeny weeny kids. There¡¯s a little girl with twin ponytail sitting in front of me that looks like a doll. And there¡¯s this kid with snot dripping down. Ewww. And that fat kid sitting near the window, I swore he was sleeping just like me too. Hey, by no means, I am a kid too, but they are just like 6 to 7 years old and I¡¯m effin¡¯ 17 years old. SEVENTEEN! I looked like a delinquent who failed his class for 10 years¡¯ straight. Which of course, I had to admit, I did fail for 10 years straight. But I¡¯m not a delinquent. I just had the trouble of growing up. You know, the pain of trying to prove that you are right and everyone else was wrong and you became an arse just to piss people off. ¡°Don¡¯t sleep in my class. For god sake, I have seen your face in this class for 10 straight years, and I¡¯m getting really annoyed right now¡± The class continued to laugh. ¡°Heh, looks who¡¯s talking. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯d get the same old geezer for the past 10 years. Is this a joke or what? And your lesson is boring. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you pass me already so I don¡¯t have to fall asleep every time you start your class with ¡°Cast your mind¡­¡± I cast my mind alright, to dreamland.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Looks like I¡¯ve finally done it. I swear I could hear a snapped pencil. I managed to piss him off. Take that you old man. I gave out a dry smile. But that¡¯s my limit after all. The last thing I want is to be lightning bolted right at my seat. I rather not be bolted by the bolt. Get the pun? No? Sucks to be you, then. Do lighten up a bit, will you? I don¡¯t have time to be in idle thoughts, especially trying to explain a joke or two. ¡°Hasty One. Follow me to my study room, now! And for the rest of you, class dismissed.¡± As soon as Sun Master ¨C Blizzard Hawk ¨C the old man said that the whole class stood up and ran outside through the small door. The classroom''s door was small, able only to fit nicely just an adult between its doorway. But now, look at it. There were about 30-odd students trying to go through the door at the same time. Heh. Like a scene where the lambs were running into the slaughterhouse thinking it was another field of green pasture on the other side. Now, only me and Blizzard Hawk were in the class. He pointed his finger and beckoned me to follow him. And what choice did I had anyway? The next class would be Alchemy, and it was bloody annoying since I couldn¡¯t create a single potion to save my life. Not the one that exactly worked as intended. Instructions on paper were not the same as instruction being conducted in real life. Too many elements played its part in determining the outcome. Laziness was one. Sloppiness another. Having a beauty as your teacher was another quick surefire way to fail. I remembered back then that I nearly blew up the lab, though I was adamantly sure I was making a healing potion. Besides, I rather not raise the ire of Blizzard Hawk any further by letting him wait for me. His patience had its limit after all especially when it came to me. He could do whatever he wanted with me at any time he wanted. He was a Sun Master after all. ***** I arrived with Blizzard Hawk into his study room. Well, it¡¯s not exactly his own personal study room, for he shared it with a few other Masters. ¡°Come in. And stop peeking inside. It¡¯s not like you are not used to this room anyway¡± In my 10 years here, I had come to this single particular room countless of times. Hundreds were too few of a number to start off with. And every time I¡¯m here, it always ended up the same way. ¡°Hasty One, take a seat.¡± As I sit down in front of his desk, Blizzard Hawk took a file from the top of his desk and hand it over to me. ¡°Open it. Have a read¡± I opened the file with my name on it and read its content. BLIZZARD HAWK!!! HELP MEEEE!!!! Blizzard Hawk. I can¡¯t stand it anymore!!! Wow, triple exclamation mark. This guy or girl must be really angry ¨C at me. Look at the headline even. This kid needs to be kicked out the Brotherhood as soon as possible. Better still, since yesterday. Reading that one line alone, I shuddered. What do you mean by kicking me out of the Brotherhood? Was this guy or girl insane or what?! Holding my thoughts from going further astray, I continued to read. When you and Chore Master send him to me, I knew I should say something, but out of respect, I did not. And look what have I¡¯ve gotten into. He destroyed the whole kitchen. What a blasphemous thing to do. I¡­ I did not need to read further. The kitchen. I remembered it vividly. Why wouldn¡¯t when I basically and single-handedly restructured the whole kitchen? I wanted to leave my mark after all. The kitchen smelt, served bad food and had a lousy chef. I did not destroy it. I JUST had it remodelled to suit the new generations. We needed to keep up with time. I have no doubt that the person who wrote this complaint is no other than the Chef, Beerbelly Glutton. That¡¯s his name, I kid you not. But for the sake of annoying him, I had always called him Fat-arse. I looked up to Blizzard Hawk as I closed the file. ¡°Hasty One¡­¡± I sweated profusely, and I could feel that my bum was twitching. Squeaky-bum time. For every time he started to mention my name in that tone, I know I¡¯m going to get it. I need to win him over to my side, fast. I slumped my shoulder, slowly looking up at him with puppy eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not going to work, Hasty One.¡± Suddenly, a female voice came from behind me. I turned around and looked at who is trying to sabotage my livelihood here. A black long-haired beauty was standing behind me as she entered Blizzard Hawk¡¯s room. ¡°I know, Black Rose. That¡¯s not going to work because I already have his punishment in my mind¡± ¡°What? What punishment?¡± I began to stammer. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise to see you here again, ehh Hasty One?¡± The female voice, Black Rose, said as she patted my back. She then took a seat at her own desk, filled with many weird shaped bottles, either empty or with a weird colour I dare not describe. Black Rose was a Sun Master too. She shared the same study room with Blizzard Hawk. But whats with the room sharing with this old man anyway? Aren¡¯t there better looking and younger Sun Master to share a room with? Was it because she was his ex-student, which happens to be my ex-classmate, the very first year I was here. Black Rose was 17 years old Sun Master. And it¡¯s not even an outlier for someone her age and her talents to achieve the rank of a Sun Master. She was a prodigy, just like many other people here. I¡¯m supposed to be a prodigy too, it seemed. She was initiated into the brotherhood at 5 years old, having showing tremendous talents and potentials in alchemy, and achieved the title Sun Master last spring, when she was 16. But I don¡¯t get it. Why did this beautiful, bosom-full, long-legged beauty shared her study room with this old fart anyway? I looked suspiciously at both Black Rose and Blizzard Hawk, back and fro. ¡°Snap your mind out of it, Hasty One!¡± Blizzard Hawk looked at me straight into my eyes. My forehead began to sweat even more. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said, I have punishment for you.¡± ¡°But I-I¡­ did nothing wrong.¡± I stammered as I try to defend myself. ¡°All I did was to make the kitchen better. The food they serve sucks. Even the poison concocted by Black Rose taste better than what is being served in the canteen.¡± ¡°Hey, hey now. Don¡¯t put down my potions to that level alright!¡± Black Rose retorted while pursing her lips. Blizzard Hawk, un-flinched by my weak defiance, continued. ¡°I know of your reasoning. Other than Supreme Master himself, I understand you the most. Remember that I¡¯m the one who initiated you, alright.¡± As my mind wanders off to what happened 10 years ago, Blizzard Hawk decided to cut it short. ¡°I know how you behave, the way your minds work and every other single little thing. And I¡¯m aware what¡¯s going on in the kitchen and the food they serve to the children here. But Hasty One, to remodelled is one thing, to actually destroy the kitchen wall and make the canteen and kitchen into one large hall is something else. It has become a mess.¡± A mess hall, alright. I guess, I overdid it a little. You know, breaking that wall and the kitchen space was no easy feat. I have to consider a few things, especially what to keep and throw. I nodded to myself. I did the right thing throwing that big, ugly pot where that Fat-arse of a chef brewed his ¡®famous¡¯ stew. Famous alright. For being the most disgusting food ever made to known man, dead or alive. I knew I did the right thing. ¡°Even if you hated the food or perhaps the chef, or even perhaps both, that cannot be a reason to do what you did!¡± Objection! I disagreed. But no matter what was my opinion, I know I¡¯m going to get it and I¡¯m prepared for what will come next. ¡°Now, for your punishment.¡± Blizzard Hawk leaned towards me. ¡°You are to collect firewood!¡± Phew¡­ just firewood. Nothing that I couldn¡¯t do. Easy peasy. In fact, my punishment seemed to be collecting firewood, except for that special excursion in the kitchen that one time. The one and only time. I breathed a sigh of relief. But not for really long it seemed. ¡°But it¡¯s not just any amount of firewood. You are to collect firewood for the whole guild to be used during the winter. It¡¯s spring now, so you got exactly three to four months to fill the wood house with firewoods. And you will do this alone!¡± What??? Did I hear it right? ¡°I have to collect firewood enough for the brotherhood usage, this huge-arse guild-city all by myself?!¡± Blizzard Hawk nodded with a straight face. Black Rose giggled. ¡°Child labour!!! Slavery!!!¡± I was exasperated. In fact, exasperated seemed to be not the right word and pretty much understatement. Mortify. Yes, I¡¯m mortified. I stood and pointed my finger angrily at Blizzard Hawk. ¡°This is child labour!!! Nay, nay. This is no mere child labour. This is extreme child labour. Not even in the hell is this kind of slavery is allowed. You know how big guild-city this is with so many personal bathrooms, a huge kitchen, and nearly 5000 students. How could I collect all the firewood by myself? It will take years. The Brotherhood uses firewood like no one business, especially the girls.¡± Black Rose laughed at my predicament. ¡°That means you too, Black Rose. The last time I saw you in your bath, you were bathing in warm water, with proper nice steam, supplied by the firewood that I¡­ uhhhh¡­ oh shit.¡± Cold sweats dropped from my brows profusely. I think I¡¯d talk too much. I cut short my sentence as I noticed Black Rose look at me with disbelief. The sudden change of her facial expressions said it all it needed. ¡°So, it was you who peeped at me!¡± She said this menacingly while uncorking a strange bottle, emitting a black-greenish vapour that I know it will spell a certain doom for me. ¡°I¡­uhhh¡­uhhh¡­ have¡­to take care¡­of¡­uhhh¡­ the firewood inventory. You know¡­ uhhh, so it won¡¯t be misused.¡± ¡°To hell with your misuse. Return me back my panties you stole, you massive pervert. And I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs!!¡± Black Rose face was red with embarrassment and anger. Such extremities. What more for a pair of worn clothes. ¡°Enough you two! Let me finish first. Gouge his eyeballs, or squash whatever you need to squash after he finishes stocking up the firewood.¡± Old man, you did not have to suggest to squash you-know-what. Please don¡¯t give her that suggestion. Or any suggestion that might kill me. A hug would be alright, though. Those soft giant breasts would suffocate me to no end. ¡°Humpphhh!¡± Black Rose slumped back into her seat, but her eyes won¡¯t stop staring at me as if to say watch out. From one trouble to another. Was this what they said, out of the pot, straight into the fire? How ironic. From the pot of the lousy chef to collecting tonnes of firewood all by myself. I let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll cut this short. Collect the firewood and see to it that you complete it before winter starts. You can start from tomorrow, after your lessons. Hopefully, you¡¯ll do as your told this time around for I don¡¯t have to take any more actions unnecessarily. And Black Rose, spare this pervert during this time. After this, you can do whatever you want.¡± Blizzard Hawk ended his instructions to me with a big laugh. Black Rose, however, was not very impressed. While continuing that eerie laugh of his, Blizzard Hawk ushered me out of his room. However, I could feel a tingling sensation behind my back ¨C caused by a certain death stare from Black Rose. A death stare for the sole reason of stealing her panties. Well, I couldn''t help it anyway. I need to compensate for the firewood that she used. Just like any other girls that came before or would be after her. With that line of thought, I exited the hallway with a slight smile on my face, back to my room. ***** [V1] Chapter 01: Enter Sehanie, the Mischievous Wood Elf [EDIT 18/2/2018] Chapter 01: Enter Sehanie, the Mischievous Wood Elf My arrow flies faster than your thoughts inside your mind. - Sehanie Moonbow ***** ¡°Hmmmm¡­ Nothing out of ordinary here.¡± A silhouette could be seen atop of a tree in the eastern part of the Great Forest Shanintara; it¡¯s perimeter just border lining the massive gate-wall to the guild-city of the Brotherhood of the Sun. The eastern part of the forest was in the closest perimeter of the Brotherhood¡¯s guild-city, sharing the same river that flows along the perimeter. ¡°It¡¯s already going to be night soon and my shift will be over. I better head back to the village to report to Chief.¡± The Chief was the leader of the scout patrol unit for the Wood Elves that this particular elf reported to. ¡°I better get moving now, or it will be late. Chief doesn¡¯t like late reports anyway¡­ Hmmm? What¡¯s this we have here??¡± The slender, yet curvy figure froze in her tracks. Using her magnificent eyesight and hearing, of which the natural ability that made Wood Elves famous for, she scrutinized the object of her interest. Coming out of a small door-gate on the massive wall that surrounded the guild-city was yet another small figure. A human male to be precise. With him, he carried an axe, a bunch of ropes and a canteen of water, tucked in his belt. ¡°Oh-ho. What a surprise.¡± The wood elf was surprisingly happy with this particular encounter. ¡°Let¡¯s see where he is heading to. Now, if I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s the usual place. I¡¯ll just follow him from the top of the trees. Tee-hee¡­¡± The elven figure vanished from where she stood earlier in a blink of an eye. ***** Incoherent curses amidst loud thuds of woods being chopped could be heard in a certain part of this forest; the Woodcutter¡¯s round. The only place where it was permissible to cut woods, given by the Wood Elves to the Brotherhood of the Sun. The Brotherhood¡¯s woodcutters would only come and collect firewood here for the guild-city. But thanks to a particular youth initiate, the woodcutters had less work nowadays, of which they gladly spent more of their free time in the guild-city¡¯s tavern, The Hobbit¡¯s Lodge. ¡°Take that, you stupid old fool, Blizzard Hawk.¡± I cursed as I swung the axe down, chopping the wood in half. ¡°You slave driver! Child manipulator! This is too much of a chore.¡± I placed yet another piece of wood on top of a large wooden platform created from an old tree trunk made by the woodcutters. It¡¯s to make the chopping easier, they said. As if chopping firewoods were easy to begin with anyway. ¡°Hummphhh¡­ This won¡¯t end. It will never end!¡± With that, I swung my axe yet again. ¡°Argghhh¡­ Curse you fat-arse of a chef. How dare you complained about me. I¡¯ll put one of Black Rose weird potion in your stew. Just you wait and see.¡± Another wood had gone, thousands more to go. When would this ever end? I sighed as I picked up the woods that scattered around the platform. ¡°How many was that already? I better tie them up first before I start another round of the woods.¡± ***** Unbeknown to Hasty One, someone was watching him intently. From on top of a tree, some 50 yards away, a female Wood Elf was looking at him, smiling mischievously. ¡°I know you¡¯ll be here. Like you always do. Tee-hee... Let¡¯s see now. I think I¡¯m going to give him a ¡®pleasant¡¯ surprise.¡± The Wood Elf was giggling as she drew her bow and placed an arrow on its string. With one expert move that most other bow masters would be envious of, she let fly of an arrow. Towards Hasty One. ***** Hiss¡­.. ¡°Hmmmm?? Am I hearing things?¡± I froze in my tracks, with my axe halfway down on another piece of wood. I was finding the direction of the sound. A funny sound made only by a projectile attack separating the air. ¡°What? An attack?¡± No way, right. I thought this place was safe. But I don¡¯t have a second longer to entertain that thought. Having found the direction of the sound, my face went pale as if looking at Death himself. And that Death came in a form of an flying arrow. ¡°Who, what, how??? Oh my god! I can¡¯t escape this.¡± I couldn¡¯t avoid its path. A point blank attack at my head. ¡°Too late now¡­¡± I closed my eyes as I desperately tried to shield my head with the axe. Thud¡­ Seconds seemed like an eternity when one was faced with impending doom. I prefered a swift death, if I might choose the way I died. But I didn¡¯t want to die yet. Not like this, while I¡¯m still a virgin. And with more panties to collect. But it was all pitch black where I was now. Looks like I¡¯m really dead¡­ ¡°Tee-hee¡­¡± A familiar voice. ¡°Tee-hee¡­ it didn¡¯t hit you~¡± A familiar and yet annoying voice. ¡°Hey, look. I¡¯m already dead. You don¡¯t have to come to the whatever-this-dark-place is and gloat at me. Go away!¡± I retorted out loudly. Hmmm¡­? Something was amiss ¡°Tee-hee. Open your eyes already. You are not dead!¡± Am I not dead? B-but¡­ I swore something was coming to my head at speed. I slowly opened my eyes, a feat where I won¡¯t be able to do if I¡¯m dead.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Looks like I¡¯m not dead. So, what happened, anyway? The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the bladed part of my axe in front of my face. I tried to shield it using my axe, but did it work? Lowering my axe down, I saw a familiar figure. A slender, yet curvy, big-breasted, blonde hair female figure stood in front of me. ¡°S-S-Sehanie¡­??¡± ¡°Tee-hee¡­ See, you are not dead, right?¡± ¡°What are you doing here? In fact, why are you in front of my face so close to me?¡± That¡¯s the first thing I asked her. Without pausing for an answer, I looked at my surroundings. Nothing seemed out of order. Sehanie, now squatting in front of me, poked into my cheeks and pointed to a spot behind me. I turned around. As I laid my eyes to the spot where she pointed at earlier, chilled blood coursed through my veins yet again. An arrow was deeply lodged in a tree trunk behind me. Just a few millimetres above my head. ¡°I missed you by this much.¡± Sehanie measured the amount the distance between my head and my would be doom between her thumb and forefinger. ¡°Wait a minute. What do you mean when you say you missed me by this much?¡± ¡°Uh-hum¡­¡± She replied, trying to hold her giggles. ¡°What? What??? WHATTTT????¡± As I come to my senses, Sehanie was barely holding her laugh as she covers her mouth with her hands. ¡°You¡­ you did this???¡± Devil. Demon. Reincarnate of the Unknown. I pointed at her, but words failed to come out from my mouth. ¡°Oh, come on Claude. Snap out of it. Let me help you up.¡± She extended her hands, which I gladly accepted and she pulled me up. Hmmm¡­ soft hands.But, that was beside the point. ¡°What was the devil you going to do to me, Sehanie?¡± ¡°You never visited me for a long time, Claude. And when I saw you leaving the guild-city through the gates near the river, I can¡¯t resist to drop by and say hello¡± ¡°And you mean your way of saying hello is by presenting me with an arrow from gods know where distance at a frightening speed? That¡¯s no elven hello, that¡¯s Death saying hello.¡± I pouted. ¡°Ahh, Claude. It takes more than this to kill you. You have a thick skull anyway.¡± ¡°Thick skull or not, this could kill even a hog. And you are a bow master.¡± I continued my pouting. Her nonchalant attitude about her actions towards me was pissing me off. ¡°Tee-hee. That¡¯s what you get if you forget to visit your childhood friend for a long time, Claude.¡± Childhood friend ehh¡­ ***** I remembered the first time I met Sehanie. A beautiful, blonde Wood Elf with breast to die for. That was how she looks like as far as I could remember her by. Wood Elves were special to the Great Forest, Shanintara. The same forest that we, the Brotherhood of the Sun and Elaeseryn, the Wood Elves¡¯ village shared. Both of our organizations shared mutual resources and trusted each other deeply. Blizzard Hawk and I would often visit Elaeseryn. I didn¡¯t really know the reasons why, but it had to do with something with what he and the village Elders have in common. Perhaps it was Alchemy. But I was too young to know such thing. And it didn¡¯t interest me in any way. I rather explore the area and make some new friends. Most of the Wood Elves paid me no heed, thus making me felt out of place a little, in the beginning. However, Sehanie was different. When I first saw her, I asked loudly to my mentor, ¡°Who is this Goddess?¡± I was young and I often blurted out my mind, without regards to the consequences. The Elders and Blizzard Hawk looked at me with disbelief, but they laughed it loud at the end. ¡°Sehanie, Child of Moonbow. Take this young one and give him a tour of our village.¡± One of the Elder beckoned to Sehanie to which she dutifully obliged. ¡°I¡¯m Claude. But people at the guild called me Hasty One. What¡¯s your name?¡± I introduced myself, eager to make a good first impression. This was my chance to make new friends, especially one as beautiful as the girl in front of me now. Learning from my mentor, I could identify beautiful women even from far away. A good eyes for the beauty if one might say so. ¡°Tee-hee¡­ Hasty One ehh? I¡¯m Sehanie, Child of Moonbow. But you may call me Sehanie. Can I call you Claude instead?¡± I nodded. She could call me whatever she wanted and I would just agreed with her. ¡°Now, let me give you a tour.¡± She took my little hands ¨C I was very young at that time when I first met her, a little older than 6 years old ¨C and gave me a tour of her village. I was in awe, not just from the village, but being together with this beautiful blonde Goddess named Sehanie. You could say, I have my first childhood crush. From that point onwards, we became friends. As I grew up, she looked more and more beautiful each time I saw her. Though she might not change much physically, but as for myself, I began to see her in a different light. As a matter of fact, I started to have an interest in her, as a woman. But a friend was a friend and I didn¡¯t dare to destroy that friendship. And so, I started to avoid her. I knew that I¡¯m a pervert who loved big breasted women and I could not taint her with my presence. The fact why I loved big breasted women was because of Sehanie. She was the first Goddess with the biggest pair of breast I¡¯ve ever seen when I was a child. Of course, she knew that she was my Goddess, but that was more of an admiration of a young boy towards a fully grown female, what more of a beauty like her. She did not take my feelings for her too seriously. She used to say to me often, ¡°A child will always be a child to me¡±. That ended up every hope I had in making her my woman when I grew up. Added to the fact that she also knew about my perverseness. I stole her panties countless of times when I was younger, in retort to her bullying me. But that was ages ago when I was young. But now, I¡¯m a young man with raging hormones. I¡¯m afraid to be alone with her. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not just the panties that I would steal, but more. Thinking about that used to give me a raging hard-on. Hey, I¡¯m a young man and I needed to relieve my stress too, you know. And because of that, I did not visit her for a long time. Perhaps that was why Sehanie took offence of my absence a little way over the top. And that little hello ¡®gift¡¯, it was her saying she was angry with me for not visiting her. How long was it since I last saw her? Maybe two years? That and also she was the biggest bully one could ever meet. Mischievous, brutal and that annoying ¡®Tee-Hee¡¯. ***** ¡°Claude?¡± Sehanie patted my body for me, getting rid of the dust that stuck to my tunic. ¡°Umm... yeah?¡± ¡°Are you alright? Was my little ¡®gift¡¯ too extreme for you? You know I did not mean¡­¡± I silenced her with my smile. I could not be angry with her. Not for long anyway. ¡°So, what are you doing here? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s one of your punishment again. Tee-hee...¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I gave her a short reply as I took the wood pieces on to the wooden platform. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you. And you look no different. Still as short as ever.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Keep the personal abuse to yourself, alright. I¡¯m working here.¡± ¡°But its true. You are shorter than me, a Wood Elf.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bug me. Shoo! Shoo!¡± Sehanie giggled and took a liking to what was going on. Was she a sadist now? ¡°Really Claude. I¡¯ve missed you so, so, so much and you really never came to visit me.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you gave an arrow to my head as a hello ¡®gift¡¯?¡± I looked at her accusingly. ¡°Look, Claude, I said I¡¯m sorry. But it¡¯s your fault. All your fault. I was lonely¡­ and¡­ and¡­¡± Knowing Sehanie, she was not sorry and its just pretending to be so. But I decided to play along, anyway. ¡°And you are desperate to touch me. All over my warm body?¡± I said that as I opened up my body for an embrace, though I never expect any. However, to my surprise, she did embrace me. I was taken aback and happy but it did not last long though. For her next words somehow pissed me off. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I¡¯m right. You are shorter than me. Still as short as I can remember.¡± I pushed Sehanie away. ¡°With a short temper too. Everything about you is short it seems. Short in height, short in temper¡­ and perhaps short in¡­ ehemmm.¡± Sehanie looked mischievously at me, with a certain attention my nether region. ¡°Hey, hey. Watch it. I know I¡¯m short, but I ain''t that short. One of these days, I¡¯m going to be taller than you and I¡¯ll carry you in my arms and show you good times, payment for all these while you¡¯ve been calling me short.¡± Sehanie blushed but continued giggled. ¡°This brings back memories. We use to bicker often, back when you were still a small boy. It never grew up on you¡± ¡°Shut up you, old hag. I ain''t-a 100 plus years old with a long life like the rest of you elves.¡± Sehanie knocked on my head. ¡°I¡¯m not old. In fact, I¡¯m at a prime youthful elven age. Look at my hair and my figure. You can¡¯t find it anywhere else in this forest¡± ¡°True enough.¡± Sehanie and I laughed. ¡°But, what brings you here?¡± I asked Sehanie as I started to collect the woods for today and tied it up. ¡°Ohhh, just some usual scouting rounds. Nothing out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I took the woods and lifted it above my shoulder. It¡¯s time for me to go back now. ¡°So, what you going to¡­.¡± ¡°Shush Claude...¡± ¡°Hmmm? ¡° I looked at Sehanie, surprised by the sudden interruption. ¡°Can you listen to that voice?¡± ¡°What voice?¡± ¡°Just keep quiet and listen.¡± I then gathered all of my hearing skills which I¡¯ve learned from the classes, but of which I¡¯m not much good at. I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. ¡°H¡­¡­.el¡­¡­p¡­¡­¡­¡­m..eee¡­.¡± The voice faded away. It sounded distant and weak. But I could guess the meaning of the sound as clear as day. ¡°Someone is calling for help. By the looks of things, they are in trouble.¡± Sehanie nodded confirming my earlier deduction. ¡°So, it¡¯s not just my imagination. You have some skills too with you, ehh Claude?¡± I smiled wryly at her. ¡°We need to check it out. And fast.¡± I put down the pile of woods, gathered up my belonging, a sword and a canteen of water, together with my axe and ran towards the source of the voice. ¡°Come, Sehanie let¡¯s hurry.¡± But I didn¡¯t need to remind her. She was already on top of a tree, pointing towards the source of the voice and beckoned me. ¡°Hurry up, Claude.¡± Who am I to tell her what to do in the forest? I smiled as I picked up my pace. Someone was in trouble and we needed to save them, now!! ***** [V1] Chapter 02: To the Rescue (EDIT: 27/2/2018) Chapter 02: To the Rescue Think fast. Act faster. - Unknown. ***** I ran through a stretch of small dirt track while Sehanie led me from the top of the trees, leaping gracefully from one to another. ¡°Hurry up, Claude. We can¡¯t be that far anymore.¡± She urged me on as we managed to cover a few good hundred yards further. The skill; Tracking and Hunting, that I¡¯d learned in the Brotherhood have helped me manoeuvre throughout the branches and fallen trees without a drop in speed. This skill was a saving grace to me due to my other frailties. However, the speed was not good enough, yet. I needed to be faster. ¡°Come on¡­¡± I mumbled under my breath as I focused on the task at hand. I needed more speed. I must hurry up or else¡­ ¡°Claude!!!¡± Suddenly, Sehanie called upon my name. I looked up towards a big tree and saw her perched like an eagle; waiting to strike its preys atop one of the branch. ¡°There¡¯s a clearing over there. That¡¯s where the voice came from.¡± Sehanie jumped down to my side and beckoned me to follow her. ***** Uprooted trees. Loads of them. Trees as big as two adults hugs were felled. That was the first thing I¡¯d noticed when I reached the so-called clearing Sehanie mentioned earlier. ¡°Claude, this is no clearing. This¡­ this¡­¡± Her face was pale and her body trembled. The trees in the Great Forest Shanintara were sacred to the Wood Elves. So, anything or anyone that mutilated these trees beyond recognition must be stopped at all cost. ¡°Something must had happened here. Something¡­ really bad. Look at all those uprooted trees. What kind of monster could have done this?¡± I hunched down in front of one felled tree. ¡°Look at the slash across this tree trunk.¡± It had three massive claw marks, etched deep into its skin and flesh. And now it bled with reddish resin. It looked like it received a massive blow from something big. Something really big. And the tree smelt of ashen too. It was odd since there were no traces of fire here. The burnt smell reeked throughout the whole area. Sehanie was holding a handful of soil. Her sickened face told me about what kind of news I was to expect. ¡°The soil is dead¡­¡± She said as tears flowed down her cheeks. The scene before us was like a nightmare, what more to a Wood Elf like her. As the child of the forest, she must investigate this further. This place had been laid to waste. As I was scouring around, suddenly I heard her screaming for my name. I rushed to her side immediately. What we both saw then was a woman; about late in her 20s, with funny clothing, lying on the ground. ¡°Is she¡­ dead?¡± I asked her. ¡°No, she fainted. But she seems alright for now if we get help immediately.¡± Sehanie was checking her vitals. ¡°Is she the one that screams for help?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Claude. There¡¯s another different foot track here though, and one more over there. This one belonged to a small, human-like figure and that one is...¡± Sehanie suddenly stopped talking but then pointed towards a large foot track. I began to inspect it immediately. ¡°The foot track is really massive. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this foot track belongs to an animal, if you can call it an animal, at least 12 feet or taller. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s really, really unnerving.¡± Sehanie agreed with me. ¡°And in this part of the forest, there is no animal that is bigger than that¡­¡± She looked grim. As she bit her lips, she looked further up the tracks. Suddenly, a voice penetrated the forest yet again. ¡°Yearghhhhh¡­ Help me!!!!¡± ¡°Claude!¡± Sehanie looked up at me. ¡°Over there.¡± With a gloomy expression, I nodded. It was the same voice that shouted for help earlier. Only this time, it was nearer. ¡°Prepare yourself. Looks like our target is near. Whether we are the hunter, or the hunted is yet to be known.¡± I gulped down a mouthful of water and placed it back at my belt. With the firm grasp of the hilt of my unsheathed sword on my left hand and my axe on my right, I took the first step forward. ¡°Come, Sehanie. Let¡¯s go!¡± She nodded and followed me from behind, with her bow readied to take the first strike. ***** An hour earlier¡­ ¡°Wooweee¡­ Look at this flower, Lilia. Come, come have a look.¡± A woman, dressed in what presumably a maid outfit came out of a carriage pulled by two black horses. A heavily armoured guard which happened to be the only driver of this elegant carriage, was sitting atop on the driver¡¯s seat. He seemed unfazed by what the two women were doing as if he had everything under his control. ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t stray too far away from the carriage. It¡¯s getting late. We better get back to the Palace.¡± The lady in the maid outfit, Lilia, voiced her concern towards the girl who was now kneeling in a mound of flowers. Sporting a charming dress that accentuates her beauty, the blue-haired girl looked at her royal aide with a wide smile. ¡°Look at this flower Lilia!¡± Despite the frantic attempt of her royal aide, the princess was still unmoved from her earlier location. ¡°We never have ones such as beautiful as this in our royal garden, Lilia. I better ask the royal botanist to take some samples and seedlings from this place.¡± Lilia came closer to the princess and knelt beside her. ¡°You are right, your Highness. We have none as beautiful as this back in the Palace.¡± ¡°See, I know right. All these flowers are beautiful indeed.¡± The princess pointed at the flowers that struck her attention. Wanting to feel more of the natural surroundings, she then lay down and rubbed her face amongst the petals. ¡°Princess, it¡¯s dirty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lilia. And please call me by my name. We are out of the Royal Palace, and it¡¯s just me and you here, now. So, please skip the formality.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, your Highness. I mean¡­ Sierra.¡± The girl was none other than Her Royal Highness, Princess Sierra Elmsdor. She let out a giggle but soon covered her mouth with her hands. As the Crown Princess of Elsigardia, she must keep her modesty even though there was no one around beside her royal aide. Though lying around on a wet and dirty mound was considered alright to her. ¡°Look at these beautiful butterflies, Lilia. Aren¡¯t they wonderful? Having all the freedom in the world and the beauty that goes with it. How I envy them.¡± Sierra sighed. A deep but satisfying one. She then stood up, wiped her dress off the dirt and then beckoned to Lilia. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to get back to the capital now. The Captain would not be too happy if we waste too much time going astray.¡± The capital of Elsigardia, Elsivier was situated roughly just about 50 miles away from this Great Forest, Shanintara. Away for official duties, the entourage decided to take a short detour here. ¡°But, before that, let me gather a few more flowers, as a present for him and also for Father.¡± ¡°As you wish, your Highness.¡± Lilia acknowledged. It was of no use to stop the Princess. Once she decided that she wanted to do something for others, she would not hesitate and won¡¯t be talked down. That was her admirable trait as the Crown Princess, something that most people would take advantage of surely in the future. Though often worried, Lilia would always stood by the Princess¡¯s side. ¡°These ones that I gather here will be for the Captain. This garland that I make earlier is Father¡¯s. And oohhh¡­ hold this.¡± The Princess found a bunch of beautiful flower blooming nearby a rock. She went and immediately pick a couple of it carefully. ¡°And this is for you.¡± Sierra placed a small beautiful white flower into the gleaming whitish hair of her maid. ¡°It suits you. That flower is called the White Jewel Daisy, which suits your hair perfectly, and your beautiful skin too, Lilia.¡± Sierra kissed her maid¡¯s cheeks. Tears started to form in her eyes. ¡°Why, thank you, princess.¡± A personal gift from the Crown Princess. Though small, it was her thoughts that made her eyes watery. For a royalty to treat a commoner like her with such love. ¡°Now let¡¯s get back.¡± The Princess urged as the two of them held each other¡¯s hand. Unfortunately, misfortune would often strike when one least expected. Barely taken a few steps towards the carriage, suddenly a loud crash was heard from behind them. A gust of wind flew all over and created a mini dust-storm, with enough force to knock Sierra and Lilia forward. And to top it off amidst the confusion, came a loud and extremely frightening roar. ¡®Terror shout¡¯. A shout that was so terrifyingly powerful that it would render those of lacking in willpower with death and those with normal willpower, a long term paralysis and trauma. Those who was lucky enough would just faint immediately. Animals, such as horses, would have massive panic attacks and behaved extremely wildly before killing themselves. Though the area of effect was small, the result was extremely devastating. Lilia fainted. The Captain was paralyzed; lost control of the horses, was thrown over and flew straight onto the road, head first. He died on the spot. Princess Sierra dropped down to her knee though somehow she kept her consciousness. There was a wet stain on her dress, signifying that the shout had just rendered her bladder weak. When the dust-storm subsided, the source of the terror was soon to be made known to her. A giant winged humanoid with a red and scaly body, that looked like a gargoyle, 12 feet tall with huge wings appeared. Giant wings that once opened up fully, managed to uproot trees bigger than itself that were blocking the spanning wing. The force was so strong that some trees were crushed, broken and mangled beyond recognition. What appeared in front of Sierra was a creature beyond the scope of human understanding. An ancient terror. What was the creature, where it came from or what it wanted was no longer a matter of importance. What was more important was¡­ Princess Sierra looked at her surroundings. She gasped at what just happened in a few seconds when the creature made its sudden appereance. With Lilia lying fainted beside her, the mound of flowers was no more. The horse pulled carriage, in a panic, took off into the forest, killing the Captain on the spot. ¡°I need to save Lilia. I¡­ I¡­I¡­ need to take its attention right away and lead that creature from her.¡± Gathering what was left of her strength and her calmness, Sierra stood up. Taking up a small rock, she threw the stone at the creature. Klakk¡­. The stone did hit the creature squarely on the face. However, it seemed unperturbed. It was just an insignificant attack after all. Instead, the creature scanned the whole area, perhaps trying to adjust to its new surroundings. Everything was destroyed or killed except for one; a female mortal being, who was still standing after the initial terror shout. An eerie smile was carved onto its face baring its fangs. With green liquid dropping from its ominous fang that corroded even the soil, it began to take a step forward. ¡°Looks like I got its attention for now.¡± As Princess Sierra began to move, backing up at first and then ran away, the creature understood something. Something that was ingrained in its wicked nature. That the creature was now a hunter, and Sierra was its prey. A game of run and chase. However, the ancient terror knew that the game was already over as soon as it began. It would take its time, enjoying the hunt and playing the game to its heart¡¯s content while being as torturous as it could be. And at the end, it would be a glorious feast of a terrified prey. Time was subjective to a hunter that knew the impending doom of its kill. ¡°God, please help me¡± Sierra shouted at the top of her lung as she made her run deeper into the forest. ¡°Please help me!!!!¡± ***** ¡°I have a bad feeling about this, Claude. Be careful.¡± Sehanie kept reminding me and perhaps herself as we proceeded further into the woods, following the tracks we found earlier; two distinctly different tracks. One was massive and the other was small, belonging to a human girl. I bit my lips and nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t know what the manner of this creature yet and who we need to help. So, precaution will always be the best action, Sehanie.¡± Well, we did find it out soon though. The sight of the creature struck fear into both of us. We looked at each other and immediately understood that this creature was not only non-native to this forest, it was extremely deadly too. With a wing so huge, red scaly skins that would burnt anything it touched and the overall size made it a fearsome foe. Nay, this was not just any fearsome foe. This was the Grim Reaper, for we would surely be killed if we engaged it in any way.Stolen story; please report. But in front of the creature, laid the test of our resolve. A girl, no older than I was, was cowering in fear. She was in bad shape, unable to move. ¡°She bruised her ankle, Claude. And with that injury on her body, I don¡¯t think she can make it much longer.¡± ¡°Did the creature attack her, Sehanie?¡± I wanted some reassurance that she was not beyond saving. ¡°No, not yet. Looks like it¡¯s playing with her, like a hunter and its prey and soon to be food. But it won¡¯t be for long before it gives the girl an attack that will surely end her life.¡± Readying her bow, she focused all her attention towards what presumably the creature¡¯s weak spot. ¡°Then, we need to act fast. We cannot fight this creature head-on. So, we will distract it and take the girl and run away.¡± I pushed Sehanie¡¯s bow down and then furrowed my brows. ¡°I would distract the creature. And when you see the opportunity, grab the girl and run away as fast and as far as possible.¡± ¡°But, Claude, this is suicide. We can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Hush. If we can¡¯t, then who will save her? I don¡¯t know about you, but I won¡¯t let a girl die on my watch. Besides, the creature hasn¡¯t noticed us yet. So, we have the upper hand, however slim the chance of success might be, right now.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Sehanie whimpered in fear. Though I understood her emotion, I could not just stand here and watch. I had to act, despite my fear. Grabbing her shoulder, I looked deep into her eyes. ¡°You know this forest better than anyone does. So, once you grab the girl, do your thing and disappear.¡± ¡°But, what about you, Claude?¡± She still tried to reason with me, but the only reasoning I needed was saving that girl we both saw. ¡°This is not the day where I will die. When I die, I¡¯ll be surrounded by big breasted women, like you, having sucked all their milk dry. Today is not the day, and that creature ain¡¯t got any breast.¡± I felt a slight hit on my arm. Sehanie was letting out a bittersweet smile. ¡°Now, are you ready?¡± She nodded, albeit with a little hesitation. ¡°When I move in to attack, give me some cover fire. Once I give you the signal, run and grab the girl. And never ever look back, alright.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ***** If one was to face Death, how would he or she act? Ran away? Or fight it? Or just surrender to one own¡¯s fate? When someone encountered a being so powerful and extremely intelligent, no amount of planning nor strategy would work without might and power. Might and power, however, was not in our arsenal this very day. And as a giant crushing two insignificant ants beneath its feet, our battle was over in an instant. Before I knew it, the creature had grabbed hold of my head and then delightfully squashing it within its palm. Looked like my life was at the end here. How did it end up like this, anyway? ***** I remembered when I charged in front, I took the creature by surprise. Good job, I would say. With the help of some cover fire from Sehanie, I managed to turn its attention towards me. I threw my axe, hoping to catch the creature off guard. It hit the creature all nice and clean, but I was surprised with the outcome. Though the axe struck the creature cleanly on its chest as it turned around, it bounced off like nothing happened. In fact, the blade of the axe broke into pieces. If you ever see a fly being squashed because it flew head-on into onrushing carriage, my axe was that fly, unfortunately. Looking at what happened, I taunted and goaded the creature to no end. Pebbles and rocks were my weapon choice next. I couldn¡¯t engage this creature in hand to hand combat, for it would be a certain doom for me. And if I die, we would most likely fail to save the girl. The creature looked at me, annoyed. A little bit more and I could signal to Sehanie to save the girl. All I needed was to up my ante, taunting and goading. I showed up my middle finger and screamed at the top of my lung. ¡±You whoreson of a creature. Too ugly until even your own mother disowns you. Pick someone your own size, arsehole!!!¡± I then threw a rock. And as luck turned out, for better or for worse, I didn¡¯t know, it hit the creature in the left eye. The creature screamed in annoyance. Not that it was painful, but because I was at my irritating best. It looked at me like I was some sort of disgusting bug that needed to be disposed of immediately. The ant had finally bit the giant¡¯s soft spot. ¡°Good, come to me you bloody sod.¡± I beckoned him with my middle finger and then stripped my pants, showing my baked arse, farting at it. ¡°Feast your eyes, bitch!¡± It was the ultimate insult signal I could give. True enough, it moved towards me. Slowly, but with its giant steps, it won¡¯t take more than 15 steps away. ¡°Sehanie, now!!!¡± I gave my immediate command to her who had been hiding after the initial cover fire. True to her Wood Elf traits, she knew what she needed to do. Fast, agile and dexterous, she moved among the shadows provided by the trees and head directly towards the girl. With one swift movement, she managed to carry the girl on her shoulder and was ready to leave. Great, this seemed easy. ¡°Now get out of here, Sehanie.¡± She looked back at me and nodded. However, our luck ran out. With a sneer and a wicked smile cracked on its face, the creature lashed out it tails and grabbed Sehanie by her ankle. She dropped the girl, whom by now, had fainted due to severe exhaustion. ¡°Ahhh, Claude¡­. Help me!!!¡± She was captured before I even realized what was happening. This creature was way too fast and agile for its size. And extremely smart too. Did it know that we were here earlier and overheard our plans? And did the creature purposely turned its attention to me to lure her out? Nay. Now was not the time for questions and answers. Sehanie was in trouble and it was all my fault. It lifted her by the ankle with its tail. Once her face was directly opposite of it, the creature let out a terrifying roar and with one swift movement, grabbed hold of her head. And then it looked at my direction, sneering and all. It seemed that it was taunting and goading me now. Seeing that, I lost all my senses. I went berserk. My legs were feeble and my body was heavy. However, my heart was not. Enraged, I took out my sword and charged towards the creature, not knowing what would become of me. I care not but only the safety of my childhood friend. The creature lashed out it tails at me, but I managed to avoid it to the side, albeit barely. However, my pace did not drop as for my next move, I managed to slash the wretched arm of the creature that was squashing Sehanie¡¯s head. ¡°Claude... What are you doing, you fool? Run away¡­ save yourself. This creature is too strong for both of us.¡± I could see tears trickled down her cheeks. ¡°No. I¡¯ll save you. I won¡¯t leave without you.¡± ¡°Fool, you will die. Leave me here and run. Forget about saving me now. It¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°I will run, but not without you. And¡­ it¡¯s never too late.¡± I continued to focus my sword, slashing the same arm while avoiding the creature¡¯s attack that came swiftly and decisive towards my weak points; neck, groin, my back, heart and head. Though I managed to avoid being hit directly from all the deadly blows, those that grazed me still hurt like hell. In the end, my relentless effort bore some fruit. One strike, in particular, managed to loosen the hold that it had on Sehanie. That was the cue I needed. Though undeterred, I was at the point of exhaustion. However, seeing I had some result at least, my vigour and morale returned, despite a little. I ran and grabbed Sehanie in my arms. Luckily for me, her injury was not too bad and she was still breathing and conscious. She was trying to open up her eyes and the first thing I did was to smile at her. ¡°I told you I¡¯ll save you.¡± Without waiting for a reply, I then threw her outside the range of the fight. ¡°Sehanie, run away now¡­¡± ¡°Look out Claude!!!¡± Suddenly, I was struck from my blindside. Sehanie¡¯s scream came too late as I vomited blood and looking at the point where I was attacked, I could see that I have been pierced through. The creature jagged tail was protruding through my body and slowly, I was lifted up like a stabbed fish. But I was too tired to squirm and wiggle away. Though it was painless, I could now feel my life has started to desert me. Ahh¡­ shit. Looks like I was going to die. ¡°Forget about me, Sehanie. Run away, Sehanie. Save yourself.¡± That was what I could muster with all my strength to say. But alas, it was of no use. No more voice would come out now, as the creature immediately grabbed hold of my head and pierced my windpipe from the side with its sharp claw. Crack¡­. crack¡­ My skull made a disgusting and eerie broken sound. Let the death be painless, please. With teary eyes, I begged as the last ounce of my energy dissipated away. As my foggy eyes began to close, the last thing I would ever see was Sehanie frozen in fear, tears trickling down her cheeks and her hands trying to grab hold of me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry.¡± ***** ¡°Hey, kid. What are you doing here?¡± The room was pitch black. Surely I have died. But what was this voice that came out from nowhere? ¡°Hey, kid. Are you even listening?¡± The annoying voice came yet again. ¡°I can hear you. Who are you? And what the hell are you doing here? Ain¡¯t I supposed to be dead and alone?¡± ¡°Ohhh shut up! You really can¡¯t see me, can you?¡± ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t see you anywhere. Stop playing games with me. I¡¯m dead and I just lost my best friend¡­.¡± With those words, I started to break down. ¡°I-I-I¡­ Sehanie¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I could not even save you nor the girl.¡± I knelt down and cried. Incoherent words came out from my mouth. ¡°Hey, kid. Grab hold of yourself. I can¡¯t stand crybabies. Now can you see me?¡± I opened my eyes and I could see a blueish-black flame floating in front of me. It then spoke to me yet again. ¡°How do I appear in front of you. There ain¡¯t any mirror here.¡± ¡°You look like a flame, bluish-black in colour. A will-o-wisp?¡± ¡°What the fuck is wrong with your imagination, describing me with a will-o-wisp description?! I¡¯m not some low life existence.¡± It flew right onto my forehead and knocked me down. I had no strength nor will to defend myself. A fly could hit me next and I would just lie down here. ¡°Anyway, looks like you still have a long way to go if you could only see me in the soul form.¡± ¡°Am I dead? Is this the place where they judge people either to heaven or hell? Are you the grim reaper, or the heaven¡¯s gatekeeper? It¡¯s so dark in here, I can barely see 2 feet in front of me.¡± ¡°Hold on. One question at a time please.¡± The will-o-wisp flew around me a few times before it finally stopped. ¡°Your first question. No, you are not dead. Not yet, by the way. Look here. You will see what I mean by that.¡± Suddenly, a screen appeared in front of me. A nifty magic during my last moment. Was this what people called, all your lives flashed in front of you when you die? Fancy having some sort of screen to let you recalled your life like this. And what I saw on it, amazed me to say the very least. In the screen, I saw Sehanie, crying and holding out her hands to me. The very last vision I had before I closed my eyes, embracing death. I never knew that she could cry like that. ¡°But¡­ you will die soon, if you continue to stay on like this. So listen well and listen carefully, now.¡± However, the words uttered by the weird floating ball of blue flame suddenly made me realized my real predicament. Calling it a will-o-wisp, whether in my thoughts or spoken out would often made it flew onto my forehead and knock me over. ¡°I have stopped the time flow. What you are seeing right on the screen is the very last moment before your death. I can¡¯t stop the time flow forever because as you can see me, I¡¯m in a soul form.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a soul form? And are you Death? Seems underwhelming though.¡± ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s not important! However, the next bit will very, very important. So important that you need to think wisely and decide. So, I¡¯ll ask you¡­¡± The tension between us rose. If I was dead and this soul form; or flame or whatever it was, spouting some nonsense about time stop, then I wouldn¡¯t care less. But, if what it said was true, even a little, and I was not yet dead¡­ ¡°Do you crave power?!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What sort of a joke question was this? Surely I misheard it. But I was wrong. ¡°Do you crave POWER??!!!¡± The soul form began to shout. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± My curiosity was cut short immediately. ¡°Shut up, and just answer me! Yes, or no? Do you crave the power to save your childhood friend and that other girl, or you would rather see both of them die with your very own eyes?!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I answered. However, I could not help but to let out a whimper in the end. Thinking back what happened a few moments ago made me weak at the knees. ¡°I need the power to save them. But I don¡¯t have any. If I have, I won¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°And do you have whatever it takes to gain this power?!¡± ¡°Again, what do you mean¡­¡± Suddenly, I vomited blood. I saw my shirt too was stained red. Ahhh, I remember that I was pierced by the creature¡¯s tail. But still¡­ ¡°Looks like the time flow is starting to move. Heh. You don¡¯t have much time anymore, kid¡­¡± The will-o-wisp swirled around me non-stop. ¡°So, answer me, do you want power and will do whatever it takes to gain this power?!¡± ¡°To save my friends, YES!¡± Time was not on my side, so whatever that I had been offered by this weird thing, I better take it right now. Whatever happened later, well... just whatever. There would be time for that. ¡°Good!! But stop calling me a fucking will-o-wisp. Now begone, stupid kid!¡± With that, the black room vanished. The moment I was booted out of the room, I was swarmed with such intensities of unknown origins that overwhelmed all my senses. I slowly opened my eyes. What I saw was the moment before I die. Sehanie was still crying, shouting for my name while trying to reach out to me. It seemed that the time did not even move at all even though I was pretty sure that it was quite some time I¡¯d spend in that dark room. ¡°Hey kid, I¡¯ll take over your body for a moment!¡± It was that voice again, the bluish-black soul form of something. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°You talk too much¡­.¡± With that, I lost control of my body. Though I was still aware of what was happening initially, little by little, all my senses and consciousness was starting to fade into a void of nothingness¡­ ***** ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡± ¡°Hehehehehehehehe¡­¡± ¡°Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!¡± An eerie laugh suddenly penetrated the air. Sehanie looked at the boy figure in front of her who was pierced through. Blood dripped from his body, making a puddle on the ground. ¡°Claude¡­??¡± Trying her best, she called upon his name while holding her tears in. But it proved too tough for her as she failed miserably and cried. ¡°Hehehehehe¡­. Hahahahahahaha¡­¡± ¡°One, two, three and look around me~~~¡± ¡°Claude? W-what are you talking?¡± Yet again she called his name. But her words fell on deaf ears as he continued his weird rhyme-like singing. ¡°Four, five, six and I want to have some fun~~~¡± ¡°Claude, you are scaring me. Please...¡± Despite trying to understand what was happening, Sehanie was too weak to do anything, even standing. All she could do was to see and listen her childhood friend¡¯s change of behavior amidst her foggy eyes. ¡°Seven, eight, nine, you shall exist no more~~~¡± ¡°And ten, for the world, is now mine~~~~¡± ¡°Hehehehehehehe¡± ¡°W-what on earth is happening to you?¡± A bluish-black flame suddenly exploded from his solar plexus and continued to spread throughout the whole body. The same flame then corroded the arm of the creature that was squashing his head. It screamed in agony as its arm was severed by the flame. It dropped Claude down to the ground and unleashed his terror shout. However, it did not affect him in the slightest. Nor Sehanie and the girl, who laid unconscious beside her. As he removed the remains of the arm away from his head, Sehanie finally noticed the changes that were happening to Claude. When the flame engulfed his whole body, it also gave a form of a wing. In fact, six flame wings, three on each side were formed. And to her surprise, he was no longer standing on the ground. He was freely floating as the flame now surrounded both her and the unconscious girl they were desperately tried to save earlier. And on his body, there seemed to be some sort of tattoo that was forming. First, it started on his forehead which then spreaded to his whole body. Like a beautiful but eerie artistic full body paint. ¡°Hmmphh¡­ bugs. Your scream is like a whisper of the wind to me.¡± Claude turned and looked to both of the girls. He then muttered something under his breath. Inaudible to everyone except for himself. ¡°So, these were the people he chose to protect this time, ehh? Typical kid. Never change since that time, don¡¯t you?¡± Swinging his arms a couple of times, Claude began his next move. He floated around the giant creature nonchalantly. Sizing up the creature, he then snorted ¡°A pathetic pit fiend.¡± Claude face was contorted with disgust. ¡°But what is a pit fiend doing here? I thought they aren¡¯t allowed to enter this realm ever since the gate was closed down. Someone in this world must have summoned this particular shit here.¡± Still under the inaudible voice, he continued to observe his adversary. It seemed that he was talking to himself all the time. ¡°Humans¡­ still vile as ever it seemed.¡± The pit fiend suddenly launched an attack on Claude. Nay, it was not just an attack. It was, in fact, five attacks simultaneously. ¡°Never mind. It has been ages since I¡¯m out. So, why not I enjoy this time around? Be a good sport and don¡¯t die easily like last time, alright.¡± Claude did not even bother to avoid. Blocking all the attacks with his bare hands, he struck the pit fiend squarely on its chest with his sword; found lying on the ground, thus opening up a deep gash on its chest. It flew 20 yards away, in a knockback effect. ¡°Is this all you can do? You can¡¯t even pass my flame aura. What a laughable piece of shitty existence!¡± Claude then mumbled some incoherent words as if he was chanting something under his breath. ¡°Since I don¡¯t have much time to play around with you, I¡¯ll give something that you and your summoners will never forget in aeons. And then return you where you belong; to that piece of shithole you call home. Never come here again in this realm, vermin.¡± At first, a single magic circle was formed below Claude¡¯s feet. Then two, three and four. At the end, there was nine magic circle, all of different colours and sizes. As his magic circle completed, the pit fiend launched another attack. ¡°Fool. Hahaha¡­ HAHAHAHAHA!!!!¡± Claude let out a loud laugh as he launched his final attack. ¡°Ultimate Magic: Doomsday ¨C Spears of Retribution!¡± Nine huge magic spear-like pillars of light rose from the magic circle that caged and then engulfed the pit fiend in a blinding light. In that instant, it was disintegrated. The attack was so powerful that the flash even blinded the whole eastern part of the Great Forest with bright light and as soon as it reached the sky, it created a massive hole in the clouds. The scene brought the whole forest in an uproar. ¡°Looks like I overdid it a little. Ahh well¡­ I manage to have some fun this time around. Times up. Time to go back and return this body to the host.¡± With that, the blue flame that surrounded Claude began to disperse. Sehanie, who was watching the whole scene that had just taken place, was shaken to her core. However, when Claude start to fall down after the six flame wings disappeared, she immediately tried her best to stand up and catch him, but unfortunately, her strength left her whole body. Soon, she too lost her consciousness as the first raindrop fell down on earth. [V1] Chapter 03: The Determination of One who (Nearly) Died [EDIT 27/2/2018] Chapter 03: The Determination of One who (Nearly) Died What will you do if you are given second chance in life? - Anonymous *Caution: Contains a mild naked scene* I found myself surrounded by beautiful women beyond measure; long-legged, curvaceous and most important of all, big-breasted. What made this situation even better was that all of them were naked with full frontal view. Although my own view was a little vague, perhaps due to the steaminess of the situation (I swore it was getting hotter in here), nothing was censored. I was sure that they too could see my perverted face and I¡¯m not ashamed even one bit. And I didn¡¯t care either. If this was a dream, then I would not want to wake up. If I was dead, this was how I want to die, surrounded by women of my dreams with huge breast. Yours truly here clearly had a certain fixation towards full-bosom ladies. I tried to look for familiar faces among the many beauties that surrounded me, but I knew none except for one; a blonde wood elf girl that looked just like childhood friend. Sehanie was her name. But what was she doing here? Did she finally unable to resist the temptation of my charm anymore? This was the case, then it was the best thing that could ever happened to me. I let off somewhat a sinister laugh, that soon followed a series of actions that most adults would be jealous of. Why wouldn¡¯t they, as I had my own version of harem. When it came to beautiful women with big breast, I was a greedy fecker alright. I grabbed the hand of the one that looks like Sehanie and pulled her towards me. Her big breast jiggled as she embraced me tightly to avoid herself from tripping. I could feel the softness of her breast that was on my chest and this made me all hard. My raging teenage hormone was finally kicking in and I couldn¡¯t resist myself anymore. Then came another beauty that looks like Black Rose. Even her too? Now, now. This was way too good to be true. Black Rose wrapped her arms around me from the back. This was indeed heaven being treated in such a way. And I was soon surrounded by more big breasted naked beauties, each one rivalling one another. I reached out my hand to grab one pair of the breast that looked like a ripe, juicy melon. Hmmm¡­ that was soft. Then another pair of breast. Then another. And another. I loved breast because it was so, so, so, soft. And then I would be going to suck on them. All of them, starting with you, Sehanie look-alike. I giggled at myself for the luck where I had found my situation in. It was so different from moments ago, where I was¡­ Hmmm¡­. What did I do a moment ago? I couldn¡¯t seem to remember for the life of me. Suddenly, all the beauties vanished before my eyes. Nooooo¡­. Where had all my big-breasted beauties gone? In that instant, the whole place became dark as I floated for a while. And then, without any warning, the next thing I knew, I was free falling from an extremely high place. No, no, no¡­.!!! Return my harem. Return them to me at once! I extended my hand towards the dark unknown in front of me, but felt nothing. ¡°Looks like you are awake.¡± That was the first voice I listened to when I start to open up my eyes. A gentle female voice. Ughhh¡­ my head¡­ It was heavy. I furrowed my forehead, massaging it intensely. ¡°Easy now. Don¡¯t move just yet.¡± When I opened my eyes, I saw a female human figure, with dark green hair dressed in a white tunic with pink decoration in front of me. Beautiful, though slightly on the smaller side of the breast scale. Even in this state, I could still identify women from their breast alone. I strained my eyes from the sunlight that entered the room. ¡°Are you feeling any better, Hasty One?¡± I did not answer her. She touched my forehead and then grabbed hold of my hand. ¡°Hmmm¡­ seems your temperature has dropped. I think you are going to be alright now. I¡¯ll call your Sun Master. Please wait a moment.¡± Immediately, she stood up and went out of the room. I tried to stop her, but I lacked the strength to do so. I touched my forehead, then my hand as I looked around. I was bandaged all over, in one way or another. The room was small with ample sunlight coming in through the windows. Judging from the amount, it might be afternoon. And the surrounding seemed familiar too; with a towel and half-filled basin on a table nearby. I have been here many times in the past. The Brotherhood of the Sun¡¯s infirmary. That lady earlier must be the nurse. But what happened to me? I struggled to recollect my memories. The throbbing of my head did not help either. However, I gave out a small and wry smile. The dream I had with my ideal harem seemed distant, but somehow it felt so real. The softness of their breast too still stuck onto my palm. Heh, what a dream it was. Suddenly, my head throbbed yet again and that brought me to my question earlier. I grimaced in pain for a while as I retraced my steps. I was punished by cutting wood, I¡¯d met that mischievous Sehanie and then¡­ ¡°Sehanie!!!¡± I shouted out her name. I remembered vividly. But why was I here, of all places? Where was Sehanie? More importantly, what happened after I passed out? ¡°Calm down, Hasty One.¡± I heard yet another familiar voice. But this time, it belonged to an old man. I looked up at the source of the voice. Blizzard Hawk. ¡°It seems that you have trouble remembering what has happened when you are brought here. Doesn¡¯t matter now. You are safe and you are within the wall of guild-city¡± I tried to adjust my position and sit up. Ughhh, my body feels so heavy and sluggish. ¡°Take your time, Hasty One. Don¡¯t exert yourself unnecessarily.¡± Blizzard Hawk pulled a stool over to my side. ¡°Looks like they took care of you really good. You are their favourite after all.¡± He took out his smoking pipe and began to smoke. Hey, you couldn¡¯t smoke in here, especially in an infirmary. I would report on you. ¡°Give them your thanks when you feel better alright. Especially that nurse. She took really good care of you without any rest of her own.¡± ¡°How long have I been out for?¡± I could understand my situation a bit better now. I must have passed out all these time. Perhaps an hour or two.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Three days and two nights.¡± ¡°Ohhhh¡­ just three days¡­What?!!!!~@#@! ¡° I looked at him, bewildered as I raised up three fingers. ¡°Three days and two nights?¡± Blizzard Hawk nodded. ¡°Then¡­. Then¡­ what happened to Sehanie? A-And the girl?¡± ¡°Relax, Hasty One. Calm down. If you mean the Wood Elf girl that we found you with, we brought her back here to the infirmary. She woke up 2 days ago, and true to her kind, once she was healed, she then took off without much notice. However, she did leave a thank you note. And to be sure of her safety, I did contact one of the Village Elder, and right on the dot, she was back among them. So, she is safe at the moment.¡± He deliberately puffed a smoke out. ¡°My, my. That girl is pretty strong. When we found you, she was crying while hugging you, never wanting let you go at all. Only after my whole-hearted persuasion that she let go of you, although reluctantly. Unfortunately, she did pass out after that.¡± I gave a dry smile and breathe a sigh of relief. But then, another memory stirred me up one more time. ¡°What about the other girl?¡± I asked. ¡°Hmmm¡­ the other girl?¡± Blizzard Hawk paused for what it seemed like an eternity. If I did not know any better, I was sure he was pulling my legs. ¡°You will see her again, soon enough.¡± ¡°What do you mean soon enough? Tell me, what happened to her. Did she survive? Did she¡­¡± That was all I could mutter before I passed out again. Into a deep but dreamless slumber. The sky was reddish when I woke up. The scene in the infirmary room had changed into something more familiar and nostalgic. I was back in my own room, surrounded by plethora of my personal belonging scattered around through all the four corners of the room. Someone must have carried me back here, I thought. I tried to sit up and unlike before, I felt lighter. It was not heavy anymore and I didn¡¯t have those terrible headaches to accompany all the movements I¡¯d made, even the slightest ones. I looked through the window. It was going to be dusk soon. I stood up, albeit feebly and got myself change into a more comfortable outfit. My Initiate tunic was neatly folded on top of the desk. Beside it, was a vial of potion and a note underneath it. I opened up the note and it said, Drink it when you woke up. You will feel much better. With love, your nurse. I gave a slight smile, saying my word of thanks to her under my breath. I finished up the vial in one go. Tasteless but after a while, I could feel a certain heat coming from inside my gut. An energy potion ehh¡­ Perhaps Blizzard Hawk made one for me and passed it to the nurse to be given to me when I awaken. Though often overbearing, I would be sure to thank him too. I¡¯d finally changed into more familiar clothing. It didn¡¯t take long before I was walking down the hallway into the guild-city courtyard. This courtyard was one of the many located on the western side of the guild-city, housing those of Journeyman rank and below in dormitories. Since I was still an Initiate, the lowest of official rank, it was no surprise I was still at this part of the area. By the way, all the dormitories are co-ed, but there was nothing to see here. Why? Because these dormitories were filled with kids below 10 years of age and I was the oldest here. Contributed by none other than my hate of core paper exam that I stuck here for 10-goddamn years! I hated the theoretical exam where I have to memorize facts and whatnot inside those thick tomes they called the lore and histories. However, the best part of the dormitories belonged to the Eastern courtyard. This was where the beauties were in. Girls my age and older. But, it was reserved to those who had achieved the rank Guardian and above, just below the rank of Sun Master. Northern courtyard contained houses instead of dormitories. These were the place where all the Sun Masters, who chose to live in the guild-city resided; including Blizzard Hawk and Black Rose. Meanwhile, the Southern Courtyard was the busiest section during the day time. And even on certain nights too. The classes, mess hall (I smiled when I think of that particular place), weaponsmith, armoursmith, battle arenas, magical testing ground, laboratory, library, and many more other buildings that at my current ranking were not permitted to enter were situated here. Scattered between all the quadrants of the guild-city were the statues of Lord Supreme Grand Master, all 103 of them, from our very first founder, Saint Regulus Sirius to our current one, Lord Aldebaran, who I would prefer to call the old geezer. He still looked the same from the first time I was here until today. I wondered how old was he anyway? Perhaps more than 100 years. Even though he was really ancient for a human, his physical and mental conditioning could put to shame to those much, much younger than him. Honestly, that included me too. And there was a rumour that he had more than five wives. It has been circling around for quite some time in the guild-city, though I¡¯m not very sure about the authenticity of it. One thing for sure though that whether he had all the wives at the same time, I never met any of them even when I used to eat at his personal chambers. However, I was definitely envious that he has his own mini harem, rumours or not. Which men would not want more wives. I would, if I was given the chance. And at the centre of this big-arse guild-city was the most important landmark, the Tower of the Sun which stood more than 300 feet tall. This was where the Chamber of Solaris was located, where all the important events and engagements would often be held. And at the top of the Tower of the Sun was the personal chamber of our Lord Supreme Grand Master. And on the dome-roof of the Tower was our Brotherhood¡¯s banner, a flag with a blazing sun drawn on it. It was our official coat of arms. The banner too was our symbol of hope, to each and every one of us, no matter what rank we were. I bet the view at the very top must be amazing especially during at night when there was meteor shower. But not tonight. It was all quiet, since all the kids were asleep by this time and the breeze felt so good. It surely did for someone who just died. Well, nearly died anyway. The near encounter with death made me thought about lots of things in my life especially how I took my training and learnings in here. ¡°¡­upon hardship of training and learning new skills... you will become a better person¡± I muttered one of our ethos under my breath. Blizzard Hawk used to say this in all of his classes. I used to think it was a ruse, a mischievous little plot, or a scheme even to make us work harder than necessary. However, after that incident a few days ago, I started to think twice. No, thrice. I unsheathed my wooden practice sword that I used to take it with me back in the early days when I was new in the Brotherhood and I swung in a specific move, non-stop. Just a basic movement after such a long time. When was the last time I train at this hour? The skill I was practising currently was an Initiate level sword skill, called the First Movement of the Sun Sword. I wondered how many level or movement this particular skill has. I better check with my battle masters later today. Although I used to work, train and study harder than everyone else, the results never showed. In fact, I began to feel I was useless. Nothing I do was working anyway. I began to see myself as a failure. 10 years as an Initiate where the average years to reach the rank of the Senior Journeymen were only 3 years at most. Because of that, I began to lash out. At everything. And I start to avoid everyone, even Sehanie. I became aloof. A rebellious teenager who avoids everyone, save for a few people. Mind you that I still wanted my ideal harem no matter the outcome of my works, training or lessons. However, I now began to think ¨C could I be a better person than I am today than yesterday? Could I be a better person tomorrow than today? Would I be useless again in battle, failing to save even my own friends? Sehanie nearly died because of my weakness. Even that girl too. If she died, it was all because I was weak and useless. I hate having this feeling. I feel so, so helpless. Tears started to flow down my cheeks as I continue to swing my wooden sword. All because I lack power! The power to make a difference. Did I crave power? Yes, I crave it. There was nothing worse than watching those by my side dying, with me being unable to take any actions. I despised myself for my weakness and my uselessness. I needed to rise to the top, carry with me the will of the fallen and the hope of those who survive. And I couldn¡¯t do that, being idle like I used to anymore. Even if it takes another 10 years, I would not stop striving for more power. More and more power so I didn¡¯t have to undergo that experience, ever again. Even a second could make all the difference between life and death. I looked up to the sky, as the first ray of morning light illuminated the courtyard. I did not even notice the amount of time I was here as I began to see some activities going on, especially in the dorm areas. Time to pack my stuff and go back to my room. ¡°Do you crave power?!¡± Suddenly, a shiver run through my spine. I remembered that voice, but it sounded so distant. Like a bad dream or something. ¡°And do you have whatever it takes to gain this power?!¡± I grasped the hilt of my wooden sword and bit my lips until it bled. I raised my head upwards with such intensity in my eyes that I never thought I had before. ¡°Yes!!!¡± I answered loudly. I had made my determination and this time, I would see it to the end of my days. With that etched deep into my mind, body and soul, I retired to my room in haste to prepare for my first lesson of the day. [V1] Chapter 04: The Fated Summon [EDIT 3/3/2018] Chapter 04: The Fated Summon It is darkest before dawn. - People''s lore and telltale. ***** For the past 5 days, I had been in bad mood. Despite my attempts of diverting my mind with trainings and lessons, I still felt restless. And the nightmares I had made me awake more times that I could remember. And it was no different this morning either. Looking out through the window, it was still dark. I was still worried about Sehanie. And that girl... I wondered what really happened to her While I¡¯m still deep in my thought, suddenly there was a knock on the door. I snorted at the thought of who might be visiting me at this early hour. Must be those kids again. What did they want now? I was in no mood to entertain them and so I just ignored the knock. Knock! Knock! I guessed ignoring wasn¡¯t¡¯ the best policy. ¡°Go away! I¡¯m in no mood right now.¡± I shouted towards the door. However, instead of going away, the knock became louder. And the force was so strong that I could actually hear my door creaked. I was getting pissed off. Was someone trying to challenge me, the master of my own little realm in here? Those pipsqueaks were going to get a whack for this; pissing me off early in the morning and trespassing the serenity of my realm. Feeling annoyed, I got up the bed and opened the door. ¡°Why you little pipsqueaks. Are you deaf or what? I said, go away! Leave me alone¡­¡± Expecting the usual bunch of little kids, I wanted to give them a piece of my mind. However, what awaited me in front of the door were not little kids. Nay, it was a giant of a man. Twice, perhaps even tripled my size. I couldn¡¯t even see his head from the door. And his whole body was wide enough to block the doorway. The silence after I opened the door was deafening as I could hear his heartbeat pounding like a thunderous sky. And when he spoke, it sent shivers down my spine. ¡°Are you trying to say something to me? Something that I found very unwanting of an Initiate?!¡± I gulped. His voice boomed right into my brain and my ear ringed. Did he just used an unknown shout skill to stung me? ¡°At least you could answer me, or tell me who you are before I opened the door. You know, the usual courtesy. You do know that bit right?¡± The giant man did not budge. In fact, he looked at me straight in the eye, like a wolf to a shivering deer. Cold, yet menacing. The one in front of me was none other than the dreaded Chore Master. His name was Red Wolf and I try to avoid him like plague. For what reason did I do so anyway? He really lived up to his namesake. Every time I saw him, he would delight himself with my suffering upon suffering. Sure I do get punished a lot for my misbehaviour or my certain concept of creativity which some might find un-amusing, but this guy took things way too seriously. And the fact that he was a Sun Master wasn¡¯t helping my plight in the slightest either. He got away with everything while I end up becoming a fodder for his endless temper. Life wasn¡¯t fair for those at the bottom rung of the food chain. ¡°Come. Lord Supreme Grand Master had summoned you!¡± My mind was still in shock from his earlier shout skill and now I got another shock of my life. ¡°Huh? What do you mean I¡¯m being summoned? Why? What does that old geezer summons me for anyway? I did nothing¡­¡± Before I could even finish my words, Red Wolf cut me short, like he always did. ¡°Enough of your yapping! Either you come with me, or I will carry you there. Now, stop wasting time and get dressed!¡± Did I even look like I had a choice? I was supposed to have a choice, right? But with Red Wolf, the word ¡®choice¡¯ was something that was not even in his dictionary. He would always get what he wanted. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll come. Now close the door and I¡¯ll get dress as soon as possible.¡± Red Wolf did not even listen to me. Not only did he not close the door, but his eyes never strayed away from me. I felt like a convict of some kind right now. He really took things way too seriously for my liking. Sigh, what a beginning of the day. ***** Before long, we arrived in front of a great door; the Wall of Soul. Now, this wasn¡¯t just any big-arse door being placed here for no particular reasons than being a show-off. Sure, it was 30 feet tall and all but that was not what made it special. To open the Wall of Soul, one must use the inner energy of some sort. Nothing else could and would open this door. It was sealed to all outsiders and even to the members of the Brotherhood alike except for Sun Masters and above. And behind this great door was the esteemed Chambers of Solaris. Chamber of Solaris was where the Lord Supreme Grand Master, the highest rank in the Brotherhood and his Grand Council of Solaris met for official duties. Of course, many important events took place here too, including my Initiation into the Brotherhood. But, right here and right now, I¡¯d been summoned and as far as I know, this wasn¡¯t Initiation or any important event of some sort. Red Wolf opened the door without much problem by just placing his palm on it though I could not see any indentation that acts as a keyhole. He neither pushed nor pulled as there was no door handle to do so. It was as plain as any other door; saved for the side engravings. Perhaps this was what they meant by only a Sun Master and above can open this door; using a skill that was far beyond my current level and rank. The great door slowly creaked open. With a very deep sigh wondering at what would await me beyond, I followed Red Wolf. ***** Recollection of Aldebaran, Lord Supreme Grand Master, 103rd Solaris Primus, Brotherhood of The Sun. The year was 3977AD.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. That was the first time I¡¯d battled against something that was non-native to this realm; a summoned monster that was brought here from another plane of existence. A humongous winged humanoid of no less than 12 feet tall with red scales that no ordinary weapon could penetrate and fangs that dripped of corrosive acid. We did not know its name, species nor the reason why it was here. But we knew one thing; it took all our effort to finally put it down. Though we suffered no casualties, the fact remained that it took nearly 20 full-fledged Sun Masters myself included, proved to us the untold powers that monster have had. Unfortunately, until today we have yet to find out who the summoner was and for what reason the monster was brought forth into our realm. Year 3997AD. We have had seven more deadly contacts with the summoned monsters during the 20 years¡¯ period. Though we emerged victorious each time, our ranks suffered greatly. There was one battle I remembered vividly as if it just happened yesterday. That time, we were on our way back to the guild-city after a successful trip around the Kingdom and her neighbour, looking for young boys and girls to be initiated into our Brotherhood ranks. It was noon when we first saw a blinding flash that covered a 10-mile radius, originating from a nearby village. Fearing the worse, we went to check it out immediately. With me that time was my trusted friend and former student, Sun King Blizzard Hawk. However, the sight that greeted us was beyond gruesome. And yet again, I saw the same summoned monster. Preparing for a life and death battle, this was the fifth contact. It was a bittersweet victory. The summoned monster not only claimed the lives of our younger members and all our new Novices, but also the whole village and its surrounding; leaving nothing but ashen remains of the buildings and corpses. And to our shock, the scene told us that there was one more summoned monster though it was defeated before we arrived. The sight of the massacre was so disturbing that some of the younger members who survive; especially those below the rank of Sun Master traumatized. However, amidst the remains, we found one remaining survivor of that massacre; a severely injured young boy. His will to live was so strong, courageous and selfless enough to help us despite his own conditions. Because of that, all of us took an immediate liking to him and Blizzard Hawk; who lost his student in the fight, took the responsibility to initiate the young orphan. Year 4009AD, 6.00pm 12 years later, I saw the same light again. I was still in my personal chambers reading when the light came from the eastern side of the Great Forest Shanintara. However, this time around, it had much more intensity and with it a certain malice that spread as far as one could see. Immediately, I had a bad omen about this incident. I touched a crystal ball that acted a telepathic communication device and sent out my words of action to my old time friend. ¡°Blizzard Hawk, did you see the light that came from nearby our guild-city, at the eastern side of the forest?¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord! It is the same light when we first saw it 12 years ago!¡± Came back the answer. Fearing the worse, I gave my orders ¡°This is an ill omen, my friend. Gather around our available Sun Masters and meet me at the eastern gate in five minutes. We have no time to lose right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get on to it right away, my Lord!¡± Year 4009AD, 6.15pm We arrived at the site where the blinding light originated from. There was 15 of us; all Sun Masters and above, preparing for yet another life and death battle. However, this time we did not need to participate. ¡°Lord, we have a survivor here!¡± A young lady with white hair was lying in front of us. One of the Sun Master went immediately to her and casted healing magic. ¡°My Lord, there¡¯s a wood elf over there, and a human girl. And besides both of them, is a boy, wearing our tunic. An Initiate, Lord!¡± Surprised, I got down on my horse and made my way immediately. I was followed by a few Sun Masters who specialized in support and healing skills and techniques. ¡°This is¡­ Hasty One¡± I was relief to see that he was still alive. His will to live never ceased to amaze me. ¡°And that girl?¡± ¡°She is Sehanie Moonbow from Elaeseryn!¡± Blizzard Hawk explained as he arrived and stood beside me. ¡°Sehanie, are you alright?¡± Blizzard Hawk tried to calm down the crying Wood Elf. However, she kept her silence amidst her tears. ¡°This is Blizzard Hawk here, the friend of your Village Elder. It¡¯s safe now. Don¡¯t worry. You can let go of Hasty¡­ Claude right now.¡± She still did not give any response. ¡°You did a great job, let us take over from here. He will be safe. Rest assured, Sehanie.¡± Blizzard Hawk continued to persuade her relentlessly. We had to be careful of their underlying conditions and to take it slowly. After a while, she finally let go of Hasty One. However, due to extreme exhaustion, she too immediately fainted beside him. ¡°Blizzard Hawk, how''re their conditions?¡± I asked. ¡°Safe, my Lord. But both of them suffered from extreme exhaustion. And Hasty One suffered a piercing wound through his body, but somehow it has managed to heal.¡± ¡°Good. Take them on the horse we provided and send them to the guild¡¯s infirmary as soon as possible and¡­¡± ¡°Lord, we have an emergency here. Please come immediately.¡± My instruction was cut short by a shout of desperation mixed with surprise. ¡°This human girl here has the Royal signet with her and¡­. and¡­. It bears the seal of the House of Elsmdor of Elsigardia, my Lord!¡± ¡°What?¡± I immediately rushed towards her. Kneeling beside her, I took a look at her signet. ¡°It is the Royal Signet of House of Elmsdor. In fact, she is the Crown Princess Sierra Elsmdor. But what was she doing here?¡± I furrowed my brows, thinking of what could bring someone like her here. ¡°Nevermind that. Let¡¯s get her treated for now.¡± I looked around the area trying to deduce what had transpired here. This scene was the reminiscence of what happened 12 years ago. This was a sign of battle with the summoned monster. Our ninth battle. ¡°Look for any other survivors. Let¡¯s take them immediately back to the infirmary and treat them as soon as possible. We can¡¯t afford to delay any longer!¡± Yes, we couldn¡¯t afford to delay any longer. I feared the side effect of this battle have on our younger members and survivors, especially to their mental state. And the air that surrounded this place had mixed feelings about it. To some extent, it was heavy and foreboding of evil intention. To the other extent, the air somehow persevering the life of the survivors and the surrounding areas from further damage. But no matter what, we needed to get the survivors out of here fast. With that, we began to search for any other survivors and unfortunately found no one else. We carried all those that we found, including the corpse of the royal guard back towards the guild-city. Before we left, I gave out another order. ¡°Cordoned this area off from any entry. This area now is off limit to everyone except the Sun Masters. We need to investigate further what happened here.¡± But the tingling sensation and the feeling of bad omen had yet to leave me. Three days after the incident, I had a royal guest in my personal chambers. Crown Princess Sierra was finally awake from her ordeal. Though she took her time to get accustomed to her new surroundings, I for once was glad that she did not injure herself other than just some cuts and bruises. She then told me what had transpired in the forest before she fainted. ¡°That¡¯s all that happened before I fainted, my Lord.¡± ¡°Thank you, Princess Sierra. You have been a tremendous help to us. I really am thankful that you took your time to help us, even though you have just awake and have yet to even fully recover. You showed great composure and willpower for someone so young.¡± The princess blushed but remain composed. ¡°I wish I could tell you more. In fact, I¡¯d barely had the recognition of the ones who saved me. I must show my gratitude to them, Lord.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean that young boy and that Wood Elf? He has yet to awake from the battle, though he is in fine condition. The Wood Elf girl, however, is back at her Elven Village, but I can send your gratitude and thanks to her via Blizzard Hawk.¡± Despite what she told me, it still didn¡¯t add up no matter how much I looked at it. A Princess with not much of combat experience and skills, an Initiate from the Brotherhood and a Wood Elf took down a summoned monster from a realm different than ours. The same monster that we previously battled with great difficulty, yet this time it perished without a trace of a devastating battle. How did the monster perish? What or who created that blinding light? I would need to ask Hasty One directly, it seemed. ¡°Could I have an audience with him, my Lord and says my thanks personally for saving my life?¡± ¡°As you wish. We need to celebrate our hero. Two mornings from today, we will have our Royal Grand Audience at the Chambers of Solaris. I¡¯ll arrange the audience and have the preparations ready. Do come to me later in the evening Princess, to finalize the details of the audience.¡± Princess Sierra gave a slight bow before she took her leave. I then ushered her to the door. ¡°Till then, do enjoy your stay here, and our hospitality. Though I know it surely lacks from those of the palace, but we will give you our best that we can offer.¡± I had ordered three Sun Masters, all female, to accompany the Princess during her time here. And her maid too. She was accompanying the young Princess all the while despite her own conditions. Such dedication. Such beauty too¡­ Ahh. Such thoughts could be left for later. More importantly, I better get ¡®someone¡¯ to bring Hasty One here. I would even make this a surprise for him, though he won¡¯t come willingly if he didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Now, let me call that someone who actually could take him here, knowing his attitude and all. Red Wolf should do it. In fact, I could think of no one better than him. With that, I summoned Red Wolf to my personal chambers and gave him my order: to summon Hasty One, without fail, two mornings from now, to the Chambers of Solaris. Reason given: None. Chapter 05: The Fate of the Saviour Chapter 05: The Fate of the Saviour ¡°WELCOME!!¡± A voice boomed from the front, at the very end of the Chambers of Solaris, opposite of the great door where I just entered. Way beyond in front, where the voice originated from, sat on top of a throne, The Throne of the Sun, adorned with beautiful engravings that were made of jewels and gold, was the one and only Lord Supreme Grand Master of the Brotherhood of the Sun, Solaris Primus the 103rd. In another word, he is the biggest boss of the final-est dungeon. Lord Aldebaran. The old geezer. As I began to take my first step, I heard a clap. An applause of some sort. Red Wolf, who was in front of me now stepped aside and let me pass by him. He too clapped his hands. And after that, I could hear more and more claps. In fact, it¡¯s getting louder and louder as I took my step forward towards the throne. I could even see that even old geezer clapping for me. I wonder what is happening, right here anyway. What were all the claps for? As I strived forward, I noticed some familiar faces. Among them were Blizzard Hawk and Black Rose seated in a small, yet another throne-like seat and if I recalled correctly, this was the Seat of the Solaris. But what were both of them doing here? And I could see more unknown faces. But somehow, they all seemed different. Even Black Rose and Blizzard Hawk looked different from usual. I know, it¡¯s their attire. If I¡¯m not mistaken, what they were wearing was the formal attire of Sun Masters, each with a different colour to depict their ranks beyond the Sun Master level. I had never seen the Sun Masters formal attire beyond certain events like my Initiation, or the yearly Parade of the Sun, or even the public ascendance of Sun Masters, but right now today was neither of those events. As my mind wandered off as I take yet another step forward, I hear another booming voice. ¡°Welcome Hasty One!¡± Another shout skill. Man¡­ I¡¯m beginning to hate shout skills. Can¡¯t they just say in a normal voice in a more normal way? I¡¯m getting sick of my brain and my mind going numb from these verbal assault. If you think someone in your life shouted right in your ears is called verbal assault, try a shout skill. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s welcome our hero, Hasty One!¡± The clapping that followed was both thunderous and loud. The loudest I ever hear. And wait¡­ Did that old geezer just call me a hero? Hero¡­ Hero¡­. That particular word made me blush and I lowered my head in embarrassment. I never thought I would be called a hero. What more among all the esteemed people in here. And to receive such applause for that either. I walked with such embarrassment, my mind wandered at what was happening while my head was lowered even more to hide the fact that I¡¯m now flustered beyond my wildest imagination. And also add to the fact that I because of all the weird feelings I had, I failed to notice my own step. I lost my balance and fell down. Face first. The thunderous applause just become louder, now both with claps and laughter. Oh my god, I think I could die, I thought to myself. What an embarrassing moment indeed. However, before I noticed it, I fell down directly beneath the stairs that leads to the Throne of the Sun. As I lift my head towards the stairs, I noticed the familiar figure of the old geezer, the big boss, The Lord. I quickly resumed my proper positions, kneeling down in front of him. ¡°Stand up, Hasty One.¡± The Lord Supreme Grand Master raised his hand and in that instance, the clapping stops. ¡°Today, we are deeply honoured, as one of our very own member of the Brotherhood, an Initiate, even more, has served our Brotherhood ethos and withhold our true meaning of Brotherhood in the face of adversity.¡± A round of applause came. ¡°Also the fact that he, our beloved Initiate, Hasty One, has also served our Brotherhood beyond the normal call of duty, risking his life to save others and came out not only as a victor but also a saviour.¡± A louder round of applause. I could get used to this. It feels so, so, so, very good. People praising you while getting applauded. ¡°And because of that, today we celebrate our hero. Not only at my behest but also from the very person he had saved and sacrificed his life for.¡± The clapping just became louder. I wonder who did I save? Well, it felt good to receive recognition for all my hard works, especially since I have been providing non-stop supply of firewoods for the guild-city. But someone I save and emerge victor from, I wondered who¡­ As I thought in my mind, The Lord continued. ¡°And may I present you, with the greatest honour to our Brotherhood, The Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Elsigardia, Princess Sierra Elsmdor, daughter of The King of Elsigardia, King Titus Elsivier 17th.¡± A small female figure, but with elegance and regal-ness of a royalty came out from a small door behind the Throne of the Sun. She was the Crown Princess of Kingdom of Elsigardia, Princess Sierra Elsmdor. I can¡¯t make out her face and her exact figure until she stood beside that old geezer. I could hear the drop of silence when Lord Aldebaran introduces the Crown Princess and when she appeared beside him. But not for long, as an even more thunderous applause follows after a brief of silence. Perhaps the crowd realized who I had saved and was cheering up for me. The face seemed familiar though the attire seemed to be a little different. I can¡¯t for my life of me recalled who she was. If I am to use my self-patented boob-meter, she ain¡¯t on the large size compared to Sehanie (she¡¯s an outlier, even for an elf), and so perhaps not on my radar to flirt. Hey mind you, it¡¯s not just the size that matters, but I¡¯m just very well aware of my own preferences. Though she looked very pretty and amazing in that white gown of hers. Perhaps, due to my perplexity of the situation, Princess Sierra began to speak. ¡°Hasty One, I deeply thank you from the bottom of my heart. For you have bravely and unselfishly saved my life, even though I am just a stranger to you.¡± Uh-huh. I nodded nonchalantly. No big deal, Princess. Consider it a normal duty for someone from the Brotherhood. I thought that to myself. ¡°As the Crown Princess of Elsigardia, no, as a human being who understand what gratitude is, no words could describe how thankful I am to you for saving me when I was on the verge of death, facing a foe who I could not ever imagine to defeat back in the forest.¡± The forest? ¡°So, I humbly hope that these little gifts I have prepared for you will at least show you how thankful I am and how much gratitude I have for you and your Brotherhood.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Ah-ha!! My face lightened up. So you were that girl that I saved back in the forest. Now I get it. Somehow, I can feel a heavy burden was lifted from my shoulder. The thoughts that have been haunting me every single time I was awake, disappeared. Just like that. The princess, understanding that I now realize who she was, smiled and gave her royal bow. She lifted the hem of her gown and slightly bend her knees followed by a slight head bow. I¡¯m glad that you are alright. But somehow, you seem different now compared to back then. You seem more beautiful and amazing. It¡¯s like my heart going to be stolen just from the sight of your beauty, Princess. Somehow taken aback by my compliments, she blushed and it made her even more beautiful. Beautifully overload. I need to calibrate my boob-meter. I need to adjust to outliers like her. She was extremely beautiful and regal. Just perfect. Sorry Sehanie, but my taste for big breasted beauties just altered a little. But I still love you¡­ especially your breast¡­ Hehehe. ¡°Ehemm!¡± Lord Aldebaran cut short my words. What with these people who seemed like to cut short my words? Perhaps he knew I am flirting, but hey I¡¯m the hero here and it¡¯s my heroic rights that I flirted with the beauty(s) that I just saved. In another world, she would fall in love with me and gave her body to me and we lived happily ever after. And a princess to boot. I¡¯m going to be a king. Muahahahaha!! I left out a laugh. Oppsss¡­ ¡°Enough Hasty One, time to come back to reality. Reality ain¡¯t that bad since you will be rewarded just fine. Am I right, Princess?¡± The Princess nodded, and she continued where she left off earlier. ¡°As for my gift, I bestow to you the Royal Medal of Valour. Though it brings you no title, since titled medals are under the prerogative of the King, this medal gives you a special official rank in the knighthood. In fact, if you may choose to listen to my selfish needs, I would love you to be part of the Royal Elite Knights of the Kingdom. This medal will bring you good stead, hero.¡± Would love me ehh¡­. I¡¯ll do anything to get your love, babe. And so I thought again. ¡°And after the discussion with Lord Aldebaran, he agreed to increase your current rank of Initiate to the level of Senior Journeyman.¡± With that, another round thunderous applause went off. Lord Aldebaran then continued. ¡°Come forward, Hasty One and received your gifts.¡± I took a few steps forward and extend my hands. I received a new tunic, a Senior Journeyman tunic to be exact, light brown colour but mixed with light green decorations. I also received a ring, the Journeyman¡¯s ring, a sword and also a scroll stamped with a red seal. ¡°Come and see me in my personal chamber this evening, Hasty One. There is something I need to talk to you, urgently.¡± Lord Aldebaran whispered to my ears as he handed over me my rewards. I was thinking I¡¯m going to get more, seeing that I¡¯m saving a princess and such, but well, it¡¯s the thoughts that count. ¡°What inside that scroll that bears the Royal Seal of Elsivier is more important, and dare I say, is your real gift. Be sure to read it back in your room, far from prying eyes and eavesdropper.¡± I nodded as he finished handing my rewards. A new rise in rank and uniform to commemorate that, a royal medal and a scroll. Not bad, I would think. I smiled and wink at the Princess. Unsurprisingly, she blushed at my flirtatious attempt. With that, the ceremony ended. After some brief congratulations with other Sun Masters, Black Rose included though I see no sign of Blizzard Hawk (perhaps he has to conduct his boring lore lessons again), I¡¯m now back in my room. I have the whole day off it seemed. Just when I thought I wanted to be more hardworking. Lying down on my bed, I break the seal and opened up the scroll. It reads: Date: 4009AD, Day 18th of the month of May. To Hasty One, Claude Leonheart, Senior Journeyman, Brotherhood of the Sun. In this letter, I bring to you my humblest and sincerest thank you for your heroic deeds. As I struggle to think of the most suitable way to reward you, other than the Royal Medal of Valour, which the highest medal I personally can bestow upon you, I doubt that it will be enough. I attached to you the replica of the medal together with this letter. Also with that in thought, I would like to invite you to the Elsivier, Capital Kingdom of Elsigardia, where the King resides. There, the King and I would be able to bestow you another medal, fit for your heroic deeds: The King¡¯s Medal of Gallant Heart, which will bestow you the benefits that will be of your preferences, surely. And your rise in rank will enable you to travel to the Elsivier without much hindrance to your journey. To which Lord Aldebaran has agreed to my personal request. I look forward to seeing you in Elsivier, hero. Crown Princess Sierra Elmsdor This scroll contained the personal letter Princess Sierra wrote to me and also a replica of a medal. So, this how the Royal Medal of Valour looked like then? I wanted to talk to her but before I could find her, I¡¯ve been told by the Sun Masters that would accompany her that she was already on her way back to Elsivier after the ceremony. But for me? Travelling? What¡¯s more, out of the Brotherhood? I never thought of that before. I have been here all my life and suddenly requesting me to travel to the Capital of Elsivier was no joke. I¡¯m now in dilemma. What should I do? ----- It¡¯s evening and I¡¯m now in the personal chamber of Lord Aldebaran, Lord Supreme Grand Master. Though we were not the only one here. Blizzard Hawk was with us. After I told them everything that transpired in the forest five days ago, I noticed that their expression somewhat changed. Grim and dare I say, fearful. ¡°Hasty One, I¡¯ll get directly to the point.¡± Lord Aldebaran said with a stern voice. ¡°The monster that you met, and ultimately defeated, was not from this realm. It¡¯s from another plane of existence, which until today, myself and Blizzard Hawk has yet to find out. It was summoned here, for the reasons we too have yet to find out.¡± I gulped at the severity of the issue at hand here. And there¡¯s more to it. ¡°We first battled this same monsters ¨C creature, whatever you want to call it eight times prior to the other day in the forest. And...¡± A deafening pause. Lord Aldebaran seems to withhold certain emotions. However, Blizzard Hawk immediately took over. ¡°This is the same monster that destroyed your village where we found you, Hasty One.¡± What?! Suddenly, I feel all the energy left my body. I barely able to stand. I felt light headed to the point of near vomiting. Blizzard Hawk continued, ¡°Although it happened a long time ago, we are sure it was the same summoned creature.¡± ¡°Now, listen. As I said, these creatures that we fought, it took no less than 15 Sun Masters to battle a single foe. However, we noticed no one other than you, the Wood Elf and the princess that took out the ninth. Though we are thankful that the creature perished somehow, we still have to find out the source of the power, both the one that summoned the creature and the one that perished it.¡± ¡°Perhaps it is the same. Perhaps it is different. If it¡¯s different, is it a friend or a foe?¡± I noticed the tone of worries that came from both Lord Aldebaran and Blizzard Hawk. Being unable to stand properly, I take a seat nearby the window. I had loads of questions of myself that was running through my heads but without any answer. Not even a single one. ¡°Hasty One, I know you have thought about this, but let me make it clear.¡± Lord Aldebaran resumed his words. ¡°The same creature that destroyed your village when you were five years old was the same creature that being summoned five days ago in the forest. We don¡¯t know who summoned it and for what reasons it was being summoned, but we know one thing for sure¡­¡± ¡°We need to find out who did this and deliver his or her long-awaited judgement. And I need you to do your part, as a boy from that village and as a member of the Brotherhood.¡± I looked into the eyes of Lord Aldebaran and then to Blizzard Hawk. Blizzard Hawk nodded, seemingly to urge me to listen on. ¡°I need you to investigate the source of the summon and ultimately who summoned it. To stop it in the bud.¡± Wow, this was heavy. I can feel that certain pressure was being handed down to me. Somehow, it was elevated by the next words that were said by Lord Aldebaran to me. ¡°We have done our part. We just need you to go to the capital and find out who summoned the creature. Our information had led us to the conclusion, that someone ¨C or perhaps a group, the one who¡¯s responsible for the summoning lies beyond the walls inside of Elsevier.¡± Blizzard Hawk added, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything to endanger your life. Perhaps not by much. Nothing that you cannot handle. All you need is the literature proof, perhaps a scroll, a seal, a summoning altar or even perhaps tome of lore and such so that we can pinpoint who were the summoners.¡± ¡°And what better way it is for you, who has been personally summoned by the Crown Princess herself, to investigate. You will have less hindrance than any one of us, especially if the culprit ends up being one of the Noble House of Elsigardia.¡± Now I see where this was leading to. So, you need me to investigate without involving diplomatic dispute that might arise if our culprit ended up being a Noble House? And you will take advantage of the Princess fondness of me for saving her life in investigating these people? ¡°Yes. If what we initially fear, that the previously summoned creature was after the Princess¡¯s life, comes true, then she too will be in danger. Although she might not have realized it, she is in some sort of danger unforeseen by her or even the King himself. All of us are if we don¡¯t solve this issue as soon as possible. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°And perhaps you will also find the culprit who destroyed your home, nearly destroyed your current ones, and nearly killed your childhood friend, Sehanie.¡± Blizzard Hawks just helped me made up my mind. I¡¯ll avenge my home, though I have very little recollection of it now, but because the incident nearly took my life, my current home, my new family and the people who I care and love, especially Sehanie, I put down my resolution. So, tell me, what should I do? ¡°Travel to Elsivier. Do what you need to do and find the proof of the culprit who summoned the creature. We will do the rest.¡± With that, a certain fire emerged from my guts. With determined eyes, I gave out my resolution, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes, bet on it! ¡°Good. You will depart the day after tomorrow at dusk. And keep this mission a secret. Only you, me and Blizzard Hawk knows about it¡± All of us solemnly nodded. And thus, begin my new journey. Towards the Elsivier, the Capital of Kingdom of Elsigardia. Chapter 05a: The Fate of the One Who Acts Without Thinking Chapter 05a: The Fate of the One Who Acts Without Thinking Recollection of Blizzard Hawk, Sun King, Loremaster, Keeper of Lore and History, Brotherhood of the Sun, a trinity member of Grand Council of Solaris. I¡¯m here with Lord Aldebaran, the current Solaris Primus, 103rd among the great line of Lord Supreme Grand Master of the Brotherhood. And who also happen to be my old friend. I¡¯m in his personal chamber, with both of us looking grim at the issue at hand. ¡°Are you sure, Aldebaran?¡± Instead of replying to me, Aldebaran opened up his study desk drawer and took out his smoking pipe. As he looked outside from the windows of his chamber, he lighted the pipe and began to smoke. ¡°Is there any other way?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Does what the Wood Elf Elders conveyed to us earlier consistent with your findings, old friend?¡± ¡°It is so far.¡± The Council of the Elders were the leader of the Wood Elf in Elaeseryn. Because of what happened in the forest the other day, we contacted each other via a telepathic communication crystal ball to discuss our next steps. And our next steps will be very crucial to overcome the issue at hand. ¡°Do we have any other choice? If what the Elders say is true, then we have a grave matter at our hand. Tell me, what do you think of Hasty One as you see him grew up more than I do for all these years?¡± I recalled all of Hasty One¡¯s past behaviours and attitude, especially his creative and cunning mind throughout his 12 years in the Brotherhood. I left nothing out.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Perhaps, by properly recollecting his behaviours and attitude, his strengths and weaknesses, we can find something in common to lighten up the issue and perhaps will give us better propositions to handle this issue. ¡°I see. He is like a son to you. And a grandson to me. Perhaps a great grandson.¡± I gave a bittersweet smile. ¡°The finding has been consistent. The light we saw 12 years ago and the one we saw three days ago were the same. The situations were the same. And the survivor, was the same. Hasty One¡± ¡°But, Hasty One was¡­¡± Aldebaran continued despite my halfhearted protest. ¡°I understand your feelings, old friend.¡± ¡°But you were there, at both of the scene. As so do I. And I can deduce to the best of my abilities and with our findings of what currently we have at hand. But we need to know, is the power that unleash the light, a friend or a foe? So far, the evidence points us to one conclusion. A great power, far beyond measure that we have currently, resides somewhere in Hasty One. Or I say, Hasty One is the host to this great power.¡± I gave a solemn look. ¡°That¡¯s why he alone must take this mission. Both you and I need to know, at the end of this mission, is he a friend or a foe. But¡­.¡± I looked at Aldebaran and as he turned, he breathed out a hearty cloud of smoke from his pipe. He then smiled to me, and continued on. ¡°We taught him the way of the Brotherhood. As you recalled, he learned a great deal from us. Especially from you, old friend. Which also includes our secret hobby¡± ¡°Ah!¡± I smiled at the thought of it. ¡°And if I were to have my personal feelings involve, no one ever, who has our secret hobby and develop that certain special skills can be an evil person. Naughty maybe, but never evil. So, I believe that Hasty One, if he stays true to himself, will not trouble us that much, other than his usual hasty self.¡± I began to chuckle at the thought of Hasty One with his secret hobby. Well, he did learn it from us anyway. ¡°Yes, you are right Aldebaran, I just have unfounded fear, that¡¯s all. No one with our secret hobby can be evil. Panty stealer is a special breed indeed. Naughty, yes. Criminal in the eyes of law? Yes. A pervert in the eyes of women? Yes, but which women does not love a pervert. That¡¯s how we met our wives, from our secret hobby.¡± The slight chuckle quickly turned into a laughter. Both of us laugh and the situation became somewhat a little lighter now. Evil? Not a chance. I trust Hasty One. Knock! Knock! ¡°I¡¯m Hasty One. May I enter?¡± Speak of the devil. Here he comes. Quickly, both of us resumed our serious expression and welcomed him in. ¡°Come in, Hasty One!¡± Aldebaran beckoned him in and as our young Initiate took a step forward inside the chamber, my mind wandered off to what the future will brings for him. May the soul of our forefathers guide us and Hasty One. Chapter 05b: The Fate of the One Who Was Touched Chapter 05b: The Fate of the One Who Was Touched Recollection of Sehanie Moonbow, Wood Elf scout of Elaeseryn I awoke amidst unfamiliar surroundings. I looked out from the window, and it was already dark. Perhaps midnight. As I recalled what happened, I had a throbbing headache. That and also my hand shivered uncontrollably. As stood up, trying to regain my balance, I looked around at my surroundings. I wonder where am I, right now? I looked around and found myself in a room. The room was dark, but with my elven sight, I had no trouble seeing in the dark. The room was small but yet cosy. I saw some water basin beside the bed. And my belongings¡­ Ah! Where is it? I look around frantically inside the room, but I don¡¯t have to look far. I found it at the corner of the room. Looks like everything was here, including all my weapons and arrows. I was on scouting duty and I did not bring a lot of items with me, save for my bow and a quiver of arrows, a dagger and also a scout horn. In case of emergency, I need to blow the horn in order to notify my people of imminent danger. Yes. I was in danger. My mind was a little muddy from what that happened previously, but I knew Claude saved my life. And that girl too. That young boy has become my saviour. From the one who held my hand tightly back when he was still a kid, to now a young man who carried me in his arms. ¡°Thank you, Claude.¡± And somebody must have brought me here and nursed me. I could see bandages and some empty vial, perhaps used to contain healing potions. Perhaps this room was a healing place of some sort. Perhaps an infirmary in the Brotherhood of the Sun. How long have I been here? That sudden realization froze me in my tracks. That meant only one thing; that I cannot be here any longer. I opened the window near the bed and the chilly midnight wind breezed past my face. I need to report this to the Elder. Fast. They need to know what happened back in the forest. And¡­ also of that blinding light. As I get dressed up and prepare to take off, I wrote a simple thank you letter to the one who had nursed me back to health. He or she really did a great job of healing my injuries. Though not fatal, but without his or her help, I wondered how long would I passed out alone in the forest. I will say my thanks to you properly some other day, but I cannot delay any further. Under the cover of the moonless midnight sky, I leapt out from the window and began my journey back to Elaeseryn. I have arrived in front of the door that leads to the Council of Elders. As I extend my hand to open the door, suddenly a deep sounding voice can be heard from inside. ¡°Come in, child. We have been expecting you.¡± I took a step inside. ¡°Take a seat in the middle of the room.¡± I did as I was told. The deep sounding voice belonged to the Chief of the Elder, Chief Elsandryl Stargazer. She was our matriarch and Guardian of the Crystal, a sacred object passed down to us since ancient times. ¡°Now, tell me, what happened in the forest two days ago?¡± ¡°What?! What do you mean two days ago? Don¡¯t tell me I had passed out for two days?¡± ¡°You are lucky, that you only passed out. We thought you died!¡± Another voice came out. A familiar voice. I looked at the source of the voice and found it. ¡°Father?! What are you doing here?!¡± ¡°None of your business. Now, hurry up and explained to the Elder your story. We have waited for your return if you ever to return.¡± I can see my father face very clearly. I know he was very worried about what happened to me but true to any male of the Moonbow clan, he sure had some emotional constipation. Oppss... I used a word that I¡¯m not supposed to say. It¡¯s not my fault. Claude taught me that word. ¡°Patience, Alystaire Moonbow. She will tell us when she is ready. Are you ready child?¡± I nodded my head and explained all down to little details of what happened, especially the battle with that monster.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Is that all?¡± My father said once I finished my explanation. Again, I nodded. ¡°That is all, father.¡± There were only three of us, the Chief, Father and myself. However, there was such an eerie silence across the room. No one dared to make a noise. However, the spell was broken before long by raindrops falling on the roof. The Chief took something out from the altar behind her. The object was a blue crystal, a size of a melon that somehow shone brightly on her hands. ¡°As you had realized, I¡¯m also known as the Guardian of the Crystal. And this here is the sacred crystal that had been entrusted to me by my forefathers and foremothers since more than a thousand years ago. Our Wood Elf village has been the safe keeper of this ancient artefact and I am its current Guardian.¡± ¡°Now, let me get to the real issue¡­¡± I watched her nervously, so did my father. The Chief shifted from her seat, trying to make herself comfortable before she continued. ¡°To the Elders, we call this the Jewel of Resonance. Until two days ago, the crystal shone white in colour. But, because of what happened two days ago, the jewel now emitted blue colour, instead of white. This is the first time it happened, since the ancient times, when the crystal was first passed down to us, by our Elven God King, Aldwynn Thrandyl.¡± I looked at her nervously, pondering at her words and the magnitude of what might come next. ¡°When a blinding light shone across the land, when the white light of the crystal becomes blue, that is when the ending of the world comes true, a blue flame will engulf the world, a white flame will cleanse the soul, so close your eyes, received your judgment and be released of everything you know, for the end is near and nigh¡± My father recited a verse from a familiar elven tales, passed down from generations to generations. The Poem of the End. That¡¯s what we called it. ¡°But father, it¡¯s an old folks¡¯ tale. A tale to scare the naughty children so that they behave.¡± ¡°That might use to be true, but I fear that it is no longer a folk¡¯s tale.¡± The Chief said to me in a very grim tone. I looked at my father, and he too looked grim. ¡°The incident that happened in the forest is by no means normal. I have never seen such blinding light and with such intensity. Never in my elven age of more than 500 years old. Although there was a minor one 12 years ago, this time however, it is different. The Crystal has changed its colours.¡± ¡°But, perhaps the appearance of the monster made it so.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but with you here, our fears have finally been confirmed.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, Chief?¡± ¡°She means what she said earlier.¡± my father interjected. ¡°What about the monster then¡­¡± ¡°It is no longer a concern of ours. For it had perished and returned to where it belonged. So, leave it be.¡± I looked at my father, trying to discern what was important and what was not. I¡¯m confused about what was happening right here, right now. ¡°Touch the Crystal, Child of Moonbow.¡± The Chief urged me on as my father looked at me uneasily. This incident has been hard on him too, which I understood. No father could bear to see his children in such a situation. As soon as I touched the Crystal, it emits a blue light that shone through the whole room. We were temporarily blinded and spellbound. ¡°As we fear, child. As we fear¡­¡± The Chief¡¯s expression looks even grimmer by the second. As too was my father. ¡°What actually is happening, Chief?!¡± I asked for assurance. I have this feeling of uneasiness since I entered the room. ¡°Your friend, the human boy¡­¡± ¡°You mean Claude?¡± ¡°That human child, recently unknown to us, and perhaps to him too, unleashed an energy that was not supposed to even exist in this current world right now. It is an ancient energy, and unfortunately for us, we have no record to prove whether or not this energy¡­¡± ¡°Chief, please get straight to the point and tell her already!¡± My father seemed very agitated. I looked nervously at both the Chief and my father, trying to ease my feeling since I entered the room. ¡°This energy is evil by nature. Pure evil.¡± I was shocked upon hearing those words. ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± As I stammered my words, the Chief put more fears into me. ¡°And you have been touched by this evil energy. The traces of the evil energy still left in you. The proof was what you see just now. The same blinding light which all of us are spellbound. Neither of our innate protection works to defend us either.¡± ¡°I know. The Wood Elf has some resistance to spellbound and charm magic. But¡­ but¡­ Claude is not evil. I have known him for such a long, long time. I cared for him.¡± ¡°Perhaps child. I do not know, but I hope you are right. But we cannot take the chances. I understand your feelings to him, but I need you and all of us here to take the priority of the safety of our clan above all.¡± ¡°You will take this Crystal in its current form to Haederynn, the Capital of our Elven Kingdom, Nav¡¯erune. The home where this Crystal originated from. To the descendant of the God-King. Only from there, do we know the proper answer to your fears and ours too. Only then, we can take the next steps.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to hurt Claude. He has done nothing wrong to us.¡± ¡°Silence, Sehanie!! Know who you are speaking to!¡± ¡°B-but¡­ father¡­¡± ¡°Your human friend will not be hurt in any way if that what worries you. Not for now, until we found out more about this evil energy.¡± I felt a little relief in my heart. ¡°He had saved you in one way or another using this energy. Though the source is pure evil, we need to be sure of its intention. However, as a race that prides itself in gratitude, no harm will come to him. Your father will see to it. And you¡­ Child of Moonbow, need to take this Crystal to Haederynn as soon as possible and tell them of your account firsthand.¡± ¡°And, if I am made to believe what will be the next step, your human friend will begin a journey shortly. See to it that you will accompany him until he reaches his journey. And report any of his actions both to us and at the behest of those at Haederynn.¡± ¡°You want me to be a spy?¡± ¡°If you need to be a spy to save your human friend, is it not worth it?¡± My father reasoned out with me. ¡°You are right, father. My view was too narrow. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to prove that Claude is not evil.¡± ¡°Then, you will begin your journey as soon as I conveyed the message to Blizzard Hawk at the Brotherhood of the Sun. He too needs to be made aware of what is going on here. You shall depart at the same time as your human friend¡± ¡°I understand, Chief.¡± ¡°Now, you can return to your home and rest. You have well deserved it. I¡¯ll ask the healers to heal your wounds and rid you of the evil energy. You can leave us both now.¡± I stood up, bowed down my head to both the Chief and my father, and began my walk back to my home. This has been a tiring episode for me, and I do need the rest. The bed will be comfortable once for a change. I reached my home, get changed and lie on the bed. On the bed, I only think of Claude. His mischievous little grin, his over the top confidence that somehow pissed me off to no end, his short stature and temper and of course, his own version of being cunning and creative. That and also his panty stealing habits. I¡¯ll forgive him, for now. But Claude, I swear to you on my own name, I¡¯ll prove that you are not evil. I¡¯ll prove to you that you are my saviour, my hero and will be treated as such. Because I¡­ I¡­ Before I can have even finished my own words, I slumped to a deep sleep. Chapter 06: The Life of a Growing Cub (Part 1) Chapter 06: The Life of a Growing Cub Growing up is painful, but even more than not growing at all. - Elsigardian Proverbs. 4.17am, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. I woke up early and it was still dark. The sun has yet to rise and the wind felt cool and chilly. I began my new morning routine, to practice my sword skills, The First Movement of Sun Sword. I have been doing this for three days consecutively, the first time in recent years. Although I know the movement up to level 5 in theory, I never seem to get it right when I practice. What more when I need to apply the skills in battle, or any other important situations. And it¡¯s not only just my sword skills. Any other physical skills that I have learned ¨C Tracking and Hunting, Sight and Hearing, Sense Enhancement, Sixth Sense, Weapon skills which included swords, bows, dagger and axe, Animal Kinship, and some other minor ones ¨C I never seem to pass a certain level. In fact, I hardly past the beginner level of those skills. It seems that I have reached a certain plateau with my physical skills, and that plateau was the Initiate skill level. That haven¡¯t included the mental and knowledge skills which include magic skills, lore and histories, alchemy and such that somehow I have not the aptitude for. Yes, I learned them. Yes, I understand the theories behind what I have had learned. But learning in class is not the same as practising in real life. And practising in real life was not the same as a real battle. Not even the slightest. What more if the battle involves life and death, where even a second can make a difference. Because of this, I had given up practising and training. I even skip classes. It makes no difference whether I do well or sucks at it because I never seem to progress beyond a certain level. Where someone my age has reached the level of a Sun Master, like Black Rose, I¡¯m still stuck at the Initiate level. At my age, with the number of years I¡¯m been in the Brotherhood, the very least I can reach was a Guardian. Heck, even the kids that are half my age are already in Journeyman rank. Though I received the Journeyman rank just yesterday, but after 10 years? Man, I must surely set the record for the slowest rank ascendance ever. If from Initiate to Journeyman which was just a single step away, what more of a Sun Master. I better give up before I get more disappointed. Hard work, practice, attending classes and such are for morons and do-gooders or positive mental attitudes freaks who believe the harder they try, the better they get. Somehow, their luck and fate would change after all that.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Heh. Sometimes, what I need was a dose of reality. I just need to admit that I was not good enough and settle for what I have, or else I would even lose that too. And when I¡¯m old and grey, I¡¯ll leave this world with nothing left with me. Not even my own self-identity. However, that was the old me. That was what I used to think and believe. Not anymore. The incident in the forest changed my outlook and perspective forever. I was given the life¡¯s golden ticket and I plan to make every second count, if possible. That means a new way of life, a new way of thinking and a new way believing. Yes, I¡¯m still at the same level as before. But, there was a difference now. A difference between victory and losing, life and death. A difference between living your own life, or dying in it. A difference measured in a mere second. Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m practising hard. Because even a second could make a difference. Between life and death. If I were to hit the monster a second faster, warned Sehanie a second earlier, grabbed her a second faster or even noticed the danger a second earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have to endure the life and death experience. Nor put my loved ones into such state. A second, when accumulated over a certain period of times, makes much difference. I want to be that difference. Even if I had to put my life on it. Never again I¡¯ll put my loved one in danger. I¡¯ll protect them. Even if it¡¯s just one second, but it will be the most important one second ever. With that thought, I gripped my practice sword harder and complete the First Movement of the Sun. However, this time I noticed a little difference. The sword seems lighter and my movement a little sharper. It might not be much, but when a second makes a difference, any incremental, no matter small they are, will help. I wiped my sweat from my forehead. As soon as I did that, I heard a clap from behind me. ¡°Looks like someone decide at long last, to grow up.¡± He turned away immediately after he said those words, but before he takes a step further, he raised a thumbs up for me. Old geezer, thank you. The Lord Supreme Grand Master gave a hearty laugh that broke the morning silence. I¡¯ll be that difference. When I return, I¡¯ll be a new man. Old geezer, please don¡¯t die during that time. Lord Supreme Grand Master gave another hearty laugh. I¡¯m sure he heard me and knows it. I¡¯ll be the Sun as what Blizzard Hawk use to say in his class. I muttered out loud our Brotherhood¡¯s motto: Nam quamdiu sol ortus est, nos non nuto, erit Pacem enim onmes For as the long Sun rises, we shall not falter and there shall be Peace for all. ---- I¡¯m back in my room after my morning routine. I have been exempted from all the classes and lessons so that I have time to prepare myself for my journey. However, I decided to travel light. I just need a few things to bring with me, that¡¯s all. The journey, by itself, was not that long. So, travelling light would be the best course of action. I had with me my Journeyman tunic, my sword, dagger, a canteen of water and a backpack. Perhaps I¡¯ll add in a dry meal or two, loaves of bread perhaps. Other than that, what else? Ah-ha! I smirked when I thought of my next item on the list. Hehehehehe. I gave a somewhat sinister laugh that even I have goosebumps. If someone were to hear my laugh, they must have thought that I¡¯m crazy or just have a few screw loose. Well, to do what I¡¯m about to do, a few loose screws was needed after all. And a pair of balls. Preferably steel balls. Hehe. It¡¯s been a while since I have done that. Perhaps it¡¯s time for next round. Who knows when I¡¯ll be back. The girls would most likely be gone when I¡¯m back. So, strike while the iron is hot. Or in this case, strike when the firewood is hot and the bath water is steamy. Just right after the sun sets would be the best time to strike. So for now, let me see what else I can do. Before long, I have completed the list of items I need to bring with me and things to do before I start my journey. It was still early in the morning, but my first destination will be the Hobbit¡¯s Lodge, the guild-city¡¯s only tavern which served as the unwinding place for us members after a long day at work. The tavern won¡¯t be busy at this time of the day. With that, I begin my final day at the guild-city. Chapter 06: The Life of a Growing Cub (Part 2) Chapter 06: The Life of a Growing Cub (Part 2) 7.45am, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. I arrived at the front door of the tavern, Hobbit¡¯s Lodge. The tavern opens 24 hours a day, but the only time that the place was not busy was between now until mid-morning. Even though it¡¯s called the Hobbit¡¯s Lodge, this tavern was by no means small. It could easily accommodate 200 people at any one time and they served great foods and drinks. It was called the Hobbit¡¯s Lodge because of both the owners which also happens to be husband and wife, was a Halfling. They were not exactly easy on the eyes in terms of looks and were easily prone to vulgarity, but they were a nice couple and I have been here since I was young. Working to earn some extra income, becoming a waiter, dishwasher, cleaner and last but not least, a mascot. I have to wear those weird costumes that looked like an animal of some sort. Said that I suit them to a tee, with me being short and cute. Well, that happened when I was about 6 years to 14 years old. Now, I came here to help around from time to time, serving up foods and drinks, mostly ale. The ale made of Elsiberry was extremely famous here. And cleaning up the place afterwards. I entered the tavern and walked up to the counter. Looks like no customer is in yet, just as I thought. ¡°Hey, kid! It¡¯s been a while.¡± I heard a shout across the tavern from where the counter was situated. A short pudgy male with baggy clothes and apron walked up towards me. Hey Mister Frodu Biggins, how are you? It¡¯s been a while. The one that greeted me earlier was Frodu Biggins, the co-owner of this tavern together with his wife. His name reminds me of the story from a literature I¡¯ve read in the library about a journey to destroy a certain ring. Seems like his father loved the story too much until he named his own son as some sort remembrance to one of the main characters in the story. Where¡¯s your wife, Mrs Mathilda? Is she not here? ¡°You are looking for me or her, kid?!? Both. You can¡¯t be separated far from her too long. I chuckled as he gave a hearty laugh. ¡°That¡¯s what true love means, kid. You will know once you reach my age. Anyway, she went out earlier to collect some herbs and mushrooms and then meet our vendor¡± Ahhh, I see. ¡°So, what¡¯s bring you here kid, early in the morning? Yah, by the way, news travel fast don''t they?¡± What do you mean by that? ¡°Well, I heard you become some sort of hotshot because you bust your nuts to save some royalty. Sit down and tell me all about it.¡± He pulled a seat for me to sit while he sat on top of the table, beckoning me to tell me my story of which I gladly shared with him. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s some story!¡± I heard a female voice behind us. ¡°Mathilda, you¡¯re back. Looks like our kid here has finally decided to grow up and have a pair. Must be the ale that he stole from me has finally made him drunk enough to act.¡± ¡°Darling, he did grow a pair alright, but not because of your ale. But because it¡¯s another pair of the women that he finally grows one of his own.¡± Mrs Mathilda said as she laid down her basket of goods onto the table. ¡°Ahh¡­ you prefer them melons rather than apples huh?¡± Mr Frodu teased me. ¡°Frodu, it¡¯s not about the sizes, it¡¯s about what he feels about them sizes that matter. Ain¡¯t I¡¯m right, honey?¡± I blushed. ¡°See, Mathilda. What have you done to the poor kid? He looks like a boiled prawn now!¡± The couples again laughed heartily at my expense. This scene was pretty much normal to me now since I have been here when I was young. ¡°So, honey. You are off to the Capital, tomorrow?¡± Mrs Mathilda asked of me as she went behind the counter. She then took one of the clean and unused piece of a white cloth from the side of the counter and laid it down on the countertop. Uh-huh. I nodded in response. ¡°You have never been out far from our guild-city. How do you feel?¡± Mr Frodu asked of me. Well, to be honest, I really don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t feel as nervous as I think I should be. Nor really anxious. ¡°That means you really have grown a pair big enough not to be fazed by the situation. I¡¯m impressed. The young little boy has finally grown up. It brings tears to my eyes.¡± Mr Frodu stood up and came towards me and gave me a few pats on my shoulder. ¡°Have you get your stuff ready?¡± Mrs Mathilda continued to inquire about my preparation from the back of the counter. She looked a little busy but that did not stop her from asking me that question. Not yet. I still don¡¯t have all I need. ¡°I see. Here, take this then.¡± Mathilda brought a couple of freshly baked bread wrapped with the white cloth earlier. ¡°Take some. I wish I can give you more, but if it was any more than this, you won¡¯t be able to travel light.¡± Thank you, Mrs Mathilda. I¡¯ll gladly accept this. ¡°Here, this is my gift.¡± Mr Frodu went up to his bar counter and opened up a drawer. He took out a vial that contains a liquid of some sort. ¡°Take this, this is my specially brewed Elsiberry concentration. A drop of this and your drinking water would taste much better.¡± Looking at her husband¡¯s action, Mrs Mathilda was a little surprised. ¡°Why Darling, ain¡¯t that precious? You keep declining from giving it to others, and yet¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, Mathilda. In return kid, I want something from you.¡± I looked at Mr Frodu, waiting for his next words. ¡°Next time you come back here, tell us more stories like you the one you had told us earlier. Share with us your journeys, your trials, your heroics deeds, everything. That¡¯s the very least you can do for us, an old couple whose ideas and sense of adventure is in this tavern and serving up its patron.¡± I¡¯ll do that, Mr Frodu, Mrs Mathilda. ¡°And perhaps one day, the bards and minstrels will sing the praise of your name and of your heroic adventures¡­ Hahahaha!!¡± Talk about pressure. I wanted to reply back to Mr Frodu not to get his hopes too high for me, just yet, However, his wife did that for me instead. ¡°Darling, you are pressuring the kid. He is just travelling to Elsevier, not going on a quest to slay a dragon. But with that said, I do have high hopes you will make it out there.¡± I nodded my head. I agreed with that. I¡¯m just travelling to the capital, that¡¯s all. No big deal. ¡°Alright. Alright. But kid, remember this. Make sure you adjust your boob-meter because, in Elsivier, you will see more beauties than you can handle. If you think that this guild-city has lots of beautiful, big-breasted, long-legged girls as that¡¯s how you prefer your women to be, try Elsivier. Most importantly, don¡¯t return here as a virgin.¡± Mr Frodu gave out a loud laughed as he hopped down from the back of the counter and came toward us. ¡°Darling!!!¡± Mr Frodu continued to laugh out heartily. ¡°Sigh¡­. What a vulgar old man. Ignore what he just said, honey. I¡¯m sure you have better things to do other than skirt chasing and panty stealing.¡± I knew it. Finally, I was exposed. I know that they knew my secret hobby. I really hope that they can keep my secret, a secret. Or else, I¡¯m going to be history once I get back here. It¡¯s better for me to be known as a hero, a saviour rather than a panty thief. It would not really good for my career advancement in the future. Well, Mr Frodu, Mrs Mathilda. I better get going. I still have a few places and things I have to do to prepare for my journey. I¡¯ll return with amazing stories, just for both of you. Please do excuse me for now. Until next time, Mr Frodu, Mrs Mathilda. ¡°Take care kid. Bring back to me those stories.¡± ¡°Take care, honey. Be safe.¡± With that, I move on to my destination. ----- 10.13am, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. Weaponsmith ¨C Schmidt and Schmidt Weapon Smithy. We repair whatever that is metal and we can turn your scrap into weapons. Blacksmith ¨C Schmidt and Schmidt Armour Smithy. We repair whatever that is metal and we can turn your scrap into armours Such unimaginative name. They plagiarized each other. Copy and paste. Well, they were twins anyway. It was to be expected. However, I heard they were not on good terms recently. I wondered what happens, but dwarves are prone to be a hot-tempered race and even shorter fuse to ignite. So, anything can set them off, even from a drinking bet. Especially from a drinking bet. ¡°Don¡¯t lose to that blond-haired dwarf cheat!¡± I heard this as I stood in the middle of the road, which surprisingly or not, depending on how one was supposed to think, their shops were located opposite of each other. ¡°Don¡¯t lose to that red-haired dwarf loser!¡± came the retort. From outside, I could see them bellowing orders towards their poor worker, trying to spur them to work hard, so as not to lose to each other. Now, which one I will enter? If I enter one or the other, I¡¯m going to be in trouble. Sigh. ¡°Whatcha doing in the middle of the road. Stop staring and come in!¡± shouted the blond-haired dwarf that goes by the name of Thrane ¡°Hammerfist¡± Schmidt. He¡¯s the one who owns the armour smith shop. ¡°Hey, what are you doing stealing my customer! He has been standing there looking into my shop first¡± came another voice that belongs to the younger of the twin, red-haired Ulthrane ¡°Thunderaxe¡± Schmidt. He owns the other one, the weaponsmith shop that¡¯s just opposite of his twin and rival. ¡°Hey, what do you mean by stealing, he looked at mine first!¡± ¡°He is mine, you cheater!¡± ¡°What do you mean he is yours, loser?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, you are going to get it from me today!¡± ¡°And what are you waiting for? I¡¯m been itching my ass all over to get one over you, loser!!¡± ¡°Up yours, you cheater!¡± Both of them came out to the middle of the road, Thrane was with a hammer and Ulthrane was with an axe. Hey, hey guys. It¡¯s in the middle of the road. It¡¯s broad daylight. They ignored me and continued to stare each other. And I stood just between them. If I don¡¯t solve this problem soon, I¡¯m going to be a mincemeat. Ehhh guys?! Guys??? GUYSSSSS!!!! I shouted at them. ¡°What do you want, can¡¯t you see that we are busy¡± ¡°Yah, are you blind or deaf, or both?¡± Is it me or both of you are trying to piss me off? ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ piss off punk!¡± ¡°Yeah, piss off punk!¡± I was really getting annoyed. Really annoyed now. I looked at them, stared directly into their eyes and then I did the unthinkable. I pulled both of their beards. ¡°Hey, hey, not the beard!¡± ¡°Hey watch it. Not the beard!¡± Snap out of your childish behaviour! I won¡¯t let go until both of you calm down and grow up. You are embarrassing yourself in the middle of the road during the day. Everyone is looking at you. That sudden realization made both of them stop. ¡°Humphh¡± Thrane put down his hammer. ¡°Humphh back at you¡± Ulthrane sniped back with a childish retort. Hey enough already. If you are not going to stop, I¡¯ll tell both of your wives and let them stop you instead. ¡°Hey, not the wifey ok. Anything but her.¡± Thrane pleaded with me. ¡°Yah, no wifey. I¡¯m afraid of her.¡± Ulthrane followed suit. Married men¡¯s weakness 101: Their wives. Most married man I know lacked the ball when it came to their wives. Even these two macho and mean looking dwarves. What a pity. In most marriage, it¡¯s the wives who wear the pants in the house. The husbands, no matter how badass they can be outside of the house, back home, they were just a puppy. I¡¯m not here to become your middleman. Both of you guys can settle like an adult, right. I thought dwarves are better than this; fighting in the middle of the road like some juvenile delinquent. What are you guys are like? 12? I¡¯m here for a different purpose. I want to see both of you. ¡°Come inside then. You too, Ulthrane. You heard the young man!¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. As all of us took a seat in the shop, I told them my reason for visiting the dwarves twin. ¡°I see¡­ I see.¡± Thrane said while stroking his beard. As not to be left behind, Ulthrane too stroke his beard and asked of me next. ¡°So, you are going off tomorrow at dusk?¡± "Are you stupid Ulthrane. He said dawn, not dusk. Learn the difference." "Oh shut up, Thrane. It was just an honest mistake." Whatever guys. ¡°Then what are you waiting for. Let me see your weapon. I¡¯ll give it a proper touch-up, fit for a hero like you. Gwahahahaha. Give your armour to Thrane, he will know what to do with it. And give us a moment to prepare the other item.¡± And so I did as what I have been told, handing all my equipment to them and wait. As true to dwarven craftsmanship, they really know their stuff. In a jiffy, my weapons and armours looked brand new. My sword and dagger seemed lighter and sharper and my hand bracer and belt looked sturdier. And the item that I previously asked them to do, was inch perfect. Not even a single flaw in it. Wow guys, both of you really did a great job. ¡°You think so?¡± Thrane seemed happy. No one can beat both of you when you work together. ¡°When we work together, huh?¡± How much is it? I enquired them about the price. ¡°This time, I¡¯m not charging you. You follow suit, Ulthrane?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ulthrane answered. ¡°Think of it as a gift for your journey, though I wonder what you are going to do with that item.¡± Both of them looked at each other, but as a macho man said nothing. Man of actions it seemed. But back home, they are a bunch of pussies. ¡°Tonight we drink, brother!¡± ¡°Tonight we drink. A toast to our hero and to his journey!¡± Dwarves. Short temper and even shorter fuse. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s pretty easy to handle them once you know their nature. Buy them a drink, gamble or challenge them. And make sure you are man enough to follow through your words. After I said me thank you, I move on to the next destination. ----- 2.35pm, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. I¡¯m here at the place where it all started. The guild-city only canteen. It mostly serves the younger students who can¡¯t cook, but most often than not I would be able to see higher ranking members eat here. Perhaps they were lazy to cook, or perhaps they have had a certain penchant for the food that they served here. If you can call what they do and served here as food. The food they used to serve was very bad, tasteless and reeks of excessive weird flavouring. Especially the chef¡¯s infamous stew, which people around here called it the Stew of Death. I tried it once and I ended up being in the infirmary for three straights days, one day for being sick, and the other two days for having post-eating stress disorder, or PESD for short. That and also the constant complaining and pestering of the kids in my dormitory about the food. And when push comes to shove, I blew my top. And because of that, I decided to single-handedly change the whole canteen once I¡¯d got the chance. Of course, It has now become a mess hall. I destroyed the wall that separates the kitchen and the eating place and it just became one giant open area where we can see the cooks preparing our food from our table. It¡¯s better that way. We can see how our food was being cooked and the cook can actually start to behave like a proper cook. And I rearranged the setting, so we have no more those long tables that can accommodate 20 people sitting around it. Nope. I decided that a table for four was the best. So, I broke long the tables up and divided into a table for four, and the biggest would be eight. My creativity and interior design skills were pretty good I dare say. It looked cosier and even feels more intimate. I smirked when I recalled what I did here recently. Hopefully, it will improve the situation. And, I was proven right, yet again. For the past three to four days, I¡¯ve been hearing how much the mess hall has improved. The food was gradually getting better, the cook was happier since the patrons were starting to appreciate their hard job preparing the food, and even the dreaded Chef Beerbelly Glutton has started to prepare proper menu and food that suited to our taste. So, hopefully, no more of that infamous Stew of Death. Right now, I¡¯m here to present a gift. My eyes were peering at the person who I need to meet. He is no other than the dreaded Chef Beerbelly Glutton. Hah, found him. He was behind the counter, near the stove. Like usual, he was still ordering his cook around like slaves, but since the kitchen was an open area now, it¡¯s not that obvious and his order was now milder. Way milder. Hey, fatass! The Chef was surprised to see me. ¡°You again! Haven¡¯t you been thrown out of the guild-city yet?¡± No way fatass. I¡¯m still here, you see. Besides, the big boss of this guild-city loves me too much that he¡¯s not willing to see the back of me. Sucks to be you, ehh fatass. All those letters of complaints about me and guess what, I still here. Muahahaha. ¡°Humphhh¡­ So what do you want? And stop calling me fatass!¡± I¡¯ll call you Fatass until you become thin. And then you are thin, I¡¯ll call you sticky-ass instead. And you won¡¯t be stopping me either. Muahahaha. ¡°Are you here to gloat at me after you destroyed my kitchen?¡± Me? Destroyed your kitchen? Far from it. Hey, this place looks better right now. Look around you. ¡°Humphhh¡­ so what do you want? I have no time for brats like you!¡± Awww¡­ come on. I persuaded him while stroking his fat and bubbly chin. He was the only one human in this guild-city, who was older than me but shorter. Short and pudgy with a big tummy and even bigger ass. I have something for you. The item that I just received from the twin dwarves earlier. A new, shiny and best of all dwarven crafted stew pot. I handed over to him the new stew pot. His pudgy hands manage to grab the handle before it fell down to the ground. Hey, be careful. It¡¯s dwarven made, so it¡¯s pretty expensive. I don¡¯t want it to be broken or dented before you even use it. Though I got it for free from the dwarf brothers, I ain¡¯t stupid to sell their craftsmanship short. Besides, I don¡¯t like him getting the idea that I¡¯m a cheapskate. Fatassfell into silence. Use it to cook your stew. And make sure you ain¡¯t cooking that stew of yours anymore. If I hear, even at the slight, about your bloody stew, I¡¯m going to make sure it¡¯s not the pot that will be thrown out this time. I gave a hearty laugh and turned around, exiting the mess hall. After a few steps, I heard his voice from the back of me. ¡°Hey, kid. You know what, you are not that bad.¡± I gave him the thumbs up without turning back. Heh, now you know. Now you know, fatass. I copied the old geezer¡¯s pose earlier and you know what, it seems pretty cool and neat. I could have made this into my trademark victory pose. ----- 3.15pm, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. It was already past noon and I have pretty much done preparing for my journey. All I needed left is that, hehehehe. I returned to my room without much stopping by to greet other people. I¡¯m still a low ranking member of the Brotherhood anyway, so it¡¯s normal if no one bothered much about me. Ahh, well, it¡¯s better that way. At least, I don¡¯t have a hard time leaving. Saying goodbye to people was tiring. I decided to take a short nap before my final activity which would start just right after the sun sets. I needed all the energy I can for tonight, hehehehe. That will be the crown of my activity today. 6.55pm, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. I woke up feeling refresh. I had a good dream. I dreamt about me being the Princess¡¯s lover and we have our lovey-dovey moments. I wish the dream was longer. It ended before I can even proceed to undress¡­ Knock! Knock! Suddenly, I heard a knock in front of my door. That really blew away my steam. Who¡¯s there? My experience with Red Wolf taught me to be a little careful about who might be knocking. Who knows what or who might lie beyond my door, knocking. It could even be the Princess herself, but hey, didn¡¯t she departed yesterday? Perhaps she wanted to see me before she departs. Awww¡­ I wiped my drool away and waited for an answer. ¡°It¡¯s us, big bro.¡± Blehhh¡­. It¡¯s those kids again. The idea of the Princess coming to meet me in my room just went up in smoke. What do you boys want? ¡°Let¡¯s us come in, will you?¡± No! ¡°But, please¡­. Please let us in.¡± Persistent and noisy bunch of kids. Awww man¡­. Alright, alright, just come in already. I opened the door, albeit reluctantly. The kids were standing in front of my door. I counted five of them, three boys and two girls. It¡¯s you guys again. Don¡¯t all of you have better things to do? Shoo, shoo¡­ ¡°Hey, big bro. Stop being so mean. We come here for a reason, you know. It¡¯s not like your room has anything special other than some old women¡¯s pant¡­. I pressed my hand on to the mouth of the kid that tried to blow my secret away. Are you crazy or what? What are you talking about in the middle of the hallway? ¡°Then, let us in already, or else¡­¡± Persistent, noisy and good at blackmailing at others. What a bunch of kids. I wondered who taught them that? So, what do you want Luke? The leader of the bunch of kid was Luke. With him was two other boys, Mike and Jones, and the girls were Lily and Aisha. They were the kids that were in my class. They are about 5-7 years old, with Luke being the oldest. Aisha and Jones were the youngest, at 5 years old. ¡°Hey, big bro. We heard from Master Blizzard Hawk that you¡¯re going on a journey. We heard you save a princess and being some sort of heroic saviour. And you have been called to the big city, Elsivier¡± I could see stars forming in their eyes, especially from both Aisha and Lily. ¡°And that you have risen in rank. What was it called again?¡± A Journeyman. I answer with lack of interest. ¡°Yah, a Journeyman. So, you know¡­ we thought that¡­ well since you are going to be on a journey and such¡­ we¡­ we¡­¡± Luke was looking back and fro to each and every other kid in the room. Come on, spit it out already. ¡°Aisha! Lily! Just give big bro already what you wanted to give him. I¡¯m having a hard time explaining!¡± From Luke¡¯s back, I could see Aisha and Lily being all shy. What a pair of cute little girls. Come Aisha, Lily¡­ Do you have something for me? Both of them nodded. ¡°Here¡­. pl¡­e..ase.. take ¡­this.¡± As soon as they handed me over their gifts, they ran out from the room. Hey, what¡¯s that all about. Am I too scary or what? ¡°Stupid big bro. The girls are your secret admirer. Once they heard that you are on your journey, they beg us to bring them to your room. And not just only them.¡± Luke broke into a wide smile, showing off his missing teeth. Huh, those tiny tots are my secret admirers? I know I prefer them older, but then again, having tiny tots like Aisha and Lily as secret admirers won¡¯t hurt. Perhaps they will grow into young beauties. Maybe in 10 years¡¯ time. I looked at both gifts they presented for me. A little necklace that had an effigy that looks like me made from wood from Aisha and Lily gave me an earring stub made of some sort of red crystal. Hmmm¡­ not bad. It¡¯s cute. How very thoughtful of them. Say thanks to them from me, alright. ¡°No problem, big bro!¡± All three of them nodded. What a weird, but in a good way, this bunch of kids were. And, what are you guys still doing here then? Aren¡¯t three of you done? ¡°Well¡­ you see big bro. We have a little gift for you too. Seeing that you love them so much, we decided to get it for you. But it was very hard, right Mike? Right Jones?¡± Mike and Jones nodded in tandem. ¡°It¡¯s really hard, big bro!¡± said Mike which followed next by Jones. ¡°Yeah, we never knew it was this hard, but we managed it somehow. Hehehe. Come on Luke, give it to big bro already.¡± Luke handed me an envelope that contained some sort of items inside it. I wondered what it was inside? ¡°Well, looks like we are done, right guys? Now let¡¯s head back for our dinner. Or else, we are going to get hungry.¡± Luke suggested to both Mike and Jones, which they waste no time in agreeing. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡± And there they ran off out of my room, leaving the door opened. Sheshh¡­ what was that all about, those guys? They come and go as they please. I need to set some rules for entering my room, once I get back here. I looked at the envelope and I have some weird feeling about it. I opened it carefully. What the heck is this?!! From the envelope, I received three pairs of panties. However, these panties do not belong to grown-up girls. In fact, it looks like little girl¡¯s panties. Why you¡­ One of these days, I¡¯m going get caught and be on trial as a criminal. What more with these little girls¡¯ panties I had in my hand. Both of my hands were shaking with fear as I could feel my cold sweat dripped down from my forehead. Why those little panty thieves. You were going to get me in trouble without you even realizing it. Thanks for the thoughts, but instead of little girls, get for me panties from the older girls. Perhaps it¡¯s impossible for them because all the girls my age were in the Eastern dormitory. I¡¯m the oldest one here. The one and only. Sigh¡­. Even though I loved panties, but I preferred them from girls my age or older. Not little girl¡¯s panties. I better get rid of this before someone suspected me of stealing it. With that, I returned the panties back inside the envelope and burned the whole thing. I will wear the effigy necklace and the earring those two girls just gave me though. ----- 7.45pm, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. (Below will be the recollection of another one Claude¡¯s adventurer. Please bear in mind that it contained some nude softcore scene. Though it would not change the storyline, reading the next part of the chapter will give you an idea of Claude¡¯s personality.) After I had my dinner of bread and some meat from the mess hall, I¡¯m now prepared for the final activity tonight. Destination: Eastern dormitory. More specifically. The women¡¯s dormitory. In my side of the dormitory, it¡¯s co-ed. Little boys and girls in one same dormitory. But as they grew older, and increased in their ranks, the dormitories change from being a co-ed to non-co-ed. Girls and boys were living separately. No, I¡¯m not here to steal panties. I used to steal panties. In fact, I still steal panties. But that was business, not personal. Honestly, no one really knew how highly sought and paid I am for this certain and specific skillset I had until the boys needed me. I came highly recommended by them and my business was based on referral only. I helped guys, like shy and timid boys, who had no luck with women, or who had a crush on certain girls, to obtain the object of their desire and good night sleep. And what better than a pair of panties from someone he loved or had a crushed at. Though sometimes I mixed business with pleasure by stealing a panty or two from girls I used to like, but with my help, most guys here were very thankful to me. It¡¯s a weird fetish that nearly all guys I knew had, but if they were happy, who am I to say otherwise. Besides, the pay was good and I used the money I¡¯d gained to help others. So, it¡¯s a win-win situation. If anyone of these boys ever needed a panty from someone they loved or admired, and were shy or even embarrassed about it, I¡¯m the man. Women have loads of panties. A pair or two gone missing won¡¯t make such a ruckus. Besides, the business was strictly confidential. They didn¡¯t know who did the deed for them. All they needed was some money and the name of their chosen girl or girls. And depending on who she was, my service price varied. But, that¡¯s not the reason why I¡¯m here now. I¡¯m here because I needed to readjust and recalibrate my boob-meter. And I needed some materials to refer. Also for good night sleep help. And what better way than coming here, especially the closed bathhouse in the women¡¯s dormitories. All our bathhouses were the open-air closed type, meaning men and women bathed differently at different locations. But because of my punishments to collect firewood which the bathhouse used to create the steam, I have made my own secret entry, unknown to no one other than myself. If I die, the secret dies with me. Sure, you can use magic to warm the water and make your own steam. But bathhouses were different. Besides, not everyone can use magic. I¡¯m peering through the special holes that I have made between the wooden wall of the bathhouses. There were a bunch of those holes, scattered around throughout the bathhouse that would gave me the best view. It was a moonless night, so it helped that I can¡¯t be detected by giving me the cover beneath the darkness. Besides, I¡¯m wearing all-black costumes and smeared my face with coal soot I could get from either the tavern or the canteen¡¯s kitchen. Pretty neat ehh. After a while, the first girl came. Hmmm¡­. Still not good enough. The moonless night though helped me from being detected, however, it made it harder for me to see. I have to move around carefully to get the best view. Not bad, what a nice body. She looked firm and fit. Still a little smaller than what I expected, but nonetheless she was growing. She will be a fine beauty when she reaches her 20s. Then came the next one. And next. And then a whole group of them. Woohooo¡­ This was heaven. This is what I love about this activity. I can¡¯t get tired of these. All the women were beautiful in their own way. Big breasted, smaller breasted, medium ones. Asses and more asses. Tall or short, human or non-human. Long haired or short haired with many colours too. The one with the long hair tied it in a bun. All of them were beautiful. As the famous sayings go, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and I¡¯m the king of the beholder. Though there were some that is not so beautiful (i.e. ugly) but the rest made it worth my effort. Hehehehe, I wipe my drools away. I need a better view. Krak! As I moved to get a better view, suddenly I stepped on a dead twig and made a sound. Ohhh shit¡­. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Ahhhh¡­ a pervert!!¡± Suddenly, a commotion arose in the bathhouse. I have been discovered. Though they have yet to see me, I still need to act fast or else I¡¯m going to get caught for sure. ¡°Help¡­. There¡¯s a pervert in here. Call some help. Capture him!!!¡± Think fast brain, think fast. Without any much thought, I made a dog sound. ¡°You sure it¡¯s a guy? It sounds like a dog strayed into the bathhouse courtyard¡± a voice that belonged to the bathhouse caretaker trying to assess the situation. ¡°I think it¡¯s a man, I saw his silhouette.¡± ¡°Nevermind, to be sure, let¡¯s check it out!¡± I bought myself some precious time. However, I am now being cornered. I took a wrong turn because of the darkness and I have nowhere else to go. The only way to escape was to climb the tree that was beside me. But yet, that will lead to another problem as tree¡¯s main branch extended inside the bathhouse. ¡°I think I saw him. A silhouette. Over there. Come, girls, let¡¯s catch this pervert!!¡± Ohhh¡­ Looks like time runs out. I have no other choice then. I took a deep breath and began to escape anew by climbing the tree. I could see a group of girls, mostly half naked, with only bath towel covering their body, from the breast to just above the knee, trying to make a chase for me. Some other days, this might be a good situation. But not tonight. Though, they have yet to find out who am I as I had my face smeared with soot earlier. I take a good leap to the top of the tree and with just two fast movements, I¡¯m on the main branch that extended itself to the inside of the bathhouse. I took a couple smaller branches, about two feet, with leaves on and insert it my clothes, to camouflage myself. I wonder if this branch will hold. But looked like I got my answer before long. Halfway down the branch, I heard a loud crack and the main branch that has been supporting me broke in half. I fell down right into the middle of the bathhouse, the den of tigers, or in this case, naked girls. ¡°Ahhh!!! Help¡­ He¡¯s here. Hurry up and catch him!!¡± In my desperation, I grabbed a bath towel that was nearest to me. I stripped her naked and with the towel, wrap around my head, leaving my eyes open. Thank for the feast of my eyes, babe. I let out an eerie-beast like scream and laughed. I have to, to hide the fact that I am a human. ¡°It¡¯s a pervert beastman. Here girls¡­ he¡¯s here!!¡± Looked like my bluffs work. In order to buy myself some more time, I stripped a few more girls who wrapped themselves with towels. These towels will come in handy later. Now, I need to find my way out. I needed to create some more diversion. Although the night was moonless, the water steam in the bathhouse was making hard for me to see, but nonetheless, I can make out who or what is in front of me. I grabbed a pair of boobs that was in front of me and she screamed. ¡°Let me go you pervert. Where do you think you are touching me?!¡± I managed to grab a few more pair of breasts and some asses. Soft but firm. Nice. Hey, I¡¯m not a sex maniac alright. It¡¯s diversional tactic. From their screams, they managed to divert the other girls¡¯ attention into this bathhouse. And because of that scream also, coupled with the steam from the hot water and moonless night, it¡¯s all perfect. I have misdirected them into the bathhouse. The girls inside here can¡¯t exactly do anything either, either because they are busy protecting their naked body from me, a pervert, or I have stripped them off from their bath towel and was somehow paralyzed from the full frontal show. All I needed now was a few seconds and I have bought myself some time because of that. I leapt out from the centre of the bathhouse and make a dash towards the main entrance. No one will suspect a pervert who has been nearly caught to run out from the main entrance. They will be busy covering themselves or has been misdirected by the screams earlier. And normally, people who were caught in the act will act by escaping into the least dangerous routes i.e. the bathhouse wall. I made a mad dash and as soon as I can see the courtyard, I climbed onto the roof and threw some of the towels I had grabbed earlier. A few moments later¡­ I¡¯m back in my room. Exhausted but relief. I can barely breathe from all that run and being chased. I gave out a loud laugh. Hahahahaha... Hahahahaha¡­ That was some crazy shit stuff. It took me a moment to calm myself down and my breathing to return to normal. Under the moonless night and with the help of the few towels I had grabbed from the poor girls, I managed to outrun and diverted their attention. Escape 101: Never ever return to your lair the first thing when you escape. Run around for a moment, divert their attention, and bide your time to escape to safety. Hahahahaha¡­ I never expected that to happen. I only wanted to see naked girls in the bathhouse for my readjustment and calibration of my boob-meter, but I got far more than I asked. Luckily, I managed to escape. I never thought bare naked breasts and asses feels so good to touch. Soft but firm. Elastic but somewhat juicy. I renewed my new admiration and love for female bodies. ----- 10.23pm, Year 4009 AD, the 20th day of May, a day before my departure to the Elsivier. With that all activities I have done, my night has ended somewhat peacefully. I fell asleep before long. Little did I know, that after I had left for my journey to Elsivier, a new rumour has been circling the guild-city, that a pervert beastman, dressed in black with a blackened face and plants all over his body has managed to infiltrate the women¡¯s bathhouse and molested a few girls. The rumour has now been called as ¡°The Pervert Black Beastman Molester¡±. Though many other men claim to do the deeds and other girls who were molested came to tell their stories, most of them have been dismissed as attention-seeking due to it being a viral news. The real culprit has yet to be caught. And ironically, there were many versions of that one single account that makes this rumour become somewhat of a legend. ¡°The Legend of the Pervert Black Beastman¡± Chapter 07: Here Comes Claude, a Hero and a Romeo (Part 1) Chapter 07: Here Comes Claude, a Hero and a Romeo (Part 1) A hero''s work never ends. Saving girls, slaying monsters and now what? Babysitting too? - An excerpt from the famous tale of the Legendary White-Masked Knight. The sun barely rises when I finished my preparation for the journey. I first wore my black inner tight shirt, on top of it my new Journeyman tunic, and then last but not least my boots and hand bracer. It felt so good to finally get rid of my old Initiate tunic. Doubt I¡¯ll miss it anyway. I placed my sword on my left and dagger on my right, both hanging from the belt. I then placed my just refilled water canteen with a drop of that special Elsiberry concentration just beside the dagger. And lastly, I wore the necklace with an effigy that looked like me and the red crystal earring, which is in my right ear. Both of the gifts were given by Aisha and Lily respectively. Thank you, Aisha and Lily. Thank you, everyone. As I leave my room, perhaps for a long time before I could return, a sense of nostalgia hits me. I gave a smile as I close the door behind me. The hallway was empty, yet some of the rooms began to show activities. Perhaps the kids were waking up already. I better make a move first before I¡¯m being delayed by those kids. I took a stroll across the Western courtyard down to the middle Grand Courtyard, where the Tower of the Sun was situated. I looked up the tower and I noticed the old geezer was looking at me. I smiled, and turn my back and gave him my thumbs up. That was my new victory pose. I¡¯ll be back before you know it, old geezer. Without much further ado, I proceed to the Western side gate and now find myself, for the very first time, outside the guild-city for a purpose other than collecting firewood. I gave my Brotherhood salute, where I placed my hand on my heart and bow. ¡°That took you long enough. I¡¯ve been waiting for ages, you know!¡± Suddenly, I heard a familiar female voice behind my back. I turned around and saw Sehanie, smiling at me. ¡°I have been waiting here before the sunrise. What took you so long?¡± She pouted at me. What do you mean took me so long? What are you doing here? Are you seeing me off too? ¡°What? Nope¡­ I¡¯m here for this¡± Sehanie walked towards me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I blushed uncontrollably. What¡­. What¡­ that¡¯s for? ¡°That is for saving my life back then and this is how I thank you. Thanks, Claude¡± I rubbed my head in embarrassment but I suddenly remembered my victory pose. This should be normal for a hero. Can¡¯t be embarrassed about it anymore right? So, I turned my back towards her and gave her my thumbs up. ¡°Teehee¡­ What¡¯s that weird pose? So unlike you.¡± I don¡¯t care what you think, Sehanie. I feel cool and that¡¯s important for me. ¡°Teehee¡­ alright. So, you are going off already?¡± I nodded. ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go, slowpoke. We don¡¯t have all day.¡± Huh, what do you mean by let¡¯s go? What do you mean by ¡®we¡¯? ¡°You sure are slow in the morning Claude. It means I¡¯m coming with you. The great Sehanie Moonbow, your own very blonde Goddess with big-breast that you love so much, is coming with you.¡± Huh?! ¡°Don¡¯t give me huh, young man. You should be proud that a Goddess like me is following you on your boring trip. You might be able to see something good during your journey.¡± Alright, alright. You are Goddess and you get what you want. Sigh¡­ Here I thought I might be alone in my journey which kind of sucks but the good thing is that I was expecting some kind of encounters with fair maidens or damsels in distress. But, what followed me now was neither a fair maiden nor a damsel in distress. Of all the companions I can get, she was the worse. ¡°Teehee¡­ that¡¯s better. Be a good boy and show me the way.¡± Show you what way? ¡°The way to Elsivier, stupid! You got a map with you right?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Huh? Map¡­. Map¡­ MAP?! I blurted the word out loud. ¡°What? You don¡¯t know what¡¯s a map. M¡ªA¡ªP. Map. An item that has the drawing to a certain scale, the layout of the land so you don¡¯t get lost. That¡¯s what a map is, dumbass.¡± I know what is a map, Sehanie. And stop calling me names! I have forgotten to bring a map with me. Of all the things I have prepared, I forgot to include a map. I forgot to bring it with me, hehe. I tried to make light of the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t hehe with me Claude. Of all the things to take for a journey, a map is a must and you forgot to bring them. Humpphhh¡­ stupid newbie!¡± I had it enough. I snapped. Yes, I¡¯m a newbie alright. So why are you following this newbie, you old-bie? Follow someone else. So what if I forgot to bring a map. It¡¯s not that hard of a journey and I don¡¯t need an elven brat like you to follow me. Though you have big-breast which I love so much, but I can have any other breasts, perhaps bigger than yours along the way. Humpphh. I received a whack on my head. I can see tears coming down from Sehanie¡¯s eyes. No¡­ No¡­ I won¡¯t be fooled now. She cried. ¡°You¡­ you become so mean to me, Claude. I have been waiting here to go with you since before the sun rises and was looking forward to it. Now¡­ now¡­ You meanie¡­¡± Sehanie broke down in tears. I felt extremely guilty. I never made a woman cry before, including Sehanie. But now, Sehanie was crying right in front of me, on my very first day of my journey. Good job, Claude. Alright, alright. Look I¡¯m sorry I snapped at you, but please don¡¯t go calling me names. This is my first time out on a journey, so there¡¯s a lot for me to learn. Can you stand up now, put me in your care and show me the way? Sehanie, amidst her tears, asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your please?¡± Pretty please. Please¡­ This was getting rather annoying, but better this than a crying elf girl. ¡°Teehee¡­ That¡¯s better. Come, let me show you the way.¡± I knew it. It was a fake cry after all. Turtle tears. I should not have been fooled. Ahh well, I¡¯ll let it slide this time since she showed me how much happy she was by following me on my trip. Nope, scratch that. She shows how much happy she was that I¡¯m following her. So, do you know the way to Elsivier? ¡°Teehee¡­¡± Sehanie stuck her tongue out. Don¡¯t Teehee me. Do you have a map? ¡°Nope. No map either.¡± Why you elven brat? I chased her down the road. ----- It¡¯s noon when we took our first rest of our journey. We decided to take a short break nearby a stream. Here, Sehanie, try this. I handed her my water canteen. ¡°What¡¯s this? Is it poison? Are you trying to poison me?¡± Ahh, shut up. Have a drink already. You know me better than this. I shove the canteen into Sehanie¡¯s hand. Looking at my it, checking if I was playing trick on her or whatnot, she uncorked the canteen and then gulped down the water without hesitation. How does it taste? ¡°Somehow, the water tastes good. Sweet but not overwhelming.¡± Hehe. Glad you like it. Now give me back my water canteen. ¡°Nope, I like this. Now it¡¯s mine.¡± I should have never offered her anything. ¡°But here, take this instead.¡± Sehanie gave me something that was wrapped in leaves. ¡°It¡¯s an elven bread. A bite of this and you don¡¯t need anything else. It¡¯s a good item to bring for the journey. You can keep that one. I have one more with me here.¡± I took a bite. The Elven bread was tasteless. Do they ever use salt? ¡°How does it taste?¡± Good, I think. I try not to be rude to Sehanie. ¡°Hmm... you have weird taste bud. I thought mine was tasteless and was going to use it as fish bait. I rather use this tasteless bread to catch myself some fish.¡± I shake my head in disbelief. This elven girl was way too mischievous. I couldn¡¯t handle her at all. After a while, I lie down and closed my eyes to take my afternoon nap. This place was pretty nice, with beautiful scenery and was pretty safe. It¡¯s secluded and bit further from the main road, so no one really comes here. Suddenly, I could feel something nestle between my arms. I opened my eyes and saw Sehanie besides me. ¡°Claude, let me sleep beside you. May I?¡± She was way too mischievous for me, but her beauty and seductiveness makes me forgave her instantly. She was a dangerous foe indeed. I kept quiet and gave in to her demands. And she understood my silence as she nestles down on my arms and slept beside me. She really was beautiful. Amazingly beautiful. With that, I too closed my eyes and the noon passed to evening without much incident. Our first day was pretty uneventful and we managed to cover another 15 miles on foot. Though we could cover much further, but we are in no rush. Perhaps this awkward pair of a couple, a human male and elven female, wanted to be with each other a little bit longer. But nope, this is not a romantic-comedy story. We kept bickering the whole journey. That¡¯s what slowed us down. Sehanie wanted to turn left, and I wanted to go right. She wanted to use the less travelled path and I wanted the main road. And she wins every single time. Most of the time by brute force. Some other times, by seductiveness. We took our second break just before the sky gets dark. ¡°We will camp here, Claude.¡± We managed to reach a campsite, a small open land, near a river stream, but a little far from the main road. It¡¯s safer this way. I¡¯ll set up some fire. What do you want to do Sehanie? ¡°Hmmm¡­ I feel all sweaty and sticky, so I¡¯ll take a bath first down the river.¡± Ah, alright. Go ahead. I show no sign of excitement. I cannot reveal that I¡¯m excited, can I? ¡°And don¡¯t peep at me, Claude. Else I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out.¡± Yeah, yeah. Just go already. There¡¯s nothing new to see about you. Now, I¡¯ll need to start this fire. ¡°Humpphhh!!¡± Sehanie pouted. What was that for? I started the fire and looked from the corner of my eyes at Sehanie who disappeared into a path that leads to the stream. Hehehehe¡­ Now I can begin my Operation Peeping Tom. Target: The Big Breasted Blonde Wood Elf girl, Sehanie Moonbow. I can¡¯t wait. I lit up the fire as fast as I could. Once it¡¯s big enough not to be distinguished by itself, I stood up and walked towards the path Sehanie just took earlier. But I veer off a little, among the trees and shadows, so I won¡¯t be caught. ¡°That Claude, he is pretty thick for a pervert and a flirt!¡± Sehanie muttered as she dips her body into the stream. ¡°This body is to die for and yet he¡­. He¡­ is not interested anymore.¡± Sehanie dove down, covering her head. A moment later, she rose from the water, as her long blonde hair shone under the moonlight. ¡°The water is cold and good. Pheww¡­ I feel refresh.¡± However, the coldness of the water and freshness it gave betrayed the real expression that was on Sehanie¡¯s face. Something was on her mind and she gave out a long sigh before yet again dive under the water and rose from it like a beautiful swan under a moonlighted night. ¡°Does Claude has someone else he likes? Does he longer have no need of me¡­ and this breast that he loves so much¡­¡± Sehanie touched her breast and felt her heart beats. ¡°It somehow seems so sad and lonely¡­¡± Krak¡­!!! ¡°!!¡± Sehanie was jolted from her thoughts as the sudden noise confirmed that there was an intruder in the area. No, it¡¯s not just any intruder. It was a Peeping Tom. Chapter 07: Here Comes Claude, a Hero and a Romeo (Part 2) Chapter 07: Here Comes Claude, a Hero and a Romeo (Part 2) Opps¡­ I accidentally step on a trap set by Sehanie. It¡¯s an elven made trap, so it¡¯s pretty hard to take notice. ¡°Who¡¯s there? You better be careful. I have set traps all around this area. One wrong move and you will be blown away!!¡± I gulped. This was going to be tricky. As I was enjoying Sehanie¡¯s beautifully sculptured body, I became careless and step on one of her traps. I should have known that she would do such things. I cannot disarm it. So, my only option was to make a mad dash towards the opening between the trees before the trap set off and blew me away. One¡­ Two¡­ Now!!! I ran as fast as I could and the trap set off. A burning flame formed and it exploded just right after. Pheww¡­ Luckily I managed to escape though I might have burnt my ass when the fire caught my pants. Luckily it¡¯s not bad enough to burn through it and making a hole, but it did leave a burnt mark on the new tunic. Oh, my tunic. I¡¯m so sorry. ¡°Claude, is that you?¡± No, it¡¯s not me¡­ I¡¯m not here. I realized that I¡¯m still not safe yet. Not just yet. ¡°If it¡¯s you, Claude, I¡¯m going to squash your balls!¡± Sehanie stood up, barely covering her big breasts. ¡°Come here and show yourself, Claude!¡± Cold sweat poured down from my forehead. My blood flowed from my upper half to lower half. It¡¯s fight or flight reaction, and the only thing I can think off was to run away. To the safety of campfire site. I ran towards the campsite and I barely got there when I saw Sehanie¡¯s silhouette coming out from the path that she took earlier. Just in time. ¡°Claude, where were you?!¡± I¡¯m here, Sehanie. What¡¯s the matter? I heard a commotion earlier. Did someone try to peep at you while you are bathing? Poor fella. He must be blown to pieces. ¡°It¡¯s not you, Claude?¡± Me? I pointed at myself. Nope, not me. I¡¯m not interested. Besides, I have seen everything about you when I was younger, so nothing new to see right now. I lied. I am dying to see her, naked in all her glory. Sehanie seemed glum. What¡¯s that all about? I expect a different reaction. I was preparing some stakes to hunt the fish so we can have our dinner soon. Let me go catch ourselves some fish, right away. I better get a move fast before she suspected anything else. Sehanie looked at me without blinking her eyes. ¡°Sure, it was not you Claude? Who else can be here at this hour?¡± I¡¯m sure, Sehanie. Now dry yourself in front of the fire. Leave the fish catching to me. Little did I know, that little burnt earlier at the back of my tunic told her who was the culprit right away. But, surprisingly, nothing happened to me. I wouldn¡¯t know what gave me away, until much, much later when she told me about it. But I¡¯ll save that part of the story for later, okay. I got a couple of fish in my hands. And as I put them over the fire, I looked at Sehanie as she was drying her long, golden hair. Your hair seems longer. Ever think of cutting it short? ¡°You like it short, Claude?¡± Either way. In any way would be fine just as how you like it. Sehanie pouted Though I never see you with short hair before. A change of look would be good. I smiled at her as the smell of the fish being roasted over the fire starts to penetrate the air. ¡°I will if you ever grow taller than me.¡± We both laughed. As we eat our fill, our night continued. ¡°Hey Claude, this is your first camp outside the Brotherhood right?¡± Sehanies asked, to break the silence. Uh-huh. ¡°What do you think? I have so many already, but I want to hear from you since it¡¯s your first.¡± Hmmm¡­ nothing special. It feels awkward at first especially when we need to divide our campsite jobs. Other than that, it¡¯s normal. But the fish taste good, though. ¡°Ohhhhhh¡­. Is that so?¡± she looked somehow glum again. Was it because she failed to catch the peeping tom? He is right in front of you, but I ain¡¯t going to put my neck on the chopping block to admit that. Yeap. And the best of all¡­. Sehanie looked at me with starry eyes. Perhaps she was waiting for me to say something else. I get to have a date with you Sehanie. Both of us, alone. Nothing beats a date with a beauty like you under the starry sky eating roasted fish. Hehehe. I let out a mischievous laugh. ¡°Ohh, you are such a flirt Claude¡± vigour has returned to her complexion. Now, she was back to herself again. She moved and then sat beside me. ¡°This is my first time too, Claude. To camp with a human on a journey. I have done a lot of camps, but mostly alone or with other elf scouts, but not once with a human yet. Glad my first time is with you, Claude.¡± I feel my blood rising. Is this a confession or what? ¡°But don¡¯t get me wrong. As long as you are shorter and weaker than me, you are just a little brother to me. So, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, alright?!¡± Ohh¡­ you cheeky elven brat. Don¡¯t go and blow my steam just like that. So, if I¡¯m taller, you will treat me differently? ¡°We will see about that. And stronger too. Must be able to do things I can¡¯t, you know.¡± Well, I¡¯m pretty strong. I did save you alright. Though I nearly lost my life and put you in danger too. And that girl, Princess Sierra. ¡°Yes, you are my hero, Claude. But I want you to always be my hero, not just that one time.¡± Alright, alright. I get it already. You want a real man, that is taller and stronger than you to come and sweep you off from your miserable life? I receive a nudge on my arm. ¡°Hey, my life is not miserable. I¡¯m having fun right now. Though I wish there was a man like that for me, Claude.¡± Well Sehanie, if you don¡¯t mind waiting for me, I could be that man. Sehanie stuck out her tongue. ¡°As if Claude. Teehee¡­¡± Well, you are pretty strong yourself Sehanie. Tell me, what skills do you have? ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Shut it and tell me already. If I don¡¯t know how strong you are, how will I help you to find that man, your knight, to save if you are ever in danger? At least let me gauge your skills, Sehanie. And who knows, if I¡¯m stronger than you right now, I¡¯ll sweep you off instead. Hahahaha. ¡°You sure about that? Don¡¯t go and run away like a coward¡­ just like ear¡­ Ah, nevermind.¡± Like what Sehanie? ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s get back to our topic. My skills, ehemm¡­ Let me see¡­¡± Don¡¯t hide anything from me. You can exaggerate a little, you know. ¡°Be quiet, Claude. Let me think¡­¡± ¡°Alright. First, I¡¯m a bowmaster. I can shoot an arrow at a non-moving target, as small as needle¡¯s head from more than 100 yards away. A movable object might be a little bigger than needle¡¯s head, perhaps an apple size would do.¡± Not bad¡­ Impressive. Anything else? ¡°Other than my usual Wooden Elf innate and natural abilities, especially our keen senses, I¡¯m good with nature magic and Sylphs summoning.¡± Nature magic? Sylphs Summoning? What¡¯s that? ¡°Let me show you instead.¡± One by one, Sehanie showed me the extent of her powers. At first, she turned a seemingly normal plant into carnivorous and vinous, about normal human size plant. And then the plant was turned into one giant tree trunk of some kind.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Nature magic, Poison Ivy and the one you see now, it is shield Treant. We use it to defend ourselves from various attacks, especially physical.¡± ¡°And for magic attacks, we have this¡­¡± From Sehanie¡¯s palm, came a magic seal and it forms into a small winged creature with a blue crystal of its head. A sylph. ¡°This is Sylph summoning. This one we call Carbuncle. I can summon a few more of other types, but that¡¯s enough for now.¡± Anything else, Sehanie? ¡°I¡¯m still learning wind magic, but not much to brag about really. Just a simple gust and wind spells. I¡¯ll show you some other time.¡± Surely, you have more on you, right? ¡°Other than that, I can hunt and track and set traps like the one you see just now.¡± I can feel cold sweat dripping. That was same trap nearly blew me to pieces just now. ¡°And simple seal magic. You know, the one we use with our traps, on our items and such so that we can seal its property or guard our items¡± I see. Sehanie was pretty strong. The quest to find her the right man might be harder than I thought. ¡°So, what about you Claude. What skills do you have? Tell me. I¡¯ve been dying to know what the Brotherhood teaches you.¡± Ehemm¡­ Let me show you. I stood up and took my sword out. I¡¯m going to show you the First Movement of the Sun Sword. Watch carefully, now. This time I¡¯ll be using a real sword, instead of my wooden practice sword. I put my sword over the fire to give it a glow, so it will have some sort of special effect and I begin to show Sehanie the full repertoire of my movement. At the very end, I formed some sort of a fiery wind slash that slashes through the water. How about that, Sehanie? ¡°Wow, Claude. I''m amazed. You''re quite good with a sword.¡± You can say that again. I give her my victory pose. ¡°Teehee¡­ that stupid pose again.¡± ¡°Is there anything else you want to show me¡± Nope. That¡¯s all. I pretty much suck at magic and alchemy and worse still at lore and histories. ¡°Awww¡­ that sucks.¡± Hey, hey. Give me some time alright. I¡¯ll be the best damn swordsmaster you will ever meet. I¡¯ll master all the Sword Sun movement and I¡¯ll be able to divide the river in two with a single slash. Just you wait and see. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll wait for it, Claude. Promise me alright.¡± Sure. I gave her my victory pose again. ¡°Again with the stupid pose. Cut it out already!¡± Nope. This pose is cool. You need to get one of yours. Perhaps you can squeeze and jiggle your big breast for your victory pose. That will turn an eye or two. ¡°Pervert!!¡± We both laughed. Time to hit the sack. Let¡¯s sleep. I¡¯ll sleep over here and you over there. So, who will take the first watch? ¡°We don¡¯t need a watch. I have set traps all over the places. So, unless someone or something that foolish enough to this enter place and attacks us, they will be blown away before they know what happens.¡± Whoah. She was scarily good. I wondered when she set the traps. I don¡¯t want her as my foe or rub her on the wrong side. Never ever. So, we shall sleep at our place then? ¡°Nope. I want to sleep beside you Claude¡± I gulped. Please, not that. I don¡¯t know what will I do when I sleep with such a beauty like you Sehanie. ¡°Nah, you won¡¯t do anything. You are too smart for that. Besides, I have my own protection from perverts. So, if they or you even try anything on me¡­.¡± Sehanie showed me a gesture that sent goosebumps to my groin. I understood that gesture well enough. ¡°Good night, Claude¡­¡± Good night, Sehanie¡­ I give out a big yawn before my consciousness started fading. As Sehanie fell asleep beside me, I give a smile looking at her sleeping face. I¡¯ll never grow tired of this beautiful face, ever. ¡°Claude¡­ I know you were¡­ peeping at me back then¡­ Your butt was on fire¡­ But for now, it¡¯s ok¡­ I¡¯ll forgive you this one time¡­.¡± Was Sehanie talking to me in her sleep? So, she found out after all. Well, since she said she forgave me, I don¡¯t have anything to worry about then. Perhaps. I rub Sehanie¡¯s hair before I too fell asleep. ----- I have returned yet again to the land of boobies. ¡°Ohhh Claude, where have you been? We missed you, honey¡­¡± Hohoho¡­ this was the best. I love this place. I¡¯m surrounded by beauties of my type. Loads of them surrounded me, all without a single thread in their bodies. Come here, you green-haired vixen. Let me grab that big boobs of yours and feels it. I groped her boobs and she left out a slight moan. Sexy and I know that she knows it too. What¡¯s your name, oh the one beautiful lady with long golden hair and big-breast? The Goddess of my lust and desire. ¡°I¡¯m Sehanie¡± Ohhh¡­ you have the same name as that elven brat. You do look like her, though. I squeeze her boobs and she left out another moan. ¡°A brat?¡± Yeah. The Sehanie I know is an elven brat with huge breast, just like yours. And since you also look like her, let me personally feel more of you. Muahaha¡­ Let me nom-nom that huge melons of yours. I won¡¯t get this in real life anyway, so let me have my fill in my own world. ¡°Where do you think you are touching, Claude?¡± Where else, babe. Gimme those pair of yours and let me enjoy it. I groped her breast and as soon as I puckered my lips, I got slapped. A slap so strong that it stung my whole body. Suddenly, my boobie-land disappear. Huh? Where am I? What happened to my boobie-land? ¡°This was what happened to your boobie-land, you massive, mega pervert. Sehanie¡¯s hidden elf technique, Balls¡¯ Crusher. Take that!!!¡± Ughhhh¡­ No¡­ not my balls¡­ It¡¯s going to get crush. ¡°Then let it be crushed, you¡­ you pervert¡± As I opened my eyes, I saw Sehanie had lifted my legs up and squash my balls with her feet. Specifically, she was crushing me with her boot¡¯s heel. Ahhhh¡­. My balls¡­ What the hell are you doing, Sehanie? Are you trying to kill me or what?! Let me go you crazy elf bitch!! ¡°I could ask you the same thing. Why did you grab my boobs early in the morning? And¡­ And that pervert face of yours trying to¡­. to¡­¡± It¡¯s all a dream, Sehanie¡­ It¡¯s all a dream¡­ I did not intentionally do it. It¡¯s all in a dream. Let me go before my balls really get crushed. ¡°I don¡¯t care you pervert. Take that some more!!¡± Sehanie continued to torture me for as long as I can remember. ----- Sniff¡­ sniff¡­ It hurts like hell, you¡­. you evil elven girl. I can¡¯t feel my balls now. I can¡¯t get married like this. No woman would ever want me, now. I looked at Sehanie. Returned me back my balls. If you ever crushed it, I¡¯m not going to forgive you forever, you crazy female elf. Sehanie pouted. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for molesting me early in the morning. You are not my lover or husband to do that sort of thing.¡± Who¡¯s¡¯ going to be your lover and marry you when you are crazy like this. Who¡¯s on their right mind going to love a woman who will squash a man¡¯s most important part when she¡¯s pissed off. ¡°But you touched me first!¡± I pouted back at her. But it doesn¡¯t hurt like how you hurt me. If I cannot perform in future, I¡¯ll blame you. You¡­ you will take the responsibilities if this ever happens. Sehanie blushed and turned away. ¡°Heh! I¡¯ll never¡± I turned my face away in disgust. Hummphhh¡­ suits yourself. I¡¯m going alone. I think I¡¯d be better off travelling alone than to be accompanied by a would-be assassin just because I touch your boobs. Even if I have nine lives, it ain¡¯t cut it when I¡¯m with you. ¡°Hey, Claude. Where do you think you are going?¡± Far away from you. Anywhere but near you. ¡°Ohhh¡­ Claude.¡± Tears started welling in Sehanie¡¯s eyes but this time I don¡¯t care. Oh, stop it with that fake tears of yours. I¡¯m already used to it. Cry me a waterfall, but I ain¡¯t travelling with you anymore. ¡°Sniff¡­ sniff.¡± A while later, I was walking down the main highway that leads Elsevier. Although we called it a highway, but it¡¯s no more than a dirt part that barely fits two caravan side by side at the same time. The sky was bright and the sun is sunny, but it¡¯s not that hot. I have made good progress since morning. A figure can be seen following me from behind. Go away! ¡°Sniff¡­ sniff.¡± I stopped in my tracks. And the figure followed suit. I said, go away!!! The pain from this morning was still throbbing. ¡°Claude¡­ Please¡± No. No and no. And saying please would not change my mind either. I¡¯ll go my way. You go yours. Shoo¡­ Shoo¡­ I chased Sehanie away. She has been following me from behind since this morning. And since that time too, I have been trying to chase her away but to no avail. ¡°No¡­ I won¡¯t go. Just because you hate me and tell me to go away, I still won¡¯t go away¡± I don¡¯t hate you, you stupid elf girl. I just want to be alone, that¡¯s all. ¡°No, I¡¯m still not leaving you¡± Suit yourself. Sigh. What a petulance nuisance Sehanie could be. After a while, I reached a crossroad. There was a sign erected between the crossroad. Left: To Elsivier, 30 miles. Right: To M¡­e¡­l¡­ I can¡¯t seem to make out the sign at the moment. Well, not that it matters since I¡¯m heaving to Elsivier anyway. I¡¯ll just take a turn to the left, then¡­ ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± I turned away, looking at the source of the voice. I saw Sehanie and she misplaced her steps, lost her balance and fell down. Sigh¡­ What a clumsy elf. I walked towards her. You alright Sehanie? She did not answer me. This elf was stubborn as a mule it seems. First, she was trying to get my attention. And now she had my attention, she acted all snobbish. Should I leave her here, then? That will teach her a lesson. You know, for an elf, you are pretty much a very clumsy one. There¡¯s nothing here that will trip you and there you go and lose your balance. So much about your tracking and hunting skills, ehh Sehanie. She still did not respond. She was rubbing her swollen ankle and holding back her tears. It seemed that she just sprained her ankle from that fall. Looking at her like this, I felt a sense of pity for her. I squat down in front of her, with my back facing her. Ride my back, I¡¯ll carry you. I looked back at her while waiting for her response. Sehanie shook her head. Still stubborn even though she just sprained her ankle. Look, Sehanie. I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m a man that does not leave a distressed woman all by herself. Now, I got a journey to make and if you are not letting me carry you, I¡¯ll leave you, right here, right now¡­ all by yourself. So, take your pick. I turned away, my back still facing her while waiting for her response yet again. But I don¡¯t have to wait too long. I could feel long and slender arms wrap my chest from the back. I smiled. Looks like she did give in after all. That¡¯s a good girl. Now, hold yourself steady, we need to make a distance before nightfall. So, hold on tight. Sehanie nodded from behind. I could feel her warmth and softness behind my back. A woman was still a fragile creature, after all. When she was this quiet, she can be pretty cute. I can see that she was blushing because I was carrying her on my back, but she was no longer crying. ¡°Thank you, Claude¡± No problem, Sehanie. Before long, the sun reached its highest peak. It¡¯s noon and we were taking our first break since this morning. How¡¯s your ankle now, Sehanie? Is it any better? ¡°A little better. Thank you, Claude.¡± She turned away, blushing. What are you blushing about anyway, Sehanie? I thought to myself. Well, I couldn¡¯t leave you there all alone right. And, you can¡¯t walk with your ankle like that, and I need to reach Elsivier soon. So, whether I like it or not, I will have to carry you. Sehanie looked down. She seemed somehow sad. The changes of her facial expression from happiness to sad was quite startling. What¡¯s wrong with Sehanie, anyway? No worries, I¡¯ll carry you until your leg is all heal. Till then, please use my back. Hahaha. I tried to lighten up the situation. And I¡¯m¡­. I¡¯m sorry from before alright. I know¡­ I shouldn¡¯t do that. So¡­ please forgive me, ok. Sehanie gives a slight smile. It seemed so awkward now, the moment between us. I couldn¡¯t help but ponder what was in Sehanie¡¯s mind. But, unfortunately, I could not even ponder far enough. Suddenly, I heard some movement came rushing towards us. Sehanie! Prepare yourself!!! Sehanie drew her arrow and I prepared my sword in advance, as we anticipated an attack of some sort. But it was not an attack. What came to us was a group of some small animals running away, from something. I wonder what made those animals scared until they have to run away? And I have my answer, not soon after. BOOM! An explosion! I heard a loud explosion coming from the other side of the forest, not too far from where we were resting. It¡¯s on the main path that leads to Elsivier. ¡°Look, Claude, up the in the sky!¡± I looked up and I saw a flock bird flying away from trees. ¡°What is it, Claude? What might cause this?¡± I don¡¯t know, Sehanie. But, let¡¯s check it out. Looks like there could be some trouble ahead. As we dashed along towards the explosion, my memory of previous battle played in my mind. I tried to shake it off, but I couldn¡¯t help to wonder what if it¡¯s that same creature again. I looked at Sehanie, and perhaps catching on what I was thinking about, said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Claude. I don¡¯t think this is that same monster again.¡± But how would you know? ¡°I¡­ I just know. Anyway, just be careful, Claude¡± I nodded. I need to be calm here. Come what may. After a while, we saw a clearing. In front of us, there was an overturned caravan and a crowd of people; all of them wearing red hoods and black costume of some sort. It looked like there were a group of people, surrounding something, or perhaps, someone. Wait, Sehanie. Let¡¯s not go straight into them just yet. We halted and took some cover behind the bushes. Let¡¯s see what is happening first. Then only we will take action. ¡°Alright, Claude!¡± We observed the situation that was unfolding before us. Chapter 07: Here Comes Claude, a Hero and a Romeo (Part 3) Chapter 07: Here Comes Claude, a Hero and a Romeo (Part 3) ¡°I told you already, hand us your daughter, your wife and your caravan, and we will let you go. Now, looks what going happen if you are stubborn. You will end up just like the caravan we just blew up!¡± A guy, dressed in a red hood like the rest of them, started to talk. Perhaps he was the de-facto leader. A hearty but somewhat sinister laugh followed soon. ¡°Gwahahahaha¡± ¡°No, you will not have my daughter and wife.¡± Came out an answer from the middle of the group. ¡°Then you will die, stubborn old mule. And we will still take your wife and daughter. Gwahahahaha¡­¡± And the rest of the group started to laugh like the leader with ¡®Gwahahaha¡¯ ringing throughout the area. Man, what a typical bad guys¡¯ laugh. ¡°I rather die than sacrificing my own family to scum likes you!¡±The man was still retaliating despite the overwhelming odds in numbers and strength. ¡°Then your wish is ours to command, old fool. Gwahahahaha¡± It was a robbery. In a broad daylight, in the middle of the main path that leads to Elsivier. And looks like it would be a robbery turn into murder soon enough. Sehanie, listen. Can you count how many of them? ¡°I¡¯ve already counted. 20 of them, all armed with various weapons. Ten with blades, another 4 with bows, and the rest have daggers or short swords.¡± Races? ¡°15 humans, 4 halflings and one dwarf.¡± Sehanie was really dependable. She really knew her scouting job really well. No. Now¡¯s not the time for any compliment. We need to save that family first and fast. Two versus 20. With a family in the middle. And we needed to stop the robbers from killing the family. The situation of having a group of armed robbers surrounding them would not be going to make the job of rescuing and saving the family¡¯s life any easier. However, this was not something that was too impossible for me to handle. Together with Sehanie, I knew we can do it. Alright, I got an idea. Sehanie, listen carefully. I need you to headshot the leader with a single arrow. I think he is the one that was talking earlier and laughs ¡°Gwahaha¡±. Get him and the group will be in disarray for a moment. And they will be looking at the direction of the arrow fired. Next, get all the archers if you can. ¡°What about you then, Claude?¡± Well, since they haven¡¯t detected us yet, we can ambush them, but the surprise attack won¡¯t last long as they will be prepared to fight us off. After you fire the away and kills their leader, I¡¯ll move forward and strike the ones that form the perimeter of the group. Hopefully, with our first swift attack, we can take out their leader, their archers and I can secure their attention. Once I have got their attention, can you stop their movements with your nature magic? All of them are melee fighters, so once you stop their movements, it¡¯s easier for us to attack them head-on. ¡°But I need some time to cast my magic, Claude.¡± I¡¯ll buy you some time. 20 versus 2 look pretty one-sided in terms of numbers, but we need to coordinate our attack. So, on my count of three. Get ready Sehanie. Sehanie nodded and prepared her arrows. Three! As soon as Sehanie fired her arrow, I leapt in front and dashed forwards. Without making much sound, we took their leader with an arrow directly to the head from behind. The impact killed him instantly without a single sound made. Not even a groan of death. Even before the first arrow reached its mark, Sehanie fired another four more around of arrows consecutively, each hitting the red hooded archers with such eerie accuracy. As for my part, I managed to cut down two in front of me, and most importantly, secured their attention. The attack really took them by surprise. Their leader now was dead together with all their archers and including the two that I¡¯d slashed earlier, now it was 13 vs 2. I stood in front of a man, the one that these group of red-hooded people trying to rob and kill. Behind him, was a young red-haired girl about the age of 12-14, his daughter perhaps and next to her, was a middle-aged woman, presumably his wife. Are you alright, old man? The man was surprised to see me. ¡°Who¡­ Who¡­ are you?¡± Who am I is not important right now. I asked, are you alright?! ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ alright!¡± Good! How about your wife and daughter? ¡°We¡­we are alright too¡­¡± Answered the middle-aged lady. Good. Now I want you to listen and do exactly as I say if you valued your life dearly. There are 13 people here and three lives to save. So, first get back behind me all of you. The three of them did as they were told immediately. Perhaps my actions and words had impacted them somehow. And when I say run, you will run towards your caravan and hide, got it! ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± whimpered the middle-aged man. GOT IT! I shouted directly at them. ¡°Y-Yes!¡± The red hood robbers had finally regrouped themselves before long. All of them surrounded me in an arch, leaving my back free. Good. This bunch of robbers and murderers were pretty thick when it comes to tactics, then. ¡°What in the world?!¡­ Who are you?!¡± Asked someone from the group. ¡°A damn kid, sticking his nose up into something none of his business¡± came another voice. Looks like their morale was pretty low after the death of their leader and it was obvious that they did not have a plan to counter-attack. Perhaps they did never even consider themselves to be attacked like this. Such arrogance in their numbers. However, because of their sheer number, they had one fatal flaw; they thought they would have an upper hand against a small kid in front of them. I gave a dry smile. And I started to do what I do best. Goading and taunting. It¡¯s not my business alright. But robbing a family in a broad daylight and what more in the main road, are both stupid and reckless. You red hoods must be having manure as your brain. ¡°What did you call us, damn brat?!¡± Stupid, manure-brained, reckless, and now deaf red hooded cowards. I could see some of them trembled in anger. Looks like my goading and taunting has taken some sort of an effect. ¡°Looks like we have to kill you too!!¡± Heh. Kill me. Look how many of you are dead. Be thankful if you are the ones that are alive after this. ¡°Heh. You are alone, kid and with those people behind you will be pulling your weight down. What can you do? We outnumbered you, many times over. And we can kill you as many times over too. No, we will torture you first before we kill you.¡± Who says I¡¯m alone? I gave a smirk that sent shiver down to these red hoods¡¯ spine. They looked around but saw no one. Because of that, they seemed to gain a short-lived dose of confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to us kid. There¡¯s no one here!!¡± Lie? Hahahaha¡­ soon you will have nowhere to run and your lives will be forfeited. Now, all of you either put down your weapons, and run away like a dog, or would you all prefer to fight and die a useless death, worthy of you coward lots. I can see that I¡¯m really getting on their nerves. Leaderless, nearly half of their members were dead, afraid of the unknown support I might have and worse of all being taunted by a damn kid. There was a silence between the two groups; myself with the family versus the red hoods. What¡¯s the matter? Cat got your tongue? ¡°You are the one that will get nowhere. Now you die, you damn kid!!¡± As soon as they lifted the weapons to attack me, I heard Sehanie¡¯s scream. ¡°Water and Earth, hear me out... grant my wish and let this seed of life grow. Determine the fate and preserve the balance of all....stop the track of one who destroys. Vine Entrapment!¡± Suddenly, the ground that was below the red hoods began to rumble. ¡°Now, Claude!!¡± I readied my First Movement of the Sun Sword stance and shouted to the family behind me. ¡°RUN NOW !!¡± Without any further delay, the three of them run away to safety, taking cover behind their caravan. The distance was no less than 30 yards away. ¡°W-W-W- Whaaat is this?¡± ¡°Sorcery... This is sorcery!!¡± Before the red hoods could even react, all of them have been entangled with vines of some sort. Sehanie came out from her hiding place and now stood beside me. And in front of us, were the now entangled red hoods, dangling from midair, with vines contracting all their body movements. ¡°Look! It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s an elf witch!!¡± Sehanie became really annoyed with that word. A witch they called her. Perhaps these red hoods really did not value their own lives. Sehanie then made a gesture and the vines moved and covered all the red hoods mouth. ¡°We don¡¯t have to listen to them, anymore. So, what shall we do with them, Claude?¡± Well, we can let the Brotherhood of the Sun handle them. Upon hearing those words, all the red hoods¡¯ faces became pale beyond normal complexion. ¡°Ohhh¡­ you don¡¯t know who you are up against?¡± Upon seeing their reaction, Sehanie began to taunt them. ¡°Although he is a short damn kid, he¡¯s the hero of the Brotherhood. And an army of the Brotherhoods is coming this way to greet him personally.¡± Hey, don¡¯t include the ¡®short¡¯ word, alright. ¡®Hero¡¯ would be just fine. I could see some of the red hoods was starting to get really nervous.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Look, I am not a robber and killer like you guys, but I can¡¯t let you go just like that. Else, you will start to rob and kill people again. We can¡¯t have that, can we? ¡°So, what shall we do Claude?¡± I¡¯ve got an idea. I gave a smirk that sends yet another shiver down those red hoods¡¯ spine. A moment later¡­ Is that all on your side, Sehanie? ¡°Yap, that¡¯s all. Every one of them¡± Good! We stripped those red hoods naked and then tied them up using the vines from Sehanie¡¯s nature magic to the trees just by the roadside and placed a sign that was big enough that says, ¡°We are red hooded robbers and murderers. We are big masochistic perverts and we liked to be tied naked to trees.¡± By using Sehanie¡¯s nature magic it took a short time to finish everything. I then proceed to blindfold them, but before I did so, I gave them my victory pose. Heh. As for the dead bodies, we buried them nearby. Even though they were bad people, at least we could give them a proper burial. That and also add to the fact that dead bodies lying on the roadside sure ain¡¯t pretty. All of that too was hasten by Sehanie¡¯s magic. Magic seemed pretty useful in a situation like this. I needed to pay more attention to magic classes from now onwards. You sure the vines will hold them long enough, Sehanie? ¡°Yup, even normal weapons won¡¯t be able to cut easily through this vines.¡± Good. This is a busy main road. For sure there will be cavalry or knights passing this area before long. They will know what to do with these guys. Let¡¯s check out the family now. We went over to the family and we found them inside the caravan, hugging each other. I called out to them. Hey, it¡¯s alright now. We¡¯ve got them all tied up. The middle-aged man looked at me first, then followed by his wife and lastly his daughter. It¡¯s safe now. Is there anyone of you is hurt? Upon hearing my words, they cried. A cry of joy that upon realizing that their lives were still intact. ¡°We¡­. We¡­are unhurt¡­. Thanks to you¡­ young hero!¡± I smiled. Being called a hero felt good. Well, if all of you are alright and not hurt anywhere, you can come out now. All of them came out. And we then introduced ourselves. I¡¯m Claude, and this elf girl here is Sehanie. The middle-aged man then proceeded to introduced his family. ¡°I¡¯m Jann, my wife Mili and my daughter, Nelia¡± ¡°Thank you so much for saving us¡± Mili has been thanking us nonstop. From the moment that she realized that their situation has turned for the better, I could hear her words of thanks and gratitude over and over. However, Nelia was pretty much quiet. Perhaps this incident gives her such a traumatic experience for a young girl like her. Understandable, really. ¡°So, what are you doing here? And what actually happened between you and those red hoods anyway¡± Sehanie inquired from Jann. ¡°We are on our way to Elsivier. We travelled this road every other day. We are a merchant from the nearby village, you see. Although we are a merchant, but we are just a small-time one. We don¡¯t carry any valuables with us, other than vegetables, fruits and meats to sell at the capital¡¯s market. And the red hood? I asked Jann. ¡°They are the Red Scarlet¡¯s gang. They are a bunch of robbers and slave traders!¡± Red Scarlet¡¯s gang. Hmmm¡­ I never heard of them. So, it means that they wanted to take your daughter and wife as a slave? Not just your golds and your merchandise, but they want to take your family too? Jann looked down on the ground and said, ¡°Yeah¡­ if it¡¯s not for both of your help, who knows what might have happened to all of us.¡± ¡°Dear¡­¡± Mili patted her husband¡¯s back. But, but¡­ why do it during broad daylight and here, of all places? ¡°I heard from some knights back in the capital last week that their gang¡¯s leader, Red Scarlet went missing for quite some time now. So, there have been some infighting within the gang on who to succeed the gang¡¯s leadership. So, in the meantime, several groups were formed and some took their evil deeds, way too far. Even robbing, kidnapping and killing people in broad daylight. As if to tell the other group, we can do it better than you.¡± ¡°How terrible...¡± Sehanie sympathized with Jann and his family. ¡°But¡¯s it¡¯s all over now, right dear?¡± Mili tried to calm down her husband, who seemed to be agitated from the beginning. ¡°Claude and Sehanie have helped to take down one the group.¡± Mili continued to reassure her husband. I can sense the situation was somewhat depressing despite their lives had been just saved, so I move on to another topic. How¡¯s the caravan? Can it be fixed? Jann and Mili checked their caravan. ¡°Well, other than a hole in the roof from the impact of the explosion, some destroyed merchandises and another big hole to the side on the caravan, it¡¯s still in good condition. We feared the worst but luckily it¡¯s not.¡± Can it move? What about the horse? ¡°Yeah, a little repair on the wheel, and it would be able to get us to the capital with no problem. We can get proper repair there. The horse is alright, although it was dazed from the explosion.¡± Jann explained to us in details. ¡°I¡¯ll heal the horse a little with my magic.¡± Sehanie offered herself and proceed to work her magic on the horse. Then, I¡¯ll help you fix the wheel, Jann. With that, we managed to get the caravan moving again. Jann and Mili offered to take us Elsivier on their caravan, an offer of which we gladly took. A ride would hasten our journey. However, because of the incident, the caravan moved at a much slower speed. On foot, we could travel faster and lighter, but both Sehanie and I don¡¯t mind actually since we have travelling companions with us now. The more, the merrier. Although Nelia has not even uttered a single word since the beginning. The sun set before long and we decided to camp. The horse needed its rest too and Sehanie has been taking care of it, since the beginning of the journey. Wood Elves sure love animals, it seems. I helped Jann to prepare the camp and start the fire, while Nelia and Mili were busy preparing food. It looked like I would not have to cook or catch some fish to roast tonight. And the smells seemed so good. It must be delicious. I can¡¯t wait for dinner. I looked at the direction of the pot where the smells came from and my eyes met Nelia¡¯s. However, she turned her face away from me the instant she saw me. Hmmm¡­ what was that all about? Did I piss her off or something? Jann, looking at what was happening between me and Nelia, laughed and patted my back. ¡°So, you are not just any normal hero, ehh?¡± What do you mean by that, Jann? He did not answer but continued to laugh. Before long, all of us were seated around the campfire in a circle. I¡¯m sitting between Jann and Sehanie and the opposite of me was Nelia and beside her was Mili. Nelia seemed to choose her seat very close to her mother. It¡¯s more like she was hiding behind her back instead of sitting next to her. I wonder what was wrong with Nelia. Was it something I¡¯d said before? ¡°Claude, please try this broth.¡± Jann handed me a bowl of broth and I took a sip. Wow, this is really good. This is the best food I have tasted for a long time. Even better than the one they serve at the Brotherhood. ¡°Mili is a great cook. That¡¯s why I married her.¡± Jann teased his wife. ¡°Ohhh honey¡­¡± Mili blushed. ¡°The food she cooks is really famous in Elsivier. People would be lining up to get a taste. And that¡¯s how we can sell all our merchandises. Hahaha.¡± Ahh¡­ Is that so? I gave out a smile and nodded in approval of the deliciousness of the broth. Jann received a nudge on his arm from Mili. ¡°But it¡¯s true, did it not darling?¡± Yeah, I can see that. This food is delicious. What do you think, Sehanie? ¡°It¡¯s great. Lovely. I never had one like this. It¡¯s refreshing but at the same time it brings warmth inside of me.¡±Sehanie was complimenting the food and it was a first I saw of her doing that while eating what she normally called a¡®human-waste¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s Mili¡¯s special, Mum¡¯s Broth. A sip of it and you will be fresh and full of vigour.¡± Jann seemed to be so proud of his wife. Who wouldn¡¯t if she happened to be such a great cook. ¡°So, tell us, about yourself. You haven¡¯t told much anything about yourself, just your name¡± Jann asked of me and Sehanie. I looked at Sehanie. And both of us nodded in unison. Well, the night was still young, so a little story would not hurt. ¡°Yeah Claude, Sehanie. Tell us about yourself. We would love to know more about our saviour.¡± I blushed. Sehanie kept looking at me, perhaps letting me take the lead. Alright, let me see. What can I tell you about myself? Perhaps I¡¯m from the Brotherhood of the Sun and I¡¯m travelling to Elsivier. I have been invited to join¡­ what¡¯s that again¡­ The Royal Elite Knights¡­ I think. Suddenly, I could hear bowls were being dropped. Jann and Mili both had dropped their bowls. ¡°What?! You are a member of the Brotherhood?? THE Brotherhood of the Sun?¡± Jann asked for my confirmation. I nodded. I showed him my Journeyman¡¯s ring. ¡°And you are going to join the Royal Elite Knights. You are not kidding this old man, right?¡± I shook my head. Nah, I don¡¯t need to. ¡°Wow, looks like we have an esteemed guest with us here tonight, dear.¡± Mili interjected. ¡°Yes, Mili. We do. We do. Haha! Hahahaha!¡± Jann laughed and picked up both of their bowls that was dropped earlier. I¡¯m confused. Was there anything special about who am I going to be or what I''m about to do anyway? Jann, being a perceptive old man he was, perhaps from his merchant¡¯s skillsets, noticed the perplexed look on my face. ¡°Do you know anything about Royal Elite Knights, Claude?¡± I shook my head, Not a single idea. What¡¯s a Royal Elite Knights, anyway? It was my turn to ask Jann and Mili. Jann and Mili looked at each other, disbelief with what I just said. They then turned back to me. And I could see Nelia was peeking from in between both of her parents. ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I¡¯ll tell you what I know. Claude, you have been invited to join the most prestigious knight¡¯s group, The Royal Elites Knight. Every kid, even I, when I was younger dreamt of joining them. But to join the Elites ¨C which what we called them, you must first be recommended by a royalty, or have a noble blood. Secondly, you must prove your skills. And last but not least, displaying valour on the battlefield. And the act of valour in the time of need, far above beyond the call of duty.¡± Jann explained to me. I see. Now I understand. ¡°So, tell me, Claude, if you really don¡¯t mind, who recommended you and what did you do?¡± Mili pleaded with me. I looked at Sehanie. She was smiling and nodded at me, and I could even see that Jann, Mili and Nelia were somewhat expecting stories from me. Especially Nelia. Her eyes seemed to sparkle the most amidst the campfire¡¯s flicker. I can¡¯t disappoint my fans, right? Telling stories of heroic deeds seemed to be part and parcel of being a hero. And so, I began to tell my tale, saving Princess Sierra, together with Sehanie. And my journey to Elsivier to receive my King¡¯s Medal of Gallant Heart. After I concluded my story, I was hoping for a clap. Instead, I got something else. I saw Mili and Jann¡¯s jaws dropped and Nelia went further back, hiding behind her mother. She looked restless. I looked at Sehanie, wondering what had happened. And she too gave me a blank stare and a shrug of a shoulder. Ehh¡­ Jann? Mili? Are you alright? Was my story too¡­ undeserving? Do you feel that I¡¯m lying? After a while, they responded to me. First was Nelia. She went inside the caravan without even taking a look at me. Now, I feel hurt. If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t even indulge in something like this. I should just decline them and shut my mouth up. Now, look what had happened. Mili was next person to respond. She looked at her husband and nodded at him. What now? Telepathic communication between married couples. Aww, come on. Jann''s hand was trembling. However, despite the trembling, he began to speak. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ are really indeed a hero. To do what you did, to save our Crown Princess, with Sehanie¡­ I¡­ I¡­ We¡­ are deeply honoured to be in your presence, young hero.¡± Ehh? ¡°It¡¯s true. Upon hearing your tales, it wells deep inside my heart to have both of you with us. Myself, Mili and Nelia. All of us are really honoured.¡± But, don¡¯t you think I might be lying? ¡°When you save us the way you did earlier, we know that your tales are to be true. We are strangers before, and yet you risked both of your life for some unknown people. And it¡¯s not some minor risk. You were against those many people, just both of you.¡± Well, we can¡¯t let innocent people live to be taken just like that. Our conscience would not let us. Sehanie nodded. ¡°We won¡¯t let some evil people, no matter who they are, to do whatever they want. What more to innocent family like yours¡­ to you Jann, Mili and Nelia.¡± Sehanie added more weight to my words earlier. I agreed with Sehanie. Though she has been quieter than usual for these past few days, but she was right. Our Brotherhood ethos would not allow me to be idle. And Sehanie, as a Wood Elf, hated evil-doer that destroy lives wantonly. ¡°Again, we thank both of you. I don¡¯t know how we can repay you.¡± Mili added. Please. Enough with the thanks. Your broth is wonderful and that is payment enough. Could I have more, please? ¡°Hahahaha. Have more. Please have more.¡± Jann and Mili were beaming with happiness and joy and I could see that in their faces. Suddenly, I heard something fell down. Well, not exactly falling down, but someone jumped from the caravan. It was Nelia. She finally came out from the caravan at last. She was the only one that somehow I felt was very distant from me. She hid behind her mother¡¯s back, again as soon as she emerged. She was 14 and yet, it seemed like she behaved like 5 years old girl. I tried to smile at her, but it seemed awkward. However, Nelia blushed and hid her face immediately behind Mili. ¡°Nelia¡­ come on child, you do have something for Claude, don¡¯t you?¡± Mili persuaded her daughter. Something for me? ¡°Ohh?¡± Sehanie suddenly left out a sound. Seemed that she was surprised too. ¡°Claude, please forgive Nelia. She is an extremely shy girl especially around boys.¡± Mili explained Nelia¡¯s behaviour to me. I see. Nevermind then. It¡¯s normal for a girl her age. But honestly, I do feel a little hurt inside my heart though. Nelia was a beautiful young girl and I have no doubt she will grow into a fine young lady, though I prefer them my age or older. However, the fact that she looked away from me every time our eyes met or hid away hurt me a little. But, as their hero, I can¡¯t be too bothered about it, right? While I was still in my thoughts, I saw a small hand, extending something for me. It was Nelia and on her small hand, I noticed there¡¯s a small ring. ¡°Please¡­. please¡­. take this¡­. as¡­. present¡­. Ser¡­ hero¡­¡± Nelia stammered her words uncontrollably. ¡°Ohh hoo!!¡± Sehanie giggled at me. Cut it out Sehanie. Jann and Mili both laughed out loud. Is this ring for me, Nelia? Nelia nodded, her head bowed down in embarrassment. Why thank you, Nelia. It¡¯s beautiful. I took the ring from her hands. Nelia blushed. But this time, she did not hide behind her mother¡¯s back, though she still won¡¯t look at me. ¡°My, my Claude. A gift from a girl. Just like you always wished.¡± Sehanie teased me. Nelia blushed even more. ¡°Is that a proposal ring to Claude, Nelia?¡± Sehanie jokingly asked of Nelia. However, to her immediate surprise, Nelia nodded. ¡°Hahahahaha¡­. Looks like our daughter just falls in love with you Claude.¡± Mili smiled at me. ¡°She falls in love with him the moment she saw him back then when he came out of nowhere and saved us¡­ and being Nelia, she¡¯s all shy about it.¡± Jann explained to Mili. No kidding. But¡­ but¡­ I¡­ It¡¯s my turn to stammer. ¡°Nelia is shy, but she is serious, Claude. Hahahaha.¡± Ohhh Jann, please. You are not helping me here. ¡°Looks like we have a lady¡­ I mean a girl-killer. Teehee..¡± Sehanie continued to tease me as she nudged my side. ¡°Come on Claude, wear the ring already. Don¡¯t let the girl waits.¡± Sehanie laughed at my somewhat pleasant misery. But¡­. I like them older¡­. And¡­bigger¡­ Before I could finished up my words, Nelia grabbed the sleeve of my tunic. ¡°I¡¯ll grow older¡­ and¡­ and as busty¡­ as Sehanie¡­ So¡­please¡­¡± Mili and Jann laughed uncontrollably. ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± Sehanie was rolling on the floor, laughing out loud. ¡°You hear that Claude? She said she will be as big as me. Teehee¡­ this is so funny!¡± ¡°If Sehanie¡­. Doesn¡¯t¡­ want you¡­ anymore¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll¡­¡± Nelia stopped before she could even finish her words. ¡°Teehee. No worries, Nelia. You can have him. Teehee¡­¡± Sehanie tried to pan the flame even more. ¡°Ohhh, Claude¡­ you are the greatest hero alright. Princess saviour and now a girl-killer. This must be surely the dreams that you always wanted, Claude.¡± Ohh, please stop it Sehanie. Please don¡¯t give Nelia the idea. All of them seems to enjoy my misery. Come on, guys, help me out a little bit. I¡­ I have never been proposed like this. Heck, I never been proposed before or even proposed to any girls. I looked up to the starry sky as I contemplate what was happening at the campsite. Soon, as the night grew darker, we began to clean up and took our places to sleep. As usual, Sehanie prepared traps around us so we don¡¯t have to keep watch. After a while, everyone went to sleep. Sehanie and Mili were sleeping together inside the caravan. Jann slept inside too, but a little further from them, near the edge of the caravan. I¡¯m with Nelia beside the campfire. Nelia was still holding my sleeves, and now she was asleep beside me. I wore the ring that she gave me earlier and that makes her so happy that she won¡¯t let go of me at all. Girls sure were persistent, even the shy ones. Sigh¡­ This was going to be a very long night. I too went to sleep not long after. It has been an exhausting day. And it¡¯s just the second day of my journey. Wonder what would still await me tomorrow? Chapter 07a: When the Heart Flutters Chapter 07a: When the Heart Flutters Recollection of Sehanie Moonbow, Woof Elf Scout of Elaeseryn. I had been waiting for Claude when the morning was still dark. The wind was chilly and I could see a cloud of fog around the river area that separates the guild-city with the forest. This was the same place I met Claude the other day. I heard from the Chief Elder, who in turn heard from Blizzard Hawk, that Claude would begin his journey today when the day started early. Although I have not been told the time of Claude¡¯s departure, knowing him, he would depart slightly after sunrise, about 7.00am. And so I waited. And waited. And waited. While waiting, my mind wandered off to a few days before. I had meetings with both Chief Elder and Father who conveyed to me such a grim message, that Claude was evil. Or perhaps, host to an evil energy inside him. That this evil had such pure intensity about it that it even managed to change the colour of the Jewel of Resonance, an artefact that has been my clan¡¯s keepsake since ancient times. An artefact that I¡¯m holding right now. Looking at the blue light of Crystal, which previously shone in white, I could not help it but get worried. For Claude, for myself and for my clan¡¯s future. So many questions raced through my minds for the past few days. First, why did Claude even had that energy? Did the evil energy even belong to him? I knew Claude for 12 years since he was yet a child, but I never knew he had this energy inside him. Nearly everyone from our Village knew him, and they too were surprised. Elder Chief and Father knew Claude too, although in this situation they have to be impartial for the clan¡¯s safety. Did he know he released that energy? Why Claude, of all people? The Claude that I cared so much. One thing led to another and thus, I was given this mission. My mission was simple: First, to bring the Jewel of Resonance back to the Haederynn, the exclusive kingdom of the Elves, where the descendants of God-King Aldywnn Thrandyl lives. I never met them before and I¡¯m anxious about my meeting with them. Secondly, and more importantly, to follow Claude during his journey so I can spy on him. On his behaviour, his attitude and everything about him. Especially if there were any changes. I have to report everything even a minor one. The thought that I have to be a spy even to my childhood friend filled me with uneasiness and certain nausea, but I cannot forfeit my duty just because of my personal feelings. If what was my Father and Chief said was true, then anything that I would report back later, can save Claude. I trusted their words. Claude will not be harmed. In fact, I¡¯ll make it my duty that Claude will never be harmed. As I placed the Crystal back in a special bag that I carried with me, I saw a familiar silhouette coming out of the Western gate of the Guild-city. ¡°Tee-hee. It¡¯s Claude alright. Looks like I¡¯m right on time. Well, not exactly right on time. But anyway, I better go and greet him already!¡± I jumped down from the tree and make my way to him. But somehow, he did not notice me. Usually, he would have noticed me right away and will try to grab my breast. But not today. I wondered why? It seemed like the beginning of my mission was taking a turn that I did not wish it to be. Though the journey is still far from ending, but please Claude, be like who you were, like you used to. Please. If you want to be a pervert, now was the time. Though, I would still punish you like usual. Yeah, usual would be the best. I greeted him and he seemed surprised, in an unpleasant way. What¡¯s with his manner this morning? Perhaps he was not told I¡¯ll be coming with him. I¡¯ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. And it was still early morning. I gave him a kiss, to thank him for saving my life the other day. Claude blushed. He still blushed like he used to when I kissed him on his cheeks. How cute. However, he then struck into this weird post. He turned around, his back facing me and gave me thumbs up. What with that idiotic pose anyway? He told me it was cool and he liked it. Ughh¡­ Though, he did have lots of funny and weird ways of doing things, but striking a pose like that? Well, Claude, I¡¯ll let you have it your way for once. I told him that I¡¯ll be coming with him, during his journey. And now he was starting to act really weird. He thought I¡¯m just here to see him off, of which I refuted. I told him I was going with him and he declined. For the very first time in my life and his, Claude declined my invitation. How could that even be possible? And how dare he decline my companionship? Others would die for me to be in their group and he declined to be alone with me, Sehanie Moonbow, his very own Goddess. How dare he? I need to make sure he realized his mistake. I¡¯ll use the usual techniques I used to get what I want with Claude, the Sehanie¡¯s Tear. Sure, my mission was really important and of utmost confidential, and I preferred it to remain that way, and perhaps no one told him I¡¯ll be coming with him but declining a beautiful elven girl like me to join him? He needed to learn his lesson and his place. And the Sehanie¡¯s Tear worked like an elven charm. He finally gave in. Again, as usual. And Claude will continue to be Claude, it seemed. He even forgot to bring his map. Of all things, he forgot his map. He brought some stupid items instead. Like the two big loaves of bread that took half of his backpack size. And now, what should we do? I did not bring my own map too since I¡¯m supposed to follow him, not the other way around. Though I knew the way, but this was not my journey. Sigh. This guy is hapless. Between him with the stupid pose earlier and his nonchalant attitude, I don¡¯t know which was worse. Before long, we took a break by a stream. Claude handed me a canteen of water to which I drank. I found the water pleasantly sweet and refreshing. He then decided to take a short nap under a tree and I too followed suit. I nestled my head on his arm and he seemed happy about it. Well, honestly it¡¯s not just that I wanted to sleep beside him, but I do need to feel the presence of the pure evil energy. A presence that will be shown by the resonance of the crystal I had brought with me. However, the crystal shows no changes of any kind. I felt relieved. After that, we travelled for about 15 miles further before we took our night¡¯s break. It was getting dark and the night was a not a good time to travel, especially those without experience. This was Claude¡¯s first trip outside the Brotherhood alone (well, not anymore, since I¡¯m here) with a purpose of his own too. And I don¡¯t want to rush him. And he seemed excited about this journey. Too excited really. He didn¡¯t know the way and keep insisting on taking paths that led to nowhere. The excitement has gone right through his head. And every time, I have to remind him that I¡¯m an Elf and I know the way better than a brat who was barely out of his travelling diapers. Either that or I¡¯ll knock some senses into him. And he finally understood the dynamic of this group. I¡¯m the leader and I would lead the way. And he would follow me like a good boy. That¡¯s what you get if you don¡¯t bring a map with you. If he didn¡¯t like that, then he should remember to bring a map, for, without a map, a leader was as good as useless. Claude set the fire up and I wanted to take a bath. I¡¯m all sweaty and sticky and I needed to clean myself before I can even think of eating. I reminded Claude of the consequences that will befall him if he ever peeped on me. But, his response was underwhelming to say the very least. What¡¯s up with him? He used to show more excitement and no amount of warning can deter him from peeping. Every time I told him that I would take a bath, his perverted face would soon come to fore. But, what with this sudden change anyway? I¡¯m not happy! I¡¯m not happy at all. Did Claude had a girl he already liked? Or does he not like me anymore? Was it because I was being too hard on him? If I¡¯m too hard on him, perhaps I¡¯ll try not to. What am I feeling right now? It seemed so empty and lonely. I hate this feeling¡­ Suddenly, I heard a sound. Looks like the traps I had set earlier around this place have been set off. This was to ward off certain ambushes. We won¡¯t know who or what might and will attack us at night. That and also getting rid of any peeping tom. And this time, I¡¯m sure was a peeping tom. Perhaps it was Claude, all along. Looked like he was at his usual self. Was he peeping on me?This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I called out to him. No response. Normally Claude would give me a response of some sort. He knew the true wrath of my fury if he ever lied. And, this was not the first time he stepped into a trap that I had just set. He inherently knew how deadly these traps were. One wrong move and he can lose his life. Because of that, every time he stepped on a trap, he would beg me to release him. But, not now. I called out to him again. And still no response. Was it him? Or something else was here? Suddenly, I heard an explosion not too far off. The trap has been set off. A firebomb trap. I quickly get dressed and went to check out the trap that has been set off. The firebomb trap was set at certain locations so that I could easily identify and marked the zone with certain traps, but I don¡¯t see anything else, except for few footprints. And the footprints were still fresh. It was not here when I first set this firebomb trap. And these particular footprints are large enough to belong to a human. Footprints that I had seen before many, many times over that belong to a certain boy. Claude! I knew it was him, all along. I walked back to the camp and there he was. He was sitting down, preparing some kind of a stake. I asked him a few questions but his answered seems very nonchalant. It seems like he doesn¡¯t care. This was kind of odd and unusual for him, to behave like this. He would show embarrassment of some kind and would beg me to spare him if he was caught red-handed peeping on me. Or even when he stole my panties. But my panties were not even stolen. And I could not catch him red-handed. However¡­ however, the way he answered my question, his nonchalant-ness and his general demeanour seemed a little unusual and way off from normal Claude. Did he really not care anymore? Even if someone else were there and they managed to peep at me. I¡¯m so sad. The Claude I knew would not let anyone else peeped at me. When he was still a child, he even declared to me that no one else can have and see me, beside him. What arrogance and confidence at that time. To which of course, I still hold it in my heart. Before I could inquire him further, he told me he was going to catch some fish for us. I looked at him and I saw that his new tunic has a burnt mark on it. Although it was a slight mark, I can make it out what caused it. I knew it was him all along. But somehow, instead of relief (it was him all along and his perverseness still hasn¡¯t changed a bit), somehow I felt empty and lonely. And that makes me sad. As I looked at his silhouette, trying his best to a catch a fish or two, for our dinner, I felt somewhat distant from him. The weight of my mission probably played a big part on how I am feeling right now, but I can feel that something was missing. Was it because I¡¯m always used to the pervert Claude, who would do anything to get his hand on me, and now he was being more of cold and nonchalant? Was it a sign of him growing up or it¡¯s a sign that I¡¯m stuck in the past and the current Claude was not the Claude I used to know? I tried to get thought off my mind. I can¡¯t be depressed all the time. I was thinking way too much. Claude would always be Claude. My Claude. I let out a dry smile. A sign of my mind being split in a dilemma. Claude came back with two fish in his hand. Not bad for a newbie. We talked many things over our dinner, from my long flowing golden hair, which he wanted to see me wear it short someday and then we would be showing off our skills. I showed him some of my skills and he showed his new sword skills. I¡¯m impressed with his new sword skills. Though not much, I could see his focus and his seriousness that he used to lack in his movement and most other things he tried to do. His posture and his eyes all looked so different now. And of course, he ended his skill movements with that weird new pose of his. I think Claude was growing up. Perhaps Claude noticed that I have been down that he tried to cheer me up. He flirted with me, to which I let out a laugh. It seems so surreal that Claude was both growing up and noticing about others¡¯ feelings too, not just his own only. I felt that this Claude seems more matured now. I¡¯ve been sitting next to his side and noticed something else too. Was he taller right now? I gave him a nudge on his arm. Was he a little muscular too compared to back then? Perhaps I¡¯m already feeling tired and sleepy, but Claude seemed a little different than what I¡¯m being used to. And perhaps because of that, I became restless and uneasy and felt somewhat distant. With that, the night passed by and I slept beside him. Again, my mission required me to check out his energy. That and because of this time, I feel I was safer with him. However, that night, I had a nightmare. I encountered the Claude I¡¯d feared the most to meet. The Claude that was surrounded by an azure blue flame which also formed his wings. Sure, that version of Claude saved my life, but that version of Claude also made me scared. Not because I hated or detest him, but because of everyone else, without seeing him firsthand, felt scared too. Or specifically, feel scared of this azure flame like energy. And energy which the Elder and Father proclaimed it as pure evil. The azure Claude moved towards me and with his wings, he grabbed hold of my hand. Never in my life, have I felt so hapless. I cannot even move nor utter a single word. As Claude brought his face closer to mine, I can hear him saying something very clearly. ¡°So, is this what his woman is like? Not bad. Not bad at all. I approve!¡± I did not understand what he meant by that. His eyes were cold an gave out an eerie look. He then gave a smile that sent shivers down my spine. All my energy had deserted me. I¡¯m at his mercy right now. ¡°What¡¯s your name, young elven girl?¡± The azure Claude asked of me. He knew my name, so why did he even need to ask? Or was it because it¡¯s a dream, and he was flirting with me? ¡°I¡¯m Sehanie. Sehanie Moonbow.¡± He brought his face even closer to mine. I can feel his deep and powerful breath down my neck and the breathing made my face flustered. I closed my eyes and call for his name. ¡°Claude... please stop. Please¡­ Not like this. Claude...!¡± I cried for him to stop. I could feel a tense moment where everything had stopped, even the time. I opened my eyes. ¡°Claude, where do you think you are touching?¡±I was still out of my mind and not to mention a little groggy when I saw Claude groping my breast. He gave a stupid perverted grin, which irked me to no end. ¡°Where¡¯s my boobie-land?¡± ¡°What boobie-land? Don¡¯t you know where you are right now? And more importantly, where do you think you are touching?¡± I¡¯m pissed off. I had a nightmare with an unknown azure Claude, a nightmare that seemed too real to be a dream and now when I opened my eyes, I¡¯m back to the reality. A reality where there was a massive pervert who wish to die. I gave him my ultimate technique to handle a pervert like Claude. In fact, it was created just specifically for him if he dared to try something like this, ever. But I never thought I have to use this technique until today. And I wished I would never use it. Claude seemed to be unforgiving this time. The whole day started in a big mess. I had a bad nightmare, greeted by a perverted Claude who groped my breast and now he was angry and pissed off at me because I nearly crushed his balls. I have to admit that I overdid it a little. But I was not in my right frame of mind after all. And for the first time ever, Claude ignored me. And this time, I¡¯m really sad that I cried for real. And adding salt to the wound, I failed to notice a loose rock that was in front of me. I stepped on it and the rock gave way which makes me lost my balance. I fell down and sprained my ankle. This was a terrible day indeed for me. I cried. Claude came to me and said something. I did not hear anything at all amidst the pain at my ankle and in my heart. Suddenly, Claude squat over with his back facing me. ¡°Ride my back. I¡¯ll carry you¡± At first, I was reluctant. This might be a trick of my mind. But, Claude soon reprimanded me. The same Claude who would laugh at my misery was reprimanding me now. Feeling a little embarrassed with myself and what was happening, I gave in and climb on top of his back. I¡¯m now being carried by my childhood friend on his back. Claude was giving me a piggyback ride. When I first wrapped my arms around him, I noticed a subtle difference. His shoulder was no longer slim and timid. His back was no longer narrow and weak. Both of his shoulder and back now felt wide, reassuring, strong and with a certain warmth that put my heart at ease. I put my head on his shoulder and drifted off into sleep. But this time, it was a dreamless one. It was past noon when we first heard an explosion. At that time, we were taking a break. The explosion came from the main road, of which we were supposed to take when we restart our journey. Without hesitation, Claude suggested that we investigate. Of course, I agreed. My ankle was alright now and I¡¯m itching to get a move again. Though we had our worries of what might be happening, we nonetheless proceeded with speed and caution. When we arrived, we saw some sort of incident unfolding. We hid nearby and waited for it to unfold. Before long, I feared for the worst. It was a robbery in broad daylight. And it was turning into a murder soon if Claude had not interfered earlier to save that family¡¯s life. A family of three, husband and his wife with their daughter. Claude yet again went beyond and above his normal call of duty. Not only that was admirable, but the manner in which he did, gave me a certain feeling I never felt from him before. As he laid out his plan to me, I looked at him with an admiration for him that I knew I never had before. He seemed so determined. It was 20 people versus two of us, but with Claude¡¯s plan, we managed to cut their numbers to 13 immediately. I had killed the leader and four of their archers with a single arrow to each of their heads and Claude managed to get two with a fast and yet deadly strike. He then placed himself in front of the family, protecting them while facing a group of people all on his own. He was buying me some time to cast a magic spell to stop their movements. And so I began to cast Vine Entrapment, a nature skill that stops movement on a mass scale, a skill with a wide area of effect. It was an easy but time-consuming skill as I had to manipulate two elements at the same time, Earth and Water. However, with that skill, and Claude¡¯s bravery, we managed to overcome the odds and emerged as the victor. After we had tied the surviving Red Scarlet¡¯s gang and buried those who were dead, we fixed the caravan that was blown earlier. The damage was not serious and the horse was not hurt. I healed the horse and calm him down with Animal kinship, a Wood Elf innate skill that was used to calm and soothe normal animals. Before long, we set on our journey. However, the journey was moving quite slow for my liking but somehow Claude doesn¡¯t mind and seemed happy. Maybe because he had just saved their lives or perhaps he was just happy that he could travel with more people now. He looked at me and I saw how bright his face was that even made me blushed. Claude was so cute. And so dependable and heroic. I think I¡¯m beginning to develop certain special feelings for him now. Of course, up until the human girl, Nelia confessed to him first. I¡¯m beaten in my quest for love by a young and shy human girl, who is much younger and lacking in experience than me. For what she might lack in her age and experience, but she made it up with her decisiveness and desire to act fast. Claude looked at me, pleading for me to save his life. Maybe I do still have a chance, but then again, with Claude, anything can happen. I took this opportunity to tease him to no end. He looked so cute, being all flustered like that. Perhaps I¡¯m starting to be jealous of Nelia, having Claude all for herself that I told her about Claude¡¯s preference about to big-breasted and long-legged beauty. I even reminded Nelia to keep her panties safe and protect herself from his boob groping habits. However, I was taken by surprised by Nelia¡¯s attitude. Even though she acknowledged that part of him, she was still stuck to him. Her words, before she went to sleep next to Claude stung me a little. ¡°He may be an imperfect person to you, but to me, he who had just saved my life is perfect enough. All his flaws just highlighted to me that what a beautiful existence he is. I¡¯ll give him more than panties or let him grope me for his kindness and benevolence. I love him. Do you love him too, Sehanie?¡± Maybe Nelia was right. Claude might be an imperfect boy with pervasive habits, but he nonetheless had saved my life before and now he had just saved another girl. He did not ask for any rewards nor acknowledgement for what he did, and yet, here I am, guilty of spying on him, in the name of my mission. And for doubting his behaviour and attitude. And also for not giving him any slack at all. I¡¯m so sorry, Claude. I knew that I¡¯m so selfish. But, please forgive me for now. Once I come back from my mission, whatever the result will be, I¡¯ll do right by you. I promise you that, on behalf of my name and my clan¡¯s name. Chapter 08: Reaching Elsivier Chapter 08: Reaching Elsivier The morning of the third of my journey was the first time in my life that I saw Elsivier, the capital city of Kingdom of Elsigardia. I was sitting next to Jann, who has been the one driving the caravan since morning when we first set out from camp. His wife, Mili and daughter, Nelia were back in the caravan, together with Sehanie. ¡°We will be reaching Elsivier soon, Claude. Maybe another an hour or two or so.¡± Ahh, alright. ¡°See that those twin towers from here? Those twin towers are the famous landmark that makes Elsivier standout from other cities. Here, in Elsivier, we called it the Twin Princes. The red one is called Alviss and the blue one is called Alveen.¡± Why are they called that way? I asked. Somehow the history had piqued my interest a bit. ¡°The twin towers were built during the time of King Titus Elsivier the 14th, the current king of Elsivier¡¯s great-grandfather. Legends had it that the twin towers were named that way to commemorate his love for his two twin princes, who died from childbirth complexities. The queen, however, survived but went into a depression from being heartbroken and she died not too long after the death of her twin child princes. 5 years later, the king remarried and the new queen was our King¡¯s great-grandmother.¡± That¡¯s a pretty deep story. It was not something that I could understand, but nevertheless, those twin towers looked pretty impressive. The left tower, named Alviss was the one with red roof while the right tower, with the blue roof, was given the name Alveen. ¡°That somehow seems a sad story to hear Jann. Especially about the heartbroken queen.¡± I heard a voice behind my back. It¡¯s Sehanie and she was sitting on the roof of the caravan. ¡°Hey, Sehanie. Good morning¡± Jann greeted Sehanie as he finished his story. What are you doing up there? You will fall down. Get down here. ¡°Me falling down? Teehee Claude. You sure know how to crack a joke or two nowadays. I¡¯m a Wood Elf. We don¡¯t fall down.¡± She said that as she seated herself on my left. I¡¯m now seated between Sehanie and Jann. The already cramped seat just become a little more cramp than I would like, though Sehanie¡¯s big breast made for a good cushion for my arm. We were passing by farms that grew of some sort grass-like plants, both to our left and right. ¡°To both your left and right, is the wheat farms. Other than Elsiberry, Elsigardia is also famous for its wheat flour, that we use to make our bread¡± Jann explained to me, though I have no interest in wheat. Women yes, wheat no. ¡°And could you see some sort of settlement, a town if you can call it, to the side of Elsivier? That¡¯s one of Elsivier¡¯s satellite town, and it¡¯s called Xynnaria.¡± Ah. I see. Xynnaria, is it? ¡°What are you doing Claude? I have seen that you have been busy with your hand even before we depart from the campsite.¡± Sehanie enquired of me. She was one nosy elf. I wanted to tell her off, minding her own business until Jann asked me the same question. ¡°Yeah, Claude. What makes you this busy since morning?¡± Two versus one. It¡¯s not fair. Well, since I¡¯ve been asked about what I have been doing, I have no other choice but to spill the beans out. I¡¯m not party-pooper anyway. It¡¯s all in day¡¯s job for a hero, like me. Hehehe. I¡¯m working on a little something. You can say it¡¯s a secret. I smiled at Sehanie. ¡°Come on Claude. Please tell us, pretty please?¡± Sehanie begged of me. Jann looked at me as if he also wanted to join in the secret. Alright, alright already. Sheshh. ¡°Teehee¡­ That¡¯s a good boy¡± Sehanie teased me. You seem pretty cheerful this morning Sehanie, compared to the last two days. Any reason for the change? ¡°Ohh, no reason really, Claude. Just say that now I¡¯m a new elf girl, starting from today.¡± Hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t really understand, but whatever makes you happy, makes me happy too. ¡°So, tell me already. What have you been doing? I¡¯m dying to know¡± I nearly forgot about that. I¡¯m making a gift for Nelia. You know. Last night, she¡­. She gave me the ring. So, I thought of doing something in return for.¡± ¡°For my daughter?¡± Jann seemed pleasantly surprised. I nodded. I have nothing as valuable as the ring she gave me, but I do hope this work just as well.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I showed the gift I was making to both Jann and Sehanie. ¡°A wood carving?¡± Sehanie asked before she continued on. ¡°A figurine? And dare I say, it looks exactly just like her. Wow Claude, since when did you have this nifty little skills of wood carving? No wonder you were asking for me to find you some oak wood at the campsite. I was wondering what was it for anyway.¡± Ohh, I have been doing it a little since I was at the Brotherhood. You know, just a hobby to past some time. Lessons are pretty boring. ¡°You are very thoughtful ehh, Claude¡± Sehanie teased me, like usual. ¡°You are carving a statue for Nelia? With that dagger?¡± Jann seemed to be surprised by the tool I used to carve out the little wood carving of Nelia. Uh-huh. With this dagger. I showed Jann the dagger I used to carve the gift for Nelia. But it¡¯s not something grand as a statue. It¡¯s a figurine. You know, something small and light so she can carry it with her. By the way, Jann, do you have some sort of silver necklace with you? I¡¯m thinking of making this a necklace, so Nelia can wear all the time if she wants. ¡°Teehee Claude, you are such a sweetie. When will you make one for me?¡± I looked at Sehanie. I¡¯m surprised that she even wanted one from me. Give me something first, then I¡¯ll think about it. ¡°Humpphhh¡­¡± Sehanie pouted and hit my arm. Aww, come on. I¡¯m just joking. You will have yours once I¡¯m done with Nelia¡¯s. As thanks for coming on this journey with me. Sehanie returned to her bright smile. Seems that it was easy to make her happy today. I wondered what wonderful dream she had last night for her to wake up in this mood. ¡°I have one at the back. I¡¯ll get to you later. Really, Claude. I¡¯m really thankful for all you did yesterday and even now. Even for Nelia.¡± Ahhh, Jann. Enough already. Your wife¡¯s wonderful broth has even it out. ¡°Nelia would be very happy to receive this gift from you, Claude. Will you give this to Nelia personally?¡± I nodded. ¡°Thanks again, Claude. Thank you for making Nelia happy. She is a shy girl especially around boys, but somehow she is really fond of you. Though I doubt she knows what is love or not when she confessed to you, but I¡¯m happy, as a father. You know, personally, I really don¡¯t mind you as my son-in-law. Hahahaha¡± I blushed. Sehanie nudged my arm and I saw her giggling. She even gave me a thumbs up. What¡¯s up with these people anyway. One playing as a matchmaker, the other was cheering me on. This was not a reality show. I still have ways to go before I get married, you know. I need more experience before I can settle down. We continued on our journey, for another 90 minutes, before we reached the capital¡¯s main gate. Elsivier has three main gates, the Southern gate, the Eastern gate and the Western gate, all having a name of their own. We were now in front of the Southern gate. Even early in the morning, I had seen throngs of people lining up in front of the main gate to enter. ¡°What¡¯s up with all these crowds, Jann?¡± Sehanie asked. I too wanted to know why. However, Mili answered instead. ¡°Ohh, darling. Did you tell them about the festival?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry dear. I have forgotten about it¡± came back the reply from Jann. ¡°Oh, dearie. How forgetful are you? Well, Claude and Sehanie. The capital is having its annual Festival of the Spring. It started since last a fortnight ago and will be held for another week. And that¡¯s the reason why we travelled from our farm to the market¡¯s every other day¡± A festival? ¡°You will see it when you enter the main gate, Claude.¡± Mili replied enthusiastically. ¡°You see those people trying to enter the capital? Either they are merchants like us or travellers from all over the land. Like both of you.¡± Adventurers, hunters, mages, fortune seekers, bounty hunter, merchants, students and many more. Elsivier was really the hub of this kingdom¡¯s activity. Wow. I never thought about that. There was like more than a thousand or so people in front the main gate already. However, the guards sure take their time to allow us in. ¡°And best of all, at the end of the festival, we will have our special annual event!¡± Jann continued to add on to my curiosity. What¡¯s the event? ¡°It¡¯s the Elsivier¡¯s public knighthood ceremony. It is when all the squires and knights will take the parade down the middle of the town and to receive their yearly blessing and ascension in ranks of knighthood. New knights would be inducted to in during this time too.¡± Jann continued explained to me. ¡°And will you be there, Ser Claude?¡± suddenly a voiced asked of me. It was Nelia and she seemed to have taken interest in what¡¯s going around here. I don¡¯t know. Perhaps. ¡°Dad, Mum. I want to see Ser Claude during the parade. Can I, please?¡± Jann and Mili looked at me hoping for an answer. Sehanie was standing on top of the caravan, trying to look for what was happening near the main gate. One of these days, she would surely fall down and I¡¯m going to be there and laugh at her while telling her, ¡°I told you so.¡± Sure. Do come and see me. I insist, Nelia. I smiled at Nelia. She beamed with happiness and joy. And then off she went immediately, back into the caravan before I could enjoy looking at her face. She seemed to be a very shy girl. Shy but persistent. We stopped by the roadside since the line basically did not move at all. ¡°It will take a while before our turn, Claude. There are many more people today than the last time we came.¡± Mili sighed at the long lines, all consist of people, some human looking and some not, though I cannot make much difference from where I stood now. ¡°Looks like it won¡¯t be for long. The line is moving now!¡± Sehanie jumped down from the roof of the caravan and told us the news. We began to ride on the caravan again passing down a long drawbridge that runs across a river. Just before we reached the main gate, we heard a voice from distance. ¡°Halt!¡± A guard was standing in front and ordered us to stop. ¡°Hey, Sergeant Mark. It¡¯s Jann here.¡± ¡°Ohh, it¡¯s you, Jann. We expected you yesterday. What¡¯s with the delay?¡± ¡°Ohh, something went up. But here we are now, thanks to both of these kids right here!¡± Jann said as he pointed his finger at me and Sehanie. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± The guard that goes by the name of Sergeant Mark was scrutinizing both of us. ¡°What¡¯s with the extra guards and protocols today, Sergeant Mark? It¡¯s usually not like this.¡± ¡°Nothing much Jann. No need to concern yourself too much. We just have some reports from our scout that some group of robbers and bandits might try to make their way into the capital. We caught one of those group yesterday. Though it¡¯s not exactly as we were to say that we caught them, but we do have to be more vigilant now since there might be more of them.¡± Upon hearing those words, Sehanie, Jann, Mili and myself look at each other and all of us then let out a big laugh. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Jann? Something funny with what I said?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing really. But, I¡¯ll tell you the story once your shift it¡¯s over, Sergeant. Now, can we enter?¡± ¡°Yeah. You may proceed.¡± Sergeant Mark nodded at one of his colleagues and as he opened the way, we proceed into Elsivier with the caravan. ¡°Next!¡± With that, the new chapter of my new journey begins. As I took the first step, or to be precise, my first ride, my heart was pumping with both excitement and nervousness, the first time I felt this way since my journey began. I looked at Sehanie and she smiled at me, acknowledging my feelings. I smiled back at her and turned my face forward as we rode past the main gate. And so began my new adventure. The heroic adventure of Claude. The Epic Odyssey of Claude, the Hero of Elsivier. Claude¡¯s Heroic Chronicles of Heroic Proportions. Muahahaha. I let out a laugh, and a rather loud one too. ¡°Ehemmm¡­¡± Sehanie brought me back to earth. She was a real mood-killer. Let me enjoy the moment in peace, will you? Well, whatever. Let¡¯s begin already. As I stood up on the roof of the caravan, I let out another big laugh. Muahahahaha. I have arrived, finally. To Elsivier, the Capital City of the Kingdom of Elsigardia. Chapter 09: Of Boys and Men (Part 1) Chapter 09: Of Boys and Men (Part 1) ¡°The Kingdom of Elsigardia. Also known in some literature as the Kingdom of the Free Men. For historians and lore enthusiasts, the Kingdom of Elsigardia was also previously known as the Kingdom of Raiverune. Before Elsigardia came into existence, around 500 years ago in 3547AD, this land was engulfed in a civil war for more than 35 years. Eight noble houses were fighting each other to claim the throne of this Kingdom after the death of its previous king, King Elric ¡°Thunderfist¡± Raidemar of Raiverune, who left no direct heir to the throne. At that time, only a prince could inherit the title of the King directly, but the late King Elric had no prince. His only child was Princess Elianor, who during the course of the civil war, died of certain mysterious illness. Because of that, the noble houses at that time took this opportunity to claim, one over another, over the rights to the throne. Leading the claim was the Noble House of Brackheim and the Noble House of Elmsdor, the two oldest noble houses in the Kingdom. After 35 years of war, with so many death, nobles and commoners alike, and not to mention what a civil war would do to commerce and trade, finally the House of Elmsdor emerged victorious and thus claimed the throne. It¡¯s house ruler at that time, Lord Titus Valientine of Elmsdor, took the name of King Titus the First and renamed the kingdom into the Kingdom of Elsigardia, which was literally translate into The Kingdom of the Free Men. All the old noble houses have been abolished and new noble houses, which were consisted of his allies and friends and the minor noble houses that supported him during his ascension to the throne, were given new titles and the ranking of the new Noble Houses. The two noble houses, other than the Noble House of Elmsdor, which had the most power in the current age of Elsigardia, was the Godfrey and the Byrnhildr. Elsivier, which used to be King Titus the First¡¯s hometown, replaced the old capital, Rainon as Elsigardia¡¯s capital city, and since then has enjoyed unprecedented growth. Not just because of the peace that reigned throughout the time which was overseen by the King and the Noble Houses, but also because Elsigardia was a fertile kingdom, with vast richness in both land and sea produce coupled with strategic location. One of the most famous of Elsigardia¡¯s produce was its famous berry, the Elsiberry, which used to be a wild plant but now cultivated as a major crop. Elsiberry¡¯s farm can be found throughout the land and it was used in making wines, ales, sweet condiments and potions. It¡¯s extremely sweet but with tangy properties made it a highly sought as both sweetening and preservative materials. Other than salt, Elsiberry was the main preservative ingredients in most foods and drinks that were being consumed. The Kingdom of Elsigardia was strategically situated on this continent which we called the Astral Continent and surrounded by The Kingdom of Melodia to its south and Kingdom of Zestra-Vashana, the Old Kingdom to its west. Between The Kingdom of Elsigardia and the Old Kingdom of Zestra-Vashana, we were separated by a mountain range of no less than 5000 miles long and a thousand miles wide. We call this the Great Mountain Range of Zestra-Astral. The highest peak of this great mountain range was called the Celestia Mountain, standing proudly at 7500 meters from the flat land.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. To the east, lies the great ocean, the Atlantis (or Atlantynn) Great Ocean and across the sea, was the other part of Astral Continent, the Kingdom of Beastlands and The Kingdom of Darklands. The Ocean was at least 20,000 miles in width. Because of the distance, travel between the two side of the same continent, West Astral and East Astral, by ship was considered to be nearly impossible. Because of its location, Elsivier, as the capital city of Elsigardia was regarded as this continent¡¯s major commerce hub. People from every corner of the known world would come here and trade. And not only that, those who seek fortune, richness, fame and recognition or even those few who wanted to try their luck in politics would transverse here, in Elsivier. Thus, you can see many people with various sort of backgrounds walking in and out of Elsivier. Who knows the one that walked past you today, could be a hero tomorrow. Or perhaps a wanted villain. Either way, Elsivier was where everyone can be anyone, make whatever their dreams come true. And I believe so would all of you. Your dreams that you have right now, might come true in near future, with Elsivier being your nearest destination worthy of the fame and fortune. Only by strictly following the ethos of the Brotherhood, I know, that all of you too could make your dreams come true, and not just in Elsivier or the Kingdom of Elsigardia. With that, the class is dismissed and I shall see you in next Lore and History class.¡± As soon as he finished his lesson, Blizzard Hawk looked at an empty seat at the back of the class and said to himself, ¡°I wonder what dreams of yours that you will realize in Elsivier, Hasty One?¡± He gave a smile, closed his book and once more, before he exited through the door, looked at the empty seat. ¡°And perhaps, what sort of adventures are you having right now? The class is not the same without you, young man.¡± ----- I¡¯m being surrounded a group of people, perhaps no less than 20 of them. All mean looking ones, both males and females. Tall, short, thin, or fat with various hair colours and styles but all with the same mean face were gathered here. I could see men with scars and women with weird gothic makeups. One guy had a spiky green hair with a piercing on his tongue and even weirder set of pointy teeth. He took a few step forward, looked at me while waving his dagger around and then licking its blade. He looked more like a lizard than a man. However, no matter what all of them looked like, I was the focus of their attention. And all of them were looking at me without blinking even an eyelid. I sweat a bucket load of what was happening right around me. ¡°You have some balls coming right into our home ehh, kid?¡± The spiky green-haired lizard lookalike was the first to break the awkward silence. ¡°Some really big balls you have of which will surely depart from you now. Haha!¡± A female voice then came immediately after. Then a chorus of laughter followed. ¡°No one leaves this place alive.¡± Out came another male voice. All of these voices I heard were nothing but threats. A real dangerous threat. I could not hope to beat them all. Some, yes, but all, no. ¡°Yeah!!! Yeah!!! No one leaves this place alive!¡± The rest of the group seemed to agree with what being said by the earlier ones. ¡°Show him what we meant by respect here!! He should not live with his skin intact!¡± ¡°Errr, guys? Guys?? Wait a moment, please. I¡¯m not¡­¡± Suddenly, a dagger flew towards me. However, it missed me as it flew right to the top of my head. The dagger was lodged deep into the wooden wall behind but not without leaving me unscratched. My cheek was now bleeding. I knew the first dagger missed me by a thread but was there a second dagger that struck me? I could not even see any of it, and the first one was barely noticeable, especially in this dimly lighted area. ¡°Shut yer trap kid, before I lodge this next dagger through your throat. And this time, I won¡¯t intentionally miss the mark.¡± A chorus of even louder laughter filled the room. I¡¯m now in mega trouble of epic proportion. My palms were all sweaty and I could feel that my legs were trembling. I fell on my ass as my leg finally gave way. How did I ever end up here? My eyes darted to the back of the room, to a certain figure. It''s him. It was all because of him. Chapter 09: Of Boys and Men (Part 2) Chapter 09: Of Boys and Men (Part 2) Few hours ago¡­. ¡°Claude, Sehanie. We will be leaving you both here. We will be in the market section of the district. We need to set our shop soon, so come and visit us later, alright¡± Jann said to us before he left both me and Sehanie in the middle of the town square. ¡°You are at the Southern district mini square. You can explore the whole district from here. You need to go through this district to the Knight¡¯s district to get your pass and perhaps you can get enrolled there. I¡¯m not so sure how, but you could try and ask some of the guards or even the knights there.¡± Jann was giving me some headstart for my journey. ¡°Good luck, Claude. You too Sehanie. And thanks for everything¡± said Mili, who was now seated beside Jann, as she took over the duty to drive the caravan from her husband. Nelia was looking at me from the back of the caravan as we prepared to see them off. She seemed sad. Perhaps she wanted to follow us, but she still was a merchant¡¯s daughter. The shop must come first. Though before she left with her parents, I gave her the necklace with her figurine, which was crafted this morning, by yours truly. ¡°It¡¯s a good luck charm.¡± I said to her when I put the necklace around her neck. She was definitely trembling, perhaps from being too happy, I guess. I don¡¯t really know how women¡¯s mind and emotions work, of which I hope I could learn in Elsivier, but Nelia seemed pretty happy anyway. Well, it was because Jann and Mili said so anyway. As her parents, I should trust both Jann and Mili. ¡°In your darkest hour, when you see there¡¯s no more hope nor salvation, rubs this figurine three times and say my name - and how much you loved me.¡± I let out a smirk as I said that to which I was replied with a nudge from Sehanie to my side that came out of where. I glared at her a little and Sehanie just turned her face away while pouting. Ah well, just ignore that bratty Elven girl for a while. I turned and faced Nelia again and held her shoulder firmly. ¡°Do that and I¡¯ll be there, right in front of your eyes in a jiffy. Get that?¡± Nelia kept quiet. Did she get what I mean? ¡°Do you get it, Nelia?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡­ I need to say your name¡­. and¡­ and how much I¡­. I lo¡­ved you¡­?¡± ¡°Yeap. You got that right. That last part is very important you know. ¡° Sehanie looked at me as if she wanted to eat me. I should not lie to a kid but I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s my gift. I would do what I want, after all. Jann and Mili were smiling, perhaps they knew that I was teasing Nelia. I gave a mischievous smile. Nelia sure was a good girl. She would grow into a beauty soon and will make a good wife. ¡°I¡­ I will do that!¡± Nelia suddenly gave me a hug which was a pleasant surprise to me. I thought I would kneel down in front of her. I wished I could kneel in front of her, but since I¡¯m the shortest (curse my luck that I drew the short hereditary straw) here other than Nelia, I just bend down a little and gave Nelia a kiss on her forehead in return. She blushed and hugged me even tighter. ¡°Now, now Nelia. Ser Claude has something important to do. Don¡¯t you, Claude?¡± I looked at Sehanie. She seemed pissed. Was she jealous of this kid or something? Sehanie jealous? No way. However, I do have something important to do and somewhere important I need to go. Though I don¡¯t know where was the place and whom shall I need to meet, but I needed to make my move soon. ¡°Nelia, honey. You can let go of Claude right now.¡± Mili pleaded with her daughter. Nelia released her hug, albeit reluctantly. She then pouted. Trying to reassure her, I told her she could come and visit me anytime and see me during the Parade at the end of the Festival. Immediately, she gained back her cheerful expression, though true to her shy girl nature, she immediately dashed off straight into the caravan. ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t mind her Claude. We will be there to see you. Ain¡¯t that right, darling?¡± Mili looked at her husband. ¡°We will be there. Surely.¡± Both of them nodded. ¡°So, shall we all be on our journey right now?¡± Sehanie inquired. ¡°Yah, kids. Thanks for everything. See you soon then!¡± And off Jann, Mili and Nelia went towards their own goals. As both Sehanie and I looked from the back of the caravan, we waved at them goodbye. ¡°Thanks for the ride!¡± I shouted at them. However, I would not be too sure whether they could listen to me or not. Thus, our party was finally separated. Now, only Sehanie and I were left. But that too, was only for a moment before Sehanie decided to be back to her true self, a selfish elven brat. ¡°Looks like this is the end of the road for me too.¡± Sehanie looked at me and then looked away. ¡°Huh? What do you mean it¡¯s at the end of the road for you? Are you going somewhere else?¡± Sehanie nodded without even looking at me. Perhaps she was feeling guilty. ¡°Ahh, alright. Alright. I thought I can travel with you a little longer, but an elf will be an elf. You folks ain¡¯t the type to stick to a big bustling city like this for long anyway.¡± I tried to act mature but inside me, I felt kind of lonely. And a little sad too. ¡°Not that, you stupid fool!¡± Sehanie shouted at me. I was taken by surprised by Sehanie¡¯s sudden burst of temper. I can feel that everyone was looking at us like a couple who in the midst of a heated argument. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Claude. I don¡¯t mean to shout at you like that.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s ok. In fact, I¡¯m really thankful that you are with me all these while. While you have been a nuisance and annoying to be with, but I¡¯m glad it was with you. Thanks, Sehanie.¡± Sehanie blushed. She walked over me and kissed me on the cheeks. Now, it was my turn to get blushed. ¡°It¡¯s public area you know. And everyone is looking at us.¡± ¡°Teehee¡­ now, that¡¯s more like you Claude.¡± Sehanie will always be Sehanie. She did whatever she likes to me anyway. I¡¯m used to it by now. Her moods could change faster than even a mad horse galloping at full speed. ¡°Claude, the next time I see you again, I¡¯ll do right by you alright!¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Nothing. Teehee¡­¡± Sehanie stuck her tongue out as she then walked away from me. Without looking back, she then disappeared among the crowds as I see her off. I don¡¯t get her. I really don¡¯t get her. But, she still was a great companion to have. I smiled as I thought of the previous days I spent my time with her. Before long, I¡¯m all alone, in the middle of the Southern mini square in an unknown area for the first time in my life. It hadn¡¯t struck me before, perhaps I was being accompanied by Jann, Mili, Nelia and Sehanie, but once I¡¯m alone, I could feel all the pressure, right here and right now. Ahh¡­ I hate it. Being alone from the beginning was still alright with me, but being left alone was not much fun. I¡¯m stressed. I still don¡¯t know where I need to go or who I needed to meet or when I needed to meet them. Argghhh¡­ Thinking about this gets me nowhere. And when I¡¯m stressed, I tend to do one thing in particular. I binge-eat. And so, I began to scour for food. It¡¯s festival now right. If not mistaken, Jann said something that this festival was called Festival of Springs. To celebrate a bountiful harvest and being thankful for the fertile land that Elsigardia had been blessed. I don¡¯t remember the deity¡¯s name that Festival pays tribute too, but she would not definitely mind if I have some fun here. I¡¯ll dedicate my fun to her. Surely in a festival like this, there will be a ton of delicious foods that I never tried before in my life. And perhaps, served by beautiful girls with big-breast too. Hehehe.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I checked my pouch for the money I have been carrying with me. I just brought about 15 gold coins with me. I haven¡¯t been here before or anywhere in particular, alone and all, other than the guild-city, so I don¡¯t really know how much was how much, though I would always haggle first before I purchased anything. However, little did I know that I was being observed by someone or something. And I was right. Before long, my hands were full of foods. On my right hand, I have with me a couple of kebab sticks, with succulent roasted lamb meats with roasted tomatoes, zucchinis and potatoes in between. The owner was kind enough to let me sampled one first before I bought it. It was super-duper delicious. And as he said, it was best in town. I believed him. I¡¯m now a satisfied customer. For the price of 5 silver pieces, I got two sticks. It was 3 silver pieces each, but I haggled to get it two for 5 silver pieces. It was pretty cheap. And on my left hand was a humongous piece of chicken meat and what¡¯s more, it was my favourite part, the thigh and drumstick. The chicken was marinated in a secret sauce with 15 blended herbs and spices before covered in flour and then fried. This fried chicken was the best I¡¯d ever tasted. The owner that goes by the name Major Sarland Handers learned this recipe from his mother. Though he was not a knight nor ever been in the army, I heard his chicken elevated him to some sort of rank in the chicken frying communities. Thus, he was called the Major. Well, I didn¡¯t care as long as his chicken would continue to be this big, delicious and juicy. It cost me 4 silver pieces. And of course, before that, I had my fill of various snacks too. Barbequed Elsivier sausages with black sesame dipping, roasted honeyed ham sprinkled with herbs, a piece of a tail of an unknown meat, stewed for 12 hours in a slow-cooked pot and last but not least roasted pork with five spices and laced with Elsiberry ale. However, all of that food I had consumed won¡¯t be completed without a drink. And when it comes to drinks, none beat Elsivier¡¯s best, the Elsivier¡¯s Sweet Ale. Less alcoholic but sweet and tangy with a tinge of bitterness. Perfect! Altogether, I¡¯d spend less than 50 silvers. As I put down the last piece of my silver back into my money pouch, someone bumped straight into me. ¡°Hey, watch where you are going, kid! ¡° I reprimanded the person who bumped straight into me. It was a kid, way shorter than me, with baggy ragged clothing that resembled a beggar. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mister¡± came the reply. The kid wasn¡¯t even looking at me. What manners. Were all the kids in this city act like this? Before I can say anything more, the kid vanished. He disappeared amongst the crowd. He went off as fast as he came. I sighed and shrugged my head in disappointment. Kids nowadays were pretty damn rude. Well, whatever. At least I was not hurt in any way and I better get moving now. As I took a step forward, I noticed something was amiss. I touched my belt and it felt light. Weirdly light. I turned my head and lo and behold, something was missing from my belt. My money pouch!!! The money pouch that I kept hidden inside my belt was missing! No, come to think of it, I don¡¯t think it was missing. It was here when I placed my silver coins inside until that kid¡­ I soon realized that it was no accident that when kid bumped me earlier. It was not because the road was crowded. It was a planned pickpocket. My money pouch was stolen by that damn kid. I was pickpocketed in broad daylight. If Blizzard Hawk or that old geezer got to know about this, I¡¯ll bet my fingernails that I¡¯ll be the Brotherhood¡¯s laughing stock for a long time. How careless I was. I let my guard down because I¡¯m having wonderful experiences with the food and drink that I failed to notice that I have been followed. Perhaps since the beginning when I arrived here. I did look a little out of place and maybe because of that, I became an easy target for a pickpocket. Feeling embarrassed and at the same time pissed off, I tracked the pickpocketing kid down. I¡¯m not letting him run away with all my gold coins. My pride was at stake here. And my hard earned money too. Tracking a pickpocket in a crowded area with lots of people moving around was no easy task. In fact, it was made even harder because the pickpocket dressed like a beggar, a surprise for me that even a city this modern and lavish, were full of them. However, I¡¯m a Senior Journeyman of the Brotherhood of Sun and I have been trained to track down my prey. And this time, the pickpocket was my prey. I¡¯ll hunt him until the end of the earth. Even to the rabbit¡¯s hole, I¡¯ll not stop and continued to search for him. I followed down the road where I first saw the kid vanished. It¡¯s a linear road with no off-roads which made it pretty easy at first to track. However, when I exited the road, I was brought to what I think was the main city square of Elsivier. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of people ¨C merchants, adventurers, peddlers, soldiers of fortune, farmers, or anyone else you can think off ¨C congregated here. When faced with this kind of situation, normal people would despair. But then again, I¡¯m not just any normal people. I¡¯m not giving up just right yet. Let me see what would go up against me and what¡¯s not in this situation. Moving aimlessly would not help my quest in catching that pickpocket. I¡¯ll waste precious time and energy, not to mention my money. Against me ¨C First, I¡¯m not familiar with this area. Second, there were too many people around here. Third, the pickpocket was a small, short kid who can and will manoeuvre easily among the crowds. Much easier than me, anyway. Fourth, he had a head start. And fifth, there were too many kids who dressed like him. Was it some sort of uniform that these kids were wearing, to identify them of their own gang members? Was it an organized crime? For me ¨C I had been trained to track and hunt for the past 12 years and I could hunt even a rabbit in the forest down to its hiding place. And I can differentiate my prey from others. Once I get my eyes on something or someone, I¡¯ll be coming like a homing arrow, and I won¡¯t miss, ever. Tracking and hunting had been my saving grace in Brotherhood for all these years since I pretty much suck at everything else. ¡°Now, all I need now is a little bit of luck.¡± Perhaps lady luck heard my pleas that in no time at all I heard a familiar voice. ¡°Hahaha, that short guy is pretty stupid. He keeps dangling his money pouch in the middle of the road. It¡¯s like begging for it to be stolen. And stole it I did. Hahaha!!¡± It¡¯s the same voice of that pickpocketing kid. Hah. Like any hunters who think they have gained one over their prey, they became careless. Instead of waiting to show off their bounties, they bragged instead. Telling how much of a great person they were and the things they did. Pride and ego combined will create stupidity and carelessness. One of which I¡¯m taking advantage of, right now. The crowd served well to hide my presence. I was moving along without much problem, masking my movement until I reached directly behind the kid. He was pretty indulged in his rewards of his bounty which happened to be my money pouch. ¡°Hey, Ilvean, how much inside that money pouch?¡± A kid, dressed like a beggar, which all of them were dressing in that way anyhow, asked. ¡°Judging by its weight, it¡¯s definitely no less than 12 gold coins¡± the pickpocket, which goes by the name Ilvean said. He raised the money pouch, like how a victor would show his trophy. ¡°No, it¡¯s not 12 gold coins. To be exact, it¡¯s 14 gold and 50 silvers coins.¡± ¡°Wow, you are pretty specific about that. How did you know just by looking at it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it is my money pouch, you damn thief!¡± I grabbed his hand. The other kids that surrounded him, ran away in fear. From a pickpocket to a thieving brat. That¡¯s how I see the one whom I grabbed right now. ¡°Hey, let me go!¡± He tried to wrangle himself away from me. ¡°You let go of my money pouch first and then only I¡¯ll let you off.¡± ¡°No, this is my money pouch!¡± Hah. Talks the thief who stole from others. I grabbed his hand tighter until he squealed in pain. ¡°Ouch, that hurts. Let me go!¡± ¡°If that little tightness hurts you, you will get much, much worse than this coming your way, thief! Now, let go of my money pouch or else¡­¡± I grabbed his other arm and crossed both of it behind him, locking him into position. I then pinned him down to the ground. Kid or no kid, I¡¯m not giving him any mercy. Struggle all you want but I ain¡¯t letting you go. Told you I¡¯ll get you. Our scuffle created some unwanted attention from the people passing by. Perhaps, taking this to his advantage, the thief suddenly shouted. ¡°Rapist! Molester! He touched my ass!¡± ¡°Huh, what? What did you say?!¡± ¡°He tried to rape me, please help me!!¡± The scream had an immediate reaction. The people who had been passing by and looking at us earlier now stopped and surrounded us. I had attracted unwanted attention towards myself. How careless have I been today? ¡°Hey, you! What the hell are you doing in the middle of the road in broad daylight?!¡± came a shout from a man; a big size burly bald man wearing a leather armour, with axe and sword hanging beside him. Perhaps he was a mercenary of some sort. ¡°Yeah, pervert! Let her go already!!¡± Someone threw me a stone and it hit me on my chest. ¡°Ouch!¡± Then another one followed immediately. Then another. One stone managed to strike my arm and I loosen my grip on the thief due to the pain. I was stunned. The crowd reactions really got into me. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ that¡­ thief¡­he¡­stole¡­.¡± I stammered. ¡°Boo¡­Boo¡­Booooo¡± the crowd booed at me. Taking the advantage of this situation, the pickpocket tried to escape. He bit my hand. ¡°Argghh¡­ What the¡­¡± I let go both of his hand, and without any hesitation, he sprung to his feet and escape. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you run away, thief!¡± I tried to chase after him but unfortunately, I was caught first by the big burly mercenary. ¡°Where do you think you are going ehh, kid?¡± ¡°He stole my money!¡± I screamed at him, with my eyes focused on the now escaping thief. Thinking that was the end for me, the whoreson pickpocketing thief stuck out his tongue, gave me an eyelid pull and then taunted me. I¡¯m boiling with anger right now. But first, I need to get rid of this stupid mercenary. ¡°Tell that to the guard!¡± He smirked at my attempt at trying to talk away from his grasp. I have no time to deal with this moron. He thought he was being a hero by acting like this. A big bully who had no brain cells. I bit his hand and gouged his eyeballs. He screamed and bend down, cowering his face. But before he can recover, I gave a kick to his nuts. ¡°Take that, you moron. That what happens if you don¡¯t listen.¡± He fell down, lying unconscious. I could see foams forming in his mouth. How unsightly. The rest of the crowd seems stunned and perhaps feeling nervous about what I¡¯m going to do next, they were rooted to their spot. Most of them either turned their face away or gave a blank and cold stare. Though I have no interest in them as I focused my eyes on the runaway thief. I have bought some time to myself to escape from the crowd surrounding me and I gave chase to that thief who now seemed surprised. Upon seeing my miraculous escape, he hurriedly ran away, afraid to be caught. Well kid, be very afraid. You will know hell when I finally caught you. I am now seeing red. Like a charging bull, nothing can and will stop me. Using my skills of tracking and hunting, I kept my speed and pace as I dodged all kinds of things that came my way either to stop or hinder my movements. First, it was a flower pot. Then, a steaming hot meat on a skewer. A pot of boiling water came next. Then, there was bottles and plates. Next, he touched a woman¡¯s ass and I got slapped as she thought I was the one who molested her. He then kicked a guy who was standing nearby at his balls and pushed him towards me so that poor guy can act as a human barrier, to which without hesitation and much delay and much more to his agony, I gave another kick to his balls. What a pitiful guy. He rolled over in hellish pain as I used his body as a stepping stone. Wrong time and a wrong place to be, pal. Sorry but it¡¯s nothing personal. I got myself a thief to catch. I chased the thief around the district, covering all the road there was, for as long as I could remember. Man, this little thief could really run. And what a stamina too. As I was catching my breath, I saw him exiting into an alley, off the main road from where I am now, about 100 yards away. Perhaps thinking that I finally gave in, he exited through that alley. Perhaps he was going back to his hideout. This little chase was really tiring after all and maybe more than what he had bargained for. However, the golden escape rules said that when someone chased you, never ever lead them to your hideout. Perhaps this little thief was a newbie or perhaps he never thought about the art of escaping before. And now, I¡¯m standing in front of a house. A double story house, with somewhat of a funny crest in front of the door that resembles an unknown animal that I cannot identify and an ¡°Enter at your life¡¯s peril¡± sign. Heh. What a lousy threat. I¡¯m positively sure that this was the pickpocket¡¯s hideout. And there might be a bunch of pickpocketing kids that might stay here. Nothing that I can¡¯t handle. I kicked the door open. And as I enter, I shouted at the top of my lung. ¡°You effin¡¯ thieving brat!! Come out now and return me my money before I burn this whole house down!!!¡± Perhaps due to the carelessness of being pickpocketed, my pride at stake and the chase around town with that thief that I had failed to notice one single thing. A mistake that would nearly cost me my life. And that mistake was, what if this hideout did not only hide a bunch of kids but a bunch of mean looking adults; like the ones who were surrounding me, right now. Chapter 09: Of Boys and Men (Part 3) Chapter 09: Of Boys and Men (Part 3) ¡°You sure have some death wish, boy, barging in here like that!¡± A deep and husky voice came from across the room. In this dimly-lighted room, I can barely see what¡¯s in front of my eyes. Though I have no doubt that those who stayed in here would have no problem seeing me instead. ¡°Chief?! What are you doing here? You are supposed to be resting in your room¡± one of the voice came out, greeting the one called Chief. ¡°I heard some noise and I might as well check it out. Now, let me through!¡± The crowd of mean looking men and women suddenly dispersed and form some sort of an opening. From that opening, came a silhouette to which I could barely make anything out of it at first. ¡°What do we have here?¡± A man came forward. An extremely short man. ¡°Oh, a young boy! And here I thought that the Red Scarlets¡¯ have grown some balls to finally take me down.¡± Finally, I can see who the Chief was. And I nearly chuckled when I saw him but I have to hold it in. Any stupid sound I made, even a chuckle could trigger these mean looking people to attack me. And what¡¯s more, if I¡¯m laughing at the person they called their Chief. The chief was a short, plump Halfling wearing what I would call a pompous attire. He doesn¡¯t look like a thief. More like a Halfling aristocrat from a long forgotten kingdom. That and also his ugly hat. Or is it a cap? Or is it a bonnet? A turban perhaps? He beckoned me to stand and as I stood in front of him, our height stature seems so distinctive. I knew I¡¯m way too short for a human, but this guy was way shorter than me. The thing that¡¯s on his head was his saving grace for by wearing it, he looked as tall as me. However, he had some kind of an aura and charm that I cannot resist. ¡°Who are you and what do you want in here?¡± He asked of me, stroking his chin while scrutinizing me up and down. More ups than down, mind you. ¡°And think carefully before you answer boy, for my men here does not know restraint.¡± I gulped. Well¡­ I¡­errr¡­.I¡­ errr¡­ ¡°Hey kid, don¡¯t go and waste Chief¡¯s time with your ¡®errrs¡¯. Talk properly or else¡­¡± came a voice from beside him. ¡°Shusshh Raudio. You are scaring him. He is but just a boy. Give him time to talk. You of all people looks the ugliest around here and perhaps your face was what that gets into him.¡± The rooms filled with laughter. The situation was lighter now, but I¡¯m yet out of trouble Alright¡­ alright¡­. I pointed my finger at the sole reason I ended up in here. Back in the far corner of the room, he stood, trying to avoid my gaze. He¡­ he¡­ stole something of mine. My money pouch. ¡°Hmmphh?¡± the Chief looked at me, puzzled. ¡°And what proof do you have boy, for you to accuse one of our own?¡± The Chief asked. ¡°Yeah, what proof? Give us some proofs or else you are not getting here out alive kid!¡± Raudio and the rest of them kept taunting me nonstop. The money pouch that he stole, has my initials and the crest of my Brotherhood. The Brotherhood of the Sun. ¡°The Brotherhood?!!¡± The Chief suddenly gave a surprised remark. Oh my god. Did I say something wrong? Looks like it will be the end of my journey. I¡¯ll die here, in a place as dark and smelly as this old house, before I can even start my journey. ¡°Ilvean! Come here this instance!!!¡± I was jolted back to reality. The thieving brat, one that goes by Ilvean came in front and stand beside the Chief. Even this brat was taller than the Chief. ¡°Show me what you stole from him!¡± Ilvean did not even budge. ¡°This is not a request. This is an order from your father!!!¡± The Chief bellowed his voice. The whole house was shaking and the rest of the crowd seem restless and fearful. I wondered what was going on. Ilvean trembled in fear. He took out the money pouch he stole from me and gave to the Chief, who claimed to be his father. That¡¯s¡­. that¡¯s my money pouch!! ¡°Quiet boy! You will talk only when I allow you to talk!¡± I kept my mouth shut real tight. This Chief ain¡¯t someone you could piss off by being disobedient. My life was at his mercy. He took the money pouch and examined it. ¡°Tell me your name boy.¡± Claude¡­. ¡°No, I mean the other name, your Brotherhood¡¯s name.¡± Hasty¡­ Hasty One. ¡°And your rank?¡± Senior¡­ Senior Journeyman. ¡°Show me the proof then!¡± He continued to bark me my orders. I showed him my Journeyman signet. He was staring at my ring quiet intently. Before long, he looked up at me, and while stroking his chin, he continued to speak. ¡°Hmm¡­ it seems you are legit, boy¡± he said this as he throws the money pouch back to me. I¡¯m confused with what was happening right here, right now. ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s nothing to see here. Go back to your post, now! And you, you and you¡­ come with me to my room¡± He pointed to Ilvean, the ugly faced guy that goes by the name Raudio and lastly, me. All of us did as we were told. Everyone else went back to their business as usual. And the three of us, walked behind the Chief as we followed him to his room. Am I safe, now? I pondered about my fate as I entered the Chief¡¯s room. As soon as we were inside his room, he immediately went to his desk and pulled his drawer out. After he found what he was looking for inside that drawer, he then threw me a ring that looks like my Journeyman signet, but in a different colour, materials and engraving too. ¡°That¡¯s an Aspirant signet.¡± Huh?! What? An Aspirant? ¡°Raudio, Ilvean. What did I tell you about our creed when it comes to a member of the Brotherhood?¡± The Chief stared at both of them intently. ¡°Never do harm, help the Brotherhood with all our skills and knowledge as best as we could, while establishing a profitable relationship with them.¡± Ilvean and Raudio simultaneously recited a creed of theirs. I wonder what was happening but I soon find out why. ¡°That ring¡­ the one that you hold now, belongs to the one who saved me countless of time. She was my saviour and also my wife. That¡¯s an Aspirant ring, and it¡¯s one of my most precious treasure.¡± The Chief began to tell his story. ¡°And I sincerely apologise for my daughter¡¯s behaviours and of Raudio¡¯s too.¡± The Chief bowed his head to me. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Chief!¡± ¡°Enough you two. Don¡¯t you both know how much trouble you have caused to a member of the Brotherhood?!¡± The Chief beckoned me to take a seat beside him. I duly followed. And he proceeded to tell me a little of his backstory. ¡°When I was a young man, I used to be a merchant. And as a merchant, it was one of our main roles to travel around the kingdom, looking for various items to be sold here, at Elsivier. And I specialized in one trade ¨C antiques and arts. You could say, I¡¯m a very highly valuable asset as most of my clients are the Elsivier¡¯s nobles and rich families.¡± He paused for a while and looked at the Aspirant¡¯s Signet that once belonged to his wife. ¡°Every time I travelled, I¡¯m a target to robbery even in broad daylight. One such gang was the Red Scarlet. And so, I hired mercenaries and soldier of fortunes or even adventurers. One adventurer, in particular, had saved my lives countless of times and as we travelled together, I¡¯d get to know that she was from the Brotherhood of the Sun, and the ring that you hold now was her proof.¡± An interesting twist. But I¡¯m curious. How did he end up becoming a Chief to thieves anyway? ¡°Love blossomed between us and before long we were married. However, our marriage was not meant to be a happily forever after. My wife died, protecting me when we were ambushed by unknown assailants on our way back from having our dinner in the capital. And that was the beginning of what you see right now.¡± ¡°Because I had wealth and connections but not information, I couldn¡¯t find who killed my wife at that time. And because of that, I vowed to get my vengeance. And so, with the Brotherhood¡¯s help, I gather a few trusted people to form a clan of some sort. One that delves in information. And I used my connection and wealth to make this clan of mine, into what it is right now.¡± A thief¡¯s guild? ¡°Hahaha. Far from it. You can say we are shady. But thievery is not our main core of business. Our main core business is information, boy. There are more eyes and ears on the streets than you can count if you know where to look. And no one could do it better than those who the society won¡¯t give a second glance to.¡± So, you are the Chief of this Thief¡¯s Guild? ¡°Guild? No, not a guild. Elsivier would not recognize a thief¡¯s guild, but nonetheless, we are the shadows that provide a different sort of protection that Elsivier¡¯s need. Who in their right mind would want to announce to the world that the capital and rulers of the land recognize a thief¡¯s guild? We are needed, but recognitions are not what we were after for. Though we have some leeway, then again, we are not a guild. A clan perhaps, but never a guild.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. So, what clan do you call yourself? ¡°Ahh, I forgot my manners. I haven¡¯t introduced myself to you yet, right? Here I am telling you many things but then forgets the main one. I¡¯m Bannen Quiksilver, the Chief of the Quicksilver Clan¡± I¡¯m Claude Leonheart. Bannen extended his hand to shake mine and I replied with a firm grasp. ¡°So, you are that Claude Leonheart. Never thought I would find you here¡± Huh? What do you mean? ¡°As I told you, there are ears and eyes everywhere, especially around here. And besides, information gathering and intel are our forte. I¡¯ve known about your exploits and why you are here¡± You mean my mission? ¡°Mission? No, not the mission. We dare not to intrude on a Brotherhood¡¯s mission unless it was required of us. It is rather that I¡¯d known that you were invited by the Crown Princess Sierra personally to the palace, to receive the King¡¯s Medal. Am I right, so far?¡± I did not respond. However, the silence was all the answer he needed. ¡°What! This kid saved the Princess?¡± Raudio suddenly shouted in shock. ¡°Shussh. And aye, he did save the princess. Or you dare to suggest that my intel was wrong, ehh Raudio?¡± Bannen reprimanded Raudio for the sudden intrusion. ¡°This tall young man with a face that only a mother could love here is Raudio, my right-hand man at the clan. He is young and hot-tempered. But, what he lacks in the brain, he made it up with his skills and loyalty.¡± I extend my handshake to Raudio. Instead of replying with a handshake of his own, he just patted my hand away. How rude. ¡°Raudio. Do not embarrass me in front of our guest!¡± Upon hearing that, Raudio tried to re-grab my hand for the handshake. Since I¡¯m being a good guest, I duly replied. The handshake was a cold fish at best. He let the handshake go as soon as he could but before that, I gave him a smirk that was meant to piss him off and I stared at him as if to say, ¡°Good boy, piss me off at your own peril, moron.¡± ¡°And that little one over there, the one who cause you all these troubles¡­¡± Yah, yah. The one that caused me the trouble whole day. The thieving brat. I nodded as Bannen finally introduced the thieving brat. Hopefully, you will get punished for this, stupid kid. ¡°The one who stole your money pouch is my daughter, Ilvean Quiksilver¡± Ilvean revealed her face from beneath the hood. But wait a minute? That thief, Ilvean was a she? Not a he? Is this a mistake or somewhat? Before I could control my thoughts, I already blurted out my words. Huh? What? Daughter? Is he not a son? ¡°What do you mean a son? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m a girl?¡± Ilvean snapped back at me. You? A girl? I shook my head. I don¡¯t believe this. I can see Ilvean trembled in anger. I continued to mock her boyish frame and looks. You look like a pretty boy to me. You don¡¯t have¡­ you know what. I explained to Ilvean with my hand cupping at my chest. Her face went red in embarrassment. However, I did not hold back. Time to get my vengeance one way or another. No wonder I thought you were a boy. Your chest and your ass are both flat. Like a washing board. No, not washing board. It¡¯s more like the plains of Naverune flat. You are as flat and as plain as a boy could be. I could not think you as a girl. Maybe a pretty boy. Perhaps even an effeminate boy. Raudio couldn¡¯t contain his laughter and gave out a loud laugh that filled the room. Ilvean was on the verge of tears. I gave out a victory smirk. How about that, ehh Ilvean. ¡°No one ever calls Ilvean that way before. You are the first one kid. You sure got some balls pissing off her. I¡¯m starting to like you already.¡± Errr, thanks but no thanks Raudio. I don¡¯t swing that way. Besides, I prefer my women to have big-breast and honey-peached ass and she must also be beautiful. ¡°So, our young friend here prefers them that way, ehh. Just like someone I know.¡± Bannen interjected. I nodded. Else they won¡¯t attract me. Perhaps some men might like a flat-chested pretty-faced boy like her, but most men I know, wouldn¡¯t. I know I wouldn¡¯t. Perhaps Ilvean finally snapped that she broke in tears. ¡°Then Ilvean has more to learn and grow. And you are pretty good at taunting and goading others. I see that is a natural skill of yours. You even made our Ilvean cry. Hahaha.¡± Bannen gave a chuckle as he poured a drink into his glass. ¡°Want some? It¡¯s Elsiberry¡¯s ale. Premium one at that. It could be a little strong for you though.¡± Yah, sure. Give me some. After all that running and chase around the town, I¡¯m thirsty. Rule number one if you were a guest at some else house. If they offer you something, take it. Else your host won¡¯t be too happy with you and you won¡¯t get invited back soon. I could use an information broker on my side too. Bannen handed me a small cup full of Elsiberry¡¯s ale, while his one was a large glass. Figures, anyway. As Bannen raised the toast for me, he said, ¡°Unfortunately, my wife and I were not blessed with any children of our own. Ilvean is my adopted daughter. As you can see, she¡¯s a half-elf unlike me, who¡¯s an old Halfling¡± Sorry to hear that. I was wondering why she doesn¡¯t even resemble you in the first place. I take a sip of the ale. Wow, this ale is good. Really good. And the alcoholic kick it gave me, send shivers down my spine. I could get used to premium stuff. You look like an aristocrat and she looks like a pauper. ¡°Hey, watch your tongue, shorty!¡± Ilvean snapped back at me. Are you calling me shorty, shorty? Looks who¡¯s talking. You are even shorter than me. ¡°But you are a shorty!¡± If I¡¯m a shorty, what makes of you then? A pee-wee? Tiny tot? Beansprout? Oh, I know, maybe I¡¯ll call you puny-snot. You look nothing like your Father. ¡°Why you¡­¡± ¡°Enough Ilvean. Claude, let¡¯s continue our talk.¡± Bannen again interrupted us. ¡°The clothes I¡¯m wearing is the price I have to pay to get near the nobles and rich folks. Else, they wouldn¡¯t want anyone near them. To be honest, I don¡¯t really like wearing these. I prefer them to be light and easy, not suffocating like this.¡± He was jerking his sleeves and then tugged his collar to emphasize the point. ¡°Remember, first impression counts. With these nobles and rich folks, the first impression might be the only impression you got. And since you will be serving them soon, remember this well.¡± I nodded. Bannen had a good point there. ¡°Now, you have known who we are and what we do. So, what will you do now?¡± Well, you told me lots of things, Chief. You sure are talkative for someone who deals with information. ¡°Hahaha, call it a public relation service. And also as a reward for having some massive ball barging into our clan¡¯s house at that!¡± Ehh¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that. I bowed my head down in embarrassment. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to. I could use a boy with your balls around here. There are too many soft-hearted folks nowadays. Pussies, you can call them that. I need a man who could think fast and act faster!¡± Yeah, I think so too. I¡¯m the epitome of that. That¡¯s how I earned my name back in the Brotherhood. ¡°But, that would be for later. However, I¡¯m sure you are pretty tired right now. Am I right, Claude?¡± I nodded. ¡°Ilvean! Come here!¡± Ilvean who was at the corner, sobbing while being consoled by Raudio, walked towards her father. She seemed reluctant to follow his orders, but perhaps she feared her father more, which like the rest of the people around here were, duly obliged. ¡°You have caused so much trouble today for an esteemed guest to our city.¡± ¡°But¡­but¡­ Father¡± ¡°No buts. Remember our creed. Without our creed, our clan would be as good as dead!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who you should apologise!¡± Bannen pointed towards me. ¡°The apologies should be directed at him¡± Ilvean pouted and stared at me. Heh. Like I¡¯m to be scared at all with that. I¡¯m an esteemed guest of this city, remember? I gave a smirk to Ilvean. ¡°I¡­ I¡­.¡± Come on now, Ilvean. Saying sorry to me won¡¯t hurt you as much. Perhaps your pride and ego will go down the drain, but other than that, you have nothing to lose. ¡°Sorry!¡±Ilvean jerked her head up as she said that. Was that an apology or what? Ahh well, whatever. It¡¯s no fun forcing someone into a corner like that. I nodded and then waved her away. I have no interest in a kid like her. ¡°So, Claude. Where will you go from here?¡± Bannen asked. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t really know.¡± The sudden realization of my reasons for being here in Elsivier struck me quite, how should I say¡­ dumbfounded I guess. ¡°I see. Perhaps I could offer you a resolution, for what Ilvean did to you. Are you interested?¡± I¡¯m all ears. ¡°I know where you need to go and who you need to meet. But instead of doing it today, why not tomorrow instead?¡± But¡­ where will I stay? ¡°Why of course, you are my guest. Ilvean! You are to take Claude to our guest house and make sure whatever his needs are to be fulfilled. If he needs a woman, find him one or else you can learn how to be a woman.¡± What kind of father said that to his daughter? Though not related by blood, I mean¡­ offering his daughter to me. Well, not that I wouldn¡¯t mind, but I prefer them bigger, you know. Ehh¡­ Chief Bannen. I¡¯m not so sure I would want a woman. Especially not that Ilvean. ¡°Ahh, I see. You did say you prefer them bigger.¡± I nodded. ¡°Perhaps next time then. For now, you will stay at our guest house. At the first ray of the sun, Ilvean will take you directly to where you need to go.¡± That¡¯s better. ¡°No way, Father. There¡¯s no way I have to be this shorty¡¯s guide!¡± Ilvean tried to resist the Chief. ¡°I was not requesting you. I¡¯m ordering you, Ilvean!!!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Bannen slammed the table with his glass. His temper was really something else. He would be one of those people I would not dare to cross. He looked like a gang¡¯s Godfather or some sort. What he needed extra was a cigar and a fat cat to caress. Perhaps he could do with a change of attire too. Raudio patted Ilvean¡¯s head as if to console her. Chief Bannen, while looking at me, took out a bunch of keys from his drawer. ¡°This is the key to our guest house. Keep the key to yourself. You are always welcome to use our guest house in any way as you see fit. You can create your own harem and no one will know about it. Hahahaha!!¡± I can¡¯t say anything else. Chief Bannen was one kind of a person that I¡¯ll ever meet. Was this what awaits me in my future adventurers? ¡°Claude, do follow Ilvean now.¡± Ahh, alright. ¡°And Ilvean, make sure you do as what you were told. Understand?!¡± Ilvean nodded. She had not given any choice to do otherwise. And so, the unlikely guide, Ilvean led me to the clan¡¯s guest house. I exited the room and went down the stairs, but instead of taking the main door which I had barged in earlier, we took another exit. A backdoor perhaps. Will Ilvean do exactly as she was told? I wondered. ¡°Chief. Why were you being so nice to a boy like him? It¡¯s a first for you Chief. You even offered him your precious ale.¡± Chief Bannen smiled and he continued to drink from his large glass. ¡°Raudio. You have much to learn. But first, what do you think of that young boy?¡± ¡°That kid? Hmm¡­ nothing special. He has a loud mouth that will one day surely lands him in trouble.¡± ¡°Other than that?¡± ¡°Perhaps a big pair of balls, coming into our clan house the way he did. That¡¯s all I could think about.¡± Raudio rubbed his chin a few times before he shook his head. Perhaps he could think no more. ¡°You know Raudio, not many people here could give Ilvean the chase once she stole something. In fact, no one in our clan ever managed to catch her once she started to run. Not even a member of the Brotherhood would be able to detect her. She knew the lay of this city better than she knows the back of her own hand.¡± Raudio nodded. ¡°Not even I could catch her when she strides at full speed.¡± ¡°For that boy to chase and catch her, he must be pretty special. That and also one more thing I¡¯d noticed about him which piqued my interest¡± ¡°What is it Chief?¡± ¡°Raudio. Remember how I trained you to judge people?¡± Bannen began his words. ¡°People are like arts and antiques. You won¡¯t know their value until either the time passed by or something remarkable happened. Until then, no one, even including they themselves, will know about their true values. This boy, Claude, I shall have likened him to legendary masterpiece waiting to be found and unveiled.¡± ¡°A legendary masterpiece Chief? What makes you say that? You seem to regard him very highly or if I dare say, taken a liking to him.¡±Raudio was curious by his Chief¡¯s disposition. ¡°Perhaps Raudio, but have I ever been mistaken in judging people before?¡± Raudio shook his head. ¡°No Chief. You have given me and the rest of us here a new lease of life. We are really thankful for what you did to us.¡± Bannen smiled. ¡°Others might look at you with contempt and disdain, like how you are now looking at that young boy, Claude. Never let your prejudice goes into your way of evaluating a person¡¯s true value. Remember that!¡± ¡°I will, Chief!!¡± Chief Bannen stood up and walked towards a wall with many paintings alongside it. ¡°That boy, Claude has certain destiny written all over him. I don¡¯t know what or how or when, but I¡¯m sure that when that time comes, we have to be there. Or else, we ceased to be history. Everything we know shall end. That¡¯s what I can see, right now.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t all of us have our destiny of some sort, Chief?¡± ¡°True, but none will carry a much heavier burden than that boy. Perhaps in due time, we shall see.¡± ¡°Is that why you are being so nice to him and equalled him to a legendary masterpiece, Chief?¡± Banned touched a painting on the wall and then looked at Raudio. ¡°You must be the right person, at the right time, at the right place to be able to get your hand on a legendary masterpiece. It¡¯s a super-rare, unique in its own way, class of arts and antiques. Now, if we play our cards right, we would be able to reap the rewards far beyond of what we could ever hope for.¡± Chief Bannen let out a wide grin. ¡°Claude, as you see him now, is just a single stroke of that painting. Give him time to develop and you shall see, whether I¡¯m right or wrong. And when the times come, and it shall be, make sure all of us are ready!¡± ¡°Then, shall we give him time, Chief?!¡± Chief Bannen the paced himself across the room toward the window. As he pushed the curtain aside, he looked out far towards the empty road that stretches from his room. ¡°For now, we shall observe him first. Observe the legendary masterpiece work in progress painted by the master painter called Fate. But don¡¯t forget, do help him with all we got, Raudio.¡± Raudio nodded. He stood up and then placed himself beside Chief Bannen. As both of them looked out from the window, they pondered too at what would await them in the future. This meeting was fated. For him to be there today; for Ilvean to finally meet her match in running; and for Claude to actually kicked the door of the clan¡¯s house open, was all these a mere coincidence? Maybe not. But for now, Claude was just a boy, and yet to be a man. But a man nonetheless he would be in future; blessed or cursed, depending on how one would look at it, who were destined for something beyond one could ever hope for. But what was it? That was the question that both Bannen and Raudio could not answer just yet. Only time will tell, it seemed. But Time was another fickle master. It would not wait for anyone, whether they were ready or not. Whether one was a boy or a man. ANNOUNCEMENTS: AUTHORS NOTE ON UPDATES Hi everyone, First of all, I want to say thank you for reading until this stage. I really appreciate the time you spend reading the ''little'' adventures I had put for you in this story so far. I have a few announcements to make regarding next few chapters until the peak of this First Volume and ultimately until it''s conclusion. I had done some improvements over the works based on your comments. Yes, there are some few areas I could work on and I''ll be working on it once I am free from developing new chapters. 1. Of the improvement is the MC''s speech. I used to do it with just italic. Now, i''ll insert the symbol quotes or open speech mark together with the italic. Something like this --> "insert words". 2. Grammar wise, I''m working on it. However, I could not spend hours upon hours of editing and not developing new chapters. All the chapters that I had released so far will be the ''final'' version until I had enough funds to actually hire a proper proofreader (not me, definitely) and work on it.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. 3. Long page chapters. After reading lots of novels in here, I''d realized that it''s not viable for me to put 90 pages of content in one chapter. Yes, I have 90 pages chapters and even longer than that coming soon. But for your sake and sanity, and mine too, I''ll break it as follows - 8-14 pages per chapter per upload. More or less between the range of 1500 to 2000 words. 4. Frequency of my uploads. I will upload everyday (no rest day for the wicked, it seems) until the end of Book 1. The rest of the chapters after Book 1 will be released depending on how far ahead I am in developing new contents. Hopefully, I could still maintain once a day upload. 5. Novel''s title. I''ll change it a little as to represent latest and upcoming chapters. I''ll mention it once I have done updating it and all. 6.And I save the best for the last. This story is written in light novel style. And when it comes to light novel, you know what?! Nah... i''ll save it until the end. Really? You want it now? Alright, alright. I''ll have some illustrations coming on soon. Simple one''s mind, you. So, don''t expect super concept-art realistic characters or anime style moe-moe drawings. I think that''s all. And yeah, one more thing before i forgot. I''ll have some poll coming soon looking for your feedbacks and comment. Also for Q&A''s. That''s all for now. One more time, thanks for reading and I really hope you do enjoy it as much as I am in creating them. Thanks again. Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 1) Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 1) A good day starts with a hearty meal. - Captain Rizzou I¡¯m at the Quick Silver clan¡¯s guest house¡¯s courtyard. As usual, I woke up before the sun rises and continued my morning routines as usual. By dedicatedly practising my sword skills. I had spent the night here, sleeping in the guest house. Though the house was big; a double storied house with no less than 18 rooms, 2 living rooms and a big kitchen, it seemed to be empty, saved for the maid. She was there when I woke up this morning, cleaning the living room. She was quite shocked to see me went down the stairs with only my underwear on, but she seemed professional enough not to be fazed by the sudden appearance of the house¡¯s guest. ¡°Good morning, sire.¡± The maid greeted me as soon as I came down the stairs. I was still in my boxer, but she seemed unfazed by me being half naked. Feeling a little groggy, I replied. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°How was your sleep, sire? Did you get a good rest?¡± The maid continued to ask. ¡°It was alright, I think. I¡¯m not used to sleep in such a big bed with mattresses so soft that I nearly sank to the bottom.¡± ¡°I see. The bed was not to your liking then, sire? I shall ask the housekeepers to change the bed then, to the one more of your liking. I¡¯ll get it replaced immediately after your breakfast, sire.¡± Wow, this maid was very professional. She really went out of her way for the guest¡¯s well-being. ¡°Hmmm¡­ that won¡¯t be necessary. I only stayed for the night.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The maid suddenly looked glum. Perhaps I should let her do her duty, after all. She would not like it if she was not able to do her job properly. A professional will always be a professional. ¡°But I have the key though. So, I might be coming here from time to time, you know. So, if you think it¡¯s not worth of your hassle, please feel free to do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Yes sire, as you wish.¡± She seemed happy again. ¡°And, since I¡¯ll be visiting perhaps as many times I could be allowed, let get to know each other. I¡¯m Claude. And you?¡± ¡°Ohh! I¡¯m so sorry sire.¡± She suddenly apologized to me profusely. ¡°I apologise for my unbecoming behaviour, sire. I¡¯m Reena, the maid.¡± ¡° I see. So, I¡¯ll call you Reena then. Is that alright with you?¡± The maid, who was called Reena, nodded. ¡°By the way, are there any others like you, working in this house Reena?¡± ¡°Others come occasionally, sire. Only I have been given the duty to come and serve in this house every day.¡± Reena beamed with pride upon saying that. She seemed a very dutiful person. Serious in her job and a responsible one at that too. Wonder where did they found her anyway? My grogginess started to fade somewhat and now I¡¯m have become more aware of my surroundings and the person I was talking to. Reena seemed to be different. Perhaps a little different than any other girls or women I¡¯ve seen. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, being just woke up and all and not having enough sleep, but now after a while, I began to take notice of her peculiarity. I looked at Reena and I could see a cat-like ear from her head, but covered by her maid scarves and long hair and she has a tail that protrudes beneath her maid outfit. A tail? Perhaps Reena saw that I stared at her that she lost her usual composure. She became a little uncomfortable, trying to cover herself. Because of that movement, I became aware of my own lack of manners. ¡°Ahh, sorry if I stared at you. You seemed a little different Reena, from the rest of the girls and women I¡¯ve ever met. Your ears¡­. And was that a tail that I just saw?¡± Reena touched her ears. She looked down, trying to avoid my gaze as her hands tried to cover her ears and tail at the same time. I think I asked too much. I shouldn¡¯t intrude on someone¡¯s else personal life while I¡¯m still a guest at this house. I should not show my lack of tack and mannerism. Trying to rectify the awkward situation, I gave her a job to do. ¡°Reena, make me a breakfast, shall you?¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­ Yes, sire!¡± Reena was jolted back to her usual composure. ¡°What do you want to have for your breakfast?¡± ¡°Give me your speciality, then. And make it a serving for three. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°For¡­. For¡­ three. Are you sure, sire?¡± I nodded. ¡°As you wish, sire. I¡¯ll get to it immediately. Please wait a moment while I prepare your breakfast, sire. In the meantime, perhaps you would like to get dressed? It¡¯s a cold morning today.¡± Opps¡­ I forgot that I¡¯m half naked. Feeling embarrassed, I hurriedly went to change. ----- I was nearly at the end of my sword practice when I heard Reena called me from inside the house. ¡°Sire, your breakfast is ready. Please come in!¡± About time. I was already feeling hungry. I did not have my dinner yesterday, so my stomach kept on grumbling the whole time I was practicing. Working out in the morning without having some sort of dinner was a little taxing on my stomach it seemed. I quickly wiped my sweat and went straight away to kitchen. Reena had made a delicious looking stew and she put it in a plate on the dining table. I sat on the dining chair, while Reena stand a little further away from the dining table. As I start to take a sip of the stew, I heard Reena¡¯s voice.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Sire, don¡¯t you think you should clean yourself first before you eat?¡± I looked at Reena. Thinking I was pissed off, Reena apologized immediately. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry sire. I have spoken out of turn. Please forgive me.¡± I beckoned her towards me and told her to sit in front of me. She duly obliged, thinking I would reprimand her. As I walked to clean my hands at the sink while she walked to her seat, Reena bowed down her head. Her cat-like ears seemed to droop down. I could even see her trembling. I¡¯m not a sadist, but she seems so cute and fragile at the moment. I could do with a little teasing. Hehehe. But perhaps, I¡¯ll save it for later. I wouldn¡¯t know what time that brat, Ilvean, would come anyway. Her eventual arrival meant that I need to make a move towards my real destination for today. I looked at the dining table and there¡¯s only one plate of stew. I remembered I asked for three servings, but why¡¯s was only one served to me? I saw the pot where Reena used to cook the stew on the stove and as I walked towards it, I noticed that there was some amount of stew left. Suddenly, I don¡¯t feel happy. I don¡¯t like this feeling, at all. ¡°Reena, I told you, it¡¯s a serving of three. Why do you give me just one?¡± ¡°But ...but¡­ sire.¡± ¡°Is there anything about breakfast for three you don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°No, sire. No.¡± She trembled in fear. I took another plate and filled it with stew. And as I take my seat opposite of Reena, I could see her tears welling up in her eyes. Again with tears in her eyes. Was she a crybaby? A professional but a crybaby of a maid? If I stay longer here, I could tease her to no end. ¡°Here, you forgot your breakfast.¡± I placed the plate of stew that I just took right in front of Reena. ¡°Sire?¡± Reena looked at me, bewildered. ¡°Reena, on my table, everyone eats. That includes you too. So, don¡¯t go and stand far from the table and stare at me eating. I don¡¯t like that. And I won¡¯t clean myself before I eat. Cleanings are for sissies. But I did that just one time, as thanks for making me breakfast. Next time, whether I am cleaned or not, if I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯ll eat first. ¡° Reena kept quiet. ¡°But maybe, just maybe, I¡¯ll take a hot bath before breakfast if you prepared it well enough.¡± Reena raised her head and as our eyes met, I wink at her. ¡°Time to eat! This stew looks delicious.¡± I ignored Reena for a while and took the first sip of the stew. Whoa¡­ It was delicious! Really delicious. It¡¯s creamy and thick with little chunks of mushrooms in it. The stew really warms my stomach. ¡°Reena, this is very delicious. What did you make for me?¡± ¡°Wild Mushroom Stew, sire.¡± Wild mushroom stew, ehh. I thought wild mushrooms are poisonous. Ahh well, it¡¯s delicious anyway, so it can¡¯t be poison. I¡¯ll dig this stew anytime. It was a perfect breakfast. I think I could have it every day. Yah, I think that would be a good idea. Someone to cook delicious food for me every day. ¡°Reena, eat yours before it gets cold.¡± ¡°B-B-But sire. Maids are not supposed to sit and eat at the same table as the houseguests!¡± Reena finally spoke out of her fear. Perhaps that was the reason that she did not prepare a plate for herself and just watch me eat instead. I looked at her and asked her with a hint of displeasure, ¡°Whose rule was that? Who made that rule? You?!¡± Reena bowed down. ¡°No one, sire. It¡¯s just that¡­ we¡­ we are of low status¡­and¡­ and¡± I have listened enough. Low status-smatus nonsense. Everywhere I used to go with Blizzard Hawk or the old geezer, I used to get pretty upset when people talk about their statuses. It¡¯s a pet peeve of mine. Nothing pissed me off more than someone who talked about their statuses and why couldn¡¯t they do certain things, like eating for example, because of their statuses. ¡°To hell with statuses Reena!!¡± I shouted at her. Reena seemed to be taken by surprised by my words. I could see tears forming in her eyes, yet again. ¡°Reena. I¡¯ll say this just once. Only once. So, listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say!¡± I wiped my mouth away and looked at Reena intently. ¡°As long as I¡¯m the guest in this house here, you will sit and eat with me. I don¡¯t care about who comes and stay here, but the keys are with me and I was told to use this house as how I see fit by the Chief. And I plan to do exactly just that.¡± I continued after pausing for a while. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your statuses are, whether you¡¯re a maid or Crown Princess. If you are hungry, you eat. If you are sleepy, you sleep. If you need to take a poop, you take a poop. And your poop stinks as much as the others, even if you are of low status and the other was a princess¡¯s.¡± Reena chuckled at my analogy. Well, I have no better analogy to give to her to get directly into her brain. Perhaps with this crude analogy, she could understand better. ¡°So, there¡¯s no difference between us. Perhaps one or two, but that¡¯s all.¡± I looked at her ears and tail. ¡°But¡­sire. We¡­ I mean¡­ the Beast people¡­ We are just slave here. I¡¯m... I¡¯m fortunate enough for the Chief to take me as a maid. Others might be not so lucky.¡± ¡°And¡­.?¡± I looked straight into Reena¡¯s eyes. Reena immediately bowed down, trying to avoid my intimidating gaze. ¡°Are you saying to me, that just because you are a whatchamacallit people, I need to treat you as how others treat you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Beast people sire.¡± Reena corrected me. Heh, still trying to correct me even though she was the one who needed to be corrected in the first place. Weird but somehow funny. ¡°Yah, yah Beast people. But my point still stands though. Anyway, was that the reason why you tried to hide your ears and tail when I asked about it?¡± Reena nodded. Perhaps she was afraid that because she was a Beast people, I would treat her as how others would treat her. And judging by her fears and trembling earlier, I¡¯d bet that it was not a nice treatment at all. Alright, time to set some rules in this house. Chief Bannen told I could do as I please and I think I would as well do as I please right now. Even though it¡¯s for a day, or forever, I don¡¯t care. ¡°Reena, as long as I hold the keys to this house, I¡¯ll be the master of this guest house. And you will be my maid. And I think the Chief wouldn¡¯t mind that arrangement at all.¡± Reena looked at me. She seemed confused. However, I continued my words. ¡°You will stop wearing that ugly scarf that hides your beautiful cat-like ears and let your tails out. You seem to have a hard time walking and standing with your tail trapped inside that maid outfit of yours.¡± ¡°But sire¡­¡± ¡°You sure have lots of buts don¡¯t you, Reena?¡± I sighed. ¡°I thought you were a professional maid, proud and happy to serve her master, giving all her best. Like how you prepared this stew. Simple and yet delicious. But, now, you are just a stubborn girl who is reluctant to do as what she was told by her master. ¡° I made an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Sire¡­ I¡¯m not sure I can do everything as what you ordered me, sire¡­¡± ¡°I never told you to do everything in one go. Take your time. Maybe you can start first by eating up that stew before it gets cold.¡± Reena took the spoon and take a sip from the stew. She sure takes her time. I could see tears welling in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s better. The rest, you can do as you see fit. I have lots of time anyway. So a little progress here and there would be enough.¡± She nodded. I¡¯m not sure she understood nor would she follow what I¡¯d just said. But nonetheless, when I¡¯m in the house, she better makes sure she didn¡¯t do what I didn¡¯t like. ¡°And one more thing, Reena.¡± Reena looked at me as I smiled at her. ¡°From now onwards, call me Master instead of sire. Get that?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, si¡­ M-M-Master¡± ¡°Good.¡± I smiled at Reena and looked at her eating her stew. She acted so professional and were bound to her duties, but she was still a fragile girl. Perhaps she was also bound by the chain of her fate and of her race. I wished I could do something about it, but I¡¯m just a pebble in the middle of a tornado. I would just be swept away like nothing. But my conscience was clear. Perhaps in due time Reena, that I¡¯ll unchain you and the rest of your people, but for now, forgive me for being so incapable and helpless. Reena noticed my smiled and she blushed. ¡°Reena, one day, when you are ready, tell me everything about Beast people.¡± ¡°Master?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still new here and I am a nobody in the grand scheme of thing. I don¡¯t want to give promises that I cannot fulfil Reena, but my conscience and my Brotherhood ethos which I lived and die by, would not allow me to keep quiet about what I¡¯m feeling right now. So, please allow me, as your Master, albeit for a little time that I might have, and payment for that delicious food you have made for me, to listen about the Beast people and your race¡¯s plight.¡± I could see Reena¡¯s tears flowing down from her cheeks. ¡°I-I will¡­ Master!!¡± ¡°In due time, Reena. In due time. Now, enjoy your breakfast. I have to get ready to greet our next guest. And do prepare her the breakfast when she comes alright. She might be an annoying brat, but nothing will be worse than an annoying and hungry brat. Made sure she¡¯s full to the brim.¡± I stood up, and as I turned my back away from Reena, I could hear her saying something under her breath. ¡°Th-Thank¡­ you¡­ M-Master¡± I gave her my thumbs up. As usual, it was my standard victory pose. Reena gave out a chuckle. Man, I sure talked a lot today. Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 2) Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 2) I just finished getting dressed when the door to my room was kicked open. The loud bang caused me to grab my sword as fast as I could. I unsheathed it as I prepared for an enemy attack. ¡°Hey, shorty! Wake up already!!¡± I could see Ilvean standing in the doorway. Man, she sure nearly gave me a heart attack early in the morning. Despite that, I could not help but to smile a little. ¡°Pretty lively as always, ehh Ilvean?¡± I teased at her while sheathing my sword. ¡°Hurry up getting your ass moving! I don¡¯t have all day. I want to finish up whatever Father ordered me to do for you already. Another second with you makes me want to puke!!¡± ¡°That makes two of us.¡± I smirked at her. ¡°Was that how your Father taught you to treat your clan¡¯s esteemed guest? Chief Bannen must be really sad to hear what I have to say about your attitude towards your guest.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ don¡¯t you dare do that! I-I-I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Yah, yah. No worries. I¡¯m not like you. My mouth can keep itself shut, for now. Besides, I have more class than a brat who stole my money pouch and now punished for being disobedient.¡± I walked past Ilvean. I looked at her and gestured to her cheeks. ¡°There¡¯s something on stuck your cheeks.¡± I pointed out to her. Ilvean immediately wiped both cheeks with her sleeves. ¡°How was Reena¡¯s stew? Amazing right? ¡° She must have taken the breakfast before coming up and get me. ¡°Yeah, pretty good I guess. But how did she know I was coming here?¡± I never gave her the answer. I just smiled as I proceeded to descend the stairs and walked to the door. Reena was already waiting for me with a big smile. ¡°Master, thank you for everything!¡± ¡°You are welcome, Reena.¡± ¡°A-about what we talked earlier¡­¡± ¡°No worries, Reena. In due time.¡± She nodded. Reena seems to be a little more cheerful than I first met her early in the morning. Perhaps what we talked about have given her something to think about. ¡°Do keep the house safe for me alright. Who knows when I¡¯ll be back.¡± I smiled and patted her head. She tied her scarf a little different now as I can see her ears more clearly. I caressed her cat-like ears and she gave some sort of a purr. ¡°Hey, Ilvean. Are we going or what?!¡± ¡°Coming!!!¡±Ilvean ran down the stairs, stood next to me and then looked up at me as if she was not happy with what I had said to her. But I just ignored her and continued with my words. ¡°What takes you so long?! I thought we were going, already. You are the one who wants to get things done as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°I-I-I was making sure nothing was missing in the room! That¡¯s all there is.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m no thief like you. Now, hurry up and lead the way.¡± With that, I exited the house with Ilvean tugging behind. She was supposed to be my guide but yet I was walking in front of her. Reena waved goodbye to me, as I proceeded to walk outside the courtyard and to the main road. I waved back at her. ¡°You seem pretty close to our maid, don¡¯t you shorty?!¡± ¡°Stop calling me shorty! Don¡¯t you ever have a mirror at home?¡± ¡°I have, but you are still short no matter what. Anyway, what are you trying to do to our maid?!¡± ¡°Nothing that you need to know. Mind your business. Besides, aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± ¡°Hmmpph!¡± Ilvean snorted at me. She must have hated me but I don¡¯t give a rat ass about what she felt anyway. She deserved what was getting now and I have more important things to do rather than entertaining some kid¡¯s rebellious attitude.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°So, are you going to follow me or are you going to guide me as what the Chief ordered you to do? ¡° I reminded Ilvean of her reason for being with me this morning. ¡°Shut up and follow me already!¡± And then she started to run. ¡°And, if you can¡¯t catch up with me, that¡¯s your fault. Don¡¯t come and blame me if you ever get lost, shorty!!¡± ¡°Heh! Looks who¡¯s talking. Alright, kid. Lead the way. I¡¯m not going to fall behind to some thieving punk who was just caught by me yesterday.¡± ¡°You were just lucky!¡± Ilvean stuck her tongue out as she ran along the road on a chilly morning. Ilvean ran as fast as she could, dodging and avoiding peoples and obstacles alike. From the main road, she took an exit to a back alley, then before long, we returned back to the main road and then yet again to back alleys. She looked at me while she was running. I was not that far behind her. Perhaps around 10 to 15 paces. ¡°You are not bad, ehh shorty! That you can keep up with me even though I¡¯m running at full speed.¡± Ilvean smiled at me. ¡°You call this full speed? This is nothing, kid. I still haven¡¯t gone into my own full speed yet. If this is what your top speed is like, no wonder you got caught by me. ¡° I lied. I barely able to catch up with her but then again I couldn¡¯t let her gain one up over me. She needed to know that I¡¯m much more capable than she realized or else she would start treating me as like I¡¯m some sort of useless fool. ¡°Can you go any faster? I need to reach my destination fast, wherever it may be.¡± ¡°Blehh¡­¡± Ilvean stuck out her tongue again to me. However, this time she smiled as she pointed our next exit. ¡°There. Once we reach the end of that exit, we will arrive at our destination.¡± ¡°Alright. Lead the way, then.¡± Soon, we have reached our destination. We stopped at a massive gate which was stationed by no less than four guards, two of each side of the gate. ¡°Huhh¡­ Huhh¡­ Huhh¡­ Here we are, at last¡­¡± Ilvean was trying to catch her breath. She held her knees while breathing heavily. Perhaps playing run and chase like this early in the morning was new to her. Or perhaps she never met anyone who could run as fast, or even faster than her. I was also barely able to catch my breath as I fall down on my ass beside her. The guards were looking at us like we were some sort of kids playing catch. They showed no interest at all with their poker face. ¡°You¡­ you... are really¡­ not bad at all. I¡­ I¡­ need to change my opinion about you already.¡± Ilvean continued to speak. ¡°Took you some time to realize that, don¡¯t you Ilvean. But thanks, anyway. You are not bad yourself.¡± ¡°Hmmphh. Being praised by the likes of you won¡¯t make me happy at the very least!¡± Ilvean turned her back towards me. I smiled at her as I stood up. I patted her back. ¡°Anyway, thanks again for guiding me here. Your mission is over. So, get rid yourself of me.¡± I told her as I proceed towards the main gate. ¡°Wait. One more thing.¡± Ilvean beckoned me to stop. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Father¡­ Father wanted me to give you this.¡± She handed me an envelope with a seal on it. ¡°Something for me. What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°How would I know? I was only told to give to you this sealed envelope when we arrive here. Besides, I can¡¯t even open the letter even if I wanted to. It¡¯s sealed with our clan¡¯s crest.¡± ¡°Your clan¡¯s crested seal?¡± Ilvean nodded. ¡°Yah, our clan¡¯s crested seal. When it¡¯s sealed that way with our crest, no one can open it except for the intended recipient. Others who tried to open it will destroy both the envelope and everything that was contained inside. Not to mention that it will explode right in front of your face too.¡± Some sort of magic seal it seems. Wonder what Bannen tried to give to me in this envelope? ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯m done. Phew. No more babysitting a shorty like you!¡± Ilvean quickly ran past me. ¡°Alright. Thanks for your effort then.¡± ¡°Till next time, shorty!¡± Until next time, ehh. So, we shall meet again then, even though you said any second longer being with me, you would puke. After seeing Ilvean left the place, I opened the enveloped. In it was a letter from Bannen Quiksilver, the Chief of the Quick Silver clan. Date: 4009 AD, Day 25th of the month of May. Claude, I trust that you have a good night rest at our clan¡¯s guest house. Keep in mind that the house is now for you to use as you see fit. Since the house had been empty for quite some time, perhaps a new house master would make it more cheerful and lively. The keys are with you, so feel free treat it like your own house. But, this is not the reason why I write you this letter. By the time you read this letter, I¡¯m sure Ilvean has done what I had told her to do and you are now in front of the main gate to the Knights District. Knights District is the place where you will need to go to complete your journey. Meet up with Captain Forgante, a squad leader who also happens to be a personal friend of mine. Talk to him and mention my name and that I had sent you to him. He will guide you from there. All the best Ser Claude, future Royal Elite Knights of Elsigardia. I will look forward to our growing relationships now and in the future. Regards, Bannen Quiksilver PS: If you are wondering why I go to such extent of hospitality to you, consider it a forward payment. I¡¯ll ask for your help soon. PPS: By the way, if you ever met Reena, the maid at your new house now, be sure to treat her kindly. Her people have seen suffering enough. I trust that even without I telling you this personally, you will know what to do. I treat Reena as one of my own children. In case your Brotherhood ethos comes calling, you will know how to find me. PPPS: Do check your money pouch. See if it still there if Ilvean ever runs past you. You can¡¯t be too careful especially with your money if Ilvean is around. The last PPPS really struck me instantly. I checked my belt whether my money pouch was still there. Nothing. My belt felt light. I remembered that I put my money pouch in my belt. Looks like Ilvean stole my money pouch again, for the second time. ¡°Hahahaha!!¡±I gave out a loud laugh. Well. What else can I do? She was still a thief in nature. But, as the old idiom goes, ¡°Steal from me once, shame on me. Steal from me twice, shame on you¡­. cause you only get pebbles.¡± Hahahaha. I knew that Ilvean will try something like this. So, I have prepared in advance. I collected some pebbles, roughly the same weight as my gold and silver coins and placed in the money pouch. The real gold and silver coins, I kept it in a cloth that I placed inside both of my boots. That¡¯s the reason why I did not run at full speed earlier. Sucks to be you Ilvean. Hahahaha. Do enjoy spending your hard earn pebbles. I laughed out loud imagining how Ilvean¡¯s face would look like when she finally opened and found out what was inside of the money pouch. Perhaps she will do it in front of her friends, which would make it even more hilarious. Ilvean, the pebbles thief. Hahahaha. As I placed the letter back in the envelope, suddenly it caught on fire. The letter was destroyed. I looked at it and I thought to myself, perhaps this was how information brokers work. Everything was kept in secrecy and any evidence of communication will get destroyed unless it was wanted otherwise. They were professional alright. I could use their help or two in my forthcoming missions. Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 3) Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 3) I proceeded to the main gate. The main gate was about 30 feet in height, the type you would see in noble houses, made from metal bars. In front of it was yet another crest of a shield and two swords forming a cross in front of the shield. The people of Elsigardia must surely love crest. Everywhere I went, there are so many crests around. Before I could take another step, one of the guards stopped me. ¡°Halt!¡± I stopped and looked at the guard who just stopped me. He wore a greenish silver knight¡¯s armour, with some sort of a tree crest on his breastplate. In front of him, was a two-handed sword, adorned with beautiful engravings on the hilt. The tip of the blade stuck on the ground and the hilt was held with two hands. Behind him was a tower shield. And the guard was huge. He was like a mountain of a man, more than 2 metres in height and at least 3 times wider than me. If he did not talk to me earlier, I might mistake him for a statue. ¡°State your business, stranger!¡± In awe of the size of the guard and the equipment he was carrying, I lose a little of my composure. ¡°I¡­ uhh¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°If you have no reason here, begone! Else, you would feel the wrath of my sword!¡± He looked at me straight into the eyes. The type of stare that any grown man would even fear. However, I got reasons to be here and so, I don¡¯t have to be afraid of him or anyone else here for that matter. ¡°I need to see Captain Forgante. ¡° I composed myself and explained my reason for being here. ¡°For what business do you seek the Captain?!¡± He continued. Was he interrogating me in public? Well, I have no specific business to meet Captain Forgante. It was only because I was told by Chief Bannen that he could help me in my journey that I needed to meet him at all. ¡°I was told that he was the person I need to meet first before I could proceed towards my business of being here.¡± ¡°The state your business or else begone!¡± Man, this obnoxious guard was really getting on my nerve. Didn¡¯t he know what secrecy and confidential means? I took my stand and stared him directly into his eyes. "And what if I don¡¯t? What are you going to do? Slice me with that huge sword of yours or bash my head with that tower shield behind you?" I challenged him. ¡°Why you little¡­¡± I could hear the other three guards chuckling. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to move away from here. And this is a public area. Either you let me in nicely, or I¡¯m going to stand here and keep bugging you for the rest of the day until you let me enter.¡± One of the guards, who could not control his chuckle, finally spoke. ¡°Hey, Bruno. Let him in already. Stop with your bullying. Knights District ain¡¯t a restricted area you know. People come and go.¡± ¡°Shut up, Largo! I¡¯m just having fun pissing off punks like him!¡± ¡°Oh really? Having fun, do you? And I thought you were the one that was pissed off. The bully, Bruno has been stared down by a punk. Hahaha. This will make a good joke later.¡± ¡°Yeah Bruno. Let him in already. Or else he would continue to stare you down the whole day.¡± The rest of the guards were laughing and urging at Bruno to let me enter. Bruno snorted at me. He moved his head as to if say that I can now enter. ¡°There you go, kid. You can enter now. Captain Forgante is in the small building with the blue roof on your left not far from here. You can¡¯t miss it from here.¡± ¡°Ahh, alright. Thanks.¡± I thanked the guard that was called Largo that told me where to look for Captain Forgante. He was wearing the same armour as Bruno but half his size. He looked normal alright. But nonetheless, his two-handed sword and tower shield was just as big. Without further delay, a small by-door beside the massive main gate was opened. I proceed through the small door towards the Knights District. From the little I have heard during my conversation with Jann the other day, the Knights District was where the Royal Elite Knights were based at. And I was too told by Bannen, the Chief of Quicksilver Clan to meet up with Captain Forgante, who from his letter would be able to guide me from here onwards. I¡¯m now looking forward to meet Captain Forgante. I was surprised when I first entered the Knights District. I thought it would be more bustling and hustling, like any other districts in Elsivier, full of all kind of people. Perhaps I could see some knights or knights-in-training or perhaps squires in training or undergoing special routines. But the Knights District was devoid of any activities at all. It¡¯s both peaceful and calm. No people, no horses, no drill instructors or senior knights shouting commands at poor initiates or squires. Perhaps I¡¯m used to the Brotherhood of the Sun¡¯s training yard, where our trainers and masters would shout into our ears during our training here. I thought Elsivier and the Knights District, in particular, would be something similar. Well, the surprise was pleasant though. The only thing that worth my interest was the building with the blue roof where Captain Forgante was supposed to be in as I was told by the guards at the main gate earlier. And, the blue roof building was easy to spot just like the guards said. It¡¯s the only building down the road I¡¯m walking, about 100 yards away from the main gate. I proceed further and I noticed that to the side of the building, there was a small courtyard with training dummies and stables for horses. Before long, I found myself standing in front of the main door of the building. On the door, there were two signs.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The top sign says: ¡°Commander Post, Southern Gate.¡± Directly below that sign was the second sign, a little smaller than the first sign on the door. It says: ¡°Post Commander and Captain on duty, Captain Forgante Romeu.¡± So, this must Captain Forgante¡¯s office or some sort. Taking a deep breath before anything else, I knocked on the door. However, there was no response. Perhaps he did not hear the knock. I gave another knock on the door, but this time a little louder than the first. ¡°Come in. The doors open!¡± A voice from inside the building beckoned me to enter and I duly followed. Inside the building was a desk with loads of paper on top of it, a map of Elsivier stuck to the wall behind the desk. A duty roster was pinned to the left wall, just after the door that I entered. Opposite of the roster wall was another door not too far from where I stood, leading to another room. A meeting room maybe. And inside that room, came out an imposing figure. He was tall, tanned and handsome (not really) with a well trim moustache wearing a well-pressed uniform. He looked straight at me as he came out from the room while I stood in the doorway. ¡°What are you doing standing in the doorway, blocking the path?! I said come in!¡± Is this Captain Forgante? I thought to myself. ¡°Or are your ears full of wax that I have to repeat my orders?!¡± Man, this guy was strict. I¡¯m not even here for 10 seconds and he was already being over the top with me. I entered the building and stood in front of his desk while waiting for him to come around. It was an uncomfortable moment as he scrutinized me from behind and as he walked slowly to his desk, I could feel his eyes were peering through me. I broke in a cold sweat. ¡°So, what brings a miserable git like you here?! If you are looking to join the army, we are not open at the moment. And you don¡¯t look like one who can pass the entrance test anyway!¡± Was he just trying to piss me off or what? But I know better to hold my tongue than blurting out retaliation. Perhaps he was just testing my resolve. ¡°I¡¯m here to report myself, sir!¡± I tried to be as courteous as possible. ¡°Report yourself for what?! I didn¡¯t receive anything about anybody reporting themselves to me. Certainly not one as short as you.¡± The Captain was really getting on my nerve now. Was it because I¡¯m shorter than average guy my age that he treated me like this? Or was he an ass and treated everyone the same? Holding my feelings in, I answered, ¡°Mr Bannen told me in his letter that you are the person who I¡¯m supposed to meet. You are Captain Forgante, right sir?¡± ¡°Bannen?¡± Captain Forgante stroke his chin, thinking about what I had just said to him. ¡°Ohhh¡­ Bannen. Yes, Alright. Bannen did tell me that someone special might be visiting me today.¡± He continued to scrutinize me up and down a few times more. I got very uncomfortable as I fidgeted around. What¡¯s with all the stare anyway. Did I suddenly grow horns or what? I hate being the object of attention, especially intense attention. I would feel that everything would go wrong if someone were to do that to me. ¡°But you¡­? Honestly, I was expecting something more¡­ spectacular perhaps, for someone who saved our Crown Princess.¡± Captain Forgante asked for my proof of identification. First, I showed him my Journeyman¡¯s signet ring and then the letter which Princess Sierra personally wrote to me. However, he did not read the letter as the seal on the letter was enough to convince him of the authenticity of the letter itself. ¡°Hmmm¡­ one can¡¯t judge a book by its cover alright. Looks like I was mistaken. Apologies from my side, young man.¡± Captain Forgante then beckoned me to follow him to the next room. ¡°Have a seat first and make yourself at home, though there¡¯s not much around here anyway. I need to set the roster for today before I could handle your request.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ alright. Take your time sir!¡± I was brought to the meeting room. It has only a large table, with a large map, probably Elsivier¡¯s map and the area surrounding the city and some pointers and tacks placed all over the maps. Perhaps this was what they called a strategic map, where plans and strategies about deployment were discussed and placed accordingly on the map. As I took a look at it, I heard Captain Forgante from behind. ¡°That¡¯s the patrol squad deployment map. We had lots of cases that require our attention that is happening in and out the city recently and our manpower currently is not enough.¡° ¡°But you said earlier that you are not enrolling any more people.¡± Captain Forgante looked at me and laughed. ¡°Hahaha. Do you think I would welcome any miserable piece of crap walking through this door every time they said they want to join the army? Now, you listen here kid. Every time someone walks through that door, they always have a big dream of making it big in the army. But you know what happened to them after that?¡± I shook my head. ¡°They effin¡¯ bailed out after the sign of first trouble or hardship. Can¡¯t take the training, ill-disciplined, misused of power and worse of all, lack of teamwork and self-beliefs that put the mission and their teammates in danger!¡± He stroked his moustache as he continued speaking. ¡°Here, we believe in two rules. The first rules, mission always come first. The second rule, refer to the first rule. You better burn that down inside that brain of yours. If you think I¡¯m strict with you, you haven¡¯t got a clue what coming to you just yet, boy. The Royal Elite Knights are not some child¡¯s play.¡± Captain Forgante looked at me straight into the eyes. ¡°Do you have the ball to play the game, boy?!¡± I gulped at his words. However, since I¡¯m already here, I can¡¯t just go back empty-handed or else I¡¯ll be the biggest loser in the Brotherhood. All that heroic talk and I bailed out at the first sign of hardship. That wouldn¡¯t do any justice to anyone and I¡¯ll fail myself and everyone who had their hopes on me; Blizzard Hawk, old geezer, Sehanie, Jann, Mili, Nelia, Bannen, Princess and anyone else for that matter. Wow, that was a long list of people I would disappoint if I failed. Failure was then not an option anymore. I needed to make my resolve there and then. I nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you, boy!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes!¡± ¡°You better be, boy. Now, follow me. I¡¯ll bring you to the place where you are supposed to be!¡± ¡°Huh? You mean, I¡¯m not supposed to be here?¡± ¡°No and yes. No, because you are a bloody nobody and this place is for the soldiers of the army. And yes, because somewhere in this Knights District, is where your place is. Now, have you done asking or you would prefer to come with me and get to know what I¡¯m talking about?¡± Captain Forgante did not even wait to finish his words. He went out through the door which I entered the building earlier. I hurriedly followed him from behind. He turned his head and looked at me following from behind while keeping his feet forward. ¡°Don¡¯t fall behind, boy. I have no time to waste on finding you if you are lost.¡± I nodded. We did not talk at all during our journey. Captain Forgante¡¯s stride was big but pacy. His one step was bigger than three steps of mine and his walking pace was like my jogging speed. If Captain Forgante really stepped up his speed or perhaps even run, he could catch Ilvean many times over. Even if Ilvean had the headstart. We passed through many other buildings that come in many shapes and sizes. I had not the time to look properly or memorize any landmarks as I was kept busy following Captain Forgante¡¯s lead. However, because of the speed we were walking (or in my case, I was running), we have arrived at a luxurious looking building. Well, at first I thought it was some rich folks or even a noble¡¯s house, but I thought wrong. Captain Forgante was the one who pointed out my mistake. ¡°We have arrived.¡± He stopped in front of the building. ¡°This is the Elemental Circle, home of the Royal Elite Knights. Or you can say the base headquarter of Royal Elite Knights. The building though looks pompous and unbefitting of one who pledged their swords and their life to the Kingdom, but nonetheless, this is the very building that housed and enlisted the most remarkable knights in the kingdom.¡± Captain Forgante then looked at me. ¡°And this is where you belong, boy. Come, let¡¯s not waste our time admiring the nonsensical beauty of this building.¡± Surprisingly, there were no gates and wall of fences surrounding the luxurious building which Captain Forgante called the Elemental Circle. It¡¯s just one block of building, albeit a massive one, surrounded by trees and flower gardens. In fact, it looks more like a noble¡¯s castle rather than a knight¡¯s building. House was too small of adjective to describe this building. Castle would fit it better. Well, not that I have any complaints anyway. If this was where I supposed to be and belong in, a castle would do me a world of good. ¡°Captain Forgante!¡± Suddenly a voice can be heard coming from our side. Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 4) Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 4) ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you Captain Rizzou!¡± Captain Forgante exchanged his greeting with the one who called him. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you here. What brings you here? Gawking at our base again, don¡¯t you? Hahaha!!¡± The one that was called Captain Rizzou came over and put his arm around Captain Forgante. ¡°Hey, Rizzou, I brought you a special someone today.¡± Captain Forgante turned his head towards me. I was just behind the man, following him since we left his post earlier. ¡°Ohh, what do we have here? A new recruit? Yours or mine?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s mine, I would prefer him little taller and with a bit more meat on his frame. Unfortunately, this shorty is yours.¡± ¡°Ohh really, Forgante?¡± The one called Captain Rizzou looked at me. He scrutinized me but I don¡¯t feel his eyes were as piercing as Captain Forgante. Though it still made me a little uncomfortable. Captain Rizzou was wearing an all-white uniform with a matching white beret. His uniform looked different from Captain Forgante. Perhaps it was the material and also the adornment on his uniform that made it so different from the one that Captain Forgante was wearing. ¡°Well, Forgante, you sure want your men to be big and brawny, like usual. Though in our case, we don¡¯t really care.¡± Captain Rizzou broke into a smile. ¡°Anyway you, young man, come to my side so I could see you better.¡± I walked towards Captain Rizzou. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Claude¡­. Claude Leonheart.¡± ¡°I see. Is it alright if I called you Claude?¡± I nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯m Captain Rizzou from the Administration Bureau of Elemental Circle. I¡¯m in charge of the new guys. Good thing that I had met you here. Thanks, Forgante, I appreciate your help and your good work!¡± Captain Rizzou patted Captain Forgante¡¯s head. ¡°Hey! Stop it. We are still on duty!¡± ¡°Hahaha. You are still serious as usual, Forgante.¡± The two men laughed. They seemed to be on good terms despite their constant banter. ¡°By the way Rizzou, in case you wanted to know, Bannen send him to me.¡± ¡°Bannen ehh. What¡¯s the old Halfling up to right now? Been a while since I¡¯d seen him here. He used to come with Ser Aldurynn. But again, thanks for bringing him here.¡± ¡°No problem. You still do owe me a round drink from the other day though.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ that.¡± Captain Rizzou looked at me. Perhaps he tried to change the topic that he suddenly told me to follow him. ¡°Claude, follow me.¡± I bowed my head to Captain Forgante and said my thanks to him. He just nodded before he turned his back and walked away. He really didn¡¯t like me, did he? ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Claude. He¡¯s a little envious of us, you see.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Captain Rizzou patted the back of my head as I followed beside him. He seemed so different from Captain Forgante. Much friendlier, calmer and welcoming to me. This was the first time I felt this way since I step into the front gate of the Knight¡¯s District. There were bullies in front of the main gate and the strict Captain Forgante, both of them welcoming me in a manner that I would rather forget sooner than later. I was brought into a room. While waiting for Captain Rizzou to prepare some documents for me, he told me to wait for him here. I was served with a cup of hot tea from a maid-servant tough her attire looked different from Reena¡¯s. Though I don¡¯t really like hot tea, as I would prefer them to be colder, room temperature at least, but as a good guest, I would not want to decline a good hospitality when I received one. The change in hospitality was a welcoming sight for me. I thought for a while they would be more serious, stricter and direct with me. ¡°Hey Claude, how¡¯s the tea?¡± Captain Rizzou asked of me as he took a seat in front of where I¡¯m seating right now. ¡°The tea is good.¡± I took the cup and sipped the tea a little. It was hot and burned my tongue. But I did not show it or else I would offend my host. ¡°I see. Maid, could you bring one for me too?¡± Captain Rizzou ordered the maid. She came over and poured another cup for Captain Rizzou. ¡°Alright, Claude. Let¡¯s get to business.¡± Captain Rizzou said as he took a sip from his cup. He seemed to like it. Perhaps the tea might burned his tongue too like how it was to mine. ¡°You are here to enrol in the Royal Elite Knights, am I right?¡± I nodded. ¡°So, who recommended you and do you bring with you any proof at all to show your claims?¡± I instinctively began to show Captain Rizzou the same thing I had shown Captain Forgante earlier; my Journeyman¡¯s signet ring, the letter from Crown Princess Sierra and this time I include also the replica of the Royal Medal of Valour, which was awarded to me back in Chambers of Solaris. ¡°Wow Claude, you have got some heavyweight recommendations here. To be personally recommended by her Highness, the Crown Princess Sierra and to receive this medal, at your young age is really an impressive feat. I wonder what face will Forgante made if he noticed this medal earlier.¡± Captain Rizzou was smiling and looked extremely pleased. ¡°I have heard some rumours regarding about Crown Princess being saved by someone from the Brotherhood last week or so, but I did not know the authenticity of it. You know, rumours and hearsay are not something that we really pay much attention to. But here, right in front of me, I had the presence of her Highness¡¯s saviour and the proof of it too. What a day it¡¯s turning out to be already!¡± Captain Rizzou seemed to be in awe by what I had done. I felt a little embarrassed by the praise that was given to me. He looked so excited though. I think I could do with that, making him excited and continued to in awe would be a good first impression, like what Chief Bannen said to me back then. ¡°Claude, do you know how we accept applications for Royal Elite Knights?¡± ¡°A little. A merchant told me when I was on my way here.¡± ¡°Good. Perhaps I could add on what the merchant told you then.¡± Captain Rizzou placed the documents in front of me. He took a deep breath as he continued his words. ¡°You see Claude, there are three conditions we will accept someone to enter the Royal Elite Knights, or Elites for short. First, you must be of royal blood. Or recommended by the member royalties or nobles. We have eight Main Noble Houses including the current Noble House that rules the Kingdom, House of Elmsdor and also many other minor nobles; so you must be recommended by them or are of their lineage. Most Elites are recommended and few are of noble blood.¡± Captain Rizzou paused for a while and then raised up two fingers. ¡°Secondly, you must have proof of your skills. What it means is that you have the skills, talent and aptitude for combat ¨C either physical or magical or both. We are not nurturers, meaning we don¡¯t teach you the basic, but rather we are the ¡®sharpener¡¯, where we sharpen and enhance your skills to a higher level through missions and quests which we will give you. However, I¡¯ll get on that later.¡± ¡°And third, you must use all of your skills, talents and aptitude where it matters most ¨C in the battlefield or similar. There¡¯s no point if you have other-worldly skills, talents and aptitudes if you only choose to keep it for yourself.¡± ¡°Do you understand me so far, Claude?¡± I nodded. ¡°Looks like you have passed all three requirements we would need from our would-be knights. I have processed all your information needed here, so you can read the summary later. However, for now, I want you to know, what Elites are all about. Got a moment for that?¡± ¡°Sure, I would love to hear that.¡± ¡°Good, I like you, young man. We, the Elites have one client only which is the nobilities and the royalties of Elsigardia. We live and die to protect them. We will receive missions and quests from them, ranging from escort missions, personal bodyguard duties, a reconnaissance mission or even perhaps being a state representative if you have enough diplomatic tact.¡± Captain Rizzou paused for a moment, taking a sip of his tea before he continued. ¡°Now, to others, perhaps to you initially, thought that we are nothing but lackeys to the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, serving and becoming personal knights to the royalties, the nobles and this kingdom¡¯s leaders are seemed over the top by most of our peers. Though the public may understand our roles and responsibilities, it is our peers that are looking down upon us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Captain Rizzou. What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Time will tell you, Claude. So, are you in or are you out?¡± I paused for a moment unsure what he meant by that. Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 5) Chapter 10: The Royal Elite Knights (Part 5) ¡°By in or out¡­ you mean?¡± ¡°Do you still want to be a Royal Elite Knight? Be one of us?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? Of course, I¡¯m serious. Or else I won¡¯t be here despite all the troubles I¡¯d faced so far getting my ass in this room.¡± Both Captain Rizzou and I laughed. ¡°Good to see such resolution from such a young man like you!¡± ¡°Now you know what I¡¯m made of. I might be short in stature but I compensate it with willpower and resolution far higher and taller than I could ever be.¡± Captain Rizzou smiled at me. ¡°And you have some self-confidence too it seems.¡± I smiled back and nodded. I¡¯m faking my confidence a little for now, but who knows in future, I could accomplish many great things. One step at a time for me. ¡°Claude, I¡¯m going to ask you a series of tough questions, starting from now on.¡± Captain Rizzou face suddenly turned stern and serious. ¡°You mean¡­ this will be some sort of¡­ what do they call it again? In-In¡­¡± ¡°Interview?¡± Captain Rizzou completed it for me. ¡°Yah, yah. That¡¯s the word. Interview.¡± ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s nothing like an interview. Perhaps I just wanted to know you better, that¡¯s all. I want to see what you are made of. We are going to be working together from now onwards so a little detail about you and your experiences would serve me and the Elites much good, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, seem reasonable enough. Do ask me then. Fire me with all the questions you have in your mind, Captain Rizzou.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Now¡­¡± Captain Rizzou looked at me without blinking. His change of facial expressions sure did catch me off guard from time to time. I felt a little nervous right now. ¡°When was the first time you have killed with your own hands? And when I say killed, I don¡¯t mean animals nor plants nor insect nor even monsters. What I mean is a sentient being who is capable of thinking. Human, elves, dwarves¡­ anything.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I tried to recollect my past experiences. Cold sweats broke onto my forehead. Captain Rizzou looked at me intently, waiting for my answer. ¡°When I was 7, I get to hold my first real sword or was it a short sword or perhaps it was a dagger? But nevermind. Even a dagger would look quite large at that time for me. The weapon was given to me by my master, Sun Master Blizzard Hawk.¡± ¡°It was the first time that I can remember that I touched a real weapon, capable of hurting and killing others. Although it was more of a practice and for me to get used to the weight of a real weapon in combat. However, I never had the chance to use it in real combat until¡­¡± Captain Rizzou looked at me. He nodded as if to urged me on. ¡°Until when I was 12¡­¡± ¡°A group of bandit decided to make the forest where the Wood Elves stayed as their new hideout. My master, Blizzard Hawk and I occasionally went to the village for some of his research. I would then spend most of my time with my best-est of friend since my childhood, a Wood Elf girl that goes by the name Sehanie.¡± ¡°When the bandit group realized their follies of having their hideout so near to a Wood Elf village, instead of moving out, they launch an attack. I was with Sehanie when the attack happened. Two of the bandits caught both of us by surprise when Sehanie tried to bring me to safety.¡± ¡°She tried to protect me and got hurt in the process. I saw with my own eyes, the two bandits surrounding Sehanie, while laughing and mocking and then... said something along the line of not without enjoying her body first before breaking her mind and then killing her. Toss her like a used rag, they said.¡° ¡°Because of that, I snapped. I took my sword, and without hesitation, I-I-I drove the sword through one the bandit from the back. The other bandit, I kicked him down to the ground below. He fell 40 feet down and broke his neck.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s your first kill. Two kills in fact. One with a sword, the other using your environment?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What do you feel after that Claude? After killing your first sentient being. And in this case, I presume a human bandit?¡± I nodded. ¡°They were both human, Captain. But at that time, I felt nothing. I was more concerned about the safety of Sehanie. Only after a few days after the incident that I started to have nightmares. Nightmares where I killed the two bandits with my own hands. Where the bandits that I killed came into my dreams and torment my sanity. My hands kept trembling, I kept vomiting and I can¡¯t even sleep. It was terrible. Really terrible.¡± ¡°And what happened next? Did your Sun Master help you?¡± ¡°Yes. In fact, he helps me go throughout the whole period of my trauma. Both Blizzard Hawk and the old geezer.¡± ¡°Old geezer?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ohh, that¡¯s what I used to call our Solaris Primus, the Lord Supreme Grand Master, Lord Aldebaran; the old geezer. Cause he looked like the same old man the first time I saw him and the last time I saw him, about 4-5 days ago. He looked so, so ancient. Perhaps next time I would call him ancient geezer instead.¡± ¡°Hahahaha. That¡¯s a new way how to call your Brotherhood¡¯s leader, ehh Claude? I wonder what name will you give to me next?¡± Captain Rizzou teased me. ¡°Ohh, you are alright, Captain. You seem like a nice older brother. Old geezer and Blizzard Hawk were very strict with me. Especially that old geezer.¡± ¡°Really. Am I like a nice older brother? You seem to be a smooth talker, Claude. You sure know how to speak the right words at the right time. I¡¯m flattered.¡± He continued to tease me. ¡°Well Claude, your first two kills were done to protect your childhood friend, Sehanie. Am I right? I nodded. ¡°And you did everything you can to save her, even though you have to take the lives of two strangers, or in this case, strangers who were bandits¡± I nodded again. ¡°Good, because you have to protect your loved ones, that you decided to kill. And you started quite young. My first sentient kill was when I was 47 when I killed a robber who tried to rob a passerby. And that passerby happened to be one of the nobles, and to make the story short, he recommended me here, and I then was drafted into the Elites, from that day until now. It has been 20 years since then.¡± ¡°20 years?! A-A-And you are now 67??!!¡± I was extremely surprised. Captain Rizzou doesn¡¯t look like someone who was in the late 30s. What more of in his 60s. He looked more like in the early 20s. My surprised reactions made Captain Rizzou laugh heartily. ¡°Don¡¯t let my youthful looks get to you. I¡¯m a half-elf.¡± I smiled. A half-elf. And here I thought he was a human. ¡°I-I see. That explains it.¡± A half-elf has considerably longer lifespan than a normal human. And their growth rate was similar to the elves, but a full or a pure blooded elf could live up to hundreds if not thousands of years old. A half-elf normal lifespan should be around 200 to 300 years old. Captain Rizzou can still be considered a teen in a half-elf term. ¡°So, let me ask you another question.¡± Captain Rizzou resumed his usual calm but strict pose. ¡°If let say, the leader of this kingdom dies, what will happen?¡± I pondered that question for a while, but I cannot come out with the answer. ¡°I have no doubt you heard about the civil wars and how Elsigardia was founded, right Claude?¡± I nodded. ¡°It is because to avoid that incident ¨C the civil wars and the in-fighting among ourselves¨C that we existed. If the leaders of this kingdom were one to be killed or even assassinated, our kingdom, Elsigardia would be doomed.¡± ¡°We are the personal protector of our leaders. We are different than other knights or soldier of the army. In term of the numbers of lives we save and protect, our¡¯s number a few. But in term of value of the life, ours are immeasurable. Sometimes, it¡¯s not just the lives that we need to protect, but the value of that particular life brings to others. For a king, it will be his country or kingdom. For a father, it will be his family. Save a king, and you will save a country and its people. Save a father, and you will save his family.¡± Captain Rizzou paused for a moment, before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you another question, Claude. But these questions, you don¡¯t have to answer me now.¡± ¡°Sure, please ask.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the value of life means to you? If you were to choose between two lives, whose life will you choose to save? And why? If you were to choose between the life of one who leads and the lives of many who follows, who will you save? What will you do?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s heavy questions. I don¡¯t really have the answer for that. Perhaps never will.¡± ¡°As I have said earlier, we have only one client. The rest is not in our hands but it falls to people like Captain Forgante and the rest. We only need to concern ourselves with our missions and quests given by our clients. Remember that you have been personally chosen by the Crown Princess, an honour that most of us can only dream of, to serve Elsigardia.¡± Captain Rizzou took another sip of his tea. ¡°Some joined the Elites because of the perks and benefits. Perhaps also a chance to improve their lives and a mean to escape their previous life. Some wanted to join the Elites because they wanted to rub their shoulders with the nobles and royalties and perhaps gain political advantage. Some joined because they were told to do so and it¡¯s in their family lineage. And some decided to join because they wanted to protect Elsigardia, it¡¯s leaders and the people.¡± I nodded. ¡°I understand, Captain Rizzou.¡± ¡°Good. Perhaps in due time, you will understand more of the Elites, but I think it suffices for now. ¡° Captain Rizzou stood up and paced himself towards the window, overlooking the outside of the room, towards the main courtyard and the garden. He then turned and looked at me. ¡°You know Claude, you are the youngest of the non-royal blood or in another term, a commoner that was recommended personally by the crowns to serve the Elites.¡± ¡°Wow, really?!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m amazed. You don¡¯t look much like a hero, but I¡¯m far from being na?ve to judge someone just base on looks and attire. Many who came through this door, all looking good and better than you, but proven by time, they are a bunch of losers and wannabes. I trust that you are anything unlike them.¡± Captain Rizzou came towards me and patted my head. ¡°I¡¯ll know you will do the Elites proud, Claude. I have prepared a room for you to rest for the day. Talk to the maid when you are ready to retire to your room for today. She will lead you there.¡± ¡°And I still need to process your documentation and inform your recommender about your arrival. And in this case of yours, the Crown Princess herself. So, please excuse me for now. I¡¯ll see you again at the Parade of Champions for your Knighthood induction and medals award ceremony. Till then, Claude.¡± I stood up and say my thanks to Captain Rizzou. ¡°Thank you, Captain, for your kind words and encouragement. I¡¯ll not let you down.¡± Captain Rizzou smiled at me as he exited the door. But before he left, he reminded me that I could see him anytime if I needed anything at all, especially from the management and administration side. As I sit with my papers in my hand, the maid came up to me. ¡°Sire, would you like to retire to your room?¡± Well, since there¡¯s nothing else for me to do today, I just agreed to rest early and to retire to my room. ¡°Sure, just show me the way. I can do with a good rest.¡± With that, the maid showed me the way to my room. I was given a simple but yet elegant room. A bed, a desk with a chair beside it and personal bathroom. Finally, I¡¯m here, as a part of the Royal Elite Knights. I could be considered one of the Elites now, although what was left was a matter of ceremonial formality. I feel excited and giddy about my new beginning here, in the capital city of Elsivier. But I must not forget my missions given by the old geezer and Blizzard Hawk. With that thought, I steadied my resolve and focused my thoughts as I entered the room that was reserved for me to rest for the day. After saying thanks to the maid, I put down the paper on the desk beside the bed. As I lie down on the bed, my thoughts went into the few days of my travel from the Brotherhood until this very moment. The morning I met Sehanie, the bickering we had, the nights we camped together, the merchant family we saved, befriending Jann and Mili and then proposed by Nelia, and lastly when all of us went on our separate way after I arrived here. That and also my meeting with Ilvean and Bannen of the Quicksilver Clan. Days after days, adventures after adventures and now finally, I¡¯m here. The Elemental Circle, Headquarter of the Royal Elite Knights. As I stretch my hand outwards, grasping an imaginary target, I recited the following motto of our Brotherhood which has become my ethos that I lived and died by: Nam quamdiu sol ortus est, nos non nuto, erit Pacem enim onmes ¡°For as long the Sun rises, we shall not falter and there shall be Peace for all.¡± I¡¯ll not fail you, old geezer and Master Blizzard Hawk. And you too Sehanie. Next time if you see me, I¡¯ll be a different person. And perhaps who knows, you will finally admit that I¡¯m stronger than you and then you will fall in love with me. And of course, Nelia too, keep loving me alright. I smiled at all the thoughts before I finally took my afternoon nap. Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 1) Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 1) "A journey of thousand miles begin with a single step. The journey of a hero begin with a single knock on the door." - Anonymous The piece of paper that Captain Rizzou completed for me earlier was now in my hand. After I rested for a while; taking my afternoon nap, I took the paper and read through it. A simplified version of the documentation of my registration which contains not much of a detail though I do wonder about the so-called Council of Knights. What or who were the Council anyway? Ahh well, thinking about it by myself will get me nowhere. I better ask Captain Rizzou later about it. The sun was setting as I looked from my room¡¯s window. This room was located in the western wing section of the Elemental Circle, the castle-like Headquarter of the Royal Elite Knights. I¡¯m now feeling hungry. I had forgotten all about my lunch as I was too excited about being here. I should have asked Reena to prepare my lunch as takeaway before I left the house earlier. As I wondered how and when I will have my dinner, I heard a knock on the door. ¡°Sire, your dinner is ready!¡± Talk of the devil. I opened the door and saw the maid who brought me to the room earlier with a tray covered with a metal cover. However, even with the metal cover, I could still smell the wonderful aroma of the food that was being served. My stomach made a sound, which caught the maid attention. She chuckled as I blushed. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± I smiled at her while trying to keep my courtesy a little intact. ¡°Sire, I¡¯ve come to serve your dinner. Please let me in and prepared it for you.¡± A room service? I never had my food brought to me before. It¡¯s the first time ever. I feel good and thankful that she remembered to bring it for me. As I let her in, I looked at her from behind. She briskly prepared the food, setting them on the desk beside my table. She sure reminds me of Reena, professional and elegant in her duties. As she finished setting my food, she looked at me. ¡°Sire, your dinner had been served. Please eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± I nodded and I thanked her for her effort. ¡°When you are done sire, please leave the plate and the cup outside the door. I¡¯ll come and pick it up later.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She bowed down to me and excused herself. As she left the room, I thought to myself. Life in here sure was different compared to the Brotherhood¡¯s guild-city. I had to eat in the canteen which now had become mess hall. I can¡¯t bring back any food to my room. The fact that someone brought me my dinner right to my room without even having me telling, asking or even reminding anyone tells me how much the difference between my new life and my previous ones. Though I dare not complain about my previous life, what Captain Rizzou said to me somehow rings true. Perhaps this was one of the benefits and the perks of being an Elites. I thanked my lucky star that I saved a princess the other day, not some pauper. Nothing wrong with saving a pauper, but saving a princess has its own merits. No wonder most boys and men would love to save a fair princess one day in their life. The perks and the benefits of saving one outweigh the risks, as I nearly lost my life in return for saving a princess. If the princess happens to fall in love with her saviour cum hero, that would have meant that he might end up as a King. Or at least a prince.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Not bad. But I do wonder if Princess Sierra would fall in love with me? If that ever happens, I¡¯m set for the rest of my life. King Claude Leonheart the First, Ruler of Elsigardia. Hmm¡­ again, it¡¯s not bad. I like the sound of that. I could imagine myself sitting in the carriage with my queen, waving to the public as they cheered up for me. ¡°Long live King Leonheart.¡± ¡°We love you King Leonheart.¡± I could hear the scream of fair maidens calling out for my name as my Queen looked at me, riveting to her seat as she admired my presence. She would blush and I would kiss her on her cheeks then lips, publicly if possible. Wonderful! It would be wonderful, indeed. Ahhh, perhaps it would come true one day. Even if it did not, it was good to have a dream. Rather that, than being a walking raincloud, pissing on own and others¡¯ dreams. I was sent back to reality as I heard another sound. This time it was the grumbling of my stomach. I think I need to feed myself already. I could always indulge in my fantasy later on. Though I still have long, long way to go and I just started today, having a dream like this sure makes me smile. I¡¯d saved a princess already, so that¡¯s one step forward. Like they say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Ahh, again my stomach grumbled. I better eat or else I won¡¯t even have the energy to walk another step. I took my seat and smelled the aroma of the food that was being served to me. My god, this smells good. I could not wait any longer. In the privacy of my own room, I gobbled up the food like a hungry barbarian and leave nothing on the plate. Burp! Man, that was good. I could have eaten this sort of food every day and won¡¯t even get bored. For someone my size, I could be considered as a glutton. The meal consisted of potato stew, a slab of roasted lamb shanks sprinkled with herbs and spices and served with black pepper sauce. As for dessert, I was served with toasted nougat dipped in custard pudding made from snow pear. And last but not least, the drink that completed the meal was my favourite, Elsiberry sweet ale, served chilled. This meal sure beats having that fatass chef¡¯s Stew of Death anytime. I then placed the plate and cup outside my door as told by the maid earlier. Not long after that, I could hear someone walking and the picked up the empty plate and cup. Wow, she really came and picked it up. The service here is top-notch. I should say my thanks to her for bringing me the food and collecting my plates and cup when I see her the next time. And also to the cooks who had prepared my food. They sure had put effort into preparing my dinner. I¡¯m not some spoilt brat who just eats and criticize the food they ate. I knew my manners better than that. The cooks and the maid had put their efforts into making me feel so welcomed, and I¡¯m honoured. And at the very least, I should also honoured their hard work with a clean plate and word of thanks. The last thing they need was food critics, who for me, are a bunch of all talks but can¡¯t even cook a simple dish to fill their own stomach. There seemed to be certain rising trends nowadays that the people would talk more than they eat. They would criticize everything, from the presentation, the taste, the colour, the texture blah blah blah. But one thing they all have in common was that they can¡¯t even cook. They don¡¯t even understand the cooking process and the effort to prepare the food to be served on their plate. All they did was to look at the food, pick up their fork and spoon, take a bite and then off goes their mouth complaining. I can¡¯t fathom for the very life of me what these people think anyway or what goes inside their chef-wannabes brain. If the food was bad like how the fatass chef served, sure go ahead and be my guest and complaint. But if the food was as good as was served to me, perhaps even half as good, then what¡¯s with the deal with all the yappings. The next time I see someone complained about a perfectly cooked meal, I¡¯ll sure to give him or her a piece of my mind. Even if she was a princess. For me, food was life and life was food. It¡¯s my passion and I often went into a self-rant like this. As I lie on my bed, my mind wandered off yet again. What should I do after this? Should I shed some pounds by training my sword skills? It has been 2 days since I last touch my swords and puts it into proper practice. All I had been doing prior to this was some basic movements. Basically just a sweat-jerker. Now I believe that even a second could make all the difference. That¡¯s what inspired and motivated me to push my training to another level. Even if I can¡¯t see immediate results, but in a real battle, a second was all it takes to determine the victor or the loser. And in most cases, the losers end up dead too. It¡¯s starting to get dark outside. The room was timely lit by a magical device that served as a candle of some sort. Nothing too fancy. There were some devices that can lighten up the whole building, but for my room, this small magical device was sufficient enough. Besides, I don¡¯t really like my room to be too bright anyway. I can focus my thought better in a dimly light room. Not too dim, but with just enough lighting. I held up my sword, the one that was given to me by the old geezer at the Chamber of Solaris. Now that I had the chance to hold and felt it properly, I noticed that the hilt was engraved with the Brotherhood¡¯s crest and underneath it was our Brotherhood¡¯s motto. And at the other side of the hilt, were my name and my journeyman rank inscribed. There¡¯s my name on the hilt of this sword? Wow. I never knew about this. Suddenly, the sword felt special for me. I smiled as I gave the sword a quick slash. I focused my eyes on my sword, from its hilt up to its tip as I tried to enter the state of trance. A trance state was just like the meditative state, but with more vigours and emotions whilst a meditative state would be more calm and connective to the surroundings and its universe. I gathered my thought power as I practice the Movement of the Sun Sword from the First Movement up to the Fifth Movement. Though I can practically use only the First movement, in my mind I¡¯m already reached the Fifth movement. Even though I was just practising in my mind, because of the trance state that I entered, I sweat a bucket load. I took off my shirt and hang it on the chair. I wiped my sweat away and sheathed my sword away. As I sheathed my sword, I suddenly heard a knock on the door. Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 2) Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 2) Knock! Knock! Knock! Who could it be at this hour? I pondered to myself. ¡°Come in. The door is open.¡± The door creaked ever so slightly. My night visitor seemed did not want to make any sound at all. I was anticipating the list of who might be visiting me at this hour. Perhaps Captain Rizzou would drop by and visit me. Chief Bannen? Or Captain Forgante? Maybe the maid? Anyway, who else could it be right, at this hour? But I was wrong. From the door, I could see three hooded people. The shortest hooded character was in front, flanked by two taller one. All of them took great care not to make any noises as they entered my room. I was still standing, shirtless waiting for them to enter. Under the dim light, the front most hooded visitors removed down the hood. To my pleasant surprise, I recognized the figure immediately. It was Princess Sierra. I recognized her back from the first time I met her in the Chamber of Solaris. I can see her beautiful face even in this dim light. Perhaps I was kind of mesmerized by her beauty that I failed to notice the other two visitors. ¡°We meet again, Claude.¡± The Princess started to talk thus breaking the silence in my room. She walked towards my bed, where I slept earlier and made herself comfortable without the need of me, as the host, to even tell her so. She sure can do anything she wants because she was a Princess after all. Wow. I could have a hard time sleeping later. Her wonderful smell might stick to the bed. As she put herself at ease, I greeted her. ¡°Well, sure do, Princess. How have you been doing all these while?¡± I asked as I took a seat on the chair. I placed the back of the seat facing her, while I sit striding the chair. ¡°What rude manners! You are in the presence of her Royal Highness!¡± Suddenly the tallest hooded visitor snapped at me. I looked straight at him. ¡°Rude, huh? Looks who¡¯s talking? You come into my room like a hooded bandit standing in the doorway and have yet to introduce yourself. Just because you are with the princess doesn¡¯t give you a free pass to say whatever you want to say and bitch in front of my door.¡± He trembled in anger. I could see that he moved his hands towards his side, perhaps trying to draw his weapon out. Already trying to be hostile? Or just a show of might or pride or even both. ¡°Ky, please. Do not interrupt us. He is free to do whatever he wants. Remember that we are his guest tonight¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ Your Highness. As you command!¡± What a pussy. Being told to stand down by a woman sure makes you feel weak, ehh Mister? I smirked at him. Anyway, I don¡¯t have time to concern myself with him. I got myself a princess to entertain. ¡°So, what brings you here, to my humble abode in the middle of the night, Princess?¡± ¡°Please, call me Sierra when there are only us here.¡± The rude hooded guy snorted when he heard this. ¡°Lowly peasant!¡± I could hear you, you know. ¡°Alright, S-IER-RA. As you wish.¡± I emphasized the calling of her name, just to piss off that rude hooded guy further. Sierra chuckled at the exchange that was happening between me and the rude hooded guy. ¡°Claude, I apologise for coming this late to visit you. I hope you don¡¯t mind our visit.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind Sierra. You can come anytime you want to. My door will always open for you. Especially for you. ¡° I smiled at her. ¡°I could always do with some good company. Especially from a princess. Especially JUST the princess.¡± Sierra smiled, but immediately she covered her mouth. Her beautiful smile really makes my heart fluttered. It seemed the room got a little hotter than earlier. But I could control myself. That was also partly because we were not alone. If it was just Sierra and me, I could have my way with her. My smirk gave me away. ¡°Claude, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Ohh, nothing really.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sierra looked at me curiously. I¡¯m not about going to tell her my dirty thoughts, right? I better change the topic or else¡­ ¡°So, Sierra. You haven¡¯t told me why you came and visit at this hour? Doesn¡¯t a princess like you supposed to be, well¡­ in her rooms already?¡± ¡°That peasant is right for once, Your Highness. We should not be here. We should never even be here. We should get moving before someone else caught you being in¡­ in this¡­ peasant¡¯s room!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The rude guys interrupted me yet again. Man... He was going to get it from me now. ¡°Hey, stop calling me peasant already. What¡¯s up with you anyway? You come to my room and called me a peasant? Did your mother ever teach you some manners?¡± ¡°Why you!¡± He unsheathed his sword. I took mine and prepared to unsheathe it. ¡°Ky! Stand down! Claude, please, you too.¡± I stared at the tall hooded guy, the one Sierra called Ky. ¡°Please forgive Ky, Claude. He has been a little apprehensive since the day I went to the forest and got saved by you. He blamed himself for what had happened and he insisted that from now onwards, he was to be with all the time.¡± ¡°Sound like a piss poor excuse to be a stalker to me.¡° I sheathe my sword. ¡°And Ky, Claude is my saviour. Is this how we show our gratitude to someone we owe our lives to? You are better than this Ky.¡± Sierra tried to calm both Ky and me. The third hooded visitors, who were silent all the time, spoke in support of Sierra. ¡°Ky, Ser Godfrey won¡¯t be too pleased if he were to know that you came to another Elites room and start a quarrel. Or worse still, a fight. Please behave as you are also in the presence of Her Highness.¡± Ky snorted at me. However, he unsheathed his sword and apologies to both Sierra and the other hooded visitor, which was a female judging by the voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Your Highness. And to you too, Lilia. I lose a little of my composure.¡± No apologies for me whatsoever. He really sure has some issues with me. Perhaps some other day, I would give this guy, the one called Ky, a lesson or two he won¡¯t forget. ¡°And Lilia. What are you doing being all quiet? You are excited to see our saviour too right? So, come here and introduce yourself.¡± Sierra beckoned to the other one, the second woman of the three visitors that came to visit me. She walked and then stood beside Sierra. She then revealed herself under the hood. Her long flowing white hair flowed out from the hood. ¡°I¡¯m Lilia. I¡¯m Her Highness royal maid.¡± Lilia introduced herself to me. She bowed down her head, showing her respect for me. Three visitors with all three different personalities. Lilia was modest. Princess was direct. And that Ky, was a pain in the ass. What a night it turned out to be already. ¡°Ser Claude. Please forgive me for not coming to you earlier after you had saved both Her Highness and me. I understand how rude it was of me that I failed to thank our saviour.¡± ¡°No worries. Don¡¯t sweat the small stuff.¡° I finally remembered her now. She was the first survivor who we found lying unconscious when Sehanie and I rushed to scene when we first heard Sierra¡¯s scream for help back in the forest. Well, she turned out to be Sierra¡¯s personal maid after all. Her looks were alright and her figures were at the very least modest. She looked very motherly to me. Perhaps that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t remember her at first. Lilia bowed to me again but this time holding her head in the bowing position. ¡°Thank you, Ser Claude, for saving my life. And also for saving our Crown Princess¡¯ life. I owe my humble life to your bravery and your unselfish deeds.¡± Lilia seemed genuine and her heartfelt thank you was very warming. It even made me blushed. Sierra chuckled as she looked at Lilia who was still with her head bowed down in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s alright Lilia. I did what I think was right at that moment. Please, raise your head.¡± Lilia raised her head. Sierra touched Lilia¡¯s arm and asked her a question that even surprised me a little. ¡°So, what do you think of him, our saviour?¡± Lilia hesitated for a moment. I waited for the answer with an abated breath. What could she think of me? A hero? A knight in shining armour? Or a Godly presence? ¡°If I may be honest, Princess, I imagined him to be a little more¡­ different.¡± ¡°Hahaha!!¡± I heard Ky laugh. This was the first time I hear him laugh, though at my expense. ¡°What do you mean, different?¡± I asked of Lilia. She blushed as she tried to hide her own imagination of the hero that saved her life. ¡°Please forgive me, Ser Claude. How rude of me. It just that I imagined that you would be a little taller¡­ and muscular too.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lilia blushed as Sierra chuckled. Even that Ky seemed to be amused by my shortcomings. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you then Lilia.¡± Well, to be honest, I don¡¯t blame Lilia or anyone else for that matter. I looked more like a juvenile delinquent who has issues with his growth rather than a princess saviour. ¡°But Lilia, I¡¯m still growing you know. Who knows one day I might end up taller and more muscular too. Rather than a short and skinny guy, like right now.¡± I flexed whatever muscle I have on my body to Sierra and Lilia. They both laughed. ¡°Claude, there¡¯s another reason why I come and visit you here tonight.¡± I looked at Sierra as she straightened herself up. ¡°Claude, I have been waiting for you to arrive, here at Elsivier and when you did not come, I was afraid that you might not want to join the Royal Elite Knights. I know my request was a little selfish, and I do hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now, so there you have it. My journey took a little longer than I expected, but I arrived here safely.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thankful for that, Claude. I¡¯m really happy that you are here now and that you answered my request.¡± ¡°Likewise, Sierra. Thanks to you too that I get to enjoy myself on this adventure. And I have been treated well since I arrived here too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that, Claude.¡± Sierra seemed very happy that I came here. Her face showed so much warmth and glow that perhaps I don¡¯t even need to light up the room. ¡°Your Highness. We need to make haste. We have been here for quite some time.¡± Ky continued to remind Sierra to hurry up. It seems that they snuck out of the palace and put themselves at risk of being discovered in public. What more of a young man¡¯s room, like mine. ¡°Is it time already, Ky?¡± Sierra asked. Ky just nodded in return. ¡°Claude, please excuse us and our hastiness. Perhaps we could meet at another time, in another place where we could talk more.¡± ¡°Sure, Sierra. And please don¡¯t bring that guy next time.¡± I pointed to Ky. I can feel his glare even from underneath his hood. ¡°Claude, I bid you goodnight and farewell. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Sierra wore back her hood thus concealed her face. Lilia bowed down to me and then she too concealed herself with the hood. I bid them farewell as I looked at them from behind. They disappeared into the next corner. Even as three of them exited my room, I could not even hear a single footstep. Were they walking tip-toed or they used some sort of concealed magic, to hide the sound of their footsteps? They were sure very careful about being discovered in public places. Perhaps Sierra did not want all the attention that she would surely get if she were to come and visit me during the day. It was not easy being a princess. As a princess, she can¡¯t be left alone with her own personal space without eyes and ears everywhere. The entourage, the strict protocols and the various busybodies would definitely butt their nose in our conversation. That and also the fact I can¡¯t be myself as I would be told by many people to behave in the certain right way. Sierra must have thought about that too. And perhaps that¡¯s why she came tonight with Lilia and that Ky, who might serve as her personal bodyguard of some sort and put herself risk. She sure was a very considerate girl. I better remember to remind myself to thank her for the visit and her kind consideration. Before I took my place on the bed, I looked at where Sierra was seated earlier. It left a little dent in the mattress. As I touched the place where she was seated, I could feel that it was still warm. My imagination starts to turn its wheel yet again as I wiped the drools that were leaking out. I smiled before I placed my face on where she sat earlier. ¡°Ahh, it so warm. And it smells so good too.¡° I pressed my face into the spot as I absorbed all the warmth and fragrance on to my face. ¡°Ahhh, Sierra. You are so warm and smell so good. Your beauty would make me fall over my head for you.¡± I rolled over the bed a few times, not letting go of the sensation. And because of that, I fell asleep before long into yet another dreamless but peaceful night. Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 3) Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 3) Two days had passed since I first enrolled into the Royal Elite Knights. During these past two days, I have no other visitors other than the maid, Leah who I have befriended and got to know her name. She was the one who brought the breakfast, lunch and dinner without fail for me. And every time she came and visit, I insisted that I wanted to talk to her since I was very bored. Other than the first night visit by Sierra, no one else had come. So, I took the time I had to strike up a chat with Leah every time she came and visit. Other than that, I filled my time to practice my sword skills. When I woke up, I would complete the First Movement of the Sun Sword at least dozens of times, while after dinner I¡¯ll focus and put myself in the trance state so that I can practice in my mind up to the Fifth Movement of Sun Sword. This has been routine for the past two days for me. I was really bored being in the room all by myself with no one to talk to other than Leah, who came just three times a day for her duties. As I was wondering how would I kill my time, I heard a knock on my door. ¡°Sire, I¡¯m here to bring you your breakfast!¡± It¡¯s Leah again. And she was always on time. I always look forward meeting and have a chit-chat with her. Mind you that she was already married with two kids, so I know myself that I won¡¯t make any unnecessary move on her. ¡°Come in, Leah.¡± Leah opened the door and proceed to serve me my breakfast as usual. She sure worked very hard for her family, especially for her two young children. I admired hard-working women like her. As I looked and smiled at her, she finished serving me the breakfast. She turned around and then looked at me. ¡°Sire, I have a message from Captain Rizzou to you. He told me to give you this letter.¡± Leah handed me a letter sealed with crested red wax. Yet another crest that I cannot identify. People in Elsivier really do love crest, don¡¯t they? Every time I got a letter, it was surely sealed with some sort of crest. Some might use magic seals and some might use red wax like the one I received from Captain Rizzou. Thanks, Leah. I¡¯ll read it after I¡¯m done with breakfast. And I¡¯ll put the plate in the usual place. Leah nodded as she then exited the room. I looked at the breakfast that was served to me and today¡¯s menu was a triple slice of ham with freshly baked bread and mushroom stew. And for the drinks, it was Elsiberry milk with honey. Not bad to start a day with a hearty breakfast like this. And as usual, I gobbled up all my food without leaving any whatsoever stain on it. I was licking the plate clean. Burp! Man, that was one great breakfast like usual. I looked at the letter that Captain Rizzou gave to me through Leah. Wonder what¡¯s in it? I break the wax seal and opened the letter. Date: 4009AD, Day 22nd of the Month May Dear Claude, How¡¯s your stay so far in your room? I trust everything were to meet your expectation. However, I do apologise for not visiting you for the past two days. I have been busy with the upcoming Parade of the Champions. And talking about the Parade, I need to see you as soon as possible, perhaps before noon today. Perhaps after your breakfast if possible. I¡¯ll explain more when you drop by and see me later. Till then. Regards, Captain Rizzou, Office of the Elemental Circle Captain Rizzou just summoned me to his office it seemed. Regarding the matter of Parade of Champions huh? I heard a little about it from Jann and Mili the other day, but I can¡¯t remember much. Perhaps Captain Rizzou would explain to me in more detail. And it seems it¡¯s an urgent matter as I was required immediately to attend after I read this letter. Well, since I have nothing else to do, this might be a good excuse for myself to finally move my ass out of the room and get rid of my boredom. Staying in one place for two days without doing anything or going out made me kind of anxious. This was not the idea of how my adventure should be. I need to do something. Anything. I arrived at Captain Rizzou¡¯s office not long after I received his letter. He was busy handling and addressing some workers about their jobs. ¡°Hello, Captain Rizzou!¡± I shouted at him from afar, as he was surrounded by people waiting to get their orders. ¡°Ah, Claude. Please wait a moment. I need to direct these folks on what to prepare for the parade.¡± ¡°Ah, alright. Take your time.¡± I looked around and the Elemental Circle seemed much merrier than it was two days ago. There were more people now too compared when I first arrived here with Captain Forgante.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. In fact, I could see more activities around the Elemental Circle with people all walking around. Some were wearing the same uniforms as Captain Rizzou, albeit with some difference in colours and adornments. And some seemed to be the public people, perhaps workers who were here working on some things. I wonder what were they working on anyway? It sure seemed fun. ¡°Hey, Claude. Glad you could make it today and see me. Now come in.¡± Captain Rizzou led me and we entered the same room I was with him two days ago. He was sitting in a chair, perhaps taking his short break from all the works. ¡°Things sure look hectic around here Captain Rizzou.¡± I started the conversation. ¡°You sure can say it again. I¡¯m dead tired and it still hasn¡¯t even noon yet.¡± Captain Rizzou let out a long sigh. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all in a day¡¯s job, right?¡± Captain Rizzou smiled at me. ¡°Hey Claude, do you know anything about the upcoming Parade of the Champions?¡± ¡°Not really, Captain Rizzou. I haven¡¯t had the chance to learn anything about it yet.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then good. I can bring you along then.¡± ¡°Huh? Bring me along? Where to?¡± ¡°Somewhere. I need some capable hands and I thought you might be free. Now, let¡¯s move our ass and get on working!¡± I haven¡¯t even sat down properly yet and now I have to stand up again and followed Captain Rizzou. He sure seemed like a busy bee. An enthusiastic and hardworking bee. ¡°I¡¯ll explain as we move along. Do try to catch up, Claude.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± I answered him rather enthusiastically too. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, young man.¡± Captain Rizzou led me towards a group of people gathering in the courtyard. This courtyard was known here as the Main Courtyard of the Elemental Circle. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to them. Come now, follow me.¡± I just followed him from behind. ¡°Hello everyone!¡± Captain Rizzou greeted the crowd. The people seemed happy to see Captain Rizzou. He sure was friendly to everyone, even to me when I first arrived here. Captain Rizzou introduced me to the crowd. ¡°Hey people, let me introduce you to our latest Elites. He¡¯s Claude.¡± They stopped their work immediately and surrounded me. I was getting kind of nervous being surrounded by so many people at one time. ¡°Hey boy, congrats! You Elites are sure getting younger every year. So, you must be looking forward to the big day, ehh?¡± The crowd cheer me on. I felt a little better now. Being in a crowd sometimes make me feel awkward, especially if I¡¯m the centre of the attention. I¡¯m still not used to having eyes on me. Cheering me on would make me a little brave, I think. And that was my feeling now. A little better and a little braver for the days to come. ¡°He would, I¡¯ll be sure of that. Alright, I think we better get going. Still got lots of works to do and places to go.¡± Captain Rizzou said before he handed some documents to the workers. ¡°Be sure to follow the plan and adjust accordingly, alright people.¡± All of the workers nodded as they went back to resume their earlier works. ¡°Come, Claude. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°See you on the parade day, Captain. And you too, young boy.¡± The workers waved me goodbye as we proceed to our next destination. I waved at them in return. ¡°Those people are responsible to set the stage in front of the Main Courtyard here for the parade. Their job requires many people to set up the stage and decorate it. It¡¯s pretty much very detailed works. And that¡¯s why you see there are so many of them gathered here, today.¡± I see. No wonder there were many people, men and women were walking about near Elemental Circle. They were the workers who going to set the main stage for the parade after all. I can¡¯t help but to feel excited. ¡°So, Claude. Let me tell you about the parade as we move along. Our next destination is the palace¡¯s courtyard towards the Royal Stage. It will take a while to reach there, so we will talk along the journey.¡± I nodded. ¡°Every year, we inducted new knights into our ranks, whether it¡¯s for us the Elites or for the army. Being a knight is a major achievement for anyone, not just because of its benefits and perks but also the title that it brings to the knight after reaching the rank of First Lieutenant. As you noticed, the public called us knights as ¡®Ser¡¯. And you will be known as Ser Claude after this to them.¡± ¡°There are many ways to be knighted. Some by valour and recommendation like you and me. Some are because of family¡¯s lineage. Most, however, are rank progression, from a squire to a knight.¡± ¡°As you know, squires are knights-in-training. They trained under their master, mostly senior knights or even served under them from time to time as a freelance squire. All the noble houses have squires to act as caretaker of the estate and also errand boys. After a period of a number of years and passing the knighthood test, they too will be conferred as a knight, and be called Ser after reaching the rank of First Lieutenant.¡± ¡°Ah, I see now.¡± ¡°So, the Parade of Champions was held to commemorate this event. As to honour these knights¡¯ ascension to their ranks after all the training and hardship, not to mention to award the knights who have proven their valour in battle or make the kingdom proud. So, this event serves as threefold.¡± ¡°First, to honour brave men and women, like you. Second, to celebrate the ascension of knighthood. And third, to tell everyone in this kingdom and of other kingdoms, that being a knight and serving Elsigardia has lots of perks and benefits and one of them is public recognition.¡± ¡°Thus, many people would come here and would serve and swear their allegiance to Elsigardia. And because of that, we seldom have the shortage of people coming into our ranks and that will bolster our military strength.¡± ¡°The Parade of the Champions is an annual event. We held it on the final day of the Festival of the Spring. As you know, Festival of the Spring was held to commemorate the Goddess Athenea, who is the goddess of fertility and growth. And Goddess Athenea also happened to be the Goddess of Battle and Valour. She is also Elsigardia¡¯s patron Goddess and our people deified her in many ways. Which is why we held the Parade of Champions every final day of the Festival of the Spring.¡± ¡°I see. Now I understand. The Parade of Champions and Festival of Springs seems to be a very big deal here, in Elsivier and the whole Elsigardia. Am I right, Captain?¡± ¡°You catch on quick, don¡¯t you? Yes, you are right. But more importantly Claude, you must remember that every one of us knights has to put our lives on the line every single day. And what better way than these two events as to rewards these self-sacrifices and at the same time it increases the morale of our people and also to show to others that Elsigardia is both blessed and loved by its people and the Goddess Athenea herself.¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, Claude. Looks like we have arrived. The parade will take place three days from now, using Elsivier¡¯s main road throughout all the districts. We will start from the Knights Districts and end up at the palace¡¯s courtyard, the Royal Stage where all the people will come and gathered here. Everyone from the public will be here. So does all the nobles and we will also perhaps might be graced by His Majesty, The King. There will be thousands of people Claude, so, are you feeling excited just yet?¡± ¡°Instead of being excited, I¡¯m actually very nervous now, Captain. I¡¯m not very good at handling public events like this. The last time I was involved in one, I fell down face first. It was so embarrassing. If I were to fell down again and embarrassed myself in front of thousands of people, I don¡¯t know where to put my face this time around.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t we all, Claude. You will be fine, I know. But are you looking forward to it? Towards the event?¡± ¡°Yeah. I am!¡± I answered Captain Rizzou enthusiastically and he replied me with a smile. Suddenly, our conversation was cut by a shout from afar, calling after Captain Rizzou¡¯s name. Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 4) Chapter 11: The Surprise Visit (Part 4) ¡°Captain Rizzou, Ser! Is that you, Ser Rizzou?¡± We saw a young boy, no more than 10 years old came running to us at full speed. ¡°Captain Rizzou, Ser. Please wait for me! I have something for you!!¡± The boy stopped right in front of us, holding his breath as if his life was depending on it. ¡°Huh¡­Huh¡­. At last, I found you Ser. I have been huhh¡­ huhh¡­ trying to find you since morning. I went to your office but huhhh¡­ huhhh¡­ you were not there. The people there were kind enough to tell me that I could find you here¡­ Huh¡­ Huhh¡± The young boy seemed to be having trouble breathing. Perhaps he ran all day long, looking for the Captain. It must be urgent for him to be all out of breath like that. ¡°Take it easy, young squire. Catch your breath first. Only then you talk.¡± The young squire took his breath and began to calm down. He then took an envelope with a red wax seal stamped on it, with yet another crest. I think I have counted 6 types of different crests while I¡¯m in Elsivier in these past 3-4 days. Back in the Brotherhood, I only saw one type during the whole 12 years I was there. And that crest belonged to the old geezer. As soon as Captain Rizzou received the letter, his cheerful expression suddenly turned serious. Even without looking at the content of the envelope, I could feel that he was feeling a little tense. He opened the envelope and read the letter inside. After a while, he turned to me. ¡°Claude, looks like both of us has been summoned to the Council of Knights, immediately.¡± ¡°Council of Knights?¡± ¡°Judging by this letter, I believed that the Council had received your application and documents that I sent to for approval. But, I¡¯m curious...¡± Captain Rizzou paused for a moment while stroking his chin. ¡°Normally they would approve all the applications and documents I had sent so far without having me or the new recruit summoned. This is a first, for both me and you.¡± I gulped. I wondered if it was a serious matter. ¡°I don¡¯t really get the gist of it but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s not a serious matter or else they would not send this young squire in such haste.¡± Captain Rizzou thanked the young squire and gave him a gold coin. ¡°Though you are not supposed to receive any payment, nonetheless I praised your effort in bringing this letter to me at such haste and urgency. I thank you, young squire.¡± The young squire beamed with happiness from both the Captain¡¯s praise and also his newly acquired one gold coin. ¡°Thank¡­Thank you, Ser Rizzou, Captain Ser!¡± He then took off, looking very proud of himself. Mission completed. ¡°Come, Claude. We better make haste too or else we would keep the Council waiting¡± I followed Captain Rizzou from behind as he led me to the Council of Knights. The Council would often hold their meetings at the Strategic Headquarters of Elsigardia located within Palace itself. This was the first time I set my foot inside the palace. The palace, as I would be told by Captain Rizzou was divided into five main areas, namely Strategic Headquarters, Grand Chambers of the State, Royal Archive and Library, Royal Palace and the Twin Towers. Scattered around the palaces were buildings of various functions and also courtyards and gardens. The Royal Palace was separated by the other four areas. Located on a man-made island, the only way we could enter the Royal Palace were through a drawbridge. Located to both east and west of The Royal Palace was Elsivier¡¯s major landmark; The Twin Towers. Both the towers were also located on a man-made island, separated to all area except a small bridge that came from both the side of The Royal Palace. The public was normally restricted from entering all the main areas except the courtyards and gardens and some buildings which were manned by no more than two guards at any one time. If there were two guards or more, it meant that the place was beyond entry for the public. Royal Elite Knights had the permission to enter all the five main areas, though there were certain specific areas within the main areas that were rank and class restricted. As I looked around, suddenly Captain Rizzou stopped. I nearly hit him from behind, though I managed to duck underneath him. As I peered in front of him from his underarm, Captain Rizzou quickly notified me about where we were at right now. ¡°We are here, Claude. The Strategic Headquarters.¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, one more thing I need to remind yourself before we proceed anywhere else further inside. Whatever happens, keep your manners with you. We might not know who might we come across later. Unless we would raise the ire of those nameless nobles and royalties, I suggest that we keep our manners close to us.¡± ¡°I understand, Captain.¡± Though I have no idea what was considered to be the right or correct manners, nonetheless I would not embarrass myself nor the Captain needlessly. The Strategic Headquarters design was nearly identical to Elemental Circle but it was fenced instead. The entrance gate was guarded by yet another four guards. On the entrance gate was a sign: ¡°Strategic Headquarters of Elsigardia¡± and below the sign was yet another sign stated ¡°No entry to those rank Lieutenant and below¡± I looked at Captain Rizzou. He assured that I would be alright since I¡¯m with him. As we approached the gate, all the four guards saluted Captain Rizzou. ¡°Good day, Ser Rizzou. The Council was expecting you. They would be waiting at Audience Hall!¡± ¡°Audience Hall? But why? They would normally meet in the Strategic Room.¡± ¡°Yes, Ser Rizzou. I was told that you are supposed to head to the Audience Hall, instead of the usual place, Ser. I was not given the reason as why to, Ser!¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder what is going on? Nevermind, we will soon find out.¡± Captain Rizzou returned the salute back to them. One of the guards took notice of me and asked the Captain. ¡°Ser Rizzou, this young man here, was he the one summoned together with you?¡± ¡°Aye. Please open the gate for us.¡± Captain Rizzou patted my back and he held my shoulder. ¡°Right away, Ser Rizzou!¡± The guard did as was ordered. ¡°Alright, Claude. From this point onwards, please follow me from behind very closely. Understand? The moment you stay far away from me, you would be arrested by any guards who will see you here. Please bear in mind that you are yet to be inducted into the Elites. In other words, you are still a member of the public, officially. Alright?¡± ¡°Yes, Captain Rizzou, ser!!¡± I copied the way how the guards at the gate talked to the Captain earlier. Captain Rizzou smiled at me as he led me yet again into the vicinity of the Strategic Headquarters. As we entered the building, I noticed that the layout was again quite similar to Elemental Circle. However, the building we were at right now was just one of the buildings that located here. Captain Rizzou told me there were 15 different buildings, with various functions, that were built close to each other and form a massive building complex. And our destination was to be the Audience Hall, located in the middle of the complex. We met a few more Elites and other normal knights around in the complex. All of them were looking at me, like a child following his father to work. Every now and then, we were stopped by the Elites who took notice of Captain Rizzou and I. Though they never questioned us much, I can see them quite pleased with the exchange of words with Captain Rizzou. I paid no attention as to what was being discussed about since it was not my business to butt into official duties of others. We arrived into a small courtyard in the middle of the complex. There was a big statue in the middle of the courtyard. A woman¡¯s statue wearing a robe, with wings and a crown. She was in a battle pose, with swords and shield to her side. ¡°That¡¯s Goddess Athenea, our patron Goddess of Elsigardia.¡± Captain Rizzou paid respect by bowing slightly as he walked passed by the statue. I too did the same. ¡°My, my¡­ Who is that boy who knows the basic courtesy paying respect to our patron Goddess? A rare breed indeed!!¡± A voice greeted us from the other side of the complex. ¡°Ser Godfrey!¡± Captain Rizzou corrected his posture and gave a salute to a full-bearded old man, wearing a normal robe but full with beautiful adornments around it. I did not know what to do, but I tried to follow suit though I end up messing the salute and all. ¡°Hahaha. Please feel at ease, Rizzou. We have yet to convene.¡± The bearded old man looked friendly enough as I looked at him and then turned back to Captain Rizzou. ¡°Yes, Ser Godfrey!¡± Captain Rizzou relaxed his posture. I still don¡¯t know what was happening, but somehow this old man, who emerged in front of us now seems highly ranked. Even Captain Rizzou who was normally calm and composed seemed a little nervous. ¡°And that young boy who is following you, is he the one being summoned together with you?¡± ¡°Yes, Ser!¡±Captain Rizzou answered in short but firm words. ¡°Good. Tell him to go to the Crystal room first before entering the Audience Hall. Let him finishes his business there first before we convene. Once he is done, only then we will start. And by the way, we have a special guest with us today. So, please don¡¯t take too long, alright.¡± Captain Rizzou nodded. ¡°Yes, Ser! As you wish.¡± Captain Rizzou saluted the old man again. The old man just laughed and turned his back and walked away. His style reminds me of the old geezer back in the Brotherhood¡¯s guild-city. ¡°Claude. Let¡¯s do as we were told. We are going to the Crystal Room first.¡± I followed Captain Rizzou. However, the journey was short this time around. As soon as we entered the second half of the complex, Captain Rizzou turned to the left and proceed for few yards before he beckoned me to enter a room. He opened the door and I was told to enter the first. There were no signs, so I was quite curious with what was happening. Was this the so-called Crystal room? It seemed so dark. I¡¯m starting to get all tingly. I took another three steps inside the room before the door behind me was suddenly closed. And not to my surprise, Captain Rizzou was the one who closed the door. Before I could say anything else, I could hear his words from outside. ¡°Good luck, Claude!¡± And that¡¯s all. Nothing else I could hear from outside. What was the hell happening? Why was I locked inside this dark room, all by myself? And what was this place? Hey someone? Captain Rizzou!!! And what with the ¡®good luck¡¯ anyway? Why do I need a good luck? Was something about to happen? I started to panic. I hate small and dark places. What¡¯s more, if it was an unknown, small and dark places. Like the one I am currently in right now. I shouted for the Captain¡¯s name, but it seemed that my voice was echoed back to me. It¡¯s hopeless. I tried to find my way in the darkness for a while. The air in the room was very heavy and I could barely breathe. There was nothing that I could touch nor hold and I couldn¡¯t seem to trace the wall structure. Even that, I could barely even walk. My steps were getting heavier and heavier as my breath was getting more shallow. I could feel that my consciousness was starting to fade. At that moment, I could hear a soft voice in my brain. ¡°Welcome to the Crystal room, young one.¡± A female voice. A very subtle and soft voice which comfort me a little. Little by little, my consciousness suddenly returned but I have yet to stabilize myself. ¡°Breath and open your mind¡¯s eyes.¡± Huh? I know the breathing part, but what was with the mind¡¯s eyes? My mind has its own set of eyes? Was it a riddle of some sort that I need to answer before I could escape my predicament? As I pondered along, suddenly a big crystal formed in front of me. A translucent crystal with the size of a normal adult human. ¡°Touch the crystal, young one and your fate shall be revealed.¡± Huh? Another riddle? What fate? I looked around confused. But sensing that I could do nothing else, I followed the voice¡¯s order. Come what may, as they said. I extended my hand to touch the crystal. As soon as my fingers touched it, the crystal suddenly turned bright. A yellow light started to form within the crystal. I was surprised to see what was happening. The yellow light began to brighten up. And before long, all around me, I was surrounded by the same bright yellow light. The translucent crystal was bursting with the yellow light. I closed my eyes from the intense brightness. I could feel the intensity even with my eyes closed. After what seems to be an eternity, the intensity started to diminish and I could now open my eyes. However, this time, the room was no longer dark. I could see that I was in a room full of various kinds of seals, circles of magic and runic inscription. A shiver came through my spine. I broke in a cold sweat. I wondered what happened. Suddenly, the door behind me was opened. It was Captain Rizzou. Finally, a familiar face I¡¯m sure glad to see. He then smiled at me as he stood outside the door. ¡°Looks like you made it. You can come out now.¡± I nodded. It looked like the ordeal or whatever situation that I needed a good luck for, was over. I breathed a sigh of relief. And a rather loud one too. The faster I get out of the room, the better. As I exited the room, I gave a nudge to Captain Rizzou. ¡°What was that for? You locked me inside that room, all by myself. I was barely able to breathe and walk. It was all dark and heavy and yet you tell me nothing. You are cruel, Captain.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Sorry, but I had to. You have to enter the room by yourself.¡± ¡°At least you could tell me before I enter, not after.¡± ¡°Hahaha, my bad. Sorry about that. Next time, I¡¯ll tell you, alright!¡± ¡°Hummphh. What¡¯s with the next time? I already know what will happen, so no more surprises there.¡± Captain Rizzou just smiled at me apologetically. Ah well, since I¡¯d made it out alive and well despite having a weird experience, I don¡¯t need to make a fuss. ¡°So, tell me, Claude, did you see a crystal?¡± I nodded. ¡°So, anything about the crystal you just saw?¡± ¡°Well, it came out of nowhere. Though there was a female voice that told me that I need to touch the crystal.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°It was translucent crystal at first. But it turned to yellow after I had touched it. And the yellow gets brighter until I have to close my eyes. The light filled up the whole room with such intensity that even with my eyes closed, I could feel that it penetrated my whole being. And that¡¯s about. Of what I think and feel, anyway.¡± ¡°I see. So, you are a ¡®yellow¡¯ huh?¡± Captain Rizzou smiled at me. ¡°Not many would get yellow. Most are either red, green, blue or just translucent.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean by that, Captain?¡± ¡°You will soon know.¡± Captain Rizzou put his arm around me. ¡°You know, for someone so young, you sure full of surprises.¡± ¡°Is that a compliment? Or you are teasing me?¡± ¡°Hahahaha. Who knows? Let¡¯s go, Claude. We can¡¯t keep the Council and our special guest waiting any longer.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ yah. I nearly forgot. Let¡¯s go then.¡± I followed captain Rizzou as he led me to our next destination, the Audience Hall. I wonder what awaits me at my next destination. Another room with another crystal? Or perhaps this time a normal room instead? Chapter 12: Blossoming Love (Part 1) Chapter 12: Blossoming Love (Part 1) "Tell me, O'' wise men of the world, what does it feel like to fall in love? Do one feels hapless in the vortex of emotions? Or do one craves for the forbidden fruits of lusts and desire? Or perhaps instead will one finds hidden strength and power to dedicate one''s life to? Should I go on or should I run away?Tell me, O'' wise men of the world, for I am in love and I fear of the unknown that lies ahead." - Epic poem of the Songstress of Halycian, verse 12. ¡°Claude, we have arrived. Prepare yourself!¡± Captain Rizzou reminded me once we reached a guarded door. The guards, upon recognizing Captain Rizzou, gave their salutes and beckoned us to enter. ¡°Ser Rizzou and the young guest. Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll inform the Council of your arrival.¡± Captain Rizzou nodded. Both he and I were waiting in a guest room after we entered the door. While I was pondering about what¡¯s going to happen to me, Captain Rizzou seemed very relaxed and calm. Seeing that I was a little anxious and nervous about the whole thing, he reassured me that everything would be fine. ¡°But Claude, please do remember of our manners while in the audience. We might not know who will be there. So, it¡¯s better to be prudence.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give my best!¡±I tried to calm myself down before one of the guards came back and told us the news. ¡°Captain Rizzou, Ser. You may now enter the audience hall. And you too, young man.¡± As we thanked the guards, we took our proceeding to the next door. A massive and thick door that bore another crest in the middle of it. As Captain Rizzou pushed the door open, I looked at him and swallow my saliva. Well, this was it then. ¡°About time, Rizzou!¡± A voice came and greeted us as we entered through the door. ¡°Ser Godfrey! I apologise for the delay.¡± ¡°It matters not. Our guest just arrived not a moment too soon before you arrived.¡± Inside the audience hall, I could see about a dozen of people. Perhaps a little more. First, there was this Ser Godfrey whom the Captain seemed to be so courteous to, and another bunch of old men with various attires that suits more of a nobility and royalty rather than one who had seen battles. Ser Godfrey, for all his assuming and regal-like posture, wore a normal black robe; a normal attire compared to those old men further up ahead. ¡°Captain Rizzou, if you don¡¯t mind, who are these guys anyway?¡± I whispered to the Captain. However, despite my attempt to whisper, Ser Godfrey caught what I was saying. ¡°Rizzou? You haven¡¯t told that young man who we are and what¡¯s he is here for?¡± Captain Rizzou kept quiet and shook his head. ¡°Hahaha. No wonder that young man looks so anxious and out of place. You should tell him sooner Rizzou.¡± ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Siegmund Godfrey. I¡¯m one of the old folks in here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Claude Leonheart, Ser. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you!¡±I stood up at attention and formally greeted him. ¡°The pleasure is mine, son.¡± He just smiled at me and then turned his gaze towards the others. ¡°And the rest of the folks around here are some dimwits and wannabes that ass-lick their ways into the Council. They are no knights but they acted like one.¡± Ser Godfrey suddenly fired an unforgiving salvo towards to other old men in the audience hall. His voice was loud enough that it even created an echo throughout the whole hall. Because of that, I became very uncomfortable. Even the Captain, who was at my side, looked a little nervous now. Ser Godfrey words took all the attention towards him, and unfortunately us too. ¡°Siegmund! How dare you!!¡± One of the old men shouted back at him. ¡°Hah, old fools. You think that all of you can come here, in my audience hall, in my Strategic Headquarter pretending to be some hot shots and knights of renown fame? Bah!!¡± I can see that all the old men in the audience hall glared at Ser Godfrey. ¡°And, what was the purpose of all of you here anyway? Within these are the sacred places of those who have seen battles on a real battlefield, and it¡¯s not for pompous looking politicians who ran after asses of the nobles in hoping there might be a shit to lick or two or asses to clean and wipe!!¡± Ser Godfrey continued his tirade of unforgiving remarks. ¡°This young man here has more recognition and purpose of being here compared to most of you ass-lickers! So, he has all the right to be here, more so than all of you are combined!¡± Whoah!! Such intensity in Ser Godfrey¡¯s words. Captain Rizzou face was as pale as a ghost. Now, all the old men who glared at Ser Godfrey turned their attention to me.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Peasants!¡± ¡°Commoners!¡± ¡°Lowlifes!¡± I could hear their murmur of contempt towards me. Now, I¡¯m not standing here and going to get insulted by some unknown old men who past their sell-by date. My mother has never born me into this world to get insulted by some unknown strangers who wear pompous clothes. I owe them nothing¡­ I tried to say something to retort, but Captain Rizzou hold me back. ¡°No, Claude. Hold your tongue for a while.¡± Captain Rizzou shook his head, trying to emphasize his words. ¡°This is a power play. We are nothing but ants to these people. So, please, bear with it for a little longer.¡± the Captain pleaded with me. His face was still as pale as early on. Sensing that he might be right, I backed down. ¡°Please gentleman. And you too Ser Godfrey, please. Let us be calm and perhaps start our meeting. We do remember our reasons to be here today, am I right?¡± Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice from in front of the audience hall. ¡°Princess Sierra! ¡° I blurted out my surprise to finally notice her presence in the audience hall. ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± She was sitting on top a throne presiding all of us in the hall. ¡°Peasants! Hold your tongue! Do you know who you are addressing too??!! A commoner like you should learn your place first before addressing any one of us!!¡± One of the old men reprimanded me for my sudden interaction. ¡°Ceh¡­¡± I snorted at the old man. He was a funny looking man wearing and an oversized hat with pompous clothes that make him more of an eyesore. ¡°Lord Chancellor, please. Forgive him. He was summoned here without his knowledge.¡° Sierra tried to talk the old man down. ¡°And one more thing. Is this the Elsigardian way of welcoming someone who is my saviour? Less we forget, that this young man saved my life. I owe him my life. And Elsigardia too owes him. So, shall we not forgive him his indiscretions and backgrounds whatever or wherever it might be?¡± I can hear the one called Lord Chancellor clicked his tongue. He glared at me and I glared back at him. If it¡¯s anywhere else, I would whack some common senses into him. Maybe he didn¡¯t have common senses at all since common senses belong to commoners like me. People like him must have royal senses, with those pompous clothing that made them look vain and intolerable. ¡°Your Highness. A commoner must know his place. Even the His Majesty the King would not tolerate such indiscretions and insults from a commoner like him.¡± Another old man trying to interject his thoughts into what was going on. ¡°Mr Minister. Dare I ask you a question? Are you not a commoner once too?¡± Ser Godfrey tried to diffuse the situations that somehow he started. ¡°Again, as the young princess said, we should hold her saviour in higher regards than what you and others had shown him. Even before he comes in, I could hear the murmur of insults and contempt from most if not all of you. And I wished to ask, why? What has this young man has done to irk you all so?¡± ¡°Siegmund! How dare you!¡± ¡°Oh, I indeed do dare you, Lord Chancellor. You are also just another commoner who became His Majesty, the King¡¯s advisor. Nothing more and nothing less. Your bloodline does not change just because you ascended the political ranking. Am I right?¡± ¡°Other than the princess and myself, who else can claim that they are true-blooded noble. Remember gentlemen, I am a Godfrey!!¡± ¡°Unless you want to forget that at your own peril, I suggest you lay down your tongue and thoughts towards this young man and let the princess have her due. He was summoned here personally by the princess, not you poser and ass-lickers!¡± I gave a smirk that was obvious enough until Captain Rizzou had to nudge me from the side. ¡°Claude. Remember please what we had said earlier?¡± I nodded. Because of that, I too stand down. I¡¯m not going to embarrassed the Captain, this old man Ser Godfrey and Princess Sierra. ¡°Your Highness, please find at your mercy to forgive my indiscretions. I humbly and sincerely apologise for my earlier misbehaviours. ¡° I knelt in front of the Princess. ¡°Please arise, Ser Claude. You are our guest of honour today and it is true that I summoned you here at haste without disregard of your time.¡± I looked at her and saw her smiling gently at me. ¡°Though you are yet to be knighted, I will not hold myself from calling you a Ser. Would that be alright with you, Ser Claude?¡± I nodded. ¡°And Ser Godfrey, would that be alright with you too?¡± ¡°Young princess, you do not need my permission. But yes, you may.¡± Ser Godfrey smiled at her. I really do wonder who was this old man anyway. He seemed to be in control of everything, even the princess and everyone around here. Even Captain Rizzou who was normally calm and composed seemed to lose himself around him. Wondered what magic he used. And why called him Ser Godfrey instead of Ser Siegmund? There¡¯s a lot of things I did not understand. ¡°I¡¯m thankful, Ser Godfrey. And the rest of you, Lord Chancellors and the Ministers, as you might hear already, that this young man is an Elites who I have personally recommended. And before anyone of you can say anything else, my Father, the King has agreed to my request. Though he is not here with us, I take that my words alone would be enough.¡± ¡°As your command, Your Highness!¡± Lord Chancellor bowed down his head. So did the host of other old men too. There seemed to be a few factions here. Ser Godfrey¡¯s, the Lord Chancellors and his old men cohorts, and the Princess and me. Plus the Captain too. Suddenly, my eyes took notice of a figure that stood beside Sierra as she was seated on a throne. Tall and handsome with red fiery hair and clear green eyes, his silhouette seemed very familiar. I can¡¯t remember where I had seen him though. Ah, never mind, he is of no importance anyway. ¡°Ser Claude. The reason why you were summoned here was so I could personally and officially thank you for saving my life back then. Though the reception of your deed could be much better, I am happy that you have taken your time to heed my request and join the Elites.¡± ¡°And the other reason was to officially announce that His Majesty the King, my Father has agreed upon my request to confer Ser Claude with King¡¯s Medal of the Gallant Heart on the day of the Parade of Champions.¡± The room fell silent. However, Ser Godfrey¡¯s clapped broke the silence soon after. His and Captain Rizzou was the only one that clapped for me. The rest shifted themselves uneasily as they glared at the three of us. ¡°I trust that my Father, His Majesty the King, wishes and of mine too would not be met any objections whatsoever at all?¡± No one spoke. ¡°And I would take that silence as a yes?¡± Again, no one spoke. ¡°If that was the decision, the Ser Claude, I welcomed you to Elsivier and the Royal Elites Knight!¡± ¡°I humbly accept your request, Your Highness. It is my pleasure to serve the Elites, Your Highness and whole of Elsigardia.¡± ¡°Very well said, Ser Claude. I trust that our hospitality had served you well until today.¡± I nodded and bowed my head. ¡°And in regards to the Parade of Champions, I trust all the preparations are well, Captain Rizzou?¡±It¡¯s Captain Rizzou¡¯s turn as Sierra asked of him. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. All preparations are going well. We will be on schedule and the Royal Stage in front of the Royal Palace courtyard soon to be completed, latest by tomorrow evening!¡± ¡°Excellent news, Captain Rizzou. I trust in your leadership and your skill.¡± ¡°The honour is mine, Your Highness.¡±Captain Rizzou bowed his head. ¡±Good to have you around Captain Rizzou. Now, Ser Claude, will you please follow Ser Rizzou and resume your duty? I trust that I have taken more time that I would like from both of you.¡± Captain Rizzou nudged me and whispered, ¡°Claude, that¡¯s our cue to get our way out of here. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Both the Captain and I bowed to the Princess and said our thanks to Ser Godfrey. We were ushered out by the guards earlier and now making our way to the courtyard where we first met Ser Godfrey. We did not talk until we reached the Goddess Statue. Chapter 12: Blossoming Love (Part 2) Chapter 12: Blossoming Love (Part 2) ¡°Man, what with all those men back there, Captain? ¡° I strike up the first conversation to break the silence. The Captain then looked at me and answered. ¡°Them? They are the Elsigardia¡¯s Ministers.¡± I could see a rare disgusted look on Captain Rizzou¡¯s face as he told me. ¡°And the one that reprimanded me for whatever I did, wrong or right?¡± ¡°He is Lord Chancellor of Elsigardia, one of the three Grand Wizurais, personal advisors to the King himself. And lest you want to know, he is the one in charge of Elsigardia¡¯s affairs and public relations.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ No wonder he acted so vainly and pretentious. He is an ass-licker of the highest ranking, it seems.¡± Captain Rizzou smiled at me. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him and the other Ministers that much, Claude. We Elites do serve them from time to time, but nonetheless, take no heed of their petty insults.¡± ¡°Why? I hate when people insult me and my background. And I know you would too.¡± Captain Rizzou could see from my eyes that I still am yet satisfied with how these old men were treating us back then. ¡°Just because that¡¯s what they are good at. Remember, they are political people and we are just soldiers of nations that personally served the royals and nobilities. Most of them are not nobles and royalties, so you don¡¯t have to worry about what they thought of you. It¡¯s none of our concern. Besides, we have Ser Godfrey too.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s Ser Godfrey, Captain?¡± ¡°Ohhh, did I not tell you yet?¡±Captain Rizzou looked at me with a surprised face on him. What? Did he forget that he had forgotten to tell me anything worthwhile other than playing a tour guide? I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you haven¡¯t tell me yet.¡± ¡°Then my sincere apologies, Claude. Ser Godfrey is our Lord General of Elsigardia. He is the current Lord that lead us, the Elites. And he is also the Lord General of Elsigardia¡¯s army.¡± ¡°You mean that he is our biggest-boss? The biggest boss of all the army, knights or any others we can think of?¡± ¡°Hahaha. Yes, you can say that!¡± ¡°Wow. I¡¯m amazed. He sure doesn¡¯t look like one.¡± ¡°Is he really? Hahaha!! Perhaps, Claude. Perhaps.¡± ¡°Well, though he looked regal and exudes the charm and charisma that only Princess Sierra can rival, he looks friendly and disarming. That¡¯s what I feel about him anyway.¡± ¡°Friendly and disarming? Never I thought I could hear those two words about him. Well, in that case, perhaps I can let you on another trivia that will surely amaze you. Care to know?¡± ¡°Yes, please!¡±I answered enthusiastically. ¡°Ser Godfrey is from the Noble House of Godfrey, one of the oldest and most powerful Noble House in Elsigardia. He is also their current house ruler and the Godfreys¡¯ are second in line to the throne.¡± ¡°What?!! ¡° I nearly stumped myself on the cobblestone pathway because of how surprised I was.And I was lucky not to fall down and hit myself face first.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°What did you mean by that, Captain?¡± ¡°Well, just say that he would be the next King if the house of Elmsdor does not have a prince.¡± ¡°Then it means, he is the next king after the current king? Not the Princess?¡± ¡°Yes, Claude. But then again, he declined to be the next King. He said he is not fit to sit on the throne. He is more of a frontline person than the behind the scene. After all, he is known as the Warmaster.¡± ¡°Warmaster?¡± ¡°Yeah. He had lead Elsigardia to many victories during our wars and battle throughout the years. He never loses, even once. There are many stories about his valour and bravery that I would have the pleasure to tell you another time. I am lucky to be with him a few times and I was never disappointed with what I saw. In fact, I admire him, as much all the Elites do.¡± ¡°He is like a living and walking legend, ehh?¡± Captain Rizzou nodded. ¡°And you know what, he regards you highly. I met him a few times and every time I meet him, he will surely ask about you. And today was the first time he met you.¡± ¡°And, what does he think of me?¡± ¡°Like I said, he regarded you highly. Not often you would see him defend someone of our ranks and statuses and raise the ire of the Lord Chancellors and his Ministers in return.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ what else can I say, Captain? I-I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything, Claude. You know, unknowingly to you perhaps, many people, including Ser Godfrey, the Princess and even I highly regard you and maybe put you into a heavier burden than you would like to imagine.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. You can say that again.¡± Captain Rizzou laughed at my nonchalant-ness. ¡°You know another thing, Claude? Not every day someone could save a princess and be defended in the Council by the big-boss of the army. Perhaps with that came the scrutiny and contempt mixed with jealousy from those folks back then.¡± ¡°Are you not jealous, Captain? ¡° I tried to poke fun at Captain Rizzou. ¡°Me? Hahahaha, if I was 20 years younger then perhaps, Claude. Besides, I¡¯m happy where I am now. I got the fortune to see the new batch, year after year making their name in one way or another. You are the latest one that I have brought to the fore. Jealousy, no. Proud, yes. And I¡¯m proud of you Claude. You handle yourself quite well back there.¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain Rizzou. I will not disappoint you. Nor Ser Godfrey and Princess Sierra.¡± ¡°Great. That¡¯s what I would like to hear. You sure know how to talk smoothly.¡± ¡°You know something, Captain? I¡¯m here not just because of the Princess and her request, but also of many other things I need to do for my Brotherhood of the Sun. I have a heavy burden on my shoulder, but seeing you and Ser Godfrey to some extent had made me realize that my burden and worries are way too little to be compared to both of you.¡± ¡°Why do you say that Claude?¡± ¡°You see, all my worries and my burden revolves around me most of the time. Like how well I do, eat or sleep. Or even making a name for myself. There are some that I will do for others, but mostly, I will do it for myself.¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± Captain Rizzou looked quizzed. ¡°And looking at you, at Ser Godfrey and even the Princess make me think that all of you have duties beyond yourself. You are always there for me. And you are always there for new Elites, bringing them to the fore and helping them as they make themselves into an Elites. Ser Godfrey thinks about the Elsigardia first and foremost and fights in the frontline. And princess, despite her age, I think, who is not much older than me, handles the whole country¡¯s affair or parts of it. Their burden and responsibilities are way beyond mine.¡± I stood up straight and hit my own chest a little. A soft thud that showed the Captain I¡¯m resolute to give my best now. ¡°And so, Captain Rizzou, that at the very least, I too must give my best. You and the rest who had high regards on me do not put me in more burden nor responsibilities on my shoulder. I feel it is about time already that I start to think beyond myself.¡± ¡°Very well said, Claude. You sure know how to say the right thing and make people happy!¡± Captain Rizzou complimented me. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the very least what a hero should do, right? To make people happy.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­. Yeah. That¡¯s what a hero should do. ¡° I proudly exclaimed to myself as I turned my back on Captain Rizzou and taking a little while to admire the beauty of the Goddess Athenea¡¯s statue that was in front of me. As I paced myself nearer to the statues, I continued on my words. ¡°But you know, being a hero is a such a hard work. But looking at those around me, especially the Princess, with such a heavy burden on her seemingly frail shoulder, do make me feel like I want to work harder too.¡° I paused for a little while. I still could not let go of what the other old men, who called themselves the Ministers, said to me back then. A fact that I more than willing to share with Captain Rizzou. ¡°But between me and you, Captain Rizzou, if no one is around, if anyone were to insult my family and my background, I¡¯ll sure to knock some sense into him or her, Lord Minister or whatever. Insulting one¡¯s worth should be left to taunt an enemy, not to be used against one who has the best interest of the country. Perhaps they looked at me like an enemy, but as for myself, I looked at them as poor folks who lost their sense of purpose.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I have such high regards on you, Claude. I am not wrong in personally recommending you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you are n-n-not¡­Huh??¡± That¡¯s not Captain Rizzou¡¯s voice. Feeling surprised, I turned my back towards the voice. Chapter 12: Blossoming Love (Part 3) Chapter 12: Blossoming Love (Part 3) ¡°S-S-Sierra?!¡± I thought I was talking to Captain Rizzou but little did I know that he kept quiet for quite some time after noticing who our guest was. Because he noticed them earlier than I did, he did not utter a single word. How long has she stood there listening to me and him talking? I looked at Captain Rizzou. I immediately whispered to him, ¡°You could have warned me, you know.¡± Captain Rizzou smiled at me sheepishly. ¡°Sorry about that Claude. I was about too, but the Princess signalled me not to stop you.¡± I return my gaze at Sierra. Beside her was the red-haired guy and suddenly from behind the shadows came another imposing figure. It was Ser Godfrey. Our big boss. ¡°Sierra, you sure know how to pick them, don¡¯t you?¡± Ser Godfrey mentioned as he walked forward to us. ¡°Uncle!¡± He smiled at Sierra and patted her head. Did that just happen? How could a Princess be patted like a kitten in front of us? ¡°Uncle, please. Don¡¯t pat me while we are outside! I¡¯m still a Princess you know!¡± Sierra pouted. ¡°Hahaha. Sure, sure. And I¡¯ll still be your Uncle Siegmund. Hahaha.¡± His loud voice boomed throughout the entire courtyard. ¡°So, Ky. Will you be back at your family¡¯s manor later on?¡± Ser Godfrey resumed his serious demeanour and asked of the red-haired guy. Ky? Ky¡­ The name seemed familiar. Oh!!! Now I get it. That Ky. The snobbish hooded figure who dissed me off in my own room the other night when Sierra visited me. I immediately glared at him. But Ky paid no heed to my glare. Instead, he nodded at Ser Godfrey. ¡°Good. Tell your father I want to speak to him tonight at the usual place. Got that?¡± ¡°Yes, Ser Godfrey!¡± Ky nodded yet again. Feeling out of place, I nudged at Captain Rizzou. He looked at me, and knowing what was happening, whispered to me. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you next time we have the chance. But for now, let¡¯s see what our two guests would want from us.¡± I nodded and gives thumbs up. Understood. After speaking to Ky, Godfrey turned his attention to us. ¡°Rizzou, come with me. I need to speak with you for a while. And Sierra, don¡¯t you have something to talk to Claude? And Ky, you are dismissed for now. Sierra wanted to talk to Claude alone. You understand?!¡± Ky was taken aback, but seeing that this was THE Godfrey, Ky has no choice but to reluctantly abide. After bowing to Sierra and excusing himself, he walked away, past me. But not before he tried to give a death stare. What? You have something against me, red-haired punk? I wish I could say that out loud, but I think he got the meaning when I glared back at him. Ser Godfrey looked at Captain Rizzou and beckoned him with just his eyes. They walked down past us and into a hidden aisle not too far away. Now, just left me and Sierra, at the Goddess Statue Courtyard. The air around us suddenly become a little heavier. I was feeling nervous. I¡¯m now alone with Sierra. Hey, being alone with a beautiful princess would make any man, even the tough one, to feel a little nervous. If they were not nervous, something must be wrong with them. ¡°Claude¡­?¡± Sierra wondered what happened to me as I start to fidget around and broke into a little sweat on my forehead. ¡°Y-Y-Yeah??¡± Sierra giggled with her hand covering her mouth. ¡°Ohh, Claude. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous you know. It¡¯s unlike you at all.¡± I smiled at Sierra while rubbing the back of my head. ¡°Yeah, you are right. It¡¯s unlike me at all, to be nervous around a girl. Especially to a cute one, like you.¡± I paced myself towards Sierra, stopping directly just a few feet away from her. Now, it¡¯s Sierra¡¯s turn to blush. Heh. Guess no one ever called her cute before. Perhaps not by any man at all since no men were allowed to be close, what¡¯s more being alone with the Princess of the Kingdom like this. This was a good chance for me to ehem¡­ flirt with her. But being a princess, I need to tone down a little bit, having the feeling that she might not use to it, yet. ¡°Well, to what reasons I owed you the pleasure of your personal attention, my fair princess? ¡° I bowed down my head and looked at Sierra. She continued to let out that small giggle of hers. A childish giggle for sure. ¡°Rest easy, Claude. You don¡¯t have to be so formal when there are only two of us.¡± The sudden realization that there were only two of us made Sierra blushed. She was looking down as she played with her own fingers. However, despite that, she continued to speak to me. ¡°You know, Claude. It¡¯s not easy for me to be alone with anyone at all. I have to persuade Uncle to let me have some time alone with you.¡± ¡°Persuade the big boss to be alone with me? My, my. Aren¡¯t you a little daring, Princess? Being alone with a man like me?¡± I teased Sierra. ¡°Ohh¡­ Claude¡± Sierra blushed further. ¡°Y-Y-You are alright, it seems. I feel safe around you. And even Uncle, after seeing you personally himself, agreed to my request.¡± I see. She got permission from the big boss, ehh? I looked at the way where Ser Godfrey and Captain Rizzou disappeared to and smile. Good job, old man. I¡¯ll thank you one day. There¡¯s a lot of people that I need to thank, but Ser Godfrey just elevated himself to the first name on the list. ¡°I¡¯m humbled by your presence, Sierra. In fact, I too am looking forward to being alone with you.¡± ¡°Y-You do?¡± I smiled at her and nodded. Who wouldn¡¯t be if a princess wanted to be alone with you? Only a madman without libido wouldn¡¯t want this chance. ¡°Claude. I have a few things to say to you. Would you like to sit on that bench over there?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± I answered enthusiastically. As we walked towards the bench not far from Goddess Athenea¡¯s Statue, I looked at Sierra more closely. Normally I wouldn¡¯t have this chance at all because Sierra was always surrounded by her maids or her bodyguards, or that red-haired snobbish kid, Ky. Now, since she was alone with me, I could observe her more intimately. Best way to view a girl, according to that old geezer of mine, was from her back. I could see her shape better, he said. And he was not wrong, though. Sierra was indeed a very, very, very beautiful girl. Regal, charming and extremely beautiful. Her height was around mine, perhaps a little taller. Although I hated the fact, I have to admit that I¡¯m shorter than average guy my age. Her long flowing blue hair accentuates her beautiful facial figure. And her snow white skin seemed so pure and delicate. And t-t-that swaying honey-peached ass¡­ oh-la la. I could say that Sierra ranked among the most beautiful and perfect looking girls I have ever seen and I have seen many beautiful girls in their full glory. And her fragrance was both mesmerizing, hypnotizing and I felt like I was in a deep trance. And because of that, I had forgotten to even notice where I am heading too; an inch away from hitting the Goddess Statue. ¡°Uhhmm¡­ Claude?¡± Sierra snapped me out of my thoughts. She was already sitting while waiting for me. ¡°Something the matter, Claude? Do you have something to do with the Goddess Statue?¡± I smiled sheepishly. ¡°The Goddess in front of me sure looks so mesmerizingly beautiful. I can¡¯t believe that I can even lay my eyes on her.¡± ¡°I see. She sure is very beautiful. Goddess Athenea is Elsigardia¡¯s patron goddess after all.¡± I smiled at Sierra. She sure was innocent too. I was complimenting her, but instead, she had mistaken me that I was complimenting the Goddess Athenea¡¯s Statue. Ahh well, not that I mind that. The sculptor could make a statue out of Sierra and it would not have lost to the Goddess Statue in terms of how mesmerizing it would be.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I stand a little further from the bench where Sierra was sitting. Now, I¡¯m not going to rush and suddenly sit beside her. I need to maintain my distance a little, so I don¡¯t seem like a noob trying to pick up on girls or doesn¡¯t seem to have the virtues of being patient. I just need a cue from Sierra and a little time, after all. ¡°Claude, why are you standing so far away? Please come and sit beside me.¡± That¡¯s the cue I have been waiting for. Because Sierra was a princess and being trained in the manners of nobility and royalty no doubt, if I were to sit beside her without her permission, it would be very rude of me. Who knows whose eyes might be watching us or whose ears might be hearing upon our conversations, but the least I could do was to treat Sierra like a princess first, in an open place like this. ¡°You sure about that Sierra? Wouldn¡¯t it turn people¡¯s head around here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Uncle had already made sure that no one was to come within the vicinity of this area. And besides, the whole compound is off limit most of the time, so people rarely come here. We are safe without prying eyes and ears.¡± ¡°Good. I see you have planned this meeting quite well. You sure are cunning too when you need to be.¡± With that, I sit next to Sierra with aplomb. ¡°Hihihi!¡± Sierra chuckled. This was the first time I heard Sierra chuckle as loud as this. ¡°Well, you told me to be myself. So I be myself. I¡¯m a dangerous man when I¡¯m near women, Sierra. ¡° I winked at her. ¡°Dangerous? You Claude? Hihihi¡­¡± She continued to giggle. I wonder what was the thing she found so funny with what I had just said. ¡°You are the least dangerous people in the whole place. I know a dangerous person, what more of a man when I see one. You are the least dangerous one. I could compare you to a cute puppy.¡± Now, did I heard her right? Am I comparable to a cute puppy now? Was I to laugh or to cry? ¡°You know Claude, seeing you like this makes me feel at ease. Not because you saved me, but because of the way you are.¡± Hmm? I gave Sierra a perplexed look. ¡°Being the Princess of the Kingdom, what more as the Crown Princess, is no easy task for me. I-I¡­¡± Sierra looked down at the ground. Suddenly, she seemed a little bit awkward. Was this a reason why she wanted to see me? Something had been bothering her and she wanted to tell me what it was about. Feeling that it might be that way, I kept quiet. ¡°I never wish to be anyone else other than who I am, Claude. I am truly blessed to be born a princess. But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure anyone would do. I wouldn¡¯t mind being a prince either. The nearest I come being a prince was in my dream.¡± Ahh¡­ there went me trying to keep quiet. I¡¯m a lousy listener, after all. But nonetheless, it made both of us laughed out a little. ¡°But seeing the way you act according to your own beliefs on certain things, make me feel like I can be myself with you. Not as a Princess, but as my own person. As Sierra. Something that I never did before this. Before I met you.¡± I pointed at myself. ¡°Me? But you just met me right¡­ like today?¡± She nodded. ¡°I-I don¡¯t have many friends my age, Claude. The first time I knew that my saviour was someone around my age, I felt something in me. Something that I could not explain. Perhaps of my own perception of what is important and what¡¯s not had change since that day. After the incident back in the forest, I had some thought about myself. Being a princess and being who I truly am.¡± ¡°Well, Sierra. If you have encounter death as near as I did, you would think twice about what¡¯s important and what¡¯s not.¡± Sierra suddenly looked glum. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± No, no, and no. I said something I shouldn¡¯t have said. I did such a newbie mistake. I need to recover from this situation, fast. ¡°But I¡¯ll gladly do this again, over and over. I mean encountering death, that is.¡± I smiled at Sierra. She looked at me curiously and asked. ¡°What do you mean Claude?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy. My life changed for the better because of that incident back in the forest. I saved a princess, being called a hero, then invited to join the Elites and meet wonderful people. And I can have this conversation alone with you, the Crown Princess of the Kingdom. Ain¡¯t it good? Many people I know would die to get this chance. Especially being alone with a very beautiful girl like you.¡± Sierra blushed and covered her face. ¡°Stop teasing me, Claude.¡± I stared at Sierra. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m teasing you?¡± Upon catching the more serious version of my looks, Sierra blushed even more. ¡°But seriously, no dying alright.¡± ¡°Haha. Depends though. Sometimes, some things happened for a reason. Me being here have its own reasons, though I don¡¯t know what it will be. Same as you too.¡± I stood up, paced myself in front of Sierra and squat in front of her with my hand doodling something on the cobblestone pathway. My sudden movement made Sierra curious, though I just replied with a smile at her. ¡°You know something, Sierra?¡± Sierra looked at me intently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say this but I used to be a self-depreciating loser who thinks the world owes him something. I worked hard yeah, but I think that if I work hard, the world must reward my hard works. But the world doesn¡¯t work that way. Sure, hard works are all great and such. But what is hard work without a context? And that context would be, our ¡®why¡¯.¡± ¡°Our ¡®why¡¯?¡± Sierra rubbed her chin while pondering about what I just said. ¡°Why are we doing what we are doing? Why are we working hard? Why are we giving our best? And you know what¡¯s my ¡®why¡¯ is?¡± Sierra shook her head. ¡°One of my why is to make a difference, even though it¡¯s a second. When I on my death¡¯s door, I told myself if I was a second faster, I could save both you and my best friend, Sehanie without much injuries. And because of that, I now worked even harder and take things more seriously in my life. Because now I have a context. My ¡®why¡¯. That¡¯s why I said I¡¯m Claude before I¡¯m anything else. And that¡¯s how I looked at the world now.¡± I stood up, looked at Sierra and asked her. ¡°What would be your ¡®why¡¯, Sierra?¡± ¡°M-My ¡®why¡¯?¡± ¡°Why are you doing what you¡¯re doing? Because you were fated to be the princess and there¡¯s no one else? Or is it because you are Sierra and you have the context of what you are doing and the position to do so. ¡± ¡°I-I¡­ never thought of it that way.¡± Sierra¡¯s facial expression was deep. Her eyes were moist to the point of crying. And it did not take too long for tears to start flowing down her cheeks. It seems my words have struck a deep chord within her. Well, I guess my words struck her too deep, it seemed. I sat beside her yet again at the same seat as earlier. Just to reassure her that I¡¯m always here for her. And to offer my shoulder if she wanted to. ¡°I thought that being myself would liberate me. That if I was just Sierra and being no one else would free me. But because I was born as the Princess, I need to do what a Princess need to do and more. And that means I can¡¯t be myself.¡± Tears continued to flow, but Sierra held on as she wiped her teary eyes with a handkerchief that she pulled from her sleeves. ¡°And then I get so much confused. On who do I need to become and why? I¡¯m never at ease. One part of me wanted to be a Princess, to make my Father proud and be the symbols of my people¡¯s hope. The other part of me wanted to be Sierra and just live a free life. Free from all those so-called advisors around me.¡± ¡°Sierra and the Princess are one and the same person, right?¡± She nodded. ¡°So, what¡¯s stopping you from being Sierra, because, without the Sierra, the princess wouldn¡¯t exist either, right?¡± Sierra looked at me, with her blushed face and nodded. ¡°So, from now onwards, don¡¯t feel guilty of being the Sierra that you wanted. I know you have your ¡®why¡¯ of doing things and your context is way bigger than mine, so feel free to be the Sierra you always wanted. I know you will do the right thing. Always. Being born a Princess sure brings its benefits and perks, but you are Sierra first before being a princess. Remember that.¡± I gave her a wink and a mischievous smile. ¡°Or you need my permission to be Sierra? I know to treat a Sierra, hehehe.¡± Sierra chuckled and hit me in my arms. ¡°Ahhh! I think you just dislocated my shoulder. ¡° I feigned being hurt. My attempt at feigning injuries got both of us laughing together. ¡°Oh and one more thing. People change, most often for the better. I know the fact that today the Sierra I am with now, is the ¡®better¡¯ Sierra than a few minutes ago. At least I know I¡¯m a better Claude now than I used to be, because of what happened.¡± ¡°Thank you, Claude.¡± I winked at her. ¡°Anytime, babe. Anytime.¡± I stood up and gave her my standard victory pose. ¡°And was that the reason you want to talk to me?¡± ¡°Do friends need a reason to talk to each other, Claude?¡± She then stood up, patted herself and then gave me another hit on my arm. Ehhh¡­?? Have I just been friend-zoned by Sierra? Ohh¡­ there goes my hope and my dreams. Life is so cruel sometimes. Perhaps I should talk less. Listen more and talk way, way less. ¡°I thought I wanted to say how thankful I am for you to be here and such, but I did not know we talked about something else.¡± ¡°Really now? You wanted to meet me to say how thankful you are to be? No, no, no¡­ That¡¯s not that way how you say thanks to your saviour. If you want to know how to say thanks to a man that saved you, then let me tell you.¡± Sierra waited for my next words. ¡°First, you must cook for him. He must eat the food that you cook from the bottom of your heart. A way to a man¡¯s heart is through his guts, so if he eats the food that you cook, no matter how bad it is, for as long as its cook from the bottom of your heart, he will be very thankful to you.¡± ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± ¡°Second, you must give him a kiss. At least on the cheeks. You know, the standards stuff a woman would always give when a man risked his life to save hers. Anything more than a kiss on the cheeks is a bonus. Hehehehe¡­¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ Claude. You are such a teaser.¡± Sorry, Sierra. I can¡¯t resist. ¡°Getting a medal ain¡¯t that bad in fact. But you know, sometimes all a man want is a simpler stuff that what makes the stuff of dreams. Having saved a fair maiden, on his arms, she kissed his cheeks or something like that¡­¡± ¡°B-B-But¡­ to kiss a man¡­on... his¡­cheeks.¡± Sierra blushed like a boiled prawn. ¡°No worries. Save it for the next time I save you. I¡¯m your hero, ain¡¯t I? So, let me do my job and then I¡¯ll wait for my rewards. Hahahaha.¡± I broke into a laugh. She giggled in her usual way. ¡°The next time you save me, Claude, I¡¯ll be sure to give you ¡®that¡¯.¡± I puffed my chest and look at her. ¡°Fear not, Sierra. I¡¯m yours to command.¡± She continued to chuckle. Her face now beams with happiness and brightness, a feature that was absent before even though she was one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Looking at her like this make my heart fluttered. No wonder men would die to protect their loved ones. Nothing beats the experience of having seen your loved one beamed with joy and happiness. ¡°My, my. Aren¡¯t you two being lovebirds? Suddenly a voiced came from behind us. ¡°U-Uncle?!¡± ¡°Hahahaha, the power of youth. How I missed it back in my days. Ain¡¯t that so, Rizzou?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Ser¡± I can see Captain Rizzou standing just behind Ser Godfrey. Seeing them both, I straightened myself as fast as I could. ¡°Uncle, how long have you been eavesdropping on us?¡± Sierra demanded of her uncle, Ser Godfrey. ¡°Hahaha, long enough Sierra, to know that love is blossoming between you two.¡±Ser Godfrey laughed out loud and his voice boomed throughout the whole place. ¡°UNCLE!!¡± Sierra''s face was blush beyond anything I have ever seen before. My face was red too as I stood rigid. I dare not to make any move. ¡°Claude¡­¡± Ser Godfrey patted my back as he walked towards us. ¡°I have high hopes for you. So, you better take care of my niece well. Or else...¡± Suddenly, Ser Godfrey gave me a cold death stare. His aura overwhelmed my whole existence. I understood its meaning very well. ¡°Y-Y-Yes, Ser Godfrey. I-I-I will¡± I stammered to give my answers. ¡°Good kid. The future is bright for this country it seems, ehh Rizzou?¡± Captain Rizzou nodded at Ser Godfrey. ¡°Rizzou and Claude. Would you leave Sierra with me now?¡± Understanding that was our cue to leave, both of us bowed our heads to Sierra and Ser Godfrey. ¡°Claude¡­ Will I¡­¡± Sierra called out to me. I gave out a smile and winked at her. ¡°We will¡­ I mean, yes. Yes, Sierra.¡± As I turned my back to them, I gave Sierra my victory pose; a thumbs up with my back facing them. I could hear her chuckled from behind. With those words, I left both of them to their matters. As I walked out of the courtyard, Captain Rizzou nudged at my side. ¡°Not even the first day and you got yourself a big catch ehh, kid. Looks like you are not one to be underestimated after all?¡± Captain Rizzou teased me. ¡°It¡¯s still early, Captain Rizzou, but I like my chances.¡± I smiled at him as we walk towards the Strategic Headquarter main entrance. As we walked past the entrance, my whole facial expression and demeanour have changed from the first time I entered this place. My eyes turned into a fierce and determined. Captain Rizzou noticed the sudden changes in my demeanour. He patted my back as we walked out. ¡°Good. We will have a long journey ahead of us. Especially you, Claude. So, be well prepared.¡± I nodded. Time to strut my stuff and prove my worth. I¡¯m not going to let my life golden ticket gone to waste. The power of love sure was strong in me. ¡°Muahahahaha!!¡± I let out a loud laugh as Captain Rizzou looked me surprised with my sudden burst of laughter. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 1) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 1) "Come weary people of the world. Travellers and adventurers abound... Gather around me and I shall sing to you the voices of glory. Spare me but a moment of your time, Listen to my tales of old and yore and praises of the deeds done before us... Come to me and hear the voices of glory; sing their names, cheers for their deeds and lest us be ever grateful, say our thanks to these heroes, nameless or not." - Elwynn Sylmarin, the Travelling Minstrel The morning of the eve of the Parade of Champions. The date was 4009AD the 25th Day of the Month of May. I¡¯d found myself inside a small hall surrounded by another 100 or so people, males and females of various races. I have no prior knowledge of the purpose of this morning assembly though I receive a letter, yet again, from Captain Rizzou which was handed to me by Leah, the maid who was responsible for my welfare during my stay here at the Elemental Circle Headquarter. The letter instructed me to attend a meeting in an assembly hall wearing my full Brotherhood tunic. I wondered what was that for, but I decided to go along, perhaps thinking that this event might be an important one. Perhaps Sierra might come. I smiled at the thought of presenting my best in front of her. However, this time I was a little late arriving at the assembly hall as I was having a long conversation with Leah. Since it was the last day I¡¯m going to spend my time here as a guest, I was thinking of thanking her personally for her effort in bringing me food without fail and helping me with my laundry. Although I did not bring many clothes, every day without fail, I would have a new set of neatly pressed clothing in front of my room. Though she was not told by anyone to help with my laundry, she found out that I did not bring any other clothes other than my Brotherhood of the Sun Journeyman¡¯s tunic. That tunic too was cleaned and neatly iron by Leah. And that tunic was what I wore today proudly, for I am representing the Brotherhood¡¯s name. Besides, I couldn¡¯t let Leah¡¯s goodwill gone unnoticed, right? I barely made my way into the entrance of the assembly hall before I heard a not so loud voice coming from the front of the hall. ¡°Can I have your attention please?!¡± This was a medium-sized hall, capable of holding about 200 people comfortably. However, the hall looked very formal and there were many decorations inside of it. Flags and banners with various crests, some of which I have seen before were adorned along the wall inside the assembly hall. In fact, from the hallway of my room towards here, all the walls have been decorated with various kinds of decorations. Most were the crest of the Elite Knights and also the official crest of the Kingdom of Elsigardia. I wondered who put the decorations up on the wall as I remembered there was none, even last night. The people here sure work around the clock for the upcoming Parade of Champions it seems. ¡°I said, can I have your attention please!¡± The same voice could be heard yet again from the front of the hall. The first time the voice instructed for our attention, many who were inside the hall paid no heed. In fact, nearly no one paid any heed other than idle conversations among themselves. Even I did not pay any attention as I was looking at the hall¡¯s impressive decorations and scouting the people who assembled here. As I peered from the back of the room, I could see a small silhouette on the stage in front of the assembly hall. A small girl figure was standing in the middle of the stage. I guess it was her that was trying to get attention. Failing twice to get our attention, she began to fluster. ¡°SHUT THE HELL UP THE FUCKING LOT OF YOU!!!¡± Suddenly, a vicious and powerful voice vibrated throughout the whole room. A large figure walked into the middle stage, looking menacingly to all of us. His eyes scanned the whole room and as he met everyone gazes, his eyes struck fear into every one of us, myself included. All of us stood in attention, like a bunch of small kids in the presence of a principal. The large figure was a really imposing man indeed. Tall, about 2 meters, with dark skin and red crimson hair, wearing the uniform of a Royal Elite Knight. What made him more imposing was a scar that cut deep across his face. He looked very mean indeed. ¡°Where do you think all of you are, you effin cretin of the lowest lifeform? The is the esteemed Elemental Circle, not some circus or some market or even your bloody house.¡± His eyes were fierce as he talked down to each and every one of us. ¡°I don¡¯t care where you lot come from, or who recommended you, but I don¡¯t give a damn. Even if you are the King himself, in here, today, I AM THE KING!!!¡± He continued. ¡°So, all of you worthless piece of shit better pay attention, or else I¡¯m gonna make your life a miserable existence in itself.¡± All of us gulped hard. From the way he walked in and talked to us, I have no doubt that he would also walk his talk. Better not go into this guy¡¯s bad book. He then looked towards the small girl figure. He cracked a smile if one could call it a smile, at her. ¡°Lieutenant Christy, they are all yours now. I think they would be well behaved for the whole day.¡± ¡°Y-Y-Yes First Captain Malek.¡± Even the small girl figure stammered when talking to him. ¡°I-I will begin now.¡± The girl straightened herself as she began the assembly. ¡°Good morning everyone. My name is Christalene and my ranking is Lieutenant of the Elite Knight, Administrative Bureau of the Circle of the Element. Beside me is the very esteemed First Captain of the Elite Knight, Ser Malek Hadlamark, the leader of the 3rd Gaia Unit Battalion.¡± Lieutenant Christy started with the introduction of themselves. When she mentioned the First Captain name, Ser Malek, I could hear astonished gasps among all of us who assembled in the hall. ¡°That is Ser Malek? He is as imposing as the story says¡± came one voice. ¡°Wow, I never thought I¡¯d met him today¡± then came another. ¡°Gaia unit. I wish I can join and be under his tutelage¡± came the third one amidst a few more murmur which I couldn¡¯t make out. ¡°HMMMM...¡± Ser Malek voiced suddenly penetrate the whole room, yet again. His fierce eyes looked at all of us and immediately we understood its meaning. We kept quiet straight away. ¡°Ehemm¡­ thank you. But, it¡¯s not just us who are here today. But I¡¯ll save the introduction later since it will cause more commotion and we will run off our schedule. Thus, I¡¯ll go directly into the purpose of our assembly today.¡± Lieutenant Christy continued as she walks down a podium at the centre of the stage. Ser Malek just stood still at his location earlier as his eyes were fixated on all of us. I hope this assembly would be more comfortable than having to hear talks or lectures while a more powerful presence was looking at us like a hungry lion from somewhere else. I had these sorts of instances too many times back in the Brotherhood as the old geezer would often drop by into our class unannounced and look at each of us fiercely while the class was going on.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I have three reasons why I called all of you today. The first is the introduction of the all the nobles houses and royalty in Elsigardia whom most of us will be serving. Second, details of the Royal Elite Knights and its unit and the squadrons and last but not least, the third reason, determining which unit and squadron all of you will be joining via a test.¡± Suddenly, a loud excited commotion could be heard. Everyone seemed to be excited when Lieutenant Christy mentioned the third reason why we were called here. I could hear a conversation beside me from a guy who looks like a seasoned warrior. ¡°At last. This is what I have been expecting all these while. I can¡¯t wait to know which unit I would join. Hopefully, a unit that let me unleash a hell of fury to the enemies. Muahahahaha!¡± His laugh gave me the shudders. What sort of evil laugh was that? I thought knights were supposed to be, well, a little more reserved in their laughs, especially as one of the Royal Elite Knights. Perhaps there were many more people who were like him assembled here. I looked around and saw many others who were excited with that were happening. For myself, I had actually no idea what happened as I stayed in the room the whole time in my trance state and practising my sword skills. Other than the excursion with Captain Rizzou, I did not venture anywhere else nor meet anyone. I was looking quietly at everyone around me, instead of striking up conversations here and there needlessly. Not that I¡¯m unsociable, but I¡¯m far back at the hall and the commotion was more apparent in the middle and the front of the hall. In fact, I was nearer to the door where I walked in. I just stood at the side of the door, near a corner without making much sound. However, this time the commotion was a little longer than the first one. Ser Malek was looking at us, but surprisingly this time, he did not stop us from making some noise. Perhaps he understood we were excited about the prospect of what was going to happen next, that he let us have our excitement a little longer. After a while, the commotion died down by itself as the people in here could not wait to get on with the activities. Thus, the more and longer they make noise, the further the schedule will be delayed. This they understand. ¡°Good. However, I won¡¯t be explaining the details to you. I¡¯ll leave the explaining to Captain Rizzou of the Administrative Bureau to explain all the details to you. I¡¯m sure all of you have met him prior coming here, so I won¡¯t waste time introducing him again. Please, Captain Rizzou, make your way to the stage.¡± As soon as Lieutenant Christy moved from the podium, Ser Malek accompanied her out. As soon as they exited the stage, the familiar looking Captain Rizzou walked to the podium. He looked like his usual self, calm and confident. ¡°Hello everyone. Good morning. I trust all of you would be all well and ready to be an Elite. Am I right?¡± ¡°YEAH!!¡± Loud voices could be heard throughout the whole hall. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. All of you will have a long day today, so keep that energy up. And you will need that energy and more because your life, each and every one of you here, is going to change. For better or for worse, starting from now. And the glory does not wait one who hesitates. Am I right?¡± ¡°Yeah!!¡± Another echo of loud voices could be heard across the hall. ¡°Although all of you will officially an Elite tomorrow, at the Parade of the Champions, as far as I am concerned, all of you, once your application has been passed to the Council when you first registered through me, are already an Elite. All your conducts are now of the Elites. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°As I told all of you the first time when you are here; that we serve the royalties and the nobilities of the Kingdom of Elsigardia first and foremost. And then the rest of who¡¯s who in the Kingdom. I had told you why, but I¡¯ll reiterate again.¡± ¡°Elites existed as a special branch of the knights that were created to serve and protect the royalty and the nobilities. For the rest of the population, we have our normal knights and the army to serve them. In term of numbers, we are less than 1 in ten thousands of numbers of the army. Our numbers are insignificant, but our contributions are not. In fact, our roles are extremely vital to our Kingdom of Elsigardia that we only chose the best and the most worthy among those who were already the best and the most worthy. Am I right?!! ¡°YEAHH!!!¡± An even louder noise, more than what I have heard throughout the whole time could be heard. Captain Rizzou sure knew how to motivate people. And he did it without much effort. He could be a preacher and start a new religion if he kept this up. I smiled at the thought of him giving a religious sermon. He wouldn¡¯t look out of place at all. ¡°Good. All of you came recommended by the nobles and the royalties. Though who recommended you might be different, but all of you must know one thing; we serve regardless who recommended us which means the whole noble houses of the Kingdom. Thus, it is imperative that you know whom we served.¡± ¡°You might receive missions, quests, instructions or any job related to the Elites either from the noble houses themselves or through the Administrative office. A solo mission might come to you directly. But one that involves a larger number of Elites will only come through the Administrative Bureau. Bear in mind that even though you might receive a job directly from any noble houses, your job and your report will be recorded within the Bureau. You still have to report to us one way or another. A mission of extreme secrecy, however, will be exempted. Only the Council of Knights will approve such a mission, however. Am I clear?¡± All of us nodded. In summary, no matter which nobles or royalty recommended us, we serve each and every one of them. Not that I¡¯m bothered, but honestly, I prefer to serve Sierra alone. Other nobles and royalties might be bothersome, to say the very least. At least, with Sierra, I could be myself. ¡°And one more thing. Depending on your fame and status or perhaps destines and fate, some of you will be sponsored by one the noble houses.¡± With this sudden words, the hall suddenly became lively yet again. ¡°Do you want to talk, or do you want me to continue?¡± Captain Rizzou teased us. He knew he did not have the booming voice of Ser Malek, but his persuasive skills managed to get us quiet nonetheless. ¡°Good. You people are very well behave. This year¡¯s Elites have some potential after all. In fact, some of you here astound even us from the Bureau. Even myself. The limitless potentials some of you had shown to us, either through your valour, your recommendation or your deeds speak highly of this year¡¯s batch, and to each and every one of you.¡± Was he talking about me? I could feel that I¡¯m one of those who astounded him. In fact, I hope I did astound him or anyone else for that matter. The first impression counts, so I hope I did well. Even if anyone said otherwise, I would still believe that I have done well. Until otherwise stated of which Captain Rizzou never mentioned any names, I would like to think that I¡¯m one of them. ¡°Thus, I won¡¯t be surprised that some of you will be sponsored by one of the eight noble houses. Being sponsored means you are heavily favoured by your sponsor, a noble house. What it means is that, not only you will receive more exclusive jobs from them, but you will be receiving some perks and benefits that some of the noble houses enjoy.¡± ¡°For example, title and lands. Your own manor. And even marriage into the noble houses. I know I¡¯m getting ahead of myself, but this is what being sponsored means. So, prove your worth through your actions, your valours and deeds and the rest will speak for itself!¡± The whole room was excited. Most of them never knew that any one of them could be sponsored, so the news gave them a pleasant surprise. I could see some of the guys in the room were beginning to fantasize and their mind began to wander off. And I happened to know where it would eventually land; the fantasy land where they would marry a princess. A marriage to a noble princess seems to be a fairy tale comes true to all of the guys in here, myself included. I could even see some of the girls were also fantasizing. I don¡¯t know much about marrying into noble houses for these girls, but I¡¯m sure the benefits and perks would turn them on. Captain Rizzou continued to explain to us all the Main Noble houses in the Kingdom of Elsigardia of which I could summarized and memorized as follows: Currently, there were eight Main Noble houses in the Kingdom of Elsigardia, which we Elites called the Main Nobles. The Main Nobles were then divided further into two categories, namely the Pure Nobles and Ascended Nobles. There were three Main Nobles which were considered to be the Pure Nobles, which were the Elmsdor of Elsigardia, Godfrey and Brynhildr. There were a few main distinctions between the Pure Nobles and the Ascended Nobles. Other than more special privileges afforded to them, the Main Nobles were in the direct line to the throne of the Kingdom of Elsigardia. These three Pure Nobles were the oldest Main Noble houses which existed during the founding of Elsigardia. Because of their role in the current history and founding of the Kingdom, these three noble houses were considered to be the most powerful and significant noble house throughout Elsigardia. And thus, the main members of these Pure Nobles had the highest rankings of royalty in kingdom. The rest, in accordance with the significance and power they wield, were Eskanien, Hagenstein, Zah¡¯ringen, von Kissarath and von Draksen. These five Main Noble houses were called as Ascended Nobles because their titles of nobility were conferred by the Kings of Elsigardia throughout its history. They became significant after a period of time and thus their statuses were elevated accordingly. However, due to some incident, the von Kissarath Main Noble house had lost considerable power and status, thus their ranking was the lowest currently of all the Main Noble houses. Other than the Main Noble houses, there were also a few more, numbering in dozens of minor noble houses and normal noble houses. However, we were not explained further regarding these noble houses as to do so, would derail our schedule far off. We were told that in due time we would meet and get to know them, so no point of knowing who¡¯s who for now other than the Main Nobles. We were then told about each of the Main Noble house rulers. I paid not much attention to it because I don¡¯t feel I will meet them at my current status. However, two house rulers did strike my interest. First was the noble house of Elmsdor of Elsigardia of which the Crown Princess Sierra Elmsdor was the current ruler. Since her father, the King has ascended to the throne, the leadership of the noble house, or in other words, the clan, now belonged to Sierra. The second was Ser Siegmund Godfrey, the old man whom I met a few days ago in the Strategic Headquarters. He was the current house ruler of the Godfrey. And he also happened to be our Lord General, the leader of the whole Royal Elite Knights and also the Lord General for the Kingdom¡¯s whole army. Sierra and Ser Siegmund. These were the two names I have etched in my mind. I have met them before and I have no doubt our path will cross again, sooner than later. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 2) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 2) After the introduction of the eight Main Noble houses, we took a lunch break. Captain Rizzou reminded that we would resume on time, after one hour of lunch break. However, this time, we won¡¯t be in the assembly hall, but instead the Elemental Circle main courtyard, which was situated in front of the main entrance. Lunch. The period that I grow to love while I was here. Why? It¡¯s because the chefs here served extremely delicious food. And I was right. The aroma alone was deliciously mesmerizing. If I¡¯m not careful with my own manners, I might be jumping to the buffet table and helped myself like a thirsty horse running at full speed for the river. Even though there were many people from various backgrounds here, the way the food and drinks served were like a royal banquet. I never attended one though, but since I heard back then from Mr Frodu, the boss I used to work with back in the Brotherhood¡¯s only tavern, a royal-like banquet was where outlandish foods and drinks were served and we could take anything we wanted to our hearts¡¯ contents. And there would be maids and butlers who went around the hall to offer various drinks to us. The service here was top notch indeed. Perhaps this was what was meant by being an Elite. This was one way to entrench the sort of luxury life that most people could only dream of. I could hazard a guess that most here were not nobles nor royalty anyway. The sheer difference of levels of services due to them being an Elite was very huge, even from the best of what a high-class restaurant or any inn could offer. Work hard and you would get rewarded as what we were having, right now and more. In the midst of my pondering, someone walked past by me and unfortunately, hit me on the shoulder from the back. ¡°Hey, shorty. Move it!!¡± A loud voice could be heard that suddenly broke my thoughts. ¡°Uhh? W-Well¡­ Sorry?¡± I apologized without knowing what happened. Normally, I would not apologise like this, but since I¡¯m trying to give my best first impression at every opportunity as much as I could, I tried my best not to make any scene. ¡°Huh? Sorry? What do you mean by sorry?¡± Another voice came from behind me. I looked towards the voice. The voice belonged to a scrawny man, with an eye patch and with a face like a rat. He looked more suited as a villain or a bandit than an Elite. Who recommended this guy anyway? The rat-faced sneered at me. ¡°Well, I said I¡¯m sorry. What more could I say? I¡¯m not the one who walks and hit others from behind.¡± I tried to explain myself. ¡°Are you trying to shift the blame to someone else, ehh shorty?¡± The guy who hit me from behind spoke. He was quite tall, around 6 feet or more with a green Mohawk hairstyle and a scar across his cheek. He looked like another villain or a bandit rather than an Elite. Again, where do they get this guy anyway? ¡°Look. I said I¡¯m sorry.¡± Trying to avoid any fuss, I turned around and tried to take a step away from them. However, before I could do so, the tall, green Mohawk guy grabbed me from my back and then tossed me forward. I staggered for a few steps but I did not fall down. His friend, the rat-faced guy came over to me and kicked me to the side. ¡°Ugghhh¡­¡± I hold my ribs in pain. I bowed down a little from the impact. The scene that broke between three us suddenly got everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Do you know who are you speaking to, shorty?¡± The rat-faced guy was pulling my hair back. It stung me but I tried to hold his hand from pulling my hair back further. ¡°He is Shokar, an Elite who is recommended by one of the Main Noble house, von Draksen. And I happen to be his younger bro, Bhokar.¡± The crowd gasp at what was going on. The name ¡®von Draksen¡¯ got everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Recommended by the Main Noble house? We better not get involved with them.¡± I could hear the reluctance voices and a hint of fear from some of the onlookers. Perhaps these people were recommended by the minor nobles or the common nobles. Thus, they would not want to get involved with this little incident of mine and then found themselves in trouble even before they were officially an Elite. I understood their sentiment though. Because of this, the two villain-faced guys got more enthusiastic. ¡°See, everyone knows who are the von Draksens. No one mess with us brothers. Especially not a poor looking shorty like you with a shitty attire!¡± The rat-faced guy, Bhokar continued to taunt me while still pulling my hair. Hey, taunting and goading was my expertise, not yours. And did you just say my Brotherhood tunic is a shitty attire? Now, now. This was a little too much. As I thought to myself, a sinister smile came across my face. I¡¯m not going to let these two villains smear my Brotherhood¡¯s uniform. We held great pride in our symbols, especially our crest and uniform. With my free hand, I grabbed the hilt of my blade. ¡°Hey! What are you two guys doing?!¡± Suddenly a loud voice came towards us and broke the commotion that was happening. A cute girl with slightly pinkish hair tied in ponytail came over. Again, being height conscious, she was definitely taller than me.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Back off, bitch!¡± The Mohawk guy, Shokar warned off the incoming girl. ¡°What did you just called me?! A bitch?¡± She gave off a bitter grin that spelt trouble. ¡°Is this the type of the people than the von Draksen recommended? My, my, don¡¯t you two guys have no manners at all.¡± The rat-faced let go of my hair as he walked towards the girl. ¡°Little Missy. Mind your manners or else¡­¡± ¡°Or else what? Are you going to lay your hand on me? Try it if you want to face the wrath of the Zah¡¯ringen¡¯s.¡± The girl was unmoved by the advancing rat-faced guy. ¡°Z-Z-Zah¡¯ringen?¡± The two guys suddenly stammered. ¡°D-Don¡¯t lie to us, bitch!¡± The green Mohawk guy shouted from my back. Oi, if you got the balls, talk in front of me, not behind me. I thought to myself as I looked at the girl who just came. ¡°Lie? Why should I lie to both of you, both a low life scum who picked on a small young boy? I¡¯m Ariel, the fianc¨¦e of Lionel Zah¡¯ringen, the great-grandson of the current house ruler of Zah¡¯ringen, Viscountess Melania Zah¡¯ringen!¡± An even louder gasp was heard across the whole hall. Some even drop their plates and drinks. ¡°The sixth most powerful family in the Kingdom, the Zah¡¯ringen? And she is the fianc¨¦e of the main branch family?¡± Conversations could be heard across the whole hall. This little incident has become quite a scene it seemed. I could feel everyone¡¯s eye was focusing on us. The two villains, Shokar and Bhokar suddenly froze in their steps. As they looked at each other, the rat-faced guy said, ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t think we should mess with her. Even if she lied, we are attracting lots of attention to us already.¡± ¡°You are right, Bro. There might be higher ranked Elites who are observing us after all. We don¡¯t need to create much more scene than right now.¡± These two villains sure could think despite their ugly faces. And because of that, they decided not to further harass me. I stood up and patted my knee. ¡°You are lucky, kid. To be saved by a bitch. Is that all you can do?¡± Ptuih. The rat-faced fellow spat at my face before he moved away. ¡°If I see you anywhere else, I¡¯ll be sure to give you a proper lesson without you hiding behind a bitch¡¯s arse!¡± The Mohawk guy spat on my face next before he too moved away. I glared at them, with my hand on the hilt of my sword as my other hand wiped off the spit from my face. Did I hear that right? You are 100 years too early to lay your hands on me. I¡¯ll show you what is hell next time, arseholes! I gave a bitter yet sinister smile as I thought of that. ¡°Are you alright, young boy?¡± Suddenly a voice broke me from my thoughts. It was the same girl who had saved me just now. ¡°S-Sure. Thanks to you. If you did not help me back then, I don¡¯t know what would have happened to me.¡± I smiled at my saviour. ¡°Hahaha. Help you? I think you were mistaken.¡± The girl winked at me. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think I helped them instead.¡± She let out a smile while jerking her head towards the direction where the two of those goons went off earlier. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°You are from the Brotherhood of the Sun, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°But how do you know?¡± ¡°Judging by your tunic!¡± She happily exclaimed. ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± ¡°If I haven¡¯t stepped in, you would have slash both of them in half without much trouble. We can¡¯t have that, especially on our very first day here.¡± I smiled. Perhaps she was right. I could handle them with ease. But the scene won¡¯t be nice. ¡°Our very first day starts tomorrow, not today.¡± ¡°Ohhh¡­ Hehehe, you are right.¡± We broke into a small laugh from our early conversation. Seemed like this girl was a nice and friendly person. ¡°So, thanks again for your help. I¡¯m Claude by the way. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ariel. Nice to meet you too.¡± I extended my hand to Ariel and she happily accepted my handshake. Her hands were soft but firm. A sign that she has hidden strength beneath her smile and that girlish demeanour. As we shook our hands, suddenly my stomach grumble. ¡°Ohh!¡± Ariel laughed at me. ¡°Looks like you are hungry. Come, let¡¯s go and eat.¡± She took my hand and lead me to the tables where all the foods and drinks were served. We took a glass of juice each and toast each other. ¡°So, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, how old are you? 11 perhaps?¡± Ariel asked of me while drinking her juice. Her eyes were scrutinizing me up and down as if she was sizing certain parts of my body. I spat my water out, but luckily it did not hit anyone, as she innocently guessed my age. I looked at her dumbfounded. As I point to myself, I asked her, ¡°Do I look that young to you?¡± She nodded. ¡°You just looked like my little brother back in my hometown, Jon. He is the same as your height, so you must be around his age.¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ my height?¡± Ariel nodded. ¡°Not my looks?¡± ¡°A little. You look very self-assured though.¡± I slumped down my shoulder. This was quite too much for me to take. Self-assured or not, I¡¯m currently height conscious. ¡°Perhaps that because I¡¯m not 11. I¡¯m 17 this year.¡± Now was Ariel¡¯s turn to spit out her juice. And unfortunately, she spat her juice directly into my face. What¡¯s with people spitting into my face today? First, there were the two villain-looking Elites and now the girl who had just saved me. Does my face look like a spittoon to these people? ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Claude. I did not mean that.¡± Ariel tried to wipe away the juice from my face with her blouse¡¯s sleeve. I just realized that she was wearing a beautiful blouse with a tight pant with a rapier-like weapon at her side. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s ok. It¡¯s not often people spit at my face, though I had three of them today, including you.¡± I gave a dry laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Claude. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just teasing you.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± I nodded. ¡°You sure are very sweet, Claude.¡± Ariel was back to her smiling self. ¡°But, I¡¯m really sorry about that. But that because I never knew you were 17. I had mistaken you for an 11-year-old boy.¡± ¡°Really. I must look very young then? Or I¡¯m¡­¡± I showed Ariel the small distance between my thumb and my forefinger, implicating that I¡¯m short. Ariel chuckled. I looked at her while taking a bite of a roasted chicken drumstick. I took a plate of freshly roasted pork ribs and handed it to her. ¡°Here, take this. We will talk while we eat. I bet you are hungry as much as I am too.¡± ¡°T-Thanks.¡± She took a bite of the roasted pork ribs. ¡°I know I¡¯m short for guys my age, but hey I¡¯m 17. How old are you then? ¡° I asked of Ariel. Opps¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have asked that. Trying to make light of the sudden awkwardness between me and Ariel, I asked a girl a question I should never ask, according to Sehanie anyway. Every time I asked Sehanie how old she was, she would always whack my head, saying things like it¡¯s a girl¡¯s secret or some sort. Well, when you were hundreds of years old, perhaps it should be a secret. ¡°Ohh¡­ I¡¯m 22 this year.¡± Ariel answered my question, unexpectedly. She was all smiles to me. Women, I couldn¡¯t figure them out really. Though Sierra was pretty easy to figure out, I still haven¡¯t known her age. Judging from her appearance though, she might be at the same age as me. I smiled at Ariel as we looked for more foods. There were lots of foods served and of various variety too. Unfortunately, and to my stomach¡¯s dismay, before I could even take more of the foods and drinks offered, I heard an announcement from the main stage in front of the assembly hall. ¡°Hello everyone, may I have your attention please?!¡± It was Lieutenant Christy. However, this time around, all of us paid her attention, unlike the first time. All of us learnt our lesson well, it seemed. Lieutenant Christy was all smiles. ¡°Thank you for your attention. Our lunch break will be over soon, so I need all of you to move out to the main courtyard. At there, you will receive an envelope with your name written on it. So, please take the envelope and then assemble in front of the main stage at the courtyard. We will resume our next activities there. Please don¡¯t be late.¡± Lieutenant Christy walked off the stage as soon as she finished her announcement. I looked at Ariel and as she nodded at me, both of us placed our plates down. Ariel led the way but this time, she did not hold my hands unlike before. ¡°Ohh, Claude. I won¡¯t be holding your hands any more since you are not 11-years-old boy. I was afraid that you might be lost, but it seems you are old enough to find your ways in here.¡± I gave out a dry smile at her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want your fianc¨¦ to get jealous either, right?¡± She chuckled as we make our way to the door. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 3) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 3) We arrived earlier than the rest of the Elites in the main courtyard. However, the scene that greeted us was beyond our expectations. We thought the courtyard might be empty, save for few Elites. It was like this early in the morning. However, in less than half a day, the entire courtyard was full of people. There might be at least 3 thousand people in the main courtyard, all looking so excited and enthusiastic. Ariel, who stood next to me, was quite surprised too. ¡°I never thought there would be these many people.¡± ¡°Who are these people, Ariel?¡± ¡°Ohh, you are not from around here, aren¡¯t you Claude?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not from here.¡± ¡°No wonder. Well, let Big Sis Ariel tell you what is happening in front of us.¡± Big Sis? Did she just proclaim herself that way? She must have that little brother complex, I think. Ah well, whatever that she liked anyway. As long as she¡¯s happy. ¡°These thousands of people are also involved in the Parade of Champions like us. But unlike us Elites, they come from various units of the army and knights. As what Captain Rizzou said earlier, we Elites served directly under the King. The rest, however, served under the army, which is under our Lord General, Ser Siegmund Godfrey.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ that old man.¡± ¡°Old man?¡± Ariel looked confused. ¡°A-Ah. Nothing. I thought he might be an old man. Hehe.¡± ¡°Well, he is definitely old, Claude. But don¡¯t let his appearance fool you. He is more powerful and extremely well versed in the art of war than every one of us combined. That¡¯s why people called him the Warmaster Godfrey. He earned his nickname.¡± Both of us took our steps down towards the main courtyard and I could not help but to look around all those people beside me. Ariel caught my anxious looks as she giggled out a little. ¡°Relax, Lil Bro. Anyway, these folks in front of us consists of newly knighted knights, senior ranked and commissioned army members and also leaders of various battalions and units and some of their men and all. And they come from all every part of Elsigardia, including those from the borders too.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°To be honest, during the parade, there will be more people than this. Last year, it was about 20 thousand of us, parading throughout the whole capital.¡± ¡°2-20 thousand!!¡± I shouted in surprise. ¡°So many of them?¡± Ariel smiled at me and nodded. ¡°This is normal, Claude. You should see the crowd, really. It would be massive, so I won¡¯t spoil your first time. Hehehe¡­¡± Ariel continued as we walked down the stairs towards our next destination. ¡°I have been born and raised here since young, so I have been to all the Parades. 20 thousand people are not even 1/50th of our whole army. The Kingdom of Elsigardia has one of the biggest armies in the land, you know.¡± ¡°Wow. I never knew that we have such military strength.¡± Ariel seemed very proud of that fact. ¡°Now, both of us are an Elite, so we are now part of that strength.¡± I nodded. True enough. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to the table which displays our Elite crest banner.¡± Before long, we found our table. It was easily identifiable and not too far from the stairs. It seemed that our table was located in front of the rest of other dozens of tables, which made looking for it became much easier. As we lined up to take our envelope, I looked around the courtyard yet again. I could not help it because the scene was both new and overwhelming for me.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Wow, this was massive. Look at all those people. Back in the Brotherhood, even though we have about 5000 members, but I never see so many of us at any one time. At most was about 1000 people. But today, for the very first time, I¡¯m surrounded by no less than 3000 people, all part of the Kingdom of Elsigardia¡¯s strength. I felt so proud to be here. Proud to be alive and proud that my effort has been recognized. In the grand scheme of thing, I¡¯m might be just a little speck of dust, but at least I¡¯m a happy dust. ¡°I¡¯m Ariel, recommended by the Zah¡¯ringen.¡± Ariel introduced herself towards a seated pair behind the counter table. The girl at the counter looked up at her, as the guy beside the counter girl immediately looked for her envelope. ¡°Ahh, there you are. Welcome to the Elite, Ms Ariel!¡± Both of them welcomed Ariel as she received her envelope. ¡°Thank you!¡± Ariel was all smiles. ¡°Hey, Claude. Looks like this is where we part ways for now. I need to say hello to some of my friends here. Big Sis will come back for you, so don¡¯t go too far, alright Lil Bro?¡± ¡°Alright. See you later, Ariel.¡± ¡°See you later, Lil Bro!¡± Lil bro ehh¡­ Her little brother complex was now confirmed. ¡°Next!¡± Ohhh, it¡¯s my turn now. I moved forward, as I take a big gulp. I¡¯m extremely nervous right now. I was not this nervous earlier but after Ariel left me, the impact and the occasion were starting to get to me. ¡°Hello, little boy. What can we do for you? Are you lost? Your Big Sis has gone that way.¡± The girl at the counter greeted me. Perhaps she overheard what Ariel said to me, but did not notice my existence as there were so many people around us. Or maybe I¡¯m just short and Ariel overshadowed me. ¡°U-Uh¡­ I¡¯m Claude. Claude Leonheart.¡± I introduced myself. ¡°Hello, Claude. How can I help you? Are you a new Elite too?¡± I nodded. ¡°I see. May I know who recommended you? It will help us to look for your name easier as we sorted according to recommendations, not based on names.¡± The girl was very helpful and friendly. I was still a nervous wreck though. I tried my best to talk though I still stammered. ¡°P-P-Princess Si-Si-Sierra recommended m-me.¡± The guy who was on the job that was sitting next to the girl suddenly looked up at me with big and wide eyes. However, the friendly girl who greeted me earlier seemed did not catch my word exactly. ¡°Little boy, could you speak louder? I couldn¡¯t hear you. Take your time, please.¡± The girl asked of me. As soon as she said that, the guy beside her gave her a nudge that caused her to nearly fall down from her chair. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that for?!¡± ¡°Shushh¡­ Keep quiet. I¡¯m so sorry, Ser. Here is your envelope. Please forgive my partner¡¯s behaviour. And welcome to the Elite, Ser!¡± The guy seemed calm enough as he handed the enveloped to me. I nodded to him. ¡°T-Thank you.¡± I received the envelope, with my name written in gold ink with a crest on top of it. I wonder what was this crest anyway? So many crests to memorize but I have none the time to actually sit down and learned each one of them. Well, I¡¯ll open it once I¡¯m out of the line. There were too many people here and all waiting for their turns, so I couldn¡¯t afford to hold the line much longer. ----- ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that for nudging me all the sudden like that back then.¡± The girl pouted at the guy beside her. ¡°Be quiet. Don¡¯t you know who that was?¡± The guy gave out a short rebuke to the girl. ¡°He is Claude. Cute little boy, ain¡¯t he?¡± The guy had this bewildered look on his face as if he did not believe what his partner had just said to him. ¡°Cute? Hah. Do you know who recommended him?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°Thought so. It was the Crown Princess Sierra!¡± ¡°WHAT!!!!¡± The girl¡¯s sudden loud voice attracts some unwanted attention. ¡°Shushh¡­ keep your voice down.¡± The guy places his hand and covered his partner¡¯s mouth. Only when the girl calmed down that he released his hand. ¡°That little boy was recommended by her Royal Highness?¡± The guy nodded. Then he continued, ¡°Do you notice the seal on his envelope?¡± The girl again shook her head. The guy beside her facepalmed himself. ¡°Oh man. You better pay attention next time, alright!¡± ¡°What¡¯s crest on his envelope?¡± The girl edge closer towards her partner as he whispered next in her ear. ¡°That''s the crest of His Royal Majesty, The King¡¯s official crest.¡± Answered the guy, with a smiling face. Upon hearing the words, the girl finally lost her balance and fell down from her chair. ¡°That little boy. Perhaps the rumour is true. He is the princess saviour. Never judge a book by its cover, as they always say.¡± As the guy helped the girl to her seat, both of them look at the far away silhouette. A short guy, who stammered his introductions earlier, and now looked at his surroundings like a deer lost in a village was a princess¡¯s saviour. Just like a fairy tale told during bedtime stories. ----- The courtyard was full of people of various kinds. Males and females of all races; humans, elves, dwarves, halfling and some other who I had never seen before. Though I wondered why there are none of the Beast people race here; the race of my maid back at the Bannen¡¯s guest house, Reena. I took a spot under a tree where I could get a good view of all that was happening in front of me. It was a little further than the hustle and bustle of the main courtyard, but at least no one was here, so I won¡¯t be disturbed. I looked at my envelope given to me by the guy at the counter. I wondered what¡¯s inside of it. I held it up to the sky, straining my eyes to see anything inside of it with the help of the sunlight. But I found nothing out of ordinary. And I was right. As soon as I opened the envelope by breaking the golden seal wax with a crest that I have never seen before, all that was inside the envelope was just a paper. A blank paper. With a big number 8 (1) written in the middle of it. What¡¯s this? 8 (1)? I don¡¯t understand it at all. As I pondered about the blank piece of paper with that weird numbering that I held in my hand, I heard a voice coming towards my direction. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 4) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 4) ¡°Hello there!¡± A young guy with light blue hair was walking towards me. He looked like a wimpy guy, perhaps around 18 or 19 with a slight thin frame and not very tall. Kind of like myself, I think. I looked up at him and managed a dry smile. I thought that by sitting further away than the crowd, I wouldn¡¯t be disturbed here, but nonetheless, there were many people here and perhaps he too might be looking for a place to sit far away from the busy main courtyard. ¡°Mind if I sit next to you?¡± He asked to which I replied with a nod first. ¡°Sure, go ahead. The place is free to sit and I don¡¯t own this tree.¡± I gave out a small laugh as an icebreaker. ¡°Cool. Thanks, man.¡± He smiled at me as he took a seat next to me. He then looked over at my envelope and asked, ¡°You are that guy from before right? The small guy who was harassed by that two brothers?¡± I was surprised by his sudden question. Seeing my response, he chuckled and then apologized to me. ¡°Sorry that I did not come and help you earlier. I was a little further, near the front stage when that happened. I wanted to help you, but it¡¯s hard to move around when there are that many people in one small space. Luckily that girl helped you though.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°So, I was looking for you just now. And I find you sitting here, all alone.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± This weird guy was apologizing to me because he couldn¡¯t help me back in the assembly hall. And because of that, he looked for me and found me sitting alone here, under the tree far away from people. ¡°I¡¯m Michael. I know it¡¯s an ordinary name, but you can call me Mike.¡± He said as he extended his hand towards me for a handshake. ¡°Claude. You can call me that. Nice to meet you too.¡± I shook his hand. This guy seemed alright. He seemed friendly and warm. ¡°Nice to meet you too, and really sorry again for didn¡¯t come to your help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I think. The past is past.¡± He was all smile. Perhaps he was feeling guilty earlier and was a little nervous. But now with that burden somehow lifted from him, he let his guard down and was all smile.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°What number you have in your hand? Mine is 8(2).¡± ¡°Ohhh. I¡¯m 8(1).¡± ¡°I-I see. Then perhaps our numbers are pretty much related. I don¡¯t have any idea how the numbering goes, but I think I¡¯m just after you, hahaha.¡± I nodded. ¡°What a good luck. Perhaps fate brings us together, ehh?¡± He suddenly put his arm around my shoulder. This guy was way too friendly. But I think it¡¯s a good change of pace. The people here today, besides Ariel and this guy who was wrapping his hand around my shoulder, were very tense and unfriendly. Neither any one of them smile and their eyes looked mean. Even the girls too. Perhaps the weight of occasion was getting onto them. I don¡¯t blame them though. Excited they might be, but friendly they were not. I too was awkward and let the occasion got to me when Ariel left me earlier. However, this guy, Mike who came out of nowhere, was very friendly. And because of his friendliness, I began to appreciate the occasion more. ¡°So, how old are you? Let me guess.¡± Mike continued on. This again? Every time someone saw me, must they go and try to guess my age? But I know better than to stop him or anyone else for that matter. Let them have their fun and I love the expression on their face when I finally revealed my age. ¡°Perhaps you are about the same age as me. 18 maybe? Ahh¡­ The first time someone got it right. Well, nearly right. ¡°I¡¯m 17. And you?¡± ¡°Aww¡­ I was nearly right. I¡¯m 19 this year.¡± He said to me while pumping his chest. ¡°In two more years, I¡¯ll be a full adult and thus would have my own¡­ umm¡­ nevermind.¡± He smiled at me before he completed his sentences. ¡°You would have your own what? ¡° I questioned him so he could finish his own words. ¡°You¡¯ll see. You¡¯ll see. Hehehe!¡± ¡°Ah, alright. But how did you guess my age correctly?¡± I was curious to know how he nearly guessed my age right. 9 out of 10 people would have guessed my age wrongly, like Ariel. ¡°Ohh¡­ That was easy. The width of your shoulder and the line on your facial expression. It is of young adult, as far as I can see and feel. Besides, despite your small frame and short height, you have a very sturdy shoulder.¡± I looked at him. ¡°Impressive observation. Though you could leave out the small frame and short height details out of your descriptions. I got a little issue with those.¡± Both Mike and I chuckle. ¡°No worries. You will grow, perhaps taller and bigger than me. You¡¯ll see. You¡¯ll see. I¡¯m always right about this.¡± Mike reassured me. ¡°I hope you are right. I¡¯m depressed as I am already right now. I don¡¯t want to develop a short man syndrome you know. I ain¡¯t a dwarf.¡± I rubbed my chin and put on imaginary beard as I explained to Mike. ¡°Hahaha. You are one funny guy. I like you. Let¡¯s be friends alright.¡± ¡°F-Friends? Now??¡± ¡°Yeah, why not? Us guys need more guy friends. Besides, a popular guy with lots of guy friends gets to score many girls.¡± ¡°Really?¡± My eyes widen. ¡°That¡¯s what my late great-grandfather always told me. So, I think it¡¯s true. I don¡¯t have many guy friends. In fact, I don¡¯t have many friends at all, especially around my age. You might be the first.¡± Mike was all smile. I was taken aback. Not many people wanted to be my friends, except some small kids who treat me more like a big brother. Especially guys, as they see me some sort of a weird short kid. Girls would treat me like a little brother that they never have. This change of pace is kind of¡­ nice, I think. ¡°So, what¡¯s about it? Want to be my friend?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Why not? I could do with more guy friends. Besides, if what you said is true, then I can get to score some girls too, for myself and you.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­ I like that. Great men think alike.¡± Both Mike and I continued to laugh. Yeah, great men think alike. Suddenly, a loud voice penetrated the main courtyard. ¡°Everyone, please assemble in the main courtyard immediately. We will begin our final activities for today. Please stand in accordance with your unit. I repeat¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Claude. Looks its time. Let¡¯s go!¡± Mike was the first to respond. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± Both Mike and I got up and after patting our backs off the dirt, we kept our envelope in our pockets and proceed to the main courtyard. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 5) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 5) ¡°Everyone, please stand according to your unit identifiable through your unit¡¯s crest and banner in front row¡­.¡± The announcement continued as both Mike and I walked toward the main courtyard. Thousands of people were also busy assembling according to their units. ¡°Hey Claude, over there. That¡¯s where we are supposed to assemble!¡± Mike nudged me when he saw our Elites¡¯ banner with our crest on it at the front of the main stage. This was the same main stage that Captain Rizzou showed me the other day. It was now completed and I have to say, it looked amazing and regal indeed. Various flags and banners too were arranged at the back of the main stage. As soon as we arrived at our intended location, we could hear Captain Rizzou¡¯s word. He was standing at the front most, just beneath the main stage as he directed each and every one of us on where we were supposed to stand. Captain Rizzou continued to direct us, ¡°Everyone, you have your enveloped with numbers with you alright. Keep that envelope with you at all times. Now, all of you can stand freely anywhere within your units. Please keep in mind no to go to other units, as their instructions are very different from us. Understand, everyone?¡± ¡°Well, Claude. Let¡¯s stand over there.¡± Mike suggested to me that we are to stand nearest to the aisle that was made to separate us from other units. ¡°Easier for us to move in and to move out. Besides, look over there, Claude.¡± Mike suddenly pointed in a direction just opposite of us. His action took me by surprise. ¡°Look at the girl over there. Aren¡¯t she a beauty?¡± Mike was waving to a blonde girl not too far from us. Man, were his eyes sharp or what? He could identify beautiful women from far away. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a beauty alright, Mike.¡± It seemed that he loved girls as much as I did too. It¡¯s good to have someone with similar hobbies and passions. ¡°Claude, look!¡± Mike nudged me at me again. The blonde girl earlier was waving back at Mike. Seeing that this might be his cue, Mike relished his chance immediately. ¡°Excuse me, Claude. I have been summoned.¡± He laughed as he walked towards the girl. Ah well, there he went. He sure had some guts. I needed some too if I were to see any girls that I fancy. ¡°So, there you are, my Lil Bro. Where were you? I was looking all over for you.¡± Suddenly, I could feel arms wrapped around me from the back coupled with something soft, juicy and bouncy that were pressing at the back of my head. I turned my head around and saw Ariel. She rubbed her face on my face immediately. ¡°A-Ariel? What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Claude, you are a meanie. Where were you? I was looking all over for you. I was worried that you might be harassed again by some people!¡± Ariel pouted at me. ¡°Ohh¡­ I was over there, a little further from the main courtyard.¡± ¡°I see. So, you did make a new friend, didn¡¯t you? I saw him leaving you, walking towards the blonde girl. Ain¡¯t he a playboy?¡± ¡°U-Uhh¡­ yeah. Maybe.¡± ¡°Claude, are you a playboy too?¡± That sudden question surprised me. Before I could answer her though, she let go of her arms and stood beside me and squeezed my cheeks red. ¡°Well, if you are a playboy, then it¡¯s a Big Sis responsibility to see that you play with the right women.¡± Uhhh¡­ what¡¯s this all about? What¡¯s up with the sudden development? I was getting awkward. Why did Ariel suddenly take an interest in my hobbies and passions? However, she seemed to be proud of this as she pouted her big breast. Though not as big as Sierra¡¯s nor Sehanie, it was still impressive indeed. Well, she had a fianc¨¦ anyway, so best I don¡¯t let my mind wandered off too far. ¡°Hey, Claude, who you have here?¡± Mike asked as he walked towards both Ariel and me. ¡°Ohh¡­ you are back!¡± ¡°I got her contacts, Claude.¡± Mike winked at me. He could read my mind about what I would be asking him next. ¡°Claude, you ain¡¯t bad either, ehh. Not long after I left you, you have a beautiful girl standing next to you.¡± Ariel looked at Mike. And as they exchanged some glances between them, he quickly introduced himself. ¡°Hello, Miss. I¡¯m Michael. I know is a little underwhelming for a name, but you can call me Mike.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ariel.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Ariel.¡± Both of them exchange pleasantries, with me standing between them. Ariel looked at me and said, ¡°My, my. Ain¡¯t he a smooth one. Hehehe.¡± ¡°Well, Ariel. To a beauty such as you, I would be smooth as a fine wine.¡± Mike replied with a smile. ¡°See, Claude? That¡¯s how you talk to a woman. Big Sis doesn¡¯t want you to keep all to yourself. If you see someone you fancy, strike while the iron is hot.¡± Mike was quite surprised when Ariel suddenly mentioned ¡®Big Sis¡¯. ¡°She¡¯s your Big Sis, Claude? I never knew that.¡± ¡°Me neither. I haven¡¯t had a Big Sis until just now.¡± Both Ariel and Mike laughed. ¡°Well, if you are Claude¡¯s Big Sis, then I would not lay my hand on you, my fair beauty. Lest I want to incur my friend¡¯s anger over here.¡± Mike bowed down his head. This guy was pretty impressive. Quiet eloquent with his words. I wondered where did he learn all that. Ariel answered with a nod. ¡°Yeah, and also my fianc¨¦ too¡± ¡°Fianc¨¦?¡± From Mike¡¯s reaction, I could see that he was a little surprised. But then, he chuckled. ¡°Oh, I see. Yeah, and your fianc¨¦ too¡± Suddenly a voice could be heard at the centre stage. ¡°Everyone, we will begin now. Please give me your attention.¡± The whole crowd became quiet and were now focused on the speaker. ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s starting. Let¡¯s pay attention to what¡¯s in front of us.¡± Both of them nodded. Ariel was standing to my right as Mike was to my left. ¡°Good. Now that I have your whole attention, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ser Aldurynn, First Captain, 3rd Tempest Battalion leader. And for this activity, I will be your host.¡± On the stage, I could see a tall, handsome man with a very good figure. Lean but muscular with an Elite robe, just like what Captain Rizzou was wearing, but with a little difference in decoration and colour. Captain Rizzou¡¯s uniform was white, but Ser Aldrurynn¡¯s robe was greenish. On the stage, I could see some familiar faces. Captain Forgante, the person whom I met the very first time I was here. Captain Rizzou was next. And¡­ that red-haired guy. What was his name again? Ly? By? Or was it My? Could be a Sty. Ahhh¡­ I couldn¡¯t be bothered. But what¡¯s he was doing up there? Shouldn¡¯t he have been sniffing and stalking Sierra? That¡¯s my Sierra, you Py. I¡¯m her hero, not you. Blehh. I stuck my tongue out in disgust much to my new friend¡¯s surprise. I wondered but, I did not have to for long, as my question was answered by Ser Aldurynn.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°In front of you here today, stands your commanding officers and leaders. Though most couldn¡¯t make it today due to one reason or another, I¡¯ll assure you that most, if not all of your leaders and commanders will make it in time for the Parade of the Champions.¡± ¡°Now, as our custom, this year Parade has been handled by the Royal Elite Knights Unit. Last year was by the Silver Rider Knights Unit. And next year, it would be handled by the Common Army Unit under the leadership of Captain Forgante.¡± As soon as Ser Aldurynn mentioned his name, Captain Forgante stepped forward and received massive cheer. Especially from his unit. He looked very proud indeed. Ser Aldurynn was all smiles. As he nodded to Captain Forgante, he then continued. ¡°Now, this year Parade will see no less than 30 thousand of us parading throughout the whole city. This will be our biggest number as of yet.¡± Another massive cheer could be heard. ¡°Ehemm¡­¡± Ser Aldurynn cleared his throat before he continued. The crowd went quiet immediately. ¡°Last year, our Parade was led by our Lord General, Ser Godfrey and our Lord Chancellor. However, for this year Parade, we received a great news. Our Parade will be graced by a member of the Main Noble House, Elmsdor of Elsigardia. ¡°WOWWW¡­.. YEAAHHH!! Long Live the King!!!¡± I could hear more and more cheers coming out right now. Even Ariel and Mike was all excited and pumped up. The noise was so loud that Ser Aldurynn let us had our way for a while. ¡°Hey, you two. This year Parade going to be special, ain¡¯t it? When was the last time our current King graced us with his presence after his illness?¡± Ariel looked at both of us enthusiastically. Mike answered in a likewise manner. ¡°Perhaps it has been 5 years? I don¡¯t know it would be the King though since Ser Aldurynn never mentioned the name. But definitely someone from the King¡¯s Noble House.¡± ¡°What about Crown Princess Sierra?¡± I gave out my answer. I would be happy if Sierra could attend. That would be great for my morale. Hehehe. ¡°Ohhh¡­ Perhaps, Claude. Perhaps. By the way, have you seen her before?¡± Mike asked of me. Ariel seemed interested too. ¡°Rumours has it that she is the most beautiful princess throughout the land. I have never seen her face to face before, but from those who have seen her, had been smitten by her beauty.¡± ¡°Really now, Mike. Are you sure?¡± Ariel was a little jealous. ¡°Surely you are also a beauty too, Ariel. What¡¯s more, perhaps your fianc¨¦ would say the same thing about you to his friend.¡± Mike really sure know how to make a girl feels happy as I could see Ariel was all smiles now. I have to admit that I have seen Sierra before. A few times too. But I never knew she was regarded as the most beautiful princess in the whole land. Sure her beauty was astounding, but Sehanie was also a beauty, on par with Sierra. Or perhaps I have been surrounded by so many beautiful girls, most of the time by Sehanie, that I¡¯m quite used to women with exceptional beauty. That also included the now smiling Ariel. The noise died down after a few minutes as Ser Aldurynn continued. ¡°So, in order to make the Parade a success, we need each and every one of you, your fullest cooperation.¡± Then he took out an envelope from his breast pocket. ¡°And I believe that each and every one of you already has an envelope like this. Keep that with you until tomorrow. And if you open your envelope, of which I¡¯m sure all of you have done it, you will see a piece of paper with a specific number on it. What else do you think it could be? A love letter? Come on, you could think better than this. But I don¡¯t mind giving to some of you girls though. Haha.¡± Ser Aldurynn was teasing us on the stage. I could hear some of the guys were laughing. It sure took out the stress and the weight of the occasion a little from us. ¡°Now, you will be arranged accordingly to the number written on that piece of paper. If you ever lost it or someone else takes it from you, it sucks to be you. However, if this is to happen, we will know what to do. Besides, you will be led by your seniors and commanding officers, of which you have met them prior to joining your own unit, right?¡± He paused for a while and turned his head, looking at his back. Satisfied with what he saw, he then faced us yet again. ¡°Now, I have been talking about your leaders and commanders. So, it¡¯s about time I introduce all of them, who are here, with us today. And I¡¯ll start off first with¡­¡± Ser Aldurynn began to introduce each and every one who was standing on the stage. I couldn¡¯t remember all, but one name struck my heart. ¡°And next, is the Captain of the famed Magma 7th squadron, the legendary Kyriel von Kissarath.¡± A loud cheer could be heard throughout the courtyard. Taking a step forward was none other than that red-haired snobbish guy. ¡°That¡¯s Ser Kyriel, Claude. He is as good looking as ever!!¡± Ariel was suddenly all excited. Like a young girl, jumping and clapping at the sight of getting a candy. ¡°Huh¡­ him? ¡° My face showed a little displeasure. I stuck out my tongue in disgust, yet again. ¡°Claude, did you know he was the youngest guy to be ever appointed as a Captain. By the age of 19, he was already leading his own squadron.¡± Mike was trying to explain to me. ¡°So?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®so¡¯, Claude? I¡¯m already 19 and I just joined the Elite. At your age, he single-handedly destroyed a whole bandit gang and saved a few villages from being ransacked and plundered.¡± ¡°Ohh really? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s awe-inspiring.¡± ¡°Hihihi Claude. Are you jealous?¡± Ariel was teasing me now. ¡°Perhaps he is, Ariel.¡± Even Mike joined in, trying to tease me. ¡°Nah, not jealous. I think I could do better.¡± ¡°Ohhh!¡± Both Mike and Ariel were surprised. ¡°What? Are you looking down on me?¡± Both of them nodded but did not answer. Ahh, well. Whatever. I gave that snobbish red-haired guy a middle finger. Though it was only just in my mind. Kyriel von Kissarath, ehh. That¡¯s that snobbish guy¡¯s name. Though his achievement for his age was indeed awe-inspiring and more, for someone like me who have an issue with him, nothing he did in the past, now or in the future will make my jaw dropped. He was picking a bone with me back in my own room and in the Strategic Headquarter while I barely knew him. Who wouldn¡¯t be pissed off? I know I will and I¡¯m showing it now. Ser Aldurynn finished the introductions of the leaders and commanding officers who were present and as he concluded, a massive mixture of cheers, claps and wolf whistle could be heard throughout the whole courtyard and lasted well over a minute. ¡°Now, the time for all of you have been waiting for. Where¡¯s my drum rolls?¡± Ser Aldurynn continued with his jokes as he turned his head to the sides. Cool, there¡¯s drum rolls now. I love the sound of drum rolls. However, the silence was all I needed to tell me that there were not to be any sound of drum rolls at all. ¡°No drum rolls? Really now?? That sucks¡­ Well, can all of you give me a drum roll?¡± Awww... I want drum rolls too. But never mind. The crowd, myself included, gave off the sound of a drum roll instead. ¡°Tatatatata...!!¡± I made the sound of a drum roll alright. Loud and precise. However, Ariel was laughing at me. ¡°Is that a drum roll, Claude? Looks more like firecrackers exploding rather than a drum roll!¡± Ariel was having fun teasing me. ¡°This is my version of a drum roll, Ariel. And it happened to sound like a firecracker. So what¡¯s about it?¡± Ariel and Mike were laughing at me. I too couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°The seniors and officers aside, we have something for the new recruits. This year alone, we have inducted about 3700 new recruits into our rank. You might be wondering how you will fit in the grand scheme of things in the Parade tomorrow since each and every one of you are new recruits in your own units.¡± ¡°Easy. Because the Parade was meant to reward each and every one of us, especially for you new recruits. So, it is my most pleasure to announce new changes to your starting positions for the parade.¡± ¡°First off will be the King¡¯s Cavalry. And like usual, it will consist of the highest and most powerful ranked officers of the kingdom and medal receivers. And guess what comes next?¡± The crowd was getting restless. ¡°You will be directly behind the King¡¯s Calvary.¡± A pin drop silence. No one was making any sound at all. Perhaps all of them were surprised, trying to assimilate the news. But the silence did not last long. Soon after, everyone was shouting in unison. ¡°YEAHHH!!¡± Massive cheers could be heard across the whole main courtyard. ¡°Previously, we put the new recruits at the end of the Parade¡¯s procession. But this time, we decided to change things up a little. Why?¡± The crowd asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because some of you have been rewarded with medals or recommendations that has given you an officer ranking, that¡¯s why. And this year, we have 127 ranked officers from our new recruits. And because it is such a big number, the committee agreed to put each and every one of you in front of the procession, not at the very last end. How about that for good news?¡± Everyone among the crowd was cheering non-stop. Ariel and Mike seemed extremely excited. I too was excited. Am I one of them too? I¡¯m getting all giddy and light headed from the excitement that was happening all around me. To be just behind the King¡¯s Calvary was a great thing for most of us as Ariel now mentioned to me. ¡°You know Claude. I¡¯m so, so, so excited. I must be dreaming. I never thought that we would be behind the King¡¯s Calvary for the Parade!¡± ¡°Yeah, I never thought that too. This must be new. I am extremely excited myself.¡± Mike added on. It was perceived to be the highest honour one could receive to be in front of the procession, what¡¯s more being just behind the King¡¯s Calvary. Since the King¡¯s Calvary consisted of the King himself and the most powerful people of whole Elsigardia, it was of no wonder that all of us were excited. ¡°I get that you are all excited, but we need to get on with things around here. The new recruits, as I mentioned earlier, will be directly behind the King¡¯s Calvary. You will be arranged according to the number given, generally from 1-7. This odd number was done deliberately so that we could divide the arrangement into two halves with the other procession caravans in the middle.¡± Huh¡­. 1-7? But I got an 8 here. I thought to myself. ¡°And because there were 127 new recruits who were inducted as ranked officers, we introduced a new number, 8. Those who got number 8 as their numbers, are the ranked officers and will be led by Captain Rizzou. So, all the 8¡¯s, please follow Captain Rizzou and find your way to him now. The rest of the numbers, please stay here as I will arrange you into your units.¡± I-I-I got an 8¡­ I got an 8¡­ 8. I looked around me as my tears flowed from my cheeks. Ariel was surprised to see my sudden change of reaction. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Claude?¡± Before I could collect myself and answer, Mike did it for me. ¡°Coz he got an 8, like mine!¡± Ariel was extremely surprised. ¡°Both of you got an 8 too?¡± I nodded as Mike put his hand wrapped around my shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not bad for a shorty, right Ariel?¡± ¡°No kidding. Really¡­ no kidding. Who are you exactly, Claude? What did you do?¡± Ariel asked of me. Yet again, before I could answer, we heard the final announcement from Ser Aldurynn. ¡°And before I end this, all the Elites are required to stay back at the main courtyard for your test and to get your uniforms. To other new recruits, please get your uniforms at your unit headquarters before you go back. If you do not have your uniform, you will not be allowed to join in the parade. Get that?!¡± Every one nodded. Get my uniform. Must remember that. ¡°Alright, now go to your stations as I have instructed earlier. The 8s, please follow Captain Rizzou. The rest, follow me.¡± As three of us make our way following Captain Rizzou, I couldn¡¯t help myself to see who were the other 8s. Ariel and Mike had 8 as their numbers with another number in parentheses. Mine was (1), Mike was (2) and Ariel was (11). I then saw a few more people starting to gather around us as Captain Rizzou came over. ¡°These guys and girls must be the 8s too. Right, Mike?¡± Mike nodded and answered. ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°Look at them. All look so¡­. How do I say, capable? Look at the guy with that massive sword. And that girl with two swords each by her side. And look at that big size guy with¡­¡± Ariel looked around us, now with more people gathering as Captain Rizzou led us to our next destination. ¡°Aren¡¯t both of us capable too, Ariel? Aren¡¯t you too, Mike?¡± Mike gave a thumbs up and a wide smile. ¡°Sure we are.¡± ¡°Yah¡­ three of us are capable too, if that what you are trying to say. Or else, we would not get an 8. Right?¡± Ariel then followed suit with a nod and then gave off a smile. ¡°Then, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s hurry and follow Captain Rizzou.¡± I urged both Mike and Ariel as we quicken our step. Well, let¡¯s see what the number 8 shall bring to us. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 6) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 6) We were back at the assembly hall where three of us; Mike, Ariel and myself were during the morning activities. We decided to stand among ourselves and out of everyone¡¯s way. As Mike put it earlier, ¡°Let¡¯s observe everyone else. We might learn something interesting.¡± Ariel and I agreed as we stand near a spot where we could see everyone with ease. Captain Rizzou made his way towards the main stage and began to talk. He greeted everyone with his usual calmness and confidence. ¡°Alright. Looks like we are back here again. Congratulation on getting an 8, everyone.¡± The crowd below cheered on. ¡°It looks like we have lots of Elites this time around, coupled with a dozen or two from other units. Since I¡¯m an Elite, do bear with me for a while, since I am proud of the Elites who have made it here. But honestly, all of you did your units proud. I¡¯m sure your leaders and commanders are very proud of each and every one of you, like how I am to my new Elites. So, let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡± He then paced himself across the stage and looked at each and every one of us in the eye. It was not done in overbearing kind, but more to remember our faces. A fact that he duly shared with a laugh to all of us. And as he said, it was his duty after all as our guardian for tomorrow¡¯s event. ¡°I will be leading all of you tomorrow, so please listen to every instruction I will give from time to time, alright. It is very important that you listen to everything I say, else you will make a fool out of yourself and your units. Since you are new recruits that were given an officers ranking, it is important that you hold yourself to the highest conducts and behaviours. Especially to all the Elites. I¡¯ll have my eyes on each and every one of you. No doubt about that.¡± A cold sweat broke on my forehead. Captain Rizzou sure know when to be serious and when to joke around, ain''t he? ¡°On your letters, you will have a number in parentheses. Right? You will be arranged according to the number in parentheses. There will be 13 rows divided into three parts. The numbers between 1 to 20 will have 10 people of each row which will make up to two rows; the numbers 21 to 86 will have 11 people each row which will make up another 6 rows, and the numbers from 87 to 127 will have 8 people each row, making up another 4 rows, with the exception of the 13th row which will have 9 people instead. So, all together, there will be 13 rows. Get that, everyone?¡± ¡°Ariel, it seems that you will be directly behind me, and Mike, you will beside me, right? ¡° I asked both Ariel and Mike. They nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Wow, I like this arrangement. I won¡¯t be too far from my friends it seemed.¡± Both of them again nodded with an added smile. Seemed they too were satisfied.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°So, to make the arrangement easy, I have drawn up the exact where you will need to be during the parade. Do follow exactly as what has been drawn up. And no, I¡¯ll not entertain any requests for whatsoever changes, especially the first 20 numbers. You can have a look at it after I have finished.¡± ¡°Now, a little harsh truth. Even though each and every one of you is ranked officers, however the rank that each and every one of you obtained is by no mean the same. Some of you will be higher than the others.¡± The crowd started to murmurs. Suddenly, someone amidst the crowd challenged Captain Rizzou¡¯s word. He was from a unit that I could not recognize. All the Elites would know fair well not to challenge the captain, especially on an occasion like this. ¡°Captain Rizzou, what do you mean by that?! We do not understand. I take it that our ranks are not sufficient enough? Isn¡¯t that a little slight on our achievements and our deeds?¡± I could hear dozens of yeses coming from a certain section of the crowd. However, Captain Rizzou just smiles. ¡°Ohhh, is that what you think? A slight on your achievements and your deeds? I see¡­¡± He then began to start his rebuttal. ¡°So, what medal have you got in your application to the Council?¡± Captain Rizzou asked of that man. ¡°N-None¡± ¡°I thought as much. The rest of you? Anyone of you has any medals?¡± Everyone else kept quiet. The silence was eerie for them. After a while, without any answers coming from these people, Captain Rizzou began to laugh. ¡°Hahaha. Without a medal, what do you think I would or could do? Put you in front of those who have medals and has been conferred titles? Aren¡¯t you getting a little out of head here?¡± The crowd gasped at the sudden information. ¡°We have titles officers rank among us?¡± ¡°Some of us has been conferred medals?¡± A conversation has started among the crowd. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a fact of which I will move on to next. Among 127 of you, 3 have been conferred medals and have been given titles.¡± Captain Rizzou added on like putting oil into the fire. I gulped and stayed down extremely quiet. I could spot a smile from Mike and Ariel was rather excited... about this. I guess that she was interested to know who was these three fellows. ¡°Every one of you was recommended by Main Noble houses but not every one of you was given medals. And do you know why? Because only three Main Noble houses able to confer any medals. All the three belongs to the Pure Nobles, the Elmsdor of Elsigardia, the Godfrey and the Byrnhildr.¡± The crowd kept on growing louder and louder but it doesn¡¯t stop Captain Rizzou. ¡°And do you think that all 127 of you could actually have your own procession line just behind the King¡¯s Calvary if it¡¯s not because of these three medal winners? If it¡¯s not because of these three people, all of you, in here and those out there would have their procession at the tail end of the parade, like every year.¡± ¡°So, why do you think I was trying to slight your achievements and your deeds? All I said was some are higher ranked than you, that¡¯s all. If your previous achievements and deeds already get into your head and you think you are the whole world, then you have another fact incoming.¡± ¡°Among those three, two of them have their medals conferred by Ser Siegmund Godfrey himself, Our Lord General and one of three has been conferred his medal by the King and the Crown Princess. That guy has not one, but two medals of highest order one can receive. Not even I have been conferred any medal from the King and the Crown Princess in 20 years of joining the Elites. And I believe, not many of your leaders and commanders were conferred any medals either. Was I slighting myself or anyone of you when I said what I have said earlier?¡± I was a nervous wreck now. Cold sweat broke all over my face. My face was pale as a ghost. My hands were shaking like mad. Mike was calm as usual, a smile spreads across his lips as he gazed towards the stage. Ariel was jumping up and down, giddy like a small kid getting a big present from her father. These two really had the nerve of steels, don¡¯t they? What Captain Rizzou said has triggered the crowd into much more frenzy and excited. The guy and the rest of the people who challenged him earlier on went into silence, but I could feel that they too wanted to know who were these three person whom mentioned repeatedly by the captain in his briefing. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 7) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 7) ¡°The three I mentioned have their numbers in parentheses from (1) to (3). You tell me if you want to be in the same row with them with your achievements and deeds. Do you want to know who these three are?¡± Captain Rizzou continued to tease us with anticipation. The crowd was cheering and urging him to continue. ¡°Please, tell us who they are. We want to thank them¡± came a voice from the back. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Tell us, please. We want to know who are these three that made so much difference for us new recruits!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell the other guys especially those from outside too. They deserve to be called our heroes as well!!¡± ¡°I love you Captain Rizzou!¡± A girl¡¯s voice suddenly penetrated the whole room and got the rest of us and even the captain himself laughing. Everyone was super pumped up. Ariel was screaming and she too joined in. ¡°Tell us please Captain Rizzou. I would kiss him or her as my thank you.¡± I look at Ariel dumbfounded. Mike was whistling. What¡¯s with Mike and all his coolness? He seems so composed. Wait¡­ I¡¯m forgetting something. Did Mike mention his number in parentheses for me? I think he did so, but I couldn¡¯t remember at all¡­ I looked at Mike and he winked at me. ¡°Good job, Claude. Impressive indeed. You could score lots of girls with what you have done today. You¡¯ll see¡­ You¡¯ll see.¡± Mike whispered to me while giving me the thumbs up. Ariel was beside us, oblivious to our little exchange. ¡°Alright. Since we have no drum rolls, I need you to give me a boost here. I¡¯ll announce their names and the medals they have gotten. This is part of how we; the seniors, leaders and the commanders feel too, that we want to congratulate and say thank you to these three people and spur them on. And we hope that they too will spur you on.¡± The whole crowd cheered and answered in unison with a loud ¡®Yes¡¯. ¡°I need you to give me your biggest cheer as I announce the first person. She is from the Royal Elite Knight unit and she has been conferred the medal by Ser Siegmund Godfrey last year during the skirmishes between a band of bandits and villagers where she, together with our Lord General helped to overcome. For her valour and bravery, she has been conferred the Medal of Silver Star, which brings her the officer rank of First Lieutenant and a title Ser!¡± Deafening claps thundered across the whole assembly hall. And it kept on getting louder and louder. I could feel the whole room was shaking, anticipating the first person to go on stage. ¡°Please welcome, First Lieutenant, Ser Elise Wallenhart!!" "Please come on up to the stage and show yourself!¡± The whole assembly hall erupted into even louder and more thunderous of claps and loud voices as every member of the crowd joined in, including Mike and Ariel. I too, despite my nervousness, joined in the excitement of welcoming First Lieutenant, Ser Elise Wallenhart. Climbing the stage, a slender figure of a girl could be seen. Her steps were very assured and confident and her demeanour suggested that she has both elegance and strength. With a matching blonde hair and a sword by her side, her clothing resembled a swordswoman with hand braces and light armour hiding underneath her jacket. Her appearance on the stage triggered the crowd wild. First Lieutenant Elise was all coy as she bowed down her head to us. She seemed very humble too. Her attitude got the everyone even more excited and thus the cheers just grew louder. And I could hear some of those voices that penetrated the whole assembly hall. ¡°Ser Elise, will you marry me?!¡± A few proposals shout came from among the male crowd. Elise blushed. Wolf whistles following suits. ¡°You are my heroine, Ser Elise!¡± ¡°Elise, you are so beautiful¡­ I want to be like you too!!¡± added another female voice. The crowd seems exhilarated by the first medal recipient. ¡°Alright, alright people. First Lieutenant Elise, please stay on the stage, next to me. I will announce next, our second medal receiver. Keep the noise up and louder, alright.¡± We were cheering Captain Rizzou to go on. All of us, including myself too, wanted to know who was this second person. ¡°This guy¡¯s achievement is extraordinary for one so young. At 15, he singlehandedly drove off a band of ferocious wild animals from attacking a village and the surrounding area. At 16, he completed the mission of escorting a group of priests and priestesses of Athenea to the Holy City Melodia, when they were attacked by a band of bandits during the journey and were left with no one to protect them. At 18, he joined together with First Lieutenant Ser Elise, to overcome a yet another band of bandits from attacking a nearby village.¡± The assembly hall was all quiet for a moment before erupted again in thunderous noises. I could hear people saying, ¡°Wow¡­ what is with the freakish achievements. In a few years¡¯ time, this guy could rival even Captain Kyriel.¡± ¡°He is scarily good.¡± another voice commented. I nodded. To me, this guy was quite a hero. To be able to do what he had done at his age was very impressive, legendary even. ¡°For his bravery and valour, he has been conferred the medal of Shining Star of Elsigardia which brings the title of Ser and officer ranking of First Lieutenant. And because of the medal conferred, he will also receive, at his coming of age, various benefits and perks and automatic promotion to Captain.¡± ¡°Please welcome to the stage, First Lieutenant, Ser Michael Godfrey!!¡± Suddenly, the whole crowd went silent. ¡°A-A Godfrey? Among us?!¡± ¡°My God¡­ No wonder with all the achievements¡­¡± One of the biggest and most powerful names of the whole kingdom, the Godfrey. And this Michael Godfrey was from that esteemed Pure Noble house. Not even 10 seconds of silence that passed, the assembly hall yet again erupted into thunderous claps and cheers. The noises resumed and people here were getting extremely excited. Who wouldn¡¯t? A young Godfrey was making his name. I too was eager to see who was this ¡®Michael¡¯. ¡°Michael¡­!! Michael¡­!! Michael¡­!!¡± The crowd cheered his name in unison. ¡°Well¡­ looks like that¡¯s my cue.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Suddenly, both Ariel and I hear a voice from beside us. As we looked towards Mike, he was beaming brightlyand winked at both of us. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now, Claude, Ariel.¡± Ariel jaw dropped. When she realized it, she quickly covered her mouth, but her eyes show bewilderment. A pleasant surprise of some sort. For me, I was dumbfounded and just stood still. ¡°Mike¡­ y-you¡­ are a Godfrey?!¡± Ariel asked while trying to hold in her trembling hands that was pointed at him. Mike nodded as he took his step forwards. When he walked passed me, he then patted my back and whispered to me. ¡°See you up there, Claude.¡± Ariel, looking at both of us flabbergasted, was beyond words. The guy who stood all the time besides us, with a smiling face and calm composure, was a Godfrey. And he achieved so many impressive achievements and deeds of valour and bravery at such young age. Worthy of the Godfrey name indeed. As Mike made his way to the stage, everyone cheered at him. ¡°Michael¡­ you are our hero!!¡± ¡°Show them what you are made of!¡± And then, came the usual proposal shout. But this time, it was from the girls. ¡°Michael, marry us!!¡± Mike looked towards the group of girls and he blows them a kiss to them. And because of that, the girl''s section of the crowd got even wilder. Some almost fainted. Even Ariel was getting pumped, after her initial surprise. The whole assembly hall was loud, cheerful with people singing praises to both of Mike and Elise who were standing on the stage. In one word that I could describe, it was amazing. So much noises, cheers and wolf whistles from the everyone here, cheering their heroes. I too for once, am happy to be here. I joined in the fun and shouted, ¡°Mike, you are the greatest!!!¡± I caught Mike¡¯s attention and he looked towards me. As he winked, he pointed at the empty space beside him. Immediately I knew his intention. I nodded to him as he was smiling. Ariel, who noticed our exchange was a little confused. But before she could ask me any question, Captain Rizzou continued. ¡°Now, for the moment we are waiting for. When I said three people were conferred medals and titles, I really mean three. And now we have two with us here. So, that¡¯s left us the final one¡­¡± ¡°Ooooooohhhhh¡­¡° Everyone suddenly got quiet and tense. Their level of anticipation rose up a few more levels. The air became heavy, like a thunderstorm waiting to happen. ¡°And I save the best for last!¡± Captain Rizzou gave out a big grin as he lifted the crowd once more. Thunderous claps and cheers could be heard for a moment before they resume the silence, as all of us were now acknowledging what was going to be announced in a moment. ¡°Now¡­ this young man hails from the Brotherhood of the Sun.¡± Even with that one sentence alone, everyone suddenly gasped. It¡¯s like the air suddenly sucked out from them. ¡°WOAHH¡­. He¡¯s from the Brotherhood?! Oh my god!!¡± ¡°A member of the famed Brotherhood??!! How exciting!!¡± Excited murmurs could be heard from all the crowds, except for one. She was the one that was currently standing beside me. I could see that Ariel was looking at me with disbelief. Mike¡¯s introduction was already a major surprise for her, though a pleasant one. I don¡¯t know if she could handle another. Her eyes were big but moist and her hand trembled. ¡°Now, he might not look like it but this particular guy did something any one of us could only fantasize. A stuff that is written only in fairy tales.¡± ¡°As you all have heard the rumours before that Crown Princess Sierra was saved when she was attacked by an unknown monster. Well, it happened to be true and the news now has been made official. This young man¡¯s bravery and valour know no boundary as he risked very life to save our Crown Princess from imminent danger.¡± The crowd went into deep silence. The eerie quietness made Captain Rizzou¡¯s smile even wider. A victorious smile. I¡¯m sure he was having fun doing this. ¡°How big was the threat? You could say it could even have rendered every one of us in full terror and unfortunately enough, killed one of our finest warrior who was the Princess¡¯s personal guard with a single strike. That¡¯s how big the threat was.¡± Pin drop silence. No one dares to make any sound. I could see Ariel looked at Captain Rizzou and then turned to me. I gave out a sheepish grin while rubbing the back of my head. ¡°And because of his achievements and deeds, he was conferred first with the Royal Medal of Valour by Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Sierra, which of course brings the title of Ser and officers ranking of First Lieutenant. However, he was then conferred his second medal, King¡¯s Medal of the Gallant Heart, the highest award given to any commoner by His Majesty, The King himself.¡± ¡°The medal, when conferred to any commoner, gives him the titles and ranking of a minor noble. However, because of his young age, the title will be only given upon his coming of age at 21. He will also be given, if he chooses to be with us, an automatic promotion to First Captain by then! Both of the medals will be officially conferred to him tomorrow and it would be our Parade¡¯s main highlight.¡± What Captain Rizzou said surprised me some. Well, he did tell me about the benefits and perks before during the time we met, but then, hearing it live in front of others, make me felt a little surprise but extremely nervous. I was anxious and sweating to the point of making my tunic wet. As I looked around, everyone was at its tipping point. The amount of tense and anticipation rose up to another level. At any time, these people would burst. Their sense of excitement could not be contained any longer. And Ariel, who was standing beside me, was trembling. As she raised her hands towards me, I could hear Captain Rizzou continued talking. ¡°Now, let me welcome, the one who made a part of fairy tales come true, a Princess saviour, the pride of the Brotherhood of the Sun, and now the pride of Royal Elite Knights, First Lieutenant, Ser Claude Leonheart!!¡± As my name was mentioned, the crowd erupted into a wild roar. I could hear my name being sung through the roof. Even Mike and Elise who were on the stage were shouting for my name. ¡°Claude¡­!!! Claude¡­!!! Claude¡­!!!¡± Ariel, who was next to me all these while been shaken by the announcement, yet managed to grab hold of my hand. As I looked at her, I smiled and gave her a little wink. She gave me a big bear hug and I could hear her whisper, ¡°I¡¯m so, so, so proud of you. I never knew anything about this from you¡­¡± As she let go of me, I could see her tears dripping down her cheeks. Tears of happiness and proudness, I think. ¡°Big Sis is proud of you, Lil Bro. Now go up and show yourself!!¡± She said as she nudged me forward. ¡°Don¡¯t keep the everyone waiting. Go, Claude!!¡± To those around us who noticed our little exchange, their cheers grow louder and louder. ¡°Hey look!!! It¡¯s the hero, Ser Claude. It¡¯s that young boy over there!!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to him and give him our congratulations!!¡± ¡°I want to touch him¡­¡± I could see people coming to me and patting my back. Some are grabbing my hand, giving me handshakes. All the nervousness I had earlier was gone. Now, all I felt was a sense of proudness and happiness overflowing. I looked up to the main stage and my eyes met Captain Rizzou¡¯s. ¡°Come up here Claude. Let everyone sees you.¡± I could hear a chorus of my name being sung by the crowd. ¡°Claude Leonheart¡­!! Claude Leonheart¡­!! Claude Leonheart¡­!! Our hero¡­ Claude Leonheart!!¡± As I make my way to the stage, I looked behind me as everyone below cheered me on. Though I have self-issue with a large audience and people looking at me, nonetheless I feel there¡¯s a surge of energy. A euphoria of some kind now overwhelming my senses. Was this how people who normally feel when someone sang praises of their name? Was this how it feels to be a hero who is being recognized by people? I beamed with pride as my eyes look determined. As soon I reached the centre stage, standing beside Mike and Elise, I could hear shouts of my name. ¡°Claude¡­ I love you!!¡± That word alone gave me the blush as I bowed my head a little. ¡°Look¡­ you made our hero blushes!¡± Chorus of happy laughter ringed throughout the assembly hall. ¡°Claude¡­ please marry me!!¡± ¡°No¡­ marry me please!!¡± ¡°Claude¡­ let me bear your child¡­ many children!!¡± That shout got the most of us laughing and cheering. My face was red now. These proposals shout, when it''s aimed at me, made me blushed even more. Mike, who was standing next to me, gave me a hug. Elise came as well. She gave me a hug and patted my back. ¡°You did it, Claude. I¡¯m always right!¡± Mike teased me with Elise all in her warm smiles. The whole hall was loud and cheerful. The energy was amazing as all of them cheered us on the stage. ¡°Alright, there you have it, our three medal recipients. Now, I¡¯ll like to end my briefing here so that you can proceed to take your uniforms. And Elites, do I remind you to assemble at the courtyard for your next and final activity. Be there in 10 minutes.¡± As the three of us, Mike, Elise and myself make our way down the stage, everyone gave way as we pass through. We were patted, hugged and high fived. Mike looked at me and said, ¡°Claude, get used to being a hero. Remember the feeling.¡± I nodded. The feeling of being a hero, a princess saviour was beyond this world. Perhaps, this was the reward for my near death battle. Though I prefer not to die or be near dead next time I became a hero. Elise went back to her group of friends as they surrounded and congratulated her. For myself and Mike, Ariel came and hug each of us. And she hugged me especially long. Not that I mind anyway. It feels good to be embraced like this. As Captain Rizzou make his way off the stage, the crowd gathered around us. I received compliments, congratulations, pats on the backs, hugs and kisses from nearly everyone. Even Mike too was getting all of these and he seemed to enjoyed it so much. Ariel too, true to her words, kisses me on the cheeks. I blushed all over. Mike nudged me. ¡°Hey, a hero can¡¯t get easily blushes alright. If any girls come to you, take them. But make sure they are to your fancy first.¡± I nodded. I have no doubt that many girls would love to get closer to Mike anyway. As for me, I couldn¡¯t spend too long here as Captain Rizzou was waiting for us in the courtyard. Before he made his way off the stage, he reminded that all Elites were to assemble to the main courtyard so that each of us could be taken to our test and received our appropriate uniform. As I walked out of the door with some other people in tow, I saw Captain Rizzou was waiting for us outside of the assembly hall. With his back leaning against the wall, he looked at me. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 8) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 8) ¡°Claude, come. Follow me.¡± I nodded. I wondered why he asked me to follow him suddenly. Did he personally wait for me to follow him? I gestured to Ariel and Mike that I¡¯ll be off somewhere alone for a while. This sudden news surprised them, but as both looked at each other, they giggled soon after. Huh? What are they thinking anyway? Do they¡­? Nah, couldn¡¯t be right? Well, I couldn¡¯t care less because Captain Rizzou was not waiting for me. He was walking as if I was following him already, perhaps 30 yards away. I ran after Captain Rizzou and finally caught up with him. Both of us disappeared into an empty hallway. As soon as we were out of anyone¡¯s eyes and ears. Suddenly, he put his arm around me. I was taken by surprise by the sudden change of his attitude. ¡°So, Claude. What do you think of being a princess saviour? Being a hero?¡± He asked of me while being all warm and chummy now. Out of everyone¡¯s sight, I guess he was free to do whatever he wanted. ¡°U-Uh¡­ I think it feels good but in a weird kind of way.¡± I struggled for words to explain what I felt earlier when the crowd was singing my name and cheering me on. And also the fact that I had to walk up to the main stage and showing myself to everyone even though I have stage fright and being nervous around so many people. ¡°I see.¡± Captain Rizzou seemed perplexed by my answer. ¡°I-It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not used to having every eyes on me. And what¡¯s more getting the crowd cheering and shouting for my name. It feels¡­ different. But honestly, if you want to know, I like it somehow.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­ so that''s what you mean, ehh¡­¡± He was all smile again. Perhaps he was worried that I might feel a little out of place with what was happening in the hall and he wanted to make sure how I felt directly from me. I really appreciate the concern he had given me. ¡°With time, you will get used to it. No one gets used to it the first time they are on stage. Unless you are some attention seeker.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Captain Rizzou chuckled. I too follow suit. The way we were walking and talking did not suggest that he was my superior, but more like a comrade. ¡°But, Claude. Do remember these two things I¡¯m about to tell you. Keep it close to your heart all the time, every time, alright.¡± I bite my lip and nodded. ¡°First, never let your achievements and your deeds go over your head. Don¡¯t let whatever you have achieved in your past stop you from seeing your present and the future. Use your past achievements as the current yardstick to improve and to better yourself.¡± ¡°And second, always give your best. Do not try to give your best. Just give your best, without the word ¡®trying¡¯. I know you have all the potentials and talents that the Goddess have given you, but if you ever rest your laurel thinking that you have done enough, it¡¯s going to come and bite your ass hard. So, don¡¯t slack off and keep on improving. Even if you never see any immediate result. Patience is a virtue that comes to those who believe and work hard!¡± ¡°Yes, Captain Rizzou!! I will remember and keep your advice close to my heart.¡± His face was full of proudness as I said those world to his face. His immediate reply was to rub my hair messy. ¡°Good, Claude. You have a good and mature head with you despite being one so young. Now¡­ let¡¯s get back to business.¡± Again, as usual, his disposition changed in a swift manner as he resumed his serious attitude, with his hand crossed his body while he continued to walk forward. ¡°The reason why I call you to follow me is that I want you to meet your Squadron Captain. Since you have taken the test back at the Strategic Headquarter the other day, we have already identified you your squadron and assigned you to them.¡± I gulped. Already? That was fast. Wait? When did I take the test anyway? I wondered to myself. Captain Rizzou suddenly stopped as soon as he reached a door opposite a window with an excellent view of the main courtyard. ¡°Look at those Elites out there. They are going to have their test soon. But since you have already taken yours, I want you to rest in this room and wait for your Captain.¡± He peered through the window with the main courtyard view as he talked to me. ¡°Some of them will be your comrade, but I doubt that will be as many as others. But nonetheless, you need to wait inside that opposite room for a while.¡± He then turned around and took a quick look at me as he went and opened the door to the room. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone to facilitate the test for our Elites, so stay here for a while.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ I still got some questions to ask you, Captain.¡± As he smiled, he nonchalantly brushed off my pleading. ¡°That can wait, right? Besides, all your questions will be answered as soon as you meet your Squadron Captain here. Besides, you could do with a quiet rest since you were the star of our show earlier.¡± I went into the room. As he bid his goodbye, I bowed to him and close the door. I¡¯m all alone in the room now. The room was tastefully designed with soft leather made long couches. Perhaps they would call it a sofa. There¡¯s a small rounded table situated right next to it. And around the wall of the room was various bookshelves. Not far away, there¡¯s a map of the Kingdom of Elsigardia on the wall. Well, I couldn¡¯t be bothered too much what¡¯s inside this room anyway. I won¡¯t be long anyway, so no point observing and scrutinizing the whole room. The only thing inside the room that I paid attention to was the sofa. It¡¯s long enough for me to lie down. Perhaps it could serve as a bed since it¡¯s soft and cushy enough. As I lie down on the sofa, I began to recollect what happened today. But unfortunately, I haven¡¯t gone too far as I dozed right off soon after. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 9) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 9) I saw Sierra with her beautiful princess gown walked towards me. She was all smile as she extended both of her hands at me. ¡°Claude, please. Take my hand and join me.¡± Sierra looked at me longingly. I took her hand and pulled her closer. She did not offer any resistance at all. As I traced my hand on her soft cheeks, I could hear her soft and irresistible voice calling for my name. ¡°Claude¡­ what are you doing?¡± I kept quiet as I smiled but I did not stop. I continued to caress her cheeks. ¡°Your face is as soft as silk, Sierra.¡± ¡°Claude?¡± ¡°Yeah? I¡¯m here, babe.¡± ¡°Wake up!¡± ¡°H-Huh?¡± ¡°Wake up, Claude!!!¡± I was taken back to reality. Someone was holding my hand and gave me a good shake. That took my dream world away harshly. I wanted more of my blue-haired princess. When was the last time I dreamt of Sierra? That was a good dream just as I wished it would last longer though. As I rubbed my eyes and with a big yawn, I tried to see what was happening in front of me. Although it was still blurry, I could see an unfamiliar face near mine. And on the face, was my hand. ¡°Looks like the rumours were true. We have a playboy in our squad!¡± As my vision become clearer, so too did my mind. And I was surprised with what was happening. Well, being surprised was an understatement. I was totally shell-shocked. You could say that my face was devoid of any blood. Both of my hands were on a girl¡¯s cheek as her face was just an inch away from mine. I could feel her breath on my face. That was proximity of our distance. And she was holding my hand that was on her cheek. But, instead of a frown, she was all smile. With a smile, she turned her face to her side. And then she burst out laughing as she talked to the person behind her. ¡°Hihi. Did you see that? She called me Sierra and caressed my cheeks nonstop. It¡¯s lovely but ain¡¯t he a player, Rizzou?¡± Huh, what? Captain Rizzou was here? I immediately sat up straight. And true to the words, he was standing at the door, but his hand was covering his whole face while he shook his head in disbelief. ¡°C-C-Captain Rizzou?¡± ¡°Claude, are you back to your senses now?¡± The girl whose face was just in front of me was kneeling and as she looked at me, she couldn¡¯t help but continue to giggle. Her cheeks were very soft and she smelled so intoxicating and alluring indeed. ¡°So, are you still going to caress my cheeks and called me Sierra or are you going to let go of your hands and caress the real Sierra instead?¡± Realizing that my hand was still on her cheeks, I immediately withdrew my hand away. She was all smiles as she stood up. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way of an introduction. When was the last time a guy caressed my cheeks like that? Like a L-O-V-E-R?¡± The girl in front of me suddenly erupted into another fit of laughter. ¡°Please, Selina. Don¡¯t harass him anymore. Look at him. He is all red like a boiled prawn. He might be a player, but he sure can¡¯t take it when a woman teases him it seems.¡± Captain Rizzou then approached next to Selina. ¡°Well, Claude. I trust you had a good sleep, hearing how much you enjoy being with the Princess.¡± I got all nervous. My stomach was tightening. I¡¯m doomed. Coupled with the teasing from these two people, my secret¡¯s look bleak of being safe. ¡°No worries, your secret is safe with us, Claude.¡± Captain Rizzou reassured me that what happened in the room just now, stay in the room. The girl beside him nodded but I could see a mischievous smile was forming on her face. I know it. I¡¯m surely doomed now. Goodbye, my sweet dreams. Goodbye, Sierra. Well, the saving grace was that I still have Sehanie and Nelia anyway. I still could dream about them. I couldn¡¯t help but give a dry and bitter smile. Now that my eyes and my senses were back to reality, I could see the girl in front of me more clearly. The girl was a brunette and as she stood beside Captain Rizzou, she seemed as tall as him. Her personality seemed to be mischievous like an elven brat I know. She looks charming but what¡¯s more striking about her was the way how composed and calm she was. She has that certain aura that would make others felt confident and instiled a certain can-do attitude. ¡°Well, Claude. I brought you your Squadron Captain like I promised.¡± Captain Rizzou words suddenly strike fear into me. ¡°S-S-Squadron C-C-Captain?!¡± I nearly shouted the words out but I covered my mouth just barely in time to avoid my voice being raised high pitch like a girlie scream. ¡°Please to meet you, young First Lieutenant. I¡¯m Selina Mayfair. But you can call me Captain Selina. Or if you prefer, Selina. But only if there''s two of us, alright.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. She winked at me as she introduced herself. I immediately stood up straight like an earthen magic pillar erupted from the ground as I bowed my head to her. ¡°I-I-I am C-C-Claude. C-Claude L-L-Leonheart, C-C-Captain S-Selina!¡± ¡°How cute. He stammers when he gets all nervous. How could he confess his love to his girl? Or girls?¡± Captain Selina continued to tease me as Captain Rizzou shrugged his shoulder. ¡°Well, Selina. I¡¯ll leave you alone with Claude. Once both of you are ready, meet me at the main courtyard so Claude can take his uniform for tomorrow.¡± He took a few step towards the door and as he turned his back, gave out his own version of a mischievous grin. ¡°And one more thing Selina, please don¡¯t harass him too much alright. He is still a boy without much experience, unlike you.¡± Captain Rizzou teased both of us as he walked his way out of the room. ¡°Hmmphhh¡­ what do you mean by that?¡± Captain Selina was protesting to the blonde captain who was now out of the door. But before he could close the door, his final words before strike fear into me. ¡°Claude, be very careful with your new Captain. I will, if I were you. If you don¡¯t heed my words, you will lose something very important soon.¡± Captain Rizzou laughed as he made his way down the hallway. ¡°Hmmphh¡­ jerk!¡± Captain Selina was pouting as she threw a book towards the door. ¡°That guy doesn¡¯t know what is being romantic is all about unlike you, Claude.¡± She turned her face towards me and was smiling. However, it sent shivers through my whole body. And did I saw her licking her lips too? ¡°Come, Claude. Sit down. Don¡¯t stand there like a statue.¡± Captain Selina took the seat next to me. ¡°Y-Yes Captain Selina!¡± ¡°Shhh¡­ when it¡¯s me and you, it¡¯s Selina. Just Selina, alright.¡± Captain Selina put her finger to my lips. A cold sweat broke on my forehead as I nodded. Did she just touch my lips with her fingers? ¡°A-Alright, Capt¡­ uhhh¡­ Selina.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better Claude. I like it when people call my name instead of my rank. I don¡¯t feel any intimacy at all. Besides, since you are a daring guy enough to caress his own Captain the first time they met, I could give you a reward or two.¡± Selina winked as I replied her a dry laugh. ¡°So, since you are now part of my squad officially, I would think you have some questions to ask me, don¡¯t you? Well, we have some time before we need to go to the main courtyard, so feel free to ask me anything. But¡­¡± ¡°But¡­?¡± I looked at her without blinking my eyes. Suddenly, she touched her chest and then her waist. That was quite awkward and it took me by surprise as I was anticipating something serious. ¡°But just the thing about the Elites and stuff. Not about my body or my measurement, alright. Maybe next time.¡± Selina puckered her lips before she continued to giggle. Looks like someone was having fun. ¡°And one more thing, Claude. Since we are alone, please don¡¯t take advantage of me alright. I¡¯m weak to guys like you. Good looking but daring, though you are on the shorter side of height.¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Leave the height out of the conversation alright. I still have an issue with that.¡± I pouted at her. ¡°Hahaha, Claude. I¡¯m just teasing you. Surely you must be short, but I¡¯ll bet you will be magnificent where it matters. Ahhh¡­ how I envy the Princess now.¡± I get the feeling that she was way more mischievous than Sehanie. Was this what the guys call playgirl? The female version of a playboy? She doesn¡¯t look like one though, but looks alone could be deceiving. I bet she had lots of boyfriends. I swallowed my saliva as I prepared myself to ask her my questions. Questions upon questions and before long, my time with Selina came to an end. ¡°Claude, looks like it¡¯s time. We need to meet your new comrades if there are any. So, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Alright, Selina.¡± ¡°And please call me Captain Selina alright in front of others. I don¡¯t want people to think that you are rude to me.¡± I nodded. From our conversation and questions and answers session, I finally came to the understanding of how Royal Elite Knight works. And perhaps also the personality of my new Captain, Selina. First of all, The Elites were divided into four main battalions. The First Battalion was called the Magma, the Second was called the Gaia, the Third Battalion was called the Tempest and the Fourth Battalion was called the Blitz. Each of the Battalion had very different characteristics and functions too. The Magma Battalion strength lies in its attack power, both physical and magical and they were mostly deployed when launching an offensive battle. In the whole Kingdom of Elsigardia, the most powerful fighter and magic users were from the Magma Elites. The Gaia Battalion meanwhile had been designated as the protector. They specialized in the defensive aspect of battles. Many of them carry massive shields and greatsword. Their attack power, although a little limited, but their defensive capabilities were very well known. It was said that a single titled ranked Gaia Elite can defend a whole battalion of the army by himself. The Tempests were responsible for support. These were the Elites that specialized in healing and support abilities especially buffs and debuffs. These three; the Magma, Gaia and Tempest when combined in battle were an extremely powerful force for any enemies of the Kingdom. Thus, it was no wonder that the Elites were famed throughout the whole land, not just in Elsigardia. In most missions, the Elites from these three battalions would be used together, in a team of no less than two or three, one from each of the Battalion. Each one of them offset the other weakness, if there were any at all and enhanced each other fighting and battling capabilities. What about the Blitz Battalion? Well, in one word, it was special. The Blitz Elites were not used for direct combats. They were used as the first or the last solution to any conflict. Part of the Blitz Battalion missions and jobs include reconnaissance, espionage, spying, missions or jobs that involved extreme secrecy or haste or both and but not least, information gathering. If Elsigardia needed to cut off or destroy an enemy, the Blitz Elites will sever it from within its root. In one way or another, the Blitz Elites were the most exclusive, elusive and feared. Not to mention the most dangerous too, as most often we work as a solo unit. One Blitz, one mission. And I happened to end up becoming a Blitz Elite, serving under my new Captain, Ser Selina Mayfair from the 1st Squadron of the Third Battalion. The Blitz Battalion consisted of First Battalion to Third Battalion with the totals members of 35, which also happened to be the smallest battalion in the whole Royal Elite Knights which number around 3000 plus members. The Magma consisted 15 Battalions, while both Gaia and Tempest had 7 Battalions each. The ranking of Elites were as follows. Ser Siegmund Godfrey is our Lord General of the Elites. Under him was the four Lord Knights, each in control of the four types of Battalions. Lord General and Lord Knights both served on the Council of Knights. The Battalion leaders were all ranked First Captain, and each Battalion has a few Squadron headed by a Captain. First Lieutenant will be acting as the Captain¡¯s main person in a squadron. And a Squadron could have any number of members ranked Lieutenant and below, depending on the size of the whole Battalion. And depending on the size too, a squadron can have a few First Lieutenants and many more Lieutenants and non-ranked members. Since the Blitz Battalion has around 35 members in total, we were divided into three Battalions and each battalion has 2 Squadron with a total of six squadrons. Currently, in my squadron, we have only Captain Selina and myself. The other member, unfortunately, was killed on duty. And because of that, perhaps today might be a very important day too for Captain Selina as she could recruit new members to join her squadron. Having two people in a squadron was kind of sad. What¡¯s more, prior to me joining her, she was all alone in her own squadron. I guessed that¡¯s why she was being way too friendly with me. Maybe she was too happy to finally get one new member after the previous one who had been killed so long ago. Thus, that was my immediate understanding of how Elites work as a whole unit. As I see my Captain walked in front of me with all the grace and charm of a Captain, I get the feeling that I wanted to help her. She cried when she told me about the other member who was killed on duty. Not only she lost a friend and a team member, but she was the only one left in her squadron. Hoping that she could save the squadron from being disbanded due to the insufficient member, she begged and pleaded the First Captain and to the Council for any new members of the Blitz Battalion among this year recruits to be put under her. According to her, not many Elites would be chosen as a Blitz. And based on today¡¯s test, she wondered how many more would have joined her. Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 10: Final) Chapter 13: Voices of Glory (Part 10: Final) The test¡­ How would one know which Battalion to join? It was not our decision to choose. In fact, we could not even choose. The decision was thrust upon us. But how? Via the Test of Solitude. Like the one I received when I entered the room alone, back then in the Strategic Headquarters. That was where I found a crystal that was talking to me. This weird talking crystal beckoned me to touch it, or perhaps it was a her because I could hear a female voice instead. And after I had touched it, somehow it revealed the necessary information needed for me to be classified as a Blitz Elite. Well, not that I could complain about it, but the test seemed a little¡­ off. There was no test of ability, physical strength and prowess, magical power and cunningness. Just needed someone to enter a room and all will be revealed. Heh. As if something like that could decide where I would end up. But then again, according to Captain Selina, the crystal or whatever I saw back in the room was created by ancient magic with failsafe system factored in. I did not understand what the failsafe system meant, but then again, my understanding of magic was lousy. Magic was for the nerds and weak-bodied people, not someone young, healthy and physical fit like me. Or other than that, I have not aptitude for the understanding of magic and even less mana in my body to even cast one. ¡°Captain Selina. How many people would be joining us today?¡± As she looked at me, she said dejectedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know Claude. We, the Blitz, are far and few in between. We would be lucky enough to have one more.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ just one more? ¡° I can see that the Captain was pretty anxious herself. And because of that, I tried to cheer her up. ¡°Well, Captain Selina. If anything else, I¡¯m all you need. Until you have the numbers you are satisfied with, you can take advantage of me and work me as hard as you want. Besides, I¡¯m eager to show off myself and what I can do. To prove a point, you know. So, if there are too many people, my star would be overshadowed. I¡¯m a princess saviour and a hero after all.¡± ¡°Hehehe, Claude. How thoughtful of you. But if you say so, I¡¯ll take you up on it. Be prepared to work hard. And if you do, I might reward you with something special.¡± Captain Selina winked at me mischievously. She was all smile again. ¡°Besides, you need to make a name for yourself so you could become closer to your Sier¡­¡± ¡°Captain Selina!! Please¡­. not here.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ I¡¯m just teasing you, Claude. But you might as well take this opportunity. Increase your fame and your skills and make me proud of you, young First Lieutenant!¡± Captain Selina patted my back so hard which caused me nearly fell down. ¡°Hey, watch it. If I fall down, that¡¯s not a good way to start off my path of hero-ship, ain¡¯t it Captain?¡± ¡°A little pat on the back like that? How could it fell a great hero like you, Ser Claude?!¡± Captain Selina continued to tease me as we arrived at the main courtyard. As soon as we reached, Captain Rizzou greeted us.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Claude, Selina¡­ I have some news for you. And unfortunately, it ain¡¯t a good one.¡± The facial expression of Captain Selina turned glum. But she tried to suck it up and be cheerful. ¡°So, no more new recruits for me then?¡± Captain Rizzou shook his head. Captain Selina¡¯s head hung down, dejected to hear the news. I can¡¯t let this atmosphere be glum like this. I need to do something fast. ¡°Captain Rizzou! Did you remember your advice that you had given to me earlier back in the hallway?¡± Although surprised, Captain Rizzou nodded. ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m all the help Captain Selina needed for now. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t want any pansies or weaklings to be under MY Captain.¡± I said that, emphasizing the word ¡®MY¡¯, as to let Captain Selina know that I¡¯m thinking about her too. ¡°So for now, I¡¯ll give two¡­ no, three¡­ perhaps four times of hard work more than anyone else. Until she finds the one that is strong and powerful enough to serve her, I¡¯m all that she needs¡­¡± ¡°Claude¡­¡± Captain Selina was taken by surprised of what I said earlier. However, Captain Rizzou, upon hearing my words, gave a hearty laugh. ¡°You hear that Selina? Your First Lieutenant is going to work extremely hard for you. Our princess saviour, our hero now has declared that he will be your hero this time.¡± I could see tears forming at the corner of Captain Selina''s eyes. ¡°If anything goes by, your squadron is as good as well taken care off. I have the feeling that he will do you and every one of us proud.¡± ¡°Captain Rizzou, thank you.¡± ¡°No, Claude. It¡¯s thanks to you. And Selina¡­¡± He then looked at Selina and smiled. ¡°Take care of Claude for me alright.¡± She nodded enthusiastically and then gave me a bear hug out of nowhere. ¡°C-C-Captain Selina? We are in public.¡± ¡°Do I even care about that, Claude? You are the best thing that ever happened to me in a long time¡­¡± She whispered to me while I¡¯m still within her embrace. ¡°Claude¡­ thank you. Really... I¡¯m so, so thankful.¡± With that, her tears flowed nonstop. But it was not the tears of sadness, yet happiness and joy. I never knew that one new recruit for her squadron would meant so much for her. ¡°Ehemm¡­¡± Suddenly, the one who was left out, Captain Rizzou, interrupted us. But for a good reason too, it seemed. ¡°Selina¡­ don¡¯t you think Claude needs to take his uniform soon?¡± ¡°Ohh¡­ yah. I nearly forgot about that.¡± Selina wiped her tears off as she smiled. ¡°Claude¡­ you remembered that we Elites have three uniforms right? First is our Elite official uniform, like the one Captain Rizzou and I am wearing. Second is the ceremonial armour and third is our battle gear.¡± She reminded me yet again. I nodded. ¡°Good. For today, you would received your first uniform, the Elite official wear. Your second uniform, the ceremonial armour will be fitted to you after achieved the rank of Captain. However, for your battle gear, we need to take your measurement and made it according to your size. But that will be for next time. I¡¯ll tell you when to get it, alright.¡± I nodded. ¡°I understand, Captain Selina.¡± ¡°So, what are you waiting for? Go get your uniform already under that tent over there with our crest. And I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning at 7.00 am here, in the main courtyard, alright.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± I enthusiastically answered her. ¡°Don¡¯t be late, you hear!!¡± Captain Rizzou reminded me as I took off towards the tent to take my uniform. As I left both of the Captains, I turned my head towards them and I could see them all smiles. Perhaps I have made them happy and proud. I like this feeling. It makes me warm and fuzzy seeing someone you admired and respect all smiles and proud of you. ----- As Claude¡¯s silhouette disappeared into the tent, both Captain Rizzou and Captain Selina looked at each other. Captain Rizzou was the first to start talking. ¡°Ain¡¯t he a special case, Selina?¡± ¡°Within his small height and frame, his shoulder carries lots of weight and responsibilities, unbeknown to him. You know how dangerous the Blitz Battalion, right? And somehow he knows no fear. Or perhaps he knows fear but he chose to act instead of being paralyzed by it.¡± Captain Selina put her hand on her breast as she nodded. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s always safe. I¡¯ll watch over him, Rizzou. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± ¡°Besides, he is my dearest First Lieutenant after all.¡± Selina face beamed with pride. ¡°Well, you have a fine First Lieutenant with you then. Watch him grow up. He might surprise you and me, given how much potential and hard work he has given until today.¡± Captain Rizzou patted his colleague¡¯s shoulder as both of them looked towards the tent where Claude disappeared into. ¡°Well, he did surprise me already with his declaration earlier. It¡¯s like a lover confessed to you how much he is willing to give his all, just to see you happy. Ain¡¯t he a player, Rizzou?¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­ he is, Selina. He is, indeed.¡± Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 1) Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 1) "Tell me, young one. When do you become a hero? Is it when your names are sung and praised by the others? Or is it when you claim the credits and fame for your deeds? Or is it when you are knighted and given recognition for your heroic actions? Or is it when you finally knew that your time has come?" - Anonymous 4.45am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions. I woke up early. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t sleep at all because I was so excited about today. What¡¯s not to get excited about? It¡¯s the D-Day. The day of the Parade of the Champions. Held annually at the end of Festival of the Spring, it was one of the biggest events in the Kingdom of Elsigardia, especially for a new Elite like me. I, for once in my life couldn¡¯t wait for it to start. I couldn¡¯t wait to feel the excitement and to see for myself what the Parade was all about. Everyone seemed to get so excited and super hyped about it and as a result, I too became enthusiastic myself. As I stared out of the window from my bedroom, I looked up at the sky. It was still dark and foggy, but I could feel that it was warm somehow. Like the warmth was emancipating from the unseen sun above. Perhaps the patron Goddess of Kingdom of Elsigardia, Goddess Athenea had blessed this very day. I could get the feeling that it was going to be a good and wonderful day today. I returned my gaze towards the corner of my room towards the object of my current pride. My new Royal Elite Knight First Uniform. It was a white set with yellow lining and embroidery, like what most other new Elites would wear. But since it¡¯s my own uniform, it was perfectly fitted to me. My mind recalled the time when I took my uniform, back to yesterday¡¯s late evening. ¡°First Lieutenant, Ser Claude¡¯s uniform please!¡± The guy at the counter beckoned to one of his colleagues. The search for my uniform didn¡¯t take very long. About 2-3 minutes later, a girl came over and lay down my uniform on top of the counter. ¡°Ser, please allow us to refit this uniform to your size.¡± The girl came forward with a measuring tape of some kind in her hands. ¡°Please Ser, allow me.¡± I followed her instructions, stretching my arms and such as she took my body measurement. After a while, she was done. It was weird having someone, especially a girl measuring my body but it was not uncomfortable. Though I did feel itchy at first. Besides, it was done before I knew it. ¡°Thank you, Ser Claude. Please wait for a moment while I refit your uniform. It won¡¯t take long.¡± As I looked towards the girl who was expertly refitting my uniform, Captain Rizzou came over inside the tent. ¡°Claude, I need to tell something before I forgot.¡± I looked at him, with a little surprise on my face. ¡°As a First Lieutenant, you have the option to stay in your current room, which in the Elemental Circle itself or to choose to stay outside.¡± ¡°H-Huh? You mean I can stay here or somewhere... I mean, anywhere outside?¡± Captain Rizzou nodded. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I rubbed my chin, thinking about what he had just said to me. This was kind of sudden. ¡°I know I should tell you earlier, but I was very busy with the preparation for the Parade. I apologise for that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Captain Rizzou. Let me think for a moment. But before I can make my decision, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°If you were in my shoe, would you stay inside the Elemental Circle or outside?¡± ¡°Hahaha, Claude. You are clever indeed. You are supposed to make your own decision but instead, you are now asking for your superior¡¯s decision to ease you out, huh. Though I thought you would be asking me something else, I could at the very least help you with this. The answer is easy, though. I would rather stay outside.¡± ¡°Any reason why?¡± ¡°Well, first, you have that beautiful guest house Mr Bannen gave you the other day. He came to see me the other day and insists that you make use of that house. Besides, staying in the small room of yours would not help you in your training right, Claude? You definitely need a bigger space and perhaps a little more privacy too.¡± Captain Rizzou did make sense after all. I cracked a smile as I finally decided where to stay in Elsivier. ¡°I-I think you are right Captain. At first, I wanted to stay here. But when you mentioned about training and such, I would agree that staying in my current room did not help me much.¡± I continued on as I held the hilt of my sword hung from the side of my waist. ¡°And my training¡­ all I did was meditating and entering my trance state while practising the mental image of all my physical training. It would do me a world of good if I could get back to real physical training, not just imagining stuff.¡± ¡°Glad you can see it that way. Honestly, most of the First Lieutenant ranked Elites would decide to stay outside of the Elemental Circle. The reason was the same as what you have given to me. But I was worried at first though.¡± ¡°Worried?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you are not from Elsivier and I thought you might have trouble finding your own accommodation. That¡¯s why I would welcome you to stay in your current room. But when Mr Bannen dropped by a few days earlier, he urged me to tell you to use his guest house fully.¡± ¡°I see. Perhaps I could make use of the guest house then. He did mention to me to use it as if it¡¯s my own house. Though I never own even a room before in my life, what¡¯s more of a house. One can¡¯t push away his good luck, right Captain?¡± Both of us laughed heartily. However, our laughter was cut short by the girl who was refitting my uniform. It seemed she had finished.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ser Claude. Sorry to interrupt you. And forgive me, Ser Rizzou. Ser Claude¡¯s uniform has been refitted. Please try it on.¡± Captain Rizzou looked at me and gave a nodded approval. ¡°Well, Claude. See you tomorrow here at 7.00am sharp. If you are late, we won¡¯t wait for you.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be early. I won¡¯t miss it for the world.¡± I answered him enthusiastically. ¡°Good. Now, please excuse me.¡± Captain Rizzou stood up and walked out from the tent. ¡°Ser, please give it a try now. Please?¡± The girl urged me as she put the uniform on my hand. I took it, let it hung from my hands and after taking some time to feel the texture of the cloth and its immaculate tailor-ship, I went into one of the changing room. Before long, I came out while wearing the uniform. ¡°How is it, Ser Claude?¡± The girl was looking at me anxiously. Perhaps she wanted to know whether she did it right with my uniform. I looked at her and gave her my thumbs up. ¡°Perfect!¡± Her face beamed with happiness and joy. I guess she was happy that I liked her craftsmanship of refitting my uniform. After trying on my new uniform, I signed an acceptance sheet by the counter of which I stated that I personally had taken my new uniform and am happy with it. The moment I stepped out of the tent with the uniform, if there were to be any damages, I needed to fork out my own money to repair it. Or worse, bought a new one. Initial uniform for new recruits was given for free, hence why I needed to sign the acceptance letter. Well, time to pack up my stuff in my room and head for the guest house. After saying my thanks to the guy at the counter and the girl who refitted my uniform, I went back to my room. Since I didn¡¯t have many items with me, packing up was easily done. However, to my dismay, I couldn¡¯t find Leah anywhere. I wanted to say my thanks to her, having taken care of me for the past few days, but it seemed that I have to choose another time for it. My business here has been completed, so I needed no further delay to leave the room. I have no sentimental attachment to this room, except for the bed sheet that Sierra sat on when she first came and visited me. An idea suddenly came to me, albeit a naughty one. Hmmm¡­ I think I¡¯ll just take this along with me. They won¡¯t mind a missing bed sheet anyway. I could take the whole bed if I wanted to, but that would be an overkill. Besides, if the whole bed was missing, it won¡¯t be good that I¡¯m known as the bed thief. I couldn¡¯t explain my reason to take the bed was just because there was Sierra¡¯s smell on it. No one would ever believe me. Besides, the bed sheet alone was more than enough. I folded the bed sheet neatly so it could fit into my small backpack. But before putting it inside my backpack along with my new Elite uniform, I took a smell of the bed sheet first. Ahhh¡­ her smell still lingers. I could go into many nights of sweet dreams with this. I wondered what fragrances she wore that makes me feel so at ease. Even with the bed sheet packed inside my backpack neatly, I could see that my backpack was a little bulging though. It looked a little suspicious with the weird bulge but it was a risk I needed to take. I better not get caught red-handed anywhere here with this bed sheet inside my backpack. Outside of the Elemental Circle, I would be safe, but it¡¯s not safe while I¡¯m still here. And so I better watch my step and proceed as quickly as I could, albeit ever so carefully. After inspecting the room for one final time, I left a note of thanks for Leah. I would return here to give her my proper thanks, but I needed to make a move now before other people came by this way. As soon as I closed the door to my room as quietly as possible, I took a jog out of the Elemental Circle past down by the main courtyard. There were not many people left, but I still needed to be careful. I¡¯m now officially had lifted a bed sheet from my room, thus becoming a bed sheet thief on my very first day. Not something I would be proud of really but for the sake of a good night sleep, it was very well worth it I let off a dry smile as I keep on moving towards outside of the Knight¡¯s District. When I stepped in front of the main entrance of Chief Bannen¡¯s guest house, the day was already getting dark. I got lost a few times finding my way to the house. I did not have a map with me and besides, Ilvean basically ran at full speed with me playing catch up with her the first time I was shown the way towards the Knight¡¯s District from this house. It was a week ago, and understandably, I was a little confused with the way. But nonetheless, my perseverance paid off as now I have arrived at the house¡¯s main door. ¡°Muahahaha!! ¡° I gave out a loud laugh. At last, I¡¯m here. After all that trouble, it¡¯s good to be back. ¡°W-W-Who¡¯s there?¡± A voice shouted from the top of the balcony. Hmm? Someone¡¯s here? I thought I¡¯m the only one who has the key to the house. Might it be a thief? Scum! How dare you steal from my house! I was frantically searching for my keys. The thief must be caught at all cost. But before I could do anything as much as to muster the key to the keyhole, I heard yet another shout. ¡°Master Claude!!! Is that you?¡± The voice again came from the same balcony. It was dark, but I couldn¡¯t see what was on top. Unlike the dark balcony, the front door where I¡¯m currently standing was properly lit up, so my face could clearly be seen. I looked up to the source of the voice. I squinted my eyes and made use of every light source around to actually to try and see what or who was on top. As soon as I lifted my face up, I heard the same voice yet again. This time it was louder. It was so loud that it pierced right into my ear. ¡°IT¡¯S YOU, MASTER CLAUDE!!!¡± I have to cover my ear because of that shout. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll get the door open for you!!¡± Huh? Opening the door for me? But I had the key. And why did a thief wanted to open the door for the house owner anyway? Was this a trick or what? Or someone saw me leaving the Elemental Circle with a stolen bed sheet and now they were here to reclaim it. That¡¯s mighty efficient of them. While I was still pondering, I could hear footsteps coming from within the house. Moments later, the door sprang opened. I was able to get away just in time before it hit me right in my face. And standing in front of the door was a familiar figure. A girl with cat-like ears with long tails which seems to sway around slightly, wearing a maid¡¯s uniform. ¡°Reena?!¡± That was the first word I uttered as soon as I saw the girl. ¡°Master Claude!! You came back!¡± She suddenly jumped at me, hugging me by the neck. ¡°Ughh¡­ what the heck? Reena¡­? Reena?! Get a hold of yourself. You are strangling me.¡± Perhaps because she was too excited to see me that she hugged me so tightly to the point of suffocation. The ever so professional maid, Reena who was always calm and collected suddenly behaved so wildly. Upon realizing what she has done, she pulled her arms away and reverted to her usual demeanour. That ¡®wildness¡¯ attitude did not last long. And also perhaps because she realized that she nearly strangled me out of her excitement, she bowed down profusely, apologizing to me. The sudden change of her behaviour in less than few seconds made me chuckle. ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m back, Reena¡± I patted her head as I step forward inside the house. ¡°Master Claude, welcome back!¡± She greeted me warmly. I smiled at her knowingly. ¡°Reena, I had a long day today. I wish to rest in my room for I have to get ready early for the Parade tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, Master. Do you need anything for me to prepare for you before you sleep?¡± After I thinking through for a while, I shook my head. ¡°Not even a hot bath or dinner?¡± She was curious. ¡°That can wait until tomorrow morning. I need to get up early.¡± ¡°As you wish, Master. Do you need anything else? Shall I be here earlier than usual tomorrow morning to prepare for you Master?¡± I looked at Reena from bottom to top. Her words earlier surprised me a little. ¡°Hmm¡­ Where do you live, Reena?¡± She was taken aback by my sudden question. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± I can see that she was hesitant to answer. Not wanting to wait for her answer, I decided to give her my command. ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow morning instead. You don¡¯t need to go back. You can stay here for the night and prepare my breakfast early. And also a hot bath would do me great early in the morning.¡± ¡°Y-Yes Master!!¡± ¡°Good. Now, please excuse me. And good night, Reena. See you in the morning.¡± I patted her head one more time before I proceed up the stairs to master bedroom. The room that I slept the first time I was here. It was well maintained without even a minor speck of dust anywhere. To be able to keep this huge room with such cleanliness albeit the absence of the master sure takes dedication up to another level. Reena sure was a diligent maid. I¡¯m impressed by her skills and dedication. I¡¯ll be sure to say my thanks to her tomorrow. I looked around and put the backpack on top of a table nearby. I opened the backpack up and began unpacking all my items. As I lay all the items in front of me, I have now in my possession two of my precious treasure; one which would be my new Elite uniform and also the bed sheet which I lifted from the room I previously stay in Elemental Circle. The bed sheet with Sierra¡¯s smell on it. This bed sheet would surely now be my new found treasure. Or stolen treasure. Whatever. The details how I got the bed sheet did not matter now. As I hang my uniform on a cloth hangar, I place the bed sheet on top of the bed. With this, I think I¡¯ll have an easier time to sleep. And perhaps I might meet Sierra in my dreams too. Hehehe. I can¡¯t wait. And I did not have to wait too long to fall asleep. As soon as I put my bed to rest on the soft pillow, my eyes were immediately shut and I was brought to my dreamland. Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 2) Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 2) 5.15 am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions After a simple stretch, I went down to the guest house¡¯s courtyard for my daily morning practices. I have not done this for more or less a week, so the morning wind and the cold breeze that I felt on my skin as soon as I held my sword sent shivers throughout my body. But that wouldn¡¯t stop me at the very least. I found it comforting to be able to practice very early in the morning while it was still dark. For once, I didn¡¯t have dark shadows following my every detail, so I had devoided of unwanted attention from random passersby and even prying eyes. But most importantly, however, practising very early in the morning set my mood going for the rest of the day. A little sweat to start off the day would always be a good thing. As I held my sword in my hand, I closed my eyes. I imagined the First movement of the Sun up to the Fifth movement. In total, there was nine movements of the Sun, with increasing difficulty as the rank ascended. I¡¯m already at 17 years of age, yet I only managed to complete up to the First movement and barely to the middle of the second one. I had no idea why this happened to me and only me. Even my battle masters back in the Brotherhood were all perplexed by my weird conditions. 10 years in the Brotherhood, even the average student could master all the 8 movements. But if what Blizzard Hawk claimed were true, then there would not be any average students at all since the Brotherhood only initiated the most prodigious of talents to be amongst their ranks. I wondered what talents did I had back then? The Movement of the Sun Sword was the most basic sword skills after all. We had other skills for other weapons, but if I couldn¡¯t master even a single weapon which happened to be used by nearly all fighters, what hope was there for me to even think to try on other weapons? I did try once though using other weapons, but the result was a disaster. Ahh well, if shit was going to happen, it would happen, sooner or later. No point dwelling on it. Moping around feeling depressed won¡¯t help either. A second could make a difference. This was the choice I¡¯ve made back then. And I¡¯m more determined than ever to make it a reality. Perhaps I could become a master of one weapon first rather than dabbled in any other types. Mastering one would be better than becoming jacks of all trades, but master of none. So, with the weapon of my choice in my hand; the sword that was given to me from the old geezer as a reward for saving the princess; I started my practice. All of the Movement of the Sun could be divided into five stages. First was the breathing. One must be in complete control of own breathing. Wielding a weapon especially was always a tiresome endeavour. The heavier the weapon was, the harder it would be for the breathing. Thus, breathing correctly was the first stage. To put it simply, lousy breathing would create lousy movements. A master of any weapon must first be able to wield their weapons for any amount of time he so desires. Next was the stance. Each movement had different stances. Nothing complicated about the stance. It¡¯s simple to do but to master a stance and perfect the art would take years. A small degree of changes mattered a whole lot. However, what differentiates the rest of the Movement of the Sun Sword would be the stage 3 & 4 respectively. Stage 3 was the strike while stage 4 was the flow. These 2 stages were considered the most important stages of the sword skills I¡¯m using. And these were the 2 stages where I failed the most. I could barely enter the Stage 3 of Second Movement. And the final stage would be the accumulation of power unleashed in a single strike, which I called ¡®impute¡¯. By using the breathing, the stance, the strike and the flow, one would gain momentum and power needed to unleash an impute strike. For the First Movement, the impute strike would normally render a tree in half easily with a single slash. For the Second Movement, it would create an X cross shape slash that could even cut a rock in a quarter. And I have seen the master of the Ninth Movement of the Sun Sword rendered hundreds of trees in half or level a small hill with a single strike. This sword skill was extremely deadly and only taught to the disciple of the Brotherhood. I could consider myself to be lucky to even learn these sword techniques, given how I suck at mastering them. As I have said before, the Movement of the Sun Sword was the most basic sword skills. Master all the movements, and one would learn more sword skills upon reaching certain ranks in the Brotherhood. Ahh well¡­ It¡¯s not the time for me to mope around. I got training to do. Perhaps one day I could unleash devastating power from what I have learned instead of thinking what could I do if I could learn all the movements. Perfecting the First Movement was all I could this at this time. As I sweat myself profusely in this cold morning, I have finally completed 15 sets of the First Movement. The Second movement was still a bane to me, but I¡¯m starting to feel it already. I could feel the essence of the Second movement coming to me, albeit slowly. Very slowly. I wiped my forehead with my left hand as my right hand, which was holding the sword, was trembling. I could say the training was intense but reinvigorating. The trembling did not stop for a while. ¡°Master Claude. Here¡¯s your towel¡± The sudden interruption of my thought made me looked towards the front of the door. Reena, the cat-like maid was standing between the doorway as she proceeded towards me, bringing me a clean towel to wipe myself off from the sweat. I have taken off my shirt prior to the training, so it would not be a surprise if my sweat was making me looks like I¡¯m wet from my bath, instead of sweating. The stinking smell of my youthful sweat on my body would give away though. ¡°Master, you smell. Here, take the towel and please wipe yourself off!¡± I was wiping my chest off the sweat with my palm when she came over to my side and handed the towel. ¡°Ah! Thanks, Reena.¡± ¡°A-A-And Master, please cover yourself up! I know you are training, but going shirtless during a cold morning is not good for your health. You might catch a cold, Master.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Ohh really now? Well, if I ever caught any cold, I¡¯ll look for you to nurse me back to health then.¡± I teased her. Seeing her blush in the morning sure made me feel good. I patted her head as I walked towards the door. ¡°Master, I have prepared your hot bath. Please take a bath first before having your breakfast. Don¡¯t let it be like the other day!¡± The other day? Ohh¡­ I see. Reena still remembered that first day where I was training like this. However, I took breakfast without taking a bath first. Perhaps that had turned her off. Feigning on ignorance won¡¯t help my cause this time. ¡°Master, you had promised to me that day that you¡¯ll clean up after yourself before eating!¡± And she kept on insisting. Was she my maid ormy wife, huh? ¡°Sure. Sure. Now please stop nagging already. I¡¯ll take a bath. But, Reena¡­¡± I left out a wide grin as she looked at me curiously. ¡°Better make sure your breakfast is good or else I¡¯m going to throw a tantrum.¡± ¡°Yes, Master! As you wish!!¡± She answered enthusiastically. Perhaps next time instead of asking for breakfast, I could have her wash my back. I gave out an evil laugh that even surprised the calm Reena. ¡°Something wrong, Master?¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­ All is good. All is good.¡± I laughed all the way inside the house leaving Reena alone to her thoughts. ----- 6.20am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions The hot bath was good. Reena had prepared it perfectly. Not only that, she even added some refreshing herbs of some kind into the water. The moment I soaked myself in the tub, I could feel that all my tiredness and fatigues body disappeared. I wondered what the herbs were as the effect was immediate and so pleasant that I spent much longer time than usual in a hot tub. Perhaps in this way, I could do with more morning hot bath after rigorous training. After coming out of the bath, I went out, with a towel hanging from my waist, towards the object of my next desire. My new Elite uniform. More specifically, my new Blitz Elite uniform. My very own first uniform of the Royal Elite Knights. The feeling I get from receiving this uniform was the same as I received my first Brotherhood uniform back then. It was an Initiate uniform when I was about 5-6 years old, but I still could remember that feeling vividly until today. The same feeling; both warm, full of joy and happiness that it could even bring tears to my eyes. Those were good feelings to have indeed. ¡°Master! Your breakfast is ready. Please come down.¡± Reena shouted from outside the door. Ahh¡­ I better get ready soon, or else I would be late. As I finished wearing my uniform, I stepped down the stairs to the kitchen. True to her words, she has prepared me a sumptuous but simple breakfast. The Wild Mushroom soup with freshly baked toast and Elsiberry juice. She sure knew what my tastes were even though this was her second time serving me breakfast. ¡°Master, please take a seat.¡± She then pulled the chair out for me. I nodded to her as a form of thanks for her consideration. As I looked at her, I beckoned her to sit next to me. However, to my pleasant surprise this time around, she did not refuse me. Immediately, she took a seat next to mine. ¡°Master, is that your new uniform?¡± I nodded as I took the first sip of the soup she made for me. It still tasted the same too. Perfect! ¡°You look very good in it. So elegant and knightly.¡± Reena praised me as she looked at me intently. ¡°What do you expect, Reena? I¡¯m your Master anyway. That¡¯s the very least how I should look so I don¡¯t embarrass you. Besides, you are the first one to officially see me in my full uniform.¡± ¡°I¡¯m deeply honoured, Master!¡± I rubbed her hair. However, something else caught my immediate attention. I was surprised that Reena did not take her breakfast with me though she was just sitting next to me. How could she even take any as there were no plates or bowls in front of her? I stared at her quite a bit. Immediately she understood my displeasure. ¡°Reena, I thought I told you already the first time around that you shall take your food together with me, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner or anything in between.¡± She looked down, avoiding my gaze while fiddling her fingers.. ¡°Here, have some.¡± I offered to feed her as I extend the spoon full with soup. She looked at me, surprised. ¡°B-But Master¡­ This is your¡­¡± She tried to reject me, but she did not push the spoon away. ¡°No buts. Here take a sip. I insist.¡± Reena drank the soup from the spoon albeit reluctantly as I smiled happily at her. She seemed to be very self-conscious which I believe had to do with her being a Beast people. When she finished, I gave a pat on her head. If others were to see this, they might think that the father just fed his daughter breakfast. But I don¡¯t look like a father, and neither Reena was my daughter. And I fed her again, a couple of times more. ¡°Ain¡¯t that good? You are a good cook and I really enjoy eating your soup. So, if you don¡¯t eat with me, I¡¯ll feed you instead. Like what I¡¯m doing now. By the way, I wanted this to ask you since last night. Do you sleep in this house or somewhere else?¡± Reena was surprised to hear my sudden question, but she did answer nonetheless. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m staying outside.¡± ¡°So, you have to come here early every morning, like today and then when the day is dark, you are off back to your home?¡± She nodded in response. ¡°Ain¡¯t that dangerous for a girl, especially a maid like you, to be travelling at night all alone?¡± And this time, she just kept quiet. ¡°Alright. Starting from today, you will stay here, as the in housemaid.¡± Reena was shocked upon hearing my words. ¡°Master?!! I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Why not? Look at it this way. This house is way too big for me to live alone. Last time I was here, I even got lost. How many rooms was it again in this house? 15? 20?¡± ¡°18 rooms, Master.¡± ¡°Yah¡­ 18 rooms. And I¡¯m taking only the master bedroom, which leaves another 17 rooms empty. I can¡¯t have you cleaning the whole house for just one person even though I might be the Master of the house here. I¡¯m not too obsessive about being compulsively clean.¡± ¡°B-But Master. As a lowly maid, I can¡¯t intrude upon your privacy Master. Besides, I can¡¯t leave my-my¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s this nonsense again? Did I not tell you about my house rules? And who is that person that you can¡¯t leave?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s my brother, Master Claude. He is staying at the same place as I do. If I stay here, he will be all alone. He is still very young.¡± ¡°I see. Then let him stay with you, here in this house then. I have no problems with another extra person in this house. Besides, I have enough gold to take care both of you here. Being an Elite pays quite well anyway.¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± ¡°And Reena, I would be extremely displeased if you say no.¡± I looked at her intensely as I try to portray my tough Master attitude. I have no choice but to do that since Reena has some self-image or self-esteem issue. I needed to break that shell of hers. I could feel her fidgeting next to me. ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s decided that you and your brother will stay here, it¡¯s time for me to make my move now.¡± As I finished up breakfast, I stood up and patted her on her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward seeing you and your brother staying here, starting from today onwards. You have my permission to go and bring him here after I left the house. Besides, the more people in this house, the merrier.¡± Reena soon saw me out of the door. As she held the door opened for me, she bowed down her head and wave me goodbye. ¡°Master Claude, please take care of yourself and enjoy your parade.¡± And as I walked past her, I patted her head like how I always did. I love patting her head for the sole reason of watching her ears twitched. It looks cute and funny at the same time. ¡°Alright, Reena. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it, and you do what I have told you earlier, alright. Be a good girl now.¡± She smiled and nodded. As she continued to wave at me, I walked towards the main street as the first ray of the sunlight descends upon us. The sudden light blinded me for a second before I could cover my face. It looks like it¡¯s about time for people to get busy. I better hurry along now. Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 3) Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 3) 6.35am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions 25 minutes. That was how much time I have left for me to reach the Elemental Circle¡¯s main courtyard from my house ¨C which was supposed to be Chief Bannen¡¯s guest house, but since I¡¯m now could be considered its new master, I would rather call it my house, albeit temporarily. The distance from the house to my next destination would not be too far and if I were to run at full speed, I could reach there in approximately 20 minutes. I would have 5 minutes extra as my time cushion. As I ran along, there was one more thing that I was worried about. And that was if I would sweat too much and would have stained my uniform. But after a minute of running and the obvious sweating on my part, I noticed that the uniform was still in pristine conditions and had no obvious stains of sweat on it. So far so good. I¡¯m making good timing here. I took the main road of the capital that connected all the districts in Elsivier. As I travelled down the road, people of all walk of life and races were beginning to throng the area. The road was starting to bustle and hustle with people as the shops were starting to open. I could see the festival markets of various kinds; especially food stalls and one fortune teller hut were starting to come alive. Normally, I would need not pay attention to the details as I was in hurry, but as soon as they saw me, all of them waved and congratulated me. Some were calling out to me and giving cheers and applause. Perhaps they knew that I was going to participate in the Parade due to my new Blitz Elite uniform. And that made me felt proud indeed. Running along the streets in the early morning never felt better than this. And perhaps later in the morning, there would be many more activities here. I could not wait to see this place full of people. Being among the crowd was alright for me but being the centre of the attention of a crowd needed some time for me to get used to. One more thing that I could see was the roads along the capital were adorned with various festival decorations commemorating the Parade today. Banner with various crests could be found hanging on either the wall of the buildings or were on a flag post, erected just for this special occasion. I could see flags of various colours and symbols, though I couldn¡¯t make up any of it. Honestly, I don¡¯t even know how Elsigardia¡¯s flag looked like. I¡¯m a failure at lore and history back in the Brotherhood and I¡¯m ashamed to admit that. But it looks like I needed to learn all the crests, symbols, banners or flags if I were to actually be any of use as an Elite. I could not bear to shame my recommender, my future sponsor or even my clients with my ignorance. As I was running and walking with the ratio of 3 minutes and 1 minute each, I could keep my composure and my breath in check. My stamina would not run out soon as well. And one more good thing about this technique of running was that not only I won¡¯t get tired easily, the speed of my travel increased. And before long I have arrived at the main courtyard of Elemental Circle. It took me 19 minutes to arrive here. 6.54am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions There were already thousands of people assembled here, much more than yesterday. Instead of the usual clothes they wore last time around, now all of them came with their own set of uniform. Some were more elaborate than the other. And some were even totally different but in regal and more knightly way. As I peered towards the courtyard to find where my unit was, I could hear a loud voice calling for me. ¡°Claude, over here!!¡± I turned around and saw Mike calling up to me. Beside him were Ariel and an unknown knight wearing full-plated armour with a full-faced helmet on. I walked towards them, waving my hand. All of them, including the armoured knight, waved back at me. ¡°Claude, just about time.¡± Ariel greeted me with a hug, publicly. Her hug, like usual was a little tight and suffocating. ¡°Glad to be on time. And now please Ariel, can you let go of me. We are still in public, you know.¡± I tried to push her away but to no avail. Struggle all I could but her hug was indeed tight. ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± She was not going to let me go just like that, huh. Mike could not let this scene past him by and teased us. I could even hear his laugh from my back. ¡°Hahaha, look at those two. Aren¡¯t they way too friendly for someone who just met yesterday.¡± ¡°Hey, he is my Lil Bro. Well¡­ he looks like one anyway.¡± Did Ariel really mean that? Did I look like her 11-year-old brother? Just as I tried to wiggle myself out from her hug one more time, suddenly the armoured knight appeared, stood next to me and patted my shoulder. This time, surprisingly Ariel immediately did let me go. ¡°Good that you have arrived here on time.¡± The voice seemed familiar. ¡°C-C-Captain Rizzou?¡± The armoured knight nodded. ¡°Claude, don¡¯t you tell me you can¡¯t recognize him?¡± Mike asked. I shook my head in response. ¡°That¡¯s hurt my feelings, Claude.¡± Captain Rizzou added on. I¡¯m sure he was teasing me, but behind that full-faced helmet, I might be forgiven for my doubt. ¡°B-But, you look different. And with that helmet on, I could not identify you at all. Your voice was the giveaway, though.¡± ¡°You three, please stop making fun of my new recruit!¡± Suddenly another voice came over towards our way. ¡°Hello, Selina. Good morning.¡± Captain Rizzou warmly welcomed her as she approached us. ¡°Good morning, Captain Selina!¡± Both Mike and Ariel stood at attention. She was wearing the same full plated like the one Captain Rizzou was wearing, albeit with a difference in decorations and engravings on the armour. However, instead of fully wearing her helmet, she was holding in at her side. And because of that, I could recognize her immediately. ¡°Captain Selina, good morning to you!¡± ¡°Good morning everyone. And Rizzou, you should take off your helmet first, or else you are going to suffocate before you even start.¡± He did as implied by Captain Selina by removing his helmet. ¡°Whew, I thought I was out of breath there. All these times I still couldn¡¯t get used to this helmet and full plate armour.¡± A look and a sigh of relief soon followed his word. ¡°That¡¯s because we only wear it once a year. At most, twice a year. The rest of the time, it¡¯s either our First uniform or our battle gear. Like you, I hated this helmet. Would not wear it before the Parade started.¡± She gave out a dry smile as she looked at her helmet. If I were them, I too would be suffocated, not just wearing the helmet but that whole bulky armour. As if Mike was reading my mind, he immediately explained it to me was happening between the two Captains. ¡°That¡¯s a ceremonial armour.¡± And then he continued on to explain further.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°All the Higher Ranked Officers, starting from the Captain will have to wear their ceremonial armour; a full plated armour with engravings and decorations that represent their ranks and units. The higher ranked you are, the more refined your armour will be.¡± ¡°I-I see. That¡¯s cool, I guess. I could not imagine myself wearing something heavy like that though. People might think I¡¯m a dwarf, instead of a human.¡± The two of us chuckled a little. Suddenly, Ariel nudged my side and said, ¡°Claude, your Captain looks amazing, ain¡¯t she?¡±. I nodded at her. All of us were listening to the merry exchange between the two captains. More like eavesdropping their conversation though. But it was not for long as the three of us then started our own chat. I looked at both of my new friends and they were wearing the same uniform as I do, but Mike¡¯s uniform has red decoration and embroidery while Ariel¡¯s was green. ¡°Claude, I meant to ask you, what unit were you in? I could not find you yesterday as I had my unit briefing with Captain Ky.¡± He was the first to ask me. Ughh¡­ the dreaded name in the morning, already? And what¡­ Was he Mike¡¯s unit leader? Ahh well, since its him who was asking, I¡¯m happy enough to oblige. ¡°I¡¯m in the Blitz. What about you and Ariel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the Magma. Look at my uniform. Doesn¡¯t it suit me, all fiery and stuff?¡± He answered enthusiastically. Next was Ariel. ¡°I¡¯m in the Tempest unit.¡± ¡°Tempest? The unit with the most numbers of beautiful girls in? Ohhh¡­ how nice. I wish I could join and see you girls in actions.¡± As usual, Mike would always want to surround himself with girls. And to that too, he received a playful slap on his shoulder from Ariel. ¡°Hey, watch it. You¡¯ll ruin my uniform!¡± Mike pouted a little. ¡°And looks who¡¯s talking. You were talking how happy you were joining your Magma unit earlier on and now you wanted to join the Tempest. We know that you are a player, but aren¡¯t you a little unfaithful way too early already?¡± Both of them broke into a fit of laughter. I too joined in the little banter. ¡°Attention you three!¡± Suddenly Captain Rizzou diverted his attention to us. Captain Selina was nowhere to be seen now. ¡°Yes, Captain!!¡± All of us answer enthusiastically. He was pleasantly surprised with our early morning enthusiasm. ¡°In a while, we will be presented with our own horse. For those who were to receive their medals and ranked officers, each of them will have their own horse to ride. For the rest, either they walk on foot or on an open carriage.¡± ¡°R-R-Riding a horse??!!¡± I suddenly let out a shriek. It was such a loud and a high-pitched girlish scream that took the three of them by surprised. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Claude?¡± Captain Rizzou asked. The other two looked at me, with perplexed looks on their faces. I looked down towards the ground. Dammit. Riding a horse. Why could I not even think of this event that might have happened? And now, I have to come clean. I apologized to Master Blizzard Hawk and the old geezer at the back of my mind. The student of yours here has sullied our Brotherhood¡¯s name and reputation. What a shame. ¡°U-Uh¡­ I c-c-could not ride a horse¡­¡± ¡°What?!!!¡± Ariel and Mike shouted in unison. Captain Rizzou looked puzzled as he rubbed his chin. He seemed a little troubled and that did not bode me well at all. ¡°Hmmm¡­ this is a grave situation indeed.¡± Captain Rizzou started to talk. Cold sweats broke on my forehead. ¡°What do we do now Captain? We can¡¯t have Claude walking, right?¡± Ariel pleaded with him for answers. ¡°Claude, I never knew you couldn¡¯t ride a horse. That¡¯s a surprise.¡± Mike chuckled a little. However, instead of an answer, he received yet another hit on the back instead from Ariel. But this time, it was not as playful as the first one. ¡°Context, Mike. Context. You are not helping with the situation!¡± She seemed displeased with his insensitivities towards my current condition. Mike looked apologetically at me. ¡°Claude, I¡¯m sorry. I did not mean that.¡± Guys, I¡¯m sorry about that. I never ride on a horse by myself before. Most of the time, I¡¯ll take a carriage or ride alongside someone else. However, given preferences, I would rather run or walk. I wished I could tell them out loud, but what was the use of explaining now. The fact that remained was I still could not ride a horse. ¡°Looks like you need to take a riding lesson. Captain Selina would be your best mentor since she is one if not the best rider in the Elites. And since you are Blitz Elite, riding a horse and mastering it is a must for you. Blitz is about haste and speed, after all.¡± I slumped by shoulder. ¡°Although I did plan for this contingency, I never knew it could have happened. What more to you, Claude of all people.¡± Ouch¡­ that stings. It hurt my pride really bad. ¡°Is there something that you could do, Captain?¡± ¡°Like I said, I already planned for this. So, I have prepared a horse that suits your current condition.¡± ¡°Really? ¡° I looked at him, surprised. So too did Mike and Ariel. ¡°Although the horse is getting in years, she is gentle and understanding enough to a new rider. Besides, we are not racing. We will ride at a slow speed, more like strutting rather than galloping. So, it will suit both of you and her very well.¡± Upon hearing what Captain Rizzou said, I breathed a sigh of relief. Although I could not get it over my head that I could not ride, but at least the situation has been reverted. Mike and Ariel were also showing signs of relief. However, the good Captain decided not to let me off easily. ¡°However, I still could not let you ride just like that. I need to make sure that you don¡¯t suddenly speed off and disturb the whole procession, right? Hero or not, who knows what might happen later.¡± The other two nodded in tandem. I gulped. ¡°So, because of this, I have no other choice to tie your horse to mine¡± ¡°Hahahahah¡­ Captain, you are so mean!¡± Mike could not control his laughter. Even Ariel too has been laughing nonstop. I¡¯m looked at all of them curiously. ¡°What do you mean by tying my horse to yours, Captain?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ it means I¡¯ll have the control of the rein of your horse, not you.¡± Captain Rizzou explained though I still did not understand what it meant by that. ¡°Ahh¡­ is that so? Well, I couldn¡¯t care less who got my horse rein as long as I could ride one.¡± ¡°Hehehe Claude. You are indeed a simpleton.¡± Ariel patted my back. ¡°What do you mean, Ariel?¡± ¡°What she means is that you are the newbie of the newbies in riding a horse. Only if you never ride a horse before will someone else rein it for you. And as a Knight, and Elites like us, it¡¯s funny to say at least. A knight who could not ride a horse. Hahahaha. That¡¯s a story worthy of telling to through ages!¡± Mike explained to me instead while laughing. Ariel and Captain Rizzou were smiling, trying to control their laughter. Aww man, a knight who couldn¡¯t ride a horse. What a joke. If Sierra was to see me in this, I¡¯ll bet my own neck that she would laugh off at me like Mike. The image of a princess saviour has been ruined because of riding a horse. ¡°Speak of the devil, here comes our horses!¡± Captain Rizzou¡®s word jolted me back from my depressing thoughts. Five long lines of fine horses were brought towards the main courtyard. A man, who¡¯s in his 50s was leading the group of horses. As soon as he arrived, throngs of people surrounded the area. ¡°Well, I have already reserved the horses for all the Elites. But for you Claude, you need to come with me. I need to get the horse that I have in mind for you. For the rest, the horse master will distribute accordingly. So Mike and Ariel, since you are among the new recruits who were given a horse each, go and pick your choice along with others.¡± ¡°Yes, Ser!¡± They looked very happy indeed. Finally, they could choose their own ride. Although it¡¯s just for the parade, the horses they choose could later be registered to them if they so desired. I followed Captain Rizzou as he made his way to the horse master. ¡°Good morning, Ser Rizzou!¡± The horse master bowed his head down to him. ¡°Good morning to you too, Horse Master Puel. Anyway, do you have the horse that I reserved from you in case of an emergency?¡± He was a little surprised at first by the Captain¡¯s words, but then he smiled as he regained his composure. ¡°It¡¯s for this little guy here.¡± ¡°Ahh, I see. If that was the case, then she will do him justice.¡± Horse Master Puel looked at me with a smile. Immediately he went to the back of one of the lines to bring us the horse that Captain Rizzou had reserved in case someone like me might appear. After a while of waiting, the horse master came back. With him on tow was a fine looking grey horse. ¡°Ser, this is the horse that you have reserved.¡± Horse Master Puel handed the rein to Captain Rizzou. Then he looked at me, with a wide smile. ¡°Ser First Lieutenant, this is Bolt. She is a very fine horse, although age is getting up on her. Back in the days, she was my pride; fast and strong. But now, I have her here to help with new recruits like yourself. Hahaha.¡± I wondered why he was laughing though. Well, didn¡¯t matter now. I looked at the horse. The name¡¯s Bolt, ehh? Well, she looks fine indeed, although I could see she looks a little older than the rest, nonetheless, she was still a fine stead. Her eyes met mine and I could see how gentle her eyes were. I liked her immediately. And guess she did too as she neighed at me and rubbed her head on my face. ¡°Ohhh¡­ looks like Bolt likes you First Lieutenant.¡± Horse Master Puel continued while caressing her mane. ¡°You will have a fine ride today. Though she was not as fast as she used to be, for today¡¯s Parade, she is more than good enough. Now, please excuse me Ser Rizzou and First Lieutenant. I need to get back to others.¡± Captain Rizzou nodded as he handed Bolt¡¯s rein to me. ¡°She¡¯s yours, Claude. Hold her rein.¡± He urged me. I still had my doubts as I anxiously took the rein from him. I remembered back in the Brotherhood, every time I tried to hold a horse¡¯s rein, all I get was a big insulting snort and then the horse start behaving wildly, kicking me off the ground. I even broke my rib when I was 12, trying to ride a horse, albeit a horse smaller than Bolt. However, Bolt reception towards me was at least unexpected. She was all calm and docile. As I hold her rein, she rubbed her face on mine. I caressed her mane and she neighed softly. True to Captain Rizzou and Horse Master Puel, Bolt seemed to do me justice, even when I was uncomfortable holding the rein. Because of Bolt¡¯s attitude towards me, I also become calm and collected. I looked at her and patted her neck as I led her and followed Captain Rizzou. Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 4) Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 4) 7.30am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions The main courtyard has now started to become more crowded. Initially, there were about 5000 people in the morning, but 30 minutes later, the number swelled to nearly 8000 people. All of us were already divided into our units. Leading the Parade was a group of heavily armoured riders, all on the big and muscular version of the horse I¡¯m riding now. Behind them were flag bearers and carriers of banners. Immediately behind them was ranked officers who were all in full-plated armour, the same as what Captain Rizzou was wearing. And directly behind was Captain Rizzou himself. He was leading the new recruits who were following him, all on horses. We were then followed by the group of various knights from other units which I could not recognize yet. ¡°Everyone! Can I have your attention, please?!¡± Captain Rizzou was galloping up and down the whole line of Elites and towards the back conveying the information. ¡°The Titans will soon enter the Knight¡¯s District. Once they reached the Elemental Circle Courtyard, we will assume our ready position. Until then, all of us are on standby!¡± As soon as each unit received their information from the Captain, all the noise and murmurs suddenly disappeared. They were waiting with bated breath the arrival of the Titans. Who or what were Titans? I pondered while waiting on top of Bolt. The main courtyard now was silent. Occasionally there were neighs and clattering hooves of the horses standing by that broke the eerie silence. However, it did not last long. Less than 15 minutes after Captain Rizzou¡¯s initial announcement, I could hear thunderous footsteps approaching the main courtyard. ¡°Here they come; the Titans!¡± Captain Rizzou lifted his hand, signalling us. It was then that every one of us; myself included assumed our positions immediately. The rest followed suit. The flags and banners too were raised high in unison. Appeared within our sight was indeed something to behold. For what might seem to be an invading army, the scene was both amazing but extremely unnerving. The displays of might in front of my eyes sent shivers down my back. There were dozens and dozens of heavily armoured knights marching on foot, each carrying a pole of no less than 15 feet in height, all with the same flag design which I could now safely assume was the flag of Elsigardia. Followed closely behind; also marching on foot was a cavalry of spears wielders while the last to appear were those on horses with each carrying massive lance. All of them, like the rest of the Titans, wore heavy looking armour. ¡°That¡¯s the Flagbearer, carried by the very famous Titans of Elsigardia.¡± Captain Rizzou explained to us what was happening. ¡°And behind them is the Spears of Elsigardia.¡± ¡°T-the Spears and the Titans of Elsigardia? Who are they?¡± Finally, I had the chance to ask Captain Rizzou. He obliged by briefing me on the Spears of Elsigardia first. The Spears was a ground cavalry unit of the Elsigardia¡¯s army used to lead an infantry or a battalion in a war. These people were fearless in the face of death as they blazed their ways towards the enemies¡¯ rank. And who could be better suited to lead the Parade of Champions other than the Spears themselves? Each and every one of them deserved the recognition based on just their valour and bravery alone. As for the Titans, they were the Knights specially selected to become the official envoys of the Kings and the Royalty. Usually, they were handpicked from various members of the knights, excluding the Elites for days like this. The title was not official, but they were called the Titans because of the armour they wore and the earth-shaking footsteps they made when they walked. When the whole units of Titans marched, the earth trembled and the loud noise from their footsteps could send shivers even to the bravest of man. They were Titans indeed then. I¡¯m quite amazed at Elsigardia¡¯s military strength so far. I have never seen any one of them before, so the sense of amazement was justified. The moment the Titans walked past over us over to our procession leader ¨C who was situated in the frontmost, wearing a gold-plated armour while riding a horse that for me was somewhat way too large to be a normal horse ¨C raised his lance, also plated in gold, up high. Everyone was at their absolute attention. As soon as he lowered his lance, I could hear thunderous hooves of the horses begin to render the earth. We were starting to move. The Parade has begun. Or so I think. From 8000 people assemble in the Elemental Circle main courtyard, our number now became 10,000 people. As we began to ride along behind the rest, led by the Titans in front of us, our march was neither slow nor labouring. The pace set by the Titans was perfect at a speed that I could not even imagine someone who in that sort of armour could ever make. I then heard from Captain Rizzou that we would converge with the main procession and the King¡¯s Cavalry soon at the Centre of the Knight¡¯s District. ¡°We will meet with the King¡¯s Cavalry at the Centre Square of the Knight¡¯s District. So, just follow your leaders or commanders¡¯ orders from now onwards. Remember your positions at all times.¡± Captain Rizzou and some of the unit leaders were galloping up and down or procession giving the announcement. ¡°We have not yet to officially start till we converged with the King¡¯s Cavalry. So, march at ease. Till then, that¡¯s all the order from us!¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. 7.45 am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions We finally reached the Knight¡¯s District Main Center Courtyard. What used to be a large empty space of cobblestone when I first walked this path with Captain Forgante who led me towards the Elemental Circle, was now filled with more people I could imagine. And it¡¯s not just any people. This was Elsigardia¡¯s might and pride. It was a sight to behold and long to remember, especially to someone like me who in my whole life of 17 years, have never seen, much less of getting involved in the Parade of the Champions before. Assembled in front of my very own eyes was at least another 20 thousand of Elsigardia¡¯s finest warriors that could make it for the Parade of Champions today. At the most front was the King¡¯s Cavalry. Riding alongside it was another group of heavy armoured knights, each one of them was as impressive looking as the other. As we march past the long line of assembled warriors who was standing in attention towards the King¡¯s Cavalry, our procession was split into two parts. The Titans and the Spears broke their units from us and continued to march forward to the front most of the Parade, in front of the King¡¯s Calvary while the rest of us, led by the gold-plated armour knight, rode into our reserved spot of the parade, just directly behind the King¡¯s Cavalry. From here, the view was clear. I could see the King¡¯s Cavalry better now. It was a very large and beautifully decorated open carriage type, pulled by no less than 12 magnificent looking horses. The heavy armoured knights who were riding alongside the carriage now appeared to be more impressive. Perhaps they were the highest ranked officers in the army and knights of the Elsigardia, including the Elites. They were wearing a ridiculously bulkier version of the heavy armour, adorned with amazing decorations with matching capes. And then, the sight that each and every one of us longed to see myself included, was finally revealed. Seated on the top of that large open carriage, was a silhouette of an extremely beautiful and regal looking girl. Her familiar luscious blue hair was tied elegantly into a bun as her tiara was placed upon it. With a red fur like cape draping her whole back and a sceptre in her hand, she looks even more regal. Princess Sierra, the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Elsigardia. As I looked at her from my position in the Parade, which was about 50 metres away at the back, I could recall fondly my meetings with her prior to today¡¯s event. However, before I could even manage to recall anything as I was rather rudely interrupted. Mike was nudging me from the side. ¡°Hey Claude, look. It¡¯s the Princess you saved. Ain¡¯t she the most beautiful women in the whole land of Elsigardia? Man, you really do us guys a real favour by saving her.¡± I could see Mike¡¯s face was smitten by Sierra¡¯s beauty. Who wouldn¡¯t? Any men would die for her. I know I did. ¡°Ehem, boys. We have some beauty in the Elites too, you know?¡± Ariel who was just behind me and Elise who was next to Mike caught wind of our little conversation. ¡°Who are these beauties then?¡± Mike jokingly asked. ¡°Well, for a starter, First Lieutenant Elise is a beauty herself. Even I¡¯m a beauty too or else my fianc¨¦ won¡¯t even look at me.¡± Ariel responded in a way that made all of us chuckle. ¡°Everyone, be quiet now. We will begin soon. Stay at attention. Once it began, you can talk as you march. For now, keep the silence close to you.¡± Captain Rizzou, who overheard our chuckle, reminded us to behave. Well, not just us anyway, since the rest of units who rode beside and behind us were also making some slight noises. Most, however, revolves around the beauty of their Crown Princess. ¡°She is indeed as the beautiful as the story told¡± came one voice who seemed to be smitten by Sierra¡¯s beauty, no doubt. ¡°Nay, she is even more beautiful than the rumours¡± came a reply. ¡°I can reassure you, both of you are wrong. She is the most beautiful woman in the whole land, rivalling only the Goddess Athenea herself.¡± ¡°Blasphemy, but you are right about that. Perhaps you could be forgiven to think that she was blessed by the Goddess Herself.¡± Suddenly, the morning air was pierced with a loud sound. A sound that was made by a chorus of wind musical instruments. As soon as the sound was heard, everyone ceased to talk. Flags and banners were lifted high by the unit who were in front of us. Everyone was standing at attention and stillness. Even the horses too, stop moving including Bolt. Before long, I could hear music penetrates the air as everyone began to sing. As it was my first time hearing the song, I could not follow or sing along with them. Thus, I kept quiet instead and tried my best to memorize the lyrics. First was the Song of Athenea, the patron Goddess of Elsigardia. Glory Glory, o¡¯ Goddess Athenea Our patron goddess of Elsigardia As we take our step forwards in thou name We shall not falter in shame Thou light shone above us, as thou blessing descend towards us We would bleed and we would die On thou bosom would we lie Thou had blessed us, the children of Elsigardia Of life and victory, which never cease O¡¯ Goddess Athenea, we would surrender Our body, our life and our soul, for eternity Glory Glory, o¡¯ Goddess Athenea Our patron goddess of Elsigardia Then came the Kingdom of Elsigardia¡¯s anthem, Victory to Elsigardia. Not so very long ago a dauntless hero came, His Majesty Titus Elsivier was his name, To unite and found a nation Blessed by the Goddess¡¯s creation There was war, there was strife Countless of lives were taken before they were ripe But victory came to the just and worthy, As Elsigardia was born almighty, Victory to Elsigardia, Victory to Elsigardia Peace came, harmony was abundant As Elsigardia, our beloved Kingdom, grow triumphant, Victory to Elsigardia, Victory to Elsigardia, May the Goddess bless her Children, Eternity of peace and prosperity, Victory to Elsigardia, Victory to Elsigardia. And finally, the moment we have been waiting for, the March of Champions anthem which was played by brass-like instruments at full volume. There were no lyrics for the song, but the anthem nonetheless made every one of us, myself included seems very much pumped up and enthusiastic. This song was the official song for the Parade of the Champions and also played as the morale booster for the army. Upon hearing this song, blown by the horns, which what the brass-like instruments were called, one could not help but to have their morale increased many folds. Such was the power of songs, even without lyrics and such. Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 5) Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 5) 8.00am, 4009AD, Day 26 of the Month of May. The Day of the Parade of the Champions When the three songs ended, it marked the official beginning of the Parade of the Champions. Taking the first and historic steps were the Titans and the Spears. The rest; 30,000 strong of us, followed behind the King¡¯s Cavalry in a uniformed order, headed by our leaders and commanders. Surrounded by my new found friends; Mike, Ariel and Elise, we now began our new journey together. I could not help to be so nervous but excited at the same time. The feeling of being overwhelmed and the weight of the occasion was made somewhat much lesser when I saw their faces, and also of Captain Rizzou¡¯s. From my excellent position, I could see the silhouette of the very beautiful Princess Sierra. That sight alone rendered my heart calm but courageous. Beside Sehanie and Nelia, Sierra was another girl I¡¯m would die for, again. The Parade began at the centre courtyard of the Knight¡¯s District. As soon as the Titans, who carried the Elsigardia¡¯a flag and the Spears who was the lead cavalry stepped outside the main gate of the Knight¡¯s District, I could hear deafening applause and cheers. Upon catching the first glimpse of the Parade, the crowd that has been gathering along the roads since the morning roared and clapped loudly. And the noises rose up a few more levels as soon as the King¡¯s Cavalry passed down the road, dwarfing all the other earlier cheers and claps. However, those were not the only things that came to us. Flowers, hundreds of them and confetti were thrown at us, making the scene more rapturous. ¡°Long live the King!!!¡± ¡°Long live the Crown Princess!!¡± ¡°To the victory of Elsigardia!!¡± The crowd continued to cheers at us from each sides of the roads; full of people of various races, regardless of age. No one was either too old or too young to be involved. And nothing could stop them either from having a look at their heroes parading once a year, on the final day of the Spring Festival, in honour of the Elsigardia¡¯s patron Goddess, Athenea. But the roads were not the only place that people would had gathered. Some of them who wanted to have a better view of the parade, stayed on the second or third floor of their balcony to join in the celebration. To those who were even more daring, the roofs were their choices. The higher you were, the better your view would be. That¡¯s the logic anyway. In fact, there were many people on the roofs; mostly of young children and adults, much to the annoyance of the shop owners as they had no way but to accept whatever that was happening right now. The only thing they need to watch was not to fall down. If they happened to fall down, that¡¯s their own problem. But even if they did so, they would not suffer much injuries as someone below might be able to catch them.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. We first passed through the Commercial District. Mike, who rode next to me on a white horse, became somewhat of my tour guide. Ariel who was just behind me also chipped in from time to time regarding the information of the place we were parading through. The Commercial District was a place where one could find any sort of items under the sun. You name it, and most likely you could get it here. The Commercial District was the pride of Elsivier. Commerce began and stopped here. There were auction houses, warehouses, trading houses, markets and many more. Commercial District also had one of the most famous arts and culture house located here, the Leonardo¡¯s Art Couture. Next was the Adventurer¡¯s District, a loosely formed district made of various inns, hotels, taverns, equipment stores and facilities for all the folks who fancied themselves the life beyond the walls of Elsivier. Compared to Commercial District, the Adventurer District had more of the lively and wild side to it. And the buildings were taller, some even reached 6 floors and more. As we passed through the Commercial District, there were more people now. Sierra was having a royal time waving to each and every one of them, while sporting that amazing and ravishing smile of hers. Looking at the scene, it was no wonder that the Parade of Champions was a highly waited and anticipated event of the year. And I had thought I had seen everything, from the size of the Parade and it¡¯s show of might and power. But all the people around gathered here was on another scale. No roads, balconies nor roofs were left empty. Perhaps, everyone who stayed in Elsivier must have gathered here. Everyone ehh? I wondered if Nelia, who promised to cheer for me on, was here too. My mind went back to the day when Nelia promised to me that she would join in the Parade and be on the look for me. So far, among the tens to hundreds of thousands of people in the crowd, I have not seen her anywhere. I wondered if she gathered anywhere else amongst the crowd. I really hope she could make it. My eyes strained as I continued to look for her in the sea of thousands of the people gathered here along the road. It was no easy task at all. Our parade then passed by the Adventurer District into Residential District, located on the east side of Elsivier. Consisting of thousands of houses, Residential District was where the people of Elsivier called their home. Although there were two satellite cities beyond Elsivier¡¯s massive wall each to the west and the east, some of the folks decided to make the Residential District their home instead. However, because of its location, houses in Residential District were at premiums. As Mike and Ariel told me, the further up north we went to the Residential District, the higher the price of the house fetch. However, my mind was not concerned about the houses or its price. I¡¯m focusing on looking for Nelia. We have passed 60% of our journey, and I have yet to see her anywhere. I¡¯m beginning to get worried that she might not make it. No doubt that she would be disappointed that she couldn¡¯t see me, but I too would be disappointed for not having her to see me in action. As I nearly given up hope looking for Nelia, suddenly I saw a red-haired girl. Being a red-haired was somewhat a rarity amongst the crowd and one would surely stuck out for sure. As my eyes caught upon the red-haired girl from the back of her head, I noticed that she was having trouble manoeuvring through the crowd, who was not very friendly enough to let her have a better view of the Parade. Because of her small frame, she was pushed and shoved around. What made it worse was that she even ended up further away from the road. I suddenly felt pity for her. A small girl in the midst of unforgiving waves of people. Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 6) Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 6) Every time I saw a red-haired girl, I would pay more attention to her, hoping that might be Nelia. Well, so far I haven¡¯t had any luck. None of them looked like the petite girl. Some were too fat or some were too old, or some who were men but looked like women or some even worse still, ugly girls. Nelia, by her own distinction, was an innocent looking beauty herself. While I was in my own thoughts, somehow the red-haired girl managed to get into the front of the crowd. At last, after all the trouble she had to go through, she could now see clearer of the Parade that was going in front of her. I could not see her face clearly from this distance as she was a little further in front up the road and surrounded by throngs of people. The thunderous march of the Titans and the Spears who were leading the way and the earth rendering hooves of the horses trotting along the parade made her squirmed a little. Despite all that trouble, she seemed out of place. But somehow, she was adamant to be in front of the crowd. I wondered why. Well, I had my answer soon enough though. Finally, our eyes met. The moment she noticed me, she waved her hand vigorously. And as soon as I saw her, I could not help but to be ecstatic about it. She was Nelia after all. The red-haired girl with an innocent looking face with a petite body, I could not have mistaken her for anyone else. ¡°Nelia?!!¡± I shouted back at her. ¡°S-Ser C-Claude!!¡± She called for my name. I could see that she was extremely excited and happy to see me that she was up to the point of breaking down in tears. In her hand, she was holding something wrapped in cloth. Nelia did not just stand in one place. The moment she saw me, she moved along the road as we march on. Because of that, she has to manoeuvre herself yet again in the sea of people, who despite cheering and clapping for us, were also pushing and shoving each other. Everyone wanted to fight to get the best view, especially of the Royal Carriage in the King¡¯s Cavalry where their object of desire manifested. How despicable and unruly. Couldn¡¯t they give a break to a small innocent girl like Nelia a little space? Fearing for the worse, I called upon Captain Rizzou who was riding in front of me. ¡°Captain Rizzou?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it, Claude?¡± He was quizzed by my sudden interaction with him. So did Mike and Ariel. Elise though was in her own world. As I pointed to Nelia, I asked of the Captain¡¯s favour. ¡°Captain Rizzou, I need a favour from you. Would it be alright if I take the young girl over there to ride with me?¡± ¡°Ohh?¡± Mike and Ariel were surprised. Captain Rizzou looked towards the direction of where I am pointing right now. ¡°Just one?¡± The Captain asked. I nodded in response. As his face was covered with full face helmet, I could not see his immediate reaction. However, he then spoke, ¡°Hmmm... Let me see what I can do for you, Claude.¡± And then off he rode to the front, towards the gold-plated armoured knight. I was very nervous. Please let them agree to my request. After some short exchange between them, the gold-plated knight suddenly nodded. I could feel that my heart jumped with joy. As Captain Rizzou rode back to his position, he nodded to me and then spoke, ¡°Good news, Claude. You can have her ride with you. But she must stop and come down from the horse before the main stage at the Grand Courtyard, alright!¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain Rizzou!¡± I said my words of thanks to him enthusiastically. He nodded in acknowledgement and continued to ride back into his position. I then pointed toward Nelia and called her. ¡°Nelia! Come up here!¡± I shouted at her. However, she did not respond to me. Perhaps either she was shocked upon my request or the crowd was too loud. Fortunately for us, a guard who was standing by along the road caught of my request to Nelia. He immediately went to her side and beckoned her to follow him. He then grabbed her by the waist and carried her up towards my horse. Because of her petite¡¯s frame, carrying her up to my horse was no big deal for him. Nelia, who was still surprised, did not fight back. Seeing that the guard might be helping her to move away from the crowd that was pushing and shoving at her back, she would gladly be taken to somewhere safer. And where else was the safest place, other than riding together with me? Besides, the view from my position was one to die for. As soon as she was safely on my horse, I thanked the ever attentive guard. He gave me a salute as he went back to his earlier position. Nelia was now seated in front of me on Bolt. And Bolt didn¡¯t seem to mind an extra person riding on her. I patted her neck, saying thanks to her. She neighed gently in return. Nelia, upon realizing that she was now riding with me in the Parade of Champions seem devoid of emotions. There was only awkward silence between us. ¡°Ohh¡­ who¡¯s that Claude?¡± Ariel was the first one to the break the ice.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yeah. Who¡¯s that?¡± Mike soon added in. ¡°Ohh¡­ She¡¯s Nelia, the girl who gave me this ring.¡± I showed both Mike and Ariel the ring that Nelia gave me before as a gift. Well, a proposal gift of some sort. I would not know whether to take it seriously or not, but at least wearing the ring that she gave me would do me no harm. Besides, she looked very happy at that time. And till now, I haven¡¯t even taken it off. Not that I needed to anyway. As soon as Nelia saw the ring that I wore on my finger, her face became flustered. She put her face on my chest immediately. ¡°Ohh, aren¡¯t you a player Claude. I never knew that!!¡± Ariel was laughing mischievously behind me. ¡°Man. You are better than I expected. You are my man, Claude!¡± Mike gave me a thumbs up and a wink. ¡°But Claude, she looks so young. Are you sure about going after someone so young?¡± Ariel suddenly asked of me. However, Mike answered for me instead. ¡°Ariel, love doesn¡¯t need to care for age at all. As they say, love is blind. Look at how tight and close her face is to Claude that she barely looked at me and you. Given time, she will sure to grow into a fine lady.¡± ¡°Surely Mike or are you just jesting with me and Claude?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. You¡¯ll see.¡± They both broke into laughter. I too joined in while caressing Nelia¡¯s red hair. She rubbed her face on my chest as I caressed her hair. The sensation of her face rubbing on my chest gave rise to me somewhat of a protective feeling towards her. ¡°Young lady? What have you got in your hand there? Is that something for Claude?¡± Ariel suddenly asked. Upon realizing Ariel¡¯s words, Nelia returned to her senses. She was an extremely shy but persistent girl. Perhaps the shock of her being so close to me and also the fact that she was now riding together with me in the parade got to her so much that she had forgotten what she was holding in her hands. ¡°S-Ser C-C-Claude¡­ T-This is f-for you!!¡± Nelia handed to me the clothed wrapped item. It felt light as I received it from her. ¡°Ohh¡­ a gift for our Knight, Ser Claude!¡± Ariel was back to her teasing self again. ¡°What is it, Claude?¡± Mike asked me. I shrugged my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s open it, Claude. See what the young Nelia has brought to her Ser Claude.¡± I could feel that Ariel is having so much fun with this. Even Mike, who was beside me, got all excited too. Well, I couldn¡¯t help it then. Let¡¯s opened it. I unwrapped the cloth slowly, as the other two looked on with anticipation. And what came out was a bouquet of beautiful roses. A dozen or more of beautiful roses. ¡°A bouquet of roses? My, My Claude. Isn¡¯t that uncanny?¡± Ariel was all smiles. ¡°A girl giving you flowers? Ain¡¯t it supposed to be the other way, Claude? You know, men are supposed to give the women flowers, and not the other way around?¡± Ariel added. ¡°Man, how I wish a girl could give me flowers too. Hey, tell me, Claude. How did you do that?¡± Mike looked at me, with his envious eyes. I smiled at him. Now is my turn to tease him. With a wink, I answered, ¡°S-E-C-R-E-T. Hehehe.¡± With Nelia, anything could happen. She will do the least expected thing one could expect. Besides, she gave me the ring I now wore out of the blue. So, a bouquet of roses should not be a big deal for a girl like her. She was indeed a special kind of girl. By the way, the bouquet of roses was the first ever a girl given me a flower as a gift. So, Nelia has done two things for me in my life that I never ever received before until today. A ring back then and now flowers. ¡°Sheshh¡­ my fianc¨¦ doesn¡¯t even give me flowers the day I entered the Elites. What more of today. I haven¡¯t even seen him!¡± Ariel was pouting. But it was just for a moment as she returned to her usual cheery self. ¡°I¡¯m jealous of you Claude.¡± Ariel teasingly nudged me from behind. Mike followed suit, nudging me from the side. I continued to caress Nelia¡¯s hair as she seemed to like it. ¡°Thank you, Nelia. It is a very lovely present.¡± I smiled at her while at the same time smelled the roses. She looked up at me and blushed even further. She had not talked much, but her demeanour and attitude sure warmed my heart. Even Ariel and Mike acknowledged that Nelia was such a sweet young girl. Our parade continued along the Residential District towards the northern part of Elsivier. As we marched on our horses along the road, the people who gathered here were still as many as before. Thunderous cheers, claps and whistles crowded the air while flowers and confetti were thrown to us and litters the road with colourful images. After the Residential District came the housing estate of the rich and the nobles. The houses here were bigger; some even have a massive garden inside in front of the house. Lands in Elsivier were quite scarce because the capital was surrounded by a massive wall. But it did not stop these folks from having a massive garden in their courtyard. Not just one, but nearly all of these houses have big gardens; each one as impressive as the others. As Ariel and Mike explained, the higher ranked these nobles were, the bigger the house would be. In fact, this type of housing could be considered an estate within the wall of Elsivier. As a matter of comparison, the house that Bannen gave me came with 18 rooms. I do wonder how big these noble houses could be. Besides the house in capital, they too have their other estates and lands beyond the walls. These rich folks sure lived in a differently world compared to the rest. The crowd which gathered here were also no less than anywhere else along the road. However, since the road was a little wider than the Residential District, people aren¡¯t pushing and shoving each other. Besides, those in front of us might be nobles and folks with better etiquette, so pushing and shoving each other should be regarded as plain rude and unbecoming of them. As we march along, Nelia who was seated in front of me, though who was quiet in her own way, showed much more excitement than earlier on. Perhaps now she was getting used to it that she began to enjoy the occasion more. From time to time, she would even caress Bolt¡¯s mane. And Bolt seems to love it. After a while, our Parade would soon come to an end. After passing the rich and nobles residential area, we arrived at Elsivier¡¯s main courtyard, located in the centre of the capital. This courtyard was unofficially known as the Champions Court, since every year, the Parade of Champions would end its parade here. The scene in this courtyard was anything beyond what I have seen before or what I could ever imagine. If the crowds along the road were already massive, the people who gathered in the Champions Court were even more massive. Perhaps there might be no less than 300 thousand of people gathered here. There were as many people as my eye could see. The most I saw in any one place. All of them were all gathered here for one purpose; to celebrate the Parade of Champions. The finest warriors of the Kingdom. The pride of Elsigardia. The sea of people cheered and clapped when the Titans first appeared carrying Elsigardia¡¯s flag. As their thunderous march made way towards the Champions Court and continued forward where the Royal Stage was prepared, the Spears of Elsigardia then formed two lines, each at the side of the road heading towards the Royal Stage. Right after that, as the King¡¯s Cavalry, with the Crown Princess Sierra in the Royal carriage appeared; the crowd erupted into wild celebrations. Thousands of flowers were thrown towards the carriage as the confetti was released alongside cheers and applause. ¡°Long live Crown Princess Sierra!!¡± A chorus of shouts could be heard among the crowd. Now standing, Elsigardia¡¯s Crown Princess continued to waved towards the crowd. This got everyone else to cheer wildly. In additions, shouts of longevity and reverence too could be heard across the whole place. As the King¡¯s Cavalry make its way towards the Royal Stage, the Spears of Elsigradia, who already had formed two lines earlier raised up their spears. As soon as the spear was raised, I could hear trumpets and bugles were blowing out a familiar theme. The March of Champions. ¡°Everyone, we have finally arrived!!¡± Captain Rizzou shouted from his position and raised his salute. Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 7: Final)
Chapter 14: A Hero Arises (Part 7: Final) Captain Rizzou suddenly spoke to all of us. As the King¡¯s Cavalry made its way towards the Royal Stage, our procession too took an immediate halt between the Spears. The 30,000 of us was broken down into various segments. I, alongside Mike and Elise, was to follow Captain Rizzou. The rest were ordered to follow their unit leaders or commanders and made their way accordingly. ¡°Nelia, this is where I have to drop you.¡± A guard came toward us but before I could lift her for him take it from there, Nelia gave me a tight hug. I caressed her hair for one final time. ¡°S-Ser C-Claude. W-Will I see you again?¡± I smiled at her and I nodded while showing her the ring she gave to me. Nelia blushed. The ring became some sort of a bond between us. ¡°You bet we will. Now please be safe.¡± As soon as Nelia was carried down from Bolt, the guard beckoned her to follow him to a suitable place so that she would not get it the way. The next main event would be starting soon; one where each and everyone in the Kingdom of Elsigardia was looking forward to the most, the Royal Conference of Medals. To the people Elsigardia, the Parade was not just any other celebration. It was a show of might and also to honour Elsigardia bravest and finest warriors. Today was where heroes were born and new legend arises. ¡°Claude, Mike and Elise! I want you three to follow me.¡± Captain Rizzou came to us, followed by another 3 other full-plated armoured knight, most likely a Captain rank. One was Captain Selina as I could remember how her armour looked like. ¡°Yes, Captain!!¡± All of us answer in unison. ¡°From now onwards, this is where things get very formal and serious. Be sure to follow exactly what I told you.¡± He was back in his serious mode. The other three behind him nodded in agreement with him. I gulped. My body started to get nervous. Upon seeing my condition, Captain Rizzou, lifting his face protector up then cracked a rare smile today. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Claude. It¡¯s nothing hard. You will have me and your Captain to guide you. It¡¯s easy.¡± ¡°A-Ahhh¡­ I see.¡± The words were supposed to calm me down, but I could not avoid the butterflies in my stomach to swirl around. I still have the jitters, but since Mike, Elise and two of the Captains, Captain Rizzou and Captain Selina here, I am in great care. I gave one of the guards to safe keep the flowers that Nelia gave me as my present. Once I have done that, all I have to do was to follow Captain Rizzou to the Royal Stage. The Royal Stage was truly a regal and beautifully decorated. This was the same stage I saw people were working on a few days ago. Built on the main palace courtyard, with the backdrop of the Royal Palace and facing directly the Champions Court, the stage was adorned with various flags and banners, while the stage itself was draped in royal gold with a red carpet in the middle. Seated alone at the front most on a throne was Crown Princess Sierra. Alongside her stood two heavily armoured knights, one in gold and one in crimson red. And in front of her, was another heavily armoured knight in gold and ebony colour. All the three knights were wearing full-plated armour. Massive and intimidating to those who gaze upon them. And to the left side of the stage were various people, most presumably nobles and high ranking officers. Among them, I could see the same annoying familiar faces back in the Strategic Headquarters. The was one face I could remember. Wearing pompous clothing with a hat too big for his head, he looks like a court jester more than a ranked officer. What was his title again? Lord Cockroach of the Cellar? Bah, I would not bother those who insulted me out of spite. I am one who won¡¯t let his grudge die down easily. To the right of the stage was where I, Mike and Elise stood in that order. Among us were various people who were either in armour or normal but beautiful clothes. Everyone was in their best attires. This side of the stage was for medals receiver or so it seems. All the Captains, leaders and commanders stood behind this group of ours. ¡°The Royal Conference of Medals shall now begin. I hereby announce, in attendance, by the blessing of Goddess Athenea, Crown Princess Sierra of the House of Elmsdor!¡± A male voice suddenly pierced the crowd. When the announcement finished, I clapped my hand enthusiastically. However, the situation suddenly became very awkward. I found that I was the only one who clapped. Everywhere around me, everyone else stood still and quiet. Mike nudged me from the side.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to clap, Claude.¡± Mike chuckled. So too does Elise. I turned behind and I saw both Captain Rizzou and Captain Selina giving me the double facepalm. I looked at them apologetically. No one told me about this before. It¡¯s your fault Captain Rizzou. Crown Princess Sierra, upon hearing the direction of the clap, immediately looked towards my direction. However, she managed to keep her cool despite nearly chuckled at my mishap. Ohh, Sierra. I have shamed you. Please forgive me. The rest of the people, who looked at me with disdain were brushed away by Princess Sierra¡¯s calmness demeanour. Perhaps they were now in public and in the eyes of the public, their image matters. To reprimand a medal winner, what more of an Elsigardia¡¯s finest hero was an unspeakable taboo. Hence the quietness and absence of any rebuke whatsoever. ¡°May I now present to you, by the grace of his Majesty, King Titus Elsivier the 17th, King of the greatest Kingdom in the land, the Royal Conference of Medals, to Elsigardia¡¯s finest children, blessed by the Goddess Athenea herself!¡± Again came the announcement after a brief moment of silence caused by a mishap by yours truly. The Herald then looked at the Princess and with her nod, he resumed. ¡°Upon the calling of your name, please come forward and receive your medal.¡± I was overwhelmed with goosebumps all over. His announcement just made me realize that the medals I received back then was a big deal. Until today, I have not thought much about its value and meaning, but seeing today¡¯s event and what was about to unfold, told me a different story. For a country bumpkin like me, who was raised and grown in the solitude of the Brotherhood of the Sun, events like this hold no special meaning to me personally. But today, I¡¯m here now, standing proudly, not just for myself, but also for the Brotherhood. ¡°Do us proud, Hasty One¡± Both Blizzard Hawk and the old geezer, the Solaris Primus would often remind me. Even the day before I left, they were still reminding me of our ethos. Nam quamdiu sol ortus est, nos non nuto, erit Pacem enim onmes! ¡°For as long as the sun rises, we shall not falter and there shall be peace for all!¡± Now I understood more about what¡¯s going on. My valour and bravery were rewarded not just by pieces of metals moulded in various shapes, but it also represented the values and the thoughts of the people throughout Elsigardia. There were 300 thousand or more people in the Champions Court watching our Royal Conference of Medals. To them and to each and every one of the people here, right here and right now, this was a celebration of heroes. ¡°And now, for the next medal receiver¡­¡± ¡°The Royal Medal of Valour bestowed by the Crown Princess Sierra Elmsdor, and¡­¡± After an extremely short pause, the announcer then continued. ¡°The youngest receiver of the highest award for non-nobles in the history of Elsigardia, the King¡¯s Medal of the Gallant Heart, bestowed upon the deeds of valour and bravery of saving the life of The Crown Princes, by His Majesty, King Titus Elsivier the 17th!¡± The whole crowd went silent. Even those that were in the Champions Courtyard waited with bated breath. ¡°Given by my authority, I hereby call upon¡­¡± Well, this was it. The moment I have been waiting for. The moment everyone here was waiting for. I took a deep breath. ¡°First Lieutenant of the Royal Elite Knight, Ser Claude Leonheart!!¡± The crowd in the Champions Court erupted into thunderous claps and cheers. As my name was called, Captain Rizzou came over to my side and beckoned me to follow him. I then walked towards the end of the red carpet, with Captain Rizzou to my left guiding me. And on to my right, was Captain Selina. ¡°Claude, just do as I tell you alright.¡± Captain Rizzou reminded me. I nodded. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take calm and confident steps following the red carpet. Both I and Captain Selina will guide you. Follow our pace.¡± I walked with the two Captains alongside me, each of us taking short but precise and sure step. As I took those steps, I retraced the events that brought me here. From being punished collecting firewoods by Blizzard Hawk, to be nearly killed by Sehanie¡¯s joke, and to really got killed by unknown beast on beyond powers but somehow managed to be saved by another unknown power, to then encountering many journeys towards the capital and now, I am here; walking confidently towards the person who I have saved back then. I did not know she was a Princess of the Kingdom. All I knew at that time was I could not let someone die on my watch. Saving both Sehanie and Sierra was a given. It was not a choice. It was dedication towards one¡¯s cause. And I¡¯m now walking like a man with a cause. At the end of the red carpet, stood the Crown Princess on top an elevated platform. As I reached the end of the red carpet, the three of us stood still at attention. Captain Rizzou then instructed me, ¡°Kneel down on your right knee. And then you bow down your head. Do not look up until I tell you so.¡± I did as I was told. I knelt with my right knee and then bow down my head. Princess Sierra, who was standing right in front of me, took a sword from a swordbearer to her right. With the edge of the sword, she tapped once on my left shoulder then and once on my right shoulder. She then returned the sword to the swordbearer. And from her left, she took a medal, draped in golden cloth. As she raised up the medal to be draped around my neck, Captain Rizzou told me my next instruction, ¡°Raise your head, Claude.¡± As I raised my head, my eyes met Sierra¡¯s. I could see her face very clearly now. As she took the medal to put around my neck, her face was all red. She was smiling the most beautiful smile I could ever see her smile; more than any smile I have ever seen in life. Surely, she was beaming with happiness, pride and joy. It was a joyous day for her and for me too. Now, I understand the weight of her words back then, where she said that she will reward me properly. This smile of hers was the reward that I have been waiting for so long. When the first medal was draped to my neck, she was resplendent as she could be. However, once the second medal came, I could hear the gentle whisper of her voice. ¡°Claude, thank you so much for saving my life back then. You are truly Elsigardia¡¯s finest hero. And also, my hero.¡± As Sierra¡¯s resumed her position, she placed both of her hands on her heart as she commanded me for one final time today, ¡°Arise, Ser Claude Leonheart, Royal Elite Knight of the Kingdom of Elsigardia, the saviour of my life and hero of Elsigardia.¡± End of the First Volume of Heroic Chronicles: A Hero Arises AUTHOR: Questions and Answers Time 1 Hi all, I would like to open Questions and Answers session for all of you readers. If you have anything to say, comment suggest or ask, feel free to do so. Keep in mind, despite the freedom in speech, let us all be nice to each others, alright. Prior to this, I have read many of your comments, either in public or PMs and had been keeping in check with various updates. Since the First Volume has been completed, I would take some extra time rework and reedit all the previous chapters regarding a few things.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. 1. I will personally improve all the chapters'' grammars, flow, prosing, plot-holes etc. After I had edited, I will have the word [EDIT ''date''] at the end of the Chapter''s Title. 2. Chapter Naming. Since I have Volume 2 coming up soon, I will rename all the chapters as following. V2 Chapter 01: "chapter name" 3. Release frequeny. I will release Volume 2 chapters twice a week, with each chapter about 1.5k-3k words. So, let''s begin the Q&A. I will come in frequently to update the edits and answer any questions/comments/suggestions. The next release will be in two weeks time with a new Cover Page and Title Volume 2: Dawn of A New Beginning. [V2] 00 Prologue: Dawn of the New Beginning The Drow archmage cursed me at the top of his lung. Flailing his arms around, he casted the magical barrier yet again. His two aide then created a magical seal; a fireball. We had not much time with us. The captain was in bad shape and I was just attacked by a Red Scarlet leader. Our conditions worsen every second as the sacrificial altar was now readied and the summoning circle on the sky finally completed. The girls that we tried desperately to save was in their final moments.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Well¡­ If we want to die, now would be a good time.¡± Captain Rizzou looked at me. On his hand were two orbs and mine, was a broken sword and the dagger, Soulstealer. ¡°Let the heaven sing our names in praises then!¡± We shouted our battlecries at the top of our lung, rushing towards our impending doom or perhaps our heroic rescue. ¡°Il¡¯Uth¡¯Belialus!! Kazyk usykaz! Kazyk usykaz!!! Kazyk!!!!¡± (Children of Belialus! Kill them! Kill them!!! KILL!!!!¡±) [V2] Chapter 01: Dawn of New Beginning (Part 1) Chapter 01: Dawn of New Beginning (Part 1) ¡°It¡¯s hard to reach the peak. But once you had reached there, the questions beckoned, how do you maintain it? Show me what you have and who you truly are and perhaps I shall acknowledge you.¡± - Selina Mayfair, Captain of the Blizt Elite 1st Squadron of the Third Battalion. ***** ¡°Hurry up, Claude!!¡± A loud voice echoed throughout the whole courtyard. As the first ray of the sunlight started to shine, piercing the darkness of the night and marking the beginning of a new day; inside a battle courtyard, two silhouettes could be seen facing each other, each with a weapon in their hands, poised to attack. ¡°What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and strike me already! Or you want me to come over to you instead?!¡± ***** Cehh¡­ This woman really had no patience for me. I could do with a few moments of strategizing, but then again, would it do any better? I definitely won¡¯t win against her, so I might as well enjoy making this fight a little more worthwhile. But, what should I do? She looked like she wanted this fight to start on already. And she was dead serious about it. ¡°Selina! If you want to come, just come!!¡± I looked at her as I pushed my feet under the earth loosening up some dirt. Without hesitation, Selina came charging towards me with such speed and ferocity. With a wooden sword on her right hand, she swung it towards my head. However, I had something ¡®dirt-y¡¯ to greet her. ¡°Take this!¡± I swung my feet towards her, letting fly of the dirt into her face. I repeated the movement a couple of more times; creating a small dirt-screen between us. Thinking that I had my chances, I threw a wooden dagger directly at her. But, she deflected it away to her side with such ease. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a dirty little fighter? You call yourself a hero throwing dirt across my face?!¡± ¡°Heh, looks who¡¯s talking. You were the one who stole that first hit on my back before we start. Besides, I just use some advantages I have over you.¡± Right after I finished talking, her wooden sword pierced through the dirt-screen that came to me at a high speed though I dodged it by tumbling backwards. ¡°Advantages over me? What are you talking about, Claude?¡± I looked at Selina as she appeared from the dirt-screen. Her face was smeared with dust but nonetheless, her eyes looked sharp and menacing. ¡°All you have been doing was taunting and trash-talking to me the moment this battle start. You think it will work against someone like me?¡± She attacked yet again. I parried her first strike, but she managed to kick the side of my rib. Withholding the pain, I looked at my foe. Selina was both fast and strong. My hand trembled parrying her earlier heavy strike. How could she swing with such ferocity and force with that slim arm of hers? I better not get hit with this any longer or else I was going to get screwed. I touched my back. Good. Looked like I still have it there. Before the battle started, I was given the choice of my weapon. I took a sword and couple of daggers while Selina equipped herself with a single sword. Now that I have used one dagger, the other I hid it at my back. This dagger would be useful in determining my fate. As I stood up, Selina came rushing towards me again. She won¡¯t let me rest. ¡°Come on Claude. Hit me already. You haven¡¯t been doing anything else other than talking and dodging!¡± It was Selina¡¯s turn to taunt me now. She was dismissive of my earlier trash-talk but one word though made her blew her top right away. ¡®Fatass¡¯. That was the word I used to make her lose all her senses and decided enough was enough. She came towards me like a hungry lioness attacking its prey head-on. Well, I won¡¯t let you have your way with me. As I continued to parry her attacks, I counted the step that she took with each strike. For every strike that she gave me, she took only half a step. It meant that by the time she took a full step forward, she already launched no less than two attacks on me. She was indeed fast. And her sword strike was no joke either. Every time I tried to parry her attacks, I could hear my wooden sword creaked. Once it broke, it would be game over. Looked like I had no other choice but to attack her now. Seemed like she finished some sort of a combo to which I managed parried it all. As my right hand trembled from the sheer force of her attacks, I took a few tumble backwards before she could launch her next attack. I looked at her directly into the eyes, ¡°You wanted me to attack you?! Well, though I hate to hit a woman, I¡¯ll grant you your wish.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. I took in a deep breath as I prepared my stance of the First Movement of the Sun Sword. ¡°Ohh??¡± Selina was surprised to see my sudden changes. ¡°Looks like you beginning to take this seriously! So, come on now. Hit me! Don¡¯t let a woman wait for your advances, Claude!¡± She looked at me mischievously. I was pretty sure that she won¡¯t know what might come and hit her square into her beautiful face and wipe off that mischievous grin. Though she asked for it, still¡­ Argghh¡­ I wished I could have avoided hitting her in the face, but I could not help it. Babe, please forgive me! ¡°Selina, here I come. Be prepared.¡± As soon as I said that, I lunged forward. I was 10 steps away from her, just enough for me to prepare my attacks before getting a counter hit. As I got near to her and slashed at her, it rendered the air at her side. With each strike, I created a wind blade that blew past her. I was going at full force at her. Selina parried my first three normal attacks. However, she failed to parry the wind blades that came simultaneously with the attacks. It was an invisible attack and at this distance, was quite impossible to avoid. The wind blades struck both her shoulder and one managed to graze her beautiful dark-brown hair. Suprised, Selina looked at me, with a change of her own stance. ¡°Impressive Claude!¡± she looked happy after I attacked her. Was she a masochist? Did she love it when a man was forceful on her? What a weird woman alright. However, this was just initial three attacks to start the flow stage of my skill. The First Movement has 21 strikes all together with each strike flowed at growing intensity and force. I relentlessly attacked her as I entered the first two stages of the First Movement of the Sun Sword. Selina tried her best to parried all the normal strikes and the invisible wind blades that came with it. Because of the change in her stance, she could block and dodge all of my attacks. It surprised me for a while but nonetheless, I had an ace up my sleeves. Lastly, came the attack that made the Movement of the Sun Sword so devastating, the impute strike. Because Selina was busy parrying and dodging all my attacks, she failed to take notice of my movements. And what worst, she also failed to realize that I positioned myself at her blindside. Her look was priceless when she noticed that. ¡°Sorry, Captain! I wish I would not have hurt your beautiful face, but it¡¯s a check on you!¡± I had cornered Selina where I wanted her to be. Finally, I could unleash the final attack of my skill. As my wooden sword swung towards Selina, it unleashed a fiery bladed attack that burned the air around us and hit her point-blank. The victory was mine at last. I let out a wide smile. ¡°Lightning Blade!¡± Suddenly, a crackle of lightning could be seen on her wooden sword. In a split second that even blurred my vision, she parried the impute strike. To my immediate amazement, she diverted the fiery blade attack to her side though just barely. But perhaps it was quite too late for her. The side of her shirt was burnt and her sword was broken in half. The fiery blade that she avoided earlier hit the tree behind and exploded. The force took her out; dropping forward just directly in front of my feet. All were within my plan. I gave out a mischievous laugh. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s my win, Selina!¡± It was good that the strike did not hit Selina on her face but nonetheless, I did think it was game over. ¡°You think so, Claude? Aren¡¯t you proclaiming your victory a little prematurely?¡± Before I could do anything, Selina suddenly stood up and came at me with a very frightening speed; faster than Sehanie¡¯s arrow. With her broken sword, she swung it towards my neck. Instinctively, I braced myself for the worst; closing my eyes and my left hand to it. I had nowhere else to run nor dodge. ¡°Checkmate, Claude!¡± Once I opened my eyes, I could see that her broken sword was a few millimetres away from my neck. Selina then proclaimed her victory while giving me that mischievous grin of hers. ¡°Looks like the win is mine!¡± ¡°Really now Captain? What did you say earlier about proclaiming a victory prematurely?¡± She was amazed at what I had just said. ¡°What do you mean, Claude?¡± ¡°What I mean is this, Selina.¡± I poked Selina on her right side. ¡°It¡¯s a stalemate!¡± I let out a hearty laugh. In my left hand was it; the dagger that I hid on my back that I took out the precise moment Selina was coming to me for my neck. The timing was important because she could either dodge my attack if it came earlier or otherwise hit my left hand squarely and rendered my attack useless if it came later. And my right hand was too shaken to even do anything else. After unleashing the final strike and of course parrying Selina¡¯s powerful attack, my right hand was at its limit and dropped my sword. I could not even lift a finger. Selina was shocked to feel her side being poked. As she looked toward her right side, she could see that my dagger was poking at her ribs; just an inch away from touching her breasts. Her amazed face immediately changed into one of a pleasant recognition and acknowledgement instead. Poke-poke. I continued to tease her, poking her ribs and tickling the underside of her breast. I had the look of a perverted man now. ¡°Hey stop it, Claude!!¡± Selina pouted. She might be pouting but honestly, she looked very cute at it. I was quite happy to have someone as cute as her as my Captain. Well, she wasn¡¯t this cute when she dragged me all the way here and being stern even before the sunrise. The evening after the Parade of the Champions, she reminded that she wanted to see me in the main courtyard of the Elemental Circle before dawn. Thinking that it was my first job or a mission, I excitedly and innocently accepted it. Little did I know that the moment I arrived, I was then forcefully and hastily dragged into this place. Selina did not even smile and her facial expression was not her usual happy self. She looked menacing. At that time the bonding session I had planned with us together the night before went up in smoke. And this was the first time that she cracked into that deliciously charming smile of hers. To see her smiling like that made me felt very happy. Guess it was worth it giving my everything after all. Perhaps that bonding session I had planned was still achievable too. ¡°Yeah, looks like it¡¯s a stalemate, Claude!¡± I could see that she was beaming with pride and happiness, a look that even surpassed the intensity of the ray of sunlight that was beginning to descent this place. As she rubbed my head, she let out a loud laugh that break the dawn¡¯s own silence. ¡°Hmm¡­ Not bad¡­ Not bad at all for my First Lieutenant!¡± She proudly held me tight with my head wrapped around her right arm. ¡°O-Ouch, Selina. Please let me go.¡± I tried to push her arm away, but within that thin and frail arm was somewhat a strength that I could not overcome. ¡°Let you go?! No, I won¡¯t! Why should I let you go?!¡± Selina continued to wrestle me. ¡°I¡¯ll never let you go, ever!¡± And she was dead serious about it. I realized that I might be extremely important to her as I was the only member of her squad. I looked at Selina as I held her arms from further strangling me. ¡°Well Selina, I ain¡¯t going nowhere. You are my Captain and I¡¯m proud to be your First Lieutenant. Now and forever. ¡° Cheesy lines I learned from the old geezer on how to make a woman happy. I could see her eyes were moist. Did the lines worked or perhaps the dirt got into her eyes instead? ¡°Now, could you let your hand go? I¡¯m suffocating.¡± *****